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Also, I meant to also say - does your practice have a nutritionist? If so, you may want to ask them about additional guidance. They can be really helpful in figuring out if you are on track for calories, etc. Initially (the first couple of months) my practice did not give calorie goals, but in my nutrition check ins, we did touch base on how many calories I was eating. That was really helpful, especially since I was undereating relative to what they wanted. I wouldn't overthink this. If you go back in 3 months and you aren't where you "should" be, you won't get demerits. 🙂 Your body will do what it wants, when it wants. Stalls and slow downs are normal and to be expected in this process. It is very easy to make yourself nuts overthinking and stressing about whether you are hitting all the milestones and expectations. In the end, does it matter if you get to the destination? Probably not. (I say all this while in the middle of a frustrating 4 week stall. It's hard to do, but try not to stress, it doesn't help!) Good luck.

28 lbs in 6 weeks is more than 4 lbs a week. That's nothing to be upset about. Weight loss is fast initially, partly because you tend to lose a lot of water weight and you are do restricted initially as you recover from surgery. It will probably slow down as the months pass, but again, this isn't a race. If you get to 6 months and you haven't lost "most of the weight" it's not as if there is a magic switch that is flipped and you stop losing weight. Many people lose weight steadily for 18 months and beyond, though it slows down as you get closer to your goal weight. Excess weight is what you started at minus what you should be at, and most use the BMI as the guide for that. So, if you are 5 ft 1 inch, your healthy range is 98-132 lbs. Excess weight should be 238 (start weight at surgery) minus 132 (top of healthy range). So, your excess weight would around 106 lbs. I think the literature I read suggested the average lost in the first 6 months is around 30-40% of your excess weight, which would be 106 lb x 30% = 31.8 lbs, but I am not sure how accurate that percentage is. Again, these are rough numbers and the averages are just that - averages. Many people do better than this in 6 months. Some do worse. Some people lose "slowly" throughout and get to goal and beyond, while some people might lose fast initially and then not get to goal. Basically, no one can predict how it will go, including the surgeons.

End of a stall here too - thank goodness, it's boring as heck. I can't say anything made the difference in the end - just kept keeping on. I do wonder whether the people who say that increasing protein or increasing exercise or increasing water 'broke' their stall were just distracting themselves with those things and the stall was going to break anyway, but then swear they were THE reason??

So glad you're through everything and back here already SD! Are you home again? I also lost 5lbs on the day of surgery but it was a full 2 weeks before I lost anything more. So weird how different it is for everyone.

You are dealing with a lot all at once. Definitely not a baby. Pain, gas, lack of sleep and the horrid protein drinks. Your hormones are on red alert too. I could have cried every day. I personally didn't have protein drinks, just milk with extra dried milk powder in. Just be kind to yourself, rest, relax and let healing begin. The first week is the hardest. I hope you can forgive yourself a little weakness. No body else needs to know, just us honest.

I feel my surgeon has abandoned me. My next visit with her isn’t until 3 months post-op. My only goals we set are to drink 64oz of liquids and 60 grams of protein daily. She said MOST of my excess weight will be lost in the first 6 months, so to stay focus and take advantage of the surgery. I don’t know how much MOST of my excess weight is, so I don’t know if I’m losing at the correct rate. I don’t know if I am eating too much or too little. I’m just listening to my body. If I’m hungry, I eat. If I am full. I stop. The only food restrictions I have are raw veggies and steak. Other than that, she told me to “listen to my body and if it hurts, stop and try again at a later time” . I had surgery 3/21 so that makes me a little over 6 weeks post-op. I started at 245 and was not required to follow the 2 week diet. I was only told not to eat solids the day before surgery. Day of surgery I weighed 238. Today I weigh 210. That’s only a 28lb lost in 6 weeks. I’m 5’1” so I still have a lot to lose. I’ve been at 210 for a week now so I think I’ve hit a stall. I’m losing and I feel great; so I am happy , but I don’t want her to be disappointed at 3 months if I am not at the weight she’s expecting me to be at (whatever that might be). I don’t know if I’m doing this right. Some days I feel so great and able to move that It seems too easy. just rolling over in bed use to get me so tired. I am wondering if I should go “harder”. How much was everyone else down by 6 weeks?

Yes! I am still running and I have been working on increasing speed over time. I did my first official race last weekend and finished the 5k in 28 minutes, which is fast for me. Now I am working to increase distance- my goal is to compete in a half marathon next year. I run on average about 15 miles or so every week, in addition to my daily spin classes.

It will seem like it takes forever but it will be here before you know it, I had my 1st appointment in November 2021 and my surgery is next week. It still feels unreal.

So guys. HOW did I lose 5 pounds in 1 day??? I mean, I was expecting to be a little heavier because of all the fluids from the IV for 2 days, but instead, I'm actually down 5 pounds??? I'm not knocking it, of course, but it caught me off guard lol I'll be weighing myself once a week. I refuse to do daily weigh ins and get upset when it fluctuates a pound or so either way. I've been struggling with gas pain, and thanks to the great suggestions, my husband went out and got me a heating pad and it's starting to help. Also having pain from the incisions, but I was already expecting that. And the PAIN from taking my pills was the worst of all. BUT, I started taking them with warm broth and it's been a game changer. Still takes me almost an hour to take them since I get full really fast, but at least it's pain free taking them now.

So I just had my consult for my sleep study and I will have that in a couple of weeks. Then on the 31st I have my scope. I just feel things are taking so long in the process. I really hope that after my scope it's not too long after they schedule my surgery. Started this process the end of January. Sent from my SM-S908U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m a few weeks shy of being a year out from my surgery and I dealing with arthritis pain and tmj. Everything I’m reading says I can’t use voltaren cream for my arthritis. Will we ever be able to use some form of nsaids for certain medical conditions? Some things I read say some can be used some time after vsg (def not recommended within the first 30 days) but then even more studies say never again. the tmj I’m dealing with so far without medication. sorry just had a moment of blah.

Stalls can last about a month sometimes - the closer you get to a "normal" weight, the longer the stalls get. Many people think that they will lose 40 lbs in the first month like the people on My 600 Lb Life. Well, unless you start out weighing 600 lbs, you won't lose 40 lbs in a month. The amount of weight you will lose in a given amount of time varies a lot, based on age, BMI, gender, how much weight you lost before surgery, etc. I started out with a BMI of 40ish at surgery, but I had already lost 50 lbs. Since my surgery, I've lost about 4-12 lbs every month.

Thank you so much for your reply I wasn't made aware that the stall might remain that long or that it even exist What is realistic expectations? I am sure this will help to know Again thank you

You've lost 28 lbs in 7 weeks!!! That's FOUR POUNDS A WEEK! That's huge. You only lose super quickly at the very beginning because of water weight. After that its slows down, and you will have some stalls; that's normal and unavoidable. You did not really gain weight - your weight can go up a pound or two due to water weight, constipation, salty food, etc. The latest research on intermittent fasting is that it doesn't work, so you might read up on that - a brand new, well done study just came out. Hang in there... try to have realistic expectations!

Hello! Thank you all for allowing me in the group🥰 I just had a consultation and I barely qualify for the sleeve but I do! Yay! I'm 5'6 194 lbs. A few questions: I heard going out of the country is cheaper - anyone go out of the country for the surgery? Like, Mexico. I'm in Florida. How did it turn it? I was not comfortable going out of the country, but my insurance covered it, so that was even cheaper than going to Mexico. I know many people who have been happy with their results in Mexico, but I know one person who felt that she needed more care than she got, plus I know that some people go there when they are not approved in the US, and they may not be as careful about turning people down in Mexico. What's the pros and cons I should be aware of? Pros: you will most likely lose a good amount of weight. You MAY see improvement in certain health conditions. You will be able to fit in smaller clothes. You MAY be able to me more active. If you lose weight, people will be nicer to you (sick, but true!) Cons: This is major surgery, and while the chance of a bad outcome is VERY SMALL, there is still some risk. Losing weight will not make you a completely different person - most of your problems will be the same, but you won't be able to use food to cope with them anymore. You will need to take a multi-vitamin every day for the rest of your life, and if you're like me, the multi-vitamin may make you throw up. You may lose some of your hair for a few months I've heard so many horror stories ie people throwing up, not being able to ever eat "normal" again, higher risk for cancer, etc etc etc. I've been doing research but id love to hear yalls thoughts since i know you're live ppl I can actually communicate with😊 I threw up once because the food was too dry (3 weeks after surgery). About once every two weeks I throw up from my multi-vitamin. I've tried three different brands, but it sucks. The only way you could be at a higher risk for cancer I can think of is if you have really bad GERD after sleeve, develop Barrett's esophagus, and this becomes cancer. However, if you get really bad GERD after sleeve, you could have a revision to bypass. Many forms of cancer have higher rates in people who are obese, so it's likely your risk of cancer will go down if you have surgery and lose weight. I eat more "normally" now than before surgery. Before surgery my portions were WAY TOO BIG and I was eating unhealthy food too often. Now I eat a more normal sized portion and less junk food. The only things I can't really eat easily are lettuce and rice, and those are getting easier. Thanks a bunch!

Hi I am 7 weeks in after gastric sleeve- Till the week I started eating solid food at 5 weeks I was losing between 0.5 to 1 pound a day Then it started getting lower till it stalled 10 days ago and I actually gained 2 pounds over the last 10 days - I had taken water pills a couple of times as I noticed swelling around my ankles so I am not sure if the gain back is a result of that My calories intake are between 900 and 1100- Carbs are low- I do more proteins as needed- drink water sometimes 64 ounce sometimes 60 ounces- I workout 3 times/ week now I walk every day I also do intermittent fast 13/11 everyday I am getting very frustrated almost regretting the decision of the surgery as I historically lost more weight on diets the problem was that I always regained the weight I lost 35 pounds since I started and 28 pounds since the day of the surgery Any thoughts? Thank you

I would have been fine to sit in a theatre at two weeks out, but some people do have diarrhea, so be aware of that. Constipation is much more common. Make sure you bring a bottle of water so you don't get dehydrated. Maybe allow yourself extra time for getting to the train and getting from the train to the theatre in case walking makes you tired, or your incisions are sore. It sounds wonderful!

If you're only eating 950 calories but you're lifting weights and doing treadmill, it's likely you need to eat more. Or, make sure the food you are eating during the day is high quality and likely to keep you full - protein, fiber, and fat. As long as you're in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight, though the rate varies and there are always stalls, no matter how few calories you eat... and if you eat too few calories, you may slow down your weight loss. The other thing to consider is drinking things like coffee/tea that have caffeine which can reduce hunger. Or milk, which can help you feel full. Raw non-starchy veggies could be a good option when you just want to munch on something.

I did pay a consult fee for my two appointments. One was $100 and one was $150. I did feel like both surgeons spent a good amount of time with me so I felt the money was appropriate, in the sense that I was paying for their time. Maybe it’s not as normal and I didn’t realize. If you are interested in a potential drive I’m booked with Dr Streu in pdx for August. I was impressed with her and the facility. In discussing specifics I also feel like the amount of OR time required for the three procedures indicates that she’s a relatively quick surgeon which is important to me. We will see how I feel in September anyway!

Hi. I had surgery on 21-March. I was on my treadmill 3 days later, walking slowly but am back up to jogging or walking fast depending on daily motivation. I was cleared on Monday to start lifting weights (light <25lbs for the next two weeks and then I can increase) again, which I started, also on Monday. I feel great, but oh boy am I hungry - which I was expecting. I'm eating about 950 calories a day, but I'd be lying if I said my stomach isn't growling at days end and when I wake up. I eat 6 small meals a day, protein is around 80g/day and I drink about 100-110 oz of water daily. I am seriously scared to bump my calories to support the weight training. Has anyone begun weight training early on with their cardio? If so, how did you combat the hunger? My nutritionist said to increase my calories by 200 and I want to but I'm seriously so nervous I'm going to stall. I'm down 30ish pounds and have another 50 to go...

One week and I will be on my way to Mexicali Bariatrics in Mexicali MX. May 13 surgery. Anyone going to this site?

I am getting resleeve due to not loosing enough and gaining 30lb back. I lost 65lbs. My doctor would not do it he automatically said gastic without doing test ect. I had it in Mexico. I research it an found a hospital that does it only 3 hrs from my home. I live in AZ now. Going to Mexicali mx . I went there last week had a barium swallow before they would commit to a sleeve. I had my old xrays from right after surgery. Thank God I did. He said the technique they use left the top part really large from surgery. He told me it was not my fault. He said I needed a better tool to work with. So if your thinking re sleeve it depends on the issue. I go may 13 for surgery. Looking forward to the new me. I understand a lot more this time round.

Finally the stall has broken and scale started moving again. Hoping it continues to trend down and next stall is far far away 😂

Surgery recovery for me was not bad but the gas pain for about the first 3 days was horrible. I also had a hernia (huge one) and major damage to my esophagus from years of GERD which was also repaired. My surgeon said he basically did 3 surgeries at once. I am 6 weeks post-op and no I cannot tell anything was physically changed inside my body. Everything works normal. Other than I obviously just can't eat much. I also eat about 1/2 cup of food at a time and have light cheese or meat and cheese roll ups for snacks. I drink a shake for breakfast to jump start my protein then lunch and dinner and usually 1 snack. (600-700 cals a day) As far as what you can and cannot eat that is drastically different from person to person. Each person handles different foods differently. On top of that, every surgeons team seems to have drastically different post-op diet plans which may or may not limit what you are allowed to eat. I was on and off the fence for years myself, once I decided to go for it I was full force ahead and dedicated like a pro. I have no regrets! Good luck on your journey.❤️

I did a taste test with samples from different protein powders and flavors this week in preparation for my pre-op diet (starting May 18) where I do 4 shakes a day with one "sensible" meal. Surprisingly delicious was Bariatric Advantage HPMR Banana flavor when it was ice cold. I also liked their chocolate flavor. I shook it up and let it sit for a bit and it thickened to a nice texture. Still need to try the cinnamon. Vanilla wasn't as nice but it was room temp, so I think that was a big factor. They have a "sample kit" of shake flavors that was a good purchase for me because I hate to commit to a whole bag/tub of protein and then realize the flavor is off. Unjury meal replacement shakes also has a sampler of flavors and unfortunately the texture is a little grainy for me. The flavors I tried were also a little sweet. But that may fit the needs of someone else. My WLS clinic sells Optifast products which are the yummiest shakes to me but unfortunately are individually packaged and $3/shake which is much more expensive than everything else. And only available via MD. Hope my taste testing and $$ spent can help someone else! Please share if you guys have tried anything good!