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I had my rny surgery just over 2 months ago. Though there have been a few bumps in the road, I am pleased with the results thus far. I've lost 50 pounds. I can cross my legs! I've gone down 4 dress sizes. I tried on a pair of riding boots and they zipped all the way up without a struggle. No grunting and sweating. You ladies out there with large legs understand what a huge accomplishment that is. I can fit in a movie theater seat with room to spare. Table or booth? I want the booth honey! I recently returned to the gym after about a 2 week break and surprisingly did quite well. I thought for sure that I wouldn't last more than 10 minutes. I worked out for an hour. Whew! I'm trying to work back up to my pre op work out routine of going to the gym 4-5 times a week and sometimes twice a day. My work outs generally lasted one and a half to two hours. Now I'm very tired all of the time which I hear is normal in the early months following surgery. Just making it to the gym is half of the battle but I have to do it. I aspire healthy and more comfortable in my own skin. This is not about vanity. Well maybe a little. I want to tell plus size clothing goodbye forever. I want to be able to fit comfortably in an airplane seat without a seatbelt extender. I want to ride rides at amusement parks again. That's only the beginning. I'm so excited to see what my future holds. Tell me about your milestones. What things are you able to do now that you never have or just things that you haven't been able to do in a long time? Also, please share your goals. We can encourage one another as we work toward them.

I asked my Dr. today, I am almost 4 weeks post op and he said abdominal exercises are okay. Looks like it just depends on your Dr and how you feel.

I'm running 6 weeks post-op and feel good. Listen to your body and your doctor. Best wishes!

I was wondering if anyone has some advice for a newbie? I struggle with being hungry all the time and I try to ignore it or drink water but if I drink too much water I end up with acid reflux. I sometimes will drink a protein shake but that doesn't really help right now. I am only 2 weeks into getting started on the road of getting better off. Does the hunger pains get better?

I've been bouncing back between 190-192 for 2 weeks. Last night I was PMSing and decided to have some red wine. 4 ozs led to 8ozs which led to dark chocolate and peanut butter which led to tortilla chips which led to candied pecans!!!!! A mini binge yes, seeing as though they weren't large quantities, but a binge no less. I woke up this morning at 188!!!! So is this how you break a stall? Break all the rules and go nuts for a day??? Btw I'm almost 4 months out and as if today down 50 lbs!!

I'm on week 3 - soft foods. I had my first scrambled egg this morning, and it was delicious! No problems! It's my understanding that you just don't want to overcook the egg, so over easy sounds like it would work!

Same here. My surgeon did not routinely test for leaks, but I had a low grade fever for a couple of weeks. I had to drink nastiness and was put in an xray machine with a bed, which tilted this way and that and I had to turn this way and that, so they could video the nastiness as it made its way down. Not painful, just a pain. I did have drains. They were not bad or painful, just in the way. They were removed the morning I left the hospital. Eight months out it's all fuzzy and surreal. None of that mattered past the moment in which it occurred. What matters is the end result! And you will love that!!

Same as Ailly. I had to stand in front of the xray and swallow the liquid while they recorded the day after my surgery. It was about 4 small sips. They try to make it taste better with some orange flavor or something but it is gross. I did not have a drain either. The best thing to know going in is to be patient. It can get frustrating being on liquids or purees for awhile or having pains from surgery or gas but they will get better. You will have stalls on the scale, but measure yourself before so you can track inches too. I have been mostly stalled on the scale since July but have gone down two pant sizes.

I was sleeved on August 17th and coming up on my eight-month surgiversary. So far I've lost 90 pounds. I'm so excited that I have lost 90 pounds. I feel better than I have in a long time, I am in the smallest of my small-clothes-reserve (we all have them, right?), but I have hit a serious stall. I know that stalls are normal, but this stall has been going on for months, since January (it's April now). There's no way that I would be "done" losing yet, right? I'm totally grateful for 90 pounds, but seriously...I'm still 90 pounds from my goal! Has anyone had this kind of stall? Any help and advice anyone can offer would be awesome! Thanks!

If you are getting all your protein/water, exercising and limiting carbs, your body may just be taking a break. You can still lose inches during a stall, tho. I've gone down a size or 2 during my stalls. You can try changing things up for a few days, sometimes that will break a stall. More exercise, different exercise or intensity, more liquid, more Protein, etc.... It will happen, I know it is frustrating, though.

Thank you Mimi52 - how are you doing? Your name makes me curious. I turned 53 a couple weeks after my surgery and have 7 grandkids and one in the way. How far out are you? How have you done, etc? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have a bunch of things on my "to do" list too. I keep thinking I need to start grouping my smaller clothes by their sizes so they are together as I can fit back into them. I've been to the lawyer to update a few things (I'm a single parent) and I'd thought to buy some baby food fruit & veggies for some of the soft food recovery period. I have a leg wax appointment scheduled. I'm taking at least two weeks away from work although I might work from home the second week. I'm so excited! I just hope I'm approved quickly.

Really this was what I experienced as well, my husband would help me up so I wouldn't have to use my stomach muscles so much and I avoided laying down much so it wouldn't hurt so bad. I propped pillows and sat up in bed to sleep and I've heard of a few people sleeping in a recliner. I started to feel a difference by about day 4 and "slowly" it improved for about 2 weeks after that. Everyone is different and I hope you heal faster than I did, it's been 4 1/2 weeks and so far it has been so worth it, Good Luck you'll do great

Was making Chicken soup with veggies for all my kids and I as I was cutting veggies I compleat lay forgot about the surgery I ate a piece of carrot chewed on it and swallowed it that's when I realize OMG u started Getting really nervous walked around and drank some water. What to do is this ok I'm only a week and two days off surgery and now this.

I agree your doctor will give you suggestions, what was on my list was low sodium clear chicken broth, popsicles, gautorade q2, basically anything clear and not heavy..then after two weeks I went on full liquids which included protein shakes, and more soups no chunks...then two weeks later, full food...good luck on your journey!

Hi Jodie, It's sad, but it doesn't seem at all uncommon to lose friends once you've had WLS. It seems that they break up into two camps - the ones who are true friends and who stick with you through it all and the ones who can't get over their own insecurities and jealousies. I've only been banded two weeks, and I can already put every friend I have into these two groups. I know from your other posts that you are housebound unless someone takes you with them, so it's no easy matter to go on your own. Hang in there and concentrate on being the best friend you can be to the people who deserve it. Another thing to consider, and I confess I am completely guilty of this, is that when we're planning on weight loss surgery and going through all of the crap we have to go through before, during, and after surgery we tend to be a little... okay, a lot self-centered. I realized yesterday when I was talking to my sister that I had been going on and on about my liquid diet and the weight I was trying to lose. I hadn't even thought to ask how she was doing. So make sure you're being a good friend too - they may be staying away because it's always about you right now. Good luck with everything!

Next Thursday is my last appointment and I make my surgery date...but i scared. I'm not sure if I can do this? I've been cheating on my dieting for about a week and a half. If I can't manage under the pressure now, how will I be able to after

I wore a binder for about a week after surgery- it really helped keep me from moving in ways that would cause the incisions to hurt. I don't know if shapewear will help your body go back to where you want it. I bought some because some of my skin has gotten saggy as I've lost weight. I pretty much only wear it if I'm putting on something form-fitting. Krista

Techynerd, it sounds like we have adopted similar post surgical lifestyles in regards to being active. I am training for my first 5K run (in over 15 years) on Thanksgiving. I get to the gym 5-6 times a week and participate in a variety of fairly intense cardio workouts. I run 2-2.5 miles on the treadmill about 3x per week and do a lot of rowing on the ergometer. I attend 2 cycling classes each week. I have hit a stall for the last month. I have lost 90 pounds in 6 months and hit a wall. I know I'm eating correctly and definitely being very active. I record my food in MFP and take in about 1500-1700 per day. My Bodymedia fitness monitor says I usually burn about 3000 per day. I should be losing. What did you do when you hit these stalls? Congratulations on your success. I wish you long term successful consistency.

I am 2 months out and eat finely chopped tomatoes 1/4 cup with 1 oz of meat for both lunch and dinner. I am very satisfied. According to my paperwork at week 7 my surgeon says we can have a regular diet. It's funny I have always been a salad lover however, right now I am just craving the tomato.

That's ONEderful! Congrats! I can't wait until I get there too! I'm just 5 weeks post-op, so it's going to be a little while, 17 or so more pounds to go.

I've regained. I was so on track the first year or so, lost a lot but never made it to goal. Now, of the 150 I lost, I've regained about 90. I'm not happy. My unhappiness makes me want to eat more. I bought my Protein shakes but I swear I still eat as much when I drink them. It's hard... I keep planning to go all liquid for a week or two but have no willpower. Yes, I need to see a therapist. But, I don't have the time or the insurance coverage to handle that. So, I will do my best with what I already know to do and hope that I can get back on track. I know what you mean tho. I'm 4 years out from surgery now and I feel like I can pretty much eat anything and as much as pre-surgery. That awesome appetite-free feeling post op DOES NOT LAST!

Hi there twiley, I agree this is a great site, so much information and support! Good luck with your appt. next week! Let us know how you make out! Pat

Good morning! So, it’s been over 2 weeks since I’ve actually stepped on the scale. Bad? Good? Neither, more like a huge sigh of relief. My scale has been living my life for me for the last 6 years. It has defined who I was, and it was the precursor on how I would feel that day. I go up a few pounds? Bad day and everyone around me look out! I go down a few pounds? The world is a beautiful place and everyone and everything are super duper!! Why is this? In the very beginning of my Sleeve journey (not my pre-band and not my band journey) I was only weighing in once a week. Every Wednesday I would jump on the scale and see how my week went. Pretty much every single time I stepped on I was down at least a few pounds. Awesome! Some weeks it would drop huge numbers, sometimes only one pound. They were all fine with me – if you only knew what I went through with my band, you’d know that for ME EVERY SINGLE POUND lost WAS A BLESSING!! For the record that has not changed. I’ll tell you what has changed. How often I was stepping on that scale. Over time my weigh-ins would increase. From a few times per week, then up to a few times per day. For me, this really started to mess with my mind! In the beginning it was no big deal. But the closer I started to get to some very huge weight milestones I started to really let it affect my mood. NOT GOOD!! I did always promise that if it did affect me negatively then I would take a step back and not do it anymore. …and that leads me to today. Today I have not weighed in two weeks! I think this is for sure the longest I’ve gone since my sleeve surgery. I think I’m almost ready to get back on. *Almost*. Wednesdays have always been my weigh day – but I may change that. Before my sleeve I always liked to weigh in on Fridays. I think I may go back to that. The reason for this is during my workweek I am excellent!! I do my workouts, I eat perfect – I’m just really on point during these days. It’s always nice to see the fruits of my labors at pretty much the end of this. The weekends are a lot harder to manage. Hubby and I are always really busy and whatnot, it’s just not as structured. I’d rather not see the bounces if at all possible. Is this avoiding the truth? Who cares??? My sanity is at stake here!! LOL!! IMO as long as the scale is going down, I’m happy. Even if it’s one little pound – ya know that’s still ONE POUND closer to GOAL!! Gotta love that. Especially since I’ve only got about 30 or so to go. Most folks tell me that I don’t look like what I weigh. Awesome! I wish I did though. I would most likely at this point just try to wiggle myself into maintenance mode at this point. However, the fact is I DO still weigh what I do (199.6 at last check) so I still have a little bit to go. I was going to go for the maximum weight according to the ridiculous BMI charts. For me that would be 154 Lbs being that I’m 5’6”. Knowing this I’d still have 45.6 Lbs to lose. Ummm… no. I’m already fitting in some 10’s and mostly all 12’s now. My 14’s are pretty much ready for donation but I’m wearing them until they fall off me… LOL… which is not too far from now. Who knows what size I’ll be in 30-35 more Lbs. I will surely be done by then. Anyway like my title said, My Scale Does Not Define ME!!! I do. Blessings to all on your journeys. I know this is long winded – but that’s how I do things...

Hi girls, I just got done with this intensive outpatient program to teach people how to deal with stress and depression and it has helped, and I just saw my therapist this week, but it's not something I feel I can control right now. I'm just dealing with it until I move next week and get situated, I think things will be better. I thought I may need a unfill and called Kaiser and my doc had to refer me to the baratric nurse and they said if things don't get better, they may need to do an endoscopy to make sure the band is in place and not slipped, but some days I can eat, and most days I can't. So, at this point, I'm just going to wait it out and see what happens when I move out and settle in. Financial issues, no car, boyfriend working on car but taking his time and I'm just stressed out to the max but trying to take it easy now and taking my time with the move and packing. Thank you girls. :smile: