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Thank you for your explanation on the muscles/bones and weight! It was very helpful. Next time I see my GP (next month, I just saw her today) I'll ask about the DEXA scan. Follow up to suggestions of my aches and pains being nonpositive RA - blood tests were all normal. My doctor even checked my thyroid and cortisol - all within normal range. Lastly, my bilirubin was normal as well. I thank you for all the possible suggestions from everyone. Hopefully the pain will go away soon! Great bunch of ppl on here, you're much appreciated!

Dang. That eliminates what I would say. I will say this, though. Did these same people tell you to your face you were "too fat" when you were obese and your weight was actively trying to shorten your lifespan? Or is it just your skinniness that worries them? Because you are right in the middle of a healthy weight range right now. You could drop to 125 lbs and STILL be 100% healthy and normal weight. So, if these people weren't telling you every day when you were 262 lbs how worried they were about your weight, I don't think I'd trust their judgement where weight is concerned. I'm not saying the comments don't come from a place of love, but they do seem to come from a place of ignorance.

I believe the original poster has already had their surgery, but for anyone else who is reading this as someone else who has had a sleeve and needed a revision, if you do not have a strong medical reason for choosing one surgery over the other, and you’re choosing between the sleeve and the bypass I would’ve gone with the bypass to avoid meeting to take a PPI. my only reason for going with the sleeve and giving it a try, knowing that I may have to revise was because I’m on mental health meds, and we were concerned about the absorption. The sleeve was obviously a better option for that. However, I believe it’s like 26%, I read somewhere, of sleeves that need to be revised for Gerd or inadequate weight loss/ regain. The risks with the bypass are slightly higher, but in my opinion, not enough to have to end up revising because the revision surgery in itself is riskier than either procedure plus it’s a second surgery so twice the chances to experience the risks. If your doctor offers the SADI as a virgin surgery that complicates things a bit because the risk are lower for Gerd than the sleeve and the weight loss is higher and more durable than both research has found so far but it’s a little newer, and comes with its own set of sure and long-term risks that may not have been figured out quite yet. It does have a higher no absorption, so the risk of malnutrition is slightly higher than the sleeve and bypass but lower than the DS. Long story short, there really isn’t a perfect option, only a perfect option for you.. The biggest thing to keep in mind with all the surgeries is that any risk of complication is drastically lower than the risks of staying obese.

UPDATE: So I had a scope and everything looked good. My stomach size was still fairly small which surprised me. Insurance was approved and I got a surgery date. I moved the surgery 2xs due to personal conflicts and giving myself a bit more time to get mentally prepared. I confided in a friend who urged me to try the GLP medications. I dismissed it. Then I saw an online friend who also had the sleeve and I knew had regained a ton and didn't get to her goal weight in the first place. In all her recent pics she looked AMAZING. I reached out to her convinced she must have gotten the revision. Nope. She's on the GLPs. And she has surpassed her lowest weight on the sleeve and said it's like the sleeve was reset. Needless to say, I'm putting the surgery on indefinite hole and trying the injections. Thanks to all of you for your support. Thank you for this. I will update my progress and decision. I have an appointment tomorrow to discuss my options. At a minimum, I am going to get an EGD to see what's going on. I've also been trying to go back to the rules. Not drinking during meals, protein first, etc. It does help. I just need to get my focus back to thinking that way.

Hello and welcome! Also -- congratulations!! How exciting it must be to be at that stage of seeing the weight peel off, and past the point of initial recovery, and past the point of choosing which surgery to get. I noticed that you chose to go with the sleeve as opposed to the Roux-y surgery. I think that's where I'm likely to begin, myself. I have bounced around, investigating what they call a SADI-s / Loop / SIPS surgery which has an extra component with the intestine beneath the sleeve, often done as a revision of the sleeve for those who regain weight or aren't satisfied with their results. It SEEMS to have fewer side effects than the Roux-y (full gastric) but I just don't know. I've also been given a fair amount of advice suggesting I try to find an expert to do the duodenal switch (DS) due to my BMI being in the high 50s/low 60s. I'm certainly willing to try to go that route but as someone else said -- there is usually a LOT of back and forth before committing to surgery and I'm almost 7 months into the program I'm at with my current surgeon. How long would it take me, realistically, to get this far again? WLS is such a difficult and scary commitment, and then getting on here BEFORE having a surgery has filled my brain with so many more complicated options. Its kind of hard for me to commit to big decisions and sometimes I wonder if learning more and more is making matters harder for me. I love to feel in control of what's happening with my body and try to inspect EVERY detail such as to avoid any regrets -- but sometimes staring at the water for too long makes one less likely to jump in, doesn't it? But you've DONE it! I think the sleeve is a great option and respect your choice, and am so happy that it has gone smoothly thus far. It could just be my perception, but most of the men I've seen post about their surgeries seem to indeed have a bit more gentle recovery, with fewer complications. I've seen a lot of folks caution me (this forum and others) about whether I'd be satisfied with the degree of weight loss if I were to go with a base sleeve, Roux-y, or SADI-s. This makes me really appreciate where you talked about that dark spiral and maxing out at 407. I say this as someone who feels like I understand pretty dang well what you're talking about because my max weight was 435! Being 'down' to 366 feels a heck of a lot better by comparison, and I got this far by myself, so maybe I don't need to be as concerned about satisfaction with the numbers as I do making sure I'm comfortable with the process of surgery to help me continue my weight loss journey. Please keep us in the loop as you continue on to your goal! Also - congratulations to the rest of you posting here who are inches from your goal weight or have already made it there!! No matter what surgery (or surgeries) helped you get there, you DID IT! Definitely an inspirational group of people here!

Operation is on May 1. I'm one week into the liquid diet. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. My doctor's nutritionists made a schedule (I always do better with a plan) and required me to buy Unjury products. I have the chicken soup and cookies and cream shakes. The shakes are actually pretty good. My sense of smell is through the roof. I wasn't expecting that. I can smell people cooking meat a mile away I swear! I get odd tightness and heat where the back of my head meets my neck. Is this the headaches I was warned about? I'm feeling good about the surgery. I'm already down a pants size after one week and am looking forward to sustaining gains through the next 12 months.

Congratulations to you, on your upcoming weight loss surgery.

I think everyone does in some form. Doesn’t mean it will happen though. Yes, a bounce back regain of 10-20lbs is a real possibility but it doesn’t happen to everyone. Whether you regain or not I think depends on a number of factors. Some you can control & manage & some you can’t. Complacency - letting the new good eating habits slide. Not dealing with emotional & psychological issues behind your eating habits. Health & medications - some medications are renown for increasing your appetite or a health situation may arise that limits you in some way. Unsustainable way of eating to maintain - too restrictive & stops you from enjoying & living your life as you want. Life - sometimes throws crap at you & good intentions are the first to go. Commitment - accepting the changes you make have to be forever. I had 40 years of losing & gaining weight. Every diet, dieticians, medications, exercise plans, you name it I did it. I’d stick to it, lose weight & as soon as I stopped I would start regaining again almost immediately. Simply because I went back to eating the exact same way as I did before. I had a low & a high weight I bounced between until the last 4 or so years & my weight exploded. Nothing worked then so surgery was my only solution. Am nearing 5 years & have basically maintained my initial stabilised low weight. Never have been able to keep weight off like this ever. I had a medication glitch but we sorted that & I lost the 5ish lbs I’d gained without doing anything. I work at it every day. I established a way of eating that was sustainable & works for me, my needs & my life. Same with my activity. Don’t exercise as such just do four x 5 minute sessions of resistance bands & stretches 6 days a week - wouldn't burn 20 calories. I’m okay with that because it works for me & I’m happy to do it You have to be mentally ready for this because that’s where a lot of the battle is. Sure the surgery gives you some tools, but for me, the time it gave me while those tools were at their most effective was the biggest win. It was when I examined my relationship with food (the why, what & when I ate) & worked out what I needed to do make be the most successful. I wouldn’t stress about something that may happen because it simply may not. Just be aware of it. You never know what the future will bring & you’ll have built a wealth of knowledge & strategies & have a support team (doctor, dietician, therapist) to help you get on top of it. All the best.

I actually think maybe it’s because that test is more commonly done to diagnose delayed gastric emptying the more I read about it. So im sure mine was fast compared to people with that issue. I just wanted to think the tech was on to something and it was a possible answer to my struggle with weight and it would hopefully be an easier fix.

I never stopped taking stool softeners twice a day since surgery and I'm over a year out. I was concerned to continue as I didn't want my body to become reliant on them but I was told softeners were not like a laxative and only brings more water into the intestines to keep things moving regularly and avoid constipation. With a laxative your body becomes dependent on them. Big difference. The last thing I want is to get constipated and have a weight stall because of it. I haven't had one day of constipation so there is no need to stop taking them. It will not harm you to do so.

Congrats on passing your test My boobs look smaller (😭) but whilst I have gone down a couple of band sizes the cup size is still the same DD just doesn't look it, I think I am closer to a D but it depends on the bra. My bum is also smaller/flatter which isn't so bad. Today I was on a day off work so I went to the shops and got myself a couple of padded bras, never had to do that before but already they make me feel better. I know feel like my boobs are a bit of false advertising, like something out of a JP Gaultier advert. 😀 I have travel for work and vacations next month so trying to build up my wardrobe bit by bit. I put 1kg on during the week, no idea how but as I am still under the surgeons target weight I am not letting it bother me too much. The health system here covers some plastics post weight loss surgery and I hadn't thought it would be something I would be interested in but I think I will enquire about when I have my next surgeon appointment in January to see what areas they do the plastics on and what the requirements are.

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.

Gastric bypass 2 years ago. I've gained 10 pounds the last 2 months. It won't stop. Please help! I need to start over and don't know how. I never lost enough weight. I got down to 182. Now I'm 192.. How do I start over. All advice welcome Please Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

I heard it! I was intrigued, and honestly I think that any treatment that helps people improve their body and/or mental health is worth investigating thoroughly -- so I'd like to see how it develops. But that said, my question is, how do these studies take into account the people for which depression, eating disorders, etc all go hand in hand with being or becoming obese, low self worth, trauma, etc. Mental/emotional health and obesity / physical health & ability can easily boost each other up positively or send you into into a vicious downwards spiral when things are going bad. How many people on GLP-1s who attempted/considered suicide were already suffering from depression or suicidal ideation, etc? How many people who lost weight through GLP-1s had their mental health and self worth so intrinsically tied to their body image or the side effects of obesity that the resulting weight loss improved that aspect of their lives almost as a side-effect? Either way, the potential for improvement in both areas upon taking GLP-1s would be worth it, in my eyes, but I'm always a bit skeptical about how studies like this are framed.

the first few months can be a challenge (although fortunately, most of us lose our sense of hunger for the first few months, which makes it easier), but after that, not really. At least not food-wise. By six months out I was cleared to eat anything my stomach could tolerate, which for me is pretty much everything. I eat a lot less than I used to (obviously), but no one would guess I had bariatric surgery at this point. They'd probably assume I'm just a light eater, like lots of my women friends who've never been obese. When I go out, I'll sometimes order just an appetizer or a salad, or if I get an entree, I'll eat half of it and take the rest home to have for lunch the following day. A lot of my friends do the same. I worried about this too since I'm a food lover as well, but other than cutting my portion size and just enjoying things like desserts occasionally, I really don't notice a huge difference. I do try to prioritize protein and vegetables since I need the nutrients (we all do) and my stomach is small, but I don't deny myself anything. Although there are some things like rice and pasta that tend to sit in my stomach like a brick. I still eat those occasionally, but not a lot of them at one sitting. P.S. your comment about being afraid you won't enjoy food. I enjoy it a lot - too much! (I've been in maintenance for years and it can be a struggle to keep from gaining weight). For the first few months after surgery, though, most of us lose our sense of hunger for up to a year (my hunger came back at five months out). Many of us also do lose some interest in food, too (and that comes back too!). But even though it's weird at first, enjoy it while it lasts and take full advantage of it. To be honest, I found it very liberating. It was so easy to lose weight when I was never hungry and didn't give a flip about food for the first time in my life! once I got over the weirdness of it, I LOVED it and wished I was one of the very lucky few whose hunger never came back (but again, it does come back for the vast majority of us)

Hi everyone, I had gastric bypass on February 27 of this year and I am down 53 pounds. My goal is to lose 100-120 pounds. While I am happy with the weight loss, I am losing muscle just as fast. I started going to the gym and hitting the weights this week. Of course I’m not as strong as I was before (I used to lift weights 10 years ago). I’m concerned that I won’t be able to get the nutrition/protein I need daily to start growing muscle again. Anybody on here bodybuilding months or years after surgery? Any tips or suggestions? Thanks

Happy Wednesday everyone! I spoke with the nurse today and she suggested I add protein water to help get me to 60 grams and my 48 oz of water. Once I get there I can start to add some puréed food. She also said it will help me start to lose more weight. @ShoppGirl I did not think I would try a vacuum at this point. I can’t even bend over to open a kitchen drawer. I’m lucky though I have 4 teens that have been super helpful with anything I need.

you're forgetting that the SADI is a malabsortive surgery (so is DS. RNY has some malabsorption, but not as much as the other two). That's what makes it so powerful. You won't absorb all the calories you eat. This doesn't mean you can eat with abandon, BUT...a percentage of the calories you eat won't be absorbed. So I guess I wouldn't worry too much that they won't be doing anything to your stomach. A lot of the action is going to be in your small intestine. As long as you stick to your plan, you should lose weight.

Thank you! I think it is just something that us bigger boobied ladies are going to have to come to terms with 😢 Though I also haven't worn a padded bra in years and years, so I can imagine how strange that must be for you! Definitely don't let it bother you lovely, weight is always going to fluctuate and you are still clearly doing all the right things Oh wow that is amazing! I hope you get some of the answers you are seeking - I know it is definitely something I will look into a year or 2 post-op!

I have read through so many posts on the topic of revision and see that people are mostly very happy to have gone through with it but a lot of them seem to be due to regain, hernias or bad GERD so my query is a bit different. My surgeon has mentioned a number of times to me about doing a revision from sleeve to bypass as following my surgery a year ago I had bad reflux. When I was released from hospital in November I was prescribed two pantomed (PPI) a day and since then GERD has become less frequent, for the last three months I am now on just one a day and I don't consider that the GERD impacts me, maybe once a week I might have a bit of gas, but the surgeon was still suggesting bypass and at my last appointment (in May) even mentioned that it would help me lose more weight, even though I was then just 5kg/11lb from the target he gave me and still only 10 months post-op. Given all the complications I had after my sleeve surgery in July last year I am very hesitant to have any further operations as I don't know if it was the medical teams fault and/or my body. If it is something that the surgeon says is needed I am torn between asking for a referral to another hospital or risking his team again in the belief that they would be extremely careful with me after everything that went wrong the year ago. So far, in just under 12 months, I have lost 47kg/103lb and am only 7kg/15lb away from my goal weight (3kg from the surgeon's target) and therefore I was wondering, from those who have gone through the revision process, if you think it is worth it? For me the only benefit I see is that I would be able to stop taking the daily pantomed, so not sure that is worth risking another surgery for. I have not had a single dumping episode and for the last few months have been able to tolerate all foods without issue so am a bit fearful that the bypass may lead to a backwards step on those fronts. If my GERD is not impacting me is there any other long-term benefit to the revision when I am still (slowly) losing weight? I don't want to go more than a few kg below my goal weight as it is not a good look on me. If there is no drastic weight loss, given so much has been achieved already, is there hair loss with the revision? Any insights would be appreciated as I have my one year check-up in a couple of weeks and I want to be prepared for when the topic is raised

You've gotten some good advice already, but reading your post, a few things stood out to me. These are in no particular order: 1200 calories sounds high for 15 weeks post-op, but if that's what your plan calls for, who am I to question it? I think the bigger question is does this 1200 number include all the alcohol? One of the reasons alcohol is not recommended post bariatric surgery is that it's got a ton of calories and will definitely slow weight loss. The other huge concern on alcohol is that a substantial number of post-op patients develop alcohol use disorder. (Some estimates are as high as 20% or even 30%.) You didn't actually specify how much you drink, but when I see "active social life", I interpret that as "I drink a lot". Maybe try drinking non-alcoholic drinks when you are socializing? If you find that you can't give it up the alcohol, this is a major red flag and you really need to seek help. Taking another approach here, I noticed that you are being more active, which is fantastic! I did want to make sure you knew that changing your activity levels like that (starting a couch to 5k plan), will cause your body to retain more water. This means you may not see the results you are expecting on the scale, even if you are still losing fat. Keep in mind that the your weight is made up of lots of things other than just fat, so variations are normal and are just part of the process. If you are eating less than you burn in a day, then you are 100% burning off fat reserves, even if the scale does not show it. Best of luck.

In reference to a comment above, I had a DEXA scan and found it very helpful. I thought I had more weight I could lose since I was near the top of my normal BMI range - but the technician said "no - you're done. You're at 21% fat, which is on the low end for a woman". I was shocked. But like the commenter said, you're always going to have more bone and muscle than someone who's never been obese. And I remember being told at one point by someone in my clinic that that is why we often look 10 lbs lighter than the scale would suggest (you do lose bone and muscle while losing weight - but that's fine because we don't need it anymore - we had all that infrastructure to hold up all that weight we once had. We do lose some of it, but not all). some pain isn't uncommon because of shifting architecture, as someone else said. You're carrying your body differently now, and your bones and joints aren't used to it. I'm not sure if that happened to me, but I'd get major butt pain if I sat for too long. I had to buy coccyx pillows for my car and office chair. I don't really get that any more (although I keep a coccyx pillow in my car for long drives) - not sure if I just figured out how to sit on it so it doesn't produce pain, or what.. re: unrealistic goals - after successfully getting down to around 170 lbs, I told one of the staff members at my clinic that I was going to shoot for 150 (which is a normal BMI for someone my height). I was told that wasn't realistic, that only about 10-15% of their patients make it that far. Most end up in the "overweight" or "class 1 obese" category (which isn't very obese). The research I read back that up (I did end up making it - actually got quite a bit lower than that - but years later, I'm now technically "overweight"). Anyway, that's what your surgeon might have been referring to. Not many of us make it all the way down to normal BMI.

All we have to do is stick to the plan and we should be just fine. Hiding the scale is actually a really good idea. I have already gone through this once so I already know that my weight can fluctuate by a few pounds even from morning to night so I know to expect it, yet i stepped on the scale yesterday and it went up a pound and it caused me a bit of anxiety. I was like I ate low calories, did all my fluids and actually exercised more than i have in years, how is this possible?! My husband was like one pound, this happens, remember. So thankful to have him as my voice of reason.

Thank you. I hope your able to eat more and maintain a healthy weight as well. I never thought I would have a problem gaining weight, but it's a real thing now and kinda scary.

Congratulations on being down 3 1/2 lbs this week!! I’m so glad your knee is feeling better too!! I had knee pain once a few years back and I swear that is one of the worst pains there is. I was so glad mine went away eventually because I told myself many times I didn’t know how people dealt with such pain continuously. I do hope yours stays away. I have not stepped on the scale. I do not want to be disappointed. I start work tonight after 10 years of not working. I’m disabled and do not know how long it will work out but the activity will count towards helping me lose the weight if I can make it any amount of time. Sadly I will probably have to up my steroid dose to do it but those should burn up and not add any extra weight. Wish me luck.