Good apple

March 10 - Raleigh, NC

Start my 3 week pre-op diet of nightmares next week.

I am in Raleigh too - same group as you just different surgeon. Let me know how it goes!!!

I am part of the March Sleevers group it is a closed group so when you join no one can see. It is a great group and we would love more people to join! Just search March 2016 Sleevers on Facebook and ask to join.

Thank you!!! Found it!!!!

Got my date yesterday...March 14. It was quite a process getting on the calendar. Now that it's official, it feels very overwhelmingly real. Are all of these roller coaster emotions natural?!?!

You make 3 I've seen here so far (4 including me) who are all on for the 14th!!!

Just got my date - March 14!

I have the 14th too!!!

Officially scheduled for March 14th. So incredibly nervous and excited.

Hey, I have the sme date as you!!

If someone you don't know well ask you for your weight or how much you have lost just say "Please google Nunya Bidness. That should answer your question."

I am still pre-op but LOVING this thread cause I work with some nosey witches!!!!

Boss? Sounds like a pain, it happens and I've dealt with same. A couple of people at work, my Mom. They don't offer me anything or if they do it's a very small portion compared to everyone else. Makes me more self-conscious about my weight. I might not "need it" but that's my cross to bear. Hurts my feelings too, so I'm sorry you have to deal with insensitive a******. Truth be told, great big stomach, overweight people should get the biggest portion.

I'm sure, everybody here knows, fat folks are always safe targets for discrimination. Sucks. For all the love and kindness people bestow, there are always some that spread sorrow.

NUT? That is surprising from a professional. Mine was a skinny little man, but he was nice/understanding. Maybe he's afraid if he is crappy to big girls/guys, we'll eat him

But isn't it so ironic that the boss who treats overweight people horribly, is the one who keeps bringing in food for everyone? Is he trying to increase how many people he treats badly? lol

Excellent point!

My Fitness Pal has been great. I have logged my food and exercise routines for 763 days straight. But enough is enough. Time to let it go.

I pretty much know "what" and "how much" I can eat and how much exercise it takes to keep things in check. Believe me, it's no picnic after you reach goal. Deviate any little bit and the weight pops back on like a compressed sponge.

The hunger is back, the cravings are back......My guess is the ghrelin hormone is probably back in full production too. And the ole sleeve is easily capable of stretching past that post surgery luxury of only 3 ounces. All which makes maintenance an increased challenge.

But on the plus side.....and it's a big plus......I LOST IT ALL!!!!! I REACHED GOAL!!!! I feel good and look great. So there is no way I'm letting obesity creep back on me ever again.

Yeah, I monitored things closely for 763 days.......and it helped tremendously. But I got it now. I eat things here and there that are either too sweet, too many calories, or too much at once. But it keeps me from going nuts.

I use my clothes as my "scale". If I feel them even slightly tighter, I increase the exercise. watch the portions closer and eliminate any extra junk stuff until things fit correctly. I can handle a few pounds.....I know how to now and can control it.

The surprise is I thought that once I reached goal, I would be able to each alot more daily calories in maintenance without gaining. Hasn't worked out that way. And none of the charts that indicate what I should be able to have daily are even in the ball park. Same applies to how much weight you're expected to lose eating a specific amount or when you burn so many calories during exercise. Guess that's why I was always obese. Typical charts and functions never applied to me.

So, get ready. When you get to maintenance, if you're anything like me, you ignore all the charts and tables and have used the time to figure out your own body's needs and functions. Develop you own diets and exercise plans......and realize you will have to strictly adhere to them the rest of your life. And you will stick to it because it is sooo worth it.

So goodbye MFP.......I don't need you anymore. (I will still check things on it from time to time) It's time to get on with my new normal....... I got this. .

That is outstanding! Quite an inspiration! Thanks for the post.

@@RNYDawnI use EasiPart 12" Human hair. I did this for two reasons. 1) I wanted to be able to add low lights to better match my current hair color and 2) I thought it would look more natural. Just a word of caution, HH does take more work. I have to wash and deep condition my topper each week which takes about 20 minutes, but I think that the results are worth the effort. I have been wearing this topper since late August and NO ONE can tell! They all think I got highlights and my hair looks awesome. At this point I have lost about 50% of my hair so it is rather thin at the bottom but is starting to come back in on top. I may just keep wearing this even after my hair comes back in. I will see if I can post a pic so you can see.

I agree! Ur hair looks great!

Anyone here wanna be teammates?? spenceamyt@gmail.com

Hey, I've had mine a while and trying to get back on it! Will send you a team request, I'm gonna be slow going too for now! So we can be in the bottom together! Same pic of my little dog on both apps!

Thanks a lot. I appreciate the insights.

Hello all and please excuse if this question is in the wrong forum....

I'm relatively new to the process, have had some appts and have 3-4 more to go. When I initially met with my to be surgeon, he said I would probably qualify for all the procedures (BMI 48 with few other medical problems).

First, I thought the sleeve was the best, seemed less invasive, etc. But, now I am understanding that I will need to take Vitamins with both ( one or two more doesn't seem like a big deal), major dietary changes with both and the recovery time doesn't seem that much longer with the bypass PLUS the overall success rate seems better with the bypass.

I do understand the bypass comes with additional risks. But, as this is a long complicated process, I want to make sure it sticks and long term success is my overall goal.

What made you select the bypass over the sleeve? Thanks in advance for the feedback.

I'm on month two of my supervised 6mo diet. I had originally planned on the sleeve but, I have now opted for the bypass.

How are you feeling so far?

Curious, what made u choose the bypass over the sleeve?

Thanks for sharing, it was a really informative post!

Mine seemed a little involved as compared to some of the responses, so I guess it varies a good bit. There were questionnaires to complete before the appt. Mostly about my weight history which it was a little difficult (impossible) for me to remember all the times I have lost or gained over 10 lbs and why...because I'm 51 and have been a yo yo dieter for most of my life!

At the appt I had another 457 questions on the computer (MMPI-2). My copy of the report says they used the following assessment instruments: MMPI-2, clinical interview, Shipley institute of living scale, beck depression inventory, state trait anxiety inventory, 3 factor eating questionnaire and a wt and lifestyle inventory.

It all took 4 hours which included about 30-40 mins sitting in the waiting room. The psychologist said they are looking to see if you can understand the risks/benefits of surgery, have some type of support available, current or hx of addiction, etc.

The surgeon let me choose from several providers in the area. I looked for someone close so if I need to see them again in the journey, I could. I don't think I will, but you never know.

The article they gave me to read before the appt recommend asking the psychologist what they thought might a challenge for me after we talked, etc. The article also recommended asking for a copy of their report.

I asked about the challenges and she said she thought I was a good candidate for WLS. Said, in general, people sometimes struggle if they have complications or if they did not fully understand the dietary restrictions/requirements. Fair enough.

She offered to send me a copy of the report. It came in the mail about 2 weeks later. It seemed to be a good reflection of what we talked about at the appt.

I guess it's human nature to worry a little about a "psychological" evaluation, but dont sweat it.

You look fabulous! Be proud.

Sorry hear they aren't supportive at a time you could really use it. People aren't always right about things and I guess it is what it is. I don't anticipate my family would be supportive either, that's why I didn't tell them. My husband, I had to tell and I thought he would be the biggest naysayer of them all. Turns out, he took it well and said it seemed like a good decision.

But, that doesn't mean he's been positive about it since that initial conversation. I've learned over the last couple of weeks to not discuss it with him. It's when I bring it up that he starts with the negativity. It's such a big deal with me, I could talk about it A LOT....but have learned to keep it under wraps at home.

Thanks for sharing, I hope the situation improves.

Sending good vibes your way!

You look great! Fabulous dress too!!

Wow! That's great. You must be thrilled!

Hmmm.

1. Somebody said not sweating as much, amen to that. Once I started menopause, it's been on between hot flashes and regular sweating re: being 300 lbs. If I could just get to "regular" hot flashes, that'd be good.

2. Being able to hook my sandals without it being a huge production because I have such a problem touching my feet.

3. Walking up a flight of stairs without feeling like I've run a race.

4. Hating going shopping for clothes and not going somewhere just because I think about not having the right clothes to wear.

5. Recognizing the person in the reflection is me and not avoiding shiny surfaces!

I had my surgery on October 28th. But was originally scheduled for Sept 18th. I already had FMLA papers on file, for my severe depression. I was planning on covering my surgery with my fmla papers, saying I needed a week or two.

But then i went to the podiatrist, I was having issues with my feet and got fed up with it. I had a feeling I would need surgery on my feet, for the plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. When I went to the podiatrist I found out I had extreme cases of both and messed up genetics in my feet. So I ended up getting scheduled for foot surgery on September 2. Which then pushed my RNY surgery to October.

Last Tuesday I went to work to drop off my doctor release form. Everyone asked me what I was doing and how much weight I had lost. I had lost some weight before foot surgery. So i told then I had only lost another 15 pounds since being off. I then reminded them that they only see me in my uniform. I also told them I haven't bought any new clothes (true hate clothes shopping). I also told them my doctor changed one of my medication (which is true, I was taken off medication), told them my doctor had gotten my hormones under controlled. (I have polycystic ovarian syndrome) which is also true, surgery helped with that as well.

I guess tell them what you think is best. My job is full of gossip and negatively. I work as a Correctional Officer in a Juvenile prison. Adolescent kids are hateful. I've been there almost 7 years I've gotten used to them being disrespectful about my weight. I've become numb to their hate fullness. Plus I

had my surgery for myself, and do not need hate interfering with my progress or feelings about it.

So I guess what I'm saying is think about your environment you work in, assess what you can live with and what you can't.

You did the surgery for yourself no one else. I agree, lying is not a great idea, (make sure you don't put negatively in the universe) but ask yourself what can I live with? Do I want this to be an experience everyone can see and experience with me? Or are you a private person? But really try and tell as much truth as you can.

Just my thoughts. Hope all works out for you.

ms. Lharmony, Thank you for the share. I hear you on taking the environment into account. The climate at my work can be dicey, while most are okay there are several people who love to gossip and back bite more than life! (Seems to me.)

If it was a nice supportive place, it'd be different. While I don't like the idea of creating some grand lie or putting more bad out there, I'm also not someone who is comfortable with lots of witches up in my business.

I hope you are well since your surgery.

Tell them what you are comfortable with. I only told one friend at work and she never would tell anyone else. I simply said that I have to take a medical leave. No one asked questions. They may have speculated between themselves, but no one came right out and asked me. The only one I had to tell was just the person in HR simply because it was written on my FMLA paperwork that I had to file.

As the weight started falling off rapidly, that is a different story. While people are not likely to straight out ask you why you went on a medical leave, they will have NO problem pestering you non-stop about how you are losing so much weight. There was one secretary at my work who asked me literally every single day for months what I was doing. It got to the point where I would just altogether avoid her.

My response has always been that I cut out sugar, wheat, and flour, eat lots and lots of Protein, lots of Water, and I started running. None of these things are lies. :-)

Ms. Livvsmum, I appreciate the notation about pesky co-workers. I have many who I believe will hound me to near death on a daily basis about the to be wt loss! They do it now with other people when it's 30 or 40 lbs.

To make matters worse none of them (with one exception) are not really heavy. They complain about an extra 10-20 lbs (and I recognize it's all relative....one day I hope to be within 10-20 where I want to be) and will be all over me like a cheap suit about wt loss.

Thank you too for the reply!

I agree with some of the other posters, I can sure tell a huge difference in your appearance. Congrats on the loss. Good job!

I am one week post op, I had my VSG surgery last Tuesday and here are some things I find myself looking for during this stage along with all the other suggestions everyone else has given:

Baby spoons- will help when you start taking in broths or Jello

A couple of One ounce cups ( like the medicine caps) to keep track of your Fluid intake especially the first couple days out. My instructions say to take in 1 ounce of liquid every 15 minutes to keep from dehydration.

A tracker or planner maybe a book or on your phone to note everything

A Water bottle with measurements on the side to keep track of how much fluids you take throughout the day or hourly if you are out and about, I have a Blender Bottle that shows ounces on the sides.

Again this is additional things that I am currently using to help me through this first stage, I was nervous as well and it is tough but with a positive mind and reassuring yourself of why you took this step in the first place there is no doubt you will ok! Mind over matter

I hope all goes well!

Thanks for the mention of the baby spoons, I wondered it that would be helpful!