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Well my bariatric surgeon is a general surgeon so when the oncologist asked if I had a surgeon I said yes so she called him and he also installed my chemo port two days later (thank god). Well my body “spit a stitch” which is not uncommon but the Oncology PA said it could cause infection and obviously that is my lifeline right now and requiring another surgery would delay my treatment so I wanted it looked at by the surgeon office. I seen the surgical PA. He took it out and it’s fine but it also gave me a chance to talk to him about my fitness and nutrition. He said that I am so dedicated and I have been doing so great that he is not worried about me. He said I shouldn’t be trying to run at a huge deficit right now though because the cancer actually burns carbs and so does the chemo so my body may need them right now. He said it’s more important to fuel my body to keep up being active since active people are proven to have better outcomes. I have to admit that I’ve been pretty fortunate so far with the side effects of the chemo at least 🤷‍♀️ . Anyways, I told him that since that low Fiber aka high carb diet I have been craving sugar a lot. I told him I am trying to satisfy it with veggies and fruits but I’m not 100%. He said that great try to have my sugar wrapped in fiber and not plastic. He said that he has no doubt that once this is behind me that they can get me back on track. i told him that my next phase requires really high steroids to be infused weekly and the oncologist said most people gain but they are able to lose it. I said she must not have had a patient like me. I asked if I’m having a real hard time since I will be past the honeymoon period if we could use like Wegovy to get me back on track and he said that’s an option. I told him that I think I may only need it for like a month to detox from these carbs because they really are like a drug to me and I feel like I need like 30 day rehab and then I can do it. He said that they will not abandon me and we will figure out whatever it takes to get me to my goal after I beat this. That made me feel really hopeful that I will still be able to pick this back up. I was worried that I would have to gain a lot back before anyone would give me Wegovy if I need it, but it sounds like it could be an option sooner (I’m guessing I will have to pay OOP but hopefully only for a few doses to get to the regular dose).

Prior to weight loss surgery, I could barely walk 5 minutes without stopping from the pain. I think the last time I actually tried jogging was with my mum when I was about 17, so like 11 years ago! And back then it was this Couch to 5k app so you would walk for a few mins, and then jog for 30 seconds and boy did that almost kill me off! Anyway, I was in the gym today on my lunch break, and I always do 20 mins of cardio on the treadmill after my weights workout. I do 5 minutes at a 12 incline, and then lower it by 4 every 5 mins, and increase the speed (hopefully that makes sense). So during the last 5 mins of cardio, the gym was empty, not a soul apart from me, so I decided to do something I was too scared to do with others there. I put the speed up so that I was jogging...full-blown jogging. At first I just expected my lungs to give out like they would previously, but they didn't...I was breathing fine, I was not in pain, and I realised I can do this! I did the last 5 minutes at that pace, and I left with only a little bit of a sweat on, and no pain in my legs or lungs. I just called my dad to tell him because I think this is perhaps the first time in this journey I have felt like I love my body, and I love what it is capable of. My NSV, that I didn't even know was on my NSV list ❤️

1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT: Male, 47, 5'11" 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any): 16.8 pounds 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 430.8 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 400 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 351.6 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 302 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery 247.6 (two weeks shy of 1 year) Gastric Sleeve

On Sunday morning, I was 118kg. Monday I was 118.8 and now I'm 119kg again! I'm still sticking with the diet! I don't understand it! My scale is a smart scale with body composition and says I'm losing muscle, but not fat! I'm getting more than enough protein? I've heard of stalls, but you shouldn't gain during a stall, right?

The ONLY thing you have to do to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn. If you do that you will lose weight. There are lots of tools we can use to help us in this regard, like tracking, meal prep, tweaking macros, eating more high quality foods vs. junk food, and a lot more, but at the end of the day, it's calorie consumption that will make or break a diet. For some people tracking is critically important because if they don't track, they overeat badly. Everyone has a bad tendency to way underestimate the number of calories we eat in a day, so especially for people that tend to snack a lot, or eat a super varied diet (which is not a bad thing!), then tracking at least sometimes is pretty helpful to make sure they don't overeat. Like you, I just can't track reliably. It's not so much that I forget to do so, as much as I find it incredibly time consuming and boring, thus I just don't do it. Would I love to be able to track calories consistently? Sure. Really honing in on my daily calorie intake appeals to my analytical mind. I know I'll never be able to do it though. At this point, what I try to do is "spot check" my calorie consumption here and there. Sometimes I might make it a whole day and sometimes I just evaluate a single meal. This helps remind me to keep things in check.

Omg pb2 and Cocao?! Ima try this tomorrow 😂 sounds delicious!! I am STRUGGLING with no lt having sugar. I don’t give in but the times I do I feel so guilty. I am trying to find that balance without being scared that I’ll gain everything back.

Just to add, meat loses about 25% weight when cooked. So 4oz of raw chicken will weigh about 3oz after cooking.

I think I will use them more once I’m out of weight loss phase but I want to incorporate some now just to get the variety of nutrition that they offer. Got my labs back this morning and they are good so far. I would like to keep them that way.

I kept loosing until the 2yr 4 months mark. Stuff will get very stressful at work and extra pounds just peel off. Extra holiday foods come in and pounds go on (a bit). You will loose weight as long as you’re in a deficit. You are doing great. Also, there’s a reason doctors no longer tell terminal patients that they have x amount to live, because it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Your new intestinal system will work for you even in maintenance. It honestly keeps working. You got this!

Hey, it sounds like you're being really honest with yourself, and that’s a huge win already. First off, give yourself some grace—holidays and steroids can make things tricky, and you're not gaining, so that’s something to celebrate. You’re right about the carb cravings; sometimes, it’s just a matter of pushing through for a few days until they’re not as strong. Maybe focus on protein-packed meals for the next few days—chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, whatever you love—and keep some healthy snacks handy to avoid temptation when the cravings hit. Drinking a lot of water can also help curb those sneaky cravings. Also, let go of what happened yesterday. You can’t change it, but you can decide how today goes. Every choice you make now matters more than anything that happened before. Maybe plan your meals ahead for the next day or two, so you feel more in control. And girl, prioritizing fitness during a busy time? That’s major. You’re proving to yourself that you’re not the same person you used to be. Keep focusing on that consistency—you’re doing better than you think. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ve got this!

Awesome I am putting this terminology in my notes to ask about. Thanks. I am hoping that if I have someone who’s really trained that I can return to my exercise routine faster than they typically recommend because they’re monitoring me specifically instead of the cookie cutter let’s just be safe and say eight weeks or whatever. Also, I really do think with the lymph nodes being removed that I’ll have to be pretty careful with weights and I’d rather have someone who knows what my limit should be.

Hi hi 👋 Today I decided to just log in my food to c where I am at calories and macros wise and I was abit surprised that I am eating close to 1100 and around 90g of protien which is great but I was just like hmm isn't that "alot" i am losing weight so I must be on a deficit for sure but I just assumed I'm eating way less. Also I was basically hungry all day. Because I worried I'd reach 1500 if I listened to my hunger.

Agreed catwoman7 - that was my BIGGEST concern. I was trying to remember how high into the 180's I hit and I found my paperwork. I had gone up to 187 (17 lbs over my weight I had been holding stable on and mentally remembering the 'brief period' at 167, I felt I had gained 20 lbs but it was really more like 17 from my 'stable weight). Prior gains I had ALWAYS kept within a manageable 5 to 10 lb window. We have an adult daughter with multiple mental health issues that moved back in with us over a year ago and the combined stress between her needs and my job was seriously impacting every aspect of my life. I'm also seeking a new therapist that also specializes in clients who are considering or have had bariatric surgery who can help me with multiple issues as I never want to return to food again as a 'medication' for stress and heartache.

there aren't any calories in Coke Zero, so it shouldn't make you gain weight, but carbonated beverages can irritate some people's stomachs (which is why surgeons don't allow them the first few weeks or months post op - and some surgeons "ban" them for life). I drank Diet Coke occasionally before surgery, but then didn't have any for at least three years post-op. I tried one once while I was at an airport and after a sip or two, I dumped it out. It tasted like chemicals (which basically, it is...). After all that time away from it, it tasted awful. So that was that - haven't had one since. I do drink flavored carbonated water a few times a week now. I still can't drink things that are highly carbonated because after nine years out, carbonation can still irritate my stomach. I can handle mildly carbonated drinks, though. But then again, if faced with a beverage that's too carbonated for me, I just let it sit there for a while until it flattens out enough for my stomach to tolerate it.

I didn’t have significant issues immediately after the surgery. I know a lot of people experience, dumping, nausea, and vomiting. I had one experience of vomiting, and it was simply because I made a bad choice to drink a drink that had too much sugar in it. I really had, other than the inability to eat big portions, no issues at all. Since that was what I was going for to begin with I was pretty happy and felt very fortunate. I followed what I now know to be a pretty typical less fiber, diet as the lettuce and other things seem to not do well. But vegetables that were cooked were fine. About three years ago, I started to experience extreme, explosive diarrhea - at first I thought it was random… Maybe I was sick, or I had eaten something bad. At that point, the occurrences were about a month apart. As this started to occur more often, I started eliminating things from my diet. Last summer, it was every day. I also had cramping and it would continue until my bowel was empty. At that point out of complete necessity I changed everything I wrote down what my habits were, anything that was consistent that I was consuming. I started systematically removing. I had stopped drinking diet sodas about five years ago, and it never occurred to me that artificial sugar could play a role in this however, I did find out that as I added, sugar-free vanilla to my coffee each day, that was playing a huge role. As soon as I started drinking, just black coffee I felt some relief. I thought that maybe I found the solution. It went from every day to every other day basically. So I started cutting more things out. And then I started having more symptoms. My stomach hurt when I ate. It felt like my esophagus hurt. I started having food come back up. I had to eliminate anything with oil in it. Almost everything I enjoy eating in anyway is off the list. Which is fine, I’m 63. I don’t need to enjoy my meals, exactly. However, it makes selecting food very difficult, especially as I travel a lot. I’ve now started adding gas, more cramping, and the symptoms are better one day worse than next. as to what my team says, lol… My gastroenterology appointment is next month. I have been waiting four months for that appointment. My blood work is perfect better than it’s ever been. I’ve had an ultrasound on my abdomen. Everything is fine except for my gallbladder has some sludge in it. I am well aware that my gallbladder perhaps is part of the problem. However, my PCP thinks that I should just lose weight and my gallbladder will be OK. With that, I can’t lose weight. I’ve actually gained during this whole time. Which seems almost impossible as I spend a tremendous amount of time eliminating everything I eatalmost immediately. The other amazing part of this is I feel great other than the diarrhea/other stuff. I go to the gym, I travel every week for work, I am in different environments with different schedules and somehow I have been able to work around my situation. I have had to cut out longer flights, which has made me really sad because I’ve missed several opportunities to go places I’ve wanted to go, but the risk of not being able to being in a bathroom for a half hour is too high. my current list of what I can eat with no issue is toast, sharp cheddar cheese, cooked green beans, chicken noodle soup, and Parmesan cheese crisps. It’s not a diet that anyone really wants to live on lol. Nor is it actually possible to live on.

Celebrating the little wins today - getting into the overweight category in the dreaded BMI! Considering my BMI pre-surgery was like 46, to have now got down to 29.8, I feel chuffed! ❤️ I remember when I checked my BMI pre-surgery and the little X on the scale wasn't even registering on there, and the advice the webpage gives you is to 'see your Dr about your weight'. Now the X is comfortably on the scale, and seeing my Dr is only a suggestion 🤣 Anyone else celebrating wins today?!

Has anyone ever had weight loss "stalling"? The scale has not moved for almost a month (it has not gone up either). I doing everything I can think of: exercising, eating correctly, measuring food portions, food journaling, more water, daily vitamins. EVERYTHING. Is the end of the road for me? (I am 10 months post-op. ) Anyone else go thru these times?

Mine was because of regain post sleeve. My surgeon said that the sleeve is a really great procedure and it works great for so many people but obesity is complex and some people just need a little more of a metabolic change to be successful. I have the added complexity of bipolar disorder and anxiety. The depressive episodes and the anxiety cause me to make less healthy choices and some of the meds that go with it that cause weight gain as well. I went with the sleeve because of the meds and it causing less absorption issues and it was certainly wise to try it first but it just wasn’t the right choice for me. I just revised to SADI three weeks ago and according to my NP I am doing great in terms of loss for a revision and my recovery. I certainly feel great and I am not craving sweets which was another reason I think I regained. It’s not at all common according to my surgeon (usually it’s the opposite and sweet cravers stop craving them) but post sleeve I went from a savory person to one that craved sweets. During the liquids stage post sleeve my cravings were for various deserts. Post SADI I am craving Fish Tacos and apples with Nut Butter so I think that may have reversed itself which will make things sooooo much easier.

As from these posts you can see you ‘re not alone in being anxious about your loss of routine due to surgery or injury recovery. I can add me too. I feared if I didn’t get back into doing some form of my stretching & resistance band routines I would never get back to doing it after my hysterectomy. My innate laziness and dislike of exercise would kick in again. By day 4 I just had to do something so I started very slowly. Didn’t over extend my stretches to anywhere near what I usually did. Avoided certain things. Interestingly there are contradictions with post hysterectomy exercising. No lifting for two weeks, then 5kg, then 10 then all good ( so by 8 weeks lift anything) compared to no heavy weights (>15kg) for 6 months. No core muscle work for 3 months vs start core muscle work at one week. You can understand why I took my own path. If I felt a pull or discomfort I stopped and/or avoided that movement for a few days. I can understand having to avoid upper body work but what about lower body? Like using ankle weights like @kristieshannon suggested when you’re able to walk or get some resistance bands to do some stretches either sitting down or on the floor. Don’t use your arms. If you have circular bands use a chair to brace the band or get your husband to hold the bands. I do some where the band goes around my ankles and below my knees and I pull one leg away from the other. Try deep knee bends, squats, ankle work, pelvic thrusts with feet on a wall, etc. So you’re not doing weight baring exercises but still working your muscles. Even if it’s not your usual routine make it a new, though temporary routine. All the best.

I love what mom said that is so true we can be hard on ourselves....in other bariatric groups I belong too, I noticed a mindset amongst many that they were never satisfied. I will not be adopting that mindset and was glad I could listen in on groups early post op...I feel it's so unhealthy to never be satisfied with weight loss. Once I obtain my goal weight f**k it I am then in "maintenance" mode and I will allow myself 10 pound fluctuation. I'm not interested in loosing more after the goal weight. *it's unreal how much poop in the colon weighs..3,5, 10 pounds lighter

Nope there’s no normal. You have to work out what you need in regards to nutrients and calories to maintain & your body to function effectively. Gender, height, age, weight, activity levels, how your body functions, etc. all play are part. For example 2000-2400 calories is the recommended calorie intake for a woman. If I ate that I’d be as big or bigger than I was before surgery. In fact I never ate that much when I was obese. When my weight first stabilised I ate about 1300 calories yet a year or two later I began consuming about 1600 & still maintained - my needs obviously changed or stabilised. If I weighed more, was taller, younger, more active I would need to eat more. As to working out what I needed, I just slowly ate more as I was able until I stopped losing and my weight stabilised. A basal metabolic rate calculator can give you an idea of what you may need calorie wise but much like BMI calculators they’re not perfect - don’t consider genetics, health needs, muscle mass, etc. I found the one below pretty on point for me but … https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

So I follow this fitness guru who’s very very well read on everything health and fitness. His client success stories are insane and what they all have in common is that they keep the weight off. His first and foremost advice is to walk 10k steps and eat at a slight caloric deficit. His clients literally follow that and drop tons of weight. He keeps telling people that if they don’t want to lose too much weight or slow weight loss they need to not exceed 10k steps a day. I see a lot of messages directed to him from people working in the health industry who complain that their steps are beyond 30k which is insane and he always tells them to never drop their calories below 2000 for females (sometimes 2500 depending on weight and height). You probably walk a lot and you are definitely at a calorie deficit which is causing this inadvertent weight loss. I would say get even a cheap sports watch (huwaei is a good one) to get an idea of what your daily step count is. Also you might think you’re working out twice a week but it seems you’re working out daily doing your job.

Welcome too. Not as short as you either (5’3”) but after I lost my weight I discovered I actually had a small frame so in a way I look tinier than I am. My biggest challenge has been feeling overwhelmed in certain styles of clothing. (Bet you thought I was going to say it was something about my weight loss experience.) When I was larger I had this big body that carried/filled a lot of clothing styles. Not any more. I look like I’m drowning or am a lifetime girl wearing my mummy’s clothes. And certain proportions can be way off now too. Like tops are too long & make me look weird & unbalanced. (Trousers have always been too long.) Being shorter than average with a smaller frame didn’t affect my weight loss at all. My experiences were the same as most others here. Just need fewer calories than many of my taller friends to maintain my lower weight. I remember once my surgeon’s colleague, who did my follow ups, weighed me and started to say I had lost too much weight. She paused and looked me up & down & said you really are quite tiny aren’t you. My weight wasn’t an issue after that. (Except every now & again they’ll say I should try to put on a couple of kilos but that’s because of my age, 59, and not anything else.) Keep us updated on your progress. Don’t hesitate to ask questions here either. Everyone is happy to help, share what they’ve learnt and offer support. Though having the surgery can be a bit scary, it also is the beginning of very exciting and rewarding future. All the best.

Well I had some circumstances (some out of my control but some that ultimately were) that all added up to my regain but it boiled down to unhealthy choices and increased portion sizes. Just don’t do that and you should be fine. Sticking with the support groups should be a huge help. I stopped posting here and going to my my appointments when I started gaining too much because they couldn’t offer much for me in terms of options and I was embarrassed. It was a bad decision since that was when I needed support most.

you are fine. Most people seem to lose somewhere in the 7 - 11 kg (or 15-25 lb) during the first MONTH, and you've lost 10 kg in six weeks, so you're absolutely in the normal range. I lost 16 lbs (7 kg) the first month, so I was probably exactly where you are at six weeks out. I went on to lose over 90 kg (200 lbs). (you will always find people who lose less or more than the range I stated, but they're either outliers, or they started out at MUCH higher BMI's than most of us have - such as the people on shows like "My 600 lb Life"). Your nurse and doctor are fools. I had a resident tell me the same thing when I was a few weeks out, and I wish that jerk could see me now!! I'm sure I lost much more weight than most, if not all, of the people who went through the program when I did! rule #1 with this is; don't compare yourself to others! Your rate of weight loss depends on so many things, only a couple of which you have much control over. Age, gender, metabolic rate, what percentage of your body weight is muscle, genetics, starting BMI, whether or not you lost a lot of weight before surgery, diet, and activity rate are all factors. How much you're eating and how active you are are really the only things you have control over. Do well with those, and the weight will come off, whether fast or slow. But don't forget - 10 kg is six weeks is completely normal. Just carry on and don't listen to foolish crap like this. EDITED to add: I lost weight for 20 lbs. Yes the first month tends to produce more loss than following months, but just like with regular diets, that's because some of it is water weight. One kg a week is pretty normal after the first month - but that'll gradually drop as you approach a normal BMI.