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This is what I did and it really helped. I started with weaning myself off of d. Soda and any carbonated drinks (soda, beer, etc ). I was tracking daily whatever went into my mouth. I was getting at least 64 oz of fluid and 60 grams protien. No fluids 30 min before, during or after meals. Concentrating on chewing food well and eating slowly. I was walking 15 min at a time 3 times daily. I'm almost 5 months out and have been blessed with no complications. I haven't experienced any nausea or vomiting. Food still taste the same as it did pre-op. I started at a lower bmi of 38. I am losing around 12#'s per month. Hope this helps.

Most insurances deny the hospital stays longer than one night because it is usually not necessary. I stayed over night and went home the next morning. They will only approve it if there maybe a chance of high complications (ex. If you weigh more than 400 - 500lbs or slight heart problems). However, if complications where to occur after your surgery then they would cover it. However, they will not approve something they do not deem necessary. I hope this helps.

I would sit down with her and continue the discussion as to why you are going through with the surgery. The stats of you having complications from the surgery are minimal and worse if you don't. Going into a discussion I would also look at her side of the argument, is it out of concern for your safety or is there another reason like jealousy? My in-laws were naysayers the entire time about the surgery, but I believe that it was more from jealousy than anything as we showed them the stats. They even said that it wouldn't work, well it's two years later and I've lost over 100 pounds, am healthier, and more active than before. They can see it now, but also claim that I'm too skinny. Um, that's laughable as I'm considered 'overweight' for my height.

You HAVE to tell someone about your surgery in case of complications. It can be a friend, or whatever.. but if you get sick and need to go to the hospital, who will drive you? Who picks up your slack if you become bed-ridden? Who is taking care of your daughter? Chances are excellent that none of these things happen.. but things can and do go wrong, so you need to prepare yourself and at least one other person for those possibilities. People that live by themselves can afford to keep it all a secret, after all, if they get sick, it only impacts themselves. But people that live in a house with others have to tell at least one person in that house (or someone close by that can come over and help). And if you live alone with your daughter, then you definitely need someone nearby that can help make sure you are well enough to take care of her. Once that is all sorted out, it's easy enough to hide the surgery from others. Always eat (drink!) alone. If you are moving gingerly, explain that you fell down some steps while on vacation, etc. Good luck!!

Welcome @Batty's Mom. The best person on this thread for help with vegetarian ideas is @Newme17. She is planning a vegetarian diet also. I am so sorry you went through so much with your surgery. What exactly was the complication, if you don't mind sharing? I hope you are on the road to feeling better now.

Hi everyone, So today I am 7 months post of RNY. I have lost 57 pounds since my pre-op diet. I am so far past the excitement and hope I had when the weight was coming off during the first 2 months. Since then though, I have lost a total of only 10 pounds in 5 months (!)- I don't even really know what to say about that- I voiced my concerns to my surgeon's office at 2, 3, 4, 5 months but they keep telling me to just follow the plan and it will fall off- they won't give me a calorie count of where I should be- just 60g of protein in 2 shakes and then 3 meals of 4oz each. Obviously protein first, then veggies- but they want me eating fruit and whole grain carbs too. Obviously 64oz of fluids and 30min of cardio plus strength training 4x per week. I've been doing the eating part really well until about a month ago and then I got to the point where I realized this is just like I was before- there's nothing special about what I'm doing. I feel little to no restriction when I eat, NOTHING (and I've tried) has made me dump. I haven't vomited or had any GI problems since the surgery. So I came to the point that I realized I'm back to just being on a diet- like I've been on since I was 9. So of course my old habits and thinking came right back- I give myself excuses for grabbing a few Hershey's kisses at work from someone's desk or having just 1 cookie at a party. It's just made me more frustrated and feeling like a failure. I feel great when I exercise. I hired a trainer to see twice a week for resistance training which I think has helped. I've lost a couple of inches here and there since starting 5 weeks ago and I feel good physically. I'm just stuck. I mentioned this in another thread- that I'd been in a 4 month stall- and someone - who is brilliant by the way- corrected me and said that was called a plateau- ha! Made me laugh but it also made me feel like I wasn't imagining this all and there is something not right here. My meals are usually either ff cottage cheese or plain vanilla Greek yogurt (4oz of either) for breakfast, a premiere protein shake for a snack, salad with 2-4oz of chicken breast with veggies/beans on it for lunch, another premiere protein shake for an afternoon snack and then dinner which varies but is some lean meat (hamburger- no bun, steak, chicken, shrimp or fish) any of them of about 2-3 oz, with a veggie usually. I wait to drink until 30 minutes after eating and I take all my vitamins like clockwork each day- What am I doing wrong? And how can I get back to that place of hope where I am expecting to lose more weight. I started out at 240 and now I'm 183. Don't get me wrong- I'm not angry about having "had surgery and failing" or something- I'm thrilled about where I am but I don't think I went through all that plus complications afterwards for 57 pounds when others around me have lost almost and over a hundred at this point. Is my metabolism that screwed up from years of dieting? Or is my food addiction just not letting me see the forest through the trees? I feel like I've lost hope again- which is what this surgery had finally given me after so many years. Anyone's input would be sooo appreciated- thanks everyone for making this such a comforting place- just reading everyone's posts over the past few months has given me so much info-

Did anyone get their gall bladder removed at time of WLS in Mexico? I'll be self pay and have been considering getting both done at the same time. Any complications?

I had complications was in the hospital for five days and was back to work in two weeks. I also walked as much as possible in the hospital and then walked 2 miles a day when I got home once in the morning and once at night.

I have BCBS of Illinois. I was approved for the sleeve and one overnight. That is all my doctor required. Additional nights would only be if there were complications. Would your doctor be OK with a 1 night stay... maybe the insurance would approve that. Good luck.

A hospital stay is not always necessary unless you experience major complications. In the area where I live, gastric sleeves are frequently done on an outpatient basis. I was sleeved at 9:00 in the morning and went home that same night. My surgery was outpatient. Since a two-day hospital stay can cost your insurance company an additional $10,000 per day, there's a reason they want to avoid approving it by any means necessary. Explore outpatient/same-day surgery options with your doctor.

Hmm, it is really complicated and long. First as far as identity and image that isn't just about body image. I spent my entire adult life as a plus sized woman. I shopped in the same stores. I had a certain style. I had a body I was familiar with, and that I did not hate. When I dropped enough weight, suddenly I had to find all new stores to shop in. I went from being an Apple shape to an hourglass. I had to change my style. I used to be able to look at clothes and know if they would work for me. I have to try every single thing on. Even now when my weigh has been fairly stable within 5 pounds for a few months I am still dropping inches and things no longer fit. I was comfortable as a plus sized person and that was part of my identity. Now I am no longer in the plus size club. I am smaller than the average woman in America who is now a size 16 or 18. Not only has the way I think about myself in relation to the rest of the world changed, but how people treat me and react to me has changed a lot also. Women are not as friendly to me as they used to be when I was plus sized. I have always worn a lot of makeup and had big hair. When I used to be in Sephora as a fat girl with a beat face, people talked to me all the time. Normal size, beat face, cheek bones poppin even without highlighter, not as much convo. Men however treat me very differently. I always had men smile and talk to me, but now they really go out of their way to be super polite to me. Some of it has to do with how I dress now, usually dresses (typically bodycon or sheath) and heels. Looking more feminine really gains a lot of reaction from men, especially since most women rarely wear dresses and skirts and that is pretty much all I wear (they last a lot longer and are more forgiving to changing sizes). As far as body image. I read a book that helped me a lot. Spending a lot of time on the internet plus what I do for my career, I am forced to look at what seems like perfect bodies all the time. That isn't really how people look. I use photoshop every day. I know all these images are fake, but I am still a victim of feeling like I don't measure up to those images. About 9 months ago I had a really hard time with my loose skin, but it has gotten better mentally, and physically. The longer I stay in the same size range, the better my skin gets and the better I look. Shapewear and dressing right for your body and personality can fix anything. Watching people whine on skin tight on TLC helps too. I realized they are making their problems worse by having a bad attitude about it. Most of them can't dress to save their lives and that is 90% of the problem. Also I accepted that I earned this body the hard way. Most people will never have the loose skin I have but they will also have never lost as much weight as I have. I wear shorts, sleeveless tops and work out in sports bra and leggings. I earned all these stripes. I think if I didn't like my body before then maybe it would be easier to accept my new body but I didn't hate myself before. If I could be fat and healthy I would probably still be fat. I wasn't a miserable fat person, I was a person with failing health, which was making me miserable. http://a.co/fI9AKK1 I look great in clothes. I look great in clothes even without shapewear now. My boobs look great in a bra and they are fine if I am on my back . Like seriously the number of people that are ever going to see you naked, even if you are dating a lot is really low on a planet of 7 billion. It doesn't matter. Therapists are useless, imo. I looked and tried out a few and all of them are just as dumb as the rest of the general pop. The ones I talked to just assumed that losing weight solves your problems, and their solutions for body image issues were trash. That book helped me think about myself more as a whole person and not a bunch of body parts and remember the real purpose of my body (even if you aren't religious, you can benefit)

I also want to clarify something. The "gamble" everyone talks about isn't about weight loss (not really). The gamble is whether you experience complications from the surgery. From your history, I'll agree that you are in an excellent position to lose 60-70% of your excess weight with moderate effort. With hard work, you'll likely get to a normal BMI. Your doctor is full of "you know what", saying that because you are starting heavy, that you won't lose as much. I do suspect what she MEANT was, that if you had started at a lower weight, that you would be more likely to get to 165lbs, but because you started heavier, that your end point will be...say... 235lbs .. so "more loss" really just means "a lower scale #" to her. (Hope that makes sense). From what I've seen on the boards, because you are male, you will lose very quickly (likely 15-20lbs per month for the first 4-6 months) women lose slower.. usually closer to 10lbs a month. Everyone slows down after the first 6 months, but how slow depends on you. In a year, I expect you'll have lost 150lbs with moderate work. (All these #s are assuming you get the sleeve). But the weight loss with the sleeve can continue for an additional 6 months or so... so you don't have to be too close to goal in a year (like you would after a bypass). The concept of "calories in vs. calories out" is pretty much hogwash during the losing phase. The scale in no way reflects what you are or aren't eating. This is a huge part of the challenge of post op weight loss. Many times we aren't losing weight, because we aren't eating enough. True story! So take the concepts of BMR, exercising for weight loss, etc.. and tuck them away, because it isn't so cut and dried right after surgery. They may apply during maintenance.

I'm sorry but some of the reactions you posted made me laugh. I think I have found and come to the conclusion that it's ultimately because people are uninformed and react based on stigma rather than fact. Someone always knows someone who's sisters, cousins, aunties, grandma had the surgery and they were malnourished or could do this or that, but what they don't know is if that person was actually following the program and what the doctor set forth for them to do. Of course in rare occasions people have issues despite following to the letter what their doctor told them, but usually if someone has issues it's because they aren't doing what they should be and blaming it on the surgery. I also want to say you may need to tell your podiatrist to stick to his day job because there is a reason he isn't an OB/GYN lol! Actually statistically women who have undergone WLS have safe and healthier pregnancies and it happens every day without complication. We eat as a family everyday! I am 30days post op today and even though I am now on soft foods I may just have to eat something different for the time being because I'm not approved to eat certain things yet. However I have been able to eat more normal meals eating the same as my family the last few days so I don't even know where that response came from. I had to cut one of my best friends from my life already because I was over her sanctimonious rants(she's a Pilates instructor) about how she would train me if we lived close and how she thought I was making a mistake because her ex mother in law had it and was malnourished and I should just work out harder and the wonder of Pilates blah blah blah. I couldn't take it and her lack of support was infuriating because I was the only one that supported her as she made stupid choices. My mom told me she thought I shouldn't do it and that I would regret it and she even cried over it, but now she kinda sees why i did and the progress I'm making and I think she is changing her tune. Unfortunately there will probably be more people to have that sentiment as you choose to tell more, but I told the people that mattered most to me and while my mom didn't agree she supported me knowing I would do it anyway, my best friend and my daughters god mother has been in my corner on my side since day one with no judgements and tons of support, and my other friend like I said I had to leave that friendship behind because aside from the surgery it was healthy for me and I couldn't do it anymore the surgery was just kind of the last straw. It's amazing how something like this shows you who is and is not there for you. That's also not to say that some people need time wrapping their head around it and maybe researching it on their own to better understand it. At 30 days out I have had buyers remorse here and there it isn't easy, but now that I'm getting to eat real food it has gotten better and I can say I don't regret it. The only person who mattered to me was my husband and he has been in my corner since day 1. Just keep your head up and keep at it! Also for me so far the vitamins are the worst because they are gross lol, but I still take them as I'm supposed to and they aren't that hard to manage 3 in the am and 3 in the pm. If you need iron you would take one extra, I was already taking this many vitamins before surgery so this is no different for me other than having to chew them which is gross. Danette RNY-6/5/2017 HW 240 SW 230 CW 205

You should be fine taking care of yourself, I was able to do most things by myself when I got home. I was even driving a stick shift around the block on day 3. Just don't be afraid to reach out for help if you run into any issues/complications. HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 287 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

I found this doing a search. Yikes. Sorry to anyone who got scammed or injured by these thieves. So I won the lawsuit against SLIMBAND IN TORONTO how do i collect So to make a very long story short, I paid 16,000 dollars to the SLIMMBAND CLINIC IN TORONTO, TO INSERT BY LAPOROROCOPY AND GENERAL ANESTHETIC A DEVICE WHICH WAS TO CONTROL MY APPETITE AND HELP ME TO LOSE AND MAINTAIN MY WEIGHT, FOR MY HEALTH. I was blind sighted, I should have done my homework, this very clinic and doctor had jumped ship on hundreds of other innocent unsuspecting, patients. I went through the courts and won the case against the clinic, big deal they shut their doors one week prior to my court date. My only hope is to tell anyone who even thinks about this way of life in the Toronto area be certain it is not the same owner, nor the same doctor that took my money and left me with a nonfunctioning piece of silicone band in my abdomen. Three surgeries later and many heart aches and physical discomfort I had the monster removed.DO NOT BE FOOLED THEY HIRE SKINNY PEOPLE WHO TELL YOU THEY HAD THE SAME SURGERY. I HAVE ASLO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH PATIENTS THAT ENDED UP WITH SEVERE INFECTIONS AND MANY COMPLICATIONS. https://www.bariatricpal.com/index.php?/topic/398746-So-I-won-the-lawsuit-against-SLIMBAND-IN-TORONTO-how-do-i-collect/page__view__findpost__p__4482030

Your hubby sounds like mine... not about my surgery, but about issues that change HIS life. You will be changing, and it might not just be physical. He probably suspects this, and is nervous about the future. Complications are never far from the mind as well. You can't really make promises about how things turn out, but you can promise to try and not impact his life any more than necessary. So if he wants to go out to eat 4 days postop.. you should go too and order herbal tea. It probably doesn't matter to him what you eat or don't eat. It's about the socializing. Make sure that you are doing this for you, and the rest will fall into place. Many of us rely on people other than our spouses for our support. If he actively tries to sabotage you, that is another issue, and doesn't bode well for the longevity of the relationship.

Hello everyone, I'm 9.5 months postop VSG and I have lost 88 pounds since my surgery on Sept 19th, 2016, and 108 pounds overall since my pre-op liquid diet. For the first few months postop I was eating about 600-800 calories a day, and up until today I'm still eating around 700-900 calories a day, 80-100 grams of protein, and anywhere from 20-30 grams of net carbs. A lot of people keep telling me that my calories are way too low for someone as far out as I am, and I'm worried that if I continue to eat like this that my body will adjust to a really low calorie intake and once I hit maintenance that I'll start gaining weight if I eat over 1000 calories. I want to be able to maintain within a normal calorie range for someone my age, of around 1500 calories. I'm 5' 7" and 21 years old, and right now I weight 177lbs and I'm hoping to reach my goal weight of 150lbs. I was 285lbs before my pre-op liquid diet, and 265lbs on the day of surgery. But I'm honestly finding it really hard to increase my calories because eating up to 900 calories a day usually leaves me sufficiently satisfied for the day, and to be able to eat more than 900 calories a day I feel like I would really have to force myself to eat more. I eat healthy, nutritious food and always prioritize my protein, so it doesn't leave much room for me to eat too much calorie dense foods. I eat clean - no ice cream, pizza, chips, etc. or other junk whatsoever. Things I eat regularly include: Premier Protein shakes, chicken breast, shrimp, low fat cheeses (mainly feta, parmesan, mozzarella, and sharp cheddar), nuts (mainly almonds and pistachios), low fat greek yogurt, protein granola, high fibre bran cereal, small amounts of berries, Peanut Butter, and eggs. I eat a lot of veggies too, and always stick to non-starchy veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, brussel sprouts, cucumber, green Beans, and spinach. I weigh and measure everything I eat down to the gram and track everything on myfitnesspal everyday. Here is myfitnesspal account where I have my food diary visible, so any advice on what I'm eating would be really appreciated: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/avatarkorraa. I can comfortably eat anywhere from 5-7 ounces of food in a sitting, and I eat 3 meals a day and 1-2 snacks, every 3-4 hours. In terms of my activity level, I'm pretty sedentary because I have a lot of chronic fatigue and muscle weakness due to some complications I had postop , so I can't increase my calories too much because I'm not burning off a lot. In the meantime I'm following up with my doctor to see if there's something I can do about this so I can start exercising soon, because I really want to . So where should I go from here? I really don't want my metabolism to adjust to such a low calorie intake, but I'm scared that if I increase my calories that my weight loss will stop. Should I try eating more calorie dense foods or force myself to eat more in general? How many calories should I be eating right now to maintain a healthy weight loss and so my metabolism doesn't slow down? Is it too late for me now to do so? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I had the sleeve Jan 2013 then a revision to RNY on March 7th. My weight loss was always slow and I knew it wasn't working then after like a year or two I started to gain the weight back. Unfortunately I've personally had so many complications since the revision so I'm not sure how helpful of a source I am. I have lost about 50lbs in the last almost 4mons and feel like it should be more but my body is so confused.

I appreciate the post. I use it for medicinal purposes (PTSD and EXTREME night terrors) and didn't take back up for awhile but mostly because I had so many complications and didn't even think of it. Smoke chokes me in general so I've done oils and edibles. My biggest issue talking about it is I don't want the scattered whispers or people to not refer patients to me because they fall on the opposed side and have an issue with it.

Since sleeve surgery I have heartburn. I take 1 prilosec at night. I get mine from Mexico when I go there because I get 120 capsules of the generic for $3 compared to 42 for $18 in the states. The meds there are just as good as what I get in the US and much more reasonable. That is why so many people go to Algodones MX for dental and Rx's. If I do not take it the heartburn comes back. I didn't realize it was a side effect of the sleeve. I've only lost 25 lbs total and have been stuck for almost 3 yrs at current weight unless I go on a super restrictive diet of which at 70 I'm not about to do. I only need to loose 25 lbs or so. I would check BP sleeve complications groups and soon as you get Medicare consider like Berry said a RNY revision. If you close to Miami I would check out Dr's there or what ever US city would be closest to fly to. Good luck and keep us informed on your progress

Have you spoken to a surgeon? A DS after RNY is a crazy-complicated procedure. If your only real problem is the # on the scale, then it's time to take a long, hard look at your diet/exercise habits. If getting to a lower weight is of great importance to you, then be willing to make dramatic, lifelong changes to your diet. Not knowing what your habits are now, I can't make specific recommendations. You can talk to a surgeon about tweaking your bypass, but for the most part, the work is yours to do.

My doc is a bit old school about the food and also because I had complications in my surgery so i had to take it easy and also i can eat pasta but its the whole wheat one and it has to be very well done to be able to digest sure it's going to be in small amount For the water after the surgery i couldn't drink water i was like you not a water drinker [emoji23][emoji23] but i flavor the water with fruit so i can drink them and also watermelon and cucumber worked miracle for hydration

yes thank you @TheUnrealJohn , I thought I was the only person who was like way too in my head about nonsensical things. Funny that I've even wondered the same thing about espresso, we have it at work instead of drip coffee and its fantastic.. I wonder about foods that I'm not going to like anymore and I specifically think of salt and vinegar chips. Occasionally I think it would be easier if I could just nap through time, and wake up right after surgery.. I read half way through 'The Big Book on The Gastric Sleeve', btw the first half is just a gigantic list of possible complications, a tad unnerving to say the least, I try not to read it before bed. I wake up in the morning and post op is literally the first thing on my mind...2 more days.2 very long days hahaha

Looking at the paperwork I've received, they are both listed as "what you may need." Fortunately, I've already had the upper endoscopy done back in December 2016 which was prior to me beginning this journey. Therefore, they were able to use the results from that since it was not long ago. Yes, I was put to sleep for this but it was really simple. I couldn't remember when I fell asleep and when I awoke I was back in "recovery." I felt no pain afterwards and simply went home and fell asleep. As for the colonoscopy, I've not yet been told that it is a must but I am already preparing my mind for the possibility of needing this test, as well (since I am closer to 50 than I am 40). If I am not mistaken, they ask for these tests to rule out any other issues that may either complicate or prevent you from going through with the surgery. I would suggest you speaking to your doctor/nurse about this. I would rather be safe than sorry and don't mind the tests but, yes, I agree...they are invasive. By the way, the only prep for the upper endoscopy was that I was not able to eat prior to the test.

I'd say you are a likely candidate for another revision to RNY bypass. To have uncontrolled GERD is concerning, because it can lead to increased risk of esophageal cancer. You'd be looking at going to Mexico again, most likely, if you did choose to have a revision. (Many times RNY fixes acid issues.. it isn't guaranteed, however). A concern is your lack of aftercare in where you live. RNY requires more maintenance than the sleeve, and of course, what would you do if you had complications? Man, you are in a tough spot. While you are trying to figure things out, maybe list which medicines you've tried.. maybe there is something else... Food and drinks that commonly trigger heartburn include: Alcohol, particularly red wine. Black pepper, garlic, raw onions and other spicy foods. Chocolate. Citrus fruits and products, such as oranges and orange juice. Coffee and caffeinated drinks including tea and cola. Peppermint. Tomatoes. Also, if you really don't want a bypass, you could see if you just need a hiatial hernia repair. That might help without the long term issues of a bypass.