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Challenge Starting weight: 133 Current weight: 138. Four pounds up from last check in. Maintaining: Fitness/exercise goal: Changing gyms in the new year. Also changing my workouts up. Total weight loss at the end of challenge: (Post January 1st 2019): Check in: This is the time of year I start justifying food choices. . Each weekend I'm telling myself I'll get back on track and then blow it and eat unhealthy. It's a old crappy behavior that sets me back and has never served me well. I can eat like I never had surgery. It's a reminder of how easy it is to gain and how slow the weight comes off years out. I'm maintaining and the gain is not out of control. I will get it back down. I am I feeling sluggish, have a headache, and craving sugar/carbs. I wanted to stay on track to rock a new years dress. I have 15 days to shake off this gain. Ugh what was I thinking.😠

And may 2019 be wonderful for all of us, may we achieve our goals, meet our expectations and all enjoy excellent health! Manu Many good things ahead for the Over 50 Crew, I see it in my🍵 tea leaves!🍀😝🍀☀

The dreaded stall ........10 days of no weight loss...........🙄🙄🙄 I knew it would happen (didn’t know it would last this long), but that sure doesn’t make it easy!

Even with my ulcerations, stomach pouch cramping, and weight plummeting I am so much better off than I was a year ago. And I still have the hope of being repaired, of ultimately feellng healthy again. in 2016, 2917 I did not. I am enduring this Ohio Midwestern winter but Spring 2019, Summer 2019 and on and on, the new revined, reconditioned, remodeled Frustr8 will break the last of her Fat Shell and even the 🌏 outside will see the True Frustr8 that has been hidden away so very long!

I don't know that I'm the best person to comment to you since I'm only 10 months out, but I do know from all my visits with my surgeon that you, me, us in this community, are all at risk for ulcers for LIFE. This really sounds like an issue you should bring to the attention of your surgeon if you are still under their care and if not, its worthy of a visit to your PCP. If I were in your shoes, I would keep an accurate food journal for a few weeks before a visit because that will help your surgeon/doctor know how to better diagnose/treat you. Good luck, and I hope its nothing for you to worry about.

I’m 52, sleeved in August. Feel 10 years younger now that I’ve lost 65 lbs.

Had my surgery on 12/10 I felt the same, I even had to be put on anxiety meds. But once I was at the hospital it went away. Just remember why your doing this. Get healthy and live life. Good luck Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am 48 and had my sleeve bypass on 12-11 It is so far the best thing I have ever done in my life, I have been vary lucky and have had no problems. The reason I made this choice is because of all of the pain I have in my legs and feet. I had a stroke 4 yrs ago. Then 4 month later I had accepted meningitis was in a coma for a week, I have chronic lyme disease and then got Gillian berriet syndrome so over 4 yrs I gained 179 lbs I almost lost my life. I now have 2 grandsons 2 and 3 and I cant even move without major pain. I feel this will get me my life back and give me the chance to live. I think age has nothing to do with wanting to feel good about yourself, 50 is the new 30. Take the chance to be healthy. I have already lost 19 lbs and can't wait yo continue to get healthy. Let me know how things go for you. Get excited to start your life again. Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m scheduled for Wednesday, 12/19!

I am 6 day post, I am kinda scared because I feel like a million dollars. I have felt this way from day one. Am I in for a surprise? I have lost 19 lbs already and I am having no problems with anything. Been to the mall walking, even had my grandkids over night. I'm waiting for something to go wrong. Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Good article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/health/obesity-genetics-surgery-diet.html?fallback=0&recId=1ESAzb45BTAvWlT8kE8EhK4Sxd3&locked=0&geoContinent=NA&geoRegion=NJ&recAlloc=contextual-bandit-home-desks&geoCountry=US&blockId=home-living-vi&imp_id=470257834&action=click&module=Smarter Living&pgtype=Homepage Don’t often see them this straightforwardly set out.

Hey everyone I am having my gastric bypass surgery on Tuesday December 18th and I have been on a 2 week Medi Fast shake liquid diet. I know the purpose of all this is to shrink my liver. What kind of diets did you have pre-op? I know I only have 2 days left but I physically can not have another shake. I feel like I am going to throw up. I already lost like 10 pounds on this diet. I would rather have like clear broth my last 2 days these shakes are making me sick 😝😝 Starting weight- 304 Current weight-287 🤗

I have Weeks where I’ll lose nothing then Bam ! 5 lbsIm down 70 lbs .Almost at my goal went from a 16 w to an 8 10 matters cut .

2 months post op. Down 81 pounds. I tried the insurance route 3 times and all 3 times the ins.co would pull the no bariatric rider at the last minute. I paid out of pocket for mine, $13k. I gave them a check on 10/01 and was on the table 10/15. Dr required 2 visits. One was a “physical” more or less and the other was a sales pitch, the next day he was playing with my innards. 10/15 the day of surgery i was 381, 12/15 I’m 300. do what your dr says and the procedure will work. Water is critical, lots of protein, as few carbs as possible. I try to stay under 1000 calories and 20 carbs a day, and I’m usually able to do that the key is reading labels. Meat has few/no carbs- cook it simply and it’s perfect. Sauces and seasonings are the devil. I use a lot of garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary. And I grill everything beef, bird, fish... everything Dont graze eat. Figure out what you can “hold” and then only put 75% on your plate. i guess I got lucky- I have had ZERO complications post op. No bleeding, no dumping, no major pain, nothing. I went back to work after a week off... I was bored silly sitting at home that week I live and die by my 30oz yeti. I drink 3 cups plus a day. One before lunch, one before dinner, one before bed. Sometime I shoot some MIO or lemon in it. Somedays I have unsweet tea. I’ve been able to keep the soda and alcohol monsters away, but somedays I’d kill for a ginger ale Pouches of tuna and salmon and chicken are easy to carry in the car or work bag. A little thing I do is when I’m on dinner duty, I hit the free sample display at the deli. One cube of meat, one of cheese and I’m half full, keeps me from over indulging with actual dinner for a sweet treat, sugar free popcicles are just sweet enough to do the trick. Atkins has some good low carb/high protein bars. One thing I learned is the more you pay, the better they are. Exercise is difficult for me due to the nature of my work- I’m on a seagoing tugboat 9 months a year. So the whole boat is my gym- everything is 100 pounds or more, it’s difficult to get the cardio in though- you can walk only so many laps around my 150’ steel island.

My surgery is scheduled for 1/21/19! ☺️

Oh my @ Miss Poodle, quite a backstory here. You probably saw from the thread I started September 2018 Surgeries and Success my post-RnY- road has been twisted and rocky not the smooth highway I had planned. After I was diagnosed in October with A stomal stricture and multiple ulcerstions. I started complaining less than a fortnight in, but I was just a stupid fat patient, They Knew it ALL and I knew nothing! Maybe I don't have fancy diplomas and degrees, but I have lived in this body Many Many. Years, I can TELL. some things aren't right. And I can into this surgery with a DX of gastritis and one ulcer per my gastroenterologist. In hindsight, an alarm bell🔔should have gone off in someone's head, but NO--- THEIR MAGIC SURGERY WOULD CURE EVERYTHING in my previous life. And a BIG HA HA THERE! Okay they started me on Carafate, to sooth my ulcers into submission. By this time I had 5 evil little critters, 2 in the pouch, 3 on the back wall of the jejunem. And these were the type that could bleed or perforate. I have followed Dr Noria's instuctions, deleated and diminished foods so I was back to a basic bland liquid duet, started taking Carafate, keep on Zofran and all the vitamins and minerals, every 2 weeks or so I am back getting scoped. 12th October, 26th October, 9th November and finally 28th November. Although the way one of the instructions was to not smoke, no problem, never did, neither did my son, we don't even allow it my home as I am also asthmatic. But I am not allowed to be in the presence of an active smoker or someone with the residue on their clothing. So I went in late November, would have been sooner but Dr Noria took herself a Thanksgiving holiday and that delayed things. Well I have had 7 endoscopies lifetime do I could write a textbook on the sequence of things, the Endoscopy staff recognizes and calls me by name, that sort of thing. Dr Noria must have suspected something because this time I was positioned in a different matter. I asked for enough sedation that I would be asleep, they did mess up once and leave me totally awake, see ginger-tops like me require a different level of sedation, but that's not pertinent now. When I woke back up in recovery,usually I am just in a holding area temporarily, something is up. Nurse says " Doctor wants to talk with You" ought oh this MIGHT NOT be good! Dr Noria came in along with Dr Steven Stinson, who I had net in the main office and developed a rapport with, he had not even been there when they did the endoscopy. Either he had been wandering around aimlessly on the surgical floor or she asked him to accompany her. I suspect the latter, I have never seen anyone there who had the luxury of wandering aimlessly. Well not only did Precious Pouch still remain red, angry and swollen but my intestinal well was continuing to ulcerate and it showed signs of continuing to move down toward the third segment. Not good at all! Then I was told I would be admitted. as soon as a room on the 10th floor, the same floor where I recovered from my RnY. The Endoscopy suite was on Floor 2. And I had a beautiful big one, 1006, I think it might once have been a double, at the opposite end was a futon couch and a couple tilt back chairs so my son could stay with me. Still had my IV in, only thing I was taking orally was a part of my meds and a protein enhanced water drink,in peach mango. On Thursday the 29th Dr Noria told me I was unable to take orally enough protein to heal, I would require 90-120 grams daily and on the diet I had it just wasn't going to happen, so that afternoon I would be having a PICC LINE installed late in the afternoon. Scary Larry proposition but I had come too far to quit now. Was scared first I would have a port in my subclavian on my upper chest wall, but no , it is kind of interesting, it was introduced into my left basilic vein, went up into ever increasing sizes of veins until it rests in my superior Vena Cava a scant distance of several cm from my ❤, just above my Atrium. And the Cath is 48 cm,in length. They let the site rest for about 18 hours but then started my TPN feedings on Saturday, at first 24 hours and cycled 12 on, 12 0ff. and when I went home on 5th December, I have a battery powered pump which fits in a medium sized black backpack, fed 14 hours, free of it for only 10 hours usually during the daylight hours. And I am worried I am developing food indifference, anorexia, something in that neighborhood. If I manage to get it down it means no more to me than a 💊, just something to keep me living. Someone told try eating something that appeals , nothing does, and these before and after diets sillykitty, Green Tealael, Fluffy Chix keep posting pictures of, I just scroll by, they disgust me! My son brought me some cereal with milk, 2 spoons and I'm not sure it will stay down. He is trying so hard to please me, I'm ashamed I'm so broken.😪😭💦

I went and drank my face off at 10 months post-surgery and it went fine. Better than fine, actually; I had a lot more energy to stay out all night than I did before. So you have that to look forward to n

yeah it usually is screened for at age 10, at that age Your bones can be splinted, casted and realigned. Yeah I have scoliosis, lordosis and kyphosis, my spine is pretty much a train wreck. Doctor asked me once "arent you in pain?" I never knew there was any way you were not in constant Pain. I try to cook and keep Tomkitten fed but usually I have to sit down before the end. Hoping the weight loss will lessen the torsion, twisting and pain and the hurt may lessen. of course I still believe in the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the innate goodness of the human race, 1 out of 3 ain't good!.😝🏡😝

Interested to find out how everyone’s diabetes and blood sugar levels have been since they’ve had surgery. I’m still early in the process and hoping to have VSG in May or June of 2019. Improvement in my overall health, especially with my diabetes is my main reason for pursuing surgery. Thank you!!

Sleeved December 10 Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Sleeved Dec 10 2018 Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Checking in: Challenge Starting weight: 168.8, now 157.0 Current weight lost: 115.0 Losing or maintaining weight: losing Fitness/exercise goal: To get back to walking 7 days/week Total weight loss at the end of challenge: (Post January 1st 2019): ??? Check in: Tell us how you are doing - (How is your diet and exercise plan going? Any struggles? Stress level? What have you overcome? Any strategies that have helped) So far Mother-in-Law visit has gone well. She was even complimentary of my weight loss. Youngest son graduated college today. Off to a barbecue place to celebrate. I'm so excited that I can probably eat some smoked chicken. The last two times we went there I ate about 1/3 cup of a baked potato while jealously watching my family eat all the good stuff.

My first 2-3 weeks I only got in 10-20oz a day. I kept telling everyone I felt horrible and was dizzy, but my labs were normal so they didn't give me fluids. I'm 6.5 weeks now and still averaging 40-50. Today I only had 30oz. They don't seem to give fluids if your electrolytes and kidneys are totally fine. I dunno... Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

This time a year ago, I was lying in hospital having had open surgery. I had my gastric band removed, including the port which had been replaced using mesh which had rolled up and caused a few issues including abscesses and infections on and around my liver. I had the band removed, and a ‘fobi pouch’ variety of the RNY - with a slightly longer but narrower stomach than is usual, with a small silastic ring sutured loosely around its middle - no stomach stretching for me! Initially I made my weight goal the same as my gastric band low - 80kg (176lbs) and then as the weight dropped, reset it at the top of the ‘not overweight bmi’ range for my height 70kg (156lbs) - this seemed wildly optimistic to me. I dropped just below that at my 6 month mark - remember, though, I was a ‘lightweight’ at the start at 106kg (234lbs) pre surgery, down from my 260 top weight pre the gastric band 10 years ago. I dropped another few kilos when I got gallstones, bringing me down to about 145lbs or so, and all together pretty healthy and happy. But getting OFF my weighloss treadmill (metaphorical) was a challenge. Changing to maintenance eating was harder than I imagined, and giving away that desire to see the scales drop a small bit every morning was very hard indeed. I could see how eating disorders could take root at that point! Anyway, in July I decided that if I was going to have a successful maintenance, exercise needed to be a regular feature in my life. I started the Couch 2 5k programme using an app, and from not being able to run for one full minute at the beginning, I now run 5-8km (3-4 miles) three times a week, and do weights at the gym the other four days. And I am loving LOVING the new me! Being mid 50s and starting running is a bit unusual, but building muscles long since forgotten is a new challenge and I love seeing the gains. Running a bit faster has replace being a bit lighter. Lifting a bit heavier has the added bonus of toning and making that lose skin a bit less bothersome! I eat 1200 calories a day, including 70-80g protein at least. I have three meals a day, with one healthy snack - necessary to get the calories up - I really needed to stop losing weight as I got down to 130lbs briefly and it felt TOO light - 135-137 is a good range for me, mostly psychologically! I try to limit useless carbs - if I eat sweet rubbish (even sweetener instead of sugar) the sweet cravings return with a vengeance. I suspect this is addiction-like and I will have to guard against backsliding in this area for a long long time. The worst part of the journey? - dealing with people constantly asking when I will stop losing weight, telling me I am too thin, telling me I am taking it too far etc. Only women, by the way - blokes have been uniformly complimentary. Most women too - I love being told I look strong. People comment on how much more energy I have, how strong I seem. People literally don’t recognise me in the street. I see them thinking ‘I think I know this person’ and then jolting in surprise. I have not one, single bad word to say about this whole experience - but, I utterly, religiously and with the help of many here, stuck to my programme. No excuses. Some slips - but straight back in the saddle (after a ‘penance’ session on the hated elliptical!) THIS WORKS.

Hello everyone, I originally wasn’t planning on joining or posting on this forum, but I’ve decided I want to tell my story to help and educate others. I’m 24 years old and the gastric sleeve surgery left me with a leak one week post op. I will first explain my symptoms in order to aid others if they may experience the same as I believe we should be educated on knowing the warning signs so we don’t just shrug it off as dehydration as I did. It started of with abdominal pain and feeling light headed, at first I assumed I needed to drink more and rest. I could feel something wasn’t right as I was 100% pain and nausea free the previous days. The next day I woke up my left shoulder and neck was hurting but it went away as I stood up. I felt nauseous from the upper abdominal pain I ended up vomiting. I went to emergency and there I had a fever, my heart rate was around 120 I believe. They suspected it was gastro or dehydration so they hooked me up to iv fluids. Blood test results came back and my inflammation markers were over 300 (normal range is 0-10) I had a ct scan where they discovered I had a leak. I was transported to the hospital where I had the surgery per my surgeons request. There I had a picc line inserted and had an endoscopy. The endoscopy showed nothing, and the surgeon suggested the leak was the size of a pinhole. To keep this short and not bore anyone, this is my 7th week in hospital about to be my 8th. I was lucky as I had no abscesses, therefore requiring no surgical intervention besides the endoscopy. I’ve had multiple ct scans, blood tests. I am nil by mouth and TPN overnight. I also suffered from another complication during my stay, picc line sepsis which wasn’t fun and I had an overnight stay in icu. I’m now on 3 different antibiotics including vancomycin for the sepsis. Currently I’m allowed the bariatric diet (liquids) on day two and getting lower left back pain. It’s been a long, hard journey and everyday it’s difficult to stay positive as you think it’s never ending; but there will be an end eventually you just need to be patient and think about how strong you are for enduring this. Thank you everyone for reading.