Smanky

It’s a strange one, because I can now fit into some size US8/AU12 clothes which was always my “goal size”, yet I’m still 4kg from my goal weight. I could stop now and do maintenance and be perfectly happy. Weight loss is very slow at this point. But I personally still want to lose this final 4. If I can’t, however, I won’t be disappointed. My results have been better than I could have hoped.

Sounds like your doctor has faith in you since you originally went from 400 to 170 lbs. That is a huge accomplishment. Despite the weight gain, you are still way ahead in the weightloss game being 135 lbs down. Maybe he suggested the 10 day liquid diet to try to get you back on track. Similar to the post-op diets, kind of like a reset. I know resets can't shrink your stomach but it does reset some people mentally and they can go back to the dedication they had early post-op and continue doing whatever they did to be so successful before.

Also, since you have Vitamin deficiencies, maybe he feels you having a revision would not be a safe thing right now. I think you seeing your pcp is a good thing to address or exclude any other health problem that may be causing you to gain weight.

If you really want a revision and he is unwilling, perhaps get a second opinion.

How much is from pre existing conditions? Or hadn’t been picked up previously like the dentist who said his x rays are more detailed now. If we’re honest for many of us our diet before surgery wasn’t the best & potential for dental issues as a result is great. (The stats on children who drink lots of soda & tooth decay is frightening.) And many don’t regularly see their dentist for many reasons.
Genetics is a big factor. My brother has never had a filling in his life. He’s 52 & also obese (always battled with his weight just like I did). His dentist tells him he’d go broke if every patient was like my brother.
Acid from reflux or gerd will cause damage to the tooth enamel not fillings. I was diagnosed with reflux more than 20yrs ago admittedly not a severe case & I managed a lot of it with dietary changes. Mind you I know I experienced reflux symptoms from a teenager so 40 odd years ago. I often get my dentist to check extra carefully for any acid damage & none has been found yet though he did say I had a little wear recently but said it was more like what occurs with age. (Yeah that made me feel great.) If you do have issues with reflux & gerd you need to speak with your doctor or surgeon.
I think you need to find a new dentist @Erin18. One who is reliable.
I immediately thought of the Dr Who episode too (Partners in Crime) with the space babies formed from human fat @Nepenthe44. Remember thinking when I first saw it if only those Adipose pills were real. 😆😆

I don't think Keto is any more a fad diet than is the diet recommended to post surgical bariatric patients. They both have specific purposes and are (or were) very effective for their original purposes. The keto diet was originally developed a long time ago as a specific treatment for severe epilepsy. At the time, before antiepileptic drugs, it worked very well in controlling symptoms. The problem is that it became popular for weight loss and it's probably not the healthiest way to eat long term. That said, I think the same thing is true for the post-surgical bariatric diet. It's a diet developed for a specific purpose and it works well for that, but it's not really a healthy way to eat for the general population.
The reason we eat a Protein forward diet is for a few reasons:
Protein helps preserve as much muscle as possible while eating a low calorie or very low calorie diet. This helps keep your metabolism as high as possible so you burn more calories at rest. A carb forward diet (or even a more balanced diet), would cause your body to burn less fat at any given time because carbs are easily burned for energy, whereas protein is not. Protein (actually the amino acids in protein), are essential to your bodies proper functioning, whereas consumption of fat or carbs is not nearly as important. Protein is even more important when healing, thus it's critical post-surgery. The reason the medical community focuses on protein for bariatric surgery patients is due to the above. It's not because protein is actually "healthier". It's just because we are so restricted in what we can eat, thus tradeoffs must be made. I think most doctors would agree that once a bariatric surgery patient can eat more, they should not eat more protein, but instead should work to add healthy fats and carbs ASAP in the form of more whole foods.
The general consensus in the medical community is that the healthiest diet is one that starts with lots of fruits and vegetables, has very little processed food, and a lot less meat than what most American or Western Europeans eat.

Re: losing teeth and TikTok. It's TikTok. Who's saying this? First hand post WLS patients with first-hand knowledge, or the Body Positivity/Fat Liberation/HAES crowd who have a vested interest in putting others off weightloss? I've never heard of the teeth thing. It sounds very much like scare-mongering BS to me, and that it's coming from TikTok raises one mighty red flag. You'll likely have some temporary Hair loss, but losing teeth? Never heard of such a thing in terms of a WLS side effect.
Re: the easy way out. People again often have an ulterior motive, or are projecting their own issues when they double down on the whole "easy way out" myth. I have never dieted harder and changed my lifestyle more diligently than I have after WLS. WE do the hard work counting calories and watching macros and exercising. The surgery simply makes it next to impossible to fall off the wagon. Do people who insist it's the easy way imagine it's ... what? Like the tooth fairy? Fat is taken away by the blessed pixies every night as we still eat whatever we like? It's ignorance, or in the case of people who want to argue and not accept the truth: willful stupidity. And they're not people worth having around.
Some people also just project their own insecurities and that will manifest as a nasty little emotion called envy. You'll find these people in both the above camps.

I ordered some boots that come up to mid calf (normal width) and they FIT! Like a glove!! 🥹

This is the premis of a particularly charming episode of Doctor Who! (Well, it's actually one of those sorts of things that's horrifying when you really think about it.) But the equivalent of the fat-taking blessed pixies are painfully cute.

While I wouldn't call it "weird", as this topic asks (and I can't find a regular-NSV thread):
My rosacea has gone! It literally vanished about six days out of hospital, and hasn't come back. My skin hasn't been this clear in a LONG time, and I can't recall the last time my face was the same colour as my neck.
Was not expecting this bonus, as I have reactive skin, but I am thrilled.

I relate to this SO much. I look back at my lost 30s and 40s and just wish to god I'd had this surgery back then.

Just had to reset my phone Face ID….

Fit in to my boots that are normal calf width! They have been gathering dust since 2019 😬

I put on some clothes yesterday and looked in the mirror and I had an hour glass type figure. It was nice and I don't remember the last time I had an hour glass figure.

Post op day 4 is very early on.
I knew someone who got seriously hurt for going off course. So, I usually try to remind everyone who goes off program in the early days that post op diets aren't about weightloss but safety. You don't want to end up with a leak like she did. It takes your stomach 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Stay safe. If no harm was done, as others said, live and learn.

Yeah, it's the longest minute ever!

This. I've been relying on Protein Water since surgery as a two-for-one method for getting in protein and fluids. Couldn't manage without it!

I'm like you, I'd much rather "play" for fitness. I created a list of sports I want to try. Now this is my list and some you may hate the idea of, but perhaps some of them might appeal to you:
Archery Backpacking Boxing Disk Golf Fencing Golf Hang Gliding Kayaking Kitesurfing Martial arts Mountain biking Mud runs Orienteering Parkour Pilates Powerlifting Racquetball Repelling Rock climbing Rowing Sailing Scuba Diving Skiing – cross country Skiing – downhill Snorkeling Snowboarding Snowkiting Snowmobiling Squash Stand-up Paddle Boarding Swimming Tennis Trail Running Ultimate Frisbee Volleyball Windsurfing Yoga

I have an arthritic back and a bum knee so walking long distances is difficult for me without a rollator or cane. This is how I get my exercise when I'm not at the YMCA pool. "Alinker" walking tricycles are powered by our feet, not pedals or motor. I try to do at least a mile or more daily--on pavement, not gravel! My cat often runs with me around my neighborhood and my friend's little dog sometimes runs with her or rides in her basket.
I’ve had mine for almost two years. I got mine before I started my weight loss journey even though I was well over the recommended weight limit. At first I could only go about 50 feet and my heart would be pounding and I’d be short of breath. There is a steep learning curve. In the beginning they are NOT EASY to ride. but people with Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, amputations & paralysis can use them successfully. I decided so can I! Now I can go 2 1/2 miles at one time but usually go about a mile. I tend to run rather than walk on the level but it's hard work to go up hills! I can go up moderate rises, but if the hill is steep I stand up and walk it or get off and push it. It gets easier with practice. I rode two miles today including a couple of hills. It’s a lot of fun, especially when my cat runs with me. My friend and I are planning to run a 5k next spring with the trikes. I haven't traveled with mine yet but my friend has. She rides hers right up to the jetway at airports and gate-checks it. Alinkers are mobility devices and are permitted anywhere wheelchairs can go. Unfortunately, they are expensive, about $2600 in the US, but they do have a rent-to-own and crowdfunding programs. Sometimes used ones can be found on eBay and elsewhere. A good 2-wheel bicycle is expensive, too, and electric ones are even more pricey. For more information visit the website at alinker.com and Alinker on YouTube. They have a member-only Facebook page also.

Pre-surgery, I bought a second-hand 90s leather jacket and tucked it away for myself for when I finally reached a size US8 (AU12). Tried it on today and it's a perfect fit. It's amazing that this day is finally here! It's the jacket of my dreams and you bet I'm gonna wear it out today. 😎

I was a chain smoker for most of my adult life, and only managed to finally quit 3 years ago, so I totally get the addiction. Its hooks run deep. Even 3 years quit, my surgeon was adamant that I not only never touch it again, but also avoid passive smoking because of the risk of ulcers. And I developed one a mere week after I went of Pantoprazole 3 months after surgery, and... yeah, it's a real good idea to avoid getting one! They're not fun. So it's a great extra deterrent.
Have a chat to your team, they may recommend something to help you quit. After years using the Patches, they stopped being effective so I had my GP put me on Champix, and it worked. Yeah, you get wild dreams and that puts a lot of people off, and the nausea is unpleasant, but both were worth the result for me. Best of luck with whatever you do.

no - a lot of people do not have these issues. Although it can happen, it doesn't seem to be a common thing. I've been on this site over seven years, and have seen maybe two posts from people who are having tooth issues. I also talked to my dentist about this before I had surgery, and he said although he'd read about it in the professional literature, he's never seen it in his patients who've had WLS.
my dentist said decay is usually caused by acid, and the people who have these issues are likely frequent vomiters or have untreated GERD. I was still freaked out about it, so he prescribed a super high-fluoride toothpaste for me to use before going to bed, and he also puts a fluoride varnish on my teeth every six months. To be honest, I think he probably did this just to placate me because I was so worried about it.
if you stay on top of your supplements, take care of your teeth, and have regular dental checkups, you'll likely be fine.

I had a lot of NSVs since I had my surgery in January 22:
1. I recently bought a mountain bike and I've been riding it every night around my house. The longest distance I've complete was 8 KM on a slightly hilly area 😀. The last time I was able to ride a bike was 25 years ago
2. I had to get rid of all my old clothes since it does fit me anymore (I kept one shirt and pants to remind myself of how much I used to weigh). Went down from size 52" pant to size 38" in less than 8 months.
3. I bought a lot of fitting T-shirts, pants and even shorts from the regular size section of department store. Had to buy new shoes also since my old ones don't fit any more

Today I was able to get my middle finger and thumb to touch around my wrist. I have pretty short fingers and haven't been able to do this in years.

Also, today I gave all my biggest fall and winter coats to Ukranian refugees. I don't need them anymore.

Go to the doctor. The dark sticky poop may mean you're bleeding somewhere in your stomach/intestines. GERD is just acid in the esophagus, which burns and feels uncomfortable, but doesn't include 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 or 9. I suffered from it acutely for the best part of two decades before WLS.
Hiatal hernias can definitely make you feel uncomfortably full, short of breath and very burpy.
But go to a doctor asap. No one on here will be able to do much beyond guess and that won't help anyway.

You simply can't escape at least some scars after getting your body to that stage of excess weight, and having loose skin is one of those scars. Your body had to make that excess skin over years, and it can't just retract like a rubber band, unfortunately. Factors like age and how much weight you've lost will inform how much you have, but the best thing people can do is make peace with it, especially if, like myself, they'll never be able to afford plastic surgery to get rid of it.
You can help support your skin with Vitamin intake, hydration and creams, but honestly, that won't stop it from happening. I do those things to keep my skin as healthy as possible, but I'm under no illusions that it's ever going to spring back. I did this to myself, so I accept that there's a price.
The upside: loose skin is easily hidden with clothes and that's waaaaay easier when you don't feel the heat as badly as you once did!

You simply can't escape at least some scars after getting your body to that stage of excess weight, and having loose skin is one of those scars. Your body had to make that excess skin over years, and it can't just retract like a rubber band, unfortunately. Factors like age and how much weight you've lost will inform how much you have, but the best thing people can do is make peace with it, especially if, like myself, they'll never be able to afford plastic surgery to get rid of it.
You can help support your skin with Vitamin intake, hydration and creams, but honestly, that won't stop it from happening. I do those things to keep my skin as healthy as possible, but I'm under no illusions that it's ever going to spring back. I did this to myself, so I accept that there's a price.
The upside: loose skin is easily hidden with clothes and that's waaaaay easier when you don't feel the heat as badly as you once did!