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Definitely worrying too much. You won't stretch anything out by drinking too much. If you follow your bariatric diet, you won't stretch your stomach out with food. You won't even eat regular food until 6-8 weeks out. And by then you'll be healed, but have a lot of restriction that will prevent you from over eating. As time goes on, your stomach does stretch a little. That's normal. But it never gets anywhere near the size it was pre-surgery. It's ok, and actually good. As you heal and increase your activity levels, you have to increase your calories and carbs, but again, nowhere what they were pre surgery. Don't be afraid to eat. You can't run a car without gas and you can't run your body without food.

Medicaid typically requires 6 months of documented medically supervised weight loss attempts with your doctor, bmi of 40 or 35 with at least 2 comorbidities, pass an ekg, blood work, and pass a psych eval before they will approve the surgery. They may also require a referral to a bariatric surgeon from your primary doc. They will also require a letter from your primary doctor approving you to have the surgery. All of that gets submitted to Medicaid by the bariatric surgeon and then Medicaid decides if they will approve it or not. If they deny it, they'll usually tell you why and you can either do whatever else they need you to do or appeal it if you already have it done. That's all I can think of. I actually originally looked into bariatric surgery way back when I was on Medicaid, but ended up not doing it. Once I started my previous job and got BCBS, I looked into it again and ended up doing it. When I had my revision a year later, I was changing jobs and in between insurance and back on Medicaid (if the revision if for complications and not failed weight loss, they tend to approve the revision really fast - in my case, it was 72 hours, if it's for failed weight loss, you basically have to start everything all over again as if you're doing the surgery from scratch, and all the previous requirements are back in place). Now I'm at my current job (dream job) and have United Health Care. I hope this helps somewhat!

The last time I was talking about having a stall after nearly 3 weeks. My weight all the sudden dropped. But, I can also tell that I'm losing inches. Even when the weight doesn't move. My energy is all over the place the past week or so, I feel like I could do a triathlon, sometimes I feel like I just did a triathlon without doing anything. I assure you it's normal. I'm seeing this first hand, also this is what I get told by the doctor, dietician, nurse and exercise specialist. Two of them have had gastric bypass. The other two have been in the bariatric field for several years. The Dietician told me my stomach is like a new baby, since I'm only 3 months post op. There's several more months ( or longer) for our body to get it figured out. Right now it's brand new. I know how tough it is to see the scale not move, but I also know this is still early in the process. I'm trying to look at it like I have a brand new 3 months old stomach and there's going to be growing pains. Try not to be hard on yourself, it's a process and it takes time. That's what I keep trying to tell myself. I know it's cheesy and a line from a movie. But, like Rocky Balboa, if you get knocked down the only thing you can do is get up and keep moving forward.

I had a total abdominal hysterectomy and am now on HRT (literally the first time since I was 15 that I've had my hormones regulated at all). My uterus, 3 huge uterine fibroids, both ovaries, both fallopian tubes, and cervix combines weighed 4 pounds when they were removed. I weighed 212 on surgery day on May 7th. After I lost the water weight from 3 days of IVs, I was 208, which I expected. I was started on estrogen in the hospital. So here I am, 18 days post op, and I have lost 13 pounds. I walk 3-4 times every day, I eat normally, I rest a lot. I take my normal MS and Lupus meds and my normal supplements. The only difference is I had the hysterectomy and I'm on HRT. I'm noticing that I seem to be having a much easier time losing weight. It's almost like it was when I first had my bariatric surgery. I haven't lost weight like this in over a year. So here's what I'm wondering.... since pcos is known for causing weight gain and not allowing weight loss, and since my hormones are finally regulating with the HRT, and since I no longer have any issues with fibroids, cysts, horrible periods, etc... could the hysterectomy have maybe corrected a lot of the pcos issues and now the stuff slowing and stopping my weight loss is gone and I'm back to losing again? Did having the hysterectomy actually help with weight loss? I know a hysterectomy isn't a cure for pcos, but I'm really wondering if the combination of the HRT and hysterectomy are working together with my WLS to actually give me normal, proper results? Has anyone else experienced this, or know someone who has?

Ok I'm the QUEEN of stalls lol So here's what I can say. Take from it what you will. Cold hands and feet: I have that, and for me, it's due to weight loss AND low iron. I'm anemic, so I take a bariatric vitamin w/ iron and an additional iron supplement w/ vit c and it keeps my iron levels at the lowest part of normal. When it dips down, my hands and feet are like literal ice cubes. Breaking a long stall: So I tend to gain 3-5 pounds when a stall hits and then lose the same 1-3 pounds over and over until it breaks (and I lose like 6 or 7 pounds all at once). My stalls can last anywhere from several weeks to 3 months. It SUX. When I have a stall, I change up my work out routine to confuse my body. If you do the same things in the same order every day, your body gets used to it and gets complacent and the work out becomes less affective. So I add new things, take things out, add or take away reps, etc. I pay extra close attention to what I eat and when. On work out days, my fluids, protein, calories, and carbs MUST be higher because if not, my body thinks it's starving and holds on to everything. I prioritize fluids, protein, and low carb above all else, but I still make sure that I'm at a calorie deficit while getting in enough to prevent my body from thinking its starving. I also only weigh myself once per week and pay special attention to NSVs, because even when the scale isn't doing what you want, your body still is. Fat gets redistributed, you slim down, that's when you see you drop sizes in clothes, rings, etc... When I work out, I keep my calories at around 1300 - 1400 depending on what work outs I do. I drink an electrolyte drink (Propel or gatorade zero) and an additional 64oz of fluids at LEAST. I keep my protein at 80-90g, my carbs at 40-50g, and healthy fats at 40-50g. When I'm not working out, I keep my calories at around 1000 - 1150, my fluids at around 64oz, my protein between 60-70g, my carbs between 20-30g, and my healthy fats between 20-30g. We need less when we aren't working out. We need more when we are. Just keep at a deficit while still providing more when working out. And make sure you change up the work outs. Right now, your body is really confused. You have to be patient with it, but at the same time, show it who's boss and shake things up to get it going again. You still have time to get where you want to be. Make sure you're not grazing through the day, be mindful what you're eating, when, and how often. Go back to your bariatric diet basics if you need to. You got this.

I've been taking BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE capsules recently, and I've found them really helpful. They're flavorless, and you only need one a day, which is super convenient. There's a deal where a year's supply is just $99, which seems like great value. If you're interested, you can check it out at https://store.bariatricpal.com/99. One thing I appreciate about these vitamins is that experts in the field specifically design them with bariatric needs in mind. Just a heads-up, though – taking a separate calcium supplement is recommended, as it can affect iron absorption. If you're looking for options, BariatricPal has a range of calcium supplements that might suit your needs, available at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium. Also, if you're exploring different brands or types of bariatric multivitamins, there's a variety to choose from at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/multivitamins. It's always good to have options.

I have been looking online and there are 3 so far that their work looks really good, one of them actually specialize in surgery for bariatric patients. So maybe I start at least visiting them and see if they also tell me I need to lose 20more pounds.

I don't live near a gym either and really don't want to go to one. I've been trying to do some YouTube videos, and I got a walking pad. Have you guys heard of "cardio drumming?" We did it at my bariatric support group and I started doing it at home too. I don't think I've ever walked away from any kind of exercise saying "that was fun" before this! I bought some wrist weights to use while doing it. I'll put a few links here... (Where they use 2 balls, I just hit the side of my one)

You don't need to go to a gym or walk for miles. Just moving around more often helps. Simple stuff like getting on a single step and doing step ups for a few minutes helps. Youtube is a great place to look for simple things you can do for movement. Getting a resistant band and doing a few exercises helps. I always thought resistant bands were a Joke, until I started using them. They are no joke and you can do a lot with them. Here's some reels from the Bariatric center I go to. In particular the woman in this clip is my exercise specialist. Her name is Mo and she is out of her mind full of energy. They have a lot of stuff on their youtube ranging from exercise to diet and everything else in bariatrics.

I spoke to my dietician today and 800 calories is normal for 9 months PO until I hit goal for my bariatric clinic. I was told this; if I'm hungry all the time I can go up to 1000 per day but no more than that until I hit my goal and go into maintenance. I agree 800 is restrictive, but apparently its normal for everyone at my clinic. I figured I'd let everyone know with an update. 🤷🏼‍

My doctor got back my 3 month post op blood test yesterday and said I had high B-12. So I only need to take one B-50 complex per day. Zinc is low, so I have to take over the counter 3 times a week. Two other tests showed some kind of malnutrition, which is common they said. Seems weird since I have no issues eating enough. Im.sure that's something that will be taken care of down the road. I think the bariatric center i use has a youtube channel that shows how to use the resistance bands. Look up Baileys bariatrics on YouTube. But I'm certain there's plenty of videos showing how to use and what exercises are best.

Hello all, I’m one year, two months out from surgery (SADI-S) and had my first case of a stomach flu this past Saturday. Bad diarrhea, and felt bad for two days, aches, cramps, etc… typical noro type virus. My issue is while the icky, sick feelings went away, the diarrhea has stayed. This is my first stomach flu since surgery and I’m wondering if the recovery time is longer because of my different plumbing? I don’t want to be an alarmist and run to the doctor if the recovery time is longer for bariatric patients? Maybe just takes longer to reestablish the Flora in the gut? I have tried modifying my diet as best I can along with Imodium A.D., but I just can’t firm things up, LOL. Any advice or experience would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

I’m curious if there’s anyone local who is also going through the bariatric journey. It would be great to connect with someone nearby who understands the challenges and triumphs of this process. Sharing experiences and supporting each other can make a huge difference.

Many hospitals and clinics that perform bariatric surgeries offer support groups. These groups are not only great for emotional support and advice but also for meeting others who have gone through similar experiences.

I would like to know how your workouts are going after bariatric surgery. What exercises help you stay fit and lose weight? What other tips can you give on diet and physical activity? I would appreciate any recommendations or personal stories!

I started my bariatric journey in October 2023. In the picture I'll post is a recent picture @ 236 lbs. the other is me last July at 363+ lbs. From October to my surgery date Feb 7th 2024 I lost 79 lbs. Around 15 of that was after the two week liquid diet leading up to surgery day. I've lost 48 lbs. since surgery. Which doesn't seem like it, since I have had stalls. Despite having a torn meniscus since last June. I workout nearly everyday. Walking when tolerable, but usually on a stationary bike along with lifting light weights. Nothing crazy. I feel like I lose inches far better than I lose pounds. For the first time since 2003-04 I can wear a large shirt without all the XXXX's on it. This was definitely worth it. But, I also feel lucky. I've not had any big issues.

Detox is a fad. Our bodies have kidneys and a liver. They do all the detoxing we need. Now that we've had these surgeries, we have to be more mindful about what we do and don't eat. I would stay away from these fads, increase your fluids, stick to your bariatric diet, move your body and exercise (sweat is a good way to flush out your system, too) and leave the detox stuff alone. They don't provide a real benefit and they can actually do harm.

A bariatric therapist is absolutely worth any time and money invested. Also reach out to the nutritionist at your surgeon's office. Make sure you move your body everyday. Prioritize protein and fluids (try limiting slider foods and junk as much as possible). If you must snack (beyond the allotted ones in the diet your nutritionist gave you) make sure they are healthy but tasty. Look at the calories you're burning vs consuming. Watch your carbs and fats. Watch how much sugar and salt you consume. It's really all about getting back to basics. And there's no easy way to change your mindset, you kind of just have to really want the results more than you want to undo the progress you made. Then you have to retrain your brain.

Thank you I just knew that, no matter how many surgeries I had to have, this is a once in a lifetime shot to fix what was broken and undo the damage I did for decades. Ironically, having 10 surgeries in 2 years actually forced me to slow down, think about everything I eat and drink, don't overdo it but still make sure I move my body. I worked with both my nutritionist and a bariatric therapist for a long time (still working on my body dysmorphia, but that takes a lot longer to work through) to finally get here.

My brother had VSG 15 years ago. He lost over 100 pounds. The first few years his appetite was very small, like order an appetizer for dinner and only eat half. But as time has gone on, what he can eat now looks like what a "normal" person with a smaller appetite would eat. We sat next to each other at my cousin's wedding and he cleared his dinner plate over the course of 30 minutes, which was more than I could do and I was pre-op at the time. He had maybe a bite or two of the cake. I suggest you try the YouTube videos from Dr. John Pilcher and Dr. Matthew Weiner. They both give it to you straight and clear up myths and misconceptions about bariatric surgery, and neither of them are trying to sell you something or gain a bunch of followers like a lot of vloggers. It's just solid medical knowledge made easy to understand. I watched all the videos from both surgeons as I was preparing for my surgery and it really helped.

Ok so I saw my GP on Friday and mentioned to him that I'm getting weight loss surgery and he is ecstatic. He mentioned that the sleeve would be the best operation for me and I said that was the one my bariatric team was considering for me. After a while I started voicing my concerns about how the sleeve can't be reversed and he said that that was ok that I wouldn't want it reversed. He said at first I have so much fat that I actually don't need to eat very much (I weigh 425 pounds) and that over the years my stomach will get bigger and will be able to eventually hold a normal amount of food. Is this true? Maybe somebody who has has a gastric sleeve before can tell me if their stomach grew over thr course of time? I'm wondering if my doctor is full of it and is only telling me the things I want to hear or if he is correct. I'd like to know before I make the decision to permanently alter my body.

Hi, @AnyaC! I'm Andrea. I haven't been scheduled yet, but given the requirements of my insurance, I think I'll be having surgery in August or September. So if we're not exactly September surgery buddies, we're probably going to be close. Right now, I've had my surgeon consult, a zillion blood tests, and my first dietician visit. I have several other required pre-op appointments scheduled, including an endoscopy (tube down the throat to look at my esophagus and entrance of my stomach). Not looking forward to that, but it's my surgeon's standard and he's done about a million bariatric surgeries, so I guess he knows what he's doing. I've just gone from drinking tons of carbonated beverages to 2 cans a day. Thought it would be really hard since I get my caffeine from diet Coke (don't like coffee) but it's been easy so far. I'm reading everything I can get my hands on, trying to learn all I can. I'm about a month into my new exercise routine. I work from home so I got a treadmill and I walk during meetings. I'm doing 20 minutes, 3 times each workday, so it's a mile and a half currently. Monday I will go to 25 minutes. I want to be in the best shape I can for surgery! So what do you have to do pre-op? How are you feeling about it all?

I am currently almost 6 months post op for my original procedure and am writing this from my hospital bed. I am unable to tolerate oral intake of food or fluids of any kind and am being fed via a nasojejunal tube (NJT) and TPN via a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) My surgeon along with many others that have consulted on my case are at a complete loss for what is going on and why I can't tolerate anything. I'm reaching out to fellow people who have undergone bariatric surgery in the hopes of finding someone else with a similar experience to maybe get some opinions/answers. In order to do this I will start from the beginning and tell you all my entire story. I know it's long but I am desperate so please bear with me and read to the end. I will try to explain everything but also be as brief as possible to keep it as short as possible. I had surgery at the end of November 2023. It was a One Anastamosis Gastric Bypass or "mini" bypass. The surgery was routine and there were no issues whatsoever. I couldn't tolerate fluids and my intake was too poor to be released from hospital and progressed to vomiting every time I drank anything. Was diagnosed with a stricture and it was dilated and I finally started progressing. I was discharged from hospital finally almost 2 weeks post op (booked in for further dilatations at regular intervals to slowly stretch the stricture) and was home for less than 24hrs before it began again and my surgeon readmitted me and I underwent another dilatation. Upon getting back to my room I started violently vomiting and no amount of antiemetics would settle it. Emergency CT scan confirmed the stricture was perforated and my stomach contents were leaking into my abdominal cavity. I developed sepsis and had a nasogastric tube inserted for drainage. I underwent IV antibiotics and was later rushed to surgery to repair it, however due to the damage from the infection, it required a conversion to a Roux EN Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) and I needed my abdomen washed out and other infected tissue removed. It took about 5 hrs. I spent a further month in hospital recovering, initially on TPN to supplement my oral intake but was wraned off as my tolerance improved and was finally discharged. At this point in time I had progressed to a pureed diet. I was by no means meeting my requirements but the benefits of being home vs hospital given everything outweighed the negatives and my surgeon planned on seeing me weekly as well as my dietician. Now here is where is starts to get weird and my real troubles began. Just over a week later I woke up one morning and had a sip of water (with a few drops of cordial to break the surface tension) however as soon as it went down I experienced a wave of nausea. It was different from before, I can't really explain the difference but I just ignored it believing it would go away (Denial as I just wanted to get on with my life and get back to work and due to the conversion surgery, my surgeon had created an extra large opening to account for my body closing the join so that it would end up a normal size.) I started experimenting with foods and fluids, different textures, consistencies, temperatures, etc. I tried absolutely everything I could think of. About a week or so later and my intake was getting progressively worse and I was once again admitted and went straight for an endoscopy (My 3rd since 1st surgery) to dilate the suspected stricture but there wasn't one. I then underwent a barrage of tests and every general and GI surgeon/specialist in my town came and consulted on my case, as well as my surgeon consulting doctors from all over. A NGT was eventually inserted and enteral nutrition (EN) started but was not tolerated and the tube was advanced into my intestines to be a NJT, which was then tolerated but the focus was on trying to get my oral intake to be adequate. I spent weeks in hospital trying different medications, getting tests and ruling out different conditions. I was discharged on EN with the NJT on 16 hour feeds at a rate of 50ml/hr which was not enough to meet my nutrition requirements but was the Max rate I could tolerate and the belief at this stage was that the nausea would go away and I'd be able to eat again. On the 8th of May I was admitted for a gastronomy tube insertion into my remnant stomach via laparoscopy as it was finally decided that this problem was not going away and by this stage I had lost 38kg (84lbs) and was severely malnourished, despite increasing my feed rate to 60ml/hr (still not enough to meet nutritional requirements) The purpose of the gastronomy tube was not only to have a more discreet way of feeding and for comfort and whatnot but because the tube is in my remnant stomach, I should be able to tolerate a much higher rate to actually meet my nutritional requirements and spend less time attached to the feeding pump. Feeds were commenced at 20ml/hr the next day but I developed severe pain and discovered feed had soaked the dressing around the tube. I was yet again rushed into surgery as the tube was leaking. Another NJT was inserted along with a PICC line and both EN and TPN were started to maximise my nutritional status while we wait for my body to heal around the tube in order for that leak to stop happening again. I've been on IV antibiotics and whatnot since as well. I developed a fluid collection in my abdomen and needed a percutaneous drainage which failed as the fluid was too thick to aspirate and a minor infection at the insertion site and it was believed that there was a fistula however luckily that was not the case. However yesterday I had a fluroscopy in which contrasted was put into the tube to see what happens and whether it's now working correctly and that caused me to violently retch as my body tried to expel the fluid from my stomach but as its not connected to my oesophagus anymore, it was unable to do so. This has now lead me to start worrying about whether whatever issue is preventing me from tolerating anything going into my pouch is affecting my remnant stomach too. I'm now facing the prospect of permanent EN and TPN for the rest of my life and I'm not even 30. So if you or anyone you know has any ideas or similar experiences or literally anything, please let me know. Even if it's just a chat because I feel so incredibly alone in this. To anyone that made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time to read this and thank you in advance for any responses. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have as well.

I completely understand your frustration, in the last 8 weeks I've lost and regained the same two pounds. I'm 9 months in..so very close to your timeframe. I read in my bariatric clinic handbook to contact the clinic if weight loss stops longer than 4-5 weeks. I have an appointment next week at which time I will be asking for answers. Like you, I am always at a calorie deficit, I watch every single calorie, fat, sugar and carb gram sticking to my 800 calories a day, 80 protein grams, 50 net carbs a day. My labs are "perfect"... So yeah I do understand, I'm sorry you're going through this, especially for longer than I have. What did your doctor recommend/say? As far as being cold, there are numerous posts here on the forum with other WLS patients discussing being cold all the time - do a search to find them. In fact, as I type this I have a heating pad on my back and an electric blanket on in front - its 56°F here too cold!!! Before surgery I would have been fine, I kept my heat on during the winter at 55° and was comfortable where as everyone else was chilly. So, its completely normal. I was wearing a long sleeve shirt in 76° sunshine the other day and was still chilly. So rest assured your being cold is completely normal! Let us know what your doctor said and keep us updated!

@shawn524 Hello Shawn. I haven't heard anything like this in all the research I have done, but I'd suggest consulting your surgeon/Dr about it just to get their opinion! I am sure you are aware, but addiction transference can happen with a lot of bariatric patients - just something to be mindful of! I am really glad that you have come so far in your journey! Congratulations