LaLaDee

I find this post really interesting. The more I read about the gut microbiome, the more worried I get about the western diet. Back in the fifties when people were eating meat and three vegetables every night (cooked with lard no less) there was far less obesity. Is it just a problem when carbs are highly processed with all the extra sugar? I love the idea that the surgery gives us a chance to reset our cravings. I have to admit that I don't eat much fruit, I prefer vegetables and salad. I am definitely still hooked on sugar sadly. I literally have a bit of dark chocolate every day.

I wish I could be a gym rat. I asked my nutritionist and bariatric psychologist what the best indicator was for a patient's long term success. They both said it's when the patient takes up exercise and enjoys it.

I don't have a husband, but I'd take a manstress if that's available. I'd love to treat myself to some adult fun. I've been single a loooooong time.

I know nuts are high calorie, it's like 70 calories for 10 almonds and only 3 grams of protein. So it's not a great way to hit your protein target - you'll end up having too many calories. However, I eat a handful of almonds every day. It's like the best part of my life. Almonds have good proteins which have been linked to weight loss. And it's a healthy fat. As long as I literally count them out and track them, I figure it's OK. I'm more about staying low in carbs, and I haven't found nuts to be an obstacle to my weight loss. So I'm going to keep eating them unless that changes.

Thanks, it's good to hear from a veteran. I imagine the weight loss has to slow down because you've already lost so much weight. I guess it could be a matter of slipping back into bad habits, but I hope that doesn't happen to me. I still have so much weight to lose. You have done so well! You are such an inspiration. Do you find maintenance easier or harder than it was the lose the weight?

Don't worry! A three week stall is perfectly normal. It's very common (search this forum, there are many, many threads on this). It sounds like you are off to a great start! Awesome that you are already exercising! I

Whoa, insurance and healthcare in the US sounds like it can be a difficult process. All I had to do was go to my normal doctor, get a referral letter to see a surgeon. Then I met the surgeon and picked the date I wanted (subject to the surgeon's availability) I ended up deciding to have it six weeks later because I wanted to give my employer notice of the time off. I did have to pay a fee that wasn't covered by my insurance, but that was mostly because I picked an expensive clinic (I could have chosen any surgeon I wanted). I didn't have to lose weight first or wait for approval or anything like that. I never even had to speak with my insurer. The clinic arranged everything with the hospital and insurer. For me the process started June year, when I thought, okay, maybe it's time for WLS. I was sleeved by August! On the other hand, you Americans seem much for prepared and knowledgeable because of the hoops you have to jump through and the programs you have to take. So I guess there's that. I'm so so sorry this is happening Little Green!

I'd see a doctor. I definitely felt terrible the six weeks, couldn't sleep. Had to stand and walk around all the time. Ended up in so much pain if I lay down. I could just never get comfortable. I thought that was just what GERD was. Now I don't think it was that. The pain did go away. I also ended up with bladder infections from the surgery and like a range of weird problems (in addition to a total immune system break down). You put your body through the trauma of surgery and anything can happen. So don't hesitate to get help!

A stall around 3 weeks is very common. Don't be stressing! Everything's gonna be fine! You will lose more!

Thanks Em. See how you go! I have no regrets but it's a big decision. It sounds like you're doing really well! 8 pounds in a month is massive! Spending time reading through these threads will help you adjust to the idea of WLS and decide whether it is for you. It's not for everyone so you definitely want to be 100% committed to have the best chance of succeeding.

You hit the nail on the head about the humiliation when you fail! It's so embarrassing when your weight goes down and then up again. For that reason, I haven't told anyone about my surgery, but as I've lost weight, I feel like they're expecting me to eventually fail and regain! This time has to be different!!!!

Check out this article: https://www.bariatricpal.com/magazine/622-types-of-bariatric-surgery-by-the-numbers-and-what-it-means/ Lap bands work for some people and I don't see the point of attacking individuals who have had great success. That said, there is a big chance of complications with the band. I live in Australia, where there were an insanely high rate of lap bands performed and now they are out of favour. Interestingly, if people are looking for a non-permanent, less invasive strategy they are getting the balloons. I think we'll see a growth in that. I wanted a lap band and my surgeon was like no. He has performed thousands of WLSs and basically won't do them anymore. Apparently, he constantly does revisions from the lap band to VGS or bypass. His view is that the lap band doesn't work long term for most people. There's no correct answer but make sure you get medical advice and are comfortable with your decision.

No, I was allowed all of those things after two months. However, even at nearly 6 months out, I personally choose not to eat bread, pasta, noodles and rice. I do eat raw vegies and fruit though. I don't really understand the concern with grapes? WLS is so new, there's no established protocol. I'm so interested in what different surgeons recommend.

I had my surgery less than 2 months after I decided to call a surgeon and find out the process. I'm in Australia, and the insurance regime is way less intense than in other places. We don't even have to lose any weight to get approved. There's no waiting. I think if I had had longer to prepare, I would have gotten more and more nervous! My preparation suggestions: have a plan - who are your support people? tell them what you need from them. Decide if you're telling your colleagues, friends, strangers, heck if you're going to snap chat your surgery - whatever. Figure these things out. take lots of "before" photos and measurements (I wish I had done this). write a clear list of reasons why you are doing this (this was helpful to me, I keep it on my phone and look at it when things are difficult). You might make a dream board. It's nice to have something visual. if you know people who have had surgery, talk to them to get their perspectives. If not, then check out forums, youtubers, blogs, whatever. You will feel less alone. I even binge watched a lot of My 600lb Life and documentaries on weight loss surgeries. educate yourself on what a high protein diet looks like. read and learn all the information that your surgeon and nutritionist will be providing you. My family also read this information. Ask your surgeon if you have any questions. think about what you want to pack for the hospital. it doesn't really matter what you bring, but if you feel prepared and in control, it can help. think about your kitchen. Are you OK with other household members keeping bad food around? i purged my pantry and keep all junk far away from me. people who live with me have to keep the chips and crap out of my sight! Consider if any mindfulness techniques will help you. Relax, read, light a candle. Indulge in crappy reality TV. Make a playlist of songs that help you feel calm. Whatever is soothing. You need to learn how to keep yourself happy without food. If appropriate, get therapy. start your vitamins NOW. these will help your body heal after the surgery. I think vitamin D is particularly important. If you can, start some light exercise like walking every day. Being fitter will help you cope with the surgery and your new life. start drinking lots of water. acknowledge and appreciate that your life is going to change. Make peace with it.

While I have generally had good weight loss, I have been on a frustrating stall the last 3 weeks so I can relate. Everyone loses weight at a different rate! That's fine. It sounds like you might have an opportunity to shake things up. Trying a new exercise or diet plan could help you. Have you got a nutritionist or any support through your surgeon? If not, time to nerd up and read some bariatric or even general nutrition books, blogs, online videos. There are so many awesome stories out there of people who kept going when things were tough. Weight loss is so so hard. We're all feeling it! You are definitely not alone!

I just can't get over your photos. That's not the surgery. You must have worked your butt off in the gym! Congratulations on your awesome success. You look like Luke Cage!

I'm too scared to ever date. I can't imagine having to eventually reveal loose skin. I'm just going to have to get comfortable with the thought of dying alone. Oh well, my dog is pretty awesome. Who needs a man?

1. It depends. Some people seem OK to return after a few days (my surgeon mentioned they had someone who returned after 2 days!!!), others may need two weeks. This will vary according to whether you have any complications, what kind of job you have, how your body copes with the surgery (anesthesia makes me sick for days). Expect to take at least a week (I speak for sleeve, I don't know if bypass is longer). 2. I told my boss that I was having surgery and did not provide further details Legally you may not have to give any details (that is the law in Australia, speak to a medical practitioner about what information you are legally required to provide). I had my general practitioner doctor (I didn't want my boss googling my surgeon's name and seeing what they specialise in so I didn't get a note from them) prepare me a medical certificate that just said I would be unable to attend work because I was having surgery to treat a medical condition. This was the truth. 3. I just told colleagues that I had surgery. People shouldn't pry. If you don't want them knowing you had WLS, you can lie or imply it was something else. You could be vague and say it was a female problem and they will not ask anymore, there's also hernia and gallbladder removals which give you a similar recovery time. What you tell people will depend on your personality (and in terms of your boss, maybe applicable workplace laws), but I'm a private person and it's nobody's damn business! Lol. Where I am, WLS is pretty rare, I don't need people's judgement. I know this surgery is definitely not for everyone. It's not the easy way out. I'm not interested in people's uninformed opinions. I don't want anyone scrutinizing me to see what/how much I'm eating. I haven't been at my workplace long, and I don't want to be known as the person who had weight loss surgery. I don't want it defining me. That said, people are different. You may want support, you may feel comfortable talking about it. You may just want to share your amazing adventure with everyone! That's totally cool! You may not want to lie about how you lost the weight. If someone who was obese asked me how I lost the weight, I would probably be honest about my WLS. But my colleagues are all (without exception) slim, fit attractive individuals. So I don't feel bad about lying. That's part of why I did lie. I don't expect slim people to understand how I got here. The pervasive view is that obesity is an issue of laziness or lacking personal responsibility. It's so much more complicated than that, our biochemistry, hormones, gut microbiome, neurology, psychology, family history, environment etc all contribute to how we became obese. How we deal with it is complex. I'm not going to defend myself to people. Lol. Rant over. I think that it's totally up to you about what you tell people!

Apologies for my part in derailing the topic!! I can honestly understand and appreciate the different perspectives on some of the sensitive and important issues raised. We do need to be sensible on the internet. I think I'm probably going to remove my face from any photos I use here. Back to the original topic, I'm low carb. Definitely not full keto, because I do have sweet potato and banana or a couple of times a week (and there are net carbs in dark chocolate). I have noticed that my weight loss is faster when I lower carbs. I haven't had bread (other than a bite to see I could tolerate it), pasta or rice since before my surgery. I know that fast weight loss shouldn't be the goal (if anything slower weight loss will help with the loose skin) but I want results and low carb has worked for me so far!!

Obviously, you should take your surgeon's advice on this. I'm not giving you medical advice, only speaking about my own experience. I had my first drink about 2 months after surgery. It was maybe it was 2 or 3 champagnes that night...I was absolutely fine. It felt great to be normal actually! I did get tipsy really, really quickly. You will find that you are a "light weight" now. So make sure you're in a safe situation if you are going to drink. Think about calories too. Have maybe a small glass of wine. Don't do beer or cocktails. It's not worth it! I would also be careful of any carbonated drinks. Let them sit for a little bit to get flat. I don't want to sabotage my weight loss so I don't drink often. Maybe once a month I will have a glass of wine or a voda soda (or two). Only if I'm out and it's a special occasion. I don't want it to be a normal thing for me, because the extra calories are just silly. We've had this surgery to lose weight so I don't make it a regular thing. Be careful. You want to drink a lot of water so you don't get hungover the next day. Also, I have a light calorie day after drinking. e.g. protein shakes and tuna.

Yeah... I'm definitely not skinny. Just a more socially acceptable level of obese but I'll throw my 2 cents in. I have lost over 100 pounds and can shop in regular sized stores now. I think people are nicer. You get better service in stores. You're less invisible (apparently the more space you take up, the less likely people are to notice you - it defies logic). They look you in the eyes, call you "sweetie". It's weird. If I get closer to skinny, I suspect I'll notice more changes in how people treat me. I hate fat shaming and this kind of discrimination. They say it's the last socially acceptable form of discrimination. The statistics prove that overweight/obese women earn far less than their thinner counterparts. It's really disheartening. I can't speak for men (I believe it is harder for women because we are more judged by our appearance) but as a woman, there are stereotypes you constantly have to overcome, that you're lazy or sloppy. That you don't care about your appearance. That you're asexual. Or worse, that you're the bubbly, fat funny chick!

I'm in my 30s and this is a concern of mine. There are some gastric sleevers on youtube who have had amazing success. These ladies inspire me like nothing else.... but I have noticed that some of them look much older than their before photos. It does make sense, loose skin could happen anywhere and we've all lost weight off our faces. So I'm trying to do what I can. I'm taking vitamins for skin, drinking water and taking my skin care regime seriously. I've spent my hard earned pennies on serums and creams with ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid and vitamin c. My skin has also been dry since the surgery, I don't know if that's dehydration, the weird hormone changes or whatever. So now, I moisturize every day. I don't know if it helps, but it makes me feel better to try. Bottom line? I think looking a couple of years older to live several years longer is worth it.

I had started to think of these forums as a safe place. Lots of smart, wise people around and even when there is drama, it's usually pretty silly and innocent. I didn't know that there were gross private messages being randomly sent out. That makes me super uncomfortable and very unlikely to post any "after" photos here. Hello, it's 2018? Are we not appreciating that #metoo is a thing now? Or are bariatric ladies just supposed to be happy they're getting attention? I ain't smiling in my profile photo! Take that internet weirdos!

Me too! I have very few "before" pictures. I'm always wearing black and hiding behind something so it's impossible to get a good comparison to now. Flattering selfies don't count as before pictures. I really wish I had taken photos now. In my mind - I don't even think I really realized how big I was! I also failed to do measurements, which I really regret! So anyone pre-op should grab a camera, a friend to take pics, and a tape measure. It will be worth it! I think before and after shots are so motivating.

Ok, I'm definitely making this!!! That looks crazy delicious!!!!