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From about the age of 14 I’d routinely skip meals to try to control my weight. I never ate the same volume of food as my friends or my family. All skipping meals did was kill my metabolism & I battled my weight bouncing 60-75kg until I was in my late 40s. That seemed to be my max & min weight range I always gravitated to. When I reached menopause I put on 30kg in about 2 years without changing my diet & couldn't lose an ounce over 4 years. I think I eat more now then I did before surgery. I certainly eat more frequently then I ever did & that’s how I get my calories & protein in. I reach my fluid goal by sipping throughout the day & at night (always have water beside me). By drinking regularly I never seem to reach that oh my god I’m thirsty point anymore. Nor do I reach that I’m starving point either. For me the surgery has been wonderful. It kick started my metabolism again & sorted out my hormones. It also made me truely analyse what, how & why I ate. Even though I ate pretty healthily before, I eat even better now. Dropped some food choices that were bad for me, added some that are better. We are all different. We react differently to the surgery. We have different life experiences. We have different health issues, genetic makeups & physiological & psychological differences. They all influence how we are able to benefit from the surgery. The surgery isn’t a cure. The average weight loss after about 5 years is only 65% of the weight you were to lose (to put you in the healthy BMI range). Some lose more. Some lose less. Some get to a weight higher then goal & are happy. Some get lower than goal. Some experience small amounts of regain while others regain more. Some maintain. Some causes for this are beyond our control. Some causes are in our control. You can’t predict your outcome but just be aware of the variables. Best advice is to grab this opportunity & see how far you can take it.

There is a lot of conflicting stories & advice out there about whether you can drink carbonated drinks after WLS, but apparently there’s little scientific evidence to support either the yes or no position. The only evidence is that drinking carbonated drinks increases weight gain. There’s also information coming out that artificial sweeteners are just as bad if you go down that route. (Basically they trick the body into thinking it’s getting sugar but isn’t so it stores more fat to compensate for the perceived reduction of glucose - which the body does need.) Plus artificial sweeteners continue to feed your craving for sugar. As with many things after surgery, some can & some can’t. It’s really your choice if you can & it works for you. Personally, I gave up carbonated drinks years ago because they aggravated my reflux & gave me horrendous hiccups. I only had bubbles in a gin & tonic & champagne but too many of them & urrgh! So no change for me (though I drink less alcohol & drink it less frequently now).

I never suffered from PCOS but I did have my gall removed. It was only three months ago but my weight is what it was before surgery. I lost a small amount afterwards because for about 3 weeks I wasn’t really hungry or interested in eating but when things got back to normal I settled back at my usual weight. When was yours removed? When did you notice your weight loss slowing? Are you still following your same diet plan & recommendations for portion size & calories? Are you still meeting your protein & water goals? Have any of your meds changed? Have you spoken with your dietician & medical team? Have you had blood work done since your gall removal? Removing the gall can affect absorption of some nutrients. I found out at my 3 month follow-up appointment last week that my protein level has dropped since my gall surgery (was high before my gall was removed but now low yet still meet my daily protein goal). I was prescribed pancreatic enzymes to help with protein absorption.

I'm new, too! 2 classes out of the required 10 down, and meeting with the surgeon in October. I'm so certain this is what I want to do, but I'm afraid something will pop up to derail my plans. I'm thankful to have found this community that I can learn and gain support from. There's only so much the classes can prepare me for.

*made a ton of typos in my first post and can’t figure out how to edit 😡 I am literally in the same boat aside from the twisting feeling. I have been watching food videos like crazy and at first felt really guilty, but it’s almost like it’s desensitizing me and educating me. I’m starting to see unhealthy aspects of how we eat in America, before I could identify them but only abstractly. I too lose interest mid-meal. I was so excited to eat soft foods at 3 weeks but what I’ve noticed is it now makes me sick and tastes horrible. I generally only like cheese and even this week, week five, I’m not digging it. 

However, my surgeon is very strict, I’m supposed to strive to have one meal a day (though I have two), and he explained the long term goal of eating is simply to refuel. Not for pleasure. Eating on a schedule, recognizing it is energizing and supporting your body…and that’s it. I hated that idea, but am starting to get on board with it. Just use this time to be extra aware of what your body does, how it feels, and build routine. It is easier off you aren’t hungry, at least for me. I’m trying to take advantage of it. My surgeon has me taking two minutes between each bite during my meal where I meditate. I thought this was ridiculous at first, but it is amazing! Even if you don’t meditate it might be helpful to take that time to identify how your body feels. The twisting feeling could be tied to your emotions. It may be helped by thinking of that area relaxing, even telling it aloud to relax. Breathing in slowly and exhaling slowly and encouraging your whole gut to release all that fear because I hear the fear in your post (totally normal). I have an extremely (I’m talking crazy) sensitive body. The surgery has imbalanced my body like crazy and my body has responded with the symptoms we’re talking about. I have taken to rubbing my belly and kind of treating it like a baby. Recognize the mental upheaval you’re dealing with (which it sounds like you are), and give yourself grace. I found out a lot of stuff on why I have an eating problem the last couple weeks that threw me for a loop. I have done my own work too, but things are going to come up and are in a big way. I had to listen to what was going on, not ignore it, or try to overthink it or only focus on the fear and nothing else. Listen to what is wrong. Your body can tell you but expressing emotions. Here are some questions: Ok, I don’t feel hungry, why? I’m feeling insecure, why? What does food mean to me? I found out it meant protection a couple weeks ago. Hard to not eat if you deeply believe food and weight mean protection, right? Be gentle with yourself. They do not emphasize how much this changes your entire existence. Loving yourself goes a long way.

I didn't have that requirement either. I have documented my weight at least once a week for the last 10 years or so, but I didn't go to the doctor last year due to COVID either. I would ask the surgery center what you can do for that. Did you maybe got to weight watchers or anything?

Good afternoon all!! I had my first evaluation today. One of the requirements for approval was weight history for the past 5 years. I certainly have not gone every year for the last five years. Especially the last couple years because of COVID. Has anyone had this and it was an issue with insurance? Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

They want you to "shrink your liver". It's not meant to lose weight, although that usually/often happens. During surgery, especially laparoscopic surgery, they have to move the liver out of the way to get to the stomach. Most people having surgery have fatty/enlarged livers but eating low carb/low fat/no alcohol helps to shrink and heal the stomach. If they can't move your liver easily, they could have to do open surgery, or might actually cancel your surgery if they don't feel it's safe.

Yeah, that's very interesting! I almost wonder if they want you to lose as much as possible before surgery to show their weight loss rates being higher, but I might be a tad too cynical there 😕

I’m 64 now, and had RNY surgery 8 years ago when I was 56. My surgeon told us that you have a window of about 1 year to 18 months to lose the weight you want - thereafter the ghrelin levels in your stomach and gut (which are disrupted by the surgery) increase. Ghrelin is known as the ‘hunger hormone’ because (amongst other things it does) it triggers hunger. Shortly after RNY surgery you may feel hungry, but this soon passes and you have a ‘honeymoon’ period where you don’t, where you need to build up to a health and sustainable diet. The other thing is that your tiny pouch will stretch in time (the stomach acts as a muscle) and if you consistently eat too much you’ll get a bigger appetite back. It is unusual, but not unknown, for someone to put all the weight back on that they lost from RNY surgery. Of course, why do that to yourself? Probably because you have not sorted out an unhealthy relationship with food. Another thing I was told was to exercise, to prevent muscle loss and encourage weight loss. To be honest I didn’t do enough of this. However, from BMI of 35.7 and weight of 190lb (at 5’ 1”) I dropped to my lowest weight of 105lb and BMI of 19.7 at 14 months after surgery. That was nearly half my bodyweight lost. I stayed at 112lbs or under until April 2015, when very, very slowly I put on a bit of weight over each year, I guess as my appetite and tolerance grew. By January 2021 I had been just under 140lb for 3 years, but wished I could be less. Then came cancer treatment and radiotherapy to my entire abdominal area. Left with nausea and no appetite at all, I gradually built back up to eating a healthy diet. I lost 16lb in a few weeks with sepsis in March, but after recovery have lost more through cutting back on carbs and walking every day, to get back to my prime 112lb - and this is where I want to stay! It may be harder to lose weight after the menopause but the equation is still the same - too much food in and not enough energy out = slow inevitable weight gain; keeping to what you need (or slightly less) and more energy expended = slow loss. We have a wonderful tool to help us achieve this - which is very hard for an individual with a normal stomach. Plus we have absorption issues, and potential to suffer if we eat too much fat and sugar (especially at once). We can use this tool to achieve our goal, and use it alongside lifestyle changes to maintain it, whatever our age. 😊

I had my gallbladder removed in 1998 due to gall stones/ gallbladder attacks after losing over 60 pounds. After the gallbladder removal it was a struggle to lose weight & it quickly returned with extra. In 2011 I found out I had hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's) and PCOS. I worked hard to try to lose weight to have children & increase my fertility. I lost 20 pounds, but struggled beyond that. I had VSG last month and the weight is finally coming off. Perhaps it might be slower than some other people, but it is going in the right direction for the first time in about 20 years. I don't know if you had surgery, or are looking into getting it, or are looking for weight loss tips. I was put on metformin for PCOS and told to eat a low carb diet. I didn't lose much, though. Yes, PCOS has been known to affect weight loss. I haven't heard much about the effects of gallbladder removal on weight loss. It is hard to know if it was connected in my case, as I also had undiagnosed PCOS and hypothyroidism for many, many years. I believe WLS may reduce symptoms of PCOS. Wishing you luck with your weight loss goals. 😁🍀

Ever since I have found out I have PCOS and gallbladder surgery I been having trouble losing weight and suggestions Sent from my moto e using BariatricPal mobile app

Are you exercising at all? This sounds like it may be something else going on that’s possibly hormonal (ie high cortisol, pcos, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism etc) I agree to disagree on people who are not “big eaters” having the surgery. I wasn’t a big eater and spent many years with a high level of exercise and closely monitoring my diet and still ended up 340 pounds before surgery. Without getting VSG, I don’t even want to think about where my weight would be now as it would be so outrageous. Don’t be afraid to go to multiple doctors and asking for different tests/opinions. It took me years and years to somewhat find out what was wrong with me to somewhat understand why I kept gaining weight. I cried, I had complete breakdowns in front of my husband because of the sheer frustration of it all. VSG is a wonderful tool, but if you have something going on that is causing your metabolism to lower significantly, it’s only part of the puzzle.

Hi! I just thought about checking this thread yesterday, to see how everyone's doing. I am doing GREAT! It is SO NICE to be able to eat without vomiting, lie down/sleep without being awash in stomach acid, and to basically live like a normal person again. My daughter (she's almost 28) and I took a quick trip to Disney before she started grad school and it was wonderful! I could eat and drink in all our favorite places and not be sick! I'm eating less than I had been and slowly losing weight, too. I guess the surgery was enough of a change to my insides that it was like a "reset" or something- but I have that obvious "full" feeling again and am doing better with my weight management. NOW I have to get back into the gym regularly, something that ended when Covid hit and I just haven't re-established the habit yet. Hope you all are doing well!

Starting weight pre 6month diet: 335lb Pre Op Weight: 339.8lb Currently 5 months post op and sitting at 261lb (down 78.8) Goal weight: 220 (I’m tall) and long term goal weight 195

I was 22 when I had my gastric sleeve. It was in July and I was staying with my parents before going back to school in August after the summer break. This gave me plenty of recovery time. I didn't attend any social gatherings during the recovery. But it was the 4th of July the day before I flew out to get my surgery, there was a family bbq and I was on my liquid-only pre-op diet. It was terrible but I overcame temptation. Everyone was asking why I wasn't eating. But I just said that I had a surgery in a couple of days and couldn't eat anything. But at that moment I made a promise to myself. "I will answer honestly whenever someone asks in the future, I won't hide it, there's nothing to be ashamed of" When I got back to school after my surgery there were a couple of social gatherings where it came up, and I just said, my stomach isn't big enough to eat what is on my plate, when they would ask why I would say, "part of my stomach was surgically removed in July" and that is usually good enough. But when it isn't I just say, I had the surgery done voluntarily for my health to help me lose weight. I wasn't uncomfortable about it. I even had to tell my lab classes that I would need to leave periodically to drink water (no food or drinks in labs). Inevitably I would have to say why. Comfort is relative. If you think you will be uncomfortable because you're hiding the surgery, don't hide it. If you're uncomfortable because of all the food, bring your own. etc. Do what makes you feel best. If you aren't ready, you aren't ready, and that is fine. Like I said, I had a couple of months at home before having to join the world. I think that helped a lot.

Yes, I regret it 100%. Sleeved 5/28/2021. As of today I am only down 18 pounds since surgery. When I tell people that, I always get a list of how it has to be my fault. Medical intervention that you can't really cheat, but it's my fault? I couldn't "cheat" if I wanted to. I don't think genetics, hormones, and age are talked about enough pre-op. My weight loss slowed way down in the years prior to surgery. I'd cut carbs and work out hard and only lose 5 lbs in a month. I thought this surgery would help, it hasn't. My biggest words of advice, IF YOU ARE NOT A BIG EATER DO NOT GET THIS SURGERY! Consider all factors first. My mother, sisters and aunts have been on "diets" since Tab and Jane Fonda workout were a thing and the smallest any have ever been is the 170's (all 5'3-5'5). We're just heavier and hormonal with slow metabolisms. Not horribly obese, but in the 200's with big arms, stomachs, and backs. Unless they've been hiding it for decades, they don't gorge on food. We typically gain 10lbs a year that we just can't lose. That's how we are and how I'll be. I'm getting ok with it. Primary is asking if I'd consider converting to bypass in the future. No thanks, what would be the point. I just never tell anyone I've done this to myself out of sheer embarrassment. Very expensive mistake.

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it depends insurance - not sure what Medicare requires. My insurance company required it be done with a physician or a registered dietitian, but some companies also allow programs like Weight Watchers as long as it's well documented.

Thanks for tips, all. I'm eating simply and getting exercise in. My weight loss is slow but at least it's moving down. Sent from my moto g play (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi - long story short, I had a lapband put in by CIBO in Toronto over 10 years ago. We all know they went bankrupt, and I probably haven't had any fills/ unfill / care in over 7 years. Recently I'm finding the band too tight and throw up several times a week and most of the weight I lost has been gained back as I can't eat the good foods as I can't digest them. I've asked my family doc to refer me to the original surgeon Dr. Hong who I recall doing my surgery as I think I'd like to get it out. Its been over a month and I'm still waiting to hear from his office. In the meantime I'd really like to get a defill just to help me get in a better place to get better food in me and stop the throwing up when I get stuck. I can't even think about eating out in a restaurant or with friends now as I fear I'll have to run to bathroom and get unstuck! So I'm looking for someone in central Toronto area that would be willing to do a defill for me. After CIBO went under I was getting some adjustments with a nurse that was helping out but I've lost touch with her. Any advice on where to go or who to contact?? Thanks

Hang in there. At least you have a new scheduled date. When my surgery was cancelled in April of 2020, there was nothing even proposed, let alone tentatively scheduled as a new date. We as a society were freaking out (toilet paper hoarding, nightly BLM protests, riots)... no one knew what the endgame was going to be, and there I was being told by my surgical team that I still had to keep from gaining weight for an unknown period of time or risk being booted from the program. As a lifelong overeater, lemme tell you that stress eating most certainly is real... especially with society seemingly falling to pieces around you and also having to manage a team learning to work from home for the foreseeable future. tl;dr: Smile, it could be worse.

Are you taking your vitamins every day? There's nothing you can do about the normal amount of hair loss from surgery and weight loss, but not taking the prescribed vitamins can make it worse. Hope it gets better!

Hello!! Just wanted to update and say it's definitely possible! I started this journey in Oct. 2020 at 311 and diabetic. Lost 45lbs before my March 2021 bypass, no longer diabetic, and today I hit ONEderland. I haven't seen this weight on a scale since 1995! Remember it's a journey - it's not a sprint or a quick fix.