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When I started considering WLS, particularly VSG Surgery, I researched extensively. I read medical studies, case histories, personal blogs and watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos posted by patients and bariatric surgeons. I cannot remember where I read or saw the European study called "The Three Month Marker", nor have I been able to find the article or video again. The "supposed" study was of VSG patients and their success rates. The results of the study indicated that the total average weight loss at 12 months post-op was double the amount lost at the 3 month post-op mark for patients who closely followed the bariatric guidelines. Has anyone else heard about "The Three Month Marker"? For those who are at least 12 months post-op, does this study relate to your experience?

@amandarara 3/13/23 surgery here too. You’re allowed to eat cottage cheese and chicken?! Does that hurt at all? I’m struggling so bad with my protein. I liked them before surgery when I could break it up with Food. But now I get nauseated from the first sip because they are too sweet. Cottage would really help a lot if I could have it. But I’m told to wait 3 weeks 🤷🏽‍♀️

Hi 👋🏼 did anyone use the Robard high protein low carb products for their pre-op diet? I need to pay $200 for my two week pre op diet and just wondering if these products help or I should just do it on my own 🤷🏻‍♀️ Thanks!

Hello everyone! I’m new here. I’m 41 and I’ve been struggling with my weight for about 10 years now. I looked into getting the sleeve January 2022 when I was at my highest weight of 260 lbs. I decided that I would try to lose on my own and would revisit the idea of surgery if I was unsuccessful. In that year I managed to lose 20 lbs. This January I started researching again because I am determined to get back to a healthy weight. I went through an online seminar and decided to make my consultation appointment after I was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri and was told that weight loss can help alleviate the symptoms and I can stop taking the medication that I am taking for it. I have a host of other health issues and I’m hoping the weight loss can help me feel better physically. I had my consultation a week ago and my appointments with the nutritionist and physical therapist have been scheduled and I completed my initial bloodwork. I do not have to complete a medically supervised weight loss program and I spoke with my insurance company and was notified that the most I’ll need to pay out of pocket is $1300. I’m excited and nervous about what’s to come.

If I could give one piece of advice/lesson learned, it's to push as hard as you can during the first 3 months post-op. That's the "honeymoon" period when weight drops off the fastest. Weight loss progressively slows down each post-op month, and by month 6 has typically slowed dramatically. Most people stop losing 9 to 12 months post-op. So, you have a short window in which to really take advantage of the "magic" of weight loss surgery. Research has shown that weight loss at 3 months post-op is a strong predictor of weight loss success. https://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/weight-loss-at-three-months-post-operatively-predicts-weight-loss-success-at-one-year-for-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-and-sleeve-gastrectomy/

I am 6 weeks post op and on soft foods. I have already found out that beef and couscous make me vomit. My problem is protein shakes. I have tried many and many flavors but keep gagging when sipping it. I wish I could just gulp it down. I now add unflavored whey to my soup and Wendy’s chili. Tonight is my first time going out to a Hibachi restaurant. I will order a side order of hibachi chicken. The veggies are too hard to eat. Would hibachi noodles be ok?

pain is all across the board but most of us seem to have little or none of it. I had hardly any pain and never even opened the bottle of pain killers they sent me home with. If you're one of the ones who has pain - never fear - they'll send you home with pain killers. Just take them on schedule and you should be able to keep on top of it. But again, most of us don't have much pain with these surgeries. get used to needles - I had follow-ups with blood draws about every three months the first year, I think (I had my surgery almost eight years ago, so my memory is a little fuzzy). After the first year, I only had to come in once a year unless I was having issues (I haven't had any issues), and I have to go for a blood draw before that appt, too. They like to see what your various levels are so they can adjust your vitamins or whatever. I never found the needles very painful - I just look the other way.

I'm getting my multi and calcium as my team prescribed. I keep a journal on baritastic and I have a follow up with my surgeon next week. I do think I've lost .. girth? I've had to tighten my pants up (been wearing jeans with a drawstring since surgery). It's just been hard seeing everyone lose so much more in the same time, ya know? I've been following the surgeon and dieticians plan, they say at this point that's how much I should be getting and taking 30 minutes to eat it. Admittedly I don't always finish the whole meal, so my pups have been very happy about it. I think I'll try to get more protein though, maybe switch to just powdered in the coffee instead of pre-made shakes.

Im sorry the Facebook group was so harsh. Maybe everyone is having a rough week or something. I’d brush them off I’ve learned the body needs a base level of protein to function and more if you want to build muscle while working out. Based on what you’ve said, it’s possible you need more protein to support your workouts. You didn’t mention vitamins or supplements. Are you getting all of those in as well? The sleuth in me would keep a daily journal (for at least a week) of everything you’re eating and an honest assessment of calories and such. I’d also start taking body measurements with a cloth tape because you could be trimming up even though the scale isn’t moving much. Finally, make sure you have a dietician or time to review your food journal with your doctor so you can work together to understand what combination of macros would be best for your new lifestyle. Im always a little bothered when people try to sum things up in black or white (”it was the bbq sauce”, “you’re eating too much” or “you’re working out too much”). Our bodies are just too complex for that kind of minimization. Anyways, I’m sure others can weigh in here too. There’s so much experience on these forums

I had bypass on 2/13, I've always followed the plan very closely. I managed to lose 70 pounds pre-op on the dieticians plans and working out and then 20 pounds on the liquid diet. Since surgery I've only lost 5 pounds. I thought I was doing very well but I guess not? I stick close to the diet plan, though I admit my calories can go over but my main goal has always been to get to my protein goal before anything else. I've been working out 4-5 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. I do a lot of strength training because I am into strongwoman stuff, so its been weird staying in the weight restriction. I also hit my water goals alongside my protein goals. I made the mistake of posting this on a facebook support group and.. wow. I don't think I've ever felt worse about myself, there was almost no support and a lot of telling me I'm doing something wrong obviously. A lot of people there were blaming the scant amount of bbq sauce I use or the single string cheese. Most were telling me I'm eating far too much. Others were telling me to stop working out entirely? I don't want to be skinny, I want to be healthy and I want to be strong. Am I eating too much still? When I don't work out I get 600 calories, and when I do its usually more around 800 to be honest. I don't feel like I'm making the wrong decisions. Meal 1: Oikos Triple Zero yogurt to take my meds with. Meal 2: Fairlife elite core protein in my coffee. Meal 3: 3 oz turkey lunch meat 1 oz of cheeze and mustard. Meal 4: 1 String cheese. Meal 5: 4-5 oz of chicken with bbq sauce (its not sugar free, I live in the country and the rural grocery store doesnt stock sugar free and the next closest is over 50 miles away). I'm so confused and heartbroken.

I never did the puree stage. The food looked so yucky and my taste buds were so off. I had soup and broth for those two weeks and went straight to soft foods. Just do what ever you can to get as much protein and liquid in you as possible. Try them again when you feel like it. I couldn't eat chicken or fish for a whole year. I tried them every month but vomited every time. Then just when I thought I would never be able to eat them again - they are accepted in my stomach again. Carbs are another thing that I am struggling with but I am ok with never eating them again, they were my nemesis. We are all different and our bodies all take different lengths of time to heal. As they say - one size does not fit all

@L. Knight I’m doing better! - Thank you for asking. The heartburn has been pretty bad but I switched my protein shakes and that seemed to help a lot! I’m getting all my meds in and have been managing to get all my protein requirements and fluid intakes in as well. It’s quite a struggle and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to manage it going back to work next week!?? Any suggestions?

Thanks everyone, the liquid protein shakes take me a while to drink but are getting easier. I need to get three per day (60-80g protein). Three shakes total about 450-500 calories. If I have some thinned yogurt, SF pudding or soup broth, the calories go up to 600 or so. I reached out to my dietician but she probably won’t respond until Monday.

First the average weight loss statistic for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier range. Of course some lose more & some lose less. Now the why. The surgery will reset your body’s set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain. Your set point could end up higher or lower than you’d prefer. Life. It can throw crap at you & make it more difficult to lose or maintain your weight (stress, emotions). Health conditions & medications. Some meds are notorious for increasing your appetite & causing weight gain & some health conditions limit your ability to lose all the weight you want e.g, restrict mobility. Personal choice. Some feel happier at a higher weight. Or they make food choices that better complement their life & how they want to live their life. Your body reaches a lower weight but resettles a bit heavier. A bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs can occur. And so on. I understand your fear of regaining. I mean we all have a lifetime of experiencing weight loss & the inevitable regain. This is the first time in my life (was almost 54 when I had my surgery) I have ever maintained my weight after losing for longer than a couple of months. The difference is I did not go back to eating in the sane way as I always did. I worked out a way of eating that I’m comfortable with, doesn’t make me feel like I’m missing out or making sacrifices, allows me to live my life as I want, is sustainable (very important) & works for me & my body. I changed my relationship with food. My choices may not work for you or others & some may think it too restrictive. I din consider it a die but just how I eat. I avoid as much sugar, sugar alternatives & artificial sweeteners as I can so no sodas & sweets only a couple of times a year (e.g. Christmas). If I want/need sweet I eat fruit. I prep & cook most of what I eat - mostly lots of whole foods & low processed ingredients. I rarely have takeaway & haven’t had fast food since before my surgery. I keep my carbs lowish & choose whole & multi grains more complex carbs. No bread or similar products pasta or rice (choice & also sit heavily in my tummy). I also chose not to exercise. I didn’t want to have to spend hours in a gym or run or cycle miles every week to maintain my weight. I’m happy with the stretches, resistance band exercises & sit ups I do. (Takes a total of about 25 minutes over a couple of sessions a day & wouldn’t burn 30 calories - LOL!). It works for me & my body seems happy at this weight (set point). I’ve basically maintained my weight since my surgery. Chat with your surgeon about a realistic goal weight after surgery & what you might experience & your dietician about how your future of eating might look. Research & avoid trendy diets - if they worked & were sustainable no one would have weight issues. You may find this video informative. You may find this video informative. Dr John Pilcher has many great videos on a variety of topics. Dr Matt Weiner is very good too.

Your tummy is still healing, very sensitive & learning how to function again. I described it as a petulant temper throwing 2 year old child. It may continue this way for a couple of months & then every now & again in the future. Liking something one day & not the next. Being able to eat your portion today but not tomorrow. And so on. Lots of fun & games. Cold drinks can make your healing tummy muscles spasm.Try room temp, warm or hot drinks - more soothing. Try swapping brands or flavours or avoid what upsets you for a week & try again. Sometimes it can be the texture - like your purées are too thick - try diluting them more. It does get better & easier. I’m almost 4 yrs out & recently my tummy decided it didn’t like tasty cheese anymore. Don’t know why. It may be fine with it again in a few weeks time.

Slowly figuring out I'm in fact thirsty and not hungry. Learning myself all over has been interesting. I was never a big drinker so this is a big wow for me. Monday is 1 week post op and I'm gonna start introducing some new choices. Wish me luck.

I will definitely be careful especially since it's been awhile since using the treadmill and bike. When I started going to the gym way back in 2015. I was going 5 times a week and it felt great! Yeah sometimes I forget, and I judged a little bit. Oops. I didn't have pain or anything. That's awesome! I felt the difference in my clothes just a few days before 2 weeks. Oh, my weight did move. I lost around 1.8 pounds. Keep it up!

hi, I am having the gastric sleeve surgery a week from monday, 3/27. i have been smoking weed and vaping for quite some time and it’s really hard to stop. I have not been honest yet about it because i don’t want them to cancel the surgery but i understand that my life could be at risk. i just need some help and support and advice. has anyone smoked or vaped close to surgery? did you survive?

I also started to feel hungry a few weeks after surgery. I heard that this can happen to some people. I’m trying very hard to discern between real hunger and head hunger. I hope *we* can figure this out. Good luck!

exercise is only about 10% of weight loss. 90% is due to food intake (or the lack thereof). So being active does help a bit, but most of loss or gain is due to food intake. I know of several people who've lost a ton of weight with WLS without exercise, so you should be fine. not losing the first week is common, and Sigh is correct, it's due to the IV fluids you got in the hospital, which is essentially salt water. The sodium in it causes water retention in a lot of people, and it takes a few days to work it's way out of your system. Lots of us leave the hospital weighing more than we did when we entered. I've read about people "gaining" up to 10 lbs in the hospital! So no worries. You'll start losing weight soon..

My RNY has been scheduled for April 24th. I'm so excited and nervous. What items will I need for preop, in hospital, and the 2 week post liquid? I've ordered several protein products and my vitamins. What else? Thanks for the input! [emoji4]

Don’t forget they pump you full of saline and such for surgery and to make sure you arent dehydrated— and 10 lbs in a week is AMAZING on any diet plan. Stick with the long term view— it will come.

I am about 3 weeks post Op. I had the robotic sleeve. My incisions are small and I have had no problem with pain or anything. They are close to be fully healed. Sent from my LM-Q730 using BariatricPal mobile app

So I had a lower BMI of I think 32 after pre-op but after the first week I have not lost anything. I am still on pureed foods right now. I am getting so upset because I saw on this low BMI site all these stories of people not losing except like 15 pounds. The only thing is I am handicapped so I don't walk much except to get around house or go shopping. Could this be problem? I just pray I didn't go thru all of this for 15 pounds, which by the way I haven't even lost yet. I have lost 10 pounds since surgery. I have no problems following diet to a tee or anything like that. Please help me!

My only regret was that this surgery was not available years ago. I had my VSG 12 years ago, in my mid 50's. I am now 67 years old ( next week !) and lost and gained back weight my entire life. I weigh less now what I weighed in graduate school, which was in 1980. I have lost half of myself. I started at 320 before my pre surgery weight loss. I am not skinny by any means. But I went from super morbidly obese to now in the (high) but NORMAL range of BMI - but more than that, I have learned how to maintain my weight loss. Can you lose 70 pounds without Weight loss surgery ? I don't know. Will you lose 70 pounds with surgery ? YES. Is it scary to have surgery ? Yes, especially thinking about it ahead of time. But having surgery in your 30's is easier than in your 50's !!! And By the way, having bariatric surgery helps us to lose weight NATURALLY. There is nothing un-natural about surgical intervention for a medical problem. Don't think of yourself as being broken. Think of this surgical intervention as a medical necessity for your future.