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The fact that you're here wanting to draw a line under this regain and looking for support is a fab first step. What you have regained is only a fraction of what you lost. @catwoman7 advice is spot on - your restriction should still be there if you want to use it now. You've obviously lost weight very successfully before so you can do it again, and you're starting when it's still completely doable. Best of luck back on the program!!

As another example of how individual it is, I'd be thrilled with losing 3-4 pounds per week. That wouldn't be at all slow for me, much less "sloooooooow."

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.

That's super helpful! I also have BCBS of Illinois and had assumed they wouldn't cover anything. I'm starting to consider skin removal surgeries - my "apron" is pretty flabby and big. Based on this I'll call them to see how I might going about them possibly covering this. Thank you!

some people don't lose ANY weight the first week. A lot of us come home from the hospital up to 10 lbs heavier due to the all the IV fluids they pump into you. that said, 5 lbs is pretty normal. Most WLS patients (at least normal ones - not the kind who are on "My 600 lb Life) lose in the 15-25 lb range the first month. So 5 lbs in week one is pretty normal.

No issues so far with marijuana. Currently using this one. It is a 1:1 Ratio of THC and CBD. So roughly around 48% THC and 37% CBD. Does not increase my hunger at all and i feel great. I am not doing edibles because i have watched youtube videos that the affects of edibles are much different after surgery so i am staying away.

That's a relief!

I was fed ensure protein and water. I guess you could bring a plant based protein shake with you. I was just in the hospital 24 hours.

@LilaNicole20 Thanks for the additional info! i read that the gas pain can be rough at first but that once that passes, normally, it's not too bad. Glad to hear yours is going well and best of luck with the summer!! @redhead_che Thanks, that's good to know. I'm set to have my initial zoom learning session on 7/6. I'm excited to learn more and meet the surgeon and see if it's something I want to move forward with. My SO is also going to join and listen for support. I figure regardless of what I decide if I move forward, I plan to be at home for some time and thankfully, I can have time saved by then or wfh if needed if I'm feeling well enough. @blackcatsandbaddecisions Thanks! Didn't know some insurances wrote that in, I'll need to check mine to see if there are any exclusions for it in my current insurance. I found out that my insurance is accepted where I'm considering the surgery, but not sure if they'd block this specific thing. I thought a lot about the extra skin and honestly, I'm not bothered by it and think the health benefits far outweigh extra skin. It's always something I can save for in the future if needed, but to be healthy and comfortable is where I'd like to be. @Queen ApisM Thanks! Super helpful as well. I figure after we go through the initial learning session on 7/6 which I think will cover any surgical options they offer, I'll be asking all the questions and trying to also get insight into my body type and what they find to be most successful and safe. I think for me, I want to be sure I'm mentally ready. More so because I am a stress eater which I can admit helped put me where I am today so I know I need to overcome that. I think I'm ready in most ways such as cutting out some things and knowing I need to be more active to help take off and keep the weight off. More a question for anyone, but for stress eaters, did you see someone to discuss this before or after surgery? I know prior to, you talk with someone about the obvious live changes that any weight loss surgery can do to you, but i'm curious if someone has/is overcoming the stress of eating and what helps you? That's I think my biggest hurdle so i'm hoping for some inspiration. I think once I go through the information zoom call next month, I need to mentally set myself on the path to find more healthy ways to work through those emotions tbh my job is a large cause so I've been working towards that change already.

It is a nicotine delivery method, if you choose to use nicotine. Leading up to my VSG, I have gone to zero nicotine. It is NOT smoking. No leaves are being burned, hence no tar, arsenic, benzene, etc. etc. Many think I'm splitting hairs here because of what vaping looks like, but make no mistake. It is NOT smoking. Allow me to be frank right along with you. Nicotine is NOT a carcinogen. It is a mild stimulant, much like caffeine. There is evidence that it could slow the post-surgical healing process, which is why most docs want zero nicotine tests before doing surgery, but it's many other chemicals in cigs that cause cancer, not nicotine. The thing is, unless you have a vested interest, you would never do your homework. Most people just take the information fed to them by main stream media as fact. The facts are much different, and I can support everything I say. I'm with you! Most don't do their due diligence because it's so much easier to criticize something that looks like smoking. It's not like they care or anything.