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I would love to hear from any of you, but especially those who are post surgery 10+ years and struggling to keep from gaining weight. I was very successful in my weight loss journey but slowly started gaining in 2017 and now my weight is up. Any suggestions for how to lose the weight now and/or suggestions for staying the course? Thank you in advance.

After 10 days post OP I went from liquids to puree. Liquids: shakes, sugar free or fat free versions of pudding, Jello, popsicles, Soup broth, gatorade, yogurt, milk. Puree: eggs, melted cheese or string cheese, mashed potatoes, bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, lean ground meats like turkey, and cooked carrots. Cheese and potatoes are not foods you want to plan to eat everyday in your future diet plan. The Puree stage is short so I had one string cheese stick everyday. I only had mashed potatoes once.

it seems like most people have had their lapbands removed - so they've been an issue for a LOT of people, it seems. Most surgeons refuse to place them anymore. VSG has pretty much replaced it. rate of weight loss depends on so many factors that knowing where other people were at various junctures probably isn't going to be of much help. I was a very slow loser, but I was very committed, and I lost 100% of my excess weight. factors in your rate of weight loss include gender, age, metabolic rate, how active you are, starting BMI, whether or not you lost a fair amount of weight before surgery - I'm sure I'm leaving some out, but those are all major ones. P.S. it's very common to gain back 10-20 lbs during year 3 post-op. So besides that bounce back, yes, I've been able to keep my weight off. But it's a struggle every day. There's a significant minority of patients who stop paying attention and gain back a lot weight - and unfortunately, a few gain all of it back. You really have to commit to monitoring yourself for the rest of your life.

How much weight you lose is incredibly variable. As catwoman7 says, people who start heavier lose faster. Men usually lose faster than women. People also tend to lose slower if they lost a lot of weight pre-op because a lot of the initial weight loss in any diet is water and sugar and fat stored in your liver. This will be at least 2 lbs, but up to 10 lbs of the initial weight you lose, and happens pretty quickly in a week or two. If you did a pre-op diet, you already lost that 'easy' weight, so it doesn't come off so quickly post-op. Still - 20 lbs in 3.5 weeks is a resounding success for just about anyone. If it's all fat, that corresponds to about a 3,000 calorie deficit a day. If you're hardly eating anything now - that's actually a little faster than you'd expect from doing the math, unless you're a super muscly weight lifter with a fast metabolism. For comparison, I lost 15 lbs in the same time period. I started out at 210 lbs, 5'5'', 40 year old woman. Now 4 months out I am losing about 1.5-2 lbs a week. WLS isn't about losing weight super fast - it's about losing it permanently! Also, I can really sympathize with your feeling that it is hard to swallow anything - like it kind of gets stuck. It felt like that for me for about 1-2 months. It slowly got better over time, and I was able to take bigger and bigger swallows until it finally went away completely. I think it has to do with the swelling around the incisions on your stomach. That will get better soon.

For me, it was getting back to eating very intentionally - protein first and foremost then vegetables. Then fruit and a sprinkle of carbs. I was never able to do protein drinks - ever. i react to every kind of artificial sugar and artificial type ingredient with horrible digestive problems that put me in the hospital..... but YOU DO know what will work and what will not for YOU. Go back to what you were eating at the start - and start from there. You may want to see if another doctor took over your surgeon's practice or find a doctor who is knowledgeable about post surgery issues for bariatric patients. Mostly it is diet and getting enough vitamins and minerals into you and then exercise / moving more ! Personally, I started in the 300's had a sleeve 10 years ago. Lost about 140 pounds then gained back 40. I have spent the last year losing 5 pounds at a time. My first goal was that 5 pounds with a desire to lose 20 in a year. I have lost to date 36 and a half pounds. I am still "overweight" according to BMI for my age (64) and obese if you don't put in my age... but I am very pleased with where I am !!! One meal at a time, one healthy snack at a time, lots of water. Be safe out there !

I started with a gastric sleeve surgery done in July 2019 weighing just shy of 350lbs. I had a lot of issues and tough recovery and it required a revision to a gastric bypass at the end of February 2020. I do not own a scale in my home as I would obsess over the number and with the whole Covid situation I was not going to in person dr appointments but today finally I was able to go and I weighed in at 187lbs!!!! That number seems crazy to me. I was over 200 at the age of 12 and I’m now 46. I want to laugh and cry at the same time. This last year was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever been through and I am not back to being 100% healthy yet but I am so excited to finally be under the 200lb mark.

I had a sleeve in July 2019 got incredibly sick after the surgery. Developed awful reflux developed a hernia from vomiting literally lost my mind from a lack of protein after all the vommitting couldn’t walk ended up in a rehab hospital still couldn’t keep any food down as a life saving measure they converted my sleeve to a bypass in February 2020 and fixed the hernia at the same time. Since the conversion thank god my memory is slowly coming back and my strength is also slowly returning. On the plus side I am doing much better with being able to eat and haven’t vomited except 2xs since the revision With all that being said due to all my issues I had no insurance requirements that I had to meet. The drs just scheduled the surgery I arrived had the surgery and repair and then was hospitalized for 3 days afterward to ensure everything worked the way it was supposed to.

Hi! I had my lapband out in Aug 2019 and Gastric Bypass end of December. I hit a stall at 2 1/2 weeks that lasted 3 weeks. It's very common - search 3 week stall. Yours may have started a little later but don't worry. Keep following your plan and you'll be fine. (BTW - 30 lbs in 5 weeks is amazing!) Lori

I had my lapband removed Dec. 2019. Gastric bypass in May. I'm down almost 30 lbs. I feel like I've hit a plateau. Is this normal almost 5 weeks out? Also, premier protein drinks and eggs make me want to gag since surgery. I loved them before. I'm not getting enough calories in currently. Any suggestions? Thank you so much!

I bought this dress for less than $10 and I've been wearing it nonstop. It's butter soft and extremely form fitting. Seriously it's so tight you can see my gas bubbles 😂 20200701_111913.mp4 20200701_111913.mp4 (Dark grainy video/BF was asleep)

Hi I am so excited my insurance (US Family Health Plan subsidiary of Tricare) just approved my sleeve. My consult was 6/10 then had testing done. Insurance was submitted Fri 6/26 and approved today! I had a lapband in 2010 and due to complications has to have it removed less the 6 months after getting it. I was 430 ish pounds post band. I lost 60lbs before surgery and have kept off most of my weight from that time. Currently in the 285 ish lb range. Now I am just waiting on a surgery date and hoping for August!

My surgeon says no to premier protein because the protein is not a protein isolate😢 So 5 more days of the nasty stuff. I have gotten this far without cheating, so pretty sure I got this, thanks in part to all the encouragement here. I also started a day early because I wanted to start on a day off rather than a Monday, so I am 10 days in. Just a bit jelly of your haul😊 I like premier protein shakes. We have had them around for quick meals for years. Wishing you a wonderful pre-op diet, buddy!

I signed up to this forum solely to pass along our story in hopes others can learn from our experience. Please read (It IS a long read) As soon as I picked up the phone & heard her crying, I knew it was bad news. Her Specialist had diagnosed her with advanced Liver Fibrosis. Between her tears & what she said, I felt like I had the wind sucked out of me. So what now? Almost as quickly as I took in the news, a sense of defiance started to spring up within me. I had waited 45 YEARS to meet my soulmate & I was damned if I was gonna lose her now. "We have to tell Dr. Kantner" I insisted to her. Her Obesity Specialist. Yes, my wife is Overweight & has type 2 diabetes. And to be hit with this news on top of everything else... Through fate or fortune, she had stumbled into our specialist's care through me, as I was already seeing the specialist for my own weight issues & shortly, after we met, I told her about my Doctor & thankfully, Dr. Kantner took her on as well. Through her own program, Nancy was scheduled for Bariatric surgery. Specifically, Gastric Bypass. We prepared to wait up to possibly 2 years for her surgery, but now the situation had changed. Would she even be able to make it that long? She did tell Dr. Kantner & somehow, through her influence, was able to fast track Nancy to having her surgery within six months. Still a bit of a wait, but a lot better than having to wait two years! So now the waiting. And being the anxious personalities that we are, it seemed to take forever. But as the days drew closer to the date, it began to get more & more real, until finally that morning, when we were up at 4am, we knew this was happening. Finally! I had spent that last few months emotionally supporting her, reassuring her how everything was going to be just fine, while at the same time trying to convince myself of the same. It had finally reached zero hour & we were on our way to the hospital. Her surgery was scheduled for 7:45am, so we had to be there at least two hours prior to prepare. I gave her as much encouragement as I could until she was told to change into her hospital gown & I followed alongside her on the stretcher till the last possible second when our tightly clasping hands reluctantly separated and she disappeared into the Operating Room. For the first time, I felt helpless as her fate was now in the hands of the Surgeon. Perhaps I was being a tad overdramatic as the procedure usually takes anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes. Counting on this, I went over to the McDonalds across the street, where I figured I'd pass the time by having a long, leisurely breakfast. So, as I enjoyed my Sausage & Egg McMuffins & Hashbrowns, I watched the time go slowly by. 8:00, 8:45, 9:10... Still no word. I couldn't sit still any longer, so I went into the Mall & wandered around. 9:30, 9:50... still no word. Now, I was getting worried. Maybe she was already done & they didn't have my phone number to let me know to come & pick her up? 10:00. I stopped by the Pizzeria & had a slice & tried to make it last as long as I could. 10:20, I had another slice. Finally, at 10:40 I felt my phone vibrate. It was the hospital. "Well," The Doctor said. "It wasn't easy, but we got it done." Apparently, her previous surgery from 20 years ago for Acid Reflux had caused some "challenges" for them. But, even though it had taken longer than anticipated, it was finally done. I could pick up my wife & we could go home. But when I got back to the hospital, she still hadn't been moved to the Recovery Ward. What's going on? About an hour later, I'm let up to see her in a room that felt entirely too small & too hot. I looked into her exhausted face & when she opened her eyes, we both felt it. That mutual spark of joy we bring to each other. "Hi Honey," she said in a weakened tone. She HAD been through something. But it was finally done. Her Surgeon soon arrived & filled me in on the particulars. Because it had been a "complicated surgery" They would have her stay overnight for observation. Great. I have to go home without my wife. I stay with her till the evening & I go home around 8pm. I call a taxi & indulge in McD's Drive through on the way home. I wake up in the unfamiliar position of not having my Nancy beside me. I don't like it. I get up & get dressed first thing. I can't wait to pick her up & take her home. I call the taxi & return to the hospital & grab a Starbucks, conveniently located in the main lobby. I get upstairs & there she is. Looking much chipper than yesterday. She is understandably weak still, so we wait patiently for the doctors to give her the all-clear to go home. Once again, 11am..., 12noon... she ultimately wouldn't be released till 2:30pm. But, she was finally released. We taxi home & I assist her to our suite & I deposit her on the couch. She is still in some discomfort, despite having taken painkillers that morning. We both figured having a good night's sleep should help. The next morning, having barely slept & taking painkillers all night, she is still in pretty rough shape. Still sore & not even able to swallow even a drop of water without experiencing pain. In her recovery plan, it says to expect some "discomfort" immediately following surgery, but I'm beginning to wonder if discomfort includes burning dry pain whenever she even tries to take a breath. Fortunately, I had booked the whole week off work, so I could be home to help her through her recovery. But after 5 days, things don't seem to be getting any better. If anything, in fact, they were getting worse. The Doctor gave us his private number & encouraged us to update him every day, which we did. Despite our relating her situation to him, he dismissed it as being normal. Now I may not be a doctor myself, but I can tell when something's not right. Especially when it comes to my Nancy. By the time came for me to return to work, I was an anxious ball of nerves, as I checked in with her whenever I could, and whenever she wasn't napping to try & deal with the pain, she would tell me of how bad it was getting. Then... SNOWMAGEDDON 2019. It had dumped nearly 20 cm overnight. NOTHING was moving. Even the busses had been grounded. I figured I would get a pass from work due to the situation, but when I called in & pleaded my case, they were so determined to have me show up for work, the president of the company himself drove out to my place in snow chains to drive me to work. I was not only astounded they would do such a thing but genuinely enraged. That they would put such effort into manning their shift, when the rest of the world had pretty much shut down. On this particular morning, Nancy was in more pain than she had ever been in. I really didn't want to leave her to go to work. I explained this to the President, to which he turned a blind ear. So, after an hour's commute which by taxi would ordinarily take about 20 - 30 mins, I am deposited at my site, to which anyone around was astounded there was someone working the shift. Trying to hold my anger at my company at bay, while dealing with all the problems that the snow was causing, & would continue to cause throughout the day, I soon found out that I would be working a double shift because my relief was unable to make it to work? Strange how the president wouldn't also give that person a ride to work... When I finally was able to check in with Nancy at 5pm. She was NOT doing well. She was in so much pain, she couldn't stand it. We both agreed something was VERY wrong & we called the Ambulance. So. Now I have the prospect of working still another 7 hours in the WORST snowstorm I had ever been in. My wife was home waiting for an Ambulance & I'm stuck here. Helpless. I call my boss pleading how I need to leave because my wife was on her way to emergency. After he practically cut me off in mid-sentence with an abrupt "NO. You have to stay till the end of your shift!" I snapped. I couldn't hold back any longer. I BLASTED him, screaming obscenities in a rage-filled tirade telling them how they were a bunch of heartless fucks who only cared about making money & how they didn't give a flying f**k about their employees. I got home just as the Ambulance had arrived. I have no idea by what miracle she was even able to get one as it was a frozen tundra outside. But an ambulance did show up, festooned in chains & 2 saints who would answer the call of duty on this disastrous night. My Nancy was doubled over in pain sitting on the computer chair. So much pain that we had to move her in the chair, into the elevator & down to the lobby as there was no way to get the stretcher upstairs. Not even a stokes could be used. But with the help of some god-sent residents, we are all able to transfer her into the stretcher outside & finally into the Ambulance. To give you an idea of just how bad the snowstorm was, ordinarily we would be no more than 5 minutes max from the Hospital as we lived not even 2 blocks away. But even with chains, the Ambulance struggled through the impassable road & we got to Emergency in about 15 mins. As we unloaded her, the inevitable throng of Crachkeads, Junkies & other Mentally Ill people that clog up our system was crowding the area. But again, we were fortunate enough to be fast-tracked & she was in the ward within the hour. I never spent a more uncomfortable time than when I sat with her there. I stayed as long as I could, but was exhausted & could no longer stay awake & trudged through the snow back home. I really didn't sleep a wink the rest of the night. How could I? My Wife was in Hospital, & I was alone at home for the first time in 5 years & I hated it. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't even eat. I certainly couldn't sleep. In some ways, I was worse off than she was. For the rest of the night, I sat anxiously, wondering if/when I should phone to find out her status. Finally, around 10am the next morning, I called, only to find out she had been transferred to Richmond Hospital. Holy ****. What now? I called the Taxi immediately & raced out to Richmond Hospital. Like everyone in this life, I too have had my share of sadness & sorrow. Even Heartbreak sometimes. I don't know HOW to label the feeling I felt when I got to see Nancy in her own tiny room in ICU. But seeing her there, with all kinds of tubes & wires running in & out of her looking like something from Star Trek. I felt weak. PHYSICALLY weak. Like I was going to pass out. I had never seen my Nancy this way. My mind couldn't process what I was seeing. Quickly, I stepped out. I couldn't hold back. Tears just exploded out. I never knew a person could feel this depth of sorrow. I told myself, Snap out of it man! You've GOT to be strong! If not for your sake, then for HER sake! I don't know how, but I gathered myself together & re-entered her room. Her eyes were closed. The nurse told me she was heavily sedated & that she might not recognize me. But when Nancy weakly opened her eyes & she saw me standing over her, she knew. WE knew. that look of love we share was there. Again, fighting back the urge to bawl my eyes out, I said: "Hi Honey." My hand around hers, she weakly gripped my hand. I closed my eyes & just sat with her while she came in & out of consciousness. I had never felt such sorrow. Such a feeling of helplessness. I stayed as long as I could until it became clear she needed to rest. Taking the Taxi back into town, I stopped by McDonald's & loaded up on comfort food. I didn't care. I needed something, anything to feel better. To at LEAST, not feel what I had felt in that room. I won't even speculate how much money I was throwing away on Taxi rides to & from Richmond & the West End. I only know that with an average of $30.00 per trip, I was rapidly cutting into our bank account. Needless to say, I returned the next day. Although still upsetting to see her this way, it wasn't as shocking as yesterday. I still felt like crying, but I was able to at least put more of a brave face on. Although I knew she knew what I was feeling. I returned again the next day, only to find she had been moved to the Recovery Ward. THANK GOD! The first positive since this whole thing began. This time she was in a bigger room with 3 other patients. When I saw her sleeping in her spot, I quietly as I could pulled up a seat to her bedside & within a minute, she opened her lovely eyes and when I saw how they lit up, I felt like crying all over again. She still had all her tubes, including Breathing in, but now she was able to speak. She was still heavily sedated & communication was difficult, she looked a whole lot better & at this point, this was all I could ask for. I stayed with her until around 8pm, althewhile the Nurses tended to her as I could never imagine. I'd like to mention here just how special these people are. As I write this, we are in the midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic, and living just 2 blocks away from St. Paul's Hospital, we are privileged to be able to not only see & feel the love for the incredible Medical staff, but we are able to lend our small voices to the raucous applause in appreciation every night at 7pm. As nice a gesture as this is, I still don't think it's enough. These people are heroes in every sense of the word. I was already blown away by how well they took of my wife through the entire ordeal, but seeing these brave souls risking their lives each & every night. There is simply no possible way to ever thank them enough. But back to my story. I won't outline each & every visit I made out to Richmond during Nancy's Recovery. Only by the time she was FINALLY released, it had been nearly TWO MONTHS since her initial surgery, which was supposed to be a day surgery with an overnight for observation. During this time, she had undergone a total of 4 surgeries & 2 "procedures" SIX bodily invasive procedures in total. Not the least of which included the placing of a Stent on her stomach, due to a rupture caused by the initial surgery, which would end up causing leaking from her stomach to further complicate things. But today, this was it. She was finally coming home. There was no particular time set for her release.. I didn't care. I was there before noon & as soon as I got there, I packed up all her belongings & sat with her anxiously on the bed, just waiting for the word. 1 pm. No word. 2 pm, 3 pm... she ultimately wouldn't be released until 10 pm. The Taxi Driver was most courteous & helpful in assisting us with our many bags, including a Walker. I held the lobby door as she hobbled in, escorted her to the elevator & when I opened that door to our apartment and she crossed the threshold, an indescribable sense of both joy & relief washed over me. My wife, my Nancy was home! BUT... Our story wasn't over. Not yet. Despite the stent being applied to her leaking stomach and having to carry around what can only be described as a miniature Colostomy bag that more looked like a grenade than anything, her suffering was STILL not over. Along with the awkwardness of carrying around the bag, who's smell is something you have to experience to believe, she now had to contend with not only being able to physically FEEL her stent inside her but the resulting gas, nott o mention involuntary heaving due to her body trying to reject this foreign object would make the next several weeks nothing short of challenging. Imagine having to put up with the urge to throw up, several times a day, but never projecting anything, but waking up in the middle of the night because of it. This, accompanied by substantial gas pains, which also added to her struggle. Yet through it all, she bore it. I could tell just how much pain & discomfort she was in & at some points, wondered if maybe she had been released too early. But somehow, this exceptional woman endured for weeks. To their credit, the Hospital didn't leave her high & dry. She was being checked in on & her doctor had even given her his private number, asking her to text him every 2 days with an update to how she was doing. She even had weekly appointments at the Wound Care specialist, to ensure her leakage bag was functioning properly. Weeks later, her drainage bag was not only NOT slowing, but seemed to be getting WORSE. Bad enough so that once AGAIN, she had to go to Richmond Hospital. Although this time, not only was the procedure successful, but they even removed her stent, which only made sense as she was already there. She has been 1000 % better ever since. She is STILL leaking from her stomach, but there is considerably less now & most importantly, she is pain-free for the first time in months so she can enjoy the rest of this Pandemic Lockdown in peace. BUT... Our story isn't even anywhere NEAR done. It's now March and not only do we have to deal with this Pandemic/Lockdown, Nancy's tube had become dislodged. Another trip to the Doctor. One positive that came from this, was that they decided to not only remove her colostomy bag but to ALSO remove the stent, despite it not being scheduled for a few weeks. With the cursed thing FINALLY removed, she instantly felt %1000 percent better. At LAST. The whole ordeal is finally over. Or was it? Of COURSE not. After her stent was removed, Nancy would get the best news yet. She would have to GO THROUGH THE WHOLE DAMN THING AGAIN! Yes. You read that right. Whatever sport god was having with my Nancy, he STILL wasn't done toying with her. In short, the sleeve around her stomach had come loose, in effect, undoing the entire surgical procedure! I couldn't believe it. My sensory perception can only process so much. Are you f**king KIDDING??? At this point, I'm convinced I'm just having a nightmare. Because there's just no way possible this much bad news can happen to anyone. It's just not humanly conceivable. As I resign myself to this, we follow the plot of this terrible dream who's storyline now plays out that she will have to re-book a new surgery date sometime within a year, so with little choice, I submit my will to my apparent dream-state & can only hope I, that WE wake up soon to escape this nightmare. SO, Why do I tell this story? Simply as a warning to all those who are considering undergoing Gastric Bypass, or any other kind of Bariatric surgery. Granted, this is probably an extreme case in the negatives column, but it DID happen & I ask you to please read this before you make your decision whether Bariatric Surgery is an option for you, or not.

the clinic will schedule the date. The insurance approval is saying they approved coverage for a surgery around that date (as opposed to they approved you for a surgery proposed for 10 years from now, at which time your situation ...and their coverage rules....might have changed radically) the clinic has to coordinate the date with the surgeon's schedule - plus with the hospital so they can have an OR available for you then. And a bed.

It’s a long story over the course of my life, living with lifelong chronic illness and disability. I have myalgic Encephalomyelitis since age 9 at least which causes post exertional malaise. Exertion is exhausting And exacerbates symptoms, exercise is physically damaging. It led to developing many medical conditions including fibromyalgia. Metabolic disorders. I cannot exercise and my metabolism is slower than a sloth. I fought my weight since childhood too. I went to strict low carb and calorie counting fighting sugar addiction but over time it wasn’t enough, I could never get to a healthy weight, I’d always be stuck but I felt I had to accept that I’d be a higher weight 134lb highest 215lb. Lowest on my own briefly 124lb. But my weight got out of control again. I had feelings my gallbladder wa# making it worse but no doctor listened. My weight got to 208lb and I desperately fought for bariatric surgery. Finally I got to Cleveland Clinic where they listened to how for so long i ate low carb low calories and it stopped helping me. And I had gastric bypass surgery April 29th 2019 along with gallbladder surgery which turned out to be chronic inflammation. it did take a toll on M.E. but I couldn’t carry the burden of the weight either. I literally lost a small person in weight ... not a cure but easier to carry yourself without the burden. having the ability to keep moving helps fibromyalgia pain and fatigue. Catch 22 with me since it hurts M.E. But I will never regret having the tool of gastric bypass surgery. I hope you find success and relief on your journey.

I went with Hospital BC in Tijuana Mexico, they are affiliated with BariatricPal and the only U.S, owned Hospital there. I had belt lipectomy with butterfly lift, medial thigh lift and breast augmentation. Everything was included, transportation to and from the airport, 7 night hospital stay, meals 24, hour care, pre op testing, Faja (x2) compression stockings, etc. $14,350 this also included my companion. I paid $366.40 for two people to fly round trip via Delta airlines. I did have one unexpected expense around $700 but that was all. My surgery was very long. I’m in the process of recovery since I had it June 15th. My surgeon is awesome 👏 I highly recommend them. They have 24 hour valet, nurse and doctor. Even when a nurse could not speak much English I felt they communicated well, and when they needed it the valet translates. I felt safe and knew my Dr. did a good surgery and the staff took care of me despite it being a challenging time due to COVID-19. https://hospitalbc.com

Hi future friends! I don’t have my surgery date scheduled yet, but I’ve got most of my ducks in a row, and just waiting to hear back from insurance on when my sleeve date will be! I’ve read so many inspiring stories and seen so many of you share your before and after pictures, that I must say I am blessed to have found such an authentic and supportive group to go through this journey with! My story is pretty common as far as up and down weight gain since childhood, post-baby weight gain, etc. Then, 3 years ago, PLOT TWIST! One day I couldn’t walk or use my legs. We thought it was Lymes Disease, and it took over a year to figure out it was Fibromyalgia. Then, it took another year to get the right medications to bring the pain levels down. I’ve come very far, but still have to use a powered wheelchair for any walking or standing longer than 10-15 minutes and tire extremely easily. Of course being immobile and on MANY weight gaining medications pushed me right into the MO category super fast! My hope after sleeve surgery is to be able to be more mobile and finally feel like myself again. I would love any stories of anyone else’s journey! Remember my friend, Your weight may fluctuate... But your worth never will! <3, Sarah

I got down at one time to a BMI of 22, but I'm now a hair over 25 (I'm four lbs overweight, according to the BMI chart). My PCP likes me better at this weight than she did when I was at a 22. She's one of the growing school of physicians who think the healthiest BMI range for "older" adults (which would be me....) is 23-27. So I get zero sympathy from her when I complain about not being able to lose 10 lbs.

I started right at a BMI of 35. I lost 10 lbs. I think in the first 2 weeks. Then it was a steady 2-3 lbs. a week until I purposely tried to eat more calories around month 6 because I was already close to a normal BMI and felt that it was still coming off too quick. I dropped a little more and now maintain around 127-129 (higher due to Covid stress eating) eating 1500-1600 calories. I was at a consistent 125-126 from month 6-month 13 (March). I read a lot of others who said they lost slowly due to starting at a lower BMI. But everyone is different and mine was pretty quick.

I was also down 10 in the first 6 days of the pre-op diet! Embarrassing confession...I made my husband hide the scale yesterday so I would stop obsessively weighing myself. I *might* have OCD. 😂

I thought the same for myself & was told the same by people. I was 192 lbs at 5'5" (size 10), but I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. I went to the appointment with the surgeon scared he'd deny me but he said he thought I'd be a good candidate because of my other health issues, then I was scared the insurance company would reject me... but my insurance approved my surgery and paid for it. I will say my weight is coming off much slower than it does for people who have a higher weight to begin with. But I am 170 lbs now and over 5 weeks post-op. I say GO FOR IT. It is one of the best decisions I've made for myself (along with lasik surgery). I would have NEVER gotten off of sugar and carbs without the surgery. Now I do NOT want them or need them, especially sugar. 🤮

Well I was getting ready to go to work and I hoped on the scale and I am down 10 pound in six days. Wow cool but a very sucky way of loosing it lol. Today is my seventh day on pre op diet and I still have another week to go I wonder how much I will lose. So how is everyone else doing on there pre op diets?

Hey! Long time no see. I know I was here a lot right before and after surgery asking lots of questions but work got the better of me and I've switched jobs and just haven't had the time. However, I wanted to check back in and let everyone know how I was doing. Recap of my stats below. HW: 353 (measured but I'm sure I was in the 370's before) SW: 327 - Surgery Date 10/22/19 CW: 204 GW: 190? Yup - 123 pounds down since surgery and I'm still losing. My original goal was 210 so I would be overweight and not obese (by BMI) but after doing research and realizing that most people hit a low number and then settle about 10-15 pounds up from that I'm now shooting for 190 or below by my 1 year anniversary so I can hopefully settle long term around 200. I've gone from a 3XL shirt and size 50 pant to a L or M in shirt and size 34 pant as of last week! The pandemic and quarantine has actually helped me - I've taken up running and I've almost got my 5k time under 30 mins! I used to take 30 mins to walk 2 miles (which was still a fast pace). No complications and it seems there's nothing I can't tolerate food wise. I'm back on coffee without issue and dairy and red meats pose no problem. I've had pizza, pasta, rice and more post-op - just in smaller servings and AFTER I eat my protein. Tips? Do your research! I'm amazed at some of the questions - both on here and on a FB group. I swear some gastric sleeve surgeons and groups just herd people in and teach them nothing! Water and protein from day 1 - focus on getting them in. My water intake is around 128 oz daily, sometimes more. It helps a TON. Simple is best - don't over complicate things trying to get protein in. I'm lucky that I don't mind eating the same thing day after day so that's kinda what I plan out. I'm here for any questions anyone may have! Thanks!

I was not required to do one, but chose to see my primary to talk about medications for co-morbidities and chronic conditions. She also ordered a couple of labs that were not included in my pre-op labs. For reference, my surgery is scheduled for 7/6 and I saw her on 6/19 a couple hours before my surgical pre-op appt. My pre-registration appt. is 7/1 at the hospital and includes a heap of labs, chest X-ray, EKG, and COVID test. After that I am in self quarantine until I go to the hospital on 7/6. Primary appt. should not be a big deal. Hope that helps!

I'm nearly 9 months out, and I've lost 15kg more than my surgeon's goal for me. So I'm well past losing my EBW. I started at a relatively low BMI of 37 though, I think that absolutely helped. I try to eat protein as a priority, then vegies, then quality carbs. I avoided junk for pretty much the first 6 months, but it's crept back in, in miniscule amounts as I start to navigate maintenance. I started at the gym doing bodypump about 4 months ago and I'm seeing the results of that, particularly on my arms, and I've recently started running the couch to 5K with my 10 year old. Unfortunately with exercise has come a surge in hunger, so I'm working on dealing with that too. I'm nowhere near being a vet, but I stuck (and still 80% of the time do) to my surgeons plan and it's really worked for me. I can't wait for my 12 month follow up appointment to compare my measurements from the 6 month one! Oh, and I'm extremely strict about taking my vitamins and not drinking within 30mins to an hour after eating. I'm amazed sometimes how much I can eat at 9 months out, but that's mostly slider foods based on flour (bread, scones) when I'm a little less strict on weekends. I've learned standard white bread is a no-no for me, as it's a true slider, and leaves me wanting more. Dense protein and veggies still fit me up for hours.