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I am one week after lapband removal after 19 years. I had to have an iron infusion as my iron was extremely low. Apparently iron deficiency and in many cases nutritional deficiency is a consequence of bariatric surgery (good to be aware of) as no one tells you this. I had very little weight loss on lapband surgery. I am so glad to be rid of it. Very sick of the intermittent choking and vomiting. Very annoying. I wish everyone all the very best on their decisions - I think I would rethink lapband surgery (unless it has changed dramatically in the last 19 years). Good luck.

Hi, I have had the lap band for a little over 10 years. I had lost 100 lbs but gained 30 back. I recently found out my band migrated. I was having severe acid reflux, regurgitation, and sleepless nights of choking and puking. I finally had some testing done & they found my band migrated and there was a hernia above it and my lower esophagus was having issues pushing food through. I got my fluid taken out on Friday & I am finally able to sleep again. I am really shocked about how strange it is to be able to eat things I wasn't able to for 10 years, I am also enjoying taking a drink while eating. I am going to revise to the gastric bypass surgery & was wondering if anyone has had better success after a revision from the band to bypass? I can't do the sleeve because of my acid reflux issues. I tried to avoid bypass, as to why I had the band to begin with. Something about moving my insides around didn't sit well with me. I also see horror stories about dumping and blood sugar issues. I don't want to gain all my weight back because of a band issue & also don't want to have a removal of one thing and nothing to replace it. I am not sure how fast this will all go, they said they could do emergency surgery if I was still having issues, or do it as a normal surgery. My insurance covers revision. Hopefully soon before I gain all this weight back. I'm enjoying trying different foods I had to avoid for the past 10 yrs. hahahaha.

Hi everyone! I had surgery 8/30 so I’m almost two weeks post-op. I am currently in PMSing, but for lunch I was able to get down 3 oz of soup and a 4 oz Two Good yogurt before I decided to stop eating. Is this normal? I’ve been so hungry lately but am trying to stick to my soft foods phase and make good choices, but I don’t feel “full” very fast on soup/yogurt. Am I eating too much?

This. SO MUCH THIS. My surgery is 48 hours from now and I am going through ALL of the emotions REAL fast. I calmed myself down a bit by sitting and typing out my meds list (my doctors colluded to make this super complex for the first week) and what I'm allowed to eat for each of the phases, even though I have a perfectly cromulent pre-typed list from my centre.

I have Sunshine Health medicaid and I have had to have a few tests done that they require, and am still in the process. An endoscopy, a chest X-ray, EKG, sleep study, that nasty swallow test, a stress test, and I have to see a hematologist because I have a bleeding disorder in my family so they want to make sure that the blood thinner won't make me bleed to death and that I also won't get blood clots. They have to figure out exactly how much they can or can't give me when it's time. I've had quite a few surgeries already and have been fine, but this one you get blood thinners after it. I already have the history of dieting, pills and exercise. I'm 53 and have gone from 350 to 245-250 on my own over the years. I also have to see the nutritionist two or three times so I can learn how to eat properly. I don't think my surgeon requires the liquid diet, but I do have to be on a portion control diet with high protein. I can lose weight but I'm stuck at this weight so I need a bit of help. I have already changed my way of eating. No fast food, no fried food, way less sugar, but no sweet treats at all. I mostly eat the way I'm supposed to, but I have cheated a bit with a few sodas. After surgery I'm never going to drink them again. Nobody needs that stuff in their body anyway. My surgeon said if all of my testing is finished and ok that I can have my surgery in November. I've already done some of the tests and Monday I will get my appointments for the rest of them. I'm so excited to be getting the testing overwith and getting started on a new journey. I'm 5'3 I am 250 approximately. Highest weight was 350 Type 2 diabetic but A1C is 5.8 down from 7.2 High blood pressure High cholesterol (should be lowered by now) I used to have sleep apnea but had my tonsils and uvula removed (when I was 50..talk about the pain) I have figured out that one of my new exercises is going to be hunting for pokemons or whatever they are called..lol I just started playing that darn game and now I'm addicted. I'll be going to the gym too of course.:)

weight loss is never as fast with a revision as it is with a "virgin" surgery. I think 22 lbs in seven weeks is pretty good, actually. you say you're watching carbs - are you watching overall calories as well? When I'm trying to lose, I weigh and measure everything - or most things, anyway. I also track my intake - although I've done that every day since my surgery 6+ years ago, regardless of whether or not I'm trying to lose. if you're already doing everything you're supposed to be doing, then it's probably just a long stall. I don't know if they're more frequent or longer for revisions - but I know mine became longer and more frequent when I got close to my goal.

Hello forum, I'm a 50 year old Australian and proof that you can be both vegan AND morbidly obese 🙃. As I'm sure is a familiar refrain, I'm a life-long struggler with my weight. My last best effort to drop weight the analogue way (in 2019) was looking really successful - I'd gone from about 128kg down to 105kg and was SO CLOSE to two digits. I was loving fitness, and enjoying my new eating habits. Then the dreaded Panini hit us all in 2020, and the gym closed, and we locked down and I spent 2020 eating my feelings and regaining all the weight I'd lost. Again. Wit's end time, despair time, and so I decided to pursue my last hope. I did research on doctors and procedures, took out top hospital cover and dug in for the 12 month waiting period. Finally contacted my surgeon in August, and my surgery date is fast approaching. So it's almost chocks away. And I am champing at the bit for it. I cannot wait to get active and fit again.

Thanks guys for encouragement. Is anyone else not tolerating veggies that are cooked to death and chopped tiny? So far mashed cauliflower is the only one to stay down consistently. I don’t think I’m eating too fast. Any tricks or best veggies?

You can’t really expect to lose the same amount as you did on the pre-op diet because the pre-op diet is designed to make you lose weight really fast. In 16 days I lost 15 pounds on pre op diet and then I didn’t lose but about 10 pounds the month following surgery.

Mine was $4400 total, $400 of which was for a hernia repair. Hers was about $8000-$9000. If I were to do it again I would go to the $4000 one, and if she were to do it again she would do the $8000 one 😆. The surgery itself was a success with zero complications for either of us. I lost 145lbs and am at a healthy BMI and weigh less than I did when I was 12 years old (I’m 46 now) and she has lost 20… yep. 20. But don’t let that be a deciding factor. She ate like a bird before, and ate healthy. The smaller stomach didn’t change that, we should have realized this… we are still trying to figure out what is up with her as there is some underlying issue. We are finding new things with each round of tests, NONE of which have anything to do with her surgery. So again, please don’t use her lack of weight loss as a factor in your decision, it is unique to her, her stomach was removed, her medical team was superb, her experience was flawless, her recovery was fast. Both of our facilities were clean, hers was better decorated and most definitely better suited to the procedure and English speaking patients. My doctor and his assistant were perfectly fluent in English but the hospital staff was not, so a lot of google translate was used by both sides. I’m really laid back and kind of enjoy the occasional adventure so none of that bothered me in the slightest. I never felt like I was at risk, and I recovered almost completely in just a few days.. it was just a little surreal being wheeled into an operating room while a phone robot voice was asking me medical questions in prep. My whole weight loss adventure has been very easy for me… but again I wouldn’t use that as a deciding factor either. I don’t imagine my results or hers would have been any different with any other doctor that performed the same operation. I guess the simplest way to answer this is…. Mine was like a new affordable car, hers was like a new luxury car. Both will get you to where you need to go reliably… what matters is how much you want to spend and what kind of ride are you comfortable with during the journey.  

I'm pre-op still and can only speak from personal experience, but I think this is very common. There is a lot of shame and stigma attached to WLS, all of which is completely unnecessary. The idea that it is a last resort and that patients have "failed" at all other attempts prior to WLS, makes it seem like it is somehow a copout. But that really is not the truth. It is a tool, just like diets and pills and fasts and everything else and there is NO shame in putting another tool in your toolbelt to help you be healthy and well. (I'm of course not comparing WLS to these other methods, just explaining that they are all "tools" and should not carry inherent shame.) All that being said, you did what you needed to do for your won health and well being. Its completely ok and completely normal to question it, especially so early on. But give yourself lots of grace and be patient. It WILL get better and you ARE worth it.

Yes, I had a simple gastroplasty (stomach stapling) in 1980. I lost 75 lbs by 6 months and then stopped losing. Over the next ten years I gained it all back. I had NO nutritional or psych guidance at all. In 1990 I had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and the same thing happened. I lost about 75 lbs by six months and stopped losing. Again, I had NO nutritional guidance or follow up. I returned to my original set point of over 300 lbs, where I remained despite many attempts at weight loss. Fast forward 30 years... Just before COVID hit, I met a man who told me he had RNY revision as a prerequisite for knee replacement surgery. I had no idea that a revision was possible. I was certainly interested, but then the pandemic arrived. Six months ago, I started thinking about it again and contacted a bariatric center 90 miles from my home. A barium swallow and an endoscopy revealed that the staples from the prior surgery had given way allowing a fistula (opening) between pouch and stomach, which back then was not cut away, just separated from the pouch by staples. It was obvious that there was a physical cause for the failure of the earlier surgeries. The surgeon assured me that the staple failure was not my fault due to up-chucking or pouch stretching, but was actually caused by the peristalsis of the stomach. He said that about 75% of the earlier WLS failed for this reason. Today, different kinds of staples and closure protocol are in place to prevent this kind of failure. I was put in the bariatric program to have a revision. I've lost 44 lbs to date and still have a couple of requirements to complete before revision surgery is scheduled. I'm hoping to have it in October. I'm excited but wary. Deep down I am afraid that the same thing will happen. My age (73) and prior surgeries are hurdles so I don't expect miraculous results. My hopeful goal is to get under 200 lbs. My dream goal is to reach 175 lbs. or lower. In the past six months, I've read over a dozen books about bariatric surgery and food addiction and collected a slew of bariatric cookbooks. I'm much better prepared than I was for the earlier surgeries. I now realize that I am a sugar/food addict, that "maintenance" doesn't work for me. I have to be continually vigilant about avoiding sugar, flour, wheat, rice, and processed foods. The only successful way to conquer addiction is abstinence. How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works, by Matthew Weiner ** Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, By Marina Kurian, Barbara Thompson, Brian Davidson ** Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction, by Vera Tarman *** Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Treat Food Addiction, by Connie Stapleton *** Why Diets Fail (because youʼre addicted to sugar), by Nicole Avena & John Talbott *** Bariatric Surgery & Food Addiction, by Philip Werdell *** (written for the clinician, but I found it valuable} The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook*** A Pound of Cure, by Matthew Weiner (Focus on plant-based eating, not as restrictive as Bright Line Eating) Bright Line Eating, by Susan Peirce Thompson (similar to Kay Shepardʼs food plan without the 12-step program) Food Addiction: The Body Knows, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) From The First Bite: A Complete Guide to Recovery, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) Never Binge Again, by Glenn Livingston Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton (A bit outdated)

I'll tell you what, when I lost weight pre-op it was because I ate 6 times a day, small meals and healthy snacks, and worked out. It melted off. Now I'm post op and eating 6 times a day, sometimes 7. Still early days for me but I appear to be losing so I mean, eating more frequently ESPECIALLY if your body demands it seems like the right thing to do. As long as you keep it healthy and meet protein goals, you shouldn't ever have to force yourself to feel hunger to get change. Fasting is not great for post-op people.

The principle of not ‘washing’ your nutrients through your stomach too quickly (and thus increasing malabsorption or decreasing time until you feel hungry again) is an important one. However drinks do not all take 30 minutes to go through your stomach. Liquids leave the stomach faster than food or soup because there is less to break down: Plain water: 10 to 20 minutes. Can go through as fast as 5 minutes on a completely empty stomach. Simple liquids (clear juices, tea, sodas): 20 to 40 minutes. Thick soup can take hours… As long as you are prioritising protein and healthy foods, once you are a surgery ‘veteran’ (so some way down the line) and your stomach has expanded, you should not always have to wait 30 minutes after drinking before eating, especially if it’s water.

My biggest legitimate fear going into surgery was drinking fluids. I was a chugger and I drink in my sleep (as in I don’t recall waking up but my water jug will be empty when I wake up). Ever since I was a child I’ve always HAD to have a large source of water on my night stand or I can’t even fall asleep… obviously it’s a mental issue but whatever. I still remember my mom’s fugly green water pitcher I used to use as a child… and if I’m in a hotel and forget to bring a jug of water I have to fill the ice bucket with sink water just to fall asleep (yeah I wash it out first), that’s how bad my neurosis is. Anyhow fast forward to now and it’s probably the one negative thing I’ve dealt with post op. As mentioned, you’re not going to stretch anything with fluids, they pass through fast and it isn’t going to block anything while the stomach processes it but it isn’t instantaneous. Lately I’ve been drinking too heavily in my sleep again, it just started a couple weeks ago. Ive “vurped” a few times recently and last night I threw up from it… and THAT wakes me up (thankfully). When awake I count my baby sips, I know exactly what I’m able to take in, and you’ll learn the same thing about yourself. I can feel my stomach empty and take another set of sips just a few minutes later if I’m sweating heavily or just extra thirsty. Like a lot of this, it’s a learning process. Trust your instincts and adjust as needed and before you know it you’ll discover your new normal.

I agree with some of the others - you're starting at a very low weight for a WLS patient, so you can't expect to lose as fast as someone who starts out at over 300 lbs. As long as you're following your clinic's plan and your weight is trending down, you're good. btw - even for those of us who start out at over 300 lbs, by the time we get down to where you started (under 200), WE start losing about a lb a week as well. That's totally normal. I dipped under 200 for the first time when I was a little over a year out - and yep, my weight loss slowed down to a crawl. BUT....it kept coming off... P.S. You mentioned people who "eat junk" are doing much better than you. Check back with them in a couple of years and see where they're at...

I know you said that you don't want to hear it, but it has everything to do with the fact that you started at a lower weight than most. People have high expectations, unrealistic expectations, when they have their surgery. I'm one of those people who was guilty of those unrealistic expectations. Stalls happen. And yes, they can happen early. The fact is, that you ARE still losing. Is it frustrating that it's not as fast as you want? Yes. Does it make you want to scream or throw your scale? Again, yes. All you can do is tell yourself that you are doing everything you are supposed to and maybe just avoid the scale for two or three weeks. I've had more stalls along my journey than anyone I've ever seen on this site. My longest one lasted 40-something days (I literally forgot the exact number, but it was in the 40-something range and was May-June 2021) and I thought 'This is it. This is as far as I'm going to go' and I was beyond frustrated because at that point I was stuck at 186, which was only 6 pounds from my goal weight. Then, my weight loss suddenly kicked back in and in the following two months I lost 8 pounds (which is amazing considering I was lucky to lose even 2 pounds in a month at this point as 1 had been the norm for a few months). I'm currently dealing with a 20 day stall, but I don't care as much because 1. I've already met my personal goal so all the extra weight loss is just a bonus, and 2. I'm in physical therapy for my arthritis so inflammation is a THING! People telling you not to be frustrated, honestly isn't going to help. It isn't going to make it go away. But, it's normal. Also, everyone loses weight at a different pace. Sometimes slow and steady is the better way to do it (honestly, I think your skin may bounce back better that way as well. So maybe just try to look for some positives, even if it may seem impossible to find them with how frustrated you undoubtedly are).

Oddly enough I also never lie to strangers or casual acquaintances. It feels very low risk for me. However the people I interact with often or know well is another story. I’ve learned to read the room. If someone earnestly/ privately asks I usually just tell them. They are also so happy to see someone in person that is happy with the their results and doing well/not struggling. But I’ve also had experiences where people very publicly/ loudly (nearly shouting across a room) ask how I lost weight. These interactions feel disingenuous and shaming so I don’t take them seriously. I usually tell these people the most complex set of layered diets and activities (Keto, fasting, glucose monitoring, cheat days, mercury retrograde, belly dancing, etc.) in great detail until they are satisfied. Those people can speculate but will never get the (whole) truth from me. BTW Congratulations on your success!

Howdy! Just had gastric sleeve 8/31. So far all is good. Only side effect is excessive salvia. It may be I’m drinking to fast. Idk but I’ll keep an eye on it. RN said it was normal. Will see 🙌🏼

Hey everyone. I haven't been on this page in what seems like forever. I have really been struggling you guys. I stopped losing weight after month 6 and it's really discouraged me. It could be because I started back working so I made excuses for why I couldn't go walk my 2 miles or go to Pilates class or eat healthier choices since I have a sedentary job. I was wondering if anyone else was struggling and what you did to get back on track. My highest weight was 465lbs and on surgery day I was 457. I got down to 357 and then shot right up to 378lbs. I wasn't really eating if at all when I got to 357 due to my depression. But then I was put on a new med that actually causes its users to gain weight and I was taken off of it. Thank God. I don't eat much and get full fast but I guess like the nutritionist said it still matters what I put in my body. I hope all my fellow Oct 2020 people are doing great as we approach our 1 year anniversary. FYI I was sleeved on Oct.5,2020

Sorry, kale is of the devil. It is pure evil in food form. 😁 There is no single "right way" when it comes to eating/snacking habits. We're all different, both physiologically and more importantly, psychologically. What works for me may not work for you, etc. When I read "Forget snacks entirely, unless..." I immediately tune out. Things couched in absolutes don't resonate with me. Sure, those prohibitions may be absolute in YOUR experience, but they may not be so for others. My nutritionist has been reinforcing that WE SHOULD be snacking post-surgery; 4-6 small meals per day is important to success. Advocating against that IMO runs counter to generally accepted practices. Now with respect to what the composition of those snacks are, that IMO is a *VERY* YMMV issue. Me? I eat garbage. I have my fast food and my chips, cookies, etc.... but in much, MUCH smaller quantities than before I started this journey. Some might say that this is setting myself up for long-term failure, but I say au contraire! I loathe cooking. I hate it. I can't be bothered by it. I don't want to "learn to enjoy it". I don't find value in it with respect to my time and/or convenience. Never have. That's in my makeup. I am what I am. I know myself and my weaknesses. I *NEED* to enjoy food. If it's food just for the sake of eating and nutrition, I WILL find a way to cheat, "sneaking" bad food on the side IN ADDITION to whatever healthy food I'm supposed to be eating... which IMO is far, far worse, given the increased caloric intake and quantity eaten. Better that I cut to the chase and eat small portions of "bad" food that will satisfy me than to eat food I don't enjoy and still be psychologically unsatisfied, if that makes any sense. It's better for me to work within the constraints of my weaknesses than to ignore them or try to futilely change what I believe to be fundamentally unalterable. This morning I hit a new alltime low adult weight since age 18... 37 years ago... and my weight is still going down (albeit very slowly now) 13.5 months after surgery... so however unconventional, it's working. I would hardly recommend this approach to anyone else... we're all different.

My surgeon and nutritionist both said no carbonation for life post-surgery. Given that I don't need any additional possible impediments to long-term success, I've decided to heed that advice. Given that pre-surgery I could easily drink two 2-litre bottles of diet soda per day, this was a not insignificant change. I've tried carbonated beverages I think twice in the 13.5 months since my surgery, and each time they made me feel uncomfortable, so it actually hasn't been difficult to give up. The only thing I really miss is ginger ale/ginger beer. The most difficult thing has been finding noncarbonated no-sugar drinks when traveling, going to fast food joints, etc. Before this I really had no clue that just about EVERYTHING is carbonated or loaded with sugar... and don't get me started on energy drinks. There are virtually no zero-sugar non-carbonated energy drinks in existence. There are a few Monster tea variants, but they all taste like ass. Hydro Zero has almost nil distribution; one Wal-Mart locally carries it in the checkout end-caps, but it's perpetually sold out. Rockstar Recovery Lemonade was my go-to. It was delicious and I was going through 3 cases a month... until the bastards at Coca Cola decided to change the recipe and make it carbonated, just like every other [CENSORED] energy drink on the [CENSORED] market. My go-to is now unsweet tea wherever I go, and I keep a large box of Sweet & Low in my car so I can sweeten it to taste. One other thing that is nummy is Zero Sugar Pomegranate Vitamin Water, found only in fountain form at Subway restaurants. No carbonation, no sugar, and really tasty.

Had my VSG TODAT. Uomand walking fast. Slight pain at srgery site and gas itherwise goo

Been there, I hated full liquids and blended but you will be moving to soft foods soon! It will go by so fast! How do you feel?

So I am starting my fourth week of post op today and was cleared for soft foods last week. My body has made an enemy out of chicken and eggs since the purée phase. I was struggling for a while but thanks to this group I began reaching my daily protein goal through the power of scallops! (it was an amazing break through for me). Now my daily meal consists of scallops, egg, and a veggie smoothie along with water or a 80% water 20% OJ slush that I do using the freezer and water bottles. Now, I wanted to ask, I am the type of person who used to love having sushi at least once to twice a week, it was delicious and close to home. what exactly could I eat in the soft food stage to add some flavour to my menu if I want something not from my kitchen? Like can I eat edamame, or shumai (I heard pork is an amazing protein), or salmon sashimi (I had a bit of medium rare extra lean ground beef the other day and it went down smoothly), or pho soup. Literally anything I can order, sometimes it’s just me at home and I can’t go grocery shopping.