making an educated decision
I just wanted to offer up my humble opinion to anyone who wants to listen...
I am nearly 5 ms post op and doing really well on my specific plan with my specific surgeon and team of people within his office. I chose my surgeon because I knew that his plan would hold me accountable throughout my journey to the skinny me. He had a laundry list of items I had to complete before my surgery was even scheduled... among this list included a specific weight loss amount of 5% prior to surgery. They put me on a plan of various protein drinks and bars and specific food items I was allowed... when I was close to the 5% goal we scheduled my surgery and I still had more to lose. IF and only IF i didn't lose that weight was i to go on a 2 week liquid diet. WELL I lost that weight and didn't need the 2 week pre-op liquids. I believe my surgeon does this for two reasons 1) to see how determined and motivated I am to reach my goal, and 2) to teach me and prepare me for how I should eat post -op.
When I read so many posts on here about people having their consult and getting their surgery scheduled for two and three weeks out it makes me CRINGE! granted - I don't know what all you each have gone through up to this point, but it scares me to see so many people seemingly un-prepared for what lies ahead. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SURGERY!! it's NOT something to be taken lightly! YOU are committed to life long dietary changes, period.
Additionally, the laundry list of pre-op pre-requisets included a sleep study, a full panel blood test, psych eval, and dietician and Excercise physiologist consults and monthly follow ups until my surgery. I was also REQUIRED to attend at least 1 support group per month prior to surgery.
I have a friend who had surgery a little over a month after mine, and I have seen the difference in her results compared to mine... if you go on a 30day "stall" - it's time to re-evaluate what you are and aren't doing. that's not a stall! that's improper dietary choices and lack of physical activity! She chose a Doc-in-a-Box or Cattle Call surgeon and jumped on the bandwagon with out knowing fully what she was doing!! She hasn't even seen her surgeon once since the day he did her surgery! I see my surgeon EVERY time I'm in his office to follow-up!
SO, please, please please - I URGE you all that are considering surgery - check your surgeons credintials, find out if they are a BOARD CERTIFIED SURGEON not just some doctor who took a seminar in bariatrics and decided he would offer procedures... Make sure you are truly ready for this life changing decision! I want to see people succeed like i have so far! But I WANT even more so to see you all making educated decisions! You should not have to rely on message boards for advice to things you weren't educated on prior to your surgery!! Your main source of information should be your team within your surgeons office!! If you aren't confident in them how can you be confident they will help you succeed??
Thatisall. Sorry for the long soapbox lecture...
I am nearly 5 ms post op and doing really well on my specific plan with my specific surgeon and team of people within his office. I chose my surgeon because I knew that his plan would hold me accountable throughout my journey to the skinny me. He had a laundry list of items I had to complete before my surgery was even scheduled... among this list included a specific weight loss amount of 5% prior to surgery. They put me on a plan of various protein drinks and bars and specific food items I was allowed... when I was close to the 5% goal we scheduled my surgery and I still had more to lose. IF and only IF i didn't lose that weight was i to go on a 2 week liquid diet. WELL I lost that weight and didn't need the 2 week pre-op liquids. I believe my surgeon does this for two reasons 1) to see how determined and motivated I am to reach my goal, and 2) to teach me and prepare me for how I should eat post -op.
When I read so many posts on here about people having their consult and getting their surgery scheduled for two and three weeks out it makes me CRINGE! granted - I don't know what all you each have gone through up to this point, but it scares me to see so many people seemingly un-prepared for what lies ahead. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SURGERY!! it's NOT something to be taken lightly! YOU are committed to life long dietary changes, period.
Additionally, the laundry list of pre-op pre-requisets included a sleep study, a full panel blood test, psych eval, and dietician and Excercise physiologist consults and monthly follow ups until my surgery. I was also REQUIRED to attend at least 1 support group per month prior to surgery.
I have a friend who had surgery a little over a month after mine, and I have seen the difference in her results compared to mine... if you go on a 30day "stall" - it's time to re-evaluate what you are and aren't doing. that's not a stall! that's improper dietary choices and lack of physical activity! She chose a Doc-in-a-Box or Cattle Call surgeon and jumped on the bandwagon with out knowing fully what she was doing!! She hasn't even seen her surgeon once since the day he did her surgery! I see my surgeon EVERY time I'm in his office to follow-up!
SO, please, please please - I URGE you all that are considering surgery - check your surgeons credintials, find out if they are a BOARD CERTIFIED SURGEON not just some doctor who took a seminar in bariatrics and decided he would offer procedures... Make sure you are truly ready for this life changing decision! I want to see people succeed like i have so far! But I WANT even more so to see you all making educated decisions! You should not have to rely on message boards for advice to things you weren't educated on prior to your surgery!! Your main source of information should be your team within your surgeons office!! If you aren't confident in them how can you be confident they will help you succeed??
Thatisall. Sorry for the long soapbox lecture...
I have often wondered how someone could go into this surgery with virtually no idea of what to expect. Often, people will post that they had the surgery and ask "now what?"...it's scary and I know I could never do it myself that way. I wish everyone success, but wonder if the ones that went into it blind are the ones that never make it to goal or can't successfully maintain a lower weight. I wonder if there are any stats out there that compare success of educated patients vs. uneducated patients? My doctor's plan was great, and was in writing, which I referred back to frequently. I wasn't required to attend the support group, but was glad I did and wished I had started attending sooner than I had. This site is a great resource too, but I think it would be better if all doctors were required to ensure their patients were educated on what their future entailed. But since they are not, the patient needs to take it upon him/herself and learn all they can ahead of time if they truly want to be successful.
I totally agree with you. I had to go through all of the things you did. My journey was a 7 month process. I asked a ton of questions. I had never even heard of VSG before as it is still one of the newer surgeries....at least in my area. I just had my surgery 2 weeks ago. I am planning on attending my first post op support group meeting as well. I know it seems like a long time. I did have my moments where I felt impatient, but it is worth waiting and being prepared. I even had to take a test....to make sure I fully understood the surgery, and sign an agreement that I will attend all my scheduled follow-ups and follow the guidelines. I dont have any regrets. Good luck to us all. Im looking forward to a skinny summer
I posted a subject not to long ago about scary stuff going on.......It turned out to be a VERY revealing in a lot of ways. It got a few thousand views....
frisco
SW 338lbs. GW 175lbs. Goal in 11 months. CW 148lbs. WL 190lbs.
" To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art "
VSG Maintenance Group Forum
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/
CAFE FRISCO at LapSF.com
Dr. Paul Cirangle
Absolutely.
I picked up a lot of great tips on this board, but I was taught what to eat, food stages, and success strategies in my pre-op and post-op education. The tips from vets I learned here mostly helped me with ideas to implement those strategies.
By the way, I think my surgeon's office idea of the post-op education classes is a good one. Some folks, no matter what you do, are too focused on the surgery itself pre-op. Repeating the diet and exercise education post-op gets them at a time when you have their attention.
I don't know how you could sign papers to have most of your stomach removed without knowing what to expect in the future...Let me second your statement:
This is SERIOUS surgery folks! It will change the rest of your life...in a good way if you do it right, but you can't change your mind.
I picked up a lot of great tips on this board, but I was taught what to eat, food stages, and success strategies in my pre-op and post-op education. The tips from vets I learned here mostly helped me with ideas to implement those strategies.
By the way, I think my surgeon's office idea of the post-op education classes is a good one. Some folks, no matter what you do, are too focused on the surgery itself pre-op. Repeating the diet and exercise education post-op gets them at a time when you have their attention.
I don't know how you could sign papers to have most of your stomach removed without knowing what to expect in the future...Let me second your statement:
This is SERIOUS surgery folks! It will change the rest of your life...in a good way if you do it right, but you can't change your mind.
Highest weight: 335 lbs, BMI 50.9
Pre-op weight: 319 lbs, BMI 48.5
Current range: 140-144, BMI 21.3 - 22
175+ lbs lost, maintaining since February 2012
I had a ton of things I had to follow before my surgery. a 6 month process (for me it was actually 2 years because I kept going back and forth and I completed all of the courses twice) and it even included 6 months of weekly group meetings to get to the root of WHY I eat. All of those dr visits and stuff were included. I commented on a thread where someone was excited that their insurance took away the 6 month supervised program and I thought it was crazy. A ton of people said their 6 month program was a waste of time and "they already knew" everything that was in it. I stressed the fact that the 6 months was time to do research and reflect and try to lose weight and make changes as well as learn from the program and that it was VERY important. They all felt that I was full of **** I am thankful for my 6 months (2 years) even though I hated it. It gave me time to make sure that I was ready. What's funny is that my mom is so shocked at how much I stick to the plan and she always looks at me and says "wow, I couldn't do it!" and this is from a woman who has lost WELL over 100 pounds and has kept it off for 10+ years without any surgery and she tells me she couldn't do what I'm doing? Pshh! She's the strong one. Anyway, back to what you were saying...
I definitely disagree with something you said. Very much disagree actually. When you said that if you go into a stall then it means that you are making poor choices and lack physical activity. I'm 7 weeks out and I've had 2 occasions where the scale stopped moving and trust me, when it does move, that ******* is SLOW, and I am following the "cookie cutter" approach AND I exercise 5+ days a week. One of my "stalls" was 8 days and the other was 11 days. That's a lot for being 7 1/2 weeks out. In my 2nd month so far I have lost only 7 pounds and I only have a week left of it. I plan my meals, I know everything that goes in my mouth, I don't dare touch starches, I measure ALL of my food (2 oz) and from everything I read, I undereat my sleeve every time. 99% of the time there is food left in my containers. I always take my vitamins. Sometimes I think I'm not eating enough! I have never been one who comes on here talking about "Oops I at cookies, but I only did it once... it's ok right?" So my point is, to make a blanket statement can be very discouraging to those that may be "slow losers" or who may actually be doing everything "right" and their body is still not responding how they expect. You never know what their metabolism is doing, how their body is, what issues they have, or why they are so overweight in the first place etc. that may be causing them to stall out like that. I know that my short stalls were the most depressing things EVER and I felt like giving up. They really affected my days and I felt like the ultimate failure. Maybe you haven't experienced that and maybe your journey has been lovely but you shouldn't tell other people that they are making such improper choices if you aren't seeing what's going in their mouths. That's a strong and bold statement. I KNOW that my choices are good and "cookie cutter" and I know that I stalled twice already and haven't seen anyone else write about that in such a short period of time.
You're also only 4 months out. I've read of people further than that stalling for longer periods than a month. You're still in your honeymoon phase. Let's hope you don't have to eat your words because stalls are very depressing. If not and you have the most wonderful, lovely, peachy weightloss ever, that's awesome.... but I guess there's still that maintenance phase too... and that's forever.
I definitely disagree with something you said. Very much disagree actually. When you said that if you go into a stall then it means that you are making poor choices and lack physical activity. I'm 7 weeks out and I've had 2 occasions where the scale stopped moving and trust me, when it does move, that ******* is SLOW, and I am following the "cookie cutter" approach AND I exercise 5+ days a week. One of my "stalls" was 8 days and the other was 11 days. That's a lot for being 7 1/2 weeks out. In my 2nd month so far I have lost only 7 pounds and I only have a week left of it. I plan my meals, I know everything that goes in my mouth, I don't dare touch starches, I measure ALL of my food (2 oz) and from everything I read, I undereat my sleeve every time. 99% of the time there is food left in my containers. I always take my vitamins. Sometimes I think I'm not eating enough! I have never been one who comes on here talking about "Oops I at cookies, but I only did it once... it's ok right?" So my point is, to make a blanket statement can be very discouraging to those that may be "slow losers" or who may actually be doing everything "right" and their body is still not responding how they expect. You never know what their metabolism is doing, how their body is, what issues they have, or why they are so overweight in the first place etc. that may be causing them to stall out like that. I know that my short stalls were the most depressing things EVER and I felt like giving up. They really affected my days and I felt like the ultimate failure. Maybe you haven't experienced that and maybe your journey has been lovely but you shouldn't tell other people that they are making such improper choices if you aren't seeing what's going in their mouths. That's a strong and bold statement. I KNOW that my choices are good and "cookie cutter" and I know that I stalled twice already and haven't seen anyone else write about that in such a short period of time.
You're also only 4 months out. I've read of people further than that stalling for longer periods than a month. You're still in your honeymoon phase. Let's hope you don't have to eat your words because stalls are very depressing. If not and you have the most wonderful, lovely, peachy weightloss ever, that's awesome.... but I guess there's still that maintenance phase too... and that's forever.
Let me be clear about my general statement... I meant that specifically for a stall lasting 30+ days without progress. As my close frien had experienced at less than two months post op. Yes, I have experienced so called stalls for a week or longer. Usually during those times my inches would start dropping. I personally don't consider it a stall at all b/c I see it as my body trading off... Pounds, inches, pounds, inches.... When I pry'd into my friends diet an excercise I pointed out to her the areas where she needed to cut out sugars and increase activity! And guess what she's losing again. Her problem is that she didn't have a thoroughly educated pre-op/post-op plan and she's just kind of winging it.
I see many many posts on here that sound a lot like what my friend has experienced and that is what I was addressing.
It was not meant to discourage anyone who thinks they are doing everything right and stalls out for a couple of days... But a month stall so early pot-op needs further investigation into diet & excercise. Period.
I see many many posts on here that sound a lot like what my friend has experienced and that is what I was addressing.
It was not meant to discourage anyone who thinks they are doing everything right and stalls out for a couple of days... But a month stall so early pot-op needs further investigation into diet & excercise. Period.
It is not period. Please speak to what you know and your experience. There are experts who do not understand phenomenons like eating 600 calories and not losing weight but it happens. The idea that anyone has all the answers and that stalls only last x amount of time is ridiculous. You and your friend are not a focus group.
I believe I was and am speaking to what I know... Eating 600 calories and not losing weight is not a phenomenon. I consult with my dietician regularly. If you do the same than you would know that eating 600 calories a day would put your body into starvation mode and your body, no matter what size your stomach is would hold on to whatever food energy you were putting into it and store it as fat because your metabolism gets all confused. Therefore not losing weight. Much like when a person eats too many carbs or sugars and your body has to burn that as energy before it can burn the fat. Therefore not losing weight.
I personally don't have to count calories with the plan I follow. At least not until I get to maintenance.
I didn't post the original post in order to argue about who knows everything or who's going lose or not lose... It was more of a public service point to let people know that there are Dr's out there with really great programs and support staff and I see a LOT of people posting questions here about things that any patient should know before they have their innards removed!
I'm fully aware that "stalls" can be varied lengths of time. but 30 days of a "stall" within 2 mos post op indicates dietary issues and physical activity needs to be addressed. Pretty sure any legit surgeon or dietician would say the same thing.
thanks for your input though.
I personally don't have to count calories with the plan I follow. At least not until I get to maintenance.
I didn't post the original post in order to argue about who knows everything or who's going lose or not lose... It was more of a public service point to let people know that there are Dr's out there with really great programs and support staff and I see a LOT of people posting questions here about things that any patient should know before they have their innards removed!
I'm fully aware that "stalls" can be varied lengths of time. but 30 days of a "stall" within 2 mos post op indicates dietary issues and physical activity needs to be addressed. Pretty sure any legit surgeon or dietician would say the same thing.
thanks for your input though.