LookingForward22

I’m scheduled for VSG on the 2nd. I am in Pennsylvania. I’m very nervous … but looking forward to seeing how everyone is progressing.

Being nervous and doubtful - especially when making such a big decision is natural.

I had doubts and canceled my first surgery - because I didn’t think the program I was in was the right fit. (Found another program and I’m scheduled for surgery in a few weeks). I regretting canceling for a time, thinking how I could be 6 months further down the road if I had just gone through with the original plan, but ultimately I’m glad I waited to find the right program for me.

I constantly ask my husband - is this the right decision, because I was sure if I had just tried harder, I could do this without the surgery. (For perspective I’m 48… I’ve been over weight all of my adult life). I was also worried about the inconvenience the surgery, diet and lifestyle chances would impose on the household (hubby and 2 adult-ish kids).

I spoke to my pcp, my endocrinologist, two different therapists (mine and the one from the program) about all the reasons I’m afraid to have surgery and all the reasons why I should have the surgery.

The program therapist was very direct - telling me no one (in the program) will be upset if you are unsure and want to postpone for up to a year (tests could be used for a certain period) or even cancel. “We will do this when it is right for YOU”, she assured me. My therapist, PCP and endocrinologist (who both advised me to consider this as an option) agreed and said the same thing. My husband has been nothing but supportive. But all of them said I needed to make the decision that is best for ME, not worry about what others personal opinions are, because ultimately I’m the one that has live with my weight and the health issues that go along with it.

I’m not going to lie, the idea of surgery of any kind scares me, but I made the decision to have surgery to become healthier, to improve my quality of life. As nervous as I am about things that can go wrong, about having this surgery and messing it up by not being successful, I know I won’t forgive myself if I don’t try. The things I have been doing for the last 30 years have not worked long term and as I get older, it’s likely to get harder - not easier. I owe it to myself to try every resource at my disposal and this surgery is just that, a resource or a tool.

I choose not to share my decision with family (outside my house) and most friends (need to know only) while going through pre-op because I didn’t want to invite the opportunity for negativity. Most know I’m working with a nutritionist (I’ve lost about 50 lbs over the last year) and getting a hernia repair (both of which are true), but not that I’m having WLS.

The family member opposed - do they struggle with weight or health issues of their own? Why don’t they support your decision? If they raised questions or concerns you thought were good points, did you discuss with your therapist/nutritionist/ drs? While you value their thoughts and input… are they valuing yours? It’s one thing to express concern about someone you care about, but it is absolutely possible to do so in a supportive way.

What ever you decide, best of luck.

10 months ago I had my sleeve (with a hernia repair) done… to be honest I had expected to loose more weigh fast than I have but I’m very pleased with my progress so far.

I’ve had LOTS of long stalls (weeks at a time) along the way … and I did manage to loose 57 pounds before my surgery.

My highest weight was 382… surgery day I weighed 325… this morning I weighed 247. It’s been nearly 25 years since I have seen this weight!

It’s taking me a while, but I’m getting there… I still have a way to go, but I can’t be mad about loosing 135 pounds (78 since my surgery).

About the hunger… for me, I notice when I’m not drinking enough I feel “hungry”. It’s more about hydration (for me) than hunger. If I stay hydrated - I don’t seem to get those hunger feelings.

Stick to your plan and track your intake (food and water) … it really does help. Best of luck.

My progress has been slow but steady. Sometimes I get a little frustrated because my loss isn’t as fast as others, but then I remind myself this isn’t a race and I’m working to a life long change not just a quick fix. I was over weight for most of my adult life, that change is going to take some time.

I met a new “mini” goal today (I broke my weight-loss goals down into 10 mini phases/goals) so that felt pretty good. From my highest weight… I’m down 135 pounds! (57 of that was pre surgery loss, 78 since surgery). I’m hoping when I go for my 1 yr check up… I will be down 100 ponds post surgery (which will make 157 pounds lost if I hit that goal).

Best of luck - hope you’re recovery is going well! You’ve got this. 🥰

What were you expecting to lose? If you're looking for 30+ lbs the first month, that's pretty rare unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life". For most of us "average" WLS patients, that much loss the first month is pretty unusual. Most of us lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range. Plus most people don't lose much the first week because of the "gain" from the IV fluids you get in the hospital (which of course is just water) - and then there's the infamous "three-week stall" that many of us experience, where you can go a couple of weeks (usually 1-3) without any loss, because your body is kind of recalibrating after the surgery - so you may be experiencing that as well.
you're not going to lose the weight any faster than if you ate the same thing without surgery. With the extreme calorie deficit we have the first few months out, you'd probably lose about the same regardless if you had surgery or not. The difference is, it's much more easy to sustain that deficit with the surgery. Most people probably could not go for months on end eating something like 800 calories. But with the surgery, you can. Your hunger is suppressed, your stomach is tiny, etc. The most I could ever lose before surgery was about 50-60 lbs. With this, I lost over 200, and have kept it off for eight years. No way could I have done that without the surgery.

Had my surgery 11/28/2019. Changed my life for the better. The added bonus of being healthy? all the compliments 😋

I was 130kgs. I have lost approx 55kgs. I am currently 74kgs and still going strong! Struggling with the last 14kgs but I'm getting there! Here are my two before and two after!

Just broke 100 lbs lost.

You'll probably continue to lose a crazy amount these first 2 weeks, then you'll probably stall for 2 or so weeks once you reintroduce food. Totally par for the course so don't panic.
Drinking also becomes much easier quite quickly for most of us. I can drink pretty much as I did pre surgery now. I also found warmer liquids easier to drink so see how that feels on your tummy if you're still experiencing discomfort. Funny thing is now I prefer ice cold!

So, I woke up Friday evening around 5pm in my room. I have no idea how long the surgery was and I have no idea how long I was in recovery. I was told during a nurse shift change that I'd had a hernia repaired as well, which was news to me.
The nurse allowed me to keep the leg massagers on which was nice. My mouth was SO dry and they said I could have ice chips. They brought in a 64oz cup full of ice, then got mad when I said there munching on ice, lol.
Around 9pm, the nurse asked me if I wanted to walk around the hospital wing and I said I did. At first she was worried that I'd fall, but I was pretty comfortable on my feet and did 10 laps around the wing. She seemed impressed and told me that I'd be surprised to know how many people have the surgery and refuse to walk.
A few hours later, I had really bad chest pain and no one seemed to know what it was. One nurse claimed it was gas pain, another said that it was probably associated with one or more of the incisions, another claimed it probably had to do with the hernia fix or the tube they shoved down my throat.
Saturday morning, after being told all day that I couldn't eat or drink anything, they brought in a Breakfast tray with a cup of chicken broth, a Jello cup, and a bottle of Water with a crystal light packet. I appreciated that and was able to get about three sips out of the broth, a couple small bites of the jello, and a couple sips of the crystal light. The flavor was lemonade and it was wonderful.
I then asked the nurse if I could walk again and she agreed. At this point, I wanted to up my laps from 10 to 20. On lap 17, my surgeon appeared in the hallway and told me that he was glad to see me walking. He asked if I was able to keep down the liquids that I'd been given and I said that I had. He asked if I had any nausea or anything, which I didn't, then he asked me if I wanted to be discharged or spend a 2nd night in the hospital, I chose to take the discharge, though I probably should have stayed.
Currently, I'm able to sip liquids but I'm not getting even close to the suggested 4oz an hour. I notice that after I sip, I have brief stomach pain. I assume that I'm probably going to have it for at least a week, which is okay I guess. It's only a brief pain, then goes away.
I was prescribed Tylenol 3 with codeine for pain and bought a pill crusher, which is a PITA, but it works okay.
To date, I started my journey at 385lbs, I went to my surgery at 361lbs, and I stepped on the scale today and weighed in at 348lbs.
It's hard for me to imagine that I lost 13lbs between Friday morning and Sunday, but maybe the lack of eating over the last 3-4 days and the stomach removal is what did it for me? I have no idea, but this has been an interesting journey and I'll looking forward to what comes next.

I started my liquid diet this morning. I don't think it's going to be that bad.
So far today I've had two 11oz Premier Protein shakes (Several months ago I bought the vanilla and chocolate and thought they were both kinda gross, but I found a case of limited edition "Root Beer Float" flavored shakes at Sam's Club and they're great!) about 60 oz of broth, and a couple Jello cups and I feel pretty good.
I can't believe that my surgery date is only a week away. It's been month after month after month of waiting, and now it seems like it's coming up faster than a rocket sled on rails!

I wanted to add a quick update, I got the approval from my insurance!
I’m scheduled for June 23rd! 🎉

Hang in there, times for approval vary… start working on the small changes you want to make with your eating and exercise while you wait. Those changes will become habit in time and those little changes really do add up.

Just checking in … so far I’m a total of 122 lbs down - 65 of that was after surgery.

I was hoping to be further along by now but I’m happy that I seem to still be loosing.

I’m not overly strict with my eating but I am still only able to eat limited amounts at one time.

My hope is that I will loose 100 pounds post surgery by my anniversary - but I’m not going to stress about it. I’ll just keep working in that direction.

I broke my overall final “goal” out in to 10 steps - and I’m almost at 49.55% of my goal. It’s nice to see that progress.

That's amazing, 122lbs is awesome!

Welcome and good luck on your journey.

When I started my journey my highest weight was 382. I knew I had to do something, I struggled all my life and it was time to fix it.

I started having health complications and worked with my endocrinologist on a plan. I started to work to loose weight on my own, while I explored WLS. I managed to loose 57 pound before I got my sleeve and I’m down 65 lbs since my surgery in Aug 2022 (making my total loss 122 lbs). I get a little frustrated that I’m not loosing faster, but I’m very proud that my weight loss (despite being slower than I’d like) has been steady.

Keep up the great work. Remember that everyone’s journey is different, you’ll get there in your own time!!

Not exactly an NSV, but it was still a bit of a shock for me... This weekend I went camping with friends, and we bought a 25kg (50~lbs) sack of firewood. At one point, we said we were going to carry it between 2 of us, but when the time came to do so, I decided I could carry it by myself. Slung it onto my shoulder and started walking towards our campsite (less than a block away). About halfway down, I just STOPPED.... I just realized I was carrying the same amount of weight I have lost so far. Knowing we were planning on carrying that between 2 people, or how tough it was to carry it for just a block... it made it so much clearer why it has been so hard for me to go hiking before.
PS> I’m doing a lot better while hiking, and am planning a short solo trip this Saturday!

i'm 4.5 yrs post op now, so NSV's come few and far between, but every now and then a new one will pop up:
yesterday i was sitting on a chair scrolling through my phone when i dropped it in my lap. i shut my thighs to catch it, it landed on one if my thighs, then it slipped right through between them and fell to the floor.
my knees felt a little knocked, and i was thinking damn, i hope my apple-care warranty is still valid, then i realized whoa, my thighs are smaller than i think.
p.s. my phone is ok! 😂

I’m almost 9 months post op vsg. I’m not loosing as much as fast as I had hoped, but I’m consistently loosing still.

I had a high starting weight and lost a good bit before surgery.

My highest weight was 382 … by my surgery (Aug 2022) I was down to 325. This week I’m down to 260.

So post surgery I’m down 65 pounds - with an overall loss of 122. I still have a ways to go - and I’m a little disappointed in myself for not being further along by now … but I’m hoping that I can continue to steadily loose and keep my progress going until I hit “goal”.

On the plus side I’m feeling good and happy with being able to loose after years of struggling with no results.

Congrats on everyone’s progress!

I’m almost 9 months post op vsg. I’m not loosing as much as fast as I had hoped, but I’m consistently loosing still.

I had a high starting weight and lost a good bit before surgery.

My highest weight was 382 … by my surgery (Aug 2022) I was down to 325. This week I’m down to 260.

So post surgery I’m down 65 pounds - with an overall loss of 122. I still have a ways to go - and I’m a little disappointed in myself for not being further along by now … but I’m hoping that I can continue to steadily loose and keep my progress going until I hit “goal”.

On the plus side I’m feeling good and happy with being able to loose after years of struggling with no results.

Congrats on everyone’s progress!

Just checking in … so far I’m a total of 122 lbs down - 65 of that was after surgery.

I was hoping to be further along by now but I’m happy that I seem to still be loosing.

I’m not overly strict with my eating but I am still only able to eat limited amounts at one time.

My hope is that I will loose 100 pounds post surgery by my anniversary - but I’m not going to stress about it. I’ll just keep working in that direction.

I broke my overall final “goal” out in to 10 steps - and I’m almost at 49.55% of my goal. It’s nice to see that progress.

I agree with those telling you to stay off the scales. I went through this, and still have those weeks. I was getting very frustrated with the lack of scale movement but noticed my clothes were fitting differently.

I’m not good with consistently doing measurements so I just started measuring my progress by my clothes (fitting better or not fitting … getting to big).

Once I started to see that change was happening the scale movement mattered less to me.

I go through periods of scales stalls and then spurts of progress, but my body seems to be changing consistently - even in small ways.

Stick to your plan, the results will come.

I’m currently 9 months post op… I’ve lost 65 lbs since surgery (122 total). I still have a long way to go, but despite loosing slowly, I’m loosing consistently and my body is seeming to adjust well to the slower loss. I do have some loose skin but not nearly as much as I feared after loosing 122 pounds.

Welcome and good luck on your journey.

When I started my journey my highest weight was 382. I knew I had to do something, I struggled all my life and it was time to fix it.

I started having health complications and worked with my endocrinologist on a plan. I started to work to loose weight on my own, while I explored WLS. I managed to loose 57 pound before I got my sleeve and I’m down 65 lbs since my surgery in Aug 2022 (making my total loss 122 lbs). I get a little frustrated that I’m not loosing faster, but I’m very proud that my weight loss (despite being slower than I’d like) has been steady.

Keep up the great work. Remember that everyone’s journey is different, you’ll get there in your own time!!

I agree with those telling you to stay off the scales. I went through this, and still have those weeks. I was getting very frustrated with the lack of scale movement but noticed my clothes were fitting differently.

I’m not good with consistently doing measurements so I just started measuring my progress by my clothes (fitting better or not fitting … getting to big).

Once I started to see that change was happening the scale movement mattered less to me.

I go through periods of scales stalls and then spurts of progress, but my body seems to be changing consistently - even in small ways.

Stick to your plan, the results will come.

I’m currently 9 months post op… I’ve lost 65 lbs since surgery (122 total). I still have a long way to go, but despite loosing slowly, I’m loosing consistently and my body is seeming to adjust well to the slower loss. I do have some loose skin but not nearly as much as I feared after loosing 122 pounds.

Hello everyone!
I'm new to the forum and didn't really know where to begin, so I figured why not start a thread about my journey?
So, I've always been kind of obese (there were a few years that I lost a lot of weight sticking to a low carb diet) I hovered around 300lbs give or take for many years. In 2012 during a divorce, I ballooned all the way up to 365lbs and I swore I'd never get to that point again. I started doing low carb and got all the way down to 235lbs before getting re-married and gaining back about 50lbs. During COVID in 2020, I just completely fell apart and ended up getting to my all-time highest weight of 385lbs.
I drive trucks for a living and in August of 2022, I had to go for a sleep apnea test and I failed miserably. Failing the sleep apnea test put my career in jeopardy. I decided immediately afterwards to contact my local hospital about bariatric surgery and immediately started a 6 month program in October, 2022. Since I had already had the sleep apnea test and failed, I'd already knocked that part out at least.
I literally just got back from my final doctors appointment and they told me that it's up to my insurance provider to approve or deny me for surgery. I'm really excited but also really nervous. The only time I've ever stayed in a hospital overnight was to take my sleep apnea tests.
I started this journey at 385lbs, today I weighed in at 365lbs. I had my ups and downs, but I'm really looking forward to this journey and really looking forward to getting to know everyone and to share my journey.

How is everyone doing? I've been slipping back into some old bad habits, but trying to get back on track. I've been sitting at about an 85 lb loss for a few months and am pretty happy with where I am. I would like to kick it up a notch and start some weight training to feel stronger. Here's my progress so far. The first pic is 36 lbs down before surgery, 2nd photo is now at 85 lbs down.