shar12

Hi My surgery is scheduled for March 9th 2023. I'm having the Vsg

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BCBS of IL, Letter to insurance describing previous weight loss attempts, nutritional classes (2 I think), psych eval and then submitted to insurance. Total time about 2 months until scheduled surgery with approval.

Body dysmorphia is real. Don’t be surprised if it takes a long time for your head to catch up with the physical reality. Three years on I still sometimes stare in mirrors surprised by how I look & can find it difficult to accept when people comment on my size. It is much better than it was though I sometimes wonder if my thinking is because I’m afraid to jinx the loss if I recognise my size now.
You have to remind yourself that your clothes don’t lie. Smaller sizes, clothes that are too big, rings slipping off your fingers, etc. are all factual evidence you can’t ignore that you are losing weight.
As to cleaning out your wardrobe, you’ll find a time you’re ready to do that. It’s sort of the reverse of when we kept smaller sized clothes for when we lost weight & didn’t. Maybe start with just the older clothes that are too big & you likely wouldn’t wear again anyway. Even if the first step is to remove them from your wardrobe & bag them up. You can donate them or whatever when you’re ready.
You’ll get there in your time.

I can see the numbers on the scale are way down. I can see that I went down a clothing size and a ring size and now those are starting to be too big. I can see my double and a half chin is now more like a chin and a half. I can see it, and I know it, but I can't get rid of my size 26/28 clothing. It falls off me now (heck, my size 22/24 clothes are getting too loose now) but something keeps stopping me from getting rid of them. My old rings are a size 10. They literally fall off. I can't bring myself to get rid of them. I look in the mirror and I can see my stomach is a lot smaller. If I take stock of each thing, I can see it. But when I look at myself as a whole, I still see big. I still see fat. I still see size 26/28 clothes and size 10 rings. It's like I can see the changes, I know they're there, but I can't make myself believe it enough to take the steps to get rid of the stuff that in NO WAY fits me. Does this sound crazy? Anyone else deal with this?

The app is called Monitor your weight
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Monitor your weight

I would love to see great stories on how you feel today after years from your surgery! My name is Char and I had my surgery 2015, I started at 230 lbs and I am currently around 160-170lbs. I can say that I feel so great with how my health improved, my self confidence, my love to myself and the people who surrounds me with positive outlook in my journey. Sure, there are frustrations in my journey but it is all part of the process! Being where I am today made me a better and stronger person... I don’t think I could have not done it if it wasn’t for my children!

I started the BariatricPal forums to create a safe place for everyone in the weight loss surgery community. It is for pre-op and post-op patients, for patients of all types of WLS, and for anyone who supports the WLS community. I want you to be able to come here for advice, encouragement, support, and information without worrying about being judged.
I have a zero-tolerance policy for rudeness, and you can see the guidelines in the Forum Rules.
Recently, there have been several instances of members being disrespectful or downright rude. Examples include:
Stating or implying that a poster is doomed to failure or not ready for WLS because he or she asked a certain question or is engaged in a certain behavior. Telling people that your way is the only way, and any other way means the member deserves WLS failure. Discriminating against “newbies,” such as letting a newbie know that you don’t think he or she will succeed, or asking only “vets” to reply to a certain thread. (Reminder: you can always choose not to follow the advice of someone you deem unqualified to give it). The vast majority of BariatricPal members do a phenomenal job making BariatricPal the warm, friendly community that I dreamed of when I started it. Thank you! Besides being sure to be polite and respectful, here are some additional ways to help.
If you see an offensive post, please consider the following.
You do not need to respond. Instead of giving a rude answer and escalating the situation, you can simply choose not to answer. You can report the post by clicking on the “Report” option under the post. A forum moderator will look into the situation and may delete the post or ban the member if the member continues to post inappropriately. You can send the member a private message explaining that you felt the post was inappropriate, and explaining why. In many cases, you may be surprised that the member did not even realize he or she was being rude. Please also think twice before you respond to any questions or other posts. It is possible that you could write a post that is genuinely meant to be helpful, but the person could accidentally interpret your post the wrong way. Try to remember that:
It is very difficult to communicate a specific tone in writing. You may write something that you think is helpful and understanding, while someone reading it might take it as bossy or judgmental. Emoticons such as smiley faces can help. You can also add a sentence to explain that you are only offering a suggestion or sharing your own experience and that you are not trying to judge the OP. The OP might be in a vulnerable situation. They may be panicking about a worrisome symptom. They may be in turmoil about whether to get WLS. They may be freaking out about a stall. When they’re upset, it’s easier for them to misinterpret your well-meaning post. Thank you for doing your best to keep the environment at BariatricPal positive, encouraging, and open. We all need a place to go for help and support, and I want the entire weight loss surgery to feel comfortable using BariatricPal for advice and encouragement.

@@LoseItKacy OMG congrats to you!!! You're an inspiration...I'm actually tearing up! My surgery is on 8/08/16. I'm 5'6", 281 lbs. You're skin looks great! I doubt mine will bounce back the same because I'm a lil older Haha but still! Awesome!!!! You're doing great...you were beautiful before and beautiful after. I'm glad you feel good, that helps me calm the nerves Lol Again, thanks for the pics and inspiration! God bless you!
Dawnie_doo

So I was really active on Bariatric Pal as a pre op and immediately following.
But now I'm 10 months out and I figured it was time for an update.
My HW: 257
Surgery Weight: 235
Current Weight: 155
Goal: 135-145
I hit the 100 pound loss mark at around 6 months and I've maintained it since. This has been a terrible long stall but I workout a lot and I think my body is really happy at 155 even though I would like to lose at least 10 more.
Since my surgery I've gone rock climbing. I went from a 27 minute mile to a 7:30. I am currently training for a half marathon on September 11th! Which is 15 days before my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MY SURGERY!!
So that is a HUGE goal that I want to accomplish. If I could lose the 10 pounds by then that would be cool to but I'm not going to go crazy over it.
I moved from Minnesota to Montana. I started a pre med program. I want to be a bariatric surgeon one day
I do have a restriction problem. A couple months ago they had to stretch the opening of my stomach a little bit because it was so small that food was getting painfully stuck. But I was told that I could have to have the procedure done a few times because scar tissue doesn't like to stretch. I can tell I'm due for it again because eating with a bra on hurts and I can feel food get backed up after a few bites.
I'm extremely happy with my choice and my new life. My skin is doing amazing. I won't need skin surgery. I've lost over a foot and a half around my waist. 18 inches from around my hips, 10 from around each thigh, and went from bra size 42DDD to a 34B or C.
I was a 3x in tops, 24 in pants.
I am now a small on top and 3/4 in pants. It's pretty crazy how different my life is in just 9 months.
Best decision I've ever made. I hope everyone else is doing well! I've missed you all!!!               
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I can't believe this is me! ????????????????????
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65LBS down!
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I've lost a total of 80 pounds and I'm so proud of myself. I didn't even realize how big my face was until a memory came up on my Facebook feed. 40 pounds away from my ultimate goal weight!   
"In the end we only regret the chances that we didn't take."

When you don't feel self conscious eating in public. I can't be sure it wasn't all in my head, but when I was obese and ate in public I would get lots of disgusted stares coming my way.
The other day I was eating on the train as I was racing between meetings. I apologised to the person next to me. They looked me up and down and said that I looked like I needed it!
It is really, really weird having people see you as a thin person. And it is very sad too that you are treated differently...

Still can't believe this is me!
Only 9.6 pounds to go until I hit my goal!
I have muscles! Who knew!!!!??
I'll be hitting my 10 month post op Gastric Bypass date on July 21st! I can't believe I've lost 114 lbs in 10 short quick months! I am working hard to hit my goal by the one year surgiversary date, but if I don't then I'm not going to be too sad about it..... Cuz how can I be!?
I will say that losing the last 10 pounds are the hardest!
I may not be losing too fast as per the scale now, but I can definitely see a change in my body so I'm totally happy! !!
Heather

Hi friends, these are my first before/after photos I've posted anywhere.
The one on the plane with my wife and son are 284 lbs
The one with the hat on is a month or so ago at 210 lbs
And the other one with shorts on is at 191 lbsthe best, p
Hallelujah!! My health has never been so good.

These pics are NOT easy to share because I have No make-up on and tons of loose skin and wrinkles, hence the the Yikes in my title! All that being said, I couldn't be happier and healthier. Last Summer I was wearing a size 22 swimsuit and the one I have on in the pic is a size 10, so YAY! Having had gastric bypass has truly saved my life. I was a slow but steady loser (can't exercise much due to a chronic nerve condition) and only have a few more pounds to go. These last 10 lbs. are the hardest. Being obese for 30 years took it's toll on me but I'm so happy now that I refuse to dwell in the past. Advice for those just starting out ... Take "Before" pics and measure yourself!!! Here are my stats:
54 years young
5' 2" tall
HW 285
SW 260
CW 138
GW 130
Inches Lost
chest: 12"
above waist: 21"
waist (@@belly button): 18"
below waist (apron): 19"
hips: 15"
thighs: 8"
knees: 3"
arms: 6"

Instead of losing who you are, you will discover who you are. Weight loss shrinks your belly, not your sense of humor. Most of our bariatric teams include access to a psychologist who can help us navigate through the mental and emotional changes that come with a shape we are not familiar with.
You don't have to eat healthy food. You get to eat healthy food. You will no longer be a slave to the processed food industry and their marketing machine. Their stuff is not really food anyway. They produce factory edibles full of chemicals and pesticides. With you new high Protein lifestyle, your body will thrive instead of just exist under reduced circumstances.
You don't have to exercise. You will be in a new body the enables you to exercise. The human body is built to move. That is why we have arms and legs and muscles and joints. We were not meant to become part of the sofa, but that is what our excess weight has done to us,
You will get to re-invent yourself. You may be shy now, but when you lose weight, you gain confidence. When someone gives you are hard time about your body or medical choices, you will either want to educate them or cold-konk them. But you won't take it any more and hide behind your weight with shame.
Although it may be painful, people can't keep their opinions to themselves and they will expose how they really think of you. That's when you realize that you may indeed have to adjust your circle of friends or distance yourself from toxic family who would rather see you fail than be thinner, happier and healthier than they are.
Chirp up. You can ditch the spiral of despair and grief for the old you and accept the challenge and adventure of creating the best you that you are supposed to be.
Are you familiar with the comedienne Lisa Lampanelli? She got sleeved a couple of years ago and is just as funny as she ever was.
You have already had your surgery and may as well hang on for the ride.
By the way, the discomfort and nausea will go away. Before you know it, you will be at your one year anniversary and wonder where the time went.

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Yes I will refrain from this site only because of people like you that are rude just because ur experienced at this doesn't mean you can put other people down I don't think any of us were born smart and don't have to put up with people like you.
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I just don't see how my researching is an answer. Sure waiting for an obvious sign can happen but may not. But I just don't want to go through this and have to hear later that I did it alone. Of course that has a lot to do with the way I look at the Lord. I'm going of course to my appointment and I guess I'll see what happens. Maybe I should go elsewhere for my answers...
Thanks anyway guys!
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Don't get discouraged! I asked God very early in my journey to show me whether WLS was for me, and He did. But it wasn't overnight. I asked for roadblocks if it was not His will, and the process kept going smoothly. I admire you for asking for guidance in this because I think that is the most important thing.
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Just take the next step. The one in front of you.
Pray and keep exploring, and asking questions.
It is a journey. You do not have to have all the answers.
For me, if I pray and seek truly seek God's will, things will work out.

So, I haven't seen my PCP since July and had a maintenance check up for my labs. When I arrived at the office she was getting on the elevator just ahead of me and I was headed for the stairs, but I smiled and said hello. She kind of half smiled back and turned into the elevator. Five minutes later she entered my room and and her jaw hit the floor! Apparently she didn't recognize me downstairs and thought I was just being polite when I said hello. I have seen her every 3-4 months for the past 7 years!!! Made me feel great.
Now on to the funny ... I was commenting to a coworker about how I need to buy new clothes, again, specifically underwear as I am starting to get the "saggy butt" feeling and it drives me nuts when I feel like my panties are just hanging between my legs. She gave me a REALLY weird look. I guess she wasn't sure WHAT was "hanging between my legs" but says to me "GEEEEEZ Girl! I didn't think you'd have THAAAAT much extra skin down there!!!!" I just about cried I laughed so hard!