Rara

I had my Gastric Sleeve in November 2016. Starting weight 485 lbs. Current weight 220 lbs.
To say it changed my life would be an understatement. If you are on the fence about having this surgery, take my word for it. It works!

My Mom died 10 years ago and my sister and I divided her personal belongings between us. My mom had a fabulous wardrobe but because I was at my top weight, I couldn't wear anything of hers. Last month, I asked my sister to pick me out one or two items that were Mommy's since I can fit them now. My sister generously picked out several of her most gorgeous outfits and I can fit them all now! It feels surreal, like a dream. It's another way to connect with her now that she's in heaven. ☺️

I'm over here amazed you are getting 90 oz of Water in. I struggle to get 40 oz!!! (Goal is 64 oz)

I was told by my dietitian to go up to between 800-1000 calories at 6 weeks out. I gradually got to this and am still losing, though the weight loss has slowed to about 2 lbs per week. I have to get 60g Protein and 2 litres Water per day. Every plan seems so different! At the end of the day if you have a calorie deficit you'll lose weight.

Congratulations on your persistence! Great results! Thanks for sharing specifics of your routine. I am 5 pounds from Onederland and just plan on sticking with what I have been doing and I will get there. Like you: avoid junk, exercise and 900-1100 calories of clean food daily. Even the Water intake at 50-60 ounces is getting easier/automatic. Yay!

Just an update....I’m at the three month mark and have been at 190 for two weeks now. The dreaded three month stall. And why do stalls happen when you are teetering on a new set of numbers on the scale? ??
For anyone reading this who is contemplating surgery- do it. I have zero regrets. I am able to finally enjoy salads (which I missed so much).

I am also at the dreaded Hair loss stage but still wouldn’t change my decision. The fact that I can’t see a hair stylist (due to COVID and living in a purple county) means my dark roots just accentuate the thin spots.

Recap of stats:

HW: 252 (Jan 2020)
Pre-op diet starting weight: 236 (8/14)
SW: 226-228 (8/27)
CW: 190 (12/8)

I am so happy to see someone addressing this "age issue."I am just like many of you who already responded. I was average weight until after I had my second child and from then on it was nothing but yo-yo dieting. I thought about surgery in my mid-50s but found it unaffordable. I knew nothing about ways to get insurance to pay. Plus I was leery of the invasive procedure. Thank God for Medicare . So now I am 68, six weeks postop and feeling fine. I had no nausea ,pain or other difficulties at surgery and my recovery and food plan compliance have been fantastic. I wish I had done this years ago and I am looking forward to a very bright future . I say go for it!!!

Thank you for such a well spoken, inspiring message!

Today I’m 2 months post op and I finally hit 199.4! I had my surgery on 08/27/2020. I’ve been a slower looser but wow, seeing that number felt so good.

I’m 5’8 1/2 and 43 years old. I also have Hashimoto’s (thyroid disease) and have struggled with my weight for more than 15 years.

In January of this year I started the long process with my insurance to get approved. My highest weight was #252. My BMI at that time was 38. I have comorbidities - sleep apnea & fatty liver

My insurance BCBS of Michigan required that I do the supervised nutrition for 6 months. My insurance used the weight I started at when I entered the program.

Prior to starting the two week pre-op diet (so mid August) I weighed #236. I lost 10-11 lbs doing the liquid diet pre op.

My surgery weight (8/27/2020) was #226 which I believe put me at a BMI of about 34 ish.

And today I’m officially #199.4! I am no longer morbidly obese, just “over weight”. 😂

I’ve also done something I’ve never done before- I finally enjoy exercise. I bought a Peloton bike to help me on my journey and it arrived 9/14 and I’ve been using it 6 times a week since I got it. I LOVE it, it’s so motivational. This bike/exercise might be transfer addiction but I’m totally ok with that. There is a very large weight loss community on Peloton. Many have done WLS.

So while I might not be loosing weight at a rapid pace, I’ve definitely gained muscle and have toned areas of my body.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to this group. Your posts have guided me through this journey.

And as my favorite instructor says: you are bigger than a smaller pair of pants. Your worth is so much greater!

Welcome to the forums.
A lot of worries there. Take a breath.
Just reading between the lines, it seems like you're worried that you won't like the new you.
How do you feel about the current you?
Now this is gonna seem like a weird thing to say, but... It's said that WLS makes good relationships better and bad relationships worse.
You have a relationship with yourself. That voice in your head. Are you abusive about aspects of your life? Do you constantly belittle your outlook or feelings? Do you second guess every decision you make? Do you put yourself down? The voice in your head is going to go to town when you get the VSG.
In my opinion, a therapist will help you through this journey. I don't say this often or lightly. You need to learn to deal with the negative voices in your head and work through the one or two issues that may come up. Start learning to like the old you and improve the relationship before things get out of control with surgery. The beginning of addictive habits now will only get worse. Get help. Get more help.
Here's the thing. You don't have to have surgery. You know this because you cancelled 5 years ago. Look at why you cancelled: What has changed? Is it enough to have a surgery you believe you will be unhappy with?
If your current food/drink lifestyle is that important to you then perhaps surgery isn't the thing for you. If those meals with a glass of wine is something you can't give up, then don't give them up. You will resent yourself for doing it. This is another place therapy will help. Really.
People in an attempt to help you get past your issues will share with you how they had similar issues and they got past them. I had a different form of the issues you describe.
I knew there would be extra skin. There was extra skin. There is extra skin. I honestly wasn't worried how others would feel about it. I can't control that. I was focused on what I could do about it. I had a abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) that literally killed me and I decided more surgeries would be ill advised. I live with what's left.
I have OCD and was a binge eater. I was worried I would go back to binge eating not how I could incorporate it into my new lifestyle. I wanted to change my habits, which amazingly, I did. For you, with the sleeve, you will be able to eat or drink anything you want. ANYTHING. But not as much as you want. Since you can't eat much, you need to make healthy choices.
Wow, this post went in a completely different direction than I expected.
Good luck, but don't count just on luck. Get help. If you need it it will help. If you don't need it it will help.
Tek

Hi, KJ--and welcome! I'm nearby in Australia.
I think that you already know the answer to your question based on a few of the statements in your post:
"I know that losing weight and gaining health will be far more important than how old I may look, and what people think." "I have bad health issues like asthma, high BP, and really need two knee replacements....So it's going to be so good for my health I know." "Excited for the journey for a new me and better health."
Exactly right--this is all about your health. It's about getting rid of the medical conditions that come with obesity and feeling good for the first time in decades, with lots of energy and a new zest for life. Looking slimmer is a nice side effect of the surgery, but the real reason to do it is to improve your health and add years to your life. I was 59 when I got surgery and can't believe how much younger and more energetic I FEEL. I wish I had done it years earlier.
Do I LOOK younger? No. The weight loss in my face and neck has aged me a bit, and I will admit that it was a little disconcerting at first, but I'm used to it. As for what people think of me and say about me: I'm sure it was much more unkind when I was fat than now when I look a little older. And frankly, I couldn't care less. I did this for me, and it was the best decision I have ever made.
I can only speak for myself, but I LOVE the new me! I have so much more energy, enthusiasm, confidence and hope for the future than I did a couple of years ago as an obese person with health problems and the likelihood of a heart attack within a decade. Now that I know how great it feels to be at a healthy weight, I wouldn't ever want to go back to the old me.
Don't worry about what you will eat after surgery. You will find that your tastes change and you won't crave many of the unhealthy things you enjoyed before. And you can have a glass of wine and some cheese every now and then--it's a matter of moderation. I used to love sweets and high fat foods, and I don't eat them at all any more--and I never feel deprived.
We all have fears and reservations about bariatric surgery, but you almost never hear anyone expressing regrets about having it done once they see how great they feel and how much more they can enjoy life once they get to a healthy weight.

Sometimes NSV are the best victories! I've had quite a few in the last year but here are some:
I can fit comfortably in the chairs in our conference room at work, the arms used to dig into my legs and hips so bad.
I can shop in straight size stores only now, no more bouncing between plus and straight
I need new wedding rings, my fingers have gone down so much I can't even have my rings resized!! Yay new wedding set!!
Calf boots, I can wear them all. I also went down a shoe size so I need all new shoes on top of a new wardrobe.
I can see my feet again when I look down instead of just my belly, also my boobs are bigger than my belly again, thank god.
I can do 40-60 minutes on the Elliptical and not need a break. The first time I got on I couldn't even do 5 minutes.
I'm smaller than my husband for the first time ever.
I can cross my legs comfortably and love doing it.

There are some decent low carb pancake recipes out there using almond flour. They aren't just like the real thing, but they aren't terrible either. I got in the habit of making them during a 7 month run of doing Keto and I still make them now because my kids seem to like them. But yes to echo some of the others trying to avoid food for comfort is a great way to keep yourself out of trouble. I struggle with that plenty myself. I've actually taken to carrying a "challenge" coin around with me that I grab when I'm thinking of going for something to eat and not really hungry as a reminder of what I'm trying to accomplish. It doesn't always work, but I think it works more often than not at getting me to refocus and direct myself towards a healthier activity.

Be sure to take the rock's feelings into account.
Tek

Thank you scoutmom. Those words of encouragement are always needed. My daily protein is around 80 grams. I normally drink 1 and 1 and 1/2 of Isopure. It does me well. I will continue to track it and hope to see that scale dropping. Keep you posted.

Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Im down some. I plan to continue to donate mine to dress for success. Its a program that helps broke people be able to look nice for work or getting a job.

Get rid of them and don't look back.

I’m not sure but I don’t think it’s a good idea to add too many foods on soft food stage. If you have a problem you will have a harder time narrowing down what bothered you. For sure no on the tortillas! Are you eating taco meat too?
I don’t remember eating anything interesting or vegetables during that stage. Can you call your Nutritionist?

I'm enjoying this thread!!

I was recommended this from my nutritionist. They are not bad, although I like to add some hot sauce for some extra zing.


Another recommendation from my nutritionist:

This was really good-- Especially if you LOVE cinnamon toast crunch. I add 1/2 a vanilla muscle milk for more Protein instead of regular milk.

My first year I *did* look sick, nothing like I looked before. A manager in another city did the same operation 8 months ahead of me without my knowing and he looked sick.
While we may be feeling better, our bodies are going through tremendous stresses and may make us look sick compared to our well fed former selves. Seeing us 6-12 months ago and now can be quite a shock.
I took it as concern, not judgement. I would just say I was feeling good and move on. Others would say I was looking good, to which I would just say I was feeling good and move on.
Not every honest perception that is not favorable is 'judgement.'
Of course, y'all know who you hang with and how their minds work.
Good luck,
Tek

Eight months post op, 100 lbs down so far, you're doing well. I've been told the so called honeymoon period is somewhere between 12-18 months. You still have time to make your goal. That being said look at your numbers. How has your A1c, cholesterol, etc been? Are they on the way to a healthier you? If so, you're a winner. I've found through family and friends who have had WLS that you might not get as much weight off as you wanted but your health will improve to be the "normal' range. Remember your health is your wealth and getting healthier is the goal. Work on your success, don't despair and congratulations on your new found health.

Congratulations on 100 lbs. down!!! Woo-Hoo! Celebrate that every single moment! YOU ARE DOING AMAZING! I can understand your feelings, and it could be partly what you mention, hormones, stress, etc. BUT, it remains, you’ve worked very hard and are being VERY SUCCESSFUL!
You’re not alone in feeling down some days...add in Covid restrictions and concerns along with everything else and it feels normal that we have a bit of that. What isn’t okay, is that last week I was feeling down and ate 5 of hubby’s Hershey nuggets when not even hungry😳! Old behavior that reared it’s ugly head and I caved. I made a list of healthier options for those moments...brush my teeth to change the taste, walk around, wait at least 20 minutes to decide if it’s worth it, put on a fave TV program or music, reach out to a friend, log into Baripal, ANYTHING except cave. The key for us is to FOCUS ON OUR SUCCESS and not the down moments. WHERE THOUGHTS GO, ENERGY FLOWS.
I asked my surgeon why I have not lost more “visible” weight, as you describe. I sure don’t look like I’ve lost 55 lbs., some friends don’t even notice. He explained that we lose from the inside of our bodies out. So the weight you have lost is the most dangerous to your health—- the fat we have wrapped around our internal organs, the deep more lethal fat. In my case, it was the deep belly fat. This is exactly what we want to lose first, in getting to a healthier place. I am only now beginning to see the more surface changes. Keep on keepin’ on and don’t lose the faith. IT IS HAPPENING FOR YOU!!!
Again, CONGRATULATIONS!!🏆👑💖

I am just able to drink about 50 ounces of Water a day. On the Protein Shakes, I’ve cut it down to one a day as they have us to do after six weeks. I’m finding that the first six weeks are a real learning curve but now I’m pretty set in some good habits. You can do it!!

I am just able to drink about 50 ounces of Water a day. On the Protein Shakes, I’ve cut it down to one a day as they have us to do after six weeks. I’m finding that the first six weeks are a real learning curve but now I’m pretty set in some good habits. You can do it!!

I am so happy to see someone addressing this "age issue."I am just like many of you who already responded. I was average weight until after I had my second child and from then on it was nothing but yo-yo dieting. I thought about surgery in my mid-50s but found it unaffordable. I knew nothing about ways to get insurance to pay. Plus I was leery of the invasive procedure. Thank God for Medicare . So now I am 68, six weeks postop and feeling fine. I had no nausea ,pain or other difficulties at surgery and my recovery and food plan compliance have been fantastic. I wish I had done this years ago and I am looking forward to a very bright future . I say go for it!!!