Sarahgirl10

I was 36.3 before 2 day liquid diet, 35.7 after 1 day liquid diet. 5 days post op, 34.5. I have been staying well hydrated, in fact my Water % on the Renpho scale has went from 36.3% to 38.2%..so it's not just water weight 😂

Surgery day my BMI was 34. I lost slow and steady at about 10lbs a month following my surgeon’s SUPER STRICT diet plan. Very slow progression to each stage. Got down to 125lb (BMI 21) in about 7-8 months.


3 years later and I’m 135lb by maintaining 1200-1300 calorie diet. 

The first time I could drive after surgery I was driving past restaurants and feeling sad about the great meals that I used to eat. Today, getting close to 3 months out I’m camping. I’m feeling grateful for how much easier it is to walk on the beach and swim in the lake. I’ve stopped my obsessing about how much I’ve eaten and when, where my next meal is coming from. I still drink Protein Shakes because I don’t get enough Protein otherwise. I feel grateful for the change.

Gosh, all of the above advice is amazing and I agree with it! I will add:
-Make a decision on who you will tell about the surgery. It’s your private health information and you are under no obligation to tell anyone, unless you want to.

-Have a plan for how to react to people who comment on weight loss. The first time someone said I looked wonderful (while giving me a once over), it took me by surprise. (And comments are another discussion…everyone feels differently being noticed.)
-Prepare for eating differently around others (colleagues, family/friends). Will you bring your own food if there is a lunch provided at work? Will you change what you cook for family holidays?

-Get your household on board with reducing treats in the house. If they won’t, ask them to keep treats in places that you don’t see easily. (as someone else wrote, you may mourn some of the foods that you should no longer eat… Sometimes it’s best not to be reminded of them)
-If you do the Family cooking, start preparing recipes that are healthy for the sleeve (for example, High Protein and no added sugar). At least with my family, if they want something else, they have to cook it themselves. 😀

Don’t waste time post op trying to figure out how to start eating the foods that got you overweight in the first place again. There’s a big difference between what you “can” physically eat and what will get you to your goals. The surgery won’t make good choices for you, unfortunately.

You’ll stall at or around 3 weeks. Almost everybody does. No, you don’t need to change anything up. It’s normal, it happens, and it’s temporary. Just get off the scale for a week or two and it will go away.

Yes, take pre photos and measurements! I knew I needed to and guess what I didn’t do. Now I have like one pic of me at my heaviest and no idea of measurements. Would have been nice to have.

Be committed to changing your lifestyle and pushing yourself 😘 good luck!

Do what your team tells you to do. Listen to you new stomach.

Just focus on one day at a time. Remember that everyone is different and loses at a different pace. The advice on here is excellent, but you can not compare yourself to others. Always check with your docs office if your unsure about anything. Protein is always comes first with your food/meals. If you follow the plan you will succeed.

Don't buy EVERYTHING just because it worked for someone else. I spent a TON of money on stuff I thought I would need and have never even opened and now I'm throwing things away because they have gone bad.
Try not to measure your success against others...the more you have to lose, the faster you will lose it...and some people are just slow losers. Have faith that if you stick to your program you will get there!
Programs are different...very different. When in doubt, ask your doctor. As an example, I love my morning coffee...my line is "I need coffee to MAKE coffee" but my program said no coffee for the first year. I whined at asked my doctor and he said one or two cups a day won't hurt, they were just trying to stop people from drinking coffee all day long. So now I have my two cups in the morning and I'm happy as can be! (I use Fairlife Protein Shakes instead of creamer).
Take before pictures!! I didn't and regret it now!

Not everything will go as planned. You can stick 100% to your post op plan and there will still be stalls, frustrations, foods that do or don’t work, and a lot of learning about your body and what it does and doesn’t like. Also, depending on your surgeon, many will have a cookie cutter plan and feedback that will NOT be applicable to all. But overall despite the frustrations and setbacks, it is 100% worth it in my opinion.

I am only 6 months post-op. I don't have the wisdom of the long-term veterans who post here. My advice is to make sure you are ready for permanent changes. Some days that is easier than others. Surgery helps your body, but it doesn't change your thinking patterns.

It’s going to be hard. Very hard in fact. Make sure you absolutely want to do it. You will most likely have regrets shortly after surgery. You can’t know everything beforehand. You can only prepare so much. Having said that, if you really want to make a lifestyle change and can handle the mental battle, it will absolutely be worth it. I agree with the others, your journey will be unique. I’m only 10 weeks post op and it took me until about 2 weeks ago to stop regretting it. I just focused on day to day. I’m still never hungry, I have no desire to eat, I don’t get all my Protein in each day but I’ve learned how to create a routine. As mentioned, everybody is unique. I think it’s important for people considering this to know that it’s not easy. It might be the hardest thing you’ll ever do. At least mentally. But as they say, the things most worth achieving are also the most difficult. Good luck should you choose this surgery.

There are a couple of general adages to go by:
1: The more you have to lose the more you’ll lose in the beginning.
2: You will lose at the rate that’s best for you. Some people lose slowly, others more quickly but both are right. It’s not a race or a competition.
3: The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you’ll lose.
Simple things we say but all are true.
Honestly, the reason why this has been the most successful weight loss experience I’ve ever had (& I’ve done a lot: diets, clubs, medications, ...) is that I’ve actually stuck to the changes I made to my diet to lose the weight. In the past, I’d reach my goal & then I’d slowly but surely go back to how I used to eat & I’d start to gain again sometimes within a week or so. I’ve never stuck to it as I am now. That has been the difference for me.
Good luck.

I am 12 weeks out from surgery day. My BMI was 35 before pre-op diet and 33 on surgery day. I lost 14 pounds on pre-op diet and have lost 25 more since surgery. My current BMI is 29. I believe I am still a slow loser even for the lower BMI group because I did not have any issues getting in or tolerating foods or anything from the beginning. I have heard veterans who were slow losers as well say that they continued to lose weight for almost two years so it has to all come off eventually.

Your healing journey is unique, you’re going to be hungry, you’re going to mourn food, you’re going to realize you have to stick to the plan (no cheat days early on)…and you’re going to meet your goal in your own time.

Never ever compare yourself (or journey) to others
Don’t forget the people that value you at any weight
Being happy in other areas of your life is just as important as weight loss

Trust the process. It’s so easy for those of us who have done the yo yo diets to worry that this won’t work for us but if we follow the plan it will. And you will lose weight at your own pace. Try not to compare your weight loss (or recovery for that matter) to others as it is very individualized. You got this!!

I have my consult on Friday, and also have done a ton of research. But I'd love inputs from others who have had it as well- what's your best advice, tips, and tricks for post op life?!

My BMI was 36.7 and my insurance covered it. I did have high bp and high cholesterol though. I was actually surprised insurance covered. I made the decision to have the surgery and was going to be self pay. The drs office insurance coordinator said they would submit to my insurance with the letter from my pcp who recommended the surgery based on family history. One week later, I was approved. It does not hurt to submit to insurance to see if they will cover. You never know. And if your pcp submits a recommendation, that may help. Good Luck!

My endocrinologist told me that people with lower BMIs may be covered, but only if there is a serious medical issue.