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I agree. I think it was the salty pickles too. Awful feeling though when you see those higher numbers on the scale & wonder what you’ve been doing wrong. Over time you’ll discover things that make your weight fluctuate a little more than usual. I’m up a little at the moment because I’ve been eating my chicken & barley soup - an extra serve of carbs & the extra fluid does it every time for me but it will be gone in few days. Try adding lemon juice to your water or drink some tea - both will make you pee more & help flush out the excess fluids.

I've known of several WLS people on the east coast who went to Dr. Capella in New Jersey (that is, if you're willing to travel - some people are, some aren't). All he does is body contouring for massive weight loss patients, and his prices are supposedly pretty reasonable for the New York area. I don't know what they're running now, though. https://www.capellaplasticsurgery.net/post-weight-loss-surgery/ (I actually traveled for mine - to Chicago - about two hours away - but I know people who've flown places to work with a nationally-known plastic surgeon (and Dr. Capella is one)). Also on the east coast who's nationally known is Dr. Joseph Michaels in the DC area (I think he's affiliated with Johns Hopkins University). But again, that'd mean traveling, of course, I've known several WLS patients who've gone to him https://www.josephmichaelsmd.com/ a lot of these really well-known surgeons will do consults over the phone (you'd have to send them pictures so they know what they'd be dealing with) - not sure about these two, but I'm guessing they do). Also, most plastic surgeons will charge you for a consult - maybe $100 or so - but they take that off your surgery if you go with them. I had three in Chicago and one from a surgeon in Mexico - the Chicago ones all charged for the consult, but I felt is was money well spent.

it was the pickles. Yes - sodium makes some people retain water like crazy. Plus there is no way you'd gain 3.7 kg of real weight in three days. To do that, you would have to eat 28,000 more calories than your body needs in those three days. So yea, no. It's just water.

I'm nowhere near goal weight but as a professional yo yo dieter for many many years, it sounds to me like classic water weight retention. Swollen feet is a sure sign and the fact you have been eating increased amount of sodium. It's frustrating but temporary. ^^Good advice^^ and reduce your sodium intake. Good luck reaching your goal.

Hi. I noticed that my weight has started going up like crazy over the past four days. I was 76.5 kg on 26 April 2023 and I weighed 80.2 Kg this morning (30 April 2023). I usually weigh myself after going to the toilet in the morning, around the same time, before eating or drinking anything and wearing only my "birthday suit". Gaining 3.7 kg over 3 days is definitely unusual and alarming. This afternoon I also noticed that my feet were swollen and felt a bit numb. Then I remembered that I've been eating a lot of pickles that my wife made for me. I read somewhere that there is a strong connection between increased dietary salt intake and weight gain due to water retention but the studies were all inconclusive. The recommendations were to just drink a lot of water, exercise and wait it out. Anyone experienced a similar situation and how long did it take to get back on track? It is frustrating that I'm experiencing this while I'm only 6 kg from my goal weight.

1) if that "tummy" surgery is a whole lower body lift, then that's a good deal. If it's just a tummy tuck, then that's probably about average these days, especially for a city like Boston. I'm not sure about breast lift, but it's also probably about average since it's Boston (back when I was doing research about six years ago, I read somewhere (maybe here on BP?) to expect $8K-$10K per procedure, with a lower body lift counting as two procedures, since they do both front and back). That estimate did ring true for me, but again, that was six years ago. Plus you're usually going to pay more in urban areas and/or with surgeons who've had a lot of experience and good reputations. So anyway, no, those prices don't seem outrageous. 2) I would go for the surgery if you want to get rid of it. I don't know how effective these alternative methods are - maybe minimally. Results from surgery are dramatic and permanent (as long as you don't gain the weight back!) 3) my lower body lift was pretty painful. After the first few days, though, it was more discomfort than pain, but the discomfort lasted for quite awhile. I don't remember the breast lift being very painful. I think the body lift pain was because they tighten the muscles and do liposuction - those are things that tend to cause pain, from what I've read. But like with the above poster, the pain was worth it - I have a normal-looking body now, and I'm really happy with it. I'd do the surgery again for sure. 4) that comes down to personal preference. I wanted mine done in a hospital, and I wanted to spend the first night there in case anything happened. The surgeon I went with ONLY does his surgeries in a hospital, and he does make you spend the first night there just in case. The other two consults I had (for body lifts) will do theirs in hospitals if requested, but by default they do them in surgery centers where you go home that night. Their quotes (at least for the lower body lift - which was the only surgery for which I did more than one consult) were cheaper - one was cheaper by $2000, the other by $6000. The first guy has a national reputation, though, so his $2000 price difference was likely due to fact there that it would have been in a day surgical center, not a hospital (and no overnight). The second guy didn't have nearly as much experience, which would have accounted for the much lower price. (I had a facelift a few years later by a different surgeon - I didn't do a hospital surgery for that one since it's a much easier surgery - I was comfortable doing that one at a surgery center)

I lost my weight in 2020. Since then I’ve been struggling with my tummy mostly (I lost 120 and other areas could use a nip tuck). I have a pretty big belly it prevents me from tucking in and wearing a lot of things I would like to wear. I’m 56 years old and petrified of surgeries but especially this one. I know it will be very painful. And also the quote I got at the surgeons office was 15k for tummy and 15k for breast lift. I’m in Boston and this was in office not in hospital. In hospital was an extra 11k. My questions are 1. Does that price sound outrageous? Again it’s a good size job and I’m sure it’s more bc of that?? 2. Is there anything else I can do to reduce this tummy I know the big procedure is the only way to really do it but do these fat loss clinics (must be lipo?) clinics work? 3. How painful was this? 4. Would you do this in office? Thanks so much for your feedback!

My weight loss progressively slowed down each month post-op. Over time, I needed more calories to be satiated. Finally, at 9 months post-op, the weight loss stopped right at my Ideal Body Weight. I'm currently 14 mo post-op, and I'm still experimenting with how much and what to eat to maintain. I currently eat about 1800-2000 calories a day. I don't follow a specific diet now, but I try to stay focused on protein, eating clean, limited (and healthy) snacking. My biggest challenge is grazing. My restriction makes it hard to eat actual meals, so I find myself eating "pieces" of food throughout the day... some cheese here, an apple there, a piece of ham, some greek yogurt, a protein bar, etc. It's working ok for now, but it's something I'm monitoring. Initially, I was tracking everything I ate, but I don't do that now. I keep a running tab in my head, and I'm trying to get to the point that I can regulate intuitively. I weigh myself every morning. I've regained about a pound from my lowest weight.

Yes, but you are still using your dominant arm so still working the muscles there. Your dominant arm would have had more muscle & less fat than your less dominant arm too. Did your arms measure the same when you first started losing? As @Possum220 said our bodies aren’t symmetrical. The places we are most aware of tend to be our feet or breasts as we’re always measuring them. We rarely if ever measure our thighs, arms, etc. As @hills&valleys said we carry our weight in different places and we lose it in different places at different times. Density of fat deposits can also affect how much you lose in those areas & over what time. Interestingly I always had a distinct waist regardless of what I weighed yet when I lost all my weight I also lost my waist. No more hourglass shape. I was straight up & down. But over time, my remaining fat resettled & I have a waist again (& also hips). I guess what I’m saying is don’t fret yet. You’re early out with your weight loss.

My weight just slowed. I reached my goal & thought yay but I kept losing. So I slowly increased my calories as I was able hoping to slow it down. Some of the increased calories came as I was physically able to eat more - eventually more like a regular portion size. I also added snacks. I was still seeing my dietician so I worked through suggestions with her. I added two more serves of carbs (whole/multi grains), another serve of fruit, nuts, hummus, peanut paste, chia pudding, protein bar, etc. My dietician also suggested adding milk powder to my milk to enrich it (for my rolled oats & chia pudding but I found it too sweet). When I reached goal I was eating about 900 calories. When I finally stopped losing (about 11 months later & a further 11 odd kilos down) I was up to 1300. Now I eat about 1500 to maintain at about a kilo or so heavier weight. And yes I still snack a few times a day.

I think I need to provide more context. I don’t have medical clearance yet to exercise (not until my appointment next week hopefully) so my muscle is the first things being burned from what I was told. And since I use my dominant arm more, shouldn’t I be losing more muscle there first instead of my non-dominant arm? There’s a five inch difference between the arms. I’m already self conscious about my arms as a big woman (SW: 286, CW: 262), I feel like unevenness is going to be a new thing to be self conscious about as my non dominant arm gets smaller while my dominant arm stays the same. Total inches lost in my dominant arm have been 0.25 inches. My non dominant arm lost 5 inches. I just want to know if anyone else has experienced this with their arms before. I don’t have lymphedema so it’s kinda freaking me out. Also my stomach has always gained first and it’s one of the first things going down. All my measurements are going down and decreasing significantly…except that dominant arm. I’ll probably talk to the doc and find a way to delete this thread. It was a stupid question to begin with. Sorry y’all!

Stalls are a normal part of weight loss, but when you say your "diet can use some work," is it possible that you aren't losing weight because you're not in a calorie deficit? It would be unusual to be able to eat that much 2 months post-op, but it's hard to say without more information. The less you weigh, the lower your calorie needs, so if you're consuming the same number of calories now that you were when you were 30 pounds heavier, that could now be too much for weight loss. Regardless, you shouldn't be afraid of what your surgeon will say about your weight loss. Your surgeon isn't (or shouldn't be) there to judge you, but to help you. If what you're doing isn't working, your surgeon/clinic wants to help you fix it.

Weight distribution is unique for each individual but one pattern is universal.....the first area of a person's body that fat collects is the last area which fat is lost and the last areas to show gain is the first to show fat loss.

So, did your weight loss just slow down until it eventually settled and you started maintenance there? Or did you stop once you reached a weight goal? If so, how did you add calories back to a place you are no longer losing? I am not near maintenance now. However, I have been wondering about how this works for people. Thank you for sharing!

The first time I did this; I had NO idea what to do or what to look at or what size I was. I almost walked out feeling too overwhelmed at the choices and having ZERO idea what all the descriptions of jeans were and what size I might wear. I finally asked a sales person. I explained how much weight I had lost and that I was literally LOST in the store. I was in my late 50's and had NO IDEA what to look at. She was so kind and eyed me up and gave me one size 18 jean and a few 16s and told me to try on the 18 first. It was big. I cried. BEST DAY EVER ! I had also worn a 26/28 jean... MORE SUCESS TO FOLLOW !! Best of Everything to you !

I would suggest that looking for very small steps is the answer and expecting much back slide and angst. Depression and anxiety can go hand in hand. An antidepressant medication can be extremely helpful in situations such as these, and there ARE weight neutral meds that can really help. I highly suggest doing both medications for at least 6 months to a year AND counseling. The combination of the two are the MOST helpful. Medication will help her brain chemistry to allow her to see through the fog of depression. Also expect some hard days as her body adjusts to medication - perhaps even up to 6 weeks, but the change will be there.

As everyone will say, everyone is different and their journeys are unique. Look at the overall weight loss instead to train your brain to celebrate every lb lost. I thought I was a slow looser, but once I started seeing my loss per month and year to date, I know there was no way I was doing it on my own. When I feel I should be doing better, I revisit my food log and make sure I'm within my plans recommendations and increase my fluid intake and tweak as needed, most times is my fluids or calories are too low for my activity level. Sent from my SM-S916U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

where did you hear that the average is 5-15 lbs a week? NO ONE loses that fast. Maybe 5 lbs a week the first MONTH (and it wouldn't be five lbs each and every week - most of us experience the dreaded "three week stall" - but a 15-25 lb loss the first month seems to be pretty average, unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life". After that drop the first month, you'll settle to into a slower rate for a few months, maybe 10 lbs a month, give or take, for the next few months - and then it'll slow even further. so I don't know where you heard that figure, but it's not accurate. You need to adjust your expectations or you're going to be frustrated and disappointed. As long as you comply with your clinic's plan, the weight will come off. Don't stress over this and more importantly, don't burn yourself out - you don't want to crash and burn. Just follow the plan. Depending on your starting point, it can take a year or more to get to goal - it took me 20 months. You want to jeopardize your health.

My daughter and I became members of this community when she decided to have the sleeve surgery 5 years ago. It was a huge decision and a lot of promises were made. I was her support. She’s 27 now, but prior to COVID she showed signs of depression and was gaining weight slowly. During COVID, she got more depressed. In the fall of 2021 just as people were returning to the workforce she did not and it’s been that way since. She’s also gained more weight. I’ve tried to get her help but she’s refused. Now no job, no insurance which means she’s on Medicaid and is afraid of the quality of doctors available to her. She’s not easy and it’s tearing me apart. I believe there’s a correlation between her young age at that time (22yo), her mental state when she had the surgery and whether she was truly ready and prepared for the changes that many of you stated above would occur. She had me promise not to tell anyone of her surgery. She’s not ready to talk about it and appears embarrassed about the decision. I try to tell her that it’s a testament to her initial success and could be an inspiration for others but she refuses. I’m trapped and don’t know what more to say or do. I’m going to continue to help and support her. I just wanted to share a mother’s story during a moment in time with her daughter.

There’s no right or wrong way & there’s no one path everyone follows while they’re losing. Though it would be easier if we could say exactly what will happen on or by a specific day or time. Like week 6 day 4 I will have lost this much weight, I will meet my protein goal for the day, I will be 3ozs short on my fluids, I will poop, I will feel tired, & so on. You can depend upon certain things. You can expect your rate of weight loss to fluctuate day to day, week to week. You can expect to experience stalls at some times which will usually last 1-3 weeks but may be more. You can expect your rate of weight loss to slow as you get closer to your final weight. You can guarantee your weight loss experience may have similarities with someone else but won’t be exactly the same. There are averages (statistics) but they only can give you an idea of what might happen not will definitely happen. We’re all too different physically & psychologically, have different health issues & history, different demands on our lives, different genders, ages & heights, etc. I tracked my loss almost every day and yes there were ups & downs along the way but that’s just life - one day is never identical to the day before or the day after & there are always things that happen that you can’t control (hormonal fluctuations, pooping, peeing, energy levels, being unwell, etc.). The most important thing to me was I was losing & the general trend on my weight loss graph was downwards. Keep following your plan & getting in your protein & fluids as you’ve been doing & you will lose weight in your time. Don’t put pressure on yourself on how much you will lose by some arbitrary made up date. It will only stress & upset you if you don’t make it. All the best.

-My boyfriend picked me up (no guy has ever done that or attempted to) I proceeded to freak out and say don't do that again because I was so scared it was too much and he laughed and said it wasn't bad and I'm being crazy I've never liked being picked up. Before it was because I worried I'd break the person picking me up now I worry I'll get hurt. Being able to sit on fallen treen branches without snapping them (I spend a lot of time outside/hiking/by the Water and it's nice to sit on them now) Not necessarily Tree branches but there are some camping chairs I had to avoid in the past because I was so big and now I don't even weight check. Just fitting in any seat and not having to worry about it anymore I love this probably top 5 NSV of my surgery. Not worrying about fitting or breaking the seat. Having small boobs relative to the rest of my body (I hated having big boobs) My boobs are still big compared to the rest of me. Plan on fixing that surgically next summer.

Stalls are a natural & normal part of weight loss. They are the time your body takes to reassess the changes you’ve made: the change in calorie intake, weight loss, activity levels, etc. All things that put stress on your body. The body reassess your needs & makes changes to things like your digestive hormones & metabolism. You will start to lose weight again when your body is ready - in it’s time not necessarily your time. Don’t stress your body more. Get back on your plan & stick to it. But yes, check with your team regarding your weight lifting. May be not so much you’re doing it but how much your lifting. Better to be sure you’re doing the best thing for your body right now.

Hello, I haven’t gotten my surgery date yet but I am battling depression as well. I started talking to a therapist about a month ago and it has drastically helped me to see the distorted thinking than I’m doing to beat myself up all the time. When I do that it makes me feel sad or unworthy then I use food to cope with those feelings. I am learning when I’m faced with a difficult situation to slow my thoughts down and to think about why I’m REALLY feeling the way I’m feeling. My therapist described it as if we are pulling weeds from the garden, we usually figure out the surfuace problem and pull those weeds but it’s hard to figure out the root of the problems because they are so deeply embedded within you. Talking to my therapist has just helped me to shift my thinking from thinking I will be alone if I do t lose weight or no one will like me if I don’t lose weight, to someone will like me just the way I am however I’m on this weight loss journey for my health and family. I was against therapy at first but I am so glad that I took that plunge before surgery to sort out issues and can’t wait to continue it after.

Changing Chris, Hi. You re doing a huge amount of walking on a tiny amount of calories. You will crash and burn if you are not careful. Your body needs to keep the few nutrients you are giving it, hence no weight loss. Let your body heal and at least get on to real foods before you put the stress of any exercise on your body. You don't need to jump start the weight loss or cut corners, It will just happen while you rest and recover.