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What are your stats? The last thing I’d do is a fasting coach, personally.

I would not spend $1000 for someone to "coach" me through fasting. What are they going to tell you? Don't eat? Also, fasting is not a long term plan to lose weight and keep it off. The only thing with a lot of evidence is surgery, although it is certainly not an easy fix. I'm 2.5 weeks out and I'm pretty miserable. I would go one of the two surgery routes, personally. Which you choose is up to you. I'm guessing you are in Canada. I'm in the US and I had private insurance, and waited about 7.5 months for my surgery. The wait was hard, but I spent the time working on eating better and exercising. However, waiting 1-4 years would have been unacceptable to me and I would have paid out of pocket. To be honest, the support I'm getting now from my supposedly top of the line surgery center is pretty lousy, so I wouldn't assume that you'd get amazing support from HealthCanada. I've heard from people in the UK that NHS provides really lousy follow up, too. But, I don't know how much resources you have available to devote to this process, and you definitely don't want to bankrupt yourself to have surgery. I know many people have gone to Mexico to have the surgery and been very successful, but it wouldn't be my choice. There are so many resources online, both these message boards and also I love the facebook group "my level 10 life" (the person who started it has a ton of YouTube videos but she's not always to my taste). You can also hire a bariatric therapist, and that's probably a good idea regardless of which path you choose. Good luck and keep checking in!

Hello, Over the course of October I will meet with three different medical professionals to choose a weight-loss option. First I will meet with a coach from The Fasting Method. She specializes in Fasting regimens and Behavioural Therapy. The cost is around $1000 for 4 online coaching sessions and an online support group. Most of the fasting I will do myself and will need a lot of determination to stick to the 36-hour fasting protocol they recommend. Next, I have a consultation with a surgeon at a private clinic. The cost will be 14,000 for a gastric sleeve and the surgery would be completed before the end of the year. They provide all of the medical services for surgery plus 3 months of nutrition counseling and medical follow-up at 1 month, 3.5 months, and 1-year post-op. They also have an online facebook support group. Finally, I have an appointment with a new General Practitioner who could provide me with a referral to a bariatric clinic within a hospital. This process would be covered by the province if I were accepted into the program. However, the process could take several years (1-4 years) before I received the surgery. Yet they would provide the most support both before and after surgery in order to be successful. I am really unsure of which option is best for me and I wonder if other people might have insight into what could work for them knowing what they know now. The first option, fasting, I have tried on my own and was successful for 8-12 months but gained all the weight back and then some. The second is the quickest way to put in place a permanent tool that I will have to use on my own to lose weight. It is also the most expensive. The third option would provide me with a lot of support and I think I probably do need some type of talk therapy. I'm expecting this surgery and the dramatic weight loss to be like an emotional rollercoaster for me. However, I do not have many obesity-related complications just yet (such as diabetes, hypertension, etc.) although my BMI is around 40. How much support did you need? Which option would you choose knowing what you know now?

Yesterday I experienced DUMPING - DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN. I had nausea, pain, high heart rate, cold sweats, and i threw up (water since i am still in my full liquid phase) I was wondering why i wasn't feeling well and it was because i had drank too much, too fast, too often! (supposed to be an one ounce every 10-15 MIN) Which in my defense, in the beginning i could drink as much as i wanted. With the exception of a little soreness going down but i never had the 'full' sensation until this morning. So i more than likely over did it. Today i am so much better

Glad you are doing so well & are happy with your progress. Whoo hoo! By 4-5 months I was eating a variety of meats, vegetables & some fruit & lots of dairy. Had a small amount of carbs in the form of rolled oats 3 or 4 times a week. Still small portions - almost 3/4 cup on a good day & depending on what I was eating. I ate three meals a day & usually two snacks (yoghurt & cheese or fruit). No real difficulties eating most foods that I can recall by that time except for things I always had issues with like chilli & spicy foods. Though there are still odd occasions when my tummy says nope this is not for you but I’ve worked out what most of those things are now or why my tummy said no. I hit goal at 6 months so my weight loss was noticeably slowing especially by month 5. I did keep losing for another 11 months or so but it just took me time to be able to physically eat enough to stop losing & to work out how & what that meant & looked like for me. While losing my cholesterol levels increased & my liver function was off. Not because of what I was eating but because of what was being released into my blood stream from my melting fat. Once I reached my goal they settled & my cholesterol dropped back to the level it has been for years (regardless of my weight). Always had a tendency to low blood pressure & the occasional hypoglycaemic episodes & as I got closer to my goal, they increased in frequency (esp the low blood pressure: all day, ever day). So that did, & still does, affect my energy levels & my ability to be very active - start strong but fade fast. Lol! Now I eat almost a recommended serving size again depending on what I’m eating. Eat 3 meals & 3 or 4 snacks a day - about 1200/1300 calories. Cut out a lot of sugar, (real, substitutes & artificial). Only eat whole or multi grains - rolled oats & some crackers (2 serves a day). Can’t eat breads, rice & pasta - sit heavily in my tummy & restrict what else I can eat. My surgery hasn’t limited me socially in any way. That’s my story anyway.

After surgery, I really couldn't stand to drink the premier protein drinks. I think it's because I had them so much before surgery. A lot of my taste buds changed after surgery. Don't forget to drink them exceedingly slow. I only had a couple sips every few minutes. The only time I had pain or nausea was when I drank to fast (and that still happens now). Also, I found that walking helped. I paced the house a lot to get rid of that uncomfortable feeling. One thing that did make me feel better and allowed me to get the protein in without the shakes was soup. I had pho broth with unflavored protein powder, or ithe lipton cup of soup (cream of chicken) with unflavored protein. It will get better! You got this.

Nice post. My story is very similar to yours except the reason. I just want to be more able to enjoy things a little more like I did when I was younger. After many years in the Navy and working in the business world for the last 18 years, I tend to work a lot and have little time for exercise. I am getting to where I can retire in a few years and want to be able to truly enjoy it. My post surgery experience has been very uneventful. I had zero pain from the beginning and have been able to do everything I needed to do. the only challenge has been eating since i have gone on solid foods. I tend to eat fast, so I have to consciously slow down, chew, put down the fork and wait for the next SMALL bite. Outside of that, smooth sailing. I had the Sleeve done.

My first post-op AI vacay was at around 10 months post op (I was already in maintenance though). I did eat too much (or too fast?) the first day and did barf a couple times as a result, and that was enough to keep me vigilant for the rest of the trip. I ate just veggies and protein 90% of the time. My carbs/sugars came from the crazy delicious cookies at the coffee bar, and single bites (for taste, lol) of other’s desserts, and mangoes the size of my head (yum!) I did still track all my food intake, but it was all guessing so…highly inaccurate….i’ll see if i can pull up my food logs from that time…? Didn’t have any of the sugary mixed drinks, but did have wine, vodka sodas and tequila shots. Lots of it, i confess. Went to the gym to run on the treadmill for an hour every morning, or joined in the resort’s organized morning road run for 5K (twice i did a 10k with them, the first time ever at that point to ever do that distance, EVER!) I came home basically the same weight as i left. I was 119.8 the morning i left, came back 10 days later at 119.9 Now….compare this to a 2 week NON-AI trip i took a month later, and i came back 5lbs heavier (I didn’t nearly do as much exercise that time around, didn’t track a thing, and i ate bread, lol). But it was all good, i went back to tracking once home, back to running routine and lost that gain in about a week. so i guess the lesson I learned here was that i stay on track when i track my food intake to be aware of my cal counts and make decisions on food accordingly. 3 years post op now, with many vacays under my belt since, im still tracking everything and im still basically the same weight (116.4 this morning)

If the pain is on movement only, it’s likely because your moving too much or too fast, stretching too far or pulling or lifting too much. Remember you had pretty major surgery & you have a lot of internal stitches & staples holding your tummy together. Take it easy & give your body time to heal. Of course if the pain occurs without moving or gets worse contact your medical team.

Hello I had the gastric sleeve surgery 2 weeks ago and I am still feeling pain in the surgery area( like a quick aching pain when I bend down or move a certain way fast, can anybody tell me if they felt that and how long should I feel this pain thanks

I had a fair amount of pain for the first three or four days home from the hospital. I took one narcotic pill each day for three days, but otherwise tylenol was fine. The pain was only noticeable when I got up from lying down (the worst!), when I sat on the edge of my couch, or when walking (my stomach jiggled and that hurt my incisions). By the end of the first week, I had almost no pain and was able to walk around the block easily. At 2 weeks out, I was walking two miles at my usual slow pace. It was very hard to drink water the first few days, but it got better fast. I had to take the tiniest sips and wait between sips. Taking pills was really hard the first week too. I was so hungry the first two weeks when I was on liquids and even now that I am starting solids, it's hard to know how much to eat. Still learning I guess!

As others have said, these are all questions you should be bringing to your appointments. It might be helpful to keep a notebook with questions so you can jot them down as you think of them, and then bring them to your appointments. Don't feel like you need to know it ALL right now. This is a process and it takes time to get to a place where you are ready to commit. Do your research, find resources, as your questions. All totally normal. I would also STRONGLY suggest some counseling before you decide. It is absolutely imperative that you work through any trauma or baggage that might be contributing to unhealthy habits. Surgery is just a tool, it will only work as well as you are able to wield it. Making sure your mind is healthy is absolutely the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success. That being said, I took a stab just to help give you some guideposts. 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? - This is program dependent. Some have a goal weight or BMI, others want you to loose xxx pounds before surgery. Ask your program. 2. What should my end weight goal be? - The expected weight loss with VSG and RNY is 60-80% of your excess weight. So, if you have 100lbs to lose to get to a healthy BMI, you can expect to lose 60-80 of those pounds. Some programs set a goal weight, others do not. Again, ask your program. 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. - Most programs do not say you can "never" have specific foods again. But there are a host of factors that determine what your long term eating habits will look like (what can you tolerate without feeling sick or having dumping, etc., are you hitting your water and protein goals, do you have any nutritional deficiencies, etc.). That being said, if you aren't ready to commit to long term changes, you may want to hold off. Sometime WLS requires we give up certain foods in order to be at our best.  4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. - Yes, side effects can occur. Surgical complications include internal bleeding, leaks at the "seams," anesthesia issues, all the normal stuff. Post-op complications can include GERD, hiatal hernias, malnutrition, and other things. Research the possible complications so you are well informed and ask your surgial center what their complication and surgical infection rates are. Overall bariatric surgery is very safe, but all surgical procedures carry risks. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? - See above, surgically very safe. All of this is available online, just do some scholarly Googling and, as always, as your program. 6. What if i start smoking again? - Just don't. It will kill you just as fast as obesity. Learn new coping mechanisms, go to therapy, pick up a hobby. From a surgical perspective, smoking greatly increases the risk of complications and can greatly increase recovery time. 7. What if i consume alcohol? - This is a combo of personal and program. Most programs have a strict prohibition for a period of time, others say try not to drink ever. In the end, its empty calories and you will get drunk MUCH faster than you did pre-op. Plan to abstain for a good long time. 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? - Talk to their pediatrician and get them into counseling. Do NOT rush into that. This is a major, life altering surgery and could be massively traumatizing for a child.

I was pretty vigilant about keeping my bites small and chewing thoroughly, BUT...........I struggled greatly with pausing between bites. That led to me eating too much, too fast more times than I care to admit. You are correct, it's a learning curve!

So i had my initial consultation. So i met my surgeon, my nurse practioner, and dietician, when i asked questions they had answers but since i left i feel like i didnt ask the right questions or not at all. So anyone willing to help me understand some things would be helpful. A lil about me.. 39yrs old, tubes tied after baby #4, im 5'4" and weight is 242.3 currently, but my highest was 302 mom of 4, divorced and now in a relationship for 4 yrs. Was a scrawny child (67# in 7th grade) ate candy/junkfood mostly my childhood, hit puberty gained a bit, met my ex husband and was in high school, began the sedintary lifestyle, began gaining weight and when i got pregnant at 17, i gained 107# in my 1st pregnancy. Never realized how big i was, never looked in a mirror w/ being depressed. Just kept gaining weight after each child, kept trying diets from watching my calories to only eating before 6p, to not eating anything except 1 time a day, i drank tons of water etc... i stopped working to be the stay at home, homeschooling mom after i got pregnant with baby #4. He cheated n i decided enough was enough. He left me and i lost 102# in 3-4 months of being manic depressed. I slowly gained it back after 6 yrs. Not watching what i ate, going back to the workforce, eating everything on the go, fast food, dine in with kids, i am a massive sweet tooth, and i drank easily 100 oz of dr.pepper a day. I have not drank any pop since 9.29.21. I have started cooking my own meals. Portion control is sooo hard, i could eat forever n either not ever get full or eat til i puke or close to it. I smoke 1-1.5 packs of cigarettes a day. Set to have gastric sleeve surgery after the 1st of the year, tbd based on covid rules. My questions are... 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? 2. What should my end weight goal be? 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. 4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? 6. What if i start smoking again? 7. What if i consume alcohol? 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yeah, I have the same problem. I just started solid food yesterday and after both meals (1 T of refried beans and then 2 T of tuna fish) I felt pain in my chest so I stopped but then I was hungry an hour later, but we were told not to graze... so I was just hungry. I am hoping it's just that I was eating too fast so if I slow down I can eat enough to be satiated and not full an hour later.

I am doing okay. I am just trying to navigate what does this sensation mean? when to know if I've drank too much or too fast. Trying to listen to my body. I'm healing pretty fast. I've not really been too hungry, at least that's what I think is going on untill I smell someone cooking something in the house or I see my son bring home a pizza! Lol!

Thanks! I'm thinking that for me it's probably that I am eating too fast! That and not eating and drinking at the same time are my struggles. It's so hard to eat slowly! I chew really well but still eat fast. I'll keep working on it! Thanks for the response!

Hi. I am still in the post op liquid phase. Surgery was September 23. I keep hearing people talk about chest hurting. Is that a sign you've over filled your pouch or drank too fast? I'm still trying to understand what I am feeling and why.

I'm two weeks out from sleeve and I have lots of "noise" when I eat, although I'm only eating fluids and yogurt at this point. I have gas/burping too. If I drink too big a gulp or drink too fast or eat too much yogurt/soup at once it's worse. Try smaller sips at a time or eating more slowly. Not sure if you're still on liquids. I start solids tomorrow. Can't wait!

Snap. Social media pxts, tv ads, etc. just turn my tummy. Watching a football game on tv (& I hate football - not fussy don’t like any code 😉.) recently with a sleever friend & we both groaned & said yuck at the same time watching an ad for a fast food chain. We thought it was hilarious. If I’m going away for a couple of days, I pack yoghurt, protein bars, cheese sticks, whole grain crackers, etc. to take with me just in case. I have a small thermal bag & put ice bricks in it to keep everything cold. Just refreeze the bricks overnight (ask hotel if they can be put in their freezer if travelling). You can always throw in some protein shakes too.

I’m at around 1200 cal/day and I am very active - weight training 3-4 times a week and 45-60 min of cardio on the other days (and usually 15-20 min of cardio on the weight training days too). I get in around 200 oz of water and I don’t drink anything other than water save for the rare occasions I’ll get a small diet lemonade at chic-fil-a. I’m also focusing on protein first and don’t have many carbs. I’m still losing, but just not as fast (understandably), but having mini-stalls now. Didn’t have those before. I also know that I have a lot of extra skin and I’ll reach a point that I can’t go much lower without plastic surgery (which I will be looking into soon).

My situation is a bit different than Sleeversk. I am 5 months PO. I have lost 70lbs and feel great! I do have a slight uptick in heartburn, which is maintained with meds. Things he says are true like chewing your food well and giving up carbonated drinks. If I eat too fast, I do know it. It takes a bit for it to go down. I just get moving and it usually solves itself. There is still a feeling of hunger as has been mentioned, but a small amount of food takes it away. I would recommend the surgery. At 10weeks PO , I may have been struggling a bit more, but you have to hang in there. Be kind to yourself and remember that a weight in your early twenties may not be realistic today. Hoping you get the answers you are looking for....good luck.

Hi all, I have my first appointment with a surgeon next week and I am looking at the option of a gastric sleeve. I've been up and down HUGE amounts all my life. Was an extremely obese teenager, a decent weight in my early twenties which was maintained through excessive exercise/occasional vomiting/diet pills and a severely restricted diet. However, I ended up slowly gaining and I hit over 100kg after each of my children were born. On and off I took diet pills/tried intermittant fasting/exercised manically etc to go up and down throughout my 30's and early 40's. I maintained 66 - 68kgs for about three years but was ALWAYS hungry. During the Covid lockdowns last year (I'm based in Melbourne , Australia) I gained 15 kilos. Over summer, I lost five, but have now put them back on plus another 7-8 kg. My weight is currently 91kg (I'm 165cm) and I'm tired and really depressed. I can't even look at myself in the mirror and I'm dreading going back to work. I feel as though I don't have it in me for another huge weight loss, without some type of surgery, as I've struggled with multiple family and financial issues over the past 2 years and am at a really low ebb. My goal weight is actually 60kg, but I only reached this weight in my early twenties when I was doing 15 hours exercise a week. Anyway, I'd love to hear from other people who have experienced a similar predicament. How bad was the sleeve recovery? What about reflux? Has it made a difference to your appetite? Would you recommend it? I just love the idea of my life not revolving around self hatred and guilt and obsession with food. Thank you in advance!

My pre-op was 3 VLCD protein shakes a day, and I had to have 2 cups of low carb/non starchy vegetables, which could be prepared as salad, soup, stir fry (soy sauce was allowed), or a stew. I made a huge pot of vegetable stew that got me through. All spices and herbs were allowed, so I was free to make it tasty. It was meant to be an Opti-fast pre op diet, but I can't have Opti-fast so this was my dietician's vegan workaround.

I am 10 weeks out and really struggle to eat. Nothing is appealing. I know I am loosing weight to fast and I can't even eat just to eat it's crazy. Unlike the rest of you my mind is consumed with thoughts of food constantly. I keep thinking you have to eat etc. It's a struggle.