MotoZen

19 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

I was a slow loser from the get-go and lost 100% of my excess weight. I never thought I would lose it all because I seemed to be behind the curve throughout my whole journey, but I did it. Success with this has A LOT more to do with your level of commitment to your plan than it does to your rate of weight loss. If you are committed and really work at it, you will be successful.

Congratulations, that's an excellent result!

2 hours ago, Arabesque said:

While genetics will contribute, so too do many other factors including age, gender, metabolism, existing health conditions, etc. While none could be called morbidly obese, I have/had many paternal aunts & cousins who battled with weight & one brother who also struggles (my other brother never has had an issue). I had decided I would always have a weight problem too.

I now understand that keeping the weight off will be a constant battle for me to maintain the lifestyle changes I’ve made to lose the weight.

If you haven’t, you may find it helpful to speak with a therapist @MotoZen. They may be able to offer some strategies & help you work through the concerns you understandably have which could hinder your progress after surgery. The mental work is just as important as the physical changes you’ll make. I hope you find success with your surgery.

Age, sex (not gender), metabolism, health conditions, etc. are all genetics (biology). If I had parents or siblings who had undergone WLS surgery, I'd know exactly where I stand since first-degree relatives are 100% predictive in terms of results... but obviously I wouldn't be asking this question if I did.

Yes, anyone who's undergone WLS will need to put in more effort to stay slim than someone who's never been obese and therefore doesn't battle the complex factors involved in maintaining a surgically-induced lower defended weight.

Interesting that you've suggested mental health assistance. It takes more than a few sentences to make a determination like that, though I appreciate your concern.

7 minutes ago, summerset said:

Be prepared for the dietitians advising against a 100% plant based diet though.

I'm self-pay and my surgeon is Dr. Garth Davis. He's 100% plant-based himself, and wrote a book about the detrimental effects of animal food consumption and high Protein diets called "Proteinaholic" (mentioned in the resource list above). The dieticians at the clinic are very knowledgeable and completely support a WFPB lifestyle.

I'm scheduled for VSG in August after having two delays already this year due to covid-19. I know from extensive research on the subject that the rate of loss in the first 6 months is determined, by and large, by genetics (and after that it's all on me for the rest of my life in terms of diet and exercise). Yet as I get closer to the date, I find myself thinking about my genes - something I have no control over... and it's not like there aren't already enough post-surgery things to worry about that I do have control over.

I'm having WLS to lose a lot of weight that I haven't been able to lose and keep off on my own with diet and exercise. I'm already doing everything I can to prepare for life-long healthy psychological and lifestyle changes after surgery, but man, I would be devastated if surgery didn't give me the result I hope it will. I should add that haven't had DNA tests to confirm whether or not I have genetic variables such as the FTO gene that contribute to obesity, just because of the costs involved with the tests.

Just curious if anyone else worried about this, specifically, before surgery. Or am I the only one? Also, if it turned out that you were genetically a slower loser (and by that I mean following instructions to the letter including exercising and keeping fat, carbs, and calories low for 6 months or longer), did you eventually reach your goal weight and if you did, how long did it take? Thanks for your replies.

On 5/1/2020 at 2:01 PM, AZhiker said:

I guess I have a nagging question of if I had discovered WFPB prior to surgery, would I have been able to lose the weight without surgery? I know it really doesn't matter, and in the grand scheme of things, I am very thankful for being able to take the weight off quickly and have decreased hunger. Yes, I would like to have avoided blood clots and the ulcer that were consequences of the surgery, but I don't regret it. Surgery got the weight off, and I know that WFPB will keep it off and give me the optimal health I strive for for the rest of my life.

You did the right thing. I've been WFPB on and off for about 4 years. On a very strict WFPB diet, I've been able to lose up to 95lbs, but have not been able to maintain it over time. I just kept having to eat less and less, and exercise more and more, and eventually got to a point where I was at 600 calories a day, was starving all the time, barely had the energy to get through my day, and finally was actually gaining weight whenever I went over 600 calories because my metabolism had slowed down so much. I'm having VSG next month, if it isn't cancelled yet again because coronavirus.

What PollyEster said about the science of obesity is correct from everything I've read - and I've read a LOT over the past 5-6 years. Have a look at this article from the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html

On 6/29/2020 at 1:15 PM, futurefinemama said:

I have always been hot natured, I thought the weight kept me hotter than the average person. And I live in the south and the summers are pretty brutal. But I am almost a week post op and I am cold all the time. I turned my air temperature up but I have to be mindful of other people in my household. I walk around with a cardigan on even when the temperature is in the high 80s/low 90s. Has anyone else experienced this issue? I start my Vitamins tomorrow, maybe that will help.

Congrats on you weight loss so far! To be honest, I'm looking forward to having this "problem". I'm hot and sweaty almost all of the time, but it's getting better since losing 40lbs pre-op. If I'm cold all the time after surgery, it's easy to layer to keep warm... though sweaters in summer would be totes out of place where I live, lol.

On 7/10/2020 at 2:32 PM, Dorothy Sue Jastifer said:

I am 9 years out I still walk 2-3 miles at least 4-5 times per week about 800-1000 calls per day

Are you actively trying to lose weight now or is that your BMR?

Congrats and good luck! I'm scheduled for Aug 16. Have been rescheduled twice already due to coronavirus, so hope the third time's the charm.

On 7/10/2020 at 9:50 AM, rene50 said:

I am so enjoying the turn this tread has taken. Your healthy meals have given me ideas! Seeing pictures of meals of 2-3 bites missing is just silly to me, although I know people are happy about their restriction. I love my restriction too, but sharing healthy meal ideas is so helpful to me.

This is my first time here so I haven't looked at every post, but I'm with you rene50 - totally unclear on the purpose of pictures of food with 2-3 bites missing. I don't mean to offend, but that doesn't make any sense. Of course you're going to eat way less after WLS. I recently transitioned to a WFPB diet and need real-life inspiration from post-surgery peeps. The healthy meal ideas here are very helpful, thanks!

On 2/19/2020 at 7:38 PM, PollyEster said:

A list of resources for pre- and post-surgery bariatric patients interested in a whole food plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle. Let's build up this list into a comprehensive resource, and keep it updated. Please add your own tested-and-approved recommendations.

Wow, thanks for putting this together! 😀 It is SO helpful, just what I was looking for! 🤩 I'm in a holding pattern with surgery due to covid-19, but have transitioned to a WFPB diet in preparation for a lifetime of health and weight maintenance after surgery. I've already lost 40 lbs since transitioning, and have more energy and feel better than I have in decades. Can't wait to reap all the benefits of WLS combined with this WFPB life!

I'm scheduled for Aug 16, but my 2 previous dates were cancelled, so it's just wait and see at this point. I was upset the first time, but would be okay if it was postponed again for safety reasons.

In my view, this process won't begin with surgery. The journey started when I made a commitment to doing whatever it takes to get the weight off and keep it off, and become healthy and fit, so am concentrating on making the psychological and lifestyle changes that are needed to be successful long-term.

So far I've lost 40 lbs during the wait/delays. I've worked up to walking 10,000 steps/day plus weight training twice a week, and have cut out all caffeine, sugar, processed foods, and animal products. I already feel better and have more energy than I've in years. Looking forward to the additional benefits and accelerated rate of loss and change after surgery, but every day counts and is a step in the right direction.

My surgery has been cancelled twice this year due to covid-19, and now I have yet another surgery date scheduled, this time for Aug 16. If it's delayed for a third time, I won't be bothered like I was the first time. I view these delays as an opportunity to give myself a head start on a new lifestyle and way of eating in preparation for making the most out of surgery. I've cut out processed foods, sugar, dairy, and animal products, found some vegan Protein powders that I like, am practicing sipping Water and chewing my food at least 45 times before swallowing, and have worked my way up to walking 10,000 steps a day. I've lost almost 40 lbs so far, and plan to keep on losing as much weight as I can before surgery, even though it's not a requirement in my program.

Hope you had your surgery and are recovering nicely. My surgery was rescheduled twice due to covid-19, and am now slotted in for August. It's been very stressful, but on the plus side there's a lot of pre-op weight loss due to multiple liquid diet adventures...