Search the Community

I know what you mean when you say it's nice to fit into clothes that are not leggings, as that is pretty much all I wear these days. Wearing nice clothes is probably at the top of my list of things I want to do once I lose this weight...even if it sounds vain! Glad you're recovering well.

Hello everyone, I'm 23, don't have any co-morbidities, and scheduled for surgery July 28. Blood pressure 122/78, lab work is good, endoscopy/cardiology etc were good. My BMI is 40.16 as of this morning. Thus, I barely qualified for the surgery. I'm currently on my preop liquid diet , day 6, down 8-10 lbs. As I've been on the liquid diet, I've started to have doubts. No one but my partner and sister know I'm doing this surgery, my parents do not know. I just wonder if the change I'm making to my body at such a young age is worth it and if should just try to lose weight by myself. I have done it before. Some of the side effects some people experience that I've read: GERD/gallbladder removal etc, seem daunting since I have always been/felt very healthy, have had no major surgeries, I don't even have allergies, nor do I smoke or drink. Introducing such a change to my body feels very scary. However, the opportunity to finally become who I want to be within the span of 1-2 years is promising. I don't want to pass this opportunity up but I'm scared of complications. All this being said, would any of you have done this surgery when you were 23? Thank you,

Gosh, yes! My surgery is on 4th September and while am really excited the thought of not being able to eat properly or enjoy food with family & friends does give mixed emotions. I know that even if I lose weight on yet another diet, it will only be a matter of time before I pile it on and then some. Need a long long term solution - and deep down I know this is the right course of action for me. Look forward to hearing how you get on next month! All the best x

I always have a hard time getting rid of clothes - so yea, I get it! I think it took a year before I was ready to part with mine - and by then they were ridiculously big. I did keep a couple of items to remind me of where I came from. For the rest, I first gave a couple of my obese friends dibs on them - I felt better giving them to someone I knew. The rest I eventually donated to a thrift shop, but it took awhile (as it always seems to with me!). I went from a woman's 4x to a large (sometimes medium, depending on the brand). I hope I'll never, ever be in a 4x again! I do have some things that are XL in my closet in case I gain a few pounds, but I don't want anything bigger than that around. Having to buy new clothes if I gain more than a few pounds is an incentive NOT to gain more than a few lbs! (and hopefully, I won't even gain a "few" lbs!)

There is something therapeutic about getting rid of all of your big clothes... this is a new life and you're not going back. But, I get it- if you're like me, this is a lifelong roller coaster of gaining and losing and gaining more, etc., so we don't want to get our hopes up. I took it a bit slow about getting rid of stuff. First I threw out (or donated) the big clothes that I didn't really like and kept some things that were my favorites. Over time, as my sizes changed, I periodically purged the largest stuff, keeping a buffer size or two. Even after losing 100 lbs., I still have some things I need to get rid of. As I type this, maybe I need to go through my closet again. I'm not going back! There is a ton of XXL stuff in there that I will never wear again.

Sorry to say, but no skin care product is going to keep you from hanging skin after massive weight loss. Genetics, amount of time spent overweight, and amount of weight to lose are all factors. If you are young, have good skin elasticity, and haven’t been overweight very long you may not need PS. If you’re older, have poor skin elasticity, were significantly overweight, or overweight for many years you will likely have loose skin. I had my sleeve surgery at 49, was overweight for most of my adult life. After losing 140 lbs I had lots of loose skin. I had a tummy tuck, breast lift & augmentation, and arm lift in January. I’m planning on a thigh lift next year. I’m so glad I had these surgeries, but even if I hadn’t would still be glad to have lost all the weight.

Straight up!!! Unless someone tells me I can't eat the comparable amount to a shake in nutrients of cottage cheese on this diet (the carb/fat content is lower than the shakes and the protein is equal ---Good Culture lowfat cottage cheese---) I'm starting this tomorrow. Got almost no help from the dietician. I was also told to keep my diet to 1000 calories a day, which is normally not a problem for me, but with super low carbs and fat it is. I have been at around 800-900 cals on this diet and lost one lb this past week. I will stop eating any cottage cheese or egg white 3 days before the surgery, but my preferred choices seem to be healthier than my dietician's! I so hear you on the non-dairy, and I like dairy! My brother is vegan, so I could perhaps give you suggestions if you like; DM me. This is for post-surgery: I love a pureed red lentil soup with lemon and herbs, and you could incorporate protein powder and broth, for example. I've also been doing Brodo bone broth. It has more protein and helps with hunger. Mine is a major university bariatric center as well and they seem stuck in 1985 with respect to diet! Prior to the VSG project, when I thought I could "eat less and exercise more" (ha ha) I was put on an 1100-1200 calorie diet (high protein, low fat, low carb) for months and months and didn't lose weight. It was not that hard to implement, as I already pretty much ate that way. I measured and weighed every single pea I ate. Their dietician told me I could eat up to 1800 calories a day without gaining weight, so I'd lose weight at 1600. I told her that I'm not even losing at 1100! (I laughed, but inside my own head because that was such a load of hooey) She shrugged and had no idea why (she clearly thought I was lying to her, which I was not- again, infantilizing when I needed actual help.) . So: disappointing, but not that surprising. And now, Im losing a single lb in a week on this horrible preop diet. Does it still de-fat your liver if you don't lose weight? I'm following every dietary restriction I was given except that the diet comes from pre-packaged shakes. I'm making my own now with Isopure, low fat/low carb nut milk and a LOT less artificial sweetness or none at all—had a great espresso one today. And yet: the weight is not coming off me. But this is why I'm having this surgery. Makes me worry I'll not lose any weight at all afterward, but my surgeon thinks I will. I do not have cravings for anything except really any real food when I'm hungry. Now Im stomach-growling hungry for huge parts of the day, exhausted, peeing constantly, and not losing any weight. This sucks. I'm saying this because I know there are other just like me out there, and I'm saying, "Guys, it's really ok to not be positive and cheerful all the time. Truth is really healthy." I'll also add that if this diet makes you pissed off and tired and unable to work properly, that seems normal to me. And I don't think it means that you won't be committed to your health or your diet afterward. I also don't think adults need training wheels or to be lied to about numbers to incorporate that most people cheat. I'd prefer to be told the actual truth about what is medically necessary and why.

I was allowed cream soups as well. So originally , I stocked up on a bunch of “sipping Bone broths” they had them in all different flavors like a chicken, rosemary and lemon , Chinese 5 spice or something like that. I also bought miso broth to switch it up a bit . I did end up getting tired of those and so I reached out to my nutritionist and tried to get a better idea on if it had to be clear liquids or as long as it’s liquid then it’s fine and threw out a few examples for approval . She pretty much said it’s fine , as long as it’s liquid and as long as you “LOSE WEIGHT” just like that in caps lol . From that point on, I puréed my own vegetable soups and lentil soup , I bought different Tomato soups , a butternut squash and sweet potato soup. It was a game changer at that point so i would definitely find out more info as you get closer to see how strict the liquid diet for you will be .I know you mainly sound like you want soups to make at home but if interested here are a few other suggestions ! I bought sugar free popsicles the different colorful flavored ones lol AND the SF fudge pops! Those came in super handy when I was craving chocolate (which I NEVER do). I also got sugar free apple sauce , SF chocolate/vanilla puddings , SF Jello and oatmeal, non fat low sugar yogurt with honey and cinnamon . Of course , I bought all kind of premier protein shakes to test out my favorite flavors. I found these premeir protein clear drinks , quest (cookies N cream) protein shake soooo good!!! Then for water alternatives because trust me, you WILL get tired of water when it’s the only thing you can drink… I bought a bunch of different flavored crystal light packets such as a peach mango green tea and lemon Iced tea and they even had a large packets for pitchers and I got that in strawberry watermelon . I hope this helps!!!

I would really love to hear some success stories of people who had a revision from the slave to the mini gastric or gastric bypass and had success. Personally, I am totally willing to go through a revision and all that comes with it but not for a 30 pound weight loss and I’m getting a lot of mixed information. What’s your success story? Would you share some pictures of your revision starting weight self and where you’re at now? I could really use some encouragement because I’m not sure if I should believe all the surgeons I’ve been talking to!

I am now 5 months from surgery. I've had horrible food aversions but some of that is easing. I can now eat bacon again. Before, it was disgusting. The same can be said of a few other foods. I'd love to be able to tolerate chicken but it's still off the menu. I am taking tasteless GENEPRO twice a day, 60 grams to keep my protien up and it is giving me some strength back. Also, I've switched to a 1 a day bariatric vitamin. Weight loss as of now is 118 pounds and my goal is 210 pounds. Hope this encourages some who are struggling. Stick with it.

I actually weighed MORE the first week after surgery than I did before the surgery! They give you A LOT of fluids in your IV to keep you hydrated and this often shows up as pounds gained. But the weight DID start to come off eventually, don't lose heart!

Thanks so much for your responses and kind words. It is really helpful to hear your first hand experiences! It's reassuring to hear malabsorption issues are not so common with the sleeve and that whilst post operation depression is common it usually passes fairly quickly. We also spoke in depth tonight with our friend who had the sleeve operation in March, and this has helped a lot too. My wife has a consultation with a surgeon from Healthier Weight tomorrow. I think we are very close to deciding the Sleeve is the right thing to do but we'll also see a psychiatrist and make sure my wife and I are prepared as best we can be for this major change.

TL;DR What skin care products and procedures should I use in the months after surgery to avoid having huge amounts of excess skin that may compel me to get plastic surgery? I'm a large man who had Gastric Bypass Surgery 20 days ago. Everything is going better than I hoped, both in terms of weight loss and tolerating food. That said, I use a mental picture of myself in a couple of years to motivate me, and that mental picture is incompatible with the images of people with massive excess skin that I have seen. I'd feel compelled to seek out plastic surgery in that case (and given my weight history and the amount I am losing, it would appear that I have a higher than average chance of ending up in that situation). What products and procedures does this forum recommend to reduce the likelihood of having significant excess skin when my weight loss is complete? I'm currently under the impression that in addition to the aggressive strength training that I already planed, I should use Retinol and Hyaluronic Acid Topically, aggressively exfoliate, and ingest collagen and vitamin C and perhaps CoQ10. Are there significant changes I should make to this list or products that the forum has found to be effective? Thanks!

Hello, I had a lap band in 2008 and it was essentially a failure. I've spent years going up and down with my weight and have finally come to a decision to have gastric bypass. I am really nervous but excited that I'm about to start on this journey. I have my first consultation with a bariatric surgeon this week (July 22). I am self pay because my health insurance has a specific exclusion for bariatric surgery. Given that I don't have to go through any insurance loopholes, I'm wondering how quickly it will be before I can schedule the surgery. For self pay patients, what is the average time from consultation to surgery?

Hi Dan. You're a great husband being so supportive of your wife. She's definitely blessed to have you. I am currently 11 days post-op from my gastric sleeve. I have been living with bipolar II for many years, and I have continued to take my meds as scheduled. I talked with my psychiatrist prior to surgery to ask her if any changes would need to be made, and she gave me tips on my different medications. One she switched to a dissolves-in-the-mouth form, which helps a lot since it is a difficult pill to get down after surgery. As someone stated above, the malabsorption issues tend to happen with bypass more than sleeve. One of the reasons I leaned toward the sleeve instead of bypass is for that very reason. I've been stable on my meds for some time now, and I didn't want to risk throwing myself off. Something to remember too, is that as weight loss occurs, sometimes doses need to change (often go lower) to work with our new weight. So, as long as your wife and yourself keep that in mind too, it will help to know if maybe something needs adjusting in time. As for the immediate depression that people sometimes feel, I had that. The first week following my surgery I sat there feeling low and asking myself, "Why did I do this to myself?" I was in pain and had very little energy, so I just felt like I had made a huge mistake. However, prior to surgery, I had read that type of depression can occur. Therefore, I just tried my best to keep telling myself it is only temporary. Sure enough, now as the pain has significantly subsided and my energy is going back up, I feel much better. I would say, being prepared for those ups and downs are one of the biggest aides in our recovery. It helped me to know it was something common that many people experience, and also that it was only temporary. Well wishes to your wife on her new journey!

Me again. Thanks to your feedback, I think that I will wait until November to have the surgery. I'll take off Thanksgiving week, the week after, and then have 2 weeks until winter break. Parent-teacher conferences will be finished and I will have plenty of time to recover and adjust. Trying to look for the positive, I am thinking that I should take these next 4 months to focus on preparing my body for surgery. I have been working with the dietitian, and making some changes, but cannot lose too much weight as I will no longer qualify. So far I have lost 6 pounds. Is there anything else that you wise people suggest that I work on to prepare myself for the surgery and big life change?

Hello! I know it's really difficult, but try not to worry so much about the fact that the scales aren't moving. You are guaranteed to be in a calorie deficit, so it's scientifically impossible for you not to be losing fat. I know someone who had the surgery and didn't lose any weight in the first 8 weeks, but she's lost absolutely loads of inches from all over her body, her body shape and size has completely changed! You should take measurements, then you can see the progress you're making even if the scales are being stubborn. Energy wise, are you taking all your vitamins? If you're not taking B12 you'll have really low energy. I find (6 weeks out today) that if I don't take my vitamins I feel absolutely blah, really tired and lethargic. Hope this helps!

I think you are doing great as well. What an idiot your surgeon is. You know they are really good at what they do but most do NOT have any people skills whatsoever. Keep on doing what you are doing and when you reach your goal weight you can strut in there and show him he was wrong.

I had a BMI of 35, i am about 4.5 months out and I have lost 45 pounds total (counting pre op). The weight loss now seems to have slowed to a crawl but it is still going down.

About half of that weight was lost in the preop diet phase. The other half was lost after the surgery. I just completed week 5. Had a pretty good normal stall at 3 weeks that lasted about a week. I follow the diet strictly, and i walk 3 to 6 miles a day. I avoid carbs as much as i can. Lots and lots of water. Just giving you some perspective to my numbers. Everyone is different. We are all losers, but the good kind. Whether it comes off fast or slow life is better 1 lb at a time.

there's no average. Most people seem to lose in the 15-25 range the first month, although I don't have any hardcore research to back that up - it's just what I've observed after spending the last seven years participating on this and other bariatric forums. So your loss is totally normal, and your surgeon is an idiot. I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I went on to lose over 200 lbs. Some people lose slower or faster than others depending on a lot of factors, some of which you have little to no control over (like genetics, age, gender, starting BMI, etc). You DO have control over your activity level and how closely you follow your program, so if you do well with those and your overall weight trend is down (even if slow), then you're fine. P.S. that 15-25 range I mentioned - of course you'll always find people who fall on either side of that, but they're outliers. You are doing just fine!

Hi my name is Dan. Apologies if I'm breaking any etiquette here but my wife is considering Gastric Sleeve surgery and I have some concerns / questions on her behalf. My wife has struggled with depression and her weight for 10 years + and there have been a number of tradegys in her family including the death of her mother last year from cancer who she was extremely close to. She is currently on the maximum dose of Sertraline (200mg) plus thyroxine and 50mg Amitriptyline for sinus pain. Recently her depression worsened again but the thought of having the surgery done finally is giving her a boost. One of her close friends who suffers from depression and self harming, had a sleeve procedure in March and so far and it's been a huge success. She is like a different person mentally and physically. We also know of another lady who had a sleeve and it's also been a great success. So we're both very keen to go ahead with the surgery but I have heard there is a risk of depression worsening in the short to mid term and there can be issues with malabsorption of medications and estrogen release when losing weight quickly. I'd be very interested to hear of your experiences, particularly if you suffered from depression before the sleeve surgery and were taking antidepressant/s (especially Sertraline) and / or thyroid medication before and afterwards. We'll also be trying to book an appointment with a psychiatrist before she makes a final decision. Many thanks in advance for your help. I'll also share your responses with my wife.

I'm 10 months post gastric bypass surgery I've lost 107 lbs since day of surgery and 151lbs since my highest weight. How many calories, carbs, fat and Protein is everyone taking in around the 10 month mark? I've hit a stall and not sure what I need to change. Sent from my LE2127 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm 10 months post gastric bypass surgery I've lost 107 lbs since day of surgery and 151lbs since my highest weight. How many calories, carbs, fat and protein is everyone taking in around the 10 month mark? I've hit a stall and not sure what I need to change. Sent from my LE2127 using BariatricPal mobile app

Everyone loses at their own rate. Lots of factors besides just your starting weight will affect the rate at which you lose: age, gender, activity level, metabolic rate, etc. so comparisons with others isn’t the best way to judge or predict your rate of loss. You may lose faster than one person & way slower than someone else but you’re all being successful. If you think you’re not doing as well as someone else, you could derail your progress because you’ll think you’re failing. If I compared myself to say Edward12 (congrats on your weight loss so far), I’d think I was failing - I only lost about half that amount in my first month even if I included my 2 & a half week pre op diet loss but my surgeon was very happy with me. I still reached my goal weight in 6 months & then exceeded it. Unless, you’re losing little or nothing each week (ignore stalling of course) & you’re sticking to your plan you’re doing fine.