I am in the pre-op stages and right now I am waiting on an appointment to see the surgeon to book the surgery. I am VERY nervous. I am questioning my self everyday. "Is this right for me?" "Am I making the right decision?" I ask my husband everyday if I should do this. I know I am doing this for myself and my health, but I change my mind everyday. I qualify for the surgery, I have a BMI of 40. I joined weight watchers on 1/4/17 and lost 14 lbs, which makes me think I can do it on my own. My problem is I like salt and I like to snack when I am watching TV and relaxing.

Also some questions I have are about excess skin, dinner prep for family, budgeting for the pre and post op food hair loss and social gatherings.

1. I am nervous about the excess skin. Where it will be and how much of it will have. I don't have money for cosmetic surgery and I heard it is more painful then the sleeve surgery.

2. I have a 4 1/2 year old and a husband, and with me not eating to or able to eat. I feel I won't be motivated enough to cook for my family or even healthy bc I will want to get their dinner finished quickly.

3. I don't have money for the shakes I have to get. The pre and post op diet is very expensive and I don't know how I can manage this?

4. My husband and I enjoy the occasional night out. And we have go to a lot of social gatherings; friends bday dinners, weddings, etc. How do ppl manage going out and enjoying the food they love every now and then? And when can you go out and actually eat like that again. I know it will never be the same but I guess it's just something I am thinking about.

Please no negative comments. Like I said I am very nervous and i have lots of questions. Thank you all in advance.

38 minutes ago, antoinette85 said:

I'm pre-op too and have similar questions; I actually went back and forth two times (scheduled consultations twice and backed out) and tried losing weight on my own. Somewhat successful....but VERY VERY slow weight loss. Like 4lbs in three months. I was doing weights though, so I know I gained a lot of muscle. Then my doc had me focused on cardio, which didn't do much. Most everything is based on the diet anyway. I lost 10 lbs on a medication she put me on, basically made me not eat. Then I gained 6 of it back. Third time around, she sent me to the bariatric surgeon. Yes, you can do it on your own, but it is SO VERY HARD to do with having kids (I have three) a hubby and a job, etc. I do my best to incorporate healthier foods for my family. My husband eats it, but my kids won't touch anything. I have to sneak stuff in to their food, or they can eat Cereal. But anyway, the surgeon told me that "Sure, you can lose the weight all on your own, but realistically, only 2% of people who lose over 100lbs on their own, actually keep it off. The rest of them eventually gain some or all back." Which makes sense to me, because if we're overweight, it's usually from a lot of dieting and/or eating disorders. Usually. As for skin, I'm not really too concerned, even though I do want plastics , if it's going to be the case. I look at it from the standpoint of my health is WAY MORE IMPORTANT than my looks these days. I'll be near 40 and I just don't really care too much on the outside as much as I would have if I was still in my 20's. I'll be healthier for sure, that's what counts for me. Social gatherings...I've just decided to condition my mind that food is fuel and yes, I'll be able to have a few treats here and there further out, so it won't have such a negative impact on my social life. But it will also make me not focused on the food and more on my family and friends. As for shakes, I saw someone post a website for people to see if their insurance covers Protein shakes for them....it's www.insurenutrition.com and there is another one for supplements, www.nascobal.com. Check out the websites and see if you can get free or reduced costs for the things you need.

Edited February 20, 20179 yr by Newme17

19 minutes ago, antoinette85 said:

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2. I have a 4 1/2 year old and a husband, and with me not eating to or able to eat. I feel I won't be motivated enough to cook for my family or even healthy bc I will want to get their dinner finished quickly.

Not being able to eat is for a very short time after surgery. After that your diet will progress and you can eat regular food in smaller quantities

3. I don't have money for the shakes I have to get. The pre and post op diet is very expensive and I don't know how I can manage this?

I made my own shakes with Fairlife milk and light and fit greek yogurt (flavor of choice). This gave me 24 gm of Protein. Fairlife milk is about $3.60 for a half gallon and the 4 pack of yogurt is about $3.50 in my area. For one day, figuring 4 shakes, the total cost is about $5.30, well below the cost of some commercial products (tastes better too!). Go ahead and be creative. This can be done without spending a fortune!

4. My husband and I enjoy the occasional night out. And we have go to a lot of social gatherings; friends bday dinners, weddings, etc. How do ppl manage going out and enjoying the food they love every now and then? And when can you go out and actually eat like that again. I know it will never be the same but I guess it's just something I am thinking about.

My husband and I go out 1-2 times a week and I love it! I have part of my salad, vegetable, and sirloin steak. The rest gets wrapped up and I get another meal out of it. Yippee!