hills&valleys

My excess weight distribution is mainly on my trunk from the neck down and only radiating down a few inches on my upper arms and legs. My shoulders had become heavily padded including the dreaded "buffalo hump". Although I only lost 6.5# during the one week pre-op and an additional 18# since surgery on 3/3/23, I have noticed substantial changes. I have lost (don't want to find it) the buffalo hump and my neck has gotten longer (optically). I have started losing the "football pads" off my shoulders, revealing the promise of regaining my former graceful neck which has been encased in shoulder fat for 10 years.

My excess weight distribution is mainly on my trunk from the neck down and only radiating down a few inches on my upper arms and legs. My shoulders had become heavily padded including the dreaded "buffalo hump". Although I only lost 6.5# during the one week pre-op and an additional 18# since surgery on 3/3/23, I have noticed substantial changes. I have lost (don't want to find it) the buffalo hump and my neck has gotten longer (optically). I have started losing the "football pads" off my shoulders, revealing the promise of regaining my former graceful neck which has been encased in shoulder fat for 10 years.

You don't know how much comfort i feel seeing this. Thank you

I found this image and it has given me so much comfort.
I've also been doing a lot of Googling bc my surgery center hasn't given much guidance around anything other than Protein and liquid goals.
From what I've read, at this time post-op I should be getting around 500 cals per day, and eating 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. at each sitting (every 3-4 hrs). For reference, I was sleeved on 3/24/23.
I look at multiple sites of reputable surgery centers before I decide what to "believe".
Hang in there friends! We got this!

Thank you! I am already feeling so much better— this isn’t just about the weight, it had really been affecting my health and overall well being. My feet no longer hurt- losing weight and getting supportive shoes is helping the plantar fasciitis and meta-whatever it’s called. My joints no longer hurt, I can sleep more restfully and breathe better! It’s definitely been a major change already, and I am glad to be turning it around. I’m too young to feel that old!

I hope to get back to that point after VSG surgery! Mentally, the thin-me vs the fat-me had a vastly different relationship with food. The thin-me lived by the ethos of "eat to live not live to eat" and "nothing tastes as good as thin feels". After a 2012 accident and major life change, I flipped to the "dark" side with food being more of a focus with my enjoyment in food replacing the of joy of living life's events.

Long term success will be increased if you establish some new habits and interests while taking advantage of the diminished focus on food. Look to becoming more active in your community, i.e. volunteer work, tennis, pickleball, adult softball leagues, Habitat for Humanity and/or; art, computer or carpentry classes at the Community College. WLS gives us a tool to help us to LIVE LIFE rather than just EXIST on the sidelines!

You are mourning the loss of your love affair with food. You have to replace that loss with a love of something else....preferably something healthy....active and more conducive with your new life's goals!

not a weird non-scale victory but a huge non-scale victory nonetheless

i fit in airplane seats :D
i’ve been STRESSING about this upcoming trip cuz i couldn’t afford first class seats or to buy the seat next to me and ive never fit in plane seats before. i kept googling ‘can size 16 fit in plane seats’ and i measured the seat width on my couch and sat between two boxes of the seat width but none of that eased my extreme anxiety that i wouldn’t fit in the seat. :(

but i fit :D and i didn’t even need a seatbelt extender - another first!

i’m on the plane right now flying over southern oregon and i’m so endlessly relieved that the only thing i was worried about was completely a nonissue 😊❤️

I have only told my husband and mother (and a few select friends) about my surgery. I'm one month post op and over all have lost 35 lbs.

My husband's family (i see them VERY often, weekly) doesn't know about my surgery.

He has an aunt that has always been very jealous of me and is the definition of a "hater" or a "friendemey" friend / enemy

She's very very over weight and always says she wants to lose weight (i recently found out she was considering WLS about a year ago). Anytime I've lost weight in the past, she's very jealous. She doesn't SAY things, but it's obvious by her lack of compliments or any comments at all about how different i look. Plus you can see it all over her face and then she'll start dieting or exercising for a few days.

Now that I've gotten my VSG, she once again hasn't commented on my weightloss. Her husband has and her mother has too, but she refuses to even give me a compliment.

Prior to my surgery i was so concerned about how it would make her feel when i started losing weight but honestly, i did this for me. Not for anyone else.

My point is, let people be jealous. Let them fester in their own envy. That's their problem. You're finally making yourself happy and that's all you should focus us. Enjoy it!!!! Don't let them ruin it for you, that's what they want! They're just jealous they didn't have the balls to do it themselves.

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I would respond that I could still enjoy food and wine in moderation and have discovered there is so much more fulfillment when life's activities are not limited by an obsession with food and drink. It is the difference of choosing living over existing.

I would respond that I could still enjoy food and wine in moderation and have discovered there is so much more fulfillment when life's activities are not limited by an obsession with food and drink. It is the difference of choosing living over existing.

I am copying my post from another thread.... I am pre-op and one of the most concerning restrictions of VSG for me is the 30 minute before and after rule of drink/eat. I have always been a constant sipper and my husband & I have a lot of "wine & dine" business/social engagements. I had assumed the drink/eat rule was due to filling up in liquid and then not having room for food.....wrong. After researching the mechanics behind this rule, I discovered the reason why. The video below shows how we can easily sabotage ourselves by breaking the rule! https://youtube.com/shorts/oNdeGkkwqlw?feature=share

Anyone going through that would be regretting everything. How horrific, I'm so sorry that happened to you, Mrs Roz. What utter medical negligence. I agree with others that you might consider contacting a lawyer.

How awful! I hope you're surrounded by friends and family to give you the support and strength to get through this! I also hope that you successfully meet your weight loss goals and are grateful you had the surgery, regretting your choice of surgeon instead. Sounds like what happened to you isn't a complication of the surgery, it's malpractice of the surgeon. I hope your next procedure goes well and you have a quick recovery.

And sue him for malpractice!!

I am so sorry you are having such horrendous complications from your ESG. Thankfully, you listened to your body and reacted quickly! I hope you are now on track for a speedy recovery. If negligence is confirmed, please share the name of your surgeon and the bariatric practice/facility with the group as forewarning.
Sending healing prayers to you.

I am 5-6, 209lbs and on Wednesday, 3/15/23 I had an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty aka ESG. I elected to stay over the first night and came home on Thursday, 3/16. I was in tremendous pain and could not keep Water down. On Saturday 3/8, I phoned an IV service to come and hydrate me. They couldn’t find a vein.

I knew I was need of emergent medics care so I called an ambulance. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, I was rushed into surgery and put into a coma. What my family learned is that my Bariatric surgeon had left a hole in my stomach and punctured my lung. My thoracic cavity was mixed with various fluids and I was slowly drowning as my lung capacity diminished
Days later they found another hole in my stomach and I underwent a third surgery to correct that. Had I not called the ambulance when I did, I would have died
Fortunately the hospital kept me fed and hydrated intravenously. Today is my first day home and I’m doing everything I can to sip enough water and Protein. I wonder if life will ever be the same for me
i have one more follow up procedure which I’m dreading. I deeply regret the decision to do this surgery, it almost cost me my like and the trauma is endless

Thank you for your responses. Maybe this does apply to some but it sounds like it is more of a hit and miss and should be taken with extreme skepticism. I'm just over two weeks out from surgery and lost 9 lbs the first week and nothing since. I realize I am in the dreaded stall but it certainly doesn't bode well for my progress if using a 3 month formula to calculate my total loss!

Same for me! I was prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best...and I couldn't have asked for a better experience considering it is surgery!

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This made me think about my own decision not to share my surgery with anyone that didn't have a "need to know". Virtually everyone I work with has never actually seen me in person, only via zoom, since we almost all work remotely. I didn't tell anyone, even my boss that I was having weight loss surgery.
Quarterly, my larger team (50-60 folks) gets together in person now, but I've put off traveling for these meetings for most of the year. I used my significant hearing loss as the main rationale. I do have a significant challenge hearing in crowded rooms due to my hearing loss, so it's absolutely an issue. If I'm honest with myself though, I put off going mostly because I was ashamed of my weight. I also knew that after surgery, I'd be closer to a "normal" weight and while some might notice a difference between "video" me and "in person" me, I figured it won't be nearly as noticeable for most folks. Anyway, mid-December, I'm finally planning to go to the quarterly get together.
Fair or not, I know 2 things are true, and I made the choices I did based on this:
Being obese carries a significant stigma that we are lazy, have no self-control, are morally bankrupt, are unattractive, etc. I've seen and felt this personally and its impact on promotions and work assignments. No one will ever admit to feeling this way or letting it impact business decisions, but it happens consciously or not. (I digress here a bit, but if you doubt this is real, look at the C-suite in any major corporation and one consistent theme is that it's exceptionally rare to see someone that's even overweight, much less obese.) Many people think that WLS is the easy way out, so don't associate weight lost this way as "redeeming ourselves" for the laziness and lack of self-control. In effect, only if you lose weight "naturally", are you proven "worthy" again. Frankly it sucks that these attitudes are so prevalent, but they are. I made the choices I did because I don't need anyone at work judging me or my motivations. As someone else said, I did this to save my life. We should be celebrating it. Instead, it's just more stigmatizing.

I just had a sleeve done yesterday and have just been discharged. Waiting to be picked up. I’m in pain but so excited to continue this journey, and grateful to have found this resource.

Hey guys I'm back with my day 2 post op. Right out of surgery I was out of it I slept the whole day but I did make sure I walked a little and sip on sum Water. I haven't had my full liquids yesterday just water but I will start my full liquid diet today at 8 am. There was no pain It was all gas once you let the gas out your good to go. I did experience nausea twice due to the gas pain but nothing too serious. To everyone going for your surgery soon you'll be okay. My birthday is March 26th hopefully I get to have a little bit of fun . Thanks to everyone for the support.

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Agreed, your starting weight is actually fairly slim in comparison with a lot of people you see on here; less to lose means it may come off more slowly.

I was at the mall yesterday and saw them putting some shorts and T-shirts on display. One year ago I'd have taken a look and wished I could wear those. Not this time haha. I went in and got my first shorts in more than 30 years. It feels strange but awesome lol.
I'm now wearing size 33" pants (52" before WLS) and M/L T-Shirt (5XL before WLS) which was a nice surprise. No longer going to the beach wearing jeans after this 😃.

You started at a relatively low BMI. Many low BMI folks, including me, lose all or almost all of their excess weight.
You're going to do great. Just stay focused and follow the plan.

At the 3-month mark I was down about 55 pounds. At the year mark I was down 121. So...yeah I lost a little less than half my weight. I would caution you against comparing your progress to others though; everyone's situation is different and there are a lot of factors that could affect that.