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These leather boots. They are "Born" boots and usually around 200 bucks. I got them at Goodwill for 8 bucks. My calf was 23.5 at my highest weight and I really couldn't get knee high boots. I had a pair of extra wide calf boots back then that I broke the zipper on with my meaty old calves! I've always had "athletic" (I used that word extremely loosely here lol) calves so even now I'm around 15.5 inches, but these are regular calf boots and I could zip them and I'm so happy! Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

I hate this fight. My insurance can pay for my revision. However, I am tired of this 3 year fight. I currently have an advocate fighting with me. It's not just about weight loss. I am fighting for my quality of life. I work and pay for my insurance. How dare they act like I don't have a disease called obesity! Sent from my SM-G996U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

While many programs don't specify calories, early on or at all, my gut instinct is that your feelings are right and that is a bit high. I ran 1100 from about that time through maintenance and it did well, but I have a guy's metabolism that seemed to be working fairly normally (doc's RN was telling be to SLOW DOWN at about six months, which was a good call as goal weight was just around the corner. But many go much slower, and my gut feel is that as an average to shorter woman starting in the 50+ BMI range you will be slower losing and should keep the calories a bit lower, if for no other reason than it is much harder to cut back in a few months if you find yourself lagging on loss rate than it is to increase your intake. Presumably, you are still working through the diet progression and are still on liquids and mushy things, and it will be harder to consume as much as you get to firmer and more solid foods - take advantage of that and try to reduce your intake some as you progress - 800 or so seems to be a good range for many. Some programs, particularly some of the bypass oriented ones, do call for fairly high calories - 12-1500 calories sometimes - and many people get along ok and lose well on that. But those programs also tend to be the ones where many of their patients fall short of their goals, and the program considers 60% excess weight loss to be a good goal; other programs, and patients, strive for better. Points to consider.

I am feeling emotional now that I lost weight I can't help to think why did I not love myself, care for myself, be kind to myself and not let myself go, like I did. Why did it take a surgery. Why couldn't I have the will power and believe and take my obesity seriously. Now that I am losing I can see myself healing not just on the outside but the inside. I feel bad for not caring for myself and treating myself with kindness. Telling myself that I can do it, that I am worth it. Now all I want is to treat myself right and not indulge in food but just enjoy food and limit myself. I think so different. I do think of food but it's not a worry or priority it is what it's meant to get you going fuel, and you want to eat healthy foods to get the right vitamins, I dont mindlessly eat. I care Now.

Hey, its been a while since I've been on here. I'm a little different, as I recently had emergency ileostomy (my entire colon removed) surgery in March, in addition to VSG to bypass in 2018 (becuz of severe reflux) and I now have a bag of poop hanging from my belly. In 2009, I weighed in at 260. When I went home from the hospital after my ileostomy in March, I weighed in at a healthy 132 and in June, I weighed in at 99 lbs. They removed my colon and most of my 24 feet of lg intestines making the route to my stomach a lot quicker. So everything goes into me and into my bag within 15 mins and I can't seem to gain weight. The last 8 months since my surgery I've gained and lost the same 7 lbs back and forth. I now weigh 105 and I bounce within the same few lbs. It sucks cuz my reversal surgery (my surgeon plans on reconnecting my small intestine directly to my rectum) but only if I can gain a healthy amount of weight first. But it seems I can't do that. I eat alot more now than I did pre-colon removal. I'm eating alot of pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, avocado toast, even junk food. I even eat a snack when I get up to dump my ostomy bag in the middle of the nite. I still gain 1, lose 2. Gain 2, lose 1. I work with the VA RD (I get most of my medical care thru the VA, however my surgery was thru a civilian hospital cuz it was an emergency and it was the closest the ambulance took me to. It will also be where I have my follow up surgery will be. I see her once a month. She prescribes me a 480 cal meal replacement shake (it's called Kate Farms) but while I sip it it comes out into my bag so it's pointless. I have like 200 shakes in my walk in closet, not doing anything. And they don't taste very good. She wants me to eat something every 2 hrs. Sure. Not possible. I can maybe do every 5 hrs. Anyway, just wanted to let u know there's someone else out there thats struggling with gaining weight also. And I have something to obtain with a gain - my reversal surgery. If I don't gain, I hafta continue with a bag of poop hanging off my stomach. And it's no fun at parties! I wish u the best! If u want a hi calorie meal replacement, look into kate Farms - they have a TON of calories. Not the best tasting, but not the worst. U can doctor them up a bit! The ones that I have have 480 cals. I would give u mine but they r heavy and you'd hafta pay for shipping which would be pricey so it'd probly be cheaper for you to buy them from elsewhere. Otherwise they're yours! If you're local (I live in Dallas, Tx), pick em up! They're yours!) Good luck! Marci

Congratulations it is nice to see the changes in the body especially like you said swelling. I had swelling in my forearms and the legs my face it felt more than just fat I can't explain. Now It has gone down. My body feels like it's saying aahhh, deep sigh of relief, because of the weight going down, even if I did not want to believe the weight caused it, weight took a toll on my body.

omg i was a notoriously slow eater during weight loss phase. it used to take me an hour to an hour and a half the first few months (despite the fact that i ate fractions of fractions of those around me). i learned to eat slowly by necessity. if i didn't, i would be in pain (or barf). turned myself into a grazer, and still basically am 4 yrs post. nowadays it takes me about 30 mins to eat about a cup of food in volume...but usually what i don't finish i'll get to later after some digestion.

Little update: it’s been a long couple of months, but I am seeing some progress. Most of my challenges have nothing to do with the surgery… I have non-weight related health issues that have been flaring up. About 10.5 weeks out I’m about 34 pounds down since surgery and about 91 pounds down from the beginning of my journey. It feels awesome being in the 200’s after 20+ yrs!! But I still have a long way to go. I’’m looking forward to seeing 100 pounds gone! Which is my second “mini” goal (my first was being under 300). I’m 9 pounds away so I’m hoping soon. I’ve been sick for the last several weeks (sinus issues turned into a full blown sinus infection) - so that’s added a few challenges, I’m sure slowing my progress. I’m having trouble staying hydrated, between being sick and trying to time my eating and drinking (I’m still only able to eat small amounts so I need to eat frequently) The weight on the scales is coming off slowly, but clothes are getting bigger and NSV are definitely apparent. It’s helpful to have the NSV as reminders of what’s going right. My knees are feeling better since weight loss, I’m hoping more weight loss will equal more improvement. My energy has not rebounded like I’ve hoped, but I’ve also been sick for the last couple of weeks - so I’m hoping as I recover from that, I will see some improvement in my energy as well. I had hoped I’d be further along than I am, but I’m trying to be content with my progress so far. The one advantage I’ve seen to the slow progress is the skin on my abdomen seems to be responding nicely with the weight loss… my arms are very flabby but I don’t really mind, I will work on building some muscle when I’m feeling better. My lower legs look pretty good, but from my knees up to my hips… well that area is just refusing to keep up with proportioned loss! That area still looks very heavy and I think is why I’m not noticing as big of a body change (personally). If my thighs, butt and hips ever decide to join in on this progress, then I’ll probably notice more! Now obviously I am loosing in those areas, because I can fit into chairs I previously couldn’t or struggled to sit on, I’m just loosing from there last and that’s where I hold most of my weight. I know we can’t target where we loose with from, but when I’m back on my feet, I’m hoping to be able to do some exercises to tone and strengthen those “problem” areas. In my ideal world I’d like to get into the 150-170 pound range. I’m not sure how “realistic” that is … given my starting weight, surgery & other health issues … but take the process one day at a time knowing that any loss is progress.

Popcorn is a slider food. It’s easy to eat & you generally end up eating way too much which is why many are advised to avoid it in the weight loss phase. Plus the temptation to eat it with flavourings can be even more dangerous. As to eating at the movies, I don’t but then I haven’t in decades. Initially I stopped because the food is so crappy. Then I realised you’re only there for a couple of hours - less than the amount of time between meals & I often went just after I’d eaten anyway. I usually just take in water or if it’s gold class or equivalent & I’m with friends I might take in a glass of wine (& pray I don’t have to do a bathroom run 😉) .

i brought some beef jerky with me during weight loss phase. nowadays i just eat the popcorn from somebody else's bag, lol...its not worth getting a bag for myself. im 4 years out.

I had Gastric Bypass Sept 2016. Started at around 330lb and was able to lose and roughly maintain 100lb weightloss. I also have Hypothyroidism, with new diagnosis of Hashimoto's, and PCOS. My weight has increased MAJORLY since having a Pannilectomy in November 2021. I've tried lowering calories even more, upping protein, engaging in more activity, weightloss medication to suppress appetite. Anything and everything I could think. Ended up consulting with my weight management doctor and we proceeded with a Partial Gastrectomy sinxlce they said there was a TINY sliver of stomach that they could still remove to maintain the pouch integrity. They confirmed my pouch was not stretched. So I had the Partial Gastrectomy on Monday. I didnt have any pain, just mild discomfort due to the laproscopic incisions. My stomach feels absolutely fine. I've not needed any pain medication outside of Tylenol. I've also been put back on the post-op diet. With all that being said... I feel suspicious of my lack of internal discomfort. My ability to handle 2 to 4 oz of fluids with absolute ease. More so that I am STILL getting hunger pains. It truly almost feels like they got in there and decided to not remove anything. My husband said that the status of "Moved to the OR", "Surgery in Progress", and "Moved to Recovery" was 25 to 30 minutes. This is supported by the board they post on and the texts. Just dont know if I am being crazy or not. Is this normal??? Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

my surgery is nov 3 and i will start my pre op liquid diet monday (dr told me tuesday but i am a worrier so doing extra to be sure my liver is ready!) BUT i have lost a bunch of weight already dealing with my food issues including binge and emotional eating… i still am learning but haven’t binged for months and feel in control with my food for the first time, well, ever… some tips: journaling helps. having a safe non-food outlet for your emotions. it releases pressure and can get you through tough times. forgiveness. work on forgiving your past choices and remind yourself all the time that you are worth a new, better chapter. it takes a month to start forming a new habit. brains can fight you the whole time. this is a cold turkey hard way, but remind yourself you are making a new set of habits to make you a healthier, happier person who is more in control of life. so glad you reached out for support !! you can PM me anytime at all

Hi, I just got my surgery date yesterday. It will be November 28, 2022. I am having my surgery in my hometown of Las Vegas, NV. Dr. LaDuc at surgical weight control center is performing the surgery. I met with him yesterday and he was awesome, spent a good deal of time talking with me making sure I understood everything. I have another pre-op appointment in his office on 11-22-22, to make sure everything is in order and I have the right proteins and vitamins etc ready to go. This appointment is supposed to take about 3 hours so I think it will thorough and a big help. i have a friend who went to Mexico for her surgery and she is doing great, I can't even remember seeing her overweight. You will do great as well.

Thank you for this post. I am getting ready to start the liquids, my surgery date is 11-28-22. You laid out some of my worst fears, can I do the liquids for two weeks and not cheat especially with thanksgiving smack in the middle! I also relate to your relationship with food. I have also struggled with my weight and overeating most of my life. I talked with my surgeon about all of it. He did tell me that the pre op liquids phase is the hardest. He said that by the time I feel like I can't do it anymore that surgery date will be here, I know i play mind games with myself about it already and I need to focus on what I can do and put the thoughts of the end goal in the forefront of my thoughts. I think we can both do it!!! Like someon said I might just have to "white knuckle" it. I think keeping the end goal of better health in mind will be a big help. I am diabetic and have other medical concerns that 4 different Dr.have said could be lessened or resolved with the surgery so I am committed no matter what it takes. I wish you the best going forward and have faith we can do this!!! P.S. I am very new to this site as well still trying to figure it all out. I can't even figure out how to update my profile or find my ticker so you are doing great.

Ooh if it’s in another state they may not know anyone (but still worth a shot). You could also try a local weight loss surgery clinic that is reputable. I’m guessing they would be willing to share a name if you ask nicely. At least then you will have a couple names of people with experience with the surgery you want and then you can do your research from there.

I don’t have any recommendations for a specific doctor but maybe consider narrowing it down by ones that have a lot of experience working with weight loss patients?? Maybe ask them how many times they have performed that surgery on someone like you?

Same! My program doesn't either. Stress protein and fluids and then a normal balanced diet. I quote my dietician here "Nothing is off limits, you just have learn moderation and a balanced diet" This is exactly why I always gain back my weight. The diets weren't realistic to a life long commitment. No carbs are impossible to maintain for the rest of your life. I lost about 170 lbs eating grilled chicken and a fresh veggie EVERY DAY it got so old I just cracked and ate everything i deprived myself of to loose the weight. Obviously gaining it all back. Some people need low carb, some don't. Some people can't eat dairy, some can. We are all different.

Stalls happen, it sucks. Your body is adjusting constantly through this process, huge changes from a major surgery to your new diet. Just keep chugging along, follow your diet, work with your team/dietician and you will loose the weight. Try to weigh yourself less, measure or look for other non-scale victories to help you during these stalls. This will not be the last one, you got this!

Everyone's diet is different and everyone's body responds to carbs (or any foods) differently. I eat carbs, sometimes 20g and sometimes 150g a day, just depends on the day. I have lost over 150 lbs eating carbs, they do not effect me or my weight loss as they do some people. Everyone needs to find what works for them, with the help of their Dietician.

Oh that sounds rough! I hope you continue to feel better and don't need any other surgeries. I've had some minor issues since my bypass, mostly a stuck feeling in my throat that never goes away and it doesn't matter if I've eaten or not. I have a twisted esophagus, but GI explained at this point there's nothing to worry about since I can get food down. That leads to the 2nd problem, I am never hungry. I know that can happen and usually goes away, but my nutritionist and even neurologist are concerned that I'm losing weight too quickly. I'm also getting so full after taking my necessary medications in the morning (not counting supplements and vitamins) that I don't get to breakfast until 11 AM or so.

Hi all, I am writing this for the >1% of gastric bypass patients who have the unusual complications that I had and, like me, couldn't find any information about it online to ease your mind. I had my gastric bypass surgery on September 7, 2022. I chose gastric bypass over the gastric sleeve specifically after months of research because of the higher rate of successful weight loss, particularly in women. My first week post-op went great, but after day 8 or 9 when I tried progressing my food intake from full-liquids to pureed foods I began vomiting and feeling really nauseous at every meal. I let my surgeon and dietitian know immediately and stepped my food intake back down to full-liquids. Pretty soon, I couldn't even take in full-liquids and was limited to hydrating fluids and chicken broth. I could keep down hydrating fluids and broth about 80% of the time, full-liquids 50% of the time, and everything else came back up. My surgeon was very responsive and had me get an endoscopy. Under general anesthesia, the endoscopy explored my new stomach pouch and roux limb connections that make up my new tummy system. Typically, gastric bypasses can result in constriction of the connection between the stomach pouch and roux limb, and my gastroenterologist was prepared to use a balloon to inflate the area to ease that restriction. In my case, however, that area looked fine, but further down the roux limb there was a stricture that was almost impassable for the narrow scope. This is what was causing my problem. I had an external compression on my roux limb that was making it impossible for anything more viscous than water to pass through. My layman's understanding of what had happened is that my surgeon brought my small intestine / roux limb up to meet my new stomach pouch through the transverse mesocolon. This involved cutting a hole through the transverse mesocolon to put the roux limb through and then stitching it up a little on either side to make sure nothing else will slip through the hole and cause a hernia. Apparently, this is typically sufficient and there is space enough in the hole in the mesocolon for scar tissue to form but still allow the roux limb to operate appropriately. Not in my case! xD My body and over-active immune system saw a hole and decided that hole must. be. fixed! The scar tissue that formed to close the hole closed tight enough on the roux limb and it was tight enough that barely anything could get through. I had a second laparoscopic surgery on October 12, 2022 to remove the scar tissue and loosen the compression on the roux limb. My surgeon decided to remove the small stitches on either side of the hole in the transverse mesocolon to reduce the chance that any new scar tissue will close the hole up as completely again. Immediately after this second laparoscopic surgery, I felt tons better! I stayed overnight in the hospital and was put straight on full-liquids, which I was barely tolerating before! The reason I am writing all of this out is because, in the month-long interim between surgeries, I couldn't find anything in my online research to figure out what was wrong, or what I could try, or what the next steps looked like, or how long, or why this was happening. I went for more than a month on little to no substantial nutrition, and I found so little information on what to expect or how long I would have to live like this. I even looked in these forums to see if anyone had asked about symptoms that are similar to mine and I didn't find very much information. So, I'm writing about my experience and using as many of the keywords I can think of that I've been searching for over the past two months! So! If you had gastric bypass and you start experiencing nausea and vomiting after what seems like typical food progression, please speak to your surgeon. It could be an internal stricture of the roux limb or the connecting bits, or in my case an external compression of some sort. From the very few resources I could find online, my type of external compression of transverse mesocolon on the roux limb seemed to occur in 0.9% of gastric bypass patients and it seems to happen within the first month. My surgeon pretty much immediately knew what was wrong, and her PA said she had seen it before, but not often, and it was new for my insurance caseworker. The inability to eat made it very difficult to complete normal daily tasks like my job, housework, walking the dog, etc. I wasn't in pain, I just couldn't get enough energy to do anything! My doctors moved quickly to get me back in for surgery, but it still took 4-5 weeks from starting to vomit at each meal to waking up from my second surgery feeling much better. I am so thankful that my surgeon was able to fix what was wrong with the scar tissue compressing around the roux limb; it made a world of difference! I'm not out of the woods quite yet, however. Six days after the surgery to repair the hole in the transverse mesocolon, I had a bad food day and nothing stayed down. I immediately reached out to my surgeon's office and today went in for an upper GI in which I intake contrast dye while a doctor observes how it flows through my new gastrointestinal system with an X-ray. That doctor said it looks like the connection between my stomach pouch and roux limb looks stenosed now. I am grateful that they found something and that there is an explanation for why everything I put in my mouth makes me nauseous and that there's a reason why I don't want to eat anything. I will be having another endoscopy in the following couple of weeks and, as ever, I am hopeful that this will be the last surgery that I need for my gastric bypass.

Stalls are the worst. Frustrating & demoralising but also a perfectly normal occurrence. You lost a lot of weight in the first two weeks, your body is likely playing catch-up. Maybe check in with your dietician to review your diet & portion sizes. Also ask for recipe ideas. What carbs are you eating? I was allowed rolled oats from purée but apart from the carbs in dairy, legumes & other vegetables I ate no other carbs: no bread, no rice no pasta. But I ate so little of them it wasn’t a lot of carbs at all. If eat your protein first & then vegetables it’s unlikely you’d be able to eat anything else. While some plans do encourage people to reach 1200 calories quickly, 7 weeks seems too quickly. But check with your team.

To follow up, I did start HRT this summer and instead of gaining, I actually lost 7 lbs and my worse symptoms of menopause subsided but I quickly realized that any further weight loss was going to be really hard. My doctor prescribed Moujaro and is a big fan of it (who knew?). I started it right after I posted this thread and I'm already down 20 lbs. Holy smokes! The appetite suppression and restriction (yes, I do feel it much more now) is crazy. I relate it to the feeling I had about 90 days out from surgery. I can eat what I want but just not very much of it and I'm rarely hungry. I didn't expect to lose so much weight so fast and I really only want to lose another 10 lbs so I doubt I will hit the max Mounjaro dose. I'm currently on 5 mg with no side effects beyond nausea the day after my shot. If this medication had been around when I had surgery, I don't know if I would have needed to have WLS but I am thankful it's here for me now. My doctor loves it to prevent recision surgery and regain in patients who are 36 months or longer out from their past surgery.

Yes. 3 protein shakes and a 4 oz protein meal (steak,chicken, etc) plus veggies. And of course the suger-free jello and popsicles, and a lot of water. Finished Day 4 today with no problems except the first day kind of felt dizzy/tired. To me it is very similiar to the many diets that I have experienced before so it is not that big of a deal for me. I also got pretty good in the past with intermittent fasting so I am holding off on my 1st shake until around noon. As with many of us, we are experts in losing weight but terrible at maintaining that loss. I am more concerned about the initial post-op phase diet so focusing on preparing mentally as well as getting my supplies. I am going into this with optimism. I greatly benefited being prepared and looking forward to the positive results last year when I had my Knee replaced. I am taking that same approach to this surgery. Hoping all have a successful journey!

1. I’ve confirmed with my team that taking laxatives long term is not an issue. 2. Absolutely! I have a “normal” appetite. I can get really hungry but also I can wait to eat better than before surgery so this is a huge improvement. Also there are exciting new medicines on the market (and in trials for weight loss) that targets appetite suppression (wegovy, ozempic and mounjaro) so there’s more hope. 3. Yes. A million times yes. It was hard for me to see the finished product of what I worked for until I had plastic surgery. That route is not *necessary* or even desirable for everyone, but it is a solution for those who want to explore it. Good luck and never give up ❤️