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I will be having gastric bypass done at the end of this month, but when I was trying to decide between sleeve or bypass, one of the resources I used was this risk calculator. In addition to risks, it lets you select your own co-morbidities such as sleep apnea, hypertension, or diabetes to see how likely it is that they will resolve based on which procedure you choose, and shows you a BMI predictor chart at the 12-month mark. I found it pretty helpful. Additionally, I found this video super informative: The factors that I considered most were GERD risk and the desire to control my blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as feeling like I could benefit from the threat of dumping if I ate too much fat or sugar, my weaknesses! It definitely took me several weeks to decide as I weighed it all.

Have to admit I wondered thyroid too. Gall removal can cause malabsorption issues which would add to those associated with your bypass. I struggle absorbing protein & one med since my gall was removed. And my energy is lower than it was before the gall surgery 2.5yrs ago. My labs come back really well too (except the protein which vacillates between 58-61 so barely ok & that’s with meds to help). Also going through a hungry not hungry phase at the moment. Usually this last for a meal or a day or two except this time it’s been 6 or more weeks. Dropped a meal & a snack (now 3 meals & 2 snacks) cause don’t want to eat them. I am concerned as my protein intake is lower as a result. Have lost about a kilogram (2lbs) which puts me back at my lowest weight (48.4kg/about 106lbs yesterday). Not as much as you but … Hoping Christmas will sort it out as I might be tempted to eat a little more again. If it continues I’ll be calling the doctor who does my post sleeve surgery checks. She wasn’t happy 18 days ago at my last appointment when I was 49kg. (She prefers me in the 49/50kg range.) Wonder if it a combination of things with not one single thing being really out of sync or not functioning correctly is what’s happening?? Our bodies are complex & maybe yours needs some fine tuning. I hope they find some answers for you soon. All the best.

Well I had my gastric bypass on the 29th and I got home yesterday. The first day and a half was rough, painful and I was full of doubts. Now that I am home I am good. I am keeping water, jello and protein Gatorade down. I am going to try some broth and yogurt today. Now trying to figure out this Christmas stuff for 3 boys.

I had the sleeve surgery 9/26/16 and did well with it till I had my gallbladder removed in 2018 then I developed severe gastric reflux. My surgeon found that my bile duct got stuck open after they removed my gallbladder. With the bile constantly running in my sleeve it eroded it causing some precancerous changes. Once my insurance approved for a second surgery we went with changing over to a bypass in June of 2020 to fix the problem. I was very happy that we ended up doing the revision because I no longer had to sleep sitting up and my stalled weight loss finally started back up again and I was able to continue my weight loss journey. Fast forward to the present of this year I have been holding a good weight of between 137 to 145 lbs and no health issues really I just still struggled with dumping a lot cause my new pouch didn't always like food but I maintain weight with the help of shakes. Then in August of this year for some reason I just started getting where I didn't feel well and I dropped like 17 lb like it was nothing. I contacted my surgeon because I was concerned because of how weak and tired I had felt and I've noticed like vision changes my muscles or shrinking rapidly I was becoming dehydrated and all kinds of new things that I wasn't prepared for. My surgeon ordered a upper scope and a lower which come back very good. My lab showed that I did have a couple vitamin deficiencies so I increased my vitamins I actually have to go redo my labs here because I also ended up getting sick and went in the ER in my liver counts were high and they never been high before so we're checking those this week. But now I'm having a harder time eating and getting my body to absorb my nutrition even the protein shakes aren't helping maintain my body weight I am dropping weight still pretty rapidly I'm down to 124 lb now and my immune system seems to have been weakened because I get sick super easy and I try to stay away from other people otherwise that makes it harder on me and I guess get wiped out. I am currently waiting for my surgeon to call me back because I'm getting more concerned about how we come getting it's getting harder to do every daily things such as washing my hair folding my clothes and putting them away my muscles hurt and they're tired and weak and they get all cramped up. I'm blessed to have this surgery but I was never expecting that I would get this new very weird complication of just not being able to eat very well and to maintain weight. I trust my surgery team he's wonderful I'm hoping they can figure this out I'd really do not want a feeding tube or a PICC line I work with the public and that's even getting hard to do and I've almost thought about applying for disability until I get this figured out so I can quit losing weight by exertion. I'm just wondering is anybody else going through something like this or they just out of nowhere started losing weight again and they just can't seem to get it to stop. I'm worried not only for myself but for my family because my kids are still pretty young and I'm not ready to leave this world yet I still have a lot to live for. Hw: 268 SW 221lbs LW 124lns Height 5'2

Hoping to hop on the train too! I had a revision to a bypass on 11/28 for severe GERD, as well as a hiatal hernia repair. Almost my entire stomach was up in the chest wall he said. I am feeling pretty decent 4 days post op. I did lose 85lbs with my sleeve, and had gained a little back 10lbs. They did a full bypass but didn’t not take out as much bowel so that I don’t lose too much more weight and be malnourished they said. Any way, glad to find others in similar situations just like last time. :) Hope everyone is doing well!!!

You had a bypass, right? I had the DS. Both involve alteration of the intestines. My guess is that is what causes that feeling, things being rearranged in that area. I had the same feeling after a hysterectomy. I think the surgery impacts the muscles in the area... 4 kids would definitely make taking it easy challenging!! LOL

I've had the DS. I'm about a month post op and my highest weight was 320. At your starting weight I'd really consider the DS for its better weight loss and lack of regain, or go bypass if you have a lot of GERD issues. I have some GERD issues but it is controlled by medication pretty well and I needed the DS because I'm diabetic with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea. I had a hysterectomy for cancer. All in all so far it is worth it! I'm down 30+ lbs from my highest weight, off all diabetes medications, off blood pressure medications, my blood sugar is normal, my BP is normal, and I have more energy! I'm really glad I went with the DS. Its a riskier surgery but only by a bit, and the things you gain from it like disease remission made it very much worth it for me. I'd encourage you to read about ALL the various surgeries and then discuss it with your surgeon. They'll be able to tell you what will be most effective for your individual case based on their experiences. If you can, go to someone who can perform any of the surgeries, only certain surgeons can do the DS or Bypass.

I had my surgery around 4.5 months ago in the middle of the summer. It was a gastric bypass and it went well. I've lost 23% of my bodyweight from surgery date or 350lbs to 270lbs. But I have largely been stuck at 270-280 since late September and it's now December. I'm a male and 6'2". I try to get my protein in but it's very hard to do. Not because it is too filling like some say but just because I don't like it very much. But I do try eating meat, cheese, protein shakes and bars. I couldn't tell you how many calories I eat a day. All I know is that I'm always starving. just after surgery I was starving and then it went away for a month but it's been back. It's something I struggle with because if I knew I had to have this much willpower I probably wouldn't have gotten the surgery. I always read people saying that protein is filling but to me it just isn't. I can eat an entire chicken breast that I overcook no problem. I eat it and I'm still hungry after. My sugar and carb cravings are worse than ever. i was never ravenous before surgery but now because I can't be satiated i just want want want. it's crazy. I try to stay away but one thing leading to another and I do end up having this or that cookie, cake or candy. I was hoping dumping syndrome would be bad and cause me to not eat poorly. But the threshold to make me dump is higher than the amount of sweets I'd normally eat before surgery anyway. I have dumped but it's mostly if I eat something really bad. The only thing that does fill me is carbs. That was true even before surgery. I'm just looking for any advice or wisdom on this matter. Thank you

First, I should say I am coming from a pre-op perspective, so I still have a normal appetite and no restriction from surgery. I'm sharing two recipes that I use most days for my breakfast and lunch. If I eat these earlier in the day, I can barely eat dinner. Combined, this gives you 823 calories and 75g protein in a day. Your jaw is going to hurt after chewing this much salad, and I think it will likely take you most of the day to eat it. There is a lot of fiber. Obviously, I'm not a professional so this is not medical advice, and I have no idea how much you will be able to consume with your bypass. I imagine you would have to go slowly. But there's a good chance, if you even manage to eat all of it, you will not feel like you are starving throughout the day. You could still add a dinner if you need to. The goal here is to give you food that will take away the hungry feeling without adding calories. Natural, unprocessed foods tend to do that better than shakes and bars. Oh, I top the salad with a fresh squeezed lemon, some salt, and Italian herb blend instead of dressing. And this much salad requires a large serving bowl, not a regular salad bowl. I use a kitchen scale to measure everything. The smoothie fits better in a 20+ oz blender cup as the 16oz is too small. If it's too thick, add some water to get the consistency you like. (Apologies, this smoothie recipe says flax seed twice. It should be flax and hemp seed, or chia. Also, the mango and strawberry is frozen, and the spinach can be too for convenience)

Hi everyone, I hope I can jump in! I had a sleeve in 2018 and just had a mini bypass (omega loop) performed on mon 27.11. Just got home from hospital today and still feeling quite swollen and poorly, but hoping every day feels a bit better.

I don't know what surgery you had, that kind of impacts the answer. If you had a DS I'd steer WAY clear, the carbs in the corn portion will send you running to the bathroom. My nutritionist told all of us regardless of surgery to avoid anything dense and chewy for 6 months as it will ball up inside your tummy and sit like a lump. I'd be especially cautious of this if you had the Gastric Bypass. If you had one of the other surgeries you may be able to eat the meat portion. But I'd caution you to consider the spices. I'm 4 weeks out and if I have anything Mexican with sauce, or spices, or any tomato based sauce other than ketchup, I end up in agony for hours...and then in the bathroom. My healing tummy has decided those things are still just too strong. I can weirdly handle sriracha just fine and have no clue why, but other than that, nope.

I'm a little different because I had the bypass (8.5 years ago), but I started out at almost 400 lbs, so weight-wise, we were in similar starting positions. The first year seems like a huge life change, but sitting here years out, the only thing that's different is that I average about 1600 calories a day rather than 3000+. When I go out to eat, I eat maybe half the entree and take the rest home in a to-go box (or sometimes I'll get something like an appetizer or soup rather than an entree if I'm not that hungry). Other than that...??? Oh - I take vitamins regularly now. But other than that, not that much different. But again, the first year or so - yes. But you'll be doing quite a bit of prep work before that. For example, my insurance required me to do a six-month diet with a registered dietitian, and she kind of eased me into the type of diet I'd be following after surgery. She had me eating 2300 kcal/cay (which now would seem like a ton - like Thanksgiving day - but at the time seemed like a diet - although enough calories to be at least tolerable). She also had me gradually decrease my carb intake and increase my protein intake. I focused on healthy foods (although I ate a pretty healthy diet even BEFORE surgery, I just ate way too much). She had me start taking a multivitamin every day and getting some exercise about 3x a week. My surgeon also didn't want us drinking caffeinated beverages for the first six months after surgery (although some surgeons are fine with caffeine), so she also had me gradually decrease my caffeine intake. So basically, I was as prepared as I could be before they rolled me into surgery. I don't have PCOS and have never had a hysterectomy, so I can't address that, but I know WLS patients who've had both. Hopefully someone will respond to you on that.

Hey all! Hope everyone is doing well. I have my revision from a sleeve to a bypass yesterday. I’m hoping my severe GERD will be done now. This recovering even just one day post op is way worse than my sleeve was. He also fixed my hernia which had almost my whole stomach in my chest wall. I’m just super sore and ready to go home to recover!

I am sure there will be a lot of "stick to the plan" replies, which I will agree is never a bad decision but I wanted to offer a real life viewpoint lol I was about 5 weeks out from bypass when my guy made homemade pork tamales. I asked him to make some mini ones for me because I knew my tummy could not hold a full size tamale. He made the pork melt in your mouth tender, lighter on the seasoning and I had zero issues have one mini one and I had zero regrets for enjoying it. If you try one, just eat super slow, small bites and make sure you listen to your tummy. That's all I have to offer on the subject 🙂

I had gastric bypass on 8/3/23 and I am down 60lbs! I feel absolutely incredible. But I do agree with a few of you that it’s SO hard to get protein and water in a day. It always seems to be one or the other. But I am just truckin along trying to get it all in everyday and I started exercising regularly as well. My kids couldn’t be more proud of their momma and that alone makes all this so worth it!!!

So I posted on Saturday about how I was having second thoughts, not about having weight loss surgery, but about whether I was in good hands with my current provider, after they have literally cancelled and rescheduled every single appointment, including my surgery date, which I've ever had with them. Several of you replied validating my concerns, which I so appreciate. Speaking up about my concerns caused my surgery to be cancelled! Can you even believe it?!?! I'm calming down now but I literally had a full blown panic attack at work. I was hysterically sobbing. I'm on a liquid diet, have been off my anti inflammatory meds for 6 days, cancelled my vacation I'd planned since last November after they rescheduled my surgery from July, and now this? I would never have seen this coming, even after all the prior chaos. After expressing concerns about things up to this point I was told, among other things, that I am "rehashing" the past and that because of this they do not feel I will comply with post op care, because these same scheduling issues will probably continue to occur post op to. So since I expressed these concerns, despite this being my entire point that I wanted to be sure I was in good hands post op so that I could get the proper post op care, they have determined that I won't comply with post op care? I am attaching my reply back to them from the patient portal. The nurse did say she MAY be able to meet with the team and get my surgery date reinstated however. What a day! What a joke!

Hi all! I'm curious about how much help is needed for ADLs right after gastric bypass surgery. I know everyone is different, but I'm interested to learn about different experiences so I can better plan. TIA!

I survived my gastric bypass. I spent two nights in the hospital. Doing good on the clear liquid/protein drink diet. Dr wants 64 ounces of fluid per day so I purchased a bunch of 1 ounce plastic containers with lids and filled 74 of them and put them in my fridge and tomorrow I just have to grab 4-5 per hour and when all are done I am good. I am attaching a picture. I am bound and determined to be successful.

Well, in fact it was a partial sleeve & a bypass but the drop arrow didn’t give the option ? I have been reading a bit and some people are suffering a few issues it would seem. I have just completed 12 months post surgery , have dropped approx 55-57 kegs . While this is fantastic , for someone on one leg , I am finding difficulty from a dietary perspective, I find it very difficult to stick to the 6 meals a day ? I rely, very heavily, on very expensive protein powder and milk coffee . Snacking is far too easy, and justifiable ( I tell myself) with the protein water . But flagging energy levels & muscle wastage are some issues. And, of course , a lot of old clothes , that are much to big 🙄. I have not vomited once , but came close on a few occasions. I avoid those situations like the plague . I am able to drink beer & quite often too much (it is discouraged I know , but it does add some normality) most of my indigestion is remedied by just drinking more water etc . Not to many antacids these days. All in all I’m pretty lucky I think . Get a shock when social media pokes up some old photos of me .