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What @catwoman7 said is accurate. Also, if your starting BMI was lower, you rate of loss may be slower as well.

Hi there has anyone experienced an extremely slow weight loss after getting a bypass? I am close to my 5 month check up and have lost 45 pounds here but 10 of those were lost in the last two months. It’s been very discouraging to only lose 5 lbs per month. I have 22 more lbs to go to reach my goal here. I do understand that when you get to a lower weight it’s slows but this feels very slow... I do walk 3 miles daily drink 50oz of water, and keep calories under 700 daily with 80 grams of protein. The only thing I’ve done differently is add coffee back into my diet but have only been drinking one cup daily, I can’t imagine that would be enough to affect my weight loss, but I did make this change in the last two months.. I’m curious to know if anyone else has experienced similar issues and if so what changes did you make to get back on track thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have!

I also do not drink alcohol (I can't stand the taste), but I would be very careful with it from what I've seen on here and on other groups for several reasons: you can get drunk very quickly, especially at first. Alcohol gets absorbed very quickly and your blood alcohol can quickly go over the limit for driving and then for being just drunk to the point where you can't really function. And as you said, you're taking in empty calories and setting yourself up for eating other junky food. Plus there's a risk for cross-addiction. Some people become addicted to alcohol the way they had issues with food before surgery. It's not super common, but it definitely happens. That's not to say you should never drink, but maybe keep it to one small serve occasionally. I personally have told everyone in my life about my surgery. I just can't lie easily and if people see me losing weight, I knew I'd never be able to lie or even omit the surgery part. Plus, I was so excited to finally be doing it. I was not embarrassed. I felt like I was finally taking control of my life. The reaction I got was extremely positive except for one person I barely knew (I posted on Facebook). She has a whole "fat positive" view of life and has also had some sort of weight loss procedure that did not go well. I can't say whether you should or should not have the surgery, but I think maybe you should discuss with a bariatric trained therapist to talk about your concerns. Good luck in your decision!

Hello Bariatric Buddies (corny right? lol) I thought I'd come on here and share my experience so far for those who may be thinking about weight loss surgery OR are scheduled to undergo surgery soon. I started my bariatric surgery journey May 4th 2021 after YEARS of wanting to do it but not having the courage to start. At that point i was 298LBS. At my heaviest i was 305LBS. What prompted me to just go for it and conquer my fears was just wanting to be healthy again. I was tired of making excuses and as sad as it sounds i was tired of looking in the mirror every day staring at myself morphing into this person i no longer wanted to be. Fortunately for me, i didn't have any MAJOR health issues, however i did/do suffer from PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome). For anyone who knows the struggles of PCOS you know trying fad diets and exercising isn't really helpful when trying to lose weight when your hormones are so imbalanced. Any who, going forward - i contacted my local bariatric surgery center and set up my initial consult. Since we're still being affected by covid, majority of my appointments were via video. My first consult they went over my eligibility requirements, health history and goals. After speaking with the nurse navigator they then scheduled my next visit with the Surgeon who would then change my life forever. So, two weeks later, i meet my surgeon VIA zoom (and let me say, i love that she was blunt, super honest and made sure my goals and perception of the surgery was realistic), she told me about herself, she asked me a few questions about my life, health history in depth, and she then went over my surgery options and what she felt would be my best choice (Gastric Bypass RNY). We ended the appointment on a good note. At that point i was feeling good, motivated and just proud of myself, like - GOSH, I'M FINALLY DOING THIS! At this point in the process, i have scheduled an appointment to get an EKG, chest X-RAY, cardiology, pulmonary, and a behavioral specialist. Over the course of 4 months i would complete each appointment and the specialists would send over their impressions over to the surgeon. September 3rd. I had my pre op class (with a dietitian). I signed a bunch of papers stating that i would not consume alcohol or use tobacco. I watched a video and then the dietitian stated that starting September 9th - until September 19th i will need to be on a full liquid pre op diet - at that point in the liquid diet you are not allowed to take any vitamin supplements, and or specific medications (they would go over that with you). September 9th came around and i started my three protein shakes a day, with drinking 64OZ of water until September 19th as advised. Let me tell you, that was the single most hardest thing that i have EVER done, but in the end i was so proud of myself. September 20th at 10:00AM i had to drink 10OZ of Magnesium Citrate to bowel cleanse in preparation for surgery the next morning. I spent all day in the bathroom. Around 1:30PM i received a call from the hospital letting me know what time i needed to be at the hospital for surgery the next day (9/21/21) which ended up being 7AM. I had so much trouble falling asleep that night as i was so excited yet SO nervous! Surgery day rolls around and i am up getting ready. We (my boyfriend and i) then make our way to the hospital, check in, and head to my pre op room to be prepped. They took my temperature, and my weight. When i started, i was 298 - the day of surgery i was 282LBS! At 9:40AM i went in for surgery and was in the OR for about 4HOURS. I spent about an hour and a half in recovery where they gave me 1OZ water every half hour, that would continue as i was transported to my room that i would stay for the next 24HOURS. My hospital stay wasn't bad, and my nurses/doctors were super attentive, supportive and courteous! They came in almost every hour to check my temperature, blood pressure, and incisions. I went home 9/22/21 at 9:40AM. 1st day home was challenging. I was in so much pain and discomfort. That quickly subsided as the days passed. But in those days, i attempted to drink water and protein and move around as much as possible because walking truly helps with the pain. Here i am 9 days post op and i am not at 100% yet but i am improving i still feel slight pain only where i have internal sutures, and i am gassy (like burping and stomach feeling bloated) - for that i use GAS-X - it's amazing! I currently weigh 273LBS which makes a total of 25LBS lost and 9LBS lost since surgery. 6 Day's post op i was back at work (I KNOW I KNOW I AM CRAZY - BUT I WORK IN AN OFFICE AT MY DESK MAJORITY OF THE DAY SO I AM OKAY).. Hopefully this helps! & if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask :)

Hey guys. New here. On Medicaid only and starting the long road to approval. I’m currently 34, 418 lbs, 6’0. I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes (type II), and high cholesterol. I started in January seeing a doctor for my 6 month physician led weight loss attempt and documentation. I was on adipex as well as lipotropic injections through them. My first visit was in January and I was at 413. I hovered 399-413 over the first 5 months, and on my 7th visit in September, weighed in at my highest of 418. I spoke with a physician in Huntsville at the beginning of my journey and they told me to go ahead and complete my 6 month plan, and then come to them for the rest. I called them and was bummed to find they recently stopped taking patients with Medicaid only. I was heartbroken. I had searched for years to find this physician. However, the recommended a doctor to me who ended up being my long term family surgeon. He just recently began accepting Medicaid only patients for bariatric surgery. I got a referral for a cardiology consult and psych consult. Going to psych next week and hopefully cardio as well. Then will get to meet with the surgeon. Praying so hard everything goes well.

I saw the nutritionist today. She said that I’m doing everything the way that I should. She recommended that I only drink one protein shake a day and make sure I add some carbs to my meals. She reassured me that this phase is the prep phase for my soon to be new way of living. She said that some people don’t lose weight before they go on the pre-op liquid diet. However, when I start that diet I will lose some pounds. All in all I feel better. She has not seen any weight gain due to protein brands, but think that my lack of a loss was due to too much protein. Now I am focused on eating 2 good nutritious meals, my 1 protein shake and listening to my body. I was trying to walk 5 days a week, but it’s hard when you work overnight. So I’ll do 2 days of walking at home. When I’m at the hospital walk up the stairs, take the long way to the units… anything to get mg heart beating and steps in. last thing… I thank you all for being there. This forum has been great.

As @catwoman7 said it’s likely a stall. They happen & you may experience a couple if them. They will pass. Your body just needs time to come to terms with the changes - pretty stressful to it as well as you. If you’re following your plan & your doctor is happy you’re golden. It’s not a race. The weight is not going to magically disappear quickly. Because you had a higher starting weight you likely lost more quickly to begin but as your weight decreases, your weight loss rate will slow. We all experience this slow down as we get closer to our goal simply because our caloric intake is getting close to the amount our body needs to function. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

our stats are pretty similar. With that much of a loss, you're going to have loose skin. I had a lot of it. Fortunately, it was pretty easy to hide in clothes - I'm the only one who knew it was there. I've since had it removed, though...

With such a low start weight, your weight loss is definitely going to be slower and lower than most, even in the immediate post op stages. The ESG will give you some restriction but you will be able to eat more than someone with a surgical procedure. Your calorie deficit isn't likely to be as great, and therefore weight losses lower/slower. Your calorie intake is going to have be tight to keep up a good calorie deficit.

I am currently 1/2 way through my first all- inclusive vacation in Punta Cana since surgery. We go every year as we have a membership at a resort. It s a challenge for sure. I am walking an hour every morning at sunrise so I get my 10K steps in before breakfast. I am having some mixed drinks and this is the first week I have gone since surgery in February not measuring food. I am curious to see if I lose, maintain or gain weight this week. I was on a long stall prior to vacation so maybe it will just shake up my system back into weight loss. It is wonderful being here 109 lbs lighter than last year at this time. Anyone else take an all inclusive vacation after surgery?

As others have said, these are all questions you should be bringing to your appointments. It might be helpful to keep a notebook with questions so you can jot them down as you think of them, and then bring them to your appointments. Don't feel like you need to know it ALL right now. This is a process and it takes time to get to a place where you are ready to commit. Do your research, find resources, as your questions. All totally normal. I would also STRONGLY suggest some counseling before you decide. It is absolutely imperative that you work through any trauma or baggage that might be contributing to unhealthy habits. Surgery is just a tool, it will only work as well as you are able to wield it. Making sure your mind is healthy is absolutely the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success. That being said, I took a stab just to help give you some guideposts. 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? - This is program dependent. Some have a goal weight or BMI, others want you to loose xxx pounds before surgery. Ask your program. 2. What should my end weight goal be? - The expected weight loss with VSG and RNY is 60-80% of your excess weight. So, if you have 100lbs to lose to get to a healthy BMI, you can expect to lose 60-80 of those pounds. Some programs set a goal weight, others do not. Again, ask your program. 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. - Most programs do not say you can "never" have specific foods again. But there are a host of factors that determine what your long term eating habits will look like (what can you tolerate without feeling sick or having dumping, etc., are you hitting your water and protein goals, do you have any nutritional deficiencies, etc.). That being said, if you aren't ready to commit to long term changes, you may want to hold off. Sometime WLS requires we give up certain foods in order to be at our best.  4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. - Yes, side effects can occur. Surgical complications include internal bleeding, leaks at the "seams," anesthesia issues, all the normal stuff. Post-op complications can include GERD, hiatal hernias, malnutrition, and other things. Research the possible complications so you are well informed and ask your surgial center what their complication and surgical infection rates are. Overall bariatric surgery is very safe, but all surgical procedures carry risks. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? - See above, surgically very safe. All of this is available online, just do some scholarly Googling and, as always, as your program. 6. What if i start smoking again? - Just don't. It will kill you just as fast as obesity. Learn new coping mechanisms, go to therapy, pick up a hobby. From a surgical perspective, smoking greatly increases the risk of complications and can greatly increase recovery time. 7. What if i consume alcohol? - This is a combo of personal and program. Most programs have a strict prohibition for a period of time, others say try not to drink ever. In the end, its empty calories and you will get drunk MUCH faster than you did pre-op. Plan to abstain for a good long time. 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? - Talk to their pediatrician and get them into counseling. Do NOT rush into that. This is a major, life altering surgery and could be massively traumatizing for a child.

Hi. I have had a lap band for 11 and half years. I lost around 100 lbs with it but it turned me into a bulimic because I could eat whatever I wanted and just "regurgitate" it back up. It was a bad cycle to be in, but it kept my weight off. Finally last year I went to my bariatric surgeon and confessed up. He did some tests and realized my esophagus was "floppy" and dilated. He did a complete unfill of my band at the time. I was able to maintain my original weight loss on the keto diet, but after 10 months I fell off the keto wagon and the weight QUICKLY returned. I gained around 50 lbs in 4 months!! I went back to my surgeon a year later and we have decided to remove my lap band and switch to the gastric bypass. He is not a fan of the lap band surgery anymore and is not recommending them to his patients. I have my surgery next week on October 6th. I am nervous because I am 52 now and postmenopausal. Im definitely not as active as I was when I first had my lap band surgery almost 12 years ago. How many people on this forum have had the lap band to bypass? How was their weight loss compared to the first surgery? What differences do you notice with restriction? Anyone having the surgery soon? or recently? Thanks in advance!

Weight can bounce up and down, and the three week slow down isn't due to protein levels, based on what I've read, just from your body going "woah! what's going on here?!" That can last 1-3 weeks, from what I've heard. I'm at 2.5 weeks and my weight loss is already slower than it was the first 2 weeks. I've been to a lot of countries (Maybe 33? 35?) and I know that the cheeses available vary a lot, and I don't remember seeing cheese sticks most places, but for me one of the things I like about going to other countries is trying foods we DON'T have in the USA, so maybe I just didn't look! Yesterday was my first day on solid food and I ate a cheese stick, a tablespoon of refried beans with a tiny bit of mozzarella, and a few tablespoons of tuna. We aren't supposed to eat a lot of carbs, so no mashed potatoes.

Congratulations on your weight loss and decision to have plastics. My plastic surgeon has been the guest speaker at our WLS support group a few times and he shows a lot of pictures of different procedures. He has several pictures of men. I think it's great. Men deserve to be just as happy with their bodies as women do! I've had 2 plastic surgeries so far. First was 360 lower body lift and arm lift. Second was upper body lift...breast lift, back lift, reverse tummy tuck . I have one more to do which will be thigh lift. I can't wait to be done! This has all been worth it!

Stomach volume after an ESG is more than a surgical sleeve. Average excess weight loss is only about 20%, some will lose more some will lose less. Did you lose weight before your procedure (if so, how much?), what was your weight on procedure day and what is your height?

True. I just found it interesting lol. I do know that a lot of WLS patients have low vitamin D. There is a lot still to be studied but I thought the link between vitamin D and hair was a nice breakthrough for hair loss. Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

I think it is the rapid weight loss and hormonal changes that causes hair loss, not the surgery itself. Same reason a lot of women lose hair postpartum. My doc said the same thing about protein and vitamins.

ESG =Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is a newer type of minimally invasive weight-loss procedure. In endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, a suturing device is inserted into your throat and down to your stomach. The endoscopist then places sutures in your stomach to make it smaller.

interesting - but not sure how much this relates to hair loss that occurs after major surgeries, though. Sounds like it helps more with age-related baldness. The hair loss after surgery is temporary and due to the trauma of surgery (it supposedly can be a potential side effect of any major surgery, but i think it's seen more often after WLS than a lot of other types of surgeries because in addition to the stress from the surgery, we're also taking in very few calories those first few weeks & months - so a double whammy. Although they do say that keeping on top of your vitamin and protein requirements can keep it from getting any worse than it is. And it does grow back. Mine lasted about four months - and I didn't really lose enough to notice.

I literally just ignore the question. Totally pretend I don't hear it. (I have hearing loss anyway so it's believable.) People don't generally persist.

I am 7 months post-op, and I still have major regrets about the surgery, every day, I wish I had not made this choice despite consistent weight loss. I am happy many people in the replies have moved past this phase. I hope to one day be at that point. I suggest seeing a therapist as soon as you can.

Weight loss with the ESG tends to be slower and lower. If you are still having a very low rate of weight loss (lower that expected by your surgeon) by the next surgeon appointment, please express your concerns and don’t hide the true weigh loss amount. If you still have lingering concerns request an endoscopy to check the suturing.

Just read this informative article. Sharing for those interested. https://www.eatthis.com/news-major-effect-vitamin-d-hair-loss-study/?utm_source=nsltr&utm_medium=email&utm_content=news-major-effect-vitamin-d-hair-loss-study&utm_campaign=etntNewsletter

Hi.. I am wondering if anyone has experienced basically minimal weight loss with ESG? I had mine on Sept. 8th and have gone down only between 1-3 pounds this whole time. I’m very frustrated and sad. I feel like I should have had more than basically a pound of weight loss in 3 weeks. I feel like the only thing I have lost is money and hope. (Yes I’m following everything correctly.) I don’t understand how I’m one of the only people to not lose weight with a weight loss procedure like this.

Good luck with the surgery. Please keep me posted!! I hear the weight loss averages 40 lbs but is much easier to maintain.