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Down 108 pounds, 96 overall inches. Feeling great!

Tomorrow I will have my first appointment with my surgeon. To say that I am excited is an understatement. I made my decision 9 years ago to have the surgery done. I have been over weight my whole life except once when I was going through a very messy divorce. During the 9 years a lot has happened. I became a first time mom at the young age of 53 to not one but 2. No I did not give birth we are adopting. I had a complete hysterectomy at the age of 25 so being a mom was never on my list but I did pray for a child of my own. I know that my age may play a factor, but I want a better quality of life and I want to see my children graduate. My husband is very supportive and wants what is best for my health. I have dealt with fibromyalgia for the last 20 years plus I am watching my fasting blood sugar go up. Diabetes is huge in my family history and it scares me to see it go up. I had an appointment with another clinic and was informed that I would only qualify for their medical weight loss and not the surgical. I informed them of my choice (my BMI was 39.9) I went back 6 weeks later, I had quit smoking (I smoked for 45 years) and I gained 12 pounds in 5 weeks. The nurse practitioner Add to dictionary informed my that there was people that gained weight just to have surgery. My BMI was now 41.2 and again I stated I was wanting the surgery and she informed me that the surgeon would not do the surgery and I would have to wait another six months to even be considered. I was very upset when I left so I called my insurance company (my benefits had already been confirmed that this was a covered procedure). Did I ever get a surprise, not only did I have someone that would listen, they called the clinic asked if they had a problem explained what had happened and recommended that I look for another clinic and found one for me. Tomorrow is that appointment along with appointments with the physiologist and dietician. By the way the other clinic called this week to inform me of the different surgeries that are now available to me. Yes I feel like this is a long post but there is a lot on my mind today.

3 month follow-up went well. Down 90lbs total. Surgeon is happy with the progress. He wants me to focus on working out more and strength training to lessen the potential for excess skin in the end. Having this surgery was the best decision I have ever made. DS on 12/30/16

I suspect most people go through this, I know I did. There are not a bunch of posts on here raving about their favorite liquid diet! If you need the real food that bad, talk to your surgeon. I did and he let me go to the egg phase at only 10 days post-op. Whatever you do though, do not deviate at this stage unless the surgeon approves. 5 minutes of food is not worth potential complications!

We have similarities in our experiences. I also rapidly gained an astonishing amount of weight on Zoloft. It was the descent into obesity for me. My endocrinologist recommended the VSG to me and said that women my size (almost the same height, BMI, and pre-surgery weight as you, but a bit younger) with PCOS had benefited from it. Even without the PCOS I think there's prudence in obtaining better health now, before you reach morbid obesity and all the health problems associated with it. I had an extremely positive experience in Mexico having the VSG (mine was with Dr. Fernando Garcia) and in the 18 months since then have exceeded my goals. I think you'll be extremely happy with the results as well. Be aware that since you're starting at a lower BMI, you'll likely lose weight at a slower pace. It took me a year to lose what some do in a few months. The silver lining for me is that I've had no issues with loose skin or hair loss. I went from squeezing into a size 14 / XL to wearing a size 2 or 4 / XS. I switched to a low dose of Wellbutrin a few months before surgery, which has thankfully helped to alleviate some of the depression and not caused me to gain weight. Many people taking a higher dosage have commented in reviews of the prescription that it helped them to lose weight by curbing their appetite, but unfortunately the higher dosage caused hair loss and anxiety in me when I took it, so I've stuck with the lowest dose. If you continue to take Zoloft you might still experience weight frustrations even after surgery. There's a surgeon on YouTube named Dr. Matthew Weiner who has made several useful videos, including one about why people gain weight after having WLS. Medications were at the top of the list, with antidepressants being a notorious cause. Your surgeon might be able to offer some advice. Best of luck to you!

I get the reduced sugar Quaker Oats maple and brown sugar. Adding protein powder is a great idea. I have the flavorless powder, and don't use it often.

Welcome! You have found a place with a huge amount of first hand experience and information. Spend plenty of time here, and before you know it, you'll be the next "expert"!

Actual hunger versus head hunger are two different things. Majority of the time it's actually head hunger whether we want to admit it or not. Your profile says your surgery was 12/16. Is that not the case or are you still on liquids? A protein shake is not going to give you a full feeling unless you drink it too fast. It's a liquid so it's going to pass through your stomach in a fairly quick amount of time. Head hunger is not cured by having WLS. That's a mental battle you have to fight. I had a bad habit of eating as soon as I got home from work. Didn't matter if I ate right before leaving room. My head told me I needed to eat when I got home even though I had no legitimate reason to. There is a difference of being satisfied with what you eat versus chasing a full feeling. The goal isn't to always feel full after every meal. You should be able to measure out a portion, eat, and walk away from the table happy.

My doctor has the following guidelines: Calories 800; Carbs 40; Protein 65-80; Water At least 64 oz. Weigh and Measure everything, and Track your food. Protein first, followed by veggies. When I follow the guidelines I lose weight. I include one shake a day to up my protein. I totally avoid protein bars -- too many carbs. I think your proposed plan of an egg for breakfast and a piece of chicken for lunch and dinner would not be successful. You would "fall off the wagon" quickly and become more discouraged. I've had some difficulties lately and I'm just getting back on track. It is tough, but I won't give up. I am determined to reach my goal. Best of luck to you.

@@gowalking You are an inspiration! Congratulations on such a great success.