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Mama I was the same size and now is am 7 months post op and down 70 pounds and a size 40 B it’s normal for women to loose their boob sizes

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.

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.

i was told it would take anywhere from 1-3 months. i took over 3 months because i did too much too soon and busted open my stitches twice. oopsies. so at between 3-4 months i had no more bandages, all my stitches (original and new) had all dissolved, and i could stand upright and had about 85% range or motion in my arms...it took about 7-8 months for me to fully "raise my arms in the air and swing 'em like i just dont care" 😂😂😂 but essentially at about 4 months i could do everything i was doing pre-PS except for the aforementioned arm-swinging. (oh and i was swollen/bloated, in lesser and lesser degrees - mostly in my abdomen - for about 6-7 months...but this didn't stop me from doing anything so i don't count it as something to recover from, if that makes sense?) my surgeon did all three (breast lift, arm lift and tummy tuck) all at the same time. it all depends on the surgeon and how long they are willing to keep u under, at what speed the work, if they will have an assistant, etc.. he told me he didn't want me under longer than 6 hours and that he could do all 3 within those hours. i believe i was in the recovery room in 5 and a half hours. i will say though that i was on the smaller side on surgery day (doc said i was the smallest person he's ever worked on)...so this may contribute to the shorter surgery time? i dunno... i had very very little actual fat to remove...it was basically just excess skin. the "material" he removed weighed a measley 400g . but oh what a difference 400g makes lol.

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 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.

Yes I am on the same page as you. In summer I want the arm skin gone but come winter, I look good, so why would I ? My surgeon and his team has said how tough a surgery it is and doesn't recommend it for me. Then if I had the arms done would all the rest off me look worse ? I imagine so. I have not the money to do any more surgery in the UK and am frightened to go abroad for the cheaper options.

Hi all, I am 2.5 years from sleeve surgery and despite wanting to lose another 20-25 pounds, my body seems to have settled into it's new set point at appx 170lbs. I have a tremendous amount of loose skin but am most troubled by my arms. I can hide everything else in clothes. I am conflicted on considering an arm lift only with so much loose skin everywhere else. I really can't see how i could consider anything else while still having at least another 20-30pounds to lose (and I am not ready to give up on the dream that I might lose a little bit more over the long term). But at the same time, I recognize that I might never reach goal and if that is going to be the case, I really want to address the arm issue so I can finally wear short sleeve shirts, etc. All suggestions, thoughts are greatly welcomed. I would also love to hear from anyone on whatto expect from an arm lift recovery. Thanks in advance and wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

That’s so awesome wow you’re droppin the weight ! Im down to 224 was 240 day of my surgery on 12/18. We’ll see how my month plays out happy restin and loosing :)!

Yea I am at week two going on week three i misunderstood my diet and was eating soft foods a week early lol but I do find it hard to swallow the most annoying part is not being able to drink water comfortably really anything ive tried hot drinks and for some reason its better for me to take warm drinks. I got sugar free hot cocoa bc its been cold so far so good also caffeine free spearmint tea has been great. I’m down 16 lbs so far im hoping for a good 10/12 lbs moving forward per month but we shall see! I’m going to start my walking routine tomorrow and im excited for that. Happy loosing 🥰

I just want to toot my own horn here and be a bit pround...sorry...not sorry. I'm 5+ years post surgery, 51 yo and playing beach volleyball (indoors)! I cant say Im all that good at it, but I try to play 2x a week and can run a 5k in 35 mins. Im the one in the black shirt and tan tights. From 315 lbs to about 175/180 lbs now and loving life in a whole new and sustainable way! PS. The saggy butt is still even after getting a lift and skin removed.

My highest recorded weight was 341 pounds, but I lost about 70 pounds before surgery. I'm almost 3.5 years out and I'm in the mid-130s now. I didn't expect to lose this much; I wasn't really hung up on a specific number, but I think my original goal weight (based on average WLS data) was about 180. It was initially fairly easy to lose weight after surgery (the "honeymoon period" when my restriction was very strong and my hunger was almost nonexistent), but it took a lot of effort to get to where I am and maintain it. I've completely changed my diet and eating habits and I work out a lot (at least 90 minutes every day). A lot of my life revolves around diet and exercise to maintain my weight, but I still enjoy food and eating at least as much as before, and I have discovered a love for a lot of healthy foods. After losing over 200 pounds, I do have excess skin, and I don't currently have any plans to have plastic surgery. I have a flabby belly and sagging thighs. I have a little arm flab but not as bad as I expected. My butt and chest are quite deflated. I'm never going to have a bikini-ready body and I accept that. A shaping cami works wonders to hold in the belly, and flattering clothing can hide the rest well enough that no one would guess that I used to weigh more than twice as much. I care much more about the non-scale victories than the number on the scale, and for someone who started at a super morbidly obese weight, getting to my current size is a whole new world. My health has improved in so many ways -- my blood pressure is normal, lipid panel is good, and my doctor undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. I used to have a hard time finding clothing in my size, as I was too big for even "plus size" clothing at some stores (I used to wear size 26/28), and now I can find my size almost anywhere (I am now size 6/8 or medium/large). I used to struggle to walk short distances or a couple of flights of stairs, and now I can walk miles without breaking a sweat and glide up 10 flights of stairs without stopping. It's amazing how much easier it is to get around when I'm not carrying the weight of a whole extra person. I used to be hyper-aware of people judging me for my weight, and I dreaded meeting people face to face, knowing that they would think less of me when they saw my size. It is hard to describe the emotional burden that has been lifted by not having to worry about people making negative assumptions about me based on my weight. I have not had any direct complications from the surgery, but because of the rapid weight loss, I developed bradycardia (slow heart rate) and had to get a pacemaker. That's been rough, but overall, I am far better off having had the surgery and losing the weight.

I'm sorry to hear you we're denied. Just keep pushing them. It amazes me that insurance companies refuse to pay for bariatric surgeries and weight loss drugs BUT have no problem paying for a lifetime for the health consequences of being obese. I know I'm going out on a ledge here for potential condemnation but..those same insurance companies will pay for gender reassignment surgeries AND reconstructive "cosmetic" surgeries for gender reassignment (that in the long run is cosmetic to align with how patient perceptions are - no different than skin removal mentally) but they won't pay for some just as necessary bariatric surgeries and skin removal surgeries! Both can be mentally debilitating! I always thought perhaps a class action lawsuit forcing insurance companies to pay for these things is what's needed. No one elects to be obese and insurance companies treats obesity as "its your fault" you're obese so they won't pay. I wish you luck, preserver and eventually you'll get it! Lastly, I'm told bariatric surgery is cheaper in some states if you have to pay yourself, so shop around and research research research making sure you have a good bariatric team! Also, make sure that if you do go out of state that they don't have a long travel restriction like mine did (90 days) first! Good luck!

At two months I was slowly trying a variety of meats. Just made sure they were tender & moist & had a sauce or gravy. I was allowed to eat most cooked vegetables (except potatoes) though struggled with the flavour of some because my tastebuds were still weird & that can be a real challenge. Could only eat a little bit like a small cauliflower floret or two green beans. Will your family know about your surgery & would the bride/groom be willing to tell you what will be on the menu before hand so you could try a few things before? I would avoid chicken breast as it is renown for causing issues (too dry), anything char grilled or well done steak. Would also pack a shake &/or soup you can easily make up or keep in a thermal pack just in case. Can be hard to judge how much you will have lost by then as rate of loss differs & starting weight influences how much you may lose too. I started at 200lbs & lost pretty consistently. I’d lost about 12kg (26lbs) & was a good dress size almost two down at 2 months. I had a 40th birthday around that time & I bought a loose dress (not floaty more it nicely fell). I could easily belt it & was still able to wear it two months later. It became my ‘good dress’ for a while. Maybe look for something as close to the wedding as possible & go for something with an elastic waist, can be belted, or easily taken in if needed so you can wear it for a while after.

this is me before I had plastic surgery - with my tons of excess skin. See what I mean about it being easy to hide in clothes? No one knew it was there but me (well, besides my husband and doctor). (I tried to insert this into my above posting, but it kept wanting to drop it in the middle of my text. ARGGH! Must be something with Mac (I just switched from PC). Anyway, here I am - excess skin and all:

I started at 373 lbs. Two years later, I was down to 138. I had the expected "bounce back" regain in year 3 (unfortunately, I went over the expected "bounce back" weight of 10-20 lbs - but then, I'd lost a crap ton of weight - more than a lot of people) as GreaterFood said, 65% loss of excess weight is average, but as with any average, there are lots of people who fall above or below that. It all depends on how compliant you are with your plan, and your motivation. I was more than ready to get rid of that weight once and for all. I didn't originally set a goal of a normal BMI; I told my surgeon that I wanted to get to 200 lbs, which at the time seemed like a pipe dream - but I blew through that. I switched goals a couple more times, the last one being a normal BMI. I was told that was a bit unrealistic as only about 10-15% of their patients manage to get there, but I made it (and btw, that 10-15% stat is backed up by some of the research articles I read, too). but even if I'd only made it 200 lbs, I would have been overjoyed. I looked 100% better at that weight than I did at 373, of course - my health was much better, and I could finally do all the things I wanted to do but couldn't while I was super morbidly obese. life is absolutely terrific. I wish I had done this YEARS ago - and I would go back and have it done every year if I had to. I never dreamed I could be at this weight and I am really enjoying my life as a "normal" person again!! excess skin - I had a ton of it, but it was easy to hide in clothes. However, I eventually had it removed because I hated looking at it. But I'll attach a picture of me from BEFORE I had plastic surgery. You'd never know by looking at the pictures that my torso, especially, looked like a Sharpei puppy, but it did. Other than the scars, I have a normal-looking body now.

As @summerseeker was told, 65% or so weight loss is about the average excess weight loss for Roux-en-Y (RNY). Personally, I find such averages to be next to useless. I'm not average. Heck, it's axiomatic that the average person is not average. At any rate, what to expect. My plan is forever. From day 1 post-op I was intent that I would never be on a weight loss diet ever again. My plan is foods I enjoy that fit my life goals. No crash diets. No counting calories, carbs, or whatever. No weighing myself at home. Working out is one of those things everyone agrees needs to be done which I didn't do. Ever. There is nothing like exercising for it's own sake. No thanks. I did do a lot of walking, what my spouse and I call 'people watching.' When I got down to about 100 pounds overweight I challenged myself to run 5K. I did a plan similar to "Couch to 5K" (C25K). When I got to 5k I realized I enjoyed it, so I kept doing it. I started binge running. Running was a time just for me, that I could contemplate the coming day and listen to audiobooks. A great start or end to a day. Long story short, I ended up running 5 marathons. That is something I never thought I'd do. I got to run across the Golden Gate Bridge. Extra skin for me was inevitable. My deflated stomach hung way down. To a lesser extent all the places one would expect extra skin I had it. I started with an Abdominoplasty, after which a bleeding disorder almost killed me. No more elective surgeries for me. So I've had to get used to things as they are. Not the end of the world. What life is like now. I've been my current weight for about 17 years which is a weight loss of a bit over 500 pounds. I am still happily eating to plan. Some of the things I wanted to do after I lost weight I didn't end up doing. Other things I never thought about I thoroughly enjoy. Mostly, things just got easier. Good luck, Tek

Hello and welcome in the forum. I started at a similar weight to you. I was told I could loose 65% of my excess weight through this surgery if I stuck at it. I did that and a few more percent. At my 2 year check in with my team, they were overjoyed with my progress. In private moments, I look in the mirror and say ' wow, you did this' The surgery has done everything I ever wished for and some other things that I never imagined. Enjoy the ride

Hi! I’m kind of new here. Just had my gastric bypass, route n y, surgery on December 19th, 2023. I’m looking for some other stories that started at a weight over 300. I started this journey at 338 and I’m feeling like I’m not seeing a whole lot of people who start at over 300+. Kudos to the people who start earlier, I’m just looking for similar stories to mine I guess. My projected weight loss is about 124 pounds but I’d like to hear some other opinions on how much people have lost at being at a higher weight. What’s a reasonable expected amount to lose? Or what is realistic to expect for weight loss starting at 300+ in terms of everything like excess skin, working out, what life is like now? I know everyone is different. Just Curious. Thank you. 😊

Ouch that happen to me last week Sunday trying to get everything for Christmas I was so bad at the end of the day had been out from 5am til like 3 definitely pushed my limits that day. I dunno how I found this forum but glad I did I was beginning to feel so alone! Basically I plan to just get weighed once I go back to my doctors office at this point. Rest up and happy loosing for you take it easy I’ve been binge watching tv but admittedly it gets kinda boring lol. Thank you for your responses I hope to hear about your next few weeks :)!

In my first 3 weeks I lost 16lbs too. My BMI was way more than yours and I could eat next to nothing as I had severe swelling on my internal scar. Hang in there, do the plan. This is not a race. Give yourself at least a year to loose the weight. This surgery is more about keeping your restriction going and eating less in the future so you never get obese again. Thats my goal. Log your calories and protein. Stick with what ever your team have said. They know what they are doing.

I started the eating out once a week after my honeymoon. I kept it reasonable, but it gave me something to look forward to and variety (and taste). When I started getting hungry again I took out the high calorie low protein nuts (which I added because they told me to go from 800 to 1200 calories when I wasn't even able to consume 800 yet and upped me to 100g of protein from 80) and a scoop of protein powder (high protein, low cal) and added in peanut butter toast, raison toast and another serving of ham. I don't mind eating the same thing every day when I'm at home because it's easier. If you put all your food in a spreadsheet and figure out the calories and protein per ounce, then you can switch it around easier if you need a change. Once I met my goal they told me to add 100-200 calories a day to stop my weight loss. I added in the daily cheat. I still have my spreadsheet, meal plan and measure everything, but when I eat out I can't figure the calories and protein, so I just count it as a meal and a cheat and watch my weight. My weight stayed within 1 pound of my goal weight for over a month when I was going to Halloween parties, Thanksgiving and going out with friends. I've lost another 2 pounds in the last month since I was not going out much. I'm OK with losing a little more weight for now even though I like the way I look at my goal weight because I know most people gain a little back, but I will have to maintain my weight after I get the skin removal surgery next month, so I will probably watch my weight and add in more fruits and vegetables. I'll still count the calories so I can figure out how many I need and make sure I get my protein, but at least I won't have to cram in high protein for EVERYTHING. I saw a different nutritionist when I went in earlier this month and she was surprised my regular nutritionist had told me to avoid fruit and only eat 2 servings of veggies a day. I told her I thought it was because she wanted me to get extra protein due to not being able to exercise much because of my back issues and fruit isn't a protein source. Note, if you get too much protein, your farts smell really bad.

Sports bras for sure. I'm almost at my goal weight and my boobs are flabby, saggy, and dropped from a full D cup to a saggy B cup. Can't wait for my skin surgery, tummy tuck, and boob job. I just want them back to where they used to be lol

Ok ladies, I'm almost to goal. The boobs are sad and saggy. What recommendations, other than surgery, do you suggest. I've tried a few that are more sports bra like, but I don't like the band that comes around the upper abdominal area. It bunches and is uncomfortable. I need something that will lift and round them out. I went to Dillard's 3ish months ago, and they sized me at a 36DDD (US size), I was dumbfounded because all that's left is skin and glands (there is literally nothing left). The 36 band is too big now, and it's hard to find anything in a 34 DDD/DD that is comfortable or carried in store. I would love to eventually get my breast done, but until then, how can I make them look normal under clothes. My husband, bless him, is so supportive of my sad, saggy breasts. Thanks!

I like the thought of eating porridge better than actually eating it. I am always disappointed when I retry it. It just sits like a heavy alien in my stomach all day. I think this would be very useful if I need to loose some weight again. Two small bowls of it and I would be ok all day. I have never been a potato person. I much preferred rice, noodles or pasta. To me potatoes need lots of butter to make them edible, luckily that would make me get the foamies.