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So this happened! I was denied by my insurance because I did not do a year of a weight loss medication first. I cannot take them because my Dr said there isn’t one that won’t interact with my anti depressants so I will fight that. Insurance also said they have no records of having co morbidities that are made worse by obesity. I have a brain disease that puts me at high risk of stroke if I don’t get the weight off as well as GERD and osteoporosis through out my body. I guess the girl handling my pre approval didn’t find out what was needed to get me approved and get the right documentation, now I am trying to get everything for her to turn in with the appeal. I’m a little irritated but I will fight this, getting approved is the only thing left to do, I have come too far

So this happened! I was denied by my insurance because I did not do a year of a weight loss medication first. I cannot take them because my Dr said there isn’t one that won’t interact with my anti depressants so I will fight that. Insurance also said they have no records of having co morbidities that are made worse by obesity. I have a brain disease that puts me at high risk of stroke if I don’t get the weight off as well as GERD and osteoporosis through out my body. I guess the girl handling my pre approval didn’t find out what was needed to get me approved and get the right documentation, now I am trying to get everything for her to turn in with the appeal. I’m a little irritated but I will fight this, getting approved is the only thing left to do, I have come too far

Stalls in weight loss after bariatric surgery are common and can occur for a variety of reasons, including changes in diet, hormonal imbalances, or the body adapting to the weight loss. It's important to consult with your surgeon and/or dietitian to determine the cause and address it appropriately. They may suggest adjusting your diet or increasing physical activity. Additionally, it's important to remember that weight loss is not always linear and can fluctuate over time. Keep track of other health markers, such as body measurements, energy levels, and overall health, to gauge progress and ensure that you are on track.

Don't be surprised if your weight stalls when you start strength training. I started at the beginning of the year 3x/week and my weight stalled for a little more than two weeks but it finally started dropping again a few days ago once my body adjusted.

I feel like I have not hit a stall neither and I'm about 10 weeks, granted I do not weight myself daily, more of once a week to keep me on track. I would not worry about a 2-pound gain, it can be the new food you are trying or retaining water, which is usually my case.

Hello, how are the November people doing? I have been doing good, did not see much weight loss last week since I was on vacation and did eat carbs and had a margarita, but did not gain. I started to walk 30 to 1 hr 5 times a week and will start strength training soon just not the stomach portion since sometimes I do have some small numbness there still.

Hello, how are the November people doing? I have been doing good, did not see much weight loss last week since I was on vacation and did eat carbs and had a margarita, but did not gain. I started to walk 30 to 1 hr 5 times a week and will start strength training soon just not the stomach portion since sometimes I do have some small numbness there still.

I never experienced a stall. The secret is to get off the scale. I was too large for a home scale for at least the first year, so I only knew my weight at my monthly follow-ups with my surgeon. Eventually I was able to fit on a home scale, which I weighed on several times a day for a couple weeks, then I returned to only weighing at monthly follow-ups. It certainly made for a lot less stress over weight loss. I still only weigh at medical appointments, usually my annual physical. One does not need a scale to follow one's plan. Good luck, Tek

I am also a guy. I was about 43 when I had surgery, about 64 now. I needed to lose a few more pounds than you, but it's not a competition. I'm honestly shocked that you are allowed surgery with 40 pounds to lose. Generally it's a minimum of 100 (give or take) pounds to qualify for surgery. I'm not sure if your lucky or un, but I guess time will tell. The current paradigm is 2 weeks of liquid diet pre-op, then 2 to 6 weeks post-op, then about 2 to 6 weeks of puree, then on to solid foods. Difficulty at any of the steps is very individual, but you will find a way to manage it. My plan was 6 weeks of pureed from day of surgery. I never had to do a liquid diet. Not being a quitter are fighten' words around here. You are apparently at 40 excess pounds. If this is the worst case situation then if you think you can lose weight via diet and exercise it may be worthwhile for you to try. Surgery is a harsh solution. If you are down to 40 pounds overweight after having been 100 or more overweight then surgery may be your best long term solution. You know your situation better than us. Most people do manage to eat what would be considered a normal meal size after a few months. Your current view of 'normal' may not measure up. Further, most post-ops can eat just about anything eventually, which can bring with it the hazard of falling into old habits that caused you to gain weight in the first place. With a little bit of restraint most people will be fine. Personally, since you asked, I eat more than a few bites more often than not. My typical meal size is still 4oz protein, 1 or so ounces of veggies. I can finish this meal 4 of 7 times, the other times my stomach says to take a break. I enjoy good food. You must have considered all these things previously. Just review why you made your decision in the first place and you will be solid. Good luck, Tek

Just replied! Also, here is the Mexico/self-pay board: https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/486-mexico-self-pay-weight-loss-surgery/

Everyone is progressing well. my stall has broken this week. FINALY. I didn’t meet my first goal. Only just 2 kilos shy. But I’m just glad I’m feeling alive. And loosing weight. I was given the green light to exercise again but limit the walking and weights. Soi mainly walk in the pool. I saw the dr again today. still have issues and now they are talking surgery 4 and mesh walls. When dr fixed the hiatus he tightened it to good and it’s been most of the issue I have with vomiting and not tolerating solids/soft foods. I have a new found love for Carrot and Apple smoothie. Sounds weird. But it’s so yum. I was told by the dr that our food hormones were cut away. And over the next 4 years they will grow back. But by then we should have stabilised a good eating pattern.

You are correct. I have receipts for the current medical policy. Click this link to the BCBSM website, or google bcbsm bariatric surgery medical policy MEDICAL POLICY - BARIATRIC SURGERY (GASTRIC SURGERY FOR MORBID OBESITY) Once the pdf opens, press Ctrl+F on your keyboard. Type 4/20/21 in the search bar. “Updated the policy to say 4 years for both BCBSM and BCN as per the JUMP’s recommendation and eliminated the 6 months waiting period statements” I also called Blue Cross Complete @ 800 228 8554. I spoke with a very helpful rep who informed me that there is no waiting period for Blue Cross Complete (Medicaid) Only documented medical weight loss program within 4 years of surgery request. Doctors determine the length of their weight loss programs. I’d give them a call and maybe do a three-way with your office manager.

You’ll only need to take the strong pain meds for a few days - I took my last one on day 4 but probably didn’t need it. Some find over the counter enough in a couple of days. We all handle pain differently. The shakes can taste disgusting after the surgery because our taste buds can temporarily change. Have a couple of different brands & flavours on hand. I forced myself to have a shake in the morning (doubled the water to dilute the flavour) & then had diluted soups (broths, consommés) the rest of the day. Ask your dietican for other protein rich fluids you can try. It’s really only for a short time. Water can be sort of hard to swallow - heavy. Try drinking other liquids as well. I drank green tea, thinned yoghurt drinks, electrolyte drinks as well as the diluted shakes & soups.. Warm drinks are often easier to drink - more soothing. As the months pass you will be able & encouraged to eat more. I was advised to start with 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purées slowly increasing to about a cup at goal (at 6 months for me). Check with your surgeon & dietician for their recommendations for portion size, maybe calories & any other nutrient goals like protein. Yours will be different to mine simply because you’re male. Same with when you progress through the restricted return to eating stages to support your healing. I was on 2 weeks cycles: liquids, purées, soft before solid which is pretty common. Having the surgery is not being a quitter. The truth is you will still be doing the work & it is hard work. You can’t rely on the surgery alone to be successful. People can & do eat around their surgery. The loss of appetite & hunger don’t last & some don’t lose them at all. I worked harder after my surgery than on any other diet simply because I wanted this to work & be as permanent as possible. The head work, understanding why you eat, your cravings, habits, etc. is probably the hardest aspect. I also did a lot of reading to work out a way of eating (not a diet - they’re temporary) that worked for me & could be sustainable. This was a huge difference. I could always lose weight (until the last gain I had) but I could also put it all back on again because I went straight back to what I did before. I was a quitter then because I didn’t stick to any exercise plan or change of eating style. I still watch my portions, monitor my protein & fluid intake, randomly check my calorie intake, & carefully read the nutrition panel on the few food stuffs I buy - I tend to cook most of my own food from scratch. All the best whatever you choose to do.

Yep, that's a stall. Totally normal, you'll have a lot more. I tend to gain around 4 pounds in a stall and then just stay there for weeks until it breaks.

The pre-op diet is a rough two weeks, and quite possibly the hardest part of it all because you have to stick to this strict liquid diet without yet having the help of the surgery. Stay strong -- you can get through it. Your boss sounds pretty rude for rubbing it in that you can't eat, but 6 months from now, she will probably be jealous of all the weight you've lost.

Congrats! You look great and should be happy with over 70 pounds in weight loss. I only lost one kilo (2.2 pounds) in January, so that’s not great. But I haven’t really been able to exercise since I was sick in the first week of January and then I hurt my foot. So far in this journey, I’ve always lost more in the month after a slow month, so here’s hoping February will be a success!

Have any of you experience a stall in the weight loss? At the 3-month mark I noticed I stopped losing weight and I even gained 2 pounds. My diet has changed a little bit and continue to follow suggestions by my nutritionist.

I originally had an ESG, it wasn't painful as such but I did have rolling stomach cramps, you can get over the counter medication for that (buscopan). You need time to allow the suture / anchor sites to heal, so I would think most doctors would give you at least a week or two of fluids (shakes), I did see one plan when someone had to do shakes for about eight weeks. It really does depend on your doctor's guidelines (I would have thought you would have been provided with guidelines by now). I am not sure why you think having a weight loss procedure makes you (or anyone else) a quitter. I imagine you have had many attempts at losing weight and haven't been successful? If this helps you lose the weight and maintain the lost, that's a good thing. ESG is a lot different than the surgical options, the reduction in stomach size is not as great as those options, you mostly certainly eat more than a few bites at a time (as is the case with the surgical options once healed from those procedures). This is from an Australian perspective but you may find it useful https://bmiclinic.com.au/endoscopic-sleeve-gastroplasty-faq/

I was self-pay so I went with the Sleeve because it was cheaper and came with a lower complication risk. Being self-pay, any issues that arise due to the surgery also aren't covered under insurance so I wanted to make sure to go with the option that carried the lowest complication rate. In my experience it seems that bypass is the more dominant option for those that are severely overweight (think BMI 60+) and want the best chance at being able to lose most/all of their excess weight and maintain the loss.

Bypass was once the gold standard of weight loss surgeries up until a few years ago, when sleeve took over. It's easier for surgeons to perform, it's cheaper, and a lot of people are afraid of the bypass. Thus, sleeve is currently the most popular weight loss surgery. I went with bypass because I had GERD prior to surgery. Bypass usually improves if not outright cures GERD, whereas sleeve can make it worse (doesn't happen to everyone - and some people say their GERD even improved after getting sleeved, but the risk of having it get worse was too high for my comfort, so I chose bypass). bypass is the stronger of the two surgeries, but sleeve is close. And yes, you have more options for revision after sleeve, but then, very few people who have bypass get theirs revised. honestly, they both have their pros and cons. There are some health conditions (like GERD) that would make one surgery more appropriate for you than the other, but barring that, it really comes down to personal preference. They're both good surgeries and you'll find many examples on here of people who've been very successful with both. I love my bypass and would choose it again if I had to make the choice today.

I can tell you my experience as someone who had bypass. My weight as of January 2022 was 245; on surgery day (May 13th, 2022) my weight was down to 223. As of today it's at 134. My height is 5'2. The surgery itself went fine, but I had some issues with pain management (don't let that freak you out, it's very individualistic on how people experience pain). I was in the hospital for 3 days and released when I was able to keep a bit of broth down. I found that walking around and heating pad helped with the gas, but it took quite a while for that feeling to go away. A week out from my surgery I had to go to the ER because I couldn't keep more than an ounce of fluid down and was dehydrated. 3 bags of fluids and a GI study later, they found there was still some internal swelling that was making it hard for me to meet any fluid/protein goals. I followed the nutritionist advice and start the mornings with a warm drink, which does help. Now, all of these months later, I'm not able to eat much (once again, this is more the exception than the norm), but clearly the amount of food I've been able to consume is providing energy to get me through the day. My sister also had bypass without complications and she lost 85 pounds in a year. She's been able to eat most things, though she's learned the hard way about dumping syndrome. I have no regrets about my surgery and feel much healthier than I've felt. I've gone from a size 22 to a size 8. Something I never thought would happen. Good luck on your surgery.

Sleeve is an easier surgery for doctors to perform and it's an easier recovery usually. I was back home the day of surgery and back to normal within a week or so. My surgeon recommended it over the bypass because if it wasn't successful there was still the bypass to do later, which is what ended up happening. I got severe GERD from the sleeve and ended up gaining some weight back. I just had the revision to bypass last month and wish I had just went straight to bypass a few years ago instead of doing the sleeve first. Sleeve recovery was simple and I lost 78 lbs in a year, then my gallbladder had to be removed, acid reflux/GERD got worse, and the weight gain started right after that. I didn't have acid/GERD issues before the sleeve. Recovery after bypass was harder for me, took me about a month to get my energy levels back up, but totally worth it so far. I took 3 weeks off work, but should have taken 4 weeks, but I work from home so I got through it. Congrats on getting your surgery date!

Hi everyone!! I am so curious I am dying for bypass info videos chats all the things, but it seems like so many sleeves. Why is that? I think Bypass is my best option and I just got my surgery date for 2/20. I do worry I have regrets about sleeve vs bypass. Can anyone tell me why you chose it and how it went? What was your weight loss like? n All I see is sleeve!

I'm the same as a couple of the others - close friends and family knew, as well as others who were obese and asking a genuine question. For most others, I told them I was working with a dietitian and exercising like a fiend. People without a history of weight problems usually believe that schlock and are satisfied with that answer.

I was only allowed to walk for the first four weeks (in fact, strongly encouraged to do so). At four weeks out, I was cleared to do everything except for weights. At eight weeks out, I was cleared for weights.