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Sorry about your one more hurdle CPAP addition. I too was put on CPAP before surgery. I was one point (5.9 so 6) above the not needing it - it sucks I know. Just tell yourself.. Just one more step closer to your surgery. What's odd is my CPAP score has gotten a lot worse since I had surgery! I was told (IF you can talk to a sleep doctor), they tend to diagnose / prescribe then from then on its crickets telling you its now under your GP's care - except they're not specialized in reading CPAP scores or diagnosing the machines data - that the change is due to my weight loss due to mask leaks...right...I have the nasal mask and its not influenced by weight gain/loss, so I've quit using it for now, especially since I'm past the required 3 months of usage by the insurance company. So again, just do what you have to by jumping through their hoops to become healthier and get your surgery!

So my surgeon said that because of the conditions it would be better for me to have the 'harder hitting' surgery - by that he means the one that has the slightly higher % of weight loss results afterwards! He also said that the bypass is more effective in balancing out hormonal issues compared to the sleeve, and that what I need is an entire metabolic reset!

I'll have to give this a try as well. When I have a sweet potato I usually get some Greek yogurt add some pepper and ranch seasoning. Never thought about blending cottage cheese.

I was wondering if any of you would be able to share some information with me regarding getting pregnant/pregnancy after a bypass (mgb or regular). I am so mentally ready to have a baby but all the unknowns are stressing me out! 1. Did you have to get cleared by your surgeon to start trying and if so, what did they check? 2. Did you work with a dietician to get the right nutrients/calories for yourself & your baby or did you figure it out yourself? 3. How much weight did you gain and did you lose it after? 4. Did you get followed up as a high risk pregnancy because of your bypass? 5. Did you have a caesarean because of your bypass? 6. Did you have complications related to your bypass? 7. Were there any effects on your baby related to your bypass? Thanks already for answering any questions, I appreciate it so much 😊

I've had a few days of 4-5 BMs a day but on the average 2-3. Thankfully I've never had problems with constipation post-op except during week one. That usually comes with weight stalls. I was told pale stools was caused from the fat loss especially if it floats so.... I'm happy to go often. I figure I'm flushing fat and pounds down the toilet. 😌 Downside, I sometimes worry about being out somewhere and too far away from a bathroom. So I plan carefully. But I know at some point it will slow down. GL

this makes me feel so much better! The times that my SO and I are able to sneak away on a date night I was worried I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself. We have fun trying new food and were that gross couple that feed each other LOL! I still wanted to be able to enjoy myself but it sounds like since you were eating slower there might have been more conversation? Did you feel like you enjoyed yourself more?

The last two times I wore all white: around 2-3 months pre op and 6+ yrs post op. I can’t really remember being the other version of myself anymore as there have been several layers of transformation beside weight loss including new relationships, locations, body modifications, etc.

I dont know what weight you are so its really guess work. I did a 3 week pre op diet and with 2 months post surgery weight loss, I dropped 40 pounds. If you do the same and bought your outfit, maybe your clothes would not fit. I really had a struggle with food after surgery. At 2 months I was just about getting the hang of it. I would not have eaten regular food. Soup, milk, yogurts and cheese were my staples at that time. If I had to go to a function I would pack myself a emergency pack, just in case. I had massive drops in energy and needed lots of little meals to pick me up. I still carry protein bars and a drink.

Everyone is different and their bodies will react differently to the surgery and weight loss as the body tries to cope with so much change. For me I have suffered greatly with fatigue but that was in part due to serious surgical complications. My period has not returned since just before my surgery and blood tests confirm that I have gone into menopause. Not a surprise given my age (very late 40s) and I figured it was going to happen sooner or later, just would have preferred the time to recover from surgery before having to cope with the hot flushes etc.

Do you mean you had sleeve to bypass revision surgery OP? Was it more for reflux than weight loss? Could you share some more info that would help others on their journey? Even if not - well done you on your loss and getting back on track.

My B12 was also a bit high on my last bloodwork (I think it was like 1200 or something like that) and they just said to cut back a little but that it was nothing to worry about. Your visit sounds like it went really well!!! Congrats

My butt hurt real bad for about 18 months then poof the pain disappeared and has never returned. Hope yours does too

Hello @New To This23 thank you so much! My current loss includes preop diet as well. I was only required to do a 3 day preop diet. I agree about the stalls or slow moving scales! I plan to only weigh once a month. I already was getting in a habit of weighing everyday...I don't feel that's mentally healthy. Anyways I feel good about the holidays. I current cook several times a week for my family and have already meal prepped my "bariatric portions". I may still make old favorites for family dinner... but there no pressure to do so. I may even try a little of normal food... but won't push it.

I started going to the Chiro at 2 weeks PO, my hips were locked, I have stage 2 arthritis through my whole back. For the first 3 months I went 3 times a week for adjustments, now I go once a week. It has helped a ton! I still have back pain and I know some of it is just my body adjusting to losing 179 pounds. It is pretty amazing with the adjustments and weight loss to have some mobility back! My gait is a lot better, I stand more upright, and the back pain is a lot less than it was!

Thanks for the input! I dry heave just thinking about pureeing solid foods. I'll make note to ask the NUT if I can skip the pureed stage.

First, during the surgery lots of nerves were cut so messages about feeling full, hungry, etc, either don’t get through or are distorted. It takes about 8 weeks to heal so most of days find we don’t start to feel our restriction until we’re into solid foods. Also, fluids & purées to a lesser extent go through your digestive system a lot more quickly so you don’t really fill up in rather same way. Tread carefully with the volume of food & liquids you can consume quickly for the same reason. Allow yourself to heal so you don’t strain or stress your digestive system which is being held together with sutures & staples. All because you can doesn’t mean you should in the first two months. We all can & should be able to eat & drink larger & larger portions as we progress until we get to a recommended & appropriate portion size. Try not to eat until you feel full. Try to identify when you’ve had enough. I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it. It takes at least 20 minutes for the signal that you’ve had enough to get through so by the time it does you’ve likely eaten more than you need. While some people do continue to feel hungry the majority lose their hunger for a number of months. Start by discerning if you are feeling real hunger or head hunger. Craving a specific food, texture or flavour is head hunger. Are you feeling tired, stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, sad, etc.? Many of us ate to sooth or comfort ourselves when our emotions were in turmoil. This too is a head hunger. It takes a while for your digestive system to adjust so you keep producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery. Excess acid can make you think you’re hungry (are you on a PPI to reduce stomach acid?) Hunger pangs/pains or a rumbling tummy also in most cases don’t indicate real hunger but excess stomach acid & your digestive system working. Many of us discover new signals for being or almost full (sneezing, runny nose, hiccups, etc.). We often find that feeling hungry (real hunger) is different too. For me I get restless, like something is wrong, I don’t crave anything & there is a reason why I would be hungry (like missed a meal, or ate very little at a previous meal, etc.) As an example. Yesterday went to a family event at a restaurant. Ate very little (they cleared our plates way too quickly for how slowly I eat). Got home late afternoon. Gnawed a trimmed chicken leg for dinner which I bought up (darn foamies). Ate a protein bar & went to bed. Tossed & turned & while tired couldn’t sleep. Argued with myself about whether I was really hungry or not. Realised besides the small lunch, bringing up my dinner, I’d also mixed two snacks. Debated what I wanted to eat (nothing specific). Real hunger. Got up & finished my leftover rolled oats breakfast (usually an afternoon snack). Then happily went back to bed & slept. There is a lot you have to learn & work out about your body, how it works now & your thinking. It takes time but you’ll get there. PS Congrats on your surgery & weight loss so far.

Wasn't sure if now was the best time to make this, but I see others making this kind of thread the month before their surgery date so I thought why not! It feels surreal even saying I am having surgery next month! Mine is booked on for 14/05/24 - who else will be having theirs in May? A few questions just to get us started: 1) Are you nervous about anything? If so, what? - just in the hope that any veterans can give advice or if we can help each other. Anxiety is normal! 2) What have you prepared/plan to prepare for your hospital bag? 3) What are you most excited about? I look forward to hearing from you all ❤️

Hi everyone!! okay so I’ve always been “heavier” haven’t met the BMI standards since jr high maybe a year in high school. My hips & thighs were always me in size 9 jeans. Well I had health issues that required surgeries. Which left me disabled. And my weight was stuck at 180 due to it, my weight jumped some to 210. I am currently on Rybelsus 7mg and my current weight is 189. So im almost to the weight that I’ve been stuck at for years. Yesterday I had a consultation, intake to the Bariatric program. I was told that I would be receiving a Gastric Sleeve with robotics, which would give me one night hospital stay and a weight loss of 60-80 pounds. I’ll be having the testing done soon as well as meet with the psychiatrist and dietitian. I see him again 9-11-24 So I can home a nervous wreck! I am afraid of having general anesthesia again. I have had it a few times without and with complications. Honestly being a mom IS the only real reason so my anxiety. The what if I pass. I researched ALOT and seen the procedure is a safe one. That calmed me nerves and I was in a good space, until an hour ago. I started thinking about how I absolutely LOVE food and how only being able to eat maybe half a happy meal. I read gum, soda etc are not allowed after surgery as well. According to my P.C.P. I am healthy just obese. Years ago I struggled with hypertension, diabetes and gallstones. Those issues were resolved but I have a consult about my fatty liver in Nov. anyways. I was wondering has anyone else gone through this? I don’t care if I get down to my healthy bmi weight or not. I am fine if I can get to 160. What I am saying is am I having the “regret” even though I haven’t even had surgery yet. A little FYI.. I am Intermittent Fasting & My disability makes me unable to jump, run or go one long walks. I can’t do some exercises so modifications help but are not as effective I believe. So I AM excepting, eating healthier already.

Everyone loses at their own rate. There are many factors that can influence your rate of loss (constipation, diarrhoea, fluid retention, your body’s reaction to the surgery, starting weight, medications, etc.). Though it can be difficult, try not to compare yourself with others. It will only lead to frustration & feeling you’re failing. You’re not failing. You’ve lost 4lbs in 11 days - yay! Remember too that many nerves were cut during your surgery so messages about feeling full or eaten enough either aren’t getting through or the messages are distorted. It takes around 8 weeks to be fully healed & when your messages start to come back they may be different to what you remember. It’s why it’s important to stick to the portion recommendations you were advised & to eat slowly (takes a good 20+ minutes for a full message to get through when you’re healed). Portion sizes do differ but 4-6oz at 11days seems a lot. My plan was 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food from purée slowly increasing to a cup at 6 months & 3 meals a day. Fluids were just sip, sip, sip, regardless of what I was drinking. So it took me a couple of hours to drink a shake or a cup of soup too. But that was my plan & plans differ. Check your plan for portions & also the foods you are allowed at each stage. I could have cottage cheese at weeks 3 & 4 purées & chili at the soft food stage at weeks 5 & 6. Congrats on your surgery.

I had several stalls - but they all eventually broke and I kept going until I hit goal (actually, about 10 lbs under) 20 months later. When I tried to lose weight on my own, I'd lose at most about 50 lbs before I'd hit a brick wall and my weight would eventually start heading back up. WLS was the only thing that allowed me to break through those brick walls and lose all of my excess weight (100% of it - although I've gained about 20 lbs of it back over the years). I think it's just a coincidence that you're having a stall at your former "brick wall". Just keep plugging away at it. It does get harder the closer you get to goal, though. Those last 20 or 30 lbs were a bear to get off (and It could be that my new, post op "set point" IS where I am now - but this is way, way lower than any pre-WLS set points).

My highest recorded weight was 341 pounds, but I lost about 70 pounds before surgery. I'm almost 3.5 years out and I'm in the mid-130s now. I didn't expect to lose this much; I wasn't really hung up on a specific number, but I think my original goal weight (based on average WLS data) was about 180. It was initially fairly easy to lose weight after surgery (the "honeymoon period" when my restriction was very strong and my hunger was almost nonexistent), but it took a lot of effort to get to where I am and maintain it. I've completely changed my diet and eating habits and I work out a lot (at least 90 minutes every day). A lot of my life revolves around diet and exercise to maintain my weight, but I still enjoy food and eating at least as much as before, and I have discovered a love for a lot of healthy foods. After losing over 200 pounds, I do have excess skin, and I don't currently have any plans to have plastic surgery. I have a flabby belly and sagging thighs. I have a little arm flab but not as bad as I expected. My butt and chest are quite deflated. I'm never going to have a bikini-ready body and I accept that. A shaping cami works wonders to hold in the belly, and flattering clothing can hide the rest well enough that no one would guess that I used to weigh more than twice as much. I care much more about the non-scale victories than the number on the scale, and for someone who started at a super morbidly obese weight, getting to my current size is a whole new world. My health has improved in so many ways -- my blood pressure is normal, lipid panel is good, and my doctor undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. I used to have a hard time finding clothing in my size, as I was too big for even "plus size" clothing at some stores (I used to wear size 26/28), and now I can find my size almost anywhere (I am now size 6/8 or medium/large). I used to struggle to walk short distances or a couple of flights of stairs, and now I can walk miles without breaking a sweat and glide up 10 flights of stairs without stopping. It's amazing how much easier it is to get around when I'm not carrying the weight of a whole extra person. I used to be hyper-aware of people judging me for my weight, and I dreaded meeting people face to face, knowing that they would think less of me when they saw my size. It is hard to describe the emotional burden that has been lifted by not having to worry about people making negative assumptions about me based on my weight. I have not had any direct complications from the surgery, but because of the rapid weight loss, I developed bradycardia (slow heart rate) and had to get a pacemaker. That's been rough, but overall, I am far better off having had the surgery and losing the weight.

Update....still only at 228 as of a few minutes ago....although I started my period nice and a week early. So maybe that's it? Idk....but it's been almost two weeks with no loss....kind of disheartening BUT I'm still holding out hope that this will work! I know I'm not overeating...so it's not that..

I've had this happen! My body seems to have some set points it is familiar with and I have noticed myself stalling at them or at least holding there for a week or two. My first stall post-op lasted 6 weeks and was at around the same weight I got to when I took Saxenda. I hope your stall is gone and over WAY before then!! It is interesting that your body picked that spot to stall at. I really wonder if the body has a variety of set points within it as opposed to just one. The way I understand it is that stalls mean our body has reached the point that we've lost enough it needs to reassure itself we aren't starving to death. So it stops weight loss, recalibrates, and assesses things before moving forward. It makes sense to me that for some of us this may happen at previous points of stalling or previous weights we stayed at for a while...

Total Vs net carbs aren't really a thing this side of the pond. Disclaimer - I am writing this post with a glass of wine (completely useless carb) beside me, so make of it what you will. While you're in the active phase of weight loss post op IMO you should be minimising carbs. If you're not quite full after your protein and veg then have a little more veg. Or protein. Carbs are what make people fat - what made US fat. There are NO essential carbs (there ARE essential amino acids - i.e. protein - AND essential fatty acids - ie fats). Nobody needs refined carbohydrate to survive. If you absolutely have to incorporate carbs into your diet while still losing then keep them healthy. Carby veg, fruit, oatmeal, wholemeal bread/crackers, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, etc.

Thank you so much for sharing! I’m 7 years out, menopausal and have put on about 40lbs… I have got to get my head hunger under control!