teacupnosaucer

I like Solo Low GI bars. I'm preop, and I like to eat them in the morning before my workout. They really helped me to learn to eat Breakfast again after many years skipping it. Now I use them on my swimming days because I can throw them in my gym bag and much on them on my way to the pool. Sometimes I only eat half. They are by far the yummiest bars I've tried. I don't eat them as a snack though because they are too many calories for my plan. They are also quite high in sugar (19g per par) compared to other options out there, so if you dump they may or may not be a good choice for you. But I love them!

I've talked with lots of other PCOS sleevers and they all seem to say that the surgery helps with their insulin resistance, helps with their patches of darkening skin, helps to make their periods more regular, helps them get pregnant naturally... but we are stuck with the hair! I'm hoping that once I reach a more normal weight my hormones will even out enough that I'll at least be able to get electrolysis and have it work! I once looked into it and the doctor I saw told me not to bother because the minute my hormones fluctuated I'd be getting it all back again

I have hair on my face that I shave too. I've been telling myself once I'm not obese anymore, maybe the hair won't bother me quite so bad. I feel like being fat AND having facial hair AND acne was really unfair! Like even two out of the three, yeesh! Very excited to hear from those of you who have seen their oily hair/skin get better! Mine is so oily I can't go a day without showering... and sometimes I'm all oily by the afternoon when I've showered in the morning! I hate it! How has your acne been since surgery and losing the weight? I get so many pimples on my jawline and chin and neck. >:(

No problem at all Sandy! I could have written this exact same post a few months ago, so I'm more than happy to take my turn being the one on the other side of the convo haha.

I know exactly how you feel, Joanne. I too started this journey in the end of 2015... it's been a long process full of ups and downs and uncertainties. Now that I have my date it feels real in a way that is very... final and imposing LOL! I've been doing really well lately too and also have a voice asking if I really need surgery or maybe I can just go it on my own and be fine, but man, how many friggin' times have I lost 20lbs and thought "yahoo life is going great I'm totally going to change my entire life forever!" and then gained it all back and then some and wound up depressed and disheartened? I know I'm actually pretty okay at this weight and this current lifestyle I've got going... but I'm telling myself it only takes one bad month to backslide (when my grandmother died I gained 30 lbs like it was nothing!), and if I'm doing so well already, why cut my potential short? If I feel this good now, how much more am I capable of? And what would I be denying myself if I stopped here? I will join you in hoping for the best!

I am very scared too! For a lot of the reasons you mentioned. I have been overweight and obese since puberty and I have no idea how I could possibly adjust to... not being that. Haha. And I'm scared of the tiny chance I might die from complications, too. I'm worried that I won't change my life enough, that I'll still fail, that I'll hate not being able to eat the way I do now. So many fears and insecurities! But I am also scared of gaining another 50 pounds in the next 5 years, and I am scared of getting type ii diabetes like the rest of my family, and I am scared of always having to be the fat friend in my group and of never getting to shop in "normal" stores and not getting the chance to learn to have fun being active. My psychologist said something really great to me on my last meeting with her. She said "it's good that you're scared, because it means you take this seriously and you understand what a big, irreversible change you're about to make. if you weren't scared, i'd be worried you didn't actually understand what you were doing and were unprepared for it." So maybe try thinking of it that way? Either that or just get post-ops to tell you all their tales of wanting to leap off the gurney before they got put under and call the whole thing off... and how post-surgery they are so happy they pushed through the fear.

And honestly, I have met several women (both sleeve and RNY) who have had monstrous complications from their procedures... who still say they would do it all over again and that they are thankful for this second chance at life.

Honestly to me as an outsider it sounds like the RNY would be the better choice for you... but I'm not a medical doctor, and I don't know your life beyond this post. The sleeve can cause nightmarish GERD, which is why they are hesitant to people who already have issues with heartburn. And the RNY has an EXCELLENT track record of putting type ii diabetes into remission. The sleeve, too, but I think the numbers are lower. As for horror stories about the RNY... there are horror stories for all the procedures! And there are also thousands of people very happy they made the choice to go through with their chosen surgeries. Both the RNY and Sleeve procedures are statistically incredibly safe operations now, so long as you choose your surgeon wisely and follow pre- and post-op instructions to the best of your ability. If you genuinely think the life you want isn't possible without some kind of surgery, you either have to accept the risk of surgery, or accept your life and try to make it better in any way you can. I was very, very scared of complications too, well namely I was scared of dying! I have two young kids and the thought of leaving them behind just so I can lose 60 lbs seems terribly selfish when I think of it that way. But I don't think we can make decisions based solely on the worst case scenario, do you? When I was still undecided, I said "I will join the program anyway, learn all that I can, put my name on the waiting list... and if it's not for me I can always back out at any time." But the longer I was in the program, and after I met my surgeon, I knew I was making the right choice. I am sure I will still be afraid as my surgery date draws nearer, but in this moment I know I'm doing the right thing for myself and my family. The best way to make this decision is to put aside the horror stories (which are often third hand and exaggerated, let's be real!), and look at the cold hard facts. Read up on the possible complications and the percent chance of having them. Read surgery stories here. And then bring your questions and concerns to a trusted surgeon, who will help you make the right choice for you.

Thank you! They will do down to a BMI of 35 if you have weight-related comorbidities. I have PCOS, anxiety, and depression. It's case by case though... my first surgeon didn't think the benefits would outweigh the risks and passed on my case. Dr Gill on the other hand accepted me as his patient. I will say I joined the clinic at a BMI of 40, which is the minimum for people without comorbidities.

congratulations to you! I can't believe you lost so much weight on your own, too! you're a friggin' champ! there's no way you won't be able to achieve all your goals.

Hooeee that is complicated and detailed compared to what we get, which is 5x high Protein ensures per day, broth under 5 calories per serving, and sugar free Jello and popsicles as desired. I'm envious you get to eat veggies though! I'm not starting my liquid diet until the 8th personally, but I've heard of people losing up to 15 pounds (iirc) depending on their starting weight. Obviously much less if you are starting out smaller. Hopefully some people here can give you their exact numbers.

Beaumont, Alberta, which is just outside of Edmonton.

your skin looks amazing!!!! and thanks for sharing the back pics! that's the one part of my body I really really don't like, and your transformation is making me feel so hopeful that I can lose a couple of these rolls!

March 22nd with Dr Richdeep Gill in Calgary Alberta. SO EXCITED!!!!

he actually suggested bypass to me initially, as he thought it had the best evidence of long term success since i'm still so young. I just wasn't comfortable with the idea of a bypass, and when I told him he was totally onboard with me doing a sleeve instead. very supportive! nope, I am travelling to Calgary to him. even though I live basically in Edmonton, the wait list for their program is so astronomically long compared to Calgary's I decided I'd rather just make the drive! it's been a lot of kms, but even with asking for a referral to the Edmonton clinic MONTHS before asking for a referral to the Calgary one, I am on course now to have my surgery in Calgary before even getting my intake appointment in Edmonton. I left myself on the Edmonton waitlist just out of grim curiosity, but will remove myself once I have my surgery. I'm sure somebody else will be overjoyed to take my spot! i had my scope in High River as well. if you haven't had one before, don't sweat it. the worst part of the whole process is the nasty numbing spray for your throat. you don't remember anything else of the procedure, and you wake up high as hell and they're feeding you muffins! the nurses there are amazingly kind and good at their jobs, too.

that's him LOL! I quite like him. I find him to be very sympathetic.

I'd love to answer! I don't have fatty liver or staged fibrosis. My liquid diet is two weeks. The usual minimum for Dr Gill (my surgeon) is 3 weeks, but he decided due to my current BMI (35) and general good health, 3 full weeks would be unnecessary. I'll find out more details on Monday when I meet with the RD to make my individual plan. I've been overweight since I hit puberty, and obese since college. I'm only 31, so that puts me at about half my life overweight or obese. Before that I was your normal healthy, active late 80s kid. In the last 5 years after I got pregnant with my first daughter and my PCOS really flared up, I gained 50 lbs despite periods where i did weight watchers and daily cardio workouts. I've been 220lbs or more for the past 5 years, but in this last year after taking the Edmonton weight management courses, starting a swimming routine, and taking meds for my ADHD, I have managed to bring my weight down to ~202 lbs. That sucks about the 12 week liquid diet, but I have heard of people having to do long ones like that before! I think the longest I've heard of was 16 weeks. I hope after further investigation you're able to get it shortened! Are you in the Calgary bariatric clinic too? Who's your surgeon?

I was worried about having lifelong malabsorption issues. I also wanted to live as close to a "normal" life as possible and I didn't feel like the increased chance of food restrictions fit into that vision. I also like the fact that, since I'm only 31, if something happens down the road where I have substantial regain, the option of revising to an RNY is there. (Although I'm hoping I never ever ever get to that point!) I don't have as much weight to lose and think a slower, less drastic weight loss would be just fine for me. It somehow seemed less invasive as a procedure than the RNY. I did have some time there where I seriously doubted my choice (mainly because my surgeon brought up some compelling reasons for having the RNY!) but ultimately I went with my gut... and I want the sleeve.

I started this journey at a BMI of 40. Worked my butt off in the clinic and on the day of signing consent was a BMI of 35. Went from 227lbs and 202lbs. I know LOTS of people who tell me I don't need the surgery, that I can obviously do it myself, that it's not worth the risk... But like people above said, I'm doing this as a preventative measure. I hear over and over again in bariatric groups from people who wish they'd done it sooner. So why not now? I gained 50 lbs in 5 years, was depressed, had insulin resistance... and come from a family of obese type 2 diabetics. I know where I was headed. I'm putting a stop to it! I know my weight loss post surgery will be slower and more modest, but I'm fine with that. After losing 25lbs so far, if I lose another 40-50 and KEEP IT OFF, I'll consider the surgery a rousing success! Even having lost this 25 has improved my quality of life significantly, and I can't wait to see what the future holds! I used to be scared of my body and my future, and now I don't feel that way anymore. It's been amazing!

March 22nd in Calgary Alberta! Woohoo! Start my liquid diet on March 8th.