samuelsmom

My surgeon didn't until after surgery and then he used the weight chart to determine what my excess weight was and what was the average weight loss I could expect. For me, not an issue as I do not have a goal weight in mind. With my age and BMI being about the same (past 50), I knew that I was a walking poster child for co-morbidities. 100% of my reason for doing this was to prevent illness. I am very lucky not to already have diabetes or other conditions and I don't want to get them! So, anything that gets me a BMI under the "obese" range is good for me!

@@VSGAnn2014 I actually found this article very encouraging. Just think, this lady had tremendous success. Chances are, considering her pre-op weight and age, she would not be alive today if she had not had surgery. And she kept the vast majority of it off for a long time. And then, after a relatively modest weight gain she took action! I view this like a car or appliance-- sometimes things need a little tightening!

Good Luck with your weight loss journey. It sounds like you are doing well on your pre op plan. Don't worry about stalls, the whole point of the pre op diet is not so much to lose weight as it is to learn good habits and show "compliance." However, to break a stall I have personally found that doing one "fast" day - drinking a ton of liquid (including protein) does it very well for me.

Congratulations! I am planning my celebration when I hit Onederland-- Only 42 pounds to go! Lol.

Best of Luck to you! Keep us posted!

Last week we went wedding dress shopping with my future daughter in law and her mom. At the salon they had mimosas. I was not about to say no! I was 7 weeks out so I slowly sipped it and enjoyed it tremendously! I took my time and sipped it without any problem.

I am still wearing the clothes at 58 pounds down and it is really ok- they are big and I am ok with that! That being said- I have several sizes in my closet and am starting to go into them. I also have bought a few new jackets/blazers for layering as I have to look professional in my job also. I have to admit, this is a great problem to have

I was literally terrified of this pre-op since I am a fast eater and did NOT slow down pre-op. What has helped for me is the old fashioned advice to chew each bite 30 times. When i first started with solids I actually sat and counted. Now that I am 2 whole months out it is now a habit and I don't think about it. When I am having something I really like and find myself speeding up, I start counting!

Great thread! I do Protein shakes and bars because they are convenient. Otherwise, I don't do any "diet" food.

I also couldn't stand the premier Protein. I do the the GNC Lean shakes. The vanilla is ok, the strawberry is my favorite, and the chocolate is best when blended with a banana!

Good shoes for walking-- I brought in my crocs as they were easy on and off and still give decent support. I highly recommend that you do NOT walk in the slipper socks provided by the hospital. If there are any hazards or spills, those sock will not protect you. A set of comfortable clothes and the pillow previously mentioned for the ride home too. I also had my cell phone and charger. That's about it. Good Luck!

Good Morning, Thanks again for posting this challenge. It has really helped keep me focused this week! Weight: 241

I agree with both of the prior posts; it sounds like it's time for a specialist. I would also emphasize nutrition. If you are nutritionally depleted it is harder to fight off infections. Good luck. Hope this clears.

Christopher and Banks has a full range of sizes. I currently shop at the "plus size" store CJ Banks and they have wonderful clothing for professionals. They are not cheap, however, they have great sales- I just bought a beautiful sweater perfect for layering in this weather for less than $20 on clearance! I have only been on the outside of their "normal" sized store but it also looked very nice. Good Luck and Congratulations on your weight loss!

Glad you're feeling better!

@brie8989 Honestly, it's been better than I expected. The weight loss has slowed down and I am ok with that. As long as the numbers keep going down, I am a happy camper! One of my big fears was that I would feel like a freak-- go out with my family and sit there having Water while they had steak! For me, I can now eat anything- just in small quantities. I'm so happy when we go out to eat and I can order a regular meal and have it for lunch and maybe dinner the next day Good luck with whatever procedure you end up having.

I can certainly understand all the angst. For me, I really did not want to make a big deal out of this. I told my husband, 2 grown children, 1 of my 4 siblings, 5 people from work, and 2 from church for 11 total. For me, it was a good decision. I have appreciated the support I have gotten and not been overwhelmed with questions. It's not that I mind other people knowing, I just needed to be able to focus with a small support group.

Anyone who is seriously overweight can relate to this. I'm so glad you were able to turn your life around. Congratulations on your amazing weight loss! At 7 weeks out from surgery, your stats are an inspiration!

My wating period was 3 months. I had my first surgeon's consult on July 28th, dietitian in August, September and October. Had the psych eval, lab tests, and stress tests in September. Last visit with dietitian on October 24th. Paperwork submitted after last visit, approved in one week and surgery on November 19th! It was really very smooth looking back. At the time it seemed like so many hoops but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Fortunately didn'thave to have a ton of pre-op testing so it wasn't too bad. I would suggest talking with the person in the office that deals with scheduling. They should have a good idea of how long the process will take and length of time to get a surgery date once approved.

@@CowgirlJane I can answer this! 60% is the average excess weight loss according to the statistics, however, it is just that, an average. For example, an average flat screen tv might be around $500, however, we all know that you can buy a TV for anywhere from $150 up to $3500 (or more). No one should use this average as a predictor for themselves. We all know there are people who don't succeed and lose nothing and those that lose 120%. All of that is included in the average. It is just another piece of information. I personally would never base a weight loss surgery decision on this.

@ 1) 2009 is ancient for an insurance manual. However, it sounds like you should be covered. 2) The dietitian's visits are enough as your weight will be checked each time. No need to see your PCP unless there is another issue. That being said, if your PCP will be the most helpful- then go ahead. You want to surround yourself with caregivers who will give you the best support. 3) Surgery choice: I can understand your physician's recommendation for the sleeve. There is no reason to expect that you will not lose weight or that you will regain it. that is possible with each surgery. DS requires 3 + hours under anesthesia raising the liklihood of complications. Quite a few surgeons routinely do a sleeve first to limit the amount of anesthesia at one time. As you may know, that is how the sleeve got it's start- it was used as the first part of the DS and so many patients did well and never needed part 4) You seem very motivated. With that level of motivation you sound like someone who would do well with the surgeon's recommendation. You also mentioned you are ok with supplements and labs, however, the problem is malabsorption syndromes and you are very young. I am a strong believer in patient choice, however, as a nurse, and bariatric patient, I think your surgeon's advice was very wise. Good Luck in your weight loss journey!

I really enjoy the unjury chicken broth. My doctor's office had a sample I could try. You can always ask if you want to try first. I also bought one of several types of shakes- the Muscle Milk, Carnation powder, GNC, etc. All have sugar- you may want to ask your doctor for how many gms are allowed. My personal favorite is the GNC Lean Protein which is premade- I have no time or interest in making my own shakes so this works very well for me. Good Luck

From WLS stats the average weight loss is about 60 % of your excess body weight. What my surgeon did was subtract my starting weight from what the weight charts had as my ideal weight. Then take 60% of that. So if you have 100 pounds excess weight, the average weight loss would be 60 pounds. Please note that this is average. Some people lose way more and some don't. Good luck.

@jerseyjules Good Luck. I saw an interesting new product that the FDA has just approved which is surgically implanted and controls hunger signals. Hopefully you will do great and not need any intervention. However, with technology you never know what may be available when you need it!

Glad to hear you got through ok! The first week post-op I just really concentrated on getting liquids in and walking. It is normal to have a slow go with fluids. There is swelling where the surgery was done and it is very normal to have to drink fluids very slowly. It is also ok to feel tired. Your body has been through a lot! I was out of work for 2 weeks and felt like "myself" after 4 weeks. Good Luck!