Search the Community

I weigh all my food. It takes just a few seconds and it really makes a huge difference in your calorie counts. If you're off by one tablespoon (15g) on your salad dressing that's 70 calories. An extra oz of cheese is 115 calories. It's adds up so quickly! I also agree with a previous poster about using smaller plates. I have heard though that after surgery we're supposed to be using volume measurements, not weight, because of the size of the stomach. That's going to give me serious anxiety!

Our program didn't have an RD at the time, so I was mostly winging it by reading and using common sense *what we know we should be doing, dietwise.) I did consult a couple of times with a fitness oriented RD that was associated with our PCP who did give some useful advice, combining my needs, her experience and the surgeon's program guides. One of the good reads that I found were some books by Dr. Michael Colgan, who is a sports nutritionist. Particularly useful is his Sports Nutrition Guide (All New! - as of twenty years ago, but nutrition science hasn't changed that much over time, only "diet science" changes with the fads.) A nice part of it is that he has a chapter 3-4 pages typically) dedicated to each micronutrient, what it does, where do we get it from, and what are the appropriate levels we need, often with comments about how specific activities may require more of this or that nutrient than average. These are quite distinct from the RDAs that we normally see published which are typically oriented toward avoiding deficiency disease rather than optimum function. He may have a newer edition (mine is published in 2002) or a follow on title - he doesn't seem to be afraid to change his views as newer validated science comes along. Check Amazon to see what's newer.) He also has a short booklet on "The Right Protein for Muscle and Strength" that is also useful, and may be a good counterpoint to some of the more promotional sources found in magazines pushing supplements.. Sorry, I don't have any particular online sources, but there are a couple of other guys on here who are more into that who may chime in on this. there is a popular notion that we see that it is impossible to build muscle mass while in the deficit required for weight loss. I don't like like words like "never" and "impossible" but I do find that it is very unlikely to do so - minimizing muscle loss during the loss phase is usually the best that can be hoped for, and then rebuilding. We did have a retired NFL guy in our doc's group who may have done that - if anyone can he would as he already knew on a professional level how to do that kind of workout (he just hated it and was glad he didn't have to do it anymore once he retired - that's why he ballooned to 500 lb and realized it was still part of his job! Got himself down to a 4% BF before letting himself go, and crept up to 6!) He also had the time to dedicate to doing as much work as he needed to, which most of us can't do. Good luck - it sounds like you are well on your way to good success. It may not be a direct route to where you want to go, but you can get there,

I am happy to hear that im not alone in the insurance/ diet classes phase! Good job you for trying to reduce carbs and sweets its hard! My nutritionist wants me to lose about 25 - 30 lbs by month 4 so thats why i feel that i have to hurry up and clean up my diet ASAP. Also my insurance says I cant gain any weight which is a little nervewrecking. The only way i know that ill not gain weight and reach that 30lb weightloss is starting my diet full force. Mainly protien, mainly vegetables, and gold carbs like brown rice, oatmeal etc..

One thing no one has mentioned is about your question about losing weight without the surgery: I can lose weight really easily, but I can't keep it off. WLS resets your "metabolic set point" so it's easier to keep the weight off, though many people regain some weight. I've previously lost 50 and 100 lbs, but both times gained almost all of it back within a few years. I'm having surgery to give myself a better chance to keep weight off.

you are right. There are so many things that factor into your rate of weight loss that you have little to no control over, such as age, gender, starting BMI, genetics, metabolic rate, what percentage of your body is muscle, etc. The only two factors that you have a lot of control over is your how closely you stick to your program and your activity level. If you're good with those, then you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. I was a slow loser from the get-go, but I was very committed to my program, and I ended up losing all of my excess weight (over 200 lbs). In the end, it has more to do with your level of commitment than it does your rate of weight loss.

I always weight a few pounds more at night than I do in the morning. Don't freak out - you didn't actually gain 5 lbs today! It's going to be gone in the morning.

Sleeved Nov 2017 then Revised July 2019 (for GERD, hernia, sleeve torsion etc) Almost immediately after no more issues with GERD. I developed a stricture early out but it was dilated and resolved. I initially lost more weight (around 15lbs) but it wasn’t where I or my surgeon wanted me to be so I gained it back. My weight may fluctuate a few lbs on either side of my goal but that is usually due to events I wasn’t hungry immediately after surgery but that’s normal for me, hunger returned and it was no big deal as I had already had a return on hunger a year before with VSG. Some people (myself included) have a experienced a change in restriction from VSG to RNY (less, more or different restriction) I actually had an easier recovery with the revision. It was a short learning curve with new bathroom habits. Overall very satisfied.

I was sleeved this past Sunday 5/16, and everything is going great. My program has a nutritionist aspect attached, but I'm interested in finding a third party nutritionist who will help me focus on my specific goals and needs after I am given the clearance to pursue a regular diet and full activity. I'm 41, and I was sleeved at 334. I am not diabetic, and have no co-morbidities aside from mild hypertension and hyperlipidemia. I've been active as a powerlifter, as well as having run 2 half marathons (albeit at a non-healthy weight). I am interested in working with a nutritionist/dietician who will be part of a team to help me to maintain the strength I have, while losing excess body fat, and increasing my work and aerobic capacity. Anyone have any recommendations for online/zoom nutrition counseling that might fit this need? Thanks!

Thanks for sharing. The reason I am asking is because I need to lose pounds in a fairly short period of time, which includes the two-week liquid diet phase, so I am trying to create realistic milestones. So, while the surgeon's objective is different, I am trying to factor it into my weight lost timeline (and strategize how to make this requirement probable!) Thanks again!

Hello! I'm just wondering if anyone is scheduled for a revision from sleeve to bypass in June, later on or has already had it done? My revision surgery is scheduled for June 14th for GERD, rapid gastric emptying, hiatal hernia, and difficulty swallowing! I won the post op sleeve surgery lotto. I got it all! 😅🤣.. I'm a little nervous and starting to get anxious. So yeah..😬.. If you've had a revision, I want to hear from you. Tell me your story and your experience after your revision. Were your issues resolved? Did you lose any weight? Were you hungry? Tired? Whatever. Let me know your thoughts and if it was worth it... 😊😊😊

I think I lost about 20 lbs on it, but that's going to vary a lot between people. and the two weeks is torture enough - no way would I want to do it longer. the purpose of it is to shrink your liver so it's easier for them to get in there and do the surgery. I don't think they really care how much weight you lose (although you'll lose some...)

Hi! Welcome to forums! You will find a wide range of answers to this one as everyone is sooooo different. With that said, I lost 11 lbs in 2 weeks. I had 2-3 protein shakes a day, and nothing else. Also, I started off at 235 lbs on day 1 of liquid diet (5'2" female, was 46 at time of surgery)..oh, and I didn't lose any weight prior this.

Hi! I am glad I found this community! I am scheduled for surgery June 21st and one of the conditions is that I need to lose additional weight. I don't want to start the liquid diet (my doctor is requiring two weeks for me) too early, as I don't know how sustainable that is for more than two weeks, but I will if that is the only assured way to lose the pounds and qualify for surgery. Can anyone share how much weight they lost in the pre-op liquid diet phase (plus how long you were on it)? Thanks so much.

49yr Male, 5/18/20 VSG HW 382, SW 309, CW 215 First visit to the surgeon was 6/27/19 and first nutritionist visit was 7/3/2019. Had a long pre-op program then was delayed by COVID-19, so wasn't sleeved until 5/18/20. Lost 73 pre-op, 94 since - for a total of 167 lbs down! I hit 218 in mid Dec 2020 and have been maintaining in the 213-218 range over the past 6 months. I have worked my way up to about 2000 calories/day (200 carb, 78 fat, 125 protein) which seem to be my maintenance diet based on my BMR and activity level. When I get towards 218, I cut it back for a week or two and settle back down to nearer 215. Bonus for me is I have never vomited even once since having the surgery. That makes me a unicorn based on what I read here on BP! I had an InBody scan at my 1 year post op visit and had gained some muscle and lost fat from my 6 month visit, so that was encouraging. It shows me at ~25% body fat right now, which I can work on. I tend to walk about 20-30 minutes about 5x/week plus 2-3 20 minute strength training sessions per week. Nothing too extreme on the exercise front. It's all about calorie intake for me. You can't outrun your fork! We started working back in the office this week and as I emerge from the "COVID cocoon", I'm dealing with lots of comments. So far they are positive, so that is helpful. We have started going out to eat some, which has taken some adjustments to my meticulous meal planning tendencies (380+ day MFP streak). As long as I can check out the menu in advance and decide what to order, I have done well. The next challenge is work travel, conferences and family events where junk food is constantly available. I have worked hard over the past nearly 2 years to build good habits and now they will be tested. Here is a before and after shot for your viewing pleasure. Next step is likely plastics later this year. Going to do a consult this summer and come up with a plan. That's all for now. If I can do this, you can too. Stick to the plan, build good habits, proteins first, plenty of water, move around - you know the drill.

I am still doing the nutrition classes and jumping through insurance hoops (the classes are a joke!). I have cut out diet soda/carbonation, significantly reduced carbs (not keto, just reduced carbs), counting calories (about 1400 a day), increased exercise, cut sweets dramatically, and I'm trying to eat more slowly and not drink 30 minutes after meals. I'm doing well with everything except eating slowly. I have lost 32 lbs in 4 months and I find I'm less hungry and don't crave sweets now that I'm eating fewer carbs and sweets. I used to be addicted to diet soda but I tried one a month ago and it didn't even taste good. Fruit and vegetables were always something I ate plenty of but now they taste even better! I'm eating more protein and I think that helps me stay more full. I figure any weight I lose now is weight I don't have to lose after surgery. And if I get used to living the lifestyle now, it will be much better than throwing "food funerals"!

it's just the three week stall - happens to almost everyone. If you do a search on the three week stall on this site, you will literally find something like 17,000 posts on it. All you can do is stick to your plan, stay off the scale, and ride it out. As long as you stick to your plan, the stall will break and your weight loss WILL start up again. many of us experience several stalls along our journey - if not most of us. As long as you stick to your guns, they'll break and you'll be on your way again. They typically last 1-3 weeks. And absolutely you can lose all your weight. I lost all of mine - over 200 lbs. And I had several stalls, like most of us do...

almost everyone has their first major stall during the first month after surgery. It typically lasts 1-3 weeks. If you stick to your program, the weight loss WILL start up again. It always does. My first stall lasted two weeks (weeks 2 & 3 post surgery). During week 4, I dropped like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days. you are not likely to feel much if any restriction during the first month because your nerves have been cut. It takes awhile for them to start to regenerate. Plus we're on purees or soft foods then, and you typically don't feel restriction with those since they move through your stomach so quickly. You'll feel some restriction once you move to solid foods. But I think you're WAY too early eating a whole sandwich. You need to stick to your program for the tool to work. And it WILL work if you follow the rules. also, don't try chasing the full feeling. In addition to the aforementioned nerve issue, many of us have a change in our fullness cues. I no longer feel "full" the same way I did pre-surgery. Now, I just feel some pressure or discomfort in my chest. When I feel that, I know I'm done - and if I keep pushing it, I'll get sick. Some people will get hiccups or a runny nose when they're full. It could take some time before you discover what your cues are - so in the mean time, just follow your clinic's plan.

you look great! weight loss rate does slow down a lot as we get closer to goal - there were several times once I got into year 2 that I thought "this is it", but then it'd start up again. I didn't stop losing until month 20. So you could definitely still keep losing!!!

I am in the same boat, I lost 85 gained back 10, now I am stuck can't lose but I am not gaining either. I am trying to write down everything I eat. I am so scared I will gain the little that I did lose and be right back in the same boat. I need to lose another 85 at least. Went to the doctor yesterday and they bascially told me there isn't much they can do now for me. I can't take diet pills. So i am going to lose I just need to get mad at myself. If I have to join weight watchers, jenny craig, medical weight loss etc all at once I want to lose the weight. I also feel like I can eat just about like I use to, but I stop myself because I dont want to blow up my stomache bigger than it is.

I know just what you mean. I’m 60 and the older I get the more pills I get. All because of weight. I short my frame can’t take this weight. The weight has to come off and the pills gotta go. Period.

The amount I can eat (four years out) varies hugely. I fast 22/24 three days a week and 16/8 or 18/6 the other four days and I’m v low carb/Keto and absolutely no damn sugar at all! Sugar been gone about six weeks this time. Lowest weight 8 stone 2, highest 10 stone 10 about 6 weeks ago! Dropped 12lbs so now 9 stone 12 (137llbs) feel so good! Sugar is the devil for me! food pics are air fried thighs and aubergine/courgette mix and a chaffles (pancake made from egg and cheese) with fried pek (Keto friendly chopped pork) and mushroom and a slice of emmenthal. I have a ninja foodi 9 in one - pressure, air, steam, bake, sauté, grill etc! And I use it most days. In love with ma foodi!

I've been planning to have the sleeve, and have done all the pre-op requirements. If all goes well, I want to do WLS over the summer. I've been planning on the sleeve, as it's what my surgeon recommended for me, but now I'm wondering if I should go for the bypass. I'm in my late 40s (done having kids, so fertility/pregnancy is not a factor in my decision), have a BMI of just over 35, with PCOS, diabetes, hypertension, and recently diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy (we're not sure of the cause, though I've read a study showing WLS improves symptoms). When I asked my surgeon why she recommended the sleeve, she said it's because I have relatively less weight to lose, and, although it will require work and being vigilant with diet, she thinks it will be successful for me, and is less invasive and risky, though she also said she would be willing to do the bypass if it's what I want. My endocrinologist said that the bypass has additional mechanisms by which it can resolve metabolic issues, but she'd suggest asking my surgeon about her rate of complications with bypass. She also said she'd be less inclined to push bypass for me, though, because my diabetes is well-controlled on one medication (A1c is usually between 5.7 to 6.0). My cardiologist strongly advised me to go with the sleeve, because she has a number of patients who were a "hot mess," medically, after bypass. I want to resolve my cardio-metabolic issues, but the risks of bypass also really concern me. I've never been anemic, but I've been deficient in other vitamins and have experienced hair loss and other issues as a result, so I'm concerned I may be at greater risk for deficiencies and other unwanted consequences with the bypass. I'm not sure how to decide this...help?

It’s the weight loss cycle. Lose then stall. Lose then stall. Some people will say to increase your calories or increase your activity to break it. I just stuck to my plan & the stall broke. This won’t be your only stall. Some last a week others may last three weeks. They’re just your body taking a breath to catch up on all the changes. You will start to lose again.

Neither my surgeon nor dietician gave me calorie goals to follow while losing. They did recommend 1/4 cup of food from purée stage slowly increasing as I was able to eat more as long as it was low fat, low sugar, low carb. I wasn’t eating 300 calories in that first month. I remember my surgeon drawing a picture of a side plate, then drawing a circle of protein & a circle of vegetables & saying that’s about how much I’d be eating at goal. He also outlined the size in my palm. He was pretty right. I was told a daily goal 60g of protein & then slowly add vegetables & fruit to my eating as I progressed. I saw my dietician every two weeks for almost a year (COVID ended it) where we discussed what I had added to my diet & what I thought I’d try next. I can go back to her at anytime. It took me about a year to find the sweet spot in maintenance & to stop losing. I’m really not active so I maintain my weight through calorie control though I don’t religiously measure & count calories except when I add new foods or do random checks to ensure I’m not slipping. I keep to about 1200 calories give or take. Awareness of portion size & nutritional value of what I eat are my key considerations. I prepare most of my food so I have control over the ingredients & how it’s cooked. I eat protein (average 60g from meat, seafood & dairy), vegetables, fruit & whole/multi grains (some crackers as a snack & rolled oats). No processed carbs & I avoid as much sugar, sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners as I possibly can. No fast food in my life & I’ve had takeaway three times since surgery (braised chicken & cashews & skinned steamed gyoza). No carbonated drinks except for tonic, soda or sparkling water. I don’t allow high sugar or high fat food in my house - if it’s not there I can’t eat it. If I have people over, they take home the leftovers of foods I don’t eat now for the same reason. It may sound restrictive but it’s working for me & I really don’t miss anything. There are some things I can’t eat or don’t enjoy anymore because my tummy doesn’t tolerate them. I used to eat a lot of avocado but now it tastes off & the texture is strange. Mashed potatoes & pasta (including plant ones) sit heavily in my tummy & I don’t enjoy alcohol as much. My hunger only came back earlier this year but I still have days I’m not really hungry (like yesterday & today) so I try to eat to routine so I don’t miss meals. If I’m going out for dinner, I’ll drop a snack to allow for what I might eat at the restaurant. In the past, I wouldn’t weigh myself if I thought I’d put on weight - if I couldn’t see an actual number on the scales I could convince myself I hadn’t gained. So I weigh myself almost every day. I have a fluctuation window of about 1kg (2.2lbs). If it sits on or close to the max for a couple of days in a row, I review my diet & make slight adjustments: drop a snack, reduce a portion size. Sometimes it’s just fluid or constipation but I find I know my body a lot better now & I make allowances for that. My medical team would like me to put on a couple of kilos but I’m happy where I am. But who knows what the future will bring. I certainly eat way more frequently than I ever did before surgery and also more than I used to eat: 3 meals & 3-4 snacks. I think I have a metabolism that is finally working again. There are so many different eating plans you can follow to lose or maintain. You’ve just got to find what works for you & how you want to live & enjoy your life. Finding a good dietician & therapist who are experienced with bariatric patients is a good place to start. Good luck finding your path. Sorry it’s so long.

I'm so excited! Today I hit 242 pounds which puts me at 150 pounds lost! I still have at least 60 to lose, but I never thought I'd ever be able to lose 150 pounds. I don't even know how I was carrying that much on my 5'3" frame! I feel so much better! I just had to share this! I can't figure out why my before pictures won't post, but I have some "after" even though I still hope to lose a lot more. These pics are from last month. My weight loss has slowed recently and this week I've been struggling mentally with worrying I won't lose anymore, so I was really happy to hit this milestone! Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app