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if you're still seeing your bariatric team, I'd start there. Or if not, is it possible to see them again? Otherwise, if you're not still tracking your food intake, start there. Track for a couple of weeks to figure out what your average calorie intake is now. Then try cutting back by 100 calories or so for another couple of weeks. If that doesn't do the trick, cut back by another 100 calories. Rinse and repeat. Eventually you'll find the level where you'll start losing weight. also, start doing some of things we did that first year after surgery (NOT all the way back to shakes and purees - I mean how we ate after the first couple of months - focusing mostly on protein and non-starchy vegetables. Then if you have room, maybe a small serving of fruit or whole-grain carb). if you're having trouble with hunger while cutting back, add in more vegetables - I try to eat vegetables with every meal when I'm trying to lose (I don't always with breakfast, but I DO blend a cup of fresh spinach or kale in with my morning protein shake to make up for it). I also always keep raw veggies (with a dip made from plain Greek yogurt and ranch dressing mix), sugar free popsicles, and sugar free Jello around, too. Healthy fats like avocado and peanut butter or a handful of nuts can also help with the hunger - but just have a small portion of those since they're pretty high in calories. good luck with this. I know it's tough - I'm battling a 10-lb COVID gain right now and I know it isn't easy, but people do it... At least you're catching it at 40 lbs while it's still do-able oh btw - I know a lot of people who've regained who've had success with Weight Watchers, Keto, and/or intermittent fasting - so those might be options for you, too...

I love to swim, but the pool in my building is still closed due to COVID. To be honest, I didn't use it that much when it was open because it's tiny and really cold. However, I recently went on vacation and swam almost every day and I realized how much I missed it. I think they are opening the pool soon and I'm going to try to swim again, at least until my surgery, then I'll have to wait until my wounds heal.

I had issues with nausea and vomiting. I used to take the multivitamin/iron capsule from this website, as well as Citracal petites. Vomited nearly every day. I changed it to a multivitamin with no iron, that I take after a few bites of breakfast. At lunch, I take a slow release iron after a few bites. This regimen was suggested by a pharmacist. Then I take 1 tablespoon of liquid calcium citrate in late afternoon, and another at night. no more vomiting! GL!

@ShoppGirl @Suzi_the_Q @SunnyinSC Thank you for your opinion and advice. I really do appreciate it!

Thanks for all the feedback. The stall broke today (ish) as I went down 7 ounces. Ha ha. Hoping tomorrow is better. And Ada, I’ve lost 55lbs after surgery and TODAY is my 5 months. So yes, you’re doing great.

I haven't had surgery yet, but I had the same choice to make so figured I'd share my experience. Keep in mind everyone is different and my choice is just mine. I'm not suggesting that you should make the same decision or anything. So I have had issues with heartburn and I went into my surgery consult set on Gastric Bypass because of that. However, the surgeon recommended, due to my weight, Sleeve because it's less risk of complications. At my weight, the amount of actual loss would be about the same. My nurse then stepped in on my behalf and got an endoscopy to check out my heartburn issues. This was because I am self pay, and I can't really afford to do a sleeve, only to have to get a revision later, so she wanted to see if we could find a root cause of the heartburn/GERD. Endoscopy revealed I had a medium sized Type III hiatal hernia. While the hernia could be repaired during surgery, it also meant I had a good chance of needing a revision in the future if I went with Sleeve. Not guaranteed, but still a high probability. Since I'm self-pay and I definitely don't want to find myself in a position where my heartburn/GERD have gotten worse and I can't pay for a revision, we decided it would be best for me to go with Gastric Bypass. Gastic Bypass is a mal-absorption procedure in addition to just restrictive, so I will have to be extra sure my vitamins are okay, and it is more at risk of complications during surgery/recovery due to multiple incision sites. That being said, overall risk is still really low, it's just higher when compared to sleeve. Definitely weigh out the options, talk honestly and openly with your medical team about risks and complications. Hopefully you can come to a decision that works for you Best of luck!

LOL - thanks! I've been hanging out on bariatric boards for a few years - plus I used to work with the pre-op groups at my clinic (well until COVID hit, anyway - so for three or four years). You hear and learn a lot of stuff that way!

Thank you! You were right! It went away and now I am down to 251.... losing around 1/3 to 1/2 pound each day!! Started on Stage II more solid than liquid but still soft food this week. Started taking probiotics to get my bowels working more normally. Feeling better!

there are statistically more complications with bypass, but complications with either surgery are really pretty low. The rule of thumb lately seems to be if you have GERD issues, go with bypass, otherwise, it comes down to personal preference. They're both good surgeries, and you'll find people on this site who've been very successful with both. you will have to take vitamins for life with both surgeries, but there are more consequences if you slack off on vitamin-taking with bypass because of the malabsorption. But if you're diligent about taking your vitamins, then vitamin deficiency is rare. about 30% of sleeve patients develop GERD (or if they have it prior to surgery, it can get worse), and about the same percentage of bypass patients (about 30%) experience dumping syndrome, and in both cases that's kind of a crap shoot. You can't really predict ahead of time if you'll get those or not (although if you already have GERD, it's very likely not to improve and there's a decent chance it'll get worse with the sleeve. On the other hand, bypass usually improves if not outright cures GERD). If you have bypass and are one of the 30% who dump, it can be controlled by not eating a lot of sugar (or fat - some people dump on fat) at one sitting. hair loss is very common with both surgeries. Actually, it's a potential side effect of any major surgery (and childbirth, too), due to stress on the body. I think we see it more after bariatric surgeries than other surgeries, though, because in addition to the trauma from the surgery, we're also taking in very few calories the first few weeks/months. The good news is, it's temporary - the hair will grow back - and in most cases, you're the only one who'll notice it. A few people don't lose any hair at all, a few lose noticeable clumps of it, but most of us are somewhere in the middle. It's more like "shedding", and it's not enough for others to notice. I didn't lose much at all. It lasted maybe three months and then started growing back. But anyway, don't make your decision based on hair loss, because that's very common regardless of surgery. I don't think you can really make a wrong decision either way. I'd take into account what your doctors say, and also consider your personal preference. Some people are more comfortable with one or the other. As I mentioned, they're both good surgeries and you can get good results with either one.

My daughter came home today and she told me I should try on some of her dresses from her college formal days. Never, ever, ever did I expect them to fit. I feel pretty good after I looked at these photos. Of course, I've got the whole "bat wings" going on, but I'm not going to stress over the details. Just wanted to share my joy of the moment!