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For me I am only supposed to take in 400-600 calories until I hit stage 4 after 3 months. Then it’s 600-800 calories til 6 months, then 800-1000 from 6-12 months. After that I should be 1000 - 1200 calories for life. I’ve seen others go up to 1000 this early so it could have to do with starting weight, amount to loose, etc. but I’d double check that. Aside from that, there is a well known stall around week 4 (some have it at week 2 or 4). Stick with the program your surgeon gave you and you’ll be fine.

I can vouch for the fact that increased size is a very happy unexpected consequence of the surgery. Response to my d pics has gone from silence to "nice." I'm hoping for "wow" by the time I reach goal weight. 😂

My surgery is this Friday and I have only my husband and close family that know about it. At the moment I have no desire to tell anyone. Most of my close friends have seen my weight fluctuate drastically. On another note, throughout this process (specifically endoscopy) I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and my friends know about that diagnosis. My plan is to say that I am working with a dietician and really watching my food intake...which is true. I feel I have no need to expand after that. I did tell my family not to tell anyone. Once I have the surgery, I may feel more relaxed and tell people but right now it is a definite NO. I told them that I am telling them for their support and not to have secrets. However, this is only my story to tell when and if I choose to reveal it. Side note: it took me almost 10 years to get the Celiac diagnosis. Whenever I tried to explain my symptoms, my doctor would always say I have IBS and gastric issues because I am fat. I switched to a new doctor and I couldn't believe my ears when she said that my gastric issues were making me fat! I finally feel like I am on the right path!

A couple of things I wish I knew. The constipation is real. I average between 14 - 22 grams of fiber daily but still have to take something everyday. I wish someone had of explained that too me. I have rarely been constipated in my life until now. All the aches and pains I got. I am the only one of several people I know who got the surgery who has had issues. Weird hip pain where I couldn't walk without assistance and now Meralgia Paresthetica. I had this condition many years (24) ago when I was pregnant and it came back with a vengeance. I refused any meds due to potential weight gain and will hopefully wait it all out.

I second this entry. I had horrible pain in my tail bone after I lost a bunch of weight and lost my cushion. I bought a cushion for my work chair and home office as well as my car and I feel 100% better. I never had pain standing or lying down but sitting in a hard chair was murder for me. This is definitely to be expected when you lose your ass fat from what I read. I still use the cushion at work but no longer need it in the car or at home unless I am sitting on a hard chair for an extended time.

I'd like to know the reasons/purposes of the post-op diet and the different stages. I am following my instructions exactly. I think. I hope I'm doing it right. Now, likely all y'all know that a clear liquid diet sucks. The guide I was given says I have to be on the clear liquid stage for week 1 and I have 2 days left. But I have heard others only having clear liquids for 1-3 days. I'm doing well and I'd like to try a few things that are on my list for week 2 if it isn't going to hurt me. Which leads me to the question. What is the purpose of the clear liquid diet? Am I on a clear liquid diet to allow my new sleeve stomach to heal or is it so I won't have issues with reflux, heartburn, nausea or gas? If I knew, maybe I'd try a little of the food from the next stage. Or at the very least, not worry as much when I try to decide if my soup is as clear as it's supposed to be. In two days I graduate to a week 2 full liquid diet. The guide doesn't use the word puree', just full liquid. Is this the same thing or no? According to the guide I can add cream soups (strained). premade Protein shakes, sugar free pudding, V8 Tomato juice, low fat yogurt and Fat free milk. This is much better than week 1, but by the end of week 2, I know I'm going to start looking ahead to week 3 and want to try something from it. Week 3 is really not much different. Just adding bananas and oatmeal. But I can add unsweetened fruit to my smoothies. And, then I see this. NO GRITS & NO POTATOES. Really? Don't just say I can't have it without telling me why. What harm is going to come from potatoes, other than carbs/calories? In week 4, I am finally allowed to have cottage cheese. Not that cottage cheese is something I have to have, but I would love some right now with my clear liquids. I can also finally have well cooked beans and veggies, as well as 2% milk. Then I see, NO RICE & NO GREEN PEAS. Why? Again, I assume its starches and carbs from the rice, but tell me why... Week 5 I can finally have a scrambled egg.. Finally I can have an egg? In week 6 I can finally baked fish. Why not week 5? And then they say, NO HONEY & NO DRIED FRUIT. Why? Again, this is mostly my curiosity. But it frustrates me that they did not give me much (any) background information. I will continue following the guidance they gave me, I mean I'm dropping weight daily so it's working. But when I go to my follow-up appointment next Tuesday, I'm going to bring up some of these specific questions. I know this was a long post, but if any of you can shed some light on any of the questions I have, please feel free.

Yes I had Allurion and aas far as I know it’s only 4 months which is a shame - I’d,love it for longer now. The first month is tough though but that is when the weight falls off. Good luck and keep me posted 👍

Yes! WLS is a tool for success. Once you reach a certain size it can be extremely hard without medical help to loose enough weight and this is one way to get medical help. You still have to work hard at it and you still have to monitor diet and exercise but the modification makes the weight loss more achievable!

And that's why it's so hard to share this with others. Even my mom was a little less than encouraging the first time I mentioned it to her. She just said that I needed to talk to my sister since she had it. But back to my thought, as soon as I tell some, they say "Say good-bye to your beer", or "You know you can never have xyz again.", or "I'm losing weight the natural way.", meaning their way is the right way and I'm taking the easy way/cheating. To those, you can either laugh it off or try to enlighten them.

Oh man. I know few people who had WLS. I did MONTHS of reading and research. I am not sure there was anything I forgot to ask or wish I knew after surgery. I was crazy obsessed and prepared with gathering all the information I could. Good and bad. I would say the biggest thing for me is out all of 8 people I know who WLS really only 2 of them were successful. This made me second guess surgery for years. I have lost and gained over 100 lbs, 4 or 5 times in my life. I thought, why have surgery if I can't succeed and keep the weight off without it how will the surgery solve that problem? Clearly the problem was my eating habits that I could not maintain long term. Then some things hit me. 1) I need accountability! Like really bad, having to see a surgeon at least once a year for pretty much life provides that. (At least for me) 2) I lost weight by living off of chicken and broccoli with zero carbs and minimal calories, I was always hungry and always fighting the hunger to not eat. Not only is that not feasible life long but it is also extreme. The surgery would (did) reduce my stomach so less fills me up so I can eat less and not be starving all the time. 3) I am one dedicated b***h! When I put my mind to something there is nothing stopping me, i got this. I can do this, I just needed a little extra help! 4) I ALWAYS put everyone else first, F that. I am done with that, it was hard at first and now it is natural. I am always willing to help but if you want to go binge on a pint of ice cream, go ahead but I am not. If you want to sit on the couch and do nothing for days, go ahead but you are doing it alone. I am always here for my friends and family but if you can't support me you won't be hearing from me or seeing me much. 5) I am not everyone else. They failed because of them, I will succeed because of ME! I don't know what their issues where. I just saw what I saw. Maybe they didn't have support? Maybe they stopped trying, stopped caring? Maybe there is a medical reason? Who knows, it is not my business. What I do know is what I can do and will do.

Ive only got 3 weeks left but wish I could keep it forever. I’ve lost 3 stone in 13 weeks - the sickness was awful for the First month and the heartburn has been crippling. That said the more weight I lost the easier the heartburn became and now I’m worried that I will go back to my old ways - I really hope not.. good luck to you and let us know how you get on

Day 7 po and I'm honestly feeling great! No real pain issues outside of the expected soreness from internal and external incisions. I've not had any issues so far in meeting my water intake, thankfully. I actually went to the grocery store by myself yesterday for a short trip to buy ingredients for soup. No issues at all! I made soup, and a big mess, and cleaned it up afterwards, putting away the dishes from.the dishwasher and washing the dirty dishes. Even vacuumed the kitchen (we have a lightweight stick). After all was said and done I quickly fell asleep in the recliner for about 90 minutes or so LOL! I have been taking the BariatricPal multivitamin, which is SO much easier than the other forms, plus I take additional Thiamin, B12, and C. Haven't been able to take the calcium yet because they are just too big, but I purchased some Bariatric Advantage chews that will hopefully come on a day or two. I've already lost 13 lbs since surgery; this morning I weighed in at 245.6, and my goal weight is 175. It is in sight and have zero regrets! Sent from my SM-S908U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I heard that we can get off the ppi after a few months... That is my hope. I never want to be on it forever. I have Ehlers Danlos, so my surgeons told me that the Nisson already has such a high failure rate that is even worse with someone with Ehlers Danlos...So they wouldn't even do it. But my GERD and issues were so bad... In fact, I have to have another biopsy and ultrasound in Sept. It will be my 5th in the last year. They are concerned that I already do have some early cancer in there. So this surgery is going to save my life. I hope. My surgeon says to think of it as life saving surgery with a side order of weight loss. I can't complain about that I suppose.

I won't lie, I have friends and co-workers who have had some sort of weight loss surgery (lap band, gastric bypass, etc.) and I unfortunately didn't look at them as I should. I thought they "took the easy way out, didn't work hard enough, etc.". However, now that the shoe is on the other foot, I realize it was wrong for me to unnecessarily project my opinion on their situation. All that aside... I think it's up to you when, who, and how you tell. You can be as detailed or as vague as you'd like. I've told my boss at work and just told her I was having "surgery". I have told close friends and family, who I know would be more supportive and receptive to it. Ultimately, it's up to you who you tell and how you tell them. Good Luck!

Calm down, stop freaking out and breathe. I know that is easier said than done but try. I also had Bypass, hiatal hernia, severe GERD and nodules in my esophagus. I was not diagnosed with Barrett's but was told I was well on my way. I originally wanted the sleeve and my main reason was for weight loss and to hopefully not develop a ton of medical issues that hang around my family genes. After speaking with my surgeon at my first appointment, he explained that sleeve would likely worsen my GERD while bypass has a much better chance of resolving it. So, after some reading and further research I went with bypass. I had bypass, my hernia fixed, repairs and "trimming" of my esophagus all at once. Fast forward: I am not 4 months post op and have NO regrets or any issues. I did however experience that "stuck feeling" for about a week. I was told it was because my esophagus was narrow and needed time to heal and "loosen" back up after surgery. It did in fact go away, rather quickly. I also had minor spasms for a few days after surgery which also went away. You had more damage than me, it seems so you have to be paiteint and give your body time to heal. Everyone heals differently and you are still fresh out of surgery. I was on 2 prescriptions and eating tums daily and my GERD was still out of control. The day of surgery they stopped 1 prescription of acid meds and I was only taking prescription grade pepcid( Famotidine ). I was told that was standard for at least 2 months after surgery to give our stomachs time to heal and to help prevent ulcers. I have been off ALL GERD medications including the pepcid now for 2 months and still have no signs of GERD or any other acid issues. The meds are likely temporary to give your body time to heal and to act as preventative medication. The black stools are likely the bleeding and if you were on blood thinners, it would be worse. I assume you did some research before choosing your surgeon and trusted him/her. So, trust them. Give yourself the time to heal. Ulcers in general take a bit of time to heal, then adding the surgery and all the other issues you had before surgery. Give it some time. I hope it works out for you! Take it easy.

I definitely feel less back pain now. I will say, I did experience increased pain for a bit - from my tailbone! I sit a lot for work, and as I lost weight, I really was getting uncomfortable, sitting and standing. I was a mess. But it was easily fixed with a special cushion on my chair. Now, no pain and my back is the best it has been in literal decades. It's a fairly common thing as we lose fat around the tailbone area so nothing to worry about.

I think this is a decision only you can make. You know if you need the extra help that the surgery will give you. It seems like you are definitely on the right track and doing amazing! Even with the surgery a lifestyle change is necessary. The surgery is only a tool for your weightloss arsenal. Eventually you will be able to eat food that will cause weight gain and you'll have to make a choice. The only difference is you won't be able to eat as much or absorb as much. It sounds like you're doing really great! Sent from my SM-F926U using BariatricPal mobile app

That is great news! Pain is a B*tch! I notice since loosing a bunch of weight that I hunch over a lot. I told a friend that I think my upper body was being held up by my big stomach so I didn't need to use muscles to sit upright. haha I don't know if it is accurate or not, but what i do know is I hunch and don't like it. It starts hurting my lower back so I am constantly forcing myself to sit up straight.

I started at 340 pounds when I decided to get the surgery. My surgeon wanted me to lose 20 pounds before surgery, which seemed impossible at the time, but I really committed to changing my lifestyle and I lost 70 pounds in the 5 months before surgery. I had similar doubts about whether to go through with it or just keep doing what I was doing, but even after losing 70 pounds, I was still morbidly obese and had a long way to go. Each pound is harder to lose than the last, and I didn’t think I could get where I wanted to be without the help of the surgery, so I went through with it. I went on to lose another 130 pounds, which I don’t think would have been possible without the surgery. I think part of the reason I was able to lose so much weight before surgery was the anticipation of the surgery — knowing I would have that crutch to help me the rest of the way. That said, the surgery is permanent, and it’s a big commitment, so if you aren’t 100% sure about it, there’s nothing wrong with deciding to see how far you can go without surgery before making that decision.

I don't have anything to add from what has already been covered above, but did want to say if you've lost 35lb since surgery you are doing exceptionally well for your start weight all ready. And even if not since surgery you are still doing great!

Everything that @The Greater Fool & @catwoman7 said. You’re not failing. It’s something we all experience. Don’t let your worth or feelings of success be dependent upon the number on the scales. That thinking will lead to you sabotaging your success. Your weight loss will never be a consistent straight line. It goes up & down all the time. Our bodies naturally fluctuate (hormonal changes, fluid retention, constipation, diarrhoea, less intake today & a little more tomorrow, activity variations, etc.) & while losing weight, our body experiences periods of stress. It reacts to the stress of the weight loss by stalling. Basically, your body closes the door & hides under the covers for a little while until it’s ready to face the world again. The stall will break when your body is ready & you’ll start losing again.

I believe with bypass you tend to lose more quickly at the beginning but then it slows to a similar rate to sleeve. But people tend to lose more slowly after a revision. I guess because you’ve already had one change with your sleeve & the bypass just changes a bit more. While our new set points will determine a lot of our final weight (where our bodies are happiest & equalises at), you still have to be willing to be dedicated & committed to the program which you learnt after your first experience. The stats say the average weight loss at the three year mark is about 65%+/- of the weight you have to lose with either sleeve or bypass. This takes into consideration the bounce back regain some experience, complacency & changes to your diet to best complement your life, etc. Don’t know what the stats are for revision surgery. Do some lose more than the average stats? Yes. At my lowest I had lost 138% of the weight I had to lose with my sleeve. At three years out now, I weigh a couple of kilos more so am at 129%. I am very careful with my food intake, portions, etc. but I think this is also about the weight my body is happiest at. You’ll lose weight all over your body. You can’t spot lose fat or chose where your body burns fat. It may seem you’re losing weight from certain areas more slowly but it’s usually where you held the most concentration of fat. If you carried a lot of weight on your legs or tummy they might be the slowest place for you to notice loss. All the best.

I got my date today... August 18th! I couldn't be more anxious or excited. I can't wait to feel more confident in myself and start winning the battle I've had with my weight for as long as I can remember. Jumping through all the hoops with my insurance was completely worth it! I look forward to connecting and chatting with you all

How do you get back on track if, you are gaining weight with the band versus losing weight?

I’m having a hard time making a final decision on the surgery. About a year ago I weighed 350. In the last few months I really decided to step up my weight loss game. I’ve now lost 80 lbs and am 270. Obviously I still qualify for the surgery, but I’m having a hard time deciding on moving forward. I’m still losing about 10 lbs a month, but I know weight regain is a huge issue for people who don’t have the surgery. Any advice or suggestions?