Myran

I’m a slowish loser (around 21 lbs in 7 weeks since surgery) and even though it is frustrating at times I’m trying to stay positive. I wanted to share my recent thoughts around the subject. No matter whether I lose only a pound in a week it is still one pound gone hopefully forever from my body. I also kind of like the idea of losing slowly as it gives my mind and body time to adjust to the loss, and for some reason, I believe the pounds are more likely to stay off when I shed them slowly. Naturally, it took me decades to pile on the weight so there is no way it will be gone in a few months. And finally despite how quickly or slowly I’m losing I would never regret the surgery because without it I would probably have gained at least as much weight as I have now lost. The weekend is approaching so have a great one!

I'm three weeks out and have had an easy recovery. I also follow all the instructions to a T so that probably helps as well. I never had the liquid stage: the first two weeks were pureed foods and now I'm on soft foods, in a week I can start testing any and all foods. I do get hungry at times but usually close to the time I should eat anyway.

Hi, I'm feeling pretty good. Manage to get all my water in and eat my purees. I've also gone for walks every day. Only real issue has been when I started taking my vitamins this Wednesday - they give me stomach aches and make me nauseous but I'm hoping it will pass once my body gets used to them. The doctor said they are so strong that some people cannot tolerate them. I have not really had any pain since surgery so I'm happy.

Sorry for taking a while to respond, I've not been on my computer and have not logged into the forum on my phone. I'm doing good, I get my water in, gas is moving, had bowel movement every morning since Friday and no pain apart from some gas discomfort. My plan allows for pureed foods right after surgery and I'm managing around 6-8 teaspoons per meal and eat 6 times per day. I'm actually also back at work today as I can work from home and have a sedentary desk job. I did get sick leave until the 30th but I just get bored if I don't have something to do and as I am in no major discomfort figured I try working instead I've also been walking both indoors and outdoors as much as possible. How are you doing?

My surgery is on the 7th. Getting sooo excited. Started my liver shrinking VLCD diet on Monday, doing okay but feeling hungry. Hoping I'll shed a few pounds before surgery.

So I took the final step yesterday and now have my surgery scheduled for September 7th. I am so excited, even though I was originally hoping for surgery in July but the surgeon will be on vacation and I cannot do surgery in August due to work. On the other hand, this gives me more time to prepare mentally and read up even more on life post-surgery. Based on my extensive questionnaire I was approved for the mini gastric bypass but I am still considering whether I want the mini-bypass or the regular bypass.

Thank you Arabesque. I do realize it is not a quick magic fix and will require many changes but I believe this is the only way for me to ever get healthy. It is great to read success stories and what type of changes people have made to make it work for them. As I mentioned the clinic sent me a message with the initial recommendation but I haven't filled in the complete health and history form yet, which will help them make the final recommendation so it may still change. I am also convinced they will go through everything with me once I make the decision to do this. It is a reputable clinic - the surgeon has been doing WLS since 2006, operates on some 300 persons annually, and has performed over 2,000 WLS so I am confident I will be in good hands and get all the info I need.

I just joined this forum after reading through a myriad of posts. I've practically been a dieter all my life but any weight I've managed to lose always came back and then some. As a child I was the only overweight person in my family – I would gain weight during summer vacations with my grandparents and when I came home my mom put me on a diet. This means I’ve been yo-yoing ever since I was around six years old ☹️. Now I'm knocking on 50 (in 2022) and have decided it is time to change things for good in order to live out the rest of my life as the best version of myself and hopefully healthy. The only time I’ve been “normal weight” in my adult life was in my late teens when I had been on a strict diet and exercised like crazy. I was able to maintain that healthy weight for about a year into my uni life but have been overweight ever since. At some point, I realized that it is unhealthier to keep yo-yoing than being overweight especially since I didn’t experience any weight-related health issues before my forties. I still don’t have any major issues (my sugars and cholesterol levels are a bit high but I don’t need medication yet). I’ve dreamt of WLS for years, but only last year did I start researching my options for real. I live in Finland and you can actually get the surgery here through the public healthcare system, but the wait-times are long and there is no guarantee you will be approved for surgery. Prices for private surgery are high but you can get the same surgery for about half the price in Estonia so that is the option I’m leaning towards. I have been looking at the mini-gastric bypass but when I contacted the clinic, they initially recommended the gastric bypass due to my BMI and age. Does anyone know why this would be (i.e. should I be younger/older and thinner/heavier to be a better candidate for the mini bypass)? I am still contemplating whether I really want to do this, because I have this silly feeling that surgery would be “cheating”. Sorry for the long post. I’m happy to be here and see all the success stories. Can’t wait to e-meet all of you.

Yes I will ask the surgeon, I’m sure they can explain it.

Drinkwine28, you are soooo right 🙂 I am still considering whether I will tell people if/when they ask how I lost weight but I'm a bit of blabbermouth so it may well be that I can't keep quiet 😁

You are so right, this is my last resort and option of ever even getting close to a healthy normal weight. I think I am concerned that I'll get negative feedback from people for "cheating" this way but in the end, it is my body and my choice. 😊

My weight has always been a huge issue for my mom who is highly looks-oriented. As a child I was the only overweight person in my family – I would gain weight during summer vacations with my grandparents and when I came home my mom put me on a diet. This resulted in me yo-yo dieting since the age of 6. I've had huge fights over the years with my mom about my weight and in my teenage years her pressuring resulted in me becoming bulimic. Her attitude is also the reason I've decided not to talk about my WLS plans with her at all.

I have been struggling with the same issue when trying to decide whether to WLS or not. I and my husband are most definitely foodies; we love experiencing new restaurants, trying tasting menus with wine pairings, etc. I love cooking and am also currently participating in a wine course. I'm trying to convince myself that after I'm able to eat "normal foods" the only thing that will change is the amount of food I eat and me making healthier choices, Remains to be seen whether this is really the case.