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For those who don’t have a support group the Baritastic app has a virtual support group. I just got a message that it’s tomorrow. I haven’t tried it but once you have the app you will get the message (probably for next month if I had to guess) you just have to click the link to register. The app is pretty awesome once you figure it out too. I am able to log eberything and see trends and my NP was really glad I had used it and was able to show her all my macros a week at a time at a glance. You can even log your moods and bowel movements. 😂 It takes a little while to figure out how to create recipes and log them but once you do you just select one serving or a half second at this point and it calculates it all for you. This works wonderfully with the stuff I made extra of and have frozen. Plus once I have added the majority of my recipes it already in there and I don’t have to log it again.

I did the same - I had my husband take pictures of me every month on my surgery date until I hit maintenance 20 months later. It's much easier to see your progress if you can refer back to previous photos. You can't always tell a difference from month to month, but comparing photos to ones taken three or four months earlier - yep - you can definitely see the difference! Plus it's great having photo documentation of your journey! Congrats, by the way - you're doing great!

@ChunkCatDANG GIRL! You look great! I'm so sorry you're struggling with POTS. That stinks, but it sounds like you've got a plan in place to help you manage until - 2025 (so ridiculous). I can't believe it's been almost 6 months already! I sometimes forget that I had it done (until I try to eat fast - LOL!). I'm down 77 pounds since my highest - 69 since the surgery. I still struggle with not being able to see the change (because I see my self every day), but occasionally I'll see a picture of me or see a reflection at a certain angle that makes me go... wait... a... minute! :) I'm down 2 jeans sizes (probably actually down 3 sizes because let's be honest, those 24s were STRETCHED to capacity! LOL!). I could get my 20s on a few weeks ago but I couldn't breathe, so there's that. I did go on a cruise week before last. That was interesting. I gave myself permission to eat whatever I wanted and I found that I'm now starting to naturally lean toward healthier/smarter choices. I only gained 2.2 pounds that week and it came off very quickly. The big news is that I've scheduled my knee surgeries!!! Getting one done in June, the other in October! I'm nervous because of the unknowns (pain after the surgery, rehab, not being able to drive, etc), but I'm more excited because I'm ready to have my life back! New body, new knees... I'm going to be unstoppable! Can't wait to hear how everyone else is doing!

Hello all! I’m scared for my surgery on Monday because I have had grade 4 EE , hernia & weight stall etc. I’m very nervous this time around because… the odds / number of procedures. Has anyone else ,here, had so many revisions? 😔😔😔 any words of encouragement or advice? THANK YOU!

Oof, I'm still on cardio and working in light resistance training with bands (no weights yet). I keep re-straining my abdomen just doing simple things like twisting slightly when bending to get something out of a drawer at my desk, so my team has cautioned me not to start any actual weights until that pain leaves and stays gone for at least a week. :S My Monday is doing pretty good, but my weekend was awful (hormones, heightened body dysmorphia, heightened reaction to thinning patches of hair). This morning though, I found one of my matte eyeshadows is just the right colour to hide the most noticeable thin patch at my temple; I lost more weight this week than last even while fighting menstrual hormones and emotions; and several regular customers have complimented me this morning about both my hair and weightloss so even if I can't look at myself in the mirror without anguish, at least I'm getting some external confirmation that a lot of it is in my head. (@Bypass2Freedom I hope you're keeping an eye on your blood pressure too! After losing as much weight as you have already, it's not abnormal for blood pressure to lower even if it wasn't an active problem for you pre-op. Just make sure you stand up / raise your torso & head slowly after you've been exercising for a while)

Good Afternoon, This is my firs posting so excuse me if I am a little rusty at this. I had my Gastric Bypass on March 19, and my Surgeon said to drink the Clear Liquids for the next 2 weeks. I go to him tomorrow for follow-up. Yesterday my Nutritionist said I should start today with "Stage 3/4" eating solid foods. My Surgeon had told me before my surgery that I would do the following: 2 weeks before surgery - clear liquids 2 weeks after surgery - clear liquids up to 3 months after surgery - thicker liquids after 3 months - introduce solid foods Now both my Surgeon and Nutritionist have conflicting statements. My Nutritionist states Phases. Does anyone know what phases you consume what? I thought It was - Phase 1 - clear liquid, Phase 2 - thicker liquid, Phase 3 - soft solid foods, Phase 4 - easier to digest full solid foods. Any clarification would be Greatly Appreciated. Yes I will be asking my Surgeon tomorrow also. Thanks, Terri

Yes that's common. Many of us won't get a full feeling for many weeks after surgery because nerve endings get cut and take a while to grow back. We need to stick to the stages and volumes of our programme until we do get those signals back. From about 3 months post op I got a runny nose and/or sneezed when I ate too much. Had this no later than today when I was eating a lovely lunch and decided I needed just another few forkfuls...

Thank you for the great information- I did get to consult with dr before— and got the v-shape as that was what dr preferred as well. I had 4lbs of skin removed from my stomach, and they lipo scuplted arms, waist and back to get the 2lbs of fat to use for the tiny bbl they were able to complete. I am 3 weeks out (as of Wednesday April 10) and am very pleased with the results so far. The back side is not super dramatic, which I am happy about. Surgery went well, although i did have to have an iron treatment because my hemoglobin dropped 4 points ..but after that i felt great. Instead of general they used an epidural and exparel- so I didn't need any major pain meds after. Just had a headache for a couple of days, so Tylenol was solution. Staying in a recovery house for a week was THE best decision for me to not push it and to make sure i could recover well— at home I’d have been doing things when i should have been resting. No real pain to speak of from anything- sore and tight might describe it best—but that eased up at the end of the week. I admittedly have a high pain tolerance, and after previous breast reduction and hysterectomy knew some of what to expect. Now, Im just working from home and living a fairly normal life. Driving, walking, etc with ease. In a few weeks, I will be cleared to start exercising- which I have never done— so slow and steady will be course of action. Ill post some pics when things settle and i don't look too Frankenstein like. Thank you all for the kind words and support! Plastics is a game changer!

My surgery was yesterday! I had Bypass and stayed overnight. Happy to report zero issues. Knock on wood!!! I have to give myself a blood thinner shot 2 times a day for 2 week. And only liquid diet for 2 weeks, then reintroduce jello, pudding etc. I’m still shocked how well it went.

My win for today is being able to work from home the last 2 days while sick (I'm a clinical medical assistant). I've been returning calls that come in on the MA line that we normally can't get to right away, doing prescription refills, authorizing controlled medications, working on prior authorizations, doing referrals, scheduling infusion treatments, sending in lab orders, and generally getting all 3 of us MAs in the office all caught up with our admin stuff that we have to do on top of all of the clinical stuff we do all day. Needless to say, they were quite grateful to be caught up lol They asked if we could each take turned working from home 1 day per week to do just admin stuff, but sadly, the powers that be don't like that idea. But it's a win for us that I at least got us all caught up now!!!

One of the hardest things that I am trying to teach myself that is is not a diet! this is a lifestyle. In life we eat right 90%-95% of the time and work out 3-4x a week, and the whole purpose of this was for me to be healthy. It is scary to think of being 297lbs again because of how unhealthy and how much pain I was in. I have to reflect on my "Why". Thank you as always for your words of wisdom! ❤️

Yes, I was one of the few 0.01% unlucky ones who suffered post-op complications. 4 months spent in hospital and even though I am 11 months post-op it really only feels like a few months as I didn't start to feel well until Feb/March so about 9 months post-op. I couldn't fly home to see family until December (6 months post op) and work couldn't pay me most of my annual bonus as I was out sick for 6 months, instead of my expected two weeks!

Thank you, longhaul68! I read about hair loss and was hoping it was a rare side effect. It sounds like it does get better when nutrition picks up?? Did you tell everybody you had weight loss surgery? My friends know, as they are my support system. I have not told anyone at work. I told my boss I'm having surgery. I told my families (I work with kids) that I'm going to be out for 2 weeks (BTW is 2 weeks enough??). It's not that I'm ashamed of the surgery, I don't think. I'm not sure why I haven't told everyone in my life. They'll think I'm sick when I start the weight loss! What have others said to people?

I had the lap band for a long time, and there were definitely days that food would go down much easier. Then I had days I couldn't eat but a few bites, and other days that it felt like there was no restriction at all. Many times, it depended on what type of food I was eating. I don't think you need a fill unless your weight loss has completely stalled, and even then, a common problem is being too aggressive and getting too many fills and ending up causing serious long term side effects with the esophagus. As long as you are still in the general ballpark of say, your calorie goals, I wouldn't worry about the day to day fluctuations. You can get a barium swallow and see if you pouch has stretch or not, I did that yearly to make sure the band didn't slip and/or if I stretch the pouch above the band. Sometimes that can cause people to be able to eat a lot more when they have the band.

Hi @Allie727- I had my procedure done in January at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. From what I’ve read online, compared to what they recommend for post-procedure guidelines, they recommend a pretty strict diet. Did the clinic provide you with how much food to consumer at each phase, along with how many calories? Here’s what they had me follow: - Weeks 1-4: Liquid diet (protein shakes + regular Gatorade). 60-80g protein, 64 oz liquids, less than 1,000 cals a day. I was probably only consuming 400-500 a day. - Weeks 5 & 6: Pureed foods (no more Gatorade). 60-80g protein, 64 oz liquids, 600-700 cals a day. A meal should be 2-3 ounces of food. - Weeks 7-10: Soft foods. 60-80g protein, 64 oz liquids, 700-900 cals a day. A meal should be 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. I just started a regular diet/regular food today, 3/24. 60-80g protein, 64 oz liquids, under 1,200 cals (but I have a call with the dietitian in a week to see if that’s correct. A meal should be 1 cup to 1.5 cups. Like you, protein and water has never been an issue. I’ve never really felt restricted. I definitely feel full after I eat, but not sick-full at after eating. They also recommend you take at least 30 mins to eat. I found that if I finish my food quicker than that, I’ll get a stomach ache. I felt bloated earlier on post-procedure, but that slowly goes away. 6 weeks out, I had lost about 34 lbs at that point, but everyone is different!! Hope this helps!

Ay, cheers to that! Yeah, patiently working towards that feeling of hitting that goal! I’m enjoying the NSVs. For example, being able to wrap a regular ‘ole towel all the way around me. I can definitely relate. Just last month, I hit a stall but it happens. Can you handle any type of carb based food? I ask because trying to talk to the NUT about reintroducing them in my diet.

Hopped on the scale today excited to see how much I’ve lost (4weeks post op) to discover the scale reads the same as last week. I’m taking in less than 500 calories per day & meeting protein requirements. Was thankful to read from others that this plateau is common around 3weeks. Trying to stay positive but this was 🥲

Hi ! I’m 7 days post op and have been home for 4 days. i had the same feeling that i suspect was brought on by a mix of adapting to being home and my « new normal » but also the fatigue from the surgery. I almost cried the first two days, and was asking myself why i’d done this to myself … but then i realised this is just the beginning, and the « strictest » of restrictions but in only a few weeks i’ll be able to eat more varied things. I also read through my eating plan and phases to make sure i’m well versed on what to eat and when and how to manage the next weeks. Being prepared kinda helps me mentally realise there is better to come. I think it’s normal to feel this way after such a major change but stay strong, i’ve been feeling better and better every day and it’s important to celebrate that to keep spirits up ! I realised if i want to be able to get to the point where i can eat real food i just need to work and concentrate on how i’m’feeling: eating slowly and concentrating on how i feel so that i’ll learn to recognise being full, when to stop etc That’s my main priority for this second week! If you need to talk don’t hesitate :)

Sounds like you're doing well! I'm only down about 20lbs since surgery (but 35lbs if you count the 2 week liquid diet), so I hope they're pleased with your progress. And I completely agree it has not been easy! It's really been a struggle and never knowing what will be okay and what won't from day to day is very difficult.

I'm a bit envious of your ability to purge your pantry! I share a home with my fella and my Mom, who I'm taking care of, so I just have to soldier through and think of what negative consequences would come from me eating the wrong thing. It has been interesting this week seeing them 'figure out meals' without my participation. I still cooked twice for them, the first time I made a big platter of stuffed peppers which wasn't TOO difficult to smell on day one but man, as the week went on smelling it be reheated was rough. The second time I cooked them salmon, broccoli, and rice. I DID break down and eat like two tiny bites of the salmon. I think my body will be forgiving of that tiny lapse - it was after all lean protein. I almost wish I'd done two weeks of this diet to make extra sure I was ready enough for the surgeon but I AM following the diet as I was told to. Granted, the last several months I didn't *exactly* eat the greatest but I did stay on track with my allotted calories for the day, which they had set at 1600. I admit that I did eat more fried food than I was 'supposed to'. It's been hard, honestly, losing my ability to turn to food for comfort, not turning to cigarettes for anxiety / comfort, bouncing around emotionally while I adjusted to taking the Chantix, and also - hadn't mentioned this previously, but I WAS drinking far more alcohol than I should have been up until about 4 months ago. That's another reason I took the extra month's delay when I shifted surgery types gracefully. You seem to REALLY have your stuff in order! Oh - the nail polish - Honestly, the nurse in my closing seminar seemed to be very 'no-polish' strict but when I went to my pre-surgery check-in at the hospital I asked about it and they glanced at my short nails and said they were fine. I was nervous about that, because I keep mine maintained due to my anxiety issues - I used to have trouble not scratching at wounds, biting my nails, etc - but they said as long as my nails were short enough to get the finger monitor on and I didn't have any gems or super dark colors it would be fine. I just went and got my nails done on Thursday and chose super light, neutral colors so you really have to look closely to notice that they have a little shimmer to them and had them done very short. I appreciate that they worry about risk of infection; I've always been super neurotic about looking under my nails for dirt, scrubbing them, etc so I think they will be fine. If I say that often enough everything WILL be fine, right? Lol -- I can't wait to get past Monday!

Three bits of advice if you can manage it: 1. Curbside pickup for groceries 2. Takeout instead of eating in for your restaurant meals 3. Hotel close to your hospital for the night before if poor weather is at all a possibility. For many reasons, my mom and I are staying in a hotel the night before my surgery, and Mom will stay the next night while I'm in the hospital. Traffic, early call time for surgery, snow. I live about an hour from the hospital and there is a nice Courtyard Marriott about 1 mile from the hospital on a very busy road that is sure to get plowed 24/7. Plus my mom hates night driving, especially to and from areas she doesn't know well, and she wanted to be sure she could come see me in recovery and feel safe driving by herself.

surgeons do vary. At my clinic, both sleeve and bypass people were on the same plan. They had us on purees as soon as we left the hospital, but they changed that (I had my surgery nine years ago) and now they have to do a week (or maybe two?) of liquids before moving to purees.

I'm going to say this as gently as I can: stop feeling guilty. You are not on a diet. You are living a new post surgery life. A life that sometimes has room for half a tuna sandwich. And even some chips. They didn't make you sick, so that's great news. You got lots of good protein. You enjoyed them. You've lost 43 pounds. Stalls happen. Weight fluctuates. Follow the guidelines as best you can and embrace a life where you can make sensible choices (like half a tuna sandwich, I mean, it wasn't a triple cheeseburger and extra large fries) and not have to feel scared about it. I would bet the head hunger and the guilt are all connected somewhere deep in your psyche. (They usually are for me, anyway). Maybe spend some time reflecting on why you are craving what you are, and why at that exact moment, and what might make you feel the urge to self-sabotage by making choices you believe you will regret. Those would be good questions to get to the bottom of. But when you do make a choice you don't like, just chalk it up to experience and try to do better with the next choice. It'll be okay! Remember, this is a life journey, not a crash diet.

How frustrating when you're already doing so much! All I can offer is my experience with my pre-op liquid diet. For the weeks, I had 3 protein shakes per day, sugar-free jello, broth, and the occasional sugar-free popsicle. Averaged around 600 calories per day and around 20 carbs or less per day. It was effective, if not pleasant. I lost about 6.8 kg in 2 weeks.

omg lol if you think 2 times takeout in 2 weeks is alot, you may be shocked at how often we eat out and/or take out, ha! well over ½ our meals are prepared "outside" !