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I am hoping it is just hormonal or just normal lumps and bumps - but you just never know! I am glad that everything is okay so far - good that you got it checked! It is definitely harder to tell, like when my boobs were bigger nothing felt strange, but now they are saggier and smaller everything feels strange haha I feel that on the cold front!! I have also had this Christmas flu that has been going around and I have been unwell for the last 2 weeks so I just want it to budge before Xmas! I hope you get your wrapping done!

Not to dis on your friend, but that's just not how this works. The ski slope chart itself may be about what your weight loss looks like for many people, but I promise you, you are losing fat the entire time. You just can't overcome basic physics. Think about it. If you eat less calories than you burn, your body has to make up that difference from somewhere. Even the leanest people on the planet have something like 40,000 plus calories of fat stores. This is what your body uses to stay alive when intake is less than output. Do the math: Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), is made up of your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), your Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT), and your Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). The average normal sized person has a resting metabolic rate somewhere between 1200 and 1800 calories. It's even higher for overweight and obese people. This is just an estimate, but yours is probably somewhere around 1900-2000 based on your height and current weight. EAT obviously can vary quite a lot from basically nothing if you don't workout, to well over a thousand calories per day if you exercise a lot. NEAT is important as well. The basic idea is that very few of us are completely sedentary. We are moving around cooking, cleaning, doing chores, etc. This is what we sometimes call "Activities of Daily Living". This tends to add another 15% to 20% to your overall calories for most people. The point of me adding all that is because very few people really understand how many calories their body needs per day just to stay alive. If your body needs 3000 calories per day and you are only consuming 800, then the rest of your energy needs for the day have to come from your tissues. If we do things right, the vast majority of that will come from fat, though no matter how hard we try, some of it will come from muscle tissue. Regardless, (and here's the point of all this), there is never a period of time when eating a very low calorie diet like we do after bariatric surgery, when you just lose water weight, or stop losing fat. Early on, you will lose a lot of water weight, but what you are losing is not JUST water. Later, you may experience stalls, but that's not a period of time when you stop losing fat. Instead, you may be putting more water weight back on (this IS part of the healing process), but you're still losing fat underneath that water gain. Note that there will be other times when your weight plateaus or even goes up some. This is 100% normal and not a cause for concern. If you are following the diet plan your surgical team sent you, you WILL lose fat. It's impossible not to. This is why I said it's just not healthy to weigh yourself daily. Scales LIE. They don't measure our amount of fat loss, they just measure weight, and weight is made up of so much more than just fat.

It's been a much better week even though I've drank a little bit. I'm not proud of it and I'm actually very angry with myself. However, the upside to it was that I didn't get drunk and black out. I've realized too that I need to go to therapy, I still struggle with many things in my life. But I recognize that and I'm willing to take that head on. I have an appointment with my therapist next week to get back on track. I've also been eating much differently than I have been as of late. I'm back to mostly protein and very low carbs. I've been walking daily, even though it's only for about a mile or so it's still better than sitting around. My energy level is rising and I'm putting more thought into what I'm doing physically, mentally and nutritionally. Thanks to all of you that have given encouragement and shown concern. I appreciate it more than you may know. I've let a lot of people down as of late, most notably myself, and know that people actually care is refreshing and empowering. So thank you! Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using BariatricPal mobile app

Surgery day is tomorrow. Gonna be a long day today of clear liquids. I have a slight dry cough so I am keeping my fingers crossed it doesn’t cause an issue. I will be sure to let the peeps know when I arrive tomorrow, hopefully I can get a cough suppressant for after or a belly binder. Like you @Waggy I planned this on my off time. I work at a school also and plan to return Jan. 6th. This is a revision for me from a sleeve to GB. I took 2 weeks off last time and it was perfect. Just got a bit tired during the day.

Pardon my ignorance! I had gastric Bypass on January 15th. I had mine done due to gastroparesis not for weight loss. I weighed on average 250lbs before surgery. As of now I'm at 220lbs. Yes I have lost nearly 30lbs. Most of my weight loss was right at first and have hit two major plateaus after surgery. I consume little amount of calories. I mainly have protein shakes which consist of Premier Protein or Redcon1 MRE. I eat ground proteins like lean beef or turkey. I am very strict on my diet. I work out daily and put in at least two hours. I would thought my progress would have been greater. I'm trying to lose weight before I return to work and build up my strength. I feel like I'm failing and I don't know what to do. Is this normal? I've been stuck at 220lbs for almost two weeks now. Please don't beat me up too badly in the comments.

Unfortunately so many are struggling financially these days all over the world. Cost of living is skyrocketing everywhere & we have to do what we can to survive. I swear I go backwards every week. I am with @SpartanMaker in regards to meal prepping ahead. I love my freezer & my microwave. My freezer is filled with food I have cooked and frozen in single serve portions. I did this from early out from surgery. At most all I have to do is reheat the meal and zap some vegetables or make a quick salad. I can have a nutritiously cooked meal in 5 minutes or so. Easy peasy. As most workplaces have a microwave, grab a meal from the freezer & reheat it at work for lunch. For example pre cook some chicken tenders and freeze, then in the morning grab the chicken tender and pop it in a container with a few cherry tomatoes, some lettuce leaves, a few slices of cucumber, … done. I loved mince dishes because you can add lots of vegetables: meat balls, savoury mince, taco filling, etc. so you can eat as a complete meal or add to a taco shell or wrap if you want/can. And soup is great too for the same reason (protein & vegetables in one). And yes home cooked foods are often less expensive. For example I made pea & ham soup last weekend. I made around 18 portions (I wasn’t interning to make that much but 🤷🏻‍♀️) and it cost me $18.80 Aust (split peas, frozen peas, pearl barley, an onion and a ham hock) so about a $1 a serve.

@Mspretty86 The healing is going great! They look fantastic, I am definitely a full DD which is what I wanted. I still have scabs on my under boobs where they placed the implant, I still wake up swollen but it goes away in like 5min of getting up which is great. I still cannot work out which sucks but hopefully today when I go see him he clears me at least start walking or something. No new bras yet I am still in my post op bra for 8 weeks minimum he said. I have shopped for lingerie and actually wore some for the misters bday and man oh man was that fun LOL He is very much liking them however he's more looking than touching HAHA! He's nervous that he will mess something up, but he's been amazing this entire experience.

I just wanted to echo what @FifiLux has said - I haven't heard of Drs putting plans in wherein you can eat all food (inc. solids etc) 2.5 weeks after surgery. If that is the case, and you are eating solids and other 'normal' foods, that would likely be the problem. I know that a lot of people have had a strict 4-6 week post-op diet to follow, and solid foods are introduced slowly. I was always advised that I should not have water until 30 minutes after eating, and that is a rule I have stuck by - maybe give it a go! Definitely do check in with your team, though. It seems like you are in a lot of discomfort and it would be good to get some professional advice. I hope you feel better soon.

Y’all over here posting lavish dishes and I’m excited my groceries cost $82US this week. 😂 oh and also the meal plan for this week which we’ve already veered from and made pudding pies and angel food cake. 🤷‍♀️

I went away for a long time, got diagnosed with ADHD (suddenly my life makes so much sense...), and over the last five months I began to lose my grip on my diet and regain. My lowest was 65kg, my "happy place" was 67kg, and I regained back into the 70s at 73kg. The culprit? I allowed sugar back into my life. Never let sugar back in! It has no manners, touches your stuff and doesn't want to leave. Problem is, thanks in great part to my ADHD, I get addicted easily and tend to eat the same thing every day. When that thing is chocolate, I have a problem. I also have impulse control problems and when the food noise is raging, that's bad news. Solution: GLP1s or Contrave. I have a great GP who understands me and didn't reject my request for help to get back to my "happy place" 67kg. We decided against GLP1s and went with Contave instead, which works on countering addiction. The food noise that was driving me crazy has stopped, I quit sugar week 1 and am back in control. I'm nearing the end of month 2 (of 4) and am just over 1kg away from being back to where I need to be. I've stopped being hard on myself for needing help, because even if I could control my impulses there's nothing wrong with medication that's designed to help. Oh and the other thing that's been a game-changer for me: my partner got me a Fitbit. I realise I'm so behind on this it's like screaming "cars have computers?!?!" at a dealership, but being able to track my calories and see the deficit has made a huge difference. So if you're neurodivergent and regaining, hopefully my experience with Contrave can help a little.

i'm one of those that had a 3-fer. I had breast lift, arm lift and tummy tuck all in one knock out. i too tried to decide if i should space them out. since my surgeon said he could do them all under 6 hours (his max under time), he left it up to me. i initially decided just to do just the arms and boobs but then at the very last second decided to add the tummy tuck as well. i'm glad i did cuz my recovery was a bee-yatch...though all of my own doing...but i digress...and i'm glad i don't have to go through that again. in all, am super pleased with his work. my arm are nice and slim (i live in sleeveless shirts), my boobs are like teenager boobs (i can go bra-less no prob), and my stomach is (almost as) flat a board (i have 20 year olds in my yoga class who compliment on my abs on a regular basis...btw im 52). if you have the means and the desire to get plastics, go for it. its a total game changer. the hardest part is the recovery, but if you take it slow and do as your doc says, you'll be up and at em (and looking hawt) in no time. good luck! ❤️

Thank you @spartanmaker, @ms.sss & @DaisyChainOz. No I don’t work out as such. No gym and no running miles. Have never found any enjoyment in it at all which means I find it a struggle to do it & then I give it up. And I’ve done it all over the years. Plus I’ve been told by my retinal specialist not to do any strenuous activity which was when I gave up the 2x50 sit ups I used to do with my stretching & resistance band routines. Been doing these routines for more than two years now usually every day and even do a modified version if I’m away because I actually enjoy doing it. They include yoga moves and poses as that was the one thing I used to enjoy. Strength is pretty good. Had to buy all those new pants last year because my thighs had got larger thanks to the resistance bands & my shoulders are starting to look like I swim laps. Added a new stretch with my bands which is working on my forearms. I might end up looking like Popeye. LOL! Recently added some pulse squats to my routine as the other so called butt building things haven’t helped yet (it’s still flat and running down the back of my thighs 😁). So my metabolism should have increased at least a little over the last 2 plus years. Flexibility is good too as is bone density (had most recent scan last year). I started doing these routines because I was missing my old flexibility, to tone muscles and keep my bone density (was worried that my malabsorption may affect my calcium absorption too). Ugh, I don’t want to HAVE to add in another activity but …. Sigh! Actually bone density is becoming an issue for middle aged and older men too these days too @SpartanMaker. I know several men in their late 50s early 60s who have been diagnosed as having osteopena or osteoporosis. One was very surprised as he is an avid cyclist & thought himself very fit & healthy but cycling doesn’t help with bone density. He got tested after his wife, also a cyclist, was diagnosed & was worried. PS Buying shoes and clothing always makes me feel better @ms.sss. I bought a new dress last week & yes it made me happy (another Victoria Beckham) though I had to buy a larger size which then depressed me. It’s going to be my back up dress for my niece ‘s wedding. Waaah! PPS To add to my niece’s wedding & my 60th this year, I found out this week I have a school reunion too. Scheduling all my Botox, facial and hair appointments for the year now so I don’t look grey and wrinkled at any of them.

I have heard a lot of people talking about completing a liver shrinking diet some weeks before surgery. My surgeon has told me that because my BMI is only 36 I don't need to do this and that it is only for larger people. What's your thoughts on this guys? I carry all of my weight around my midriff, I haver super skinny arms and legs so I'm more inclined to think that my liver does need shrinking before my op. I am intending to do a 2 week diet consisting of meal replacement shakes and at least 2 litres of water. Those that completed a liver shrinking diet, what did you consume? Those that didn't were there any problems with the surgery? Thank you!

This sounds so frustrating. Could you track everything you eat, even for one week (on my fitness pal or similar) and get a handle on what you're actually taking in? Do be careful about drinking calories - so easy to do with sweet tea etc. Totally empty. I do that with alcohol sometimes 😟 NickelChip is absolutely right - it might be really helpful to eat more whole and freshly prepared foods. Protein first (it really honestly does fill your sleeve up), veg second and carbs (including coating on chicken, etc) a very long way behind.

Hi everyone! New on Bariatric Pal. I had GBRNY September 4th, 2024. Almost six weeks in and lost 18.8 pounds. Slow & steady…

I am a tracker and I have ADHD so I have to meal prep and I track most my food (breakfast, lunch and snacks) for the week once I am done meal prepping. This is kinda crazy I know, I use mynetdiary, I have it on my phone and you can access it on a desktop which is important for me so I can look at it while at work. This leaves me my calories for the day so I know around what I can eat for dinner and a dessert if I want (which I always do like a sweet treat to end my night LOL) I am a little over a year out and I feel like tracking keeps me focused, I am not comfortable not tracking yet, its something that keeps me focused. I even track on the very high days. Like on my birthday, I tracked it was NOT pretty but I tracked it.

Ooh, I'm here too, and it's been very interesting. I've started drinking a protein decaf coffee again to add a cup of fairlife skim milk to my day. I know that some of us need to be very careful about carbs, I need more carbs to support my exercise which is basic strength, walking, and the 2x weekly run. I add an extra apple, gluten free pretzels, and popcorn (which is totally ok for me in my known portions). I also add a few days of cashews, easy to eat and high nutrient density. I would say if you aren't going to track calories (and why would you if that isn't your favorite) then it would be helpful to add a specific snack/food etc and have that extra every day for a few weeks and see where that gets you. If you continue to drop weight, increase it, if not, you have likely found your maintenance diet. The thing that has been most eye opening for me is the fact that I can occasionally go over and not see any consequences for one day of overdoing it. In the past that would have been hell to take off again, now it just seems to regulate like a normal person. I had surgery 1/24 and have been at my same weight since 11/24. I'm not fighting to stay here, I'm struggling with some head hunger vs real hunger, that was to be expected, but otherwise it's been such a different reality from presurgery.

OMG, see that size looks amazing on you and I really think that eventually it would on me but I know my brain just takes a while to get used to things and unfortunately I don’t have the time I would prefer. I think you guys have talked me into going for the smaller size though. I really do enjoy my yoga and I have wanted a reduction for years because of them just being in the way during activities, difficulty finding an adequately supportive sports bra as @SpartanMaker mentioned, back and neck pain and ill fitting clothing at any size because my breast are the last place that I lose weight so they stick with me. Volume wise I have only lost one cup size so far and I have lost 80 pounds!! I mean that doesn’t matter now because it’s gonna be all implant anyways in a few months but I’m just saying that I am over the big breast thing. At the same time when you’re used to looking at a pretty large chest for a decade I can imagine that a C cup is gonna look pretty tiny at first. My estimation is I will have like two weeks to get used to it before I start radiation and I’m pretty much locked in to that size. Then again, I will get used to it for six weeks I suppose because I will be flat to begin with. The radiation oncologist did say that it may be possible for me to go with like expanders for one cup size larger and then decide to put in the smaller implant so I intend to ask the surgeon about that at my preop appointment. Maybe I will actually be able to find a really good fitting sports bra and try jogging for the first time since my 20s!!

I can't afford plastic surgery so have had to make do without. My skin laxity has definitely improved in the almost 3 years since my surgery. I was also certain in the first blush of weight loss in the first year that never would I ever regain even a single ounce, but I did regain quite a lot despite my resolution not to. Haha that's all I have to say! My arms are still the most visible saggy skin I have and they look way better 3 years on. I would rather times a million have this 'problem' than my previous morbid obesity. No brainer. Stomach and bum and legs nobody gets to see and have saggy skin - but also seem better as time progresses. Breasts were the least unforgiving luckily, appearance wise. I know we're all different and we want different things as we progress. Hoping you all get to where you want to be soon. 💚

My surgery is on Monday the 12th, I am excited and nervous as well, but I have a huge community to help me. You will be going through grief of loss or the grief of having to follow a regimen diet. I attend a group every day, just to grab nuggets of information and knowledge. I am a member of Barination, and they have certified licensed and professional mental health care providers, dieticians and nutrition specialists and lots of discussions with physicians and groups or teams from around the country. I would strongly urge you to visit them and see what they are all about. You can find lots of YouTube videos from Barination that are free for all to view. They have one that is on what to expect as a pre-op and immediate post-op patient. Once a Bariatric patient, always a bariatric patient. I wish you well on your surgery on the 9th. Keep us up to date how you are doing and we can provide you with knowledge and understanding of the feelings you are feeling. Start that feelings journal now and write anything that is in your mind, and re-read them for learning and keep them to look back a year out to see where you were before, and where you are a year out. I started that 2 weeks ago and I have come to realize that I still have that head hunger. I'm not hungry but bored, so I think about food to fill the void. That is head hunger. It is a real thing, so as you begin the liquid diet, remember that the #1 problem or complication you will have is dehydration so sip, sip, sip!! If you have protein water, that will help you feel more full than just drinking water. Hope I helped a little bit, hang in there, this is a life-long journey.

@Mspretty86 I am satisfied! I want to work on shaping my body and getting strong. Then hoping that the boobs will make me look curvier. I am a small A where Victoria Secret told me I am an A but I still have gaps because I am all skin LOL I am ready to be a full DD. I am doing my breast aug 3 weeks before I hit a year (I know I know its a no no) but my surgeon only wants maintenance. and the date is perfect since my hubs is taking off to be my caregiver and it happens to be the same time as the kids winter break so I could not pass up the timing. but I am so ready to wear a bikini, tank tops and all the shirts because I look like a teenage boy right now LOL

Yes. you're all right of course. I'm just blowing this out of proportion. As the saying goes. "it's a bad day. not a bad life." I think I'm stressed about my long trip to on Sunday and seeing people for the first time in 20 years. And your definitely right. I've been eating more than I have in weeks and more than I shoud, but definitely less than this time last year.

The emotional rollercoaster after surgery can really screw up your hunger signals. Your head hunger signals go into overdrive as your head tells you to eat to make you feel better. Not helped by surges in estrogen that is released from our fat as we lose weight messing with our emotions too. Also many nerves are cut during surgery plus the swelling & inflammation @SpartanMaker mentioned distorts messages like hunger and satiety even if they actually get through. And it’s a pretty major surgery and it knocks you about. It takes time before you don’t feel tired, weak, dizzy, doughy headed, etc. It takes a good 6+ weeks to fully heal after surgery, so these mixed signals & feeling unwell will continue for a while. Generally though, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture, it’s head hunger. If you’re feeling sad, anxious, frustrated, angry, bored, etc. it’s likely head hunger. In time you’ll discover real hunger signals are different. For me I feel restless like something is wrong not that I ‘feel’ hungry. Having eaten enough can feel different too. Many sneeze, or get the hiccups. Don’t eat until you feel full or until you’ve eaten all you want. It takes 20 odd minutes for the full message to get through normally & a lot longer this soon after surgery so don’t eat until you feel full - you’ve eaten too much by then. Stop when you’ve had enough, when you don’t need any more. You’ll have lots of meals (appropriate portion sizes) you simply can’t finish because you’ve had enough and don’t need any more. I still do at 6 years out. The lightheadedness could be from being dehydrated too or from your blood pressure dropping (many experience this). Are you meeting or close to meeting your daily fluid goals? Often an electrolyte drink can help. It does get easier and you will feel better. Just give yourself time.

Yes, Core Power is a Fairlife product. They actually make a number of different products, so it can be confusing. Fairlife Core Power Elite is 42 Grams of protein in a 14 oz serving, for 3 grams per oz Fairlife Nutrition Plan is 30 Grams of Protein in a 11.5 oz serving, for ~2.6 grams per oz Fairlife Core Power (Regular, not Elite), is 26 Grams in a 14 oz serving, for ~1.88 grams per oz Finally, they have "Fairlife Ultra Filtered Milk", which also has more protein than regular milk. it has ~1.6 grams of protein per oz. If you compare that to an 11.5 or 14 oz serving respectively, it would have ~19 or 23 grams of protein. For comparison, regular milk has about 1 gram of protein per ounce. Edited to add that all the "shakes" (in other words everything except the milk), are flavored and at least to me taste about the same. As such, I'd recommend Core Power Elite for most folks here since it has the most protein for a given volume. I use the milk religiously for everything I'd use regular milk for as an additional way to get more protein per day.

How hungry is everyone after gastric bypass surgery? One of my biggest fears is being constantly hungry since no food is actually making it through my stomach. I have a week to go before my surgery, just starting the pre-op diet tomorrow, and a bit nervous if i can make it through without feeling like I'm starving.