Search the Community

Hey guys! So far everything is going good. I had a RNY on the 10th of April and lost 80 pounds so far! I am also starting to see a huge difference in myself. More energy, feeling more happy and confident. I have also started to see difference in my skin... it feels less tight but I hoping it is just taking time to adjust as I know it takes longer for the skin to shrink. There are some weeks where I might lose 0.5 kg and others where I can lose 3kg bit the main thing is that it is a downward trend. Overall, I am happy I got the surgery.

I love what mom said that is so true we can be hard on ourselves....in other bariatric groups I belong too, I noticed a mindset amongst many that they were never satisfied. I will not be adopting that mindset and was glad I could listen in on groups early post op...I feel it's so unhealthy to never be satisfied with weight loss. Once I obtain my goal weight f**k it I am then in "maintenance" mode and I will allow myself 10 pound fluctuation. I'm not interested in loosing more after the goal weight. *it's unreal how much poop in the colon weighs..3,5, 10 pounds lighter

Tomorrow will be a year since surgery, I've lost 62 lbs since the surgery, a total of 100 lbs since the beginning of the journey. This started for me with gastroparesis, hiatal hernia, and bile acid reflux with normal GERD. All of that is now better and other than a slight hiccup (hernia repair in November) I've done very well. Overall the first few weeks are still a blur, and life just got easier as the months passed. I continued to walk and work out, and the difference is amazing. My feet feel better, my back feels better. I have plantar fasciitis, and have had spinal fusion at 2 levels, so that is an incredible relief, the pain is much more manageable now. I used to get relief only from NSAIDs, now tylenol works well. My prediabetic situation is now gone, my A1C went from a 6 to a 5.2. I've recently discovered I can have a bit of chocolate or regular cookies, any more than a bit and I'll have sweating, nausea, etc. It's not that bad for me, but not pleasant which is actually helpful. I can eat anything I want to, but I don't feel driven to eat the things I know I shouldn't eat. Head hunger is a thing but I deal with it by eating protein and if it doesn't taste good, I'm not physically hungry. Not to say I haven't had a few slippery slope moments, I have, but it's much easier to get back into the good habits now that I've been doing it for a year. I just feel like myself again, physically I feel normal again, and that is life altering. I wear stupid cute clothes, mostly thrifted because I didn't know where I would land, but I think I'm there now. I loved trying different styles and colors from what I've been wearing, and now I'm back to my style, just different sizes. I wear softer colors, loose and comfortable styles, and I just feel good. I have to say that this site, and the people on here that take the time to answer questions and discuss the experience has been extremely helpful, so thank you!!!! Happy New Year everyone!

same. i make a mean, super duper sweet filipino milk flan. i limit myself to like a single bite or two at a time but i will say its a hit at parties. FILIPINO LECHE FLAN: INGREDIENTS 10 room temperature egg yolks ( i usually use the unused egg whites to make a palvova or almond cookies or macarons) 1 can condensed milk 1 can evaporated milk 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) 1 tsp fresh lime juice 1/2 cup sugar DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 melt sugar in bottom of pans whisk egg yolks add condensed milk, stir until combined add evaporated milk, vanilla and optional lime & mix well (slowly so no air bubbles) pour mixture through cheesecloth or sieve to remove any undissolved bits pour into pans tap the pans onto hard surface to remove any bubbles cover pans loosely with foil put pans into a roasting pan then fill roasting pan with water until reaches halfway up the flan pans bake 35-40 mins until set (firm but still jiggly) let cool and put in fridge for at least 3 hours remove from pan by placing a plate on top and carefully flipping over to release to goodness lol

I got my revision to gastric bypass back in Jan 2024 and loss total of 78 lbs from 273lbs, now 195lbs. However on surgery date I was 250lbs. So 55lbs weight loss after surgery. I consider 55 lbs weight loss to be slow weight loss after 10 months. And to mention I’ve been going to the gym for the pass 6 months and average 3 hours weekly work out time. Not just regular gym work out… I joined orange theory and also workout classes in hot sauna room. A lot of HIIT workouts. The past 3-4 months I’ve been struggling to loss more. I would loss 3 lbs and plateau for a month and then gain back 3-4 lbs within a few days… it’s been this cycle for a while now. I have to admit that I am eating more compare to right after the surgery, but still not the amount that I am binging and eating too much. I would say 5-8 oz depends how hungry I am. On days I go to the gym, I am more hungry. I still control fat and sugar intake. I eat protein more than carb. I don’t drink with my meals. My nutritionist said maybe my body is trying to stabilize my weight loss, and I might lose weight at a more slow rate now. If this continue then I will have to speak with him again. I know my weight loss is very slow, but I feel that my size is going down tho. I am now size 12 M/L from 22 XXL, sometime I even fit in size small… which is funny to me, because I took my family’s old clothing when they were size M they weight 160lbs, but I am 195lbs. I do have some excess skin and it’s getting bothersome. Clothes just don’t fit properly and I feel trap in this body…I still don’t feel like myself even after losing almost 80lbs. My size might not seem big, but my weight is still high. I want to reach my goal weight of 100lbs weight loss at 175lbs. At the moment I have plastic surgeries in the back of my mind and I can’t wait to reach my goal and get it done, but I am afraid I don’t reach my goal… the past 3-4 months I am just maintaining the same weight. Sorry I am rambling, but I want to hear how long it takes for all of you to get to your weight stabilizing stage? How do you know for sure you reached your lowest weight?

I just got my seatbelt pillow today in time for surgery tomorrow morning. Velcro it in the car all ready to go. It looks like it going to be really helpful so I just wanted to share. It was on Amazon and it’s for Caesarian’s or Mastectomies. I just thought If it was fastened to the seatbelt it would be far less likely to shift in an accident (god forbid) leaving the seatbelt loose than my bed pillow . It was $19.99 for the one that could get here overnight. Here is the link if anyone is interested. https://a.co/d/8nw1RdU

late night coffee and dessert with some gal pals last night: i ordered this monstrosity: banana and nutella funnel cake with chocolate and peanut butter sauce and peanu-chocolate chip crumble with a side of vanilla soft serve ice cream (not shown) the menu listed the calorie count at 1,380 calories plus another 191 calories for the ice cream for a total of 1,571 calories! i ate maybe 1/4 of the funnel cake itself (but none the ice cream), so maybe 350 cals? pre-wls i probably would have eaten all of it including the ice cream, plus have forkful tastes of my friends' desserts as well. my, how things have changed! i did get a little bit of a loose poop when i got home, but it was worth it, ha! next time, i could do without the chocolate sauce and the crumble topping....

Both times I wore leggings (soft with a soft waist) and a loose top. I wore it there and just wore the same thing home. I just wanted to make sure it was soft and loose.

Five years out and the poltergeist in my tummy is alive and well. It was grunting this morning after breakfast. And I mean grunting. I asked the doctor who does my follow ups about it a couple of years back because all the grumbling, rumbling and whining was so loud. She said it was my digestive system doing what it’s supposed to do: digest food. It differs person to person & I believe surgeon to surgeon (some are just more rough), After my sleeve I had very little bruising. Though others have posted some pretty significant bruises here after theirs. Can’t recall after my gall but I’ve had more with my recent surgery. (My poor belly button is so tiny now with the 3 laparoscopic abdominal surgeries I’ve had that have used it.) Each time the wounds were different. This time I even have a little lump from a pleat in my skin from the internal sutures. And one I swear looks like the Enterprise from Star Trek. And one can be more tender one day and the next another one is. Took into the third week for the bruising to be fully gone this time. The incision they removed your stomach through is usually a little longer than the others & is the one on the right of your belly button.

I’m going to reiterate the above poster, you honestly can’t compare yourself to others. My tweak is that you might not get to “the weight of your dreams.” As an older post menopausal woman I am a powerhouse of strength that lives quite comfortably on 800-1000 kcals a day and still weighs roughly 200lbs at 5’4”. I honestly can’t eat less food or risk malnutrition. I work an extremely strenuous job physically with severely disabled children. I wear size 16-18 American bottoms and size large or size 14-16 tops, large dresses. The only things that jiggle is leftover skin. I know I’m one injury away from switching to general education kids, but I’m living life full throttle and enjoying it! So, you are doing awesome work! Keep following your plan and taking care of yourself. You’re way younger than me so you have an honest shot at getting all the way down. BUT, who you are isn’t determined by how much you weigh. Are you staring down diabetes anymore? Are you pursuing your life goals, career goals, kindness to self goals? Are you involved in real life relationships and groups? Just from your post I can tell you are a caring person that works hard to make things better. Keep going! (Therapy helps you see fabulous you too.)

🤔 Definitely food for thought. You brought up some very good points. I just am leery of adding fruit and or veggies since I am extremely carb sensitive. Perhaps I'll slowly introduce a few more. Its just difficult to add something without removing protein since I'm restricted to 800 calories and fruit adds a lot more calories. Tbh, I don't know why I'm hung up on reaching my goal, perhaps its because I'm very goal-centric, if I don't reach my goal to me I'll feel as if I've failed, even when I haven't. I've always up until the last ten years weighed 105-108, so I felt 120 was reasonable for my small frame and height. Plus, I'm still classified as over weight! I am still heavy for my height. Lastly, I still have quite a bit of fat on my small frame (its not All just skin) so, if I'm being honest I do need to lose the rolls on my stomach and arms. I know the difference between skin excess and skin with fat. Perhaps 140 would be a better goal..I don't know. I do understand I'll never be what I was, but I feel perhaps it was the doctors and dietician's jobs to tell me 120 wouldn't work based on my starting BMI, my age etc, and explain reasonable surgical expectations - they didn't which is why I assumed it was obtainable. Thank you for giving me lots to think about, either way I still have 6 months before I am put on maintenance or my weight loss is set as I was told by the doctor. I appreciate your insights. Oh and no, I've never had a DEXA scan. I've never heard of it. Also, its about time that gymnast got off my back - no more freeloading!

I am no longer taking Allopurinol for gout and knee pain is completely gone. I had to have a few adjustments from my chiropractor as I lost the weight. All the excess weight I was carrying really had my body out of alignment. I never had HS but I did have Pilaris Keratosis which is gone as well. I was told on this forum that others had this skin condition resolve after WLS. Good luck Rob!!

I never really noticed in my weight loss period because it was Covid times and I wore the same old stuff everyday. I was years out of the habit of looking in mirrors too. Nowadays, almost 3 years out, I buy clothes in my size -UK 14 - and they fit me all over. Like people say. the weight / fat distributes itself around your body after you stop weight loss. I haven't had any skin surgery either. People actually ask where I buy my clothes ! and copy me ! Where is the Vogue camera man when you want him ? Ha !

So i had a consultation for medically needed tummy tuck... ( the apron) i going to consult my internist about phentermine.... I was advised for best result to loose 60 lbs or more for the best outcome. Anyone been on? I need to loose in 3.5 months...

Really you need to toe the line in the first 6 months to give yourself the maximum weight loss. This way we learn how we should eat. Our bad habits need to be changed. This is the theory. 0-6 months is the sweet spot for the easiest weight loss. This of course does not allow for real life BUT if you have too much life, you will struggle with this surgery. You can't do what you did pre surgery. That will only lead you back to where you started pre surgery. You need to find a midline you can live with. If you are truly on 1200 calories a day then you will loose weight, especially if you are exercising like you are. Do you log your alcohol calories, your non alcoholic calories ? Some mixers can hide serious calories. And if you drink a lot and log your calories, you are not getting the nutrients you need on such a calorie deficit, How many grams of protein do you need per day ? Every surgeon has different guidelines.

I'm so relieved to see that I'm not the only one flagging here and there. I was doing great up until about midway through last week, going on my walks and trying not to look at the scale because I REALLY wanted to see it tick from just above 300 down into the 290s - finally I weighed in and was SO frustrated that I sat at like, 301 for several days. I'm still there now, too. Another thing - I had bought a pair of size 22 jeans and they fit great so I bought a couple pairs of size 24 I found at a thrift store and was heartbroken when they didn't fit! I'm coaching myself as to the reality that the size 22 I'd bought were super wide leg all the way up vs the ones from the thrift store that were more 'fitted' - being the reason they didn't go up over my thighs. I can see the 'bat wings' on my arms, constantly am having to shift my rings around, and am losing in my back/bum area but my thighs are still my problem. I looked up some exercises I have been trying to do to promote a strong core and hopefully reduce visible belly fat/ excess skin in the thighs and arms, but I backed off some on my exercise over the weekend for sure. Per my Fitbit my average is still high, but I feel awful if I don't get in at least 5k steps per day now. I know I'm getting ready to start my period any day so HOPEFULLY after this comes and goes my weight will have another significant drop. @Justarwaxx and @ShoppGirl - You are both doing so great! It's always nice to pop back on here and see your updates

seems everyone's experience differs from person to person! i can drink any amounts (including bubbly and by gulping) right up to the moment i ingest anything "solid". once there are solids in me, i need to wait maybe 30-45 mins before i have any liquids to avoid that over-full feeling (at best), or vomiting (at worst). i don't have liquids and solids together if i can help it. this includes soups. i drink all the broth first before i eat any chunky bits. chilli and stews are hit or miss, depending on how watery/loose they are. i generally eat slowly so i can put the brakes on if i start feeling icky. aside: because of this way of eating of mine, i tend to get a little tipsy-ish at dinners out and parties, cuz i like to drink my alcohol before eating...and the combination of being a cheap drunk and and an empty stomach results in me being and EXTREMELY cheap drunk, ha!

Yes I think it's good to keep this chat active as it's takes community to remain steadfast! I am there with you about the same amount of weight loss overall had surgery 4/11/24. I think my daily 4am 5 miles crazy lady runs in the mornings has kept me toned loosing. Congrats on your weight loss!

first, you dont mention that you are having any ill effects, but to be on the safe side, and to alleviate any angst, i'd suggest going to see ur doc. second, are you getting these measurements from a DEXA scan (the one where you lie down and they pass an xray type machine around you); or a bioelectrical impedance device (like those that u stand on or hold onto) or skin calipers? (the first is the most reliable & accurate , the latter two, not so much) third: my yearly DEXA scans never matched my at home body fat measurement scale on the same day. a couple times my at home showed more, but the other 4 times showed less ON THE SAME DAY....so i always take the results from at home with a grain of salt (many times over the years, it reported that i was less than 5%...and thats just not true...ever! lol) fourth: my last DEXA scan last year was around 18-20%, if i recall correctly , and my doc was not concerned...i felt fine so i wasn't concerned either.

Officially 8 weeks and 2 days Post-op and honestly I'm pretty comfortable with my progress though a little disappointed with my hydration. The weight loss is steady, protein intake was a little tricky but I think I got it, and keeping up with physical activity has been smooth. Last month's first follow up with the nutritionist did get under my skin, I questioned returning to my previous vitamins vs these nasty Flinstones...and she went on and on about my calcium, iron and protein levels wouldn't be sufficient due to me not eating meat. I explained I had no problem taking additional calcium or iron IF necessary, and finding new ways to add my protein BUT I wanted to see how my bloodwork came back. She finally conceded in saying "well, you're an adult, if you want to take more vitamins that's your choice". I mean OBVIOUSLY it is my choice and her condescending tone is one of the many reasons I've never cared for nutritionist. Nevertheless, guess who's blood work is PERFECT?! In other news, I will say this ketosis stage, while extremely beneficial... it is giving me the "ick" with side effects, smells, body odor etc... I've introduced some carbs hoping things will balance out but it seems to be a slow process. Uranalysis confirmed I'm still burning ketones sooooo there's that. 🤷🏽‍♀️but when will these side effects end ? Speaking of introducing carbs... I had a small bowl (4 oz) of mac and cheese (chickpea pasta)... this is a true trigger food for me, but I ate it, I enjoyed it and I moved on... it wasn't until the next day, I was thinking wow, I really didn't "Want" another bowl... "I'm good". In the head scratching category... I overheard my co-workers having a convo about individuals on the show "My 600lb life"... DISCLAIMER: I say overheard loosely, there's 3 of us in a small room, they were speaking freely as we usually do but I had my earbuds on and wasn't a part of the beginning of the convo. While I can't say I've ever watched a full episode, I am familiar with the premise of the title as well as what "reality shows" really entail when it comes to production and I'm sure I've caught a snippet of an episode on a meme, commercial etc. They also do not know I've had a procedure. I digress, at some point in the convo, they were both giving their opinions on "how could someone let it get so bad"..." when your pants stop fitting..." "when you're out of breath walking from house to mailbox..." etc. and while I have no doubt that they did not have malicious intentions nor have I personally fit into any of these examples... I suddenly became very offended. I even thought to myself have I lost that much weight that this is how "skinny" people speak freely among you ? (The answer is no, regarding me... I've lost a good amount, but they've known me for several years...at my heaviest). I thought, are they thinking I'm really deep into my work and not paying attention ? (The answer is no, we always engage with each other based off of body language to get the others attention and they were engaging). The answer boiled down to, they were just ignorant to the reasons this could happen to someone and the fact that reality tv has a way of making people look and behave at their worse. So I chimed in with "As a fellow big girl..." and explained to them that food addiction is real, and it's real easy to forget that unlike, drugs and alcohol, people have to eat for survival/nutrition and if you are addicted to such it's easy to forget how someone can "let it get so bad", there are also health issues and medication side effects. They were both receptive and admitted that didn't even consider that thought. We went on to talk about the state of "healthy" food choices, labels, vending machines in schools and all. But I definitely walked away from that convo scratching my head because they are both thin and love to eat and not always the "healthy" stuff... so I'm thinking it didn't occur to you others JUST CAN'T do that. Anyways, it was an experience and I'm glad I had it.

So I'm about the same size that I was in high school. I weighed 160 my senior year when I was going into the military. I weigh 176 now. I've had kids, so I don't expect to get to my high school weight. REALLY hope I don't lose another 16 pounds!!! But I'm in a size large now (XL is getting a bit big now) and I haven't even had my skin surgeries yet. I have to be able to maintain my weight for a year before I can have it, and so far I haven't been able to stop losing to be able to be in maintenance. Hopefully my body levels out soon... I know about the 2-3 year rebound weight gain, and I'm actually looking forward to it lol My final goal was 190, so even if I gain 10 pounds, that still puts me below goal. I'd like to maybe get to 185-187 and maintain so I can have my skin surgery (I may drop another 3-5 pounds after that, but more importantly, I'll likely go down a size because of how much skin I have that will be removed).

My surgery was robotic and they took my gallbladder unexpectedly too. I’m guessing one of them things means more incisions? I think if you have any oil on your skin they don’t stick so it would make sense that fresh out of surgery I was squeaky clean and they would stick longer than at a follow up appointment but also it has to do with if it’s an area that has to bend. My top ones came off but the lower ones all stayed. oh yea. I remember them first scrambled eggs. Best eggs of my life. lol. The mug warmer really helps for that to keep them warm throughout but I found it was only really good for that. I tried it with the refried beans and it didn’t keep them as warm.

Yea. I’m almost 6 weeks. Post SADI but I’m revised from sleeve and it’s pretty much the same. It goes from constipation to loose stool and back again. Takes a while to figure out what combo of fiber, stool softeners and laxitives work best for you. The protein, vitamins, and lack of adequate fiber in your diet as well as pain meds and I believe even the anesthesia take a toll for a while. I am still on two stool softeners a day and soluble fiber plus I was low on magnesium so I’m taking that which also helps with Bowel function. I am trying to wean off the stool softeners now since I am eating a bit more fiber and the NP said to cut back one dose at a time and to do a few days taking it every other day before cutting it out. Just in case anyone else wondered how to do that. I tried to just cut out one dose and ended up needing a laxative. Hopefully her way works.

Hi, everyone. I had a sleeve to mini bypass conversion in 2024. It’s been fine except I often have loose stools and need to run to the toilet. Recently I noticed a weird bulge in my abdomen a couple inches to the left of my belly button. I’m not able to see my doctor, as I’ve just started a job and am doing a three month shift in a remote location. There is no pain and sometimes the bulge is not there. It sort of comes and goes. Has anyone been through something similar? Thank you.

I can eat all fruits but still struggle with skins. Grape skins especially give me the foamies. I also peel apples, tomatoes and peaches/nectarines. TBH skin really scares me, I have had so many vomiting episodes. The first fruits I tried were raspberries and watermelon and are still my most favourites. I eat fruit with my yogurt in a morning and as an afternoon snack, watermelon or a low cal berry. Some evenings I have a peeled and cored apple with cheese.