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Three weeks out from brachioplasty and reverse tummy tuck. Some swelling and bruising down. Not cleared to drive or be out and about quite yet. Remain on Tramadol 50mg and Arnica 30X to manage the burning, deep tissue and nerve pain in arms. Tylenol remains ineffective, but will keep trying to wean off narcotics. Doing some light cooking and housekeeping. No heavy lifting, but practice reaching to second kitchen shelving. Utilizing silicon cream, paper tape and wraps on sutures + arms daily. I suspect another two weeks for initial recovery. Personally, unless your arms were as heavy and problematic as mine, I would not recommend this surgery. The recovery and downtime has been arduous.

Welcome! I'm not sure what surgery you are considering, but as food for thought, Gastric Bypass does have significantly better rates of type 2 diabetes remission: https://www.facs.org/media-center/press-releases/2024/gastric-bypass-improves-long-term-diabetes-remission-even-after-weight-recurrence/ I personally went off all my diabetes meds about 2 weeks after surgery.

I overslept by an hour missing my morning but I feel like a million bucks! I have been back to consistently working out 6 days a week, 3 days lower body weight lifting until I get the go to upper body. 15 more weeks till Summer! I wanna be in a bikini 😝

I'm 55 and just had the sleeve done 3 weeks ago. I'm doing ok. Its been rough but I'm turning the corner. Since surgery I lost 10 lbs. Before surgery I lost 32 lbs. Due to loosing so much before surgery it's going to take a little longer to loose the rest the Dr said. I'm hoping to loose another 30 lbs.

My surgery is May 7. I started the 3 week pre-surgery diet today. I've started purchasing the supplements needed for after surgery. Looking for those after surgery "must have's", besides the supplements.

I weighed myself out of curiosity. I wanted to give it an entire week but I couldn't wait! I lost 5.6lbs! I don't think all of it was fat, but my body was so inflamed. I can tell a difference! I am 6lbs away from my pre-op BA surgery!

Massive soup fan too. We had Brocolli and stilton this week because the brocolli was 9 pence a bunch. Next to make will be carrot and coriander because the carrots were the same price. Easter bargains. In summer we love gazpacho, the one with almonds is lush.

Hi, I'm new here. Let me give you a bit of my history. I'm 43, weigh 290 pounds, and have diabetes. On November 24, I experienced stabbing pain on the right side below my rib cage. I went to the ER, where the doctor gave me pain medication and an ultrasound, which revealed gallbladder stones. He scheduled a visit with a surgeon for mid-December. I had another gallbladder attack before the appointment, but luckily, apple cider vinegar (ACV) and Aleve helped relieve the pain. On the appointment day, the surgeon suggested I consider getting sleeve gastrectomy along with gallbladder removal. I was shocked to hear that and, in a panic, declined the VSG. However, after researching, I found it's a potential solution for weight loss and reversing diabetes. Now, with only three days left before my surgery, I'm trying to add VSG to the gallbladder removal. I'm unsure if it will work out with the surgeon, and it might be too late to make changes. I don't want to go through another laparoscopic procedure and double the cost. I'm feeling nervous about how this week will go.

I agree with you, I definitely feel so much better and in less pain! I just can’t believe for 4 months I’ve been in this stall when it seems that the first year is major weight loss for most people 🥺 I do have regular check ins with my dietician and have been following the advice they give and they also suggested adding some calories but it’s hard to fit in my stomach. But no excuses I gotta do it. Just frustrating and no one on my care team seems to be alarmed or offer any medications even though it’s been 4 months of this. lol

Not sure why that posted three times but it won’t let me delete it. Gotta love technology.

I had my surgery on 11/13/24 I am 5’1 my Sw:211 pre op: 196 Current:171 Goal: 140 I’ve been having a few issues eating most days, I am at a stall right now from not eating or drinking much for like 2 weeks. Im back on track and I get full full for the day after one meal so been doing more drinks. I wasn’t using straws until a few days ago, only way I can get enough daily fluids in me. I am a Cali girl, I do use THC to help me eat these days, otherwise I’m not hungry. I’m trying to force myself to do more weight lifts for my muscles which I’m loosing fast, but I do walk 1-2 hours a day. I also don't like the calcium chews, gonna see about switching to pills on my next visit. Anyone in SW Houston that work out or belong to a gym?

I have a red bull addiction. It's not as fizzy, but definitely what I shouldn't be drinking. I was told it need to give up fizzy drinks for life, ideally, but for at least during the firstv8 weeks after surgery. I knew I couldn't give them up, but I don't drink coffee or tea and I need caffeine somehow. I was good and waited until the recommended time after surgery to drink fizzy drinks.

In addition to @Hop_Scotch’s suggestion of stomach acid being the cause, you could also be experiencing head hunger. The surgery and all the changes are very stressful on you physically, mentally and emotionally. Many of us always turned to food in these stressful times but of course food can’t be the answer now. However your brain hasn’t got the message and is telling you you’re hungry so you’ll eat to comfort yourself. And the more you don’t eat to comfort yourself, the more your brain says hungry so eat. Ask your surgeon for some PPIs (Nexium, prilosec, etc.) to combat the excess stomach acid your body is still producing which is causing the burning & growling. PS - What are the three meals you are eating each day? Usually the first two weeks are liquids only so shakes, bone broths, strained cream soups, strained consommés are your ‘meals.’.

A'ole pilikia my friend. I'm sure you'll do great! I won't lie, it can be hard the first few weeks, but it should does get better over time. Remember, you're having major surgery, so give yourself some grace. Remember to just take one day at a time and if you have problems, turn first to your surgical team, but for everything else, we're here for you.

Hi everyone! Is anyone still around in this group? Its been 4 years since my surgery, and what a ride it has been. I have had ups and downs, and now I am trying to work on myself a little mor and loose some more. I had my tummytuck done in April and in three weeks I will have my inner tight surgery. To keep the weight down I have used Ozempic and Wegovy. Would be fun to hear if anyone is still around and how have your been since surgery!

Hello everyone! I kind of disappeared during the holidays but came back by to poke my head in and see how others were doing. Seems like most of us are plugging away at this 'getting healthier' thing. Reminder (and FYI for any who read this and didn't know) I got the SADI surgery, which is the intestinal revision with the sleeve all in one go initially. This makes me feel extra obligated to update for some reason - maybe because I had to dive so far into my journey to find this option and how eager I was to hear about the results from others. So - my surgery was Sept 5th, and I lost 10 lbs in my pre-surgery liquid diet, which I had for one full week. On the day of surgery I was 352 and now, about four months out, I've lost right at about 70lbs. The weight loss has slowed a bit as I found my balance but I'm still losing 1-3lbs per week on average, about 7 lbs lost in the last 30 days. I got through my weight loss stalls by eating more, as I was only getting around 500 calories per day for a while as I maintained ketosis, with VERY few carbs. That was nice, but my energy was lacking. I shifted to included more fruits, veggies, and upped my protein from 60g per day to more like 75g. Now I get around 900-1200 calories per day, try to really focus on getting my water for the day, and angle for simple protein snacks with a small carb total when I get hungry. I have found cottage cheese to be a life saver as a replacement 'side' - and stirring it into my salads gives the salad more bulk and makes it easier for me to feel full. Eggs are not quite as weird for me as they were for a while - I still prefer boiled eggs over scrambled or fried. I do aim to get at least 5k steps per day and usually make that goal.I definitely slacked on exercise around the holidays and did snack more than a few times on things I shouldn't have. I feel lucky that my intestinal malabsorption keeps me accountable for poor choices. I have gotten the foamies once - and have overeaten like three times by a few too many bites. I feel like my relationship with food is much healthier and am far more likely to cook now as opposed to grabbing greasy garbage food. However your path feels like it's going - this is a great time to correct the course if it feels a bit off track. Your bodies are working for you, and you are working for those bodies! Kudos to all of us for taking these steps to a healthier lifestyle! Remember, too, that no one day of slipping up is going to sink you. As I said to my perfectionist son the other day - an A in school is 90%-100% (generally, anyhow!) so it's still an A even if you slip up one out of ten times ❤️✨

Well everyone’s loss is different. I looked back at my logs and I only lost 20 pounds I that first months and I had a more aggressive surgery and I was exercising (not sure if you are). Also, some people do have a stall early out so try to trust the process and stick with it. I mean when before have you lost four pounds a week pre surgery? The surgery is obviously working just maybe not as quick as you would like. Your a relatively low BMI so your not likely to lose as fast as someone who started with a higher one. About the scale, Do you have a followup appt at one month with your surgeon. I bet the scale recalibrated or it could just be that you sat it back In a little Different spot. I know I have wood laminate floors and they must be just the tiniest bit off level because when I move my scale around it weighs a bit different. When you go to your surgeon and he or she tells you what your weight is and your kiss by their scale you can figure how many pounds your scale is off from theirs and go from there. Honestly it Doesn’t usually really matter if it was accurate before or now so long as you are measuring with the same scale because accurate or not it will still reflect your lost. But if it is that far off from what it was before I can see how it would be confusing. Maybe even if you don’t have an appt you can ask to go in and just weigh yourself using the dr scale. I cant imagine why that would be a big deal. That way you can sorta estimate how many pounds your scale is off from theirs.

I’m not a calorie counter. Didn’t have to & I was happy about that. I’d done it before and for me it just made me think about food more and I found it annoying and frustrating. However I would check my calorie intake and I still do random checks especially about new foods or recipes. I was more vigilant about portion size because that was the requirement I was given (1/4- 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at around 6 months). I still watch that carefully though I’m more aware now of the portion size of what I’m eating without having to get my scales or measuring cups & spoons out regularly. And I can eat more than a cup of course. I’m probably equally vigilant about the nutritional quality of what I eat. (Sister-in-law was just telling me about a new protein bar she’d found and I’m googling the nutritional info & ingredient list & comparing it with the one I already eat.) If you are required to track your intake then you have to track every single thing you put in your mouth to eat or drink. It can be very easy to consume a lot of extra calories without realising it even ‘healthy’ ones. If your team hasn’t set this as a requirement, than do what you feel most comfortable with. You know your relationship with food and eating getter than anyone. Though I’d probably at the very least do random checks if it isn’t a requirement. Yes, stalls are frustrating and can be depressing. Remember they are an important part of the process and it’s the time your body shuts down to take stock of where you are now Whithead your weight loss and changing diet, and what your needs are around things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Weight loss is stressful on your body & it needs to take a breath to better manage the changing situations much like you do psychologically during a stressful time. The stall will break when your body is ready. Stick to your plan and don’t stress your body more than you are required to by your plan. It will be okay. All the best and I hope your surgical site heals soon.

Welcome Magicman, Here is where you will get a lot of answers to your questions that you may have. Feel free to ask anything and everything. I know that knowledge is power, and you want to be powerful going into the Metabolic Surgery/Bariatric Surgery. The last time I took my insulin and meds for my diabetes was the day before my surgery. I have not been over 137 mg/dl since that time and got rid of my Dexcom 7's to a needy friend since I don't need them anymore. I see my endocrinologist next week, and I already know that my A1C is 5.1 which is a lot better than it was before. I basically don't have the A1C to be called a diabetic, but it is in remission for sure. I just need to keep on the program and not regain weight. I'm only 7 weeks out from surgery, but already I have to buy a smaller swim suit and clothes, my pants keep falling down. I'm feeling better and know I'm healthier. Welcome to the Bariatric Club, you found a good spot for support and question asking!!

How many calories should I be eater per day in on week 4

I have blood in my stool 3 weeks after Gastric bypass surgery. Worried

@SpartanMaker okay I have all my food prepped and ready for this week so I am going to follow up with you next week, once I figure out my foods for the week! Thank you for all the advice and taking the time to go through this with me!

I was wondering, how am I able to raise my liquid intake if my stomach pouch doesn't allow more than 4 ounces sometimes 3 ounces per hour? I read that if we don't increase our protein intake it'll be a lot slower to lose weight. Maybe instead of drinking water a few more hours I should drink protein? I'm 3 weeks post op from a sleeve surgery

I was fortunate in that my first sips of water that were allowed after surgery were so dang welcome...and the satisfaction of having those sips carried over in the weeks ahead. Always having a water bottle close at hand is a good habit to get in. It seems to be a widely held practice by people in general.

I was sleeved in 2016. Lost weight, but no where near goal. Gained it all back. I just had a revision to a bypass this week (Jan 13). Things are going fine, almost too fine. Minimal discomfort, I have no problem keeping fluids or protein down. I am eating about 600 calories per day with 80 grams of protein. I’m not hungry. (I am on a 3 week liquid diet post op at the moment.) I also haven’t lost any weight. Does this sound normal?