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Of course If this post helps even a couple of people, I'm glad I wrote it at 3am lol There's so much to learn on here, and the OGs have a lot of wisdom, and hard truths, to impart of the newbies lol I always want to help. Yes, I get frustrated when advice is ignored and then someone comes on and complains that they gained weight, or the weight isn't coming off. But I try to remember that it's a learning curve, and we all stumble and fall on this journey. You just have to be willing to take accountability for your actions, get up, and start again. I'm proud of every single person here who made the decision to save their lives by getting this surgery. It's life changing, and life saving. And I know first hand that many of us have a food addiction that got us into this, and it's up to us, in combination with the surgery, to get ourselves out of it. If I, and the others here that have done it, can help anyone else along the way, we're very happy to

Ive been following your story. I think i dont fully realize the extent of how much this is out of our control. Im 3 months post and im already close to my goal. My fear is that after a year ill be down further than i want and ill look sick😔😖. One can only hope that itll stop at a decent weight

I found this statement interesting. Can you define what real hunger is for you? What I mean is what are you actually feeling? I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I sometimes think we overuse this concept of "head hunger" vs. "real hunger". I know I've been guilty of that as much as anyone, but i think we should keep in mind that much of what people call real hunger is also "in our heads". A better way of differentiating hunger signals may be to call them homeostatic hunger and hedonic hunger since these happen somewhat differently. While this is oversimplified, homeostatic hunger starts as a signal from our stomach by way of production of ghrelin, which in turn activates AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus. Simply put, it may originate when the stomach is empty, but it's our brains that tell us it's time to eat again. This is not something we actively control. It's the bodies way of trying to keep you from starving to death. Hedonic hunger on the other hand is your body seeking pleasure from food. We like to say this is the one we want to control if weight loss is the goal, under the assumption that overall calorie intake will be less if we don't "give in" to cravings. Here's the thing, though. While scientists don't fully understand what's happening, we do know that dopamine and endocannabinoid receptors are being activated in our brains. Interestingly, just seeing or smelling certain foods can trigger these same processes. I wanted to explain this because it wouldn't be wrong to say all hunger is head hunger. The good news there is we also can be in control of both types of hunger, since they are both "in our heads". In terms of your specific situation, I think it would be rare to already be experiencing a lot of homeostatic hunger this early after surgery. On the other hand, it's probably not unheard of. For me personally, I was really bad at understanding what true hunger felt like. As a former obese person, I hated feeling hungry and would rather feel the overstuffed feeling in my guts since at least then my brain would quiet down. I'm not saying I've got it mastered, but I'm beginning to understand that when I'm truly hungry, I have other things going on like feeling weak, feeling irritated, and/or having brain fog. The strong urge to eat that i sometimes feel without those symptoms is probably more just my brain trying hard to either seek pleasure, or keep me from starving to death.

I joined the ranks back in 2021(plastics) and I love it here! I’m a small B cup, sometimes A if my weight fluctuates but I'm very happy with it. I will eventually get BA (I was supposed to in 2021) but I want to remain a B cup if possible. Prior to WLS I was a H cup so this is life on easy street for me.

Hey Everyone, Has anyone here tried Contrave after RNY. im 3 years post op. Slowly starting to gain. I’ve never had a reduction in cravings (which is my main Huge issue now) Or dumping after eating sugar or anything. dr suggested GLP-1 but it made me way to nauseous.

...but how do you FEEL? (it sounds like your med team is not so very concerned..?) put aside outside (non-medical-professional) comments and opinions, and even your own assessment of what you see in the mirror... do you FEEL good? do you have energy? can you go about your day physically unhindered or diminished? if yes, you are probably best served by working on the mental self work vs the physical stuff. easy to say, i know. you've done awesome, and in my insignificant opinion, you don't look sickly nor bony to me in your (clothed) pics. but i just suggested to block out others comments so ignore me! lol good luck! p.s. again, in my insignificant (non-medical) opinion: for someone your current height, weight, and reported activity level, 1600-18000 cals at 35g of carbs is weight loss level cals/macros. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I wasn’t going to discuss this on these boards since I don’t want to turn the discussion away from weight loss. I figured I would talk cancer at the cancer support group and weight related stuff here, but I am quickly realizing that it’s very much intertwined. I had my revision surgery to SADI on 8/7/2024 and I felt something on my breast in the shower in September. I went to gyno, got sent to get a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound and then biopsies and it came back as cancer 11/6/2024 (about 4 months post op). A few days later I was with the breast surgeon and was told it was triple negative and it’s very aggressive so the process is a little different for me in that it’s all very fast moving but it’s pretty much the same collection of treatments for most cancer I believe. I am currently two rounds into chemotherapy and just started immunotherapy and also doing appointments for all kinds of scans and imaging as well as meeting the rest of my doctors and setting up my future treatments which will be double mastectomy, then radiation and then maybe oral chemo. Basically I have not sat down since I learned the diagnosis and I have had to learn a tremendous amount very fast to make some pretty heavy decisions very quickly to keep the ball rolling. It’s been a whirlwind From a bariatric standpoint things have been incredibly challenging. For one my appointments are all over Florida. I have a medical oncologist, a breast surgeon, a cosmetic breast surgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a second opinion oncologist and now a gynocologist in the mix but that’s pretty specific to me. So far and I have had to have imaging done at 3 different places as well since it’s all been so rushed it’s just about who can get me in the soonest and then since these places aren’t connected I have to wait around for records and discs and carry them all to each of my appointment to make sure everyone has everything I have been traveling non stop with little time to prepare things so prioritizing my nutrition and exercise has been a huge challenge just in terms of time. There are just not enough hours in the day!! Then there is the chemo, the shot that builds up your white blood cells, and the immunotherapy infusion which also take time (2-3 different appointments depending on how it works out that week) but also all of this effects my cravings and energy. First there is the fact that I have to be on steroids which we all know are the enemy of weight loss but also the fact that eating is different. I consider myself very fortunate that food doesn’t taste bad to me and nausea is not an issue like it is for so many but it’s still not the same. I crave something very specific. I taste it and it’s good but I eat three bites and don’t want it anymore. My refrigerator is a leftover graveyard lol. In terms of energy I am on the strongest treatment regimen the oncologist says so fatigue sorta goes with the territory. I have been walking everyday still except for the biopsy day and my chemo port surgery day and I have done my yoga when my schedule permits but I have not done my cardio class because I think I sweat too much considering how dehydrating the chemo already is. Also I can’t touch community stuff for 24 hours after chemo without possibly exposing others to the chemo drug and we use balls, bars, discs, etc. Also more recently there is the fact that I have lost about 85% of my hair and I get too hot to wear a hat. I think once I’m bald it will actually look better and I am going to try really hard to just get over that but right now I don’t look like I have cancer. It just looks like a botched hair cut to me so I’m living in hats. The good news is it’s going very fast. It started falling out last week and it’s almost gone already so by next week I think I will just be bald. Well, yesterday I did totally forget to exercise with all that I had going on and I’m feeling guilty today now that I remembered but I know that’s silly. I am just hoping that as treatment goes on I am able to keep up my exercise. All the doctors say it’s good to keep pushing myself just not too hard. Exercise and good nutrition are going to make this alot easier on me. Back to food again. Not sure if it’s just the stress of the whole situation or the fact that chemo puts you into early menopause but Thursday was a particularly bad day. My moods were erratic to say the least and I had a bunch of blood drawn after having nothing but a protein shake all day so at 7pm I was pretty much famished by the time we stopped to eat. Olive Garden was the most convenient option and I planned soup and salad but when I got in there that went out the window. I went totally off plan. Again I feel guilty but these darn steroids and all the crazy emotions are making it so much harder to make the better choices when it’s staring at me tempting me I did still get my protein for the day though if there is any good in that What’s really hard about this is that even with the pasta and bread I am actually still losing weight so for my previously obese brain it’s tempting to not just enjoy that while it lasts. But I know that the processed crap is not good for my body, especially right now. I don’t feel as good since I have not been exercising as much and I’ve been eating off plan. I don’t sleep as well at night and I seem to crave more and more junk as well as have less energy throughout the day. thankfully my program has provided to me free of charge an oncology dietician, but I am her first patient who is actively still in weight loss phase undergoing chemo. She had agreed to check in with me once a week since this is new for both of us and she seems amazing so far. She suggested that I do not lose more than two to three pounds a week which was my average before the chemo. Because the chemo has apparently sped up my metabolism she says that I need to increase calories but to add healthy ones which is extremely difficult because adding calories goes against all we just learned and over 2000 calories of healthy food is a very large volume of food that my body is just not wanting right now (I was eating around 900-1000 before this and already felt like I was eating all day. And remember that most of these meals are on the road these days so I have to eat what I can fit in a cooler or stop somewhere on the side of the highway most times. Not easy to find clean healthy food on the road. Enough stating the obvious that it’s tough, here’s what I actually have to offer so far in terms of advice. First thing when I wake up in the morning I have a protein shake which is a really good head start to the day and if I am lucky enough to still be around a couple of hours later I have a second breakfast instead of waiting until there’s time to eat on whatever adventure the day brings. That helps with the protein if I don’t have time to stop at all. Although recently the shakes haven’t gone down so well so I just wake up and have scrambled eggs with 2% cheese and whatever leftover veggies are on hand.. If I know I won’t have time for that I also have some boiled eggs In the fridge that I can eat real fast or slice up with some cheese and take on the go. I carry in my cooler a high protein yogurt drink, chomps pepperoni flavored turkey jerky and baby bell light or mozzarella sticks. It helps to put the ice pack in a ziplock with these items if you live where it gets hot. I also carry a bag with high protein snacks quest protein chips, kind minis, cliff minis, pistachio nuts, nut butter packets, quest cheddar cheese crackers, granola to add to yogurt, etc Freezer meals!! Omg. I was doing these before my diagnosis and they were super convenient then and have been a lifesaver now. I have tex med chili, chicken chili, turkey meatballs, turkey taco meat, grilled chicken, meatloaf, etc in the freezer and it’s all measured and weighed out so that I can pop in the fridge the night before or even jet defrost in microwave if need be. When I have time to cook I do double batches so I can keep my freezer stock replenished. I have a note in my phone notes that it titled In freezer and I just keep adding to it what I freeze and how many portions are in there so if I’m not home I can check my freezer stock. I also do a version of meal prep with chick fila as well I like their market and southwest salads (I get the market one without the blue cheese) I buy one of each with two extra chicken fillets and take them home and I make four salads out of that. I take off all the toppings with a bit of lettuce and put into a smaller container to make a market salad and do the same with the southwest. Then I put the leftover lettuce with the chicken into another container and I have fresh shredded Parmesan in snack ziplocks and ceaser dressing also in ziplocks (sorta less pleasant looking but I figure less risk if bacteria than them tiny containers which are hard to get really clean since I am immunocompromised and infection is so dangerous right now) i cut off a corner and squeeze it out like an icing bag. I just use half of the packets of dressing with the market and southwest salads and then toss the rest. I have the ziplock containers that have the twist top lids and these are easy to toss into the cooler when they do not open at all I still log my macros in Baritastic this has really been helpful for me to be honest about what I’m eating with my oncology dietician so she can keep me on track . It also lets you log your activity, weight, inches lost and set notifications for vitamins and stuff. I added a reminder to put on my fitness watch and to take my regular meds too I also carry my water with me and I set alarms again to drink. You have to wear a mask and for me that seems to make me drink like a quarter as much as I do without one so I have to have reminders again. Vitamins need alarms too. Chemo brain is a real thing and when your days is never the same it’s hard to have a routine anyways so I actually have alarms for just about everything in life right now. I made different tones for water, vitamins and appointments and I have a checklist to go over before I leave the house to make sure I did and packed everything. My friend and family also have reminders for me in their phones for the real important stuff and they call or text to make sure I haven’t forgotten. I just found out that two of the programs I belong too offer virtual yoga sessions. I haven’t tried it yet because they are at set times as well but I added them to my calendar as recurring appts just like the live one so I can attend whichever one I have time for. Someone else suggested you tube for videos but I haven’t tried that either. Yoga by the way is my only sense of calm throughout all of this so I HIGHLY recommend it. That and meditation I know that both of these sound a little fruity before you give them a good fair try and meditation takes a lot of practice before it really Did anything for me but I swear my mind runs non stop with anxiety and worry and for that one hour I’m in yoga or the few minutes I’m meditating it is at peace. It’s amazing!! So I am a little over a month into this and I’ve got a good year and a half to go if all goes well so I’m sure I will have more to add to this but I just wanted to pop In and share what my experience has been juggling a new cancer diagnosis while pretty early out from bariatric surgery. I hope this helps someone. Even if it’s less advice and more to let you know that you are not alone in the struggle.

So I will definitely say that I am so oblivious LOL I stay in my own world so I really don't know, however I do have a great deterrent from men talking to me....my kids! LOL My boyfriend has actually had a hard time with my weight loss...there was a good point where he felt uncomfortable being intimate. He said that the change happened so fast that I felt and looked so different he felt like he was cheating on the old me. He also preferred me fluffy, met me at 240lbs size 16, then I blew up to 297lbs size 20 after I had our baby, and now I am 160 ish at a size 2-4, but he also understood I did this surgery for my health. I am getting my boobies done 12/30 so I k now that will be another hurdle I think, then I most likely will be getting more obvious blunt attention that both of us will have to get used to. Our relationship is strong and our communication is really good so we will be okay but its been a process lol

That’s exactly how I felt. I got down close to my doctors goal for me (18’ppunds shy) stalled there for about three months and then the hunger came back and I started to gain. If you haven’t spoken to your surgeon yet, definitely do that. They have some weight loss meds you may want to try (I couldn’t take because of other meds I’m on) and also the GLP-1 that some people are having a lot of success with (my insurance doesn’t cover but some do now). Plus there is the option of revision if/when you are ready. I am learning that it’s not super uncommon for people to have to revise the sleeve. Don’t quote me but it seems like it was 26%! Of people need revision within 3’years. Dom‘t personalize it like I did. I felt like I was such a failure that I stopped going to my follow up appointments and gained it all plus some. Hopefully they can help you before it comes to that.

It is so good to hear an update from you. I am so frustrated for you that you had to go through a stall because of conflicting information but at least you’re on track now. I am on a pretty similar plan my breakfast every morning is a proffee which is a caramel shake with iced coffee on top. Then I eat every three hours so luncheon dinner with two high protein snacks. this actually works well for me to remember all of my vitamins too because I have to take vitamins at five different times a day. that’s so exciting to hear about the clothes fitting and you were so lucky but you have someone to borrow. I think for me my most exciting moment was clearing out some of the things that are way too big for me now. I was actually thinking of asking my team if we could do a clothing exchange at the support group meeting. for the wheats, if you don’t have any look on marketplace consider discount stores as well. I checked several thrift stores for mine, and apparently they sell them separately because I found them in several stores but only one. I ended up finding some at a discount store for 599 for the set. Alternatively, check your library, city, and county websites for classes that use weights. Mine has all the weights there for you to use. And the group classes are really fun, Inexpensive and there’s no commitment. At mine it’s a really cool environment too. It’s nothing like a gym. The women are just average women that are there to get healthy. Nothing competitive whatsoever everyone choose each other on to beat their own personal best or just totally mines their own business. They even gave me my first class free to see if I liked it. I’m sure I mentioned that I started with yoga. I never in 1 million years would’ve considered myself someone who would survive one yoga class never mind love it. Of course I’m horrible and can’t do half of but it’s still a workout and I am getting more flexible and my balance is getting a bit better because of it anyways, congratulations on your loss and finding your groove. Keep doing what you’re doing and keep us posted.

Oh my goodness, I find it so hard to shop for clothing in stores right now because I can't tell by looking whether something will fit. I order a lot of clothing online, and for that I find the measurement chart helpful because those don't lie the way numbered sizes do. For going into winter, I've bought 3 pairs of jeans, some skirts, and several sweaters. I'm keeping the summer clothing until next year but not sure how much of it will fit by then. I'm less than 20 lbs away from my goal weight now, so that will maybe be one more size down? I guess we'll see! For now, I have been buying cheaper options, but I look forward to buying some nicer brands once I hit maintenance.

@Hey Man - I feel your pain here. As others have stated, it's really a mental game. I'm dealing with it myself and HAVE opted to go for the "pouch reset" - or as I call it ... the "OUCH" reset. Going back to the basics seems to put me in a better mental state and reminds me constantly of what it took to lose the weight initially and what I have to do. Personally, if I try and make small changes one at a time, I find myself cheating and going back to deluding myself (I just ate a small bowl of chili, I just ate one slider, I just ate a scoop of ice cream, etc -) whereas if I go full bariatric - track, weigh, ONLY meals (vs snacks) make fluids a priority; it's actually easier for me mentally.

100% I had to shift my mindset that instead of loosing weight, how do I want to feel? Okay I am at a "healthy BMI" but am I really healthy? Am I really putting things in my body that is healthy? Am I working out my body in a way that it will make it stronger? Its NOT easy at all to change our mindsets! I have moments that I am unhappy with myself think that I can do better or more. Its my head playing tricks on me! I think you have a great approach!

I can absolutely understand where you are coming from - I have a friend going through this about a year past her Gastric Bypass and it is one of the reasons I opted for the SADI instead (not that I know this will make a difference in terms of weight loss!) I'm a bit worried about getting to this point myself, where the weight keeps coming off - but then again, I seem to always need SOMETHING to worry about. My surgery is Monday morning. There are a lot of knowledgeable people who have commented here and I'm taking notes on their suggestions! That said - it kind of sounds like you might be remaining in ketosis from being so low sugar / low carb and I wonder if that's what is causing your continued significant weight loss? When I went shopping for all of my sugar-free items for my liquid diet I noticed there were keto versions and low-carb versions of some items. The advice given to add a small serving of potatoes or healthy fats like avocado sounds really smart and might help with that. I bet it also gets tiring hearing people comment on your weight loss. Has that been hard? Just curious - and honestly, even if you aren't right where you want to be atm - congratulations! It's a HUGE accomplishment to have reached this point and know what weight you LIKE your body at, and I hope you give yourself lots of pats on the back!

4 years post Gastric Bypass. Zero complications, maintained weight loss and found exercise I love. This journey inspired me to get into healthcare.

I’m counting it since my body has been fluctuating weight for the last month! 😂 but this is insane, never have I ever been this weight in my adult life! Never have I ever been this fit, never have I ever stayed on this path and stuck it through. What an amazing tool! Next goal? BOOBIES 😅

Find something you enjoy doing. While I have been a gym rat forever, I always take up things that I look forward to and it has to always be sustainable for me. So some years ago I took up tennis and would go twice a week, I also took up Taekwondo, martial arts and now Pilates. My two Pilates classes a week are the highlights of my week, I look forward to them and I shop cute workout outfits weekly because I like to look good when I go. It is much easier to build on the workouts (movement) you enjoy, so if you enjoy a certain activity (swimming, cycling, tennis, padel, Pilates, yoga, hiking, dancing, whatever it is) you will always feel a bit more motivated to build on that. So for me, I go for Pilates twice a week and I lift and do strength and conditioning another 3 days a week to add to my classes. I love jogging, HIIT and plyos and do that for my cardio, but even brisk walking is really really good to maintain weight loss. Keep it simple. Also, I find it much draining to workout after work, so I workout at 5:30 AM before work (except for my Pilates classes because my studio doesn't run classes that early), this allows me to get it out of the way and have my evenings free to do what I like (which is be with my kids, bake, chill). It also helps that I have a fully equipped gym at home that I have built. I always kept weights, a bench, jump rope and resistance band at my old house and would mostly workout at home early in the morning, if you can keep some weights, a walking pad and some resistance bands at home (if it is an option) do that, it works great for busy days or mornings where you don't have time/the will to go to the gym. This is what has worked for me. It has to be enjoyable and sustainable for you.

obesity is a very complex condition, and it takes a multi-pronged approach to lose weight. Among other things, there are biological changes which occur when you're obese (people with obesity even have different gut bacteria than people who don't) which make it very difficult to lose weight and especially, keep it off. You have to fight biology to do it, and biology usually wins. Fewer than 5% of people who lose a lot of weight are able to keep it off. I was in that battle for decades (I'm in my mid-60s - had surgery at age 55). I cannot tell you how many times I lost 15 or 20 lbs, just to have it come back on. On my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50 or 60 lbs - but again, it just came back on - and I had 200 lbs to lose! Surgery was the only thing that ever worked for me. There's a good chance I'd be dead by now if I hadn't had it. people who've never struggled with obesity have no idea what they're talking about. Listen to your doctor and yourself, and not people who have no clue what they're talking about.

I was on ozempic for my sugar and I did not lose any weight. My sugar numbers were beautiful BUT I ended up with gastroparesis and that was not fun. I wasn't digesting all my food and I would end up with horrific episodes of vomiting and something I ate 3 days previous would come up. It was awful.

No it just cuts out a lot of the fat but keeps the protein. I am in the weight loss case so I’m paying attention to fat and carbs. I also had my gallbladder out with my surgery so I have to slowly add fat back in to see how my body reacts. It also cuts the cholesterol which I was borderline high before my surgery. I will eventually work my way back to “skinny omelettes,” which is one whole egg and a few egg whites for a normal sized omelette. I really like to have cheese in my omelette. So I shred my own from a 2% block cheese (which is more flavorful so I use less) and do the egg whites to make up for the fat in the yolk. As long as my body allows it, I will work my way back to regular eggs eventually I’m sure, because I prefer them taste wise.

Ooh, thanks for this @FifiLux🥰 It links to my Apple Watch/iphone, which links with my Nutracheck app so I’ve ordered the pretty purple and red one which should be here tomorrow 🥳 I’ve given the tape measure and skipping rope a miss for now but they are bookmarked for future reference. @AmberFLI guess it will be like the grand unveiling won’t it, come revealing my weight when hitting target! Hubby doesn’t really equate a weight with anything really, he works off clothing sizes (more visual obviously) so he asked me yesterday what clothing size I was aiming for and I said 14/16 (UK sizing) and he understood that. @catwoman7I think, from reading what others have said, your body pretty much chooses where it wants to be so I will be guided by that in the short term. I previously got down to around 165lbs and I still cannot envisage me weighing that now! I’m still in shock from how small the Billabong shorts I rescued look, never mind to think that, once upon a time, my fat arse fit in to them 😂 @Arabesquesorry, I didn’t explain myself very well - the Drs surgery called me for my updated weight when the Dr was putting in the referral. I had to show willing right at the start and try the Slimming World programme before I could be referred. When I started the programme I weighed 130.5kg but this actually went up (unlimited pasta and potatoes huh?? Really??) and I duly reported 135kgs which somehow ended up as 130kg on the referral letter 😮 Can only think that the second weight report got missed somehow 🤷‍♀️ My home scales always weighed me 2lbs heavier than the scales in the Rheumatology Department at the hospital but I didn’t mind that as it gave me a little breathing space. I did tell the dietitian that obviously I weigh myself in the buff etc and she just laughed and said it was fine.

some people experience hormone-related depression for a few weeks after weight loss surgery, but weight loss surgery would not have caused bipolar disorder.

Hello All, I am very new to the group and have not had my surgery yet but am scheduled for June 13th and I am excited to start losing weight exponentially even though I already have while on weight loss meds and starting a gym regimen while in the pre-op stages. My question for you all is if anyone traveled abroad within their first year post op? I am planning on going to Peru in Dec-Jan for two weeks and while I realize I will still have minimal portion sizes I feel I can make it work due to the wide variety of delicious/nutritious foods in the region that dont necessarily have to be carb-loaded. If anyone has experience with traveling to South America/Peru specifically your input would be much appreciated! I am hopeful that by that time I will be able to swim, walk and overall be active around touristy areas with ease but please let me know if there is anything else I should be aware of or try to pack before my travels to ensure I meet all of my nutritional needs.

Happy puree stage! It's so much nicer hahaha. I also over bought stuff but they are still surviving in my fridge. I wish I could advice u on the qty but I also read that 1/2 cup is right for now. If u guys read arabic, I would've shown what mine said and we would have a pretty good laugh as it basically says nothing informative teehee but I am surviving and losing the weight!! I wanna fast forward to 6 months

Usually weight loss & eating more nutritious foods boosts your immune system. Maybe you’re a little run down from the recovery & healing, the physical & emotional stress of it all, from the changed diet/lower calories & the initial more rapid weight loss. Low protein can affect healing but, if I remember correctly your protein intake has been okay. How are your iron levels? Anaemia can affect your immune system too. Sorry lancing the abscess was so painful. ☹️