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I used to regularly get similar cramps but since my sleeve surgery, doing more exercise and losing weight they are thankfully less frequent though when I do still get one they can still be so bad I almost vomit. Something I am using most nights is a massage roller on my feet and legs and I find it can help. When I do get a cramp, if I can manage it (sometimes is too bad to do more than walk and stretch it out) I will roll on the area and massage it out. I also take electrolyte powder a few nights a week if needed.

So glad to know you did talk to your surgeon! One of the reasons people responded to your post the way we did is because we see way too many people on this board who ask people here for advise when they have a medical issue after surgery. The reality is even if someone here had a similar issue, that does not mean you are having the same issue. While most people here are really grateful they had bariatric surgery, the risks of complications can be high. We're not doctor's here and we just want people to be safe. As to your multivitamin, It's likely there is potassium in it, since almost all of them I've seen have potassium iodide as an ingredient. If yours does not, then it might be a good idea to switch to one that does have that in it. Just because it's combined with iodide, does not mean that the potassium is not bioavailable. Certainly follow your doctor's advice regarding your hydration and magnesium supplementation needs. I did want to point out that 70 oz of water per day sounds a bit low to me, especially since you live at altitude. All patients at my bariatric clinic are told to try to hit 100 oz and we're down on the plains at roughly 1000 ft. I also wanted to mention that magnesium is a common sleep aid, so while the effects of a lotion may be different for you, higher doses of magnesium might make you sleepy, so are typically best taken later in the evening. I agree with @Arabesque that an electrolyte drink might not be a bad idea. I started taking one pretty early after surgery and still use them quite a bit now that my exercise routine is quite strenuous. Just keep in mind, the point in your case is to help you retain water, not really replace lost electrolytes. This means your sodium levels will rise above normal and if you're not used to them, they can cause some weight retention. (It's just water, which is what you want.) If it freaks you out because the scale stops moving for a while, keep this in mind. I should also caution you that if you have edema, upping your sodium intake might not be a good idea, so it would be best to check with your doctor first. Best of luck! I hope you get it figured out.

I'm not entirely sure if this is a win, but let me give you a little bit of my backstory first. Thanks to a work accident many years ago, I have multiple herniated discs in my lumbar spine that sometimes cause a lot of sciatica. When this was at its worst, I had to use a walker just to get around the house because I had no motor control over my right leg. To be honest, this is one of the things that actually led to me becoming obese. I wasn't able to workout (I could hardly move), and was in a lot of pain, so I self-medicated with food and alcohol. The pain isn't completely gone now, but after losing all this weight, it's so much better than it used to be. Fast forward to this week. I spent basically 4 days (Saturday-Tuesday), trapped in a zoom class and this inactivity took its toll on my back. I'd been in a lot of pain and hadn't worked out at all since taking a short run Monday. Wednesday and Thursday I didn't get the walker out, but i did seriously think about it. Today the pain was still about a four or five on a ten point scale, but at least it wasn't radiating down my leg much. I really struggled with trying to determine if I just needed to man up, or if it was stupid to try to workout, knowing that I might make it worse. I finally decided I just needed to try to run, since I knew that once the endorphins and endocannabinoids kicked in, I'd probably be fine. Plus, the movement should actually help loosen things up in my spine and help me heal. It took a bit for me to work up to going for it, but I did finally go run this morning. (The bad thing was that the delay meant I was running in the heat.) To be honest, the run really sucked for the first mile or two. Thankfully, once I made it to about 4 miles, the pain was mostly gone and I was able to complete the 9 miles I had planned. I'm still thinking I'm going to have to skip my strength training tomorrow (I'll probably log a few running miles instead), but at least I got out there. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that completing the run wasn't actually a win. The win was that I didn't let this pain become the start of a spiral down to a place I never want to go to again. I personally think the most important thing is not actually the highs, though those are great. It's not succumbing to the lows and letting yourself fall back into those old destructive habits. I wanted to throw this out there because i know I post a lot here and I suspect some of you might think I've got it all together since I'm normally the one giving advice to others. That's just not true. Like everyone, I have my own demons that I have to deal with and this back pain is just one of those.

I love this!! something that I am coming to terms with that the number on the scale is just a number, I have been battling with oh I'm too thin I need to gain weight well once I gained the weight after my BA I am not happy. But I still wear the same size, I can exercise the same, I look better with bewbies, that I need to be okay that my body is happy and healthy at this point. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing and stop sabotaging myself or giving myself negative thoughts. I am so proud of you!!

I don't know if this is a win, but there is a podcast called "isnt the stall the point" ... to me at some point weight stalls should be the point. I've noticed in the bariatric community that some are never satisfied and steady strive for more. I certainly won't be living my life like that. So my win is I stalled for six months, which I was fine with but at my breast augmentation appointment my weight had finally broke the STALL. I am finally 7 pounds from my goal weight in which the STALL and living my Life in Maintenance will be the point. 💪🏽

I waited about a year after surgery before getting new ink because my skin was still adjusting. Placement mattered more than I expected—anywhere with stretched skin looked way different once I lost weight. A friend of mine got a 3D Areola Tattoo after reconstruction, and it looked super realistic. Always smart to check that your artist has experience with post-weight-loss skin.

Girl you look goood as hell! Congratulations on your weight-loss journey and yes girl I'm having fun in the clothes I've always wanted to wear but living in obese body all my life I couldn't so it is definitely a time to play around.

Sort of. I've always dressed a little more alternative/gothic, but considering most of those fashions don't come in plus sizes I've mostly just made do with black leggings and black tops. Now, I'm a size 14 (uk) so I can actually start buying and wearing all the clothes I've always wanted to wear! I do think that I've gain more confidence since I lost weight and that means I've starting taking more time and put more effort into makeup and hair etc.

Most definitely! Finding my new style when I lost weight was very exciting. I used to wear a lot of architectural/structural clothing with volume, panels, angles darts & folds to give interesting shapes so more avant garde. Partly so people would look at the clothing not my large body. Became obvious pretty quickly that I didn’t have the body to support these designs (being short didn’t help either). I was drowning in the volume of fabric & being overwhelmed by the designs. I had so much fun going on shopping sprees to stores and boutiques to try on different styles just to explore and see what now suited & not always to buy. Now I tend to go for sleeker more fitted clothing much like your body con pink birthday dress. I like some volume but have to balance it with a fitted top or fitted bottom or in the cut or fall of fabric. Still like things with a difference in fabric or cut & generally don’t follow fads or trends so have a wardrobe of timeless, statement pieces. Some sadness though as some designers/labels I used to love wearing are too big now (in style &/or size) but am very happy to be able to wear designers I used to wear when was smaller in the past or coveted. (Yes, I have a clothing addiction and spend too much on clothing). PS - Your new pink hair is very flattering on your skin tone. Perfect colour choice. ❤️ And happy birthday!

I for one feel like I am constantly changing my style, whether that is my hair colour, the kinds of clothes that I wear, my make up etc! Anyone else feel like they are constantly playing dress up and having fun seeing what suits them after weight loss? For reference - I have just dyed my hair pink & have included a picture of my birthday outfit from Saturday!

I had VSG in 2013. Lost 110 lbs. felt great! I was able to do things I hadn’t been able to do in years. I maintained my new weight for about 5 years. Then gradually started slipping back into old habits. Now here I am, 12 years later and I regained about 80 lbs. I feel so defeated. But your post and the progress you’re making gives me some hope and inspiration. I started doing the “pouch reset” and I’m going to try and immerse myself in the Bariatric community, like I did when I first had the surgery. The support is what helped me maintain my weight as long as I did. But I’m back now and ready to put the past behind me. Thank you for helping me to feel less alone in my struggle.

OMG I think I gained weight just looking at that photo. Scrumptious. Gotta have a treat once in a while!

I'm 5 weeks out from surgery and the gas is what they used to "blow up" your abdomen like a balloon so that they can see everything while rearranging things in there. That goes away with time and I found that walking did the best. I also tried to move a lot, not just walking but raising my arms and doing tow pointing while sitting and things like that to move the air out of my abdomen. Also, try and use an abdominal binder, did they give you one to use on discharge? Sometimes that helps. I splinted my tummy with a pillow when I coughed. I had a tough time doing the sipping but got better over time, and even eating real food was a blessing. But as others have said, dehydration is the worst complication so keep sipping. The continued desire for food is called "head hunger". The brain is telling you that you are hungry, but how can you be, there is very little room in your stomach now, it is mind over matter. Time to find a hobby to keep your hands busy and out of the fridge. If you continue to have "head hunger" I would recommend BariNation that you can become a member of and join the support groups and member meet-ups to ask questions or get some group therapy where your people are. I'm a member and am in groups all the time, I started with them before surgery so I knew what to expect, and thankful for the wonderful support from my new friends. It is forty bucks for a month, and to me it is worth it, I spend less now in food. Just a thought to help you through the rough patches that are surely to come, especially the time when you are eating and having rapid weight loss, and hormone changes that cause your emotions to fly about. I find the support groups and meet ups to be so helpful.

I curious where the idea came from for this? Also, just from a scientific perspective, it seems odd to me to make so many changes all at once since it will be impossible to determine if only some of these changes are actually making any difference, or if some of these may be detrimental, while others are beneficial. For example, we know pretty conclusively that increased sleep is hugely beneficial to weight loss and better health overall. I think at the end of your experiment you won't be able to tell what changes you might want to make more permanently vs. which changes didn't help and can be safely ignored. Just my thought so far. Regardless, I hope it helps you.

Hi everyone, kinda new here but I figure I should share my personal experiment in the guys room since it involves "strange" elements. I’ve noticed my cut stalls whenever the late-night dopamine loop hits: doom-scroll, snack, repeat. Decided to run a one-week reset to see if trimming *stimulation calories* can help actual calories. **Reset checklist** □ 8 p.m. screen cap: phone goes in desk drawer, watchface only. □ 90 % whole-food rule (any “fun food” must fit before 2 p.m.). □ 3-min cold rinse after workouts. □ Picked up a silicone cage to keep wandering hands + browser tabs in check. (if you're wondering where it goes, the cage is from a funny shop called lockthecock so I'll let you figure that out) □ Lights-out meditation playlist, then bed. **Tracking** • Target intake: 1,950 kcal • Steps: >10 k daily • Sleep (Oura): aiming +45 min average • Craving score (1–5) each night **Starting numbers (Day 0)** Weight: 164 lb Waist: 31.8″ Sleep: 6 h 05 m avg Cravings after 9 p.m.: 4/5 I’ll loop back on Day 4 with a quick note (good, bad, ugly), then final results on Day 7. Anyone tried something similar—phone jail, NoFap streaks, cold therapy—to rein in nighttime nibbling? Drop tips! Cheers

I appreciate your post, its an opportunity to understand human nature and the constant struggles we have fighting the basic life requirement to eat. That being said, I would like to ask fellow forum members the following questions if they too have had/have their other half going down the same paths... seeing your wife having weight/health issues and what others do/say/handle that situation. My husband eats like a 12 year old boy. He knows it, he told his doctor the same thing (his doctor laughed and said he eats the same way). His BMI (I know its not a great metric but its the easiest and most ppl understand it) is 29.98. I've explained obese is 30.00. He says he gets "plenty of exercise" because he walks 12 miles a day, which he does (mail carrier). I say that's moving NOT exercise since its nothing more than a long stroll, not getting his heart rate up. So, my question like what Spartan says how do you help someone see the light? Yes, I realize its like everything else each person has to come to the realization on their own, but how can we help the process along, after all time doesn't stand still and no one is getting younger. I try to get him to eat the meals I prepare, but its not what he "likes": cereals, processed foods i.e. hot dogs, fast food, candy and soda. He has tried dieting, it lasts less than a day or he only "eats a half bowl of sugary cereal until I point out that a serving is 1/4 cup and his half a bowl is 4 servings...etc. What have you tried, done said etc., on your journey to bring your other half kicking and screaming into a healthier lifestyle that worked? I don't want anger or alienate my husband, but do you just stand back and continue to let someone you love keep pulling the trigger?

Thanks for clarifying. This may become important if you do go down the surgical route. You didn't say where you live, or what it might look like in terms of paying for surgery, but this may also play a role in your decision-making. What I mean is that if you're in the US, whether or not your insurance plan covers weight loss surgery is an important thing to note. Almost all insurance plans that cover surgery also require some prerequisites that may include a history of previous weight loss interventions. Of course if you're not in the US or you don't have coverage with your insurance plan, then YMMV. @summerseeker makes an important point for you to consider as well. ALL medical and non-medical interventions for weight loss work by reducing calorie intake (for the record, I'm including malabsorption in that bucket since it also reduces the number of calories you functionally have available for your body.) Whether it's surgery, pharmaceuticals, or specific dietary plans, they all work by creating a negative energy balance. With that in mind, it's not so much which is "best" for everyone since they all can work, it's about which is best for you individually to safely lose the weight and keep it off long term.

I should say it's not such a recent issue. I was borderline obese by 2016 weighing 186 pounds (I should have mentioned that). But by 2022 I gained almost 45 pounds in a year out of nowhere. Before that the weight issues was more creeping up on me It went something like this: I was 150 pounds at 18 years old. By 21 I was 160. By 25 I was 180. You get the picture. Something like ten pounds d year gained no matter what. But then at 32 and battling COVID my weight exploded and it wouldn't come off. Nearly a 50 pound gain. I had long COVID and couldn't exercise for five months but didn't eat any different but the damage was done. That weight wasn't coming off for nothing even after I recovered. And it worsened my asthma horrendously. Just the COVID but gaining so much weight. That's why I had no choice but to starve.

If you opted for the surgery - you would loose weight for sure. BUT once at target you would still need to increase your calorie levels to a maintenance amount. Without much exercise my maintenance level is around 1500 - 1600 cals a day. To eat more I would need to increase my exercise drastically or I would gain. So when you maintain on similar calories, you will gain if what you say is true. If that is so, baritric surgery is not a fix for you.

I differ from what SpartanMaker says, I wouldn't try any more of the options that are out there. Obviously you first need to recognize that obesity is a disease and it never goes away. You tried to starve yourself to death and the body will automatically save every morsel you put into your body and store it as fat, especially on a 300 calorie diet. Increasing the calories is not necessarily the fix either, you need to look at the foods you are eating. Is it protein heavy or are you still eating salads, which are carbs by the way? Are you thinking that a baked potato is a veggie, it is not it is a carbohydrate, then add all the stuff you put on the potato. Diet wise, you may be choosing the wrong foods. And certainly the amount. You passed out probably because your glucose levels went into the basement with such a low calorie intake. I agree with SpartanMaker, and seek out a Bariatric center that has a whole host of options. Surgery is a tool that the obese person uses and it is a life long commitment to make lifestyle changes. You may need to see a therapist and nutrition expert both to help you, and maybe they have other options other than going straight to surgery, but for certain I feel you need better education on what is an appropriate "diet", and not all "diets" are really diets but ways to spend more money that is just wasted. You obviously have the willpower and stamina to take hold of a new life, it won't hurt to inquire. I would also urge you to watch some of the YouTube videos from BariNation, they have Podcasts with bariatric physicians and other healthcare providers every week and most recently there was discussion about Obesity being a disease and using something other than weight or BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine if someone is obese. My plan has always been to go the cautious or conservative route first. In my case I jumped right in and happy for it. I had an excellent surgeon and team that all worked together to ensure I had a good experience and did. Never had any pain with my surgery, and have had good results so far and today is Post op week 3, day 1. I wish you the best in your journey to seek out further information and a good bariatric group!!

Here we go, currently 35 F. Since I was 21 I have seen an endocrinologist for what seemed like an unknown hormone disorder. They didn't diagnosis with anything but monitored me for years. I had severe cystic acne, Hidrianitus suppurativa hirsutism and I struggled with my weight (always). My weight was not that much of a problem at the time (I was 160, 5'7) but I felt like I was heavier than I should be for what I ate. I was not diagnosed with PCOS because I had regular periods and normal test results. But the doctor told me he wanted to continue to see me. Years later in 2022 my weight skyrocketed to 230 pounds in about a 18 month period. It was shocking, never have I been that heavy. It was awful. I didn't change me diet. The sent me to a nutritionist but I didn't lose weight. It was like weight-loss was impossible. The endocrinologist has no answers and I got a second opinion. Again no answers. Then in 2024 I was the same weight but my asthma was becoming incredibly severe. My lung function was down to 70 present and I was frequently hospitalized last year. They told me my weight was worsening my asthma. I told them I couldn't lose weight. I got desperate and from June to November I ate 400 calories a day and only drank water. I lost 30 pounds. I had no choice but to do this. It was crazy, it was dangerous and I passed out twice but I had no choice. I was dying anyway. By December I started upping my calories to 700 and by January I was eating 1200 calories. My lung function improved to 86 percent and my asthma was suddenly improving based on test results. The troubling thing recently is in the last two months I've regained 11 pounds. I'm only eating what my nutritionist recommends. I'm now at the point of wondering if Gastric Bypass is for me. I clearly can not lose weight easily on my own, worsening obesity makes me sicker. The weigh comes back far too quickly. Would this be the right decision for me?

I'm team both? My diet mantra is 80/20. What I mean is: I try to focus on getting ~80% of my calories from minimally processed foods. (AKA, I try to eat clean.) I don't really track this, I just focus on making good food choices when I can. I try to eat a wide variety of foods, so nothing's off limits. To me, there are no bad foods, there are just some that provide more nutritional value than others. Plus, the more variety i have in my diet, the better overall nutritional profile I'll have. I try to shoot for 80% of what I eat being things that have a bit more nutritional value. For example, most of the time, I might pick spinach or kale over lettuce. I eat carb centered. It's not quite 80%, so my mantra may be a bit off? I suppose between carbs and protein, it probably is 80%, so I'll settle for that. I know this one will be controversial here since the bariatric dietitians push protein so heavily (and don't misunderstand me, protein is critically important), but as endurance athlete at maintenance and 2.5 years out from surgery, I need more carbs than I did during the weight loss phase. Critical to the above is that I don't obsess over any of it. I guess my point in the above is that if you're trying to determine the "best" protein source, maybe the real right answer is there is no best. Once your body starts breaking down the protein you consume into the component amino acids, your body doesn't know where those amino acids came from. The advantage of not focusing on just one source of protein is that there are vastly different micronutrient profiles across foods. The more variety you eat, the better off you are nutritionally.

I hadn't visiting BP in a while. I had the VSG in 2013 and lost ~90 pounds. I had an abdominoplasty in 2021: Another great decision: My abdomen is so tight and flat! But due to some stress, I gained 20 pounds that I want to lose. I tried Ozempic; eh. I tried Mounjaro and I lost 10 pounds in a month, but it made me itch all over, plus constipation. I might try it again, though. Before the 20 pound regain, I was down to a size 10 [almost an 8!]; now I'm back to a good 12, and pushing into a 14 for some styles. Grr. Pray.

Did you have any psychological input during your Tier 3? (I don’t know if you had to go through Tier 3?) I had about 4 sessions with an NHS bariatric psychologist, but I believe I’ll still be having a Tier 4 psychological consultation to sign me off 🤞 for the MDT. Also, two weeks post-approval for the LRD! That is AWESOME! I think my trust tends to do the two-week milk diet. Even though I currently eat fairly low calorie keto, I think the milk diet would help lose a bit of pre-surgery weight at least. 💗

Hello, Wendyjane! The NHS is the National Health Service - socialised tax-funded medical care provided in the United Kingdom. The tier system is basically various levels of care for varying conditions. For those seeking weight management help through the NHS. Google AI summarised it really well for me: Hospitals are grouped into governing bodies (trusts), and each trust, I believe, decides how to invest in the tiers, which in turn impacts just how much and what kind of support is given. For example, when I went through Tier 3 in my trust, I was given 1:1 virtual support (zoom meetings) once a month for a year with a nutritionist to help me implement healthier lifestyle changes, and during that time, I also met with an NhS psychologist for 3-4 months to work through any issues I may have regarding food and mental health. I really enjoyed the support I received from my Tier 3 programme (“Weigh Ahead”). I was also held accountable for my weight, blood pressure, and body measurements. Tier 3 aims to help you lose 5-10% of your total body weight in order to be referred to Tier 4. The current Tier 3 service in my trust now allows patients to receive prescriptions for Ozempic and Mounjaro to help with weight loss. (I’m sure you can imagine I was sorely sad to find out I missed that opportunity! Whereas I think the injectables will be available to me only in Tier 4 and from the bariatric surgeon?) Also, in Tier 4, if you so desire to go forward with bariatric surgery, then you have multiple appointments with various consultants: the bariatric dietitian, bariatric nurse, bariatric psychologist, the anaesthetist, and finally the surgeon. Once your appointments with each of these completes, then they meet together as a “Multi-Disciplinary Team” to discuss each case and decide if that patient is a good candidate to go forward with surgery. If yes, you’re then placed in another waiting list. According to my trust, I am not meant to gain any weight from the time of my Tier 3 referral until surgery. This has been really, really challenging… and at times, frankly speaking, exceedingly discouraging. I hope this helps as an explanation. ☺️