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I hate it but this is the only picture I have before my gastric bypass surgery. It was my birthday at the zoo before surgery. The stupid zoo snapped this horrid picture without me knowing. I wish I’d been able to enjoy the day more than I did. I treated my mom and her friends to a free day at the zoo and a close encounter with flamingos that I’d won. (Yeah It was supposed to be my birthday) that was April 2019. I tried to hide behind my camera. I didn’t know if the surgery was even going to happen but it did get approved the end of April one week before surgery. That happened April 29th. I despise pictures of myself and am not good at taking them. I tried to take a after picture. With and without the Faja. Trying clothes I never thought I’d wear. Not sure anyone wants to see. I dislike my arms and hands and my knees are weird ... and I don’t like my ugly mug 🤣 sorry they are terrible pictures but I never thought I’d be this weight or size ... or that I’d have an actual waist.

Day 10 - a good day indeed. Today I got what I can only describe as a whoosh. Energy level is up. My daily walk was brisk and free of foot neuropathy. I ate 950 calories today. The most I have been able to get in so far. I met my protein intake of 60 grams and had delicious Blended butternut squash and carrot Cashew soup! I went shopping for new wrist weights and I ordered a new bed. I promised myself a new bed because my old one has a huge depression where my very large bottom was. I feel better today then I have in a long time. Tomorrow is my first check up with the doctor. I’m only ten days out but I hope he advances me to purée. I’m dying to make chicken salad and feel some real food in my mouth. Feeling real good about my choice.

Well said, I'd also argue that the OP has likely already reached this magical 19-24.99 range when factoring in the extra weight of any lose skin they may have. BMI is also a pretty poor metric, I think it's a little silly to be so stringently exacting with such an inaccurate measurement to begin with. If people want to be splitting hairs over whats a healthy body composition, you'd need a DEXA scan

I had it done December 23, 2019. I was originally supposed to have it in November but my blood pressure was way out of control when I got there and so it got canceled and re-set. They do schedule quickly, although they may not be setting as many right now due to COVID. Your coordinator will go over everything with you. I had a great experience and am down 134 lbs so far!

My gastric bypass was 2 weeks ago so I haven't had a chance for regrets. I am writing to let you know that I too had a Nissen about 10 years ago. It helped a little since my GERD was so bad that I literally had acid burn in my mouth. Over the years the problem has returned to its original state. With the bypass, my surgeon said the Nissen had come apart so he did away with it. What? I am still in panic mode though he said he took measures to disable the nerve that activates acid secretion. Yeah, I know, I don't get it either but my husband says there are no longer any protons to inhibit with acid blockers. I will keep asking the surgeon to explain it until I finally get it. The surgeon said I will have the reflux for about a week and its been two. I don't know the difference in reflux and food backing up due to overeating. Due to the Nissen I could only have a gastric bypass, none of the other lesser procedures. It sounds like the Nissen would have been required regardless of the WLS. Mine was. I understand your frustration and pain. I was so happy when they told me they could fix my GERD that I literally cried and to be honest, any relief was a plus. I support you.

btw - no one on here has argued with the fact that a normal BMI is between 19-24.99. Anyone halfway aware knows that. We are trying to reassure someone who made it to a 25.5 BMI that she's not a failure. Far from it - she's a huge success. The fact is that the average loss for a WLS patient is about 70% of excess weight. And depending on which research study you read, only 10-15% of us make it to a normal BMI. So she's done better than at least 85% of people who've had weight loss surgery.

Right? Ha. I’m day 4 on the shakes (10 days left) and I’m already over them. The good news is I’m down almost 8lbs - so I’m hoping I can lose 15 before surgery with them. Hopefully that will be enough so I can get my wedding ring off before surgery (otherwise I’ll have to cut it😢)

Day 9-10 (mini post) Probiotics- I started probiotics two days ago and I have to say my stomach feels a lot better. I am having less gas and I am also moving my bowels normally now. The product I use is a chewable strawberry flavored water taken three times a day. Only 1 go of sugar. https://www.naturesbounty.com/our-products/specialty/diet-supplements/chewable-acidophilus-with-bifidus-100-wafer/

Hi, I'm about the same height and weight as you and also have my Gastric Bypass surgery scheduled for Wednesday. I'm also getting very anxious about it and have been going over and over the reasons why I have taken this decision. I don't know how old you are but I'll be 60 soon and have been losing and regaining the same 60/70 lbs most of my life and I just don't see how I can change that cycle without extra help. I am very active and play sport most days and I don't have any other co-morbidities. One of the main reasons I am having my surgery is to enable me to continue playing sport without doing any further damage to my body. Carrying this extra weight isn't pleasant nor is it good for me and it becomes more and more difficult as I get older. I suspect that I've already damaged my hips and knees playing tennis like this and I want to preserve what I've got left. I researched WLS years ago and 10 years ago I had a gastric band which I didn't get on with at all. I immediately had a de-fill and never had it filled again. It was removed last year. I wish I'd gone for the bypass or sleeve instead of the band to be honest because I feel I've missed out on so much because of this weight not to mention the strain it's put on my body. I don't know if this helps and only you can decide if it's the right thing for you at the moment. I wish you all the best with whatever you decide.

Yes, health concerns are a very good reason for her as she has statistically better health outcomes being between 19-24.99. I have several degrees and pretty much argue from a position called fact. This posters feelings are valid and don’t shame her for going for it!

I started this journey in January 2019 after a visit to Joslin for a type 2 diabetes check-in. I knew I was very overweight, but had never been recommended for Bariatric surgery! I thought that was for the “other fat people”, you know, 500+ pounds. I was kidding myself. I took the recommendation seriously and went to a meeting for those interested in Bariatric surgery. I decided I wanted to try some lifestyle and food changes myself before I made such a big decision. It was my teenage son telling me he was worried about me not living through my fifties that kept me moving in the right direction. This is probably the time to tell you that I have always enjoyed healthy eating and usually made pretty good choices with food, except for the times that I didn’t🙄. For me, eating is only a part of the extra pounds. I am the main character in a genetic horror film! The film stars me, before major weight gain, starting off with Metabolic syndrome (that includes Hyperlipidemia (crappy HDL), High blood pressure and high blood sugar), Arthritis (2 surgeries, 1 procedure, cervical and lumbar radiculopathy and stenosis- for almost 2 years, unable to work or even stand for more than 15 mins before excruciating pain set in), PCOS (hormones, fertility drugs, hysterectomy), and finally the cherry on top of the extra pounds? Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. So, after I changed some of my behaviors, food choices and had an RFA of L4, L5 and SA, I was ready for help to move into the next phase. This phase began on December 30, 2019 at 204lbs. I am now 1 week away from my VSG surgery and feel ready and excited about feeling better, eating better, moving better and ultimately being here, not only for myself, but my son. Today is the 7th day of my pre-op diet and I weigh 180.2 lbs. I feel proud and know that this surgery will be an amazingly powerful tool to have on my journey.

The shock of the surgery & reduced food intake speeds up your natural hair loss cycle. My dietician said that vitamins & supplements won’t stop the loss. All they may do is make the new growth stronger when it starts again. My surgeon told me my body had better things to do with the reduced nutrients I was consuming than grow hair. Relax. Accept it is happening (you don’t need the added stress). Your hair will stop falling out & will grow back in its time. It may take 3 months it may take 10. I lost a good 50% from about month 3 until month 7. I cut my hair to just above my shoulders at about month 5 so it wouldn’t take as long for the new growth to catch up to the length of my existing hair. Also the loss didn’t seem as obvious with the shorter length.

I'm only 8 months out, but I physically could not manage to eat a McDonald's burger and fries. If I really wanted to, I could probably eat 3 bites of a 1/4 pounder, or 2 bites and maybe 10 fries? I have no desire for fast food burgers and fries though, and this is coming from someone who used to eat McDonalds or other fast food at least 5x a week, if not more. Now it's just way too greasy, and not appealing to me. When you start on solids, you will see what I mean! Your taste buds will definitely change!! Case in point, I've had a tube of cookie dough in my fridge all week (planning on making cookies with kids), and the thought of eating a spoonful of it, makes me gag. Another thing I used to love to eat!!

I tolerate a lot compared to some people on here. I have had to resort to a bunless small burger to get protein on a road trip. I tolerated it fine and I also had 8-10 fries. It's a slippery slope so I wouldn't recommend even trying it until you are in maintenance and then it's an occasional thing. The 8 french fries I had were greasy and salty, and I tolerated it fine compared to high sugar foods. The pouch physically limits eating more than that but eating unhealthy food does make me feel blah afterwards, sometimes bloated and gassy but not ill. So immediately I am limited on the amount and 30 minutes afterwards I am reminded that it's not always worth it. That helps me a make better decisions the next time that food is around. Keep in mind that I have tried a wide variety of unhealthy foods but it is rare that I eat them, as in less than once a week. I can tolerate one cookie, maybe a fourth of a candy bar etc. I feel I am in control and can have that small piece be satisfied and move on. I am also very mindful to not have the rest of the food sitting within reach so the temptation is not in front of me. When i have a craving I also choose "healthier" substitutes like chocolate covered almonds or sugar free pudding vs a cookie or piece of candy.

Hi Gang! So good to read your recent posts and catch up. I've been away for a couple weeks navigating life and wanted to pop back in and read and update. Boy can I relate to ALL the recent posts. Like others my hunger is back. Not terrible but since it was gone for about 7 weeks I certainly notice it's return. It causes me to eat too fast and then I too experience that ROCK ON THE CHEST feeling. I find I have to go walk in my backyard and gently twist at the waist to find relief after nearly every meal. The twisting and holding briefly at the waist while walking seems to help move the food or gas along a bit. You might try it if you're struggling like I am. Hope it helps! Like @Groovymommy I'm not exercising enough. I do walk for 30 minutes every evening. But it's easy and time for me to dial it up with some weights and harder cardio. Really inspiring to hear about your weight losses! I'm progressing at my slower rate and pep-talking myself into believing it's right for me. I'm 9.5 weeks post op and have lost 25.5 pounds. Hoping to say 26 pounds gone by this Tuesday at 10 weeks post. I will say my greatest joy is my daily 1 cup of Fairlife 2% chocolate milk mixed with cold brew coffee and a little whipped cream. There's no doubt it increases my hunger and the constipation but I've decided it's worth it. YUM! Also started taking Senna. Two pills right before bed and it helps keep me regular with no side effects at all. The colace was starting to make me nauseous and so I was very happy to discover the senna. Give it a try if you're struggling. Very gentle. I'm getting between 60-70 protein a day. Hit 48 oz of water daily despite by best efforts at more. And get about 800 calories a day. I know my daily carbs are a little high. My nut recommended under 40. I try and keep them at 60. And never higher than my protein. But I just can't give up that Fairlife and coffee with whip. As far as deep analysis... I've been doing some too. I sure do relate to the discoveries that come from not loving much food anymore. The desire for it is like a drug. The lack of satisfaction from it is like a little nagging whisper in my ear. I do see how other addictions can become an issue. Carbs taste good and go down well but I can only eat very little or I feel sick. And everything else is harder to digest. I think acknowledging those feelings of dissatisfaction is helping me manage them. I still see my eating like "rewards". I get those protein grams and drink that water so I can have my carb treats. I'm afraid I'm just wired that way. But really admire those who find joy in healthier things. Let me state here to make it official that I plan to kick UP the exercise starting now! My first WL goal is 60 pounds and at 25 i'm nearly halfway. Time to dial it up. So great to hear from you all. Keep popping in, Bypassers, let's help inspire one another! ONWARD!!

When you get to the soft phase, it is much easier. I feel almost normal again now that I'm there! I also avoid sucralose and other artificial sweeteners and it is in almost all those shakes. I don't drink regular milk normally, but the Fair Life Core protein shakes are what I've found the least artificial and I tolerate them. They don't taste as gross as Premier and some of the other ones. I plan to go back to almond milk as soon as I can, but I'm following my doctor's plan until I get farther out. Once I can get all my protein from food I plan to eliminate all that artificial stuff. I am just now able to sleep on my side or stomach again. I have been sleeping in a recliner. It's weird though, in the hospital and the first week after surgery I was able to sleep on my side, but after he pulled my drain out on day 10 I got sore and couldn't sleep on my side. I have no pain at all now though. I'm feeling great! I had heparin shots in the hospital, but they put me on Eliquis after I came home, which is a pill. I take half a pill twice a day. I'll be glad when it's done. Being on a blood thinner makes me nervous. Sent from my moto g(6) using BariatricPal mobile app

I waited 10 years before I decided to have plastic surgery(surgery date January 3, 2005) Because I wanted to learn how to maintain the 4 E’s-Eat, Exercise, Excitement of when I had my weight loss surgery, and Enjoy my progress. I never set a goal weight because this is a journey for the rest of my life. My goal was to be smaller than what I was before my gastric bypass surgery. Goal met. Clothing size at surgery: 24/26 and clothing size today: 4/6. A Good surgeon will only do one procedure at a time because of the time the patient is under anesthesia. 12/7/2015-arm lifts took 4 1/2 hours 2/17/2017-liposuction to knees and calves took 3 1/2 hours 12/10/2019-extended tummy tuck with pubic lift (6 pounds of skin removed, all stretched marks gone with removal of skin and 3 of my ports from gastric bypass gone). New belly button Drains for 2 weeks. Scar is like a small straight line beyond the hips. Took 4 1/2 hours 3/13/2020-lipo360 of stomach, flanks, and back (11 pounds of fat removed). I can feel my rib cage. Took 3 1/2 hours. Planning breast reduction and lift surgery for November-in treatment for varicose veins at this time. Did consultation this past Monday and my surgeon stated the procedure would take about 4 1/2 hours Because of molding the new breast . He is going to liposuction my under arms to remove fat.

Hey guys today is my 3 year surgeversity and let me tell you it's been a crazy journey with many ups and downs!!! I'm 5'2" I had the sleeve done on aug 16 2017, at age 19. Surgery weight was 275 lbs. At 1 year post op I reached 168 lbs. After that began my struggling I would notice my weight start to go up and I would yoyo diet. I realized that being I was pretty young and naive I never listened to my surgeons instructions and advice. For the last 2 years my weight has been fluctuating between 165 and 185. Typically I'm in the 170's. Although I never even got to a bmi out of obese range when I get to 160's I'm pretty happy. If anyone feels like their surgery isn't a success (which I felt in the past) just look where you came from, yes I'm still obese but I'm 100 pounds lighter! In feb this year I got really sick I was 177 and I went down to 164. I was so excited and really wanted it to stay there and possibly go down even more but then covid hit... I went back up to 178. 3 weeks ago I started feeling really sick again I had no appetite and crazy abdominal pain. I went down to 174 and eventually went to the er they discovered I had a large hemmorogic cyst on my ovary and they couldn't see blood flow to the ovary. I was rushed into emergency surgery. They tried to do it laparoscopic (small incisions and fill with air) but they couldn't so they made a 6 inch incision. Luckily for me the ovary ended up being fine but recovery has been a struggle. I had crazy swelling of 6 inches around my tummy and severe pain and nausea. Luckily at 2 weeks out the swelling has mostly gone down and I currently weigh 171. But I can not for the life of mine eat I'm super nauseous all the time and have terrible stomach cramps. The only things I can tolerate are chips and cookies. I'm really worried that once the nausea goes away I'll be used to eating junk and start the trend of gaining weight again. Also I have no energy because my body isn't getting any nutrients I'm on 6 medication because of surgery! Anybody have any ideas for healthy foods while nauseous? I would really appreciate feedback and advice if anyone went through similar experiences. Sent from my SM-G950U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Woot woot! So proud of myself for getting through the surgery! This was actually my first. Here are some things that I have noticed, so tell me if you’ve experienced the. As tell! 1) My stomach growls! Like a lot. It kind of sounds like hunger growling, but I’m not hungry. Maybe it’s just my body saying “thank you for finally doing something about this weight”. But either way, those digestive sounds are active and that’s a very good sign!! 2a) The pain is... different. I’ve always been a “stomach sleeper”, but currently doing so is almost unbearable. So I’ve been forced to sleep on my back. That, combined with the ferocious gas that I still have is like a personal F*#K YOU to my spine! Haha. 2b) The pain in the front.. is it even pain? If I’m laying down, it’s like I can almost forget that I’ve even had any surgery. But God forbid that I need to get up! Feels like there’s a cork screw in my right side, going as deep as it can! I think I’ll just stay in bed for a while. 3) SLEEP! Oh my goodness am I sleeping a lot! I tried to get some good exercise on Friday during the day & was able to walk for an entire hour without any nausea or pain! But that night, I slept for almost 20 hours! I have to remind myself that my body is in a state of shock, I’m not consuming nearly half the calories I did a month ago, and that it’s OKAY to rest. That’s what I need the most.

@kossde, I have noticed the same issue. I only recently, during this horrid COVID-19 pandemic, realized that my monthly cycle is a surprisingly huge impact on the numbers of the scale. For my sanity, I no longer weigh myself as often as I did before. Honestly, I rarely even look at myself in the mirror. If it wasn't for all of this loose skin....aiyiyiiiii. smh🙄

Hi! I just had SADI -S on July 24th. It was my first wls. I had to stay 3 nights in the hospital because I had some nausea and vomiting, but now at almost 4 weeks out I am feeling great! I'm doing well with fluids, but it was challenging at first, especially with the protein shakes, which I HATE since our surgery. I started using collagen peptides mixed into liquids and was able to tolerate those. I stayed on clear liquids for 2 weeks post op, then a week of full, and Thursday I started soft foods, which has got me feeling like myself again! My drain was in for 10 days. My surgeon does the SADI-S with his partner so I had 2 surgeons. After my surgery, my main surgeon went on vacation, so I followed up at 1 week with his partner, and he didn't want to remove the drain, so I had to wait until I saw my surgeon at 10 days post op. [emoji2368] Anyway, the fluids and protein get easier every day. I had a tough time with the clears because I don't like broth or any sweet drinks, or jello, so that didn't leave much. I forced myself to drink Protein20, and mixed my shakes with decaf coffee to tone down the sweetness. I didn't have much of a sweet tooth before, and since I had surgery things taste 100 times sweeter! I'm feeling great now that I can eat things like eggs! I'm glad to find someone else who had my surgery! It isn't very common. I look forward to comparing notes! Sent from my moto g(6) using BariatricPal mobile app

of course she should be allowed - but only 10-15% of bariatric patients make it to a normal BMI, so she's already one of the few who pulled that off. also, that range you gave - it depends on age, too. I don't know how old she is, but a lot of doctors these days like their older adult patients at a 23-27 BMI. Older folks in that range have the lowest mortality rate.

I had gastric bypass surgery on January 3, 2005 and I have done very well. No issues with my pouch-dumping or vomiting because of following doctor’s orders-no carbonated beverages, no sweets, no fried foods, no eating and drinking at the same time and exercise 5 days a week. After trying skin wraps in my arms and seeing no changes my husband suggested arm surgery. I had my first plastic surgery in December 2015-arm lifts (7 inches of skin removed from both arms). I was so happy and still very happy with my results. February 2017-liposuction in both legs(knees and calves). December 2019-extended tummy tuck (6 pounds of skin removed). March 2020-lipo 360(11 pounds of fat removed from stomach, flanks, and entire back). With removal of the excess skin I am able to wear size 4/6 in dresses , 8/10 in pants and some junior clothing. Starting size 15 years ago was 24/26. Preparing for breast reduction surgery around October or November. All surgeries have been preformed at the same practice. I am glad I had surgery many years later because I learned to plan/prepare meals daily. Exercise 5 days a week, and continue to follow the 4 D’s: Desire, determination, dedication, and discipline. Please share your story with me.

But bmi 19-24.99 has best health outlook so original poster should be allowed to reach for it 🍀

Once you start shopping for protein powder online, you'll start seeing ads for other protein powders. You should look at the ingredients and nutrition info to make sure they meet your requirements. Here are the ones I purchased (I think I found all of these through ads on Facebook): IdealFit (IdealLean) (You can also buy individual sample size packets if you don't want this many) 1up Nutrition (I bought the "summer body starter kit," which allowed me to choose my own samples, but that no longer seems to be available; it might have been a special offer that you can only get to by clicking an ad) Northbound Nutrition Waves of Whey Strength (Unfortunately, the samples are 5 packs of the same flavor, so you'd have to buy 10 packs just to get both flavors) KetoShop (There are two different sample packs; I got the zero carb just because the flavors were more appealing to me) P.S. None of these are referral links and I do not benefit in any way from them.