Search the Community

Hello Just on this here - surgery is a very personal decision for each person, and my reasons for surgery may not match yours, and that is okay! Surgery would not be recommended or even proceeded with by a surgeon unless it were something that would benefit your health, regardless as to whether or not you're happy with yourself (and it is amazing that you are, we should all love ourselves regardless of our weight!). I'd say that you are better off talking to your GP/surgeon again, be open and honest about your concerns and get some professional advice. Surgery is a big step and it is a life-changing decision, so you need to be sure that it is what you want to do. I am due to have my surgery in May this year, and it is something I used to be so against 2 years ago! But, I know that this is what I need to do for my health and my wellbeing.

If you had a DS you are thought to absorb about 20% of the fat you eat, 60% of the protein you eat, and 100% of the carbs you eat. Your doctor should have explained this to you... The intestines can adapt some to the surgery over time, but most studies have shown DS patients continue to have malabsorption. That's the whole point of the surgery! In rare cases, there is a small number of patients who will lose more weight than they intend, or have excessive muscle wasting. The muscle wasting is normally due to not eating enough protein post surgery. A DS patient needs around 120 grams of protein a day, more if they workout trying to gain muscle. Are you taking your vitamins? Have you had your labs checked recently? In the case of someone who has lost more weight than they intended to with a DS, certain enzymes can be given to help them absorb more of the food they eat, or a surgical revision can be done to lengthen their common channel, giving them more length of small intestines to absorb calories from. Of the two, I'd try the enzymes first. If you gained up to 240 with the enzymes, clearly they were effective for you! So why not consider taking them on an alternating schedule, titrating the dose to slowly gain what you need, and then taper off of them and see if you can maintain?? If you want to do this with food you are probably looking at over 4,000 calories a day. That is going to be tough. You can only eat so much food in a day! DS patients usually don't count calories at all, we count macros because it is the macros that help us stay in our target range, since no one really knows exactly how many calories an individual with a DS surgery is going to absorb, we can only ballpark it. But you should be getting a LOT of protein and around 120-150 grams of fat, according to vets who have lived with this surgery for decades. To bulk, most people I know load up on carbs, which is not easy for a DS person unless you want to spend a lot of time in the bathroom, or you are lucky enough to actually tolerate a decent amount of carbs. But carbs will usually put weight on. If you want more people with DS to talk to, check the bariatricfacts.org forums. We are mostly DS people over there and most of the regular posters are vets. But be prepared, they are fans of straight talk and not everyone likes that!

I’m still losing, haven’t hit goal weight yet but I’ve started having sugars again since the holidays. Need to reset hard! My appetite has increased as well. But not a whole lot.

I kinda agree with this one get with a gastric dr and nutritionists, honestly what your asking most on here are not in that ballpark your in. Once my weight was off was not trying to get it back as of muscle light working out has done fine for me not trying to get ripped or anything, I think having a DS kinda kills that plan or makes it almost impossible.

Hit goal a few days ago, but now I’m worried about the “bounce” that people talk about, so I’m going to keep on for another 20lb. And I actually wonder if I’ll ever be able to STOP losing weight, since I eat so few calories. Still in the 700 range most days. How is everyone else doing?

The snugger pants could be from working out. I have 3 pairs of pants which had slim/narrow legs which now are tight around the thighs simply from building muscle. I started focussing on my legs (use resistance bands at home) about 8 months ago. Didn’t notice it in Winter as my pants have stretch in them but my summer pants don’t. Had to buy new pairs. Haven’t gained (actually lost about a kg) so same size but wider legs. Bit torn by it. Muscle yay! But bigger thighs & tight pants boo!

best way to avoid the comments is to tell no one. i thought i could avoid it by telling the 5 people i am closest to AND trusted not to tell anyone: Mr., The Kid, Sis, Mom and BFF. Surprisingly, it was Mom and BFF who were the commentators. Mom asked why can't i just diet, and that she was scared for me to go under the knife for an elective surgery and to pls reconsider. I told her yes, i'll think about it, and did it anyway. BFF said something along the lines of "people use cliff notes to cheat on writing essays, this is your cliff notes for weight loss!" I let slide her poor attempt of a joke as we go way back, and i love her. I answered back along the lines of, yep i'll need all the help i can get! ...and did it anyway. though i will say i got way more (unwanted) comments as i lost weight by the people who didn't know i had surgery. i just became a master of changing subjects. good luck! ❤️

If you like how you look, feel good, have good mobility, and have no health issues then there's no reason to get this kind of surgery. Doing it because you know you'll gain weight i the future isn't the right reason to do it. Maybe see a nutritionist about getting on a healthy eating plan, and move your body more. Walk, workout, go hiking, swim, do things that move your body. That will help. Pay attention to what you're eating and drinking. Consume 1800 - 2000 calories per day, prioritize protein first, then veggies, then carbs. Reduce sugar and salt. Limit alcoholic drinks. These are all things that will help you to be healthier, drop a little weight, and ensure health as the years go on. Surgery is a last resort for those who have serious weight and health issues and have failed at everything else.

Hellow, thank you for your answer. I'm not unhappy with myself; let's say my self-love is at 75%, sometimes I feel a little down but I have never hated my body or my looks. The lowest my weight has been is 200 pounds and I looked like I was weighing 180 at the time (it was 7-8 years ago). I'm lucky enough to say I dont have any health problems at all, and I dont have difficulties moving around. I can run easily at work for any code happening. I think i'm going the surgery firstly for my health. I know it is a good option. I'm just confused about if it the best for me. I'm also doing it because I know I will be gaining weight throughout the years of life. I'm young and I might not feel it now, but with time, I will have more and more health problems.

Why are you scared of the bypass? The recovery time was really easy and short, there's a hard stop when it comes to eating, not everyone gets dumping syndrome but if you do it teaches you REALLY FAST what not to eat, and you lose more weight faster with it.

Oh I found this place and read another thread about gaining weight... That's what brought be me here.. but I'm trying to gain muscle which does weigh something so I guess I'm trying to gain weight but I'm really trying to gain muscle. Yea I can go out the basic stuff Google tells me but that's what I've done this entire time and like I said I have a appointment for a nutritionist and will see one in just trying to work out stuff with other ds patients but I guess your all happy and healthy so I'll move on.

I honestly have no idea. Google it or reach out to a nutritionist. There really isn't anyone on here looking to gain weight, so this might not be the best place to get the information you're looking for.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, "To increase muscle mass in combination with physical activity, it is recommended that a person that lifts weights regularly or is training for a running or cycling event eat a range of 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight." According to the University of Minnesota, "Recommended Carbohydrate Intake: Research suggests that bodybuilders who are trying to gain substantial muscle growth or increased body mass should consume about 5-6 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day." According to Maxinutrition.com, "Most people require around 20 calories per pound (or 44 kcal / kg) of bodyweight to gain muscle mass. Using a 180-pound (82kg) male as an example, the required daily calorie intake is 3600 calories (20 kcal x 180 lb = 3600 kcal)." Hope that helps (found in a 5 minute Google search). Good luck!!

I am turning 50 in a few months, and I've struggled with my weight most of my life. At 26, my BMI was probably around 30, but I didn't have the health issues so it was just a nuisance to me. I tried dieting and healthy eating for years, but my weight increased steadily in typical yo-yo fashion. Post-pregnancies, I spent my late 30s and early 40s in the 35-39 BMI range and started getting co-morbidities. By the time my BMI hit 40 this past year, I was aching in my feet and joints, had high blood pressure and cholesterol, and was prediabetic. So it's not about weight or appearance at this point but getting control of my health now, while my body can still bounce back and hopefully age more gracefully. I feel like I'm at that tipping point where if I don't act, the next decade will not end well and I will not have a good time of my senior years. This is despite all my best intentions and 7 years of actively going to a weight management doctor. All of that is to say that trying hard and knowing the right things to do rarely leads to success if you are prone to obesity. It's a disease, not a moral failing, no matter what people tell you. Unlike dieting, weight loss surgery provides lasting metabolic changes, as close to a cure as you can get. And you still will have to make all the lifestyle changes you would need to do anyway to lose weight, but they will actually work (instead of spending the next 24 years getting bigger and less healthy like I did). I have posted frequently about what a huge fan I am of Dr. Matthew Weiner's books, YouTube videos, and new podcast. Honestly, his books were life changing for me in terms of my perspective. I highly recommend starting there. He has 3 books, one is called Pound of Cure and gives great, scientifically sound information on what a healthy, set-point lowering way of eating looks like and how to get there. The second is a book that explains exactly how gastric bypass and sleeve surgeries change your metabolism and why they work (it's not just a smaller stomach and eating less!). The third is a cookbook with bariatric friendly recipes and serving sizes for different stages. These books are super fast reads. You can probably get through all three in a week (minus making all the recipes, of course!). With three months to go, my suggestion is get these books and start implementing the diet changes in a deliberate way. Start exercising in a sustainable way, working up to it little by little. See how you feel. Don't do crash diets. Don't start anything, whether food or exercise, you don't think you can basically do 90% of the time for the rest of your life, because there's no such thing as doing it for long enough to lose weight and then getting to "go back to normal." This has to become your new normal, with or without surgery. In three months, if you really aren't sure about the surgery, don't do it. It'll always be there. But know that it's an additional tool that will make the hard work you have to do either way in order to keep your health for the rest of your life more likely to stick. Without it, there's a very high (but not impossible) chance you will not be able to keep your weight in a healthy range.

Makes sense but my doctor told me two years ago that if I lost any more muscle I would be in danger of a heart attack. And I'm 39 and working out has helped me I've gained muscle but I'm just worried I'm not eating enough or slightly under eating because once I'm average once I have a normal muscle ratio I'll be happy to maintain but right now I'm still very close to the danger zone so... 🤔 Well hopefully I'll get more replies because I would like to hear from someone else who's gained muscle.. Like I said I spent a year and a half recovering in bed and lost as lot of muscle. I even have it recorded the drop in muscle so it's very real.. I must make that muscle back I'm just curious if anyone thinks enzymes must help and be the answer maybe I need to gain ten pounds of fat to give by body something to work with... I dunno maybe there's no hope but as at age 50 I can expect to lose muscle I have 9 years to gain like ten pounds of muscle. I must gain muscle... Again thank you for your response

First, I'm wondering, why are you having the surgery? It doesn't sound like you're unhappy with how you look, you didn't mention if you have any comorbidities like joint pain, decreased mobility, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc, and you don't have stats (bmi) that would cause a lot of concern. Second, I've only seen 2 or 3 people on this entire site that have trouble with losing too much weight. Increase your calorie intake, maybe cut the workouts to half, and that shouldn't be an issue. But it's exceedingly rare. Third, you will likely have some regain. It's just par for the course. Not everyone does, but most people do to an extent. If you stick to the plan and move your body, it should be minimal, but it's unfortunately a reality. Lastly, you will shed hair. A lot of it. Most people do. There are a lucky few that don't, but it's a reality the majority of us can't escape. It happened with my first surgery and with my revision. I used volumizing and thickening shampoos and conditioners, cut my hair shorter (it was down to my butt when I had my surgery and I cut it to just touching my shoulders), and styled it a bit differently. And it was fine. Not one person could tell (except me) and once the shedding stopped, it started to regrow fairly quickly. It didn't come out in clumps, it was basically excessive shedding that I mostly saw when I was washing my hair in the shower. It's not like I was losing hair throughout the day and it was all over my clothes or anything.

Well I can tell you I’m 57 it’s been 5 years since my surgery and I can say I have hit my spot where my weight stays where it is, any walking or working out I do just kinda tones my body I have not seen any major muscle gain or anything like that since I have plateaued with my weight. I take it as it is what it is and just maintain.

Well but I'm lifting weights I'm gaining muscle. I do a seca body scan every four to six months and after losing muscle because of a car accident and a year in a half in bed my doctor told me I'm in danger of heart failure so I started lifting weights. But I'm not gaining muscle instead my fat is going down .. so I do understand my body wants to maintain this weight but there is this thing called cutting and bulking and I'm trying to get into a bulk.. Just based off the fact that I don't absorb half my calories I would think of I eat enough calories eventually I'll gain weight.. it can't be impossible can it? I was 19 when I had the surgery 20 years ago. I don't really remember what they told me. I don't recall specifically being told I won't be able to gain weight.. but ok. I'll keep this in mind. Maybe I'm just stuck here. My doctor prescribed my enzymes though he told my my gastric bypass doctor wanted me to gain weight he thinks I should be 190 for my safety 🫤 any more thoughts? I'm still weak my muscle is normal but on the low end still so I can't stop trying to gain weight imo. For my health.

You sound as if you have a great deal going on in your life. You need to take a moment out of your busy life to just breathe. Three months is still a long time to decide which way you want to go, either with surgery or not. You can cancel right up to the minute you walk into the hospital. A few have. This may not be your time. So lets take the things that you are most worried about, Your hair. You will not go bald. You probably will loose some of your thickness. You are young, you have masses of hair. When you are as old as I am you would have already have lost lots of hair due to menopause, so I started off with a deficit. It did get a little scary and I needed to get my hair cut really short but I do love the freedom that it gives me. I felt it was worth it. This surgery was my last chance at a normal life. You will not loose too much weight, you will stop a right place for you. You need to up your calories until you get to a balance. I am ok on 1500 calories a day. I have a slow life, I dont work anymore. I go out with friends, I eat and drink as before. The only thing I do not do is overeat. I don't miss doing that, my friends might do. Especially if they liked to overeat with me. How do you see yourself ? Not how others see you. They may want a fat friend to bolster their own negative ego's. Do you put weight on every year and keep it on ? We all did. We did diets after diets and put it all back on again with added weight. Lots of us ended up with weight related illnesses like diabetes and blood pressure. If you think you can loose weight yourself and keep it off then you need to try. Give yourself 6 to 12 months to do it. Bariatric surgery is not an easy option but if you stick with it, it is a solution. If you do not follow the guide lines then like a diet, it will fail. You should go back and chat with your surgeon. You need to be totally happy with your decision. Give yourself the time you need.

1). there are a lot more people who don't reach goal than there are who lose too much weight. Plus if you feel like you're losing too much weight, you can always increase your calories to put the brakes on it - or to start gaining. So I wouldn't worry about this one AT ALL. 2). fewer than 5% of people are able to lose weight and keep it off. You may be one of the lucky ones who can do that - and if so, and you're afraid of the surgery, it's not too late to pull out and try it on your own. I wasn't one of the lucky ones. I spent my first 55 years as overweight or obese. I gained and lost weight a million times and could never keep it off until I had weight loss surgery. 3). hair loss, if you experience it (and not everyone does), is temporary. I lost hair during months 5-8 post-surgery (so...for three months). It wasn't much, though. I could tell because there were more hairs in my combs and brushes, but I really didn't notice it at all when looking in the mirror, so I'm sure no one else noticed it. Plus hair loss after surgery is more like shedding - not huge clumps of loss like one might have after chemo. For a lot of people, they're the only ones who notice it. It's usually more loss of volume than noticeable "bald spots" - and it does grow back. to me, the risk of losing some hair temporarily vs. being morbidly obese for the rest of my life was a no-brainer. But you may think and decide differently for yourself - and there's nothing wrong with that. If you're not mentally ready for this yet, or want to try on your own to lose weight, then there's nothing wrong with canceling or postponing your surgery. You wouldn't be the first..or last.

Honestly if your body is where it’s at with the 178 your really not going to loose anymore weight nor gain really. Not sure if your team explained this to you but a DS is designed to get max weight loss and at a certain point you level out. I went from 325 to 191 with my surgery and it will fluctuate from 191 to 196 depending how I’m eating and what not but I’m 5 years out I believe and I have not gained anything past 196. Have I been scared that I’m going to drop more yes but has it went past 191 not once. Tbh once the body has reached it loss amount it is what it is that is how I have taken it.

HI!!! First, i wish you all a happy new year I had my first appointment with my surgeon a few days ago, i have some blood tests coming up in 2 weeks. So my surgery should be in 3 months. I'm 26 years old, height 5'9 and weight 260 lbs. My surgeon said i should be getting the sleeve. Okay, that being said...... I'm terrified. I'm scared about the hair loss because my hair is part of my identity and my self-love..... I can't stop thinking about it. Second, I'm scared of losing too much weight? I don't know if i'm over-reating.... but I've always been overweight so I don't know how I would react to my new body. People around me have always said that my weight looks good on me... Third, I'm wondering if I had tried enough before getting it ? I don't know if I should try to exercise and diet again one last time before getting it since I have to change my lifestyle anyway if I do this surgery.? I never really tried any diet and exercise program consistently in my life. Everytime I tried to do something, i would give up shortly after starting it. I'm a nurse and a university student, so my life is kind of crazy. My sleep schedule is crazy, my work schedule is crazy... Honestly, i'm just writing down all my thoughts because I feel like no one around me can understand what i'm going through.... and I'm looking for some advice or some guidance... Only my parents & brother know...

Do you have a dietician? If so ask them for more specifics. We all need the amount of information & depth of detail that makes us feel comfortable & confident about we have to do. We have different needs (food preferences like vegetarian or vegan, food sensitivities or allergies, general health, current weight, age, mobility, etc.) which is why I suggest you get the specifics from your dietician for what will best complement your needs. Your surgeon may have requirements too. As some general advice, start tracking your food (lots of tracking apps available like My Fitness Pal). Increase your fluids to 2L/64ozs. Reduce or drop any carbonated drinks. Reduce snacking. Reduce the highly or ultra processed foods in your current diet. Increase your protein & vegetable intake - look at around 4oz protein & a good cup of vegetables for a meal. Modify some of your cooking styles like use an air fryer or bake not pan fry. Swap simple carbs for complex whole or multi grains. Reduce the number of sugary/sweet foods you eat. You don’t have to do all these things at once, unless you have a tight time frame but certainly start introducing a couple of these things each week or two until you get more definite information from your dietician. PS If you don’t have a dietician yet, ask for a referral to one from your team.

Hi all, I am glad I’m not the only one having issues. I haven’t had steak in 16 months. A month ago I was woken by my husband as I thought his arm was a big ice juicy steak🤣 Cat you could be gaining muscle and that’s why the weight doesn’t look different on scales. But your measurements do. The surgeon also said when you go to soft diet/full diet you can have a stall. But also fluid intake plays a part. Some Guy you are doing a great job. Screw what others think. Sarcasm is the way to go. meisha tell them how much you’ve lost overall. As that is when your weight loss journey started. Some people don’t know I had the partial sleeve. But I went in for hernia repair august 2022 and ended up with the Partial sleeve cause of stomach damage. So mine was a bonus and a kick start to reality. Me……When I had my 8wk post appt we had talked about the pain I was in and not stomaching soft foods and how I might end up having gastric bypass……. Well I ended up in hospital NYE. I couldn’t drink/eat or even swallow my own saliva without excruciating pain. Turns out I had a perforation in my oesophagus and stomach with a lot of inflammation. We had to go on a drip as I was also very dehydrated. Have intravenous meds 3 times a day as I was becoming septic too. So I am back on fluids for this last week and the next two weeks. 🙄. So over fluids/liquids. I cried Christmas Day as everyone was eating turkey and prawns. but the plus side is I’ve lost 10kgs since Nov 2nd.

So I eat 4200 calories a day. Long story short. 456 pounds at age 19 had DS 39 now and I weigh 178 pounds I've been working out 3x a week for two years. Lifting weights. At first I lost muscle, because I was eating 2200 calories most days maybe 60 grams of protein. I now I eat 4200 a day and get 250 grams of protein easy but even with gaining muscle I don't gain weight on the scale yet. I've gained in the past but once I started lifting weights I stopped. I just stay at 178ish.. my doctor wants me to take enzymes but I want to be able to gain weight with food... It's annoying to me I can't even gain a pound. I'm slowly raising calories 200 at a time. I wait a month then I'll raise it again but does anyone know how many calories I probably need and can anyone tell me for sure how many calories I absorb and how much fat, carbs, protein I absorb? My doctor says he can't tell me because everyone is different but... I need answers. I find myself scared every day I'll lose weight.. it's crazy to me im eating so much but my doctor's kinda not cool.. so I don't trust him last time I took enzymes I ended up getting up to 240 pounds on accident and the idea of gaining that much weight scares me.. I prefer to do it normally I just wonder what the calorie number is need. What works for you