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Hi, thanks we’re all doing well if we don’t gain… how do I share on the November buddies thread? Still figuring out this app.

I gained 40 lbs!! I maintain at or below goal (150) for 8 years!! I've already lost just under 20 lbs, but I'm on full liquids. No Gerd, no chest pain from the hiatal hernia. Right now, other than struggling with protein, this was a win/win!!

Yes, now that I'm in maintenance, I do allow myself a treat now and then (special occasions). And my day to day diet is not as strict as it was when I was in weight loss phase. You don't have to commit to NEVER having any of your favorite foods ever again. A total abstinence approach works for some people, but it's not realistic for me. But you will need to be mindful of how and what you eat, if you want to maintain the loss. I weigh myself regularly and I adjust based on what I see on the scale. Like a lot of us, I have a redline weight limit that tells me it's time to buckle down and follow my plan more strictly until I lose the pounds I have picked up. Hopefully, I will never again eat recklessly and mindlessly on a day to day basis. But I still enjoy old favorites (just less often and in smaller portions). I hope that helps!

Before surgery, I had been obese since the age of 8. I was 54 when I had the sleeve done. In all those intervening years (decades), I was never able to lose significant weight and keep it off for more than a year (usually 6 months). After surgery, I lost 130 pounds and reached a normal BMI for the first time since I was a little girl. I'm coming up on 3 years since my sleeve and my weight is within 4 pounds of my lowest weight. I had 45 years of trying to lose weight and maintain the loss. If I could have done it on my own, I would have. To a certain extent, you're right. No surgery will allow you to eat unhealthy food on a regular basis and maintain the weight loss. The part you are missing is that for some of us, the surgery alters our appetite and reduces cravings. That makes it much easier to stick to a desired eating plan. Prior to surgery, my appetite beat me up like it was Mike Tyson. Now, it's more like a toddler. It can make a lot of noise, but it doesn't overpower me anymore. I'm not consistently relying on raw will-power, where I'm constantly struggling not to eat. That wouldn't be at all sustainable (as my 45 years of diets demonstrated). Sure, sometimes I want something bad and I have to tell myself "Not right now". But it's a heck of a lot easier to do that now than it was before surgery. It's really unfortunate that you were told you would be able to eat as you did pre-surgery. I honestly don't know ANYONE who completely went back to their old diet and maintained their weight loss. Now that I am in maintenance, I'm not as strict as I was during the weight loss phase. I eat more carbs (in the form of fruit mostly) and I allow myself a treat now and then (Thanksgiving, Christmas, my birthday, Passover, etc.) But day to day, I eat a maintenance diet that is very different from how I ate pre-surgery. Your surgeon is simply wrong. 2 years and 9 months after surgery, I still have significant restriction and my appetite is still about two-thirds of what it was before. The restriction is not as intense as it was in the early days/weeks/months after surgery, but it's there. I am satisfied with a fraction of the food I used to eat at one meal. It will always be possible to "eat around your sleeve" by eating unhealthy food in small portions, but all day long. No surgery can stop you if you are really determined to over-eat. That's why it's important to get to the root of the psychological reasons you depend on food to help you cope. Because surgery doesn't eliminate those issues. It's very unfortunate that your bariatric team didn't prepare you for that aspect of things. Different people have different experiences of what post-surgical life is like. Not everyone gets the long-term appetite reduction that I enjoy. I'm aware that it may not last forever. But almost 3 years later, the sleeve is still helping me maintain my weight loss, WITHOUT a constant will-power battle. It takes commitment sure - I can't eat everything that comes to mind, whenever I want. But for the first time ever, I feel like on any given day, I can CHOOSE how and what I eat, rather than being a prisoner of my appetite.

How you decide to maintain your weight is ultimately your choice. What I do or what someone else does may not work for you. My advice is, whatever you choose to do, make sure it is sustainable. That is, it’s a way of eating that doesn’t mean you have to make sacrifices & are able to enjoy living your life. A way of eating that is overly restrictive is destined to fail. There are always alternatives that are healthier & more nutritious. For example if you want to eat carbs, look for multi or whole grain versions & not highly processed white flours. Want pizza, try cauliflower or chicken bases or pita bread as has been suggested. There are lots of high protein low carbs pastas available too. There are snack foods that are lower in calories & higher in protein then traditional snacks. Try different cooking styles like an air fryer or oven baking versus deep frying. Some people do eat pizza, burgers, fries, etc. but they do so in small portions, occasionally. You know you best & how well you can manage eating fast foods & foods considered unhealthy. Use the time you’re losing & on a restrictive diet, to research different eating styles & reflect on your trigger foods. You may develop your own eating routine by picking & choosing from various ‘diets’. You may become vegetarian. You may switch in some vegan options or meals. You may choose to reduce certain food types from your diet like sugar or fats. You just need to develop a way of eating that works for you. Good luck.

I agree with @catwoman7: speak with your doctor. My thoughts turned to low BP & drops in sugar (hypoglycaemia). Many have temporary issues with these. I wonder if it’s too do with our body getting used to the changes in our diet & reduced calories. Prior to surgery I had a tendency to low blood pressure (occasional drops) & random hypoglycaemic episodes. After surgery & as my weight dropped I had more instances of low BP & a more hypoglycaemic episodes. Now I live with a low BP every day. If I feel a hypoglycaemic episode coming on I’ll grab some berries but, touch wood, I haven’t had one for about 4 or 5 months. I took a bottle of hydralyte with me everywhere I went for months for a boost of energy but any electrolyte drink will work. It helped a lot & I hope it helps you too. Give yourself time. Once your weight stabilises & you’re eating more you may find you feel a lot better. But do speak with your doctor.

My surgery was on November 26, 2021. I just hoped it worked because I only lost 13 pounds and it's been 16 days. The past few days I haven't lost any weight.

Hi, Hope you are all well, I had surgery just over 4 years ago (October 17?) I was a low BMI (34ish) patient years ago, and have regained about 15lbs and have been losing and regaining the same 5lbs for the last month at least. I decided to get on here, maybe for accountability, maybe for some dear diary and maybe just to vent, i think ill use this as a mini accountability system, Anyway its 11:20pm here, so lol diet restarts in 40mins. Ill be doing 60g of protein, and running at least 3 miles 4 times a week, i run regularly. when i lost the weight i ran a marathon, ill be here tomo. see yaa

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. For me, the first 9 months or so (after the initial recovery) were great. I was never hungry, and I had a lot of energy even though I was eating very little. But then things started to change. I felt weak and fatigued all the time. My resting heart rate was less than 40 beats per minute, which my surgeon said was probably because my heart was used to having to work much harder when I was carrying 200 extra pounds, and now that I'm so much smaller, my heart has slowed way down to compensate. My surgeon and the cardiologist to whom he referred me said the bradycardia was probably the cause of the weakness and fatigue, so you might want to get that checked out if your resting heart rate has decreased a lot. Like you, I look much better, but I feel worse than I did before surgery, when I was super morbidly obese. To make matters worse, people keep congratulating me on my weight loss and condescendingly say, "I bet you FEEL better, too!" No, actually, I feel worse than I've ever felt in my life, but hey, at least my body looks socially acceptable now! On the other hand, I was in bad shape before surgery, with hypertension and diabetes that probably would have just kept getting worse if I hadn't lost the weight, and now I no longer have either. It's hard to say whether I'm better or worse off overall than I was before the surgery, but I think it's useless to think about it that way because I made the best decision I could based on what I knew at the time, and there's no going back now.

If you have difficulty exercising due to Ehlers Danios, here is a mobility device that can get you back running again. I got one because bad knees and my weight prevented me from doing any serious walking. Another woman in my area has one too. Neither of us are actually disabled, just limited by pain. I can walk and run easily with no stress on my joints or back. We always draw a lot of curious attention wherever we ride.This past week my friend rode hers on the track at the local YMCA, and will use it to attend a dog show out of state. She is flying and will gate-check it. I won't kid you, it is expensive ($2500 US) and there is a learning curve but it's worth both the expense and the effort. There are users who run races with it. There are also crowdfunding and rent-to-own programs. It's called an Alinker, a three-wheeled walking bike. See alinker.com for videos and more information.

My surgery was Dec 4. I only stayed one night in the hospital. Was able to get up and walk, no problems. The first couple of days were a blur. Once I got home I almost panicked not knowing what to do, even though I had prepared. I was sore for several days. Still sore, not as bad. Dr did have to repair a hernia that we didn't know about. Now I have occasional cramping, struggle with some nausea, but my zofran takes care of that quickly. Finding myself being a little weak. I think most of this is normal. Follow up with doc Tuesday. Stats: Sw: 256 Surgery date 229 Cw: 219 By the way, I gained about 6 or 7 lbs while in the hospital, so don't let that freak you out!

That’s awesome! Great job! I’m almost 4 months post op and have lost 23 kg (50 lbs). My BMI is now 27.4. Only 8 more kgs (~17lbs) till I’m in the healthy range. I can’t believe it. I can’t remember the last time I was this weight. 😃

Yea..... this has been a 3 year process. He did a endoscopy and colonoscopy beforehand; and determined because i didn't have damage or Barrett's he would do the sleeve.. I also think it's because he doesn't fully believe in me? One would think a starting weight of 429 would warrant bypass( along with many chronic illnesses including PCOS) But here we are.. i see a revision in my future to reach a goal weight of 200 or below. I will make sure to bring that up and post op on tuesday; although I am not even seeing him, just his NP [emoji19][emoji849] Sent from my SM-N986U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Never say never. I’m 3 years out, and i can (and do) eat anything. Well, except excess sugar in one sitting (i dump)…when i do eat sugar (i.e., dessert) its always just a little at a time. I eat bread, cookies, chocolate, fried foods, sauces, the occasional pizza slice (albeit only when Mr. makes it, as its delicious), rice (in my sushi), pasta (again only when Mr. makes it), and drink alcohol. I go out to eat at restaurants regularly. I’d go even more if it wasn’t so Covid-y out there. So long as my average calories stays at or below my maintenance calories (i track EVERYTHING), then its all good. If my weight goes north of my self-imposed high weight limit (i weigh myself everyday) for 3-4 consecutive days, i cut cals for a while, until I’m in my happy weight range again. I had to do this 3 times in year 2…haven’t had to do it again so far *crosses fingers*. All my labs come back uneventfully. I have maintained below goal weight (127lbs) for 2.5 years…i was 116.6lbs this morning. So i figure I’m doing something right. Some people can have a similar lifestyle, others not due to a host of things (food tolerances, medical issues, temperament, activity levels, etc…). Where you will end up on the spectrum of “foodie-ability” can and will be determined only by you. Yes, you may be one of those that will not be able to “enjoy” food and keep weight off. BUT, you also may be one of the ones who do. Alot of it is up to you. My take is that you have to decide which is more important to you: the *possible* loss of your current food enjoyment OR the possibility of weight loss. There is no wrong answer. P.S. Of course, these aren’t the only two outcomes: there is also “possible weight loss with a NEW way of enjoying food”.

In terms of weight loss on average, the mini gastric bypass is more aggressive (the name comes from it involving less re-routing of the intestine; it's not a great name to be honest ). Weight loss from primarily malabsorptive procedures seem more durable in the studies, too, which is why I wonder why they don't look into it more when it comes to revisions, specifically.

the mortality rate on RNY is 0.3%. It's even lower for sleeve (can't remember the percentage for that one since I was an RNY patient, so that's the one that mattered to me). So you have at least a 99.7% chance of not dying. That's an excellent stat as far as surgeries go. Better than the stats for hip replacement surgery, and they do those all the time. people have died from things like tonsillectomies and wisdom tooth extractions. But how often does that happen? Almost never. Same with this one. your mom may be remembering weight loss surgeries 30-40-50 years ago, when they WERE dangerous and some people died from them. That just isn't true anymore. Today's surgeries are very safe. You'll be fine. Edited to add that I agree 100% with the above poster. You're more likely to die from an obesity-related complication than you are from the surgery.

I've lost 35 lbs since surgery and almost 85 lbs overall. I can walk faster and fit in an airplane seat better, but I don't feel "good." I don't have more energy and I'm hungry all the time and I'm uncomfortable every time I eat. I'm always afraid I'm going to throw up because I'm nauseous a lot. I always had plenty of energy, but now I'm weak and dizzy all the time. I can't even lift a suitcase into the overhead. I'm sort of wishing I hadn't had this surgery. Maybe because I had such high expectations?

Hi Sunnyway I shall watch with interest how you get on post op! I am just researching at the moment to see what my options are. I have been in touch with a surgeon who wants to do the tests you mentioned, which should tell me where I am and what can be done. Thats so sad that your bypass failed and you had to wait so long to find a resolution to it. Mine was successful until I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos and then all the running I did and exercise just stopped. Depression hit and bam regain!! Like you I have tried many diets of the past few years and they work for around 21lbs and then nothing. Not sure if its because of the lack of movement or an altered digestive system. Who knows?! As we both know weight is a very complex and frustrating subject. Good luck for the 21st, let me know how you get on.

First off, imagine how many patients they have every single day that go under and come right out. Even if something goes 'wrong' while you're under, where in the world would you rather be than on a literal operating table if that happened? You'll be fine! Next time someone asks 'what if you die', show them how many years obesity takes off our lives. In fact, depending on your weight right now, you're more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke due to obesity than from anaesthesia. And still that somehow doesn't even cross people's minds when they make comments like this. You decided this for you. To live longer, better, happier. Congratulations on making that choice. You're much, much stronger than you think.

Hi! Just got the Rouen xy gastric bypass on December 7th last week. Got home on Friday the 10th and doing great. I am off pain meds for 2 days now. I do have a pain that comes and goes under my left breast. But it's manageable and only for an hour or so a day. Hardest part is I can't eat what I want it's make me so sad. But I did this beacuse my blood pressure before was regularly 175/115 Have a wife and 4 kids so I want to be around. For them!! SW -358 CW after 5 days -344 Goal weight 200 pounds. I'm 6 feet tall.

I met with the dietitian yesterday. She said she was surprised when she first saw me on her schedule because I just saw her a few weeks ago for the annual visit, but then she saw my surgeon's notes. We talked a bit about how I felt about going through this process again, then we got down to business of talking about the post op diet progression. Things have changed since my sleeve 7 years ago, the diet progression is slower, which I think is a good thing. Last time the progression of full liquid to soft was rather abrupt in my opinion, but this time I'll be gradually thickening the texture of food over a few months. She mentioned baby food as an option and that got me thinking, they sell small blenders for this purpose. I found one that was used only once on Facebook Marketplace. I got it for $20, it's $60 on Amazon. My surgeon drew me a picture of the surgery and so did my dietitian who went into a lot more detail about a few specifics of how food passes through a RNY pouch vs a sleeve and how/why dumping happens. Her drawing and explanation made so many things click. I'm more determined than ever to make the most of this opportunity. Yes, I'm doing it for severe GERD, but I'd love to lose another 20-30 pounds too. I know most of the weight loss will come during the first few months when food is very limited. I called my insurance company and the rep I talked to was super nice and answered all my questions. She confirmed they got the request for preauthorization from my clinic. I'll know before Christmas!!! My insurance is generally super speedy so I'm thinking I'll know about approval in the next week or so. It can't come fast enough. Despite meds and better eating, I've had a few rather nasty attacks of reflux.

Hang in there SummerTimeGirl! Sounds like you are doing all the right things and then some. I swear, the more I read about weigh set points, I truly think you [your body] is in one right now. It just needs time to let go of the weight range it is in right now. It will happen! 💕 https://www.healthline.com/health/set-point-theory

I had gastric bypass 4 days ago still on clear liquids until the 22nd I'm still in some pain this is so different from the sleeve I had 2 years ago. I'm not hungry cuz I'm tired of broth I'm getting my protein in as much as I can. If I knew 2years later after my gastric sleeve that I would have to have this bypass surgery I don't know If I would have done it. I lost a lot of weight with the sleeve surgery this bypass surgery I feel like it's hard to get energy I didn't feel like this with the sleeve Sent from my SM-A015AZ using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my gastric bypass in 2000, I was one of the first to do it in the UK. 21 years later and some non weight related illness I have regained half of the weight I lost. I was 300lbs and went to 140lbs. It's only in the past 5 years the regain has really started. I am looking at having a minimizer ring fitted. Has anyone here done this? What was the outcome. Is it like day one after your original surgery? Any information would be greatfully received. Thanks x

There were 2 friends of mine that this happened to, both had healthy, successful babies. Follow your plans from docs, try to get them to team up. Both friends were discouraged from gaining weight during pregnancy and took extra prenatal supplements. Everyone turned out fine. They also were encouraged to eat more veggies and fruits than most of us. You’ve got this. Congratulations!