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Well done! I used to hate the gym, more so the feeling of self consciousness and thinking people are looking at me. My surgery date was close to yours & I've been back at the gym for about 3 weeks now as well as walking on non-gym days and am loving it, feel so good after each workout. Keep up the great work, you're smashing it!

Heya! I think every Dr/Surgeon must do things with a slight variation, but it is always best to follow the advice given by your own Dr/healthcare team - it is often tailored to you e.g., in terms of weight, health conditions etc. I had my dietician appointment today and we went through when I am starting the LRD, which will be for 2 weeks, and then went through the different food stages which for me are: Week 1 - Liquid Week 2 - Puree/slush Week 3 - Mush (thick/lumpy foods) Week 4 - Soft foods Week 5 - 'Normal' foods

Yes! I've been having the same discussion with my doctor. I "haven't met my weight loss goal" for the last two weeks because I'm still at 116kg. But, my body composition shows it's because going to the gym has been working and I'm gaining muscle. They just want smaller numbers on the scale and smaller numbers on the BMI. @SleeveToBypass2023 I'm really sorry you've had all this stress. Just sending sympathies.

I think the best encouragement I can offer is to help manage your expectations. WLS is a treatment with results measured in months and years, not days. For perspective, my day of surgery weight was only 6 lbs higher than yours. I am 4 months post op as of tomorrow and I hit 189 lbs...yesterday. That's 17 weeks to lose 34 pounds. And I promptly bounced up to 190 this morning. Barely eating anything has very little bearing on how much weight you will lose in the beginning. Your body is going through some stuff. Like, a lot of stuff. We don't even know the half of all the systems that are recalibrating in the first weeks and months. Calories in and calories out is just not a useful equation to describe what is happening to you right now. The weight on the scale is a single data point, but it doesn't even tell you what type of weight you have lost. Fat? Water? Muscle? No idea! And the smart scales aren't actually very smart because they give you averages, not actual measurements. I only lost 2.8 lbs the entire month of May, but I went down a dress size and a bra size during that time. Then I lost 10lbs in 2 weeks. Why? Who knows! So, for long term sanity, I suggest focusing on the things you can control and not worrying about what you can't. Focus on meeting protein and fluid targets. Add in a sustainable exercise routine (for me, that is just walking consistently every week). Do some reading and watch videos about good bariatric nutrition (I recommend The Pound of Cure videos on YouTube to start with). Collect and try new recipes as you move through the food stages. Take your measurements and a monthly progress photo. You may see the changes better in photos than you do by looking at yourself in a mirror. Basically, you are only 2 weeks into a 52-week-plus journey. You'll get there, but it will take time. And you will drive yourself crazy if you're like the kid in the backseat asking yourself "Are we there yet?" from the minute you pull out of the driveway.

Oh no! 12 weeks is so long! Now that I think of it, this will likely be me also since I have no desire to completely opt out of the liquid diet in case a cancelation happens with someone else. I'm currently doing the shakes and a cup of low calorie soup. Thank you for your message. 🤍

Same for both of my surgeries. I was on all liquid for a week and nothing after midnight (my 1st surgery was at 8am and my 2nd was at 9am). The only liquid I got was at the hospital and it was in a tiny cup when I had to take a couple of pills they gave me, and swished that little bit of water all around and savored it lol

All of this is super helpful! Thank you so much. I too am a fantasy/supernatural writer, though I haven't taken the time to write in a while. I may try to do NaNoWriMo again this year, we'll see. As for WoW, I keep returning strictly for the RP (though I am hoping the new expansion truly brings some life back to the actual game itself). We will see. I know it releases while I'm post-op, but unless I'm feeling truly up to it, I may wait before jumping into it. My guild knows I'm going on a medical hiatus and will return when I feel like I am ready to return. What server did you play on? I've been on Cho'gall, Arygos, and Wyrmrest Accord. I have toons on other servers, but those were/are the three I've been guilded and active on. And thank you for telling me how to tag people! I just do quotes and respond to posts because I couldn't figure that out (and because my brain needs to focus on one thing at a time lol). But I hope they get you in for testing soon! As someone who was diagnosed as an adult, it was a bit of a mixed blessing for me. I always knew I was "weird" and finally understood why. But then I had to look back and process all the times in my life where things could have been different had we known when I was a child. I hope your post-op appointment goes fantastically!

@AndreaJD your advice about the weight loss discussion with others is great! I’m definitely using that one and thank you!! Good luck on your surgery tomorrow, like you said, eyes on the prize! @Justarwaxx mine is on the 14th too!! Are you doing the Gastric Bypass as well? I’ve been told I’ll only be in the hospital 1 night… we shall see. Omg, my husband ate pizza for dinner… he was at least nice enough to eat it in another room, but still… i could almost kill for a piece. But again, eyes on the prize. I keep having to remind myself. 2 more days of this and then my life is changing. All our lives are changing for the better, which makes it worth it. You guys stay strong and good luck this week, I know a lot of us are on the roster this week. Be strong and positive vibes everyone!! I look forward to hearing from everyone after their surgery, keep us updated!!

Definitely sounds like a stall. Some people don't gain during the stall, they just sit at their current weight during it. Me? I gain. And by gain, I mean anywhere from 3-5 pounds. It's infuriating. Then I lose and gain the same 2-3 pounds over and over until one day I get on the scale and see that I lost 5-6 pounds. That's when I know the stall broke. It's going to happen, a lot. So start focusing on your NSVs (Non Scale Victories). Those tell the story of what your body is actually doing better than the scale can.

Yeah that happens. I did that with my pre op diet. I am starting my walking on Monday morning. I am 6 days out so I don’t want to do too much but I want to get started. I can’t wait for week three 😂

I wanted the best surgeon I could find that wasn't too far from where I live (within two or three hours). Although I would have been open to traveling if I couldn't find anyone in the region. I don't think he had the best bedside manner of those I did my consults with, but he specialized in plastic surgery for massive weight loss patients and had been doing this particular type of surgery for years...and years. He had excellent reviews. Of course, it's great if you really connect with the person, too - but you'll only be seeing this person a handful of times - if that - but you'll be living with the results of your surgery for the rest of your life. You might want to schedule a couple more consults before deciding. I found realself.com to be somewhat helpful when I was coming up with my list of potential surgeons. you're in California - Dr. Katzen is nationally known and specializes in massive weight loss patients, I believe. EDITED to add - looks like he does all kinds of plastic surgery, he doesn't specialize in massive weight loss patients. However, he's very well known in the bariatric community.

Hello again! Sorry for the multiple posts but just wondering whether anyone has a list of things that helped their recovery go smoothly? For instance, things you’ll want in the weeks right after surgery like heat pads, ice packs (which is better?)…I saw somewhere else that someone recommended a reclining chair?? I have 2 little boys at home, and I want to be as present as possible so I’m looking for any advice on how to recover safely but still be comfortable and active.

@wendy4energyrenewal Thanks for the welcome. I'm one week out now and the nausea with protein shakes seems to have lessened (I'm just already tired of them). I did figure out that mixing the shakes with water and ice made it a little more tolerable ... the thickness of the pre-made shakes is not sitting well. Wow, 2 weeks on pure liquid didn't sound like much but after a week, I'm really starting to feel deprived. I'll make it, but I'm already planning some pureed meals!!

I don't know where my other post went - I swore I typed one up earlier. Oh well - Here we go again! So, I'm at 3 weeks out exactly today from my SADI (Sleeve + Intestinal shortening) surgery and I'm definitely starting to feel less pulling and pinching with movements. I'm beginning week two of my puree diet, and I feel like it's going pretty well. During the Protein shake / liquid post diet for two weeks I did deal with constipation. It's still leveling out, but as I eat more 'regular' food (Even as a puree) that seems to be lifting a bit. I did still take some milk of magnesia yesterday out of caution because I hadn't 'gone' in two days, and didn't want to worry about it worsening. I'd say the hardest part for me continues to be the 'No drinking 30 mins before/after meals' but I use the Baritastic app to set a timer. I also use the timer to make sure my 'meals' take at least 30 minutes. Want to make sure I don't rush and end up feeling poorly afterward. Things that have worked well for me during my puree stage include egg drop soup, chicken/tuna salad made with puree chicken or tuna, light mayo, and sometimes a bit of relish, and for added protein a boiled egg or two, with or without the yolks per preference. (Dill relish is healthier than sweet relish). I did allow myself 2-3 saltines with those, usually about 3.5 oz of the tuna or chicken salad makes me feel sated. Other recipes that have worked include the ricotta bake and unstuffed cabbage rolls, pureed low fat/0 sugar yogurt or cottage cheese with Genepro powder and cooked, strained strawberries or blueberries (I added a bit of 0% Milk to make it more of a smoothie), Riccotta pureed with either a bit of fruit or avocado, small serving of oatmeal pureed with fruit (test yourself with an ounce or two less than you normally eat for oatmeal because it sits heavy and often swells - add some zero or skim milk to make it thinner if needed. Other recipes include homemade no-noodle chicken soup of sorts with rotisserie chicken, chicken broth, and pureed carrots w/a little bit of onion powder or diced onion. I also made a homemade 'philly cheese steak' filling of sorts with some sautéed bell peppers and a bit of diced onion, some roast beef lunch meat, and cream cheese. Others speak highly of pureed refried beans with a bit of seasoning to taste more like taco meat, adding either a bit of mild salsa or a combination of onion powder and perhaps a bit of cumin. That's a personal choice, and definitely suggest going slow with your seasoning due to possible heartburn. You could add a bit of shredded low-fat/skim mozzarella or even low fat sour cream to round it out. Today I made 'chicken pot pie w/no crust' which was basically just cooked carrots and finely diced celery and onions with finely diced rotisserie chicken with a can each of 98% fat free cream of celery and 98% fat free cream of chicken. I haven't had any yet because I'm a little unsure about the celery, even cooked, but pureed and in a small serving I'm sure it would treat me fine. The Ricotta Bake I made was super simple and I know there are a lot of variations to the recipe online. I made my own marinara sauce by peeling about 5 smallish tomatoes, dicing them, and simmering them with a little less than equal parts water, Italian seasoning, and a bit of diced onion. The ricotta mixture was easy; just used 8oz ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan (I used the shaker but fresh is better) and 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. I put a layer of half the mix on the bottom of a buttered baking dish, topped it with 1/2 lb cooked and seasoned ground beef, then put the rest of the mixture on top. Poured about 3/4 of the homemade marinara over it then covered the dish with aluminum foil and baked at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. It's basically a no-noodle lasagna. The Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls I made were equally easy - I used a rotary grinder (Works SO well, bought on Amazon for around twenty bucks) to grate half a head of lettuce. Instead of canned diced tomatoes I once I again peeled about 5 small/medium tomatoes and diced them, adding to the skillet along with maybe 1/8 cup diced onion and another 1/2 lb of the ground beef. For seasoning the recipe I used just had me add a packet of Italian Dressing Seasoning mix. The family enjoyed it and after pureeing the ground beef a bit I found it fine to eat, although slowly and very well chewed (same with the ground beef in my ricotta bake). Both it and the Ricotta bake probably make about eight 1/3 cup servings with about 22g of Protein each. I want to respond more to folks - @Pepper_No_Salt I hate that you're dealing with so much nausea! I absolutely second talking to your care team about that. There are some nausea pills that dissolve under the tongue and work more quickly for me than the Zofran, they'd probably be willing to call you in some. Things that made me feel queasy were taking meds or vitamins before my meal had hit bottom, drinking too quickly, not walking around after I ate, and taking calcium and my multivitamin with iron too close to my Calcium. Not sure if any of that helps - I am also taking Prilosec for heartburn in the mornings and they had me add Magnesium Citrate at bedtime to help with constipation. Sometimes when I'm due to pass gas or have a bowel movement working its way through my system I'd start to feel a little icky and not really nauseous but more anxiety / feelings of fullness. I found that for whatever reason putting an ice pack on my chest or low back helped. I hope you find some relief! Oh, I also found that as soon as my thirty minutes post-meal is up it helps me to sip on REALLY cold water or Gatorade zero, especially if I do it while standing and moving around a little bit. I equate it to the need to get the burps out after eating, just like I had to do post-surgery. @ShoppGirl - Thanks for all of your support and input. I continue to read your posts and while I'm low energy on responding right now I hope the details of my recipe for the unstuffed cabbage bake is helpful! @draikaina8503 - Congratulations on your walk! I still wear out quickly even at three weeks out, but I knew the first month or two would be a slog and do feel my energy is rebounding. @Onemealplan - Sounds like you're doing great and I hope you enjoy the heck out of your vacation! I second what you said to @ShoppGirl about trying the crab, and hope the meals you do get to taste on vacation treat you well. I think her advice to just explain you're recovery from stomach surgery should more than reassure any staff concerned about your small portions. @AndreaJD I'm so glad your sister has been supportive! My 'chosen' brother and best friend has likewise done the same. He's been on a Keto journey for about two years with great results and I worried at first that he would think I was taking the 'easy way out' and now that he's heard more he's been great in reassuring me that he does NOT think that is the case at all, and in fact believes I chose a great option for myself that moves things along quicker but certainly with a lot of sacrifice and hard work. I also completely agree with you on the 'mind hunger' vs 'body hunger'. I'm lucky that I do feel a bit of pressure in my chest that I now identify as a feeling of 'fullness' as opposed to anxiety and I'm less worried about my protein goals now that I have the Genepro protein powder. I love that it isn't gritty when I mix it in with things as long as I mix it with something room temperature FIRST. That's on the instructions, actually, as is the fact that for your macros to count it as like 30-ish grams of protein per scoop rather than the 'weight' listed in Nutrition facts of 11g/scoop. Just wanted to make sur eI mentioned that! Oh - in regards to weighing - I get on the scale every day or so to kind of 'reinforce' what I'm doing, but remember that sometimes you see more from your measuring tape at the waist, hips, etc than the scale will show. Also head's up, a lot of folks plateau for a handful of days around week three and it will happen on and off moving forward, so don't be discouraged by that! @RRenaeL23 - I hope these recipes and suggestions for your puree diet work well! I'm still finding myself comfortable eating no more than about 3-4 oz at a meal, and certainly am following the no drinking 30 mins before/after meals. It's absolutely easier for me to do if I make sure my meal is on the moist side, even if it means adding a little extra water. It's better to add protein powder (Can't speak highly enough of the unflavored Genepro) to hit your protein goal than to overeat to make it, that's for sure! I'm always eager for my 30 minutes to be up so I can sip on icy cold water or Gatorade Zero. @Meme Campbell - Best of luck to you on your surgery tomorrow! Don't hesitate to ask for ice packs and pain relief and take advantage of the pain relief to get some walking in, especially the first couple of days. The pain lessons as you walk because it works the gas out. I also strongly suggest sipping your shakes / water / propel sitting as upright as is possible and not laying back until about ten minutes has passed or you've burped a few times! Keep us updated! Most of us in this thread have already had our surgeries but if you read through the first 3-7 pages you'll get a pretty good idea of what to expect if you don't already feel prepared. It's a bit of a process but the pain WILL start to lessen in the coming weeks! Don't be surprised when you get tired super quickly and be gentle on your body. Across the board surgeons seem to agree that your #1 priority fresh out of surgery will be walking as tolerated, focusing on your hydration, and getting as much protein as you comfortably can. Don't let yourself go more than three days without a bowel movement - Milk of Magnesia works wonders for that. I let myself go 5 days post surgery and that was a somewhat painful and unpleasant process to reverse. Colace makes your bowel movements 'smoother' but is NOT a laxative. If you deal with heartburn talk to your team - they put me on Prilosec for now. We're rooting for you! Sorry for anyone I missed; not sure what happened to my other post. Wishing you all the best in surgeries and recoveries!

Hi Ladies, I’m almost 6 weeks post-op from my gastric bypass. I started at 109.5 kg, and now I’m at 98.6 kg, so I’ve lost about 10 kg. While my nurse and doctor mentioned that I could’ve lost more by now, they said it’s still not bad. Honestly, it didn’t make me feel great, but a loss is a loss, right? I find myself comparing my progress with others, mostly with sleeve patients, which I know isn’t fair. So, I’m here in the bypass forum to hear from others with success stories. Shouldn't the most weight loss happen in the first 2-3 months, and then it slows down? Right now, I’m losing around 1 kg per week, which I know is healthy, but I keep feeling like I should be losing more, and then I panic, wondering if I’m overeating. I’m on a 1200-calorie plan with 8-10 small meals a day. I haven’t been able to stick to the 10 meals, but I do my best to hit 8, and they’re all balanced. My workout routine has been almost non-existent, but I joined the gym TODAY, so that will change! I just need some reassurance that I WILL lose the weight and that I’m not going to fail like I have in the past with weight loss.

My sugery was 11/29.. as of this morning I am 32lbs down.. I started back into the gym on Monday, 8 weeks post op. I have not really had a weight stall yet, I am noticing that my hair loss has picked up so I am getting it cut on Tuesday. I am off all my food restrictions so I am excited about trying out all kinds of food. Going clothes shopping this weekend to pick up a few things as my clothes are falling off me.. This has been a fun, stressful and frustrating journey but I am here for it...

A new win for the week went to my 4 month post opp appointment down over 50 pounds! Started in the 300's now 220 it's like I lost a whole person. Goal weight 150-160! Let's go 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽. Just last year my thighs were busting through these holes! Now I can't even fit 😂

Hi everyone 🩷 I’m considering having revision surgery and have an appointment with my doctor next week. I’d love to hear some of your experiences with revision surgery, the process and road to your actual surgery date, post op experience - anything you’re willing to share ☺️… soo lay it on me ! The good, the great, the bad, and the ugly! I lost about a 100 lbs and kept it off for about 4 years but since having a baby 2 years ago I’ve really been struggling with my weight again. TIA 🩷

I had this same question. I talked to the dietician and forgot to ask her about that too. I am contemplating the Sadi which is low carb. She told me to get 45 from starch and 45 from fruits and veggies then says 1/4 to 1/2 cup of each per meal but didn’t specify net or total carbs. I’m thinking my requirement is total carbs though because if 1/2 cup of pineapple has 15g which is a higher carb fruit so even that three times a day is only 45 total grams of carbs. If it was net carbs it would mean I should be able to have more than 1/2 cup I would think. I think where it really matters is on processed stuff. Hopefully I remember to ask the surgeon on Monday.

I'm almost a year and a half since my RNY (November). I've lost about 135 give or take (I bounce between 125-130lbs). I haven't lost any fat free body mass since month 3, and have actually gained 5lbs of fat free mass since May. At my 1 year, in May, my body composition said I was at 18.1% body fat which is on the low end of "lean" I did another one last week because I was feeling off (tired, muscle cramps, brittle nails, headaches) My body fat percentage was at 12.3% which translated into roughly 16 pounds of my overall weight (130 at the time of the test) being fat. Anything under 15% is "at risk". I eat, what seems like all day long, I get my calories, protein, healthy fats, fiber. I take all my supplements. All my blood work I've had this year for random things and specifically for post surgery, has been normal. Nothing, other than feeling off, pointed to this. I do have an appointment with nutrition and my bariatric team this week. But wanted to see if anyone has gone through this, heard of this... Anything? My initial thought is how my body is absorbing nutrients, but again, my labs have been normal.

Blimey @ShoppGirlyou have had a lot to deal with this week! Gallbladder- I had mine out last year but I wasn’t told anything to avoid foods, drinks or anything but was warned that gall stones can come back in the bile duct. After a bit of a rocky start (lots and lots of fluid leakage as my gallbladder was horribly inflamed which resulted in a much longer surgery blah blah blah) I’ve been fine ever since. Fingers crossed all will go well with that aspect of the week for you. Please take your pain meds and give yourself whatever respite you can. You’ve had 2 major operations this week and you are really going to be feeling it 😮 Would a heat pad give you any additional relief? Injecting yourself - I inject one lot of meds weekly and another fortnightly and, believe it or not, I think it’s easier to self-inject than have someone else do it for you. I just grab a fat roll at the top of my thighs, hold the pen against my skin and press the button. I’ve to count to 10 before releasing. A quick wipe down with a sterile wipe and I’m good to go. Yes, it very occasionally hurts, like if I haven’t grabbed enough for the injection, plus you have to rotate your injection site as you can end up pretty sore with it if not (never had that problem, thankfully 🤞) You can also inject in your stomach if that’s a better choice for you. I was told that I have to have B12 injections every 3 months - I’m going to look like a dart board!!

Hi all. When I was on round one journey this came From the dietician when I had my stall. The stalls are normal. A lot of you are getting active and building muscle. You’ll notice more in the measurements then the scales. Spoke with the Dr this morning and he said I can try soft soft diet. So I got off the phone and went straight for the scrambled eggs( haven’t been able to stomach them in the last 17 months) oh they were a delight and how I missed them.

So I am around 6 weeks post surgery I think! Seems like it has been so much longer! I have found that my restriction recently has been annoyingly high. I just have 0 interest in eating, and when I do take a bite it takes a while for me to get into it - I feel full quickly, which was something I wasn't struggling with a couple of weeks ago! I have started going back to the gym as of last week, and I am nervous but excited. Quickly realised my body is a lot weaker than it used to be 😅 I did 3 x 10 sets of squats and was walking like a cowboy for 4 days 🤣 I want to try swimming but I am nervous about wearing a swimming costume if I am honest, even though I can tell my clothes are bigger on me! Which is another thing...stuff just isn't fitting right! I was excited for this part, but I didn't think it would be annoying 😂 I can't wait to buy new stuff! Thanks for reading my useless waffle ❤️

It’s so weird how the various doctors do things so different. Your diet is shorter but sounds harder than mine, doable though. At least you get to chew some things. I would hate to do the ALL liquid for two weeks like some people have to. I would feel full but I would just be so board with it. I am so glad you did not have to give a bunch of blood during all this. Thankfully I was allowed to schedule mine prior to the diet because I agree that wouldn’t be good. I was just cleaning today trying to get things done before next week and I guess I overdid it. I got real lightheaded so I definitely couldn’t give blood. I know it’s because it was almost 1:00 and all I had was a protein shake. I stopped and had my second shake right away then just took it easy for a while. i would hate to not know my time until the day before, though. If you can’t tell by my schedule above, I’m a planner. It helps with my anxiety to plan things way in advance. They did tell me that I will need to be flexible that day though because I could get there and have to wait. They said they will always take kids and diabetics to the OR first, bumping me if necessary. I will be done this time near week too, though. So excited for both of us.

I’m not sure how I am doing I started at 145kg Op day 31/5 I was 135kg Today 19/7 I am 121.6 kg I’m losing 1kg per week but just seems very slow especially when the first 3 months your suppose to lose the most.