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I’m heading to the hospital soon, scheduled for 10:30 this morning. Definitely nervous and hoping everything goes well. See you all on the other side!

Technically I didn't have the gastric sleeve surgery as I had the Loop DS/ SADI-S/SIPS surgery instead, BUT my surgery INVOLVES a gastric sleeve stomach. It just has the added intestinal bypass bit. I don't know if that counts for what you want to know though lol. But I'll answer anyway about my own WLS experience. I'm 15 months out. I had only one complication. That complication? I developed a wheat allergy. Any surgery with the malabsorption bit has something like a 3% chance of developing either a wheat allergy or Celiac Disease. I just happened to be one of the unlucky ones, but the bright side of it is that it keeps me on track because I can't eat 95% of the foods I used to love now due to the allergy lol. If I had to do it all over again I'd either stick with the surgery I chose or go with the old fashioned DS (but only because I really hate constipation issues and with the old DS you have the opposite problem, which is a problem in itself I guess lol). I was told the best WLS options to help with diabetes or pre-diabetes are ones that have malabsorption. And those are the ones that involve the intestinal bit (this was what my surgeon told me, btw because diabetes runs in my family). Those surgeries are Gastric Bypass, Duodenal Switch (DS), or Loop Duodenal Switch (SADI-S/SIPS). When I first went in for my surgery consult in May 2019 in which I'd had my mind set on the Gastric Sleeve I was told that since I had a BMI above 50 (it was almost 61 at the time) I was in the highest class of obesity and classified as 'super morbidly obese' (I cried). They recommended the DS or Loop DS to me because statistically they have the highest weight loss percentage and because I'm partially disabled (due to back injuries and osteoarthritis) I needed to really rely on average statistics (if you're not disabled and can exercise and follow your surgical and dieting guidelines then you can by all means surpass the average so don't get stuck on statistics if you don't have those issues). However, I also bounced around with whether I wanted that or Gastric Bypass due to potential GERD issues with the Loop DS because of the sleeved stomach (my gastroenterologist wanted me to do the GB lol while the surgeon was pushing for the DS or Loop DS). I ended up choosing the Loop DS after months of going back and forth between that and the Gastric Bypass. I had high blood pressure before my surgery and because mine is genetic (literally my sister is the only adult in our family who doesn't have it) I still have it. I was TOLD if my high blood pressure is genetic then the surgery likely wouldn't help it. It did improve it though. I used to take my BP meds every other day, but now I take them every three days and my blood pressure has been perfect with that. In the end the choice of what surgery you choose is very much your own. Do your research. Weigh the pro's and con's. Ask the surgeon questions. If you actually go to the office and SEE people (damn Covid may make it so you don't see people) ask if they've had surgery and ask them about their experiences (I did). Just choose whatever surgery you feel comfortable with. Every surgery has their ups and downs and everyone's experience is different. Also, congrats on the start of your journey and I wish you the best! You can do it!

It all depends on your insurance and their requirements. But most are the same and still make you follow the same guidelines whether the BMI is 35, 40, 45 or 50. They might approve you easier with a higher BMI but it's still a 6 month long process. My BMI was over 40 and I had to have atleast 2 comorbidities (i had several) such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, acid reflux, etc. And you have to see your primary 6 months in a row for weight documentation, visits with a nutritionist/dietician, have a psych evaluation, sleep apnea study (its 2 different nights if you are diagnosed with apnea). EGD. And Some require you to see a Cardiologist. And then a month before your surgery you meet with surgeon again, get surgery scheduled, some require a class or two regarding the surgery, EKG/labs days before, covid test. Its a 6 month long minimum process. Sometimes longer. Just hang in there. Be patient and go to all of your appointments. Be on time (some docs will mark you as a now show and charge late fees, rescheduling you a month out just for being 10 minutes late). Good luck on your journey.

NewMe_2021 the time is definitely flying by! I just started having those conversations with everyone. They have gone well so far. My kids (both 10) and husband have a fear or starving during all of MY stages hahaha! I keep telling myself that I need to really reduce carbs and sugar to make the ore diet easier, but I am struggling. I’m glad I’m not alone in this process!!

I don't know anything about BCBS of TN, but it's kind of a crap shoot when it comes to revisions. Some will only cover them if there's some medical issue with surgery #1 - and some don't cover revisions at all (like my friend who's having awful problems with her 10-year-old lap band - her insurance company won't pay for revision, in spite of the fact she's been hospitalized with issues and her doctors have said she needs to have a revision). Hopefully yours will cover it, though!

Man, this brought up a lot for me. I grew up and had SnackWells in the pantry and SlimFast under the counter at all times. My mom was an 80s diet aficionado. Anything and everything that was diet was her life. I was slim after puberty, but was made fun of a lot as a kid for being overweight. After college, mental illness took its toll and so did some of the medication I was on- especially on my scale. I finally decided to get weight loss surgery last year after 10 years of trying to get rid of the extreme weight gain that had occurred on my meds. Before surgery it was a huge topic of conversation with my mom about diets and weight and what she was trying next. It was exhausting. I found a lot of grace and support from body positivity advocates and I really started drawing some hard boundaries with what I will and won't talk about with my mom. She still talks about her body negatively and I just either don't engage if I don't have the emotional fortitude, or I will counter with something positive if I can. I have learned over the last few years that you can love your body and still work on things that you want to change. All the things muala94 mentioned, mobility, stamina, feeling freer and not necessarily getting that sense of freedom from food are things that I was looking for, but I really wanted to stop hating my body for doing nothing more than existing in the way that it did. During the pandemic it felt safe to pursue this surgery because I didn't have to tell anyone. I didn't have to explain myself or say what happened or have all of these conversations about someone's opinion of my body- positive or negative. I could just do the work and figure it out for myself. I dread some of my family mentioning it in the future. I don't want to be congratulated for what they saw was a deficiency. I don't see my body that way. I don't want to have people tell me that they feel better about what my body looks like now, because it is still mine and I feel protective over what it was when it was bigger. What I am trying to get at it, I really get the feeling when you say that you don't want to hear any more spewing of derision from people about a body that deserved to be loved then and now. Boundaries really helped me. It takes time. My mother is very stubborn and I have been pushing against her 'helpful' commentary my whole life. I imagine it will be that was forever. But what worked for me was telling her very bluntly that she can help in the way she is asked. She can support me, ask me how I am feeling, go for walks, or we can just sit enjoy each others company. Unsolicited advice isn't welcome. I will no longer have conversations about my weight or food or the morality of a Snickers. It isn't an easy process especially when some parents see independence or boundaries as an insult or as a jab at their control as parental figures. I hope your therapist can help you navigate the process, and hopefully if your family is open to working through this with you so you can all get to a better place together. Oh, and if you watch Shrill, I found a lot of Aidy Bryant's character dealing with her mom about food and weight a really good example of trying to have these tough conversations.

I am 14 months post RNY. I told my Mom (but she had Alzheimer's and was not aware), Dad, Sister, Partner and kids prior to surgery. Of course my sister and Dad tried to convince me not to go through with it stating they heard this or knew of someone that...etc. I did not listen. My partner of nearly 24 years was very supportive and totally on board as too were my kids. Of course my sister told anyone and everyone else...family that I have no contact with or have not seen in a decade or longer until my Mom passed away 6 months ago. So I could've cated less. My partner told a couple of our close neighbors and one of his friends. And then of course afterwards the girls at the pharmacy started taking notice when the weight was dropping and I was no longer needing meds...so we told them. I was a bit embarrassed at first but now I feel silly for even feeling that way. I tell anyone and everyone that asks me how I lost weight. I have nothing to hide. It wasn't an easy task either. I lost 10 lbs a month or less sometimes, had a few complications, some support, some not, exercise like crazy and have to be OCD about my intake and tracking. It's a lot of work. More so than just a diet or exercise routine. It's a lifetime commitment and you have to put in the hard work to get out of it what you want. If you miss junk food, sweets, chips..find better alternatives, make better choices or choose to take steps backwards out of your progression. But whatever you do, you do it for you and only you. And there's nothing to feel guilty or ashamed, embarrassed about. And it's definitely not taking the easy way out. Because there's nothing easy about the road we are all choosing to travel down. Some just reach their destination a lot quicker than others while some enjoy the journey a little bit longer. So tell whomever you want or don't want to. But eventually the secrets gonna be revealed in around 6 months post op. Up to you what you want to share..your life, your body.

I had a VSG in 2012, lost a baby in 2016, then struggled with secondary infertility for 3 years, got pregnant in 2019, ended up needing emergency surgery and thus had a miscarriage, got pregnant again in July 2019 and my rainbow baby boy was born in March 2020.... during a pandemic! So needless to say I too hve gained my weight back. I am just now starting the process to get a revision. I have bad reflux as well.

I'm sorry that happened to you! I told everyone (I actually posted it on FB) and I only got negative comments from one person, and they're not someone I care about. Everyone else was super supportive! People in my life have seen me struggle with my weight for years, losing and regaining 50 then 100 lbs over the last 10 years. I need to try something I hope will be "permanent".

Wow... this hit me in the feels today. I've been overweight since I was 10 when my parents divorced, and we moved in my grandmother. The only thing that was ever said about food was about leaving any behind. I - like many on here - was a card-carrying member of the "Clean Plate Club." It is still hard for me. I have to consciously think about it to leave food behind. That being said, what struck me about this post deals with how I parent my own girls. Parenting is hard, and kids should come with instruction manuals. I NEVER wanted to give my kids a food complex. I've never made them clean their plate. When they're done, they're done. Both of my girls are on ADHD meds, so they don't like to eat during the day, but they're hungry at night. Usually, they come back for a second dinner sometime before bed. Neither one had a weight concern until last year. My oldest became a cave dweller during the lockdown, and it wasn't until she went back to school in January that she walked further than from her bedroom to the kitchen. I tried to get her to go out for a walk -anything - but she's 14 going on 25 and knows everything. All that to say, she gained about 50lbs in less than a year. It's not healthy for her, and she's not happy with it. I can tell that she's now self-conscious about it. Like many of us, it snuck up on her. It's all good when you're wearing PJs every day, but when you try to wear real clothes and they don't fit, it's a shocker. She brought it to me first. I told her I was concerned because it wasn't healthy to gain that much, that fast. She said - you think I'm fat! (Remember she's a teenager.) I told her I absolutely didn't think she was fat, BUT it's not healthy and she's not happy. She's really lost her stamina and endurance. My husband, who is 6'7" so 300 lbs for him is way different than 300lbs for me, was an athlete and is of the mindset that we tell her she needs to lose weight - and no... I stopped that cold - but he has that athlete mentality that if a coach said he was bad at free-throws, he would have practiced them until he was better. <eyeroll> I told him that she's not an athlete and she's a girl so telling she's overweight is NOT the route we're going. If we tell her she's fat then this will be her mental talk - Well, I'm fat so I better just go along with what my friend wants because I'm fat and no one will like me. Well, I don't want to have sex, but I better because he's showing an interest, and I'm fat so this is my only chance for love. Well, he's abusive, but I'm fat so I don't have any other options. - He looked at me like I was nuts, but I told him this is how many girls think. I'm trying to talk to her about it without being a nag or a dictator. When she's asked for help, I've made some suggestions like slowing down when she eats, taking smaller bites, cutting back on some of the sweets. I told her that I would help with things that I'm learning through this process, but that she has to WANT the help. It's hard because I can see that right now she's going down the path to end up where I've spent the last 3 decades, but I'm also trying to not make her worth about her weight. I could become the crazy food police, but that's not how I want our relationship to become. Weight can be lost, but if I make her not even want to be around me or her family, then I've completely lost her in other ways. I'm sorry your family made you feel like that, but I hope you don't "cut off your nose to spite your face" as my GiGi would have said. If you're to a point where you need it, this surgery is for YOU. In the end, if your health deteriorates or you don't get to enjoy things, you are going to pay that price. If they gloat or whatever, they'll gloat. I can't relate exactly because I didn't get that growing up so I don't mean to sound flippant and if you don't already have a therapist, I'd recommend you try one. My mom married someone just to get away from her mother and her nagging. I moved out at 15 and she spent 8 yrs in an abusive marriage because she didn't want to be "wrong" and have my grandmother "tell her so." Don't let them and their pettiness drive your decisions any longer. You do you.

I use Cronometer. Does what I want/need it to. Basic food logger with a large database but you can easily add items they don't have listed by just taking a pic of the food items bar code. You can also put in a recipe and it will give you the nutritional info for the recipe/servings/etc. Been using it forever so not sure what other apps do and don't do compared to this one. Used to use My Fitness Pal over 10 years ago but never tried Bariastic.

I am 14 months post RNY. I waited til I was on solid foods for protein bars. But I had a hard time with them still. It was about 6 months until I could handle one and then I tried many different ones. But everyone and every body is different. I also had strictures restricting me from taking in food. The only one I eat now are Built bars. They taste amazing. And have been my saviour especially when I have a sweet tooth or chocolate craving or a desire for dessert. I love the salted caramel (think milky way candy bar) and cherry barcia, omg! Tastes like a chocolate covered cherry. Their limited release flavors are always exciting, big hits and sell outs. I am a brand ambassador. I have a discount code for 10% off if you're interested, it's 36608. And the link is builtbar.com?baapp=36608

I purchase ready made Cauliflower crust in the freezer section at Publix. 2 months ago they had one brand overstock marked down from $8 to $1.99! So we purchased 10 of them. Removed them from their boxes (they were plastic wrapped too) and stored in deep freezer. Took up less space without the boxes. But we used them as "pita"/flatbread in greek nachos, pizza crust, breadsticks, crackers. So delicious. We also make Fathead keto dough. Its so simple and yummy. You can use it for breadsticks, pita alternative and a not so crispy cracker too. But it still works. https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/fathead-pizza-crust-low-carb-keto-gluten-free-nut-free/

Surgery on 4/29. Almost no more pain. Down a little over 10 pounds. Sent from my moto g play (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

Warning -- I imagine this topic is triggering to a lot of people. It would be triggering to me outside of this community. But I want to create a space for people to talk about how their weights and bodies were treated when they were young and the impact that still has on them. I apologize if this already exists somewhere -- tried to do a search beforehand. Anyway. One of the primary brain things I am working through leading up to weight loss surgery is my relationships with my parents and their relationships with my body when I was young. My parents were pretty restrictive with food. There were certain designated "no dessert days" and when I was a little older, "no carb" days. There was a lock on the pantry, not in a way like I never got enough to eat, but it sent a message. We always had a lot of diet-oriented foods at home. During the summer, my brother and I would each spend a week with my grandparents, where we could eat pretty much whatever we wanted. When we got home, my dad liked to weigh us, and laugh about how much we gained. Both of my parents were always on a diet. There was a period of time before I was born that my dad was obese, and a period of time when I was in elementary/middle school when my mom was obese, but other than that, they've always been a 'healthy' weight. But -- always on a diet. Never thin enough. When I hit 10 or 11, my mom started wanting me to diet with her. When I was that age, I was not overweight, and did not become overweight until I was about 15 or 16. On my most generous of days, I think that she probably just was looking for a way to bond with me as I was getting older. That was the trauma of her generation, I guess; women bonded by talking about their bodies and dieting. I started going to Weight Watchers with her when I was 12 years old. A doctor had to sign off, and despite my 'normal' BMI, he did, and I will never, ever forgive him or understand why he did that. I guess the early 2000s were another time. Between the ages of 11-14 I did eDiets, Weight Watchers, the Zone diet, the Master Cleanse, normal calorie counting -- etc. Not for health; all because my mom told me that if I lost 5 pounds, or maybe 10, or maybe 15, I "could be a model." Or because, as she told me one day, "No one wants to be that fat girl in high school who can't get a date to the prom." On top of that, both of my parents, but particularly my dad, were always talking about other people's bodies. They were obsessed. They talked disdainfully about other relatives, especially my dad's sister, who were "yo-yo" dieters, whose weights kept going up and down. I helped out at my dad's small business one summer and went to lunch with him and two of his friends when I was maybe 13 years old, and they took turns guessing how much a table of women with obesity weighed, combined. My dad made it clear, over the course of many years, that he hated fat people, and I have no doubt this is still true -- he just doesn't say those things in front of me anymore, because I've become what he hates. There are probably a dozen reasons why I gained so much weight in my late teens and through my 20s, but the connection I feel between eating whatever I want and freedom from my parents is intertwined in a way that is painfully clear. It is all about control, and watching what I eat still feels like they are controlling me. Eating whatever I want, until I got so overweight that it was taking a real toll on me, was how I felt in control of my own life. Now I feel like I have control over almost every area except food. All of this is working together to form a really big anti-motivator for surgery for me, which is that the idea of making my parents happy (and grandma -- don't even get me started there) in the process of losing weight is absolutely repulsive to me. I am desperately looking forward to a smaller body so that I can so things that everyone else talks about here -- fit in an airplane seat, have more stamina, have an easier time exercising, reducing risk of weight-related health problems, finding clothes that fit that actually reflect who I am, etc. But I feel sick whenever I think about turning up at home in a couple of months, looking noticeably smaller, and them saying something about it. I feel like I'm not going to be able to handle it. I don't want them to say a gd thing about it. And I don't want to get into unpacking years of hurt with them. I'm already thinking of ways I can minimize my weight loss when I'm home; baggy clothes, etc. It is such a mind mangle to want the result of surgery so bad and simultaneously be dreading them. I don't want them to ever think I did this because of them. I don't want them to ever feel that they won. If you have stuff related to this you want to get off your chest, I hope you feel welcome to share those things here.

I completely relate to all of your feelings about this! I first started looking into WLS 15 years before I actually went through with it. I considered it many times over the course of those years, but the reason it took me so long to go through with it was exactly what you said -- I hated the thought of giving up everything that I loved. I couldn't imagine not eating a whole Red Baron pizza every week, or giving up my diet sodas. But I eventually reached a point where I had to choose between my health and continuing to eat the way I wanted, and that's when I went through with the surgery. The first few months (including the pre-op diet) are HARD. It is a huge adjustment to make to your life, especially in the liquid/purees/soft foods stages. Even when you get to the "normal food" stage, it's hard to know what to eat because it feels like everything you want is now off-limits. I still have the occasional pangs of sadness when I see something that looks delicious and realize I can't have it. I think the biggest surprise for me after surgery has been how little I miss my old diet. I have gradually discovered new, healthy recipes and foods that I never even would have tried back when I was eating pizza, french fries, pasta, ice cream, etc. I'm actually enjoying eating healthy food. I don't miss eating rice at all (in case you didn't know, most WLS patients don't eat rice because it expands in the stomach and can be painful) because I have found that cauliflower rice is a great substitute. I didn't even try it until my pre-op diet because I hated cauliflower, and now I eat it several times per week. I recently tried chia seed pudding and learned that I love it! I've started drinking tea since I quit carbonated beverages and now I'm discovering all kinds of delicious teas. I've found some great spice blends and sauces that make vegetables really tasty, and delicious light salad dressings. Can you believe I never tried sriracha before surgery, and now I love it (Huy Fong chili garlic sauce is even better). I'm about 10 months out from surgery, so still in the honeymoon period, but my experience at this point has been that the adjustment to my diet has been easier than I expected. The hard part for me has been making time in my life to take care of myself and my health because I didn't really exercise before surgery, and now I'm devoting over an hour per day to it. I went years without ever going to a doctor (other than the dentist) and now I have to go a few times per year, get periodic bloodwork, keep my prescriptions filled, etc. I have to take my vitamins every day. It can all be a burden, but the tradeoff is that I am in the best health of my adult life, and not obese for the first time in my adult life. I'm not saying that WLS is right for everyone, but you know all the reasons you have decided to do this and whether it's worth all of the changes you'll have to make. Good luck!

I am 10 months post-op and I eat/drink everything I used to, but in MUCH smaller portions. I was really busy yesterday and struggling to get calories in so I grabbed a slice of pizza from Whole Foods. I ate less than half of it and gave the rest to Husband (I got full AND it was too greasy for my taste). I hosted a dinner party last night and ate pie with ice cream for dessert with our guests (I do not dump). I am trying to stop losing weight right now, so I am eating more carbs than I have in months. I still follow the protein first rule, though. You will be able to enjoy some of the things you love in the future and you might be surprised on how your tastes change. 😊

Happy belated birthday! Congratulations in your fabulous new dress and size. You wear RED well. You are probably in a 10/12 by now... I loved watching the inches and sizes melt away settling in XS/4 - 6 clothing. Now, I can shop those deeply discounted sale racks where only small sizes were left. Fun!

Hi, your story sounds a little like mine! I am 8 years out, had great success, and then life got in my way, too. My highest was 325, and I was 306 on the day of my surgery. I’ve been struggling for the last 3-4 years to get back to goal, but the truth is that I am hanging around 215, and I need to be at 175 (my lowest was 160, but it was shockingly thin on me). Anyway, over The winter I ballooned up to 132, and in the last 10 weeks I’ve lost down to 212. My first goal is 199, and then 185, and then we will go from there. I even went to my surgeon to see about a revision, which he will do. For the moment I’ve decided against it because as long as I restrict my eating, I don’t have as much trouble with reflex, and clearly, I can lose weight. I just don’t want another surgery if I can avoid it. The hard reality for me is that I have to remain ever vigilant and keep my calories consistently 1000-1100 for slow loss, and more like 900 to see the scale move at 1-2 pounds per week. I would love to connect with you and support each other, and anyone else who wants to join in!

Hey everyone i had my op 10 days ago, and last few days I’ve felt hungry. That normal? im a bit upset about it as I never wanted to feel it again haha cravings are starting indeed baby food week is about to commence any tips -‘let me know thanks!

May 19😆🙏🏻 RNY

Congrats surgery twin😄 mines is also May 19, im also having Bypass because of severe GERD, Good luck!

Good luck hun, mines May 19 also in NYC, we got this🙌🏻🎉

May 19😆 Gastric Bypass at NYPH🙏🏻 Congrats and Good luck to everyone❤️

it should stop on its own. Things do shift around during year 2, so you'll start looking less gaunt - and then in year 3, MANY of us put on 10-20 lbs of bounce back weight (and some put on more), so I wouldn't get too worried yet... I was really worried when I got into the low 130s, but I bounced back 20 lbs in year 3. Now I kinda wish I hadn't - but it happens to the majority of us.