Hello,

I have my Orientation for the Options program through Kaiser on Friday. I have been researching the sleeve for about a year now. What should I expect to happen at my orientation?

I was told my first weigh in wouldn't be until my first day of class and now I am reading that the weigh in gets done at orientation and you have to lose the 10% from there. I have no problem with it. I just want to know because my friends are throwing my birthday party early so we can get out of town an celebrate, before I start my strict diet.

I hope to start classes Sept. 5th because I couldn't get coverage at work on Thursdays to start the classes in August. I have to do Tuesdays. I am excited, nervous, and all the feelings haha. Help!

Not sure what the options program is. I have the Kaiser Medicade program and at my very first visit they did weigh me in just as at any doctor apointment. They discussed the 2 kinds of surgery and gave an explanation of requirements to be met for Medicaide(nothing about losing 10%). They will also ask you if you want to take Phentermine(which I did and went from 420 to 335). I had to do a sleep study also and was found to have sleep apnea. Once I made it through Psychological Eval and 4 months of dietician visits I moved into class. They weigh you on the first and last day of class and all they want to see is no weight gain and somewhere around 5lbs or more lost from the first day of class to the sixth day of class. After the fourth day of class I had to do a second psychological eval to get cleared for surgery. Right now I'm in the waiting game until I get sleeved on Sept 7th.

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You are so sweet to reply. This helps!

It sounds like your surgeon took a different approach in programs. I don't think I could take Phentermine. I tried something like it on one of my many attempts to lose weight and it made me sooo nauseous. All narcotics make me sick.

You don't actually meet with a surgeon until after classes are completed. Its all RN's until then.

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Ah. Thanks for the info. Your surgery is coming up!!!! How exciting! Best of luck!

Hi there!

Yes, you will be weighed in at Orientation and every time after that. On March 3, 2016 I weighed in at 280lbs and made my mind up that moment that this ends here. Like you I had researched the sleeve as I had no idea it was an option after being rejected for the bypass several years prior. It is now July 25th and I weigh ready!!!!!! 138lbs! I have been pretty strict from the onset because the more you lose ahead of surgery the more you lose post op. I lost 43.00 lbs before my surgery oh my surgery date was June 8th 2016. So from March to June I lost the 43 by doing everything they told me you will get a big binder that will go with you everywhere. They do not play if you gain even 1lb you will have to get on track. Which Kaiser are you going to be attending classes? I attend Richmond. Anyway get your fun times eating in now while you are not chained to the scale. I still weigh myself everyday, just get use to it and it helps stay on track. I only missed a week of work as I have a desk job. But I was fine. The first few days at home afterwards you just want to sleep off all the meds. And I had a hernia repaired during procedure which is common. I am happy everyday that I made this choice. The hardest part was the beginning getting down the diet, weighing foods, drinking water and making lifestyle changes and I just walked 20 min a day, then jogged a bit, just anything you can do to move and what is best for circumstance. Some people have bad knees, health issues but how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time start slow then work up to it. There are even super cool chair workouts. I did not join a gym or anything fancy. Remember this is for you make that investment for yourself find music, whatever it takes to make you move, celebrate your small goals and big. This is for health not looks, that comes later. I still have loose skin and am still losing. Also taking your vitamins when you get to that place. Just had my labs taken 1 year out and all were great no deficiencies. Anyway believe in yourself, you can do this! Find a support group it really makes the difference to be around others doing this. And I was on this site lots, lots, lots pre op! Contact me anytime! Good luck! I attached a current pic sorry it would not rotate. All the best to you! Michele

Hello,
I have my Orientation for the Options program through Kaiser on Friday. I have been researching the sleeve for about a year now. What should I expect to happen at my orientation?
I was told my first weigh in wouldn't be until my first day of class and now I am reading that the weigh in gets done at orientation and you have to lose the 10% from there. I have no problem with it. I just want to know because my friends are throwing my birthday party early so we can get out of town an celebrate, before I start my strict diet.
I hope to start classes Sept. 5th because I couldn't get coverage at work on Thursdays to start the classes in August. I have to do Tuesdays. I am excited, nervous, and all the feelings haha. Help!

Which Kaiser? They are all a little bit different.

@chele367 OMG you look amazing!!! How was your skin after?

My classes are in Orange, CA. I am not sure where my surgery would be as I haven't gone to the Orientation yet.

When I made my appointment for the Orientation I asked them about the weigh in and they said first day of class. Darn!

Just be prepared and expect to be weighed every time. I even carried socks because they do not let you weight barefooted, even last week for weight in I brought light weight slippers lol. Hopefully you get to have fun before! Girl let me tell you I learned how to trick the scale by splurging then super strict for a couple days. Was still dying to my cheating ways! But fat girl thoughts do not leave your brain just because of surgery. I still battle to want to binge and mindlessly eat like that nervous crunching chips, popcorn. That was one of my last splurges going to movies having popcorn, junk. In fact the first few weeks after surgery I had to get food for my coworkers was sitting there waiting for order and all I could hear were people eating chips & salsa it was really loud to me lol weird but how it was. So your mind will play tricks on you. Anyway day at a time:)