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That’s really a funny!! I am pre-op, but having surgery in 19 days!!! 😬😬 People talk about the foamies or being uncomfortably or painfully full, but not often about knowing it’s time to stop! Even if it’s something as silly as sneezing, I’ll take any indicator that I’ve reached capacity!

My BMI was 40 when I started my WLS process. I am pretty tall, so I had much more weight to lose than you. I had diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. I had lost weight many times before, and then re-gained it plus some. I definitely could not lose weight and keep it off on my own. It is now a bit over 8 months since my surgery. My BMI is normal. I am very fit. I do not have hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, or sleep apnea anymore. I take my vitamins and my asthma meds now. I ran 5 miles yesterday morning before work. I wear a size 6 pant (sometimes a 4), and can buy clothes anywhere AND they are cute! I have energy! I had the surgery to improve my health. I got so much more than I was expecting...the energy, the confidence, feeling good about myself again. Having WLS is a big deal. I cried a lot of tears while making the decision to look into surgery. You are the only one who knows if WLS is the right decision for you. Consider your history with losing weight. Consider your health and where you want to be in 10 years. Are you on the path that will get you where you want to be in 10 years? Can you stay on that path? All the best to you!

I am currently in the six months medical supervised diet per my insurance. I started at 217 lbs. BMI is around 40. I’m 4’11” and 200 lbs. I figure to expect about a 10 pound preop diet weight loss which would put me at 190. My question to myself is constantly, “Is it worth getting permanent surgery to lose an additional 70 lbs?” I’ve tried dieting before and failed, gained more weight. I have diabetes and sleep apnea. I’m on weight loss meds from my doc. I feel like that’s the only reason I’m losing weight. This keeps me up at night. Do I pursue the surgery or just continue to follow this weight loss doc and hope for the best?

Was planning on grilling some jerk pork for dinner tonite, but didn't realize it takes as many hours as it does! I've never done it on the grill before, only oven or instant pot which is way quicker. Sooooo am going to let the meat marinate another night and start grilling it tomorrow morning. Tonite was going to be the first time I broke out Mr.'s valentines day present he got me a few weeks ago: a super-cool food thermometer with a wireless transmitter. I think it was a subtle dig at my tendency to over cook stuff lol. (I haven't used it until now cuz I was intimidated by it, honestly) Anyhooo, since the jerk pork is moving to tomorrow's menu, and I had already psyched myself up to try out this toy, I decided to make some chicharron from the skin of the pork I was going to throw out anyway, using the thermometer to monitor the temp of the oil. O.M.G. I am in love with this thing. Only perfectly cooked food coming out of my kitchen from now on. Plus I like wearing the transmitter around my neck....lolololzzzz. Check out this perfectly crispy, crunchy goodness-ness (unless of course deep fried pork skin is not your thing, in which case, look away.) I ate 10 pieces (44g): 241 calories

I am not allowed to have any solids, so blending fruit with mine was not an option. I got really tired of sweet stuff, so I've started having broth throughout the day and a serving of tomato juice. However, I would check with your doctor/dietician to see what you are allowed per your plan. I'm on day 10 of my pre-op.... it definitely has been a struggle but we can do this!

4 months in! Current weight 230.4. I lost 12 lbs last month, so pretty close to the 15 I wanted. And yes, I was able to get my rings on again. I’m waiting before wearing them full time, because I’m doing a lot of rowing right now and I worry about hands swelling. I did a much better job with getting back into exercising last month- amazingly exercise is so much easier 108.6 lbs down. I’ve been rowing and trying to do walking interspersed with jogging- it’s slow but I’m working my way up. I’m pretty firmly in a size xl regular sizes. It’s hard to avoid buying a lot of clothes in this size because I know I’ll be losing more weight- it’s just hard to picture being anything less than an xl. Nonscale victories- buying new clothes and liking how I look in all of them, having enough space on the chair for my oldest son to sit next to me, it’s easy to buckle up in my car (no shifting around or straining to get the buckle, it’s so much easier to get up from chairs, change positions, etc. Next months goals- lose 12 lbs again, be able to run for 10 minutes straight (hey, I’m still really fat so this is a goal!) and row for 20 minutes at least 5 days a week.

I wanted to introduce my self since I view these forums daily and they have been more than helpful in my young journey so far. A little about my path, at my highest weight late 2019 I found out my scale does not go past 340. Of course, I have yo-yo dieted trying everything from Weight Watchers to Keto but as usual the weight loss happened then came back plus some. I started this latest adventure in September 2020 weighing in at 314 at the start of my required 6-month medically monitored diet and classes. Once completed I was down to 304 at the start of my pre-op liquid diet in preparation for a February 1st, 2021 VSG. On surgery day I was down another 10 pounds to 294. The surgery went fine and so far, recovery equally easy with three realizations. The first realization was that constipation is real and boy figuring out how to manage that one aspect is occupying my daily thoughts. I have tried everything from MiraLAX to Enema’s. So far, the latest attempt to control this seems to be working and that’s 12 teaspoons of Benifiber through out the day and 2 Colace twice daily. But nothing works like a good old fashion cup of coffee in the morning to start things flowing 😊. The second realization has been the mood swings and emotions from the hormones being released from rapid weight loss. Just ask my family, it seems I go from happy to depressed in a matter of minutes and back again. The final realization has been that yes, the stalls are real also. I have been locked into the same general weight for about a week and a half now and couple that with the mood swings, its enough to get you doubting your decision to have the surgery. Thankfully these forums have been a source of resolve and information that has gotten me through this far and helps me stay the course. Today I stand before this forum at 261, 53 pounds down total since the beginning and 33 pounds down since the day of surgery. Hopeful for the continued success as I walk this path and the constant adjustments to eating like knowing when I have had too much or drank too fast. There are far more benefits I have encountered already in my short time on this side of surgery but in an effort to keep a long story from getting longer I will reserve more comments for a future discussion. Thank you to all those who bring experience and honesty in there posts and replies I peruse daily and for those who are struggling earlier on then me, just know it does work if you follow the program and stay connected here.

Just focus on the goal. It’s hard I know. I kept thinking I wanted my liver to be shrunk really small so it would make the surgery as smooth as possible. I just wanted to minimize any risk I could. But it’s worth it. My health is so improved, I’ve lost almost 60lbs and I’m at week 10 post op. I walk and swim and workout and I can even cross my legs now. Hang in there.

Many companies offer free samples. You can definitely get them from Bariatric Advantage and Pro Care Health. Celebrate Vitamins has a $10 sample pack with a $10 coupon towards a purchase. I decided on Pro Care calcium chews (less variety than Bariatric Advantage but prefer the taste. I wasn’t a fan of the berry vitamin. Called back and requested a sample of the citrus which I ordered for when I can take my iron vitamin. Unjury has a small multi but I preferred Pro Care’s taste. Those were the brands recommended by my Bariatric dietician. Not all Bariatric vitamins have the same nutritional value. Good luck!

I waited 10 days and that was mainly because they are busy and they check the benefits under my insurance so they can have a real discussion at the 1st visit.

I never did the popsicles and I got sick of jello ( cuz I could only eat half of the serving which what was allowed) But, what I couldn’t keep down by phase 3 was protein shakes. What really helped was water infusers and I Am in phase 5 part two so 3oz. Protein 3x a day. I’m still having to supplement. I used protein2.0 water and Isopure water infuser powder instead of protein shakes. That made it tolerable and palatable for me. Now at week 10 post op and I’m still supplementing at least 20oz. But I can live with it.

I’m scheduled for March 10 too!

@ms.sss & @Arabesque We have tried the 19 crimes with Snoop Dog on it. It was pretty good..... Here's a great one.... APOTHIC INFERNO AGED IN WHISKEY BARRELS another one is La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.... give them a try if you haven't already

LOL so true. I haven't seen my face thin in about 10-15 years...so yeah, I def look older than that. lololzz.

stalls will eventually break as long as you continue to follow the rules. and weight loss DOES slow down the closer you get to goal. The last 20 lbs for me was an absolute BEAR to get off - took probably a good 4-6 months. That's true of more normal-weight people, too. I used to roll my eyes at these slightly overweight women at Weight Watchers who'd moan and complain about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. Now I totally get it...

Good luck. I am going in tomorrow, March 10! excited and anxious at the same time.

I just had this surgery on 2/23. I absolutely hated the band and should have done this years ago. I could not get any salava to go down with minimum restriction. I finally just gave up. I had the sleeve approved and could not be happier about it. The surgeon that put the band in did the revision. I have had no pain and no hunger since leaving the hospital. I wish I had done this 10 years ago. Good luck to you. You have made a good decision.

I noticed it too. It is happening to me as we speak. People always used to tell me how young I looked, even though I was overweight. Now, with the weight loss I have noticed how I do not get the same compliments. I am only 6 months out. I look like I have aged about 10 years.

My days usually consist of Breakfast- protein shake with coffee (165 calories) on occasion I’ll have a smoothie that’s around 200 calories with frozen fruit in it. ~20-30g protein 1st morning snack- protein or bone broth (50-70 calories) ~10-15g protein 2nd morning snack- cottage cheese with fruit or vegetables like cucumbers, peppers, or celery (150 calories) ~15g protein Lunch- protein soup packet and salad with light dressing and either seeds or nuts (usually around 250 calories) ~20g protein Afternoon snack- light Greek yogurt or protein bar (80-150 calories) ~15g protein Dinner- varies from seafood or steak with a side of vegetables to vegetable curries or just snack type foods like cheese and crackers with lunch meat. Sometimes I’ll have a snack after dinner but just depends on how I feel.

I’m counting on this to be true for me too. So far I can’t tell I had surgery. I’ve never felt full and have to limit myself based on what the doc says I should be eating which is hard because well if I was that great at portion control I wouldn’t have needed the surgery in the first place. At my docs suggestion I had a soft scrambled egg the other day and I felt it stop for about 10 seconds and then pass right through! Looking forward to feeling some sort of restriction!

6' 3" HW 382, SW 309 (5/18/20 sleeve), CW 213 So I'm a couple inches taller and weighed a bit more on my surgery date than you, but can share my numbers. 2 week post op liquid diet ~450 cals Thru 3 months puree/soft foods ~600 Thru 6 months ~900 Now about 10 months out and at goal and maintaining for the last month at ~2000 cals/day I always hit 60g+ protein from the beginning and get in about double that now. Hydration always at 64+ oz. It took 3 months to bump up to 2000 cals after hitting goal. Had to focus on calorie dense items like nuts, cheese, nut butters, etc. That number probably looks crazy now, but you will get there eventually. Take it easy and don't freak out about exact calorie counts. Hard to screw up the loss in the first few months with the surgery. However, this is the time to learn new habits that can last you a lifetime. The vets here (not me yet) will tell you that the first year is the easy part. Keeping it off years 2-3 and beyond are where your good habits learned now will pay dividends.

You are probably doing fine, unless you have known kidney issues, in which case your nephrologist would give you overriding instructions.. Typically, bariatric programs have recommendations on the order of 60-80 g for women and 80-100 g for men, sometimes somewhat higher or lower depending.... The 40-55 type numbers I think originate from WHO and represent something of an RDA type of level - sufficient to prevent deficiency disease but not necessarily what is needed for optimum health under varied circumstances. It's great if you are having to figure out how much of what type of food to send to some remote area after a disaster; not so great on figuring what you need for your lifestyle. The other end of the spectrum would be the recommendations for 150,200,300 g that you may see in the men's health or body builder magazines that are intended to sell protein supplements. Generally what you need is proportional to your muscle or lean body mass (similar, but not quite the same), so ignore any calculators that deal strictly with overall body weight - the excess fat that you are carrying now doesn't need protein to maintain it. The best indicator that I have found is from a Dr. Michael Colgan who is a sports nutritionist that does (or did, may be retired by now) a lot of work trying to figure out just what the body needs for different circumstances, as opposed to basic RDAs. The basic formula he came up with takes the premise that the body is replacing all of the muscle mass every six months, and that works back to the amount of protein that is needed daily. So, for my 150 or so lb of muscle mass, it needs about 105 g daily. A short woman with half that muscle mass would need half that, or about 50g. So his figures are in the same ballpark as most of the rest that were derived from other means, so it passes my "smell test" - it's plausible. Being a guy of similar size, I would expect you to be similar. Further, this method tells me that if I wanted to add muscle mass, then I would have to add around 40g per day to add around 10 lb over six months - a reasonable goal with suitable work and training and without funny drugs (but it does take the work - it doesn't just get there by eating more!) Overall, it seems like you are on the right track for your size and previously stated fitness inclinations.

So I think an update for everyone would be good and also for myself to memorialize this whole process. Since my original post, we’ve had ALOT of discussions about the surgery, what life will be like after, her concerns, my concerns... we were very communicative about it before, but are extremely so now. We made a Costco run to get everything for her first 6-8 weeks post surgery. Have ordered a slew of helpful items on Amazon and Target and really drilled down to the heart of certain issues. I’ve learned that for me, while this has just been about the existing ailments we are trying to treat; she has harbored concern about her weight and appearance more than I realized previously. She very much wants to go back to the person she was as far as her weight and appearance when we were dating/ engaged and just married. We took out old pictures and she pined for how she loved herself in one or two dresses or how she misses having slimmer face and a shorter haircut she feels she can’t do right now. I’ve brought up my straight-up fears about her deciding she’s outgrown me or wanting to start a new chapter in life. Ever the empirical thinking, I was assured that between our four children, her job as a physician, our marriage and that fact that we along with all of our friends are in the thick of this busy stage in life- 1) when would there be time to go out more than she and I already do, with friends, no less. And 2) why would she or we throw away what we have spent close to 20 years building together? We’ve done the math a number of times, if her projected weight loss meets the law of averages, she’d be at most 10-15 pounds less than when we first got together. Really hitting home the fact that she’s just returning to her former self and not becoming “a whole new person”. So while we were looking at pictures she asked me what I’d like to she her wear or do differently once she is at a major goal and comfortable to try different things out again. That led to lots of joking, affection and some foreshadowing of some of the benefits that will come along with this life change. I also brought up my concern about her changing or becoming a “different person”. She feels that the hormonal and emotional changes will be just like pregnancy and postpartum, which we have done 3 times. She actually said she WANTS to change and to be more confident, in love with herself and less depressed. I said that would all be amazing and noted more concerns about the stories of people becoming mean or too aggressive or just actually losing key personality traits as part of the process. Again, she pointed to how she thinks of our family and marriage and how she wants me to take her out and show her off. Reassured and lovingly noted again and again. I was told I was getting a little clingy, which I think I needed to hear and have dialed it down a bit since then. So, all in all. I think good progress and lots of revelations and open communication. We will only know things for sure in a few short weeks, but it seems that while I still have concerns/ fears, her constant affection and reassurances have really truly put me at ease.

For about the last 1-2 months I have been suffering from worsening night sweats. Sometimes as many as three times per night I am waking up drenched in sweat. I had a partial hysterectomy about 10 years ago (uterus removed, kept ovaries), so I have no idea what my “cycles” are like. I am 47 years old and 8 months post-op. I am guessing the weight loss has sped up menopause for me, but due to my lack of a uterus, it is really difficult to tell what is going on. I am wondering if the rapid weight loss has launched menopause symptoms for anyone else. I do plan to see my PCP in the next month, but thought I would try to get some words of wisdom from the community. Also, does anyone have a supplement or idea to help with this symptom? It is really disruptive to my sleep. Thanks!

It really depends on the person. I've seen many on here whose scars have basically disappeared in a couple months (looking at you @sillykitty & @mousecat88)...and others whose scars stick around for what seems like forever (looking at me, lol). I have had scars stick around for 5-6-7...10 years but all eventually heal enough so they are virtually invisible. Takes a while but they all get there eventually....my breast reduction scars from 2005 had just healed to near invisibility around 2017 (12 years!)...and then I got a breast lift, and I restarted the clock, lol. But will toot the steroid shots horn again though: I had shots in November and then again in January and wow, the difference is amazing. I'll try to post a pic later when I'm not so lazy....