iegal

Sweetie; My surgeon suggested NO RAW VEGGIES for first six months as your new tummy is still healing. Obviously your stomach is rebelling and you have figured out that it does not like cucumbers. Good lesson and now you know. Keep up the great weight loss!

Well, going to disagree a little. Most of us after VSG do not feel normal hunger. As mentioned before, drinking will push food through the stomach faster allowing us to eat more. VSG is a restriction surgery. Heck, a 1 1/2 years out I can eat a whole snack bag of chips without any problems. But I am limited when eating dense Protein like chicken to 3 or 4 oz. But, if I drink with my meals or take a long time, I can fit more in. Don't learn bad habits in the beginning. Soon bad habits will derail your weight loss. To keep weight off, learn not to drink with meals. Wait about 30 minutes before or after meals. Good luck!

Doing the happy dance for you. Amazing results - you rock the sleeve! Keep up your great success.

Are we related? Wow, I didn't tell my mom until 3 months AFTER surgery just because I knew she would be all doom and gloom. Remember, you did this for you - so you could be healthy, happier, enjoy your beautiful child and hopefully have more children. Tiffykins got pregrant and so did many others after VSG. You did nothing to diminish your ability to get pregnant. I have learned only to nod when my mom speaks and listen to white noise...like the teacher talking in the Peanuts cartoon. ARGH Hopefully your mother will eventually become your biggest supporter after she sees all of your accomplishments. Congrats on your sleeve. Being a new improved you is the way to silence other doubters. Hugs.

My surgeon said not until 6 months out as stomach has a hard time digesting raw vegtables. As you can see almost everyone has different opinions. I have a few bites of salad every once in a while. Yes, I actually miss it like soda but just say "no". You know lettuce has almost no nutritional value so, until you get in all of your protien daily, skip it. Think health first. Congrats on your sleeve!

How much work I had to do after surgery to learn new eating habits. Sleeve FORCES you to have good habits. Also I should not to expected to be "normal" soon after surgery. I consider myself to be tough bird. Ignorantly compared VSG to shoulder surgery where I thought in six weeks, I might be back to semi "normal." Reality was it took me six months to learn habits and feel normal. Never said I was smart. I love my sleeve and have no regrets. But, it was a journey to goal.

Big YEAH to you. Congrats on making that sleeve work for you!

Hi Emlefe; Sad that this has not been an easy recovery thus far. Good news is that you are reaching out at all. Remember you are not alone. I too had a lactose intolerance (I love cheese) but grew out of it at about month four. Looking back, I can tell you that those first couple of weeks, I thought - "Did I know VSG was going to be this difficult? Was I really prepared for the changes?" Things you need to understand - things are different now. Your taste buds have changed, what you can eat has changed, what you can tolerate has changed, your body has changed - in reality you are searching for a new normal. Total assurance that you will find a new normal. Most likely this will take several months which is why we call this a journey. Have you ever had a horrid vacation and now you can look back and see the humor or at least laugh at how you survived? Equate this with the VSG journey. Some bad days or weeks and some good days. You are still healing, so you are eating to survive. You are eating to allow your stomach time to heal. I used the lactose free milk in my decaf tea. In time slowly a new normal will emerge. You will be able to eat non sickingly sweet foods. You will be able to have tuna, vinegar, tomatoes and all else your brain is screaming for now. Call your doctor in the morning and see if you can move to the mushy phase. If yes, puree the (*^% out of some tuna with a little plain greek yogurt - if your diet plan allows to satisfy your tastebuds. Also - have you tried just eating some plain chicken broth? I used Lipton Chicken Soup - the dried kind and threw out the noodles. Added in roasted chicken for addl flavor and then pulled it out. NUMMY after all that fake sugary thick shakes. If you like Starbucks and surgeon okay's - try a Decaf Latte, soy milk...or if too costly make your own version at home. There are some good online replacement foods besides sugary stuff. Google Barriatric foods. Expensive, but a lot cheaper than groceries. Lastly, do you have any VSG diet plan from your doctor? Google VSG diet plan and a whole bunch will come up. Read those for tips before talking to your doc tomorrow and see what you can have that is not on your diet plan. In a few months, try adding back in a food like dairy. The sun will come out soon. At 6 months it was as if I almost never had surgery minus the totally new body. Give yourself time to heal and don't think what is happening now is forever. Hugs to being willing to open up. Hope my words have comforted you in some small way.

Hi Katf; Highly recommend The New Program, several people here have used group. 14K, which is not cheap for self pay but worth every penny. I spent more 18K - but two other people on this site used Dr. Braverman and he is less cost than my surgeon. You can contact "Veda" or "SkinnyNurseBetty" if you want their personal experience. Surgeons at New Program in Newport Beach (they have an office in LA area too) are highly skilled and have the lowest complication rate in Southern California for Barriatrics besides being a Barriatric Center of Excellence member. The start of the process for me with self pay was just over 30 days including the two week preop diet. While I spent an enourmous amount of my retirement on VSG surgery, I would do it again tomorrow. My life has changed because I am healthier, happier, move more and have discovered that doors I would never open I will now. VSG is not always easy and since it is non reversable, make sure this is what you want. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to talk. Good luck in your search! I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

Can you say TENACITY? Wow. Good for you!

Congratulations, I am excited for you. How did you find a surgeon in Costa Rica. I know nothing of plastic surgery outside the US, so any tips would helpful. Kept us posted on your progress.

Nice to hear from you Globetrotter. Always loved your posts from beyond. Globetrotter - Encouraging you to keep the fight to hit the goal you want. The bad thing about "knowing" our sleeve at over a year out is we know how to cheat. I am talking to myself here - but get back to the basics. Log everything you eat/drink/suppliments. Watch for a week or two noting what weight if any is lost. If not satisfied change things up. See if anything happens. I know if I eat carbs, I gain weight and only want more and more and more thus I try to avoid still even after being sleeved. Most importantly - keep up a good fight and never give in. Hugs to you and welcome home!

Thinking of you and praying for a speedy recovery.

An early - Welcome to the losers bench to you and Misha. Exciting changes are coming!

Feelings will get hurt on here on VST sadly-this is not the first time I have seen this. People strongly believe what they believe in and voice this inappropriately. You need to stay strong and do not be bullied. Yes, you do have a right to voice an opinion as long as you are not attacking someone personally or being offensive which I highly doubt you did. Now, there is a time to be rude. I have taken someone on for one of their posts where they stated absolute faslehoods and lies. Did I attack? Probably. I was angry because so many trust what they read here. To all newbies, remember to be vigilant and do not trust everything. We have a fine line to walk. Glad you decided to stay and keep smiling in your posts. You staying is a WIN. Congrats on being sleeved!

Wish I had good news ladies. I am freezing too. Here I sit in "sunny" Southern California with a high of 70 today. What did I wear? Pants with a high neck sweater to work, with a blazer on top. If I was in the sun, I was fine. Did anyone else catch the clause of preop paperwork in fine print of my sleeve surgery that a move to Hawaii or the Caribbean was needed? HA HA Say "fleece" with me. It will be your newest friend and worse fashion offender. Oh well, I still love my sleeve.

Your icon and new thumbnail both show a lovely lady. A little creepy with someone following you around, but great NSV. Hey - you know you are stunning, right?

So, did anyone upload their picture yet? Willing to post results?

Work that sleeve! Way to go.

You make me smile and dance. ROCK that sleeve!

One of my sleeve sisters kept her fat pants too and would take a picture of her new pants on top of her old pants. Last picture she posted was of her standing in one leg of the fat pants. I find it amazing that you can look back and call them fat pants with a smile on your face. Congrats on your success with your sleeve!

Teresa, so glad to hear you are doing so well. Your weight loss thus far is incredible. Keep up the walking and remember to sip often.

Yes, the preop diet is torture, but the results are worth it. There are so many benefits to VSG, you will be so happy. Today, keep you eye one the goal and do not cheat the diet as you are almost there! Good luck on Tuesday, please provide an update when you are able. Hugs.

Thanks for sharing your success story with us. Congrats on all the wonderful changes in your life. Just because you made a decision for YOU to be healthy. Look at all the benefits!

Hey - our next So Cal get together is March 3rd, somewhere in the Inland Empire. Send "sleeve 4 me" a private message if you want to get details on location, time, confirmation of date. Group is usually about 10 - 15 people from SoCal. We love getting together just to share stories and cheer each other on. Hugs!