BigSue

It is very common and normal to feel regret in the early post-op days. This is probably the most difficult part of the WLS process because your diet is very limited, you're still adjusting physically and emotionally to your post-op life, but you're not seeing the benefits of the weight loss yet. In other words, this is the time when you have the most drawbacks and the fewest benefits, but as time goes by, it will become the opposite -- you'll be able to eat more normally and you'll experience many scale and non-scale victories. It's hard to see that now when you're in it, but when you look back on this time a year from now, it will seem like an insignificant blip on your journey.

"buyer's remorse" is pretty common for the first month or so after surgery - but it goes away pretty quickly and you'll be glad you had the surgery. In the mean time, try to stay on plan - it's important for healing. You WILL get through this...

I lost 57 lbs before surgery. I went on to lose about 180 more lbs after surgery. So no, losing weight before surgery won't keep you from losing after surgery. You may not see as big of a drop the first month as some people do, but that's because much of that is Water weight, and you've already lost that (you'll still lose weight that first month, though)
Stalls are normal and you're likely to experience several of them along the way. Most of us experience the first major one about the third week post-op - so don't freak if your weight loss stops for a couple of weeks around that time.

YOU GUYS this machine makes ice cream out of Protein shakes! I am so obsessed with my Ninja Creami. I'm way past the stages that involved subsisting mainly on Protein Shakes, but even now, I am loving the ability to make delicious ice cream that's even lower in calories than Halo Top (and doesn't leave me painfully bloated if I eat more than 2 bites of it, the way Halo Top does). This thing would have been a game-changer during the pre-op diet, liquid, and pureed stages. I would almost say it should be a mandatory purchase for all WLS patients (j/k but HIGHLY recommended).
Who else has jumped on the Creami bandwagon?

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma on WLS. This is why I haven't told anyone except medical professionals about my surgery. Not even my parents or siblings, and definitely not coworkers or friends.
So, my strategy for dealing with negative comments is to avoid the subject entirely. You know what's best for yourself and what they think is irrelevant. If, however, you want to respond to them, maybe you can educate them on what WLS really entails. People who are ignorant look at it as the "easy way out" or cheating in some way because they have no idea how intense the whole process is. The comment about not having the willpower to do it yourself is ridiculous to anyone who has been through it, because taking the initiative and putting forth the effort to go through with it takes a heck of a lot of strength and courage. And even with the help of the surgery as a tool, it still takes a lot of willpower to stick with your program, lose the weight, and keep it off.

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma on WLS. This is why I haven't told anyone except medical professionals about my surgery. Not even my parents or siblings, and definitely not coworkers or friends.
So, my strategy for dealing with negative comments is to avoid the subject entirely. You know what's best for yourself and what they think is irrelevant. If, however, you want to respond to them, maybe you can educate them on what WLS really entails. People who are ignorant look at it as the "easy way out" or cheating in some way because they have no idea how intense the whole process is. The comment about not having the willpower to do it yourself is ridiculous to anyone who has been through it, because taking the initiative and putting forth the effort to go through with it takes a heck of a lot of strength and courage. And even with the help of the surgery as a tool, it still takes a lot of willpower to stick with your program, lose the weight, and keep it off.

My highest recorded weight was 341 pounds, but I lost about 70 pounds before surgery. I'm almost 3.5 years out and I'm in the mid-130s now. I didn't expect to lose this much; I wasn't really hung up on a specific number, but I think my original goal weight (based on average WLS data) was about 180. It was initially fairly easy to lose weight after surgery (the "honeymoon period" when my restriction was very strong and my hunger was almost nonexistent), but it took a lot of effort to get to where I am and maintain it. I've completely changed my diet and eating habits and I work out a lot (at least 90 minutes every day). A lot of my life revolves around diet and exercise to maintain my weight, but I still enjoy food and eating at least as much as before, and I have discovered a love for a lot of healthy foods.
After losing over 200 pounds, I do have excess skin, and I don't currently have any plans to have plastic surgery. I have a flabby belly and sagging thighs. I have a little arm flab but not as bad as I expected. My butt and chest are quite deflated. I'm never going to have a bikini-ready body and I accept that. A shaping cami works wonders to hold in the belly, and flattering clothing can hide the rest well enough that no one would guess that I used to weigh more than twice as much.
I care much more about the non-scale victories than the number on the scale, and for someone who started at a super morbidly obese weight, getting to my current size is a whole new world. My health has improved in so many ways -- my blood pressure is normal, lipid panel is good, and my doctor undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. I used to have a hard time finding clothing in my size, as I was too big for even "plus size" clothing at some stores (I used to wear size 26/28), and now I can find my size almost anywhere (I am now size 6/8 or medium/large). I used to struggle to walk short distances or a couple of flights of stairs, and now I can walk miles without breaking a sweat and glide up 10 flights of stairs without stopping. It's amazing how much easier it is to get around when I'm not carrying the weight of a whole extra person. I used to be hyper-aware of people judging me for my weight, and I dreaded meeting people face to face, knowing that they would think less of me when they saw my size. It is hard to describe the emotional burden that has been lifted by not having to worry about people making negative assumptions about me based on my weight.
I have not had any direct complications from the surgery, but because of the rapid weight loss, I developed bradycardia (slow heart rate) and had to get a pacemaker. That's been rough, but overall, I am far better off having had the surgery and losing the weight.

If you're not familiar with the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collective, you should definitely check it out. They have an extensive database of bariatric surgery patients, and there's a calculator that shows average outcomes based on the data.
https://mbsc.arbormetrix.com/Registry/public/calculator/uiCalculator/7?menuId=1013
My info:
1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT - female, 39 (at time of surgery), 5'3"
2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) - 64 pounds
3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. - 277 pounds
4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery - 256 pounds
5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery - 225 pounds
6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery - 181 pounds
7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery - 144 pounds

My highest recorded weight was 341 pounds, but I lost about 70 pounds before surgery. I'm almost 3.5 years out and I'm in the mid-130s now. I didn't expect to lose this much; I wasn't really hung up on a specific number, but I think my original goal weight (based on average WLS data) was about 180. It was initially fairly easy to lose weight after surgery (the "honeymoon period" when my restriction was very strong and my hunger was almost nonexistent), but it took a lot of effort to get to where I am and maintain it. I've completely changed my diet and eating habits and I work out a lot (at least 90 minutes every day). A lot of my life revolves around diet and exercise to maintain my weight, but I still enjoy food and eating at least as much as before, and I have discovered a love for a lot of healthy foods.
After losing over 200 pounds, I do have excess skin, and I don't currently have any plans to have plastic surgery. I have a flabby belly and sagging thighs. I have a little arm flab but not as bad as I expected. My butt and chest are quite deflated. I'm never going to have a bikini-ready body and I accept that. A shaping cami works wonders to hold in the belly, and flattering clothing can hide the rest well enough that no one would guess that I used to weigh more than twice as much.
I care much more about the non-scale victories than the number on the scale, and for someone who started at a super morbidly obese weight, getting to my current size is a whole new world. My health has improved in so many ways -- my blood pressure is normal, lipid panel is good, and my doctor undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. I used to have a hard time finding clothing in my size, as I was too big for even "plus size" clothing at some stores (I used to wear size 26/28), and now I can find my size almost anywhere (I am now size 6/8 or medium/large). I used to struggle to walk short distances or a couple of flights of stairs, and now I can walk miles without breaking a sweat and glide up 10 flights of stairs without stopping. It's amazing how much easier it is to get around when I'm not carrying the weight of a whole extra person. I used to be hyper-aware of people judging me for my weight, and I dreaded meeting people face to face, knowing that they would think less of me when they saw my size. It is hard to describe the emotional burden that has been lifted by not having to worry about people making negative assumptions about me based on my weight.
I have not had any direct complications from the surgery, but because of the rapid weight loss, I developed bradycardia (slow heart rate) and had to get a pacemaker. That's been rough, but overall, I am far better off having had the surgery and losing the weight.

Dr. Weiner’s new podcast, enjoy!

I would not be too concerned about losing too much weight. Unless you have extremely rare and serious complications, it is infuriatingly easy to eat more than enough calories to maintain. For most people, avoiding regain is the biggest concern in the long term. I’m about 3.5 years out and I have to be super careful to track my calories and work out every day.
If I weren’t careful to eat low-calorie foods, I could easily gain back a lot of weight. The effects of the restriction wear off over time and I can eat much larger portions than I could, say, 1 year out. Not nearly as much as I could eat pre-surgery (I was a bottomless pit!) but if I were still eating the same high-calorie foods, I would be in trouble.
The only reason I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss so far is because I completely changed the way I eat. Going through the post-op diet progression forced me to reset my diet, relearn how to eat. Now that my restriction has weakened and I can’t rely on my stomach to limit my portion sizes, I have to fill my stomach with low-calorie foods. In some ways it’s easier than before surgery because I’ve retrained my palate and developed good habits, but it is definitely still a struggle every day.

I would not be too concerned about losing too much weight. Unless you have extremely rare and serious complications, it is infuriatingly easy to eat more than enough calories to maintain. For most people, avoiding regain is the biggest concern in the long term. I’m about 3.5 years out and I have to be super careful to track my calories and work out every day.
If I weren’t careful to eat low-calorie foods, I could easily gain back a lot of weight. The effects of the restriction wear off over time and I can eat much larger portions than I could, say, 1 year out. Not nearly as much as I could eat pre-surgery (I was a bottomless pit!) but if I were still eating the same high-calorie foods, I would be in trouble.
The only reason I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss so far is because I completely changed the way I eat. Going through the post-op diet progression forced me to reset my diet, relearn how to eat. Now that my restriction has weakened and I can’t rely on my stomach to limit my portion sizes, I have to fill my stomach with low-calorie foods. In some ways it’s easier than before surgery because I’ve retrained my palate and developed good habits, but it is definitely still a struggle every day.

I would not be too concerned about losing too much weight. Unless you have extremely rare and serious complications, it is infuriatingly easy to eat more than enough calories to maintain. For most people, avoiding regain is the biggest concern in the long term. I’m about 3.5 years out and I have to be super careful to track my calories and work out every day.
If I weren’t careful to eat low-calorie foods, I could easily gain back a lot of weight. The effects of the restriction wear off over time and I can eat much larger portions than I could, say, 1 year out. Not nearly as much as I could eat pre-surgery (I was a bottomless pit!) but if I were still eating the same high-calorie foods, I would be in trouble.
The only reason I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss so far is because I completely changed the way I eat. Going through the post-op diet progression forced me to reset my diet, relearn how to eat. Now that my restriction has weakened and I can’t rely on my stomach to limit my portion sizes, I have to fill my stomach with low-calorie foods. In some ways it’s easier than before surgery because I’ve retrained my palate and developed good habits, but it is definitely still a struggle every day.

I would not be too concerned about losing too much weight. Unless you have extremely rare and serious complications, it is infuriatingly easy to eat more than enough calories to maintain. For most people, avoiding regain is the biggest concern in the long term. I’m about 3.5 years out and I have to be super careful to track my calories and work out every day.
If I weren’t careful to eat low-calorie foods, I could easily gain back a lot of weight. The effects of the restriction wear off over time and I can eat much larger portions than I could, say, 1 year out. Not nearly as much as I could eat pre-surgery (I was a bottomless pit!) but if I were still eating the same high-calorie foods, I would be in trouble.
The only reason I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss so far is because I completely changed the way I eat. Going through the post-op diet progression forced me to reset my diet, relearn how to eat. Now that my restriction has weakened and I can’t rely on my stomach to limit my portion sizes, I have to fill my stomach with low-calorie foods. In some ways it’s easier than before surgery because I’ve retrained my palate and developed good habits, but it is definitely still a struggle every day.

If you're not familiar with the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collective, you should definitely check it out. They have an extensive database of bariatric surgery patients, and there's a calculator that shows average outcomes based on the data.
https://mbsc.arbormetrix.com/Registry/public/calculator/uiCalculator/7?menuId=1013
My info:
1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT - female, 39 (at time of surgery), 5'3"
2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) - 64 pounds
3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. - 277 pounds
4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery - 256 pounds
5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery - 225 pounds
6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery - 181 pounds
7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery - 144 pounds

What a fantastic NSV! Truly life-changing. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy learning to drive your new car.

Not weird but awesome NSV here.
I've always delayed getting a driving license until I lose weight. For some reason I convinced myself that I was too big (149 Kg before WLS) to be driving a car and that I won't be able to fit in the tiny cars used at the driving schools here in Malaysia. I saw a lot of people who were bigger than me driving around but I just couldn't get my head around it. My wife was the designated driver for quite sometime.
After losing a considerable amount of weight, I finally got the confidence to do it. I started my driving lessons in July and finally got my driving license last month. I even bought a new car that I've always liked for my 41st birthday. Life keeps getting better and better after WLS.

SomeBigGuy is absolutely correct. I remember sitting in Weight Watchers meetings before I had surgery, rolling my eyes (at least to myself) at these barely overweight women moan and complain about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. And here I was, 200+ lbs overweight. But now I totally get it!! The closer you are to normal weight, the harder it gets to lose even 10 lbs - when pre-surgery I probably could have dropped that in a week or two! But it all comes down to percentages - and how close your normal calorie intake is to your normal calorie expenditure (which at normal weight, is pretty much even). You still have a ways to go, but those percentages have changed - so you'll lose the weight as long as you stick to your plan, but it's going to take longer to lose the same number of pounds that you could have lost when you weighed 300+ lbs. But keep at it - it WILL come off!!

As you lose more weight, its important to track the percentage of weight loss rather than only the number on the scale itself. We all have a base weight with all of our bones and internal organs that won't change (if we're healthy) and the muscle and excess fat on top of that are the variable amounts.
For example, using big/round numbers for easy math, not for actual healthy goals - If SW is 300lbs and GW is 100lbs, then the total excess weight one would need to lose is 200lbs.
If that person goes from 300lbs to 200lbs (100 lbs total loss), that is 50% of excess weight lost.
If the person is now at 150lb and still trying to go to 100lb (50lb excess remaining), then a 50% loss would only be 25lbs.
While its not the exact same amount of effort, you can use this to frame it in your mind that roughly the amount of effort to lose that first (300 - 100) matches the effort needed for the 25lb loss from a 150lb current weight.
Again, these aren't precise or necessarily healthy weight numbers I gave, I was just trying to paint the picture to help reframe things to prevent being unnecessarily negative to yourself. You are still doing great!
Also, don't forget that muscle weighs more than fat (I think it is roughly 1.5x heavier than fat for a given amount). As you build more muscle from exercise, you will gain weight, but it will be healthy weight. That's why it is important to also focus on more non scale victories later in the process, since the number on the scale isn't everything as you approach the finish line!

I used to set a timer and wait a minute between bites, and also chew each bite for at least 30 seconds. Eventually chewing everything really well becomes second nature (and you'll regret it if you don't). I also bought some tiny forks and spoons (search for cocktail forks/spoons) to help take small bites, but I'm over 3 years out now and use regular utensils. I take larger bites now but wait longer between bites (usually 3 minutes).
Some people believe that you should eat mindfully and focus on your meal, not work or watch TV or anything while you're eating, but I personally take the opposite approach. If I'm not doing anything else while eating, I eat too fast, so I like to multitask during meals. I usually eat lunch at my desk while working and it takes me about 45 minutes to finish a salad.

I used to set a timer and wait a minute between bites, and also chew each bite for at least 30 seconds. Eventually chewing everything really well becomes second nature (and you'll regret it if you don't). I also bought some tiny forks and spoons (search for cocktail forks/spoons) to help take small bites, but I'm over 3 years out now and use regular utensils. I take larger bites now but wait longer between bites (usually 3 minutes).
Some people believe that you should eat mindfully and focus on your meal, not work or watch TV or anything while you're eating, but I personally take the opposite approach. If I'm not doing anything else while eating, I eat too fast, so I like to multitask during meals. I usually eat lunch at my desk while working and it takes me about 45 minutes to finish a salad.

I used to set a timer and wait a minute between bites, and also chew each bite for at least 30 seconds. Eventually chewing everything really well becomes second nature (and you'll regret it if you don't). I also bought some tiny forks and spoons (search for cocktail forks/spoons) to help take small bites, but I'm over 3 years out now and use regular utensils. I take larger bites now but wait longer between bites (usually 3 minutes).
Some people believe that you should eat mindfully and focus on your meal, not work or watch TV or anything while you're eating, but I personally take the opposite approach. If I'm not doing anything else while eating, I eat too fast, so I like to multitask during meals. I usually eat lunch at my desk while working and it takes me about 45 minutes to finish a salad.

Drinking a hot beverage (tea or coffee) helps. Warms you up from the inside!

If you're not familiar with the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collective, you should definitely check it out. They have an extensive database of bariatric surgery patients, and there's a calculator that shows average outcomes based on the data.
https://mbsc.arbormetrix.com/Registry/public/calculator/uiCalculator/7?menuId=1013
My info:
1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT - female, 39 (at time of surgery), 5'3"
2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) - 64 pounds
3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. - 277 pounds
4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery - 256 pounds
5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery - 225 pounds
6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery - 181 pounds
7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery - 144 pounds

5'3" woman here and I'm maintaining on 1200 calories per day, and that's with at least 90 minutes of cardio per day. I can relate to the feeling of shock about having to stick to such a low calorie count forever because I wanted to cry when my surgeon estimated that my maintenance calories would be around 1200-1400, maybe 1500 if I worked out a lot. Being short is a real drag.
So as I see it, you have a few options (which you can mix and match to find a balance that works for you):
Adopt and maintain eating habits that keep your calories low. I have found some go-to low-calorie foods that allow me to keep a low calorie intake without making me feel too deprived because I enjoy what I'm eating. 3 years out from surgery, my restriction isn't what it was immediately post-op, but it still helps, especially when I'm filling up on salads and other low-calorie veggies. Increase your exercise. Unfortunately, that doesn't help a whole lot because diet contributes far more to weight management than exercise, but for me, increasing my exercise from 60 minutes/day to 90 minutes/day allows me to maintain about 5 pounds lower with the same number of calories. Accept a higher maintenance weight. A lot of people get way too focused on a number on the scale as their goal/maintenance weight. The number on the scale, or your BMI, doesn't tell the whole story. You list your goal weight as 140 pounds, but if you are satisfied with your health, quality of life, and appearance at 150 pounds, maybe that should be your goal weight, and you can maintain that with slightly higher calories than 140.