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Yes I lost five pounds my first week but not everyone does. Lots of things like inflammation and fluids can affect weight that early out. It is hard. It’s good that you are already starting to distinguish head hunger from actual hunger though. Are you allowed to have sugar free popsicles and jello. I had lots of those because I felt like I got to chew which helped.

At my 2-week surgical follow-up with my surgeon, he cleared me to go back to the gym and begin lifting weights without restrictions. It was such a relief to go back!!!

If you truly are logging and measuring everything precisely, and your intake is under 600 calories it is impossible for you not to lose weight. It has to be the three week stall. Sometimes it can last a little while. I know it’s hard but try to trust the process. The weight loss will start again soon.

It may take a few months to get used to eating more…both in volume and in calories. You are not even 6 months post, so you may be limited in your volume ability. You dont need to eat 1200 cals today…just aim to get there eventually (and trust me, you will). I reached goal at 7 months, and it took me 4 months and an additional 15-ish lbs lost before i found my maintenance balance. For me, this was about 2000 cals a day at that time. Which honestly was a Herculean effort as I too was sub-800 cals throughout weight loss phase. I got full really quickly back then (and still do today, but to a lesser degree) so i relied on chicharron (i.e., pork rinds/cracklins). I know, I know, its really high in fat so it may not be everyone’s bag, but for ME it was high in protein, zero carb, and did not stuff me like meats did/do…and its SUPER high in calories. Im 3.5 years out now and pretty much have been maintaining my weight ever since (+/- 5 lbs), and average about 1800 cals these days (eating all sorts of food, both healthy and not-so-healthy, and yes, i even eat bread now, lol) Do what you can, a little bit at a time, and you and your body will get used to more calories AND volume eventually. Good Luck! ❤️

I know y'all are probably tired if seeing my post lol. But I'm struggling at losing weight. It's been 5 weeks since my surgery and I haven't lost anything in 3 weeks. My dr said it's sluggish. I'm going to call my nutritionist but not sure how much help she will be. I'm not cheating at all. I'm completely on the plan. I thought maybe it was my protein. (Not getting enough). But even with getting 60g or more. I still haven't lost. What's going on with me 😭😭😭. I'm still under 600 calories. Geez how can I not be losing on eating 600 calories or less. I need to get this figured out.

Hi guys! I’m new here and I just had my surgery on 5/26/22. I’ve been overweight for the majority of my life, and I’ve been eager to start this journey by getting to know others who have done the same. My dad got gastric bypass and was able to keep the weight off, but he got it done a long time ago. So his advice is a little outdated. One thing I’ve noticed is that people keep emphasizing how good I’ll look once I lose weight. And it kinda sucks bc I didn’t do this for that. Sure, it helps. But I did it because I want to be healthier. Rambling aside, the only issues I have right now are maintaining my fluids and protein. And the gas. How was everyone else’s first couple of days? Any advice for a newbie?

I was lucky to have a friend of a friend who just had the sleeve surgery so I was able to ask her a lot of questions. I made up my kind to do it because when I exercised it causes knee pain at a BMI of 35. My doctor told me to take some time off of the treadmill and as a result I gained part of the weight back I had struggled to lose. I could just see how things were only going to snowball and the heavier I got the worse the knee pain and then I would get even heavier. I decided to stop the cycle the only way I knew how.

No regrets. Over 3 months post op. Lost a lot ot weight and have the beat relationship with food I've ever had in my entire life. I don't miss overeating. All I can remember was how sick and stuffed I felt all the time in the past. That's no longer my reality. I feel so thankful and blessed to be on this journey. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks! Yeah it went well but I wasn't feeling it tbh. He luckily didn't offer food or anything but we talked about weight loss because he said he really wants to lose 10 lbs and I can't believe it but I told him I was on a weight loss journey and recently lost a lot of weight. That was the first time ever I've been comfortable enough with MYSELF to talk about that so I'm very happy about that. In the past I would freeze up if a date talked about diet or exercise (even when I was losing weight in the past, I had such a negative relationship to myself and my body) but it made me realize how much I've grown as a person to be able to speak openly about that. I phrased it like yeah I'm on a weight loss journey so I'm very conscious about what I'm eating and drinking right now. Didn't mention surgery but then he was like thats great i want to lose 10 lbs, maybe for our next date we can go on a run together LOL Not sure there will be a next date for me. I did that for experience and to flex my dating muscle a bit. He was very sweet But I'm also moving states so I'm not particularly interested in long term relationships at the moment. He did give me this funny business card at the end. I wonder how it will be in the future though. I don't know why but I almost don't want to tell whoever I date I had gastric bypass until I'm at my goal weight. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Wow, you sound just like me about six months ago. It’s like I was living in denial about my weight for years until one day I finally realized “enough” and accepted that I had become obese. We all have that breaking point or lowest point that brings us to the decision to have WLS. I was angry at myself, embarrassed, ashamed and felt like a failure. I felt like I let my family down and set such a bad example for my two adult sons. Once I scheduled the consultation, I felt totally refocused and determined to make positive changes to my health. I even scheduled a mammogram (long overdue) and a colonoscopy that I was supposed to do last year. I made a promise to myself that this year was going to be a year of taking care of ME. I had sleeve surgery on 4/12/22 and things are going well. It was the best decision I ever made. I’m glad you are taking the first step towards a better YOU. You are worth it!

NONE! Apart from marrying my husband it is the best decision I ever made. I am officially a healthy weight as of last Sunday (-58.5 kg/-129 lbs total weight loss right now) at 9 months po and I could not be happier about it 💕

I am having a hard time not blaming myself for being 100 pounds overweight and having high cholesterol, high blood sugar, fatty liver, and other health problems. How did I get here, I've been asking myself. I was under the most extreme stress of my life for the past several years. I lost track of the fact that stress can affect the heart and cholesterol, etc. or I would have handled things differently. Now I might be having heart problems, which I NEVER though would happen...I'm very careful not to eat foods that are high in saturated fat. Genetics are working against me. My father and brother were about 100 pounds overweight when they had sleeve surgery, and a few cousins had gastric bypass surgery. I've taken medications that affect the metabolic system, so I think that system is totally dysfunctional now. I feel like I've failed my body by not taking care of it. It makes me very sad. On the other hand, I feel like this body isn't really mine. The real me is hidden in this body. But I swear to you I've had the best of intentions. I have done some things right, like eating lots of vegetables and fruits and drinking tons of water. I'm making an appointment with a bariatric surgeon to discuss gastric bypass surgery. That day can't come soon enough. I'm looking forward to being on the path that you all have bravely taken. Has anyone else had feelings like these? I seem to be overcome by them lately.

This has meal plans for liquid diet, post op diet, pouch reset, "get back on track", weight management, etc... I bookmarked it, and wanted to share it in case it might help someone else. https://store.bariatricpal.com/pages/meal-plans-for-back-on-track-weight-loss-diet#recipes-meal-plans-diets-12192

I experienced the same thing. Was eating less than 900 calories when I reached my goal & struggled for a while to physically eat more at any one time too. I had to snack & increased them until I was snacking 5 times a day. And yes I felt like I was eating all day long. My weight loss continued albeit very slowly & finally about 11 months after goal. I was still seeing my dietician through the first 6 months of this 11 months (Covid hit). For my snacks I added a second sometimes third serve of carbs (multigrain crackers), hummus, nuts, 1or 2 serves of fruit, protein bar, cheese, liverwurst, peanut paste, chia pudding, & used salad dressings. My dietician also suggested adding milk powder to my milk but I found it too sweet except in chia pudding. I eventually reached about 1300 calories. It can take a little time to sort this out in a way the best suits you. While you may lose more initially, you may also have a bounce back in your 2nd/3rd year as @catwoman7 said as you settle into a way of eating that complements how you want to live & enjoy your life. I eventually was able to eat about a recommended portion size of most foods (& I do eat slowly) & reduced my snacks to three a day. I am careful about what I eat 90% of the time. At my lowest I was 48.2kg but settled at 49kg for a good year. I put on 2 kgs a few months ago after I went on a higher dose HRT med & I had to add more protein to my diet due to an absorption issue (from my gall removal last year not my sleeve). I made some small changes to my diet but I still eat more calories as a result of the extra protein so the weight gain is understandable. All the best.

Like @Recidivist, I didn’t ever return to exercising. I walked erratically before surgery & started back again slowly after surgery. But stoped after a couple of months due to low energy & low BP. Didn’t stop me from losing all my weight & more. I still don’t exercise as such but understand some people enjoy it &/or want to establish healthy behaviours. Best to chat with your surgeon. They will likely have their recommendations around how much you should exert yourself, how much you can lift & when you can progress & do more. Most tend to advise walking only for the first couple of weeks but there are always variations on this.

So true! At first I thought it was all in my head, but then I noticed people at work who hadn’t ever talked with me (for years) would look my way, smile, strike up a conversation, etc. It’s like they were afraid obesity was contagious, or I was so low that I wasn’t worthy of their attention, or maybe I had finally redeemed myself and deserved to be acknowledged. And others are even more friendly than in the past, saying “You look great!” I know everyone sees I lost weight, but some people keep their mouths shut and remain professional. *Please don’t comment on my appearance* I am the same person on the inside. Others’ behavior is abundantly clear. And also I remember who treated me well before the weight loss, no matter how I looked. 😀

Hey Sarah, I'm Liz (but call me Rusty). I've had WLS before but I'm starting over with the VSG. I, too, am in the learning process. I had a friend get one about ten years ago and she's met her goal and maintained very well with no issues. I've also been following a lot of bariatric forums and Facebook groups to see what other people are saying and experiencing. I've drawn a few conclusions for myself, but I don't know how well they might extrapolate to others, because I also have experience with WLS, losing a substantial amount of weight, and then having "life get in the way" and having it return. My first journey was because I wanted to have children. My second journey has begun because I have a severe health condition that cannot be remedied without surgery and cannot be corrected at all whilst I am obese (and I'm way past morbidly obese at the moment, so I have a long way to go).

Aug 4 2021 had a mini gastric bypass. Down 75 pounds. Hoping to stay around this weight and not lose much more. Health wise doing great. How’s everyone else doing?

Zero regrets! Had VSG 2/5/2021. Highest weight was 363. Current weight 185. No more blood pressure meds, no more sleep apnea. I feel in control of my life and have a process to help manage my food behaviors for life. I still log my food every day and follow the guidance of my surgeon and nutritionist. Surgery allowed me to make long term behavior changes.

No regrets at all. I had VSG in December 2021, and I have lost 72 pounds from my highest weight of 253 pounds. I feel like my life is very much back on track, and I want to lose another 50 pounds by the end of this year.

You can add more calorie dense foods like butter, cream, oils, cheese, nut butters etc. to your cooking if you need to immediately halt your weight loss. Then longer term maybe you can think about your protein/good fat balance? I cannot wait to eat avocados without having to balance the entire rest of my day around that. My stats are very similar to yours although I had my surgery a month earlier. I for one am riding this train as far as it will take me but I know we all have our personal goals!

Hi everyone, My name is Sarah and I live in Connecticut. I am no different than all of you. Been On Diets whole life lose and gain back. I have been doing a lot of research on Bariatric surgery and would like to get advice. How did others begin their own journey to surgery? What was the best help for you guys in making this decision? I want to wish each and everyone here great luck no matter where you are on this hard journey.

A little over 2 weeks till surgery (6/16). Starting my preop diet Thursday. My program includes no caffeine :(, Sugar, Dairy, or carbs with the final two days being liquid only. As it gets closer the more anxious I get, I have been on a weight loss journey for 10 years and I'm really hoping this will finally be it.

It's all one step at a time. I hope you gain strength and each new step on your journey gets easier.

Hello gang, I had WLS in 2004. I was one of the early lap band recipients in Australia under Prof. Paul O'Brien. I did great and lost 46kg (101lbs), but then life set in and I had two kids and a suicidal husband so I let the weight creep back up. I had a revision in 2013 due to a hiatus hernia so large I was having esophageal spasms. So now, I'm at the heaviest I've ever been, and I've got a ventral hernia that goes from my navel to my sternum. My surgeon said he won't even try to fix it if my BMI is over 30 because it will just come right back. He then talked to me about how the lap band has fallen out of favor because it was not as effective as the original studies promised. He suggested a revision to a VSG, and set me up in my insurance's approval program for WLS. The first step is the removal of the band and port and recovery from that. Surgery is scheduled for July 7th. After that I'll progress through the "hoop-jumping" to qualify for the VSG, which providing everything goes smoothly, I'll qualify for in October. So far no one has stated any pre-surgery weight loss requirements, but I have been studying the various plans and doctor's programs I've found online, as well as reading personal stories from support forums like this one, so I can get an aggregate view of the entire procedure both pre and post-op. I must admit that the pendulum swings widely across what I've seen, both in program execution and in individual responses. Of course, I realize that there are outliers on every scale, and I'm averaging what I see. I got this little binder from the program introduction meeting (Dignity Health), and I've been adding my own research to it, things like print out of appropriate bariatric (or equivalent) vitamins based on their recommendations, worksheets for tracking eating and drinking, pre and post-op protein shakes, mixes, and recipes, motivational type posters, and text documents on things like how digestion works, how protein is used by the body, etc. Note, all the research is stuff from actual university or journal studies, I'm not taking answers from Reddit or Quora as facts! I've decided the biggest issue I've seen is the grief process that hits people after the surgery when they suddenly realize they can't eat what they want. I've read a lot of threads (not just here) of people rebelling and hating themselves and hurting themselves because of this. I do not want to deal with this. I'm already working on changing my eating habits, albeit slowly. I want to be more in control of this transition than I've seen, So, if you've read this far, my questions to you are: Did you make any effort pre-op to really change your eating habits? Did you experience grief or regret post-op if you didn't? Did you regret your surgery for any reason OTHER than the food restriction/complications? Thanks for discussing!