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6 July for me and doing well. Still have upper back pain when eating now but hey ill take it with weight gone. Started at 268 and now 192. Lost from 46 pants to 36 now. Loving all of this. Eating in stage three now and Jan. 2022 is my 6 month f/u.

Remind me, why is taking the easy way wrong? Think about any other aspect of your life where taking the hard way is considered a virtue. Every non-surgical weight loss program out there claims to be the easy way to lose weight. I've yet to read a Weight Loss Surgery program that claims it's the easy way to lose weight. I found my Weight Loss Surgery program to be the easy way to lose and keep weight lost. I found it to be the only way. Good luck, Tek

The further out I get, the more I adopt the attitude of Never Say Never. I have regular crap food in my diet. As I do healthier stuff (i love me some salad). I love food and can thoroughly enjoy eating in my much smaller quantities. Balance and portion control is key for me. I started eating bread again (the regular, non-keto, full-everything kind WiITH butter) about 2-ish years post op…and surprise, surprise, I didn’t implode. Warm, fresh bread is THE BEST (my Mr. is the bread whisperer lol). Now, I won’t eat 5 slices anymore, I’ll likely just have 3-4 bites (as it is very filling for me), but still. Other than excess sugar, I can enjoy a wide range of foods with no ill effects nor unintended weight gain. Im 3 years post op and been maintaining my weight consistently at 115-ish since reaching goal almost 2.5 years ago…non-healthy food choices (with portion control) and all. My most recent labs a couple weeks ago showed once again that i am the picture of health. I do understand that for some folks, some foods are triggers or potential starts of slippery slopes. I guess just know what your boundaries are and strive to stay within them. You may not be perfect, but u can be perfect ENOUGH. Indefinite denial and avoidance, especially if it causes you angst is a meltdown waiting to happen. P.S. For those early in the process, for me it helped to tell myself: “Not right now, but maybe later”; or, “This kinda sucks, but it won’t always be so”. Making peace with the fact that nothing is forever helped with accepting my present circumstance. and who knows? what u really want today may not even be on ur radar tomorrow or next week or next year. And if it is, you can always have it then. Good Luck! ❤️

a lot of women experience screwed up cycles the first few weeks or months after surgery because of extra estrogen (or so they say...). Estrogen is stored in fat cells, so it's released during rapid weight loss. For most people, it'll eventually stabilize. However, with your medical history and various meds, your situation may be more complicated than that.

I'm 6.5 years out. This is NOT easy. I was very successful with it, but it is NOT easy. I struggle to maintain my weight every day.

Have you reached out to your dietician? That is really not sustainable and could result in some long term health issues. I know its hard, I am right there with you, but you HAVE to take care of yourself and nourish your body well in order to be successful. At 200 calories a day, you are going to be rapidly losing lean muscle with is starvation, not weight loss. Please reach out for support!

1. It's a newer procedure, so some insurances don't approve it. 2. Not every surgeon does the Loop DS. 3. The surgeons who DO the Loop DS tend to have a guideline where you have to have a BMI of 50+ or two or more co-morbidities because there is a higher statistical weight loss at 70-100% verses the statistics for gastric bypass which is 60-80% (but this is just the statistical average. People can lose more or less then the average depending on if they work with the surgery or not). I chose the Loop DS for my surgery because I have hypothyroidism and I'm disabled so I had to rely on statistical average for my weight loss and the DS and Loop DS have the highest statistical average for loss. I chose the Loop DS over the traditional DS because of the diarrhea issues associated with the traditional DS since the Loop DS fixes that issue. Mostly. Also the vitamin requirements for both the DS and Loop DS are much higher. You have to take more vitamins and thus it's more expensive and you also have a higher protein requirement (80-100g protein a day for women or 100-120g for men) which, in my opinion, deters people away from the Loop DS or the traditional DS. I'm happy with my choice, personally. I was able to meet my weight loss goal and even went a little under it (I think I'm near maintenance, honestly. I lost 1 pound last month and only 1 pound the month before so... yep, very close to maintenance). My advice is to do your research, weigh the pro's and con's, and decide what YOU feel is the right surgery for YOU! You are the one who has to live with the surgery that you go with. Not your surgeon. Choose what makes YOU comfortable! Also, I warn everyone of this... they don't tell you, but any surgery with malabsorption (Gastric Bypass, DS, Loop DS) has a 3% chance of giving you either a wheat allergy or Celiac's Disease. I mean, it's UNLIKELY to happen to you as it only happens to 3 out of every 100 people, BUT my luck is terrible and I ended up with a wheat allergy. I mean, it's a blessing in disguise because it ensures that I can't eat fast food even if I wanted to, and it really forces me to think about every little thing that I put in my mouth, so I, personally, am grateful for my new allergy, but I still would have liked to be WARNED. So yeah, just so you know. It's unlikely, but there's a chance it can happen to you. Also, like most people will tell you, my only regret about my surgery.... is that I waited so long to have it done. I wish I'd done it years ago! If you have any questions about my own experiences with the Loop DS, feel free to ask!

So now that I'm down a significant amount of weight, I get more people telling me I look younger. Maybe because my face isn't all stretched out? I also notice that people are much nicer to thinner people than they are to fatter people. That annoys me (I am still the same person!) but it's just bizarre. Someone flirted with me the other day and it took me a while to realize it was flirtation.

I don’t understand why people who buy a gym membership get congratulated for deciding to improve their life & get healthier but you decide to have weight loss surgery, also just a tool, get criticised. I’m sorry your mum is not being supportive. You would expect your family to be your biggest supporter. My mum supported me but she did struggle with my eating. ‘I don’t know what food to get when you come to stay,’ was a frequent comment. Which was a combination of her not understanding my plan & not wanting to jeopardise my success. Like probably all of us, you’ve likely tried to ‘do it yourself’ & lose weight. Probably many times & also put the weight back on again. I certainly did. The difference this time was, with the help of the surgery, I was able to make sustainable changes to what I eat & understand why I ate. The physical restrictions & the support to analyse the psychology behind our eating is what will contribute to the success you may have. Good luck. You can do this. PS - that graphic is excellent @Elidh.

It’s happening more nowadays…work, neighbors, etc. Half “you’ve lost some weight “ and half “You look so good!” People who usually don’t talk with me much. Why is the space that someone takes up so important to others? And why does anyone need to comment on someone else’s body? And if I look “great” now, what did they think of my image a year ago? I realize that some people thrive on these types of comments, and I am glad that they are helping. But do these comments make anyone else uncomfortable and a bit irritated?

I really liked bread too & I had access to a lot of really damn tasty artisanal bakeries. But I don’t eat bread any more. It tends to sit heavily in my tummy. Last time I tried was a couple of months ago (a za’tar & garlic flat bread - smelt & tasted divine) but nope not for me. Do I miss it? It may seem strange but not really. As @dms75 said you develop a different relationship with food. I too look at food as what I need not what I want. I still enjoy it but I don’t find it difficult to choose not to eat certain foods like desserts, chips, bread, pasta, rice, etc. Some of these I don’t eat through choice, others because they don’t sit well. You will find some people do eat bread, chips, sweet things once into maintenance. But it is their choice & most seem to seek out healthier, more nutrient dense options (like air fried sweet potato chips, high protein breads, etc.) & are careful with portions & frequency. Don’t worry too much about struggling with certain foods like eggs. For most this is a short term difficulty. Your tummy can be a bit fussy for a little while. Try some hydralyte or similar electrolyte drinks to help with energy drops. I carried a bottle with me everywhere for months. It does get easier & you’ll be eating a greater variety of food sooner than you think. The surgery will get you so far. The rest is up to you & the dietary changes you make. Exercise only accounts for a maximum of 20% of the weight you want to/have to lose. It has other benefits. I’m not an exerciser but I lost all the weight I was to lose plus more because I made changes to what I ate. But the decision as to what you eat & how often you eat it is ultimately up to you. Best advice to gain the most of your surgery while losing is to follow your surgeon’s plan & dietician’s recommendations. Good luck.

Hands down my favorite is CrossFit. I used to do lap swimming and deep water aerobics but it is too far from my house and classes don’t take place at a good time of day for my schedule. I still love yoga, I have DDP yoga and in general in just really helps with strength and flexibility. Since starting my 6mo preop phase I picked up CrossFit and have finally found an exercise I love doing and even don’t mind to get up early to do. I’m a quiet person somewhat introverted and still love it. I like it because you compete against yourself first and foremost and everyone works so hard there isn’t time to compare each other. The fittest to the slowest (me) all encourage and support. It’s a good environment and you gain strength and endurance for everyday life. It is also modifiable for every level. I didn’t believe that until I went but it’s true.

I walked back then, now i run…which is my hands down fave and go-to form of exercise. also: - yoga (its strength training disguised stretching) - anything dance (just plain fun) - swimming (easy on the joints esp when one is bigger) - stretches and mini body weight exercises when i find myself vegging too long in front of the tv (i’ll do sets of a combination of all/some of the following: dips, chest presses, pushups, squats, crunches, planks) - and sometimes i’ll drag myself down into the basement and do pull downs on the machine and dead hangs or hold ups on the chin up bar (it’s my life long dream to do a pull up from a dead hang…but its just not happening, lol. Some day.) Long story short: find something YOU like to do, there will be a higher chance you will stick with it. Good Luck! ❤️

Here’s a question from a different angle: number on the scale aside, are you happy with how you look and feel? Sometimes the quest for that number blurs the view (i’ve been guilty of this as well). Your weight will fluctuate.. that is a given. Being ok while this happens will make life easier and less angst-y. Do the best you can (or as much as you are willing to do), and make peace with the results of this, whatever it may be. i know, i know, easier said. Good Luck! ❤️ P.S. it really doesn’t matter what i think, but in my insignificant opinion, a 120lb weight loss is a phenomenal achievement. Congratulations!! Try to give yourself props instead of stress. It really, truly, isn’t worth it. Yeah, i know, easier said. *hugs*

Highest weight (when I made the appointment) 385 January 2021 now I'm 235- 150lbs down total. 175 is my goal weight but honestly not sure I wanna be that small or not, kinda loving where I'm at... sans the apron of skin 😆

I had surgery a week before you and I'm still struggling to pass 200 calories a day. I'm not hungry. I have to force myself to eat. I'm happy with the weight I'm losing, I'm taking a multivitamin, iron, and calcium every day, but I feel sooooo weak all the time.

I still don’t understand why people think this is the easy way out. It is by no means easy. It’s doable, but definitely not easy. Everyday I have to make choices of what I put into my body and how many times I eat. If you chose to eat junk food or eat too many times a day you wouldn’t lose the weight. The surgery is a tool but you still have to do all the work. You may be able to educate her on the surgery or you may not be able to get her on board but you should still do this for you. Statistically they say that something like less than 5% of people with an obese BMI can lose the weight and keep it off. Im guessing you like so many of us have tried dieting and either can’t lose or gain it right back. Maybe if your mom came along with you to the doctor so she could express her concerns the doctor or the nurse practitioner could help you explain to her that this is not the easy way out and it is necessary for your health.

The "easy way out"? Bulls(p)it. Total bulls(p)it. It is not the easy way out. It is a TOOL that you are being given to teach yourself how to interact with food from now on. It doesn't last forever. A lot of people think "oh well you got your stomach stapled so of course you're gonna lose weight" without knowing that you can absolutely stretch that pouch out. Don't. Listen. To. Her. Mothers aren't always right. Do this for YOU, because you have an entire life to live. And when the weight is coming off you left and right and you're starting to ease back into the world, you'll have the best feeling in the world and it'll motivate you to keep going.

Weight belts? They help brace your core (remember, tight core = stability) by giving you something to press against when you breathe. I would never do heavy lifts without one—in fact I wear one bench pressing even, because it helps the core stability. In fact, I just donated my old weight belt because it's too big for me, and am halfway through the holes on my new weight belt. If you are braced properly and using proper form you shouldn't have to worry about hernias. If you're not braced properly or have bad form, you're gonna get hurt one way or another.

I am looking forward to seeing old friends! I'd been too ashamed because my weight had gotten so high, I didn't want to see anyone I used to know. I'm going home for Thanksgiving and have already reached out to people to meet and catch up. Can't wait! Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Sometimes you have to do things other people don't agree with. It's hard, and you can try to educate her by having her read asmbs.org (lots of good resources). It's definitely not easy. I've been struggling and I haven't even had any complications! It's not guaranteed that you will keep your weight off with surgery, but you have no chance if you don't have surgery. (I lost 100 lbs 7 years ago but in 5 years gained almost all of it back; I knew I needed surgery to get a re-set on my metabolism. But no matter how much research you show her, she may not be willing to support you, and you may have to decide to do it anyway. I am super close to my mom, so whenever I have to do something she disagrees with, it breaks my heart. But I would have done this even if my parents didn't agree. Fortunately, they were very supportive. Good luck to you!

Ignore her and do it for your sake. I know that sounds harsh, but the reality is, most of us can't lose the weight on our own and bariatric surgery is the tool that allows us to be successful long term. If she cannot understand that or, at the very least, respect and support your decision, then you don't need to include her in that decision and should more forward without her. It is certainly NOT the easy way out, but living a shortened life in an obese body isn't easy either. We all have to decide which "hard" we are going to live with. I'm so sorry you don't have the support you desire, but you will certainly get it here. Do what's best for you.

It is so hard to give advice when every surgeon has a different plan! 1200 calories a day so soon out from surgery seems high. I think they want you getting your protein to mitigate side effects (hair falling out, no energy, not looking "good"). My surgeon's office had me on pureeds til I was 9 weeks out, and emphasized just doing shakes if meals were too much. Last week, I had my 2 month appointment and was told I should be getting 80g of protein through protein shakes alone, (and the protein HAS to be Bariatric Advantage or Unjury - yuck, no Isopure which I can actually tolerate), and 120g of total protein daily. Well, I frickin hate the protein shakes, and I was doing really good getting in 80g from real food, (and the office was quite pleased with the weight I've lost so far). My nutritionist said 500 to 700 calories a day was good, not to focus on macros, just to focus on getting my protein. Because those shakes are so high in calories and carbs, if I drink protein shakes, my calories are closer to 900 per day and my carbs are close to 100g (which seems very high). So I'm just going back to what I was doing. Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Help my mother with doesn't support me have weight loss surgery, she keeps saying it is the easy way out or if I lose weight I will just gain all back, she does not understand weight over 600 pounds is very hard for me to live life.

Yeah, I'm down 70lbs and down from a 9 to an 8. Last time I lost 100 lbs I replaced all my shoes and then when I gained it back I threw the "new" ones out and just started wearing hiking shoes all the time due to a neuroma. Since my hikers were getting too big to be comfortable, I decided to try wearing real shoes again; so far, so good! My feet were never wide, but I do have a high instep, so it's hard to get some styles on. My mom has the same issue and she's "average" sized. I don't know if my feet will shrink more, but I'm not going to invest in a lot of shoes right now!