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I'm your same height and my goal was also 130. My surgeon was kind of the polar opposite of yours. He did not give me a calorie target at all. He asked me to keep carbs moderately low (I think it was 60-80g), eat protein first and then non-starchy veggies. My protein goal was 60g. He encouraged me to eat when hungry, but don't push my restriction. He said if I did that, calories would take care of themselves. It did work out that way for me. Like a lot of us, I started with very low calories (eating was hard at first). Then I was at 600 for a while and it slowly rose to 800. I stayed there a long time. It took me almost two years to lose all my weight but I did reach (and then pass) my original goal. I was one of the lucky ones in that I had very little appetite for the first year and when it started to return, it was still much lower than pre-surgery. Even so, the plan you were given seems pretty harsh and I'm not sure I could have stuck to that. 15g of carbs is lower than I can consistently do (and I'm an experienced low-carber!). Now that I am in maintenance, I do enjoy a treat now and then but day to day, I avoid sugary foods, junk food, fast food, etc. I can't eat that stuff regularly without losing control. I can have a treat, but then it's right back on plan. Otherwise it wakes up cravings that are hard to deal with. There are lots of less draconian eating plans that most people can lose weight on. I agree with the suggestion to consult a therapist and maybe also find a doctor or nutritionist who is willing to take a more moderate approach. I wish you the best!

I just want to hear that this happened to someone else too and they lost all their weight and that I’ll be ok. I’m so worried, I’ve waited so many years to get the sleeve done

I'm 10 months post op and I can pretty much eat anything, just way smaller amounts. Because I was so big before I am in still in thr weight loss phase though, so I'm still following my plan. I have had a treat here and there and did fine. I still enjoy food and I feel like once I'm in maintenance I'll eat pretty normal. Like Catwoman says, I think I'll eat like someone who never had a weight problem. It's actually really amazing to me when I get full so fast and I really enjoy the feeling. I never felt that way before. Even though it has been a big change, it has been very welcome and I love it! Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I finally showed my before and after photos on facebook. I was very, very scared. I had told a lot of people - but some didn't know. I had never EVER showed a full body picture like that. From the side at that! Anyways, on the left: I was a miserable 369lbs. SUPER unhealthy, probably headed to death. I doubt very seriously I could make it past 400. My body would probably just give out. I was already struggling to breathe doing simple tasks/walking up stairs. ANYWHO, the right was a shot taken by my beautiful momsicle on Mother's Day just last weekend. Ignore my "suns in the eyes" face. I am over 120lbs lost from February 27th, 2020 to now. I finally am under 250lbs and I am just floored. Of course, I won't lie. It's been a struggle. Currently, my biggest challenge has and still is - dumping. In the beginning, for the first 8 months, I threw up every. single. day. I realized ice cream, fried foods, steak - out of the question. Buffets were a waste. Most every meal I got out, was a waste. It made people feel bad at first because I would stop eating after 3 bites. I had to constantly remind people that I didn't mind if they ate! I got accepted into nursing school and reverted back to some old habits. Sugary coffees (which made me dump like HELL), chicken nuggets, fries...Anything I could stuff in my mouth "on the go". I would pay the price, but I wasn't puking after every single meal. So I thought I was in the clear. Earlier this year, I started to have tremendous abdominal pain. Spasms that took my breath away. After numerous tests, it was concluded that I had severe IBS with constipation and diarrhea. After talking to my NP at the weight loss place, we decided to try more plant-based alternatives. I'll admit, I was skeptical and very upset because this girl LOVES a nice juicy steak! But, I have noticed my symptoms are near non-existence when I eat beans, (wild) rice, whole grains, some fruits, and almost any veggie. I take it light with caffeine as that is a trigger, but I do still consume some. Suffice to say, this has been the hardest battle I have ever fought in my entire life. I continue to fight it. I continue to struggle with choices about food. I've learned to not limit myself completely. If I want a cookie, I'll eat half. I don't starve myself. I just don't overindulge like I used to. It seems to be working as I have lost a ton of weight. I plateau, but it's going. I just want to be an advocate for anyone considering the surgery and will answer ANY questions! I want to also be your cheerleader if you have already had the surgery. I can't promise it won't be hard, but I will promise it will be worth it to look at yourself in the mirror and have self-esteem again! I am actually OK with people taking full body pictures now! Insane! I am waiting for my weight to be stable to get skin surgery, but baby steps! #AMA

Hi @kbrookings, I certainly don’t know better than your dietician and so I can only share my own experience. I was eating around 500 to 600 calories at around week 6/7 and to be honest have only really had my lost loss kick up a gear since getting around 700 calories. I think my body went into starvation mode prior to that and I also kept feeling dizzy and tired, plus my weight loss was quite slow after the initial t2 weeks post surgery. Now, I eat anywhere between 650 and 720 calories and I feel so much more energetic, healthy and am losing more weight and inches than had I been when consuming less calories. I don’t even know how you could get 60 to 80 grams on protein in 300 calories. That seems crazy low to me. Good luck and hope it all works out soon for you.

I might be mistaken but dang girl that seems like alot of weight that dropped off in such short time. Im proud of you !!!

Hi, have you had your MGB done yet? I’m booked in for 8th June with Dr Chris in Belgium, and as you can tell with me being up, looking at forums at 1am, i’m a little nervous! I had a gastric band with Dr Chris about 10 years ago and lost about 4 and a half stone, then developed terrible gastric reflux, i had to have my band emptied and have gained all my weight back, and an extra stone. I feel horrendous. I’m having a band to MGB conversion. i think i’m more worried that i’ll be travelling with all the extra covid restrictions. And because of that i’ll be going alone.

Thanks for replying as well. It seems like yout doctor had you eating different ranges gradually to accommodate how small your stomach was but not to restrict you too much. Sounds like a smart, safe plan for someone coming out of surgery. I love your idea of figuring out how many calories I'm eating now and then reducing by 200 - 500 calories at a time. I think that's a great plan to follow until I can get down to 1,000 to 1,200 calories without feeling like I'm doing too much at once and then binging. And it's smart that both of you plan for days that you'll be treating yourselves and can accommodate the rest of the days the week so that the average is still cared toward weight loss or maintaining. I'm so proud of both of you for being able to reach your goals and for maintaining for this long. I'm making notes of all of your suggestions to work out a plan that I can sustainably follow. Thanks!

OOTD scrubs edition. My hospital provides our scrubs. The tops have a colored band at the neck, and the bottoms have a colored draw string. The colors indicate size. Dark green = 3xl, dark blue =2xl and so on. At my highest weight I wore dark green band tops and had to buy my own pants because the 3xl’s were too tight. Now I’m a yellow which is small and may even fit in pale green which is XS! Boy did it suck to have to advertise my size on my work clothes, now I’m happy to be in the yellow crew :)

Thank you so much for such a detailed response. I especially appreciate your suggestions for non-animal protein sources since I will be reaching my 2-year vegan anniversary next month. The 500 calorie diet was torture. I remember just wanting a bite of fruit and being devastated when I was told I needed to continue until I reached goal. (Guess who never made it to goal) And you're right, I feel like I have a few more eating disorders than I did before the surgery now. I haven't had a diagnosis because I'm a child who's afraid of doctors. This surgery was the most terrifying/bravest thing I've ever done; it was my last straw to losing weight because I'd tried everything else. I got within 15 pounds of goal and gained everything back. It broke my heart. I'm so excited about the research your surgeon is doing and how that I'm able to see the results when the study is done. It seems like he actually cares about your health and wellbeing. I love that you're seeing a bariatric therapist;I should probably see you in myself, but I just hate talking about myself. I'll see if I can look into it though. I wish junk food and taste as good as before. It's I feel like junk food is my main food staple now. All I do is eat sugar and carbs and salties and sweets. Thank you again so much for such a detailed reply. If you happened to track calories during the weight loss process or even during maintenance, would it be possible to send me a day from your food diary? I'm curious to see how everything was planned out. P.S. If my reply seems scattered, it's because I'm reading through your message and replying while working with customers at the moment. Sorry about that.

I probably ate that little only for the first two or three months. After that it was around 800 cal/day for a few months - and then I was up to around 1000 calories at around 10 months out. I didn't consistently go over 1000 until about the year mark, but WAS consistently over it the second year. Maybe 1000-1200 calories a day. I finally stopped losing weight at 20 months out and gradually increased my calories until I found my sweet spot. I gained 10 lbs in year 3 (which is very common - and frankly, I needed to - I'd gotten too thin), and then another 10 during the past year (thanks, COVID), which I would like to lose again. I can maintain if I stay in the 1500-1700 range (that's going to vary for everyone depending on a number of factors). I never reverted to eating junk. I almost always eat healthy foods - protein, fruit, vegetables, complex carbs (like whole grains). It's not that I NEVER it junk, but on a regular basis or every day, no. And I have to really monitor what I eat because if I go over my safe range too many times in a week, my weight will start heading north. Like Creekimp, if I have a blow out day one day, I'll cut back for a couple of days so that my week will average out. your sleeve should still work. to lose the weight again, you'll have to ditch the junk and start eating like we were supposed to be eating again - protein first, then veggies. Small servings of fruit or whole grains are also OK. Figure out how many calories you're eating now by tracking for a few days. Then gradually cut back until you get to a range where you're losing again (gradually cutting is easier for ME, anyway - drastic cuts like 500 calories cut at a pop are tough for me - maybe that's not true of everyone). Losing weight the second time around is much slower, but it CAN be done. and do find a therapist if you need help with your eating issues. Lots of us have used them and find they help.

What you are describing...(in my opinion) is a bariatric surgeon who uses his patients as advertisements to get business. People saw you shrink overnight and it made them believers...so now he's got more business. Here's the problem... No one should ever be on a 600 calorie diet for any long period of time. It's unsustainable, unhealthy, and screws your metabolism to high heaven. It also exacerbates eating disorders and disordered thinking about food...which most of us have. (so says my bariatric therapist, dietician and surgeon) My surgeon was part of a research project that examined post operative metabolic changes and diet long term. I'm still part of his study and will be ten years out. We were encouraged to eat 1200 calories a day as soon as possible after surgery. I did this at three weeks post op. We were encouraged to eat lots of protien and few refined carbs. However...unrefined carbs with lots of fiber were encouraged. I ate oatmeal, potatoes, whole grain toast, nuts, brown rice, etc. The only carbs we actively avoided were sugar, white flour refined stuff, and fruit juice (much better to get it in whole fruit which we were encouraged to eat). I lost slowly, but I lost to goal. Have been at goal 3 years with the occasional 5 pound backslide...that I promptly address with the bariatric therapist, and lose back to goal. Never takes long...and a little gain is usually a cue that something is stressing me out and I'm regressing to old habits. My program emphasised addressing disordered eating and working on food addiction behavior with new coping behaviors. A bariatric therapist is integral. Don't be without one. Fixing your stomach doesn't fix your head. I eat 1400-1600 calories a day and maintain well. I walk 10,000+ steps each day and try to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. I can eat absolutely anything I want now. I do have to plan for indulgent foods and make sure to balance the calories in my day...but after a while, it's getting to be second nature. I eat at events and special occasions and cut back a little for a couple days before or after. It works. I think my gut bugs have changed (another goal of my program....to change the gut microbiota to resemble the diversity of a healthy weight person). I prefer whole grains, lean protien (lots coming from plant sources), love beans, mushrooms and potatoes, I shop the produce section more than any other section of the store...love my fruits and veggies. One HUGE change....I pay attention to dietary fiber. I eat at least 25g of Dietary Fiber every day. Most of my fats are plant fats. I do eat meat, but not like most people on here. Meat for me is a special occasion thing, not a staple in my diet. Junk food doesn't taste like it used to. Very honestly. I don't like the taste as much as I used to. If anyone had told me that I would find french fries a turn-off...EVER...I'd have said they were a liar. Loved them. Have no interest in them now....go figure! Everyone will have a hugely different experience and opinion....and that's ok. People should do what works for them. But my feeling is that my success is down to three things... Learning to balance and be aware of every damned calorie I eat. Eating a high fiber diet with tons of plant protien. Seeing my bariatric therapist PROMPTLY when I know I'm regressing to food addict behavior. Wishing you the very best. I hope you find a sustainable diet you can tolerate and feel your best eating. Good Luck.

Speaking of fish skin...picked this up at Costco this morning. I haven't had this particular brand before, but i've had the flavour...YUM. It's crazy high in calories, so probably not for those in weight loss phase:

I had the gastric sleeve performed in July of 2017. The post-op diet consisted of 500 - 600 calories, less than 15 total carbs, and as little fat as possible. This was to be followed until you reached the end goal weight. My surgeon's goal wait for me was 130 lbs, which is at the higher range of a normal BMI for my 5-ft 1-in height. When I followed that plan I lost weight, but after following it for about a year, it got to be too much like torture, and as soon as I started falling off of the diet, I fell really hard. I started eating junk food and carbs/snacks every 30 minutes to every 2 hours and I gained all of the weight I lost after surgery back (I'm thankfully still below my highest weight). I've been unable to stick to a diet for longer than 3 days since. So I'm just curious what other surgeons / nutritionists recommended for other patients and whether they are success stories or failure stories, like mine. I'm hoping to model my diet towards the more successful options and see if that is more obtainable in the long run. Thank you all for your responses! Have a great day!

A few years back my (then) 3 year old son would go crazy every time this ad for a local weight loss clinic came on TV and yell “mama, mama, mama!” When the before weight loss woman was shown. Sigh. He was honestly excited to see “mama” on TV.

I'll trade places with you lol. Because I've been stuck inside due to covid regulations in my state, I have been eating soooooo much more and some bad things. Im getting back on track but I gained 17 lbs in 10 months which may not seem like much but it is if we go through all of this. Ill gladly trade you places ☺️😜

I’m open with many people but not with all. For example I didn’t tell my in-laws bc they can be nosy, judgmental and invasive and it also just isn’t anyone else’s concern. When they asked why I wasn’t eating a bagel for breakfast I just said I had a toothache. It just doesn’t need to be any of their business or part of the conversation. But for other people, I will share where my weight loss is coming from. It depends on the individual and everyone’s unique circumstances. I don’t think we should be judging the choices others make. As long as YOU aren’t the one saying that people who have surgery are lazy or cheating, you can’t control how others feel or believe.

@lizzlosingit...so true! Pick your hard! I will never forget my sister (who is also overweight) saying "Are you sure you want to do this? It will change your relationship to food FOREVER!" And I just looked at her and said "That's kind of the point!" Every weight loss plan needs to change your relationship with food, or it won't work long term!

Crap, so I *have* failed in some catastrophic way, and all this is a wash. But there's no way to gain weight on 1000 cal/day. I very much do track *everything.* And yes, I've continued to lose inches despite the scale going up. There is literally no way I can physically consume enough food (since I'm not eating sweets/lots of carbs) to gain weight with how much I can eat. I've logged it all. My instructions are to eat 1000-1200 calories a day. That's from my doctor.

I am considering the same thing you did for the same reason. I see this post is from 2017. I'd love an update about GERD/reflux and also weight loss. How much did you lose after the revision, and how are you doing at maintaining? Any regain? Thank you in advance!

that "stair step" pattern of weight loss is pretty common, actually. If it's driving you nuts, maybe just weigh yourself once or twice a week instead of daily. As long as you stick to your plan and your general trend is downward, you're good -

Wow! You look great! Reading your post has given me so much hope. I am 56 and have yo-yo dieted my whole adult life. My surgery is in 11 days and I too have been seriously doubting my ability to do this. I fear that my metabolism is too damaged for this to work. I think, what is the difference between this and the other VLCD diets I have tried lately that have done nothing to reduce my weight. If anything I have gained! Your post has definitely put me in a better headspace so thank you!

It’s unlikely to be fluid retention but it would be your best interests to have your kidney function checked before looking at taking diuretics. Have you spoken with your surgeon or your dietician? Ask your dietician to review your diet & activity. 1000 calories seems a lot at 2 months but every plan is different & if you’re more active you can consume more calories. Stalls are common through out the weight loss phase where we don’t lose but weight gain like you’ve identified isn’t. Have you continued to lose inches even though the scale has gone up? Are you weighing yourself on the same set of scales, in the same place, at about the same time? Are you weighing & logging everything you eat & drink each day to ensure you’re not accidentally consuming more? I encourage you to go back to your medical team. Good luck.

Choosing to have surgery is not cheating. Sure the surgery kick started my weight loss & there are aspects, like the restriction & inability to eat large servings of food, that reduce the opportunity for me to gain. But I’ve worked hard to change how I eat, what I eat & to understand why I eat. Probably way harder than someone who’s never been obese or battled being overweight & certainly harder than when I dieted before. And I work every day at changing a lifetime of bad habits, things that defined who I was & who people thought I was. You have to be ready & willing to make the changes. The difference this time to every other time you’ve dieted is the changes have to be sustainable - permanent & manageable in your life. The surgery doesn’t fix it all for you. If I started eating high fat, high sugar, high processed carb foods, etc. & go back to old habits I’d put on weight again. For most of my adult life I bounced between a bmi of 23 to 29. I gained & lost for 30 years. Then when I was about 50 yrs old it wasn’t 15kgs I needed to lose it was 31 & I couldn’t lose it. All my old dieting tricks failed. I woke one morning at almost 54yrs & said enough, I’m going to have surgery. I didn’t have any health issues at all (except for sore feet & a lack of fitness) but I knew it was in my very near future & I didn’t want to be that big anymore. Is it worth it? You bet it is. I hit my 60kg goal in 6 months, historically my lowest weight as an adult. I lost almost another 12kgs over the next year. I may only have been maintaining at my current weight for 6 months but I have never, ever in my life been able to maintain a low weight after dieting for more than a month. And I haven’t been this weight since I was about 12 yrs old. I don’t know what the next months or years will bring but I’m not going down without a fight. I’d ask why they recommended bypass too if only for your own information & peace of mind. After going through my weight loss & gain history in detail, my surgeon went through the surgical options identifying the pros & cons of each. He then explained which he thought would be best for me & why but he also asked which I thought I’d prefer & why. His process made be more confident about my surgery. Good luck.