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How's the scar for neck lift? I took some pictures and I think I see some difference with some face yoga or may be just little more weight loss. Sagging looks little better. So I suppose, I'll just to wait and watch how it looks towards the end of my weight loss and what procedures I may or may not need.

they didn't have Webinars back when I had mine seven years ago, but I had to go to an informational session (they had them scheduled once a month) where one of the surgeons from the practice spoke. They mostly just went over the different surgeries, talked about the benefits of weight loss surgery, and entertained questions. But yes - it was required. I'm glad I went because that's what convinced me I needed to have this done.

We are surgery twins. I am June 8 as well. Height 5’2” Weight 211 Good luck to you! 😊

@loli_lotus oh my lovely I feel your pain. [emoji3059] I have also battled with depression and my weight for many years and I also had all the doubts and questions that you have. I first considered the surgery 3 years ago, all the doubts and questions made me change my mind and I decided to try dieting again ( because I thought I could do better this time). Fast forward 3 years and no matter how hard I worked at dieting, I struggled to lose weight. I finally had surgery this March! I still had doubts, questions and family trying to dissuade me but I finally realised that I couldn't do it myself I needed a help. I didn't want to spend anymore time sad and obese with no confidence or self esteem. I'll be honest, it hasn't been easy, I've had to deal with emotions that I previously ignored by eating. I now have counselling to help me deal with this. I reacted extremely well to surgery and for 8 weeks the smell of meat repulsed me, this happens when your hormones change after surgery, it doesn't happen to everyone though. I now struggle to eat a great deal and have to eat little and often. Food was my best friend and now I don't enjoy eating. I find it a struggle to eat more than a few mouthfuls, but I keep reminding myself that it won't be like this forever and I need to take advantage of this. I also remind myself that I chose to have the surgery and how much more confident I am already! I have lost 36lb in 10 weeks, dropped two dress sizes and now feel OK looking at myself in the mirror. Everyone reacts to surgery in they're own unique way and it is a personal decision that only you can make. It isn't a quick fix and it is a difficult journey, but you are already putting in the hard work of working on your mental health. For me, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I now look forward to going out and doing things I previously would avoid and I'm continuing with my counselling sessions to make sure that I don't return to emotional eating in the long run. I hope this has helped you, I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you, sending you a huge hug x Sent from my SM-G980F using BariatricPal mobile app

Wise words from @GreenTealael & @catwoman7. Yes, it is your body not theirs & yes only you know what goes on in your head & your body. We are all so different physiologically & psychologically there is no one size fits all. If there was no one would ever have a weight issue & there would be only one diet that works for everyone. The surgery offers you the opportunity to really learn about what drives you to eat, why you made certain food choices, etc. You’ll also start to work out what your eating routine & food choices needs to be (notice I didn’t say diet). That is what your body needs to function effectively (physical health) & what you need to include to still enjoy & live your life as you want (contributing to your mental health). How I eat now will be different to how you will eat in the future. There will be similarities of course. but it won’t be exactly the same because what my body needs to be healthy & what I need for my mental health won’t be the same as yours. The surgery provides the opportunity for you to do the work into understanding your eating habits & your emotional drives to eat, to reflect on your food choices, etc. A lot of the success of the surgery does depend on you being able to do this work. As part of the surgical process you will be given access to dieticians & therapists to support you to identify the causes & strategies to manage or deal with them. The surgery also temporarily changes your taste buds, your tummy can be sensitive to certain flavours or foods & there is a restricted diet to begin which can be used to break addictions to certain foods or tastes. The physical restriction limits how much you can eat too. I know people say surgery is the easy way out. Believe me it isn’t. Appetite suppressant medications take away or mute your real hunger. Your head hunger, the psychological drives to eat (cravings, boredom, emotional traumas, addictions, etc.) are still there shouting at you to eat. Your gain, lose & gain cycle likely occurred because when your ended the diet, you went back to eating the same way you did before. The issues behind your weight problems were still there. You still didn’t know how to recognise or manage them. Exercise is great & has lots of benefits. But the truth is exercising alone accounts for only 10-20% of any weight loss. You have to diet too and … well … I tried medications, a myriad of diets & tried all sorts of exercise programs. Sure I’d lose weight but I always put weight back on. For exactly the reasons I gave above. After the surgery, I look at food totally differently. I still have cravings but I recognise & understand them better & they don’t have same power over me. Ultimately, it’s your decision. All the best whichever path you chose. PS - I’m a rambler too - can’t you tell 😁. Just embrace it - I do!

I have a saggy neck too. Right under my chin, ugh. I had sculptra on my face and that helps a lot with the gaunt look after weight loss but not sure what to do with my neck yet. lol

I had a revision from vsg to rny last august for gerd. It didn't take long to lose a lot of weight and hit and pass goal. I actually lost faster on the revision than the with the sleeve. My workout is less than when I had the sleeve due to much lower calorie intake after the revision. I had quite a bit of side effects with the sleeve (gerd, TMI stuff... Etc.) but none so far with the rny. Everything was resolved. I'm at the 10th month mark. Like you, I was concerned about whether I could lose more weight and the surgeon remarked "Oh, you WILL lose weight. Your pouch will be the size of an egg." He was correct. You'll definitely lose weight after the revision.

I hit goal weight a couple of months ago, and continuing to lose weight, and am so glad I had the revision done. Had a blood test recently, all good numbers. The best I have ever had in my adult life. My cholesterol and triglycerides, protein, vitamins/minerals, everything is in normal range. I was one of the few that had complications with the VSG so I'm hoping I won't get complications later on with my RNY. So far so good. No more severe gerd, feeling really good. Wishing you all great continued journeys. Glad to see someone posting on this still. Ahh, sorry. I didn't see this was for sleeves. I know I was talking one thread for August 2021.

You’ll find it will be similar to how the loose skin on the rest of your body responds. My neck looked pretty bad for a while. Lots of fine vertical lines running down from under my chin. They improved a lot over time - in my second year. My face looked drawn for a while too but it improved as well. You’ll notice once your weight stabilises, your body seems to resettles a bit which helps. I tried a few things like radio frequency sessions but don’t think they really did anything except I looked a bit fresher in the short term. I have a short neck too but it looks longer now because I don’t have as much fat around my shoulders & neck. You’ll discover that too.

So having lost some weight, my skin under the neck is a bit saggy. I already have short neck, my side face makes it look more obvious. Question is, will the skin snap back a little may be in months to a year? How has your experience been, did you face skin snap back especially your neck area?

Anything that gets your heart pumping is good. I was planning on buying clothes from Shein when the weight loss starts. They're not high quality like American eagle, but the clothes are cute. They're hit or miss, but maybe purchase a few pieces of clothing?

It does stink. It’s sort of grieving the way we used to eat, and the comfort it provided. It does get better. For example, I still come home from work and snack crackers, just wheat ones and fewer crackers. I still get my chocolate fix, just from calcium chews and occasionally sugar free chocolate. Rarely I do have a “stress eat” moment…but I choose something very healthy and the restriction prevents me from overdoing it. This is all working, as the weight keeps coming off. Your life will get better as your body heals. You’ll be able to blend in with other eaters, just in a healthy way. Food will provide comfort again, just not in the type and amount from pre-surgery. It’s a terrific tool!

If you can't lose weight, it's up to your doctor. I would ask him/her. Some may refuse to do the surgery, while others don't care and are aware how difficult it is for some to lose weight but they give you a goal to work with so you can begin practicing good habits and discipline. For example, if you eat the wrong things after surgery before healing occurs, you can hurt yourself, hence some discipline is needed. Good luck. I wish you a great and successful journey!

I've never heard of that. I have always had asthma but it has improved after the weight loss.

I had the revision from sleeve to RNY last August due to severe gerd. Have lost all my excess weight and I can finally sleep restfully all night long. No severe gerd. I can't say whether you will screw up again but I assure you, with the RNY, it'll be much harder to slide back into bad habits. I'm in my 10th month and it's been a lovely journey for me so far. I am still elated that I can get full on 2 eggs. Unfortunately, complications can happen with all surgeries. I had a complication with the lap band and the VSG. No fault of my own. RNY is no longer a permanent surgery, but it is a risky procedure to reverse it. The sleeve is considered permanent. As for vitamins, I had a complete bloodwork 2 weeks ago and I was not deficient in any vitamins, minerals or protein. Cholesterol, triglycerides, sugar, all perfect. I only take a vitamin patch by patchaid. It may not work for others but it sure works for me. I hope this helps.

Changing macros is always interesting and usually pays off. Some say cut the carbs, others say up them. For example, I upped my carbs to over 100g and dropped another 5 lbs. I have been below my weight loss goal but was stalled for a few weeks. I have been working up to consume the 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, as per my surgeon's diet plan. It's similar to the Longevity diet based on a 30 year recent study.

I also had severe GERD, which some insurance companies consider a comorbidity. I think that BCBS was just being mean and looking for an excuse because my starting weight was on the lower end (223 pounds). I am doing okay on week 7 after surgery. Every day is a struggle to eat the right things and stay away from crackers. I discovered that I can very easily eat Skinny Pop popcorn, Goldfish crackers and Cheez-Its. Now I’m addicted and trying really hard to resist them. They are now banned from the house!

Hi all, I like sharing the story, because I remember having just as many questions when I had this (lapband) done back when my youngest child was 2 (so 8 years ago) I had been at a regular weight (5'5 or so and 130 lbs) - was good for me....until I got preg with my first - and SOMEHOW gained 70 with him (when I was 26) and despite diets, Weight Watchers, boot camps, south beach, no carb, walking, gym memberships - I only lost 30 of it. THEN, 6 years later (at the age of 32, I purposely got pregnant again, gained only 30 this time around, But remember - I was still carrying around the 40 pounds from my first baby(cakes). Anyway, in desperation, I did it. And I felt embarrassed that I had to go that route. But with my new metabolism and having two pregnancies - and after all the regular stuff, gym, walking, boot camp etc. -- it would not leave me and I didn't feel healthy. So, I did get the lapband, and it was a pain in the ass, there were required seminars and prescreening and pretests, liver checks, etc. etc. (but btw, eating healthier, exercise *walking was a huge help*) So, when my daughter was 2-3ish (back then it took forever to get certified, especially if you were too close to the BMI weight, which I was right on the cusp of not being qualified. Back then, it was like you had to gain weight before you qualified for it. When all was said and done, (again about 10 years ago now) I did land at a net weight loss of 70 pounds (from 240ish to 140/150) - but once I stopped having it filled, I did gain about 20. However, it doesn't matter, i'm back to close to pre-pregnancy weight and feel more in control about losing that in a healthy way. I know it's not easy when it's more than 50 pounds to lose. But, I do feel better! I don't really care now the nubmer that I weigh, as long as I feel good and more healthy. I quit getting it filled after after three times- it was very restrictive , even the doctor could see that. So, LONG story short, I was at where I wanted to be and had it completely unfilled, then removed about a month ago - I have not gained any weight!!! That is people's fear, but nope, I am happy to report, I actually lost 7 pounds since it was removed. And I feel much better with it OUT. I, obviously, am not against people who want or need it, but just keep an eye on it. My doctor said (not quoting him direct but in a nutshell he said ----> "10 year shelf life, if that - the statistics are still coming in" - just be careful. One POSITIVE experience from it: because I was restricted from eating for so long (whether band was filled or unfilled), I learned quickly to eat reasonable portions, not binge eat like I did when I was pregnant or whenever (everyone situation is different of to why they over ate)....and with the confidence that came with losing the weight - it did encourage me to PERMANENTLY eat different, healthier, and overall be more conscious of our eating habits and choices. And for those of you with kids, I don't need to repeat that! we want our kids to lead by example. I wish you all the best - I guess I'm leaning any advice for people with hesitations or wondering about self-experiences , and here to say - if you have the band, control the mind set and make it a permanent mindset and keep an eye on it!!! Because eventually you will not need it nor be able to have it. The removal surgery very me sucked badly, it was all wrapped around my intestines. (my doctor quit even doing them 7-8 years ago because of the complications they are seeing now that they have been reported more). But I guess, after everything else I tried and in combination with the rest of effort, it was worth it. if you get into that new "groove" - you won't need it the rest of your life. The important part, I think, is to sustain how your appetite and mind reconfigures itself afterwards. If you have any questions at all - feel free to message me! P.S. - I am not condoning lap band nor against it. I am only sharing my personal experience - just because I know that people need it for whatever reason they choose (health/self-confidence/feel better/not be so hot in the summer/can't lose/new metabolism sucks/never lost that baby weight, , etc., 👨‍⚕️

My resting heart rate dropped to under 40 bpm. Every time I went to a doctor, they commented on it (they frequently thought there was something wrong with their instrument and had to check it manually), but nobody was that concerned… Until I started having problems. I was feeling weak and run down all the time, but everything was fine with my bloodwork, and finally my surgeon suggested it may have been related to my low heart rate and referred me to a cardiologist, who diagnosed me with bradycardia. The cardiologist said that it was probably because my heart was used to having to work hard while I was walking around with 200 extra pounds, and once I lost so much weight and got in better shape, my heart was stronger than it needed to be and slowed down to compensate. I ended up having to get a pacemaker. The cardiologist said that bradycardia due to extreme weight loss is rare, and that even when it happens, it’s not a problem unless it causes symptoms.

First of all, take a deep breath. This is incredibly hard work and you are doing a great job. Statistically speaking, people who are obese and have been for a significant period of time, only have about a 5% success rate of losing the weight and keeping it off long term. The reality is, obesity is an incredibly hard thing to overcome, and for most of us, surgery is the tool we need to succeed. That, in addition to counseling to heal my relationship with food and my body, has been absolutely life changing. It sounds like you have done your homework about medications, surgery, and other treatments. You've come to a soundly investigated decision based on what is best for YOU. You are doing the mental and emotional work to set yourself up for long term success and wellbeing. As for those around you who are naysayers - they do not live in your mind or body and have no right to opine on either. Frankly, folks who have never lived through a life of obesity and disordered eating simply cannot understand it or truly empathize. My husband is the MOST supportive human on the planet and has been my biggest cheerleader through every diet, exercise program, and finally surgery. Truly, he is a gift to me. BUT, he is rail thin and always has been. He openly acknowledges that he cannot understand a life with obesity and because he can't, he has trusted me to make the right decisions for myself and supports me unconditionally without reservation or opinion. If the people in your life cannot see their own bias and acknowledge that they cannot support you without their own opinions clouding things, then maybe they should not be allowed the space to speak into your life. You can love them, but they don't deserve the right to give you their opinions. Only you can decide what is right for you and it sounds like you already have. Trust that. You got this.

Other people, although well intentioned, will never have to live in your body or mind. If your medical doctor came around to the idea of surgery for your improved health, that should carry some weight. Also if insurance approved the procedure, that means at least one other medical professional believes it is now medically appropriate/necessary for you to have Bariatric surgery. As always you get to chose, free from shame or ridicule, what to do with your body.

your body, not theirs. Quit listening to the naysayers. for most of us, bariatric surgery was the only thing that helped us get the weight off and keep it off. At almost 400 lbs, I would have been lucky to have seen my 60th birthday. Now I'm past 60 and feeling better than I've felt in years. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. P.S. these "naysayers" are not medical professionals, and they're not experts on bariatric surgery. Again, smile, nod, and let their opinions go in one ear and out the other.

Thank u for the information. 10 years ago I lost 110 pounds so I truly know what I have to do about my eating. But you right I gotta take this as a tool and start anew. With a new stomach and losing the weight I need to and eating right and go on the right path. I do truly hope for the best.

The referral is the start of a process where you have time to figure out if it is the right thing for you. You will have to have a psychological evaluation, medical screenings etc. You will do a lot of soul searching during this time. Your seem convinced that you have done all your can with conventional methods and they have not worked for you. This is the point where most of us have had the same thoughts and have pursued the surgical route. You have to be ready to make sacrifices and to give up some of the habits you have fallen into previously. If you don't make those changes, you will not sustain the weight loss. The surgery gives you a tool in the short term to give you physical restrictions to over eating. During this time where your restriction is working for you, you need to develop good eating habits. If you do this, you will be successful. Some continue to have restrictions to eating others do not get the same restriction which again, the surgery is a tool to get you in the right mindset to make permanent changes to your habits and eating problem.

Well in off for my pre-op testing today for surgery on Monday afternoon. This has been a long journey for me so far (since I started this before COVID), but I'm really excited for the new me to finally come out from behind the fat me. Honestly, with the amount of weight my doctor is telling me I should lose, I will be back down to a weight I haven't seen since my freshman year in HS! I think that amount of weight will make me too small but I'm gonna go for it anyway and see what happens. With that being said, I will be starting at 250 pounds and should be down to 130 pounds (according to my team) by this time next year. Will let everyone know how I feel on Monday evening after surgery. Good luck to all my June buddies! Sent from my SM-G981V using BariatricPal mobile app