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One note on long distance hiking: I'm having to do serious rehab on my hips and core in order to increase my walking capability. While my aerobic capacity and endurance are very good, my hips start to physically give out at about 3 miles. My physical therapist isn't really sure what the issue is, but thinks that it's a combination of weakness and poor flexibility from the postural adaptations that happen with extreme obesity (my legs literally point in a different direction than they used to!) and some effect of fast weight loss on the muscles themselves.

Have you recently weighed in a little higher, like at your doctor's office for a physical? That may be good enough. When I was still in the nonsurgical program at my hospital, I weighed in at a BMI of just over 40. At that point, my doctor suggested I look into surgery. I was pretty shaken by hitting that number and I immediately made some changes, so 2 weeks later when I came back for my first appointment on the surgical side, I was around 39.8. They said it was fine, that they go by the highest weight for qualifying. And yes, I wore my heaviest shoes that time, just in case! I know that usually they will deduct a couple pounds for clothing, but they didn't for that highest weight, I think just to be safe. I do have a comorbidity, though, so I would qualify anyway. You might try a few days of salty foods before your next appointment, too.

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 doing great! Lost 48 lbs so far, feel fantastic. I mostly eat protein, but I have been sampling with other things and find that some things don’t agree with me, like bacon for sure, and oatmeal. But otherwise most food is fine and I am so happy about it. I never did this for weight loss but it’s been incredible anyway, and I am really enjoying new clothes. How are you doing?

Agreed with what the others said. Be careful lifting weight, including the grandkids, before you are ready. It just takes overdoing it once to cause a hernia, requiring additional surgery. Other than that, the movement is a good thing, but listen to when your body says its tired. Balancing exercise and rest is very important the first month or two. Would you rather have a little more rest now periodically through the day while still getting somethings done, or overdo it and force yourself into a situation where you have to have repair surgery and risk several weeks on bed rest getting nothing done in the future? To prevent overdoing it, look into the Pomodoro Technique. Basically set a timer to do a task for "x" number of minutes, and then rest for "y" number of minutes. Early on, you may want 10-15 minutes of activity followed by 30-45 minutes of rest. Then as you progress, shift more time into activity and reduce the rest time, but its most effective keeping the entire cycle under 1 hour total. As far as the internal pain goes, its likely its still gas trapped and built up. Take Gas-X, and when you're walking around, do exercises with your arms lifted or over your head. I'm not sure exactly, but it has something to do with the blood flow being distributed to all of your limbs and helping breakdown and expel the gas quicker. I would have it go from my lower left side to up in my shoulders, and it was just a discomfort I couldn't shake. That movement and the medicine helped to break it up and would give me a few hours of relief.

I’m doing great! Lost 48 lbs so far, feel fantastic. I mostly eat protein, but I have been sampling with other things and find that some things don’t agree with me, like bacon for sure, and oatmeal. But otherwise most food is fine and I am so happy about it. I never did this for weight loss but it’s been incredible anyway, and I am really enjoying new clothes. How are you doing?

Mine would if it wasn't so saggy now! "Has the Dr given any explanation? Any advice? My dietitian keeps telling me we are losing inches not necessarily pounds. I call BS. All I know is I have 17 more pounds to lose to get new knees. After that I hope to lose another 60 so my hubby can buy me a face lift (he doesn't know it yet) SURPRISE DEAR LOL" I see my doctor next month for my 6 month check in and in two weeks my blood tests. It will be with the dietician, to be honest she's seemed kinda pointless. Just says you're eating as you should...perhaps add some fruit, to which I explained again when I eat carbs my heart races and fruit is high in fructose soooo. Then she'll suggest something like those nasty palm heart noodles, boy those were a mistake..again texture issues. It was like eating a bowl of slimy rubber bands. She gave me a G7 to monitor my blood sugars after the fruit discussion oh joy! I agree with the inches vs. pounds being BS. Last time I checked fat or "inches" weigh something. You can't lose inches without weight - unless I'm packing on muscle (weighs 7 times more than fat) but I assure you that's NOT it! Lolol "surprise dear" face lift, I love it! 😆😂😆 17 lbs should go quick for you and you'll have new knees soon enough! Thank you for the laugh, at this point it is well appreciated!

Sleeve Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT -- Female, 49, 5’5” 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) -- 37 lbs 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. -- 230.4 lbs 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery -- 219 lbs 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery -- 289 lbs 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery -- TBD 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery -- TBD

Puree can be tough. For some it’s a textural issue for others like me it’s a taste thing (everything tastes disgusting). You can puree a lot of things just add enough stock, milk, water, mayo, gravy, etc. to keep it the right dollopy texture/consistency. A friend told me she survived on pureed chicken with gravy. I mashed eggs with Mayo, was allowed thin instant oats, thin scrambled eggs, yoghurt, soups, etc. I tried pureeing tinned fish but blah! During soft foods I ate a lot of minced meat based dishes. Just made sure there was enough sauce/gravy to keep the meal wet. Also soft white fish, omelettes & made a couple of casseroles/stews & meat & vegetable soups. Yep, stalls can be frustrating & demoralising but remember an important step in your weight loss (when your body takes stock of your new needs & adjusts digestive hormones, metabolic rate, etc.). 17.5lbs in about 4 weeks is still pretty darn great. Even with the stall that’s an average of more than 4lbs a week. Can’t be upset with that.

I can’t speak on the diabetic side, but I had my Gastric Sleeve done 12/4/2023, and I don’t regret it one bit. Recovery was quick to my surprise. I was allowed to go home the same day of the procedure. Make sure you walk because the most discomfort comes from the air they pump you full with during the surgery. Walking helps it escape. I was feeling fine day 2. Day 3 I stoped taking pain and nausea meds. I retuned to work after 2 weeks. You’ll have a sharp pain in your side if you laugh or cough; don’t panic it’s normal and will go away. Just hold your side, it helps. Pros: - You definitely lose weight (down 50lbs) - I sleep through the night, and it’s good sleep!!! I literally don’t even move. I used to toss and turn. - My feet, and knees no longer hurt. - My self confidence has increased. - I can cross my legs and feel girly. - I don’t feel limited because my size isn’t a thing anymore. - Save money on food. Cons: - Not an easy fix (you’ll have to create good eating habits. I was a binge/emotional eater. Sometimes when I get bored or depressed I snack and then my stomach hurts) - Lose skin (if that matters to you) - Going out to dinner is a waste because you will only be able to eat maybe 1/2 cup of food if you’re lucky. (Leftovers will last you a week) - Buying new clothes gets expensive!! (But feels amazing, so not such a con after all) To be honest I wish I had done this sooner. I was impatient and went the self-pay route because I didn’t want to take the classes insurance requires of people, but if you are willing to wait I can see the benefits the classes can do for you. Good luck to you!!

@newbegining2024 Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my smoothies which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin pack from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. Let me know how you all are doing! (this will be posted in a new thread as well)

What did the doctors say it was last time? I'd put my money on a back issue. Loss of weight put different stresses on the back, especially damaged areas. But, sadly, you need to see a doctor or two to get a diagnosis and a fix or other mitigation of the issue. Good luck, Tek

I'm so glad it helps, you deserve to be excited!! I believe @The Greater Fool and @catwoman7 both were near your starting weight, catwoman7 was 373 and I'm not sure what The Greater Fool was but I know they say they were too heavy for a home scale. Both had Gastric Bypass and did exceptionally well! I also have a friend who lost about 250 lbs with an old school bypass and maintained it for over a decade when I knew her... You've got this!!

Hello, My name is Alex and I am scheduled for the gastric sleeve procedure on 12/18/23. Growing up I never had a problem with my weight; as a matter of fact I was very thin. Due to changes in life and past trauma, I used food as a coping mechanism. I ballooned from 160 pounds at 18 years old to 475 pounds by the time I turned 31. I was "content" being overweight because I refused to deal with it. At the behest of my wife, I begrudgingly scheduled an appointment to be seen by a primary care physician for the first time in years at the height of the pandemic. At this appointment, I weighed in at 475 pounds and was diagnosed with high blood pressure... extremely high blood pressure. This made total sense as I couldn't walk very far without being out of breath, I couldn't go up steps without sweating and having my heart pounding, and I couldn't play with my nieces and nephews. I was prescribed blood pressure meds at 31 years old and told that if I didn't make significant changes and lose weight, I was staring down an early death. That was the kick in the ass I needed. I immediately got a gym membership, downloaded a calorie tracker, immediately made improvements in my diet and dove in head first. Over the course of the next year and a half I lost nearly 100 pounds through diet and exercise alone. I knew that to get to my goal weight though, that I needed more tools.... or a more powerful one. So I was seen by a bariatric provider and over the course of many months was approved for sleeve gastrectomy and was scheduled for surgery. I am currently on the liquid diet and I am struggling. I am dying for flavor... the protein shakes, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and jello that have been my diet for the last three days are not cutting it. I've made a few mistakes... a piece of cheese here or a nibble of chicken there. I am striving for today being a good day.. but it has been hard. I am constantly cold, I'm less tolerant of daily B.S. than I normally am, and am just now starting to not feel as irritable as I have the last few days. I am looking forward to having this procedure done, but I am nervous that I won't lose enough. I'm nervous that I'll ruin it or some other nonsense I keep telling myself. After being overweight for so long its hard to imagine not being as large as I am. I am looking forward to a healthier life, the ability to play with my nieces, nephews and daughter, and being in more control of my life. Thank you for reading this very long post and I look forward to chatting with you on this journey!

1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT F, 52 (at time of surgery), 5'3" 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 12.2 lbs 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 254.6 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 235.7 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 216.7

It is like a breakup of a relationship. It really hurts at first, you feel loss, scared, isolation and it’s hard to imagine that you will ever be happy again. Then one day there’s a spark, you notice that you’re singing along on the radio and think to yourself, I’m going to be ok. I got this. There’s a reason you took this journey. You were unhappy, perhaps suffering from depression and health issues related to obesity. This tool will help you lose weight, but it’s not a tool to help you love yourself or lose fear of the unknown. Definitely take the route of self help right now to help you process these feelings. If you do not have insurance for therapy join Overeaters Anonymous. The resources is free and will provide you with 24/7 support online. I’m praying that you will have a change of perception about your experience! You’re a brave and capable person that made the decision to change your health and you’re well on your way to a better you. God bless. 🙏🏻

I had the same side effects listed above. It radically changed my tastebuds. But since my weight isn't from binging/overeating junk the med didn't cause weight loss. I took a pretty high dose of it for migraines for several years... I think you'd be better served by tracking your food and activity for a few weeks to see if your patterns have changed. Even a regular 300 calorie difference can result in steady weight gain. Also, some go on GLP 1 meds to help with regain but their side effect profile isn't exactly kind either... Dealing with regain can be very frustrating!! I hope you find a good solution... 💚

Perfectly normal. You’ve always fluctuated & always will. You probably never noticed it before because you may not have weighed yourself as regularly as you do now. You may also discover over time you may have a pretty constant fluctuation rate. (My stabilised weight fluctuation is about a kilogram.) Yep, hormones, fluid retention, pooping/not pooping, etc. can affect the number on the scales. Add to that we don’t eat the exact same things in the exact same amounts every day. Same with drinking & the activity we do. Even our general health can affect our weight even having a cold. Your doctor has seen it all. Be honest with them at your appointment. That way they can offer you their best advice. Do you still see your dietician? A visit with them may also help to ensure you are on the right path. It can be easy to miss something. Do you track your food? If not it may be worth doing it for a couple of weeks. All the best.

I had the gastric bypass May 11,2023. I was doing good with dropping the weight. But once I got to 160 I’ve stalled out. Idk what to do. Can some one please give me advice. It’s getting really discouraging and depressing. My dr wants me at 135. I’m so close.

Hey y'all. Sarah here. I was active on the boards until about a year ago...now I'm BACK! I am a 30 year old retirement planner, living the dream in the SF Bay Area. Oh wait- almost living the dream- first I need to take off this 160 lb fat suit I've been dragging around the last 7 years. See, I've always been fluffy, voluptuous, "a big girl". Still, I was ususally happy with who I was and how I looked. It wasn't until I broke up with my college boyfriend of 4 years at age 23-24, that I started gaining serious weight. I was about 170 back then, and had always worn a size 12 or 14...now I'm a 22. I just started eating to deal with the serious depression, then I would get more depressed because of the way my clothes stopped fitting, and thus began the ugly cycle that I've been in since 2006. At this point, I'm in treatment for depression (for WAY more issues than just the weight) and luckily, over the last 3 years, my depression has become manageable. It still rears its ugly head once in a while, but I can handle it now. The meds have really worked. I KNOW that WLS isn't a cure-all, but I also know in my heart of hearts that if I wasn't super-morbidly-obese, I would be loving life a lot more. Just ask anyone who has lost weight and kept it off. ANYONE. I also have co-morbidities: carpal tunnel syndrome, joint pain, foot pain, back pain, mild-to-moderate sleep apnea, hidradenitis suppurativa (its BAD right now). Most of the time, I can still buckle my airplane seatbelt, but I know it's because I have a pretty small frame (I'm 5'0")...still, I had to "fake it" during one flight because I couldn't bear the burning shame of asking for an extender. I'm effing fed up with this bs. I have been trying to lose 35 lbs for the last 18 months. I have not been successful thus far. Gee, it almost seems like I have an overeating issue.... HENCE WHY I NEED VSG! Unfortunately, Kaiser Permanente NorCal approved me but only if I can get my weight down to 250. I have been in counseling and I've been trying to eat right...GOSH ITS ALMOST LIKE I NEED SOME SORT OF PHYSICAL RESTRICTION TO KEEP ME FOCUSED ON THE GOAL. Kaiser offers no ongoing counseling or diagnoses for overeaters, compulsive overeating, or binge eating disorder (even though it is in the DSM...they don't care). I was allowed one appointment with their eating disorders clinic therapist: She told me to buy Judith Beck's book, "Diet for Life"....that's right, that is the treatment offered to me by Kaiser: buy a book. They don't offer personal training or exercise programs, they don't offer ongoing counseling for overeaters, they actually told me, "Ma'am, if we did that for you, 20% of our patients would qualify for these programs". Ok, so....too many people need help, so they're just NOT GOING TO OFFER IT. Look, I know that ANY surgery is safer if you're at a lower BMI. I know about fat on my liver, too- but I also know that the liquid pre-op diet DOES help to shrink that down. I know KP is VERY conservative when it comes to treatments, hey, they're a health maintenance org. However, I have begged just about every department I can (including seeing my surgeon, Dr. Baggs, personally & begging for the surgery)- no one cares. It's up to me to lose 35 lbs, or self-pay. Because you know what?? Chris Christie (governor of NJ) just got the lap band. His BMI must have been sky-high, but HIS TOP NOTCH WORLD CLASS DOCTORS still gave HIM the surgery... I truly believe that I am a fine candidate for VSG, and that is why i am now considering, very seriously, self-pay. I'm going to post this in the main forum also. However, since I am on a limited budget, I am seriously considering surgery in Mexicali or TJ.

I was very open with people before my surgery (and I had 2 false starts over an 18m period, so I told a lot of people). I got some comments about not needing surgery, which I brushed aside because my weight was NOT distributed nicely , and I also got some people that were genuinely concerned about the downsides of the surgery. My mother was one of the biggest opponents until I talked her through all of the research I had done. I read multiple clinical studies and research papers that documented the long term effectiveness, watched tons of doctor videos talking about it (both pro and con), etc (like I said, I had 18m to research). At the end of the day, you just have to realize that everybody has their own view of the world. Some of those people are probably making comments out of love or worry, some out of fear, and some are probably just petty people. Focus on what makes you happy and don't let other people change your mood, don't give them that power.

I'm sorry to hear you we're denied. Just keep pushing them. It amazes me that insurance companies refuse to pay for bariatric surgeries and weight loss drugs BUT have no problem paying for a lifetime for the health consequences of being obese. I know I'm going out on a ledge here for potential condemnation but..those same insurance companies will pay for gender reassignment surgeries AND reconstructive "cosmetic" surgeries for gender reassignment (that in the long run is cosmetic to align with how patient perceptions are - no different than skin removal mentally) but they won't pay for some just as necessary bariatric surgeries and skin removal surgeries! Both can be mentally debilitating! I always thought perhaps a class action lawsuit forcing insurance companies to pay for these things is what's needed. No one elects to be obese and insurance companies treats obesity as "its your fault" you're obese so they won't pay. I wish you luck, preserver and eventually you'll get it! Lastly, I'm told bariatric surgery is cheaper in some states if you have to pay yourself, so shop around and research research research making sure you have a good bariatric team! Also, make sure that if you do go out of state that they don't have a long travel restriction like mine did (90 days) first! Good luck!

I went to see my GP this week to get some testing done. I actually looked forward to going, knowing things would to be better than the last time I saw her pre-op. She along with everyone in the office flipped out when they saw me. I'm down over 80 pounds in 5 months. The nurse said I lost a small person. LOL I could fit comfortably in the chair when they drew my blood. You know that little table that folds down in from of you? I had room to spare. She asked if I was having fun buying new clothes. I told her yes. I love thrifting and now able to get around to do it. The head nurse had to come in and take a gander at me. She called me yesterday and told me my bloodwork results were amazing. Everything is in normal range now. I am no longer pre-diabetic. Even my liver and kidney functions are normal. Those things scared me the most and my main reason to get the Gastric Bypass. Don't ever let anyone tell you those things aren't reversable. My GP said she can't believe my numbers. Told me all her sleeve patients don't have these kinds of results in a year, even after prescribing them Ozempic. She sees patients from a local surgeon who only does the sleeve with no follow up support. I'm guessing most of those people aren't following any protocol because I see the good results on here, every day, of sleevers' success stories. I love reading them. I went out of town to get my bypass in April that thankfully has a great Bariatric support team. I go back to see them for my 6-month checkup Oct 11. They did a vitamin panel on me last time and all was well except my B12 was a bit high but nothing to worry about. And I go back in January for my annual physical with GP. Was told they can hopefully start taking me off my meds. I will be closer to goal weight by then. Something else to look forward to.

Why is that. I heard the bigger you are the more weight you lose but how and why. I thank God I got help before I hit even 400. I knew my weight was out of control even starting at 373 before my journey. I do pray for anyone at 600 to get help. I stress about my weight because of the health issues it has cost me and a lot of friends and family who judge and critized me for it.

This is coming from a guy, so take it with a grain of salt. I had to go to an event requiring a jacket and tie last week, which was 6 weeks after the pre-op diet (4 weeks post op) weight loss began. When I put on my suit I wore previously in September, I looked like a little kid trying on his dad's clothes. I needed a shirt 3 sizes smaller than my previous, but only 1 size smaller pants. I would suggest waiting to shop until about 2 weeks prior to the event because its hard to predict where you'll be at that point. As far as the foods go, after having the sleeve done, I'm ok with some foods that I probably shouldn't be ready for yet (ground beef, salmon, high fiber/low carb bread which I have since cut back out since its not diet friendly), but others that I should be ok with are making me feel sick (leafy greens, broccoli, canned tuna). Again, I would just assess where you are a week or two out from the wedding, maybe ask them what is on the menu, but maybe plan to pack a diet-friendly snack in your bag just in case. Congrats again on your surgery!