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Hi guys, I'm kinda new here BUTTT for the people that have had an ESG where did you get the procedure done? I stay in the metro Atlanta area so I'm looking for places in Georgia or even in TN, SC, or AL. I know the 2 big places that do ESG is Atlanta, Ga are IBI healthcare and TrueYou. I got the gastric ballon (Obera) done at IBI healthcare and they were very friendly but I don't think they prepared well for what to expect. They told me it's a quick and easy procedure (which it was), to follow the diet, and I should be back to work in 2-3 days. They sent me home with some paperwork on what to eat and that was pretty much it. I was sick and hospitalized twice in the 10 days postop both times for dehydration because i couldn't keep anything down not even water. There was alot of back in forth with leaving voicemails, unanswered calls, etc. They finally removed the balloon on day 12. But to their defense I did get it done 2 days before Christmas (not wise), and had it removed the Monday after the new year so most of the days they were closed or very limited staff. ANYHOO... I was thinking of getting to give this weightless thing another shot, this time with an ESG. So my questions: 1. Is this typical to kinda have a consultation, have procedure, and one followup and send you on your way? I understand their is so much information online about the procedure but I was just wondering if I should be prepared to find out what's normal/what's not on my own. 2. I stay in Metro Atlanta area has anyone had any experience with ESG in this area, I'm also open to surrounding areas: Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennesse. 3. Have anyone had the procedure done at TrueYou, IBI healthcare, or Northeast Georgia Bariatric Center? (I am familiar with those 3 places because this is where I had my consultation for my Obera placement). Thanks so much...

How do you know how much excess skin you have? Like in lbs. I watch these shows and its like we cut off 25 lbs of skin. How do I get an idea of how much weight my excess skin is so I can decide if I am truly happy here or if I want to lose a little more? I am at the point of plateau. I have been at 157-162 for 10 months now. I would like to end up at the 145 ish range. I just have no idea how to know if I have 15 ish lbs of skin. and I dont want to cut the skin, not be in the 140s, lose another 10 ish lbs and possibly have to go back and have more skin cut off/ have more sag that I am trying to avoid.

Hi Carrielee - welcome! I had VSG surgery just about a week before my 40th birthday this past November. I had sworn in the years leading up to it that I would NEVER have any kind of WLS, but here I am! If I could have done it on my own, I would have - I needed help to improve my life, because nothing I tried on my own was working, and I tried it all. I had sleep apnea, insulin resistance, and bp that bounced back and forth between hypertensive and high-normal. I felt like I was going to die after climbing up a flight of stairs, and I was passing up good opportunities at my job because I didn't want to walk 5-10 minutes to another building and get all sweaty. I had never had surgery of any kind before (other than getting my wisdom teeth out, but it's not like I was intubated for that), so the thought of getting put under and having my innards poked at was rather intimidating. I would do it over again in a heartbeat. Like @catwoman7 said, I'd do it every year if I had to! I never needed to use my prescription pain meds post-op. I actually take the "long way" to my car at the end of my workdays now. My husband and I routinely walk to the front of our neighborhood and back, whereas previously, I hated just walking the 0.10 mile to our mailbox. My blood pressure has actually been almost LOW ever since waking up from surgery, my IBS-D has essentially disappeared (and I had days where I couldn't be too far from a restroom before), and I'm a little less sweaty. My knees feel INFINITELY better, and they're a little less noisy when I bend down. Now, you do have some health conditions that could make any surgery a little more risky (fatty liver, history of PE especially), but your doctor will review your history and will probably have you do quite a few tests and things to make sure it's safe for you to have surgery. I had some weird, random heart palpitations for darn near 20 years that were dismissed as "nothing major", but my doctor insisted that I do a 48-hour Holter monitor just to be sure. When that didn't show anything, they had me do a monitor for a whole month! They actually figured out the cause (occasional premature atrial contractions, or PACs, which apparently darn near everybody has at some point - some of us just feel them more than others), and cleared me for surgery. Ask your surgeon all the questions you can think of. I watched YouTube videos for months leading up to my surgery just to see what others' experiences were. I crawled through this forum extensively. I read the binder my program gave me over and over and over. I started following tons of WLS accounts on Insta. Do whatever you need to do to ease your mind a bit, and know that there is a large community to back you up! Trust your gut and go with what you know you need to do, be that surgery or something else. No matter what you choose, we'll be here for you.

I went back and forth for at least 10 years on this. Fortunately, I didn't have the health issues you have, but I knew if I didn't get the weight off, I wouldn't live to see my 60th birthday (I was 55 at the time). I went into it thinking it was a "dangerous" surgery, but I thought it was even more dangerous for me to stay at almost 400 lbs. I was happy to learn that these surgeries are no longer dangerous (like they were years ago) - they're actually very routine now and quite safe - safer than hip replacement surgeries, which they do all the time. So I took the jump. Absolutely the best decision I've ever made! I'd do it again in a heartbeat - in fact, I'd go back and have it done every year if I had to!

We are for sure surgery buddies! I'm down about 30 pounds, but that is starting at my 10-day pre-op diet. Eating is so confusing to me. It's hard to put it into words. I want food, but when I eatI'm usually miserable. For the most part, it's not horrible pain unless I overdo it, but it's just very uncomfortable. That heaviness in my chest and feeling like it all wants to come back up. And I wish I hadn't eaten. Nothing is satisfying like it used to be. Tonight we went out for Chinese food, at my request. I ate maybe an 8th of what was on my plate. Probably less. It was shrimp and veggies... and, of course, way too much rice. I had 2 tastes of rice that had been soaked in the sauce. It was ok, I guess. I had 3 small shrimp and picked at the veggies. I didn't eat so much that I was miserable, just slightly uncomfortable. But I wanted more. I knew I couldn't eat more, so I stopped. I am trying so hard to stick to a schedule of 3 meals and making them primarily healthy. I just feel so blah after eating. Smoothies made with coconut water, 1/2 banana, spinach, blueberries, and some frozen fruits have been my friends the past few days. I don't think the sugar in the fruits is great for us, but it's helping me stay hydrated which I know is super important. As for bread, a friend of mine who had surgery two years ago recommended Dave's Killer Bread, the thin-sliced variety. I really like it and can usually eat one slice. I've put a few different things on it: tuna, smoked salmon, and PBFit peanut butter. You may want to give it a try. The slices are small and taste good. The other night, I had some leftover beans and cooked veggies. I took a taco shell and put them in it along with a bit of low-fat sour cream and taco sauce. I was surprised to be able to eat it all. It was tiny amounts of stuff inside but I even at the taco shell. I absolutely have to ramp up the exercise. After NickelChip mentioned her walking pad, I started to look into them. I'm excited because I ordered one yesterday. I'm hoping to use it while watching tv. I've been doing some "cardio drumming" and it's super fun. It's also super easy so not sure how much exercise I'm getting out of it. I'm rambling, sorry. I'll end now! It's been good hearing how you all are doing and seeing that while different, our paths are also similar! ♥

Hey friends! New here! Had surgery 4/10! How is everyone doing?

I had sleeve done on March 27th. I was amazed how well it went, really no pain. The first 10 days were a breeze. But then, everything started tasting overly sweet. I couldn’t drink protein drinks or protein water without gagging. Not getting my liquids. I was very dizzy and nauseous. I ended up severely dehydrated and had to get IV’s at home for 3 days. Turns out my blood pressure had dropped and no longer needed the meds. This caused the dizziness and led to the nausea. Even though I only lost 30# between pre-op and 2 weeks post-op, it was enough to no longer need the meds. IV was removed 2 days ago and I stopped BP meds. Appetite back, still having a hard time with protein drinks, but am doing high protein yogurt and chicken. If you are on blood Pressure meds, check your blood pressure!

At the beginning of my fitness journey, I joined a national chain gymnasium for a little over $10 per month. It rhymes with Janet Witness, and had a variety of low impact and muscle building machines to try out. Pushing towards 300 pounds, I had to work up the courage to be there but soon found that everyone was in their own little zone, paying me no mind. I took advantage of their membership benefit that allows one to meet with a trainer to plan a custom routine. Three years later, I am still a member of this gym and am grateful for the healthier lifestyle seeds that they helped me plant.

It’s Dunkin Hines keto friendly. Made with almond and coconut flour. I don’t have the package for the muffins but I have the brownies here to try. They are two grams of net carbs, 0 added sugars and 3 grams protein. It’s kinda high in fat like most keto at 10 grams but has suggestions for ingredient swaps which would reduce that some (I made it the normal way).

I was out of town the past two days and had to navigate 4 restaurant meals. I think I did okay! For lunch the first day I ordered the cup of tomato soup and a half dijon chicken salad sandwich. I ate all the chicken but left the bread, and had about 5 bites of soup before handing it off to my daughter to finish. I shared a burrito bowl with chicken for dinner, out of which I took about 4 strips of chicken and dipped it in guacamole and little bit of sour cream, I ate one tortilla chip and it was lovely. For breakfast the next morning, I ordered the oatmeal with fresh fruit and a Greek yogurt. It was enough to feed 100 people (but cost under $10, so a bargain compared to the rest of the menu). I ate maybe 1/3 of the yogurt with 1/2 the fruit and then had a few bites of oatmeal (I mainly ordered it because they didn't have just fruit on the menu). For lunch, I had sashimi and miso soup. I was pleasantly surprised at how moist the chicken was both times. I had some concerns that it would be dry, but it was perfect. Feeling much more confident about my week-long vacation this summer.

I'm pretty sure the OP is in the same program I was (UW Health in Wisconsin). Their plan isn't low carb, it's balanced. Or it was when I went through it 9-10 years ago.

Hi gang! I had my RNY surgery on Tuesday, 04/16 and it went awesomely! I was super sore initially as well as swollen. Now at day 3, I have deflated greatly, and my pain is being managed pretty well. I don't think it could have been any better. One night in the hospital. I have a friend staying with me because my surgeon said now bending, lifting >10 pounds, and no driving while on narcotics. I have cats and can't feed them with those restrictions.

I've been having coke zero since 10 days after surgery. Slowly with a straw and ice after having stirred it a bit. It's been fine. I have quite a city life and am out and about with friends most evenings after work so I had to sort of choose what i would be ordering instead of wine and negronis and gin and tonics ans spritz ... so it's been a life saver for me, I just order a coke zero... My clinic is 100% against sodas too ... but hey something had to give ...

Don't be in awe of me lol I've had my fair share of ups and downs in this, but I found what works for me personally. Take what you want from my suggestions and toss the rest. But for ME, I noticed that I'm sensitive to carbs. I tend to respond better when I am at lower carbs. I don't eat bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, sugar, little to no salt (and when I do, it's pink Himalayan salt), or fruits high in sugar and carbs (grapes, bananas, and I limit apples). I'm not a fan of chocolate (if I eat it at all, it's in the form of keto brownies and I eat 1 small brownie every 2 days or so). I avoid Starbucks now (didn't used to and noticed my weight would stall a lot more). I avoid cow's milk (almond milk has more calcium and nutrients in it) and if I want ice cream, I get Rebel ice-cream from Walmart (2g or less of carbs for the whole pint of ice-cream, lactose free, 5g of less of sugar for the whole pint of ice-cream depending on the flavor). There's keto bread and keto bagels that I eat when I REALLY want something that requires those (my avocado toast is something I have 1-2x per week, or I have a keto bagel with sausage, egg, and cheese on it maybe once a week). If I want pizza, I get the ones that have cauliflower crust (omg so good), I have cauliflower rice, and mashed cauliflower if I'm wanting mashed potatoes (cauliflower has almost no flavor so it takes on whatever flavors it's mixed with). If I want sweetener, I use monk fruit sweetener (doesn't raise the blood sugar at all and actually tastes sweeter than sugar). If I want a nice flavored coffee, I buy the coffee shop coffee and make it at home, add almond milk, and put in Jordan's Skinny Syrup (no sugar, no calories, no carbs) in any flavor I'm wanting (they basically have every flavor you can think of). If I want fruit juice, I go to Walmart and buy the sugar free mango splash or sugar free fruit punch. Absolutely DELICIOUS. I drink a lot of flavored water with the sugar free powders, Gatorade zero, and Propel waters. For me, the trick has always been to eat within the boundaries of my diet while not feeling like I'm depriving myself. Everything tastes delicious and feels like I'm eating like everyone else, but I'm keeping to what I can eat without having to cheat to feel satisfied. I like sugar free tropical popsicles for a treat while my husband and daughter eat the regular stuff. We can all have popsicles together and I don't feel deprived or left out, yet I'm not breaking any of my personal dietary rules. I also make sure to change up what I do in my work outs. If you do the same things in the same order every time, your body gets used to it and the exercises stop being effective. If you do different exercises in a different order periodically, it will "confuse" your body and everything you do will have a greater impact. For me, not only does exercising help me lose weight, it also makes me feel good physically and mentally. I was 421 pounds and needed a cane to help me get around. Being able to hike 10 miles with my son means more to me than I can even express. So if you're working out, try to confuse your body as much as you can. I hope some of this helps you out. I never want anyone to think that my way is the only way to do things, but maybe something in here will give you some help with getting out of your slump and back to losing weight at the rate you're most comfortable with

I am 13 years out from surgery, lost and kept 125lb off. I have noticed that I do get more attention but over the last 10 years there has been more acceptance on body type. Currently I am 150lb with a lot of excess skin, Mainly the arms, stomach, and thighs. It's easy to hide in clothes but when it gets down to being naked it's a whole other look. What I think is important is confidence. When I was dating usually the comment I would get is how little I eat and that's a great segway for me to bring my story up. With that said, I have been with the same individual now for several months. What's different is that while I am fluffy and have skin that can be flying in the wind, my partner is a professional MMA fighter who hits the gym everyday and keeps his body in prime shape. We are both in our 40s. At first I was worried about my excess skin. That was very shallow of me to think and a hurdle I had to jump over. While on the inside I am very confident I know I am different looking than most physically (as not many are out there around me with such excess skin). I did have a couple of conversations with him about it and what it boils down to is who you are on the inside. I even brought up that I could have the excess skin removed and he commented on and asked why I would go through so much pain for an image when what matters is my personality. I think that's what partners should focus on. Physical is only temporary.

Aqua fit is the best fun and exercise for old knees but like you, after 10 years of doing it, my pool has closed. I cried. Now I just walk. I keep to the flatter areas. I also find shopping in the city is quite good because I walk miles, in and out of stores and all around the markets. I buy very little but enjoy the browse.

First, there is no one right way to eat to lose or maintain your weight. There’s just the right way for you. I agree to the suggestion to get in contact with your old dietician or find a new one. I’d also teach for a couple of weeks just to check your calorie & nutrient intake. I’d also get in contact with your surgeon as well to see what other options you have - revision surgery or maybe GLP - 1 meds. You’ve likely reset your body’s set point. The surgery lowered it but returning to larger portions, poor food choices & bad old habits have raised your set point again. So you’re actually fighting your body now. You’re trying to lose weight & your body is doing all it can to hold on to it. Have a look at Dr Matthew Weiner’s Pound of Loss metabolic reset diet (not that I’m an advocate for any ‘diets’.) It may give you some ideas you could try to see if works for you. He’s a great source of information around all things weight loss, bariatric surgery, etc. (He has a website & a you tube channel.) If you like being active, I’d add in some weights. Building muscle will help burn more calories & help counteract any muscle loss you experience while losing. Walking will help with general fitness. Remember though, activity only contributes to about 10% of any weight loss. Oh & don’t listen to your family & friends when they offer advice about your eating, nutrition or weight loss. They mean well but unless they’re qualified nutritionalist, dieticians, bariatric surgeons or medical doctors or had bariatric surgery they really don’t know what they’re talking about. And they’re not you. You know yourself best. You know your psychologically, physiologically & emotionally self best & know how you want to live your life. All the best.

I’ll be 5 years out in August. Lost 141 lbs, have regained about 10 but feeling pretty ok about, working on dropping 5. Best decision I ever made!

Hi. I'm having some huge issues with my weight and could really do with some help and advice please. In December 2018 I had a gastric bypass and on the day of the surgery I was 24 stone (336 lb). Over the next year I got down to 15 stone ( 210lb). All my friends and family was concerned I wasn't eating enough and said I looked ill due to the rapid weight loss so I started eating a it more. Fro. 2019 to 2023 my portion sized grow and I was no longer eating the correct foods resulting in me being 21 stone (294lb). I'm currently on the path to getting my health back on track but I don't seem to be losing weight. Im one of them people that will eat the same meals every days and this is my current meals all eaten on a bariactric plate. Breakfast = 2 hard boiled eggs. Lunch = hath a steamed chicken breast, 2 steamed mushrooms, 4 seafood sticks, 2 slices of onion cooked in the air fryer, hath a Peper cooked in the air fryer and 40grams of mozzarella. Dinner= hath a steamed chicken breast, 2 steamed mushrooms, 4 seafood sticks, 2 slices of onion cooked in the air fryer, hath a Peper cooked in the air fryer and 40grams of mozzarella. I'm also walking on average 6 miles (9.6km). In the past 6 months of eating like this my weight has hardly changed, 1 week might be 1lb loss then next week will be 1.5lb gain then 2lb loss ect. Over 6 moths my weight has only gone down 7lb and I don't know what's going on and I'm starting to get very depressed and I seem to be eating well and being active but the weight scales don't reflect that. Am I missing something that's preventing me from losing weight? Thank you

I’m a big freezing person too & I have savoury egg muffins in my freezer now. I let them defrost first, pat them dry & then pop into the microwave to heat. Have also popped them frozen into a lunch bag & ate them when they defrosted & unheated. You can freeze just about everything quite easily. Tip: defrost bread, bread rolls, bagels, etc. in the microwave or on the bench. Pat a little water around the loaf & then pop in a hot oven. In 10-20 minutes depending upon the size of the loaf & you’ll have a warm loaf with a crispy crust just like a freshly baked loaf.

Thanks for the protein water suggestions, JoSwan and Emeraude! I hadn’t tried it because I couldn’t find a plant based one and I’m vegan. But your suggestions inspired me to look again and I found one! It’s only 10 grams of protein per scoop but hopefully it will help! I ordered it online, it comes on Thursday. 🤞

Hello everyone. I am post-op, had my first doctor's visit one month ago and scheduled for my second on 04/19. I am doing my best to read all of the literature provided to me as well as what I can find online. I am struggling with the thought of pureeing food. I just don't think I could bring myself to consume meat, vegetables or eggs that have been pureed. It sounds disgusting! Is this something that is a MUST or can we supplement with protein drinks? All input is appreciated. :0)

10 months out I average around 1500 calories a day and am still losing slowly (I weigh in the low 60s) hope this helps!

10 months post op my sleeve has stretched enough for me to enjoy a meal with friends. You have two options - go back to surgeon ask them to scan your sleeve and make sure it’s not too tight (there is an option to balloon dilate it) or train yourself to eat more - it’s possible trust me. I went through this depression and not enjoying food severely at the start but now I can eat an amount to be able to enjoy life and social settings. I would be depressed otherwise.

Hi! Happy to answer this. I am 10 months post op. Had my first glass of champagne 6 weeks out. Sipped it for hours. You will get hit by the alcohol quickly. Alcohol will get you twice as drunk for the same amount due to starvation / not drinking for ages. i am a social weekend drinker and attend lots of events. I can say since then I will have a drink or two every weekend. Without shame or issue. I simply count my alcohol calories. I have lost 30% of my body weight and weigh in the low 60s now. You have to live your life - I’m not into banning foods and rules. This is the beginning of the rest of your life. You have to have fun and enjoy it. Say you drink a bit and it takes you an extra month to reach your target? Who cares. At least it’s sustainable. Don’t feel ashamed for having a drink or two if that’s what you want to do. Just remember you will barely drink anything and feel the full effects. Lol. Best of luck!