NovaLuna

I was told that people generally hit maintenance 18-24 months out. But then again, I had a lot more to lose as someone with a starting BMI of 60. Most people I know who had WLS usually hit maintenance around 18 months. Some a few months before and even one who kept losing until 27 months out. So really it depends on a lot of things like your starting weight, how your body is handling the weight loss and when it'll find it's 'comfort spot', and whether you're following the nutrition guidelines that you were given. Also, stalls happen and so do big ones. I've had a 23 day stall and a 27 day stall and they both stressed me the hell out (April into May and August into September) but both of them DID pass.

Same. I'm almost 11 months post op and when I saw this post I checked and could only find one and have no idea where the other four are because I can't see them. And I'm paler than pale (when I used foundation I use the lightest foundation there is and it's slightly too dark for my face and I have to blend the heck out of it, that's how pale skinned I am. My family teases that I'm like snow white. I don't even know how it happened either since everyone else in my family has like tanned skin and wears beige foundation -_-" I blame the red hair)

Good to know! I have dysphagia and can't swallow pills so I end up chewing them and it's nasty so knowing they have something that I don't have to worry about that with is a plus!

Some of my victories: 1. Being able to wear a normal sized hospital gown when I have to have tests done or go to the ER. I used to be soooo embarrassed when I had to ask for the plus sized gown and they had to tell me they had to track some down because they didn't have many. 2. Being able to have my blood pressure taken on my upper arm again. 3. Being able to sit in a booth again when I go to a restaurant. 4. Being able fit in the back seat of the car (the seat belts wouldn't fit me in the back seat, but they do now) 5. Being able to buy clothes off the rack in a normal non-plus sized specific store. 6. Being able to fit in women's regular sizes (not plus sized anymore!) 7. Getting under 300 pounds, which I hadn't been in 15 years, made me CRY! I'm so close to being under 200 (which it's been 20 years) that I know when I hit Onderland I'm going to cry like a baby. 8. Knowing I'm not being stared at and judged for being so big. I'm in a large now and the two most common sizes where I live are large and 2xl (I work in a department store and have for 13 years, that's why I know this). I used to get stared at and had little kids loudly commenting about my weight to their parents. 9. I like that I no longer have to worry that if I plop on the couch I'm going to break it (I broke two couches, it was a valid concern and super embarrassing) 10. I love that I can move around more and not be so out of breath and I don't sweat up a storm like I used to when I would walk for more than 5 minutes. So yes, there are a lot of wonderful things that happen when you lose that weight and so much to look forward to! Congrats on your upcoming surgery! I wish you the best!

A co-worker of mine who hadn't seen me since a few months before my surgery (she was on LOA and came back when I was on LOA lol) kept staring at me when I went into work to pick something up and she looked so confused lol. I went up to her and said hello and it was nice to see her again and she was like "OMG! I thought maybe you had another sister and I just hadn't known and I didn't know what to say if I was wrong" I laughed and said that no I just had the one sister I just had lost about 150 pounds (at that time) and she told me that she'd heard I'd had weight loss surgery but she'd only been back 2 months at that time (after being on LOA for 10.5 months) and she thought maybe I'd just recently had it (this was in August) and then she proceeded to tell me how thin I looked (I was in an xl in shirts and 18 in pants at the time, I'm in 14's right now and large tops) and that was the biggest compliment to me. I mean, a lot of people tell me I look good, but being told I look thin in any way shape or form just made my day (I used to wear 6xl tops and 32 pants, to put things into perspective). She gathered a few of my other co-workers that I hadn't seen in ages and they were all gushing about my weight loss and I felt great! I have a bit of body dysmorphia and still often times see the big girl I used to be when I look in the mirror so the compliments make me realize that what I see isn't necessarily what IS.

I'm 10 months (almost 11 months) post op Loop DS which involves a sleeved stomach (this particular surgery also has an intestinal bypass as well as shortening your small intestines). I'm able to eat between 6-7 oz. If I eat 8oz I feel nauseous, so that's not a good idea. I've been able to eat 6 oz since about 5 months out. It upped to 7 at around 8 months out. Your stomach CAN stretch back out. I wouldn't advise doing it on purpose though because it kind of defeats the purpose of the surgery, but you won't necessarily be stuck eating small amounts forever. As to eating foods from other countries it honestly depends on how you tolerate certain foods. For example, I can't eat wheat anymore because I dump. And it's not worth feeling like that. Even the smallest trace amount of wheat in something gives me unbearable nausea for a good hour. Also, moderation is key. When it comes to drinking with food they tell you not to because it makes the food go through you too fast and then you'll be hungry again sooner. Farther out I don't think it'll be a big deal if you drink on a special occasion but that fluid is going to take up space and won't be able to fit as much food.

I was told 30 minutes. My surgeon told me it takes about 30 minutes for the food to digest so to wait 30 minutes before drinking unless I absolutely have to due to choking (I have EOS which causes dysphagia so I usually have to drink a sip at least once every other day due to that issue)

I once had a stall that lasted 27 days and another that lasted 23 days. The 23 day one was around my 4 month mark. Both eventually passed. The 23 day one I ended up losing 5 pounds in one go. The 27 day one was only 3 pounds in one go, but both did eventually end. Stalls are incredibly frustrating and the longer ones will drive you up a wall and make you question every little thing. I seriously came to hate my scale. Now I try and only weigh myself once a week. I used to do it just about every day but frustration and stress made me stop that. I hope yours passes soon!

Weight fluctuations happen. It's usually 1-3 pounds but can even be up to 5. Try not to stress.

I didn't actively get into eating fruits until 3 months out (other than an unsweetened applesauce cup or the fruit that was in my greek yogurt) but I did have SOME veggies when in soft food stage. One of my favorites to make was a veggie soup with carrots, onion, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, peppers, and vegetable stock. I also started making no-noodle lasagna which is made using zucchini instead of noodles (it's delicious). So early on it's not so much a worry if you don't get a ton of fruits and veggies in as long as get SOME it's better than none.

My surgeons nutrition guidelines is probably similar to yours where mashed potatoes aren't allowed until you've lost 70% of excess weight (I've lost just slightly over that at 71%). But every surgeons guidelines are different and many allow mashed potatoes in puree stage. Not the greatest choice imo because it's really filling, but doesn't have much nutritional value. But it tastes good, I agree. However, when you do get off track, and it WILL happen, beating yourself up over it isn't the right way to go about things. The more you beat yourself up the more you stress and the more you may fall back into that bad habit and then start the cycle over again. A better tactic to take is just to get back on track because it's highly unlikely that small instance of indulgence is going to have much of an effect on you weight loss. I'm 10 months out so the very few times I DO indulge myself I try to fit those indulgences into my plan via counting carbs, sugar, sodium, and fat (my plan doesn't count calories) so that every now and then I can fit something like a cookie or a CarbSmart Ice Cream bar in as a snack so that I don't indulge in things that are worse for me like chips or cake or a muffin or a donut (none of which I've had since I started dieting 19 months ago). After surgery I DID notice that I'm even more conscious of my choices as I don't want to be the one that fails this or puts weight back on because I took the surgery route BECAUSE I couldn't do this on my own. I've notices, at least for me, that it's easier to say no. My family eats out a LOT. Like 3-4x a week. They ask me constantly if I want something and 90% of the time I say no. I only say yes if they go to the Mexican restaurant that I like and they get me a mini taco or an enchilada (I eat half) and they only do that once every other week. Though they have gotten a to go order of Chicken Marsala a few times (3x) since my surgery from one of my favorite restaurants and it has steamed veggies ala carrots and zucchini and my Mom gave me some of it (there is a lot and I don't eat much so it worked out lol). For me, the way I eat has to be sustainable. This is the way of eating that I plan to stick with so that I don't put that weight back on. So everything I do I do with the mind that this is permanent. I don't miss fast food because it always made me feel slightly nauseous after eating and made me feel bad about myself so that makes it easier for me to say no. Sticking to the plan isn't always easy. The farther you get out and the closer to your goal weight I think is probably where you will struggle most. For me, Thanksgiving was a day I wanted to indulge and it was only me telling myself 'you came so far and lost so much, don't ruin it' that made me take smaller portions to indulge. I had 1TBS of gravy, 1 TBS of stuffing, 1 TBS of mashed potatoes, and 1/16 of a pumpkin pie (very tiny sliver, but it was delicious). That was my Thanksgiving indulgence and I lost 3 pounds when I weighed myself the following week so not going overboard helped in that I believe. I'm proud of how far I've come and that I'm only 26 pounds from my own personal goal (41 from the doctors goal as they want me to get to 165). You are doing great with you weight loss and use that guilt you felt and think back on it when you get tempted so it'll make it easier to say no or make you even more conscious of what you put in your mouth, but if again, if you do indulge just get back on track and don't beat yourself up too hard.

Every surgeons plan is different. I didn't add oatmeal into my diet until 6 months out, but it was allowed at 3 months out. Personally, I wouldn't eat oatmeal at puree stage. Unless you put it through a blender.

I can definitely tell I had surgery because I can't eat very much and for some reason really only feel hungry in the morning. Despite the fact I had the Loop DS and was told you don't get dumping syndrome they LIED because wheat makes me dump. I don't really get diarrhea unless I eat too much sugar alcohol (and get REALLY bad gas from it too so I avoid the sugar alcohol as much as I can) but my body DOES decide about 2-3 days a week to completely empty itself so you're in the bathroom for a WHILE (TMI, sorry). I'm a stomach and side sleeper and have no issues with sleeping like that nor does it hurt though I can definitely tell my intestines have been messed with when I have my bathroom trips, but outside of that l don't notice a difference. As to the bathroom thing... in the beginning food went right through me, but my system got used to it and now I usually only go #2 every other day or every 2 days, the problem with that is that my system decides 90% of the time that when I DO go I have to empty everything in me so you're are definitely in there for a while. And sometimes will have to go back for a return trip 1/2 an hour to an hour later. But the funny thing is my system is pretty much regular and this always happens around the same time of day. The surgery was one of the best things I ever did for myself and I'm glad I made the choice to have it done. Knowing what I know if I'd had to do it all over, I would.

That may have actually been a mild case of dumping syndrome. Sounds like it at any rate. For me it's wheat that sets it off. I get stomach pain, cold sweat, the shakes, diarrhea, light headed, and the WORST nausea! (I've had brain surgery and I thought nothing could top the nausea you feel after that, but holy crap dumping syndrome tops it!) After the, unfortunately unavoidable bathroom trips, I lay on the couch in misery because the nausea just won't go away for a good hour or so. So yeah, my opinion is it was probably a case of dumping syndrome. It may have been the oil or the fat or something else that set it off, but take note so if it happens again you can figure out what caused it

Statistically the weight comes off slower with a revision. It DOES come off, just not as quickly. And I've heard a lot of people who've done revisions saying they felt far more restriction with the sleeve verses bypass so I believe that's normal. I don't know why it's hard for you to lay on your left side or why you're still feeling weak. I'd most definitely call your surgeon and ask them for advice on what it could be and if it'll pass on it's own. Sorry I couldn't be more help!

Well it's definitely one of the most active forums compared to those I've visited. People are more active some days verses others. And veterans are more than welcome! Those of us who are not nearly as far out from our surgeries could always use the insight of a veteran. So welcome back!

When I went in for my first consult I had my heart set on VSG (gastric sleeve) because it was less invasive, you took less vitamins, etc. HOWEVER, I left upset because the surgeon told me it wasn't a good choice for me because it statistically has a lower AVERAGE weight loss percentage and my BMI was over 60. They told me my average weight loss for Sleeve would get me to settle at about 230 pounds, Gastic Bypass to 205, and DS would get me to 185. This is AVERAGE. By all means there are people who lose more and people who lose less. So I was very upset because I'm disabled and knew that average is the best I could hope for so I decided after a lot of soul searching and bouncing back and forth to settle on having the Loop DS. My goal is 180, but if I settle at 185 I'd still be insanely happy with that. Yes the malabsorbative aspect of my surgery scared me, but... that aspect in my surgery is reversible. So if it becomes necessary they'd reverse the intestinal bit and I'd be left with just the VSG stomach. It took a while to chose my surgery and I balanced all the pro's and cons. BUT in the end the surgery that you decide is your own. If you are willing to risk the chance of possible making your GERD worse then go for it. It doesn't make it worse for everyone, but there is a large amount of people that it does effect. If you are prepared to potentially have to get a revision down the line if it does happen then that's your choice. Just make a list of pro's and con's, that's my advice.

A few months back I dreamed of bread every night for over a week. I was seriously missing it. My nutritionist gave me the okay to add low carb bread into my diet, but it made me dump so bread makes me very wary now...

I would have been happy to get rid of the old blood in my system that way... I vomited the old blood up and it was VERY painful! The gas pain was a walk in the park by comparison. If the surgeons office isn't concerned they probably see it happen frequently (they weren't concerned about the vomiting blood either because apparently is normal with my surgery but nobody thought to warn me -_-")

Stalls do unfortunately happen. I've had so many in my 10 months since my surgery that I've actually lost count! My last one was just a few days ago and lasted 15 days, but I DID drop 3 pounds which ended that stall. Your body is just re-adjusting itself and that takes time. It'll pass!

The pre-op diet is really the best way to lose weight fast. I lost 15 or 16 pounds on the pre-op diet.

Generally surgeons will tell you to hold off on alcohol consumption for 6months to a year. I'm 10 months post op and haven't touched alcohol since long before my surgery (haven't had alcohol in about two years).

If you can't eat it raw maybe cook a bell pepper, slice it up, and eat it with that. It's good with bell pepper.

Well I KNOW I probably eat more than a lot of people who have WLS, but that's mostly due to the fact that if I don't I feel like I'm going to pass out. I don't know if that's because of my surgery or what, but my blood sugar drops if I don't eat three meals and three to four snacks a day. I see all these people who say they only eat three times a day and no snacks and I'm like 'How?' I feel like I'm going to pass out if I don't have my snacks (which usually consist of fruits and veggies with the occasional cheese stick). Personally, I think everyone is different and their bodies all handle the surgery in different ways so while one thing works for one person, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work for everyone.

Stalls happen. It's a normal part of the experience as annoying as it is. I've had so many I've lost count, but still get massively frustrated every time I have one. I just got over a 15 day stall today by losing 3 pounds. My longest stall was 27 days. I'd say try not to stress about it, but if you're anything like me you'll stress anyway... I hope yours ends soon!