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Oh wow! Thank you for sharing! I love seeing before and after pics because I'm 6 weeks post-surgery and I want more results and feel impatient but I know it takes time. I'm down almost 30 lbs since beginning pre-op liquids. So you give me hope that I can get there too. I know you feel so much better! That's what I want. More energy and less pain. My rt hip gives me trouble so less weight will help. Hopefully! Well congrats again! You are inspiring me today!! 😍

A typical pre-op is dependent on your insurance and your surgeon, but most require things like: A series of monthly visits with a dietitian. 3 to 6 monthly visits are fairly common A visit with a psychiatrist or psychologist. Depending on the outcome, you may need to undergo treatment for an undiagnosed eating disorder One or more education sessions typically done over a series of weeks. This is to better prepare you for both the immediate post-op diet, as well as long term expectations. These are sometimes, but not always done together with the dietitian visits. Clearance from your primary care doctor and depending on your health history, clearances from other doctors such as a cardiologist or endocrinologist. Numerous blood tests, both to look for potential problems and to set a baseline. Again depending on your health history and your surgeons preferences, you might need to have things such as an endoscopy and/or a swallow study done. Some people may even need additional imaging done such as CT or MRI scans. As a diabetic, they may require your A1C to be below a prescribed value. This is for your safety. Honestly I'm probably forgetting some stuff. If so, I'm sure others here can chime in. In terms of lifetime changes to your eating patterns, you need to make sure you're prepared to make better food choices for life. It's a sad fact, but a pretty high number of people that have weight loss surgery eventually gain the weight back. This can be avoided by learning how to make better food choices now, so you don't fall back into old habits once the stomach restriction eases off. It's often misunderstood by those not familiar with bariatric surgery that weight loss post surgery is "easy". Yes, the initial loss can be easier that it would have been otherwise, but keeping the weight off is just as hard, if not harder that it would have been had you not had the surgery. This is why learning how to eat better is so important. People that lose weight naturally and keep it off do so through repeatedly making good food choices and strict discipline. That knowledge carries over really well to long term weight maintenance. The people that fail weight loss surgery often found initial weight loss easy, but sometimes really struggle once they get to maintenance since they don't know how to eat like a "normal" person. Add in the fact that a formerly obese person trying to maintain weight typically can't eat as much food as someone that was never overweight even if they are the exact same body size, and you can see why retraining yourself here is critical. Throw in the fact that (at least in my opinion), most obese people either have an eating disorder, or at least suffer from disordered eating, and it's obvious that the surgery is just a small component to overall success. TL;DR: IMO, It's better to take your time and do it right.

something to note that i discovered many women (and men) don't realize is cup size is not static across band sizes (sorry if you do know, i just got the feeling that this wasn't clear in the thread above...) anyway... the amount of "boob volume" that can be stuffed into a 36C is actually LESS than the amount you can stuff into a 34C. along the same lines, that same 36C boob is larger in VOLUME than a boob in a 38C. sooooo... 3 women with bra sizes 34D, 36C, and 38B actually all have the same size boob (if they are wearing a properly fitting bra of course), however their TORSO sizes are different. with that said, 1) @ShoppGirl its reallllllllllly hard (impossible?) to tell what size you will be in the future. on top of that, it's equally (more?) difficult to determine if you will stay that way. 2) i do understand that you have a decision to make (under time crunches and duress, omg) but like everything else on here, its reallllllllyy hard to compare yourself and your outcomes to others cuz, well, you know... but since you asked, here are my deets: btw, 28D is like a unicorn to find in a retail store...i just get the sister size of 30C (which isn't that easy to find either, but at least better than trying to find 28D!) i didn't keep meticulous records of my changing bra size during active weight loss, so i can't say how quickly i changed bra sizes. i dont think i even bought a new bra during weight loss phase, just kept wearing ill fitting ones or none at all, ha. not sure i was any help here, but it there is anything to take away from this data of my sample of ONE, is that if you shrink proportionately as you lose weight, you will stay the same bra size (remember 28D has same boob volume as 30C, just smaller torso, which has nothing to do with implant size)...now, will you shrink proportionately? who even knows. 3) lastly, in my insignificant opinion (i mean i am just a stranger on the internet), if it were me, i would opt to err on the side of smaller vs bigger. i can always wear a padded bra if i wanna go bigger afterwards, but not much i can do to make a set too-big boobies smaller. good luck! ❤️

something to note that i discovered many women (and men) don't realize is cup size is not static across band sizes (sorry if you do know, i just got the feeling that this wasn't clear in the thread above...) anyway... the amount of "boob volume" that can be stuffed into a 36C is actually LESS than the amount you can stuff into a 34C. along the same lines, that same 36C boob is larger in VOLUME than a boob in a 38C. sooooo... 3 women with bra sizes 34D, 36C, and 38B actually all have the same size boob (if they are wearing a properly fitting bra of course), however their TORSO sizes are different. with that said, 1) @ShoppGirl its reallllllllllly hard (impossible?) to tell what size you will be in the future. on top of that, it's equally (more?) difficult to determine if you will stay that way. 2) i do understand that you have a decision to make (under time crunches and duress, omg) but like everything else on here, its reallllllllyy hard to compare yourself and your outcomes to others cuz, well, you know... but since you asked, here are my deets: btw, 28D is like a unicorn to find in a retail store...i just get the sister size of 30C (which isn't that easy to find either, but at least better than trying to find 28D!) i didn't keep meticulous records of my changing bra size during active weight loss, so i can't say how quickly i changed bra sizes. i dont think i even bought a new bra during weight loss phase, just kept wearing ill fitting ones or none at all, ha. not sure i was any help here, but it there is anything to take away from this data of my sample of ONE, is that if you shrink proportionately as you lose weight, you will stay the same bra size (remember 28D has same boob volume as 30C, just smaller torso, which has nothing to do with implant size)...now, will you shrink proportionately? who even knows. 3) lastly, in my insignificant opinion (i mean i am just a stranger on the internet), if it were me, i would opt to err on the side of smaller vs bigger. i can always wear a padded bra if i wanna go bigger afterwards, but not much i can do to make a set too-big boobies smaller. good luck! ❤️

I guess I have a couple of things for you to think about: Many insurance companies don't cover weight loss surgery. Those that do, typically have very specific requirements that take months to accomplish. Do you know for sure this would be covered, or are you prepared to pay out of pocket? Most bariatric surgeons have their own set of requirements from patients aside from those that the insurance company requires. These too can take weeks to accomplish. If your surgeon does not have any requirements, this would go against best practices. Do you really want a surgeon willing to take shortcuts? Most bariatric surgeons want to have you do a pre-op diet of 2-4 weeks. There are multiple reasons, but the most important is to shrink your liver to make the surgery safer. Are you okay with extra risk just to get the surgery ASAP? Most bariatric surgery is done by a specialised bariatric surgeon, not a general surgeon. I'm not sure I'd even want a general surgeon to do the bariatric surgery even if they say they could do it. Remember, experience here is highly predictive of positive outcomes. Are you sure about the experience of the surgeon what would be performing the surgery? Long term success from weight loss surgery is a lot more than just having the surgery done. Are you mentally ready for a lifetime of changes to how you eat? Do you really know that VSG is the right surgery for you? Gastric bypass is typically recommended for larger people with more weight to lose, especially if they have comorbidities like diabetes. I think it's worth taking your time to research and discuss various surgical options before jumping straight into this. On a more practical level, even if you could overcome all of the above, most surgeons and surgical suites are scheduled based on the length of the planned surgery. I can't imagine either of them changing this on short notice. Overall, while I think bariatric surgery is a fantastic, life-changing choice, it's not for everyone. Take your time and go through the process to mentally and physically prepare yourself before jumping in.

Hi, I'm new here. Let me give you a bit of my history. I'm 43, weigh 290 pounds, and have diabetes. On November 24, I experienced stabbing pain on the right side below my rib cage. I went to the ER, where the doctor gave me pain medication and an ultrasound, which revealed gallbladder stones. He scheduled a visit with a surgeon for mid-December. I had another gallbladder attack before the appointment, but luckily, apple cider vinegar (ACV) and Aleve helped relieve the pain. On the appointment day, the surgeon suggested I consider getting sleeve gastrectomy along with gallbladder removal. I was shocked to hear that and, in a panic, declined the VSG. However, after researching, I found it's a potential solution for weight loss and reversing diabetes. Now, with only three days left before my surgery, I'm trying to add VSG to the gallbladder removal. I'm unsure if it will work out with the surgeon, and it might be too late to make changes. I don't want to go through another laparoscopic procedure and double the cost. I'm feeling nervous about how this week will go.

Its a tough ask to ask people who are very overweight to eat like a sparrow. We all feared this part. I thought it was bitterly cruel doing 3 weeks of milk and vegetables. I was so over this diet I ran into the operating theatre. The only thing that kept me on the straight and narrow was the fact that if my liver was still fatty, the surgery would stop and I would wake up with out the surgery. It has happened to a few people on here and they were heart broken. We are with you and if you want to vent, somewhere in the world, is a person on here ready to listen

The pre-op diet is probably the hardest thing you will do for the next 10-12 months. It's honestly so difficult, but you can get through it! Once surgery was done, 400-500 calories per day felt totally normal to me for months. A few things that helped me were sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, and the Millie's sipping broth. Almost no calories in any of these, but you get sort of the feeling of eating, which helps combat the head hunger. Is it perfect? No. But it kind of helps. Also, sugar free gum might help. And if you're truly hungry, ask if you can add more non-starchy veggies throughout the day. I wasn't allowed any meals or veg, just liquid, but since you are, the difference between 2 cups of broccoli and 3 cups, calorie wise, is pretty much nothing. You can eat a whole cucumber for barely any calories, or a salad with baby spinach, cucumbers, shredded carrots, and balsamic vinegar (no oil).

My surgery-induced hair loss has only just started to turn around, so I know what you are going through and how distressing it can be. I have done two things to help. One is using minoxidil every night before bed. I found a 3-pack on Amazon of a spray (not a foam, which I find too messy) that is so easy to use and costs under $40. For a woman's dose (4 squirts per day), each bottle is supposed to last 60 days. I find it doesn't last quite that long, but I probably get about 6 weeks out of each bottle, making it cost maybe $2.50 a week. I've been using it about 14 weeks and I am seeing tons of regrowth, I would say definitely beyond what I lost. The hair is all short right now, a couple inches in length, but by the summer I hope it will be closer to my above the shoulder hair length. Which beings me to my second trick: hats. I live in a cold weather climate and I bought a bunch of hats, although I had some wide fabric headbands and crocheted bandanas in the fall when it was warmer that also got the job done. Not sure if you are male or female, but for women's styles, try searching for either "slouch caps" or "chemo headwear" online for some lighter weight hats that can help you hide the thinning until it reverses and that are comfortable indoors. Once your weight loss slows, the hair should regrow even on a maintenance dose of Zepbound. It just takes time, way longer than you think! Oh, I should say I had my surgery in Feb 2024, so in terms of when my major weight loss was happening, I'm betting we're at kind of the same stage with the hair loss. And I'm almost 51, so ditto on the age-related issues. But the minoxidil is a game changer.

I think the first thing for you to do is determine if you're experiencing "head hunger", real hunger, or both. True hunger typically will feel like your stomach rumbling or growling (at least pre-surgery), as well as cues like weakness, tiredness and irritability. You typically don't crave specific things in this case. This should also go away when you have a shake or your 1 meal. Head hunger is an emotional response and typically in this instance, you'll will be craving specific foods (typically comfort foods). In this instance, it's less likely to go away when you eat. If what you're experiencing is real hunger, my experience was that I got over that in 3 days or so as my body adjusted to the lower intake. It also helped to keep busy to have things to distract me. If this is not going away after a few days, you might want to talk to your surgery center and see if they'd allow you to maybe add an additional shake or something else like jello or a pickle. (As an aside, I found pickles to be a life saver because my pre-op meals were just shakes (no actual meals like you get), and the additional of the pickle let me have something to actually eat vs. just having drinks all day. For head hunger, you need to recognize it as such. Just being knowledgeable and recognizing what's going on will really help. I didn't do this, but some people find it really valuable to keep a journal so you can write down what your feeling and why this particular feel is making you want to eat. Distracting yourself with activities or socializing will also help here as well.

Yes makes sense. Everything i am eating is balanced and well cooked except for that half cookie i ate teehee .. I think I did eat less because I was tracking it so felt bad. I will do as u suggested and track for a week for real and see how it is. But I literally slept starving. I hope you recover well dear and I'm sure it is hard trying to balance both journeys but I know you can do it!

I had a revision to SADI on 8/7/2024. Lost 70 pounds but then I started chemo for breast cancer that I was diagnosed with a day shy of my 3 month surgiversary. I was told not to lose quite as fast by the oncologist and the oncology dietician so I have since only lost ten more in 2.5 months. Anyways, my double mastectomy is tentatively scheduled for 5/8/2024. During that surgery they remove all the breast tissue and put in Empty bladders they call expanders and then they slowly fill them each week with saline in the office to stretch the skin making room for the implant. The cosmetic dr says that I could take my time and try out all the sizes and go up and down and then do the reconstruction surgery to put in the saline implant when I’m sure of the size I want and I loved that idea because I want to go smaller but I know it’s going to take a while for my brain to get used to it. The problem is that I have to begin radiation 6 weeks post surgery and the process does something to your skin that makes it very hard to stretch so the radiation Dr says I need to decide on a size before I start radiation treatments. Well I don't think it would be a good idea to postpone radiation just to decide on a breast size so I kinda need to know what my goal is right away so he fills it fast enough for me to get there within 6 weeks. At the same time it will hurt worse the faster we go. I am currently a 36 G. I was thinking maybe a 36 C or D would be small enough that they don’t get in the way with exercise and hurt my back and neck but not look too small after seeing myself larger for so many years. Also if I drop more weight and get to say a 34 I would be a D or DD but what if I lose more weight I mean I want to keep going if I can and then I’m a 32 DDD. I was a 32 C when I was younger and I think when I got my implants I went to a small DD but I sorta doubt i will get that small again, honestly. how much weight did you guys lose between band sizes. I was thinking that if I get to 158 I would be thrilled and that’s only 20 more pounds so I know that I won’t get to a 32 at that size. Do you think it’s possible I will get back to the 120’s. I know the last two months threw my pattern off a bit but I was losing steady at 3-4 pounds a week before all of this. Is there anyone with similar stats that can tell me about their experience with SADI or maybe a virgin bypass. My loss trend was similar to that according to the NP at 3 months out. I really wish I could do this after I get to my low weight and stabilize. All I want is to be able to buy bras in a normal store and not have to pay a fortune for lunch lady bras anymore or have my back breaking and poor posture from a too large chest. But at the same time I don’t want to look too small. I figure that I would find the smallest size that I could get used to so when I lose more weight it will probably be perfect but I won’t have time to get used to it like the surgeon and I hoped. 😢 So I get that cup size is a matter of preference but can anyone with similar stats tell me how much they ultimately lost if they were losing 3-4 pounds at 3 months or how much weight they lost between band sizes or 36-34 and 34-32. Or anything else that may help me. I’m so scared I’m gonna decide on a size and my body is going to change but since it’s all implant after this surgery my boobs won’t change with me with loss or gain and I will be way too big or small for my frame.

I have been on Zepbound since Feb 2024, I have lost an additional 72 lbs while on this drug. More weight loss than my gastric sleeve. I lost about 52 lbs from that. I am on a higher dose now but have been steadily on it for the past 3 months without upping the dosage. It is not a dramatic loss but steady and Im good with that since I was at a complete stall of weight loss after the sleeve

So did you eat less than you normally do the day that you logged it? If so, you might wanna log it for like a week or something and try to get a better idea of what you actually eat. It’s possible because your activity has increased that you can still lose on 13 or 1400 calories. I think really it depends more on the quality of your calories than it does the actual calories. Like as long as your carbs are natural carbs, and your fats are healthy fats. They may have more calories, but they may not cause you to slow your loss. I’ve been eating a lot more calories but I think mine is a little different because of the chemo. I know that they said it burns a lot of carbs. So I’ve been eating like fruit and vegetables all day long and my calories are up to 13-1700 some days even and I’m losing still. Slower than I was but it’s hard because I do my infusion and my weight shoots up like 8 pounds and it scares me but then it eventually goes down and I don’t know how much it’s really going to go down this time it was an extra two pounds. But I know for me based on my activity I was able to increase my calories before all this chemo stuff probably like 300-400 of mostly healthy carbs that I added and I was losing the same, which was the occasional very small portion of brown rice and then lots of extra fruits and veggie snacks. Like I would have just a small side salad in between meals or a cup of fruit. Of course I was working out like a mad woman. 😂

Hi @PoppyVelvet Welcome, great to see another Aussie here! 🇦🇺 Sounds like the logistics are a bit to manage, but I am sure you've got it under control by the sounds of it! That's fabulous you're coping well with the pre Op!! Funny how we want something when we can't have it isn't it! I just hit stage 2 of mine, which is 3 shakes or meal replacements and free amount of low carb veggies, it's been fine so far!! 😆 Thursday - 4 days to go!😬

Hi everyone, I’m new here. Surgery is the 21st and I’m on day five of the pre-op liver shrinking diet. Nine days to go! I haven’t been struggling with the diet too much; I think having a mental countdown helps! Although in bed last night I was thinking fondly of fried eggs on well-buttered toast. And sitting in front of the tv this afternoon I’d love some snacks but that’s just habit. i am going to Sydney for the surgery, I live in Canberra, which is about 300km away. I have to stay a week total, two days in hospital then the rest in an AirBNB I’ve booked. We’re flying because my husband doesn’t drive and I don’t want to (a) pay for a weeks parking in the Sydney CBD or (b) have to drive home if I’m not feeling 100%. Good luck everyone having surgery in January!

Surgery completed 1/8/25! Currently day 3 post op Nd feeling pretty good! Stitches are a little sore, but manageable with my tylenol and gabapentin! Meeting my water goals and feeling pretty positive about this

11th Jan, Last day of eating meat on Pre Op. Salad with Grilled chicken breast, Avo and a few olives. Next 3 days are 3 shakes/veggie soup and free grazing on low carb veggies only. Day before surgery I will do just the shakes.

Congrats!! I’m 8 days out from surgery and the gas pain and nausea has definitely improved. Can’t wait to hear more about your results! I lost 11 lbs the first week

It's going okay so far. I'm down 22 lbs. since my initial consult in late November, 5 lbs since I started pre-op diet on Jan 1st. They put me on a no-carb, protein-fruit-veggies-only diet to start with. I start my full liquid diet on the 13th, which I will be on for two weeks before I switch to clear liquids only. It'll be a challenge, but I think I'll do all right. Good luck with everything!

There also should be a thread for people having surgery in January if you haven’t found that yet search January in the search bar and it should pop up. Lots of people with the same nervous feelings that you have. Also, if you really have a lot of anxiety, I made lists and organized everything. I mean down to a tea. I got out my book that the surgeon gave me. I read it covered to cover and I made a schedule for two days before surgery. I mean every little thing I planned out. I have an anxiety disorder, so a lot of therapy has taught me to control what I can when I feel like something is out of control. Yours will be different because every surgeon is different, but here’s a copy of mine. I just found it in my phone. I shaved two days before because they don’t want you to have any fresh cuts because of infection and I’m a model patient because of my anxiety. 😆 I left my crochet bag in the car for my husband to bring up after I had a room and he seen if I was feeling up to it or not. I also had a second bag at home packed with things I would want if I was staying more than one night which was a good thing because I did stay longer. Anyways, some of these things may not even matter to you, but for me just planning it out so that I knew that I wouldn’t forget anything made me feel more in control of my part so once I got to the hospital, I was able to turn it over to them to do what they do every single day because I had done my part already. Also from my list anything that needed to be at an exact time, I set alarms in my phone and labeled them with what I was supposed to do like take that nausea pill or stop drinking liquids or whatever. Review Sunday night Two Days Before (Mon) Switch to the liquid diet. SHAVE, drop off donations and pick up Walmart order, Wash Comforters. 2:00 Therapy on Zoom Pack other bag for 2nd night (move my one rx tonight so I don’t forget and take it in the morning) The Day before: (Tues) Skip that one medication starting this morning, Pack hospital bag and crochet bag switch from full to clear liquid this evening, remove rings, change sheets, take my shower with the special soap, take the nausea pill at bedtime and of course nothing at all after midnight. Surgery Day: (Wed) Wake up at 3:30am and take my allowed meds with 12oz of regular sugar Gatorade- finishing everything before 4:30, (don’t pee) take my second shower with the special soap, toss towels in wash, brush teeth and get dressed (nothing on my body or hair at all except clothes). Then head to the hospital at 5:15. Also remember not to pee after that Gatorade because they need a pregnancy test shortly after I arrive at 5:30. *Bring bag, phone, bariatric book with questions, will, DL and ID. (Remind Hubby to bring a sweater) Surgery scheduled for 7:30am 🤞

I've been delaying going to my foot surgeon for this exact same reason. I am worried he'll bring up surgery again and that would freak me out. The surgery I would be getting requires a cast for 6 weeks! Dammit. Now for you, you can start walking when you're cleared. I remember after my breast Aug. I was back to crazy intense exercise after taking one week off (not recommending that tho, please get the clearance from your surgeon first). You will be able to start walking in no time and it'll all be okay. Hang in there!

How is everyone going who's on Pre Op? I am a week out from surgery (16th) as of today, 😬 have lost 3.2kg (7 pounds) since starting pre op on the 1st Jan, 5kg (11 ponds) since first consult in Sept. I am nervous it's getting close now, and I have to travel for work next week, can only have shakes and veggies next week it is going to be tricky getting healthy veg when not at home!

I cancelled my gym membership in the month I had my surgery since I wasn't going to be able to exercise for 6 weeks after the surgery and I would be away for another 4 weeks and Christmas was coming up and didn't want to waste the money (month to month membership). I need to get back into the gym, but I've not been in months so I'm going back to complete novice stage. But I have been cycling so that's at least something. I want to make going to the gym a habit again. I haven't renewed my membership yet because it will be too crowded with all they "new year, new me" types who use the gym in January for two weeks and then never again.

Yay! Really felt the visual benefits of mid-October brachioplasty today with new winter vest, shirt and scarf ensemble. I begin physical therapy tomorrow to work out elbow knots + soreness, ensure overall range of motion and optimum healing results 13 weeks out. I am pleased with the continued process and results.