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Vulnerable post!! Down 51lbs from starting weight… 2 months since surgery. To be honest there are some days I don’t see it, but I sure do feel it! People around are starting to notice as well. I’ve been a little depressed lately, but I don’t think that has anything to do with the weight loss. Just seasonal depression. Bring back blue sky’s and sunshine!! Hope everyone is doing well, feeling successful and has no regrets!! You got this!!

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.

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

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.

Hi there! I just had my surgery last Monday on February 19th! I am on day 8, and honestly, im starting to feel almost back to normal! Struggling with the fact that I can't eat anything other than soup and pudding despite being so so hungry. Everything has been going down really good. I have had no issues getting in protein. I have 3 premier protein shakes a day, which equals to 90g of protein. I just wish I could eat soft foods like mashed potato and eggs. But my nurse practitioner wants me to stay on the liquid diet for another 3 weeks. YEAH RIGHT, hahah im going to be introducing some foods next week I think. I can't wait any longer. I am so hungry! I hope you have a speedy recovery from surgery! If you need any advice or have any questions, I am always here for you! Heaviest Weight: 376 - April 2023 Weight on day of surgery: 291 - February 2024 Total lbs lost before surgery: 85 lbs Current weight (1 week after surgery): 280 Total lbs lost since April: 96 lbs Im so close to meeting my 100 lbs down goal!!

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.

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.

Thank you all! I've been doing one for breakfast typically as I was under in calorie goal and it had been stalling me. I've actually finally started dropping weight again. I'm typically hitting 1100-1300 now and am doing one protein shake and one to two meals consisting of a protein (steak, chicken, or eggs) and vegetables and sometimes more carbs (1/2 bagel).

Yep, stalls are a very normal & common part of weight loss. In fact they’re important. Your body shuts down to reassess your needs based on your changing weight & alters digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. It will take the time it needs. Don’t stress it more by making more changes to your diet or activity above your plan. They can be frustrating but you really just have to ride it out. Yes, to only waiting 30 minutes before & after eating to drink too. Check with your team about collagen. While it does contain protein it is not a complete protein as it doesn’t include all the necessary amino acids so usually can’t be counted towards your goal. I believe there is a collagen powder which has added the missing amino acids but I can’t recall the brand. Use unflavoured protein powder instead to add to soups, shakes, porridge, etc. All the best.

@BlueParis beautiful pics. I don’t read the forum everyday so I’m late to the party but I’m so glad you discovered that your anemic (that was going to be my guess) and hope your Iron treatment mitigates your symptoms some. Like @Noelle74 and @RonHall908, I personally am a hotbox; however, IF I get cold, for me, I warm up super fast if I put my Uggs on and get my feet warm. That probably wouldn’t work great for you with business attire but 🤷🏼‍♀️. Congrats on ev1’s weight-loss, I think we’re all doing great! @NickelChip What percentage do you use of your original weight to get your goal out of curiosity? I can’t remember what my MD uses and like several of y’all my goal on my ticker is just something I stuck in there. Sorry for the longer post again but I just wanted to vent/complain/cry to y’all. I won’t go into great detail cause then I’d have to write a novel, but as of right now my insurance is denying my surgery claim and it’s giving me the worst anxiety! Our health ins. Changed less than 1 month before my surgery and now it’s causing issues apparently. I’m just hoping it gets worked out soon, so I can stop worrying about it. I am definitely a stress eater and I’m a lifelong smoker (I quit smoking in January due to having this surgery, but it’s one of my unhealthy stress relievers that I no longer have), so needless to say at this point I’d love to eat a container of ice cream and buy some cigarettes! Oh and this is also making me have to cancel my nutrition appts cause they aren’t wanting to pay for those either ( although I’ve at least pretty much have that aspect under control for now, it’s just a bummer!) 😩

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.

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! 😃

I'm definitely not someone who sews. My mom use to, but she lives in Florida (I'm in Colorado) and her arthritis has gotten bad and she hasn't sewn in years. I honestly wouldn't complain about something like this anywhere but here because absolutely NOBODY else can relate. I keep hearing "but you were so heavy before, I would think you'd be ecstatic now!!" and I alternate between wanting to look around on the floor to see if I can find their brains that must have fallen out of their head and wanting to smack the ever loving daylights out of them. The AUDACITY to say that...to my face!!! I'm hoping I can either find someone who wants to trade scrubs or someone wants to buy mine. I'm so thankful and grateful that I'm healthy and have lost so much weight. I honestly am. I just want my body to settle on a set point and stay there lol I absolutely DO NOT want to go lower than a Large right now, because I was already told I'll likely go down a size after my skin surgeries. If any of TPTB (The Powers That Be) are up there listening...PLEASE let me be good to go now lol I'm extra happy and grateful and thankful, and as my 3 year old granddaughter would say "I all dooooooone now" lol Please and thank you!!!! 🤣😁

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.

thank you! One of the surgeons that works in the weight management department of the clinic that I am going to is also a special is in esophageal procedures and studies. I think i see him on friday.

@draikaina8503 wow, sounds like you are doing really well. Make sure that you give info that fatigue and get your rest though, you recover best while your resting. Yes, The no straw thing is for life with my team. There are a very small few it seems that make this only for like 6 months or a year but MOST seem to have that rule due life. Thanks for the direction of eating new foods. I already had a few today but thankfully so far I’m still good. I think I will do it your way from now on though. It will work out well because of course I have lots of leftovers from all I made today. I totally forgot about the recipes on Baritastic. I have the app too to track food and stuff. I just checked the soft foods and that cauliflower purée sounds good. Not sure about the heavy cream though. I think that may be bad witb the no gallbladder thing. I think that has a lot of fat. I will have to ask. Or maybe just try it with like 1/2 cream and half 1%! Is that like making whole milk. 😆 Anyways, for anyone who is looking for a way to track progress I second that app. It tracks measurement and weight as well as exercise and water too. And it’s nice that it lets you scan food and create meals to add things easier once you have used it for a while. And it’s free so worth a try.

Hey Karen. There are two doctors in that area that are highly recommended in my DS group. Doctors who are skilled enough to do a DS usually also do various complex revisional surgeries. I wouldn't consider yours a revision so much as a repair, as you aren't looking to change surgeries for significant further weight loss. I wouldn't hesitate to see either of these men for an opinion. You are very lucky to live where you do, it is hard to find surgeons with this much skill! https://www.ultimatebariatrics.com/jayroberts Dr. Roberts does revisions and his patients seem to love him! https://weightlosssurgeon.com/drway/ Dr. Ayoola is by all accounts an incredible surgeon and his patients seem to love him too.

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 owned a home scale, but for the first 18 months or so I was too large for it. I did have monthly follow-ups with my surgeon, so I weighed in there. At my follow-ups the topic of my weight / weight loss was never brought up unless I brought it up, since there were more important things to talk about. The things my Doc paid attention to were how I felt physically and mentally, if I was having any issues or concerns, did anything significant change. The things I also paid attention to was how my clothes fit, my stamina, was I happy. Once I could fit on the home scale I almost lived on it for a couple weeks, as the novelty of it was just too much. Then the novelty wore off. Since then I only weigh at medical appointments when they ask me to do it. One does not need a scale to succeed at weight loss. Home scales can be had pretty inexpensively, I see one on Amazon for $16. If it's a matter of dire circumstances I'm sure your Surgeon or PCP or any of your other medical professionals wouldn't mind if you stopped by for a weigh in. Most department stores that sell home scales would allow 'testing' the scale before you buy or don't buy. Good luck, Tek

Are you still in contact with your dietician? Might be worth a conversation with them to see if there’s something you’re missing & to get you back on track. Maybe track your food for a week or two as well if you don’t. Can be easy to get a bit complacent about portions, ingredients, etc. as time passes. You could take this data to the dietician too. Have you see your surgeon recently? PS: Can you provide a little more information: type of surgery, starting weigh, weight lost, current weight, how long you’ve been plateauing, etc. It’s very helpful when offering any advice or suggestions.

i know its already been said to death, but ill say it again: the number on the scale is just a number, and the same number looks totally different on you at different times of your life. 127 lbs at 46 yrs old looked absolutely skeletal on me vs 105 lbs when i was 16. then, 115 lbs at 50 yrs old looks soooo much fitter and healthier on me at 52 vs either of the weights above. changes in nutrition and exercise and sleep and stress levels and hydration may not reflect on the scale as much as calorie intake does, but they are all HUGE factors in appearance and overall well being. in short: try not to be a scale slave, lol full disclosure: i weigh my self everyday, though its more a data gathering exercise, and definitely not a source of angst for me. so long as i still fit in my clothes and feel awesome, im good.

Oooooh they look so good and yes tiny enough for a handbag! They do seem to be relatively high in sugar so maybe one for maintenance as opposed to the weight loss phase?

I am in the same boat...I used to be a die-hard gym rat, however the last 20 years I haven't hardly gone. I can't stand going to the gym anymore, they are all packed with tons of people. I have found myself walking more around the house, up and down the stairs, gone on a few walks around the neighborhood. Just find more activity without going to the gym. I still need to go back as well. I have lost a lot of muscle along with the weight. I do still have arthritis in the knees, but the pain has lessened a lot and they recover faster. On a positive note, I am now able to get my knees replaced, but not ready to do it yet, the longer I can wait the better. I still want to do some hiking, and maybe go back to the gym, one of the 24 hour places so I can go when it isn't full of people.

I hope you've found a solution to your concern over the past two years. Since it's been some time, you might have gained more insight into how your body responds to edibles after gastric bypass surgery. If you're still facing issues or looking for alternative options, you can Buy vegan CBD Gummies. They are known for their potential benefits in managing pain and improving sleep. Remember, for personalized advice and guidance, it's always best to consult with your healthcare provider or a specialist in medical marijuana. They can provide tailored recommendations based on your specific situation.

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.