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Hi guys, my name is Anna and I'm really glad I found this site. I received approval from my insurance earlier this week, there's just one x-ray needed and then I will be scheduled. My mom had the same procedure over 2 years ago, but she's more of a cautionary tale of what not to do. I have friends who have had it done as well. The hardest part of this process for me has been giving up cigarettes, and trying to lose weight on my own. I started my umpteenth weight loss journey November of 2022, and finally went back to see my moms doctor in January of this year, after chickening out a couple times before. No matter what I've done I have no been able to get below 300 since 2016. My highest weight was 374. The smallest I've been is 230 in my 20s after losing 70 lbs and keeping it off 2 years. Right now I'm chilling at around 340, have been for almost 2 years. I love the gym, I love swimming, I love being active. But I have a lot of chronic pain from back and neck issues, as well as arthritis and between that and depression, it can be hard to get out of bed some days. Last time this year I had just finished a 16 week fitness challenge at a local CrossFit center, where I learned to do a real push up, deadlifts and other strength and endurance building exercises. It was great, and I got down to 315. Then the program ended and about 25 lbs reappeared out of thin air (psych, I know lol). I am hoping that this tool is the missing puzzle piece I've needed. I know how to track, how to measure, how to diet basically. And I know how to exercise. What I've struggled with more than anything is portion and hunger. It's hard to stay in a deficit when your stomach feels like it's gonna eat itself if you don't put enough food in it- That being said I do know I want to focus on protein and fiber for fullness, and I'm working on eating smaller and more frequent throughout the day which is helping some. I guess I'm as ready as I will ever be. Am I the only one who has struggled with being a bit depressed about it all? Like I am mourning the loss of so much, including my stomach and the ability to indulge in a meal. I understand I still can, but it's not gonna be the same having a jr popcorn at the movies, when i had a good portion of a large gone before credits were over- ya know? Like people who don't struggle with their weight take a lot for granted. My whole life I've been big, and it has always felt like a punishment I didn't do anything to bring about. And society punishes you for being overweight/obese/plus size. Part of me feels like cutting out a part of my organs is another punishment I must endure because I am fat. I hope this makes sense, and these are just fleeting thoughts and feelings, mind you. I have a wonderful counselor I see weekly, and we have talked about this, among other things. But I wanted to bring it up here because I am wondering if anyone has struggled with this line of thinking? And if so what are some good things about the process to focus on? I know the outcome of the weight being gone and my appetite under control, and I want those things very much. But it's the actual surgery and the discomfort I know is coming after that trips me up. Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and I wish you all well ❤️

@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.

You ready for a long story? 😎 My exercise history is definitely one of extremes. I was very athletic in High School (Secondary School). I played football (American), was on the swim team, and ran track and cross country (not all of those every year). Afterward I spent time in the US Army where running was the norm, so I ran quite a bit. My recollection is that I was running roughly 30 miles a week at that time, so actually a lot more than the minimum required. Unfortunately I was badly injured while I was in the service and was barely able to even walk for a long, long time. Once I mostly recovered from that, I got heavily into powerlifting for almost a decade. I had convinced myself that due to bad knees I shouldn't run anymore, so instead i just focused on the strength training as well as a tiny bit of cardio on the elliptical. Unfortunately, I tore up my back in a workplace accident, so from that point on, no more heavy lifting for me. This was really the beginning of my descent into inactivity and severe weight gain. The heavier I got, the less I was able to even move, until using a cane or walker had become the norm. In addition, during this time I ended up having multiple surgeries, including 5 different shoulder surgeries, multiple knee surgeries culminating in a total knee replacement, and even open heart surgery for a bad heart valve. Fast forward a lot and about 9 months after my bypass surgery, I was walking and backpacking pretty consistently. A bit like you, I decided mostly on a on a whim to just try jogging a bit. It was more to see if I could even do it than anything else. You have to understand with my health history, lots of my doctors would say I shouldn't run. I say I'm going to do whatever I need to do to keep myself healthy because I suspect at some point, I'll need both a revision to the knee replacement and a new heart valve. My ability to survive those surgeries at an advanced age is going to be highly dependent on my overall health. Anyway, back to running. I was so shocked at how well and relatively pain-free the running went, that I decided to start training for a 5k. From there it's just snowballed and I've now done around 20 or so different races between 5ks, 10ks and Half Marathons. I'm not super fast (I am 60 afterall), but I am still pretty competitive in my local races, at least for my age. I'm also lucky that I'm now retired. This means I have the time to train appropriately. I typically run 4 to 5 days a week and average between 25 and 35 miles a week. I'll probably ramp that up in 2025 because I'm targeting a fall marathon and I'd like to be around 50-60 miles a week at peak fitness before the race. At this point running is my passion, but I do still strength train twice a week to keep what strength I do still have. As an aside, I'm strongly considering becoming a Certified Personal Trainer. Not really because I needed the knowledge, or because I expect to work in the industry (I am happily retired after all). My real goal is to help others where I can on their journey to fitness. I feel I can better relate to those that are struggling than a lot of CPTs that have always been fit. I also at least want those I work with to know I do have some knowledge of the subject (even though I've frankly probably forgotten more about training than a lot of CPTs even know). I'm really glad you're going to keep after it. You might surprise yourself in terms of what your capable of!

I was wondering if any one else has this problem. I have always had a flat butt but it is way worse now and all my pants slide down in the back. Regular button fly pants and shorts are the worst because I can't get them to stop. My belly is extremely big so the pants are very loose in the back, even at the waist but they fit or are tight in the front. I know I could do a belt but that woudln't be comfortable with my big belly right now. Has anyone ever used anything to pinch the material in back up? I am not even sure if I can find a belt to fit me, it has been so long since anyone has. I am afraid that the best would just cinch the front more and dig into my skin. I am proportioned really weird - skinny legs, smaller arms but big boobs and big belly but my back and butt are losing the weight faster than the front. It feels like I could wear one size in the front and one in the back!

Today marks five years since my sleeve surgery. Yay! I look in the mirror & think yep, best decision. I easily snuggle with my 6yr old nephew in a lounge chair & I think yep, best decision. I can jump, dance, walk, skip, scoot up stairs, … and I think, yep, best decision. The potential for health problems are further away & less likely to occur & I think yep, best decision….You get the idea. I’m thankful it’s all gone pretty smoothly. Sure I have some fun & games with the foamies but I had a sensitive, quirky tummy before surgery & I still do so nothing all that different just how it manifests 😉. Sure I have some loose skin. It doesn’t affect what I want to do or wear so unimportant. I’m thankful I have a supportive GP who when I asked about surgery said yes without judgement & wrote the referral right away & continues to be interested in my progress. I’m thankful the doctor who does my follow ups is equally supportive. I have my 6 month check up with her next Monday which hopefully will go well again. It’s become more of a chat & catch up the last couple of years. Apart from the medication issue which caused a small weight gain (a good 2+kg/5lb) a couple of years ago which when sorted saw that gain disappear. I sit at the same fluctuation I did when my weight first stabilised: 48.5 - 49..5kg (though usually a high of 49.3 these days). I often think of the AA mantra of it works if you work it & you’re worth it. It really resonates. It works because I work it every day & I’m worth it.

Yes, it sounds to me like you have a good one. As you say he was prepared to turn away your business so it means he is not just looking to upgrade his home cinema system or whatever by just doing a by the book boob job, he cares I know what you mean about body dysmorphia. I mean I have lost almost as much weight as I weigh now and yet I still a lot of the time see fat me in the mirror and I hate it at the gym when I have to be in front of a mirror for some of the exercises. Other times then I hate the skinny me as I don't like being able to see my chest and rib bones and the way my hips now stick out. We are never happy with ourselves all the time, just have to try and remember what we have achieved and be kind to ourselves.

Congratulations to everyone for what you've achieved and what we know you can achieve! I'm 61 and had my surgery August 20, 2024. The weight has been coming off and I've been exercising regularly (Orange Theory Fitness), taking walks, walking the dog, line dancing. The pre-and-post surgery fast can be a challenge but I think it prepares you for next stages. I'm still eating about 2oz/meal. I'm definitely in an exploratory stage as far as playing around with foods and understanding when is too much. I returned to a habit of snacking before bed by eating a small piece of cheese or an ounce of nuts... that was definitely the wrong idea. I paid for that by feeling very uncomfortable. I kicked that habit to the curb quickly. So I'm working on eating dinner earlier and making applesauce the snack. I'm open to ideas. We've got this!

Today I am officially one month post op. I just had my follow up with the team and I've lost 11.6kg (25.6 lbs) since surgery. They said this total weight loss "was slightly above expected range." So I don't know if I lost more than they expected me to or less than they expected me to, but they seem happy with my progress either way. They've also said as soon as I have no abdominal pain, I can start cycling again! I'm so happy to get back on the bike. Especially since in total, I've lost 24.1 kg (53 lbs) so I should be able to go further and faster on the bike!

I had a total abdominal hysterectomy and am now on HRT (literally the first time since I was 15 that I've had my hormones regulated at all). My uterus, 3 huge uterine fibroids, both ovaries, both fallopian tubes, and cervix combines weighed 4 pounds when they were removed. I weighed 212 on surgery day on May 7th. After I lost the water weight from 3 days of IVs, I was 208, which I expected. I was started on estrogen in the hospital. So here I am, 18 days post op, and I have lost 13 pounds. I walk 3-4 times every day, I eat normally, I rest a lot. I take my normal MS and Lupus meds and my normal supplements. The only difference is I had the hysterectomy and I'm on HRT. I'm noticing that I seem to be having a much easier time losing weight. It's almost like it was when I first had my bariatric surgery. I haven't lost weight like this in over a year. So here's what I'm wondering.... since pcos is known for causing weight gain and not allowing weight loss, and since my hormones are finally regulating with the HRT, and since I no longer have any issues with fibroids, cysts, horrible periods, etc... could the hysterectomy have maybe corrected a lot of the pcos issues and now the stuff slowing and stopping my weight loss is gone and I'm back to losing again? Did having the hysterectomy actually help with weight loss? I know a hysterectomy isn't a cure for pcos, but I'm really wondering if the combination of the HRT and hysterectomy are working together with my WLS to actually give me normal, proper results? Has anyone else experienced this, or know someone who has?

So I am four months post op from my revision and I just had an MRI for something unrelated but my dr said I have fatty liver. This is very puzzling to me because I get my labs every 6 months and nothing has been off to indicated elevated enzymes and of course they were just in there and didn’t think it looked bad?? Google does say that “bypass” and rapid weight loss are risk factors on one site but I would like to think that would be a temporary issue that resolves itself? I am going to call my surgeon first thing tomorrow but I’m just curious to know if anyone else has had anything like this. I recall a few people saying their liver labs came back elevated and their bariatric teams were not concerned but what about imaging?

Everyone is different. I am almost 6 years out. I made it to my goal weight about 1 1/2 years after surgery using the Fast Metabolism Diet for the last 6 months of that. I went back up 15 pounds but my body is happy here. I have never thought about calories. I have always concentrated on how many ounces I eat at a meal. I never go above 3.5oz total. 2oz protein & 1.5oz. I also eat 5 times a day. 3 meals & 2 snacks like cheese or fruit. You have to figure out what works best for you.

Hi I'm scheduled to get the Sleeve 5/6/15. I have two-year old twins and wanted to know how quickly you were able to get back to normal after the sleeve. My BMI is right at 40 so I don't have a tremendous amount of weight to lose so I'm hoping I can get back to normal in a couple days, just no lifting. I plan to go back to work in a week. Anyone please, how much downtime did you experience? Thanks, Nerkerle

I know programmes differ hugely but my surgeon placed absolutely no restrictions on caffeine and I was hugely grateful. I have no idea whether there is good evidence that caffeine consumption affects weight loss after bariatric surgery but I suspect very much not. @GreenTealael do you have any evidence to share? I am a coffee, not a matcha drinker, but I know how much I valued those coffees in the weeks and months after my surgery. Might be worth drilling down into the actual evidence based practice with your team if matcha means as much to you!

Happy new year! My goal this year is not so much focused on "losing weight" as it has been in previous years. I don't really have a number of pounds I want/need to lose thanks to surgery. Instead, I would like to: 1. Improve my nutrition by relying less on processed foods and incorporating more veggies and beans. I also want to be more consistent with meal planning and prep to reduce my stress around food. 2. Improve my total daily step average. Fitbit tells me I averaged 5622 steps per day last year, so I'd like to see that number go up. In reality, that was several months of either not exercising (pre-surgery) or not wearing my tracker, coupled with several months of 10k steps per day. So if I can just keep to going for walks most days, that should be an easy improvement. 3. Clean my office! I work from home and would like it not to feel so chaotic.

I had a very bad ankle injury in 2022 which reduced my mobility and I wasn't able to workout much or move because of the pain. I felt my weight creeping up because I was buying XL clothes and everything was still very tight (I had already put on 30 lbs the past few years so I was already heavier than I ever was) but I never weighed myself (my biggest mistake) so I had no idea how much heavier I was? I started entertaining the idea of WLS because nothing else worked (dieting, working out, even liraglutide) - mind you this was not even on my mind before - and saw the surgeon on Feb 2023 to see if he would even do it, and he said he would and that he recommended VSG for my case. Had a chat and decided I will put it on hold because I wasn't mentally ready. Fast forward to summer 2023 and we were travelling, we were in a water park and my 8 year old and I decided to go for a ride and I was panting going up the stairs to the big slide. While we queued the staff asked us to step on the weighing scale to see if we're under the weight threshold and I really didn't want to be weighed, my heart was pounding and my palms were sweating and once my daughter and I stepped on the scale the staff goes: "you're almost beyond the threshold but I'll let you go" and it was as if a slap was delivered across my face. I did the math in my head and realized that I have reached a weight I never ever saw even while pregnant (funnily I barely gained any weight in both my pregnancies and snapped right back). I came back from my holiday and booked my surgery for December. Best decision of my life.

Hang in there, those last 20lbs or so come off very slowly! I am 16 months post sleeve and just hit my drs weight goal (although my goal is 5-10lbs less than his 😂) I drink Coke Zero everyday and probably more than I should but that being said, it has not impacted my weight loss at all. I must be one of the few lucky ones that don’t get heartburn from it. However, I do notice I can’t drink it too soon after I eat. Good luck with those last few pounds! Just stick to the program and they will come off eventually!

Frustrating & upsetting I know but like everything about this experience (including the amount of weight you lose, your rate of loss, your time line for losing, etc.) the three week stall is just an average. Some will stall earlier & some will stall later. They usually last 1-3 weeks but could be more or less. Don’t worry, you will start to lose again. Just give your body time to reset it itself and work out your new needs. You’ll notice the scales dropping again when your body is ready. Can’t force it. You’ll only stress your body & yourself more.

obesity is a very complex condition, and it takes a multi-pronged approach to lose weight. Among other things, there are biological changes which occur when you're obese (people with obesity even have different gut bacteria than people who don't) which make it very difficult to lose weight and especially, keep it off. You have to fight biology to do it, and biology usually wins. Fewer than 5% of people who lose a lot of weight are able to keep it off. I was in that battle for decades (I'm in my mid-60s - had surgery at age 55). I cannot tell you how many times I lost 15 or 20 lbs, just to have it come back on. On my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50 or 60 lbs - but again, it just came back on - and I had 200 lbs to lose! Surgery was the only thing that ever worked for me. There's a good chance I'd be dead by now if I hadn't had it. people who've never struggled with obesity have no idea what they're talking about. Listen to your doctor and yourself, and not people who have no clue what they're talking about.

Are you just doing the treadmill at the gym? If not you may want to double check with your team. I am not cleared for ten gym till 6 weeks. 8 weeks for anything with weights. I am absolutely thrilled for you that you are feeling so good. I Just don’t want you to hurt yourself because of something you didn’t know.

Seriously, this honestly sounds like my house - 2 deliveries today, 1 tomorrow, 2 Thursday. Not all weight loss related though, trying to get stuff bought now for the dreaded “C” word in December 😬 Just look at it as you’re not buying as much food so it should all balance out eventually…sort of…maybe 😉

For me the physical hunger is completely gone now. With my sleeve it was also gone but it did come back. It was around 6 months that it started coming back if I’m remembering correctly. It comes back for most people to varying degrees of intensity. The best case is that you take that time to really change WHAT you eat, not just how much because when the hunger comes back you will likely eat larger portions and if it’s less healthy food you will probably begin to gain. At least I did. With my revision I have changed what I eat entirely. I didn’t do this with my sleeve. I had just a few menu options so it’s no wonder I got board with it and started to eat off plan more often. This time I did research and found several healthy recipes to try and I found quite a few that I enjoy so I don’t get board at all. You may not recall but I have Bipolar and Anxiety. I have found that freezing some healthy meals has come in real handy at times when I am not up to cooking. I also am in touch with my surgical team more often for office visits as well as the support group meetings and those help tremendously. Post op I also had more frequent appointment with my psychiatrist and psychologist as well. I just asked for all of the support I could find because it is a lot of change which I don’t do well with but now that I am two months out and i have a little routine I am feeling better than ever. The exercise that I am finally energized enough to do has helped my mood tremendously and the weight loss and the social aspect of the group fitness classes have helped with my self esteem too. I have so much more structure and routine now which is actually really great for Bipolar. I am able to fall asleep at night and stay asleep and I wake up at the same time and exercise, I set recurring alarms for vitamins/food and I log my food with the Baritastic app and my fitness watch keeps track of all of my activity. I show all of that data to my NP at my checkups and she helps me make adjustments to my nutrition. You will probably see a nutritionist for food related questions but I had a newer surgery called the SADI and the nutritionist wasn’t very helpful with regard to the macros after I got back to normal food. As long as you are managing your mental illness, though, you should be just fine. Just don’t hesitate to ask for whatever help that you need in order to be successful.

I will be having my surgery on June 26. My current weight is 326. I am so happy and ready to move forward with my weight loss

Wanted to share my experience and echo the other commenters here. I am 9 weeks out of my gastric bypass and I am right where you are almost exactly weight loss wise- Pre surgery and liquid diet I was 260lb (117kg) After liquid diet in surgery day I was 244lb (110kg) Now after 9 weeks I am 99kg. I haven’t weighed in a few days so I may be a pound or two more but I’m trying to limit myself to only weighing every few days so I don’t hyperfixate. I definitely feel like I’m losing slow- but last week in my bariatric programs’ support group on zoom, almost EVERY patient had that same feeling. It was very validating and most of us were feeling disappointed and impatient. After hearing that it made me feel a lot better. I keep reminding myself that I haven’t even been this weight in a long time and that it’s going to keep going down on its own schedule, when it’s right for my body. Keep fighting the good fight and showing love and kindness to your body and we will all get there.

I'm 6.5 years out and still have a very restrictive sleeve. But I definitely seem to be an outlier. I can eat about 4 oz at a time. For instance a Taco Bell taco or small McDonald's hamburger. But even with small stomach capacity, it's easy to regain. My stomach empties quickly so there's nothing stopping me from eating to excess. I've had to make a conscious effort to maintain a weight I'm happy with. I use both IF and GLP meds. Along with calorie tracking for accountability.

Don’t be discouraged at the stall. I had surgery on 12/18/23 at 219. A year and 1 month later I am at 180 and have been here for 6 months. Sometimes I dip into the 170’s but I bounce back to my current set point of 180… Currently… I am ok with that because I can see the changes in how I look and how my clothes fit. I have struggled with eating the proper amounts of protein since having a set back in March 2024. I am struggling really hard with acid reflux and getting enough sleep. It is getting better and I am willing to put my weight loss on hold while I try to get this under control and avoid a corrective surgery. Give yourself some grace. This is hard to do. 💖 Just try to stay positive, be focused and talk to your care provider. Ask lots of questions, don’t leave until you feel like you truly understand which direction to go next when they help you lay out a new plan. … and take notes because it’s hard to remember everything they say during the appointment.