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I appreciate the offer. I've been in therapy focused on BED for half a decade and think I have a good understanding of what's going on with me and I've gone from severe/extreme BED 15 years ago to moderate a decade ago to mild (as of my last meeting with this psychiatrist) to not meeting the diagnostic criteria at all now. I've lost a greater percentage of my body weight before surgery than research indicates a person with BED should expect to lose after surgery. It's more than a little irritating that having self-awareness of the disorder and thus being in active treatment is putting me at a disadvantage when it comes to getting WLS compared to the significant fraction of people who get surgery who have it and are unaware of it and thus have never been diagnosed or treated. Like, if my psych meds were prescribed by my PCP, I wouldn't even be having this problem. But now I have a black mark on my record with this program and I can't just go to another one.

I had my 1-month appointment this week. My bloodwork came back great, except some minor elevated liver functions which worried me, but didn't worry my surgeon. They were pleased with my progress and told me that they measure percent excess weight lost and in 1-month that was 23% and they want 30% at 3-months, so they don't expect me not to meet that goal. I'm not sure what numbers they are using because they won't tell me a goal weight, but they have to have it somewhere! I was cleared for all foods but I've been having issues with meats so we will see how that goes. I had an episode of the foamies and it was terrible. That happened with chicken. Also cleared for exercise, although I get between 7-8K steps just at work, so they suggest 45 min 3x a week for now. NSV: I had a Zoom meeting today and it was the first time in such a long time that I didn't loathe how I looked on screen! It was pretty cool!

I have trouble eating! I do my protein shakes almost every day and then that's enough for me. Unfortunately when I get stressed or bored I pick up potato chips, grapes, or I do have a healthy salad. I find potato chips to be my downfall so I'm trying very hard to stay away from those. But I think my main problem is I'm not getting enough protein in and that maybe why my weight has gone from 265 in 2019 to 170 lb April 21st of last year to now 198 lb! So I am depressed about it but I'm trying to do something about it and want to do a reset after I do this colonoscopy! Any remarks, suggestions, would be greatly appreciated as I want to get back to 170 and even below that my goal is between 140 and 150 I'm 5 ft 4 in. I'm also about to undergo another procedure for my back having a spinal cord stimulator implanted this procedure will mean I have undergone at least 12 back procedures / surgeries since 2015 so I'm in a lot of pain but implementing exercise as I can. Sent from my LM-T600 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm depressed, was 265 when I underwent gastric bypass. Went down to 170 lb as of April 21st, now I'm up to a whopping 198. Ready to do a reset! Sent from my LM-T600 using BariatricPal mobile app

We all have different starting points and the more weight you have to lose, the more weight you will lose and it will come off faster. I know it's easier said than done, but it will drive you crazy if you compare yourself with others. Everyone's journey will look different.

Hello! I am just under 6 months post op. My advise: start practicing changes PRE-OP. For example: PRE-OP I started Counted calories and logged everything (lost weight as a bonus). Stopped drinking soda (even tho I only drank diet). Stopped drinking with my meals. I feel like all these little things made the transition easier post-op. As far as being a student, I personally think you will be fine in 3 weeks. Of course everyone is different so take it with a grain of salt. I had no complications or any issues after surgery. (Luckyyy and thankful) I took a month off of work but ended up coming back at 3 weeks. I did get tired SUPER fast the first few days but after that I was pretty much back to normal. Good luck on your journey, it is SO WORTH IT!

I would look up advice for bariatric athletes online. There's a few dietitians out there who are working with post-surgery athletes and some of them write articles and blogs, but the field is very, very new. Most bariatric dietitians are not going to have the knowledge to guide you if you are exercising seriously and most sport dietitians don't have the knowledge to work around your restrictions and different macro needs during the active weight loss phase and beyond. (And even at the intersection, most of the writing I've seen focuses on athletes after the initial weight loss period.) And I don't fault them for that entirely. Bariatric dietitians are focused on patient populations assumed to be only begrudgingly if at all active and sport dietitians are focused on patients who have no history of morbid obesity so... what can you do. Don't worry about not getting enough carbs and losing muscle though. It's protein that you need to build muscle and it a lack of protein will cause your body to break down muscle. Carbs are for immediately accessible energy during workouts and Crossfit workouts are not long enough to require any additional carbs like a marathoner might need. You will be able to work from what your body has available, which it can convert from fat (from diet or from your excess weight). I would go relatively low-carb per your program's recommendation and notice how you feel during workouts. If you're hitting the wall much earlier than you have in the past (accounting for the fact that you've just gone through major surgery and probably taken significant time off), then maybe try adding a small amount of complex carbohydrate before your workout (something like berries or oatmeal, not something high in sugar natural or otherwise) or switch around the timing of when you eat your carbs and see whether that improves your workouts. Crossfit folks generally recommend a low-carb diet anyway. Disclaimer: I'm not a dietitian, I'm just a Crossfitter who was very concerned about this at the beginning of my surgery process and did a lot of research. I haven't had surgery yet, so I can't give my personal experience.

it returns for most of us sometime within the first year. Mine came roaring back at five months out. Be grateful for its disappearance - although it's kinda weird to get used to, it will never in your life be easier to lose weight than it will right now, when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food. Things will get more challenging once it returns. I wish mine never had.

This is probably best answered by your dietician because yes, plans are so different. Your dietician should advise what’s best for you taking into account your physical & caloric needs, your dietary requirements & restrictions, etc. without compromising your weight loss. I was never given carb limits only told low carb & only low processed whole & multi grains (traditional rolled oats for breakfast 3 or 4 days a week was my only source beside the carbs in vegetables). But then I’m not an exerciser. 🙂

That’s my plan, too!! Can’t wait to hit my 100 pound weight loss. Twenty pounds to go! Once I get there I’m calling a plastic surgeon for a consult. 😁👍🏻

Hi, For the first 8 weeks my doctors have only 2-4 teaspoons of food for each meal. And only 3 meals per day. After that it is 1/4 cup per meal 3xs a day. My doctors also advise to take miralax to make sure I don’t get constipated. My friend hit a stahl and turned out it was gas and constipation. Check in with your weight loss team!

Personally, I'm don't care about "bariatric friendly" when I drink. Alcohol is not on my plan which is another reason I'm not looking at how it will impact my weight. My first consideration is not to drink often. Anything not on my plan I don't do often. Just my plan for off plan adventures. Next, I dump on sugar so I must be careful to I avoid fruit juices and sugared mixers such as cola. Amazingly enough, dumping takes the pleasure out of just about anything. Be sure whatever you do works for you. Do test run's at home because the effects of alcohol often hits GB patients quicker and harder than normal and also passes quicker, which could be precarious in public. Good luck, Tek

Hello All, I am Kam, 37 years old male. I am going to have Beriatci surgery probably by end of October and have so many questions and concerns about post-op and side effects but not sure who I can ask these questions since my Beriatic group is not very helpful and responsive. I was wondering if I can find someone preferably a male between 30-45yrs that been through surgery so I can ask my question from a real case patient. My current weight is 330lbs and I am 6.1.

Hello, I’m currently on the pre op diet. At the start of the second week I began having severe back and neck pain that’s shoots up to the back of my head. Has anyone had this issue? I thought maybe it’s the lack of electrolytes. I have been drinking more than enough water. At this point I’m so disappointed because I had been exercising and losing that pre surgery weight. Now I’m almost immobile and I’m less than a week from surgery!

Great job on your progress! I’m not generally one to “reward” myself, and I kind of look at the weight loss as its own reward. If you’ve been living with obesity for a long time, some really basic things that most people take for granted can be amazing to experience for the first time — like shopping in a non-plus-size store, traveling on an airplane without a seatbelt extension, or just being able to bend down and tie your shoes. Many of us experience great health improvements like stopping blood pressure medication. There’s a very long thread about weird non-scale victories here: http://sparktrack.bariatricpal.com/f/a/Y50OG68aRzzLR0Yjxz0aTA~~/AABcJQA~/RgRlAveiP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmFyaWF0cmljcGFsLmNvbS90b3BpYy80MzY3MTAtd2VpcmRlc3Qtbm9uZS1zY2FsZS12aWN0b3J5LWlsbC1nby1maXJzdC9XA3NwY0IKYx-iciBjIPHUHFIRc2FyYTc4MUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with buying yourself a nice shirt or new phone or treating yourself to a massage to celebrate, if that’s how you like to reward yourself, but I think it’s also good to appreciate all of the ways your life is improving as you lose the weight.

I usually feel full after eating about 2 oz (by weight) of food. I bought 4 ounce mason jars and use them for all my meal prep. I never have come close to eating even 3 oz without feeling like I am going to throw up.

Remember not just about weight loss… but the other benefits too! I did notice when installed - I upped my protein and then I started losing again. I am 6wks out from surgery and had the same type of stall the first month. Give your body time to heal! You just had surgery and when it’s ready, changes will happen! Ps I’m supposed to get 80g protein a day… that’s why I mentioned maybe upping your protein. But always check in with your dr and or nutritionist! Good luck ☺️

When I asked my doctor he said to add more calories to help your body adjust, when I did that, I lost more weight. I only increased by 100 cal. but that was enough. The schedule my doc put us on was eating every 2.5 hours or so. breakfast - snack - lunch - snack - dinner. and multiple shakes were fine. The shakes I use are only 140 cal, but 24 grams of protein.

I had the gastric sleeve with Dr ceaser elenes. The surgery itself was 1000/10. Didn't feel any pain or experience any issues. Excepted the fact that I woke up speaking Spanish....😂😂😂. Followed the after diet for the first 3 months and lost 80lbs. Surgery date. June 1,2022 Price $3000 Travel $700 (from Miami to mexicali,Mexico). Hw 384lb Surgery 372lb Currently weight 291. Pros: The price extremely affordable. Had been getting dicked around by my insurnace for 3 years. The care (bedside manner) of the doctor. Getting a new lease on life(not to sound corny). No more early morning back pain. sleep apnea. Blood pressure meds. Cons. As with any out of the country surgery lack of a follow up. After the first three months your done no more care. You are on your own... kinda scary. But do I regret my decision hell No. A great price Great doctor Great facilities. I give it a rating of 9/10.

Yes to this! I lost every day the first week and now I am just about a month out and have only lost 1 more pound. I see my doctor at the end of the month and I'm afraid they are going to think I'm not following the diet. I am. I have a protein shake for breakfast, yogurt for lunch and an egg for dinner. I was told not to add any more protein shakes because those count as meals and I'll have too many meals if I do that. I am honestly sort of regretting the surgery a bit since I'm barely eating but not losing any weight. I could have just had the hiatal hernia surgery if I wasn't going to lose weight. I feel like I've permanently altered my insides for nothing. It has been very frustrating for me. A friend of mine had surgery and has lost over 100 lbs in 5 months and she has even told me that sometimes she cheats. I am happy for her, but frustrated at my lack of losing.

Five weeks after surgery today, and after more than a two week stall, I finally started losing weight again this week. Today, for the first time in more than a decade, I weighed less than 100 kilos (220 pounds). I'm 99.5 kilos or 219 pounds. I know it's just a number on a scale, but it made me so happy. I've lost 13.5 kilos (28.6 pounds) pre and post surgery, and I've already completed more than 1/3 of my final goal. What, if anything, have you done to celebrate a mini goal or the end of a stall? I feel like doing something, but I don't know what. In the past I would probably have bought myself something good to eat, but that's not an option anymore.

Our bodies do ALL KINDS of adjusting as we are loosing weight so rapidly. I can't say for sure what is what because we are all different. Started a different sizes and body types, loose at different paces, etc. If it gets to the point it effects you, reach out to your team for extra reassurance but I think it is safe to say your body is adjusting. Good luck!

I woke up from sleeve surgery with one on. Wore it while in the hospital. Dr said it was for my comfort and I could remove or put it on as desired. I took it off to shower and didn’t notice any difference so I didn’t put it back on. I was lower BMI, though. I think it helps most if you carry alot of your weight around the belly area. I wore a long slimming cami though just to keep my clothes from rubbing the incisions.

I had a stall for more than two weeks after I started on solid foods. It was really frustrating, but recently I started losing a little weight again. All you can do is be patient. In the first days and weeks after surgery, you are losing a lot of water weight. Then your body starts adding the water weight again, but you're still losing fat. You just don't see it on the scale for a while, since the re-added water makes up for the fat loss on the scale. Just stick to your program. Eventually you will start losing weight on the scale again.

Celebrating my 11th year anniversary of my RNY. Age 78, height 5/8, 299 lbs. Lowest weight was 165 (ideal) but the COVID "home bound" situation has caused some gain that I need to work on . Age now is almost 84 and some health issues are adding to water retention that has add to my weight. My story is that I gained weight after having 2 sons, starting two businesses created stress and a lot of responsibility fell to me. Diabetes became a big issue and while I reached 299 lbs.... diabetes was a big concern. My decision to have Bariatric surgery was guided by the fear of how diabetes was not under control. I was very fortunate to live near Indiana University Med Center which we use on a regular basis. IU has a great weight loss center with excellent nutritional department, and surgeons that operate in the best hospitals. At my age, the cost was taken care of by my Medicare benefit. The Dr that was assigned to me was the director of the IU Bariatric Dept. The Center gives out excellent information for the rules and reasons to prepare for surgery. My April start was to be the start to lose 35 lbs in 3 months but due to summer vacations, etc. it was 5 months to surgery. In that time I lost 55 lbs and had the option to continue on my own. I seriously considered that but since I had, initially, needed help with my diabetes, I elected to have the surgery. I'm very happy that I did. The increase of energy was unexpected. The diabetes meds and insulin was eliminated and hasn't returned, largely due to the fact that I no longer like the rich cream and sugar loaded junk. The small quantities that I can eat are a constant reminder that I need to fill up on good nutritional choices. Calories naturally come up to Breakfast: approx. 350 and consists of a tortilla with one mushroom, one small egg, diced onion, 1/2 slice of crisp bacon, and a sprinkle of cheese. Lunch (2 pm) is veggie soup or salad, dinner is served about 8 pm and is a minimum amount of food. Portion limits are always followed as are the eating rules....small bites!. A big help is that we no longer have a pantry full of bad snacks. Sugared drinks and juice is no longer in the house. Another help is we are the only two in the house now. It is much easier if you don't have to prepare additional meals for extra family members. Keeping busy is a key to not thinking so much about food. I'm a designer and building a line of paper and textile designs for personal use and interior decor. It is a business that I've had for 50 years and thought I was through but I guess not.