BigSue

Awesome! I'd love to see before and after photos if you're willing to share. I'm just two weeks out from surgery, but I hope my results will be as good as yours a year from now!

I agree... I don't think it's anyone's business how you lose weight, unless you choose to publicize it. If you're going to use your weight loss to promote products or get followers, you should be honest about how you lost weight. Some of the stigma of weight loss surgery is because people think it's so easy to lose weight through diet and exercise (and shady weight-loss products). It doesn't help anybody to lead them to believe they will get the same results without WLS.

I don't think it's surprising that you don't have much energy when you're hardly eating anything. Even if you don't feel hungry, your body is on the verge of starving. Plus, surgery is physically traumatic and it takes energy to heal. I'm two weeks out today and I feel surprisingly good. I went back to work on Monday (it's a desk job so not physically strenuous). But I have been making sure to take it easy and especially avoid anything that will make me sweat, since my fluid intake is ok but not quite where it should be. I know I will need to exercise to achieve the weight loss I want and get in shape, but I'm not worrying about that at this point since my calorie intake is so low (about 400 calories/day).

I bought a bunch of single-serving samples of protein powders from different brands. It helped to have some variety when protein shakes were all I could have.

My program requires a weight loss surgery seminar (general information about WLS), a one-on-one nutrition consultation with their dietitian, and a group nutrition class (general nutrition information and some info about the post-surgery diet). I also had a 3-month medically-supervised weight loss requirement from my insurance company, which was with my PCP, who did not provide any guidance other than "eat less and exercise more." A couple of weeks before my surgery, I had to attend what they called a "consent class," where they went over all of the possible complications of surgery plus detailed pre-op and post-op instructions. Most of the information from the classes is included in the bariatric patient manual for my program. Does your surgeon have something like this? I think most programs do. If yours doesn't, you can search for manuals from other programs to get an idea, although every program varies a bit and you'll need to follow your own surgeon's instructions. You could call your surgeon's office and ask them if they have a document like this. There is a lot of information online about post-surgery meal planning and recipes (check out https://www.bariatriceating.com/blogs/recipes and http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/). There are a lot of videos on YouTube about bariatric meal preparation, as well as people telling their personal WLS stories. Pain can vary a lot from patient to patient, but I can tell you I had very little pain. The first day, when I woke up from surgery, I was in a lot of pain that I'm pretty sure was gas pain, but that went away very quickly, within 24 hours. I haven't felt any pain from the incisions. For the first few days, I had a little internal discomfort when I consumed fluids. I was given Toradol for pain while I was in the hospital, and I was sent home with several prescriptions, including hydrocodone + acetaminophen for pain (which I didn't take at all, and I didn't even feel the need to take regular Tylenol), ondansetron (Zofran) for nausea, and hyoscyamine for cramps/spasms. I haven't needed any of it after the first few days.

I don't know if this will be helpful to you at all, but Dr. Matthew Weiner answered a similar question in this video (start at 11 minutes 48 seconds): He basically says that he rarely recommends WLS patients to try to gain weight because most patients eventually have some regain, and he wouldn't be concerned with too much weight loss unless you have some other problems (e.g., serious deficiencies in your blood work or inability to keep food down).

I can tell you for sure that if I hadn't been in my pre-surgery weight loss stage when the pandemic started, I would have gained weight. I find it very easy to stick to my diet when I'm at work, simply because there is no food around. I bring my lunch every day and do not keep snacks at my desk. I usually avoid food that other people bring in due to hygiene concerns (it's amazing how few people take the time to wash their hands before they eat or handle food). So if this had happened a year ago, and I was stuck at home all the time with constant access to my kitchen and all the yummy food therein, I would have been snacking all day long. I also got most of my exercise by walking around at work, so that would have been a double whammy. I had a period of unemployment several years ago and that's exactly what happened, and I gained a lot of weight. As it went, I lost 60 pounds in the 5 months before my surgery. I often thought about how much I would have been eating if I weren't trying so hard to lose weight before surgery. I was kind of proud of myself and expecting that I would be the only one to lose weight while everybody else gained weight, but actually, most of my coworkers lost weight (or at least said they did), too. Nobody even noticed that I lost weight because I'm still the biggest person in the office. As far as how people use their time, sure, they could use it to exercise more and plan healthy meals, but for some people, it is really hard to get motivated to do this stuff, especially when they're stressed, scared, and possibly mourning the death of loved ones. Plus, many people work out at the gym and haven't had access to gyms during the pandemic, and although there are plenty of options to work out at home, it could be a big change and get people out of their exercise routines. The bottom line is that there are many, many factors for all of us that can lead to weight gain, and probably nobody knows that more than bariatric patients. I can easily see how major changes to our lives and our world, like a pandemic, could result in weight gain.

I'm probably weird, but before I made the decision to have surgery, I looked for WLS horror stories because I like to be prepared for the worst-case scenario and it kind of helps me to know what that is. I was surprised by how difficult it was to find horror stories and people who regretted their WLS. Even some people who had horrible complications still said they would do it again! The reality is that the overwhelming majority of people have few complications (or none) and the surgery drastically changes their lives for the better. Also, it is a lot safer than it used to be, so some of the horror stories from 10 or 20 years ago are about complications that are incredibly rare now. I still thought, "Yeah, but what if I'm the unlucky one out of hundreds who has horrible complications or dies?" I took some steps to make sure my affairs were in order just in case (like updating my beneficiaries and calling my mom, who didn't and still doesn't know I had surgery), but you can't spend all your time worrying about everything bad that could possibly happen, because bad things can happen no matter what choices you make. I do not remember going under at all. I don't remember being in the OR or seeing the anesthesiologist or counting backwards from 100 or anything. The last thing I remember was being wide awake in the surgery staging area, and the nurse said she was going to give me a heparin shot in my stomach but she would wait until the Versed kicked in. Next thing I knew, I was waking up after surgery.

I’m so sorry for your loss. Of course no one can blame you for turning to anything that might bring you comfort during this difficult time, so don’t beat yourself up for eating the ice cream and candy. Maybe you can find a treat that won’t derail your progress, say, Halo Top ice cream or your favorite protein bar. Maybe you can enlist your husband to make your favorite bariatric recipes.

I didn’t need much — I didn’t even use my chapstick (but I don’t regret bringing it since it doesn’t take up much space). I definitely recommend loose, comfy pants (and underwear) to wear under the hospital gown while walking the hallways. I brought my iPad to keep myself occupied. I brought a travel toiletry kit but didn’t use anything but toothbrush, toothpaste, and hairbrush. I was only there for one night and didn’t feel the need to take a shower (plus, the shower was gross). I brought Listerine strips and was glad I had them, but I regret it because I overused them and ended up with oral thrush (which can happen if you kill too much of the good bacteria in your mouth). i didn’t bring a pillow from home and didn’t need one. The hospital provides pillows, which aren’t great, but they’re fine, and I didn’t even use the hospital pillow because I could tilt the head of the bed (and I am normally the type who likes a lot of pillows). I thought about bringing a pillow to hold over my stomach on the ride home, but I decided to use a folded up shirt or sweatpants instead, and didn’t even need to do that, anyway.

My surgeon said that if I have issues with purées or soft foods, I should go back to the previous stage for a few days. Maybe you can try going back to purées or liquids for a few days, give your stomach a break, and then try food again. And try some different things. Maybe you’ll find something you tolerate better.

Well, it’s not about being “bad” or “cheating” on your diet. The dietary guidelines at this point are to make sure your stomach heals and prevent you from getting sick. There’s nothing magical about the one week or two week or six week point that change your stomach into the next phase. These times are based on how long most people take to heal to the point that they can handle different types of food. I personally hate vomiting, so I don’t want to do anything to take a chance of making myself sick. I started puréed foods today and my first food was 1 ounce of triple zero yogurt, eaten slowly with a baby spoon. If you eat foods before you can handle them, you’re taking the chance that your stomach might react badly and that will be the punishment. There’s no need to feel guilty on top of that. if you’re going to eat something you’re not supposed to, though, jerky is probably not the best choice since it is dry and tough. If you’ve really got to have meat, go with something soft like canned or slow-cooked chicken.

Yes, it’s legit. I placed a big order before my surgery for all kinds of stuff, including protein drinks, soups, oatmeal, and vitamins. I haven’t tried everything yet, but my favorites so far are the protein hot cocoa and southwest chili soup.

I expected to have to justify my decision to have WLS, but nobody really questioned it at all. My PCP and endocrinologist were totally supportive and glad to help make sure I was ready for surgery. My BMI was 60 when I made the decision, so I think it was pretty clear I needed it. I’m sure there are still some doctors out there who don’t like it, but I think WLS has gained fairly widespread acceptance in the medical community, and I would guess most doctors would support it for a morbidly obese patient.

Oh, yes! When I woke up from surgery, I was in so much pain and had many thoughts of, “Why did I do this to myself?“ and, “I would give anything to go back to yesterday and not go through this pain.” I had a miserable couple of days, but I recovered quickly. I’m one week out today and feel mostly back to normal. I hope you feel better soon, too!

I had my first post-op visit with my surgeon and dietitian today. Neither of them mentioned my weight. I am 6 days out and have lost 0 pounds since surgery (although I was weighed in just a hospital gown on surgery day and fully clothed with shoes today), 9 pounds since my pre-op visit 2 weeks ago. I lost 60 pounds before I started the pre-op diet, so maybe that’s why my initial weight loss isn’t so dramatic. Most of my visit was with the dietitian, discussing my diet progression. The surgeon pretty much just looked at my incisions and said everything looks good. I think it’s pretty normal for your surgeon not to be too concerned with your weight loss at this point because right now the important thing is for your body to heal.

I'm taking Bari-Melts. They are meant to melt in your mouth, so you don't have to swallow a pill or even chew. They're not bad, but the calcium ones are huge and you have to take 4 per day (just one for the multivitamin, but that doesn't have calcium or iron). They're also pricey, so I plan to switch to the kind you swallow after the first couple of months. A lot of people use vitamin patches. I'm a little skeptical, and they're not on the list that my surgeon recommended, but you could try them if you can't tolerate the chewable ones.

Oh yeah, big time. I lost about 60 pounds in 5 months before surgery from intermittent fasting and restricting calories (entering everything I eat in MyFitnessPal). It made me start to think, maybe I can keep this up without the surgery. The whole time I was losing that weight, I was still eating the foods I loved, like pizza and ice cream, just in moderation and along with healthier choices. What if I could lose the weight without having to permanently give up the foods I love? Plus, my blood pressure is great now, in the normal range (not even pre-hypertension) and my blood sugar is under control without medication. But I could lose 100 more pounds and still be obese. That's crazy. Every pound is harder to lose than the last, so 100 pounds feels like an insurmountable challenge. I've lost weight before and gained it back. I'm still a few pounds heavier than my lowest-ever adult weight. Last time I lost 50 pounds to get to this weight, I ended up gaining back more than 60. Without the surgery, the odds are against me. I've also been doing a lot of thinking about all the ways my weight has held me back in life, and all the things I've missed out on because of my weight. Just having a healthy blood pressure and blood sugar isn't enough for me. I want to be able to get in shape so I can walk across campus without being soaked in sweat. I want to be able to fit in an airplane seat not need a seatbelt extension. I want to stop being too ashamed of my size to be in family pictures. I don't want to be limited to plus-size clothes. Nobody has even noticed that I've lost 60 pounds. I can barely tell the difference myself; I'm wearing the same clothes as I wore 60 pounds ago and they're just a bit looser now. I took my surgery day pictures (actually the day before surgery because I had to leave for the hospital at 4:00 am) and can hardly believe I used to be even bigger than that. That really made it sink in that as far as I've come, I still have a long, long way to go and surgery is my best chance. It is a very personal decision, of course, and only you can know all the factors that went into your decision.

Bring your bariatric program manual with you to the hospital. I read through mine numerous times before the surgery, but when I woke up from the surgery, i was exhausted and in pain and not in a good state of mind to remember everything. Also, this may not be true for everyone, but I had my surgery in a big hospital with a small bariatric program. I think there were only 4 bariatric surgeries the same day as mine. There is only one bariatric nurse and I only saw her once before I was discharged. The other nurses who took care of me have patients from many different types of surgery. They do not specialize in bariatric patients, so they don’t necessarily remember all the details of recovery from bariatric surgery off the tops of their heads. So it is a really good idea to have those instructions from your program and make sure you’re doing what you need to do. Don’t be in too much of a rush to get out of the hospital. I am having so much trouble drinking enough fluids. At least when I was still in the hospital, I had an IV continuously pumping fluids into me. It is scary not to have that safety net anymore.

I had a 2-week pre-op liquid diet. The first week, I was allowed 3 protein shakes plus one small meal (under 350 calories, no rice or pasta) per day. The second week was all liquid, 4 protein shakes per day. I never cheated, but I was not able to drink as many protein shakes as I was supposed to due to bloating.

5th time’s the charm! My dayshift nurse today is fantastic and really on top of everything. When I asked about the incentive spirometer, she was appalled that I didn’t get one yesterday and brought me one right away.

Nope, haven’t seen a nurse in hours, except when I walk by the desk on my hourly walks. Still no incentive spirometer! I feel like it must be time for another round of vitals soon, so I’ll ask again then.

Had my surgery today... this is rough. I’m miserable and in a lot of pain. I’m used to being independent, so I hate feeling so helpless. I’m also really disappointed in the nurses here. They were all over me before the surgery, asking questions, setting up monitors, checking vitals. But now that I’m recovering, I feel like they forgot about me! (Different nurses, of course.). My main nurse came in and introduced herself, poured some little cups of water, and disappeared. I had told her I wanted to get up and walk around, and she said she needed to walk with me the first time to make sure I could do it ok, but she never came back. I had to ask 3 times before anyone came to help me walk (it seemed like a long time, but there’s no clock in here so I don’t know how long it really took). I have also asked 3 times for an incentive spirometer because I was told it was really important to use that, and they still haven’t brought one! I hate being needy and I don’t want to be “that patient,” but I am trying to follow my surgeon’s instructions and I need some help to do that. I’m trying to keep the faith and remember why I wanted this, but right now, all I can think is, “why did I do this to myself?” Apologies if the rambling is a little incoherent; I’m still kind of out of it.

I am also an advocate for fat acceptance and plan to continue to be even after I lose weight. I think it is important for people of all sizes to advocate for fat acceptance. You are probably right that you'll take some flack from the fat acceptance community for getting WLS, but there's no reason you can't lose weight for your own health while still advocating for fat people to be treated right.

Good luck! I'm just two days behind you!