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I can answer a couple of your questions. Yes, you will likely need to get your dentures re-fitted. I’m a nurse and have patients who have had large weight losses and they have needed to have this done. Protein shakes will depend highly on your taste. What tastes good to you now may change post op. I wouldn’t buy a large quantity of anything, Rather, just a single serving to try out post op. I personally really like the premier and fair life protein shakes, but others hate them. I took three weeks off work, but could have gone back after two. I really only needed someone there with me for the first couple days then would have been fine on my own. The sooner you get back to gentle activity, even just day to day care of yourself, the quicker you’ll recover.

It is funny how we just need to hear things from someone else sometimes (things that we already know). $78 USD is steep Counseling sessions here are pricey too without insurance. With insurance they can vary drastically in price. A friend told me that she gets like 12 sessions a year with a counselor for free as part of her benefits which is pretty great. I’m not sure if that’s through her insurance or something separate her employer just pays for, but most people pay a copay for Mental Health. They also have self help type workbooks that you can do that may help. Someone on here recommended a couple for food addiction a while ago. I wish I could remember what they were. I wonder if you do a thread asking for suggestions for self help ideas if anyone has any ideas. If not, maybe ask your team for suggestions. That or just go for the first appointment and see if they can give you suggestions or just give you lots or homework so you can do sessions less often. Or maybe you could even do some online support groups. That Dr Matthew Weiner has nutritional support on his website pound of cure weight loss .com i think it is. He may have other support groups meetings. Maybe tell your team you would be interested in in person support group meetings or see if they know any other patients that may want to be introduced so you can support one another. Can’t hurt to ask.

I hear you. Fellow caffeine addict here. My team allowed coffee immediately post op. It was probably the last thing I drank pre-op and the first thing post-op. I feel your pain. If your team's caffeine restriction is arbitrary/a blanket ban because it's necessary for *some* then it might be worth asking them if you can restart now. If there are specific reasons YOU can't have it then probably best to avoid. Try other hot drinks that you are permitted instead? I did have a nice thing going with peppermint and camomile tea at one point when I was struggling to reach my fluid goals with cold liquids. Also - I echo the other poster who says be careful what you put into it. A big part of the post op restrictions are intended to guide you to a better way of eating for life. If you replace sugary hot drinks with pseudo-sugary hot drinks immediately you might just retain that taste and find it easier to slip into bad habits down the line? No evidence for this, just spit-balling at this point. Anyway - I hope you can get your caffeine fix authorised soon, or that you can find other things that replace it and contribute to your weight loss.

You definitely have a serious issue, but I don't think it's your weight. Your weight isn't going to kill you, at least not at the size you are right now, but your mental health might. And it certainly is robbing you of the joy in life that you deserve to experience. That's tragic. And unfortunately, surgery or weight loss isn't a cure. Gaining weight can take a toll, both mentally and physically. I understand, because I went from 5'6" and 127 lbs at age 16 to weighing 225 lbs by age 32 and hitting 250 lbs by 49. I tried many diets. I exercised. I worked with a dietician for about 7 years and tried many medications, including Saxenda and Wegovy. I developed high blood pressure and became prediabetic. For 33 years, I gained weight, lost a bit for a while, and kept gaining more. But I also lived a fairly happy life. I got married, bought a house, had two children, started a career I enjoyed, traveled to lots of places I had always wanted to see, learned new hobbies, spent time with friends and loved ones. Was I frustrated that I had to buy clothing in the plus department? Yes. Did I sometimes look in the mirror and feel sad at how I looked? Absolutely. But that wasn't my identity and it didn't dictate what I allowed myself to do or experience. Feeling like your life is destroyed, that life is a cruel joke, and reaching a point where you do not wish to continue living is an extreme and unhealthy reaction to gaining weight. It's a huge red flag that something else is going on with your mental health. That, in my opinion, is way more pressing to take care of right now than reducing the size of your body. I had surgery because I knew it was what I needed for my health. It would clear up physical issues and help me live a longer life with more activity and less pain. I did it because I loved myself and I knew I deserved to get every ounce of joy from life that I could. But a year ago, 80 lbs heavier than now, I loved myself exactly as much as I do today. I don't love myself any more now because I'm thinner, even though I do love how I look. And I love myself now way more than I probably did when I was downright skinny in my youth. There's no magic number on the scale that makes you worth loving. You're worth that at every size, shape, and age. I'm not saying to give up on losing weight or on getting weight loss surgery. If it's important to you, you can find a way. There are some amazing and affordable self-pay surgery options available in Mexico, for example. You could start saving a little bit of money each month now if it feels worth it to you. I hope this won't happen, but if you continue to gain weight, you will eventually qualify for surgery through your health care. In the US, it's at a 35 BMI with comorbidities and at a 40 BMI based on obesity alone. I assume the standards in Canada are similar. But no matter what you do, I would encourage you to find help with your mental health and self-image. You deserve to be happy with who you are and not to have how you feel about yourself be based primarily on something as arbitrary as a number on the scale or the tag inside your jeans.

Hi all. Im 7 weeks post op as of today. I’m curious if anyone has hired an independent bariatric dietician… in other words, someone outside of your surgeon’s office to support you? I am not really satisfied with the level of support that I am getting from my surgeon’s office. I’d like at least a weekly or bi-weekly check in with someone and to discuss goals and things I can work towards. When I asked my surgeon’s office at my last follow up appointment if I was where I should be weight loss wise, I didn’t really get much of an answer. I asked where I should be at my three month follow-up and she couldn’t find her chart. So I never got an answer. I live in an area where I haven’t been able to find any support groups locally. I’ve located someone online with a wealth of experience in working with bariatric patients and is a certified dietitian. She works primarily online with patients. I am hesitant to move forward based on the price. Just curious if anyone has had luck with this or has any thoughts about it? I haven’t decided against it, just hesitant due to cost.

Congratulations on making your decision to take your life back. Only those who are obese truely understand how limiting and challenging it is as well as its impact on you psychologically and emotionally. There are a number of reasons why people undergo a revision from sleeve to bypass: they develop GERD, weight regain, don’t lose as much as they hoped. Don’t know the rate of this occurring. Doesn’t mean this will happen to yiu.I know people who have had a revision on this forum and people who haven’t. Personally I have three friends with a sleeve all between 4 & almost 7 years out and no revisions. I ‘m 5.5 yrs out with my sleeve and am happy with it & my younger brother just had one done. But we’re all different & the surgeries work in different ways to different people. Sometimes surgeons will recommend bypass over sleeve because of the weight their patient has to lose, weight loss and gain history, pre-existing conditions (like GERD, etc.), etc. Are you able to ask why the surgeon/clinic is encouraging you down the path of a sleeve rather than bypass as this is less common (more common to recommend bypass over sleeve). My cyclical side wonders if it’s because a sleeve is a less complicated surgery, takes less time to perform and sometimes doesn’t require an overnight hospital stay. So do they want you to have a sleeve because it’s less demanding on their services. Ultimately it should be your decision as to which surgery you get. Have a look at some of the you tube videos by Dr Matthew Weiner (pound of cure) & Dr John Pilcher. They cover many topics so you’ll need to work through quite a list (great resources for you post surgery) & will have some on the differences and benefits of the different surgeries. All the best.

@Bypass2Freedomsharing your workouts would be so great, thank you ☺️ I generally sort of notice weight loss when I’ve lost around 3 stones, so documenting it has helped. @catwoman7I will be honest and say that it’s so very hard putting myself in front of hubby with a camera when the size of a house. Hubby reminded me of something today which made me stop and think - when I’d lost loads of weight years ago, I would happily have my picture taken. Hubby said I would have given our 4 year old granddaughter a run for her money when it comes to posing etc (she’s a diva, what can I say 🤷‍♀️) and he’s looking forward to that time again. @SleeveToBypass2023aw, what a lovely thing to say, thank you ☺️ I won’t forget the bike 😉

@AndreaJD your advice about the weight loss discussion with others is great! I’m definitely using that one and thank you!! Good luck on your surgery tomorrow, like you said, eyes on the prize! @Justarwaxx mine is on the 14th too!! Are you doing the Gastric Bypass as well? I’ve been told I’ll only be in the hospital 1 night… we shall see. Omg, my husband ate pizza for dinner… he was at least nice enough to eat it in another room, but still… i could almost kill for a piece. But again, eyes on the prize. I keep having to remind myself. 2 more days of this and then my life is changing. All our lives are changing for the better, which makes it worth it. You guys stay strong and good luck this week, I know a lot of us are on the roster this week. Be strong and positive vibes everyone!! I look forward to hearing from everyone after their surgery, keep us updated!!

Heya! I have an underactive thyroid & PCOS and I am about 5-6 weeks in now I think? I can't even keep track at this point 😂 But I definitely have been going through a stall! I went from losing 3+ lbs in a week, to just staying still give or take 1 lb. It is very very frustrating, but it is just our body trying to recalibrate and it'll soon realise it isn't in danger of starvation, and it'll stop holding onto everything and weight loss will resume!

I am asking for your help/advice. I am a physical therapist and I underwent my own bariatric surgery in 2022. I am looking to develop a unique bariatric program that provides exercise programs and support to people undergoing rapid weight loss whether from surgery or from medication. If you guys could answer a few questions for me it would be greatly appreciated and would help me build my practice! 1. Did you exercise before surgery? And what was your biggest challenge? 2. Would you have benefited from a preop physical therapy appointment to develop a customize strength training program that took into consideration your current limitations and orthopedic issues. 3. how were you educated on post operative activity and physical restrictions? Would you have liked a week by week guide on what activities you can return to and when? 4. Were you educated on exercises to maintain muscle mass through your first year postoperatively? 5. What kind of exercises did you do postoperatively in the first year? Did you hire a personal trainer? Join the gym? Search online? 6. Did you develop any new or worsening musculoskeletal pain as you were more mobile and your body composition changed? 7. Let me know if you have any other ideas on how having a physical therapist on your bariatric team would have benefited you both before and after surgery. Thanks so much everyone. I may be piloting this program with a few patients. Email me if you’re interested (I’m licensed to treat in N.C.) contact@localpointpt.com

Yes! Yes! 100% yes I would have the surgery again. I personally know 4 people who’ve had surgery and know of several others who’ve had surgery (friends of friends, siblings of friends and relatives of in-laws). None of them have complications or have died. There have been a couple of people here who have had complications but they are few. The majority of people I’ve got to know through this forum are fine. And from what I can recall over the almost six years I’ve been here, their complications have been resolved through some sort of medical intervention. Of course there would be some who’ve had surgery who have passed away or have serious complications. There have been a couple on My 600lb Life who passed away. But what pre existing complications did they have? Was their death or the complication a direct result of the surgery or because of the pre existing condition? Carrying excess weight alone would have shortened their lifespan and led to many complications regardless of the surgery. The risks of the surgery alone are very low. I recall reading they are less than a tonsillectomy or appendectomy yet no one questions those surgeries. I wonder about those who share horror stories and what is the motivation behind spreading those stories. Are they jealous a friend or family had the surgery? Are they against a family member or friend having the surgery? Believe me people do react like this. There have been a number of people here sharing the negativity they they receive from people who supposedly love them & who at the best for them when they say they want to have the surgery or have had the surgery. I deliberately was selective in who I told for these very reasons. If you want to know the true stories from people who’ve actually had surgery you’re in the right place here. Also, I don’t believe insomnia is common. For many of us our sleeping improves. Before surgery I would average about 4 hours a night. I would often have nights where I didn’t sleep at all. Now I probably average 7.5 hours. I had 9 the other night and had a nap during the day. LOL! Many also throw away their CPAP machines because the quality of their sleep improves to such an extent they don’t need it with their weight loss. Hey @niecy. I wonder if your poop isn’t soft enough. Are you meeting your fluid goals? Have you tried a stool softener to see if that eases the discomfort? Have you spoken to your surgeon or doctor? Maybe a colonoscopy to rule out any blockages, tears, etc. would be beneficial? It is possible to be constipated & yet still poop regularly which I discovered 18 months ago. https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-be-constipated-and-still-poop

Well I took the advice or the veterans who did or do yoga now and ordered some smaller legging because mine were rolling down. I thought I was maybe getting close to being near the next size but apparently I was already there. They looked so small that I thought there was no way but I tried this and they fit (comfortably). Also today I told a friend that I am planning to check out a craft show that is near her this weekend and asked if she wants to go for a while. Well it’s going to be hot and we are planning to meet up and do lunch first so since can’t get away with bike shorts and them and leggings are all I have right now I was on Amazon looking for shorts. Well I found some that looked good and apparently I thought that before too because it said I purchased them in 2023. So I looked In my drawer and sure enough I had two pairs of them brand new and would you believe they fit perfectly. Good thing too because I was ordering a size bigger and wouldn’t have had time to exchange them. So I guess I am reaching the stage where I can shop in my closet for a while. Ooh and my brain definitely hasn’t caught up with my weight loss because the shorts and the leggings both looked like they were going to be way too small.

I had a revision surgery from sleeve to SADI a week ago today and I am a little concerned about how fast I am losing. Between the pre op diet and now I have lost 26 pounds. I think 14 pounds Pre Surgery and 12 this week. What’s odd is that the surgeon warned me that with it being a revision my loss would be quite a bit slower than with a virgin surgery and I don’t think I lost quite this fast with my sleeve. Obviously I want to lose And the faster the better so long as it’s still healthy. I have my first post op tomorrow and I plan to ask the NP but I am just curious to hear what others here have experienced. Maybe I’m worrying too soon. It could be that everyone loses this quick this early out regardless of vigin surgery or revision. It’s just something on my mind and I’m curious about what others experience has been with revision surgeries. Did you lose pretty quickly the first week as well?

Does anyone have a detailed I guess EOB regarding weight loss surgery approval and denial from Tricare (more specifically Tricare East/Humana). I know what their website says, but it doesn’t give much info at all. Thanks!

First of all Happy Birthday. 🎁 and congrats on your 20 pounds loss and your first non scale victory (the stairs) 🎉. The chili was a really good choice and good for you sticking to a couple of bites of the cake. Your husband sounds super sweet and supportive. They actually have a birthday cake yogurt too. I can’t remember what brand it was but went I seen it I was like ooh I’ll have to remember that. I do log my food. I actually use the Baritastic App and it has worked great so far but i ran into a snag with it tonight. I made Turkey meatballs and it does have Turkey meatballs in the database but I’m pretty sure they are smaller than mine were because one meatball was way less calories than I estimated. I wish it had a way to add a recipe and say how many servings you had. I like the app because my phone is always with me and it also notifies you to take your vitamins and to drink and all that if you set it up. Plus you can log your measurements and weight. The book certainly is sufficient too if that’s what works for you though.

Personally? Yes, I would have the surgery. Why? Because losing weight is only half the battle. Obesity is a disease. The vast majority of people will gain back all the weight they lose through diet and exercise alone within 5 years. Weight loss surgery changes your metabolism so that it works with you instead of against you. I knew from too many attempts to lose in the past that I would not be one of the lucky ones to lose and maintain on my own. Every time I lost weight, I gained it back, plus a few pounds. To address a few of your fears, I can say from my experience that my pain lasted about 5 days. I never took anything stronger than Tylenol once I was discharged from the hospital. My tastes have changed in that I now find certain foods are less pleasant to eat. More than a small piece of bread gives me an unpleasant heavy feeling in my belly. Very fatty foods will make my heart race a bit so I avoid them. Certain sweets like cake frosting and cheaper milk chocolates seem much too sweet and I don't want more than a bite or two. The adjustment period in terms of learning what you can eat lasts about 3 months, at least it did for me. Even after the first month, I was able to eat in restaurants. I just chose to split a meal with a companion and stuck with simply prepared items like a grilled chicken salad. I've gone on road trips, spent a few weeks away from home in hotels, and did just fine. I eat mostly healthy foods, I don't count calories, I get reasonable exercise but don't go out of my way for it. And at 50 years old and not quite 10 months out from surgery, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight, I am back to the size I was my first year of college and still slowly losing. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I am sure your appointment will go well and you will be all set for 15th. I was the same, with no pre-op diet to follow so I just made sure to enjoy my last few pre-op meals, meeting friends and having drinks in the few weeks lead up and weaning myself off coffee. Of course you will lose weight and you just have to take the time to work on the new you (inside and out) so that you will have the strength and mindset not to get back to where you are now and what lead you to need the surgery. We all hope not to have regain but even a few kg/lbs back on is ok too but try not to focus on a negative like that as positive mindset going forward is the best way to be. Your body will be readjusting and has to find its own level. Over the course of your journey there will be weight losses, gains and stalls and we are all here for you to vent, ask questions etc. 🍀

Ok, so there are lots of posts out there about concerns about speed of weight loss, amount of weight loss, how much is too much weight lost, how much is too little, etc. etc. The same responses inevitably come back, about how we are all different, we lose at our own rates, genetics, starting weight, height, gender, age are all factors, don't compare, etc. etc. But the reality is that no one really cares about the reasons for the differences, we all seem to just wanna see the NUMBERS. And then compare them to our own. Le Sigh. Sooooo....being a one who personally LOVES numbers and data and spreadsheets, I thought I would start a little project. I want to collect stats from any willing members and i will compile the data into a lovely spreadsheet and graph(s) organized by certain variables. Doesn't that sound like fun???? 😂😂😂😂 So, for FUNSIES, send me the following info (if you are willing!), and i after i collect a good-enough sized sample (say at least 100?), I'll do my thing. It may take a week, a month a year, depending on how many people participate. 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery * the final report will have names/usernames removed in an effort to a bit of privacy if you don't want to reply to the thread with the info, feel free to DM me ** of course this will not be in any way some definitive scientific report! - ms.sss

out with the gals last night...had margaritas with a side of guacamole and chips for dinner omg. i kept meaning to order a proper entree, but just didn't get around to it so just ate the leftover chips and guac that was on the table... the margaritas alone were like 800 cals! so warning to those drinking mixed drinks during weight loss phase! keep your calorie counts in mind! one of my margaritas!

Well, as a guy I obviously have no real experience here but I wanted to point out a male perspective. My experience is that breast "size" is relative to overall body size. What I mean by that is proportionally a C cup can seem quite big on a 5 foot tall 100 pound gal, whereas a DD cup might seem small on a 6 foot 250 pound woman. What the majority of guys like is just for a woman to look proportional. There are certainly exceptions (afterall people like what they like), but the majority of guys probably prefer something in the middle, thus not super small and not super big. If you have a significant other right now, you might ask for their thoughts here? If not, I'd definitely recommend going no larger than a D cup as that can look normal at almost all the weights you're likely to land at based on your height. In other words, I think your initial gut feeling that a C or D cup will be right for you is spot on. As to weight loss and where you "should be", it's all up to you. This whole idea that you will eventually stop losing at some number of months or percentage lost post surgery is based on averages, not science. I also think if you were to poll people here, you'd find that almost all of us tend to set initial goals much higher that what is attainable, so for those that have gotten into a "normal" range, we've probably adjusted our goal weights down at least once, it not more. In my own case, I initially set my goal for 200, partly because it's a nice round number, and partly because that was lower than I remember ever being as an adult. Once I blew through that, I adjusted down to 180. I'm leaving my "goal" there at this point because I'm now focused on body recomposition. In other words, I'm trying to add some additional muscle and lose a bit more fat. Per my last In-Body scan, I'm at 13.5% BF and would like to be sub 12%. (Lean, but not shredded.) That would put me in the 165-170 range, but I want to also add roughly 8-10 pounds of additional muscle, so I'll leave the goal where it is for a while. Let me close by saying I'm in awe of how well you've been handling the cancer diagnosis and treatment! I think I would have have completely fallen apart had I been in a similar situation. I know many of us here are rooting for you.

So sorry you're having some doubts right now. I didn't experience this, but I want to ensure you that you will lose post-surgery. It would be physiologically impossible not to. I suspect what you're experiencing is simply variations in your weight due to other things. Keep in mind that your weight is made up of a lot of things, not just fat. As an example, I'll give you an illustration that's top of mind for me. As a runner, I track how much sweat loss I'm experiencing (to make sure I know my hydration needs), so I weighed myself both before and after my long run today. The difference was 4.8 pounds! I obviously didn't lose 5 pounds of fat, I mostly just lost a bunch of water weight. My point is that fat is just one part of our overall weight, thus expecting that the scale will always go down as we lose fat is a fool's errand. Even unexpected things like hormonal changes, macronutrient balance, and the amount of sleep you get can all impact what the scale says. Were I you, I'd just stop weighing for a while. The scale is not your friend.

I am sure it varies for everyone depending on the approach of the psychiatrist and the medical programme but from what I remember I was asked about why I believed I put the weight on, what I had done in the past for weight loss, did I suffer from depression, did I have an eating disorder, how my weight impacted my life, did I have a supporting family and friends group etc. Then I was asked about what I wanted from the operation, he made sure to explain that the op is not the treatment alone and I would have to put in the work on myself and my body, how the op was a tool to help me and I would have to make changes and choices for the rest of my life. He also then asked would I be happy with the changes to my body such as saggy skin as that is what a lot of people are left with. We discussed my weight journey over the years, how I am an organised person so if I am given a set of rules (with a few bendy grey areas 😉) I felt I could follow the changes that would be required without much of an issue and that while I would love to not have saggy skin I knew that would be impossible but that being a healthy weight with less risk of health issues was more important. If you already put down about being schizoaffective on your medical forms and they considered it an automatic fail I would hope that that they would have already told you.

Not so much because we need something that gives drastic results, that's permanent and can't be undone, and will be a tool that will help and almost force us to stick to the diet and make good choices. If it's something that can be easily undone, then when it gets hard and we feel like it sucks, we can go in a moment of frustration and have it undone. Not to mention, the weight loss isn't as much, which is something most of us need. At my surgery weight, I was 388. My goal weight was 190. So my excess weight was 198 pounds. With this surgery, I only would have lost 40-50 pounds. That wouldn't have made any sense at all. There are a few articles I saw that had people lose 35% of their excess weight, but that's the exception and not the rule. But even then, I would have only lost 65 pounds. Still would not have been enough. Wouldn't have even gotten me out of the 300's. My heaviest weight was 421 and my surgery day weight was 388. With the sleeve, I lost 113 pounds but had complications and needed a revision. Once I had the revision, I lost another 100 pounds. No way could I have done any of that with this particular surgery, and I'm guessing that's why most of us don't look at it. We need something more drastic. Losing 40-65ish pounds wouldn't cut it.

Congratulations on your loss. It’s not nothing, every bit you lose makes you that much healthier so try not to think of it as ONLY 70 pounds. Take it from someone who thought like you did and stopped trying. I ended up gaining it all back because I was ashamed and felt like a failure. Obesity is complex. You are not a failure. You just need more help. If you haven’t already, make an appointment with your surgeon. They should have some tools to help get you back on track. If they have a live support group you may find that helpful as well as posting here.

Wins -- Well, I let myself have a few more carbs yesterday, bringing my net carbs up closer to 30 when they have been running in the teens or single digits the past eight weeks (one other time in the 30s on a day I had chili) and seems to be so far so good. I started spacing out my three meals to having more like 4-5 meals per day every three hours and find that works SO much better for me. It also helped me get past my 3.5 week stall that lasted about a week. I went out walking a couple of times this past week and also started using my exercise bike. Noticed that walking around is not leaving me as sore and my stamina is increasing. I also had a couple of NSV - I had to scoot up my car seat a bit, was able to wear a pair of jeans that were WAY too tight before my surgery, and I tried on a shirt yesterday that used to be tight in the arms and across the shoulders and found it fit comfortably! I'm starting to get comments on the weight loss being visible, so that's nice. Portion sizes remain very small - I don't dare eat more than 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup of combined foods per meal. I did add in a few bites of things that aren't just protein based, and that has been a nice switch.