iegal

You almost make me cry, you are stunningly beautiful. Love the smile which tells your whole story. Congrats on making the sleeve work for you!

Wow, you have already lost 21 lbs? Great job! Agree those liquids vs. purees can get confusing. Have you tried hot and sour soup from your favorite local Chinese restaruant? Just strain out chunks. Same with Egg drop soup. Nummy. I counted as liquids but did not get a lot of Protein from this food. Patience is always a good thing. Cheering for you!

Golfbuddy; You will get really quick results if you stick to VSG diet guidelines. I learned quickly on from Tiffykins to keep my carbs to around 30gr a day, no more since any more seem to really slow down my weight loss. Stick to the diet. 64oz of Water, 70 + grams of Protein, >30gm carbs. Keep away from the sugar drinks. In 4 months, you will see results as much as other people. I hear a lot of people like unjury protein. To me, I could always taste the protein and had a very hard time. So, I drank my protein with Isopure 40gm clear protien drinks which I got from GNC. I liked the apple melon best, though none were delicous. I still take Barriatric Adv Vitamins and although expensive, I know I am getting high quality nutrients and the suppliments needed. Congrats on being sleeved...now make it work for you!

Well, you know that was not the right choice after one bite...or the second and so on. So, what can you do? Nothing and hope you did not eat so much that you reversed affects of preop diet. Wish I could say - hey, no big deal. I encourage everyone to self evaluate during preop diet the two cosiderations below. You stick to the diet for two reasons. 1) to reduce fatty liver for less potential complications during surgery 2) to learn new habits you MUST adhere to after surgery for your safety (no leaks) and for weight loss to goal. Questions - How badly do you want to be healthy and lose weight? Are you a fighter? If you can taste (excuse the pun) the need to VSG surgery then know you MUST learn to say no and make the right choices. Good news for post surgery is that most of us no longer battle with being hungry all the time. Be honest with your surgeon should they ask at preop appointment. Surgeons don't torture patients just to see if you can follow the rules. Most require diet for your safety. I would be worried for those who do not diet. Have you seen a liver with no diet? Yes, you can see the difference. Move forward, learn from the lapse. Learn about yourself and your desires. Best wishes on your upcoming surgery! Rooting for your upcoming victories.

Congratulations, although right now you are probably thinking "why didn't anyone tell me?" Remember you have just had surgery so life is a little difficult right now. Yes, each day gets better. Understand you are relearning basic habits and your body is trying to recover. Rest, take a sip or so every 15 minutes during the day so you stay hydrated and to help with the gas pain, walk - even if it is not that far. Hugs to you and remember, soon you will be encouraging others through this first week. I love my sleeve!

Looking forward to seeing your after pics soon!

Ha ha...are you trying to justify your cheating by questioning kickbacks? Ah, we do get emotional before surgery. Yes, liver really does shrink and the more you weigh the more you really needed to stick to preop diet. Farry liver can cause for a longer surgery since your surgeon does not want to lacerate your liver. Diet was also to help you learn new patterns for post op. Good luck...and stick to the diet. You can do this!

1) How long have you been sleeved? Over 9 months 2) Who was your surgeon? Dr. Brian Quebbemann of the NEW Program in Newport Beach, CA 3) What were your experiences with your surgeon? With surgeon, great. Office...mostly good 4) Would you recommend your surgeon? Only the best for me...and he is THE go to surgeon in bariatrics. He is clinical trial surgeon for the three big surgeies including, first lapriscopic bypass in US, first band placement and first spider VSG. You can see him on several TV shows over last 10 years but most recently is The Dr's show promoting VSG. He is the bariatric surgeon to the stars...who can afford only the best. If national media seeks his advice about bariatric procedures, medical companies seek his skills to improve bariatric procedures this concludes his is the best. Plus he is passonate about helping obese people improve their lives. Dr Q never once treated me like I was fat because I am lazy or undetermined. Bariatrics is not his profession but his entire life. 5) How much weight have you lost since your sleeve date? 77 lbs - at goal in 5 months 6) Do you find you still have the necessary level of energy to sustain a good workout? Yes if I am eating correctly and well hydrated. My workouts are longer due to energy being higher level that prior to WLS 7) Do you find it difficult to keep the weight off once you have lost it? No, but I do fluxuate in weight by about 3 pounds 8) Do you have trouble eating, such as getting �stuck�? Rarely 9) What is the one things about getting the surgery that you regret? Not asking more questions before surgery on this site 10) Would you do this surgery again, or would you have made another choice I made the right choice for me

Congrats on your upcoming surgery date! There is a great link on this site under General Sleeve Surgery Discussions that is just for this topic. Check it out at http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10081-the-official-what-you-will-need-for-your-surgery-thread/. I love my sleeve, no regrets.

My surgeon said 1 week out and in liquid form until I was able to be on solids. Congrats on upcoming surgery!

Does your own mother even recognize you now? WOW! You look amazing and I love the smile which tells the whole story. Looking forward to the 2 year pic with adorable addition.

Sounds like you won the lottery with that one phone call. Congrats on getting yoru date!

You are not losing control, but gaining control. Do not be depressed. Thursday is the first day of your journey to permanent weight loss. You can do this! PS - food still tastes great,. I can eat what I wish now at 9 months out, just a lot less volume of it and I am satisfied and full. Eating is no longer about how much I can cram in but slowing down, like enjoying a fine wine.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery. Check US Airways since you are in a major hub of theirs. Now, since I did now have dates, i could not compare flight costs. Did a general search for mid July and it was $588 per person. Go to their website at usairways.com, put in CTL to SAN and then put in first choice of departure date/return date. Couple of lines down there is an option for low fare finder which will tel lyou if there is a lower fare a day or two later/earlier than what you chose. No matter which airline you book, make sure you request a wheelchair assist in San Diego Iand any connecting airport) on way back to home airport. This will let you get on the airplane first with your luggage. Good because no one is pushing on you in line. I flew for work within a week of surgery (crazy) and the wheel chair assist while somewhat embarassing it was a lifesaver. Make sure you buy Water inside the airport. A small pillow is helpful also. Let me know if you need help by sending me a private message. Best wishes!

I would have VSG surgery over and over rather than another c-section. I was an outpatient for VSG surgery. No drain, no pain pump, no catheder, no nurse bugging me at all hours. Now, was I ready to resume normal life that first week after surgery? No. I slept in a recliner at home with a heating pad while listening to my stomach growl at me as I tried to get in liquids. Know you can endure discomfort for a rocking sleeve miracle.

I think you may be correct, you might be lactose intolerant. When you start the mushie stage and beyond, start slowly to see how you do. I was lactose intolerant for about 4 months, but now I can drink regular milk and other dairy without issues. Eating becomes a challenge during the mushie stage, where I used to get giddy over the thought of a meal, during soft food stage I dreaded it. Try different foods to see what agrees with you best. A lot of people report refried Beans were easy to stomach. Tuna and eggsalad were my friends. Good luck!

Really? You are already afraid you are not losing enough weight? 20 lbs in a lot. I hope you are not setting yourself for failure. Remember that we all lose at a different rate. Some of us lose lots of weight right off the bat, others lose very slowly. One member on here, Coops, is slow but steady. She is an inspiration because she follows the sleeve diet guidelines and keeps going, happy in each pound she sheds. Already your sleeve has produced amazing results. Give your body a chance to heal. It is enduring a partial organ loss, dramatically different calories and a drop in energy level. Body is recoverying. Stick to your VSG diet provided by your surgeon, try to keep carbs to no more than 30-40 a day. Hydrate well. The weight is already falling off. Glass can be half empty or half full. Your choice.

Be excited! Know that worrying is normal for all of us prior to the big day. Take some deep breaths, say a prayer for the skills of your surgeon and you will soon be on the losers bench with the rest of us.

Well, each is eval is a little different depending upon your responses. You need to be honest in your answers. Smile. Really they are looking to see if you are capable of making a life changing decision, if you are willing to follow a new eating guideline for life, have you had any eating disorders such as bulemia and the probability of your long term success. Know why you want this surgery. Maybe make a list beyond ... to be a size 8 or so my boyfriend will stay with me. just kidding here Did anyone influence you and what was their motivation? Who is your support? Are you going this alone or have you told someone? How did they react? How are you going to change your relationship with food? Good luck!

Why must you lose a certain amount of weight? Is this a surgeon requirement or an insurance requirement? I am sure if you look over your diet you will find the answer. Either your scale is off or you have consumed an extra 18K calories which would be obvious or you have an imbalance. You are not a failure. Take charge of this, work out, eat right, consume less calories, get your Water in. Rooting for you.

Most surgeons ask patients for a preop diet. They do this to protect you, not just to be careful. Most of us preop have fatty livers which are in front of our stomachs. Even though in surgery the docs use gas to expand our stomach, they still require room to access the stomach more easily. Hence the diet to reduce the size of the fatty liver. I was on a liquid Protein diet for two weeks and did not cheat once. Pure torture those weeks but was warned that my surgeon would not jeopordize my health by operating with a fatty liver. Was told if he went in and saw a fatty liver, he would not continue surgery. So, what happens if you have a fatty liver? The surgeon has to work around it or move it which then is a high probability of a laceration of the liver. No fun. Call you surgeons office and ask them to email you their sleeve guide diet plan. If they do not have one readily available, google it. Congrats on your upcoming surgery. I love my sleeve.

I am so impressed you chose this surgery at such a young age. If I have one regret all these months out, it is that I did not get sleeved earlier. Hang in there, every day, every week gets better. 9 months out from surgery and I feel amazing, my PCP says I am in great health, I look better and now I am not the girl with just a pretty face. Keep on track knowing the sleeve works. Welcome to the losers bench.

Wishing you the best!

Remember when sqeezing into a 16 was an acomplishment to Celebrate? Now here we are looking at the amazing looking lady in the pics, knowing this is your results of so much effort. You really are a testament to persistance and following the sleeve guidelines. I like your smile more than the fit of those jeans. Go get those last few pounds.

With a tear in my eye, I can hear you loud and clear. You rock that sleeve sister!