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Hello everyone! I am 20 months post VSG and for the most part I would say its been successful! I was able to donate a kidney to my daughter in January and she is doing GREAT! My hubby is 3 months post VSG and absolutely killing it! I am very happy for the most part. I have changed my goal weight a couple times and really wanted to get at a 125 or 130 but my body is just holding on to the last 10 pounds! I have tried all the tricks to get things rolling, upping my calories a tad, more exercise, less exercise and even did a three day protein shake restriction just to see if that would bump me out of this. I have a tummy tuck with muscle repair scheduled in November. My team told me this is just where my body is comfortable, he called it my new set point. Has anyone been able to knock off that last few pounds without a super crazy calorie deficit. Now that I only have the one kidney I am very aware of what goes in and out of my body and I don't want to do it any harm. I am keeping my protein at 100 grams per the nephrologist and nutritionists request and my calories run about 1300 a day. The math tells me I should still be in loss mode, but clearly I am not. I also keep telling myself that I am no longer overweight and I do not need to hyper focus on that damn scale!!!! BUT watching my hubby drop so many pounds makes me really really want that end goal! Anyway they set me up for my tummy tuck (flur de les with muscle repair) for November and I am excited for that :)

We all mange pain differently & our bodies react differently to the surgery so you can’t really say you will have this much pain. I didn’t have much at all. I was on opioids for three days in hospital & no pain at all except from my back but that’s another story. On the fourth day I only took one of the opioids I was sent home with in the morning & took an over the counter pain med on day 5 but didn’t take anything else. Some say they struggle to get up & down & find it uncomfortable to sleep in a bed for a while. That wasn’t an issue for me & I even could sleep on my side. How much your muscles were pushed & pulled during the surgery will influence this & how much your tummy might pull on your wounds. Some say they find binders helpful. I also didn’t have any gas pain which some struggle with but things like heating pads, walking, gas X, etc. can help with that. (It usually lasts about week.)

Hello, I got RNY about two months ago. Overall things have been going well. However, for the past three days I have had a really strange sensation that won’t go away. It feels like something is stuck at the base of my throat. I have tried Gas X to relieve the sensation but it is not working. It almost feels like it’s difficult to swallow. Has this happened to anyone else?

Three months after recovering from Covid I had hair loss and I took Folexin to bring it back so I know it works. I am 3 months post op right now and dreading the whole hair loss thing AGAIN! But I have my supply of Folexin ready.

Can you have some bullion in your water? Only water and three shakes a day seems really harsh! What about tea? I would ask your dietitian if you could add some different clear liquids. How long is your pre-op diet?

I was weighed pre surgery on August 5th, and I was 110 kg or 242 pounds. I had lost three kilos or 6.6 pounds before surgery. I weighed myself again the day after surgery, and I was still 110 kilos. The day after that I was 109 kilos, down 2.2 pounds, and the next two days 108,1 and 107.7. So I started losing weight on day two after surgery, and since then I've lost weight every day except for day 7 after surgery when I gained 0.4 kilos (almost a pound) and on day 8th I weighed the same as on day 6. Other than that, I've lost weight every day and today I've lost a little more than 7 kilos after the surgery, ten kilos in all or 22 pounds.

I’m on a two week liquid diet and it’s been a killer (again! This is my second bariatric surgery.) I can have protein shakes or greek yogurt for my ‘meals’ every three hours. I would be lying if I said I had been perfect throughout this process. I’ve slipped up a few times by stealing a fry off my husbands plate or eating a couple of olives when I was simply sooo hungry. I’m going to have the hiatal hernia repair during my surgery on the 29th and the revision to RNY, as well. The GERD burns me up a lot of the time so I take esomeprazole in the morning and Pepcid in the evening. And thank goodness for Tums during the day!

I am three weeks out and have noticed that initially, my fullness came as hiccups. My doctor explained that hunger and fullness would initially appear in different ways in your body. So long as you are feeding your body, you will be fine. After surgery, your stomach will be stiff. It was cut down, so as it heals, it will be stiff. When your stomach starts to grumble, it creates stomach pains from gas. I am having this difficulty now. Gas-X remains my friend for times such as these. But, remember, don't eat to be full. Eat to be satisfied, an adjustment that will take some time to get used to. Be patient with yourself, and you will get there.

my clinic gave me two or three choices. If none of those worked for me, I'm sure they would have given me more options (although probably further out)

100%. But I've gained 15-20 lbs in the last three years or so - but I think it's still much higher than the average (average for bypass being 70%)

Two to three months should be plenty of time to get your questions answered and get yourself prepared I would think. You can always ask for a later surgery date if you don’t feel ready but I’m guessing you will be.

My surgery is in 6 days. I'm going to be following Dr. Weiner's diet after surgery. Because of some other health issues, I have to avoid certain foods and his philosophy most closely matches how I need to be eating, so it was a good fit for me. I have questions for others who are also following his diet. I bought three of his books, including the recipe book, but I would love to find more recipes and/or tips on how to follow this plan successfully. Were you able to avoid fake sugars in the first stage after surgery? How did you manage your protein intake if you were trying to cut back on/avoid dairy? Also, are there other websites, support groups, forums, etc. where his diet is specifically discussed? I'm obviously discussing it here, but I want to expand my support network. That is all. 😊

Embrace those changes to your tastebuds that make everything taste sweet or overly salty. You can break a lot of any desire for sweet & salty in the future. Though as you are drinking soda you would be still feeding your sweet craving with artificial sweeteners. The changed tastebuds are also an opportunity to try different foods/flavours. If you can’t eat all of your meal, pop it in the fridge to have later in the day or tomorrow. I’d scramble two eggs & eat them over three days. A serve of rolled oats took two days. Cover with cling wrap & microwave the next day. Or freeze the leftovers. My freezer is full of leftovers I defrost & reheat. Handy for those days you don’t feel like cooking or have been busy. I sometimes think of it as takeaway food - take it out of the freezer & you have a healthy meal in a very short time. As time passes you will be able to eat more & more but you have to ensure you don’t exceed appropriate recommended serving sizes. Eyeballing or using body parts (palm size, fist size, length of a finger etc.) to judge portion sizes can be helpful especially when eating out, but it may be best to rely more on scales when home. It can be very easily to slip into overestimating, or misjudging the weight of denser foods. You’ll also learn to stop eating before it hurts. It may be little signs & reactions like a sneeze, a slight heaviness, runny nose, etc. Listen to your body. It can be very surprising what you learn about yourself & your body’s needs after surgery. Like I’ve realised if I eat breakfast too early I feel sluggish & generally feel blah. I believe the learning to listen to your body’s cues, being aware of your physical, emotional & mental reactions & understanding your thinking about & relationship with food & eating is one of the most important factor in your success. Oh & having drop in energy again at about this point isn’t that uncommon. I remember feeling so tired one afternoon, I thought I was going to fall off my treadmill (that’s when I briefly played with exercising 😉). Keep an electrolyte drink with you, especially if you know you’re going to have an active day. Don’t be afraid to stop & rest if you need. I often would stop for a quiet cup of tea if out & about or would just go home - can always finish those jobs tomorrow. Keep up your great progress.

yep - definitely! I had my husband take pictures of me from all four sides every month on my surgery date until I hit maintenance. I couldn't always tell the difference from one month to the next, but when I compared one month's pictures with pictures taken three or four months earlier - yep---big difference! And now I have this wonderful photo documentation of my journey, too!

I have been on Steroid threrapy for almost a year and my suregry is coming up really soon has anyone else had this situation they are wening me off by cutting dosage day by day in three day intrevals I guess I want to know will this interfere with me having surgery once my suregry date is here I will be on 5mgs any thoughts or wisdom is greatly apreciated.

I could not weigh at home for about the first 2.5(ish) years, so that would certainly kill some of you. Once I could, I did it for a couple weeks until I drove myself crazy (not a far trip), then gave it up. Once I stopped my monthly follow-ups, I didn't weigh between annual doctor visits. Still don't. The scale no longer has power over me. I guess when you go through a couple/three years of only weighing monthly you learn it's not the end of the world not to know your EXACT weight. Just keep following your plan, then rest happens on it's own. Oh. Scales lie. There! Good luck, Tek

I went into my surgeons office expecting her to want me to choose bypass because of my hi bmi and the fact I’m already taking Pepcid for reflux. She reviewed my medical history and asked me what I wanted. My reply to her was “after reviewing my medical history and your vast experience, what would you recommend for the most successful outcome for me”. She smiled and said I’m so glad you asked me that. Given my high BMI, if my goal was weight-loss alone she would have recommended Duodenal Switch. Then she went over the reasons why she doesn’t recommend that at this time. She then explained why she wouldn’t recommend a bypass for me. And then explained why she would actually recommend the sleeve for me. I was actually relieved because I really preferred the sleeve because of the lower risk and complications out of the three. She told me if I wanted to convert to the DS later we could. But if I put the work in and used my new tool to it’s fullest advantage - I might find that to not be necessary. My husband and I were both on board with what she was saying so that’s the direction we went in. She did a hiatal hernia repair at the same time as my sleeve so the hope is I will be able to transition off of the meds for reflux at some point, but if I can’t so be it. And down the road if I feel like we need to go with another option that’s open to me as well. I’m not really looking forward to another surgery - so I’m hoping this is it. Only time will tell. You have time to decide. No two people have the exact same outcome - so the best anyone can tell you is look at all the information and make the best choice for you. Best of luck.

i am going to be getting the sleeve in late sept or early october. i decided against bypass because of outcomes of people i know. 2 people i know had sleeves with no big complications (very minor issues like nausea directly after surgery) and two more that had the equivalent of a sleeve for ulcers with the same positive experiences … all four of them kept the weight off but i also know 3 people who got bypass (different places/surgeons) and all three have had complications that keep sending them back to the hospital and have developed major nutritional problems and health issues from those too and, honestly, all three of them ate their way back to 3/4 of their original weight… (they are all from different areas of the country too!) reading medical literature i know the sleeve is better for me because i feel it’s safer, less drastic and has less inherent problems… but only you know what is right for you! there are successes and “failures” on both sides… educate yourself and make the best decision for you

Body dysmorphia is real. Don’t be surprised if it takes a long time for your head to catch up with the physical reality. Three years on I still sometimes stare in mirrors surprised by how I look & can find it difficult to accept when people comment on my size. It is much better than it was though I sometimes wonder if my thinking is because I’m afraid to jinx the loss if I recognise my size now. You have to remind yourself that your clothes don’t lie. Smaller sizes, clothes that are too big, rings slipping off your fingers, etc. are all factual evidence you can’t ignore that you are losing weight. As to cleaning out your wardrobe, you’ll find a time you’re ready to do that. It’s sort of the reverse of when we kept smaller sized clothes for when we lost weight & didn’t. Maybe start with just the older clothes that are too big & you likely wouldn’t wear again anyway. Even if the first step is to remove them from your wardrobe & bag them up. You can donate them or whatever when you’re ready. You’ll get there in your time.

I’d think you’d still have plenty of time. While you may lose more quickly at the beginning after a bypass, it slows just like with a sleeve. The stats around average weight loss at about three years for sleeve & bypass are both about 65% of the weight they had to lose. (You’re really just talking about a few pounds of difference.) Just like there are people who don’t meet their goals with a sleeve there are people who don’t with bypass. Same with meeting their goals or exceeding. The amount of weight you lose is highly dependent upon where your basal metabolic rate resets as a result of the surgery. This is the weight your body is happy & settles at. Before surgery I could diet to 60kg but every time I would bounce back to 75kg & would sit there - that was where my base rate sat (until menopause began & it became 91kg). Then there are factors like age, gender, general health, medications, lifestyle, & the effort & breadth of changes you are willing to make & maintain to how & what you eat & activity you do. Probably best to sit down with your surgeon & have a conversation as to what they advise based on their experiences & those of their patients & your needs & situation. All the best which ever surgery you chose.

Great goals. I'm actually a big fan of bodyweight exercises and bands, but if that's not for you and you want to start with dumbbells, that's great too. Here's the thing, as a beginner, there is no wrong routine for you. Whatever you do will be beneficial. As far as what exercises to do, you can google stuff and find some great ideas there. Some of what you'll find is great, and some is not so good. To sort out the good from the bad, start by making sure it's from a reputable source. Next, look for routines that focus on these three things: Make sure they are working your you upper body, your lower body, and your core. Make sure there are both pushing exercises and pulling exercises for your upper body. For example, a chest press, matched with a bent over row. By making sure they have both, it gives you a better overall workout, helps prevent muscle imbalance, which in turn helps prevent injuries. If you see a routine that does not have both, that's a big red flag. Make sure they explain how to do the exercise and what correct form looks like. Most people that hurt themselves doing strength training, do so from bad form. Now that said, let's talk a bit about sets and reps. A set is when you do all the exercises for that session one time. Many routines have you do more than one set. Three is the most common, but depending on the goal, it could be one to five or even more. A rep is the number of times you do a single exercise before you move to the next exercise. The challenge here is that the ideal way to build muscle strength vs. muscle stamina are a bit different. Typically for strength, you want a really heavy weight and you'll do ~6 reps for 3-5 sets. If you're able to do all the sets at 6 reps, then the weight is too light and you should progress to a higher weight next time. For muscle endurance, you'd ideally use a much lighter weight and do maybe 3-4 sets at 15-20 reps. The same applies here as well, though. If you can do them all, it's time to up the weight, do more reps (maybe up to 25), or add another set. You should feel like you did real work when you are done. There is a sort of compromise that you could take as well (and honestly, this is what most people do), that doesn't strictly focus on strength or endurance per se, but is good for both. That would be to do roughly 3 sets at 6-12 reps. Once again, if you can do an exercise at 12 reps for three sets, it's time to up the weight. Keep in mind also here that what works for a while may stop working at some point. Every now and again, you need to change up the routine you are using and try a completely different program. I'd say probably every 12-18 week at most, move to something else. It could be dropping the dumbbells and moving to bodyweight, bands, kettlebells, barbells, or just varying the routine. For example, instead of 3 days a week, maybe you move to 4 days a week and separate out upper body from lower body work (2 days of each). This type of variation is key to long term success. Enough for now, but I hope this helps. Also, sorry for the novel, but I'm passionate about strength training and guess I got carried away!

Hi all - I am post VSG surgery nearly three years. While I still feel a restriction during meals, if I wait 15-20 minutes I can continue to eat whether it’s the remaining of my meal or something else. This concerns me. Anyone dealing with this or have dealt with this? Any suggestions? Thanks! -KB

Why do you have an abdominal binder? I've never heard of it. I made mushroom soup from scratch today and it was sooooo delicious. I was a bit tired of tomato soup, so it was a nice change. But I'm also worried about how much I can eat. I'm on liquid diet but allowed to have soups if they have no chunks. I put a little soup in my bowl, maybe 4-5 spoonfuls which I ate slowly, and I finished it but didn't feel full or anything. But I wasn't sure if I could have more, so I stopped. Is anyone else worried that they will be a failure and not lose a lot of weight, or lose and then regain? I've lost almost 4 kilos after the surgery and 3 kilos before. In all almost 7 kilos or fifteen pounds. The thing is, I've been the same weight for three days now and this is pretty much exactly the weight I've been able to get down to on my own in recent years, before I start gaining again. What if my body is able to hold on to the weight, in spite of the fact that I only eat a couple of hundred calories per day? Is that physically possible?

I'm not hungry either after the surgery. Starting off I could only take two small sips before I felt a tightness in my chest. Now I can take three large sips. If I overdo it I feel like I need to stand up to help the liquid go down and I get a pain in my left top shoulder. Then I just feel uncomfortable for about 20 minutes. I realize it's different for everyone.

53 lbs in three months is on the high end of someone at your starting weight. hair loss is very common. It's temporary - usually lasts about three or four months, then grows back. Just keep on top of your supplements and protein to keep it from getting worse than it would otherwise.