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Hey y'all: Well, I got on the scale this morning and was exactly the same as before my conference. I'm telling you, it's kind of great and kind of weird all at the same time, because while at this conference I just ate and drank whatever sounded good at the time--I'm talking about drinking at least 2 glasses of wine a night, a Starbucks full-fat, full-sugar mocha a day (which really didn't sit very well, I have to be honest and say--kind of quease-inducing), meals that had multiple courses (although I tried and mostly succeeded at keeping things very veggie-centric), and--brace yourselves--dessert. Yes. I ate a few bites of tiramisu at dinner Saturday night, and it was ah-may-zing. I was really kind of scared to get on my scale this morning and frankly shocked to see no weight gain at all--no loss, but no gain, either. I feel like I've dodged a few bullets, although I was mentally prepared to see a higher number. The whole process of this conference has really been eye-opening for me in lots of ways. First, I realize now that I really can relax about eating--my sleeve definitely does its job and restricts the amount of food I can tolerate. It also restricts the types of food I am able to comfortably eat--I "can" physically eat lots of different sorts of food that I couldn't tolerate at all when first sleeved, but I don't feel comfortable when I eat certain things--most of them happen to be not such healthy choices--so I'm not nearly as interested in eating them any more. Vegetables, however, are completely sleeve-friendly, plus I love them, plus I like how I feel physically when I eat them. Sweet Starbucks coffee--not so much; I drank it because it was available and my usual wasn't available, but I will not be making that a regular thing, as it didn't make me feel good enough to overcome the queasiness from the sugar (and I absolutely will not drink artificial sweeteners--just a personal aversion to that). I was able to find appetizer-sized meals that worked in every restaurant we visited. I ate in public with friends almost every meal. Not one person ever commented about how little I ate except my mentor; we went to lunch, and my waiter was quite concerned that I didn't like my grilled asparagus vinaigrette because I couldn't finish the appetizer-sized portion. My mentor, who had seen me eat several meals by that time of the conference, told the waiter, "She doesn't eat much--that's why she looks so great!" I just grinned and told the waiter it was delicious but I was full. All's well that ends well. I walked past people that I've known for twenty years and had them not recognize me until I spoke to them. Had a lot of double-takes. Had one guy come over to my table, sit down, and start talking with my mentor--I have worked closely with this person in the past at a conference--when my mentor turned to me with a comment and used my name, this guy's jaw dropped open and he spent about ten straight minutes apologizing for not recognizing me. I got used to saying, "Yeah, it's pretty different for me, too!" I was startled to have men break into a trot from behind me in order to get to a door first to open it. My carry-on luggage was stowed for me and retrieved by various guys on the plane--and believe you me, I'm 6'2" and perfectly capable of lifting my little carry-on bag into and out of the overhead bin. LOL I was flirted with by several strangers, waiters, old friends, and colleagues at the conference--not in an ugly way, mind you, just friendly flirting. My husband said, "You have lost your invisibility. What an ironic thing that you got smaller and are no longer invisible." He is 100% right! No more invisibility. And I realized that where I used to get really uncomfortable with men noticing me, I'm able to deal with the flirting in a friendly way (most of the time, just a big smile) and just take it for what it is, which for me is as a non-pressure compliment. So, all in all, a very enjoyable conference, both for the content of the conference itself and also for the nice responses to the "new" me. I had a lot of questions about "how I did it," and I responded quite honestly that "I had surgery, and it took!"

Ahhhh. Hugs and more hugs to you! Reading your thoughts above, you have a very full plate right now and “Ideally, want to finish your studies and then get the surgery”. Repeatedly you express this wish. You deserve to complete your studies uninterrupted, so then you can devote more focus to your next life milestone, WLS. IMHO, I wholeheartedly agree on that strategy. I finished my master’s at age 40 while working full time and recall the dedication, focus and discipline required to keep it all rolling at a very high level. I also had L5, S1 microdiscectomy and laminectomy 18 months ago. To add in WLS and the preparation pre and post op would have stressed me to no end, and yours is a step more intense than mine, PhD and fusion. You’ve put so much into your journey already, and we’re talking a short time frame in the big scheme of things to finish your studies. I would focus on keeping your spirits up right now in knowing and believing it WILL all be accomplished within a very near term time frame. I do recall the horror of the weight gain with spinal surgery, but again, I would strive to eat as healthy as possible but don’t stress over it. Focus on the things you CAN control, finishing your studies without losing your ever lovin’ mind is right there at the top of the list. Throw off those chains of guilt that you’re not prioritizing your health! You ARE prioritizing it in being self loving and practical to not further overload. Breathe.... You got this girll!

Sounds like everyone is still plugging away at it, although I know it's not easy. I hit a plateau a few months back, I was alright with it since my husband and I were trying to conceive. Well I probably won't be on here for a while because I am finally pregnant. We've tried for 6 years and the surgery was a plus for helping with pregnancy. I am pregnant with twins so I probably won't be on here until January after they are delivered. I will surely need some motivation after a pregnancy weight gain. I have noticed that I am very conscious of what I eat, so hopefully I don't go overboard on my eating. :thumbup: Thanks for everyone's support through the first 9 months of "band life"!!

Hello all - my date is Sep 11. Before I got approved I started liquid dieting because my decision stemmed from a 25 lb weight gain in just two months! W/ my insurance time - i have NOT been able to lose though I tried. Then i was going to go on liquid for a while but now that i have a date I'm kind of eating things I never ate before!!! Like bagels (had two this week).. because I will never have them again. I don't eat them for a reason! I am trying to exercise more than the two times a week that I ride my horse (but I have only gotten as far as restarting my gym membership, finding my card, and heart rate monitor). My excuse is working late but thats a bit of an excuse because i didn't work late today! I am single and only have a brother and his family (aside from some friends) and I hate imposing on people so I have a question. I am told I am not staying at hospital overnight. Does anyone know how much you really need to have someone with you? I live in NYC so everything is easy - can have a cab take me home... etc.

No doubt! I seriously don't remember when I was a size 8 or smaller. I was a 12-14 in high school the the college 15 turned into the partying all the time 30 and then marriage and pregnancy made it impossible to keep up. Starting pre-menopause REALLY does not help matters and then there is the medication which causes weight gain...and don't get me started on gravity!!!! Lol

I weighed in at 272.0 lbs. I showed a weight gain. I know it's not much, but a gain is just that - a gain. I have showed a weight loss then I show a weight gain. It is very frustrating.

Has anyone gained weight at the end of their 6 month supervised diet and were approved by your insurance company for surgery?

I'm only 5 months out, but I just can't see gaining back any significant weight. Granted, I still have 27 pounds to go to reach goal and the get to live the life of maintenance. I just can't eat that much and just one bite to many makes me feel awful. We made homemade individual pizzas last night (during the Cowboys game) and I made one about the size of a small bread plate for myself. Loaded it with Protein and veggies. There was NO way I could eat it all. In fact, I only at 1/4 of it and a couple bites of salad and I was DONE. Nothing else for the evening except a cup of hot tea and bottle of Water hours later. I know that there are always slider foods (milkshakes, high calorie smoothies) that can contribute to weight gain, but that's just not me. I like to eat real food that requires chewing. With my sleeve, I tend to gravitate naturally now to the protein and just can't eat much of it.

Thank you! Prednisone is the worst drug I've ever had the misfortune of taking. If you look at the photos, all of the stretch marks are because of Prednisone. When it was first prescribed, I was on an ultra-high dose. I gained over 75 pounds in about three weeks. My skin never recovered. A couple of years later when the doctor said I needed to take it again, I said no way. That was when I opted for the first surgery back in 1995. It is the only drug that has ever made me rage. I was a mess when I was on it. Aside from the weight gain, I was so short-fused no one could stand to be around me. Once I stopped taking it, that all went away. IMHO, Prednisone is evil, plain and simple... As for the keto diet, I've tried it and the high fat made me ill and gave me acne really bad. I'm basically doing a modified keto, modified Atkins, which is high protein and low carb. It has helped so far.

@Panda333 I’m a sleeve five years out maintaining in the 130’s. I am type one diabetic. My surgeon suggested the sleeve because there are times, I need to eat sugar to raise my blood sugars. WIth the sleeve, my intestines are not altered, I don’t have dumping syndrome with sugar. I am now well controlled and hardly use insulin. I want people that are researching weight loss surgery to know, many of us have had no complications and have maintained years out. Weight gain or need for a revision does not happen to all of us. Do your research, trust your surgeon’s advice do what’s best for you. Any type of bariatric surgery may need a revision due to complications, surgery not performed correctly, eating to the point of stretching your surgery (big debate on this issue) Grazing/eating around your surgery, eating disorders, or simply not following your surgeons plan. Only my opinion: For some, the sleeve is the wrong choice for them. Things I wish people knew about the sleeve. Your sleeve restriction will become less over time. you can hold more food. (it’s not back to full size) Long term success will be diet and behavior change. Just because you have more space does not mean you have to eat over your calories and macros to gain weight. If your surgeon has diagnosed that you stretched your surgery. Get counseling before a revision to make sure you don’t stretch a second surgery. Your intestines are not altered with the sleeve. Most of us can tolerate sugar without dumping. If sugar is an issue for you, investigate surgeries that give you dumping syndrome. You will feel real and head hunger at times (true with any surgery type) Hunger is more manageable after surgery. age 45 day of surgery 2014 - age 50 2019

I was on Prilosec for 6 months post-op; no weight gain. I am also on Prilosec again because I need to take an NSAID for something so they gave it to me to help prevent issues - no weight gain.

I had mine from April 04, until July 09. I know what you mean. I gained 40 or 50 lbs as soon as that thing came off. It actually felt good to eat again. I'll be totally honest though. I'll bet 2/3 of that weight gain was beer. I love the taste of beer. Once that was out, it was open season on Sam Adams. Of course I can't like something like Coor's light which is cheap and low in calories. I have to go for pricey and fattening LOL I'm telling you though, the first 2 years were ok for me. After that I was in nearly constant pain (apparently from the hole it was eroding in my tummy as I was "bubbly" all the time and doubled over with painful gas). I hated the food getting stuck and still being hungry. Once I started to have that gassy discomfort and tummy aches, that's when I started to put weight back on too. It happened to coincide shortly after I became pregnant with #3, but I honestly do not think one think effected the other. Pregnancy does not cause band erosion :wink0: I went on to have another baby on the band (2 band babies) and was uncomfortable every single day then too as well as for a year an a half after she was born.

I don't say anything to others about their weight loss for all of the reasons Emlefe states. Also, for the same reason it is not acceptable to comment on weight gain, I don't comment on weight loss. Let's face it, people who lose weight are very likely to gain it again. Of course, we are in a different situation, but others don't know that.

Hello fellow DSers I have recently gained a few lbs and I’m freaking out. About 10 since fall with about 5-6 in the past 2 weeks (due to a bed rest situation/no exercise situation from a non related medical procedure I think). I am normally very active. I also do intermittent fasting. I work out about 2 hours a day 7 days a week with few exceptions. But to be honest I’m a terrible eater. I’m a sugar and carb addict and live my life a slave to my upset stomach (ds related) Again to be honest that has worked for me 2 years out I’ve lost 100% of my excess weight but it’s not working anymore. I went from 283 to 138 and am now about 148. How have you all handled these weight gains if you have had them? I’m afraid of the slippery slope. Should I go back to basics? Proteins and veggies? This is such a weird statement but I feel like the sugar is what has helped me get here bc I don’t keep the calories in (ya know) and I’m afraid to give it up. Any advise appreciated. TIA

Is anyone on birth control? If so are u dealing with weight gain? I was on the pill for a month n quickly got off cuz I felt bloated then my legs started to hurt I panicked n thought I would get a blood clot...I'm gonna speak to my doctor tomorrow though..just wondering do all birth control make u bloated?

Interesting way of thinking. But the flux will happen whether you want it to or not. It is the body's way of dealing with excess calories. Metabolism dictates how the calories are burned so if we are unlucky to have a metabolism that does not work like a freight train spiraling out of control. We will fluctuate in weight. Up and down. but it is up to us to keep it under control. that 10 lb goal to settle the fear of gaining it all back in the future. But our minds will continue to play tricks on us for the rest of our lives. There will always be a voice in our heads that tell us we will fail. And that even 10 lbs will be too much. I am trying so hard to come to terms with my 6 lbs I have gained back. I know it is because my muscles are starting to form again and that is adding weight. I think I look better with muscle definition again...lol. My sister called me yesterday. She feels that she will not lose the weight. She is just over a week out. This is and will always be our monkey on our backs. We will always worry about weight gain. And in a sense we should. But not to the point where it dominates our lives. That is the panic that envelopes many who travel this path. Skinny is a state of mind. Healthy is the the goal. Active in our lives and a new outlook on life. They are so important..... And looking amazing in a little black dress.....

Day 4: In 2010 my band was replaced due to a slippage. I found it very hard to get back on track and did not feel that the band was working for me. After 12 months of fills and unfills, weight gain, reflux and the anxiety of missing food, I went to a new surgeon.My orginal Surgeon retired. The reason I was going through this was my band had slipped again. The surgery showed lots of adhesions and my organs were enlarged. My new surgeon removed my band and I had to wait 3 months before I could get a new one. Now with a new band in I am now starting the weight loss journey again. Wish me luck I now have 17kg to lose and feel a little lost and unsure. Getting use to fluids is very hard. Will keep you posted.

To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery. Understanding Slider Foods The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value. For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein. The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable. Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, veggies, complex carbohydrates, then fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first. Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.

So I've finally caught up, took me 3 days to do it but here I am. No questions about it, I'm an addict. Not just to sugar and carbs but to food. FOOD still tastes good to me on a daily basis. I haven't given my sleeve anything that it didn't tolerate just fine. As I have gotten further out it has become harder to stay on track because now I don't have this list of like 4 foods that it is okay for me to eat. I actually have to choose to eat what I should, and for the most part, I do. I have days that I fall off the wagon, but each day is a new day. I get up, brush myself off and start again. I am from Louiaiana. Not just from the south but from one of the most obese states in our country. You know there are "starving kids in China" so we don't throw food away, or at least that's what we were told growing up. My grandmother was a feeder. Everyday after school (after finishing off a big grab bag of flaming hot cheetos and a large icee) she would have cookies or cake or fried chicken fixed and just hanging around. We got to eat what ever, when ever we wanted. This was all before the age of 13. It didn't stop. When I was in my early teens my parents did a dieting program through our church and lost weight. I didn't lose weight. I ate what they ate but I ate as much as I wanted. When I was a junior or senior in high school, I went through the program with them and lost 30 pounds. When I started college my freshman 15 turned into my sophomore 60 and stuck around for my senior 70. I seriously gained around 80 pounds in my 4 years of college. I lost some while working on my second degree but then got pregnant just before I graduated. When I went in to have my son I was 286 pounds (I had gained somewhere between 50-80 pounds during my pregnancy). I lost about 20 after I had him but within 4 months put it back on. Fast forward 5 years and I can't get pregnant. We think it's because of my weight gain (I'm now about 320) so I decide to go for a sleeve. A month before my sleeve was scheduled to be done, I find out I'm pregnant. And you know what, I was SAD!!! I wanted this surgery. I wanted to be healthy for my pregnancy but here I was super morbidly obese and pregnant. Gross. I only gained 23 pounds during my second pregnancy and the baby weighed almost 10 pounds so not too bad. That weight came off pretty quick and then I was sleeved when the baby was 4 weeks old. It was the best decision I have ever made. I have learned a lot already. I know that I have limited will power. My will power stops when I take a bite of anything. I can resist any food all day long until I take one bite and then it is all over. I can't stop myself. Carbs are a nightmare. If I start the day off with them, I'm hungry all day and wanting to eat. Same goes for sugar. But it isn't just those. Like Cheri, it fried goodness, burgers, savory, spicy, chips and salsa, FOOD! I have eaten out of bordom, I ate when I was happy and when I was sad. Something good happened, "Oh, lets celebrate! Where do you want to go eat?" Something bad happened, "Oh, bless your heart. What can I get you to eat?" It was never ending. I haven't been a big food sneaker but there were times that I did. I could, and probably still can but have not tried, to polish off a pint of ice cream in a single sitting. I never ate a whole pizza but I sure could eat half a large by myself. I was the one who finished my husbands food, and the kid's. I was the same as someone before who would go to McD's and get a large value meal and get chicken nuggets to go with it. I was out of control. Now I am not a slave to food. I don't think about it all the time. I enjoy it but it does not rule my life. I have an amazing support system and my hubby is happy to finish my left overs So much has changed about me in the last 8 months, on the inside and the outside. I am liking this new person I am becoming. I used to tell people that people liked me for the same reasons they like Santa Claus, cause I was fat and jolly! I'm still jolly. My joy is dependent on far more than the weight I carry or my circumstances but people are going to have to find a new reason to like me!

Good thread. I always sit on the fence about labeling myself an addict, but whatever you call it (or don't call it) the behaviors were destructive enough to allow me to get up to 300 pounds. I used to say cake is like crack to me, and it still is. I weighed 140 pounds when I met my husband, and he enabled me to gain that weight. He would offer and go get whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. Now he enables me to lose weight by not doing that, and encouraging me every day to stay on track. I never blamed him for my weight gain - that was all on me. He couldn't stop me from gaining now if I wanted to. So I know I have to monitor myself and my habits and intake all day, every day, forever. I'm not perfect, and don't even care to be, but at least I know what I'm consuming. If I had to point to just one thing that I've learned and feel has contributed to my success so far, I would say that it is tracking and being honest with myself about what I eat - ALWAYS. Even when I don't want to, and even when I've eaten too much, I force myself to face it.

I would assume that it isn't a good idea to have any soda. It's the bubbles (carbonation) that is the problem and ginger ale is carbonated. It expands your stomach. Yes, it is possible to have sweets, soda, all kinds of bad things without dumping. But, it is not a good idea and will be the cause of weight gain, just like prior to surgery. You might dump but you might not. If you really want to lose weight and/or maintain then you don't have those things. And once you allow yourself some, it opens the door to doing it again and again. Trust me. (yes, my confession!)

Hi All It has been a long time since I have been here. I have lost a lot of weight and now I'm trying to keep it off. my band was to tight my doc took out 2cc and I started to eat like I didn't have a band gained 10lbs in one month trying to get back on track. When the band was to tight I couldn't eat hard foods and eat a lot of soft or ice cream and this went on for 5 months before I told the doc because I didn't want to be unfilled I lost 40lbs doing this it was not good weight lost and now for the first time since getting the band I have weight gain I'm trying not to think about it just get back on track but it is hard to stop eating the way I was when I was tight. The doc will only put back a little at a time so now I can eat and not feel full. I should have good eating habits after 2 years but I don't I now must write down what I eat and no more sweets. Thanks for listening I'm still down 150lbs and I want to keep it off. I was banded 01/07/08

that's great ur doing good after breast reduction. I agree with u on the HCG diet, I don't think anyone should do it unless they are totally commited, it's very strict and any wavering from the diet can cause weight gain. It took me a lot of research and an article I read is what convinced me to try it. It wasn't the article itself, it was a negative article but it was all th comments after the article. Hundreds and hundreds of comments disputing the article. It convinced me to just try it. The first 10 days were he'll, lots of carb withdrawals, but then it got so easy. There us no way I can do it over the next few months because of all the traveling we are doing, so I have ended it and now on a maintenance phase. I am really restricted now too, I am finally to a sweet spot - I love it! Tonight we went out for Mexican and I could only eat about 1/3 or less of my meal. I got very full fast. My band will keep me from over eating during the next few months while I'm doing the maintenance phase. Now I must get back to my exercise routine and hit it hard!

I was concerned about weight gain with the depo (slightly concerned about reaction as well)... I did hear the same thing about the pill and would not like to take the chance finding out. LOL I was advised against the iud because I do not have any kids and issues with placement when you do not have children. I am concerned about putting more hormones into my body as well as side effects. I have thought about the nexplanon implant, but no long term studies, which makes me nervous too. I had a weird dream that it grew out of my arm and I ended up with cancer, dramatic yes!! My cousin also had the implant and ended up with thyroid issues, another friend bled out and became anemic with the implant, everyone is different, but nothing I want to go through! I'm kind of at a stand still with what form to use. The obvious of abstinence and condoms, but I want to make absolute sure and double up. So much to consider!!

Hey guys, I'm Becky and I'm new here. I have been stalking the forums for a couple days and decided to start a post. I'll be keeping an updated log of my progress with pictures, weight, and measurements so be sure to check back! Here's my story: I'm 19 and have been morbidly obese since middle school. I was extremely athletic when I was young, gymnastics and competitive cheer along with riding horses since I was 5. I was always bigger than other kids but mostly it was muscle. My parents got divorced when I was 8 and it ripped my world apart, I had issues with depression and ended up going on Zyprexa which is now I believe off the market due to the insane weight gain. I gained 100 lbs over 4 months, it was CRAZY! I stopped cheering shortly after because I was too heavy to be wearing a skimpy uniform. So, that just made me gain more weight and lose muscle. I was heavy in high school and it just kept getting worse. I have dieted and can get down to 200 lbs but it all comes right back when you stop the diet. My weight really holds me back emotionally and I'm starting to get high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, etc. I'm now in college to get my BSN (nursing school) and am in a sorority. I have been with my boyfriend for over a year and he is my other half, we live together and are really happy. He is also overweight and is trying dieting, he supports me 100% and is right there cheering me on with every step I take. I'm extremely lucky to have him with me and he promises to take good care of me after I get out of surgery. My mom is also a huge part of my life and support system, she is my best friend and my own personal cheerleader. Between her and Matt, I'll be in great hands post-op. So, my life pretty much rocks and losing weight would just be the icing on the cake so I can't wait until I slim back down! Maybe, I could even cheer in college...that would be a dream come true! So far my journey has been wonderful, I became interested in the sleeve after my most recent weight loss fail and am at my highest weight ever! I started calling around early November looking for a surgeon who could get me in before the end of the year. I found Dr. Ricks in St. Louis and his nurses said it'd be tight but was possible. I went in the next week for my first appointment and good goly gosh is he just the sweetest guy you will ever meet. He's got a bedside manner that rivals any doctor I've ever worked with, I instantly felt comforted. We chatted for about an hour and he answered all of my questions, he set up some tests for the next week and off I went. I went in for testing and to meet with the nutritionist which all went smooth as can be and then I awaited a call letting me know about insurance. After 2 weeks, I got that magical call letting me know that I'm approved for surgery! We set up a date, December 19th which is the week after finals. I go in for my nutrition class and my blood work Monday then surgery the next week. Luckily I'm only on clears and shakes for 3 days prior to surgery...so no dying of hunger for weeks like others have to endure! Starting weight: 260 Starting measurements: Arm: 18” Forearm: 12.5” Hips: 54.5” Waist: 44” Bust: 48.5” Thigh” 30” Calf: 17.5” Shoulders: 52” Neck: 16” Here are my before pictures: I'll be sure to keep you guys updated as the days fly by!