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Good luck with the surgery. Please keep me posted!! I hear the weight loss averages 40 lbs but is much easier to maintain.

losing hunger for a few months is very common - I actually liked that and wish mine had never come back, because it was so easy to lose weight when I didn't give a flip about food. The vomiting issue is odd, though - I'd contact your clinic about that.

it's really common for it to stick out after weight loss (mine does) - I never thought about having it removed, though. Although mine doesn't particularly bother me...

I'm generally pretty sarcastic and also don't like these types of personal questions....so I say things like.. 'You know...no one would ever tell me I was fat when I was fat...but now that I've lost weight...everyone wants to let me know how fat I used to be. Weird huh' Or something like that...and no one asks me again after that lol.

Tell them you’ll compare your weight loss to theirs and when they say “zero” yell “divide by zero error!!!” and run off.

I think ‘a lot’ is a good answer to give. I honestly can’t think of something better to say. In the past I’d sometimes say I didn’t know exactly, just to avoid further questions. Thinking about is, it’s actually really rude to ask someone how much they’ve lost or how much they still have to lose. Fortunately most people just compliment me. I do get an occasional question asking how I’m losing the weight. I’ll answer that I’m eating less, eating more frequent and doing low carb (which is not a lie). I do get comments on how little I’m eating sometimes from colleagues (“Are you only eating soup? Again?” (I was still in puréed and soup was easy!)). Those I find really hard to dodge. Sometimes I’ll take twice the amount of food with me and just leave half, just to avoid any questions. I’ve also gotten non see through plastic containers, so they can’t see the amount of food in my container unless standing next to me. Oh, the struggles keeping wls a secret, lol.

Mine is pretty prominent after losing weight. I didn't know it could be removed. I wish I had known that when I had my latest plastic surgery 6 weeks ago. I had a breast lift, reverse abdominoplasty and back lift. Since it was the same area he could of just taken it out. That is one of the "signs" people use to tell you you are getting to skinny, "I can see your bones!" Mine doesn't really bother me though.

Has anyone she had a problem with their xiphoid process? The xiphoid process is the smallest region of the sternum, or breastbone. It’s made up of cartilage at birth but develops into bone in adulthood. It’s located where the lower ribs attach to the breastbone. The tip of the xiphoid process resembles a sword. Mine sticks out and feels like a half of a golf ball most days. It is hard, uncomfortable, my bra rubs on it and it makes me nauseous most of the time when eating. My doctor said it can protrude out with weight gain, but should go back down with weight loss. Mine hasn't and I only have about 35 more pounds to go to my goal weight. I am getting surgery to remove it in about two weeks. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

2 weeks post op gastric sleeve. When does it get easier? I’m having trouble getting even half my water in. Part of me wonders what the hell did I do. I have no hunger at all, to the point where I have to focus my priority to take in a shake and last 2 days I can only do half a shake at a time. And the throwing up heaving seems to be more snd more often. My first post op in on Wednesday but I’m wondering if anyone else has gone through this and when I should expect to be better. I feel like my relationship with food has worsened to being afraid to eat or drink anything . Kinda low right now. Weights coming off, but now I wonder at what cost.

If they have you eating multiple meals then I can imagine the shakes might be too much, but hopefully the nutritionist can help you figure it out! I'll admit, I really didn't incorporate shakes in the lead up to my pre-op diet, but I did try some out. I also did a terrible job losing weight before the pre-op diet so take that with a grain of salt. 🙂

"a lot" was pretty much my standard answer the first year or two after surgery. I didn't want them silently calculating in their heads what I must have weighed before. Now I often say "over 100 lbs" (although at over six years out, it almost never comes up anymore). To most people, 100 lbs seems like an outrageous amount of weight, so they're satisfied with that answer. The real answer is over 200 lbs. I don't think people without a serious weight problem could wrap their head around that. Plus I don't really want people to know that I once weighed that much.

Hi Footballmom92! I think the previous posters gave excellent advice in seeking support from a nutritionist, therapist, & your personal support (family, friends, etc.). Coming to the realization that you might need medical intervention to help you reach your weight loss goals is a big step & can seem overwhelming. For years I brushed off the idea of getting WLS as I thought I could do it without the surgery. Recently, I realized that it would be very difficult to lose a large amount of weight successfully. If I was successful, I then would most likely have difficulty maintaining the weightloss. Deciding to to this was scary, exciting, & finally brought me some hope at succeeding. My advice in addition to the previous posters is to research & find a doctor that you feel comfortable with. Also, try to keep your motivation up, as that can be a challenge. Remember your "whys". You may want to look into habit tracking or journaling, if those might help you make the changes you need to in order to get closer to where you want to be. I also found it motivating to watch YouTube videos of people who have gone through WLS. This forum is also a great motivator & outlet for seeking support or advice. I truly wish you much success in reaching your goals. Please keep us posted on your progress! 🤗🍀

“A loss is a loss is a loss”. It doesn’t matter if u lost 5 lbs last week or .05 lbs. So long as its coming off ur golden. ”An inch is an inch is an inch.” If the scale didn’t move last month, if your pants are looser, ur golden. ”Keep doing what works until it doesn’t”. If its been months with no weight nor inch loss, cut ur cals, increase ur activity, speak to a medical professional. ”Everybody is different.”. Try not to compare urself to others and allow it to get you down. Its not worth the anxiety. ”Manage your expectations.” Set realistic goals based on YOUR body type and lifestyle. Expecting to achieve more than what u are willing to do to achieve it is unhelpful (see “Everybody is different” above). ”Eff the people in the peanut gallery.” Everyone and their mother is going to give you advice and comment on what THEY think YOU should do. They don’t matter. YOU do. ”Celebrate all the little things.” Sometimes just the ability to cross ur legs comfortably or get off your BP meds means waaaaay more than 2lbs off the scale. ”Be kind to urself.” You would (presumably) never purposely sh*t on someone, so why would u do that to yourself. ‘Nuff said. Good Luck!! ❤️

That is what I was saying. So you only ate 1 real meal a day. I think that’s where I am going wrong. I’m drinking 3-4 protein drinks (shakes and water) and eating 2 real meals a day. I usually mix my shakes in my coffee as the creamer, sugar, and all. I’m really hoping that the nutritionist can offer some more advice because I am really trying hard to not feel discouraged. The doctor said we just want to see you lose “some” weight before surgery. By the way…. I am still in the working up process. I do anticipate a lot of weight during the 2 week liquid diet liver shrinking phase.

I had my bypass about 7 weeks ago. I lost about 50 pounds leading up to surgery and 20 pounds after. I also choose not to tell people I had surgery. Now that it's noticeable, I've had people comment on my weight loss. Most people just say something like "You lost weight! You look great!" However....there are those people that want to know "How much weight did you lose?" I really don't want to give a number - for a lot of reasons. Usually I just say something like "a lot". Just wondering how other people respond to that question. Thanks!

I lost weight just fine pre-op drinking Premier Protein. Our plan was 3-4 shakes a day, plus 1 fruit snack and one real meal (3-6 oz lean protein & a serving of veggies). I lost weight just fine, as did my husband who went along with the pre-op diet to make it easier on me). I'm still using it post surgery even though it tastes too sweet though I also use Unjury protein powder mixed with unsweetened soy milk. I really like the Unjury Chocolate Splendor flavor; the vanilla and strawberry are also nice. I find it hard to believe that the protein shake brand is the problem when so many people do just fine with it.

I'm in the same boat. My surgeon, when I brought this up, sort of smirked a little bit and said, "I will tell you what. Go and scramble an egg. See how much you can eat." Three bites later I was DONE. Like, maybe a third of a scrambled egg. This, from a guy who would easily knock down 6 or 8 if I was in training for a competition. So strange, yet so strangely comforting. He also was completely nonplussed that I was consuming 600-800 calories. Quoting verbatim: "You were probably eating 5,000 before, so the difference between 400-500 and 600-800 is negligible for you. When you lose more weight the calories will be more important. Right now, eat protein." The hunger is a lot better two weeks out than it was the first few days.

I am pescatarian and eat 2 meals a day. My day usually consist of: protein shake for breakfast, fish and veggies for lunch and dinner. My snacks are cucumbers, avocados, nuts, etc. I log everything I put in my mouth down to my vitamins. I meet with my nutritionist on Wednesday so I can her take on it. I agree that I am more than likely taking in too much protein which is stalling my weight loss vs. the brand. So 1 protein shake or protein water a day for me. For those who had the surgery… did you encounter any let downs or difficulties during that phase.

Yes, stalls are normal, and sometimes it's best to just let them take their course, but you can also try to "mix it up" a bit. Try to eat a bit more for a few days, or increase carbs, drink more water, change your exercise routine. Try taking your measurements instead of your weight for a few weeks to see if that makes you feel better. If you're always eating the same thing for breakfast, try something different. I don't know why, but sometimes changing things helps us get going. Also, track your calories for a few days to see if you're really eating what you think you are (you will have to weigh/measure all your food to do this right).

I drink Optimum Nutrition whey protein. We have the strawberry and double chocolate. My husband is a a body builder - it is what he drinks to shred and what I drink to lose weight while getting all required protein per day.

First and foremost I understand that stalls happen and patience is required. I'm only 4.5 months post so I know my journey is unlikely to have stopped this early. That being said I'm at a weight I've gotten to before when I've been successful with dieting. Twice prior to surgery I was able to lose 40-50lbs and get down to right around 200lbs and then that's typically when I started to regain. So I do think this is a bit of a set point for my body. Is there anything to do in a stall beyond waiting it out? Increasing protein, decreasing carbs? Or is it best to just stay the course and let my body do it's thing? I think it's extra frustrating being so close to one-derland and not being able to get over the tipping point. 😫

You have a window of time after surgery where you literally could not binge eat even if you wanted to. But that is time you NEED to be spending getting your impulse to binge eat under control, because if you don't, when the restriction eases and you can binge eat once again, you'll gain weight again.

I'd say it's unusual, but your weight can fluctuate for any number of reasons. Are you drinking a lot of salty stuff (broths)? Are you close to getting your period, if applicable? Are you under more stress than usual (duh)? Are you walking?

As others have indicated, there isn't a lot of difference, once beyond the first few months' transition period, between the two as far as eating and socializing. We eat out monthly with a group of DS patients (somewhat more extreme malabsorption than the RNY - no dumping tendencies but sometimes reputed to be worse on potential bathroom issues) and you can't tell who is who - DS, RNY, VSG or no WLS. There is a transition period the first few months or year where the body is adjusting to the changes, both physical and dietary, where GI issues are not uncommon (do a search for the Al Roker White House SHART story; yeah, he pooped himself at the WH.) The VSG leans more toward constipation for a while (RNY can, too) but that's primarily from the limited diet - lots of protein and minimal carbohydrate/fiber and fats to keep things moving,) Fiber supplements are the order of the day for a while, and probiotics can help with general adaptation of the gut. The RNY will be somewhat fussier on supplement need, all things being equal, to counter the malabsorption. That usually isn't a problem if people are reasonably diligent on such things, but can be problematic if one tends toward being overly casual on such things. Some things may not respond to normal oral supplements; infusions to maintain iron levels are not unusual with the RNY (or DS) but are uncommon with a sleeve. You may run into medication tolerance issues - NSAIDs are the most common class of drugs that are sited (a big NONO with the RNY, but a better tolerated little nono with the sleeve or DS) but one may run into other drugs during ones life that may be restricted with the bypass (some of the osteoporosis drugs come to mind.) Other things that may be of concern, particularly as we get older, that aren't specifically lifestyle oriented are some common medical treatments and diagnostics are off the table with a bypass - owing to the blind remnant stomach and upper GI, a number of common endoscopic procedures aren't available (they're available by normal surgical means, but not endoscopically.) You mention longevity, which I assume you are referring to longevity of weight loss or resistance to regain. From what I have seen over the years, there doesn't seem to be a significant difference between the two - people seem to be as prone to major regain problems with either, to a roughly equal degree. The caloric malabsorption of the RNY tends to dissipate after a year or two, so metabolically, one is left in about the same position as one who had a sleeve (though the bypass patient may have lost weight a bit more easily.) To get a significant difference in regain resistance, one needs to look into the DS, particularly the "traditional" BPD/DS. It has a somewhat different set of trade offs, but is worth considering (particularly since the bypass is so difficult to revise if it doesn't yield the desired results.) Good luck - lots to think about, and none of it is easy!

Hey all!! Today I had my first weigh in appt after the consultation. It sucked…. I did not lose any weight. The doctor thinks it’s because I’m either consuming too much protein or the type of protein. I was drinking 3-4 protein drinks a day due to my wonky job schedule. I’ve been drinking premier protein and protein2O. My doctor said that he’s noticed that the patients that drink the premier protein are either not losing or they are gaining. This was really frustrating being that I have been diligently working hard at losing weight. So I will now only drink 1 protein water and 1 protein shake a day. My questions are… what protein shakes are y’all drinking during the pre-op weight loss phase? Has anyone noticed an increase in weight with the premier protein? They keep pushing bariatric advantage, but I fearful because my stomach is ultra sensitive to some dairy things. im really trying hard to not get discouraged. I would help to hear others difficulties during this phase to know that I am not alone or weird. Thanks a lot. Trying to live a good life