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Highly recommend Goodwill! You will be flying through sizes like crazy, so don't spend more than $10 on a pair of jeans that will only fit your for a month! 🙂

My surgery is March 22nd! Was waiting on final authorization from my insurance, but I got the final go last week. 10 days to go!

I know! Maybe it was an off day but I can't imagine the whole damn store was out of everything over size 10. I went with my 14 yr old daughter and were all excited to go shopping in the same section together but it was a total bust. Laaaaaaame.

So I saw this TikTok where instead of recording your pre & post-surgery weight, you buy a pair of jeans that you hope to fit into (like a couple sizes down) every so often. This helps you see tangible results and hopefully mitigate some of the body dysmorphia, at least better than numbers on a scale can. My surgery is on Thursday so I went to Target to buy my "incentive jeans" for my first milestone. This is the#1 store where I've wanted to buy from - off the rack - because it's usually my style AND I've seen them be more inclusive with sizes in the past couple of years. I've seen sizes 18 & 20 on the rack in the normal trendy section so I was really excited to go get my "incentive jeans" (I'm between a size 22/24 and was going for size 18)... So as luck would have it, I go to Target today and they apparently went back to small sizes, large majority of the clothing was size 10 and under... I found ONE pair of size 18 that I didn't like that much that was hidden away in a corner and they were $70 and I just.... Sighhh. My mind couldn't let me 'go there' for $70. All I could think was that I'm wasting $70 because I literally cannot conceive of myself that 'small' anymore. I guess that's a good argument to buy the jeans but all it did was plant fear and doubt in my head. So no real reason for posting this other than to kvetch about Target being jerks and to acknowledge where my mind is at pre-surgery. I don't think it'll ever stop shocking me how much this world hates fat people. Even corporations will risk profits just so they don't have to put plus size clothing on the rack! Bonkers.

I can't speak to whether the vitamins that say they help will. I did ask my surgeon about a month ago what I needed to look for in a vitamin if I wanted to switch to a different one. She said that as long as it has bariatric in the name, it should provide the nutrients I need (I double checked labels anyway). I can tell you that I lost what looked like a lot of hair every day around 3-4 months. I did not go bald, but I could tell that my hair was thinner. I have noticed it growing back this month (months 9-10). It does get better.

I'm going to count this as a win. 30 days in and 10 lbs down. My goa for today was 254. This morning I hit 254.1! Success! 60 days to go. Setting sights on the 240s.

Same! I am scheduled for 10:45am. It is going to be a LONG Sunday and Monday with only clear liquids.

I had chili, avocados, hummus, scrambled eggs, egg bites, thickened soup, refried beans, yogurt, cottage cheese etc. The stage lasted about 10 days for me and they went fast, one recipe will last you a while since you are eating slow and testing your stomach.

I found everyone's posts about which procedure and surgeon they went with to be really helpful when I was struggling to find the right surgeon so I thought I'd start a thread for mine too. I've lost over 170lbs total and am currently 16 months out from my surgery, and at a stable weight for over 3 months. I just scheduled an extended Tummy Tuck for this August with Dr. John YS Kim in Chicago at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. There will just be a single scar, and even though I do have a bunch of extra skin above the belly button too, he said I didn't need a Fluer de Lis which is great. I had also seen Dr. Shifrin who had recommended a circumferential lower body lift to get all my extra backside skin too, with "auto-augmentation" to make it rounder. Dr. Kim recommended to not try to do that at the same time since the recovery would be quite difficult with both front and back worked on at the same time. I was having a hard time understanding how I would even recover when it would hurt to be on my back, front and sides so it wasn't hard to convince me. I was really unsure of if I was "at weight" or not and as long as I was standing there naked in front of him, I asked if I had more weight to lose or not, or if it was just skin. I find it impossible to tell. He said that I actually don't have much fat, just some on my pubis and above belly button which he'd remove with liposuction at the same time. It's nice to just focus on being a stable weight and not wondering if I'm getting it done too soon. The surgery should take 4 hours, and I would go home the same day, and then see him once a week for the next 4-6 weeks. There will be 2 drains in place and removed 2 weeks later as well. Plus a binder/compression garments for 3 months. The surgeon fee was $16,000 with a non-refundable 10% down when I scheduled and the remainder due 3 weeks before the surgery. With hospital and anesthesiologist fees it came to $20,800. If I change my surgery date, I lose the the deposit so I can't chicken out. 😅 There was another surgeon there, Dr. Galiano, whose fee was $10k less which was tempting, since it was still a great doctor at Northwestern hospital, but I really liked Dr. Kim and kind of wanted "the best". Dr. Shifrin who performs the surgery in an outpatient surgical center at his office would have cost $22k. I didn't feel comfortable doing these surgeries outside of a hospital so that helped narrow down my choices too. I have BCBS and only one of the surgeons was willing to try to document skin irritation so that insurance would pay for some of the procedure. Everyone else was just like "lol no it's cosmetic" and that was the end of it. I get infections from time to time but they do respond to medication and don't happen all the time so I felt like it was really unlikely that I could go that route. Insurance said that if your pannus was below your public line AND you have infections that don't clear up, then they would pay for just the Panniculectomy. The entire experience really convinced me that you have to see multiple surgeons because prices are ALL OVER the place, even within the same practice/hospital, and everyone had a different idea of what work I should do, the combination of it, pain management, etc. After the first consultation, I learned that I suck at asking questions while in a paper gown, and gave the surgeon a printed copy of my questions and asked him to walk through each one with me, which also was a great way to way to feel out their personality and willingness to work with me. My plan is to also get a breast, arm and inner thigh lift but none of the doctors wanted to talk about surgeries that wouldn't happen for maybe a year or longer out. Once I'm recovered from the tummy tuck, then we'd discuss the next area to focus on which for me would be arm/breast combo. So this process is going to take a while, with having to save up all of my vacation for the entire year for each surgery.

OK dumb question: are you hungry? I realized that I was eating because it was time to eat. Or I ate the whole thing when 2 bites would have done it. I'm going to be honest, I am a fast food/junk food addict. But I ate a couple of bites and put it down. My lab results have generally been good. BTW, I am 4-11, and weighed 194 in Jan. 2022. I am at 126 now. Also, interestingly, in the last month or two I've had to change up the way I eat--not less--just different. I lost 5 pounds in 10 days, so fast it almost scared me. I had been stuck for 2 months. Just food for thought haha.

Did your team give you a pre-op plan? Mine was liquid with a small meal for dinner; 3-4oz protein, 1/4 cup carb/starch, unlimited non-starch veggies. That was days 1-9. Day 10 was 100 liquids.

My bag is packed, ready to go. Check In at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow morning. It is hard to believe that I have come this far already and the day is finally here. Although I know this journey has only just begun I have to celebrate the small successes along the way of making the decision to make a change, seeking help, making a true commitment, sticking to the plan, working the program, working on me and recommitting each and every day to keep loving me and working to improve me. We all can do this! Here's to determination! Here's to LIVING! HERE'S TO US! If it is not too difficult or stressful for you, I say go and enjoy yourself but drink your protein prior and enjoy sipping on your teas, broths, etc while they eat and you all socialize. I am on day 10 of 14 and took my son to dinner for his birthday last week with family and did exactly that and was so glad that I went and enjoyed myself. It didn't bother me at all nor anyone else as they understood (many of whom I didn't feel the need to explain the full situation but simply if asked why I wasn't eating I explained I had an upcoming medical procedure and was on a very limited diet. No questions asked. Enjoy yourself! You can't stop living! This is only the beginning of life-long changes when we will not be able to eat as others do. Good luck and be strong. This is your life, live it! ❣️

I lost 110 pounds before anyone commented, and then, all of a sudden, the opposite — people would not shut up about my weight! I was not happy about that because I’m a private person and didn’t want to discuss it. The timing corresponded to when I bought new pants because my old ones were falling off, even with a belt, so if you want people to notice, some new clothes might help. But don’t worry, people will start to notice! I’ve seen people talk about weight loss as being like using a roll of paper towels. Take 10 sheets off a full roll and you can barely tell, but take 10 sheets from an almost empty roll and it makes a big difference.

I don't think the inability to exercise is going to significantly affect your ability to lose weight. Yes, it does help - but weight loss is about 90% due to eating less and 10% exercise. I know of several people who rarely if ever exercised and they still lost a lot of weight with the surgery. secondly, I've had three surgeries since I turned 60 (although my RNY I had in my late 50s), and I was fine - but then, I don't have any major health issues, so that might make a difference. Your doctors can probably tell you if it's safe to have additional surgeries or not. as far as losing weight and keeping it off on your own, only about 5% of people are able to do that. Unfortunately, I was not one of the 5%. I lost and then gained back all the weight I'd lost about a billion times - again and again and again - decade after decade after decade. The only thing that worked for me was having weight loss surgery. I can't speak for you, of course, but that's been my experience.

Honestly, ignore what your dad said. He may not have meant it the way it came out, but he still said it. As for how long, everyone is different. It took around 60 pounds before I could see a difference, and another 10 before others really noticed.

I'm similar to you (surgery scheduled for 3/13) and around the same weight, though my BMI is higher because I'm 5'3". As a person who has worked in tech and traveled for many years, I do wonder if you're pushing it a little bit. When I had a hysterectomy (after two c-sections), I took 4 days off and went back to work the following week from home. I was so committed to my job that I didn't even consider the fact that I could have taken 6 weeks off through short term disability. I truly thought it would be easy. I mean, after each c-section, I was up taking care of the baby and my kids immediately. This laparoscopic hysterectomy seemed like a drop in the bucket, but I was wrong. My body and mind tired really fast. I felt like I constantly needed to take a nap. The work I produced was subpar and I wasn't able to contribute to meetings or brainstorming sessions properly. With this VSG surgery, I know I'll need to drink only liquids for the first 10 days... that's going to seriously zap my mental energy, all while trying to heal internally. Apart from the physical aspect, there's the emotional one to consider. This is a whole new way of life that I am committed to giving myself time to adjust to. If I just get right back up and go to work, I will be distracting myself from what I need to deal with today vs. tomorrow. These are just my thoughts of course. Only you can know yourself best. Plus, your work situation might be very different from mine. Just hope these thoughts can help give you a different perspective. Good luck with your upcoming surgery!! Wishing you a very fast, easy recovery!

He Hey guys !my insurance said they cover all the bariatic services my PA asked me to ask them. The requirements I believe they said there was no required supervised diet however I do have some history with phertamine. My bmi is right at 40.4. I’m gonna ass a screen shot of the blue home plan for bariatic ! I think it should be an easy process as far as what they’re asking for. I hope to have my surgery by June fingers crossed. Anyone have experience with novant ? In Nc Pasted what the picture has in case visibility is hard.  A thorough preoperative evaluation for bariatric surgery must include all of the following: 1. Evaluation of the patient's understanding of the procedure to be performed, including the procedure's risks and benefits, length of stay in the hospital, behavioral changes required prior to Page 8 of 21 An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Bariatric Surgery and after the surgical procedure (including dietary and exercise requirements), follow up requirements with the performing surgeon, and anticipated psychological changes. 2. 3. Evaluation of the patient's family/caregivers support and understanding of the information in #1. Within 12 months prior to surgery, a thorough nutritional evaluation by a physician, registered dietician, or other licensed professional experienced in the issues of bariatric surgery, who has had a meaningful conversation with the individual regarding the dietary and lifestyle changes required to ensure a successful outcome over time. Nutritional assessment must follow American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) guidelines. Pre-operative assessment must document that the patient has a good understanding of the diet and nutritional changes that are associated with bariatric surgery and has the capacity to comply with these changes. Per the ASMBS guidelines, " *..it is essential to determine any preexisting nutritional deficiencies, develop appropriate dietary interventions for correction, and create a plan for postoperative dietary intake that will enhance the likelihood of success. Not only should the practitioner review the standard assessment components (i.e., medical co-morbidities, weight history, laboratory values, and nutritional intake), it is also important to evaluate other issues that could affect nutrient status, including readiness for change, realistic goal setting, general nutrition knowledge, as well as behavioral, cultural, psychosocial, and economic issues." 2019 guidelines for perioperative nutrition, metabolic and nonsurgical support are available at: 4. https://journals.aace.com/doi/pdf/10.4158/GL-2019-0406 Within 12 months prior to surgery, a formal psychosocial-behavioral evaluation performed by a qualified behavioral health professional (i.e., licensed in a recognized behavioral health discipline, such as psychology, social work, psychiatry, psychiatric nursing, etc., with specialized knowledge and training relevant to obesity, eating disorders, and/or bariatric procedures), which assesses environmental, familial, and behavioral factors, as well as risk for suicide. Any patient considered for a bariatric procedure with a known or suspected psychiatric illness, or substance abuse or dependence, should undergo a formal mental health evaluation before the procedure. 2019 guidelines for perioperative nutrition, metabolic and nonsurgical support are available at https://journals.aace.com/doi/pdf/10.4158/GL-2019-0406 5. Appropriate medical work up may include a chest x-ray, upper gastrointestinal series, endoscopy, appropriate pre-op labs and ECG. A complete physical examination by the attending surgeon and an assessment of thyroid levels is required. If the patient has comorbid conditions (e.g. diabetes or 6. cardiovascular disease) the patient must be capable of undergoing the procedure. Anesthesia clearance for surgery. The first five criteria must be met before seeking prior plan approval for adults and adolescents; the sixth must be met prior to surgery. Surgical procedures must be performed at a facility capable of providing gastrointestinal and biliary surgery (preferably JCAHO accredited), AND that has equipment and staff capable of managing a morbidly obese patient (appropriate instruments, beds, lifts, monitoring equipment) AND that can manage short and long term complications of bariatric surgery.

I’m sorry your dad is being unsupportive. It’s always hardest to block out hurtful comments by those we love. Did you point out how much you’ve actually lost? It was early in the second month post surgery I think when a friend commented. I was wearing a more fitted dress that used to pull across my butt & tummy a bit in the past & now skimmed. I’d lost about 12kg ( 26lbs) in total. I was still wearing mostly the same clothes but they fit better. The only pieces that were verging on too big were those with proper waist bands everything else had elastic bands or drawstrings so could fit multi sizes. However, importantly, my staring weight was less than yours (based on what you want to lose) so it took less weight loss to see any difference. You’re losing weight from all over your body not just your torso. Try taking photos & body measurements - thighs, calves, upper & lower arms, waist, hips, breast & compare those too not just the scales & the size on your clothing tags. Remember the difference between one size & the next is usually 2 inches so, for e.g., your waist would have to be a good 2 inches smaller for you to need to drop a size (in a fitted waist outfit). General advice is if you lose about 10lbs you’ll drop a size but that really only applies to those in the healthy weight range & dropping say from a US size 12 - 10. If you’re smaller it takes less weight loss & vice versa. Your dad will be changing his thinking in another month or so. Keep up your great work.

My plan had no restrictions on them but did suggest bars with at least a 10:1 ratio of calories to protein. So, if the bar has 150kcal, it should have AT LEAST 15g of protein. That way you get the most bang for your buck. They HIGHLY encouraged prioritizing whole foods, and minimizing supplements/packaged foods, but they understand that sometimes they just WORK.

Ok folks I want to pick your brains. I am 18 months out from surgery, I got really sick a couple weeks ago and my doctor put me on steroids and an antibiotic. I finished the course of meds in 10 days, and ever since then it has been nearly impossible to eat. I gained 6 pounds in water weight while ON the steroids and then proceeded to drop all that and 5 more pounds I did NOT want to lose just because I am not eating enough. I'm dangerously close to slipping into double-digit weights and I'd really like to stop this before I end up there. I've gone back to basics and have mostly been consuming things that are really soft like soup and making sure I chew everything very well, but my portion sizes are TINY (again, I'm 18 months out. My breakfast the other morning was 3/4 of a scrambled egg and a forkful of hash browns, as an example. I should be, and have been able to, eat more than that.) Every time I eat, no matter what it is, I get this sharp pain around the left side of my rib cage and my left shoulder has been aching for days. I went to my general practitioner (who himself is a gastric sleeve patient) who said that I probably am just having a harder time recovering from being ill because I'm not 20 anymore and that steroids can wreak havoc on our systems for weeks after we're done taking them, and sent me for some blood tests that I haven't gotten the results back yet from. Before anyone makes this suggestion, yes I am drinking shakes to supplement and I'm having a hard time getting even those down. I feel like I'm starving to death. I just want to not be in pain anymore.

I just had my 1st tele-appointment with my surgeon and the dietician. I have been reading and talking to people the last few years about bariatric surgery. Friends with different surgeries, different goals and different outcomes. They have told me the good, bad and the real uglies too. They all seem to have had it slow movement the first couple months then within 10-12 months from surgery date they have lost right about 100 pounds. I know that there are recommendations for how much and of what needs to be consumed before and after…. It is very important to follow those as close as possible. Your body will not react how it should if you don’t nourish it enough . My Grandma always said your body is like a furnace; it has to have fuel or food to burn to work. So if you don’t put wood in your furnace then it won’t heat up to burn. (I think I may have not remembered it exactly right) but you can get the idea. Lol I am looking forward to the long term weight loss & will keep what you are going through in mind. Please do keep updating your status; I can’t wait to see how it goes once your body has healed and out of the “what the hell just happened” stage. That is all it is doing right now.

I had sleeve surgery 12/19. I have only lost 35 lb. I now weigh 195. I am definitely losing inches for I am down to sizes. But I am not losing weight! I am becoming frustrated that it is taking so long. I am extremely tired I continue to drink a lot of protein shakes and protein but I do not exercise. I am so tired after work. I am just concerned that I am not losing weight. But happy I am losing inches.

I had to do 10 days. Liquids with one small, evening meal. Day 1-3 were the worst. Caffeine headaches. From there on not too bad, lost about 10lbs.

that's totally your call. A lot of people seem to end up in the "overweight" or "class I obese" range (with "class I obese" being...not very obese), but about 10-15% of us make it down to the normal range. I can tell you that the last 20-30 lbs are a bear to lose, but people do it. Also, keep in mind that even though we lose bone and muscle along with fat, we still end up with more bone and muscle than someone who's never been obese. So you're likely to look 10 or more lbs lighter than someone of the exact same weight who's never been obese. the other thing to keep in mind - I think you and I are around the same age. I lot of physicians nowadays like to see their older adult patients in the 23-27 BMI range, since that little extra cushion is good to have if you're sick or injured. People in that range tend to recover more quickly. I'm currently about 8 lbs overweight, after being in the normal range for a few years (the gain is mostly thanks to COVID). It plays with my head and I want to lose it, but my physician is totally happy with my weight. I do admit I look better than I did than when I was at my lowest weight two years after surgery (I thought I looked great, but looking at pictures now, no - I looked pretty awful), but yes - that "normal BMI" thing is really important to a lot of people. I think I'd be happiest if I was there again, but at the higher end so I don't look so gaunt. I'm trying - although admittedly, I think it's mostly a "mental thing" for me.