NickelChip

Stalls are very normal. I am a week ahead of you surgery-wise and stalled around the same time and around the same weight (bouncing between 201 and 203 for about 3 weeks). My highest weight was also similar to your, although I had lost quite a bit before surgery, so actually my post-op loss has been much smaller. I've read that somewhere in the 3-6 month range it's common to reach a stall. It generally has nothing to do with your eating or your exercise. It's just an internal metabolic thing.
Remember, weight loss from surgery is not immediate. After the first several weeks of rapid loss, you will slow to 1-2 lbs per week, and it will take 1-2 years to stabilize. This calculator can help you figure out how many pounds you might lose at each month mark by inputting your starting weight, height, age, and other factors. https://riskcalculator.facs.org/bariatric/
And this one shows you the likely results for years 1-3: https://michiganbsc.org/DecisionTools/

I want to echo Nickel, and also point out that this is why many care teams warn you not to drink for at least 30 minutes post meal -- because the liquid will flush that meal down faster than you want it to in order to be able to absorb all those nutrients.

I'm 2 months post-op, and even though I usually try to take my time with a Protein Shake and spread it over 30-40 minutes, sometimes at work I'll realized I downed it in 15-20 and am feeling no troubles. (But heaven forbid should I try to eat anything chewable in under 35 minutes, my body will punish me immediately lol)

Wow! I really hope that's the last surgery for a while because oh my goodness you need a break! Sending healing thoughts.

Oh, and this was me yesterday after I got the incision restitched. No more preggo looking tummy!!! I still have a little swelling, but even that's gonna get better. And then the other pic is me about 10 minutes ago. I got my hair cut this morning because it's friggin too hot for long hair lol

liquid clears your stomach pouch in a matter of seconds after gastric bypass. I know this because on the morning after my surgery, I had to do a swallow test and l literally watched on the screen as my new little pouch filled with a swallow of liquid and immediately started dripping it into my small intestine. By the time I took the third swallow, the first one was no longer in my stomach pouch at all and the second one was mostly emptied, too. That's how it is supposed to be.
"Stretching out" your stomach is 99% myth for two reasons. First, at the early stage, your stomach is swollen and stiff. You couldn't stretch it out if you tried, let alone with a mere few ounces of liquid. Second, as time goes on, it's supposed to stretch a bit to allow you to eat a healthy quantity of food because you can't live on 400 calories forever. If you stick to your recommended portion sizes, eating schedule, and fill up on healthy foods, it won't be an issue. I highly recommend watching Dr. Pilcher's video about stomach stretching if you're concerned. Bottom line, most people do not actually stretch their stomachs, they learn to eat around the size restriction by grazing all day and eating high calorie junk, and then blame their "stretched" stomach for their bad behavior when they gain back all the weight.
At 8 weeks post-op, swelling has decreased and capacity is closer to what it's meant to be. Drinking 12 oz in 35 minutes is totally normal and healthy at this point. It means you are healing. Solid foods take longer to empty, so eating 3-4 oz per meal will feel very different than drinking 12 oz of Water. At 3 months post-op, I can drink 32 oz of hot Decaf tea in 30 minutes. I can eat 5-6oz yogurt/bean Soup or only 2-3 oz of chicken breast in the same amount of time. It's a function of how much your stomach has to do before it can move along.
My advice is to follow the instructions you were given with regard to your number of meals per day, quantity of food at each sitting, macros, etc. Stop when you feel fullness cues, but don't eat more just because you don't feel fullness cues, if that makes sense. You will never need more than 4 oz of chicken at a sitting, but you will likely be able to eat more than that in a year or two. Resist the temptation, and add non-starchy veg instead if you feel hungry. Build good habits now that you can stick to forever.

liquid clears your stomach pouch in a matter of seconds after gastric bypass. I know this because on the morning after my surgery, I had to do a swallow test and l literally watched on the screen as my new little pouch filled with a swallow of liquid and immediately started dripping it into my small intestine. By the time I took the third swallow, the first one was no longer in my stomach pouch at all and the second one was mostly emptied, too. That's how it is supposed to be.
"Stretching out" your stomach is 99% myth for two reasons. First, at the early stage, your stomach is swollen and stiff. You couldn't stretch it out if you tried, let alone with a mere few ounces of liquid. Second, as time goes on, it's supposed to stretch a bit to allow you to eat a healthy quantity of food because you can't live on 400 calories forever. If you stick to your recommended portion sizes, eating schedule, and fill up on healthy foods, it won't be an issue. I highly recommend watching Dr. Pilcher's video about stomach stretching if you're concerned. Bottom line, most people do not actually stretch their stomachs, they learn to eat around the size restriction by grazing all day and eating high calorie junk, and then blame their "stretched" stomach for their bad behavior when they gain back all the weight.
At 8 weeks post-op, swelling has decreased and capacity is closer to what it's meant to be. Drinking 12 oz in 35 minutes is totally normal and healthy at this point. It means you are healing. Solid foods take longer to empty, so eating 3-4 oz per meal will feel very different than drinking 12 oz of Water. At 3 months post-op, I can drink 32 oz of hot Decaf tea in 30 minutes. I can eat 5-6oz yogurt/bean Soup or only 2-3 oz of chicken breast in the same amount of time. It's a function of how much your stomach has to do before it can move along.
My advice is to follow the instructions you were given with regard to your number of meals per day, quantity of food at each sitting, macros, etc. Stop when you feel fullness cues, but don't eat more just because you don't feel fullness cues, if that makes sense. You will never need more than 4 oz of chicken at a sitting, but you will likely be able to eat more than that in a year or two. Resist the temptation, and add non-starchy veg instead if you feel hungry. Build good habits now that you can stick to forever.

Thank you for your response, I was so concerned this morning thinking I’d messed up my surgery. What you said make sense, thank you again

liquid clears your stomach pouch in a matter of seconds after gastric bypass. I know this because on the morning after my surgery, I had to do a swallow test and l literally watched on the screen as my new little pouch filled with a swallow of liquid and immediately started dripping it into my small intestine. By the time I took the third swallow, the first one was no longer in my stomach pouch at all and the second one was mostly emptied, too. That's how it is supposed to be.
"Stretching out" your stomach is 99% myth for two reasons. First, at the early stage, your stomach is swollen and stiff. You couldn't stretch it out if you tried, let alone with a mere few ounces of liquid. Second, as time goes on, it's supposed to stretch a bit to allow you to eat a healthy quantity of food because you can't live on 400 calories forever. If you stick to your recommended portion sizes, eating schedule, and fill up on healthy foods, it won't be an issue. I highly recommend watching Dr. Pilcher's video about stomach stretching if you're concerned. Bottom line, most people do not actually stretch their stomachs, they learn to eat around the size restriction by grazing all day and eating high calorie junk, and then blame their "stretched" stomach for their bad behavior when they gain back all the weight.
At 8 weeks post-op, swelling has decreased and capacity is closer to what it's meant to be. Drinking 12 oz in 35 minutes is totally normal and healthy at this point. It means you are healing. Solid foods take longer to empty, so eating 3-4 oz per meal will feel very different than drinking 12 oz of Water. At 3 months post-op, I can drink 32 oz of hot Decaf tea in 30 minutes. I can eat 5-6oz yogurt/bean Soup or only 2-3 oz of chicken breast in the same amount of time. It's a function of how much your stomach has to do before it can move along.
My advice is to follow the instructions you were given with regard to your number of meals per day, quantity of food at each sitting, macros, etc. Stop when you feel fullness cues, but don't eat more just because you don't feel fullness cues, if that makes sense. You will never need more than 4 oz of chicken at a sitting, but you will likely be able to eat more than that in a year or two. Resist the temptation, and add non-starchy veg instead if you feel hungry. Build good habits now that you can stick to forever.

liquid clears your stomach pouch in a matter of seconds after gastric bypass. I know this because on the morning after my surgery, I had to do a swallow test and l literally watched on the screen as my new little pouch filled with a swallow of liquid and immediately started dripping it into my small intestine. By the time I took the third swallow, the first one was no longer in my stomach pouch at all and the second one was mostly emptied, too. That's how it is supposed to be.
"Stretching out" your stomach is 99% myth for two reasons. First, at the early stage, your stomach is swollen and stiff. You couldn't stretch it out if you tried, let alone with a mere few ounces of liquid. Second, as time goes on, it's supposed to stretch a bit to allow you to eat a healthy quantity of food because you can't live on 400 calories forever. If you stick to your recommended portion sizes, eating schedule, and fill up on healthy foods, it won't be an issue. I highly recommend watching Dr. Pilcher's video about stomach stretching if you're concerned. Bottom line, most people do not actually stretch their stomachs, they learn to eat around the size restriction by grazing all day and eating high calorie junk, and then blame their "stretched" stomach for their bad behavior when they gain back all the weight.
At 8 weeks post-op, swelling has decreased and capacity is closer to what it's meant to be. Drinking 12 oz in 35 minutes is totally normal and healthy at this point. It means you are healing. Solid foods take longer to empty, so eating 3-4 oz per meal will feel very different than drinking 12 oz of Water. At 3 months post-op, I can drink 32 oz of hot Decaf tea in 30 minutes. I can eat 5-6oz yogurt/bean Soup or only 2-3 oz of chicken breast in the same amount of time. It's a function of how much your stomach has to do before it can move along.
My advice is to follow the instructions you were given with regard to your number of meals per day, quantity of food at each sitting, macros, etc. Stop when you feel fullness cues, but don't eat more just because you don't feel fullness cues, if that makes sense. You will never need more than 4 oz of chicken at a sitting, but you will likely be able to eat more than that in a year or two. Resist the temptation, and add non-starchy veg instead if you feel hungry. Build good habits now that you can stick to forever.

Congratulations! The first few weeks are hard. Everything is so new, and no matter how much you've read up and know the facts, the reality is enough to make you question yourself all the time. But it does get easier! And even when you make mistakes, it's not the end of the world. Use this recovery time to rest and start good habits and you'll do well!

So my surgery went successfully on 14/05/24. The first night was beyond rough, I don't think anything can prepare you for the gas pain!
It was the first time I'd been in hospital & had surgery as an adult so it was very daunting, but everything went well.
I am home now after 2 nights in the hospital, and I am feeling quite tender but I am not sure if this is just the residual gas pain, or just the feeling of overwhelming fullness when I am trying to drink water!
I am really glad it is done now, but it is a bit overwhelming to begin with!
Thank you everyone who sent me well wishes x

Stumbled on an Australian bariatric surgeon who recommended multiplying your starting weight by 0.7 to find the weight you may end up at. Again based on averages & they said their patients’ stats & not depended upon your surgery. Easy way to check versus searching for the online calculators if you’re interested.

So glad you're here!
There is so much idiocy in the medical community regarding weight and weight loss. Doctors literally know 95% of people cannot physically lose more than a small amount of their weight and keep it off, but they act like everyone can except you and they can't figure out why you're not doing it. Imagine if they told diabetics they couldn't have insulin until they used their willpower to lower their blood sugar on their own, just to prove they take it seriously.
As for your ex partner, I hope on your behalf that certain parts of his anatomy shrivel up and fall off. You deserve better, no matter what weight you are at. It's hard not to internalize that kind of abuse, but remind yourself as often as you need to that he's garbage and did you a favor by taking himself out.

I love how supportive you have been of your wife (and am sorry to hear her diabetes remains an issue). I honestly think the relationships that most often fail post-surgery are the ones that are not healthy to begin with. The effects of the weight loss just shine a light on the problems that were already there and being ignored.
Society sends the message that being overweight equals being unattractive, that you'll never find a partner unless you're slim, or that you're darn lucky if you do have someone, even if that person treats you poorly, and you'd better put up with it because you won't get anything better. None of that is actually true, of course, but sometimes losing weight is the thing that makes a person realize it and start believing they deserve a happy life.
But if a spouse is one of the "good ones," they'll take your advice to heart and end up with an even better relationship. I'm so glad that's what has happened to you and your wife!

@LindsayT Looking amazing!
Did you track your monthly weight loss totals? I'm really curious what the progression looked like for you. And has it finally slowed/stopped? I know you were nervous about losing too much.

@BlueParis I think you should try rocking the Queen Elizabeth look!
I'm glad you've gotten to the bottom of the anemia and blood pressure concerns, and hopefully addressing that will help with your temperature regulation.
I'm still losing so slowly, which is frustrating. But at least it's going the right direction again. I weighed in at 201 lbs this morning, which I also had hit a week ago but then bounced up for several days. I think the scale is just teasing me because I'm so close to being under 200. I'm trying not to let it bother me but it's hard. I'm only down 4 lbs in the past month, and only 22 since surgery, despite hitting Protein, Water, and exercise goals daily. I look forward to talking to my surgeon's office about it next week.

Thanks all for your support, it's seems silly to write to you all as relative strangers, but apart from my partner I haven't disclosed my surgery to anyone so you folks are "my people" right now!.
I'm slightly less cold this evening and had a blood test at lunch time ... (I'm not a doctor but I do work in the healthcare field and I'm actually at an EU medical conference here so got a collègue to write me a script for one). the results are through and, I am as I thought very anemic, so much so that I have an Iron infusion booked for tomorrow ( Amen to the pan european health insurance system!!) . And @LisaCaryl you also hit the spot - I have low blood pressure too - but thats not that unusual for me - doctor I spoke to said I should try and rest up a bit and take things easy.
(Sort of made me laugh because after full days of conf here I have zooms late evening with my US teams because of the time difference and also found out yesterday that I get back to Paris and then after one night have to go straight to the UK for a week for more meetings ... in my 3 months (90 days) since surgery I've had a total of 23 nights at home .... C'est la vie )
I have tomorrow and Friday to get through and then my partner is flying out for the weekend and we'll go to the islands where I hope I'll have more sun!
I'll layer up the best I can and will deffo see if when I'm in the US I can get some more thermal wear just in case I'm still feeling chilly , @RonHall908 @Noelle74 I'm sure I'll find a Parisian way to rock a hunting style! Or I could just go for a classic Elisabeth II look

The issue I have at the moment is work attire - I have to sort of dress "smart" and because I've lost weight so quickly in the last three months ( My three month "surgerversary" is tomorrow) I've gone from a european size 44 (US size 14 / UK 16 / Aus 18) to a european size 38 ( US size 8/UK 10/ Aus 12) I'm relying on wrap dresses and cardigans with tights that just aren't cutting it warmth wize. I have to upgrade my sheer tights to woollen ones and get some thermal t-shirts to wear under my dresses as per @Briss72 suggestion ( congrats at getting under 100kg @Briss72 and I'll for sure stock up on some handwarmers for my pockets).
I have a free morning tomorrow after my infusion and will see what I can buy without spending too much money as I'm still loosing weight pretty in a pretty linear way and hope it will continue for another few months so don't want to spend much on temporary clothes!
Here is my weight chart (in Kg) since surgery which I'm very happy with so far... and even with all the being cold and a bit miserable, I know this was the best choice for me and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat and regret not booking surgery earlier! The first drop from 95-91 was my presurgery diet and just after surgery my weight went up ... but it's being going down steady since - I'm just on the brink of having a normal BMI - green zone!

Now that was a very long post! Once again, thanks for everyones support, and sorry for being a bit of a negative nancy from time to time!

From 356 to 230 and still counting October of 2024 will make a year words can’t explain how I feel love the fact that I went through with it

They will create a small stomach pouch, same as in a regular bypass. But be aware that even with bypass, the ability to eat more returns over time. If it helps for comparison, though, I can tell you that at 3 months out with gastric bypass, I can eat about 3/4 c yogurt with a little bit of fruit, or 2-3 oz chicken with maybe 1/4 cup cooked veg in one sitting. In both cases, this would take me about 15 minutes to eat.

@ChunkCatDANG GIRL! You look great! I'm so sorry you're struggling with POTS. That stinks, but it sounds like you've got a plan in place to help you manage until - 2025 (so ridiculous).
I can't believe it's been almost 6 months already! I sometimes forget that I had it done (until I try to eat fast - LOL!). I'm down 77 pounds since my highest - 69 since the surgery. I still struggle with not being able to see the change (because I see my self every day), but occasionally I'll see a picture of me or see a reflection at a certain angle that makes me go... wait... a... minute! :) I'm down 2 jeans sizes (probably actually down 3 sizes because let's be honest, those 24s were STRETCHED to capacity! LOL!). I could get my 20s on a few weeks ago but I couldn't breathe, so there's that.

I did go on a cruise week before last. That was interesting. I gave myself permission to eat whatever I wanted and I found that I'm now starting to naturally lean toward healthier/smarter choices. I only gained 2.2 pounds that week and it came off very quickly.

The big news is that I've scheduled my knee surgeries!!! Getting one done in June, the other in October! I'm nervous because of the unknowns (pain after the surgery, rehab, not being able to drive, etc), but I'm more excited because I'm ready to have my life back! New body, new knees... I'm going to be unstoppable!
Can't wait to hear how everyone else is doing!

Alright guys, 6 months is upon us!! This pic is from the morning of my 6 month post op visit. I weighed in at 232 in office. That is 88 lbs since my highest weight, 75 lbs since surgery! Weirdly, I am smaller now that I was last time I was at this weight. The surgeon found this funny and said the way our bodies lose weight can be really entertaining. LOL I startled myself the other day because I pulled out my smallest clothes (the smallest I have ever been as an adult was 195) and my size 16 jeans fit, zip easily, and are huge in the waist!! That means my smallest size, a 14, will probably fit now snugly, or comfortably in another month. How insane is that?? How can I fit into clothes I had to be 30 lbs lighter to wear last time?? Magic, that's how. 😂
The surgeon estimates I'll be at around 200 lbs by my year mark, though he said if I don't get quite to 200 to not stress it. We each lose weight at our own pace and with my common channel length I can expect to lose weight (albeit much slower) through the second year and possibly into the 3rd year, though at that point it'll be 1 lb here and there. This is the upside of the duodenal switch, it is a long, slow burn. Most stabilize around 18 months to 2 years, but there are always outliers.
I feel pretty great! I had a hiatal hernia repair in mid April after I starting having issues choking on my food and pills not going down (I even ended up in the ER with it, which was awful, they don't get bariatric patients at all!!). I gained 15 lbs overnight and it took 2 weeks to get it off, so that on top of my stall for most of March really slowed my weight loss down. But that's okay, I'm reminding myself I have faith that it will come off in its own time. But man, it is hard to remember that when the scale goes up!!
In other news, my GP and bariatric surgeon both think I have POTS. I've had issues with it on and off since having a bad case of Epstein Barr Virus (mono) that put me in the hospital a few years ago. It seems every time my body gets stressed it reverts back to having symptoms and it seems it counts any surgery as a major stressor (understandably). She referred me to a specialist and my appointment is October 24th, 2025. Uhuh, 2025, not a typo. He's booking 1 1/2 years out. There are only 2 doctors in the state that specialize in it. So I'm not a happy camper... Meanwhile we are trying a low dose of a beta blocker to see if it helps with the dizziness when I change positions, the racing heart rate when standing/exerting myself, and the exercise intolerance... And doing the lifestyle things like compression leggings, increasing salt and Fluid intake, etc... It seems that a lot of Long Covid patients end up having POTS too. Have you looked into this @SomeBigGuy ?? How are you doing? How is everyone else doing??

No, I haven’t seen it! I’ll try that. I have a huge sweet tooth. Ty!
@NickelChip love my air fryer, I use it for everything! You should definitely get one once you figure out which one you want .

Congratulations! And you are both looking really good!

Oh wow, French onion dip is my downfall. That sounds so delicious.
I had some big reusable parfait cups in my cupboard with two sections to them, where you could do your yogurt and berries in the big section and then keep your granola or nuts in the other to keep them crisp until the last minute. I used 4 of these to portion out the blended container of cottage cheese dip into 4 servings with about 8oz of carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, red peppers, and tomatoes. Turns out that for an evening snack, I actually can only eat half. Which is fine. That gives me a week's worth of veg already prepped. Once the ranch dip is used up, I'm doing French onion! And I'm going to try those pepperoni chips. I also want to make some kale chips. Those are so tasty. I need an air fryer. I think I want to replace my toaster oven with one that has the air fryer built in, but I keep waffling on which brand to get.

Today marks five years since my sleeve surgery. Yay! I look in the mirror & think yep, best decision. I easily snuggle with my 6yr old nephew in a lounge chair & I think yep, best decision. I can jump, dance, walk, skip, scoot up stairs, … and I think, yep, best decision. The potential for health problems are further away & less likely to occur & I think yep, best decision….You get the idea.
I’m thankful it’s all gone pretty smoothly. Sure I have some fun & games with the foamies but I had a sensitive, quirky tummy before surgery & I still do so nothing all that different just how it manifests 😉. Sure I have some loose skin. It doesn’t affect what I want to do or wear so unimportant. I’m thankful I have a supportive GP who when I asked about surgery said yes without judgement & wrote the referral right away & continues to be interested in my progress. I’m thankful the doctor who does my follow ups is equally supportive. I have my 6 month check up with her next Monday which hopefully will go well again. It’s become more of a chat & catch up the last couple of years.
Apart from the medication issue which caused a small weight gain (a good 2+kg/5lb) a couple of years ago which when sorted saw that gain disappear. I sit at the same fluctuation I did when my weight first stabilised: 48.5 - 49..5kg (though usually a high of 49.3 these days).
I often think of the AA mantra of it works if you work it & you’re worth it. It really resonates. It works because I work it every day & I’m worth it.