Am I really gonna lose weight?

[Myrandalynn06 5]

I’m struggling feeling like this isn’t going to work and not strong enough to do this! Please help!

[liveaboard15 516]

What kind of surgery are you looking to get? You will loose weight but its a process and you have to stick to it. Which is why most hospitals have support groups, nutrition classes and such to help you. Part of my preop is attending the support groups which i have next week.

[Tufflaw 313]

Not to be cliche, but if you think you'll succeed or fail - you're right. You need to have the right mindset going into this.

I did very well with my sleeve that I got in 2016, until I started slipping and put it all back on. Five years later I got the revision to bypass 6 weeks ago and it's going very well again, except now I know what to watch out for and how to (hopefully) avoid the pitfalls of last time.

Believe that it will work, and do everything you can to help it work, and it will work.

[liveaboard15 516]

19 minutes ago, Tufflaw said:

Not to be cliche, but if you think you'll succeed or fail - you're right. You need to have the right mindset going into this.

I did very well with my sleeve that I got in 2016, until I started slipping and put it all back on. Five years later I got the revision to bypass 6 weeks ago and it's going very well again, except now I know what to watch out for and how to (hopefully) avoid the pitfalls of last time.

Believe that it will work, and do everything you can to help it work, and it will work.

You got the sleeve and ended up gaining all the weight back? what did you originally weight start at in 2016? and what did you make it to?

[Tufflaw 313]

Originally I started at 315, got sleeved in late December 2016, made it all the way down to 195 in about 7 months or so.

I had several major issues in a short amount of time, including losing my job, having a health issue with one of my children, starting my own business and then losing it, so I had a lot going on and didn't focus on keeping with the program. When I started my two-week fast at the beginning of November 2021 in preparation for revision surgery, I was about 293.

[liveaboard15 516]

6 hours ago, Tufflaw said:

Originally I started at 315, got sleeved in late December 2016, made it all the way down to 195 in about 7 months or so.

I had several major issues in a short amount of time, including losing my job, having a health issue with one of my children, starting my own business and then losing it, so I had a lot going on and didn't focus on keeping with the program. When I started my two-week fast at the beginning of November 2021 in preparation for revision surgery, I was about 293.

wow. Thanks for that information and sorry about all you went thru. I am at about 315lb. I didnt realize that i could pretty much gain it all back.

[Myrandalynn06 5]

I had the lapband in 2009 and due to complications had to get it removed and got the bypass all fairly quickly and I had the revision on 12/15. I struggled with post op diet until this week when I started to eat some puréed foods but I am just not losing weight. Emotionally really frustrating that I went through all this and not seeing results.

[GradyCat 3,652]

Yes, you really will lose weight. But it's a tool only, not a solution. You still have to do the work. But the tool works. Good luck on your WLS journey.

[catwoman7 8,483]

if you stick to your clinic's program, yes, you'll lose the weight. But you have to be really dedicated, because as GradyCat said, it's just a tool. It'll only take you so far - you have to put in the work to really take advantage of it. That said, it's the only thing that ever worked for me.

[lizonaplane 1,418]

If you just had the surgery a few weeks ago, you are likely in the 3 week stall. It happens to almost everyone. You will start losing weight again.

As others have said, it's completely possible to lose weight and gain it all back. You have to follow the rules of the program, but the restriction is there to guide you... for a time.

Hang in there! It's a head game as much as anything.

[MelanatedQueen 2]

Thanks @lizonaplane I’m in week 3 and couldn’t figure out why the scale stopped moving. It even went up two pounds and I’m only getting 500 calories a day. Glad to know it’s happens to others.

[Arabesque 3,341]

I can only echo the words above. It is a tool. You have to learn how to best use it to get the most success for you. The tool does so much for a period of time (the hunger comes back, you physically can eat more, your restriction can reduce in intensity) but rest is up to you. You have to establish new habits, make better food choices, incorporate some activity into your routine. Go back to what you did before & you’ll put on weight again. It’s what I did after every diet I went on. This time has been the complete opposite.

Don’t be afraid to seek the help of a good therapist. (Your surgeon should be able to recommend a good one.) They’ll help you work through your doubts & also any issues that may limit or block your success after surgery. The surgery doesn’t remove the behaviours, emotions, etc. that drive us to eat & gain the weight in the first place. They never really go. Plus life does tend to throw crap at us at times. Having strategies to manage the stress, depression, etc. will help you not turn to food for comfort.

All the best.

[vikingbeast 940]

@MelanatedQueen It's totally the three-week stall. Your body is rebalancing its Fluid levels and stuff.

While there's some variation (hello, hormones...), generally the rule is CICO (calories in calories out). If you're eating 500 cal a day, there is no way you're not going to lose weight. Even if you're very petite, your body requires a certain number of calories just to exist, and 500 is below that number.

If you get through another three weeks without moving, talk to your surgeon, but nearly everyone breaks that stall in a week or two.

[lbugher 41]

Band-to-bypass patient here. I think I may have perspective that will help you considering I've been through it myself.

I never lost weight with the lap band because it didn't work for me. It never reduced my appetite and it merely felt like a road block between my esophagus and stomach. food slid through the band pretty easily (if I chewed well enough and/or ate slider foods) and considering it was much easier and more comfortable to eat that way, that's what I did. The lap band does NOTHING to stop you from eating as much ice cream or cheesy mashed potatoes as you want.

With the lap band, if it's adjusted properly, you get a hard "stop" when your pouch is full. You have to be careful with the bypass because "full" is a much more gradual feeling. Eat slowly, or else you could end up eating too much and that is painful. Restriction is there but it's a gradual feeling rather than the sudden feeling of "I can't eat anymore."

Keep in mind other benefits the bypass has that the lap band doesn't: malabsorption, reduced/muted appetite, and prolonged satiety. I would get hungry pretty fast after drinking Water with my lap band (I always waited the 60 minutes we were told to wait and even so, the food washed right through my pouch). With the bypass I'll stay full for several hours. I get hungry but not *famished* to the point where I'm shaky and desperate.

You're just 1 month post-op but it will get better feel free to PM me if you want to chat. Having had a lap band before will make this experience different for you. I'd get so frustrated when people told me the lap band was "just a tool" but it felt like someone gave me a bent screwdriver when what I needed was a jackhammer. The bypass is a much more powerful tool. I lost 20 pounds in 6 months with my lap band and then stopped. I was so frustrated with feeling miserable that I just gave up and ate what I wanted. With the bypass I've lost 101 pounds in 5 months. It's night and day, truly. Even on days when I want to give up and eat what I want, I can't. And I really appreciate that. Try eating a couple Cookies and see what happens 😂 actually, don't. For me it's really bad farts but for a lot of people it results in terrible dumping so it's just not worth it.

Anyway, I hope I provided some comfort for you. It will get better and you'll lose weight!!! It's such a better tool than the lap band (or as I call it, crap band!)

[JEANMR1 20]

Hey please know you got this. I have been beating myself up for needing a revision. Had leave to bypass may 19. I am outpacing my first weight loss by a lot. I’m wiser now. Every single day is a choice and you will be successful if you make good choices more days than not.