BigSue

I think tracking is super important for weight loss. I lost about 70 pounds before surgery just by doing two things: tracking everything in MyFitnessPal and intermittent fasting. I haven't used the Baritastic app because I really like MyFitnessPal, but I think the two apps have many of the same features (barcode scanner, ability to enter recipes and meals, copy meals from one day to another, etc.). I find it super easy to use -- much easier than calorie counting of the old days where I had to look up everything in a book or calculate the points or something. MyFitnessPal gave me a calorie goal of 2280, and at first, it was a challenge to stay under that, but tracking everything made me more aware of the calorie content of foods and made me think, "Is it worth eating this?" Like @Uomograsso, I gradually decreased my calories over the course of the 5 months before surgery to the point that I was averaging about 1500 calories per day. Something that worked for me was that I made myself enter the food BEFORE I ate it -- basically like budgeting, to make sure I had enough calories left before I started eating. Intermittent fasting is a bit controversial, but it really helped me to cut back on snacking by making me get used to going long periods of time without eating. I did 16/8 fasting (fasted for 16 hours per day and had an 8-hour window for eating), fasting from after dinner until lunch the next day. Another nice thing about intermittent fasting is that since I was splitting the calories between two meals instead of three, I felt less deprived because I could eat a lot at those two meals and stay under my calorie goal. I actually didn't make huge changes in what I was eating, like cutting out sugar or carbonated beverages (I did cut out caffeine a few months before surgery, but it wasn't a huge sacrifice because I don't drink coffee, and I just switched from caffeinated diet soda to caffeine-free diet soda), because intermittent fasting was a big enough change for me! If you can do it, kudos to you, but I think sometimes we fail at diets because we try to change too much, too fast, and it's overwhelming so we just give up. I did make gradual changes to what I was eating, like eating a salad before dinner to fill me up, and switching to light salad dressing because the regular dressing wasn't worth the calories. I also started eating protein bars as snacks and found one I loooooove (Built Bars -- so delicious!), which became a nice, relatively healthy treat for me.

There's a surprising amount of variation in pre-op diets from one surgeon to the next. If you follow what yours says, you'll be fine. But generally speaking, there shouldn't be much concern about going a little lower in calories than your plan allows. I got about 500-600 calories per day during my pre-op diet and didn't have any issues.

I asked my surgeon about the use of topical NSAIDs and he said if I really need them, topical is better than oral, but it does still carry a risk of causing ulcers, so topical NSAIDs are not recommended. If I felt I really needed them, he wanted me to stay on pantoprazole (which I was allowed to stop taking 3 months after surgery). This advice can vary between doctors and depend on the circumstances of the patient, so I would recommend that anyone contemplating the use of topical NSAIDs ask his or her surgeon first. This especially applies to pre-op patients like the OP because it's best to work out this kind of detail before surgery.

I wanted to add that when I started this process, it seemed like such a long time before I could get my surgery, but the time really flew by. By the time I got to surgery day, I felt like it had snuck up on me and sort of wished I had more time to prepare (but now that I’m on the other side, I’m glad I got it as soon as possible).

I had to attend a virtual seminar, and then I had an appointment with the bariatric surgeon. When I went to that appointment, I also met with the patient navigator, who gave me a checklist of everything I had to complete prior to surgery. This was dictated partly by my surgeon and partly by my insurance, and it varies from one patient to the next (they had a long list of requirements and marked off the ones I needed to complete). The items I had to complete included: Three months of medically supervised weight loss with my PCP (one appointment per month for three months) Preliminary bloodwork (they let me do that with my PCP) My preliminary bloodwork showed thyroid issues, so I also had to go to an endocrinologist and get an ultrasound of my thyroid Upper GI (barium swallow test) Nutrition consultation with the bariatric nutritionist at my surgeon's practice (this is usually done in person, but I did it over the phone due to COVID) Psychological evaluation (one appointment in person, which included some tests and an interview, and a follow-up appointment by videoconference due to COVID) Group nutrition class (virtual class due to COVID) Group consent class (virtual class due to COVID) Pre-surgery appointment with the surgeon a week before surgery COVID test Pre-surgery testing (EKG and bloodwork), which is normally done prior to surgery day, but due to COVID, it was done on surgery day

It's unusual, but it can happen. And it would still be very disappointing to have significant regain, even if it's only, say, half. I've heard that almost everyone has a small amount of regain (10-20 pounds) from their lowest, and I would be ok with that if I hit my goal, but not much more than that.

@Danny Paul, did your surgeon approve the use of Salonpas patches? I looked into those and found out that they contain an NSAID (methyl salicylate), and although they are topical, the NSAID is absorbed into the bloodstream and can increase the risk of an ulcer. It is probably less of a concern for gastric sleeve patients than gastric bypass, but still a good idea to ask the surgeon.

So far, sure, but I think it’s still a little early to say. I’ve had major improvements to my health (my blood pressure and blood sugar are fantastic, almost getting too low) and I’m wearing clothing sizes I haven’t been able to wear since high school. I have these nagging thoughts, though, that I may be doing well now, but can I really keep it up forever? What if I gain back most or all of the weight as I have with so many other diets? What if I went through all of this only to end up back where I started? Only time will tell.

My favorite is the BariatricPal brand (the same thing is also sold on Amazon as Bariwise, New York Bariatric Group, etc.), but now I buy the Proti-Diet canister on Amazon because it’s cheaper per serving.

Yikes, good to know... I’ve been contemplating trying a banana (I really want to try banana “ice cream”), but hesitated because of the sugar content. I don’t want to take any chances, so maybe I’ll keep avoiding bananas.

No, I lost about 70 pounds before surgery, and 47 pounds since July 16 (I’m at 224 pounds now, but I’m only updating my profile in 10-pound increments).

Have you tried protein soups? That can be a good way to get protein. The BariatricPal store used to have a Southwest Chili flavored soup that I loved, but it doesn’t look like they have it anymore. They still have several other flavors, though. i also love protein hot chocolate. It tastes like normal hot chocolate and it’s a nice change of pace from protein shakes. I make it with Fairlife milk instead of water for even more protein.

Popcorn is a well-known “slider food” for bariatric patients because it slides through the pouch without making you feel full. That’s why it’s so important to eat the things of which you can only eat three bites and then have to stop (mainly lean protein and veggies). Eat the foods that fill you up so you’re not hungry for a whole bag of popcorn.

I'm only three months post-op, so I can't speak to the long-term life of a gastric bypass patient, but based on what I've seen of my experiences and what others have said on here, most people live a fairly "normal" life after gastric bypass. As The Greater Fool said, not everybody gets dumping syndrome, and a lot of the people who do see it as a benefit of surgery because it deters them from eating certain foods. I don't even know if I get dumping syndrome because I haven't tried eating anything that would cause it (I was told to stay under 15 grams of sugar and 15 grams of fat in any meal to avoid dumping). If you are someone who gets dumping syndrome, it's not something that happens every day; you can control it by not eating the foods that cause it -- which are often the same types of foods that cause weight gain. Hunger varies a lot from one person to the next. "Head hunger" is a thing for any type of WLS, and you may already know about that from your lapband. Most gastric bypass patients maintain some amount of restriction for life, and most say that if they eat the foods they're supposed to eat (focusing on lean protein and veggies) and follow the rules about not drinking with or right after meals, they get full with a much smaller amount than they used to. There are certain foods that people call "slider foods" because they go down easily in larger quantities, and you have to be careful with those because they can cause weight gain. I don't think "accidents" are all that common. "Accidents" are associated with dumping syndrome, so if you eat the wrong things (foods with too much sugar and/or fat), it can happen, but again, for most people, it's not something that happens all the time. The opposite problem is actually much more common. Drinking can be an issue. Alcohol has a stronger effect on gastric bypass patients, so we can't drink much, and drinking at all is generally not recommended (especially in the first year). After the first year, you probably could have a glass of wine, but you'd need to be really careful not to drink too much. I just had family visit and they don't know about my gastric bypass surgery. I was able to serve "normal" meals all week and eat small amounts, and my family didn't seem to suspect a thing (maybe they did and just didn't say anything, I don't know -- but they raved about the food I served). Omelets and low-fat chicken sausage for breakfast. Grilled chicken salad for lunch. BBQ chicken and ribs (with sugar-free BBQ sauce on mine) for dinner. There are some things a gastric bypass patient probably won't be able to eat, like fried foods or bread, but there's lots of "normal" food that we can eat. All that being said, your weight is relatively low. I don't know your BMI since you didn't enter your height, but my highest weight was 341 pounds and my weight the day of surgery was 270, so I had a lot more weight to lose than you. On the other hand, GERD seems to be a big factor for you that wasn't an issue for me. Only you can decide if it's worth the risks for you based on your own situation. Even at my high weight, it was a hard decision for me that took a long time to make. Maybe you could have the band removed and see how you do on your own before you make that decision?

I pretty much just sat around for the first several days. I had surgery on a Thursday, went home the next day (Friday) and didn't do much over the weekend. At that point, just trying to get your fluids and protein and track everything is basically a full-time job. On Monday, I did a little work on the computer, and on Tuesday, I was close to feeling back to normal. I worked most of the day (at home on the computer). I had almost no pain aside from the gas pain the first couple of days. I was walking around the house periodically from the day I got home, but nothing more strenuous than that for the first week or so. Everyone heals differently and your body has been through a lot, so try not to rush it!

I'm finally starting to see visible results, now that I've lost 115 pounds. I lost about 70 pounds before surgery and nobody noticed. I was also wearing the same size pants (26/28) for the first 90 pounds of weight loss until they were so loose that I couldn't wear them anymore. I bought some size 22 pants and shrank out of them in about a month. I just bought some size 18 pants and received them yesterday. When I took them out of the package, I thought, "These are definitely too small, but that's ok -- I'll shrink into them." I tried them on anyway, and to my surprise, they actually fit. Sadly, I've already missed the window on most of the clothes I never wore because they were too small; they're almost all too big now (but I feel like there's more leeway in wearing tops that are too big). Not a single person at work said anything through the first 110 pounds of weight loss. I guess I started out so big that even after losing over 100 pounds, I was still just about the biggest person around. I haven't told anyone I got WLS and I don't discuss diet and weight at work, so nobody really knew I was trying to lose weight. But this week, I got three compliments in two days. The first was pretty subtle; she whispered to me that I look really good and she needs to know what I'm doing. The second was, uh, not subtle. He asked loudly in front of a bunch of people if I lost weight, and I mumbled, "Yeah, a little," and then he said, "Oh, you definitely lost weight!" The third just told me I look good, but it was pretty obvious what she meant. It's all kind of awkward because implicit in their compliments is the fact that I used to look terrible and they definitely noticed. I think more highly of people who don't say anything either way because I'd prefer not to have my body up for discussion in the workplace, but I have to admit it's good to know that there is a noticeable difference.

I'm 3 months out and averaging 450 calories per day. Nutritionist said I should aim for 800-1000 per day.

I started looking into WLS about 15 years ago, but I didn't do it until this year for lots of reasons. First of all, any surgery has some risk to it. WLS is essentially permanent mutilation of one's digestive system and not something to be taken lightly. I've been fortunate to have good health for most of my life, and I hated the thought of putting that at risk just to lose some weight (my family pretty much talked me out of it for this reason). I had heard about dumping syndrome and it sounded horrifying. At various times over the years, I reconsidered WLS but didn't go through with it, first because of the risk of complications, but also because of the lifelong changes that I would have to make to my diet. No more soda?! Diet soda and flavored seltzer used to be my guiltless pleasure, and WLS mean giving that up. Having to give up all of my favorite foods, like pizza, ice cream, cookies, cake, bread, pasta, etc., was also pretty hard to accept. Not being able to take ibuprofen when I have a headache was another concern. For me, the surgery itself was the easy part -- I just slept while the surgeon did all the work. I didn't have much pain besides some gas pain the first couple of days. But the pre-op diet for two weeks before surgery and then the post-op diet for the first 6 weeks or so after surgery were pretty rough. I'm 3 months out now and adjusting to the post-WLS diet is still no picnic. I used to just eat what I wanted and now I am extremely limited in what I can eat, and I have to think about every bite I take. If WLS were truly as easy as a lot of uninformed people seem to think, and all you have to do is get the surgery and then you magically lose weight permanently, then yeah, everybody would get it. The reality is that surgery is just the beginning of the longest and hardest diet of your life, and even after you go through all of it, you can still regain the weight if you're not careful! Also, just because insurance covers the surgery doesn't mean it's cheap. I paid $4500 out of pocket for my surgery and related expenses ($4500 is my out of pocket maximum for insurance, so the insurance pays for everything over that this year). Meeting all of the surgery requirements also takes a lot of time and driving to various appointments. I never used to go to the doctor, and now I have to go to follow-ups with my surgeon and get periodic bloodwork, which will be continuing medical expenses for the rest of my life. It took a lot for me to decide that it was worth dealing with all of these negatives of WLS, but it got to the point where living with super morbid obesity (I started with a BMI over 60) was worse than all of the above. My BMI is just over 40 right now, so if this were my starting weight, I would still qualify for WLS. To be perfectly honest, if I started with a BMI of 40 (as some WLS patients do, and some even lower!), I probably wouldn't have considered WLS, but at the weight that I started, it was pretty obvious that I couldn't do it on my own without surgery.

I have a very similar situation (except I was fortunate to be able to work mostly from home for the first couple of months after my surgery, but I have to be on site full-time now in a setting where I can’t have food or beverages). I’ve also been insanely busy this week and have had very little time to take water breaks. All I can really do is make sure to drink water when I get the chance, like on my way to and from work, and a big cup of tea at bedtime. It also helps to have a protein shake for lunch because that counts towards fluids in addition to a nice amount of protein. I don’t know if your job is like this, but I usually have some paperwork to wrap up at the end of the day, which I can do in an area that I can have food and beverages, so I drink some water while I’m doing that. I make myself finish a water bottle before I go home, so there’s an incentive.

This has become one of my go-to easy meals -- sort of a Mexican chicken casserole (not pictured: fat-free plain Greek yogurt masquerading as sour cream):

The BariatricPal store has some really affordable vitamins (FYI, most of the vitamins you can buy at regular stores don't have everything you need as a bariatric patient). Your surgeon probably wants you to take chewable vitamins for the first couple of months: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatric-vitamins/products/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one-day-bariatric-mixed-berry-chewable-45mg-iron?variant=28178713739341 I take these and I don't care for the taste (I'm 3 months out, so I'll be switching to the capsules once I run out of the chewables), but they're ok and the price is great. They probably have everything you need except calcium, unless you have a specific deficiency. Calcium needs to be taken separately from iron because calcium and iron interfere with each other, so you'll need a separate calcium citrate supplement (make sure it's calcium citrate -- most of the calcium supplements at regular stores are calcium carbonate).

The big one that you haven't mentioned is hair loss, which can freak out a person who doesn't know about it, so if you're not aware, I suggest you look up telogen effluvium. Basically, the physical trauma of the surgery causes most people to lose large quantities of hair about 3 months after surgery. It grows back, though. I haven't really experienced many side effects. I haven't noticed a change in taste, much to my disappointment, because I've always been a picky eater and my tastes gravitate toward sugary and fatty foods, and I dislike a lot of healthy foods like vegetables and fish. I had hoped that would change, but nope. Here is a whole thread about this: Also, I've seen a lot of YouTube videos along the lines of "X things I wish I had known before WLS": https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=things+i+wish+i+knew+before+weight+loss+surgery+

It is very normal to have second thoughts as you get close to your surgery date. I sure did! I lost almost 70 pounds before surgery, and I started to think maybe I should try to keep going on my own. But I've spent far too much of my life yo-yo dieting, so I knew that it was unlikely that I'd be able to lose that weight and keep it off without WLS. I've read that people make poor decisions when they are in a heightened emotional state, so you should always try to make big decisions when you are calm and have time to think through them rationally. Presumably, you've already had a long journey to get to this point, through all of the pre-op requirements you had to meet, so you've had plenty of time to make this decision rationally. We all have our reasons for doing something as drastic as WLS, and I don't know your specific reasons, but I think you should trust that decision that you made and that you were excited about up until this point. The pre-op diet and the first week after surgery are pretty miserable, but once you get through that, it gets much easier from there.

Wow! Congratulations on your success!

That's a question you'll have to ask your surgeon before you have the surgery. NSAIDs are not good to take after bariatric surgery because they can cause ulcers, but that is more important for gastric bypass patients than sleeve patients. Some doctors say it's ok for sleeve patients to take NSAIDs. Please ask your surgeon.