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Body dysmorphia. It can bring us down, make us doubt ourselves & mess with our reality far too often. I have odd days when I question & doubt my size. Even yesterday, I very tentatively & reluctantly put on a pair of jeans thinking the worst: they won’t fit, they’ll be tight. Were they? No. They fit fine. Looked good. Logically I knew they would but my head was saying Christmas, too many desserts, fat. I knew the scales read only 200g more over the week of Christmas. Yep, 200g, 7 freckin’ ounces, & my mind went to crazy extremes Thankfully it was only a brief bout of insanity until I told myself not to be so damn foolish. Wish I’ll never have those thoughts ever again, though I think they may always happen in some form. I am glad though that over time I’ve got better at recognising them for what they are (mind games) & can remind myself of the truth of my reality more quickly so I can ignore them. Hopefully you will too.

I’m 2 weeks post op and on liquid diet. I’ll start my purée stage when I reach the 3rd week. I completely understand you! I’ve been craving junk food, I had to do 10 days liquid diet pre op. Food made me happy, I’ve been depressed because I can’t eat, I’ve been trying to think ahead, I’m 2 months all this will be worthy

I was having dehydration issues the week after surgery and I’ve now switched to straight water/ice instead of my flavored water I was using earlier. Seems to have helped a bit. I’m also having issues with my protein (separate issue) and slowed that while I get dehydrated. Thanks for the help everyone.

Hi! I’m 2 months post op and I’m also 13 weeks pregnant. My drs tested me two weeks before surgery and apparently was already pregnant but it didn’t show up on my test cus I was too early. I been struggling myself excessive saliva and mucus and it’s been making me sick and hard to stay hydrated. I can’t even eat really all dairy makes me sick and I can’t handle meats yet. All I’ve been able to put in my body is water😫

I’m in the second week of my liquid stage and began eating egg drop soup. And I’m truly having the time of my life with it LOL

The only thing I have had issue with so far is chicken but even that is getting much better. I was hoping for more issues with sweets but my holiday snacking has proven that sweets are still tolerated. So it's up to my will power and that has a proven fail track rate. Luckily I am good about sticking to instructions so I still track everything and keep my calories 1000 or under. I was in a stall and so I even took the last week and a half off from weighing and ate holiday food and treats but I just weighed myself today and I lost 3 pounds. So I think that means that I can have my treats as long as I stick to the calories, protein and water goals I was told. Don't want to jinx it though or get used to the treats which is where I wish there was more consequences to my actions. On a side note, I think my hair is starting to fall out I see more and more of it on my brush and I'm sad. I was hoping I would be lucky and get to skip this phase of the surgery but I guess not. I'm just hoping my hair is ok for my cruise in Feb. I was looking forward to maybe getting to buy a new size of clothes and not hiding as much from the camera but missing hair might be something to hide too. I'm considering getting it cut and seeing if I get more body that way but I'm going to wait as see if it gets worse or if its just a little more hair in the brush. Hope everyone's holidays are going well- take care!

Last couple weeks i have felt a lot bigger than usual. Like a lot more fat than usual on the stomach i am like wtf am i gaining more weight? But i check the scale and its the same as it was a couple weeks ago. almost 9 months out the weight loss slowed down dramatically. For the previous 30 days i have only lost maybe 3lb which sucks but it is what it is. I am taking my first flight since weight loss here in the next 2 weeks and i have always bought first class tickets because well coach seats are tiny and horrible for overweight people. Now i can fit in them and my wallet is so happy not to buy a first class ticket lol.

Another day, another stall... I think I have spent most of November and December in a stall. It's driving me nuts. I had hopes of hitting a goal before new years, but that's not happening.

Thank goodness I’m not alone. I seriously thought it was just me having a challenging week 😪

Thank you so much for your kind words! I see a therapist every week and I'm hoping to push through.I know this is just a small part in my whole weight loss journey and eventually I will be able to eat relatively normal stuff in about 6 weeks with the occasional treat here and there.That's what I keep reminding myself that this stage is temporary. I'll be a lot happier 6 months down the road!

I started my pureed stage about 5 days ago and I'll continue it for 3-4 more weeks I'm going to talk to my doctor about this but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to get through this stage more easily.I've been a bit depressed and have been sleeping a ton so I haven't been able to get much food in me.I'm drinking 3 protein shakes a day.Since it's around Christmas time I did cheat a bit.I really wanna progress to solid foods mainly because I have texture issues because of this I'm trying to stick to getting my protein mainly through the shakes.I'll have some yogurt,pudding and applesauce all sugar free of course.I'm just getting a bit mad at myself for wanting to eat junk.That's like all I think about,its frustrating because I wanna stick to the post op goals and eat healthy and not get sick or risk a leak or damage.I'm gonna talk to my NP in about 2 weeks maybe they'll have a solution and before any of you judge me for wanting to eat junk food (I haven't eaten any since before my pre surgery diet) I have a lot of trauma around food.I grew up eating out a lot because of my grandparents and in my young mind thought that food=love.I also have texture issues.Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I had a tummy tuck and thigh lift last week. Recovering now. I’m sore, but doing better than I expected. The worst part was the drains. Thankfully they’re out now. I was hoping to have my eyes done at the same time, but the surgeons decided it would be too much to do at once. It’s hard to take off from work, so it’s disappointing I couldn’t do it all at once. I may combine arms and eyes, but debating if the arm scar is as bad as the bat wings. After weight loss I loved crossing my legs and strolling around effortlessly. I’m really missing that now, but understand it’s temporary. After feeling skinny, I now feel fat. My husband said it’s just all the compression garments and swelling. Can’t wait until I’m healed and can see and feel the results.

Three weeks post surgery on my revision to a distal gastric bypass and my urine output keeps dropping. I drink 80-100oz of water a day, but am barely peeing like I did before. Scale hasn’t moved since the first week of surgery either. I’ve called the doc and they said since I’m not having problems breathing or swelling in my extremities, it’s just a stall. My pee is getting darker and it’s starting to get me worried.

I'm a newbie, scheduled today for March 28th! Just three months! Does anyone else out there have Celiac? Should I be worried this might complicate the procedure and new diet. I guess I'll have to find gluten free protein shakes. Any input is appreciated! C Mac

I had a VSG through Kaiser, and my partner had theirs through MBC tldr: MBC falls short in care and cleanliness, Kaiser is cheaper but takes 4-5 months. With Kaiser, I took 16 weeks worth of classes, did pre-op tests, EKG etc, waited a couple weeks and then had surgery for about $700. Kaiser is certainly the longer but cheaper pathway. I also think there is a lot of value in getting your head in the right place before surgery, and committing to 4+ months of pre-op does the job. It is annoying and hard to wrap your head around at the beginning but it went by quickly for me, even having to drive 1.5 hours each way to classes. I’m glad I used Kaiser so we have the resources given to me for him to use as well. MBC: Surgery is scheduled 2 weeks out from pre-approval (website form) and deposit, as thats the timeline required for the pre op diet. This is VERY fast and convenient. We paid about $5000. We are all familiar enough with US standards for hospitals, so here is where MBC falls short on that front: - his incisions bled through his gown after surgery, they would not give him a clean gown and told him he should just put on his street clothes. So, he wore a bloody gown for 2 days as the waist band on his sweat pants would’ve been super uncomfortable. - bandages/tape on floor of recovery room from previous patient. - Less than ideal bathroom cleanliness in room - Broken toilet for the entirety of his stay (he requested it to be looked at, at least 6 times before just pleading for it to be turned off at the water so it would stop running so he could sleep. There was urine and vomit in his toilet for his whole stay. Care comparison: Kaiser: I was on a morphine drip and could push the button every 10 minutes if I was experiencing pain. I was given injections for nausea. Lots of room to walk the halls. Attentive nursing staff. It was overall great. MBC: any time he asked for pain or nausea medication the nurse would say “I will check” and leave the room. Then, he’d wait an hour and have to ask again, only to hear the same response. You’re pretty on your own during recovery. He found that this was also the case for the other patients he drove back to San Diego with after surgery. It was not simply a bad experience, but the standard. Technically MBC contracts with the hospital to use their facility, and the nurses do not work for them directly. They have no skin in the MBC game when it comes to patient satisfaction and it shows. We hoped that tipping would help, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. My incisions with Kaiser were glued shut. His were open and we changed the gauze every day. It’s a little scary looking and you’re left wondering, “is this normal? Are these infected?” Kaiser: no drain, no leak test MBC: drain and leak test. Kaiser: you get a full binder of pre and post op instructions with diet guides for life. MBC: all of their instructions are on their website. What you see online before surgery is generally what you get in that regard. It is convenient to google quick answers to things like how many fluid ounces I should be having, etc and accessing the info easily on their website however it is no where near as comprehensive as Kaiser. Feel free to ask me anything, I’m sure there’s more for me to add and I will in comments. If you go with MBC, you should have low expectations and be willing and comfortable advocating for yourself. Ultimately, both work but the cleanliness and lack of care from MBC made me uneasy.

9 weeks post op, I started wearing a fleece vest wherever I go as I'm running cold. My son's lake house 20 degrees outside, I wore leggings under my pants. Feet are always frozen. I tended to get hot flashes even post menopausal from Metformin, especially triggered from summer heat. Haven't taken it since surgery). So glad to hear the summer heat will be better. Hopefully between less sweating. Hitting the gym next week so getting the sweating in where it should be. Lol. But with less weight and better fitness, sweating should could be less.

Hi All, I thought I would share my resent adventure in traveling after surgery. Husband and I spent the holiday in Maui. As we all know when flying there is that 3 oz limit on liquids which I was concerned about. How am I going to get my proteins, water, pills and vitamins all in with the total day was spent flying? Here is what I came up with before traveling and it worked for me. For protien: I found Bariatric Fusion sells the powder in individuals packets. I also packed in my carry on 2 One protien bars. I picked up a yogurt at the airport to mix the powder in it. On lay overs I was able to find a couple places that had healthy food choice, like the Grab and Go. For water : I took with me a portable water bottle filled it up before got on the planes. I also asked the stewards to fill it up with water and ice while on the plane and it was no problem at all they where happy to do it. For Pills & Vitamins : I got those weekly pill cases one for morning and one for evening. Filled them up with the prescriptions I need for the week and stuck them in my carry on. This included my Biotin and Probiotics. I take fiber powder everyday and was able to find Walgreens carries fiber sticks. I got a box of those counted out how many I needed for the trip and put it in a carry on. I used a back back as my carryon and was able to get everything in there that I need. In Maui there was a lot of fish options which was great for me I love fish. I lot of the time we just split a meal as they where so big and I don't eat alot. I also picked up some individual low fat milk to put my protien powder in. This is usually my breakfast so it was nice to be able to stick to my routine. I was nervous about traveling and staying on track but once I found out that I could take with me what I needed it was a load off my mind. I was able to really enjoy our vacation. I hope this is helpful for any of you who are thinking of traveling or getting ready to travel. Melody

Seeing my collarbones for the first time in decades Fitting into a seater vest my mom bought me the very first week of high school. We went to pick up my grandma right after buying it and took her to dinner; this was a few months after my grandpa passed. I was so proud in my new togs. Wearing a suit and FINALLY understanding not everyone is uncomfortable wearing one And this is a guy thing and TMI, but … it got bigger. Not actually, but having less fat in the pubic mound made it look bigger 😅😅😅

Hi, sorry, I wasn't clear. I am 2 weeks post op and having my 1st meal in 2 days. I've been on liquids since Dec 1st. 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

chew? and only 2 days post op? What are you eating? Most people are on a strict liquid only diet for a few weeks after surgery to allow the stomach to heal. i did fairlife protein shakes for the first couple weeks after surgery. Once i was approved for soft foods the first thing i ate was a quail egg. I did quail eggs because they are much smaller and two little eggs was still too much at that time.

I have a virgin bypass, but I've been eating a normal diet for years. for your questions: 2. Yes, of course! It's not going to be much different than it was with the sleeve, from what I've read. Protein- yes - you need to make sure you're getting enough. For most people it's around 60-80 grams a day (although isn't that true of sleeve, too? My clinic told both types of patients to get that much) My first few weeks post-op I couldn't drink 15 minutes before eating and 30 minutes after, but once I moved to solid food, I was told I could drink up to the time I started eating. Still am supposed to wait 30 minutes after eating to drink, though. Chewing thing - at my clinic, they had both types of patients chewing everything at least 20x before swallowing. I was religious about it the first few weeks, but I don't really do that anymore. I probably should because after surgery (both types) your stomach doesn't churn as much as it did before, so you have to do some of that "churning" before swallowing it, but I don't think I normally chew things 20+ times. from everything I've read/heard, weight loss is slower after revision than it is with a virgin surgery, but I know people who've lost a lot of weight after revising (and others who've just lost 20 lbs or so) I don't think you're going to find it much different than sleeve. One big thing to remember, though, is that you need to keep on top of your protein and supplements. Of course, sleevers should as well, but the consequences are greater if you slack off with a bypass.

I’m having my 2013 sleeve converted to bypass on 1/9/2023 because of GERD. I’m not too happy that I have to go through with this as I never wanted a full bypass and have enjoyed being able to still eat a some what normal diet (albeit with less volume than pre sleeve). I’m down between 60-70 lbs from my top weight pre sleeve. Not as much as I really need to feel good in my body but certainly healthier. a few questions: Anyone done this and can share their experience? Will I ever be able to eat again? I know I will but the sleeve was pretty forgiving, everything I read about bypass with the emphasis on protein, chewing 20x, not drinking 15 min before or after eating, makes me think the little enjoyment I got from a good meal after VSG is over, even that is gone. What was you weight loss when you went from sleeve to bypass? I’ve heard I can expect maybe 10-15%. beyond where I am now Any tips or things to watch out for? I’ll be glad to get rid of the GERD and hopefully avoid all the bad things that can come from that but I’m super worried I won’t be able to follow the bypass regime and have other health problems from not following things as directed.

From first consult to surgery was about 2.5 months. Most of the time was waiting for all the testing appointments I had to get done. There were also requirements back then with my insurance to prove 5 years morbid obesity then 6 months medically supervised diet in the last 2 years which was already documented by my PCP in the previous year, so I had all the months/years long requirements already documented. Once my Doc put in for insurance approval, which took 2 weeks because they were relocating, it didn't even take 1 work day for insurance approval. Good luck, Tek

I lost a little under 20 pounds in the first four weeks. We're the same height and my highest weight was 249 pounds, and I was 242 pounds on the day of the surgery. Twelve weeks after WLS I'd lost almost 29 pounds after surgery and 35 pounds total. Today, it's been 20 weeks since surgery and I've lost 38 and a half pounds since surgery, and 45 pounds overall. I've seen people who've lost more, but many of them have higher BMI than I have. I'm 20 weeks from surgery and already half way towards my goal, so I'm happy with that. We all lose at our own pace. I've already had two major stalls and that happens to anyone, I understand.

I had surgery on 12/21 and am one week post op. Overall things are going as expected. I wanted to see if anyone drinks Advocare Spark and if they are using this product post op. Advocare Spark is my only source of energy as I don’t drink coffee and I am really missing it. I understand caffeine is a no-no post op, but if anyone has any real world experience to share I would appreciate it. Thanks.