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I haven’t had any blood work since surgery to say they’re working but all my bloodwork was off a couple months beforehand and I started them about a month and a half before surgery. My pre surgery bloodwork didn’t show any deficiencies in any vitamins or minerals then. I figured if the surgeon had them on her list of approved multivitamins then they must work but occasionally I do wonder how lol. My appt is next week on the 25th so I will let you know. Im one of those people that struggles with my levels on a good day so during this post op diet I’m sure I’ve been challenged. Amazing job on the weight loss and walking despite the knee pain. I often stay down because of pain or exhaustion and I need to get up and moving. I hope your knee surgery is in the near future!

I feel your pain with an injury. Tore my meniscus ligament in my knee. They wouldn't let me have surgery on it until I am 40 bmi. I'm there now, but I'm buying some time to be certain I have no issues since my gastric bypass. The surgeon suggested I wait at least three months post bariatric surgery. Trying to walk more is a problem, I can get a mile.or so in walking before the pain is too much. I'm looking forward to get it taken care of. I was wondering how well the vitamin patches work. I'm not having issues with taking vitamins orally. But there's so much berry flavored vitamins you can have before the tastes is meh.

My surgeon told me at my 6 week appointment that I needed to start doing more exercise. This week, I'm happy to say I've gotten out my little walking pad treadmill twice in the evenings and have been walking while watching TV. I've gone from a daily average of about 3k steps to more than 5k this week, and I'll be working toward 10k steps each day for the coming month. I can hardly wait as the weather improves to allow for more outside walking. I'm really hoping the additional activity will give the scale an added nudge in the right direction. Once I can hit 10k most days, I will start looking at ways to add resistance bands to build muscle, but if I'm honest, I have been almost completely sedentary for several years and need to pace myself for it to be sustainable. Today, I am less than 4 lbs away from the lowest weight I've recorded on my app in the past 7 years (which was 203.8 after doing the nutrition program at my old weight loss center). 203 lbs is the next milestone I have my eye on, followed by making it to 199 lbs, and then hitting 185 lbs to officially no longer be obese. I chose my weight goal of 155 lbs somewhat arbitrarily, though it's the lower end of the estimates I saw for how much I could lose on various calculators. But when it feels impossibly far away, it helps to have some smaller goals to focus on. Oh, and it's almost time to swap out my winter clothing for spring stuff, which means I will have a lot of items to take to the donation bin. Many of my long-sleeve tops are swimming on me and several pairs of jeans are hopelessly baggy. Purging my closet will be an awesome feeling!

Mine is April 23rd. I started my pre-op diet on Tuesday this week. It was a rough 2 days, but I'm getting the hang of it now. I know I am not going to want to eat certain foods for a bit - cottage cheese, being one of them. Pickles have been helpful. Good luck to everyone! I'm ready for it to be here.

Surgery 12/14/23 RNY. I turned 51 ten days later. I will be 4 months post op 4/14. Doing well, had a stall and now my hair is thinning in spots. I’ve been exercising since I came home. Only issue is some constipation.. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Good luck everyone and those that have had to done already I wish you all well! My surgery for my sleeve is the 22nd and I started my liquid diet on Monday this week (8th).

keep trying different ways of drinking water until you find one that you can tolerate...and even when you do find one way that works, you find that later on it doesn't and you need to find another type/kind. I started off with room temp water for about a week (just worked out that way cuz i carried around a water bottle that i took microsips from and it just ended up being room temp lol) then switched to warm/hot water for about 2 months cuz that's all i could stand. i found i could drink much much more at a hotter temp vs cold. then warm/hot fell out of favour, and i HAD to have it ice, ice cold...with like crushed ice in it even (not cubed, CRUSHED!). this went on for another couple months. then i was all about carbonated water (like perrier), and i drank just that until i reached goal and for several months afterwards. now i don't seem to have a glaring preference, but i do seem to lean towards ice water, if i had to pick one.

I had my first drink a month or so out post op. During my losing phase it was pretty rare as the calorie content just wasn’t worth it to me. Like ms. sss I had my worst ever dumping during this time off a delightful drink called a Cocoa Puff martini-like laying on the cold tile of a bathroom floor because it was the only place I could get even slightly comfortable hour of misery dumping. Now I’m a semi-regular drinker. A glass of wine about 3 nights a week, a cocktail or two on date nights with my guy. As long as it isn’t derailing you I think it’s fine.

I have not had any limits on alcohol drinking or coffee or drinking with straws etc. I think patients in Europe have slacker rules than you American cousins. I tried my first drink at 6 weeks, I had a weak Bloody Mary and it was yummy. I was born and raised in a pub, had pubs myself and drunk a lot over these years. I could hold my alcohol well. Now one glass of wine has me smashed for about 20 minutes. Last Christmas I went out with a friend and it got a little silly, I had at least 3 glasses and for the first time in my life, I don't remember going home. That scared me. I felt as if I had been spiked. Wine and cider give me awful GERD, Baileys gives me get the foamies. Something and lots of soda seems to work best for me. My husband calls me his cheap date, Cheap means different here.

You sound so much like me. I think about certain things and get nauseous! Water is so difficult. I took some Mio to the beach with me this past week and it did help some. I used to LOVE Crystal Light decaf tea and lemonade mixed. I haven't been able to tolerate it since surgery. I did make another 1/2 pitcher this morning and am praying I will like it again. Nearly all liquids make me gag. Oh and don't get me started on pills! Lol. I eat fish, but not chicken or meat. Tuna is good, and I can tolerate small amounts of baked, grilled, or broiled fish for dinner. I also like smoked salmon a lot! I've fallen for Dave's Killer Bread, thin sliced. A friend who had sleeve surgery 2 years ago recommended it. The slices are small, and I can usually finish one slice with some tuna salad or smoked salmon on it. PBFit powder is another thing I like. I never had it until NickelChip talked about it, I can't tell it's not peanut butter for the jar! I don't ever want to get dehydrated again! I didn't mind being in the hospital getting fluids, that was a nice break from life... but the way I felt was just horrible. Dehydrated, nauseous, and low blood pressure. I was a zombie! That alone is forcing me to sip on fluids even when I don't want to.

I discussed it with my surgeon at an appointment a few weeks ago and he said it could have been movement of the tube I had fitted but I was to go to the hospital the next time it happened and he then also scheduled the removal of the tube as it was only to be in for five to six months. I spent last week in hospital to get the tube, put in my stomach five months ago to help close the leak, removed. Since then I have had no painful episodes and the tests show that the leak appears to have closed up. It is just a week and a half since the removal so I guess time will tell.

Ty! Yes we are! Some of that weight loss was pre-surgery, lost about 26# since surgery. I feel really good actually. a) I too need to stop eating before I’m too full like so many others here, I’m having a hard time with that. b) I was super nauseous for the first 3 weeks or so but was lucky in that my surgeon gave me Zofran for it. My Dr. cleared me to eat whatever (as long as it’s healthy) I want after my 1 month follow up and so far so good. My new favorite food is canned chicken crust pizza I make. It’s soooo yummy and gives me tons of protein intake with just one piece. c) I’m definitely feeling the stalls, I’ve had 2 (one currently) which is what makes me come see how y’all are doing and then I realize it’s not just me so that makes me feel better. It’s just so annoying bc I typically eat about 750-900 cal a day and my brain just doesn’t want to get why the weight doesn’t just drop off 🤣. I think it thinks I’m starving to death 🤦🏼‍♀️😂 d) I have on occasion gotten super hungry which I hate. I was so hoping that feeling was permanently gone but 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s only happened to me 2 or 3 times so maybe I was dehydrated? That’s what I’m telling myself for now. I also have a hard time getting 64 ounces of fluid in but I try. And going back to the nausea thing….i just had a couple of suggestions that I’ve tried and have helped me, but of course ev1 is different. Even the thought of protein shakes now make me want to vomit, I do everything I can to avoid having to drink them. I try to hit 60-80 gm of protein a day. I eat a lot of tuna, chicken, Greek yogurt, the Only Bean roasted edamame beans and chicken pizza crust pizza. And use liquicel if I need a protein boost before breaking down and having a shake. I don’t ever take my vitamins on an empty stomach, I always eat light and fit Greek yogurt first. water makes me nauseated now. So I very rarely drink plain water. I usually drink decaf unsweetened iced tea and now add Mio to my water but I’m trying to integrate the plain water back in, I think it’s just some kind of weird mental block. And just keep in mind that dehydration itself can cause fatigue and nausea! Of course so can the vitamins were all taking 😂 Sorry for the vvvveeerrryyyyyy long post guys! And thanks again for all y’all’s unknown help. I wish ev1 the best on their weight loss journey!

Hi guys! So I had my surgery 2/22/24 and have been lurking on this forum since a few weeks before my surgery. Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to y’all that have been posting your journey whether it be struggles or wins. I come back to this topic anytime I’m having issues and y’all always make me feel better when I realize we all seem to be having the same struggles at some point or another. 😉

Sounds like a stall (it's only been 3 weeks...my stalls have been known to last 2 months before). And also, the closer we get to our goal weight, the slower we lose. I've been fighting the last 20 pounds to my goal weight for every bit of 5 months now lol Now that I'm 11 pounds away, it's like I'm at war with my body to get it to be where I want. Eventually, we hit our new "set point" where our bodies are happy and comfortable at a certain size/weight, and it doesn't want to go any lower. Personally, I don't care if it's happy here, I'm not where I want to be yet, so I just have to keep at it, change things up periodically, and above all have patience. I'll get there in the end.

I didn't have much pain when I woke up from my sleeve surgery. The pain came after i got home. It was a ROUGH 2 week recovery. HOWEVER....when I had my revision from sleeve to bypass, no pain. I was literally up and moving and walking and doing well while still in the hospital. The recovery was night and day compared to the sleeve. My only regret is that I didn't just do the bypass to begin with. I think you'll be fine. Just breathe through the nerves, remember why you're doing it, and take the leap. I promise, once you're on the other side of the surgery, you'll be so glad you did it.

Hi Lorna, Yes I had the RNY bypass. So today it's been a week. I am already feeling pretty well. Yes, I'm still swollen a bit and tire easily, but relatively pain free. So, a bit better, day by day. But if you are not feeling well be sure to advocate for yourself! The first day in the hospital I had to be pretty assertive with a nurse who wanted to withhold pain meds. I stood my ground, had the meds, and so rested more comfortably so I could heal. That being said since I left the hospital I took a couple of over the counter pills a night ago for minor discomfort. Otherwise I have not had a pain med since the weekend. Get your rest! Get your protein! Get your water! Day at a time!! Elizabeth

Hello everyone, I had my surgery yesterday. Surgeon said it went well. I am pretty sore at the moment and will be in hospital for 1-2 nights more.Will provide an update in a weeks time.

Hello friends, Update: Surgery went very well. Doctor was very pleased with it and post-op, Tomorrow is one week and I am feeling pretty good so far. Following the protein and water intake recommendations. (Using a medicine cup to remember to sip and not gulp -- that's helping a lot to establish this new habit.) So far this recovery has been easier than my hernia surgery and my VGS some years ago! I hope everyone is having a good experience as we embark our on this new path together! Best wishes, Elizabeth

Follow up: Surgery went well. Doctor was very pleased with it and my post-op. Tomorrow is the one week mark and I feel pretty good. Following the protein and water intake rules. Using a medicine cup to drink from so that I remember to sip helps a lot. Anyway happy to report that surgery at 60 is going even better than it was at 50 so far!!

Whether you drink alcohol or not or how much or how often you drink is really a personal one. You know yourself best & you are best placed to see how & if it affects you. I was a big glass of wine every night person before surgery. Never a big drinker as such but would enjoy a glass or three if socialising over a couple of hours. After surgery I had a gin & tonic at about the 2 month mark at my cousin’s 40th. Literally sipped it for hours. Had another 1or 2 gin & tonics over the next 4 months while losing, always nursing the glass for hours. Honestly, I lost my taste for it. Think I was only able to tolerate the rare g&ts because of the bitterness of the tonic. Now I usually have a glass of something about once a month when out or celebrating something. Still usually only one & I drink it over about an hour now. I have a fridge & a cupboard full of alcohol I just don’t drink. LOL! When I do drink I go for quality over quantity these days. A glass of real champagne, a glass of good quality scotch or a good gin (they’re my go tos). Certainly addiction transfer is a consideration. As is the increased effects of the alcohol on your body & how fast it can affect you is another. Then there is the calorie & nutritional impact. But again, your choice, though if your plan says no alcohol while losing, I’d probably stick to that as closely as possible to take best advantage of your losing phase.

ok, gonna throw my story on the table...take from it as you will, as a lesson to live by, a cautionary tale, or a personal justification...you choose. pre surgery i was also a weekend warrior, actually, more like a yearly quarterly warrior, lol. i had like a couple drinks every 2-3 months. probably got stupid drunk once a year or less. during weight loss phase (which lasted 7 months) i had maybe 5 partial drinks. i don't think i finished any of those drinks. my first "drink" was 3 weeks post op. I had maybe 2-3 sips of a glass of red wine. it was really weird, i swear i could feel the burning of the alcohol pass down my esophagus, through my stomach and along my intestines. my second drink was about 1 month later (christmas) and it was a very sugary soju-sake drink. again i had maybe 2-3 sips but this one resulted in my second worst dumping experience ever. *shudder*. the next 3 or so drinks were vodka or gin sodas (learned my lesson! less sugar!) ok. now its 2019, im in maintenance and i'm looking hawt and feeling awesome and me and mr. go on a couple vacations and i drink way more than i normally do. but its vacation, right? so its ok. i also took up smoking again after being smoke free for 10 years (but thats another story). now its 2020 and its effing covid, and i, like many others i know started drinking at home (i never did this before, i was always a go-out drinker) ...and now its 2024 and i drink every day. i don't get stupid drunk every day or anything (not that i'm trying to justify anything - i fondly call myself a high-functioning alcoholic), but i do drink every day. its at a point where others (i.e., my doctors and my hubs) are chastising me with the amount i drink. i know i drink too much and its probably doing a number on my health despite nothing showing up on any of my labs or whatever. i quit drinking for a month last year because my son said i couldn't stop drinking for a week. so i know i can stop (or at least slow down) if i really wanted to. trouble is i don't seem to really want to. last year, my OBGYN said i really should stop smoking AND drastically cut down the amount i drink. i told her i'm not sure i could do both, so i made her a deal and said i would stop smoking. i'm proud to say i have been smoke free for 9 months (after smoking for 4 years after quitting for 10, after smoking for 20...say that ten times fast, lol). its been surprisingly easy, but i think its because i can still drink. ANYWAY. i'm hoping to get into a mindset soon to address my drinking problem. i don't doubt my ability to reduce, but i'm not sure i will actually WANT to anytime soon. le sigh. so there you have it. i am the poster child of transfer addiction. despite all this, my weight has more or less remained unchanged (go figure). i continue to stay below goal weight this entire time. ....and i am literally typing this post out with an espresso martini in hand. dont judge me! lol. i am relatively chill about all this so even if you do judge me, i wont take it personally. p.s. oh, i should also mention that i get "affected" real quick and on very small amounts. and i also sober up real quick. this phenomenon is a purely post surgery thing. i needed lots more to get drunk before surgery....although my smaller size now may also be a factor....

Hi everyone! Had mine March 28th :) I hit week two tomorrow!

I can’t say the staples were a pain issue for me. There was generalized soreness in the abdomen but was medicated at the hospital. Once home I didn’t require too much pain meds. Just a couple days at night to help sleep. For me the sorest area was the larger incisional port where the Dr removed the stomach. He had told me I would feel a tugging sensation for a few weeks due to the additional stitches at that location. The pain wasn’t too bad, but, thankful I knew what it was. I don’t feel it anymore. As far as the nausea, I was given medication to prevent it so thankfully didn’t go through that. Hope this helps.

Haha, me too! I've been out to breakfast twice and both times I had eggs. One time I ordered one egg scrambled with sausage, hold the toast. The other time I went with a friend and she ordered the big breakfast special that had pancakes, eggs, sausage, home fries, and toast. She gave me the eggs and sausage and ate the rest. We both had leftovers from a meal intended for one person! I also went to a NY style deli in CT last week and ordered the smoked whitefish salad appetizer. It was perfect! I ate half at the table and took the rest with me to eat a couple hours later. I was slightly sad to decline the offer of their fresh rye bread, but no way could I eat it.

OK this is a biggie. You might want to treat alcoholic drinks like a big glass of sugar. Empty calories and not helping you to your goal - hindering actually. However I am Irish and therefore have to acknowledge the fun/relaxation/social stuff associated with imbibing those totally worthless calories. Lots of people who have previously had a completely healthy relationship with alcohol (even if on the slightly heavier side of healthy alcohol intake) can develop a very UNhealthy relationship with alcohol after bariatric surgery. You get a bigger hit, you get it quicker, and you get all the neurotransmitter rush associated with that that makes you want to repeat the experience. For lots of us it has been a big trigger for regaining weight. Just do a search for alcohol and read some of the posts here describing it as THE factor on people's regain. Lots of others have been able to maintain a healthy relationship with alcohol too. If you do your research AND are aware of all that AND vigilant AND able to take immediate action if your relationship with alcohol changes then it might be OK to drink it earlier than your programme allows. Otherwise it might be best to just concentrate on the lovely honeymoon period when you lose weight with not too much effort. I was sleeved 7 weeks before Christmas 2021 and negotiated a glass or two of bubbles over that first holiday season with my dietician. I have been able to continue to drink alcohol at my previous rate and not regain. UNTIL I stopped losing - that was about 2 years post op, 5 months ago. Since then I have been regaining (albeit very slowly). I do wonder whether if I had just ditched alcohol (my only sugar now) early on whether I wouldn't have put on 5lbs in 5 months. I know that third year regain is a thing, but I will never be able to say what effect alcohol may have had. It does seem to have stabilised for me and I know my regain is tiny (not angsting, LOL) just wanted to share my thoughts and my experience. Sorry that turned into a bit of an essay. I hope it helps. Long story short, my programme said no alcohol for 6 months, my (Irish) dietician said go right ahead.