Search the Community

Hi there! Been on my surgery journey for a few years now and I'm finally coming up on my RYGB surgery date in a couple weeks. It might just be nerves but over the last couple of months I've started to rethink whether I'm making the wrong decision with the going with the bypass. I spoke to my surgeon about a week ago & expressed I might want to switch to SADI. She said it's ultimately my choice, but she feels like RYGB is a better fit for me personally as I have a history of GERD (currently mild) and that she's concerned I might lose too much weight with SADI - I need to lose 100lbs. I've been reading & watching a lot of posts from people that have had each procedure & I'm really concerned with the idea of throwing up & having to eat a couple of bites per meal the rest of my life. The thing is, I rarely see anyone post complications with SADI. They seem to eat small meals but not as small as restrictive as RYGB patients & while they experience diarrhea - I don't see posts about vomiting. I mean, does everyone experience vomiting & dumping syndrome with RYGB? Does anyone know people that have had poor experiences with SADI? Ultimately, am I making the wrong decision by not going with SADI?

Feb 21 for me! There are two other Feb 2024 buddy posts on here somewhere, but I think they've gotten buried. Not too many people replying to them yet, which is interesting. It's only 2 weeks until February starts, so I wonder where everyone is!

I started taking my bariatric vitamins back when I got my original surgery date, in October, I think. I take the Celebrate One 45 chewable bariatric vitamin and 3 Celebrate calcium chews (fruit flavored, delicious!) per days, as well as lutein and omega 3 supplements that were recommended by my eye doctor (not weight related), and half a biotin chew because it can't hurt, right? I started early strictly to get into the routine. My memory is shite and I wanted to have it be second nature by the time I truly needed it. I do also add a scoop of collagen powder to my tea in the morning and I use retinol body and face creams, but that's more an anti-aging thing as opposed to loose skin prevention. As everyone has said, the loose skin and hair shedding is kind of unavoidable. The supplements, at best, are hopefully to ensure the new hair growth is as healthy as can be. I wouldn't go with expensive "miracle" products because they probably won't live up to the hype or the cost, but if it's in the budget to get a few things that make you feel better, it also can't hurt. I mean, peppermint and rosemary just sounds lovely. Even if it doesn't do a lot, it smells like heaven!

Weight-wise we started out about the same, and I'd lost 75 lbs by the six-month mark, so you are doing fine. And it's very normal to drop down to a 1-2 lb a week loss when you're six months out. Just continue to stick to your clinic's plan, and the weight WILL come off. It took me almost two years, but I got it all off (I've had about a 20 lb rebound gain since I hit my lowest weight, which is very common during year 3 - it's your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at). as far as calories go, that varies so much for everyone that I can't really say if your input is too high or too low. I think I was eating around 800 calories a day at that point, and I used to fret about that because I'd see people on here eating 600-ish. But they could have been shorter, older, less muscular, and/or less active than me, too. As long as your weight is in a general downward trend, I wouldn't worry about it. Some surgeons want their patients eating more calories in general than other surgeons, so the amount you're taking in isn't anything unusual keep in mind that the closer you get to goal, the slower those pounds are going to come off. During year two, there were months I was only losing a pound or two the entire month. But I was persistent and they DID come off.

My first birthday post-op was about eight weeks after surgery. All I remember was I had about two tablespoons of ice cream as a treat, and felt guilty about it for days afterward! (it didn't make me sick, but I was bound and determined from the get-go that I was going to be 100% compliant with my plan until I got all that weight off, so I felt terrible about eating that ice cream!). The next holiday was Thanksgiving. That was about five months after surgery. I took some Light & Fit pumpkin yogurt to eat while the others were eating pumpkin pie, so no guilt! (I will admit I was a bit of a drill sergeant with myself the first year after my surgery, but again, I was 100% determined to get that weight off! I wish I still had that resolve!!)

as far as exercise goes, I was told just walking for the first four weeks post-op. I don't remember my clinic saying anything about doing (or not doing) normal household tasks - or going up and down stairs in my house. They did say not to pick up anything heavy, though. I would say as long as you're not picking up heavy things, you're probably OK - and if something hurts, stop doing it. Hopefully someone not as far out from surgery as I am will know a more definitive answer to this. And btw - welcome to the forum!

Hello, everyone. I'm a VSG baby, meaning i just recently had my surgery on the 10th. Almost a week now? I'm currently on phase 2 of my post- op. I've been trying to rest as much as I can. I've just been a bit ancy, which it strange, because I'm a writer and have every opportunity to do that or binge watch television, lol. Yet, I want to move around and I get the urge to clean and move around more and faster that I should, that on top of my daughter and step-daughter running around, my grandbaby coming over and having an energetic chihuahua feeling the need to have me chase him around the house because he wants to play. My SO has been getting aggravated because I've been a little stubborn, and I can't blame him honestly. I am stubborn, lol. But I think my stubbornness might have bit me a little this time, I've never had major surgery like this before so it is very new to me. I feel like I might have over done it. As of right now, the only pain I feel usually is on my left side. Some times she I try to turn that way or stretch a little, It hurts like someone is trying to stretch my skin, also it stings a little a burning cramp sensation. It's usually subtle unless I move around too much. This morning, my daughter threw up and her dad had already gone to work, so I worked on cleaning it up, mopping a little, running up and down the stairs, threw some towels in the washer and got her situated. After I was done, my left side started hurting again, except it hurt a little to walk and it was tender when I touched it. I took a few deep breaths and walked over to the couch to sit down and took some Tylenol. It feels better a little better now. It's strange, because that pain feels very familiar when I was pregnant with my daughter and she was pushing against my fibroids that had grown in size because of the hormones. Except that pain was so excruciating I could barely walk. I didn't know if i was going into labor or not. So, after that loooooong intro. I'd like some advice. Is this something I should worry about and talk to my doctor about. Or should I just make myself take it easy and not over do it so much? Thankyou so much;.

I had my surgery in the Uk. My package came with 2 years support. They told me to get a B12 injection every 3 months at my local doctors. I get dobbing big Calci- D tablets on prescription and take one a day. I also get full strength multivitamin Gummies from Amazon, my team said to take two a day. Every team has different recommendations. Once a year I have nutritional blood tests to see if my levels are ok, they have been. Like @Arabesque, I did not bother with any supplements for my skin or hair. At my age It just would have been a waste of money.

I have a huge restriction, lucky me. At almost 2 years, I was only on about 800 cals a day. I had to eat so many protein yogurts to get in my quota of protein. After 2 years I decided to call it a day and upped my cals to 1500. This gives me a good number of cals and as I am not a great exerciser, could do more if I wanted more food. Counting my 3 week pre op diet, I lost about 90 lbs at 6 months out

Happy birthday! I had my surgery less than a week before my birthday, so I was still on liquids for my birthday. I didn't (and really couldn't) do anything food-wise for my birthday that year. What else do you normally do to celebrate your birthday? Do your friends and family give you gifts? You can still open gifts on your birthday. Maybe instead of going out for a birthday meal, you can find another (non-food-related) activity to do with your friends and family, like a movie or show, escape room, spa day, mini golf, etc. Something to consider with respect to a birthday treat is that you might have a bad reaction to it, so think about whether you want to risk getting sick on your birthday. Maybe instead you can find a bakery that makes sugar-free cupcakes, or a health food store that sells protein brownies, or make yourself a sugar-free protein mug cake.

I was barely eating 900 calories at 6 months (almost a cup of food for a meal depending on what it was & one snack) & at my goal weight. But my stats are different from yours. I’m likely older, definitely shorter & I wasn’t & still aren’t overly active. (I eat about 1600 now to maintain my weight.) You have every right to ask for greater guidance around calories, portion sizes, macros, etc. from your nutritionalist if it makes you feel more confident about your choices & comfortable about what you’re doing. If they refuse you may have to find another one who is willing to support you. Yes, I know calorie counting is considered out, but for us it is an important consideration especially until we feel more secure in what we’re doing & helps us to lose/maintain & maintain our health. We need that guidance now as most of us didn’t know what the hell we were doing in regard to appropriate foods to eat, nutrients our bodies needed, appropriate portion sizes, etc. We’re new borns about a lot of this in the beginning. If we knew it all & could do it we wouldn’t have needed the surgery. Honestly, I wasn’t given calories goals or specific macro except protein 60g for me. Just portion size, and low carb, low fat, low sugar. I was okay with that though I would still randomly check for my own interest. I did a lot of my own reading, and was very careful with what I chose to eat & checked with my dietician at every fortnightly appointment. As I said, you have to feel comfortable & confident about what you’re doing. After those first heady weeks of large weekly weight drops &, regardless of our starting weight, our rate of loss slows. One to two pounds a weeks is okay especially as you are on the homeward path now. Remember that 1-2lbs a week is generally considered a healthy rate of lose for anyone losing weight. Wait until you’re almost there & you’re losing ounces not pounds a week. Believe me, the last few pounds to lose are a b*tch to lose.

Some things I’ve learnt. I am cynical so be warned. Save your money on any supplements or creams to save your hair or tone your skin or reduce skin laxity. Of course any general body care & self care is always a good thing. My cynical self says just don’t put your faith & heart into believing all the miracle cure alls. The hair you lose is hair that you would have shed anyway - your natural shedding cycle is just accelerated for a couple of months. It’s dead hair & you can’t save that no matter how many supplements you take. Those that say it helped don’t know how much hair they would have lost & they still lose for the same 3 or so months as those who didn’t take anything or use special shampoo. Remember too your new growth hair is still growing just at it’s a usual rate. You & your stylist are probably the only ones who’ll notice your loss & in a year or so it will be as it was. How much loose skin you end up with depends on many factors - age, how long you were at your highest weight, how long you carried weight, how much weight you lose, genetics. The loose skin is skin that has been stretched too far & can’t retract any more like elastic in old knickers or an old well used hair band. Only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I’ll be honest. I weakened & bowed to social media & bought that Maey’s B cream range: see results in a month. Well 6 months later & no change. My skin was softer but any cream would have done that. Still had sagging skin & cellulite. Should have saved the $200+. Also did collagen powder & silica for months too. Any change? Nope. Best thing I did for my facial laxity was micro needling/RF. Not a miracle cure but I can see improvement. Did 4 monthly sessions a year ago & two maintenance sessions for this year. (Lipstick bleeding almost gone, acne scarring more shallow, jowls tighter, more defined jawline in general, don’t have to distort my face to see my cheekbones, skin velvet soft, …) See there are things I believe in - LOL!!! As for general vitamins before surgery, have a blood test first & find out what nutrients you may be lacking in & supplement those so you are in a healthier place before surgery. No point taking vitamins you don’t need yet. Many of them you simply pee out what your body doesn’t need. The better, more nutrient dense, balanced diet, being generally healthier, probably did me the most good. My skin isn’t dry anymore (even my feet), don’t have those little bumps on my arms, my nails aren’t as ridged, sleep better, etc. All the best - exciting times ahead for you,

I am a little over 6 months post op, how many calories are you eating now? I am getting about 900-1000 calories, 80g of protein, 50g of carbs. Anyone else have a starting weight at 360ish at 5'9", how much did you lose at 6 months? My surgeon doesn't offer an aftercare support team and the nutritionist (had to get a referral from my primary) that I am seeing doesn't like giving numbers. I also don't feel I can ask him as he will just refer to the paperwork he gave me at the start, which just says under 1200 calories and 60-80g of protein. I am very happy with the weight that I have lost so far, 100lbs since surgery, but it has been very slow the last 2 months or so. I still feel that I should be losing at a faster rate than I am which is only about 1-2lbs a week. Is this just an average weight loss when I weigh 263lbs at 5' 9", haven't been down to this weight in over 15 years.

Another thing to remember is a lot of nerves were cut during your surgery so signals to tell you things like you’ve had enough, eaten too much or doing damage just aren’t getting through or aren’t getting through clearly. You getting sick is a sign you’ve over done it. As I always say all because you can doesn’t mean you should & at the moment you really shouldn’t. It takes 8 weeks or more to fully heal & the staged return to eating is in place to protect your tummy & all those sutures & staples holding it together, & support your healing. It’s also important to follow portion size recommendations. Plans & requirements are different but double check how much you are allowed for a meal. I was allowed 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to about a cup at 6 months but that was my plan your’s could be different. You’re right about the head hunger trying to convince you you’re still hungry. You can always tell if it’s head hunger if you’re wanting to eat a specific food, flavour or texture. The desire for solid food or anything you can actually chew is a head hunger that is challenging for many from the liquid stage. Plus not being able to have something always makes you want it more. Recognising it for what it really is a big part of doing that head work & learning it to manage it Many of us find distraction helps with head hunger. Read, craft, play a game, phone a friend or family member, go for a walk, check social media or this forum, etc. Sipping a warm drink can be helpful too. (I could count green or decaf tea in my fluid intake. It may be worth double checking if you can count your decaf tea.) All the best.

I was in the large family that celebrated/soothed everything with food. Sad? Have a cookie you’ll feel better! Good grades? Have some ice cream! Birthday? Don’t forget the cake! Going to a reunion? Make sure you bring the potato salad and pink stuff! Oh someone died? Don’t forget the luncheon and the funeral potatoes and pie. But dinners most week nights were my responsibility after age 10 so we ate a lot of latchkey ability dinners- spaghetti, white people tacos (tortillas, ground beef, shredded cheese, iceberg lettuce and sour cream), and Mac and cheese with peas and tuna mixed in, and potato surprise (mashed potatoes, ground beef, peas, and shredded cheese). Now? I’m still the one cooking even for holidays and such. I don’t regret it but I do make better choices now that I know better…. Most of the time.

Happy New Year! And oh my goodness, yes the hair shedding has been crazy for me too. I am trying not to worry too much about it because I heard it is normal due to trauma of the surgery and the nutritional changes, and that it might come back in thicker than before. I also heard that some ended up with wavy hair who used to have straight hair before surgery. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some wavy hair, because mine wouldn't hold a curl for nothing! But at the end of the day as long as it slows down shedding and comes back a little fuller, I will be happy. I make sure to get my BCAAs/Collagen in at least once day, and of course my daily multivitamin. My 3 month blood labs looked good overall according to my surgeon's office, so I haven't added any extra biotin at this time. I do take a B-12 twice a week. Keep us posted how the hair shedding goes for you. Take Care, Maia03

I just had a revision from the sleeve to a bypass a week ago today. I'm already 16 pounds down. I had horrible stomach acid... the thing is, lifelong taking medicines for stomach acid is bad for you. Increases cancer risks, dementia risks, and accelerates bone loss. I did not want to be taking these meds for decades to come when science has proven how dangerous that is. I've had no vomiting or nausea while healing. This time around, the vitamins don't even make me sick which is a huge relief. They used to.

Honestly 3 days out I was in the zone! 🤣 I missed chewing things, and other people's food smelled amazing, but I had a variety of shake and broth flavors, prus flavored waters, so I was doing pretty good! I was nervous about the surgery but excited! I was working on getting my house in order for post op life and I spent a ton of time pinning recipes for the post op phases. 🤣 You are almost there!! Good luck!!

My god 3 more days seems like a lifetime away! Today i had a literal mouthwatering craving for one of my favorite foods. It came out of no where honestly and it took all my will power to tough out that episode. Thankfully it was also close to my next feeding ( thats what i call my "meals" lol ) and that definitely helped kick out that craving from my mind whew! But it was definitely a close one let me tell you. Also had to switch broth flavors because the same old really DOES get old after a while. How is everything going with those of you who are currently in your diets? How did those who have done it feel at this point in yours if you can remember back? Lol.

I had a thick head of hair, thankfully, however I've been shedding like mad for the past 6 weeks. (Surgery was mid August). I've been taking all my vitamins and one for hair skin and nails but sure doesn't seem to be working. My dietitian suggested to start taking collagen, she also said my hair loss should stop around 8 months. Unflavored beef gelatin is all collagen so I came up with a recipe for jello cubes and just started that. I'm down 87 lbs. My face has been breaking out something awful and I'm nearly 67. Wondering if anyone else has had this issue. I wish everyone great success.

I didn't realize how much the label "obese" bothered me until I stepped on the scale and found myself in the "overweight" category. I became teary eyed. It is sad that labels can mean so much. There is no practical difference between the two pounds more that I weighed last week and then the two pounds less this week. Thirty pounds ago my I lost my sleep apnea diagnosis (and CPAP!), forty pounds ago I went from Type-2 diabetic A1C to pre-diabetic (then to normal!) and fifty pounds ago I dropped my blood pressure meds and maintain a normal BP. Those are the most important "wins." But it sure feels good to be "overweight" (and not obese).

I am losing massive amounts of hair really picked up two weeks ago. Had some blood work done and was low on a few vitamins and minerals hoping getting those up helps considering cutting it all off to help hide the thinness

Today is 11 days post op and I’ve had serious cravings over the past two days. I started having a protein shake again which also helps the leg and foot cramps, then added a 4th meal a day. I also had a cup of broth in case I just needed salt. Yesterday it got so bad and I realized that I’ve been eating only yogurt and puréed cottage cheese so I got some smoked salmon and ate one ounce of it, that has set me back to rights again. Woke up feeling so much better this morning. It’s been an adventure, we live in the Midwest and lost power Friday evening, we’ve been in a hotel since Saturday. I brought my scale and a small container so I could portion out yogurt or cottage cheese but didn’t have any meat or fish. i don’t really feel hungry in my belly anymore, just a vague feeling of alarm that I need something. Most of the time I can just reassure myself but yesterday I knew it was hunger and that I needed something more substantial. The smoked salmon is very soft and I chewed it for forever, and I loved every moment of it🙂. (Note: I’ve been on purées since the day after surgery, tomorrow is my 2 week post op appointment, and I would have blitzed the salmon but I’m just making do the best I can with the snowy adventures. I also ate scrambled egg at Denny’s, I measured out 2 ounces and just fork squished the heck out of it and that went well too.)

Choosing a surgeon and Days 1-3 It's Sunday night and my surgery was Friday morning (1/12/24). My gastric sleeve was 3/24/23. I lost almost half the weight before my Gastric Sleeve surgery. I chose to have my surgery in Tijuana, Mexico because of the cost and I have a friend who lives about 45 minutes away in Mexico and my father lives about 2 hours away. I started my research reading about medical tourism in general to get advice on what to look for and what questions to ask. I started my search with Realself.com and chose surgeons with 4+ stars,10 or more years experience, and who said they were part of the American Board of Plastic Surgeons or the American or International Societies of Aestetic Plastic Surgeons. I read all the reviews I could find, noting all the bad things said, and verified they were actually listed on the board or society sites. One of them wasn't. I made virtual appointments with 3 and chose Dr. Rodolfo Casillo Calderon, who is listed on both the American and International Societies. He originally told me I had to wait until a year after my surgery, but I reached my goal and my weight stabilized in early October so I was able to move the date up. I uploaded a bunch of pictures to myTouchMD and when we did our call he explained in detail what he would do, complete with drawings on my pictures. He explained possible problems and what could be included in my package and that I would have a patient coordinator to walk me through it and answer questions. I had told him I wanted a 360, breast lift with gummy implants, and a BBL (i've always had dents in my butt and got called board butt in high school). He told me he didn't think I had enough fat in the area he was working for a BBL, especially since some of the transferred fat would die, but he would see what he could do. I asked for the best medicine package and told them I didn't need transportation to/from the airport since my dad and friend would provide that). I also told him in the future, I wanted my inner thighs, maybe my arms if I could get a good price at the same time and a face-lift. He told me that was too much to do in one surgery, that the face-lift would be one and the thighs and arms another, and they had to be at least 6 months apart. He sent me a quote for the 360, breast lift with implants and lipo and said it included the mons reduction and lift but not the BBL. The quote included the surgery, labs, cardiology evaluation, compression garments, meds, hospital stay of 1 night, and 6 nights in a recovery home that has 24/7 nursing staff and food. $12,699. I paid a 20% deposit and paid the balance during my pre-op lab appointment. I also filled out paperwork and met my coordinator. When I talked to Dr. Castillo in person, he took the pre-op pictures and told me again that he didn't think I had enough fat for a BBL, but he would see what he could do. I was disappointed, but trusted his judgment. I woke up after surgery in recovery, and they took me to a room and bolstered me well with pillows. I had a catheter, so I didn't have to move. My right toes felt numb and I couldn't feel my left toes, The nurse said it was from the anesthesia and would wear off and it did. I could feel and move my toes again. I had good service ar CER Hospial and spent the evening eating, drinking and watching TV. I asked for a snack and they got me some crackers (the cafeteria was closed and I didn't want jello). The next morning (Saturday) Dr. Castillo came in and talked about my surgery. He put 320cc in my right breast and 240 in my left and explained it would take a while for them to drop. He also told me he did a little fat transfer to my butt and gave me instructions to reduce death of the fat and stressed that there wasn't enough fat for a ful BBL, but he did what he could and it mostly came from my hips. Then his nurse came in and gave me my meds and instructions for aftercare. My patient coordinator from his office also came in and told me I'd get picked up by Casa by Linda's driver at about noon and asked if I have any questions. Shortly before noon they took my catheter and IV out and the nurse helped me sit up and helped put the compression garments on me, then I got dressed. The drive was a bit scary. The driver said it was like driving in New York with people pulling out and changing lanes without enough room. He told me interesting stuff about Tijuana and prohibition, how the margarita came to be made, and about Rita Hayword's history, getting discovered, and changing her name. I was helped out of the car and to my room, which has a queen hospital bed. The head was inclined and my space was pre-padded. I got in bed and they explained the remote and how to call them and asked if I had questions, needed anything, and if I was hungry. They brought me lunch and my friend came with my backpack and snacks. I was able to get out of bed and put my stuff away. My laptop, tablet, and snacks are all in reach. Sitting up is the most painful. Lying down in my nest of pillows is not as painful, but hurts pretty bad. To get up, I put the foot of the bed down, the head up, and roll to the side, then use my arm to push myself up. To get back in bed, I get on the bed on my knees and position my knee at the far side of my nest, then lower myself sideways and roll into the in the nest. My breasts aren't hurting at all. The compression garments has an open crotch, so you don't have to mess with it to go to the bathroom. The staff here respond quickly to requests and bring me my antibiotics and pain meds, and so far the pain is tolerable and I've been able to walk. You walk hunched over and slow. Linda has come in several times to check on me and see if I need anything. She is originally from Canada and is a US citizen, married to a local. This morning, after breakfast, I took a shower. One of the staff helped me with my compression garments (it hooks down both sides) and got the water ready. There is a seat in the shower with the shower head within reach. I hosed myself down and she handed me a washcloth and put soap on it. I didn't have to ask her for help as I was able to bring my legs up to wash them (it wasn'teasy). After I rinced myself off, she put antiseptic on gause and applied it to my incisions. I dried myself and got into bed to wait for the return of my compression garments (they washed the blood out). When she returned with my compression garments, she put gause in my new belly button and over the incisions in the back that had bled, then she helped me hook the garments up, putting a square of gause over my nipples. Nothing else to report. Unlike Friday and Saturday, I slept most of the day.

I just had surgery on 1/4/24 and I am struggling. I never used to be obsessed with food and now it's all I think about. I am so sick of the Protein drinks and jello because everything tastes too sweet for me now. It feels/tastes like I am drinking sweetened condensed milk from the can. I am limited with broths I like, so that's an issue. I couldn't take it anymore, so I broke down and has refried beans yesterday (I'm not supposed to start pureed food until Tuesday). I regret having the surgery, and am resentful about not being to eat the foods I want. I have been on the liver shrinking diet 1 week before Christmas, which was awful watching everyone eat all those delicious Christmas treats, while I just watched. I think between that and the liquid diet post-surgery has broken me. I am emotional and miserable. Am I the only person to feel this way?