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The pull and twist sensation is most likely a stomach spasm. It is one of the rarer side effects of bariatric surgery. I got them too, and mine happened even with water! My surgeon told me they'd go away after a few weeks and sure enough, between weeks 2 and 3 they magically faded out! You have to be veeeeery slow with eating and drinking. The pain on the inside that feels like your stomach weight is causing it is completely normal. You have a lot of internal sutures and there are anchor stitches to keep things in place, those are often the most painful and take the longest to heal! I couldn't lie on my side for a few weeks without propping up my stomach with a pillow under it because the pulling of my stomach sideways caused intense pain thanks to the anchor stitches. I think it took about a month to 6 weeks for that to fade completely. Bariatric surgery is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Healing takes time and a generous amount of patience. The more impatient and annoyed you are with your body, the more agitated and anxious you will get. All the things you have described sound fairly normal for 11-12 days out from surgery. I'm sure your surgeon will tell you that at your follow up appointment! Be sure he knows all your concerns. It takes about 3 months for those internal sutures and cut nerves to heal up completely and start sending clearer signals to your brain. But the pain from the incisions and internal stitches should go away within 4-6 weeks. I'm sorry your team didn't explain to you how gradual recovery is and how slow it can feel... You can do this! When you see the scale moving it'll help ease the frustration. LOL

You can have a safe pregnancy and delivery with any of the surgeries. Your surgical choice should be based on your individual needs like how much weight you want to lose, what your BMI is, what pre-existing conditions you have, etc... There are some great support groups on FB for pregnancy after bariatric surgery! I know of one for SADI/DS patients, but I am sure there are plenty for RNY or Sleeve patients as well! But talking with a surgeon who is trained to do all the surgeries is your best source of information... A surgeon that only does 1 or 2 of the surgeries may give you biased advice on which surgery to choose.

Vulnerable post!! Down 51lbs from starting weight… 2 months since surgery. To be honest there are some days I don’t see it, but I sure do feel it! People around are starting to notice as well. I’ve been a little depressed lately, but I don’t think that has anything to do with the weight loss. Just seasonal depression. Bring back blue sky’s and sunshine!! Hope everyone is doing well, feeling successful and has no regrets!! You got this!!

If you haven't had surgery yet, you may want to join the support group "Duodenal Switch SUPPORT Group" on FB for SADI/DS patients. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1799552573392212 There are a number of patients on there who have had the RNY and done revisions to SADI or DS. Honestly, the choice is up to you and how comfortable you are with your surgeon's opinion. There are plenty of lightweights who get SADI surgeries, especially those with pre-existing conditions. But some insurance companies still consider the SADI to be experimental, so be sure yours doesn't if you decide on it. You can get vomiting with any bariatric surgery. You can get diarrhea with any surgery. And while RNY can be good for GERD patients, there are plenty of people with GERD who still end up with a SADI or DS. I'm one of those patients, I have had GERD issues for years, but I wanted a more robust surgery than the RNY and two surgeons both agreed the DS would be the better option for me because I'm diabetic. The surgery normalized my blood sugar within 24 hours, as well as my blood pressure, and my cholesterol and triglycerides are normal now. It packs a huge metabolic punch. but I do have to watch carbs and sugars or I get diarrhea. My starting weight at surgery was 307, my goal is 180/170. But I regularly see lighter starting weights in my FB support group... Surgery type is a really individual decision!

Oooooh they look so good and yes tiny enough for a handbag! They do seem to be relatively high in sugar so maybe one for maintenance as opposed to the weight loss phase?

Oh yeah. I'm 3.5 years out and the honeymoon has long been over. If I weren't extremely careful about what I eat, it would be terrifyingly easy to fall off the wagon and jump on the regain train. The surgery still helps, for sure; even when I eat too much, I think back to how much I would have eaten before the surgery and realize that my overindulgence now pales in comparison. But it still takes a lot of effort and attention to maintain my weight. My first recommendation for you is to get back on the scale and see exactly where you stand. No matter how much you've regained, stepping on the scale isn't going to change it. Believe me, I understand not wanting to know (take it from someone who did not own a scale for over a decade before my surgery), but staying in denial will only make things worse. I found a fantastic podcast called "We Only Look Thin," hosted by a husband and wife who each lost over 100 pounds. They did NOT have WLS, but they have so much insight and advice. They address a lot of the things that you worry about, so if you are open to listening to podcasts, I highly recommend this one.

I know how easy it is to avoid the scale when you know it's going to be bad news. I do it too. But I'm going to urge you to make yourself face it. If you face it, you can beat it. I think the good news is, no matter how much you've eaten, there is no way you could regain 130+ pounds in a month. Maybe you've gained 5lbs. Maybe 10. But you know what? You've still lost over 100lbs. So, go get on the scale, acknowledge the number, and then look at yourself in the mirror, and tell yourself, "Self, I love you, and you're f*ing awesome. You're doing a great job, and I know you're going to keep doing it." No negative talk, no guilt. After that, look into getting a therapist to help you with the emotional crap that's making this hard for you, because food addiction is real, and you deserve for it to be easier. The biggest thing I've learned about shame and guilt over the years is the way I talk to myself sometimes, I would punch someone in the face if they ever said those things to someone I love. Try to treat yourself the way you would treat the person you love the most.

Near the top menu bar there's a circle with your avatar, username, and a down arrow. Click the down arrow. Look down past the content area to the settings section. If you select "my surgery" from this list, you can update your dates, weight, goals, etc. If you select "my tickers" you can create a ticker to count down to your surgery date or to track your weight loss. To get the ticker you make to show up in your signature, you have to select that option (I think it's in the last step) as the default is for it not to show up. There is also html code if you want to add it to a blog or something similar.

This is really good to hear. I'm genuinely baffled by the way my body is right now and very frustrated, especially since I have significant weight to lose to reach my goal. The chorus of "don't lose more weight" has started from all corners but I'll just ride through and have faith that my body will settle. (The chorus is especially annoying since I'm not even sure I can stop right now. I'm already not following virtually any of the weight-loss focused nutrition recommendations. Short of adopting an all-ice cream diet, I don't know that I could maintain.) Still don't love it though! Over the weekend, spent some time snuggling with a new crush and he started counting my ribs. 😣

If you were going to die, it wouldn't be "borderline". 😊 And it's worth noting that weight loss surgery tends to raise these levels for the first week after surgery. So that test is not definitive.

This is a very informative research article from the NIH website that should help put your mind at ease. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3345131/ The TL/DR is you can have a safe pregnancy and can certainly have a natural delivery if there are no complications, just as you would without bariatric surgery. Most doctors suggest waiting a year or two before getting pregnant. You want to lose the weight first, and you want to be at a point where you can eat enough calories to sustain the pregnancy in a healthy way. By losing weight, you are likely to have increased fertility and a healthier pregnancy for you and the baby.

Nine years out, and I fight the beast every day. I know people who've worked with therapists who specialize in eating disorders who've found it helpful, so maybe looking into that if you're feeling like you're losing the struggle (?). Or does your bariatric clinic have a health psychologist on staff, or can they refer you to one? P.S. I also know a few people who are struggling and have had some significant weight gain who are on appetite suppressants like phentermine - or some of the newer drugs that people are using for weight loss, such as Ozempic. I don't know if you want to go down that route, but some have had success with those. If you're interested in that, check with either your bariatric clinic or your regular physician.

I had heard about the honeymoon period at the start of it all. Didnt really think much about it at the time. But this has smacked me hard.The honey moon period is well and truly over. Reality is kicking back in. I had the RNY back in May 22. Since then I have lost 60 kg or 132 pounds. I had Covid for Christmas. I have managed depression and anxiety for decades now. In the last month my anxiety and depression have flared up something chronic and I am stuffing food into me as if I had never had the bypass. I am loathe to weigh myself and I can feel my body change again. Food addiction is real and I am terrified that I am going to regain all the weight I had lost. I dont want to be trapped in my own body again. I want my muscles to be strong. I dont want the panic attacks to dominate me again. Right now I feel distended and hopeless. Has anybody else tackled this point. I dont want to be overtaken by a Tsunami of food and shame and guilt. Who eats food off the floor? Who eats food out of a bin? I want the control back. Is it too late now that the honeymoon is over. Has anybody else tackled this time and won? Anybody? Anywhere?

1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT F, 52 at time of surgery, 5'3" 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 12.2 lbs 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 254.6 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 235.7 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 216.7 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 192.5 7. Weight at 1 YEAR POST surgery TBD

So today was day 11 and my symptoms are still that pull and tug or twist? When im drinking protein shakes or trying watered down soup juice ( cream of chicken thinned out with water then strained ). It feels like something squeezing my insides for a heartbeat then it finishes going down its uncomfortable and makes me NOT want to swallow anything besides water. A few of my incisions are healed up but puffy on the inside ( no pain or anything though ) and a few are painfully hard to ignore when im sitting up a certain way and sometimes when walking. I feel like the weight of my stomach is causing these aches because when i hold my stomach up with my hands pain is gone. Im going to see my surgeon for my 2 week follow up on the 31st so hopefully he can tell me whats wrong if anything. Also i still cannot stop spitting like it has decreased but not gone away completely it is SO annoying you have no idea. And i still get this pain at the roof of my mouth where the bone is right before your throat. Its not as painful as before but it still throbs on and off. I will update when i have news fingers crossed for me.

Hey all. How is everyone doing at their one month mark? Just checking in. Myself: before liquids my highest weight was 217 Before surgery 207 Now 187 🎉

Yeah the pre-op diet was no joke. I missed solid food like crazy, and I was definitely "hangry" during that time, but I'm happy with the results. I had some health issues going into it which caused a lot of excess fluid retention, and from that I lost over 20 lbs from the pre-op diet. I was excited, but my doctor took me down a peg and said it was pretty much all weight from fluid and inflammation, and I had only lost about 3lb of actual fat. I'll still take it though. Definitely recommend upping your electrolytes during that time if you're having headache and fatigue.

It is a brain game for sure on those road trips. There are a lot of protein snacks that are good. My last road trip I took Quest Protein Chips with me, they hit the spot for a snack. As far as restaurant eating, and there isn't a healthy option, most restaurants will give you a burger wrapped in lettuce, or a grilled chicken sandwich and hold the bread/mayo etc. There are ways to eat healthy on a trip even going to McDonalds. I typically will find a sit down place if I need to eat lunch/dinner etc, even if it means driving another hour to the next town. Gives me time to get that leg stretch in and find something that I can eat that won't break my weight loss goals. I will say I was super worried about hunting last year, we always eat all the junk non stop, and meals aren't exactly great. I was able to keep everything under control, only junk I had were chicharrónes, and some sugar free jerky. I kept a protein shake with me every day as some days we hunt through meals.

I did the Mexico self-pay, even with my insurance the process was almost a year long before approval, and estimated costs out of pocket were still more than going to Mexico. I wouldn't touch semaglutide with all the issues with it and weight loss. It works for some, but the friends I know who have done it have all put back on all their weight and 20 pounds after they quit it. Too many issues that can happen with it, stomach paralysis, rotten food in your stomach, etc. If you have HSA/FSA there are ways they will cover your surgery in Mexico or go towards the cost. I had a lady in my surgery group in Mexico that was able to use her HSA/FSA completely, I know she said she had other paperwork etc she had to do and get approval before hand as it was out of the country. I believe Go Light Bariatrics has a financing option, and I want to say it was interest free.

You have got this! One of the best steps/tool towards your weight loss goals! I am now 5.5 months Post Op, and I wish I would have done it sooner! I won't lie, the first few days are uncomfortable, but it will go away pretty quick!

I need help setting up things on here. I just posted my first post yesterday. I am unable to enter any of my stats (starting weight, etc). Also, I see people put a basically a ruler down below their post showing the weight loss. How do you do all of this?

i often brought the following on road trips/vacays during weight loss phase: - beef jerky - frozen grapes and blueberries (if u bringing a cooler) - chicharron/pork rinds (if your calorie goals allow it) - protein powder

Yeah, I got a pack of these freezer safe glass 4 oz baby food jars on Amazon and they've been really helpful with portioning!! At first I could only eat about half of one, so about 1/4 cup total. A bit less if it was solid protein in meat form other than fish (beef, chicken, and pork sit heavier). That was it for about two months. In this third month my portion size suddenly increased to about 1/2 cup in total now! As far as meat and veggies are concerned at least. I have always been able to eat a little more of soft things like yogurt and pudding... But my PA told me that increase at 3 months is perfectly normal, and I could expect it to increase in stages throughout the first year or two, to not panic over it, hunger is natural and mine never went away from surgery, so I've really had to cultivate a healthy relationship with it. Because those stomach nerves are still healing, I watched my portion size carefully and really paid attention to discovering new fullness cues. For me those are a runny nose, hiccups, burping, and aggressive sneezing fits! Plus this building pressure or weight in the center of my stomach. These are all normal signals for bariatric patients, but we all get our own unique combination so be on the lookout for discovering yours! I think 2-3 shakes a day paired with things like yogurt and soft cereals seems really normal. It is great you are progressing so well! The problem with forums and support groups is we get used to seeing people post with problems and then we expect to have a slew of problems ourselves! And sometimes we do. But often times we don't... The majority of bariatric patients have no complications, progress their diets easily, and worry about eating too much and if their surgeon even did their surgery. 🤣 Your metabolism has been reset, it will handle calories a bit differently now. Just stay on the conservative end with simple carbs, as they can slow weight loss sometimes. Focus on that hydration and protein, and later on when cleared for all foods, on adding complex carbs like veggies, beans, and some fruit. Protein will help with the hunger, as does healthy fat and the fiber once it is safe for you to digest. My dietician told us to think more about macros than calories. So, to make sure things had less than 10 grams of sugar per serving, more than 20 grams of protein per shake, less than 10 grams of fat per serving, and keeping our total carbohydrates for the day under 50 grams in the early months...and that was their advice for all surgeries, with varying protein goals for each different one. Baritastic app has been really helpful with the tracking!

Yeah, I would just keep an eye on portion size to avoid overdoing it early on. I have a couple of favorite cookbooks out of all of the ones that I've bought (because I always overdo everything). They are: The Bariatric Diet Guide and Cookbook by Dr. Matthew Weiner (a bariatric surgeon), and Bariatric Meal Prep Made Easy by Kristin Willard (a registered dietician who specializes in bariatric nutrition). I would 100% recommend both of them and you can get them on Amazon. I like Dr. Weiner's book because he gives you what serving size to expect at different stages post-op. For instance, there's a chickpea curry with riced cauliflower. If you're at 1-3 months post op, your suggested serving is 2 tbsp curry and 2 tbsp cauli (which is 1/4 cup total). If you are 3 months to 2 years, it's 1/4 cup of each. If you are 2 years or more, it's 1 cup curry and 1/2 cup cauli. What I like is that it normalizes the reality that you start with really small portions and naturally eat more over time. I see so many people getting so nervous because they are hungrier at 1 year than they were at 1 month, and it's like yes, that's what is supposed to happen! I wish this book had the nutrition facts spelled out for all three portion sizes, not just the largest, because my math sucks with fraction. And I wish it had more photos, although the ones it does have are very nice and the overall quality of the book is high. What I like about Kristin Willard's book is it gives you 6 full-week meal plans and is meant for doing prep ahead, grab-and- go types of meals that you portion out in advance. Also, it is gorgeously illustrated with full-color photos for every single recipe. There is one weekly menu for purees, one for soft foods, and 4 for normal diet. They even include a shopping list for each weekly plan. In my opinion, (comparing to my surgeon's plan and what I see in Dr. Weiner's book) the suggested portion sizes are geared toward a patient who is 1-2 years post-op, so bear that in mind. You would probably get twice as many servings out of each recipe in the first year, and up to 4x the servings in the first few months. And of course both books are likely to have specific foods at a stage that your own program disagrees with, so you have to adjust accordingly. I'm also going to give an honorable mention to The Easy 5-ingredient Bariatric Cookbook by Megan Wolf, a registered dietician and bariatric specialist. The book loses marks for the lack of photos but gains marks for its stage specific portion size suggestions and for all the recipes being really easy to pull-off without buying out your entire supermarket for ingredients. The author is based in Manhattan, and these are definitely recipes you could accomplish with a tiny NYC kitchen and limited cooking skills. Honestly, if I had a friend going through WLS, I would probably give all three of these as a gift, along with a set of small (4 oz and 8-12oz) freezer safe food storage containers. Hope that helps!