Hello Everyone

[Taylor.. 6]

I am new here. I have never posted anything online before (no social media and no reviews etc) I am writing because I am nervous. My surgery date is July 7th. I have been thinking about having the surgery for years but finally went for a consult this month and everything has moved so fast! If anyone has suggestions on how to prep for the days after surgery please let me know! Thank you!
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[mil_unloaded 80]

I don’t have any suggestions as I’m new to all of this myself, just finished finding out my insurance requirements. Just remember why you’re here, and take deep breaths. Welcome to the forums! Best of luck!

[GreenTealael 25,378]

3 minutes ago, Taylor.. said:

I am new here. I have never posted anything before (no social media and no reviews etc) I am writing because I am nervous. My surgery date is July 7th. I have been thinking about having the surgery for years but finally went for a consult this month and everything has moved so fast! If anyone has suggestions on how to prep for the days after surgery please let me know! Thank you!

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Welcome ❤

Get excited, stick around , complete your profile, take tons of before photos, add friends, create/participate in threads, ask questions, change your lifestyle/eating/exercise habits now, create a journey social media page, watch YouTubes, remain informed/accountable!

[rjan 164]

I can sympathize - I did self-pay, and they move faster than insurance pay because there's not so many hoops to jump through. Plus I ended up moving the date sooner by a month and a half after I started hearing coronvirus whispers. I got my surgery less than 2 months after I decided to do it.

My advice is to figure out what you're going to eat after the surgery. After the surgery, you're going to be in pain for a couple of weeks, and more tired than usual for 2 weeks to a few months. You won't want to spend too much mental energy on food. So try out some Protein drinks/powders, sugar free Jello and pudding, sugar free yogurt, broths and Soups and stock your pantry. You'll be on a liquid diet for ~2 weeks (depending on your surgeon's diet plan), though most people continue to use Protein Drinks for quite a while. You'll also need to think about what you'll want to eat during the puree/soft food stages. Look at some bariatric recipes if you're the cooking type.

But be warned - many people's tastes change after the surgery. A Protein Drink you liked before may seem, for example, overly sweet afterwards. So try a variety, and keep them around even if you didn't like them at first, just in case.

It's a good time to check your equipment too. You'll need a blender if you use protein powders and mix your own drinks or to puree soups with chunks and other things. And a lot of people like to use mini plates and utensils to help them take smaller bites and feel more satisfied. I also bought a thermos that could keep food warm for a while, so if I cooked something hot, I'd make enough to put aside for another meal later.

[Taylor.. 6]

Thank you for taking the time to give me some great suggestions! I am also curious to hear from people that started out around 200lbs or know someone who has so I can get my expectations in check about how much I may actually lose. I would love to lose 80-100 lbs but I'm not sure that is realistic [emoji38]

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[rjan 164]

How tall are you? I'm 5'5" and started at 208, BMI 35. I'm only 3 months out, though. So not sure where I will end up.

Studies show bariatric surgery is actually more effective for people who start with a lower BMI. People who start in the 30-35 BMI range have maintained a loss at 5 years of, on average, ~80% of their excess weight and a lot of them end up in the normal BMI range of <25. In contrast, people who start with a BMI >50 lose more like 60% of their excess weight and few end up in the normal BMI range.

https://mercybariatrics.com.au/obesity-surgery-2/bariatrics-at-the-edge/low-bmi-patient/#:~:text=The traditional threshold for offering,expected to improve following surgery.

Unless you're super short, losing 80-100 lbs is probably unrealistic. But maybe not impossible - you'll see people on these message boards who have gotten down to a BMI of ~21. Keep in mind that the people on the boards, especially those who stay for a long time, tend to be the most motivated ones. Studies show motivation and sticking to the diet is essential to achieve a better outcome. Unfortunately it also depends on your body - you may just be the type who can't get that low no matter how hard you work.

Studies also show that unrealistic goals can hinder your progress - you tend to lose your motivation when you can't even get close to that unrealistic goal. I've put my goal at 149 - which will give me a normal BMI of 24.8. Once I get there, we will see how it's going.

[Taylor.. 6]

rjan, where are you at right now 3 months out (if you don't kind me asking) Did you have sleeve or bypass? I am 5'2" 211 lbs. BMI around 38. My Dr says to plan on losing about 55lbs which would put me at 156. I remember 10+ years ago weighing 150 and thinking I was so fat. I will definitely appreciate and enjoying being at that weight now!

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[rjan 164]

Yeah, I think most overweight people would love to be at a weight that we used to think was totally fat. 😂

I'm at 172 - 36 lbs down total, 32 since the sleeve surgery on March 11th (4 lost before surgery). I have a spreadsheet actually, cause I'm a nerd. 😁

You can see I was losing about 3 lbs a week right after surgery, then after a month it slowed down to about 2 lbs a week. Then I had a long and frustrating stall starting at about 2 months out. Since then it's about 1.6 lbs a week. At this rate, I expect 4 more months to lose the last 23 lbs to reach a normal BMI.

A lot of people make mini-goals along the way to keep motivation up. I totally celebrated when I got to 179 because it put me at merely overweight instead of obese.

[Taylor.. 6]

I love your spreadsheet! [emoji846] I hope my weight loss mimics yours. Congratulations on doing so well! That is a great idea to set mini goals!

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[catwoman7 11,214]

average loss is about 70% of your excess weight. Of course, as with all averages, you'll find plenty of people who lose more or less than that.

[JRT Mom 919]

Welcome! You will get lots of support and good tips here on this board. You can read all you want about WLS but it's not nearly as useful as getting help from people that have been through it. And no question is a dumb one, so ask away!

[Arabesque 7,318]

Congrats for starting your weight loss journey. I too wasn’t a social media user but this forum has been fantastic & very helpful. I’m so glad I joined.

I’m 5’3” & was 200lbs with a bmi of 35 at the beginning. I’ve lost about 89lbs which has put me at the low end of the healthy bmi scale for my height. Any more loss & I’d look all bony & gaunt.

I live alone, so before my surgery, I purchased the shakes, bone broths, clear Soups, etc. I would be able to eat in the first fortnight. I also purchased hydralite, benefibre, Imodium, de gas, over the counter pain meds & coloxyl. I also filled all my scripts so I would have them as new, unopened packs to take to the hospital & for after. A friend also purchased sustagen & adult diapers. She swears the adult diapers were the best buy because of the sudden attacks of diarrhoea. (It does happen, without warning & it’s not pretty!)

I also purchased a small thermos to keep my soups & broths warm while I slowly drank them & a couple of Protein Shake bottles so I could make up 2 at a time in different flavours.

I wasn’t allowed to drive for two weeks, so by getting everything I needed before my surgery I didn’t have to ask others to try to find things.

You will be tired & lack energy. Don’t push yourself. Go for strolls for 10 mins to begin with & then up the duration, frequency & pace according to your energy levels.

Sip your liquids slowly. And don’t be surprised if you struggle to have a second ‘meal‘ a day to begin with. I would finish the shake I made for Breakfast around mid afternoon & then be lucky to drink 1/2 cup of Soup for dinner over the next couple of hours.

You’ll notice your taste buds will change. I used to dilute my shakes & hydralite (at least 50% more Water to the mixes) to make them easier to swallow & more palatable. And yes, all the shakes, soups, broths etc. count to your daily Fluid intake.

Everyone recovers differently & loses at different rates so don’t be concerned if you take longer to recover or lose more slowly than others.

[PollyEster 228]

Welcome and congratulations on making such a smart decision about taking control of your health and well-being by having bariatric surgery!

What's helpful and what's not in terms of prep (and on an ongoing basis) will depend on your personality type and how you prefer to learn, but what I've found to be most useful and beneficial is staying away from social media for the most part, and instead engaging in a great deal of on- and offline research. I read A LOT of scientific papers and studies prior to surgery (and still do), and was careful to seek out evidence-based information and data on types of surgery, outcomes, complications, expectations, etc. from scientists, obesity specialists, bariatric surgeons, bariatric dieticians, and other medical professionals working in the field.

What a lot of quality, realistic thoughts and suggestions you're receiving in reply to your question here! I would add that for me, taking maximum advantage of the first 6 months -- and particularly the first 3 -- after surgery has been *crucial* to my overall loss and success. If you're not hungry after surgery, take full advantage by keeping your calories very low, because the honeymoon phase is finite.

Begin entrenching good food habits right now (if you haven't already) and work to sustain the changes over the long term by cutting out processed foods, highly palatable foods, and sugar and instead focusing on eating healthy, whole, nutrient-dense foods once you've passed the Fluid stage(s). Start an regular exercise program if you haven't already. Look for ways to keep increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and act on them daily as your ability increases over time. Contact your bariatric team immediately with any concerns that may arise around potentially significant physical or psychological issues because social media absolutely cannot help with those.

Wishing you all the very best with a successful surgery and recovery, and much ease as you pass through all of the bariatric stages and into your new life 😊

Highly-Palatable-Foods-slides.pdf

Edited June 24, 2020 by PollyEster
added link

[303nursemom 34]

On 6/19/2020 at 10:16 AM, Taylor.. said:

Thank you for taking the time to give me some great suggestions! I am also curious to hear from people that started out around 200lbs or know someone who has so I can get my expectations in check about how much I may actually lose. I would love to lose 80-100 lbs but I'm not sure that is realistic

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Welcome! I also debated this surgery for years before pulling the trigger and I definitely regret not doing it sooner. My stats: 40 yo F, 5’3” SW 205. CW 144, sleeved 8/27/19, so I am almost 10 months out. I lost most of my weight in the first 6 months, around 50 lbs, then my weight loss slowed. I am currently at 144 lbs and feel great, but I am still pushing to lose another 10-15 lbs. While this forum can be very informative and a great source of support and motivation, I do recommend trying not to compare your weight loss with others. We all lose at different rates and may have stalls at different times, but if you stick to your program you will be successful! Best of luck with your journey!!!!