Search the Community

Where are all the pet parents! Has your new lifestyle impacted them as well? Do they help you exercise? Are they emotional support animals? Please post pics and stories about your favorite furry friend!

Hi all! So I am working on Maintenance, I feel good, I *think* I look good, health is great, I am eating anywhere from 1800-2000 calories a day. I am burning around 500-700calories for my workout and walking over 10k steps a day usually hitting 11,500 steps. I am maintaining which is great! I am hungry or I get lethargic which when I eat helps a lot! My obese mind set is slightly freaking out. and I am scared because I'm still within the year of my surgery I am messing it up. I have tried all week to stay within the 1500-1700 calories, 140g carbs, 40g fat that my bariatric packet tells me, and its IMPOSSIBLE. I know I have done well on this journey, I am just terrified of going back and eating too much and ruining all this progress. My approximate daily macros: 1700-2000 calories 100-150g carbs 130-175g protein 65-80g fat Just need reassurance I am not alone in this journey.

Our surgeons did their very best to educate us in a manner that would be easy for a broad population to understand but sadly WLS is not as simple as restriction driving weight loss. Check out these excerpts from a review on the Endocrinology of the Gut and the Regulation of Body Weight and Metabolism and also a study that tried to predict outcomes of various WLS on (hedonic) hunger and weight loss : The mechanisms behind the success of bariatric/metabolic surgeries remain to be fully elucidated but post-surgical changes in gut-derived hormonal peptides, bile acids (BA), gut microbiota, and vagal tone are suggested to be involved (13, 14). Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556470/ Bariatric surgery engenders weight loss through a number of biological changes, which alter eating behavior and thereby result in a reduced energy intake, which is the main driver for sustained weight loss. Gut hormones, metabolically active polypeptides secreted along the GI tract in response to fasting and eating, act upon CNS centers involved in appetite regulation and generate either orexigenic or anorectic responses. Following bariatric surgery, gut hormone secretion profiles change as a result of the anatomical changes from the surgery. Altered gut hormone secretion profiles are thought to be key mediators for weight loss following RYGB and SG. RYGB results in a marked rise in meal-stimulated circulating levels of anorectic hormones peptide YY 36 (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1); these changes are also seen post-SG but to a lesser extent. SG, in contrast, leads to a significant reduction in the orexigenic hormone ghrelin, by means of removing most of the ghrelin-producing cell population from the stomach. Ghrelin and PYY/GLP-1 act on appetite-regulating areas of the CNS in an opposing manner, stimulating orexigenic or anorectic responses, respectively [16]. Read more here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11739-022-03063-0#:~:text=A reduced energy intake%2C as,weight loss following bariatric surgery.

You've gotten some good advice already, but reading your post, a few things stood out to me. These are in no particular order: 1200 calories sounds high for 15 weeks post-op, but if that's what your plan calls for, who am I to question it? I think the bigger question is does this 1200 number include all the alcohol? One of the reasons alcohol is not recommended post bariatric surgery is that it's got a ton of calories and will definitely slow weight loss. The other huge concern on alcohol is that a substantial number of post-op patients develop alcohol use disorder. (Some estimates are as high as 20% or even 30%.) You didn't actually specify how much you drink, but when I see "active social life", I interpret that as "I drink a lot". Maybe try drinking non-alcoholic drinks when you are socializing? If you find that you can't give it up the alcohol, this is a major red flag and you really need to seek help. Taking another approach here, I noticed that you are being more active, which is fantastic! I did want to make sure you knew that changing your activity levels like that (starting a couch to 5k plan), will cause your body to retain more water. This means you may not see the results you are expecting on the scale, even if you are still losing fat. Keep in mind that the your weight is made up of lots of things other than just fat, so variations are normal and are just part of the process. If you are eating less than you burn in a day, then you are 100% burning off fat reserves, even if the scale does not show it. Best of luck.

That seems about bright. I was eating about a cup at 6 months which is what my surgeon advised. Slowly I was able to eat more until I am where I am now. So about a good cup of vegetables and about 3 or 4ozs of protein. My portions fit nicely on an entree plate (9inches/23cm). Doesn’t matter how large a portion you eat you can still enjoy and try a variety of foods. Five years out and my restriction is still there too. Not as tight as it once was but it can still shout no stop when it wants too. But yes, picking is the devil. So easy to lose track of how much you’ve actually eaten and because it’s usually such small portions, whatever you have left of your restriction, isn’t going to kick in. I have specific times I snack and I generally don’t snack or pick outside of those times (of course there are odd times or situations when I don’t stay the course perfectly). @SleeverSk did you speak to your GP or your bariatric surgeon about GLP -1 meds? Wonder if your surgeon may be more open to you trying it if you only spoke with your GP.

Wanted to share my experience and echo the other commenters here. I am 9 weeks out of my gastric bypass and I am right where you are almost exactly weight loss wise- Pre surgery and liquid diet I was 260lb (117kg) After liquid diet in surgery day I was 244lb (110kg) Now after 9 weeks I am 99kg. I haven’t weighed in a few days so I may be a pound or two more but I’m trying to limit myself to only weighing every few days so I don’t hyperfixate. I definitely feel like I’m losing slow- but last week in my bariatric programs’ support group on zoom, almost EVERY patient had that same feeling. It was very validating and most of us were feeling disappointed and impatient. After hearing that it made me feel a lot better. I keep reminding myself that I haven’t even been this weight in a long time and that it’s going to keep going down on its own schedule, when it’s right for my body. Keep fighting the good fight and showing love and kindness to your body and we will all get there.

You must be so incredibly frustrated! Which type of surgery did you get, the sleeve or the bypass? I'm at about 7 weeks post op from getting the sleeve + intestinal revision and my calorie consumption ranges from 500-700/day, with my carb intake less than 35/day and a protein goal of 60/day with fluids of at least 48oz/day. I agree with others - it seems like a good idea, regardless of any advice you get from this forum, to revisit your surgeon. That said, I do believe you hit the nail on the head for one with the alcohol, and secondly I'd ask how many of your calories are coming from carbs. It's ok to include carbs in your diet, but really, this early, unless you are very physically active there isn't cause for many of them. At this stage it's typical to eat no more than 1/2cup - 1 cup of total food per meal, three times a day (or spaced out into 4 meals if needed). That's including your protein, which as someone else said should be the first thing you eat. Another thing about alcohol - it tends to cause dehydration - so you'd need to be consuming even MORE water throughout the day to compensate for that, just like caffeine. If you aren't hitting your hydration goal (PLUS, because of alcohol) then your body will struggle to convert your stored fat into energy, which is what causes most of the weight loss. An example of what my diet looks like at this stage is a single serve yogurt for breakfast (I have been getting the Aikos zero sugar or 2Good ones) - Remember no drinking 30 minutes before or after, and your meal should last at least 20-30 minutes. For lunch I might have a 'tuna melt' - which I make out of 1/3 can of tuna in water, a zero net carb small tortilla, and maybe 1/8 cup of shredded cheese or a low fat string cheese (I cook it folded over like a quesadilla) with maybe 1/8 cup of low fat cottage cheese, then for dinner a serving of one of the many bariatric recipes - there's a ricotta bake (lasagna with no noodles, basically), unstuffed cabbage rolls (Kind of like egg roll filling), or maybe chicken or tuna salad made with low fat mayo and a dab of relish with some cucumber slices/2-4 saltine crackers. I use the free Baritastic App to track my food and fluid intake. Using a tracking app increases weight loss significantly from what I've been told because you can see and understand what exactly you're putting in your body. The good news is that as far as I know, it isn't too late to backpedal and reset yourself! I'm NOT a doctor but my understanding is that if you get off track after weight loss surgery, especially this soon, one way to 'reset' is to go back on a liquid diet for a week or two, with zero-sugar jello, zero sugar pudding, and protein shakes (less than 5g of sugar each) to hit your goals. After that, work your way back up to puree foods for a week, then soft foods for a week. I strongly recommend eyeballing the nutrition information on any shake you think of buying, too, because there are some that are loaded with sugar and have as many as 22g of carbs EACH. After weight loss surgery it's also strongly discouraged to have fried food at all for the first 6 months, and after that maybe once per month. The same goes for sweets and baked goods. I hope this helps, and again - I feel like you should really follow up with your surgeon and a nutritionist! Best wishes!

I’m not sure about in AU, but in US medical files sometimes still say history of obesity/Bariatric surgery so that bypasses a lot of issues when trying to explain why you need help losing regain or maintaining weight. Can others please chime in if they have any information about this? But either way if you can swing it, they are effective.

Has anyone ever gone to ALO Bariatrics in Tijuana, Mexico? I’m interested in having the modified duodenal switch. Just wanted to know what your experience was like there. Any issues with the hospital? Did you feel safe having your procedure done there?

I have an appointment already this week. My body composition is done via bodpod at my bariatric clinic. So the accuracy is pretty spot on. At 12%, it's very concerning.

I'm almost a year and a half since my RNY (November). I've lost about 135 give or take (I bounce between 125-130lbs). I haven't lost any fat free body mass since month 3, and have actually gained 5lbs of fat free mass since May. At my 1 year, in May, my body composition said I was at 18.1% body fat which is on the low end of "lean" I did another one last week because I was feeling off (tired, muscle cramps, brittle nails, headaches) My body fat percentage was at 12.3% which translated into roughly 16 pounds of my overall weight (130 at the time of the test) being fat. Anything under 15% is "at risk". I eat, what seems like all day long, I get my calories, protein, healthy fats, fiber. I take all my supplements. All my blood work I've had this year for random things and specifically for post surgery, has been normal. Nothing, other than feeling off, pointed to this. I do have an appointment with nutrition and my bariatric team this week. But wanted to see if anyone has gone through this, heard of this... Anything? My initial thought is how my body is absorbing nutrients, but again, my labs have been normal.

Okay so I will remind you yet again that my surgery was a revision and they did not operate on my stomach so I’m probably quite a bit further along when it comes to food tolerances but when you get there you may want to try these spring rolls. The rice paper is kinda hard to work with so the first ones looked pretty bad but I got to the end they looked a little better. My guess is next time they will be good. I still don’t know what to do with the leftovers. I made 8 instead of 10 because I didn’t ration the chicken well enough but it just increased the protein which btw is kinda low in this as well. I am thinking I may add edimame next time. This time I just supplemented by having a shake for my snack. Ooh and the peanut sauce is super salty. Maybe because I used 100% ground peanuts and that doesn’t have any sugar but next time I may try reduced sodium soy sauce. Anyways, here is the recipe if you like spring rolls. The hardest part was trying to figure out the mandolin to julienne the veggies. https://www.bariatricfusion.com/blogs/recipes/bariatric-recipes-chicken-and-veggie-spring-rolls

You can totally DM me on here! Totally am down to help a fellow bariatric pal! I took 2 weeks off, just for my mental health too. I needed to get into the game with the foods and the meal prepping. I definitely had to work my way up, Lots of tears and sweat. Even still ! LOL I did greive clothes, I still have 3x tops and dresses in my closet that I have not been able to get rid of. I wear them tthe tops to bed now..For the most part I had to buy all new clothes. Still working on building it up. I went from an 18/20 to a size 4. 2/3x to a Small top. No you do not need to add the quote lol

I had a ton of scar tissue from a butcher surgeon 40 years before my sleeve surgery. The bariatric surgeon noted it and allowed a little more theatre time for me. My surgeon said it was very stuck inside but he did it all keyhole. It just took him longer. This week I was due to have my ovaries and a huge ovarian cyst removed by key hole surgery. I was informed that I may have to be opened up if it became a problem. It was and I was. This is day 6 and I am feeling more like myself and the pain is manageable today without meds. So what are the differences, More pain, your muscles are cut. A big scar and drain holes. And a 12 week ban on house work and lifting, more of a bonus that one really. I hope it goes well for you. It will be worth it even if its not keyhole. Trust me

the two they usually measure for are ALT and AST. But not all clinics test for those, so not everyone knows their values (actually, my bariatric clinic doesn't test for them, either - I'd gone to my primary care provider for some reason or another (it's been eight or nine years, so I don't remember why) and she did some panel that included liver values. She freaked about it, but my bariatric clinic knew what was going on - and again, they were back down to normal once I was about a year out).. They go up because rapid weight loss is really hard on the liver.

This is my worry. Got in 2012 also. I only have 3ccs in a 10cc band. But I keep hearing how the band can erode and mess us up internally. There are no bariatric doctors locally and I would have to go out of town too. I don't have any issues per say. How are you doing now?

Who got you approved? Typically you have to get a referral to a bariatric surgeon, their coordinator tells you what Medicaid's requirements are, you spend however much time doing everything Medicaid wants, then it's all submitted to them, then they approve it. How did you get approved for bariatric surgery with no surgeon?

If you are the same in the US as we are in the UK, then Amazon deliver the day after ordering. If thats the case, save your money and buy as you need it. As a example, I bought a blender and did not use it as I barfed every time I thought of pureed foods, still do. I sent for a bariatric cookery book, same outcome. On a whim, I bought a personalised bariatric plate, it is still in its wrapping. My clinic told me to buy suckable vitamins and dissolvable calcium tablets. I used a thermos cup, I was allowed coffee and it takes an age to drink in the early stages, it kept it hot for me. I bought a bed wedge as I had GERD, still do. I never had protein shakes, my surgeon did not believe in them, I just had milk. Everyone who has stock piled a protein shake they love pre surgery, has found it disgusting after surgery. Your tastes flip and you may have a problem with lactose or vegetable protein. Buy one or two of a wide range if you must. I really wished I had a recliner chair, I had to sleep sitting for 3 weeks. As I said before I had problems with Gerd. It took a while to get my meds right. This forum and its wonderful forumites are a asset I used so much. Its all gifted free. Paid forward if you will. They have so much knowledge, they have been and done it before. Some one will have had every eventuality and will help Good luck

Look into Dr Weiners Program. I think it’s pound of cure.com. His book “pound of cure” is pretty good too but he is a bariatric surgeon who has a podcast and his team offers nutritionist appointments online and he is always coming up with more stuff to help the bariatric community. He was the first one I heard mention GLP-1 long before it became widely known. He had lots of videos on YouTube about pre and post surgery as well. It may be cheaper or more in depth. Not certian but I know he is extremely knowledgeable and his nutritionist is on the podcasts with him and she really seems to know her stuff too. correction it’s poundofcureweightloss.com Also, if you don’t already you may want to start using a tracking app. That way you can share the info about your macros for a period of time. I really like Baritastic. You can get reports sent to you email if your macros and your food which you can forward to your nutritionist so they can see exactly what your eating

Hi all. Im 7 weeks post op as of today. I’m curious if anyone has hired an independent bariatric dietician… in other words, someone outside of your surgeon’s office to support you? I am not really satisfied with the level of support that I am getting from my surgeon’s office. I’d like at least a weekly or bi-weekly check in with someone and to discuss goals and things I can work towards. When I asked my surgeon’s office at my last follow up appointment if I was where I should be weight loss wise, I didn’t really get much of an answer. I asked where I should be at my three month follow-up and she couldn’t find her chart. So I never got an answer. I live in an area where I haven’t been able to find any support groups locally. I’ve located someone online with a wealth of experience in working with bariatric patients and is a certified dietitian. She works primarily online with patients. I am hesitant to move forward based on the price. Just curious if anyone has had luck with this or has any thoughts about it? I haven’t decided against it, just hesitant due to cost.

high liver enzyme levels aren't uncommon the first year or so after weight loss surgery. Rapid weight loss is really hard on livers. Mine were high for about the first year, and I've heard this several times from others as well (including people from here on Bariatric Pal). My regular doctor was really alarmed by it, but the people at my bariatric clinic knew what was going on. They went back down to normal and have been normal ever since.

Eugh…I have to have 3-monthly blood tests as I have Methotrexate injections for Rheumatoid Arthritis. I’ve been on Methotrexate for 12 years now. Occasionally there’s a blip in my liver function test but this is generally when I’ve been unwell as the slightest thing can change my results. Anyway, I made a cock-up on my test 2 weeks ago. It was Bank Holiday Weekend and I had a couple of drinks on the Saturday and then more on the Sunday. I can count on one hand how many times we’ve been out this year and I don’t drink at home unless it’s a glass of champagne before we go out to dinner for example. Anyway, I wasn’t thinking and did my jab as normal on the Monday and then my bloods on the Tuesday. This resulted in a phone-call from a Rheumatology Nurse on Wednesday saying my liver function test levels were way, way up, what had I been doing? I was honest and said I’d been out at the weekend and had my jab when I should have left it a week and then had my bloods after. So, I had to miss the next two weeks jabs and have my bloods again which was yesterday. Phone-call today - levels have dropped some but still high. It was then a mass of questions - had I been drinking? No. Any infections? Not that I know of. Any ‘herbal’ ingestion (er…what???) No. Any NSAIDS? No. The list was endless and she sounded completely disbelieving of me, which has pissed me off no end. Could I miss my jab this week and have my bloods again on Monday? No. We’re out for our anniversary dinner on Sunday and there will be alcohol so it would be pointless. I did offer to have them on Friday but she said it wouldn’t be enough time for things to reduce. Now I have to have my bloods again in 2 weeks. It turns out that my levels have been creeping up for the past few months but no one had told me. She did tell me that the other things I’m tested for are all good (4 things in total so only be of them is bolloxed) I’m not happy, especially as I’ve been managing my condition and medication for 12 years. I drank more often earlier in my treatment and never had any issues. My worry is that this could affect my WLS journey. I know I may be worrying over nothing but the worry is still there. It may be that my liver has just had enough of the Methotrexate (as it’s a poison - lovely) and it’s time to stop it. Anyway, I’m not asking for advice, more a rant ☹️ I will now do some research on how to deal with toxins in the liver and how to reduce them. Sigh…

I love what mom said that is so true we can be hard on ourselves....in other bariatric groups I belong too, I noticed a mindset amongst many that they were never satisfied. I will not be adopting that mindset and was glad I could listen in on groups early post op...I feel it's so unhealthy to never be satisfied with weight loss. Once I obtain my goal weight f**k it I am then in "maintenance" mode and I will allow myself 10 pound fluctuation. I'm not interested in loosing more after the goal weight. *it's unreal how much poop in the colon weighs..3,5, 10 pounds lighter

A new week beckons… Laid in bed this morning, just taking stock of how I’m feeling and I actually feel happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that happy feeling for no apparent reason. The first part of my WLS journey is completed and now out of my hands for now so I’ve mentally put that to one side. I’ve started back at the gym and I’M LOVING IT!! I know the gym isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I truly enjoy it. I found something that works for me and can sustain it, which is really important for anyone trying to improve their fitness. I’ve been 3 times this past week and I’m not pushing it as yet, no matter how much the little devil on my shoulder is telling me to 😈 I’m aiming to go every 3rd day at the moment but will re-visit that in a few weeks time. Granddaughters party went as well as could be expected with other little kids there! I didn’t go mad food-wise - a burger, handful of mini sausage rolls, 1 Jammie Dodger, a cupcake and a small piece of cake. I actually threw a piece of quiche away which is a first for me and left the crisps, coleslaw etc alone! I know it may seem a lot but compared to what I would shovel away previously, it’s actually quite restrained! My body shape is changing, even if the scales aren’t particularly moving right now. I went through my gym stuff and tried on a pair of leggings that are size 18/20 and they fit! That was a bit of a surprise, especially as I couldn’t get them up my thighs previously 😮 Various other items are now ether too big or now fitting whereas before they were too tight. The jeans that were fine a few weeks ago? Can now get them off without unfastening them! I actually had to buy some smaller things this week. I’m not a fan of bras, they dig in and I find them uncomfortable. So I prefer the crop-top bralette type things (I’m a C cup at most) I’d noticed that I wasn’t feeling as ‘secure’ as I had before so decided it was time to update. I got a couple of vest tops with built-in support and a 3 pack of bralettes from M&S, all in smaller sizes and all fit - yay! It’s the simple things really that can give such a boost 🙂 Hairdressers tomorrow. I’m having a bit of a crisis with my hair at the moment. When I was accepted on to the Bariatric Pathway, I decided to grow my hair (all part of the ‘New Me’ vibe) Previously I had pixi-type cut and now it’s a short bob, just about at the bottom of my ears. However it’s lacking any body and looks really thin. I know my meds can play havoc, especially as I started a new injection back on November which can cause hair thinning after a few months. My hair hasn’t come out in clumps or anything, I’m just finding lots of stray hairs on things. I know that WLS also causes hair loss, so I’m now floundering a little. I’m going to have a chat with my hairdresser and see what she comes up with but I’m really erring on the side of ‘chop it off’…sigh…it’s not easy being a woman at times is it?? I plan to tackle more of my wardrobe this week and get that thinned out. Has anyone else gone through their clothes and thought to themselves “what were you thinking?” Yeah, I’m having a bit of that. However it’s more of a case of I’ve bought something previously and it has remained unworn. This is what happens when you’re the size of a a house - you buy something because it fits, not because you actually like it. I definitely will be a damn sight more discerning moving forward. Have a fabulously productive week everyone 😉 Onwards and Downwards!

It seems to be pretty standard to require a multi vitamin and the calcium citrate that you mentioned. Most programs require labs around 3 months and will add things like magnesium or B12 or ADEK supplements as needed. All of the bariatric vitamins are pretty close with the exception of the amount of iron and the ones for SADI/DS which are higher ADEK and higher iron. Of course they are not exact. My suggestion is to bring the bottle with you of whichever one you do settle on to your post op appointment and just make sure they are okay with it and to bring it with you to your follow up from your labs so they can see if your vitamin does contain whatever you may be low in.