catwoman7

major complications really aren't very common anymore. These have become routine surgeries and are much safer than they were years ago. I think some people are remembering how weight loss surgeries were back 30+ years ago when they really were pretty dangerous. That's just not the case anymore.

order something with non-fried meat and vegetables, only eat as much of it as you're supposed to be eating at this point, and skip the rice.

when I started out (at over 300 lbs), I had to lose A LOT of weight before I could go down a size. And others didn't start noticing my weight loss until I'd lost around 70 or 80 lbs. Now, at normal weight, a drop in just 5 or 10 lbs will take me down a size. Just keep at it - the more you lose, the more often you'll start changing sizes.

I was going to say the same thing. I'd tell the person so they'll make sure it doesn't happen this time.

horror stories are rare - most of us sailed through just fine. I don't know how old you are, but there are a lot of us who had surgery in our 50s or 60s. We even see an occasional person in their 70s...

I had a very easy recovery as well. But if you want to be successful, don't push the envelope. Follow your plan. I almost never went off my plan that first year...

nope - you're fine. I also lost 10-12 lbs a month and I also started at over 300 lbs...

it's been a long time for me (over five years), but I do remember that my sense of taste got more intense after surgery - sweet things tasted sweeter, spicy things tasted spicier. I don't notice that anymore and haven't for a long time. Not sure if it went away, or if I just got used to it...

stick to your plan. Ultimate success with this is pretty dependent on trusting your team and sticking to your plan.

yes. Many clinics want to make sure you're ready to make the changes you need to make before they commit to doing the surgery, since you do need to be in the right mindset and understand the life changes you'll need to make to be successful with this. This usually includes meeting with a counselor or health psychologist and a dietitian early in the process. Plus they'll usually want you to start working on changing your eating habits long before surgery.

for many of us, hunger goes away for several months. Mine came roaring back at five months out, and I wish it never had. It was SO much easier to lose weight when I was never hungry! Embrace it and take full advantage of it! This will be the easiest time in your life to lose a ton of weight since you're never hungry!

yes - you're right. The majority of people seem to experience regain in year 3, and it's an enormous challenge to lose again or even maintain. I gained 20 lbs - 10 of which I was not sad about because I'd gotten too thin - but I did NOT want to gain the second 10. It's taken me since March of this year to lose three of the ten - and it's been a BEAR. In retrospect, I should have clamped down right away and not have let that gain happen. I've learned that you really have to stay on top of this for the rest of your life. A "bad" day here and there will happen and can be dealt with, but I know I have to diet and exercise for the rest of my life, or my weight is going to start heading up. It's been so hard to lose three lbs that I can't even fathom having to lose 50 or 60. Yikes!

I wasn't eating 1200 calories until I was over a year out. You were probably just in a stall when that person on the forum told you to increase calories. That's not how to deal with them - the best option is to just stick to your program and ride it out. Like someone above said, stalls will happen all along your journey and they'll typically last 1-3 weeks. When you get to them, just stick to your plan, be patient, and stay off the scale if you have to - they WILL break. I didn't count calories at all the first few weeks - I just focused on my protein and fluid goals. Once I started eating solid food, I really wasn't consciously counting calories, either (that didn't come until several months out), but since I was tracking everything, I knew I was eating somewhere in the 600-800 range since that's what my calorie-counting app was saying. That seems to be pretty typical during the early months. and as Arabesque said, your starting BMI is one of the major factors that affects your rate of weight loss. I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I started out well over 300 lbs. If you're what we call a "light weight" (in the low 200s), that 10 lbs is probably a reasonable expectation for the first month.

some people swear it helps - others claim it does absolutely nothing - so.... not sure. I remember being told during classes 5+ years ago that the jury was still out on it. Seems they still are..

^^^^ I agree 100%

depends on what it is. Something like yogurt, I measure. Meat - I weigh. I'm thinking the more solid something is, weighing is probably more accurate.

you don't look big AT ALL. It takes awhile for people's brains to catch up, I think...

yes. My sense of taste got a lot stronger as well (I noticed after surgery that sweet things tasted sweeter - and spicy things tasted spicier). I don't notice it anymore. Not sure if it went away or if I just got used to it.

you're really lucky. I had two weeks of just clear, zero- or ultra-low calorie liquids and 4-5 protein shakes a day. I could also have a cup of broth and a cup of V8 or tomato juice.

I made some myself. I put in the chickpeas and tahini, but then instead of garlic and lemon, I added unsweetened cocoa powder and artificial sweetener (splenda or monkfruit - I can't remember which). It was fine -not quite as good as the commercial kind - but it was pretty similar.

60 lbs isn't nothing! I kept losing until I was about 20 months out - you're not even a year out yet. Just keep plugging away at it. And I agree - it may be worth seeing your dietitian if you're worried or if you think you may need to tweak your plan. Although people lose at all different rates due to all different factors. If your starting BMI is lower than the average bariatric patient, for example, you're probably not going to lose as fast or as much as someone who started out at 300+ lbs. As long as the general trend is downward, you're good.

a 10-20 lb gain during year three is VERY common. I'm five years out and still there - and I have to fight like heck just to keep it there - 20 lbs heavier than my lowest weight! I've pretty much given up on losing those 20 lbs because it would take cutting back a lot on my calories, which I'm apparently not willing to do. But...that's what it takes.

lifetime

yes - normal. Most of us lose our hunger for several months. It comes back for the vast majority sometime during the first year, and things get harder then - so take advantage of it while it lasts - it'll never be easier to lose weight than the next few months! fullness - first of all, you likely had nerves that were cut during surgery, and it'll take awhile for them to regenerate. Also, you'll start feeling restriction once you move on to solid food. In the meantime, just measure out what you're supposed to eat and just eat that.

I do but I wait until it settles down before drinking it.