The Greater Fool

You aren't required to eat breakfast food for breakfast. Good luck, Tek

Every meal for me is a roll of the dice: Sometimes I win; sometimes I lose. I complete my meals perhaps 50% of the time. The percentage varies based on how things seem to be going at the time, though it probably stays within 40% to 60%. I'm doing well with where I am 20 years later. Good luck, Tek

When it comes to your medical team honesty and openness are extremely important, perhaps critically important. What we may believe are small or unimportant things may not actually be so. My personal belief is that I'm going to share anything and everything of which I can think. They are the experts and it's up to them to use or discard information as they see fit. Pragmatically, they have your $18,000 in hand. The last thing they want to do is give that $18,000 back to you. They have already planned how they are going to spend their money. Similar to you I was a binge eater and drinker, though my diagnosis is severe OCD. My feelings were that if one is good, one dozen is better. I was honest talking about it with the shrink and the surgeon. All of us got to being obese, or as in my case, super-morbidly obese, by eating and drinking habits that were nowhere even in the neighborhood of normal eating. Not being honest about how we got to where we are would indicate that we are still in the throws of an eating/drinking problem we haven't even acknowledged [yet]. Good luck, Tek

Yes, they are too small to create much of an issue. Just to be clear, this is an opinion. Anyone who disagrees is obviously wrong Good luck, Tek

Congratulations Kat. Good luck, Tek

Congratulations Kay. As you've learned, the scale is not necessary to appreciate what you've lost. And gained. I was too large (by far) to fit on a home scale, so weighing at home simply was not possible. So, all my milestones were not on the scale. As it turned out, even at my monthly appointments when I could weigh in my surgeon was not interested in my weight loss. His questions were about my health, my happiness, and my well being. He never brought up weight loss unless I did it. Good luck, Tek

Back when I had surgery SADI wasn't really a thing yet so I never researched it. Of course, neither was VSG. My research lead me to ultimately choose RNY. Because of my size it was an open surgery which made early recovery very painful. I'm one of the lucky ones that dump both on sugars and fats. Back when I had surgery it was more of a 50/50 chance I would dump. I hoped I would dump so that I'd have another tool to keep me from the wrong foods. It took an amazingly few dumping episodes to learn to avoid sugars and fats. All these years later it's all just part of the joy of being me. I managed to lose my excess weight, a bit over 500 pounds, and keep it off. It's now pretty natural eating to my surgeon's program, I don't really even think about it. It's all just normal. There are success stories with virtually every type of surgery. Build good habits during the honeymoon phase and they will serve you when your surgery is but a distant memory. Good luck, Tek

3oz protein, 1oz veggies 3 times per day. I eat until I get full or complete the meal, whichever comes first. I complete the meal perhaps 50% of the time. I am able to eat with friends and the fact that I don't eat much rarely comes up. Though since surgery I'd rather go do something than eat something. Good luck, Tek

I had gastric bypass. The following has been repeated here enough to be... well... repeated enough here. But since no one researches old posts, here I am... My plan is 3-4 oz protein, 1oz veggies (or other) 3 times per day... Or as much as I can manage before I become full. I never counted calories or much that isn't described in the first sentence of this paragraph. This was my plan Day 1 through current (20+ years post op.) Currently, I'd say I reach 3-4 oz protein 1oz veggies for perhaps 50-60% of meals. The rest are meals where I can't come near my meal goal, I just stop when I max out for the meal. Perhaps 1% of the time, when the meal is exceptionally good and hits all that is good of an exceptional meal, that I might (very much might, because is is uncomfortable) push the envelope. The fact that I don't challenge my limits is why I believe my restriction is in the same place as it was about 3 months post-op. I can't eat much more per meal than I have since I have been 3 months post-op because I have rarely ever pushed the limit. My belief is the more one pushes the limits the larger those limits become. I simply do not push the limits, so I believe they remain narrow. Whether the limits actually exist as I said are perhaps a matter of belief doesn't really matter. My belief has kept me near my goal weight. So what I eat now is not a whole lot different than during the post-op period when I was learning how to eat again. I don't push my limits.

I didn't have a specific pre-op diet though my Doc did want me losing weight. Really, the only direction given was don't eat after 6:00pm the night before surgery. I had planned a nice late lunch early dinner the day before that would be Prime Rib, loaded potato, and mushrooms with my spouse. When the day came I lost interest in the whole idea. For whatever reason it lost it's appeal. I ended up not eating anything at all and playing Everquest with my spouse and friends until far too late. Good luck, Tek

@Arabesque and @Jeanniebug made a lot of good points. I'm going to make one or twelve more: Since the statistics say the average weight loss is about 70% of one's overweight amount many patients choose a goal weight, or their surgeons choose a goal weight, that assumes the 70% excess weight loss. 70% being an average that means slightly more than half of people will lose more. Of course most people that go with the 70% excess weight loss often have another number for which they are hoping; As I said in another thread I had so much excess weight to lose that choosing a goal weight was ridiculous. I figured I could worry about a goal weight when I got into the nationhood. As I said in the other thread, I also didn't want to choose the wrong goal number that could make a 500+ pound loss a failure. Good luck, Tek

I never chose one. I had so much weight to lose that I figured I could deal with the idea if/when I got into the neighborhood. I didn't want to create arbitrary goals that could make losing 500+ pounds a failure. Good luck, Tek

I was four square opposed to WLS because I told myself that if I got serious I could do it with diet and exercise. The problem I kept running into was I could go a week and be completely compliant with my plan, but it only took one moment of lost focus and the resultant binge undid the whole week of perfection. Eventually an article about weight loss turned out to be an article on WLS and my interest was piqued. I then began my research. Back when I had surgery VSG was not a thing. My choices were Lap-Band, RNY, or DS. I researched each thoroughly, to the extent that when my surgeon asked my preference and why I was able to go into detail about each procedure and why I chose what I chose. Initially I wanted the Band because it was 'less invasive' and it could be easily reversed. I decided 'less invasive' was not a reason to have one surgery and not another, what was important is which surgery would give me the best results. In relation to the Band specifically, after some soul searching I knew that if things got hard I would sabotage myself until the Band just had to be taken out and I would be worse off than when I started. While the other surgeries can technically be reversed, it is much more difficult and only done in extreme circumstances. Basically, no matter what happened I would have to make the best of it, which really is my default outlook. I needed a surgery that was forever. So I was down to RNY and DS. The DS generally had better long term results. Back then their was no restrictive aspect to the DS it was totally malabsorption. There were also many reports of some patients losing too much weight and having issues getting up to a healthy weight. Even then surgeons were getting better at preventing that, so this was probably not going to be an issue for me. But, DS folks often talked about being able to eat anything in just about any volume and still losing weight. This was a problem for me, because I was a binge eater and I wanted to change my habits and I didn't feel the DS would push me in that direction. Here I am at the RNY. I wanted the malabsorption to give me that slight edge to get my digestive system on board with my goals. Of course the restriction was what I wanted to teach me to limit my portions and prevent my binging. I also wanted the 'complication' of dumping as this would keep me away from sweets. Binging and sweets are a bad combination and I felt the RNY would address both. So I chose RNY. As it turned out I do dump on both sugar and fats. It took an amazingly few dumping episodes to learn to stay away from sugars and fats, so that problem was addressed quickly. It also took amazingly few episodes of one bite to many to learn not to, so my binging was addressed. I got everything out of my RNY that I hoped I would. Here I am 20 years later, and my restriction is still in full force. Eating to plan is so natural and normal I don't even think about it. Good luck, Tek

Thanks for the quick response. I'm not going to reply here because I'll be accused of all sorts of horrible things. Do more research, if you choose too. Good luck, Tek

My moment was when I was 500+ pounds overweight and I realized I could not do it with "diet and exercise." I realized that in 5 years I would be dead or unable to move. I chose RNY surgery then because that gave me a choice: "I could die during surgery or I could live with the result." Good luck, Tek

I've looked where I can, but I'm not going to watch a sales video on how the IGS is so much better than a VSG. I just don't have that much time left. So can you explain the difference, in simple words because I'm just not that bright, what the difference is between a VSG and an ISG? Thanks ever so. And good luck whichever you choose. Tek

I'm 20+ years post-op, and in Phoenix today it was 119 degrees and I was wearing a sweater. I have I hopes being cold will end soon. Good luck, Tek

My plan was 3 meals of 3oz protein + 1oz veggies from day 1 forward. The first 6 weeks it was to be pureed. I don't think I ever managed to eat a complete meal during this period, but I did the best I could. My plan didn't include 'white' starches, like potatoes or rice; During the pureeing of protein, I added less than a teaspoon of sauce, which gave me quite a variety of flavors and kept the pureed protein from being too dry/dense. Examples would be curry chicken, bbq meat, chicken alfredo, chili, or whatever else floated my boat. Good luck, Tek

I didn't do any exercise before surgery, mostly because I was working crazy hours at work getting me out of daily tasks in case I was not able to get back to work as soon as I hoped. I didn't really do any exercise after surgery either, except for walking. My spouse and I after a couple months were walking 8-10 miles 4 days a week, mostly on the Las Vegas strip. Once I got to only 100 pounds overweight I decided to challenge myself to a running program similar to the 'Couch to 5K' (C25K) which get's you running 5k (about 3 miles) in a month. Turned out I enjoyed running and kept doing it, virtually every day and eventually up to 90 miles per week. Exercise for it's own sake is not something I care to do. Doing things that I enjoy that are also exercise is what works for me. I wish I could still run, but that ship sailed 15 years ago when my chronic pain issues reared it's ugly head. On your pain meds, you obviously take them for a reason. After surgery after you aren't carrying a lot of extra weight it may be possible to reduce or eliminate them. For me, the pain meds allow me to be active enough to care for my spouse. Good luck. Tek

Don't borrow worries from tomorrow. You can cross that bridge when you come to it. I think there's one with a dam. Good luck, Tek

Dumping symptoms are pretty much as @pintsizedmallrat described, though one may not get all of the symptoms or even the same symptoms each time. Usually dumping is caused by excess sugar or fats. "Excess" here being more than your personal dumping threshold, should you have one. I dump on both sugar and fats pretty easily because I'm just that lucky. I don't recall Wendy's chili being particularly fatty but I'm not sure I would call it lean. It may have been mild late dumping. It may have just been coincidence. Just monitor your foods in the future to see if there really is a connection or not. Good luck, Tek

This early, don't worry about being an inspiration to anyone but yourself. This can be a wild ride and you need to keep your eyes on the ball. You are doing great so far. Keep up the good work. Tek

No. There are horror stories and every last one is true. They are on the rare side of surgery outcomes, but they happen. Heck, I almost died after a tonsillectomy (tonsil removal) when I was 4, which in retrospect I should have skipped. But the 99% of folks it's not an issue for it was a great decision. Only you can decide if it is worth it. If you're looking for us to decide for you, then NO it is not worth it. Have weight loss diet's EVER worked for you? In the long run? I'd say no, since you are here asking us if WLS is worth it. I was over 1/4 ton overweight and still believed I could do it without surgery. I had lost large chunks of it before gaining it back and then some. Then I realized I was deluding myself to believe I could lose it and keep it off. Eventually, I then decided WLS was my last resort since everything else failed eventually. I committed 100% to WLS and in 2.5 years lost every last pound and then some. I lost 500+ pounds and it stayed lost. I had surgery, and had all sorts of pain early post-op. Over time I lost 500+ pounds and was more than happy. After 20+ years I am still a normal BMI. I still follow my plan, and still deliriously happy. The horror stories are all true for those rare people. Fortunately, they were not true for me. Even if they were, I was prepared to deal with it. I would have been crazy not to take this last chance. It's up to you to decide what cost you are willing to pay. You may not think the cost is worth it now, so you should wait. Eventually, it will be worth the cost, then you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. This is up to you and not random people on the internet. Good luck. Tek

The result of a Sleeve to GB is different than the result of only the GB (RNY). With the RNY the stomach is sectioned into the 'pouch' and the 'blind stomach.' The 'pouch' is similar to the sleeve, but it is created from a different part of the stomach. The pouch bypasses the Pyloric valve and is attached to the intestine a ways down from the pyloric valve. The sectioned off part of the stomach is still there, still using the pyloric valve, and still processes the gunk (bile) from the Gall Bladder. The Sleeve, as noted, is made from a different part of the stomach forming the sleeve, which is similar in function to the pouch. The sleeve ends at the Pyloric valve, nothing is bypassed. I'm not sure where the bile from the Gaul bladder goes. The sectioned off stomach is removed. So one can see that after a sleeve you just don't have the stomach anymore to do what it does after the RNY. The pouch is still different, though it may be a difference without a difference. It seems like the conversion is just taking out the pyloric valve and whatever portion of the intestines to be bypassed, if indeed any intestines are bypassed at all. So while the Sleeve to GB is similar to an RNY, it is not an RNY. You can also see why this would help GERD, since the Pyloric valve is no longer there to allow stomach acids to back-up. Since the ultimate results of Sleeve to GB and straight up RNY are different it gets a different name, even though it may be functionally the same. Tomato / Tomato. Good luck, Tek

Get rid of your scale. It doesn't help with weight loss. Worse, it messes with your mind and causes you not to trust your plan. You will hear an unbidden voice in your head suggesting you change things up just to get the scale to move. I guess I was lucky because I was too large to fit on a home scale. I had no choice about weighing at home. Talk about trusting your plan, I had no choice. Then I discovered I never saw a stall. Not a single one, so I was never tempted to change things to please the scale. I didn't vex about a number on a scale. The scale had no power to make me happy or sad. The whole thing was an education and wonderfully freeing. Trust your plan, not your scale. Good luck, Tek