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I took Ozempic for about 2 years for diabetes. I loss some weight but the side effects were atrocious. It did help with my A1C though. Sent from my SM-G991U using BariatricPal mobile app

I apologize for not posting as often as I did at the start. I've slowly started to incorporate more things into my diet over the last couple weeks. I had a fish taco from Torchy's Tacos tonight, for example. I was only able to eat two bites, but it was a nice change up. I attempted to eat a turkey sandwich from Subway last week and wasn't really feeling the bread. I was only able to eat about half of a six inch and it took me a couple days to get that done, lol. After getting sick off of roast beef about a month ago, I haven't even attempted red meat again and really don't have a desire to. I've found that I still "want" to try to eat a large amount, but my body doesn't allow it. I've pretty much just started taking two bites of things and being finished as when I take more than two bites, I have to start spitting in a cup or I have a desire to throw up. I'm officially down to 313lbs, so I should only be in the 300's for a couple weeks more or so. I'm down 72lbs since the start of my journey and down 48lbs since my surgery on June 23rd (8 weeks ago tomorrow.) So I guess you could say I'm averaging a 6lbs/week loss since my surgery, but I've found some weeks I'll lose 10lbs and some weeks I'll stall. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm only intaking like 400-800 calories a day and stalling, but I know that it's just a part of the bodies process. My surgeon has said since day one that this surgery and weight loss will last about a year and to make the most of it now. I swear, feeling how I feel when I eat, I don't imagine that I'll ever be able to eat like I used to again. I guess we'll see. Thanks to everyone that's stuck with me through this journey and ready my posts and have given me encouragement. If you're reading this and you're still on the fence about whether to have the surgery or not, I can say without doubt that it's the best thing I've ever done. It really sucks to not be able to eat certain things anymore, but being healthy and losing weight is a lot better than any junk food. Sometimes when my family are eating huge burgers, cakes, pies, etc... I feel regret for a brief second, but honestly, the only regret I have is that I didn't do this 10 years ago.

I did keto as the 2week pre surgical diet but my dietician said keto is a short term diet, best for kickstarting weight loss. It shouldn’t be followed long term. (Check research on effects on diabetes & insulin levels, cholesterol, etc.). Most post surgery diets are high protein, low fat, low carbs so probably closer to Aitken’s if you’re looking for a more formal recognised diet. One of the most important learnings I’ve had is that there is no one diet/way of eating that works for everyone. If there was the dieting wouldn’t be a billion dollar industry. Speak with your dietician, do your own research, & listen to your body & needs & the work out a way of eating that works & is best for you. As to your weight loss so far, you’re doing fine. The only people who lose very large amounts pre & immediately post surgery are those who began at a very high weight. There is really no right or wrong rate of loss. There are averages which only give you an idea of what you might lose. We all lose at our own rate. How many stalls you experience,how often & how long they last are individual too. And everyone’s’ rate of loss slows as they get closer to their final weight. I decided I would only worry about how much I was losing if my surgeon was upset but he wasn’t ever. All the best.

Congratulations Kay. As you've learned, the scale is not necessary to appreciate what you've lost. And gained. I was too large (by far) to fit on a home scale, so weighing at home simply was not possible. So, all my milestones were not on the scale. As it turned out, even at my monthly appointments when I could weigh in my surgeon was not interested in my weight loss. His questions were about my health, my happiness, and my well being. He never brought up weight loss unless I did it. Good luck, Tek

I love hearing about the health improvements even more than the weight loss. Congrats!!!!!

Interesting - Thanks for sharing on the anemia. During my last checkup they did find that my iron levels were low and added a vitamin A and Ferritin to the supplements that I am taking. I didn’t realize that this had anything to do with weightloss. I agree, more losses just slower. Thank you

I slowed down significantly in the 7th month after surgery. It turns out that I was very iron anemic. My journey has been to find the sweet spot of eating/exercising just enough but not too much. When I keep my iron levels up I still loose about 1-1/2 lbs per month 2 years out. I’m almost done loosing I think because it doesn’t take much effort to stay where I’m at currently, but I’d have to WORK to get and stay at a lower weight. It’s all about your sweet spot. Keep working your plan, there’s more losses coming, just slower, in fits and starts.

My starting weight was 5'7", 235 lbs... so close to the same BMI as you. Similar to you, I wondered if I was "big enough" to get the surgery... but I had increasing health issues... diabetes and sleep apnea. I am SO GLAD I DID IT. I lost all of my excess weight, my diabetes is in remission, and I no longer have sleep apnea. And I love the way I look. The reality is, even though you're not morbidly obese, the likelihood of you losing and keeping off a substantial amount of weight is near zero (as you've discovered). Weight loss surgery is the only evidence-based means of losing and maintaining the kind of loss we need to achieve a healthy weight. Here is a video about Low BMI weight loss surgery outcomes. You can also search these forums for "low BMI." There are lots of us who have gone through the same questions you have.

Try to focus on NSV (non scale victories). That helps me when I'm in a stall, or I'm not losing as much as I think I should be. So for example... with my first surgery (I had the sleeve in May 2022) I lost 30 pounds in 30 days. It was insane. Then I hit the mother of all stalls. Each time I hit one, I would gain 3-5 pounds and sit there for WEEKS. I would come on here nearly in tears. Then I learned to look for things other than the numbers on a scale. I saw that I was off some of my meds. My clothes were starting to get a little looser. I dropped a ring size pretty quick. I was able to walk around more with less stops. As time went on and I was further out from my surgery, the weight loss slowed a lot. I was still losing, but at a much slower rate. But I paid attention to the NSVs and I was thrilled. I was able to work out longer, do more intense workouts, dropped another 2 sizes in clothes, ring and necklace sizes went way down, I could go up and down stairs, I was off all blood pressure, anti-inflammatory, and diabetes meds, I could sit in normal chairs with arms on them COMFORTABLY, I could cross my legs..... So many things to look at when the scale is being stubborn. I ended up having several complications from the sleeve around month 8 or so post op, and had to have a revision to bypass in June of this year. Right from the jump, the weight loss has been soooo slooooow. But my bmi and weight were a LOT lower than when I had my initial surgery (when I had the sleeve, I was 388 pounds, 5'6", bmi 63). When I had the revision, I was 275 with a bmi of 43). Also, weight loss is lower and slower with revisions. But I mostly wanted my life back because I couldn't do ANYTHING with the complications (I had 6 surgeries in 6 months). Now I'm back to working out BEAST MODE, I can live my life, properly stick to my diet, and watch my NSVs (the scale creeps along at a snail's pace, but I'm still seeing NSVs so I'm happy). Things will happen for you in the time, and in the way, they are supposed to. Just know that even when the scale isn't cooperating, other things in your body are. Just look for those, keep doing what you're doing, and you'll get there in the end.

I lost the same amount (16 lbs) the first month and ended up losing 235 lbs (I've gained back a few since then). Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month post-op, so you're in the right range. If you're getting your expectations from "My 600 lb Life", remember that those people start at over 600 lbs - that's way above where the average WLS patient starts from, and starting BMI is one of the factors that determines what your rate of weight loss is (other factors are age, gender, how much of your body weight is muscle, whether or not you lost a lot of weight prior to surgery, metabolism rate, other genetic factors, etc). The only two factors that play into the rate of weight loss that you have much control over are how closely you're sticking to your clinic's food plan, and how active you are. If you're doing well with those, you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. the other thing you may be dealing with is the "three-week stall" that most of us experience. It's not always the third week post-op - sometimes it's the second or fourth or fifth week post-op, but it's most commonly during the third week, hence the name. It's basically the first major stall after WLS. Most of us go through this. It generally lasts 1-3 weeks. I had mine during weeks 2 and 3 (so two weeks). I lost virtually nothing during this time, but once week 4 started, I dropped like 6-8 lbs within just a couple of days. so anyway, long way of saying, there's no reason to feel defeated. Sounds like everything is pretty normal...

It's nice to know not everyone has to avoid those things long term with the RNY. I was going by what I've read and heard from other RNY patients I've met, many of whom still avoid those things, especially dry meat. I suppose it is one of those things where there are a variety of experiences due to individual needs and the variety of plans from doctors and dietitians. I could have included the statistics for everything but it would have been a much longer post and probably a bit overwhelming to read. I find when comparing features of surgery that statistics don't matter to me much, a chance of something is a chance of something and still goes into my weighing and balancing of the surgeries overall, but I'm sure everyone differs on that. My goal was to write a post that was easy to understand and fairly neutral, as I've noticed most surgery patients are heavily biased to their own surgeries unless they are experiencing complications and have plans of revision. We have a lot of bypass patients on this board so I figured you guys would chime in. Sadly we don't have many that have had the SADI or the DS, which is unfortunate because these are really great surgeries for the right person. Thanks for chiming in with your experience Catwoman7, your weight loss and maintenance is truly impressive and you always add great things to a discussion!

1 year mark check ins? Well, tomorrow is officially 1 year for me. I am down 102 pound since surgery and 124.8 since my Pre-op. I have definitely slowed to a crawl on the weight loss at this point. The last couple months I have barely lost anything. But, I will take this weight over where I was.

honestly, there are more people who never make it all the way to their goal than there are those who lose too much, but that said, you can always increase your calories to either stop your weight loss or gain a few pounds if you think you're getting too thin. So I wouldn't worry about that at all. I lost 100% of my excess weight and yes, for a time I was "too thin", but I was also aware that a majority of us have a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain during year 3. And I did. In addition, even before the rebound gain, things (fat, I guess?) tends to re-distribute itself after a big loss, so even though I weighed the same for awhile, I started looking a lot better. My face filled out, etc - even before that gain. as far as it being hard - the first year, it wasn't too bad - esp before my hunger and appetite came back at month 5. For those first few months, for the first time in my life, I wasn't thinking about food at all the time. In fact, I didn't think about it much at all - and at times didn't even want any. Even though it was weird not to ever be hungry and to not give a flip about food, I found it very liberating! But things changed at month 5 when suddenly my hunger came back (and it does for most of us sometime during the first year). Then you're dealing with the hunger beast again, although it's not as strong as it was before surgery. But I wanted more than anything to lose this weight once and for all, so I really stuck to my program and lost it all (weight loss didn't stop until I was almost two years out, though - I had A LOT to lose!) it does get harder after the first year because diet fatigue sets in, as well as some old habits. You really, really have to watch yourself. And eight years out, I have to continue to watch myself. It's so easy to slip into old habits. But I have a "drop dead weight" limit - I weigh myself once a week now, and if I hit that limit - or come close to it - I cut back until my weight is safely within the limit again. But this really isn't any different from most of my never-been-obese friends. So many of us have to monitor our weight and to cut back when it starts getting too high. anyway, yes, it can be hard - esp when your hunger comes back and your motivation starts to wane, but unlike before, your effort actually pays off. You put in the work, and the weight comes off (or stays off). Before, the most I could ever lose is about 50 lbs (and even that was rare - most of my dieting ended up with a 10 or 20 lb loss). And inevitably, it will all come back. Happened every time. BUt this time, it worked!

I am like you, I need to drink a LOT of water. Before surgery, it was nothing for me to drink 80 oz. or more of water every day. I'm 6 days post-op with RYGB and the most water I've been able to directly drink is 56 oz. in one day. I'm still on a liquid diet, and that's definitely helping me get more water in. From what I understand, as time goes on we are able to drink more normally than we can right after surgery. I started with a consult back in December of 2022. I'm 5'10, and always hovered around 250-260. I could focus on food and exercise and could never break 230. I also have been able to find flattering clothes and seemed to be able to "carry my weight well," like you, too. As of yesterday, I was down to 220 from my highest weight ever at 276 a few years ago. When I saw that number, I could actually imagine being below 200 for the first time in my adult life, and I got emotional. I don't wanna tell you what to do, but going in for a consult might help you make your decision. My program and insurance required me to be on a medically supervised diet for at least 6 months before surgery. And I had to prove that I could lose at least a bit of weight by tracking my food intake, taking nutrition education classes, and basically having them monitor my progress with an app on my phone. They were able to get Wegovy for me to jump start my weight loss, and I was at 224 the night before I went in for surgery. I weighed 263 when I began the program. Hope some of this helps, and I truly wish you good luck as you learn more!

Congrats on your appointment tomorrow! Good luck! I can't comment experience wise because I haven't has surgery yet and my BMI is MUCH higher than yours, but most insurance companies will cover weight loss surgery if you have a BMI of over 35 and a co-morbidity. It sounds like you have a few co-morbidities so you should be good! One liter of water sounds very doable after the first few days of recovery, so that should be easy for you to do with frequent drinking by the time you can go back to a physically demanding job. You may not be able to gulp it, but you should be able to drink it at regular intervals between meals just fine...

The SADI and the Duodenal Switch (they are different) are the two surgeries with the highest percentage of excess weight loss, the lowest rate of regain and the best reputation for significant weight loss in people with high BMIs. You can read studies about this. That said there are plenty of people with high BMIs that go with Gastric Bypass instead and plenty of them do keep the weight off. Both surgeries have restrictive and malabsorptive components, though their malabsorption is rather different. The bypass tends to be better for people with GERD issues but has a higher risk of ulcers and strictures. The SADI-S tends to be better for people at risk of developing ulcers, for those that smoke or vape and plan on going back to it after surgery healing is complete, and for those that may need to take NSAIDS in the future. The bypass involves a modified stomach with smaller capacity (about that of an egg) while the SADI has a sleeve stomach (banana shaped) so will eat bigger portions. Both still restrict enough calories for weight loss. The SADI is pylorus sparing so the stomach still has the valve in it that keeps food in so digestion happens in a more normal way, the bypass has no pyloric valve so you have to be extra mindful to chew thoroughly as things pass through the stomach differently. Both have to supplement vitamins but do so in a different way--but they are not optional. If you stop taking the vitamins you run a high risk of nutritional deficiencies. The diets are a bit different for the two. I believe bypass patients need to be mindful of seeds, skins, and meat that is overly dry. They need to be more particular with lean protein as they don't have malabsorption of fats to the same degree a SADI patient will. There is some conflicting data that suggests fat absorption in SADI-S patients normalize in the second year post surgery so they need to be careful about not eating too much fat, but the studies are by no means conclusive at this point. SADI patients need a bit more protein than bypass patients since the SADI bypasses a larger amount of the small intestine. Dumping syndrome is more common with bypass. Diarrhea may be more common with SADI-S though I've been told most tend towards constipation like with the bypass. SADI people may have more gut issues with carb consumption but don't tend to have dumping syndrome. SADI-S is a much newer procedure and we don't know as much about it as the bypass. That doesn't mean it is bad and it isn't considered experimental by many insurances anymore, but the fact remains we still don't understand as much about it as we do the Gastric Bypass or Duodenal Switch. In the end it is very much a matter of preference and which patient profile you fit best. You have to pick the surgery that works best for you! I wish you much luck in deciding, I'm debating the sleeve vs DS myself. ETA: The SADI has a bit better chance of resolving metabolic conditions like diabetes and other co-morbidities. Though the bypass does a good job of resolving those too compared to the sleeve!

Lipman, you are killing it! Great job! Lindsay, under 200 is incredible and you're not that far-off your goal. Amazing! I'm still consistently losing weekly and haven't had a stall since the dreaded 2 week PO one. This week I lost 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds), I had a similar loss the week before too. Usually they're less so it's been nice! So I'm 28.7 kilograms (63 pounds) down since the pre op diet. I've lost 18.5% of my total weight. They estimate you lose around 30% on average the first year, I'm well on the way there at 14 weeks PO. I'm eating really well and had been getting over 70 grams of protein a day consistently but that's dropped the past week. Some of it was due to little hunger and feeling more restriction. Need to make sure my main meals are a bit higher in protein. I really need to do better with fluids, it's always been an issue. And exercise needs to become a habit, I bought an exercise bike so no excuses now! Overall though I'm doing great. A bit low energy this week and for some reason I've thrown up my dinner 2 nights in a row? Eating too fast perhaps or my tummy rejected potato that was airfried? First time I'd been sick since surgery. Lindsay I highly recommend the Ninja Creami if you love your ice cream as you can make your own healthier versions. I've had mine about a month and love it. I have a bowl every day of homemade frozen yoghurt. Last night was vanilla sprinkled with raspberry and coconut granola, 20 grams protein. I made a strawberry one earlier this week using strawberry yogurt and fresh strawberries that was soooo good, hubby and 19yo loved it too, definitely making it again. I hope everyone here is doing well, especially @Synlee.

Great job on the progress! Way to be a loser 🤣 I'm down 64 lbs. SW 262 CW 198 I've gone from a tight size 18 and 2x shirts to a comfortable size 14 and L shirts. I'm super happy with my current progress. Though, the losses have been slower, which is fine as long as I'm still losing. Goal is 160, which is 38 lbs to go. I'm hoping to make that by the end of the year, beginning of next, bit definitely before the year mark. We'll see what happens and what my body has to say about that. I was 160 before and was very comfortable there. I haven't had too many issues. I had what the doctor thought was dumping, but my only symptom was cramping. And yesterday I had a bit too much ice cream (guilty...working on that) and it made me nauseous, which was the only symptom. Not sure if these were dumping episodes becauae it wasn’t like what I've read about. Still some learning to do. Otherwise, I make my goals most days and average about 750 calories per day Working out has been an issue and I have no excuse as to why I don't very much. But I'm working on that as well.

Hi there! Tomorrow I’m five weeks post op, and after an initial loss of 9kgs two weeks after the surgery, my weight loss became very slow. I worried too, but I spoke with my nutritionalist and my Dr & they both assured me that it was normal. I’m not a Dr, but I think it’s important to get your stomach used to foods at the rate you’re being advised on. I know the urge is to get to the weight loss NOW, but there’s more at stake here at this point. I urge you to just do exactly what your health care team have advised. It’s important for your body to acclimatise to foods again. You WILL lose weight, but don’t risk any complications by rushing. Apparently, it’s preferable to lose it more slowly rather than fast, for many reasons. I found it helpful to only weigh myself weekly, and to concentrate on walking and making the yummiest possible tablespoons of mush I possibly could! Get wild! 😉

I didn’t have children to tell but I have several nieces & nephews aged 5-27 now. I never told them about the surgery though it’s likely the older ones knew. They all noticed my weight loss & changed eating habits of course but rarely made comments. At 7, niece #5 asked why I was so skinny now & I told her it was so she could give me bigger hugs more easily. She looked at me a little quizzically then wrapped her arms around me, squeezing hard & ran off to play. (She often also used to curl up next to me & squeeze the loose skin on my upper arms - it’s so soft & squishy she’d say 😆.) Niece #3 was offering everyone cake at her 13th birthday but when she got to me she simply asked if I’d like some of the strawberries. My mum asked nephew #1 when he was 19, what he thought about my weight loss & if I was different to him now. He looked at me & said nope, she’ll will always just be Sissy to me. Nieces #1 & 2 (in their 20s) & I have have had a few general conversations about nutrition, recipes & lifestyle but nothing specifically about my weight loss. Both are dancers & one has studied nutrition. These were very interesting, reassuring & also surprising conversations & comments. Their easy acceptance of how I looked, how I ate, etc. & also how to them I still was just me - their bestest aunt. I believe if they asked me more I probably would have focussed on the healthy eating aspect, making changes to be healthier & able to do more with them. Explaining I wasn’t making good choices in the past & have learnt a lot about what I need & what’s best for me. It’s what I tell people whether they know I had surgery or don’t. You may be surprised by your daughter’s reactions too & they may eventually adopt some better/different eating habits simply through the example of your new habits. All the best.

Congrats on going to rehab and continuing your weight loss journey.💗

I woke up this morning and got on the scale for my weekly weigh-in. I hit my first weight loss goal! Finally under 300lbs. 40lbs total since my preop diet started on June 12th. This is usually the point where my body starts fighting me and I struggle to lose more, but knowing that I have this tool now is so comforting. I’m under 300 and now I can actually STAY UNDER 300.

Hi All! After I completed all my testings and blood work, at my followup Friday (Aug 11th) they doctor's office went ahead to put me on the surgery calendar for Aug 28th. All paperwork was submitted to the insurance company that day as well. Today the office called to inform me that my sugery was APPROVED! They nor I expected a fast 1 day turn-a-round! Now my nerves kicked in. My pre-op diet starts the next week 20th. It consists of 3 protein shakes and 1 meal per day. I don't think I'll have any issues as the dietician informed me that I can break the one meal up any way I want to for that day. Thankfully, I still have restrictions from my sleeve surgery in 2017. Has anyone had the revision with success stories? Any tips? Any of you have upcoming revisions scheduled? Additional weight loss success? Has anyone had the surgery with little to no help at home? If so how was it for you? I would love to lose an additional 40-50 lbs. Thanks!