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I had lapband in 2012 and had it removed and went to gastric bypass on 2/15/19. I weighed 201 when i had surgery. I personally think it was the right choice for me because I know i would just gain and gain. The bypass forces me to eat healthier. So far I think it was best. But thats my personal opinion.

My surgeon told me to walk an hour a day, or 10,000 steps. Also told us to get a step tracker. We also got a little book to log our food, protein, calories, exercise, fluids - really helpful. I plan what to eat the night before. This gives me an absolute plan that could change a little but I know exactly what I am eating, how many calories, and how much protein I am getting. I also walk my 10,000 steps a day, and climb 10 flights of stairs a day. Your friend needs to use this time to establish new lifestyle changes. If she doesn't, she won't lose the weight or will gain it all back when the appetite returns in the 2nd year, She needs to adopt an attitude of "I'M NEVER GOING BACK!" That kind of determination is what separates those who keep the weight off and those who don't. (Not that this is a totally blanket statement, but research shows that once cheating and compromise begins, weight comes back.) Your friend needs to get moving and embrace the new lifestyle opportunity she has been given. Surgery is not a magic pill - it is only a tool, but we still have to do our part.

I was a daily coffee drinker for a long time. I switched to decaf about a month before surgery, and afterwards, lost my desire for it altogether! Now I enjoy all flavors of herbal tea. Even green tastes sweet to me now - not bitter like before surgery. I drink broth - bone broth has 10 gm protein per cup. The best is a mixture of beef/chicken/turkey. Or I make my own, which tastes a lot better. Sometimes I drink naturally flavored, unsweetened seltzer water. I open it up and let it sit overnight to de-fizz. But my all time favorite is my green water! I have a large vegetable garden, and I am not allowed to eat any of it yet! Bah humbug! My post op instructions said to drink clear liquids that do not have calories or caffeine. So I put lots of my garden greens (kale, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli leaves, bok choy, arugula, etc) in my blender with water. I strain the sloppy mixture and then filter it with a coffee filter. I then have a vitamin rich, tasty (tastes like fresh salad) drink that I sip, add to soup, and add to my smoothies. My doctor about came unglued at my 2 week appt when she saw it - she thought I was cheating. But I pointed out that it was clear with virtually no calories, and a heck of a lot healthier than Crystal Lite, Diet Jello, or anything with artificial sweetener or colors. Besides, it made me much happier psychologically to be using something from my garden. She agreed it was OK. I make up a bottle of it every few days and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.

The bloating is very miserable. I used the infant gas drops and had a tiny amount of milk of magnesia (consult with your doctor first). It took about day 5 post op for me to begin to release the bloat. I walked around my house 10 times and when I able to tolerate protein shakes, that really helped. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using BariatricPal mobile app

I was given heparin injections before surgery and while in the hospital, but did not get the Lovenox injections for two weeks after, like some of you have related. For any future major operations (and I hope there are not!) it will be something to definitely bring up! I wonder if the fact that I have varicose veins increased by risk. And maybe that I am older - 63? Who knows. Just glad it is resolving. Just got 11,000 steps and 10 flights of stairs in!

Oh AZhiker, I am so sorry this was your experience post-op! There are already so many other changes and challenges to deal with to heap on more like a DVT. You are trooper and I commend you for forging on. You did and are doing all the right things. My surgeon also sent me home with 14 shots to be administered once daily. I hated them but understood their importance. My husband for whatever reason has a proclivity for DVTs. He is also fit and active. A few years back, I thought I was going to be a young widow. They are scary and we know the drill well. I am so thankful you caught this early. Unfortunately, Xalerto was not effective in preventing his third clot this past summer - So he is back on tired and true Warfarin which never caused him problems. And, yes he eats greens, salads and other good veggies. He monitors his blood with a personal blood test kit every 2-4 weeks. If you are required to be on this medication beyond two weeks, please research and understand your options. I say this out of care, not as an alarmist just incase also understanding every body responds differently. 31 pounds and counting! So happy for you. Do keep me/us posted on your journey! ;] I am 10 weeks out now and 13 pounds to onederland! I have not been under 200 in twenty years. There are still challenges, but I go with the natural ebbs and flow of this process. It requires a determined patience and grace for oneself. In your case, an extra dose of courage, indeed. You would have every reason to feel discouraged. I am at awe. So thankful for this opportunity to re-set and refresh my body back to normalcy. Take good care and be well, AZhiker.

My turn is next, 10:00! As soon as I can I'll let you know how things are going. I was suppose to be this morning but was postponed until tomorrow. Boy that Wendy's chili sounds real good right now.

10 pounds in 15 days is still great progress! Like others stated, please don't get hung up on the number! You're making progress! Your body is in transition and right now it is probably thinking it is starving. Keep up with your fluids and protein, get moving and you will see the scale move again soon. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm getting discouraged. I had my sleeve on the 11th and have only lost 10 pounds in 15 days. Been in a stall for 5 days. 😟 It feels like a full time job getting in my protein and fluids.

Sleeved 1/24/19. Over the past 10 days or so, I’ve been noticing hunger pangs within an hour of eating, but I know I’m not physically hungry. I’m consuming mostly protein at this point because I feel terrible if I don’t get enough of it, and there’s not enough room for protein AND carbs at this point. When I first started experiencing this, I wondered if my sleeve had emptied quickly and I was experiencing legitimate hunger; however, if I try to eat something, it becomes apparent quickly that I’m not actually hungry, and that my sleeve still has quite a bit in it. Anyone else experience this as well? Any suggestions?

@Sullie06 stop kicking yourself (you'll get black & blue!) you are doing everything correctly to get back on track. kudos for realizing you are in trouble - stopping before 10 lbs turns into 20, 30 etc logging everything you eat, counting calories, eating less, exercising, seeking support groups et al you must STOP eating incorrectly - go back to the olden days of smaller portions, less calories etc knowing the problem is half the solution,☺️ congrats on reaching GOAL earlier - i know you will get back their again!! good luck kathy

I had my procedure 2/12/19. Recovery is a little rough, but getting easier each day Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

The past 6 months have been hard and I've completely gotten off track. I hit maintenance at about 15 months post op and was maintaining at 180-182 pounds. I was happy with that and my doctor was to since I was within 5 pounds of my goal. Well I got complacent and allowed old habits back in and I've gained 10 pounds in the last 6 months. I decided part of getting back on track is getting my support system back so I'm logging back in here and going to meetings again locally. I've started tracking food again and I'm back exercising. The hardest part has been snacking. I tracked my daily log a few weeks ago and I was eating so much because I was just snacking way to much. I'm back down to 1,000-1200 calories a day per my NUT suggestion. Its so hard but I know I can do it. I'm hoping to get plastic surgery in the near future so that is my goal.

I’d say I’m a fairly slow loser. I lost 16 pounds in first month and 1/2 of it was in the first week. I stalled at weeks 2-3 but since then I’ve lost 2-4 pound per week. I’m about 10 weeks out and have lost 32 lbs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pro Tip:. Get Gummy Fiber things. Far easier to digest, no mixing, tastes good. I have Fiber Choice Fruity Bites. 2 gummies are 10 cal, 4 carb, 3 dietary fiber 1g sugar. Also use Vitafusion Fiber Well. 10 cal, 7carb, 5 dietary fiber, Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using BariatricPal mobile app

NuMe2 you are so rigtht about varying calories to break stalls! I too was at a stall for many weeks but when I eat a little more and bring my calorie count up I seem to lose weight! For instance - yesterday my daughter brought home for pizza for dinner and even though I know it's a big "no, no" per carbs, sodium processing and such I went ahead and indulged in a slice and it upped my daily calorie count to 1120. I woke up this morning with a loss! I always make sure I get the minimum of 64 oz especially since I had a Shoulder Surgery this month on Feb 12th and am on pain pills as I got to make sure I don't bind up because well many of you know that although Milk of Magnesium does a great job of breaking the dam open withing a matter of hours it is still very messy. So I noticed that if I dip my calories up once in awhile it makes a difference. I vary between 800 to 1200 daily. I always, always make sure I get my minimum protein of 70 grams and am taking all of my vitamin and supplements daily. I use Bariatric Advantage HP meal replacement , Premier protein shakes and sometimes Genepro protein powder in yogurt to meet these needs. I worry about getting all the supplements and especially since having 2 surgeries in 3 months and worried about hair loss. I have also noticed that my skin is super super dry but and I am still trying to figure our that battle! If I don't feel like cooking and want something fast have been buying the Smartmade frozen dinners from Walmart such as turkey, and roasted vegetables as this is low carb and high protein, RealGood also makes a chicken crusted pizza that is also low carb high protein. I also like the Lean Cuisine herb roasted chicken but this one only has 16 protein where the others are higher carb. So these types of things help me out a bunch and in a pinch. I also still eat a lot of beans, LOL! (need that fiber). Some days I can eat more then others and other days I just can't put much in and it is so weird how it all works like that. Just this morning upon waking it was a little more difficult swallowing water then most. I think this surgery just put's you on a see-saw like that and after reading so many post in this forum I am comforted by the fact that it is not unusual and so I do not stress it anymore. I have yet to throw anything up but have eaten too fast, too much and had the sweats, chest pains and miserable feeling of needing to. Like many some days I question whether my stomach was really resized and then others I definitely know there is a restriction. I still fight head hunger and bad habits but have made great improvement here. I have been to a restaurant and ordered a full meal and then find that I barely make a dent in it too the point the waitress asked me if there was something wrong with my food, LOL and felt like "wow that was a waste of money - what am I doing!" I am so looking forward to the day of eating Salads and raw vegetables which for me is not until 6 months post op per doctors orders! So because of 2nd surgery and having my arm in a sling it has slowed me way down in exercising. I am doing my best to try and walk 30 minutes daily but when I have a bunch of doctor appointments in a day and everything takes me forever to do it falls by the wayside. I like most worry about loose skin and wish I could start some weight training but all of that is on hold for now. Once my energy levels get back up I need to figure out how to work strength training in. I just know that it will make all the world of difference. I am so grateful for this forum and you guys sharing your stories and struggles as this has helped me so much! Well guys that is my journey thus far from having a hiatal hernia repair and gastric sleeve surgery December 26, 2018. Shoulder surgery February 12, 2019 to repair a rotator cuff, SLAP and Labral tear.

I am currently pre op but I started at 342 lbs. My lowest was actually 186 but then some health issues, twin pregnancy and depression (I lost my father who I was extremely close to) got me back up to 285 in the past 4 years. I got to 186 without surgery but just couldn’t stay there. My body has Yoyo’d so much. About a year and a half ago I went from 286 to 229 and then skyrocketed back up to 285 after conceiving twins. My surgery is scheduled for 4/4/19 and I couldn’t be more excited.

My dr prescribed me phentermine to help me lose the 20 lbs I have gained back. I took my first dose this morning at 7am and started vomiting at 10. I have been in bed/on sofa since and every time I get up I feel sick. Has anyone had this happen? Would love to know how long this lasts because I have a huge day tomorrow ugh!

When did you have the surgery. O had mine October 26th and I've lost 40lbs I've have numerous stalls that lasted a month to six weeks sometimes but my Dr said I was still on track bcuz its only been 4 months that's 10 pounds a month on an average day we would never lose that much. My Dr also told me not to get discouraged because I was during my stalls she said its perfectly normal and slow weight loss is better than fast weight losd

Don’t feel bad. The single most Important thing you can do is drink drink drink. Put water before protein or even vitamins right now if you have to. Water is THE MOST IMPORTANT. I was only able to out down about 15gm protein per day for the first 7-10 days. It gets better and the feeling of “going to explode” subsides. I’m now 6 days into my purée food phase and can only put down 45 grams protein daily. I know it is “supposed” to be higher, but I drink at least 80 ounces of water daily and my new stomach just can’t hold more than 1/4 cup of food at a time. It’s okay though. I know that just a few weeks hitting under the mark in protein isn’t going to hurt me and I focus daily on eating protein only. Lol, my meals are things like 1/3 pouch tuna, mixed with a tablespoon Greek yogurt and topped with a couple spoonfuls of cottage cheese. Not even close to 20gm protein, but I have to choose priorities. Tonite I’m gonna have goat cheese with 1 ounce chopped lean pork loin. There just isn’t room for veggies right now so I’m depending on my vitamins to carry the load until I can eat 80 gm protein daily without it being an almighty struggle.

Before and After photos. 10 yrs post op at 31, 2 kids, one pregnancy w gp .

I had by bypass August 6, 2018 and have been doing great. I am starting to volunteer at the zoo were I live and I have so much more energy. I can actually put my shoes and socks on without almost passing out. I have wanted to be able to sit with my legs crossed for about 25 years and now I sit with them crossed all the time. I wish I could get to the gym more though to firm up all the saggy spots. I had my official 6 month follow up on Valentines day and was so happy with my progress. I am wishing good luck to everyone Pre surgery stats Weight 231 BMI 40.6 Chest 45" Waist 43.5" Hips 47.5" Clothes sizes Pants 22 Shirts 2x 6 Month Stats Weight 155 BMI 28 Chest 41.5" Waist 37.5" Hips 41" Clothes sizes Pants 10 Slim Shirts Medium Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app