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Well, 2 weeks from today I am having it removed. I was told I just need new blood work and have to fast after midnite. The dr. also said the incisions might be a little bigger than when it was put in because they have to get the port out? Anyone have any additional info as to post removal? I guess Ill have to take off the rest of the week like I did when I had it put in. What did your stomach feel like after the band was removed. Any pains in the banded area:thumbup::biggrin: internally? How about the "runs" and swelling? Any info would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks! Linda

I would love to say don’t worry about the comments but the honest truth is I probably would too. lol. Maybe if you get in to see your team and run it by then they will make you feel better about allowing your body to find its new happy place. Keeping in mind that most people do have some bounce back weight whether it’s the same year or three years down the road you will be lucky in my opinion to have a little cushion there. I also have to ask, are the people making these comments bigger than you now? Some people could actually be jealous or they just need you to be heavy to make themselves feel better. Maybe They were used to you bejng the overweight friend making them feel better about their own insecurities. Some may be Thinking things like I may be overweight but it’s not like I’m as big as some people I know (aka you). Now they have to look at themselves and feel what they actually feel without justifying it in that way. Or Perhaps they are thin but they felt inferior to you in some other way and In their mind their insecurity was off set by the fact that you were overweight (I’m not as funny or smart or whatever it may be but at least I’m not overweight). Not sure if that makes sense or if it’s exactly one of those thing but if I had to guess it’s something that is 100% a them thing not a you thing. You are doing great!!

sip sip sip. i carried a water bottle/insulated cup (and yes, i used a straw...i know people have been told not to use them, but i did...ymmv). around day 2-3 i realized warm/hot water went down easier than cold/room-temp so i started sipping that. was able to stand colder water again by week 2, and also in week 2 i accidentally found out i could gulp water...i was so thirsty and didn't think, so yeah. was able to drink large amounts of water no problem after that.

Skin doesn’t actually weigh that much. My surgeon did not weigh the skin removed. I had a abdominoplasty, arm lift, and breast lift with implants. You’ll actually probably weigh a bit more in the few days post op due to all the fluid they give you. One week post op I was about 4 lbs below my pre-op weight, but also wasn’t eating much in that post op period.

I am at 3 weeks now and I feel great. I took 1 pain pill after I got home. I cut it in half. I took a couple of Tylenol at night for the tight incision on my right side. That’s it. It was truly not very bad at all.

Hi twin. I start a two week pre op liquid diet on the 6th where I have to drink 4 optifast shakes a day and lots of water

Anyone here from London and want to share their experience with me? Just got sleeve 2 weeks ago no one to talk to about bariatric stuff!

Wow, that’s really hard! I applaud all of you who can do the full 2 weeks liquid only. My two weeks liquid diet allowed me to have one small meal a day. It was lunch or dinner with 1 hand size flat lean protein and same portion for veggies. Allowing to be able to have one small meal helped a lot for me and then 2 days before surgery the last mean at lunch then next day no meal and full on liquid till surgery.

Your plan should list the foods you are able to eat & those you need to avoid at each stage. It should also say how long you stay on each stage. If it doesn’t, contact your team & ask for more specific information. Your tummy lets you know pretty quickly if you’re not ready. It may be discomfort on eating, a feeling of heaviness, you may regurgitate what you’ve eaten. It’s a lot of trial & error honestly. For example, most plans tend to advise 2 weeks on each stage. Some people stay a little longer on a stage or go back a stage simply because we heal differently & their tummy just isn’t ready for the foods (texture & density) on the next stage. Some foods are on the avoid list because they can be hard to digest by your healing tummy (bread, pasta, rice, seeds, fruit & vegetable skins, etc.). Other foods are off the list because of their nutrient content & calories (many plans are no starchy vegetables for e.g..). There may be foods on your list your tummy can’t tolerate (chicken breast, eggs often are a struggle few a while). Your tummy can be fussy while healing & the temporary change to our taste buds &/or sense of smell can make foods extra sweet, extra salty or just plain disgusting. Textures can be off putting too at this time. Many of us ate the same meals or rotated through a small selection especially in the first couple of months. One because we eat such small portions there’s lots of left overs. Two, because our fussy tummy & you can’t tolerate a wide variety of foods. Three it means you don’t have to think to much about food & what your going to eat & you know how much protein & other nutrients you’re getting with each meal. I still eat a lot to routine & often have the same meals & I’m almost 5 years out. It’s not that I can’t eat a variety of foods it’s just easier sometimes (or maybe I’m lazy LOL!). I struggled in purées to find foods that tasted good because the taste or texture was awful. Thank goodness for runny scrambled eggs, milky rolled oats, yoghurt & soups. In soft foods I ate a lot of minced meat dishes - savoury mince, meatballs (rissoles in Australia), bolognese (no pasta), etc., slow cooked stews, thick meat & vegetable soups, omelettes. Try some savoury egg muffins (add cheese, mushrooms, onions & other pre cooked vegetables you like) & a lot of people swear by ricotta bake (someone will have a recipe they’ll happily share).

Hi @texasmade88 Welcome!! Congratulations on the 22lb weight loss!! is that after your surgery? Currently, I have been stalled and I am trying not to get stressed out (although there is a small thought of omg what if I did this surgery and nothing changes for me). I won't be a month out until November 27th so I am just telling myself to chill. How are you feeling about the upcoming holidays with food and stuff? I am actually glad I will not be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner this year, it takes a lot of pressure off of me to hang out with the family.

I had my first doctor's appointment. I AM IN THE 260'S!!!! I haven't been this small in over 6 years. I'm down 13 lbs since surgery 2.5 weeks ago and 28 lbs since January. She said she fully expects me to reach my goal of 180 within the year I'm so freaking happy

There is a brand of peanut butter powder that has flavors like cookie dough and such. I think that might be nice. And yes, the protein shake powder is way higher in protein. I feel like mixing it as a shake makes me gag, but using it as a fruit dip somehow changes how it tastes to me. I may try it with a strawberry banana shake mix I have too. Being back on liquids right now is messing with me because I've come to hate the texture of shakes. And even a more natural version made with yogurt, banana, and pb powder is making me gag today. One more week of this and then hopefully I can go back to eating soft protein and maybe a little bit of veg. I miss veg. I didn't expect to be back at square one 5 weeks post-op! As soon as I can, I'm going to have fruit dip!

I lost 33 pounds in my first 6 weeks, not in my first month. I also started a good 100 pounds heavier than you. The bigger you are, the faster you initially lose. I will say that you should go check out the NSV thread here (Non Scale Victories). Even if the scale isn't doing what you want, it doesn't mean things aren't happening. Clothes fit differently, rings are looser, you fit into seats with arms better, you're not smooshed when you sit in a booth, you can do more walking and working out without as much difficulty, etc.... Don't weight yourself everyday. Try picking a specific day each week and do it then. Make sure you're prioritizing protein first, then veggies, then carbs and healthy fats. Move everyday. Can be a workout, can be walking, could be swimming or biking. Just make sure you're moving your body. Try to stay away from sugar and salt as much as possible. Get at least 64oz of fluids daily, if not more. The first 6 months is when you lose the most, so do everything you can to help that along.

2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, and then annually after that (unless there's an issue). At around five years out, my clinic turns the reins over to our PCPs, unless the person is having issues.

Alright guys, 6 months is upon us!! This pic is from the morning of my 6 month post op visit. I weighed in at 232 in office. That is 88 lbs since my highest weight, 75 lbs since surgery! Weirdly, I am smaller now that I was last time I was at this weight. The surgeon found this funny and said the way our bodies lose weight can be really entertaining. LOL I startled myself the other day because I pulled out my smallest clothes (the smallest I have ever been as an adult was 195) and my size 16 jeans fit, zip easily, and are huge in the waist!! That means my smallest size, a 14, will probably fit now snugly, or comfortably in another month. How insane is that?? How can I fit into clothes I had to be 30 lbs lighter to wear last time?? Magic, that's how. 😂 The surgeon estimates I'll be at around 200 lbs by my year mark, though he said if I don't get quite to 200 to not stress it. We each lose weight at our own pace and with my common channel length I can expect to lose weight (albeit much slower) through the second year and possibly into the 3rd year, though at that point it'll be 1 lb here and there. This is the upside of the duodenal switch, it is a long, slow burn. Most stabilize around 18 months to 2 years, but there are always outliers. I feel pretty great! I had a hiatal hernia repair in mid April after I starting having issues choking on my food and pills not going down (I even ended up in the ER with it, which was awful, they don't get bariatric patients at all!!). I gained 15 lbs overnight and it took 2 weeks to get it off, so that on top of my stall for most of March really slowed my weight loss down. But that's okay, I'm reminding myself I have faith that it will come off in its own time. But man, it is hard to remember that when the scale goes up!! In other news, my GP and bariatric surgeon both think I have POTS. I've had issues with it on and off since having a bad case of Epstein Barr Virus (mono) that put me in the hospital a few years ago. It seems every time my body gets stressed it reverts back to having symptoms and it seems it counts any surgery as a major stressor (understandably). She referred me to a specialist and my appointment is October 24th, 2025. Uhuh, 2025, not a typo. He's booking 1 1/2 years out. There are only 2 doctors in the state that specialize in it. So I'm not a happy camper... Meanwhile we are trying a low dose of a beta blocker to see if it helps with the dizziness when I change positions, the racing heart rate when standing/exerting myself, and the exercise intolerance... And doing the lifestyle things like compression leggings, increasing salt and fluid intake, etc... It seems that a lot of Long Covid patients end up having POTS too. Have you looked into this @SomeBigGuy ?? How are you doing? How is everyone else doing??

Remember too a lot of nerves were cut during the surgery so you won’t be getting messages in the same way or getting them at all. Plus all those sutures & staples holding your digestive system together. It takes about 8 weeks to heal so stick to the advice you’ve been given. It’s there to protect your healing tummy & support your recovery. All because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Im using myfitnesspal to see my macros but wondering how much calories should i consume veryday at this stage (8 weeks) my drs paper doesnt say anything clear about it. Please some help.

Hello everyone, I was sleeved on Jan 10th. For the past two weeks I have to have chinese takeout in my fridge. I am a college student so I don’t have access to a stove just a microwave (an air fryer really) and fridge. I am pretty content with how much weight i’ve lost. I’m just mourning the loss of my butt. I know it isn’t ideal to always eat chinese food nearly every day but I guess it works for me. I wanted to know if anyone else can relate to being hyper-fixed to a food. My order is usually chicken and broccoli with light sauce and rice or vegetable/chicken lo mein. That’s all I get but because I can eat such small portions, 1 order can last me about a week and a half.

Today marks 3 weeks post op for me, I just had soft chicken pho, not with all the noodles and Ive had no issues. Anyone else try Pho or soups with chicken yet?

it won't affect your stitches. It's in your large intestine - no stitches in that area. It's very common for it to take a week +/- for the first bowel movement - there's not much in there to come out. although that first one can be a doozy. Daily Miralax or stool softeners can help. just so you know, for some of us, constipation becomes a chronic problem. I think it has more to do with the high protein diet and some of the supplements (iron and calcium are the worst culprits) more than anything else. I have a capful of Miralax every morning to keep on top of it. Others use magnesium tablets, stool softeners, SmoothMove tea - whatever works!

I am also 2 weeks but gast bypass. I tolerate almost a cup 2-3x a day. But when i try adding in something new (i pureed som ground beef added to my cottage cheese) overnight i get an awful pit in my stomach and toss and turn all night. Then i have a few morning BMs and feel better. So the following day i do cottage cheese shakes pudding and i seem to do ok. Down 20lbs since surgery but have not lost any weight in 3 days.

2 days until surgery! So excited and petrified! Anyone else that has that first postop week under your belts, what was the easiest clear liquid item to eat or drink? I want to stock up. Any words of advice?

One more day before I start my 2-week liquid diet! It's starting to feel real, but surreal, too. One last day of "regular life" before it all changes.

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 have my evaluation in Jan 9th and hoping to schedule the following week or so!