Smanky

I too have lost weight many, many times but every single time I put the weight back on. So can you lose weight without surgery? Yes. The real question is can you keep it off. I always went back to eating the same way as soon as a diet was over so of course I put the weight back on. I also messed up my metabolic rate by doing those very low calorie diets too many times & practising meal skipping to ‘manage’ my weight. The surgery gave me time to change everything about what, why & when I ate, my habits & whole relationship with food.
It was the best thing I ever did. I lost all my weight & more & have pretty much maintained that weight. Has it restricted my life in any way? No.
Now some truths about weight loss surgery. The average weight loss after bypass or sleeve surgery is about 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier weight range. Some lose less & some more. A lot of this is because of the new set point the surgery gives you (the new weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain). Everyones set point is different & it may not be a low weight. Some lose less because a higher weight & new eating style better complements them & how they want to live their life. It may be because of age, gender, genetics, health issues, medications, personal choices, complacency, life events, bounce back regain, etc.
The long term success of the surgery depends upon you & the changes you make to your eating, relationship with food & the head work you need to do to understand & manage those factors.
It certainly is worth a conversation with the surgeon & then you will be better informed to make your decision. In the end, you are the only one who truely knows your self, your situation & lifestyle & your weight loss/gain history. All the best whatever you decide.

I stalled week 2 and then stalled frequently the entire way (I honestly lost count of how many stalls I had). It's frustrating, but all you can do is stick to the plan, be patient, distract yourself and stay off the scale. It will break when your body is ready, and sometimes that's a week, sometimes it's many weeks. I know it sucks when it's happening, but it's a normal part of the process.

Yep, I had a hiatal hernia repair with my bypass. It was unexpected - I had no idea I had one (but in hindsight it explained a lot!) and neither did my surgeon until he got in there. My hernia was a large one, and had been forming for a long, long time apparently 😬. I honestly felt like I'd been hit by a truck for a good two weeks after surgery. My incisions were fine, but my insides took time to settle down. I slept with a pillow protecting my abdomen for a while. Pain medication kept it manageable, though.
Once healed it was all smooth sailing though. Just gotta weather those first weeks while you're healing.

This was the best thing I have ever done for myself. A true act of self love and discipline. With no regrets at all.
I used to kind of roll my eyes when people would say weight lost “journey”. But it’s truly what it is.
Loosing the weight gave me energy and confidence that I can’t even describe.
An old friend reach out to me, as she is about to start her journey, after recommending this app I started going through my old posts. I just want to say this community is an amazing place and I am forever grateful.
VSG: 3.14.18
Highest weight: 285
Surgery weight: 248
Current weight: 175


I love the new me 💕

You are very wise and are doing all the right things. At our age we cant rush into exercise or anything for that matter. I took a while to get my stamina back. It took me 8 months to eat enough calories to exercise. Now I feel like a Spring [well winter] chicken. A new life start
How good does it feel to weigh a hundred pounds less than before. I was on cloud nine for days

Hi, certified vegan bypasser here! 🤓 It's totally doable, and I've had no issues at all hitting my Protein goals both with and without vegan protein Water. The protein water has been a big help, but honestly, even if I wasn't vegan I'd still be using the protein water as there are days when I just want to eat vegetables and don't want to deal with heavy seitans.
Speaking of, seitan (wheat meat/faux meats) are the best source of high protein I've found. The best ones can be sourced from good Chinese grocers in the freezer section. If you have a Trader Joes or Wholefoods near you, I expect they'd have a great vegan section. Some examples of the protein counts in the seitans I have access to:
Chinese supermarket Not Pork 100g serve = 165 cal, 21g protein
Chinese supermarket Not Duck 100g serve = 150 cal, 19g protein
Princess G brand "Crispy G" 100g serve = 266 cal, 17g protein
Sayur Not Pork 100g serve = 155 cal, 21g protein

Lamyong is another great faux meat brand. But if you can't source good faux meats, good old tofu comes through:

Firm Tofu (½ cup/126g) = 181 cal, 21.8g protein

Marinate that tofu in something delicious, and fry it up with some asian greens!

Some mung bean pastas are high in protein. Not the nicest wheat Pasta substitute, but with a nice tangy Tomato sauce and a little vegan Parmesan, it's acceptable. Also check the nutritional info on the back of Gardein products, I think they're pretty easy to find.

Soy milk has about 8g of protein per serve, so that's another way of slipping some extra protein in, especially if you can tolerate Protein Shakes. Protein fortified soy milk (10g per serve) in a plant based Protein Shake gives me a whopping 40g of protein in one go, so again, on days when I'm just craving vegetables, I can do a shake for Breakfast and a protein water or two throughout the day and easily hit my goals.

Some vegetables are also higher in protein, like edamame, but I honestly just stick with protein water and seitans, as that's what I enjoy.

Hope that helps!

Also goodwill/op-shop fan! All my favourite clothing items are thrifted. I absolutely bought an incentive item - a vintage 1990s leather jacket in a size AU12 (US 8). It felt super risky because of ALL the years of buying something "to fit into when I lose weight" only to never lose said weight, so even with surgery I still had that doubt programmed into my brain. However, I was able to fit into it when I was around the 80kg mark, and now it's big enough that I can wear a jumper underneath with ease. I adore it!
However, while losing, I bought second-hand/thrifted jeans off ebay. No point spending money when you're losing, it's like spending top dollar on toddlers clothing! Waste of money because the window of time you can wear inbetween sizes is like... a month or two? Plus you can pass them all back to goodwill afterwards.
I bought a small pair of trousers from one thrift store that were much too small just before I hit goal. They now fit with room to spare! This is the one that shocked me, I thought I'd never get into them and was prepared to send them on!

WLS is a "hard way" of losing weight. The notion that it's "the easy way out" or a "magic wand" is pure ignorance. WLS is just a tool and it's still a life-long adjustment to a healthier way of eating, and it still includes exercise and calorie counting. Your husband (along with many others in society!) needs to understand this. If he's resistant to understanding that, then there's other stuff at play behind his anti-WLS stance. I would also question why "the hard way" is so essential? Why is that so important, versus choosing an alternative route that gets results? Why is the journey being a difficult one so essential here? Again, the surgery option is plenty difficult, but just trying to unpack the logic behind his stance.
My partner was initially unhappy with my choice, until I finally broke down and really let him know how utterly miserable I was in my morbidly obese body. I had tried "the hard way" all my life and failed. He very quickly changed his stance and got on board, and has been a great support since.
And he can see the change in me not just physically but mentally. I am happy again. I have my sex-drive back. I want to go out again. It's not just weight loss. Your husband needs to know that. And surely he wants that for you? If not... again, there's other stuff going on in that case.
I'm sorry you're having a hard time with him over this. It's stressful enough without added emotional strain. I hope he can open his eyes and get on board for your health and happiness.

pretty normal fear - I'm guessing most of us had similar thoughts before going under the knife.
However, the mortality rate on RNY is 0.3%. Those are actually excellent odds - lots of common surgeries - like hip replacement surgeries, for example - are less safe than RNY. Years ago weight loss surgeries were pretty risky, but they're just not anymore. Techniques have changed, and they're so common it's almost become a routine surgery. Anyway, at those odds, you have a 99.7% chance of sailing through just fine - and you will.
your chances of a premature death by staying obese are actually much greater than dying from the surgery.

Yeah, I'm unlikely to be able to afford skin removal surgery. I'll try saving and see how I go, as I'd certainly take that option if it was available to me, but I'm also realistic and refuse to hang my contentment on a surgery that may or may not happen. I like myself just fine now, loose skin and all!
Sure, I could probably escape on a strong gust of wind like a sugar-glider, but I'm calling that my superpower. 🙃

Yep, I had a hiatal hernia repair with my bypass. It was unexpected - I had no idea I had one (but in hindsight it explained a lot!) and neither did my surgeon until he got in there. My hernia was a large one, and had been forming for a long, long time apparently 😬. I honestly felt like I'd been hit by a truck for a good two weeks after surgery. My incisions were fine, but my insides took time to settle down. I slept with a pillow protecting my abdomen for a while. Pain medication kept it manageable, though.
Once healed it was all smooth sailing though. Just gotta weather those first weeks while you're healing.

I easily hit all my Protein goals with protein fortified soy milk (which I used for unsweetened matcha lattes), scrambled or marinated tofu, and shakes/protein Water during the soft-food phase. It's such a short period of time, you're not going to become deficient before more options are available to you. The post-op Vitamins will certainly help with that anyway.
I was still having Protein Shakes post-op, which I loathed and switched out for vegan protein water which was a nice double-up towards protein and water goals and a lot easier to stomach. I still use protein water to this day.
Tofu, edamame, mung Beans etc can all be turned into nutritious Soups during the puree and soft food stages, before you're able to eat solid foods like seitan. Soy based yoghurt also has a good protein count.

I easily hit all my Protein goals with protein fortified soy milk (which I used for unsweetened matcha lattes), scrambled or marinated tofu, and shakes/protein Water during the soft-food phase. It's such a short period of time, you're not going to become deficient before more options are available to you. The post-op Vitamins will certainly help with that anyway.
I was still having Protein Shakes post-op, which I loathed and switched out for vegan protein water which was a nice double-up towards protein and water goals and a lot easier to stomach. I still use protein water to this day.
Tofu, edamame, mung Beans etc can all be turned into nutritious Soups during the puree and soft food stages, before you're able to eat solid foods like seitan. Soy based yoghurt also has a good protein count.

Give yourself space and time to heal. It's 3 weeks. At the size most of us are/were at surgery, weight loss ISN'T visible until months after. I know it's hard, but try to block out the voices of others, it's not helpful. Concentrate on healing, be patient, focus on the plan and distract yourself where possible. You'll be experiencing non-scale-victories frequently, so enjoy those as they come.
I honestly didn't get any "you're looking smaller" comments until a good 3/4 months after surgery. I was 130kg and wore my weight from head to toe, so even a ten kilogram loss wasn't a big visual change at that stage.

I easily hit all my Protein goals with protein fortified soy milk (which I used for unsweetened matcha lattes), scrambled or marinated tofu, and shakes/protein Water during the soft-food phase. It's such a short period of time, you're not going to become deficient before more options are available to you. The post-op Vitamins will certainly help with that anyway.
I was still having Protein Shakes post-op, which I loathed and switched out for vegan protein water which was a nice double-up towards protein and water goals and a lot easier to stomach. I still use protein water to this day.
Tofu, edamame, mung Beans etc can all be turned into nutritious Soups during the puree and soft food stages, before you're able to eat solid foods like seitan. Soy based yoghurt also has a good protein count.

I easily hit all my Protein goals with protein fortified soy milk (which I used for unsweetened matcha lattes), scrambled or marinated tofu, and shakes/protein Water during the soft-food phase. It's such a short period of time, you're not going to become deficient before more options are available to you. The post-op Vitamins will certainly help with that anyway.
I was still having Protein Shakes post-op, which I loathed and switched out for vegan protein water which was a nice double-up towards protein and water goals and a lot easier to stomach. I still use protein water to this day.
Tofu, edamame, mung Beans etc can all be turned into nutritious Soups during the puree and soft food stages, before you're able to eat solid foods like seitan. Soy based yoghurt also has a good protein count.

You sure do look younger! Look at that bone structure!
It's amazing seeing cheekbones and jaw contours previously hidden, isn't it? I'm still startled by my mine.

I lost 110 pounds before anyone commented, and then, all of a sudden, the opposite — people would not shut up about my weight! I was not happy about that because I’m a private person and didn’t want to discuss it. The timing corresponded to when I bought new pants because my old ones were falling off, even with a belt, so if you want people to notice, some new clothes might help. But don’t worry, people will start to notice!
I’ve seen people talk about weight loss as being like using a roll of paper towels. Take 10 sheets off a full roll and you can barely tell, but take 10 sheets from an almost empty roll and it makes a big difference.

I spent the better part of my 40s as a self-hating shut-in who avoided going out, hated photos taken of me, and wanted to vanish when my skinny partner would introduce anyone to me. I missed out on a decade of life. Yeah, I would comfort eat, but that's the vicious cycle. Overeat - gain weight - feel miserable - eat more - gain weight. food was never my friend pre-surgery, despite the fact that I ran to it for comfort.
Now that I'm on the other side I am happy, I have my life back again, I love going out, will photo-bomb anyone anytime, and my partner has been teased more than once that he's "punching above his weight" when I'm introduced as his partner (they would not have said that a year and a half ago!). Food IS my friend now, because I've changed my relationship with it. I enjoy nourishing food, and will absolutely eat a couple of bites of something traditionally "naughty" as an occasional treat without guilt. A couple of bites is all I want now. It's been a lot of hard work, but absolutely worth it.
Best distraction I found as the weight started coming off was moving. Started walking, then riding a bike. Even getting up and cleaning. And as others have suggested, if you have an emotional attachment to food, bariatric therapy is recommended.

I spent the better part of my 40s as a self-hating shut-in who avoided going out, hated photos taken of me, and wanted to vanish when my skinny partner would introduce anyone to me. I missed out on a decade of life. Yeah, I would comfort eat, but that's the vicious cycle. Overeat - gain weight - feel miserable - eat more - gain weight. food was never my friend pre-surgery, despite the fact that I ran to it for comfort.
Now that I'm on the other side I am happy, I have my life back again, I love going out, will photo-bomb anyone anytime, and my partner has been teased more than once that he's "punching above his weight" when I'm introduced as his partner (they would not have said that a year and a half ago!). Food IS my friend now, because I've changed my relationship with it. I enjoy nourishing food, and will absolutely eat a couple of bites of something traditionally "naughty" as an occasional treat without guilt. A couple of bites is all I want now. It's been a lot of hard work, but absolutely worth it.
Best distraction I found as the weight started coming off was moving. Started walking, then riding a bike. Even getting up and cleaning. And as others have suggested, if you have an emotional attachment to food, bariatric therapy is recommended.

I spent the better part of my 40s as a self-hating shut-in who avoided going out, hated photos taken of me, and wanted to vanish when my skinny partner would introduce anyone to me. I missed out on a decade of life. Yeah, I would comfort eat, but that's the vicious cycle. Overeat - gain weight - feel miserable - eat more - gain weight. food was never my friend pre-surgery, despite the fact that I ran to it for comfort.
Now that I'm on the other side I am happy, I have my life back again, I love going out, will photo-bomb anyone anytime, and my partner has been teased more than once that he's "punching above his weight" when I'm introduced as his partner (they would not have said that a year and a half ago!). Food IS my friend now, because I've changed my relationship with it. I enjoy nourishing food, and will absolutely eat a couple of bites of something traditionally "naughty" as an occasional treat without guilt. A couple of bites is all I want now. It's been a lot of hard work, but absolutely worth it.
Best distraction I found as the weight started coming off was moving. Started walking, then riding a bike. Even getting up and cleaning. And as others have suggested, if you have an emotional attachment to food, bariatric therapy is recommended.

I spent the better part of my 40s as a self-hating shut-in who avoided going out, hated photos taken of me, and wanted to vanish when my skinny partner would introduce anyone to me. I missed out on a decade of life. Yeah, I would comfort eat, but that's the vicious cycle. Overeat - gain weight - feel miserable - eat more - gain weight. food was never my friend pre-surgery, despite the fact that I ran to it for comfort.
Now that I'm on the other side I am happy, I have my life back again, I love going out, will photo-bomb anyone anytime, and my partner has been teased more than once that he's "punching above his weight" when I'm introduced as his partner (they would not have said that a year and a half ago!). Food IS my friend now, because I've changed my relationship with it. I enjoy nourishing food, and will absolutely eat a couple of bites of something traditionally "naughty" as an occasional treat without guilt. A couple of bites is all I want now. It's been a lot of hard work, but absolutely worth it.
Best distraction I found as the weight started coming off was moving. Started walking, then riding a bike. Even getting up and cleaning. And as others have suggested, if you have an emotional attachment to food, bariatric therapy is recommended.

I've recently updated my profile photo on social media (Facebook and Instagram) and I got so many comments on how my face looks different in both photos and how much younger I look now. A lot of people have told me the same thing in person as well. I've always considered my face shape to be round but now it is more like an oval. Here is a before and after photo. I certainly lost the cheeks and double-chin 🤣

Would love to see your face before and after photos also.

Sorry, I know this comment isn’t helpful, but THANK GOD i had a hysterectomy.