Quest4TheNewMe

Not sure about what's "typical" but so far I stalled at months 4, 6, and 7ish.

Yeah I'd like to know..I have had any yet but I'm sure I will.

I don't at all....but I will. I'm bad

I recently posted an article titled “The Biggest Loser:” Irresponsible Weight Loss Surgery Comments? . We received many fantastic comments from our concerned members. I've decided to follow up our article with an Open Letter to Dr. Robert Huizenga or Dr. H as he's known on the show. The letter will also be sent to the shows producers and staff members.


Dear Dr. Huizenga,
I am the founder of BariatricPal, the world’s largest online community for weight loss surgery patients and potential patients.
I am writing to you today regarding your role as an expert on “The Biggest Loser.” I am asking you to please stop publicly portraying weight loss surgery in a negative light without any explanation. Most recently, during the Season 16 Finale, you stated that losing weight using methods used on the show were far healthier than turning to weight loss surgery. The implication was that bariatric surgery is under no circumstances the best choice for individuals struggling with obesity.
I am asking you to stop making comments like this. You and “The Biggest Loser” have a significant amount of influence on America. The season finale attracted 5.4 million live viewers, with untold millions watching the show at a later time. Given that one-third of American adults are obese, it is almost certain that many viewers have obesity.
“The Biggest Loser” reaches out to this audience throughout the show. Contestants, trainers, and health experts like yourself directly address viewers who need to lose weight, offering encouragement and tips. As you know, positive gestures like this can motivate people to change their lives.
Unfortunately, the derogatory comments about bariatric surgery can have just as much impact, but in a negative way. Your statement at the Season 16 finale of “The Biggest Loser” and similar ones make weight loss surgery sound like a shameful, dangerous, and ineffective choice in all cases, with no further explanation.
According to the Weight-Control Information Network (WIN), 4% of men and 8% of women in the U.S. have extreme obesity (BMI over 40). That translates to about 20 million American adults who are potentially eligible for weight loss surgery. This figure does not include the approximately 60 million Americans whose BMIs are between 30 and 40, and who might be eligible for surgery due to the existence of a co-morbidity.
Not all of these individuals are eligible for and interested in weight loss surgery, but many are. BariatricPal alone, for example, has a quarter-million members who are weight loss surgery patients or who are considering surgery.
For weight loss surgery patients, your comments can be hurtful. Weight loss surgery is not the “easy way out.” It is a tool to help control food intake. Eligibility criteria include a requirement that patients be committed to the strict dietary changes necessary to lose weight after bariatric surgery. I and millions of other weight loss surgery patients who have successfully used weight loss surgery as a tool against obesity worked hard to get where we are today. We do not deserve for you and your colleagues to suggest that we have cheated to lose weight.
Comments that groundlessly condemn weight loss surgery can harm potential patients just as much if not more. Eligible candidates might decide not to get the surgery in part because of your position. First, your comments can lead to a feeling of shame for even considering bariatric surgery to fight obesity. This is unjust, since the post-surgery diet is strict and requires a lifetime of attention, just as “The Biggest Loser” contestants must modify their own diets for the rest of their lives to maintain weight loss.
Secondly, your comments on the show seem to imply weight loss surgery does not work. While there are patients who do not respond to surgery, and complications are always a threat, the scientific literature overwhelmingly agrees that weight loss surgery is a viable option for the treatment of morbid obesity.
Furthermore, the scientific community largely agrees that weight loss surgery can improve health and metabolic parameters. To varying degrees, methods such as gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, and gastric sleeve have been linked to improvements in diabetes and other obesity-related conditions, such as hypertension, sleep apnea, and dyslipidemia. The UK’s healthcare system, known as the National Health System or NHS, is so convinced of bariatric surgery’s effectiveness, safety, and cost savings potential it covers bariatric surgery procedures.
Unconditionally stating that weight loss surgery is the wrong choice is particularly unfair given that “The Biggest Loser” contestants do not always achieve or maintain their goal weights. An article on Today.com, which is owned by NBC, looked at initial, finale, and current weights of selected contestants from the first 11 seasons of the show. Of the 56 contestants they highlighted, 20 were within 10 pounds of their finale weights, and 8 had gained back at least 40 pounds since the finale.
These results are impressive but not perfect. And, “The Biggest Loser” is not for everyone. So far, only hundreds of individuals have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to lose weight on the show. For a few others, losing weight at one of the Biggest Loser resorts is an option – but not a practical one for most people. At $3,000 per week, it could take $50,000 or $100,000 or more to reach goal weight, not including time out from work and life.
Weight loss surgery may be the only practical choice for people who have work and family obligations, and who live within a budget. People struggling with obesity do not choose weight loss surgery because they think it will be easy. They choose it because they have no other choice. Nothing else has worked for them. For me and hundreds of thousands of other weight loss surgery patients, it worked.
Because of this, I ask you again to please stop publicly attacking weight loss surgery without explanation. You and I and everyone else who is connected to obesity knows what a terrible disease it is. We should join forces in fighting it. Let’s work together to get the greatest possible number of people healthy, and not work against each other with derogatory and divisive comments.
Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment to fighting obesity. You have established yourself as one of the most influential health experts in obesity, and I hope you will use your voice in a positive way. Thank you for considering this.
Sincerely,
Alex Brecher
Founder, BariatricPal

You can give up or you can appeal. Insurance companies can be particular and arbitrary. What may often look like a slam dunk can and has been denied.If you want this, fight for this. Do the appeals and work the process.
or sit home mad.... Your choice.

When you make the life-altering decision to undergo bariatric surgery, it also affects the people around you in a big way. Most of us are uncomfortable when the people we love the most change before our eyes. Here are some tips and tools to help you both stay on same course during the journey.


People generally prefer for things to stay the way they are. Change can be unsettling -- like walking into a dark, unfamiliar room where you can’t find the light switch.
More often than not, as time passes, the people in your life will adjust to the ‘new you’ during you weight loss journey, but there will probably be a few bumps along the way.
Your significant other is the person with the most at stake (other than you) during this new stage of your life. They love you, but they are also “losing” the version of you that they know and love. And the “new you” may be viewed by them as someone they don’t really know. At all.
The Relationship Dynamic Changes With Weight Loss
If your significant other has taken the lead in your relationship due to low self-esteem or physical restrictions due to your weight, that dynamic may equalize or even flip.
Over time, losing a significant amount of weight and garnering more vigor for life due to increased energy can open the door to several significant life changes — a better-paying job, different hobbies, new friends, or a new way of dressing or wearing your hair. Your spouse may be caught off guard by all these changes, especially if they take place in a short time frame.
Find Solace in a Support Group
I recommend spouses and family members attend Bariatric Support Group meetings with you so they can get a clearer perspective of what you are experiencing during your weight loss. It affords them the chance to listen to others who have achieved goal weight and observe many of the changes and benefits firsthand.
Keep Talking
Nearly 50 percent of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, and weight loss surgery patients are not immune.
Mental health professionals say that strong relationships grow under stress, weak relationships grow apart or fail. Don’t hesitate to seek couple counseling even if things are going great from your point of view; your partner may be feeling stressed or confused and need an outlet to express his or her feelings about your life change and how it affects him or her.
A Little Patience is Needed While Loved Ones Adjust
I always tell bariatric clients that patience is probably the most useful tool they need post-op. Even with the speed of weight loss with a bariatric solution, it’s never feels fast enough. In addition, people around you can unknowingly say or do the wrong thing that may seem thoughtless or insensitive. We’re all human, we all say the wrong thing sometimes.
Stay gentle, stay engaged and stay in touch with your closest companion — and all your supporters. Time changes everything, and most difficulties will resolve themselves sooner than you think.
Remember, you are in the driver seat during your weight loss transformation, but your partner is also along for the ride.
Photo Credit: freedigitalphotos.net and courtesy of David Castillo Dominici.

I started my WLS journey on 5/31/2014. I saw my PCP to talk about options with losing weight. She suggested having weight loss surgery. She knows i struggled with my weight for a few years. SHe advised me to see Dr. Patrick Chiasson here in Tucson, AZ. I called the surgeons office to see if i can attend one of their weight loss seminars. I was scheduled in the first week of June 2014. I learned alot at the seminar and spoke with their coordinators about having the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. I filled out the paperwork and then handed it to them, they called the insurance and verified what i needed to get approved. They then called me and advised me I needed to be on a diet with my PCP for 6 months, labs, and other tests. I went back to my PCP on 6/20/2014 to start my journey, I had high blood pressure and at a weight of 384.3. The first three months i lost a total of 48 lbs. After i had all my testing and my three months were done, I spoke with my surgeons cordinator and she did advise me that i had everything done and was going to send for approval with my insurance. In Oct 2014, i was told by my surgeon that I was approved for my surgery. I started my liquid diet on 10/28/14 for 16 days then was scheduled for surgery on 11/12/2014. I am now 14 weeks post op and have lost a total of 115 lbs. My HW was 384.3, SW was 336.6, and CW is 269.6 lbs. My goal is 190-210 lbs. Thank you so much for all the support from my family and friends who have had WLS or not. I totally appreciate the support and great feedback. I love you all. Thanks again.

Tylenol makes an adult liquid. Much better than the sugary children's version.

@@Quest4TheNewMe Oh I completely understand!

Given that I'm trying to fly under the radar in real life, I'm not comfortable posting full face pics on here.

Given that I'm trying to fly under the radar in real life, I'm not comfortable posting full face pics on here.

@@Quest4TheNewMe Awesome! Do share

You look fantastic!! Sounds like we might be on the same timeline and around the same progress...

I'm 6 months out, and I have never had any. Yet.
There are just other, much more nutritious foods that I like much better that I've added in first.

Meh. Life is going to happen after surgery, too. Get used to it.
That said, sexy time doesn't have to happen on pizza night.

I am 2.5 months post op, 5'4" CW 187 and I am in an 11/12, started at a tight 18W it is unfreakingbelievable how fast your body can change. You can get there!

If you’re a weight loss surgery patient or patient-to-be, you’d better grow a thick skin if you haven’t already. Your thick skin will help shield you from negative reactions to bariatric surgery. People are not afraid to make personal and hurtful comments about this surgery, even they often have no idea about the facts.


One of the barriers to getting weight loss surgery is the fear of telling others about it. People are quick to make you feel ashamed about your choice. They accuse you of cheating or of making a dangerous decision.
But it’s not just uninformed people who can make you feel bad. What about the media, which you trust to get its facts straight, and which influences millions of Americans’ beliefs and opinions? Sadly, the media spreads its share of misinformation about weight loss surgery.
One striking example occurred on the final episode of this season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” For the record, this was not the first time this show publicly aired negative comments about weight loss surgery. On this occasion, Dr. Robert Huizenga clearly stated that weight loss surgery is an unhealthy choice. The implication was that it is a mistake in all cases, and far inferior to the weight loss methods used by “The Biggest Loser” contestants.
There was no mention of the fact that the weight loss methods used by the contestants are the exact same as the most effective weight loss methods used by weight loss surgery patients. That is, both use a low-calorie diet that dramatically reduces junk foods, and both encourage physical activity. The problem with weight loss surgery? Dr. Huizenga did not explain. Viewers can only guess at the horrors he was thinking of.
I’m certainly not the only one to notice such snubs on national television. The BariatricPal community had a thing or two to say about this particular episode of “The Biggest Loser,” and I invite you to check out the comments and add to the discussion if you haven’t already.
The Biggest Loser
Nobody’s dream in life is to get weight loss surgery. Unfortunately, nobody’s dream in life is to struggle with obesity, but many of us do. What options do we have? Those of us who have chosen weight loss surgery chose it because we exhausted our other options. Those options – regular diets – just didn’t work for us.
So, what would Dr. Huizenga have recommended in my case? A 16-week stay at the Biggest Loser Ranch, just like the contestants who made it to the season finale? Full dietary, medical, and physical activity support, just like the contestants? Sure, I would have been happy to try that option. Unfortunately, it costs about $3,000 per week to stay at the resort. That’s a value of $48,000, not including the longer-term support contestants receive.
Could I have lost the weight without surgery if I had had $48,000 to spend and the promise of lifetime support? I don’t know. What I do know is I did not have the chance to try. I did, however, have the chance to get weight loss surgery, and I made the most of it.
Don’t get me wrong. I really respect what I see on television of the Biggest Loser trainers and health staff that I see on television. Dr. Huizenga seems genuinely distressed about contestants’ poor health at the beginning of the show, and just as genuinely satisfied about their improved prognoses by the end. This season, trainer Jen’s tears were representative of the sincere stake the trainers have in the contestants’ lives. And, like many in America, I’d be on the first plane to Los Angeles if Bob or Dolvett offered to train me. But I do wish they did not feel the need to bash weight loss surgery without explanation.
The Truth of the Matter
Even if you have the choice between losing weight the Biggest Loser way or through weight loss surgery, which is better? There’s no question that you need to decide for yourself, but let’s take a look at each of these weight loss methods.
Losing weight Biggest Loser style means spending hours a day in the gym. The show doesn’t air nearly as much material on food as it does on exercise, although terrible eating habits got contestants to where they were, and good nutrition is clearly a part of their new lifestyles. It seems doubtful that Biggest Loser contestants can continue to exercise so many hours per day for the rest of their lives after the show, and I am certain that many other individuals just do not have this kind of time.
Weight loss surgery is…well…surgery. It involves going under the knife and changing something about your insides. There are inherent risks that are unavoidable when you undergo weight loss surgery. Aside from that, bariatric surgery requires a controlled, high-protein, nutritious diet, and exercise is recommended. Many patients can average about 100 pounds, or a respectable and reasonable 2 pounds per week, during their first year after surgery.
How do the results of losing weight Biggest Loser style versus with bariatric surgery? Initial weight loss seems comparable, according to a study discussed in US News and World Reports. But the study found Biggest Loser contestants ending up with a lower metabolic rate – making them potentially more likely to regain their weight. Granted, this study did not follow participants long-term, so we do not know what will happen in 10 or 20 years. What does seem clear, though, is that it is not yet justifiable for the “Biggest Loser” to state matter-of-factly that all weight loss surgery is bad.
Why Does It Matter?
Does it really matter what a reality television show says in passing about weight loss surgery? I believe it does. For one thing, the country already has a culture that largely views bariatric surgery negatively. We don’t need to increase the negative feelings with these vague statements proclaiming that the show helps contestants lose weight the “right” way, and other methods of weight loss are “wrong.”
Second, the show has millions of loyal viewers, including many who may be eligible for weight loss surgery. In my opinion, the show is doing them a disservice by stating unequivocally that bariatric surgery is a bad option. For some of these viewers, bariatric surgery may be the only option that would allow them to lose the weight that has plagued them their entire lives.
I don’t know what the solution is to this problem of negativity towards weight loss surgery and weight loss surgery patients. Education and patience come to mind – spread the word, when you can, about how weight loss surgery works and why some people get it. And, grow a thick skin. No matter where you are in your weight loss journey, you’re bound to get some negative comments about your decisions. Just know that you are doing the right thing for yourself.

I felt that exact same way. I am 7.5 mos out and still cringe at a meal but not nearly as much as I used to. I snack all day so when The do sit down at a meal I don't feel so "depressed" and fed up about food.
I starting to get my taste back for food which is good.
Give it time. You'll enjoy food again but this time it'll be the right kinda like veggies and good Proteins.

Depends on your body shape and the make of the pants. However, at 5'4" and 165 pounds, I wear a 10, and they are almost too loose. I think I would have been 14 at this weight in high school. The vanity sizing these days works for me

The smallest size I ever remember being in middle/high school was a size 14. At 3 months post-op I'm wearing a size 11/12 (was in a really tight 18 when I started this journey). I think you could definitely get there.

I get the Bariatric Advantage chews on Amazon. The caramel ones are quite tasty!

The best advice is to call your physician. I too was sleeved on 12/12 and I managed to contract the flu. My doctor made it clear to me that she didn't want me taking a bunch of over the counter medicines. She prescribed medicines for me in liquid form, and tablets that melt in your mouth. Although I was able to swallow the big "horse pills" with no problem, she still didn't want me to do it.
It's always the wisest thing to do... CALL YOUR SURGEON!

Breakfast: Dannon Greek yogurt
Lunch: meat and cheese roll-up with spinach in the middle and a clementine
Snack: Babybel cheese
I eat that every single weekday.

Watch the calorie count on the chews. I was taking the Bariatric Advantage, but it added up to 100+ calories/day that I'd rather eat in the form of food. Just make sure you track those calories.

I get the Bariatric Advantage chews on Amazon. The caramel ones are quite tasty!