Search the Community

it's very unusual for "normal" weight loss patients (that is, those of us who aren't the size of the folks on "My 600 lb Life") to lose that much weight (the 30 or 40 lbs you mentioned) the first month. I have been involved nationally - both on forums and at conferences - with WLS for years, and I've never known anyone to lose that kind of weight (maybe 30 lbs - but even those folks are outliers. Forty pounds? Never). Most of us lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range that first month, so you are right where you need to be. I lost 17 lbs my first month, and I started out at well over 300 lbs. I went on to lose 235 lbs (have gained some of it back, as most people do, but I'm still over 200 lbs lighter at nine years post surgery). Your loss is absolutely normal.

I would check with a doctor, but Bypass2freedom may be on to something. It could be Orthostatic hypotension. That can cause both temporary blurry vision and dizziness. It's due to low blood pressure and usually occurs when you stand up quickly. It's very common in the early months after weight loss surgery (used to happen to me, too). If you stand up slowly you can usually prevent it. But check with a physician regardless to be on the safe side (this might have been what was going on the other day when you mentioned you were dizzy, too)

Ask him about the statistics of long-term success with the sleeve. The sleeve is great for many people don’t get me wrong, but I believe it was 26% of sleeves that need to be revised. If I’m not mistaken, this included because of Gerd as well, but also inadequate weight loss to begin with or weight regain, which was more common with sleeve than with the other surgeries. When I talk to my surgeon about revision, I wanted assurances that I wasn’t just wasting my time going to lose all of my weight. Only to turn around and gain it back and he said the sleeve does not have the same metabolic changes that the SADI or Bypass offer. While the. Sleeve is enough of a change for many people it’s just not enough for some. In my case when I lost my weight, I was basically on a diet with the sleeve which was a little bit easier because I wasn’t hungry, but once the hunger came back, so did the weight for me so this may be different for you because you did keep it off for a while, but I would ask what the statistics are in terms of people who gain it back down the road with sleeve is that more common than with the other surgeries? I guess one kind of pro for doing the sleeve would be that if you did regain the option for a revision would probably be a lot easier. Not trying to say that you want to think of that before you even start but it is a possibility for all of us I guess. It’s a lot of questions and a lot of information when you start weighing more than two options especially but just be thorough and ask all your questions you will know which option is best for you once you feel educated about them all. Best of Luck.

I was finally able to get in over 10k steps yesterday. I'm still two weeks post op so no strenuous activity or lifting so I have to walk to work instead of cycling. At first I was annoyed because I love cycling, but I think having to walk will kick-start the weight loss. I've lost 8.5kg (18.7lbs) in the two weeks since surgery and walking helps.

Hey. We have a similar stats. I’m almost a month ahead of you date wise but our height and starting weight are very close.

Not sure if you're in the US but in Australia, our insurance is different. Top level insurance covers all weight loss surgeries, but i only have mid-level so have to pay myself

Yea well I’m not going to say that exercise is as fun as your favorite pasttime to start. It took motivation on my part to get started. Even at a smaller BMI than you I started by just going to the end of my street and worked my way up, But seeing the progress of being able to do it without being out of breath or my knees hurting as bad as I went further and further motivated me to do even more. Exercise is never going to be fun for most people. Although at this point I am doing different group classes and I like the ladies that I get to do it with so it’s about as fun as it can be. The surgery will help with losing weight and that makes it a bit easier to get around. You may also find you have a bit more energy. You will start with just getting around the house better, but if you try to do a bit more as your body can do it safely, you will see that it’s up to you at a certain point. . Everyone starts in a different place, if you are pretty much couch bound, talk to your doctor about a physical therapist to help you get started. I actually asked if they could have one help me just to do some of these exercises safely so I didn’t hurt my knees or my neck, but they said they are not trainers. They will help if your doctor thinks you really need it, though. If you just need motivation, Hopefully whoever you have as your support system will cheer you on if that’s all you need. I know that my husband sees how hard I am trying with my food choices and even the exercise that I do at home so he is doing everything he can to help with it if I have a late class for aerobics and he makes dinner or he got me some headphones so that I could listen to music while I’m walking. My friend helped me to get started by talking to me on the phone and she was walking at her house while I was walking around mine. Also, if you have local support group, i have been going to that and it really helps. But I don’t want to overwhelm you thinking about doing exercise that sounds unattainable right now. I was only trying to let you know that his surgery is life-changing and give you something to look forward to. You don’t have to think about all of that right now just focus on small goals Just being able to get around the house better will be a really good start. Some people choose not to ever really exercise. And of course that’s your choice too. Losing weight will still make you healthier, even without exercise.

It is funny how we just need to hear things from someone else sometimes (things that we already know). $78 USD is steep Counseling sessions here are pricey too without insurance. With insurance they can vary drastically in price. A friend told me that she gets like 12 sessions a year with a counselor for free as part of her benefits which is pretty great. I’m not sure if that’s through her insurance or something separate her employer just pays for, but most people pay a copay for Mental Health. They also have self help type workbooks that you can do that may help. Someone on here recommended a couple for food addiction a while ago. I wish I could remember what they were. I wonder if you do a thread asking for suggestions for self help ideas if anyone has any ideas. If not, maybe ask your team for suggestions. That or just go for the first appointment and see if they can give you suggestions or just give you lots or homework so you can do sessions less often. Or maybe you could even do some online support groups. That Dr Matthew Weiner has nutritional support on his website pound of cure weight loss .com i think it is. He may have other support groups meetings. Maybe tell your team you would be interested in in person support group meetings or see if they know any other patients that may want to be introduced so you can support one another. Can’t hurt to ask.

Welcome. Yes, there will be many changes ahead but there will also be so many benefits and wins. And yes, it’s not uncommon to have concerns and fears and mourn what you used to do. (Yes, you may find the thread @summerseeker recommended helpful. At least in knowing you’re not alone in how you’re feeling.) I can only speak from my experience. Did I feel worried or grieve before my surgery or after? Honestly no. I truely had, had enough. And it all happened very quickly like not quite 6 weeks between seeing my GP for a referral & my surgery. Though I am someone who once makes a decision I stick to it. It’s interesting you should say you feel having the surgery is a punishment. I saw the constant dieting a punishment for gaining weight. I’d got to the point that nothing I did changed my weight. (Menopause did the final number on me.) I’m five years out. Do I think I’m on a diet now? No, this is just how I eat. Do I feel like I’m not eating enough? No, because I’ve learnt what I eat is appropriate for my needs and I used to eat way too much & way more than my body needed. I pretty much eat the recommended portion size of foods. Do I feel like I’m missing out on anything? No. There’s always alternatives, or you can have a small amount of what ever it is others are having or you used to enjoy. It comes down to how often you have it and how much you have. Plus you may find new things you really enjoy. Do I want to go back to eating exactly like I did before ? No. I mean that’s how I got to the weight I was & why I always struggled. Do I like to exercise. No & never really did before either (another punishment in the most part) so you’re ahead of me in that game. But I have found some things I do (little things like stretches and using resistance bands I do throughout my day) & I actually don’t mind doing them. A lot is of this is about learning & introducing new habits, new routines and developing a new relationship with food. Never be reluctant to seek the help & support of a therapist. Your head can be your greatest enemy. I do have a couple of little issues I deal with since my sleeve? Yes, I call them my quirks. I had a quirky tummy before my surgery so nothing new really just some are different & some are gone. Doesn’t stop me doing what I enjoy. PS And congrats on being able to do a push up. I’ve never been able to do a proper one. I can get down but can’t get back up again - tee hee! I do wall pushups though - stand about a meter away from a wall.

What about trying a GLP-1 versus surgery? Check out Dr Matthew Weiner’s Pound of Cure website, podcasts & you tube channel. He’s been speaking a lot about recommending sleevers with regain to use GLP-1 meds instead of a revision surgery. You may find it interesting & something to discuss with your surgeon as another option. PS. Out of curiosity what was your original starting point weight, your maintenance weight, and current weight?

Well as you all know I had my procedure on sept 6 and now here it is Oct 20 and I haven’t lost in fact I think ive gained Ive been doing cardio and i go back to regular diet in 4 days and I am so so scared. I couldn’t even come on here and post because i got so depressed about having this revision procedure.. I have a appointment with my nutritionist on Tuesday and I’m just gonna put it out there . He felt like part of it could be constipation so I am trying ducolax and see if it’s just blockage idk

Hi, I'm after some advice. I was sleeved in 2015, lost 55kgs and kept that off for many years. I have re-gained almost 20kgs in the last 1.5 years. I met with my surgeon and he'd recommending a re-sleeve, but I wonder if I should go for a SADI by-pass. He said he can do either BUT not together (as my BMI is too low)- so either re-sleeve or the conversation part of SADI only. Any feedback?

Learn2cook I am a nurse so I work a busy job as well. I have many goals such as becoming financially free, living a more sustainable life and finding a life partner at some point to name a few. As far as my health and fitness goals, I want to be strong. I want to be able to hike, and raft rivers and adventure. I dont want to be hindered by my weight anymore. I dont need to be skinny but i do what to be somewhat a normal weight. Before surgery I did try waygovy and was working out a lot so I was pretty optimized prior to surgery however i didnt lose a ton of weight with waygovy despite tracking and trying to be really mindful. My bariatric surgeon basically told me the indicator of my success is how much i can shed in the first year so i am determined. I am just hoping to get some feedback for people who have had a band before and went for revision. Thanks for your sincere reply Brittany

I’m going to reiterate the above poster, you honestly can’t compare yourself to others. My tweak is that you might not get to “the weight of your dreams.” As an older post menopausal woman I am a powerhouse of strength that lives quite comfortably on 800-1000 kcals a day and still weighs roughly 200lbs at 5’4”. I honestly can’t eat less food or risk malnutrition. I work an extremely strenuous job physically with severely disabled children. I wear size 16-18 American bottoms and size large or size 14-16 tops, large dresses. The only things that jiggle is leftover skin. I know I’m one injury away from switching to general education kids, but I’m living life full throttle and enjoying it! So, you are doing awesome work! Keep following your plan and taking care of yourself. You’re way younger than me so you have an honest shot at getting all the way down. BUT, who you are isn’t determined by how much you weigh. Are you staring down diabetes anymore? Are you pursuing your life goals, career goals, kindness to self goals? Are you involved in real life relationships and groups? Just from your post I can tell you are a caring person that works hard to make things better. Keep going! (Therapy helps you see fabulous you too.)

OMG please do not compare yourself to anyone else, its the road to ruin. This is not a quick fix, it may take over a year to loose your extra weight. My journey took nearly 3 years. If you stick at the program you will get to the weight of your dreams. Everyone who does this surgery has a different regime to follow. Some can have solids straight away, some have liquids for 4 weeks then puree for 2 weeks. Some eat low calorie, zero sugar, zero fat etc Some of us [me] eat full fat. Some have Carbs, some of us don't [me] Some exercise, some don't. What I am trying to say is don't try to compare to the unknown. You are doing amazing. Right on track. Follow your teams regime. You are just beginning. Slow and steady wins this race. Any time now you may have a fright when you don't loose anything, your body needs these stalls to regroup.

I had a lap band placed in 2013 and ended up having it removed here in January. It up getting infected. Thankfully no erosion and just some scar tissue. The surgery to remove it was miserable for me tbh but at that time i started the process to revising from band to bypass. Thankfully that went through without a hitch and I had surgery on the 2nd of October. Initially with the band I lost over 100 lbs very quickly and felt so good. Went from 305 down to around 200. About a year after the band was placed I got my gallbladder out and I feel like that is when things kind of took a turn for me. I ended up having issues with the band so I just removed all the fluid after a year or so and just coasted through life with the thing. Things still getting stuck with it empty. Ended up gaining all my weight back and then some. Anyway, I just got the bypass on the 2nd and I am just overwhelmed with fear of not losing enough with the bypass as well as regain. Wondering if anyone has had similar experiences? On the pre op diet I lost 15 lbs and I have lost about 17 since surgery. I am almost 3 weeks. I read about people losing 30-40 right away. I worry im not on track even though I feel as if im doing well. I dont have any pain, my energy is good, i havnt puked at all since surgery (still on full liquids) and overall things seem to be doing well. I do need to up my protein (60-70 grams a day) but am able to get my fluids in. Time will tell I guess but would love to hear about others experiences. Thanks Brittany

Well that one meal was nothing. You don’t have to wait untill Thursday to get reassurance on that one. Remember, I have done this and failed and I promise you it took ALOT more poor choices to gain it back. A big part of my issue was mental though. I believe I mentioned that before. Have you been able to find someone to talk to that can just be a sounding board through all of this. It may help.

There was this older lady in my craft group, and I told them that I had surgery because I figured it was more people to make me feel accountable. This is a revision surgery for me and the last time I didn’t tell people like that and it didn’t work out so well so I’m trying a different approach. Anyways, she is about 80 years old and she said to me she just wanted to tell me how happy she is for me because since my surgery, I have really blossomed. She said that I i have a healthy glow about me and I’ve really come out of my shell in terms of confidence and it shows. I think that was probably the nicest compliment I’ve ever had in terms of my weight loss. I just appreciated that it wasn’t about superficial things. Maybe there’s hope for all these superficial people that when they get a little older, they will view things in terms of stuff that actually matters.

It's been years but I just usually say thank you if it's positive. At times, I get negative comments like I look like a cancer patient so I better gain weight or I should gain a little weight because "you look older". The latter are always from family. My reply to the latter is "I'd really be healthy than have high blood pressure..." Like others, I don't give too much information if asked how I lost the weight, unless they can benefit from it.

Hi guys, my name is Anna and I'm really glad I found this site. I received approval from my insurance earlier this week, there's just one x-ray needed and then I will be scheduled. My mom had the same procedure over 2 years ago, but she's more of a cautionary tale of what not to do. I have friends who have had it done as well. The hardest part of this process for me has been giving up cigarettes, and trying to lose weight on my own. I started my umpteenth weight loss journey November of 2022, and finally went back to see my moms doctor in January of this year, after chickening out a couple times before. No matter what I've done I have no been able to get below 300 since 2016. My highest weight was 374. The smallest I've been is 230 in my 20s after losing 70 lbs and keeping it off 2 years. Right now I'm chilling at around 340, have been for almost 2 years. I love the gym, I love swimming, I love being active. But I have a lot of chronic pain from back and neck issues, as well as arthritis and between that and depression, it can be hard to get out of bed some days. Last time this year I had just finished a 16 week fitness challenge at a local CrossFit center, where I learned to do a real push up, deadlifts and other strength and endurance building exercises. It was great, and I got down to 315. Then the program ended and about 25 lbs reappeared out of thin air (psych, I know lol). I am hoping that this tool is the missing puzzle piece I've needed. I know how to track, how to measure, how to diet basically. And I know how to exercise. What I've struggled with more than anything is portion and hunger. It's hard to stay in a deficit when your stomach feels like it's gonna eat itself if you don't put enough food in it- That being said I do know I want to focus on protein and fiber for fullness, and I'm working on eating smaller and more frequent throughout the day which is helping some. I guess I'm as ready as I will ever be. Am I the only one who has struggled with being a bit depressed about it all? Like I am mourning the loss of so much, including my stomach and the ability to indulge in a meal. I understand I still can, but it's not gonna be the same having a jr popcorn at the movies, when i had a good portion of a large gone before credits were over- ya know? Like people who don't struggle with their weight take a lot for granted. My whole life I've been big, and it has always felt like a punishment I didn't do anything to bring about. And society punishes you for being overweight/obese/plus size. Part of me feels like cutting out a part of my organs is another punishment I must endure because I am fat. I hope this makes sense, and these are just fleeting thoughts and feelings, mind you. I have a wonderful counselor I see weekly, and we have talked about this, among other things. But I wanted to bring it up here because I am wondering if anyone has struggled with this line of thinking? And if so what are some good things about the process to focus on? I know the outcome of the weight being gone and my appetite under control, and I want those things very much. But it's the actual surgery and the discomfort I know is coming after that trips me up. Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and I wish you all well ❤️

I'm actually technically able to get plastics right now if I want them, and BELIEVE ME I do, but I only just got my weight stable and not going down down down, so I want to give it a few months and see how it goes through the winter months and then revisit around March or April. I'd love to at least have my boobs, neck, arms, and tummy done by my birthday next year. That's really what I'm the most self conscious about. I'll eventually get the rest done, but spanx pretty much takes care of any loose and wobbly skin on my butt and thighs. I don't do dresses or shorts, I wear capris or pants/jeans, so that's perfectly fine. But it's better to let your weight be stable for a while before you go have surgery. Too much fluctuation one way or the other could mess up what the surgery does and then you'll have wasted the money, time off work, and healing effort and time.

Reporting my win for the week: Since surgery on 4/11/24 i have remained with steady weight loss about 2 to 2.5 pounds per week. I do not own a scale and went to my parents to visit this weekend and stepped on their scale im down another 13 pounds from last month. I think my walking about 5 miles daily also helps if not helping with weight management definitely helps with my mental health. I feel so good after working out! 🏋️‍♀️. Let's us all win for the future weeks ahead!

Is there any stick with the carrot? As in - if you regain weight whilst waiting for the surgery is there any chance they'll say - well, you couldn't stick the the diet pre-op so you mightn't post op? Not that I think they would, there just seem to be so many ridiculous hurdles to jump though beforehand sometimes. I wouldn't like you to get caught by any of them!

I don't care about being the fattest person in the room I've been over 200 pounds since I was a teenager I'm used to it. What bothers me is I need a cane everywhere I go and I can't do literally anything anymore. I can't walk in a store I have to stay in the car, I have to have help with bathing, I can't take showers I have to take baths because I'm too fat even for a shower chair. It's just getting out of hand. I'll be glad when I instantly lose like 10% of my body weight. Can't wait for October 30th so they can set a date already and tell me how the psych eval went in detail. Just saying "I have nothing to worry about" isn't enough for me lol.

Same, I tried every diet going over the years and they worked for a while but then I would just slowly, without realising, gain it all back again plus usually a little more. That is why I knew the surgery was the correct tool for me as no matter how much I tried I couldn't do it on my own - and I wasn't on my own even as such as my family and friends supported me so much over the years. My target at the start of this sleeve journey was not a figure on the scale but to get down to a clothes size (UK 10), to have more energy to then get fitter and to not feel ashamed and like the fattest person in the room all the time. Anything more than that has been a bonus, which I will not take for granted.