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Good for you for being brave and going to the doctors right away. Fingers and toes crossed for you. I found a cyst in my stomach area whilst feeling the new me. It weighed in at 3lbs. It was attached to a ovary. My fat hid that ! For years I had a dull ache, trouble with my bowels and water works and never bothered about it. When I did, they fast tracked me and I know how you feel, its a bumpy ride. The surgeon who took it out said it was memorable. I just can not get into the Christmas spirit either. I have no grandchildren so that doesn't help matters. My husband got the tree and the decorations out yesterday and this kind of forced me into putting them out. I did it in a foul temper but last evening with all of them lit, the house looked 'proper bonny ' as we say in these parts. So I am glad I was pushed. For my sweet treat I buy the little bars from Aldi that come in a 5 pack or have a Clif protein bar, Chocolate chip is my fav. Just enough to satisfy the sweet itch and I dont have an already open bar to tempt me.

2kg according to google is 4.7 pounds. That’s a lot for a week for most people at this point. Unless they have a higher starting weight. I mean of course some people do lose that fast but I don’t think it’s the norm just like some people lose it really slow. We will all get there though. As much as our bodies want to fight to hang onto it, it really just can’t with how little/healthy we are eating. Congrats on your loss. It feels amazing, doesn’t it.

You’re doing fine! I am 142 days post op. I was able to walk short distances on day 4-5(about 2 mile). Around day 15, I could walk 7-10k steps daily pretty easily. There was a bit of pain like a stomach cramp but it wasn’t too much just an uncomfortable lump in the stomach while I walked hard or fast. As for the soup thing, I know this isn’t good advice but this is what I did to stay a bit sane. I used to put a small piece of something in my mouth would chew and then spit it out. To get my tastebuds out of their torture. You could try fat free Greek yogurt to alternate between your soup flavors. 1 cup of yogurt, mix with water and salt to taste and enjoy your sour yogurt. As for the carb and fat thing you’re still in the recovery phase so don’t really worry about that. Once you reach day 30 and can eat normally, the goal would be to eat a similar ratio of carbs and protein daily. Example: 100g of protein and 100g of carbs. Don’t be afraid of carbs and fats though! They fuel the body and help the organs work! You need them to have energy to do stuff!

Love LOVE seeing all your wins!! I'm excited by the way my clothes are fitting now, especially when I wear something that actually FITS - I feel like ITKYK - sometimes my belly just isn't feeling a snug waist band or a bra tightly cinched around my chest. (Usually after a meal, when I accidentally gulp too much water too fast, or after taking my morning medicine. Something about taking my three pills in the morning just leaves me feeling icky. I think it's the capsules before they make their way down, IDK) I like that the tops I was comfortable wearing pre-surgery (and kept)can pretty much be worn as nighties now. The other day I was able to wear a big poofy sweatshirt OVER a huge oversized flannel and look like I was swimming in both. I'm was into more grunge style clothing in my youth and it was absolutely something I would have worn as a teenager when I was hiding my body. Conversely, I can wear a properly fitting shirt now in a 2x, down from a 5x, and it be flattering. I took a look at myself closely in the mirror yesterday and could see how my hips and back have changed. I definitely can tell the difference in the size of my arms and the way bras got too big. Keeping up with bras that fit is my biggest challenge right now!

Went out to brunch with the kiddos. I was starving and decided to order half the menu (what’s new?) my order was the truffle scrambled eggs with parmesan at the back of the photo. The kids requested avocado toast with poached eggs which they both shared (and cleared). I managed to make a dent in my eggs but then got too full and packed the rest (after photo above). Eating out fills me up way too fast compared to home cooking, but to be fair I also had an oat milk coffee beforehand which probably didn’t help. The kids also ordered this gargantuan Nutella brioche french toast with caramelized bananas and caramel sauce on the side. They ate half of it and the rest got packed. It was unfortunate that hubby didn’t accompany us to clear out our leftovers.

Hi there. So I will make this as short as I can I have had a good amount of health issues and surgeries throughout my life. I am a 34 y.o. mom of 3 who has no appendix or gallbladder. Also I have had a few brain surgeries and procedures before ultimately having to have craniotomy all thanks to a A.V.M. in my cerebellum. There was a time when I had a "G-tube" as well. I was 210 and was starting my lifestyle changes because I was completely unhappy with myself. My primary prescribed me semiglutide pills since my weight and my fasting glucose levels weren't ideal He also referred me to a WLS dept to gain information on the VGS. He believes that I am perfectly healthy just overweight. I have gone through 5 months of nutrition classes. One a month. My final class is Thursday (tomorrow) and I'm uncertain if this is for me. I am down to 184 which I am absolutely proud of myself for. I know that with my height (5'2) the normal but high bmi is 135/136. I believe 137 starts the overweight bmi section. I see the surgeon in Jan & psychologist in Feb. I am not sure id pass that clearance with these thoughts. And since im on the lower end for weight loss I am afraid I would be denied anyway. I don't have any health conditions req for WLS if you don't meet bmi requirements Haha I know im annoying. I want the surgery but then don't at the same time. I have improved my lifestyle choices, getting more active, proportioning meals etc but I'm not sure if I continue with just these things I could lose more weight. Ugggh I frustrate myself. Anyone start on the lower side? Does BMI really matter. 5'2s where are you? I know everyone carries their weight differently so it looks different on everyone. What is comfortable?

Maybe you're eating something that doesn't agree with you. Maybe you're eating too fast or too much in one sitting. If I do that, I get really nauseous.

I did keto a lot before surgery, it was vogue as we’ve all done a million diets in our lives... It works, but cravings. The preop and post diet are similar. Just way more liquids. For the fatigue and headaches, broth was the key. You would dehydrate rapidly and would suffer without the salt. The sugar detox is real, often once it passes you are a ton less Hungery. For those like me, and sugar can start the cravings. 100% agree with others who posted. It takes me about a full week for those to stop. Distractions help, exercise helps, just going to bed helps. I am always less hungry after mild exercise, mostly sweaty and thirsty. It helped stopped the food focus more than plain distractions. Heavy exercise increased the hunger the next day. This might sound crazy, but I had to constantly know when my next meal was. Lunch done, wait 2 hours then sugar free jello, then 1 hour and sugar free popsicle, then start to prep dinner, etc. knowing I was eating something in 1-2 hours helped. I tend to panic eat. Food was scarce as a kid and I tend to stuff myself if it’s not readily at hand and I’m hungry… my next meal is 3 bananas as fast a I can shove them in and I remain food panic triggered and have to talk myself down. I’m working through my hunger panic. I’m 100% not super thin now, I’m huge and need help… it’s why we are all here. :). To give and get support. And trying to not be a clean your plate club, eat any meal you are offered, all meals need a dessert, eat till you have pain and call that “full” kinda gal. I’d also make sure I got all of my sleep. I’m a 10 hour person. Plan a small exercise before you know your mega Hunger hits (I’m lunch). A 15 min walk helps divert my blood to my limbs and gets me craving fluids. Call your food what it is. A popsicle is a dessert. A pudding is a dessert. Sometimes reframing these help, ok in 2 hours I’m having protein pudding as a dessert, followed in 2 hours by a dessert popsicle. We are all different, so need different things. If after dinner I have a popsicle every night before bed, I call it dessert and I always know it’s coming and I will be getting more food… and I’m ok not being as full at dinner. This.. might have been too personal, but… helps me.

I did keto a lot before surgery, it was vogue as we’ve all done a million diets in our lives... It works, but cravings. The preop and post diet are similar. Just way more liquids. For the fatigue and headaches, broth was the key. You would dehydrate rapidly and would suffer without the salt. The sugar detox is real, often once it passes you are a ton less Hungery. For those like me, and sugar can start the cravings. 100% agree with others who posted. It takes me about a full week for those to stop. Distractions help, exercise helps, just going to bed helps. I am always less hungry after mild exercise, mostly sweaty and thirsty. It helped stopped the food focus more than plain distractions. Heavy exercise increased the hunger the next day. This might sound crazy, but I had to constantly know when my next meal was. Lunch done, wait 2 hours then sugar free jello, then 1 hour and sugar free popsicle, then start to prep dinner, etc. knowing I was eating something in 1-2 hours helped. I tend to panic eat. Food was scarce as a kid and I tend to stuff myself if it’s not readily at hand and I’m hungry… my next meal is 3 bananas as fast a I can shove them in and I remain food panic triggered and have to talk myself down. I’m working through my hunger panic. I’m 100% not super thin now, I’m huge and need help… it’s why we are all here. :). To give and get support. And trying to not be a clean your plate club, eat any meal you are offered, all meals need a dessert, eat till you have pain and call that “full” kinda gal. I’d also make sure I got all of my sleep. I’m a 10 hour person. Plan a small exercise before you know your mega Hunger hits (I’m lunch). A 15 min walk helps divert my blood to my limbs and gets me craving fluids. Call your food what it is. A popsicle is a dessert. A pudding is a dessert. Sometimes reframing these help, ok in 2 hours I’m having protein pudding as a dessert, followed in 2 hours by a dessert popsicle. We are all different, so need different things. If after dinner I have a popsicle every night before bed, I call it dessert and I always know it’s coming and I will be getting more food… and I’m ok not being as full at dinner. This.. might have been too personal, but… helps me.

Wow girlie this looks good! I wanted some ideas to do something with cantaloupes that was different! Almost 6 months out and some days I do not feel like eating and I don't. I no longer force food down some days I can fast all day for multiple days at a time, some days it's just protein shakes. This I will try soon! Without the food noise I can now listen to my body!

I sort of think of it as 2 to 3 "rest" days, because that's how many days I don't run. While my lifting is still a good workout, I don't really accumulate a lot of systemic fatigue from it. Keep in mind too that I take a deload week about every 4th week. In those, I drop down ~25%-30% in mileage and typically also don't do any lifting. That means I truly do have 3 full rest days during those weeks. As far as how long my long runs take, It obviously depends on the overall length, the terrain, and the pace I run it at. This can vary as my fitness changes. but also varies based on the weather and how I'm feeling that day. Right now, they probably last around 1.5 to 2 hours, but I have done a few that were in the 2.5 hour range. I would typically advise folks that are training for a first half marathon to work up to long runs that will take about the same amount of time as they expect it will take them to complete the race. In other words, if you expect to be about a 2 hour HM runner, then you should be doing long runs leading up to that of about 2 hours. It will obviously be a shorter distance because you'll be running slower, but for this, it's time on feet that really makes the difference. For someone training for a marathon, it may not make sense to try the same thing unless you're pretty fast. For example, I think the average marathon finish time is around 4 hours and 30 minutes. If you're a 4 to 5 hour marathoner, doing long runs that long would just be too fatiguing, so 3 to 3.5 hours would be about the max you should be doing.

@BigSue is right on the mark. I will also add that not everyone reaches their goal. And that’s okay. The win is you’ve lost weight and are healthier than you were. Remember that your goal weight is an arbitrary number you chose not the weight your body settles at & is happiest at as your new set point the surgery has gifted you. The point people’s weight stabilises at is different person to person. You do tend to lose the most in the first 6-12 months but people can lose for another year. Not everyone but some do. It took about 17months for my weight to finally stabilise. Though I reached goal at 6 months I kept losing for another 11months & at a very slow rate. (Took 6 months to lose 31kg then 11 months to lose the final 11kg.) Your rate of loss will get slower and slower as you near your final stabilised weight. It could be ounces a week or even a month near the end. So you may not have finished losing yet. But do check your calorie intake. If you’re maintaining at the calories you’re consuming now you’ll have to eat less to lose more. And you will have to eat fewer calories than you are now if you want to maintain at a lower weight than you are now. Another consideration is you’ve likely built up a lot of muscle with the activity you do. Muscle does way a little more than fat and it will change your physical shape somewhat too which may explain some of the clothing size discrepancies you’re noticed. There are lots of averages and generalisations around weight loss (how fast, how much, when things will happen, how many calories you need, how much activity, etc.). We’re too different for the sane hard and fast rules to apply to everyone, You just have to find what works and is right for you, your lifestyle and your body. PS: Another average, but exercise only accounts for about 10% of the weight you are to lose. Better to look at exercise for the benefits it brings to your cardiac health, muscle strength, flexibility, bone density, etc. & not so much for weight loss.

All great advice and much appreciated! Thank you all. @SpartanMaker thanks for the number crunching! I am definitely trying to cut portion size. We got rid of all the sugary stuff in the house and things like my tortillas. I've started walking (I have been completely sedentary for years- I work a very stressful, 40 hour week desk job from home.) I can't walk for 30 minutes straight. My low back and knees are trash. I carry most of my weight in my belly. I joke to my husband that I need a rolling cart to set my belly on so my back won't hurt so much. I walk as long as I can & fast enough to get my heart rate up and be breathless to the point that I cannot carry on a conversation. I'm looking for a treadmill so I can walk inside. I tend to turn my ankle & fall if I'm not super careful while walking on the gravel road. Thinking about pulling up some of those old Sweating to the Oldies videos by Richard Simmons LOL That might be a good way to do some cardio. I've failed at losing weight for so long. Today I'm feeling kind of emotional just thinking about what I'm facing. I said in an earlier post that keto & low carb didn't work for me.... fact is, they do work... as long as I stick to them. The minute I stop, I regain the weight I lost. sigh. Seems like I gain weight if I breathe in the aroma of baked goods.

Your weight loss journey is so inspiring! I can't even imagine myself being skinny right now—it feels like every time I look in the mirror, I still see the same person or even feel bigger sometimes. But hearing your experience gives me hope. I can't wait to fast forward to six months post-op and see where I’ll be. I know it’s a long process, but stories like yours make it feel possible!

I share this story in hopes that it may help someone to never pick up a drink after VSG or to at least be hyper-vigilant about the dangers of drinking post weight loss surgery. I was sleeved in August of 2015 @ 310 lbs. Quickly lost most of the weight needed and began running 5k. Not really setting the world on fire, but it was really good for me. Prior to surgery, I had always enjoyed drinking with friends. Typical guy stuff - couple beers @ a football game or watching the game on Sunday, meeting for drinks after work, etc. Never an issue or problem. Never anything that i had to have. My doctor warned me against alcohol, sodas, and transfer addictions, but I thought "never me". WOW, was I wrong. I remember the first couple times I had a beer after the surgery (I waited 6 months), it was very fizzy and uncomfortable. I convinced myself that it would get easier, and unfortunately it did. Next came the rum and coke zero. Wow, that tastes great, and I get a buzz very quickly. That fast buzz turned into getting very drunk, very quickly. Our new bodies absorb the alcohol in 1/2 the time that a normal internal system would. Over the last couple yeaars there have been many episodes of drinking way to much, blacking out, and not remembering what happened. I have had to apologize for my behavior more than once after a night of drinking. I even started drinking every day. I would make a drink as soon as I got home each day. 1 turns into 2 or 3. Just like lays potato chips you can not have just 1. Alcohol consumed my every thought. When can I have a drink? How can I make sure I can get a drink? It amazed me how I was able to justify that if creamer was good in my morning coffee, how great would Rumchatta be (it's damn good, by the way). I am living proof that transfer addiction is a real thing. I am now in counseling for my alcohol addiction. Transfer addiction is definitely a real thing. Prior to VSG surgery I was over 300 pounds because I had an addiction to food, and all the wrong kinds of food. My new addiction is alcohol and it's best friend is food addiction. what goes with beer = chicken wings, or nuts and pretzels, what goes with a margarita = tacos, etc. Alcohol also makes it impossible to lose weight. So if you are really dedicated to clean eating but you drink, your weight may stay the same, but it surely will not go down. I have packed on 60 lbs of the 120 that I lost. And, I am slowly changing behaviors to get back to where I want to be. It is a journey,, but I am worth it. I will overcome. Addiction is sacrificing everything for that one thing ! Recovery is sacrificing that 1 thing to have everything !

Sounds like you are getting a crash course into all of this which I’m sure is very overwhelming but honestly there isn’t a whole lot they can do to prepare us for all of this anyways because we are all so different that it’s a bit of a whirlwind regardless. Taking the stages slow is probably your best bet honestly. I think many of us are itching to go faster because most of us love to eat and want to get back to “real food”. My book said it was always fine to go back to the previous stage. I kept them tiny bottles of mouthwash in my purse and just refilled them for the breath and like others mentioned used wipes and reapplied deodorant if I was out for a while although I did ask a couple trusted friends and they said they couldn’t smell it. I didn’t really Have any aversions to smells, but from what I have read on here over several years MOST aversions tend to be temporary. Hopefully this will be the case for you, and you are done with the hernias. Just take it one day at a time and check in with your team as they have requested. You should be surprised how fast the time goes.

I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t be in a rush and don’t compare yourself to others. It’s not a race or competition. Everyone has different circumstances and factors affecting rate of weight loss. For example, the more excess weight you have, the faster it comes off, so you can’t expect to lose as quickly as some who started 50 kg higher than you. i know most of us go down the path of WLS because we are fed up with being obese and we are desperate to lose the weight after a lot other attempts. Of course we want it to happen as fast as possible. But here’s something to consider. WLS makes it virtually impossible to fail at losing a significant amount of weight. That’s the “honeymoon period” for about the first year after surgery and almost everyone has amazing results. What really matters, though, is what comes after the honeymoon period. It is heartbreaking to see people go through all of this to lose 100+ pounds only to regain it. It doesn’t matter how fast you reach your goal weight if you don’t stay there. You have a whole lifetime ahead of you, decades, to enjoy your new chance at life. Trust me, in 20 years, you won’t care how many pounds you lost in the first month or two or six. Don’t worry about how fast of slow you’re losing now. Keep following the program and you will lose a lot of weight. Set your sights on the rest of your life, everything you will get to experience in your new body, and how you will keep it.

I agree with this. I'm about 4 weeks post op. According to my plan, I can start soft foods on Monday. But I've struggled with purees and eating too fast so I've gone back to liquids and protein shakes. I'm honestly kind of scared of moving to soft foods and even more scared of moving to solid foods. I think if you're going to use shakes and things to supplement your diet, Meal Replacement shakes are a better alternative to protein shakes as they also have more vitamins. While on my LSD, I would mix the chocolate slimfast with some chocolate protein powder and little skimmed milk to disguise the taste of the slimfast, but also to give it a little more protein. I would not WANT to live on those long term, but occasionally, I think can still have a place in the diet if you're in a rush or not feeling well enough to cook.

Hi I had Gastric Bypass 4 years ago, lost 120 pounds, kept it off. Now in the past year I have noticed that I have been getting extremely sleepy after most meals. In the evening its ok because I just head to bed, but after lunch, at work, it can be a bit of a problem. The effect only lasts for 30-40 minutes, but I'm so groggy I can barely function. Is it dumping? Sometimes I feel flushed and my heart is a bit fast, but It happens for all food, with sugar or not.. Is it age, I'm 62 now.. Something else? Anyone else have similar issues?

Hi, I am almost three weeks out from a bypass and started experiencing the feeling of liquid coming back up into my throat after drinking, similar to reflux. I had a couple days where I vomited and I think that is be ause I was putting too much in my stomach too fast. (Only took 3 sips to do it). I saw my surgeon yesterday and he explained that there is still swelling inside the stomach and that I need to take the drinking a little slower, but to keep with it. I may get some IV fluids for it, but I just keep woking on sipping fluids to get my liquids in. I have to remind myself it is a marathon, not a sprint. Hang in there!

Thank you so much. For the detailed repsonse i am indeed fed up of nuggets and shrimps which’s what my diet is predominantly composed of not bec of any indigestion but the restriction of the sleeve and my no interest I. Cooking I don’t like Greek yogurt. would love trying oatmeal but thought that would be too high carb frutis fill me fast at the cost of protein and fluids soups sound divine and recipes would be welcome ideas to diversify proteins beyond baked chicken and nuggets would also be very very appreciated

Oh yeah. Been there. Even now 5 years out & I still can’t tolerate more than 1-2 mouthfuls at a time. Was having trouble swallowing a fast dissolving tablet one morning (it was sticking in my mouth) and had to take 4 mouthfuls to finally swallow it. Took four steps from my kitchen & up it all bubbled … including the damn tablet! So yes, sip slowly for now. It will get easier as you progress. Many find they get gulp down whole drinks again. I’m just an outlier in not being able to drink more. (I say I’m special that way. 😂) Doesn’t bother me. Just a quirk of my tummy.

I think when your body changes so fast it takes awhile for your mind and perceptions to catch up! I went from a 4x top and size 22 pants to a large tee and size 10/12 pants and only recently can I hold up a shirt or pants with confidence of what will fit me now without "oversizing" because it's been plus sizes for for me over many years ❤️ I try to not overthink it too much and just tell myself to enjoy my hard work paying off. Hang in there!

my parents did, but they were not prepared to face off with my super-master level of stubbornness: they would tell me i could not leave the table unless i finished the food on my plate, but i would stay at that effing table for HOURS, not eating...even falling asleep a few times, i remember, just refusing to eat whatever was on that effing plate. after a while (months? years?) instead of making me sit at the table, they would make me do chores as a punishment instead. whatever. i did the chores. better than eating those disgusting brussel sprouts (spoiler alert: i love brussel sprouts now, lol), but i make them better than my parents did, so...) fast forward to today, and i always remind my Kid that she doesn't have to finish the food in front of her if she is done. if you don't want to eat, you don't have to eat, man.

Congrats! Welcome to the post-op club! I will be 2 years post-op next month. I can't believe how fast the time has flown! I am now at 132 pounds and feeling the best I have in years. To be honest, I have not had many issues so far, the most difficult one being my hemoglobin and ferritin levels were down to 8 and 5 respectively back in February. So my nutritionist said I needed to start iron (nature's way ultimate iron) that and along with iron infusions for 5 weeks brought me up to hemoglobin 13 and ferritin 22. To be fair, I've been anemic most of my life, but a gastric bypass makes iron harder to absorb as it is. I have a membership to the YMCA. I dance and I love Zumba and Pilates. I've also started Vinyasa Yoga. My biggest chunk of weight came off last March after a 3-week stall. I don't have dumping syndrome as much. I like to stay active and now that I have way more energy it is doable. It's been a year since I'm off of CPAP. Prediabetes gone, A1C at 5.5. Inflammation is nonexistent in my lab draws. I love buying smaller clothes and I love this new me. Maintenance has been fairly easy, I keep in mind that I never want to be obese again.