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I'm supposed to have my surgery on Dec 27th at Mt Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA, with pre-op tests scheduled for next week. Today, I get an automated message from my hospital to check MyChart. I did, and it showed my pre-test appointment as canceled. My surgery date is also gone from my upcoming visits. No explanation. Meanwhile, my insurance approval appears to have gone through. I called the weight management center's office and the receptionist mumbled something about surgeries being canceled and someone would call to explain. No one has called all day. I emailed, too, but nothing. Now the office is closed for the day and I'm so worked up over this, I won't get a wink of sleep. It wouldn't be such a big deal if it had to be delayed, except I am currently on an insurance plan through the healthcare marketplace as I am self-employed and my husband has been unemployed for a bit. But he starts a new job in January and I have no idea what the health insurance situation is going to be in terms of coverage. I am so stressed right now I could cry.

Y'all I DID IT!!! 1 YEAR AND 8 MONTHS POST OP AND I HIT MY GOAL!! 🤩 Now, I know my little "signature" doesn't reflect that, but my REAL goal which my surgeon and myself agreed on was 225 lbs and I AM THERE!! I am also very satisfied here, especially if the skin was gone. My "new/documented" goal is 210 lbs just so I can officially say I lost OVER 50% of my starting body weight! I am so excited!! NOW TIME FOR SKY DIVING!!!! As my personal reward, as soon as it gets warmer I JUMP!!!! SOOOO much has changed, I don't even know where to start! DO IT, DON'T WAIT- DO IT NOW! ZERO REGRETS!

WHOOOO! I needed a "formal" dress for a Charity event. I walked in, saw a dress I liked, grabbed a size. Tried it on an BAM! DONE!!!! Never in a million years would this happen. Normally it would be 45 stores, 2 weeks of looking and basically finding something I hate but fits.. WHOOOOO HOOO Also- I HIT MY FIRST "ORIGINAL" GOAL THIS WEEK! This was what my surgeon and myself agreed on from my initial appointment and I am perfectly fine here.. but my "updated" goal is just there to be able to say I lost half of my original body weight!

WHOOOO! I needed a "formal" dress for a Charity event. I walked in, saw a dress I liked, grabbed a size. Tried it on an BAM! DONE!!!! Never in a million years would this happen. Normally it would be 45 stores, 2 weeks of looking and basically finding something I hate but fits.. WHOOOOO HOOO Also- I HIT MY FIRST "ORIGINAL" GOAL THIS WEEK! This was what my surgeon and myself agreed on from my initial appointment and I am perfectly fine here.. but my "updated" goal is just there to be able to say I lost half of my original body weight!

I've had this happen all the time now and I havent even lost all the weight i need to. I have men at work who were saying after surgery they want to date me. I told them no. lol But there are people who I never even talked to here saying hello to me now. its sad but I expected it.

Sleeve surgery 8/16/23 starting weight 279. Current weight 221. Pic is from 10/14/23

Birth control pills and eventually menopause took care of the PCOS for me. I went into vitamin and weightlifting mode in my 30’s to also manage symptoms and preserve child bearing abilities, and that was somewhat successful for me (I did have one child, yeah!) Others definitely have more serious issues and other solutions so there is only encouragement for you to live your best life. I was very undecided about sleeve or bypass but further testing in me confirmed severe GERD. Bypass was the only solution my insurance would cover. In a perfect world I would have chosen DS or mini bypass as a more reliable alternative for more permanent weight loss. I still keep an eye on how my clothes feel, and how my skin looks. I do not lift weights with the vigilance I used to, just a couple days a week to beat age related decomp. I still track vitamins because it’s easy to forget iron or the B’s, or proteins, then my hair falls out (not again!). I think of the changes and tracking I would have to do as a full blown diabetic verses now, and I chose the surgery and health every day. I am so grateful for bypass every, single, day! 2+ years now

I am now about 8 months post surgery (and stalled for a couple of months). Here are my stats. Age 54; height 5’3. Starting weight 210; weight lost prior to surgery (on liver shrinking diet) - 20 lbs. weight loss first three months 25 lbs. weight 8 months out - 160.

I had my surgery around 4.5 months ago in the middle of the summer. It was a gastric bypass and it went well. I've lost 23% of my bodyweight from surgery date or 350lbs to 270lbs. But I have largely been stuck at 270-280 since late September and it's now December. I'm a male and 6'2". I try to get my protein in but it's very hard to do. Not because it is too filling like some say but just because I don't like it very much. But I do try eating meat, cheese, protein shakes and bars. I couldn't tell you how many calories I eat a day. All I know is that I'm always starving. just after surgery I was starving and then it went away for a month but it's been back. It's something I struggle with because if I knew I had to have this much willpower I probably wouldn't have gotten the surgery. I always read people saying that protein is filling but to me it just isn't. I can eat an entire chicken breast that I overcook no problem. I eat it and I'm still hungry after. My sugar and carb cravings are worse than ever. i was never ravenous before surgery but now because I can't be satiated i just want want want. it's crazy. I try to stay away but one thing leading to another and I do end up having this or that cookie, cake or candy. I was hoping dumping syndrome would be bad and cause me to not eat poorly. But the threshold to make me dump is higher than the amount of sweets I'd normally eat before surgery anyway. I have dumped but it's mostly if I eat something really bad. The only thing that does fill me is carbs. That was true even before surgery. I'm just looking for any advice or wisdom on this matter. Thank you

I understand your disappointment with one more hoop to go through. The good news is that if it is obstructive apnea (not central apnea) you will likely be off of CPAP once you lose weight. I was on CPAP for years (after I hit 220 pounds) and no longer need it due to the weight loss! Hang in there...this is such a hard time...the waiting.

You have just had major abdominal surgery, the body has to take a lot of resources to heal from that and some of the meds we are given can affect us for weeks after. Then you have to take into account that you lost a nice chunk of weight very rapidly, causing hormones to be released into your body that are not normally that high. This impacts mood a LOT for some people, myself included. Think of it like having PMS/PMDD from hell. Irritability is very common, higher emotionality as well, sometimes depression too. Major surgery can also trigger depression and in men depression most exhibits itself as anger. Talk to your wife and GP about this. If it continues to be an issue you might want to try a medication to even things out for while you are losing... I hate when people say they feel bad for eating around me. Eat your damned food!! LOL I'm not a child, I can handle my feels about it. It is nice when people are willing to eat (at least partly) what I'm eating so I feel like a part of the gathering instead of the one in the corner with a kiddie meal, but even if no one wants to join me, I don't need pity. I need empathy and time spent with the ones I love that doesn't involve food! Or that involves food without people feeling bad for their own food. I'm not here to food shame anyone. Are you tracking your meals in Baritastic?? If not, I highly recommend you do. It helps you keep track of your routine daily food and you can see what your macros look like and get an idea for when you have room to indulge a little and when you need to stay on the straight and narrow. Sleeve surgery is a purely restrictive procedure, which means it relies heavily on dietary restriction to help you lose the weight. You have to work with it to help it accomplish this. Make sure your first focus is WATER, then protein, at least 60 grams or whatever your dietician suggests, then some healthy carbs if you have room, and then if you still have room, a bite or two of a starch or something indulgent. You shouldn't have much room for straying right now. And you may need to talk to someone about the food struggle because the food you are eating right now IS "real food" and will need to become the foundation of your eating from here on out to be able to maintain the results you get from the sleeve's weight loss. I don't say this to guilt you at all, my indulgence is dark chocolate, always has been. But the DS requires me to adhere to a low carb diet, so I get a bite of chocolate in the evening after I've hit all my goals for the day! Hence the app tracking things. LOL Be kind to yourself, you are going through some huge changes, we all are, and our bodies are under a lot of stress. What it needs most is kindness and nurturing right now, not shame and guilt. ❤️

I've had the DS. I'm about a month post op and my highest weight was 320. At your starting weight I'd really consider the DS for its better weight loss and lack of regain, or go bypass if you have a lot of GERD issues. I have some GERD issues but it is controlled by medication pretty well and I needed the DS because I'm diabetic with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea. I had a hysterectomy for cancer. All in all so far it is worth it! I'm down 30+ lbs from my highest weight, off all diabetes medications, off blood pressure medications, my blood sugar is normal, my BP is normal, and I have more energy! I'm really glad I went with the DS. Its a riskier surgery but only by a bit, and the things you gain from it like disease remission made it very much worth it for me. I'd encourage you to read about ALL the various surgeries and then discuss it with your surgeon. They'll be able to tell you what will be most effective for your individual case based on their experiences. If you can, go to someone who can perform any of the surgeries, only certain surgeons can do the DS or Bypass.

I have had both sleeve and then a bypass revision. I had to get revised because of GERD due to the sleeve. If you've had any type of gerd in the past, go bypass instead and save yourself years of pain and suffering. Both are life changing as in you lose weight, and it stops you from binging, but other than that, once you are are completely healed, I don't really see it being any different than living as a thin person. You still have to watch your weight, watch the things that you eat for health purposes. Be aware that one can eat around the sleeve. You can't eat around the bypass though. I think the only thing that is different than life pre-surgeries is that I have to use a daily multivitamin patch (so I don't have to deal with a lot of pills). I added one chewable adek after I had the bypass. If I had to do it over again I would skip the sleeve. At the time, I was afraid of the bypass. I got severe gerd from the sleeve but please know that not everybody gets gerd from the sleeve. Now I realize that having a bypass was absolutely nothing for me to be afraid of. It's been a problem/side affect-free experience. It resolved all my problems I had with my sleeve.

Arabesque - you have great looking arms ! ( Thanks for the pic ! ) My arms are like flabby noodles - no strength at all. I keep telling myself I'll build up muscle this winter when I shovel snow ( ugh ) but I'd much rather be in a warm house with some music on and doing stretches ! I think I'll do some digging around in U tube and get myself set up with some beginner yoga/stretches now that I know what it's all about. I don't expect to lose weight doing it,but it'll keep my mind off of eating Thanks again ,Ladies - this is sure going to confuse my dogs !!!! LOL

I'm a little different because I had the bypass (8.5 years ago), but I started out at almost 400 lbs, so weight-wise, we were in similar starting positions. The first year seems like a huge life change, but sitting here years out, the only thing that's different is that I average about 1600 calories a day rather than 3000+. When I go out to eat, I eat maybe half the entree and take the rest home in a to-go box (or sometimes I'll get something like an appetizer or soup rather than an entree if I'm not that hungry). Other than that...??? Oh - I take vitamins regularly now. But other than that, not that much different. But again, the first year or so - yes. But you'll be doing quite a bit of prep work before that. For example, my insurance required me to do a six-month diet with a registered dietitian, and she kind of eased me into the type of diet I'd be following after surgery. She had me eating 2300 kcal/cay (which now would seem like a ton - like Thanksgiving day - but at the time seemed like a diet - although enough calories to be at least tolerable). She also had me gradually decrease my carb intake and increase my protein intake. I focused on healthy foods (although I ate a pretty healthy diet even BEFORE surgery, I just ate way too much). She had me start taking a multivitamin every day and getting some exercise about 3x a week. My surgeon also didn't want us drinking caffeinated beverages for the first six months after surgery (although some surgeons are fine with caffeine), so she also had me gradually decrease my caffeine intake. So basically, I was as prepared as I could be before they rolled me into surgery. I don't have PCOS and have never had a hysterectomy, so I can't address that, but I know WLS patients who've had both. Hopefully someone will respond to you on that.

That is an encouraging picture!! I am not a huge gym fan and prefer to do most of my stuff at home or at a private studio one-on-one. I love resistance bands and was wondering if it would be enough for strength training. Your arms have great definition, I would have assumed you were using weights regularly!

Yoga is great. Did it for years in my 40s - can’t remember which type but it was gentle & focussed on breathing & head/heart/body alignment. Kept me limber & boosted my general fitness. I enjoyed it & I really, really don’t like exercise. Just a warning. Exercise only contributes to about 10% of any weight you are to lose. So don’t expect it to benefit your weight loss greatly. It does help with many other things though like your cardiac health, muscle strength, bone density, flexibility, etc. Invest in some resistance bands too. Lots of seated stretches on You Tube you can do sitting. I do most of mine on the floor. Good for toning & muscle building. It’s not a great pxt but gives you a bit of an idea of what you can achieve. Now it’s summer here & my arms are on show I’ve been getting lots of compliments. My legs look pretty good too though my pant legs are getting firm LOL!

Yeeessss... I am 4 weeks post op and have been at a stall for almost 2 weeks. In fact, just to be insulting, I gained 3 lbs. 😐 I know it is the 3 week stall, but man it is discouraging and it makes you scared that the weight loss won't start again. I'm trying hard to ignore the scale for a few weeks, stick to my plan, and trust my body to do its thing when it is ready. It has had a LOT of stress to deal with. Major surgery takes a ton of body resources to heal from. So I'm focusing on protein, hydration, and getting some walking in. I can't really do anything else. It'll break when it breaks. I only let myself get on the scale once a week to keep from fixating. It is hard, but worth it for my mental health. LOL

Yoga is amazing when you have a great teacher and you take care of your body in the process. I'm not into performance yoga but I did private classes with an instructor for Yin Yoga (also called "restorative yoga") for several years, it is fantastic for chronic pain and really helped my arthritis and fibro. In Yin/restorative yoga you rest in poses for 10-15 minutes at a time, it is very gentle. One pose held like that has the same effect as holding that pose for a shorter time, 7 days in a row. This is because the muscle fatigues itself and resets, so you get more mobility and pain relief. It is very gentle and uses a lot of props like folded blankets and blocks. The classes are usually small and the instructors usually help with modifications if you have limited range of motion. Chair yoga is very beneficial too, I've done a fair bit of it. The good aspects of yoga are that it brings increased range of motion, pain relief, better balance, stress relief, a calmer mind, less anxiety, stronger muscles without having to get your heart rate way up, and you get those nice endorphins. It also changes your body composition, you'll look thinner, leaner, longer, more smoothed out. I got a lot of compliments when I was doing it regularly and I was 250 lbs so it wasn't like I was a tiny thing either. I still incorporate some of the poses in my daily activities, like Tree pose when I'm standing at the sink or stove. LOL It can give a boost to your metabolism and help you lose weight, but the best thing it does for the body is increases blood flow to areas that might not get as much oxygenated blood due to stagnation from set body patterns. Bed yoga is also a thing! You can do it in the morning and in the evening right in your soft, cushy bed! It helps you get ready for the day more limber, I have arthritis that is systemic and ankylosing spondylitis so I need all the help stretching in the morning as I can get. It also helps with sleep in the evening. I think your doctor's advice is good. Yoga doesn't have to be the crazy "stand on your head" performance art you see in mainstream classes with skinny 20somethings. It can benefit every body. If you don't jive with it you can try Tai Chi! YouTube has a lot of great videos for Tai Chi for all beginner levels. It is great for longevity and is a better workout than you'd think by just watching it!

Hoping to hop on the train too! I had a revision to a bypass on 11/28 for severe GERD, as well as a hiatal hernia repair. Almost my entire stomach was up in the chest wall he said. I am feeling pretty decent 4 days post op. I did lose 85lbs with my sleeve, and had gained a little back 10lbs. They did a full bypass but didn’t not take out as much bowel so that I don’t lose too much more weight and be malnourished they said. Any way, glad to find others in similar situations just like last time. :) Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Since I'm having such a hard time losing weight, my PA suggested I try yoga. I've never done yoga . I always laughed at it saying people like tying themselves in knots ..LOL. Now I might have to look into it seriously. I would have to do gentle chair yoga as my 69 year old joints are pretty stiff. I looked at some U Tube videos, and it seems like easy stretches. Can you tell me what yoga can actually do for me? Does it help with weight loss? She also suggested strength training . In all honesty ,I've never been one to do "formal" exercises ... but I'm willing to try different things at this point .

If you believe you've found a legal workaround or strategy to navigate the insurance issue for weight loss surgery, it's crucial to consult with a qualified legal professional. Laws and regulations can be complex and may vary, so seeking advice from someone with expertise in the field can provide you with the most accurate and relevant information.

You will lose the weight. I’m fearful of old habits that got me here in the first place sneaking back in. I hope to really change myself.

I did not, I stayed the same weight for maybe a week but that was it and it was close to my 2 months mark. Im gonna be 3 months next Tuesday and ive lost 68 lbs since surgery. (SW 369)

I suppose this isn't really weird, but since my surgery and losing the weight I started running again. Around 220 lbs I was cleared to run regularly without damage to my joints as long as I did my physical rehab exercises for my knees and quads. I started amping up my running and started my mile at 15 min pace, today I have it down to 9 min pace for a 5k. I am doing my first 5k this weekend and I'm not nervous, scared, or worried I'll be out of place or injured. I've always wanted to participate in a race but couldn't because of my size which also affected my mental health...so I'm very excited about this and feel proud of myself.