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It’s hard to give complete guidance. You say you are “completely overweight”. Gastric bypass is for obese patients. Most insurance requires a BMI of 40 or above with no comorbid conditions. A BMI of 35-40 with comorbid conditions. I would never base a medical decision based on something a personal trainer had to say. If they mentioned it again I would let them know I was only interested in their opinions on fitness. If they persisted, it’s time to find a new trainer. Lots of people on here have gone from bands to sleeves or bypass. You may want to share more of your stats for more specific responses.

Still researching about 6 months but pretty made up my mind with the RNY bypass. There's plenty of information but they say if you need to lose more than 100lbs bypass is best it may be more restrictive in ways. And yes lapband has been known to have issues over the years.. Just keep doing your research

I get my band to sleeve revision on August 11th

I had gastric bypass in 2013. It was a revision from lapband to bypass. Everything has been great as far as weight loss. I am pretty much at goal and have been for over 6 months now. But I have had issues that I question whether they are from the bypass. I never had these things before bypass. I have "low blood sugar" attacks. I call them that, and my doc's office agreed it sounds like classic low blood sugar. But what happens is, first my thinking feels a little strange, weak...then my body is weak, I feel very dizzy, I sweat - immediately am wet head to toe, have to lay down. I was told to eat Protein every 2 hours, and sometimes I do forget to eat that often...but it has happened even when I had eaten about an hour before. I eat 2 string cheese pieces and wait for this to pass. It is really scary. It has happened twice as I was driving my car. Next issue is that I have developed severe GERD. Never had it before, even with the lapband. I am on Omeprazole now. I have had bad gas lately too. I can feel it in my stomach and all thru my guts. The worst thing that happened to me, and there is no research linking this with bypass, I developed an auto immune disease 4 months after surgery. It is Alopecia Universalis. It means that your immune system attacks your hair follicles all over the body and your hair falls out all over the whole body. I am 61 years old. It is very rare for this disease to start this age. It is a genetic plus environmental trigger type of disease. But I have been reading and 80% of our immune system in in our gut. And there are people who have found "cure" for alopecia by diet change. That isn't scientific, but I really wonder...I had allergies and had a weak immune system before bypass and I really think that the bypass pushed it past the point where the alopecia could come into activity. There is no cure but there are treatments and I have shots all over my scalp every month of steroids, which fight the immune response. I now have eyelashes and eyebrows back and some head hair, although I can't go out without a wig or hat. That makes me wonder if I regret the bypass. I can't say I do. All my life my weight and my addiction to sugar have been a huge problem. As I got older it was harder to manage my weight and I am so happy to be back to my young adult weight again! Also, I do get dumping syndrome so I don't eat sweets at all. It has really helped me. Tracy

For the issues you are having it sounds like the full bypass is really the only option that makes any sense. The sleeve could make the acid reflux worse. Also you probably won't get the desired results with the sleeve because of confounding factors Eddy Blaine Brown II

Thank you but no, I was dieting. It was the same 100lbs which I swiftly regained the first time and more slowly the second but regain I did! Between and after those diets, I've done many more diets and lost smaller amounts only to regain which is why I am scheduled to have the Gastric Bypass on 19th August. I am very active and sporty - mostly tennis and am finding it more and more difficult to keep up my game with all the extra weight. I still run and chase a ball down but I'm not coming back anytime soon! I ache a lot afterwards and think it's only a matter of time before I do some damage to my body. Enough is enough.

Oh no sorry to hear that, I have major resistance my stomach doesn't like sweets or junk much at all nowadays I get I'll when I eat to much. I do still haven't got the strong hunger hormone so I do have weeks where I have to watch what I eat so I don't actually loose anymore. In saying all this though I do tire very easily and have suffered with gallstones and acute pancreatitis during my time. Really hope the loop bypass does the trick for you.

@@chimboree26 if you dont mind me asking why are you getting a revision to the band, i had originally planned to have the band but my doc said it would be beneficial as i would not lose enough weight

Hi, I went with Dr. Rumbout. I was offered bypass by my insurance and didnt want my insided re-routed. There is also the deal with phyc-eval approval and doctor supervized diet. NO THANK YOU. I was impressed with Dr. Rumbouts EXPERIENCE. I wanted the BEST. AND no waiting or jumping through hoops. I have 2 friends that had their surgery there with 0 complications and both have lost over 100lbs. I did check with about 15 or so previous patients and all who got back with me had glowing reports. I was very impressed with the whole experience. A friend of mine who had gastric lost 150 lbs and now gained 70 of that back. It does require work for this to work. But I find the trade off is so worth it. I am down 16 punds from April 1 and couldnt be happier. In 1 more weelk I go to regulas food. THIS is the reason I chose this method. To eat like everyone else but way less and be satisfien and not obsessing over my next meal all the time. Everyone is different. You never know what you can handle while others cant. Moderation is the key with this. I tend to err on caution, so I figure Ill do what the nutritionist recomends, at least in these healing days. I feel since I paid for this thing I can deal with the basically small time out of my life to do the stages of eating they recomend after surgury. I am 42 am 5'2" and at my surgery I weighed 240. Now I an 223. I have a ways to go but I am so glad I have a helper inside me.

I'm 61, but my bypass isn't scheduled until August 19. I have back problems and a knee problem like yours. I am a little anxious as I have other medical problems, but I am an optimist and can't wait to get started on my new journey! Will be more than happy to keep you updated on how it progresses... Peggy

I had the gastric bypass procedure on November 25th, 2014, so my journey is only beginning!!! But I can tell you a few things that I wished I had known prior to beginning the surgical steps. The first thing that I would have done differently is that I would have slowly eased myself into a protein shake for breakfast every morning, or maybe occasionally for my lunch. The reason why I would have done this is because (for me) the pre-op diet would have felt like less of a mental "shock" had I been already doing this for a period of time. Now that I have been drinking the carnation drinks for six weeks, I find that I love them and I crave their taste and texture. Now I can't say that about ALL of the protein shakes because well I think all bari patients can agree, not all of them will appeal to you. Finding one that works well for you is IMPORTANT. As far as motherhood goes, I also have two children and I was definitely more concerned for how they were going to handle this that I was concerned about myself. The oldest child is really the only one that even noticed that things were different, and her main concern was "Will you still sit with me at the table while we eat, even if you're only drinking?". I worried that I would feel left out while they all ate a real meal and I had a shake, but it has not felt that way to me at all. During my pre-op diet I was allowed broth, and some steamed veggies once a day for the first five days of the diet, so I saved my veggies for dinner time, added them to broth and viola! I had soup with my family while they ate. After surgery, you will feel tired for a few weeks as you recover. This is considered a major surgery, and weight limits are usually placed at 10pounds or less for the first few weeks so you will need to line up help with the little ones but it definitely can be done as you will be feeling better in no time. About the pain level, my dearest friend in the whole world had the sleeve done in June. I was there with her and she had issues with pain control. I watched it all and I STILL went through with my surgery. Why? Because being overweight is painful every day. I knew that I was strong enough, and I believe that you are as well. Two weeks ago, this friend and I were hanging out and she asked me how it compared to child birth as she has yet to have children and I have already been through it. She said she feels less scared of child birth now because she made it through that surgery. I told her I didn't want to scare her but childbirth is hands down much harder than WLS and I would definitely do this over again if I had to choose between the two. After my surgery, I actually requested that my pain medication be discontinued as I wanted to walk and the medicine made me dizzy every time that I stood upright. I knew it was a side effect of the medication as I am a medical professional. The doctor of course agreed to allow them to stop the medication and within a half hour I was up walking. Walking moves the gases used in surgery which causes the most discomfort in my opinion. The hardest part, as others here have already told you, is all mental. The learning, educating yourself, and the convincing your brain that you are NOT being deprived of joy by not eating as much as you used to, or WHAT you used to. There are other joys besides food and you will find them. Good Luck, you're already doing the right thing by reaching out! This is a GREAT place to start!

I recently posted an article titled “The Biggest Loser:” Irresponsible Weight Loss Surgery Comments? . We received many fantastic comments from our concerned members. I've decided to follow up our article with an Open Letter to Dr. Robert Huizenga or Dr. H as he's known on the show. The letter will also be sent to the shows producers and staff members. Dear Dr. Huizenga, I am the founder of BariatricPal, the world’s largest online community for weight loss surgery patients and potential patients. I am writing to you today regarding your role as an expert on “The Biggest Loser.” I am asking you to please stop publicly portraying weight loss surgery in a negative light without any explanation. Most recently, during the Season 16 Finale, you stated that losing weight using methods used on the show were far healthier than turning to weight loss surgery. The implication was that bariatric surgery is under no circumstances the best choice for individuals struggling with obesity. I am asking you to stop making comments like this. You and “The Biggest Loser” have a significant amount of influence on America. The season finale attracted 5.4 million live viewers, with untold millions watching the show at a later time. Given that one-third of American adults are obese, it is almost certain that many viewers have obesity. “The Biggest Loser” reaches out to this audience throughout the show. Contestants, trainers, and health experts like yourself directly address viewers who need to lose weight, offering encouragement and tips. As you know, positive gestures like this can motivate people to change their lives. Unfortunately, the derogatory comments about bariatric surgery can have just as much impact, but in a negative way. Your statement at the Season 16 finale of “The Biggest Loser” and similar ones make weight loss surgery sound like a shameful, dangerous, and ineffective choice in all cases, with no further explanation. According to the Weight-Control Information Network (WIN), 4% of men and 8% of women in the U.S. have extreme obesity (BMI over 40). That translates to about 20 million American adults who are potentially eligible for weight loss surgery. This figure does not include the approximately 60 million Americans whose BMIs are between 30 and 40, and who might be eligible for surgery due to the existence of a co-morbidity. Not all of these individuals are eligible for and interested in weight loss surgery, but many are. BariatricPal alone, for example, has a quarter-million members who are weight loss surgery patients or who are considering surgery. For weight loss surgery patients, your comments can be hurtful. Weight loss surgery is not the “easy way out.” It is a tool to help control food intake. Eligibility criteria include a requirement that patients be committed to the strict dietary changes necessary to lose weight after bariatric surgery. I and millions of other weight loss surgery patients who have successfully used weight loss surgery as a tool against obesity worked hard to get where we are today. We do not deserve for you and your colleagues to suggest that we have cheated to lose weight. Comments that groundlessly condemn weight loss surgery can harm potential patients just as much if not more. Eligible candidates might decide not to get the surgery in part because of your position. First, your comments can lead to a feeling of shame for even considering bariatric surgery to fight obesity. This is unjust, since the post-surgery diet is strict and requires a lifetime of attention, just as “The Biggest Loser” contestants must modify their own diets for the rest of their lives to maintain weight loss. Secondly, your comments on the show seem to imply weight loss surgery does not work. While there are patients who do not respond to surgery, and complications are always a threat, the scientific literature overwhelmingly agrees that weight loss surgery is a viable option for the treatment of morbid obesity. Furthermore, the scientific community largely agrees that weight loss surgery can improve health and metabolic parameters. To varying degrees, methods such as gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, and gastric sleeve have been linked to improvements in diabetes and other obesity-related conditions, such as hypertension, sleep apnea, and dyslipidemia. The UK’s healthcare system, known as the National Health System or NHS, is so convinced of bariatric surgery’s effectiveness, safety, and cost savings potential it covers bariatric surgery procedures. Unconditionally stating that weight loss surgery is the wrong choice is particularly unfair given that “The Biggest Loser” contestants do not always achieve or maintain their goal weights. An article on Today.com, which is owned by NBC, looked at initial, finale, and current weights of selected contestants from the first 11 seasons of the show. Of the 56 contestants they highlighted, 20 were within 10 pounds of their finale weights, and 8 had gained back at least 40 pounds since the finale. These results are impressive but not perfect. And, “The Biggest Loser” is not for everyone. So far, only hundreds of individuals have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to lose weight on the show. For a few others, losing weight at one of the Biggest Loser resorts is an option – but not a practical one for most people. At $3,000 per week, it could take $50,000 or $100,000 or more to reach goal weight, not including time out from work and life. Weight loss surgery may be the only practical choice for people who have work and family obligations, and who live within a budget. People struggling with obesity do not choose weight loss surgery because they think it will be easy. They choose it because they have no other choice. Nothing else has worked for them. For me and hundreds of thousands of other weight loss surgery patients, it worked. Because of this, I ask you again to please stop publicly attacking weight loss surgery without explanation. You and I and everyone else who is connected to obesity knows what a terrible disease it is. We should join forces in fighting it. Let’s work together to get the greatest possible number of people healthy, and not work against each other with derogatory and divisive comments. Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment to fighting obesity. You have established yourself as one of the most influential health experts in obesity, and I hope you will use your voice in a positive way. Thank you for considering this. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal

Went for a surgeon hunt started May 7- May 21, 2019 Research the bio, read there journals articles,made appointments with ONLY 3 surgeons in the Houston Area. Bed Side manner counts big time for me GI Doctor clearance and his GI physician assistance ( 2 letters) saying what type of surgery I need and the back up method if not approve for Gastro Bypass. May 7 & May 17 PCP Clearance (EKG, Physical and BLOOD WORK) May 14 Nut Clearance May 17 ( Mentally ready for Surgery) GI Nutritional Visit Clearance May 22 Pulm Clearance May 22 Pick My Surgeon and gave him ALL MY CLEARANCE paperwork May 23 Cigna paperwork sent in June 3 and APPROVE June 5 Ultrasound and Gastro Empty Test FINISH all ready - (I am waiting on a sleep study and Ph acid reflex 24 hour test!)

I'm not sure about the liquids for some reason Iv never been a big drinker of anything so the band just increased what was already a struggle with the whole don't drink and eat thing and wait 30 mins. I didn't revise only because of reflux, It was managed with Prilosec well enough but more so because of just sick of the whole lifestyle that came with the band. Yes I could have loosened or unfilled but only with weight gain. Iv not had even a slight bit of reflux since removing the band but I also had a hiatal hernia repair during the revision. I had many barium swallows over the years since I worked in the surgeons office, a few dilated pouches that I would refill for about a month to correct but they never fully corrected. My esophagus is still dilated even in my recent X-rays.

Thanks for posting this, I read it several days ago and I’ve been reminding myself that others experienced the same thing when I’ve been worrying that even after I graduate to puréed and eventually solid foods I still won’t feel any restriction/fullness. I’m two weeks out now and I’m still on liquids only until 8/20, and between being able to drink 4-5 oz of Water no problem and hitting the infamous two week stall slightly early my anxiety about whether this will work for me has been escalating. Even though my anxiety often refuses to respond to reason, it’s helpful to be able to remind the rational side of my brain that this is normal.  Was this true for those of you who did bypass as well as sleeve??

Hi! I had my bypass surgery on 1/31/14 and I am feeling better now and ready to get this weight loss jump started!!! I'm in Pearland and was wondering if there were some of you in the Greater Houston area that were looking for some weight loss buddies and what not? Heck, even if you aren't in the area I'd love long distance buddies too. The more the merrier!!

I'm getting my endoscopy there tomorrow and lapband to sleeve revision there on October 3rd.

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I put my experiences in a short article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

As far as Bypass goes my surgeon and I spoke at length about how much bowel he would bypass. He did a short or 100cm bypass on me when most do 150-200cm I'm told. I preferred this as I'd come in for a sleeve with 65 pounds to lose and he convinced me with my history of GERD the Bypass would be better. I was concerned about malabsorption and dumping and he said he found the shorter bypasses had far less dumping and said the bloodwork of his patients was usually better with the shorter bypass as well. He did say the weight loss was sometimes slower with the shorter bypass. And mine definitely is with a 37 pound loss at 4.5 months post op. But I'm ok with it. So... not stomach size but bowel bypass... yes!

If you have reflux bypass is best & that's recommended from Vanderbilt University Weightloss & I have no regrets 3 yrs post op Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am 18 months post op from bypass. I have been able to eat whatever I want without dumping. I very occasionally treat myself to sweets. It is all about how how much of something you eat. If I have a small piece of cake, cheesecake, pie, scoop of ice cream, I don't get sick. I have only made the mistake once of eating just a little too much and it left me feeling crappy but I don't get sick. Now, I have had too many carbs and they can stall you so just because I can eat whatever I want, doesn't mean I should. Also, anything overly sweet just simply doesn't taste good to me. I try to choose a dessert that isn't overly sweet tasting. My favorite is cheesecake! I have a couple of bites and I am satisfied. Of course I never even attempted trying sweets until I was post op 6 months. I still have not tried alcohol but that is because I am on pain medication. I also don't do carbinated anything mostly because I didn't drink soda before and I don't need to start now. Life after bypass is pretty darn good. My only side effect that I truly complain about is constipation. My doctor recently put me on Linzess and it is working fantastic.

I had a rough recovery from VSG (a solid 2 weeks of strong pain) and the revision was much easier (maybe 3 days of mild pain) Honestly the only thing I remember being harder was bathroom issues (constipation/frequent urination) immediately post op.

My weight remained around the same but I had a revision at my goal weight. Also my surgeon was modest with the length of my bypass (less than 150) because he was adamant that I shouldn’t lose more much weight (his preference from his experience- YMMV) For me, It is not the same restriction as the VSG. The VSG was a mid chest tightness like something was stuck. RNY feels like a lower abdomen fullness of eating way too much. I always try to stop before I get to that point. But I can eat pretty much the same amount with the RNY as with the VSG. I hope that helps ❤️

@GreenTealael Thanks for your post. How was your weight loss after the revision? Many have said they didn't feel any restriction like with the sleeve which was my concern. I am currently on my pre-op diet for this week, my revision surgery is scheduled for Monday Aug. 28th.

May I ask if the reason for revision was for gerd or acid reflux? Just curious because after my sleeve o developed gerd, and I also need to loss some weight. One week post the RNY which is when I introduced soft food, I can feel the reflux at night when I lay down. It’s like something in the back of my throat and my chest feel tight. I don’t know if the reflux is a imidiate fix or not. I have to ask my doctor when I see him again. And how long was the bypass was never discussed. I didn’t know there is actually the length that I can discuss… I feel like there is a lot I could have ask and didn’t. At my one week post op visit, I had many questions, and maybe I was showing some anxiety, and of course the doctor and nutritionist sensed it. They just told me to keep clam? Let my body heal and don’t think about the weight loss right now.