Search the Community

I can totally relate to a lot of this. I was 48 when I had surgery 2 years ago and did not look my age. I have also lost over 200 pounds. Now I definitely look my age or older and I don't recognize myself sometimes. I did not have wrinkles before and now I do. That bugs me. But I just try to remind myself why I did this, and it was to get my life and health back. I do have energy now, so I'm lucky there. I probably have a more relaxed eating approach than a lot of people. I do not believe in good or bad foods. I have no forbidden foods. I pretty much eat what I want. Luckily, even before I did this, I preferred healthy foods like veggies and did not like things like fast food or fried food. I am proof you can be fat on healthy food. Too much of a good thing is still too much. I have "junk" like ice cream when I want it. Like, I am not a chocolate person except during PMS, and then it's like I NEED it and I have some. I just keep my portions of everything much more reasonable now. I do track food just to make sure I get my protein and keep my carbs reasonable but I'm not completely militant either. It certainly can be exhausting tracking everything, but I can't promise that I track every single taste. I just make sure to track all my meals and snacks. For 2 years, this has worked for me. I have eaten this way the whole time. If something changes, I will adjust, but for now it's working. I just started maintenance so we will see how that goes. I am lucky that I don't work at the moment. I am an RN, but when my son was born I stayed home with him (11.5 years ago! [emoji15]) and I've been planning to go back but something always happened to keep me home. I really do plan to get another job soon. I know what you mean about work t extra hard as a fat person. I always felt like I wanted people to see that I wasn't lazy just because I was fat, because all fat people aren't lazy! It will be nice not having to worry about that when I go back. I became a nurse in 1997, and I was fat the whole time I worked, so that will be a first. I do live in fear every day of gaining all my weight back, but I hope that if I keep eating like I'm eating I will be OK. That is all I can do. When I look at all the loose skin, it can be discouraging sometimes. It's really bad on my arms and legs, but I know how hard I have worked to lose weight and even if I didn't have a weight problem, skin does tend to sag as you get older, and I am going to be 51 in 2 weeks. I would love to have it all removed, but it's just not in the budget right now since I paid out of pocket for my surgery. Maybe it will be when I get a job, but I refuse to be ashamed of my body. I'm proud that it carried me through being so morbidly obese for so long and it's still here carrying me. It has put up with a lot of stress and it has been strong for all of it. I'm definitely weaker than I was but I'm working on strength training now. I know I'm rambling here but I just want to say you're not alone in your feelings. You have accomplished so much. Just try to remember that! Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

I just scheduled my surgery for October 4th! I am also going to get the VSG. I have been working with my surgeon since May. I have a pre op weight loss goal that I’m still working on, and I had already lost some weight before meeting the surgeon. In total they want me to be down 57 pounds from my heaviest weight. I have about 20 pounds to go still. I’m also working on the fast food bit. That’s definitely been a hard one for me. It’s so easy to just want to pick something up after a long day.

So many of us have gained a little in the last couple of years but I know you can right the ship, cheering you forward!

The only thing it really offers is connectivity to your surgeon. My surgeon gave me a code to link to their office so the nutritionist can see my food logs, weight entries, etc. I don't recall if MFP has a space for measurements or not, as I never took them until surgery, but Baritastic does have that, which is nice. Weights, food tracking, measurements, etc. are all in one app.

That's sort of non-specific-- if you are going to the doctor about having weight loss surgery, he will tell you/give you a diet that you must adhere to. As I understand it, it is to reduce the size of your liver, so that it doesn't get in the way during surgery. You need to ask the doc.

Hi! Thanks for the check-in. I'm doing great, too, Starting weight was 277 and current weight is 205. I have been this 205 number (give or take) for a couple weeks now but I feel great. I'm a rock star in the gym and I'm really seeing my body whip into a nice shape. I am struggling with water, too, and my hunger has come back more than it had been previously. I am getting about 64 oz of water most days but I know it should still be more than that. My hair has been falling out, so there's that. It sucks but thankfully I had a lot to start. When I work out hard the scale doesn't move but I know my body composition is changing and that means my clothes fit and look great on my body. I had been 160lbs and extremely fit in 2019 - so this is a snap back for me. I have had no issues - smooth sailing so far! Cheers

I am a little over 3 years post op now. The past year I put no effort in to maintain or monitor and only this week got back on the scale for the first time and the results are what you would expect. I gained back 40lbs. The biggest difference in year 2 vs year 3 is the return of hunger. The sleeve prevents me from overeating at meals but it will not stop grazing and if you eat calorie dense highly processed foods you will not get restriction. This is a frustrating setback and I have no one to blame but myself. The honeymoon doesnt last forever and when it does wear off you will have a battle if you did not form good habits.

We’re all +/ - 4 months out from surgery. Would love to hear some check-ins and see how everyone is doing. I’m 32 and my starting weight was 213 and I’m currently 168. I haven’t had any issues and seem to tolerate everything. The only thing that I struggle with is my fluid intake, I’m usually only getting in about 40 oz everyday including my protein. I’m still aiming to drink 2 shakes a day.

I regret getting a Lap Band. Today is my first day waking up with a Bypass. So I can't say for sure how I'd rate it so far. It's been coined the Gold Standard of weight loss surgeries and I hope to find out soon why that is! Best wishes to you!

What are the foods and portions that I can eat before I have weight loss surgery? Michelle

K, so i think about food all the time, both before, during, and still now after surgery. But I “behaved” differently throughout those stages too. The focus before was to eat it, and as much as I could. Now the focus is everything else about it. I don’t *think* i suffer any angst around this though, so that is a good thing. I am just fascinated about everything that has to do with food. Not sure if this is good for me or not, but i’ve long since learned to just go with it. I may or not be a minority in this but i do really enjoy eating (or more accurately, tasting) lots of different things. I don’t see food as fuel like the many other successful weight-losers who employ this method. I prefer to enjoy eating what i do eat since I have so little real estate to work with. Now, I can’t say if this will continue to work for me in the future…but it works for me now, so i’m just gonna go with it until it doesn’t…and will re-evaluate if/when it does (saves me alot of angst). Now, i sort of digressed there for a little bit, but i actually wanted to respond to OP: while you have navigated the weight loss road (successfully!) for two years (congratulations!), i get the sense that you are still in either weight-loss mode or gearing-up-for-maintenance mode? If the former, you’ve been at it for a while and it would seem only natural to be experiencing some sort of burn-out or fatigue. You’re tired, things didn’t turn out with what you half-expected. Despite this though, i applaud your attitude and recognition of your achievements. If the latter, i’ve read enough on here that the transition from wl-mode to maintenance is not easy. Its not the diet changes that are as difficult as the mental mind bending that is required to not only change a lifestyle you’ve grown accustomed to, but also to the reflection you see in the mirror…and whether you like what you see. Alot of folks had some serious energy/strength depletion near the end (myself included…i too struggled to open those effing pickle jars). Its cliché, but the only thing i can add to all the fab posts above is Patience (though I think you already know this). Do what you need to do to get through the day (talk, exercise, vent, busy-ness, therapy, sleep, medication, etc.) It won’t always be this way, and even if it is, you may find a way to accept it regardless. You’ve done fabulously, and even if you don’t sound so terribly thrilled about it (who says we have to be thrilled anyway?!), you are dealing just as fabulously. ❤️ P.S. sorry this was so long.

You have done the most of your pre op thank goodness, just the last little bit to go. Everyone agrees its the worst thing they have ever done and its hard. We have to give up all the things we love to eat and the enjoyment it gives. Its why we ended up the weight we are. We love food too much. Its like having another person in our life that says only good things like - lets have a bar of chocolate or look at that yummy cake, lets get some. That voice never says no. Now I have a tiny stomach that says NO WAY, you are full girl, well old woman. Just do your very best, take it hour by hour if necessary. You will get through this. You wont die. You will be the skinny active roll model your baby needs. We wouldn't be human if we were not scared of the unknown. There are 20 years of people on this forum who felt just like you and are now reaping the benefits of having had the surgery. I hope you can continue to do so well, sleep as much as you can because its less time to think negative thoughts. Good luck

I got the sleeve, and I will admit, sometimes I wonder "would my weight loss be faster with the bypass?" Especially times like now, when I am dealing with slowed down weight loss even though I am sticking to program. But then, when I really analyze it, I don't think I would be doing anything differently than I am now. I'd still be eating the same amount of calories, per my program's advice. I would be working out the same amount I am now. So, the tool would be different but I'm not sure I would be doing anything differently as a result so in the end, does it matter? People do incredibly well with both surgeries, and others "fail" with both options (I'm using fail loosely, but basically to mean not reach their goals or even much weight loss with either surgery). It's easy to get caught up in this sort of thinking, so I try not to do it. Especially because I am totally at peace with the sleeve (I was not so keen on bypass unless I needed to do it based on medical advice). I just have to use the tool as intended.

Everyone is 100% right! You are doing great! I just came out of my first stall so I can totally empathize with feeling like you're failing. Like everyone said, stay the course- this will end and you'll get back to losing weight. You're body just needs to restart. Stay as far away from the scale as you can for the next week or 2.

Things are still going good. My diet is open to all foods. The biggest challenge this week was my water. I need to limit my water 30 minutes before and after I eat. Very challenging. It has impacted my overall water intake. My goal is 120oz per day. I have very few food limitations at this time but still limit my red meat intake. I’ve had a few once’s of steak but that’s about it. I’ve been eating a lot of seafood. Pre Surgery Weight = 336 Surgery weight = 330 Current Weight 304.2 The weight loss has certainly slowed up but I still haven’t been completely stalled. My goal this week is to increase my water intake. Good luck everyone. If you’re on the fence about different procedures, I recommend you look at ESG. IMO a very easy procedure.

AGREED! My dietician is the exact same. He made and posted a video in our support group a few weeks ago about this exact thing. No one is going to successfully live off of chicken and broccoli forever. The point is to learn moderation. He went on to talk about a patient that is 4 years post op and has maintained her weightloss and eats a regular ice cream sandwich every weekend for a treat. Because she does it once a week and has 1 rather than every day or having multiples. I still have the occasional treat but on a drastically lessor scale than before surgery. I don't use sugar free condiments because I barely use them anyway. You have to find what works for you, and the chicken and broccoli diet does not work for me. I have lost 100+ lbs multiple times this way, always gaining it back. I am committed to a normal healthy diet which includes everything and some things in moderation. Learning and maintaining portion sizes and continuing success. Good luck to us all!

Hi ViaLia! My starting BMI was higher than yours at about 42, and I can only comment as someone 10 months post-surgery, but it's been a fantastic surgery for me. I'm not far off my goal and feeling very good. The restriction is strong, but I've had no issues getting my protein, water and vitamins. No dumping - however I'm still very wary with the foods that can cause it. My weight loss has slowed down a lot now that I'm getting closer to goal, my appetite is easy to manage. It may be possible for some to lose too much weight, but I don't expect that would strictly be the fault of the surgery. I eat about 1000 to 1200 calories a day now. That will go up a little more once I reach my goal and begin maintenance. I would never have gotten to where I am now without the MGB. It stopped the self-sabotage and I couldn't be happier with how it's gone.

Hello Sorry for my not- perfect- english, at first. I got support to get MGB in my home country ( Europe) because of some health problems and BMI 35. I feel quite well even with my problems but I know it will not get better but worse in future. Tried to take off weight for 30 years through different weight loose programs, now even walking makes some pain but I survive it. I’m working in children’s day care and its quite intensive. And my nutrionist suggests to continue with diet plans and I feel quite depressed because of that. Does anybody have experience with such a BMI like mine and which are results? Is it worth operating or did you get toooo lean after MGB? Thanks

Wow! Congratulations on your weight loss! I’m hopeful since I didn’t lose much with the sleeve that the bypass will do the trick! I’m also a lot more knowledgeable this time around. I’m also looking forward to no heartburn!!

As everyone has said it is to support the healing of your tummy & not to stress & strain it. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together. Think how you would protect a large wound & sutures on your arm or leg & how long that would take to heal. Purées are thicker which is why they are the stage after liquids. They should still be runny but not watery like the liquid stage. With soft foods think slow cooked, fall of the bone tender, minced meats, braised, etc. Foods that needs some chewing but not a lot. Think how much work your tummy has to do to digest thicker & then more solid denser foods. Plans differ but they also have a lot of similarities too. Some surgeons, like mine, tailor the pre & post diets to their patient. Some have specific requirements based upon their experiences. The best advice is always to follow the one you were given. But of course you can ask your surgeon & dietician why your plan is as it is & you may be able to negotiate slight adjustments based upon your recovery & needs. Yes, some plans recommend avoiding certain foods & liquids to not aggravate your healing. After surgery, we tend to produce extra stomach acid, hence why many are prescribed PPIs for a period after surgery. Carbonated drinks, caffeine, etc. can stir up the acid in your tummy causing discomfort & reflux symptoms. We’re told to avoid foods like rice, pasta & bread because they tend to swell in your tummy, filling you quickly. Remember your focus is on getting in your protein & that can be challenging enough in the post surgical stages. These foods also have little nutritional value. Consuming nutritionally dense food is important while you can eat so little to ensure you’re getting in the vitamins, minerals, etc. your body needs. While losing many of us are advised to follow the rule to eat your protein first, then vegetables as you can, then high fibre carbs only if you are able. If you can only eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup of purée & soft food to begin like I was, why eat food that fills you without giving you the nutrients your body needs. It also gets you starting to think about your food choices & the quality of the food you are eating. I still follow a lot of this: protein first, nutritionally dense foods, etc. Foods like peas & potatoes are considered higher in sugar & in starch (which converts more quickly to sugar). They’re not included in keto diets. Not saying you’re on a keto diet but you’ll notice influences from lots of different diets & eating styles on your food recommendations while losing. The reason why we’re advised to avoid dried fruit is you tend to eat more dried fruit than you would eat them as fresh. We can easily eat several pieces of dried fruits but remember 2 dried apricots is 1 apricot, a prune is a plum. Their sweetness is concentrated too in their dried form so you are continuing to feed your desire for sugar. Same with juice. Honey is just another firm of sugar. This is an opportunity to break some of your food dependencies & cravings. For many of us lots of foods become super sweet & quite awful to eat too during these first months when our tastebuds become extra sensitive. Many are able to go back to eating small amounts of restricted foods while losing or in maintenance. Personally I still don’t eat potatoes, rice, bread or pasta. I find them too heavy & I feel blah on the odd occasion I’ve tried them since I lost my weight. But that’s me. The first months are the most challenging because the food you likely depended upon to comfort, soothe & make you happy has been taken away from you. So you think about & crave them more. But food doesn’t actually comfort you or make you happy you just think they do. Realising & understanding this is part of the head work we all have to do. This whole process is about breaking poor eating habits, poor food choices & establishing new habits, introducing new foods, etc. & discovering what works best for you. The most restrictive aspects of the diet are only for a short period of time & are to benefit your immediate health & recovery. The long term changes you will choose to make are to enable you to maintain a lower weight & live a happier, more active & healthier life long term. Sorry for the 10 000 word response.

re: the fear of dying = banish that thought. You're not going to die. Weight loss surgeries years ago were dangerous, but they just aren't anymore. Techniques have vastly improved, and these have become very common, routine surgeries. They're really no more risky than any other abdominal surgery. The mortality rate on gastric bypass is 0.3 %. It's even lower for sleeve. So you have at least a 99.7% chance of not dying. Those are excellent odds. Better odds than hip replacement surgeries, and they do those all the time. Honestly, you're more like to experience complications and death by remaining obese than you will be having the surgery. the pre-op diet is tough - and the first few weeks post-op can be tough, too (although in many cases, the pre-op part is worse). But you'll be through this before you know it. I would have this surgery again in a heart beat. No regrets whatsoever.

I'm at 1100 to 1200, as well. The weight loss has slowed down to about 1 lb. a week, but anything less than 1100 calories and I am ravenously hungry now.

Hey... I had my VSG on 4th April, 2022 (so nearly 4 months ago) For the last month, I've been eating around 1100 to 1200 calories a day. The weight is still coming off at approximately 1lb to 3lbs each week. Including my 2 week pre-op diet I've lost 66lb so far... I've got another 45lb to go.

Do you ever regret getting the kind of surgery you did? I'm a sleever, and my weight loss pace is great. But I can't help having a little FOMO, wondering if I would be doing even better with a bypass.

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.