Search the Community

I worked with one last time I lost a bunch of weight, he was amazing. I was such a beast! he pushed me and kept me motivated. Then I had surgery and it all fell apart and I gained my weight back so here I am. haha Working with a trainer likely won't "accelerate" your weight loss though. It will "change" your weight loss. Your body will get strong and more toned. You will carry your weight differently, it is hard to explain what I mean so I hope you get it. I say go for it, it is very rewarding! I am thinking about getting another one myself. I would go back to my last guy but that gym relocated and he is like an hour away now. But, I loved him SO MUCH that I have considered making the trip for a while.

I bought a basic one on Amazon before I started my pre-op stage. It keeps me in check but it's important to keep a mentak note not to use it too much as it can become obsessive (guilty of that at one point) There's some advanced ones that connect to fancy weight loss apps, but I like my normal $19 one.

There is such a thing and some of the new fangled ones I hear even keep track of your weight and what you've lost or gained. [emoji38] Sent from my SM-S901U using BariatricPal mobile app

I use a scale from Target by Weight Gurus. It has lots of features like bmi, and some other stuff.

I’d be afraid that if your surgeon wasn’t supportive 12yrs ago that they won’t be supportive now. Criticising you for gaining weight 1week post surgery is appalling. When they do the surgery, they pump you full of gas so they can see the surgical field & they pump you full of fluid to keep you hydrated afterwards. It’s very common for people to weigh more when they come out of hospital than they did when they went in. Many are advised not to weigh themselves for at least a week post surgery because of this. Maybe look into another surgeon if you’re able. Also find out if you really have PCOS or not so you know if that needs to be managed & supported. Weight loss surgery will improve insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome & other comorbidities. There are numerous people on this forum who had these conditions & PCOS before surgery. It seems those with PCOS do tend to lose more slowly. But I’m sure some will share their experiences. My doctor used to check my thyroid (there is a family history) often but it was always fine too. I often skipped meals & did it from my teenage years through to my early 50s. So my metabolism was crap - I’d struggle to lose weight eating less than 900 calories. Plus I think hormones were a contributing factor as well - my weight issues began at puberty & worsened with menopause. The surgery boosted my metabolism & evened put some of my hormones. Ask your surgeon lots of questions about how the surgery may work for you & what you may expect with your existing conditions. Even ask for stats about his patients. Then when you will feel more confident about your decision.

Like others have said, I had the same issue and the same worries. I was too skinny and was still losing weight in year two. However, it eventually stopped naturally (without my changing my habits) and I ultimately gained back about 20 pounds, which is a good weight for me. I have been at that weight for more than a year and it is relatively easy to maintain. I would reiterate the advice that you not make any major changes to your routines at this point. Wait and see what happens in the next few months. (Side note: I remember how strange it felt to complain that I was losing too much weight and was too skinny. That is a problem I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams five years ago!)

bariatric surgery often comes with period changes.. irregular can happen easily during rapid weight loss due to the estrogen which is stored in fat being released.. 11/3 surgery and my period arrived a couple days early 11/4 (31 days) .. my usual has been around 40 days most of this year so it’s due now but so far no sign (but i have been having mood swings which may indicate it) last week i had some bad hormonal breakouts of acne and my chin hair has been disappearing lol

who here has used a personal trainer ?? many tips or advice?? especially want to know experiences from people over 325 lbs with starting exercise programs too…but love to hear from all shapes and sizes I want to exercise to tone up and strengthen my body but have always sucked at it so want to get a personal trainer to help teach me what to do. Want to accelerate my weight loss and have a better chance to meet or exceed my goal of reaching under 200!!!

i did the same thing for a long time avoided the idea of sugery, until finally I had to look at that as an option because nothing else was working, i tried everything. After three Dr. suggested I do the surgery I started to look into it. I had the gastric sleeve on Nov 29th. so far i am doing well. It is taking some time for my energy to come back but otherwise i am feeling good. Already seeing some benefits, my blood sugar is in a good range finally, I am type II diabetic and today got my meds lowered by endo so that made me happy! It is highly personal decision and journey but I am so glad I made the decision to just do it. The weight loss center I went to offers support groups and nutrition classes which are helpful too. I start on soft foods tomorrow, a little apprehensive about that because i don't want to do anything wrong LOL. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery so far so good and I am sure you will do fantastic.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having infection issues. But, great job on the weight loss!

Was running low on my protein shake, which the only one I have had post-surgery is premier chocolate and I do not even like chocolate but find it good. I reordered the caramel which I found good before and the chocolate peanut butter which is delicious like a butter finger or resees cup. I will be taking a few for my holiday vacation. Last night I had a slice of ham too fast and just sat on the back of my throat, granted yesterday was a day I was eating everything fast so that did not help. Today is a new day and I'm making sure I take smaller bites and chew chew chew. My weight has fluctuated a bit, but it has moved I think is the hormones (dry skin anyone) and the fact I took some stool softener too.

Was running low on my protein shake, which the only one I have had post-surgery is premier chocolate and I do not even like chocolate but find it good. I reordered the caramel which I found good before and the chocolate peanut butter which is delicious like a butter finger or resees cup. I will be taking a few for my holiday vacation. Last night I had a slice of ham too fast and just sat on the back of my throat, granted yesterday was a day I was eating everything fast so that did not help. Today is a new day and I'm making sure I take smaller bites and chew chew chew. My weight has fluctuated a bit, but it has moved I think is the hormones (dry skin anyone) and the fact I took some stool softener too.

Hey everyone, new to the forum, and to even really understanding what the sleeve is all about! I am a 385 lb male, 6'1... Been big my entire life (since about the age of 18) Weight has fluctuated my entire life but not massively , always been around the 350 - 390 lb range. Until 2018 when I did Keto for 6 months and lost about 70 lbs. Gained it all back and then some during covid with parenting and work stress and probably a bunch of other excuses. Ive always stayed away from the surgery but met someone who had it and then I started looking into options. Pretty nervous. But excited at the same time.

Hey Everyone, I have noticed that since my surgery I have been menstruating irregularly and multiple times a month, I have read that it could be because of hormones and the weight loss itself but I am just wanting to see if other people have had similar experiences.

Hi, I've just come back on these forums after a long long hiatus. I am like you. I had my lapband inserted when I was 23 years old back in August of 2022. I felt back then that was the safest and least invasive treatment option. I did not have success with the lapband. The most I lost was 12 pounds and then after that I stalled and gained. Today I'm 227 pounds but have a BMI of 36, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. I also didn't have the best relationship with my surgeon when I told him "I don't think it's working" when I told him at my one week post surgery check up because instead of losing I had gained 7 pounds. Long story short, he told me it was my fault because I was sneaking burgers, pizza, and coke when my family was asleep at night, which was farthest from the truth as it took me hours to down 30 ml of liquids and could not get solid food down 7 days post op. I ended upgoing back to him 2 months ago after not seeing him for 12 years due to having pain in my upper left quadrant of my abdomen. I can only describe it has a burning sensation, like burning on the inside, and I felt strange when I would turn my torso, in the that specific area. Now the pain has subsided but now the area is numb. He scheduled me for an endoscopy which I will be having on december 15, 2022 to see if the band has slipped or eroded. However, he told me that since having my lapband put in, they found out it's only a temporary gadget that should be removed in 10 years time. He spoke to me and suggested converting to a gastric bypass but I voiced my preference for the gastric sleeve, if I were to get a conversion. He told me because of my comorbidities and my unsuccessful journey with the band that a gastric bypass would benefit me more. Now I'm scared to get revised due to having my insides removed and rearranged compared to the lapband being reversible and afraid that I will get the bypass and end up failing again. That would be devastating. It's a decision that weighs heavy on my mind. Back when I was 23 I just wanted to be pretty but now that I'm 36 I just want to be healthy. I guess I'll see how the endoscopy goes this week and talk more with him about converting to the bypass.

27 lbs down in five weeks is better than I did in that time. If you stick to your plan, the weight will come off, whether fast or slow.

Hi All, I am 4 months post GS and I have been falling back into old habits. Like eating out of boredom. I thought I had addressed that behavior earlier prior to surgery. But now it has reared its ugly head again. I feel like I have a little demon in me telling me to eat that muffin, eat that cookie, try that cake. I can't seem to shake it off. I have I have been trying to drink water or tea when I get the need to eat. It works sometimes, but I have had 4 days where my little demon had full on control and I didn't loose any weight for two weeks. I guess the good part is I didn't gain any either. I am trying to figure out where this negative eating is coming from. I am disappointed in myself with my lack of control. I am open to any idea you all have that can help. Thank you, Mel

Hello My name is Jenny. I had my lapband inserted in August of 2010. I was 23 at the time and the lapband was popular at that time. Plus my mother was a big influence on me choosing the lapband over the gastric bypass at that time. I just recently been feeling a burning sensation where the band is located near the head of the stomach and pain when during my torso. The pain is gone now but lasted for about 2 months now the area is numb. I went to my original surgeon 2 months ago and we scheduled an endoscopy which will be done on December 15th, 2022. When we were talking he brought up that in the 12 years that I've had the lapband that research showed that the lapband was only temporary and leave in time was only 10 years and so is suggestion, whether the endoscopy shows erosion or slippage is to take out the lapband altogether. However, he suggested converting to a gastric bypass. I'm deathly afraid of a gastric bypass and suggested a gastric sleeve (in my mind, it's safer) but he said that with my health (BMI: 36, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, PCOS, high cholesterol, diabetes type II) that the gastric bypass will give me better results than the sleeve. I did not have any success with the lapband. After my one week checkup post-op, I had gained 7 pounds which was due to swelling and the doctor (same surgeon I'm still seeing today) accused me of eating hamburgers and pizza and drinking soda at night when everyone was asleep. I remember my mother was in the room with me and he turned to her and asked "well let me ask you ma'am? does she have her own room?" and my mother replied "well of course she does?" and he asked her "do you go to sleep before her and she stays up late?" and my mother replied "yeah, she's 23. She goes to sleep a little later than me." and he told her while was in the room "well, there you go. she has no one to monitor her at night. she's eating pizza, burgers, drinking soda." When the reality was I couldn't even get down a medicine 30 mls of liquid post surgery. So I never went back and so my post care suffered since I never sought after care from him or his facility. I don't think he remembers what he said all those years ago though and as I've grown older, I've gotten over it and want to start anew. Thing is I'm for converting to the gastric bypass but I have PCOS and my hormones are all over the place and it's very hard for me to lose weight when I do try. When I change my eating habits, my blood work gets better (H1C decreases, blood pressure decreases, sugar levels normalize) but my weight does not budge. My question is..... Has anyone had the same experience with the lapband and failed with it due to PCOS or any other hormonal imbalance. I've had my thyroid checked 10 times and it always comes back normal. But i've been told I have metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance and assume I have PCOS. Did those that had gastric bypass have success with weight loss even when they had PCOS. I don't think I can handle another failure especially when i'm willing to go under the knife to have my insides permanently and voluntarily re-arranged.

11/3 sleeve and on second post op infection (sigh) .. day 8 of 17 days of antibiotics to hopefully kick it in the butt ! weight loss has been slow with a couple stalls … only currently at 27 lbs lost since surgery.. know that i am swollen some from last weeks infection and healing so trying to be patient, but it’s hard! (i want instant results lol) HOWEVER…. my body is changing even tho the scale isn’t. haven’t been good with measurements but shirts that fit well before surgery are hanging and my pants are needing to be replaced… my face is (finally) thinning and stamina is returning …. my boobs have deflated (looong pancakes lol) and i have gone from 54 DD down to 48 D… It took me over 40 years to get to my high weight, it’s going to be a journey to get down the weight I want. Still want to see it reflected in the scale but glad i can see it elsewhere at least!!! we are all on the roller coaster of weight loss!

I wish I knew how to kill the cravings too. I still don't have actual hunger but since a few months post-op I crave sweet. I have never been a sweet person, always salty. Now I fight a constant sweet tooth. It is annoying and I don't always win the battle but I'm still on track with my calorie goals and weight loss goals so I just deal with it the best I can. I have also always had BAD leg cramps, I mean wake up from a dead sleep in severe pain. Almost in tears. I have been on a daily muscle relaxer for years and it definitely helps. There is a medical term for it, but I can't remember because it was so long ago. I have always drank tons of water, and still do. Hitting a minimum of 80 oz a day currently. Dehydration is a strong factor though, so push those fluids as much as possible.

Agree with above - my goals are 80 g carbs, 45 g fat, and 75 g protien. I target 1250 calories at 7 years out as I am working on a 5 lbs weight loss menopause has not been kind! I am 5’5” female 49 years old and 133 lbs.

I kept losing well into my second year too. At my lowest I was 48.2kgs (was only there for a couple of weeks but …) & then I fluctuated between 48.5-49.5kg (about 18.9 BMI). I did that for about a 11 months & have been at about 50.5kgs for almost a year. (Am 3yrs 7 months out.) My dietician gave me some tips to up my calories before I stabilised so I’m glad you’re seeing your’s. Initually my surgeon & his associate were a little concerned when they looked at just the number on the scales but then they realised I’m ‘pretty small really’ (their words). Which is true as I’m not tall & am more finely built. They were then fine with my weight. Give yourself a little time to get used to your new body & your weight to stabilise & settle. Body dysmorphia will still be giving you a distorted picture of yourself as you compare yourself to the size you were before. It takes time for your head to catch up with the new reality of your size. I still get the occasionally shock when I realise the slim woman in the mirror or reflected in a window is actually me. And yes, bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs is a real possibility. You’ll work out what are your magic maintenance numbers are @pintsizedmallrat & it may not be 1500 calories because we have different needs & different weights we‘re most comfortable at. I thought 60kg & a BMI of about 23 would be great for me. But my body set me at a lower weight & I’m very happy with it. I was only eating about 1300 calories to maintain at the lower weight & about 1400 for the slightly higher weight now (have to eat more protein due to an absorption issue). But I’m not overly active & am 57 so that’s plenty of calories for me to maintain my smaller frame too. (I eat three meals & three snacks a day so eat heaps.) Oh & I get the clothing thing. I’m a US size 2 & sometimes a 0. There are stores here in Australia that don’t go smaller than a size 4. And there are ones where if they go to a 2 I’ll need a 0. (Still have largish feet for my height - 37.5-38). I’m about the size I was when I was 12. And yes I fit into Aust size 12 chn’s shorts. (My mum bought a pair for my niece & wondered if they would fit so asked me to try them on.)

Hi heatherdbby! I feel I’m in the same spot you're in. I’ve lost 42 lbs including my pre- surgery weight loss. I stalled for almost four weeks before losing a couple of pounds and now I’ve stalled again. My surgery was Oct 13th. At my 6 week check up they said everything was right on track. However, it is so hard when you see posts on here talking about this amazing weight loss in short periods of time and then you look at yourself and can’t help but compare. I know we shouldn’t and that everyone is different, but it’s just really hard. I’m also starting the gym tomorrow so I’m hoping that will change things up a bit. I just try to remember when the last time I lost 42 lbs in two months and surprise-surprise, I can’t remember such a time. Lol

I've said before and I'll say it again... crossing my legs like a lady and not requiring a death grip to keep them there is my greatest victory so far. I mean the weight loss and energy and added ability and clothes are great but by golly I can sit like a lady comfortably! I never realized how much it bothered me until I could do it.

Good news is, once you're at a normal weight you'll get a lot less questions. And if I do get asked, my answer "I have a small appetite" doesn't get the side eye that it did when I was heavy.