Post ops-Do you still attend weight loss surgery support groups?

My surgeons office is offering online support group meetings now. None in person which is alright with me since I tend to not like being in a room full of people. (I don't even like going to the mall or to Safeway.) I am thinking of attending one again. It's been a little while and I attended as few as I could in the past.Now that the groups are online, I am thinking why not see how it goes. Do ya'll find attending support meetings as a post op very helpful?

I haven't attended any weight loss support group at all. I'd be slightly worried there would be people insisting I'm doomed to failure because I don't do keto and I'm vegan.

I understand your concerns. I am not vegan but just bought Vega Protein shakes and powder to try. Recommended to me by my brother-in-law

I attended a couple of them my first year as a post-op (the timing on them didn't work for my work schedule). They were OK. I found this site (Obesity Help) a lot more helpful, given the number of long-time "vets" on here (my clinic's support group was almost exclusively attended by pre-ops and very new post-ops)

The insights of others on ObesityHelp are very helpful. I was a lurker on here for years before I had my surgery. I know what you mean by the support groups and those that attend being mostly pre-ops and new post-ops. I still might give at least one online support group a try to see how it goes.

I participated in an in-person support group for years after my surgery. In fact I'm still very good friends with several of the people I met. It started as a monthly group sponsored by the surgeon but a group of us (probably 10) actually started our own weekly meeting. I honestly feel that I wouldn't have been as successful as I was/am without that group.

I'm a vet and consider these forums a support group - so I guess the answer is yes, after 18 years I still attend and fine them helpful.

I have found a lot of friendships are formed through shared weight loss surgery journeys. I agree that these forums are important for support too. It is nice to hear from someone that is 18 years out and to learn what has worked for you.

I go every year to my surgeons party to catch up with his former patients and their families ... I was asked to teach a few classes several years ago and would have continued except that the parking situation around Bellevue is DIRE .

I think folks who stay in touch with their surgeon and his/her team do a lot better ... vitamin issues get nipped in the bud, detailed blood tests are taken and discussed at length by experts every six months , if there are regain issues you can meet a nutritionist and a therapist , ditto for family centered issues like jealousy related over-feeding by a spouse or something else .

Why not attend on zoom? You can always choose not to go back ....

This year would have been my first year to attend an annual patient party but due to the pandemic they have cancelled it. I agree that it is a good idea to keep in touch with your surgeon and his/her team. I plan on doing better in 2021 and so on. I have decided to attend an online support group just to see what it is like and then I can take it from there.

I never attended because it would be a 3 hr drive round trip, but I'm a member of my local TOPS (take off pounds sensibly) where we weigh in and meet weekly.