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Still doing well. No issues with any foods that I've tried. Depending on the food, I can eat about a cup or a little more now. Always stop when I start to feel that full feeling. I never push the limits or over stuff myself. Still basically follow the guidelines on the amounts of food I should be eating suggested by the nutritionist. And I make an effort to eat 3 times a day. I do not drink nearly as much water as originally suggested (I get in roughly 45 oz now, not 64, including my morning coffee) but I spoke to the nutritionist and surgeon about it and they said as long as my urine was light/clear, not to worry about it. And it is, so I don't. Was cleared a few weeks ago to use weights but haven't started yet. I have however invested in a crosswalk treadmill that I found on FB marketplace for cheap. I walk for 30 min each day at a good pace of about 3.3-3.5 mph (using the crosswalk feature). I may start doing that twice a day soon. And finally, as of today I am down 57 lbs since May 19th (surgery day) and a total of 75 lbs since March 1st. Hope you all are doing well too!

I had RNY in 2007, went from 325 to 170 and kept if off for 11 years, which felt awesome. When I had my baby (225 lbs) I just never took the baby weight off, got lax and gained a 50 lbs of weight on top of that. I had a revision to the bypass to reduce my stomach size and really want to get below 200lbs again. So far am down to 255 from 275 day of surgery but am struggling with weakness. Eating soft foods now and hovering below 600 calories a day with 30 minutes of walking. Should I be eating less? Exercising more? I forget everything I did in 2007 to be successful and am still in shock that I’m back here again. Thank you.

then there are people who end up regaining most if not all of their weight. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that happened to a lot of the people in your FB group who are eating this way.

most of us (not all, but most) lose our sense of hunger for awhile after surgery. It usually comes back sometime during the first year. Mine came back at five months out. Take advantage of it while it's gone - it's never going to be easier to lose weight than now when you're never hungry (and might not even give a flip about food!) as far as full, you'll start to feel the restriction once you move to solid food. But keep in mind "full" might or might not feel the same as it did before surgery. It could take awhile to figure out your new full cue (and then again, it may feel the same to you as it did before - but for some of us, it's different). I don't feel full the way I used to. Now, I feel a discomfort in my chest -- kind of like pressure, I guess. When I feel that, I know I need to stop eating or I'm going to regret it. I've read about others whose new full cue is a runny nose - or sneezing.

Had mine 5 days ago. I actually gained weight after surgery with the fluids they pump in and the weight retention. It is starting to come off now. I have very little pain, more of a nuisance than a pain really. All my incisions look great and are healing. My biggest issue right now is constipation and gas. I walk an hour a day without any issue.

Hi Everyone! Hope all has been well with you. Just checking in to see how all if us are doing! I have been on a stall the last couple of weeks but keeping my head up and chugging along. Down 42 pounds total including weight lost on pre-op diet. How are you doing?

Yes, you are more than worth it!! Take care of you! You deserve to get on a path to a healthier you. We shouldn't be angry, disappointed, or disgusted with ourselves for becoming obese. It is likely that the diet industry, medical factors, & biological factors have also contributed to weight issues. Yes, our bad habits had an impact, of course. We're human and not perfect, all we can do is work towards being better. I'm sorry for your losses.💜 Reset, move forward, & start your journey to be your best you! Wishing you lots of luck with your weight loss experience & healing.

I honestly feel like I have been sleeping better since the surgery. I don't have sleep apnea & I was pre-diabetic before surgery (urination overnight was not an issue). I had been having difficulty getting a good night's sleep for at least the last 10 years. I often had trouble falling asleep & staying asleep, with periods of being up for 2-4 hours overnight. Often, I would get an hour or two of sleep at a time. My husband's snoring 😴 didn't help any either!🤣 One of the (many) reasons I decided to go through with the surgery was to help me get better sleep. I was getting pain in my legs, hips & lower back & was constantly readjusting my position overnight. I thought dropping some weight would help with the pain & discomfort while sleeping. I have only lost about 35 pounds so far, and I have been more comfortable overnight & able to sleep for longer stretches than I have in years. Hopefully, you will also have improvement with your sleep as well.

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you mean by bigger people lose weight faster. I know that. Which is why I don’t compare my progress with others who weigh more than me. I follow a few of low BMI groups on fb and many of us start below 200 pounds. Some people just melt off their weight within the first 3-5 months and Losing at a rapid pace while claiming they are scarfing down on pizza bites and nacho cheese. it just bothers me seeing that and compare my lack of progress. I know I shouldn’t complain and compare myself with others but it’s just such a mental battle.

I agree with some of the others - you're starting at a very low weight for a WLS patient, so you can't expect to lose as fast as someone who starts out at over 300 lbs. As long as you're following your clinic's plan and your weight is trending down, you're good. btw - even for those of us who start out at over 300 lbs, by the time we get down to where you started (under 200), WE start losing about a lb a week as well. That's totally normal. I dipped under 200 for the first time when I was a little over a year out - and yep, my weight loss slowed down to a crawl. BUT....it kept coming off... P.S. You mentioned people who "eat junk" are doing much better than you. Check back with them in a couple of years and see where they're at...

Yeah, I had one like that, too - he was continually frustrated that I wasn't diabetic or insulin resistant despite being morbidly obese. He also was always promoting the latest fad diet highlighted in the local media (different one each time.) I think that this is a subset of those docs whose stock answer to any problem you have is "if you'll just lose some weight, this won't be a problem..." They don't seem to like the question "what do you tell your normal weight patients who have this problem?" He also didn't like the idea of WLS, preferring to use off label diabetic drugs for weight loss (as long as you take them, then the weight comes back...) and if needed after that, a lap band. Thankfully, I didn't need to pay any attention to any of his advice outside his rather narrow circle of competence.

I remember my second month with VSG, and I had lost only 4 lbs. I remember feeling disheartened as well but the weight loss continued steadily every month. Unfortunately, a person's body mass is the main determinant of one's metabolic rate. The heavier you are, the higher your metabolism, more calories you will burn. Although lower carbs and protein are important, the fact is If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. People on keto, for example, won't lose weight if they are eating too many calories. I would talk to your team and surgeon about your concerns as well. Perhaps they need to rule out other reasons, like water weight gain (I'm familiar with that one hehe). The weight will come off. It just may not be as quick as someone who is 600 lbs. Hang in there. Things will improve.

I know you said that you don't want to hear it, but it has everything to do with the fact that you started at a lower weight than most. People have high expectations, unrealistic expectations, when they have their surgery. I'm one of those people who was guilty of those unrealistic expectations. Stalls happen. And yes, they can happen early. The fact is, that you ARE still losing. Is it frustrating that it's not as fast as you want? Yes. Does it make you want to scream or throw your scale? Again, yes. All you can do is tell yourself that you are doing everything you are supposed to and maybe just avoid the scale for two or three weeks. I've had more stalls along my journey than anyone I've ever seen on this site. My longest one lasted 40-something days (I literally forgot the exact number, but it was in the 40-something range and was May-June 2021) and I thought 'This is it. This is as far as I'm going to go' and I was beyond frustrated because at that point I was stuck at 186, which was only 6 pounds from my goal weight. Then, my weight loss suddenly kicked back in and in the following two months I lost 8 pounds (which is amazing considering I was lucky to lose even 2 pounds in a month at this point as 1 had been the norm for a few months). I'm currently dealing with a 20 day stall, but I don't care as much because 1. I've already met my personal goal so all the extra weight loss is just a bonus, and 2. I'm in physical therapy for my arthritis so inflammation is a THING! People telling you not to be frustrated, honestly isn't going to help. It isn't going to make it go away. But, it's normal. Also, everyone loses weight at a different pace. Sometimes slow and steady is the better way to do it (honestly, I think your skin may bounce back better that way as well. So maybe just try to look for some positives, even if it may seem impossible to find them with how frustrated you undoubtedly are).

You had a low start weight and not far away from the healthy weight range for your height. You've been losing 1lb a week, you've been going great. I think you may want to reconsider your expectations. You say you are stuck at 167lb? How long for? Stalls are par the course even with weight loss surgery. Patience is needed for stalls, and as long as you are following your post op guidelines the scale weight will catch up. At only six weeks post op you are progressing through the food stages and are probably starting to move a lot more, possibly even exercising. Your body is adapting to change, give it time.

I read a couple of posts from people who were told by Kaiser that skin removal and other post bariatric plastics are not part of their plan. I don't want anyone to suffer for years as I did because of being told the wrong information! I'm learning to push back when told NO since often times the people on the other end of the phone tend to not have all the answers or are told to derail people with questions from learning the real truth in order to save $ Anyway, there was a class action in 2015 against Kaiser sparked by post WLS denials. And as it turns out this can have repercussions for insurance that systematically deems skin removal as an elective surgery that isn't covered in cases of extreme weight loss. Link https://blog.cvn.com/kaiser-ordered-to-broaden-reconstructive-surgery-coverage-after-class-action-trial https://legalnewsline.com/stories/510629463-calif-judge-rules-that-insurer-at-center-of-class-action-over-skin-removal-surgeries-must-broaden-coverage When I went to be evaluated for plastic surgery in 2017, we were told we could have one procedure. Dr said I didn't qualify for a panni because it didn't quite hang low enough, just to clarify...their measurement is 'abdominal skin must cover pubic region entirely'' which is BS with the years of skin rashes I have had. He said I just barely qualified for breast reduction surgery which I had 5 months later, the waiting list was long. He said I would be a C cup (from a DD) and I wasn't happy when I ended up a B but worse things could happen. I'm 16 years Post Gastric BP and should've had a revision 4-5 years ago when weight gain started creeping up, no longer going down... about 15 lbs a year since 2018. I could never break past 170 to reach goal of 155 but I'm goin to pursue the distal revision as of this week. It's now or never, I have to get a social life! The rule is you have to be at your goal and stable for months before a skin removal surgery will be covered by insurance so I'll have to wait longer even longer for that as consequence of procrastinating on a revision! I've been disabled with an autoimmune illness so I never returned to the job I enjoyed after the WLS. I didn't put much effort into pursuing solutions for skin removal after research showed it would be very costly out of pocket expense and not covered by insurance. So I haven't really felt the freedom of losing 140 lbs because I still cover up my body! No swimsuits, no sleeveless anything or clothing that accentuates the possibility of a waist, LOL. I wish I had the confidence of those who wear what they want, no matter their size! I've wanted to leave Kaiser to return the awesome Dr I previously had who actually listened and treated me like a human being. Staying with Kaiser only until these surgeries are done and I'm out of there! Kaiser ruling.pdf

Hello all I am currently 6 weeks post-op (Surgery date 07/24/2021) and I have been losing SLOWLY after my three-week plateau. I am losing 1 pound A WEEK. Mind you, I have PCOS. So yeah, I get I will be a "slow loser" and such. But aren't I too early in the game for me to lose at such a damn SLOW PACE? I am eating up to 90 g of protein, I stay under 20 net carbs, I eat healthy (hell, I haven't tried anything other than what's on my doctor's list), and yet... my damn scale is frozen in numbers. I am feeling regretful at this point. It has nothing to do with the fact that I am a "lower weight than most." (I am stuck at 167.2) Many are this weight currently and are losing steadily throughout the week. This has got to be the dumbest decision I have ever made in my life at this point. Money down the drain. My mental health is at rock bottom, and my emotional health is on a roller coaster. I envy those who lose every week and out there living their best life while they continue to eat junk.. while I am stuck here, following EVERYTHING TO THE "T" and stuck. Sorry for the vent. But I am over this. I don't know what to think at this point.

I was like that, too. I thought being in the 300s that I would be one of the smallest people in my cohort. Nope - I was the biggest. Although I'm not that great at judging weight, I'd say most of the women I went through classes with were more like 250-ish, give or take. After I lost all my weight, I was a regular speaker for the pre-op classes. I did this until the pandemic hit, so three or four years. At least once a month. So I've seen hundreds of pre-op patients. I'd say in any given class, most people are in the 200s. And there are usually a handful that look like they're probably in the 300s. Maybe a very occasional person over 400. But never anyone the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life". I don't even think my clinic would accept them - they'd have to go to a bariatric surgeon like Dr. Now who specializes in high-risk patients.

Oddly enough I also never lie to strangers or casual acquaintances. It feels very low risk for me. However the people I interact with often or know well is another story. I’ve learned to read the room. If someone earnestly/ privately asks I usually just tell them. They are also so happy to see someone in person that is happy with the their results and doing well/not struggling. But I’ve also had experiences where people very publicly/ loudly (nearly shouting across a room) ask how I lost weight. These interactions feel disingenuous and shaming so I don’t take them seriously. I usually tell these people the most complex set of layered diets and activities (Keto, fasting, glucose monitoring, cheat days, mercury retrograde, belly dancing, etc.) in great detail until they are satisfied. Those people can speculate but will never get the (whole) truth from me. BTW Congratulations on your success!

Further to this, RE: excess skin… In my own experience, and sample of ONE, the “notice-ability” of excess skin for me peaked just before I got to “normal” BMI range. I did continue to lose weight after that and then the look of it went from “rolls” to just crepey-looking skin, which in my opinion looks much better on me. Though i credit this to exercise (and further weight loss of course) as the underlying flesh/muscle was more firm. p.s. Full disclosure, i did end up getting plastics so my crepey skin is gone now (well, at least on my stomach and arms, lol. My inner thighs and a$$ are still pretty wrinkly-ish!)

When I was younger, I could eat anything and never gain weight. I haven't always been big. I tried all ways to lose weight. 5 years ago, I watched what I ate and exercised. I got down to 310. I was on what some people would call the " broke" diet. I lost a lot of weight because I wasn't eating right. As soon as I got a better job, I started eating more, not better. I gained 90 pounds. Then the pandemic happened and I was sent home to work. I gained 60 pounds in a year and couldn't lose it. Every doctor I ever had told me I couldn't get the surgery, due to health reasons. Finally I get a PCP this year that suggested it to me. That was in April 2021. I got a referral in a week, went to a seminar and scheduled my first surgeon appointment in May 2021. I fully expected to be told no but the surgeon said I was a good candidate and started the ball rolling. I have great insurance and didn't need a lot of requirements. Just proof I tried to lose weight supervised, which I had been seeing a nutritionist. Upper endoscopy, psych eval, dietitian appointment, and blood work. I had all that done by July 2021 and got scheduled for surgery August 25, 2021. I am less then 2 weeks post op and already feel better. More energy, not thinking about food all the time, saving money from not eating out. My stats are 40 F, 5'10", HW 463 SW 430 CW 410 GW 200 Sent from my SM-G991U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was a lower BMI to start. I am 5’8” and my pre op weight was 235, surgery weight 220 and current weight is 182. My surgery was March 9th so I have only lost 53 pounds in the same amount of time as you (38 post surgery) I think you are doing great.

I think it's very introspective that you are asking yourself that question! I had a gastric bypass and I regained 55 pounds from the 100 I lost. I stopped my support group meetings, and stopped using many of the tools I learned before I had surgery. For me, stopping the carb intake is huge. Eating carbs I am constantly hungry. I went back to see the weight management people, I am seeing a dietician again, and I started Ozempic for appetite suppression as well as treatment for diabetes. Don't despair, you have sooo many options available to you. I think if you can get the carbs under control, you will see you still have the tool of the RNY available to you! You've just learned to eat around it. Much luck to you!

First…. I 100% support YOUR decision to tell people about your surgery or not. I am in no way saying you should or should not…. I recently went on a trip and on this trip I had to show my old ID a few times. When I applied to TSA PreCheck I got a triple take when they looked at my passport photo vs the new me… so I explained… then on the trip I just decided to preemptively say “yeah I’ve lost a lot of weight since then” when they looked at my ID. Twice I had the person (quietly) ask “mind if I ask how? It’s none of my business I’m just wondering.” Both times I told them the truth, both times they said they’ve been thinking about it. Both times they smiled when I told them how stupidly amazing I feel and how I wish I had done this sooner. Both times we held up the line entirely too long while they and I both opened up about our weight issues and weight wishes. They were great moments and they wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t open up to them. My wife does not want me to share my story with her side of the family and I’ve respected her wishes in that regard. I don’t personally care if they know but she has her reasons and that’s good enough for me. I totally understand that someone you know and will see repeatedly is an entirely different story…. But a stranger I’ll never see again? Someone who is like I was and clearly is looking for help? I’ll never lie to them. They deserve to know that traditional diets are damn hard if not impossible for most of us. I feel like it would make them feel worse about their own diet failures and their self esteem if I lied about how I did what I did. I’ll share my story with anyone going forward with joy, because I’m so happy about it and I want them to feel this way too. I gave both of those people info on this forum and my username. If you’re here reading this now, welcome. I’m glad you made the effort. Please don’t feel the need to introduce yourself just yet. Read, absorb, self reflect. But welcome nonetheless. I’m happy that you’re here.

I know the easiest thing to do is get a new doctor but I'm the type that would hang in there with him long enough for him to see my success with weight loss and then dump him. I don't think what you did is childish at all. If you don't advocate for yourself no one else will.

Hi KittyHawk, I can honestly say everyone is different. I know most will say 20 pounds is the standard number for losing after revision but there are cases where you can lose more. My original sleeve surgery needed to be revised for a couple of reasons and I regained about 30 pounds of the 60 I had lost. I went into the RNY revision weighing 181 pounds after losing around 9 or so during pre-op. I had the revision in February and I now weigh 143 pounds and the weight is still coming off. I also weigh 12 pounds less than what I was on the sleeve. It is definitely true about slower loss: I've stalled a couple times and this last one lasted almost 2 months. But it will come off. Good luck!