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I am 3 months post op and I am just now starting to workout. Dr didn’t clear me for a while due to some abdominal pain I’d been having. Im eating a protein shake in the am, deli roll ups with cheese and veggies for lunch, chicken for dinner with veggies. I consume almost NO CARBS. I do about 30-45 minutes on the elliptical and I also walk a 2.25 mile bridge by my house. (3 times a week minimum) Sometimes i do the weight machines but I’m easing into that. And Im NOT LOSING A POUND. Been at a stall for 3-4 weeks now. I’ve actually gained a pound which blows my mind because im definitely in a calorie deficit. Anyone else experience this when they started working out? Words of encouragement? Advice? Tips? Please please please help!

Howdy y'all! I'm so sorry I haven't been keeping up on here, things have been a whirlwind! Here I am 6 months post op and some days I can't believe the number on the scale. Guys, I found a journal I kept in high school, maybe junior-ish year and I had noted my weight in the nurse's office from beginning of school weigh in at 256lbs...as I sit and write this, this past week I weighed in at 255.7lbs. I haven't been this light since high school...we are talking uhm....maybe 16 years old, maybe 17? That boggles my mind. My surgeon's goal for me is 193, mine is probably closer to 140-150 if I can get my lazy ass off the couch. It is now summer in Texas and guys, I HATE Texas in the summer, it's like living in hellfires. My dog hates it, I hate it, it's a bad time all around. So now that I've enjoyed being lazy for 6 months(not counting some hiking we did this past spring) it's time to nut up and get my **** together. I am paying money for my Fitbit premium and I have a Wii fit game I really enjoy just lately we have been so slammed at work and so, SO shortstaffed I feel like I live at work and just come home to sleep...My days off are usually spent overwhelmed with how far behind I am with housework, schoolwork(started vet tech school back in February when I had hope), house is filthy, schoolwork hasn't been touched for almost 2 months(I'm doing an online only program) and I am always so tired. But that changes now. Boundaries for how late I stay at work will be set(the clinic closes at 6pm, most techs and doctors leave between 6:30-7pm, for the past I don't know how many weeks the receptionists have had to stay till close to 9pm to finish tasks that we just don't have the time/staff to get to while we are open. So if any of you have been nasty to your vet(and I'm sure some of you have been because people lately have sucked hard ass) you should probably by your vet clinic people food or alcohol...but that's a rant for another day. ANYWAY, back to the matter at hand, my crappy eating and lack of movement. I'm on the band wagon of the "I can have whatever I want in moderation" group but I'm sick of stalling so frequently and my crap food choices so first order of business is to trash the sugar. I know, it's BAD, I know, I quit it prior to surgery and it inched its' way back into my life...time to kill it for good...it isn't even the same "high" I got before surgery it is basically just a habit, my brain tricks me into thinking this time it will be tastier, like it was before that it will make my exhaustion ease some and guess what? It doesn't. It lies. I eat it and I'm still miserable. Step 1: kick sugar to the curb...again. Step 2: Develop some sort of exercise routine that I can enjoy enough to make into a habit, key word is ENJOY. I ENJOY hiking-but preferably in drizzly 40-50 degrees and certainly not in 95 degrees...also, I am inherently lazy even though I KNOW exercise makes me feel good if it is something I enjoy doing. It's gonna be trial and error, but I need to get into shape, going on vacation in the North Carolina mountains in September and I remember what the elevation is like and I am NOT where I need to be to fully enjoy the trails I wanna go on. I digress from most of this, I'm sure some of you are here to see what the last 6 months have been like and if I have regrets etc. The first 2 weeks after surgery physically wasn't the worst thing ever, did it suck? Absolutely, especially when I found out the hard way that while I LOVE my adjustable bed it was to high off the ground for me to get in and out without having to stretch my body...imagine me trying desperately to get my feet to get the floor and sliding while laying on my back but that doesn't work because that stretches my abdomen---and it HURT, well it burned/stung/something and it made me cry a little. Lesson learned, my happy ass slept on my MUCH lower couch for the 2 weeks and I learned to pull myself up to sitting positions from laying down or standing from sitting with nothing but my arms. Each day was gradually better, went to work 2 weeks post op, sitting up straight(not reclining or on an angle but like sitting with decent posture) put tension on my abdomen and work for the 2 days I worked before I had off for Christimas(previously asked off) were exhausting as was my commute to and from work which is an hour each way. However, after coming back from Christmas break(a 5 day reprieve) it was much better and I didn't have much if any problems after that. I don't know if my surgeon is extremely skilled at getting the gas out after they were done with the surgery but I had zero gas pain, just the incisions pulling and burning. No nausea except a little when waking up from surgery and maybe a couple of days post op. Biggest struggles so far: eating the best choices with my work schedule, with my hair loss that was inevitable I did incorporate protein shakes to help make sure I am getting the minimum amount--I shoot for 2 shakes a day, sometimes I make that sometimes not. Water intake. This has been the single hardest thing for me, as someone that routinely drank 100+oz a day and enjoyed flavored waters to struggle to get in around 44oz has been a huge bummer. Exacerbated by that is my stomach is not a morning stomach and has been known to be extra nauseous when I give it water in the morning and it hasn't woken up enough-granted that is me in a nutshell since I am not a fan of mornings but still, really annoying...especially when it tolerates my Java Monster just fine(yes, I drink one a few times a week, just no bubbles). Most flavors of water taste like fake fruit chemicals and I can't really tolerate them for the most part but I did find a couple of products to help minimize dehydration: Hoist which is a premade flavored beverage that touts itself as "IV level hydration" and was apparently made for soliders on the battlefield. I also found Banana Bag powder, basically it is what you would find in a banana bag for iv fluids. The WHO has recognized it as being used for dehydration, decently priced, I stumbled on it on Amazon and loved I could try it by only buying 5 packets or 15 or 30. It is not the tastiest thing, I would say expect it to taste like a VERY salty lemon lime gatorade--MILD hints of the lemon lime. Luckily it is made to be mixed in only 8-10oz of water so it isn't a huge chore to drink it. I look forward to trying it to keep my dehydration migraines at bay when I do hike later this year because those are quite possibly the worst things ever...I KNOW to get rid of it I have to drink but a lot of times at that point I hurt so bad I'm not even thirsty...yuck. Anyway, I have rambled enough, i plan on getting on the forums more to hopefully kickstart my restart on food and exercise and hopefully help others with their journeys. Until next time-could be a couple of days, could be a solid 6 months, Amanda

The more weight you lose before surgery, the better. I think most people do a food funeral or two...a big goodbye to something they love....but it's actually pretty silly. I've eaten pretty much everything I've ever eaten, just much smaller amounts and a lot of it I don't like as much anymore. Have a food funeral or two...but don't go crazy. Stick to your diet as much as possible. I never did bed rest. LOL. Not even the day of surgery. Day I had my surgery, I walked over a mile in the halls of the bariatric wing. I pretty much got back to life. Lay in a supply of your favorite protien drinks, sugar free jello, bone broth, tea, Mio...stuff you can have right after surgery.

Gosh this really pulled at my heart. Not the same, but a while back I managed to lose around 30 lbs and had saved enough money for lipo... but the surgeon I was recommended to wouldn't even do it. He said I needed to lose another 20 or so pounds. I was around 200 lbs then. After the months I put into it, it seemed he dismissed me in minutes. It was probably the most depressed I have ever been about my weight. I just cried and cried. The work I already did just felt so little. Needless to say I spiraled and gained all my weight back plus another 50 lbs. Now I am working so hard just to get back to 200lbs. My only words for you is not to give up. Try hard not to live in self pity and shame for too long. It took me 3 years to crawl out of that space and try again. The difference is WLS is soo much more work than lipo. You already committed to this much, you can try again! Maybe with a different surgeon...

You’re not gaining. You’re likely in a stall. This will happen. Search this site for stalls or Google them. I have been losing and gaining the same two pounds for a week. The stall will break and you’ll be on your way. Patience is key.

Hi all new here. Had gastric sleeve surgery on June 7th. Dropped 27 lbs. Started puree on June 19th. I've gained 3lbs back. I don't get it. I'm eating 600-700 calorie a day and walking 3/4 of a mile a day. Anyone else experience this . Thanks

I took metformin for PCOS and I didn’t have an appetite either! It definitely helped me to lose weight bc if no appetite.

I gained some. I was afraid I was going to be one of the people who had a hard time eating certain things afterwards but that is definitely not the case. In fact my husband and I went to roadhouse to celebrate my father (who has passed away) on Father’s Day and we split a cheeseburger. I am three and a half months out and I ate half of my half (a quarter) and was stuffed to the brim but I didn’t have any issues with the hamburger or the bread even. Any yes I know that bread is not a good choice in the losing phase but this was a one time thing (we never eat out) and I skipped a snack to make up for the calories.

One month post op June 17th and down 30 pound. Was ashamed to say I was 300 pounds starting weight and now I'm 270 I don't feel like I look different but people say I look like I've lost weight.

Does anybody ever gain a little weight before surgery ? Mine is going up and down .

I'm still 2-4 months away from meet gastric bypass dr im ready for this to be over so I can have my surgery I'm down 20 pounds on my own but I still need to loss a lot more weight any tips for after surgery is it really painful Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Other July Surgery People!😊👋 My VSG surgery is booked for July 26th. I have met with the nutritionist, done my bloodwork & next I have to get clearance from my cardiologist (murmur & hypertension). My pre op class is on the 6th, it will be nice to hopefully meet some other people getting surgery there. Then on the 19th I see my endocrinologist (PCOS, hashimoto/hypothyroidism, pre-diabetes). In the next few weeks I will continue to research & plan for the surgery and the food plans. I like watching YouTube videos of other people who have gone through the surgery, and looking at recipes or shopping lists. I started journaling, habit tracking, and logging my food (which I still need to get more consistent with). I might start replacing one meal a day with a protein shake. Definitely need to work on getting more water in! I have not really told many people of my surgery plans, yet. I am totally fine with being open about it, but my weight is my least favorite subject, so I just haven't felt like sharing with everyone just yet. Wishing everyone the best on this amazing journey we will be on! 🤗 It will be great to hear everyone's updates as they go through the different stages of this process. It is nice to have other people to be in this together with. 😁

I am a great yo yo dieter. So at 66 yrs old, I've finally come to the conclusion that if I want to keep my weight off I need a new approach. WLS fits the bill on that. I've scoured the internet and feel fairly informed. My doc agreed that WLS would be a good option for me. I have Kaiser insurance but I may not quite meet their qualifications. So my question is - Is there a bariatric surg. program in the Portland, Or area that will take a marginally non qualifying person? I won't have insurance so cost will be a consideration. Thank you for any info you can give me.

I think that's a great idea and something I should do. You have the hardest part over the weight will fall off!

I am still preparing for surgery and I'm on metformin not for diabetes but because it's thought to help in weight loss from certain medications. I had stopped it for a while because the mail order pharmacy got it messed up but then it got straightened out and I started again last week. I'm not hungry now but when I look up the side effects for metformin it doesn't list lack of appetite. I notice I've been a lot less hungry the whole time I've been preparing for surgery (5 months) because I've been eating high protein low carb, but the last week it's been ridiculous. Anyone else have this issue? Might not be the metformin. Might be just anxious/frustration from not getting surgery scheduled, could be just a virus.

Hey guys! I'm scheduled for VSG on June 28th. What was the average everyone was out of work? I work in a very active healthcare clinic. I know of the 4 week weight restriction of 10 pounds, but that can just been job modifications.

I agree with the above responses. The key to weight loss surgery is your complete commitment for life. You must continue the plan, keep the dr appointments And do NOT return to your previous eating habits. I am 68 y o and 2 years post-op. I feel better than I have in decades. I still eat 6 times daily. My labs are great and I still follow up with dr appts. Yes, it is a lifestyle change, but after all that is what it is all about. Prayers for your confidence and success

I LOVED potato chips before surgery and would eat a bag in one sitting. I bought my first (post-bypass) bag last week since I am trying to eat more calories as to not lose more weight (I have a lot of healthier high calorie foods too). I ate some chips. They tasted good. I had some the next day…not tasting as good. The rest of the bag is sitting on the counter and will probably get thrown out. I would rather have a big scoop of peanut butter for the extra calories 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️😬

I have found myself in the same situation. I had the gastric sleeve in 2013. My weight loss was 95 lbs. but over the past 4 years I have regained 30lbs. Now I have an 5 cm sliding hernia severe acid reflux stage 4 esophagitis. I have had 3 endoscopes to dilate the stricture. 4 biopsies if my esophagus and stomach to test for Barrets syndrome. A couple of weeks ago I met with the Bariatric Surgeon from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix Arizona . My only option is a gastric bypass. This bypasses the acid producing part of the stomach. Sure fix …along with a hernia repair. So now I will be restarting starting this journey again with my remaing 55 lb goal. Taking nutrition and counseling through zoom. Its a bit scary but Ive walked this path before. So positive thinking! The Dr says there is enough stomach to make the pouch so it will be almost like resetting the time clock. But we all know this is all risky when messing with our bodies. If I had to reset and knowing what I know now… I think I would have gone with the bypass which is the tried and proven method of surgical weight loss.

Oh Lordy! I hope the OP found a bariatric treatment team that understands vegetarian diets. My team had an entirely vegetarian plan option and guess what some of the first foods were? Beans. Brown Rice. Oats. Potatoes. Hummus. Why? because they have a terrific metabolic index...are loaded with plant based protien...and have FIBER. (they're also much better tolerated right after surgery than meat by many folks) I'm not a vegetarian, but I like the Mayo Clinic Diet and the Mediterrainian diet....so my pre and post surgical diets were sort of a hybrid that included a lot of vegetarian influence. (I still eat meat, but I also eat a lot of beans, oats, nuts, seeds, etc) Thankfully, I had a team that did their homework on different ways up the mountain and didn't suggest keto was the only way or that carbs were the devil. Whew! So thankful for that! Cause the diet that many of ya'll describe is not something that I could have survived. I remember posting some of my sample menus...from my freaking dietician....a few weeks out and getting slammed by people here for the things (and amounts...1200 calories by end of first month) I was eating. A month out of surgery, I remember existing on refried beans with lowfat cheese and salsa....black beans with salsa and canned chicken....split pea soup....tofu chili with white beans....tofu chop suey over a small amount of brown rice....steal cut oats with dried cherries. Fruit. My clinic was absolutely fine with fruit as tolerated, but they wanted whole fruit, not just the juice. I ate a lot of baked oats with blueberries, strawberries, pecans and low calorie maple syrup. I ate 100 calorie whole grain english muffins with peanut butter. I ate boiled potatos with lowfat cheese or nonfat yogurt. ****, I poured caramel Premier Protien shake on my oatmeal and liked slurping it warm. But you know what I didn't eat? Sugar. White flour. Processed foods. Prepackaged sweet carbs. Stuff that spikes your insulin. I also didn't add animal fat like butter. Most of the stuff I ate was pretty low fat with the exception of tiny amounts of olive or grape seed or sesame oil. All of my carbs in weight loss phase were full of fiber and not processed. I ate a little fruit everyday. I added a lot of herbs, made sauces replacing sugar with splenda, I put every kind of vegetable and fruit in my kitchen in the smoothies I drank....and a glob of nonfat greek yogurt or tofu or chia seeds for protein. My clinic was activingly fighting the notion that super restricted calories and keto in the first months after surgery were necessary. They did things very differently than I hear routinely described here. I know we're all gonna have a different experience and I know for MOST of you guys....a super restricted calorie diet in the early days and keto, keto, keto, carbs are the devil....is what you were taught is the only way. And I know for most of ya'll...it's what worked and what you believe like a religion. I'm here to tell ya... There are other paths up this mountain. I'm working on being tolerant of everyone's preferred path. Anyway you get it done....you deserve serious kudos and I'm proud of you all. But I've gotta say.... it can be easy to feel defensive when post after post after post here...is so negative about what worked terrific for me and others like me. A few of us have lost weight successfully and maintained really well...on a diet that includes a buttload of (unrefined) carbs and a pretty high calorie allowance started early in the process. What's more...as a group, it appears we're having really good luck not regaining. That's no small thing. Keep an open mind about your carb eating brothers and sisters. We do ok with this whole process, too;) As always...to each their own. Peace and best wishes to all.

Sorry I can’t offer any help in regards to a revision to bypass & rheumatoid arthritis. I did find the article below about managing methotrexate side effects. (I was interested because I have a non bariatric friend who takes it for RA too.) May be worth another conversation with the bariatric surgeon in regards to the suggestion that taking folic acid can reduce side effects. Repairing your hernia may alleviate some of your reflux issues too. It’s unfortunate that while it’s helpful managing arthritic pain, methotrexate can also cause weight gain. ☹️ https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/treatment-plan/disease-management/methotrexate-managing-side-effects

In 2012 I had the gastric sleeve procedure, it was very successful until several events in my life caused me to slip back into old habits. Adding to that, my surgeon closed his practice and I had no one to follow up with locally. The old habits and lack of Followup care led to the weight slowly creeping back on. Since my sleeve procedure I’ve been diagnosed with RA which I have under control for about the past year or more. Earlier this year I began experiencing severe acid reflux and my PCP suggested I see the new BS who had just come to town. The BS advised me (after scoping me) that I have a hiatal hernia that needs to be repaired. He also recommended that I have a revision to the bypass. Fast forward three months and several pre-op tests later and I receive a call from the doctors nurse telling me that the doctor has decided it’s best not to do the conversion to bypass because I have arthritis and take methotrexate. She goes in to explain, the doctor thinks the risk of ulcers from medication and the possibility of slow healing outweigh the possible benefits. I am a 38 year old otherwise healthy female with her RA well controlled. Has anyone else experienced anything similar to this before? Has anyone had the conversion to bypass who was diagnosed with RA before their conversion? I’m incredibly frustrated and not sure what do to from this point. Any advice you can share would be much appreciated.

If you meet your protien goal, you will protect your heart. If you go to your appointments, do your tests, do your best to follow instructions, and take your vitamins as directed.... you will likely be a lot healthier than you've been in years. There is nothing more strongly linked with early death, cancer, stroke, heart disease and diabetes.....than significant obesity. Also...some doctors don't do a "starvation diet" (which I personally agree could be metabolically terrible and probably unwise). My doctor wanted us eating 1200 calories per day as soon as possible. I did at three weeks. (6 little 200 calorie meals) I think where most of the people who have issues run into problems...is when they don't follow up. They have an unexpected gain or feel unhappy with results and don't continue to get their labs checked or do their follow up appointments. Yes, a few problems can arise as a result of these surgeries....most are very treatable. Always weigh benefits vs risk. And also consider the risk involved in doing nothing.

MyFitnessPal has a few quirks and inaccuracies (since some items in its database were contributed by regular users), but overall it’s very user friendly and helpful. I give it a lot of credit for my weight loss success.

Had surgery 25th january weight was 15 stone 5 pounds and today i’m down to 11 stone 10 pounds, over the moon. Another 24 pounds to go and il be where i want to be.