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So by 8 months post op with the sleeve, I started having complications. But before that, I was able to eat a cup to a cup and a half of food, depending on what it was. Now a year out from my revision to bypass, I have 2 cups of protein cereal, or 1 small piece of steak and 1/4 cup of cheesy peas. Or I can have a can of soup. I can have 2 chicken drum sticks and 1/4 cup of veggies. It's not so much HOW MUCH you eat as it is WHAT you eat. I'm careful with what I eat, I still log and track everything, and I avoid sugar (or go with no sugar added if it's unavoidable) and rarely use salt (but use Himalayan salt if I REALLY need it). It's about how often you eat and what you're eating. I don't graze. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. I don't drink alcohol (empty calories and carbs), I don't drink soda (again, empty calories and carbs and frankly, don't like the taste anymore), and I made sure to find alternatives to things I use to eat a lot that are healthier but still yummy. I don't feel like I'm deprived because it all tastes good.

Yeah, there's a definite bias of information (unintentionally, of course) when you frequent bariatric spaces. I've been on this board almost a year, and I really enjoy it, but at five months post-op, one thing I've noticed is the vast majority of people who were posting regularly a year ago, or even 3-6 months ago, are not here any more. That's a lot of diverse experience that goes away, and I would guess that the people who remain are a combination of those who are the most dedicated (possibly to the extreme), those who get the most out of social interactions, and those who experience the most complications in their journeys, along with people who return after several years to get back on track because of significant regain or needing revisions. The people who are hitting their goals easily, losing weight at an average pace, eating and exercising in a way that isn't particularly noteworthy, maintaining within a reasonable weight range, and generally living life without stressing about bariatric issues, quickly become underrepresented voices. So it's easy to start thinking that the average person struggles a lot at every stage, can barely eat or drink for months, exercises like they're training for the olympics, tracks every bite of food and never strays from their macros every day of their life, experiences all the most severe complications regularly, and will gain back all their weight plus some if they even dare to glance at a piece of bread or a dessert on someone else's plate let alone allow a bite to pass their lips. It's easy to become very obsessive about it (raises hand: yes, that's me). And in a situation like after surgery where a lot of things change at once, sometimes it feels like the more you can control and anticipate, the better. At least it does for me. But my advice would be, especially when you are feeling particularly anxious about something, to think about whether there are perspectives you aren't getting that might reduce your anxieties if you were able to hear from them. Like, if there were 20-30 people who used to post in your surgery month group and now you're down to 4 or 5, what might those other people say if you asked them about the thing that is worrying you? My guess is, if they're not posting anymore, it's usually not because they're suffering in silence.

I had my roux-en-Y bypass in 2009. I was 5’7” and weighed 253 lbs. I had lost about 50 lbs. Then my parents began a two-year decline with an extremely complicated two years of dementia (both at the same time!), gout, broken back, shoulder, and ribs, triple valve replacement, gall bladder surgery, a search for a geriatric psychiatry bed which never came through, and multiple moves from assisted living centers, rehab centers, memory care centers, and nursing homes. There were at least a dozen ER visits over those two years. My self-care routine devolved. I developed ulcers. Five years after the surgery I went through a severe depression and started vomiting a few times a week. Two ER trips with bleeding ulcers. Deepening depression. In 2018, had surgery to remove the ulcers. I continued vomiting and dropped down to 146 lbs. I’m down to 5’4” tall because of scoliosis, a side effect of Parkinson’s I was diagnosed with a few weeks ago. I had the roux-en-Y procedure redone last week. I’m trying.

I'm working on figuring out how to maintain lol I'm below goal, which is fine is I stay where I'm at. Don't really want to go any lower. I'm slowly increasing calories and carbs, but I can't go too high or I get sick. So I'm just trying to figure it out. My first year post surgery, I was half way to my goal (I needed to lose roughly 200 pounds to get to my goal). I had complications that slowed my weight loss (I lost 113 pounds in 8 months) after the 8-9 month mark. I had my revision 13 months after my initial surgery and lost another 94 pounds in a year. I also had 2 major surgeries during that time, too. Now my weight loss is (hopefully) stopping - 2 years after my initial surgery and 1 year after my revision. I've lost a total of 240 pounds from my highest weight and 207 pounds from my surgery-day weight. And it took me a total of 2 years. I hit many stalls along the way, but it's all been 100% worth it.

morbidity rate is 0.3% with bypass - which is super low. These aren't the same surgeries as they were years ago. They're only slightly more risky than the sleeve. Complication rate is really low, too. The most common (other than dumping) is stricture, which happens to about 5% of bypass patients, and that's an easy fix - they just do an upper endoscopy and stretch it out (I had one of those). Dumping happens to about 30% of bypass patients, and you can prevent that by not eating a ton of sugar or fat at one sitting (most dumpers can eat *some* sugar and fat, just not a ton of it at one sitting). I've never dumped, and I know lots of other bypassers who've never dumped, either. yes you do need to take supplements forever because of the malabsorption "feature" (which makes it a more powerful surgery than sleeve). But you get used to it pretty quickly. I don't even give it a thought anymore - taking them is now just part of my regular morning, afternoon, and evening routines, Most sleeve patients have to take vitamins as well - although slacking off on them has more dire consequences with bypass than it does with sleeve. Missing a day here and there - or even a few days in a row, isn't likely to cause problems. But simply not taking them can cause huge problems over time. To be honest, cutting off 3/4 of your stomach and throwing it in the garbage doesn't really seem that less radical to me than stapling across the top of your stomach and re-attaching your small intestine, but I know that thought seems really radical to a lot of people, so you're not alone in thinking that. Although unlike the sleeve, the RNY is reversible (although they'll only do that in extreme circumstances), which seemed oddly comforting to me. I chose RNY because I had GERD prior to surgery - and it did "fix" that. I'm very happy with my decision - I've had a lot of success with mine and no problems other than the aforementioned stricture I had at four weeks out. I'd make the same decision today.

I do cheated on my post op diet as well, luckily it just vomiting, not other complication

August 7th isn't too far away! You're close to the preop diet. I started mine a few days ago and it's testing me, but I knew it would. If I were a smaller person, I don't think it would be such an issue. If I weren't having appetite issues even before the diet, things would be easier, too. What's helped has been sipping on broth or slurping on sugar free Jell-O all day. I go slow with those so it feels like I'm eating/taking in more than I am. I'm only nervous about one thing: the gas pains immediately after surgery. I've never had surgery before, so I am not sure what to expect. I want to have a realistic expectation of pain before experiencing it. I know I will handle it better that way. Luckily, I have a few family members who have had laparoscopic procedures before and we willing to be honest about the experience. I've been avoiding stories online of others' experiences of that moment, because we all have different pain thresholds and it's too easy to go down the rabbit hole of scary stories. Especially with AI/algorithms thinking we want to see the worst of the worst. I want to share why I made my decision to have the SADI-S vs a sleeve or bypass. While I cannot speak to what things will be like after surgery, I am confident I'm making the correct decision for myself. I'm in my 30s with no kids, but would like some. I have been struggling with my weight ballooning up and down for the last 20 years. At my heaviest, I was over 320 pounds. I hit that as I made the decision for surgery. I didn't know what surgery I wanted, so I started doing research into the best bariatric surgeons in my state. I read through their websites and looked at reviews for the surgeons through my insurance provider, google, yelp, and other such websites. Then I asked a few friends in the medical field which doctors they would want doing surgery on them. All of that narrowed my list down significantly. I ultimately went on gut instinct and don't regret it at all. My surgeon is amazing. Her teams is extremely supportive. Here's some information she gave me on my options: -- Gastric Bypass: She does not recommend the procedure to any patient. It has more points for potential surgery complications and, in her medical opinion, the highest chance for weight regain. -- Sleeve: potential to lose 70% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance for complications. -- SIPS/SADI-S: potential to lose 80% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance of surgical complications. I want to have children, and she advised that the SIPS/SADI-S (there really needs to be a better name for this) is the best choice to allow me to get pregnant a year or so post-op (depending on how I'm doing) and reenter weight loss when appropriate post-birth. I will have to work very closely with my weight loss team throughout the entire pregnancy, but it really feels like a bonus to have more support. My surgeon's office also recommends patients to very talented specialists for all surgery clearances. They all treated me like they were part of a huge team dedicated to helping me get through surgery clearance. It was amazing. I was given a packet with all the possible issues I might encounter post-op, what can be done if they happen, and how to avoid them in the first place. When I read through it spelled out in black and white, it's easy to see what my life would need to be to avoid a horrible experience. The most embarrassing ones are noted as being most common with gastric bypass than sleeve or DS. Most of these complications can be avoided by chewing well, not drinking during meals, and not overeating. One of my doctors said I am going back to being a baby again, digestively. I will need to reteach my body how to process what I eat and not be afraid to push back milestones if I'm not ready to start the next leg of the journey. I'm definitely anxious. The unknown is always scary. I'm confident at the same time because of the team I'm working with. And because of the support I have at home. I know I'm extremely lucky to have the surgeon and support I do. It's definitely a burden to afford this surgery right now, but I don't believe I will feel that way in 5 or 10 years.

I had a lot of complications with the sleeve and the decision was made for me. My surgeon told me in no uncertain terms that I HAD to have the revision. It wasn't because I wasn't losing weight.

How are you doing now? Have you started back to some form of movement. I know that when I had the sleeve I tried to do the treadmill and that did not stick no matter how many times I tried. To me, that was like torture. This time with my revision I am walking around the neighborhood instead. Talking with a friend on the phone who is also walking or listening to music and seeing the various houses and people is just a great deal more enjoyable for me than the treadmill even with the television on I still felt like a hamster I am still early out and I definitely wouldn’t call it a habit yet but I can tell you for sure that I do not dread it each day like I did the other and I’m really hoping that I can keep it up I know for sure that the endorphins are great for my mood and my energy I go until I fall into the bed and sleep like a baby. In fact that’s why I’m up right now, because I did so much yesterday I feel asleep at 9pm 😂 I agree somewhat about the fact that if you must choose one place to put your effort then the nutrition is definitely the most important in terms of weight loss BUT, having done this before and been less successful, I can tell you that last time I did not exercise and it felt like less of a huge life change for me as it does this time Again, I am only 5 weeks out so it’s possible that this is temporary, though I hope not because I feel fantastic with all of my choices my point is that adding in exercise, for me, makes it feel like more of a lifestyle change and after I come home all sweaty from my walk I don’t want to put any junk into my body. I am even starting to buy things that are grass fed and organic when they are available and trying to cut back on salt as well as rethinking my artificial Sweeteners (although that’s going to be the toughest for me to give up) because my body feels so good and healthy and I want to feel this way for a long long time. As others have said it doesn’t have to be a specific exercise. Just move your body more. Maybe dance lessons, or Pickleball, something like that. My library had a Belly Dance teacher at one point about a year ago and now that I’m losing a bit I am going to look into whether she is still there because that sounds kinda fun. I also did some research on the weighted hula hoop and it is cardio for most people as well as a bit of strength training so I may try that. It brings back memories of competitions with them as a kid so it could be fun. Something that my PA said at one of my pre surgery support group meetings keeps ringing in my mind that helps motivate me too he said that just 90 minutes of exercise a week in zone two heart rate (which I achieve with a brisk walk) decreases your risk of “all cause mortality” by 15%!! You can even break it into 15 minutes a day- 6 days a week (although it’s really 25 with your warm up and cool down added) but weight loss aside, a 15% decrease, thats pretty incredible. I was afraid of some of the complications from surgery that may or may not kill me and that was once like a 2% risk. So my goal is 30 minutes of exercise a day (I rounded up) and anything beyond that is just a bonus. That has seemed to work for me so far 🤞

You're looking great, and so happy! I really hope things finally are settling down for you now and you'll have a chance to just live life a little without worrying about surgeries and complications.

I have tons of respect and empathy for those that have went through WLS and had complications. I am not one of them. My procedure, recovery, and stages were textbook. I was very lucky. That doesn't mean that every day was rainbows and puppy dogs, but it was typical. I was sore for days post-surgery, but back to work one week after the procedure. I immediately began to force myself to walk after the surgery. Short distances, then adding more as I started to feel better. March of 2023 my steps were 48299. August of 2024 my steps were 206084. Not going to break any records, but a nice improvement for me. To this point being active with life has been my only real exercise, so it is definitely an opportunity for me in the future to develop a better gym routine. I struggled with fluids and protein for months. Slowly, focusing on it and sticking to the plan I eventually got there. I never let it worry me, and just let me body adjust. I am not a scale watcher, so that was never a problem for me. At checkups I got weight updates, so I was never stressed about the scale. Now I weigh weekly, to make sure than I not gaining. I have had all the NSV that many have seen and shared. Less pain in my knees is my personal favorite NSV. I have arthritic knees, so they will never be great, but the less weight has helped a lot. Honestly, some of my NSV's also came along with some shame, that I had let myself get so big that these were NSV's, if that makes any sense. My worst times since the procedure were dealing with constipation (for the first time in my life). Took me several painful months to figure out a system for me. It is different for everyone, but I encourage everyone be aggressive with your plan to deal with it. For me, I take MiraLAX every third day and stool softener every other day. I am now better equipped if I notice I am not as regular, then I adjust the timing. The other problem I have now is seeing a big spread of food and wanting it all! It's just not possible now! Always protein first, but I try to have a few bites of everything I want, then cut it off. I eat healthier than I ever have. Staying focused on lean protein and vegetables. Working in fruits to help with my sweet tooth and provide some variety. In general, I am low carb, but I am not no carb. No more fast food for lunch or on the ride home from work. We meal plan, but nothing overboard, but I always pack healthy for work. Last week was salad week, so I had a salad with fat free dressing every day for lunch. Today, I had boneless skinless chicken breast, peanuts, blueberry, apple with peanut butter, and my protein shake spread out from 6a to 2p. I have also got down 48-ounces of water with a plan to get another 32-ounces of water in by the end of the day. Carbonated drinks bother me slightly, which is one of the few things. When I overdo it, my new overfilled feeling isn't in my stomach, it much higher, almost like in my throat. Not comfortable, and a good reminder to slow down, chew more, smaller bites, and stop eating! I hope this long overshare is helpful to someone and gives everyone a better idea of how my journey has been. Lastly, I have mention how great my wife and kids have been over the last few years. By my side the whole way and always supportive.

I was one of those "model patient" presenters at my clinic for the three years before COVID! I loved doing that! I had a partner - a VSG patient (I was RNY). I'd had a stricture at four weeks out - she never had any complications. I'm hoping we didn't sound too "vanilla" - but neither one of us had any issues (other than my stricture - which is a mild issue and very easily fixed). We were both super happy with our surgeries and both lost a ton of weight (she lost 100 lbs, I lost over 200). Although I think people found us entertaining (we were quite a pair!) and most groups asked us lots of questions. We always told the groups about the three-week stall (since it happens to almost everyone, and very few clinics mention it to their patients, so people freak out when it happens to them). Also told them about how we ate a month out, a few months out, a year out (our clinic's plan wasn't low-carb, like many of them are - it was balanced - although even given that, the typical eating YOUR presenter does sounds carb-heavy even to me). We mentioned how we typically eat when we're at a restaurant. Talked about the extra skin (my partner even lifted her shirt to show them her extra skin). Also talked about our experience with hair loss (since extra skin and hair loss are huge concerns among pre-ops). Also talked about constipation (we both have chronic constipation) and how we deal with it. And how we dress to "hide" all the extra skin (although I've since had mine removed). We always mentioned how most people lose their interest in food and hunger for several months after surgery, and how they should milk that for everything it's worth since it's way easier to lose weight when you don't give a flip about food. Basically stuff they likely would not have picked up during the classes they had with dietitian and the health psychologist. when I went through the classes in 2015, the presenter was kind of underwhelming, like yours. I'm sure he would have answered some of the questions we addressed when we were presenters, but he didn't, and the "students" wouldn't necessarily know enough at that point to even know what to ask. Shelli and I decide early on to talk about the issues they SHOULD ask about, but wouldn't know to. P.S. now I'm sitting her wishing I was still doing that - it was great fun! But COVID hit, so everything went online, and they didn't have the "model patient" class. Since everything is in person again, they may have some people doing it, but the two of us are pretty far out now (nine years), so they may have gotten people who had their surgeries just a year or two ago.

I have been creeping around here for months and finally decided to create an account and share. First though, I have to give great credit to my wife and family. My wife has been so supportive and flexible through the whole process. She has always been by my side, but during this process she read and learned about the changes, as much or more than I did. She has gone above and beyond with her support and care for me, all while still running a busy household. My kids are a constant reminder of why I did this -- so that I would be around for a long time. I wanted to be able to participate in life with my family. I also have to thank my surgical team and the care they provide. It has been great and truly lifesaving. I weighed 514-lbs on 9/12/22. I was a big boy to say the least. Shockingly, I was not in horrible medical condition. I did not take any medicine. Did not have diabetes or high blood pressure. I did have swelling in my legs, constantly sore/bad knees, and was very quick to be out of breath. I lived a very sedimentary live and limited my physical activity. I wanted to be able to be more active and be around with my family for a long time. I finally got up the nerve to discuss with my wife and she immediately got on board. I went through the program without an issue. Checked all boxes and completed all steps. Surgery was on 2/28/23 and it went well. I was up and moving that night, because that was one of the biggest hurdles to clear in order to leave. I was able to sip and keep liquid down. Discharged after one night! Incisions were sore, as expected. Gas was the worst, and not the good kind of gas that can clear the room when expelled (yeah, I am a guy), but the awful painful surgical gas, which took almost a week to fully go away. I was basically fully cleared by the doctor and back to work (in a nonphysical job) one week after surgery. My process was textbook, none of the complications that many have experienced, and I am lucky for it! This process has not been easy but has not been impossible. I have followed my plan, with the support at home, and it is working. I feel physically so much better. I am so much more mobile and active. I have never been happier. I have made changes to my daily life to support the process. My diet has changed but not radically. I eat a lot less and that is the biggest driver of my weight loss. I walk and am active in live, but I do not have a detailed exercise plan. I am still learning exactly what works for me, but most importantly I want others to know there are many routes to get to the same place. I try to get the big stuff right and not sweat the tiniest of details. My blood work at my six-month checkup was solid. Protein was on the low end in the range, but still acceptable. I was encouraged to keep on keeping on (shout out to Joe Dirt). They were comfortable enough to set my next follow up appointment out to one year. I was scared and nervous. I have had good days and bad days (constipation is AWFUL)! Most importantly, I wanted to share my story and I hope it can help others in some way. I never wanted to be skinny. I could care less what my BMI is. I wanted to feel better. I wanted to be able to participate in life with my family. And I am! I am no expert and I still have a long way to go, but I am happy and glad I had this surgery. As I have seen here, over and over again, we are all different, so what works for me may not for others, but I still wanted to share, and I hope it might be of some benefit to someone else. The non-scale wins are just the best! When I started this process, I was so huge that home scales couldn't hold me, so I would go months without weighing, but I knew good things were happening because of all the non-scale wins. Cherish those! This is a long (probably too long) post, so I will wrap. I recently weighed on my home scale (yeah, that's right, it now holds me) and I was at 288-lbs. If anyone has questions or wants more details about my journey, please let me know. I would be happy to share more.

I told my Dr at my preop that I was getting nervous and that I struggle with anxiety and he told me for every horror story i read that I need to search for about 99 stories of surgeries that Went perfectly smooth. The problem is that people are far more likely to post their stories if they are in bad shape looking for help then if they are out their living their best life because the surgery did exactly what it is supposed to. And if you are going to really consider the risks of complications For surgery. You really should also consider the risks of not doing it. Especially if you already have comorbidoties.

My mind was set to telling him thanks but no thanks but wanted to find out a bit more from everyone here first as aside from the possibility of no more PPI and reflux I don't see any necessary benefit, considering how severe my complications were from the original surgery, when I seem to be doing ok now. I am thinking of asking if I can come off my daily PPI to see if it has any impact. I haven't had any bad episodes since they fixed the stomach leak but I think he just wants to keep me on the meds and do the bypass to put his own mind at rest.

They may still consider you for the sleeve even with GERD. It’s gets super complicated and I don’t understand how he knew exactly what was causing what but I have MILD GERD post sleeve and I take only 20mg Omeprazole which controls it. The surgeon said if I wanted to revise to bypass I was good to go but if I wanted to revise to SADI that he had to do some tests first. He did a Endoscopy which found a hiatal hernia but because of my sleeved stomach he wasn’t able to turn the camera to get a good angle to determine the exact size of it. He then ordered an upper GI (I think that’s what he called it, but some call it a barium swallow test) and also a gastric emptying study). Then when he had all the results he said that the hernia is very small and he wouldn’t even repair it. Anyways, i will still have to be on PPI’S but he thinks they should control the GERD after the SADI. Many people choose the bypass so they don’t have to take the PPI’s again or if it’s so bad that PPI’s don’t always work but being able to take the occasional NSAID and the better weight loss statistics made me choose the SADI over the bypass anyways. That being said, just be aware going in that there is a percentage of people who need a revision post sleeve because they have inadequate weight loss or regain by like 3 years out. Your surgeon should go over all that with you. I have seen a few people on here say their insurance does not cover revision surgery so that’s something to consider when you make your decision. I hope I didn’t add to your confusion but it is a big decision and the more info you have the better to know what to ask at that appointment with the surgeon. My surgeon did not make me decide at the first visit either. I got to ask the NP questions every month at my weigh in and then decide which surgery I wanted (for my sleeve, the process for the revision was a little different).

Sounds like I am actually a lot better off than I thought I was. As most of you probably know I am on my LSD now which is two shakes and then a low carb dinner of 3oz lean meat, 1 cup of cooked veggies, and 1 cup berries or melon. Well, I do not feel stuffed to the brim, but I am satisfied after just the meat and veggies. I end up having the berries later as a snack which cuts out one of the snacks I am allowed for the day so win-win. . What worried me was that this diet was written for someone with normal anatomy and I was getting closer than I thought I should to finishing it. That and some of the plates I’ve seen posted on here by veterans seem to be such tiny portions compared to my 8” plate full. I felt that my restriction was way-way less than anyone else with a sleeve. I worried that even if I was keeping it to healthier choices and some was being malabsorbed that the portion size would still get me in trouble if I don’t eat lean meat and veggies forever. i do realize that it’s more about what the foods are than how much I eat but I would like to add in some other options eventually (for maintenance at least). . I am fighting against a pretty complex scenario too. Not only am I asking for this surgery to help with obesity but I also have Bipolar Disorder. I have been on meds and doing okay but the meds are not a cure. I still have episodes and during those periods things like healthy food choices are…well…out the window. I try not to keep unhealthy options in the house but I have things i am allowed in moderation and my husband has some bad foods that he eats as well. On top of that I cannot go off of the meds that make me gain. Long story short, I really do need the most aggressive surgery I can get to give me the best chance at this. it sounds like my stomach is pretty normal for someone that is over a year out though. Some of the doctors redo the sleeve when during a revision which sounds ideal but mine does not. He says I that’s not worth the risks involved. Obviously I don’t want to risk more side effects, complications and lifestyle changes to get the SADI if I’m not going to get anything more out of it than I would a bypass which would also be more likely to resolve my mild gerd. I just wish there was more data to go on. I guess what it boils down to is having to trust my doctors judgement. Past experience witb doctors just make that SO difficult for me. Thank you all for sharing your experiences with the sleeve and the bypass.🩷 This does help me a great deal. Now I know that I actually am where he should expect me to be in terms of capacity. At least I know he did have all the correct information when he said the SADI was my best option.

So I had the sleeve and then a year later revision to bypass (due to complications). I can tell you that I developed sensitivities and outright allergies to foods I had never had before IN MY LIFE after my surgeries. After my sleeve, I developed an allergy to peanuts. Not horrible, but I need to take something if I eat them, so I just don't eat them or anything with peanuts in them. I also became lactose intolerant. BADLY. So I avoid dairy and use almond milk and lactose free things. I also have a low tolerance for salt. I use to salt EVERYTHING and now I pretty much never use it at all because I can't tolerate the taste. It's very metallic tasting and gives me a headache. When I had my revision, all of that stayed the same PLUS I suddenly got a serious, life threatening allergy to shellfish. I have to carry an epi pen with me at all times. I can't eat it, touch it, or even be in the room when it's being cooked because even breathing in the proteins that are released into the air when it's being cooked causes a reaction. I was born and raised in Florida. Shellfish are a way of life there. I could LIVE on crab legs and shrimp. It literally BROKE MY HEART when I realized I'd never be able to eat it again. Also from the revision, I developed an allergy to surgical glue lol Didn't have that with my first surgery, or any other surgery before it, but from my revision on, can't tolerate it, and can barely tolerate band-aids lol I mean, what??? That's so strange to me, but it's true. I've had every test under the sun, and while it's common for taste buds and likes/dislikes for foods and drinks to change after these surgeries (definitely have that, as well), and even to develop sensitivities to foods like dairy and sugar and salt, it's rare to get such major allergies to foods (happens, but it's rare). So of course, my doctors were super interested in me lol Not trying to make history, ya'll, just tryin to feel better lol

Hello! I had the sleeve gastrectomy 9.5 months ago. I've been working on exercising and eating right, but I've been in a bit of a stall these past 5 weeks. I went down from 290 to 170 pounds, but I've been stuck at 170 for 5 weeks. I've been eating 1200-1500 calories a day and still not losing weight. I've done some research, and apparently, your body adjusts to low calories after a while of eating at that rate. At the beginning of my post-op phase, there were some complications on my end. I didn't eat ANYTHING for two months straight, not even protein shakes, and I was only hitting about 20oz of water daily (which landed me in the ER, but I'm fine now lol). I've looked online, and it says for my height, age, and weight, a good maintenance level would be 2100 calories. I'm eating well under that in a deficit and heavy weight lifting, so I don't know why my body won't drop anything. I'm worried that my body adjusted to the 0-calorie few months I had, then the 500-1000 calories three months after that. I've only started hitting my 1200-1500 calories in March when I joined the gym. I know the stall is not due to "muscle gain" because I'm not eating in a surplus, and I'm only eating 65-80 grams of protein in hopes of simply maintaining while I drop fat. I also read online that apparently people who go through rapid weight loss have even lower calorie maintenance than the average person, and that makes sense, but surely it cannot be under 1200, right? The majority of bodies need 1500 to operate. I'm so confused! When I ask my surgeon about calories, he says not to worry about them and eat healthy, which I'm doing. It's just frustrating because I want to work on building muscle, but I want to lose some more fat before that. I guess my question is, does anyone know anything about calories after surgery, and/or how many calories are you eating after surgery to help lose weight?

Good for you. If you find a resource that helps to find the doctors with relevant experience, please post it. I would love to find a new dr but wasn’t really certain how to go about searching. I went to my primary when I started this journey again (for my revision) to ask her for info and her opinion about the SADI surgery and she had to ask me how to spell SADI to put it in my chart. I thought okay well this is fairly new so I guess I can’t really blame her BUT when I asked her if she felt like the bypass was a good fit she asked me what the specialist said and that she would defer to him. Plus, the first SADI was done in 2007. For us lay folk that is fairly new but for someone in the medical field who is supposed to be doing continuing education we are coming up on 18 years since it’s been around. Anyways, I asked if I need to find someone else to treat me post op and she said well, for a few months if you have any issue at all you just go to their office first and make sure it’s not possibly related to the surgery or If you should come see me. Well, that strategy may have worked with some of the other surgeries but this surgery has more long term complications associated with it. I foresee myself paying for and wasting time and frustration enduring a number of unnecessary tests and appointments all the while getting worse if an issue is related to my altered anatomy If I stick with her. Is it sad that what I was expecting for her to say something along the lines of Well, now that I have a patient that is undergoing that procedure, I will be doing my research on how best to treat you? It’s so sad that is just not how it works anymore. I feel like they need to replace the word “refer” with “defer” in primary care. As in defer the responsibility to someone…anyone else. That’s what it feels like most doctors seem to want nowadays, more and more money and none of the responsibility. Must be friggin nice. Anyhow, Having a good primary that’s has knowledge of these surgeries would be huge asset and i really hope that you do find it. I fear that in my tiny town, especially with my newer surgery I won’t have very good luck with it. I do plan to ask the surgeons office if they know or anyone though. That may be a good resource for you too if you hadn’t thought about that.

Below is a recap of the positives and negatives of my gastric surgery one year after the surgery. Positives: I am no longer a diabetic after 15 years of being a diabetic. I do not take any anti acid medication, I was on daily anti acid medication for 20 years. I no longer have GERD or Barrett’s Esophagus. I look good, I feel good, I lost 100 pounds and I am able to do things that I was unable to do before. Negatives: Lactose Intolerance: I inherited a lactose intolerance after the surgery and will never be able to enjoy dairy products like ice cream. Alcohol Abstinence: I will never be able to have a beer or a glass of wine, due to the high alcohol concentration in the body, so I have prohibition of alcohol consumption for life. Medication Absorption Issues: Significant Challenge: Post-surgery, the stomach processes medications differently, resulting in varied absorption rates. This issue is under-researched and poses a significant opportunity for further medical studies. Example: Treatment of infections such as UTIs can be complicated. Ineffective antibiotic absorption can lead to persistent infections and increased risk of complications. I had severe challenges with antibiotic absorption. I had repeated UTI incidents due to ineffective medication absorption that necessitated trying multiple antibiotics before finding an effective one that absorbed appropriately. Due to lack of research in this area, doctors have almost no knowledge of this and you have to become your own subject matter expert. Reduced Immunity: Increased susceptibility to infections, including: Cold Sores: Post-surgery imbalance in lysine and arginine levels resulted in frequent cold sores. Daily lysine supplements were recommended to manage this issue. This is one additional supplement I need to take daily. Fungal Infections: Significant weight loss altered skin physiology, leading to recurrent fungal infections in skin folds. Preventive measures include having antifungal prescriptions on standby. Nutritional Imbalances: Vitamins and Minerals: Maintaining a balance of essential nutrients is a constant challenge, truly a daily full time job. Taking vitamins, minerals and being able to change the amount based on blood test results is a life long commitment. Anemia: Despite taking supplements, anemia can still occur, this is a constant struggle for me. Mineral Toxicity: Excess minerals like phosphorus can lead to osteoporosis, indicating the fine line between deficiency and toxicity in nutrient management. This has been a challenge for me, my blood tests have consistently showed high phosphorous levels and nobody has an answer to this. I consulted several physicians including endocrinologist, nephrologist and my family doctor, with no answers thus far. Severe Hunger: Increased Hunger: Somewhere between 6 months and a year post-surgery, hunger pains became more intense than pre-surgery. The luxury of not being hungry all the time went away. Nobody talks extensively about this but lack of hunger goes away for all gastric surgery patients, hunger comes back and it is up to the individual to eat properly and not gain the weight back, which is very easy to do. Inability to Fast: Unlike before the surgery, fasting for even a day can cause severe physical reactions including shaking and an overwhelming feeling of malaise. I was unable to resolve the Atrial Fibrillation. This was the main reason for which I had this surgery since Australian studies were showing promising results curing AFib with weight loss. While the episodes are less frequent my AFib is still there. Conclusion: Gastric surgery offers weight loss benefits but comes with lifelong challenges that require constant vigilance and management. Thorough consideration and consultation with healthcare professionals are essential before proceeding with any gastric surgery.

Congratulations on reaching this decision! It sounds like things will move quickly for you, which is great news. Try not to let yourself dwell on surgery risks as serious complications are so very rare. Even with a surgery that lasted much longer than anticipated due to some oddities that came up after it started (I had no idea, I was asleep the whole time!), I was safe the entire time and ended up only having one additional night in the hospital out of an abundance of caution. Surgery is a game changer. I think it's helpful to make nutrition changes and start better habits in the lead-up, but the truth is, it will all be so different after, and it can be hard to plan for that because you just don't know what it will be like for you. For weeks or months, eating might feel more like a chore. There's a good chance your tastebuds will change and you may find what you crave now isn't really what you want after. Things you thought would be easier may feel harder for you, and things you thought would be hard are a total non-issue. The hardest part by far, at least for me, was the 2-week pre-op diet, and just the waiting for surgery day to come.

If you've lost weight and gained it back multiple times, you might want to ask yourself if there was something truly, miraculously different THIS time that is going to stop you from repeating that pattern. Because if you have not had a completely life changing experience that has totally altered your approach to weight loss and nutrition forever, there's no reason to think the weight loss this time is going to prove any more permanent than it was before. But only you know the answer to that. Change is scary, and surgery is a big change. The chances of a serious complication are very tiny, but the chances for things that annoy you after surgery are close to 100%. I still find that I get an upset stomach about once a week for reasons unknown, and it can be a real nuisance. And I still have to take protein shake supplements sometimes and I hate how they taste. On the other hand, the power of the metabolic changes for losing weight and improving comorbidities is unmatched. All I can say personally is that I worked with my hospital nutrition and medical program for 7 long years only to never reach anywhere close to my goal and eventually gain every single pound back. I have now reached a weight after only 4 months post-op that I haven't seen in 25 years, no matter how many times I tried. And the surgery gives me a much better chance of keeping it off. So I'm glad I did it. Whatever you decide, just make sure you are being realistic with yourself about the possible risks and rewards of either choice.

Hello everyone, I know that you've all seen a post like mine before. I'm exactly 9 days away from getting gastric bypass surgery. I've tried so many other things and have failed over the long term to keep off my weight. I'm at 436 (was 445), but the diet they put me on helped me lose a few pounds. I'm very, very anxious about the surgery. My mom had the surgery years and years ago when it wasn't as perfected and it didn't go well for her. She lost weight but had a ton of complications. My fear isn't really surrounding post op activities, but rather going through the surgery itself. I hope none of you think less of me, but I'm terrified. I'm even having nightmares about it. My wife got the sleeve a year ago and she didn't have outrageous pain or anything. She was quite doped up lol. I'm scared of going to sleep and waking up in immense pain. I guess that's the jist of it.

Yes, I was one of the few 0.01% unlucky ones who suffered post-op complications. 4 months spent in hospital and even though I am 11 months post-op it really only feels like a few months as I didn't start to feel well until Feb/March so about 9 months post-op. I couldn't fly home to see family until December (6 months post op) and work couldn't pay me most of my annual bonus as I was out sick for 6 months, instead of my expected two weeks!