Search the Community

So glad to know you did talk to your surgeon! One of the reasons people responded to your post the way we did is because we see way too many people on this board who ask people here for advise when they have a medical issue after surgery. The reality is even if someone here had a similar issue, that does not mean you are having the same issue. While most people here are really grateful they had bariatric surgery, the risks of complications can be high. We're not doctor's here and we just want people to be safe. As to your multivitamin, It's likely there is potassium in it, since almost all of them I've seen have potassium iodide as an ingredient. If yours does not, then it might be a good idea to switch to one that does have that in it. Just because it's combined with iodide, does not mean that the potassium is not bioavailable. Certainly follow your doctor's advice regarding your hydration and magnesium supplementation needs. I did want to point out that 70 oz of water per day sounds a bit low to me, especially since you live at altitude. All patients at my bariatric clinic are told to try to hit 100 oz and we're down on the plains at roughly 1000 ft. I also wanted to mention that magnesium is a common sleep aid, so while the effects of a lotion may be different for you, higher doses of magnesium might make you sleepy, so are typically best taken later in the evening. I agree with @Arabesque that an electrolyte drink might not be a bad idea. I started taking one pretty early after surgery and still use them quite a bit now that my exercise routine is quite strenuous. Just keep in mind, the point in your case is to help you retain water, not really replace lost electrolytes. This means your sodium levels will rise above normal and if you're not used to them, they can cause some weight retention. (It's just water, which is what you want.) If it freaks you out because the scale stops moving for a while, keep this in mind. I should also caution you that if you have edema, upping your sodium intake might not be a good idea, so it would be best to check with your doctor first. Best of luck! I hope you get it figured out.

That’s awesome. I have been very pleased with my revision to SADI. My surgeon didn’t mention the intestine length thing but he did have me do the barium swallow, an endoscopy and a gastric emptying study before saying that the SADI would be an option as well as the bypass and it was up to me which I wanted to do. There are pros and cons to the SADI revision. statistically (which by definition means there are outliers that are more or less) but the majority of people lose faster and the loss is more durable which got my attention but the possibility of bathroom issues is significant (fortunately I didn’t have this at all until I recently started chemo but I don’t think it has anything to do with the surgery). One con though of SADI is that many doctors have never heard of it. From my family Dr, to the urgent care, ER physicians, gyno, radiologies, breast surgeon, etc. Even the gastro dr who will be doing an endoscopy and colonoscopy on me Monday has never heard of the SADI but my bariatric doctor said he will explain my anatomy to her and it will be fine. I always tell them it’s a modified version of the Duodenal Switch with one anastomosis instead of two and if they still look confused I tell them it’s not exactly but kinda like a bypass and a sleeve combined. But obviously I need the person putting a camera in there to understand better than that. I think you will be very pleased with your results from either one but another thing to consider is if you have a complication or need revision to the SADI how many doctors are able to operate on you. My surgeon told me that if I had a complication he would stabilize me but he would send me to a nearby hospital if I needed any type of revision. I appreciated that he was willing to admit his limits and I was okay with that but I guess it is a risk you may want to ask about. Your surgeon may very well have done lots of these but mine had not. Also, not a lot of doctors will do a revision to the SADI just because of regain. You would be more likely to find someone to revise a bypass. Not that we are hoping to need a third surgery but obesity is complex and a lifelong struggle so it’s something to think about. I wish you the best of luck. And hope to hear about your surgery date soon.

Hi, NeonRaven! Thank you so much for your reply and sharing your experience! I find it so helpful to hear how other NHsers have experienced the process since it seems so much more elongated from the U.S. process. And you make such a good point about the London privilege - now it makes more sense why I’ve seen more internet presence and response from London NHSers. (And quite a few from the far north of England as well!) About three or four years ago during my annual diabetic review, my nurse had suggested bariatric surgery and that gave me a lot of hope - she was able to refer me for Tier 3. I had my dietitian appointment yesterday and it went really well! It was about 30 minutes and went over the Tier 3 lifestyle changes, continued lifestyle changes (balanced meals, regular exercise, blood sugar monitoring, weight maintenance, etc), medications, and then any questions I might have. She was very positive and said she would be recommending me to go forward for surgery when the MDT meeting happens 🥲 (once I meet with the next consultants - psychologist, anaesthetist, bariatric nurse, and surgeon - how soon? No one knows.) Needless to say, I am so relieved, so happy, and so excited to be moving forward even if it’s one step. I’ve found out that my hospital trust now does their “one-stop” clinic as separate virtual appointments, rather than in-person. (So, perhaps it will be quite some time before that MDT meeting?) And then the endoscopy and ECG will be done at the pre-op assessment once a surgery date is confirmed. I am so glad to hear your NHS experience has been so good and positive. I am so sorry to hear about your mother's complication and her passing, but it is so hopeful to hear she was able to put her diabetes into remission (that’s one of my big hopes!) Congratulations on your weight loss and wishing all the health and success! 💕 PS - funny enough, I have not had any group sessions whatsoever in this process. I am wondering if I’ll have a group session with the bariatric nurse?

Hi! Sorry to have found your post so late! There's not a lot of NHS patients on here as this is mostly an American website. I had my surgery in October 2024 on the NHS. I remember the dietician appointment was a video call with other patients before any surgeries were finalised. I will admit that I don't feel like I got much out of it. The main message is eat slowly and prioritise protein first when eating a meal. The session with the psychologist (a ten minute phone call) was probably the least helpful as she just said I need to practice mindfulness and learn others ways to cope with stress other than eating. (Gee, thanks! Where was that advice when I was a fat 8 year old? 🙄) I had a higher BMI than you currently do and the privilege of living in London, so I think I was bumped up a few tiers and fast tracked (I don't know if this true in general, but London seems to get the lion's share of the funding so hospitals are less strict. My Gloucester based friend has a BMI of 44, but because she has no comorbidities, she can't get any weight loss referrals because her BMI isn't 50+) But I digress. Once I had the surgery, it was a year and a half from the initial referral, it's mostly been smooth sailing. I had the gastric sleeve and had no problems. So far, I've lost 39 kg and more fatty liver has improved significantly. My mother had the gastric bypass (also on the NHS). She had a complication, St Anthony's private hospital did the surgery, but the NHS covered it but once they operated again, she had no problems. She never shared exactly how much she weighed with me, but she went from a size 28-30 to a 22 and reversed her diabetes. She passed away in 2023, but if she hadn't, she would be much smaller I'm sure. I've had a great experience so far with my procedure and weight loss. I really do recommend going the NHS route if you are able to do so. Well done on making this decision to change your life! You've got this. Sometimes, just making the decision to get help is the hardest part!

Question for you all with experience with going on GLP-1s after surgery. First of all I started out at 325 before I started my pre op diet, Day of surgery i was 315 (Oct 2), Tomorrow I am 4 months post op gastric bypass and I am down to 259.8 (55 since surgery and 65 since the pre op diet)Anyways, I also have a failed attempt with the gastric band back in 2013. Lost 100 lbs only to have complications and gain it back so thats part of my side story. My Dr. recommends GLP-1 starting now because of my high BMI and how much I want to lose after surgery. Personally i would prefer to start this after I’ve lost all the weight I can with diet and exercise and have plateaued. What is your experience with this. I am always wondering if im on track. I would ultimately like to see 160-175 but I guess I wont know until I get there. Any feedback or experiences would be great! Thanks

I was the opposite in a way, I blindly went into the operation having being told the standard bit about possible complications but was confident in the team and was excited to start a new life so didn't over think it it all. Then suffered severe post op complications, spending months in hospital and having numerous procedures and only finished treatments 10 months after original op date BUT all of that said if your medical team are happy you are a suitable candidate I think it is worth it. You have done good work already to get to where you are and you sound like you could reach the 65lb loss yourself over time but the surgery would be a boost to that and if you work with the tool correctly over the years you should be able to maintain. That is how I looked at it, I had no problem being strict and loosing weight but it would just go back on and I would be on a yo-yo cycle. Plus who is to say what will be in a year, maybe your surgical team will change and you have to start the process again, maybe insurance coverage changes..... Travel wise I haven't had any issues, been to the US and other EU countries in the last few months and usually been able to find something suitable to eat though I always carry a few protein bars and powdered protein coffee with me just to be sure I meet my goals. A bonus on the travel is that I now fit comfortably in my plane seats and can do a little sprint through the airports if running late With regards to waiting for your wife to conceive, not sure about that one but recovery time is only a few weeks for 'strenuous' activities and wouldn't it be great to be over the surgery and well on the road to a fitter healthier you when she becomes pregnant so you can help her out more?

I would avoid the week before and after Christmas because a lot of doctors take vacation and close some days for the holidays. Plus the staff is pretty much checked out anyways. If you do have a complication or concern you don’t want to have to be waiting for an answer or have to go to the ER and get stuck with whoever picked the short stick and is overwhelmed by a huge patient load. (Not saying those things always happen but they are more likely with the holiday).

Hi everyone! I’m brand new here. I just went through all my pre-op requirements per my insurance company and now everything has been submitted and I’m just waiting for final approval and my surgery date. I’ve been doing research, watching YouTube videos, TikTok’s, ect.. trying to prepare my mind and what to expect so I’ll be ready for the surgery. I was so sure and so set and so ready and excited. However, now that I’ve done everything & it’s almost here, I am sooooooo scared! I know why I want it bc I’ve tried everything and I just don’t feel like I can lose weight by myself. I’m tired of being overweight my entire life. I’m miserable, but I keep psyching myself out afraid of GERD bc I know how that can be and I don’t want to have to get a bypass after already gaining the courage to even get VSG. I’m scared of complications like I’m going to regret doing it and be depressed that I didn’t just be more disciplined and try again to lose the weight on my own even sitting here typing this knowing in my mind i just can’t and don’t possess the discipline. I’m also afraid I won’t be able to handle the restrictions of the sleeve. What do I eat? I don’t know how to eat healthy really and don’t enjoy healthy food. I don’t know how to do this! I feel so defeated! Someone tell me they felt anything similar to this or am I not ready? I thought I was. I am so tired of being sick and tired and so tired of myself and so tired of being stuck and stuck in this body and somebody different on the outside from what I feel inside. I just want to ball up and cry.

Firstly, congratulations on coming through it all and doing so well. I am like you, major complications post op resulting in almost four months of hospitalisation and multiple procedures has left me feeling anxious about any further surgery, even going past the hospital on the bus can make me feel queasy! I had my first consultation about plastics a few weeks ago and the surgeon I picked was based on asking on a local/private Facebook group, doing some internet searches and checking out reviews and medical file searches where possible (to make sure no reports that showed red flags). As I live in Europe I has had to make sure that the surgeon and his staff speak fluent English and the other main thing was I wanted a surgeon working out of a different hospital to the one I had by sleeve done at, I wanted to be sure I had none of the same team involved. I was very happy when I met the surgeon, he was honest with his opinion in that he told me that I did not need a breast lift and implant and he did not think my tummy area was worthy of surgery at this point so at least he is not operating just for the money. He has put me forward for approval for an arm lift and I am waiting for the health service to review my file and send their decision. I am a bit afraid they may say no as I had to submit pictures and only after did I realise that maybe I didn't take 'bad' enough pics. I would have preferred to submit a video of the wobble Anything else I would have to pay for myself so, given the sh*t show of my sleeve, I don't think I will do any other surgeries out of my own pocket. I would love to do something with my calves they are terrible and depress me a bit as I feel they take away the look of all the weight loss but nothing can really be done for them.

Everyone has different plans from their doctors but in all of them I have never heard of being on regular food after 2.5 weeks. Do you mean non liquid phase and that you are normal food but soft? I hope so as that is all your stomach should be handling now as you can't digest normal food at this stage, which is what may cause the vomitting and pain. It should be no water 30 minutes before and after a meal so maybe if you are only leaving it 10 minutes that is causing the problem? I did have gas issues but it was caused by complications so not the same for you I am sure. Could you ask your doctor about taking something to help with reflux?

Hi all, my name is Kevin, and I'm new to this board. I just signed up because, for the first time, I think I have a story to share. I've been reading on this board for months as I've been weighing surgical possibilities, and now it's weird being on the other side. I did my gastric sleeve with Renew Bariatics in Tijuana about 4 months back, and I'm at -82 lbs to date. If you're undecided or on the fence—believe me, I'm there. I wasted YEARS jumping around, attempting every diet, every exercise craze, every miracle pill. Nothing held. I'd lose 20 lbs and gain 30. I was at my all-time high last year at 312 lbs, and it started affecting every area of my life—my knees hurt all the time, my energy level was zero, and quite frankly, I just didn't know who I was anymore. I eventually made the decision after my first doctor quite kindly suggested WLS. Insurance here in the US would take an eternity with all the pre-reqs, so I investigated Mexico (fairly skeptically at first). But Renew Bariatrics would keep coming up in every search, and I started watching videos, reading testimonials, even stalking threads here. I ended up deciding to go for it. The Tijuana experience was much better than I expected. The hospital was clean, the staff were nice and genuinely professional, and they were very organized. I went alone (which intimidated me), but I never at any point felt in danger. My coordinator was responsive and the time to prepare me ahead of time, like what to bring and how the day would go every time. Surgery day was actually a blur. I was terrified of heck, but the surgical team made me feel comfortable and at ease. I had no severe complications—only some expected gas pain for a couple of days. The hardest part? The adjustment in my mind afterward. Eating slowly, learning to stop when full, and knowing that food wasn't going to be my crutch anymore took work. Still does. But here's the thing—I got my life back. I can move again. I sleep better at night. I walk into rooms upright. I've still got a long way to go, but this has made such an amazing difference, and I'm glad that I pushed the limits and gave it a try. If you're considering Renew or just need to talk to someone who's gone through it, go ahead and comment or contact me. I recall how valuable it was reading actual people's posts when I was still on the fence. Happy to return the favor. Thanks for reading my long tale—I'm happy to be here!

Could you elaborate on your complications?

I’m so sorry you had complications. I hope things are going better now. I will take a chewable multivitamin today and see how it goes.

It will come off. You just have to be patient. I just wish someone had told me to expect it so I wasn't SO disappointed after surgery. The weight has come off very slowly for me, but part of that is a lack of mobility due to being bone-on-bone in both knees. I was supposed to have them replaced by now, but NOTHING in 2024 went as planned. My plan for 2024: January Remove lap-band Gastric Bypass Fall Be at BMI goal to have both knees replaced while my deductible is paid for after WLS My Actual 2024 January Removed lap-band only No gastric bypass due to complications from lap-band April Had Duodenal Switch surgery June Found out I was being laid off, last day – Oct 4 August Had lipoma removed from thigh (while deductible is paid for) September On wound VAC as incision did not heal from August surgery October Job and Insurance with paid deductible ends Start new job with new insurance Rest of 2024 Don’t get knees replace since: I just started a new job and it didn’t seem right to take time off as soon as I started My insurance deductible is no longer paid for, so I will wait until I start over again in 2025 And oh yeah, I’m not at the doctor’s BMI goal yet since I didn’t have WLS surgery in January as I planned. Here is hoping 2025 goes more to plan. 😊 Happy New Year!!

I know exactly how you feel. I had the sleeve and did great. Had to have a revision due to complications and had a bypass. In both surgeries, I never ever lost physical hunger, nevermind head hunger. I still have head hunger to this day. And yes, I have times (not a whole day, but just certain times during a day here and there) where I eat something I definitely shouldn't be eating. Have I over-eaten? Yep. Have I eaten things I shouldn't? Yep. Am I failing my surgery? NOPE. I still feel some guilt when I "cheat" but you know what? It happens. Life happens. The point is you have to recognize that you had a slip, it is what it is, tomorrow is another day to start over and get it right. There's all kinds of online support groups, online therapy, and bariatric forums (like this one) that can offer help, support, suggestions, and accountability. You can do this, just remember WHY you did the surgery. Remember why you wanted it and why you jumped through all the hoops to get it.

When I had the Sleeve, and other than the gas pressure I experienced, I went home the next day and I was on my feet and feeling better by day 3 and feeling back to myself by day 7. It really was a breeze thinking about it now. It seems straightforward, not complicated at all-- what SADI entails. My surgeon also did an EDG on me a couple of weeks ago and told me that my sleeve was in great shape and he did not want to revise it. So, really I'm just going in for the Switch. Thank you so much for getting back to me, and sharing your experiences with me. Since I've been talking with more people I've been feeling better about the surgery. Everyone seems extremely happy with their decision to do it and is very excited for me to get it done. Everyone has sent some great positive vibes my way, which has helped with the anxiety over it. So, I thank you and everyone for that! 💜 I'll be sure to post an update after surgery.

I know I'm a bit late here, but if you're still having problems, please get hold of your surgical team ASAP. I'm not saying this is your issue, but there are some serious complications that could be causing this. Best to let the professionals evaluate your situation.

Did you have the same problems during your liquid and pureed phases? If not it might be worth going back a step to purees as summerseeker has suggested. I do understand that chewing food really thoroughly is basically the same thing, but it takes the guesswork and possibilities for errors out of the equation. I know I am weird but I quite enjoyed my pureed food (because it was my first non-protein drink intake for almost a month). So tasty 😍 At 2.5 weeks I was just just onto pureed food, made with a LOT of liquid, and I was eating about 40-60mls (1-2oz) of goo for a meal, depending on how much protein was in it. We are all so different. I have seen people here thrive on solids much earlier. If your surgical team are confident that it isn't a post op complication you might have room to experiment a little. At 2.5 weeks fluids are paramount - there is wiggle room with protein and other macros in most programmes. I hope it all settles really quickly for you - sounds unpleasant.

If your BMI is only 36, then there are many different reasons your surgeon may not want you to do the LSD (Liver Shrinking Diet). I would listen to what your surgeon says. You'll have to not eat 24 hours before your surgery anyway, and nothing to drink after midnight before your surgery. My guess is they feel that's enough for you. I wouldn't push it, if I were you. Anytime I had to deviate from my main eating plan, I worked with my nutritionist and spoke with either my surgeon or the nurse practitioner about it and we came up with alternatives together. I'm 2 1/2 years out from my original surgery and 1 1/2 out from my revision (due to complications from the 1st surgery) and I've been extremely successful. I suggest not doing things behind your team's backs. Speak to them about your concerns and see what you can come up with together.

The doctor responded to my question in writing a few weeks ago that there is no good answer because there is no way to know, but saw the value of having access to my stomach to monitor, i don't think she had a chance then to review the EGD pathology report and now suddenly I have a meeting with her. The program coordinator couldn't explain to me why it was so early. 15 years ago I had a bladder cancer scare, and the urologist reacted the same way after they got a pathology report. In that instance they had access to my bladder and did a scope and did not find anything really abnormal. I know the risk is rare, and I look forward to learning about the alternative ways to monitor. And I hope you're correct. RYGB in general would be something I'll have to warm up to because of the increased complications associated with it. The great news is there is a lot of data on it, and surgeons are very familiar. Sinceit's not novel, and if I move I will surely find a doctor familiar with it vs SADI-S or even BPD/DS. For example in my area very few surgeons do either of those two. My insurance doesn't cover SADI-S or OAGB. My preferred surgery is SG. If I'm not a good candidate for it, then I'm glad I'm waiting because I need to do some deep thinking. Dumping sounds terrible. Arthritis runs in my family, and at time even at my age my knuckles and joint hurt. Nevertheless the nephrologist advises against NSAID but they are not off limits with RYGB they would be mostly off limits. I'm not SG or bust really, but I just had a relative share they have precancerous cells in their stomach. That two of my father's siblings with either stomach cancer or precancerous cells. It is a little too close to home. I may be, however, more at risk of dying by slipping in the bath tub, or driving on the highway than getting stomach cancer in my remnant stomach. So I have to be realistic. If I do nothing and get kicked off of Zepbound my weight will return, and my heart will enlarge, and I could die of heart failure or a stroke (in the last 5 years 3 close family members had strokes, and my grandfather die of a stroke years ago). Those are conditions I have now. The enlarging heart may not get worse, but it likely will. My cardiologist is why I aggressively started losing weight to lose 40 lbs since my bariatric first appointment weight-in in February. I've now been taken off one of my four hypertension meds, but I'm still on three. My other concern about RYGB is how will it impact my ability to take sustained released meds. all this I'll talk to my surgeon about in my meeting Tuesday. I've been considering bariatric surgery since 2018, and i put it off. 2022 after a few health scares and being diagnosed with mild but concerning LVH I started seeing a dietician and working out. Later I battled shame to start Wegovy in 2023 and worked with an obesity specialist's practice. In 2005 due to insurance I switched to Zepbound. After my cardiology follow up in January I went for my first bariatric consult. I briefly considered ESG, but after researching decided against it and insurance doesn't cover it. I witched Weightloss clinics and aggressively started tracking and living in a calorie deficit. I'm under no illusions about being able to keep this weight off w/o surgery long term. I don't know if the co pays next year will be even higher already $500 $360 with a coupon, or if my financial situation will change. ifI do nothing, the I'm not sure if I'll make it to my mid sixties if I go back to 315-320. So I have to do something, the question is what.

Hey, congrats on starting your journey! So, sleeve and bypass are both great options, but they work a bit differently. With the sleeve, they remove a part of your stomach, so it’s smaller, which means you’ll eat less and feel full faster. It’s a simpler surgery, and you don’t have to worry about rerouting your intestines or major long-term complications. But, it’s irreversible, and if you have or develop acid reflux, it might get worse. Now, bypass is a bit more intense. They make your stomach smaller and reroute part of your intestines. It’s great if you have diabetes or really bad reflux because it helps with those. Plus, people often lose weight faster. But the downside is you have to be super committed to taking your vitamins forever, or you’ll run into deficiencies. And there’s this thing called dumping syndrome if you eat too much sugar or fat, which feels awful. Honestly, it depends on your health and your goals. Like, do you have reflux or diabetes? How much weight do you want to lose? And are you okay with a more complex surgery if it gives better results? Your surgeon will guide you based on all that, so don’t stress too much now. Just go in with your questions ready. You’ve got time to figure it all out. Good luck at your consultation—it’s a big step, and you’re doing amazing by researching! i did the bypass and lost 20 kgs in 3.5 months Starting weight 109 kg and now 89 kg Also regain is harder with bypass. I suggest u keep reading and also there's more information on YouTube and tiktok

So sorry that you're struggling. Weight loss is both the simplest thing in the world, and also incredibly complicated. The good news is there is absolutely hope for you! Thinking through what you've posted. I think I want to break things apart a bit so we can address a few different things: Let's start with being an emotional eater. My personal belief is that EVERYONE that is (or at one point was), obese has an eating disorder, or at the very least suffers from disordered eating. You simply don't get that big without having an unhealthy relationship with food. I'm really glad that you are working to get help in this area. We have a saying here on this board that you should take to heart: Bariatric Surgery doesn't fix your brain. Success or failure long term is most often about addressing these mental, not physical issues. The surgery is a tool that can help you, but surgery alone won't make you lose weight. My point here is YOU ARE NOT ALONE. A lot of the folks here have the same problem regarding turning to food for emotional support. You can get control of this, but it does take time and help. Failure to lose weight. We all lose at different rates, so it's hard to judge whether or not how much you've lost is problematic. First, can you clarify some things? Your sidebar shows you having lost 128 pounds, but your post suggests it's a lot less than that? Also, your post says it's been 6 months since your surgery, but unless I'm misunderstanding something, it's only been 4 months? Even if it's only 4 months instead of 6, having lost 9 pounds would still be on the low side, but I think you need to also keep in mind that you are on the low end of the height scale. That absolutely does matter when it comes to weight loss. Smaller bodies need fewer calories per day. That's just a basic fact. I think it's important for you to understand that you can't break the laws of physics. if you eat fewer calories per day than you burn, you'll lose weight. Eat the same amount as you burn and you'll stay at the same weight. Eat more than you burn and you'll gain. I know that seems obvious, but people often look for reasons other than this as to why they might not be losing as expected. They'll say things like "my metabolism is messed up" as if that means they're allowed to break this basic rule. Perhaps their metabolism is messed up, but there's no rule that says you should be able to eat, say 1300 calories a day and still lose. Your metabolism is your metabolism and while there are ways to ramp it up, you don't get to break the laws of basic physics. Calorie counting. You mention eating 700 calories a day, but then mention snacking on top of that? Did I understand that correctly? Here's the thing. Everyone is TERRIBLE at calorie counting and if you're not counting the snacks, you're estimates of how much you're consuming will be even worse. Even if you're counting the snacks in the 700 calories, the likelihood that you're actually eating only 700 calories a day is really small. Studies have shown again and again that people drastically underestimate how much they are eating per day, even if they try to accurately weigh and measure everything. Part of it's just user error, but part of it is that the actual calorie counts of food are not nearly as simple to measure as we think they are. One final thing to keep in mind. Our bodies are made up of lots of "stuff", and this "stuff" is all part of what you weigh day-to-day. Fluctuations in how hydrated you are, your muscle mass and even stool weight can mask fat loss, so don't get too caught up in what the scale says. Simply put, the scale is NOT your friend. Let me give you an example of just how much the scale can lie: I'm a runner and if I run in hot weather, it's not that unusual for me to lose 6 to 10 pounds in the space of a couple of hours. Does that mean I lost 10 pounds of fat? Of course not. It means I lost a bunch of water due to sweat. Using a scale as the sole means you use to judge your success would be a bit like trying to use a hammer as the only tool you use to build a house. a hammer's great for some things, but there are also times when it's not.

I’m pretty sure that it’s the ones that are more concerned with their patients statistics. Just as the surgeon looks good with low complication rates, it makes their program look good for their patients to lose a higher percentage of excess weight.

Thank you so much for responding, everything you said made me feel validated in my fear and comforted as well. I actually do love cooked vegetables and meat cooked in other ways besides fried. I like a variety of foods in fact. I guess I just see people posting such healthy looking meals that don’t look appealing to me and I’m just like “do I have to eat that?” Like I’m not a fan of raw vegetables and cottage cheese, for instance. I haven’t seen anyone post something that I like which makes me think that what I like to eat are things I won’t be able to eat. I’m not too concerned about not being able to eat junk food at all because I’m not really a junk food eater more than I am a comfort food eater. I just love a good meal and I just don’t see anyone posting good food. Food is a concern bc it’s important, but my biggest concern besides food is being able to get out of my head and an even bigger concern is the things that can go wrong! Being dehydrated, vitamin deficiency, extreme constipation, hernias, gallbladder removal, GERD, having to convert to bypass, being hospitalized for something. Like is there anyone who has not had a complication? Even people who don’t regret the decision seem to have so many scary issues. I’m so afraid of what could go wrong. I’m afraid of being sad about food the rest of my life. I’m sad now about the control food has over me. I feel trapped. I hate that I have to be fat and even go through all of this. I hate I’m on a forum complaining about being fat. Lol. I just need someone to tell me to do it and that it will be ok and worth it! I guess I just keep imagining I’m going to be sitting here physically feeling a cut off stomach, if that makes sense. Lol. Like, I know I won’t be able to eat a lot anymore, I know I’ll need to make the better choices with food which is fine, but I just don’t want my life to revolve around food anymore! I don’t want to sit around everyday worried about food. It seems like I have to go from thinking about what I’m going to eat everyday to worried about if I’m going to be able to eat enough or eat too much or get dehydrated or get enough protein or something with food! I’m just sick of food! Lol.. Will my life ever not be about food and weight?!! If the sleeve makes me go from worrying about weight to worrying about weight on top of a bunch of other stuff, is it going to be right for me? Am I trading one woe for another? I hope that makes sense.