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Early out, I struggled to eat for 4 - 6 months or so. I had nausea and foamies really bad. My family were worried. I slowly figured it out and went from a tiny 300 cals to 700, that took me until 12 months out. I managed better after that and 900 - 1200 cals a day until 2 years out. We cook everything from scratch so I keep the fat content low. My stomach has still got a huge restriction [ lucky me] I rarely eat one portion in a sitting and will finish it later. Just trust your plan and your team. Eat the best food you can afford. You are worth the best.

Hi lovelies, Hope you are all well. Need your thoughts please. Had my VSG 5.5 months ago and these were my stats: Weight: 198/90 KGs Height: 168/5'5-5'6? I started at a BMI of 33, which I understand was on the lower side. Since surgery I have lost weight quite rapidly and I suspect its due to always being at a BMI of 22 my entire adulthood, I ate well, worked out and remained fit even after two pregnancies. My weight issues started 5 years back and then followed by a very bad ankle injury that affected my mobility that I reached my highest weight of 198. I understand that that where my body feels most comfortable at and its decided to take the chance to lose the pounds and run with it. My original goal was 154, and I got there very quickly then I changed my goal many times and settled on 127 which I am currently very close to. My surgeon seems to be a little apprehensive and has told me to try to slow it down and as per him it is very rare that he sees such rapid weight loss on a lower BMI patient. His original comment at 2 months was that the weight I had lost in 2 months was supposed to be my target at 6 months. Last time I saw him he asked me to up my calories to 1500 (currently at almost 800 on weekdays give or take, 600 on weekends because I apparently don't have much of an appetite on weekends). He ordered some bloodwork which I still haven't gone in for. I feel like my health is good, other than hair fall and the customary dizziness when getting up I am in fantastic health, I workout hard, I make good food choices and I prioritize my Protein. I also look great if you ask me. My fear is I am losing too much too fast, and from what I hear and see, you don't quite stop losing until at least 12 months post op, which - according to my projections and calculations - will leave me at 110/50 KGs at 12 months out. That is way too low I fear and I do not want to look like a skeleton. Also I feel I have a huge restriction and I can't eat more than a few bites at a time, drinking Water has become an aversion, I have to drink BCAA and sugar free iced tea to hydrate and tiny sips of water every hour or so. Other than that I eat very well, except I can't eat enough to maintain due to restriction. I am a little worried of my what will happen as the days pass and where I will end up. I don't want to get sick or too frail to work out and lift weights. I want to look good and feel good and I am not sure where my weight loss is heading but I am quite worried at this point. I also get comments on how I have lost half my body weight from people which is quite inaccurate lol but it's a complete shock when I meet someone who I haven't seen in some time, even my colleagues seem to think I'm looking too skinny. Sorry for typing so much, I thought it would be better if you have the full picture so its easier to respond. For anybody who's experience this, any thoughts?

Losing weight. Feeling healthier & better in general. I didn’t have any comorbidities but being almost 54 at the time I knew it was only a matter of time. The surgery was fine. Didn’t experience anything other than what was possible (like the terrible diarrhoea I had one day). My back went into spasm but that was more me & my back than a side effect of the surgery. No complications. Pretty easy actually. I think because I really wanted the surgery & had no doubts I was ready for the changes. And really once through the weight loss phase the changes are minimal & what you choose to do like eating choices, activity choices, etc. I didn’t experience many issues with being unable to tolerate certain foods except for the temporary changes to my taste buds. After two months I was eating pretty much what I wanted (nutritionally appropriate of course). Five years post sleeve & I eat pretty much what I want. There are things I chose not to eat any more simply because I don’t want to go back to how I was before surgery. My food choices are more nutritionally dense & eat more low or no processed foods. Last year my tummy decided it didn’t like eggs any more. Been meaning to test to see if it still doesn’t like them. I’ve always had a quirky tummy that was sensitive to some foods so that’s not a change for me really. I do experience the foamies more often than most but I think that it’s related more to my quirky tummy. I vomited (though more like regurgitating than full out muscle spasming vomiting) a couple of times in the first month or so. Due to the multi vitamins causing nausea more than any thing else. Probably took me a little longer because my energy was low for a while & my blood pressure was pretty low all the time (still is most of the time). Again, I always had a tendency towards low blood pressure so not a big change or adjustment. After the first couple of months, yes, I had more energy. No. I didn’t have any mental health issues prior to surgery & none after. Would say I feel more confident & comfortable about myself in general though. Don’t regret it at all. Yes I would recommend it. However, as I mentioned above you have to be ready for the surgery & the changes you have to make around your eating. There is a lot of head work you have to do around your relationship with food, what may drive you to turn to food & your eating habits. It is a lifetime thing & you will always have to work at it. As we say, the surgery changes your body but it doesn’t change your head & thinking. All the best.

food for thought: do we have metal issues because we are overweight? or are we overweight because we have mental issues? i sometimes think is one way and then other times the other...

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The jumpstart to weight loss was obviously amazing, but I was surprised how quickly my usual body pain & aches stopped bothering me. My knee problems have basically vanished, and the lower back pain I had gotten so used to living with has gotten so much better. I can breath easier when doing things that used to have me out of breath -- going up 2 flights of stairs, for example. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The pre-OP shakes -- I'm lactose intolerant and have trouble with stevia, and there were no shakes my care team could find for me that didn't have one-or-both things, so I spent a good 8-9 days barely keeping anything down. The surgery itself went off without a problem, and the pain wasn't as bad as I thought -- other than the car ride home! If you get WLS, bring a pillow to clutch to you afterwards!! 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing during, nor after -- but I'm only 10wks post-OP tomorrow. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I too am on SSRIs for long-time depression & anxiety. Most days have been awesome and cheery. Even during the initial aches and pains of recovery, just knowing that things were going to start changing for the better improved my mental state. I still have bad moments / days but once I started seeing all the improvements to my life it makes it easier to push through. It certainly helps to have a good support system -- people in my life, but also honestly this forum. TBH I was in a #$%& mood all day and feeling lethargic, but logging in here I know that everyone here understands and it just makes me feel more settled. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I am currently having a ton of problems with chicken breast. I hate 'dark meat' poultry, but tried chicken thighs recently and it's not too bad but still leaves me with a heavy feeling in my stomach -- still better than the stuck feeling in my chest that the white meat gave. I feel like no matter what I put on it or how I cook it, it's just clearly a No for now. That said, for the most part everything else has gone down well as long as I eat slowly, and make choices consistent with my care team's plan / schedule. Going from puree to soft foods was probably the hardest for me physically, because it felt so different in my stomach. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? It's early on for me, but the changes in my body's hormones seems to have stopped most of my cravings. When I'm having a rough time emotionally, I still have momentary yearnings for old 'comfort foods' but honestly just the thought of some of them will turn me off within a few minutes. (For some reason if I think about fatty oils too long, I just get nauseated). And many of my old comfort foods have just updated into healthier things I can eat. Instead of my mum's Dutch mashed potatoes, I have a smaller bowl of healthier mashed potatoes (or cauliflower, or heart of palm) with a scoop of bone broth powder to up the protein. Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I have homemade meatballs and extra sauce -- or a ricotta bake instead of lasagna. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I've had one instance of dumping syndrome so far, and it was 100% my own fault. I knew what the culprit was immediately (white-flour leftover tortilla and more difficult chicken breast). I won't lie, I seriously wanted to die for probably an hour, and then slept the rest of the day away. It's horrid. I'm hoping that I've learned enough to take better care / caution and avoid any more instances. Other than that, recovery has been pretty smooth. All my incisions healed up without issue, the gas pain only lasted a few weeks and then there was just a strange tightness / mild soreness on one side of my body for the first 5-6 weeks. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I want to say 2-3 weeks. Around the time I started eating puree (week 3), my energy levels started bouncing back much more rapidly -- which let me walk more easily. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? 100% yes. NGL, sometimes I feel like skipping even though it's not suitable for someone my age, LOL. I feel like I've been more efficient at work post-OP just because of the energy improvement, and physically I notice the increased stamina every time I go on an errand or for a walk with my dog. (I tire her out now!) 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? For the better. Some of it is because the energy and the physical improvements make me feel better about myself in general, but part of it is kind of a trickle-down effect. I spend more time making good, healthy choices for myself, spend more time being mindful whether it's while I'm eating, or making a grocery list, cooking, etc. It's so much time spent on self-improvement and self-care. So I have less time to worry about what other people's secret thoughts or judgments might be and take people more at face value. I have less time to waste on people that bring toxicity to my life or can't respect my boundaries. It's like this microcosm of self-care made by investing my energy in my current journey has expanded it's hooks into the rest of my life. I feel like for the first time in my life, I am actually one of my top priorities. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I had moments of regret during dumping syndrome, for sure. But as soon as I recovered from that one bout, I was still happy I'd done the surgery. I think it definitely forces us to take ownership of our own health and making the best decisions we can towards that. I would recommend it to anyone who has struggled with weight loss and can honestly look at their life and see themselves living in this framework for the rest of their lives. By all accounts it seems to be incredibly important to keep it all up -- the vitamins and supplements, the healthy choices and portion sizes, etc. I would NOT recommend it for anyone looking for a magic pill. This takes work, will continue to take work.

I am 35 HW: 325 SW: 297 CW 189 Gastric Sleeve Surgery Date: 1/24 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? Having a ton of energy! Not feeling groggy, my knees don't hurt when I wake up, working out and staying motivated, playing with my kids after a long day and still having the energy to cook dinner and pick up the house and sex life has improved, 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The first week kinda sucked with how much gas pains and not being able to eat barely anything and I am dealing some hair loss right now. Other than that I had a really smooth surgery. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? I was lucky, mine has been smooth sailing 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Its different, I get more attention which is tough for me to get used to, I love exercising, I love shopping, I love getting ready everyday for work. I am the best version of myself, my boyfriend and kids deserve it and overall I deserve it! 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I would say there are still things I don't want to eat but probably around 90day mark I felt good to eat just about anything within reason. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? Honestly I don't have the same desire to eat what I did. I will enjoy a couple of fries if I have an open faced burger or something but its not something that was a must like it was before. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? Recovery was great besides the gas pains. No vomiting or dumping syndrome. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I would say 2 weeks. I was walking 1-2miles after the first week. The first week I walked around the block to get the gas out. I also have a high pain tolerance so that might have helped. Like I had two c-sections and once the epidural wore off I was up walking my babies up and down the hall, the nurses had to tell me to rest but I am Type A so I am a little nutty. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? HELL YES!!! I wake up start life, workout for an hour plus walk on my lunch break 5 days a week, I work full time and am a college student. I have 3 children and my partner. I have energy for everything and I am not dog tired at the end of the day. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I struggle sometimes with the new body, how ppl treat me, and still see the 325lb woman in the mirror but I moreso I am in a better spot. I am not as anxious, stressed and I am able to take on tasks with a clearer mind (such as school) 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? My only regret is not getting it done sooner!

Let me preface by saying I wash my hair 1x a week, I do bleach my hair (have been for yearssss), I eat over 100g of protein per day, take all my vitamins daily even extra biotin which has helped ( I think if not my lashes are longer) lol I did change my shampoo to Oplalex 2months ago, which after I looked it up had a law suit from women saying the product caused hair loss? My hair does shed and has since surgery but nothing crazy. I had my surgery about 4 months ago, and yesterday a very alarming amount of hair come out yesterday! I had my hair up in a bun didn't brush it, pure laziness on my part, but when I took it down and brushed my hair a ton came out...figured okay probably because of not washing my hair yet and not brushing/ putting it in a bun. After I brushed my hair and braided it because I took the kids swimming. Came home and washed my hair and put a hair mask in my hair which I do every week. And HOLY ISH! So much more hair! I yelled for my boyfriend and he was even taken back with how much it was. I am not sure if I need to prepare for the worst or if THAT WAS THE WORST. I brushed my this morning and the normal amount came out. Am I going to go bald?!

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part is also the hardest to explain. The best way I can put it is that pre-surgery, I had a demon in my stomach. This demon demanded rich foods and thought that if one of something tasted good, then four of something would taste amazing (this made the demon a liar, but I had to obey these lies). The surgery removed the demon. I no longer feel controlled by cravings. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The 48 hours prior to the surgery were miserable. I could only have water, Gatorades and black coffee. Then I had to take strong laxatives prior to the surgery, so I was defecating so much that my body was expelling food I hadn't even eaten yet. And I couldn't go to sleep because any flatulence had the potential to be ... explosive. So it's 1 am, I am starving, dehydrated, sitting on the john and I need to be at the hospital at 5:30. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing major. I greatly underestimated how sore my stomach would be and how long it would take for the soreness to go away. I am a stomach sleeper and it was three months before I felt comfortable sleeping on my stomach. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I love the new life. I am able to exercise (bike, jog, lift weights) like I never have, I have great energy. I can shop at pretty much any clothing store. It has allowed me to become a better version of myself. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? It was probably 8 months to a year before I felt like I could try any food and not have to worry about my stomach having trouble. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? Can't eat, as in, I physically cannot handle it? Nothing. But there are plenty of things that I used to love that I am uninterested in. Like I have no desire to eat a donut. Just seems like pure sugar to me. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I did not have dumping syndrome (although some sugar alcohols hit my stomach hard). I did have some vomiting, but it was either due to eating too fast or eating a food that my stomach wasn't ready to handle yet (I had some stewed beef at like the 90 day mark and I wasn't as ready for it as I thought I was. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I would say 90-120 days before I felt physically normal (could sleep on my stomach, could handle most foods) 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? In the immediate aftermath of the surgery, no. This was my first (and so far, only) major surgery and I really underestimated how much it would sap my energy. I was walking gingerly for a while. But once I fully recovered, I have had way more energy. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, in mostly good ways. The pre-surgery success-failure cycle of yo-yo dieting impacted my psyche way more than I realized. So this state of long-term success helped greatly (and success, both great and small, is an excellent anti-depressant). Will it cure your depression? Absolutely not. To the extent that you think your problems in life are caused by your size ("I'm single because I'm overweight" or "My weight is why they won't give the promotion" or "my weight is why my mother is passive-aggressive toward me"), the surgery will not make those problems go away. I'm very lucky and very blessed to live an amazing life and the weight-loss has only further revealed what an amazing and blessed life I have. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I do not regret it. I make it a personal policy not to outright recommend it to anyone because everyone has their own journey. For many years, I saw bariatric surgery as a last resort, a kind of "pull in case of emergency" lever. I realized that I was 40+ yrs old with a wife and children and no diet had ever worked for me and I was only fooling myself if I thought the next one would do the trick. I had to either pull the lever or make peace with being morbidly obese for the rest of my life. I pulled the lever and I would pull it again without hesitation.

I had sleeve surgery July 2023; 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? Everyday things, like my backside no longer taking up more than one seat on the bus, being able to comfortably close belt on plane seat, being able to walk with a bounce in my step, I now love clothes shopping etc. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? Severe complications from the day after the surgery which went on for months 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Yes, suffered from severe pancreatitis, had a leak in my stomach (twice), allergic reaction to medication given to me in hospital, blood infection. Ended up spending three months in hospital over a period of four months. Had to have another procedure last month also. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Life after so many months in hospital meant it took a few months to get energy back and was on a sick cert so not able to do anything but rest. Now almost 11 months later I feel great for the most part. Have found it difficult at times to cope with the food choices but now that I am on regular food I just have to try and stick to the smaller portions, eating slower and only an occasional alcoholic drink. I don't let anything stop me now, always carry a protein bar with me just in case I end up some place where the food isn't suitable. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? Months as I was on a feeding tube in the hospital and then the times they took me off it I had to go back to liquids and start the reintroduction phase all over again. Since February really that I am comfortable and now I am even trying foods I never ate before (I had homemade egg muffins today - used to hate eggs). 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? I used to consider popcorn a food group in its own right and ate way way too much of it so now just have had it a couple of times. I love potatoes but try to stay away from them. But these are my choices, not a case that I can't tolerate them anymore 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? Vomiting a lot when ill, couldn't even hold down water, but as part of eating only a few times and I know that it was because I ate too quickly. No dumping syndrome. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? 10 months 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? Yes but only now 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I fully believe I suffered PTSD as a result of the complications 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I regretted it for approx 9 months post op and was very annoyed with myself for deciding to have the op but that was only because of the complications and crap-fest I went through. Now I am through the worst of it I am starting to feel better about it all, I no longer blame myself (but haven't really forgiven the doctor yet) and I would recommend it if it is something you need in order to achieve a healthy long life.

I'm almost 5 months post op RNY Gastric Bypass 1/3/24. 52 F 5'9.5 HW 272 SW 255 Surgery date 219, CW 174 1. I had surgery for a variety of reasons, severe GERD, hiatal hernia, gastroparesis, obesity, chronic pain and disability. The best part is not feeling either nauseous, in pain, or hungry 24/7. I feel hungry, I eat, and I feel good. Don't get me wrong, I still have some nausea or pain if I eat too much or too fast, or just knowing something isn't likely going to agree with me, but I've been pretty good at avoiding those things. The chronic pain is lessened, I'm more mobile, and feel more energetic throughout the day, instead of just in the morning. 2. I've had some hard days with emotions, not being able to eat mindlessly anymore, regardless of the food. It's been an adjustment, but honestly, no one needs to eat mindlessly, it just isn't good for anyone. 3. I had a sketchy bladder issue, it didn't wake up for a few days after surgery. I had a sketchy bladder already (Previous Cauda Equina Syndrome), so it wasn't completely out of nowhere that it didn't cooperate. 4. It's been really good for the most part, there have been moments that felt hard like traveling with family and not planning well enough, had a hunger meltdown, and struggled getting what I needed in a hotel room with a barbie fridge. Though recently traveled again, same scenario, but better prepared, no melt downs, no strife. 5. I was started on purees in the hospital and it was a slow progression to regular food and I felt okay through every stage though I would say that I started feeling "normal" when eating after about 3 months? 6. I don't eat bread, pasta, rice, fried foods anymore. My ultra favorite was fish fry, now I have baked cod and still eat it with tartar sauce, so I don't feel deprived. Most foods that I crave I've been able to find a satisfying alternative for that works for me. . 7. I have not vomited once since the surgery, I've wished I could at least twice, but it was a matter of having eaten too much and needing to wait to let it settle. That is a good reminder for me to go slow and take breaks. I've not had any dumping, though I avoid all sugar anyways, and did prior to surgery. 8. It's different for everyone, I think I felt most like myself again at about 8 weeks. Though that doesn't mean that I felt bad before that, I just felt less energetic, a bit more emotional, etc. 9. Yes, very much so. I don't have that afternoon slump anymore, I feel clearer and just happier. I feel like I am now what I was supposed to be all this time. If that makes sense? 10. It affected my mental health in the expected way, I was weepy, sad, afraid, etc. I was thoroughly prepared for it by reading on this site and American Bariatrics site. I knew what to expect and it didn't shock me or frighten me when it happened. Thanks to all of you who so generously shared about those experiences. I'm definitely happier now, I feel more comfortable in my own body now than I have in a very long time. 11. I don't regret a moment of it, would definitely recommend it to anyone who is eligible and interested in having surgery. For me, the biggest piece of it is that feeling of eating, then feeling satisfied. When I go out with friends or family, even though there is so much food still on the table, or on my plate, it doesn't keep me preoccupied. I'm able to just sit and enjoy the time with friends and family without spending the entire time talking to myself about one more bite, one more piece, no, no, maybe...................This piece right here is invaluable, and when combined with the fact that I don't feel sick all the time anymore, it's definitely been worth it many times over for me.

I agree with the others. No chance of stretching at all with water - it goes right through you. As far as food, it *could* if you constantly overeat - day after day after day - but other than that, no. It will be able to accommodate more food when the swelling goes down, but that's normal. If you follow your plan, you'll be fine.

Definitely worrying too much. You won't stretch anything out by drinking too much. If you follow your bariatric diet, you won't stretch your stomach out with food. You won't even eat regular food until 6-8 weeks out. And by then you'll be healed, but have a lot of restriction that will prevent you from over eating. As time goes on, your stomach does stretch a little. That's normal. But it never gets anywhere near the size it was pre-surgery. It's ok, and actually good. As you heal and increase your activity levels, you have to increase your calories and carbs, but again, nowhere what they were pre surgery. Don't be afraid to eat. You can't run a car without gas and you can't run your body without food.

Hello, I had surgery on 05/20, so just about a week out. Surgery went well, but Hospital stay was horrible as I was in so much pain and couldn’t even fathom drinking water. First day home was rough. The protein shake grossed me out and I struggled to get enough water. Not meeting the fluid goal, I think I’m averaging 40-50 oz per day but it is a struggle. it’s been 8 days, and I’m getting stronger everyday. I’m so surprised at how tired I am after showering and walking. I’m dreaming of pureed foods though. incisions are doing good, so far no issues with nausea but I wake up with heartburn. Down 26 lbs total. 20 from liver diet and 6 post op.

First of all, can I just tell you that you're beautiful!!! I don't mean anything awkward or inappropriate with that, but I just felt like I wanted to tell you that you are a very beautiful woman To answer your questions: 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? Getting off blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and anti-inflammatory meds, losing the weight, and gaining mobility back 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? I had several complications from the sleeve and had to have a revision a year later 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? not during the surgery but about 7-8 months later, complications started showing up. 4 endoscopies, 1 colonoscopy, and massive amounts of PPIs later, had to have the revision 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? it's been hard sometimes, but overall, so worth it and rewarding and a huge blessing 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? If you stick to the plan, it's a gradual process. By 6-8 weeks, I was nervous but ready to eat food and just made sure to go slow. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? pasta, rice, potatoes, bread (a year or 2 out, some can eat it in small amounts every once in a while, but I'm so sensitive to carbs that I stay far away...but there's alternatives that allow me to not feel like I'm deprived so it's completely ok) 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? dumping really only happens with the bypass, not the sleeve. Never had vomiting and very little nausea (in the beginning). Once I had my revision to bypass, I had dumping twice and learned my lesson lol I follow the rules and I'm careful, so I haven't had it again. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? about 4 weeks after the sleeve, about a week to 10 days after the revision to bypass (much easier surgery to recover from, for some reason) 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? not right away. I was beyond exhausted the first 2 weeks. Weeks 3 and 4 it started to get better. By week 6, I felt normal, and by 3 months out I had lost a good amount of weight and my energy levels really started to pick up. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? not in any kind of negative way until I started having the complications. Once I had the revision, every complication went away and I've been beyond happy and thrilled. The only real issue I have now is body dysmorphia sometimes. I have moments where I look in the mirror and still see 421 pound me and not 195 pound me. I'll look in my closet and think someone stole my clothes and replaced them with someone else's (I use to be a size 30/5X and now I'm a size 14/XL). 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I absolutely do not regret it. The only thing I would go back and change is I would just have the bypass to begin with and skip the sleeve altogether. Now, there are a lot of people really happy with the sleeve. They have zero regrets. I was one of them, until I wasn't. Many of us sleevers have to get a revision to bypass for one reason or another, but just as many, if not more, have the sleeve and never have any issues and love it.

Hi there! I’m a 24 year old female who is 5’7 and 250 lbs give or take (photo for reference). I am extremely interested in receiving a gastric sleeve to help reduce some of my health concerns. I am currently pre-diabetic and taking medication for hypertension. My family has a history of heart disease, and I lost my dad when he was 42 to morbid obesity and congestive heart failure. At the end of the day, I want to live a long and healthy life full of happiness and potentially children in the future. I also suffer from anxiety and depression, and I take SSRI’s to tame my depression. I have a lot of questions, so bear with me and please answer what you can! 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? Thank you so much. This is going to help me with my journey more than you know!

Yes, you are worrying too much, and if you are not hitting your protein and fluid targets because of this fear, you also risk endangering your health and recovery. Your stomach is stiff and swollen right now. It can't stretch out by having an extra sip of water or an extra ounce of food, though you might not feel well. On the other hand, spacing out food into small portions is appropriate. Just make sure you are consuming enough throughout the day and doing what your dietician recommends. I highly recommend you watch this video to put your mind at ease:

Hi, I had surgery a week ago. Since then I’ve had this fear my stomach is going to stretch out by drinking too much water or food. I’m so scared that I’m barely eating and drinking. I’m spacing out my liquid diet by 30 minute intervals. I’m I worried too much? Did anyone else feel like this at first?

Same here my guidelines are focus on protein and fluids. Calories are mute at this point because I am not really eating a whole lot of anything and its better to just focus on the basics. I was told that later on discussions around calories may happen if I need the help from my nutritional team but somedays I get like 600 calories and somedays I struggle to get 300. I am having a bit of trouble eating more than a few bites at a time of some foods. But I am about a month post op

@LisaCaryl Sorry, I didn't want to worry you! I'm close to giving up on trying to make healthy food choices is what I really meant. I'm feeling slightly better this evening although I'm freezing again because of the cold and rain in the UK. I think I'm just so so done in by all the traveling for work - I've still had less than 30 days at home since my surgery at the end of Feb and I know I'll be travelling pretty much non stop till mid July - and I'm so over the cold and the random hotel rooms and the living out of a suitcase. My partner is also travelling a lot so we barely see each other which normally we're fine with but the last 7-8 months have been especially bad travel wize. I think I just need a few good nights sleep in my own bed... I get home on wednesday evening and have a week a home before fmying off. Thankyou. Clothes feeling looser is a hard one because I travel light so basically just swap out one work dress for another from my suitcase when I'm home without trying anything on. I do have a dietician from the clinic I was operated at but the contact is just through whatsapp. I spoke to my partner earlier about how down I am (partner is not a GP or a psychiatrist but is a doctor.) and he thinks that it's just really because all this travelling and rain and cold is shitty and to keep upbeat and work i have to find something to get the negative emotions out on so I'm going with the lack of weightloss. The rational person inside me knows that this stall will pass but the emotional person is just so over the struggle allready!

I'm completing my day six of full fluids. I considered using mangos as my pureed/soft foods, but after reading the issues listed in this chat, I will pass. It saddens me, but it is what is. Also, someone mentioned papaya. Papaya blended with banana is delicious.

I think everyone's going to be different in this case. I had RNY bypass and I was farty-as-heck up until maybe the first week of transitioning to soft-solids. I think in my case, part of it was recovery and part of it was my body re-stabilizing itself and getting used to new foods. That said, on days that I have too much sweetener in my system or am trying a new food that doesn't sit as well with me, I certainly get 'windy'. And if there is a single bean in my food, I can guarantee gas. So it may get better, and it may not. You may need a Gas-X type med, or you may just notice it's worse with certain foods. Either way, everyone poops and everyone farts. XD (Just look at other people in an accusatory-way afterwards, shift that blame.)

I'm still stalled. It's been 12 days. I just want to cry the whole time and stuff my face with food. I feel like this is it. That the scales will never budge. I'm having such a hard time coping. I just feel like staying in bed and crying. I'm exhausted and the weight still isn't moving at all. I don't know what do to. I feel like giving up. I'm really really struggling.

How are you feeling now? You should really speak to your surgeon. At this point, you should definitely be getting more calories in and be able to eat actual food.

Meat here too. If we're not vegetarian or vegan (i'm not) then we have the luxury of mixing it up a bit. I do do lots of veggie soups with pulses or cheese as protein though - vegetable soup with barley and lentils, hot and sour lentil soup, broccoli and stilton soup, etc. Basically everything we eat post op has to pack a protein punch. If you build your meals around that then you won't go too far wrong OP. I also avoid ultra processed foods as much as I can. Basically anything with an ingredient that you don't have in your pantry you shouldn't put in your mouth - that's what made us obese in the first place. I do realise that I have the luxury of being able to cook pretty much everything I put into my mouth from scratch. Not easy if you don't.

Surgery was on May 1. Deep into the puree diet. 2 protein shakes a day and I mix up the meals with scrambled eggs, zero sugar yogurt, tuna fish, chicken salad, broth, cream soups, refried beans. Anywhere from a 1/4 to 1/2 cup, I'm learning how to listen to my body and when I feel full. Going back to work the first week of June. Hydration is still a chore but if I focus I can keep the right amount flowing. Once or twice I've had an urge to nap after my noon meal but no pain, nausea or anything like that. Feeling great!