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Is anyone out there like me? I had VSG surgery feb 2022. Started at 21.9 stone pre LRD diet. 20.9 stone after LRD , lowest after surgery 17 stone.  I lost weight the first year and then gained 2 stone currently sitting at 19 stone. Since jan 2023 the scale has not moved once , up and down by maybe 1 or 2 pounds but the scale is not moving. At all. I can count calories for a whole month and nothing. I can eat **** for a whole month .. and nothing. nothing makes my scales move and hasn’t for over a year. You can only imagine my frustration. is anyone else having this issue and if so PLEASE tell me how I can start losing weight and making the scales move again.

This has been my go to breakfast this week. Two hard boiled eggs, half an avocado diced and mixed together in a bowl. I did add in a pinch or two of shredded cheese - I used some Kerrygold Dubliner cheese because that’s what I had already shredded. Spread the mixture on two slices of toasted Sara Lee 45 cal bread, no butter and sprinkle with everything bagel season. Adjust as necessary as the everything bagel can be salty. The mixture egg/avocado mix makes two servings so below toast is half the bowl spread on the toast.

a couple weeks ago i remember your post about your struggle to stop losing...are you still losing while this hunger appeared? perhaps its your body's response to the weight losses...? if thats the case, then perhaps listen to your bod and eat more? i can imagine that eating more is in itself a struggle...it took me 3-4 months to get over the mental block to actually stop diet mode (and like 2 years to get over the mental block of eating bread/rice/pasta lol) if im not mistaken you just recently reached goal? (congrats again btw), my suggestion would be to give yourself a bit more time (ie several months) to find your happy spot, it usually takes a while before you get to the autopilot of maintenance...great suggestions above...experiment with (small amounts) of (preferably nutritious) foods and amounts and see what help with the hunger. keep an eye on the scale in tandem to determine any causal relationships with certain foods. but yeah, i know, "easier said...". good luck, and it CAN be done! ❤️

I unfortunately only spent a few months following surgery without being overly hungry, but after about the three month mark it came back with a vengeance, so I decided to do some research. I now consume Non digestive or Resistant meladextrin. Its a corn fiber that your body can't digest so; no calories, good fiber and probiotics purported to help with the following: Resistant maltodextrin is believed to enhance gut health by [19, 29, 30]: Promoting the growth of good gut bacteria Improving stool weight, consistency, and bowel movements According to some researchers, resistant maltodextrin has potential against obesity, diabetes, and heart disease because, in various studies, it has [31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39]: Reduced belly fat and body weight Decreased food intake Increased satiety hormones (glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY) Lowered the production of the “hunger” hormone (ghrelin) Reduced blood sugar levels and insulin resistance Blocking the growth of cancer cells and tumors ** hasn't been proven** Decreasing endotoxins, inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers (TNF-a, IFN gamma, MDA) Increasing protective antibodies and anti-inflammatory substances (IgA, butyrate, IL-10) In clinical studies of over 200 people, resistant maltodextrin enhanced the growth of good gut bacteria, including [19, 29, 44, 47, 48]: Bifidobacterium Ruminococcus Eubacterium Lactobacillus Lachnospiraceae Bacteroides Holdemania Faecalibacterium As a resistant starch, this type of maltodextrin will help keep your blood sugar level stable after meals. In a meta-analysis of over 900 people, resistant maltodextrin blocked the increase of blood sugar after meals (postprandial glycemia) [37]. resistant maltodextrin decreased blood glucose and insulin levels. It increased a weight-loss protein called adiponectin that blocks glucose production. 3) Obesity In several clinical studies of over 300 overweight people, resistant maltodextrin reduced body weight, body mass index (BMI), and body fat. In one 12-week clinical study of 30 people with metabolic syndrome, it decreased waist circumference and belly fat [31, 55, 35]. In clinical studies of over 160 overweight men, resistant maltodextrin decreased feelings of hunger, increased satiety, and reduced and food intake. In another study on 32 healthy people, it decreased levels of the “hunger” hormone (ghrelin), lowered feelings of hunger and improved satiety [31, 32, 33, 34]. In rats, resistant maltodextrin reduced body weight, belly fat, and suppressed excess food intake [56, 6, 50 I found numerous research studies that pretty much said the same things above..so I figured I'd give it a try. It has no flavor and desolved completely so I just add it to my water plus it has no calories and helps regulate Ghrelin (hunger hormone). It really seems to help! I just make sure its non GMO etc etc. Perhaps it can help you, I figured it couldn't hurt and I do feel less hungry...still by try but less.

Oh, how interesting! I wonder what caused them to make the adjustment, but I’m glad it moved closer to what my doctor does. Though a total of 5 weeks of liquid makes me want to cry lol. I’ve got 2 left.

surgeons do vary. At my clinic, both sleeve and bypass people were on the same plan. They had us on purees as soon as we left the hospital, but they changed that (I had my surgery nine years ago) and now they have to do a week (or maybe two?) of liquids before moving to purees.

I haven't had surgery yet but am in the pre-op stage. Doing the 3 day liquid "trial" right now. Its been interesting seeing what I do and do not like! Surgery is likely in late June or early July.

Hi Wendy- I found it important to confide in friends who I knew would see the surgery as an effort to reset my system and not as a vanity project. So, I opened up to three close friends and no family other than my husband and teenage son (whom I sat down and really went through the toughest reasons why with). My parents are gone and I don’t see my siblings very often - easier in that respect. And I also sought out references from friends of closest friends who knew someone who’d had the surgery and talked extensively about the aftermath and any complications. They were exceptionally compassionate and enthusiastic supporters. I really felt ready. The comments from a good friend group came in waves: “you look great”! Then, a bit of concern - “all okay?” Then, “wow, you look like a different person: are you on ozempic?” with a direct desire to know what was up. I told that group together but only after 3 month mark, asking they not share it with others. No one has been negative about it. I had a dear friend say, “look, if there was a surgery that would reset my brain to comprehend things more quickly, I’d do it in a second”. I had to explain it’s not a quick fix but I knew what she meant- getting one’s beast of burden off the mind. Re: Hair loss- timeline was strange - I’ve always had a thick head of hair and thought maybe I’d bypass the intensity of it. Alas, no- it started to really come out heavily in Aug/Sept. I was worried bc it didn’t slow down and had thinned dramatically but now the growth is back - slowed in Dec/Jan and I kept it short all fall. No one especially noticed enough to mention it. Again, all good thoughts to you as you begin this remarkable feat! You’ll feel amazing soon enough but I hope you’re proud of getting to this point!

Since my surgery in 2017 I've lost my weight loss powers. I'm a mere mortal when it comes to weight loss. That being said I do the following: 1- Weekly weigh in and log it in 2- Stop eating at 7PM and start again at 7AM (I usually go to 9AM) 3- Eat the same thing every day. For me, Breakfast greek yogurt and hard boiled egg, cup of coffee Lunch, tuna fish, sardines or salmon from a can (no additives such as mayo) dinner broiled or baked seafood with a salad. I will also eat a costco protein bar if I need it. 4-Excercise, for me 3x at gym nothing too strenous just 30-45 on treadmill 5 degree incline with a brisk 3.5 mile speed walk Very Very difficult to stay within 5-10 pounds of goal weight then try to get back down. Vigilance and sorry to say obsession are my keys. It's a struggle every day.

Stalls and Constipation are the two things we all will get. Plenty of good advice given here. Try any and see if it works for you. As for me, at the outset it was stool softners and the costco version of benefiber.

HIYA!! So, I am 11 weeks out, and I did not realize how bad my poor relationship with food, until I started to get to week 6 and I was super stressed out and just wanted to eat a burrito. I knew in my head I couldn't, so I got a salad from chipotle figured surely I can eat AT LEAST half. I threw up after 1/4 because it just was wayyyy too much food. Then once I did that I felt so pissed that I couldn't eat because I wanted to and it "helped" with my stress. That's how I used to cope, I would shove my face before I got home so my husband and kids didn't know then I would eat dinner with them still. In the beginning about where you are at, I journaled and I walked a lot. I tried to keep myself busy. My program says no caffeine for life and honestly last week I started to make iced coffees with latte premier protein and black decaf cold brew that I make at home. That has helped my energy A LOT! I have been a sloth up until maybe last week. This is allll so normal, speak to your dietician, try to distract yourself, remember your why. I have to remind myself that this surgery is not a cure all, the cravings will be there but this is an amazing tool. Its helping us become a healthier version of ourselves. You got this!!! and We are here for you and your journey!

I started chewing Nicorette Gum about 6 months after my gastric bypass due to a lot of stress going on w/my teenager… Up until recently, the last 3-4 weeks, everything seemed fine; I even swallowed my gum once accidentally not thinking cuz I was getting a ketamine treatment for depression and chewing gum right when the ketamine started kicking in; but that didn’t cause any issues, thank God!!! Then I all of a sudden started really feeling sick when I chew gum after meals w/bloating and gas, nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. I had increased the amount I was chewing; which probably really kicked in my sick feeling. I know most of my fellow responders are referring to non nicotine gum; but if any of you chew Nicorette or take nicotine lozenges I’d love to hear if anyone has had negative side effects after bariatric surgery. I know chewing any gum, and definitely using any sort of nicotine, is most likely frowned upon by our surgeons; but has anyone heard anything specific about why using nicotine gum or lozenges after surgery is particularly a bad idea?

@NovelTee Of course It is definitely interesting to see how other people's Drs advise! I'll admit, it is a bit of strange one that you are on the liquid stage for 3 weeks, but then again they may just be over-cautious! Either way, I am sure they have their reasons haha. It seems like they are keeping up good communication though, which is always a plus I was looking to maybe try protein water for to hit those protein goals during my liquid phase...but we shall see! Thank you so much! How are you recovering?

I had the Pho broth from week one, I made it myself so it was not too salty or chilli hot. It was so good I could have bathed in it. At 2 years + now, I can manage a couple of spoons of noodles at the end of the meal. I don't crave mountains of noodles now, I am used to just a few for the mouth feel.

Thanks for this! I fully intend to follow the guidance, it was just a curiosity as to how they determine their guidance. I just think it's really interesting to basically still be on full liquid to week three post-surgery. Maybe yours is tailored and mine is just sort of a set rubric? The food guidance I have isn't tailored to me––it's a PDF that's given to every bariatric patient in our medical group. My assigned nutritionist shared with me that her department always receives random updates to the diet directly from the bariatric department when the issue the new PDFs (we went through two updates while I was waiting for my surgery to be scheduled. When I have update calls with my nutritionist, she just asks me if I'm getting in my fluids and proteins and following the PDF for guidance on what I'm allowed to have. Either way, really interesting! Hope your surgery goes smoothly!!

Heya! I think every Dr/Surgeon must do things with a slight variation, but it is always best to follow the advice given by your own Dr/healthcare team - it is often tailored to you e.g., in terms of weight, health conditions etc. I had my dietician appointment today and we went through when I am starting the LRD, which will be for 2 weeks, and then went through the different food stages which for me are: Week 1 - Liquid Week 2 - Puree/slush Week 3 - Mush (thick/lumpy foods) Week 4 - Soft foods Week 5 - 'Normal' foods

Does every doctor interpret this treatment process differently? I've been reading so many different timelines that everyone is being given, and I'm confused as to whether there is actually a "norm" and then doctors deviate accordingly, or if each doctor/medical group sets their ideal SOP? For instance, my surgeon required 2 full weeks of liquid only diet for pre-op and at least one night in the hospital after surgery. My first in-person check-in was at one week. I have video/phone appointments until my next in-person at 6 months. Pureed/soft foods don't start until week 3. Solid foods will start week 7. Red meat/shrimp at 6 months. I have Kaiser in the DMV, so the food part is proscribed by the bariatric department, but even the overnight requirement was different with other people having surgery the same day as me. A nurse said my surgeon makes it a standard while others are out in hours. Obviously, it looks like my doctor is moving out of an abundance of caution, which I appreciate, but is anyone not in the Kaiser system getting the same guidance?

i brought a whole overnight bag filled with "supplies" and barely touched any of it (including my toothbrush! hygiene be dammed when you are groggy and in pain lol) what i DID actually use were the following: 1) my crocs (any other slip on shoe would do)...for ease in putting on and off for walking the halls for exercise and going home in. 2) Biotin (the moisturizing throat spray, NOT the supplement). ugh, my throat was so sore when i woke up. i specifically asked the nurse to have it available to me in the recovery room, and used it throughout my stay. 3) lip balm...your dry lips will thank u. 4) small pillow to hug against you for the car ride home. those bumps on the road were killer. also useful to squeeze when u cough. everything else stayed in my bag. including my phone surprisingly. didn't even care to use/look at it. good luck! ❤️

I am similar timeframe and similar stall so to read the two above posts is reassuring. I am still only eating about 900 calories a day which is about 90g carbs and 70-100g protein. I do aqua aerobics once a week and light training three days a week plus try to get a 20 minute walk in most days and I have been stuck at the 78/77kg (171/169 lb) for a few weeks now. I am going to give it a bit more time as I think I have another follow up appointment with my surgery team in a month and can discuss then, especially as the surgeon told me in January that he would be happy with me getting to 75kg this year - I just didn't think it would take this long to get there.

Well, i went in on 3rd april, at 8.30am as planned. I was rushed in pretty quickly because the surgeon was done with his earlier procedures and so i didn’t have time to really get to grasp what i was doing - i went from registration to being rushed by the nurses to change and next thing i knew i was being wheeled into the OR. The operation didn’t go as planned - it was supposed to last 1.5 hours but ended up being 3 hours long because, as my surgeon tells me, my abdominal muscle wall was thicker than expected and he had to pull apart my muscles to access my stomach. I woke up in so much muscle pain … like having done 1500 crunches or something. I was in and out of sleep for the rest or the afternoon and night. I was on a morphine drip, and hydration drip but in pretty much the same pain - i had a drain in also that was unplanned and uncomfortable. The next day i was feeling pretty terrible : pain and nausea really set in. I had horrible acid reflux and having not eaten anything for now 48 hours i was really feeling just down and exhausted. Today, i hurt way less. I’m off the morphine and hydration drip and drinking by myself. I’ve also had my first non liquid food in the form of yoghurt and apple sauce. I think that’s made me feel so much better. I still have mild muscle pain but it’ll get better. I get to go home tomorrow thank god i feel like being home will help soooo much

Pho broth saved me in those first few weeks post op! My local place was happy to sell me a container of broth only. It was a nice change from the powdered broths and protein drinks. I’m almost 5 years PO now and have pho from time to time, mostly just the broth, meat, and veggies with a couple bites of noodles at the end of my meal if I still have any room.

Life just throws it all at you some times & I’m sorry you’ve been through a lot. Unfortunately the pouch reset is a fairy story/old wives’ tale. What needs to be reset is not your tummy but your head. Remember all that head work we had to do in the beginning? The stress, emotions & changes you’ve been experiencing has likely meant those old bad habits have snuck in again & you’ve been turning to food to comfort yourself. It’s easy to become complacent too. All completely understandable. Don’t know if you were a food tracker or not, but tracking even for a couple of weeks like @Spinoza suggested will help you identify what you may need to adjust - food choices, protein & fluid goals, portion sizes, nutrition. Then start by making one or two changes & another one or two a couple of weeks later. Small changes are easier to adopt & adapt to. Probably aim to get back to about where you were when your weight stabilised & how you initially maintained. Maybe contact your nut/dietician to help you get back in the right mindset. Therapy may help you manage & better cope with the stress you’ve been experiencing too so you don’t turn to food. You’ve been successful for ten years. You can do it again. All the best.

I am only 2 weeks out but I wanna get some ideas for when I am able to eat them. My doc has already allowed me to eat soft foods such as lunch meats as I am able to tolerate them really well so I’m just getting more ideas for the future. Also how do you edit the stats? I keep trying and I cannot figure it out. It says in my bio when my surgery was and what surgery but that’s all I can figure out how to edit.

I HIGHLY recommend trying Mirilax. It's always been a heaven sent for me! It takes time, up to 3 days for some people but it works without cramping and diarrhea. I do a cap and 1/2 in about 8-10oz of liquid every day until i go, ususally about 2 days...hot cocoa was my go-to for liquid. I hope this helps!

As Arabesque mentioned, you will experience many stalls on this journey. They are normal and if you just keep with the plan, weight loss will resume. It can be discouraging, for sure, but Arabesque is wise.