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I had VSG (2015) to RNY revision on January 18th due to GERD. I also had regained almost 70 pounds from my VSG post-op low weight. I've so far lost about 20 pounds since the pre-op diet & surgery. I need to lose another 20 pounds (for normal BMI) to 50 pounds (for calculated ideal body weight). I'm now on unrestricted food textures, and per my program's dietician, I'm supposed to be on my "maintenance" diet now. However, they refuse to discuss any calorie goals or macros other than protein. I'm someone who needs very clear goals and guidelines (thanks, long-undiagnosed ADHD), and I'm feeling very lost about what my diet should look like moving forward. The lifelong guidelines for my program, as I understand them: 60-80g protein per day Up to 4 oz. (1/2 cup) per meal, consisting of: Up to 3 oz. protein per meal Up to 1 oz. (total) veg, fruit, or starch per meal 3 meals per day 1 snack per day (the program guide I was given says 1-2, but per my surgeon I'm only allowed to have 1 snack per day and it has to be between lunch and dinner) - I have no guidelines for the amount I'm allowed for the snack. I assume it's not supposed to be as much food as the meals, but I don't know. Protein shakes/powders are frowned upon The only sample menu provided in my program guide is as follows: Breakfast: Egg omelet with sautéed peppers & onions Snack: Protein shake OR Greek yogurt with berries [removed per my surgeon's instructions] Lunch: Lettuce wrap with turkey and avocado/cheese [it is not clear to me if the / means avocado OR cheese, or avocado AND cheese, but I assume the former] Snack: Apple slices with 2 tablespoons nut butter OR carrots with hummus Dinner: Pesto chicken with spaghetti squash, sautéed spinach, and cherry tomatoes I plugged this menu into the Baritastic app to try and get a sense of what the calories and macros are supposed to look like. The sample menu gave no amounts other than the nut butter, so I used the 3 oz. protein + 1 oz. veg/fruit/starch rule. With the carrots & hummus snack option, here are the macros for the day: 593 calories 62g protein 32g fat 17g carbs (13g net carbs) 4g sugar 4g fiber And here are the apple & nut butter (I used natural peanut butter) macros for the day: 739 calories 67g protein 43g fat 21g carbs (16g net carbs) 8g sugar 5g fiber So from that, I'm extrapolating that I should be aiming for the following daily: 600-750 calories 60-80g protein 30-40g fat less than 25g carbs less than 10g sugar I have a few concerns... I have already been going well over those amounts at just over a month post-op. I've typically getting around 800-900 calories per day. It seems like a real struggle to get to the upper range of protein daily while sticking to the allowed amounts and without using any shakes or protein supplements. Even then, 80g seems low for a protein goal. I have never been a big meat eater (I was vegetarian through most of my teens and 20s), and I absolutely cannot stand any fish or seafood. I do eat a lot of dairy, eggs, and beans, but it seems like that's not going to do it. The standard daily fiber goal I've always heard is 25g per day. I've been getting about 12-15g per day right now, but knowing that I'm overeating and already having too many carbs means even that's not sustainable. I've struggled with post-op constipation... I have gotten to a much better place recently, but if I need to cut back to 4-5g of fiber per day to be within my other limits, I'm afraid of going backwards. That I'm limited to 1/2 cup of food per meal for the rest of my life came as a shock to me, as a revision patient. I knew that my pouch would be smaller than my sleeve, and like with my original surgery, the amount I'd be able to eat at one time would be very small initially. But with my sleeve (which was done by a different surgeon in a different program), there was definitely not the expectation that the amount I could/should eat at 1 month post-op would be the same as what I could/should be eating at 6 months or 1 year out. My bypass surgeon also told me that she left my pouch a little larger than normal so that I wouldn't lose too much additional weight, so my pouch is already larger than a regular bypass patient's. Do these amounts seem in line with other people's experiences? Or am I way off-base?

Hello all, We are back on...Day 4 of liquid diet. 11 days before the bypass operation. My cravings (pizza especially) come and go fast. I have been dreaming of food. On that note i have been getting a little repurcussions from my family as its going to happen very soon. Some comments -You wont be fun anymore. Like you wont drink and eat with us! - There is no point to order Pizza with you as it was my favourite meal and I can only eat 1 slice and other comments... Its making me feel bad and questionning but I am doing this for me and not others! I need to stay strong!

I'm almost 4wks post bypass and the stabbing and burning pain the the new stomach area where the anchor stitches are is unbearable when i move. No amount of pain relief is touching it, any advice?

I made it down to 144 on my own but I finally reached goal thanks to plastic surgery. I'm still recovering from my surgery 3 weeks ago. I actually went to mexico because I found a great Dr that I loved his work and he is board certified in the US as well as Mexico and Cuba. He is known for being very safe and I had to be pre screened medically twice before he would even operate on me. He also works out of a hospital so I thought I had all of my bases covered but my luck is always bad lol. I had complications but I still received amazing care. My only symptom after surgery was a fast heartrate. They brought in all the guns and had a cardiologist, the surgeon himself, a radiologist and the surgeons partner all come in and test me and discuss on my care. My blood came back with a hemoglobin level of only 6.9 and the ultrasound showed a large hematoma. So they immediately wrapped me in a compression garment and then taped me even tighter and I was given 2 blood transfusions through the night. Early the next morning at 7 am I went in for a second surgery to remove the hematoma and to see if I had any active bleeds which I did end up having an arterial bleed which they then fixed. I was also given one more bag of blood. I have the pictures of me opened all the way up during the original surgery and you could not see any bleeding at all so I don't know how this bleed happened but they acted quickly and I felt safe and taken care of the whole time. My dr always has everyone stay at least 1 night in the hospital and I think that is what saved me. So many people go home right away and if that had been me with no other symptoms, I am afraid to think of what could have happened. I was never dizzy or nauseous or even really tired. Just a fast heart rate of 120 with spikes to 150. Unfortunately because I had to have 2 surgeries my front tummy tuck scars are taking forever to fully heal but they are still doing great. No infections, just slow healing. I had a lower body lift which is the cut that goes all the way around and is great for tightening the front and the back. Lipo to my back and flanks, a small bbl and breast reconstruction. So I did have a ton of stuff done and with hind sight I may not have chosen to do it all at once because I wonder if that was increasing my chances of complications After the fact though I'm so glad to have it all done and not have to face any more surgeries. They removed about 8 lbs of skin and 2 in fat. I haven't weighed this little since middle school and I'm still swollen so who knows what my final weight will be. I'm so happy with my results and will have to share pictures once I'm fully healed. My youngest daughter and I went shopping this week and bought crop tops to wear together to celebrate. I've never worn a crop top ever. So I'm looking forward to wearing it in the near future. Gastric bypass certainly has changed my life in amazing ways

The sleeve is never, ever recommended for someone with reflux or GERD. It's known to make it so, so much worse. I didn't even have it and the sleeve created it. My concern is that the bypass will cause significant weight loss, and if you're already not that big (231 pounds = 105kg) then it could be an issue. However, depending on your height, it might actually get you within normal height/weight proportions and get you into a normal BMI (body mass index). I can tell you, it WILL alleviate your GERD issues, your inability to eat anything, and get rid of most of what's causing your pain. You definitely will get your life back, and the recovery really isn't bad. You'll need to be careful with how much sugar and carbs you eat, and you will definitely eat much smaller portions, but give the current issues you have I think that might actually be a good thing. Going based off only what you've told me, I really think the bypass will be a good thing for you. I know it sounds scary, but I promise it's not. Especially when you consider everything you've already been through, and the benefits of the surgery itself.

I’m so happy to have you guys! Had my surgery 6 day ago (Lapband to sleeve to bypass)… I have vowed to do everything right this time! I’m the past , I never took the Bariatric vitamins because I just hated the taste… does anyone have a recommendation for one ? Also, how are avoiding hair loss? ☺️ u!

Hi there!!! I have been summoned, I see lol Ok, so a little about what I've been through, and then I'll give any advice I can. I had the sleeve in May 2022. Initially, I was doing awesome. Lost a lot of weight, got off several meds, health issues corrected, it was awesome. Right up until it wasn't. Around 6 months post op, I started noticing some reflux issues (which I had never had before). It steadily got worse and I had to have a barium swallow (NASTY!!!) to see what was happening. I had severe GERD, gastritis, and esophagitis. I also had a narrowing esophagus. So I was put on Nexium (40mg once per day). The GERD steadily got worse and worse until I was put on 80mg of Nexium daily as well as Pepcid for break through (which I took daily). It still didn't completely help. I was on such a high amount of PPI for such a long time that I ended up developing an OBSCENE amount of polyps all through my stomach and duodenum. This year, I had 7 surgeries to remove all of the polyps, stretch my esophagus, and have a revision to a bypass. I also had to have the part of the stomach that's bypassed removed because that's where so many of the polyps were forming. When I had the sleeve, I had so much pain, trouble tolerating anything cold, trouble taking pills, trouble getting in enough water. It was completely miserable. With my revision to bypass, it was like the heavens opened up and the angels started singing to me. No pain meds at all beyond Tylenol. Up and around within 4 days. Was able to take pills from day 1. No GERD at all. No constipation like with the sleeve. Able to get my fluids in from day 1 (drank a 20 oz of water in the hospital within 2 hours of getting back to my room from recovery), no issues with temps of liquids. My only regret is that I didn't just get the bypass to begin with. Because of all the surgeries, my abdominal wall weakened and I developed a ventral hernia that was repaired 3 weeks ago. Still recovering from that one. I was freaked out at first at the thought of getting a bypass. It's why I opted for the sleeve to begin with. I was afraid of dumping, I was afraid of malabsorption, I was afraid of getting a stricture. Well, I only dump if I have too many carbs, so I just avoid them for the most part (I never even get to my allotted amount, I'm always way under). I haven't had any stricture, but if I do, it's a super easy fix (and after everything I've already been through, I'm not even a tiny bit worried). And malabsorption is only an issue with extended release meds (I don't take those now) and vitamins (take bariatric ones or double up on the regular ones). There was nothing to be worried about, but I let the chatter from those that weren't in my position freak me out and cause me to choose the sleeve instead of the bypass. My advice to you is to not listen to anyone else. You and your doctor know what's best for you. The revision will give you your life back. Being pain and complication free is worth its weight in...well...everything. When you look at everything you've been through up until this point, the recovery from the revision will be a walk in the park. It's better for your health (physically and mentally) and it will allow you to get back to your life. This surgery is supposed to afford us the chance to have the life and health we've always been meant to, and complications can really do a number on us. The revision will be a godsend to you, mark my words. I don't have a single regret.

I just made an account to answer this. I am two and a half weeks post op from gastric sleeve. I too have PCOS. I am 37 years old and my highest weight was 330. At surgery and after the pre-op diet I was down to 305. I'm currently 289 today. My comorbidities were hypertension, high cholesterol, newly onset GERD, and insulin resistance. (never made it into the diabetic range). I watched a ton of videos on youtube after I decided to have surgery. I watched the testimony of patients ranging from a few weeks out to twenty years. I also listened to bariatric surgeons discuss the process, pitfalls, and successes. My PCP had been talking to me about this surgery for three years and at first I declined because of all the people I knew of that experienced full weight regain. I only decided to have the surgery when I had determined that not being able to eat as much and what I want all the time was a small price to pay for my health and quality of life. Some things to consider between sleeve and bypass. Myth: Bypass patients are much more successful at keeping weight off. The sleeve is a newer surgery and was discovered as the first part of the duodenal switch. The 5 and 10 year outcomes for weight loss and regain tend to be around the same with the bypass slightly better. The sleeve is less punishing and is easier to 'stretch' out with poor eating habits but it can be done with the bypass as well. Overall, a change in relationship with food is a higher predictor of sustained weight loss than either surgery. The Switch is the surgery with the most rapid weight loss and sustained loss without regain but it is a heavily malabsorption procedure, carries the most risk of post operative complications, including dehydration and vitamin deficiency and requires a very strict regiment to sustain a healthy lifestyle. It can also result in some interesting bowel changes. Too rapid weightloss can also result in gallstones. Quite a few bariatric patients have had gallbladder removal after surgery. It should be noted that actual operative complications are low for all surgeries but not zero. Another controversial topic of sleeve vs gastric bypass is that the bypass is better for GERD. There are contradicting experiences for both surgeries. One thing is for sure you can certainly still have GERD with the bypass, although it seems revision from sleeve to bypass has worked to cure GERD for a lot of people. My GERD was very mild before surgery and so far I have not experienced any after. I am on a daily dosage of omerprazole but that's nothing new to what I was taking before. My triggers for GERD were fried foods and canned tomatoes. I know to stay away from that now. Keep in mind that the bypass is reversible in most cases while the sleeve is not. Also, the sleeve can be converted into a bypass or switch if complications arise or you fail to lose or sustain a meaningful amount of weight. There are very few options for bypass and switch if regain occurs outside of dietary changes, exercise and will power. Bypass patients can no longer consume NSAIDS, steriods, and possibly other medications after surgery for life. Switch and Bypass patients are more likely to experience dumping syndrome but Sleeve patients can also suffer from it. Constipation, diarrhea, and blockages and strictures can occur with all surgeries. Very minimal risk for long term serious complications. I have read quite a few posts that spoke about pain after surgery with the sleeve. Speaking for myself the only pain I experienced was gas after surgery from the surgeon introducing it into my abdomen during the procedure. I was given liquid pain meds but never took any, and no otc pains meds either. I felt discomfort from the surgery port sites for maybe a week. After that I was good. My surgery team has stayed on top of any side effects that could occur after surgery and I was very lucky. They gave me medicine for nausea before surgery, put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear also before surgery and discharged me with anti-nausea dissolveable meds. I took the meds for about a week though I never experience sickness and still luckily have not. I was a water drinker before surgery and can still easily drink water without any pain or nausea. Cold or hot temps don't seem to upset my stomach though some have reported either can cause pain. I am on the puree stage and things are going well. Really, experiences vary. I'd choose a doctor carefully and if possible speak to prior patients to get their experience pre and post op. I was lucky my Aunt had the procedure done the year before and could report on her experience. We chose the same surgeon. He had a 98% success rate. So after this long-winded wall of text I choose a sleeve because: I wanted a slower and steady weight loss. I did not want to re-route my insides. Had a co-worker suffer a bad bowel blockage with a bypass and had to have part of his intestine cut out. I did not want restrictions on not being able to take certain pain or treatment options should they become necessary in the future. I did not feel I have a dependent relationship with food. I ate too much of it. And sometimes the wrong things because they were easy and accessible. But I also enjoyed a lot of healthy foods. My kryptonite has always been lack of exercise and even skipping meals so that I overate when I did eat. I'm from the finish your plate generation, but I did not and do not rely on food for comfort, bordem or pleasure. Therefore, I felt and still feel that the more punishing procedures were not right for me.

Absolutely DO NOT get the sleeve if you have GERD already. I didn't have it at all, yet when I originally had the sleeve, it gave me such severe GERD I also developed gastritis, esophagitis, and had to take 80mg of Nexium per day as well as Pepcid every day, and I still had break through GERD. I ended up needing 4 endoscopies to remove polyps all through my stomach and duodenum (caused by the high amount of PPI I had to take over a prolonged amount of time) and then had a revision to bypass, which solved the whole issue. It was a very miserable time. And again, I didn't even have any GERD or reflux to begin with. My doctor told me that if you do, the sleeve is not the surgery to get. Definitely go with a bypass. If your doctor refuses, find a new doctor.

Yeah, that sounds 100% within the normal range of early post-op calorie consumption. I am having gastric bypass in 3 weeks, and my program suggests 3 meals and 3 protein supplements per day for the first several weeks. In the beginning, the word "meal" is used very loosely. This is basically limited to yogurt, cream soup, cream of wheat, pudding, and applesauce. The expectation is you can maybe have a few bites. All the protein is coming from those 3 shakes (20-25g per shake). Calories are pretty much irrelevant, at least for now. Your entire metabolism has been rewired. If you follow what you're told to do, you will lose weight on a wide spectrum of calorie intakes. My program suggests no more than 200 calories per protein shake serving, with a limit of 5 grams of sugar and at least 20g protein each. So, if I had the recommended 3 shakes and went with the max calories, I would consume 600 calories in those daily supplements, plus another maybe 100-200 in "meals" depending how much of the yogurt/cream of wheat/pudding I manage to swallow. My shakes actually only have 90 calories each (23g protein), so during my pre-op liquid diet, I won't feel at all guilty if I drink 4 or 5 of them, or even 6 if needed. Post-op, I doubt that will be possible, but even then, I wouldn't see an issue with having that many if I could physically manage it. All of which is a longwinded way of saying you're doing fine! Congratulations!

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this!! This isn't a you problem!! If you aren't losing sufficient weight you are either being given poor advice from your nutrition team, poor medical support from your surgeon, or it is possible your body is under significant stress for whatever reason and isn't losing weight. There are rare cases when someone with a sleeve doesn't respond but often those are people who have low starting weights. If they had a high starting weight and don't respond to the sleeve surgery, these people generally end up revised to bypass or a DS/SADI, and then lose weight, but again, that should be a convo being initiated by your surgeon as a future possibility if food modification and medications don't work. Some people take GLP-1 meds to help jumpstart their weight loss if the surgery hasn't triggered it, but again, at the 6 month mark this should be something the surgeon initiates conversation about. You shouldn't be living in fear of your appointments with them. If you aren't feeling supported you might consider getting a second opinion from another bariatric surgeon in the area not affiliated with this practice. I strongly believe in second opinions when talking things like surgery... It may sound like I'm being harsh on your team, but lets be clear. They made a nice chunk of money off of your surgery. You deserve good aftercare!! Some surgeons, like my own, believe that the best way to lose weight in the first 6 months to a year after surgery is through being in ketosis. This involves a good protein intake (60-80 grams with the sleeve) and carbs below 50 total carbs or 30 grams net carbs. You can get pee strips to test if you are in ketosis. Once in ketosis you should go through regular periods when you lose some weight, followed by periods where you lose none as your body stabilizes from the previous loss and recalibrates. If this doesn't happen, I'd definitely be communicating with the surgeon about it! What dietary advice did your team give you? Hydration is important for weight loss. If you aren't able to eat enough calories or drink enough water your body will go into starvation mode like @summerseeker mentioned. This is a huge stressor to the body!! And huge stress will cause weight loss to stop. Sleep is also crucial to weight loss, often more important than exercise. If you aren't getting regular sleep for enough hours per night, this can stall your weight loss. Physical activity of some kind is important, but it accounts for less weight loss than proper nutrition and sleep. And if you are under calories and under hydrated exercise will just further stress out your body.

I'm going to revive this. Bruising? What's the deal. I just had my 6th month check with labs November 1 and everything this really good. But I keep getting random bruising, especially on my legs, that are painful and I have no clue how it happened. Is this normal? I have a yearly check with my primary doctor in February and will bring it up then if it hasn't subsided. Thanks in advance for any insight.

Hello @ms.sss I actually really do appreciate your response. You are pretty accurate in your assessment, lol, I definitely have my moments but for the most part I tend to be pretty agreeable and sometimes that bites me. i have taken A little breather after yesterday’s meeting with my surgeons’ PA and waking up to a stranger taking their time to say I should too makes me realize I’m not just being overly anxious. Thank you!! I did make a call just now to see if the only other surgeon I would consider does this procedure and he does not So I guess the most obvious options at this point are to just go with the bypass instead or to ask ALOT of questions and pose some really uncomfortable ones about the surgein and that team that I may not like the answers too. Regardless I realize I need to slow this bus down a great deal and really think this one through. My thoughts so far are, when the surgeon sits down with me and my list of questions IF I feel better that HE has done his research and both he and I are confident he has this, then I just need to worry about the aftercare. I need to be bold and require that he gives a way to get HIM, post op if I have any urgent concerns. And I need to know who he turns to if he doesn’t know the answer. I know for my first post op appointment I will see him but maybe I can see him ever so often past that. Especially if I am feeling lost. The PA said yesterday that I may get him or the surgeon if I called with questions immediately post op and he claimed he wouldn’t just give me an answer to give me an answer but it sorta felt like what he did for a half hour with my questions. I am just going to have to go out of my comfort zone a bit and bluntly say that I don’t feel like the rest of the team is prepared to handle my care with this particular procedure. I must get the point across that the PA just can’t answer all my questions at this point and I wouldn’t feel confident in his advice about any post op questions. Or, Perhaps he could just make the PA do the research now? I mean he is practically a doctor. They know how to learn things. I just don’t think he has tried with this procedure yet. He did seem to know alot about the DS, Just not this modified version. I can ask to meet with him again after he has had a chance to prepare and see how I feel with him. My gut has gotten me this far?? As far as the dietician goes. I think I just need a list of what macros he wants me to stick to and to know what type of carbs really count and I think I can take it from there at least witb the help of this community. I also think I can shop around for a different dietician once I have the requirements If I feel like I even need one. I’m hoping that the dietician gets the exact requirements from the surgeon in preparation for our meeting in two weeks. If not I will need to ask him that when I meet with him as well. I guess the skinny about the surgeon, though is that I am going to have to pump the brakes a bit and put on my big girl panties. I need to have some awkward conversations and just mentally prepare myself that the result could be that I don’t get exactly what I thought I wanted.

Hi everyone! I hope this post finds you well wherever you are in your weight loss journey. I had gastric bypass revision on June 12, 2023. My original bypass was done in April 2002 so it’s been 21 years. Original weight loss was 123 lbs. However, I only maintained that loss for about 8 years. Then slowly I started eating poorly and Bedouin knew it I had gained back 45 lbs. I’m 71 years old. I did the revision for my health because there’s so many heart problems in my family. As of Sunday, September 3rd I’m only down 20 lbs. I’m discouraged but I know some of it has to do with not exercising. Can you share some of the things you snack on? I’m good with my meals but not sure if I should be making other choices for snacks. Thank you.

Hi I’m up north too my surgery date was 15th august 23 I suffered with nausea and vomiting for a few months after I couldn’t eat a couple of teaspoons without bringing it back I’m much better now tho still have sickness if one spoonful to much my amounts are very small and some food worse than others I struggle with chicken and anything tightly packed. Iv not had post op appt yet which I’m surprised about I had the mini bypass gone from 118kg to last weigh was 96kg I don’t know if that’s about normal or a bit slower ? But I havnt exercised as been feeling weak and exhausted all the time but I am 6 weeks over due my 2nd B12 which I get on 25th this month Iv struggled remembering to take all meds so some days I forget to take the calcium or gallstone one through the day I’m trying to be better with that, I don t know why but my osteoarthritis in hips are flaring up so bad that it’s to painful to exercise atm I’m just hoping to turn the corner with everything soon 🤔 Despite this I don’t regret it as I know it will all fall into place at some point Any advice welcomed especially on what I can try eat and drink and hit protein targets Xx

Hey everyone 👋😊 I hope you all are doing well. I had my surgery on December, 13th, 2024. I went in expecting the gastric bypass but woke up with the gastric sleeve due to my liver still being a bit too big. This news has sent me into a spiral of emotions as I wanted the option to reverse the surgery if needed and now I can't, and because I battle GERD so I did not want the sleeve for this reason as I heard it can make it worse. I already battle IBS before this, but now it seems almost everything I have triggers it. So I am finding less and less things I can have. Even fairlife shakes sets it off. I'm now on the pureed stage and so far everything I've tried has also set it off. The good news is I've lost 39 pounds. So that has made me happy. Trying to see the positives. To be honest I have been miserable. I hope things get better.

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part for me has been being able to do things I enjoy again. There were several things that I either couldn’t do or didn’t want to do because of my weight and now after losing so much weight I have been able to start doing most of those things again. For example, I love going to sporting events, but I had stopped going because I didn’t fit comfortably in many chairs at stadiums. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t have any complications with the surgery (I had the bypass). Really my only complaint about the entire process was the gas pain following surgery. I was told by my doctor I may have some pain in my chest after the surgery, but it was way worse than I was expecting. But it only lasted for a few hours and after that everything went smoothly. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) after your surgery? Not really. My surgeon did notice an umbilical hernia while doing my surgery but decided it would be better to get that fixed after I lost some weight, so I had another surgery for that 9 months later. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Easier than I expected actually. I think it helps that I live alone right now so I have quite a bit of control over my environment. Like if I had a roommate who ordered pizza a lot, I think I would have a lot harder time eating healthier, but since I live alone I am able to control what food I am around for the most part. Probably the hardest part for me has been making sure I get enough fluids. I have always drank a lot with my meals and now I can’t do that anymore, so I’ve had to learn to drink throughout the day. I am finally doing better with that but I felt like I was constantly dehydrated for several months after the surgery. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? Not very long. The toughest part was remembering not to eat too fast or take too big of bites. During the first couple of weeks especially it does not take long until you will feel full and even just one too many bites can make you very uncomfortable for a while. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? The short answer is no. I have not found any food that I can’t tolerate, but there are foods I choose not to eat anymore. The only issue I had was with rice, and I think that was just because I ate a little too much. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? My recovery was not bad at all. Like I mentioned earlier, the gas pain was the worst part, but after that really the only pain I had was in my abdomen when I got out of bed or the recliner. I vomited a few times when I was learning to eat again but all of those were from just eating a little too much I think. Recently I’ve discovered I get low blood sugar really easily (and I’m not diabetic). I actually just talked with my nutritionist about this earlier today. I don’t have sugary foods too often, but I’ve found that if I have too much sugar all at once, I will get low blood sugar a few hours later. This never happened to me before my surgery. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? Just a few days. My surgery was on a Monday and I remember thinking I probably could have gone back to work that Thursday if I had needed to (my job is not physical at all though- I work at a desk most of the day). The toughest part was energy level. I returned to work one week after surgery but I was only able to work half days for a couple of days. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? Yes, I have way more energy than I used to. I used to have to force myself to work out a few days a week, now I don’t like going even one day without some form of exercise. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I think it has. It has helped my mental health in some ways, like being able to do more of the things I enjoy has helped with my depression, but I have also found I am struggling with stress and anxiety more than I used to. I think at least part of the reason for that is that I used to cope with stress and anxiety by eating and I can’t do that anymore, at least not the way I used to. Also I should add that there was a part of me that thought that all of my problems (including my mental health issues) would magically go away once I lost weight. My mental health has definitely improved since I lost weight, but it is still something I am struggling with. I started seeing a therapist a few months ago and I believe that is helping me out a lot. 11. Do you regret it? Do you recommend it? I have not regretted it for a second. I was relatively young when I had the surgery (I was 32) and a part of me felt like I didn’t need the surgery, like I thought I was still young enough I could lose weight without surgery, but looking back on it I am glad I didn’t wait. I had a number of minor health problems that were all slowly getting worse, and I realize now that it was good that I didn’t wait for them to get worse. I will add that I feel I am one of the lucky ones that has had basically no complications from the surgery and no food intolerances or dumping. I know not everyone has had as easy of an experience following the surgery as I have.

You are welcome!! I'm one of those people that really want to know WHY I'm being told to do something. The dietitians at our practice do apply a lot of rules to everyone instead of differentiating between the surgeries, which is annoying, so I'm glad they differentiated in this respect, because type of surgery makes a big difference in a lot of things!! And yes, it is frustrating when they have a mark on a paper you are supposed to reach, but they don't take into account where you were vs where you are and the improvements you've made! Everyone's restriction is different and this is hard for a non-bariatric patient to understand. Our fullness is not like the fullness pre-op. That fullness post-op can be painful and really exhausting if we ignore it and try to push to finish something! And each person's restriction relaxes at their own rate. Some people have high restriction all the time, others it depends on the protein. 3/4 of a cup is a lot of food for any surgery a year out, but especially could be uncomfortable for a bypass because your tummies are so much smaller than even a sleeve patient. And even for those of us with sleeved stomachs, some keep high restriction permanently... I'm glad in that respect you went your own way, You are the expert of your own body, no one else can know exactly what you feel. And you are the only one who can advocate for you in that way and if the doctors and nutritionists aren't listening, you just have to research and find your own best practices... You are the one who has to live with them in the end!

I have spoken about it with him while I was recovering in my hospital bed but he wants to see how I do with the sleeve first. He said we can discuss gastric bypass long down the road if I still want it done. Not sure why I was on optifast for 5 weeks prior since my anesthesiologist told me they didn't really care to have me on it that long anyways. I slipped a few times to which I told them and they seemed rather unbothered by it. So I'm not really sure how my liver had not shrunk enough in all that time. I was 365 going into surgery. Yes heavy, but no health issues thankfully. They knew gastric bypass was all I wanted and not the sleeve due to my gerd. It is what it is, just I now can't have this reversed. My emotions are all over the place which I hear is normal, but I'm feeling really miserable and regretful. I hope this changes for me because I feel like my entire life is now ruined permanently. But I also know that I couldn't keep digging my grave with a fork and spoon either. Hopefully my mind will change as this new lifestyle becomes more second-hand nature. Not sure at this point if I'll go through another surgery at this point unless absolutely needed. The whole experience was traumatic in my opinion. The nurse was mean to me. I was in so much pain and I felt the nurse I was left with was very cold. She kept getting mad at me for asking for help to go to the bathroom. I kept apologizing for bothering her when she rushes in with an ultrasound to look at my bladder. She then says it was not possible I needed to go as my bladder only held so much liquid and she told me not to ask for help again unless my bladder was fuller. Not to mention when she took blood from me she used the same needle twice and dropped it all on the ground. I was so loopy but I saw it happen and was mortified after she left. Thankfully another nicer nurse took her place to help me after. Not saying this would happen again and all the other people were great and so kind to me, but she really made the whole scary and painful experience so much worse. Sorry venting a little.

Hi everyone, My 3-month mark was January 27th, 2024 for RNY. I was cleared to eat regular food in the normal way (not liquid, puree) 2 days before Christmas. I just had my labs done today, and my 3-month checkup with the clinic is on Feb 12th, where we will go over labs and diet expectations. So I will know more then. From my highest weight, I have lost 61lbs/27.69k so far, since surgery on October 27th I have lost 39lbs/17.69k. I feel like I should have lost more, but I am right on track. I was exercising at the gym 6 days a week since mid-November, up until 2 weeks ago when I got snowed in. I am hoping to get back to the gym tomorrow, but I am overwhelmed looking for a new job/career change and I would like to move to Nevada. I have noticed that the exercise seems to help me with the weight coming off and I have been building muscle too, especially in my arms and legs (most excited about arms). I take full body measurements every month on the 27th. I started doing this the day before surgery in October and I have found it very encouraging, especially since I struggle with feeling I should have lost more. I would suggest everyone do this, there are some great cheap templates you can download from Etsy. The first month after surgery I lost 0lbs, nothing and I was super upset, how can no weight come off when all you get to eat is protein shakes, and it's a struggle to get them down? So I guess I hit my stall right out the gate. My surgery did go very well. I only stayed one night in the hospital, and I was eager to get home, I did throw up the entire time after surgery (that day and the next day) but I did not have pain or gas and I was able to walk around easily. TMI but I did start my period the day before surgery, so FYI bring your own pads to the hospital, the ones they have are terrible, and no you can't use a cup or tampons. I will let you know how my lab report turns out and what they tell me on February 12th. Oh and anyone living in Las Vegas or Henderson NV and can help with a job, that would be awesome I have a bachelor's in Business Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship, and I can learn to do anything quickly, but I would need to make enough to afford an apartment on my own. (it's worth a try)

I had both and got the bypass. I was post menopausal so I can’t say it helped with most PCOS issues. I swung the other way 2 years post op and got hyperthyroidism! So my team figured it’s a vitamin imbalance and I’m monitored more closely. (Lower vitamin D can increase thyroid levels). PPI can interfere with vitamin absorption, so does caffeine, so planning your vitamin times counts too. Talk with your team about best practices for your vitamins. I have found that I need extra iron with vitamin C at lunchtime and I can be consistent with it. That extra iron is just because my iron levels tend to be low, most people don’t have that issue. I take calcium, vitamin D and magnesium at night, B vitamins and Flintstones with iron in the morning with decaf coffee in my pea protein shake. If I stay really consistent with my water intake I can avoid PPI s for now. For me, it’s really a balance and worth the shock of being a little hyperthyroid for a month! Great luck to you both! May you have good skin, lovely hair and surprising energy you deserve!

Hello all I was wondering if anyone else has had this rare complication. I got my sleeve done in Mexico Oct 2021. About a year ago, January 2023, I noticed I started to have excessive saliva. It started randomly but picked up more. Well fast forward to January 2024 I got an endoscopy and was told my sleeve is “tortuous” and I have a hernia. This means that my sleeve has a lot of turns. I don’t feel any pain but the acid reflux which was manageable completely prior with one 20mg Prilosec, some days didn’t have to take it at all, has now been more annoying. I’m getting a referral to a Bariatric surgeon here in the states even tho the gastro told me I’ll be fine and don’t need to do anything. I’ve read that a twisted sleeve happens to about less then 2% of sleeve patients. I’ve also read some great success stories of surgeons fixing the twist and hernia without revision to bypass etc. I’m hopeful and not in any pain. But I don’t want it to get worse and it’s just a little overwhelming. Thank you!

I’d be ringing my surgeon & requesting/demanding an appointment @timetoshine. Five months without any checks seems crazy to me. I’d had several appointments by then. Make a list of questions to ask them like your exhaustion, sickness, small portions. Out of curiosity how big are your portions? Are you eating slowly, taking small bites? Eating too much, too quickly & foods that are too coarse are renown for upsetting your tummy e.g. the foamies & then brining up what you ate. Keeping foods moist with sauces & gravies can help. Is there a reason you haven’t had your B12 shot yet or just life being too busy? I’d get that soon too as it will help with your exhaustion. Establish a routine with your daily med taking. It is essential not to miss your vitamins with bypass because of the malabsorption issues. Dense foods can cause issues for people. Chicken breast & steak tend to be the more difficult ones. How do you go with other cuts of meat like minced beef or minced chicken? Chicken thighs are more tender than breast too. Do you have a dietician? I’d ask them for some suggestions as to what you can eat to get more protein in. I relied a lot on high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drinks/ smoothies to push my protein up. It can take some people longer than others for everything to settle & to work out all your new tummy/digestive system’s quirks.

If it helps, remember that this is a completely different surgery than years ago. The reason the risk used to be so much higher was they had to cut you open, exposing you to all sorts of infection risks along with making it really traumatic for your body. Nowadays, they make tiny incisions and even use robotic assistance in some cases. The death rate for bypass is less than 1 in a thousand, and the sleeve is even less than that. Any other statistics are ancient history. It would be like comparing outcomes for diseases today to a time before we had antibiotics, chemotherapy, or insulin.

I thought about this a lot when considering surgery. I talked to my surgeon about it and he said as long as I ultimately live in a city where there is at least 1 surgeon trained in my particular surgery (the DS), he'd feel comfortable doing the surgery. Fortunately I knew where I'd be moving in the next few years (New Zealand) so I can ensure that will be the case. I also tend to travel to major cities instead of obscure, out of the way areas. But my surgery is rather rare, so it does limit my options some. You however are getting the bypass. This is a very common surgery the world over. We have members here from all over Europe (and other places) and they don't seem to be lacking in care. Though their post op diets can be pretty entertaining! LOL If you were looking to go to a rural area like a small village in Africa, then I'd have reservations. But these surgeries are commonly done in the UK, France, Italy, and Spain. I don't think you'll have an issue getting care in any major city in these places. Again, I can't really account for rural areas, but I have met people in the UK, France, and Italy that have had WLS and while their options for shakes and vitamins may be a bit more limited than in the US (usually due to the artificial sweeteners allowed in that country) but they didn't seem to me like they were struggling to get care. I'd scout out a few bariatric centers in the areas you are considering and see if they offer your surgery. When you pick a place you could consider emailing to ask what their aftercare looks like for a client that may be coming to that area post-op and in need of follow-up care. Then have a look at the travel medical insurance policy you are considering and check to see what (if anything) it says about bariatric care. Keep in mind the medical complex in other countries is structured differently. Some places (like the UK and NZ) rely very heavily on GPs to coordinate care and specialists, even moreso than in the US, so they may ultimately be the ones monitoring things like labs, and then refer you out if you need more specialized care.