Hi Everyone,

I have finally made the leap to go forward with weight loss surgery!!! I am in month 2 out of 4 of the process. I need 4 months of continuous weight management by my physician along with the multitude of tests in order to submit approval to my insurance. Once that is completed they will give me my surgery date. I’m estimating December. I’m really hoping to get early December as I don’t want to miss a semester of school, which starts mid January, if I’m still recovering. I will be getting a VSG. My dr has me on Saxenda right now (it’s a daily injection that suppresses appetite) to give me a weight loss boost before surgery. I’d love to connect with anyone that has recently started the process! I’d appreciate any tips, encouragement and making new buddies regardless of when surgery was/is!!!

My tip, 8 months post-op VSG, is to take the commitment seriously as a permanent lifestyle change. Your eating habits MUST change and it's imperative that you follow the program.

I’m trying to start a couple things now. Eating slowly and chewing food really well, taking smaller bites, and starting to avoid sugars. I want to get use to some of these habits so I don’t struggle after surgery. I also started to workout 1-2 times a week.

Sounds like you're off to a great start, you definitely need to adopt all of these things sooner than later. It's amazing how many times I am reading about someone who doesn't try to change before their surgery and then struggle post-op. I say, the sooner you change your eating and activity habits, the better.

The hardest thing that needs to get up to speed the soonest is your activity. I know it's hard when you're carrying more weight around, but it gets so much easier if you start early and keep going as you shed the weight. You will only need a gap in activity between pre-op and post-op for healing and even during healing there's nothing stopping you from walking.

Good Luck to you, it's a long and rewarding journey.

Congrats ,,,,,The only advice I have is prepare all of the hidden costs of this. The clinic will tell you one price, but remember the dietitian (a waste of time) , the psychologist , the anesthesiologist, ect ect, I even got a bill for some kind of air braces they put on my legs during surgery. I hate to be a Debbie downer, but I was 3 grand in the hole before I hit the table.

2 hours ago, JediMom said:

I’m trying to start a couple things now. Eating slowly and chewing food really well, taking smaller bites, and starting to avoid sugars. I want to get use to some of these habits so I don’t struggle after surgery. I also started to workout 1-2 times a week.

Check this surgeon out on YouTube (Dr. V - weight loss)..He has some great videos that talk about preparing!

I bought a scale so I would really know what size portion I was eating. I put my 4 oz of meat and a cup of veggies on the plate and that was it. Then protein drinks twice a day.

I’m in the pre-surgery stage as well. Here is all the things my program encouraged me to start before surgery. The last 3 months I worked my way up to working out 5 days a week for at least 30 min. It was a slow progression but I really think it will help me after surgery. I also drastically decreased my sugar and carb intake. I measure, weigh, and track my food and water. I’m trying to learn to eat slower. That is so hard for me! I also quit all carbonated beverages.
I am half way through a required 12 week class on healthy weight and my bariatric class is in October. Only then do I get to make an appointment to see the surgeon.
It is a long road to surgery but I think that is a good thing. It gives me plenty of time to prepare and be really sure I can do this. Also, I’ve lost 35 pounds so far. That is a nice bonus!

Good luck on your journey!

On 8/16/2019 at 11:17 AM, Michael S said:

Congrats ,,,,,The only advice I have is prepare all of the hidden costs of this. The clinic will tell you one price, but remember the dietitian (a waste of time) , the psychologist , the anesthesiologist, ect ect, I even got a bill for some kind of air braces they put on my legs during surgery. I hate to be a Debbie downer, but I was 3 grand in the hole before I hit the table.

hahah right? Mine was covered by insurance..... and it cost me my max out of pocket $7,900