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UGH - Just UGH - I'm an idiot. I KNOW what to do.... but can't seem to get back into the game. Up almost 15lbs from my lowest and can't seem to get it back under control. A couple of weeks ago, I put some slacks away because they no longer fit comfortably. It just about made me sick to toss my "goal pants" on a shelf. As I type this, I'm thinking I need to go back to where I started. Put those bad boys back in the closet, try them on weekly (like I used to) until they fit right again. STOP wearing the comfortable stretchy leggings that I wore when I was losing weight... It's so easy to get comfortable at this point. I guess this is really just a rant (and a warning): don't get comfortable. Pay attention and BEFORE things get out of control, get back on track. It's much easier to lose 5 than 15. I tend to be a social eater/drinker vs. emotional so I know that I need to make sure I have the right (raw veggies and fruit) foods available when in social gatherings instead of the "standard" snack foods (charcuterie boards are my absolute downfall). Knowing I will have an adult beverage, making sure I'm also drinking a water in between to at least slow myself down.... Putting on those ill-fitting shorts at home to remind myself NOT to over indulge. Make small changes every week instead of trying to go all-in with a "pouch reset" (which I fail miserably at every time I try). Take pictures and compare. Anything it takes to remind yourself of WHY you did this to begin with. TRACK - Whew, I can't say that enough... TRACK. My failure to track is why I am where I am. When I see what's going in, it's a real eye-opener.

Hi, my name is Krislynn, Kris, or just K., I'm new to this forum. I found it researching more about the duodenal switch. I turned 42 in July this year, and my highest weight before my first surgery was 536. I had the gastric sleeve in June 2017. The first year was a great learning experience in learning about healthy foods, changing my mindset, and what I needed to do to get healthy. That first year, I lost 221 lbs. But, then when I went back for the 2-year check-up, the surgeon that took care of me, had left the hospital and program and they informed me they had no one for me to see. But, then Covid hit shortly after that-- then I lost my job and ended up sitting home 2 years and gained close to 200 lbs back of what I lost and that was crippling to me because all my old health problems came right back. during all this happening, my mom and I chose to move from California to Indiana to be closer to my sister, I decided I couldn't take care of my mom who has declining health because of her weight too, has been type 2 diabetic for more than 20+ years at this rate with my health starting to decline again too. So I reached out to the weight loss doctors here, I spent 6 months Feb-Aug '24 taking off 70+ lbs by following their 1200 calorie diet, getting back into a healthy mindset. It's a struggle at times, and sometimes I take two big steps forward, and then I end up taking a big step backward, it's a daily walk. once I completed the mandatory 6-month medical weigh-ins, things moved quickly, I got approved by the psychologist, and then the insurance approved me to have the Duodenal Switch or SADIS surgery quickly, within a week I heard back. My new surgeon who's great, got me scheduled quickly after I finished all the required testing, and preop classes, this Monday, the 11th at 7 AM. I am feeling nervous because even though every test they've made me do has come back normal and negative, I am 7 years older and worry that something might possibly happen. I keep reminding myself, that I've already had the sleeve, so I won't be under that long, just long enough for him to do the switch. so basically, I'm going to go to sleep and then wake up on the other side of it. Can anyone who has had this surgery, give some advice or maybe just let me what to expect after this kind of surgery? The last time I woke up the only thing I remember is the immense pressure I felt on my chest from them feeling my stomach with gas to do the surgery. And The surgeon told me unfortunately I would be dealing with that again because it's something unavoidable. So, I'm prepared for that. Love to everyone, Krislynn☺️💜

i was pretty tired/sleepy/nappy for about two weeks. i slept ALOT. soon after that i was infused with what seems like never-ending energy and have been an energizer bunny ever since (and im 5+ years post op). i don't sleep alot compared to others now...probably average 5-6 hours of sleep a night (and i don't take naps, lol). i don't feel tired or anything when im awake tho, so i guess its not an issue?

The unstuffed cabbage rolls sound good. Believe it or not I’ve never made any type of cabbage roll. I have however been using deli roast beef for my cheese steak for a while. I just get the really rare meat and then heat it for a few Seconds in a skillet. I’ve never tried mixing cream cheese in it though. That sounds interesting. I like to make Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers when I trying to be good. I bet the cream cheese would sorta hold the mixture down into the pepper better. I wish I could try it now. I suppose I could make it for my hubby and puree mine. My AC miraculously came back on last nigjt after two hours of flashing an error code and not working. It just started back up- so weird. We don’t dare touch it because we don’t believe it’s fixed but it’s cheaper to have someone come check it during the week. My husband is going to tell them the error code it was giving tomorrow and just see if there is anything they need to do. Maybe it is fine. That would be a nice break since it’s just barely out of warranty now plus I won’t habe to deal with the workers being here. I’m still thinking about them cabbage rolls. After the purée tuna was gross to me I kinda thought purée meat was gonna be a no go. Was it good? I’m sure iit helped that it was in the sauce and all that too. I was looking at another ricotta recipe that had chicken and spinach that was a casserole with cheese as well I was considering for my early soft food stage. I think it had artichoke hearts too. It was on Pinterest. They actually have a-lot of recipes under high protein low fat and high protein bariatric recipes. One thimg I forgot about is adding to the plain Greek yogurt. The ranch or French onion soup mix or PB2 to make dips. I added that and some peeled apples and a seedless cucumber to my shopping list for soft foods with the ranch and the PB dip in mind. I think the dry onions should wait for regular foods but it is really good so I mentioned it.

Ah - sorry - forgot what I actually started out to say. Arabesque is right (as she usually is). If you can go back to your original programme do. Protein first, veg second, carbs third or not at all. No sugar, it's ridiculously addictive and produces insulin spikes that make you crave it more. Perhaps consider a keto week to get you started and minimise cravings - so protein and green leafy veg only?

When hair thins after surgery, is loss more noticeable with shorter or longer hair? I’ve had a pixie style cut for years and just started growing it out. Now I’m wondering if I should keep the pixie cut until after the thinning stage? Surgery is next week so I have some time to let it grow

Good morning! I have my 6 month check up next month (its gone quickly) and I'm too impatient to wait 6 weeks to get an answer, so I decided to consult the mass of experience on these forums. My question is this: When were you allowed to start taking capsules again? I'm tired of spending $90+ each month on chewable multivitamins, chewable calcium and chewable iron supplements! Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom!

Yea I am at week two going on week three i misunderstood my diet and was eating soft foods a week early lol but I do find it hard to swallow the most annoying part is not being able to drink water comfortably really anything ive tried hot drinks and for some reason its better for me to take warm drinks. I got sugar free hot cocoa bc its been cold so far so good also caffeine free spearmint tea has been great. I’m down 16 lbs so far im hoping for a good 10/12 lbs moving forward per month but we shall see! I’m going to start my walking routine tomorrow and im excited for that. Happy loosing 🥰

@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.

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

Haha, me too! I've been out to breakfast twice and both times I had eggs. One time I ordered one egg scrambled with sausage, hold the toast. The other time I went with a friend and she ordered the big breakfast special that had pancakes, eggs, sausage, home fries, and toast. She gave me the eggs and sausage and ate the rest. We both had leftovers from a meal intended for one person! I also went to a NY style deli in CT last week and ordered the smoked whitefish salad appetizer. It was perfect! I ate half at the table and took the rest with me to eat a couple hours later. I was slightly sad to decline the offer of their fresh rye bread, but no way could I eat it.

Hello. I had a conversion from the gastric sleeve (2017) to the bypass on 1/8/24. I should start regular foods this week, however, I am at the pureed thin phase as once I incorporate foods with any weight or texture, such as oatmeal, scrambled eggs, finely blended chicken (not pureed), the food feels stuck in my esophagus and I am vomiting froth and mucous (not the food). Has anyone else experienced this? I have contacted my surgeon, seeing her Wednesday as she was on vacation last week, I have spoken with my dietitian and the center for weight loss and they believe that my esophagus is having spasms. Has anyone else experienced this? I have simply gone back to full liquids as I had no problems with that.

For me personally, I stick to 3 days of heavy weight lifting and it works for me and my goals, and I have always done the same. My goal is to maintain a good muscle tone (currently my inbody analysis tells me that my muscle mass is excellent and so is my lean body mass). I've always loved the slim but toned look on myself and I am not a fan of being on the bigger muscular side for me personally, although I admire that on other people. There were periods where I worked out with weights 4 times a week and I gained some weight (albeit muscle) and I wasn't 100% happy with the way I looked. My point is it depends on your goals, if you're trying to build as much muscle as possible then 4 or even 5 days will do you good, however if you want to maintain and cut down on body fat then 3 days are more than enough. Sometimes I add a strength and conditioning day (these are my favorite), and I realize Pilates is a form of resistance training so it all works out. With that being said, I used to do much more HIIT and intense cardio prior to surgery but now I stick to light jogging reaching my step goal and sometimes I'll do a fun trampoline workout (which burns a ton). I try not to rely on cardio to lose or maintain but on a good diet regimen to maintain a lower body fat and my strength training for building muscle and altering body composition. You are not as sore because you are building muscle and getting stronger, I suggest mixing strength and conditioning during your workouts so if you're training legs your supersets can be deadlifts + jump rope, reverse lunges + high knees and so on. This would particularly work wonderfully with upper body workouts.

Hi- I had my ESG done around the same date as you and hoping to hear an update. I live in San Diego so opted to have it done in Mexico. But I’m wondering if that was the wrong choice. I feel very little restriction 6 weeks out. I can eat a significant amount of food before a sudden full feeling comes on. I have no issues meeting protein or water goals. I can comfortably drink a protein shake in a minute.. I’ve had 10lbs weight loss and no weight loss since starting solid foods.

Ok I need everyone’s coping strategies for dealing with being so cold the whole time. It’s 16 C ( 60 F) this morning in athens. I’ve « burnt » through all the warm clothes I bought with me so will have to drop laundry to be done today. Because I have a whole week left here. Yesterday a collègue touched my hand as I was passing him some papers and audibly gasped at how cold I was and asked if I was okay and then gave me his jacket to put over my knees during the meeting so I know it’s not all in my head. I have the heating on and a hot water bottle for night but I just can’t warm up. Im pretty sure I must be very anemic right now and will check that with blood tests when I get back home. I know I sound like a broken record but I’m just really really struggling with being so freezing the whole time. It’s miserable. My hands are so cold I’m having issues typing for work …

Hey there! I'm working on hydration. I have tried sugar-free jello and popsicles. Since I've been nauseous, I haven't wanted much in the way of sweets. I did manage to finish a sugar-free popsicle last night. I think the iron is getting to me, too. It's definitely not helping with constipation! The entire multivitamin is making me gag. They have me taking it at night for a week to see if that helps. So far, I can't tell any difference. This nausea is no fun! I hope you find a way to resolve the iron issue!

Hi all, long time! Hope everyone is keeping well. Just need some advice, I had my gastric sleeve surgery about 8 weeks ago and I have been fine since. I also had my gallbladder removed not long after. But for the last week or so a lot of my meals are so painful to get down, they sit on my chest, I feel a pain going up and down my oesophagus for a long time after I eat and I can just about eat a few bites at a time. But before this week I was doing perfectly ok? Is this normal or could this be GERD? Has anyone experienced GERD? How did you deal with it and what do you think I should do! It feels like bubbles up and down my chest and throat I can hear and feel it ? Sorry for the million questions any help is appreciated dearly!

Hi Possum220! I feel like you are very honest and courageous to ask for help because it’s the true first step. Yes, I have been seriously depressed before and yes I am mortified by regain. My last serious depression was way before WLS but I know that the longer it goes without help, the longer it stays. I’m going to suggest you start your healing journey there because it’s life threatening. Please continue to advocate for yourself and your health in that regard! As regards regain, I have had some success with “Glucose Goddess.” Look her up, she’s on all social media platforms. She is a scientist and mathematician who got into a serious accident and needed to heal herself. She cites all the medical papers that she has researched, peer reviewed, and published. You can by her book, but I’m just watching YouTube to get the basics right now. Eating veg, then protein, then carb has seriously slowed my hunger AND stopped the near daily dumping I was experiencing. I was never diabetic but I think the severe dumping syndrome of WLS was making me the equivalent. I swear getting my blood sugar under control has been a game changer. Many studies report lessening depression and less anxiety. It has helped me with asthma because it reduces inflammation. I have lost four pounds this week, and all I did was change the order of foods I eat. So, depression is like asthma, you need to treat it first. But the Glucose Goddess has practical applications that help with those problems and helps with weight loss too. (By the way, it has helped even though I’m on a new medication that has even more steroids too.) I’m wishing you the best! Keep up with therapy and finding a med that works:) You are not alone. Let us know how you’re doing and what you found that helps.

Thank you @SleeveToBypass2023 @Bypass2Freedom and @JennyBeez for your kind, supportive comments. All are very much appreciated 😄 @SleeveToBypass2023 I know my carbs are a little high but they are around half of what they were a couple of weeks ago! I’m trying to reduce the amount slowly but surely. I have to be careful as I did high protein/low carb around 12 years ago and lost 8.5 stones. Unfortunately this wasn’t sustainable for me which resulted in gaining back the loss and a couple of extra stones, just because I could 🙄 I need to try and find a balance between carbs and protein so it’s a constant work in progress at the moment. @Bypass2Freedom 💜 @JennyBeez oh, it’s definitely a learning experience! I’m happy that I didn’t end up sabotaging myself by listening to that little voice saying ‘it’s not working, have a pizza/chocolate bar/bag of crisps to make you feel better’. These small wins will all add up to something more substantial, I know they will. Salt is a sneaky little thing but it will remind me to be more aware. I will be glad to have my dietitian appointment in August, just to discuss everything. I’m weighing and recording everything that goes in my mouth on the Nutracheck app. I’ve changed how my nutrient choices are recorded so it shows my salt intake now, as well as carb, protein and calories so I can make adjustments as and when I need to. I would love to be someone who doesn’t have to think about food!

Dandelion can help with excess fluid. If I'm taking it in capsules, I usually take it in conjunction with milk thistle. Milk thistle is great for the liver and can help with excess fluid too. GAIA is a great brand that has a Milk Thistle blend I've taken before and liked, though I didn't take it for fluid issues. It may be worth talking with an herbalist to see what they'd advise. Sometimes herbs can be just as effective as prescription meds when given in the right ratios to the right person. I also know compression socks can help with fluid too, I wear them every time I travel and for weeks after any surgery... They can be annoying to find in the right size but wow do they help my legs not swell up! These are my favorite brand for compression. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0897RWF54/ Way more comfortable than the socks and since they are open foot I can wear them with dresses and sandals all year round!

I don't know if this helps, but when I saw the nutritionist last week for my last pre-op appointment, she suggested choosing three regularly spaced meal times, 4 to 6 hours apart. I've decided on 8:30, 1:30, and 6:30 because it works best with my daily work schedule. She said to eat what I could of "real" food at the mealtimes, but not to let myself keep eating beyond 30-40 minutes. My goal is 20-25g protein at the meal, but let's say I managed to eat 10g for breakfast. In that case, I would want to supplement 10-15g of protein shake at 11am (halfway between breakfast and lunch). If I managed to eat 20g of protein at lunch, then I could skip the supplement between lunch and dinner. But if I only got 5g protein at dinner, I should supplement with 15-20g of protein shake a couple hours after dinner. That way you're trying real food first, but not letting yourself get behind as the day goes on. She said it would take quite some time to ween off protein supplements completely and that was fine. Eventually, she wants me to be at 3 meals and no snacks with 60-80g protein per day. If you don't want to rely on protein shakes but you find you can easily eat something like a Greek yogurt in between meals, you could do that instead. But basically it's just going to take time, and even after you are at a point that you can usually get all 20-25g of protein in a meal, there still may be some days where you can't and you need a supplement.

I don't think you would be normal if you didn’t worry at least a little about having major surgery. I worried ALOT. I wish I could tell you that you won’t have any pain or much pain but that’s not a promise anyone can make. It’s surgery. What I can assure you is that the doctors and nurses do everything they can to keep you from being in pain. In fact, mine gave me pain meds before i even woke up I guess to try and get ahead of it. When I was sleeved three years ago I was one of the lucky ones that did not have much pain. I felt like I had done about 1000 crunches but i told them I didn’t need the prescription pain meds when they went to give them to me and I asked for Tylenol instead. Then she said well you’ve already had some so why don’t we wean you off just in case you do have pain without it. She did and I was fine but my point in sharing is just to tell you that they do everything they can to keep you from being in pain. They also did a nerve block in my stomach which is basically like an epidural. I was sorta surprised to learn this when I couldn’t sit up but the recovery nurse told me so don’t be surprised about that if your dr does them. Also, not sure if you’ve ever had surgery before but in recovery there are nurses that pretty much just sit there and watch you as you are waking up. If you were to wake up in a great deal of pain they should know immediately so they can get you some relief. i always wake up a few times to them putting my oxygen mask back on me because for some reason l like to take it off when I am waking up. Long story short. I don’t think anyone can promise that you won’t be in pain when you wake up but, you can rest assured that the hospital is the absolute best place to be if you do experience any.

I’m so sorry you are having issues. Hopefully it’s just the one week and you are back on track. If you are allowed caffeine, the premiere protein caffe latte was the only shake that didn’t taste extra sweet to me. Some people said they just mixed a shake with coffee to achieve this as well. Others on here have mentioned mixing the shakes with fairlife milk to thin them out a bit and I’m guessing that cuts the sweetness too. If not, I guess just stick with the soups since they are actually staying down okay. I’m glad you are not vomiting anymore and you are meeting uour hydration goals.

Applesauce? Are you not on a liquid diet for 2 weeks? Did it hurt? That is a little low but honestly mine is usually about that low normally so I wouldn’t be super worried about it being that low. Are y’all having to do the Blood thinner shot? That thing is a *itch!! It burns….does it for y’all?

A final update for this thread: I had my gastric bypass on Feb 21! Check in went smoothly. I changed into my hospital gown, got my IV inserted, and was given a number of medications to take before being moved to a waiting area where I got onto a gurney. The various members of the surgery team came by to introduce themselves and check on various things. Finally, the anesthesiologist came by and gave me "something to relax" via my IV port. A minute later, I was being wheeled into the hallway, and that's the last thing I remember until waking up in my hospital room. I never saw the inside of the OR, and I have no memory of the recovery area afterward, either. The surgery itself took much longer than anticipated, about 6 hours. I was fine and safe the whole time, but the surgeon ran into some issues with my small intestine and a small abdominal mass (sent to pathology and was benign) that required additional steps. Because of this, I was surprised to wake up in my hospital room and discover it was already 9pm when my surgery began at 1pm! My poor mom had been so worried because we thought it would take maybe 3 hours max. The nurses checked on me several times that night. I was able to get up to use the toilet on my own, and the only real challenge was the IV pole having to be dragged along. I was very fortunate that I ended up with no roommate. It wasn't technically a private room, but no one else was assigned to it while I was there. In the morning, my surgeon came by and explained what had happened during surgery. He was concerned because some of the stitches ended up under more pressure than he considered optimal, so he wanted me to do a swallow test before I could have anything by mouth, including water. They got me in for that and it turned out okay, so about an hour after returning to my room, I was brought a bottle of water and a cup of red sugar free jello. I have to say, it was nice to have water because my throat was dry, but I really didn't care about eating. I did because they told me to, and I know at this point I hadn't had a single thing in my belly for over 40 hours, but I just didn't care. I felt zero hunger. But I at the jello, and later they brought me a popsicle, another jello, and a chicken broth. I ate it all over the course of about an hour. It was fine, but again, I just ate it because they told me to. Because I got such a late start on fluids after surgery, they kept me an additional night, just to be sure. But on Friday morning around 9am, I was discharged. I had a protein shake when I got home and worked all day on fluids. I was tired and a little sore, but my pain had been minimal enough that I was only on Tylenol. It worked well enough that I only had a few moments of real pain, mostly when shifting position that required the use of abdominal muscles. I was fortunate to have someone staying with me for the first few nights home, and my parents kept my kids (ages 12 and 15) with them for the first week so I wouldn't have to worry about all their activities and food. It took a few days to discover what worked best for me, which ended up being hot tea (decaf and herbal) instead of flavored waters as I'd been having pre-op. For the first week, I've met my 64oz fluid and 60g protein goals most days, but as time has gone on, I've become completely turned off anything with artificial sweetener and every protein shake except Syntrax Nectar Natural, which I can still manage. I definitely wasted a lot of money on shakes I won't be drinking, but I'm glad I had them for the 2 week pre-op diet and to take the pressure off finding things to try when I got home. Yesterday, I was allowed to start soft protein foods. So far, I've had tuna salad (2 Tbsp), refried beans with a sprinkle of melted cheese (1/4 cup), and 1 poached egg. No issues with anything so far. Tonight I will be cooking some haddock with pesto for dinner. I go in for my 2 week post-op appointment with my surgeon next Tuesday and hope by then my weight will be a little lower. I lost 15 lbs on the 2 week pre-op diet, but my weight was higher by about 5lbs when I got home from the hospital thanks to the fluids and swelling, and I'm only just back to where I was the day I went to the hospital. Still, 15lbs in three weeks isn't bad. As for other incidentals, I have been taking Benefiber daily in my morning tea and it really has helped. I had the first BM (very loose and not a lot) before leaving the hospital on day 2, and have managed to go at least every other day since, and daily the last couple of days, so I'm very grateful for that. My energy levels have been decent, but it's only today that I feel like I don't need a noon nap. Going without caffeine has been a struggle, but I'm getting used to it. After all the wait, I'm so glad to have this behind me and be able to focus on a healthy future!