Folklore

I echo that it is a mindset/attitude battle and what Ms. SSS said. I started with very similar stats to you, I am 5'7 as well. I discussed it with my surgeon and he echoed that the individual dictates the success and not the surgery. I chose the sleeve because:
Like Ms.SSS said, I didn't want to have my intestines messed with. It freaked me out. My surgeon said I would lose roughly the same amount of weight either way, if I followed their plan. I am not prone to GERD and did not want to spend extra time under anesthesia. I didn't want dumping syndrome. Thus far, I don't think I have experienced this yet. Things have set wrong in my pouch but that's about it. I specifically asked them in depth would I be able to lose the weight that I wanted and they confirmed, yes. The surgeries are much more advanced than even 4-5 years ago. There is no 18 month window where you start to regain. If there was for everyone, then why would anyone ever do this? The 18 months is a honeymoon period, as someone else said. In either surgery, you will have to have discipline. This isn't a miracle cure. Both can be stretched back out. Anecdotal experience isn't indicative of success or failure. If that were true, all the RNY friends that I have regained almost all their weight back (both were over 400lbs) while my one sleeved friend has kept it off. I don't think that means RNY doesn't work. They just fell back into poor eating choices and never truly changed their mindsets. They thought it was the easy way out and it's not. Gastric sleeve has been the right choice for many, myself included.

Whatever you choose in the end, know that it has to be mentally first and it is basically a reset to unlearn bad habits, train for good habits, and give you 6 months to a year head start on your weight loss. Just like with anything, like Mando said, the success is your choice.

Reading through this whole thread...Honestly NY, you seem to have convinced yourself the sleeve won’t work. With that initial mindset, it probably won’t. Sorry, it sounds brutal, but attitude is half the battle. This is only a tool (whichever surgery). The real work is in the lifestyle change. That much is up to you. Your success or failure is YOUR choice. NOT the surgery.

K, I'm going to echo what was said by several posters: its not the surgery that dictates success, it's the individual.
I was sleeved over 2 years ago. I chose sleeve because:
The idea of re-routing my intestines freaked me out (but for some reason removing most of my stomach didn't. LOL) I wanted to keep my pyloric valve intact, as I was taking NSAIDS and another time-release med (but surprise, surprise I ended up not needing them anymore after surgery) I was scared of dumping syndrome (again, suprise, surprise, I dump anyway) I was NOT prone to GERD My surgeon was completely comfortable doing either surgery on me. I started off at a BMI of 43 (235 lbs). I got to goal of BMI 23 by 7 months post-op. Lost a few more pounds figuring out what my caloric level should be but finally settled into BMI 21, and have been maintaining my weight of 115 (+/- 5 lbs) for over a year and a half. I am 2 years, 3 months post op. I have stayed below my goal weight (more than 100% excess weight lost) the entire time.
I have read accounts from other sleever's and rNy'ers similar to mine. I have also read accounts from both sleever's and rNy'ers who reached goal and regained, or never reached goal at all....I also don't see an obvious co-relation of results to the type of surgery underwent. (On another note, I have to date only read of ONE person who was more than 2 years out who was under BMI 18 AND had difficulties keeping weight on...but I digress).
Barring any medical issues, so long as you maintain a caloric deficit, you should expect to lose the same amount of weight with either surgery.
Good Luck!

The bypass and sleeve are very similar. I’ve seen you comment about people who’ve gotten back their weight, but my girlfriend and her mom did the sleeve 5 years ago and they have kept all their weight off. I have friends who’ve done the sleeve 2-3 years backs and they are still in great shape(no weight gain after 2-3 years). People who gain weight years after are people who start eating unhealthy and don’t follow the plan their Bariatric team has given them. My friend was 298 and in 9 months lost 150 pounds. She exercised and followed her diet. Simple. What is this myth you talk about? 18 month window? You’re always going to keep losing until you start eating to maintain your ideal weight. There is no window that magically stops you from losing. Who is giving you this information?

I started at 48.6 BMI and I chose the sleeve. My doctor says that regain is about your choices in what you eat, not your choices in your type of surgery. Anyone can screw up either surgery.

There are plenty of people on this site who lost all their excess weight with either type of surgery. There are also plenty who regained it all with either type. Both are very valid forms of surgery, if you have reasons to pick one over the other then do so. It sounds like you’re pretty set on the bypass. You should advocate for yourself for that surgery.

I'm struggling with this statement because it would be really unusual to follow the program's diet and gain back 70 lbs. On the other hand, it seems like it's really easy to gain 70 lbs by slowly letting your food habits creep back to your pre-surgery ways, and it can happen slowly enough that it still feels like you're following the rules!
Regardless, it sounds a little bit like you already know you want the bypass and just want everyone to confirm your decision, which is totally relatable but just thought I'd point it out. The choice is really individual since we all have different bodies.

Some helpful hints. You will be INCREDIBLY thirsty/ dehydrated post - surgery. Bring Biotene toothpaste and mouth wash. Swish as much Water as you can as soon as you can reach a sink. You may not be able to swallow fluids just yet. And your mouth will THANK you! You can get at Amazon/ Walmart/ Target.

BariWise chicken Bouillon- lifesaver - Amazon. Clear Liquid- it tastes good and has 15g of Protein. Amazon - Amazing.

****PILL GRINDER (not cutter) - looks like pepper grinder to actually GRIND your pills so much easier to swallow! - Amazon.

Ask the hospital for the 30 cc cups - they’re 1 ounces and you can pour your Protein Shake and liquid clears to keep measurements .

**** DO NOT be afraid to ask for pain medication (this was a mistake I made). I acted tough. Ask ask ask for nausea meds - lifesaver. No vomiting.

Women - plan on wearing a sports bra that doesn’t touch your top incision and cotton underwear that does not touch your bottom incision. Wear a loose cotton dress to go home in and for recovery. Amazon has a lot of different ones (with pockets). You can lounge in them. Walk around the neighborhood and go out with nice sandals/slip on shoes or flip flops.

Amazon also has long roomy comfy sleep shirts - great for lounging and letting your incisions breathe.

BariWise hot chocolate- 15grams of protein and considered a clear. Add sugar free Syrup ( can get a bottle at Home goods for under $5) for a treat. Cinnamon sticks and peppermint tea help with nausea.

Throw a cinnamon stick in your Decaf hot tea of choice (or hot chocolate).

Take a small walk when comfortable even if it’s just around the house when you are waiting the 30 minutes before or after your protein.

If you have a gentle dig - take them for a walk (although the first few days I couldn’t because of the bending to pick up poop). My neighbor offered to walk the dog for a few days.

Enlist help - people like to help.

I was sent home with liquid pain med - keep on schedule and Prilosec capsules. I was instructed to open up. Toss the beads back and follow with chaser - amazing - helped with stomach pain.

Also sent home with anti- nausea under tongue melts - AMAZING.

If you have headaches/ menstrual cramps - I recommend Hylands brand / melts under tongue (Amazon).

Hope this helps! Wish me a great recovery!

Best, Christina

Yes I meal prepped and I kept drinking 1 Protein replacement l l put I have never measured or weighed my food I just prepared 6 small small meals the first 6 months one of the meals were a Protein Drink and lots of Water now I still do the same 17 years post

Most of my preparations for life after surgery were about the pre-surgery diet and the first couple of months post-op (liquids, purees, and soft foods). For the pre-surgery diet and post-op liquid diet, I purchased a bunch of samples of Protein powders (different flavors and brands) because I never used protein powders before and wasn't sure what I would like. I also got ready-to-drink Protein Shakes, protein Water, Bone Broth, protein Soup mixes, unflavored Protein Powder, sugar-free popsicles, and sugar-free Jello.
For the pureed stage, I bought unsweetened applesauce, sugar-free pudding, protein oatmeal, fat free refried Beans, Laughing Cow cheese, and yogurt. I made some pureed black bean soup and froze it in individual portions. I bought way too much food for the pureed stage because it was only a week (actually, I stuck to purees for an extra couple of weeks before I worked up the nerve to move on to soft foods) and I was only eating a couple of ounces at a time (half of an individual pudding or applesauce). I still have quite a bit of this stuff 6 months later!
I don't really do a lot of hardcore "meal prep," but since I live alone and eat tiny portions, any time I cook a regular-sized recipe, it is a lot of portions, so I freeze it in individual servings. I made a turkey meat sauce recipe the other day (https://www.panningtheglobe.com/quick-turkey-ragu/) that came out to 28 portions, which I froze in disposable 2-ounce cups. I also have a lot of 4-ounce glass containers that I use to freeze individual portions.
I didn't really work out before surgery. I started after surgery, doing Leslie Sansone Walk at Home videos (available on YouTube). I started with 15-minute videos and worked my way up to 30-50 minutes per day. I try to get at least 10,000 steps per day. I do strength training with resistance bands 2-3 times per week. I also use 3-pound weights when I do the walk at home videos.

I prepared in basically the same way as I prepared for life without surgery, as our long term post op lifestyle should be a basic healthy diet with moderate or more activity.
I started when my wife was leading up to her WLS (and was intending to get mine shortly thereafter) and we had to do the semi-typical 6 month insurance diet and exercise program to qualify. Our intent was to move our diet toward what it should be five or ten years on - basically what an RD will usually direct you for a healthy life -leaner meats, more fruits and veg (preferably fresh), whole grains in preference to refined white flour products, minimize the sugars and cut down/out the junky foods (high calorie/low nutrition stuff, whether those calories come from carbohydrates or fats.) We shifted the diet over to the extent that we could - it wasn't perfect, but it was sustainable, which is a key factor - this is your forever diet (though it can, and should, evolve.)
It turned out the I lost about a third of my excess weight in those six months or so, and questioned the need to go with the surgery, at least at that time (my wife went ahead with it as she was much more in need of it) so I just continued, making tweaks to the diet to get it closer to a tolerated ideal. I lost a bit more here and there but maintained that original loss over several years before deciding to go ahead with the surgery to finish the job (the VSG had become accepted and insurable in that interim time, which it wasn't at the beginning - the DS that I was considering originally would have been overkill after my life changes.
Over that same time, we joined the Y to get more active (it stuck with my a lot better than with her!) and I took up swimming again, which I had done before in younger days, and started playing with some weight training which became part of my routine - you need to find something that you will continue to do long term. fifteen years later, and I am still at it (though COVID has gotten in the way this past year, so things evolved again.)
When I had the VSG done, I made relatively few changes to accommodate the transition. Protein is a bigger emphasis during that phase when you can't eat much, but I always still made an homage to my fundamentally healthy, balanced diet in the non-protein side of the diet, and the exercise was cut back during the healing phase, but ramped back up again, and beyond, as the weight came off.
The net result is that my diet and lifestyle is little different than it was before, and this is an important factor as on of the most difficult things for those who follow the fad diets to "help" their WLS is the same thing as those who follow fad diets without surgery- the transition to "normal" once they're done dieting, as they never learned how to eat sustainably before.
Even before COVID, I did not work as hard at the gym as I had earlier on, as we had gotten back into dogs, and with two pointers that need their daily exercise (they run, I hike) that has taken over some of my prior gym time - so things have evolved, but the activity is still there. I used to average an hour or so at the gym, alternating days in the pool and in the weight room, and with the dogs, it's more like a half hour, or sometimes it's entirely dog time if we do a longer hike in the morning.

I’m with @Recidivist. My diet was pretty repetitive, still is to be honest. Some of that was because I would freeze a lot of single serves of what I cooked. Still do - have multi serves of Soup, bolognese, slices of corned beef, roast lamb, chicken tenders, steak, all cooked, in my freezer at the moment. (I love zip lock bags.) I found it meant I wasn’t focussed as much on food if all I had to do was have a lucky dip out of my freezer for a meal, pop it in the microwave & prep vegetables.
I also don’t exercise. I know shocking! I walked on my treadmill for the first few months but gave up because of very low energy. Then I was using resistance bands. I agree exercise has its benefits but it contributes very little to actual weight loss - only about 20% of your actual weight loss apparently. I lost plenty without it but that’s been my experience. I have stairs in my house & I literally run up & down them a few times a day doing chores so I’m not totally sedentary - lol. And I do a few minutes of stretching each day. Honestly I find exercising tedious. I’ve never felt that high people say you get from exercising which motivates them.
Good luck with your surgery.

Well...
For me the preparation was mostly mental, in the sense that I had to wrap my head around the idea that I would be eating differently for the rest of my life. I learned to just take it one day at a time and not get overwhelmed by what "might" happen a month--or even a week--down the road. That helped me get through the liquid, puree and soft food phases.
I'm not much of a cook, so my meals in the first few months were simple and very repetitive. To be honest, I wasn't really hungry and was just looking for ways to get the necessary Protein as easily as possible.
As for exercise: I did essentially none (except walking) during the weight loss phase, and I still don't. I followed my doctor's food plan as closely as possible, and my weight came off fairly easily. I do acknowledge that exercise is beneficial for strength and overall fitness, but I don't think it's a critical component of weight loss.

also interested in seeing the answers here, I want to hear first-hand experiences before I decide to do the surgery

I lie! LOL!! I don't want them doing the math and figuring how much I used to weigh! I start out vague, "I'm not sure exactly, I haven't weighed myself lately" which is also a huge lie as I weigh myself 10x a day! LOL!! If they really push, I say around 40 or 50, Depends on my mood! ha ha!

Like you, I told almost nobody about my surgery. Lots of people asked me how I lost so much weight, and I simply told them that it was a medically-supervised weight-loss program (which is true). If they ask how much I've lost, I say that I'm not sure and that it doesn't matter because I did it for my health. I then tell them that I feel great and have more energy than I've had in a long time.

Honestly hardly anyone asked how much I lost. I had a couple of what size are you now questions but still very few. I also had some (usually much older family friends & family) ask if I was going to lose more usually followed by you’ve lost too much now.
Those who asked how much I’d just thank them for noticing & or sometimes say ‘oh yeah, I’ve lost a bit’. Then change the subject. I have told a couple of really close friends how much I’ve lost but they know about the surgery & have been very supportive.
Personally, I think it’s pretty rude for people to ask these questions. I mean you don’t ask them what they weigh & you wouldn’t have told them what you weighed before surgery. Why can’t they just congratulate you on what you’ve achieved.

I made the decision to not share that I was having surgery with anyone outside of my immediate family. I've lost a ton of weight and people are asking "WOW! How much have you lost?" I sort of want to swerve/avoid the question, but I'm not sure how to... Do I lie and minimize how much weight I've lost? Do I avoid answering all together? What do you do?

Just an update a sales rep that remembered me called to let me know my case was approved! Super happy just waiting to hear from my doctors office.
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Hello all,
I have been out of surgery for about 6 hours, and I am just trying to navigate everything. Most of what they told me at the hospital was when I was too drugged up to comprehend it all. Firstly, I have been sleeping all day, but getting up to walk every 2 hours. How long do these mini walks to avoid blood clots need to last? Is it okay for me to continue sleeping while doing this until I am not tired anymore? I hardly got any sleep last night, because my brain was all over the place. I have also been almost vomiting, which just ends up being a burp. I can't really control it. Is that okay at this point? I am terrified of damaging anything. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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When you lose a lot of your excess body weight, you'll have a lot of new found energy for hiking. Don't think of WLS as cheating. I think some people's bodies work against them and the WLS evens the playing field. Almost all my relatives are extremely overweight. There's a combination of bad genes and bad nutrition in my upbringing working against me. My advice is to forget all those bad habits and less nutritious food you used to eat. Establish a new plan. Avoid sugary drinks, fried food, and processed foods. Create new favorite foods. You'll find 6 weeks on a liquid diet will allow you to forget all your old cravings and really reset your likes. As you add in nutritious food, your brain will crave these new foods. It is really easier to prepare all your meals at home. Avoid fast food restaurants. Bring a sack lunch to work everyday so you control what you eat and stick to your plan.

Hello,
I’m a 30-something-year-old woman with a complicated health history. I have PCOS, Hashimoto’s disease and a few other problems. I decided last year to get gastric sleeve as I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I have Anthem BCBS PPO and they say WLS is supported by my plan thankfully. I’ve started my 12-week behavioral group therapy course and I have my 3rd meeting in a few days.

I fought having this kind of surgery as I thought I was cheating and honestly I was afraid of being judged. I needed to grow up it seems and see this for the helpful tool it is. I’m afraid but excited because I’m ready to live the life of my dreams. I have lofty hiking plans that I need to be in good shape for.

I’m glad to meet all of you as we are all on this journey together. If you have any advice or tips or words of wisdom, I gladly welcome them.

Hello,
I’m a 30-something-year-old woman with a complicated health history. I have PCOS, Hashimoto’s disease and a few other problems. I decided last year to get gastric sleeve as I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I have Anthem BCBS PPO and they say WLS is supported by my plan thankfully. I’ve started my 12-week behavioral group therapy course and I have my 3rd meeting in a few days.

I fought having this kind of surgery as I thought I was cheating and honestly I was afraid of being judged. I needed to grow up it seems and see this for the helpful tool it is. I’m afraid but excited because I’m ready to live the life of my dreams. I have lofty hiking plans that I need to be in good shape for.

I’m glad to meet all of you as we are all on this journey together. If you have any advice or tips or words of wisdom, I gladly welcome them.