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You have been tracking your macros and measuring activity far longer than me but from my little bit of experience and what the nurse practitioner told me I would basically just cut out your extra carbs while you are being less active to maintain and then decrease your calories a bit to lose but I wouldn’t cut too too much. Your body is healing so just don’t be in too much of a hurry and be at a significant calorie deficit. We had no choice with the bariatric surgery because we had to protect our healing, intestines and stomachs with the tiny portions during recovery but it is not ideal to recover from a surgery at a such a calorie deficit. Our bodies actually need extra calories and protein for wound healing so you may actually find that your body is burning more calories than you would be if you were just being a couch potato for no reason. Just something to consider or do a little research on. The reason I say just decrease the extra carbs is because before my activity, I was eating a certain way, and then the nurse practitioner learned how active I was being from my activity logs and she told me I just needed to increase my carbs to sustain that level of activity and decrease it if I slowed down and it has worked like a charm. So basically just reversing that is what I would do if I were in your situation. You could also reach out to your dietitian or nutritionist who gave you your original macro guidelines if that is the plan that has been working for you and ask him or her what they would change given your much lower activity for the time being.

I do have another appointment on the 30th with bariatrics. Im seeing the nurse and nurse practitioner and Im seeing the nutritionist right afterwards. It's supposed to be the last appointment before my surgery and then I have to see my surgeon once a year after that and the nutritionist/physical therapist once every few months I believe? I hope I don't have to wait until the 30th for my results. I had my appointment last Wednesday so I'll try calling them Wednesday afternoon and see if they have an update for me or an approximation of when the results will be in.

This is my worry. Got in 2012 also. I only have 3ccs in a 10cc band. But I keep hearing how the band can erode and mess us up internally. There are no bariatric doctors locally and I would have to go out of town too. I don't have any issues per say. How are you doing now?

Welcome! I had my RNY last August (2023) and continue the journey. People on here don't give medical advice, they do offer suggestions or insight/experiences they've themselves have gone through. So no worries, no one will ask you to give medical advice. I personally have noticed I get more in-depth knowledge here than my bariatric surgeon or the bariatric clinic, probably because here people have gone through it and understand and are less likely to chalk it up to "women" or "obese people" complaining or imagining things or...its something other than the bariatric surgery causing ______________ (fill in the blank). We've all experienced some of the same things and some unique signs and symptoms. We all know surgery outcomes and side effects can be unique to each patient. Welcome to the forums!

I am new to the forum. I had my Bariatric Sleeve on August 14, 2024.

There are many ways to tell one's story. I found a website that allows you to write your own lyrics, pick the kind of music you want and... create a song. Try it! I've already found other bariatric patients who have composed their own music there. Suno.com After you create your own song, post it here!

I had a gastric bypass about 6 years old. Fast forward to today. I was recently hospitalized with severe anemia (hemoglobin 5.2). I had to have emergency blood transfusions. I'm still receiving weekly IV-iron infusions (8 weeks). I am also deficient in several nutrients despite taking my bariatric vitamins. My bariatric surgeon figured out the reason for the anemia. Two ulcers detected by an EGD (upper scope). I was slowly bleeding out. At one point, my family thought I was falling asleep... when I was really passing out. Anemia hurts. Your whole body aches. Recovery is slow... the fatigue is unreal but I'll get there.

Check out Dr Matthew Weiner Pound of Cure website, you tube channel & podcasts. Practical and informative advice. Five years out & I still listen to his podcasts. A recent podcast he did with his in-house nutritionalist touches on weight loss eating plans as well as maintenance. I believe you can join their nutritional workshops and clinics for a small fee if you’re interested too. I know someone on this forum has and found it helpful (can’t recall who at the moment). https://poundofcureweightloss.com/bariatric-secrets-what-really-influences-weight-loss-after-surgery/?utm_source=ZohoCampaigns&utm_campaign=What+Really+Influences+Weight+Loss+After+Surgery&utm_medium=email

It wasn’t too hard. My appetite wasn’t 100% gone like with the sleeve but given that I was already on the low-carb for a couple weeks before and the changes it made it was quite a bit easier to stick to it. In fact, it was night and day. The surgery was so much better for me. It actually made metabolic changes that got me up and exercising and that made me feel good. I was eating 100% clean for four months. Then I had some other medical issues that have sort of just put me in the stall mode but I am going to get back to it. I’m actually not allowed to eat like I was eating. I have to maintain my weight because I am in chemo, but I’m still exercising through chemo and before surgery, I was like 100% sedentary so the surgery definitely made some changes, not just to the stomach or the intestines, but to my metabolism to make me start up my exercise again, multiple times when I’ve had to stop because I was in the hospital for 10 days with pneumonia and then I had to stop because of different scans that they didn’t allow me to exercise for a couple of days and then I had to stop because I developed hyperthyroid, and my pulse was dangerously high for a couple weeks and every time I have started up again with my exercise so it’s kind of insane because without the surgery there’s no way I could’ve done that. I really hope it’s the same for you. I mean minus the chemo, of course, but that it changes your metabolism and that it works for you for me I could tell from very early out that it was gonna work this time. I lost 75 pounds and the first four months and I was so motivated that I kept exercising and eating clean through my first month after a cancer diagnosis going to all of the doctors and PET scans and all of that stuff even traveling all around the state I still stayed on my plan. Then with chemo, they didn’t want me staying at a calorie deficit so that threw things off a little bit but I have maintained the 90 pound loss and tomorrow is actually my last chemo treatment so hopefully I will be allowed to start losing again, but we’ll see. According to my bariatric team I need to continue eating enough for radiation, but I’m gonna see what the radiation doctor says. Anyways, I’m not talking about the cancer thing for any reason other than to say there’s no way I could’ve maintained any kind of loss before the surgery because I would’ve been eating for comfort. For a situation like this and definitely used it as an excuse to not exercise. And I have had a couple of days where I’ve eaten for comfort and I’ve used it for an excuse to not exercise, but unlike before when that meant everything was out the window for good I’ve gotten right back on track. Best of luck to you. For me it has been a life changer.

I know exactly how you feel. I had the sleeve and did great. Had to have a revision due to complications and had a bypass. In both surgeries, I never ever lost physical hunger, nevermind head hunger. I still have head hunger to this day. And yes, I have times (not a whole day, but just certain times during a day here and there) where I eat something I definitely shouldn't be eating. Have I over-eaten? Yep. Have I eaten things I shouldn't? Yep. Am I failing my surgery? NOPE. I still feel some guilt when I "cheat" but you know what? It happens. Life happens. The point is you have to recognize that you had a slip, it is what it is, tomorrow is another day to start over and get it right. There's all kinds of online support groups, online therapy, and bariatric forums (like this one) that can offer help, support, suggestions, and accountability. You can do this, just remember WHY you did the surgery. Remember why you wanted it and why you jumped through all the hoops to get it.

That's my biggest fear and that's why I'm in various bariatric groups. I do not want to gain any of this weight back! It was hard work getting it off 😩😩😩

Amber my Girl! The hamburger and the sauces 😩😩 plus shake...a bariatric girl can DREAM . I am such a foodie but have turned into a healthy bariatric foodie. I made a bomb Califlower pizza. We got this! One day @ a time!

New week new things that I grieve ... pre-menstruation hunger and menstruation hunger needs to be further talked about in the bariatric community.

Sorry I'm a bit sporadic here. I'm nearly two weeks post op (tomorrow is 2 weeks) and have no trouble at all drinking smoothies, Optifast shakes, tea, thin soup etc. In fact I'm a bit worried because I can easily have a cup (250ml) or more quite quickly - say within ten minutes. I go to Sydney on Wednesday to meet with the bariatric GP and dietician at my surgeons office so I'll ask them about this. If I have anything a bit thicker - pureed but thinnish chicken soup for instance - I can feel it sitting in my belly as a lump for a minute or two, so I'm hoping when I move onto puree on Wednesday it will slow me down a bit. Water I find difficult - it makes me burp painfully and feels really rough. I've had something called Vital Zing drops recommended, they add flavour, and apparently help to make water easier to drink. Problem is I don't like flavoured water and I particularly hate artificial sweetener. So I'm battling on with water. I'm hoping the tea I drink is helping to keep me hydrated! I used to drink sparkling water so perhaps I'm also not used to plain water. I haven't had sparkling since the op for obvious reasons! I've wanted something savoury and a bit solider so I've been having my husband's home made hummus for lunch, 100g. It feels a bit lumpy in my belly too but I get sick of all the sweet shakes and things. He thinned it out a bit with the aqua faba but it is still thicker than could be drunk through a straw. I've lost ~9kg so far since start of pre-op diet - 107 to 98. So it's good to break the 100kg barrier. The next one is 96kg, which I got down to in 2023 with a gastric balloon.

Just checking in to see how everyone else is doing. I had a rough few weeks after I got a virus. Just because of the chemo my body couldn’t fight it so I ended up septic and in the hospital for 10 days with pneumonia and a sinus infection. My white blood cells kept bottoming out but they gave me this shot two times to build them back and so far this time they are holding at low normal. Tomorrow will be a week that I’ve been home and I think I am out of the woods finally, but I am still pretty weak and I am supposed to do treatment Monday so I doubt I will get to feeling much stronger. Probably won’t feel like myself until I’m done with the chemo. 10 more weeks 🤞 I am trying to do a tiny bit of waking like a quarter of a mile at a time a few times a day just so I don’t get out of the habit of exercise but that’s about all I can do. I also contacted the cancer center that one of my doctors is a part of and talked to the yoga instructor and asked if they have a virtual option for the chair yoga and when I explained my situation she said she would get with IT and make it happen for next week. I thought that was so sweet and hopefully will be something I can do to start building my strength back. She said next month they are going to add mat yoga as well so I can build back up to that when I am ready. Anyways I’m pretty proud of myself that I’m still trying every step of the way to keep up with my bariatric journey. I may not be 100% right now but unlike pre surgery I am not letting this be an excuse to just throw it all away. I had a birthday and it was a little unconventional because it had to be virtual but it turned out to be a nice day considering. My mom dropped off carrot cake so of course I have that taunting me In the kitchen. I have been doing real tiny pieces though and it’s actually starting to taste a little stale. Who knew that cake can get stale 😂

Good evening guys! It's been a while since I lost posted on here, and I'm really pleased to say that almost 12 months post-op (celebrating next week on the 28th), I am officially 54kg/118lbs lighter. My dietician and surgeon have given me a goal of between 70-80kgs, I'm currently sitting at 81kg and would like to get to 75kg and maintain for another 6 months or so prior to deciding on plastics, however, that is another story for another day. I've come on here today - a primarily US-based forum - to ask my fellow UK/European bariatric patients about where you've been looking for your plastics. I've been having a look on here, speaking to people I know who've had WLS and/or plastics, Youtube videos, surgery websites, searching for surgeons etc based on their speciality, however, it would be great to learn more about other personal insights. I had my WLS done in the UK on the NHS - which I am ever so grateful for - however, I had a really bad experience and was severely ill in hospital for a month after, so I'll be honest, the thought of going under the knife again gives me some of the worst anxiety. I can't even go into a hospital currently without feeling anxious and a bit uneasy. I'd love to know some positive stories of those that were made to feel really comfortable, consultations that were really well in-depth, surgeons and doctors who made you feel like you were making the best decision. I've looked into UK surgeons - to be honest, I totally understand why people opt to go abroad (although Turkey is out of the question for obvious reasons) - I've been hearing great things about NordsEsthetics in Lithuania, with really good views and standards. I've also considered Germany or possibly the Netherlands, again for quality standards of healthcare and successful surgery rates. I have of course looked into UK-based clinics and hospitals, however the majority don't necessarily have any better review than others I've looked into - particularly surgeons who work abroad, but were trained and worked in the UK prior, although I am still contemplating whether I would go anywhere outside the UK, for the sheer reason that if I were to get ill again, what would happen etc. I am looking at a full 360/FDL tummy tuck with breast enhancement, as I've been left with a lot of excess skin on my upper torso that a traditional tummy tuck wouldn't necessarily remove. Anyway, any and all opinions are welcome, TIA x

I'm 60, but I think you may be asking the wrong question? Although safety is a potential concern at any age, this is something only your surgeon can properly determine. I can say plenty of people in their 70's have had bariatric surgery. I think the real question should be: what are you expecting to be different this time if you have a revision? Would it still be worth it to you if you once again gained all the weight back? In my opinion, the fact that you've gone back up you your pre-surgery weight means that there are other things going on here that you need to address first. If I had to guess, I'd think there are 2 things you need to address before considering revision surgery, GLP-1 meds, or even fat loss diets: Your mental health. My personal opinion is that the virtually all obese or formerly obese people suffer from an eating disorder, or at least disordered eating of some sort. If you don't address this first, you're really likely to out eat any revision surgery you may have. Your activity level. The fact is that most people that are able to successfully lose weight and keep the weight off (surgical or not), are really active. In fact, some studies show that formerly obese people have to be even more active than someone that was never heavy to maintain the same bodyweight. The reasons for that are complex, but if you don't address this, the likelihood of at least regaining a significant amount of weight are pretty high. Best of luck whatever you decide.

If only it was this simple! The exciting thing about the new anti obesity medication is the renewed efforts into researching the causes and solutions to obesity. We now know that some of these complex processes are beyond our control.

Hello - for anyone who has gone through the northern California Kaiser bariatric program, how are you handling the diet post op? It is very strict, not allowing any protein shakes, carbonated drinks, caffeine and alcohol. We’re also taught that we have to eat our meals deconstructed, eating all the protein first before anything else. I’ve asked the nutritionist if this was forever and she said yes it is. I keep, however, seeing videos and post from other people who have coffee daily and who make meals like for example, the ricotta cheese bites where everything is mixed in a small muffin pan. I understand different programs do things differently, it’s just strange to me because it’s the same surgery everywhere. Thoughts? Experiences?

@julie. I think it’s weird that everyone’s pre op diet is so different. My nutritionist told me that it use to be all shakes before surgery but she asked the surgeon to include something chewy to help us not quit. I have to say it’s not simple. My surgeon is one of two drs at University of Miami hospital who does Bariatric surgery. He told me my husband could stay with me because the floor is his and he can specify a lot of things. I’ll be staying 2 nights because of distance and my age. Just liquid the day before surgery for me and two weeks after also. Then every 2 weeks the next step. I would love a slice pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich right now. It hasn’t even been a week yet:)

Look into Dr Weiners Program. I think it’s pound of cure.com. His book “pound of cure” is pretty good too but he is a bariatric surgeon who has a podcast and his team offers nutritionist appointments online and he is always coming up with more stuff to help the bariatric community. He was the first one I heard mention GLP-1 long before it became widely known. He had lots of videos on YouTube about pre and post surgery as well. It may be cheaper or more in depth. Not certian but I know he is extremely knowledgeable and his nutritionist is on the podcasts with him and she really seems to know her stuff too. correction it’s poundofcureweightloss.com Also, if you don’t already you may want to start using a tracking app. That way you can share the info about your macros for a period of time. I really like Baritastic. You can get reports sent to you email if your macros and your food which you can forward to your nutritionist so they can see exactly what your eating

Found a healthy recipe for Spring Rolls that are good. They are not super high in protein (around 5g each) but I just make certain to have a really high protein breakfast and lunch on days I’m going to have them. Anyways it’s from a bariatric site so I guess they think we don’t need the peanut sauce. I searched so many sites for a recipe for the sauce and somehow I didn’t even save the link but it’s so easy I can remember. It’s just equal parts soy sauce and peanut butter. I used the nut butter that is literally just fresh ground peanuts from the grocery and it is so good. If you don’t like salty you may want to use reduced sodium soy sauce but I actually like it and a little goes further with the saltier taste. I just mix up one tbsp of SS and one tbsp PB and that’s enough for two servings which is four spring rolls. Of course you can always just double or triple that if you like more. Here is the spring roll recipe if anyone is interested. https://www.bariatricfusion.com/blogs/recipes/bariatric-recipes-chicken-and-veggie-spring-rolls I mix up a batch of the veggies in a bowl and cut the chicken and measure. Then I portion enough of each for two rolls into each little baggy and I wait to roll them before I intend to eat (adding the avocado at the end) They were okay the next day but they stuck to the container so they fell apart trying to pick them up and then the second day the wraps were hard. Some days I just eat the filling with the peanut sauce. Honestly it’s almost as good without the rice paper. Today is the second time I have made them and I didn’t use any fancy cutting tools this time. I just cut them small with a knife and it was just fine. That site has some other good recipes for us as well. Enjoy 😊

I am 4 months post-op and after spending way too much time researching, I finally got myself an air fryer! It's the combo type that is built into a toaster oven, so I can keep it out year-round without losing more counter space to appliances. I was also gifted an Instant Pot last Christmas and I will be the first to admit I have barely used it despite hearing so many people rave about them. Now that it's summer and too hot for the regular oven and stovetop, could you help me out with your (preferably simple) favorite bariatric-friendly recipes that use the air fryer or Instant Pot? I don't have any food restrictions except the usual "low carb, low fat" post-surgery recommendations, and try to keep things as minimally processed as possible.

Well I'm still pending results but they think that the immunotherapy is causing colitis and if so and we can’t control it that I may have to stop the med. This med of course is the most effective treatment along with the chemo for my type of cancer so it’s not good. Well I talked to the oncology dietician and she gave me a low fiber diet to start with. If that doesn’t work there is an even more strict one for me to try but it’s basically everything complete opposite of what we have been doing with the bariatric diet and I am so worried it’s going to make me gain all my weight back. I mean I have no choice but to do it but this just sucks. I have worked so hard. I am supposed to eat like saltines, white rice, white bread, white pasta, etc. Basically carbs and fat with some protein options. Hardly any fruits or veggies. I can have lean meats but without anything with them they are hard to get down right now. I gotta do this though. The doctor mentioned an even stronger steroid to reverse it or having to stop it alltogether and I just can’t let that happen. Part of me is tempted to just not eat a lot but I know I gotta keep my strength up to keep doing these treatments. I’m having a bit of a pity party this morning since I stepped on the scale and of course I have gained. 😢 I know that I know how to lose it now though so I’m just hoping that once I get through this I can. Maybe I can get the GLP-1 if not to help with the appetite suppression to get me started. It’s another year at least so hopefully they will be cheaper and more accessible by then.

A nice, positive week last week 🙂 Weight gain - gone with a couple of extra pounds thrown in for good measure. Our anniversary dinner was lovely. As autumn has hit with a vengeance (non-stop rain and cold 🙄) the dress I was going to wear was relegated back to the wardrobe so I bought a smaller sized top and IT FIT!! I was so pleased. I was able to wear a nice set of underwear, a skirt I couldn’t get over either my stomach or my arse a couple of months ago and a smaller top and dressy jacket. I’ll be honest, it felt wonderful to be in smaller sizes and not feel that I was trussed up like a chicken in clothing that was too tight or something that didn’t really suit me. I didn’t even have to wear pully-in control knickers - the shock!!😮 I called the Bariatric admin on Friday, just to enquire about the MDT etc and was told that it was around a 3 month wait to go to the MDT. This should be around the beginning of December. At least I know now so can stop wondering. I will just carry on with what I’m doing presently and wait for the next steps on the WLS journey 🙂 Went back to the gym today and really enjoyed it. I upped my levels and really felt the difference. Will see if I can get out of bed without crying tomorrow, just to make sure I didn’t overdo it! Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Onwards & Downwards 🥳