Feel free to skip to paragraphs three and four for where I have my post surgical update, the first two are an intro as I am brand new here.
My weight history is a long and varied one. If I were to write the condensed version, I'm genetically prone to obesity, thanks for those genetics, mom. On the one side of my family, individuals, unless highly active like my cousin when she played soccer, struggle with weight management. Apparently, those genetics decided they liked the party I was going to throw and joined the crew. As a kid I was heavier, but I was also one of the tall kids, until those genetics decided to leave the party early when I was in high-school. Thanks again, mom. Despite being naturally athletic, I wasn't involved in sports. Most accurate way to say that is that I wasn't permitted, and was forced into academics, poor decision father figure. Needless to say, while I was wasting all my time and effort for grades, and no satisfaction in life, the pounds packed on. In middle school, I was already in a 34" pair of Levis. In high-school, I was a tight 36, and every bit of that pear shape, very much an inverted lightbulb.
Come undergrad, I had a wake up call, as in I had chest pains pang me so hard after an organic chemistry midterm, I had to sit down in a parking spot in a garage, hoping I had cell signal to call 911 if things got worse. I was also at the point where I had blown through three pairs of 36" Levis with athletic thighs I never wanted (still don't) and refused to go up one more. So, I bought a kettlebell and started losing weight with ease. During winter break, not long after the incident in the parking lot, I had six weeks to workout, and by the end of it I returned to classes close to 40 pounds lighter. I had a stacked morning schedule back then which gave me the afternoons to workout and within a year I had transformed myself considerably and discovered my love for endurance athletics. The following year, I went down even more, but due to a long term illness. At the end, I had gone from the mid 200's down to 160 with room to spare, and in my favorite pair of jeans from Levis, Commuters in a 28. I maintained that type of body for years, 2015-2019. The pandemic started the demise, and if I'm being honest, so did becoming a co-founder, and founder of my own company. At my lowest, excluding when I was extrememly ill, I was a dense 168. Come the end of 2025, I had passed 300 pounds to 304.
My surgical journey started last year. I needed to find a new PCP in a bit of an emergency. I had volunteered for a research study where they detected several abnormalities, leading to the discovery of two permament disorders. However, the first question from my new PCP was if I had ever considered bariatric surgery, and I finally gave in and said yes. My other health condition do not really permit the current major surgeries, the sleeve, roux en Y, or the switch, leaving the band as the safest option, and honestly the one I was most comfortable with since it is reversable and adjustable. I didn't realize how few people chose the band anymore, and even fewer doctors who performed the surgery. Thankfully, I found Dr.Frank Chae with HCA Bariatrics! Absolutely wonderful person, excellent surgeon, and experience. His office went to bat for me when BCBS messed things up sending the wrong referral big time, but by the time I switched to different coverage, BCBS became irrevelant, and they were able to get me cleared in less than two weeks. The office is incredible, and the surgery was honestly a painless experience, and I never needed so much as a Tylenol after. I have no regrets whatsoever with this decision, this office, and especially Dr.Chae, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
However, here's where I am having issues. I went in for the two week follow up appointment, and I had lost 13 pounds, on the same scale that had me at 304, in the blink of an eye. Blood pressure was down and my resting heart rate. I was feeling fantastic, even with the liquid diet plan I had fantastic energy, hunger completely under control, and felt like I had not even had surgery, I was feeling that good, and couldn't wait for the next few weeks for my first fill. That was yesterday, and to say I was disappointed and discouraged could not be anymore of an understatement. I have maintained control of everything, quit alcohol completely and cold turkey, sticking with a liquid and soft foods diet, eating only around 850 calories per day, managing to get 120g of protein per day, and surpassing the necessary fluid intake with zero calorie drinks - water, decaf iced tea, Dr.Pepper Zero, etc., low carb (personal decision) of 30g or fewer per day, and around seven hours of sleep per day. After four weeks from the first follow up, I was only down an additional eight pounds, 21 total, which equals only two pounds of loss per week. I am not happy about it in the least bit, and I'm absolutely unwilling to celebrate it even as a pyrrhic victory. Everyone seems to think it's great. I don't. I really thought with that type of diet, along with surgery, that I was going to be looking at a net loss of nearly 35 pounds, not just barely 20. It's been weighing on me considerably since leaving the office after my fill. I had been feeling fantastic about everything, and now I'm just down. I mean, I'm to the point I don't want to even consume anything other than my daily vitamins, my iced tea, some thermogenics, and just fast for ten days. Completely disappointed with the results of the past four weeks. I went though this expecting closer to losing four to five pounds per week. My surgeon is exceptional, the office is fantastic, but the only point of failure is myself. I don't know what I'm screwing up or how. Is two pounds per week really all that I can expect? I've gone from being over the moon to that same feeling of getting the rejection letter from your dream college. What do I need to do to boost and accelerate loss?
Hey there, everyone, new member here, first post!
Feel free to skip to paragraphs three and four for where I have my post surgical update, the first two are an intro as I am brand new here.
My weight history is a long and varied one. If I were to write the condensed version, I'm genetically prone to obesity, thanks for those genetics, mom. On the one side of my family, individuals, unless highly active like my cousin when she played soccer, struggle with weight management. Apparently, those genetics decided they liked the party I was going to throw and joined the crew. As a kid I was heavier, but I was also one of the tall kids, until those genetics decided to leave the party early when I was in high-school. Thanks again, mom. Despite being naturally athletic, I wasn't involved in sports. Most accurate way to say that is that I wasn't permitted, and was forced into academics, poor decision father figure. Needless to say, while I was wasting all my time and effort for grades, and no satisfaction in life, the pounds packed on. In middle school, I was already in a 34" pair of Levis. In high-school, I was a tight 36, and every bit of that pear shape, very much an inverted lightbulb.
Come undergrad, I had a wake up call, as in I had chest pains pang me so hard after an organic chemistry midterm, I had to sit down in a parking spot in a garage, hoping I had cell signal to call 911 if things got worse. I was also at the point where I had blown through three pairs of 36" Levis with athletic thighs I never wanted (still don't) and refused to go up one more. So, I bought a kettlebell and started losing weight with ease. During winter break, not long after the incident in the parking lot, I had six weeks to workout, and by the end of it I returned to classes close to 40 pounds lighter. I had a stacked morning schedule back then which gave me the afternoons to workout and within a year I had transformed myself considerably and discovered my love for endurance athletics. The following year, I went down even more, but due to a long term illness. At the end, I had gone from the mid 200's down to 160 with room to spare, and in my favorite pair of jeans from Levis, Commuters in a 28. I maintained that type of body for years, 2015-2019. The pandemic started the demise, and if I'm being honest, so did becoming a co-founder, and founder of my own company. At my lowest, excluding when I was extrememly ill, I was a dense 168. Come the end of 2025, I had passed 300 pounds to 304.
My surgical journey started last year. I needed to find a new PCP in a bit of an emergency. I had volunteered for a research study where they detected several abnormalities, leading to the discovery of two permament disorders. However, the first question from my new PCP was if I had ever considered bariatric surgery, and I finally gave in and said yes. My other health condition do not really permit the current major surgeries, the sleeve, roux en Y, or the switch, leaving the band as the safest option, and honestly the one I was most comfortable with since it is reversable and adjustable. I didn't realize how few people chose the band anymore, and even fewer doctors who performed the surgery. Thankfully, I found Dr.Frank Chae with HCA Bariatrics! Absolutely wonderful person, excellent surgeon, and experience. His office went to bat for me when BCBS messed things up sending the wrong referral big time, but by the time I switched to different coverage, BCBS became irrevelant, and they were able to get me cleared in less than two weeks. The office is incredible, and the surgery was honestly a painless experience, and I never needed so much as a Tylenol after. I have no regrets whatsoever with this decision, this office, and especially Dr.Chae, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
However, here's where I am having issues. I went in for the two week follow up appointment, and I had lost 13 pounds, on the same scale that had me at 304, in the blink of an eye. Blood pressure was down and my resting heart rate. I was feeling fantastic, even with the liquid diet plan I had fantastic energy, hunger completely under control, and felt like I had not even had surgery, I was feeling that good, and couldn't wait for the next few weeks for my first fill. That was yesterday, and to say I was disappointed and discouraged could not be anymore of an understatement. I have maintained control of everything, quit alcohol completely and cold turkey, sticking with a liquid and soft foods diet, eating only around 850 calories per day, managing to get 120g of protein per day, and surpassing the necessary fluid intake with zero calorie drinks - water, decaf iced tea, Dr.Pepper Zero, etc., low carb (personal decision) of 30g or fewer per day, and around seven hours of sleep per day. After four weeks from the first follow up, I was only down an additional eight pounds, 21 total, which equals only two pounds of loss per week. I am not happy about it in the least bit, and I'm absolutely unwilling to celebrate it even as a pyrrhic victory. Everyone seems to think it's great. I don't. I really thought with that type of diet, along with surgery, that I was going to be looking at a net loss of nearly 35 pounds, not just barely 20. It's been weighing on me considerably since leaving the office after my fill. I had been feeling fantastic about everything, and now I'm just down. I mean, I'm to the point I don't want to even consume anything other than my daily vitamins, my iced tea, some thermogenics, and just fast for ten days. Completely disappointed with the results of the past four weeks. I went though this expecting closer to losing four to five pounds per week. My surgeon is exceptional, the office is fantastic, but the only point of failure is myself. I don't know what I'm screwing up or how. Is two pounds per week really all that I can expect? I've gone from being over the moon to that same feeling of getting the rejection letter from your dream college. What do I need to do to boost and accelerate loss?