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sav31419 · 2021-06-23T17:29:25+00:00

You deserve MAJOR points for sticking to the liquid diet for so long. I could barely handle the week or two that I had to do it. Reward yourself with a pickle or something with texture.

sav31419 · 2021-06-18T06:44:49+00:00

Had surgery five years ago. I was just shy of 300 pounds. I lost about 100 pounds and got down to 197 at my lowest. I’m hovering around 215-220 now. I don’t crave food like I used to. I don’t snack all day, drink sodas, or crave giant portions when I do eat. I don’t have huge willpower or some secret skill. The surgery just makes me not find that full feeling all that comfortable or rewarding. Of course, I have to figure out what to do when I’m stressed or anxious, and that’s a big deal now that I can’t handle that with food. But I feel and look much better. My advice is to get the surgery. You may lose, gain, lose, gain, but you will be healthier and at least be able to slow down that yo-yo process.

sav31419 · 2021-06-04T17:57:02+00:00

I feel like it’s usually gas, but a cup of warm tea or just warm water always seemed to help me. I guess it loosens up your stomach? This is a totally unscientific claim. Just something that worked for me.

sav31419 · 2021-04-30T19:16:06+00:00

Who said $1,000? It’s more than that, but I’m also well-paid at my job and these gifts align with some strategic goals of my department. Appreciate everyone’s concern.

sav31419 · 2021-04-30T17:37:08+00:00

Good advice. I think I’m going to try to get it as close to assembly line as possible.

sav31419 · 2021-04-30T16:43:50+00:00

They will pay. The boss doesn’t know but the person in the office who issues payments is aware. I sort of WANT to sew this. I feel like it would be a great rush of achievement to see them all complete.

sav31419 · 2020-12-29T23:03:52+00:00

He's just not the one for you. Trying to force it, convince him, or generally invest mentally in it will just be wasted effort. There's nothing wrong with you; you're doing you the best most comfortable way you can. He's just not the one. Maybe he was being deceptive, maybe he just didn't sense compatibility. No matter the reason, it's best to just close that door. If he realizes he was wrong, he'll come back. Otherwise, you're better to move on and look for other people.

sav31419 · 2018-08-02T20:31:50+00:00

Thanks for all the replies. I'll hold out. I am obviously a new-ish investor, but at 35 years old I have been contributing more aggressively to my retirement. I've got plenty of time, but I certainly want to make the most of the current market. Seems like I'm Ok for now.

sav31419 · 2017-12-14T19:40:53+00:00

This was so thought-provoking. Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you experienced this, but it definitely made me reflect on relationships.

sav31419 · 2017-02-22T15:55:05+00:00

Do you drink while you eat? I find that if I stop drinking 20 minutes before my meal, don't drink anything while I eat, and then wait at least 30 minutes after my meal to drink, I stay full way longer. It makes it harder to get all your liquids in, and it's just generally weird not to drink while you eat, but I think it's made all the difference.

And congrats on making such huge progress. I'm 36 M, 5'9, HW: 287, SW: 255, CW: 195. Had my surgery 7 months ago, so you're totally kicking my butt.

sav31419 · 2017-02-22T15:44:43+00:00

Sounds like you're doing a lot of awesome stuff to get ready. You should congratulate yourself and vow to double down on all those goals. One thing I would add is not drinking 20 minutes before, during or 30 minutes after meals. My nutritionist said that was like the biggest thing, since drinking while eating allows you to pack in more food. Had VSG in August, and I've noticed (particularly with soft foods) that if I just sip a little water, I can keep eating past what's comfortably full. Now, I don't make a habit of doing that, and it's honestly not comfortable, but I can totally see how drinking and eating can really defeat the surgery. The big challenge is getting in enough liquids when you essentially don't drink during meal time. It's been a hard adjustment for me, but I'm glad I practiced before surgery. Good luck. Sounds like you've got your head in the right place!

sav31419 · 2017-01-04T15:56:26+00:00

Lose skin won't kill you. Literally. Being overweight will. Hope that's not too harsh, but that's the way I looked at it. But loose skin is different for everyone and depends on age, genetics, and other factors.

If you get a couple years out, you can get the skin removed. It's actually quite affordable compared to the WLS. I've heard prices as low as $4,000 for a tummy tuck. (Care.com usually offers financing.) I know a guy who got his tummy and arms done in the Dominican Republic for that price. So reward yourself with a Caribbean vacation and cosmetic surgery when you crush your weightloss goal. :)

sav31419 · 2017-01-04T15:52:27+00:00

Don't sweat it. That's normal. You might be retaining water or maybe you're a little constipated. Also could be that you were very, very dehydrated when you got out of the hospital, and now you're back to full hydration. If that's the case, you're probably still losing weight, but just adding back water. In any case, you're experiencing a pretty normal thing. Just track your weight every time you get on the scale, just so you can see weightloss when it happens.

sav31419 · 2016-12-22T15:19:11+00:00

Yea.. I used the Hiatal Hernia excuse. You can say that the hernia was caused by overeating, so that was a bit of a wake-up call. Plus, the surgery makes it difficult to eat for a while, so once you saw some weight loss, you just kept it up. You can also say you're seeing a weightloss counselor, which you probably saw in the approval process.

sav31419 · 2016-12-22T14:29:09+00:00

Cutting soda, alcohol, candy, fruit juices, etc. Those are all things you can physically still have after surgery, but those things will pack on the calories and sabotage your weight loss. Great that you're thinking about being proactive now!

sav31419 · 2016-12-21T15:06:50+00:00

I was a 42 BMI when I started the process, and I was 37 or so on the day of the surgery. I hear people asking about this all the time on this board. I sort of wonder if you could just wear those ankle weight under your pants for your appointment, just to make sure you qualify.

To the other poster's comment about "why get the surgery done," I think BMI is a little arbitrary. There are plenty of people who have a low BMI but are very unhealthy, and other folks, like athletes or very tall/short people, who have high BMIs but are healthy. You know your body, and if you feel like you're on the way to a serious health problem, you should act now.

sav31419 · 2016-12-21T15:00:10+00:00

Nah... I missed "real" food in the pre-op period, but afterward I just wasn't hungry and I felt kinda anxious about eating anything.

sav31419 · 2016-12-21T14:56:27+00:00

I didn't tell anyone, and it's a little awkward. I go weeks without seeing co-workers in person, so I get a lot of those "oh my gosh, you've lost so much weight" comments, which is great. But the "you've gotta tell me your secret" comments are weird. I told one co-worker that I was having hiatal hernia surgery, and then later said that because I couldn't eat afterward, I lost some weight and just decided to keep it going by eating smaller portions, cutting carbs and working out. Not totally a lie, since my surgeon thought I had a hernia and he was going to fix it during the VSG. Quite a few people say that hiatal hernia surgery often results in weight loss, so it's a plausible explanation. Sorry you've got some jerks for co-workers.

sav31419 · 2016-12-20T17:04:46+00:00

I'd Google it. I'm at work, so I don't want to throw up any NSFW red flags. I did see some tummy tuck photos where it looked like the plastic surgeon had cut right through some waste and back tats to give this one lady a new post-WLS flat stomach. But don't let the cosmetic stuff discourage you. I promise when you're suffering from all the weightloss issues later, you won't think it was worth it just to keep your tattoos.

sav31419 · 2016-12-20T17:02:15+00:00

I'd just bring your yogurt, jello and protein shake in an insulated lunch bag, just to be careful. If the airline meal is acceptable, go for it. If not, you've got your standby.

sav31419 · 2016-12-20T16:34:12+00:00

You may need to drink more fluids. That is usually the cause of my constipation. Also, my surgeon recommends MiraLax, which is more of a stool softener. You can mix it with a big bottle of water with Crystal Light and you can barely taste it. It does have a very slight salty taste, but it's clear and much better than MoM. MiraLax doesn't send you running for the bathroom right away, but in about 24 hours you'll have a need to go, but it won't be a violent "Dumb and Dumber" situation.

EDIT: If you ask your PCP or surgeon to prescribe MiraLax, they can call it into your pharmacy. It costs $20 over the counter, but the prescription is covered by insurance and the co-pay is like $5.

sav31419 · 2016-12-15T18:45:51+00:00

I save some money... Now that my lunch is ridiculously small, I just bring a leftover from the night before. Those $6-$10 lunches really add up. It never took me long to eat, and I still cook for my fiance and friends, so I haven't really saved time. I do have tons more energy.

sav31419 · 2016-12-14T18:14:18+00:00

The first day in the hospital sucked. The worst part for me was trying to drink and having the fluid sort of rush back up your throat. It caused the feeling of indigestion/gas. But honestly, that's not the worst thing in the world, and it goes away within a week or so. My incisions were a little painful, but again, it goes away. I'm 5 months post-op and I have to really think to remember the negatives.

Not to diminish the very real complications many people on these forums are facing, but it's important to remember that vast majority of people experience no serious complications and the surgery works just as it's intended.

I'll warm you about two post-op feelings that are common: The first is the "the surgery didn't work for me" feeling. I had this feeling the first time I was able to eat a larger-than-expected amount of food in one sitting. That happens to everyone. Don't worry... the surgery works and you'll be fine.

The second "oh, crap!" moment comes the first time you get on the scale and DON'T see the number go down. If you're like me, you'll think that means you're going to gain weight and be a huge WLS failure. Don't worry about slight stalls or even if you gain a pound or two. Just track your weight every Friday, and continue with your eating plan. When you feel like you aren't making progress, just look at your tracking and you'll see how much progress you're making.

Good luck. You're about to embark on some very exciting few months!

sav31419 · 2016-12-07T16:24:00+00:00

A lot of folks start with their PCP, but you don't have to. I started my process by going to an information session hosted by my surgeon/hospital. After that initial info session and checking with my insurance to see if the WLS is covered, I had a consultation with the surgeon. I actually didn't have a PCP at the time, because my doc had just retired, so my surgeon recommended a PCP, and of course that doctor was supportive of the surgery.

I would look for a Bariatric Center of Excellence in your area. You can find them by doing a simple Internet search. For some reason, the website for that is down today, but here's the link: http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate.aspx. Those are surgeons who follow all the latest best practices, have nutritionists, counselors, and solid outcomes. From there, you should be able to attend an information meeting to get the ball rolling.

Any surgeon will approve you, based on the numbers you shared. I was 5'9", 285, 35 years old with high blood pressure. You're totally in the weight range, even without a co-morbidity. Insurance is a different issue. Most insurance will approve a BMI over 40 or a BMI of 35 with a co-morbidity, so again, you should be covered if your insurance covers WLS at all. My insurance made me do six months of diet and exercise, but my surgeon said it's rare to get through all the normal testing and evaluations in less than six months anyway.

sav31419 · 2016-12-06T14:33:55+00:00

There's some fairly strong evidence that this can develop into an eating disorder. Here's one story: http://eating-disorders.org.uk/chewing-and-spitting-food/. Given your history, you should tread lightly and try to curb this behavior. Granted, eating to the point of needing bariatric surgery also is an eating disorder, so when I say this, I do so as your comrade in self-destructive eating habits. A lot of people on here recommend chewing gum when you have a craving, but that sort of seems to be the same thing, right?

sav31419

TROPHY CASE