txfirefly979

yes, yes, and YES!!!! every single one of these!!!! not to mention (4) no more raw thighs that rub together when wearing dresses/skirts in the heat that Texas enjoys for 10months out of the year. (5) not wondering how WIDE my butt looks when I'm doing squats or incline leg curls. (6) knowing I will be able to keep up with my (future) kiddos. heck, knowing I'll be more fertile to HAVE those future babies

I think you'll find many of us on here who have been faced with that same shocking realization. I too look in the mirror and know I'm heavy but look "okay" only to see pictures later and am MISERABLE at how awful I look --- from the middle-age-man gut to thunder thighs and everything else. you're at a supportive helpful place --- best wishes in your WL journey!

30yr (pre-op, hoping for March 2015). wish I would have started 2-3 years earlier.

yup... the "Santa Claus" gut (midsection weight) is my problem too. Not just because of cortisol (which yes makes harder to lose) but several studies I've read say that midsection weight is most dangerous (heart attack/stroke risks). I too do less gluten but felt a bit burned out and more frustrated than ever after a 3 mo gluten/sugar/yeast free diet resulted in a 2 lb GAIN rather than any loss. I too am hoping WLS can be the tool that can actually help me lose any weight (I've never been able to lose, much less maintain). best wishes to you on this journey!

5'6 (30yr). Surgeon set goal weight at 160-165. personally I'd like to see 150 again but I too usually weigh more than people expect (people now don't believe I'm in the 220s now). anything below 170 would make me happy!

congrats on the weight loss! and thanks for sharing... its encouraging to hear that it does work for those of us who have to work a little harder due to underactive thyroids

Texas lady here (N.Houston/Woodlands).... hoping to have a March surgery date (self-pay). Nervous but ready to not have my gut in the weight or my thighs rubbing till they're raw (like at outdoor wedding this past weekend ) Anyone here planning to have kids (esp first) after WLS?

beautiful! and what an inspiration for those of us pre-op stories!

sounds SOOOOOOOOOOO familiar. I've added more and more time at the gym plus cut out more and more foods (of course during all the "trying to figure out why the hell I cant lose weight where I've been told everything from PCOS to hypothyroidism). still not seeing any results after multiple extended attempts is why I'm here... I need a tool (WLS) to help me MOVE The scale in the right direction (even if its slow!) (and those YouTube videos by Clusee are hilarious!)

congrats! hoping to be there soon myself!!!!

sorry for duplicate post. board is a little buggy this morning. Monday blues huh?

@@lexiemustang.... it's like you read my mind! I had my 1st consult last week and while I did love the surgeon (laid back but reassuring)... I too cried b/c I felt like its a personal failure that I cannot lose weight to save my life (literally). I havent even worried about maintaining yet b/c to maintain you actually have to have a LOSS! and my MOM is the same way.... I am more worried about telling her than the surgery itself. (we're super close) SO ready for SOMETHING to make the change!

thanks! my surgeon's office (1st visit Friday) quoted cash as $15,500. While i'm not looking to cut corners (or give my mom a heart attack by going to Mexico), I'll be honest that it seems high. anyone else in Houston area with self-pay prices? (Davis Clinic, Dr. St. Laurent, etc....)

@@RedSalamander I really appreciate your answer and perspective! It's definitely one that has caused me doubt on having the surgery now. I'm going to come at this from a different angle. I am only 6 days post-op at this point, so obviously some things will change, but I wouldn't go back and have the surgery before kids. Nope. I had two healthy, normal pregnancies (despite my weight, which isn't really an issue) and now I have 2 lovely kids. And now I have no plans to have any more, so I don't have to worry about a fetus being properly nourished...just me! And I don't have to worry that if I have extreme (but rare!) complications that it will set pregnancy back even further... I think you'll also find that pregnancy and motherhood puts a wrench in your body hatred. You might feel uncomfortable, but you will find that your body is a miraculous, awe-inspiring thing. And frankly, you won't have time or energy for self-loathing. So don't worry too much about that. Just some thoughts. On the other hand, if you are hoping the surgery will enable you to become pregnant, that's a whole 'nother ball of wax! Oh, and you talk about your age...I know that you're in Texas, and I am most certainly not, but I had my kids at 31 and 35, and am on the young side of the other young mothers I know. Many of my friends didn't have their children until their late 30s and early 40s! Where my current thought process is.... I'm 30 (almost 31). Even if I had the surgery after my first kid (we want 2-3), that would be 3 more years (almost 35) at my current or HIGHER weight (I cant lose weight to save my life.... I'm already doing Jay Robb Protein shakes and eating "clean"/mostly Paleo). because you figure you cant do the surgery and still breastfeed (so that's 10 months of pregnancy plus 1-2 years ...hopefully!... of breastfeeding). Plus a lot of the research I've read recently reports obese moms at higher risks of clots and C-sections.... not to mention my energy level, mobility or self-esteem. I know its not an "easy" decision either way. however, if I do the surgery beforehand, (likely) I wouldnt even end up at my CURRENT weight... even at my highest pregnant weight. and I'd have a much better tool for re-losing it after. and yeah.... I'm not the oldest mom but I am definitely getting a late start (or so it feels like compared to about 75% of my friends... most are having their 2nd or last baby this coming year. I think most started around 26-28). Again--- I dont really mind being older... I waited this long to pursue my career and find the right guy to marry. . I just dont want to wait SO long that my age is considered "high risk" to pregnancy and includes scary things like amnio tests... honestly... we're not really sure if it will be "necessary" to lose weight before I can get pregnant. we arent trying yet. Having said that, in this CRAZY weight loss journey, I have had doctors tell me that I had PCOS (although my periods are pretty regular 29-30 days) because of NOT being able to lose weight (even on medically supervised diet) and other symptoms. I've also been diagnosed as pre-diabetic (confirmed with blood tests) and also hypothyroid. So having said that.... those conditions do tend to have higher % of problems getting prego. There's just no way to find out until we're ready.... I really am torn on this decision. luckily, my husband is supportive no matter what.

thanks @@mrs kaje! love the support! good luck with your weight-loss journey @@Taraashley04 congrats on surgery date! I'm hopeful mine will be in February too! maybe we can be sleeve buddies and navigate the post-surgery pregnancy world together best of luck with your surgery ---- be sure and post updates on your progress!

just curious for those who have done the self-pay route in the US ( esp Texas people ) - how long did it take from the time you decided to 1st consult to your actual surgery date? Just trying to prepare myself if this is going to take as long as it would with insurance (i.e. 3-6mo) thx

following this as I'm hypo too. I unfortunately still am in the "normal" range for TSH but luckily have found a dr willing to test levels regularly and treat my symptoms (total lack of energy). I've gained the 80lbs I need to lose all in the last 5-7 years and havent even had kids yet so I'm desperate to lose weight (thus why looking into WLS) I understand the frustration b/c I do eat healthy (just finished yeast-free (gluten/sugar/dairy) diet of 2 months with ZERO weight loss) and work out. SO hopeful WLS will be able to help me too!

Has anyone used Dr. Drew Howard or Dr. Jason Balette in the Woodlands/North Houston area? thanks!

not to take this off topic but is it universal that a pregnancy is "high risk" simply bc the woman had ANY bariatric surgery (sleeve, band, etc.)? or does it have to be one of the malabsorbative ones (bypass, RnY, etc.)? thanks (from a future mama and potential sleever trying to make difficult decisions)

@@livvsmum thanks for replying... that is actually one of my biggest fears (especially because I'm not sure I could afford it, financially or mentally, a second time). It looks like you've had your surgery already and hit your goal weight (congrats!).... having said that - do you think it would be possible to lose the weight after kids? my concern with waiting is that I wont spend the money on myself then (plus it would be another 2+ years of waiting and being miserable in my own body b/c of pregnancy plus breastfeeding). I know I definitely couldnt wait until we've had all the kids we want bc that would be 10 years away! appreciate the different perspective though

@@CountryGirl5584 - thanks for the reply! Do you mind me asking how old you are? I'm definitely still pursuing this... I'm just hoping for a 12mo waiting period rather than 18-24 months (being that I'm almost 31). Do you have your VSG surgery scheduled yet??

I second the vote for Jay Robb! I especially like that there's less than 10 ingredients (not a huge list of who knows what you're eating!) They have a ton of flavors and you can order them on Amazon (little cheaper) or find in most grocery stores (Kroger, etc.). Be aware that they make 2 different Protein types - Egg White Protein (which is lower calorie but pretty "eggy" tasting--- imagine raw angel food cake batter) and Whey Protein. I have the vanilla egg white which I usually mix a half scoop with half scoop of desired Whey flavor. I then mix in Blender Bottle with 75% Water and 25% unsweetened almond or coconut milk.

any updates or others who have used Dr. Davis (Robert or Garth) or any other surgeon in Houston area?

@@FOXYLADYA I am in a similar situation. friends, family and even ob-gyn keep telling me that "you're not fat!" or "you can do it with diet and exercise" but what they dont understand is the hour and daily struggle to know that you've tried it all and without any progress, you NEED help. (or at least that's the point where I'm at!) admitting you need help is a healthy thing (and first step towards real progress)! Stay positive and like the other commenters, I would find another nutritionist and/or see a bariatric surgeon who could recommend a nutritionist perhaps more familiar with WLS. Best of luck!

@@Elode & @@mduffield thank you so much for your comments! I really appreciate your side of the story. and CONGRATS and good luck with surgery and post-op diet! I cant wait to read an update on how you're doing! I'm trying to schedule my first consultation for sometime next week. Being that I will be a self-pay customer, I'm hoping it moves quickly so that that 1st year goes by FAST! and we get to have some cute kiddos Age (30 now. so 32 when 1st pregnancy IF it all goes as planned) definitely has me a bit worried because ideally I would like 3 and would like them 3-4 years spread out (again... God willing... we all know sometimes best of intentions doesnt go as planned). however we dont have any reason to think that we have fertility issues. we use FAM/NFP (with barrier methods on fertile days) so I'm very familiar with my cycle and have a very regular cycle as well as ovulating monthly. having said that, I know in my head and my heart that I will be a much better mom if i'm healthy and happy with my body. plus I can only imagine how much more I can do when my thunder thighs no longer wear out jeans and my belly isnt in the way!