Krimsonbutterflies

Well, if you adopt Steve. You're automatically getting a soon to be sleeved daughter, lol. Collectively, we shouldn't all eat more than 1 plate, lol.

I've already purged my closet and I kept what I wanted to keep. I will have to buy clothes, as my size 14 pants were starting to get extra baggy prior to surgery. I have some really nice pieces that'll be altered once I make it to the maintenance phase. My button down shirts will now become shirt dresses, used for layering and I will donate pieces that I don't love. Jeans and work pants will go to women shelters or to my church. I will go to the Goodwill or somewhere very affordable during the rapid weight loss process. I plan on paying it forward. I'm blessed to have this opportunity, even though I'm struggling right now.

Prayers for those of you who are waiting for your surgeries. My hopea are for everything to take place in it's time.

I had to stop partaking, I was honest with my Bariatric Team and I stopped smoking. It's been awhile and I don't have any desire to resume the habit again. I feel better, breathing is great and I'm learning to cope with anxiety in other ways. I want to maximize the opportunity of the sleeve w/o complications of old behaviors.

I had to stop partaking, I was honest with my Bariatric Team and I stopped smoking. It's been awhile and I don't have any desire to resume the habit again. I feel better, breathing is great and I'm learning to cope with anxiety in other ways. I want to maximize the opportunity of the sleeve w/o complications of old behaviors.

Hello,
The 12 weeks are very informative, I went through West LA.
You'll complete your labs. No smoking because your urine will be tested. Some weight loss is needed, but you absolutely can't gain any weight after your first weigh in. Maintain a positive attitude because classroom participation and attitude was evaluated, don't be late and you can only makeup 2 classes.
Try to complete everything during your Options classes as early as possible and make your required appointments as soon as you start the program if not before. Surgery approval is as soon as you complete everything and then your file will be evaluated by the Bariatric team. Some people had surgery dates as early as 3 weeks after class. One person was a revision, she had surgery during, those of us who were serious had dates. You have one year to complete your surgery after finishing the class.
I was in a pretty decent group of people. Everyone wasn't serious about the surgery, some were just into the hype. Some people had been through the class 3 times and never had the procedure due to fear or blocking themselves (they admitted that), didn't want to commit to the lifestyle change, there were a few negative Neds & Nancy's (ignore them and distance yourself from those ppl) and finally the know it all ppl., because they know someone or a close family member had the surgery and their plan wasn't like this!!!
Get the information that Kaiser wants you to follow, show up and commit, communicate with the Bariatric team, one week you'll get samples of the Bariatric Vitamins, get z highlighter to highlight your notes (makes it easier to review and refresh once you have surgery). Enjoy the ride, this journey is for you and you get out of it what you put into it.
Please note: All Kaiser Permanente Bariatric programs are not the same. My program at West LA Kaiser was totally different from my friend who went through South Bay Kaiser. Even our after surgery stages per our surgeons. Still both very affective. Each surgeon has their own experiences and methods.

I like this thread, I'm going to be able to have a pity post of my own post op life soon. I shall return, stay tuned....

I started my journey in May. Down to my last two requirements and then submission to insurance. Hoping for Sept surgery. As of now, only my husband, my mom and 3 of my best friends know. Already with one of them I’ve gotten backlash and it’s making me rethink this friendship. Totally the reason I haven’t told many people. Negativity is something I don’t need right now. There is nothing wrong with keeping this low. It’s YOUR journey. Something YOU are doing for the better of YOU. I need this to be about me, for me, not about what other people think of something they know nothing about.
😊 Good luck y’all!

I told fewer than 10 close friends & family, and no co-workers. I didn’t even tell my teen who lives with me. She obviously knows I had surgery, but not the details. She sees my weight loss and notices I eat less, but none of it has “clicked” for her. I think it’s funny. One day when she is more mature I will tell her. I’ve been working from home since March, and one colleagues commented that my face looks slimmer on a video call. Explaining that I have more time to focus on nutrition, and fitness since I don’t commute 2-3 hours per day seems to satisfy any curiosity. I’ll save the comments specific to my surgery for the people whose opinions I value. I have to say, though... the people I have told have been supportive.

I’m three years out. One out of my two parents know and two out of my four siblings. I had to lie (or at least make a lot of omissions) around the time of surgery, but less so now. Your waiter might ask if you didn’t like the food, because you didn’t eat much. Your hairdresser might notice your thinning hair. Your friends will notice you eat far less. Everyone in your life will notice the weight loss. It comes up a lot in the first year. I don’t feel bad about the range of lies I told. Mostly I was just vague.

You do you. Whatever works for you. Some people need support and encouragement from their loved ones and colleagues and the world at large through Instagram, others feel more private and don’t want to deal with questions. It might depend on whether you know anyone else who has been through it or if it’s something your friends and colleagues would have no idea how to relate to. I talk about it with my therapists and doctors. I’m not ashamed, I made peace with the fact that I had to get to the “last resort” of surgery but it’s better for my mental health to not feel like everyone knows. For other people, it’s really exciting to share and open up. I don’t believe there’s a “correct way” to decide how you will do this. Just options and choices.

I had a sleeve done 10 years ago. I lost over 140 pounds.
At the outset, I only told my closest friends and family. Maybe 8 people - my dad, and brother knew ( but both have passed away since then ). My then 17 year old daughter and her best friend who was HER support person, and 3 friends. I was in my mid 50's - I am now 64 years old. I regained 40 pounds in 9 years. Spent the last year losing those 40 pounds.
Who knows now ? My daughter and her best friend, and 3 friends. It does not come up in conversation - people who knew me when I as over 300 pounds assume that it was my divorce - which did coincide with about when I had WLS.
I am not skinny by any means, I am now considered overweight by my age adjusted BMI - but I am comfortable in my own loose skin. People who knew me when I was morbidly obese and meet me again now, ask me WHAT HAPPENED ? I tell them the truth " I lost weight".
I also do not tell them that I had a hysterectomy and any other medical issues that I have had in 10 years either.
Eating less, eating mindfully, and intentionally - along with my sleeve that still does work, if I let it.... is what helped me to lose weight again 10 years later.

Moaning Myrtle is hilarious. I love them all....
Ariel the Pisces is still over talking me and doing what she wants, which annoys the Virgo in me. My grandson always looks at me crazy and says, "your stomach Nana!"
Best wishes on your journey.

I am fixing to start the journey into revision surgery, so to be honest, I’m kinda ashamed. After my sleeve (2011) I did lose a lot of weight, but have gained most back. So, long story short, my husband is the ONLY one who knows. I just don’t want to deal with the comments from anyone. I already feel like a complete failure, I don’t need anyone’s help with beating myself up.

Hey Nikki! I absolutely feel this. I had surgery on 7/1 and I’ve been very selective about who I told. My daughter and she didn’t tell her siblings, husband, sister and 3 close friends. However, I told my mom afterwards. I knew she wouldn’t understand. She never understands. 🤦🏾‍♀️ But she was supportive. People are mean. And honestly, it’s just none of their business. I told everyone of them, if I could lose 100lbs on my own, I would’ve. It wasn’t because I didn’t try! It wasn’t because I was inactive. It was because I couldn’t and it was getting the best of me.

It is a tool. It helps. You work hard even with surgery! And no one should judge or discredit that. ❤️

I kept it private that is different than A Secret 5 years and 7 people know

DOB: 8/4/2020—3 days until surgery, wish me luck!! So excited 😆
♌️ Leo and I’m ♓️ Pisces
Name ideas: Oscar the Pouch, Kanga the Roux, or Moaning Myrtle
love this idea of a name to bring some humor into this journey!

Has anyone else named their stomachs pre or post-op? My stomach talks, gurgles and is just noisy. I'm not mad, but she obviously has a voice now..
So here I go, may as well have fun with it.
DOB - 3/3/2020
SIGN - PISCES
NAME - ARIEL (LITTLE MERMAID)

May as well embrace it and have fun with it, lol!!!

I have a few suggestions for getting the muscle in the calves to thin out and some suggestions about loose skin.

I lost all my weight at one point and had thick calves. I switched to non weight bearing exercises such as a exercise bike with no resistance and gradually the calves thinned out. Regarding loose skin. I swear by body brushing to lessen the loose skin. I went from 250 to 175 once and I used a natural boar bristle brush on my legs and thighs. It helped a lot. I also rubbed cocoa butter on my breasts and thighs daily. I was still loose but it helped. I'm due to have surgery in a few weeks and I have a new body brush and cocoa butter on hand. Good luck.

Sent from my SM-A102U using BariatricPal mobile app

I lost it in the boobs first. No joke. My face, my arms, my legs, my shoulders (so friggin' weird!), my neck, my thighs, my behind, and then finally I lost some in my stomach. It was NOT even! Still isn't... But, you WILL lose the stomach weight, eventually. It's just harder to lose. Last year around this time I was a 32 in pants and now I'm an 18. I was a 6xl top and now I'm a 0x-1x. It'll happen!

Nope... I think the transformation on the inside is much harder than the one that occurs on the outside.

Take pictures! Find an old pic of a bigger you and put it right beside a pic of a smaller you today.
Its hard to ignore when the evidence is side by side ❤️

I've always had a problem of looking in the mirror and seeing a fat chick no matter what my weight. Are y'all like that too? It's so frustrating now that we can't try clothes on and I always buy them too big and have to return them.
Is there anything you can do to see yourself the way you truly are? Thanks!

Almost 3 yrs later. . . I'm still cold

Its not too bad, its just weird for me. I slept with a fan on, I had a fan at my desk and I hate the hot summer's in Atlanta. But now I feel like a lil old lady, can't go anywhere without my sweater.

Same for me. I used to be hot all the time and wanted the aircon high, and after surgery I was always cold. It has gotten better now that I'm 16 months out, but I still tend to run cold. I actually prefer it to being hot and sweaty all the time!