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Hey guys just wanted to update things. So last time i posted i was barely beginning the insurance process...Well sort of still am. I had my new patient consultation, met with my dietician, and just today had my psych evaluation. It went easier than expected! I just tried to be honest and it was more of a conversation than a test. The whole thing lasted about 35 min. The main thing they would hold off on surgery for is if you have an untreated mental health disorder or if you binge eat..... Which lets face it if youre obese that has probably happened a few times...But we all know thats not who we are! Lol Now im continuing on my journey with 5 more nutrition classes left as well as pre surgery testing. What were u guys experiences with the evaluation and how fast did your insurance approval process seem to take? ?

My surgery was April 6 . starting weight was 218 on March 18. surgery weight I was 209. im now 190, I don’t feel like I’m losing weight fast enough, which is really discouraging because I’m really sticking to this diet.

Dumping Syndrome is generally linked to Gastric Bypass. It's from your food going from your stomach to your small intestines too fast. There is also only something like a 25% chance of you even having it. Gastric Sleeve has far less chances of that happening because your intestines aren't messed with but if you eat too fast then yeah, you'll feel like vomiting. Doesn't mean you will, but you may gag a bit. Also, drinking will cause your stomach to empty faster and could 1. make you hungry faster and 2. cause a dumping episode because you sent the food too fast through your system with the drink. If you DO decide to go the surgery route, you have to decide on whether you want the 25% of getting dumping syndrome with Gastric Bypass or the 30% your GERD will get worse with the Sleeve

I've been obese for most of my adult life and morbidly/super morbidly obese after age 35 or so. I'd tried a million diets. On my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50 or 60 lbs, hit a brick wall, and then gradually put it all back on. Most of my attempts wouldn't even get me that far - maybe 10 or 20 lbs tops. I had over 200 lbs to lose, so I knew I was never going to get there if I couldn't even keep 50 lbs off. I'd considered WLS for at least 10 years before I actually had it, but I was afraid of it and also, I'd have to change to a much more expensive insurance policy to get it covered. I thought I'd just wait until I turned 65 since Medicare covers it. But then I'd lie awake at night worried that I was going to have a heart attack, and I'd be in the ER and they wouldn't be able to do anything for me because of my weight. And at one point it occurred to me that waiting for Medicare to cover it was a bad idea, because at the rate I was going, I might not have even lived to see 60, let alone 65. How many super morbidly obese seniors do you see running around? Very few. I can't remember what the last straw was (I had the surgery six years ago and started the process seven years ago), but it was probably the thought that I wouldn't live to see my 60th birthday if I didn't do something about my weight. And since I was 55 at the time, that day was coming up fast... so- I did it. I have never been so grateful for a decision in my life. I should have done this YEARS ago. My life is a million times better now - and of course, my 60th birthday came and went without incident. Now I think I may be able to make it to 80+ !

I had my RNY on April 8 and everything has been going well. The only thing I've dumped on was a little bit of a chicken skin (and I think I may have been eating too fast at that dinner, it was our first time hosting a dinner since my surgery and I was excited!). Anyways, in a week or two, my work is having a pizza party, and I was wondering when other people found they could tolerate pizza. I don't want to dump or have to leave work early because I ate something I shouldn't have, but I'd also love to have half a slice if it's not going to bother me too much. I'm also going to be sending my nutritionist this question, but I thought I'd check with some people's personal experience in this as well. (For the record, I am also absolutely fine bringing my lunch. I haven't had much in the way of cravings and don't feel the need to eat pizza if it won't sit well, it's more about participating in the group activity I think).

Hey everyone! I’m coming to ask out of desperation. I’m almost 3 years post op gastric sleeve (in July). I had my second child (the only post op child I have— my first was preop) in November 2020. Previous to pregnancy I had been maintaining a comfortable weight for myself and was so happy with where I was. I did great throughout the pregnancy and had only gained 25 pounds and then on week 37 my weight shot up SO fast.. to 44 pounds gained! Turns out I had to deliver immediately due to blood pressure (which I had never had an issue with in my entire life). fast forward to two weeks postpartum I had lost 22 pounds. Great.. so 22 pounds to get back to my comfort weight. Easy peasy! NOT. I’m now 6 months postpartum and STILL have 22 pounds to lose. I have been tracking my intake meticulously. I even bought a new food scale thinking maybe my old one was wrong. I measure in grams mostly. I am eating 1200-1400 calories a day (I’m not breast feeding). I’m making sure to get at least 10k steps a day. And I am losing the same 5 pounds over and over again! I’ve tried basically eliminating carbs and intermittent fasting. I’ve tried adding more calories. I’ve tried eating less than 1200. And this dang weight is NOT budging. I don’t even know what else to do. It’s laughable at this point. If being meticulous and tracking every gram of food isn’t working— wtf is wrong with me?! I do have a 3 year follow up with my bariatric team in July.. but I’d like to be closer to my maintenance weight by then so they don’t freak out on me 🙄. has anyone experienced anything like this? I should note: I DO have an autoimmune thyroid disease— but according to bloodwork, it’s in my normal range. HALP!

Before surgery, I was pre-diabetic, moving swiftly towards diabetes as my blood work over the past five years showed increasingly higher fasting glucose counts. Initially, post-surgery, I had great counts -- 74-83, but at six months, my blood glucose was almost back to pre-diabetic levels (95, 99), according to the lab, and even 104 on the glucose monitor. I, too, am on a low carb diet. My surgeon and PCP have repeatedly told me not to worry about this yet, but I had expected much lower counts and apparently, like you, am an outlier because the overwhelming majority of WLS patients get fantastic blood glucose readings post-surgery. My A1C remains normal so far. I did find, though, that the earlier I had my last meal the night before, the lower my blood glucose count the following morning has been. Also, I stopped taking a medication that sometimes can cause diabetes as a side effect. Make sure you're not taking any prescription that has that sort of effect.

Three more days until my surgery! Im anxious now and just want it to get here. I did really well on my liver shrink diet but today for some reason Im ravenous. Feeling a little weak also. Cant get here fast enough 🤪

I am four days postop and I am not having any issues with fluids. I had some hiccups yesterday from drinking too fast that lasted about an hour but then after that I am able to drink over 60 ounces a day and I’m wondering if that is normal or if there’s something wrong with my surgery. I feel likeI shouldn’t be able to hold or drink this much water per day just yet. Any thoughts?

I went through a lot of those same feelings. I was especially sad about not being able to drink sparkling water, and have water with my meals because I've always been a huge water drinker. Having to eat so much protein was hard at first, because I have a goal of being a vegetarian at some point in my life, but I did this so I would have a chance to live a healthy life, and I was willing to do anything. I still miss being able to eat all the veggies I used to, because I'm a huge veggie lover, but I can eat more than I did.at first now. I'm still in the weight loss phase, but I do have a treat once in a while, and for the most part I'm still enjoying the foods I loved before. I've tolerated pretty much everything I've eaten so that helps. I just make sure to get my protein first always and if I have room I enjoy the other stuff. I have definitely had to give up some things, but I have gained SO much more. Every aspect of my life is better now that I've lost almost 150. I don't spend time thinking of food much anymore, so I really don't miss eating like I used to. Sometimes it will hit me, like last night we went out for sushi at a place that has all you can eat sushi. Well, all I can eat is about 4 pieces now, so I just have to order off the menu instead of all you can eat. I miss being able to try all the different kinds, but I fill up so fast that I don't really care once I'm full. It is definitely a lot of change, but I'm so happy I did it. For me, the feeling of getting full is the best thing in the world. I never really felt satisfied when I ate before, no matter how much I ate. I know I'm getting long winded here, but I'm just trying to say that it has all been worth it. There is a mourning period, but it was brief for me, and I'm not sorry about any of the changes I've had to make. It's so worth it for the way I feel and the life I'm living now. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

Wow I thought I wrote this...lol Totally agree where your coming from. It took almost 9 months for me to finally understand what I have going on. Weight did not come off fast for me. It wasn't until 9 months when my head got the memo that I really started to see results. It's been an interesting journey but no regrets at all. Best of luck to everyone 👍❤

I am the same that’s why I do intermittent fasting. I eat from 12pm-8pm.

Some people are fast losers, others are slow losers. You’ll lose at your own pace which is right for you. Three pounds is fine. Don’t expect to be losing 30+ pounds a month like they do on My 600lb Life cause you know they weighed 609+lbs to begin & you didn’t. Follow your weight loss trend not just what you lose every day. Fluctuations are common. Some days you’ll lose nothing then lose 1/2 pound the next. Or you’ll stall & lose nothing. Sometimes for a week sometimes for three weeks. You may be constipated or retaining fluid which can account for a pound or so too. Don’t forget your body is experiencing shock after your surgery too. Give it a chance to come to terms with all the changes & heal. Keep following your plan. Good luck.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how it's already been 10 years since I got my sleeve. I've also been thinking about new people just starting on this journey and remembering how I felt about the whole process. I should mention I'm 5ft 2in and weighed 233 lbs and was 56 years old at the time I started my journey. I tried every diet, I mean every diet. Spent too much money on fads and diet supplements. In the beginning I was excited and worried about having the sleeve. You can't grow your stomach back! Not that I had an emotional attachment to my stomach and actually thought my stomach was my enemy. The thought of removing part of a perfectly good organ in my body. Well, that's just crazy - isn't it??? I have to go to this extreme to stop killing myself?? I couldn't eat hardly anything at first. If I ate one bite too many I was in horrible pain and had to lay down. I remember thinking if I just could eat 1/2 of a small hamburger or one little taco I'd be happy. But pretty much 2 bites of anything and I was done. The weight came off fast in the beginning. But my energy was low, I didn't feel good and I had some regrets. Couldn't go out to eat it was a total waste of money. Besides since I could only eat a couple bites the waitress thought there was something wrong with the food. Naw, just wasn't that hungry I'd tell them. I get a doggy bag and attempt to eat the rest later. So yes, the first 8-10 months the weight fell off. I don't remember exactly how long it took me to loose the first time over 90 lbs. Yes, I said the first time. I didn't gain it all back though. I still was not at peace with my sleeve. It was the enemy keeping me from eating as much as I wanted and when I wanted. BTW I still can't eat salad anymore it's just too hard on my stomach. I loved salad but NO sleeve doesn't like it!! So here's the deal...no I couldn't eat a whole hamburger BUT I can eat maybe 1/2 now and then 2 hours later I eat the rest. Same with everything else. HAHA sleeve I win. I really struggled with my love/hate relationship with my sleeve. A couple years go by and I gain back around 50 lbs. HAHA sleeve I win???? Did I already say that learning to live with the sleeve was a real struggle for me? So, it took me along time to be at peace with my sleeve. Well, I am now. It wasn't easy but I did it and it feels good today not to stress out over not being able to eat as much as I want and I stop when my friend the sleeve says "that's enough!" Okay, you win sleeve. I've lost the weight that I had gained back. No, I'm not skinny but I'm at a comfortable weight that looks good on me. The real win is my health. My blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are good/normal! My sleep apnea is gone! I don't shop in the "big ladies" department and I fit in an airline seat and can put the tray table down! I can walk for miles and I don't break out in a sweat just walking to the mail box. I can play with my Grandkids! If I were to give advise to anyone considering having VSG. Don't expect the sleeve to be the magic bullet. You have to work with it and listen to your sleeve. You might have to go through what I did. I hope if you do eventually you'll start listening. Most, not all of us have a food addiction and most of us don't want to stop eating when we are really full. Food tastes good, we love it. It's social and everything we do socially has food involved. Television ads for fast food, and restaurants at every commercial break! I was so addicted to food. Well, actually. I still am. But.. most of the time now I stop eating when my sleeve tells me to stop. I have a family member who had gastric bypass. She is so frustrated. " Ya can't eat a meal!" " Nope, we can't but we can share a meal and still have leftovers." I believe long term success (not that I'm saying I have that either) will happen when you accept, make peace and listen to your sleeve. It could just save your life like I believe mine has done for me. Good luck to everyone on this journey or getting ready to start it. It was the best decision I've made for my health. No regrets!

I can't gulp as much as I used to.. Before I could drink a lot of water really fast, but I can gulp about a cup at a time which is way more than I expected, so that is a pleasant surprise. The biggest thing I miss is drinking and eating at the same time because I used to drink a ton with my meals, but I've adjusted to it. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

Update: I got approved for the surgery this morning!!! I'm so excited. They gave me the checklist and said that with my insurance I can complete the process as fast as I would like. When I asked what's a realistic time frame that someone could get this done as fast as possible they said it can all be completed in a month! I'm so excited!!

Twinsie!! The 18th is fast approaching . So excited for all of us!!!

For me it's bread, cake, and similar items. I can't keep that stuff in the house. I will occasionally let myself have an indulgence but I enjoy the treat and then that's it. What I don't eat gets given or thrown away and I get right back on plan. And I don't indulge often. Even keto bread-like products will kick off cravings for me. People can advise but we are each the only one who lives in our particular body. Trying to regularly eat bread "in moderation" would be a fast-track to regaining all the weight I've lost.

My stomach has been pretty happy with everything I’ve thrown at it, but I’ve categorized some things as “not for me anymore”. I know this isn’t popular and everything in moderation seems more sustainable but i also recognize that there are a few foods I can’t control myself with once I start. For me that’s candy and chips/popcorn. I know from past experience I can’t have it in the house and if I start with it I will eat too much. I also recognize that I’m the daughter of alcoholics and that I have addictive tendencies. Try to think about if you are able to eat well in moderation or if you have some trigger foods that might not be able to be incorporated into your long term diet. Fast food and cookies might be something that won’t work for you.

I am on day 2 and i feel likes yesterday was new and exciting and went by fast! today is a bit tough but hopefully after the sugar cravings go away it will be smooth sailing my surgery is may 26

Haha! Yeah, I've read that the classes are very pointless in relation to the foods that you should be eating before/after surgery and to lose or even maintain weight. Luckily, I believe all of these classes will be virtual so I won't have to physically go in. They also mentioned a virtual exercise class I will have to do. My goal is to try to knock everything out as fast as I can.

When I called to set up my appointment they told me that my insurance offers a "Fast Track" program which gives me the option of getting the surgery done as fast as I would like. I'm super excited about that! Based on what I read from other people with Aetna you just need 12 nutritionist/dietician visits which you can do once a month - 12 months or once a week which can have your surgery done in 3-4 months!

I am fine up until around 630 p.m. then the urge to snack hits. I try to drink more fluids but because fluids move through me incredibly fast (i had a barium swallow test) that it doesnt help much and Im up and down to the bathroom constantly. But I have found that sucking on strong flavored SF mints or SF cinnamon discs by Brachs, does the trick. So does brushing my teeth. It can often times help me to stray away from wanting to snack later in the evening. And now that sunset is 8 p.m., I go for a walk for an hour and Im focused on doing something, out of the house and away from temptation.

UPDATE!!!! I did it!!!! I did it!!!! I did it!!! I literally ran my ass off!!! I had my blood work and weigh in today, I was fasting and I prayed all the way to town!!!! Thank God the weather stayed cool here in North Dakota the last few weeks, I got up in the mornings and ran three miles every morning, came home and ate a scrambled egg, drank bone broth, for lunch I drank another bone broth and chewed on some raw veggies, dinner I ate a chicken breast or hamburger Pattie with another bone broth before bed, drank a gallon of water and did the same thing every single day.....boring as can be but I weighed in with three pounds to spare 5 days early!! I am now officially approved to donate a kidney to my daughter!!

I had VSG 12/07/20 and have no type of regrets!! However I am now 5 months post op and my stomach tolerates basically anything I give it. I recently have been over indulging in things I KNOW I shouldn't (cookies, chips, fast food). Just a couple of weeks ago I was soooo strict on what I ate and how much but ever since reaching ONDERLAND I just haven't been as strict. I could really use some advice and encouragement from those who have been where I am.. HOW DO I GET BACK ON TRACK?