NeonRaven8919

On 4/28/2025 at 1:05 PM, NickelChip said:

"Surgery is cheating? Oh no! I didn't know there were rules. Have I forfeited my eligibility to be awarded a weight loss trophy? I guess I'll just have to take looking good in my clothing and not dying prematurely as a consolation prize."

"You can either be supportive of my decision or you can stop talking because I didn't ask for your opinion and am not seeking advice at this time."

"Oh, is today the day we're sharing what we disagree with about each other's life decisions? Hold on, let me go get my list. I've got a few things for you that I'm sure you'll want to hear."

The bottom line is, you have the right to live your life the way you see fit. The people making comments like this are not trying to be helpful. They are trying, even if they don't realize it themselves, to control you and take away your right to do what you feel is best for you. When you try to explain and convince them, you play into the idea that they have a right to tell you what to do or that you need their permission. What they don't expect is for you to have the confidence to laugh in their face at their audacity and tell them point blank to get back in their own f*ing lane. And they will not like it one bit when you do, but it'll feel pretty fantastic on your end.

NickelChip, I love your posts! You always have a way with words!

20 hours ago, Mspretty86 said:

Welp, I turned one year post op VSG this month. I am very proud of my success. Every day was hard, every day continues to be hard, but my gift to myself is a boob job. I will be getting my boobs done , lift and also skin correction to correct that hanging bra fat under the armpit area. I hate that noise. It just flaps around 😂 but it's a testament to all my hard work. I will be going to Medellin Colombia. My surgery is on June 10. I will arrive on June 7 and I'm looking forward to seeing the sites being on the lighter side I'll be able to walk up those Flights of steps at Guatape 😐. Look at all those damn steps on the pic 😂

*Colombian doctors are very, very skilled very talented. Looking forward to sharing my experience so other people can afford and have the courage to go abroad.

* I would have liked to support our plastic surgeons here in the U.S but it's ridiculously priced. I went to one to get a quote and the surgery itself was only 5000 but 15+ thousand was for hospital fees , etc. that is ridiculous. The United States really needs to work on their cost. Colombia offers high levels of care due to the vast amounts of Medical Tourism and have high quality standards.

Congratulations on your progress!

3 minutes ago, summerseeker said:

Please let us know how you get on, huge congratulations on your progress. You deserve the bonus. I too have heard great things about Colombia.

P.S. I wouldn't try to climb those steps even if Jason Mamoa was waiting at the top for me naked. My poor knee is screaming just looking at them. Nooooooo.....well maybe

Lol! My knees too!

Yes, this is the easy way compared to all the failed dieting. Because it works. If dieting worked, it would be easy. You have a medical problem that requires treatment. This is one of the most successful treatments for that medical problem. Simple.

On 3/20/2025 at 4:58 AM, MrBeeswax said:

I'm still evaluating my options (Keep dieting with my RD exericing with my trainer and Zepboundng, Endoscopic Gastroplasty, SG, RNY). I've met with two different medical teams, and my RD. I'm in one surgical in take program. Nevertheless, while I continue to research procedures, I wanted to ask about something that I won't be in any study.

Is going through a bariatric procedure something people can do w/o support or consistent support. I have to plan to be on my own. How fragile are people after these procedures? How much help do people typically need? Can these procedures be done completely alone aftercare? Alone as in no one is available to help. Is it safe to be alone days weeks after the procedures?

I was alone. My family all live in the US, I live in the UK. It wasn't possible for anyone to come stay with me. What I did before I went for surgery was set up a space near my bed that I would be able to put all my medications and Vitamins, phone charger etc within arms reach so I wouldn't have to bend over or reach. When I came back home, ( I took the bus because I don't drive) I opened my medications and set everything out. They recommend you walk as much as possible. The pain meds helped and as long as you go slow, it's ok. After the first few days, I felt more normal and it was ok.

On 4/6/2025 at 6:37 PM, SheilaJS said:

Hello! My surgery is April 17th. It's been almost 8 months since I started this journey! Do any of you have trouble swallowing their Vitamins? I'm guessing they are pretty big (haven't got my order yet). Since we can only sip, do you have issues with taking them? Thank you!

I take a medication that I've been taking for years and it's small enough that I was allowed to swallow that one whole at first. The medication the gave me for post-op care and nutrition were given to me in liquid form or I was to use the pill grinder that they sent me home with. The Multivitamin they gave me was evil though. The only times I've thrown up post-op was those damn Vitamins. They were huge liquid capsules that I was told I need to break open and swallow the Fluid inside *shudders from the memories* until I was able to eat solid foods. After the first two times I threw up taking them, I called my surgical team and they told me it was ok to wait until I could swallow them. I tried again at 4 weeks and swallowed it whole and it was fine unless I swallow it on an empty stomach, which is tricky because all the pills at first felt like a meal in and of themselves.

Once you have your surgery, your surgical team will be able to be more specific about what they recommend FOR YOU as everyone's mileage may vary. I was given three different recommendations in case, one wasn't available when I went to refill or what have you.

I never got information about that either. I was just told the portion size and to eat the Protein first. I'm 6 months post op and to be honest, I don't even think about macros or calories except to make sure I get protein in first. That's probably not good for me in the long run, I know, but counting calories has been to much for my mental health at the moment so I've been focusing on portion size and protein.

My pre-op diet was 12 weeks of milk with added skimmed milk powder, and one salty drink a day (broth) (This was the diet my doctor put me on as they are researching it, not some weird fad diet I'd heard about to be clear.)

I lost quickly for the first 2 weeks, hit a plateau, gained weight, plateaued, jumped back down and repeat. It's not a straight path downwards, sadly. I did lose the required weight. If you stick with the programme, you will get there. The bus kind of drives it self in terms of where toi body wants to be at.

I've been looking for a new job, which has been stressful since I'm trying to fit interviews around my current job, getting rejected feeling really stuck.

My weight is stuck too. Losing extremely slowly the last month. The same kg up and down.

I'm constantly craving food because that was my go-to for emotional times. I've not given in, but ih that craving is stil there.

The UK financial year starts April 6th so I'm hoping that will mean more companies have different staff requirements and that will food the market with new jobs and that will help my stress.

Same here! Overweight all my life.

The only reason I had the surgery at 35 (5 months ago) was because the NHS here in the UK finally approved me for the surgery. They don't cover Wegovy etc for weight loss so this was my only option. I wish I had started the process of getting approved sooner, but it wasn't until I lost my mother and step-father within a year of each other (my stepfather died at age 62 from pneumonia and liver disease that certainly was aggravated by his extreme weight, and my mother died almost year later age 67 from a perforated bowel that they couldn't repair because of her gastric bypass ten years before).

While I knew the risks, I knew I didn't want to go that young so I was going to take my health more seriously. I'm glad I did it and have no regrets.

Yes this is normal. Your stomach isn't producing as much ghrelin which is the hormone that tell us we are hungry. So your body is sending signals to the brain that you aren't hungry.

On 2/14/2025 at 7:02 PM, Beks18 said:

For everyone that answered, would you have the surgery again knowing everything you know now? I’ve officially scared the living crap out of myself by browsing Reddit threads and coming across some that are pretty much all about friends and loved ones dying from bypass complications or extremely malnourished people with a poor quality of life post-surgery. 😭

Oh I wanted to add, the people on Reddit are not always telling the truth, they post for points. We all know that one person who, when they find out we want to have surgery, will tell us about their friend's sister's husband's great-niece's dog who had the surgery and lost an oz and then put on 300lbs so it was a waste of time, or they have a vague story that they heard and "i know someone who had the surgery and they died 6 months later" and you find out, yes the died 6 months later because they were in car accident so it was unrelated.

Some people tell you this because they are genuinely scared about someone they love going through a major surgery and all surgeries carry risks, and some people tell you this because they don't want you to lose weight and make positive changes for your health because they don't have the excuse to not improve themselves. They won't be able to say "At least I'm not as fat as NeonRaven".

The best advice to take is from people who have had the surgery themselves and not someone who knows someone or heard about a guy who....

On 2/14/2025 at 7:02 PM, Beks18 said:

For everyone that answered, would you have the surgery again knowing everything you know now? I’ve officially scared the living crap out of myself by browsing Reddit threads and coming across some that are pretty much all about friends and loved ones dying from bypass complications or extremely malnourished people with a poor quality of life post-surgery. 😭

Yes, in a heart beat. I wish I had been able to do it years ago. I'm 75 lbs down and couldn't have lost the weight any other way.

On 3/8/2025 at 1:10 PM, SpartanMaker said:

I'd try to get your insurance company to pay for both.

Gastric bypass is sometimes performed for reasons other than weight loss. Most commonly that would be for severe GERD and/or issues with gastric emptying. This happens even in patients that are not overweight and never had a previous sleeve procedure. My point is that I'd be willing to bet those procedures are covered by your insurance company since it's being done for strictly medical reasons. (Technically so is weight loss surgery, but insurance companies are stupid.)

In your case it seems pretty obvious there's also medical need, so your insurance should pay for it. They'll probably deny it at first, so be prepared to fight them.

Yes, I echo this. My uncle had to have a bypass because he had oesophageal cancer and extreme reflux as a result. He had insurance cover it.

32 minutes ago, lily06 said:

Well here’s one I never thought I’d post.


I just found out I’m pregnant 11 months post op.

(Happy) accident (failed BC)

But I’m really worried about how it’ll affect me weight wise, I was doing so well I’ve hit my goal and was 3kg away from hitting the goal I’d set for my 1 year post up next month

Anyone been through this ? How did you navigate pregnancy after a sleeve ?

Congratulations! I've never been in this situation, but I just wanted to say congratulations!

On 3/9/2025 at 10:51 AM, summerseeker said:

When we slip for the first time its our new self learning that its still easy to gain weight if we eat around the new tool we have been given. We are human, its how we deal with it that makes or breaks us.

I lost a stone with some recent surgery and my skin got so saggy on my legs that I decided I would like to gain a little back. Now I am a little north of where I want to be before going on holiday and having to re-adjust the other way. Loosing a few added extra pounds is a whole lot easier than the multiple stones I always faced before.

Good Point! I've already lost 75lbs and even if I added up all the time I lost weight on previous diet attempts it wouldn't equal this much. Since posting this 3 days ago, I've already lost the 3 lbs I gained know I have less to lose each time is helping me get back on track. I've already come this far!

4 hours ago, Bessieboop1981 said:

You are doing an amazing job! It's been 5 months and you have turned your life around! Speaking about myself personally I have been a big person my whole life and I know that many people here have too. So that means We need to give ourselves a little bit of grace if we back track a little. What is important is how fast we get back in the saddle. Our old eating habits need time to die a death but we will get there, every day brings us closer to that.

congratulations Neon Raven, be proud of yourself you are a warrior! x

Thank you! Yes, it's been a rough month but I'm definitely doing much better than 6 months ago! I still feel better physically than I did before the weight loss.

I've always been overweight too. I still feel really happy that I'm a size 16 (UK) when I haven't been since I was 16 years old!

Just got to keep looking at my progress overall!

It's my 5 month anniversary from surgery. It's not been a good month. I'm trying to find a new job because I'm miserable to at my current one. I find that old habits are starting to slip in. I've gained a kilo in this month alone.

I'm still heading in the right direction, and I'm kicking the old habits back out. I've not been as vigilant as I should have been.

I just need to remember that I'm still better off now than I was 5 months ago and keep looking forward.

Congratulations! You've done so well! I've loved seeing all your progress pics!

I set my goal at "healthy" BMI. (60kg or 132lbs) I realise BMI isn't really the best indicator of overall health or even healthy weight, but it's a good starting point. But to be honest, I never even really believed that I would lose any weight at all, it was just a Hail Mary pass that I thought I would talk to my GP about and to my amazement, it's working!

I was a size 24UK (US 20) 7 months ago and just thought I was going to keep getting bigger.

7 months later, I'm a size 16UK (US 12) and went from 122 kg (270lbs) to 87kg (193 lbs) I never though this would be possible.

I've hit so many goals I never even set!

I still have that arbitrary number goal because my GP seems to have BMI tattooed on his brain and the number matters to him, but I'm just going to go along for the ride and see where I end up and where my body is comfortable maintaining!

The noises my gut makes! It's so loud! If I'm full, it's noisy. If I'm hungry, it's noisy!

Is that a home intruder or my stomach? Who knows?

And I echo the always cold part.

Also, it hurts to sit for long periods like I used to! Bonier backside.

I'm tattooed myself. Just my saggy arms and one on my leg. I have no advice, but I'm commenting so I can follow this. I would imagine just make sure you are hydrated, well-rested and take more breaks if blood sugar and such dips?

Interesting topic! Hopefully someone more experienced will chime in!

I have another one. I live in North London, UK. The North Alps some call it as there is a lot of hills. Some incredibly steep. Well, I cycled up one of these hills today. 6 months ago, I could only go halfway and had to stop. 7% gradient average, about 265ft. And I did it! I know it's an ebike and that might be "cheating" but I still couldn't do this 6 months ago.

This is probably the weirdest one yet. But I'm certain it's because of my weight loss.

In my dreams, I've never been able to run. I always go faster by doing like a wheelbarrow type walk on my hands. But yesterday, I was dreaming and I was full on running. I think it's a mental thing to show I'm finally free of the weight and the expectations.

But in actual physical milestones, I'm on the 5th hole in my watchband instead of the third when I had the surgery, and the 4th about 2 months ago.

14 hours ago, DaisyChainOz said:

Hi, thanks for the reply yeah I know it's too early to be worried.

TMI ahoy...Pretty sure it's the above!! 🥴 This has been a problem for sure! I had a truly awful bathroom visit this morning for an hour trying to birth something equivalent to Rosemary's baby 😬😱 only the second time I've been since surgery.

Still feeling somewhat blocked up, will get something strong to help.

I know I shouldn't weight daily, and shouldn't expect to see a smooth downward projection on. the daily but my (not Dx'd) ADHD compels me lol

I had to laugh react becaue, while I'm sorry to hear you're struggling, this descriptionis made me laugh!

I had the same issue post op. They gave me lactulose liquid and told me to take it every night but it didn't really do much. Until it did! I honestly thought it would never stop! And then suddenly, I was down about 5kg (10lbs). Seriously. This is normal.