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How did you know it was time to up your calories? I am 3 months post op and averaging about 750-850 calories a day. I am hitting my recommended protein and fluid goals. I recently started working out regularly and burn about 250-400 calories a day from exercise (according to my Apple Watch). I am starting to wonder if I am not eating enough and it is hindering my weight loss. I am still losing, just slowly, and it is more of a yo yo type loss. I am worried about not properly fueling myself and wrecking my metabolism. I am not feeling overly hungry or deprived. My dietitian/surgeon won't give out calorie goals. They take the approach that if you follow the protein/fluid/serving size guidelines, everything else will fall into place naturally. They want us to track what we eat, but only focus on protein. It's hard, because on MFP all the other numbers are right in your face (calories/macros). Just curious what your calorie intake looked like around 3-4 months post op and how you knew it was time to adjust your calorie goals as you progressed. Thanks!

Great for you! That’s wonderful, I love the bariatric store, it had wonderful cookies that are all protein and fiber. They are pricey though, but worth it! I’m exactly one year out and still losing, though it had slowed considerably. I have 11 pounds to go, then will be within normal weight range. Will be at the top, but at my age, I’m not necessarily trying to get back to 120-130. If I get there, great. If not, I’m a lot healthier than I was before.

I’m 59. I had surgery last September on the 26. I’ve lost 49 lbs. when I weighed last on January 8th of this year. I know I’ve lost more because I’m fitting into a medium and large. It’s very hard to not graze. Try ordering from BariatricPal. Everything there is healthy you can’t miss. That’s what I’m do ping and I’m loosing weight by the week. Focus on your protein shakes, water and do your snacks. If you want sweets you can have that too. Look whatever you want to eat look for it in there. I felt like eating pancakes the other day. I ordered BariatricPal pancakes with the zero sugar. You don’t have to make a large order . Whatever you feel like eating just order it. I eat everything and since I started to get ready for my surgery last September I’ve lost 94 lbs. Try it you won’t be sorry.

Have to admit I’m very surprised by your PCP’s attitude about this. If your post surgical plan says not to swallow meds or take slow release meds for a period of time, you would expect your PCP to be supportive. The main reason slow release meds are avoided is because of possible absorption issues (more common with bypass but can happen with sleeve). Many, many people successful change their meds to non timed release. It is possible. What will your doctor do when you need to reduce your BP dosage as you lose weight?? I’d ask my pharmacist too about alternatives so you’re more informed about options when you go back to your PCP. As @The Greater Fool said it’s highly likely your meds were first formulated as non time released.

Thank you! I never struggled with body dysmorphia until I started losing weight. I definitely understand that it takes time, it is just such a weird experience. I look at myself now, down 86 lbs and I don't see a difference, I feel like I look exactly the same, even though my clothes size has shrank and the scale says differently. I look at before photos and see a difference, but when it comes to just walking by the mirror and looking, I feel nothing. I feel like I should be proud of how far I have come and the struggles, but nothing. I talked to my doctor who said he would be happy to refer me to a therapist if need be. I am going to wait it out for at least a year and see if my mindset changes. I am only 7 months out. I just got a comment about my weight! It was so uncomfortable. An old guy asked if my husband had stopped feeding me because I had lost a lot of weight. He then asked if I was ok. It was awful. People can be so rude!

Hello. I am new here. I have my first initial consult with the bariatric surgeon next week. I know I have to tell my wife and frankly I do not know how she will react. Knowing her she will say I don't need surgery, I just need to stop snacking particularly at night. I really want her support if I decide to have WLS, probably the original gastric bypass. I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. I am now 67. I was on the original Atkins in 1971. I have yo-yo dieted many times. I don't think I am morbidly obese and I hide my weight well but my BMI is 37%. I have enjoyed bicycling and at one point about 20 years ago I was riding a lot 2-3 hour 4-5 times a week. Even then I was not able to lose much and always struggled up every hill. I take medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol, GERD and type II diabetes. My other main motivation is to get off my medications. I understand this will be a transformative procedure if I choose to have it and will radically need to alter the way I eat. I think I am prepared for that. Any suggestions on "selling" the idea to my wife would be appreciated. I know I would enjoy bicycling much more and probably ride more. I do still work some, about 20 hours a week. I work at home. Thank you.

Every insurance company is different but it’s usually a medically supervised weight loss program (someone correct me if I’m wrong please). To know for sure you need to ask the insurance company directly. Also there may or may not be a separate requirement from the Bariactric practice so check that as well. If the owner of the spa is a licensed medical professional or there was a nutritionist on staff that may work. Even so you can ask your referring doctor to add your previous weightloss attempts with the spa to your records as a back up. Here is Cigna’s info on Bariatric surgery (it’s long but page 2 describes what you are looking for) https://static.cigna.com/assets/chcp/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf

Hi everyone !!! I recently decided to try the gastric sleeve option which my doctor supported. I am currently 223 pounds 5’2 so my bmi qualifies. Family history of diabetes and hypertension and heart disease cholesterol you name it they got it. The question I have is about the necessary documentation as far as documentation of weight loss within the previous 12 months. I had been going to Urban Skin solutions weight loss mes spa. Trying lipo injections and phertamine to no avail I have the documents which show my bmi and weight for every visit. Would this be enough ?

I had the same issue as you, bad reflux! My dr agreed on a revision from sleeve to duodenal switch. Im 6 days post opp, lets hope i can drop the rest of my weight

Your frustration is palpable and I’m sorry you feeling disappointed and that you weren’t given this information before surgery. Even if you feel like your weight loss has somehow been capped you when you reach a stall you stall you might consider switching it up with a focus on weight training. What our surgeries don’t take away is our ability to sculpt our bodies by adding lean muscle. That’s still within your power. I’ve really enjoyed weight training in the past - it’s given me so much confidence to see myself grow stronger and the Protein focused diet can be similar to what is encouraged of us post surgery. I hope it’s an option you consider to move past this roadblock.

I'm 2.5 years post-op from gastric bypass. I think weight loss surgery can help make major changes to your relationship with food and eating, but it takes a lot of time and work to undo the habits and mindset you've developed throughout your life up to this point. I had read that a lot of people experience changes in their tastes after surgery, and I hoped that would be the case for me but was not optimistic. I mentioned this hope to the psychiatrist during my psych eval for the surgery, and he kind of laughed at this idea and told me not to count on it. I've always been a picky eater with a long list of vegetables and cuisines that I wouldn't eat. Some people say that after surgery, food tastes different (e.g., anything sweet tastes too sweet), but that was not my experience, so I figured I wasn't one of the lucky ones whose tastes would change. Well, fast-forward to now and my tastes have changed... sort of. It's hard to explain because foods taste the same now as they did before surgery, but my likes and dislikes have changed a lot. I used to hate seafood and now I love it. I eat all kinds of vegetables that I used to hate. I'm not sure if my tastes have changed or I just have more of an open mind, or maybe having to go through the pre-op liquid diet and post-op stages made me appreciate real food more when I reintroduced it. Either way, I'm eating healthy foods every day and loving them. Before surgery, I loved watching cooking shows like Top Chef and Great British Baking Show. For the first several months after surgery, I couldn't bear to watch cooking shows. I hated even seeing food commercials on TV. It just made me sad and angry to see foods that I could no longer eat. But eventually, I got to a point where I could see food and cooking without the emotional attachment. I can watch Great British Baking Show and appreciate the cakes and cookies they make without being sad that I can't eat them. Once I got to the point of reintroducing solid food, I put a lot of effort into recreating "bariatric-friendly" versions of foods I used to eat -- especially pizza. Pizza was my kryptonite, and before surgery, I could not get enough pizza. I could have eaten pizza every day and never gotten tired of it. After surgery, I tried chicken crust pizza, and making pizza with low-carb tortilla for the crust, topped with sugar-free marinara, low fat mozzarella, and turkey pepperoni. But I also started trying healthy recipes that I found on Pinterest, and eventually, I stopped craving pizza. I haven't had anything resembling pizza (even a healthy version) in well over a year and I don't care. If you put two plates in front of me, one with a slice of pizza and one with grilled salmon and roasted vegetables, I would go straight for the salmon and not even be tempted by the pizza. This is just wild to me because three years ago, I wouldn't have eaten salmon if it were the only food available, and I never could have passed up a slice of pizza. Sometimes I feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience because before surgery, I couldn't imagine being the health nut with a refrigerator full of fresh produce and no junk food in the house, eating grilled fish and cauliflower rice and salad with fat-free dressing, but here I am. I am constantly finding new, healthy, delicious recipes. Every single day, I eat healthy food and think, "Holy crap, this is delicious!" I honestly enjoy food more now than I did when I was eating whatever I wanted with wild abandon. It took me a long time to get here, and I can't promise that you or anyone else will have the same experiences after weight loss surgery, but my relationship with food has changed more than I could have imagined.

My doctor and insurance said if you're getting a revision due to weight regain, you have to jump through the same hoops as if you're getting the original surgery. If it's for medical reasons (mine is for that) then there's not much that has to be done besides new labs and a new PCP note signing off on the procedure. BMI can also play into it if regain is the reason, as well as what you have tried on your own to lose and reset your pouch. Also, if your comorbidities are back and your PCP documents them and they are significant enough to require meds to keep them in check, that works in your favor. If you gained 50 pounds but you don't require any meds to be stable, they may just put you on a program to get your diet and exercise back on track. You still have your tool, you may just have to relearn how to use it.

First, let me start by saying I now have to have a revision due to sleeve complications (insane gerd causing high doses of PPI which have cased a ton of polyps all through my stomach, which make the gerd worse, which caused gastritis and esophagitis). I love my sleeve and am really sad to need a revision. I have to have half the polyps removed on the 17th, then the other half on March 10th. We're looking at a revision to bypass probably in May, which is ironic because that's my 1 year surgiversary for my sleeve lol My ring size is now a 7 1/2 and my clothing size is an 18/20. My surgeon told me to expect to lose maybe another 60-65 pounds with the bypass (it'll be slower and not as much weight lost since it's a revision) but I'm ok with that. If I can lose another 15 pounds by surgery day, then the bypass will get me to goal within another year. I'm ok with it taking 2 years to hit goal, given all these stupid complications. My main thing right now is to feel better. I have to really watch how much I work out and what kinds I do because that can set things off. I watch my diet like a hawk. I still end up in pain sometimes, or sick to my stomach, or any number of things. But the revision will take care of that and then I can just get on with the business of living again. The main things I experience is nausea after I eat anything, sharp stabbing pains in my abdomen that cause me to lose my breath and not be able to do anything but lay on the bed and cry, burning and churning in my stomach and up my esophagus, burning in my throat that sometimes makes my throat scratchy and my voice hoarse, spasming in my esophagus causing my throat to close and food to get stuck. I cannot WAIT to get better. Honestly. I love my sleeve, but this is too much. I just want to feel better.

My advice for what its worth would be, 1 Rest when your body says so, have a nap whenever you can. 2 Don't rush the process, your stomach has a massive wound in it and will be swollen and sore, hence the need for liquid and puree stages. 3 Remember the 3 week stall, you won't panic when you stop loosing weight. 4 Don't compare yourself to anyone else. This is your weight loss journey. No two journeys are the same. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress

Great weight loss results! I had only the bypass but continue to talk with others at my practice who have had both. There are some with lots of pain, and a slightly longer recovery, and some with less. Like anything, adjust to your needs, it’s not a comparison. Remember the whole surgery and recovery is very very temporary. I wish you the best.

Constipation and general digestive disruptions are very common with weight loss surgery. Many of us go out of our way to eat green leafy vegetables and/or take fiber supplements daily to keep things regular. If you do a search for constipation you will find many many threads with helpful tips.

Best advice I can give is: Remember it's major surgery and it'll likely be a painful recovery. Took me two weeks to stop hurting, but it did stop. Be patient and kind to yourself, remember it's gentle-steps, and let yourself heal. Keep your eyes on the prize. If you're feeling overwhelmed, breathe and remember why you're doing this. If you're getting in your head or your feelings, try distracting yourself with books/tv/podcasts and gentle walks. Browse the web and make lists of the things you want to do when you hit milestones. Stay off the scale for the first month. Seriously. Fluid retention from all the liquids that are pumped into you at the hospital take a while to go away, and people seem to expect immediate results. The weight will drop off, but stalling is normal. Again - patience and be kind to yourself! You'll be hitting milestones before you know it.

A Cinderella style transformation. It can be weight related or not but it’s usually about becoming more beautiful in some physical way.

I also gained right about the same amount and when I asked my dietitian about it she recommended snacking on tomatos as they have some nicotine in them and also pickles. It did really help for me and now I am 4 months without vaping Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

I mean this in the most caring way possible, but I’ve seen many posts similar to this one and I can’t help but wonder if we are focusing on the wrong issue - not that you can tolerate more than you think you should but that so early after surgery you are testing the limits of what you can tolerate beyond what you’ve advised to (I’m assuming you wouldn’t be concerned enough to post about that amount you can eat here unless you’ve been otherwise advised to eat less ). I completely understand the urge to move beyond purée. and how great solid food is.  And worry about your (and others who post similarly) safety as you push these boundaries and also commitment to long term success. I don’t know your backstory but many of us including myself got ti a place that required weight loss surgery due to pushing the boundaries of serving sizes in our pre-op lives. To go through this surgery, is in essence a self inflicted bodily trauma, only to revert right back to that food serving boundary pushing when you know it’s especially dangerous to your healing stomach indicates maybe there are some underlying food issues you could benefit from addressing in therapy. Please I really hope this doesn’t come off condescending or as a lecture,it’s not my intention- I deeply sympathize with what you experiencing, I’m just genuinely concerned for your ongoing success and recovery.

im going to be a semi-dissenter here, based, of course, on MY personal experience. disclaimer, disclaimer, etc., etc., and all that. I did not follow my teams plan. Instead, i went with what my body could handle and the results it produced (i.e.. i went less calories than recommended; i went less carbs than recommended; i went against the recommended macro distribution; i drank coffee, carbonated liquids, did not have breakfast; did not eat set meals but grazed throughout my eating window; all actions that were contrary to what was told to me by my NUT). I also told my NUT everything i was doing. in short, if something worked (and had no undesirable effects), i continued doing it, if it didn't, i stopped. i realize this is not an approach that would work for everyone, but it did for ME. I paid more attention to what worked in my favour vs. what other people told me worked for THEM, or what they thought i should be doing. i'll say it now, and i'll say it again: there is no one size fits all approach for everyone, no matter what stage u are in (in my humble opinion). as for the topic of willpower: i would say, for ME, it was more about conditioning (and still is). the surgery gave me the awesome gift of immediate (and sometimes aggressive) feedback when i ate too much, or too fast, or ingested too much sugar. All of which are things that got me to obesity in the first place. The unpleasant physical symptoms of doing any of the above due to the surgery has effectively Pavlov'ed me out of being fat. Which i am immensely grateful for. I am 4+ years out of surgery and have maintained below goal weight ever since i reached it at 7 months post op....all thanks to my absolute distaste for feeling overly full and dumping. well, that and my desire to wear bikinis, lol. In short, do what works for you, use your team for guidance, and if something isn't working, stop doing it. AND if you struggle to do the above, a good therapist would go a long way to help (which, granted is hard to find). Good Luck! ❤️

I’ll add another ick. To keep us trending… Rn for me it’s milk of magnesia. I know that’s not bari specific but just thinking about the taste makes me shudder. I’ll also add in a generic annoyance with seeing people treat me more kindly or graciously since my weight loss has become noticeable…ick

I’m struggling right now too. I’m not regretting but wishing there was a fast forward. Like you I take adderall for adhd and had similar eating pattern before starting this process with not eating much during the day but then a huge meal in evening -often a take away when the adderall wears off. I’m having a bit of the opposite problem. I’m finding food really unappealing right now. Just looking at a piece of meat (especially grilled chicken and Turkey meatballs)or smelling it is enough to turn me off. I’m struggling to tolerate vegetables, I’m still experiencing nausea semi regularly. Worse than all of those things I have really low energy. I may be 60lbs lighter than I was 6 months ago when I had my first consultation with my surgeon but I the tiredness I feel 10 weeks out from surgery is as if I was still dragging that weight around. I try to be very active and truly enjoy excercise esp swimming and weightlifting which I do in the mornings but by 4pm the exhaustion strikes and by 6p it’s like the thought of getting out of bed let alone preparing dinner feels like a gargantuan task. I’m exceeding my Protein and hydration targets and feel like I’m following all the rules, the weight loss feels controlled and stable, but I now seem to dread eating and am dreaming of the days I’ll see my pre surgery energy level. So even know I remain positive about the outlook overall in future, real time feelings in the present moment are like you somewhat miserable. And you know what, I think it’s okay to feel that way and not pretend everything is great. The reality is change comes from struggle and rewriting a lifetime of psychologically treating food as a comfort or enemy, or indulgence rather than what it truly is - the fuel for our bodies - at least for me probably requires this misery to reset. Wishing you some comfort to cravings. One food joy I was able to find was creating a Greek yogurt topping bar, having previously never liked Greek yogurt this now is a bright spot in my food day. I hope can find at least one comfort like me. Early on I did also have mental craving for egg rolls and other normal foods so I think what you experiencing is probably normal - since you mentioned Chinese I’m linking to a recipe that satisfied that craving for me. You should be able to have it as soon as you are allowed veg. https://stylishcravings.com/low-carb-easy-make-egg-roll-bowl/ Again hoping you find comfort soon and if you ever need to vent feel free to message me.

I was sleeved and had great weight loss results but developed Gastroparesis. Now I’m scheduled for a complete bypass. What should I expect in terms of recovery? Will this resolve my issues? Will it hurt more? What will life look like after bypass?.