Search the Community

I was going through my album, and while trying to lose weight I had favourited a few of my pictures for inspiration to get back to what I was. I was in the best shape after having my first child, see below photos from (2016/2017). My highest weight at 90 kgs/198 lbs (a few days before my VSG in December 2023) My post-op journey has all been about restriction and not being able to eat enough. It took me time to slowly build my stamina and muscle tone back. I have definition in my abs and my legs and arms are toned. I am 13 kilos/29 lbs lighter than my “before” fit (but it doesn't much show because muscles ha!), I am at an all time low in terms of weight but I feel absolutely fantastic. Hopefully can build kore muscle once I stabilize. My “fit” after:

I get comments and I haven’t even had the surgery yet. My surgery is on 7/25 and when i talk about my goal weight, I get the whole that’s too much weight loss, you won’t look good. How are you going to tell me that a healthy size I once was before I started having weight gain issues will make me look unhealthy. I learned not to talk about it with certain people because they really aren’t supportive. Some people don’t want to see you change for the better because then you are leaving them behind.

I have gotten it a number of times from different family members and friends who tell me I look great but to stop loosing weight etc. My boss frequently tells me I don't eat enough and getting too thin.... this from a man who when showing me the ladies he is swiping left/right on never gives a second look to someone over about 130lbs! 🙄 So I just reply, well excuse me but most of the time I eat enough (I track), just small and frequent usually plus I am going to the gym 2 or 3 times a week and upping my fitness and toning up but its none of your business anyway.

Late posting today as I’ve been to the gym this morning and thoroughly enjoyed myself 🥳 Hubby is off work this week so he came with me. We like going together as we both wander off to do our own things but touch base occasionally. Unfortunately there were couple of teens who enjoyed pointing and laughing but it didn’t stop me and it just made them look like a pair of dickheads, especially when others glared at them. I don’t know if they expected me to pass out within a couple of minutes of beginning my workout but I did over an hour so sucks to be you, kids…I did have a chat with a member of staff as to when the quieter times are (without teens as there were quite a few and they have no absolutely no gym manners) and he said before 3pm when the schools go back. Thankfully that’s this week so we will be back Wednesday afternoon to have another go 🙂 Of course it will be interesting to see what state I will be in tomorrow but I didn’t hammer it, just familiarised myself with everything again. I did have a protein shake when I got back home plus a hot bath with some Epsom salts in the hope of counteracting the worst of the aches and pains. Looking forward to trying some free weights to get some hardcore toning going on! Couldn’t today as the free weights area was busy. Went out for lunch yesterday and kept it relatively healthy. Gains from the past week or so have pretty much gone, which is good. I’d thrown on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt earlier in the week and hubby commented on the fact that the weight was coming off my legs and backside. I think his exact words were “you’re losing weight off your legs and arse love”. Such a way with words, what can I say?? Clothing does continue to improve fit-wise, so I'm happy with that. Granddaughters first day of school on Weds and her 5th birthday on Thursday so there will be cake this coming weekend when we’re there for her party. I can’t believe she’s almost 5 - time really does fly! Surgeons appointment coming up on Friday - eek! I think I’m as prepared as I will ever be for it. I’ve got over the initial shock re the speed of it and I’m now just looking forward to it. My mini food processor thingy has been delivered and I’ve downloaded a couple of additional Bariatric recipe books for my Kindle (all freebies, thankfully) I’m trying not to think too deeply about the puréed phase as none of it sounds appealing but I know it’s something that has to be gone through! 6 weeks isn’t too long in the grand scheme of things. Have a super week everyone 😉 Onwards and Downwards!

@ShoppGirl how did all your medical stuff go? Are you doing okay? @Justarwaxx I have heard periods get worse when your losing weight because so much estrogen is stored in fat, so when you lose fat you have more estrogen in your body, which in turn makes you cramp more and your flow worse. That has been my experience so far. I was hoping I would have lighter periods since I'm not intaking as many calories.

Thank you for your encouragement! Will definitely tell my husband and will check with my team before starting weights.

Looks good! I feel you! I eat all the time too but it's very important to eat meals. I work out a lot and have to eat! My body is always like HELLO time to eat! I'm kinda on a schedule. So far it has worked for me eating frequently. Weight loss is still consistent about 2 to 2.5 pounds per week. I also stick to FULL fats keeps me fuller longer! P.S also because the food noise/cravings are gone sometimes I eat like a body builder the same S!#t everyday 😂

Choose the one that comes up around 21g protein. I know that if you weigh out a 3oz serving (weight after cooking), you're getting roughly 21g protein, whether it's chicken breast, steak, or salmon.

I will say that I am super happy that I waited to have any sort of plastics once I was done having children. I breastfed both of my children for 13months plus and now that I have a BA my bewbies will stay nice and perky. I am 36 and just started my plastics journey. I have to pay off my bewbs first then I'm going in for a 360 lift and my arms, so I am hoping by 40 I am brand new tight me lol I do know someone who lost a ton of weight through diet and exercise, she spent 20k on plastics only to have children 5-7yrs later and stretched out her skin that did not bounce back and will need more surgery to go back. Also, I had a ROUGH 20's, I was in a toxic and terrible marriage that was abusive which is how I became 325lbs at one point, so at this stage in my life, I am in a healthy relationship (not married) we have kids from previous marriages and have one of our own. We have careers, a home, stability (well as much as you can in this economy LOL) All these things were important for me to have and do before I could feel to "do me" and feel good about the "my turn to be selfish". I say YOU DO YOU!!! this is YOUR time!! if you don't want to wait then dont!

Hi everyone! Is anyone still around in this group? Its been 4 years since my surgery, and what a ride it has been. I have had ups and downs, and now I am trying to work on myself a little mor and loose some more. I had my tummytuck done in April and in three weeks I will have my inner tight surgery. To keep the weight down I have used Ozempic and Wegovy. Would be fun to hear if anyone is still around and how have your been since surgery!

Don’t be discouraged at the stall. I had surgery on 12/18/23 at 219. A year and 1 month later I am at 180 and have been here for 6 months. Sometimes I dip into the 170’s but I bounce back to my current set point of 180… Currently… I am ok with that because I can see the changes in how I look and how my clothes fit. I have struggled with eating the proper amounts of protein since having a set back in March 2024. I am struggling really hard with acid reflux and getting enough sleep. It is getting better and I am willing to put my weight loss on hold while I try to get this under control and avoid a corrective surgery. Give yourself some grace. This is hard to do. 💖 Just try to stay positive, be focused and talk to your care provider. Ask lots of questions, don’t leave until you feel like you truly understand which direction to go next when they help you lay out a new plan. … and take notes because it’s hard to remember everything they say during the appointment.

Everyone is different! I’m 5years out. My dumping is more like a hot flash with a very upset stomach. I have to lay down until it passes. I never had the foamies but I am nauseous A LOT! Sometimes I can eat a piece of cake with a ton of frosting & it doesn’t bother me. Other times I can’t. I only eat 3.5 oz of food at a time. I never know what my body is going to do. I am also constipated all of the time. My daughter is 4 y out. She slowly eats 5 meals a day. She has very loose, stinky bowl movements. She can’t eat a lot of sugar & drinks diet Dr Pepper but she would really like to drink regular sodas. I don’t like the taste of diet beverages so I drink an electrolyte replacement beverage. Bariatric surgery is kinda like pregnancy & your own kids. You don’t know what you are gonna get. I would like to know if there is a correlation between how much or a percentage of weight you loose & your symptoms afterwards. Best of luck to you!

Never heard of it but I see it has minoxidil as it’s active ingredient so same as Rogain. Minoxidil does regrow hair but you have to keep using it forever. Stop using it and your hair falls out again. I use the 5% Rogain for a small patch of menopausal hair loss at one temple (I’m vain 😉) & I dab it on my brows too (the women’s 2% wasn’t strong enough). It does make my hair a bit gloopy if I don’t wash it every 2 days though. There is a prescription tablet you can take which is easier of course but if you have low blood pressure you should avoid it. If you are thinking about using it for the weight loss associated hair loss it probably isn’t worth it (my opinion only) as your hair loss is temporary and it regrows.

2024 was a very tough year for me and my family. Both my mother and husband Dx with Cancer. My poor darling Mum old lasted 21 days from Dx. I haven't really had a chance to deal with it, have been drinking a lot! Christmas hit hard. Fortunately Hubby is doing well, but Chemo has knocked him around, poor fellow. Last round this week, so fingers crossed it all goes well and he gets the all clear!! 2025 goals: Successfully get through PreOp (starts 1st tomorrow😬), Op (16th Jan) and Post without issue!! Finally lose the weight I have been carrying most of my adult life! Spend less money! Find some exercise I enjoy and do it regularly. Be more grateful and appreciative of all the good/great things I have in my life. Happy New Year everyone!!!

You ready for a long story? 😎 My exercise history is definitely one of extremes. I was very athletic in High School (Secondary School). I played football (American), was on the swim team, and ran track and cross country (not all of those every year). Afterward I spent time in the US Army where running was the norm, so I ran quite a bit. My recollection is that I was running roughly 30 miles a week at that time, so actually a lot more than the minimum required. Unfortunately I was badly injured while I was in the service and was barely able to even walk for a long, long time. Once I mostly recovered from that, I got heavily into powerlifting for almost a decade. I had convinced myself that due to bad knees I shouldn't run anymore, so instead i just focused on the strength training as well as a tiny bit of cardio on the elliptical. Unfortunately, I tore up my back in a workplace accident, so from that point on, no more heavy lifting for me. This was really the beginning of my descent into inactivity and severe weight gain. The heavier I got, the less I was able to even move, until using a cane or walker had become the norm. In addition, during this time I ended up having multiple surgeries, including 5 different shoulder surgeries, multiple knee surgeries culminating in a total knee replacement, and even open heart surgery for a bad heart valve. Fast forward a lot and about 9 months after my bypass surgery, I was walking and backpacking pretty consistently. A bit like you, I decided mostly on a on a whim to just try jogging a bit. It was more to see if I could even do it than anything else. You have to understand with my health history, lots of my doctors would say I shouldn't run. I say I'm going to do whatever I need to do to keep myself healthy because I suspect at some point, I'll need both a revision to the knee replacement and a new heart valve. My ability to survive those surgeries at an advanced age is going to be highly dependent on my overall health. Anyway, back to running. I was so shocked at how well and relatively pain-free the running went, that I decided to start training for a 5k. From there it's just snowballed and I've now done around 20 or so different races between 5ks, 10ks and Half Marathons. I'm not super fast (I am 60 afterall), but I am still pretty competitive in my local races, at least for my age. I'm also lucky that I'm now retired. This means I have the time to train appropriately. I typically run 4 to 5 days a week and average between 25 and 35 miles a week. I'll probably ramp that up in 2025 because I'm targeting a fall marathon and I'd like to be around 50-60 miles a week at peak fitness before the race. At this point running is my passion, but I do still strength train twice a week to keep what strength I do still have. As an aside, I'm strongly considering becoming a Certified Personal Trainer. Not really because I needed the knowledge, or because I expect to work in the industry (I am happily retired after all). My real goal is to help others where I can on their journey to fitness. I feel I can better relate to those that are struggling than a lot of CPTs that have always been fit. I also at least want those I work with to know I do have some knowledge of the subject (even though I've frankly probably forgotten more about training than a lot of CPTs even know). I'm really glad you're going to keep after it. You might surprise yourself in terms of what your capable of!

My hopes are the same it has certainly gotten a lot of attention so perhaps it will help reduce some of the stigma at the very least. I have two friends that are currently on them for weight and they have shockingly low copays. My one friend showed me the pharmacy paper where it said her insurance saved her X dollars and I don’t remember the exact amount but It was well over a thousand.dollars. I follow Dr Weiner too so I learned about them when they were fairly newly being used for weight loss. I also looked into it before i went with my revision, but my insurance does not cover them for weight loss as of when I scheduled my surgery. My family provider’s office is currently working on getting compounded version to offer to their patients and hope to get the price under $200 a month they said but the NP said she would not put off surgery waiting on all insurance to cover it or for them to get a good compound because those things usually take quite a while.

Hi everyone. I'm really really new here. Just signed up some couple of minutes ago. I have undergone bypass surgery in 2021. It's going to be full 3 years pretty soon. I am also struggling with the weight-loss regain/comeback. It's almost as if it has been a 2-year-miraculous-weight-loss-bonus time frame where you lose weight almost automatically... Yes, in the last 12 months-or-so I have been neglecting systematic and disciplined exercise/physical activity. My dieting hasn't been particularly strict either... I'm just pretty much saddened for having regained almost 20 kilos again (around 40 pounds, i'd say? sorry, metric-system folk over here) and once more facing the REALLY REALLY hard struggle of losing weight once again, just as if I've never had the surgery. LUNAXINIAN, just like you, I'd really like to read/receive folks' advice if this same weight re-gain happened to any of you as well, and what did you do, how did you overcome it, and most of all, how did you manage to start losing weight once again?

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 was wondering if any one else has this problem. I have always had a flat butt but it is way worse now and all my pants slide down in the back. Regular button fly pants and shorts are the worst because I can't get them to stop. My belly is extremely big so the pants are very loose in the back, even at the waist but they fit or are tight in the front. I know I could do a belt but that woudln't be comfortable with my big belly right now. Has anyone ever used anything to pinch the material in back up? I am not even sure if I can find a belt to fit me, it has been so long since anyone has. I am afraid that the best would just cinch the front more and dig into my skin. I am proportioned really weird - skinny legs, smaller arms but big boobs and big belly but my back and butt are losing the weight faster than the front. It feels like I could wear one size in the front and one in the back!

Wow. I am so thrilled for you to hear or your weight loss but more importantly the resolution of your comorbidities. That’s awesome. You should update your weight in your profile. You earned it!! Are you still losing or are you in maintenance at this point?

had my surgery march 2015 had my ups and down with weight since but now i seem to not be able to stop losing, i don’t want to anymore just maintain but i get full so quick and don’t want to feel sick anymore! anyone else experiencing this?

Just a thought whilst reading through others comments. I know you said that carbs are hard to increase, however I think that is the culprit. I work out 6days a week and I am closer to 80g of carbs and 30 ish g of fat most days. You don't have to eat bread but fruits, and veggies have carbs. I am not saying goes balls to the wall, but if your working out then 1800 cal is not cutting it. My BMR to maintain is close to 2500 calories, I eat about 1500 cal right now just because I cannot physically eat that much. I checked to see how many calories I need to gain weight and I would need to consume 3300 calories a day! I am not saying stuff yourself, but eating every 1/5-2hrs will be beneficial- add granola to your yogurt, protein bar right after working out, eat some peanut butter balls with oatmeal, maple syrup, caco nibs or chocolate chips, add cottage cheese to eggs with a handful of spinach. Beefing up your meals will help you feel better. Maybe you know all this but just my two cents

Well that was a fun-filled week! I’m finally on the other side of Covid and feeling tons better. After far too much faffing, I got the antiviral meds on Tuesday evening and, all credit to them, they really do work. Thankfully the only side effect I had was a godawful taste in my mouth which everyone gets apparently. I need to test myself today, just to make sure I’m clear but I have to build up to ramming cotton buds up my nose! Hubby is now in the throws of Covid but without the antivirals as he’s not judged as ‘vulnerable’ so he’s white-knuckling it with just paracetamol for the symptoms. He was a total star last week though and really did look after me as I was floored with it. He’s doing OK-ish with it, still working from home but definitely not at full capacity. So, having a bit reset this week food-wise. I’m 5lbs up from my lowest weight which isn't the end of the world. I just need to tighten up my eating habits and think about what I’m eating. Our postponed anniversary dinner is on Saturday so fingers crossed my gains come off pretty quickly and things settle down in the next couple of weeks. I’ve heard nothing from the hospital regarding the MDT, which is OK. I’m back for bloods on Friday for checking my liver function. Hopefully it will have sorted itself out! I think my second blip was the beginning of Covid. I’ve not taken any of my RA meds in order to give my liver a rest and will hopefully get back to normal with them next week. Nothing else going on here. Just planning on pottering around this week and getting odd bits done. Have a happy, healthy week everyone! Onwards and Downwards 🙂

THIS ^^^^ I never dropped a lot of weight in a short time. I averaged 1-2 pounds a week and as long as the scale was moving in a downward direction I was happy. If I hit a stall, I stayed off the scale to preserve my mental health. LOL I kept telling myself slow and steady wins the race. Distracting myself with moving and thrifting. I found that I breezed through clothes sizes way faster. Which was sooo much fun. Almost 1 1/2 years after Gastric Bypass. I'm still losing pounds and inches. Not sure where I will end up and people are telling me to stop but I'm letting my body dictate that. For now. I walk a couple miles a day. That's it. Today I am 5 pounds from goal weight. And I personally know someone who had WLS GB many moons ago and regained the weight back and more. She's a bad reminder of where I don't want to end up. Enjoy the journey and WL and mentally prepare yourself more so, for the maintenance part when it comes. GL

Everyday Win: I am the crazy lady who gets up @ 4am to work out. I credit a lot of the rapid weight loss to MOVEMENT. I have always enjoyed movement even when larger. My most enjoyed Movement consist of being outside on the walking trails. I have yet to step foot in a gym, but will next month as I have a personal trainer for strength training 😩🙄. Do you enjoy movement? I know it's hard! IMG_6212.mov