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I’m never on these boards, but I guess I still get emails from this thread. Still out here. Still down around 130 (up about 15) and holding steady (with Ozempic). Still hating the side effects of massive GERD and food sensitivities to almost everything (even stuff you wouldn’t expect - dairy, raw veggies, etc). I miss Greek yogurt and carrots most of all. Sometimes I eat them, but instantly regret it. Every year at my follow up doc wants me to convert to bypass for the GERD, but the first surgery was so bad I refuse to do a second one unless I’m dying . I can only imagine what the bypass would do to my food issues. But I do fit in plane seats more easily and it’s easier to buy clothes because I can buy from most stores. I’m sure I’m healthier, although my numbers were pretty good pre-surgery. My knees hurt less. I still have fairly complicated feelings about having done it - not sure I would do it again, but do think I made the best decision I could at the time.

I will say that everyone around me told me the same thing. I told them EFF IT! yes I can lose the weight, I have dieted since I was 12, lost 100lbs only to gain it back, lost 60lbs gained it back, and the pattern continued. I also got the "oh you will just gain it back in 5yrs" I FINALLY decided that what I was doing was not working! I needed an extra tool! Ozempic, Wegovy and those meds were not for me and I did not like how I would have to rely on them and they were hard to get plus PRICEY! I am 35 now and I made the decision to do this right before my birthday. I was 297lbs, hard to wake up, couldn't walk without getting winded, couldn't play with my kids, hated myself for my inability to live life and be that wife and mother that my family deserved. I decided to make the appt and did not tell my family (minus my hubby) that I was going into surgery and here I am 6.5 ish months later, down 130lbs, exercising 1hr a day 6days a week, playing with my kids and having energy to spend time with the hubby, my life is SOOOOO much better. My only regret is not doing this sooner!!! Now my best friend is now sleeved and is having tremendous results! My mom (who was my skeptic) is now talking to her doctor about the bypass. This is the not the easy way out, this is a tool to help us live! I think you should what is good for YOU not for everyone else and don't listen to the haters! They aren't living a day in your life. They don't know the pain, the struggles and the worries you have. Best of luck!! ❤️

I have been in line for the bypass surgery before, but each time I had doubts and was told by friends and family that I need to not take the easy way out. That a simple diet and exercise is enough. Granted, they are right, but I know me. I have an addiction to food because I grew up being over fed by my grandma who had alzheimers made me food every 30 minutes. I never grew out of that habit. I put a lot of merit into what people were telling me and that was when I was 21 and I'm now 30. Now, all the consequences of my bad eating habits and lack of exercise is catching up. I now have joint damage in my knees making it extremely hard for me to take care of myself. Showering, cleaning, cooking, you name it. I also have sciatica and arthritis. I have arthritis in my hips and lower back. Now I am worried what could possibly start to fail next. I guess I am just looking for some encouragement because the people in my life just don't seem to think it's a good idea. Deep down I think the bypass surgery is my only hope to live past my mid 30's. The people in my life just have a way of making me feel like I don't know what is best for me and it's leaving me with a lot of hesitation. I don't need my hand held through life, but sometimes I need that push to do what is best for me.

@NeonRaven8919Exactly! @AmberFLHe‘s currently on the platform, unsure if the weight loss train is the train he wants at the moment @JennyBeezRomanncy-love-stuff? What’s that then? LOL! @SleeveToBypass2023All my stats are up to date right now. Don’t know which surgery as I haven’t had my appointment with the surgeon yet (NHS - it’s never a rush 🙄) I had thought sleeve initially but, after my first group education session, I’m now thinking bypass, purely because of reducing the hunger hormones which isn’t a factor with the sleeve. However, I will listen to what the medical professionals recommend and make my decision from that. So, I had the conversation with hubby last night and got a lot of things cleared up. It’s not just the WLS that’s concerning him but some other things too like me having knee surgery and not needing him anymore, especially as he has his own disability which cannot be addressed with surgery. He thinks he will be holding me back and I deserve better etc etc. I truly understand where he’s coming from but we’ve been together 22 years, married for 17. His accident happened when we’d been together a couple of years and back surgery made it much worse. We’ve dealt with horrible shitty ex-wives, massively entitled kids, redundancy, depression, illness, disabilities etc. If we can come through all of that and not want to stab one another then I will take that as a win 🤣😂 Life throws things at us when we least expect it, both good and bad. I think we’re OK for now, thankfully, so I can stop eyeing up the pillows in bed, thinking of ways to smother him 😈 Physio was cancelled today due to staff illness. They had a bit of a panic trying to find an appointment for me as I’m supposed to have physio 10-14 days after the steroid injection. As it stands, they found me an appointment for next Monday which will be 19 days afterwards so I will have to see if that’s acceptable. I’m not stressing though as I’m doing the circulation booster and knee programme every day so hopefully that will have a positive impact.

The binder is just a provider preference. It shouldn’t matter that you had the SADI-S is what my Dr calls the virgin SADI. I was given one with the sleeve portion and then again with the bypass portion. They can be ordered on Amazon if you still have incision pain but I would run it by your surgeon just in case. In terms of stool softeners your guess is as good as mine. I’m PO day 5 today and haven’t had one yet. I am taking stool softeners twice a day for the past two days though so hopefully soon and it’s not terribly painful.

Hey! I'm SO glad your pain is better managed now than it was a few days ago! I totally hear you about the passing gas (and btw I need to go back to tagging multiple people in a reply, feel like I spammed this board >. ) I'm nervous about taking too much stool softener because I know with the SADI loose stools can be a thing but at the same time with all these danged protein shakes I'm just not sure the colace 2x day is doing enough. I hope bowel movements level out for me soon; I've gone from one extreme to the other once already and don't want to do it again lol -- We made it to the other side, though! I'm so happy for you and hope your recovery continues to go smoothly. I'm interested in the binder thing people keep talking about - I wonder if they didn't do that with me because I had the SADI/SIPS instead. (For those not familiar with the SADI/SIPS, it's basically just starting with the sleeve and the surgery they most commonly do to revise it by shortening the intestinal tract beneath in place of the Gastric Bypass right off the start - I chose it because I wanted to eventually be able to take NSAIDS and there's a thread here that discusses the SADI/SIPS more. My surgery was still laparoscopic and recovery has been about the same from what I see, just fewer points of connection internally to heal) I'm also excited for all the rest of you folks with upcoming surgeries! I don't want to spam anymore but did want to say to @Singingbarista and @AndreaJD that the insights you've offered were super helpful, especially in terms of 'telling others' about the surgery. That's GREAT advice - to say you've been working with a dietician and weight loss clinic. You're so right; it shouldn't matter what others think but women especially have long been taught to seek approval. It's just another thing to relearn and the amount of support on this forum has been absolutely fantastic. I finally got a delivery of Premier shakes this evening in flavors OTHER than chocolate, French vanilla, and Mocha and oh my goodness it's SO nice to taste something strawberry-ish! I didn't want to keep responding to each post independently but to those who had very little notice about the surgery date - that's for sure a mixed blessing! Less time to prepare, but less time to be nervous about it, I guess? Sometimes it's easier to just plunge in (as long as you feel educated and ready!) To all of you going through the liquid diets, especially if you feel hungry during it - I'd suggest you might really want to consider trying some of the 30g protein shakes. I was very worried that I would be hungry but those are surprisingly filling, especially if you drink a lot of sugar free flavored water / Gatorade / Powerade of some kind. And don't forget you can enjoy sugar free popsicles, flavored warm broths, fat free cottage cheese, sugar free pudding, sugar free jell-o, and sugar free yogurt (usually - I mean, obviously follow the guidelines you were given by your surgical team!) The pudding can be made with protein shakes to help with your protein intake instead of milk, and if you match the flavors it's actually quite tasty and filling.

Hello there! I'm chiming in late but wanted to congratulate you on your victories so far and wish you well on your upcoming surgery! I just had a SADI surgery on August 5th - It is basically a sleeve + sleeve revision done initially, all in one go. I mainly wanted to give my opinion on your question regarding hobbies post-surgery -- I can only speak for myself, but being exactly one week out from surgery I can tell you that managing my fluids and getting to know my 'newly revised' body has been pretty consuming in and of itself! I'm so very, very tired of protein shakes but I will say the Premier have seemed to work best for me and offer the most variety so far, affordably. I don't know if your liquid diet has started yet, but if you have a great love for tomato, corn, peas, pineapple, celery, shrimp, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, rhubarb, Grapefruit, pasta, peanut butter, coconut, or steak this would be the time to enjoy them! According to my Bariatric guide, at least, those are considered cautionary foods for quite a while post-surgery. I also wanted to mention what has actually been the biggest help for me personally, as someone who also tends to over-prepare, triple-think, and struggles with both Anxiety and ADHD - there is an app called Finch that has proven to be an absolute life saver. I was feeling a lot of overwhelm leading up to the journey - and I took the long road, as you have, actually going ten months from start to surgery. I wasn't sure how I would actually follow through properly on the dietary restrictions, get myself more active, keep track of the vitamins, focus on the hydration -- and I also had to quit smoking and drinking alcohol. I have no advertising gain by mentioning this app by the way - lol - it has just helped me SO ridiculously much that I try to tell as many folks as I can about it. I was surprised when I mentioned it to my therapist that she already knew about it and said a lot of her patients use it. Finch is a silly game / task oriented app that has a free version which has worked out just fine for me so far. It kind of 'gamifies' making healthy choices, letting you customize your goals like drinking water, taking vitamins, getting out of the house, trying new activities, etc. There are different 'journeys' and 'goals' you can set for yourself - some of the ones I'm doing now are called 'New Year, New You' another one is 'Gratitude' and there is also 'So fresh, so clean'. The 'Nourish my Body' journey has really helped me evaluate the relationship I have had in the past with food and cultivate a better relationship with it moving forward. I know not everyone needs the same kind of encouragements that I do, but for me working through these pre-created goals, being given suggestions on how to interact more with my community, to think about what foods I do and do not enjoy, and prompt me to get more active have made a huge difference. Once you are recovered and looking for physically engaging activities I'd suggest exploring new hobbies like biking, geocashing, and nature photography. Even volunteering as a dog walker at your local humane society might be enjoyable. Best wishes!

@AndreaJD your advice about the weight loss discussion with others is great! I’m definitely using that one and thank you!! Good luck on your surgery tomorrow, like you said, eyes on the prize! @Justarwaxx mine is on the 14th too!! Are you doing the Gastric Bypass as well? I’ve been told I’ll only be in the hospital 1 night… we shall see. Omg, my husband ate pizza for dinner… he was at least nice enough to eat it in another room, but still… i could almost kill for a piece. But again, eyes on the prize. I keep having to remind myself. 2 more days of this and then my life is changing. All our lives are changing for the better, which makes it worth it. You guys stay strong and good luck this week, I know a lot of us are on the roster this week. Be strong and positive vibes everyone!! I look forward to hearing from everyone after their surgery, keep us updated!!

My date is on the 14th! Gastric bypass! Current wait 109 kg 240 lbs So nervous and excited!

Hi 👋 currently at the pre op anesthesia appointment with a mild cold and scared my surgery would be postponed (even tho it's for my safety) but I think I am already mentally ready for it so I just want to get it over with. From where j am, there is no pre op diet. I just get into it so I've been having mini food funerals .. I am ready to do it and I'll need ur support because my negative mind gets the best of me. (What if I don't lose weight? What if I regain it all? What if .....) My operation is confirmed for 15th Aug (if I pass the anesthesia today) Wish me luck

Hi, @Mandalynne! Welcome to the August surgery buddies crew. I'm having the Gastric Bypass, too. One more day - my surgery is at 7:15 Monday morning. I'm jealous that you have a bowflex! I walked on a treadmill during boring meetings at work because I work from home. Once I'm recovered, I need to find a muscle workout like yoga, pilates, or something.

Hello all, I was wondering if any of you are consuming regularly diet drinks, without experiencing any weight increase impact, 1 year or more after your gastric bypass? Craving a Coke Zero, but I am afraid I will get hooked on it and this will eventually impact my weight. I am 1 year post RNY and almost at goal weight (struggling with the last 20 pounds). Thank you!

UPDATE: So I had a scope and everything looked good. My stomach size was still fairly small which surprised me. Insurance was approved and I got a surgery date. I moved the surgery 2xs due to personal conflicts and giving myself a bit more time to get mentally prepared. I confided in a friend who urged me to try the GLP medications. I dismissed it. Then I saw an online friend who also had the sleeve and I knew had regained a ton and didn't get to her goal weight in the first place. In all her recent pics she looked AMAZING. I reached out to her convinced she must have gotten the revision. Nope. She's on the GLPs. And she has surpassed her lowest weight on the sleeve and said it's like the sleeve was reset. Needless to say, I'm putting the surgery on indefinite hole and trying the injections. Thanks to all of you for your support. Thank you for this. I will update my progress and decision. I have an appointment tomorrow to discuss my options. At a minimum, I am going to get an EGD to see what's going on. I've also been trying to go back to the rules. Not drinking during meals, protein first, etc. It does help. I just need to get my focus back to thinking that way.

Hi everyone, I’m very new to forums, but it’s Nice to meet you all. I started this process back in February of this year, but I had been considering it for a while. my sister had the Gastric Sleeve, but my doctor wants me to get the Gastric Bypass, so that’s what I’m going to do. My starting weight was 266, i’m 5’3 with a BMI of 45… my doctor put my goal at 120.. fingers crossed. So insurance is covering it but I have a deductible. I have a surgery date of August 14, 2024. I’m currently on 2 week of the liquid diet. Today being the first day with absolutely no solid foods allowed. I had started preparing with purchasing toddler utensils and measured food containers, and a food scale. I stocked up on Ensure Max Protein, Unflavored protein powder, PB2 (no sugar added peanut butter powder), powdered banana and powdered freeze dried strawberries… all with no sugar added. I also bought Vanilla plant based protein powder. I blend a mixture of whatever flavor I want with 8 oz of skim milk or water. My routine is 2 ensures a day, then a powdered skim milk shake (in my ninja single blender) with whatever flavor, then I have 1 or 2 Progresso soup(s) for dinner (strained so I only get the broth)… the doctor said he didn’t care about the sodium only the sugar. If i need snacks, i drink 4oz of V8 juice original, or I have a sugar free chocolate pudding. i have been slowly buying and stocking baby food. I buy veggies and fruit and some mixed meals, but this is in preparation of the post-op puréed meal portion. I like to be prepared. I bought a 32oz water bottle on Amazon with that doesn’t have a straw (teaches me to sip). I know that I have to get through 2 of those a day minimum. I usually do pretty good. My biggest problem is that I don’t have the energy to get off my behind and use my Bowflex anymore. Sometimes I’ll do Beat saber for cardio but I’m just low on energy. Have to say low carb is rough and it gives me mild headaches every day. I’m worried that I’ll lose weight so fast that I won’t have time to protect the muscles I have because I don’t have the energy to work out. I’m now 6 days away from my surgery, I’m determined but nervous because the Bypass is a big change. I’m not a smoker, but to all of you out there quitting for this, kudos to you!! You can all do it if you set your mind to it.

50% of bypass patients reach at least 166 lbs 18 months after surgery. Based on my starting weight of 271. I'm coming up on my 12 month surgery anniversary (Aug 21st) and I'm already below this statistic as of today! I even did a happy dance (my pups thought I was nuts). 😆 I'm hoping with 6 months until 18 months that I'll be in this category: 20% of patients reach 149 lbs 18 months after surgery. If the above isn't enough, I met up with another friend I haven't seen in 6 months for breakfast this morning, she walked right past me twice looking for me!

I took ozempic for about 2 years prior to my surgery, specifically for diabetes II. For me, it worked great and lowering my blood sugars, but while I did notice a small change in appetite it didn't really do much for me on that end. I did notice that it made me react with nausea to any food that was higher in sugar or carbs, which did help as I started to learn the 'punishment' outweighed my desire to eat those foods. Perhaps also speak to your team or GP and work with you or your P'Doc to find a depression medication that works better for you? I know that for me at least, I had absolutely horrible absorption of my SSRIs and anxiety meds since I had my gastric bypass. Part of my particular problem was the timing of supplements, low iron and the effects of dairy / whey were interfering with the absorption of my meds, so I worked with my pharmacist to design a better timing schedule. Within days I saw a difference. Is this your first time on meds for depression / etc? Because not every med is right for everyone, so it may be a matter of finding the right kind of med for you particularly. I've suffered anxiety & depression since I was a teen, and have been on and off meds over the years -- but every single time I would go back on to medication, I usually would have to cycle through 1-3 different meds before we'd find one that worked. Some were too strong, some made me jittery, some did absolutely nothing lol. And as I mentioned, iron. Anemia and iron deficiencies can add or exacerbate depression and anxiety. If it's been a while since your last blood panel, maybe see if they can run another lab to check your iron levels. You don't need anything dragging you down needlessly. ❤️ I can't help with the appetite, but if you ever need someone extra to talk to about depression & all that, please send me a DM.

Usually depends on how much you need to lose to shrink the liver and make the surgery safe. I did the sleeve 3.5 years ago and I was a little smaller and only had to do a week of this same diet. This time for revision I had two weeks plus two days of clear. But you’re right. I was able to have a meal a day. It’s not much though just 3oz lean meat and a cup of veggies. I have seen some people have to do a full month. I am on day 15 of 16 now. It’s goes faster than you would think.

Me 🙋‍♀️ I always drank cow's milk. My entire life. Never had an issue. After my sleeve, I switched from full fat to 2% but was still fine. HOWEVER, after my revision to bypass, I became COMPLETELY lactose intolerant. I drink almond milk now and use non dairy cheese and nutritional yeast. Anything dairy gives me all kinds of problems now. I developed a few food allergies after my bypass that I never had before. Super weird...

Hi, sorry to hear about your struggles 😔 it can be so tough! I'm 17m post op bypass, and although my team was happy with my loss at one year post op, I wanted to lose more and was really aware of how much I wanted to eat, like I never stopped thinking about food. I started taking compounded semaglutide in April, and the low doses didn't do much for me, but I've recently reached the therapeutic dose, and it has been great! Just this morning I hit a normal BMI, something I thought I could never do. I've been thinking about posting about my experience with it, because it was made a huge difference in both my physical appetite and my thoughts about food. I weighed 157 at my one year post-op, and 144.8 this morning! And most of that has come off just the last two months. Any drawbacks - I have had a few "learning experiences" like I did post-op, but overall it's been fine. If your doctor thinks it might be worth a trial, maybe give it a try. ☺️ I know it's making a big difference for lots of people.

You want to do whatever possible now before regain happens. Go back to the basics. Make sure you are eating high protein, low carb! Use a calorie counter for a few days and see what you are generally taking in. I had a bypass in August of 2002. I ended up at one point due to mental health struggles going back to eating badly and regained about 100lbs, not all I had lost but most. One day I had just had it and changed my diet and did walking daily until I could power walk and complete 5k at a time which was huge for me. I haven't medically been able to work or go on walks this summer and I miss it. It helps my mental wellbeing to be out in nature with my favorite tunes. Setting small goals helps me the best. Then I feel good when I can meet them and am encouraged to make a new one. Virtual 5k programs really motivate me. Find what motivates you! I'm sorry you are struggling with bad depression. I've been there until I did a genetic test and found only 1 antidepressants works for me after decades of trying new ones, some obscure one was the winner. I feel so much better and way less SI. I don't know if this is allowed but you are welcome to add me somewhere if you would be interested. My heart goes out to you. I'm very non judgemental and open minded! I hope you have the best day you can! -pawsalmighty

I had my bypass in May 22. Happily and I needed to,\ I have lost a decent amount of weight after the bypass. My diet has been much improved. I go for walks most days and attend a gym once a week. On the down side depression has been kicking my butt and I have recently been hospitalized because of it. I spent a month inside and tried a new medication but it didnt seem to do anything for me so My P'doc said to stop taking it. Ever since then appetite has skyrocketed and it is causing me so much distress which I try to fix by eating. Yes, the cycle continues. So far my weight has not altered much but that wont stay the same forever. My psychiatrist has suggest that I ask my GP to prescribe Ozempic. Yes, I am a diabetic but since the bypass have managed my bsls with exercise and diet. Has anybody added Ozempic to help with their wls journey? Were there any draw backs. WHat else have you tried to get help with food addiction.

I don’t think anyone here has had a bypass?? I had a sleeve and I’m revising to SADI but my surgeon suggested the SADI for me because the risks of leak are less and the risK of malnutrition issues are less than The traditional switch.

Honestly, if the bypass failed, why not consider the traditional Duodenal Switch? It's more reliable and effective than the sadi.

I can absolutely understand where you are coming from - I have a friend going through this about a year past her Gastric Bypass and it is one of the reasons I opted for the SADI instead (not that I know this will make a difference in terms of weight loss!) I'm a bit worried about getting to this point myself, where the weight keeps coming off - but then again, I seem to always need SOMETHING to worry about. My surgery is Monday morning. There are a lot of knowledgeable people who have commented here and I'm taking notes on their suggestions! That said - it kind of sounds like you might be remaining in ketosis from being so low sugar / low carb and I wonder if that's what is causing your continued significant weight loss? When I went shopping for all of my sugar-free items for my liquid diet I noticed there were keto versions and low-carb versions of some items. The advice given to add a small serving of potatoes or healthy fats like avocado sounds really smart and might help with that. I bet it also gets tiring hearing people comment on your weight loss. Has that been hard? Just curious - and honestly, even if you aren't right where you want to be atm - congratulations! It's a HUGE accomplishment to have reached this point and know what weight you LIKE your body at, and I hope you give yourself lots of pats on the back!

I bet I will be right there with you in a week, honestly, so please don't feel alone. I DO feel that it is totally ok to be looking forward to *real food* and wonder if your therapist wasn't using that word to prepare you for the fact that maybe food will end up tasting differently once you DO go back to it? I know my taste buds have changed a lot just during this liquid diet phase, and it makes me think of how when I stopped drinking soda my mind would be like 'Ooh a Coke sounds so NICE' but then I'd go to take a sip and it just.. tasted awful. My Chantix has caused the same effect for me regarding cigarettes. Once in a while I get to thinking that I want one, but because of the medicine even if I take a puff it doesn't taste good or satisfying AT ALL. There are some things that I used to not particularly enjoy that I'm now finding I like, though, like hot lemon water, well salted vegetables, and chicken/salmon much more than say - a burger. I'm not sure what is causing my change in preferences, I know in part is is the no-sugar, but it's also just across the board. I even rinse my mouth after the shakes and don't like the drink mix I used to use very much. I agree wholly with what others have posted here - It's fine to enjoy food, we'll just be enjoying it in a different way once we ramp back up to being able to eat it, and any sugary indulgences will have a cost-ratio we'll have to consider when we DO decide to treat ourselves. So glad you posted here, and hope you're doing well! My surgery is the morning of August 5th - I'm having a virgin SADI - a sleeve plus revision style surgery to my intestines all at once as my first WLS.