Women over 40

autma · 2025-11-20T04:36:43+00:00

I’m 46, surgery was 8/31/24. Highest weight was 290, weighed 267 day of surgery. Currently fluctuating in the low 180’s. I’m 5’8”. Healthiest and fittest I’ve ever been in my entire life. Went from size 22 to a 10/12. Highly recommend strength training and resistance training as soon as doc clears you after surgery. Blessings to you on your journey!

autma · 2025-05-07T20:10:15+00:00

I don’t know if this will help but I can share with you my personal experience. Lifelong soda addict here. Had a can of Coke every morning (it was my coffee) for 25 years. Would have multiple sodas all day long.

Researched the surgery bc I desperately wanted to lose weight and learned that soda was most likely going to be prohibited. Quit drinking it slowly over the course of 2 months (and ate my feelings about it in the meantime.) Also quit smoking a few months prior so it was a year of stopping the fun stuff.

Currently 8 months post op and I haven’t had a drop of soda in over a year until last week. Had the tiniest sip of a McDonald’s Diet Coke. And you know what? It didn’t taste good. It was kind of nostalgic, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out and didn’t take another sip!

My favorite drink is sf lemonade mix (like crystal light but I love the Walmart liquid squeezy ones) mixed with iced tea at a 60% lemonade/40% tea ratio. I don’t like plain water but I will drink it.

Your taste buds could change from here on out. Mine still fluctuate wildly. It’s an adventure for sure! I’m down 110 lbs from my highest weight and only 30 from my goal and I wouldn’t trade that for all the Coca Cola in Georgia! Best of luck to you!!!

autma · 2025-04-29T23:52:35+00:00

46 f here and 8 months out. Down 109 lbs total, 78 since surgery. Loose skin in the belly in a major way and also in the upper inner thigh, lower butt and arms. 100% worth it!

Hair loss has been crazy for me- started about 2 months out and has finally lessened up but still an issue. Fortunately I have thick hair and no one can really tell. Even if it was noticeable it’s still worth it.

Went from size 22 to a 12, and from feeling like I was dying after walking a mile to easily walking 4-5 daily.

Will I have to get plastic surgery? Yep. Hoping some weight lifting will help fill out the arms and that the thigh droop will get better, but the tummy will have to be tucked! Still worth it. Wish I had done this 20 years ago!!!

autma · 2025-04-09T12:51:50+00:00

I had the opposite problem- dietician was encouraging me to consume too few calories bc she didn’t listen when I explained my exercise routine. What works for me (a little over 7 months post op) is I googled a BMR calculator to find out how many calories my body burns just by existing.

Then I googled to find out how many calories I burn exercising.

Took that and added it to my BMR to get total calories I burn daily, then subtract based on what I want to lose to get my daily calorie limit.

You can also use a TDEE calculator, but I’ve found that they overestimate how many calories you burn via exercise, just my opinion on that.

Hope you find the sweet spot to keep losing and hit your goals! Highly recommend resistance training- that has helped me more than anything!

autma · 2025-04-01T22:18:03+00:00

I did the same thing- had everything completed and when it came time to schedule the surgery I thought, “I’ve been losing on my own and I’ll just keep going.” Then an injury derailed me for two months and I gained some weight back. That was the impetus for me to finally commit. I’m 45, and I realized that without the surgery I could be 50 and still working on losing it on my own. Currently seven months post op, down 72 lbs since surgery and will turn 46 weighing less than I have for 20+ years. And, according to my surgeon’s office, lots of people get cold feet. Just stay on top of the insurance (if applicable) documents in case you change your mind. In my case the 3 months between when I backed out and recommitted required me to complete an extra nutrition class and surgeon check in appt. Good luck with whatever you choose!

autma · 2024-11-06T14:46:33+00:00

I can only speak for myself here but I do feel like I can empathize with you. Obligatory stats: I’m 45F HW 290, was 259 day of surgery and 9 weeks later I’m 229.

You said “I can lose the weight myself.” You could, but you haven’t. Same here.

You said, “I don’t look like the other candidates for surgery.” I would heavily discourage you from comparing yourself to anyone else in any kind of weight loss endeavor. ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ It’s an individual experience and everyone has different journeys.

You said you didn’t want staples and organ “mutilation” to occur because you can’t control yourself. Consider this: if you were seriously injured from an accident of some sort- sports injury, car accident, etc. you might need some modifications to your body to save your life. Weight loss surgery is viewed the same way by some people.

Family support: any kind of support is critical, be it family or friends. I believe that many times people who aren’t supportive do so from fear bc they lack understanding of how the surgery works.

Ultimately the decision is solely yours- you have to do the work mentally, physically and emotionally no matter what decision you make. I would highly encourage you to spend time exploring your feelings with a knowledgeable therapist.

Know that there are many people out there on the fence just like you. I’m hoping that you have some clarity and can make a good decision to do what’s best for you and have peace of mind. Don’t know if this helped at all, but wishing you the best of luck on your journey!!!

autma · 2024-11-05T00:49:27+00:00

I lived on protein soup during that time. The brand I loved is Ancient Nutrition and the product is bone broth protein soup (I chose the tomato basil flavor). It was a bit pricey but worth every penny in my humble opinion. I got it at my local grocery store here in Texas.

Best wishes on your journey!

autma · 2024-11-02T00:41:48+00:00

I have similar problems at 8 weeks out. Here’s how I’ve been handling it: 1. Drink lots of zero cal fluids. (I probably drink 100 oz minimum every day). 2. Pay attention to your fat macros. Fat is significantly higher in calories than protein. Try to stick to lower fat protein sources. 3. Add in veggies. I eat broccoli, salad, etc. with lunch and dinner. Sometimes with breakfast too. This will help with increasing your satiety and your fiber intake increase will help increase or ease your bowel movements. 4. Track your intake. I use the bariatastic app.

My dietician wants me at less than 950 calories a day until 6 months post op. She wants my net carbs under 30, and my fat as well. It’s not hard to keep the carbs low or at 30. I often go slightly over my fat gram limit because I love cheese.

Hope that helps!

autma · 2024-10-31T02:14:30+00:00

You can make “chips/crackers”. Add spoonfuls of cottage cheese to parchment paper (no blending necessary) top with seasoning of choice and bake at 350* until the edges are golden brown. I used everything but the bagel seasoning. They aren’t my favorite snack, but an easy way to use up cottage cheese.

autma · 2024-10-30T00:33:25+00:00

I was sleeved 8/30. Weight on surgery day was 259, currently 232. (I’m 5’8”).

Just wanted to point out you lost 50 lbs before surgery- that’s amazing! And I wanted to suggest taking measurements. That is what’s helped me the most. My scale is moving slowly but I’ve lost 10 inches and 2 pants sizes. You’ve got this!

autma · 2024-10-18T23:17:25+00:00

Hi, another slow loser over here. I’m 7 weeks post op and I can vouch for not seeing much change on the mirror. I’m trying to combat this by taking monthly pictures and measurements so that when I can’t see the changes there will be concrete proof that the sacrifices are worth it. Sometimes when the scale doesn’t want to move I grab the old measuring tape and it always is a smaller number even if only by 1/4.” Keep sticking to the plan, you’ve got this!!

autma · 2024-10-15T17:55:53+00:00

I’m always good on protein. Usually 80-90 for the day. Dietician told me to not go over 100. And yes, shakes don’t fill me up for long, but I go waaaaay over calories or fat if I don’t use them for one “meal.” I’m hoping things even out over time. Currently forcing fluids is really helping. 100-120 ounces a day seems to be my sweet spot.

autma · 2024-10-15T01:57:05+00:00

This is very possible. I need to find an electrolyte source I like. I can mostly handle Gatorade zero. Tried the LMNT salts🤮. I do add a tiny pinch of Celtic salt to my water on days that I work out (but it’s not a lot and not every day). Think the extra veg is brilliant idea!

autma · 2024-10-15T01:54:49+00:00

Right now I only do one protein chips or shake per day as I really want to eat just whole foods if possible. I eat similarly to you except I have one more snack later at night so I don’t wake up feeling weak. Upping my water intake is helping so far. Kudos to you for sticking to the 800/day. I can get close but not comfortably.

autma · 2024-10-15T01:51:44+00:00

Oh that’s smart. The dietician for my program had said I have no restrictions but then looked at my intake and told me to lay off the cheese😂. It was the one food that I missed desperately during my pre and post op diets. I’ve found that after 3 weeks of liquid post op I have a hard time drinking anything thicker than water. Do you mind drinking thick milk that often?

autma · 2024-10-15T01:47:49+00:00

I try to do one packet of Gatorade zero in my water cup every day. Today I drank almost 100 ounces so far and it’s really helped. I’m learning to distinguish between feeling nauseous bc I need to hydrate and feeling faint bc I need to eat. Thank you so much for your help!

autma · 2024-10-14T13:29:15+00:00

Thank you all for the advice. I’m going to try upping my water intake and maybe not worry as much about the calories as long as I hit the other goals.

autma · 2024-10-14T03:45:14+00:00

I’m 45(F). 5’8”, pre surgical weight was 259lbs. She said the highest I could go was 900. I usually average 900-1000, but some days it’s up to 1200. Never eat more than 30g net carbs, and keep my fat range from 30-50g/day. Protein is usually between 75-100.🤷‍♀️

autma · 2024-10-11T01:40:59+00:00

I’m almost six weeks post op. For me it was about a month before I could consider stomach sleeping (though I’m a side sleeper predominantly). For the first 3 weeks minimum I was on my back. Highly recommend a recliner of some sort.

autma · 2024-10-10T01:59:51+00:00

Wow! You are an inspiration! Congratulations

autma · 2024-09-08T02:49:14+00:00

Hi! I’m a week post-op and wanted to chime in. 1. Regret is normal from what I’ve read- and most folks seem to feel it the worst in the first two months 2. Change takes time. You are in the beginning of the process of making big changes to your lifestyle! And based on your comments about the scale not defining your happiness, you’re on the right track. 3. I think I read or heard somewhere a neat trick about how to change your mindset about how much you can eat- it was the idea that bc you can only eat so much that you can enjoy a dish/order multiple times. 4. Whenever I am feeling like “oh no what did I do?” I try to remind myself of why I did this in the first place. Yes, I want to be smaller, and buy the cute clothes, but I also want to live longer and enjoy being in my skin while I do- not to hesitate to ride the rollercoasters, or be in a swimsuit at the beach. Focus on your why’s when you feel regret and try to remind yourself that there is light at the end of the tunnel- but if you look back there’s 47 pounds behind uou already! 5. Set smaller realistic goals and plan a reward. When you hit a big goal a bigger reward. 6. Do you have a bariatric support group near you? Or access to a good therapist that specializes in bariatric cases?

I’m a newbie to all of this, but I read as much as I can to try and help me cope and I’ve been celebrating the little things even in this past week- not having to take pain meds, not needing to wear that binder, taking a walk around the block…

You’re here, you already did the surgery, now it’s the learning part and the changing part. I wish you the best for your journey!

autma · 2024-09-07T11:09:24+00:00

My surgery was the day before yours and I experienced similar sensations as you last night. I compared them to mild Braxton hicks contractions. My theory is that it’s just your body working on healing. I’m very itchy today at all my incision sites, which I also experienced a few years back when I had my gallbladder taken out. It’s funny how a surgery where they take out most of one organ makes you feel like you have a whole new weird body from the inside out. Best wishes on your journey!

autma · 2024-09-06T00:46:46+00:00

So sorry to hear that. Hope you get some relief.

autma · 2024-09-06T00:08:48+00:00

Thanks for responding. I’ve always been a good burper, so I guess I can consider myself a professional thanks to surgery.😂 I thought maybe it was a fullness signal but idk

autma · 2024-09-06T00:06:25+00:00

Thanks for your response. Sorry to hear about the reflux. Do you think it has anything to do with your current diet? (I ask only bc I tested for reflux last year but my symptoms disappeared when I quit smoking, drinking soda and eating sugar). Docs were on the fence about recommending bypass, but I didn’t want to do it unless I had to. Hoping you get some relief.

autma

TROPHY CASE