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Surgery was 19 June. I have lost 20kg in just over a year. I now weigh 93.9 kgs. Weight loss has stalled over the past month. Good thing, I haven’t put on. Although I have been off diabetic meds since preparation for surgery, my body needs a kick start as it hasn’t quite caught up with the change. I am now on one injection once a week and my weight has started to move again. My thyroid has now come to show an alert from recent blood testing. Just had a ct scan and won’t find out results until I next see specialist in Sept unless he contacts me. Prior to op they found I had gall stones and when they become uncomfortable will need surgery as there are many and they are big. i work on a School crossing and with the strong winds today I was blown about and found it to be quite the workout, lol.

Hello all, This will be a lengthy post! 10 years ago I was sure getting this surgery was the quick fix to weight loss I was searching for. I thought I would get the surgery, no pain, no problems. I would self-pay and all my problems would be solved. I didn't think about the depression I was dealing with, the addiction to food that needed to be addressed or the I don't care attitude. I feel that at the age of 20 I was naive and nowhere near ready for this challenge. 21-28 I challenged myself so much. I stop eating beef and pork for8 years. I started working out every week then a couple days then more and more. I started meditating to cleanse my desire for food. I tried lifestyle changes instead of quick fixes. 10 years later! I had time to deal with my depression, I'm wiser and have done years of research on the gastric sleeve. I educated myself year after year on something different about dieting, exercising, being mentally stable, loving me even when I felt I couldn't & understanding that being happy was to be found first, then I could see if this surgery was right for me. While I am truly happy with my life I haven't been happy with my weight in a long time. I wanted surgery to be happy with the person I looked at in the mirror, to be able to enjoy this wonderful life God blessed me with and to get back to a real happiness. I’m 30 years old, married with 4 wonderful children (13,11,10&2), all natural births, very little pain after. I was sleeved 8/6/2018. I went through the doubts and nervousness a week before and a couple of days before the surgery. On the day of surgery, I told myself that whatever happens when I wake up I will deal with it with little complaints. I sighed up for this surgery and felt that I had properly prepared myself for what was to come. I knew the pain would be bad didn't know how bad but I knew the challenge would be great! I knew I would no longer be able to eat what I wanted any longer. A little over 3 days in and I'm happy, figuring out what works on this 2-week liquid diet and I WILL NOT GIVE UP! I WILL FALL BUT NEVER STAY DOWN! I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER WHY I CHOSE THIS NEW LIFE AND TRY MY BEST AT ALL TIMES! Follow my sleeve Instagram: followmysleeve

Hello! I am sleeved as well, and I also believe I can answer, keep in mind that each person is different but I hope that all the answers that you get will help you make your decision and give you some much needed information! 1. I do believe that you will be able to get lower than that easily, especially if you stick to the program and add the appropriate amount, as well as the appropriate exercise depending on the phase you are on. Yes I am a male but the weight that I lost was absolutely insane and happened much faster than I thought it would. I have not been at my current weight in YEARS, almost so long that I feel like I came out of the womb at this weight! 2. I do feel as if last winter was the worst of my lifetime, I was sitting in the house in a knit cap, scarf, gloves and a jacket while the kids were walking around in pajamas.... recently took a cruise to Alaska and it was 50-60's and I felt fine. I usually am a polar bear and enjoy weather in the 30's and 40's. Normally I am able to go outside in just a light jacket, pants and sweater and I am very comfortable. Lets just say that I am curious to see if my cold tolerance has changed over the course of this year and since my weight loss has stabilized I will be able to tolerate it better. 3. I would say that depends on you, I can tell you that my relationship with food has changed, while I can say that working around food may be a trigger, it can also work in your favor if you let it. I do not work around food but I do work for a fire department and people are dropping off good snacks and food all the time. Prior to surgery I could not say no whatsoever (unless it looked unappetizing) now I am able to walk by and just look. 4. As long as you stick to protein you will be fine, you will find that protein is your best friend, and when you eat it, you will not be hungry whatsoever. Had to take a 10 hour trip up to PA to pick up my puppy, I was able to eat breakfast around 9 and make it home and only had a banana and a couple of protein shakes. I got home about 9pm and did not feel hungry the entire ride, before I would have stopped and McDonalds and Chick Fil A several times before I got home. 5. As long as you follow the plan you should be fine, I can tell you that there were days that I did not follow the plan because I was not hungry but I was not malnourished. There are still days at almost a year out that I do not really eat much, I have my normal handful of vitamins and several protein shakes and I am good. I am pretty healthy and definitely malnourished whatsoever! 6. As long as your Dr knows what meds you take you should be absolutely fine, not to mention that you taking off the excess weight will help your joints because they are not carrying all the weight that they are used to carrying. Ask me how I know....... Not sure of what surgery you are having but my Dr says that with the VSG NSAIDS are ok. Just as long as I follow the label so they are not an issue for me. 7. Have not had any depression at all, I will say that I was a little moody for a bit because there are times that you realize that you counted on food to cope with certain issues. You have to relearn how to cope and not use food, as well as saying goodbye to old lifelong habits. 8. I am not on Paleo and I do not make about half of my food, I love Chick Fil A and will always love it, I still eat it, but I watch what I eat! Grilled sandwich (only able to eat half) and a small superfood side salad are my typical meal there. Its about you finding the healthier choice and picking it most of the time. I am a cook and enjoy cooking so its pretty easy to fix a protein and low carb veg for me and add in a carbohydrate for the rest of the family. Its all about choices. When I am at the fire station there are times that I just eat a Healthy Choice meal for lunch and call it a day! 9. If you are as active as you say you are, then you should be fine! Hate to bring it up but I can tell you that I have been on several cruises (average weight gain during a 7 day cruise is anywhere between 5-10 pounds) I have been on several and actually lost weight! I watched what I ate and didn't get stupid, and took the stairs almost EVERYWHERE we went on the ship. If you are willing to workout 30-40 minutes several times a week you will be fine!!! Past month has been absolutely insane here and I have not been working out as I should have, but I have still managed to keep my weight the same. 10. I have not had dumping whatsoever (once again I had the VSG) only side affect that I have had is GERD, which I am currently trying to get under control. I have had anything and everything else on your list and more without one issue whatsoever! Only thing is that I notice that I do not tolerate spicy that well, not because it causes serious issues it just makes my stomach more acidic so I have to take some Tums or something. 11. I can tell you from my experience that guzzling will not be an option. Water does not compress, it will change shape but it does not compress. When you swallow a large amount of water and it is too much to easily go through the small pipes that you have it is going to HURT, I can tell you that you will be able to drink normally after awhile (not at first!!!!) but you have to take it easy. One year out I still have to watch how fast I drink! Hope this helps and good luck !!!

Mine is working the day of my surgery and coming after he gets off. I know he would make me nuts and more nervous beforehand, so it's for the best. He can't stand 10 mins in a waiting room let alone hours.

I am sleeved, so can only answer for that 2) I have heard stories of people who lose a lot of weight and they are tired and cold all the time from low matabolism... I heard weight loss surgery prevents this... Does it? Being cold is sometimes a side effect. I have not experienced it. But I'm not yet at goal 3) I work around food and hear that is a risk factor for WLS failure. Yes it is. Definitely able to eat around my sleeve if I wanted to. You have to make the mental commitment not to do so 4) I worry I will be full after 5 bites but hungry again in an hour... That isn't gonna help me lose weight unless I am full between meals. I hate being hungry- its painful to me. I just can't white knuckle through if I am hungry between meals. I am full after 5 bites and then nearly always full and satisfied until next snack or meal time. I am sometimes hungry, either physical or head hunger. At those times I will have a healthy snack 6) I worry about mal-nutrition, some studies have shown even with vitimins and good nutrition people become malnourished. Not generally an issue w the sleeve 7) I have bad knees and take Ibuprofen and naproxin, I worry about the surgery making pain meds dangerous Some Dr's allow NASIDS, with limits and precautions 9) I feel pretty good on Paleo but I fall off the band wagon partly cuz it is so much work to make everything from scratch. Do you have to make all your food from scratch? No tv dinners and canned Soup (as a single mom I sometimes go the easy route which is my downfall often) No need to make everything from scratch. I eat a lot of prepared or semi prepared food from Trader Joe's for example. 10) How active do I have to be? I consider myself moderately active. I enjoy hiking, swimming, soft ball, yoga, and stuff on weekends... But I don't have time for 2 hours a day (which is something people who lose 100lbs naturally have to do for life- and it just doesn't seem possible while working full time and being a single mom). 30 min a day, and a few hours on weekend (especially in summer) I could do. But I do have other time obligations I'm terrible, I'm not very active. I do a moderate amount of walking. 11) does fruit cause dumping? Can you hage coffee with milk? Can you have nuts? Can you have treats on special occasions? Whatever about cough Syrup? What about sandwiches (common hiking fair) Fruit can cause dumping but YMMV. Generally, yes you can have coffee w milk (or a protein shake as creamer). Nuts, yes, but watch out they are often a high calorie slider. I can't imagine why you wouldn't be able to have cough syrup. I eat sandwiches, no issues. 12) I worry about getting enough hydration. Sometimes I realized I haven't drunk all day and I guzzle Water (which I don't think would be an option any more) You can guzzle after a few weeks or so post op This is all assuming all goes well... So, honestly, I'm not sure if you are ready. It's cliche, but this surgery is only a tool. You have to be in the right mental space, and be ready to do your part to be successful. I mean, if you had to give up fruit or nuts, but got your health in return, isn't that worth it. But instead you seem hung up on the small things, like you are looking for excuses. You have to really, really want this, in order to succeed long term.

I just googled Fairlife, and that might be an option for me. I'll look at soy milk and rice milk, too, but iirc they're a little too high in carbs for me right now. (I've voluntarily started a low-fat ketogenic diet, so that I can reach my doctor's 10% weight loss goal for before my surgery. After the procedure I plan to be a bit more moderate in my approach to things. The irony that I'm more restricted now than I will be a month after surgery has ... not escaped my notice.) They make peanut milk, now, too, which I know literally nothing about, except that it exists. I'll also have a look at that. I vaguely recall coconut milk won't work, but I might be mixing up keto and WeightWatchers in my head? I'll look. I'm only really invested in using up the Quest powders because I have them in my house right now, you know? When I replace them I'll try something else. People seem super into the Syntrax Nectar, so that's a possibility. And I liked Muscle Milk OK in the past. (I liked Premier Protein, too, but my team won't allow it because the first ingredient isn't protein isolate. Other kinds of protein are, in their minds, inferior. Since there are so many options out there, I'm not going to fight with them about this.) Anyway, thanks for the suggestions! And also, I'm with you on avoiding Amazon!

So... I am considering weight loss surgery. I wanna talk to you guys before I talk to my doctor (who usually prefers conservative treatment and would be a hard sell?) I was on here about a year ago but then I lost my insurance so I gave up on the idea... Tho now I have insurance again... (And close to 5k savings...) Here are my concerns 1) I have been obese since early childhood. I currently weigh 320. I have done weight watchers and Paleo and can't get below 275 (which is what I weighed in early highschool). Usually at some point I fall lff the band wagon (as you all know it is a tremendous amount of work, Zumba every day, and counting points, making everything from scratch...) I fear I would be a failure because my body just flatly refuses to get lower then my highschool weight. Unlike others who can get down to 198 but then balloon back up... I haven't been under 200 since I was about 11. 2) I have heard stories of people who lose a lot of weight and they are tired and cold all the time from low matabolism... I heard weight loss surgery prevents this... Does it? 3) I work around food and hear that is a risk factor for WLS failure. 4) I worry I will be full after 5 bites but hungry again in an hour... That isn't gonna help me lose weight unless I am full between meals. I hate being hungry- its painful to me. I just can't white knuckle through if I am hungry between meals. 6) I worry about mal-nutrition, some studies have shown even with vitimins and good nutrition people become malnourished. 7) I have bad knees and take Ibuprofen and naproxin, I worry about the surgery making pain meds dangerous 8) I worry about getting depressed which I hear is a side effect 9) I feel pretty good on Paleo but I fall off the band wagon partly cuz it is so much work to make everything from scratch. Do you have to make all your food from scratch? No tv dinners and canned soup (as a single mom I sometimes go the easy route which is my downfall often) 10) How active do I have to be? I consider myself moderately active. I enjoy hiking, swimming, soft ball, yoga, and stuff on weekends... But I don't have time for 2 hours a day (which is something people who lose 100lbs naturally have to do for life- and it just doesn't seem possible while working full time and being a single mom). 30 min a day, and a few hours on weekend (especially in summer) I could do. But I do have other time obligations 11) does fruit cause dumping? Can you hage coffee with milk? Can you have nuts? Can you have treats on special occasions? Whatever about cough syrup? What about sandwiches (common hiking fair) 12) I worry about getting enough hydration. Sometimes I realized I haven't drunk all day and I guzzle water (which I don't think would be an option any more) This is all assuming all goes well...

I did not start near that weight, and if I was I would not have needed the VSG I am 5' 10" and was 338 at the start of my journey. Ok now that has been said and please don't think that I am being condescending because that is the farthest thing from my intention, I just wanted to let you know where I started! It is completely understandable that you are scared but trust me you will be fine in the end. You need to fasten your seatbelt my dear because this is going to be one heck of a ride! I am almost a year out and you can check my profile for the amount of weight that I have lost. I feel absolutely AMAZING and wish that I would have done this MUCH SOONER, if I did then there are several health issues that I would not have had to deal with! What I did to prepare myself is exactly what you are doing, searching boards, looking at Youtube videos and doing serious research online. Just know that there are things that you are going to have to give up like soda, but in the long run it will be more than worth the small and temporary discomfort that you will go through. Another way that I prepared myself was starting on a high protein and low carb diet. That will be essential to long term results, it will lead to long term results. Please do not sweat the procedure the worst time that I have had with it was the one week following surgery, after that it was smooth sailing! This is a process, and even though it is moving pretty fast you come out on the other side half the woman you are now and have a smile on your face that very few things will turn into a frown! Your confidence will increase, as your waistline decreases! Good luck and please report back with your progress!

My doc is very experienced (one of the first two to have performed the gastric sleeve operation) and insists on a one-week liquid diet before surgery. He also makes his patients lose 10% of their body weight before the surgery. (And, I mean, he's popular--booked out for months in advance--so I guess he can afford to cherry-pick patients so that his stats stay good, too.) I have read some of the studies about this, and there is a noticeable change in the size of the liver when patients are put on a very low calorie or ketogenic diet before the surgery takes place. It isn't total bunk.

Well I doubt I will ever become,a total gym rat, my 72byear muscles might rip if I lifted real weights, but,you,know I can improvise. I can go from soup,cans to V8 cans to a 5 pound bag of something in each hand, then a 10 pound and then, just then, I can go to 25 pounds? The sky,might,be the limit even for a near-geriatric broad. And I can cheer you real weightlifters, the bench pressers, I may be minor league in comparison but each clean and jerk I'm your God mother rooting at the edge of the gym.!😛👍😛

I'm a slow loser as well. Many of us are excited with first 20-25 lbs gone super-fast and easy, just within days post-op. In fact, that weight is nothing but water. Our body requires more time and efforts to burn fat cells. And even so, it will first try to burn muscles, not fat. That's why it is important to focus on protein and physical ex, specifically weights. I'm 10 months out and now every pound requires more and more efforts. Surgery is not an ultimate solution, but just an instrument which helps you eat less. Also, try not to focus on food so much. Your meals description indicates, that you are too much into food. You should definitely pay attention to calories and fat/carbs/prot levels, but do not stay enslaved by the fridge, as this is exactly what brought all of us to surgery. Food is a fuel, not an excitement. Personally, I'm still on my 4 protein drinks, which gives me around 700 calories and 120 grams of protein per day. The rest 500-600 calories come from fruits and veggies, which give a lot of water, good carbs and fiber. Plus I'm trying to burn about 200-250 calories in the gym every day.

I had heard scary stories before I got my IUD too, but when it actually came time to get it inserted it was a breeze. Maybe like 5-10% more uncomfortable than a Pap smear but insertion lasted like 20 seconds. Removing it is just as quick. I’ve had mine for two years now and it’s been great. I always had trouble taking the pill when I was supposed to, and I had more of the mood effects and still had heavy and very uncomfortable periods while on it. It’s all about researching and exploring what works best for you though! Best of luck!

@Pink nova Such a fun and active age for boys. (I have three; two are medical doctors, the last one is 19 and still trying to find his place in the world. He thinks that's computer engineering.) I feel bad in retrospect that we didn't do a lot of traveling because of me. (Now that my two oldest can do as they please, I hope they travel the world!) boys ages 6 and 8. They are so looking forward to the swim up bar and not having to get out of the pool unless for food lol. And something else, too. Think about it. Think about. Ding! Ding! Ding! You wouldn't want them going in the pool, would you? I'm more convinced than ever by my first impression of you. You're a great mom, and your boys deserve a mom that can keep up with them. I know they say weight-loss surgery has to be for ourselves first, but our kids have to be a big reason, too. I just wish I had done something sooner. That said, bariatric medicine wasn't as advanced back then. And hearing about all those lap-band horror stories (stomachs severed in half, etc), maybe I was better off fat and sassy. In truth, though, I didn't become heavy until after my ankle injury (described on my profile page), so I actually didn't need surgery when they were that young. It's all such a blur sometimes. Hmm. Why didn't we travel more?! Enjoy your nice young family. They grow up too fast.

Im not quite sure which surgery you had. I just had mine 7/26/18 so I took out my book for you and here's what it says for sleevers: 60-80 grams of protein a day/ eat protein at all meals first 64 oz fluid. Decaff, Non Carb, sugar free or less than 10 calories a serving 25 grams of Fiber per day multivitamins etc 30 minutes of exercise a day Ultimately, I recommend seeing a dietician who can help you develop a plan that fits your life and can help you meet your goals! You have already invested in your weight loss, you might as well get a refresher to address the changes in your life! Good Luck!

I fit in to a jacket I could not even wear the day it was given to me 10+ years ago....talk about feeling great. P.S I still think that plate of chicken was too big

GERD is a serious issue so doing what you can to address it is the right decision. Taking PPIs may mask symptoms of reflux BUT acid/bile will still be damaging the cells in your esophagus, which puts you at risk for Barrett’s Esophagus and/or esophageal cancer. I think you should trust your doctor that your body won’t end up malnourished. Even if you get to a low normal or underweight BMI initially, the chance of it lasting long term is low. I speak from experience. I’m “model thin” right now as I’ve been struggling with GERD (for 10+ years), a hiatal hernia and a diagnosis of Barrett’s Esophagus 4 months ago, even post-MGB. But I’ve recently had hernia repair surgery with Nissen Fundoplication so am very optimistic of my long term outcome, as are my physicians. I will not be eating crap or large quantities of food to gain weight as that could lead to poor eating habits and gaining too much weight. I take all of my required vitamins and minerals and everyone should do the same post-gastric bypass; otherwise, you could cause an untold number of health issues.

I have found that milk of magnesia helped when I was freshly post op. And that was around the 8-10 day post op day. I have only needed it that one time. There are times now (3 months post op) where my poop has been liquid and other days where it’s normal. Once you start eating a variety of foods with fiber etc. and drink more water, moving your bowels become easier.

I'm going to try to not be too graphic here but I wanted to share this. I was sleeved 8 days ago, on Tues. Thursday afternoon, I started taking the stool softner they gave me but it wasn't doing the trick. Friday, I was a little worried but was able to go a little . Every time I felt the need to go, it was like I was trying to pass a golf ball or more like, golf balls! On Monday, I called and talked to my NUT and she suggested Magnesium Citrate. I asked about Miralax and she said that would be ok. I got some Miralax and started that Monday evening. I had some more attempts but things were so hard and my this time, I was definitely impacted ALOT. My butt was hurting and sore from all the straining and fissures that had happened. Tuesday morning, again, painful and horrible. This stuff had to get out. I sent my daughter out for some Magnesium Citrate and when she got home, I gave it a try. I was supposed to drink the whole bottle. It's 10 oz and I drank a few ounces but that stuff was so nasty! I called my husband and asked him to bring an enema on his way home from work. Last night, I went to the bathroom and prepared myself the best I could. I then realized that this was not a one person job. My husband kindly and gently helped. I don't see how people can hold an enema in for very long. I think I may have made it just in 2 minutes. What followed, well, I'm not going to go into detail. It was gross and painful, poopy and bloody. But I knew there was still some stuck in there. There was about 1/3 of the enema left in the bottle and I called my husband up and hoped that would finish the job. Round 2. Again, about 2 minutes later, I'm on the toilet. God, I hope that's the last time to do all that. I cleaned up, got some preparation H and went back down stairs to take my nightly does of Miralax. In the middle of the night, I got up and yep, passed some more not quite golf balls. And, this morning I got up and had to go. I'm so sore but I had to act of the urge. I was so happy to finally have something that resemble a normal poop. Kind of ballish to begin with but then there was like, alot after that that wasn't. After that, I called and spoke with my surgeon just inform her and to ask about this hardness on my right side (which I think could be, yep, you got it poop in my colon/large intestines). She agreed but said as long as it wasn't painful (and it's not) to keep with the miralax daily and plenty of water. Best thing about it is that she said I could go ahead and eat some food, like eggs and other soft food. What has your poop journey been? What do you find is helpful in dealing with constipation? If you have dealt with it, does it improve? I never had issues with constipation in the past. I don't want to get impacted again, that's for sure!

I live in Texas. LOL, in my family "wench" is a term of endearment. I'm the kitchen wench. It was supposed to be funny, sorry. I've been a wench as have my sissies for years. We actually love the term. Also, just to be clear. DAMN straight I want to be thin. I also wanted to save my forkin life. At 287 I was on 3 blood pressure meds, 3 asthma drugs, GERD medicine, had fluid around my heart, had a very low ejection fraction, had Stage II lymphedema in my arm from cancer. And was at serious risk for BC recurrence. My oncologist BEGGED me for 2 years to do this surgery. He felt it was maybe the only hope I had of surviving 10 years from the cancer without recurrence. I was bed-bound, could barely shower, could barely walk from my recliner where I lived to the potty. I could not stand to cook cuz the pain and exhaustion was terrible. I got MSSA in my foot that took 3 months to heal and wasn't being helped cuz of the heart fluid and leg fluid and BP issues. I could not sleep longer than 1-2 hour stretches and I was in aching 8scale pain 24/7/365. Am I sooo unbelievably thrilled I can now sleep 4-5 hours at a stretch without waking from crying in pain? Am I glad my neuralgia is partially better around my chest and down my left arm from the surgery? Am I glad to have my life back? Am I happy to be off all asthma drugs and off all bp meds except a lower dose of 1? Am I happy my fluid around the heart is slowly improving, the ejection fraction has improved 5%, am I thrilled to be able to bathe, cook, clean my house and be a better partner? Fu*k yeah! Am I thrilled I can now shop for the first time in 8 years? That I can walk for 1 hour straight? That I can stand for longer than 10 minutes? Am I determined DETERMINED that I will be in the normal weight category just once in my life? FU*K yeah! And I would not (in the end) let anyone or anything keep me from having the chance to reclaim my life. I will also jump through fire to keep from ever going back to that place of living hell ad misery where I lay in my chair and prayed to die. I was TRYING to be charitable about your motives dude. LOL.

I also have my gastric bypass on 7/25, and you're both doing better than me. I am down 16.5 pounds from my morning weight on 7/25. Add 7.5 pounds to that if you want to count my 3-day clear liquid diet immediately before surgery. I think I'm just about where I need to be. My first goal is to lose 16-19% of my excess body weight and 2.5-3" from my waist by my 1-month weigh-in. This will put me at the 50th to 75th percentile for gastric bypass patients according to one large peer-reviewed study.

I’m eating way more than that (grain bowls, rice bowls, etc etc about 1/2 portion sized for a typical restaurant). I also exercise heavily and run 10 mile obstacle races. I even eat carbs for energy for races and workouts. The doctor confirmed that my diet is working for me. Right now my weight loss has slowed to a crawl so I’m thinking about adjusting to paleo or smaller portions to get these last 15lbs. HW 227 SW 221 GW1 185 - Bye bye obese GW2 154 - Bye bye overweight CW 151 GW3 135 5’6”

Lol arnold lifting😂 wow thats awesome you are a personal trainer i could literally pick your brain for hours..... My job is quite hectic im on my feet all day so 10k steps is a pretty common day.... I always felt that the run (which is a mile and usually under 10 min)/spin would work as a warm up to get my blood pumping and head in the game after a 12hr shift. (And let that pre work out kick in!) I never thought it would hinder my weight lifting! Im definitely going to give your suggestions a try! Thank you!

My surgeon requires three months of group meetings with the nutritionist (or three individual meetings if you are from out of the area, like me), psychologist screening, sleep study (I am already on C-PAP), exercise physiologist, and a quiz from the nutritionist at the end to determine if you are ready. I was issued a 1" binder with all of the pages professionally printed in thick, laminated card stock. None of the information within the binder contradicted any other information. Since I was seen by a different bariatric surgeon back in April in Idaho and was referred to this surgeon in Salt Lake City, my "supervised weight loss" (from the insurance standpoint) actually started in April, so they fast-tracked me through the nutrition visits. I was scheduled each week with an individual appointment to see the nutritionist. Since June 29, 2019, (when I first saw the surgeon) I have had 16 appointments in six visits. I live in Ammon, ID and have to drive to Salt Lake City, UT each time. It is approximately 500 miles round trip. I have seen the surgeon three times so far. When I took the NUT quiz, there was an interview after to make sure I had absorbed the information - this was a contingency for my pre-op appointment. The surgeon said that if I do not get past the NUT, he would make me reschedule the pre-op appointment. That was not necessary since I passed the quiz and interview just fine. Overall, I feel that I am in good hands and am well informed on what I am getting myself into. I wish this were the case for everyone... Good luck!

So glad you mentioned Lyss. Great post, dude. To the OP, I don't think you're wife bashing or whatever you are accused of doing in this post. (skimming only). I think you are genuinely concerned. I'm sure others have mentioned, that initially due to weight loss in general, but due to quick weight loss in particular, we get to the point toward goal where we do look like melted candles--a bit--at least I'm looking decidedly melty-ish in parts these days. But over the next year, the fat will actually re-distribute and fill out some places. I'd say if the doc isn't worried, then take comfort from that, and trust your wife. This is clearly important to her. You've no idea of the beasts and battles we have in our heads re: weight, self-esteem, sexuality. We may appear the most confident women in the world and some are! But others of us fight it daily. And it's a big war within. I think your fear stems from the experience with your aunt. I'm sorry for your loss. It honestly sounds like maybe your aunt's tummy twisted and blood flow got cut off and that's why she went septic. But, I also think some of this is your seeing your wife for the first time outside the norm--as a skinny wench. And that takes us all time. The body dysmorphia applies to loved ones and friends as well as the bariatric patient. Just for reference, your wife is SMACK in the middle of normal weight for her height. Yay team! I know I'm not planning on stopping until I get to the normal weight zone. There can be a 10-15lb regain around 2-5 years, so there is that as well... I just think keep on doing your research, stay connected here for support and be supportive of your wife's journey. And it DOES help to talk it out with someone who went to school for therapy rather than us internet whackamoles! Cheers!

One more quick thing I wanted to add, that really resonated with me when I spoke with Dr. Fitzer.... I have roughly 170 lbs to lose. For most of my adult life, I have been "dieting", losing 10 lbs here, regaining, then losing 20, or 30. I think the most I've ever lost in one stretch was 50 lbs. His words - "Statistically speaking, your chances of losing all the weight you need to lose on your own, is practically 0". I was shocked, and even mildly insulted. It was hard to take, but once I processed it, I realized he was right and I am grateful he said it because it was exactly what I needed to hear. The truth is, most of us fail on diets, especially those of us who are severely obese. And guess what? While it may be our faults we put on the weight, it's NOT our fault that we are unsuccessful at taking it off. Its not just as simple as will-power or calories in-calories out. Even with the surgery, YOU still have to put in the work to lose, but the surgery is a very powerful tool you can use to get there.