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How long post-op are you? I know my surgeon said not to have sex/any sexual activity for around 2-4 weeks! But definitely if it hurts, probably too soon for you!

Its been one month and 9 days and ive been 183 for two weeks now🙃. Im praying this is temporary. I started introducing solids but even in that i cant over indulge. WTF! If i stopped… this will be so disappointing.

Good morning, good night for me teehee! First off, I totally get how frustrating this can be. It’s tough when you’re doing everything right and the scale isn’t moving as fast as you’d like. But trust me, this is completely normal after surgery. Our bodies go through phases of quick weight loss, then slow down a bit to adjust. You’re putting in so much effort—walking extra hours, doing yoga, eating super clean—and that’s amazing. Even though 1.5 to 2 pounds a week might feel slow right now, it's still progress, and it’s the kind that sticks! Remember, slow and steady weight loss is healthier and more sustainable in the long run. Also, don’t forget that with all the extra exercise, you’re probably building muscle, and that can make the scale misleading. Plus, little things like water retention or digestion can hide the weight loss for a bit, but that doesn’t mean your hard work isn’t paying off. As for carbs, since you’re following what the nurse suggested, I wouldn’t stress too much about changing it just yet. Carbs are important for fueling your body, especially with all the activity you’re doing. But if you're really worried, it never hurts to check in with your provider to make sure you're on the right track. You’ve come so far, and I know it feels like it’s slowing down, but your body is still adjusting, and this is just a phase. You’re doing all the right things, so trust the process and focus on how great you’re feeling. You’ve got this!

Okay so look at the macros and see if this fits your plan. It may be a little high in carbs for some if you’re not very active but this recipe is probably my favorite out of my two weeks if soft foods so I thought I would share. It’s called south of the border chicken chili from the McCormick website. I added onions and garlic because I like them in everything but this is super simple and high protein. You may want to leave out the corn and do more beans or tomatoes if your tummy is still fussy but I haven’t had any issues with anything and I’m allowed to start incorporating more foods so I’m having it with the corn and so far so good 🤞 My pot made a little over 7 one cup servings which Baritastic calculated at 25g of protein (12.5 if you can only do a half cup) and 26g carbs (but part of that was the onions). I needed more protein for the day so I opted for the shredded cheese on top. Anyways, it’s chicken, bell pepper, white and black beans, canned tomato and corn with a seasoning pack from McCormick. I can’t finish the whole cup so I’m gonna have it again for a snack but I really love it. I hope it freezes well. https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dishes/south-of-the-border-chicken-chili

Hi, @Justarwaxx! I'll be only 2 days ahead of you, so we'll be going through this together. I'm nervous and excited, too. Looking forward to being all recovered and starting my new, active lifestyle. Looking forward to not constantly thinking about what I can wear to try to disguise my weight and what people are thinking. I will miss food as a coping and comfort mechanism, but my husband and I are slowly learning how to cook healthy, unprocessed meals. I'm looking at it as an adventure of discovery - what new foods, spices, and ways to prepare them can I discover? I know the next couple weeks will be rough, and the next 3 months will be a marathon slog. I'm ready to tough it out - eyes on the prize!

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.

Try not to be too discouraged at your "stalled weight loss." Your body has undergone a lot of change and just needs time to catch up and adjust. If you're following the recommendations, I'm guessing the stall will only be for a week or so. That was my experience. I am 7 weeks out from my RNY, and I had a "stall" as well, which lasted about 5 days. Since that point, I have had a pattern of staying the same weight or even increasing a pound or two for 3-4 days of the week, and then having a 2-3 pound per day drop for the other days in the week. As long as I am trending down, I don't care how I get there. Also, I'm curious about your not tolerating foods past soft. I had immediate trouble when I tried to advance to meats, and had testing done which revealed a surgical stricture. My body had reacted to the surgery site by closing down too much. I had an endoscopy with dilation and am doing better. I do still have to really focus when I eat to not eat too fast or too much. When my pouch gets too full, I get chest pain, which is just me feeling that stretch of the pouch. We all will experience differences in our bodies. I think it's really important that we all listen to our bodies and learn our new subtle signals in order to have success.

Reading through some of the posts (it's a lot and I'm new, I'll get them all eventually), it seems a lot of you knew for a couple of months or more that you were having your surgery in August. I'm a little jealous of that ability to plan ahead lol! I went for my follow-up appointment during the first week of August, and then they were like, "You're doing great! How about August 16th?" I'm nervously excited about it. Part of me wishes I had more time to truly get everything prepared, since I work 3 jobs. But I'm also ready to fully be on the path to a healthier me. I've been listening to audiobooks and podcasts to try to mentally prepare me for this, and to also be prepared for if there are complications. SW: 350 CW: 322

Hi March Buddies, How is everyone doing? I can’t believe it’s been 5 months post op. Had a huge milestone met this morning on the scale after a period of stagnant weight loss. A weight that I haven’t seen in over 30 years. I’m still in shock and very grateful I’m on this journey. Still more work to be done, but, these moments help to reassure me I’m on the right path. Hope my surgery buddies are all healed and doing well. I’m having an incisional hernia repair in a couple weeks, not from the gastric surgery, from gallbladder removal 10 years ago! Hopefully this will be the end of surgeries for a long time! Would love to hear what people have found to keep their protein levels up. And what activities are you able to enjoy now? I was thrilled to ride some amusement rides with my kids this summer!

I am a baby in my journey 10months today actually, but I reached my goal weight at 6months and I creeped down a touch more for about another month. I have maintained +/- 3lbs for the past 3ish months. I track every single day (eating 1700-2000cal a day), I prioritize protein (hit 150-200g a day) although lately its more like 225g of protein and that is WAY too much my stomach hurts lol so I am adjusting, keeping fat low (under 90) keeping carbs under 200g. I lift heavy (3 days lower and 2 days) along with cardio (running, incline walks, stair master), then 1 day where I do 40min HIIT work out then 30min of cardio. I have 1 rest day. I meal prep every week so all my meals M-F from pre-workout snack down to my last snack before dinner is prepped and tracked. I know what's for dinner every day as I make sure to plan for those. All the food I make is now lower in fat, higher in protein and the family doesn't even notice! Weekends I "indulge" I still track but notice I do not eat as much those days. I eat protein ice cream using my Ninja Creami or sneak in a few bites of my hubby's Ben and Jerrys. I do eat chips, fries, lettuce wrapped burgers, fried chicken **gasp!!** very small amounts but I do not deprive myself. This is a LIFESTYLE change not a diet. So I wanna go buck wild and get back to where I was but I also don't want to be a bird and never enjoy all the yummy treats. MODERATION IS KEY!! Eat healthy 85-90% and stay active, you won't have any issues!

Hello everyone. My name is Tom and I have been a lurker for years. I had my surgery 11-22-22 at 471lbs. I weigh 214, for the moment, as I continue to lose. What a powerful tool this has proven to be! I am so blessed and thankful I couldn't possibly articulate it. With that being said, I feel I could help anyone that needs it just based on my own research for years into nutrition, fasting, and the many diet plans out there. I would be happy to give my own anecdotal experiences as well through losing the 255 lbs so far. But the point of this post is for me to lean on some of the vets of duodenal switch. I am approaching maintenance phase in around 35-40 more lbs. Does anyone do low carb in maintenance? If so what does that look like? Am I right to assume for us keto is out correct? The fat would be an issue or maybe someone has tried it? My concern when asking about low carb, for me specifically, I have protected my pouch size. I can still barely eat a few ounces of meat or whatever. I could, and may consider, actively stretching it a little when I get to maintenance, but as of right now I am not sure I could sustain on just meat once I am down to maintenance. I have Bilateral knee surgeries coming starting in Jan. I have lost all this weight in the recliner due to health issues. I am lifting, once I hit 300lbs weight, hard 4 days a week. But 0 steps for the most part. That's important because my exercise will skyrocket once I am healed from the surgeries and I will need more calories eventually. Carbs and fat are obviously the most calorie dense so.. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!

I found a stock cube in water with some protein powder had a bit of a salty flavouring to it. I am more savoury than sweet for my taste buds so I know how you are feeling. The thing that got me through was knowing I was able to swallow very little of the liquids and it was only for a couple of weeks.

What struck me here is not really the macros and much as how different the calories are. The thing is, no calculator is going to tell you what the calorie count should be. My suggestion would be to simply track your existing calories for 1-2 weeks to see where you're at now. I assume your looking to maintain based on the fact you are showing to be at goal. If that's not accurate, then we might need to make some adjustments to what I'm about to propose. At this point, you can completely ignore anything a calculator spits out in terms of calories since by tracking your calories at your current weight, you know exactly where YOU need to be to maintain. Let's say for the sake of making the math easy, you determine that 2000 calories is working for you at maintenance. Skip the calculators and do this: Protein should be somewhere between 1 and 2 grams per kg. If you are inactive, 1 gram is probably minimally sufficient, but if you are very active or shooting for body recomposition, then you need to be closer to 2 grams per kg. 1.5 to 1.6 g/kg might be a good target if you are working out, but not super active, or are not really trying to add any muscle. The next thing to determine is grams of fat. If you are just maintaining, anywhere between 1 and around 1.5 g per kg is probably fine. If you are actively trying to lose or recomp, it would be better to be closer to 0.7 g per kg. Carbs is next and really will just be the rest of your calories, vs. a specific number of grams. Here's how that looks in practice: Again, just to beep the math simple, I'm going to stick with 2000 calories at your current weight of 170lbs, which translates to about 77kg. If your goal is body recomp, then 2g/kg should be your target protein, which equates to 154g per day. 154g at 4 calories per g equals 616 grams from protein per day. Fats when doing a "recomp" would be 77 x 0.7 = 54 grams of fat. 54 grams of fat at 9 calories per gram would be 486 calories from fat If we subtract 616 and 486 from 2000, we'd get 898 calories from carbs. This would be roughly 225 grams of carbs per day. A few notes: This is all based on research, but I also am not "carbophobic". My personal experience is that sufficient carbs are needed to fuel workouts. Some people have success with fewer carbs and more fat. I have no problem with that approach if it work for you. If so, feel free to adjust fat up and carbs down. Either way, the protein is the key, since you'll need that to build muscle. If recomp is not your goal, feel free to run the numbers with lower protein and correspondingly higher fat and carb numbers. Don't go lower than 0.7 g of fat per kg. You need a minimum level of essential fatty acids to stay healthy. In terms of how to change this if you are working out more than you are today, it really comes down to both the types of workouts (endurance sports virtually demand more carbs), but also how vigorous your workouts are. If you are trying to lose weight, I would recommend eating back at least half your calories from your workouts. Any less and you're likely to feel too rundown to put the proper effort into the workouts. If you just skate through workouts, then you lose a lot of the benefit of them. If you are trying to maintain or recomp, then you really should eat back all the calories from your workouts.

So I had my 3 month post-op follow up yesterday (at 14 weeks out). It went... about as well as my cynical little heart expected? Maybe better? LOL My follow up was virtual, so I didn't have to go in to the hospital which is a plus. The dietician I saw today is mmmm... fifth I've spoken to in my program. I honestly would feel a little better if I could have the same dietician every time but I understand that can be hard to schedule. Plus it's still not the worst -- to be honest, I've only actively liked one of the dieticians and yesterday's I passively was ok with -- so at least it's better than the weirder three I've seen in between. Review of my meds, of my health conditions as per usual. Somehow there's always something being left off from last time -- or several last times. Like, yeah, still have diabetes. My numbers are obviously a lot better now in my latest bloodwork, but considering it was one of the comorbidities that got me approved for this program/surgery it would be swell if I didn't have to surprise my care team 4/5 times by informing them of my past diagnosis. Review of my eating habits. Fingers-rapped (gently) over a few things -- not getting enough fruits / veg with skin, not getting enough fibre in each my meals and snacks because it's mostly just in one or two meals. I mean, if my fibre intake is within the 25-35 per day range that they suggested, does it really frickin' matter if it's split up between 3 meals and two snacks? (Also, the fibre range wasn't brought up until yesterday -- it hasn't been mentioned to me at all by any of my care team, or in the pre-op and post-op guidelines and manuals they've distributed to date. The only actual numbers I've gotten from my care team has been about protein, everything else has just been "keep it low fat" and "keep it low carb" and "stay away from sugars" etc in mildly vague terms. I figured out my own daily goals and limits for everything else by taking the average of what I could find online / in books / through the forum) I asked specifically if my bloodwork reqs could be combined with the bloodwork my PCP wants since both of them want it every 3 months for mostly the same things, and I'd rather not take time off work for multiple blood tests -- or sacrifice my blood twice in a one-month period due to timing -- particularly because of the low iron. And considering they both get copies of each other's test results anyway (thanks Ontario Health Care!). But no, no, we can't do that. They can't put his name down in the 'send a copy to this physician' area right in the form. Because apparently even though my PCP is the one to referred me to my endocrinologist, she's the one who referred me to the program. So they send the results to her, and she's on a network with my PCP which is how he gets my results as well. But they can't directly ADD him. ((Can my PCP just ask for the tests that he wants to check but they don't? Nope, cause in order for it to be approved by insurance they look to make sure there are corresponding requisites. Can I have my PCP just add them to his requisition? No, because as the surgery providers they need the requisition under their name for Ontario insurance purposes, and there are certain tests that my PCP can't request 'without reason' and that reason seems to be that everyone wants to bill the government insurance plan for every test they can, and my iron will 'replenish' so it's fine. Nevermind that I've had anemia on and off for most of my life and know from personal experience that the more often I'm tested, the more slowly my iron is replenished.)) ((He was just a dietician. I shouldn't have bothered asking him. But the fact that he had an answer ready makes me feel like they get asked this a lot)) Other than that, it was ok. I've lost half the weight towards my goal weight. He reminded me to expect things to start slowing down. I nodded along even though I started a stall literally the day I hit my halfway score and even though my logic knew to expect and accept all this, my gut reaction was of course 'what have I done to eff this up???'. He was kind of crossing all his t's and dotting all his i's in terms of chiding me on dietary choices -- ie, every meal and snack being 50% protein, 25% non starchy veg, 25% complex carb. Suggested that I eat all these things that their own program handouts say not to start until between month 4 and 6, like nuts and seeds. I was ever so grateful for the internal consistencies. ((This happened with the last dietician at my 1 month -- which happened at my week 3. She was asking me why I hadn't been choosing to eat this or that, and I had to remind her that their handout and biweekly seminars both said not to until week 5-9)) All in all... I feel 'meh' about my follow up, but good about myself and good about my loss so far. And great about the salt & vinegar roasted edamame beans I just had as a snack even though it was lacking a vegetable and isn't 'high enough in fibre per serving'. In other news, I'm only day 7 into my second stall and have been fluctuation between calm acceptance and riotous panic that I'm messing up somehow even after nitpicking my diet and exercise with a fine tooth comb. My ADHD is saying I'm only working in one extreme or the other today/this week.

So as you can see, I'm well below my goal weight. I'm not super excited about it because I'm looking really boney and too skinny. I'm normally getting 70-90g of protein per day, but I can only work out on weekends because I work all week and don't get home until 6 or 6:30 at night. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks normally, although for the last 3 weeks I've added another snack in there. I started adding a protein shake in with my lunch because that's usually my lightest meal of the day, and I want to make sure I'm hitting my protein goals for the day. But it looks like I'm losing muscle, and I REALLY don't like that. I tried reaching out to my nutritionist and she said to add more carbs, but I'm SUPER sensitive to them, and if I eat too many, I get really sick. I can push it to about 35-40 per day, but after that, I get HELLA sick. So I've been trying to load up more on my protein and increase to 80-100g per day, but I'm STILL dropping weight and STILL looking boney and too skinny. Not only that, but I feel like I'm losing strength. I'm REALLY upset by this. Anyone have any suggestions on how I can reverse this???? I'm starting to look and feel sickly, and I don't like it at all.

I get so angry when I hear people say that WLS is 'the easy way out'. It's not. If it were the easy way out, none of us would need to come on these forums for support. Some people make it sound like WLS is cheating, a dark and dirty thing. The implication is that we should all be able to do it with diet and exercise, and if we're not doing it that way it's because we're lazy and lack willpower. These people are, frankly, bullies -- even if they don't mean it that way. I think some people feel threatened by the idea of us having WLS. I have three of them whom are still in my life. One has become more supportive since the surgery but still makes it known from time to time (especially whenever I've facing a struggle) that he didn't think I should have the surgery. The other two were supportive pre-op but as soon as the weight started coming off, jealousy kicked in and they started talking about how 'easy' it was and how they want the surgery but can't afford it / don't qualify, etc -- all while talking about how they would 'cheat' by doing this, this or this. The people that want to support you, no matter your decision, will support you. They'll read any literature you give them -- or do their own research. They'll ask you questions about the process & the post-op lifestyle and will listen to your response. There are bound to be people in your life that will need a bit of a learning curve, or who can't get out of their own heads enough to really consider the different between helpful comments/criticism and cattiness/bullying/cruelty. Some might just need a little conversation or confrontation about their phrasing and word choices; others might need to be cut off until/unless they learn to not be sh!tty humans. At the end of the day -- at the end of every day, actually -- only you can decide what's right for you. You are the only one with full knowledge of your body, your physical/mental/emotional struggles, your trials up until now, etc. Even your doctor can only go so far in helping to decide if this is right for you. Try to push out the words of people who Don't Know your details, or even basic knowledge about the surgeries. Do your own research, talk to people who've done it, consult with your physicians, etc. ❤️ Good luck. Whatever you decide to do, make that choice with the faith and confidence that you're choosing for your best life, whatever that looks like.

@SleeveToBypass2023you do make me laugh! I’m so glad that you’re able to understand your ‘godmother’ now, I feel I have rendered a valuable service 😉 Of course, there are always the joys of accents and drawls to throw in to this mix as well, which can add even more confusion. I’m a Yorkshire girl so we do have our own way of saying things, just like you will with your Southern sayings! And I’m so glad I’m not the only bitter wife out there…yes, I love him dearly but oh, there are times when I want to smother him with a pillow when he’s asleep 😈 I remember when we’d come back from our 2 week holiday in September last year and he was bitching that he’d put a couple of pounds on, whereas I had put on over a stone (14lbs) and I honestly wanted to stab him. He is supportive though, plus he has taken time off work to take me to all my hospital appointments etc as I still can’t bend my knees enough to climb in the van to drive myself but I will get there. Hopefully I will feel more able in a few more weeks 🤞 I rescued a pair of Billabong shorts from the charity shop bag yesterday as something for me to aim for on my WLS journey. I’d last worn them when I’d lost a load of weight previously and had worn them on holiday. Even now I cannot believe that I fit in to them. I tried them this morning and I cannot even get them halfway up my thighs, never mind anywhere else! I think I need to lose an additional 100lbs or so to have any chance of getting them on but stranger things have happened I guess 🤷‍♀️ I do generally use clothing as my inspiration to aim for, so I guess these are the ultimate goal!!

Well I read that like 26% of sleeve patients end up revising whether it’s because of GERD, inadequate weight loss or regain. My surgeon said that it’s less risky and it’s a very good surgery that works fine for many people but it’s just not enough of a metabolic change for some. I honestly think he leaned towards it because my BMi was low (for this surgery at least). I was barely 35BMI but I tried telling him that was only because I was literally dieting my whole life and even then I didn’t eat that bad. I just ate a lot of food. I’m sure he hears that a lot but I think I just needed the bigger change from a more drastic surgery. From day one with my sleeve I felt like I was on a diet. I never did find healthy foods that I enjoyed, I ate chicken breast and one of the three veggies that I liked and downthe road I ate a tiny portion of something not so good for me (nothing terrible but not good either). I also never felt the spurt of energy that I felt this time so I never got into the exercise. It just wasn’t the whole lifestyle change. It was like any other diet when my hunger came back and my portions got bigger but it was healthy food at first. Then I started gaining and it just made me so depressed I was trying so hard and I was gaining already. I went to my surgeon and asked about bypass and he said he didn’t think it was a good option for me. I still don’t understand why he said that and later changed his mind. Anyways, after that I stopped following up with my team, stopped posting on here and I never went to in person groups. All of my friends and familY had already told me how big I was before thinking it was safe to say because I was thinner then so as I continued to gain I knew what they were thinking of me so my confidence just plummeted and that just snowballed into my gaining all of my weight back and then I just said forget it I guess this is just my life and I didn’t even try anymore. Finally one day my doctor said that I should really go ask him why it is that he doesn’t think it’s a good idea because they felt I was a good candidate and he said he would do it and asked me if I ever heard of the SADI. He sent me home to do research on that surgery and come back and tell him which one I wanted. I said I think the SADI and he said he needed tests to make sure I was a good candidate. He did an endoscopy, a barium swallow study and a gastric emptying test and then he said I was good and put me on the schedule. Then at the last minute they figured out I needed the nutritionist visit and the psyc eval that they didn’t think I needed so I did those in a hurry and started my preop diet. This time I told everyone about my surgery. Even though I have terrible fears that I will regain again I know that I need them cheering me on to keep me going as well. I started the In person support groups before I even had my surgery and I started posting here again as well. I have done so much more with finding healthy foods that I don’t dread and adding exercise so I can have things other than chicken breast macro wise as well. I also know this time that even if I don’t reach my goal weight or my secret goal weight that I already feel so much better and hopefully I can keep that In mind and not get caught up trying to do this just to be skinny because that isn’t the most important thing. Last time I reached the first goal I had set for myself but I never did reach the goal that I secretly wanted to get to. But I was only 18 pounds away and I let that make me feel like a failure. I would give anything to be that weight now. I just lost perspective I guess. Being healthy is really why I did it then and now and I’m already on the road to being a lot healthier so if I do lose more that’s really just icing on the cake. I just have to remember that and I think I will be okay.

I guess I have always done everything I have wanted because I was never overweight until 5 years ago. But the things I have noticed NOW (never noticed before WLS): - I don't need to sit as often, I can stand for long periods and don't get the urge to find a seat. - My feet don't hurt walking so much. I was traveling the past two weeks and we walked A LOT! Every time we traveled the past few years my feet would kill me, this time was a breeze. Things I started: - I took up Pilates. I have a bad foot (sports) injury that caused my weight gain so always had a fear of doing Pilates although I consistently worked out my whole life but was nervous to take up Pilates for some reason. Now my two Pilates classes are literally the highlight of my week. - I look forward to weddings and gatherings where I avoided them like the plague and they used to cause me social anxiety and made me feel so down about my body. - Changing my wardrobe LOL, I am shopping like nobody's business. I am buying stuff I never would've bought the past few years. Lingerie, crop tops, shorts, short dresses, workout gear. You name it! - Weighing myself regularly. Was never a weigher even at my fittest and slimmest, and that's probably was what caused all the weight gain because I refused to face reality. Things I see myself doing in the future: - Probably getting some lip filler LOL. - Having my third child (maybe? I put it off because I was overweight and I couldn't fathom gaining more weight) - Getting my foot surgery (although it feels much better so I will need to reassess).

I will have to try the kale chips too! Stalking your recipes Blueparis, lol! . Congrats nickelchip on the stall break. I managed to lose 4lbs so far this week. I’m 9lbs from being at a normal bmi and 19lbs from where my surgeon wants me to be which i guess is the lower end of the normal range bmi for my height. Personally I’m just counting down to being within normal range at all. I have two dresses I’m still dying to fit into so hopefully I’ll get there eventually. I desperately need to tone up now that I’ve lost some weight but I’m struggling with my energy levels.

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.

It sounds like you've made a big effort to manage your weight, but it's frustrating when progress stalls. Consider seeing a dietitian to make sure your portion sizes and food choices match your weight loss goals after surgery. Sometimes, metabolic changes or hidden calories can affect weight loss. Also, try changing your exercise routine to avoid plateaus. Stay positive and keep monitoring your progress; with adjustments, you can find what works best for your body.

HI! Thank you so much!!! I started with walking around 2-3 postop, 20-30min and just built up to working out from home with light 5lbs weights. I follow Sydney Cummings or Juice and Toya work out videos. I would alternate 1 day upper body, 1 day lower body, ect...Then I would walk for 1 hour one day a week. Then I joined the gym when I was comfortable with the weights and that's when I really saw results. That was around 8-9 week post op. I cut down to 20min cardio and 30min strength training still alternating and still having 1hour walking days. Now that I am at my weight that I want to be at and not wanting to bulk up anymore just shred and tighten up my loose skin that I can possibly tighten up, I do 4 weight days 2 upper body, 2 lower body body with 30 min of cardio (usually treadmill at 12-13.5 incline and 3.3-3.7 speed) then 2 days I focus only on Cardio HIIT workouts. Now I do all my own workouts just from researching online and building my own workouts. I think they work? LOL I feel good afterwards, and my body composition is changing so I am rolling with it LOL I focus on high protein like over 100g, carbs I kept around 60g and fat around 20g. I have been fortunate where the weight came off pretty quickly, right now I am eating around 1400 cal 150g of protein 80-90g carbs and 25-30g fat. I am not actively trying to lose anymore, I want to more so maintain but I am still losing, so I am waiting till that figures itself out. LOL

For me, it was important to get past the snacking hurdle pretty much cold turkey. My willpower is great after two to three weeks of a new routine -- but before that every minute is torturous. I think all my scheduled 'snacks' for the first month post-op were all like "half a protein shake" and "half a protein bar" lol. Now I'm finally able to snack healthily or with 'planned indulgences' (most of which I still try to make as healthy as possible, because I backslide too easily / get addicted to things very quickly). Last week I found a healthy quinoa puff (with no added oils / ingredients) at my local bulk food store, and toasting them up in a pan with some curry powder has become my new evening indulgence -- sometimes with a few peanuts or edamame thrown in. Ridiculously satisfying without throwing me off track. I've also found some baby snacks that are crazy-clean when it comes to fats/carbs/sugars, and they taste super plain but that's where my own seasonings come in. Baby Gourmet Cheesy Broccoli Puffies are made with quinoa and lentils, and one bag will last me for 3-5 snacks so I don't mind the price so much.

@AmberFL In all your exercising have you found that your arms are firming up, if they were flabby before? Just looking for some tips as they remain a problem area for me and doing arm weights at home (mix between 1.5kg and 3kg) a few days a week for some reps doesn't seem to be making any inroads. My legs are always going to be a problem area for me because of lymphedema but that just stops me wearing shorts or a short dress leaving me still with plenty of options but having to keep my arms covered all the time (because I hate my arms) is a pain.