Search the Community

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

I'm scheduled for sleeve surgery in three days, and I'm experiencing serious cold feet. I'm a 44-year-old male, 5'9" tall, weighing 270 pounds. I've struggled with yo-yo dieting for over 21 years, with my highest weight being 280 pounds and my lowest 198 pounds. I've had success with intermittent fasting and restricted calorie intake, but I've regained the weight. I suffer from mild sleep apnea, which causes heavy snoring and comes with its challenges. Thankfully, I don't have any other health problems, and I take medication that contributes to weight gain, though I doubt they'd make me fatter the 270 pounds than I am now; they just make it harder to lose weight. I'm feeling uncertain about the necessity of the surgery since I'm not extremely heavy and overall healthy. I'm also worried about only being able to eat small quantities in one sitting, and the idea of changing my body scares me. Yet Im also excited to get this option available

If you don't already have it, the Baritastic app is pretty handy. So far, I'm only tracking food (well, liquids) and my weight, but there's more fun stuff, too. The bariatric nurse at the hospital recommended it during my pre-op appointment.

The lactose in the shakes can cause people to poop badly. There is something to take to help with lactose intolerance but I dont know what it would be called in the US. This might be something to ask at your meeting. There is also another preop diet to follow for those who are lactose intolerant. But that would normally be suggested by the dietician. Not sure why it wasnt suggested for you. Again another question for the meeting. I was not allowed fruit in my preop. If you have IBS you may find that certain fruits/foods may not agree with your tummy. Its all trial and error to find out what the culprits are that are affecting you. Fruit/vegies that have a high seed/fiber content were a no no for me before my RNY. Kiwi fruit, Zucchini, stone fruit, grapes etc are a bit of a problem but after you have the bypass you may find that you have the opposite problem and these fruits/vegies will help things to move along. It is all a bit of a learning curve. If you were to go an do it on your own these are issues that you would have to face anyway with having IBS so there no point is ditching the op at this stage. It is not part of their remit to even say "well if you cant handle it you may become malnourished". This statement smacks of shaming. It is their job to educate you in navigating it all. The RNY job is to make our bodies less capable of absorbing nutrients/calories from the food. This process is called malabsorption. This is the reason that you will be taking bariatric vitamins for the rest or your life. You will require blood tests on a yearly basis for the rest of your life to check that your body is being given the correct amount nutrients and head off any long term issues. Eating well and taking care of your body is something to focus on. I have been listening to the podcasts of The Bari Chronicles. You may find the Vitamin episode helpful. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-bari-chronicles/episodes/Multivitamins-Nutrition-For-Weight-Loss-Surgery-e2eduqv (Also available on apple podcasts. I hope it all goes well at the meeting.

Stick to your diet plan, make sure you change up any workouts you're doing to "confuse" your body and work parts you normally might not, only weigh yourself once a week at most, and really take stock of how you feel and your Non Scale Victories. Get lots of fluids in. I'm very close to my goal, as well, and I'm in the same boat as you. It's annoying, but if we stay consistent, we'll push past it and get there. What surgery did you have? What was your starting weight?

I am new to this forum, but not new to the experiences. I had gatric band in 2006 and have had huge success (140lb loss and size 26 to 8/10). I am now the smallest weight and size I have ever been since the age of 12! I had a upper arm lift and vertical thigh lift in 2015. Thrilled with the arm lift, not as please with my thighs. I was less than thrilled with the aftercare from my previous surgery, so I will not return to him. I'm 48 yo and I've never had kids and I am ready to have my breasts done (and possibly tummy tuck). I had a consult with a surgeon in my area and didn't really have a connection with her. She determined a breast lift and implant is needed to acheive the look I am wanting, which I pretty much knew. I'm looking for 2 things... (1) Surgeon reccomendations (I'm willing to travel to Florida or throughout New England)/NorthEast). I've been looking on RealSelf, but I cannot seem to filter by breast lift, weightloss, and fat transfer to find a surgeon. (2) Input/experience from those who either went with a small implant (275cc) or have fat transfer, or just a lift. Im currently a 36C and would like to stay a C cup following the lift. Thank you in advance! It's so great to read from so many willing to share their experiences. I am happy to share mine as well.

I'm feelin' you too. I'm over 5 years out from surgery and have gained back 40 lbs. over the past 2 years. It seems like it just keeps creeping up on me. But I definitely know why it's happening. I've been allowing those bad habits sneak back in and now I'm struggling to get back on track. I appreciate SomeBigGuy's suggestions, though, and will give those a try! LMR422, how are you doing so far with it?

TORe is a relatively recent revision for RNY. Essentially, they go in through your mouth and esophagus and stitch your pouch and the opening to your pouch back into the tight little basket It was when you first got gastric bypass. I’m looking into it as I was very successful for 20 years, but regained most of my weight in the last three from life, stress and menopause. Has anyone had an experience with this?

You’ve just had pretty major surgery, your body is in recovery mode, stressed & you’re not eating much, so yes your labs will be a little screwy for a while. You want to be in Ketosis to burn fat so this is a good thing. High B12 could be you don’t need as many supplements. Like do you take additional B12 as well as your multis? Increased bilirubin levels are also common with weight loss. Ketosis & weight loss is hard on your liver (all the fat it’s trying to process out of your body). It will settle eventually. Probably better to discuss these results with your surgeon & their team though as they are more knowledgeable about what to expect after surgery while you are losing. In saying that, my GP used to run labs between my surgeon’s requirements (so I was getting them done every month or two). She was tracking & monitoring only so if anything unusual popped up we could be proactive. And they were sent to my surgeon & his colleague as well so they saw the results too. Bonus was my GP was a medical school friend of my surgeon’s colleague.

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

I can't use my weight as an excuse not to do things now. I miss the days when no one would ask me climb a ladder or do anything that requires physical activity (not really) haha. My foot size is smaller now so I can't wear many of my nice shoes. Time to buy new ones. I used to wear size 11 and now between 9.5 and 10

I'm curious what they told you to expect in terms of weight loss, as I've heard revisions for that purpose don't necessarily produce large weight loss (but do help with issues like GERD). I'm afraid I don't know much about gastric bypass and IBS. That's quite a bit of fruit and veg they have you eating preop. I wish you luck, though, and hope you can get answers to the questions you have!

Yes, that's what happened, my hands were cold and they just came off and I was like "Ummm...well then." 😂 Yes, I might do that with the stones, good suggestion! The ring set is relatively new, I had been holding out on buying a new set for when I lost weight (you know how that goes) but after the whole cancer thing I decided to stop holding off on things I really want. So we bought the rings. Then a year later I decided to do bariatric surgery. LOL Go figure... But I adore the stone, it is a lovely aquamarine solitaire and the rings were custom made. So I'll be thinking on what to do with it all... If your rings are loose by themselves you may be able to use the ring snuggies that wrap around the band to make them fit better on your hand until you resize them. They worked great for me until the size difference became too big!

Never heard of it. Hope you get answers. You have done an amazing job and so close to your goal weight. Congrats on that!

Saw my GP yesterday and happy to say I was taken off almost all my meds @10 1/2 months post-op. One of my biggest goals met along with 100+ weight loss. I never imagined it possible a couple years ago. I thought I was destined to die from being morbidly obese and from kidney failure from all the meds I've been on for so many years. My bloodwork was perfect with no red flags or abnormal readings. With my hiatal hernia repaired I can breathe again, and exercise is a pleasure instead of an I'm out of breath nightmare. My next goal is to get my BMI into the 20's. I wish much success for all of you. Keep at it. Don't give up. If you work the program it will work for you too!! {{hugs}}

My hands are getting smaller!! Specifically, my fingers. I've had chubby little hands since I was 14 and my autoimmune disease showed up. When I was 200 lbs last time I was still an 8 1/2 on my ring finger in US sizing. Yesterday I finally took off my wedding rings when I noticed that even with the ring snuggies they are spinning around on my finger and threatening to come off. So I decided to measure them. I had gotten up to a US size 9. Now my ring finger measures as a US size 7!!! Never in my life have I ever wore a 7 in rings except maybe when I was 12?? 😂 I cannot get over how differently our bodies lose weight with these surgeries. I have to find a substitute ring to wear now because at this rate I'll be a US size 5 when I'm at goal! LOL I never thought I might have to sell my wedding rings because they can't be resized due to the difference being too much! This is so fascinating...

High B12 is common after surgery. Mine is always over 1000. In fact, I know vets who swear they feel better if theirs is over 1000. The only time my clinic ever said anything about my high B12 level was when it went over 2000 a few years back. And even then, they just suggested I cut back a bit on my supplement. Otherwise, it's met with a shrug. weird liver numbers are also pretty common after surgery. Rapid weight loss is hard on livers. My liver numbers didn't settle down until I was a year (or maybe more) out...but they did eventually stabilize (i.e., in the normal range). P.S. those hemoglobin and MCHC levels are so close to normal that I wouldn't worry about them. Your doctor or surgeon will let you know if they're in issue, but I'm guessing they're probably fine.

My band size keeps changing every few weeks! Bras for big boobs are expensive. I'm sure the boobs won't be big for long at this rate but still, it is a funny problem to have. I have no clue why my body has decided that my bra band area is the best place to lose weight post op. 🤣

I'm not a doctor and you should definitely ask your doctor about these results! They are the only ones that can really interpret these things for you!! However I can tell you from experience that sometimes the B supplements they have us taking after surgery can really push up the B12 levels, even into the abnormal category. But far as I understand it, the body will deal with the extra B12 just fine. At least that is what I was told and it may be true for you, so try not to worry until you talk to your doctor! Also, rapid weight loss post op can do odd things to our labs overall, especially our liver labs. That is because all that fat we are losing has to be processed in the liver and it stresses it out a bit. This is one of the reasons we are advised to avoid alcohol for the first year, that liver doesn't need anything else going on to stress it out! Plus there is a risk of transfer addiction but that's a whole other story... So try to remind yourself that your body is working very hard right now and that will probably show up as some unusual labs for a while. Your doctor will let you know if there is anything to be concerned about. And finally, being in ketosis post op can do weird things to our labs as well, especially when it comes to what shows up in your urine. So again, try not to fret too hard until you talk with your doctor about this. It is possible this might be something they want to follow, or it could just be because of surgery and rapid weight loss in ketosis. Only they can tell you what is really going on. ❤️

My gastric bypass is 2/21. I had a sleeve back in 2012. I gained weight back except that golden 25 I like to say not a total failure but not feeling great about it. I still do not have a large appetite but it was wrong choices. I been through breast cancer and I have reached a place in my life where I have had enough of self harming as I say. The surgeon puts me on pre op diet for Two weeks. I am having a bit of trouble with all the fruits and veggies. I have IBS. I stated this from beginning to all. Today I get the poops badly and called office to see if I can take imodium. I told them I was having a tough time with to much fiber. They say well if you can’t handle it you may become mal nourished from bypass. I’m like wtf. We would like you and your hubby to come in Tuesday a day before my surgery to ask any questions you may have and then a decision will be made to go forward or not. I’m saying the decision was made already. You never had an ibs patient before. In a way I think there being careful and in a way why now? I gotta be on a liquid diet only on Tuesday. Now I feel is this going to be to much for me. I don’t want to stay fat. Maybe try on my own. I went to class I did everything that I was suppose to do but I can’t help if my tummy get sick if it’s just to much fiber. It’s like 20oz of fruit and veggies combined a day. All advice is welcomed

Hi OP. Sounds like you had a relatively small amount to lose. 👍 Could you let us know what your starting weight and goal weight are? Also what your procedure was? And when you had your surgery? If so we could probably advise you more specifically! You sound really close to your goal - best of luck to you!

Hi OP. Firstly - I hope you're OK with where you are. Sounds like your restriction is exceptional 4 years out? If you could provide more information about your current intake/plan/macros then people might be better able to answer your questions. Also, if you could make your actual questions clearer then people will no doubt be able to target their answers better! Is it that you don't want to resort to carbs in order not to lose more weight? If so, what are you currently eating, what is your BMI, what do you want to re-examine??? We're all here and eager to help you xxx

Like @ms.sss I had problems of skin irritation when I was heavy, I don't have any after the weight loss. I found Caldesene Medicated protecting powder to be a lifesaver. I still use it whenever I get any type of rashes from allergies or heat.

There are some good dieticians & there are some … well… lousy ones. Is there any way you could find another dietician? Telling you to go to back to shakes is a bad suggestion like @summerseeker said. They should have gone through what you’ve been eating & make suggestions from there. The goal is to be eating real food not highly processed synthesised shakes loaded with artificial sweeteners & such. Stalls are frustrating. No way aground that but they are an important part of your weight loss when your body takes stock of your new needs & adjusts digestive hormones, etc. Best advice is to stick to your plan. Don’t make changes & stress your body more. The stall will break when your body is ready. Good advice from @summerseeker too about going back to the basics of protein first, then vegetables & then low processed complex multi/ whole grain carbs if you can eat more. Make cause you’re hitting your protein & fluid goals. Calories are a bit of a touchy issue at the moment in the medical world. Some are anti some are pro. A lot is around a calorie is a calorie regardless of what the food source is versus nutrient value. Plus, caloric needs differs so much person to person - age, gender, activity, metabolism, general health, hormones, etc. all affect how many you need. Personally I think if you are eating nutrient dense food, having an idea of calories can help you stay on track & guide you if you’re sliding.

I did it on janurary 29th... Part of me is regretting it but the other is just giving it a chance. I havent lost much weight so far, maybe like 6 pounds some thing like that. My mental health is just okay for now, but It's just frustrating to not being able to eat whatever I want... If you want, we can talk about our challenges ! i'm here for you if you need anything