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So...I'm struggling with how to answer this because I want to give you helpful information, but I still have questions. I guess I'll jump right in and see how it goes. 1) You started off at a lower weight to begin with, so your body is likely at the point now where it's at it's healthiest. As of right now, you're 5'5" and 136 pounds with a bmi of 22. You're exactly where you should be. If you lose 15 more pounds, you'll weight 121 pounds and have a bmi of 20. On paper, that's still healthy. But my concern is you're becoming addicted to losing the weight and even though you're exactly where you should be (and could even gain 10 pounds and still be where you should to be) you'll panic and possibly go about things in an unhealthy way to drop those pounds. 2) Were there other reasons besides your weight that led you to getting the surgery? Did you have any comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, etc? You didn't mention that. My fear is, if you only wanted to drop weight and your bmi was 33 to begin with, and now you're wanting to continue to drop even though you're being told you look "stick thin" (and you're in the healthy range now but still want to go lower), that this might have more to do with the number on the scale than getting healthy. 3) Stalls are normal, and happen all the time. The fact that you haven't had one until 4 months out is actually kind of surprising. They do break on their own, but honestly, you may lose little weight going forward (and what you DO lose will likely come off slowly) since you're already well within the healthy and normal range and your body feels it's happy at its new set point. 4) Your body likely thinks it's in starvation mode, based on how you're working out and lifting and what you're eating. The harder the workouts, the more calories you need. Prioritize protein first above all else, then veggies, then carbs and healthy fats. But you definitely need to increase your calorie intake. This isn't necessarily advice for dropping more weight (although that tends to happen when things like this go on) but for healthy purposes. If your body thinks it's starving, it'll hold on to every single calorie and bit of fat. And it'll eat away at muscle before fat just to make sure you survive. So my suggestion is to increase your calories. I don't do heavy lifting, but I DO do weight training, and on those days, I go up to 1400 calories. Core and strength training, I go up to 1300 calories. Cardio I go up to 1200 calories. Non work out days I eat around 1000 calories. 5) You didn't mention what surgery you had, but I'm assuming it's the sleeve. If I may ask, what made you choose having surgery versus doing anything else for weight loss? Have you tried changing your eating habits before, did you try medication, or did you go right to surgery? How have you changed the way you eat, and what you eat, since the surgery? How much fluid are you taking in every day? How much protein and carbs are you taking in each day? Are you taking your vitamins every day? How many days per week are you working out (should give yourself 2 days off ideally, but for sure at least 1).

The little things are sometimes the best NSV. Just going into regular shops will never get old to me. Congratulations on your weight loss and the NSV.

hi guys! i did gastric sleeve on September 23rd of 2023. my height is 165 CM, my weight was 102 KG and as of today im 67.5 KG. i've lost weight from legs, arms, back,etc.. however im noticing that my belly is still hanging and big. is this normal? can it be some other issue that i dont know about? if anyone else is going through this or knows something about it, i'd appreciate the help because im getting extremely frustrated..

Hi there! Newbie here. Been reading a lot of the threads and already feel like a lot of you are my friends when I haven't actually spoken to any of you 🤣 I had my surgery on the 17th of December 2023 and my stats were: Height: 166 Cm (around 5'5/5'6?) Weight: 90 KG (198 lbs) I didn't do the liquid diet because my surgeon doesn't believe in it. Also, my surgeon specifically said "I will be very happy if you lose 20 KG (44 lb) but it's quite unlikely".I wan't heavily overweight and I was very athletic with a lot of muscle mass. Fast forward 18 weeks post surgery I have lost around 28.4 kgs (62.48 lbs) and my surgeon's mind is kind of blown lol, he wants me to stop losing but I do not think I am done yet. I get these comments that I look "stick thin" but mostly get many compliments as there is no sagging or loose skin (due to muscle mass pre-surgery). My problem is that I have hit my first stall ever this past week where I didn't lose anything (I was losing quite rapidly) and I am low-key freaking out. I still want to lose another 7 Kgs (15.5 lbs) just to have a wriggle room if my body decides to gain a little rebound weight later. I have started some heavy lifting the past week and man I am SO SORE so I think it's due to the inflammation? I am quite sad and disappointed to have not lost any weight the past week and I need some emotional support. I eat around 800 kcals a day with 65 grams of protein - give or take- (starting the past 2 weeks as I was still on a 300/400 kcal a day prior to that). Could that be another reason? Was anyone done losing at 4 months post op? While I know my weight is currently good/slightly under what is good for my height, I really want that wriggle room and I really don't want to be done so soon. Any advise?

Keep us posted about your weight, whether it continues to fall or stabilises. If it does stabilise, let us know if you feel you have lost more weight than what suits your physique.

I had VSG in 2017 and found myself pregnant with my first! I have not taken vitamins as I was supposed to post op. But I have been taking prenatal vitamins since finding out. I lost a total of 150lbs since surgery, and this last year another 20 due to stress. I’m concerned the weight loss will continue (I know I’m just stressing more, it’s kind of my thing) For you bariatric mommies, were you able to hold enough food for you and the baby?

1). I lost 16 lbs the entire first MONTH, and I went on to lose over 200 lbs. Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month (yes - MONTH). So unless you're an outlier or the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life", you are doing very well! 2). sounds like you are experiencing the infamous "Three-week stall" right now - right on time, too! The vast majority of us hit our first major stall within the first month or so after surgery - and it's usually the third week;, hence, the name. If you google the site for the three-week stall, you will find something like 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding). A slight bump-up in weight is not unusual, either. It's almost certainly just water weight. The best thing to do is to continue to stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you remain compliant with your program, the stall will break and you'll be on your way again. It usually takes 1-3 weeks. 3). you won't feel much (if any) restriction or "full" until you move to solid foods. Liquids go right through you, and purees pass through pretty quickly, too. Plus you had nerves cut during surgery, and it takes awhile for them to start to regenerate. You'll feel it fairly soon. However, "full" doesn't always feel the same way for many of us that it did before surgery. I don't feel "full" the same way at all - it's more a discomfort - sort of like pressure - in my chest. Once I start feeling that, I know I'd better stop eating or I'm going to be sorry. Others have even weirder full signals - like a runny nose or sneezing.

Total Vs net carbs aren't really a thing this side of the pond. Disclaimer - I am writing this post with a glass of wine (completely useless carb) beside me, so make of it what you will. While you're in the active phase of weight loss post op IMO you should be minimising carbs. If you're not quite full after your protein and veg then have a little more veg. Or protein. Carbs are what make people fat - what made US fat. There are NO essential carbs (there ARE essential amino acids - i.e. protein - AND essential fatty acids - ie fats). Nobody needs refined carbohydrate to survive. If you absolutely have to incorporate carbs into your diet while still losing then keep them healthy. Carby veg, fruit, oatmeal, wholemeal bread/crackers, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, etc.

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So I was 6 days out from VSG surgery when I tested positive for COVID-19. I mostly feel fine, apart from my throat. It's really prickly and sore. To the point that I am really struggling to get anything down. It has gotten worse over the past 12 hours, to the point that I'm wondering whether the remedies I have used (Saltwater gargle, sugarfree difflam) have done more harm than good. My weight loss clinic doesn't open till Monday. I am really struggling here! 😫

I want to address those who might be struggling with the big decision on if they should go through with bariatric surgery, let me say this; 1. I have lost 33% of my weight so far. Even like you, I struggled with it having tried every diet known to human kind - I'd lose and gain..you know the routine. 2. I have officially been taken off all my meds; pre-diabetes and hypertension meds, this alone should convince you that having the surgery is a healthy choice and will help extend your life and reduce the drag on your wallets having to purchase meds for the rest of your life with the possibility of more being added. 3. You've probably tried everything else, what do you have to lose other than your weight? Its one of the most successful safe surgeries out there. 4. You'll have so much to look forward too in your life, I'm sure you have a mental image of how you'd like to see yourself if you were healthy and thinner. Having the surgery IF recommended by your bariatric surgeon will bring about that change. Let you be the thinner person you know is in there deep..waiting for you to bring the healthier you out! 5. Lastly, you will find the welcoming, understanding and empathy on these forums to help you when and if you reach out. There are years of experience here by people who at one time have been standing in your shoes and can help you, who want to help. I bring all this up because I know the doubts you're facing, but you'll never know the great outcomes available to you, unless you take the leap of faith that this life altering surgery will give you. I had a friend who self doubted and unfortunately she is no longer with us because she listened to those doubts and "taking the easy way out" nay sayers. Please take the leap and live the life you want to live before its to late. - End preach 🤗

I want to address those who might be struggling with the big decision on if they should go through with bariatric surgery, let me say this; 1. I have lost 33% of my weight so far. Even like you, I struggled with it having tried every diet known to human kind - I'd lose and gain..you know the routine. 2. I have officially been taken off all my meds; pre-diabetes and hypertension meds, this alone should convince you that having the surgery is a healthy choice and will help extend your life and reduce the drag on your wallets having to purchase meds for the rest of your life with the possibility of more being added. 3. You've probably tried everything else, what do you have to lose other than your weight? Its one of the most successful safe surgeries out there. 4. You'll have so much to look forward too in your life, I'm sure you have a mental image of how you'd like to see yourself if you were healthy and thinner. Having the surgery IF recommended by your bariatric surgeon will bring about that change. Let you be the thinner person you know is in there deep..waiting for you to bring the healthier you out! 5. Lastly, you will find the welcoming, understanding and empathy on these forums to help you when and if you reach out. There are years of experience here by people who at one time have been standing in your shoes and can help you, who want to help. I bring all this up because I know the doubts you're facing, but you'll never know the great outcomes available to you, unless you take the leap of faith that this life altering surgery will give you. I had a friend who self doubted and unfortunately she is no longer with us because she listened to those doubts and "taking the easy way out" nay sayers. Please take the leap and live the life you want to live before its to late. - End preach 🤗

I am contemplating revision and have to choose between bypass and Sadi so I am curious to follow this as well. Not sure if your surgeon does the Sadi revision but I was told that the weight loss should be a little better than bypass. There are drawbacks too though with more absorption issues it can cause more malnutrition than the bypass and also bathroom issues seem to be a common complaint. I was told with proper nutrition that both of these are less of an issue.

I am a stubborn b**ch so I used that strength to get me through on the days I knew what was going on but a lot of the time I had no idea how sick I was. It was only afterwards I found out how bad I was and how worried all my family and friends were. I didn't mention it above but I also had a blood infection and then an allergic reaction to one of the medications - basically anything that could go wrong/happen did. They couldn't do the feeding tube via my arms as my arms got infected and the veins collapsed, I think I had 8 different IVs in my ams over the months, they just kept switching from left to right until all veins had collapsed. I ended up having to have blood draws from my foot at one point and had my IV in my neck. I actually thought I was going to be physically ill when the first told me they had to put the IV in my neck and had to be given a xanex to calm down and go to the the procedure room but it was actually ok then afterwards and so much easier than my arms. I know what you mean about the health anxiety side of things, I was worried about everything when I came home finally, it was a shock to my system to suddenly be without the constant checks from nurses and doctors and not know if a little twinge or cough etc was a bad sign or just normal. I had to take my blood pressure during the day and do temperature checks to make sure I was at a normal range. I was also afraid to go for a walk of a few minutes in case I then didn't have the strength to get back home so I just walked the bus route on my road as figured if I could walk to the end of the road and get stuck I would just get the bus back. Now I can do 1.5km or so around the block at a steady pace. I am not sure where you are in the food reintroduction phase but once you are able to eat more protein it should also help with the energy levels but I do think rest is key. Once I got into a decent sleeping pattern again, took a few months at home after the nurses rounds at 11pm 4am 7am etc., I really saw the improvements in my energy. That is great that you got the appointment for next week. Just keep asking them to check everything and be honest with them about your fears so they can discuss with you. Just give it time and let your body recover, it has been through a shock to the system with the weight loss and then the infection on top. I figure my horror show can only help others to not feel as bad if they are struggling a bit. It has taken me a long time to start to feel better and more positive but I think I have turned a corner in the last couple of weeks.

I have yet to see a nutritionist or dietician that truly understands the optimal diet for a SADI or DS patient. Most of the time we just get a modified version of what they give Bypass and Sleeve patients. But as you say, you aren't absorbing as much as they are, therefore to give you their requirements would leave you malnourished. 15 grams of fat is absurd by all medical standards. Most medical studies show we need 60 grams of fat for proper hormone function and even if you ate 60 grams of fat, with an altered digestive tract, you aren't absorbing that much, so you need to eat a little more than that. Even the ASMBS recommends 60 grams of fat by 1 year out!! Your dietician is not following best practices. Most SADI/DS patients I know follow the vets that have been living with this surgery for 10+ years and maintaining their weight loss. We figure they know more about optimal diet than a surgeon who has never lived with this surgery, or a dietician that has never even researched best diet for bariatric patients of various surgeries. Most patients I know are eating 100-120 grams of protein, less than 50 grams of carbs, and over 60 grams of fat, usually around 100 grams of fat for SADI and 150 grams for DS. You can increase your carbs once you have reached your goal weight, they tend to slow/stop weight loss, so in active weight loss it is important to keep them low so you stay in ketosis. A calorie range makes dieticians feel better, but it makes no sense for a SADI or DS patient because we malabsorb so much fat we can't even begin to properly calculate our calories. You could eat 1200 calories, but that wouldn't be what your body is absorbing. I'm sorry this is so complicated. In the end you have to decide what you feel best at. I don't feel good following guidelines like your dietician gave you and when I go over 50 grams of carbs I stop losing weight. So...yeah. I'm going to follow what allows my brain and hormones to function, what makes my skin, hair, and eyes feel best, what gives me the most energy, and what allows me to lose weight steadily. I'm the one that has to live in this body. It is sad these surgeries are so uncommon there are no good studies about optimal nutrition for them. But there is no way I'd go below ASMBS guidelines, they are the closest thing bariatric surgeons have to a standardizing body. Your dietician should be able to give you ASMBS guidelines for your surgery.

Thank you so much!! as of now I am weight lifting 3-4x a week. Trying to switch up the exercises for my upper body and lower body. I do want to build a booty so I focus lifting heavy on those LOL. I agree I may need to eat more which I have been trying to incorporate more protein. I feel like this whole thing is a science and well I got a C in science so I am not sure what I am doing is hindering or helping. Like you said weightlifting and cardio are so good for us! I am sure I will see the difference in my body with inches as the time goes on. Loved the book/lecture

The thing is that they assume that you can only eat so much so if you prioritize protein then veggies then you should only be able to eat a tiny bit of healthy starches, if any, and based on that theory everyone will be okay. When I had Sleeve three years ago I swear mine was left larger than most though because I could drink and eat more from day one than they said I should. I always said that I know I had surgery because I could no longer get my moneys worth at an All you can eat buffet but I could still eat quite a bit. When I was back to “regular” portions I hit all my protein goals then ate my veggies like suggested but still had room for more carbs than I should be eating. I did great in the beginning when I was told how many ounces I should be eating and I wasn’t hungry so I just stopped myself there but later on I think I needed more guidance than just calories and what to prioritize. I know I was an exception to the rule though. When I went back to discuss revision with another dr he said not that I’m suggesting it but if you were eating a sub how many inches could you eat and when I said 5 or 6 easily he said that I should not be able to eat that much. I believe that is why things went wrong for me. I reached my first easy goal I set to encourage myself but never made it to my ideal body weight. Then a few month later when actual hunger came back and I ate until I was full I started to gain even with the healthy options because of my portion sizes. Admittedly if I had not been frustrated and basically gave up at some point I probably would not have gained ALL my weight back and I would still be healthier now than when I started, but I know where things began to go wrong so this time I asked repeatedly until I got even more guidance from the dietician.

I think it counts. When I list my high weight, for example, it is my highest weight ever before WLS. That is different than pre-surgery weight, which was my weight on the day of the surgery. Congrats for your success and wishing you continued success.

I am so sorry that this has happened, it must be so traumatic. Lots of us get the ' was it worth it feeling' with out the issues you have had to get through. When you feel more in charge of your pain and more sure of the process, you may feel it really was worth it. I did. The rapid weight loss and anaesthetic also makes you feel weak and tired. As you eat a little more you will regain your strength and start surging ahead hopefully. Good luck and good healing

This one took a little more math since they give you pounds lost instead of what weight you will be, but I liked that I could see it month my month. The funny thing is the risk calculator one is more aggressive/optimistic in terms of my weight loss. The Mexico one says I'll be 195 at 3 months but the Risk one says 5lbs lower. Oh well, as everyone says, this is just an average, no matter which calculator you look at. But I do find it helpful to have an idea of what to expect. It keeps me realistic.

Sorry to hear what you have gone through and are still going through. I know exactly how you feel about wondering if the surgery has been worth it, I wondered the same for many months after mine but I can now say 10 months later that I see the light and know I could not have lost the weight I have done so far without the surgery and I can now finally feel the benefits. I have posted about it before on the forum but a recap to show you how s**t things can go..... I had my surgery 4th July 2023 and suffered severe pancreatitis brought on by the surgery (iatrogenic according to the medical reports) which resulted in me having a drainage tube fitted to my belly area and being hospitalised for one month. Three days after being released I collapsed at home and had to return to hospital via ambulance. There it was discovered that I had a leak in the stomach where the sutures hadn't sealed. I spent a further two weeks in hospital where I had to get clips put in to close the hole/leak. I then lasted 13 days at home before becoming ill again. I went in for a gastroscopy to check on the clips and turned out the clips did not do their job and I had leak back plus two abscesses (1 on stomach, 1 on pancreas). Spent a further three weeks in hospital on a feeding tube before getting all clear to go home after another round of clips were put in and passed their tests. Next time I lasted 15 days at home before having to be readmitted for another month! I never felt fully better but wasn't sure if that was just me recovering from all the trauma or still symptoms. I had a blood test one morning and that afternoon got a call to say I was to come back to the hospital immediately as my CRP was 180. Turned out the hole had opened again and I had an infection. Was put on a feeding tube again for the month and had a drainage tube fitted to my back, had so many different medications, a transfusion, tests etc it was exhausting. I was then sent to a hospital in Belgium to have a tube/coil like thing inserted in my stomach help the hole heal. I was finally released from hospital November 1st 2023. Like you I couldn't do things, I couldn't even stand at the kitchen counter to chop veg without feeling like I was going to collapse. The effort of having a shower and getting dressed some days was too much for me and it took me many months to get to my energy up to more than being able to something small each day. It is really only since mid-February that I can say my energy improved. My weight loss was also slow when in hospital as they were pumping me full of nutrition (via the feeding tubes) but it sped up once I was at home. I had the tube in my stomach removed three weeks ago and had another round of tests to make sure that the hole had healed and I have passed with flying colours. So far so good, no pain or discomfort which is such an improvement. The only thing I suffer with now is a bit of reflux and occasional terrible exhaustion. I was out for dinner on Sunday night and almost collapsed at the table the exhaustion came on so suddenly but I was ok a while later. I don't let it stop me, I have so much more energy than pre-op but I just know I have to pace myself and rest when I can. Basically, I just want to let you know that after all of the above that I have been through I now feel the relief of the surgery and the weight loss. I am now at the weight target the surgeon set for me, 75kg, though I will aim for a bit more and I no longer cry myself to sleep with pain or stress or the fear to make plans for the future. It has taken 10 months for me to get here, I am at the stage now that probably those who have a successful surgery would have been at months ago with their recovery from the op and getting back to a 'normal' life. I am going to see a psychologist through my hospital service for the medical trauma which has helped me as well. Do make sure that you go to the hospital if your symptoms worsen, or don't improve, and ask the doctors to check your levels just to be sure that there is no infection still there etc. Rest when you can, I don't know your situation but if you don't have to get up and go out during the day for work/kids/shopping etc. then don't, just take the time to heal and recover. Also ask for help if and when you need it and also say no to things that you may not want to do if you don't feel up for it - being a control freak these are things I am trying to learn to do.

Operation is on May 1. I'm one week into the liquid diet. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. My doctor's nutritionists made a schedule (I always do better with a plan) and required me to buy Unjury products. I have the chicken soup and cookies and cream shakes. The shakes are actually pretty good. My sense of smell is through the roof. I wasn't expecting that. I can smell people cooking meat a mile away I swear! I get odd tightness and heat where the back of my head meets my neck. Is this the headaches I was warned about? I'm feeling good about the surgery. I'm already down a pants size after one week and am looking forward to sustaining gains through the next 12 months.

I am SO bummed. Tomorrow I will be 1 week post-op and I've lost 0 pounds. I finally made it back to my pre-surgery weight today.

I find the calculator on the Mexico site to be rather inaccurate for me, but everyone varies. Age and surgery type, as well as co-morbidities all impact weight loss rate. It thinks I should be at 212lbs at 6 months but I'm at 240 with 6 days to go. Not gonna happen. It also thinks I should be at 170 by 12 months, but that's not very likely either. I've always used the following one as it takes into account the different surgeries and looks just like the one my surgeon uses. They calculate from the highest weight, it is important to include that because if you have a lot of weight loss before surgery your percentages may track differently and your post op weight loss may be slower. I've seen this happen to several people with surgeons calculating it improperly, or applying the bypass trajectory to a DS patient, which is a disaster and very stressful for the patient! This one takes into account much more like your age, ethnicity, and pre-existing conditions: https://riskcalculator.facs.org/bariatric/?_ga=2.112690692.1282950073.1698781773-393992475.1698781773 According to this one I should be at 78 lbs down for my DS surgery at 6 months. I'm at 80 lbs down. My weight loss has tracked along with this thing pretty steadily, give or take 15 lbs, since surgery, except for my 6 week stall. It puts me at 202 by 12 months out, but DS patients lose for 18-24 months post op, so I should be at 170 sometime in that 12-24 month period! In the end these are all just estimation tools. Our bodies do what they will and we make the most of it. Still, it is nice to have a loose guideline to follow.

Hello, I want to preface saying I have not had my surgery yet but I have been losing weight in the pre-op stages as per my dietitian and doctors request and this includes me going to the gym and getting my protein/calorie goals in for the day. The important thing to know is plateauing is inevitable as your body gets used to the things you do on a daily basis. So since you know that already you going to the gym is a beneficial first step in the right direction of losing more weight. That being said weight training is an amazing cardio/full body workout and for women you actually don’t have to worry about getting “bulky” my doctor said it’s just not what our bodies do to get stacked like that (he didn’t say it in those words of course but I’m paraphrasing). Which it’s true generally unless you’re a bodybuilder you won’t get bulked up like crazy (even then it’s usually the addition of hormones that add to bulking) so go ahead and lift girl! Cardio exercises like running, swimming etc. are also great to get into your routine which I see you have and it’s important to also not forget about aerobic exercises like yoga/pilates this will also minimize your chance of getting “bulky”. Overall, I would say if you have set days of the week you work out like MWF do that for 2 weeks then switch up the days, intensity of workouts and type of exercises you do on each day to give your body that “restart” it needs in order to start losing weight. It is also so incredibly important to eat enough calories! Yes sounds weird but you actually might not be eating enough for you to lose weight and this is what my doctor told me. If you don’t eat enough your body goes into “survival” mode because it’s not being given enough food in order to carry out your bodily functions to its fullest potential. Yes you can be taking supplements and be healthy on paper but if you’re trying to lose weight and exercising and eating well and still unable to lose the weight then it’s time to evaluate if you’re eating enough during the day. I would highly recommend reaching out to your doctor and/or dietitian about adequate dietary input your should have because there are all kinds of info and pamphlets on lines telling us to be between so and so calories at this point in time or to not exceed x amount but in reality everyone is different and all bodies are different. I hope this helps sorry for the book/lecture.