So it looks like I'll be having my surgery at the end of December in Tijuana, but I'd also like to make the most of my time while I'm in the States as well. As I live in Japan, my options are so much more limited here in terms of just about everything, and I'd like to stock up on supplies in either Los Angeles or San Diego. I'll be flying in and out of L.A., but I don't know how easy it will be to get around and to do some shopping using public transportation, so if San Diego seems more appropriate, then I'll spend some time there.

My basic plan is to have an extra 3-4 days on either side of my surgery window (pre-op, op, immediate post-op) to get things done. I'm assuming that post-op I'll be sore, possibly in pain, and will have limited energy and a limited ability to carry light to moderately heavy bags. Therefore I'd probably do the shopping pre-op, although that means dealing with the extra suitcase full of stuff afterwards (I'll be taking the train from SD to LA). Post-op I don't really have any plans, but I would like to do some light sightseeing (just walking around stuff, no activities, think: museums and such) if I have the energy and as long as I know there will be places to sit/rest if need be.

My shopping needs will be:

• clothes/shoes (yes, I know I'll be losing weight and I do have some smaller sizes, but the reality of living in Japan is that I can't do any shopping here at all, everything is done when I travel overseas). I mostly want to look for things that are harder for me to find or size in Asia/online, like underwear/bras, shaping garments, leggings, workout clothes, and shoes. It would be nice if I could buy a few descending sizes of things that I like to help me out as I progress through weight loss.
• Protein powders/vitamins/anti-hair loss products/other meds. I'm still searching for acceptable protein powders and shakes here in Japan, I've found quite a few online but most don't ship internationally. That goes for hair loss products as well. Other meds, like milk of magnesia might be good too, plus other useful supplements, like chewable Vitamins, that sort of thing. I know this sounds incredibly basic, and it is, but these kinds of products (especially ones useful for bariatric patients) are really not available here at all.
• other useful items - I'm not sure yet as I'll try to source some things here in Japan, and this is kind of a fuzzy area as it's not anything specific, but it could be anything from small containers for food portions to kitchen gadgets to whatever.

I'd like to minimise the amount of time spent shopping/rushing around, so I'd appreciate any suggestions for a single shopping centre/area that would meet all those needs (good clothing stores with plus to normal sizes, good shoe stores (nothing fancy, but good quality is a must, as are wide sizes), health store/pharmacy) that is easy to get to using public transportation in LA or SD.

Finally, I'll most likely spend my post-op days in LA, which will likely include New Years Eve and the 4-5 days following it. I'd feel better having a little more recovery time between the surgery and getting on a long-distance flight back to Japan, plus it gives me a buffer in case of any complications (knock on wood). Of course I will definitely be staying in some sort of apartment rental with a kitchen so I can control what I consume (I know it'll be liquids only), maybe in the Venice Beach area (easy enough to go down to the beach for a walk hopefully). That said, if I'm feeling up to it, I'd like to do a few things while in LA and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for interesting things to see and do in the first week of the New Year that would be an acceptable for a post-op VSG patient like myself (and yes, I'll be doing all of this alone).

If people have any concerns about any parts of this plan, that would be good to know too, so I can either find ways around it, or not do (some of) it at all. I want to plan early so I can be prepared for as much as I can, within reason. I know it's still over five months away, but before I finalise my surgery and flight dates I want to make sure that what I'm doing seems reasonable.

Cheers if you made it this far! (sorry for the long post)

I believe the Bariatric Store on this site does ship internationally, I could be wrong. Please consider shipping items back to Japan to avoid carrying or rolling heavy suitcases around. I would use FedEx or UPS to send items back to Japan.

Venice Beach may be a good choice post-surgery because it is along the ocean, laid back, full of small shops and also it is very close to Los Angeles Airport. I suspect that you might not get much enjoyment out of it because post-op your body will be in a major heal mode and you may find it difficult to get around. But what little walking you do will be good for you.

I would recommend San Diego over Los Angeles for pre-op. It is a smaller city. It has a nice old town area. In most cities in the U.S. they have shopping malls with a concentration of stores. So if you are coming shopping it might be important to find the malls near where you will be staying.

After surgery, you may have a weight limit (lifting) of 5 or 10 pounds imposed on you to prevent you from tearing open the surgery. This can make travel difficult post-surgery. If your suitcase has wheels, you might be able to roll it along but you cannot lift a heavy suitcase. You will need help. So don't be afraid to ask the bus driver to load and remove your suitcase or train stations should have someone who can help you.

Tijuana can be a dangerous city especially at night. So you might have the transportation to and from the hospital worked out in advance.

This is my experience after RNY gastric bypass surgery. It might help you on identifying items you might need post-surgery. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Thanks for the advice guys!

@@ojibway, you are right, it does ship internationally, and I have found some other sources. That said, other than Protein supplements, a lot of other things on my list may be problematic. The problem with shipping clothes or shoes is the duty I have to pay, which never happens when I bring stuff back in my suitcase.

@@James Marusek, I enjoyed reading your write-up. Your chili looks very similar to what my mom makes. While in Tijuana I will be in recovery all the time and will not go out at night, so whatever perceived dangers are there are not even a worry for me. As for the shopping and everything else, I may see if I can come earlier and do everything I want to do before the surgery, and just relax in a place with hopefully a nice view and a good place to go for short walks for the post-op period afterwards and not worry about anything else. Of course I know that SD and LA have shopping malls, but does every single mall have good shops for plus-sized women (clothes and shoes)? I don't want to waste my time in places that have limited options (this is based on years of experience of chasing down shops in multiple cities around the world. What seems promising online may not be so in real life). I realise you might not be the best person to answer this, so I'm hoping someone local from either one of those cities will suggest some favourite places that they like to shop - the kind of advice I'm looking for is not necessarily easily found in guidebooks or on the internet.

@@biginjapan your approach seems very strange to me. I lost close to 100 pounds after surgery. I went from a size 46 waist down to a size 33 and from a size 3X in shirts down to a size Small. I got rid of my entire wardrobe of clothing. There was nothing that would fit any longer. I was able to buy the latest fashions and they really fit and looked good on me. So shopping for clothes or shoes pre-surgery does not make a lot of sense. You may even drop your shoe size or the width of your shoes.

Since it is difficult for you to predict how much weight you will lose, it will be hard to shop for clothes. Most individuals buy clothes from second hand shops like Goodwill as they lose weight and after they bottom out go on a shopping spree.

The one item of clothing that will be important is a pair of good walking shoes. There are some high end brands that are comfortable and low impact.

@@biginjapan I gave the subject a little more thought.

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery and my weight dropped off overnight. But it sounds like you will be having VSG. Sleeve patients tend to lose weight at a slower pace than RNY. They can achieve the same weight loss results only it takes a little longer. So whereas my weight loss leveled off at around 7 months. Those who undergo sleeve might take a couple years. Also sleeve patients encounter many stalls where weight loss temporarily stops and it seems to drive these patients crazy. So they tend to look for motivators. And clothes can be a great motivator.

As I was losing weight, I would go to a store and buy pants or a shirt that barely fit. I mean that I would have to take a deep breath just to get it on. And hope that I would not pop a button if I took a breath. A week later It fit like a glove. I found the experience to be a good motivator, actually it was a great motivator.

There are probably several reasons why you might like to combine shopping with your operation. Although I have never visited Japan, I believe that almost everything is more expensive there. Therefore it might be like buying clothes at bargain prices. Also the ability to find large size clothes stores may be very limited in Japan.

So if clothes buying is your desire then by all means buy clothes while you are here. But don't buy any that you can currently fit in. Buy a size range of clothes. I am not sure of the range, but what size would you wear if you were to drop 100 pounds. Maybe one item of clothes for each size drop. Choose clothes that you would really enjoy wearing. Each of these pieces of clothes will represent a milestone in your weight loss journey.

Hi there and congratulations on getting your surgery scheduled! It is such a fun and exciting time when you get that date and your mind goes crazy with everything you have to do.

I know I did a lot of prep that I wish I wouldn't have. In terms of food, you have know idea what you will tolerate post op. My nut had me make purees of chicken and turkey and freeze them in tiny 2 oz. containers. Well, when I got to the puréed stage I pulled a couple out and found that I couldn't tolerate it at all. If I had to do things over the only thing I would prep ahead of time is good quality bone broth. I lived on this stuff and without it I might not have been able to tolerate my 2 week liquid pre op diet nor my 1 week clear liquid diet. This broth was hearty delicious and very very soothing to my new tummy.

I also would not select my Protein ahead of time. I did that as well and found that after surgery I became lactose intolerant and had to give all of that away or throw it away. I must have spent $200 on protein powders that I could not tolerate the taste of or how it sat in my pouch. I ended up taking the advice of my Bariatric nurse who suggested trying Premier Protein and I still drink one a day.

The clothing thing is another big crazy deal. I bought clothes in varying sizes ahead of time only to find out I skipped sizes and never wore them.

I learned quickly to buy one pair of jeans and one pair of dress slacks and a few tops. I went from a size 26 to a size 8 rapidly. I think I spent $500 on clothes that I never wore and had to sell or donate.

Just food for thought if buying clothes think about how long you could really stay in what you are wearing before changing sizes because it really does get expensive. Also shopping in thrift stores or online at places like eBay helps with the cost.

Staying at Venice beach sounds absolutely lovely post op. I wish I could have walked in the warm weather. Weather like California's just makes you feel better and healthier.

Also San Diego is a way better shopping experience so I think you are on the right path.

Make sure on your flight back that you get up and walk around a lot! You certainly don't need a blood clot. Also, make sure you have plenty of bottled Water or even non caffeinated tea. Warm water is soothing to a sore tummy.

Lastly I would really worry about how much you can lift right after surgery. I hope someone can meet you at the airport in Japan to pull your bag off. In LA, make sure and ask someone to help you load your bag onto the conveyor as well.

Please take care and reach out if you need anything or have questions.

Thanks everyone.

I have no plans to buy clothes that fit me - I will be looking for smaller sizes. Japan is not the USA. It's not even like other countries in Asia (Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines) that have a strong presence of international brands. There are NO plus stores here. NONE. Even the few foreign brands here like The Gap and Eddie Bauer have special "Japan" sizes - so a 12 is not a 12, its a 12P (sounds like petite, but it's more than that - the cut is different) (and yes, a 12 is the highest size they have). Even if I could fit into clothes here, Japanese women and Western women tend to be shaped differently - we have broader shoulders, and our breasts, hips, thighs, and butts are significantly bigger or curvier than the majority of Japanese women. I've had very thin (non-Japanese) friends here not be able to buy clothes at all here because of these reasons. There is no Goodwill here, and and thrift stores will only have tiny clothes that won't fit for reasons posted above.

I know I'm going to lose a lot of weight. My plan was to buy one or two things (t-shirts, skirts, underwear, etc) in descending (smaller) sizes (20 and under, since I will have some clothes I can wear in the 20-24 range), possibly skipping over every other size. You guys can go out any day of the week and buy something. I can't. I have to find it online, order it, and wait for it to arrive, which, if you are telling me that my weight loss will be so rapid, the clothes might be useless to me by the time it gets delivered anyway. If it doesn't fit, I'm usually out all of the money too, since returning it will not be worth the cost (international delivery + the loss of customs fees which won't get refunded) . I'm not replacing my wardrobe - I'm just looking for a few affordable things that I can actually wear in public while I'm going through my weight loss. I understand that I may not wear some of them. That would suck, but what would suck more is not having any clothes to wear at all, or having to do things like wrap some string around my pants to keep them up (which I've done before, since belts are also not available here in my size either).

Shoes are another problem. Shoe sizes for women generally stop at a 7, and most are very narrow (something that was a problem for me even before I gained all my weight). It's impossible to find nice comfortable shoes here and I've learned the hard way that buying online is a huge mistake (duties on shoes are at least 100% of the cost of the shoes, plus the cost of shipping, which can also be as much as the cost of the shoes - thus, a $100 pair of shoes becomes $300). I do have some shoes here that I can no longer wear because my feet are too big, so I'm hoping that they will be okay once I start to lose weight. But as it is right now, I only have 2 pairs of shoes in total that I can wear - a pair of sandals and a pair of slip ons. I'm not sure if they'll even last until December - I will need something, even if I barely wear them, to help me through the transition.

@@Djmohr - thank you. You're right. I have been over planning with the Protein and I know from reading here that tastes will change after surgery. So I will take that off the list. But I will still need other meds and health and beauty products (not related to weight loss, just stuff that suits my needs, since again, there's very little in Japan that works for me - makeup, hair care, etc). Even if there are some products here that are appropriate, everything is written in kanji, which I can't read, and I am reluctant to use products where I don't understand the labels. Most pain meds here are NSAIDS, which I can't take anyway, and most pain meds are very low dose (60mg of Japanese acetaminophen vs 250 or 500mg of the same with Tylenol or similar products from the west). A friend of mine had a C-section here when she had her baby and the only pain meds they gave her was baby aspirin. The medical care here is good, but the meds are not. Japanese (Asians in general?) are much more sensitive to all sorts of medications - from pain meds to the pill - which means they are of much lower dose here than normal since they don't need as much. I've heard a lot of horror (pain) stories and have gone through a few myself, so stocking up on meds whenever I go to a western country (Europe or North America) is a must when I travel.

It's a PITA, but unfortunately a necessity of living here. Even my European gastroenterologist who practices here gets his pain meds when he goes back home since there are no good equivalents here in Japan. And he's a doctor in Japan!

I do appreciate everyone's advice here so thank you. That said, I am still hoping someone from LA or SD will chime in with practical suggestions for me though.

Wow, you do have a lot to think about ahead of time. I am glad you have time now to plan it all out.

Just another heads up, not sure if you wear wide shoes now but I swear the first places I noticed weight loss was in my feet and fingers. So within about a month of my surgery my shoes got big and sloppy. I now wear a size smaller shoe and in some styles I am a narrow vs a EE width.

It really is crazy where we lose the weight.

Well, best of luck to you!

Best wishes to you on your surgery.

I love both cities and my first instinct was to tell you to try the garment district in LA for your clothing shopping. I love San Diego but I think your shopping needs would be better met in LA. I think Venice is a great suggestion. It's not a far stretch to th er West Hollywood area and there are many places to shop adjacent to there.

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Thanks vamping!

I keep going back and forth about where to go, but I think I will focus on shopping in LA and relaxing post-op in SD. The dangerous thing about reading about both those places is that it makes me want to spend more time there than what I have.