NovaLuna

A nutritionist/dietitian and a therapist are extremely helpful in a weight loss journey. The nutritionist/dietitian helps set you up with a diet plan and helps get you into better eating habits prior to surgery so it's not such a drastic change once you actually HAVE the surgery. The therapist helps you work through if you have disordered eating (such as binging) or if you're going through some other stuff in your life such as depression, stress, anxiety, etc (which are known to add to weight gain). Weight loss is never easy and one of the most difficult things is finding support in those you live with. You'll be on a special diet and it'll be easier on YOU if those you live with aren't bringing in the things you used to eat which would tempt to cheat on your diet. Try and talk it out with them and stress how important to you it is that they don't bring junk food into the house. Willpower is such a difficult thing. I admit, that if I hadn't developed a wheat allergy after surgery what would have ruined me is the junk food that my family brings into the house. Because of my wheat allergy, I can't eat that food. Nor can I get fast food (of which they eat a LOT). So the wheat allergy is a blessing. A sucky as hell blessing, but a blessing none the less lol (there is only a 3% chance of developing a wheat allergy or Celiac's Disease after your surgery. So chances are you'll be fine. My luck just sucks. Well, maybe not, because I really do consider the allergy a blessing in disguise as it keeps me on track and stops me from cheating as I, quite literally, have to keep track of every little thing I eat and the ingredients in what I put into my mouth).

Sometimes your hormones from the weight loss can totally mess up your cycle! My own was really messed up at one point and I had my period then was off it for about a week and had it again and then was off it for a week again and had it again and it kept recycling that for about two months (in which I had my period about 5 times) before it even itself out. I did bring it up to my doctor, but by that point it had even itself out again. She told me that if it happened again she'd give me some meds to hopefully regulate it so you could always bring it up with your PCP.

If you're female and it's even the slightest bit close to your period then bring pads. The surgery brought my period a week early (TMI, sorry).

I've only had three surgeries, but I've been put under a LOT because I've had multiple EGD's due to my EoE. You go into the OR and they prep you, and maybe ask you some questions and then with two of the surgeries they put me to sleep via the IV in my arm. I remember I woke after my WLS and felt like I got hit by a BUS! There was only one of my three surgeries that differed as it was brain surgery and they instead put on an oxygen mask over my face and I got the anesthesia that way for that one and they thought I'd get claustrophobic because a lot of patients start to panic with the mask on supposedly, but I was really calm and was complimented for that (next thing I remember about that one was waking up in recovery with the WORST headache of my LIFE and at that point the worst nausea of my life up until the nurse tells me that my sister is there to see me and the second my sister walked in I vomited! She thought it was hilarious that I puked as soon as I saw her lol.)

Stalls are normal. They suck. But they're normal. I've had soooooooo many. More than anyone I've ever seen on this site to be perfectly honest. I've had many that lasted in the 20-ish day range, two in the 30-ish day range, and even one that lasted in the 40-ish day range. Currently it's been 31 days since I last lost a pound. Of course, I also have hypothryoidism so... I knew stalls were going to bite me in the ass. All you can really do is eat as you're supposed to and just try and ride it out. You can try adjusting what you're eating if you feel like it will help, but often times all you can do is wait. Also, most people get their first stall in week 3 post op. There are thousands of posts on it. It's, unfortunately, very common. Hope yours passes soon!

Immediately after surgery you are on liquid diet so you can't really tell tbh. But, the first time I had a protein shake a few days after surgery it was suuuuuper sweet to me, where before my surgery I didn't feel like it was sweet enough. So, by that I'd say yeah. Your taste buds do change almost immediately. At least by that experience. I hated eggs before my surgery... and I still hate them after surgery though so some things don't change.

I lost 23 pounds the first month... but I was also over 300 pounds. Also, there something called the 'three week stall' that many people get in the beginning of their journey. That skipped me. There are thousands of posts about the three week stall so you can look it up if you want. You may be going through that yourself. It usually happens within the first month after surgery and can last up to 3 weeks.

Your stomach is still healing and for some people it's hard to feel 'full' on liquids. Some people don't feel 'full' until they are either on pureed or soft foods. For reference, my own surgery has a VSG stomach... just with an added intestinal bypass bit.

Sometimes it can take up to 10 days to lose all the fluid they gave you for your surgery. Try not to stress, I'm sure it'll come off in a few more days.

Not the first few months, but I'm almost 20 months out and currently going through that. I have to take benadryl 50mg 3x a day because if I don't I get hives on my arms, legs, back, neck, etc. We don't really know exactly what's causing it, but I developed two allergies that we know of after surgery. 1. Wheat allergy 2. NSAID allergy. I got a gluten free pizza a week and a half ago and they weren't careful when they made it so I got hives and other issues from the wheat contaminated pizza so maybe that's part of the reason I'm currently having issues with the hives. A month ago I tried the third and LAST NSAID that made my doctor put me down for an NSAID allergy because I ended up getting a giant hives rash on my back that is STILL there, but is mostly healed. So my doctor thinks the hives are in part my allergies, but also part stress (which, yep, I agree with). So your allergies may be a new food or medication allergy OR it could be stress. Or a combo of both. Maybe narrow down when they started and if you started eating or taking anything new around that time.

Weight can have a 1-5 pound fluctuation on the daily. I was so mad about that last week because at one point I was up 7 pounds (which is over the 5 pound average) and got up to 185 last week. Of course it turns out a lot of that was due to inflammation from my arthritis (and doing physical therapy), but turns out it was also because of my monthly because after that started I got right back down to 178 (178.2 if you want my EXACT weight)... which is what I am today. Still... I've been in a stall for nearly 4 weeks now and I really do hope I'm not in maintenance. I would like to at least see 170 before I get there. I'd say don't stress about the daily fluctuations, but from experience if you continue to hold onto that extra weight more than two days in a row you'll definitely stress about it.

I lost 68 pounds leading up to my surgery. 15 pounds of that during the pre-op diet, so 53 pounds before the pre-op diet. I don't feel like it affected my weight loss after surgery and the surgeon actually said it was better to lose as much weight as you can before your surgery because then you'll lose more overall, but I guess every surgeon has a different opinion on that... I've lost 143 pounds post-op (so 211 pounds in total) and am still losing. Slowly, but still losing. My slower then average loss is because of my hypothyroidism though. And inflammation from my arthritis. You'll probably be fine. And surgeons just give people a statistical average. Those averages include a mix of people who follow the diet religiously and those who somewhat follow the diet and those who basically eat whatever they want after they get back into the general diet because they don't care anymore (or the ones who drink their calories and then don't count those calories among what they ate for the day and wonder why they're not losing weight... hmm, I wonder... -_-"). Anyway, if you follow the plan and watch your intake then I don't see why you couldn't pass the statistical average and reach your goal.

Well, I'm 19 months out. According to my logbook I lost the most my first month. This is my entire weight loss log post surgery if you're curious (for reference, I lost 68 pounds prior to surgery. I also have more stalls then anyone I've ever seen on this site) : 1st Month= 23 pounds 2nd Month= 15 pounds 3rd Month= 17 pounds 4th Month= 10 pounds 5th Month= 9 pounds 6th Month= 10 pounds 7th Month= 6 pounds 8th Month= 9 pounds 9th Month= 5 pounds 10th Month= 7 pounds 11th Month= 6 pounds 12th Month= 4 pounds 13th Month= 4 pounds 14th Month= 3 pounds 15th Month= 4 pounds 16th Month= 4 pounds 17th Month= 1 pound 18th Month= 5 pounds 19 Month= 1 pound

My highest recorded weight was 392 (in 2017). I was 389 when I started the program to have WLS and since my program required a 6 month monitored weight loss I lost 68 pounds during that time and was 321 on my surgery day. I'm currently 178 pounds. For reference... I had the Loop Duodenal Switch/SADI-S/SIPS surgery. It's a gastric sleeve stomach, just with the added intestinal bypass bit.

I know you said that you don't want to hear it, but it has everything to do with the fact that you started at a lower weight than most. People have high expectations, unrealistic expectations, when they have their surgery. I'm one of those people who was guilty of those unrealistic expectations. Stalls happen. And yes, they can happen early. The fact is, that you ARE still losing. Is it frustrating that it's not as fast as you want? Yes. Does it make you want to scream or throw your scale? Again, yes. All you can do is tell yourself that you are doing everything you are supposed to and maybe just avoid the scale for two or three weeks. I've had more stalls along my journey than anyone I've ever seen on this site. My longest one lasted 40-something days (I literally forgot the exact number, but it was in the 40-something range and was May-June 2021) and I thought 'This is it. This is as far as I'm going to go' and I was beyond frustrated because at that point I was stuck at 186, which was only 6 pounds from my goal weight. Then, my weight loss suddenly kicked back in and in the following two months I lost 8 pounds (which is amazing considering I was lucky to lose even 2 pounds in a month at this point as 1 had been the norm for a few months). I'm currently dealing with a 20 day stall, but I don't care as much because 1. I've already met my personal goal so all the extra weight loss is just a bonus, and 2. I'm in physical therapy for my arthritis so inflammation is a THING! People telling you not to be frustrated, honestly isn't going to help. It isn't going to make it go away. But, it's normal. Also, everyone loses weight at a different pace. Sometimes slow and steady is the better way to do it (honestly, I think your skin may bounce back better that way as well. So maybe just try to look for some positives, even if it may seem impossible to find them with how frustrated you undoubtedly are).

My surgeons office is apart of the suggested no carbonated drinks for life, but they tell you it's SUGGESTED. They said from what they've seen of their patients that those who don't drink carbonated drinks have an easier time keeping their weight off then those who do. Now, I don't really know whether to believe in that or not because there's this lady in my nutrition group who is 5 years post-op and drinks carbonated drinks and she's kept her weight off while another lady I know from work drinks carbonated drinks and gained half her weight back so... I don't know what to believe, honestly, but I'm perfectly fine cutting carbonated drinks out for life since it bothers my EOE anyway.

When I STARTED the process for WLS I was 389 pounds (in 2019). My highest recorded weight ever was 392 pounds (in 2017). My weight on the day of surgery was 321 pounds. At 6 months post-op I was 237 pounds. I reached my goal weight at 18 months 1 day post op and I'm down an extra two pounds passed that so far. I started having stalls 3 months post op and have had them every single month since. I'm currently in one right now, as a matter of fact lol (17 day stall so far).

What they didn't tell me when I had my surgery is that there is a RARE 3% chance that I would end up with either a wheat allergy or Celiac's Disease. I got the wheat allergy (my luck is terrible). But like I said the chance of that happening to you is only about a 3% chance so there's a 97% that you'll be fine and able to eat regular pasta again eventually (barring an intolerance). I eat chickpea pasta noodles which have the added benefit of being high in protein so it makes the extra carbs worth it. Though I don't eat it much (I maybe make it once or twice a month?). Eventually, when you get further out, carb-y foods aren't a complete no, as long as it's in moderation.

When you've been morbidly obese or super morbidly obese (which was my case) for so long it's really hard to imagine a time when you'll be able to walk for more than 2 minutes and not get out of breath. It's hard to imagine going to the doctor and not having them IMMEDIATELY bring up your weight, even when it had absolutely nothing to do with why you were at the doctor in the first place. It's hard to wrap your head around going out in public and not having strangers gawking at you and judging you because of your size. I couldn't wrap my head around that at all because I had been obese for more than 20 years and super morbidly obese for half of that time. I was 32 when I had my surgery (I'm 34 now) so trying to wrap my head around NOT being obese was impossible. I didn't know what that would feel like, and I think a part of me thought that no matter how hard I tried I just wouldn't get there. But I did. I'm 19 months post op now and when I go to the doctor my weight is NEVER brought up unless I bring it up myself. I don't get stared at anymore for doing simple things like going grocery shopping. And, the best part is that I don't get out of breath from just walking. I had a lung function test done before surgery and my asthma was tested as 'severe'. My doctor had me recently do another lung function test and now my asthma is 'mild'. It's hard to imagine how things will be a year or two from now, but you have a lot to look forward to! I wish you the best on your journey!

I developed a wheat allergy after my surgery. I was told it's only something like a 3% chance of that even happening (my luck is terrible like that). You could always get tested just to be sure, but it may just be that your stomach may not be able to handle bread for a few more months.

If you feel like doing it and making it a tad bit easier to adjust to the diet after surgery then I'd go for it! Preparing for what's to come is never a bad thing.

Um, SADI is not a mini bypass hun. It's another name for the SIPS/Loop Duodenal Switch surgery. And because the sleeve is, quite literally, the first part of the surgery they probably didn't feel the need to mess with your stomach and just went ahead and did the intestinal bit. They should have at least checked to see if there was any stretching in your original pouch, but if they didn't see anything wrong with it's size then they wouldn't have felt the need to mess with it because that would have been pointless if it wasn't necessary. If your surgeon didn't at least check your pouch then I'd complain, but if they did and didn't feel the need to mess with it then you're fine. Yes, it massively sucks that because they didn't work on your pouch you have your hunger hormone and can eat more than you would right after surgery, so that's bound to be difficult. I, myself, didn't have a revision, but had the full SADI/SIPS/Loop DS surgery 19 months ago right out the gate. It's a powerful tool and malabsorption should work really well for you weight loss as long as you watch your intake. Keep in mind that the protein and vitamin levels necessary are much higher than for the VSG so what you're eating is very important. Also, keep in mind that you're still really early in your revision and there's always that pesky stall that most people get right in the first month of weight loss. Buyers remorse in the beginning is normal. I know I felt it for the first two weeks or so, but I got over it pretty quickly after that and I just wish I'd done it for myself sooner. I hope everything works out for you and I wish you luck on your new journey!

Is there a way to ask for a different dietician? Because she sounds like an absolute nightmare! My dietician is nice and encouraging and if I end up eating something off plan she just tells me that it won't hurt me if it happens as long as it doesn't become a habit or something I do all the time. She tells me every time she sees me (usually when I'm dealing with a stall) that I'm doing great and as long as the trend is downward that no matter how slow the loss is, I'm still losing and that's that what matters. My dietician has me eating 1200-1400 calories and I'm almost 19 months out. When I was 5 months out I think I was probably eating about 800-1000 calories. I think your own dietician is pushing you to eat too much too fast, imo. I would see if it's possible to ask for someone else. I haven't gone to my own bariatric clinic since my 9 month appointment because there is this front office lady that kept rescheduling my 12 month appointment and pissing me off. She made my stress go from 0-100 pretty damn fast and was bugging me about my labs and how they hadn't received them and how she wanted me to call the lab and have them fax my paperwork over, which I'd done, so I kept having to tell her to do it her damn self because I'd already called them and they'd re-faxed it twice already so something was getting lost on their end and they needed to deal with it. Her response was to tell me they needed to reschedule me so I just never rescheduled after about the 9th time because she pissed me the hell off! I get stressed with just the idea of having to call the bariatric doctor because if I get her on the line I will hang the damn phone up! That's why I never made my 18 month appointment and just relied on my PCP to do my labs because of that b*tch! I wish I'd gotten her name on the multiple times she'd called me so I could report her for her incompetence! So yeah, I'd ask for a different dietician, personally.

I have gotten multiple opinions and they all tell me no. I have a very weak immune system and I can't ever get the flu vaccine either because despite the fact it's not active I get very, very, very sick whenever I used to get it. A worse case of the flu then if I had NOT gotten the vaccine. Taking that into account I was told very firmly not to get the vaccine. My doctor had an immunocompromised patient get the vaccine and they not only got Covid, but were hospitalized and have had lingering issues with it which is why she's pushing for people like me NOT to get the vaccine and just take precautions not to get sick. She's also not the only doctor where I live who tell their immunocompromised patients not to get the vaccine. Most doctors here share her opinion.

Daily weight fluctuations can be up to 5 pounds. I wouldn't worry about it. It's frustrating, I know, but it's normal.