BigSue

Yes, eating and drinking gets much more comfortable. You're less than a week out now, so everything is still healing. That's why you have to progress through the food stages before you get back to regular food. I'm almost 5 years out now and I tolerate most things, at least in small quantities. Like most people, I struggled to sip enough fluids in the first few post-op weeks, but after a few months, I could drink at a completely normal pace. Everybody's a little different in terms of what they can eat and what causes discomfort (and what kind of discomfort), but you will learn what you can eat without issues, and that will just become your new "normal."

First, remember that you're not on your own here -- it's your doctor's job to look at your test results and determine whether there's any cause for concern. It's also important to keep in mind that you are now a bariatric surgery patient as well as someone who is recovering from surgery. This means you have abnormal circumstances, so it is very common to have "abnormal" results for some tests. My surgery was almost 5 years ago, so I don't recall specifics, but I do know that I had some "abnormal" results after surgery that were expected because I was recovering from surgery. Another example is that my B12 levels are always sky high, but that's because I take a daily B12 supplement. I've found that ChatGPT can be helpful in explaining test results. You can upload a screenshot of your results and ask for an interpretation, and even give some background information (e.g., say that you had bariatric surgery 4 weeks ago) for more personalized results. It can also give you some questions to ask your doctor about your results. This should go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway: obviously, ChatGPT is not a substitute for your actual surgeon, so you should only use it for information purposes, but it can still be really helpful to understand the implications of some tests and prepare you to discuss with your doctor.

Does your surgeon's office have a patient navigator or insurance coordinator? They are pretty experienced in dealing with insurance companies, so that's probably your best bet.

I first looked into WLS about 15 years earlier. I went to an information session and a consultation with a surgeon, and my mom came with me. My mom cried and begged me not to get the surgery. Thought it was too dangerous and I should do it "naturally." Obviously, that didn't work and I ended up getting the surgery anyway, after 15 more years living with obesity. That was a big part of why I didn't tell anyone -- I made an informed decision and didn't want to give anyone else the chance to talk me out of it. Exactly... When people get nosey about how I lost weight, my go-to answer is, "I made a lot of lifestyle changes." Even though I did get the surgery as a tool, it is 100% true that I made a lot of lifestyle changes. I worked hard to get to my current weight, and I work hard to maintain it. Every single day, I have to prioritize my diet and fitness. I got up early this morning to do a 5:00 am Orange Theory workout before work. I've logged my food every day for over 5 years. The surgery didn't do that for me.

Almost 5 years out and I haven't told anyone other than medical professionals that I had surgery. Haven't told any family, friends, or coworkers. I didn't want the judgment or the fear or the skepticism, and didn't want to have to justify or explain myself. I think it's absurd that people criticize WLS or medications (Ozempic et. al.) as the "easy way out." First of all, fat people are ridiculed and criticized, and then when we find a way to lose the weight and have bodies that are socially acceptable, well now we've done it the wrong way and get criticized for THAT. Second, anyone who thinks WLS is easy obviously hasn't researched what we have to go through just to qualify for the surgery, and then the miserable pre-op diet, and the long and difficult recovery and diet progression. Finally, have you ever heard anyone criticize a cancer survivor for taking the easy way out by getting chemo? Of course not -- when it comes to just about any other medical condition, we obviously all want to use the most effective treatment available. We have to take the risks and benefits into account, but for most of us who get WLS, the benefits far outweigh the risks, so of course it makes sense to do it. People who have never struggled with their weight want to believe that they're thin because they're superior to fat people. They're resentful of anything that can level the playing field because they feel like it takes away from their superiority.

I had gastric bypass surgery and did everything alone. I live alone, no husband, no kids, no local family, and I didn't tell anyone other than healthcare providers that I was having surgery. I took a taxi to the hospital. Hospital policy does not allow taking taxis/rideshare or public transportation home, so I hired a home healthcare service to pick me up from the hospital (I was in for one night), take me home, and pick up my prescriptions. After that, I had no additional assistance. The most limiting thing after surgery was not lifting more than 20 pounds for (I think) the first 6 weeks, and also not bending over, like when cleaning or doing laundry, so I had to be careful with household chores, but other than that, I didn't have any problems. I went back to work (desk job) after a week and I was fine. I will say I had a very easy recovery with no immediate complications, but you won't know how your recovery will go until you get there. I would recommend to anyone without support to have a backup plan. Is there a friend or family member who could come if needed? Could you hire a home healthcare service if you needed help? Also, if there is any physical labor your normally do, like cleaning or landscaping, consider lining up someone to do that for a while.

Yes, that’s a normal rate of weight loss. As everyone else says, don’t compare your progress with others’. I had the same experience after my surgery where it seemed like everyone else who had it the same month as I did was getting these amazing results and I wasn’t losing weight any faster than before surgery (I lost 70 pounds in the 5 months before surgery). It was hard to see other people hit their goal weight in, like, a month when I still had over 100 pounds to go. You go through so much just to get the surgery, not to mention the grueling pre- and post-op diet, so it feels like you should be seeing major changes by now, but it’s not a race. As long as the number on the scale keeps going down, you’re doing something right. And many people experience a stall in the first month before continuing to lose. There are all these rules of thumb for how much you “should” lose in the first 3 months, 6 months, etc., but everyone is different, and you’ll get there when you get there. The first couple of months post-op are the worst because you’re recovering for a major surgery, adjusting to huge life changes, restricted to a limited diet, but still overweight. In the moment, it seems interminable, but a year or two from now, you will barely remember this rough period of time. Just have faith and stick with the program.

I discourage people from getting hung up on the number on the scale, because the non-scale victories are so much more important. The number on the scale is meaningless compared to things like your health metrics (blood pressure, glucose, lipids, etc.), fitness, and mobility. I am also curious how you can say you are 0.2 pounds from your goal weight because my weight can fluctuate by 5 pounds in a single day, so 0.2 pounds is far more precise than you can realistically measure your weight. Drink half a cup of water and your weight goes up by more than that. Somebody posted a video on this site a while back (maybe someone can repost it if you remember) with a doctor explaining why your "best weight" is not necessarily going to be in the "ideal weight" range based on BMI, especially for bariatric surgery patients -- and in fact, for many bariatric surgery patients, a "normal" BMI may be too low. BMI has limited use in determining a healthy weight for any specific individual. It is kind of a primitive measure of body composition; a much better measure of that would be getting a Dexa scan, which can determine your actual body fat percentage and visceral fat (which is what has the highest impact on health). I never really had a goal weight. I was required to state a goal weight for my psych evaluation, and I think I put 180 pounds based on the average weight loss from my starting weight. I never thought I would get to a "normal" BMI, but I am actually hovering right around a BMI of 25 (I'm maintaining between 135 and 140) with a body fat percentage of 21%. My goal now is to stay within that range because I think that's about the lowest I can realistically go without plastic surgery (nothing against that if it's what you want, but I have no plans to do so) or extreme measures.

Totally agree! I think people get way too hung up on the number on the scale or BMI, and expect that everything will magically change when they hit their goal weight. The non-scale victories are what really matter. Nothing is more gratifying than being able to fit your whole a$$ into one leg of your old pants. 😊

I was given a prescription for oxycodone, but I didn't need it and I didn't want to take any chances with it if I didn't absolutely have to. I hardly had any pain (other than gas pain when I first woke up after surgery), which I think is a pretty common experience. I would suggest you ask your doctor if there's a contingency plan for what to do if you experience severe pain.

You can keep losing weight any time as long as you're in a calorie deficit. It's easiest to lose weight early on because (1) your restriction is strongest, so eating at a deficit is practically automatic, and (2) you have the most excess weight, and the more excess weight you have, the easier it is to lose. As you lose weight and become smaller, the calories you burn just by existing (breathing, circulating blood, digesting food, moving around) get lower. If you weigh 200 pounds and eat 1200 calories per day, you'll lose weight a lot faster than if you weigh 150 pounds and eat 1200 calories per day. You can still lose weight, but you may have to be a lot more conscientious about your food intake instead of just relying on your surgery to prevent you from overeating.

This is kind of a random anecdote, but I recently went to a new doctor who noted on my chart that I was "ill-appearing," citing "temporal wasting." I had never seen that term before, so I googled it, and it means a hollow look on the temples of the face, which can be a sign of malnutrition (but also just aging and weight loss). Maybe an interesting point that there are some legit signs that doctors look for to indicate illness, and perhaps laypeople pick up on it subconsciously to get the sense that you look unwell.

Your boss shows you the ladies he's checking out on his dating app?! Gross!

Yes, in today's society, being thin is generally considered a good thing, so statements that indicate that you look thin are usually intended as compliments. Some people make exaggerated statements like this ("You're so thin that you look like you are wasting away!") with the intent to highlight what they consider a positive attribute (thinness). I got compliments while I was losing weight but still obese, "If you lose any more weight, you'll blow away in a gust of wind!" In some cases, people who genuinely care about you could be concerned that you are ill, especially if they don't know you had weight loss surgery, but if this is the case, they will usually approach you in a more private and sensitive manner, not just an offhand comment in public.

I use my highest recorded weight (from my initial consultation) as my starting weight. I lost about 70 pounds before my surgery, and I remember my surgeon saying, "Don't worry, you still get credit for the weight you lost before surgery." At the time, I was mildly annoyed because, in my mind, that meant he was taking credit for the weight I lost without the surgery, but now I understand what he was really saying. I lost over 200 pounds from my highest weight until now, and it was all part of the same process.

I didn't know Dr. Weiner had a support group! I've seen his videos on YouTube and I think he is awesome. He seems to understand and genuinely care about bariatric patients. I can imagine that his support group would be excellent for someone who doesn't have access to a local support group or therapist. This is really good info for the people on this forum.

It’s understandable that you’re upset by this setback, but it’s way too early to declare failure. The first several months after WLS are a major adjustment and very stressful, both physically and mentally. Do you have a therapist? Your post reads like a CBT textbook chapter on cognitive distortions, and all of this can be addressed in therapy.

I would suggest you do some more research into which surgery to get. There are pros and cons to each. Many people choose the sleeve over gastric bypass because it has a lower risk of dumping syndrome, vitamin deficiencies, and ulcers. Most doctors want to do what’s best for the patient, so they should be able to explain why they recommend the sleeve for you. Do you know how many calories you are eating? Have you tried measuring and tracking your food? At your height and weight, you are eating approximately 2500 calories per day, and you will need to eat less to lose weight. Either surgery works as a tool to help you eat less, which is how you lose the weight.

Buy a Ninja Creami!

How many calories are you eating? "5-8 oz" is not a meaningful measure of the number of calories you're eating. 5-8 ounces of peanut butter is a lot more calories than 5-8 ounces of cauliflower. If your weight is stable over a long period of time, you're eating a maintenance level of calories. The smaller you are, the fewer calories you burn just to operate and move your body, so if you're eating the same number of calories at 195 pounds as you were eating at 273 pounds, you're not going to lose weight as quickly, and maybe not at all. If you want to keep losing weight, you will have to reduce your calorie intake. Calorie intake is much more important for weight loss than exercise. Exercise is certainly beneficial, but as you have noticed, it makes you hungrier, and it's very easy to eat more extra calories than what you burn from exercise -- especially if you're not monitoring your calorie intake. Also, don't get too hung up on the number on the scale. There's no magic in reaching your goal weight. You might need to reevaluate your expectations. It's quite possible that your goal weight will be too low for your body, especially if you are building muscle. And don't be in such a rush to get plastic surgery, either. Your body will redistribute itself over time, so some parts of your body that you don't like now may improve on their own without plastic surgery. You may still want to get plastic surgery eventually, but there's a reason most surgeons want you to have a stable weight for a while before you get it.

I struggled with this initially, so I used a timer while eating. After taking a bite, I would set a timer to chew for 30 seconds, followed by a timer to wait 60 seconds before the next bite. Get in the habit of putting down your fork between bites. At this point, I have gotten so used to eating slowly that I haven't needed a timer in years. This might be a little controversial because some people believe it's important to eat mindfully without distractions, but I would go crazy if I had nothing to do between bites. I usually do something else while eating, either working on something for my job or scrolling Facebook or something. I eat lunch at my desk and take bites 3 minutes apart (doing work in between bites). It typically takes me 30-45 minutes to finish my lunch.

If you trust your surgeon to cut into you and rearrange your digestive system, you should probably trust his pre-op instructions. I would hope he is better qualified to provide medical advice than a bunch of strangers on the internet who have never met you.

There was a huge recall of products containing precooked chicken that affected a lot of different brands. This has a 400+ page document showing all the products affected in the recall: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/brucepac-recalls-ready-eat-meat-and-poultry-products-due-possible-listeria

@ms.sss you absolutely must get a Ninja Creami. You can make your own delicious ice cream in whatever flavor you want, fat-free and sugar-free, with extra protein if you like. I make pistachio all the time and it is delicious.

I'm 4 years out and have maintained a stable weight for over 2 years. I've taken a lot of cues from the WLS veterans on this forum because I'm acutely aware that a lot of WLS patients experience significant regain, and I live in fear of that because I've gone through a lot to lose 200 pounds and I don't ever want to go back to obesity. I learned early on that one of the keys to long-term maintenance is closely monitoring and tracking weight, and taking action promptly if it starts to creep up. I weigh myself on a daily basis (usually more than once a day). My weight can fluctuate quite a bit, sometimes by 5 pounds within a single day, so I consider my normal weight range to be 135-140 pounds. As long as I'm within that range, I don't give it a second thought. I may be outside of that once in a while, but I don't worry about it too much unless I stay outside that range for more than a couple of days. I've continued to track everything I eat and stay within a calorie limit. Five years ago, I would have been horrified to imagine tracking my food long-term, but I actually think it makes weight maintenance more sustainable. I could probably get away without tracking at this point because I habitually eat healthy, low-calorie meals, but much like having a financial budget, having a calorie budget allows me to prioritize and make conscious decisions about what I want to consume. If I'm tracking my food, I know whether I have room in my budget for a treat today, or if I want a specific treat, I can make sure to leave room in my calorie budget. I think this is really important because I don't have to go off track or have an out-of-control "cheat day" to eat what I want. I eat healthy foods most of the time (with the occasional treat within my calorie budget), and I've completely overhauled my diet. I've gotten the sense that one of the pitfalls that can lead to regain for WLS patients is that we can rely on our restriction for the first year or so to limit our calorie consumption, but if we continue to eat high-calorie foods like fast food and highly processed snack foods, once the restriction is weaker, we can eat enough calories to regain the weight, and/or eat around the restriction by having multiple smaller portions of high-calorie foods. I eat a lot of vegetables and salads, lean protein (chicken, pork loin, seafood), and legumes, and avoid sugar, refined carbs (rice, pasta, bread, crackers), fried foods, and other calorie-dense foods like cheese. I've discovered a lot of healthy foods that I love eating, so I don't feel deprived with delicious low-calorie meals. Initially, I was very strict about weighing and tracking every bite of food, but I've gotten much more relaxed about it and I just eyeball things that are negligible. I still weigh and measure things with higher calorie density like meat or oil, but I don't measure lettuce because even if I underestimate, it will be a 10-15 calorie difference at the most, and I log half a tomato instead of weighing the exact number of grams. This is another reason that weighing myself is key -- I know that if I'm maintaining a stable weight, my guesstimates must be close enough. Exercise wasn't a huge part of my weight loss strategy; I didn't do any exercise at all for the first 75+ pounds, and then I just did YouTube videos at home. Exercise has become a huge part of my lifestyle in maintenance, though. Not only do I do cardio at home on a daily basis and a minimum of 15,000 steps per day, but I also take fitness classes including strength training a few days per week.