mcipanda

Just read through this thread and am so proud of the accountability you’ve taken for the cheat meals. It was probably really hard to tell your surgery team what happened, but you did it anyway. There is strength in that. We are all going to make mistakes, but your new tummy will act like rails on the wagon so you don’t fall off easily. We will all be here to support you if that happens. Wishing you a successful surgery with an easy recovery ❤️‍🩹 I am going in on Monday, just a few days after you, so you’re not alone! 😊

First, I bet what your Dad said really hurt. I'm sorry he said that to you. I'm not sure what people are thinking when they hear the words "weight loss surgery." Sometimes I get the feeling they assume someone snapped their fingers over your body and now the excess weight is just going to melt off of you. If that were true, maybe..MAYBE you could see a difference in 3 weeks. But this isn't a magic bullet and you're not going to melt away. Your body has figured out how to store and hold that fat for many years. It's not going to let go so easily. I know this going into surgery (mine is scheduled for 3/13), but I'm sure someone will need to remind me when I'm a few weeks - and many months - in.
I'm so happy you can feel the difference yourself, because you're the only one who matters when it comes to this. Take care and good luck on your journey!

First, I bet what your Dad said really hurt. I'm sorry he said that to you. I'm not sure what people are thinking when they hear the words "weight loss surgery." Sometimes I get the feeling they assume someone snapped their fingers over your body and now the excess weight is just going to melt off of you. If that were true, maybe..MAYBE you could see a difference in 3 weeks. But this isn't a magic bullet and you're not going to melt away. Your body has figured out how to store and hold that fat for many years. It's not going to let go so easily. I know this going into surgery (mine is scheduled for 3/13), but I'm sure someone will need to remind me when I'm a few weeks - and many months - in.
I'm so happy you can feel the difference yourself, because you're the only one who matters when it comes to this. Take care and good luck on your journey!

First, I bet what your Dad said really hurt. I'm sorry he said that to you. I'm not sure what people are thinking when they hear the words "weight loss surgery." Sometimes I get the feeling they assume someone snapped their fingers over your body and now the excess weight is just going to melt off of you. If that were true, maybe..MAYBE you could see a difference in 3 weeks. But this isn't a magic bullet and you're not going to melt away. Your body has figured out how to store and hold that fat for many years. It's not going to let go so easily. I know this going into surgery (mine is scheduled for 3/13), but I'm sure someone will need to remind me when I'm a few weeks - and many months - in.
I'm so happy you can feel the difference yourself, because you're the only one who matters when it comes to this. Take care and good luck on your journey!

I had a goal to reach the size I was when my son was young which was a size 2 but didn’t believe I could actually reach it…Yesterday those same old size 2 pants fit! It seems weird but you will adapt to your own body much faster than others will because you see it everyday. Enjoy the ride ☺️

I like the idea of first goal, then reassess to stretch as you work yourself there. I have a first goal in mind, then step down a few times if i can do it!
Good luck to you and enjoy shopping your closet.

Pro-tip: Wear them lots the second you can fit! The window of time for wearing clothes in those mid-loss sizes is startlingly short! I had a bunch of clothes waiting to fit, including some Torrid (size 1) stuff that I bought waaaaaay back in the early 2000s when Torrid was still a subculture store, and never got to enjoy them because when I finally tried them on again, they were too big! Now they're just sentimental keepsakes. 🤪

I've recently updated my profile photo on social media (Facebook and Instagram) and I got so many comments on how my face looks different in both photos and how much younger I look now. A lot of people have told me the same thing in person as well. I've always considered my face shape to be round but now it is more like an oval. Here is a before and after photo. I certainly lost the cheeks and double-chin 🤣

Would love to see your face before and after photos also.

I am not a huge coffee drinker and only like it cold. I am more of a "coffee drink" type of person.
Yanno, those super sweet decadent high calorie, tons of sugary coffee FLAVORED drinks (basically desserts)?
So now after surgery, I just add coffee to caramel shakes to get that "coffee drink" fix.
Tons of people use sugar free Creamers, and sugar free flavors though. I haven't found a flavor Syrup that doesn't taste like pure chemicals so I stopped wasting my money and just do the shakes.

Just read through this thread and am so proud of the accountability you’ve taken for the cheat meals. It was probably really hard to tell your surgery team what happened, but you did it anyway. There is strength in that. We are all going to make mistakes, but your new tummy will act like rails on the wagon so you don’t fall off easily. We will all be here to support you if that happens. Wishing you a successful surgery with an easy recovery ❤️‍🩹 I am going in on Monday, just a few days after you, so you’re not alone! 😊

Thank you for sharing this. It was so interesting to see that your friends of the same weight all wore different size jeans. That’s a really good point. After having 3 kids, my tummy fits differently in jeans vs before. That’s something I need to consider. And I agreed with you wholeheartedly on the vision board! I started mine a few days ago and have added pics of airlines, indoor skydiving, scuba diving, snow shoeing and - stretch goal - white Water rafting 😊

Hi everyone, I’m new to the forums and WLS with VSG scheduled for 3/13. I’m currently 41, 5’3” and 213lbs. I’ve always been one to envision my goals for success. It works for me, but I’m genuinely struggling with picturing myself at the suggested goal weight of 125-135. I can’t recall a time where I was ever that small. Even at 13, I was 177lbs. The lightest I’ve ever been in my adult life was 181 at size 14. I can picture myself there, but trying to picture myself at a size 12 or lower feels like imagining myself getting accepted into the NASA space program. Not impossible but seriously (seriously) unlikely.
When my bariatric team asked about a personal goal weight, I said 170. I didn’t want them to look at me like, “uh, you need to be realistic here.” Beyond that, I can only recall 177 in my mind from middle school so 170 sounds possible.
I tried making a goal board with images of the clothes I’d like to wear and things I want to do, but it feels.. unrealistic? Ugh. I’m actually annoyed with myself if you can believe it.
Did (or have) you ever felt this way? I want to succeed but I know I need to believe I can do it before I can make it happen. Thoughts welcome!

Thanks Fred. You make a good point. I don’t think the magnitude of what I am about to do really set in for me as crazy as that might sound. I had a lot of other things going on and wasn’t really processing the reality of what I was embarking on.
I spoke to my therapist this morning and my surgeon also and really feel a lot better and mentally stronger. No more games and no more self sabotage from here on out. I have a tendency to not treat myself well or prioritize my health and it has to stop. This new tool (smaller stomach) is supposed to be helping me do just that so I can’t ruin it. Too much on the line.

I see a few things…
Like Summerseeker says, you are most likely ok but need to get that liver shrunk. So I’m sure your surgery will go fine as long as no more cheats.
The issue I see is that the plan leading up to surgery ( classes, consults, Dr appts, etc) are to get you mind ready for this. Not only before but after surgery. pizza and cake this close to the big day should be looked at with some introspection. Think back on why you cheated. Really think. Because if you cheat in these last days, you may cheat early later. Make sure it’s not a pattern and just a little glitch heading in to surgery.

I lost 22 pounds and literally was in shock, i thought my scale was broken 😆

Thanks @Spinoza! I’m starting Day 8 and so far, so good. It’s fun to say “this time next week, I’ll be in surgery!”

Congratulations!! It’s surreal isn’t it? To see the one on the scale? You did so good.
Can’t wait to join you. Thanks for always sharing your experiences and advice with us!

Thanks so much for your response, Guru. I needed to hear that someone else has had these thoughts. I really only have my mom to talk to at the moment (she had WLS in 2005), but she remembers what it was like to be an adult woman in her mid-20's at 115-125lbs (5'2") even after having a baby. I worry sometimes about self-sabotage, unable to believe I could be below a size 14 and subconsciously making sure I'm right. Reminds me of a line from "It's a Wonderful Life" when Mr. Potter says to Jimmy Stuart's character, "My God, man, are you afraid of success?!"

Congratulations!! It’s surreal isn’t it? To see the one on the scale? You did so good.
Can’t wait to join you. Thanks for always sharing your experiences and advice with us!

Haha “hell week” is right. I’m not sure if a liquid diet would be better (as Elidh said, fewer choices = easier?) or the freedom to eat what you want as long as it fits specific macros. Heck, even macros gave me heck recently. My brain is bouncing back, but A couple days ago, I wouldn’t have remembered my middle name without a drivers license 😅😆

Thank you for sharing this. It was so interesting to see that your friends of the same weight all wore different size jeans. That’s a really good point. After having 3 kids, my tummy fits differently in jeans vs before. That’s something I need to consider. And I agreed with you wholeheartedly on the vision board! I started mine a few days ago and have added pics of airlines, indoor skydiving, scuba diving, snow shoeing and - stretch goal - white Water rafting 😊

This is a very informative video about goal weight for WLS patients:

So I did it, I got to onederland, a place I dreamt of but did not ever believe I would attain. I thought loosing 100lbs was a reach but I ran through that. I was on a super high until I wanted to change my next goal weight. The BMI doodah says that I am still in the obese range, damn. 150 to 180lbs is still classed as overweight, do I really need to get another 49 lbs off my already skinny bod to be in the 'normal' range ? What are your thoughts on a new goal weight ?

The pre op diet is a doozie isn't it. 99% of people really struggle with the limitations, its the ultimate cruelty for fat people. The thought of the surgery starting and having to end due to a fatty liver kept me on the straight and narrow for the most part. I did break twice in the 3 week of my torture, I ate 2 small packets of Jerky ! This caused me so much worry that it was not worth the cheat. I lost 15lbs.
I was allowed caffeine [ thank the lord] any low carb vegetable, a quart of skimmed milk, 2 low fat yogurts, 2 items of fruit. sugar free jelly and popsicles a day. It was winter so I ate lots of asian style vegetable broth and curried vegetables. I ran to the operating theatre, I was so over the diet.

The withdrawal from caffeine, sugar, etc. can be awful. Headaches, shakes, cold sweats, …. and the craving for them can be greater. Thankfully the first week is usually the worst. My surgeon recommends different diets for different patients but the all shake diet is known as hell week in his office. I’d done the shake diet twice before (two shake meals & one low carb, low fat meat & vegetable/salad meal) so I was much relieved when the dietician said I was to do Keto for the two weeks. No calorie requirement or macro goals just high fat, high Protein, low carb, low sugar. (She also said keto was a good way to kick start my weight loss but not as a long term diet.) I lost about 5kgs.