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You've already made such incredible progress! re: loose skin, I've always wondered if the people who have surgery to remove excess skin wake up to find themselves 10 lbs lighter post-op.

I choose mine based on how I looked and felt the last time I was close to it. My lowest adult weight was 260lbs so I modified it to 225 for my goal weight based on that. My surgeon and Dietician agreed it was a great goal weight for me (I am 6ft tall with a broad frame) and a good expectation. I will be completely satisfied to be 225 (ish) if I never lost another lb. BUT, I did lower my goal from there to 210 lbs because that would be a pound less than half of what I was when I started and I thought it would be quite an accomplishment to know I lost over have of my body! Would be super cool but I would completely fine never hitting it. Then, I have a 3rd goal of 199 and that is ONLY to be able to know and say I weighed less than 200lbs as an adult. HAHA Personally, I think it would be too thin for my preference but I want to see it and then be ok gaining like 10-20 lbs back to be where I would prefer. I am actually pretty content in the 250s right now other than all skin so if I stopped losing now, I would be "ok" with it but prefer to loose another 25-50 lbs.

I bought a basic one on Amazon before I started my pre-op stage. It keeps me in check but it's important to keep a mentak note not to use it too much as it can become obsessive (guilty of that at one point) There's some advanced ones that connect to fancy weight loss apps, but I like my normal $19 one.

I am Jan 10!

I hope that it heals up soon for you. I'm only 10 days post-op and though the scale hasn't moved much (in fact when I got home from the hospital I was about 2lbs heavier), I found that my slippers are lose now and I can finally wear my wedding ring again! I find that I wake up every morning and my stomach looks different almost daily, the swelling goes up and down in different areas. I'm so grateful to this forum. Anything that I'm wondering or concerned about I just put it in the search and I can find information on pretty much everything.

Hi, I've just come back on these forums after a long long hiatus. I am like you. I had my lapband inserted when I was 23 years old back in August of 2022. I felt back then that was the safest and least invasive treatment option. I did not have success with the lapband. The most I lost was 12 pounds and then after that I stalled and gained. Today I'm 227 pounds but have a BMI of 36, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. I also didn't have the best relationship with my surgeon when I told him "I don't think it's working" when I told him at my one week post surgery check up because instead of losing I had gained 7 pounds. Long story short, he told me it was my fault because I was sneaking burgers, pizza, and coke when my family was asleep at night, which was farthest from the truth as it took me hours to down 30 ml of liquids and could not get solid food down 7 days post op. I ended upgoing back to him 2 months ago after not seeing him for 12 years due to having pain in my upper left quadrant of my abdomen. I can only describe it has a burning sensation, like burning on the inside, and I felt strange when I would turn my torso, in the that specific area. Now the pain has subsided but now the area is numb. He scheduled me for an endoscopy which I will be having on december 15, 2022 to see if the band has slipped or eroded. However, he told me that since having my lapband put in, they found out it's only a temporary gadget that should be removed in 10 years time. He spoke to me and suggested converting to a gastric bypass but I voiced my preference for the gastric sleeve, if I were to get a conversion. He told me because of my comorbidities and my unsuccessful journey with the band that a gastric bypass would benefit me more. Now I'm scared to get revised due to having my insides removed and rearranged compared to the lapband being reversible and afraid that I will get the bypass and end up failing again. That would be devastating. It's a decision that weighs heavy on my mind. Back when I was 23 I just wanted to be pretty but now that I'm 36 I just want to be healthy. I guess I'll see how the endoscopy goes this week and talk more with him about converting to the bypass.

Hello My name is Jenny. I had my lapband inserted in August of 2010. I was 23 at the time and the lapband was popular at that time. Plus my mother was a big influence on me choosing the lapband over the gastric bypass at that time. I just recently been feeling a burning sensation where the band is located near the head of the stomach and pain when during my torso. The pain is gone now but lasted for about 2 months now the area is numb. I went to my original surgeon 2 months ago and we scheduled an endoscopy which will be done on December 15th, 2022. When we were talking he brought up that in the 12 years that I've had the lapband that research showed that the lapband was only temporary and leave in time was only 10 years and so is suggestion, whether the endoscopy shows erosion or slippage is to take out the lapband altogether. However, he suggested converting to a gastric bypass. I'm deathly afraid of a gastric bypass and suggested a gastric sleeve (in my mind, it's safer) but he said that with my health (BMI: 36, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, PCOS, high cholesterol, diabetes type II) that the gastric bypass will give me better results than the sleeve. I did not have any success with the lapband. After my one week checkup post-op, I had gained 7 pounds which was due to swelling and the doctor (same surgeon I'm still seeing today) accused me of eating hamburgers and pizza and drinking soda at night when everyone was asleep. I remember my mother was in the room with me and he turned to her and asked "well let me ask you ma'am? does she have her own room?" and my mother replied "well of course she does?" and he asked her "do you go to sleep before her and she stays up late?" and my mother replied "yeah, she's 23. She goes to sleep a little later than me." and he told her while was in the room "well, there you go. she has no one to monitor her at night. she's eating pizza, burgers, drinking soda." When the reality was I couldn't even get down a medicine 30 mls of liquid post surgery. So I never went back and so my post care suffered since I never sought after care from him or his facility. I don't think he remembers what he said all those years ago though and as I've grown older, I've gotten over it and want to start anew. Thing is I'm for converting to the gastric bypass but I have PCOS and my hormones are all over the place and it's very hard for me to lose weight when I do try. When I change my eating habits, my blood work gets better (H1C decreases, blood pressure decreases, sugar levels normalize) but my weight does not budge. My question is..... Has anyone had the same experience with the lapband and failed with it due to PCOS or any other hormonal imbalance. I've had my thyroid checked 10 times and it always comes back normal. But i've been told I have metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance and assume I have PCOS. Did those that had gastric bypass have success with weight loss even when they had PCOS. I don't think I can handle another failure especially when i'm willing to go under the knife to have my insides permanently and voluntarily re-arranged.

I kept losing well into my second year too. At my lowest I was 48.2kgs (was only there for a couple of weeks but …) & then I fluctuated between 48.5-49.5kg (about 18.9 BMI). I did that for about a 11 months & have been at about 50.5kgs for almost a year. (Am 3yrs 7 months out.) My dietician gave me some tips to up my calories before I stabilised so I’m glad you’re seeing your’s. Initually my surgeon & his associate were a little concerned when they looked at just the number on the scales but then they realised I’m ‘pretty small really’ (their words). Which is true as I’m not tall & am more finely built. They were then fine with my weight. Give yourself a little time to get used to your new body & your weight to stabilise & settle. Body dysmorphia will still be giving you a distorted picture of yourself as you compare yourself to the size you were before. It takes time for your head to catch up with the new reality of your size. I still get the occasionally shock when I realise the slim woman in the mirror or reflected in a window is actually me. And yes, bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs is a real possibility. You’ll work out what are your magic maintenance numbers are @pintsizedmallrat & it may not be 1500 calories because we have different needs & different weights we‘re most comfortable at. I thought 60kg & a BMI of about 23 would be great for me. But my body set me at a lower weight & I’m very happy with it. I was only eating about 1300 calories to maintain at the lower weight & about 1400 for the slightly higher weight now (have to eat more protein due to an absorption issue). But I’m not overly active & am 57 so that’s plenty of calories for me to maintain my smaller frame too. (I eat three meals & three snacks a day so eat heaps.) Oh & I get the clothing thing. I’m a US size 2 & sometimes a 0. There are stores here in Australia that don’t go smaller than a size 4. And there are ones where if they go to a 2 I’ll need a 0. (Still have largish feet for my height - 37.5-38). I’m about the size I was when I was 12. And yes I fit into Aust size 12 chn’s shorts. (My mum bought a pair for my niece & wondered if they would fit so asked me to try them on.)

I was in the same boat - but I put on 20 lbs in year 3 with no effort on my part. Most of us do experience a 10-20 lb rebound after hitting our lowest weight, so you might want to wait awhile before trying to intentionally put on weight. I thought it would never happen to me, but it did...

The 2019 clinical guidelines from the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons (ASMBS), calls for bariatric surgery patients in active weight loss eat 1.2 g/kg of bodyweight. For those in maintenance, the range should be .8-1.2 g/kg. I don't know how much you weigh, but 135 g a day sounds like it might be a bit on the high side based on those recommendations? There is research that intake levels between 1.2-1.5 g/kg may maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis, but there's not a lot a data to suggest rates over 1.5 g/kg are beneficial. Rates above that might be necessary in certain people such as if are a professional strength athlete or top tier fitness competitor trying to maximize muscle growth. Especially if you're just trying to lose some fat, you probably can't metabolize that much protein. I can tell you from experience that many trainers will push this recommendation up to 2 or even 2.2g/kg of lean mass, because they believe if some is good, more must be better. The reality is that your body can't store extra protein, so any above the minimal needed just gets converted to fat. My recommendation would be to follow the ASMBS guidelines for your weight. Unless your trainer has extensive experience working with bariatric surgery patients nutritional needs, I'm afraid their recommendation may be targeted more at a different population.

I had surgery RNY February 2021. 300 lbs before — I am now 132 lbs 5’7” which is way too skinny in my opinion. My BMI is 20 (getting REAL close to 19). Honestly have a hard time eating even 1400 calories a day, too full! Everyone tells me “eat more” but of course I can’t. I have an appointment with dietician in a few weeks to assess. I want to stabilize, or gain back maybe 20 lbs but can’t seem to be able. Lost 10 lbs in the last 6 months so it’s a slow loss right now. But I am almost afraid to exercise for fear of losing more! Help!

12/01/22 Surgery date Sent from my SM-F711U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi everyone, This is sort of déjà vu for me! In 2009 I was on these forums a lot as I prepared for my lap band surgery. I lost 100 pounds in 3 years with lap band. In 2017 I tried to have revision surgery to the sleeve but my BMI was 35 and I only had mild sleep apnea and my insurance would not approve it. Fast forward to almost 2023 and my BMI is now 40. I have a consultation on Wednesday as I now have new insurance (Anthem BCBS) and I'm hoping to have better luck with approval. I am leaning more toward gastric bypass this time. I know a few people who have had the sleeve and a few people who have had bypass and it seems like the people with bypass have had the results that I'm looking for. Also, I don't want another 10 plus years to pass and be back here again. I'm really hoping that all this can be accomplished sometime in the Spring as I have 2 young boys and we spend the majority of our summer camping and I would really like to have all this done before the camping season begins. I'm not sure how feasible that is but I guess I will find out on Wednesday at my appointment! Anyone else out there in a similar position or starting the journey just now? Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

My stall hit at around 2.5 weeks and lasted around 12 days. Then boom 10 pounds gone over a week. I've slowed again now and understand it's just going to be a process. I'm not getting frustrated since I know I'm losing lots of inches, my clothes are all baggy and people have started noticing in my face especially. It's just going to take time and sticking to the new way of eating. My doctor has me on about 600-700 calories for now. 80g protein, 50g carbs (usually don't come close on carbs), and 50g fat along with my 64 oz fluid each day. I'm still working on getting in everything I need to in a day.

I want to reply, I've actually tried more than once. More than thrice. It just ends up being negative. But, since I hate seeing threads get no response, here I am trying again... Have you used similar, far less expensive all-in-ones such as Instant Pot? If not, for 1/10 the price of Thermomix you can see if you will use such a product enough to justify a $2,000 price. Once you're sure it's your money. Do your research. I've opted not to get into the problems with MLMs. My opinion is not good and I work in the industry. This is where past response attempts went off the rails. Good luck, Tek

I paid for my surgery, but knew I was investing in my health and it will make up for it. So far our grocery trip is lasting almost 3 weeks and if I wanted I can make it to the month, since I can't have produce/fruits yet, and 1lb of protein is good for 10 meals, so I'm freezing some portions and my husband is eating from the protein I make. My blood pressure med is back to 5mg so my prescription of 3 months is going to last 6, have not been out to eat since Oct and even then I had started to only eat half of my portion and taking the rest home. I stopped drinking few weeks before surgery so we no longer have 2 boxes of beer in the pantry, no unhealthy snacks, or bread that goes bad. On the other side, my self esteem is coming back awd with that the wanting to shop lol but I have some clothes that do not fit and are new that I will wear till I hit the 100s, will mainly need bottoms, but once goal weight is hit, all bets are off [emoji1787] Sent from my SM-G960U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

ok we all know that bariatric surgery and the process leading to it is expensive. I couldn’t have afforded mine without some good insurance and financial assistance from my family to offset the costs.. But those of you post op, how has the surgery SAVED you money?? for me, I spend next to nothing on lunches (down from about $8 average a day) because I bring it from my home now and my total grocery bill is going down, saving even more. I was able to buy some new very cheap bras because my boobs have deflated but now getting to be more standard sizes… also am not stopping off for “treats” which probably is another $10-20 a week…. and bought work friendly shirts from Amazon for $20 rather than a specialty plus sized store for $30+++

Maybe distraction will work. Do you have Netflix or Prime? As a fellow busy professional (not an RN, but also go-go-go all day), I was at a loss being home all day with nothing to do. So I tried to distract myself by watching tv. I binged Jack Ryan (10/10, loved it!), finally watched Stranger Things (very cool), and tried to get into k-drama (really tried, but maybe I’m just not cool enough). I hear Wednesday (Addams Family remake) is amazing. Just stay away from food shows! LOL

Thank you guys, I just wish I could sleep better probably would help instead of sleeping till like 10-11am, my sleep has been trash, tossing and turning, waking up in the middle of the night. I try to do some activities around the house but after about 15 mins I get nauseous and have to take a Zofran and sit down. I just feel like I’m so far behind

We have what the doctor calls a boot camp, I try to stick to it as much as I can but essentially is get up have a hot drink, breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up, which is now an egg bite with hummus or some protein shake, then every 2.5hrs to 3 alternate between protein shake, lunch, protein shake and dinner. Meals should only take 30mins so it is whatever I can eat in that time. I have a premier shake which is 30g, I add water and the unflavored protein to make it closer to 40g and split that within the 2 protein shakes I will have in a day. Lunch and dinner are basically the same (tuna/crab salad/ground turkey) and at most 2oz. Then is sipping water all day, I start the moment I open my eyes in bed, even drink throughout the night. Take the bottle to the bathroom and make sure I sip ever 5 to 10 min. Last night I stayed up 30 min just to finish my last 2 ounces 🤣 but he said that as long as I'm getting 40oz I'm doing good, since my program does only count protein shakes as half the liquid.

It happens, don't stress. You couldn't eat enough to gain that weight in fat so very likely water weight. Take 1 cup of lukewarm water and 1/8 of a fresh lemon. Squeeze the juice in the water and drink it. It is a natural diuretic and works amazingly! PS: I can gain and loose 10 lbs in water. I have seen it. Especially when I was bigger, now i don't see that much fluctuation but still fluctuate none the less.

How’s everyone doing? I have much more strength & energy. One incision is still very painful when I move certain ways. Like a searing heat through the stomach. Yikes! Other than that I’m doing well tolerating my puréed/mushed food & getting all fluids. I do need to focus more on water though. I do better when I carry around a cup of ice & slowly munch throughout the day. I’m 16 days post op & down 18lbs. My doctor was happy when he saw me at 1 week post op & I was down 10. Hope everyone else is doing very well also. What are y’all eating? I wish protein was available in pill form!

@kelly jojo First few weeks, we are usually bloated. After surgery I gained over 10 lbs due to the IV. Your body is healing and adjusting. I was told not to take my weight too seriously until I was fully healed (6 to 8 weeks). Try to be patient and stick to your program. 3 lbs a week is actually good at your weight (10.5k calories less), that's 12 lbs in a month if continues at that rate. If losing 3 lbs a week is upsetting then beware of the infamous 3-week stall where you may not lose anything for a few weeks.

I've known a few long-time post-ops who've done that. The ones I knew didn't eat anything until 10:00 a.m. (or noon - some people waited until noon). So I guess that would be the 16/8 plan? (I'm not super familiar with IF, other than the version where you eat within a certain window).

5'7 and 210lb. You are great honestly right there. Yes a little overweight. But i am 5'4 and 205lb and i am so happy at this point tho i would love to loose a little more. Eat healthy and exercise. As for the surgery... you could always pay for it yourself. as many of us have who insurance wont cover it. Yes its expensive. Many on a budget end up going to mexico to have their surgery. Its about half the cost if not cheaper there. My surgery i paid around 20 grand for it. But in Mexico it would have been less than 10. I didnt do it because i just wanted to be near my home after surgery. Also maybe getting a sleep study done. You may have sleep apnea??? That is one qualifying way to get approved for surgery once you get your BMI just a little higher.