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So there's a stereotype about overweight people: We all think we have a large bone structure. I remember hearing this many years before surgery was even a blip on my radar. I thought, yes that's true. Lots of overweight people probably think they have a large bone structure and don't. But not me. I REALLY have one. Well guess what? I don't. My Fitbit broke after having it 10 months. It was a size large, but I'd gradually been tightening it to nearly the last hole. I measured to make sure a size small would fit before I got a new one. My wrist was 6.25 inches. Wow, that seemed small. So it got me thinking. I looked up a bone structure calculator online. Sure enough, at 5'6" that means I have a medium bone structure. Who would have thought? The fun things you learn after WLS!

I use Premier Protein. Ready to drink shakes a d still at 10 months post-op have 1 every day. For powders I use Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate. Both the chocolate and the vanilla are wonderful. My sister (non-WLS) tried it and loved it much more than the others she had tried. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

I was sleeved 5 months ago and have lost 70 pounds so far, going from a "tight" 18 to a 10 in 5 months!! I shop almost exclusively at thrift shops because I am losing weight so fast I can't justify the retail purchases (that will come later...when I am at goal). I am finding all kinds of great brands and I am having the best time and feel good about not breaking the bank!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hey SideEye. I want to chime in here. My VSG doctor also said I would have to take vitamins the rest of my life. After about 3 years I stopped them except for my Vitamin D because all my labs were fine. I get regular physicals and I am on top of that. I just had a bone density test last year and my primary doctor said I have osteoporosis, not osteopenia, OSTEOPOROSIS! He thinks that my stopping my Calcium and other vitamins contributed to this condition. I am now on medication for this because osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures, not just if you fall down. You've probably heard about people that sneeze and fracture a rib, probably osteoporosis! I am 5 years post VSG. I never got down to my goal weight, but the lowest I did get down to (148 lbs) was too low for me. I have gained about 23 lbs in the past year. This Monday I started the 10 day pouch reset diet. I have lost 4 lbs so far. YEAH! I have not felt motivated or felt as if I had the will power to do what I needed to do until this past Sunday. I was reading a book for book club (nothing to do with diet or exercise), but there was a passage that just hit me. I felt like dang, this girl had so gone through so much and had so many strikes against her and she could turn her life around, I can do it too! O.P. We know what we need to do. We've done it before. We just have to be focused, patient, and persistent. My realistic goal for myself is 1/2 to 1 lb/week and to increase my physical activity. I know with the support and encouragement of people on this forum and your desire to do better, you WILL succeed.

yes everyone please keep this going....I know dr's are all over the board about what to eat and when so it also helps to see where ya'll are in your journey....like.... 2 mos out ....or 6 mos out.... then we can kind of see how it all progresses....lets get this going again. I'm only 10 days out but heres my day b- protein shake from v8 strawberry/banana smoothie with 1 1/2 scoops of unflavored powder l- Yoplait greek yogurt d- 1 egg with turkey sausage bits and cheddar cheese.... I'm so sorry about this post... I can't make the spacing and new paragraphs work....idk!

Do you have to load and unload too? Do you drive a big rig? I'd think AT LEAST a week because you have to be clear headed.... no anesthesia, no pain meds beyond tylenol still on board. I know when you are down you aren't earning money...but 10 days and you would probably be good to go. Getting into and out of the cab might be a little painful before then....

I have Anthem & I have to do a six month meeting with a dietician and NP but they don't call it a weight loss goal. Had my second meeting last week and it seems to be more of a pep talk/review session. I'm so glad to have found this app and all the suggestions you all provide. Thanks! HEIGHT 5'9.5" HW 305; Started with first surgery, dietician visit 10/21/16

Hi All - yes, its me again and I am reaching out about food ideas during the first two months post op. I am running out of food ideas for vegans and its getting quite boring and to be honest I would rather not eat. Food these days just doesn't look appealing anymore and its more of a chore to eat now. Any food suggestions or combinations to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 😃

I have been able to finally increase my water intake and am now getting about 10 glass of water a day....I am thrilled!

Today, Oct 20th, marks my second anniversary of this surgery we call RnY. In a very real sense it feels like the second birthday of the new and improved me. I can't help but reflect back on all of the changes that the last two years have seen. And at the same time, thinking in terms of new goals and challenges for the coming year. The first year following my surgery was an exciting time indeed. I was laser focused on one thing - achieving my optimum weight. I decided even before my surgery that rather than set a specific goal weight, I would allow my body to tell me when it was where it wanted to be. Just over a year later, that message came at 155 lbs. My weight stabilized. I felt great. And in my one year follow-up visit with my surgeon, she recommended that I not lose any more. It was time to shift my thinking, and my actions, away from losing and toward maintaining the new, 130 lb lighter, me. I had reached my destination. When I looked back at that first year, it occurred to me that is was much like what walking a tightrope would be. Maintaining an average calorie intake of just under 1300 calories a day was something of a delicate balancing act. There were days when I was over my goal. And those days had to be followed by "corrections" - days when I was under my goal. It was all about balance. And in the back of my mind the nagging, and always present fear that one misstep could result in all being lost. The more rational, confident part of me did not think that would happen. Still, I knew the surgery could be defeated. What if... So in that same follow-up appointment, my surgeon recommended that I increase my calories to approximately 1800 a day. To be sure, the number had some appeal. But I was concerned that it might be too high. What if? So I opted for a gradual increase to a more conservative 1600 calorie goal. My decision was undoubtedly due in part to a concern that kept going through my mind. It seemed that everywhere I looked, I read that many (if not most) bariatric surgery patients gain 10-20 lbs somewhere between 12 to 18 months post-op. A weight gain that is often described as "bounce back". That was out of the question. I was determined to not let that happen. So my goal for this past year became ensuring that I held my weight at, or very close to, the 155 lb mark. As the days and weeks went by my confidence grew. I decided it was time to really get to know my new body. I was tired of the balancing act. I wanted to enjoy a nice dinner at a nice restaurant with my wife, our family or friends. Or Celebrate a holiday or birthday enjoying the food that is inevitably part of festivities. I needed to test my limits. And I needed to know whether or not I had what it takes to do those things and still control my weight. Thanks to the amazing power of my food log, I got my answer. And it was in pursuit of that Quest that I discovered something quite remarkable. First there was the occasional 1800 calorie day. Not surprisingly, the following morning weigh-in usually reflected a gain of a pound or so. So my calorie goal became 1400-1500 for the next day or two. And sure enough, my weight would drop back down. Not just once or twice, but a number of times over the weeks and months that followed. Then came the occasional 2000 calorie day. Not often, but every now and then. Weight went up. Calories were reduced for a day or two. Weight came back down. At some point along the way I had a revelation. Controlling your weight is not about walking a tightrope - it's about riding a teeter totter. Up...and down. Up...and down. Gently. Relaxed. No fear. One misstep is not catastrophic. Wow. Since hitting the 155 lb mark almost a year ago, my weight has never been more than 156, or less than 151. This morning, this second anniversary of the new me, 152.2. No bounce back. Wow. So my goal for the coming year? More of the same. I have read in many places, including this forum, that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult after the two year mark. But I will be facing that new challenge coming not from a place of fear, but of vigilance. My food log will guide me. And it will tell the story. So next year, same time, same place - the next chapter in this amazing, life-changing journey.

I'm close to one year out from RNY and the past few months, I've been feeling really tired and lightheaded. I kept brushing it off and thinking it was something else, like I had a touch of a cold or needed to double down on Protein. At my six-month visit with my bariatric clinic, they did bloodwork and my Iron saturation was low (10 percent). Right after I got the results, I messaged them through their patient portal and the fill-in nurse acted unconcerned and blew me off. My PCP recommended I start taking iron supplements (my surgeon told me to stop taking them two weeks after surgery because they were upsetting my stomach). I called my nutritionist and was at least able to get a recommendation for another formula to take that's easier on the stomach. I started taking it once a day. Fast forward through months of feeling like crap. I was feeling tired and kind of foggy last Tuesday afternoon, but pushed myself to do my BodyStep class anyway. I ended up falling and spraining my ankle. Swelling has gone down, but still hurts. I also still have a knot and bruising on my lower back where I hit the step. I called the bariatric clinic and thankfully the regular nurse is back. She's sure I'm feeling bad because my iron is low and told me my surgeon recommends taking iron three times a day with meals when it gets low like that. I started doing that on Thursday and felt better for about a day before I started my period. For those of you who have dealt with low iron, how long did it take you to feel better? Did you feel worse when you had your period?

4/16 was the one year anniversary of my first appointment with my surgeon! It ended up being a zoom appointment since Covid had just started. I ended up with surgery on 11/10 and I’m 122 lbs lighter today than I was a year ago. Honestly the six month process seems so long but it flies by! Then suddenly they are scheduling your surgery and it’s like wait...this is actually happening!? I’m still losing at 5 months out, with another 52 lbs to go to goal. My best advice is 1. Start losing in the six month preop time unless it would impact insurance eligibility. Every pound lost now is a pound you don’t have to lose after surgery. 2. Start dealing with any food issues you can early on- surgery will force you to cold-turkey some of them like binging or eating nonstop sugar, but dealing with the mental side of that at the same time as surgery recovery would be tough. 3. Prepare yourself to rebuy an entire wardrobe. I was excited about the thought of it until I realized things like I had to buy all new underwear and bras and everything else, not just cute and fun stuff. And it’s expensive! 4. Your mileage may vary, but this is the best present I’ve ever given myself. It’s amazing to be able to free yourself from a lifelong problem that affects every part of your life. Where you are a year from now is going to be incredible.

Ok here I am gave all the paperwork to my PCP yesterday afternoon. The office manager is submitting my referrals to Tricare on Monday! She is going to send them urgent so I should know something in 72 hours or less. I have to have these referrals approved or I can't go to my appointment at the surgeon's office on 3/10/08. On the 10th I'm supposed to do the nut job eval, blood work, meet with the dietitian, and meet with my surgeon. I have to be there at 7:15 am and they said that I would be there all day. Now I have a question for all you experienced bandsters out there. I have to track everything that I put in my mouth for 1 week before the 3/10/08 appt. Should I eat the way I have been eating (namely like every meal is my last) or should I try to eat like a normal person? As soon as I leave the appointment I plan on starting my diet to lose 10 to 15 pounds before surgery. So what do you think? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you all for the positive response. I am on day 10 being in the hospital and I am also on TPN for atleast 8 more weeks. I will do whatever it takes to get through this. God Bless You All!!

I was doing well my first 2 weeks with the weight loss. Then the infamous stall hit me at the beginning of the third week. I was the same weight for 10 days and thought I would never lose weight again. Now week 14 I am 45 pounds down. Don't worry, you are gonna hit stalls. I find that I won't lose for a week, then all of a sudden I will lose 2-3 pounds another week.

I have the VG band and although I don't really feel any restriction, I am sure Dr. B made the best decision for me. Now that being said, I have had one fill on 10/24 I am getting my second fill on 11/22. I had nothing to begin with in my band and I got 3.6 the first time. Occasionally I feel a little tightness, but never any restriction.

Me too! I am in Coastal Connecticut and am getting sleeved 10/30 in the afternoon. No idea if it will get postponed due to the storm. Areas of my town have already started flooding....I have just finished 10days of pre-op Optifast....today and tomorrow are broth (gross) only. No idea what happens if I get postponed, or what I do...

10 mnths in down 207 lbs. ummmm.. change Water intake, change excercise or add a little and most of all calorie intake for a women should range between 1000-1200 per day. make sure of that .. it is simple science.. calorie in and calorie out. Chris

I am RIGHT THERE with you! It was also my 1st day of liquids and i am DYING. ew i feel like i want to puke up all this liquid! its disgusting! I have a few days less than yours, mine is 10 days. but post op is 4 weeks! oh the horror!

Menu today Bfast coffee with 1TBSP coconut milk, 10 drops fo capella flavor drops (vanilla custard) 1/2 grapefruit with stevia and cinnamon, 1 Wheat melba toast Lunch chicken baked and stuffed with spinach and sugar free/fat free marinara sauce over it. Yum. Snack 1 apple sliced and peeled with 1/2 lemon squeezed over it Dinner Chili made with extra lean beef, 1 melba toast and extra onions over the top, 1 sliced tomatoe with salt & pepper Exercise - still too sore from working in my garden over the weekend. whew, can barely sit on the toilet without screaming out in pain. I'm getting to old for this, lol.

That's awesome!! I remember my first (and only) half marathon and it was such absolute hell because I had not actually trained for it so by the time I was done little old ladies were beating me and I briefly considered jumping off the bridge that was the last mile and swimming to the finish because it might have hurt less. On race day you will be energized by the crowds and all of the people cheering for you and this helps make it go by faster than training runs. Congrats on your long run! I would die if I had to run 10 miles right now, lol.

Mine has been a slow buildup of things but I think the real kickers -losing 2 people one aunt and one uncle this last year. My uncle was on full time oxygen had to use a scooter full time and had had 3 different WLS in his life all which failed for him. My aunt who is and has always been my favorite person in the family also passed away this year she was only 10 years older then me and we were roughly the same weight. This devistated me and depressed me at the same time. Then a month or so later Doc said I had high blood pressure. Put me on meds. Another month after that put me on a second blood pressure medicine.. I looked down one morning at the 15 pills, I have to take each morning and realized I HAD to do something. And something drastic since nothing had worked in the past. The tv show on A&E probably helped also. I am tired of being a hermit, restricted on where I can go and what I can do. I've had it with that part of my life and ready to change it.

ok...it's getting close!!! :bathbaby: I started straight liquids tonight. I had 2 cups of soy milk with whey protein...I came up with a new way to drink it that is not ahlf bad..I I had my 64 oz of water...I like it...My boo is coming home tomorrow!! YEAH!!! i can't wait! I will be shopping tomorrow for the last few things.. I brought all of the liquid meds..tylenol, vitamins, calcium, etc. I just need to pick up last minute broths, jello, etc..I'm very excited and nervous at the same time. I know it will be ok, but I do need reassurance!!! :nervous God is good and HE is he present in my life so not too worried!! I did my excercises (only 15 minutes because company arrived)... No worries...I'll walk it off tomorrow!!! Well, I' going to bed now..ot's 10:00pm here and I'm bushed, beat and tired too...Good Night !! :notagree 2 more days!! smooches...:kiss2:

Hi !!! Im also a 40yr old married female, well soon to be 41 next Sunday. I have two younger kids 8 and 9. I got banded 8/19/11. My husband was banded 4/1/11.

It's hard to believe but I got my band 4 years ago. I am down between 75-80 pounds overall. (Of course I want to lose those extra 10-20-25 lbs, but if I just stay where I am, I am ok too.) I love my band and can't imagaine life without it. In this time a lot of things have happened, as they always do. First, I had breast cancer, which came with chemo, a mastectomy, radiation, reconstruction etc. But through it all, I happily kept the band. I had only one hurdle with it though... after the mastectomy I had a wicked reaction to the anesthesia so after heaving for hours in the recovery room, the band was dislodged and I had to have a "revision." Unfortunately the next year I had another slip and another revision. I'm really quite careful now and am relieved that I am basically at the year mark and intact. I did have to have it loosened recently, then quickly gained 8 lbs, but am now back on the way down. It is distressing to regain but a relief to know that I can get back on track again, without too much damage done. So you can see life with a band is much like life itself, somewhat unpredictable and not a straight line of perfection. But the band is the tool that I feel has saved my life and self esteem. I am grateful for it every day. It gives me something that other people have, but I either don't have or lost along the way, an internal brake telling me that I'm full. It's that simple. People who know ask what I miss... not much. Bagels? I had enough for a lifetime, but sometimes I'll pick at the outer crust. Steak? I can live without it. Lobster? Oh well... nothing is really a big deal. I feel I can eat a little of almost anything... To those who are on the journey, good luck. Questions welcome, of course.