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@@Pedro Valle-Inclan I met my surgeon at the consultation after the 6 month supervised diet. The next time I saw him was the day of my surgery and the last time was on morning rounds the day I was discharged. I regularly see the bariatricians, nut and nurse practitioners whi I built a long term relationship with. Honestly I am not even sure my surgeon would remember me because everything went perfect and I had no complications. Incidentally I have had many serious surgeries which begin and end almost exactly this same way. You see the surgeon, make a decision, have surgery and follow up with their practitioners unless there are complications. I have had 6 serious spine surgeries 5 with the same surgeon over the span of 15 years. I have learned it's much easier to get in with is NP to get things going before we meet with the surgeon. It really is the way it works these days especially in larger city areas.

@@rmbaldah I am so very sad to hear that things have gone badly for you. I hope that things will get better in the future. I would be curious to know where you had your bypass procedure. Was it a Bariatric center of excellence? The reason I ask is because I see such a huge difference in pre op education depending on where one goes for help. My insurance company required me to use a Bariatric center of excellence. I had to go to classes, I had to take tests and I had to sign contracts before the surgeon would even see me for a consultation. I had gone completely through the 6 month required diet before I even met a surgeon. During that time I was made aware of every risk that could possibly happen. I was held accountable to execute changes in my life before I would even be considered. If I missed one appointment I was warned if I missed 2 there would be a written warning that if I missed a third I would be dropped from the program. I signed a contract that I would not try alcohol for a year, that I would take all my required Vitamins daily for the rest of my life as indicated by my doctors and most importantly that I would go every 6 months for blood work to verify that all my nutrition is in good standing. I know there are many people on this site that were not educated enough about what to expect and what was required. Some people admittedly don't pay attention others simply didn't get it from their surgeons. I don't understand why every surgeon does not require the strict education that I had. Isn't it worth it? After hearing everything you hear that could go wrong, then you get to decide if the risk is worth it. It just makes sense. I am with you, you must do your homework and understand the risks and also understand what is expected of you. If you don't, you could be making a terrible mistake. Surgery for me was a last resort. I had developed a seriously deadly comorbitity, stage 3 chronic kidney disease. I was told I would soon be looking at dialysis and likely a kidney transplant. I chose the surgery knowing it was a second chance at life for me. I had no complications. Yes I have a bit of lactose intolerance in the beginning but that is now gone. For me, having this surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself but I do understand that others don't always have that same experience. I really wish that were not the case. I hope and pray things get better for you. Clearly you have been through the ringer and did not have all the information you needed or you might have chosen not to have the surgery. Hopefully for most this surgery really is the last hope of losing the weight and not their first attempt.

For those of you having RNY and wondering if you will be able to eat normal foods again, the answer is yes absolutely! I am 19 months post op RNY. My favorite meals consist of good Protein and a salad or veggies. I eat fruit everyday. My hunger came back but it is different, it's more of an empty feeling that can be resolved by having a very small amount of food. A few bites and I am full. I still fight head hunger every single day. They are cravings and I have learned to ask myself questions like am I really truly hungry? If not I simply have some Water. If I am, then I choose a healthy snack. I really wish I had dumping syndrome but so far I don't which means I have to hold myself accountable to not eating sweets. In the beginning I didn't care for anything sweet, now I do like sweets but the less sugary ones. Anything too sweet is just gross. Give me a tiny piece of lightly sweetened cheese cake and I am in heaven. Other sweets like cakes and Cookies....could care less about them. I leverage Protein Bars for that sweet salty fix when I need one. For me, Atkins Peanut Butter pretzel meal bar makes a great meal or half for a snack. It has chocolate, peanut butter and salty pretzels. It is low carb and 16 grams of protein. One of the better choices. I also dry fruit or fruit in general once a day.

These are the fun NSVs! One day at about 6 months post op I noticed I was sitting on the bed with my legs crossed Indian style! I hadn't done that since the birth of my youngest son! He is 34 years old! Last week I had another one! Both hubby and I are morbidly obese. Now I am normal, he is still morbidly obese at 285lbs and 5'10". I used to be heavier than him at 310, same height. Anyway we went out to dinner with my son and granddaughter. They are both normal size. We got a booth, I slid in and told hubby to sit next to me. Normally we sir across from one another. I am so small that he fit in with me and we still had a lot of room! We used to have one kid next to each of us! He was in awe when he saw how much room between me and him and me and the table. He looked at me and said you are so tiny I can hardly believe it! I just looked at him and grinned like a Cheshire Cat. He got the good boy award for the day, making me feel so good!

The other thing I would add is that you don't need to even worry about calories at this stage. Just focus on Water and Protein and take your Vitamins. By 8 weeks I was no more than 1/4 cup of food (think about that measurement as already chewed up food. At the one year mark I really started to focus on calories because your volume will go up and by this stage you are trying different things. I am at the stage where I can eat about a cup of food unless it is a really dense protein and then it is less. Or a salad I might get in 1 1/2 to 2 cups depending on the protein I add. I am 19 months post op and reached goal in March. I am trying to increase calories and it is difficult for me. I currently range between 900 and 1200 per day. 70 grams protein, less than 100 grams carbs.

@@swizzle Congratulations on a terrific start! I had a very long discussion with my nut about premier Protein shakes mostly because someone else brought up the same issue you mentioned. My nut recommended Premier Protein for me. When I told her that I was told we could not absorb all of the protein in one shake she actually pulled out a diagram that showed exactly where different nutritional elements are absorbed. While it is true that Calcium is malabsorbed, it is not true about protein. Calcium as well as other Vitamins are absorbed in a different part of the digestive system. A 30gram Protein Shake will have no problem. That has been validated with all of my post op labs completed in the last 19 months. I am at goal and premier protein is the only shake I drink once per day. I get the rest from food. I also had this conversation with my surgeon because I was worried and wanted a second opinion. I wish I would have taj Ken a copy of that document but it was the only one she had and it had personal notes written all over it.

Honestly the best thing you can do is stick to the plan. I have had many many stalls over the last 19 months. In the beginning I tried all kinds of things to break the stall. The reality is, your body needs that time to adjust itself. I personally would not try eating carbs for a day because once you start eating them your body craves them. Just stick to the plan. I also have been on heavy narcotics since June and the combination of the narcotics and a high Protein diet cause me to have issues with constipation. I started taking a stool softener with laxative (stool softener plus) twice daily and now I go pretty regular. At least every other day and sometimes every day. It is normal to feel frustrated but don't let it get the best of you. Also you really really have to focus on getting at least 48 oz. o Water in your system, it will help with weight loss and constipation. Obviously getting your protein in helps with weight loss and healing. Hang in there!

Prior to surgery I never noticed how much food porn there is on tv. It is absolutely ridiculous. I record everything and buzz right on by. You go ahead and rant all you want! You deserve it.

@@LizBeth82 I am so sorry to hear you are having problems with your back. I have been through hell with mine and am still going through it. In June I had to have a 3 level cervical fusion. When I found out I was terrified that I would screw up my goals. I knew what to expect from a recovery standpoint. Back problems are long and honestly never go away once you have them. I have had a total of 6 back surgeries, 2 since June. In June I was at 210lbs with a goal of 165. I knew I would have to rely 100% on my diet if I wanted to hit my goals because exercise was very limited. I can walk but very short walks and I can do small basic exercises for my arms and legs. Some days I cannot do anything. For me, I have to focus on a diet that delivers 70 grams of Protein, under 90 grams of carbs and less than 1200 calories if I want to continue to lose. I have done it with diet. I am currently at 163lbs. I am not sure where you are at with diet but that is what you likely need to change up. I would be happy to help if you want to pm me?

@@CowgirlJane, @@proudgrammy It has been hanging up a lot lately. Sometimes I catch a double or triple post and edit sometimes I don't. Oh well.

I know exactly how you feel. It happened to me within the first 75lb loss. Then you try to educate them and finally you just say something like: I am working closely with my physician and a nutritionist, you are just not used to seeing me at a lower weight. My body will decide when I have lost what I need to but rest assured I meet regularly with the experts. Now that I am at a ideal BMI for my height and age I am still losing very slowly but people that haven't seen me are really truly shocked. Many do not recognize me at all until either they see my husband or I tell them it's me. Then of course come all the questions and people literally staring at your face trying to see the old me. You just have to keep in mind they have no concept of the thinner you and depending on how much you have to lose, it can be very shocking. People that I have just met in the last year (we moved states last spring), they have no idea I was ever 310lbs. Last week I shared a fat picture with my current physical therapist and I swear her jaw literally hit the floor. She said you don't even look the same! Your facial features have changed so much!

@@lovestohike Welcome and congratulations on making the decision to get healthy! I am 19 months post op, down 147lbs just below goal. I had the surgery because I had many terrible comorbitities, I was sick and depressed at how I let my life get so out of control. I started at 310lbs. I had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, severe Gerd, anemia and stage 3 kidney disease. I had to follow a six month supervised diet process. I had many tests during this time. An EDG, stress test, ultrasound and many many labs. I met with a trainer and a nutritionist every month along with a couple of meetings with a bariatrician, Bariatric surgeon, my PCP, my nephrologist and my gi Doctor. I had RNY gastric bypass because of my severe Gerd and diabetes. This procedure if successful can cure these diseases. I had my surgery and within 3 months all of my comorbitities were gone or in remission with the exception of apnea. This was resolved at the 12 month mark. Immediately I began dropping lots of weight and also experienced lots of hair shedding. That went on from month 2 until my weight loss slowed way down at the 12 month mark. I got all my Protein and Water and my labs have been excellent. My body simply gets stressed and likes to shed. Incidentally my hair immediately began regrowth so although it was a little scary, it was no big deal. I will say my hair is coming in like crazy and the texture is more coarse and it's very curly. I had body before, now I have curls everywhere. Having this surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself. Today I had to break down and buy some new clothing. I have been living in yoga pants and tank tops for the last year and I needed some real clothing. I had the best time trying on clothes and colors I normally wouldn't even consider and they all looked fantastic on me. My husband couldn't believe how great I look in a sheath style dress. I look and feel beautiful! When I was fat, I wouldn't look in a mirror or have my picture taken. Now I find I am always looking in a mirror, having my picture taken. I look fantastic in clothes! Out of clothes I am a mess. 147lbs down I have loose skin everywhere and plan to have surgery some day to resolve it. Best of luck to you and feel free to reach out with questions. I used a Bariatric center of excellence and they really are great at submitting what the insurance company needs so it gets approved. My paperwork went in a 9am and by 1pm I got a call from the surgeons office. I was approved and in surgery two weeks later!

@@axlr8n Yes and it is terrible when you suffer from chronic pain. I am not even sure of what to advise. I have been on narcotics since November due to severe spine pain that is extremely bad. They started me out initially on Vicodin 5/325. Then immediately had to move me to the Vicodin 10s. The problem was they would give me about 1 to 2 hours relief and this didn't come close to helping. When I had my shoulder surgery in feb. they had me start taking morphine long acting and then using Vicodin in between. This definately helped but unfortunately my kidneys do not like all the oral medication so in early March my PCP changed me to a fentanyl patch and then increased it a week later. I get about 1 full day of tolerBle pain before the patch starts wearing down and it takes almost a day for the new patch to get up to full power. So, we are still playing with the dosage and days but I definitely would not recommend this solution unless you never drive and really don't have to function. It really is strong and causes memory loss for me. I don't like it but honestly have not found a solution that I don't malabsorb besides the fentanyl. Hopefully we will figure out what the heck is causing such severe pain and do something that might give me longer relief.

@@axlr8n So sorry to hear about your accident! I just had my AC joint in my left shoulder reconstruction. I had very severe bone on bone arthritis and the week before my surgery I had a nuclear stress test which required me to raise my arms above my head for 2 15 minute sessions. After the first session I could not move my arm back down without help and when we finally got it down, my shoulder separated and the clavicle stuck out about a good inch out of the top of my shoulder. So they fixed that and cleaned up a frayed rotator cuff as well. For me this surgery was a piece of cake but I have had a lot of spine reconstruction which has to be some of the worst pain. I had mine done on February 12th. I am still in rehab and of course I have stiffness and swelling anytime I over do it. I can tell although the pain is gone unless try to reach above my head when it is swollen, it is going to be a longer than I thought recovery. The first 4 weeks were the hardest because I couldn't raise my arm to brush my hair let alone straighten it. LOL! Hubby had to do it for me. For the most part though it really has not been bad. Hopefully all goes well for you too! I was allowed out of the sling by week 3.

I would google the 5 day pouch test and leverage it to get back to basics. It will help reset your system. Then I would get back on the rules. If you do that and remain there the weight will come off. 1. A minimum of 70 grams of Protein per day 2. No Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or processed foods, also no sugar. Get your carbs from healthy vegetables and fruits 3. Do not drink your calories. The only calories you should get from liquid is a Protein shake. I use Premier Protein ready made shakes and I still have 1 per day. They have 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and only 160 calories. 4. Nothing to drink 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after eating 5. Take no more than 30 minutes to eat and at least 20 minutes. Chew your food slowly and completely. 6. Log everything you eat into a program like myfitnesspal. This helps you see where you are at and holds you accountable. It helps me make better choices because I take a moment to log after I eat something. So if I had something I shouldn't have, I can make up for it with a better choice later in the day. 7. Get yourself moving a little more each day. This is what I do and how I got to goal. I have also gone off track for a short couple of weeks, gained a few pounds and following this helped me lose those few pounds and more. Good luck to you!

I am now 19 months post op. I have been cooking since I was 3, literally! My granddaughter calls me the family chef. LOL! I met my weight goal after a lot of hard work in March. I love food. My relationship has changed dramatically in the last 19 months and I have had a ball figuring out new recipes for my family. I am also Italian and used to cook Pasta 2 to 3 times a week. Spaghetti has been my favorite food since I was a little girl. Daily I cook fabulous Proteins, vegetables and fruit. Maybe once or twice per week I will add a starch dish. Honestly there is really nothing I cannot eat, but I choose to eat the dishes that are good for me. My tastes have changed dramatically and I seriously no longer care for pasta at all. I used to love the texture of al dente pasta, now the only time I eat pasta and like it is in a Soup. My love of food has not changed, It simply transformed. I wish you all the best in your upcoming surgery.

Oh and you cannot believe how exciting it is to cut up your Lane Bryant card! When you realize you cannot shop in a plus size store ever again, it is a great NSV!

Trying on clothes is my favorite thing to do. There have been several times now where I go into a dressing room armed with a couple items. Then low and behold someone has left items in the dressing room that they didn't want. I find myself trying them all on just because I can! It's like a new challenge for me. The last few times I went shopping my hubby came with me. I disappeared into the dressing room for 30 minutes. I come out and he's laughing because he knows exactly what I am up to. Trying on clothes. Sometime in the next few weeks I have to go shopping for summer clothing. I really own 1 pair of jeans, a few pair of yoga pants and 4 tops that are starting to get pretty raggedy. I hit my goal a few weeks ago but am hoping to stabilize before investing in another whole new wardrobe. I have done that 4 times since this all began. I am hoping I am ready for my end game wardrobe.

@@Elode I just saw them and wholly Hanna you look hot! Even with the drains and bandages. Your belly button looks fantastic, you have to be absolutely thrilled. I cannot wait until I am healthy enough to have mine done. Just seeing your pictures made me feel great! I am so happy for you. By the way dilaudid is a wonderful drug for pain control. After my cervical fusion in June, they put me on dilaudid and I had to fly home 2 days later. I really don't remember too much from those first 2 weeks post op. LOL! I don't remember how I got home, 1 night in a hotel or even bits and pieces of the flight except when I got jostled on the landing. That hurt like hell. Stay ahead of your pain meds. You look fabulous!

@@Elode I am so excited for you and cannot wait to see pictures! I hope you are doing well!

I have read so many articles and talked to several Bariatric doctors who continue to tell me that my pouch will not stretch however your brain somehow adapts allowing you to consume more. At about the one year mark I noticed depending on what I choose to eat, I can eat 1 cup of food max. I am now 19 months post op and I still have that same restriction. I can eat 2 to 3 ounces of dense Protein and a bite or two of veggies/fruits and I am almost overly full. However if I eat a bowl of cream of wheat, I can eat almost a full serving. I believe what I have researched, that we adapt, our brains do that. Our stomachs don't stretch. Incidentally I have also learned that I can over indulge in things like Cheezeits! I do eat them but if not careful I can mindlessly nibble way over a portion! I know this because I gained 2 lbs eating the wrong stuff for about 2 weeks. Boy was I pissed at myself. I got back on track and within 1 week I lost those 2lbs eating the right foods and never feeling hungry. Also, I noticed when I was eating too many carbs those 2 weeks I had several episodes of hypoglycemia! It came on so very quickly that it was scary. It became a vicious cycle. Eat too many bad carbs your body will crave it. So now that I know what not to do, I think I will stick to the plan and if I want Cheezeits, I will measure out one serving and watch my carbs the rest of the day!

This is a great topic! I am honestly having a hard time with understanding where I should really land. I am 5'10" barely. I currently weigh 164lbs. When I started my journey I was 310 and sick and miserable. Initially my goal was 100% focused on getting my diabetes, kidney disease and many other comorbitities under control. That literally happened for me within 3 months. Then I was all about getting to onederland. That happened late last summer. Very slowly the weight kept coming off until I realized I could in fact get to my ideal weight which I am at currently. Now, I have been restricted from exercising since June and I have lost a lot of muscle mass which worries me because prior to June I felt a lot healthier when I was doing an hour of cardio every day or every other day. Now the best I can do is short walks and pt type exercises. Anyway, i believe my body really has control over where I am going to end up assuming I stick to my plan. Recently I had a week where I was eating things I shouldn't and I gained 2lbs and literally freaked out. Today I am back to 164. I have been adding whole grains and better calories but have yet to find the sweet spot where I will either stop losing or not gain. To @@Babbs point, there is a part of me that wants to lose another 10lbs which will give me a buffer but I honestly know given my muscle mass that would not be healthy. I am tiny on top and can count my ribs, I do have hip bones and sternum sticking out yet I still have some fat in my legs and upper arms. I wish we could take that fat and put it in my butt because that is gone and my tailbone sticks out and hurts badly. Anyway.....I think my body will ultimately decide what it is going to do.

I am so glad everything went well and you are on the road to recovery! Welcome to a whole new beautiful life!

I have had severe back problems and my orthopedic spine surgeon told me it is very common post weight loss. I am very sad to say mine has gotten progressively worse over the last 18 months. I did have skeletal spine problems before my weight loss but after it got drastically worse very quickly. I had to have 3 level cervical fusion in June and following that started to have severe pain in my mid back radiating to my rib cage. They haven't figured out the cause yet but I cannot function well at all due to severe pain. They finally put me on a fentanyl patch for pain relief and it is barely touching the pain. I cannot work at this time at all. What I don't know is if this would have happened had I stayed heavy. I suspect it would have as I had this pain but it was more tolerable. I am down 146lbs and at goal. I am so thankful I am not carrying around all that extra weight and I suspect I simply waited to long doing severe damage to my spine. I hope that your back pain is simply muscular and will go away quickly. I have had severe back problems and my orthopedic spine surgeon told me it is very common post weight loss. I am very sad to say mine has gotten progressively worse over the last 18 months. I did have skeletal spine problems before my weight loss but after it got drastically worse very quickly. I had to have 3 level cervical fusion in June and following that started to have severe pain in my mid back radiating to my rib cage. They haven't figured out the cause yet but I cannot function well at all due to severe pain. They finally put me on a fentanyl patch for pain relief and it is barely touching the pain. I cannot work at this time at all. What I don't know is if this would have happened had I stayed heavy. I suspect it would have as I had this pain but it was more tolerable. I am down 146lbs and at goal. I am so thankful I am not carrying around all that extra weight and I suspect I simply waited to long doing severe damage to my spine. I hope that your back pain is simply muscular and will go away quickly.

For me, I actually feel like I have a burp stuck and it hurts. As soon as that happens I have to be done or I will be sorry. That also happens if I don't chew properly or if I eat too fast. It doesn't happen often but when it does I know to stop right there and spit out anything I may have in my mouth.