Search the Community

Most people hit a stall 2 to 3 weeks after surgery. There is also retention after surgery because of the IV. Just keep working your program and the weight will come off. Also note you started at a low weight to begin with, so it may be slower but do speak to your team if you are concern. I like this post I saw on Pinterest once, if you keep working at it you will see the results, good luck!

Wow a 6 month prep seems so long. Hard to stay motivated, I totally agree. You're clearly eating what you should be because you've lost more than you need for your surgeon. Honestly if I had a 6 month run into surgery I would have accelerated my adherence to the programme in the 6 or 8 weeks before the date itself. Agree with the others - celebrate your non scale victories (although you totally have scale victories too)! Look at where you are now compared to where you were 3 months ago. And then visualise where you will be once you have your surgery. It's hard to stick to any eating plan for 6 months. I wish you all the best.

Hi all. My name is Carrielee. I am 33 years old and have been on the fence about WLS for the last few years. I have struggled with obesity since I was quite young and the weight keeps piling on. I am 5 foot 1 and just hit 325 pounds. I now have a BMI of 61.4. I have uncontrolled Hypertension on multiple meds, uncontrolled Type II Diabetes, and high cholesterol, sleep apnea, severe arthritis, IIH, angina, fatty liver disease, past history of PE. I can barely walk and have been told if I don’t lose the weight I likely won’t live to see 40. I’ve backed out of this so many times but now that I’ve surpassed the 300 pound mark I know I have to do this. I’ve ended up in the ER twice in this last week with abnormal EKGs and the idea of having a cardiac event before 40 terrifies me.

It can be challenging when your taste buds are against you but it is a great opportunity to try things you haven’t before or give food you didn’t enjoy in the past another go. I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating either (for 8 months or so). So I ate to a routine to ensure I got on my required nutrition. It helped to change how I looked at eating - not for comfort, to make me feel good/better, if I was bored or …. but to fuel my body. Eating to live not living to eat. Was also when I began asking myself if I needed the next bite or just wanted it. Never forced myself to eat all my portion if I didn’t need it or thought nope, no more. At two months, I was eating only all real food & eating a wide variety of meats. Some vegetables were challenging but steamed green beans, cauliflower & cabbage were good. I could add tomatoes, celery, capsicum, onions, mushrooms to any slow cooked soup, stew, minced meat dish. etc. About a month later all vegetables were fine. Didn’t touch shakes from purées. Aim for three meals a day & maybe one snack. (I snacked on fruit or yoghurt.) Check with your dietician to see what they recommend for you. Try to avoid falling back into the old habit of eating if you have head hunger.

Traveling cross country 5 weeks post-op sounds like a big adventure! It's great that you're feeling up to it. When it comes to moving your stuff, you might want to consider hiring a moving company to help out. I've heard good things about Moving company Lund, but I've never used them myself. They could make the whole process a lot smoother and less stressful for you. Since you're still in the early stages of recovery, it might be a good idea to pack light and take plenty of breaks along the way. Maybe even plan your route so you can stop and stretch your legs and rest when needed. Also, don't forget to check in with your healthcare provider before you hit the road to make sure it's safe for you to travel. Your health and well-being should always come first.

according to this internet calculator: https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html ** at your current height and weight, if you did nothing but stand still and breathe, you would burn 1,478 calories a day (i assumed you are are a 30 yr old female to fill in the blanks). so THEORTICALLY if all you did was merely EXIST, and you ate less than 1,478 calories a day you would be in a deficit and lose weight (how much weight exactly would depend on your activity level, your genetics, your health and metabolism speed). with that said, i'm with @catwoman7 in that i agree that 2100 cal a day for someone with your current weight and height may be more than maintenance level cals (i.e, you will GAIN weight), unless you are exercising at least 4-5 times a week. see screenshot from the above calculator's results below. ** p.s. as always, pls don't think that this calculator is the be all end all of truth, its just a guide based on AVERAGES. roughly 99% of people with your similar height and weight will fall above or below this number produced by this calculator.

You will look lighter than you are. A few weeks ago i was talking to a coach who's been working with strength athletes for decades, a guy who knows what weight looks like on bodies. He looks at me and is like, you're what 120 pounds now? I was just barely into the 150s. I'm in the 140s now and I'm practically skeletal. I'm much, much thinner than when I was this weight as a teenager. I had initially set a goal of the highest calculated ideal weight for my height and am now thinking that if I actually reach it I'll need to buy clothes from the kids section. Which.... I mean, there's way more dinosaur print options so I'm not necessarily complaining. So let that influence your goals.

When they do surgery often they tilt the table and it can put a lot of pressure on your lower spine/back. I've had multiple surgeries done and each time I have lower back pain for weeks because it pisses off the arthritis in my back when they tilt the table and I lay that way for hours. LOL I also got back pain as the weight started to come off at first. I don't know why it was worse then than now, but it was. I think it is because of the change in center of gravity, as noted above. If you notice you are needing pain meds for it or it is worsening, definitely ping your doctor about it. Oh and if you still have a uterus it could be cramping from that locale too. I used to feel that a LOT in my lower back before my hysterectomy.

Has anything changed? New medication? Lifestyle change? Has a little complacency slipped in? Not as active? You’ve been through Thanksgiving & Christmas recently could they have contributed? Go back to tracking your food & fluids to check you’re meeting goals. Go back to how you were eating before you reached your lowest weight in regards to portion sizes, calories, macros, etc. Protein first, then vegetables & finally only if you’re able any carbs you’re allowed. Check in with your dietician to ensure you’re not missing something. Remember not everyone reaches their goal. The average weightloss at the three year mark is 65% of the weight you would need to lose to put you in a healthier range. You’ve got this.

The revision was for GERD. At one week post op I may have still been on a PPI but it was pretty clear further out that the GERD was gone. I agree with your doctor to keep calm (but don’t hesitate to reach out to them) Try to allow yourself a bit of grace to fully heal. One week post surgery is very early so there’s likely a lot of inflammation. My advice would be keep your team in the loop about any changes, sleep propped up, don’t eat or drink anything besides clear fluids near bedtime, and avoid anything that previously caused your GERD to be worse. I know it’s boring advice but I hope it helps. ❤️

@Justarwaxx, I echo what @ShoppGirl said. Before surgery, I listened carefully to every horror story people wanted to tell me, to make sure I was making the right choice. I even sought out stories online, because I wanted to consider all the angles. Now, however, I listen to my medical team for instructions and to you all for advice on how to make them happen. The thing is, everyone has an opinion on WLS. Everyone "knows someone who had it and... [insert experience here]." But you don't have to listen. I can drink quite a lot fairly quickly, too. I talked to the PA about it and she said that's normal and fine, as long as you're getting enough fluids. She said I may have more trouble as time goes on, because scar tissue hasn't formed yet. So I am choosing to be grateful that I am able to get my fluids in easily. I work from home and I'm kind of a homebody anyway, so I haven't talked to many people about my surgery. I haven't had many people tell me what they think I should do, but when I do, I listen politely and change the subject. You are absolutely right! Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Let yourself be happy you're drinking easily, and give yourself ALL the kudos for being on this journey. It sounds to me like you're doing perfectly. And thank you for suggesting hiding the scale. I weigh every morning and get excited to see if I've dropped, but that's a mistake and I know it. I'm going to hide my scale, too, and weigh once a week.

1-2 pounds per week is actually a healthy rate of weight loss. That's where doctors and nutritionists want to see a person at. But if you want to change things up, try changing your workouts, giving yourself variety in what you eat, weigh and track your food so you know where empty calories and carbs are coming from, Typically, the first 6 months after surgery is the time when we lose the most. After that, weight loss slows way down (you can still lose, but not at the rate that you were). We can definitely still lose weight, but it slows SIGNIFICANTLY and we end up "fighting" to lose more weight. I'm still losing, but it's slooooow going. Slow and stead wins this race.

I’m in my second week of puréed diet. I also had two weeks puréed. My VSG was 12/04 and I’m looking forward to moving to soft foods next week. During the puréed, I have eaten ricotta bake; mashed potatoes; grits and eggs. Otherwise, protein shakes….

Traveling is hard. I used to travel a lot for work and by the end of a week of restaurant meals, I would be craving fruit and veg so much because I could never seem to get enough of that. I have found ordering simple chicken dishes in restaurants with a veg side and skipping the starch has been the best way to get something well-balanced when away from home, and that won't upset my stomach. Can you stop at a grocery store to get Greek or Icelandic yogurt and fresh berries when on the road? I'm not sure how common it is to have a small refrigerator in your hotel room in the places you're going, but a serving of unsweetened yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of sliced almonds is a great start to the day that requires no cooking or blending. You could also try raw veg and hummus (if you are able to tolerate raw veg). Does your job require going out to dinner with clients? If not, you might see if you can travel with a small electric hot pot to heat your own meals in your hotel room. Maybe bring small containers of your favorite spices to make simple go-to meals on the road. A few times I recall staying in hotels that had true kitchens and being able to buy groceries when I arrived. That was such a relief. It's funny that when you start traveling for work, you think it will be such a treat to go out to eat all the time, and after you do it for a while, it's not fun at all. Congratulations on making it 12 weeks with no alcohol! That's a great accomplishment. I had a single sip of a friend's cocktail this weekend and I have to say, it didn't taste good to me anymore. Maybe it was just a bad cocktail, but hopefully my tastebuds have changed for that. Sadly, I was not cured of my sweet tooth from the surgery. It was such a disappointment when chocolate was just as delicious as before.

I found I was allergic to derma bond after having skin removal surgery. Yea - the itchiness is awful. They put me on prednisone for ten days, and it cleared it up. weight loss is always slower after a revision than it is after a "virgin" surgery. Five lbs is great, though. And actually a 20 lb loss the first week would be very unusual, even with a virgin surgery. Maybe for folks on "My 600 lb Life", but not a for an average WLS patient. I lost 16 lbs the whole first MONTH. emotions can be wild the first few weeks after surgery - and so can regrets. This will pass - just hang in there!

Doing okay here, too! Today is officially 4 months post-op and I'm feeling pretty good, although I've been very tired lately. I'm wondering if it's the heat, or if I need to get better about eating on a regular schedule. I'm prepping for vacation right now and I know the next week is going to be a little crazy when it comes to food and exercise being off track. I've stocked up on easy sources of protein for the trip, including single serve packs of roasted edamame, beef jerky, and nuts, plus protein bars. My doctor's office called today and said I could stop taking omeprazole since I have completed the 90-day prescription they gave me. Now I just have another 2 months left of the ursudiol. I can't wait for that one to be finished because it is so hard to swallow. It's too light and basically floats instead of wanting to go down. I need to remember to take my 4-month progress photos. I think I will try to take them in the morning tomorrow as I'm feeling kind of bloated with the heat today.

@Zingor4 Hours??!! Is this like, right before your surgery? I've had two pre-op appointments, both took about 30 minutes. The first was with a nutritionist who went through the "no kidding" diet restrictions for the post op time and my blood work and the vitamins I'd need to order. She was even more insistent that there should be NO VITAMINS until 2 weeks post op. T The other appointment was with the regular surgical nurse who went through what to bring to the hospital (CPAP machine, etc.) and what not to bring (valuables, all my kids, etc.) whether I had any allergies to meds and my history of prior operations, anesthesia difficulties, whether I needed help with translation, etc. And I'm with you on the clothes. When do we pull the trigger on buying new stuff?

@brandycsiz - I think its pretty common. I've deifinitely gone off track, mostly due to other health issues and stress outside of the surgery itself. I was able to walk several miles without stopping in December, then after getting Covid (and I'm assuming long-Covid now), if I go more than 3 miles in a day or try lifting weights in the gym, I get physically ill for 2-3 days afterwards. I keep walking 1-2 miles in the evenings after work, but the lack of progress and regain of weight is very discouraging. I tended to stress eat before, and to be honest, the surgery was a success because at least it limits the amount I tend to binge on when having a bad time. I still have those cravings, but at least now I can drink 8-12oz of water and delay eating. I'm probably on track with my diet 3-4 days per week, but have been overdoing it or eating too many calorie/carb-dense foods when I have an off day or when I see family, who aren't the most supportive. My mom likes to drop off Little Debbie cakes and other snacks on my porch twice a week as she's driving by, and it's straining our relationship because I throw them away immediately, and she sees that as me being ungrateful and disrespectful. I am 6lbs heavier than I was around 8 weeks post-op, so its really getting me down. After covid, I developed some issues with my heart rate. It drops down in the upper 20's to low 30s in my sleep and my blood pressure drops too low, but if it get it past 100bpm, my blood pressure spikes, and I get dizzy and almost faint. I'm trying to get in to see specialists, but I can't get in with a specialist for 5+ months just for initial consult. I have to drive 3+ hours to another area to try to get in sooner, but I burned all my leave time for the year with Covid in January, so I can't take the days off to travel.

I completely understand your chaos and hope your surgery went well today! As to the constipation question - *absolutely* dealt with that during the liquid diet stage. I'm pretty sure it's the cutting out of almost all sugar and whatever they put in the protein shakes that does it. They had me taking 100mg of Colace twice a day during my liquid diet. I wanted to encourage you to ask for ice packs while in the hospital to help you manage your pain! I'm a week post op at home now and seem to have an ice pack against my abdomen probably 20 minutes out of every hour, still. It isn't that I'm hurting horribly, my pain is managed unless I stand for too long (NEVER would have thought merely standing long enough to cook breakfast would be so exhausting) but that ice pack and laying back at an angle is everything relief can be, at least for me personally. I'm very surprised I had to actively ASK for ice packs in the hospital; I wouldn't have thought to do so if I hadn't had a friend go through the same surgery and clue me in. Just remember the main thing about these surgeries is that there's a short road from your mouth to your belly afterward, and it has what I call a 'valve' toward the top of your stomach. You literally have to treat your belly like you would a baby and 'burp' yourself - walking helps, sitting upright and taking small sips, then rocking back and forth helps - but do NOT try to add more fluid until the tightness in your chest is relieved by a burp. It's like pumping gas into a car or like I said - burping a baby. There's a short tube from mouth to stomach and it only holds a few ounces. Until you burp and that tightness around your chest fades with the fluid being allowed to flow into your belly it literally is at maximum and efforts to drink more WILL make it come back up. I even waited to sip fluids if I knew I had to take medicine soon, to make sure I left room for the fluid it would take to get the pills down. Hopefully this helps you or someone else in recovery! I learned my lesson the first night after my surgery, one week ago - and the reflux / sicking up when I tried to go too fast did NOT feel good. I also 100% recommend getting up and slowly walking around as SOON as you can. THAT is what will make the pain start diminishing, because it rocks your body and works the gas they pumped in you for surgery back out. Best wishes! I hope it's going great for you! (ETA - Also, best wishes to your husband! I hope you two have someone on hand to help you out during your recoveries, and I will tell you from experience that it probably will feel like you're dropping more on the floor than ever before, simply because leaning down to pick it up would be painful! It requires discipline, especially if you tend toward being OCD like me, but trust me when I say trying to bend over to pick up a dropped 'whatever' is usually NOT worth it. Hugging an ice pack to your abdomen while you walk also helps tremendously at first.)

Oh my gosh @MLC3409 why the 360 with the doctor? And I don't blame you with the food because this is very hard work (especially for myself with a husband and three kids). Did he find something wrong yesterday? Is he going to keep the surgery date? (I think you said yes) and they wouldn't be ordering meds without telling you. Keep on plugging along!! And remember the why and keep telling yourself that...Reach out whenever...my problem is I am also looking at stuff for the purees stage and so on lol because I want time to fly by. I been adding "bullion" to my broth as a treat.

i also was not a fan of pureed stage to the point that i skipped it altogether. on the first day of pureed stage i blitzed some beef in my food processor, looked at it, took a whiff, then dry heaved as i dumped it all in the trash. decided i would just extend my full liquids food stage for an extra week and then go to straight to soft foods once done. worked for me (and also for my NUT who i told what i what i decided to do...she was fine with it). though pureed stage was around 1 month post of for me, and i was barely eating much anyway (like 300-400 cals a day i think), so it probably made no difference for me? *shrug*.

How has everyone gone for goal setting? They say you have to set SMART goals Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-Bound And they also say not to focus on scale victories. That's a challenge for me! Numbers make such an obvious target. So I've chosen some targets like Do 20 minutes on the stationary bike, twice a week by May 19. Drop 10 kg by June 19. Do 1 pullup by July 19. And do a DXA sscanand reward myself with $100 per bf% dropped. Turn down the CPAP by August 19. By February 19 I want to fit into size 36 jeans. Has anyone got some good targets sorted out?

I was never given any specific goals to meet at any stage. At 3 weeks after my sleeve I was probably eating 3 tiny 2oz pureed things per day. If I was hungry I had a teaspoon or two of nut butter before bed, or if it was earlier in the day a few spoons of Greek yoghurt.

My husband, daughter, and son all have had the flu the last few days. Horrible vomiting and diarrhea. I am so afraid of throwing up. I’m almost 3 weeks post op from RNY. If the worst happens and I do throw up will it tear open my stitches?

Ooof, yeah. So I weighed myself several days ago after uh... my digestive system decided to clear itself (took a while). Just to see. I LOOK a lot thinner already - I'm just over 2 weeks out - but I just wanted to see. And the results were lovely. BUT. I made the mistake of weighing myself in the couple of days after that, and of course it jumped up a bit, and I realised that I will make myself crazy if I do it every day. A lot of processes are reorganising in there! If you've started solid foods (I'm allowed soft solid foods, and that certainly makes for highs and lows!), that's going to make things jump around a lot, I just think the number has to be less important than it once was. I know weight loss is a lot more complex than the first law of thermodynamics, but if you're up and moving around at 750-900 calories a day, something is being converted to the energy you're using, and maybe having lower weight loss numbers here is a good sign - you're doing consistent resistance training, so you're retaining or gaining (dense) muscle instead of eating away at it, while dropping the (lighter) fat. Good job with the 6x week exercise - that's awesome