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Hello everyone. I am new here. I got my surgery on 7/24/2023 in Seoul, South Korea. I've been living in Korea for around 4 years now and decided to take the jump. Got my consultation on 6/13 and then did my pre-op tests on 7/1! It's been around 3 weeks post-op, and I'm currently on the pureed phase of the diet. However, my weight is already stalling at 91-92kg 😰 Question is, should I go back to my first week post-op diet or try to keep going with the current diet?

I don't know the specific hoops that need to jump through with Kaiser as I have never been with them, but your PCP is the primary gatekeeper, and they do have an incentive to keep things cheap, while keeping you alive, so the system does make it difficult. There should be some form of appeal process that lets you go around the PCP without endless doctor changes, and there is an ultimate appeal to the state department of managed healthcare to override insurer's decisions when appropriate, but you aren't there yet. My surgeon is (or was) contracted to Kaiser Norcal to do the DS for them when they lost those appeals, as they don't do that procedure in-house, but it is part of the accepted standards of care for obesity, so they are obliged to cover it (they just don't make it easy.) A bypass will be more straightforward to get as they do those in-house, but they're hoping that all the hoop-jumping will get you to lose enough weight that they don't have to do it! Good luck and perseverance.

I didn’t have children to tell but I have several nieces & nephews aged 5-27 now. I never told them about the surgery though it’s likely the older ones knew. They all noticed my weight loss & changed eating habits of course but rarely made comments. At 7, niece #5 asked why I was so skinny now & I told her it was so she could give me bigger hugs more easily. She looked at me a little quizzically then wrapped her arms around me, squeezing hard & ran off to play. (She often also used to curl up next to me & squeeze the loose skin on my upper arms - it’s so soft & squishy she’d say 😆.) Niece #3 was offering everyone cake at her 13th birthday but when she got to me she simply asked if I’d like some of the strawberries. My mum asked nephew #1 when he was 19, what he thought about my weight loss & if I was different to him now. He looked at me & said nope, she’ll will always just be Sissy to me. Nieces #1 & 2 (in their 20s) & I have have had a few general conversations about nutrition, recipes & lifestyle but nothing specifically about my weight loss. Both are dancers & one has studied nutrition. These were very interesting, reassuring & also surprising conversations & comments. Their easy acceptance of how I looked, how I ate, etc. & also how to them I still was just me - their bestest aunt. I believe if they asked me more I probably would have focussed on the healthy eating aspect, making changes to be healthier & able to do more with them. Explaining I wasn’t making good choices in the past & have learnt a lot about what I need & what’s best for me. It’s what I tell people whether they know I had surgery or don’t. You may be surprised by your daughter’s reactions too & they may eventually adopt some better/different eating habits simply through the example of your new habits. All the best.

@sleevedinthe817 Congrats, I know the feeling I had my surgery a few days after you and I’m finally under 300. Idk the last time I weighted 300. Go us, no stopping now. We got this everyone.

I'm pre-op. Scheduled for a sleeve on sept. 12th. I have 2 daughters (11 and 13) who saw me struggle with my weight and try diverse diets all their lifes. I have never openly complained about my weight in front of them, always talking about ""health"" instead, but they are not dumb..... They are both slim/ healthy weight, but one of them barely eats and tends to eat to much sugar..... I just dont know HOW to explain what I'm about to do to my body in order to lose weight. I don't want to screw them up (more?) about weight and dieting......... My dad died of a heart attack at 46 (I'm 42) so I'm thinking of, one again, leading the explanation with the health mindset. How did you do it?

Congrats on going to rehab and continuing your weight loss journey.💗

I woke up this morning and got on the scale for my weekly weigh-in. I hit my first weight loss goal! Finally under 300lbs. 40lbs total since my preop diet started on June 12th. This is usually the point where my body starts fighting me and I struggle to lose more, but knowing that I have this tool now is so comforting. I’m under 300 and now I can actually STAY UNDER 300.

Hi All! After I completed all my testings and blood work, at my followup Friday (Aug 11th) they doctor's office went ahead to put me on the surgery calendar for Aug 28th. All paperwork was submitted to the insurance company that day as well. Today the office called to inform me that my sugery was APPROVED! They nor I expected a fast 1 day turn-a-round! Now my nerves kicked in. My pre-op diet starts the next week 20th. It consists of 3 protein shakes and 1 meal per day. I don't think I'll have any issues as the dietician informed me that I can break the one meal up any way I want to for that day. Thankfully, I still have restrictions from my sleeve surgery in 2017. Has anyone had the revision with success stories? Any tips? Any of you have upcoming revisions scheduled? Additional weight loss success? Has anyone had the surgery with little to no help at home? If so how was it for you? I would love to lose an additional 40-50 lbs. Thanks!

Ms.sss you are my inspiration! I am 5'1'', 54 years old, and started at 230lbs. I had VSG on 4/12/2023. My current weight is 172.4. I agree with you on the eating, similar experiences with those foods as well. I hope i have as much success as you did at losing weight!

I have been trying to get a referral for a few years at Kaiser. My first PCP said the surgery doesn't work, switched PCP's, he refused to consider any weight loss options. I have a new PCP, he referred me to the Options Program, which gave the infamous Nestle Shakes, shots, prepared meals, and pills as ways to loose weight, but not any surgical options. When I asked about surgical options, the Options Staff told me I needed a Bariatric Referral through Options. I asked my newest PCP, he said he gave me the referral. I called back to the Bariatrics section, they told me he had not. Anyone experience this? What did you do to fix it? I have tried all the Options presented, not interested in yo-yo dieting again. Thank you.

I was lucky I guess, I always knew that this surgery for me. I have many surgeries and have a c'est la vie attitude. I would have been the first guinea pig to have this surgery, that's how much I wanted it. I just needed to have the money spare to do it. So I lost weight and gained weight and gained more weight for 40 years. In the end I was as unhealthy as was possible, I had no joy. My day was so different to now. My life is fantastic, I fit in the world, I am so happy. I want you to feel this too. Go for it, what do you have to loose ?

totally understand your struggles with weight loss. I tried for literally decades to get my weight off. The most I could ever lose is about 50 lbs (and those losses were rare - it was usually more like 10 or 20 lbs). And I could never keep it off for long. Within months, I was back up to almost 400 lbs. Weight loss surgery was the only thing that ever worked for me. Not saying it's easy - it's work. A lot of work. But the difference is, your efforts actually pay off.

That is my reality if I don’t go through with surgery. Doctors are saying without it I probably won’t see 40. My mom died of multi system organ failure due to co morbid conditions and severe obesity at 50 and it was such a devastating thing to witness. I don’t want that to be my reality. But if I don’t get the weight off, it will be and I’ve tried for years without surgery and been unsuccessful (I’ve been obese since I was a young child). i experience all of those things. Just changing clothes makes me out of breath. Forget stairs or walking more than a few feet at a time. I’m existing.

That is my reality if I don’t go through with surgery. Doctors are saying without it I probably won’t see 40. My mom died of multi system organ failure due to co morbid conditions and severe obesity at 50 and it was such a devastating thing to witness. I don’t want that to be my reality. But if I don’t get the weight off, it will be and I’ve tried for years without surgery and been unsuccessful (I’ve been obese since I was a young child).

Mine is too. That is my reality if I don’t go through with surgery. Doctors are saying without it I probably won’t see 40. My mom died of multi system organ failure due to co morbid conditions and severe obesity at 50 and it was such a devastating thing to witness. I don’t want that to be my reality. But if I don’t get the weight off, it will be and I’ve tried for years without surgery and been unsuccessful (I’ve been obese since I was a young child).

That is my reality if I don’t go through with surgery. Doctors are saying without it I probably won’t see 40. My mom died of multi system organ failure due to co morbid conditions and severe obesity at 50 and it was such a devastating thing to witness. I don’t want that to be my reality. But if I don’t get the weight off, it will be and I’ve tried for years without surgery and been unsuccessful (I’ve been obese since I was a young child). I’m basically bed ridden at this point due to all my conditions, constantly in pain, exhausted, get winded walking a few feet…I’m not living, just existing.

That is my reality if I don’t go through with surgery. Doctors are saying without it I probably won’t see 40. My mom died of multi system organ failure due to co morbid conditions and severe obesity at 50 and it was such a devastating thing to witness. I don’t want that to be my reality. But if I don’t get the weight off, it will be and I’ve tried for years without surgery and been unsuccessful (I’ve been obese since I was a young child).

I'd be a lot more afraid of NOT having the surgery than having it. I hesitate to say this, but you're more likely to die from obesity complications than you are from the surgery. These surgeries are much safer than they were years ago - mortality rate is very low - even lower than hip replacement surgeries, which they do all the time. I was heavier than you are (although fortunately, I didn't have any co-morbidities), but I knew it for me it was either have the surgery or die from my massive weight (I was well over 300 lbs). Having that surgery probably gave me an extra 10 years of life. I'm much healthier today in my 60s than I ever was in my 30s and 40s.

Having weight loss surgery is a big deal and not to be entered into lightly. Most people have to get to a point when this is the last resort. You know a light bulb moment. From what you have mentioned this has been it for you. Sounds like if you dont deal with this then this will deal with you. It is not a magic bullet that will solve everything you will still have issues but they will hopefully be easier to manage. I have arthritis in my lower back and ankles. They no longer give me pain. I have diabetes but now I dont need to take insulin or any other medication to deal with blood sugar levels though I still check my blood sugar levels. I am not on any blood pressure tablets any more. I dont break out in a sweat after having a shower. I can look after myself more easily and dont having a coronary while cleaning the house. It really is a huge struggle with a BMI of 51. I can go for a walk and enjoy it. Life is hard enough without the extra weight. Be kind to yourself and your body. You can do this.

You can do this!! I know it is scary. But weight is not worth dying over... I keep reminding myself that with the horror stories I've read about surgery, there are tenfold that never get told about obesity co-morbidities killing people. It is worth trading medications for vitamins. It is worth trading co-morbidities with some POSSIBLE side effects. It is worth trading physical dysfunction for wellness. Living like this is a life half lived and that is not something I want for myself or anyone else. So I will do the hard thing! I have done hard things before in the name of a well lived life. This will just be another on the list. People very, very rarely regret this surgery. The odds are overwhelmingly in our favor... Your life is worth doing scary things and being rewarded with health! ❤️

So, I’ve posted in this group before about being uncertain about Bariatric surgery but knowing it’s a tool to literally save my life. I had an initial appointment booked with surgeon Dr. David Brandon Williams at Vanderbilt (where all my specialists are), but canceled it again (5th cancellation). Well I’m back in the medical hospital again with erratic blood pressure, severe headaches due to my IIH, and off and on chest pain and today the internal medicine doctor seeing me point blank said “you’ve got to get this weight off you or you may not survive the full life you want to live. This weight is killing you”. So I’ve rebooked the appointment and it’s on 9/18. I’ve got to do it, no matter what. I’m almost 33, 5’1” 271 pounds, BMI of 51.2, (I’ve gained about 5 pounds in 2 weeks). My current co morbid conditions are Right Heart Strain/Heart Failure (just diagnosed), labile hypertension, severely high cholesterol and triglycerides, fatty liver disease, Type II Diabetes that is not well controlled, past history of PE, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, widespread arthritis, frequent shortness of breath, Sleep Apnea, PCOS. My mom died at 50 of a massive heart attack and lung failure, maternal grandfather passed at 76 of a massive heart attack. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension run rampant in my family. I don’t want to be next in the line of deaths in my family due to weight related conditions. So I’m finally ready to start this.

So, I’ve posted in this group before about being uncertain about Bariatric surgery but knowing it’s a tool to literally save my life. I had an initial appointment booked with surgeon Dr. David Brandon Williams at Vanderbilt (where all my specialists are), but canceled it again (5th cancellation). Well I’m back in the medical hospital again with erratic blood pressure, severe headaches due to my IIH, and off and on chest pain and today the internal medicine doctor seeing me point blank said “you’ve got to get this weight off you or you may not survive the full life you want to live. This weight is killing you”. So I’ve rebooked the appointment and it’s on 9/18. I’ve got to do it, no matter what. I’m almost 33, 5’1” 271 pounds, BMI of 51.2, (I’ve gained about 5 pounds in 2 weeks). My current co morbid conditions are Right Heart Strain/Heart Failure (just diagnosed), labile hypertension, severely high cholesterol and triglycerides, fatty liver disease, Type II Diabetes that is not well controlled, past history of PE, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, widespread arthritis, frequent shortness of breath, Sleep Apnea, PCOS. My mom died at 50 of a massive heart attack and lung failure, maternal grandfather passed at 76 of a massive heart attack. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension run rampant in my family. I don’t want to be next in the line of deaths in my family due to weight related conditions. So I’m finally ready to start this.

Yay!! That's great news!! The body doesn't like to let go of weight when it is sick or traumatized (like with a surgery) so that stall was probably inevitable. I wish you smooth sailing now and some extra weight loss juju!

i went through stages. 1st month: looking or thinking about food and eating made me sick. i was like REPULSED. month 2-3: didnt want to eat (but no longer REPULSED) though i forced myself to eat because i was getting weak. i had a very strong restriction so wasn't able to eat much anyway. month 4-7: there would be days that i wanted to eat and days that i didn't. i stopped forcing myself to eat on no-hungry days at this point and just ate when i wanted to because i started to develop this thing where i felt like eating was WORK and i didn't like that. my restriction was still doing its job though, so i still couldn't eat much anyway. month 7-12: struggled to up my calories to ease into maintenance and i think my not-wanting-to-eat phases during this time period had more to do with a mental block than anything else. i had a bit of a time when i had a challenge "allowing" myself to eat higher calorie foods and carbs, ha. fear of weight gain and all that. though in hindsight i needn't have worried, as my restriction kept me in check. 1 year and onwards: i still get the odd don't-want-to-eat or oops-i-forgot-to-eat days here and there. not as often and regluar as before, but they show up every once in a while. i don't sweat it, as i know there will be hungry days too. my restriction is still very much in play, even at 5 years out, and i have learned over the years what foods and what amounts i can consume before i hit my full mark. i was/am a regular food tracker so its second nature. i tend to only eat things that i really want because, why fill my valuable limited real estate with something meh? luckily the list of things i want does not comprise of just junk. while i do enjoy a bite of dessert and a bowl of chips, i love me a salad just as much. though personally, my fave kind of meal is when there are an abundance of different things to take a bite or two of (like hors d'ourves at a cocktail party, or a tasting menu, or dim sum/tapas/izakaya, or when i go to a restaurant with a large group and get to have a bit of everyone's meal!) anyway, i think i may have gone on a tangent there, lol. but yeah, you are not the only one that gets the food aversions, and while you will get differing advice on this topic, i would say go what works for you. if you are getting worsening physical symptoms from not eating, or if your labs are not coming back satisfactorily, of course, please speak to a medical professional. otherwise, if you are losing weight, AND suffer little to no angst, then in my non-medical opinion, you're golden.

First of all, there is no such thing as a "window of opportunity." There is no clock or deadline on weight loss surgery. The surgery is permanent. The surgery itself doesn't cause weight loss -- the surgery is a tool that helps you to eat less so you can lose weight. For most people, yes, the effect of the restriction wears off over time, so the first year or so is often called the "honeymoon period" because that's when it's easiest to lose weight due to low appetite and high restriction. But that doesn't mean that you can't lose any more weight after X months post-surgery. You have to build and maintain good habits during that honeymoon period so you can sustain the weight loss. It is a lifelong journey and if you get back into eating too much, you could regain the weight. Second, yes, weight loss normally slows down as you approach your maintenance weight. It's easy to lose 10 pounds when you have 100 pounds to lose, but much more difficult to lose the last 10 pounds (when you only have 10 extra pounds). This is partly because having excess weight results in burning more calories -- if you're carrying an extra 100 pounds, it just takes more energy (and thus burns more calories) to do anything. If you maintain a constant calorie intake -- say, 1800 calories per day -- you will lose weight quickly at 300 pounds but more slowly at 250 pounds, and eventually you'll get to an equilibrium (say, 200 pounds) where you are burning the same number of calories as you're eating, so your weight will stabilize. If you want to lose more weight after you reach that equilibrium, you'll either have to lower your calorie intake or increase your calorie burn by exercising more. Finally, my personal opinion is that people should not get hung up on a specific number on the scale. The non-scale measures of success are so much more important. If you are satisfied with your health and appearance at 222 pounds, there is no reason to worry that you are 2 pounds over the range that your surgeon estimated (which is almost certainly based on statistical outcomes, not a personalized assessment of you, specifically).