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I have been in other support groups and people say that a slow or even a stall is normal in the first couple months because your body is adjusting. When you start eating healthy foods and more intake your body will start burning again. The weight will start again. The slower weight loss is actually better for your recover is my understanding. I am 10 days out and down 15 pounds. I’m not in any hurry and as long as I’m still losing I will just follow my plan and keep going. keep us posted!

Reading a lot about tiredness and fatigue, is anyone feeling the other way at night? I’m struggling to sleep! I feel tired but ever since the op I have not got to sleep easily, have tried walking further in the day, reading etc but doesn’t seem to help!! (I’m 3 weeks post op on Tuesday) Feeling really positive otherwise though, the weight is coming down and the pureed stage doesn’t seem to be bothering me so much!! Just need to keep up with protein water to ensure I’m getting enough in, as only manage a few mouthfuls of the pureed food! Xx

Hi sorry I’m new here I had my surgery December 19 so it’s been like 2 weeks and 3 days so the first 7 days i lost 17 pounds but right now I’m loosing weight very slow like a pound each day its that normal or mybe I’m doing something wrong right now I lost 27 pounds total 2 weeks and 3 days

I am 3 weeks and 3 days post op and do also experience the same tiredness and fatigue. Couldn't even grt going for work yesterday and had to reschedule 2 meetings to go back to sleep. My nurse and Dietician said this process and the lack of nutrients during the healing stages will make you extremely tired/weak to the same effect covid does. She was right, very much so. I've now had both. But I am feeling much better aside from that. I lost 22lbs on the 2 week preop diet and have lost 34lbs since surgery December 13th. Had my follow up and down 56lbs since November 29th. One day at a time. Process is more important than the goal. We can all get to our goal but I believe the process comes first.

Wow I’m 3 weeks out and got entirely exhausted today after a shower , and 2 loads of laundry ( wash dry and fold) I didn’t even put it all away. Then ended up taking a 3 1/2 hour nap

Mmmm Cheese. Good. I ate low fat Jarlsberg from solid foods but I did revert back to full fat after a few weeks cause it tasted nicer. And would sprinkle Parmesan on my bolognese & in my omelettes. Close to goal I would eat Brie, Camembert, a soft blue if out socialising where there were snacks but not a meal, A couple of pieces were ample. Full fat is so much yummier but it’s all about how much you eat each time & what else you’re eating. Saw something recently about there being something in cheese that makes it addictive. I can’t recall what because I don’t care - it’s an addiction I’m willing to indulge.

I'm 2 1/2 weeks post op and I'm feeling alright, but with a LOT of sleep. I'm up for 2 or 3 hours and down for 4 or 5 hours. I'm doing okay on my protein/hydration, but I just can't seem to get going. I plan on going back to work on Monday, but I don't know that I'm going to have enough in the tank for an 8-hour day. Any ideas? *edit - did my 2 week check in yesterday, down 33 pounds post op.*

I am preop and was just reading through the folder my surgeon's office has given me. There's a section called keeping the weight off where they talk about portions after you've gotten past the honeymoon period. They say that a meal should be 3-4 oz of lean protein with 20-25g protein, 1/2 cup of whole grain or starchy vegetables, and then half of the plate is leafy/non-starchy veg and fruit. The most important part for me was where they said: Sometimes portion sizes increase over time. If you feel you are able to eat more at meals, increase the portion of non-starchy vegetables. I would start there, because I think the tendency as appetite increases is to grab a bigger plate and increase everything proportionally. So now you may be eating 5-6 oz protein and 3/4 to 1 cup of starch or grain. And maybe adding in more sauces, more fats, a piece of bread, some alcohol, juice, some sweet treats, a daily snack. My surgeon's plan emphasizes keeping to 3 meals per day without snacking once you're past the first few weeks where you need to supplement with protein shakes just to meet minimum protein goals. But if you can regularly get 20-25g protein at a meal, plus 1/2 cup starch or grain and some veg/fruit, you don't need to eat more than 3 times per day, 4-6 hours apart. This is something that isn't always made clear. When I started this journey, I was certain that gastric bypass would mean having to eat lots of small meals all throughout the day, which is exactly what I'm being told not to do! But you do need to get at least 64oz of water or more all the time, and you can add as much veg and fruit as you need to feel full. I think that is where I would start in your position. Go back to measuring your meals, setting timers to remind you when your meal times are if you need to, eating only food you prepare yourself and/or know exactly what's in it. Check your cupboards for temptations and get rid of them. Pay attention to the urges you have to do something that isn't part of your plan, because that's probably going to show you the problem areas and help you figure out how to change. And most of all, give yourself a little bit of grace, because this isn't easy (no matter what people try to say). Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep. Get fresh air and exercise. Be kind to yourself.

Thanks Amber. I took the IUD out mid October. I went from spotting to bleeding. The plan was to go without bc for 3 months but I was over the prolonged bleeding and ended up trying a bc pill. It worked for 2 weeks then the bleeding returned. Now I’m attempting again to go 3 months again without anything and praying my body responds.

Thanks Amber. I took the IUD out mid October. I went from spotting to bleeding. The plan was to go without bc for 3 months but I was over the prolonged bleeding and ended up trying a bc pill. It worked for 2 weeks then the bleeding returned. Now I’m attempting again to go 3 months again without anything and praying my body responds.

OH YES! I am still pre-op and I HAVE to be at the goal weight the surgeon gave me of 275 on my surgery date, so I gotta make sure I stay in check! I went back to tracking, eating proteins first and doing my 30min of activity 3x a week. It came back off but I still have 19 more days till surgery day!

I'm in the same boat! I've been yo-yoing between the same 3 pounds for a week now. Juuuuuuust enough to not feel its necessary to call the dietician. Ugh. I've lost 33.4 since surgery, 41 total if you include the 8 pounds I lost before surgery. QUESTION: When people ask, do you tell them how much you've lost since surgery or how much you've lost overall? I don't want to give anyone a false impression that I've lost 41 pounds since surgery, but do they really care that I lost 8 pounds before surgery? I need to add more movement to my daily routine. I'm averaging about 2000 steps per day thanks to my need-replacing knees and I tried a chair aerobic workout this week. Clearly it was NOT a beginner video. I was sucking wind at 2 minutes into it - and it was only 10 minutes long! I had to stop at 4 minutes in. It was disheartening, but I won't be deterred. @ChunkCat & @NickelChip - Y'all are my people! Sarcasm is my love language.

I have my evaluation in Jan 9th and hoping to schedule the following week or so!

Most meals are between 300-500 calories each except the sushi was like 250. I’ve been eating a lot of eggs the past week but am definitely not doing the egg fast diet again! And most of these “meals” are things I pick at for a couple hours. Today’s lunch (the last picture) I made at 3pm and finished around 630pm. It’s roasted butternut squash with sautéed kale, garlic, onion, and shiitake rice.

Oh no way are you too far gone at this early stage OP! If you can re-read your surgeon's rules and stick to them then you will be absolutely fine. I think there's an in-between stage for all of us when we *can* eat things that aren't on our programme but we know we shouldn't. It's because our healing stomachs don't perceive the solids or carbs or whatever and don't warn us to stop because they can't. When they heal up properly about 8 weeks after surgery you won't be able to eat more than your programme allows. Until then I would advise you to stick to the letter of the law. Carbs have little or no place in your food at the minute, you have plenty of time to reintroduce them over the next year or two. Soup - yes! Allowed protein - yes! (I say eggs all ways). There are loads of tasty things you'll be permitted and so much time to eat the others. Welcome to your new life x

I'd suggest kindly saying to them "I appreciate your worries about how I will change, change is scary! But what I need from you right now is your support, it will really help me succeed going forward and I know we will find many more ways to have fun together!" I went to see my family for the holidays. The road trip down and back was hard but I packed all my protein goodies (shakes, meat sticks, protein bars, protein chips) and the trip was a breeze from a post-surgery perspective. We went out to a pizza and beer place when we got there and yes, everyone else got pizza, except my sister and I, who got wings! Everyone else had cider, I had unsweetened tea. Everyone worried if I'd have something to eat or drink but it wasn't an issue in the end, and the best part of the meal was not the food, it was the conversation and laughter! I haven't lost that capacity post surgery! There is a thread around here where I wrote about my first post surgery experience eating out, I'll go find the link for you, it might be worth the read. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/444708-sick-after-eating/?do=findComment&comment=5014658 Last week I ate out with friends post Christmas so we could exchange gifts. I'm 2 months out. I had a red thai curry, no rice, and fried tofu. It was delicious and again, the best part of the meal was visiting with them and exchanging gifts! I didn't miss anything in the meal and they didn't try to push me to have anything that wasn't good for me. I really value how much support I've gotten since I've let people know about the surgery. Not everyone is supportive, of course, but they don't matter. The majority support me and celebrate all my wins and that is what I needed from them!

Two Month Update!!! How is everyone going?? I have been losing and gaining the same 2-4 lbs for a month now. Stalls are stupid. They swear the weight comes off the fastest in the first 3 months but that has not been my experience past the first two weeks. It is frustrating. But I feel a lot more energy and my underwear keep trying to fall down even though the rest of my clothes still fit, so I figure something must be happening. I got out my tape measure to do my month two measurements (I skipped the first month because I figured it wouldn't have changed much) and great balls of fire people, I have lost 26 inches!!! In two months!!!! I've lost 28 lbs since surgery, I had no clue it would add up to that many inches lost... I've lost 8 inches from my chest 😭 and 6 inches from my waist alone!! That means I'm losing a lot of visceral fat, which has me sooo excited. And is probably the cause of my underwear falling down. LOL Everywhere else (hips, thighs, arms) have lost 2-3 inches each! Moral of the story?? BE SURE TO TRACK MEASUREMENTS!! I have them in my Baritastic app and also on paper in case the app does something stupid with them. In other news, I've decided I can be more active now, so I'm adding in steps at about 1,000 per week. Last year with all the injuries and illnesses I averaged about 1,000 steps a day, can you imagine?? That is so low it is scary to me. So this week I'm doing 2,000-2,500 steps a day, and will increase it by about 1.000 a week until I hit 10,000 steps consistently. Steps are excellent cardio because below 5,000 you are considered sedentary/low activity. Over 5,000 is considered medium activity, and once you hit 10,000 daily you are considered highly active! So that's my goal. I can't do lifting or an elliptical or anything because I have a shoulder injury we are still assessing for surgery. But once that is taken care of and healed I'll add weights into my workout. I have a gym phobia but my partner is lovingly encouraging me to face that, as it will be the only way to get those steps in, we don't live in a walking friendly area. So to celebrate my progress so far I ordered a few funny sarcastic gym tanks and sweatshirts to cheer me up for when I have to go face the gym. Sarcasm always helps. 😂

Mine is scheduled for February 21! (It was supposed to be December 27, but that was a whole big mess detailed in another post). I met my new surgeon on Tuesday and had my blood work, EKG, and barium swallow yesterday. 7 weeks to go!

I am now 1 month post op. Down 37 lbs. (20 since day of surgery) I feel amazing!! Once I stopped taking my blood thinners, I noticed a lot more energy. My joints don't bother me anymore... my hands, wrists, ankles and feet are no longer swollen. My clothes are becoming loose, and I can't stress enough how happy I am that I finally went for it and had the VSG surgery. I've noticed everyone's doctor has a different approach on the steps following surgery. I was instructed to stay on a liquid diet 3 weeks post op. Now I'm finally allowed to eat, but ONLY 4 things - eggs, string cheese, cottage cheese & avocados for the next 3 weeks. After that he said I can start to introduce meat and other foods into my diet but to ALWAYS prioritize protein over anything. I can barely finish 1 egg without feeling uncomfortable... so it'll be interesting in the coming months. The holidays were hard since my family is full of foodies, so the spreads they created for family gatherings were mouthwatering. I just kept reminding myself that I'm finally headed in the direction, and I don't want to fall back into old habits, so I ask myself, "Do I want this, or do I need this? Will it nourish me or just satisfy a craving?" Changing a relationship with food isn't easy, especially when it's something we HAVE to consume to stay alive and well. To anyone struggling, know you got this!! It might be hard today, but it won't always be that way. You might have a day where you feel you failed yourself. Don't dwell on it just work to be better moving forward. It's a learning curve, you're only human.

Welcome to your first stall. They usually occur around week three but can start before or after that. They usually last 1-3 weeks. (There are lots of usually, often, averages, common, etc. after surgery.) While this time when the scale doesn’t move, is frustrating & can be depressing, it is an important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock of the changes that are occurring (weight loss, dietary changes, etc.) & reassess its needs in regards to metabolic rate, digestive hormones, and so on. The stress of your surgery can also impact this first stall. (Yes I said first as you’ll likely experience more of them.) The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. You can’t force a stall to stop. Best advice used stick to your plan & don’t stress your body more by making changes to your diet & activity other than those your plan wants. Take some body measurements. While the scale doesn’t move, you may notice changes in a tape measure or in your clothing.

Thanks so much for responding. I spoke with the nutritionists as well which she made me feel so much better too. She told me not to worry about what I did bc everyone in the beginning is learning as it is a brand new way of life we're adjusting to so I did feel better about that. It's been a week now and I been on track. So I am looking at your weight loss tracker. You started around the same weight as me and as of now you're 228 lbs, is that right? That's amazing! That gives me hope. ❤️

Hello All- i posted for the first time just about three years ago with some anxieties as a spouse with my wife prepping to undergo the gastric sleeve. I originally noted being concerned about our lifestyle changes, relationship impacts (I had heard all the horror stories) and most of all health concerns into the future. The community was incredibly supportive and I had learned tips and useful knowledge that helped me coach and support my wife through it. I am happy to say we are better than we ever have been and her self confidence is through the roof. However the MAIN reason the surgery ever was even considered was to get her diabetes that started while she was pregnant with our first child and got very concerning bad with our fourth has still stuck around and caused issues….. First- this is Life changing not just for the partner getting the surgery, but the spouse too. We used to be foodies and that all had to go out the door. Same with alcohol. Two bites and you are full, a pint and you are drunk. So activities, dates, etc. and new hobbies should all be prepared for well in advance. Luckily we are both athletes and coaches and this allowed to have an outlet that wasn’t our prior foodies and beer/ brewery culture pastime. Two- Relationship, anyone who tells you that this leads to automatic divorce/ break up is paranoid or lying. Out of her support group offered by our health network, I think only 1 or 2 of about fifteen women ended up separating and that was from the other spouse cheating. I have to say that in many ways, after four kids and all our activities, youth sports and coaching- it created a second honeymoon period for us and really strengthened our romance and relationship because we both focused on our health again jointly and the magnetism increased dramatically. Third- It might not fix the problem…. We did not jointly go into the surgery for cosmetic or weight loss reasons. It was the diabetes and the doctors said it was a solid shot to cure or mitigate the disease. It was for a while, but it keeps back up. despite healthy eating, despite exercise and coaching, despite the surgery- medications came back into the picture and so did the celebrity weight loss drug (which is really supposed to be for diabetes…) This has been keeping everything under control but is a case of the cure being as bad as the sickness. The side effects are brutal and definitely have a quality of life impact, but we both want to live to see grandkids someday….. Fourth- dysmorphia is VERY really. We are both naturally larger people. I was a lineman in high school and college and she was a softball catcher in high school and college and ended up also playing women’s rugby there as well. Even with the surgery she went from an XL to L but she got her college/ high school figure back and as such her confidence went through the roof and started dressing like she hadn’t in years. With the medication though??? Her figure, face shape, everything changed. Down to a Small or Medium. For almost a year and a half she hasn’t recognized herself in the mirror. It’s a double wham with the surgery and the medication. Between her best friends and myself (we have all been in the same friend/ team group since college) the support was to have fun with it and go with the flow. Instead of worrying about it (the dysmorphia) it was embrace the change. All new clothes she could never wear before, she’s been a redhead now and then blonde and still is. Cut her hair shorter, started wearing makeup (never really did)- all just to try and put a positive spin on it. I’ve been the spoiled recipient of having a brand new girl (don’t think I haven’t romanced and spoiled the you-know-what out of her), but at the end of the day it’s been mitigation of all the life changes. The last part has been the most detailed because it’s the most recent and to me has been the most impactful- NOT having the surgery do its intended purpose and the dysmorphia we’re both very difficult given the efforts and life changes made. We’ve done everything we can to make lemonade out of those lemons though. We had an anniversary vacation better than our honeymoon this past summer (she has always been way out of my league and these days it’s very much over the top- I feel incredibly spoiled) and we have made time to ride our bikes together with our oldest babysitting the kids and we come to each others games when we coach. I would tell any spouse; husband or wife of someone who is going to have the surgery and then or also do all the meds: 1. Support. It’s a huge deal and you need to show up. 2. Don’t get insecure about your relationship because of the surgery. If you are worried it means you might not have a great relationship to start with…. 3. You will need to change your life too. Because of my size and my weight lifting, I need a lot of protein and calories. I will never look like a Hollywood star (like she now does) and always an NFL lineman- BUT- if I bring a cannoli, pie or a full growler into the house in addition to steak/ salmon, etc it’s teasing and not fair. You will need to learn self control to support your spouse… 4. Inspire and come up with ideas for positive re-enforcement. If the dysmorphia or depression sets in, you need to find fun things to do, supportive steps to take and positive angles to keep things going. 5. If you are doing all this as a spouse, what about YOU??? Are you going to die a martyr? Take care of YOURSELF too. I go lifting 3 times a week, go fishing in season. And for my 40th birthday when she asked what I wanted?? I got us a long weekend on the Cape, bought her some dresses I wanted to see her in and sent her to get her hair, nails, toes, eyelashes, etc.. done. Said I wanted a long weekend with my movie star wife. It was a great time, kid free and continued to strengthen our marriage. Anyways- why am I writing this? Posterity? Self reflection? Not really…. I just want to give Spouses a roadmap. It’s a huge change and you need to navigate the waters well. If you do you will benefit as much as your loved one. Good luck.

I had surgery on December 4. I rapidly lost about 13 pounds. Since my appointment on the 19th I’ve only lost an additional 4 pounds. I’ve been drinking more water add I’m still on soft foods. Is this normal or not? I’ve also been utilizing my treadmill and weights three times a week.

Hey there, That’s awesome! Doing this journey going from not eating carbs and then reintroducing them as needed is key. I’ve lost weight, but it comes in stages. I’ll lose inches first, then the scale will be stuck. Then all of sudden the following month, boom, ten pounds gone. I was weighing daily then weekly and now I weigh every other week. Protein is vital.

One thing about mental hunger or cravings is that they're almost never strong enough for me to actually get into a car and drive to a store to buy something. The first few weeks, I would end up digging until I found something else to eat, but the fewer options you make available, the more you have to admit to yourself that you're just bored or (as is often my case since I work from home) procrastinating. There have been times I would find myself staring into my pantry and I'd have to ask myself what exactly I thought I would find there. It's all canned beans and pasta sauce now. Generally I just ask myself if I want a snack badly enough to drive to the store for it, and the answer is always no. Oh, and I do all my grocery shopping online for pickup now to minimize the chances of throwing impulse buys into my cart.