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I meant to make a post for six months, but then life happened. So here I am exactly seven months out from surgery. Current weight: 268. Down 128 lbs. from my measured high, down 98 lbs. since intake, down 89 lbs. since surgery. 17 pounds to goal. It's gotten a lot slower, and I expected it to. I hit a major stall for more than a month right around the six-month mark. I'd lose a pound, and then I'd retain water or work out hard and cause inflammation, and those gains would be erased. My week-over-week average did drop, but by fractions of a pound. Then this week—whooooooosh, I lost five pounds in two days which just means my body cleared out the water, the 💩, and whatever else might've been hiding in there. The big marker has been my body fat; at intake, my body fat was over 40%. At six months (the last DEXA scan I had done), it was 26.8%, and has dropped since then. Because I have been training like a madman, my muscle mass also went up quite a bit from the initial post-surgical drop. My goal is to be below 20% body fat, whatever that number is, so I recalculated it at six months and my goal weight moved from 240 lbs. to 251 lbs. (I'm a thicc boi, by which I mean "incredibly dense".) Last week I was hospitalized for an infection and spent two days in there. While the infection absolutely sucked, I did notice my vital signs were exactly where they needed to be, without any medication at all. My blood pressure was 111/67, my SpO2 was 100%, and my resting heart rate was 48 bpm. That alone would have made it worth it. Also, the first night, I did not have my APAP machine and managed to sleep without oxygen desaturation happening (to the very great surprise of the nurse). I need to make an appointment for a sleep study to see if I still need the machine, I don't want to just drop it if I'm still having apnea. I am wearing size 34 jeans (down from 52), large t-shirts (down from 4XL or even 5XL), and my shoe size went down again, so I'm in 11.5s now, which are a lot easier to find. I eat 1500-2000 calories a day depending on my planned activity level. On days when I'm going to work out and then coach, I eat closer to 2000 cal; on days where I am more sedentary, I eat closer to 1500 calories. It's about a 40/30/30 split between protein, carbohydrate, and fat calories. If I start feeling the restriction, I just stop, no matter how many calories I'm up to. I find that if I force myself to put the spoon or fork down between bites, sometimes my brain just forgets the food is there, so if I go, "Oh, hey, there's still food in front of me," I know I have had enough. Yesterday's meal plan was this, along with 3 litres of water: 0700: Espresso with 3g brown sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk, 8 oz. tropical chia pudding with a few very small cubes of mango and nata de coco (coconut jelly). It took me about 20 minutes to eat this. 1000: Protein shake (Core Power 26g) 1300: 4 oz. ground turkey breast with 1.5 eggs, some spinach, mushrooms, and roasted yellow bell pepper, with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, some salsa, and a high-fiber whole-wheat tortilla-type wrap. This took me an hour to eat. 1800: 6 oz. grilled pork chop with 2 Tbsp. sauerkraut and some cooked apple and caramelized onion, with 4 oz. steamed green beans with a tiny bit of butter. It took me 45 minutes to eat this. 2030: Protein pudding (instant sugar-free pudding with protein powder mixed in, made with milk) and one single Thin Mint crumbled on top Total was 158.3 grams protein, 122.3 g carbohydrate, 58.7 g fat for a total of 1650 calories. Athletically, my mile run has gone from 15 minutes to about 10 minutes (though I don't run as often as I should), my flexibility and mobility are way improved, and my explosiveness has improved—from nearly missing an 18-inch standing box jump to doing a 30-inch with plenty of clearance. I'm juuuuuust about able to do a pull-up (soon!) and can do ring dips and support my own weight on the rings. I can also climb corral fences a lot better now that I don't have to wait at the top to find my center of gravity. There's some loose skin, especially around my belly. There's a little bit of chicken wing in my thighs and a tiny, nearly unnoticeable amount in my arms. The belly one bothers me because I feel like it pooches out, but obviously I will need to be stabilized at a weight for a while before even thinking about plastics.

Hi there. I took part in a bariatric study where I had no choice of what procedure to have. The only one I didn't want particularly was the band due to all the negative reviews. Funnily enough the computer chose the band for me, I had my concerns but the surgeon swayed me to it. So iwas banded in 2018 all was going well, went down from 165kg to 106kg so almost 60kg down. Untill a few months ago the band just overnight. Stopped working?! I always had bad reflux during (was prescribed lansoprozole) but this was really bad. Being sick in my sleep. Then the sleepless nights. I could eat what I wanted with zero restriction. The reason I had surgery is because my brain has no "off switch" so ovcourse as soon as my brain worked out I could eat what I want. I went to town. I have now regained to 140kg approaching my start weight. After tests at hospital (camera down throat and barium swallow) they couldn't for the life of them work out what was going on. To help me sleep at night they emptied the band. They tried to convince me to keep the band and try again but as it wad on my record that I did not want it in the first place they have kindly agreed to remove the band and have a revision to a bypass. (Within a few months I'm told. Just have to wait for the random phonecall 2 weeks prior like last time) Was/has anyone been in the same position??

So back in April of 21, I embarked on this journey. Lots of reasons everything from the fear of losing my wife who had the surgery the year prior, to tired of the doctors and their nonsense of calling me a walking heart attack. So after going through all the hoops, and mind you because of covid I didn't have any in person classes or anything, no support group nothing, August 24th I got a gastric bypass, and came home the very next day, no pain, no complications, as a matter of fact I walked out of the hospital on my own power. Three days later I was off my blood pressure pills, I just started getting really dizzy, and that was because of the pills. Let's see that Sunday I was back on my motorcycle. I was doing pretty good up till the late four month point, and I stalled at 210, now I'm hanging at 205 and stalled again. But it's so weird being able to fit small clothes, tie my shoes, walk around without chest pain or getting out of breath. Still have around 40 to go but I'll get there, especially now that the weather is starting to break. Sent from my SM-N986U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

What I am about to say is a general rule. You are two weeks out from surgery. Within the next few weeks, you will hit a weight loss stall. It will last 2-3 weeks and will be very frustrating for you. Just keep doing what you know to do and you will break through the stall. After you come out of that stall will be the quickest weight loss of the entire process. You will lose the most weight between months 3 and 6. There will come a time anywhere between 8 and 18 months that the weight loss will begin to slow down. You will experience more stalls and you will not lose as quickly when you come out of the stalls. Then there will come a time when you stop losing weight and even gain some back. For example, a co-worker had the sleeve about 6-7 yrs ago. He told me that he bottomed out at 175 pounds, but now he is at 195-200 (down from 330, I believe). As other people have said, there is no good way to say, "I've lost 7.9%, but I am supposed to be at 9.8% by now." Everyone is different. But that is the general trajectory that you should expect.

I'm 6 months post op this week. Surgery day, I weighed 310 and this week I was 245 - so minus 65lbs in 6th months and it feels surreal! I'm also down 87lbs from my heighest weight last May (trying to push for an even 90 by the time my "Get serious about weight loss" anniversary rolls around). What an accomplishment in and of itself! But as many of y'all know, a lot of this goes beyond the scale, so I'm about to talk about labwork and measurements! Labwork/Blood Health I ran comprehensive pre-op, simple 3 month, and comprehensive 6 month labs. Here are those results! Pre-Op Vitamin D was a dismal 15. I've taken a daily 5,000 supplement since starting vitamins and I'm now close to 70. Normal Range. A1C went from 6.1% pre-op to 5.4% six months out. Normal Range. Pre-diabetes off the table. Fasting Glucose went from 121 pre-op to 103 at 3 months to 80. Normal Range Cholesterol (total) went from 265 to 226 to 221. From high to borderline, but vastly improved. LDL from 195 to 166 to 153. From high to borderline high. All other labs were normal range prior to and post op. Added blood health bonus: Taken off my Blood Pressure Medication completely. Measurements (in inches) Waist from 50 to 39.5 Right Thigh from 36.25 to 28.75 Left Thigh from 36.5 to 26.75 Hips from 69 to 52.5 Right Bicep from 18.5 to 14.5 Left Bicep from 18.25 to 14.25 Chest from 49.5 to 40 Neck from 15.25 to 13.5 Roughly a size 3x/4x, 22-26W to a about a 1x/2x, 14-16W Moving Forward I'm looking forward to what the future holds. I'm so happy with my progress so far! We often get hung up on the scale, but there is SO much more at play here. Be sure to track all your progress!

No I’d say it’s just been getting progressively worse for about six months. I actually puked in the Gastrologist office last week when she was talking to me! but I did make it up to the garbage can in time. 🤦‍♀️

The two weeks before and after WLS are challenging due to being liquid or limited. Good luck on your WLS journey.

Congrats on getting your surgery date. That's a good time of year to have WLS. I happen to enjoy premade protein shakes, I use GNC Lean Shakes, so it was relatively an easy two weeks for me.

If I remember correctly, i wasn’t really told to stay away from carbonated drinks more so than to stay away sugary/high calorie drinks (pop, beer, juice, etc). with that said, i drink carbonated/sparking water almost every day (am 3.5 yrs post op) i *think* i had my first sparkling water (i.e., perrier) 2 or 3 months postop? I can’t remember….

I was never told to not have them. I am allowed coffee too. [ and straws] I dont / never have drunk many carbonated drinks but occasionally fancy one. I had a small ginger ale this week and it was fine and made a nice change but I would rather drink tomato juice.

Did your team give you a diet sheet for the up coming months ? Every surgeon has his/her own and they vary greatly. Normally its about 1-2 weeks liquids because your new stomach is full of staples and needs to heal. Then 1 - 2 weeks of pureed foods because you are still healing. Then soft foods like egg mayo, tuna mayo, mashed veg and minced meats. After that is the stage where we can try regular foods. Eating protein first , then veg if there is room in your tummy . Carbs are allowed last. Rice , pasta and starchy veg like potatoes. You will begin to feel your restriction at about 3 - 4 months out. Its when the nerves in your new tummy have healed together again and send 'full ' messages to your brain. Eating chicken and salad was beyond me at 2 weeks, it does seem too early to try it. Others will help here if they have eaten these foods so early on

Six days post op seems a bit early for salad and chicken. It's always best to follow our surgeons post op diet. They do have our best interest in mind and know better than we do about what is going on with our healing tummies. Most surgeons recommend Miralax or stool softeners in the days and weeks after surgery to get the bowels moving. If you have any doubt, contact your team.

Yes it makes perfect sense to me. You are getting yourself ready in everyway you can. Its like nesting when you are pregnant. I waited about 8 months for my surgery and I am not the most patient person. It was a trial. I wanted the day of surgery to come but had a 3 week pre op diet to do before it. Mine was non carb veg and skimmed milk. I worried about whether I could manage it but it had to be done or no surgery. I was bored of it by week 2 and I am a keen and adventurous cook. I couldn't wait till surgery day came and the diet ended. I hope you haven't bought too many shakes for after your surgery because your tastes may change drastically, mine did. You may need extra toothpaste and mouthwash for a few weeks. Good luck, you are almost at the starting post.

Wow! That’s crazy! I had a barium swallow done last week but I don’t know the results of it. Yesterday I had am EDG. They did these because I’m nauseous all the time and they want to look at my stomach. The doctor mentioned yesterday that I might need a the one where they put that small thing through your nose and it goes down into your stomach and you have to drink when they get it down there to see if how you swallow is OK. That test was just awful! I think I’d rather have a colonoscopy🙃

So my 1 week pre op liquid diet starts April 26th (surgery is May 3rd). Just ordered protein shakes, protein flavored water, and protein smoothies. I ordered variety packs of everything. I got Fairlife shakes (10 pack), Premier shakes (15 pack), Designer Wellness smoothies (12 pack), and Protein 2o Electrolyte protein drinks (two 12 packs). I got them all on Amazon. This might sound really odd, but even though I have my surgery date already, there was something about ordering my shakes and drinks that just made everything feel REALLY real. Does that make sense? I'm more nervous about the liquid diet than I am about the actual surgery LOL

seven lbs in two weeks is about average. I lost 16 lbs the entire first month, and I started at over 300 lbs. unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life", you're not going to drop 40 or 50 lbs the first month. Just based on hanging out on these boards for the last seven years, I'd say the average weight loss range for most of us "normal" WLS patients that first month is around 15-25 lbs. Yes - you'll find a few people who fall above or below that range, but I'd say a majority of us are somewhere in it. So at 7 lbs in two weeks, you're pretty normal... also, I don't know if you weighed yourself that first week, but a lot of leave the hospital a few lbs heavier than we did entering the hospital. It's because they pump you full of IV fluids while you're there. It can take a few days for it to work its way out of your system.

Well here I thought I only had a few things left before surgery May 3rd....wrong lol. I still have the following to complete. 1. I have to meet with the Dietician about the clear liquid diet 2 weeks before surgery 2. Diabetic education (I have Type II, controlled by limiting carbs. Im a high normal and sometimes alittle over high normal) Im on no meds 3. Need appts to meet with Pharmacy and Anesthesiologists team 4. Final appt with the Dr doing surgery 5. Need a blood test for nicotine (I havent smoked in over 21 years but still have to do it) this will be the 3rd one 6. Covid Test 2 days before surgery Anyone else have this type of schedule before surgery can be done? And here I was worried about what happens on surgery day but looks like I have other areas to complete before worrying about surgery day ha!

For myself I chose to do the sleeve over bypass. Mainly because I have 3 co workers who have had bypass, 2 males and 1 female. The 2 males are gaining their weight back they lost. They eat and drink pretty much what they want and are overeating again, They both went from a 4XL to XL and Im pretty sure they are both back in to a 2XL now 2 yrs post bypass. The one female coworker has had horrible hair loss (I guess I should say thinning hair) she is early 30s and has had back to back babies after her bypass. I do not believe she is back to her pre bypass weight but shes probably put 50-60 lbs back on. She just had a 3rd baby not long ago and has already scheduled to have her bypass redone or relooked at (honestly Im not sure what they do when you put alot of your weight back on) any way she has something scheduled for Nov 2022. I have another co worker who had a sleeve. She has done exceptionally well, she's lost 95-105 lbs since March of last year. Im not sure she is at her goal weight but she may be. The only thing she complained about was being hydrated enough. I guess she just couldnt get her fluids in and she battled being dehydrated alot. I know both surgery's are tools and if you dont stick to it then the above scenario's can happen. I felt the sleeve could be the best option for me. I am satisfied with my decision and am currently pending surgery in about 3 weeks. I am alittle uneasy, nervous and maybe even alittle scared but I know thats my food addict self trying to talk me out of this decision. Im holding firm and I believe I can get through it God willing, with little to no complications or problems. In the long run I know this is the best for my health. I have kids I need to be here for....so I have to succeed!

I am probably going to be a June surgery…obviously 🙄 my preferred date of 4/11 wasn’t to be. The last day of school is June 10-ish and I’m ready to go that day. My paper work won’t be sent to Cigna for about another week. I’m leaning towards gastric bypass and I’m meeting with my surgeon next week to discuss what he thinks. I’m looking forward to reading about everyone’s experience.

Hi everyone! I'm new here. I'm scheduled for surgery on the 2nd of May and I'll be starting my 2weeks next week. Any advice to get through this protein shake thing..tia Sent from my moto g power (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

I bruise easily. I also got several lovenox injections in that area before leaving the hospital. I also ended up getting an iron infusion before discharge because my hemoglobin was a 7.1 thanks to period related anemia and surgery the same week.

Made a monstrosity of a 3-cheese and onion quiche for dinner tonight. Ate a whole 34g before my stomach said, “yeah, maybe not.” At least I have my blended protein shake as backup. 😂🤷‍♀️

My hospital has the same ones. I once had to stay for 3 days before for something unrelated and that thing drove me nuts. So after the 1st night i went ahead and unplugged it from the wall. which set off some alarms lol. But they let me leave it unplugged.

If we can’t stay on the 2 week liquid preop diet, how are we ever going to follow the plan post surgery? We all knew this was part of the process. STAY STRONG! We can do this. Day 2 for me only liquids for 12 more days.