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I'm definitely nowhere near an unhealthy bmi ON PAPER, but I also know my body. I can see and feel my bones sticking out. My husband and kids hug me and they feel my bones and tell me I feel like I'm gonna break if they squeeze me because I feel fragile now. I look like I'm losing muscle, and frankly, I feel really weak compared to how I use to feel. I have permanent circles under my eyes. My hands and feet are boney and veiny and my skin literally hangs off my body, including my face. I'm always tired, even though I get plenty of sleep. I'm one of the curvy, big bones girls. I carry my weight in such a way that I can weigh more but not look like it. So right now, I look sickly. But more importantly, I don't feel right. I feel not great, which is the opposite of what I wanted when I started this journey.

Thank you!! I am incredibly happy. Getting my Vitamin D from 13 to almost 100 has done wonders for my depression. The extra energy DOES feel amazing, especially because I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I never really expected the surgery to impact that favorably. The first 4 weeks were hard energy-wise. I remember how exhausting even taking a shower was until I was past a month out. Bariatric surgery is major surgery and it takes our bodies a while to heal from that. Add in our dietary restrictions as we slowly incorporate food again and it is a great recipe for fatigue. I'd say by about week 8 the nausea disappeared and I noticed I was gaining energy steadily. I could stand in the kitchen and cook. I could go for a short walk. I could shower and actually leave the house without a nap first. I had not been able to do those things in several years so it was a striking difference. Hang in there!! It is a good sign you feel about back to normal energy-wise right now! Yes, according to everything I've read, the goal is 50% by 6 months for a DS surgery, so I'm ahead of my goal. I really hope things continue on steadily. A lot of people lose a chunk early on and then taper down slower after month 3. My body doesn't like to follow general trends, so I stalled out for most of that time and then suddenly my weight loss sped up! It is quicker now than it has been since about a week post op. Isn't that funny? Everyone's body has its own rhythm. It is so, so hard to trust that, but it seems to be true the more people I see go through this surgery.

If you’re on a GLP-1 drug wondering why you’re also considering surgery? Yes, some do combine the two but why not wait & see how effective the medication is & how you feel & then decide about the surgery. Don’t feel undeserving of the surgery if you decide to go down that path. For your health you are deserving & that is hugely more important than a number on the scales. Do you feel undeserving being on the medication? It’s helping you lose weight too. I’m 5 years out, tomorrow actually, with my sleeve. I enjoyed food before and I still do. I eat with family & friends at their homes, restaurants, events, etc. I just look at food differently & make more careful & better choices. You said since being on the GLP-1 med you don’t really want fast food any more. For a lot of us, the surgery does that too. And it gives us the time to examine our relationship with food - this is the most important benefit. There’s food I don’t even think about eating now. Just the thought of eating some foods makes me feel ill. Some foods simply don’t appeal. And yes, there are some foods I choose not to eat. Would never have believed it was possible before surgery but here I am. I don’t even crave any foods now. Mind blown! Keep us updated on your progress & what you decide to do in regards to surgery. Will say, if you are having doubts about the surgery, don’t do it. You have to be mentally & emotionally ready before embarking on it. It may be that you’re just not ready now & that’s okay. All the best. PS - I didn’t exercise at all when I was losing & do very little now (some at home stretching & resistance band things). Wouldn’t burn 30 calories LOL! Lost all my weight & more & have maintained that weight.

Happy 6wk anniversary!! It doesn't help in the bathing suit / swimming costume part of things (cause those often have to fit more snuggly to prevent flashing other swimmers), but for clothing I've found some fantastic clips to help when you're mid-size, or don't want to spend too much while you're still losing so quickly. Cardigan clips with rubber / silicone teeth (so they don't harm the fabric). I used to only see the fancy ones for the front of cardigans, but there's a bunch of elasticized fabric ones online that are much more comfortable on the back of a loose shirt to make it a bit more form fitting. I've still had to buy a few items here and there (which is honestly part of the 'hurrah' for losing weight anyway), but it's helped me fit into some tops better without having to sew them.

The last time I was talking about having a stall after nearly 3 weeks. My weight all the sudden dropped. But, I can also tell that I'm losing inches. Even when the weight doesn't move. My energy is all over the place the past week or so, I feel like I could do a triathlon, sometimes I feel like I just did a triathlon without doing anything. I assure you it's normal. I'm seeing this first hand, also this is what I get told by the doctor, dietician, nurse and exercise specialist. Two of them have had gastric bypass. The other two have been in the bariatric field for several years. The Dietician told me my stomach is like a new baby, since I'm only 3 months post op. There's several more months ( or longer) for our body to get it figured out. Right now it's brand new. I know how tough it is to see the scale not move, but I also know this is still early in the process. I'm trying to look at it like I have a brand new 3 months old stomach and there's going to be growing pains. Try not to be hard on yourself, it's a process and it takes time. That's what I keep trying to tell myself. I know it's cheesy and a line from a movie. But, like Rocky Balboa, if you get knocked down the only thing you can do is get up and keep moving forward.

Liquid clears your stomach pouch in a matter of seconds after gastric bypass. I know this because on the morning after my surgery, I had to do a swallow test and l literally watched on the screen as my new little pouch filled with a swallow of liquid and immediately started dripping it into my small intestine. By the time I took the third swallow, the first one was no longer in my stomach pouch at all and the second one was mostly emptied, too. That's how it is supposed to be. "Stretching out" your stomach is 99% myth for two reasons. First, at the early stage, your stomach is swollen and stiff. You couldn't stretch it out if you tried, let alone with a mere few ounces of liquid. Second, as time goes on, it's supposed to stretch a bit to allow you to eat a healthy quantity of food because you can't live on 400 calories forever. If you stick to your recommended portion sizes, eating schedule, and fill up on healthy foods, it won't be an issue. I highly recommend watching Dr. Pilcher's video about stomach stretching if you're concerned. Bottom line, most people do not actually stretch their stomachs, they learn to eat around the size restriction by grazing all day and eating high calorie junk, and then blame their "stretched" stomach for their bad behavior when they gain back all the weight. At 8 weeks post-op, swelling has decreased and capacity is closer to what it's meant to be. Drinking 12 oz in 35 minutes is totally normal and healthy at this point. It means you are healing. Solid foods take longer to empty, so eating 3-4 oz per meal will feel very different than drinking 12 oz of water. At 3 months post-op, I can drink 32 oz of hot decaf tea in 30 minutes. I can eat 5-6oz yogurt/bean soup or only 2-3 oz of chicken breast in the same amount of time. It's a function of how much your stomach has to do before it can move along. My advice is to follow the instructions you were given with regard to your number of meals per day, quantity of food at each sitting, macros, etc. Stop when you feel fullness cues, but don't eat more just because you don't feel fullness cues, if that makes sense. You will never need more than 4 oz of chicken at a sitting, but you will likely be able to eat more than that in a year or two. Resist the temptation, and add non-starchy veg instead if you feel hungry. Build good habits now that you can stick to forever.

So since posting I’ve not been very active and my issue with weight regain has gotten worse. I am now sitting at 270 pounds. That’s 100 total pounds regained. I am miserable. I am going to start a protein shake diet thing for a week starting tomorrow and really try to get active again, but as I mentioned before I am still on night shift and a student as well. My fitness pal seems to cost money these days and im absolutely not paying 20$ a month for that, I wish it was still free. Any tips is awesome, motivations, and even pen pals, I find not having anyone to hold my accountable is really a big problem for me as I tend to convince myself to do as I please (I get it, I need to hold myself accountable, but it’s nice to have a helping hand) thanks for all the comments

Thanks, everyone! Let me ask, how'd you handle the comments of "You're too skinny?" I get that from several people and it's infuriating. They are older and I respect them, so I don't want to give a mean comment. Oh, and the stares and jealous looks. In my mind I tell myself, "if your (talking to them in my head 🤷‍♀️) weight were that big and issue to you, then do something about it. That's all I did." An 126 lb weight loss in less than a year is massive change but the comments and looks...so isolating sometimes. Thankfully, another friend of mine has had the surgery as well, so I can talk through it with her. But what really iced my cake is she doesn't get the same stares and comments from the same group we run in. Unless, I'm reading too much into it. People who didn't know me from before look at me or comment me like a "normal" person. For example, I was at the doctor's office yesterday and we were discussing a dose change for a medication, and he said, "for people of healthy weight, such as yourself... " I just want to video it and play on repeat. Sorry, my passive aggressive fell out 😂

That's what made me nervous, too. People don't understand that the surgery doesn't make you lose weight, but that it's all the work you put in after.

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! Here's some motivation: In my first six months post-surgery, I lost weight steadily: Month 1 - 15 lbs, Month 2 - 12 lbs, Month 3 - 10 lbs, Month 4 - 8 lbs, Month 5 - 7 lbs, and Month 6 - 6 lbs. Remember, everyone's journey is unique, but staying positive and committed will bring you closer to your goals. You've got this! Keep focusing on your health and well-being.

Massive congrats on your progress so far! I remember your initial profile pic, and you can so tell you have lost in your face! It's funny as I am the same in that respect - seem to have visibly lost in my face first, and folks I haven't seen for a while (and don't know I've had WLS) ask me if I've done something to my face as its different (good different) haha. I totally agree with the new normal takes some time to get used to. I am at the 2 month mark now and still have to remind myself that I will lose more weight, albeit I have slowed now to about 2-3lbs per week, even with exercise everyday. RE the out of breath part, I was the same - would struggle to walk up an incline for 2 mins without being out of breath and sweaty, now I can do it no problem. Keep up the great work, I am sure the stall will move soon.

How much weight did you guys lose before you started to notice a difference in your face.

Did you guys have improved back pain after you had surgery. That's one of the main reasons that I wanted to lose the weight cause my back pain is excruciating

My dietitian has told me that I’m not eating enough and need to add more carbs in. I’ve done that this week and currently gained a pound this week 🫤

Same boat here with the same fluctuating weight for a little while now…….soooo frustrating! Hopefully the rain stops and it warms up for you soon @BlueParis @NickelChip if you like the video you got would you let me know what bar/bands you got and what video. I know I’ve said I hate exercising ,but what I want to get is a Pilates reformer, unfortunately they are ridiculously expensive and would very likely become a clothes hanger at some point like all other exercise equipment I’ve bought in the past 🤣. So maybe what you have I would like for now. 🤞

we started out at about the same weight on the day of surgery. I just checked, and I'd lost 63 lbs at the fie month mark, but then, I had RNY - weight loss is usually a bit faster with that than it is with VSG (although you usually end up at the same place in the end). Two lbs a week isn't unusual once you get out that far. Honestly, I still drink a protein shake every day because I'm supposed to average 100 grams of protein a day (we discovered early on that I malabsorb it - so the usual 60-80 grams/day wasn't doing it for me). I could probably get that high from food alone, but I don't like to obsess all day about whether or not I'm going to meet my protein goal. I know I WILL meet it if I have a protein shake for my mid-morning snack. I know some dietitians and surgeons don't like people to stay on protein shakes for long, but I know a few people who hate eating breakfast whose dietitians told them to just have a protein shake for breakfast, then (so they're OK with it in some situations) - but opinions seem to vary among dietitians.

Hi OP. Sounds like you had a relatively small amount to lose. 👍 Could you let us know what your starting weight and goal weight are? Also what your procedure was? And when you had your surgery? If so we could probably advise you more specifically! You sound really close to your goal - best of luck to you!

I really appreciate you including this part because, as I was reading your story, my first question was "I wonder how you say 'Go f**k yourself' in French..." For what it's worth, a friend who has put on some weight in recent years, teetering at a 30 BMI, (menopause, a breakup, long-distance move), started with a new primary care doctor a while back who told her whenever she had the urge to eat a cookie, just reach for a cucumber slice instead. She also only ordered blood sugar tests when my friend's main medical issue is thyroid related. Totally useless doctor! She's finally gotten in with a new one who isn't fat phobic (I know this because she's now going to be seeing my doctor). You have to have medical professionals who know how to give appropriate care, and yours really missed the mark. I'm so sorry she was so terrible. And given your other medical issues, I can definitely understand why you chose to do VSG even with a lower BMI. I hope getting back to a more typical-for-you weight helps ease your symptoms. Joint pain at a higher weight is no joke.

I don’t have ESG. I’m in Boston and only some places offer it because insurance doesn’t cover it. The average cost is 11k. The average weight loss after a year is 10-20% (Johns Hopkins quote). You might want to do more hard core research before shelling out that kind of money for low results especially after your recent problems with the balloon. P.S. there’s different forums on here based on specific procedures if that helps.

How is everyone doing? I had my first follow up with my Dr yesterday since my surgery on May 9th. I started talking numbers with him finally and it seems insane but he said by the first year I should lose about 100 pounds, well he said within six months to a year. That would put me at my lowest weight in at least I dunno 25 years. I finally got around to taking some measurements and pictues although I had already lost 63 pounds but at least I will have something to look back on.

Nah, I haven't had any issues with this post-op once I was past the nausea phase 3 months out. And OMG sex is so much better with less weight on your body! My boobs don't try to suffocate me quite as much... 😂 Maybe your tummy is just having an emo week? Go to bland foods for a few days to see if it settles down. I always revert back to plain foods when mine gets cranky pants, it seems to do the trick.

Not to beat a dead horse, but as others have said, consider therapy. Look for one on your own (or see if your program has one / can refer you to one) who specifically deals with eating disorders. I haven't done had this experience Post-Op, but I've fully been there before during diets I've attempted in the past. For me, there were so many things at play: ongoing depression, feelings of low self-worth were helping me further sabotage myself. I punished myself with food, even while logically knowing better, because it was what I was used to. I hid myself behind my weight, because it became my norm and was easier than dealing with a lot of the trauma and mental health issues lurking in the shadows. It's so, so hard to break these cycles all on our own. Having someone to talk to about it -- a friend, a counselor, support from your program, or us here on the forum can make a world of difference.

Hi All, First Post I'm female in the UK and nearly 59 years old. I have been a fat toddler, a fat child, a fat teen and a fat adult. I have yo-yo dieted all my life, with each yo-yo lasting for a shorter period and resulting in a new high-point when I would inevitably bounce back. In July '23 I reached a new all time high 24st 9lb (345lb) I was about to start the diet again, about to go through the same loop but just couldn't face it. I made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon, discussed my history and options and agreed that a gastric sleeve was a good fit for me. I was told I was too heavy for their practice and I needed to lose 56lb before I could have the surgery. The surgery was booked for Jan 2nd '24 and I started dieting. As is the practice here I had an assessment with a psychologist who confirmed I was a suitable candidate and a dietician who again confirmed I was a suitable candidate but in the process managed to make me feel like I had already failed, in her words I was "Much heavier than most people who come to us" As she was a gate keeper and I needed her approval to progress I did not complain. That time will come. Following my initial consultation on the 8th Aug I started dieting to get down to the target weight. I have never had difficulty in losing weight I simply cannot maintain any losses. My normal pattern is if it takes me 6 months to lose the weight I will regain it and 10lb in the following 12-18 months. By the day of surgery I had lost 75lb and was already feeling so much better. I considered carrying on with just dieting and not having the surgery but I was already beginning to see my discipline weaken and I knew it would be the same old story. Surgery went well, I had very little pain or discomfort and by and large I cannot complain. I'm currently on the pureed stage of the diet and doing OK managing to keep protein and fluid levels up though I struggle with the fluids some day. I have lost 13lb in the last 21 days but have hit the dreaded 3 week plateau. Early days but I have no regrets - to be without hunger for the first time in my life is such a relief, I feel good and am doing more and more each day. I am already starting to live the life I want and i can see so many more benefits ahead and believe they are attainable and retainable. I wish I knew why I have struggled so much with my weight - there is no one trauma or set of childhood issues I can point at. It is not that I have a compulsion to eat everything in sight there are so many foods I can just ignore, I have no interest in sweet foods of any kind or greasy deep fried foods. But I cannot resist bread, pasta , rice etc and my down fall has always been the second or even third portion of these carbs. For this reason if no other I hope the VSG will not only prevent that behaviour but I also hope it will give me enough time to re gain control before considering a second helping. My parting thought for this post is that as I have gone through my journey thus far the one thing I have found is that my story is not that unusual, my problems are not unique and most importantly that they are not the result of some moral failing or fundamental weakness. There is more to life long obesity than can simply be solved with "diet and exercise" and having finally found medical professionals who believe that is the case I see this year and this journey as a new lease on life that I am going to grab with both hands. Koshk - newbie

your experience so far is VERY similar to what mine was (BMI wise, at least - as i am much shorter than you). we were both BMI 43-ish at start. we were both BMI 40-ish on surgery day. we were both BMI 30-ish at 14 weeks (yes, i tracked all my stats religiously and have all the records, ha!) so if there is anything we could glean from this series of coincidences (which, by the way, there ISN'T, because we are totally different people, and my experience is totally different and separate from yours, yada, yada), we can at the very least say that what you are looking for is POSSIBLE, since you seem to be travelling the same trajectory as i did, and yes, i got to BMI 25 (your goal) by my one year anniversary. To be more specific, i got to BMI 25 just a little after my 6 month post-op mark (6 months + 1 week to be exact) you're doing great. keep doing what you are doing and you'll keep losing until you don't (i also lost 2-ish lbs a week after the first 2 months...seriously we are like weight loss twins) many have said it before, and i'll say it again, losing the weight is the easy part (comparatively). keeping it off is where the harder work comes in. p.s. i am now past my 5½ year post op mark and i have maintained a BMI 21-22 since reaching goal almost 5 years ago. cross my fingers this continues, but i am not so ignorant that i actually believe i will be this weight forever...though i am definitely enjoying it while i am.

Purely my experience - when I lost a lot of weight previously, I had a lot of pains in my hands and feet. Had the usual blood tests and everything was fine. My GP wasn’t convinced and booked me in for a different blood test and an ultrasound scan on my hands. Both confirmed that I had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve cut & paste the following from the RA website, just in case it may ring a couple of bells with you: Some of the most important symptoms in diagnosing seronegative rheumatoid arthritis include: Joint pain, stiffness specifically in the hands but also in knees, elbows, hips, feet and ankles Joint swelling and redness Joint tenderness Symmetrical symptoms and in multiple joints Ongoing inflammation Morning stiffness lasting longer than 30 minutes Fatigue Eye redness I may be way off but this was my experience. I was 43 when I was diagnosed and just entering perimenopause (which also has an effect on having the symptoms and being diagnosed RA too) I hope you find some answers and some relief.