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Planning ahead and seeking local support as you progress through the stages of your weight loss journey is a great approach. While I can't provide specific book recommendations, I can suggest a few general types of books that might be helpful as you transition to stage 4 and beyond: Bariatric Cookbooks: Look for cookbooks specifically designed for individuals who have undergone weight loss surgery. These often provide recipes and meal plans tailored to each stage of post-surgery recovery. Nutrition Guides: Books that focus on post-bariatric surgery nutrition can be very informative. They can help you understand the nutritional requirements for your specific procedure and guide you in making healthy food choices. Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Books: While not specific to bariatric surgery, these books offer valuable information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, making smart food choices, and managing your weight in the long term.

I've been thinking of getting a helix piercing for quite awhile, just haven't gotten around to it! I have several piercings and a small tattoo (one I haven't seen well due to weight)..not sure I want to see it after the weight loss 😆! I say do what makes you happy!

You certainly need to get a second, and probably third, opinion to find out what's going on; they should be able to explain to you, in layman's terms, what your situation is and what the options are for treating it. That is usually a straightforward and insurable step here in the States, but I don't know what hoops you may have to jump through in the UK. It does sound like something's not right in what they did (which is why you want a second, impartial and uninvolved opinion,) as strictures are not common with sleeves that are done correctly; they are common and easily treated with an endoscopic dilation in and RNY, and that may work with a sleeve stricture, or may not depending on what caused it (usually a misshaping of the sleeve.) I did quite a bit of research on these topics a few years ago when they found a cancerous polyp in my stomach; fortunately it was very early and all treatable endoscopically, but all of these various options were discussed and researched. There are some Facebook groups specifically for patients with partial or total gastrectomies, which is what they are proposing for you. The most common approach here, and what it sounds like they are proposing for you, is a Billroth 2 gastrectomy, which has been around for about 140 years, and is the basis of the RNY gastric bypass, The main difference between a partial or total gastrectomy is whether they can use some of the remaining stomach to form an RNY like pouch (partial) or remove all of the stomach and attach the esophagus directly to a loop of intestine, or an additional roux limb as in the RNY, and form "stomach" pouch in the intestine where the esophagus is attached. So, going without the stomach is possible and entirely livable (there are several books on Amazon about "eating without a stomach" which go over what is basically a normal bariatric diet progression.) To the surgeons I was dealing with (at a major regional cancer center,) the total gastrectomy was a much bigger deal surgically and recovery wise than the partial, as attaching the esophagus directly into the intestine was a much touchier procedure with a more extended recovery and healing time (on a feeding tube for several months,) than going through even a small pouch of stomach tissue - something else to consider with whatever choice you have in surgeons (try to find one who has done a lot of these.) One of the things that stood out as fairly common amongst the Facebook group was problems with bile reflux, and you can see how that could easily happen by looking at the altered anatomy. The surgeon I was dealing with said that he did not experience those problems if he kept the various limbs within certain minimum lengths (which presumably some other surgeons didn't do in order to minimize malabsorption and weight loss,) so another point to consider in finding a surgeon who has some direct experience with these problems.

Hi I have Kaiser NorCal and I went to my primary and just told them I want weight loss surgery. She sent a referral to the Bariatric department as I had a BMI of 38 and high blood pressure so I met the requirements, which for NorCal are a BMI over 40 or BMI over 35 with a health condition. I was contacted by the Bariatric department and I had to watch a video and take a test it was easy. Then I had to weigh in with their department and meet with a nutritionist. After all that was done, I was able to meet with the surgeon and he gave me a go away of what I had to lose in order to qualify. I had to do a psych evaluation. Once I lost weight I did some bloodwork and now I am scheduled for surgery on October 12 of this year. I started this process in January, I was scheduled for surgery in September, but got pneumonia the week of the surgery so it was postponed and now Kaiser is supposed to strike so I’m hoping that it doesn’t get postponed again you do have to maintain your weight the entire process and can’t even go over half a pound of your goal weight. Hope this helps.

I am absolutely terrified today after seeing my consultant. I had gastric sleeve surgery 26/07/2022 not for weight loss but to remove a stomach tumour. January this year I started getting stabbing pains under my left rib but wasn't really having any nausea, sickness or difficulty eating and drinking. After a CT scan in May and an endoscopy in August they found my stomach is strictured/stenosis. Today my consultant has told me the only option is to remove my stomach fully and sew my esophagus to my bowel. He said stretching it is not an option. I have an odd feeling (numerous reasons why) that they botched my operation and are trying to skirt around it. My consultant and surgeon keep changing the story. Like only an insignificant amount of stomach was removed. Then it was a full gastric sleeve performed. Then only a tiny amount removed again. Then the tumour was a GIST (sarcoma cancer). Then its just a benign tumour caused by pancreas cells. I've never known such confusing, arrogant, unsympathetic and clueless consultants and surgeons before - they're very worrying. Especially considering my surgeon is also doing private work for Spire. I'm absolutely broken. Any advice or anyone that has had a similar experience would be appreciated. As a side note this hospital in Liverpool has now given me a fear of hospitals. I was put on an oncology ward which I've been in before in a different hospital. I've always been a regular at hospitals over the last 20 years with pulmonary embolisms, 2 cancer scares, chronic illnesses etc and its always been a pleasant stay (even after surgeries) and a bit of a break and a chance to get some rest as I have 3 children. While in this new hospital after surgery it was like a third world hospital. I was lay in someone elses stale urine for a week before they agreed to change my putrid mattress. I caught scabies on my arm and oral thrush that spread to my esophagus and lungs. There was no shower so I had to wash myself daily in the sink. Finally they allowed me to use the mens shower as there was no womens shower which was literally just a shower cubicle with a door leading onto the corridor, nowhere to hang your towel or clothing and due to a blocked drain the floor/tray was flooded so my feet were in stagnant water along with my towel and clothing on a carrier bag on the floor/tray. By the end of my shower everything was soaking wet so I had to "get dry" with a wet towel and put on wet pyjamas before going to my bed and putting the curtain around to get properly dry and changed again. I had pneumothoraxes under my diaphragm and collar bone but was given the wrong and tiniest amount of pain relief. I was left to withdraw from my daily medication that I've taken for 5 years and left writhing in agony with the gas pain, pneumothoraxes, parasthesia and an intense burning sensation through my veins along with a massive headache, vomiting and aversion to light. No one would listen to me to help me to get my pain level under control and I could go on and on about the lack of care and the feeling of death and impending doom on this ward.

WOOHOO !!! Congrats on your weight loss ! That's impressive

Congrats on getting past the stall! I hope you get your "new" knees soon! I really don't understand the reason the nurse gave you tho, yes your body is/was healing, but, with minimal eating AND healing your body should be not only using what the minimal meals you're eating to heal but whatever reserves you may have i.e. fat aka weight - which usually means more weight loss not less. Sorry, just my working in healthcare along with my past physiology schooling at odds with that reason...it may be true, it just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe someone can explain it to me?!

Most, if not all, of us have experienced a stall in weight loss not long after having the surgery. Check your bowels; you may be constipated. Just stick with the program. Talk to your surgeon, if you don’t see progress. I did that and discovered that I had had only the first of several procedures in my revision surgery.

So it looks like your question was added in as a tag. 'I am 3 weeks post op and it is really hard to get in protein I was reaching out to see if there is any type of hacks on how to get it down I have the powder kind also can someone explain to me what will happen if I’m not getting enough protein in There are a variety of ways to get it down. Make it as is and break it down to half a shake twice a day. Make it more liquidy and sip on it throughout the day. Use unflavored protein powder and sprinkle it into other foods, such as broth or applesauce. Try protein water which is thinner and comes in a many fruity flavors so it's not just the milky stuff. You can also boost the protein in yogurt with adding protein powder. If you don't get in enough protein, you run the risk of losing muscle and not just fat. Losing muscle can also slow down weight loss. Also leaves you with less energy. Even though hair shedding is par for the course, having enough protein can lessen the shed and support healthy regrowth. It can be difficult to meet the protein goals in the beginning, just try to focus on getting better day by day.

Good morning, I am a 51 yr old woman and had my RNY on 3/9/2016 I am 5 ft and was 210 but 190 at surgery. I was on the smaller end,but I had a lot of comobidities that justified having it. Everything was normal for a while. I got down to about 118 at about 9 months and slowly creeped back up to about 135 where I sat at this weight for a while. Then fast forward to the end of 2019 and I started seeing the pounds come off rapidly for no reason. Now fast forward to today and I am 97 lbs and can't keep weight on,no matter how many calories,carbs, fat I eat. I have seen multiple health care professionals that up until very recently have all told me that this is my new normal. I have had an ultrasound that reviled a fatty liver, however I had a fatty liver before surgery? Has anyone else experienced weight loss like this? I am scared that I will never stop loosing.

It took me 3 weeks, but every insurance is different, Weight Loss Hospital Programs, pre-op weight loss requirements are different.

I've heard this from more than a couple of dietitians (and in a graduate-level nutrition/dietetics course I audited last semester on obesity and weight loss, too) - if you have been obese and lose down to a normal (or not far above normal) level, you will have to eat fewer calories to maintain that weight than someone who's the same height, age, gender, activity level, etc who's never been obese. About 10-20% fewer, if I remember correctly. So that means if someone of your height, age, activity level, etc maintains on 2000 kcal, then that means you'd have to eat 1600-1800 to maintain the same weight. that said, your calorie level does depend on several factors - how active you are, how muscular you are, your metabolic rate, etc. We have women on here who can maintain on 2000, and others who can only eat 1200. I'm the same height as you (don't know how we compare otherwise, though), and it takes about 1600 kcal to maintain my weight. I can go a bit higher on heavy exercise days. Although that does give me incentive to exercise regularly, though....

i'm 5 years post op. i have both butter and olive oil. I had them during weight loss phase as well, just in lesser amounts.

I'm a year out from my surgery and at my last dietitian meeting we discussed maintenance calories which I have been looking forward to that discussion for forever but I was really shocked and I can't believe I didn't know this after all of my research before and after surgery. He said my calorie goals for life should be between 1300 and 1500 and I had no idea that was going to be so low. I honestly went into surgery thinking that the average calories a person eats is 2000 so I must be eating 3000 or more to be so over weight and I just needed to get back to normal. I thought that I would be able to use the surgery and lack of hunger to eat super low calories and lose the weight and since month 3 I've been at 1000 a day. My hunger is back and 1000 is a struggle now and I'm using all my years of diet experience to fill up on low calorie food as well as hitting all my protein and water goals. I thought that soon I'll be able to eat more so it's just a temporary situation, but now I'm worried about long term success. If I'm hungry at 1000, I don't think 300 more calories is really going make a huge difference. So now I'm wondering if the reason why so many people gain the weight back after surgery is because to keep it off we have to keep our calories so low forever? Also, why do we have to keep our calories so low? Why is the average calories 2000 but for bariatric patients 1300 to 1500 is the goal? I always thought that anything under 1500 wasn't a safe number but when I asked my dietitian all of these questions he didn't know. He just knew that to maintain the weight loss, that's the normal goal and that if I wanted to eat more I could exercise more. So did everyone else know that the calories after surgery were going to be low for life and I just somehow missed this important fact? Anyone know why our average doesn't match the so called normal average? I was really excited to be close to goal but now I'm scared because I can see now how easily it can all go away.

Hi everyone, I was sleeved 9/11/2013 and this ten years has definitely been a journey weight loss rollercoaster for me. I started at 239 and currently weight 152. I lost down to 167 and that was my lowest for years. I slowly gained again after the lost of my parents and last year weighed 212. I refocused and lost 60 pounds down to my lowest at 152. I’ve been focused and watchful of my meals and started intermittent fasting which has been a lifestyle change for me. Still the best decision I ever made

it's not at all uncommon for menstrual cycles to be affected by WLS. Lots of women report changes in their cycles - or have mood swings - the first few weeks after surgery. Estrogen is stored in fat cells, and this is supposedly due to estrogen being released during the rapid weight loss period. It'll eventually stabilize when your weight loss slows down.

Most of us end up with different signals to indicate when we’ve had enough to eat: sneezing, runny nose, heaviness, etc. or restriction. Because we eat more slowly we start to understand our real full signals & not suddenly get to that groaning, stomach stretching, oh my God I’m so full feeling because we are way too much. (It usually takes 20 odd minutes for the real signal you are full to get to your brain.) I try not to eat until I feel full. I ask myself if I need the next bite or just want it. I often pick up the next spoonful & decide nope don’t need it & put it down. Sometimes I’ll have it a few minutes later & sometimes I don’t. But that’s me & how I manage my eating. You may find as you start eating heavier, denser foods your tummy may be more sensitive & signal you more quickly. These foods sit in your tummy longer as they take longer to digest so you will feel your signals a little more quickly than with purees, soft foods & liquids. It’s all part of your healing & recovery. There may be some foods that will always sit more heavily which is just a quirk of your own tummy. For me I found breads, rice & pasta do so I avoid them which isn’t difficult or a loss. I guess I do eat differently only in that I eat more slowly, take smaller bites & generally try to eat more consciously/mindfully in that I pay attention to what & how I eat & not just shovel food in. I appreciate the heaviness I feel & even my restriction (though unpleasant) on the occasions I’m distracted & not paying attention to what & how I’m eating - & we all have those times.

I'm so happy I found this topic, it's a relief! Before finding this topic I just assumed it was my body/metabolism/stomach (I refuse to call it a "pouch" - It's still my stomach) adjusting to pureed/soft food after 5 weeks of liquid. I'm glad to see my instincts were right and the stall is normal! I do understand why people worry though, to go through all this and then not see any movement on the scale the last 10 days after only being post op since August 21 can make anyone anxious. You can know the science behind it, but, its still anxiety causing. Thank you everyone for your wisdom and personal experiences on your weight loss journeys!

Its been a few months...Lets get some Updates on your Recovery and weight loss!

Sometimes I do. Other times I struggle to remember I'm not 421 pounds anymore. I should be in a size 16 pants, but my legs have so much loose skin that I can't go lower than a 18/20, which makes me always have to pull my pants up because they are too big around my waist. My husband made me keep 1 of my size 30 outfits and one of my size 10 rings (I'm in a size 7 now) and when I kind of start spiraling and seeing every flaw and not seeing my progress, he makes me (try to) put them on. When they don't fit at all, he says "know why? Because you aren't a size 30 anymore. You don't wear a size 10 ring anymore. You've lost more weight than our daughter even weighs." and it brings me out of it. Other days, I'm so ecstatically proud and happy with everything and I have zero doubts about where I am and how far I've come. It's really crazy how your head can mess with you and make you unsee 140+ pounds of weight loss.

As @Sleeve_Me_Alone has stated it's absolutely completely normal. There really isn't anything that can be done to stop it. At this point those are already dead hairs and are going to shed out. Trust and believe I'm living this now. I had surgery 4/11 and the shed started at month 3. I still have shedding in month 5, but it's a lot less than when it first started. The collagen, biotin and keeping up with protein will just help support healthy new hair growth, but won't do much to against it.

I would also recommend getting your gall bladder checked! Gall stones are very common post bariatric surgery, and can lead to nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. I would reach out to your doctor about it, for sure!

It is 1000000% normal and generally unavoidable. Your hair naturally goes through growth and shed cycles and any major trauma to your body (surgery, stress, pregnancy, etc.) can impact that cycle. You just had major surgery and now your body is losing a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time, which triggers that shed cycle to accelerate. For most folks it lasts a couple months, slows down, and then you start to see regrowth. Take your bariatric vitamins, hit your protein goals, and stay hydrated. Those are your best tools for helping minimize it and ensure regrowth comes in strong. Some people also supplement with collagen and biotin, which certanily can help, but they won't stop the shed. Hang in there, its totally normal and doesn't last forever!

Has anyone seen more hair loss post surgery? My surgery was 4/28. Down 101 pounds but I've noticed more and more thinning of my hair. Any supplements or vitamins to offset this ? Thanks.

Weight loss can impact ring size, but it varies for each person. Some might need to resize their rings down a couple of sizes, while others might not need any adjustments at all. As for wedding rings, it's totally natural to worry about sizing changes. I wear a 6 1/2 as well, and I can understand the concern.