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I'm going back home to the US in November. (I'll be 6 weeks post-op then) I fully plan to take an empty suitcase and hit walmart and the thrift stores. And also stock up on Tylenol since you can get bottles of 100 over there and only packs of 16 and only 2 at a time here without a prescription. Always handy to have around.

Yeah, smaller goals is definitely better for us mentally. And paying attention to how you feel instead of what the number is on the scale. I mean, I am still only halfway to the goal that I would like to reach but I am feeling so much better. I put a lot less stock in what the scale says these days. Plus, like you said, you can always adjust and set another attainable goal once you reach your first one. They will have you up and walking the same day as your surgery and encourage you to keep doing so. I started wearing my fitness watch again, which surprisingly was able to update after a lot of years being in the drawer and it’s really fun to be able to watch how many steps you take, calories burned and how everything is improving every day. I got an alert a couple of weeks ago that my resting heart rate has gone down like 7 bpm which probably isn’t a lot, but it’s headed in the right direction for sure.

I’m literally coming out of it. I was so lost. It hit me heavy. I was informed that losing weight so fast releases certain hormones and/or fluctuates them to the point where we FEEL it even psychologically. Ive never really been a depressed person but since my surgery in june, some days i feel it. Like i said last week was hard for me. But im feeling better this week so im celebrating a small win! You’ll have a good week too! Be encouraged. Youre not alone

I had my gastric sleeve last week on Tuesday. I was able to start back working on Friday. I was just a little bit sore but wearing the ab binder really helps especially if you’re dealing with children and you have to be down a little bit because without it on it hurts a lot have been down already back up to walking without any problems I do about 9000 steps a day. I don’t have any small children. I have teenagers but they’re just as bad as toddlers. I have to do stuff around the house. They help out a lot but at least for me. It was only a couple days after surgery that I feel like I was able to do enough, so take your time to listen to your own body we’re all gonna be different. My results are not usual and even my doctor thinks it’s crazy that I’m able to do the things I’m able to do.

I read through some other paperwork they gave me and found where it said nothing after midnight (but not on the page about the preop diet), so there is that. It's still just feels crazy to me that I was allowed to eat anything at all. I had a failed lap band in 2010 (11 of the worst days of my life until they removed it) and was on liquids for 2 weeks, and clear only for the second week.

Ooh yea as @NickelChip just stated and reminded me that they may want an upper GI and/or endoscopy if you have suspected or diagnosed GERD or prior abdominal surgeries. Or some doctors just require them for everyone (I think to look for hernias before they go in there). I have Mild GERD from the sleeve so he wanted those two tests as well as a gastric emptying study prior to my deciding on which surgery is best for my revision (bypass or SADI). That was a pretty complex decision though, since I had already have the sleeved stomach and GERD. I wouldn’t expect all three for a virgin surgery.

Oh my word! The gurgling stomach!! I joked with my mom that the 20% that was left for my stomach was awful chatty about getting rid of the rest of her!!!!! It isn’t as loud the second week I feel like.

I waited 8 weeks after the sleeve and 12 weeks after the bypass. I was cleared after 6 weeks both times, but the thought is, I wanna make sure I give my body the best chance to heal. ALSO, keep in mind that you're on limited exercise until 6 weeks post op. Nothing heavy or strenuous. So if you're only a month post op (4 weeks) it's likely too soon. Definitely wait at least 2 more weeks before trying again. But maybe wait another 4, just to be safe...

I’m considering a balloon and want to see how others have faired. Mostly interested in the middle bit since it seems like most people get better but some still struggle with nausea etc. and nausea is the worst. And I’m a toddler teacher which is impossible to do when you’re not feeling 100% Nw I’ve got two girls. How many weeks/days until folks started to really feel like themselves again. Thanks!

Very happy this week! The London gain of 3.5lbs has gone plus another 6lbs has joined it this week so I’ve hit my 2stones loss target 😊 Hubby has documented this by taking pics and I can definitely see a difference - my backside isn’t as much as a shelf now 😉 I will post pics when I gain more confidence but they are definitely worth doing for your own records, even if you hate and despise your photos being taken. I’m sat here with my feet on a circulation booster, with my feet and calves twitching away. I’ve got it for both me and hubby in the hope that it will help both of us with our circulation and start helping me strengthen my muscles around my knees. We had a chat yesterday and agreed to rejoin our local gym. I know I won’t be able to do cardio like the treadmill etc but I certainly do need to spend some time on the resistance machines and hopefully the free weights. I want to try and get some muscle tone going and avoid masses of sagging skin if I can. I desperately miss going to the gym so I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m due at physio next week for knee exercises so we’ve said we will begin 1st Sept (helps with keeping monthly finances straight too) Lots of NSVs this week…can now take my wedding/engagement/eternity rings off when in the bath. That certainly hasn’t happened for a long, long time. I’m finding more clothes to wear when ‘shopping in my wardrobe’. I’ve actually had to buy a BELT for my jeans 😮😮😮 I bought 3 pairs in the sales some time ago. 1pair fit fine, 1 I could just about fasten but not breathe, 1 I couldn’t fasten for love nor money. Fast forward to Saturday and it’s now 1 too big, 1 fasten easily and 1 fasten but can’t really breathe!!! Hopefully a belt will let me get some more wear out of them before they go off to the charity shop pile. It’s our wedding anniversary in September and I’ve set myself a target of wearing a dress that I wore for our wedding anniversary dinner 2 years ago. It’s a lovely dress and I felt fantastic when wearing it so hopefully it will fit again. I would like to lose another 10lbs or so before trying it on so fingers crossed 🤞🤞 Hubby knows what I’m aiming for and is all for it. Need to remember to record my food diary next week, ready for the dietitian appointment the week after. I record everything now but not the moods pre- and post- eating which they need. I’ve already recorded a dietitian diary just before I began my weight loss journey so hopefully she will be able to see the differences. Have a fantastic week everyone 🤩 Onwards and Downwards!

Hi everyone 🩷 posting here as well as in the revision surgery forums in hopes to get a discussion going. I’m considering having revision surgery and have an appointment with my doctor next week. I’d love to hear some of your experiences with revision surgery, what surgery you ultimately went with for the revision, the process and road to your actual surgery date, post op experience - anything you’re willing to share ☺️… soo lay it on me ! The good, the great, the bad, and the ugly! I had gastric sleeve surgery and lost about a 100 lbs and kept it off for about 4 years but since having a baby about 2 years ago I’ve really been struggling with my weight again. Gastric sleeve to bypass seems to be the most popular route however I also see that some people have had other surgeries done such as a duodenal switch. Just curious as to how you and your doctor decide which surgery is best for you. TIA 🩷

Thank you @FifiLux, @ShoppGirland @Bypass2Freedom 🥰 I managed to shove a cotton bud up my nose (hate the sneezing and ‘scratchy’ feeling at the back of my throat 🤢) and I’m now clear of Covid - hurray! Hubby is still in its thrall though: headache, sick, generally feeling out of sorts. Amazing how it hits people differently 🤷‍♀️ 3lbs of my gain off this morning - thank you water weight! Just over 2lbs more to go and I will be back on track. This morning I went through my underwear and nightwear drawers and binned lots. All the too big and/or tatty items have gone. I do have some really nice things that I’ve not worn due to sizing so hopefully I will be wearing that at some point in the near future. I am enjoying getting on top of things once again as I think I really lost my way for quite a while. All down to a lack of interest in pretty much everything I think. No gym this week but hope to get back to it next week when hubby feels better. I have missed it and my knees are definitely stiffer for not going. I’m on with the circulation booster in the meantime, just to get the blood flowing in my lower legs. Can definitely feel a bit of the autumn chill now ☹️ I received an email from M&S saying it’s Christmas food stuff is now available to order and it feels quite strange not to be bothering with any of it because I don’t know where I will be on my WLS journey. All that stress, gone!! 🥳 Has anyone done the LRD over Christmas, just out of interest? As it stands, I’m not bothered if I have to do it then, be nice to have a festive season where I actually lose weight 😉

My surgery got cancelled. We have no idea why. I got the notification on my portal app for my health plan so I immediatly contacted my surgeon's office because they have been going forward like I still have one. I was able to check the actual surgery schedule and sure enough I'm not on it. I'm beyond angry right now. I put in to have a whole week off of work next week that while I can definetly not take off, half of my team is going out of town for a conference so I would have to reschedule for the end of this month. That also sucks because I've pushed things out to the end of the month because I knew I would be in recovery. Now I have to somehow move them back and push other things. I want to scream.

I had a BMI of 35 but I had a sleeve. I also didn’t have any co morbidities - I knew they were likely ahead of me though. So I’m going to respond more generally using am I glad I had weight loss surgery not a specific surgery. Simply yes, I am. The bulk of must weight came on with menopause and nothing I did shifted it. Or if it did it would be back in a very short period of time. I reached a point where I couldn’t stand it any longer and made an appointment with my doctor for a referral. I was in surgery less than 6 weeks later (benefits of living in Australia with private health). Do I have any issues post surgery? Yes but they’re minor really and I had a quirky tummy before so no real change. I struggle a bit with the foamies but no dumping. I had reflux before but it was managed with dietary choices. Still have it though I take a PPI every day now vs a handful of times a year before & the symptoms are different now. (Best is I don’t get the hideous hiccups I used to get just the regular ones now.) One of the benefits of having surgery is you simply cannot eat the same volume of food. Of course if you are determined you can eat around some of your changed digestive system. But take the time in the initial months after surgery where its benefits are strongest, to learn about things like portion size, nutritional values, etc. and start adopting new behaviours. Reflect on your relationship with food and why you ate and start making changes there too. Seek the help & support of your dietician and a therapist as needed. Many seem to be concerned they won’t lose all the weight they’d like to starting at a lower BMI. I lost all of mine and more. It is important to remember that not everyone loses all the weight they’d like. The surgery (regardless of which you have), changes your body set point that is the weight your body is happy at which often is not the weight you think you’ll be happy at. With bypass it is always best to have a conversation with the doctor who prescribes your meds as bypass does interfere with the absorption of these. It may mean you need to swap some of your meds as @SleeveToBypass2023 mentioned. All the best.

Hello everyone, Yesterday, offically was my third week post surgery. I have been walking at least 2 miles M-F with my husband and feel I have my activity under control. I am working towards starting my strength training exercises. Really need to work on my Triceps and my thighs. I have lost about 20lbs post surgery date not sure if this is common loss or if others have lost more. I struggle with my pureed diet, I feel like I eat all day long. Takes about 2 hours to drink a protein smoothie in the morning, then worry about my H20 intake, then trying to get my meals in. According, to my Pureed stage, I am suppose to have a protein shake in the morning, then pureed lunch, then another protein shake for a snack a couple of hours later, the pureed for dinner. I feel as if I am eating all day. Takes so long to get through a smoothie with sips and pureed meals are 1/2 cup which is supposed to take about 30 minutes to eat. Am I doing something wrong? I have a Bariatician appointment next week hopefully will get some more information. Just want to make sure I dont stretch or doing anything adversely to my stomach pouch. Thank you in advance for any advice.

Small update, in case this is beneficial to anyone else going through the same stall & hunger issues in the future! I met with my Physician's Assistant (we don't see the surgeon post-op in my program - the PA does all the medical legwork) on July 8th since I was stuck in the high 240s for quite a while (roughly 112kg). The PA discussed what I was doing, agreed that I was doing almost everything right, minus somewhat larger portions at meals due to experiencing more hunger. We discussed GLP-1s (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, etc.), phentermine, topiramate + phentermine, Contrave, and other medication options. Since my insurance would not cover GLP-1s (I do not have diabetes) and they'd all be crazy expensive out-of-pocket, we decided to give the phentermine a try. Note that this is not a good medication to add if you have any history of heart issues - I'm not a doctor, so anything I say is personal anecdote and you should always consult a physician for any changes in your own medications, etc. Phentermine is a stimulant and an anorectic, which means it reduces appetite and can increase energy. It will NOT cause you to burn more calories without increasing activity, so reducing the amount eaten is critical (and increasing activity helps, too). The PA had me do an EKG in-office that day, and since it came out normal, I was prescribed half of a 37.5mg tablet for the first 4 days, to increase to a whole tablet daily if I still had residual hunger and was tolerating the 1/2 tab well. I did end up going up to the full tablet, as I had no side effects (except for some anxiety the one day I had a cup of coffee in the morning...don't combine stimulants!!). The result has been that I've dropped 5lbs in the last 2 weeks, and almost a week of that was spent at an outdoor music festival where the food options were far less than stellar (think "carnival foods" - I tried to stick mostly to all-meat options as much as possible, but I did help my spouse with some cheese curds and funnel cake...). I do have Narcolepsy and ADHD, and the addition of a stimulant has been a bit helpful for those conditions, as well. Another plus was that it cost me roughly $7 USD to fill at my pharmacy with insurance, so it was far more affordable for me than the GLP-1s would have been. My hunger has been curbed quite a bit, and this has helped me feel satisfied eating far smaller portions than I was eating previously. I have a check-in with my PA towards the end of August, and I'm pleased with my progress so far! I had an annual physical with my General Practitioner last week, and my A1C says I'm no longer pre-diabetic 😁

You have to start walking right away, before you even leave the hospital. For the first 3 weeks, the walking is plenty. It's about increasing the amount you can walk. Around week 4, I started doing the treadmill on a lower incline (not completely flat but a lower incline) and a normal walking speed. I also started doing arm workouts (without weights). I started doing mild step ups, and increased walking even more. At 6 weeks, I started increasing the incline on the treadmill, added low weights to my arm work outs, and added the exercise bike. At week 10, I increased the weights and started doing more strenuous workouts and small hikes. At 12 weeks, I started core work and increased the workouts more. i also do beginner pilates, but I only just started that.

You can totally DM me on here! Totally am down to help a fellow bariatric pal! I took 2 weeks off, just for my mental health too. I needed to get into the game with the foods and the meal prepping. I definitely had to work my way up, Lots of tears and sweat. Even still ! LOL I did greive clothes, I still have 3x tops and dresses in my closet that I have not been able to get rid of. I wear them tthe tops to bed now..For the most part I had to buy all new clothes. Still working on building it up. I went from an 18/20 to a size 4. 2/3x to a Small top. No you do not need to add the quote lol

My surgery is in two days so I'm thinking WAY down the road but I'm curious - does anybody use a healthy meal delivery service like Hello Fresh, Hungryroot, etc? I'm a single mom of two with a demanding job and I wonder if it might make sense to use a service like this (eventually) to take the pressure off meal prep once or twice a week. In your opinion, are any of these services bariatric-friendly, specifically the keto plans?

My win is I haven't had Red Bull or either type of energy drink for a week and I don't even miss them! I'm sleeping better as a result. It was a vicious cycle, couldn't get enough sleep, needed large amounts of caffeine, couldn't get enough sleep!

There would be no need to do nicotine testing if you don't smoke, vape, or use a patch or gum. I can't speak to all surgeons, but mine requires testing to see if you have sleep apnea before surgery. If you're already diagnosed with it, you just have to continue using the cpap machine before the surgery and for the first 6 weeks after.

Hello. I had SADI/SIPS on 8/16/23. I wish I would have had the surgery years ago. Im happy to answer any questions you might have. I think they consider it a “newer” surgery and there is not a ton of data on the long term success. I was 53, type 2 diabetic, high BP. After 3 weeks post op I was taken off all medication. My A1C was 9 and it’s been 5 for 8 months. I’m a year post op down 103 lbs

So unfair isn’t it?? Does your LA offer anything health & fitness-wise? Ours has something called Better Living and offers free 12 week courses for such as keep fit, various diet programs etc. I had to do one of the slimming world nonsense things through them before I could be referred for WLS. My GP told me about it all so maybe your GP could point you in the right direction should there be something similar where you are?

Congratulations on having the surgery and your loss. I agree with the other comments above. Don't see this is a restrictive diet as that will possibly become unsustainable thinking and lead to bringing back bad habits and what might be a cheat day becomes cheat days/weeks/months. I believe it is about finding balance and enjoyment in what you are doing, enjoy the food you are eating but obviously in smaller portions and try to make the healthier choice between fried and grilled foods etc. I also plan my grocery shopping based on what I want to cook and eat for a week and don't buy off list, that way when at home I don't have anything 'bold' to eat and I am not going to go to the shop just for a bag of popcorn (boy do I miss popcorn). I am not one who enjoys exercise and tried gyms, yoga, running, zumba before over the years but I have found over the last few months that once I start a pilates class, aqua aerobics or go for a walk that I am more relaxed so I think finding an activity you like and trying to keep to some sort of routine will help as well, for me that is paying in advance for classes, so I can't opt out

@MrsFitz Thank you! I was so so nervous as I had failed 4 times in a manual pre-covid, so it was definitely a long time in the making! I shall make sure to get one up asap! Hope you are having a great start to the week!