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Yep. I had surgery in 2018. Lost 172 pounds. March 2020 hit and I started regaining. I regained 60# of the weight I lost. I’m back on the road to fixing it now (16# lost from highest regain) I kept telling myself it’s not that bad. It’s only 10#. And it kept snowballing. Very discouraging, but it happens.

Yep. I had surgery in 2018. Lost 172 pounds. March 2020 hit and I started regaining. I regained 60# of the weight I lost. I’m back on the road to fixing it now (16# lost from highest regain) I kept telling myself it’s not that bad. It’s only 10#. And it kept snowballing. Very discouraging, but it happens.

Hi, I am nearing the 7 year anniversary of my VGS. I initially lost 102 pounds. Losing the weight was easy after surgery. A year later I started to feel too small. I needed to wrap my head around my new body. I felt that I was too small and gained 10 pounds. I was able to maintain this weight for years but then the Covid lockdown began, I ran into problems. Living alone, eating, & very little physical activity led to a 20 pound weight gain. Today I have gained 40 pounds and I am working towards losing the weight. Has anyone experienced the same? Any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

Congratulations. You look fantastic. The hair loss usually lasts about 3 months +/- so you are likely nearing the end of it. Yay! I cut mine to just above my shoulders so a year or so later it was back to what it as in regard to thickness. Our starting stats are very much the same - I’m just an inch taller & weighed 5lbs more. I reached my goal at 6 months - BMI of 23 too. (And it seems we had our surgeries at about the sane age - 53??) Yes, I lost more than my goal but it was what my body wanted - my new set point. I’m 4 years out & pretty much maintained my weight (apart from a med glitch which caused a 2kg gain of which I’ve lost half of that so am about 1kg heavier than my initial stabilised weight). To maintain, I really just kept up with most of the eating habits I established while losing. My portions are larger now of course but are what are considered recommended portion sizes of what I eat. Lowish carbs (about 2 serves of whole/multi grains), lowish fat, low sugar (avoid a lot of it & sweeteners too), predominately low processed foods, average 60g protein & average 2L fluids. I eat about 1500 calories a day which is about right for some one my age, height, weight & activity level according to BMR calculators. I don’t consider this a diet, this is just how & what I eat which changed how I look at my eating. I’m not punishing myself or restricting what I eat with a diet. I don’t exercise as such but started to use resistance bands & do stretches about 10 months ago I think - 4 short sessions each day 5 or 6 times a week. I didn’t want muscles as such just definition in my arms & legs which I am achieving quite nicely. Also wanted to keep flexible & to support my back & oozing discs. Am jealous your back pain is gone. Unfortunately, weight loss hasn’t improved my back issues 😩.

Gastric sleeve on 01/06/23, Loss a significant amount of weight the first few months but only about 12 lbs in the last 2 months. I have less then 30 lbs to get to goal but I feel like this may take awhile. Any suggestions besides the obvious (consuming recommended protein, drinking water, counting calories, weighing/measuring food, exercise, etc.)

I woke up in severe pain, 9 out of 10 on the pain scale. (I don't believe that it's possible to experience a 10; I define that as "passing out due to the pain".) Within an hour or so, that was controlled with patient-controlled analgesic (I think it was Dilaudid) and I did a lot of hall walking throughout the rest of the day. But when they took me off the PCA, the pain was back up to severe. The hospital staff worked with me and took the pain seriously. I almost stayed an extra night in the hospital for pain control, but managed to get it down enough to get home with oxycodone, acetaminophen, and heat/cold packs. I continued to take oxycodone and acetaminophen for another 6 days and timed doses of acetaminophen for another few days after that. Most people on here and elsewhere seem to report little to no significant pain, but that might not be the case. That being said, it sucked but it only lasted a little while and I felt pretty much okay within a week. Worth it. Don't let the pain sneak up on you. If you are having significant pain, take analgesics on a schedule, before you absolutely need them. For the first few days at home, I even set alarms at night to wake up, walk around a bit, have some water and have a dose of acetaminophen. Like a lot of things (hydration, nutrition), it's much easier to stay ahead of pain than to control it after you have fallen behind.

I had my VSG back on 3/3/23, with a heavy weight of 195. (Im 5’2”). Surgery day, I weighed in at 184 after a two week liver shrinking diet- two shakes a day/one meal. Yesterday I had my 6 month check up, an things are going really well. Weighed in at 129- and BMI in healthy range. Hair loss has been significant, but hoping that turns around soon… fingers crossed. Since I had my surgery in Mexico, this was my first meeting with Bariatrician and he says that im having really nice success- and that 8-10 months is about how long someone would expect to see results from VSG. (I’d heard longer). He also took labs, and all seems to be in good range- saw the results this morning. First two pics from today, last pic is before (I hated having picture made and can’t find one really near that time except this one. My goal this next few months is to take up a more structured exercise routine to build some muscle— so much of the pain I was having pre-surgery is gone. So glad to have taken this step for my health!

Sooo happy to hear. I'm a baby when it comes to pain. Appreciate your post!! I was called in August for surgery and the 1 time I miss a call on my phone, in literally years, and missed my opportunity. Right now I have no idea when the surgery will be. Completed the 10 week course 'last' Aug., 2022. Sill waiting. How are you doing now? I hope recovery is going well for you.

I worked with a dietitian for six months. She had me gradually make changes so my eating looked more and more like how I would be eating post-surgery (not like you're eating the first couple of months post-surgery, but after that, when you can eat more types of food). We started off with having me stick to 2300 calories a day (that in itself was kind of a challenge since I'd probably been eating 3000 or more to maintain my weight). I gradually moved to eating more protein and fewer carbs. Three meals a day, plus two snacks. More fruits and vegetables. Less processed stuff and low-nutrient stuff. More fluids. Getting some exercise most days of the week - even walking was fine - but I also did water aerobics a couple of times a week. I lost about 40 lbs in that six months (knowing I'd have to meet with her once a month and get weighed (by her) helped, too - accountability!). Then I lost another 17 lbs in my two-week pre-surgery liquid diet (although that would have been mostly water, of course) . So down 57 lbs by the time they rolled me into surgery. the point of this is that they want to see if you can stick to a diet long-term, not so much how much weight you can lose (although they may be giving you the 10% goal since that's the only way they can objectively tell if you've been sticking to a diet or not). And unfortunately you WILL have to monitor your eating after surgery, too - as people say, it's just a tool. You do your part, the surgery does its part, and you'll succeed. It's not much different than being on a diet (although having a smaller stomach and losing your hunger (as most of us do) for a few months definitely helps!). The difference is, this time your effort will pay off. I could never lose more than 50 or 60 lbs on my own. This time I lost over 200, and have managed to keep most of it off for eight years. Never would have happened without surgery. P.S. and you will have to monitor your eating for the rest of your life. If I slack off for more than a handful of days, it shows up on the scale. But honestly, this is no different than a lot of my never-been-obese women friends. A lot of them have to watch what they eat, too, unfortunately. There aren't many people who can eat what they want and as much as they want and never gain weight.

I have my first consultation next Tuesday, and if my surgeon's office holds to the same rules as when I went in five years ago, they require you to lose 10% of your body weight prior to surgery. I'm really frustrated by this because I feel like I'm doing the surgery because I CAN'T lose weight by diet and exercise. If I could, why would I do it? How did you pull it off for those of you who had this requirement? I have to admit, it feels fairly impossible right now.

same exact situation had sadi s 7/19 and at 2 months out i am down 34lbs so its slow but steady for now Good Luck!

I’m 10 weeks post op and after a very normal start to recovery other than very pale stools- I seemed to have developed very active bowel movements. im eating normally, small meals but nothing excluded and I am waking in the night to use the loo. just want to check if this is normal - I’m going at least 5-6 times a day where as before I was lucky if it was once a day. I have converted from baby to bypass so I’m used to the process - just can’t get my head around this side of it as never experienced this before - except when I was on orlistat years ago

I just made 10 years in July. Time really flew by. I went up a little, but im back down. Almost to my goal of 100lbs (im super short). Finally decided to go ahead with plastics. Im 2mo out

It really is! I've lost (and gained and lost again) 100lbs since I started this whole thing, but I have PCOS and "fat folk genes" as my PCP says 😂 I know Now that if I had been approved for surgery 10 years ago, I likely would have not done very well or would have been someone that lost the weight but ended up having a drinking problem or something. The last few years has really given me a lot of time to regroup my mind, heel childhood trauma, and figure out exactly why I use food as a coping mechanism.

participated in a NUDE PHOTOSHOOT yesterday. 😂😳😂😳 this would have been unheard of before omg. while i always kinda had a good amount of confidence, apparently post-wls, my confidence has been thru the roof. i jumped on a promotion that would've given me a free shoot and a single photo; but of course i ended up buying a package of 10! figured i should have some sort of proof of this body before further aging takes it all away! it was super fun. and bad-assery inducing, ha! i highly recommend!

@aravenclawrebel wow what a ride 10 year journey? This is a long time coming and 9-15 is right around the corner. You got this!

@SleeveToBypass2023 Thank You for sharing your heart. A lot of times we focus so much on the scale and not on the quality of life we have gained by making one of the biggest decisions of our lives. I am just 10 days out but I’m looking forward to complete healing and having the ability to expand my life to do things I’ve put off doing. I believe you will continue to move forward and change many lives along the way. Your humbleness, courage, and faith in yourself & life is evident. Continue to live your life out loud while not missing the scent of flowers along your life’s journey. Success, Peace, & Joy

Congrats on your surgery day! I had an option for a 10/2 surgery day but I got the soonest date available which is 9/26. I start my pre op diet on 9/11 too. I’m sure you’ll get some folks to respond to this thread. Good luck on your surgery and journey 🙏🏾🙌🏽

I count everything. I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2022 and was put on a sodium restriction. Just two months before my projected VSG surgery date my A1C was 9.6% and I was put on diabetic meds(Metformin and Semaglutide), given a blood sugar meter with instructions to check my blood sugar twice daily, and told to cut out all sugars in my diet. Around the same time as my Type-2 Diabetes diagnosis my Bariatric Surgeon had me go on a Keto/Atkins very low carb diet prior to the liver shrinking diet due to my extremely high 71.5 BMI. That was my first time on a 'low carb' diet since I tried South Beach in 2004, and I really liked it for how it made me feel and how much easier it has become to find low-carb substitutions for common foods. So I decided to stick with it post-surgery. I am two weeks out from my surgery and I am at the point where I can eat 800-1000 calories a day, where 50% is from protein, 40% fat, 10% Net Carb, and sodium between 1,500mg and 2,000mg. I track my Daily Food Intake in an Excel Spreadsheet, listing Calories, Total Fat, Protein, Net Carbs, Fiber, and Sodium of each. I also track my fluids, noting if the beverage has any sodium. I avoid sugars like the Plague, except when it comes to fruits. I will on occasion eat fresh strawberries, raspberries, or some honeydew melon. I don't feel the Keto diet is suitable for Post-op due to the high reliance on Fats. I like a more even distribution favoring protein over fat, but still keeping enough healthy fats in my system so entering Ketosis is a possibility. My carbs are always under 25g a day, most of the time between 15g and 20g. I was only in Ketosis once for a brief few days, and it was right after surgery. I check my ketone level regularly with those over the counter 'pee' strips. I like my method of tracking my nutrition manually instead of using an App or Website, although there is a lot more work looking up nutritional labels for everything I eat, or general nutritional information for those items without labels. The plus side of it is I am amassing a database of my frequently eaten food items so logging is becoming easier. I agree with the general consensus that 'Diet' is an ill-fitting word for what we are doing. I like the term 'Lifestyle Change' much better. A diet, to me, is finite in its duration. It has a beginning and an end. A Lifestyle Change goes on indefinitely.

I had to do injections for 2 weeks and bailed after 10 days. I feel sorry for you. For the first week or so my belly was so swollen I couldn't ever feel the shots, but soon after they started burning and ouch.

I took blood thinners for almost a year post heart stents and they never seemed to make me feel cold, I have also been hot natured my entire life. About 10 years ago, I started having MAJOR heat issues. They kept saying it wasn't a thyroid issue bc I was "low normal" not actually low. After years of being miserable and making everyone around me freeze all the time, I finally got a gyn to give me thyroid meds and voila! it helped. It was almost a miracle. I'd been on HRT for a long time, tried every menopause solution I could try from natural crap that did absolutely nothing but make the folks who sell it a bunch of money to prescription hormone pills. Yes, I was menopausal but that wasn't the main issue. It was the thyroid. Now, after this surgery, they said my thyroid was too high and that my hormones would reset themselves. I quit taking the Levothyroxine med, 3 weeks post-op my thyroid had dropped to a below normal low. Started back with meds. I also developed a rash on my throat around my thyroid area, Nephrologist said he didn't know what it is so I'm going to a regular md tomorrow at a walk in type clinic since I don't actually have a regular physician, I've been seeing a NP when I have to be seen for the last several months bc it is really hard to find an actual doctor who has openings! I'm really, really fatigued again and have been back on meds 10+ days I guess it is now. I mean EXHAUSTED. I've actually been getting much more exercise than normal but can barely walk across room smh. Call your surgeons office and ask if they need to check your blood. I called mine about the thyroid issue, they told me to see whomever I see for my thyroid normally. I'm kind of like "Why am I bothering to follow up with surgeon's office if they're going to tell me to go elsewhere when there is a problem?" bc they want me in his office every 3 months and quarterly blood work as well. Seems a waste to pay a specialist co-pay and for additional labs if they don't actually deal with any problems that arise. I know people on here apparently have a ton of variations in the type and amount of care they can expect from their surgical staff, some have WHOLE TEAMS and some of us get the girl who answers the phone who works part time....no consistency in care so you definitely have to be prepared to be your own advocate and researcher and a host of other things. Call Dr, see what they say, if you don't like or aren't satisfied with the response, call your primary care dr if you have one, if not go to the walk in clinic or an ER. Our local ER is just plain scary so if I don't get a satisfactory response on mine tomorrow I'm probably going to drive to an ER in Huntsville, AL, about 45 miles away bc it is just plain scary that we seem to have gotten all the folks who got the D's in coursework. Some may be nice but I am not getting a warm, fuzzy feeling....

ok that makes sense! I meet with the surgeon on the 19th and I will ask these questions. I think there is a 10% weight loss. thats 28lbs for me. So that is going to take time LOL

I have a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in 10 hours and 30 minutes! Not sure if there is anyway i am going to fall asleep now. Wish me luck.

Not sure what you mean by gross ingredients? I mostly went with broths and some cream soups in the 3rd week of clear liquids, I'd mix one can broth to one can cream soup. My fourth week sent me into soft foods which was mostly eggs, ground sausage or beef and some fish. Week 5 I moved into chicken. Chicken being so very dry it seems harder to digest than anything else, ground beef was so much easier. I can't much do the protein shakes, the only way I've been able to choke them down is to literally put in a blender with some extra protein powder & yogurt and ice and make a smoothie/milkshake thing and top with keto whipped cream. I use it more as a dessert bc I can't drink all that sweet stuff in the early morning. Not much of a breakfast person but since this surgery I wake up famished but I guess 3-4 oz only takes so long to digest and if I eat at 7-9 pm by the time I get up at 9-10 am it has been a long time. I got the Walgreen's extra protein shakes, small town, limited choices around here.