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I am hesitant to say that I have a weight target, because I really want more than that. I want to be able to run and move and wear the clothes I want to wear. I want to have a low resting heart rate. I want to be able to play sports with my son. There's so much more than a number on a scale. I have probably spent 15,000 hours at the gym. I have a lot of skeletal muscle, but it's not really visible. I always felt too humble to want big muscles, but why? I've done the work. Why shouldn't I enjoy and take pride in it? I have been walking. Not a lot, between 6 and 10 thousand steps a day. I have some chronic shoulder injuries, but I can't wait to get back to lifting. I love lifting weights. I am thinking another two weeks off. In the meantime, I want to get back to stationary bike and a lot of stretching!

i had a gastric sleeve 10 years ago. i've put back on weight and have a hernia. i guess I failed. Has anyone been subscribed ozempic as a treatment plan? Also on medicare as primary. thanks

@gracesmommy2 Thanks for the suggestion! I've just ordered a 10-pack of the sea salt flavor. I love anything that is small and protein packed.

I have a feeding tube currently. I had surgery 6/13/24 for revision to RNY. I had 2 emergency surgeries 3 days later. I had a leak and had 7liters of toxic fluids cleaned out of me then ICU 6 days and hospital until the end of July. It has been 10 months + with wound vac, Gtube, and now a stricture that I've had 3 balloon procedures and still not halfway there. Total of 6 hospital stays, 4 ER visits, 7 surgeries since June 2023. I'm getting better. Feeding tube helps but also causes alot of pain and granulated tissue which has to be burned off. I have found 4 people who have talked about the same issues. A leak like this and a stricture is very uncommon. Most people with leaks end up dying. It's why you don't hear about them. I'm not sure why anyone would require a feeding tube other than a major stricture or leak. Maybe due to already having so much scar tissue. They think that is why I had a leak but nobody knows. For reference. I had lapband 2008. Lapband Removal 2019 due to Gerd. RNY 2023. I was 238lbs 5'6 at the time. I'm 170 now.

Thank you for sharing! I'm dealing with a stricture now. I've had 3 bsloon procedures but the camera still won't go all the way through. My surgeon described it as a funnel where he has been able to open some at the top but not go through. I've been trying to transition from a feeding tube to eating but can't keep water or food down and everything makes me nauseous. This is my story so far: I had surgery 6/13/24 for revision to RNY. I had 2 emergency surgeries 3 days later. I had a leak and had 7liters of toxic fluids cleaned out of me then ICU 6 days and hospital until the end of July. It has been 10 months + with wound vac, Gtube, and now a stricture that I've had 3 balloon procedures and still not halfway there. Total of 6 hospital stays, 4 ER visits, 7 surgeries since June 2023. I'm getting better. Feeding tube helps but also causes alot of pain and granulated tissue which has to be burned off. I have found 4 people who have talked about the same issues. A leak like this and a stricture is very uncommon. Most people with leaks end up dying. It's why you don't hear about them. I'm not sure why anyone would require a feeding tube other than a major stricture or leak. Maybe due to already having so much scar tissue. They think that is why I had a leak but nobody knows. For reference. I had lapband 2008. Lapband Removal 2019 due to Gerd. RNY 2023. I was 238lbs 5'6 at the time. I'm 170 now.

I have a feeding tube currently. I had surgery 6/13/24 for revision to RNY. I had 2 emergency surgeries 3 days later. I had a leak and had 7liters of toxic fluids cleaned out of me then ICU 6 days and hospital until the end of July. It has been 10 months + with wound vac, Gtube, and now a stricture that I've had 3 balloon procedures and still not halfway there. Total of 6 hospital stays, 4 ER visits, 7 surgeries since June 2023. I'm getting better. Feeding tube helps but also causes alot of pain and granulated tissue which has to be burned off. I have found 4 people who have talked about the same issues. A leak like this and a stricture is very uncommon. Most people with leaks end up dying. It's why you don't hear about them. I'm not sure why anyone would require a feeding tube other than a major stricture or leak. Maybe due to already having so much scar tissue. They think that is why I had a leak but nobody knows. For reference. I had lapband 2008. Lapband Removal 2019 due to Gerd. RNY 2023. I was 238lbs 5'6 at the time. I'm 170 now.

been going to the pilates studio almost everyday now (a few times ive gone twice a day, thats how addicted i am to it). got tired of washing the same 4 pairs of yoga pants every few days, so decided to buy some new ones! got these babies in 5 colours (black, pink, blue, red and these brown ones)...for $10 each! bonus NSV: finding my size in abundance in the clearance section! win! ...now i gotta buy some new tops..

Thanks, @RonHall908! I should probably say, the 48lbs lost stretches back to last summer when I was at my highest ever weight and started incorporating the Pound of Cure guidelines into my daily routine. I lost 13lbs just with that over about 6 months, and then I lost about 13lbs more during the 2-week pre-op diet. So 26 of it was pre-op and 22 is post-op. Which kind of feels weird. I thought the surgery would ramp things up, but it feels like it slowed things down! I know there's a lot more going on metabolism-wise that will make it easier in the long run to lose more and keep the weight off, but it still can do your head in sometimes trying to balance expectations and reality. This is also the weight where I plateaued during my last serious weight loss attempt, right around losing 20% of my starting body weight. I know that research shows that most people can lose 5-10% of their body weight, but once you get to the 15 to 20% mark your body usually rebels. I assume that may be what's happening here as everything has to readjust, and the surgery changes will eventually make it possible to push past that plateau where I couldn't do it before. Fingers crossed!

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! Here's some motivation: In my first six months post-surgery, I lost weight steadily: Month 1 - 15 lbs, Month 2 - 12 lbs, Month 3 - 10 lbs, Month 4 - 8 lbs, Month 5 - 7 lbs, and Month 6 - 6 lbs. Remember, everyone's journey is unique, but staying positive and committed will bring you closer to your goals. You've got this! Keep focusing on your health and well-being.

So here's a couple pictures from 2019 and one silly recent one. Seeing these old pictures definitely shows how much has changed.

Well I head in tomorrow morning at 10:00 for my surgery. I'm a lil nervous, just the not knowing, what I'm about to experience. They say 💭 it's different for everyone. Appreciate all that I've learned from everyone's experiences here on this page. The procedure for me to get here has taken a whole yr and a half. So I'm so ready for this…. (I think !!)

@RonHall908 you look fantastic! Go you! What a difference - you allready look like a new man and so much younger! Im still stalled, but really glad to have you all here, it does help and is making me feel less alone with the struggle of the stall. On the upside I’m in Barcelona for work and finally have a blue sky for the first time since I got back from Eygpt! That’s helping my morale! I have the day of because it’s May Day Labor Day so I’m about to go and visit the Miró Fondation. Also yesterday I was 74 days since surgery and I reset all my step counters at surgery… I’ve done 802 388 steps since which works out at an honorable average of 10 800 and some steps per day or 7.35 km or 4.56 miles a day … and that I’m proud of because walking isn’t always the easiest for me!

I take my multi first thing in the morning with breakfast at 7am and then take calcium at 10, 2, and 6 (I take two calcium chews and a calcium chocolate for "dessert").

Has anyone tried the gardencup meal delivery service? Everything is in a cup to take to go they have soups, salads, power cups, produce cups, and dip cups as well as snack cups. They are $10-12 each so kinda pricey but I’m justifying it for myself since my husband doesn’t eat what I eat and produce tends to go bad on me before I can use it all as do all the different cheeses and stuff to make a variety of salads. That plus the convenience factor are making them enticing. I am looking at the protein and the mini cup salads have less than the regular sized ones which is unfortunate since post surgery the mini one will probably be the better portion size. The minis are around 15-20g protein. I’m Just curious if anyone has tried these or has any thoughts on them. I’m thinking I may have to switch out the dressing for a lower fat option or have no dressing but that’s with premade salad from anywhere. I usually get the southwest or market salad at chick fila with an extra chicken filet on the side. I take it home pull off the toppings and a little of the lettuce and that’s plenty for one day then the next I can make a chicken ceaser salad with the extra chicken, the leftover lettuce and my own yogurt dressing but that’s only when I’m in town anyways. I don’t like to make a special trip just for salad plus those aren’t prepared to grab And go like these cups are. They would fit perfect in a cooler to take with me when I’m out for the day

Hi Calli, this group is for 2023, there'll definitely be a 2024 group, best to join that and find others having surgery next month. I was sleeved on the 10 May, you chose a great date!

A few thoughts from my Sadi experience after nearly 10 years: - Nutritionists are like driving instructors who read a book about driving but never drove themselves. The same can be said for many doctors since only weight loss specialists understand the procedures. - Eat the basics everyday (protein, fruit, fiber), then mostly anything else. - Hydration is vital, I get mine from fruits, tea and water. I eat between 20 to 30 lbs of fruit per week (not kidding). It doesn't add weight. - Get exercise everyday, even just steps are fine. I'm a 6'1 male, 63 yrs old, weigh about 166lbs today. I lost about 152 lbs in year 1, gained back 25lbs after 3 years. Recently gained about 5lbs but working out a lot. I prioritize eating the basics daily, taking the vitamins (less than a DS'er), then eat whatever I want. I get exercise everyday by walking my dog, hikes, biking and going to the gym. It took me about 4 years to get in decent shape after surgery. Now workouts are just a thing I do everyday like any other activity.

I start my pre op diet this week. I have everything. This is my second time with the diet. Last month surgery was cancelled the day prior due to lab work. So im back on track and scheduled 5/10. Nice to read all of your posts. I watched a couple of surgery videos today too.

Having my total hysterectomy on May 7th. They can't go in laparoscopically, so it'll be an abdominal hysterectomy. Taking out everything: uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix. I have 3 VERY large uterine fibroids that have made my uterus (and stomach now) the size of someone who is 5 or 5 1/2 months pregnant. I may, in the next couple of years, get skin surgery but I'm still thinking about it. Let's see if I have any cardiac issues with this surgery (like I did with the hernia repair surgery) before I make anymore decisions about elective surgeries. I can't wait for this to be done and over with and I can finally just live my dang life!!! From my initial sleeve surgery in May 2022 to the hysterotomy in May 2024, I will have had 10 surgeries in 2 years (thanks to all the complications from the sleeve surgery). The uterine fibroids were actually discovered while doing tests for the other issues caused by the sleeve, so it still counts as the reason for the surgery being caused by the sleeve lol Anyway, so happy to finally be at the last chapter of this book!!!

So...I'm struggling with how to answer this because I want to give you helpful information, but I still have questions. I guess I'll jump right in and see how it goes. 1) You started off at a lower weight to begin with, so your body is likely at the point now where it's at it's healthiest. As of right now, you're 5'5" and 136 pounds with a bmi of 22. You're exactly where you should be. If you lose 15 more pounds, you'll weight 121 pounds and have a bmi of 20. On paper, that's still healthy. But my concern is you're becoming addicted to losing the weight and even though you're exactly where you should be (and could even gain 10 pounds and still be where you should to be) you'll panic and possibly go about things in an unhealthy way to drop those pounds. 2) Were there other reasons besides your weight that led you to getting the surgery? Did you have any comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, etc? You didn't mention that. My fear is, if you only wanted to drop weight and your bmi was 33 to begin with, and now you're wanting to continue to drop even though you're being told you look "stick thin" (and you're in the healthy range now but still want to go lower), that this might have more to do with the number on the scale than getting healthy. 3) Stalls are normal, and happen all the time. The fact that you haven't had one until 4 months out is actually kind of surprising. They do break on their own, but honestly, you may lose little weight going forward (and what you DO lose will likely come off slowly) since you're already well within the healthy and normal range and your body feels it's happy at its new set point. 4) Your body likely thinks it's in starvation mode, based on how you're working out and lifting and what you're eating. The harder the workouts, the more calories you need. Prioritize protein first above all else, then veggies, then carbs and healthy fats. But you definitely need to increase your calorie intake. This isn't necessarily advice for dropping more weight (although that tends to happen when things like this go on) but for healthy purposes. If your body thinks it's starving, it'll hold on to every single calorie and bit of fat. And it'll eat away at muscle before fat just to make sure you survive. So my suggestion is to increase your calories. I don't do heavy lifting, but I DO do weight training, and on those days, I go up to 1400 calories. Core and strength training, I go up to 1300 calories. Cardio I go up to 1200 calories. Non work out days I eat around 1000 calories. 5) You didn't mention what surgery you had, but I'm assuming it's the sleeve. If I may ask, what made you choose having surgery versus doing anything else for weight loss? Have you tried changing your eating habits before, did you try medication, or did you go right to surgery? How have you changed the way you eat, and what you eat, since the surgery? How much fluid are you taking in every day? How much protein and carbs are you taking in each day? Are you taking your vitamins every day? How many days per week are you working out (should give yourself 2 days off ideally, but for sure at least 1).

So I was 6 days out from VSG surgery when I tested positive for COVID-19. I mostly feel fine, apart from my throat. It's really prickly and sore. To the point that I am really struggling to get anything down. It has gotten worse over the past 12 hours, to the point that I'm wondering whether the remedies I have used (Saltwater gargle, sugarfree difflam) have done more harm than good. My weight loss clinic doesn't open till Monday. I am really struggling here! 😫

I have yet to see a nutritionist or dietician that truly understands the optimal diet for a SADI or DS patient. Most of the time we just get a modified version of what they give Bypass and Sleeve patients. But as you say, you aren't absorbing as much as they are, therefore to give you their requirements would leave you malnourished. 15 grams of fat is absurd by all medical standards. Most medical studies show we need 60 grams of fat for proper hormone function and even if you ate 60 grams of fat, with an altered digestive tract, you aren't absorbing that much, so you need to eat a little more than that. Even the ASMBS recommends 60 grams of fat by 1 year out!! Your dietician is not following best practices. Most SADI/DS patients I know follow the vets that have been living with this surgery for 10+ years and maintaining their weight loss. We figure they know more about optimal diet than a surgeon who has never lived with this surgery, or a dietician that has never even researched best diet for bariatric patients of various surgeries. Most patients I know are eating 100-120 grams of protein, less than 50 grams of carbs, and over 60 grams of fat, usually around 100 grams of fat for SADI and 150 grams for DS. You can increase your carbs once you have reached your goal weight, they tend to slow/stop weight loss, so in active weight loss it is important to keep them low so you stay in ketosis. A calorie range makes dieticians feel better, but it makes no sense for a SADI or DS patient because we malabsorb so much fat we can't even begin to properly calculate our calories. You could eat 1200 calories, but that wouldn't be what your body is absorbing. I'm sorry this is so complicated. In the end you have to decide what you feel best at. I don't feel good following guidelines like your dietician gave you and when I go over 50 grams of carbs I stop losing weight. So...yeah. I'm going to follow what allows my brain and hormones to function, what makes my skin, hair, and eyes feel best, what gives me the most energy, and what allows me to lose weight steadily. I'm the one that has to live in this body. It is sad these surgeries are so uncommon there are no good studies about optimal nutrition for them. But there is no way I'd go below ASMBS guidelines, they are the closest thing bariatric surgeons have to a standardizing body. Your dietician should be able to give you ASMBS guidelines for your surgery.

May 10! Calli