NovaLuna

I was excited about my surgery so I told literally everyone lol.
My sister's grandmother (we have different dads) passed away due to the emergency people not knowing she'd had gastric bypass and when she was intubated they went through her stomach and she was on blood thinners, so she died. Because of this I ALWAYS wear either a medical alert necklace or medical alert Bracelet when I leave the house. I don't wear one at home because everyone I live with knows about my surgery so if something happens they'd be able to tell those who need to know. I, personally, think people have the right to keep quiet about their surgery, but believe they should always have a medical alert necklace or bracelet so that if something happens then at least the medical emergency people would know. I'm paranoid like that because of what happened to my sister's grandma.

The approval can take awhile. It took them 3 whole weeks to approve mine so try not to stress if they take their time. Welcome to the site though and wishing you the best on your journey!

The approval can take awhile. It took them 3 whole weeks to approve mine so try not to stress if they take their time. Welcome to the site though and wishing you the best on your journey!

How much you lose during your first month depends on numerous factors including age, starting weight, comorbidities, how strictly you follow dieting guidelines, exercise, etc. I was well over 300 pounds starting out and lost 23 pounds my first month. Everyone's results differ and comparing your own progress to someone else can drive you nuts (from personal experience). Every pound you lose adds up over time and focusing on yourself and your own weight loss is far better for your mental health (trust me, I drove myself crazy comparing my weight loss to others. I was a chronic staller and my weight loss slowed significantly after the first 3 months. Which is normal, but the fact that I started losing in single digits when I still had so much weight to lose drove me nuts). A common problem is that people (myself included) seem to think the weight will just fall off because of series like 'My 600 pound Life' in which those people have MUCH more weight to lose and thus their numbers are much higher. My advice is to try and stay realistic with your weight loss goals and try not to stress if it takes longer to lose what you want to. Like I said, every pound adds up over time and I met my goal in 18 months so I'm sure if you follow your plan that you'll be able to reach your goal too.

It could be that you're dealing with stress or anxiety and both can cause you to eat more. Maybe you don't register the fact that you're having issues with stress or anxiety, but your body does and thus the urge to eat. I'm just using my own experience here so it could be different for you, but this is just my own perspective.

It could be that you're dealing with stress or anxiety and both can cause you to eat more. Maybe you don't register the fact that you're having issues with stress or anxiety, but your body does and thus the urge to eat. I'm just using my own experience here so it could be different for you, but this is just my own perspective.

Constipation is actually fairly common, unfortunately. The headaches and illness part though I'd suggest calling your doctor and scheduling an appointment to get their take on that. They may have you do labs as it might be caused by a deficiency.

It could be that you're dealing with stress or anxiety and both can cause you to eat more. Maybe you don't register the fact that you're having issues with stress or anxiety, but your body does and thus the urge to eat. I'm just using my own experience here so it could be different for you, but this is just my own perspective.

Well, you could revise to a duodenal switch or loop duodenal switch surgery. The biggest problem, of course, would be finding a surgeon who would do it in the first place, and also one who would be comfortable doing a RNY revision to DS or Loop DS. The DS is the most aggressive surgery and one of the biggest downsides is having to take more Vitamins. Also, if you wait too long in between eating... your bowels will decide to empty everything in them after taking about two to three bites of food and you'll be in and out of the bathroom for an hour or more, so if you do decide to do the surgery keep something like a granola bar or something next to your bed. I had the Loop DS 3 years ago and am incredibly happy with my surgery choice.

Most insurance now days requires a medically supervised diet. Generally it ranges anywhere from 3 months to a full year. My own was 6 months, but it also took an extra 2 month to schedule my surgery due to the fact that they were overbooked, so for me it was 8 months. Maybe your surgeon is just used to patients having a longer requirement and is just concerned that maybe you'll struggle with the dietary requirements and getting used to eating in a new way? But, honestly? Although I DID diet before my surgery I don't eat the same way as I did now during that time. I took my weight loss phase of my surgery to learn how to eat healthier and how to do it in a sustainable way since this is not a 'diet' but rather a life change. You have to learn to eat in a healthier way for the rest of your life, but you want to do it sustainably. I had to learn how to work in foods that I loved, but do it in moderation. Because I do not want to be a statistic in weight loss surgery failure. I do NOT want to gain my weight back! Hell, I cry if I'm up 1 pounds over what I consider my 'comfort range' (the top of my comfort range is 191. My secondary maintenance weight range is 186-191. I say secondary because my original maintenance range for an entire year was 179-183, but in your second year leading up to your third year post op you gain some weight back. It's normal. It sucks and I had massive issues with it which is probably part of what is causing my chronic anxiety, but I'm allowing myself to not freak out as long as my weight doesn't go over 191 at the heaviest. I'm 189 today. And sorry if that's TMI. I'm an aspie so sometimes I overshare what others see as pointless info.).
Anyway, you are the one who knows yourself best and if you feel that you can be successful in three months then go for it! Also, welcome to the forums and I wish you the best on your weight loss journey! It's a difficult one, but incredibly fulfilling! 😊

I lost 53 pounds in the first 12 weeks and an additional 68 pounds for a total of 121 pounds the first year (not counting the weight I lost before my surgery). The second year I lost another 26 pounds. Then this year I gained back some weight and am up about 13 pounds from my lowest weight (but this is common to gain back in your third year).

How much you lose during your first month depends on numerous factors including age, starting weight, comorbidities, how strictly you follow dieting guidelines, exercise, etc. I was well over 300 pounds starting out and lost 23 pounds my first month. Everyone's results differ and comparing your own progress to someone else can drive you nuts (from personal experience). Every pound you lose adds up over time and focusing on yourself and your own weight loss is far better for your mental health (trust me, I drove myself crazy comparing my weight loss to others. I was a chronic staller and my weight loss slowed significantly after the first 3 months. Which is normal, but the fact that I started losing in single digits when I still had so much weight to lose drove me nuts). A common problem is that people (myself included) seem to think the weight will just fall off because of series like 'My 600 pound Life' in which those people have MUCH more weight to lose and thus their numbers are much higher. My advice is to try and stay realistic with your weight loss goals and try not to stress if it takes longer to lose what you want to. Like I said, every pound adds up over time and I met my goal in 18 months so I'm sure if you follow your plan that you'll be able to reach your goal too.

Most insurance now days requires a medically supervised diet. Generally it ranges anywhere from 3 months to a full year. My own was 6 months, but it also took an extra 2 month to schedule my surgery due to the fact that they were overbooked, so for me it was 8 months. Maybe your surgeon is just used to patients having a longer requirement and is just concerned that maybe you'll struggle with the dietary requirements and getting used to eating in a new way? But, honestly? Although I DID diet before my surgery I don't eat the same way as I did now during that time. I took my weight loss phase of my surgery to learn how to eat healthier and how to do it in a sustainable way since this is not a 'diet' but rather a life change. You have to learn to eat in a healthier way for the rest of your life, but you want to do it sustainably. I had to learn how to work in foods that I loved, but do it in moderation. Because I do not want to be a statistic in weight loss surgery failure. I do NOT want to gain my weight back! Hell, I cry if I'm up 1 pounds over what I consider my 'comfort range' (the top of my comfort range is 191. My secondary maintenance weight range is 186-191. I say secondary because my original maintenance range for an entire year was 179-183, but in your second year leading up to your third year post op you gain some weight back. It's normal. It sucks and I had massive issues with it which is probably part of what is causing my chronic anxiety, but I'm allowing myself to not freak out as long as my weight doesn't go over 191 at the heaviest. I'm 189 today. And sorry if that's TMI. I'm an aspie so sometimes I overshare what others see as pointless info.).
Anyway, you are the one who knows yourself best and if you feel that you can be successful in three months then go for it! Also, welcome to the forums and I wish you the best on your weight loss journey! It's a difficult one, but incredibly fulfilling! 😊

How much you lose during your first month depends on numerous factors including age, starting weight, comorbidities, how strictly you follow dieting guidelines, exercise, etc. I was well over 300 pounds starting out and lost 23 pounds my first month. Everyone's results differ and comparing your own progress to someone else can drive you nuts (from personal experience). Every pound you lose adds up over time and focusing on yourself and your own weight loss is far better for your mental health (trust me, I drove myself crazy comparing my weight loss to others. I was a chronic staller and my weight loss slowed significantly after the first 3 months. Which is normal, but the fact that I started losing in single digits when I still had so much weight to lose drove me nuts). A common problem is that people (myself included) seem to think the weight will just fall off because of series like 'My 600 pound Life' in which those people have MUCH more weight to lose and thus their numbers are much higher. My advice is to try and stay realistic with your weight loss goals and try not to stress if it takes longer to lose what you want to. Like I said, every pound adds up over time and I met my goal in 18 months so I'm sure if you follow your plan that you'll be able to reach your goal too.

How much you lose during your first month depends on numerous factors including age, starting weight, comorbidities, how strictly you follow dieting guidelines, exercise, etc. I was well over 300 pounds starting out and lost 23 pounds my first month. Everyone's results differ and comparing your own progress to someone else can drive you nuts (from personal experience). Every pound you lose adds up over time and focusing on yourself and your own weight loss is far better for your mental health (trust me, I drove myself crazy comparing my weight loss to others. I was a chronic staller and my weight loss slowed significantly after the first 3 months. Which is normal, but the fact that I started losing in single digits when I still had so much weight to lose drove me nuts). A common problem is that people (myself included) seem to think the weight will just fall off because of series like 'My 600 pound Life' in which those people have MUCH more weight to lose and thus their numbers are much higher. My advice is to try and stay realistic with your weight loss goals and try not to stress if it takes longer to lose what you want to. Like I said, every pound adds up over time and I met my goal in 18 months so I'm sure if you follow your plan that you'll be able to reach your goal too.

How much you lose during your first month depends on numerous factors including age, starting weight, comorbidities, how strictly you follow dieting guidelines, exercise, etc. I was well over 300 pounds starting out and lost 23 pounds my first month. Everyone's results differ and comparing your own progress to someone else can drive you nuts (from personal experience). Every pound you lose adds up over time and focusing on yourself and your own weight loss is far better for your mental health (trust me, I drove myself crazy comparing my weight loss to others. I was a chronic staller and my weight loss slowed significantly after the first 3 months. Which is normal, but the fact that I started losing in single digits when I still had so much weight to lose drove me nuts). A common problem is that people (myself included) seem to think the weight will just fall off because of series like 'My 600 pound Life' in which those people have MUCH more weight to lose and thus their numbers are much higher. My advice is to try and stay realistic with your weight loss goals and try not to stress if it takes longer to lose what you want to. Like I said, every pound adds up over time and I met my goal in 18 months so I'm sure if you follow your plan that you'll be able to reach your goal too.

I had the Loop DS (which is a little different) January 23 2020 (right before the Covid crap storm). From what I remember... I didn't poop a whole lot the first two or three weeks since I was on liquids and then puree and barely ate anything so from my own experience maybe your plane ride will be fairly normal. I did have overactive bowels once I hit stage 3, but hell, when I hit stage 4 I actually got Constipation issues (and then learned it was because I was taking too much Iron. Went from taking 3 multi's with iron to 2 and then finally down to 1 multi with iron. My family actually tends to hyper absorb iron and I forgot about that so... I actually don't need as much of it and still test in the normal range. Smack dab in the middle of normal at that).
They probably won't warn you, but there is the rare chance it'll happen to you too so... 1. I vomited old blood after my surgery. It hurt like hell, but only happened 4 times so... not too bad, I guess. And, 2. Any surgery with malabsorption has a 3% chance of you developing either a wheat allergy or Celiac Disease (I got the wheat allergy). Also, when you do get put onto general diet try to avoid fatty foods because they will likely cause stomach issues (at least they did to me earlier on. And still kinda do that to me now). And if you wait too long to eat your stomach may decide to empty everything in your bowels (I can't be the only one who had this surgery that this happens to. Also, I'm not joking). It's incredibly annoying, but if I have constipation issues I know how to solve it lol. Problem is though that you will be in and out of the bathroom for a few HOURS because your stomach will not settle and my surgeon warned not to take imodium because it can cause bowel blockage and with this surgery you REALLY don't want that. So you'd be stuck at home. Best thing to avoid this is have something like a granola bar next to your bed so you can eat if your stomach wakes you up (mine does. but I'm stupid and ignore it sometimes because I'm tired and I pay for it later... bright side, if you can call it that lol, is that after the day spent in the bathroom you'll drop 2-4 pounds and no, I'm not joking. You really go that much. Or I do, at least. TMI, sorry).
Also, regarding needing to be around a bathroom... not necessarily, but make sure you know where it IS. If you need to go then you will get a rumbling in your tummy and you will know when you need to rush to the bathroom. So make sure you do know where it is just in case. Also, the thing they say about never trusting a fart? Don't gamble because you might lose lol (I'd say 80% of the time it's an okay gamble, but the other 20% could be embarrassing if you were in public).
Again, sorry for the TMI, but I figure it's info that you'd probably need to know. I'm happy with the surgery I chose, btw and have no regrets (other than wishing I hadn't had to take a med for my Trigeminal Neuralgia that made me gain 18 pounds back and even if I lost half of that since I switched meds I still can't lose the other 9 pounds for the life of me. But really that's not the surgery's fault, it's just my stupid ass TN that decided it was going to crap on my happy parade and send me into absolute agony and force me to take meds that make me gain weight... and yes, I'm still upset about it since the flare is still going on 7 months later and even if it's mostly under control now it's a progressive disorder and I REALLY don't want to have brain surgery AGAIN! Sorry. Rant over).
Anyway, I wish you the best and hope everything goes well for you!

Some people lose less, some lose more, but you lose more pounds per month the higher your BMI. I lost 23 pounds the first month, but I was also well over 300 pounds. I lost 16 pounds the second month and 17 pounds the third month and only 7 pounds the fourth month and 11 pounds the fifth. My point is... your weight loss isn't going to be steady. It'll be all over the place. And even if your numbers are smaller... every pounds adds up. I reached my goal weight in 18 months (admittedly I did have the gain back that happens during your second year leading up to your third, partially due to a med that made me gain weight, but I'm still satisfied with my weight loss which is maintaining at 186-191. I'm 189 today. But I'm also having my monthly so I'm sure it'll go down again after the fact lol. TMI, sorry.). Technically speaking I still lost over the amount that was projected for me. My lowest weight according to my surgeon's office was estimated to be around 189 pounds (where I'm today) but I got down to 175 at my lowest. It was estimated that I'd end up at 199 during the gain back period when I hit 3 years. I'm at 189 currently and my 3 year surgiversary is about 2 weeks away. So you can certainly lose more than you surgeon says, but it's very much about your own body, metabolism, and dedication. I mean, I honestly feel like I could have lost another 10-15 pounds if I'd been super strict with my diet, but I didn't feel like I could have maintained that and kept my sanity. During the weight loss phase I took that time to learn a new way to eat in a sustainable way. Being super restrictive just is not something that I can do for the rest of my life to keep off an extra 10-15 pounds. My dietician says that the way I chose to go about things is healthier and sustainable and my blood work looks great so I'm clearly getting enough nutrition with my diet and my weight has been steady and maintained for the last 6 months (for almost a year before that it maintained at 179-183, but the stupid med made me gain weight. It's been maintaining where it's at now though for 6 months, so that's good).
Just, take your doctors numbers into account and then try and smash them if you can lol. Also, sorry for the long post. I'm an aspie so sometimes I do give out what some think of as pointless info that they feel they don't need, but hopefully this did help you in some way. That was the intent, anyway.

Some people lose less, some lose more, but you lose more pounds per month the higher your BMI. I lost 23 pounds the first month, but I was also well over 300 pounds. I lost 16 pounds the second month and 17 pounds the third month and only 7 pounds the fourth month and 11 pounds the fifth. My point is... your weight loss isn't going to be steady. It'll be all over the place. And even if your numbers are smaller... every pounds adds up. I reached my goal weight in 18 months (admittedly I did have the gain back that happens during your second year leading up to your third, partially due to a med that made me gain weight, but I'm still satisfied with my weight loss which is maintaining at 186-191. I'm 189 today. But I'm also having my monthly so I'm sure it'll go down again after the fact lol. TMI, sorry.). Technically speaking I still lost over the amount that was projected for me. My lowest weight according to my surgeon's office was estimated to be around 189 pounds (where I'm today) but I got down to 175 at my lowest. It was estimated that I'd end up at 199 during the gain back period when I hit 3 years. I'm at 189 currently and my 3 year surgiversary is about 2 weeks away. So you can certainly lose more than you surgeon says, but it's very much about your own body, metabolism, and dedication. I mean, I honestly feel like I could have lost another 10-15 pounds if I'd been super strict with my diet, but I didn't feel like I could have maintained that and kept my sanity. During the weight loss phase I took that time to learn a new way to eat in a sustainable way. Being super restrictive just is not something that I can do for the rest of my life to keep off an extra 10-15 pounds. My dietician says that the way I chose to go about things is healthier and sustainable and my blood work looks great so I'm clearly getting enough nutrition with my diet and my weight has been steady and maintained for the last 6 months (for almost a year before that it maintained at 179-183, but the stupid med made me gain weight. It's been maintaining where it's at now though for 6 months, so that's good).
Just, take your doctors numbers into account and then try and smash them if you can lol. Also, sorry for the long post. I'm an aspie so sometimes I do give out what some think of as pointless info that they feel they don't need, but hopefully this did help you in some way. That was the intent, anyway.

Did they put you on Omeprazole? It had the opposite intended effect when they put me on omeprazole and it made my acid WORSE so I went back to taking famotidine (which is what I took prior to my surgery) and I have no issues with acid as long as I take 2 famotidine before I go to bed at night.

I had the Loop DS, but my stomach is a VSG stomach, if that counts? And, I'll be 3 years post op next month so I don't know if I count, but... my tip is to take the weight loss phase and use it to learn how to eat in a better and more sustainable way. Make healthier choices, but allow yourself the freedom to eat the things you want in moderation (i.e not all the time). If you start to put on weight then monitor your calories (though in year 2 you WILL put on anywhere between 5-20 pounds back on average, or so I've been told by my surgeons office. I originally put 21 pounds on due to a med I was taking and once I stopped taking the med I worked on getting the weight off and was able to lose half the weight I'd gained, but I can't get under 186 pounds no matter what I do. I'm okay with it though as long as I stay in the 180's, but if my weight creeps into the 190's I start monitoring my calories closely to see if I'm eating too much. Which I usually am lol. I cut back and the weight comes back off, but stalls once again at 186 😒).

I had the Loop DS, but my stomach is a VSG stomach, if that counts? And, I'll be 3 years post op next month so I don't know if I count, but... my tip is to take the weight loss phase and use it to learn how to eat in a better and more sustainable way. Make healthier choices, but allow yourself the freedom to eat the things you want in moderation (i.e not all the time). If you start to put on weight then monitor your calories (though in year 2 you WILL put on anywhere between 5-20 pounds back on average, or so I've been told by my surgeons office. I originally put 21 pounds on due to a med I was taking and once I stopped taking the med I worked on getting the weight off and was able to lose half the weight I'd gained, but I can't get under 186 pounds no matter what I do. I'm okay with it though as long as I stay in the 180's, but if my weight creeps into the 190's I start monitoring my calories closely to see if I'm eating too much. Which I usually am lol. I cut back and the weight comes back off, but stalls once again at 186 😒).

Due to my specific surgery I have to eat every couple of hours or my stomach gets f-ed up (if I wait to eat until I'm actually hungry then my bowels decide to punish me and I literally empty everything in there and I'm in and out of the bathroom for around an hour. And this usually happens after just a few bits of food after not eating for 7+ hours. Bright side of this is that if I get constipated I know how to solve it lol. TMI, sorry). So even if I'm not hungry, I'll munch on a rice cake. They're 50 calories and at least I'm putting something in my stomach so I don't end up angry at myself later for the stomach ache.

I had the Loop DS, but my stomach is a VSG stomach, if that counts? And, I'll be 3 years post op next month so I don't know if I count, but... my tip is to take the weight loss phase and use it to learn how to eat in a better and more sustainable way. Make healthier choices, but allow yourself the freedom to eat the things you want in moderation (i.e not all the time). If you start to put on weight then monitor your calories (though in year 2 you WILL put on anywhere between 5-20 pounds back on average, or so I've been told by my surgeons office. I originally put 21 pounds on due to a med I was taking and once I stopped taking the med I worked on getting the weight off and was able to lose half the weight I'd gained, but I can't get under 186 pounds no matter what I do. I'm okay with it though as long as I stay in the 180's, but if my weight creeps into the 190's I start monitoring my calories closely to see if I'm eating too much. Which I usually am lol. I cut back and the weight comes back off, but stalls once again at 186 😒).

I still suffer body dysmorphia and I think the loose skin doesn't help (but skin removal surgery seems like too much of a hassle because I don't like the idea of having drains. That's a no), but when I see pictures of myself now I'm always surprised at how small I look. Because when I look in the mirror I see someone a lot bigger than the person in the pictures. I don't run and hide when people take pictures anymore like I used to when I was at my absolute heaviest (417 pounds in late 2016).