Search the Community

Kristen it's not uncommon for people who are post op a few days to have so much angst. Follow your doctor and nutritionist protocols. Everyone loses weight at a different pace. The main thing is to stick to the program and despite what is preached about super fast weigh loss, it does happen but it's not the norm. The majority of people lose a a decent amount of weight, experience a stall, after time the body adjusts and then you experience constipation, and the body adjusts and you lose more weight. . Your best result is patience and sticking to the plan. I have family members who can eat a lot more than they thought they should. It comes down to what you eventually eat. Eating a ton of salad is much better than eating a ton processed food. Still eating a ton but with much different results. Stay the course and dont be discouraged, your body is going through a process and needs to sort things out.

Hello, my name is Kristen. New here. I'm 11 days post op. I'm on my protein weeks or phase 2 of 5 to weening back to normal foods. My nutritionist told me I should be able to feel full after 4-6 oz. I should drink a protein shake within 2 hours as my stomach couldn't handle it all at once. However, I'm finding out that I can eat/drink a lot more than that at once with no pain. I burp a little more but that's about it. I'm HIGHLY worried that this means I won't be able to control my food intake once I can have solid foods again and regain all my weight. I'm 11 days after and only down 4 pounds, which is another concern is that I'm not losing weight as fast as so many have told me I would, including the nutritionist. I do know that in some cases, inches fall down faster than pounds. I'm hoping that's my case but my pants so far fit just the same and the 4 #'s seems to be reflecting both pounds and inches. Has anyone also experienced this? Is this because I can stomach more than I was told I could? Am sorry eating too much? I have 2-3 protein shakes a day. I eat some chili or cottage cheese randomly these past 3 days. I also have protein20. A water/protein mix. I have around 40-60 oz of water a day (still working on my water intake) here and there I'll have sugar free popsicles. Have cut the popsicles mainly out as they have other bad things in the ingredients and I don't want a sweets craving. My nutritionist assures me I'm doing things right but I don't understand why I can eat a lot more than I'm supposed to and I'm losing weight very slow. It's super discouraging. I was looking forward to this surgery as a new life, new me and a better me. Not at all what I hoped for

Finally broken through my week 3 stall and it feels so good. I had zero weight lost for three weeks, from March 26 (2 weeks post VSG) until today. I didn't make any changes, just stuck to the program and waited it out.

I'm in the same boat as you, my weight is regain at an alarming rate. To those who say don't weigh yourself everyday it was weighing everyday that kept my weight in check

I had GS surgery in 2016 and lost 70lbs. Once I reached my final plateau at 165lbs, I gained back 10lbs and have stayed there for the past 8 years. The issue with surgery is that it's good for the first couple of years until your stomach adjusts, then the more you eat, the more it stretches. I'm an over-eater, so when I eat more than my stomach can handle, it comes back up. I can usually feel it when it reaches my esophagus and by that point, it has to come up. It's not vomiting, just spitting back out undigested food. Within the past month, I've put on 10lbs. Mostly stress related and lack of exercise. I've thought of taking Wegovy to get a jump start, but doubt my doctor will prescribe it. I just need to get back on track. So for those of you who think the sleeve is a tool that will last forever, your stomach will eventually stretch, and when you continue to allow it to stretch, you will be right back where you started. I just ate 2 eggs and sausage. That's about 80% more than I used to be able to eat. Just beware that if you don't manage your eating, no medication or surgery is going to work.

40 down, 10 more to go... took about 9 months to get this far, so am projecting i should have the min amount im looking for in about 2.5 more months... but the more the better 🤞🏼 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery 8. Type of Surgery (Sleeve, ByPass, etc...)

Are you male? I was on a pre surgery diet of 1000-1200 calories max (female) and that's fairly common...Men 1300 - 1500 max.. The amount of exercise I did didn't matter (I was very active). I started May and my surgery was in August.. I was under the impression those calorie limits were fairly normal, am I missing something here? On average not trying to lose weight is 1800 - 2200 (maintenance) based on age, height etc..Sooo dropping to 1200 would still be healthy but allow for healthy weight loss. Lastly, I understand you're training, but after surgery you will be on even less calories (I'm almost 9 months PO and I get 800 calorie and your swimming event is 2025 - post surgery..so you'd be on calorie restrictions then..what's the difference between now and then?. Training is about building endurance and calories shouldn't matter as long as you're getting what is recommended and the right macros. Yes, everyone is different but your dietician knows your current weight, goals and objectives. I personally would do as your plan dictates if you want to go ahead with the surgery. Once you go and do your own thing (which I'm assuming is why you need the WLS in the first place) its very difficult to stay on the program. I also realize that your swimming event is important to you, but you need to decide what is most important - the swim event or becoming healthy. Something to think on...

@summerseeker, that's a bit discouraging to hear that your Fibromyalgia did not change with the weight loss. One of my doctors said he has a couple of patients, and their Fibro was reversed, which is what I'm hoping for (but not banking on!). I hope I'm able to take my medicine. I've run out before, and Fibro pain without meds was not fun!

being on these forums long enough i would assume that one should realize by now that everyone is different. we say/post it multiple times a day, every day. i don't like weight lifting . it's don't like olives. i don't like talking about my wls. others don't feel the same way. i get that. we are all different people getting our own versions of joy. i may not make the same connections to things as you do, and thats cool. i mean, some people have sex every day while others don't. some people weigh themselves every morning others don't. some people read books while others don't. why do people drink too much and become alcoholics? alcohol is so gross. this line if thinking is the close sibling to why do people eat too much and get fat? being fat is so gross. to paraphrase you: "but how did you get to the point where <eating> was enjoyable enough to do it often <that u end up being 300 lbs>?" the incredulity in your post is loud and clear...but really, if u think about it, its not that impossible to understand (especially from the point of view from a person who was morbidly obese) your intention may be not to sound judgy...but in my very insignificant opinion, you kinda do. but i mean, you are entitled to say whatever you want. i guess i just wanna ask you to take a pause and reflect on how ur post may or may not have come across. sorry. 😔 i don't normally weigh in this heavily in anonymous internet chats as i hate confrontation, but this touched a wee nerve for me. (i may just delete this post after i overthink it to death...we shall see...i have already edited this post a gazillion times in my overthinking, ha.)

I hope I don't come across as rude when I write this but everyone has different likes or dislikes and you clearly say you have never liked alcohol from the outset so good for you but the post does come across as judgmental. If someone likes to have a drink it is up to them as adults to do as they wish, be it too many calories etc. It is everyone's choice to make if they would like to have a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and deal with the consequences, if there are any like weight gain, reflux, dumping etc. Do you like eggs? I don't like the smell or taste of them so why do you eat them? Just making the point!

This situation is a catch 22 because no one knows exactly what the insurance requirements are and no one will tell us. The dieticians job is to help you lose weight, period. Whether that’s in your best interest or not is where it gets tricky. On one hand If you are in a supervised weight loss program (the six month requirement by a lot of insurances) they are trying to see if you can lose the weight on your own before they approve it. So in theory if you lose too much they could deem you not a good candidate for surgery. On the other hand, every pound you lose the heathy way should make you that much more fit for the operation (not if you malnourished though). Plus, if you really can lose it without surgery obviously not putting your body through surgery would be ideal. if the dieticians way is something you have never tried before and when you try it you feel like you can do it, losing weight without surgery is obviously preferred. BUT, just because the insurance company sees progress and decides that you should be able to lose it based on the trend doesn’t mean they are right (they are not doctors and should not be making these decisions IMO). I know myself I have probably lost 1000 pounds in my life but that’s because I have always lost a few and gained them back but never got near a healthy weight. Whether you have tried everything, including the dieticians way, only you know. I had sleeve three years ago and my high weight was 235 and I’m taller than you. So I was lower BMI as well. On surgery day I was 220ish and I was fine but I did not start losing until my pre op diet began. During my 6 month supervised diet I did follow the diet they set out for me to the best of my ability BUT the cheat days basically offset my progress so I didn’t really lose anything. Now I am considering revision and there is not any weight requirements as far as I know but I started at like 245 this time anyways so I’m not as afraid to lose a little. I asked him what I should do and he said to keep my Carbs below 40 for now (I am most likely having the SADI so carbs are gonna be most important post surgery). Well I am losing but less than a pound a week so no one is raising any eyebrows at my loss. Anyways If I was in your position I would reduce my calories by like 100 at a time and see how I felt after a week adjusting to that. (Mayne you can get to 1200 with the dieticians help and maybe you decide that you want to try it once the dieticians way before you decide). On days like you four hour swim I would ask the doctor their opinion because 1200 calories does not seem enough for that level of activity. I think if it was me, I would stick to eating healthy choices for now. Try out new, healthy recipes and get used to the food you will need to eat post surgery. I would try to get to the 1200 because they are the dietician but portion wise I would cut my calories slowly to get there and see how my body reacted at each stage. (Just be honest with yourself about whether you really need or just want the calories) if I was really losing more than ever before and it seemed like something I could sustain, I would then re-evaluate whether I should be jumping into major surgery just yet. But if I decided that i couldn’t do it on my own and for sure wanted surgery i would talk to my doctor about how much they would like to see me lose to be fit for surgery.

If you don't eat, your body will think it's starving and it will hold on to every little calorie, every bit of fat, everything to protect you. That will be what causes you to gain weight, or at the very least, not lose. You have to learn to walk that fine line between eating enough to stay healthy but not too much to cause weight gain. It's a learning curve, and takes a while to figure out. But you'll get there. Just make sure you get your protein in first, then carbs (from veggies and fruits), HEALTHY fats, and enough calories. The first 2 weeks, I never had more than 600 calories per day. Weeks 3 and 4 it went up to between 800 - 900 per day. Weeks 5 and 6 I was around 1000 per day. Once I was completely cleared for all exercise, I went up to 1100 - 1200 per day on non work out days and between 1300 - 1400 per day on work out days, depending on what work out I was doing that day. You absolutely HAVE to give your body the fuel it needs to survive and thrive. The point of the surgery isn't to starve yourself into being skinny. It's a tool to teach us to make better, healthier choices and stick with them.

Wow. Every cell in my body is telling me that this new regime is so wrong. I have no idea why anyone would want you on such a low calorie diet. It seems to me she wants you to diet the weight off rather than have the surgery. Did you ask why ? You are on the lower weight for the surgery. Loose much more and you may be too low to meet the criteria. My maintenance diet has me on 1500 calories and I don't exercise. If I worked and exercised as I did in my younger days, I would be on about 2200 - 2500 cals a day. You need to be fit and healthy for your surgery. Such a low calorie diet is too restrictive. Why is the diet not more future proofed, for learning new habits, like less carbonation, less sugar and less carbs. These seem to be the goals that are set by others who have to do a pre op diet rather than a pre op liver shrink diet. I hope others will wade in and help you here because to me its madness

Thank you all! One thing to edit/add is that I consider the "pouch reset" a myth also from the perspective of shrinking my stomach, but consider it rather a "mind reset" of what I did in the beginning and getting back on track mentally. As @Arabesque says, weighing myself daily - Another mental reset for me. I can easily stick my head in the sand if I'm not on the scale, so no matter how painful it might be (especially after my last cruise where I went overboard with the um... adult beverages like sweet martini's), sometimes it takes that dose of reality to get you back on track. I'm back down to my standard weight (was easier than I thought to lose 10 when I paid attention which is a problem in itself), I still want to hit my goal of 155 - One day.... One day at a time. Glad I stopped by here this morning - Getting ready to head out on the boat. Was initially going to pack the standard stuff, but inspired to change it up: Cut up veggies for snacks, more water and Gatorade Zero, less adult beverages in the coolers. Will make sure to take a picture and compare to a year ago so I remember WHERE I want to be vs. where I am. Thanks ladies and gents!

If you follow your plan, you won’t put on weight. You are consuming so few calories & even when you progress to purées, soft food & then solid food, you’ll still be eating so few calories & such tiny portions, that again you won’t put on weight. Not consuming calories, not meeting your protein goals (or at least being close to it) will actually be doing you more harm. Affecting your recovery & healing, putting your body into starvation mode, being nutrient deficit, etc. These will impede your long term health & weight loss. May be get in touch with your team & ask if you could see a therapist to work through this fear of eating. You don’t want to swap one set of poor eating habits with another & create new health issues. Trust the program. It works.

Hi everyone My surgery date is 4/30 so close enough to join the May group 🤣 1. I am excited to start this journey! I do have anxiety as well because I had a procedure done years ago that didn't work well. I had a lap band done back in 2005 with NO SUCCESS. The band was nothing but a problem. It flipped twice and the port moved so all of the saline was removed, and it's just been hanging out with me ever since. 2. For my hospital bag, I plan on wearing the same comfy clothes home that I wore in. I'm bring my crocs, chapstick, a long phone charger, a couple protein shakes because I was told by my surgeon that their options were not the greatest, and a heating pad. 3. I am excited to finally get some of this weight off of me!! I have lost the 60lbs (and gained the same 60lbs) since 5th grade, I swear. My son is 14 and I'm excited to be able to finally ride amusement park rides with him. We got this!!

I’ve had this feeling before but it lasted a very short while. Your body needs the calories to survive and weight loss will still happen. Your stomach is not that same anymore and you won’t be able to eat the same amount or the same types of food anymore. That feeling will pass in due time. You’ll be okay! Just make sure you follow your surgeon’s directives ♥️

I had bypass surgery April 4. I've been getting my recommended water and was put on a clear diet when I was discharged from the hospital. This means I can be drinking clear protein shakes, broth, etc. I haven't eaten anything or drank anything containing calories since leaving the hospital. I'm afraid to eat. Not because I think I'll get sick but because I went through with this surgery to lose weight and I'm afraid any food will prevent weight loss. I didn't have this feeling before surgery. Is this normal?

I have Fibromyalgia and it has not changed because of weight loss. The surgeon told me this. I had zero pain when I woke up from the surgery but was a little tender in my stomach area. I take 8 Co-codamol a day when the pain is fierce and a 10mg Amitriptyline every night to help me relax. My new tiny stomach was very swollen and I couldn't take the pills for about 4 weeks. I had some morphine patches from my doctor but it wasn't severe enough to be an issue after week 1. I take 2 tablets for GERD a day, These have to be taken separately from my pain meds because of absorption issues.

Hi, I had gastric bypass. I didn’t really have a lot of pain. Just gas pains. Just follow their directions. I am not sure how bad you will hurt since you have Fibromyalgia. But, be ready to drop ALOT of weight. It’s the most awesome thing. Good luck and Congratulations

I haven’t had any blood work since surgery to say they’re working but all my bloodwork was off a couple months beforehand and I started them about a month and a half before surgery. My pre surgery bloodwork didn’t show any deficiencies in any vitamins or minerals then. I figured if the surgeon had them on her list of approved multivitamins then they must work but occasionally I do wonder how lol. My appt is next week on the 25th so I will let you know. Im one of those people that struggles with my levels on a good day so during this post op diet I’m sure I’ve been challenged. Amazing job on the weight loss and walking despite the knee pain. I often stay down because of pain or exhaustion and I need to get up and moving. I hope your knee surgery is in the near future!

Interested to see what the dr says on this. I was glad my primary care didn’t do blood work yesterday because I know I hadn’t drank my water like I should. It’s hard for me to do on the road and my drs are 4hrs one way so I’m always slacking when I drive there. Messes all my bloodwork up. 🤦‍♀️ I’m hoping vitamin wise I’m doing ok because I use the patches so there is no issue with nausea or vomiting. They were on the approved list of vitamins from my surgeon and I’m loving them. I’m glad your vitamin infusion helped you feel better. Low energy is awful to deal with. It’s so challenging when you want to be up and moving to get your weight loss moving faster but have no energy to do it. I’ve injured my foot somehow and am supposed to be off of it as much as possible and icing it. I also had to go on a steroid pack for the inflammation since we’re allowed no nsaids. I swear my body is working against me at every turn.

After the vitamin infused IV yesterday I do feel better. However, the health professional administering the IV said I was dehydrated. Which seems weird, at that point in the day I already had 64 ounces of water along with 12 oz Gatorade zero. Typically I get 72 -80 ounces by the end of the day. Fluids haven't been an issue for me. I'm sending a message to my doctor to see if there could be an issue absorbing fluids. I've never heard of that, but it seems weird im drinking so much water and still deemed dehydrated. Could be a reason for the slow weight loss maybe.

Awesome job on the treadmill! I bought one right after surgery but have not done great at using it. I need to try harder or just start one day at a time. I used to use the treadmill at the gym years ago with a friend so I know it’s doable! I was thinking about getting a sewing machine and taking the side seams in on my clothes when I lose enough weight so that maybe I don’t need to get rid of everything and buy all new clothes. Not sure how well this will work though. Of course I won’t have to buy ALL new clothes because I saved a lot of clothes waiting to go back to my normal size lol. This is funny because I have been overweight for at least ten years…I really should’ve given up my smaller clothes years ago.

My surgeon told me at my 6 week appointment that I needed to start doing more exercise. This week, I'm happy to say I've gotten out my little walking pad treadmill twice in the evenings and have been walking while watching TV. I've gone from a daily average of about 3k steps to more than 5k this week, and I'll be working toward 10k steps each day for the coming month. I can hardly wait as the weather improves to allow for more outside walking. I'm really hoping the additional activity will give the scale an added nudge in the right direction. Once I can hit 10k most days, I will start looking at ways to add resistance bands to build muscle, but if I'm honest, I have been almost completely sedentary for several years and need to pace myself for it to be sustainable. Today, I am less than 4 lbs away from the lowest weight I've recorded on my app in the past 7 years (which was 203.8 after doing the nutrition program at my old weight loss center). 203 lbs is the next milestone I have my eye on, followed by making it to 199 lbs, and then hitting 185 lbs to officially no longer be obese. I chose my weight goal of 155 lbs somewhat arbitrarily, though it's the lower end of the estimates I saw for how much I could lose on various calculators. But when it feels impossibly far away, it helps to have some smaller goals to focus on. Oh, and it's almost time to swap out my winter clothing for spring stuff, which means I will have a lot of items to take to the donation bin. Many of my long-sleeve tops are swimming on me and several pairs of jeans are hopelessly baggy. Purging my closet will be an awesome feeling!