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CHK, I had bypass the day after you and get to start Phase 3: purees on Thursday. I plan to make a lot of the soft food recipes without some of the chopped vegetables from the Baritastic app and puree them: Ricotta bake, Cottage Cheese bake, cauliflower puree, and the tender turkey meatloaf. I also am going to really blend down chicken salad, turkey chili, taco seasoned ground turkey w/ guacamole, and regular ground turkey or low-fat ground beef with low carb/sugar marinara (I like the Pomi brand). I also plan to make thinned down mashed potatoes & sweet potatoes. I have a whole lineup. I'm sick of liquids, too, between the 2-week pre-op liver shrinking diet & the 2-week post-op clear liquid and full liquid phases. I'm also a seasoned weight lifter but tend to do more modified CrossFit/cardio strength conditioning workouts. Once, I'm cleared, I will transition to body weight calisthenics workouts. I have been a little more active each day and noticed that my stomach (and?) have been pretty sore yesterday and today from keeping my core tight or being a little too active. Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

I am curious the process people went through for Sleeve to Bypass? I've been seeing a gastroenterologist for pain, nausea, vomiting. I have had 2 EGD's, both show chronic inflammation and gastritis, due to reflux. My surgeon is sounding very reluctant to do this surgery. I did get down to 115 lbs and have put on 50 lbs since my lowest. He is blaming the reflux on the weight gain, but I was at my lowest, when the first EGD showed inflammation due to reflux. He just ordered a barium swallow, and all came back normal. I am seeing the nutritionist, she said she spoke with the surgeon, and we would be going over the new pre-op diet, since it is different than the sleeve and has changed since I had the sleeve in 2019. I am afraid he will refuse to do the surgery and I will be left with this pain, nausea and vomiting; I have been battling for almost 3 years, with no relief. My gastroenterologist is at his wits end and doesn't want to continue seeing me go through this. I wake up choking on acid, had tests run by my pulmonologist and cardiologist. My asthma had gone away but returned. The surgeon also blames that on the weight gain. Pre-sleeve, I had walked 27,000 steps in a year. This year, I am at 1.7 million steps and ride a stationary bike 10-15 miles a day. This is huge for me, I have something called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Pre-sleeve, I was knocking on deaths door. I only found this "terminal" illness, from my pre-op tests for the sleeve. Since the weight loss, I went from 6 months to live, to medication that has me at "normal/high" levels vs "high". My specialist is afraid the weight gain is spiraling and illness progressing. What changed for me, the medication I take for PAH, you have to consume 250-300 calories per dose with 30-50% fat content. Otherwise, you get violently ill. I take 3 doses a day. When I was diagnosed and first 2 years, I was on a CADD pump and that medication didn't have dietary requirements. Sorry for the long story........I just can't take the reflux (even though the barium swallow does not show but EGD definitely does and has, in 3 different tests) and the weight gain is scaring me to death. What was your process with your surgeons, going from sleeve to bypass? Is this a long process? Did you have a difficult time with insurance approval? Any suggestions on getting this done? Your experience and help, is greatly appreciated!

Dec 5th was a few weeks ahead of me. I had a bypass on Dec 28th and I am curious how you all that had the surgery before me are doing? I am just now starting the phase 3 diet which is nice because I was getting really tired of soup and protein shakes. I sincerely hope that you all who went before me are getting exactly what you wanted out of your surgery. I am so looking forward to being healthy again. I played sports my entire life and lifted weights heavily in high school and college, I pray that there is some muscle memory there. It is still too early for me to start working out (other than walking) but I am so motivated to get in shape that I am counting the days until I can actually start to work out and lift and do sit ups etc.. What are some good meals that you have found that satisfy your cravings and fill you up? Any advice from you all who were a few weeks ahead of me would be appreciated. Good Luck all!

Haii!! I just found this site again after having left years ago once I completed my first two years of my sleeve. Now I'm back due to regain. YAY! 🙄 I know its more common for patients due to reflux, but I've thankfully never had that issue before nor after my sleeve. But due to this fact, it's equally as hard to find threads on people who are getting a revision solely due or in addition to weight regain! So those of you who went from sleeve to bypass: What was the weight loss like the second time around? I'm hearing its slower and you don't lose as much. Would you say that's true in your experience? Anything you've done differently this time? Lessons learned? Sleeve: 162cm (5ft 3in), I was 134kgs (296lbs), and got down to 77kgs (170lbs) Currently: | 119kg (~260lbs, regained 40kg (90lbs)

weight loss after revisions is almost always slower than after virgin surgeries, so it could be partly that - or it could be just fluid (due to a heavier-than-usual sodium intake, maybe?). Also, it could be if you've exercised more than usual, your muscles are holding on to water (they need it for repair, if you're going at it more than usual, or have done something they're not accustomed to). Or have you been eating more carbs than usual? Those make you hold on to more water as well. At any rate, if you've been on plan as far as eating, you should be fine - it's likely just some temporary thing and you should start losing again..

Hi DoOverGirl, I am also a newbie to the website, however not as far as surgery. I originally had the lapband in 2005 and after complications, in 2010 went to bypass. My highest weight was 290 and my lowest was 130, I am 5'7". I had only lost 82lbs with the lapband and was very happy with the weight loss after having the bypass. Currently, I am 168lbs and have severe reflux and my taste is so off that I find it difficult to eat just about anything. I am currently in the process of going through the steps for a revision surgery also. My doctor did say that I could lose some weight, I should not expect it to be like it was. Although I don't want to get back to 130lbs, I would be happy to get down to 145-150 as I think I would be comfortable there. Back to your complaint and issues. I am wondering if you are not taking in enough protein in order to lose more weight. I have noticed that when I think I am doing well with my eating, I really am not getting enough protein. When I pay attention to my protein intake and leave out the carbs, I start to lose weight again. I know how frustrating this must be for you and I am also concerned that after I have a revision, I will not lose any weight either. However, I am trying to focus on alleviating my symptoms of discomfort more than the possibility to lose weight. I understand your frustration but be patient with yourself, stay positive, and keep pushing forward. You can do it!

the other thing is, most people do experience a 10-20 lb rebound from their lowest weight during years 2 or 3 - so your regain is normal That's not to say that you can't take it off again, but yea - it'll take work. Good luck to you!! (as I mentioned above, I'm working on that myself!)

Hey yall! This is my first post. I had a VSG in 07/2017, everything was wonderful. I went from a HW of 390 to a LW of 200. The weight came off EXTREMELY quickly. COVID came and it just completely derailed me. Due to regain and heartburn, I just had a VSG revision to Bypass on 12/13/2022. I will be 4 weeks post op tomorrow. Everything was going amazingly great post op, I felt great from day 1 and did not even need pain meds (as opposed with my sleeve). I have been at a stall for 2+weeks and it is driving me absolutely insane. I have lost a total of 26lbs since preop diet (12/01/2022), I have spent the last week walking a TON at the Disney parks and did not weigh myself all week HOPING that when I came home the stall would be broken. I thought maybe the stall was because I was not having frequent BM's but all the walking did help in that area. Much to my surprise, I actually gained a pound when I got home. I am eating well, I am hydrating but just very confused as to why I am stalling for so long. I try to not associate it with my sleeve as my VSG the weight was coming off very rapidly, I was also way heavier. My doctor did warn that I will not lose as much and as fast as the sleeve since this is a revision. I just want to be on the losing path again, has this happened to any of you specifically with a revision?

I also prep things that freeze well. Chili Make a whole chicken (or turkey) and pull it apart and freeze in desired weight bags. I actually froze my leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and used some last week and make turkey stir fry instead of chicken. It was delicious! I buy the frozen bags of chicken so I can pull 1 or 2 pieces out as needed- Shake and bake is my jam for a quick easy and healthier (15-30 cals per serving) "breaded" chicken or pork. Make a big batch of pasta sauce and freeze in smaller amounts Homemade meat balls and freeze raw or cooked Homemade turkey or regular burgers. Soups freeze well, although I am not a soup person so I don't make them I started freezing more because learning to cook after WLS was not easy..lol.. I threw away tons of food. So I started freezing anything before throwing it away to see how it was after being thawed and reheated. Worse case I just threw it away later but then I knew and learned about what freezes well. I also meal prep lunches for work, so make bulk and eat it for a few days. Mainly to stay on track but it would also save you a lot of time for dinners too. You could cook the lean ground beef/turkey and use it for different things through the week. Spaghetti? Tacos? Etc.. Cook a larger amount of chicken and do the same thing? Chicken salad, chicken stir fry, chicken ON a fresh salad, chicken and veggies..etc.

Ok, so I have been obese just about my entire life. Here is my take, obesity is a problem at all ages and comes with a plethora of other issues. (mental and physical) But, lets think about us as adults for a minute, how much there is to understand. The rules, the regulations, the understanding of nutrition, counting calories, monitoring protein and fluid intakes, being sure to take all our vitamins... etc! Now, as a child do you think you could keep up with that? Do you think we could have even understood the seriousness of all of it? Of what could happen if we don't take vitamins and become deficient in something? Even, the potential complications from surgery short term or life long? As a child, I feel like it would be up to the parents to monitor and regulate foods, vitamins and comprehend everything that the child would have to maintain. So, why doesn't the parent just do that before surgery is required? If the parent is prepared to do that after surgery than why haven't they before surgery is even needed? If healthy habits are established at the parenting level then they (parents) already understand healthy diets and regulation of calories etc. Which in turn would naturally be passed down to their children. I am not saying this is perfect and some kids refuse to eat anything but mac n cheese.. but those kids aren't going to succeed with WLS anyway if that is the case so why? If the parents do NOT understand healthy eating habits, then how are they prepared to help their child any differently after surgery? As adults, we fail and we have the capacity to understand why. I just don't believe a child is able to maintain this lifestyle without a parents who are prepared to basically do the same exact thing. Although, I do believe some children may really need the help of WLS I just do not believe they can maintain it without the parent taking complete control (up to a certain age). Me as a child or teen I really don't think so. When WLS first became a thing, my best friends dad had bypass and it damn near killed him. He went from 700 lbs to around 100 and in a wheel chair in less than a year. Everything that could have went wrong did. Life long complications. I remember it scared the **** out of me! I remember it was a sole reason I waited so long to have surgery myself. Every time I considered it, he crossed my mind. He was the only person I knew for years that had it and it destroyed him. Then, as time went on I knew other people but literally NONE of them were successful. For whatever reason, lost and gained it all back, didn't loose, didn't follow the plan, didn't understand. I don't know but I know that every story I was aware of was not a positive one. Then my doctor actually suggested it, I started looking into it again. Researched the best surgeon around, researched every potential risk, benefit. Read for months on these forums and every article I could find online. Talked to people I knew, and had very transparent conversations about why they didn't succeed. I learned, and realized that I wasn't those people and decided to move forward. Here I am, 9.5 months later. Kicking a**. But me as a teen, I don't think so. I don't think teens are mature enough(and I was a VERY mature teen) to deal with all the changes and I don't think the parents are prepared to take control or they already would have.

Someone who watched me be obese for most of my life is currently doing this. Even pre-op he'd make small comments whenever I ate one of my dad's Sunday dinners instead of my own. & he'll sometimes remembers things I ate a month ago & a few days ago I posted a photo of a frozen pizza box at the store with a TV character I like on it (didn't buy it, just took a pic of the character) & he said 'take it easy!' as if I was about to wolf it down. Its frustrating bc I KNOW I've put in so much effort in my weight loss & don't need the policing but I also know it's bc he's seen me at my worse. He wants me to be better, but I also feel there needs to be a discussion on how to do it. It CAN be hurtful & they need to know that

Thanks so much for the feedback on this post! I was originally just over 200 lbs and dropped down to 137 -139 lbs by the first year postoperatively..Although I was exercising an hour a day drinking 64oz of water daily etc. i got off track in the last 6 months and my weight is now 146 lbs. I’m trying to be more accountable and log my food water etc. I’d like to be back down to 137 pounds by this summer ... and your right it is so hard to lose the extra weight but I feel determined to do this especially since I spent a lot of money and time getting this procedure done….i need to be patient and just follow what the surgeon advised me to do!!!

if you're anywhere close to a normal BMI (including the "overweight" category), weight loss is going to be excruciatingly slow. I put on 10 lbs over the past year and am now trying to take it off. About 1/2 lb a week is about all I can manage. The reason is, your calorie intake now is probably MUCH lower than before you had surgery. So there are a lot fewer calories you can afford to cut. For example, when I weighed well over 300 lbs, I was probably eating over 3000 calories a day. Pretty easy to find 1000 - or even 1500 - calories in there that could be cut. That means it was theoretically possible for me to lose 2-3 lbs a week (since a pound is 3500 calories). Now, after my weight loss, my maintenance level is about 1600 calories/day. Cutting 1000 calories from that would put me at 600 cal/day. Ah...no way. You'd have to be under medical supervision to eat at that level. And deducting 1500 calories? That would put me at 100 calories a day. So....no. About the most I can cut and still maintain my health - and not be under medical supervision - is 300-400 calories a day. At a 300 kcal deficit per day, that's a 2100 calorie deficit a week - so a little over 1/2 a pound. If I dropped down to 1200 cal/day, then we're talking a 2800 calorie deficit, so maybe 3/4 of a pound a week (and of course, things like activity level, how muscular you are, etc, would also factor into this - but it probably wouldn't make a significant difference). So I have been eating about 1300 calories a day for the last six weeks, so theoretically I would be down 3.6 lbs. I'm actually down about 5 lbs, so I'm doing very well! if I had dieted for six weeks when I weighed over 300 lbs, I probably could have lost 15-20 lbs by now. But nope - 5. my point of all this is, you may be losing, but at a much lower weight, it's going to be S-L-O-W. And if you're at a normal - or near-normal - BMI, we're talking ounces rather than pounds. It WILL come off - but it'll be slow. I used to mentally roll my eyes at these barely overweight women who would moan and complain at how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. "Ha", I thought, "try losing 200 pounds!". Now I get it...

There are a few possible angles to this. It's very possible you ARE being overly sensitive, as you're in a big state of flux emotionally and physically. You may have lost one of your coping mechanisms with food no longer being as available; Your SO has probably seen you fail time and again on diets and they may be afraid you are going down that path again. We didn't generally start eating off plan on previous diets all at once, it usually starts with a bite here or there first, then get's out of control; Doing this in front of your nephews probably added a level of embarrassment that wasn't necessary, making you both a bit more prickly for each being corrected in such a public way. Your SO and/or you may also have some fears about how you losing weight may change your relationship. WLS tends to highlight both the strengths and weaknesses in relationships. You are changing the status quo. In the comfort and privacy of your home have a calm discussion about everything. About how your SO has been supportive and how you appreciate the support. About your plan and what the details, depending on how involved you want your SO to be. About the level of policing you would like or not like, even how policing (if appropriate) should be done, specifically privately and any other features. Talk about fears and make reassurances as you are both on the same team. Reinforce your positive feelings about each other. This discussion may happen more than once, or in different ways. It's OK. Good luck, Tek

Funny story about 'obese,' to get approved I had to prove 5 years of morbid obesity. Since I had spent years avoiding cameras I had no photos, and since every physical issues I had was blamed on my weight I rarely went to the doctor. However, on a whim and grasping at straws I got my medical records from our PCP and it turned out I had seen her every year or so and at each appointment she noted I was "Super morbidly obese." It was the one and only time I've ever been so happy to see myself described that way. It got me my surgery in about 2 months. Good luck, Tek

No way! Your sugar "slip" is being NORMAL. Hair loss, from surgery? Again, NORMAL. It took me 3 years to get to have surgery. I weighed 357 at my highest and was treated like it was 753 lbs. I went down 27 lbs on my own. However, I had asthma all my life and my body HURT. I retired from a job I LOVED for 25 years due to fears of working in a COVID spread environment and in order to deal with my weight. My pcp gave me phentermine to reach the arbitrary 315 lbs hurdle goal to get into surgery. Now, 6 weeks post op TODAY, it hurts to eat, I HATE protein shakes and it feels like I'm starving. Still, I feel immensely HAPPY. I am grateful for the surgery! I lost 30 first 2 weeks post op, then nothing more and gained back 4 lbs. Yet, I know it's a blip. You lost weight! You lost 60 pounds! That's like putting down a kid who piggy backed on you for however long. You're sixty pounds LIGHTER. Your hair will grow back! EAT foods high iron, biotin, and vitamins for hair skin and nails. My sister went through same and 5 years later she's back to normal, hair and all. She gains a little on holiday's but goes right back to losing what she gained with more activity and WATER. You are NORMAL. Enjoy what you've accomplished! Plus I just read people with surgery are living LONGER!!!😎🤟

A slight rebound is supposed to be normal. Where is your weight sitting now? So-called normal range? Overweight? As hard as the answer to that question might be to accept: are these 7 lbs worth the additional ongoing effort?

Hi there this is probably a common issue with weight loss surgery. I am almost 2 years post op from a bypass and really have zero complaints ..but stopped exercising over 4 months ago and became more lenient on my food choices and ended up gaining 7 lbs over the last 6 months.. The issue is once you see a slight gain it seems hard to lose an ounce of weight. I’ve downloaded a weight loss app and started monitoring my daily calories, water intake and exercise with no luck so far. I’m curious how others out there who encountered this situation were able to restart there weight loss. What apps are you using? Did you continue using the protein shakes? I feel responsible here but want to stop it before the weight creeps up anymore.. I made a huge decision to get the surgery and it really helped me out but as the surgeon stated it was only a tool that we ultimately have to do the hard work to keep the weight off! I appreciate everyone’s feedback on this issue! Michelle

very true. I love biking and anything in a pool, so for me, it's fun to do that. I look forward to going. I do not love weight training, but I do it because people are supposed to - but it's a chore for me and I have to make myself do it. It would be very easy for me to give it up (but alas, I can't....). So anyway, suffice it to say, if it's something you enjoy doing, you're very likely to keep doing it.

Reposting something I posted elsewhere: First, the most common reason for any stall, including the dreaded 3-week stall is simply that you are retaining more Water. There are a few reasons this happens, but around the 3-week mark it comes down to the fact that your body is adjusting to a low carb intake after converting from glycogen to ketones for energy. More water is needed to burn glycogen, so you were retaining more water pre-surgery than you are now that you're using primarily ketones for energy. At about the 3-week mark, your body eventually recognizes that the water loss is long term, so other mechanisms have started kicking in to start holding on to more water. This water loss due to the change between glycogen and ketones is the primary reason for "keto flu", and something that increases your risk of dehydration early after surgery. The other "reasons" for plateaus really don't apply as much at the 3 week mark, but will become more important later in the process. Let's cover those too though so you're prepared: As you lose more weight, your overall metabolic rate will slow down. People sometimes think fat is not metabolically active, but that's not true. Less fat means your metabolism slows down, even if you retain the same amount of muscle. As you lose weight, it takes less effort to move, so the amount of calories you burn from activity also drops quite a bit. As you progress, you'll be able to eat more and especially if you're not tracking intake closely by weighing and measuring your food, you can easily be eating a lot more than you think. This one may be TMI for some, but you may simply be retaining more stool. This is going to be hard for some people to hear, but I can tell you one thing it's not, and that's hormones. Yes, various hormonal processes negatively impact weight loss in a myriad of ways, but they don't overcome basic physics: if you eat less than you are burning, you'll lose weight. What these hormones can do if they're out of whack, is not good things like slowing your metabolism, increasing your hunger, screwing with water weight, or even fooling you into thinking you're eating less than you are. So, with all that sciency stuff out of the way, what do we actually do if we're in a stall? Well, I think it depends on when it happens and how long it lasts: If it's early (a.k.a. the 3-week stall), just keep doing what you're doing and you should be fine. I know people don't like that advice, but as I said, it's just water, so don't worry about it. Later on, especially if the stall is lasting longer than 2-3 weeks. that's when I think it's important that you look closely at what you are actually burning, as well as really tracking what you are eating. If you don't know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), you should. The closer you are to goal, the harder it is to get the balance right between intake and output to make sure you're not eating too much, so fixing this starts with knowing your BMR and accurate food logging. There's a lot of anecdotal advice thrown around about "ways to break a stall", but there seems to be little scientific evidence for any of it. Most of it certainly won't hurt to try, e.g. breaking up your routine in terms of diet or exercise, but just understand that this change may or may not have had any impact. If it makes you feel better to be proactive, go for it. Longer term, there is one piece of solid advice that's backed up by lots of research: Even if you don't really like working out, do it anyway. Those WLS patients that make a regular habit of exercising for 45 minutes to an hour most days a week are significantly more likely to reach their goal and maintain the weight loss. (One caveat here: significantly changing your exercise routine can make you retain water and possibly even add muscle, so don't freak out if you see a stall or even a gain.) I'll take that exercise advice one step further and say you really should be doing some form of strength training. This is also backed up by lots of studies, but the great thing about strength training is that it makes your burn more calories even at rest (in other words, it increases your metabolic rate). There are lots of other benefits, but the metabolic benefit is the most germaine to the stall question. Those that do strength training are less likely to stall during weight loss.

The U.S HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion created a generic recommendation for all Americans: For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week. Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits. To provide more structured advice, I'd need to understand a few things. First, what do you hope to accomplish from an exercise program? Some common goals might include: Improve overall health (e.g. lessen risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc.) Get stronger / Make day to day living easier Help control weight regain (notice I didn't say lose weight as you can't out exercise a bad diet) Improve mental health / reduce anxiety & depression Sleep better / Have more energy Improve body composition (more muscle mass = more calories burned even at rest) Look good naked Next, are their specific activities you like or don't like? Some people hate gyms, others love them. Some people like to "play" to get exercise (think sports/outdoor recreation), while others love the solitude of walking/running by themselves. Basically what I'm asking is for you to do some self-reflection and think hard about what you think might work best for you. Finally, can you be more specific about what resources you have available? You mentioned a gym (which is not entirely needed), but beyond that? Do you have or can you get: A heart rate monitor (e.g. fitness watch or strap) A place to walk outside or access to a treadmill Other exercise/recreation equipment such as a bike or stationary bike, kayak or canoe, Nintendo Ring Fit Wii Fit, etc. A set of exercise bands and/or dumbbells, Sufficient space to workout at home if you don't go to a gym I'd also really like you to fill out your profile here on Bariatricpal. Details matter. In addition to that, it would be helpful to know some things like: Your age How you'd rate your current fitness level If you have any specific physical or health issues that might impact what exercises/activities you're able to do In short, the more details you can provide, the more tailored I can make a recommendation. Best of luck.

I'm 3 1/2 weeks post op from gastric sleeve surgery and everything is going great. I'm following the protocol to the letter and gradually losing weight. Saturday night my significant other and myself took my two nephews to dinner. I was able to order a bowl of soup/broth with no issues. During the course of dinner I used a spoon and took a taste of the queso that my nephews had ordered. My significant other then proceeded to lecture me about food choices. I told her that soft cheese was ok on my current protocol. This didn't seem to make much difference to her. It sort of hurt my feelings but I didn't say anything. Am I overreacting or should I be thankful that I have someone watching over me so carefully. She has been 100% supportive of me in all ways. I just guess I felt like it was unnecessary for anything to be said at all. It's not like I wolfed down a basket of chips and ate the whole bowl of queso. I was kind of proud of myself as I thought "wow...that's the least amount of queso I've ever eaten in my life!

I never imagined I would get replies. Thank you! You all have really helped me “slow my roll”. I am a low bmi patient and I guess that made me cocky. My surgery is happening in a place I affectionately call a surgery mill. I have not even been to an office or met a medical professional. It has all happened over the phone. I lied a little bit about how much I weighed and figured I better eat a lot and become that weight. Now I just feel ashamed a lethargic and out of control. Sigh.

I don't know your stats or your fitness levels so my advice has to be generic. Keep it simple and cheap. Just start walking. Walk a little more each day. I was almost disabled, my exercise was vacuuming a room in my home and then resting an hour. Cleaning a room and resting. Sitting to chop foods and resting. Standing to make the food and being done for the day. Just by loosing weight and walking I have come such a long way. Tomorrow I am going to take a 8 hour train journey, alone with luggage. I am excited and not a bit fazed about doing it. I couldn't do it before It has been found that exercise only contributes to a small amount of weight loss and you need to up your food intake to fill your hunger. Gyms are not for everyone. If you find one locally, ask for a trial period and see if it suits you. Some gyms are very snarky places where you may be very judged and feel uncomfortable. Good luck on this wonderful journey