Search the Community

Hey everyone!! Just weighed myself and I am officially down 40 pounds since I started this. Back in July I had the talk with my GP and told him enough was enough I am contacting a surgeon and getting help with my weight. At that point I weighed 254 (I'm 5'1"). Had my surgery on Nov 2nd and as of this morning I was 214.4 so 40 down, 84 more to my ultimate goal. 😁

Plans are different & so are you. Some do stay on a stage longer because they’re just not ready to move on & that’s ok. Make your first purées really sloppy & runny or go for thick soups at first so you get used to that denser, thicker texture vs a liquid. Don’t give up on a food you struggled with. Our tummies can be a bit fussy & temperamental at first. Or sometimes things just taste disgusting. Try it again in a week or two & then in another week or so if need be. You’ll even find your tummy suddenly says no way to something you’ve eaten regularly but is fine with it again two days later. I used to say my tummy was like a petulant two year old child throwing random temper tantrums. That tightness across your chest is your restriction. You don’t usually start to feel until you’re on more solid food. It’s a signal you’ve eaten too much, too fast or eaten something too dry or too coarse, etc. You’ll work out your triggers - it’s a bit of trial & error. Stalls happen. The first one often is about week 3 +/-. Think of it as your body just needing a break. It’s been pretty stressed & needs to shut down for a 1-3 weeks. It does not mean you’re doing the wrong thing or failing … unless you’ve wildly gone off plan. It’s possible you’ll experience more than one stall along the way. You won’t put on weight by starting on the next stage unless you suddenly start eating huge portions (pretty darn impossible with your small tummy unless you put in a lot of effort to stretch it) or making poor food choices. You won’t be consuming more calories than your body needs to function. That’s the only way you’ll put on weight. And I’m not talking about our normal fluctuations ( fluid, constipation, life, etc.) As long as your general weight loss trend is downwards you’re doing great. It’s ok to go at your own pace. You’ll do fine.

We were always told a rumbling tummy or hunger pains meant you were hungry - not always true. Like how we had to eat everything on our plate - we don’t. Hunger pains can be caused by too much stomach acid. Do you still take a ppi/esomeprazole? If not give some a try & see if that helps. My tummy makes squelching noises & whines every day. My doctor told me it’s just a signal my body doing what it’s supposed to: digesting food & is nothing to do with hunger. What do you mean by wanting to feel ‘satisfied’ after eating? Often our old ‘satisfied’ level was a lot of food or until we felt better. Are these old feelings & ways of eating influencing how you feel now? There’s a difference between eating until you’ve had enough & eating until you're full, & whether you need that next bite or just want it. Just throwing some ideas to think about out there. They may not even be helpful to you at all. Congratulations on your weight loss so far. You’ll be at your goal before you know it. Whoo hoo!

I had to wait until 3:weeks to have puréed. I was on liquids and then full liquids so that my stomach would have a chance to heal and adjust to what I was taking in. 5:days post op for puréed foods just seems really too fast to be introducing puréed foods to your stomach. In my opinion I don’t think your stomach is ready to handle a big change to food that quickly. I’m sorry if my opinion may upset you. Bit through my weight loss program including working with my nutritionist this is not a good choice at only 5 days post op.

Hello, wondering who much you gained in 11 years? I am also 11 years post-op VSG, I have regained 40lbs however the GERD is just so bad every day I did not know you could get a revision to fix that. Thank you!

The first photo was taken on September 29, 2021. The second photo was taken on December 7, 2021 about 5 months post op with a 20lb weight loss. I can’t believe I’m down 2 pant sizes already. Apparently my doctor prescribing a binder he didn’t know it has a dual purpose. One it’s for medical reasons and two it’s better then using a belt to hold your pants up.

My nutritionist recommended to use the Bariastic app when I first start my weight loss journey. I love using this app.

I was 47 when I had RNY gastric bypass twelve years ago. There was no "honeymoon" period where the pounds melted away for me. I do not believe this was age related because my surgical peers at the time lost weight at about the same rate as younger women. Nonetheless, I exceeded my surgeons goal and have maintained this with a lot of difficulty. An autoimmune disorder, hypothyroidism and medications are to blame for an average loss of less than half a pound weekly. Watching the scale go down and up then repeat was frustrating but I had a good experienced surgeon who also had the same procedure. The metabolically challenged as he put it need to stay on plan even when it seems there is no progress. Not what I wanted to hear at the time. I was angry and beginning to have regrets but a good support network "talked me off the ledge". After a year of following the rules I made changes to my doctor's plan. Using information from the body building community I Incorporated eating practices used to increase lean muscle mass. None conflict with the needs of gastric bypass patients. I researched options I believed could serve me better. At 17 months post op I made my desired maximum weight. I'm still pushing to get 5lbs lower. I deliberately left out the numbers. Not because it's a secret, I've posted this info in the past. Some individual readers may distinguish between weight/BMI classifications then rate difficulty and speed of weight loss to evaluate "success". That is not the point of my reply. Also, I make no claim to post op diet perfection nor do I blame metabolism for my obesity. No matter where you start at any age you will need to work your plan. You may work hard and see only small results as you watch surgical peers break their surgeons rules and do well. Further, you will likely have to make Healthful adjustments to augment your progress based on your needs. I've met many success stories since I committed to surgical intervention and I'm in good company. Today my weight is 30lbs up because of steroids, hypothyroidism, and binge eating disorder. It was 40lbs up a few weeks ago. Age is not the only issue in my struggle but "I Got This". This is one of a few episodes of rapid fat gain. I'm not talking about pounds and Water weight. You will not hear me say I've gained my weight back. What I've put on is fat but it's not mine and I'm not keeping it. I've learned how to "re lose" body fat and curb weight gain in spite of menopause and other factors. There is no secret to my maintenance. Never buy a larger size, period. Clothing measurement, not size number is my guide. I avoid stretch fabrics when I can without sacrificing style. I also monitor my body fat percentage. Formulas used by the YMCA and the military are easy to find. Ten years plus post op forced me to figure this out. A support network even before your procedure can help you learn what you need for the long term. If you have access to counseling or mental healthcare take advantage of it. Many of us with recently recognized mental health concerns like binge eating disorder and compulsive over eating do not know these illnesses exist. They can even be incorporated into a healthy post op eating plan with your nutritionists blessing. The more you know about why you are obese the easier and more successful your maintenance plan will be. Yes, I said maintenance plan. You asked for post op support but You WILL Succeed. We all find our way here because we want to be well and we all can be. I've included what I wished I knew pre op. This process is emotional as well as physical. Every pound lost is joyful but for some even a week with no change feels devastating. Get ready for the highs and lows knowing will be the Winner. Some famous writer somewhere is quoted as not having had the time to be conscise. For me include spell checking and grammar too. You have my story and I hope it's helpful. All the best!

Hi! Sorry for the slow reply. I hope your surgery went smoothly, I know how scary it is. I am a little over one year out and have lost 96 pounds, and continuing to lose weight. I have so much more energy and confidence, it was the best decision I have ever made. I have had zero complications, I stick to eating smaller meals more often and it works best for me. It is a challenging journey, especially the beginning. Take the time to listen to your body, and never rush. Best of luck to you, I'm excited to see your progress.

Hi everyone. I was sleeved on November 30th and am in the pureed phase. Ever since the surgery, I have been hungry. The surgeon and dietitian want me eating 3 "meals" a day. Naturally I get full on very little. The problem is that in between the meals, I am starving. Hangry. Weak. I go back to a classroom full of hormonal preteens excited about winter break next week and I simply will not have the stamina on so little calories. I am drinking about 50 ounces of water a day. I wish that in between breakfast and lunch I could have a tiny bit of cottage cheese and in between lunch a dinner maybe a bite of hummus. Would this really stall weight loss or interfere with my stomach healing? Is anyone on 6 meals vs. 3 during this phase? On the subject of stomach healing, yesterday I was so so hungry that I ate my dinner too fast, had the foamies and heartburn, and finally threw up. Misery. Will this damage, or stretch, the stomach (I feel irrational asking this, but I am a worry wort)? Thank you.

you won't start gaining as long as you follow your program's guidelines. there's a chance your stomach may not be ready to move on (most of us can - but some can't progress to the next stage quite as fast as others). So if your stomach rebels, just back up to the liquid stage for a few more days and then try again.

UPDATE: Since my last post I have made an effort to up my protein and drink more water. Wanted to see if that would trigger things to get moving. At first I THOUGHT things were moving in the right direction when instead of being around 246-248 I started coming in around 243 and 246. But then I got sick! I believe it's the flu. I also haven't been able to eat for about two 2 days in a row. Today is actually the first day in a week to where I felt ok enough to get up and do something. Anyway, even with being sick and not eating (not on purpose) I still only got down to 243.6!!! Like WTF is happening? Haven't seen my lowest of 241.2 since October 25th!! And obviously haven't gone lower than that since. I am feeling REALLY discouraged! And to make matters worse, it's not like I can say "Well the scale hasn't moved but the inches have" cause I haven't lost anything but .25, YES, ONLY .25, inches the last month!!! I'm not even sure what the hell else there is to do at this point. I'm sure no one has stalled this long. I mean, can I really use the "it's probably your body retaining salt/or water" excuse any longer? Can that even be possible after this long? I'm just not understanding. I have been eating like I normally have been for the last 4 months. Same types of foods and amounts with maybe a lil added carbs type foods (as suggested by the nutritionist) like beans here and there and stuff like brown/wild/multi grain rice, quinoa, etc. Not sure what else I can do. I have also been logging my foods again regularly and seem to be falling within my goals. My calories are usually between 800 and 900 (which my plans calls for between 800 and 1000 if still in the weight loss phase). Some days have gone slightly over. Carb, protein and fat within a good range too. I know the macros for someone consuming 1000-1200 calories a day roughly falls as follows: Carbs less than 75 grams (25%) Protein 75-105 grams (35%) Fats 45-55 grams (40%) Sugar less than 25 grams So for me still in the losing phase and staying around 800-1000 calories a day I've been staying as follows: Carbs 50 grams Protein 90 grams Fats 33 grams Sugar less than 20 but it's usually under 10 naturally, with what I eat. So I don't think I'm doing that wrong or being off on that but who the hell knows. I'm so ticked off with this and feel like I used to before the surgery where I used to do all the right things and still couldn't lose weight. I will be so angry if this is it for me cause I still have about 50-60 lbs to lose!!

I agree with you. Food is fuel and a chance for good health. That’s a new way of thinking for most of us. I’m finding weight loss (15 months in it now) seems more of a head game. I spoke up for myself at work because now I truly feel I have power and deserve to express my goals and want to work in a team. After that, the weight fell off my body like I’m going on a down elevator. I didn’t need food to express myself. I have personal autonomy. That’s how my relationship with food has changed.

Hi everyone! Ive been on liquids since my surgery date 3 weeks ago. Surgeon said puree would be find after the first 5 days. I did try some smooth cottage cheese and found if i ate too fast i would have some centralised pain like just below my sternum. So a couple days ago i was cleared to start soft foods! Im almost freaking out! Scared to start it! Will it agree with me? What if ill start gaining? As much as im so over liquids, im just so nervous to move to soft foods. Ive lost 11kg since the start of pre op, so in about 5 weeks. Im at 92.6kg now and in the past its always been around this weight ill get stuck and cannot move any lower no matter what i do. Been doing everything right, id just be so upset if i saw the scales go the wrong way so early on in this journey. Has anyone else been nervous to move to the next stage?

Make sure you're hitting your protein requirements. That's important - even if it's through protein shakes and water. I really struggled to eat during the pureed and soft food phases, and I stalled 4 times (almost one week on, one week off). It was really frustrating. So that's one BIG negative to not getting calories in. I'm still not great at getting food in, but my calories are now between 800 to 1000 (versus 400 to 600 max), and the stalling has stopped and I'm losing weight now at a steady pace. So I absolutely feel you on the zero-hunger thing! Just get that protein and your supplements and water in, and until you can eat more, be prepared for the possibility of stalling. Keep at it. It does get easier to eat.

I guess what they mean is the bones dont shrink but if you have fat feet and you loose weight of course they will get smaller just like your hands /fingers do

Hello, did you ever get surgery? I too gained weight and was wondering about revision

That's interesting. For me, the way I eat now is just kind of how I eat. It's been so long that I no longer refer to it as a diet. I like how I eat also. Very interesting that your doctor said eat whatever you want. Well, congrats on your weight loss, good luck with the last 20, and good luck maintaining your loss 🤗

I was allowed to eat small amounts of starches months ago as well, but I just wasn't having it. LoL. So, I didn't eat any. Oh, correction, I would eat corn sometimes mixed with veggies. The wraps I eat are spinach wraps also. Go figure. I added that in October. And I loss weight eating them also, but the past few weeks it slowed and I added the sweet potato just 2 weeks ago. That and going up maybe an ounce and a half in intake. I had this grazing thing going on in early October right after my 6 month weigh in (which was shocking), but I was still ok. I grazed on carrots, cantaloupe, and almond slivers, lol. The grazing was scary because I didn't want it to trigger a habit, but one day it just stopped. Oh, it stopped when I increased by an ounce. I realized then that I could move to 5.5 ounces. That solved the grazing problem. So, maybe it was just natural progression that I've been maintaining g the past 2-3 weeks. I don't know. Wrap in October and sweet potato to weeks ago. That's all that changed. Until the sweet potato, I was concerned because I didn't want to keep losing. I had planned to speak with my surgery team this week to ask how to make it stop. But, it just leveled out. I'm hoping that's what this is (maintenance) versus being a stall that.might one day just go away, lol. But, either way, I'm happy where I am. Now my focus is just staying here.

Hi, good luck on this journey! I removed feeling the same way at that point in recovery. It’s a very scary feeling! No one can really understand the process we go through and the feelings we have unless they have been through it bc it is so unique! I hated the full liquid stage bc it made me feel worse but once I transitioned to soft food that gas feeling went away, I hope its that same for you! I’m 6 months now and couldn’t be happier. Good luck!! Oh and I love emoji’s lol… we need a weight loss surgery emoji but for now ….. 🤢🤪🤞 lol!

What salt product is good for weight lost Sent from my octopus using BariatricPal mobile app

Man, I can't believe there's another guy with an MGB here! Thanks for posting, too. So here's what I've experienced: at 6 months or so, you start definitely having 'room' for more food - that feeling of complete satiety you feel now starts sloooowly waning. But at the same time, your body starts sending you clear signals it wants protein and veggies - and sometimes something quicker to burn, because you've dipped too low in calories. At least that's how my body talks to me, still. Google "post gastrectomy syndrome". It's kinda how we work. You get steered to something that looks like a Mediterranean diet, and your hunger will tell you if you've had enough. No hunger - stick to plan; more hunger - eat a little more, you're too low. It's very noticeable. My body wanted to stay at exactly 93.5 kg for a good while. On mornings of 93.2, I'd be hungry. Mornings on 93.8, not hungry at all. Then it decided 90ish was probably more to its taste, lost 2.2 kg/5 lbs in literally a week, just three weeks ago. Out of nowhere. Now that's where it wants to be. Again, you won't doubt the signals, that's one of the beautiful features of specifically MGB - the connection between eating and hormonal response is SUPER quick and 1:1. This might make more sense in 5 months or so, but just follow your plan, and let's talk when you get to that point. Final important thing for all MGB'ers (and maybe others, I don't know): you'll probably think "ok this is it" a lot during the journey. Hunger returns, you're having a hard time sticking to your calorie limit etc. But then it re-starts when the body is ready and it's super easy. And so on. I've had 6-7 of such start-stop experiences, and some day soon, it'll be the last. And that's fine. I'm at a good weight now. What I wanted to say: don't stress. You've got a great surgery. I felt completely normal at your stage, too - just satiated all the time Edit: just out of curiosity, how long is your bypass? Mine is 220 cm / 7.2 feet.

Some people only have to do two days of liquids so I’m guessing they will still do your surgery but I would be asking myself some questions. Are you really truly ready for the surgery. I passed my psyc evaluation when I shouldn’t have and I have been racing the clock in therapy trying to get a handle on my emotional and boredom eating before it’s too late. I didn’t realize I ate when board or emotionally until post surgery and the psyc didn’t ask enough questions in my opinion to discover it. Anyways, I am not saying you shouldn’t do the surgery but you possibly could benefit from talking to a bariatric therapist. Your hunger hormones should be gone post surgery but head hunger will still be an issue if you suffer from disordered eating which only you can know. I am doing it (therapy and weight loss phase) simultaneously and I have almost lost all my weight but I was a smaller BMI to start so I can afford to lose it slower than some people. (Meaning the weight should still all be off before the honeymoon phase is over for me even with the slower loss). I know once I made up my mind to do the surgery i did not want to push it back for anything. I wanted it sooner. I am just sharing my experience cause I think this has also been a harder road for me than if I completed the therapy before surgery.

Thanks so much for posting all this. I’m one of those rare “dudes” here who just had the MGB 3 weeks ago tomorrow. I’ve lost 23 lbs. that’s good I imagine. Go to Dr next week for my 1st post surgery appointment. ive been very confused as to how and what I can or should eat once I get through this initial 4 week post op period. lots of mixed messages on these forums so hearing it laid out by another guy is a big help. I would like to know that once you hit the weight that you should be at, I need to lose another 85 lbs or so, how do you “return to a more normal eating life” and not continue to lose weight? That make sense? as I go along this new road, I will contact you if I have issues but so far I e had none of the typical post op things most folks do. by the way, I am 68 so it’s never too late to change your life. Goal is to eliminate future orthopedic issues in the lower extremities. thanks again for all this.