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it's really common for it to stick out after weight loss (mine does) - I never thought about having it removed, though. Although mine doesn't particularly bother me...

Tell them you’ll compare your weight loss to theirs and when they say “zero” yell “divide by zero error!!!” and run off.

Has anyone she had a problem with their xiphoid process? The xiphoid process is the smallest region of the sternum, or breastbone. It’s made up of cartilage at birth but develops into bone in adulthood. It’s located where the lower ribs attach to the breastbone. The tip of the xiphoid process resembles a sword. Mine sticks out and feels like a half of a golf ball most days. It is hard, uncomfortable, my bra rubs on it and it makes me nauseous most of the time when eating. My doctor said it can protrude out with weight gain, but should go back down with weight loss. Mine hasn't and I only have about 35 more pounds to go to my goal weight. I am getting surgery to remove it in about two weeks. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

So sorry for your loss. Your definitely getting a crash course in it but one thing that is crucial to this journey is to learn to go through life events without revolving them around food. If you have a hard time with it post surgery, maybe the teams bariatric therapist would be able to get you in. I am an emotional eater and a boredom eater and I know I would need a little extra help getting through something like that. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Hi Footballmom92! I think the previous posters gave excellent advice in seeking support from a nutritionist, therapist, & your personal support (family, friends, etc.). Coming to the realization that you might need medical intervention to help you reach your weight loss goals is a big step & can seem overwhelming. For years I brushed off the idea of getting WLS as I thought I could do it without the surgery. Recently, I realized that it would be very difficult to lose a large amount of weight successfully. If I was successful, I then would most likely have difficulty maintaining the weightloss. Deciding to to this was scary, exciting, & finally brought me some hope at succeeding. My advice in addition to the previous posters is to research & find a doctor that you feel comfortable with. Also, try to keep your motivation up, as that can be a challenge. Remember your "whys". You may want to look into habit tracking or journaling, if those might help you make the changes you need to in order to get closer to where you want to be. I also found it motivating to watch YouTube videos of people who have gone through WLS. This forum is also a great motivator & outlet for seeking support or advice. I truly wish you much success in reaching your goals. Please keep us posted on your progress! 🤗🍀

“A loss is a loss is a loss”. It doesn’t matter if u lost 5 lbs last week or .05 lbs. So long as its coming off ur golden. ”An inch is an inch is an inch.” If the scale didn’t move last month, if your pants are looser, ur golden. ”Keep doing what works until it doesn’t”. If its been months with no weight nor inch loss, cut ur cals, increase ur activity, speak to a medical professional. ”Everybody is different.”. Try not to compare urself to others and allow it to get you down. Its not worth the anxiety. ”Manage your expectations.” Set realistic goals based on YOUR body type and lifestyle. Expecting to achieve more than what u are willing to do to achieve it is unhelpful (see “Everybody is different” above). ”Eff the people in the peanut gallery.” Everyone and their mother is going to give you advice and comment on what THEY think YOU should do. They don’t matter. YOU do. ”Celebrate all the little things.” Sometimes just the ability to cross ur legs comfortably or get off your BP meds means waaaaay more than 2lbs off the scale. ”Be kind to urself.” You would (presumably) never purposely sh*t on someone, so why would u do that to yourself. ‘Nuff said. Good Luck!! ❤️

I had my bypass about 7 weeks ago. I lost about 50 pounds leading up to surgery and 20 pounds after. I also choose not to tell people I had surgery. Now that it's noticeable, I've had people comment on my weight loss. Most people just say something like "You lost weight! You look great!" However....there are those people that want to know "How much weight did you lose?" I really don't want to give a number - for a lot of reasons. Usually I just say something like "a lot". Just wondering how other people respond to that question. Thanks!

I am pescatarian and eat 2 meals a day. My day usually consist of: protein shake for breakfast, fish and veggies for lunch and dinner. My snacks are cucumbers, avocados, nuts, etc. I log everything I put in my mouth down to my vitamins. I meet with my nutritionist on Wednesday so I can her take on it. I agree that I am more than likely taking in too much protein which is stalling my weight loss vs. the brand. So 1 protein shake or protein water a day for me. For those who had the surgery… did you encounter any let downs or difficulties during that phase.

As others have indicated, there isn't a lot of difference, once beyond the first few months' transition period, between the two as far as eating and socializing. We eat out monthly with a group of DS patients (somewhat more extreme malabsorption than the RNY - no dumping tendencies but sometimes reputed to be worse on potential bathroom issues) and you can't tell who is who - DS, RNY, VSG or no WLS. There is a transition period the first few months or year where the body is adjusting to the changes, both physical and dietary, where GI issues are not uncommon (do a search for the Al Roker White House SHART story; yeah, he pooped himself at the WH.) The VSG leans more toward constipation for a while (RNY can, too) but that's primarily from the limited diet - lots of protein and minimal carbohydrate/fiber and fats to keep things moving,) Fiber supplements are the order of the day for a while, and probiotics can help with general adaptation of the gut. The RNY will be somewhat fussier on supplement need, all things being equal, to counter the malabsorption. That usually isn't a problem if people are reasonably diligent on such things, but can be problematic if one tends toward being overly casual on such things. Some things may not respond to normal oral supplements; infusions to maintain iron levels are not unusual with the RNY (or DS) but are uncommon with a sleeve. You may run into medication tolerance issues - NSAIDs are the most common class of drugs that are sited (a big NONO with the RNY, but a better tolerated little nono with the sleeve or DS) but one may run into other drugs during ones life that may be restricted with the bypass (some of the osteoporosis drugs come to mind.) Other things that may be of concern, particularly as we get older, that aren't specifically lifestyle oriented are some common medical treatments and diagnostics are off the table with a bypass - owing to the blind remnant stomach and upper GI, a number of common endoscopic procedures aren't available (they're available by normal surgical means, but not endoscopically.) You mention longevity, which I assume you are referring to longevity of weight loss or resistance to regain. From what I have seen over the years, there doesn't seem to be a significant difference between the two - people seem to be as prone to major regain problems with either, to a roughly equal degree. The caloric malabsorption of the RNY tends to dissipate after a year or two, so metabolically, one is left in about the same position as one who had a sleeve (though the bypass patient may have lost weight a bit more easily.) To get a significant difference in regain resistance, one needs to look into the DS, particularly the "traditional" BPD/DS. It has a somewhat different set of trade offs, but is worth considering (particularly since the bypass is so difficult to revise if it doesn't yield the desired results.) Good luck - lots to think about, and none of it is easy!

Hey all!! Today I had my first weigh in appt after the consultation. It sucked…. I did not lose any weight. The doctor thinks it’s because I’m either consuming too much protein or the type of protein. I was drinking 3-4 protein drinks a day due to my wonky job schedule. I’ve been drinking premier protein and protein2O. My doctor said that he’s noticed that the patients that drink the premier protein are either not losing or they are gaining. This was really frustrating being that I have been diligently working hard at losing weight. So I will now only drink 1 protein water and 1 protein shake a day. My questions are… what protein shakes are y’all drinking during the pre-op weight loss phase? Has anyone noticed an increase in weight with the premier protein? They keep pushing bariatric advantage, but I fearful because my stomach is ultra sensitive to some dairy things. im really trying hard to not get discouraged. I would help to hear others difficulties during this phase to know that I am not alone or weird. Thanks a lot. Trying to live a good life

Congratulations on your amazing progress. Are you able to describe some of your challenges that you think you will be able to manage with the help of a therapist? What are some of the issues within your weight loss / bariatric experience that you think will require work and extra assistance. Also, you mentioned the foamies... what is your general daily eating experience, and are you happy with how your current diet seems to serve your overall health (besides weight loss)? Your perspective is greatly appreciated.

I have fried foods on the regular and manage just fine (btw, im 3 yrs post op). Plus i think its delicious. There was a period (i.e., during weight loss phase and some months after) that it was just unappetizing…but then again most foods were. I still have my share of “healthy” foods (i do love me some salad) but fried foods - pan fried, deep fried, whatever - are definitely common items in my menu rotations. Everyone will have different tolerances and preferences towards all kinds of food. You won’t know how you will fare until you do. Good Luck! ❤️

Exercise actually has much less impact on weight loss than calorie consumption. There are MANY on here who don’t do a lick of exercise and still lose weight (but of course exercise is still strongly recommend for health and well-being…) Same goes for vitamins. Do you know what your daily average calorie intake is?

Thank you so very much for your reply! That is amazing and gives me so much hope and inspiration! Congratulations on your weight loss and your liver enzyme numbers - that is fantastic!!

I had my gallbladder out 6 months before my wls. Overall, it was a fairly easy surgery, but I found it more painful than my wls. I had much more gas pain with the gallbladder than wls, but I did have nausea and vomiting after my wls, which for me is worse than pain. As far as surgeries go, and I've had 7, I found my wls to be one of the least painful. Since a large amount of weight loss can cause your gallbladder to act op, it's actually good to have it out before surgery. I'm glad I did. It was one less thing to worry about. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I have NAFLD. I also had my gallbladder removed and a liver biopsy at the same time which showed hepatic fibrosis (scarring). This was the reason I decided to get wls. The pre-op diet shrinks your liver to make surgery safer. Any weight loss you have before surgery should help. It has been 14 months since my wls and my liver enzymes are now normal. I have lost 179 pounds total. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I want to wish you good luck on your upcoming surgery. It’s exciting yet nerve wracking. I’m going in for conversion from sleeve to roux en y this Wednesday the 29th. I’m so nervous. I have heard many things in regards to loss the second time around. My surgeon (who’s new to me) feels in time I can do even better than I did with the sleeve (down 85lbs with sleeve). He did follow that up with “especially if you get the excess skin removed” which I cannot see happening in my foreseeable future 😣 I get mixed reviews on weightloss range from fellow converters. I wish I heard from more people who have made the switch, good or bad. Hearing the stories and seeing pictures really helps.

Hi Its been 14 months scince i had y@r surgery and my weight loss is just stuck on 108kg Had lost 23kg Any ideas on how to kickstart the weight loss Sent from my SM-N986B using BariatricPal mobile app

Today is one month from surgery date. I am thrilled with my weight loss. I had been unable to lose any weight in the last decade, despite trying everything under the sun. My surgeon kept me on liquids for the first 3 weeks. I'm now on pureed foods, and am enjoying finding foods I can eat. Tonight I bought some of the Indian foods in a bag that are microwavable, and ate a tablespoon of each with some cauliflower rice. I don't feel deprived because I'm making it work. I puree things in my blender, and everything tastes amazing, lol, (after all those nasty protein shakes!). I'm really happy with my decision. Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Don't forget that this effect of the surgery will only last for 6-12 months. You MUSt learn how to eat differently and not rely upon the surgical effect. If you are a sugar/carb addict (and it sounds like you are) please read this book: Food Junkies by Vera Tarman or Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Cure Food Addiction by Connie Stapleton,.

Sound right about boringly normal as well. You will lose weight at those levels but much, much slower than compared to before. Hang in there. .2 -.4 lbs lost may seem minute, but a loss is a loss is a loss. P.S. I know there are many on here that lost several lbs after plastics. I may be a minority, but plastics only shaved off 400g (0.88 lbs) from me. Though at that point i wasn't really concerned about the number on the scale but about the overall look of me....which I was/am totally satisfied with. Good Luck! ❤️

Here’s the thing…the smaller u get the less your caloric needs get. If you want to lose more weight, you are going to need to cut your calories. I don’t know what ur cal level is now, but 1500 cals on a 300 lbs frame will lose weight faster and more consistently than the same amount of cals on a 145 lbs frame. (Not counting activity level, of course) I originally set a goal of 120. I revised that to 127 as I wasn’t liking how i was looking (think: Skelator). I ended up losing a bit more in my attempts to adjust to maintenance calories, and this was due to the fact that I just wasn’t eating enough to sustain 127 lbs. I got to 127 in 7 months, and stabilized at 115 around 9-10 months post op. Im still 115 now at 3 yrs out (and actually happy with it as my skeletal look has more or less gone away…thanks carbs, lol), and i average 1800-2000 cals a day, with moderate to slightly high exercise. Edited to add: im boringly “average” in the sense that i have no medical conditions that would impede weight loss nor do i have an abnormal metabolism given my size or activity levels.

I did not have heartburn prior to surgery and I still don’t. I didn’t have much pain with recovery at all and I can eat anything I ate before surgery at this point (I am 6 months out). I have lost 55 pounds. I am about 20 from goal (17 from normal BMI) and I have stalled for a month. I am hoping I haven’t put myself into maintenance cause I can see myself easily cutting my calories further but I would still consider the surgery a success if the loss stopped there as long as I can maintain it. I am currently in a size medium/ large and I haven’t been able to maintain this size in years. I am hopeful I am just stalled and the loss will pick up but like I said. I couldn’t do this on my own. I am so glad I did the surgery.

we get rebates from our health insurance if we do something like approved three activities a year. One choice was having a handful of telehealth appts with a dietitian (note this was not the dietitian I usually see annually at my bariatric clinic - this was just a regular dietitian who works for the insurance company). She suggested I cut 1000 calories a day from my diet to lose the weight I wanted to. I maintain my current weight on about 1700 calories a day. So cut 1000 calories from that? Is she f***ing kidding? So I cut 200-ish calories, knowing it'll take months to lose some microscopic amount of weight. But that's how it goes when you're at or close to a normal BMI. You're pretty much equilibrium as far as calories in/calories out, so there's not much to cut - and that weight loss is going to be S-L-O-W! (note that 700 kcal/day is fine during the first months post-op -- but not when you're as far out as I am..)

I'm in the same boat as you right now (and just posted about it in my own thread that I started and use for my own updates). I am about 4 months out. Watching my protein and calories too and yet the last time I had a loss was Aug 28th!!! Since then my weight has even gone up from 251.6 to fluctuating between 256 and 258!! Not sure why. Now I have had my period the last week and I also had my Metformin dose cut down in half so who knows what the heck is going on! If one or both things may be contributing.......or not. Frustrating nonetheless especially when you know you're doing all the right things.