Mattymatt

It's not really that much of a pickle at all - it's easily solved. Sometimes you just have to go through the motions. Just nod your head and say "Yes, I'll do that." Then do your own thing. You might have to create some fake food records to show the dietitian that you "followed" her advice and still did not lose weight. Yes, it is kind of lying but the issue is not so black and white because you've probably lost weight before but have struggled in maintenance. The whole point of the surgery is that you don't only lose weight, but you have greater chances for success in the maintenance phase. Just tell them what they want to hear. It really goes back to the utter stupidity of insurance forcing you to do something - again - that has not worked in the past.

You were very smart about finding someone local for aftercare!

I know that it does. I did a diet like this years ago, and if memory serves me correctly, the first 4 days were the worst. I remember waking up on the 5th day not hungry at all. Things may be different now because I am a diabetic but I hope that the sensations will more or less be the same. I know that my endocrinologist pulled me off of insulin and Victoza. Victoza was making me feel so bad anyhow that I think hunger sensations will be a welcome reprieve from the constant low grade nausea.

You're doing great. Keep up the hard work. Work through the stall and you'll eventually beat it.

Careful on the gatorade!!! Maybe replace it with MIO electrolytes. No sugar is probably better. Gatorade has a butt ton of sugar.

Meh, it's a long time ago. I think the best moment was when the surgeon sternly lectured me about having pain and not reporting it. I looked at him, laughed, and said, "That's the problem, doc, I wasn't having any pain at all." To which he frowned and walked off. Terrible bedside manner but phenomenal surgeon.

@FluffyChix Time for a "damn batman" moment! :-) You're only 4 days outta surgery and you've set some awfully high expectations. You're doing great. When I go to get my insides re-routed on March 12th, I am going in with the absolute worst expectations - to lose a pound a week if that. That way I'll be pleasantly surprised. Also, I am not gonna be married to the fooking scale. I'll weigh myself when I feel like it. From my previous (short term) successful weight loss attempts, I learned that as long as I am honest with myself, track everything, and follow the prescription diet to a T, I don't need a scale to show me that I am losing weight. I am more than a number.

I am sorry to hear and that's unpleasant but anything can happen with this type of surgery. It is serious elective surgery and that is why you have to jump through so many hoops just to get to the operating room. It was a good thing that you did not delay in reporting this pain. When I lost weight the first time, through diet and exercise, my gall bladder nearly killed me. I had no pain or discomfort whatsoever. All of a sudden one day I was just getting progressively sicker and sicker. I thought I was coming down with the flu until one of my college roommates found me semi-conscious and I was rushed to the hospital. I had emergency surgery to remove my gall bladder. I remember the ultrasound tech yanked the emergency cord on the side of the wall when she saw the size of the gall bladder. Scary stuff. This was back in February of 2002. Surgeon told me I am lucky to be alive because if this had happened when I was at my heaviest weight, he might not have been able to get to the gall bladder in time to safely remove it. I was in the hospital of 2 weeks because my gall bladder had become infected and there was concern of an infection spread.

It's a common misconception that gastric bypass is more invasive. It actually isn't. The surgeon uses the same laprascopic procedure with small incisions. I would just go with your surgeon's recommendation since your sleeve did not work optimally the first time.

That's a lot of weight to lose in your first 10 days! Sounds like things are off to a really good start. Nah, you don't really want that cheesesteak, you just think you do. It's also good that you're working to establish a routine. That will be helpful later on.

Hello! Welcome to the first step of a big journey. Some insurance companies require a referral so it would be a good idea to get one from your PCP. From there, you usually attend an information session, and if you're still interested, you begin the process with your first visit with the surgeon. Your surgeon will most likely order blood work, an abdominal ultrasound, and an upper G.I study. You will also have somewhere between 3-6 months of medically supervised weight management which is often an insurance requirement. In between this time, you'll meet with a psychologist and get tested for sleep apnea. You may also get a stress test and a lung function test. If you are diabetic, generally-speaking, you must have your A1C below 8% to be considered safe for surgery. Hope this helps you somewhat. The process is long but it is ultimately worth it. I think it taught me a lot of patience. I start my two week pre-op diet on Monday, February 26th and surgery arrives on Monday, March 12.

Since you have a case of GERD, I would encourage you to rethink your choice of the sleeve. I am no expert but my doctors said GERD will most likely not get better and may get worse with the sleeve. I have both GERD and diabetes so the bypass is the clear winner for me.

Wahoo! You look fantastic!

As others have pointed out, you've lost a tremendous amount of weight. You did not put the weight on overnight to begin with, so expecting it to come off even faster isn't realistic. You need to stop binge eating! Just stop right this minute, right now as you'll only be creating more problems for yourself. Go back to the basics of following your plan and seek some help. Go make an appointment with your dietitian and get back on track.

I have read stories that really run the gamut when it comes to weight loss over a 3-6 month period and I know it largely depends on metabolism and genetics but what would be considered a reasonable expectation? I don't want to go in to this expecting a 90 pound weight loss in 90 days (it's happened to some people) and end up significantly short of that.

These are pretty natural feelings. I am fighting them myself, especially because food is like an anti-depressant to me. I've heard though that things drastically change with surgery and I am a cold turkey guy. I make the changes when I have to. I have 6 days until I begin my pre-op diet. Both dreading and welcoming it.

Some years ago, I did the online dating thing and had some success. Since becoming obese and dealing with depression, I sidelined the dating effort. eHarmony and Match.com are always worth a try. My last long term relationship began with an eHarmony date. If you feel adventurous, you could try craigslist. I once met someone and had a 2 month relationship which was fun while it lasted.

I don't like to be told what I want to hear because that is often lies so I completely get you on this one.

Wow! You look like an entirely new person!

I am doing sugar-free, zero calorie popsicles. They seem to be doing the trick.

@DonRobbie I know that I don't walk in your shoes and that I don't understand the dynamic of your relationship, but your health must come before your wife's desires. If there is one thing that holds universally true it's that your body is the most important possession you'll ever own. It's taken me quite a bit of time to understand that one myself - which is what's bringing me to surgery to finally lose (and hopefully) keep the weight off.

Yeah, that does sound about right according to the literature I received from my program. How long did it take you to get the soup down? What brand did you get? I am going with HealthWise as I tried a few samples and they were quite good.

If you think that the gastric sleeve has more risk, you've been misinformed. Research actually shows that there is less chance of complications with bypass. This information comes to me courtesy of both Penn Medicine and Christiana Care. Although the difference is really statistically insignificant, like a fraction of a percent to one percent. The prevailing advice that I've heard has been to go with gastric bypass if you have T2 diabetes or a history of GERD. People report having problems with severe acid reflux with the sleeve. Again, your mileage will vary. If you're diabetic, you may want to consider bypass.

Best I can say is that it might be a good sign but only your doctor's office will know.

Right, because if they really were concerned about our health they would provide us with accessible solutions to the problem.