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HI Monica. So after talking to several nutritionists specialized in bariatrics, and researching, I now made peace with the rate of my weight loss. Somebody here posted a table of weight ranges according to age and height. This also helped. I am 61 will be 62 in two months. Have had already major weightloss with my lap band years ago, so this is my second surgery. All nutritionists said these two details are a big factor that will affect my weight loss. I have now lost a total of 33 pounds in 3 months. My lab tests just came in and I am in the absolute normal range, which means no more cholesterol. No more diabetes. No more high blood pressure. This in itself is already my great victory! I now [emoji817] % fir sure that I will loose the rest 20-25 Kgs (40-45 pounds). If it takes a month longer that is also fine. My full bonus is already here, I am medicine free!! I feel great (except for the occasional gas which sometimes,drives me and my hubby crazy kkk) and hope everyone here has great success with their journey. We have all carried our weight too long with all the pain and I suffering that it involved. Now we are all getting a second lease. This in itself is a great thing. So let us all enjoy the ride. be kind and loving to ourselves and also patient with our bodies. They have endured a lot already. Lots if live to everyone. Sent from my D6603 using BariatricPal mobile app

I understand, The fish sticks where not fried they where baked, I guess looking at it from the outside it does sound like a bit much for my new stomach! I guess I'm so scared of not eating my protein and getting myself sick, that I'm rushing to eating things that my stomach may not be ready for! On another note my mom made me a very hearty consomé, with chicken bones celery, carrots, and all those other good stuff, and boy let me tell you that was one good picker upper! That lift me up I felt renew! [emoji5]

I'm always finding out new stuff. But here is a really nifty calculator. http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/information/planner+results.php Scroll down a bit and put in your preop weight, height, and start off with 65% excess body weight. See how closely the curve matches your current weight trajectory. If you change 65 to 60 or 70 or 100, it'll change the graph. My personal stats: 5'7 female Started at 305lbs Lost 16lbs on preop diet Month 1, lost: 17lbs 2: 13lbs 3: 8lbs 4: 12lbs 5: 14lbs 6: 7lbs I'm almost 7 months out and have lost a total of 96lbs. My losses seem to be pretty .. median. Some lose faster or slower, a lot seem to lose at the same rate. When I type in 87%, the losses on the graph mesh up with my current weight (which means I may well be WELL above the 65% average). My final weight according to this graph will be 168lbs. Another calculation is to simply take your starting weight (for me, 305lbs) and multiply times 0.6. 305x0.6= 183lbs. (Which is 77% according to the graph calculator). So many different ways of calculating potential losses.. and none of them agree with each other! The real answer to your future is what your body and mind can work together to produce. Statistics, charts, averages, calculators.. these things take hundreds or thousands of people, and lump them together to figure out how bariatric folk, as a population, fare. The individual trials and triumphs are erased. I have 3 surgery-buds that all started lighter than me, but our weights have all tracked along, sometimes to the pound! 2 had sleeves and one had a bypass. By 6 months postop, they were all within 10lbs of goal. Since I started out 50lbs heavier than they did, I still have quite a ways to go. A couple of them exercise a lot, one exercises moderately, and I don't exercise at all. But we all have lost the same amount of weight (to this point). I do believe the surgery is what does the work for the first 6 months. After that, it's more up to us to effect the change we want.

1. Don't stress. I'm constantly seeing people compare their progress to others and honestly who cares, as long as you stay focused, you will definitely get to where you need to be. So enjoy it. 2. Fix all of your emotional mental issues- if you're able to figure out why you were eating the way you were before, or even re build broken confidence during the process it will help tremendously and prevent you from falling off the wagon. This whole process is mostly mental. Sometimes that may even be as extreme as cutting off people in your life who aren't where you are mentally or not supportive. 3. Be your own boss. Don't do anything you don't want to do. For example, i despise boring cardio and "bariatric specific shakes" i hate how they taste. So i avoid both at all costs. I truly enjoy all of my new found healthy foods. I enjoy working out too, its now my stress reliever. I do things like boxing and weight lifting or swimming because i actually like it. If you love what you're doing and view it as a hobby instead of a chore you will most definitely be more successful. Take constant full body selfies even if you don't like where you are physically yet, seeing that will remind you of how far you've come and you won't want to go back. I hope that helps someone. I made a post a long time ago with a million tips that helped me.

Did your dietician or the place you got the procedure at mention any? For me that was the first place I found one. My nutritionist knew of another one. I looked online via searches for cities closeby. Any place that performs bariatric procedures is the best place to start.

I'll ne in Mexico as well surgery November 17th Mexico bariatric center Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

After my sleeve surgery (12/12/16) the bariatric nurse told me that I would not feel hunger for about a year. Was anyone else told that? So the last couple of weeks, I am HUNGRY all the time! Still eating the same, about 100g Protein daily, low carbs, working out and drinking tons of Water. I've lost right at 80 since surgery. Anyone else have this issue? I am scared.... it is truly a struggle, again.

After my sleeve surgery (12/12/16) the bariatric nurse told me that I would not feel hunger for about a year. Was anyone else told that? So the last couple of weeks, I am HUNGRY all the time! Still eating the same, about 100g protein daily, low carbs, working out and drinking tons of water. I've lost right at 80 since surgery. Anyone else have this issue? I am scared.... it is truly a struggle, again.

The two that I most follow are "Gastric bypass support Group" and "Gastric Sleeve Support Group." I find they can be good places to help you think through your decision, get motivation, and be part of your overall research. That said, remember that everyone's experience is different. Some people do post their horror stories. Only you can decide what is best for you. Here is what led me to the decision to go with bariatric surgery: I've struggled with my weight on and off my whole life. I have had successful weight loss attempts before. However, I am now 52 and have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, severe (though well medicated) GERD, and high cholesterol. I need another tool to aid me in this journey and I can't wait any longer for me to "get motivated." This will help force me into motivation and, hopefully, be a tool to help me stay on track.

You should call your insurance company to find out whether bariatric surgery is covered. If it is, then call around to find out which bariatric programs take your insurance. Then you should figure out which program seems like a good fit. It sounds like your doctor has a surgeon in mind, and that is always a good place to start. You will likely have a long term relationship with your bariatric team so make sure you are comfortable. Welcome, and good luck!

Apple, thank you so much for this! This is AWESOME! The chart is results after gastric bypass, and basically proves that % excess weight loss is not applicable across the board, that % starting weight lost is much more applicable. Essentially, those who have a BMI over 40 can expect to lose approximately 38-41% of their starting body weight. 40% makes for a nice round number. So for me, I started at 305lbs, so 305 x .6 = 183lbs (goal weight) Now, I had the sleeve, not bypass, so this may be underestimating my final weight by a little bit. But it gives a ballpark, and I'm comfortable with that. People that start at less than 40bmi only lose about 33% of their starting weights. But, ultimately, they pretty much lose all their excess weight. THIS fact is especially exciting, because it is more similar to what happens with bariatric rats. Rats are only just so obese, and when they get bypassed, they tend to lose all their excess weight. Now we see that it's a function of not having rats fat enough to mimic our morbidly and super morbidly obese humans. Thanks again for posting this!!!

I've just done tons of research and made the decision before I ever went to one of the groups. (I was at the September group as well.) There are also a couple of good facebook groups where you can get decent feedback. A bit of drama in them, but overall I've found them to be helpful in solidifying my decision. Dr. V. is supposed to be very good. I have a friend going to him for a revision. I'm also trying to find out how much extra $ it would cost to have a private room at the Miriam. My ex had a private room after a kidney surgery, and that was the standard on that floor for the kinds of surgeries that folks have. I think the bariatric surgeries tend to all recover on the same floor in double rooms. But I don't want to deal with someone else's whining in the midst of my own so if it's something I can afford to do I'm looking at it.

Your system needs water to keep things "moving" correctly. And Berry78 is right - it doesn't always have to be plain water. Try flavored water, tea, coffee, things like that. Dehydration causes lots of other problems in bariatric patients like us, so drink up!

I'm going through The Miriam Hospital's Bariatric program. My surgeon will be Dr. Todd Stafford. I didn't choose him. When you do the online orientation and request a consult they schedule you with someone. He seems very nice! As near as I can tell, the program and Miriam and at Roger Williams are both pretty good but I have an old hatred for Roger Williams. The Miriam has monthly support groups for pre-op patients (that go toward the required visits) so you might want to check that out. It's a touch decision for sure. Good luck!

Many of you probably don't 'know' me from these forums, but I have been around for several years. i'm almost 4 years post VSG. I have struggled through many chapters in my life since my surgery and have regained a good amount of weight. since I carry ALL my weight right around my middle, I look horrible and my self esteem has tanked. Since my surgery I changed jobs and moved, lost a parent, had to change doctors, and gained a master's degree. I'm currently in the final few classes to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. on top of all that, I had managed to lose enough weight initially to be off all my medications-GERD and BP. Now i'm back on both. My GERD has worsened with the weight gain and i'm at the point where I can't lay on my left side if I've eaten within the past few hours because the food and acid will backwash into my throat. i'm miserable. I have been to the psych doc, the NUT, to the surgeon, and to my GP. none of them can give me an exact direction of what to do. my GP says they simply don't know enough about bariatrics to guide me. The bariatric team trialed me on Contrave, I got so sick I had to stop. I tried Keto and spent two days in misery from all that fat. My brain is the issue and I don't know how to get it back under control. I am taking straight Welbutrin for the time being to see if that will help with behavior AND with appetite. my surgeon is very concerned that from the GERD, i'll need a revision. I don't really WANT a revision, I know that the GERD has worsened because I carry ALL my weight in my waistline and it's pushing up on my sleeve- badly. I have an EGD this week with my GI doc which will look at the GERD and also the condition of my sleeve. I have no excuse, the regain is completely my own doing. One day about 20 months ago, I thought that drinking a diet ginger ale at work would be ok, and it has spiraled out of control from there. I am trying badly to get off of soda again, which I think is really the first step. As I walk this very difficult road to get back on the path where I belong, I ask for your prayers, positive thoughts, and vibes.

"The greatest benefit from surgery was among obesity-associated cancers. Postmenopausal breast cancer dropped by 42 percent. Endometrial cancer was down 50 percent. Colon cancer dropped 41 percent, and the risk for pancreatic cancer was lowered by 54 percent. Schauer explains the lower cancer risk is partially tied to estrogen levels. The weight loss surgery reduces a person's estrogen level. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28938270 Be sure to bring this up when people question your choice for surgery!! :-)

When you say your doctor wants you to lose, do you mean your primary physician or your bariatric surgeon? If it's the surgeon, have you considered meeting with a different surgeon to see if they would have the same plan for you? And I def wanna echo @Conroy3917 and say make sure you're eating enough, especially protein.

I had the sleeve and take the pill bariatric vitamin. I just started taking them about six weeks post op.

I talked to my surgeon about always being hungry, and he said I'm not taking in enough protein, so I've been making sure I get plenty of protein. If I do get hungry then I eat something high in protein. I did buy some of the high protein snacks from the Bariatric store, and that helps too. What's weird is that lately I just haven't even been able to finish a yogurt or my jello(have to put my antacid broken up in the jello), and it's getting difficult again to get in two protein shakes a day. I just seem to get full before I finish one. Also makes it hard to get in my water intake doing the 30/30 rule. How do most people on here eat and drink their water throughout the day? Do y'all try to have set meals, and when it's not mealtime you are drinking water, or what? I'm just starting phase 3. Thanks!

Hello New Friends! I need some support and hope to make some new friends here. I had a Lapband down in Mexico in 2004 by Dr Kuri and lost 150 lbs then maintained that for about a decade. I started at 536lbs and got down to just under 400lbs which my surgeon said was a success. I never hit my goal weight of 300lbs but I was happy. After several gallstones and trips to the ER my doctor in Portland said I needed to have my gallbladder removed. The gallbladder surgeon in Portland offered to remove the 10 year old Lapband which was causing me trouble so I did it without even considering other options. At that point it was taking me 1.5 hours to eat half of a small meal and I had zero restriction. So his offer was a welcome relief. I thought I was doing fine. I knew I had gained a little but not 80 pounds. That scared me because it had only been a few months. I was getting to the point of having a hard time walking, and I had developed neuropathy in my feet. I also had a couple weight related injuries and then my knee got real bad. This was a real low point in my life. I visited a friend in Texas who had the sleeve and I didnt even recognize him! I was shocked at how much he had lost. So that was the start of my sleeve journey. When I got back to Portland I started off talking to Puget Sound Bariatrics in Washington and Legacy Emanual in Portland but both surgeons needed me to lose 30-40 pounds before they said they could operate on me for the sleeve. They said I had to be under 500lbs. One surgeon suggested I try a low carb diet. I didnt know what he was talking about! Thus I began learning about low carb eating. During the last 2 years I have been learning about the weight loss industry. Ive read The Obesity Code by Dr Jason Fung who is a doctor that helps cure diabetes, a supposedly incurable disease. Reading his book educated me on all the "great advice" weve been getting all these years about how to lose weight, advice that was pretty much worthless to people with obesity. Dr Jung examines all the recommendations passed down thru the years and then explains why they dont work, its a real education that answers a lot of questions. He also explains how foods we eat turn to glucose that is stored in our liver for the first few hours after we eat a meal. Then as our bodies use up the glucose and our insulin levels drop our bodies are able to access the stored body fat for the energy our bodies need. This is what causes weigh loss. Thats why intermittent fasting works so well. I learned about intermittent fasting and have found that to be fairly easy to implement into my lifestyle. I hired a personal trainer and spent a year in the gym doing water aerobics - inbetween injuries and weightloss restarts. I bought a few weeks worth of Adkins meals and then figured out how to use those concepts with regular food and even some fast foods. Ive learned about portion control and how important that is. Ive learned about carbs in food including veggies. I had no idea there were carbs in lettuce! Or that a banana contains 55 grams of carbs! I spent 2 weeks getting my body into ketosis which required frequent emergency trips to the bathroom for explosive diareah....no fun. Ive tracked all my meals and had to get honest with myself about late night snacking, the scale doesnt lie. But overall I havent maintained much weight loss. I admit Ive had some depression these last few months since my dad died, but Im moving forward now... A few months ago I was surfing the web and started hearing about guys bigger, older, and taller than me having the sleeve surgery with great success. Yet the 3 surgeons I dealt with in the Pacific Northwest all said I had to be under 500 lbs...BUT WHY??? I soon discovered it was because they dont have the equipment to handle patients over 500 pounds and they didnt want to lose me as a patient so they told me to lose weight instead. Seems crooked to me. Ive needlessly suffered for years now. If I had known better I could have had this surgery 3 years ago. Im now scheduled for January 26 with Dr Rodriguez down in Juarez. Im a snowbird this year so Im moving down to El Paso for the winter, surgery and recovery. The one mistake I made when I first got my lapband was I didnt make it the sole priortiy of my life. This time around my sole focus for the next two years will be losing weight and getting my health back. Im now looking forward to leaving Oregon for a few months and getting really focused on my health. Being in a sunny location will help me feel better and keep me motivated as I begin losing weight again. Today I discovered this forum and read some good stuff. I need your support and hope I can provide you some too! Thanks for reading, Free Stanley

Yes, I had the same problems ...I can not eat and drink very little. I did not want to eat because the nausea.At the end of the 3rd week I wake up very dizzy and weak...pain and I went to the ER .They give some "bariatric packs"(vitamins , protein and minerals).I was there for the whole day and when I return home all was different.I begin to eat and drink better.... The nausea comes and go but now I can eat more and drink what I need! All of us are different and when I felt super bad was because I was not eating and drinking enough. Take her to her doctor!

The sleeve was performed by Dr. Adam B. Smith. The upper GI series was performed by Dr. Ferrara, a surgeon and partner at the same practice (Ultimate Bariatrics).

The best vitamin is dependent upon the type of surgery you've had. People with lap bands or sleeves can get away with less supplementation than those with bypasses or duodenal switch procedures. I was sleeved 2.5 years ago. I refuse to pay $40 for a 3 month supply of the overpriced bariatric vitamins, so I take an over-the-counter Centrum complete. My nutritional labs look good.

The team at my bariatric surgeon's practice never had me counting calories. The rationale behind this move is to escape the dieting mentality of tracking and measuring. I was sleeved 2.5 years ago and have been in maintenance 13 months.

Lots and lots of little things just kept piling up. Then we got a new surgeon at the hospital where I work and he did a lunch and learn session to introduce himself and educate us about what he does. ( We had not previously had a bariatric surgeon) He spoke for an hour about what he does and how it works and why it works and who should have it. I spent the hour alternating between tears and disbelief. He could have been talking about me! I now tell him it was his audition and I was sold. 4 days til surgery and I can't wait to start the rest of my life