Hi! Newbie here! My insurance will not cover my gastric bypass, so I am traveling outside of the US, overseas where I have family, to have the procedure.

All the surgeon requires is pre-op bloodwork and for me to lose some weight prior to the surgery. I have started meeting with a therapist and she, along with a couple of friends that are post-op, suggested I find a support group to help with prepping for this major life change. I expressed some concern to my current PCP about not being fully prepared & he said typically all of the hoops you have to jump through here in the US are put in place by insurance companies. No doubt there is some truth to that, but it isn’t entirely true.

I understand this surgery isn’t going to be a quick/easy fix and that I need to take steps towards healing emotionally, preparing mentally & physically, and working on portion control & movement/activities prior to surgery to ensure success.

What are some of the things, or the one thing, you did to prepare that really helped you in your journey post op?

A visual step I took was I bought smaller bowls and plates a few months in advance and tried to reduce down my meals. It helped me realise that my idea of portion size was totally off because I felt the need to fill the (larger) plate.

Now of course I don't even need to fill all of the smaller plate to have my meals.

Hello! 🌸 Planning balanced meals, starting slowly with portion management, and establishing a regular light exercise regimen—such as walking or mild workouts—were some of the most beneficial pre-operative strategies I discovered. When you combine it with keeping a goal book, monitoring your progress, and forming a network of friends who will support you,