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When I was going through this early post op phase, there was a group on one of these forums from a particular surgeon who did very well with combining the sleeve with extreme dieting, and he got overall very good results with even very high BMI patients (lost track as they all disappeared, so have no idea how they are doing now, however!) There was one guy on there who was very similar to my stats who was following this program and got to his goal weight at a bit over four months. Wow, but so what? I was working on slowing things down at six months to ease into maintenance, and wasn't doing any of that extreme dieting. I wonder now how well that guy is doing - did he learn how to maintain his weight over the long term, or was he one of those who "gained it all back"? It really isn't a matter of whether you can do better, or lose faster, but can you meet your goals, and maintain yourself in the long term? This is a marathon, not a sprint. so what happens to you over the next 5, 10 and 20 years is a lot more important than how you lose over the first 4, 6 or 12 months.vsg Overall, the bypass has very similar performance to the VSG in overall weight loss and rate, so there isn't much to choose there - one might lose a bit quicker with the bypass owing to its' malabsorptive component, but that dissipates after a year or two and you are metabolically in the same basic place that you would be with a sleeve, but you still have the added nutritional deficiencies to make up for. Have there been some challenges in maintaining my weight over time? Yes, much the same as there would have been had I gotten a bypass (my second choice was the DS, which does make weight maintenance easier as it is metabolically a stronger procedure, but I felt that it would have been overkill for my needs then, and still do.) We see just as many come through here who struggle with being "slow losers" or "gained it all back" with the VSG as with the RNY. With the VSG, I do have a bit of GERD, which is easily controlled with low level OTC meds (some are not so lucky, others are more so and have no problems.) OTH, I do not miss having any of the comparable RNY potential side effects - dumping, reactive hypoglycemia, marginal ulcers, bile reflux (pretty rare these days with how they structure RNYs) low iron requiring periodic iron infusions, osteoporosis (already have a family tendency towards that, so don't need more risk added,) or the other limitations in medication and medical treatment options as I get (even) older that come along with a bypass. These are not insurmountable problems if one needs to go with a bypass owing to preexisting conditions, but are things that I don't think are worth risking for whatever very small difference there might be in weight loss performance. I don't miss that at all. YMMV

I just mean water weight, some people retain a lot of water weight. You can build recipes in the my fitness pal app too. Exactly how you make them and then you know exactly what you are eating. If you are not hitting protein and eating such low calories your body may be in starvation mode too. Try to focus on getting that protein in, it is important for lots of reasons.

Hi 👋 You’re right. I did list everything for the first few weeks - and I was at the 500 calories mark. Now that I can eat more solid food I’m making family meals and eating just small amounts. If I scramble an egg for myself then I can count that no problem, but I’m not sure how to calculate a ladle of home-made stew, for example. I’m assuming I’m under the 700 because I don’t drink calories, I don’t eat anything off-diet like sugar. I certainly don’t hit my Protein mark by far though.  I am drinking a lot more. Is that what you mean by water weight?

You say "I must be under 700 calories" as if you don't know for sure?? I would highly recommending tracking your intake. People are usually surprised at how many calories they are actually eating when they are tracking it. Then you will know for sure what your calories are, if they are that low and you continue to gain reach out to your team. It may be water weight also, which will pass.

Hey guys, I lost 14kg (30 lbs) in the first month and the pre-op diet combined. Average I think. But in the last 2 weeks I’ve put on 5 lbs!! I’m wondering if more movement could do it. It’s only in the last few weeks that I’ve been able to move around much. I really suffered after the surgery and had no energy. Anyone else put on weight? I’m frankly mortified. I must be under 700 calories per day easily.

Nice! Isn’t it amazing how much easier it is to get up the stairs without hauling all that extra weight? I lost 200 pounds, and it’s mind-blowing to think that I was basically walking around with a 200-pound person on my back everywhere I went.

Does anyone have any input for me regarding the cost for gastric bypass surgery at the OCC in Tijuana? I’ve been thinking about weight loss surgery off and on for a couple of years now, and more recently have been considering OCC.

Hello and welcome. Lots of great information you will find here. So tell us a little bit about yourself. What surgery are you planning on getting, height, Weight, and is insurance covering or not?

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.