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I had my skin surgeries in 2017 and 2018 (and a face/neck lift a year ago). Before I started doing consultations, I'd read on bariatric internet forums (and it might have been this one) to expect $8K-$10K per procedure, with a lower body lift counting as two procedures since they do both front and back (in other words, it's more extensive than a panniculetomy). I had three consults in the US, and that range rang true. I did one email consult with a surgeon in Mexico, and his estimate was maybe half that (although I chose to stay in the US for my surgeries). I've had a lower body lift, an arm lift, a breast lift, and again, a face/neck lift. EDITED to add: part of it depends on where in the country you have it done. You're probably going to pay more in a city like NY, Chicago, or LA than you will in a place like Knoxville, Tennessee. I know there are some people on this forum who had theirs done in Florida, which for some reason seems cheaper than other parts of the country.

You’ve lost the padding on your bones. My wrists, knees, shoulders, ankles, butt all would get sore when I’d put pressure on them. It does improve. The discomfort only wakes me after two or three hours now not every hour like it originally did. Some of the pain can be muscular too as tendons & ligaments etc. realign. Hips, back are the most common areas. They had been working in certain positions to compensate for carrying your weight & now they don’t have to & are moving back into their correct place as your posture improves. As for your sternum, may be check with your doctor to reassure yourself. Our skeletons have little differences in bone formations & some parts protrude more than others like noticeable collarbones, larger chests, wider hips, etc. Congrats on your weight loss.

I don't know if you saw my message, but I'm on the east side of WA State and having mine in Seattle. Three more days! We can do this. Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

I am more than a dozen years out from my VSG. I started at 5'3" and 320 pounds. I had surgery in my mid 50's ! I am now 66 years old. I won't ever be thin. I have not had and will not have plastic surgery to remove the saggy baggy parts. My insurance and my general health are not going to work for that. But my doctor's consider me to be in great health, and are more than pleased where I am at right now. I did gain back weight over about 8 years. My lowest weight was about 165 - at two years post VSG. I gained 220 - some was health related, most of it was life.... and not self regulating. About three years ago I decided to lose 10 pounds in a year. But I realized losing weight was not the biggest problem, but learning how to maintain what I lost was the issue for me. So after losing 10 pounds I PURPOSELY stopped losing weight, and maintained the 10 pound loss for 3 months. I learned what I could eat, and how to eat to maintain my weight. Then I decided to lose some more. Three years later I am close to that lowest weight I had been ( and what I weighed when I was in my 20's ) I actually stopped losing weight and maintained at 173 to 175 for about a year. A few months ago I decided to try to lose a bit more. I have no "goal" right now, except that I just bought size 14 petite jeans - and haven't worn that size for 10 years and would like to try for that 165 and stay there. My PCP let me know two important things.... once you hit about 63 or so one should use "Smart BMI" as we age, we are graciously given a few extra pounds ... so my smart BMI is actually under the one here. and we also shrink in height. I keep simple protein as the focus of what I eat. I raise my own backyard hens that produce incredible eggs for breakfast - or I eat oatmeal and fruit. Lunches and Dinners are proteins and fresh veggies and fruit. I eat some carbs - maybe a low carb spinach wrap or thin slice bread. Snacks are healthful, and I insist on a treat every day. Sometimes just one small dove candy.... maybe a cookie or small serving of something sweet. For me, it is balance and yes, I weigh myself a few times a week - just to make sure I am on track.

Three days for me. Four for you. Honestly, I am freaking out a little. I am glad to have the holidays to distract me somewhat. Pre-op diet has been insanely hard for me. I discovered I am very sensitive to sucralose. Then I figured out I was having problems with whey protein. Honestly, I feel better when I don't try to eat at all right now. I know this isn't great for me, so I have been forcing down broths with collagen while I wait for my unflavored pea protein to show up. Overall, I have done well on my pre-op diet, even with the hurdles. I think it has prepared me for what is sure to be a challenging post-op period. I did have a food dream last night. In my dream I ate something really yummy (can't remember what) and the surgeon cancelled my sleeve. It was bad, not a relief, so I am confident I am doing the right thing for me. Today and tomorrow are Christmas activities. And then on the 26th, I am packing my bag for the hospital. Ack. I will try to update you all as soon as I can. Best wishes to all of you!

I took Benefibre for about 5/6 months . I stopped once I was eating a wider variety of foods & larger portions. I kept on top of any constipation I had but generally found I’d go every two days. If I didn’t go by day three I’d take a stool softener. I didn’t experience any of the prolonged periods of constipation & I think the Benefibre helped to avoid that. I didn’t have any issues with using it but I only had it once a day not three times as I believe it can be taken. I added mine to 250mls of a high protein yoghurt drink. Think it’s better to add it to a liquid versus applesauce or other puréed type foods.

Okay so I have been following but not posting much for a little while. I have been frustrated, feeling like I don’t have much advice to offer others because I have been searching for my own answers and very embarrassed about my weigh gain. Anyways, for those of you who don’t know me, I had my surgery March 9, 2021 at 235 (5’8”). I lost pretty steadily down to 169 but then stalled for months on end until my appetite came back and I started gaining and continue to gain. I have been struggling uphill while searching for answers ever since. The bariatric team blames my psyc meds but the prescribing dr claims they are weight neutral meds. My family dr agrees and showed me an article about the cravings they cause but he ordered thyroid and diabetes tests too which came back fine but I continue to gain so I made an appointment with an endocrine doctor thanks to a few people on here who suggested it. I finally just seen the endo doc and My cortisol was elevated on the suppression test so I just completed the two day saliva test which hopefully will bring some more answers but what they have said so far is that it’s probably sub clinical cushings which takes a while to confirm. I thought about waiting until I had more info but they said it will be another two or three weeks for these results and I may need more tests after that. I guess MY diagnosis is not really the point anyways. My point is I have recently learned of three things that could be the culprit of my weight that were never tested before surgery and I wonder why they don’t mention these tests pre surgery. I mean They are simple blood tests. I even googled to see why the cushings thing isn’t investigated since it doesn’t resolve with bariatric surgery and all I could find was one article that said it is of course suggested if you present with any of the classic symptoms but in terms of a blanket requirement for people considering bariatric surgery this person felt it unnecessary because it’s not extremely common. I guess maybe that’s the view of my doctor too but I sure wish I was presented with the option at least. I am just curious whether these are things that are tested or even brought up by other people doctors prior to surgery or what others think about whether they should be. And perhaps to give some people things they can investigate first if they are on the fence about surgery. I just feel like the surgery was never going to work for me because it seems likely that the root of my issue is still there. I am maintaining SOME of the loss but according to what I understand about what I have read so far, left untreated I will steadily continue to gain. I know this is still up in the air and not a super common thing regardless but I can’t be the only one struggling with this pre or post surgery and I hope my experience can help someone else struggle just a little less cause watching everyone around me try to be polite as I slowly put the weight back on has felt even worse than being obese was to begin with. I am trying to hang In there for answers and give myself grace but it’s hard to not feel like a failure as I continue to gain and everyone now knows I had surgery and of course I have to wonder if I blew my one shot at surgery because I am doing these tests after instead of before surgery. Regardless, if you are someone who doesn’t really make a ton of poor food choices but just eats more than “normal” because you always feel hungry, consider a cortisol test before surgery. I wish I had.

Hi there. I'd recommend checking out a program like StrongLifts 5x5. It's an excellent program for building lean muscle mass while also helping to improve your skin tone. It's a strength training program that focuses on compound lifts to help you build strength and muscle with minimal bulk. Plus, it only takes three workouts a week, so it's easy to fit into your schedule. Good luck! It's also completely free, so you don't have to worry about spending money on a program. Have you looked into using ibutamoren from behemothlabz.com? It increases the secretion of growth hormone, which can help you achieve your goal of lean muscle gain without putting on too much size.

I’m three yrs 7 months post surgery. I’m about 3lbs heavier then my lowest weight (2 of which are above from where I initially settled). I eat about 1400 calories a day & don’t really exercise apart from from resistance exercises, sit ups & stretches (wouldn’t burn 30 calories 😁). I am pretty careful with what I eat & there are certain foods I don’t eat or eat very rarely. Some are foods that don’t sit well in my tummy like bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, cous cous & starchy vegetables. Others are things I’ve realised I feel better without like sweet foods. I don’t eat fast food like burgers & rarely eat takeaway like Chinese, Japanese or Thai - only with others & make careful choices. I don’t consider this a diet but just how I eat. Some may think I’m fairly restricted in what I eat but it’s only with certain things & I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything. I still have cravings - salty foods are my challenge - but I understand the why & the when behind them like craving salt after I eat yoghurt (🤷🏻‍♀️). Sometimes I surrender though I’ll have some salted macadamia nuts, a couple of multigrain rice crackers (carefully as they’re a slider food) or roll some cucumber in salt. I changed some of my cooking styles & use have incorporated some alternative ingredients & more if others. Like I use an air fryer or oven more & incorporate more lentils, pearl barley & beans than I did before. I don’t track as such but I do random checks of portions, calories & nutrients. I still keep a close eye on protein, because I have an absorption issue, & on my water intake. I weigh myself a couple of times a week just to keep myself on track & honest. A lot of how you manage your maintenance into the future is a personal thing. My body, how it works & what it needs, is different to yours. My lifestyle will be different. How I want to live my life & the demands on it is likely different too. And you may be more or less active than me. Health, age, etc. are a considerations too. So how I choose to eat may not work for you or for anyone else. Same with the other changes & choices I’ve made. Best advice is to experiment with different eating styles & cooking styles, introduce new foods, reintroduce old favourites, etc. & see how you go. It just need to be sustainable, complementary to your lifestyle & you’re happy & healthy.

I found my rate of loss just got slower. & slower. There wasn’t a sudden change. It goes hand in hand with you slowly increasing your calorie intake as your portion sizes get larger & you’re eating a wider variety of foods which you should be doing. Plus every week you have less to lose. The hair loss is temporary & only lasts about three months. Small cost to pay for the weight loss. The thing to watch is complacency in your food choices & activity. It can be easy to let a treat become a more regular addition to your diet, to add extra snacks, larger portions etc., not tracking & measuring as carefully or regularly. Boredom & diet fatigue are real. But stick to your plan, recommendations from your dietician & the new habits & behaviours you’ve been establishing.

I was revised from VSG to RNY over three years ago. I can say that my lifestyle and routine is about 95% the same as VSG (and about 75% the same as pre WLS.) I think I was back to what I considered normal in about 4 months after surgery. Your experience may vary of course. The 5% margin of difference between VSG and RNY was the immediate post op period where I had to adjust to new bathroom habits and figuring out exactly which food I no longer could tolerate. Now even the things I didn’t tolerate immediately I can have in some amount and some things I just don’t want at all (super sugary sweet stuff). I can’t speak to the weight loss aspect because I was at my goal and have pretty much stayed there, but the reflux/GERD is gone and has not returned, yet (although unlikely anything is possible). Good luck

First congratulations on your weight loss so far. Yay! Secondly, constipation is a common problem & a pain in the butt (meant the pun). Try adding some non swelling, soluble fibre to your diet like Benefibre & ensure you’re meeting your fluid goals. Try to keep on top of it with medications, & try to avoid not going for extended periods of time - too painful & stressful. I didn’t mind if I didn’t go every day but I took a stool softener if I hadn’t gone after three days so I would have some action on the fourth day. Maybe track your pooping (not Sheldon Cooper style 😉 but just when you go) so you can avoid prolonged periods if constipation.

Thank you so much for the information! My doctor just told me to avoid caffeine for at least a year post op. Honestly, because I take ADHD medicine, I'm doing fine without it... I actually got off the medicine that I used to take for energy due to my sleep apnea because my energy has been naturally coming back which is pretty cool... I think that's another reason though, now that I think about it that I could be getting constipated as well... I should drink three to four cups of coffee a day and once I got that first cup down I was good to go to the bathroom... I will use some of your suggestions. I got benifiber coming in tomorrow and my mom said don't take fiber with the multivitamins as it can cancel them out. So I will take it at night and then I will take the multivitamins with iron and the vitamin d dissolve both tabs in the morning...

Hey everyone! This is Ashley. I had surgery on October 6th and had to start my pre-op diet in the beginning of June of this year... My heaviest weight is 356 lb... The day of surgery I was at 313 lb... And as of today I am at 264 lb!!! I was so thinking excited when I hit the 90 lb mark of weight loss ! Can imagine what if you like once I lose 100 !!! My goal weight is about 180 lb. Some about 85 lb away from that goal I believe ... More than halfway there just from the pre-op diet and 2 of post-op!?! It took me a while to be more comfortable with trying new foods as I was terrified of throwing up or having dumping syndrome... I had the gastric sleeve and things have been going much better than expected! I'm able to eat very healthy but lots of different types of foods which is really exciting! I even ate a sliced apple the other day which some people can't tolerate the skin and I did create! The reason I'm reaching out to y'all is because I'm dealing with chronic constipation. The only time that I can really go to the bathroom without any pain is if I take milk of magnesia... I tried to avoid it but The 2 weeks ago after realizing I hadn't gone to the bathroom in 2 and 1/2 weeks but I had no stomach pain or anything so I totally lost track of it! I had a bowel movement " naturally" If you can even call it that took two days to get out last Sunday and Monday... It was an extremely painful experience and extremely hard to the point where put it this way. I had to plunge the toilet a couple times just to be able to get it down.... Details are gross I know but this is what this page is all about getting help for our gross details! I just now took more milk of magnesia because I haven't gone since that severely constipated situation... I have been very good about eating very healthy and drinking a lot of water and getting my protein intake. I have however unfortunately not been great at taking vitamins and keeping up with them. I ordered some more vitamins today and decided to get back on track. Even before surgery I was deficient of vitamin d very severely as well as low on iron to the point of anemia. So I'm wondering if my nausea that I've been having isn't just constipation but also vitamin deficiency and if maybe that's why I'm constipated as well... I also ordered benafiber tablets to see if that helps... Do you guys have any advice on how to go better? What do you do when it's been a few days and you haven't gone? In the past? If I don't go for three or four days pre-surgery I had to get stomach cramps and pains and things like that and that's not happening this time around. Advice is welcome. There is hope if we just stick together. I love you all so much. You are like a family to me! I look forward to your responses!! Sent from my Pixel 6 using BariatricPal mobile app

Haven’t done plastic surgery. Don’t think the recovery & scaring is worth it for the little lose skin I have. If they took it from all over my body they’d probably only remove 1or 2 kilograms. But beauty treatments, I’m like @ms.sss. My name is Arabesque & I’m vain. It’s something that only started in the last two years. Was never this bad before surgery. It’s my new addiction. Had Dysport (Botox) in my forehead, between the brows, chin & upper lip (lip curl) several times. I love it. The lip curl is amusing as for the first couple of days after it starts working, I sort of lisp & feel like a can’t pronounce some words & cleaning my teeth is a hoot - can’t spit out the toothpaste it sort of drools out. Several RF sessions in my second year. Don’t know if it did anything because I did it around the time my weight was stabilising & my body was resettling. Liked the experience though - soothing. Filler on the side of my face. Had sunken pockets of no fat in front of my ears. It lifted my marionette lines a little. Had one derma pen (deeper micro needling) treatment (subsequent sessions delayed for many reasons) but am having my first combined micro needling & RF (even deeper needling & RF which occurs below the surface of the skin) in January. Takes three moths to start to see any effects & you need about 6 treatments of derma pen but inky 4 with combined treatment. Think I see a little reduction in my acne scarring, which was the main purpose of having it. The combined treatment is supposed to aid skin laxity. We’ll see. Have monthly facials, pedicures (like doing my own finger nails) & have had micro blading (best thing ever). Having first teeth whitening this afternoon. Don’t know what I’ll try next.

Hey guys! I'm three weeks post- op from Gastric Sleeve. Just curious as to if anyone else has had something called water nausea? I have not been able to drink water in any form (iced, room temperature, hot, flavored, etc...) without it coming back up the second it hits by stomach. The only fluids I have been able to keep down are Gatorade zero or tea with no calorie sweetener. Recently, Gatorade zero has also become like water to the extent where it makes me sick or very nauseous. Also, I'm in the soft foods and I was told I should be eating at least a quarter of a cup of soft foods, but I can't get through one bite that's smaller than my pinky nail without having an intense pain in the center of my upper stomach below the sternum. The pain has convinced me that eating in general just isn't worth it and I have the same issue when it comes to protein shakes. Has anybody experienced this and have any helpful advice? I've had to get fluids for the two weeks and my doctor says it's all normal, but it's causing me to spiral into a pit of depression because everyone I've talked to has said they never experienced anything like this and therefore can't give me advice.

I've been to three and one OBGYN. They don't know. Hormones are normal on every test. Very slight hirsutism began at 14 (faint hairs on my abdomen). But by 21 I was growing a beard and my body hair was wolf man level. No answers for that or my severe acne which was practically all over my body. They can't figure it out. They say ''genetics'' but not one parent has those kind of characteristic's. Both parents are fair haired, thin people. My Mother only had to shave her legs once a week or longer and I don't ever recall her having facial hair. Both parents are thin too with no history of adolescent or adult acne. A total mystery.

I bought an Apple Watch before surgery because I wanted to track my walks and apparently it comes with three free months of Apple Fitness+. Tried it for the first time tonight, did a 10 minute absolute beginner's HIIT workout and 10 minute absolute beginner's Functional Strength. I definitely preferred the HIIT, my shoulders felt super tight and "crunchy" which made me feel like I was doing the strength wrong, but it was the first time I did any working out post-op apart from walks outside or on the treadmill and they both went well! Definitely going to keep up with the 10 minute HIIT and then when I feel comfortable with it, try the 20 minute one on the playlist.

Popcorn is a slider food. It’s easy to eat so you end up eating way more than you can actually manage hence the feeling awful after. https://nutritionforweightlosssurgery.com/slider-foods/ Carrot was the first food I threw up, @Spinoza. Ate it one day & it was fine. The next day up it came. A few days later & ever since no problem. Our tummy’s have so many quirky idiosyncrasies that sometimes you can’t predict how it will react. Even three & a half years later I learn things about my tummy & digestive system.

You’ll get lots of different responses to your question. You may have gas pains - I didn’t after my sleeve but had heaps after my gall surgery. The gas is not in your digestive system but in your abdominal cavity so burping & farting won’t help. It rises & gets trapped under your lungs causing nerve pain usually in your shoulder. You actually breathe it out so walk, walk, walk as you can, do deep breathing, march on the spot & heat packs can ease the discomfort. It’s usually gone in a week or less. Yoi’ll get good drugs for the surgical pain. I took my last one on at night on day 4 to ensure I slept & didn’t need them after that. You may find it difficult to sleep in your bed & some sleep in a recliner. I slept in my bed in my usual side twist position from day 1. You will experience abdominal tenderness. It can make getting up & down a little difficult but go slowly. Some find a binder useful or even a cane but that is very individual. I didn’t use or need either. You may be bloated from all the fluid they pump you with & you may end up weighing more after the surgery than you did before. You pee it out over a few days. You may experience swelling in your throat from the breathing tube which causes pain on swallowing & sometimes lots of saliva. Mine lasted about 3 days. Nausea is also quite common but you should be given medication for that & to take home too as well as a PPI to help with excess stomach acid. You may experience a very sudden diarrhoea attack which occurs without warning. I did. It was awful … & messy. It’s from all the fluids, blood from the surgery, etc. It may persist for a few days. Otherwise, you’ll likely experience constipation which may persist for several months in varying degrees. Add soluble, non swelling fibre to your diet, keep your fluids up & keep on top of the constipation. I took a stool softener if I got to three days without any movement. And don’t worry if your poop is small or you only go every two days. You’re not eating much so don’t have much waste for your body to excrete. You will have periods of low energy & tiredness. You’ve had a pretty major surgery & are on a restricted diet. If your body says stop & rest, stop & rest. It’s healing & trying to recover. I found an electrolyte drink helped & gave me a little boost. Follow your plan. Follow your plan. Follow your plan. But don’t worry if you don’t meet all your protein & fluid goals straight out. As long as you’re close & getting closer each week you’re good. If you don’t feel well, are experiencing excessive pain or pain that persists, or something feels wrong to you, contact your surgery or go to a medical centre. It may be nothing but better to be safe & sure. Hope I haven’t scared you. All of this is temporary. All the best with your surgery & recovery.

Not every one reaches their goal weight. The average is a loss of about 65% of the weight you have to lose to be in a healthy range at around the three year mark for sleeve or bypass. This takes in the common 3rd year regain, compliance, lifestyle, etc. of course some exceed this & some don’t reach it. Love it or hate it BMI can be a good guide or starting point. If you’ve a larger frame look to the higher end of your BMI range. A small frame then the lower end of the range. Medications, age, general health, etc. can all influence what a healthy weight is for you as well the weight you feel most comfortable. Then there is your body’s new set point - a gift of the surgery. This is the weight your body is happiest at. It may not be the weight you wanted but it will be a weight that will be easier to maintain. I chose a weight which had been the weight I’d be able to get down to in the past (always bounced between 60-75 kgs) & my surgeon agreed it was an appropriate & realistic goal (interestingly it would have been 75% of what I did lose). My body had a different idea & I lost more. My set point put me at a weight lower than my goal. For years I was told I had a larger frame. But when the weight went the truth was I have a smaller frame & my lower weight is fine for me. I haven’t had any skin removal because I felt I didn’t have that much & it wouldn’t be worth the surgery, recovery & scaring. But that’s me. They’d probably remove less than 1kilogram of lose skin from all over my body.

three years after sleeve anyone still get metallic taste

i did the same thing for a long time avoided the idea of sugery, until finally I had to look at that as an option because nothing else was working, i tried everything. After three Dr. suggested I do the surgery I started to look into it. I had the gastric sleeve on Nov 29th. so far i am doing well. It is taking some time for my energy to come back but otherwise i am feeling good. Already seeing some benefits, my blood sugar is in a good range finally, I am type II diabetic and today got my meds lowered by endo so that made me happy! It is highly personal decision and journey but I am so glad I made the decision to just do it. The weight loss center I went to offers support groups and nutrition classes which are helpful too. I start on soft foods tomorrow, a little apprehensive about that because i don't want to do anything wrong LOL. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery so far so good and I am sure you will do fantastic.

I kept losing well into my second year too. At my lowest I was 48.2kgs (was only there for a couple of weeks but …) & then I fluctuated between 48.5-49.5kg (about 18.9 BMI). I did that for about a 11 months & have been at about 50.5kgs for almost a year. (Am 3yrs 7 months out.) My dietician gave me some tips to up my calories before I stabilised so I’m glad you’re seeing your’s. Initually my surgeon & his associate were a little concerned when they looked at just the number on the scales but then they realised I’m ‘pretty small really’ (their words). Which is true as I’m not tall & am more finely built. They were then fine with my weight. Give yourself a little time to get used to your new body & your weight to stabilise & settle. Body dysmorphia will still be giving you a distorted picture of yourself as you compare yourself to the size you were before. It takes time for your head to catch up with the new reality of your size. I still get the occasionally shock when I realise the slim woman in the mirror or reflected in a window is actually me. And yes, bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs is a real possibility. You’ll work out what are your magic maintenance numbers are @pintsizedmallrat & it may not be 1500 calories because we have different needs & different weights we‘re most comfortable at. I thought 60kg & a BMI of about 23 would be great for me. But my body set me at a lower weight & I’m very happy with it. I was only eating about 1300 calories to maintain at the lower weight & about 1400 for the slightly higher weight now (have to eat more protein due to an absorption issue). But I’m not overly active & am 57 so that’s plenty of calories for me to maintain my smaller frame too. (I eat three meals & three snacks a day so eat heaps.) Oh & I get the clothing thing. I’m a US size 2 & sometimes a 0. There are stores here in Australia that don’t go smaller than a size 4. And there are ones where if they go to a 2 I’ll need a 0. (Still have largish feet for my height - 37.5-38). I’m about the size I was when I was 12. And yes I fit into Aust size 12 chn’s shorts. (My mum bought a pair for my niece & wondered if they would fit so asked me to try them on.)