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I am going to say something that is opposite. If you are going to go into this surgery go into it 100% Why wait until 85% of your stomach is out to work on you? Aren't you worth more than that. Spending your time pre-surgery gaining weight is not the right way to go into such a very restrictive surgery. All surgeries carry risks, why not do your best before surgery to limit the risks by taking care of yourself. Start charting your food on something like myfitnesspal.com Start trying to lower your carb intake now. I put myself on 800-1000 calories a day (I usually stayed around 800 calories and on my "fore-special days" where I went out to eat at Red Lobster or a Japanese Steakhouse - I went higher. I made sure I kept my carbs 45-75 ...unless it was a fore-special day, which I only did once a month or maybe twice a month. I lost 10 pounds a month during my pre-approval phase. I got to have my favorite foods once in a while, but I also learned to break the bad patterns that you will need to break eventually, if you don't break it pre-surgery, well who says you are going to be able to break if after surgery? Learn to not drink with your meal and wait 1/2 hour after you eat to drink your water. Chart your 64 ounces of water a day, chart your exercise. Learn how to do this now. Limit your caffeine until you can go off it completely (imagine weaning from caffeine and carbonation during pre-op shake....) people that do it before pre-op shake are more successful. If you are going to have Last Suppers, or Last meals before pre-op shake don't do it the day before do it days before because carb overload, will make pre-op shakes so much worse. Nobody said you have to starve yourself, but why gain weight? Wouldn't it be nicer to have less to lose after surgery? It sure was for me. Even if you lose 10 pounds or 5 pounds pre-surgery isn't that something to be proud of? Aren't you worth putting 100% effort into this? The food issues you have pre-surgery, the comfort food, or the love for food don't disappear after they take 85% of your stomach. You are still going to have stress, you are still going to have anxiety, you are still going to need comfort. I guarantee you, if you work on these issues before surgery and put effort into this, you will be more successful after surgery, because the surgery doesn't cure what caused you to become overweight to begin with. This is not meant to put anyone down, this is not meant to hurt anyone's feelings, but this costs a whole lot of money and this surgery is NOT a walk in the park. It takes hard work and dedication and it will not solve your problems if you don't work hard for it. Best of luck to you all.

OMGosh, I could've written this myself.... except I started at 349 and am only 5'6". :s I am HORRIFIED at pics that were taken only 6 or 8 months ago. I want to burn them and pretend that "that me" just never existed. YIKES... (I have before and current pics in my photo gallery if you want to be horrified too! LOL) This Part: "You were so fat that I was really worried about you. When I stood next to you, I could hear you having trouble breathing and I was scared for you. You’ve had trouble walking and getting around. You look a lot better and a lot healthier now.” My sister in law said the EXACT same thing to me just the other day! Unbelievable!!

Don't look back, your NOT headed that way! Feel good about about yourself and where your going now. Life is too short, enjoy!

SleevenChica, you definitely feel me.....yep, we need an Intervention, lol.

Hahaha, I love karma :-), not wishing her bad or anything. I just love karma. You look great.

I have wondered the very same thing, but I agree with Tiffany has part of the success of what we are experiencing. I know that if I ate as little as I do now I would be constantly hungry, shaky, and unhappy. I know that people who have had the gastric bypass DO get hungry so that's one reason I chose this surgery. I have been lucky to have only a few people scoff at what I did - one called me an a*****e and a gigantic hypocrite [on Facebook for all to see] to do what I did and actually tell people about my journey. She said that not everybody can afford to better themselves and therefore I was the bad guy. She, I might mention, is not overweight which makes it even stranger. Oh, well - enough about my little life. I'm happy with the choice I made and YAY for the rest of us!!

I wonder if the success following the surgery vs. success/failure rate of doing it without the surgery comes down to the ghrelin hormone that is depleted when removing 85% of your stomach so your body is no longer able to produce so much of it. So, following surgery, your body isn't able to produce so much and your brain is now free to work without interruption from an overactive hormone to cause failure? Just my thoughts. (This might be why you "get" it and your hubby and mom didn't. You don't have the hormone produced as much any longer, but yet they still do.)

good luck!!!

I've been losing hair slowly for five months....I also can't seem to get near the required 60-80 g. of protein a day. My question is, will I continue to lose hair until I DO get that much protein a day or will my body eventually adjust to my new diet. I'm 10 months post-op....and luckily no one else notices my hair loss yet...just me; but if this should continue....

As I understand, it's a lack of the proper amount of protein intake... My doc told me he wants me to make sure I get in the amount of protein recommended, because he didn't want me to lose my hair. I hope this helps.. How much protein and what kind are you taking now?