LizzLosingIt

My surgery is scheduled for July 9th, so officially three weeks from today. my doctor needs me to do a two-week pre-op diet, consisting of two protein shakes a day, one light meal, and several light snacks like sugar free jello and crudités with lite ranch. Decided to ease into it a week earlier so that I’m more successful during the real portion. struggling to come up with meals that don’t consist entirely of pasta and rice! It’s what we eat a lot of in my culture. Entire meals could be a bowl of rice. here’s a dish I made today of ground chicken, avocado ranch, salsa and light cheese on a romaine boat. I’m still hungry but am hoping that with time, I won’t feel so anxious to get the super full satiated feeling I’m used to. i ate two of these, and could eat a third if it were available. Intentionally only cooked this amount. what are some of your favorite quick recipes? What are some other items you were told were okay during pre-op dieting? Trying to practice what mynew diet will look like once in the recovery/maintenance stage.

Hey everyone! Gastric Bypass July 9th here. I had my pre-op appointment yesterday and they were extremely thorough! For those interested, I wanted to go over the details of what my process has looked like so far: - My insurance required an EKG, blood work, and gallbladder scan. So, during my pre-op, they redid all of those to compare the previous values with the most recent results. normal EKG, no high cholesterol, no high BP, no gallstones, normal thyroid levels, higher-ish estrogen, and borderline pre-diabetic which was NOT fun to hear but will hopefully be resolved with Bypass. - I spoke with the nurse and my (very handsome lol) surgeon, who re-reviewed all possible risks and complications. He explained how he would do the surgery (five incisions, robotic) and what to expect before and after. He also checked me for hernias, which I don't have. - Met with my dietician to re-review my pre-op diet and just to check in with me. She provided me with info on how to set up future appointments if needed as I transition through the phases. - The clinic gave me information on how to get my family member informed on what was happening. The hospital I am using has an app and the surgeon's team will text updates periodically. - I'm expected to be in-patient and will stay for one night unless I have complications. - They provided me with the sterile soap, Hibiclens and instructions on how to use it. bathe with half the bottle the night before, the other half the morning of (they gave me a sheet i have to mark down the date and time of the wash and turn it in the morning of). wash hair, no products, no contacts, no invisalign, clean sheets, clean pajamas. - the doctor gave me my prescriptions, which include: Gabapentin, acetominaphen, ondansetron for nausea, promethazine syrup, ursodial to prevent gallstones (thankfully i don't have any), and prilosec (OTC). - I had a chest xray and was asked if I had any implant anywhere (i don't.) all came back normal. - spoke with the anesthesiologist who weighed me, took my height, and explained the overall process to me. i've only been under once for a 70-minute MRI a few years ago but i know approximately what to expect. I will also be getting a 96-hour abdominal block to help with pain along with my (very strong) medication. - They provided me with information on what to eat and drink the night before (light breakfast, protein shake, clear liquids, and then four hours before the surgery, 16 oz of water), day of (clear liquids) four days after, two weeks after, (heavy liquids) one month after (maintenance phase). - set up a post-op appt 10 days later, and another one a month after surgery. - The morning of the surgery i arrive at 7:30 am, am checked in and put in pre-op, surgery should last two hours, one hour of recovery, and then moved to my private room where my sister will be waiting for me. no overnight guests because of COVID but this hospital has a designated bariatric surgery floor so all of the nurses are specialized in this, and even nicer, all of the equipment accommodate larger patients. so, large recliners, large beds, laaarge gowns, large chairs, sturdy IV machines, belly bands. very comfortable. - i'm planning on bringing an ipad, books, lip balm, lotions, warmer socks, grippy sandals, button down pajamas, a small pillow they recommended as a "splint" when i get in and out of bed, and toiletries. I feel pretty ready i suppose, but it doesn't feel quite real yet! crazy to believe that in a few months i'll be down a significant amount of weight (hopefully) and look slimmer. I am on my two-week pre-op diet which consists of two protein shakes and one light meal a day, with "free" snack foods including fat free cheese, lean meats, sugar free jello popsicles and pudding, high protein yogurts, and non-starchy veggies with light hummus or light ranch. hasn't been super easy but I'm trying my best. and LOTS of water. Let me know if you have questions, i'll be glad to answer them.

I completely understand these fears and have a lot of the same ones, particularly the failing, regain, and loose skin. Failing and regain is what I’ve gone through my whole life with failed diets, and though it’s a possibility still after surgery, this tool is going to help me more than my sheer willpower ever did. as far as hair loss, there are so many advancements in hairpieces! I have worn a lace wig since high school due to a condition I have called short Anagen syndrome, so hair loss isn’t even a concern for me only because my hair is already extremely thin and short (like a baby’s) and I wear wigs 🤷🏻‍♀️. Look up YouTube videos for “lace wig install” and you’ll see how easy and realistic they are, just to hold you over until your hair regrows. Loose skin is a concern because I know it’ll prevent me from looking like I always dreamed I’d look, but there are surgeries for that. Additionally, the way I see it is, either I deal with the extra skin, or deal with the extra fat. It’s only one or the other, no other choice. I’d rather deal with extra skin and fit into nice clothes and feel energetic and healthy, than continue down this path and gain more and more weight. doubts are normal! This forum has helped me a lot in seeing that there are more successes than failures in this process. Best of luck to you.

I too wasn’t sure about telling people because I was certain they’d judge me, think it was “the easy way out” or suggest things like “accept yourself, go to a gym, have you tried…” etc. My friends and family have all been supremely supportive and excited for me. My girlfriends are excited to go shopping with me in earnest (they’re straight sized and though I join them, I’m a bystander or buy shoes and accessories) and my cousins are ecstatic and so supportive. I’m so grateful. also, who are your favorite youtubers?

That’s a great list, thanks! There are some things I can’t eat, like edamame for the starch and some of the red or processed meats like sausage, but a lot of the rest of it looks great. Much appreciated!!

Oh wow… they are letting me have a light meal up until about a day before surgery, when I switch to births and clear liquids.

Haha that’s exactly what I’m on! I didn’t realize that broccoli and corn are considered starchy. Bought some to eat raw, and there’s corn in my mixed veggies bag. So I’m just going to eat it and have it done before the official diet starts a week from today.

Hello! I’m scheduled July 9th for bypass. I’m sure each surgeon is different so do what yours tells you. But mine wants me on a two-week diet prior to surgery in the hopes that I’ll lose 10-15 lbs and help shrink my liver for an easier operation. my nutritionist needs me on two protein shakes a day and one light meal, with some snacks. Salads cauliflower cucumbers etc are unlimited with lite ranch. Some mother snacks were on the list. My clinic is extremely thorough and even gave us a shopping list and discount codes for certain protein shakes and vitamins. They want me to also change behaviors prior to surgery, such as no alcohol, no fizzy waters, hew food extremely thoroughly, so I’m used to it by my surgery date.

Two days from now will be one month until my surgery, July 9th. My insurance process was relatively easy, with almost exactly one month between my initial consultation with my surgeon (April 21st) to insurance approval (May 20th.) I have Cigna, so no six-month diet/nutrition evaluation required. But I do find myself having those "food funerals" mentioned above, partly because I need to eat through the food I bought prior to realizing how quickly the process would go for me, and also as a way to have my "last hurrah" with foods I won't eat again for a long time, or probably ever. So though I'm grateful my insurance process was relatively short, I think I would have found some value in having had more time to adjust my eating habits before surgery. My nutritionist wants me to lose 10-15 lbs before surgery, and only put me on a two-week pre-op diet of replacing two meals a day with protein shakes, and one meal must be light, protein-focused, and have little to no carbs/starchy vegetables. I'm going to do it for three weeks instead to make sure I actually lose those 10-15 lbs. Right now, I'm preparing a grocery list for pre- and post-op shopping trips I'll have to make, so that I have most of everything I need for the pre-op diet and not find myself wandering the aisles in the grocery store, longingly looking at my favorite snack foods before surgery.

I've read about some people failing the psych eval and it's always baffled me. What is this psychologist looking for as a "pass/fail" sort of patient? Most, if not all, people who have struggled with weight maintenance and weight loss have an emotional attachment to food, yet it feels like that's what they're on the look-out for. What is it that "fails" someone at the eval, if you don't mind me asking?

Hey all, question for al of you, whether pre-op or post-op: what were some surprising things you discovered during the bariatric surgery process, whether about yourself, insurance, people around you, diets in general, unexpected occurrences etc? What should someone in pre-op be ready for?

I’m on my last week of birth control since I have to get off of it for one month prior and one month after... not starting a new pack even though the days don’t align perfectly. mom only required to do a two-week diet, so I’m using these weeks prior to that time to have my “final meals” with stuff I’ve already purchased so it won’t go to waste. Enjoying my last bits of fruit juices, ice creams, rice (which is HUGE in my culture). Stopped buying snack foods since I won’t finish them all. Stopped buying new clothes back in April when I started the process. I’m nervous for July 4th weekend since my surgery is on the 9th. I want to be able to enjoy myself and food just feels like such a big factor in doing so. My family and friends are extremely supportive and said they’d help find foods I can still enjoy that fit my low fat diet but still sort of nervous of inconveniencing people.

Hey everyone! I just got my insurance approved yesterday and am scheduled for surgery on July 9th. My nutritionist is very thorough and gave me a lot of food tips, but am interested in following others who are further along in the journey. Do you know of any Tik Tokers, IG’rs, or YouTubers who have interesting recipes or tips for food prep? TIA!

Hey July surgery buddies! Just got my insurance approval this morning and am scheduled for July 9th. Excited!

When I was in 8th grade I had to start thinking about what high school classes I wanted to take. I was in band in middle school and the next logical step was marching band for high school. I was so nervous: could I actually memorize 18 minutes of music AND march around a field?? As a plus sized teen??? All while keeping up with my Advanced Placement classes? A thought came to me and it’s changed my life ever since: If 200+ other students (we had a large band) could do it, then why the hell couldn’t I too do it?? I’m smart, I’m capable, I can at least try. By senior year I was the band’s captain. That thinking has gotten me through my Masters degree and a great salaried job, because I realized “hell, I could do it too!” listen, your fears are 100% valid. Most, if not all of us, have experienced the yo-yo dieting, the inability to stick to diets, the failing and trying and failing again. It’s not specific to you! and others’ success is not specific to THEM. I just got my surgery approved this morning and I’m nervous too, because it’s going to be HARD. But I had to pick my hard. The diet is hard, surgery feels drastic and hard. Exercising SUCKS and is hard. The mourning period is super hard (going through it now, see my previous posts lol). But you know what else is hard? Navigating life as a fat woman in America. Dating with confidence. Fitting into a booth. Dealing with medical anti-fat bias. Being compared to thinner friends colleagues or relatives. SHOPPING ugh. I have to pick what type of “hard” makes it all worth it. I could stay fat and that hard life won’t get easier. Or I could do this life-changing surgery and feel that “hard” get easier and easier as time goes on. My stomach is quite large and my face looks fine and wrinkle free now but I’m also terrified of wrinkles and loose skin (I’m 34 and though I’m young to many, I’m not immune to aging especially now.) But it’s either deal with the skin or the fat for me. I choose skin. best of luck to you!! Have courage. Don’t doom-scroll, looking for negative experiences (trust me, I’m a doom scroller and it delayed me for a few years, 50 lbs ago.) Instead read through all the great success stories on this forum. It’s what’s gotten me through! My surgery is July 9th.

Had my nutritionist appointment Wednesday. I feel prepared in that I know what I can and can’t eat...am getting my file looked at by a nurse and hopefully submitted to my insurance next week. My case manager seems confident I’ll have a surgery date within July. but I’m starting to mourn the life I live now. I know I want to lose the weight and keep it off... but I’m going to miss a nice glass of champagne or cocktail with carbonation. A warm bowl of pasta. Full fat milk. The sense of freedom to eat when and what I want (which I suppose can also be a prison...) anyway I’m getting emotional, knowing my life will never be the same. There’s good with it, but definitely a sense of loss and mourning is coming across as well. I spoke with the psychiatrist in my bariatric clinic and she cleared me for surgery, but I feel like I may need to go see her again once or twice before surgery for my own peace of mind and a listening ear. I don’t know if I just need advice or a listening ear or insight from experience or what. whatever you offer I’ll gladly take.

I am still pre-op, waiting on final approval from insurance, and getting very anxious. Mournful even, of the life I live now, and the foods I enjoy that I won’t enjoy again. but this thread helps. I’m generally healthy, no issues with BP, cholesterol, GERD, heart or cardiac, only issues areI’m creeping ever closer to diabetes. I want that off the table. And I have sleep apnea. Super low pressure (7 on a scale of 5-30) and can easily be reversed with just 50-75 lbs lost. I’m 34 and want children one day. I want to hike and ride bikes and run and sit comfortably on the floor, play with my nieces and not be exhausted after ONE round of hide and seek, rid myself of back pain, fit into regular sized clothes, wear heels without wanting to cry. Men reach out very very often on dating apps and I always “self reject” because something in my mind says “he must be joking” or “your body is just a fetish to him.” Maybe I’m way off base with that one but it’s how I feel and I want to be romantically involved with someone again. I want to sit comfortably in airplanes and not see the “oh God I hope the fat girl doesn’t sit by me” face I often see. Don’t want to hear the “wow you have such a pretty face” comment, knowing what they really mean. (I hope I don’t sound self centered, just highlighting that it’s hard to appreciate things that others seemingly appreciate about me because of my deep insecurity.) Just so many things. As nervous and sad as I am to have to get to this point to lose weight, I’m still looking forward to all of the above. 🌸

Pre-op here. Just saw my nutritionist today. My surgeon has insisted on no carbonated drinks EVER, for life. There goes champagne. And White Claws. I asked why, and he said that consistent intake will expand your pouch. So I’m thinking I’m limited to like a champagne toast at the rare wedding and nothing else. my nutritionist told me however that alcohol is not off limits once in stage four of eating, just drink it slowly and try it at home. Get a Designated Driver if you’re out. Try to get something low in sugar to avoid dumping, like a shot diluted in ice with a lemon twist, or the old classic, a vodka cranberry.

Reading this just 25 minutes after your update! I just submitted everything to my insurance today, and I’m going with bypass. This forum actually what was convinced me, last year, to do bypass. 1. too many stories of revision surgeries after sleeve since your body still absorbs the same amounts of food, unlike bypass. I know it’s not everyone, but I saw too many to make me feel confident in my ability to comply long term without a second layer of help (malabsorption.) 2. Diabetes runs rampant in my family. I’m not there yet but it’s an eventuality I wanted to do away with. 3. Someone above mentioned that bypass is so drastic... and sure, it is, but it doesn’t make sleeve less drastic in comparison. With sleeve, your stomach is essentially amputated, and with bypass your intestines are rearranged. They’re both hard, I just had to pick the “hard” I felt was worth all the trouble. Bypass was it for me. I spoke with my nutritionist today about duodenal switch, and though you lose more weight, you have more vitamin deficiencies and it’s harder to carry a pregnancy, which I eventually want to do. I’m glad you made the right choice for you!

Hello everyone! My pace is moving really fast. I had my consult on April 21st, had my EKG, lab work, gallbladder ultrasound, and psych evaluation all done by April 28th, got my letter of medical necessity on Monday the 3rd, and today will have my final appt, the nutrition evaluation. That's a span of exactly two weeks to the day! There's always a chance that the nutritionist requires another course with me, but my insurance doesn't (I have Cigna.) So, realistically, by the end of today, I could have my insurance claim submitted and will know the result within two weeks. Everything's been moving quite fast, and though I've researched WLS for a decade now, I have only been working towards it in earnest for the past two weeks. My psych recommended me for surgery and it really helps that my sister just had bypass on April 7th so I've seen her journey and her eating requirements. For those who have had surgery or are about to, what are some mental preparedness tips to be mindful of? I think it's safe to say that many people with weight issues have an odd relationship to food. Just last night, I felt sad knowing I won't be eating rice the way I do currently (as an entire meal, very typical for my culture.) What should I be ready for? Major surgery + major changes in such a short span is sort of making me nervous! TIA.

I haven't had surgery yet, but I got invisalign about a month ago. Usually i'd down like 4-6 chocolate truffles right before bed, but now with invisalign, it'd mean needing to take the braces off, brush my mouth and the trays, and do that whole process that I usually have done well before bedtime already. The other day I went to get a taste of the chocolate and it was WAY TOO SWEET! SO crazy how our tastebuds and tolerances change just naturally.

This is true and important to keep in mind. I do have one though, and it's cool to see other victories outside of weight. Mine tells me my "body's age" on the accompanying app, and it's neat to see hydration levels and those other figures improve over time. It's also helpful because the app lets you track your weight and you can compare dates to see how your body has changed. It being just like $10-15 more than a standard scale made me just purchase it and have those cool extra features, so long as you know that it's not going to be 100% accurate. Know yourself, though. If you think small inaccuracies or inconsistency could discourage you, then stick with something simpler.

ABSOLUTELY call your surgeon. You never know what could be happening, and though I do not know your biological sex, women tend to feel heart conditions differently than men do (I don't mean to scare you) and literally anything from the nose down can signify something different for everyone. So far, this sounds like it may just be your esophagus or pouch is irritated or over-worked, but you don't want to take a chance at it being something more serious, or maybe even something easily remedied that lasts longer than it should for not calling your office. Wishing you the best!

Hello everyone and welcome to my very first post! (READ ON TO LEARN A BIT ABOUT ME OR SKIP TO LAST PARAGRAPH IF THIS IS TOO LONG, which admittedly, it probably is lol. 🙂 ) I've been a reader for about a year now, and now that I'm seeing a light at the end of the bariatric tunnel, I decided to join the forum. I've been wanting to do surgery for a long long time, over a decade at this point. In my early twenties my parents even considered sending me to the Dominican Republic (my birth place) to be with family and get the surgery there with a known doctor. Ultimately the cost was prohibitive for a young girl in college and I was still attempting to lose weight on my own. Now, my new job has (thankfully) doubled my previous salary AND has a great insurance that actually provides WLS to qualifying patients. I have Cigna and I know their requirements have recently changed, around summer 2020. I'm no longer required to partake in a 6-month monitored weightless plan. All I need are the following: - Psych eval (took April 27th and was recommended for surgery) - Blood work (took April 28th, everything came back normal, which always shocks doctors since I'm 300 lbs. creeping toward pre-diabetes but not there yet. - EKG (came back normal, also taken April 27th, no issues there) - Gallbladder ultrasound (recommended by my surgeon, taken same day, they said possible sludge but no stones. Kidney and liver looked normal, no lesions.) - Nutrition consultation (just one, already had it April 28th) - Letter of necessity from another physician. Herein lies my biggest issue. My consult was April 21st and all of my appointments were done a week later. Everything is working out so smoothly that it's scary. BUT my PCP recently switched offices so I don't really have one, and with COVID, I saw specialists if I had an issue or a yearly exam and not a general MD. I have sleep apnea and see a neurologist who treats me for it. My surgeon's office said that since I have PPO insurance, the letter can come from my specialist, doesn't have to be a PCP or general practitioner. I called her office to see if she' be willing to hear me out or if I'd have to go in for an appointment. She wants to see me and I understand she wants to be paid for her time. But when I asked the receptionist how she took it, when I asked if she'd be willing to write me my letter of necessity, the receptionist said "do you want the truth?" (of course I do, or I wouldn't have asked.) "she seems... iffy... but... but... just, just come in and we'll see." I'm seeing her on Monday. I'm so nervous that she will say no. My cousin's a doctor and she gave me some great tips on how to ask (which I'll gladly share if you want me to) but I'm so concerned that she'll require a monitored diet plan or she will straight up refuse to write the letter. Has anyone gone through this? What are some ways you spoke to your doctor, and did you get any push-back? I feel like doctors insist on weight loss but look down on WLS. Such a stigma. Any tips are appreciated!