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Just wanted to follow up on a few things from the post above: 1. DS patients do not typically experience dumping syndrome. We maintain our pylorus valve during the sleeve part of the surgery, so we dump at the same rate as the non-surgical population. 2. Bypass patients have about a 30% chance of dumping, lower if they avoid the food behaviors that trigger it. For all but a few it is a manageable phenomenon. 3. Diabetes goes into remission MUCH more frequently with Bypass and DS patients because of the alterations to the small intestines. As do most other co-morbidities. 4. I don't personally view my DS surgery as "punishing". My body has done nothing wrong. I feel no need to punish it. I personally don't have emotional eating issues but I don't judge those that do, nor do I think it is a reason to punish the body... Having my small intestines rerouted was not a punishment. It was a BLESSING! My fasting blood sugars normalized within 24 hours of surgery. So did my high blood pressure. I'm not on medication for either one. I'm currently 7 weeks post op. I consider remission of those two conditions to be a modern medical miracle... I didn't choose the DS to be harsh to my body. I picked it because it had the best chance of restoring my health and keeping the weight off long term. My surgeon put it best "You have a metabolic disorder. You need a metabolically potent surgery. The DS is the most potent one available..." My bowels habits have changed, but nothing unmanageable. I have to watch my carbs, that's no different than before surgery. I no longer have to count calories because I malabsorb a portion of them. I'm at risk of vitamin deficiencies if I don't take my vitamins, that to me is no different than risking a blood sugar or blood pressure emergency from not regularly taking my meds pre-surgery. Nothing about this process is free. There are always trade offs. Any GI issues that occur with the DS can also happen with Bypass, including vitamin and protein deficiencies. But protein and vitamin deficiencies are also possible with sleeve patients. They may happen at different rates, but they are unusual across the board. As are serious complications. Gallbladder failure can happen with ANY surgery. It is caused by the rapid weight loss and low fat diet many adhere to post surgery. It is not unique to the DS or Bypass. I don't think DS and Bypass patients are choosing to punish themselves because they pick these surgeries. They pick these surgeries because of their own individual medical challenges and what they need out of their surgery. Most of us are working to heal various dysfunctional relationships with our bodies, or with food, or both. None of us are exempt from that. These surgeries are ALL support tools, not a punishment for past misdeeds.

Hi! I’m 6 weeks post bypass and have lost 19lb since surgery. I’m getting 1.5/2l fluid a day. Hitting my protein targets and getting some exercise in. Why is my weight so slow? If I’d known that it was going to be like this, then I never would have put my body through a major op.

Courtnay, I am so sorry you had such an awful experience... I had some nurses that really irritated me and treated me poorly but an orderly found me crying because I was in so much pain and stressed by the nurse and so she reported the nurse, which was uncomfortable in the moment because I had to talk to a bunch of people, but really made them treat me decently the rest of the time! You can definitely have the bypass later once the sleeve takes off some weight. This happens sometimes with DS surgeries where they end up doing the sleeve first and then the intestinal part later once some abdominal fat is lost. Livers can be really tricky. Mine was still "plump" during the surgery, I just happen to have an extremely skilled surgeon who was able to work around it, but he told me sometimes that isn't possible. And I really want to say this, what happened to you IS NOT YOUR FAULT!! I'd find a therapist that deals with trauma, specifically medical trauma if possible, to help process this experience. Later down the road if your weight loss isn't stable you can consider converting to bypass or DS, you have options now with the sleeve! I know it isn't what you wanted, and I don't understand why the doctor didn't just close you up and try again later if you felt so strongly about it, but hindsight is always 20/20 and the good thing is that the sleeve DOES take off weight and that weight loss will help you feel a lot better. You should be on a good PPI with your heartburn, twice a day if needed. Omeprazole was always useless to me, so I use pantaprazole in the morning and Dexilant in the evening, both are prescription and they work wonderfully, no food triggers at all. You don't have to suffer with heartburn and reflux, they really should sort your meds out for that. It will make nausea and eating a lot easier. Oh and a few weeks out my digestive system was very testy. I had IBS before and it was grumpy post surgery. Fairlife shakes make me run to the bathroom for days for some reason! I like the Syntrax Nectar fruit flavors, they are like juice. Seeq is also good, it is like juice too, they are water based protein drinks, not creamy milk ones, and my digestive system handles them both better. You can get samples of Syntrax from Bariatric Pal and samples of Seeq from their website. Sending you lots of love... I hope things ease up soon and those hormones calm down, they are really rough after surgery! ❤️

I can relate to the acid reflux issue due to having a hiatal hernia too. I was daily suffering with it for years until WLS. My stomach was also pushed up through my diaphragm. Docs found the hernia during pre-op testing and repaired it the same day as my RNY. I think your doctor was hoping by fixing your hernia, it might take care of your reflux along with you losing the abdominal weight from the sleeve surgery. I also carried the majority of my excess weight around my midsection and was told that my reflux was because excess fat was pushing food back up into my esophagus. That was before they discovered I had the hernia. But both problems contributed. After losing over 100 pounds, I'm finding that even though I am losing weight all over, my stomach is still the last place it is coming off. Very frustrating but I still have 40 lbs. to lose. And that's where it is sitting. I chalk it up to genetics. Sadly, the hernia repair didn't take care of your reflux and the sleeve is notorious for causing it. Even in those that never had it. One of the reasons I opted for the bypass and haven't had reflux since. As for your weight loss stall, maybe try backing off from hard workouts unless you are getting an adequate days rest in between. Increased levels of cortisol can cause abdominal weight gain. I lost all my weight from leisurely walking outdoors 2-3 miles 5-6xs a week.. GL. Your pics look great.

I'm a sleeve to bypass conversion. I had a hernia, that complicated matters. I'm over a decade out from the horror of that sleeve. I'm just over 3 months out with the bypass. The hernia caused issues and the longer healing time was due to it. If I have any pull or ache, its in that area. For 3 months gone, the reflux (was like yours, actually worse, I had carafate to eat anything) is gone. I've had 1 time where some stuff came up like reflux. A mild little one for the 2nd time it happened. That's it. I control how much food goes in. When I dont, I throw up. I've had a bean get stuck (wow was that painful), couple of times I've swallowed 3x instead of 2 for liquids and it was too much. I've thrown up but nothing like before. If I'm really really careful, watch the time and amount of food at one time frame, I'm good. Stay at 2 swallows, I'm good. After the misery of before, this is great! That having been said, I dropped to malnutrition level because of some other medical problems. As of end of last week, I am 8 pounds from being overweight for my BMI. 36 pounds from being normal weight. So I don't think I'll be dropping it like I did my sleeve. I dropped 27 pounds the first month, and that was 27% of the excess body weight.

not me, but several people on here have had revisions. Most of them VSG to bypass since VBG is an older surgery that is rarely (maybe never?) done anymore.

I had the Duodenal Switch, which is different than the most common two surgeries being discussed here. I picked it because I had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, sleep apnea, etc... I also picked it because I knew a purely restrictive surgery wouldn't work for me. Portion has never been my issue. Pre-op I was eating about 1000-1200 calories a day, for about 10 years, and did nothing but steadily gain weight. My surgeon said it was obvious I have a metabolic disorder, so I needed a metabolically strong surgery. I also didn't want to risk gaining weight back and the DS has the lowest rate of regain. But as a trade off it can cause more vitamin and protein deficiencies if not managed well and the diet is a bit different than the others post op because of our malabsorption. However, diabetes was my biggest concern and the DS puts about 95% of T2 cases in remission, and most stay that way. Post op my blood sugar dropped to 82 within 24 hours of surgery and my high blood pressure normalized, so they took me off of my diabetes meds and blood pressure meds. I'm 3 months out and my a1c is 4.8 without medication!! My blood pressure continues to be normal without meds. My cholesterol and triglycerides are also normal without medication, which hasn't happened in decades! All this to say---consult with a surgeon who offers ALL the surgeries if you can find one in your area. Talk to them about your reasons for wanting bariatric surgery and consider your options carefully. The sleeve surgery is amazing for a number of people, but it isn't right for everyone. The bypass is a fantastic surgery for certain patients, but again, it isn't for everyone. And the DS is a powerful surgery, but it definitely has a specific patient profile. All are great surgeries, but not all of them will be the best surgery for you. Only you and your surgeon can decide that. And don't be afraid to get a second opinion. I went to two surgeons before deciding on one (though both recommended the same surgery). I needed that extra reassurance I was picking the right surgeon and the right surgery. I'm so glad I did this surgery, I just wish it had been an option available to me when I was younger.❤️

All things are possible. Not all things are probable. Horror stories are least likely of all. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and focus to doing your best either way. I've only had Bypass so I can't address going from Sleeve to Bypass. But I am responding because I do have some of the issues you fear... I dump on both sugars and fats, and it doesn't take exceptionally large quantities to kick in. I actually wanted to dump so that sugars and fats wouldn't be things I could eat with impunity. I hoped dumping would put my body to work for me on this and I have to admit I'm very happy with the result. It took an amazingly few dumping episodes for me to change my habits. Throwing up is an entirely different beast than pre-op. The only time I throw up is when food get's stuck going down. Again, it took an amazingly few episodes of doing it wrong to learn to take my time and do it correctly. I can't recall the last time this was an actual issue. Once the food goes down, it's pretty much impossible for me to throw up. If my body insists on it, I just end up with dry heaving, which is less fun than it sounds. On balance things could be worse. Try not to borrow troubles from tomorrow. Good luck, Tek

I did not skip the liquid phase, but my program does skip purees. They emphasize adequate protein and nutrient dense, natural foods. Here is what I ate, according to the directions my doctor and dietician gave me (for comparison, not giving you medical advice, obviously!): Hospital, 1 day post op (gastric bypass): Water, Jello, Chicken broth, sugar free popsicle. These all went well and I was able to finish them at a slow pace. Home, 2-6 days post op: Protein shakes, bone broth, sugar free yogurt, applesauce, plain kefir, Fairlife skim milk in decaf tea, herbal teas. Nothing that required chewing during this stage. Spoke with nurse via phone call, who confirmed I was meeting my 60g protein and 64 oz water goals consistently. She told me to start taking my vitamins and to incorporate soft proteins as I was able and to continue to consume 60g protein from shakes in addition to food. Days 7-13, here is what I added: Tuna salad with low-fat mayo, poached eggs, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, refried beans with melted cheddar, baked haddock, feta cheese, ground turkey with taco seasoning, cottage cheese, pickled herring. 2-3 shakes per day to hit 60g protein total (in addition to what I got from food). Met with surgeon in office on day 13. Based on having no issues with water, protein, or any of the foods I had tried so far, and healing nicely, I was told to start incorporating non-protein foods in the following order: non-starchy veg, fruit, starches/grains. I was told I could use protein shakes as needed if the food I consumed did not equal at least 60g protein but could skip the shakes if I hit 60g. Raw veg is fine. I need to wait until 3 months post op to add beef, lamb, and pork. Starting Day 14, these are the new foods I have tried: spinach, strawberries, edamame, turkey sausage, ricotta, chicken salad, steamed broccoli, kalamata olives, smoked salmon, black beans, cucumbers, matchstick carrots, tomatoes, grapes, sliced almonds. Today is day 18 post-op, and this is my menu today: Breakfast: A smoothie made from 1oz power greens, 1 cup frozen berry blend, 8 oz Fairlife skim milk, 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar unflavored protein, 1 Tbsp hemp seeds, 4 small pieces frozen avocado. 16oz total, 36.5g protein Lunch: 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 4 no sugar added peach slices, 1/2 mini cucumber, 4 grape tomatoes, 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar. 14g protein. Ended up eating half at noon and half a few hours later because I filled up very fast. Dinner: 3 oz baked salmon with pesto, 3 pieces steamed broccoli. 18g protein. I also will have had 64oz water, 28 oz decaf tea, and 4 oz skim milk by the end of the day. I have not added in any grains at this point because I can just manage to finish a serving of protein and a few bites of veg or fruit right now. Once I get 20-25g protein at lunch and dinner instead of 15g as I'm averaging now, I'll add sweet potatoes, but I'll hold off on white potatoes and breads. I really hope this helps! I would be very mindful of getting in enough protein and fluids in this first week, with an emphasis on fluids first. But as you can see, in another few days, it's very possible to be able to tolerate a variety of protein rich soft foods.

Hi! I’m kind of new here. Just had my gastric bypass, route n y, surgery on December 19th, 2023. I’m looking for some other stories that started at a weight over 300. I started this journey at 338 and I’m feeling like I’m not seeing a whole lot of people who start at over 300+. Kudos to the people who start earlier, I’m just looking for similar stories to mine I guess. My projected weight loss is about 124 pounds but I’d like to hear some other opinions on how much people have lost at being at a higher weight. What’s a reasonable expected amount to lose? Or what is realistic to expect for weight loss starting at 300+ in terms of everything like excess skin, working out, what life is like now? I know everyone is different. Just Curious. Thank you. 😊

Hey all! I had a revision from VSG (2020) to a bypass without bowel reduction on 11/28. It’s been going fine, recovering is good and I’m tolerating food fine. However, since we did my revision for severe GERD and a large hernia, the surgeon told me that my bypass was minimal in terms of removal of bowel. Since I’ve basically maintained my weight loss since my sleeve, he did not want to create a situation where I would be malnourished so he did not remove bowel like a typical bypass. All that to say, I’m super hungry which is surprising since they did mess with my pouch, and I’ve lost a little weight which is fine too, but it’s like I cannot tell when I’m full. I’m on soft foods, so not full solids yet but have been eating real meals basically (soft foods allows canned veggies and some fruits on my plan). With my sleeve I could easily tell when it’s time to stop. Now it’s like I could just keep going. I haven’t had any nausea or vomiting caused by over eating, and I’ve been measuring because I’m nervous but it’s like I’m still hungry. I was hopeful leaving the bowel would help me not experience dumping as much (which I have no idea if that’s legit or I’m just telling myself that), but I’m also so worried about eating too much. On a happy note - I have only ate tums once since my surgery, and I guess now won’t have to continue to keep tums in business anymore. LOL! That was the goal, so far so good, still on protonix but I’ll take it over misery any day!

Following up with a GP is good for general health, but following up with your bariatric surgeon is crucial if you are still having complications from bypass. There are a number of things that can be causing your symptoms, some that can be easily corrected by procedures during an endoscopy. As far as the blood spike, do you mean your blood sugar? Some people that have bypass can develop reactive hypoglycemia which can definitely make your blood sugar levels bounce around and cause fatigue and such. I'm sorry you are feeling bad!

I just had mini bypass revision from sleeve as I had severe GERD. Now I have bile reflux ☹️

Hello everyone, and happy Sunday! I'm feeling quite a bit better now that my body finally evacuated what was bothering it. I'd kind of forgotten about the Milk of Magnesia I'd purchased, and yesterday it came to my rescue. Those protein shakes (30g) are no joke, especially if you're taking any medication that slows your digestion further. Yesterday afternoon, even after getting past the constipation, my body just wasn't feeling like much intake, either liquids or 'food'. I found myself getting full after only an ounce of the chicken noodle soup broth and a few teaspoons of yogurt. I struggled for the first time getting my fluids in; I think I had gotten lax about the sip-sip-sip method and maybe was trying to drink too much at once when I drank. It's definitely hard to resist the urge to go back to gulping, especially when the beverage it cold and satisfying, and I feel dry mouth creeping in. Tomorrow is technically my puree day but I skipped ahead just slightly to try to move away from those heavy protein shakes. I realized I'm very sensitive to the texture of my scrambled egg and had to recook it, pre-mixed with about a half tablespoon of skim milk, and instead of the butter he'd initially tried I just used a very light splash of olive oil. That gave me the light, moist scrambled egg I was looking for. I reread my book and while it suggested you might want to start with just egg whites I just couldn't make myself hold to that. I am trying to get better about spacing out the 'not drinking 30 mins before/after' now that I'm beginning to eat some actual food. That's a very hard thing to do, honestly, because I'm noticing that no matter how much I chew without a drink the food just feels kind of stuck in my throat for a bit. I can see now why my friend said she found drinking a broth type soup in the morning 'primed' her stomach for the day. @draikaina8503 & @Pepper_No_Salt - How are you two feeling? I hope that your surgeries went smoothly. @Pepper_No_Salt I'm glad you can mix in some variety with additives to your plant based shakes - I was close enough to losing my mind during the pre-op diet so I think that being limited further would have driven me over the edge! I'm going to look up that PB2 you mentioned because I'm curious about it! (Back to you, @draikaina8503 , just saw your post-op post!) Oh my gosh I hate that your body did that to you RIGHT before your surgery. Mine at least gave me two days I'm very glad they kept you at least another night! I hope they are helping you keep your pain managed. Yeah; it will definitely take some walking to get that gas pain to leave but in the mean time don't be shy in asking for those ice packs and your pain medication! Sometimes managing the pain, then walking with the ice pack is the only way to work it out - at least that was my experience, and I've heard the same from a few others. Thinking back, one thing I wish I'd done while in the hospital was be a BIT more squeaky - I remember now that when my Mom was in the hospital I had to shove a bunch of pillows behind her back when I put the hospital bed up at an incline so she could get a good enough angle in bed to safely sip liquids. I think that would have helped me tremendously, because I relegated myself to using their recliner a lot just so I could be upright, and it didn't work very well AT ALL. Hope you're starting to feel better! (Coming back to you @Pepper_No_Salt since I now see your post-op post!) : Oh my gosh I feel you on the cold drink thing! I was a bit grumpy when I asked the nurse at my 10 day post-op and she casually said, "Oh, room temperature is mainly just the first few days because foods of extreme temperatures CAN cause uncomfortable cramping'. My fella covered his mouth to hide his snort of understanding at the look I gave him, having had to hear me whine off and on for ten days about how I'd give anything for a COLD drink of something. Figuring out the sips is tricky. They gave me little medicine cups that hold about an ounce and for me, sipping one of those 2-3 times felt about right at first. I'm sure this is another one of those things that depends on the person. I also alternated one ounce of gatorade/proper (they had brought me a kiwi watermelon that elicited heartburn, the berry was ok if I went slow - Also weirdly orange gatorade zero goes down better than watermelon, guess its all based on the acid and flavoring? @draikaina8503 - I read where you discussed being pretty limited on the shakes due to dietary restrictions. That's rough It's very cool that you write the same genres as me - I, too, have given Nanowrimo a try but never seem to stick with it to the finish line. Maybe I'll try it again this year! I'm glad you mentioned it. Yes - I meant to follow up all week long on making sure I was on the waiting list, and lo and behold... it's Sunday, and I never did. I'm bad on a good day at executive function, so during stressful times like this recovery - whew. I need to add it as a task to my Finch app so my mind stops blanking on it. I hope they were able to do your full surgery with no complications. @Singingbarista - I hope your recovery is going well! I didn't feel too terribly at first but I am suspecting more and more based off of people's feedback that I almost certainly had a nerve block that took a good 4-5 days to completely wear off. The achiness has built over time, and I hope that is different for you! @AndreaJD - Yay! Another writer & Nanowrimo participant! I guess it isn't too surprising that several of us writing folks would find one another on a forum, but I still think it's really cool. Superhero fan fiction sounds fun; I'd say that some of the powers my characters have are very overlapping, like magic use. It would be awesome if you could get some productive writing done during recovery but I also wanted to encourage you not to be too hard on yourself if you can't. My mind feels muddy and I feel drowsy far more often than I would like. I know I'll probably feel SO much better in about a week, but it's sure hard not to be impatient. I also wanted to mention that I didn't have much trouble at all getting my fluids down at first, either, and that's definitely not a bad thing. My nurse told me there will be good days and harder days, and yesterday I definitely experienced that. It was the first day I didn't make my fluid goal, like I wrote above - and I tried to push it in the evening but that was a bad idea. The Berry Propel I drank a bit too quickly before laying down (should have waited longer, d'oh!) ended up giving me heartburn that woke me up around 3am. It's all trial and error, I guess. Dang - wish I'd thought of having tomato soup pre-op! No idea why I didn't - now it'll probably be a while before I dare due to potential acid reflux. Ahh well! I'm going to try some of that blended Progresso Chicken Noodle in my puree stage I think if it passes the 'book check' - it sounds amazing. @Averdra & @caseyash30 - Are you two still surgery twins on the 21st? I'm trying to backtrack and I know that you said there were possible concerns do to a potential Covid case, @Averdra. I hope that's smoothed out for you! I realized while I was doing my recap that I never mentioned - traveling to Lithuania sounds so exotic to me, as a resident of the Midwestern U!. The furthest I've ever been is Alberta, Canada! Not that you would get to go sightseeing or anything; I get it. I know a lot of folks from the US travel to Mexico for their surgeries. Very cool that you were another WoW OG! The game sure has changed a lot, hasn't it? @caseyash30 - How goes the pre-op diet? Are you getting nervous or eager as the date approaches? For me it all just felt really surreal. @Onemealplan & @Greekmom4 - Tomorrow is my 14 day post op! I was paying close attention to your discussions about puree - because to be honest, I'm kind of stumped on this particular stage. I just managed about half a scrambled egg and a couple of teaspoons of my sugar free Chobani and I just feel so full. The whole time I was eyeballing my sugar free gatorade, thinking how ready I was to just be through with food so I could set a timer to be able to start hydrating. As it is, I have hiccups from the two tiny sips of Gatorade I allowed myself just to make the egg not feel stuck in my throat. I know everyone's experiences are going to vary significantly; the friend I have who had surgery previously said she had a lot of luck sipping the French onion soup mixed, especially in the mornings. She's two years post op and doesn't seem to have trouble eating small servings of most anything she wants now, minus much fried foods or rich desserts. She had a full gastric bypass, for reference. She told me that ricotta was a big win for her because it could be blended and made either savory or sweet, depending on if you chose vegetables or fruit, and also said she really enjoyed refried beans through the puree with mild seasoning to make it more like a taco. I have a gastric sleeve cookbook that offers a lot of different smoothie varieties. Other than that - I'm just not sure what sounds appealing as a puree, despite the nurse saying 'you can puree almost anything but stringy / dense meat!' I can see how the chicken or tuna salad would work - tuna just scares me for some reason. I wonder if I'd be able to do a salmon salad instead of tuna salad. Also - @Onemealplan - Yeah, I tried having my fella puree me some canned kidney beans on Friday, just to test the waters, and they didn't settle well for me. I can't say they are what caused me to have trouble passing gas and extra trouble with my constipation - it seems unlikely since I skimmed away the 'shell' and only ate probably a teaspoon and a half worth, but I just don't know. It tasted great to me, but just made me nervous. This is probably in part because I've dealt with IBS and beans of that sort along with ground beef or tomato sauce with too much basil were trigger type foods for me. I concur on the puree'd meats sound distinctly unappetizing. I'm hoping I can get away with mashing cooked salmon or something like that. Wooo! I did it! I hope I didn't miss anyone - I feel caught up finally! Now, to go rest with my ice pack.

My god that is terrible and I wish you all the best. I had sleeve surgery in 2023 and had side effects but nothing to that extent and I am not sure what was due to possible hospital errors or just bad luck for me. I ended up with severe pancreatis and then infections because of a hole in my stomach. The hospital tried a few attempts of clipping the hole but that didn't work and now I have a coil/tube in the hole to hopefully have the hole heal around it over the next few months. If that doesn't work I may have to get bypass. I spent three months in hospital instead of just the one expected night, some for weeks on a feeding tube , had to get a transfusion and a lot of antibiotics. I am suffering severe exhaustion, not sleeping well and at times feeling quite down. I can't walk far without feeling weak and if I do something one day (like go to supermarket) I need the next day to recover. At times I question if I would have been better going down the medication route, but as I don't have diabetes and there are no studies yet available on how the injections impact long term I thought surgery was the safer bet, I really doubt that now. I still get stomach pains at times and I honestly don't know if that is due to the surgery complications or if everyone gets them. I nearly called for an ambulance on new years day I was in so much pain. I keep trying to be strong for my family, as they don't live in the same country as me and get very worried, but I find it is adding to my exhaustion. Some days I just have a bit of a cry as I feel there is no-one to compare myself to and it is all such an effort.

I had a revision from vsg to bypass due to gerd over 2 years ago. I don't regret it. I'm sorry I waited so long. I don't know the future but up till now, it's been a very smooth transition.

I can't see why the weight isn't falling off for you. Dang, you certainly are eating very lean and low calorie. Seems unfair. I'm clearly nobody to give advice since I ballooned to nearly 350. I only know for my body and if I hit a stall I have to eat a bigger amount for one day then back down to low calories and it seems to jolt my system into more weight loss. My sister had gastric bypass - lost 85lbs and starved herself on cabbage to get down to the 100lbs loss so she could get her knees replaced. Once replaced and she started eating a normal (for us) diet and gained the 15 lbs back but has maintained her weight for the past 3 years. Th beef gelatin has no flavor, none. I can't eat sugar free jello due to the sweeteners they put in it. Many sweeteners are inflammatory and due to my super bad knees I can't stand any inflammation of that kind. If those products don't bother you then you could do sugar free jello, add some extra unflavored beef protein and have a tasty snack. I should add some foods make me retain water - like any tomato product and any wheat or rice. I've no clue why but if I eat those my feet, ankles and lower legs swell. I've been eating mostly paleo for the past 7 years. Has the Dr given any explanation? Any advice? My dietitian keeps telling me we are losing inches not necessarily pounds. I call BS. All I know is I have 17 more pounds to lose to get new knees. After that I hope to lose another 60 so my hubby can buy me a face lift (he doesn't know it yet) SURPRISE DEAR LOL

My bypass surgery is scheduled for January 9 two days after my birthday.

Good advice above! I made a very very considered choice to have a sleeve despite being on PPIs for years for reflux. Only because I knew when I had previously lost significant weight my reflux had gone. My gamble paid off but I know that the recommended surgery for people with reflux is bypass. Concerned that your surgeon is trying to railroad you into anything else. My choice was very much mine after a long discussion of the pros and cons. This is too important a decision to get wrong.

Hi there! I just signed up on this forum and have a surgery date of January 30 for gastric bypass. My sister had it done about a year and a half ago and has had great success so I decided I was ready to make some big changes in my life. im currently trying to keep my required 10-lb weight loss on the books. I officially achieved it in October and I meet with my doc each month. In November I had lost an additional half pound but ended up in the ER after my appt because I was so dehydrated from fasting to make my weight goal. So embarrassing ugh. Now, thanks to the holidays my next appt is January 2, but I’m up eight lbs and they will cancel my surgery if they see that. I have 18 days to lose that weight again and I’m scared I won’t make it. I’m mad at myself for being lax after my last weigh-in. I know that part of losing weight pre-op is to start making changes gradually but I’m struggling. I guess that’s normal for many of us. I’m really excited about getting the surgery but also a little depressed because it will force me (and is now forcing me) to completely change my relationship with food. That’s scary. But I see how happy and energetic and positive my sister is and I want that in my life too. Anyway, I didn’t mean to get depressing lol but I’m trying to be honest about my feelings which are all coming at me at the same time! Its crazy.

I had my sleeve done in April of 2012. Had decent success until 2018 when I gained ALL of the weight back. I am now 2 weeks away from getting a re-sleeve. It is with a differnt surgeon this time due to the fact my original surgeon won't do it. I am very nervous. I worry about the actual surgery. Mostly because I already have staples & such I expect it to be more difficult. I know there isn't too much on this forum about getting a re-sleeve but I was wondering if anyone has had any personal experiences with this. Wondering if it will be as successful as the 1st was oringally. NOTE: I have made the personal decision not to have the bypass as an alternative. My doctor says that it is the usual revisionj choice but I am even more scared of that surgery!

Hello - I had gastric sleeve in June of 2015 and lost over half my body weight initially, getting down to well below my initial goal in the first year. Started having issues with acid reflux pretty early on, and it's gotten steadily worse, especially in the past 3 years. I'm currently on omeprazole and famotidine, plus Tums in addition. A 24-hour PH study showed that I had over 100 episodes of reflux in that period. So I was approved to revise to a gastric bypass. I also have regained over half of what I lost, mostly since my reflux has gotten worse, and am about 50 pounds heavier than my ideal weight. The reflux makes me feel hungry all the time, and I'm eating way more carbs than I should because they seem to tame the acid somewhat. I understand that it's pretty much a pipe dream that I'll be able to lose anything close to that with revision, but I guess any weight loss would be better than where I am right now. My new surgeon said she expected that I'd get back down to 110-120 after revision (my preferred weight personally is around 125), but based on all the posts I've read here and on reddit, she is definitely exaggerating to make me more willing to go through with the surgery. The best it sounds like I could hope for is to lose maybe 15-20 pounds over the course of a year or more? I am scheduled for surgery on Jan. 18th, but I'm having second thoughts after reading so many horror stories of unpredictable dumping episodes and ever-changing food intolerances. I guess maybe my reflux isn't as bad as others, since the reality of daily life with RNY seems unbearably miserable to me in comparison to my life currently. I'm afraid that I won't be able to do my job anymore (or even leave the house at all) if I am unable to eat or drink anything without the risk of vomiting/foamies (I have pelvic floor issues, so I pretty much always lose bladder control when I vomit or dry heave) or having uncontrollable diarrhea. After revision, do you have to wear an adult diaper all the time? Has anyone developed an eating disorder based on fear of getting sick after consuming anything? Do you have any "safe" foods, or is it always a (literal) crapshoot? I know that continued GERD can cause esophageal cancer down the line, but wouldn't the same be true of daily vomiting? Has anyone who is several years out from revision developed cancer or precancerous damage to their esophagus due to the constant vomiting? Likewise, have your teeth been ruined from it? For those who revised from VSG to RNY and are past the initial healing stages, would you do it again or has it made your life even worse?

Well but I'm lifting weights I'm gaining muscle. I do a seca body scan every four to six months and after losing muscle because of a car accident and a year in a half in bed my doctor told me I'm in danger of heart failure so I started lifting weights. But I'm not gaining muscle instead my fat is going down .. so I do understand my body wants to maintain this weight but there is this thing called cutting and bulking and I'm trying to get into a bulk.. Just based off the fact that I don't absorb half my calories I would think of I eat enough calories eventually I'll gain weight.. it can't be impossible can it? I was 19 when I had the surgery 20 years ago. I don't really remember what they told me. I don't recall specifically being told I won't be able to gain weight.. but ok. I'll keep this in mind. Maybe I'm just stuck here. My doctor prescribed my enzymes though he told my my gastric bypass doctor wanted me to gain weight he thinks I should be 190 for my safety 🫤 any more thoughts? I'm still weak my muscle is normal but on the low end still so I can't stop trying to gain weight imo. For my health.

Your surgeon is a bit off in his ratios. Weight loss rate is different for each surgery and for each person. I think the 3 month mark for most surgeries is closer to 30% though, not 50%. I've never heard that for 3 months, only for 6 months. Have you run your stats through this calculator? https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/accreditation-and-verification/metabolic-and-bariatric-surgery-accreditation-and-quality-improvement-program/riskbenefit-calculator/ That is the calculator many bariatric surgeons use to calculate their patient's trajectories. I feel like I'm behind because at about 3 months out I'm only down 40 lbs or so since surgery, but 53 lbs since my highest weight. So I used that calculator, starting with my highest weight, since that is what the surgeon would have used. Turns out I am right on the mark, as their PA told me a few weeks ago! Everyone around me is losing faster, but that doesn't matter. For my body and my health conditions I am apparently right on track. I found that really reassuring. Keep in mind that site only tells you what it expects you to lose in the first year. I thought malabsorbative surgeries like the DS or Bypass can keep losing up until the 18 month mark, though it is much slower loss at that point? I know DS patients can even lose up to the 2 year mark, though again, it is much slower. You usually lose the last 20%-25% much slower because the body is closer to its set point. I had a 6 week stall that started when I added solid food in. I kept gaining and losing the same few lbs. But someone told me to check my measurements, since usually when the scale stalls, our measurements go down. Sure enough, I was losing inches!! So I REALLY advocate people measure once a month and record it, the Baritastic app can even track it for you. It is really reassuring to see those inches lost when the scale has been acting like a d**k for weeks. LOL How are you doing now??

Yes, pre existing gerd is a hard no for sleeve in almost all cases. Sleeve won’t fix it & will likely make it worse necessitating a 2nd surgery to convert to bypass. I had reflux/gerd before my sleeve. The only reason my surgeon decided to proceed with a sleeve was because my reflux was mild & I managed it for years with dietary choices. I only took meds a couple or so times a year. If it was more severe, & I needed regular medication, he wouldn’t have done it. My reflux is worse & I take meds every day which manages it but the symptoms are different. We have similar stats in regards height & I had a similar starting weight (200lbs). Having reflux didn’t hinder my weight loss. Plus I’m menopausal (perimenopause & menopause was when I put on the bulk of my weight & pushed me to obesity). I lost all my weight plus more & have kept it off. And I wasn’t active at all Lol! Avoid comparing your rate of weight loss with anyone else. We all lose at our own rate & what is best for us & our body. Comparing usually leads to frustration & worry. Have you met with your dietician recently & gone through your meal tracking? There may be something you’re missing or need or don’t need. A stall of more than a month isn’t common. Try to increase your fluid consumption. You should aim for 64oz or likely more as you say you are very active. And yes, while muscle weighs more than fat it’s not that much more. Say a container of fat weighs 1kg. The same container of muscle weighs 1.2kg so we only talking ounces of difference. Have you been taking body measurements to better understand where you might be in regards to muscle growth?