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I have learned to deflect. - Aw thanks, I had a coat like that in the 60's Aw thanks, do you know you have something stuck in your teeth ? Aw thanks, I really wanted to say, did I see your husband/ wife at that charity singles dance last week ? He really is a good dancer. Aw thanks, Did you cut your own hair ? Aw thanks, I really needed a laugh today, I love it when people have been gossiping about me. I wonder who they are leaving alone today ?

I had gastric sleeve 3.5 years ago and It went really smoothly. I remember being so super anxious but the best thing I did was to just tell the staff so they were all patient with me and did an excellent job of distracting me throughout the process of getting me prepped. When I got there the first thing they asked me to do was a pregnancy test (urine sample). Turns out I couldn’t pee so they rushed a blood test so no big deal. Then they had me change into a gown and hospital socks and put an iv into my hand. They asked me a bunch of questions about allergies and when I last ate and drank and all that stuff and the anesthesiologist came in and asked some questions about medical history. The surgeon popped in to say hi and then I was off to the operating room. Last thing I remember is them saying to take a couple deep breaths and then I woke up in recovery. I did freak out a bit then because no one told me I would have a nerve block in my stomach which makes it feel impossible to sit up and I wasn’t expecting that when I woke up. Of course the nurses are sitting right there and one explained what was going on right away and I was fine. They had to wait for a room for me so I was in recovery a little longer than normal so they had me up walking while I was still in there. After that I drifted off to sleep again and woke up in my room. Honestly I felt fine. Other than my stomach felt like I had done a bunch of crunches. Not pain, just sore when I tried to sit up. I didn’t have any of the gas pain that some people describe. They were a little concerned that my bladder didn’t wake up quite as quick as they expected so they put a basin in the toilet to measure it and when I did go and said they may have to put in a catheter if I didn’t go soon but I went shortly after and my output was normal So that wasn’t an issue. They gave me little medicine cups to drink water out of and again I was lucky and had no issues drinking small amounts. Then I think it was dinner time they brought a tray with broth and jello if I remember correctly. And crystal light. They brought in my daily meds and I asked them to take me off the pain meds because I didn’t feel I needed them. My husband showed up after work and we took a couple walks and then I went back to sleep. The next day I went home shortly after lunch. The whole time I was there they were pumping me full of fluids via IV. as far as the liver shrink diet mine was pretty lenient. Basically low carb it was a shake for breakfast and lunch and then lean meat and veggies for dinner. One thing I did to make it a little easier was to stop all carbs the week before so I could go through all them carb cravings while I could at least have as much of the other stuff as I wanted. I was also allowed some “free foods” like pickles, lettuce and jello which helped me feel like I was getting something. The dr did tell me afterwards that he could tell that I did a really good job on the liver shrink diet so I guess it really does make a difference for them to make the surgery safer.

How confusing re your bloods! I have quarterly bloods taken which have some overlap with those requested by the Bariatric team. I queried this and all they did was take one lot of bloods, put all the results on the system and alert both requesting consultants. I certainly didn’t want 2 separate lots of blood being drawn that say the same thing 😬 Isn’t it annoying when either you do as they ask and they tell you off or they haven’t told you to do something but should have and then tell you off for not knowing?? At least it seems that you have a grip on things, are able to keep on doing what’s best for you knowing that things are moving forward for you. Well done on your success so far. I hope your stall breaks sooner rather than later!

Heya! I have an underactive thyroid & PCOS and I am about 5-6 weeks in now I think? I can't even keep track at this point 😂 But I definitely have been going through a stall! I went from losing 3+ lbs in a week, to just staying still give or take 1 lb. It is very very frustrating, but it is just our body trying to recalibrate and it'll soon realise it isn't in danger of starvation, and it'll stop holding onto everything and weight loss will resume!

Maybe check with your care team regarding your liquids too? I'm wondering if you're flushing the protein shakes out too quickly if you're drinking that much water. I know all programs are different, but for the first week my team told me to aim for at least 32oz clear fluid (including water but also any sugar free clear liquids like broth, jello or gatorade), and at least one shake per day, slowly increasing it as I felt able. By the end of the second week they were 'hoping' for around 48oz clear liquids and two shakes per day, but they were happy I was averaging 1.5. Are you drinking your fluids slowly? Part of they reason they ask is because we're dealing with a smaller stomach all of a sudden, and getting us to train ourselves to eat slower and more mindfully, etc blah blah -- but part of it is also to slowly re-train our bodies / nerves / etc to recognize what our 'new full' feels like, the sensations as our stomach fills up, etc. I have to admit I had a lot of trouble with that -- still do -- because I still have barely gotten those sensations back. (I have the opposite problem -- I can't feel when I'm hungry or when I'm full yet, so I have to rely solely on portion sizes at the moment) I guess the third thing to maybe bring up with your care team: how is your body digesting the protein shakes? Some people are suddenly lactose intolerant, or suddenly can't process certain sweeteners the same way, etc. If you find that it's moving through you really quickly (urine or loose stool), it may be that your body is just dumping it out. It might be worthwhile to try a different protein powder/shake brand, or one with a different protein base. I know whey is supposed to be one of the best, but whey is a dairy product and maybe you'd have better luck with collagen, pea protein, etc. Good luck! I hope it gets easier for you soon!

So I had my 3 month post-op follow up yesterday (at 14 weeks out). It went... about as well as my cynical little heart expected? Maybe better? LOL My follow up was virtual, so I didn't have to go in to the hospital which is a plus. The dietician I saw today is mmmm... fifth I've spoken to in my program. I honestly would feel a little better if I could have the same dietician every time but I understand that can be hard to schedule. Plus it's still not the worst -- to be honest, I've only actively liked one of the dieticians and yesterday's I passively was ok with -- so at least it's better than the weirder three I've seen in between. Review of my meds, of my health conditions as per usual. Somehow there's always something being left off from last time -- or several last times. Like, yeah, still have diabetes. My numbers are obviously a lot better now in my latest bloodwork, but considering it was one of the comorbidities that got me approved for this program/surgery it would be swell if I didn't have to surprise my care team 4/5 times by informing them of my past diagnosis. Review of my eating habits. Fingers-rapped (gently) over a few things -- not getting enough fruits / veg with skin, not getting enough fibre in each my meals and snacks because it's mostly just in one or two meals. I mean, if my fibre intake is within the 25-35 per day range that they suggested, does it really frickin' matter if it's split up between 3 meals and two snacks? (Also, the fibre range wasn't brought up until yesterday -- it hasn't been mentioned to me at all by any of my care team, or in the pre-op and post-op guidelines and manuals they've distributed to date. The only actual numbers I've gotten from my care team has been about protein, everything else has just been "keep it low fat" and "keep it low carb" and "stay away from sugars" etc in mildly vague terms. I figured out my own daily goals and limits for everything else by taking the average of what I could find online / in books / through the forum) I asked specifically if my bloodwork reqs could be combined with the bloodwork my PCP wants since both of them want it every 3 months for mostly the same things, and I'd rather not take time off work for multiple blood tests -- or sacrifice my blood twice in a one-month period due to timing -- particularly because of the low iron. And considering they both get copies of each other's test results anyway (thanks Ontario Health Care!). But no, no, we can't do that. They can't put his name down in the 'send a copy to this physician' area right in the form. Because apparently even though my PCP is the one to referred me to my endocrinologist, she's the one who referred me to the program. So they send the results to her, and she's on a network with my PCP which is how he gets my results as well. But they can't directly ADD him. ((Can my PCP just ask for the tests that he wants to check but they don't? Nope, cause in order for it to be approved by insurance they look to make sure there are corresponding requisites. Can I have my PCP just add them to his requisition? No, because as the surgery providers they need the requisition under their name for Ontario insurance purposes, and there are certain tests that my PCP can't request 'without reason' and that reason seems to be that everyone wants to bill the government insurance plan for every test they can, and my iron will 'replenish' so it's fine. Nevermind that I've had anemia on and off for most of my life and know from personal experience that the more often I'm tested, the more slowly my iron is replenished.)) ((He was just a dietician. I shouldn't have bothered asking him. But the fact that he had an answer ready makes me feel like they get asked this a lot)) Other than that, it was ok. I've lost half the weight towards my goal weight. He reminded me to expect things to start slowing down. I nodded along even though I started a stall literally the day I hit my halfway score and even though my logic knew to expect and accept all this, my gut reaction was of course 'what have I done to eff this up???'. He was kind of crossing all his t's and dotting all his i's in terms of chiding me on dietary choices -- ie, every meal and snack being 50% protein, 25% non starchy veg, 25% complex carb. Suggested that I eat all these things that their own program handouts say not to start until between month 4 and 6, like nuts and seeds. I was ever so grateful for the internal consistencies. ((This happened with the last dietician at my 1 month -- which happened at my week 3. She was asking me why I hadn't been choosing to eat this or that, and I had to remind her that their handout and biweekly seminars both said not to until week 5-9)) All in all... I feel 'meh' about my follow up, but good about myself and good about my loss so far. And great about the salt & vinegar roasted edamame beans I just had as a snack even though it was lacking a vegetable and isn't 'high enough in fibre per serving'. In other news, I'm only day 7 into my second stall and have been fluctuation between calm acceptance and riotous panic that I'm messing up somehow even after nitpicking my diet and exercise with a fine tooth comb. My ADHD is saying I'm only working in one extreme or the other today/this week.

TW: mental health issues, suicide, infertility I've gotten those comments already (only 3 months in, and nowhere near my goal weight), and in the past during other diet-based weight loss. I used to try to convince myself that these people mean well, that they're trying to show they care, or trying to give backhanded compliments. 2024 me? Nah. They're being petty, they're being bullies, they're jealous, they feel like your success highlights any issues they fault with their own body, etc. The only time I successfully lost weight 'on my own' through diet and exercise, I ended up gaining it all back and more -- and while I logically know it was my own choices that led to it, there was also my 'best friend' telling me that I looked like I was dying, that I looked like a cancer patient, etc, and then inviting me over and peer pressuring me into the most unhealthy foods. I was young and I had always been easily intimated / manipulated by her; I had always had **** self esteem and found my own value only through what others said they valued of me, etc. I know I was in a bad mental place to begin with. But it was absolutely brutal. But nobody, nobody, should be saying these kinds of things to another. Whether you're close to each other or barely know each other. Whether they're 'teasing' or not. It would be absolutely awesome if the world / society could normalize not making un-asked for comments about other people's looks. How about we apply 'consent' when it comes to these sorts of conversations? FFS. I'm sure I'm not the only one whom has had comments made while they were overweight. People, strangers, asking if you're pregnant, if you're female presenting. ((Afterwards, I always wished I could go back in time and cause a scene -- cause no, asshat, I'm actually unable to have children and it ruined several relationships and led to depression and suicidal ideation. But thanks for giving me that extra scoop of pasta sauce since it looks like I'm "eating for two.")) So many people have body issues, weight related or otherwise. Body dysmorphia. Mental health issues. Triggers. And what right does any person have to comment on someone else's appearance? If someone wants to go to the grocery store in their pjs, what's it to you? If someone got a new hair cut and you really don't like it, stfu. If someone lost over half their body weight, why do you feel entitled to question them about it or tell them you liked them better with a little more meat on their bones? (Not... you. You know. Societal 'You'.) There's a big difference between saying "Wow, you're looking good today" or "Is that a new shirt? It looks great on you" and letting the compliment receiver decide if they want to open the conversation up from there, and saying things like "Oh god, you're losing so much you're gonna disappear" or "ugh, you're losing so much weight, enough already." ... anyway. I'll end my venting-vomit with: I'm trying so hard these days to have the confidence in setting my own boundaries and actually enforcing them. I'm starting to figure out lines I can say when people cross them. I'm trying not to let my inner rage at a world full of entitled bullies make me someone who bullies back, but yeah, maybe next time someone seems fit to complain about my looks I'll find something they probably don't want to talk about either. If I'm fair game, so are they. Eat some karma. 😈

My surgery is July 3. I'm on day 8 of my pre-op liquid diet. My entirely proud of how I've been doing it if Im being honest.. 😐but I am tightening up since I'm now less than a week away.

If my math is right, you're already at 12% total weight loss. My program gives a range of 22-30% total loss in the first year or two (for gastric bypass/RNY; for sleeve it was lower) You're well, well, well on your way at only 2.5 months in. Be proud of yourself. And honestly? Even when the weight loss slows down and you feel like you're fighting for the next pound to come off? Be proud of yourself then, too. Cause it's your choice every morning when you wake up to continue making the healthiest choices for your own body and health. And you're doing it. There are gonna be stalls, and the first few months weight seems to come off a lot easier -- so it will likely get slower. But you'll get there -- we'll get there. We're all on similar journeys here, but each one is going to be different. ...And as other have said, while comparison can be good when you're looking to find support for stuff we're all going through, when it comes to exact numbers (inches, pounds, etc) it's not really healthy to compare. Everyone's starting from a completely different place, with different programs, different comorbidities, different ancillary health issues, etc.

I did. You may also be hitting the famous three week stall. It’s a well known topic thread on here. I had/have PICOS (does menopause get rid of it?) and it made me a slow looser. Just stick to your nutrition plan. 10lbs will just suddenly fall of when your body adjusts. I suggest not getting on the scale until you notice your underwear feels a little looser. Also, you might want to check in with your endocrinologist about any adjustments if you still feel overwhelming hunger and/ or wonky fatigue. Number one thing I’ve learned is be patient with yourself. You’ve got this!

Has anyone experienced weight gain three weeks post op? To preface, I do have hypothyroidism and PCOS. I was down to 227 and I’ve been 230 for a week now. And the scale has not budged 😅 even after introducing more movement this week. I’m hitting all my protein and liquid goals as well. I’m intaking about 600-1000 calories a day. Has anyone else experienced this and does it get better?

According to my post of instructions, we weren’t allowed to eat regular foods until 8 weeks post op. Maybe try to go back on pureed/soft. Then once you get to 8 weeks introduce regular food.

I’m Australian so our English heritage meant I understood them perfectly. We use whinging a lot but take the Mickey not as often. 😁😁 That’s damn ridiculous @MrsFitz. All of it: the inconsistent dispensing & contradictory stockpiling justifying for it, the system they use not coping with a brand name change, poor delivery of vital medications, etc. You have every right to complain about the situation. Hopefully they can sort it out quickly & you’ll have your meds soon. PS - Reminds me of when I had my gall removed & my medication (new boxes bought from home), which were locked away, were not returned to me when I was discharged. They organised a service to deliver them to me but of course they never arrived. The service claimed they tried but I wasn’t home. I didn’t leave my house for two weeks. Asked for them to be taken to my surgeon’s rooms at the hospital so I could collect them at my follow up appointment. Of course they didn’t. I had to walk what felt like 20 miles up & down floors, building to building, wing to wing to get to the ward I’d been in & then they couldn’t find them at first. There was about $150 worth of meds so I was not letting it go. Oh & then I had to walk back to get to my car to leave. And I was made to feel like I was inconveniencing them.

I am struggling with hunger and only 1 week post op the shakes don’t help at all. I have no clue what’s going on. I also have started to get dizzy when I stand up. I get minimum of 64 oz of water. I also drink the sugar free Gatorade. Any thoughts on why my hunger hasn’t diminished at all?

Meals from the last few days- those cheesy stuffing waffles with over easy eggs and griddled tomatoes (clearly didn’t eat it all) cottage cheese mixed with cooked onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms then microwaved with marinara and turkey pepperoni (this I will definitely eat again) lemon poppyseed bread with ricotta, sliced apple, and honey (ate about 3/4 the bread and ricotta) polenta with French onion roasted green beans (a kit from the produce section) and shrimp, onions and tomatoes in veggie broth (the kids had theirs mixed with rice) spicy Thai chili tuna mixed with nonfat yogurt, more reduced sugar Thai chili sauce, and shredded lettuce. Only ate 10 of the Thai chili rice crisps cottage cheese plate with an everything bagel, strawberries, mini bell peppers, tomato slices, and lettuce (ate half the bagel, most of the cottage cheese and peppers and about half everything else)

I did my VSG 3 months ago

I'm impress about how much I'm peeing after I wake up from surgery to 3 weeks after surgery, I pee more than I drink, seems all carbs in my body is used first so I can lose a pound every 1-2 days which impossible using fat burning. After 3 weeks you will feel thirst and pee much less. You will have plateau in 3-10 days, don't be panic, your body need to restore water but not the carbs. So, I advice you to not doing any road trip for the first 3 weeks, except in vehicle that have toilet, Dr. Pilcher says more detail information on this

Re hospital meds - apparently a change in brand name caused the whole system to grind to a halt for my delivery. How ridiculous in this day and age?? These meds can only be delivered via whichever service the hospital uses due to the nature of them (injections) so it’s not as though I can have a say in that. It just means a lot of chasing when it goes wrong. The rules around the NHS dispensing meds in the UK changed some time ago for some reason. I think it was to stop stockpiling and for patients to only request meds they will use instead of just getting them automatically and then wasting then potentially 🙄 It doesn’t seem to matter what repeat medication I request, the pharmacist at the Drs makes the decision when he authorises the script. For example, a couple of weeks ago I requested 2 months of Ibuprofen 400mg as it was difficult to source to buy over the counter - I got 2 weeks. My HRT gel I get 3 bottles at a time (1 bottle a month) but the tablets I get are only issued as 2 monthly scripts so they never marry up. It’s just so annoying when you need to order repeat prescriptions! Sorry, I know I’m whinging but it’s things like this that drives me insane 🤯

Honestly, I just got new ones. I went from a size 10 ring to a size 5. I used ring sizers at first, but I was losing too fast and went from size 10 to 9, skipped over 8 and went to 7, then a month later went to 6, then stayed there for a bit, then went to 5 1/2 and 2 weeks later went to 5. Now that I'm at my final ring size (mostly because I can't get anything smaller than a 5 past my knuckle) I'll invest in getting my actual, genuine wedding set resized. i just got other rings to wear until I got to my final size.

I lost 79 pounds in 4 months. That averages out to roughly 20 pounds per month, or 5 pounds per week. I was 388 on surgery day. You're doing great. Don't compare yourself to others. Rome wasn't built in a day, so just stick to the diet, move your body, and you'll get there.

"- Still have fun but track their calories and weight DAILY." This is me too. 1. What are your golden rules to successful maintenance? I've found that sticking to a monthly calorie average rather than a daily one gives me the flexibility I need. If I go over my limit for a week, I know I have time to balance it out. This approach prevents me from being too harsh on myself for one bad day. For instance, my goal for June is to maintain a daily average of 1550 calories.This method has been crucial for my success. In the past, focusing on daily or weekly limits led to self-criticism and was counterproductive. It took some time, but I’ve learned that this is a life long game. By being kinder to myself. I've made much more progress. Even naturally thin people overeat occasionally; the difference is they don't punish themselves or give up. 2. How did you manage the mental shift (navigating fear and uncertainty) while transitioning to maintenance? The shift for me came pretty naturally. I eased into it slow. I remember in the beginning that if I lost a pound or so that month I would adjust my calorie intake, small increments so I wouldn't get used to too high of calories. It's always a slippery slope when you have a history of overeating. I adjusted it month to month, until I got to the point that my weight was stable month to month. 3. How much indulgence do you actually allow yourself? I don't have any absolutes. I do try to eat healthy 80/20. I try to eat 5-8 servings a day of fruits and vegetables.

That’s five pounds a week. That seems great to me!! Just stick to your plan and remember that you didn’t gain it overnight so it won’t come off that way either.

Wow. I concur with @ms.sss. You did get the short end of the stick. I had the sleeve for years and then I had a revision to RNY (~3 years) and I don't have any of those issues. In fact, I can't even think of any negatives. Except if I eat too fast, it may cause the foamies. I'm so sorry you're going through all that. I have no problem with my vitamins, I wear a MV patch and sometimes I'll take high ADEK chewable. My vitamin A was slightly low so that's why I started taking the high ADEK a few times a week. I also never heard of cold sores lower immunity and fungal infections... Etc. after WLS. I sure hope things and improve for you.

It’s been one of *those* days and it’s all been because of various medical people (not WLS-related) and I’m completely fed up. Hospital and meds delivery people not talking to one another so no idea if I will receive my delivery in time for my next jab this coming Monday. I mean, it’s only for my Rheumatoid Arthritis so not important, obviously. Then there’s the absolute joy of dealing with my doctors surgery when chasing up a prescription for pain relief that was requested last week. Rang my pharmacy - no prescription received. Rang Drs - oh, it was refused because you need to have yet another meds review (already having one on 27th for unrelated meds) No pain meds and no one thought to contact me to tell me (the wonder of doing everything online) Staff at surgery doesn’t think that the reviewing clinician can fit a 3rd med in to the upcoming review, so yet another review booked for Saturday. This will mean I’m without pain meds for a week by the time it gets put through and delivered 😤 I am just so 😖😖😖 I know we all make mistakes but today has just been a Micky-take from start to finish. I’ve put a complaint in with the Drs for the lack of communication and care, hospital already miffed with the meds delivery company so I’ve left that in their hands to deal with. The only thing going through my head now is what if the surgery is as crap when it comes to issuing meds post Bariatric surgery?? I’ve no confidence in them dealing with requests in a timely manner generally so I’m dreading how much they screw up when I have to go to them for all the Bariatric stuff. Sorry, I just needed to get it off my chest. Hubby is dealing with some work issues at the moment that’s stressing him out so I don’t want to add to that right now. 🙁

Idk why it doesn’t feel as bad but I can tell you that just a little applesauce wouldn’t be enough for me to take my vitamin either. The best thing I found to take it until several months out when I could eat a little more was a protein shake. Just be sure to take it AFTER you have consumed the ENTIRE shake. I took it after half and even 2/3 and it came right back up. Also, it’s usually the iron in the vitamin that causes the issue so some people have to get one without iron and take their iron separate.