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Hello guys! Just thought I would introduce myself! I'm Sonya and I am now officially on this beautiful weight loss journey. About a week ago i received my surgery date for lap band surgery after months of dietician and medical appointments; I am schedule for surgery Oct 18 and currently which is day one for me I'm on my pre-op liquid diet. I'm a bit nervous because this will be my first ever surgery. I would love some words of advice or encouragement because i am really freaking out a bit; especially when the my doctor explained a few things for the day of surgery when the procedure is all done. Thank you guys! I'm happy to be here!

I came here last year posting about my frustrations. I'm now 222 pounds. Strictest diet of my life and the highest level of exercise I've ever done in the last two months and I have lost no weight at all. I was 150 a decade ago and even then I was struggling To maintain it. By the age of of 24 (2014) I had mysteriously gained 20 pounds in one year andbever since then I've just been gaining. Gaining, gaining. Going from a size 8 to now over a size 20. It's been unbelievable. I was tested for PCOS but nothing came back. Had cystic acne and grew a beard a few years ago but every test comes back normal. They haven't seen anything like this before. I have no food addiction. I have a small appetite personally but no one believes me when I tell them this. My daily breakfast just consists of a banana and nuts most days and I eat healthy lunches and nutritionally rich dinners. Yesterday I made myself a kale salad with mandarin oranges and tuna -- that's all I had for supper. Exactly what is it going to take for me to get WLS? I was refused Two years ago but them I was 209. I'm 5'7 and nearly 34. I can't keep gaining more weight. My insulin is now abnormal and doctors think I'm pre diabetic. I have not done anything wrong. I joined a gym in March, I eat extremely carefully. What else is there left to do but surgery? I'm in canada but am willing to travel to Mexico if necessary.

I’m not excusing your grandmother, but older people tend to lose their filters & think they can say whatever they want. Not all of course but it seems a lot do. I spend a lot of time saying ‘Mum! You can’t say that’. She’s 84. Out of curiosity, did your grandmother also have dessert? My mother often comments on how large someone is while ignoring how big she is. I had enough one day & told her the person was considerably smaller than she is. Stopped her for a while at least. She was never like this before. Like she never said a word when I as nearing or at my highest weight. It’s probably why I get short with her at times because it’s not who she was. Yes, I do think we can be more sensitive about things people say because of our experiences with bullying & offensive comments. Consequently our immediate thought is that it is another rude & pointed dig. I often wish I was quicker with the pithy comebacks or could politely point out the impact of their words. I also wish I could breathe through or let my negative reactions to certain situations that arise because of my past experiences go.

Hello Just on this here - surgery is a very personal decision for each person, and my reasons for surgery may not match yours, and that is okay! Surgery would not be recommended or even proceeded with by a surgeon unless it were something that would benefit your health, regardless as to whether or not you're happy with yourself (and it is amazing that you are, we should all love ourselves regardless of our weight!). I'd say that you are better off talking to your GP/surgeon again, be open and honest about your concerns and get some professional advice. Surgery is a big step and it is a life-changing decision, so you need to be sure that it is what you want to do. I am due to have my surgery in May this year, and it is something I used to be so against 2 years ago! But, I know that this is what I need to do for my health and my wellbeing.

I'm a sleeve to bypass conversion. I had a hernia, that complicated matters. I'm over a decade out from the horror of that sleeve. I'm just over 3 months out with the bypass. The hernia caused issues and the longer healing time was due to it. If I have any pull or ache, its in that area. For 3 months gone, the reflux (was like yours, actually worse, I had carafate to eat anything) is gone. I've had 1 time where some stuff came up like reflux. A mild little one for the 2nd time it happened. That's it. I control how much food goes in. When I dont, I throw up. I've had a bean get stuck (wow was that painful), couple of times I've swallowed 3x instead of 2 for liquids and it was too much. I've thrown up but nothing like before. If I'm really really careful, watch the time and amount of food at one time frame, I'm good. Stay at 2 swallows, I'm good. After the misery of before, this is great! That having been said, I dropped to malnutrition level because of some other medical problems. As of end of last week, I am 8 pounds from being overweight for my BMI. 36 pounds from being normal weight. So I don't think I'll be dropping it like I did my sleeve. I dropped 27 pounds the first month, and that was 27% of the excess body weight.

sounds like the infamous "three-week stall" that most of us experience (our first major stall - and the first of what could be many). Best way to deal with it is to stick to your clinic's eating plan and stay off the scale. Stalls usually last 1-3 weeks. They're aggravating, but they're a normal part of weight loss. It's just your body stopping to recalibrate once in awhile. 1200 calories seems like a lot for being so early out - I didn't hit that until I was more like a year out - but your surgeon may have his reasons for that, and I'm no medical professional. if you want to learn more about the stall, there are literally over 17,000 posts on it on this site. Just do a search on "three week stall". I am NOT kidding about the 17,000+ posts. It happens to almost everyone.

As you lose weight your blood pressure will lower. Your energy levels will increase too. You’ll become more active & improve your cardiac health & therefore O2 levels. Your hormones are modified as a result of the surgery too. So … ? All I know is there is a lot of talk about benefits but no real scientific evidence. My s-in-l’s uncle drank it every day for 18 months because it was supposed to cure his cancer & improve his health. It didn’t & it didn’t extend his life either. I’d just eat beetroots. The root cooked or raw, pickled, roasted, grated in salads, etc. Leaves in salads. You’ll pee & maybe poop red if you eat enough but … Natural is always best vs processed into a powder or other supplement. And a lot of its goodness is in the pulp which is disposed of after juicing & not in the juice. But your choice of course.

Pre-op weight target and surgery still in front of me I had to lose a certain weight before I could continue to the "next step". Okay then as long as the mulitvitamin has it, then I dont need the extra? just calcium citrate and iron?

I Know you will do Great!! Ty for your Kindness.Jo Ann age 65 North ,Florida.. i pray I can lose my Regain.. I am scared it can turn into more than it is..i was blessed for 8 years to keep my weight down between 115-120. today i am between 124-125. i am 5"2. Age 65..

I had my lap band removed in November of 2023. It was the best thing that ever did. Getting a lapband was the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life in the biggest waste of money. It was a complete rip-off. They give you nothing but false hope. I paid for it on my own. I basically just threw $10000 away. I never lost weight. What did happen was a bunch of complications and side effects. Reflux excessive gas. Severe pain in my chest and shoulder blade area. Vomiting food up of course. I wouldn't recommend getting a lap band to my worst enemy. 2 months after getting it out. I still have excessive gas. On a good note, most of the other things that I mentioned have subsided. I can't wait for the lawsuits to start being filed. I will be right there with them. My money should be returned to me because it never worked. Like the old saying, goes. If it sounds too good to be true. It probably is.

I just made an account to answer this. I am two and a half weeks post op from gastric sleeve. I too have PCOS. I am 37 years old and my highest weight was 330. At surgery and after the pre-op diet I was down to 305. I'm currently 289 today. My comorbidities were hypertension, high cholesterol, newly onset GERD, and insulin resistance. (never made it into the diabetic range). I watched a ton of videos on youtube after I decided to have surgery. I watched the testimony of patients ranging from a few weeks out to twenty years. I also listened to bariatric surgeons discuss the process, pitfalls, and successes. My PCP had been talking to me about this surgery for three years and at first I declined because of all the people I knew of that experienced full weight regain. I only decided to have the surgery when I had determined that not being able to eat as much and what I want all the time was a small price to pay for my health and quality of life. Some things to consider between sleeve and bypass. Myth: Bypass patients are much more successful at keeping weight off. The sleeve is a newer surgery and was discovered as the first part of the duodenal switch. The 5 and 10 year outcomes for weight loss and regain tend to be around the same with the bypass slightly better. The sleeve is less punishing and is easier to 'stretch' out with poor eating habits but it can be done with the bypass as well. Overall, a change in relationship with food is a higher predictor of sustained weight loss than either surgery. The Switch is the surgery with the most rapid weight loss and sustained loss without regain but it is a heavily malabsorption procedure, carries the most risk of post operative complications, including dehydration and vitamin deficiency and requires a very strict regiment to sustain a healthy lifestyle. It can also result in some interesting bowel changes. Too rapid weightloss can also result in gallstones. Quite a few bariatric patients have had gallbladder removal after surgery. It should be noted that actual operative complications are low for all surgeries but not zero. Another controversial topic of sleeve vs gastric bypass is that the bypass is better for GERD. There are contradicting experiences for both surgeries. One thing is for sure you can certainly still have GERD with the bypass, although it seems revision from sleeve to bypass has worked to cure GERD for a lot of people. My GERD was very mild before surgery and so far I have not experienced any after. I am on a daily dosage of omerprazole but that's nothing new to what I was taking before. My triggers for GERD were fried foods and canned tomatoes. I know to stay away from that now. Keep in mind that the bypass is reversible in most cases while the sleeve is not. Also, the sleeve can be converted into a bypass or switch if complications arise or you fail to lose or sustain a meaningful amount of weight. There are very few options for bypass and switch if regain occurs outside of dietary changes, exercise and will power. Bypass patients can no longer consume NSAIDS, steriods, and possibly other medications after surgery for life. Switch and Bypass patients are more likely to experience dumping syndrome but Sleeve patients can also suffer from it. Constipation, diarrhea, and blockages and strictures can occur with all surgeries. Very minimal risk for long term serious complications. I have read quite a few posts that spoke about pain after surgery with the sleeve. Speaking for myself the only pain I experienced was gas after surgery from the surgeon introducing it into my abdomen during the procedure. I was given liquid pain meds but never took any, and no otc pains meds either. I felt discomfort from the surgery port sites for maybe a week. After that I was good. My surgery team has stayed on top of any side effects that could occur after surgery and I was very lucky. They gave me medicine for nausea before surgery, put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear also before surgery and discharged me with anti-nausea dissolveable meds. I took the meds for about a week though I never experience sickness and still luckily have not. I was a water drinker before surgery and can still easily drink water without any pain or nausea. Cold or hot temps don't seem to upset my stomach though some have reported either can cause pain. I am on the puree stage and things are going well. Really, experiences vary. I'd choose a doctor carefully and if possible speak to prior patients to get their experience pre and post op. I was lucky my Aunt had the procedure done the year before and could report on her experience. We chose the same surgeon. He had a 98% success rate. So after this long-winded wall of text I choose a sleeve because: I wanted a slower and steady weight loss. I did not want to re-route my insides. Had a co-worker suffer a bad bowel blockage with a bypass and had to have part of his intestine cut out. I did not want restrictions on not being able to take certain pain or treatment options should they become necessary in the future. I did not feel I have a dependent relationship with food. I ate too much of it. And sometimes the wrong things because they were easy and accessible. But I also enjoyed a lot of healthy foods. My kryptonite has always been lack of exercise and even skipping meals so that I overate when I did eat. I'm from the finish your plate generation, but I did not and do not rely on food for comfort, bordem or pleasure. Therefore, I felt and still feel that the more punishing procedures were not right for me.

Hello! I didn't have a Mirena removed post-op (my VSG surgery is scheduled for 11/22, so I am still pre-op!), but I HAVE had a Mirena IUD removed previously. I had it replaced with a copper ParaGard IUD (which does not have any hormones) because the Mirena hormones were causing me to have cystic acne and other weird hormonal stuff (more ovarian cysts, etc.!), and I can confidently say that the removal did NOT cause any weight gain. Hopefully that is at least slightly helpful for you to hear! You may want to ask in one of the post-op forums for other experiences, as well!

at my two month mark it was christmas-ish and i along with the gazillion family parties, i had a wedding-like 50th bday party as well (not mine lol). eating was not an issue, i nibbled stuff here and there. i did bring a protein shake (or two) to every single event, just in case, but didn't need it at any of them. i could easily find something among the spread to eat. as for something to wear, i would probably nix the idea of buying a dress that fits u now. i can almost guarantee that it WILL NOT fit u in May. not sure if u are a hoarder of just-in-case "skinny clothes" like i was, but i was able to dip into this stash for a few months during weight loss phase for my dress-up needs. if anything, maybe wait until at least April to buy a new outfit?

I'm definitely planning tracking. I have a cute notebook and also a planner that I plan on using the weekly planning part to plan out the weeks dinners. I usually do eat protein first and back and forth with the veggies and whatever else I have. I feel like im not chewing well enough or slow enough anymore. I want to get back to doing that too. I would love to get all of the carbs and sugar out of the house, but im not the only one who lives here and I'm told "just because it's there, doesn't mean I need to eat it". The foods that I usually go for are now off the counter tho. So it's "out of sight, out of mind" hopefully. I posted my new stats in a post or two before this, but I had to have my lapband removed in 2013 and I got rny in february 2023. At my lowest weight ever right now. I've lost 111.5 pounds

Hello All, On Friday I had my 1 year post op appointment at Weight Management. Last time I was there was for my 6 month visit. Between the 6 month and the 1 year visit, I started noticing upper abdominal bloating (usually in the morning I notice after 1st waking up it doesn't look of feel too bad but it still seems like its still there but by the end of the day, I feel and look like I am 6 months pregnant.) some tenderness and occasional pain in the upper right abdomen from the middle area up into the ribs and side sometimes back. Also occasional nausea but I attributed to dumping syndrome. I told the Nurse Practitioner about it and the first thing she asked me was if I still had my gallbladder. I told her yes that I was the only adult (at almost 40) in my family that still had theirs. (Back about 10 years ago I was having pain in that area but labs, ultrasound and hida scan all came back normal.) So the Nurse Practitioner ordered my yearly labs, also is wanting a ultrasound and possible hida scan. She said if those came back normal the Dr will most likely want to do a EDG and possibly a colonoscopy. I was just wondering if anyone else here on the board had this issue in the past or currently dealing with it and what the outcome of it was?

These things can & do happen. Constipation is often an ongoing issue for many of us at least until we’re eating a broader range of food like vegetables & fruit. Try adding a soluble fibre to a drink, shake, soup, yoghurt, or similar to help. I used to take a stool softener if I hadn’t gone for three days to keep on top of it. Remember too you’re not actually eating that much so you don’t have much to actually poop out especially in the first couple of months. So don’t expect to go every day. Meeting or being close to your daily fluid goal is extremely important because of dehydration. Sip, sip, sip. I still drink during the night to ensure I reach mine. (Have a drink whenever I wake.) Your throat can be swollen for a little while after the surgery though it does generally pass in a couple of days. Do mention it to your surgeon when you go for your check up if it’s soon otherwise give them a call. Try drinks at different temperatures in the meantime. Many of us found warm or hot drinks more soothing than cool or cold drinks. And again sip slowly. Also remember we all heal & recover in our own way & time. This is a pretty major surgery & some take a little longer or can experience some challenges with certain aspects like hitting fluid or protein goals, or experience a little more surgical pain, have more gas pain, take a little longer to get their strength back, tolerate or not tolerate certain flavours, textures, smells, etc. Like your weight loss, your recovery may be a bit erratic. Easier today, but tomorrow not as much, then the next day is okay. Look back over a week to better see your progress. You can be sure that it does get better & easier in time. All the best.

Funny you mention that. I have seen a few people have gotten sick just before surgery. well, as far as the ones that passed neither of them was due to surgery complications. One was a drug overdose. She had so many issues after surgery and had to have a couple of emergency surgery to repair sutures. That however was on her! She did not follow the plan and less than three weeks post op she was eating Doritos. Well one c got lodged in her suture line and they had to repair it. She also over ate regular food and got some kind of blockage. the second one that passed she actually committed suicide. Now that MIGHT have been surgery related because your body goes through so many hormonal changes as well. So that is something that if you start feeling regret know that it is Normal but find a therapist to talk it out with. my other friend he had issues during surgery and they ended up putting him in a medical coma for two weeks. He was a large guy like me, well he was bigger by like 60 pound at around 450. I don’t know what all happened but I know he was having bleeding issues. But he was ok in a couple weeks and he was doing well the last time I talked to him. my other friend I think she just gave up and has gone back to “normal “ for her. So she is gaining weight. I do know I have to work on my mental health and stay disciplined after. And it shows how stuff we can control and some stuff we can’t. We just have to go into this knowing it is only a tool not a cure. so since you have kids I would really say make sure you have a therapist. It will be rough for a few weeks after surgery I’m sure. everything else is out of our hands. I know it is cliche but I follow the AA motto. Accept the things we can not change, Change the things we can, And may God grant us the wisdom to know the difference. all I’m in charge of is what food I put in my body and how much I exercise. Everything else is out of my hands.

Funny thing ---- I was all bummed out about my 3 month long stall - I even Gained 4 pounds when I saw my doc a couple days ago. I finally did something I was so scared to do ..... I took out the tape measure. I was seriously shaking when I measured myself for the first time. I lost a total of 15" since this whole program started ! I knew my clothes were loose - but 15 inches ? ! ? ! Wow ! In fact ...... I feel SO GOOD ,this is the going to be the first time in YEARS that I'm putting up a Christmas tree The hell with that scale LOL !!! My mental and physical health is better than it's been for years and I stopped focusing on that darn number !

I have stagnated a little bit over the past month+. Got down to 215 but popped back up to 220ish (now back to 217). Figure it is just a bump in the road and I am still committed to getting to sub 200 by my year mark. Feel amazing and had a good ego boost last week when a nurse at my dad's memory care facility asked my mom if I was single Currently trying to gently talk my sister into looking into the surgery as well (and potentially her son). She is worried about the financial aspect of it, which I totally understand, but my mom has said that she would pay for it. Given how against my surgery my mom was, I feel like this is a HUGE win. I want what is best for my sister (and I think the surgery is best), but I also know how I felt when people told me what I should do about my weight, so I am trying to be very supportive and helpful without being pushy at all. I have talked to others about it as well. I kinda feel like I am a WLS evangelical now! Finally, haven't heard from @Synlee in a while, but I hope you are doing MUCH better. I still say a prayer for you every week.

Hello and mega congratulations. Its good to hear just how well you are doing. In such a short time you have gained so much. I feel the same joy every day just living life in a smaller body.

I wish you all the best. The SADI is the best of two surgeries. I am down to 195 and feel great! I am off ALL MEDS. No more diabetes, no more high BP, mood swings gone. I’m exercising, and my body and joints are starting to recover from carrying the weight for so long. Feel free to ask any questions about Aetna or the surgery. Good luck in your journey!

Thanks for responding! No, wegovy doesn't work forever, and I had heard that as body physiology heals post bariatric surgery and normalizes (6-12 months post surgery) appetite returns. I'm more interested in that first 6 months when most weight loss occurs. I've been able to maintain my weight post Wegovy, so I'm not incredibly worried about when my appetite starts normalizing. I was just curious about the difference in how we feel post surgery vs medication.

First we all fluctuate. It may be a pound or two or it might be more. Tracking your weight will allow you to see your natural fluctuation & help you recognise that versus weight gain. Secondly, a 50 pound weight loss in about 5 months is great. Why do you think you are failing? Does your surgeon, dietician or team say you are failing? The only people who lose more than that in the first months are those who start at much higher weights than you like on My 600lb Life. They may start at losing 50lbs a month but that doesn’t last. Like everyone their rate of lose slows as they lose weight. I echo others suggestion of tracking everything you put in your mouth - solid or liquid - ensuring you weigh & measure everything. Do it for a few weeks, then discuss your food records with your dietician to check you aren’t missing something or confirm you are on the right track. PS - Real fruit is always a better choice than fruit juice. You get more nutrients, better fibre & still get fructose as a natural sugar to help with your diabetes.

Firstly, stalls are a normal part of weight loss. Frustrating & stressful though they can be. While on average they last around 1-3 weeks they can last longer. It just depends upon how much time your body needs to reset itself (metabolic rate, digestive hormones, etc.) in response to your current needs at your lower weight. You just need to let your body taker the time it needs - don’t stress it more by making more changes. Not everyone reaches their goal weight. The average weight loss is about 65% for sleeve & bypass of the weight you’re to lose to put you in a healthier range. So, if my maths is correct, you’ve exceeded that average so far - yay! Doesn’t matter what weight your surgeon wants you at, your body will greatly influence your final weight - your new set point. There are also lifestyle & personal preference choices to consider too - what weight are you happiest at & allows you to enjoy your life as you want without you having to restrict your choices to maintain your weight. Our rate of loss slows as we get closer to our final weight. Sometimes it’s so slow it seems like we’re not really losing at all. And remember it doesn’t matter how long it takes to reach your stabilised weight - you’ll get there in the time that’s best for you. Don’t give up yet. Stick to your plan. Stay off the scales for a week or two. You may be surprised when you eventually weigh yourself again.