The Candidate

I totally understand your frustration. I had to wait an entire year meeting my insurance's criteria. It was so hard and there were many times I was positive that time was going backwards. But eventually my day finally came and now I'm a year out and at goal. It's worth everything they put you through and I promise you once you're a post op this time will seem like nothing! Best of luck!

I'm a year out and I've had bananas, apples, oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, plums. Fruit has become the lion's share of my diet in fact. I eat it every single day. I've never dumped or had an issue with it either. meat on the other hand I no longer have a taste for. Everyone is different I guess.

Hang in there and never lose hope. You will get there some day. Best wishes!

@@SimplySheavon You're welcome. You have a wonderful healthy life coming up just around the next bend. It's amazing!

Listen to your heart and head. The biggest mistake would be to go through with the surgery with any lingering doubts. This procedure is truly life changing and I have zero regrets. When I went through those surgery doors I was 100% certain I was making the right choice. You need to do some deep soul searching, whichever way you decide. Best of luck to you!

Congrats and so happy to hear all went well! We have to prepare for the possible complications going in, and it's wonderful when you come through without a hitch. I'm a year out and I had the same experience. It was my first surgery ever and everything was so much easier than I'd expected. Best of luck to you!

Congrats! And it's quite normal to have a few butterflies. We all go through it. Best wishes!

Sometimes it's true that you can't see the forest for the trees. When you're a new post op, it's sort of like coming down from a high. All your energies have been focused intently on just getting here, and once you do, it can be a bit anticlimactic. Just think of this period as the beginning of stage two. You've got another hill to climb, probably many more ahead of you too, as you work your way towards goal. And then it'll be maintenance. And after that, something else. This is a life long journey and you'll only drive yourself bonkers comparing your loss to someone else's, or becoming worried that you haven't loss a specific amount by a specific date. Bodies don't keep schedules. Just carry on and let go of the mind games. This is your journey, which is completely different from anyone else's. If you're doing your part, you will get there eventually. And I can tell you most definitively that it's worth everything you have to go through to get there! Best of luck!

Thanks for the info, Alex! Words to live by.

Congrats! Your new healthy life is on its way!

I still love Whitney. I love her heart and her determination. I love the spirit of what she is trying to achieve. She does things with her life now that I never could have done myself. I agreed whole heartedly with the core message of the No Body Shame campaign. She puts a human face on the cruelty that continues to be directed at people of size, and challenges the haters to look at her not as a "thing" but as a person, just like them, who is equally entitled to a little respect and common decency. I listen to her audible book all the time and there's really only one aspect of it that I find hard to connect with - it's the first words she speaks too. "Life got better when I got fat." I truly do think though that she believes that, or is trying to anyway. Quite frankly, it's easier to do when you're that young. She hasn't gotten to the point yet where she'll have to face the reality that comes with age, when your body turns traitor on you full force. The aches, the pains, that accumulate as you age. The realization might come even sooner for her though, given the health crises she's been dealing with this season. She's not perfect, but then who is? I'm a year out and at goal, and yet I find myself drawn to stories like hers. I spend a lot of time on YouTube as well, listening to others, so many of them too. I cry with them. I cheer for them. I subscribe and give them the "thumbs up" they so rightly deserve. I want them to know that I'm listening and I understand exactly what they're going through. I'm one of them and I will always be one of them. I relate to their stories as I replay my own stories in my head. I hurt for them, because I was hurt too. I cling to the faith that one day no one has to feel less worthy than anyone else, simply because they're fat. I also rejoice that whatever it is, this decay in the heart of some who feel the need to treat others like dirt doesn't reside in my heart. Whitney is a living symbol of this hope I have and I applaud her efforts.

You look incredible! Congrats on your success!

When you make it through a tiny space without your body touching on either side, and then have to go back and do it a few more times just to relive the moment. I call this maneuver a "sideways" limbo.

I'm with Kaiser and they have an excellent bariatric program in my area. There was of course more than one round of blood work taken before surgery. And then about a week after surgery I was contacted by them and also sent a follow up letter showing the dates blood work would be drawn over the next year. I think there were three rounds in all, possibly four. All I had to was show up on the designated blood draw dates listed in the letter. The orders were all sent in in advance. Everything was good for the most part. Except one time my Vitamin A levels were a bit high. They called me right away and had me cut back on beta carotene. They're really on top of stuff like that. I was impressed!

This is a very common phenomenon. I'm a year out and have been at goal for a few months now, and I'm still blown over by the stranger in the mirror. I accept it on a logical level of course, but it definitely plays games with my emotions. Part of it too, for me at least, is that no matter my current and hopefully future success, I never ever want to forget the fat person I was before. I never want to allow myself to become too comfortable because I can always gain it back. In that respect I try and treat the conflicting images as a stark reminder that my part in this is a lifelong contract to live as healthy as possible.

It took me a couple of months to fully come through the exhaustion stage. One day soon though you'll just get that second wind and start feeling like yourself again. And not long after that you'll probably start feeling better than you have in years! It's an amazing turnaround. Some days I think that it's just not possible to feel this good so much of the time. Hang in there and best of luck!

Well, I had the RNY, not the DS, so I can't say completely what your experience might be like. But I can say that the RNY was the first surgery I ever had in my entire life, and I was 54 at the time. I too was apprehensive about what the recovery was going to be like. I'm happy to report that I had a near text book perfect result. No complications, and very little pain. I had made arrangements to stay with a family member the first week, as I was concerned that I wouldn't be up to navigating the stairs in my home. But I felt so good I ended up staying only one night and then drove myself home the next day. I felt so good I kind of wondered if they had actually performed the surgery at all! The only issue I really had was the exhaustion, which lasted for about six weeks. Other that that, it was so much better that I had anticipated. I hope you have the same outcome. Good luck!

You are beautiful - but then you always were, both inside and out! I so completely understand what you're feeling though, and how hard it is to reconcile your personal image of yourself, with the reflection in the mirror. I struggle with that as well. I don't know that I'll ever stop "feeling" fat. It plays with your mind. It's hard to let go of a former vision of yourself that for nearly all our lives, has been negatively targeted for being fat in a thin favored society. It's gets better though, at least it has for me, slowly, day by day, and I firmly believe that the best is still yet to be. We should be proud of what we've accomplished. We weren't just handed a second chance, we earned it. We deserve it. And we will keep on working hard to pay it the respect it so rightly deserves by leading healthy happy lives. So on those days when you might feel a little unsure, just come back here and we'll remind you of just how wonderful you really are, my friend!

Congrats! I'm nearly a year out from my surgery, yet I too can still vividly recall the sheer joy of finally receiving a set surgery date. My RNY surgery was on 07/29/15, and I can say with absolute conviction that it was worth every single hurdle I had to clear in order to get here. I have already reached my weight goal and I have zero regrets! My advice to you is, if you haven't already, start preparing yourself for the incorporation of a healthy lifestyle. Rid your house now as a pre op of anything that might tempt you as a post op, and begin an exercise regime. It's not going to be easy, I won't lie, especially over the first few months. Your mind is going to play tricks on you, the head hunger will be at an apex, and you'll probably going to face issues about body image along the way. I still "feel" fat most of the time, even though I know in my head and via the scale that I'm not. Luckily I took extensive "before" shots and kept a video journal so whenever I'm in doubt I can just go back and remind myself of exactly how far I've come. It's so important that you take full body pics and measurements of yourself, I can't stress that enough. You're going to feel like you've been given a whole new body, without an instruction manual at first. You may even have moments of buyers remorse. That's perfectly normal. We all go through that stage. Just keep your eye on the prize - a healthy life - and you'll be fine. No two wls experiences are ever the same, so resist the temptation of comparing your progress to someone else. It'll only drive you mad. If you're someone who is overly fixated on the number on the scale then just throw it out, only weigh yourself at your doctor's visits or once a month. Don't allow yourself to impede your own progress by expecting too much too soon. Just like you had to go through an extended pre op process to get to surgery, post op is a journey all on its own and it'll take time. Be patient. Surround yourself with positive support. Commit to a whole new healthy relationship with food and exercise and you'll be great! This surgery has changed my life for the better in so many ways, and I feel blessed everyday that I was able to do it. I'm sure you'll feel the same. Good luck!

I only had a one day liquid diet the day before surgery. I'd already lost more than the 10 percent of my excess weight that they required. I had my last pre op appointment at 8 am at the hospital the day before my surgery. When I left the hospital after the appointment I suddenly had an epiphany! My surgery was scheduled for 12 noon the next day, which meant I still had about three hours until I had to start my 1 day liquid diet. I went to pizza Hut and had a final blow out - cheese and pepperoni pizza, bread sticks, the big chocolate cookie and Coke Zero. It was great and I don't regret it one bit. I'm 11 months out now, reached my goal weight, and haven't had any fast food, bread, or soda since that day. I no longer even crave them.

Welcome Heather! Congrats and best wishes on your journey to a healthier life! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm only 4 pounds from goal, and I feel that inside I'm the same person. I feel better, look better, but inside I still feel as I always have before. My internal conversations haven't changed. What has changed remarkably though is the way I'm treated. Smiles from strangers are doled out more freely. Conversations are started out of the blue also, and in places I least expect them, like the grocery store. Twice now this past week I've had people in the check out line offer me their game pieces from the store's latest giveaway promotions. It's a little thing, but it never happened before. I was invisible before. I honestly feel at this point that it's not so much that I've changed, other than physically. It's more that the people around me have changed in direct proportion to my outward change. It is really sad, but true, people judge a book by it's cover way more often than they'll ever admit. And I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Congrats on your amazing success! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Congrats! You should be very proud! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I took a full six weeks off work after surgery and elected not to tell anyone that I was having weight loss surgery. When I went back I was down by 25 pounds, which wasn't really noticeable to me, but judging by the wide range of reactions I got, it was plainly evident to my co-workers. I really didn't think it would be that visible that soon. It's still surprises me even now at 8 months out whenever I run into anyone I haven't seen for awhile. This past weekend I went to visit the parents of my childhood best friend, who died of cancer 10 years ago. I've made it a point to visit them at least once every year since their daughter died. They've known me since I was 10 years old, and I was overweight even then. I had last seen them just before I had my surgery and I had even told them all about it beforehand. Yet when they answered the door it was plainly evident that they had no idea who I was. Instead of throwing open the screen door and embracing me warmly, as they usually did, they kept the screen closed and hesitantly asked if they could help me. I was stunned for a moment realizing I would actually have to tell them who I was. I know in my mind that I'm over a 100 pounds down, but unexpected reactions like this are what really drives home the reality of how much you've actually changed. It can be quite surreal sometimes. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App