DDubzzy

I also had a terrific experience with Dr. Fernando Garcia and his staff. He performed the VSG on me in August of 2015, and I felt like I was taken care of very well. I spent more time with his staff than directly with him, but he was kind and attentive, and willing to answer questions. I had minimal actual pain - mainly just some discomfort. I slept most of the time I was in the clinic, but was well enough to take laps through the hallway. I had a private room so I brought my laptop with me loaded with movies and hooked it up to the TV via a HDMI cable so my parents (who were my support team since my husband was working) could watch them while I dozed.
I spent a total of four days in Mexico. I live in LA, so we drove down on a Monday morning and parked at the border parking lot for Tijuana where the driver met us and took us and his other passengers (a girl who was also having the VSG and her sister, who'd flown in) to the Marriott. That night I walked down to the shopping center a few blocks away with my dad, and then just relaxed in the hotel. On Tuesday morning I went to the clinic and had the tests for surgery, and then the surgery itself. I was in the clinic all day on Wednesday. On Thursday I had the leak test (and paid the small fee to get a copy of the results for my personal records), and then was brought back to the hotel. I felt well, so we played tourist, and then went for a walk, and lounged by the pool. On Friday a nurse came to the hotel to check on me, and then my family checked out of the hotel and were brought back to the parking lot. We breezed over the border because we were in the medical lane. There's an outlet mall a couple of blocks away, so we went there and shopped. I felt completely fine by that point. The only mild distress I felt was due to an allergic reaction to the tape used on the incisions. Once I replaced that, all was well.
On my last day at the clinic I met with a nutritionist who gave me a packet of information about the eating stages. Several leading bariatric centers, like one at the the mayo Clinic, have information on their websites about how to eat post-op, and I suggest reading through in advance when you're making your plans.
The total cost for me was $4200. That included the surgery and all tests and medications, two nights stay at the Marriott and bariatric meals there (popsicles and broth), and all ground transportation. The Marriott even shuttled my parents back and forth from the hotel to the clinic every day for free (though they generously tipped). I'd consulted with surgeons in LA who quoted me $29,000 to $35,000 for the same surgery. I believe the outcome would have been identical.
I lost weight slowly because I had a low starting BMI (31), but I did exceed my goals within a year. I've had no complications; my lab work is excellent; and I've had minimal hair loss and no loose skin. I am extremely glad I had the surgery. I reclaimed my life.

I cook a bunch of Protein at once and generally have 2-4 choices in my fridge (chicken thighs, roast chicken, fish, seasoned ground turkey...) I also cook up batches of vegetables. At mealtime I mix and match based on my appetite or what gets me good variety. When eating out I choose a salad with protein, no dressing. My treats are plain yogurt with chopped apple, or a bowl of berries. Some nuts and seeds. Lots of different herbs and spices. cheese in moderation.

During my wait I enjoyed preparing and acquiring things. Most of what I bought I used only briefly. Some not at all.
I am very glad I got an AltaHR Fitbit and Aria scale. Those plus logging my food and Water in Myfitnesspal are my fabulous accountability tools.
I bought too many kinds and too much Protein powders. I used only the Syntrax (because it didn't significantly change texture or flavor). I gave away 3 other kinds of Protein Powder and PB2--quite a bit of money. I never used Protein Bars, and only used powders through the purée stage.
I bought lots of gasX strips and only used about 4.
I bought cute little spoons and forks and briefly had fun with them, now they are put away.
I bought a covered ice tray, popsicle forms and 2oz containers and haven't used any of them. My portions aren't that small, and I didn't use popsicles.
I bought protein fortified instant Soup from BariatricPal and they aren't clear enough for liquid stage and aren't tasty enough for purée stage.
I bought a year of Patch MD Vitamins I am using and was happy to have at first, but I could easily have switched to oral 2 months in.
An over the shoulder cape-style heating pad was briefly useful, but I stopped being freezing a month in.
I had lots of smaller clothes, so didn't have to shop, but I was surprised how fast I went through sizes, and less than 5 months in I've found I will be needing smaller sizes than I've ever worn, even at what I thought was a healthy weight for me.
Basic message, try to curb the impulse to shop. What you have will work, and you won't need a lot of anything new for a long time.
I love my results. I make excellent healthy food choices, exercise daily, and just went out in a body hugging tank dress and felt good.
I was low BMI to start, slower weight loss than some, faster than others.

I had a single incision with Dr Garcia at Tijuana Bariatrics. Great experience. It's been just over 6 months and I am nearly at goal. I started at a BMI of only 30, so had less to lose. The care was terrific, and follow up via email has been great too.

I was a self-pay in Northwest Alabama. Cost was $3000 Dr. Fee, $6000 Hospital (overnight stay, out at 10:00 a.m. next morning), and $800 for anesthesia. $9800. No frills, and no special care. Did not include special insurance and any complication would have been extra. I did well and no complaints, both surgery staff and after care was great. This does include well-checks and visits to surgeon for the first year. (1 wk, 1 mth phone check, 3, 6, and 12 month visit.) All bloodwork, or additional tests are separate and average about $300 but, we must do this to keep a check on Vitamins and minerals. My main Dr. orders these and faxes a copy to my WLS to add in my records. I live 2 hrs away. My bloodwork and Dr. visits are covered by insurance but the vitamins etc needed are not. I did receive a bill for another lab for $277, apparently for either testing or disposal of the stomach portion removed. My surgery was the sleeve. I wouldn't risk going to Mexico.....too far away if complications occurred. An acquaintance went and has had several major complications in the 3 yrs since having it. No Dr. wants to deal with her issues so she hasn't had a good experience.(Not saying problems wouldn't have occurred anyway but, it has cost her bigtime and health is still a concern on a daily basis.) It cost more locally but your Drs and hospital are near if needed. It's a tradeoff for each individuall

I had surgery with Dr. Illan in Mexico at Oasis of Hope Hospital. Excellent experience, and the cost was $4,600.00. This included 2 nights in the hospital, and 1 night in a hotel/casino. All inclusive as well.

I don't consider myself a true veteran since I'm only 2.5 years out, but I'll respond since this website considers those with more than 1 year of bariatric surgery experience 'vets.'
I maintain with the following phrases repeating themselves in the crevices of my brain: "Obesity isn't curable, ever. Obesity is incurable. Obesity can't be cured."
Let me explain...while obesity can be placed into remission by achieving a normal weight, the formerly fat person's internal biochemistry will always favor fat storage.
There's a reason so many bariatric surgery patients regain some or all of their lost weight: we can't ever eat like our naturally thin counterparts who can eat junk and stay at low body weights.
The formerly fat person's body is in the weight-reduced state. A naturally thin woman who has been 130 lbs her entire adult life maintains far easier than a 130-lb woman who once weighed 300 lbs.
The weight-reduced, formerly fat 130-lb woman's metabolic rate is slower than that of the naturally thin woman, burning on average 300 to 500 less calories daily even though both ladies have the same heights, weights, and body fat percentages. This is why formerly fat people are primed to regain.
In essence, I'll always need to be vigilant. I exercise. I have no forbidden foods. I try to avoid the slippery slope of eating junk and crap because staying on track is easier than getting back on track.
Good luck to everyone who fights the battle of the bulge. The battle is lifelong.

Veterans,
I would sincerely like to offer my gratitude to you for the value that you bring to the community. I love that you have chosen to stick around, because you definitely didn't have to. I have only been a member for a few short months, but I have already seen tons of people drop off. It takes a lot to hang around and answer questions, especially after many of you have reached your goals already.
I can't stress how nice it is to hear from someone that has been through the things that you are going through. It also gives us a glimpse into WHAT COULD BE! When I joined this site, I had a lot of mixed thoughts about long term success. I had seen a few on YouTube that were still going strong years out, but most had videos about regain and needing new surgeries. Coming to this site, and reading responses from veterans like yourselves helped me to cement my position, so I will say THANK YOU!
So, what do you do to maintain now that you have lost most or all of your excess weight? Any tricks to longevity? Anything that you would have done differently? How has your lives changed for the better?
CHIME IN!
(Oh yeah, I posted this in the General Weight Loss forum where everyone could see it. The Veteran's forum doesn't seem as active, so I wanted to put it here.)

This is a long post, but it details my gastric sleeve experience in Mexico, and I feel like it's important to share it. I'm sure there are great results from this clinic and others in Mexico, but here are some of the pitfalls:
I had a sleeve gastrectomy in April in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Dr. Juan Francisco Hidalgo (Weight Loss Team), and I have had extreme complications since then. I had to undergo a revision surgery to a full gastric bypass because the multiple strictures in my stomach were so bad that surgeons at the mayo Clinic (arguably one of the best groups of bariatric surgeons in the world), after five procedures, couldn't fix them. They say it was most likely Dr. Hidalgo's technique that created the stricture - he uses a much smaller bougie (tube to shape the stomach) than is typically used in the United States, and it is more likely to create complications. I know loads of people have a good outcome from Mexico surgeries, but I share my experience because I owe it to anyone contemplating this.
I did a lot of research before going there and thought I had chosen well. The website of Dr. Hidalgo is very sophisticated, and there are no language issues when asking questions in advance because of the English-speaking administrator, Gerald. The website gives reams of information in perfect English -- all very comforting. Plus, as I was considering the surgery, they offered me access to the support group on Facebook for patients of Dr. Hidalgo -- something that seemed so authentic and convincing since I could read posts from all kinds of real people. However, after they recently found out about my complications, Gerald, the administrator, removed me from the group even though I was not all over it bashing Hidalgo but had just posted a couple of times about my situation. I suddenly felt so duped -- I believed all the great testimonials and was too gullible to understand that only people with positive outcomes were allowed to be in that community.
So since I can't share it with people allowed to join that private group, I feel it is my responsibility to share my experience here:
My experience in the Puerto Vallarta hospital was very hairy - I woke up after surgery in some kind of lounge with no one around me and in extreme pain - sobbing and begging for help, and after that at one point my blood pressure was so dangerously low that they wouldn't let me lay down anymore - forcing me into a sitting position, and I think it was possibly because the nurses gave me pain medicine twice at one point. Dr. Hidalgo was summoned to the room, and actually suggested perhaps my condition was because I hadn't taken my Wellbutrin for a couple of days. Um, what? I sincerely thought for a little while that I might die.
Promises that the medical staff would check in on me at my hotel regularly after discharge from the hospital didn't materialize, and a bellboy had to track down Dr. Hidalgo to remove my staples because I was due to fly home.
And then when I required intervention a couple of weeks later because I couldn't eat or drink anything due to the stricture, I was told by Dr. Hidalgo that I just needed a shot of cortisone (Seriously? Where?), and when they sent my "surgery report" to share with the U.S. doctor, it was actually just a generic report with my name at the top - not my report. It didn't even include my actual surgical information because it talked about the port they had installed, which I never had. When I asked for full records, including the swallow study/leak test done with X-Ray at the hospital before discharge, I was told that Dr. Hidalgo didn't have any of the records, and that it could be three or four months before he got it from the hospital.
My diagnosis was that I had a severe stricture in my gastric sleeve in several places, and the five additional surgeries were to try to stretch and stent the stomach open, but nothing worked and I had to have a complete revision to a roux en Y gastric bypass because my stomach was unsavable. The Mayo surgeon's professional opinion based on my situation and the generic "surgery report" Hidalgo's team sent is that this stricture was caused by Dr. Hidalgo because he uses a bougie that is far too narrow. This is the tool used to size your new sleeve stomach, and Hidalgo uses size 18, while the medical standard in the U.S. is more like 28.
Though I asked several times, Dr. Hidalgo would never provide my actual medical records or X-Rays from after the surgery, but the Mayo doctors believe the X-Ray immediately following the surgery shows the stricture, which left just a 1/4 inch opening and was slowly killing me. I didn't eat a solid piece of food for 140 days, I was anemic and malnourished and needing Fluid IVs just to stay hydrated because I couldn't even force enough Water down the narrow stricture. Half of my hair has fallen out, I was confused and exhausted for months due to malnutrition, and I could hardly function. I lost 75 pounds in four months, but I only had 100 pounds total to lose so that was a dangerous pace for someone my size . Yes, I lost weight, but this was not a safe way to do it and I was desperately sick the whole time. Besides, my procedures to fix my $4,200 gastric sleeve from Mexico cost more than $125,000 - thank GOD I have good health insurance because just the co-pays alone have caused me significant hardship.
I'm sorry to share such a terrible story. I understand how hopeful it feels to finally have the opportunity to lose weight because I was desperate to do so. But I made bad choices, it seems, based on a fake Facebook "support group," and English-speaking staff, and a charming doctor. My advice is to choose slowly and well and to comb forums looking for posts from people who may not have had the best experiences with the clinic you choose. I have a network now of a couple of other people with an experience similar to mine from surgeries with Hidalgo's Weight Loss Team, and none of us ever saw anything negative ahead of our visits. People with complications need to share them for the benefit of people in the future.
I would also recommend that you ask a surgeon for the technical aspects of their procedure and then compare them to the vast volumes of research available from doctors who practice in the U.S. The bougie size is a big deal, and so are the exact kind of staples used. And above all else, DO NOT leave Mexico without a copy of every medical record generated about your care, from the films of the leak test to hospital logs. Even in Spanish, they can be invaluable later to a team of doctors trying to help you if you have complications.
I have learned these things the hard way, and it's been a rough road. If I could do it over, I would still have the gastric sleeve, maybe, but I would have been much more cautious in the process. I wish you all the best.

I've tried since I was 9. My longest lasting attempt has been low carb (since 2000). I too have PCOS. I'm also pre-diabetic, have had a pretty severe hormone positive (obesity related) breast cancer, asthma, arthritis, left arm lymphedema (from the cancer treatment), high blood pressure, and other stuff. The likelihood of losing the weight and maintaining the loss with my health situation is about the same as me winning a multi-million dollar lottery. It's not impossible that I could do this on my own, it's just highly unlikely and improbable.
But in saying this, I do not excuse my personal responsibility in contributing to my obesity. It's another chicken/egg thing. Did I eat myself into obesity? Or did my constant yo-yo dieting get me to the point that I was unable to resist the hormonal drive to eat--and to eat crap food, rather than lean, clean food? Dunno. Doesn't matter. I'm here and that's enough. Research is showing that the reason so few are successful long term in losing and maintaining weight loss is because the body will sabotage us. Once we get fat, it seems--the body wants to keep us fat and will dump a whole host of hormones on us to make sure we eat and re-feed to beyond our previous weight. It sounds like we're victims of our fat body. Right? Except I don't want to be a victim--it robs us of power and action.
So where I am right now is at the point where I have to accept that I need an additional boost (through a metabolic reset and surgery) in order to succeed at this whole weight loss thing. Will it change my head? Nope. I still have to work on changing that. But it will change a whole host of things they "think" contributes to long term obesity. It will immediately within about 3 weeks drop my chance of cancer recurrence about another 30-45% (I'm presently now at a 25% recurrence rate--so it will split it in half).
Do I need this surgery? Absolutely.
Do I deserve this surgery? Well, that's putting a value statement on it. Maybe. Maybe not. It's almost a Schroedinger's Cat question. Philosophically, do you believe the cat in the box is dead? Does anyone deserve a better metabolic chance at changing their life long term, but for at least a minimum of 12 years? Are any of us worthy--or more worthy than another? I don't fool myself that I will suddenly be healthy enough to go out there and cure cancer, or solve the meaning of life and existence. But, chances are (and my insurance company is betting on this), that I will be healthier after surgery to more than pay for the $50000 or so they will spend on me having the surgery. So I'ma say I deserve the surgery. Cuz I can.

Sleeved June 2017 HW 325 CW 232 down 93 pounds GW 195-190 I’m 5’5     

Welcome to the other side 🙂

Congratulations on being a healthier you

Hw-273
Sw-226
CW-146
GW-130
Size- 4 or 6, Small in sweats. Small in shirts. depends on how it's cut or made.
Bra Size- 38D

Surgery Date- April 26th, 2017
RNY
"Only those who try will become" FFX

I’m one month post-op.

I was soooo freaking terrified. I mean, I was terrified of being put under for my wisdom teeth too. I know another poster said it’s kind of “silly” to be scared of that, but I disagree. I know she means moreso that there’s nothing really to be afraid of because it’s relatively safe and 100000x safer than remaining overweight. But there’s still something terrifying of being put under, aware you’re having an operation done beforehand, and not knowing if you’ll be waking up afterward.

I have a 4 year old and my husband/her dad past away earlier this year (not from anything health related, he was mil and incredibly fit). I was so freaking scared I’d be electing this surgery to try and get healthier for her/us, but then end up leaving her completely parentless! I told all of my friends and family what I wanted done if something were to happen to me, wrote a letter to her, made a video the night before. Pretty much cried and I was wheeled off.

I really get it. I was freaking terrified. The only thing that helped me proceed was just going through the statistics over and over and over. It IS safer than so many other procedures that no one seems to blink an eye over. Being overweight IS deadly. And how much I owed it to my daughter, and myself, to do what I could to have a longer healthier life for us both.

Idk if that’s helpful at all. I just wanted to reach out from another person who was incredibly scared but made it through.


5’6”
25 yo
SW: 256
CW: 236.9

*12/04/2017*

This makes me feel a lot better about surgery.

Thank you so much everyone that replied, I have to keep remembering why I chose to do this in the first place. So glad I joined this group

I am still pre surg but let me share mine.
1 God would-be,mad with me since I was asking to have,my intestines rerouted.
2. I'm too old for surgery; people will think I'm silly or vain for asking.
Strangely I'm not worried of the surgery , more scared the surgeon will back out instead of me.
4. Running away from the surgical team-nope with 2 artificial knees I couldn't outrun them.
5. I'm a bad girl, I don't deserve surgery, well why don't I? I have fought the different diet wars and my fat cells always won.
You want a different excuse? I was normal sized at,birth 7lb12oz but, my mother's,doctor ordered her to feed,me an 8oz bottle of Carnation milk after each,nursing. At 1 year I was 35 inches tall and weighed 36 pounds. Even when I was normal sized I felt fluffy not firmed,fleshed. I was a non winner in the weight wars but now I will,have,a tool,to,helpwith the healthy commitment and changes. I plan to live out my 70s and,onward. Like Reba McEntire's song. I'm a Survivor. I look forward to surgery , I trust my future surgery team to put me asleep smoothly and wake,me up gently to start my new better life. Join me on this journey,please?

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Thank you for sharing your story. Your words are moving & your experience is very valuable.
I can’t imagine that this was easy to write but I came to the forums to learn and understand the process and it’s impact on people so I’m especially grateful that you shared your thoughts & feelings, and I wish you all the very best. I really do hope you feel better soon.

OK so if my name looks familiar to any of you, you may remember me as the indecisive, anxious all over the place girl who asked 1000s of questions and really wasn't sure whether to get the sleeve or not
After re-reading through all your advice and doing more searches I've decided to stop being such a wuss and JUST GO FOR It.
This is my little thank you post to you all as I don't think without this community I would of decided to do this.
My surgery date was moved and is now January 17th. Now that I've decided to do it the nerves have got a little worse, but one thing that's changed is for the first time in a long time I'm actually excited. Now I can look at all these inspirational photos and say "that'll be me soon!"
I've decided to make an Instagram account (jeez_sleevedlouise) especially for my journey and even posted a cheeky vlog which is not like me! But then again getting a major surgery isn't like me either lol.
Thanks guys once again and glad to finally feel like part of this with all of you!
Much love xxx
Surgery due January 10th 2018
CW 238
GW 133

I can't eat most things yet. I'm eating off the approved list, and a little bit into the next list (pureed/soft)....taking everything slowly, only eating what's comfortable. Doing my 70 minute rule.
Am enjoying:
Mashed potatoes
oatmeal
cream of wheat
baby meat sticks
yogurt
bean/pea Soup
canned chicken
sweet potato
cottage cheese
canned green Beans
fresh greens in my nutrabullet....set to liquefy with a little apple or prune juice for regularity
avacado
Tofu
Premier Protien...One caramel shake a day used as Creamer in my Decaf coffee
I'm walking about 6-7 miles a day, have incredible energy, am sleeping 7-8 hours a night, and am off most of my meds.
I'm eating 1000 calories a day, and getting at least 80g of protien. Sipping drinks nonstop.
Weight improves daily. Am pooping daily.
I read so many stories on this site about people who have problems....thought I'd add my positive experience to the stew.
No nausea. no pain. Feeling like a million bucks. Healing up great. Enjoying my diet, and looking forward to being able to tolerate more Proteins and veggies. Am dying for a salad...but know that's weeks away.
Some lessons I've learned:
If foods feel uncomfortable or gets stuck for a minute....you're not ready for them. Put them away for another week or two and try again cautiously.
If you feel uncomfortably full......get up and walk...it helps shake things loose.
Anything new....try a tiny little amount and WAIT 15 minutes. See how it feels. Listen to your body cues.
Eating super sugary food makes me sick. Sugary things are good for a bite...not a bowl, even a small bowl. Mom's Christmas cookie was NOT a good idea. A nibble would have been ok. Eating half a cookie...not so much. I was dumb and rationalized I was eating oatmeal, and the cookie was oatmeal....can't hurt, right? Wrong! Be very carful with heavily refined sugar products. The cookie triggered some nausea and I felt really crappy for a bit. It passed in 20 minutes, but I'd rather not repeat that.
I love oatmeal and cream of wheat with almond milk and splenda.
Greek yogurt is 12g of Protein a tub...try the whipped, it's awesome.
You can get instant oatmeal with extra Protein.
Canned chicken isn't as awful as I feared. Particularly in homemade Soups with Beans.
Decaf coffee doesn't taste like coffee....but it's not bad. I think of it as something similar to coffee...but not quite coffee. LOL
This isn't meant to be advice to anyone else....this is simply what's been working for me. I just wanted people to know that not everyone has a rough hellish experience. For some of us...the surgery is very easy on us and the changes are very tolerable:) Best wishes to each and everyone....on a safe healthy good outcome:)

Today was pretty difficult for me.
As much as my life post bariatric surgery has changed for the better, in many ways wls is still a struggle for me. Sometimes I worry it will always be this way. Feeling “normal” again- maybe I’ll never feel that again. In 20 years I will still be the same as I am now and what are the long term repercussions on my health?
I really struggle with food. Protein is a constant challenge. I find it very very difficult to eat dense protein. It gets stuck so easily, even if I take care to chew the f**k out of it. chicken and I- not friends. Fish is very challenging. Steak is easier but still, it can go badly. I can’t count the number of times I’ve puked up dense protein.
You know that rule, eat your protein first? If I did this I would still be anorexically thin. Once I take a couple bites of protein my restriction is so high I can possibly eat any more. Three bites and done. That’s about it.
Lately everything I eat gives me horrid gas. I’m constantly constipated. I try to get enough Water but drinking between meals, when I need to eat at least six meals a day to get enough calories, is incredibly difficult. When I drink with my meals it’s a gamble as to wether I will dump or throw up, so I try not to. But in my busy busy life I find it so hard to drink outside of my 6 meals, to grab that bottle of water and get it down when my stomach still only takes sips even after so many years out. I get incredibly thirsty when I eat as well. It’s exhausting.
I’m hungry so often. Not physically hungry, although that happens too. But more of a mental hunger or a deep physical anatomical hunger that just feels like I can never really get enough food. I can never, or very very rarely, get quite enough that my body feels truly fed. I’m always in this limbo of not quite satisfied. My stomach prevents me from eating even if my body wants and needs more. I watch other people eat and I envy them. I miss the feeling of true satisfaction and resent the feeling of restriction, especially when I know my body really needs more food!!
Sugar and I- we have a very mixed relationship. I love sugar and I don’t fear it will make me gain weight. Carbs are easier for me to digest than protein and so I rely on the a lot to get the calories I need to not become skeletal again. But carbs can often give me dumping syndrome. I’m constantly playing a game of Russian roulette. Will I dump after this meal? Tonight I dumped horrible after a meal of a turkey sandwich and raspberries. I assume it was the raspberries. It’s a constant condition, one that I go through really hard times over and while sometimes I want to just say- ok! No more carbs- see above issues with protein.
Following the “rules” doesn’t provide a solution to me. Protein is too hard to get down. Water is so hard to get in. My calorie needs are high. I’m having jaw problems now from the stress on my jaw from so much chewing. I’ve seen my surgeon- he says no sugar.
So what’s left for me to eat safely! Protein Shakes? That’s not realistic. And I can barely keep weight on as it is.
What can I swallow and know 100% it won’t get stuck and I won’t dump.
So many people on these forums painting the perfect picture of life after wls. And those feeling like failures when they don’t lose weight.
Well I’m a “success story”. I’m thin.
And I struggle Every. Single. Day.
I wish people would talk more openly and honestly about the long term effects of wls and what it’s like to live with it. What’s it like in an imperfect world for an imperfect person.
My best friend had wls and we talk all the time about these things. It’s nice that I have someone who gets it. When people are considering wls they only want to see the positives but they don’t understand the choice they are making.
Would I make this choice again? Would I trade my health and freedom with food for a day in the body I have now? Probably.
But I’m not sure what that says about me.
Will you do the same? Think about it.
I’m not saying don’t have surgery. I’m not saying I would go back into my old body. That body had lots of problems too. My mind, my body, my life.. I’ll take it now. But wls isn’t for everyone. I’ve had a few friends chose not to do it, and at the time I didn’t understand their decision. In the honeymoon stage you’re on a weight loss high. I rode that high for a long long time. But now.. years out I’m beginning to understand.
Today was a rough day. I have better ones. It would be nice to have a place to get some support for the hard things we go through. Most other people in my life, they can’t understand. For me, having wls is living in a body with chronic digestive illness.

I'm not sure what your SW was but I see we are both vertically challenged (I might have rounded up in my profile ). The downside is that our metabolic rate is tied to our muscle mass which is tied to our height. If you crunch through the numbers using the BMR calculators, by the time you get to the 150's-ish, you're only expending something like 1300 calories a day without exercise, less if you're older. At 9 months out, eating anything less than 900-1000 calories seems to be unsustainable so the effect of diet on weight loss will slow to a drip-drip pace. It's depressing, I know. Obviously you can increase your calories out by doing any calorie-burning exercising but increasing your muscle mass, through a combination of Protein and weight training, will have a persistent effect on your metabolism.
I concur with all the advice offered already but will add it can't be emphasized enough that weight loss is incredibly lumpy. I had a long 1-2 month stall at 9 months and now at 11 months, the pounds are coming off again. Sometimes the weight loss is quicker than what I saw in month 3 or 4. The improved results coincides with the time when I switched my exercise routine from cardio to weight training. Nowdays, I do a mix of both. Weight training has improved my cardio speed/endurance in magnitudes that doing cardio alone never could. So now on the 2 days a week when I am doing cardio, I can run long for a fixed period which of course increases my calorie expenditure as well.

I wish people would talk about it more. I can understand it is probably difficult for the person going through it, but by reaching out you see that there are others with similar experiences and advice to offer. Also, it is really helpful for those of us in the pre-op stage to have continued awareness of potential outcomes. I personally appreciate everyone's honesty and willingness to share.

makes me wonder why they don't just do it as a precaution... it would rule out gallbladder right away and save time if a patient had complications

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Honestly, I think it has to do with people being jealous or insecure. I genuinely feel that in SOME cases, especially with women, they wouldn't want to compliment you or give you the confidence or make you feel good about yourself because they don't want you to look better or thinner than them. It's really sad honestly.
Someone in my life (a female) weighs a little less than me since my weight loss. She was happy that I was about 30-35 lbs more than her. It made her happy knowing I was bigger than her. But now my weight is going down and she has not asked about surgery, how I"m doing, feeling, etc. She says I cheated and took the easy way out and is getting pissed off because I'm a few lbs away from being the same weight as her now. She doesn't realize I'm struggling on this journey of being on liquids for an entire month and not eating fast food or drinking sodas anymore and having Portion Control and exercising will all contribute to my weight loss...the surgery isn't a magic pill....it gives me the will power and hope I didn't have before.
Eff the people who don't support you or notice you. They want you to stay down, how you were before surgery.
Your light is shining through as your coming into your new skin....just shine and blind em.

I'm 5 months postop as of 11/1/17 & I truly hadn't compared any of my photos until lastweek, and it almost floored me... the photo on the left was on 11/4/17 & the one on the right was 3/7/17. I'm 60+ pounds down & 1 pound from my goal weight!
HW: 247 VSG:6/1/17 CW:186(11/04/17) GW:185🙄

Posting these is hard for me- But if they help someone- I’m all about being real. This is where I came from. Before wls I was at rock bottom in my life. I was overweight, in so much pain, addicted to opiates, in a miserable abusive marriage, terribly unhappy, i could barely work, so hard to walk, so hard to just live. I’d been on or off of a diet since I was eleven. I was constantly binging or starving myself. I’d tried every weight loss plan under the sun and I was totally burnt out. I’d tried therapy, you make it. Perhaps if I’d stuck to therapy that would have worked, but at the point I had surgery I was so exhausted I just needed something sure.
I was totally committed to the surgery although i didn’t follow the rules very well, I’ve never been good at self care. I couldn’t take care of myself well before surgery and i struggled to do that afterwards. It has taken a lot of work to get better at that.
I went in knowing what could happen and that i wouldn’t be able to eat normally again. It was worth it to me at the time.
My surgery had complications but the weight loss was easy due to a severe stricture that I had, plus i was just determined to lose the weight- nothing was gonna stop me. I did really well eating very little for a long time, I was so burnt out on food i was able to break my codependent behavior towards it. Maintenance was really really hard for me, I had issues with wanting to keep losing weight and not being able to stop. I rejected food so hard it was a real struggle to begin eating again and I had to seek therapy for that.
I’m doing well now and so much has changed. I have a very different outlook with food. I’ve also gone through plastic surgery 2x and I’m finished with that. I’m at my 3 year surgery anniversary on dec 4. My start weight was 240 and my current weight is between 130-135. I’m 5’6.
I went from 240 to 120 in about 10 months. My lowest weight was 115- scary. I’ve since gained to a healthy 130 ish. I try not to slide back into the 120s because I look sick at that weight. I don’t try and maintain my weight through dieting anymore, I practice “Intuitive Eating”. While being thin is nice and my weight is something I care about, these days I try not to weigh myself and I focus on overall health and well being. My next goal is to get more active with weight training and exercise.
Surgery is no walk in the park. I had a rough time and I still struggle. But it was worth it for me, as you can see. My weightloss did stall a week or two here and there. I never let that get to me, I just kept my calories low knowing eventually it would start again. During the weightloss phase I tried to focus on my life and stay busy rather than focus on every pound. I definitely ate very very little. I suffered from malnutrition and health problems because of this so I would not recommend it- take your Vitamins and get in your Protein.
Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for choosing surgery. And don’t feel bad if weight loss takes you longer than others. My biggest regret is that I didn’t give myself more love before my surgery. But at least I gave myself enough to try and change my life for the better.