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I LOVE and I MEAN LOVE SWEETS! I'm looking forward to people sharing low sugar or no sugar added sweet treats (Recipes and Favs). I have been eating sweets ever since my surgery. I have never stopped eating sweets. I'm a great cook so I make all the sweets myself! From my own protein bars to even Yes my own chocolate. I never stopped eating sweets and I still continue to lose weight, I just make a lot of dupes and it's very satisfying ... I'm 11 months postop. Let's get to sharing those tasty treats.

Maybe check out Dr. Matthew Weiner’s pound of cure weight loss book. He goes over a handful of things that you can change and you can pick which one you want to start with. For me, the fruits and veggies was a good one because I actually like fruits and veggies. Replacing a lot of the process carbs with healthy carbs for me is the most important component to weight loss not just to cut calories in the short run but to stop cravings in the long run. For me processed carbs, make me crave sugar. One cookie and I want pasta I want cake. I want it all and I crave it for a week. Natural carbs do not do that to me and they can help reduce the cravings a little while I get through the week or so to detox from them. Once I am off of the processed carbs so long as I get my protein, I stay feeling full so it’s much easier to sustain a healthy diet. Keto never worked for me either and I have learned post surgery that is most likely because of not being able to eat hardly any carbs at or it was all the processed junk I was eating instead of natural food. They alter things by adding more fiber to cut the carbs and all of that and that may be reducing your calories to help you lose weight, but for me it wasn’t the same for my body as a veggie with fiber. It’s not sustainable because my body was still craving the carbs. I would lose weight in the beginning, but the cravings were horrible and eventually I would give in to them and then I just wanted even more. Anyways, you may not be able to replace every unhealthy carb with healthy carbs on your own before surgery, but if you can reduce some of them by trying out different recipes to find fruits and veggies that you like, it may cut enough to lose your 10% and be a good start to finding healthy carbs that you enjoy

I think the best reply to that is just that your doctor is pleased with your weight and your fitness. And if they keep pressing that you’re going to defer to the one with the medical degree. I honesty believe that some people are just a tad jealous.

My husband and I just had our 5 year anniversary. We got married right as everything was shutting down for COVID so we didn’t get to have our receptions. We decided to do a five year anniversary party to finally be able to celebrate with friends and family. I loved my dress I got for it (though I didn’t get a great picture of the whole dress 🤪). I am still hopefully only halfway done with my weight loss journey but it felt great to by a size 14 dress; it’s been a long time since I wore a size 14! Here are some picture i scavenged from people from the event to show off the dress!

Hello! My name is Merayna and I am 20 years old. I had the gastric sleeve surgery done in Mexico at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana. I hit my highest weight a month before I had surgery done which was 238 lbs. I made it to 226 lbs for surgery and almost 4 months post-op I have gotten down to 186 lbs. I never knew how big of a difference 50 pounds could make on not only my face and my body but my confidence as well. Thankfully, I haven't experienced any bad side effects from surgery other than the expected hair loss that has recently started. (*knock on wood*) I can say that before surgery I did struggle with Type 2 Diabetes, High Triglycerides, Hypothyroidism, and PCOS. After surgery, my diabetes has gotten a lot better and my doctor is pretty confident that I won't have to take my metformin for much longer but we will see. Something that I seem to struggle with some days is "reverse" body dysmorphia. When I look at myself in the mirror or in new pictures I still see the exact same girl I was before I started losing weight. In my eyes, my body has always looked the way it does now even when I was 50 lbs heavier. Then I compare the old photos and the new ones and it shocks me because I saw myself as way thinner than how I actually looked at the time. This surgery has truly changed my life. I wake up with more energy, I love taking photos now and dressing up, I eat better and take care of myself better, and I honestly feel like a brand new person. I am halfway to my goal of 140 lbs and I can't wait to be the healthier version of myself that I have always wanted to become.

Hi everyone. I started my journey to surgery 4 months ago. I am down 30 pounds since I started. I went into it knowing I wanted the RNY. My doctor tends to do a lot of sleeves. He said when you look at the weight loss in a 5 year period, they end up having very similar results. She sleeve is slower, but evens out by 5 years. His reasoning for thinking I should do the sleeve is because I currently use NSAIDS. My hope is that after weight loss, I won't need them any more. He ultimately said the decision is mine and he's ok with either one. He is going to retire before my surgery and I will see his partner on March 3 when I have to make the final decision. His partner also tends to do more sleeves than RNY. I'm looking for people who've had surgery. Which did you pick, why and are you happy with your results? Thanks in advance!

Research on GLP-1 agonists suggests that up to 15% of people are classified as "non-responders", meaning they don't experience clinically significant weight loss when taking them. It's possible you'd respond better to Zepound/Mounjaro, but there's no guarantee. If you're diabetic, you may have more luck getting Mounjaro covered?

And you’re already at 2.4mg? Weird. The dose escalation schedule is every 4 weeks beginning at 0.25mg, but either way here’s an interesting article: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/05/21/health/glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-stop-treatment-real-world-effectiveness

I think you have to first understand what these medicines do. They stimulate insulin production. This may or may not be important to you depending on if you are diabetic. They slow gastric emptying, meaning you'll feel full longer They may suppress hunger signals. Interestingly, researchers don't fully understand why all of this occurs. My personal take in your case is that if you are still steadily losing and are not feeling overly hungry yet (most people don't feel a lot of hunger 4 months post op), then I personally don't see the need to use this medication. I doubt it will do a ton, and might even make it hard to get adequate protein intake. If on the other hand, you are already feeling a lot of hunger and are struggling, then these might help. A few other things to think about: For most people in the US, these medicines can be VERY expensive, even if you have good insurance. If you don't have good insurance, then I hope you're independently wealthy because they can be several thousand dollars a month. Most of the pharmaceutical companies that sell these drugs do have some sort of savings card to make them SIGNIFICANTLY more affordable. Keep in mind that most of those are only good for up to one year. That means you could be back to looking at thousands of dollars a month to continue the medication after the savings card runs out. There are companies that are selling compounded versions of many of the GLP-1 agonists and they sell these for a lot less (typically hundreds of dollars a month rather than thousands). Bariatric Pal is even doing this. These companies can do this because the FDA has special rules for drugs in short supply that allows companies to make them to help fill demand. The issue is that you may or may not be getting what you think. See this link for more info: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss While some companies are certainly reputable and selling you what they say they are, others just are not. It's a little like the wild west right now when it comes to compounded GLP-1 agonists. There is a percentage of people that don't seem to respond to these medications. It's about 15% for semaglutide and a bit less for some of the others. I mention this since some people get really disappointed when this happens, so it would be good to be aware of this possibility ahead of time. These drugs (like most any drug), can have side effects that make then not worth taking for some people. There's really no way to know ahead of time if you will have this sort of problem. Generally speaking, most people that stop using these medicines tend to gain weight back pretty quickly, since the hunger will kick back in. As such, most doctors and pharmacists recommend staying on these for life. It's best to be prepared for this now, vs. thinking you're going to get away with just taking it temporarily.

Hey sorry for being so quiet, I just had emergency surgery the night before last. Apparently, my intestines got tangled up in my hernia and caused a painful/dangerous blockage. Anyway, I'll spare you the details, sorry about before, in my first post-op post, Everything did go well the first two days then I got really sick and had to be rushed back to the hospital. But I am feeling much better, and back home resting. starting weight: 498 lbs weight loss: 98 lbs surgery weight: 404 lbs current weight: 400 lbs

You should ask your team what they recommend in terms of protein, but I shoot for 80 grams of protein or more. Protein is the key to "dieting" after surgery. It gives you satisfaction for longer periods of time during the day, and that means protein shakes, lean meats, and after you being to feel the difference, you can then add in about 1-2 ounces of veggies. Carbs are not on you plan if you want to lose weight. I would also recommend getting in more exercise, it it wears you out, it will until you keep pushing yourself and get used to it. The elliptical is a cardio workout, walking is just as good. Not fast, but at a good speed for a half hour every single day, it builds strength and it builds endurance and it is the simplest of exercises you can engage in. Because you get discouraged, I would encourage you to find the time to join in with people that are like you, BariNation has YouTube videos and they have a membership community. For forty dollars a month you have access to licensed social workers, therapists and dieticians, there are member meet ups all of whom have had surgery, revision to another surgery, or they have worked with bariatric patients for 2 decades. If you can afford it on a monthly basis, then I would strongly urge you to get involved. Take a look and see if you are interested. Wishing you the best!!

At the end of the day, it is calories in vs calories out. If you are eating less calories than you expend, you will continue to lose weight. Those calories can be from cookies or steak... the benefits from what your getting from those calories is the difference. Ask yourself, am I getting a balance of all the vitamins and nutrients that I need from food? If you had a day where you ate amazingly healthy with variety, a cookie is probably not going to hurt.

It's valid to feel scared about this new experience and really good that you can express your fears to other people. My first thought as I'm reading this, though, is that your size is thoroughly unremarkable. It may not be where you want to it be, and you're doing great taking control of that and changing your life through having gastric bypass. But at your height and weight, surrounded by adults as you will be in college (and not middle school bullies), your weight simply isn't going to be a thing people notice about you all that much. I had my surgery when I was just slightly under where you are now, and I honestly had a friend (who is average weight/skinny) express total shock at my choice because she thought I was "only a little overweight" (while I thought I looked like a Macy's Thanksgiving parade balloon on two legs). Other people do not see us the way we see ourselves. In your mind, you seem to see yourself as worthy of being judged poorly and disliked for your appearance. I would ask, is this how you look at other people? Do you only befriend skinny people? Do you think fat people are terrible? Because if you do, that's a serious personality flaw that I would be way more concerned about fixing than my weight. And if you don't...neither do most people. Also, if they do? See my point about it being a serious personality flaw. Don't give that kind of person power over you. Your existence, exactly the way you are at any point in time, is not the problem. A person who is judging you for existing is demonstrating that their opinion is not worth considering. Most people don't notice weight first, unless maybe when someone is truly remarkable in size. Most people remember a person's confidence, humor, and overall disposition. They might remember a beautiful smile or a charming laugh, or maybe how you wore your hair or a colorful scarf. They want to be friends because they feel a connection to your personality, not because you have the "correct" size tag in your jeans. Again, if this is not the case, ask yourself why this is someone you want to concern yourself with. The person you want to be is not just a "skinny" person. At least, I really hope not. I would encourage you to make a list of 10 qualities right now that you want people around you to see and remember about you, and none of them can be about your weight or similar societal measure of physical attractiveness. Focus on that list. Do you want people to see you as smart? Kind? Funny? You can be all of those things today. You probably are all those things right now, if you let yourself believe that it's true. You don't have to lose a single ounce to make that happen. Do you want to be someone who takes care of your health? You're already doing it. Who eats right? Who exercises? You're that person now. Focus on the things you have control over. You don't get to choose your weight. None of us do. But you can make food and activity choices every day that promote a lower weight. You can't make a specific person or group like you. But you can be the kind of person many people will like. I wish you the very best of luck. I really wish I had known 30 years ago how absolutely, perfectly fine I was without changing anything, and how little other people's judgement actually mattered. It would have made so many things so much easier.

Welcome to the Bariatric Group! Diabetes is a strange critter. With diabetes, you have to remember that your liver will push out glycogen and convert it to glucose overnight, that is why you have differing numbers with the same breakfast. It is also dependent on what you ate the night before. I still get strange numbers, but I'm off all of my medications and insulin for diabetes and I'm only 7 weeks out from surgery. I haven't taken any meds or insulin since the day before my surgery. The highest I have been is 137, and I don't go below 83 mg/dl. I got rid of my Dexcom 7s to a needy friend, and will be giving my syringes and unopened bottles of insulin to my endocrinologist who I see next week on Thursday. Already, it has been quite a ride. From the hormones flying about, to not having to inject insulin and reduced medications, I'm moving better, walking a lot and recently was released to go back to the gym where I swim, cycle and lift weights. I can't imagine my life any different now, best decision I've ever made. Ask me in a year how I feel. LOL

I’m glad you asked this! I am 1 week post-op and still up 2# from my pre-surgery weight. Finally meeting my fluid goals and almost at protein goals, hoping that scale will start moving and give me a momentum boost!

Lately, I've been eating quite comfortably, and honestly, it's scaring me. I had a week where the scale didn’t move, and just when I started panicking, boom – down 1.7 kg the next week. But here’s the thing... every time I feel confident in my weight loss, I start getting too comfortable, and that makes me so uneasy. And the weirdest part? I’ve become a sweet girl! Like, I actually crave sugar now, which I never used to before. WHY?! 😭 There are no actual signs of regain, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be worried, right? My brain is panicking even though nothing bad is happening (yet). I have a friend who also had gastric bypass, and she keeps telling me: 👉 “Don’t worry, you will lose weight no matter what – that’s what bypass does.” But how true is this??! 😭😭 I feel like I can’t fully trust it, and I don’t want to get too relaxed and regret it later. Someone please tell me I’m not losing my mind. 😣

I had zero luck with Saxenda and Ozempic which is odd I think. I tried Wegovy when Zepbound was at the height of running out. I actually thought Wegovy helped me better but when Zepbound was more available I just went back to that. I have CVS insurance and they are making ppl speak with a dietitian every single month in order to get the script paid for. Personally I think they are holding the script hostage to make sure you participate in their weight loss program. Its ridiculous if you ask me as I am not fond of dieticians lol. However, that being said a prior coworker lost 118 lbs or more on Wegovy and he has been in maintenance mode for several months. He seems to be doing well but like another poster stated, I think the weight came off too fast for him as well on Wegovy.

I just want to respond to the issue with iron. Depending on the type of iron, you only actually absorb a certain percentage of what's in the tablet. I take carbonyl iron, of which the body absorbs close to 100% ("elemental iron" is the amount you actually absorb, vs the total amount of iron that's in the tablet, and I believe carbonyl iron is the only version with that high of an absorption rate). In other versions, the body may only absorb half, or 20%, or 60%, or whatever, of iron that is in the tablet. That would explain the incongruence of the numbers that you're seeing (e.g., 45mg tablet when the required amount or iron is 18mg). I just cut & pasted this from an article I just googled: No, 65 mg of iron is not the same as 325 mg. Ferrous sulfate tablets are often labeled with both the amount of ferrous sulfate (the actual pill) and the equivalent amount of elemental iron (the usable iron). A 325 mg ferrous sulfate tablet typically contains 65 mg of elemental iron. So, while 325 mg of ferrous sulfate contains 65 mg of usable iron, they are not the same in terms of their total weight.

Yes, in today's society, being thin is generally considered a good thing, so statements that indicate that you look thin are usually intended as compliments. Some people make exaggerated statements like this ("You're so thin that you look like you are wasting away!") with the intent to highlight what they consider a positive attribute (thinness). I got compliments while I was losing weight but still obese, "If you lose any more weight, you'll blow away in a gust of wind!" In some cases, people who genuinely care about you could be concerned that you are ill, especially if they don't know you had weight loss surgery, but if this is the case, they will usually approach you in a more private and sensitive manner, not just an offhand comment in public.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone who is 5+ years since surgery is still experiencing any issues? I find that when I eat certain foods, much like when I was about a year or so out, that I have a feeling of being too full and can’t keep the food down. It isnt all the time. And it isnt really if I eat too much or too fast. I still eat pretty small meals at any given time and typically just eat 6 or so very small meals. An example would be if I eat pasta, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a cup may feel unbearable and too full and can’t keep the pasta down. It could be something random like a handful of jelly belly jelly beans. I would say it happens maybe 1 a week? Just curious if anyone else has this issue. I have done well at keeping the weight off since the surgery and have hovered around 130-140 for the past 2 years. I am fairly active 50’s, 5’5 female. Thanks!!

If there have only been a few reports of patients experiencing this, then that is far below the level that would normally raise any concerns. Coincidences not causality? Worth tracking, of course, but it doesn’t raise any alarm bells for me. And, of course, a high number of those of us who struggle with their weight are likely already going to have other issues around self-esteem etc. Some may be more prone to negative emotions.

Hi all, I am almost 8 months post op bypass. I'm down 68 lbs (31 kg) I feel and look fantastic and I'm quite happy but I still need to lose 33-44 lbs and well it's barely coming off these past months. Now my question is I'm eating pretty well and counting calories and protien content. I'm focused on calories mostly but I think that's where the problem is. I should focus on my protien only which means I should eat 115g of protien daily which might mean more calories and it scares me.. I m active and go to the gym too (not as gym rat but not lazy) so what am I doing wrong? Do I need to up my protein? Also how much of the food is actually absorbed? Does bypass really mean ill def lose and maintain the weight? I need reassurance. Help me understand what to do now and if I'm safe

okay, breath. There isn’t a number or hard rules about what we’re all supposed to have lost by a certain time - 2 months or any other time frame. There are averages around rate of loss, how much you’ll lose, how long it will take, etc. But, as is expected with all averages, there will be those who do more than the average and those who do less. And there’s nothing wrong with that. All the averages should do is give you are idea of what MIGHT happen not what WILL happen. Too many factors influence your rate of loss and how much you will lose: gender, age, pre existing medical conditions, mobility, starting weight, and so on. Some surgeons may have some expectations but unless you aren’t losing anything in the first months (except during a stall) you have nothing to worry about & can breath easily. Actually all of us have to go through trying to work all this out further ourselves. Simply because we are different and what might work for someone may not work for you. Always start with the plan given to you by your surgeon and dietician and then after the first couple of months, start developing your own plan and way of eating to continue your lose and then maintain. Do some research (be critical in your analysis of your research, avoid fads and influencer talk), talk to your dietician, your doctor, ask for advice here and try things out and see how you go. You’ll make mistakes along the way and that’s okay. Losing about 2lbs a week is nothing to be concerned about. 2lbs a week is generally thought to be a good rate of loss for anyone (surgery, medication or doing it alone). I always say celebrate every pound you lose. Congratulations on your weight loss so far.

After having both the gastric sleeve and now the Rouen y bypass, I regret not doing the bypass first. The sleeve sucks ass and the gerd almost killed me, seriously. I’m glad I lost the weight but for 5 years I hated food after the sleeve before the bypass. I hope I can enjoy food again since I had the bypass last weekend. 3 months of hell nasty protein shakes then hopefully I can enjoy food. I really miss it. Also I developed a bad painkiller regimen I’m trying to get off of. It really sucks.

Of course you know ... but, fighting the blinking cancer takes priority right now, and your head seems in a good space for that! 👍 It must be disappointing to have one health journey hijacked by another. I truly feel for you. The tool will still be there when you can focus on weight loss again. Don't despair, you're amazing!! 🤗💖