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Well, you didn't ask, but I'll let you know why I chose bypass vs sleeve: On average, bypass generally leads to a slightly higher percentage of excess weight loss. I wanted every advantage I could get. Because it has a bigger restriction and also has a non-absorption component, it's generally considered more suitable for severely obese people, which is where I started. Although I really had no history of GERD, they discovered something during my workup that made the surgical team concerned that sleeve could lead to GERD for me. Bypass is completely reversible, unlike sleeve. In a sleeve procedure, the "unused" part of your stomach is removed from your body and disposed of. In a bypass, even though it's a more complex surgery overall, nothing is removed. If there were ever a need, it's possible to put everything back like it was.

I can absolutely understand where you are coming from - I have a friend going through this about a year past her Gastric Bypass and it is one of the reasons I opted for the SADI instead (not that I know this will make a difference in terms of weight loss!) I'm a bit worried about getting to this point myself, where the weight keeps coming off - but then again, I seem to always need SOMETHING to worry about. My surgery is Monday morning. There are a lot of knowledgeable people who have commented here and I'm taking notes on their suggestions! That said - it kind of sounds like you might be remaining in ketosis from being so low sugar / low carb and I wonder if that's what is causing your continued significant weight loss? When I went shopping for all of my sugar-free items for my liquid diet I noticed there were keto versions and low-carb versions of some items. The advice given to add a small serving of potatoes or healthy fats like avocado sounds really smart and might help with that. I bet it also gets tiring hearing people comment on your weight loss. Has that been hard? Just curious - and honestly, even if you aren't right where you want to be atm - congratulations! It's a HUGE accomplishment to have reached this point and know what weight you LIKE your body at, and I hope you give yourself lots of pats on the back!

Wow, congratulations on your amazing progress! It’s so inspiring to hear how much your life has transformed and how active you’ve become—Zumba, Pilates, and Vinyasa Yoga sound like such a fun way to stay healthy and energized! I’m 4 months post-op now, and I find myself really curious about the science behind bypass. Sometimes I notice I’m able to eat a decent amount but still lose weight, and it fascinates me that it’s not just about restriction but also how our bodies absorb fewer calories now. It’s like my body is working with me for the first time! I’m so excited to see what I’ll look and feel like a year from now—I don’t even know myself in a skinny form yet! Stories like yours keep me motivated, so thank you for sharing.

Sigh 😩I told her all that & gave her my weight chart from Dec 2022 to present and she still said "Mmmmm....I'm still going to need to see you monthly for 6 months." Then added Sleep study, EDG, and cardiac appt to the 6 month supervised diet with documented failure of weight loss. Documentation supporting the "reasonableness and necessity of a Gastric Restrictive Surgical Service being required, and significant clinical evidence that weight is affecting overall health and is a threat to life." Psych eval & Nutritionist counseling that I already have to do.

Do you track your daily steps? If not maybe you want to wear a sports watch that gives you an idea of what your daily step count is? Walking over 8000 steps a day generally results in expedited weight loss for people in a calorie deficit.

Honestly, not really. I'm losing weight still but it's very slow. My stomach can't hardly handle anything. Not trying to be discouraging, as we all are going through different journeys. Mine has just been a struggle. I gain 2 pounds, lose 4. Gain 1. It's so all over the place. But also so is my hunger. It's still the same as before surgery, just now the only difference is I can't gorge myself like before...I hope this gets better for both you and I.

I’m a little surprised that your doc suggested the sleeve if you’re already having esophagus problems. I’m not a doctor, but my esophagus hernia excluded sleeve surgery automatically. Yes repairing can happen the same day. Be prepared for recovery taking a little longer with a sore and swollen throat. Everyone looses weight and recovers at different speeds. Just keep thinking about how much you are improving your health and quality of life.

I need an overhaul. My weight loss has been so slow but I have been losing inches like crazy, I know it is possible and I see the changes, but it irritates me so bad not seeing the scale move. Maybe I should set some serious NSV to achieve. I have exactly 150 days til my birthday and I think I am gonna give this whole surgery thing an overhaul and see where it takes me. I will be honest, I have been low-key skating buy because I got discouraged right after my first stall..... I refuse to quite and I am gonna give it all I got right now.

Wow these are all amazing ideas. I have struggled with Depression so long due to my Bipolar Disorder but exacerbated by the weight that I have just been dreaming of doing normal things like going to family functions without tremendous anxiety about my weight or physically being able to handle the outdoor activities without dying because of the heat and physically being able to keep up with the house chores and mentally feeling well enough to do any of that. I can’t even wait to start dreaming of action packed vacations and things like that. You guys are giving me tons of inspiration.

Outdoors I am in Texas and the sweat is good and helps with weight loss I'm about to get a gym membership so I can get mentally prepared before winter 😩😩😩

Never heard of it but I see it has minoxidil as it’s active ingredient so same as Rogain. Minoxidil does regrow hair but you have to keep using it forever. Stop using it and your hair falls out again. I use the 5% Rogain for a small patch of menopausal hair loss at one temple (I’m vain 😉) & I dab it on my brows too (the women’s 2% wasn’t strong enough). It does make my hair a bit gloopy if I don’t wash it every 2 days though. There is a prescription tablet you can take which is easier of course but if you have low blood pressure you should avoid it. If you are thinking about using it for the weight loss associated hair loss it probably isn’t worth it (my opinion only) as your hair loss is temporary and it regrows.

Yeah, there's a definite bias of information (unintentionally, of course) when you frequent bariatric spaces. I've been on this board almost a year, and I really enjoy it, but at five months post-op, one thing I've noticed is the vast majority of people who were posting regularly a year ago, or even 3-6 months ago, are not here any more. That's a lot of diverse experience that goes away, and I would guess that the people who remain are a combination of those who are the most dedicated (possibly to the extreme), those who get the most out of social interactions, and those who experience the most complications in their journeys, along with people who return after several years to get back on track because of significant regain or needing revisions. The people who are hitting their goals easily, losing weight at an average pace, eating and exercising in a way that isn't particularly noteworthy, maintaining within a reasonable weight range, and generally living life without stressing about bariatric issues, quickly become underrepresented voices. So it's easy to start thinking that the average person struggles a lot at every stage, can barely eat or drink for months, exercises like they're training for the olympics, tracks every bite of food and never strays from their macros every day of their life, experiences all the most severe complications regularly, and will gain back all their weight plus some if they even dare to glance at a piece of bread or a dessert on someone else's plate let alone allow a bite to pass their lips. It's easy to become very obsessive about it (raises hand: yes, that's me). And in a situation like after surgery where a lot of things change at once, sometimes it feels like the more you can control and anticipate, the better. At least it does for me. But my advice would be, especially when you are feeling particularly anxious about something, to think about whether there are perspectives you aren't getting that might reduce your anxieties if you were able to hear from them. Like, if there were 20-30 people who used to post in your surgery month group and now you're down to 4 or 5, what might those other people say if you asked them about the thing that is worrying you? My guess is, if they're not posting anymore, it's usually not because they're suffering in silence.

So I had the sleeve three years ago and gained my weight back. I am pending revision and the dr did an endoscopy and found a hiatal hernia and some gerd. He then ordered a UGI and a gastric emptying study to get some more information to decide which surgery is most appropriate. I just finished the gastric emptying study and after only two hours the food was completely out of my stomach which may explain why I always feel hungry a couple hours after I eat. I am hoping maybe there is a treatment to slow down my stomach emptying and I won’t even need surgery or if I do it will be more successful this time. I see the dr in a week and I’m sure he will have an answer but I’m just curious if this is truly faster than normal and if anyone else has had this issue.

Well I kind of did the poof and now I am skinny. Its not really what I thought it would be or now want During the Covid lock down, house arrest in the Uk, I had the surgery. I told no one and then when the country opened again, I did the big reveal. I was / am a stranger in the small town that I have lived in for 55 years. My husband has a strange mistress and a gets congratulated and a back pat while I, the ' mistress' get ignored. When he puts them correct, the shock is too much for them to believe. One man said to him ' You must be so proud now ' ffs. I am used to it but hate it at the same time. I liked the popular me. If you are gradually loosing weight then those around you at college will not realise until you get near your goal and start to look too thin to them

Hey everyone! My name is Kim and I'm headed to Costa Rica to have an RYGB done in two weeks. I'm mentally prepared. I think I've been getting ready for this in my soul for a LONG time. I'm just here to soak up all your wisdom!! A little bit about me: I'm a doula (semi-retired after 28 years), ESL teacher, seriously addicted crafter, travel agent, and singer in a yacht rock band. I'll be 58 this year and weight has been a struggle since I had my first son (1995) and got two depo shots 3 months apart. I went from 125 to 200 in six months and have struggled ever since. I got back down under 200 for a few months about 13 years ago, but I've been holding steady at about 275 for the last couple of years. My highest was over 300. I've tried dang near everything with adipex being the last effort. I love going to the gym and being active but I just can't DO what I want or need to do there. So this is where we are and this is the time.

@SpartanMaker situational depression sounds about right. I've never had depression, so what you said makes sense. Thank you so much for what you said, and for the tips. @BlondePatriotInCDA and @NickelChip, thank you so much for your posts. It helps knowing others feel this way and I'm not going crazy lol I knew posting here would help. When I tried to explain this to people in real life, they always say "what are you bummed about, you lost all the weight, you look great, and your career is on track. Why be upset about the funding? Just go along to get along." And it's SO frustrating. I want to move up in my career SO BAD and I hate that funding is stopping me. I want to tone up and build up my lean muscle, but it's frustrating that feeling upset about my inability to move forward professionally is potentially stopping me from caring about doing what I need to do healthwise. UGH.....

Soooooo is it possible that with the weight change that our immune system slows down or loses effectiveness? I had an ingrown hair near my groin. Ive had them before but THIS?! It turned into an abnormally LARGE abcess within the matter of days. I went to the er. The doctors were in shock & asked me how i was managing. Anyway a nurse had to hold me as they lanced it. I screamed & cried. I also now have a weird irritation in my throat. Doctor said its probably due to the rapid weight change 😮‍💨

Yes! This has been my problem. I never want to eat something so badly as when I can't have it. I'm not doing cheat meals at the moment because I need to lose the weight for my surgery, but telling myself "I can have this later" helps. And after surgery, I may not even want it.

I can commiserate. After my weight loss my boobs were just empty, saggy sacks. I got a lift/augmentation and LOVE my results. I got 375cc, under the muscle “gummy bear” implants. They’re great!

For body weight yes, the brand I use (Renpho) also have a travel one that has really good reviews. Its available on Amazon UK and US sites but not the German or French ones. I am tempted to order it on the US one for delivery to the hotel I am going to be at.

Do you have any of these symptoms? If not (and your post doesn't sound like it) then I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's not gastritis. I had it and it's ROUGH. I would say it makes sense you would be hungrier on days you're more active. What are the symptoms of gastritis? Stomach upset or pain Weight loss: You may lose weight without trying to Tiredness: You may feel tired, short of breath, or light-headed Difficulty swallowing: It may feel painful or difficult to swallow Lump in your stomach: You may feel like you have a lump in your stomach Belching and hiccups Belly (abdominal) bleeding Nausea and vomiting Feeling of fullness or burning in your stomach Loss of appetite Blood in your vomit or stool: This is a sign that your stomach lining may be bleeding

Try not to let some arbitrary numbers be the determining factor if you feel that you are successful or not in all this. I had sleeve 3.5 years ago and several things went wrong along the way to add up to my eventual regain but I honestly think the main reason I failed was because I was so upset with myself that I did not reach the goal my dr had for me that I eventually said screw it and allowed myself to gain it all back (plus some). I was so close though. I am 5’8” and got down to 168 which was 18! Pounds from his hopes for me and a relatively healthy weight that I would be thrilled to be now but I got in the way of my own progress by all or nothing thinking and I let what that scale said or didn’t say be the most important thing in life!! Try to focus on all the non scale victories along the way. I think it was only 10% of weight lost that reduces many of the comorbidities that are brought on by obesity. You are healthier already than when you started all this. Try to celebrate that and all the little victories along the way and keep your focus on the important stuff. This is your journey and you will do great if you stick to your plan and remember it is about your getting healthier and nothing else. Especially not how you compare to others. Just do you and you will be living your best life before you know it. I’m rooting for you.

You say above that "granted, they are right." Respectfully, your friends and family are 100% wrong and don't have a clue what they're talking about. Obesity is not caused by a simple lack of willpower. If it were as simple as eating right and getting some exercise, none of us would be here right now. You didn't supply your height and weight details, but based on the list of ailments you've mentioned, I'm guessing you have a significant amount of weight to lose, like well over 100 pounds. It's very hard to lose more than a small percentage of your body weight and keep it off. About 95% of people who lose weight through calorie restriction and going to the gym regain the weight. Not because of a lack of willpower, but because there are complex systems in our bodies that work hard to keep us at a weight our bodies have decided is right for us. Unfortunately, in those of us with obesity, that desirable weight has been set much too high. Fighting against that is extremely difficult. That's not to say that surgery will fix your issues with food. It won't. You will still have to do all the work on your mental and physical health to lose the weight and keep it off. You will have to eat right. And exercise. And work on your food addiction by modifying your behavior, hopefully with the help of a professional therapist. You'll need to track your food intake for months if not for life, and there will probably be foods that you will never be able to eat again, either because they make you ill or because they trigger bad behaviors that you need to avoid. You'll have to learn a whole new way of cooking and eating. You'll have to be careful of transfer addictions. Sometimes you will feel left out when everyone else can eat things and you can't. You'll have to defend your choices to people who have no idea what they're talking about and no filter on their opinions. Surgery is frickin' difficult. But, it's effective. It changes your hormonal balance to make your body want to be at a healthier weight. If you follow the rules, you will lose weight and keep it off. Your physical health will improve. Your body will feel better. But you do have to follow the rules, and the rules are challenging. You have to be ready for it, and even when you think you're ready, it's common to make mistakes and to struggle sometimes. You'll need a support system and the confidence that you've made the right choice for the long term even when it sucks in the present moment. If you decide surgery is right for you, you will need to believe in yourself enough to look your family and friends in the eyes and invite them to either support your decision and help you, or else they can feel free to shove their negativity into the orifice of their choosing. This is your life, your body, and it's your right to decide what you need to live the best way you possibly can. No one else has to wake up with the pain you feel in your joints, hip, and back. No one else has to struggle through the day and have their options limited because of their size and health. No one else has a say in what you do to improve your situation. But I will tell you this. There are probably some people in your life who will not think this is true. They will not appreciate you stepping out of your role as the obedient one and standing up for yourself and not doing what they want you to do. They will feel threatened. They will not like it when you lose weight, and they will say mean and nasty things about how you cheated and took the easy way, because if you succeed at this, they will feel like it takes something away from them. They are the ones with the problem, not you. They may try to sabotage your efforts and make you feel bad about yourself. Again, they are the ones who are wrong. But that doesn't make it easier in the moment. So make sure you have people to talk to who support you. I wish you the best of luck. You're young and you deserve to have an awesome and long life full of good health and happiness. Don't let anyone else take away your chance at that. Finally, here is a video that I highly recommend to help with your decision:

also, your surgeon may not want to do a re-sleeve. Some still do but many consider it to be too risky and it yields too little reward (the weight loss for a second sleeve is statistically less than a virgin sleeve which is already less than the other surgeries). The typical surgery for revision is usually the bypass although a newer alternative to that is to revise to a surgery called the SADI which is what I just did and it is a little more aggressive so it yields faster loss and so far the research shows more durable loss as well. I have lost quite a bit rather quickly with it. You don’t need to know any of this yet. Your doctor of course will know if any of the options apply to you and explain them at that point but just know that it may be a little different surgery if you do go with a revision. One that alters your intestines this time which is a bit riskier.

tomorrow morning, i am getting my excess tummy skin removed and my boobs reduced and lifted. i had rny gastric bypass in september 2022 and lost more than 200 pounds, highest weight 410, and my weight has been stable at 190. i saved up enough money to get plastic surgery in tijuana, mexico, and my work, school, and holidays lined up to get it done! im getting 360 lower body lift, tummy tuck with fleur de lys, and breast reduction and lift. i also want to get an arm lift and inner thigh lift sometime in the future. im nervous for my surgery tomorrow morning, but i’m confident in my decision to have plastic surgery now, and trust my surgeon and medical team. ive done everything i can think of to best prepare for surgery and make sure it’s as successful as possible: i have SO MANY medical supplies; i’ve been taking SO MANY vitamins and iron to make sure my hemoglobin levels are high enough; i’ve had iv infusions of iron, vitamin c, and ozonized (definitely not the correct term) 120 ccs of my blood and pumped it back in; i’ve done too much research; and i’ve saved up thousands of dollars and dragged myself all the way to mexico and tomorrow’s the day! ill update as i drag myself through yet another surgery and recovery! 😅 i also will take any recommendations for healing, post-op recovery, pain management, and expectations. ~kukui