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not everyone loses weight the first week. You were pumped full of IV fluids in the hospital, and it can take a few days for it to work its way out. I've heard of people gaining up to 10 lbs while in the hospital. also, once your weight loss starts up, be aware that the rate can vary tremendously between people. It doesn't fall off rapidly for everyone. So many things can affect it - gender, age, metabolic rate, activity level, starting BMI, how closely you follow your plan. The only two of those you really have any control over is your activity level and your level of commitment. You aren't starting out at a particularly high BMI in comparison to some other patients, and that is one of the factors. People who start out at 300+ lbs often lose faster than someone who starts out at 200 or 250. if you're committed to your program and rarely stray, you WILL lose the weight, whether fast or slow. I was a slow loser throughout the whole journey, and I managed to lose all of my excess weight. Just be patient and stay committed. As others say, it's a marathon rather than a sprint.

Are you sipping or gulping? I made the mistake of gulping my drink and I had a bad stomach pain that lasted a few seconds. My stomach is bloated as well and I have yet to have a bowl movement either. 😩 I’m going to give it a few days and if nothing happens I will contact my surgeons office and see what they suggest. I was sleeved on 8/19 as well.

Wow - we're almost surgery twins! (Mine was 8/19.) I'm glad to know this is mostly normal. I thought about the yogurt, pudding & Jell-o being too much, but it's on my list an encouraged in order to get calories in and promote digestion. I'm sure those fudgesicles tasted heavenly! I sent a note to my Dr.'s team last night (hoping they'd see it first thing this morning & reply ASAP) but I haven't heard from them yet. Tylenol does NOTHING for any type of pain and that's all I'm on at this point. Also, the bloating, distension and all-around discomfort are getting old fast. I understand needing time to recover, but I've had a c-section, breast reduction, a tumor removed from the base of my brain, and other "minor" surgeries, yet I don't recall any of the recoveries being this drawn-out or uncomfortable. As for the , today was a beautiful day! LOL! Not quite a full-on BM, but enough that I got A LOT of relief. Hope it happens soon for you too!!!

Weird breakfast, but it works for me. 10 Costco shrimp with a tsp of cocktail sauce. Small slice of ciabatta with bruschetta topping. 125 calories.

Of the mainstream procedures, the sleeve will be the most benign of them when it comes to supplement needs and the amount of trouble one can get into by ignoring them and the labs. Supplementing with the sleeve is largely an individual thing - there is much more influence by individual variations and dietary habits than there is from the surgery. I've never heard of B1 being a particular problem, but given that the primary dietary source is from the grain complex, and many people are into low carb dieting (Atkins, Keto, etc.) that minimizes that food group, it isn't surprising that such deficiencies would be showing up - not from the procedure, but from the chosen diet. My wife is chronically low in Potassium, but that is just her, not her WLS (as DS in her case.) That is managed by checking levels periodically and adjusting supplements as needed - just as if she had never had WLS. I have heard it hypothesized that there might be some iron absorption issue with the sleeve owing to the somewhat more rapid transit times of food through the stomach, but I haven't seen any validation of that concern. The malabsorbing (RNY, DS) procedures specifically do malabsorb minerals such as iron to varying degrees as much of the mineral absorption happens in the duodenum which is bypassed entirely (in the RNY) or partially (in the DS) so iron levels can certainly be more of a challenge with those patients. I had a bleed a few years ago that sapped my iron/ferritan levels, but was able to restore them to normal in a few months by doubling my oral iron supplement; most with an RNY or DS would need iron infusions to recover from those levels. I tend to lose a bit of D normally so have been supplementing that since before my VSG and continue to do so at moderate levels (2-5k IU) both from that perspective, and also our surgeon prefers to see us in the higher end of the normal range on the blood levels; some in the malabsorbing camp will use 50k IU supplements to keep things in line (particularly the DS folks who specifically malabsorb fat soluble vitamins such as D) I know quite a few long time DS people (10-20+ years) and have seen very little problem as long as labs are regularly taken (annually usually) and responded to; however ignore those at your peril as weird things can happen if you don't. And that's with the DS, which is the fussiest of the procedures in that regard. With a sleeve, you are much more likely to get into trouble by something that you bring to the table - whether that be intrinsic or behavioral - but that is good reason to keep up with periodic lab checks just the same (my labs are a lot simpler than those of a typical DS or RNY person, as there is less that is needed to be monitored with the VSG.)

Just ordered these from Amazon too. Had $10 coupon from FB feed from company as it’s not cheap. But totally worth it. I got assorted pack.

there's typically a big drop the first month (15-25 lbs for most of us - although there are outliers on either side of that), and then you'll settle in to a slower, steady weight loss. I lost 16 lbs the first month, then about 10 lbs a month until month 6 or 7, and then about 5-8 lbs a month until the year mark. After that it was about 2-3 lbs a month until I quit losing somewhere around month 18-20. of course, your rate of weight loss will depend on a lot of factors - starting BMI, age, gender, metabolic rate, activity level, how closely you stick to your program (the last two being the only factors you really have any control over). it seems to be slower than most of us would like - at least for a majority of us - so you may OK with that.

Good luck, my RNY was 8/10. I agree with the walking. The more you move around, the better you will feel. Also, one day at a time. Don’t be discouraged if you have a setback or a bad day. I’ve definitely had some not great days and struggle with fatigue and drinking enough liquids but give your body time to heal. This is a big, life/body changing ordeal! Be well!

Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since I had my bypass surgery. Over this period of time I've lost about 15 lbs, including a 10-day stall in the middle where I lost nothing a week after surgery. This corresponds to the 3-week stall, as I started shedding pounds at the beginning of my pre-op diet which was two weeks long. Glad that it's over- I've been steadily losing since then. Here's some stats: I've found that I still struggle to tolerate eating more than 2 oz of food at a time, so introducing vegetables back into my diet has been limited as I'm full up on my proteins. I average anywhere from 550-650 calories/day, which has usually included three 100-150 cal meals and a protein shake. Protein is about 55-70 grams/day. Go-tos have been ricotta or cottage cheese with salt & pepper, sliced ham/sliced prosciutto, smoked salmon with a little bit of lite cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning. Getting used to tossing those 1 or 2 bites of food left on my plate was hard at first, but became much easier after I stopped throwing it in the trash and switched to scraping it into my dogs bowl. Feels like I'm not letting good food go to waste! Mentally, I've had some tough days, but now I don't even think about eating to distract myself. Recently I've been unable to prepare a meal for myself without trepidation and discomfort. My stomach physically gurgles and turns as if I'm already going to experience rejection... has anyone else felt this? Its the worst when I'm heating up something hot... smelling food that used to appetize me causes this reaction. Usually as I begin to eat this feeling passes, but there is always some anxiety at the beginning. The most crazy thing about this is my mind still loves good food and cooking and I think about meals often, only to find that I'm repulsed by the idea of eating them. I've spoken to my therapist and hopefully we can find strategies to help, but so far this has been my primary source of concern post-op. I've been reading all of your posts and the comfort that they bring me as we go through this journey together is invaluable. Hoping for the best for everyone

I’m so amazed at how different the various drs and programs are. Mine says clear only for 3 days post surg. Then liquids for a week. Purée doesn’t come until day 10 after surgery.

Update: I’m still in shock at how much weight I have lost 9 months out 10 months in September, I really don’t feel any different but I guess it’s because I stopped taking pictures months ago lol sw: 256 cw:161

Oh, yeah. I put in 10+kg in a couple of months when I hit menopause. No change to what I was eating or my activity levels. Same thing happened to two friends too. Bloody hormones. I’ve been eating white bean soup (beans, carrots, celery, onion & spinach in vege stock) for the last couple of days & I’ve put on 1/2kg. WTF? Makes no sense.

If I did then I didn’t have enough left to notice that I did. I had a hysterectomy in 2010. Then maybe a month before my gastric bypass surgery in April 2019 (somewhere thereabouts) I had a oophorectomy along with other pelvic surgeries to try to fix some post hysterectomy problems. They took one ovary covered in endometriosis. Later on some months after my gastric bypass I had to have another oophorectomy and to redo a surgical repair as well. So that put me into menopause. It’s hard to say since maybe menopause impacts me differently with having adult onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia and pcos ... @2Bsmaller18 I’ve never had much shape, I think the Faja gives some illusion of a waist. Probably a nice side effect of the belt lipectomy that I didn’t even think about was creating some waist definition. My having plastics was more for reasons beyond aesthetics. The physical effects of the excess skin and laxity, Including of the abdominal muscles. Although honestly I weirdly don’t have the normal curvature you have in your back that gives your butt definition because my spine is twisted (rotatory scoliosis) it’s just flat as a board. My stomach, butt and thighs were the biggest, I guess I never swelled as much in my calves except post op. My calves and fat piggy feet were huge when I came home. But I think that maybe taking turmeric gummies helped quite a bit. Using the Faja is what helps waist train and give definition especially post op so I plan to use it for a while. And then switch to just waist trainer. Not just to maintain the results of the surgery but to try to help with my severe back pain from degenerate disc disease, arthritis, and the scoliosis. I’m very critical of myself and have a hard time when people comment what I look like. I don’t tend to see it. Or sometimes don’t interpret what they say as good. Ie. When someone says things like if you lose any more weight you will disappear. and I’ve just been rambling ....

Hi everyone! New to the forum! I just got an ESG procedure done in Virginia (so far so good if looking for a recommendation!) So I'm currently 4 days post op. I haven't felt the urge to eat/drink/ anything which I know is just as bad as eating the wrong thing so I was wondering if anyone has some recipes or tips to get through the liquid phase. Never thought I'd crave scrambled eggs haha Thanks!

Hello everyone. I was recently diagnosed with hypothyriodism in 8/2019. After realizing this, I started the process to get approved for VSG and was approved for a 8/2020 surgery date. I then pushed my surgery date back to 12/2020 because I am so afraid of the unknown. I am 5 ft 9 inches tall and I weigh 269 lbs currently. I have always been super athletic and my calves and thighs are huge and are very muscular. I have a three year old daughter and lost 22 lbs during my pregnancy just so that I could deliver with my OB vs being considered high risk and having to transfer to the hospital where I worked in high risk OB. My highest weight has been 275 lbs. Please someone with hypothyriodism please share some insight with me. Here are my biggest fears. Loosing too much weight too fast. Not being able to tone my body and my biggest is not being able to ever drink 2-3 gallons of water day every again. I currently take Synthoriod 75 mg and I have found a new endo Dr. Please someone share some info with me.

Kinda weird question but I know breads are a big no no because of the carbs and it expands in the stomach but I wanted to know if you guys have handled pita well? I’m about 9-10 months out and I have yet to try pita.

I had my surgery a week before yours and my weight loss has been slow, too. I only lost 15 pounds the first month, I had my 3-week stall right on schedule, and I'm hoping to get to 20 pounds down by my 6-week follow-up (which is on Thursday). Even though I know that this is a decent weight loss, it is still so frustrating when I see all these people posting who started off at a lower weight than I did and lost twice as much weight in the first month. I guess we just have to be patient. Regarding the shortness of breath, I don't want to raise alarm, but that is one of the primary symptoms of COVID-19. Are you having any other symptoms like fever, cough, loss of taste/smell? Do you have a pulse oximeter at home to monitor your blood oxygen? You can get one on Amazon (or possibly at a pharmacy) and it can help you figure out if you need to get medical attention.

I have a high-stress desk job where I work 10-hour days. My surgeon recommended taking at least two weeks off,, but I went back after one (11 days, to be precise; I had surgery on a Thursday and took that weekend off, plus the next full week, and then went back the Monday after that). I had a follow-up visit with my surgeon six days after surgery, and he cleared me to return to work. I am working from home most days, but I was in the office my first day back. I felt well enough to go back to work a week earlier, but I wouldn't recommend it because it's practically a full-time job just to track your fluids and protein at first. I felt great the day I went back, and by then, I was able to drink more fluids and didn't need to track by the hour, so I just sipped water at my desk all day and had a protein shake for lunch. I will say that I was not as productive as usual the first couple of weeks back just because I was a bit preoccupied with thinking about the surgery, getting protein and fluids, what to tell people if they noticed I wasn't eating any solid food or that I've lost weight (nobody has noticed either so far), etc. But I'm guessing that no matter how much time I had taken off, I still would have been distracted the first couple of weeks back.

At the time of my surgery, I had a high-stress desk job where I easily worked 10 hours/day, more with my commute (which was 1-1.5 hours coming and going). I had my surgery on a Tuesday and returned to work the following Monday. *That first week, I was able to work from home, so I did. BUT, I was fatigued and needed more frequent breaks than usual. One day, during that first week, I stepped away from my desk for a lunch break and sat down on my couch. I woke up 1.5 hours later! The following week (would have been week 2), I returned to the office. I can't say that I was terribly fatigued by then and had no trouble concentrating to perform my job. However, for several weeks, I'd sort of "crash." My husband and I had a running joke of it because as soon as I'd sit in my chair on Thursday evening, I'd fall asleep. My advice: take as much time as you feel you need. You WILL have fatigue. You WILL need frequent breaks even if it's only to go to the bathroom. I was pressured into returning after 1 week. I was the manager and they depended on me. Besides, I had a healthy fear that my department would fall to ruin without my influence.

Before deciding on lapband, be sure to do lots of research on results 5-10 years out. When I had mine about 15 years ago it was the it surgery and I was really excited. And the first few years I had great results and lost 145 lbs. However, what they are finding now is that the complication rates farther out are a lot higher than other surgeries. I myself had mine out about a year ago, but for almost 10 years before that I was completely unfilled as I would wake up at night choking on acid and would throw up regularly with even a tiny fill. Last year I had it removed, and then at the end of the year I had RNY. I specifically chose RNY due to my history with heartburn and the band and have been very happy. Whatever you do, just do your research and be honest with your doctor. Best of luck!

I also work 10 hour days, mostly desk, very busy and stressful, with a need to think and make decisions quickly. I went back to work after two weeks, with no issues. One caveat...I was working from home for my first two weeks back, which was easier food-wise as I did not have to pack meals.

I am curious as to how much time you need to take off work after surgery. I have a desk job but I work about 10 hours a day and I need to be quite alert and able to think. If my energy level is low, effecting concentration, I won’t be able to do anything - so might as well plan for a longer leave. Would 3 weeks be enough time?

Today I played my first (American) tackle football game (Stockholm Mean Machines) I am SUCH a rookie! I only got my pads 3 weeks ago and had to borrow all of them from the team and other players... BUT boy was it fun. I (now) play Offensive Right Guard and was deathly scared before the match but it turned out that our own team during practice hits much harder than our opponent. At 48 years old and about 16 months post GPB, I am soooo happy to have done this. I still have problems seeing myself at my weight though and think i'm still "fat" in my head even though everyone else sees me as somewhat of a bean poll (Im 5 foot 11). I also could only play this one game this season because I'm getting surgery on my foot which is what killed my playing sports when I was 19. On the other hand, I was Googling around about football and weight issues since I dont want to gain weight from eating too much (like I did after injuring my foot but muscle is fine though) and I ran across this article about a very overweight somewhat famous player (that I had no idea about). A great read by the way. After reading the article, I wondered how he was doing now and saw the blurb in the middle. He had died at 38. So it just reminds me (my sister died from complications from obesity) that I truly need to keep "on the wagon". Still happy but cautious....

O, feel your pain! And so true about the guzzling! I thought I was all alone with that one! It has been really hot in Belgium over the summer and all I wanted to do was to guzzle ice cold water - you know to the point where you get that "water baby belly"-feeling. 😅🤰 Two things have helped me: 1) Adding flavor to the water. I have had 2-3 different kinds of flavorings going, switching between them to keep it interesting. For whatever reason I had this weird feeling that plain water hit my stomach harder somehow. Pretty sure it is only in my head. And I'm pretty sure I only feel it because the doctor told me that it might be like that at the hospital. Anyway, it worked for me. 2) Breaking the 64 oz goal into smaller goals throughout the day. For example: 8oz before 10 am, another 8oz before noon or whatever. As long as I time it to not coincide with my eating.

I used to do a lot of intermittent fasting, partly because breakfast just doesn't sit right with me - never has. So waiting until noon to eat always been my groove. I used to be a major, major night time snacker in stead. The last couple of years I have cycled through gaining a bit and correcting with IF. I helped me a lot through three brutal weeks of pre-op liquid diet. Now however, I struggle to get in the calories suggested by the dietician. A lot. I get nauseous and vomit very easily, so postponing ( or skipping) meals is hugely tempting since I don't feel real hunger (only head hunger). IF with long fasting intervals is not an option for me at the moment - simply not enough time in the day. With that said: I don't eat after 8.30 pm (to control the food addiction I have around night time snacking) and I don't start until earliest 8.30 am the next day - with me working from home I more often start eating around 10 am. I guess some would call that IF - to me however, IF is more of an 18:6 or 20:4 hour eating pattern.