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This is kind of a random anecdote, but I recently went to a new doctor who noted on my chart that I was "ill-appearing," citing "temporal wasting." I had never seen that term before, so I googled it, and it means a hollow look on the temples of the face, which can be a sign of malnutrition (but also just aging and weight loss). Maybe an interesting point that there are some legit signs that doctors look for to indicate illness, and perhaps laypeople pick up on it subconsciously to get the sense that you look unwell.

Its early days, lots of us find some foods totally repellant, for me it was foods that I loved. pre surgery. Chicken, fish and especially salmon were very off my menu. If I even thought of them I heaved. It was like being pregnant all over again. Then some kind soul on here explained that as we loose fat cells they release hormones. Early on we are flooded with these cells because we are loosing so rapidly. It does settle down as weight loss slows. At 3+ years fish isnt totally off my menu but it isnt front and centre either. Eggs revolted me before surgery, now I eat them most days.

Hello everyone! I discovered this forum a couple of weeks ago and have found it really helpful (so thank you!) but this is my first time posting. I’m scheduled to have a gastric bypass on September 12, and I’m really anxious and somewhat doubtful. I’m half way through my 2 week pre-op diet (2 shakes, 2 snacks, 1 meal, no carbs); I started 2 days late but still, I haven’t lost a thing. Anyone else experience this? what if it’s the same after the surgery? What if my body’s just broken from gaining and losing so many times? a little context: I’m female, 39 years old, and weigh 266.4 lbs. it’s the biggest I’ve ever been. I have three children, but after my second son passed away at birth in 2020, I was put on antidepressants which I take religiously. Early this year I was also diagnosed with ADHD and put on meds, and the loss of appetite and focus cut my food intake in half— still did not lose any weight.

Not sure if this is a win, or if it's just in my mind, but here it is. I was in the US for Thanksgiving so I haven't been riding my bike to work for the last two weeks. Today, I got on the bike for the the first time in two weeks and I just felt lighter and faster than I usually do. I think my bike is breathing a sigh of relief that she has less weight to carry. I can feel like I'm really flying now, even on the eco power mode (ebike) and not the full power mode.

Oh wow that is madness!! It is so strange and quite shocking what excess weight can hide that we don't even think of! Really glad that they got it out for you! I am glad you are feeling it a little bit more with the tree up - something this year does feel a little lackluster doesn't it? I hope your Christmas turns out to be proper bonny though Oooo they sound lovely! I may need to check them out! I got some sugar free vanilla wafers and some sugar free digestives & oatmeal biscuits from Sainsbury's today!

Honestly, your food pictures all look pretty healthy, so no notes there. I would watch out for any mindless snacking, just in case you have fallen back into a habit of popping a handful of nuts when you walk past your pantry (guilty!) or adding a lot of cream to your coffee. You know, the type of thing your brain may not even be registering. I had a friend who thought his coffee was fine because he didn't put sweetener in it, but he put a ton of half and half, along the lines of a full cup per day, or an extra 300 calories he forgot about! But other than that, plateaus are normal. I am approaching 9 months post-op and for the past 6 weeks, I have been bouncing up and down by about 2 lbs but never dropping lower than the lowest weight I hit in early October. From everything I've heard and read, it's part of the process and is pretty common the closer you get to a normal weight and the farther out you are from surgery. There are a few things you might try, though. First, increase your protein so you are at 80-100 grams instead of the minimum 60. Try to make that from real food and not a shake. You might also increase your non-starchy veggie intake, which will provide more fiber. Add in another 32oz of water each day. Go to bed an hour earlier if you can. It's counterintuitive, but increase your calories by 100 and cut back on your exercise a little to see what happens. Sometimes, your body starts to conserve too much energy because it fears starvation and giving it a little more while asking it to do a little less breaks that cycle. Also, the fact that you fit into clothing at 195 lbs that your family members wore at 30 lbs lighter suggests that some of your weight is not fat but "infrastructure." When we get very heavy, our body grows more bone and muscle to hold it, and bigger organs to carry out their functions on a larger scale. When we lose weight in a hurry, all that architecture remains in place for quite some time, adding to the number on the scale. You may look now like you did at 10, 20, or even 30 pounds lighter back in the days before you ever became obese. If you have some old photos of a time when you were the goal weight you have in mind now, try doing a side by side comparison. You might already look really close to where you are trying to be even if the scale says otherwise.

I'm still pre-op so I'm just guessing, but I think this is the kind of thing that disappears with time? Maybe once you get used to being your new normal weight you feel differently? My normal weight has always been 260 or so and I think I will always see myself that way. But just remember all that you have accomplished so far and you're still going!

@ms.sss 😂😂😂 yasss the clearance section I miss it 😩😩😩! That is definitely a win! Thanks 4 tha compliments! Crazy how sometimes the face changes drastically after weight loss. Before my poor cheeks looked like a puffer fish 😂. Meh life

I do not want to be muscly lol, I want to be lean and toned. so maybe I cut down to 3 then...hmmmm. Now that I have lost all the fat that I can possibly lose without looking like a skeleton I wouldn't actually mind gaining a little bit more weight back. I start my weight lifting days with 15min of jogging or 15min of the stair master then do about 40min of weights. Cardio doesn't do much except I just feel good afterwards, like the endorphins, the sweat, just elevated heart rate lol which is why I wanted to do at least 2 days of that. I have been relying on the internet to give me workout regimens since weight lifting is new to me. When you 3 days do you do full body workouts each of those days? (You seem like your a guru at working out, sorry if I am asking too many questions) I agree you cant workout a bad diet so I focus on high protein low-ish carbs. My typical work days macros are 1300-1400cal 130-150g protein 75-80g carbs, 20-30g fat on my rest day its less since I am not as hungry. Idk if that is good or if I am effing up my sleeve. I haven't gained weight by doing this, but ya know its scary to fall back into bad habits.

I always liked VB dresses too - very elegant and well tailored so was so glad to find this one. Have another I’m saving for my niece's wedding (in October) but unfortunately paid full price for that one. Am keeping my eye out for another bargain one. I used to say my legs were only good from the ankles down. 😁 Though my legs look better now since my weight loss (calves aren’t so big), I still like a longer line for certain dresses. Pretty easy for us shortees though. Tee hee! This dress is probably tea length or just below the calf on taller girls.

Yes, weight is definitely about perception. We get so used to looking big that losing weight you think "this isn't me". I lost a good 30lbs (13kg) once that was the most I ever lost in one new fad diet and once I gained it all back and more, I thought i was back to looking how I'm supposed to. I realise this is going to be a big obstacle once I have the sugery

Welcome Kat. So sorry to hear of all the struggles you've had. It sounds really rough. I think almost everyone here has struggled with something over the course of their bariatric surgery journey and some have struggled a lot more than others. None of us are perfect. We simply can do what we can do. Please keep in mind: If the recommended changes regarding diet and lifestyle were easy to make, I'd wager that most of us would have simply made those changes without going through the surgery. My own perspective is that my weight loss surgery was a tool that helped me eat better and eventually allowed me to get to a weight that also allowed me to be more active. It's was not the other way around, where I had to do certain things for the surgery "to be successful". Please understand, I'm NOT saying you can do whatever you want after surgery. What I am saying is that the surgery itself is a tool that can help you do the things that will lead to success such as eating better and being more active. Those changes take time. You're not going to be able to make dramatic lifestyle changes overnight. Don't even try because that NEVER works. Focus on making just small sustainable changes before trying to make any further changes. It sounds trite, but slow and steady truly does win the race. I would also strongly advise you to consider finding a good mental health professional that specializes in bariatric patients. This one thing will probably help you more than anything with some of the struggles you're having. A dietitian can also help with the diet portion and is also strongly recommended. Please keep us apprised of how it's going and I think you'll find there are people here that can help with whatever struggles you may be having, whether it's being compliant with your surgeons instructions, cleaning up your diet, or finding motivation. We're here to help.

I’m not a calorie counter. Didn’t have to & I was happy about that. I’d done it before and for me it just made me think about food more and I found it annoying and frustrating. However I would check my calorie intake and I still do random checks especially about new foods or recipes. I was more vigilant about portion size because that was the requirement I was given (1/4- 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at around 6 months). I still watch that carefully though I’m more aware now of the portion size of what I’m eating without having to get my scales or measuring cups & spoons out regularly. And I can eat more than a cup of course. I’m probably equally vigilant about the nutritional quality of what I eat. (Sister-in-law was just telling me about a new protein bar she’d found and I’m googling the nutritional info & ingredient list & comparing it with the one I already eat.) If you are required to track your intake then you have to track every single thing you put in your mouth to eat or drink. It can be very easy to consume a lot of extra calories without realising it even ‘healthy’ ones. If your team hasn’t set this as a requirement, than do what you feel most comfortable with. You know your relationship with food and eating getter than anyone. Though I’d probably at the very least do random checks if it isn’t a requirement. Yes, stalls are frustrating and can be depressing. Remember they are an important part of the process and it’s the time your body shuts down to take stock of where you are now Whithead your weight loss and changing diet, and what your needs are around things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Weight loss is stressful on your body & it needs to take a breath to better manage the changing situations much like you do psychologically during a stressful time. The stall will break when your body is ready. Stick to your plan and don’t stress your body more than you are required to by your plan. It will be okay. All the best and I hope your surgical site heals soon.

Hello, all! I had gastric bypass on December 29th, so I'm only 6 days post-op, but I hit my first personal benchmark of losing 20 lbs since my 2-week liver shrinking diet pre-surgery today. If you are a visual person who is still on your weight loss journey or are looking to gain muscle, I wanted to share an awesome FREE app that helps track your progress visually and automatically takes measurements for you. It's called Me°-Three-Sixty. (No waiting for a partner to take your measurements or trying to do it yourself while holding one end of the tape measure awkwardly in your teeth or armpit.) As you continue to take scans, you can compare two scan dates side by side, both visually and with measurements. The measurements are approximations from taking a front facing and side view photo, but as long as you are consistent in where you stand & distance from the camera, the progress will be the same but may differ from actual tape measure. I took a scan pre-surgery and then took another one today. The app calculates the change in inches and percentages between any two scans. You can also use the slider tool and see what your body might look like with a weight gain or weight loss up to a certain pound percentage. Anyway, I thought you might like to try it out while you have something to compare a "Before" photo and it can still be in an anonymous way. I also loved Baritastic app, so if you know of other awesome apps we could benefit from please drop them in this thread!

this was what i first thought of as well. my weird body pains showed up around 1 month post op: neck and shoulder pain, mid back pain, hip pain , elbow, ankle and heel pain. at the time i was told by my chiropractor (and google lol) that is was due to my changing centre of gravity and loss of padding (fat) when sitting or laying down which results in changes to your body's needs to hold itself up. we wls patients lose weight so quickly and our skeletal and musculature makeup are playing catchup, hence the pain. i was also told that slowing down weight loss helps (i.e., eat more). for the record, i did not try to slow down my weight loss, ha! my pain went away around 4-5 months post op if i recall (which was nearing the end of my rapid weight loss phase)

Today's win! Went to the park with my 3 year old and didn't complain about being tired even once! I felt stronger and I actually played with him! I feel so much lighter 🥹 can't wait till I lose more weight and grow stronger!

he may well equate cooking you food with love/acts of service. But he might just be scared you'll change, that the relationship you have now will be different after you've had surgery and lost weight, or that you might get slim, and leave him. Lot's of things might be playing with his head. Communication is the key, if you can get to what it is he's truly worried about, you might be able to reassure him and put those fears to bed. On a similar vein.. My husband gave up drinking completely due to health issues, and now he doesn't want to drink, which is fine of course! But, honestly, it has changed our relationship fundamentally. We always had great fun having a few wines, dinner and talking for hours, he now doesn't want to talk for hours, I'm lucky if he gives me an hour of his time in the evening, even if I am not drinking either. Our fun time after work is no more. It does make me realise this major change in his life, HAS totally changed OUR lives. Your husband might be fearful of something like this happening to your relationship.

It is so interesting to see that in one way or another, this seems to happen to all of us! I would be so intrigued to get a male perspective of someone who has also had bariatric surgery, just to see if this resonates with them! Unfortunately, so many people think they have a right to comment on our bodies, even if they think they are doing so in a kind way. But I do think people are right when they say it is others perception of us that makes them say things such as "you're wasting away" - they aren't used to seeing us at a smaller weight!

@Bypass2Freedom sorry to hear about your breakup. Maybe it is a temporary storm that will pass. I suspect if all the folks who've had WLS were open & honest....we would find many common experiences have occurred in our lives. I'm one of those people who detests change.....no matter that I may be treading water and change may bring a much needed lifebuoy....I'm stubborn and will keep treading water as it is familiar. That was how I was....until WLS. WLS went by uneventful, recover was swift....took a week of vacation time and went back to work. No medical issues....so in my mind there was no need to do anything but the minimum on followup visits with the surgeon. So much change occurred...so quickly....unexpected outcomes....wide open-full throttle-full speed ahead....but I was ill prepared to be at the helm. Felt like I was driving a fast sports car and I only had skills to drive an old beat down truck and only on the back roads. I seem to recall the pre-op class sessions where they gave us the medical risks and the statistical data on relationship survival. I heard it all but didn't listen. I was finally ready to address weight and nothing could deter me. Didn't listen...didn't take part in the group meetings post-surgery. Now....looking back...I see where staying in touch with the WLS support group would have had many benefits.

My question to you is why would you want too? The whole point of having WLS is to make us healthier by losing the weight AND keeping it off! What's to keep people from going down that slippery slope once again if we could eat as much as we once did? Enjoy the portion restrictions as a way to maintain a healthier lifestyle!

I would reiterate what was mentioned above: find something you enjoy, and think outside the box. Get outdoors! I know many people who use tennis and Padel for their cardio, some people swim, cycle, walk, jog, swim, hike ... etc. Some people are consistent gym goers (like myself, except I have my home gym and rarely leave the house lol). I also love Pilates and combine it with a weight training and jogging routine, mixed with some conditioning. Through this I have achieved great fitness results and body composition. I did hours of intense cardio in the past but this combination has given me results I've not been able to attain in the past. However, I truly enjoy it and don't feel like it's a chore. When you find something you enjoy you can always build on it and do the things you don't have a passion for but feel are necessary, or get to discover a newfound love for things you never liked before. As I said, think outside the box, and try new things, you'd be surprised!

Yeah I heard that immediately after the surgery you lose a lot of weight. I'm hoping they do a lot to help me keep that weight off. My goals are realistic and manageable so that I don't fail I could try to get to under 200 pounds and live for 10 years longer but it's like I want to set a realistic and achievable goal so 300 pounds is good. Then when I hit that and keep that off maybe I can go down to 250 and keep it there. I haven't been 250 pounds in a very, very long time. I had to have been in my late teens early 20s the last time i was 250 pounds. So either weight would be very good. My doctor said if I got down to 300 pounds a lot of my health issues should go away but I'll still need to be on anti coagulants no matter what my weight. So I can't ever stop taking those unfortunately but a lot of my other health issues should drastically improve or go away. I haven't exercised much in 20 years either. To prove myself worthy of getting the surgery I've exercised a lot more lately than I have in a long, long time but I still don't exercise a lot because it's very difficult to do so. I hope that will drastically change with my surgery.

I gave it to a charity shop after that. But I might I treat myself to a new one. On a slightly related topic, my 5xl Winter coat (I always get a size bigger in coats so I have room for a hoodie) is almost ankle length now because I lost so much weight. (Almost 55 lbs) so that day may be sooner than I planned!

While I absolutely do not agree that it’s likely you will GAiN weight on 800 calories, 800 Calories can be a pretty good amount of food depending on what you eat. for example this is 757 calories and it’s 100 g of protein. breakfast: Caramel “Proffee” made from a premiere protein caramel shake with iced coffee mixed in. (It’s really good and filling with the protein btw). lunch: three eggs omelette with 2% cheese (1 ounce) and tomatoes and onion (1/2 cup). dinner: grilled chicken breast (3 ounce) and zucchini and onion (1/2 cup). snack: oikos triple zero yogurt I use the Baritastic app and I always have the same breakfast but then before I have lunch I plug in my plan and an idea for dinner to make certain it’s okay macro wise. I do pay some attention to calories but protein, added sugars and fat are more important. I also pay attention to my carbs because on some days my exercise is higher and I actually need to increase them a bit. If your dietician is not asking about your activity and your food choices and inky giving you a cookie cutter plan without real guidance I would be asking more questions. These plans need to be tailored to you specifically. if you are having a difficult time finding foods you like that meet the criteria you are definitely not alone. I had to do a ton of research and trial and error with recipes to find a couple weeks worth of meals that I enjoy and I was doing 900ish calories. I scoured the web and found low calorie recipes and also ways to cut calories from things I knew I enjoyed. Basically type “healthy” in front of anything you like and you should find ways to make a more bariatric friendly version. Some days you may need to reduce calories further by having two shakes or egg whites instead to budget for a higher calorie dinner. I don’t love to cook so I make double batches of things and freeze them in individual portions. this has been my lifesaver. For the 800 calories you may have to do a lot of lower calorie lean meat and veggie type dinners unless you cut calories during lunch. For instance instead of 3 eggs you could do five 5 whites and you could even omit the cheese if you need to cut calories further. i would imagine you could still lose on a little higher calorie budget and you have more flexibility in your menu but it may not be as fast as you would like. Either way, check out Baritastic (or another calorie tracking app). It’s very helpful to see exactly what’s in different food and to play around with these meal ideas on an app because you can add and delete and adjust the measurements to figure out how to make things work to fit your plan.

Men’s and women’s bodies are different, but for reference—I started at 297 lbs and am now between 165–170 lbs. I went from a size 20 to a size 4 in pants and from a 3X top to an XS–S. I do have loose skin, but it’s not as bad as it could’ve been because I started strength training about 3 months post-op and never stopped. I’ve always made cardio a priority too. Here’s what my weekly workout routine looks like: 2 upper body days 2 lower body days 1 full-body HIIT (with weights) 1 cardio-only day Even on my lifting days, I still include some form of cardio—walking, Stairmaster, biking, or whatever I’m in the mood for that day. It keeps things balanced and helps me stay consistent in my fitness journey. My biggest advice is really take that time to get your relationship with food in check, even though I'm in maintenance mode, I still have issues sometimes with binging- just being truthful- but I am able to control it and get myself in check the next day. Pre-op I would've just given up and kept the binge fest going. Stick to foods that you know you enjoy but also fuel your body. Track! I know its not for everyone but it sure helps me stay accountable. No diet is perfect, its not a thing- the main thing is if you fall off track dust yourself off and get back at it!