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It’s been a good week all told. Lots of positives, which I’m really pleased about. I’ve rejoined the gym to begin at the start of September. I’ve made my first payment so no shirking now! I cannot fully explain how happy I am about this. I’ve even said I’d go to aqua fit with hubby (he used to go a long time ago, only bloke in a pool full of women, all enjoying it until some arse of a pool guard asked why he was doing a class with, and I quote, ‘old ladies’. This completely destroyed hubby’s confidence and he never went back, even though it really helped him with his back pain) So, I’ve offered to go with him, even though I hate swimming and only do the pool when I’m abroad and it’s hot! Anyway, he’s having a think about it. Had a clothing clear out this weekend. I’ve definitely come down a size so all the bigger stuff ether went in a bag for daughter in law or charity shop. I’ve also go rid of a lot of warm weather stuff too as I have absolutely no intention of being this size come next summer 😎 Hubby also voluntarily went through his things and got rid of a load of shirts and tops as he has slowly been losing weight and so had lots of things that were too big. I will admit to being a horribly bitter wife at this point as his diet is atrocious - doesn’t eat all day, has sandwiches/wraps etc for dinner, with loads of crisps, chocolate, biscuits, cake etc during the evening and the weight is coming off. I have a frigging biscuit and 4lbs appears out of nowhere 😡 Yes, I know, I’m a horrible cow but at least I’m honest! I tried on some smaller sized things (next size down) Again, the stretchy stuff fit, which was a bit of a boost. I also dug out my gym stuff and tried that stuff on. I’m OK for the size I am now and also for when I drop a size or 2 as well, so that’s sorted out the next couple of months at least. Off to see Fat Boy Slim at this coming weekend, another ‘wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care’ show, and I had a pair of skinny, black sparkly jeans in mind but I wasn’t sure if they would fit (have never worn them) I tried them on and they fit!! Obviously the material is as stretchy as hell but I will take it! I’ve now sorted my outfit out, and feel very excited about it. The top I’m wearing will hopefully mask the tummy tire (only surgery will ever get rid of that) and I’ll be throwing some shapes with the best of them 😉 Had physio this morning and it hasn’t killed me, which is all good. I discussed the gym and the physio was all for it. I came away with some exercises to do at home plus I’m booked in for a double physio session in September so I can go through some things in their gym to see what works. It’s the dietitian appointment this week. I’ve completed my food diaries so I’m hoping all goes well and I can move on to the next stage of this WLS journey by getting an appointment with the surgeon. I don’t know if it’s surgeon first or if it’s the multi-disciplinary team get together where they decide if I’m a good ‘fit’ or not. I am chomping at the bit a little, I’ll be honest, but it will take as long as it takes I guess 🤷‍♀️ I ordered a book this weekend called ‘52 Small Changes’ (free on Kindle Unlimited too) I want to make other changes to my life without feeling overwhelmed. I remembered the book from years ago so thought I’d have another little look. It’s a years programme (for want of another explanation) where you make a small change every week eg getting off the couch, getting enough sleep, eating whole grains, drinking water, stretching, explanations of food labels and how to read them etc. It’s all little, positive steps that I think , in the main, would work well with my WLS journey. Obviously there will be things that need tweaking or adjusting to fit in with the food and drink requirements after surgery but I’m happy to at least start. So, this is pencilled in to begin when my gym sessions start again. I’ve downloaded to my iPad via Kindle Unlimited as there are lots of hyperlinks for additional information plus I’ve ordered a physical copy too as I find it easier to follow and, more importantly, absorb! I think that’s enough waffle for today 😉 Onwards and Downwards Everyone!

Why are you scared of the bypass? The recovery time was really easy and short, there's a hard stop when it comes to eating, not everyone gets dumping syndrome but if you do it teaches you REALLY FAST what not to eat, and you lose more weight faster with it.

Do you have any idea of the kinds of temperatures you could be looking at so you can plan around that? We generally go to Cyprus in mid September and the temps can be mid-40s. Have a look at Superdrug for Lanacane anti-chafing gel https://www.superdrug.com/health/medicated-skin/medicated-skin-treatments/lanacane-anti-chafing-gel-28g/p/687900 I would also have a look for some mozzie repellent too as you don’t want to be bitten to death! Lots of stores are having a sale now, especially as our summer has been a complete washout. Have a look at Roman - 60% off sale plus use the code EPIC for a further 15% off everything (got to love a discount code 😉) The Next sale began at the weekend, Tu has up to 50% off brands, George (Asda) have their sale on plus Debenhams always have some sort of sale on! Thin, floaty things are always a winner as already mentioned by others. Thin tops and loose shorts are good for daytime, just be careful on sitting on hot, plastic seating outside cafes etc as you can end up leaving the skin off the back of your thighs behind (definitely speaking from experience with that one 🙄) A hat is a must as well as some high factor sun cream to begin with. Tescos dry oil is pretty good - you don’t end up feeling horribly sticky with it; Boots have sun cream and after sun that has insect repellent already in and doesn’t stink. A pack of one a day over the counter antihistamines are really useful if you suffer from prickly heat (or if you don’t normally but start with it on holiday) Take it with you as it’s generally expensive abroad, same with paracetamol. More importantly, have a totally wonderful time and revel in your fantastic weight loss to date!

Interested to see what the dr says on this. I was glad my primary care didn’t do blood work yesterday because I know I hadn’t drank my water like I should. It’s hard for me to do on the road and my drs are 4hrs one way so I’m always slacking when I drive there. Messes all my bloodwork up. 🤦‍♀️ I’m hoping vitamin wise I’m doing ok because I use the patches so there is no issue with nausea or vomiting. They were on the approved list of vitamins from my surgeon and I’m loving them. I’m glad your vitamin infusion helped you feel better. Low energy is awful to deal with. It’s so challenging when you want to be up and moving to get your weight loss moving faster but have no energy to do it. I’ve injured my foot somehow and am supposed to be off of it as much as possible and icing it. I also had to go on a steroid pack for the inflammation since we’re allowed no nsaids. I swear my body is working against me at every turn.

Feb 14th for me. I decided to "love myself" by picking this date. I have my preop visit next week so I'll find out my pre-surgery diet then. I feel like I've been having a lot of "last meals". My greatest goal out of all this is not just the loss of weight but rather re-jump starting my approach to food. I guess it will begin next week.

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.

Fab. I lost most of my excess weight within the first year of my sleeve. Wasn't planning to lose much more in the second year but I did drop another stone. Sooooo slowly. Keep the faith OP, if you stick to your programme it will work and you will continue to lose weight.

Yeah, so I chose the RNY gp because I liked that it has a stronger metabolic impact than VSG while not being too malabsorptive like DS. Based on the risk calculator, there was a somewhat higher likelihood of addressing/resolving my hypertension and blood sugar issues, and I didn't want to risk developing GERD and requiring daily medications or a revision. I need this to be a one and done surgery if possible for financial reasons. Given that a full 20% of my surgeon's practice is revision (mostly to RNY, but they also do DS), this revision issue felt like something that is common enough with sleeve patients to give me pause. Also, my brother had the sleeve 15 years ago and while his overall weight is still well under where he began, his weight regain has been significant. I wanted the additional threat of dumping syndrome to keep me in line where sugar is concerned. And also, the more I thought about it, the more I preferred the idea of rerouting instead of removing parts of my organs. As for not telling people, I was tempted to do that, too. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided to just own it. A lot of people out there mistakenly believe obese people can "just" eat less and exercise more to lose weight and keep it off. How many of their real life examples are people who quietly got WLS and then credited their diet and exercise for their transformations? I don't want anyone using me as an example in the future to tell some other obese person what to do. Thankfully, I turn 50 in a few weeks and have therefore reached the age where I officially no longer give a fig about what anyone else thinks and am happy to direct naysayers to a wide selection of their own body orifices where they are welcome to stow their unsolicited opinions. Also, luckily, my close friends and family are very supportive, which helps immensely.

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Hello! I had my surgery on the 11th so we’re not far apart! I won’t lie I didn’t last long on the liquid diet I kind of went on to puree around day 8 post op. I don’t think many people are as honest. I cheated and so what. I’m so glad for the surgery and I wish many more losses for the both of us whether it be fast or slow! Weight loss is weight loss !!!

I agree with all the above you’re doing well - congratulations. Remember there is also no date by which you have to have lost your weight. Any time frames you may have seen are just averages & meant to give you an idea of what might happen not will happen. We lose at our own rate which is the best rate for us. There is also no time line for when your weight loss will stop. Many of us lose for 18 or more - just very slowly for those last months. I always said to myself if my surgeon & dietician were happy with my progress I should be happy too. Have they said you aren’t doing well? Don't give up & no more I’ve only lost X pounds. Celebrate every pound you lose because it’s an achievement.

Omg! My belly and back have been itching on and off for weeks. I hadn't connected it to the surgery and weight loss, I thought I was just having some weird reaction or something. I'm so thankful for you all asking questions and sharing knowledge.

no, weight loss doesn't stop on x date. it stops when YOU stop. it may take more effort as time goes on - because achieving calorie deficit is comparatively more challenging the smaller u get - but its not impossible. good luck! ❤️

I am turning 50 in a few months, and I've struggled with my weight most of my life. At 26, my BMI was probably around 30, but I didn't have the health issues so it was just a nuisance to me. I tried dieting and healthy eating for years, but my weight increased steadily in typical yo-yo fashion. Post-pregnancies, I spent my late 30s and early 40s in the 35-39 BMI range and started getting co-morbidities. By the time my BMI hit 40 this past year, I was aching in my feet and joints, had high blood pressure and cholesterol, and was prediabetic. So it's not about weight or appearance at this point but getting control of my health now, while my body can still bounce back and hopefully age more gracefully. I feel like I'm at that tipping point where if I don't act, the next decade will not end well and I will not have a good time of my senior years. This is despite all my best intentions and 7 years of actively going to a weight management doctor. All of that is to say that trying hard and knowing the right things to do rarely leads to success if you are prone to obesity. It's a disease, not a moral failing, no matter what people tell you. Unlike dieting, weight loss surgery provides lasting metabolic changes, as close to a cure as you can get. And you still will have to make all the lifestyle changes you would need to do anyway to lose weight, but they will actually work (instead of spending the next 24 years getting bigger and less healthy like I did). I have posted frequently about what a huge fan I am of Dr. Matthew Weiner's books, YouTube videos, and new podcast. Honestly, his books were life changing for me in terms of my perspective. I highly recommend starting there. He has 3 books, one is called Pound of Cure and gives great, scientifically sound information on what a healthy, set-point lowering way of eating looks like and how to get there. The second is a book that explains exactly how gastric bypass and sleeve surgeries change your metabolism and why they work (it's not just a smaller stomach and eating less!). The third is a cookbook with bariatric friendly recipes and serving sizes for different stages. These books are super fast reads. You can probably get through all three in a week (minus making all the recipes, of course!). With three months to go, my suggestion is get these books and start implementing the diet changes in a deliberate way. Start exercising in a sustainable way, working up to it little by little. See how you feel. Don't do crash diets. Don't start anything, whether food or exercise, you don't think you can basically do 90% of the time for the rest of your life, because there's no such thing as doing it for long enough to lose weight and then getting to "go back to normal." This has to become your new normal, with or without surgery. In three months, if you really aren't sure about the surgery, don't do it. It'll always be there. But know that it's an additional tool that will make the hard work you have to do either way in order to keep your health for the rest of your life more likely to stick. Without it, there's a very high (but not impossible) chance you will not be able to keep your weight in a healthy range.

I was a vegetarian for 12 years before I gave it up, and then life and the vicious cycle of weight gain and weight loss began for me. You can 100 percent get your protein without meat substitutes (which tend to be full of carbs btw). Beans with rice is a great way to get protein. Nuts and seeds, whole grains like oatmeal, couscous, quinoa, cheese, yogurt, and protein powders made out of peas. Ripple is a pea milk that is pretty good and has 8g of protein, it is very comparable to regular milk. I believe Ripple has other products too like protein powders and coffee mixes. If 8th continent still exists, that was the best milk substitute, I had a vegan bodybuilder friend who drank it like it was going out of style, lol. Don't forget about tofu, tempeh, edamame, and lentils (Not my fav). Chickpeas (hummus), peanut butter, There are other vegetarian and vegan protein powder options as well. I would suggest getting a good vegetarian cookbook, look for one that focuses on protein sources.

Hey Warren, I'm presuming because they would only look at fixing the opening if they did feel it was contributing to the pain and other issues I'm having 'downstream'. This would not be a true revision in the sense of reducing the size of the pouch. My insurance company also only pays for 1 bariatric surgery in your 'lifetime'. They would only pass for the revision of opening if it were medically necessitated, and they would not consider 'failure to lose weight' or a 'weight regain' as medically necessary. My GI wanted me to talk to the bariatric surgeon who specializes in revisions. The surgeon does not think what is happening to me is 'dumping due to widened opening'. He said it doesn't sound like dumping to him and if that happened to everyone whose opening widened, everyone would be having "dumping" issues after a couple of years. He did point out that both the upper and lower GI I had done do not look at the inside of the pouch so if there is a hernia that is causing the on again/off again pain and on rare occasions bleeding (looks like coffee grounds), then the GI doctor would not know as they never 'scope' the pouch for a routine upper/lower GI. He also indicated that depending on the scope size a GI doctor uses, it doesn't go through every single space that we have (due to us having been um "modified"?) so it would take a doctor who uses an extra long scope. That last part I must confess I do not understand at all. He does have me scheduled right now for a laparoscopic investigatory procedure to take a look inside my pouch and see if there is scar tissue or a hernia that needs to be addressed. He also gave me prescription acid reflux meds and said if i got better after 'taking' them, I could cancel the procedure in 2 weeks. What he fails to understand and I've tried telling his office, I can go a month with no pain. Then I go back to back days in extreme pain. Have not been able to tie it to specific food, time of day I'm eating, etc. My right side starts with a stabby/cramping pain (closest I can compare if it feels like the pain I used to get when I ovulated or that 'stitch in your side' type feeling. It often goes downhill from there. I have tried to get it figured out now for 2 years but taking ANY medicine and 'not having an episode in the next 2 weeks' does NOT give me a definitive answer as I do not have this pain all the time, it is just enough to be frustrating and has lasted LONG enough to be concerning. The 'coffee ground' type bleeding that I have observed is one and off for the past 3 months (maybe it started a while ago but now I know what to 'look for'. I don't like going under anesthesia but I'm probably going to keep that procedure scheduled as I have no guarantee that ANY medicine given for the next 2 weeks has 'fixed' any issue. I wonder if anyone else has ever had their opening revised but not their pouch out of curiosity.

I've stuck to buying underwired bras - two at a time and only when the current bras were clearly ridiculously large - as I lost weight. I tried to buy reasonably cheap versions - sometimes that worked out and sometimes it didn't! I'm at goal now (regaining a little if anything) and buying 'forever' underwear, LOL. I've never needed anything officially compression but I know others prefer that. I don't mind a bit of saggy skin underneath my underwear. Nobody sees it!

I have awful veins, they are tiny, like to hide and roll and refuse to comply. There is no difference in the hunting game based on weight, I was told it is hereditary and that makes sense, far as I know all the women in my family have tiny veins. Hydrating helps but if it is hereditary nothing will change it, it is how your body formed in the womb. I usually look bruised and battered after they get done with me. I had surgery last week and both my hands are black and blue because they insisted on trying my hands first and my hands NEVER work. I'm going to start forbidding them to do it, it takes a month for them to heal and it hurts like hell. We forget that as patients it is okay to tell someone they can't do something to you. Anesthesiologists are the best at finding a good vein, but most good hospitals have IV teams that can come and do it with their sonograms too. I don't let anyone try on me more than twice. Two tries and they have to go find someone else to have a go because by then they've lost confidence and their odds of finding something are nil. My record is 8, thankfully the IV team finally arrived to end my torture. 😂

Thank you all for your replies. It sounds like I’m going to have to go back since it’s so different for everyone. I was hoping it was just a couple extra tests I could ask the NP to add on easily. It’s always such a big deal cause I had a lymph node biopsy under one arm which rules that out and my veins in the other apparently Aren’t great anymore. sorta wondered if it was just the girl at my primary dr at first because the issue started when I started doing it there but I can’t see any veins in that arm anymore either. She had someone else helping her today and between the two of them they found one (the third try) and told me to remember the location of it cause it was a good one they said. My friend told me that if I go to hospital they have actual phlebotomist that know stuff that the nurses do not though so if he does order more I will just ask him to send the order to the hospital this time. I am curious to know if this hard to find veins issue coorelates with weight. I am hoping maybe it will get better after surgery. Wishful thinking probably.

I'm 3 days into my 2 week LRD, and to be honest I didn't do anything similar to this, as much as I wish I did! But I was so worried about putting weight back on and not getting to the number I needed to be at, as I have my surgery through the NHS, so I started my liquid diet about 3 days early, and before that for the 2 weeks I knew of my surgery, I was super strict with what I ate. There are definitely a couple of things I really really crave, but I've waited way too long for this to be ruined by myself. I really love Halo Top ice cream as it's lower in calorie than the usual pint of Ben & Jerrys, so I'll be excited to eat this when I finally can. Also, just a very nice sunday roast. Yorkshire puddings. Can't wait.

Thank you for your reply , yes I do have a dietcian but she seems to think I’m doing just fine and when I told her about my weight over the last month she’s telling me to go back to liquids which I don’t want to do as I find it to extreme . I need to go back to my protein first and watch that I’m not grazing all day which I’ve noticed I’m doing more of . It’s so hard sometimes isn’t it . I was a binge eater before my op and I need work on all this

I had the sleeve 3.5 years ago and just had a revision to SADI a week ago today so I can answer for the sleeve and the “bypass type” procedure. With one thing to note. I also had my gallbladder taken out this time but it sounds like you would be the one to ask how much of my pain is due to that. 1. I have dentures will the rapid weight loss effect how they sit in my mouth? Does not apply to me 2. What are some of the best Protein Shakes out there in order to ensure I get the Protein I need? Premier Protein is a popular one If you like iced coffee the caffe latte is excellent but it does have caffeine and a lot of surgeons will have you off caffeine at least for a short time if you love your iced “proffee” though try mixing their caramel with decaf instant coffee and having that over ice it’s yummy too beyond that I prefer core power protein shakes by fairlife. Many people love the chocolate and say even their kids drink them as chocolate milk. I prefer the vanilla and their strawberry banana. I also like protein water for the liquid diet when you sorta get your full of shakes The Protein 2.0 in strawberry watermelon is pretty good . All of these are sold at Walmart. The premier protein is cheaper in the bigger packs but is sold in 4 packs and the core power is sold up front in singles and surprisingly it’s cheaper that way . The protein water I think only comes in 12 packs though . I would check a couple convenience stores for it first if you just want one to try. 3. How long were you down after surgery? How long until you started driving again? The biggest thing that will determine this will be whether you are on pain meds. After my sleeve I refiused pain meds even in the hospital but what I learned after my revision is that the most painful part for many is the trapped gas . After my sleeve I had no gas at all and I went home the next day on Tylenol. I could’ve driven right away if I had to. But I just got lucky because plenty of people with sleeve do have gas and incision pain. Post revision, I had a lot of gas pain and ended up staying 5 days starting off on morphine and oxy every two hours because the pain was horrible. Finally on day 4 I passed gas and realized that was the majority of my pain. Each subsequent toot brought more and more relief and I had about 7 big ones that one morning which I joke and say were life changing. I was able to cut back to just the one pain med less often and in a smaller dose immediately. Spent one more night and went home with normal post op pain script which I took one pill before I realized that the pain was mostly when I got up and down and the pain meds didn’t do much for that anyways and I wanted to be able to drive so I said I was gonna just take it at night but I forgot and then realized it was just silly to take it if I made it without. I did drive without issue on post op day 6 but honestly I did feel pretty fatigued and just wanted to get home. Some people are at a whole other extreme though and they do have a great deal of pain even after they are home and it lasts a lot longer. Long story short I can tell you my experiences but unfortunately no one can really predict this because it is honesty all over the map. 4. Did you have a person helping you with after care and if so, how long? Just my husband both times who is quite possibly the worst nurse ever. Didn’t need much of anything the first time except for things that require lifting, bending and straining this time I did need him to go and get things for me a little more. They want you up at least every two hours walking to prevent blood clots though so as long as something is within reach you can get it yourself. 5. I am disabled due to a nerve disorder; Is there anyone here who has a disability that has gotten the sleeve and how was your recovery? This does not apply to me BUT I know that a lot of diseases and disorders resolve some of completely with weight loss so this is certainly something to ask a surgeon about.

Dr gave me Allopurinol that I took for 3 months. My last blood check was good, so he had me stop taking it. I haven't had gout before, but this weight loss is bringing it out.

Mjtcollective, that is fantastic. Congratulations on your weight loss, you are off to a great start!

@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.