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Thanks for the recommendation! I don't think I've seen this guy; I'll try one of his tomorrow. I've tried some other ones that look similar to Leslie Sansone, but the problems I usually run into are that (1) they don't follow the beat of the music, and/or (2) the steps are too complicated or change too often/without warning. Part of it may just be that Leslie's videos are the first ones I tried, so I'm used to them and I know what to expect and don't have to think too hard. I've done most of the ones that are available on YouTube many times; I do 30-50 minutes every day, so I often do 2 or 3 shorter ones back-to-back so I can mix it up a bit. My favorite Leslie Sansone videos are the ones with Nick as the walk leader. I wish there were more of those. It's funny because he annoyed me at first, when I saw him in the background of videos led by Leslie, because he just looks way too happy to be exercising, but he's pretty funny and seems to have a genuinely positive attitude. I still wouldn't say it's "fun" but it doesn't seem as onerous when I do his videos. I also think he does a better job of leading the walks than Leslie because he always gives a heads up when he's about to change steps and he is honest when he counts down (it kind of drives me crazy when Leslie counts down from 8 and I think we're done with that step and then she does 12 more).

I had my surgery yesterday, 3/22 and I’m feeling great right now, the morning afterward. I am enjoying “taking it easy”. I arrived at hospital at 5:30 am, surgery was at 8:00 am. I was in the car heading home at 12:30. Such a smooth seamless event. I walked around the hospital floor, sipped 4 oz. of water, and breathed good enough into the breath blower thing, that I was allowed to come home. Pain has been minimal. The worst was the CO2 pumped into abdomen—it moved to my chest, but walking around the house yesterday, once an hour for 15 minutes helped. Today, I feel tenderness in my abdomen area and some slight discomfort around the punctures. There is a lot to coordinate here from home, so it was nice to have my daughter as a helper yesterday afternoon and evening: ice packs on the puncture sights (very small), sipping water from shot glasses to try to get at least 40 oz in the first day. Also, you need to take medications at intervals. I am NOT on opioids or narcotics. The pain protocol used is called ERAS: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery. I was skeptical but I highly recommend it. I found it helpful to suck on popsicles as part of my water requirement yesterday, and bone broth. Aiming to avoid the complication of dehydration. This morning I am trying a small glass of my usual a morning cold brew (without the almond milk) and it seems like life’s biggest treat. There is conflicting information about whether or not you can have caffeinated drinks, but I’m giving it a try. I will try a smoothie tomorrow or the next day. .l/;’ I hope all the other newbies are doing OK. Let me know how you are.

I concur. Do your research, but in my research I have found that lap bands have the most problems and patients are more likely to need them removed and do a different surgery instead. CLIF NOTES summary of the two most common other gastric surgeries in laymen terms: I think most docs now prefer the gastric sleeve for a majority of their patients (but NOT ALL). Yes, you are removing a large portion of your stomach, but your stomach still functions to do what it needs to do.... it is just a lot smaller. But the stomach is resilient and stretchable so over time it will accommodate more food than it does in the early months. And the rest of your body parts are in tact. It is a simple surgery procedure wise. Still a major abdominal surgery as any other abdominal surgery... but no more complicated than most other frequent abdominal surgeries. Gastric Bypass makes the stomach smaller with staples and rearranges the plumbing a bit. Therefore it changes how your digestive system works. BUT... may be the preferred surgery in SOME cases... such as those with diabetes (not all diabetics do this one, but I see more that do this one). This surgery is a little more complex, but in some cases it is the recommended procedure. Both procedures will get the job done if you work the program as prescribed by your team. Your degree of success is usually dependent on you being willing to put in the hard work that goes with ANY weight loss program... and how you use your new weight loss "tool". Anyhow... there are a lot of great sources of information about these and other WLS procedures. Do some research. Have an idea what you might want to get done and why.... and consult a WL Surgeon. For my surgeon, the first questions he asked are what have I done to try to lose weight before, why do I want surgery, and what procedure I wanted and why. Then he went on to tell me what he thought and made his recommendation. Anyhow.... most WL Surgeons hold free group information sessions where someone from their staff or even the surgeon themselves give a presentation and overview of the procedures and the qualification requirements. I waited a long time to attend because I was so nervous about it... but I now wish I had gone sooner! Also... feel free to attend them through different surgeons offices in your area. I think locally we have 3 groups who do the surgery at 3 different hospitals. I like my team a lot... but I wish I had shopped around first for the doc team. I might have still picked the same guy... but I just went with who my referral was through.... but I am quite certain my insurance covered at least 2/3 teams. Anyhow... do your research and whatever procedure you chose, lap band, sleeve, bypass or other..... we will support you as best as we can!

I’m new to this forum. I’m scheduled for a gastric bypass March 29. I also feel scared and excited. The scared part is because I’ve had a few major surgeries in the last 10 years with post op complications. So I have a little PTSD when it comes to major surgery.

I am not keen on my dietitian either, he is kind of condescending when he talks to you. I met with him once and I find that the literature he gave me, which was extensive, was all I needed. I did not find him to be too supportive. I am 6 weeks post op and had multiple complications but I am doing well now and I am down 25 lbs. Each program is different but I would not let the dietitian make me drive further away. There are also multiple online resources as well.

Your preop diet seems so much better! just being allowed to eat fish and chicken that is ideal, I don't want to continue to ruin my diet but eating just chicken it does help to be less hungry. I am going to try my hardest this last 11 not to eat the chicken at all but it is so hard. I am glad to hear that you had no complications and had no pain this is very encouraging especially leading up to this hard process.

I am thankful I went through the program I did. I could eat a variety of things until I was 2 days pre-op. I had a list of foods that I could eat and the number of servings allowed per day. Chicken, fish, egg whites, fruit, veggies, etc... I was actually never hungry. I just ate something off the list every 2 hours or so. Since your surgeon does not want you eating solids, I would not make a habit of it. But since I could eat chicken up until the last two days, I am certain eating it once will not cause you any issues with your surgery. I haven't had any complications whatsoever. I haven't taken anything for pain (not even Tylenol) since being discharged from the hospital. Four days post-op, it didn't even hurt to stand up anymore. The only time I feel anything is when I overdue it. And it isn't pain and doesn't last long.

I'm so sorry to hear about your complications! That is crazy, I had some trouble to so I understand how scary it was.

Thanks so much for the feedback. Sugar is a problem but not a huge one. Ugh, such a complicated, life altering decision!

I only stayed one night. I had my surgery on a Thursday morning and I was discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon. Keep in mind that it can depend on how you're doing. If you have any complications or problems, they might want to keep you in the hospital for longer.

Alot of folks already said more or less the same thing, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway: I chose sleeve because: I was afraid of dumping (but...I dump anyway) I wanted to continue using NSAIDs (but...I ended up not needing them anymore anyway) I was personally freaked out a bit by the re-routing of my intestines (but...not cutting out my stomach? lol) I DID NOT have GERD. I only had a choice between sleeve and bypass cuz those were the only ones covered by my insurance, so I didn't consider any other procedure. I think that one's results with WLS has more to do with the person, than with the type of surgery. I'm convinced I would have had the same result if I had the bypass. But that's just me. Some background and current statuses: I'm 5'2", almost 50yr old female, started off at 235 lbs at the beginning of my 2 week pre-op diet...2.5 years ago. I got to goal of 127 lbs in 7 months (108 lbs lost at that time). I settled into 115 lbs by 10 months post-op and stayed there basically since...but not without a bit of effort on my part. 3 times I got up to 120 lbs for a few consecutive days, and subsequently made efforts to get back down to 115. And 4-5 times I went sub-110 lbs for a few consecutive days, but didn't have to make any effort at all to get back to 115, go figure. This morning I was 109.2 lbs. I consumed very little calories during weight loss phase, and exercised regularly starting month 3 (running/walking mostly, and minimal strength training daily). No complications, nor issues other than those expected (dump with sugar, foamies/chest pressure if I eat too much or too fast, need to barf if I drink with my meals, burp like a teenage boy) At 2.5 years out, up until a month ago, I was averaging around 1800 cals a day with regular exercise (running & strength training 4-5 times a week). Currently I'm playing around with calories as I'm sidelined on the exercise front, which explains my lower weight these days cuz I haven't figured it out yet. I mostly eat salads (by choice, I LOOOVE salads!) , but I also eat desserts, spicy stuff, fried stuff, fatty stuff, drink coffee, alcohol and carbonated water. On rare occasions I eat bread or potatoes, but I don't eat rice nor regular pasta. I max out at about 1 to 1.5 cups of food per sitting (more if its salad) My lab results have consistently been uneventful (my last one was in November last year). So....so far so good. I have no illusions that I will be like this forever...but that's on me, not my sleeve.

I converted from VSG to RYGB in October 2020. Recovery was similar, yet different. I had a lot of vomiting following VSG, but less with the bypass. I am one of the 30% who experience dumping, but as catwoman7 explained, it is totally controllable by watching what I eat. In fact, I'm almost 5 months post-op and even the dumping appears to have improved (or I've figured out the triggers!). I can tell you that I don't get that immediate sense of restriction like I did with the sleeve. At this point in my recovery, my body seems to know when to stop eating before I get the pain and discomfort associated with overeating. All I can really offer is my advise based upon my outcome. I am so happy that I had the surgery. Like you, I has the surgery to correct my stomach and esophagus issues. But I've lost 47 pounds, I feel great, I can sleep through the night without acid reflux and I look and feel 10 years younger. Don't let fear of surgery and complications limit your decision to improve your health and daily living.

there are more complications with RNY than with VSG, but honestly, complications really aren't that common with either one of them. And most complications are minor and easily "fixed". about 30% of RNY patients dump. I never have and know lots of others who have never dumped, either. If you're one of the 30% who dump, it's easily controlled by limiting sugar (and for some people, fat - a minority of dumpers dump on fat instead of - or in addition to - sugar). Some dumpers can eat SOME sugar without a problem -- it's when they eat a lot of it at one time that they dump - but a few really can't tolerate sugar at all. Regardless, if it turns out you're one of the minority who dump, you can control it by limiting your sugar (or fat) intake. Recovery for me was easy. The diets are pretty much the same. My clinic has the RNY and the VSG patients on the exact same diet.

Greetings to everyone, On May 2, 2016, I received my VSG from my Bariatric Surgeon. Fast forward to February 2019, I start getting experiencing abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting that my general GI specialist couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. Diagnostic testing revealed a raw sore in my esophagus, a hiatal hernia, and the medical professionals couldn’t diagnose why I was experiencing abdominal pain in my gut. As time moved on, my aforementioned symptoms got worse and worse where I couldn’t keep down my food and medications. Now jump to March 10, 2021, I have my first surgical consultation with the Bariatric Surgeon that had put in my VSG in 2016. My Bariatric Surgeon recommended a revision from the VSG to RYGB to fix my hiatal hernia and the rest of my digestive symptoms. Dr. Chen has fast tracked my RYGB surgery to Monday, March 22, 2021. I have to admit to everyone that in 2016 when I the VSG, I was fine with it. However, now with the RYGB surgery within 48 hours of this posting in the BariatricPal forum, I’m getting nervous to having this surgery. One of the main reasons why I’m nervous is about having the RYGB surgery is the possibility of complications and after having surgery, and the dumping syndrome that seems to be common with a lot of individuals who get the RYGB surgery. Fortunately for me, while I was recovering from the VSG, I was not subjected to dumping syndrome. Can anybody share with me about your own experiences with getting the RYGB surgery? How was your recovery period? How was it going from a clear liquid diet to a full liquid diet to purée foods, etc. Share your thoughts and feedback. I would greatly appreciate that very much.

I wouldn't do the lapband at all, and I'm surprised your surgeon still does them. Few surgeons do those anymore and lots of people have had theirs removed because of complications. if you have GERD, just know that it gets worse for about 30% of sleeve patients. You may be OK with that amount of risk - I was not, so I went with bypass. Bypass usually (but not always) improves if not outright cures GERD. Having GERD won't prohibit you from getting the sleeve, though - but just know your risk if you do have it and you decide to proceed with the sleeve. Sometimes it can be medically managed, but we do see a fair amount of revisions to bypass on here if the GERD gets really severe (and again, that doesn't happen to most people - but it does happen to some..) P.S. Malabsorption issues aren't common with bypass AS LONG AS people are consistent about taking their vitamins. There are some people who can't absorb iron very well from oral supplements, so they need to go in for occasional infusions, but most of us absorb iron from pills just fine. As far as other nutrients, again, as long as you keep on top of your vitamin regimen, problems are rare.

I had a really hard time eating or drinking at all for the first two weeks after my surgery and was still struggling somewhat a couple of months later. We were starting to wonder if maybe I had a stricture, so my surgeon said if it didn't get better soon, he'd do a scope. But I did improve, so we never had to do it. I think my surgeon was aggressive with the amount of my stomach he removed and that helped me to lose all of my excess weight. I haven't had any major complications, so I think he did a good job!

A couple of comments to fill things in here. It's not really a matter of steroids vs. non-steroids, but rather what a drug or class of drugs does to the stomach as a side effect, NSAIDs are merely the most common that are sited as being problematic for bypass patients. The issue is that the part of the intestine where where the stomach pouch is connected is not resistant to the stomach acid, so that anastomosis there is quite vulnerable to ulcers, so any med that can cause some stomach distress is generally to be avoided. Some of the osteoporosis drugs are avoided for this reason, too. This presumably applies to the MGB as well, as it uses a similar connection. The duodenum, the part of intestine immediately downstream of the stomach and is resistant to the acid, is bypassed along with the remnant stomach. These various meds can sometimes be used in limited times under certain circumstances under medical supervision, but it's a risk/reward trade off between doctor and patient. The sleeve based procedures are generally more tolerant as they don't have that marginal ulcer issue, but many docs still restrict them owing to their bypass experience, (and the sleeve is probably less tolerant than a normal person, while being more tolerant than a bypasser.) Your bypass can be reversed, (that is sometimes one of its "selling points" but it's not commonly done as it's a pretty complex job; not all surgeons will do it. It is usually reserved for times when there is no other option in treating some problem, rather than just buyers remorse. I have seen it done a couple of times in cases of intransigent ulcers, where no other treatment worked. It can also be revised to a duodenal switch, but that's even more complex than a reversal (they have to reverse it first, then sleeve it, and redo the intestinal rerouting. It is usually done when weight loss was inadequate or with excessive regain, or for other RNY complications such as the intransigent ulcers or bile reflux. You weren't offered the MGB as it doesn't fit the "standard of care" for WLS in the US - insurance doesn't normally cover it and the ASMBS hasn't approved it, though it has been further developed and used more commonly elsewhere. The next procedure that's likely to gain approval here is the SIPS/SADI/Loop DS

Have you experienced any complications?

I had a huge hernia cause I fell off a horse who refused a jump... and splatted like the coyote in a road runner cartoon. My diaphragm stomach hole was huge and half of my stomach was living in my chest. Was no fun....felt like I was drowning when I laid down flat....I thought this was because I was too fat. Turns out your lungs don't work as well with your stomach taking up space in your chest. My doctor was like...this is one of the biggest hiatal hernia's I've repaired, you're going to feel so much better! And wow, was he right! After surgery, I could breathe without propping myself on a million pillows. No more acid relux. Huge improvement. I've often said, just to have the hiatal hernia found and fixed...this surgery was such a positive thing in my life. (beyond the other obvious perks) As for recovery? I had one of the all time easiest recoveries. Woke up ready to move and spent most of the evening walking the halls in the unit. Never needed pain meds to speak of (I think they insisted I have one pain shot before going to sleep that night). I was never nauseated. Never vomited. I honestly could have done the surgery outpatient if it had been an option...it went so well. No trouble getting all my tiny little medicine cups full of fluids in. One thing I want to make you aware of...is referred pain from your diaphragm being tugged on when they close the hole up. You very likely will feel this pain in your shoulder! How weird is that? It's just the way the nerves run from your diaphragm....you're likely to feel pain there as a deep horrible ache in your shoulder. I did have this referred pain, and walked around with an ice pack on my shoulder....which I know sounds completely mental....but it made me feel better. The shoulder pain went away after a few days and was never terrible enough to need to medicate. Just kinda of nagging, like pulled muscles. There is no reason a hiatal hernia should cause any particular complications. Good luck!

Like you I am deciding on the surgery too. I am 205 with a BMI of 36 and I am shorter than you so I think your BMI would be less than mine. I am less scared of the actual surgery because there is a really low complication rate & I really trust my doctor. I am more scared of afterwards - like what the long term effects of missing part of my stomach would be. However the NP I just went to said you don't even need that part of your stomach so I feel a little better. My understanding is that at first you don't crave junk food but eventually gherlin builds back up in your stomach so eventually you might crave it again. If you are scared of the surgery - have you looked into ESG? It is less invasive. The drawback is that it hasn't been proven to be as effective as VSG. This is something I am researching now but the drawback for me is spending $11,000 vs $1,500.

Hey Twin!!! I got the time I have to be there @12pm which isn’t the late wanted earlier tho but no complaints. Praying for us to have a safe surgery with no complications and speedy recovery.

Sounds like she has a case of Diarrhea of the Mouth. Remember everyone is different. Just bc one person had a complication from who knows what surgery they had and what type of pre existing problems they had ahead of time, doesn’t mean you will. Try to think positive thoughts and don’t let her get in your head with the negative comments. Meanwhile this is very exciting change coming up for you!! Let us know how it goes and include us in on your weight loss journey. You will find a wonderful support system and a wealth of info on this app!!

Just this weekend my sister, who has really struggled with her weight and is on a good non-surgical path now, told me "I have a friend that wanted to get surgery and I told her not to because she would change her relationship with food FOREVER!". I bit my tongue and told her (as gently as I could) "That's kind of the idea. We have both changed our relationship with food...and if we want to keep it off, it has to be forever....as we've learned over and over again." Good luck, I hope everything goes well! I have had zero complications and am SOOOO happy that I had this done!

Kojima-San, I would go with the bypass. Hardly any doc will do lap bands anymore. I am going lap band to bypass. I wanted the sleeve at first but because the lap band caused problems with my esophagus and gave me a hiatal hernia, the surgeon refused to do the sleeve. She said I would probably have GERD problems sleeved, that will be avoided with the bypass. I’m too old to keep getting major surgery. I still plan to get ride of all my hangs - tummy, arms, legs and boobs. I’ll be lucky if I can get it all done before I’m 70, remembering that every year brings slower recoveries and healing and of course higher chances of complications.

I'm 68 and had revision from a 1984 surgery, VBG, to R&Y on February 15th this year. I've lost 55 pounds. Food doesn't taste right but many say that will improve with time. Right now it helps with the weight loss because I only eat for nourishment. I've had no complications other than food tasting different but that's pretty much par for the course.