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You’ll find your rhythm, it might take a while but you’ll begin to understand what works for you and what doesn’t. When I first started working out I was doing 2 hours of cardio a day. When I knew better I cut it to 50 minutes a day and lost more fat that way. I would train glutes twice a week if I could but I get too sore because I don’t eat adequately to recover and for them to grow hence the once a week. If you can train glutes twice a week and rest well between the sessions (say beginning of the week and end) and eat well then go for it, nobody minds a juicy perky booty lol. Shoulders are not large muscles so I would limit it to 3 exercises a week (shoulder press, upright rows, lateral raises) and 2 bis and tris exercises as these are smaller muscles. I didn’t meet my protein goals for over 4 months post op. At 6 months I upped my calories to 800 and at 7.5 months (now) I’m averaging around 1000 calories a day, give or take. I have some fierce restriction so my portions are very small but I eat frequently (every 1.5-2 hours when I’m not busy or distracted). On weekends I forget to eat and can go 6 hours between meals but on weekdays I try to stay consistent and eat every 1.5-2 hours. It’s very unlikely that you’ve messed up your sleeve, you’re losing weight and keeping active so it sounds you’re doing it just right. You might be surprised to find out that you might need to eat much more (1800-2000 calories) to maintain your weight! My brother was sleeved 3 years ago and to maintain his weight (mind you he’s really slim) he’s eating around 3000 calories and he’s not active lol. Not saying you should jump to 1800 calories overnight but maybe gradually start increasing your calories until you hit the sweet spot and your weight stabilizes. Track everything and keep a food journal and note down your weight changes (loss, gain, maintenance). Remember you are very active and you WILL feel more hungry than someone who isn’t. Your body is new to weightlifting and is trying to build muscle, and building muscle requires a lot of calories. At 4 months post op I started serious weight training again and I was able to up my calorie intake when I was failing prior to that, I am just much hungrier working out than when I am not. At 3 months post op I was barely getting in 200 calories a day. Don’t doubt yourself, you’ve done amazing!

I did this too and it seemed to help make the liver shrink diet easier than others described. I think we need to name this week too. 🤣

Hey there @Star1234 ... I think a lot depends on your starting weight and BMI and your goal weight and BMI. I'm nearly 4 months out and have lost 21.9kg and have 15kg left to go until I hit my goal but I've been pretty much stalled for the last 3 weeks.

Okay so I had my appt with the NP And thank god I asked for it. As I suspected she said she has no clue why they told me I just had to do the two day liquid diet. I thought she was going to say I had to do a week like my sleeve but she said I have to do Two weeks and the two days of liquids. So I have to start Monday. Now I have to cut the rest of my caffeine out even faster and get my groceries for Monday. It’s doable but I don’t like last minute changes. Luckily my LSD isn’t all shakes. I do get a meal and a snack. The meal is 3oz lean mean and 1/2 cup of non starchy veggies with 1/3 cup grains or starchy veggies or fruit. I remember last time I wasn’t starving, just really board with it. I’m guessing two weeks it’s going to be even more boring though. 😳

hi all, I posted this in the pre op forum for June buddies, but thought I'd also post it here in case it helps anyone. Here's my experience so far after getting the Gastric Sleeve procedure on 13th June 2024... Immediately after surgery It was pretty rough for me, I woke up in a lot of pain, so much so that the nurses had to give me 30mg morphine for the pain. I was in a recovery room for the first 24 hours (standard procedure for the private hospital in the UK i went through) After the initial 24hrs I was moved back to my room where I felt a lot better. Even able to eat an ice pop and a small cup of Tomato Soup (sipping of course) and sipping Water every 5-10 mins. Week 1-2 I quickly moved onto the liquids phase, in which I must have taken in around 2-300 cals per day through Protein Shakes and watery Soups. I must admin this phase was the hardest for me, managing the pain meds as well as trying to drink as much liquids as I could in a day. It just so happened there was an international football (soccer) tournament on in Europe in my first 2 weeks' recovery so was engrossed in that! I also started walking 1 mile per day and upping that to almost 2 miles by the end of it. My weight loss was drastic in this phase but my word I was lethargic/got tired v easily and not up for doing much. Week 3-4 Puree stage - finally I felt I was able to get some proper food in me, and a few days after starting this phase, my weight slowed right down - the dreaded (but expected) 3 week plateau kicked in. I went around a week and a bit without any weight loss, despite me sticking to the recommended diet. I am not going to sugar coat this, it was a bit disappointing standing on those scales after a week, but I knew this would happen so meh I guess. Still walking 2 miles per day during this phase and now feeling I have a lot more energy. Week 5-6 Week 5 started with me starting to lose a pound every 2 days or so, so my body seems like it has adjusted to the inro of more foods for the 'soft foods' stage. I also started back at the gym doing some cardio work on top of my walks, and oh boy I have so much more energy for it! I am now around half way through week 6 and had my first appointment with my nutritionist and he is blown away by the progress I have made/am making. He gave me further chewing tips to make sure I am not overeating as I have been sick a couple of times when I've eaten too quickly and not realised I'm full/satisfied. He is now happy for me to start introducing more fibred meats and more complex foods, like a little Pasta and a little bit of rice, to test the waters. Struggles so far: Reminding myself I have a new stomach not eating what family members are eating e.g. Sunday dinner Eating too fast resulting in vomiting Extra attention from people who have noticed a loss in weight (47lbs and counting since pre-op liver diet). Since I've been overweight most of my adult life, I carried a lot of shame internally, so its in my nature not to talk about myself/get photos taken etc Wins so far Losing a lot of weight and all the benefits that go with it. Being more present with my family. Having the energy to do everything they want to do (I have a wife and 2 kids, girl 11, boy 7) Clothes! I have dropped from XXXL to XL already. Which was a surprise when I packed to go to a 5 day getaway with my fam in week 5 Mental health - the mental benefits come as such a relief. I no longer feel down about my weight (although I know I still have a ways to go) Confidence - generally just feel I can be more myself - hopefully some here will resonate with this. Would be great to hear of your experiences so far, especially if you had your procedure in April/May/June/July!

Hi everyone, how are y'all getting with your post op diets, exercise and wellbeing? Here's my experience so far after getting the Gastric Sleeve procedure on 13th June 2024... Immediately after surgery It was pretty rough for me, I woke up in a lot of pain, so much so that the nurses had to give me 30mg morphine for the pain. I was in a recovery room for the first 24 hours (standard procedure for the private hospital in the UK i went through) After the initial 24hrs I was moved back to my room where I felt a lot better. Even able to eat an ice pop and a small cup of tomato soup (sipping of course) and sipping water every 5-10 mins. Week 1-2 I quickly moved onto the liquids phase, in which I must have taken in around 2-300 cals per day through protein shakes and watery soups. I must admin this phase was the hardest for me, managing the pain meds as well as trying to drink as much liquids as I could in a day. It just so happened there was an international football (soccer) tournament on in Europe in my first 2 weeks' recovery so was engrossed in that! I also started walking 1 mile per day and upping that to almost 2 miles by the end of it. My weight loss was drastic in this phase but my word I was lethargic/got tired v easily and not up for doing much. Week 3-4 Puree stage - finally I felt I was able to get some proper food in me, and a few days after starting this phase, my weight slowed right down - the dreaded (but expected) 3 week plateau kicked in. I went around a week and a bit without any weight loss, despite me sticking to the recommended diet. I am not going to sugar coat this, it was a bit disappointing standing on those scales after a week, but I knew this would happen so meh I guess. Still walking 2 miles per day during this phase and now feeling I have a lot more energy. Week 5-6 Week 5 started with me starting to lose a pound every 2 days or so, so my body seems like it has adjusted to the inro of more foods for the 'soft foods' stage. I also started back at the gym doing some cardio work on top of my walks, and oh boy I have so much more energy for it! I am now around half way through week 6 and had my first appointment with my nutritionist and he is blown away by the progress I have made/am making. He gave me further chewing tips to make sure I am not overeating as I have been sick a couple of times when I've eaten too quickly and not realised I'm full/satisfied. He is now happy for me to start introducing more fibred meats and more complex foods, like a little pasta and a little bit of rice, to test the waters. Struggles so far: Reminding myself I have a new stomach not eating what family members are eating e.g. Sunday Dinner Eating too fast resulting in vomiting Extra attention from people who have noticed a loss in weight (47lbs and counting since pre-op liver diet). Since I've been overweight most of my adult life, I carried a lot of shame internally, so its in my nature not to talk about myself/get photos taken etc Wins so far Losing a lot of weight and all the benefits that go with it. Being more present with my family. Having the energy to do everything they want to do (I have a wife and 2 kids, girl 11, boy 7) Clothes! I have dropped from XXXL to XL already. Which was a surprise when I packed to go to a 5 day getaway with my fam in week 5 Mental health - the mental benefits come as such a relief. I no longer feel down about my weight (although I know I still have a ways to go) Confidence - generally just feel I can be more myself - hopefully some here will resonate with this. be great to hear of your journey so far, so let's have it folks, we're all in this together

Hi, Mspretty86. I love that you reached out. I forget about this forum. My surgery was April 16, and I have lost 71 pounds. I lose in chunks and then remain plateaued for weeks. Very strange, yet the scale shows a trending down line. My body feels weird. My skin is losing firmness as the fat cells diminish. I feel like I may have something else going on though. I do have more energy and less pain, which is huge for me. I'm curious how others are doing?

I’d just use a blender too. Believe me, you’ll be praying for the purée stage to be over. It’s like food but not food, the texture & the temporary changes to your taste buds really kick making so much disgusting. It can be a struggle to find something to eat at times. Not worth buying a new appliance to use for two weeks. (Though if you haven’t got a blender they’re always handy to have 😉).

Do you measure yourself too? Is it plausible that with your workouts, you've started gaining more muscle than what you're losing in fat? Has you been bowel-regular, and your sodium hasn't increased? I'm nowhere near my goal yet, but I've heard / read that a lot of people gain back 10-15 after they 'stop' losing, whether they're purposefully going into maintenance or their body has told them to go into maintenance lol. It could also just be one final stall that your body is giving you as you near your goal weight. Try not to worry too much? I know it's hard -- and it probably feels even harder since you're so close to where you want to be. I doubt you're doing anything wrong, every post I see you make or reply too, you always seem to really be on the ball about things. As someone else on here recently said, give yourself some grace. And keep on keeping-on! ❤️

Hey there! I had bypass back in February. My best advice is to ignore other people's stats and focus on you. I, too, was worried about my progress, but 7 months in, I am still losing weight and just bought jeans in a size I have not worn since I was 22 years old (I am 50 now). Here is how it went for me, just so you can see one example, but we are all different. Starting weight: 251 lbs (BMI 40.5 as I am 5'6" tall) Pre-surgery loss (over 6 months): -12.2lbs (this was from nutrition changes) 2 week liquid diet: -15.4lbs Month 1: -8.2lbs Month 2: -10.8lbs Month 3: -3.8lbs Month 4: -11.0lbs Month 5: -3.4lbs Month 6: -5.2lbs Month 7: -3.6lbs So far in month 8: -2.2lbs Today's weight: 175.2lbs (BMI 28.3) My goal is to lose another 20lbs in the next 5-6 months, which would be 3-4 lbs per month. That would get me to a "normal" BMI of under 30 and would be about the same weight I was when I was 18 years old.

Hello Vets, I've been having increased burping and I'm almost 5Yrs post op. Its been fairly smooth sailing so far in terms of complications (only limited ones not worth mentioning). Now I'm burping uncontrollably. I do not have any any heartburn "typical" symptoms. I'm taking Pantoprazole along with just starting on Carafate. I did not have any GERD prior to surgery however Dr. Aceves told me that I had a hiatal hernia that he fixed during sleeve surgery even though I had no idea I had it. I'm told I may possibly need a revision sleeve to bypass which I do NOT want to do but the new surgeon doctor (I was operated on by Dr. Aceves so I can't see him about this unfortunately, may he RIP... ) told me I may have a "kink in my sleeve". Apparently sometimes they put a stitch or two in to keep the sleeve from floating around. My sleeve was not stitched into place to keep it from flopping around so I guess it may have a kink. I'm supposed to get an endoscopy scheduled in the next few weeks with a GI and the (new) surgeon doc wants to be present to see what she's working with. Has anyone ever had this happen this far after surgery? Confused and concerned...

Nickelchip im sorry I had to chuckle very loudly when you stated you could chew a peice of broccoli and be in agony. That is the same way I feel about chicken for some reason it feels like it gets stuck in my chest and I want to throw it against the damn wall. Some days me and chicken can have the perfect love affair. Ohhhhhhh heaven heaven is Brisket and again I'm with you! *sighs. This is my birthday week and I'm already fantasizing about the bar b q I will eat; To only get full on a few chomps 😡

Heya! I think this entirely depends on the plan you have been given by your surgeon/nutritionist/provider - maybe just check with them! A lot of people's LRD plans are really different, depending on start weight, country, etc. For example, I am from the UK and I was doing my LRD for 2 weeks, 800 calories a day, but with meal replacements only e.g. New You Plan, Slimfast etc. Most people say don't worry about taking vitamins etc until after surgery - also depending on how you take them. I was not allowed to take tablets until 3 months post-op, so my vitamins were dissolvable/chewable until recently. I started taking my vitamins from the day after my surgery Best of luck!

Off to see The Pet Shop Boys! I’m a massive fan and it’s the final week of their world tour with a special 5 nights finale at the ROH. Whilst we’ve had a wander around Covent Garden previously, we’ve never been to the ROH so a whole new experience just for that alone 😊

Adding to the things that may not be accurate: BMI. BMI is an average that was reduced to a simple algorithm: BMI = weight (kg) / [height (m)]^2. In words: weight * (height * height). This calculation is intended to be a rough estimate to start with not the end all be all it has become. Such a calculation is closer to "correct" at the middle or average height and weight. Tall people skew to a lower BMI, short people skew to a higher BMI. The taller / shorter we are the more the BMI skews lower / higher. Body type also can skew higher or lower BMI. Not all of our bodies are built the same yet the BMI assumes they are. The more muscle we have the more the BMI doesn't work right. Body builders show the extreme of this effect. Arnold at his younger best would weigh in at a very high BMI. But us humans can build enough muscle to screw with our BMI. BMI is a rough starting place. Once you have the number, it doesn't really matter. How we feel, our health both physical and mental, how our eating and exercise are feeling. These are the real measures. Whew, done with BMI. But the post goes on. Then another part of this whole thing is Goal Weight. Simply, It may be wrong. If we're aiming for a certain BMI or BMI range the BMI discussion above should cause us to think. If it's a weight we were when we were young(er), our body has changed since then. If it's a weight our surgeon or medical team created it is another number intended as an idea that has been turned into a goal to measure us by. If it's based on those on-line calculators they give the average progress and result of someone with our demographics: We as individuals are not average. Goals are not written in stone. As a target to aim for when you start the process, it's fine. As you progress things change. Our bodies may tell us the original goal is unrealistic. If our body is happy and healthy at a different weight perhaps we should listen. The thing with goals, we are over the moon when we lose 10, 20, 50 pounds more than goal. Look how unconcerned we are about missing our goals by 10, 20, or 50 pounds. Why is missing goal by 10, 20, 50 pounds the other way so devestating? We misjudged our goals both ways. Ultimately, it's where our bodies that decided where to stop. If we have goals, we should continually evaluate them and change them as necessary. We have more information about our process now than we did when we started. More now than last week. Be honest. Be realistic. Good luck, Tek

For those who don’t have a support group the Baritastic app has a virtual support group. I just got a message that it’s tomorrow. I haven’t tried it but once you have the app you will get the message (probably for next month if I had to guess) you just have to click the link to register. The app is pretty awesome once you figure it out too. I am able to log eberything and see trends and my NP was really glad I had used it and was able to show her all my macros a week at a time at a glance. You can even log your moods and bowel movements. 😂 It takes a little while to figure out how to create recipes and log them but once you do you just select one serving or a half second at this point and it calculates it all for you. This works wonderfully with the stuff I made extra of and have frozen. Plus once I have added the majority of my recipes it already in there and I don’t have to log it again.

My brother & SIL had one from their kids that they barely used, so they lent it to me. I used it once and was frustrated with the clean up lol. I ended up investing all of $30 (CAD) in a handheld immersion blender off Amazon -- mostly because I'd wanted one for a while anyway. It was super useful but I have to admit that after the puree stage, I use it maaaaybe once a week.

Throwing my anecdotal experience in the ring here, as well! I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) at the end of November 2023. I was a "slower loser" the whole time, and then I hit a major stall about 6 months post-op, just bouncing around the same ~5ish pounds for months. I set up an appointment with my team for July 8th, discussed the issues I was having (mainly just being hungry and therefore eating larger portions), compared the different options, and we settled on trying out Phentermine. I did have to have a mobile heart monitor for 30 days prior to my surgery, as I had these weird heart "flutters" for YEARS and nobody could really figure out what they were (they ended up being PACs, or Premature Atrial Contractions, which apparently almost everyone has at some point and most people can't feel. I'm just unlucky! They are benign if they are not occurring in excess). My team had me do an EKG in-office that day, as well. They asked about any family history of heart issues, sudden death at early ages, etc. With a normal EKG, I was started on half of a 37.5mg tablet for 4 days, to increase to a full tablet after that if there was still residual hunger and I didn't have any major side effects. They said I'd know within those first few days if it was going to cause any issues. I did increase to the full 37.5mg after 4 days, and I've broken the stall (dropped 5lbs since July 8th, and part of that was spent at a music festival with few healthy food options), and I feel generally great! I do also have ADHD and Narcolepsy, so the stimulant properties are helpful for me. I'm feeling satisfied with much smaller portions and not experiencing cravings at all. I did have some mild insomnia the first few days, BUT I am already a night owl with a bit of insomnia due to the Narcolepsy, so it wasn't a big issue. Other comorbid conditions include depression and anxiety, which I am taking medication for, as well. The anxiety has not been exacerbated, which WAS an issue I had with previous stimulant use for Narcolepsy. Cost-wise, it ended up being roughly $7 USD with insurance. For me, trying Phentermine is definitely worth it, and I will follow up with my team later next month to see where I'm at. I had feared I was done losing after only 6 months post-op, and Phentermine has restored my hope that I can keep going to get to a healthier weight. It's important to remember that, while Phentermine will decrease your appetite, it does NOT cause you to burn any more calories than normal unless you also increase your activity. You have to decrease your portions - the Phentermine just makes it easier to do that, if it works as intended. So, your personal experience may vary, but it's worth discussing with your team if you feel stuck! EDITED TO ADD: My team said that I need to take a break from using it daily about once a month (like, not take it for a couple of days), otherwise I'll develop a tolerance and it won't work as well. This is pretty typical for stimulant medications in general.

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.

In awe of how you are looking and the work you are putting in. Please share away I am months ahead of you on the op date but months behind on exercising as I was so ill and had no energy really until a couple of months ago and still just building my energy up. I also don't think I could do all that you do on my own, as much as I try to motivate myself as it is just me I find it too easy to find something else to do instead of exercise. The gyms near me are expensive, I think, between €50 and €75 every two weeks but I think after my holidays next month I will sign up if they allow just a few months membership at a time to see what I can do. I really need to tone my legs and arms.

Did they not put you back on the schedule at all? I would’ve figured they would give you an appointment but then call you if they had a sooner one due to a cancellation. Also, At this point you have been on that diet for 6 weeks, right? I would call and make sure that it’s okay with your doctor that you continue on with that same diet. Some of these diets are only designed to be short term.

It is intimidating! However, everyone has a goal who goes to the gym and frankly no one is paying attention to anyone. Most people are heads down, ear buds in and going to work. I was the same way! Scared to try to new machines, didn't want to be that fat girl trying the stair master only to get off after 5min. BUT I did it and am improving. You stepped in and, made a goal to go at least 2x a week and that my friend is a huge accomplishment! Good on you!! You got this!

Not sure if you the same but for me when I eat carbs I crave carbs. If you are like that don’t do any food funerals immediately before your pro op. It will only make it that much harder. If you have to do food funerals then just do them a week earlier and eat lower carb the week before your pre op diet. It made it tolerable for me when I did my sleeve.

Wow. You have certainly had your plate full. I’m glad to hear that you were able to get a revision now though which hopefully will get you back to where you want to be. How are you feeling after a week?

If this experience taught me anything it was that the human body adapts - i was panicking my first week out of surgery i knew i wasn’t drinking enough broth and water and tea included. But my dietician just said you’ll see your body adapts as long as you keep sipping when you can - you do the best you can listen to your body. The internal swelling is no joke - you can feel perfectly fine on the outside but imagine the healing going on inside. You’ll actually be able to feel it go down a little each day and the restriction won’t be so harsh. I hit none of my hydration or protein goals the first few weeks 🤣 and i felt sooo bad about it but in the end it really isn’t the end of the world as long as you try to the best of your ability