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Early post op I liked to think about exercise as just 'moving more'. It allowed me to think of a short walk as a huge win. As I lost weight I could walk further and faster and even tried jogging a bit. And it didn't kill me. Now, at maintenance, exercise is a regular and enjoyable part of my life. It's never worked for weight loss, but it's so good for my wellbeing and cardiovascular health generally. Now I'm not morbidly obese I can do most things within reason (I'm just into my 50s now, LOL). I advise baby steps, finding something you like (I love Pilates but if you'd asked me to do it 10 or 20 years ago I would have laughed out loud). Dance classes are fun too (but I have NO co-ordination). Keep an eye on things locally and try taster sessions. Hopefully something will click with you and then it won't be a chore but a joy.

I too think that this will be a really good thing for you. In my program, their clinic's data shows that a sizeable portion of their sleeve patients needed revision after a few years. You're not alone -- the sleeve just isn't optimal for everyone. It's not a personal failure. Try your best to get that out of your head -- I know it's hard, I'm sure most of us here have a lifetime of blaming ourselves for our weight gain, 'failure' at prior weight loss attempts/diets, etc. For me, the side-effects of my RNY are part of what keeps me mentally on the right track. Part of my brain just reminds me "You didn't go through ______ to eff it up now for the few minutes you'll enjoy having downed an entire bag of chips. find a better way to get out of your funk." It sounds like you've done plenty of research these past months. Only you can decide if it's right for you -- which is an intimidating prospect for sure -- but your surgeon wouldn't be supporting you / suggesting it for you if he didn't think you'd do well with it. They're invested in your success, at the very least because it gives them better success rates to encourage future patients.

@Lilia_90 Hi! Congrat on reaching your goal so fast! I have very stubborn fat and weight and I come to the realization that I have to accept that is just how my body is going to be. When I first started I did went all out and use the food scale for the first few months. I bought a set of products that could use an app to keep track, scale, food scale and measure tape. After a few months of using it, I kinda picked up on how big of a size I should cut and how much to take with salad etc. from time to time I still use if it comes to something I am not familiar with. I didn’t use the scale yesterday and put down what I ate on the app, it’s about 1000 calories that I ate. Of course it could be more than 1000 calories if I count the Pam spray that I used and a drizzle of salad dressing, but sometimes it’s very tiring to counts everything, and I don’t want to live like that. Mindfulness and healthy living is the habit that I need to do in this journey. That’s why I stop using the scale every single day. After all we can’t bring scale out to measure everything when we are out and about in places. I also had 1 hour work out and burned about 400 calories. oh while typing I realized I had a cup of unsweetened almond milk that should be about 50 calories that I had yesterday, so I have to be careful about these small things I do without remembering. I guess my frustration is that I feel like I am doing not bad, very healthy compared to how I used to be, and working out. I wanted to at least be able to get rid of 100 lbs… but my body is telling me no. I am usually very hard on myself and always aim for higher. So that’s that and I will learn to deal with it. Doesn’t mean I am giving up though. In the past, I had never dream of being able to stick to gym routine, regular gym is so just boring to me and I could never know what to do with all those machines, like I am just wandering inside. This around , I found something that I enjoyed and worked for me. I found that I need to workout in a group class and having everyone working out at the same time doing the same thing , this actually motivate me, so I started Orange Theory Fitness, and my body retain water stubbornly so I found hot yoga and it’s something I enjoy. The last few appointments with the doctors I kept complaining my slow weight loss, they assured me that I was doing great, but I shouldn’t not be looking into plastic surgery so soon and it’s a long time away to when I should have it done. However, the last appointment, the doctor mentioned that if I really want, I can start with a consultation. Then my nutritionist telling me my weight might be stabilizing… I feel like this is a green light. lol Anyway, I took a few screenshots of the app I use, want to share to this for those that want to try something like this. I bought the Renpho Health products and link them in the app, so I can track my weight, what I eat and measure the inches of my body all in 1 app.

So when I had my revision, it was for complications. I was told to expect no more than 45-60 additional pounds of weight loss, because you only lose about 50% of your excess weight with a revision. Well, if you look at my signature, you can see I've lost more than that lol It wasn't easy, and the weight comes off slower and can be a bit harder to lose, but it's possible if you do the work.

Please don't ever be sorry for a post's length. I don't think there is a person here who minds posts of any length! That's crazy about your insurance. I, too, hope it is resolved quickly for you. I can't imagine the new insurance company won't honor something you already had approved and were moving forward with. If they do, can you go back to the old company and appeal to them about the situation? I didn't even know that some insurance companies won't cover weight loss surgery. That's absurd! Please keep us posted, and PLEASE don't let this get to you so much that you overeat or smoke. This too shall pass, and you will be fine on the other end.

I had GS nine years ago. Lost a lot. During lockdown I transfer addicted to alcohol. Now I'm sober, but, transfer addicted back to food to get there and have regained over half my loss back in the last year. So, what to do? I'd appreciate thoughts from those who got revisions and how they think it has helped them. Thanks.

If it was the “easy way out” then people like me wouldn’t need revision surgeries. It’s just a tool and if you don’t do your part it doesn’t work so it’s certainly no magic wand. Don’t wait until your body is in worse shape. Your still young and with a little help you can change you life significantly. Aside from the fact that they are wrong scientifically and statistically, so what if it was the “easy way out.” Do these people bear their clothes against rocks or use brooms instead of vacuum cleaners? Do they believe that power tools are the easy way out and refuse to use them? The fact is housework still sucks and carpentry is hard regardless of whether you have the best tools or not. if you think of weight loss As a task like laundry, surgery would be the washing machine. If you only had one or two loads to do you could probably get it done by beating it on rocks and avoid the need for a special machine but when you are obese and have a lot more loads to do you need a washing machine to make it possible to get it all done. The surgery is just a tool. Just as you don’t wake up from surgery never having to do laundry again, you won’t be able to lye around and eat bon bons and just lose weight. If you don’t do your part for laundry your washing machine will just be a dusty machine in the corner and your laundry will pile up. And like me if you don't do your part with the surgery, you won’t lose what you should and the pounds will start to pack back on. Be kind to yourself. You have a very complex disease that requires medical intervention. An intervention that you deserve just as much as someone with heart disease needs medication or surgery. Don’t let the ignorance of others stop you from doing what is right for yourself and your life. You deserve all the help you can get to accomplish whatever goal you set out to do and anyone that says that they wouldn’t do the same thing is not really putting themselves in your shoes.

Congratulations on your loss and thanks for your input (I love your comparison to driving instructors who have never actually drove). If you don’t mind me asking does that amount of fruit cause bathroom issues? I think it was the fiber that I read if you have too much after SADI it causes malodorous gas. Also, can you please give me an example of a day for you (in terms of food)?

Hello everyone my name is Luna and this is my first time ever on this forum and website. I'll start by saying hello, and I hope all is well with everyone during these difficult times. I am a night shift nurse tech in a hospital. Almost 5 years ago I was 450 pounds. I had gastric bypass and I got down to 170 pounds, which was 20 pounds from my goal weight of 150. Three years post op I began working night shift and I have steadily, over the last three years, gained weight back until i was my highest weight since, of 244 pounds (Two weeks ago) I have since then begun eating better and drinking water and am now down to 234-235ish(it changes from day to day) but I am having such a hard time staying motivated and keeping myself from slipping back into the emotional and stress eating that working night shift and my job brings. I have a short term weight loss goal of 10 more pounds which I have decided I am going to reward myself with a new piercing, and I would like to lose twenty more pounds total before my trip in October, and just be more fit in general, so that my back, feet and ankles dont hurt when i walk around disney as bad this year. Long story short, im pretty depressed about my situation which really causes me to, ya know, stress/emotionally eat things i know I shouldnt, and begin to slip back into my bad ways. Looking for penpals, real life pals, online people I can become friends with to keep me motivated, as my support group is small right now due to the amount of hours i work. Feel free to reach out if this hits home. Maybe we can help each other!

Okay, so it's very common to have a stall, and they can last several weeks. It's not because of anything you're doing, and aside from just stopping to assess that you are still following your plan in a reasonable way, there's nothing you can do to change it. Are you hitting your protein goals? Getting your hydration? Eating on a regular schedule and prioritizing your protein and non-starchy veggies? Sticking to a reasonable portion size by using a small saucer or luncheon plate? Avoiding empty calories in the form of sugary drinks, simple carbs, and snacking or grazing? Getting some basic movement every day, like going for a walk or using resistance bands? If no to any of these, focus on changing that issue. If yes, try not to panic. You will likely start losing again soon, but possibly slower than before because that's just how it works. In the meantime, take your measurements or try on some clothing to see if it fits differently. I recently had a month of very slow loss, just 2.8 lbs in 4 weeks with so much up and down. But my clothing fit differently and my measurements were getting smaller. All of a sudden, I lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks. I did nothing differently.

As @ms.sss said it’s a matter of time. In the meantime the body dysmorphia is real. Being unable to recognize yourself. Being unable to visualize your actual physical size. Seeing yourself as you were & not as you are. Being unable to equate your weight loss with the reduction of your physical size. And simply not believing you are smaller. Told these stories before but I remember seeing a reflection in a shop window of a woman wearing the same outfit as me. Wish I looked as good as her I thought then realised it was me. Was trying on some shoes & looking in those small, low mirrors they have in shoe shops. Oh, that lady has great legs & turned round to compliment her but there wasn’t another woman. It was me. And yes there are still the odd times I catch a side view in a mirror & there’s that little jolt when I realise it’s me. Oh that’s right, this is how I look now.

Hi Possum220! I feel like you are very honest and courageous to ask for help because it’s the true first step. Yes, I have been seriously depressed before and yes I am mortified by regain. My last serious depression was way before WLS but I know that the longer it goes without help, the longer it stays. I’m going to suggest you start your healing journey there because it’s life threatening. Please continue to advocate for yourself and your health in that regard! As regards regain, I have had some success with “Glucose Goddess.” Look her up, she’s on all social media platforms. She is a scientist and mathematician who got into a serious accident and needed to heal herself. She cites all the medical papers that she has researched, peer reviewed, and published. You can by her book, but I’m just watching YouTube to get the basics right now. Eating veg, then protein, then carb has seriously slowed my hunger AND stopped the near daily dumping I was experiencing. I was never diabetic but I think the severe dumping syndrome of WLS was making me the equivalent. I swear getting my blood sugar under control has been a game changer. Many studies report lessening depression and less anxiety. It has helped me with asthma because it reduces inflammation. I have lost four pounds this week, and all I did was change the order of foods I eat. So, depression is like asthma, you need to treat it first. But the Glucose Goddess has practical applications that help with those problems and helps with weight loss too. (By the way, it has helped even though I’m on a new medication that has even more steroids too.) I’m wishing you the best! Keep up with therapy and finding a med that works:) You are not alone. Let us know how you’re doing and what you found that helps.

I never did do a 5-yr anniversary post (which was like 3 months ago, oopsies). Here is a reply I made to someone's thread about being newly sleeved. I had alot of fun composing it - despite it going off an a total tangent - and thought it had a five-year-sleeve-anniversary type of feel to it so I'm putting it here! Am also adding my requisite swim suit shot, but this one is from vacay last month, and its NOT a full body shot, AND I'm half in the water, lol. Its too cold around here for me to change into one now and take a pic. Plus I'm lazy. So i give you: "5+ YEARS IN 1000 WORDS OR LESS": #### Begin #### Day 0: YES!! I'm alive! Weeks 1-2: Ouch, this kinda hurts. I detest all food and water! I'm sooo effing tired, im just gonna lay down here and be found in 3 weeks, half-eaten by wild dogs. Weeks 3-4: Oh wow, I LOVE water! Eating is such a chore. I don't want to do it. I lost HOW MUCH weight?? Whoa, this thing is gonna actually work! LET'S DO THIS! Those dogs will be very disappointed in eating me. Months 2-4: Am I ever going to eat like a normal person?? It taking me for-EVAH to eat my tiny cup of food. I am sick of people commenting on how I eat. Exercise is so much funner/easier when I'm not so big! Let me sign up for EVERYTHING! I LOVE new clothes! I am losing my hair! Who knew salad is my favourite thing on earth? Months 5-7: If one more person tells me to stop losing weight or asks if i have a disease I'm going to sic my wild dogs on them. I guess this is life now: eating tiny bits of food all day long...I guess I can do that, small price to pay for looking HAWT and feeling A-MAY-ZING. I wonder if anyone knows how full of myself I really am.... Months 8-10: OMG.I CAN'T POSSIBLY UP MY CALORIES TO MAINTENANCE LEVEL! HOW AM I GOING TO STOP LOSING WEIGHT! I AM GOING TO WITHER AWAY AND DIE! Month 11: Oh. So THAT's my maintenance calorie level. That's not so hard. I'm not going to die after all. Ok, Ok, I'll just take this ONE cigarette from you, handsome Italian guy in Italy...even though I quit cold turkey 10 years ago...it can't hurt, right? Month 14: Plastic. Surgery. Month 15: *cries* Month 16: Whoa, I'm looking even HAWT-er than before. How is this even possible? I wonder if anyone has ever exploded from being so full of themselves.... Month 17: Why hello carbs, I've missed you. bread, Pasta, Rice, we shall never be parted again! Oh, nice to meet you for the first time COVID! How long are you staying? Month 18-21: All skinny and plastic-ed up and no where to go. Eff you COVID. I guess I'll just do a little online shopping for stuff to wear when I am finally allowed out of the house. Sure, I'll have that martini for Breakfast. Hey, my hair is back to normal...and its even nicer than before. Go figure. Years 3-5: Huh. I stayed below goal weight this entire time and I am the picture of satisfactory health...does that make me awesome? I dunno...my closet is bursting with clothes...most of which I've worn maybe once or not at all. How am I still smoking??? It was only supposed to be one cigarette!!! I think I may have developed high-functioning alcoholism? Food intolerances? Who me? Nah, I can eat anything and everything, EXCEPT large amounts of sugar at one time cuz, you know, I may pass out on the couch. I may not eat as much as everyone around me, but I don't want to anyway, so there! But let me cook for you, bake for you, make copious amounts of food for you! And no, i AM NOT finished reading this menu in it's entirety...I'm about to order enough food for 5 people...you better be hungry! Today I take no medications other than for my acid reflux (which unfortunately came on due to my sleeve surgery). I eat carbs and (small amounts) of Desserts, I drink alcohol. My last physical/labs 6 months ago produced no concerns - other than an abnormal thickening of my uterine lining, but that has since resolved. I have ridiculous amounts of energy, I rarely fight with my husband, I handle stress and annoyance like a grown up. I'm digging life. Oh, and I still look HAWT. *mic drop* P.S. i also finally quit smoking 5 months and 14 days ago. yay me! hopefully I don't meet another handsome Italian with an extra cigarette in the future. Edited to add: P.P.S. sorry..i meant to just reply about the first few weeks after my sleeve surgery and food progression, but my fingers got a life of their own as I typed out my reply. plus it was kinda fun writing this. I may cut and paste this into a more appropriate thread if I find one Good Luck! ❤️ #### END ####

Plateaus and regains are part of the journey for most of us. Weight loss is not linear - it's ups and downs and side to sides and all other possible bumps in the road. If you stick to your programme then you will lose - lots. I totally understand your frustration - we all go through it. You'll be fine 😍

Yes, it’s definitely an option. Please consult with your medical provider to explore options that best fit your needs. Regarding experiences, my younger brother began this program recently and has seen significant weight loss after a gradual increase in dosage over two months. If you’re feeling nervous about administering your first dose, it might help to have a healthcare professional guide you through the process or to watch instructional videos provided by healthcare providers.

Yes, and it was pancreatitis, diagnosed the day after the op (as it was due to surgical error I believe) before I even knew there was a problem. I had to stay in hospital after my op and ended up having to get my nutrients via IV (and then eventually a feeding tube but that was for a different reason). I also know of someone else who suffered pancreatitis following surgery recently, medical team are blaming her prior use of weight loss injection in the run up to the surgery but who knows! If your symptoms continue would you consider going to the ER to get readmitted and ask for tests again like contrast (liquid) CT to check for leak etc.?

Hello. I am 6 weeks out and down 41 pounds as of today (which includes a 2 weeks low carb preop diet where I lost 13 pounds). I went from a BMI of 39 to 33 and will be 32 with one more pound loss. I was 235 when I had my sleeve and lost down to 167 but I stalled there for a few months and then started gaining it all back plus 23 pounds. Aside from a few blisters that are slowing my walking down I feel fantastic. I have more energy and motivation then I have had in years. I’m exercising (walking 5-7 miles a day) and making all my meals from scratch. I am also planning to start yoga the week after next when I am 8 weeks. The NP actually said 6 weeks is okay but I’ve never done it so I’m afraid it will be strenuous and I’d rather be safe than sorry. I did have a pretty tough recovery. I was in the hospital for 5 days because they couldn’t get my pain to a level that was manageable with meds they were willing to send me home on. Well once I finally passed gas like 5 times I was fine without any pain meds but it still was a far tougher recovery than my sleeve. Not sure why but with my sleeve I was home and out front the next day and asked my husband to pass me the basketball because I forgot I had surgery and that was with no pain meds. This time they also took my gall bladder out though because it looked bad. I wasn’t expecting it because I never had any symptoms so we didn’t discuss it but the post op pathology came back that I had gall stones so it saved me from another surgery I guess. I suggest discussing some of the things like that which may pop up during your surgery and what your wishes are since they can’t wake you up to ask. I was kinda surprised that mine went ahead and did it but the NP said his thought was that it already looked bad and that the anticipated quick weight loss was going to only make it worse. Anyways, I took it easy for the full 6 weeks this time. My floors have never been so disgusting. I have done laundry because I have the pedestals and dishes and that’s about it. My hubby has freshened up the bathrooms and changed the sheets but other than that it’s all waited for me. I confess that it’s still waiting. I am supposed to be cleaning now but I sat down for lunch and got started on here 😂 My surgeon does not believe in resizing the stomach so my surgery was only on my intestines. This made my recovery in terms of food tolerance go way quicker. I am back to normal food already. I had raw veggies in my spring rolls even and that was fine. Of course ask your team before you do it. I didn’t have any food tolerance issues after my sleeve either though. I have not had any of the diarrhea that they warned me about. They said some of their SADI patients had it for 3 months. One had it so bad it interfered with work. I have been eating very healthy though. I was actually constipated In the beginning and even with the stool softeners I had to do milk of magnesia a couple of times but now I am able to eat a bit more fiber in my diet so I am trying to cut back the stool softeners slowly. if you don’t log your food now I suggest the Baritastic app. You can log EVERYTHING there. You food, weight, measurements, exercise, moods, even your bowel movements and you can also set notifications for your vitamins (although I don’t hear them so I have alarms set as well). I really like looking at the trends and graphs to see how I am progressing. A fitness watch is really good too. I had a much older Apple Watch that I dusted off and it makes it so much more fun to do my walking and stuff because you can see how fast it adds up. I never exercised with my sleeve but I talked on the phone with my friend the first few times and then my husband got me these awesome headphones that don’t go in or over your ear so you can still hear traffic while listening to music. They are called “bone phones”. Now I just put on my music and take off walking. Makes the time go by so much faster. I wear them all day actually. You can listen to music on low and hold a conversation with someone even. I also started posting here and attending the in person support group meetings before my surgery this time so post surgery I have had lots of support. I go to check in with my NP more often than they generally require too because I have pretty severe anxiety and that comes with lots of questions and I just need the reassurance that everything is okay. Don’t forget to take photos and do measurements before you start your preop diet and again before surgery and set reminders in your calendar for once a month or so to keep doing them. And if you want to use that Baritastic app you can also keep track of your protein and water on there so familiarize yourself with it early. I kinda rambled but I tried to cover everything I could think of that may be helpful.

Hi Wendy- I found it important to confide in friends who I knew would see the surgery as an effort to reset my system and not as a vanity project. So, I opened up to three close friends and no family other than my husband and teenage son (whom I sat down and really went through the toughest reasons why with). My parents are gone and I don’t see my siblings very often - easier in that respect. And I also sought out references from friends of closest friends who knew someone who’d had the surgery and talked extensively about the aftermath and any complications. They were exceptionally compassionate and enthusiastic supporters. I really felt ready. The comments from a good friend group came in waves: “you look great”! Then, a bit of concern - “all okay?” Then, “wow, you look like a different person: are you on ozempic?” with a direct desire to know what was up. I told that group together but only after 3 month mark, asking they not share it with others. No one has been negative about it. I had a dear friend say, “look, if there was a surgery that would reset my brain to comprehend things more quickly, I’d do it in a second”. I had to explain it’s not a quick fix but I knew what she meant- getting one’s beast of burden off the mind. Re: Hair loss- timeline was strange - I’ve always had a thick head of hair and thought maybe I’d bypass the intensity of it. Alas, no- it started to really come out heavily in Aug/Sept. I was worried bc it didn’t slow down and had thinned dramatically but now the growth is back - slowed in Dec/Jan and I kept it short all fall. No one especially noticed enough to mention it. Again, all good thoughts to you as you begin this remarkable feat! You’ll feel amazing soon enough but I hope you’re proud of getting to this point!

Orthostatic hypotension or postural low blood pressure. Your blood pressure drops on standing or sitting up because your blood pressure is low it takes longer for the blood to get back up to your head on changing position. Hence the dizziness & narrowing of your vision (if you get that too). I get it all the time. I can even get it if I stretch up to get something from a high shelf like at damn supermarkets. Keep hydrated, which you would be, get up slowly & then wait 10-20 seconds before moving. Some say pumping their legs or rotating their ankles before standing helps but it doesn’t for me. I was on a med for low blood pressure for a while but it didn’t help. I just live with it. Do try to grab for a table, chair, wall or even person if it happens just to ground me for those few seconds until everything stabilises. Sometimes I’ll bend over (head at waist level) so the blood gets back to my head faster. I always had a tendency for this (low blood pressure runs in the family) so the only surprise was the frequency of it since my weight loss.

@NeonRaven8919Exactly! @AmberFLHe‘s currently on the platform, unsure if the weight loss train is the train he wants at the moment @JennyBeezRomanncy-love-stuff? What’s that then? LOL! @SleeveToBypass2023All my stats are up to date right now. Don’t know which surgery as I haven’t had my appointment with the surgeon yet (NHS - it’s never a rush 🙄) I had thought sleeve initially but, after my first group education session, I’m now thinking bypass, purely because of reducing the hunger hormones which isn’t a factor with the sleeve. However, I will listen to what the medical professionals recommend and make my decision from that. So, I had the conversation with hubby last night and got a lot of things cleared up. It’s not just the WLS that’s concerning him but some other things too like me having knee surgery and not needing him anymore, especially as he has his own disability which cannot be addressed with surgery. He thinks he will be holding me back and I deserve better etc etc. I truly understand where he’s coming from but we’ve been together 22 years, married for 17. His accident happened when we’d been together a couple of years and back surgery made it much worse. We’ve dealt with horrible shitty ex-wives, massively entitled kids, redundancy, depression, illness, disabilities etc. If we can come through all of that and not want to stab one another then I will take that as a win 🤣😂 Life throws things at us when we least expect it, both good and bad. I think we’re OK for now, thankfully, so I can stop eyeing up the pillows in bed, thinking of ways to smother him 😈 Physio was cancelled today due to staff illness. They had a bit of a panic trying to find an appointment for me as I’m supposed to have physio 10-14 days after the steroid injection. As it stands, they found me an appointment for next Monday which will be 19 days afterwards so I will have to see if that’s acceptable. I’m not stressing though as I’m doing the circulation booster and knee programme every day so hopefully that will have a positive impact.

Even if those white ones are particulary high it's the advantage of my Cerebral Palsy ... my feet and legs are so twisted that heals are actually easier than flats, they straigten out my legs and make me more stable, I fall over my own feet in most trainers and flats (except birkenstocks that I find magical!) ... at school I got a special pass to be allowed to wear heels from about 7 years old ... all the other girls were so jealous! And there are worse disadvantages to be had. Well done on the 4 pound loss... thats massive! Enjoy it to the fullest. And how wonderful to slip into a old dress again and for cherry on the top it to be loose! I hope your daughters special event went well and that you felt amazing in your dress. I shocked a friend who saw me in jeans the other day... I pulled them out of my cellar, she hadn't seen me in jeans since pre pandemic (because I no longer had any jeans that fit ... and had resorted to wearing baggy dresses) and the jeans were tight and i had to wiggle wiggle jump into them and button them up lying flat on my back.. but I managed it. Hopefully they too will be loose one day. If I take the last 30 calendar days I've lost 7.5lbs - but since my three month "surgiversary" to now seven days short of 4 month surgiversary I've not even lost 2 lbs .... and most of that was in the last 24 hours! I really hope my stall has broken. I've arrived in Hungary and after a pretty chill Paris week have a very busy week planned so I just hope I'm able to make good choices food wise and that I get back to Paris to a loss on my scales! I wish I was that brave! I think if I tried that my team would have a field day and an intern would take a video and make it into a meme or a gif in minutes and I'd never live it down! I think it may be out but it is worth seeing a sports physio to ask and to "learn" how to run without putting too much strain on your knees, they may have tips and adaptations for you. Instead of regretting yesterday be proud of today and tomorrow if you can. Keep moving!

Not that uncommon and comparatively not more strict. There are variations between surgeons and surgeries with many of these things. Sometimes it’s also related to you, your health, how much weight you have to lose, your relationship with food, etc, Not being allowed carbonated drinks is common. The differences arise in length of time of this avoidance and then whether you can tolerate it. Also you may be allowed sparkling water that you let go flat a bit but not sodas. Same with alcohol avoidance but there are three main reasons often behind this. One is concern for addiction transfer which can occur after weight loss surgery. Secondly, alcohol is calorie dense and offers no nutrients which are vital while we are losing and eating small portions and lastly it will slow your metabolism & dehydrate you. Again some surgeons just put a time frame on it but it does depend on your surgery too. Caffeine is another thing that is allowed by some surgeons and not by others and again there can be differences in for how long you should avoid it. Deconstructing meals is not a forever thing. Certainly while losing, focussing on eating the protein component of your meal first is very important. If you are able after you’ve eaten the protein in your meal. you then can eat your vegetables then any carbs you are allowed. (There were many times I could only eat my protein at a meal and nothing else.) This is because of the small portions we can eat initially & the necessity of getting that protein in to meet your protein goals. It does make tracking your food much easier too. When you near your goal, and are eating larger portions, it’s not as important to eat your protein first but you must continue to hit your protein goals forever so it will be something of which you are aware when you’re eating. In saying that I often ate soups, stews & casserole type dishes, omelettes, etc. which combined protein & vegetables while losing but not every meal and not every day. Actually not allowing protein shakes is also not uncommon. For example, in the UK, many aren’t allowed protein shakes in the pre surgery diet (they drink milk instead). Protein shakes aren’t the sole source of protein & nutrients in that first stage after surgery. Bone broths, consommés and cream soups are also options. Thank goodness too because after surgery those protein shakes can be disgusting. I found them unpleasantly grainy and crazy sweet & struggled to drink one a day. Best advice is to follow your plan while you are losing.However, if you find it difficult to tolerate your food options or to reach your goals ask for alternatives that will allow you to still meet protein goals & other nutrient requirements within any calorie guidelines you are given. How and what you eat once your weight has stabilised is up to you, what you’ve learnt about your eating and relationship with food and if it allows you to maintain a lower and healthier weight & lifestyle.

First, there is no one right way to eat to lose or maintain your weight. There’s just the right way for you. I agree to the suggestion to get in contact with your old dietician or find a new one. I’d also teach for a couple of weeks just to check your calorie & nutrient intake. I’d also get in contact with your surgeon as well to see what other options you have - revision surgery or maybe GLP - 1 meds. You’ve likely reset your body’s set point. The surgery lowered it but returning to larger portions, poor food choices & bad old habits have raised your set point again. So you’re actually fighting your body now. You’re trying to lose weight & your body is doing all it can to hold on to it. Have a look at Dr Matthew Weiner’s Pound of Loss metabolic reset diet (not that I’m an advocate for any ‘diets’.) It may give you some ideas you could try to see if works for you. He’s a great source of information around all things weight loss, bariatric surgery, etc. (He has a website & a you tube channel.) If you like being active, I’d add in some weights. Building muscle will help burn more calories & help counteract any muscle loss you experience while losing. Walking will help with general fitness. Remember though, activity only contributes to about 10% of any weight loss. Oh & don’t listen to your family & friends when they offer advice about your eating, nutrition or weight loss. They mean well but unless they’re qualified nutritionalist, dieticians, bariatric surgeons or medical doctors or had bariatric surgery they really don’t know what they’re talking about. And they’re not you. You know yourself best. You know your psychologically, physiologically & emotionally self best & know how you want to live your life. All the best.

Medications after weight loss surgery can feel like a rollercoaster, right? You just conquered a huge hurdle, and now there's this whole new world of prescriptions to navigate. While I'm not a medical professional, I do believe in tackling health holistically. So, along with meds, focusing on mental well-being during this journey is super important. It's like giving your body and mind a high five for their teamwork! For me, staying positive and focused helped a ton. There were tough days, for sure, but resources like mentalhealthhotline.org can be a lifesaver. They offer confidential support, which can be a huge weight off your shoulders.

Ditto the ditto, and I also wanted to say WOW. 29 lbs in 2 weeks is actually pretty incredible when you think about it. Most non-WLS diets average 1-2 lbs per week at most, after the initial water-retention loss. Think about it -- can you think of any time in your life that you even managed to lose 5-10 lbs per week? 14 or 15 instead is amazing. ^___^ I think it's really important in WLS groups to remember that while we're all here to chime in and give support, share common trials and tribulations -- actual comparisions of weight or inches lost can be a little unhealthy / unrealistic. Everyone starts from a different place -- different surgery day weights, different co-morbidities, different physicalities. Even where we carry our weight can make a big difference in how it comes off. So while it's great to find common ground with others here, please please please never judge your own journey by how others' have gone before you. It's not a contest. The only winner is you, the individual who wakes up every day and makes conscious healthy choices (often difficult -- especially at the beginning) to work towards your goal. ❤️