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Just had mine on 6 July doing well. Developed mid back pain from weight loss but dr said today should go away in time down 26 pounds already

Some of us notice signals from our body that we are full-I’ve heard mention of sneezing, a tight feeling across the chest, or what I feel which is hiccups. If you don’t have these signals, something you may consider if you aren’t doing it is strict calorie and macro tracking. That way you will know when you’ve met your body’s needs for the day and can tell yourself you are done for the day. This can also help to make sure you aren’t eating so much that you’re hitting maintenance calories vs weight loss calories.

I'm just guessing if you are thinking of getting surgery, you have already tried to lose the weight the old fashioned way and it hasn't worked before. You have no logical reason to believe that you can somehow lose the weight on your own this time when you weren't able to do it before. You NEED this surgery. Yes, the surgery is definitely worth it. It helps you lose weight and the weight loss actually lasts. Your quality of life will only improve after the surgery. Yes, the first month after surgery is hard and you can't eat the things you want to eat. After about 2 months, you are able to start back eating "regular" foods, just in smaller quantities. It will all be fine.

I'm having the HARDEST time telling if I'm hungry or full. I'm 3 months post op. Last night I had a little soup and a protect shake. 2 hours later, when try to fall asleep, my stomach kept going from hunger pangs to nausea like I ate too much. Is my brain confusing the signals??? No weight loss for a month... Sent from my moto g play (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

I am considering having a Bariatric surgery. My insurance company only covers Gastric Bypass surgery. I was really leaning towards Gastric Sleeve operation. My thought is Sleeve is less complex so it’s safer, fewer cuts and staples. It essentially costs about the price of a used car, which I can afford. Should I pay out of pocket for Sleeve or use insurance for ByPass? ByPass seem to have greater weight loss effect. Any advice?

Hi All!! Had bypass on March 3rd and passed my 100lbs lost mark today!! Please keep in mind that I lost 45lb pre-op so it's about 56lbs post-op so don't compare it to the full 100lbs. I know we all stress out comparing weight loss, but I just wanted to celebrate with my March peeps. Making good eating choices has become more of a struggle since I'm off for the summer. I'm hoping when I start back next week that getting on a schedule will help. We've had a great summer! I've been able to keep up with my kids, ride roller coasters again and shop in the non-plus side of the store! Hope everyone is doing well!!

My insurance required 6 months in a medical weight loss program. I met with the PA and dietician alternating months. I had to have the psych eval and some bloodwork and when the PA felt I was ready I met with the surgeon. I actually met with the surgeon last week Thursday, they sent everything to the insurance for approval, I got an approval letter in the mail on Monday and scheduled my surgery on Tuesday. The whole process was actually pretty easy and seemed to go really fast!

Congratulations on the weight loss and thank you for sharing your story, it's motivation for us all Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

yes - that's quick! But starting BMI is one of the factors that affects rate of weight loss. Your loss will eventually slow down, but as long as you're committed, it WILL keep trending downward. Congrats on your success so far! That is terrific!

I had my surgery on April 28th, 2021 at astonishing 444 (481 was my highest recorded...July 2020). So far I'm down to 355! Everyone I've talked to says I'm flying with my weight loss compared to others......anyone else have the pounds and inches melt away this quick? Sent from my SM-G986U using BariatricPal mobile app

When my weight loss slow down, my nutritionist actually recommended increasing my calories. It’s possible you are not feeding yourself enough with all the physical activity you are getting.

Your surgeon is a douchenozzle. I lost 13.4 pounds the first month after surgery. At 12 months I'm down 110 from surgery date, and down a total of 161.6 from entering the program. My surgeon is thrilled. So the first month loss can be a false indicator (in either direction).

Thank you for the detailed reply! You are such a success story and it’s so helpful for people to be able to read different experiences. I’m really curious about your fall. My surgeon told me today that “the bigger the hernia, the less weight loss success”, which made me wonder if hernia and weight gain go hand in hand. Did you have weight issues before your accident?

Such thoughtful insights from previous posters! I am a cautious person, so even though my doctors were recommending the surgery, the overall pros had to be more than the overall cons. I chose a surgeon who may be the most highly respected in my city. I trusted that the results would be as good as they could be. The prospect of getting acid reflux was the only hangup, and I figured that taking acid reflux meds the rest of my life possibly, was better than being obese forever. I trusted the research that weight loss surgery is the only intervention that stands the test of time for most people. I am only a few months out, but I have lost when I consider to be an incredible amount of weight. I did have complications with nausea and vomiting for the first two months, but was able to get through it, and then almost back to normal now. The pain was excruciating for the first few days, but it would have been better if I actually received medicine (short-staffed hospital… talk with your hospital ahead of time to find out what to do if no one is answering the call button). Nowadays, I am rarely hungry as long as I eat on time. The few times I have found myself emotionally eating, the restriction kicks in, and it is a physical reminder to stop eating. No GERD. I think this will work long-term. I would do it again. Good luck in whatever you decide!

The pain for upwards of month after, not being able to tolerate food or foods that I enjoy, diarrhea, vomiting, heartburn, no alcohol for 6 months to a year, no nsaids, potential gallstones, hernia , Hair loss to name a few. *I had very little pain. *I tolerate nearly everything. Popcorn, meat, sugar, grease, pretty much everything. I can eat every single thing I've ever been able to eat. *diarrhea, vomiting, heartburn. Have had no problems with any of these. Have not experienced any nausea since surgery, no heartburn. *No alcohol. I'm not a drinker, but tried a sip of something about two months out and regretted it...it burned. After six months, I think I had a few sips of margarita with no issues... and found that a few sips was all it took...wow! I have a handful of drinks a year, but could notice a big difference in my tolerance. *No NSAIDS for a year for sure. My doctor lets me take a small amount now to treat migraines. I take them with an antacid, and never more than a couple of doses per month. *gallstones...I'd already had my gallbladder out. *hernia....was very glad to find and fix mine, and it wasn't caused by the surgery. Improved my quality of life drastically. *hair loss....I lost a massive amount of hair, but it grew back super thick...and CURLY. Had straighter hair before. No clue why it's curly now? Maybe the vitamins? Love my hair more now than before surgery. Hair loss is temporary and there are all sorts of strategies for covering thin hair for a few months while it grows back. (Mine was thin, but I didn't need to hide it)

I only lost 15 my first month. I am 6 months out and have lost 85 total although 10 of it is after a revision last week as an emergency. I had a perforated ulcer which is rare. Do you still work with a nutritionist? If not I highly recommend it. Mine has been awesome! Especially when I had stalls and felt really down like you. They kept telling me that my body has had significant trauma from surgery and is trying to figure out what the heck just happened. I agree with a comment above about it being a marathon. I thought I was losing slow but to see my total weight loss after 6 months I feel better. Maybe put your scale away and weigh in once a month. Also track your NSV’s. I had 6 weeks of no weight loss but I went down a whole pant size!

I am 2 months post surgery today. The day before surgery I stopped taking all of my diabetes medication which consisted of metformin, glimiperide, ozempic and tresiba. I have not taken ANY of them since surgery and my A1c is down from 6.7 to 6.3. My hope is with continued weight loss my A1c will go even lower. My diet is high protein low carb about 600-800 calories per day. I feel better than I have in years.

Hi Lee, I thought after a month it was supposed to get a lot better. The weight loss is a bonus, but the pain when eating sucks! Has the pain stayed constant - or is it slowly getting better? Is it really tight when you eat meats? Does it feel like it’ll get stuck? When does your surgeon say it’ll get better? What are some of your favorite foods/go to’s during this time? I’m guessing a lot of shakes - but do mash potatoes hurt too? Thanks!

My 15 year old neighbor had sleeve surgery after years of therapy, "fat camps" and depression. Three months after surgery and a pretty significant weight loss, I actually saw her smile for the first time! She began walking, working out and would actually engage in lengthy conversations. Fast forward 5 years...…she's in college, enjoys hiking, is in a serious relationships and looks wonderful. Her parents had to go through a lot of family counseling and do a lot of research to find a surgeon who performed bariatric procedures on children. But they knew it was in the best interest of their child to set her up for a healthy adult life. So in answer to your question, you should have the surgery when you are mentally ready to commit to a healthy future. Sleeve surgery only works in the long term if you make the necessary life style changes in that first year after surgery. If not, the weight gain will put you right back where you are now. So I would suggest that age isn't as important as attitude. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

I’ll echo kristie, minimal pain post surgery, I feel MUCH better, GERD (it was mild pre surgery) actually went away, I can eat/drink almost anything I did pre surgery in much smaller portions, lots of hair loss going into month 4 or so but you could never really tell and back to normal now, and OH the joy of buying normal clothes! totally worth the lifestyle changes. After about 2-3 months I didn’t feel like I was missing anything except the extra pounds I was lugging around for years.

Good on you for being prepared and doing your research! I am 7 months post op and almost 100lb down. I have had oesophageal dysmotility post up which causes me pain with quite a bit after eating and I did suffer from hair loss and nausea for a while. All the cons aside for me it has been totally worth it and life changing. My health has drastically improved and my food obsession is also improving! I personally would suggest psychology post op to deal with the food issues but I would absolutely do it all again :)

I actually have those squishy noodles in my fridge right now lol idk why I bought them a while back but now I'm glad I did! So how do you cook them or warm them up? Do you warm them up in whatever they are already in?? I will also have to try that other kind but the angel hair ones...that sounds good! Thanks everyone! Sent from my SM-G981U using BariatricPal mobile app

Having questions & concerns before surgery is very common. It is frustrating though when your surgeon &/or medical team don’t prepare you about what happens after or what could happen. So in answer to the things you’re second guessing: (sorry long response) Most pain post surgery is gone in 4-5 days & a lot of that is gas pain from when they inflate your abdomen to visualise the surgical field. Yes, there may be some foods you can’t tolerate especially in the first couple of months after surgery. Some occurs because your sense of taste &/or smell temporarily changes & some foods taste or smell terrible. Your tummy can also be pretty sensitive. Something you eat one day without issue can cause side effects (diarrhoea, nausea, foamier, discomfort, etc.) tomorrow. Just drop that food for a week or two then try again. Most people can eat anything but do so carefully & watch portion sizes. Honestly, I do still have issues with potatoes, pasta, bread & rice - they sit heavily in my tummy - no loss there though. Char grilled foods are too dry for me & oily fish or fatty foods also are a no go but they were before surgery - stirred up my too acid tummy. Again no loss. I used to have a large glass of wine every night sometimes followed by a scotch. When I was losing I’d have a glass about once a month but I’d nurse it for hours. Now I still only have a drink about once a month. I don’t really miss it & I don’t enjoy it as much. At a lower weight, the alcohol may hit you more quickly & you will register a higher blood alcohol content. Also addiction swapping is real. Swapping your food addiction for alcohol, or something else is something to be aware of. Gerd is a possible side effect of sleeve surgery. I had some reflux before surgery I still have it now - it manifests differently though but is easily managed with medication. Many obese people already have or develop gerd or gerd symptoms like heartburn anyway due to poor diet &/or excessive eating. My surgeon allows me to have the odd nsaid - once a month or two. Regular use of nsaids can cause inflammation of the stomach. Post surgery we gave a much smaller stomach so the damage to our tummy lining caused by the nsaids is amplified. Gallstones form as a result of high cholesterol, losing large amounts of weight, menopause or having high bilirubin levels. I had my gall removed 2 months ago. I had one stone which could have formed because of the weight loss, menopause or from my high bilirubin levels. My cholesterol was always ok. Many obese people have high cholesterol so would already have or would form gall stones at some time anyway. Many obese people already have or would develop hernias because of the weight they’re carrying putting stress in their bodies. Many have their gall removed &/or hernias repaired during their weight loss surgery. Some didn’t even realise they had the problems before all the pre surgery medical tests. The shock of the surgery & reduced diet causes your natural hair loss cycle to accelerate. (It happens after many surgeries, pregnancy, menopause, periods of excessive stress, etc.) Your natural regrowth cycle is unchanged so new hair is regrowing as you’re losing more quickly. The hair loss tends to slow to normal rates after 3 or 4 months. I cut my hair shorter so the new growth would reach full length more quickly. You can’t stop it or slow it. It will happen in its own time (those who claim supplements & treatments helped have no idea because they don’t know when their hair would have stopped shedding anyway). You wouldn’t know almost half my hair fell out now - it’s as thick & as healthy as it was before. Yes, some people do experience complications or take longer to get through the initial side effects. But all surgeries have the potential for complications. Sleeve surgery is pretty low risk in comparison. I guess, in summary most of your concerns are temporary, short term side effects or are things you may have developed anyway if you didn’t lose your weight. Is the surgery worth it? Yes! Yes! Hell yes! I didn’t have any comorbidities before surgery but they were very close by now there’s an extremely low to no chance of ever developing them. The balls of my feet used to ache & my stamina wasn’t great. Feet are pain free & stamina is improved. The oddest thing is now I sometimes have difficulty finding clothes to fit me because I’m too small. 😆 Rather have that problem then being too big to find nice clothes. Good luck whatever you chose to do.

Stalls happen. We do say the first one happens at week three but it can be before week 3 or after. They can last one to three weeks. They do pass & you don’t have to do anything different. Your body just needs a break from all the changes - your body has shut the door & said nope, no more, I’m not moving & am just staying here for a while. You’ll also likely experience a couple of stalls along the way. We all lose at our own rate. Some fast, some slow. There are many factors at influence that rate: age, gender, starting weight, genetics, weight loss history… You’ve lost 26lbs - that’s great. Stick to what your doing. You’ll reach your goal.

Starting to have doubts about having surgery is not uncommon. I had mine when I was almost 54 so a bit younger than you - lol!! My weight was ok (bounced 60 - 75kg) but when I became perimenopausal I gained another 15kg - no change of diet or activity & couldn’t lose a pound of it. I didn’t have any comorbidities but they likely would have begun any day. That’s the thing about carrying excess weight, your body can manage for a while but at some point, it becomes too strenuous & too much for your body to manage. Aches, pains, increased blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, sleep apnoea, etc. will develop. Some things can be reversed by losing weight but some things will linger or have damaged/weakened organs & you still will have to monitor them. Yes, some people develop gerd after sleeve surgery but a lot of obese people develop it too because of overeating & poor food choices. Same with gall stones. Gall stones can form as a result of high cholesterol, menopause, high bilirubin levels & after losing a lot of weight. Even if your cholesterol is ok now who knows what it will be like in the future. Being obese, or riding the weight loss & gain roller coaster, you’ll likely develop gall stones & need to have your gall bladder removed. So these things could happen even without having the surgery. You said you’ve lost weight in the past. We’ve all lost weight in the past but we’ve also gained it back & more. What makes the surgery successful is doing the head work & making permanent changes to what, why, how & when we eat. We never did that in the past. We changed our diet to lose weight but then went back to eating as we did to gain the weight in the first place. Just some things for you to consider. Good luck whatever you decide to do.