Elidh

When I got to the stage where I could eat whole grains, I loved to eat Bob’s Red Mill Wild & Brown Rice. Better than white rice, IMO.

I use my weight at the start of the 2-week pre-op diet. That was my highest weight ever and an even 200.0 lbs. Makes the calculations easy! 😉

Hi SandyShores! It sounds like things are moving along! I had the surgery last year at age 68 and don’t regret it for a second!

LMac67, I am thrilled with the results. I have about 10 or so more pounds I would like to lose. At this point, my weight loss is REALLY slow - 1 or 2 lbs./month, but I'm just sticking with the program and letting it work for me. I feel fortunate that I am not struggling with anything, and had a pretty easy time of it right from the start! Good luck, and keep us up to date on your progress finding a surgery center!

Due to my lower BMI, I was not qualified to have my insurance cover the surgery. I went to Cleveland Clinic to have mine done. It was quite expensive ($26,000), and I could have paid far less if I had chosen another place, for example, JourneyLite in Cincinnati (about $14,000). I went to Cleveland Clinic because they had replaced a heart valve a few years ago and I felt comfortable there.

Are you saying you cannot find a surgeon closer than CA who will do the surgery through even if you self-pay? I had a BMI of 34.3 when I had VSG surgery. There was no problem finding a surgeon, but I had to pay for it myself.

On one of my many self-devised diets, years before VSG surgery, I fasted for 8 days straight. Only had Water and non-caloric beverages. To my amazement, I lost ZERO pounds!! When my weight loss had slowed down (post-VSG) my nutritionist usually increases my daily calories. We should be eating 4-5 times a day. I’m rambling, I know, but I think we are often instructed to eat too few calories, and I believe, especially in the year post- op, we definitely should not be on OMAD or IF. Just sayin….

Oh Viking, you are my hero! Well done!!

Hi armartin! I was 68 in July 2020 when I had VSG surgery. Minimal pain (only needed plain Tylenol), no nausea, able to tolerate the various food stages, did stairs in my house, slept in my bed, drove a few days after surgery. My weight at the start of the pre-op diet was 200. By now, my rate of weight loss is quite slow, maybe 1-2 lbs/month, but I am staying the course and am happy with the results thus far. Only wish I had done this ages ago, but I never thought of bariatric surgery or dreamed it could be done on lower BMI patients (I had to self pay).

Even Dr. Now would give you grace for 3 lbs.! I don’t think you have a worry!

I agree with what’s been said so far. One tip: you shouldn’t weigh every day, especially when those .5-2 lb gains take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. I know they did for me……in the old pre-VSG diet days (Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss, Atkins, Keto, etc etc), I would weigh myself daily, sometimes even more often. I weigh now once weekly on the day of my surgery (Thursday), and it’s a relief not to be shackled to the scale!

Way to go, Vikingbeast!

sugar free fudgesicles (40 calories each) were my fave dessert post-op. I would usually eat two 😏. I don’t mind artificial sweeteners, but some do.

When you are able to eat solids, I loved chaffles for breakfast!

Post-op, I liked the Premier shakes ok. Then I went and bought a ton of Fairlife shakes (because many folks raved about them), and they made me gag. And some post-op folks can’t stand the taste of Premier. So my advice would be: don’t buy a lot of any one brand without trying them first post-op.

Hi Jaime, this is a common complaint because the puréed foods can slide right through your stomach. I noticed the restriction when I went to solid foods. No worries!

…..and the main purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink the liver to make it easier and safer for the surgeon to access your stomach. If you comply with it, it will shrink!

Dang! I may switch to your food plan,ms.sss! Maybe it’ll break my stall; even if it doesn’t, it sounds like a heck of a lot of fun!!

Hang in there - you’re doing fine, and many of us have experienced those feelings. Good luck and God Bless!

“Ugh... I can't tell you how many times I felt like a POS for failing a diet... “

I remember at my first psych appointment my psychologist said “You didn’t fail the diets….the diets failed you.”

You’re doing fabulously, Bill!!

My post-op pain was minimal and controlled completely with OTC Tylenol. I had no nausea 😊. I was more tired than usual for a couple of weeks. A couple of months later I noticed less pain in the knees and more stamina! Good luck!

khamm, the time between consult, testing, and surgery differs widely amongst surgery centers and insurance plans. It could be weeks or a few months. I’d ask the bariatric surgery center where you’re having it.

Jazaysha, congrats on taking this big step! You are young and have a wonderful, exciting life ahead of you! Many of us wish we had done this at an earlier age, and your courage is an inspiration to many! I was super afraid of being nauseated. I cannot take many of the common pain meds because they make me throw up. I expressed my concern to the surgeon and anesthesiologist, and they found other methods of pain management. They will give you meds for nausea before you get nauseated. Make sure you stress this ahead of surgery. Follow your bariatric team's post op nutrition plan. Your staples won’t fall out! Good luck, God bless, and let us know how you’re doing post op!

ESG =Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is a newer type of minimally invasive weight-loss procedure. In endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, a suturing device is inserted into your throat and down to your stomach. The endoscopist then places sutures in your stomach to make it smaller.

Miralax is my BEST FRIEND!!