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I don't think I will ever forget about having the surgery. I like you get uncomfortable after eating if I eat even slightly too much food. I guess this is something I have to live with but the alternative is that I could have not had the surgery and still been carrying an extra 100 pounds of body weight on me. I understand it is a life change and if I have to feel a little uncomfortable after over eating, then I will be more careful about how much I eat. I find that like you I don't get full for very long and end up grazing on some snacks later. I find this an issue in the evening. I try to keep some nuts and fruits around or some diet friendly chips like Snacklins around (yucca based chips, less than 100 calories per bag) to help with the hunger without killing my calorie intake.

My mom started putting me on diets when I was 9/10 years old. I could tell you how to calculate percentage of calories were fat and never to exceed I believe 10% though it may have been 20%. (Stop the Insanity! Susan Powter) at that age. I was 5'5 and around 120lbs at 10 and my pediatrician told my mom I was off the charts for weight at my age. They may have mentioned height as well, but my mom only heard the messaging behind my weight. Two years later, I started my cycle and PCOS hit me like a freight train. My weight ballooned 100lbs in a year, but everyone stopped talking about it or helping me. The guy I dated in high school and college told me that if he could take my brain and put it in my little sister's body, he would have the perfect woman. That still hurts a bit to this day even though I've been married for nearly two decades.

This post may be touchy for some people. But we will try. I do ketamine infusions periodically for depression. My ketamine physician said to wait until cleared on 5/16/22 and then we could resume once a month infusions. My next appt is set for 5/23. Anyone have any feedback on resuming this type of treatment post weight loss surgery? It’s fairly uncommon treatment so maybe not but I thought I’d try for some feedback :)

I had surgery 14 months ago and I do forget about the actual surgery part but not about the fact that I am watching my weight still. I don’t think I will ever be able to forget that because if I do I will gain. If the two of those things are intertwined for you you may not ever really forget all about it either.

Welcome! Read as much as you can and follow all of your team's instructions as well as you can. Remember that everyone's journey is different. Don't expect to lose all your weight overnight; this is a process and it takes time. Good luck!

I never really had anyone call me fat to my face. I did get things like fluffy or squishy I'd rather of been fat. My mom was over weight when I was a kid and I didn't get big until after my 3rd baby. I was actually under weight as a teenager and young adult. But after I had my hysterectomy at 32 I had started to have more trouble with my weight. I don't think anyone should be disrespectful to anyone about anything. There is always something that a person is insecure about and comments from others aren't helpful. And we also need to be nicer to ourselves. I have not been a good cheerleader for myself. I'm trying to be better about it now but it's hard when it's internal I think because you can't send a mental middle finger and walk away from our own thoughts. I'm not sure why people think they should throw their opions at people. If I didn't ask for it then I didn't want it. I believe in the saying if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything. Also treat people how you want to be treated. And I'm sure those people giving there unwanted opinions wouldn't like it thrown back. But in the word of Pink you're f**king perfect. Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

No, I got the band removed in April 2021, I expect my revision to be June 2022. My surgeon wanted my esophagus to heal some before revising. I wasn't in a rush to revise because removing my band helped eliminate the GERD. But I'm still on a PPI, so I'd like to revise so I can come off of the PPI. Also to lose more weight that I didn't lose with the band.

Hi, thanks for the feedback! I'll contact the office and ask for the insurance specialist. I have had a hard time reaching a live person. I leave a message and don't always get a call back. My BMI is about 37. I weigh 235 & am 5'6. Overall, I am happy that I got the band. My original weight was 315 lbs when I got the surgery in 2002. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I have a love/hate relationship with these types of tight (elastic or no) waisted bottoms. While i love how it makes the waist look tiny, im not a fan of the muffin top it creates! I thought i would be saying goodbye forever to “torso-ooze” when i lost weight, but realized that unless i kept up with ultra-low carbing and constant core exercises, it just wasn’t gonna happen. *sigh*. …so i try to avoid tight waisted stuff and i can eat carbs and skip ab day. Win-win! 😂

Hello all! I want to get my lapband removed because of acid reflux issues. I had LB done in 2001. I saw a surgeon who listened to my complaints and agreed that I should have it removed & recommended getting a gastric bypass to help me lose weight. (I had hoped to get the revision done at the same time but he will only do two separate surgeries three months apart.) I have two concerns. He never did any tests to confirm problems with band and didn't even do a short physical exam when I met him for a consultation. (I thought he would want to feel where my port was and look at the scars from the past surgery). He told me that he'd have his insurance specialist work with my insurance. I didn't think my insurance would cover the removal but they have. The surgery scheduler called me yesterday and surprised me by saying that my insurance approved the procedure and did I want to schedule it in four days! I was shocked. I figured I would need to do the liver shrinking diet for at least a week. Am I being overly concerned? Is the lapband removal such a simple procedure that no prep is needed? The doctor has good reviews and was nice when I saw him. Thank you in advance for any insight/opinions anyone can give me. Holly Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes correct. The reasoning my surgeon prescribed it because he said its common for people to get gall stones during rapid weight loss so basically its a preventative thing.

It’s because oestrogen is stored in your fat & as you lose weight it is released into your blood stream causing your menstrual cycle to go haywire: heavier/lighter, more frequent /less frequent, etc. It’s a temporary hormonal boost. It’s also why some surgeons recommend doubling up on your contraceptives. I’m menopausal. That hormonal flush stopped all my menopausal symptoms to the point I was staring to go off HRT. Unfortunately, when my weight started to stabilise they all came back & I went back to taking HRT.

Not every one develops gall stones after weight loss surgery. Many actually had them already. They are caused by high cholesterol or high bilirubin levels & can develop during menopause. As you lose weight cholesterol, which is stored in your fat, is released as you lose weight & can cause stones to form. They found a stone at about my 6/7 month mark after a ultra sound to check my liver function. Don’t know when mine formed as I was menopausal before my sleeve, my cholesterol had gone from a steady for years 5 to 5.6 as I lost weight (it’s 4.1 now) & I have high bilirubin. I won the lottery of causes. Never had symptoms before my first attack 25 months after my sleeve surgery. I had my gall removed about two weeks later. The gall removal surgery recovery was similar but different to my sleeve. After sleeve, I had no gas or pulled or strained abdominal muscles. I had a lot of gas pains & muscle strain affecting my movements for a good week after the gall surgery. But no restricted diet, constipation or diarrhoea, no swallowing issues of course so that was a plus. My surgeon used the same incision sites he’d made for my sleeve. I was home the next day. Same weight restrictions for lifting & same no driving for a week again. He sent me home with some opioid pain meds but I didn’t take them. Did take one nurofen, with his permission, on day 3 but no pain meds at all after that. Just put up with the gas & muscle pain. Haven’t heard about a potential for weight gain. I have gained 2kgs in the last five months but continued to maintain my weight for 6 months after the gall was removed. I attribute the weight gain to starting a higher dose HRT & working on increasing my protein in that same five months. Plus I’m at the 3 year mark & there is always a potential for weight gain during that 2 or 3 year mark. Since my gall removal I don’t absorb protein well anymore which was unexpected & is likely just me. We tried medication (creons) for 3 months which didn’t seem to help hence my increasing my protein intake. I’m back on creons to give them a longer go. I am noticing my hair is thinner (not shedding like after the sleeve) & my nails are weaker because of the protein issue. The other odd side effect of no gall is I have random diarrhoea attacks. Usually every 2 or 3 weeks. Almost like there’s a build up acid, which the gall used to regulate. It irritates the bowel & causes the diarrhoea. My sister in law is the same & she hasn’t had weight loss surgery. My aunt says if she eats anything fatty she gets nauseous. Not everyone is prescribed meds for gall stones after surgery. Personally, it seems odd to prescribe meds to dissolve gall stones before you have them. I did ask my surgeon about dissolving the stone after my attack but he said: if you grow one stone you will grow another so it’s best to remove the gall. I have three friends who have had sleeve surgeries too within the last 4 years. None of us were prescribed urisidiol or similar & I’m the only one to form a stone. But your surgeon must have their reasons for doing so.

It’s not uncommon. Generally they attribute it to uric acid, which is stored in your fat, being released into your blood stream as you lose weight. Much like other hormones stored in fat are released & cause levels to rise while you are losing - oestrogen, cholesterol, etc. No suggestions are how to manage it though, sorry. But talk to your doctors for possible solutions or help.

Your weight loss will be erratic. Ups & downs & plateaus. Nobody has a perfectly straight line graphing their loss. @Tufflaw’s graphs are a great example. And the faster weight loss rate doesn’t last. It will start to slow & eventually get to the point you think you’re not losing anymore when you’re almost at your goal. Some people recommend only weighing yourself once a week or even less frequently. I weighed myself every day but I knew what to expect. As long as your general weight loss trend is downwards you’re doing well. (Though it’s a bit early for you is see that trend.) All the best.

Your body goes into shock after the surgery & a lot of the hormones that regulate certain functions go haywire making your levels go up or down. Then some hormones, like oestrogen, are stored in your fat & as you lose weight they are released into your blood stream & cause issues like mess up your menstrual cycle. You may find your cholesterol goes up too & your liver function is off too. They all settle eventually & many, like your sugar & cholesterol, will be much lower.

That was me too. (Similar demographics too.) No health issues just not really healthy & fit. But I knew those comorbidities were in my future. All surgeries have risks but weight loss surgery risks are pretty low. You’re going into the surgery pretty healthy, all things considered, so you are in a stronger place than some others with a higher weight & existing comobidities. Ask your surgeon for their stats. It’s perfect ok to have a degree of apprehension about the surgery. It is something you’ve no experience of & changes will be made to your body. Those changes don’t really hinder or restrict your future life in any way but they will allow you to live a better life. You have fabulous reasons for proceeding but it is your choice. As @The Greater Fool said the negative stories you’ve read about surgery are the same side effects as not having surgery & continuing to be obese &/or gain more weight. Plus the horror stories make the better online stories. Good news & happy experiences don’t so are much harder to find. Since my surgery I do have an issue with low blood pressure. But this is a pre existing genetic issue & I would experience it when I was a lower weight in the past. Ironically, the weight I was carrying actually kept my blood pressure at a healthy 120/80. The surgery can’t change your genetic pre disposition to health issues but the weight loss may delay or reduce the severity. All the best.

Just got my date today for July! I don’t have a pre-op diet but I’m supposed to work toward small weight loss 2 - 4 lbs a month and adjusting to eating more often

Hi all, I had my first gallbladder attack and ended up in ER. I have multiple stones and they are recommending removal. I’m reading a lot about weight gain post removal- has anyone experienced this? What was your experience like recovering from gallbladder removal post vsg?

Yeah don't beat yourself up, everyone has stalls and times they go up a little, as long as overall it's trending downward you're good. I'm attaching three charts I got from my MyFitnessPal app showing my weight fluctuation over three periods of time. First is over the past month, next is past three months, finally is the chart starting two weeks pre-surgery, just to make it easier to see the spikes. Unlike most here, I weigh myself every single day. I know it's not recommended but it works for me, and it lets me really see all the little fluctuations and stalls that happen all the time. I don't stress about it so it works. Give yourself more time, at least a few months, before you start getting worried.

@Robert-J Please listen to your doctor, not people on the internet. If your doctor said to eat more calories, don't eat fewer just because @LilaNicole20 who is not a bariatric surgeon or nutritionist thinks it's a good idea. I am sure it's very frustrating, but give it time. The weight didn't come on overnight and you won't lose it overnight either. Keep checking in with your surgeon, dietician, and therapist, and try meeting with an obesity medicine specialist if the surgeon thinks that would help (I was very hungry after surgery so the obesity medicine specialist put me on metformin and topamax, which have helped). People have varied results and some people lose faster than others.

I'm just a few days away from getting to finally eat food, 🙌. So what do y'all recommend? I know I can have scrambled eggs, can tuna, can chicken and refried beans. I'm so over this liquid diet and I'm ready to plan a meal lol. Also, right now I can drink my weight in liquids. Will eating be different? Will I get fuller faster? I'm just trying to get a idea of how I'm might feel after actually eating.

I hear that revisions are slower with weight loss. Just keep in mind, you lost 15lbs in less than 30 days! That's awesome!

I think that's what I keep telling myself -- there is no normal. And I've read that some ppl lose weight one week and the second week nothing and the third week nothing and the fourth week a ton is lost. So I have read that experience from others...thanks for sharing! I hope you're doing well at 4 months post-op! How much have you lost so far?