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My package had a 2 year lifespan. I could see them every month if I needed to and I did in the beginning. That lasted about 9 months because I had some problems. The last year was 2 x quarterly and a last check in at 2 years for my pat on the back. I enjoyed my visits because I did well at weight loss, unlike weight watchers etc where I would just stall for months on end. All the while enduring the ritual non humiliation/ seething jealousy that these groups use to motivate

This is such a great piece of advice, @BigSue! My background is in costume design and I love clothing, both historical and modern, but it's been years since I could really indulge in stylish clothing in the way I wanted to. Right now, I tend to favor a lot of wraps and kimonos. I have heavier ones for winter and silky ones for summer, with tunics and leggings. I was talking to a friend recently about needing to replace my wardrobe and she said something along the lines of at least I would still have all my wraps, since those are one-size. But I realized when she said it that I might not want to wear those so much in the future, or might choose differently. I admit I choose what I do to hide my figure. I have no idea what I'll like if that isn't a necessity anymore. But, like @Arabesque, I think at a smaller size I will feel like I'm drowning in fabric with some of what I wear now. I will say that going through my closet now, I have too many clothes, none of which I love. I'll be happy to see most of them go. For the next year, I'm going to do my best to take it easy with my wardrobe buying. Easier said than done, I know! But it feels like a good time to enjoy having a lot less, and make the most of the seven thousand or so scarves and necklaces I have to achieve different looks until I can settle into a maintenance weight and really think about how I want to dress. I'm tempted to do the Wool& 100 day challenge this summer, where you choose one of their dresses and document yourself wearing it for 100 days in a row and get a $100 gift card toward buying a new one when you complete the challenge. The variety of looks people achieve with accessories is amazing, and wool jersey is a surprisingly good fabric for all seasons, including summer. I figure by June my rapid weight loss will have slowed a bit (surgery is tomorrow!!!!!) and by the end of 3 months, I'll be ready for a new dress size anyway, so win win! Besides, I love me a good dress in the summertime.

3 weeks (to get staples & drain removed), monthly for first year, then quarterly for the next 1.5 years, then annually, then I moved out of state. I was a special case because I started at an exceptionally high weight, so Doc wanted to monitor me much more closely than most. Gosh, as the years go by I feel like my experience and my Doc's philosophy of weight loss is very out of touch with folks today. Good luck, Tek

Hello, I, 9 month post with VGS,, I am on a super strict calorie diet. 400 or less a day. ( Doc is ok with that) i do moderate exercise 3 days a weeks, and walking everyday. i have only lost 3# in 2 months. Doc said sometimes it happens, it not typical but can still happen, then he said one month i could loss 10# after my body catches up and get out of starvation mode or something along that line.. I just need to talk to someone who has experienced something similar. I had a rough start to this journey and I am just hoping that it starts going better,

I've seen a lot of posts with questions about how to dress and buy clothes during and after significant weight loss. I'm by no means an expert, but there are some things I wish I had realized earlier along the way of my 200-pound weight loss that might be helpful to others. I spent my entire adult life up to age 39 as morbidly obese. At my heaviest, I wore size 28, and it's difficult to find ANY clothing that size (even stores that say they carry plus sizes often only go up to 24), let alone flattering or stylish clothing. I sought out black and other dark colors because it's slimming, you know? I just wanted clothes that would (a) fit on my body and (b) hide my size as much as possible. Now, I wear size 6-8 in most brands, and I can shop anywhere... Which is nice, but also overwhelming. Here are some things that helped me: Color analysis - I wish I had done this a long time ago because wearing the most flattering colors helps no matter what size you are. I don't want to endorse any particular company because there are a lot of people who offer this service, but I got mine from a House of Colour consultant after seeing a very informative YouTube video by Sierra Schultzzie about her color analysis. Spoiler alert: black is only recommended for those with a "winter" season. Style analysis (or "clothing personality") - This was life-changing, and I think it was particularly helpful for me after I lost 200 pounds because my body is so different from what it used to be. For example, I used to be a big-busted lady and now I am not, and I used to worry about how big my butt looked and now it's undesirably flat. Again, there are various systems (I think the most popular is the Kibbe body type), but I went back to House of Colour with the same consultant who did my color analysis. I got a ton of information on how to dress to flatter my body based on my proportions and shape, including things like necklines, rise of pants, length of skirts/dresses, fabrics, embellishments to seek or avoid, pattern shapes and scales, jewelry shapes and sizes, accessory shapes and sizes, and more. This was incredibly useful information, especially after my body changed so significantly. A lot of the recommendations were completely at odds with the way I've dressed for most of my life, and once I started wearing clothing that suited my colors and clothing personality, I started to look stylish. I frequently get compliments on my clothes, which, until recently, I didn't even know actually happens in real life. It almost feels like cheating -- as though I am impersonating a stylish person. Clothing rental - Do it! I wish I had started this while I was losing weight. It would be incredibly useful to someone who is rapidly changing sizes, since you can change sizes every time you exchange the clothing. Again, there are a lot of services available, but I went with Rent the Runway and I'm pretty happy with it. I didn't start using it until my weight stabilized, but I've found that they are really good at recommending the right size (since sizing can vary a lot between different designers/brands). It's also a great way to try out clothing that fits into my color season and clothing personality since I can just exchange it if I don't like it (but there's an option to purchase it at a discounted price if I want to keep something). They have some pretty high-end clothing, and I get compliments left and right when I wear my Rent the Runway items. Loose skin - I have a confession: it enrages me when people who haven't even lost any weight are freaking out about the possibility of loose skin. Talk about putting the cart before the horse -- you have to earn loose skin. I literally worked my a$$ off to achieve my saggy butt. I have nothing against anyone who chooses to get plastic surgery to remove the loose skin, but as someone who has lost 200 pounds, I have quite a bit of loose skin and no plans to get plastic surgery. I've accepted that I'll never have a bikini body (and honestly, even with a lot of plastic surgery, I doubt that would be a possibility), but with a combination of shapewear (I swear by shaping camis to smooth my abdominal region and hold everything in place) and well-fitting clothes, I don't think my loose skin is evident under normal circumstances. I think if you saw me on the street, you would probably consider me to look like an average middle-aged lady -- but a semi-stylish one! I hope some of this is helpful to those of you in the process of figuring out how to dress your new bodies. I've come a long way, but I'm still a work in progress, so I'd love to hear other people's experiences and tips as well!

Thank you so much for your reply, I appreciate it. I think both of your suggestions are worth taking into consideration and I've decided that if I'm still feeling this bad by the upcoming Friday then I will contact my clinic and ask for recommendations. I think once I see the first week's weight loss that will also give me a boost! I need something to make it feel like it's worth it and I'm sure that will help. Also, I'm just trying to stay positive in general, writing things down and talking to my partner about things to look forward to. Thanks! 🙂

summerseeker is correct - many women of childbearing age experience an estrogen "flood" after surgery that can cause screwed up menstrual cycles and mood swings. It should settle back down to normal once your rate of weight loss slows down.

Snoring & sleep apnoea affects many organs in your body. You are not breathing properly & often stop breathing while asleep. Your blood oxygen levels are often decreased. It strains & causes damage to your heart. Can damage your kidneys. Affects brain function, concentration. You become easily fatigued. Increases your risk of strokes. At your height & weight you are almost at a BMI that is considered morbidly obese. I know in your other post you said snoring was your only health issue but the likelihood of other comorbidities (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, mobility issues, cardiac issues, etc.) developing soon is very high. I’m sure you’ve been told weight loss will benefit your overall health which to me is the most important benefit. We can become so used to & accepting of the limitations put on us physically, mentally, emotionally & on our life in general because of our weight it often is not fully realised until we lose the weight. Whether you do it via surgery, medication, dieting is your choice. But you have to want to do it & be ready to do the work associated with what ever you choose to do.

Surgery complete! It was on the 12th. I’m not going to lie -it really hurts. The first day or two was pretty rough. Besides my stomach hurting my throat was so angry from the tube. I’m going to blame that on my snoring… I find that every day I’m feeling much better than the last. From the start of my liquid diet a week before to now I’m down 12 lbs. that makes me very very happy. Definitely the most productive weight loss I’ve ever had. Im 6 days post-op and feeling pretty good- I get a twinge of pain when I use my stomachs muscles like laying down or sitting up but just a twinge like a 2/10. Now I’m ready to get going- I want to get the weight off and keep it off.

I feel the same. I was explaining to my partner that it's just liquid that doesn't even touch the sides. On top of that all the shakes are sweet, not savory, so it just feels like I'm having rubbish sweet shakes and nothing else. Sleep is the only time I feel okay because I don't feel the hunger as much. I just feel like I'm struggling on day 3 never mind another 25 days. I think maybe writing down the positives/reasons I'm doing it when I feel like I can't do it anymore or I'm tempted might be a good way to go. To remind myself. I think I'm going to weigh myself once a week to just see the scale down a little. Any weight loss is positive reinforcement. Thank you for sharing, it really helps!

So happy for you! Wohoo you will reach your 13 more lbs in no time! I am doing ok myself, finally not in my week 3 stall. I’m in the last day of week 4 and loss 15 lbs post op. From 250-235. 85 more lbs to go!

Sleeve in 2017 to revision Gastric Bypass Aug 2023 - Update Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I CANNOT eat take out! Purchased chinese for my son as he was going back to college... tried a little and was bringing it back up the rest of the night! If I eat out it has to be at a place that actually cooks food like salmon, veggies, no added anything. Food prepared at home is MUCH beter because you know what's in it. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my protein smoothies (Unjury Vanilla) which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin patch from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum (jasmine or basati brown rice) with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more, move more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. It is good to move from "morbidly obese", to "obese", to now "overweight"...do you guys feel the same? Let me know how you all are doing!

@newbegining2024 Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my smoothies which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin pack from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. Let me know how you all are doing! (this will be posted in a new thread as well)

Hi Joe! My surgery is in 4 days. I am 5'6" and at my highest weight, I was 250 pounds, which gave me a BMI of 40.3. Since starting the nutrition program and pre-op liquid diet, I am down to 228 pounds, so a BMI of 36.8. I have high blood pressure, prediabetes, and high cholesterol. Like you, I've dieted countless times. In fact, I was enrolled in the nonsurgical program at my hospital for 7 years, starting when I was 42. I found it relatively easy to lose up to about 15% of my total body weight, around 40 lbs, by counting calories, exercising religiously, and not letting my guard down for a minute. After that, I would stall. Then the weight would creep back up. My doctor would prescribe meds (including Wegovy for a while, but it's too expensive for longterm use for me), and I'd lose 10 pounds. Then I would stall, followed by regain. Or the nutritionist would suggest a new approach, and I would lose a few pounds again, followed by regain. A little more each time. After 7 years of trying, I was back to my highest weight ever. I feel like I wasted a whole lot of time with nothing to show for it. And now I'm nearly 50. My blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol all have gotten worse. My feet hurt. My joints ache. I feel older than I am, and I don't want to be old before my time. I know from reading the latest studies in weight loss science that my chance of long term success in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight without the metabolic reset of bariatric surgery is around 5%. I'm fortunate because I've seen my brother go through sleeve surgery 15 years ago. He lost a huge amount of weight (about half his body weight) and though he has regained a fair amount of that, it's nowhere near where he used to be. His appetite is now what I would call the smaller side of normal. Nobody looks at him having dinner and would guess he had surgery. So I know that the most drastic parts of this (like a liquid diet!) are phases you have to get through to get somewhere better. I feel nervous, too. I've never had surgery. I worry about complications. I'm hardly ever sick, so I sometimes think what if I'm trading decent health for problems? But realistically, problems are in my future. I've seen it in countless family members. The writing is on the wall. And the surgery is very safe. So for me, the risk is worth it. I've tried on my own long enough to know it isn't going to happen for me without this. And a BMI of 40 might not be as big as some people, but it's big enough to rob me of good health in my future. I really hope this helps at least give you some things to think about to help you make your decision. Wishing you all the best!

The lactose in the shakes can cause people to poop badly. There is something to take to help with lactose intolerance but I dont know what it would be called in the US. This might be something to ask at your meeting. There is also another preop diet to follow for those who are lactose intolerant. But that would normally be suggested by the dietician. Not sure why it wasnt suggested for you. Again another question for the meeting. I was not allowed fruit in my preop. If you have IBS you may find that certain fruits/foods may not agree with your tummy. Its all trial and error to find out what the culprits are that are affecting you. Fruit/vegies that have a high seed/fiber content were a no no for me before my RNY. Kiwi fruit, Zucchini, stone fruit, grapes etc are a bit of a problem but after you have the bypass you may find that you have the opposite problem and these fruits/vegies will help things to move along. It is all a bit of a learning curve. If you were to go an do it on your own these are issues that you would have to face anyway with having IBS so there no point is ditching the op at this stage. It is not part of their remit to even say "well if you cant handle it you may become malnourished". This statement smacks of shaming. It is their job to educate you in navigating it all. The RNY job is to make our bodies less capable of absorbing nutrients/calories from the food. This process is called malabsorption. This is the reason that you will be taking bariatric vitamins for the rest or your life. You will require blood tests on a yearly basis for the rest of your life to check that your body is being given the correct amount nutrients and head off any long term issues. Eating well and taking care of your body is something to focus on. I have been listening to the podcasts of The Bari Chronicles. You may find the Vitamin episode helpful. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-bari-chronicles/episodes/Multivitamins-Nutrition-For-Weight-Loss-Surgery-e2eduqv (Also available on apple podcasts. I hope it all goes well at the meeting.

I am new to this forum, but not new to the experiences. I had gatric band in 2006 and have had huge success (140lb loss and size 26 to 8/10). I am now the smallest weight and size I have ever been since the age of 12! I had a upper arm lift and vertical thigh lift in 2015. Thrilled with the arm lift, not as please with my thighs. I was less than thrilled with the aftercare from my previous surgery, so I will not return to him. I'm 48 yo and I've never had kids and I am ready to have my breasts done (and possibly tummy tuck). I had a consult with a surgeon in my area and didn't really have a connection with her. She determined a breast lift and implant is needed to acheive the look I am wanting, which I pretty much knew. I'm looking for 2 things... (1) Surgeon reccomendations (I'm willing to travel to Florida or throughout New England)/NorthEast). I've been looking on RealSelf, but I cannot seem to filter by breast lift, weightloss, and fat transfer to find a surgeon. (2) Input/experience from those who either went with a small implant (275cc) or have fat transfer, or just a lift. Im currently a 36C and would like to stay a C cup following the lift. Thank you in advance! It's so great to read from so many willing to share their experiences. I am happy to share mine as well.

You’ve just had pretty major surgery, your body is in recovery mode, stressed & you’re not eating much, so yes your labs will be a little screwy for a while. You want to be in Ketosis to burn fat so this is a good thing. High B12 could be you don’t need as many supplements. Like do you take additional B12 as well as your multis? Increased bilirubin levels are also common with weight loss. Ketosis & weight loss is hard on your liver (all the fat it’s trying to process out of your body). It will settle eventually. Probably better to discuss these results with your surgeon & their team though as they are more knowledgeable about what to expect after surgery while you are losing. In saying that, my GP used to run labs between my surgeon’s requirements (so I was getting them done every month or two). She was tracking & monitoring only so if anything unusual popped up we could be proactive. And they were sent to my surgeon & his colleague as well so they saw the results too. Bonus was my GP was a medical school friend of my surgeon’s colleague.

Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body more by making more changes. Stalls are when your body takes stock of your current needs & readjusts things like digestive hormones, etc. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. Also, your weight loss slows so much as you near your final weight (set point) it almost does feel like stalling. Consequently shifting the last pounds can be a b**ch. it’s because you’re eating much to what you’ll need to eat to maintain. Oh, & if you do cut your calories &/or increase your activity to lose more you’ll always have to eat less than you are now & do more to maintain the lower weight. Don’t give up yet though. You can keep losing vey slowly for months. I lost another 10kg over 12 months after reaching my goal.

I'm curious what they told you to expect in terms of weight loss, as I've heard revisions for that purpose don't necessarily produce large weight loss (but do help with issues like GERD). I'm afraid I don't know much about gastric bypass and IBS. That's quite a bit of fruit and veg they have you eating preop. I wish you luck, though, and hope you can get answers to the questions you have!

Saw my GP yesterday and happy to say I was taken off almost all my meds @10 1/2 months post-op. One of my biggest goals met along with 100+ weight loss. I never imagined it possible a couple years ago. I thought I was destined to die from being morbidly obese and from kidney failure from all the meds I've been on for so many years. My bloodwork was perfect with no red flags or abnormal readings. With my hiatal hernia repaired I can breathe again, and exercise is a pleasure instead of an I'm out of breath nightmare. My next goal is to get my BMI into the 20's. I wish much success for all of you. Keep at it. Don't give up. If you work the program it will work for you too!! {{hugs}}

High B12 is common after surgery. Mine is always over 1000. In fact, I know vets who swear they feel better if theirs is over 1000. The only time my clinic ever said anything about my high B12 level was when it went over 2000 a few years back. And even then, they just suggested I cut back a bit on my supplement. Otherwise, it's met with a shrug. weird liver numbers are also pretty common after surgery. Rapid weight loss is hard on livers. My liver numbers didn't settle down until I was a year (or maybe more) out...but they did eventually stabilize (i.e., in the normal range). P.S. those hemoglobin and MCHC levels are so close to normal that I wouldn't worry about them. Your doctor or surgeon will let you know if they're in issue, but I'm guessing they're probably fine.

I'm not a doctor and you should definitely ask your doctor about these results! They are the only ones that can really interpret these things for you!! However I can tell you from experience that sometimes the B supplements they have us taking after surgery can really push up the B12 levels, even into the abnormal category. But far as I understand it, the body will deal with the extra B12 just fine. At least that is what I was told and it may be true for you, so try not to worry until you talk to your doctor! Also, rapid weight loss post op can do odd things to our labs overall, especially our liver labs. That is because all that fat we are losing has to be processed in the liver and it stresses it out a bit. This is one of the reasons we are advised to avoid alcohol for the first year, that liver doesn't need anything else going on to stress it out! Plus there is a risk of transfer addiction but that's a whole other story... So try to remind yourself that your body is working very hard right now and that will probably show up as some unusual labs for a while. Your doctor will let you know if there is anything to be concerned about. And finally, being in ketosis post op can do weird things to our labs as well, especially when it comes to what shows up in your urine. So again, try not to fret too hard until you talk with your doctor about this. It is possible this might be something they want to follow, or it could just be because of surgery and rapid weight loss in ketosis. Only they can tell you what is really going on. ❤️

Like @ms.sss I had problems of skin irritation when I was heavy, I don't have any after the weight loss. I found Caldesene Medicated protecting powder to be a lifesaver. I still use it whenever I get any type of rashes from allergies or heat.

There are some good dieticians & there are some … well… lousy ones. Is there any way you could find another dietician? Telling you to go to back to shakes is a bad suggestion like @summerseeker said. They should have gone through what you’ve been eating & make suggestions from there. The goal is to be eating real food not highly processed synthesised shakes loaded with artificial sweeteners & such. Stalls are frustrating. No way aground that but they are an important part of your weight loss when your body takes stock of your new needs & adjusts digestive hormones, etc. Best advice is to stick to your plan. Don’t make changes & stress your body more. The stall will break when your body is ready. Good advice from @summerseeker too about going back to the basics of protein first, then vegetables & then low processed complex multi/ whole grain carbs if you can eat more. Make cause you’re hitting your protein & fluid goals. Calories are a bit of a touchy issue at the moment in the medical world. Some are anti some are pro. A lot is around a calorie is a calorie regardless of what the food source is versus nutrient value. Plus, caloric needs differs so much person to person - age, gender, activity, metabolism, general health, hormones, etc. all affect how many you need. Personally I think if you are eating nutrient dense food, having an idea of calories can help you stay on track & guide you if you’re sliding.

Sharing my experience as a VSG patient who had terrible GERD prior to surgery and a hiatal hernia - I was taking 20 mg of pantoprazole daily and STILL felt painful heartburn. I had a hiatal hernia repair (and gallbladder removal) at the same time as VSG. In the first 3 months after surgery, GERD was still pretty bad (which can be normal for most bariatric patients). My doctor had me on a proton pump inhibitor (Omeprazole) for the first few months. I had been on this type of med for 3 years prior to surgery, and this is the type of medicine you can't just quit taking cold turkey without some seriously bad flare ups to follow, regardless of having bariatric surgery or not. So after 2-3 months I started to reduce the frequency of taking the medicine gradually. After a month or so of reducing, I switched from proton pump inhibitor to an H2 blocker (over-the-counter famotidine) and only took it on an as needed basis. At first I still needed it often, but now I am 13 months post-op, have lost 80% of my excess weight and can't even remember the last time I needed to take any anti-acid medication. I have almost zero issue with GERD anymore. I attribute that to the hiatal hernia repair + loss of visceral fat (creating pressure on the stomach) + gradually reducing reliance on medications instead of quitting cold turkey + knowing and generally avoiding trigger foods. Hope that helps. Just wanted to share a story that is counter to the common assumption that VSG and GERD always lead to bad post-op experiences. I lost weight at a very consistent rate, but this can be different for everyone. Sounds like you are getting support from your dietician on this, which is a great resource. Good luck! I know it can be frustrating when things aren't happening the way we think they should. Hang in there and keep working with your care team. You got this!