The Beginning...

Yea, I'm doing my best not to feel sad as well. I know it's a good thing that I'm doing for me and my health. I/m just struggling with the fact I had to come to this and not do things the other way but I know everyone is different and I'm glad the vsg is available for me to get. I definitely wouldn't have done it if it was just the gastric bypass. That whole rerouting thing freaks me out! But this is a new beginning and I know everything will be worth it!

Same. I've spent a lot of time being mad at myself because I actually have lived at and below my current goal weight during my adult life. Kicking myself for slipping this far is still something I do. But all the kicking myself and all the dieting wasn't getting me back there. I used the surgery to even the odds that I could get and stay there. But because regain has been a part of all my past diets, I know I'll have to stay forever vigilant if I want it to last.

My thoughts leading up to and day of surgery were a little less positive, I think. I'd gone my entire life overweight. The only time I lost any substantial amount required me working out 2x a day doing both hiits and weight workouts 6-7 days a week and eating nothing but chicken, broccoli and eggs for six months straight. I lost 60lbs, but I also killed myself for that. The minute I stopped going nearly daily and so intensely, the weight came back really quickly. I tracked everything I ate, I was never a big eater, terrible company at buffets with friends since they'd say I wasn't "worth the cost" if I only ate one plate, hah. So, after years and years of weight gain and awful symptoms I found out I had thyroid/metabolic issues. I still feel they haven't been fully addressed, but I was borderline diabetic at my last checkup with my primary, already on metformin, cholesterol levels crazy high (though this does run in my family...genetics can really screw you sometimes). I know I haven't been working out like I used to, but honestly? I was afraid. I was afraid this wouldn't work, and I'm still afraid it won't. I've seen the weight coming off, but to be completely raw and honest, I'm afraid every damn day. Surgery was anxiety inducing. I've never had anesthesia, never had a surgery, never broke a bone, never had my tonsils out, etc. I was most afraid of the anesthesia, but when I asked friends what their experience was, they'd say "Well they hook you up, put a mask on you and just tell you to breathe, then you wake up in recovery." and it was so true to word, I almost laughed when I woke up. It truly was the anesthesiologist standing over me going "Just breathe." and I breathed once...twice...then woke up after with them telling reorienting me to the environment. I had a wonderful team, and I'm so thankful for all of them. I'm still pretty early out of the whole process...it's only been 16 days for me.

Overall (TLDR): My thoughts were...hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Educate yourself. Ask questions over and over until you're comfortable. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself, and own it. As I've seen over and over in this forum and have heard from my team...this is a tool and what you put into it will determine how successful you are.

Essentially the same reply I gave to someone else on the general forum:

Welcome! I searched like crazy here while in the early phases of working with my weight loss surgeon. The on-going support on OH has been invaluable. A personal diet guided by your nutritionist is a good start to getting your mind where it needs to be for surgery, while fulfilling a 6 month supervised period for insurance. I was dismayed at first by having to wait, but in the end it was the best thing for me to make sure I was committed to making the changes I needed to make!

Good luck!

I haven't had surgery (VSG) yet, but I'm 5 months into my 6 month insurance-required weight management program. I thought the 6 month program would just be a hurdle I would have to jump over to get to surgery, but now I'm realizing how lucky I am to have this time period to prepare. The 6 month program has provided me with the motivation to change my eating habits, my fitness routines, and my mindset. It hasn't been easy, but I am taking advantage of this time to get used to the changes that I will be committed to post-surgery. I have lost 35 lbs during this 6 month program.

That's awesome to hear that. I've been looking at things differently now as well. I'm glad I have 6 months to really try to get my head fixed in this.