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I've used MFP extensively but just short of paying for it. I fell off the wagon due to severe back pain and medicating with booze and carbs. I've gained 30 pounds in a year and a half. I went back to MFP but found a lot of the features are now behind a pay wall. I might just buy it but I'm thrifty. Sent from my SM-G970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, I have moderate to severe asthma and have needed to use oral steroids two times since my RNY. It can make you feel very awake at night. It does make water retention and hunger happen. I stay faithful to my plan and the extra weight comes off in a week. I hope you feel better and heal quickly!

I'm not sure being an "adult" has the monopoly on making good choices or being able to "stick to plan" or even understanding consequences. The thousands of posts on this forum alone is a testament to that. Its a very individual thing, though i do agree that for children/teens to have surgery available to them, there needs to be the buy in of the parents or guardians, unless of course the child/teen has the resources to buy their own groceries, cook their own food, transport themselves to appts etc (which more often than not, the probably don't). i always lean on not having a hard line to things, and mostly take things on a case by case basis. Of course there will be instances where in hindsight one would rethink their decisions, but that's life i guess. Now, would i have wanted surgery available to me as teen? It's a non-issue (for ME), as i didn't join the obesity club until my 30's. Would my mother wanted it for me? No. Would she have wanted it for my sister (who was overweight all her life and obese by her 20's?). Knowing my mother, who is/was always about looks and weight, probably. But would my sister have wanted it? Would she have been able to say no to my mother if she didn't? Tough call.

hi i would like to hear from anyone who has had weight loss surgery in belgium ( gastric bypass in particular) if anyone out there could recommend a reputable surgeon clinic or hospital.i would love to hear from you. Anyone who has been there for surgery I would love to hear good and bad points about your experience. thankyou

Not at all. It definitely can contribute to weight gain, but that has not been my experience. I had been on it about 4 years when I had surgery, and I lost at a perfectly acceptable rate, hit goal, etc. I don't think its impacted my loss at all - although I do wonder if it contributed to me being unable to lose PRIOR to surgery. But that's really irrelevant at this point, I guess.

^This. All this. Especially the bolded. I get that confronting your own weight isn't nice, I get it. It's not nice to hear you're obese. But certain people on social media trying to insist it's a "slur" just makes me livid. I have NEVER had people yell "Eat a salad OBESEY!" or yell "OBESE!!!" at me from a passing car. It's a medical term. What hand-holding gently-gently kid gloves term is permissible now that everyone's offended by everything? Had to rant. It really really gets on my wick.

Stalls happen & they will break in their time. Think of them as your body being stressed (it’s going through a lot of change at the moment - surgery, weight loss, change of diet, etc.) & it just wants to shut the door & pull the covers over it’s head until it’s ready to deal with the changes & stress. You just need to ride it out. Don’t stress yourself or your body more. Follow your plan, meet your protein & fluid goals & your weight will start to drop again.

very common. Many women experience mood swings and/or screwed up menstrual cycles for the first few months after surgery. It's supposedly because estrogen is stored in fat cells, and it gets released during rapid weight loss. It'll stabilize once your weight loss slows down. It can take a few weeks or months.

Gastric sleeve is such a common surgery these days that I don't think I'd make the trek to New York for it. If the place in Orlando has been doing weight loss surgeries for awhile and you've heard good things about it, I'd just do it there. I did travel for my plastic surgery because I wanted someone who was really top notch, but I don't think it makes as much difference with sleeve or bypass (maybe duodenal switch - or various revisions - but not straight sleeve or bypass) P.S. to answer your question - no, I haven't had experience with either one. But I've never heard of people traveling that far for sleeve (or bypass) surgeries - unless you're talking going to a place like Mexico to have it done for much less than most places charge in the US. P.P.S. I just googled reviews of the bariatric surgery unit at Advent Health. Those surgeons all have stellar reviews. And I'm not talking 10 reviews - there are over 100 reviews for each of them. I don't think you'd have to worry about going there...

I wasn't obese as a teen and hardly overweight either. so I personally would not have qualified or wanted to have surgery. I think the recovery would be hard on a teen and that bariatric surgery is not a good option for teens unless they are severely obese. Children should not be on diets either, in my opinion. I think a lot of my weight problems stem from going on a diet as a teen, even though I was not technically overweight. I developed an unhealthy relationship with food and started binge eating.

Thank you for your response, it does make a lot of sense that it can be water weight. I had a tonsillectomy 12 days prior to my revision so I've had LOTS and LOTS of IV and fluids in the past month. As far as tracking my intake, I am terrible at it and not "tracking my calories". My surgeon more so suggested tracking protein rather than calories. I am still very early on (4 weeks today), so I am not eating a ton. Every meal I try to make it protein (eggs, ground chicken, etc).

I had a revision due to gerd back in August. I didn't really have any stalls but the first couple of weeks, I had Water weight (over 10 lbs) gain due to the IV fluids so that always appears to be a stall. It took over 3 weeks to get rid of all that water. I am guessing that is what you are experiencing right now or something similar. They told me that I won't lose as fast as the VSG but that was not the case for me. I was content at 160 lbs (post vsg weight) but I got down to 108 lbs after revision. I learned a lot of tools while I had my vsg, and they continue to work through the revision.If you gained weight with vsg, to continue losing after revision, your eating habits must change from when you had your vsg. Unfortunately, the surgery itself will not make you lose weight as faster than vsg. Statistically, it is more effective than vsg but not by much. Like the sleeve, it is an effective tool if used correctly. Are you logging your intake? What are your calories per day? If it is below what you daily expend, the weight will continue to come off and you can shrug those pesky stalls off.

I had an upper endoscopy which showed esophagitis resulting from the GERD/reflux. I had been waking up with acid in my throat at night and was basically eating a very high fiber diet since fiber didn’t elevate my reflux. I had regained weight. I had to appeal my insurance three times to get them to approve my hiatal hernia repair and revision to bypass. My insurance spelled out the 6 or so reasons they would approve the bypass and I qualified for 1 of them (esophagitis). I had already been under the care of my doctors dietician since my sleeve (I continued to see her under my insurance after the first year that was included in my surgery package) so I did not have to do any further diet monitoring, and the process went pretty quickly. Just the few months it’s took for the insurance appeals.

Oh my goodness, four months sounds like a nightmare! BUT worth it in the long run. I'm going to trust the process and keep on with it and hopefully I can have similar results to yours. Also, while on topic, as a bariatric patient do you think that the depo has hindered any weight loss? I've read that the depo makes you gain weight.

This is kinda cool. My 12 year old said she hadn't realized how much weight I had lost looking at me because she sees me everyday but the other day she was hugging me and she said her fingers have gone from not touching at all to hands overlapping and that's when she realized I had lost a lot of weight. Kinda felt good. And weird but mostly good.

CHK, I had bypass the day after you and get to start Phase 3: purees on Thursday. I plan to make a lot of the soft food recipes without some of the chopped vegetables from the Baritastic app and puree them: Ricotta bake, Cottage Cheese bake, cauliflower puree, and the tender turkey meatloaf. I also am going to really blend down chicken salad, turkey chili, taco seasoned ground turkey w/ guacamole, and regular ground turkey or low-fat ground beef with low carb/sugar marinara (I like the Pomi brand). I also plan to make thinned down mashed potatoes & sweet potatoes. I have a whole lineup. I'm sick of liquids, too, between the 2-week pre-op liver shrinking diet & the 2-week post-op clear liquid and full liquid phases. I'm also a seasoned weight lifter but tend to do more modified CrossFit/cardio strength conditioning workouts. Once, I'm cleared, I will transition to body weight calisthenics workouts. I have been a little more active each day and noticed that my stomach (and?) have been pretty sore yesterday and today from keeping my core tight or being a little too active. Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

I am curious the process people went through for Sleeve to Bypass? I've been seeing a gastroenterologist for pain, nausea, vomiting. I have had 2 EGD's, both show chronic inflammation and gastritis, due to reflux. My surgeon is sounding very reluctant to do this surgery. I did get down to 115 lbs and have put on 50 lbs since my lowest. He is blaming the reflux on the weight gain, but I was at my lowest, when the first EGD showed inflammation due to reflux. He just ordered a barium swallow, and all came back normal. I am seeing the nutritionist, she said she spoke with the surgeon, and we would be going over the new pre-op diet, since it is different than the sleeve and has changed since I had the sleeve in 2019. I am afraid he will refuse to do the surgery and I will be left with this pain, nausea and vomiting; I have been battling for almost 3 years, with no relief. My gastroenterologist is at his wits end and doesn't want to continue seeing me go through this. I wake up choking on acid, had tests run by my pulmonologist and cardiologist. My asthma had gone away but returned. The surgeon also blames that on the weight gain. Pre-sleeve, I had walked 27,000 steps in a year. This year, I am at 1.7 million steps and ride a stationary bike 10-15 miles a day. This is huge for me, I have something called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Pre-sleeve, I was knocking on deaths door. I only found this "terminal" illness, from my pre-op tests for the sleeve. Since the weight loss, I went from 6 months to live, to medication that has me at "normal/high" levels vs "high". My specialist is afraid the weight gain is spiraling and illness progressing. What changed for me, the medication I take for PAH, you have to consume 250-300 calories per dose with 30-50% fat content. Otherwise, you get violently ill. I take 3 doses a day. When I was diagnosed and first 2 years, I was on a CADD pump and that medication didn't have dietary requirements. Sorry for the long story........I just can't take the reflux (even though the barium swallow does not show but EGD definitely does and has, in 3 different tests) and the weight gain is scaring me to death. What was your process with your surgeons, going from sleeve to bypass? Is this a long process? Did you have a difficult time with insurance approval? Any suggestions on getting this done? Your experience and help, is greatly appreciated!

Dec 5th was a few weeks ahead of me. I had a bypass on Dec 28th and I am curious how you all that had the surgery before me are doing? I am just now starting the phase 3 diet which is nice because I was getting really tired of soup and protein shakes. I sincerely hope that you all who went before me are getting exactly what you wanted out of your surgery. I am so looking forward to being healthy again. I played sports my entire life and lifted weights heavily in high school and college, I pray that there is some muscle memory there. It is still too early for me to start working out (other than walking) but I am so motivated to get in shape that I am counting the days until I can actually start to work out and lift and do sit ups etc.. What are some good meals that you have found that satisfy your cravings and fill you up? Any advice from you all who were a few weeks ahead of me would be appreciated. Good Luck all!

Haii!! I just found this site again after having left years ago once I completed my first two years of my sleeve. Now I'm back due to regain. YAY! 🙄 I know its more common for patients due to reflux, but I've thankfully never had that issue before nor after my sleeve. But due to this fact, it's equally as hard to find threads on people who are getting a revision solely due or in addition to weight regain! So those of you who went from sleeve to bypass: What was the weight loss like the second time around? I'm hearing its slower and you don't lose as much. Would you say that's true in your experience? Anything you've done differently this time? Lessons learned? Sleeve: 162cm (5ft 3in), I was 134kgs (296lbs), and got down to 77kgs (170lbs) Currently: | 119kg (~260lbs, regained 40kg (90lbs)

weight loss after revisions is almost always slower than after virgin surgeries, so it could be partly that - or it could be just fluid (due to a heavier-than-usual sodium intake, maybe?). Also, it could be if you've exercised more than usual, your muscles are holding on to water (they need it for repair, if you're going at it more than usual, or have done something they're not accustomed to). Or have you been eating more carbs than usual? Those make you hold on to more water as well. At any rate, if you've been on plan as far as eating, you should be fine - it's likely just some temporary thing and you should start losing again..

Hi DoOverGirl, I am also a newbie to the website, however not as far as surgery. I originally had the lapband in 2005 and after complications, in 2010 went to bypass. My highest weight was 290 and my lowest was 130, I am 5'7". I had only lost 82lbs with the lapband and was very happy with the weight loss after having the bypass. Currently, I am 168lbs and have severe reflux and my taste is so off that I find it difficult to eat just about anything. I am currently in the process of going through the steps for a revision surgery also. My doctor did say that I could lose some weight, I should not expect it to be like it was. Although I don't want to get back to 130lbs, I would be happy to get down to 145-150 as I think I would be comfortable there. Back to your complaint and issues. I am wondering if you are not taking in enough protein in order to lose more weight. I have noticed that when I think I am doing well with my eating, I really am not getting enough protein. When I pay attention to my protein intake and leave out the carbs, I start to lose weight again. I know how frustrating this must be for you and I am also concerned that after I have a revision, I will not lose any weight either. However, I am trying to focus on alleviating my symptoms of discomfort more than the possibility to lose weight. I understand your frustration but be patient with yourself, stay positive, and keep pushing forward. You can do it!

the other thing is, most people do experience a 10-20 lb rebound from their lowest weight during years 2 or 3 - so your regain is normal That's not to say that you can't take it off again, but yea - it'll take work. Good luck to you!! (as I mentioned above, I'm working on that myself!)

Hey yall! This is my first post. I had a VSG in 07/2017, everything was wonderful. I went from a HW of 390 to a LW of 200. The weight came off EXTREMELY quickly. COVID came and it just completely derailed me. Due to regain and heartburn, I just had a VSG revision to Bypass on 12/13/2022. I will be 4 weeks post op tomorrow. Everything was going amazingly great post op, I felt great from day 1 and did not even need pain meds (as opposed with my sleeve). I have been at a stall for 2+weeks and it is driving me absolutely insane. I have lost a total of 26lbs since preop diet (12/01/2022), I have spent the last week walking a TON at the Disney parks and did not weigh myself all week HOPING that when I came home the stall would be broken. I thought maybe the stall was because I was not having frequent BM's but all the walking did help in that area. Much to my surprise, I actually gained a pound when I got home. I am eating well, I am hydrating but just very confused as to why I am stalling for so long. I try to not associate it with my sleeve as my VSG the weight was coming off very rapidly, I was also way heavier. My doctor did warn that I will not lose as much and as fast as the sleeve since this is a revision. I just want to be on the losing path again, has this happened to any of you specifically with a revision?

I also prep things that freeze well. Chili Make a whole chicken (or turkey) and pull it apart and freeze in desired weight bags. I actually froze my leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and used some last week and make turkey stir fry instead of chicken. It was delicious! I buy the frozen bags of chicken so I can pull 1 or 2 pieces out as needed- Shake and bake is my jam for a quick easy and healthier (15-30 cals per serving) "breaded" chicken or pork. Make a big batch of pasta sauce and freeze in smaller amounts Homemade meat balls and freeze raw or cooked Homemade turkey or regular burgers. Soups freeze well, although I am not a soup person so I don't make them I started freezing more because learning to cook after WLS was not easy..lol.. I threw away tons of food. So I started freezing anything before throwing it away to see how it was after being thawed and reheated. Worse case I just threw it away later but then I knew and learned about what freezes well. I also meal prep lunches for work, so make bulk and eat it for a few days. Mainly to stay on track but it would also save you a lot of time for dinners too. You could cook the lean ground beef/turkey and use it for different things through the week. Spaghetti? Tacos? Etc.. Cook a larger amount of chicken and do the same thing? Chicken salad, chicken stir fry, chicken ON a fresh salad, chicken and veggies..etc.

Ok, so I have been obese just about my entire life. Here is my take, obesity is a problem at all ages and comes with a plethora of other issues. (mental and physical) But, lets think about us as adults for a minute, how much there is to understand. The rules, the regulations, the understanding of nutrition, counting calories, monitoring protein and fluid intakes, being sure to take all our vitamins... etc! Now, as a child do you think you could keep up with that? Do you think we could have even understood the seriousness of all of it? Of what could happen if we don't take vitamins and become deficient in something? Even, the potential complications from surgery short term or life long? As a child, I feel like it would be up to the parents to monitor and regulate foods, vitamins and comprehend everything that the child would have to maintain. So, why doesn't the parent just do that before surgery is required? If the parent is prepared to do that after surgery than why haven't they before surgery is even needed? If healthy habits are established at the parenting level then they (parents) already understand healthy diets and regulation of calories etc. Which in turn would naturally be passed down to their children. I am not saying this is perfect and some kids refuse to eat anything but mac n cheese.. but those kids aren't going to succeed with WLS anyway if that is the case so why? If the parents do NOT understand healthy eating habits, then how are they prepared to help their child any differently after surgery? As adults, we fail and we have the capacity to understand why. I just don't believe a child is able to maintain this lifestyle without a parents who are prepared to basically do the same exact thing. Although, I do believe some children may really need the help of WLS I just do not believe they can maintain it without the parent taking complete control (up to a certain age). Me as a child or teen I really don't think so. When WLS first became a thing, my best friends dad had bypass and it damn near killed him. He went from 700 lbs to around 100 and in a wheel chair in less than a year. Everything that could have went wrong did. Life long complications. I remember it scared the **** out of me! I remember it was a sole reason I waited so long to have surgery myself. Every time I considered it, he crossed my mind. He was the only person I knew for years that had it and it destroyed him. Then, as time went on I knew other people but literally NONE of them were successful. For whatever reason, lost and gained it all back, didn't loose, didn't follow the plan, didn't understand. I don't know but I know that every story I was aware of was not a positive one. Then my doctor actually suggested it, I started looking into it again. Researched the best surgeon around, researched every potential risk, benefit. Read for months on these forums and every article I could find online. Talked to people I knew, and had very transparent conversations about why they didn't succeed. I learned, and realized that I wasn't those people and decided to move forward. Here I am, 9.5 months later. Kicking a**. But me as a teen, I don't think so. I don't think teens are mature enough(and I was a VERY mature teen) to deal with all the changes and I don't think the parents are prepared to take control or they already would have.