Search the Community

I went with the bypass as bypass patients tend to lose more weight as well as suffer less from GERD. I did not want to develop reflux and have to go through a revision if I could avoid it. I'm very happy with my decision, I only had about 100 lbs to lose and am already more than 2/3 of the way to my goal 5 months in.

Hi Joe! My surgery is in 4 days. I am 5'6" and at my highest weight, I was 250 pounds, which gave me a BMI of 40.3. Since starting the nutrition program and pre-op liquid diet, I am down to 228 pounds, so a BMI of 36.8. I have high blood pressure, prediabetes, and high cholesterol. Like you, I've dieted countless times. In fact, I was enrolled in the nonsurgical program at my hospital for 7 years, starting when I was 42. I found it relatively easy to lose up to about 15% of my total body weight, around 40 lbs, by counting calories, exercising religiously, and not letting my guard down for a minute. After that, I would stall. Then the weight would creep back up. My doctor would prescribe meds (including Wegovy for a while, but it's too expensive for longterm use for me), and I'd lose 10 pounds. Then I would stall, followed by regain. Or the nutritionist would suggest a new approach, and I would lose a few pounds again, followed by regain. A little more each time. After 7 years of trying, I was back to my highest weight ever. I feel like I wasted a whole lot of time with nothing to show for it. And now I'm nearly 50. My blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol all have gotten worse. My feet hurt. My joints ache. I feel older than I am, and I don't want to be old before my time. I know from reading the latest studies in weight loss science that my chance of long term success in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight without the metabolic reset of bariatric surgery is around 5%. I'm fortunate because I've seen my brother go through sleeve surgery 15 years ago. He lost a huge amount of weight (about half his body weight) and though he has regained a fair amount of that, it's nowhere near where he used to be. His appetite is now what I would call the smaller side of normal. Nobody looks at him having dinner and would guess he had surgery. So I know that the most drastic parts of this (like a liquid diet!) are phases you have to get through to get somewhere better. I feel nervous, too. I've never had surgery. I worry about complications. I'm hardly ever sick, so I sometimes think what if I'm trading decent health for problems? But realistically, problems are in my future. I've seen it in countless family members. The writing is on the wall. And the surgery is very safe. So for me, the risk is worth it. I've tried on my own long enough to know it isn't going to happen for me without this. And a BMI of 40 might not be as big as some people, but it's big enough to rob me of good health in my future. I really hope this helps at least give you some things to think about to help you make your decision. Wishing you all the best!

I believe in my heart I may be the only one doing this to myself...or even able to muster up the courage to talk publicly about it. I'm not getting my protein in. I'm not getting my water in. I haven't been taking my vitamins. I haven't been to the gym in over 2 weeks. I eat what I want, to the point of making myself puke with intolerable food. I gave up. I drink alcohol. I'm lazy. NO i'm not looking for pity, i'm genuinely curious to know if anyone else is or has been in my shoes.. I'm almost 5 months post-op, down 40+ pounds. Losing 1-2lbs per week SOMEHOW. If you've been here, how did you get out of this fog? I'm petrified to address this with my doctor in fear of being judged. I'm in the closet with all this. Scared/anxious i'll just regain my weight over the next year. I feel im in concrete and have ABSOLUTELY NO motivation to change habits very disappointed in myself. Disgusted really. Recently went to a gathering and seen myself in pictures and I am way bigger than i thought i was. im just all over the crazy table!

I am not open about my surgery. Very few choice people know that I have gotten done. When they ask how I lost weight I say, I am sticking to a lower carb diet, cut out alcohol and am walking for 30min 5x a week. This is all true so technically I am not lying lol If they ask why I have lost so much, I just tell them well because my family all have health issues so I want to take control before that happens to me. Usually works. I get compliments and when people ask "Have you lost weight?" I just smile and say ya a little. I just make it light and don't make a big deal about it. This is my journey no one elses.

I haven't checked in in a while. I got super busy with haunt season starting and getting into the groove of working weekends. So far, everything has been going well. I haven't had any dumping, overeating, etc. I'm on regular diet now with a daily goal of 64oz of protein but I blow through that and usually hit over 100. I am still supplementing with a Fairlife either for breakfast or a snack before going to the gym. Last night was my first time eating out out (I've done Sunday breakfast but it's always an egg). We went to BJs and it's crazy how hyperaware you become of portions. In the past, we would get an app, entree, and dessert. My kids are having "sympathy pains" and have started eating smaller portions so we only got entrees. In the past, I would have gotten a burger or sandwich with fries and eaten the whole thing. I ended up getting a chicken breast dish and brought enough home to have lunch for the next two days. The weight loss has been up and down since I weigh daily right now. I won't say I've stalled because if I just looked at my Monday entries, it shows a consistent loss. This week is the first week that people have noticed and I can see a difference when I look in the mirror. I donated almost half my closet of size 18/20 items that were just too big. I'm in a size 16, almost a 14 and I went from a 2XL shirt to a large.

I am 4.5 months out, still early but lost the weight very fast and kept changing my goal weight, here is what I noticed: - I feel cold ALL THE TIME - My butt hurts when sitting down, because all the fat is gone - My whole life being athletic, I had an hourglass figure even when overweight the past few years, now I'm linear 🤣 - I am much much weaker to the point of struggling to lift my skinny 5 year old (weighing 16 Kgs) off the ground, I can't open water bottles, jars or even the protein chips bag (which is pretty tough to crack if I say so myself) - I have this weird type of digging pain under the right side of my rib cage, feels like something used to be there and now it's hollow and it's uncomfortable, it's weird I can't even explain it - My period pains have decreased significantly and my cycles went from 35 days to 28 days, go figure Ha! - My boobs remain perky thank goodness, but can't say the same about my rear as mentioned - My hair is falling like crazy, which freaks me out because it's not something I ever experienced, even postpartum - My body hair growth has slowed down drastically - My voice is softer (it's weird but I swear it's true) If any other weird phenomenon's come to mind, I will be sure to come back

Your feelings are valid @Nan CC, surgery is stressful and the idea that we have done so much for so little loss in the beginning is discouraging and depressing!! I have some thoughts to share about your experiences... 1. That hunger you are experiencing is normal. It doesn't go away for everyone. I woke up in the recovery room ravenous which pissed me off because all they kept saying is I wouldn't be hungry! And I ended up more hungry than I'd been in years!! The first two months I was hungry all the time. True hunger. I think it is because the body is panicking and trying to figure out what is going on. Plus we've been lied to, that growling sound is often not hunger, but just our system digesting and moving air and fluid through our system. After surgery our internal digestive process sounds louder to us for some reason. Maybe because we are paying more attention?? I don't know. But I had true hunger constantly. One thing that will help this is a PPI (proton pump inhibitor). Our tiny tummies are still making enough acid for a normal tummy and that can irritate it as it heals. That gnawing hunger can often come from this and gets worse at night... 2. No, you aren't supposed to automatically feel full with 1/4 cup of food. A lot do, but not all by any means. The reason for this primarily is because all the nerves that communicate fullness to us were cut during surgery. It takes at least 3 full months for those to heal enough to accurately communicate again. The 1/4 cup portion size is to keep you from inadvertently overeating and stressing your healing stomach. At about 8-10 weeks you may notice you can eat more, that's because the internal swelling has gone down. By then you should be able to start gauging your fullness signals. They are often different post op and can look like sneezing, a congested or runny nose, hiccups, pressure in your breastbone, nausea, etc... By 3-4 months out you may be eating more like 1/3 to 1/2 cup of food at a time. Not everyone progresses that way, some have high restriction all the time and have to stick to smaller portions. But the key here is to start building that relationship of listening with your body and learning that the feeling of hunger does not mean you are starving. If you are eating 1/4 cup of food 5-6 times a day, you are getting enough nutrients for your stage in the process. As @AmberFLmentioned, I suggested Millie's sipping broths (you can get a sample pack of all the flavors on Amazon) they help a LOT when you want something, the warmth and savoriness can really soothe the extreme hunger until it balances out on its own. 3. Stalls are normal and can happen early and often. I lost about 15 lbs in the first 3 weeks and then proceeded to stall for 6 weeks and gain and lose the same 4 lbs!! I was horrified and really worried my surgery wasn't going to work. I lose weight VERY slowly, my body is resistant to losing, and I have diabetes and such like you, which I think makes losing hard too. This stall was normal, even though it didn't feel normal. DS patients are known for losing dramatic amounts of weight and my surgery weight was 307, there was no good reason for the stall. But my body needed to take a break and recalibrate and heal, so it did. Finally after those 6 weeks I SLOWLY started losing again. Then at the beginning of February the weight loss finally started to pick up! A lot of people lose a ton at the beginning, I didn't. Apparently my body needed 3 months before it felt safe to start dropping weight steadily... All you can do is get good movement, good sleep (sleep is crucial to weight loss), good hydration, eat every few hours, and stay off the scale for a bit...it will break when it is ready to. 4. Hunger does eventually return to normal, or whatever is normal for you... I'm almost 4 months out and mine is back to what is normal for me. I still have to eat every 3 hours, if I don't I feel drained and irritable and my weight loss slows... I drink plenty of fluids during the day, it helped with the hunger. I feel my fullness signals clearly now, I think all that healing is finally done. I just have to eat slow enough to allow those signals to get to my brain (it takes longer than you think!). Broths, milk, coffee, tea, flavored waters, all these will ease hunger pangs, but the best cure is time and learning to heal your relationship with your hunger so you can feel it and not feel stressed about it. The great thing about eating every 3 hours is the next meal is around the corner, so I can drink something and tell my system to wait until mealtime. This helps heal the insulin resistance too by allowing your body to go through the full insulin response cycle post meal. I'm sorry this feels so hard. I hope your stall breaks soon! And I hope it helps to know you are not alone. ❤️

I was given the all clear to restart eating solid food at my 6 week appointment yesterday. Hooray! I'm not hungry but I did miss variety in flavor and texture. Tonight I'm making a 15 bean soup because the weather is terrible and it sounded soothing. The doctor did say I'm losing weight at the low end of normal. I need to increase my exercise, which I definitely struggle with. I need to figure out a good way to incorporate exercise every day.

Hi everyone, I’m very new to forums, but it’s Nice to meet you all. I started this process back in February of this year, but I had been considering it for a while. my sister had the Gastric Sleeve, but my doctor wants me to get the Gastric Bypass, so that’s what I’m going to do. My starting weight was 266, i’m 5’3 with a BMI of 45… my doctor put my goal at 120.. fingers crossed. So insurance is covering it but I have a deductible. I have a surgery date of August 14, 2024. I’m currently on 2 week of the liquid diet. Today being the first day with absolutely no solid foods allowed. I had started preparing with purchasing toddler utensils and measured food containers, and a food scale. I stocked up on Ensure Max Protein, Unflavored protein powder, PB2 (no sugar added peanut butter powder), powdered banana and powdered freeze dried strawberries… all with no sugar added. I also bought Vanilla plant based protein powder. I blend a mixture of whatever flavor I want with 8 oz of skim milk or water. My routine is 2 ensures a day, then a powdered skim milk shake (in my ninja single blender) with whatever flavor, then I have 1 or 2 Progresso soup(s) for dinner (strained so I only get the broth)… the doctor said he didn’t care about the sodium only the sugar. If i need snacks, i drink 4oz of V8 juice original, or I have a sugar free chocolate pudding. i have been slowly buying and stocking baby food. I buy veggies and fruit and some mixed meals, but this is in preparation of the post-op puréed meal portion. I like to be prepared. I bought a 32oz water bottle on Amazon with that doesn’t have a straw (teaches me to sip). I know that I have to get through 2 of those a day minimum. I usually do pretty good. My biggest problem is that I don’t have the energy to get off my behind and use my Bowflex anymore. Sometimes I’ll do Beat saber for cardio but I’m just low on energy. Have to say low carb is rough and it gives me mild headaches every day. I’m worried that I’ll lose weight so fast that I won’t have time to protect the muscles I have because I don’t have the energy to work out. I’m now 6 days away from my surgery, I’m determined but nervous because the Bypass is a big change. I’m not a smoker, but to all of you out there quitting for this, kudos to you!! You can all do it if you set your mind to it.

@ChunkCatDANG GIRL! You look great! I'm so sorry you're struggling with POTS. That stinks, but it sounds like you've got a plan in place to help you manage until - 2025 (so ridiculous). I can't believe it's been almost 6 months already! I sometimes forget that I had it done (until I try to eat fast - LOL!). I'm down 77 pounds since my highest - 69 since the surgery. I still struggle with not being able to see the change (because I see my self every day), but occasionally I'll see a picture of me or see a reflection at a certain angle that makes me go... wait... a... minute! :) I'm down 2 jeans sizes (probably actually down 3 sizes because let's be honest, those 24s were STRETCHED to capacity! LOL!). I could get my 20s on a few weeks ago but I couldn't breathe, so there's that. I did go on a cruise week before last. That was interesting. I gave myself permission to eat whatever I wanted and I found that I'm now starting to naturally lean toward healthier/smarter choices. I only gained 2.2 pounds that week and it came off very quickly. The big news is that I've scheduled my knee surgeries!!! Getting one done in June, the other in October! I'm nervous because of the unknowns (pain after the surgery, rehab, not being able to drive, etc), but I'm more excited because I'm ready to have my life back! New body, new knees... I'm going to be unstoppable! Can't wait to hear how everyone else is doing!

Check with your dietician. We all have such different needs. From activity levels, whether you’re maintaining vs still losing, current weight, age, metabolic rates, to genetics, etc. I’m a little shorter than you, am almost 59, not very active, on the lower end of the BMI scale & I need around 1500/1600 calories to maintain. However, the actual total calories I consume a day aren’t important to me (never had to track) but I randomly check out of interest & people can better relate to number of calories. Portion size & the nutritional value & quality of what I eat is more important.

Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body more by making more changes. Stalls are when your body takes stock of your current needs & readjusts things like digestive hormones, etc. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. Also, your weight loss slows so much as you near your final weight (set point) it almost does feel like stalling. Consequently shifting the last pounds can be a b**ch. it’s because you’re eating much to what you’ll need to eat to maintain. Oh, & if you do cut your calories &/or increase your activity to lose more you’ll always have to eat less than you are now & do more to maintain the lower weight. Don’t give up yet though. You can keep losing vey slowly for months. I lost another 10kg over 12 months after reaching my goal.

Thank you for that. I have a really hard time dealing with the heat and of course my temp goes way up when I exercise since I’m so out of shape. But the extra weight makes it way worse so I have stayed away from exercise for years. Being absolutely drenched in sweat is pretty gross for a female (I’m talking like hair soaked like I went in a pool sweat) and it’s so embarrassing for me that all I will do is my treadmill at home but that is so boring it never sticks. i am really going to try to just push past it though and start around the neighborhood because I know it will get much better when I lose a bit and get more in shape. This lady at my in person support group walks like 5 miles a day and she suggested walking together. I think I need to start on my own for while but I know that it would be great for me to have someone to do it with so that’s the goal is to walk with her. For now. Hopefully the gym is in my future though. Weird Question, if your hair does get sweaty do you wash it with shampoo everyday or just rinse it with water really well or what. I have oily hair and it took sooooo long for me to get to the point that I could to every other day shampooing but when I was doing the treadmill everyday I was washing it daily and every hairdresser I have been to says it’s not good to wash it daily.

I eat fairly normal-sized meals and have for a long time. And by "normal" I don't mean the gargantuan amounts I ate before surgery - I mean the size of your average woman who eats more on the light side. No one could tell by what I eat that I've had RNY (like they could have my first few months post-op). If they even notice at all, they'd assume I'm just a light eater. I really don't eat any differently than most of my never-been-obese women friends who are watching their weight. example - if I go out for pizza, I can only handle 1-2 pieces (as opposed to the half a large pizza that I used to eat). At restaurants I'll often order something like soup and salad or an appetizer, but if I get an entree, I'll eat half of it and have them box the rest up. Pretty much the same as a lot of my women friends.

Congratulations on your surgery date. That’s a pretty long liquid diet but I guess it’s because you have a specific amount of weight they need you to lose. It will be well worth it because it will make your surgery that much safe plus be that much less you have to lose afterwards. I can’t suggest much for the wedding but When I did my sleeve I celebrated my birthday early because of the pre op diet. I guess you missed that window but you can celebrate late (a half birthday this year perhaps). But honestly one thing you will learn from this surgery is that we tend to celebrate things with food but there are many other ways to celebrate. You can take a weekend trip somewhere you’ve been wanting to go, spend a day at the spa or buy yourself something you have really been eyeballing. And you can have people around who will inevitably need to eat something but not have the day centered around food. Or you can schedule something between lunch and dinner and ask people to not bring food. It’s your day so you get to celebrate it how you want.

Has anyone had a sleeve who takes Abilify? My metabolism has virtually stopped since taking Abilify. I am going to be sleeved on 10/24 and can't wait. Please write and tell me of your weight loss experience since being sleeved while on Abilify.

Your surgeon is a bit off in his ratios. Weight loss rate is different for each surgery and for each person. I think the 3 month mark for most surgeries is closer to 30% though, not 50%. I've never heard that for 3 months, only for 6 months. Have you run your stats through this calculator? https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/accreditation-and-verification/metabolic-and-bariatric-surgery-accreditation-and-quality-improvement-program/riskbenefit-calculator/ That is the calculator many bariatric surgeons use to calculate their patient's trajectories. I feel like I'm behind because at about 3 months out I'm only down 40 lbs or so since surgery, but 53 lbs since my highest weight. So I used that calculator, starting with my highest weight, since that is what the surgeon would have used. Turns out I am right on the mark, as their PA told me a few weeks ago! Everyone around me is losing faster, but that doesn't matter. For my body and my health conditions I am apparently right on track. I found that really reassuring. Keep in mind that site only tells you what it expects you to lose in the first year. I thought malabsorbative surgeries like the DS or Bypass can keep losing up until the 18 month mark, though it is much slower loss at that point? I know DS patients can even lose up to the 2 year mark, though again, it is much slower. You usually lose the last 20%-25% much slower because the body is closer to its set point. I had a 6 week stall that started when I added solid food in. I kept gaining and losing the same few lbs. But someone told me to check my measurements, since usually when the scale stalls, our measurements go down. Sure enough, I was losing inches!! So I REALLY advocate people measure once a month and record it, the Baritastic app can even track it for you. It is really reassuring to see those inches lost when the scale has been acting like a d**k for weeks. LOL How are you doing now??

Oh I haven't had surgery yet. It's just with all this weight I just feel sluggish so I was hoping that with the shedding of weight there would be an increase in energy

Very normal. Weight loss is never a consistent straight downward line on a graph. It goes up & down. Zigs & zags. Some weeks you lose a lot. The next not so much & yes you will stall. Stalls are an important part of your weight loss. It’s the time your body takes to reassess your new current needs & then adjusts your digestive hormones & enzymes, metabolism, etc. accordingly. Weight loss puts a lot of stress on your body so think of this time as when your body closes the door, pulls the covers over its head until it is ready to face the world again. The stall will break when your body is ready. Don’t push it or force it to break & stress it more. Just let it ride it out.

Hello. I had a conversion from the gastric sleeve (2017) to the bypass on 1/8/24. I should start regular foods this week, however, I am at the pureed thin phase as once I incorporate foods with any weight or texture, such as oatmeal, scrambled eggs, finely blended chicken (not pureed), the food feels stuck in my esophagus and I am vomiting froth and mucous (not the food). Has anyone else experienced this? I have contacted my surgeon, seeing her Wednesday as she was on vacation last week, I have spoken with my dietitian and the center for weight loss and they believe that my esophagus is having spasms. Has anyone else experienced this? I have simply gone back to full liquids as I had no problems with that.

This is something that never stops. You have to watch what you eat, how much you eat, how often you eat. You have to move your body more. Prioritize protein first, then veggies, then carbs, then healthy fats. Fluid intake never stops. You have to get 64oz at least. Avoid the slider foods, avoid grazing. Cut the salt. And switch to sugar free and no sugar added sweets if you really can't stay away from them (I have never been a big sweets person. I'm not even a huge fan of chocolate). This is something I would thing your surgeon and nutritionist would have gone over with you before you had the surgery. This isn't a magic cure all. It's a tool to use to get your weight and health where it needs to be.

summerseeker is correct - many women of childbearing age experience an estrogen "flood" after surgery that can cause screwed up menstrual cycles and mood swings. It should settle back down to normal once your rate of weight loss slows down.

Anxiety is so normal, but don't let it get in the way of what will almost certainly be one of the best things you ever do for yourself. My suggestion over the next few days is to look at the thread of before and after photos to help remind yourself of why you're doing this. I had my surgery 6 months ago and a lot of my experience was similar to GreenTealael's, except I was given a sedative before being wheeled to the OR, and all I remember was being pushed toward the hallway. Next thing I knew, I was in my hospital room. The pain was very minimal and the nurses were so attentive. It turned out I had been in the OR for a lot longer than planned because of some scarring in my abdomen that caused a few minor complications, but I had no memory of that and it hasn't been a problem. I was in good hands the whole time. The first few weeks will be an adjustment, but after that, you'll start getting the hang of your new lifestyle. If you've canceled before only to be back 3 years later to do it, you know this is something you need. A year ago, I weighed over 250 lbs and could barely squeeze into a size 22. Today, I'm the lowest weight I've been in 30 years and I was actually able to put on a pair of my 12-year-old daughter's size medium pants (stretchy ones, but still...). It's an amazing feeling.

I’m really excited about the progress being made in pharmacology to manage obesity! This medication works well but is still generally considered a lifetime or long term treatment. Some can manage to keep the additional weight lost off with intensive lifestyle changes. However its so new there is much data on this for our population. Check out Dr. Weiner, he covers the topic extensively on his podcast and has additional info on his website. https://youtu.be/eu6Zt0LTg14?si=_rPWlf8DlrhGh3u6 https://www.poundofcureweightloss.com/glp1-medications/ Please connect with a Bariatric/weight management team that supports this. Unless you are T2D, you’ll likely be prescribed Zepbound. Make sure to check your insurance coverage and download the coupons. https://zepbound.lilly.com/coverage-savings

I totally understand this. It's not a bad thing AT ALL to step away from the scales if they aren't helping you. Honestly - if you stick to your plan you will lose more weight than you have already - much more. The issue is that the loss is never linear. If you get stressed by stalls and regains then maybe weigh yourself once a month and celebrate your losses then. I was and am a daily weigher but I could tolerate the highs and lows associated with that. Yes - the food volumes we can tolerate increase in the months and years after surgery. If you focus on a diet of protein and veggies you're not likely to go too far wrong.