Search the Community

Hiya. I had my survey on March 10th. I started at 259 and now I'm 189. I'm stalling with a while i don't ever have a steady loss, it seems to go on batches! Half stone here and a half stone there but i used to put it up the same way! I too have loads of energy but don't work out much. I should but i don't. People really notice my weight loss but i think looking at ourselves in the mirror for years being heavy is hard to shift from the mind. All my clothes are gone for smaller sizes. We should be clapping ourselves on the back for achieving a new person so hang on there you'll start moving again its probably the bodys way of adjusting for the next loss. Well done you and keep going

Had to share my before and after 3 years later I’m still changing and it makes me happy to see the change I no longer have sleep apnea and I don’t snore at all now.. I’m silent when I sleep lost 90 kgs (198 pounds).. I’m greatful for everything even my hair color changed during these 3 years it feels like I’m a completely new person(note that I had this hair color when I was younger.. then it got darker when I became obese.. and now it’s lighter again)! before and after pics inserted.

I had RNY but it's probably similar. I don't go by ounces anymore - I just know that it takes about 1600 calories to maintain my current body weight, so I try to stay around there (or under if I want to lose a few pounds). And the above person is right - the number of oz depends on the food. I can easily eat 8 oz of yogurt. But a piece of meat? No way. Maybe 2 or 3 oz. btw - no one would be able to tell now that I've had weight loss surgery. They'd just assume I'm a "light eater", just like lots of my female friends are who've never had a weight problem. I'll go to a restaurant and order a salad or an appetizer. Or I'll get an entree and eat half of it (and box up the rest to take home).

First post ever here and really struggling... My surgery date is 8/15 and I'm starting to have second thoughts. Not so much about having weight loss surgery, but about whether I am in good hands with my current provider. Long story short NOTHING with this bariatric surgeon's group has ever gone to plan. I did the steps to book my initial consult (educational videos, referral from my primary care provider etc.) and scheduled for January on MLK day. I booked this a couple months in advance so that I could take a friend with me to my consult who had MLK day off work (I live in small town MT so there are no local bariatric surgeons to me). I had requested the day off work as it's a 6 hour round trip to the office. The Thursday before my Monday appointment they called to inform me they were closed for the MLK holiday and had just realized this. So I waited another month and had my consult in February. I knew my insurance required me to complete 6 months nutrition visits, so goal was surgery this summer and I was moving forward with this. My pre op was scheduled for 6/28, and they told me when I scheduled my pre op that surgery would then be within 30 days (in the month of July). I was very excited and looking forward to surgery. I had been clear with them in early June that I was not avail for August surgery and they confirmed with my pre op being on 6/28 surgery would be within 30 days of the pre op. A week prior to my pre op they called to tell me their surgery/clinic days were changing and they had to move me to 6/29, again this is not me taking an hour off work but a full day to drive 6 hours to this office. I was frustrated by this, but was able to change my work schedule. At the appointment I was given a 7/18 surgery date, all the paper work listing my surgery date and dates for the phases of my pre op diet and I signed the consent. and I was so thrilled! Then the surgeon comes back in and when I mentioned surgery on 7/18 his reply was "well that's not going to happen" and I was super confused. I guess he normally does 2 cases per surgery date, but the 1st case on 7/18 was a super complex patient and so he refused to do 2 cases that day. This was not communicated to his staff and I left in tears. They told me as I was leaving the appointment that I could have surgery in August, as there were no more July surgery dates available, but they then dropped the bomb on me that the surgeon is no longer doing bariatric surgery after July (which had never once been mentioned to me at all), so my surgery in August would be with the new surgeon moving to Montana from California! This would also mean spending my birthday in the hospital as my birthday is 8/16. I wanted surgery so badly I even was willing to put up with this change in surgery months, a new surgeon I'd never even met and spending my own birthday in the hospital, but when I had asked a month ago through the MyChart patient portal (thus have it in writing) I was told I was 2nd case on 8/15 with an 8:30 arrival. I clarified that I lived 3 hours away and needed to know if it would possible end up being an early arrival so I could make appropriate plans to travel on Monday 8/14. I was told I was all set for an 8:30 arrival so I planned to leave home at 5:30 on surgery morning as I sleep better in my own bed and didn't want to pay for an extra night in a hotel. Now 2 days ago they told me because of my prior diaphragm surgery I need to be 1st case! I don't have a ride/plans for a 6am arrival and am panicking! This has me questioning majorly whether I am in good hands with this team... will my care post op be any better? If this is how I'm being treated pre op what I can I expect going forward? Am I being petty or does all this seem like a HUGE red flag?

September Buddies - 2022 This past year has been great. I am pleased with my weight loss, even though I have been at a stall for quite a while. Need to kick-start this again to get that last 15 pounds gone! My daughter has begun the journey, too. Her sleeve surgery is scheduled for Oct 11, 2023. I hope y'all are doing well! Best wishes and thanks to all for the support we have shared and will continue to do so.

The surgery may be science, but the art of eating, post-surgery, isn't one size fits all as I have learned. I had the bypass and a hiatal hernia repair on June 6 and have been expanding my permissible diet within the general guidelines. I find that the hardest thing is the the line between full and over-doing it, particularly with new post surgery foods. I had one instance of "foamies" that caused me great discomfort- I wish I could have puked and gotten it over with; instead, I suffered gastric distress for hours, and eventually fell asleep sitting on the living room couch. You should talk to your nutritionist - sometimes, it seems, it is the food itself; sometimes, perhaps eating too much, too quickly. I'm finding the line between full and overfull to the point of distress to be a pretty fine one and easy to cross. The "frothing/foamies" gave me religion in the sense that I'm more careful about what I put into my gullet, how much and how quickly. This is a significant operation that changes a lot of your physiology- the volume and nature of the food you can accept and the degree to which you can explore new food options (within the guardrails) that don't make you sick. My take, also as a new post op patient, is that you have to take it slowly, be deliberate and work with the surgeons' staff and nutrionist to help you on your way. Nobody said it would be easy, but the rewards start to come pretty quickly. For me, just a little more than a couple months out, I have far more mobility, I'm not focused on the scale but more on my physical capabilities. I go see the surgeon for a follow up next week. My blood work looks pretty good, it has improved already. One other thing: I can still enjoy the sensation of eating good food, but that's subordinate to my main mission to remedy the problems that necessitated the surgery--not just weight loss, but Barrett's. The bypass pretty much eliminated GERD, which was huge. The weight loss is coming a long nicely and I'm deferring to the surgeon's team for advice.

Congratulations on your weight loss & maintenance. To lose more, go back to the basics of what you were eating & doing when you first stabilised. Your old protein & fluids goals, watch portion size, keep your carbs, fats & sugars low & track your food. You’ll then need to reduce your calorie intake to lose weight. (Remember, exercise only accounts for about 10% of your weight loss so upping your activity to help your weight loss will only help with the loss of about 2 lbs in your case.) Given that you’ve been stable all this time, the weight you’re at may be your body’s set point - the weight it is happiest at & functions best at. It’s easer to maintain this weight & much harder to lose more & then maintain a lower weight simply because your body doesn’t want to be at a lower weight. To maintain weight lower than your set point will require you to always work at it & to eat fewer calories than you do now to maintain. Will this be sustainable & manageable? Will a lower weight & reduced calorie intake limit or restrict your lifestyle? Just something to consider.

How have you felt within these last few months in your weight loss? Like do you feel more energetic? More enthusiastic? You’re doing great! My doctor says you will introduce food a little at a time as If you were like a child eating new things for the first time!

Hi everyone! I had gastric bypass on May 10th. I have lost 60 pounds. I struggle because even this far out ( almost 3 months) I puke a lot which is really discouraging. I’m existing on high protein Greek yogurt, protein shakes, baked and mashed potatoes. I can eat some ground beef. No bread, chicken, eggs and several other things. My surgeon says it’s normal and to just reintroduce foods again later. I do not want to be regretful but sometimes I am. Anyway just being transparent and looking for encouragement. I am happy with the weight loss though. I just don’t want to exist on yogurt the rest of my life. 😌

Hi everyone. I was given a referral to the Options Program, but wasn't given any information on surgical options, just the shakes and meals. When I asked the Staff, they said my Dr needs to give me a specific referral before I can talk to anyone in the program. I asked my Dr, he said the referral he gave me should have covered it. What do I need to tell him to do? It took me 4 Dr switches to get one that would even have a discussion on weight loss, most of the Dr's in the past have just said stop eating cookes and drinking soda. When I would tell them I don't eat or drink either, they would then tell me I need to calorie count. We all know where that leads. I am a bit nervous, I have tried just about everything under the sun, done nothing but yoyo, so I am looking to explore the surgical options. I am open advice, the thought of surgery is a bit unnerving. Thank you.

Hiya! I hope you're recovering well. How has your weight loss been since your original surgery and are you hoping for more now, or are you maintaining and just getting your reflux sorted?

I didn't notice any skin tightening (I wish, though!), but I do know fat seems to re-distribute during or after weight loss. I looked pretty gaunt (and frankly, kind of awful) when I hit my lowest weight, but I looked a lot better a few months later, even though I hadn't gained any weight (yet...I unfortunately did during year 3, which is common). My face didn't look so drawn anymore and I just looked better - healthier. I think things just kind of moved around. So that might be what's going on with you, too.

At the stage you're at, especially since your loss has slowed, you are possibly losing inches due to your skin tightening up a little; I was SUPER saggy when I reached my goal weight, and I have been more or less maintaining and while I haven't lost much, I have gone down two pants sizes because my skin is shrinking back.

Okay, I’m going to go down the straight talking path first so be warned. Cheating is cheating. A slip is different. A slip happens once & then you work to ensure you don’t repeat it. It’s understandable & relatable - everyone slips along the way in some way or other. Cheating implies you are doing it repeatedly. Only you know which category you fall into. This is just the beginning. After surgery you have at least 6 more weeks of restricted eating then months of following a eating plan to support your weight loss & your adopting better eating habits. Not everyone loses their appetite & has no interest in eating in the months after surgery. Our battles with eating do continue in some form or frequency even for those who lose their hunger in the beginning. The surgery isn’t a magic cure. It’s just a tool which works best if you put in the work. It isn’t easy but so worth it. When you reach for that chicken, etc., remind yourself why you’re doing this. Also reflect on why you’re reaching for it: a craving, an emotional need so for comfort, are you bored, angry, sad, annoyed, stressed, is it a habit, etc.? Try looking for a distraction. Go for a walk, read, ring a friend, craft, play a game, garden, check social media, etc. Try having a hot drink instead too. These can be useful habits to adopt long term. Now the softer path: Some plans do allow one meal of lean protein & vegetables & two protein shake meals on the pre surgical diet. (Some surgeons have a preferred plan they put all their patients on while others put different patients on different plans based on individual needs & circumstances.) Speak with your team to see if they would be willing for you to follow a modified plan instead of the all shake diet. It doesn’t hurt to ask & they may say yes. You can do this. All the best.

I just started the Puree stage of my diet. I made a batch of Pureed Chicken thighs made from skinless boneless chicken breasts with every iota of fat removed. I thinned it with low sodium chicken broth until it came together into a paste. I combine this with pureed hard boiled eggs and a little light mayo and greek yogurt to make a simple egg/chicken salad. I also mixed the pureed chicken with broths and strained cream soups to add a little protein and flavor. My body seems to be tolerating the chicken in pureed form just fine. I was a little concerned about introducing chicken back into my diet after talking to a friend who had Gastric Bypass about 8 years ago. She said Milk and Chicken were nightmare foods for her. I understand how you feel about chicken wings, and that crunchy fried texture. (I love my air fryer too). I have a few pounds of chicken wings, 2 wing-ettes per zip-lock bag, in the freezer waiting for the 'regular food' phase of my diet to start, after soft foods. My plan is to slow cook them in a sauce of some form until they are tender. It wont be crunchy, but they still will be wings. I have them in pairs of 2 for portion control. I'm going to treat them as, well, a Treat, and consume in moderation. Good luck on Soft foods, and your weight loss journey!

I had an easier recovery with RNY vs VSG as well but did experience stricture (easily resolved) early on. GERD was resolved almost immediately. Not much hair loss but that’s really individual based. Constipation is always a concern but that’s what stool softeners are for and fully expect to need assistance with that long term. It’s been 4 yrs since revision (6 since VSG) and once you get into a routine life feels really normal.

Just a lil rave... As of this morning, I am officially down my first 50 lbs! I had a 3-week stall 2 weeks after my surgery. I had issues with my skin, with constipation, and this horrible stall. Because it's a revision, my weight loss is incredibly s-l-o-w (compared to virgin surgeries). I was so disappointed, having buyer's remorse, and all that. I've only lost 20 lbs in 45 days, but altogether (including my pre-op dieting) it's 50 whole pounds since May 11th!

log everything you eat. Weight loss surgery is a tool - you have to make sure you're doing your part of it, or it's not going to work. And yes - it's work and it's hard. But the difference is, with this tool, your hard work will actually pay off. But unlike what naysayers say, this isn't "the easy way out". If you're having difficulty sticking to your clinic's eating plan, then make an appointment with them. The dietitian and/or health psychologist can be of a lot of help (and if they don't have dietitians or psychologists on staff, they can probably refer you to one) also - yes - like the other commenter said, temporary "gains" from water weight or full intestines aren't unusual. But if this "gain" lasts more than a couple of days, look at what you're eating and make sure you're complying with your clinic's guidelines. and btw - hair loss after surgery is very common, but it's temporary. It'll grow back.

Oh yeah the constipation. I swear I never thought about, read about, wrote about, talked about constipation as much as I did for the first years after surgery. You can add some Benefibre to your shake to help with the constipation. Ensure you’re getting in your fluids or are close to your goal. And as @catwoman7 suggested a stool softener or other laxative medication. Start with a gentle one & see how you go. But it’s too be expected that you don’t need to go every day in the first months. You’re not eating a lot & therefore don’t have that much to poop out. Your weight loss is never consistent @Siberian1. If you graph it you’ll notice it goes up & down, zigs & zags, & sometimes is a straight line. This is just how it goes. A lot of factors influence your weight from fluid retention, pooping or not pooping, hormones, drinking a little more or a little less, etc. As long as your general trend is downwards you’re doing okay. If the numbers on the scale are messing with you step away from the scales. Weigh yourself once a week or fortnight or even monthly.

My surgeon had me on liquid diet for two weeks then 2 weeks of Puree and the stages three which I’m on now soft diet until October and then regular diet. And I keep look at these incision like ain’t no way they took my stomach out these little wholes I wish they would of woke me up and showed me! I heard it picks up later I can say I lost some hair which is the wrong thing to be loosing . weight loss surgery not hair loss 🤦‍♀️ I paid money to loose hair lol 😂

I did, but I wasn't done with my weight loss when it became obvious I needed to have the revision. I lost 116 pounds in 9 months and was still losing when the complications slammed into me and I was told I had to have the revision. I never would have gotten it and would have continued to work my sleeve, my diet, and my working out had I not had so many insane issues happen.

Hey all, Just wanted to get a heads up out to those who are perimenopausal. I’m 54 yo and I’ve lost almost 70 lbs since I started WLS inquiry. At 3 month check up I was in the middle of a very heavy and unexpected period, feeling lightheaded and sluggish though alert. But 3 weeks of heavy period landed me in ER with very low BP and diagnosis of severe anemia. I’m on the slow boat to regaining healthy blood pressure/volume by taking it easy and iron supplements - though no transfusion. The doctor thought the very quick drop in estrogen (stored in fat cells) may have contributed to the heavy period, resulting in blood loss. If anyone has experienced strange periods (I was basically almost at 1 yr mark for not having period) I’d be interested in your story. Thanks much!

Here is a question for everyone who has had this procedure done? I am two weeks out of surgery and I think I’m getting a little paranoid and I’m starting to look at the scale and for the last two days I haven’t seen any weight loss but I will have nothing but liquid diet. Is this normal

Did you have excess weight to lose before you had your revision? My doctor actually recommended the revision for the extra weight loss

Wow, you look amazing!! That's some impressive loss! Have you been making offerings to the weight loss gods?? LOL So happy for you!