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From what I understand if you actually have low B12 then the shots make a significant difference in energy levels. I have a friend that gets them and when she doesn’t have anyone to do the injection and runs low she really notices it in her energy levels. I haven’t heard her mention any effect on weight but she is thin so I don’t know if she would notice a couple pounds one way or another (she’s not like us on the scale everyday).

One thing that helped motivate me to get started with at least 15 minutes a day was the physicians assistant said at one of my support group meetings before my surgery that just exercising 90 minutes a week which you can spread out over six days at 15 minutes each (which is 25 when you include your warm-up and cool down if it’s more than walking) But just that decreases your risk of “all-cause mortality” by 15%. The PA and surgeon agreed that no surgery, no pill, nothing else they can prescribe you is going to have such a phenomenal impact So exercise is pretty darn beneficial. I mean, I know for myself I was scared of a 2% risk of complications from the surgery that may or may not even actually kill me, but they’re giving me a 15% decrease of chances of mortality, that’s pretty huge just to dedicate less than a half hour of your day to walking around a little bit. And a brisk walk is all it takes for me to achieve the heart rate they’re speaking about because it doesn’t have to be full on high intensity, just raising it a bit. I’m not sure if it will be as profound for you but I heard that before my surgery and six weeks later it’s still ringing around in my mind as I’m exercising. I’m thinking wow you know weight loss aside, this is really a good thing that I’m doing for my health. After I got started, though I wanted to do more and more, but my goal is to do my 15 minutes, no matter what and that is my only expectation for myself at this point.

After the vitamin infused IV yesterday I do feel better. However, the health professional administering the IV said I was dehydrated. Which seems weird, at that point in the day I already had 64 ounces of water along with 12 oz Gatorade zero. Typically I get 72 -80 ounces by the end of the day. Fluids haven't been an issue for me. I'm sending a message to my doctor to see if there could be an issue absorbing fluids. I've never heard of that, but it seems weird im drinking so much water and still deemed dehydrated. Could be a reason for the slow weight loss maybe.

I started having back pain after losing 50+ pounds and it lasted a couple months. In my case I started going to a chiropractor for adjustments. I was told as I lost weight, everything shifts and needs to be realigned. My body was used to carrying around over 300 pounds so it stands to reason that my back, hips etc would be out of whack. I also had shooting pains down both legs when I did my daily 2-3 mile walks. It scared me. My chiro worked on those as well. Pinched nerves from being overweight and sedentary sitting. I was waking them up with exercise. I pushed through it all and after about 3 months of adjustments and additional weight loss, my pain is gone. All of it. You mentioned having physical therapy. Not sure if that included any chiropractic help but it might be worth a try. It sure helped me and hoping the same for you.

Thank you guys! I am having a tummy tuck and skinny bbl! I dont want to lose anymore weight at this point, but rather get rid of the loose skin on my stomach and perhaps lift up the backside/eliminate some sag there. I go wednesday, so Im starting to get a little anxious about it—i know it will be fine, but am not looking forward to being in recovery for a while. Any advice or tips appreciated.

I had GERD before surgery (which is why I went with bypass). I was a slow loser, but I never attributed that to GERD. Plus my GERD disappeared after my surgery, so it wouldn't have been a factor in my rate of weight loss regardless. How fast or slow you use usually depends on age, gender, starting weight, how muscular you are, whether or not you lost a lot of weight prior to surgery, how active you are, how closely you stick to your plan, and your metabolism rate (I may be leaving a couple of things out).

Don't take me wrong, I'll take any weight loss as good. That's what I was trying to convey as long as its going down its a win..am I happy I'm one of the slower losers, no, but its still a loss! Hence the "(sigh) slow or not..its a downward trend. 😀" Thanks Arabesque for the words of encouragement none the less! 😃

Expansion on the use of Semaglutide: “The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, which has helped millions of Americans shed pounds, can now be used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or who have obesity, federal regulators said Friday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label change requested by drugmaker Novo Nordisk that expands the use of semaglutide. The decision was based on the results of a study that found that Wegovy cut the risk of serious heart problems — including heart attack, stroke and heart-related deaths. Higher-weight patients with heart disease but not diabetes were 20% less likely to experience those problems compared with patients who took placebo, or dummy shots, the study found.” https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237133257/fda-approves-wegovy-heart-attack-stroke-risk#:~:text=Hourly News-,Wegovy approved to lessen heart attack%2C stroke risk in overweight,have obesity%2C the FDA said.

This is true on body types, but snacks are what encourage grazing and not eating properly at meals. My 'snack' if you want to call it that are cucumber, broccoli, or at most a measured portion of 2 ounces or less of chicken/turkey/low fat, low carb fish. That's it. Bananas are high carb. I had suggested the weight/measure of food and drinks earlier. That's a hidden way of getting in calories. Total agreement on greens. Fiber ditto that also. Fruit we are warned on, we can have an ounce now (7 months out) but that's it. 2x a day, 2 ounces and only low calorie like berry type of things. The program is pretty tight but very very successful.

Thank you It's frustrating because for nearly 26 years, all I wanted in the world was to be thin an healthy again. And now that I am, I'm complaining because I'm too thin. But I'm getting a lot of comments about looking sickly and boney and too skinny. And I agree. I can see and feel my bones sticking out. My husband and kids hug me and they feel my bones and tell me I feel like I'm gonna break if they squeeze me because I feel fragile now. I look like I'm losing muscle, and frankly, I feel really weak compared to how I use to feel. I have permanent circles under my eyes. My hands and feet are boney and veiny and my skin literally hangs off my body, including my face. I'm always tired, even though I get plenty of sleep. And my clothes and rings literally hang off me. Nothing fits at all. I'm always hungry, no matter how much I eat, no matter how often I eat, and no matter WHAT I eat. I'm just praying that things start to even out soon. This is a really slippery slope, and I could find myself in disordered eating territory really easily since I only seem to hold on to weight when I restrict my eating. I don't want to get into doing that and have that become my new norm.

Literally me lol I thought it was just big because I was so fat. Turns out, I have 3 EXTREMELY large uterine fibroids that I knew nothing about (found accidentally on a CT when testing for something completely different) and they are making me stomach the size of someone who is 5 months pregnant. I'm having a total hysterectomy on May 7th to take care of it. The part of your stomach hanging down is likely from being so overweight, and as you lose more weight, it'll get worse due to loose and stretched out skin. Honestly, there's not much you can do for that outside of surgery. I tuck it into my underwear and it's good to go lol

Oh yes, way off the mark. You’re not in maintenance yet. You’re in a weight loss stage if I read your post correctly. You have every right to ask for the details, guidelines recommendations around your food intake & options, macros, calories, & whatever else you need to make you feel comfortable & confident about what you are doing. They are supposed to be there to help you & provide you with the depth of information you need to be successful regardless of current thinking or their own beliefs. It’s then up to you how you use that information - a guide or rule. Plus you have to work out what you (your body) needs to function best & most effectively. While some plans recommend getting your calories up, it seems to begin after you are on more solid food so 2+ months. From puree I was advised to eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food, slowly increasing to about a cup at 6 months. I was a bare cup & maybe 900 calories at my goal at 6 months. Ate about 1200 at my lowest weight (48.2kg at 18 months) & maintain 48.5/49kg consuming about 1600 calories. My portions only became about what is considered a recommended portion size around the 2 year + mark (3-4ozs protein & 3/4 cup vegetables). Oh & I didn’t have another shake after the liquid stage either. But that’s me & what worked/s for me. You could be totally different. To me a snack is generally a couple of bites. My snacks can be a level teaspoon of peanut paste, 1/2 a protein bar, 8 grapes, 1/2 a small apple, a stick of string cheese, about 6 macadamias to give you an idea. I used to eat a tub of 20g protein yoghurt over an hour as a snack too. As @catwoman7 said we all have different caloric & nutritional needs. Age, gender, general health, weight, height, metabolism, activity levels, etc. all factor in. And yes, if you want to lose more you will have to eat less than you are eating now & you’d have to eat less to maintain the lower weight than you would to maintain a higher weight.

I didn't have a 3-week stall but I did gain around 10 lbs due to IVs right after surgery, and it took awhile for that to come off. My weight loss pattern is/was like steps, my body likes to hold on to the weight, then drops, hold on to the weight, then drops.

You have done really well with your weight loss and I understand your worry of messing up. I do too, which is why I calorie and protein count every little morsel that passes my lips. I still struggle to eat enough protein Your meal looks fine portion wise but it looks to me like you have lots of oily dressing on the salad, but I am a million miles away and wear very thick varifocals. If you are in maintenance , this seems fine to me.

Hi Summer! Thank you for the hugs, I really appreciate it. Thank you for the reassurance, I will obviously keep trying my best, and know that it will end in 25 days. Thank you for sharing your experience, I think you're right. It feels a bit resentful towards the people around you. I hate that most people don't go through this. I hate that my partner can eat what he wants and gain nothing. I hate the fact I have to do this for 4 weeks. But it will help in the long run of course. It's crazy that you lost 15 pounds from the diet though! Those are some fantastic tips, thank you so much! Do you just have the sugar-free jellies when you just need a cheeky pick me up? I will see how I get on this week and then contact them for advice if I'm really struggling still. Thank you 🙂

Hi everyone! I'm scheduled for August 13, RNY. I started at 361 lbs. and joined a weight-loss clinic 18 months ago, where they put me on something similar to the LSD. I lost about 80 lbs. and then my body decided my set point was around 270, so surgery is next. I've been trolling this site for quite a while, even when I was wondering if I should get the surgery in the first place. To prepare, I've been experimenting with the recipes that people post, and trying various products/shakes/vitamins that have been recommended by this group and my local support group, to see what options I like. I've also been collecting items for post-surgery, like a magic bullet and small silverware, things from the list my surgical team gave me. I tend to over-prepare to cope with stress, and this is a biggie. I'm also trying to figure out what hobbies I can distract myself with post-op - any suggestions?

Actually most people lose closer to 25% - 30% of their weight in the first 3 months. You may not see half the weight gone until closer to 6 months. And the last chunk can take another 6 months or longer to come off, depending on your surgery, your activity level, your starting weight, your goal weight, etc... To put this in perspective for you, I started at 320 but my surgery weight was 306. My goal is 180-170 lbs. I've lost 28 lbs since surgery and 42 lbs since my highest weight. I'm 2 months post op. I've been losing the same 2-4 lbs for the past month. I'm losing slower than a lot of other people, but I am still on track. I've lost at least 25% of my weight and I still have a month to go before the 3 month mark. So I am trying to just be consistent with my protein, consistent with hydration, consistent with activity and consistent with sleep. These 4 things are the most impactful things for weight loss. Percentages matter more than the numbers themselves. And I finally measured myself and have lost 26 inches since surgery!! Big progress. even if others are going faster than me.

Our bodies tend to retain fluids when rapid weight loss occurs, and can hang on to it for a few weeks until it knows everything is ok, and it can resume with the weight loss. Any IV's can also add to the fluid retention you're currently experiencing, which makes it easy to gain for a week or so, but its just water/fluids, and not fat, which is what you really want to lose. You can still be burning away the fat during this phase despite the scale saying otherwise. Also as you go further on your weight loss journey, you'll gain more muscle mass from working out more, and muscle is roughly 1.5x the weight of fat. So if you're doing significantly more walking and/or lifting weights, that will offset the scale losses, but you're becoming much healthier in the process.

If you were going to die, it wouldn't be "borderline". 😊 And it's worth noting that weight loss surgery tends to raise these levels for the first week after surgery. So that test is not definitive.

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part for me has been being able to do things I enjoy again. There were several things that I either couldn’t do or didn’t want to do because of my weight and now after losing so much weight I have been able to start doing most of those things again. For example, I love going to sporting events, but I had stopped going because I didn’t fit comfortably in many chairs at stadiums. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t have any complications with the surgery (I had the bypass). Really my only complaint about the entire process was the gas pain following surgery. I was told by my doctor I may have some pain in my chest after the surgery, but it was way worse than I was expecting. But it only lasted for a few hours and after that everything went smoothly. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) after your surgery? Not really. My surgeon did notice an umbilical hernia while doing my surgery but decided it would be better to get that fixed after I lost some weight, so I had another surgery for that 9 months later. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Easier than I expected actually. I think it helps that I live alone right now so I have quite a bit of control over my environment. Like if I had a roommate who ordered pizza a lot, I think I would have a lot harder time eating healthier, but since I live alone I am able to control what food I am around for the most part. Probably the hardest part for me has been making sure I get enough fluids. I have always drank a lot with my meals and now I can’t do that anymore, so I’ve had to learn to drink throughout the day. I am finally doing better with that but I felt like I was constantly dehydrated for several months after the surgery. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? Not very long. The toughest part was remembering not to eat too fast or take too big of bites. During the first couple of weeks especially it does not take long until you will feel full and even just one too many bites can make you very uncomfortable for a while. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? The short answer is no. I have not found any food that I can’t tolerate, but there are foods I choose not to eat anymore. The only issue I had was with rice, and I think that was just because I ate a little too much. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? My recovery was not bad at all. Like I mentioned earlier, the gas pain was the worst part, but after that really the only pain I had was in my abdomen when I got out of bed or the recliner. I vomited a few times when I was learning to eat again but all of those were from just eating a little too much I think. Recently I’ve discovered I get low blood sugar really easily (and I’m not diabetic). I actually just talked with my nutritionist about this earlier today. I don’t have sugary foods too often, but I’ve found that if I have too much sugar all at once, I will get low blood sugar a few hours later. This never happened to me before my surgery. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? Just a few days. My surgery was on a Monday and I remember thinking I probably could have gone back to work that Thursday if I had needed to (my job is not physical at all though- I work at a desk most of the day). The toughest part was energy level. I returned to work one week after surgery but I was only able to work half days for a couple of days. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? Yes, I have way more energy than I used to. I used to have to force myself to work out a few days a week, now I don’t like going even one day without some form of exercise. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I think it has. It has helped my mental health in some ways, like being able to do more of the things I enjoy has helped with my depression, but I have also found I am struggling with stress and anxiety more than I used to. I think at least part of the reason for that is that I used to cope with stress and anxiety by eating and I can’t do that anymore, at least not the way I used to. Also I should add that there was a part of me that thought that all of my problems (including my mental health issues) would magically go away once I lost weight. My mental health has definitely improved since I lost weight, but it is still something I am struggling with. I started seeing a therapist a few months ago and I believe that is helping me out a lot. 11. Do you regret it? Do you recommend it? I have not regretted it for a second. I was relatively young when I had the surgery (I was 32) and a part of me felt like I didn’t need the surgery, like I thought I was still young enough I could lose weight without surgery, but looking back on it I am glad I didn’t wait. I had a number of minor health problems that were all slowly getting worse, and I realize now that it was good that I didn’t wait for them to get worse. I will add that I feel I am one of the lucky ones that has had basically no complications from the surgery and no food intolerances or dumping. I know not everyone has had as easy of an experience following the surgery as I have.

I was one of those "model patient" presenters at my clinic for the three years before COVID! I loved doing that! I had a partner - a VSG patient (I was RNY). I'd had a stricture at four weeks out - she never had any complications. I'm hoping we didn't sound too "vanilla" - but neither one of us had any issues (other than my stricture - which is a mild issue and very easily fixed). We were both super happy with our surgeries and both lost a ton of weight (she lost 100 lbs, I lost over 200). Although I think people found us entertaining (we were quite a pair!) and most groups asked us lots of questions. We always told the groups about the three-week stall (since it happens to almost everyone, and very few clinics mention it to their patients, so people freak out when it happens to them). Also told them about how we ate a month out, a few months out, a year out (our clinic's plan wasn't low-carb, like many of them are - it was balanced - although even given that, the typical eating YOUR presenter does sounds carb-heavy even to me). We mentioned how we typically eat when we're at a restaurant. Talked about the extra skin (my partner even lifted her shirt to show them her extra skin). Also talked about our experience with hair loss (since extra skin and hair loss are huge concerns among pre-ops). Also talked about constipation (we both have chronic constipation) and how we deal with it. And how we dress to "hide" all the extra skin (although I've since had mine removed). We always mentioned how most people lose their interest in food and hunger for several months after surgery, and how they should milk that for everything it's worth since it's way easier to lose weight when you don't give a flip about food. Basically stuff they likely would not have picked up during the classes they had with dietitian and the health psychologist. when I went through the classes in 2015, the presenter was kind of underwhelming, like yours. I'm sure he would have answered some of the questions we addressed when we were presenters, but he didn't, and the "students" wouldn't necessarily know enough at that point to even know what to ask. Shelli and I decide early on to talk about the issues they SHOULD ask about, but wouldn't know to. P.S. now I'm sitting her wishing I was still doing that - it was great fun! But COVID hit, so everything went online, and they didn't have the "model patient" class. Since everything is in person again, they may have some people doing it, but the two of us are pretty far out now (nine years), so they may have gotten people who had their surgeries just a year or two ago.

hiya! i remember you from a post about a year ago I remember you were concerned about the number on the scale back then and were resolved to take measurements vs weighing since you are a body builder...did you end up keeping records? you didn't mention in this post what your current weight is, but at 5'6" (assuming age 25 and weight of 266lbs) your current calorie intake is well below your BMR, even if you sat on your couch the entire day...which you aren't. so if your calorie count is indeed accurate, its not an issue with your intake. besides the number on the scale, how do you FEEL? joints better? sleep better? move better? less winded? off any meds? pull out the measuring tape and compare from your measurements last year...like a poster suggested a year ago, as a body builder, the tape will tell you the truth more than the scale will. have you taken pics of yourself this past year? can you see a diff? i know its difficult, but really try not to go down any shame spirals, stress is not a friend of health and weight loss. ask your team for advice and guidance during your appt next week. good luck! ❤️

I would agree that it's possible you just need to allow yourself more calories considering your rapid weight loss. Congratulations on your success!

I'm actually amazed. Lost 90 lbs, down to fighting weight based on weigh-in at gym using one of those machines that measures body fat + weigh- in at doctor's with clothes on a day later. Went from 40 waist to 33 (American size), can now fit into clothes I could not wear for quite a while, work out 4 times a week at a serious gym, most sessions with a highly experienced trainer. I haven't done one sit up yet- it's about balance, step up, step down, with kettle bell, 12 reps, 5 sets, squats with a dumbbell, 12 reps, 5 sets, then next exercise, etc. I do my warm up 1/2 hour in advance of the trainer session so I don't waste time--it's all exercise when I work with the trainer. I drink a 30 gram protein drink before and another after, so I'm finally building some muscle on what is now a diminutive appearing frame. I can't quite press my body weight yet, but I will. I have long hair for a guy, and yeah, it was coming out when washing it (not every day, more like every 4 days unless I get sweaty) but that seems to have finally stopped. I have no cravings for foods that I cannot have because I get sick if I eat a slice of pizza with toppings or eat more indigestible foods. So I just stay away from them. I have developed a fondness for medium rare lamb chops and roasted potatoes with rosemary salt. My wife is a good cook but we still eat at restaurants and I'm careful. I found out that alcohol just doesn't work- a beer is too filling and carbonated, for some reason wine doesn't taste good; I'm a high proof whiskey man and it doesn't metabolize. I'm on my ass with far less than what I could normally consume, so I just stopped altogether. (Good because I have Barrett's and alcohol is inflammatory). Punchline- this surgery really turned me around. Trade-offs to be sure, but I feel so much better and look far younger. I can walk fast and not get winded as easily. I'm in my 70th year and don't look like a geezer-- more like a ruffian in rude health. I had targeted 185 as a goal weight and reached that but I still have a small roll of fat around my middle. I figure that I can continue to lose a little more given the surgery stats, and tighten up my core as my work-out regime continues. I'm gonna start swimming this summer-- where I am in Texas it is 3 months of summer and 9 months of hell. Hell is just starting here. The really hardcore stuff is pilates. I used to do that with a women's class and they kicked my butt. I'm planning to advance to that as well. I think the "whole picture" outlook is optimal for me- I don't check the scale at home, I do my thing and get routine blood work done. Though I have a few health issues which come with age, I'm in pretty decent shape now, physically and mentally. Thanks to all you kind folks for your advice and support.