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Hi- I had my ESG done around the same date as you and hoping to hear an update. I live in San Diego so opted to have it done in Mexico. But I’m wondering if that was the wrong choice. I feel very little restriction 6 weeks out. I can eat a significant amount of food before a sudden full feeling comes on. I have no issues meeting protein or water goals. I can comfortably drink a protein shake in a minute.. I’ve had 10lbs weight loss and no weight loss since starting solid foods.

Kind of yes and no. I met with my surgeon team and was told try to stay around 1000-1200 calories, 130g or less of carbs, and to be at least 80g of protein. They said they don’t know why for some people the metabolism reacts differently and changes greatly with surgery while with others the metabolic response is very minimal. They said obesity is a chronic disease that the body settles into. They said that the journey though is my own and that I shouldn’t be comparing myself to the substantial weight loss others have. I think it’s really hard to not compare sometimes though because many here get the surgery and become very healthy very fast. They are planning to meet with me again in about a month and will discuss various weight loss medicine additions such as ozempic, wegovy, metformin, topiramate, phentermine, mounjaro. It could take one or a pair of these medications together to get the metabolic rate to be where it needs to be for weight loss for me.

Hello @ihoneyyou, You are doing so well. I think you look great too. Have you had children ? I ask because you may need a muscle repair to rectify your tummy shape. It may not be all weight loss related

@BlueParis I’m sure you’re really happy to be home and WTG on the weight loss! @NickelChip I’m usually able to get between 60-70 gms of protein a day in with no shakes most days…..I eat a lot of tuna, Greek yogurt, buffalo chicken dip, and my new favorite is chicken pizza crust pizza. I also occasionally eat canned turkey chili with no beans in it for lunch mainly cause it’s soft and high in protein but a little different than what I’m usually eating. I’m definitely getting bored with my food choices but anytime I try and add in stuff I end up coming up short on protein and have to drink a shake. 🤢I use liquacel also. They gave it to me in the hospital and I prefer it to shakes. It’s 16 gms of collagen protein ( it is a complete protein and my nutritionist is ok with it) it’s super sweet but I just mix it with a little water and I’m good. @RonHall908 and I’m with you guys on the slow weight loss train also so it must be pretty normal although irritating. Lol @LisaCaryl I’m glad your nausea is getting better. Maybe you’d like the liquacel to help with your protein since you don’t eat meat. You can buy them in one dose packets so you could try them before you bought a bottle of it. I like the peach mango one the best but it is super sweet so not sure if it’s for ev1 but maybe an option for some of y’all needing a protein boost with no shakes 🤷🏼‍♀️ https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/liquacel-liquid-protein-1oz-packets-flavors?variant=5067375607845 heres the single serve packets but I ended up buying the multiple dose bottles directly from the manufacturer cause it was cheaper. https://globalhp.com/shop/liquacel-liquid-protein/

It is a bit unnerving to have days where you can only get a small amount of food in, then the next, so much easier or visa versa. I agree with the others here that it all seems to balance out. Unless on those easier days, you are consuming slider foods and not the protein and veggies as prescribed. My appetite ups and downs haven't seemed to hinder my weight loss at all. In fact, it's probably good to vary your daily caloric amount (within limits) so the body doesn't adapt. Kind of the same as with exercise. I recently met a woman who had Gastric Bypass quite a few years ago when WLS was young, and she had gained all her weight back. It served as a reminder that I never want to go back there ever again. If we don't make the changes we need to early on, regain is inevitable. The surgery can only take us so far... GL

I had mine removed 2 years & 1 month after my sleeve. Could have been because of the weight loss, menopause, my high bilirubin levels or simply my past eating. Had a stone about 1cm diameter but it certainly made itself known. That pain is the worst! Never changed what I was eating after surgery. Was eating the same the day after it was removed. Some people struggle with fatty foods in the long term after (my aunt describes it as feeling liverish 🤷🏻‍♀️.) but of course I don’t eat a lot of fat so wouldn’t know if it sets it off. My sister-in-law doesn’t have any difficulties with foods post her gall removal. Probably a case of just how your body reacts. Only thing to watch for the first month or so (again depends upon you) is you may have more stomach acid & have issues with that. Your gall regulated the acid entering your tummy & without it you may have a more constant stream until things settle again. Eat small meals more regularly & try a PPI for a little while to reduce the acid. The excess acid can cause diarrhoea & some discomfort in an empty tummy. I had regular bouts of diarrhoea & I remember my surgeon saying to comeback if it persisted for more than a month. It didn’t but every few weeks I’ll get bout of it. Don’t really get cramps or any of the other usual diarrhoea warning signals just a bit of a grumbling & need to go.My sister-in-law is the same.

Aww-gee-thanks! I just took what my surgeon said would make me successful, made myself a plan, and did it! For anyone who has a brain that works like mine (MORE details, please!!!), this makes life easy, post-op! At my 1-week appointment, everyone was telling me I didn’t look or move like I had just had major surgery, my color was great, I looked so energized and happy - and I did! I felt so great, and this was even BEFORE I started my multi. He told me “exceeding expectations” at every follow-up appointment I’ve had, to date. All I did was what my surgeon said was the formula for success. FLUIDS, PROTEIN, MOVEMENT. It’s that easy! AND, I have lost HALF of my extra weight, as of yesterday! I’m so happy! And I haven’t done anything besides what my surgeon said would make me successful. I had lost 19 pounds on my own, before my first surgeon visit. I lost 16 lbs from my consultation to surgery date. The rest of my losses have been post-op, which has been 38 lbs, as of yesterday. Yesterday, I started Week Ten Post-Op (my surgery was April 2nd). The full long term list is: Water, Protein, Movement, Supplements, Whole Foods, Go To All Your Appointments & Participate In Any Extras Your Surgeon Offers (My surgeon does monthly group webinars with post-op patients! It’s so great!) Also, I hope nobody takes this as bragging. I just want to show if you do what they ask of you, there’s no other option besides being a success! You can’t lose! Keep it simple by remembering your basic job right now: Fluids, Protein, Movement. You CAN and WILL do it! There’s no way to fail, this time! Even if “movement” for you means walking a circle around your couch and then sitting down, that’s a start! Just move your body, drink water, get protein.

I have Fibromyalgia and it has not changed because of weight loss. The surgeon told me this. I had zero pain when I woke up from the surgery but was a little tender in my stomach area. I take 8 Co-codamol a day when the pain is fierce and a 10mg Amitriptyline every night to help me relax. My new tiny stomach was very swollen and I couldn't take the pills for about 4 weeks. I had some morphine patches from my doctor but it wasn't severe enough to be an issue after week 1. I take 2 tablets for GERD a day, These have to be taken separately from my pain meds because of absorption issues.

Thanks, @RonHall908! I should probably say, the 48lbs lost stretches back to last summer when I was at my highest ever weight and started incorporating the Pound of Cure guidelines into my daily routine. I lost 13lbs just with that over about 6 months, and then I lost about 13lbs more during the 2-week pre-op diet. So 26 of it was pre-op and 22 is post-op. Which kind of feels weird. I thought the surgery would ramp things up, but it feels like it slowed things down! I know there's a lot more going on metabolism-wise that will make it easier in the long run to lose more and keep the weight off, but it still can do your head in sometimes trying to balance expectations and reality. This is also the weight where I plateaued during my last serious weight loss attempt, right around losing 20% of my starting body weight. I know that research shows that most people can lose 5-10% of their body weight, but once you get to the 15 to 20% mark your body usually rebels. I assume that may be what's happening here as everything has to readjust, and the surgery changes will eventually make it possible to push past that plateau where I couldn't do it before. Fingers crossed!

It’s so frustrating i wonder if for me something else is holding me back like pcos, I’ve had it my whole life. Im also curious if having the drastic weight loss pre surgery affected post surgery and has made it less significant. I’m just as lost and confused here but we’re lost and confused together! Have you tried asking about phentermine or another medication? Pre surgery mounjaro and phentermine really worked well for me.

like others have said, skin itself does not weigh alot. the stories you have heard about people losing 20-30-40 lbs after plastics, are either (A) folks who lost HUNDREDS of pounds, or (B) folks who had subcutanous fat under their skin, which was removed during plastics.). Most people fall under group B. plastics is more about visual aesthetics (or comfort/life quality) vs actual weight loss on the scale. My surgeon told me the "material" he removed from me weighed a grand total of 400g (less than 1 lb)....not at all significant on the scale, but VERY significant in the mirror. getting a dexa scan is a good idea if you want to know what your physiological make up is. you could use the results of this scan to discuss with your surgeon what they anticipate your end result would be. unfortunately there is no way to know for sure what your results will be until you actually go thru it. good luck! ❤️

Constipation is very common. So your pain may be from that. Remember even though you’re only drinking liquids, those shakes & soups have nutrients that end up as waste once your body has got what it needs from them. Your poop may be small &/or softer or you may have bouts of diarrhoea from all the liquid. Don’t expect to go every day either in the beginning. Back pain can also occur because of your weight loss. Many of us experience this as our bodies try to rebalance ourselves as we get smaller. Our muscles, tendons, etc. have been compensating for our heavier weight & now it doesn’t have to. Our posture & centre of gravity changes too so don’t be surprised when at odd times you lose your balance. The back pain can be from being moved about during the surgery too. But as with all things, if this seems strange or unusual for you or the pain isn’t manageable, contact your medical team. Better to be sure it’s nothing than something. Congrats on your surgery!

All possible side effects besides weight-loss. That can be detrimental to your health. (Reality ) 💕.

First, a long stall between 3 to 6 months is totally normal and the type of thing doctors should tell us to expect. But weight loss surgery is a game changer. This is no longer about calorie restriction to force your body to shed some weight, and if you think about it logically, it's impossible that your body is carrying out all its bodily functions on less than 1000 calories per day. It's burning fat, and also shifting fluids which account for a lot of what the scale reports to you as weight. If someone who had not had surgery said I will only 800 calories, you would be concerned for their health. I say this as someone who is in a similar place mentally and emotionally as you are after stalling again for 9 days: you have to stop the dieting mentality. Calorie restriction got you nowhere before and it will do nothing but hinder you now. Stop counting calories, especially if your team does not require it. Stop weighing yourself. Focus on eating protein, veggies, fruit, beans, nuts, and seeds. Focus on avoiding artificial sweeteners, processed foods, and simple carbs. Focus on creating sustainable habits and getting the right balance of foods every time you eat. Weigh yourself in a week. Or a month. This isn't about the scale or what you lose from day to day. It's about getting healthy for the rest of your life. It'll happen but you need to step back and not drive yourself crazy over it.

While loss of hunger is a benefit of the surgery, there are some who continue to feel hunger. Distinguishing whether you are experiencing real hunger or head hunger is most important to distinguish which you are experiencing. Craving a specific food, flavour or texture (like your desire to chew) is head hunger. If you used food to comfort or sooth yourself in the past during times of stress, anxiety, emotional upsets, hormonal variations, etc. you are likely experiencing head hunger simply because of the (conscious or sub conscious) physical & mental stress of the surgery. Having hunger pangs/pains is head hunger most of the time. You’re still producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery in your much smaller tummy which will cause the hunger pangs/pains. It’s why we’re usually prescribed a PPI to reduce the amount of acid for a period of time after surgery until it settles. A rumbling tummy also is not a sign of hunger in most cases - just your digestive system working. Many nerves are cut during surgery so signals and messages from your tummy to signal things like real hunger either aren’t getting through or are being distorted. Most of us discover our signals for real hunger are very different from the signals we used to recognise as hunger. I feel restless, like something is wrong & logically there is a real & legitimate reason for being hungry. All this takes time to recognise & understand & is part of the head work we all talk about you needing to do a long the way. Doesn’t help with your hunger though of course while you’re sorting through all this. In the meantime, look for a distraction. Try reading, contacting friends or family, crafting, go for a short walk, play a game, check social media, meditate, etc. Sipping a warm drink can be helpful too. All the best & congrats on your surgery.

I thought I was gaining ground and hadn’t thrown anything up in several days, but then I attempted to eat chicken breast for dinner last night and after only a couple bites I was sick because it felt stuck. I just can’t seem to chew it rough or eat slow enough. I only keep attempting it because it seems to be higher in protein than a lot of other meats. The scale is moving for me again so woohoo!!! I’m down to 176lbs. I was 207lbs when I started. I got a new ring that monitors activity so I’m up and moving now. Only 6000 steps a day but it’s a start! Thank you to everyone in my little group here for all your posts. My surgery was February 22nd. I have my post op appt next week on the 25th. I’m hoping my weight loss is on track.

@draikaina8503 - It sounds like the struggle has been super real for you, and I hate to hear that you've had such a tough time. I didn't have a drainage tube because of the type of surgery I had (as far as I know, unless it was only used DURING the surgery itself). The staples are a pain; and bending or stretching too much causing pain is 100% something I empathize with you in regards to. I was really nervous about showering with them in as well, but honestly the warm water from the shower set to a gentle pressure did feel really nice. I also used the special soap they gave me when I washed my staple area lightly with a washcloth. I was afraid of using a loofah thinking it might snag or something. I also feel where you (and others) are coming from on the fluids and dry mouth - I still find myself super relieved when I can finally have a drink 30 mins after a 'meal'. I will say that as long as I keep my intake moist (super soupy purees or broths) that it isn't TOO bad - and I definitely have to watch how many ounces I intake for my meals. I eat slowly, but when the food tastes good and I'm eyeballing my protein goal it's HARD not to want to try to 'finish' my serving. I learned my lesson with my oatmeal this morning, though. It sat more heavily on/in my stomach after I ate than I expected and I struggled to have a few burps that relieved the weight and pressure I felt in my chest. Your mention of letting ice chips dissolve in your mouth helped me today - the cold really did slow my intake and provide relief. I hope you're starting to feel better now! I created a sort of 'routine' for my mornings that I think is working pretty well, though. I try to only have a sip of water when I first wake up and them immediately prepare my breakfast. With purees that are thick to the consistency of yogurt there's a trick where you basically just swallow your meds a couple at a time (if they are small) with a spoonful of yogurt/cottage cheese/medium thick puree. That's what I do to get down my morning meds, and as long as I don't overeat I go to have a brief warm shower afterward. The movements of me showering and standing help get my body to produce a burp or two, and putting my arms over my head when I wash my hair (yes, still some pulling especially on the left side so I have to go easy with THAT arm) does expand my torso and help my food settle. This also take sup some of the time gap I have to leave after eating before I can drink. Usually by the time I'm done with my shower, done drying, and have caught my breath it's almost time for me to be able to sip fluids again. @Pepper_No_Salt I'm still shocked that they sent you home from the hospital on the same day. Whew. I'm glad to see you're been feeling better each day, Moving on to strained soups was a biggie for me and I certainly can appreciate that having been one of your first planned stops! I did the same thing after I got my staples out. Today I am going to try to return to some broth for lunch and wish I had gotten more cans of chicken noodle when I went to the store. Maybe I'll try to season some of the 'cream of' soups I've got sitting around. My first try with them wasn't good, but then again they were room temperature then. Hopefully they taste better next time around! @ShoppGirl @Onemealplan @Greekmom4 @AndreaJD- Thank you all for the recipes and information! I tried my oatmeal yesterday with the whey protein powder a friend had given me and honestly - it was gritty, and I was disappointed. This morning I used part of a vanilla ensure and I used a potato peeler to slice off the exterior of three strawberries I mixed in with it and it was 100x better. I actually ate about 5oz of it super slowly and regretted that as it either expanded or wouldn't quite settle. I wasn't sick, but I was very uncomfortable for a while and had to shower and move around, then stand and take a couple of sips of cold water to initiate a couple of burps that provided some relief. Once I started to feel better I realized that the icy cold beverage helped me, and so I went ahead and had a sugar free popsicle. I took my time with it and found that the cold spreading across the inside of my chest felt very good and now I'm feeling much better. Has anyone had good luck finding an unflavored protein powder that doesn't feel gritty when mixed? Just curious - and if someone already answered this I'm sorry; trying to get caught up but not sit for too long! @CrazyDog&CatLady - Good luck to you on your revision and thank you for sending us all positive vibes for preparation and healing! Also, welcome to the thread! @ShoppGirl - I second what you said a thousand percent about using ALL the coping strategies you can to get through this. I'm having to completely re-learn my body, and in fact learning things about myself I never realized or understood before. The feeling of 'full' does echo my feelings of 'anxiety' and I've found that I'm extra sensitive due to that in the hour after I have a meal. I've also found that just like with the walking to get the gas worked out I also need to walk around a little bit after my meal to get my food to sit properly. Additionally, I'm learning the importance of remaining UPRIGHT until my stomach has settled past a meal. It's not even 'going to sleep too soon after eating, it's being at too little of an incline. I've woken up two nights in a row with heartburn in the wee hours that I can only attribute to drinking something maybe too fast before going to bed, or sipping at an incline rather than sitting up completely to deal with my dry mouth during the night. I do space my calcium out to later in the day and have been taking my multi w/Iron and ADEK about an hour after my breakfast. That seems to so far be working to stave off any nausea I would get from taking them on an empty stomach. Thank you for explaining about the B12 injections and congratulations on overcoming your anxiety giving them to yourself! Sorry if I missed anyone - I've hit my cap for sitting for the moment. Best wishes to all and encouragement to those who have surgery in the coming days! If I recall we have two having surgery tomorrow, yes? Another set of 8/21 surgery buddies? I'll try to recap and review later!

Today marks 1 month since my surgery. Little back history for me, my start weight in March during diet for surgery: 280#. My surgery day: 269#. Today, I'm at 256#. I started and am currently still at at class 3 obesity. Posting before and after pictures. I read and hear so many positive stories on how others lost 30+ pounds their first month. I should be happy with the fact I am losing weight but super slowly. I'm considered a "slow loser" apparently. I'm down 13 pounds in 1 month. I go 5-6 days plateaued same weight before I drop another pound. It's quite annoying. I've been drinking/drinking protein shakes, yogurt, cottage cheese and when I'm not working, I drink between 64-96 oz of water. When I'm working (I work as a warehouse worker and does get to heavy lifting at times), I can hardly down 16 oz of water. When I work, I get excited thinking, "I'm burning so many calories, I'm bound to finally lose that pound!" Just to be disappointed. I weigh daily, I have a separate nutritionist outside of the place I got my surgery as the nutritionist there hasn't helped much, doesn't respond or pay much attention when I try talking to them. So, I found a different one. I tried not weighing in each day, went a week, only to still be disappointed with the same weight. I do occasionally lick unhealthy items or chew and spit out just to get some flavor again. It's not often. Something different about me is I have a lot of muscle naturally. I also have PCOS. I've read PCOS can stall weight loss. I do for sure see changes in my stomach, not so much in my face or my arms...but why can't I be happy about this? Is this like a depression thing others have gone through? I'd love some others opinions, stories, how you're feeling right now.

I think in general terms shorter cuts hide hair loss better - IF you do experience significant loss. I lost a lot of hair, in three distinct waves. Plus my hair grows (and regrows) abnormally slowly. I'm 28 months post surgery and my last phase of regrowth is just about below my ears now. I've had to cut my hair shorter than I normally would for about 18 months but I think I'll finally be back to my usual below shoulder length soon. Have to say it's been an opportunity to experiment that I would never have had otherwise! Maybe try new stuff if you need to?

My face on my weight loss journey, from 421 pounds to 213 pounds (18 more pounds to go!!!)

Why do you feel you can’t go to a restaurant? Do you worry there’ll be nothing you can eat i.e. not on your plan or may compromise your weight loss? Scope out menus on line & then suggest where you go to eat? (I still check out menus online before I go out & make my choice before I go & work out what I may need to ask the restaurant to change.) Choose an appetiser or share a main with a friend or family member. Most places offer soup which is always a pretty safe choice. Many places will allow you to make small changes to what you want to order. Make the best choices you can in the situation. You don’t have to eat everything on your plate & you don’t have to have dessert or choose fruit or cheese. Remember this isn’t something you’re doing every day. You have to be able to enjoy your life. At almost 3 weeks after my surgery I went to a casual back yard joint 60th birthday. Took my shake & sipped away. At around three months went to a canapés & cocktails 40th. Sipped a G&T for hours & nibbled on a cheese croquette & a tartlet. At 7 months went to a 21st at a formal restaurant & ordered a fish dish. It can be done. Happy birthday.

Love the term onederland 😂 @NickelChip @BlueParis don’t get discouraged, you’re so much smaller than a lot of us and I would expect it to take longer or for you to have more prolonged stalls than when you weighed more. I know it can be frustrating but you’re doing great! 😘 Weightloss always slows way down when you’re closer to a “normal” weight. Whatever that may be. Oh and WTG on the no drinking! Maybe you can try high protein snacks like quest protein chips or roasted edamame to up your protein? @RonHall908 you look great! hope ev1 is still doing well, I can’t stop myself from weighing everyday, even when I try not too, I end up on the scale anyway. But that’s ok, I go up and down also but I know intellectually that it’s most likely water weight. I stop losing or gain briefly every time I do any exercise and I’m pretty sure it’s water weight. I also agree with @NickelChip that I do think the “stalls” are often related to not enough calories ( also over carbing it, I don’t really exercise much and have PCOS so I don’t metabolize carbs well and try to avoid simple carbs as much as possible) Your body going into starvation mode is truly a real thing and does happen. I seem to notice my most steady weight loss when I follow my diet 95% of the time and then have a cheat meal/day and eat crap I’ve avoided all week like fattening restaurant yummy food like chips and queso or chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. I might stay the same or gain a pound right after then drop several pounds. Plus for me it keeps me from craving all the unhealthy food ALL the time, bc I LOVE food and know that eating only healthy food 100% of the time is unattainable for me. I’ll eventually cheat and fall off the wagon hard! Oh and for anyone feeling disappointed in the slow losses take @LisaCaryl’s advice and go by how your clothes feel or better yet,take measurements if you can. My hubby helps me take my measurements and I log them on the Baritastic app. Even when my scales not moving I’ve lost lots of inches and my clothes are big. Plus I’m back into my small “fat” pants lol 😁 oh and @NickelChip, I feel you on the sweets, I use light and fit Greek yogurt and Russel Stovers sugar free chocolates for desserts! My hubby even likes the Russel Stovers chocolates and can’t tell they’re sugar free. Keep on keepin on guys! 😘

are you able to go to a restaurant or other food-focused venue without feeling the need to eat beyond your limits? you are right, social events are almost always centred around food and drink..i learned early on that i enjoyed the company more than the food back during my weight loss phase (i'm 5+ years out now and i have to say i like the food just as much as the company, lol...but i digress...). if you can be around food and other eating said food without causing you angst, then i say just go to that restaurant or bar or party or whatever and enjoy your friends and loved ones. they can stuff themselves... you don't have to join in. if being around food is too much of a temptation for you, how about a hike, or a dance class/exercise class, the theatre, a spa day, afternoon at the beach, pottery/painting/kayaking/karaoke/climbing/omg the possiblities are endless! HOWEVER, i will say that even with the aforementioned activities, people are eventually gonna get hungry/thirsty and want to go somewhere or pick up something to eat, and then you are back where you are started. personally, i would push for trying to train yourself to be around food and not go to town, as its probably easier (and more realistic) to adjust yourself vs. adjusting everyone around you.. *HAPPY BIRTHDAY* in advance! hope you figure out a way to enjoy your day!!!

A few thoughts from my Sadi experience after nearly 10 years: - Nutritionists are like driving instructors who read a book about driving but never drove themselves. The same can be said for many doctors since only weight loss specialists understand the procedures. - Eat the basics everyday (protein, fruit, fiber), then mostly anything else. - Hydration is vital, I get mine from fruits, tea and water. I eat between 20 to 30 lbs of fruit per week (not kidding). It doesn't add weight. - Get exercise everyday, even just steps are fine. I'm a 6'1 male, 63 yrs old, weigh about 166lbs today. I lost about 152 lbs in year 1, gained back 25lbs after 3 years. Recently gained about 5lbs but working out a lot. I prioritize eating the basics daily, taking the vitamins (less than a DS'er), then eat whatever I want. I get exercise everyday by walking my dog, hikes, biking and going to the gym. It took me about 4 years to get in decent shape after surgery. Now workouts are just a thing I do everyday like any other activity.

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