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If I could give it less stars I would. I had surgery at OCC in Mexico over ten years ago (lap band) and the surgery center was state of the art, clean and everyone spoke english. The care was impeccable. This time, after reading many positive reviews, I chose Mexico Bariatric Ctr. Unfortunately, my experience there was the opposite. They were extremely fraudulent in their advertising and the entire was nothing less than DANGEROUS! Here is a list of things that were fraudulent: 1. Only one nurse out of about 20 spoke English. When I asked for jello, they brought me a pillow. They did not know how to use translators on their phone. When I began having complications this is where things could have gone very wrong. I'll explain more later. 2. The conditions of the hospital (pictures below). There was no hot water in our bathroom. The shower was full of thick green mold. The shower doors were broken off and unusable. The floor drain is held by duct tape. The mirror fell off the wall and sat on the floor. We had no handsoap (luckily I brought sanitizer to Mexico with me). The air conditioner was BROKEN. It was so hot they opened the window for us for our entire stay. Unfortunately there is ALOT of construction and traffic noise 24 hrs p/day so sleep was impossible. The trash was overflowing and never changed over a 4 day stay. Needles, bloody bandages were on the floor. The hospital building is dilapidated and should be condemned. Many patients were told that MBC is moving to a new building in April, but when I asked the administrators they said maybe next year and they have no building chosen yet. Ice was made into chips by the pulling a bag out of the freezer and smashing it with a metal weight (like for fishing) for each cup ...this went on outside our room 24 hrs per day. They picked it up with their bare hands, off of a counter that was not wiped clean first, and put it in a cup for you. 3. My doctor never met me before or after surgery until I finally told a specialist doctor and she reached out to him. The anesthesiologist also did not speak to me before surgery. 4. The toilets in the waiting area were dirtier than most gas station bathrooms. The one in our room was about the same. 5. When we requested pain meds the first 24 hours after surgery the nurse stated it was only allowed every 12 hours and we had to request them. On the third day when a specialist had to come see me, we learned that they were written for every 6 hours WITHOUT request necessary. Both my roommate and I were in excruciating pain the first 24 hours and only got two doses of pain meds rather than four. 6. DANGEROUSLY LOW OXYGEN LEVEL. I let them know ahead of time that I brought my cpap and sometimes have difficulties with oxygen exchange after anesthesia. Right after surgery my oxygen level dropped to 80 (normal is 95-100). They gave me a canula (hose that goes under your nose to administer oxygen) but it wasn't giving me enough. So they gave me a full mask. But when night time came and I needed to use a cpap they told me to not use my cpap, but for me that is super dangerous so then they said stop using oxygen....my level dropped to 78! Organ damage can begin at that low of a level. The nurse stated I didn't need oxygen anymore (luckily this was the nurse who spoke english). I asked for a doctor and the specialist came in. They did not have any idea what to do for me. So I decided to wear the canula under my cpap mask. Karla (administrator for MBC came by and said "Don't worry about the canula, the water in your cpap will mix with the air and make oxygen". Ok, first of all Karla is not a medical professional, not a nurse and clearly had no idea what she was talking about and luckily I knew enough not to listen to her. My oxygen level did straighten out the next day thank goodness. 7. I came home with two of my incisions infected. They were red and swollen in about a 3" radius each. Two weeks of doxycycline before they cleared up. Nothing was sterile at this hospital. Nurses did not wear gloves for wound care but when you ask them to, they CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOU! With all that they charge it seems they could buy an ice machine for sterile ice chips, a/c that works etc. Even our toilet seat was broken and you had to be super careful how you sat on it. It doesn't appear that ANY MONEY goes into the hospital. 8. I was charged 450$ in extra fees that they refuse to explain what they are for. You must pay before they will take you to the border. 9. I was overcharged, their receipt shows a $300 overpayment but they won't send it for 12 weeks! 10. I called to speak with Mr. Ron Elli in San Diego who is the director. He refused to speak to me, hear my complaints or respond in any way. I am now 5 weeks post op. I understand that there are quite a few good reviews, but in reviewing them upon my return home I realized they are from 2019 and 2020. Perhaps the hospital was in better shape then, I don't know. Useful Funny Cool

I was about a month post-op before I could drink water normally, but it got consistently better during that time. I started out with little tiny 1 oz cups my nurses gave me at the hospital and I just poured out 4-5 of those at a time and kept drinking them/re-filling all day. I did that for almost 2 weeks post-op. I found I got a lot of water in that way since the little cups didn't seem like too much and were easy to drink down. I think most people are able to drink "like normal" eventually after the swelling in our innards goes down, so you should get there in a few weeks or so.

Just my weekly check in. Another good week, even with less activity. While I did not lose power, we had an ice storm that took out power to most of my area and closing my gym. I've done little to no walking since Wednesday and no weight lifting since then either. I also have a tendonitis strain in my left arm that's really bothering me. I can barely lift a pot of coffee. So, forced rest is probably justified. Posting a new low today. I'm happy but also concerned that it appears I'm losing muscle mass. I may need to add a new supplement to my shakes to help. But if weight were my only concern and goal... I'm still heading the right direction. See ya next week.

I felt like I was missing something every day. I counted that I had 12 different appointments for tests and the dates and times kept changing so I feared I dropped one or asked for the wrong test. As it happenned I got every last test correct, but the surgeon decided on another at the last minute. Grrrr. Because of my surgery being 20 years ago and the fact I had a couple of huge risk factors, Doc said I had about a 1 in 20 chance of dying on the table. In fact, his last words when we talked just before surgery were "You know you can die from this surgery?" Yes. "Do you wish to continue?" Yes. I never worried about my recovery but I did research complications and visualized how I would deal with them. I had an 'open' surgery, meaning they openned me up from stem to stern and closed me up with 30+ staples and a drain. Every little movement was exruciating pain. I knew this was a short term thing and the staples would come out at 4 weeks or so. I told myself I could do anything for 4 weeks. Pain meant eating (puree) and drinking were impossible but I kept trying. Always keep trying. As I said, I prepared by knowing what could go wrong and mentally preparing for it. Knowledge, for me, is power. Just focus on doing the best you can. Don't kick yourself for what you can't do or do wrong, it's part of being human. If you have a rough time, it's just the price of admission. If it's easy take the W and keep going. Success starts and ends in the mind. Good luck, Tek

I had VSG surgery in September 2021, and had a REALLY rough go of it recovering. I had a really rare set of complications, ended up in the hospital for a week, and generally felt like I was starving to death for 4 or 5 months. About six months before my surgery, my husband had purchased me a motorcycle. I'm very short, and it was one of the few bikes I had even a prayer of being able to reach the ground on and be able to hold up on my own. I attempted to take the class to learn how to ride and because of the stress of attempting to hold up a 400 pound machine when it was clear my pre-surgery body was still struggling to just carry 150 extra pounds. It was too much. I couldn't finish the class, never got my endorsement on my license, and the bike sat while I was completely terrified of it. After my surgery and I got to a point where I was alert, able to safely drive my car and didn't have concerns about fainting...we traded the too-tall bike for a three-wheeled one that I didn't have to worry about being able to hold up, that fit my dimensions perfectly. At the time I was doing much better than in the beginning, but I was still struggling to eat. I was 5 months out from surgery and still only eating 4-500 calories a day because it was all that would fit. Once I got my license and started being able to ride my new toy, though, I was hooked. It BECAME the reason I pushed myself to eat more, the reason I pushed myself to keep myself hydrated, because I needed to make sure I was nourished enough to be safe, and properly fueled enough to keep going as long as I wanted to. Operating the bike also helped build back a lot of the muscle mass I lost while recovering because it's quite a workout on the shoulders, core, and hips to steer and corner. In a matter of a couple months I went from still incredibly weak, and almost still regretting the surgery, to being stronger, more confident, and having successfully lost more weight than I could have imagined when I started this process. 18 months out, I'm in so much better shape than in the beginning, I'm already considering giving two wheels a shot again, and the confidence I gained by coming out the other side of this life-changing process makes me wonder what else I am capable of that I never dreamed I would be. TL;Dr this is the story of how my weird little motorcycle helped me recover from bariatric surgery. What is your weird thing that helped you recover and get to know your "new" self?

It can take ages for our heads to catch up with the reality of how we look when we’re losing & have lost the weight. I’m almost 4 years out & last week I was folding my knickers & wondered how these tiny things actually fit around my butt. But they do. Same with how other people see you. It takes time for their image of you to change from the overweight you to the slimmer you. It’s why we get all those how much more weight are you going to lose & you should stop losing you’re getting too thin comments. I picked my goal weight based on the lowest weight I was always able to get down to so I was able to visualise what I’d look like & what size clothing I’d be able to wear. Well that fell to pieces when I lost more. I couldn’t see myself at all. Would be shocked when I realised reflections in stores mirrors & shop windows were actually me. I haven’t weighed this since I was 12 (almost 46 yrs ago now) & I didn’t know how much I actually weighed then so it makes sense I couldn’t understand or visualise it. Proved it to myself by putting on the tutu I wore then but it was super freaky & weird me out at the time at the time. I also did something that probably sounds a bit odd but I used to google the weight & height of celebrities I thought might be about my size to get a better idea of what I may look like. Oh & I second @Smanky’s advice to get in & wear those beloved old smaller sizes when you can. I remember I was only able to rewear a beautiful Dries Van Noten outfit I’d kept twice because in 4 weeks it was simply too big. I also lost my window to wear some clothing because the seasons were wrong. 😩 For a laugh, here’s a pxt of me in 2021 wearing the one tutu I kept & one of me at 12 in 1977 wearing the other tutu I wore at the same concert. (Wish my arms & thighs were still that slim - dang loose skin. 😁)

Walking. Please check in with your surgeon so you can be cleared for exercise. Most people dont start until 6 weeks after the surgery.

While the surgery will help with some things, it’s real success depends upon choices you make. Regardless of which surgery you have you will lose your appetite/hunger for a period of time (there are a few people who don’t & it’s with either surgery). You will also temporarily lose your taste for certain foods. It’s often sugar, as foods can become super sweet but it can be any food that smells &/or tastes awful. Neither surgery will do anything about your desire for sweet & your emotional eating. These are things you have to work through yourself. As we often say the surgery only removes some of your tummy/changes your digestive system. It doesn’t remove the part of your brain that drives your head hunger. It’s why many chose to seek therapy to learn the reasons behind their head hunger & develop strategies to help them better manage their emotional eating, cravings, etc. Both surgeries will reset your body’s set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain. What your set point becomes can’t be predicted. Can you lose more than your set point? Yes, but it is harder to do & maintain. Can you weigh more than your set point? Yes because lifestyle demands or choice, medical conditions & medications, etc. can mean we carry more weight. Remember the average weight loss statistic at the three year mark for both surgeries is about 65% of the weight to be lost to put the person in a healthy weight range. Some will lose more & others less. I have a sleeve. I felt it would suit my life better & was less drastic than bypass. I made a number of choices to benefit my success that I knew I could sustainably follow for the long term & not feel like I was missing out. I took advantage of the too sweet phase & decided not to introduce sweet back into my diet - or avoid as much as I could - & so rarely eat real or artificially sweet foods or drinks. I chose to rarely eat take away or fast foods. I prep & cook most of what I eat from scratch & rarely eat medium or high processed foods or ingredients. I also chose not to include a lot of exercise in my life - I simply don’t enjoy it. But these are my choices. You’ll make choices that best complement you & your lifestyle. I also lost all my weight & more & have maintained. All the best with whichever surgery you chose to have.

Well, make sure you keep telling the Dr's bc after I made that post last week I ended up and am still in the hospital as of today.... they found infection from a perforation of my stomach... last night they cleaned out infection and I currently have 2 drains... also, they found a hiatal hernia that had to be removed from my esophagus... if you aren't getting better, don't let them tell you nothing is wrong... listen to your body!

You got this right. For me personally I got the sleeve. I was really not into them rerouting my intestines' lol But that was me....I will be 3 years out in a few weeks. I still have my gallbladder, I have some issues with my GERD, but again I just have to watch what I am eating. I am very happy with everything. I will be turning 59 in April. Wish I had done it sooner. Best of luck on your journey

March 10 started 2 week liquid diet today. Only allowed sugar free drinks, water, protein shakes and for snack a few choices of vegetables its been really rough so far/ how bad would it be if you cheat? i just want a boiled egg or some tuna salad. I’m so not a sweet person I need something savory. Even plain Greek yogurt will do

Need help-on clear liquids but broth makes me nauseous. Feeling week and know I need protein-suggestions?

I should have noted that I still had 35 or so staples holding my insides in and the outsides out. Every movement, no matter how slight, was a new experience in pain. I was able to move more freely shortly after 4 weeks. We enjoyed going down to the strip and people watching while we walked. Good luck, Tek

This is baffling. How much exercise do you do each week?

I was swimming 30-60 mins/day, 5 days a week.

What types of exercises did yall do at 4 weeks p.o?

Im a little late to the party but how did it go? Being this is cold and flu season and it seems so many people are having symptoms which linger for weeks I imagine there will be others who will run run across this sinerareo. I hope you are recovering well at this time!

Hi - I’m Phil. I’m 54 yrs old and had a gastric bypass in 2011. I weighed close to 400lbs at the start of the journey and am currently 174lbs to I deem the process as a success. I have in recent years though developed a chronic weakness in my muscles - mainly legs, shoulders etc (I also have a heartbeat issue). I walk with a waddle and struggle to get up from a sitting position and struggle with stairs etc. I have had many tests including MRI (x 2), nerve conduction tests, many different blood tests and finally this week, a muscle biopsy. My neurologist cannot diagnose the issue - the biopsy is the last attempt. We met recently and he has now said that he thinks that I have ‘idiopathic myopathy related to chronic nutritional deficiency secondary to gastric bypass.; I am concerned about this since none of my routine bloods have ever thrown up a deficiency - in the past few years I have had many different blood tests in addition to the usual monitoring and apart from a mild case af low iron which is sorted now, I have not had any levels that have been flagged up as abnormal. So - I’m not here for medical advice as such - I just wanted to ask the experienced members - have you heard of many people who have experienced muscular issues (eg atrophy /stiffness etc) ? My research so far has not found any examples - apart from a few cases but they were down to vomiting which I have never suffered from. What do we think - any opinions on this? Thanks in advance. Phil

If you’re open to looking at other cruise lines my favorite is Holland America. I’ve been on carnival, royal Caribbean, and celebrity. I’ve always preferred Holland America. As a child/teen there were still a lot of kids around on break weeks but not as many as carnival so I actually developed some friendships during the cruises, and the kids/teen club was rarely full so I was able to do all activities. As an adult in my opinion the food is much better than carnival, the staff is amazing, and the ships are much less chaotic (especially on non school break weeks). Take a look at cruise critic and you can often find the menus for the Holland America cruises ahead of time. I went on these cruises pre surgery but they have always been accommodating to my dietary needs and preferences. Ultimately though a cruise will be an amazing vacation, have fun!

Some foods are easier to eat in a bigger quantity than others. Pizza may something you're able to eat more of. For me, I can now eat three Vietnamese rice paper rolls in one sitting. I'm very full after, but I can eat all three. But if I try to eat a sandwich or other bread-based meal, I can manage a couple of bites before I have to tap out. Thin crust pizza sounds like something that could be a slider food for you, perhaps. So I don't think it's unusual so far out from surgery, it just depends on the food and why calorie counting remains so important. Ask your surgeon anyway, just because you should get the thoughts of your team on anything you're concerned about.

Fully agree with @catwoman7 & @The Greater Fool. Your body will tell you what you need & when you’ve had enough. Don’t force yourself to eat more. Eat what you can or need, & pop the leftovers in the fridge. You might have some more of it later in the day (more like mini meals like @summerseeker does) or have it tomorrow which I do. For ages I was able to eat a recommended portion of rolled oats for breakfast 1/2cup dry oats). Then about three months ago, I couldn’t. Everyday I was putting leftover porridge in my fridge to finish the next day until I started reducing what I made. I eat - it’s 1/4 - 1/3 cup now. It’s just my breakfast though. Sometimes my restriction can kick in earlier than expected or I realise I don’t need another bite. Same with I have weeks when I’m not really hungry. Haven’t noticed any reason behind these times. Think it’s just our idiosyncratic tummies. Of course it could be something you’re eating. Like have you changed any of your food? Like are you eating more nutritionally dense foods or foods that are drier or more coarse? Have you added something extra to your diet? It may be a signal your tummy isn’t enjoying something new or not enjoying something you’ve been eating for a while. Our tummy can be fussy & temperamental.

I wondered if it was just the to be expected slowing or a prolonged stall too. Though I am leaning towards stall because your calorie intake is still low. Certainly too low to be maintaining for your activity level. (Though a little taller than you, I eat about 1400+/- calories to maintain at my weight & I really don’t exercise.) I slowed right down & the last kilo to my goal was a b*tch to lose. I was only eating a bare 900 calories like you but I did keep slowly losing for another 11 odd months (another 11kg) until my caloric intake equalised what my body needed to maintain. Have a chat with your surgeon & dietician. They know you & your needs best.

We all are able to eat more as we progress. It’s how we get reach the calories & nutrients we need to maintain our weight & for our body to function effectively. Though all because you can eat more doesn’t mean you should. How much you should/need to eat is an question best answered by your dietician. Some need more defined guidelines about eating & food choices. Check with your dietician as to what portion size, caloric goals, etc. are best for you & your needs (age, gender, losing or maintaining weight, activity level, etc.) & to ensure you are on the right track. Do you track your food. If not, it may be an idea to do so for a couple of weeks so you can review it with your dietician. PS Congrats on your weight loss.

yes that seems normal to me. Once I got to around the year mark my weight loss slowed down to a crawl. We're talking maybe two lbs a month. But I kept at it and it eventually came off... also, stalls late in the game seem to be more frequent and last longer. So many times I said "well, this must be it...", and then I'd end up dropping a couple more pounds.

My dietician stressed to me that protein was the most important. So for my “meals” most of the time I only eat my protein source (chicken, fish, etc.) with no side so I can eat more of it. I add veggies and fruit more as snacks throughout the day as I’m able. Certain fruits are harder for me. Bananas (even though I usually only finish half) and grapes seem to work the best. My dietician also told me that to break your plate into 3 categories, protein, veggie and carb or starch and eat in that order. My protein size she recommended 3-4 ounces. I can tell you even now once I finish that much protein (and that’s IF I can finish it all) I’m full. I may have a spoonful of mashed potatoes just because I want a taste, but that’s about it. It’s way too much food for me still. By 8 weeks post op they wanted me at 60 grams of protein a day without relying on shakes. That was a really daunting number that I still struggle with. Even if I eat nothing but protein each day some days I don’t hit that. I do still add in shakes on workout days but not as part of my normal diet. So I see the 60 grams a day as a goal I’m working up towards instead of something I must hit every day. I can’t physically eat more than my stomach comfortably can handle. But I can choose items higher in protein when deciding what to eat. Tuna packets are small enough (3 ounces) and have a lot of protein (12-15 grams). I prefer the deli style tuna salad one by Starkist. I take that to work for my lunch most nights. I can eat the entire packet if I don’t eat anything else with it. Exercise was hard in the beginning. I started off just walking a couple times a week. I was eating so little that just carrying laundry upstairs made me light headed and fatigued. That has gotten better though and I’m slowly increasing the intensity of my workouts. So just take it slow, eat protein first and just listen to your body. Everyone is different on what we can handle when.