mi75

i look forward to NOT being asked by my clients "When are you due"? (and having to tell them, 'i'm just fat')...
I'm SO looking forward to doing things with my kids, and taking a much-delayed family vacation where I can do more than just watch.

you will find that most of the people here 'watched what i ate and exercised' so many times in our lives we lost count.
when i had joined weight watchers for the 29th time i finally got a clue that it wasn't working for me...
there is no secret to surgery, it is simply a TOOL to aid us. this tool DOES eliminate a majority of the grelin producing section of the stomach (it is also still produced in the brain) AND limits capacity.
My surgeon told me that right now my stomach at capacity is probably around 76-90 oz. full, it's the size of a football. post-op, my new filled tummy will be around 6 oz., the size of a smallish banana. obviously if it can only hold that small amount, i have less calories to both burn and utilize.
i am simply trying to put myself on a level playing field so that i have a chance to be in control.

I'll be honest - I had similar thoughts pre-surgery. And, I failed at so many diets that I wondered "will I fail at this, too?"
First, I wasn't prepared for the emotional / mental part of this process. I read and researched so much about the physical part - how the surgery is performed. I didn't think much about the reasons I got to 256 pounds - I didn't think about my binge eating, my eating in secret, emotional eating, etc. I wish I had been more mentally/emotionally prepared - it would have made things easier in the beginning. Instead, I had to address my emotional issues while I was learning how to eat with my new tiny tummy.
Second, the sleeve doesn't stop you from making bad decisions. I have a sleeve of steel...The only thing that bothers my stomach to the point of getting sick is my bariatric Vitamins. I haven't found a food that my stomach doesn't like. That's a double edged sword. I can eat anything - that's not necessarily a good thing for an overeater. So, I have to CHOOSE to make good food decisions. I can eat ice cream before I go to bed...I have to choose not to do that. I can eat a bag of tortilla chips because that's a slider food for me - I have to choose to not have them in my house. The sleeve will only stop you from eating copious amounts of food in one sitting. It doesn't stop you from going back to the bag of chips 30 minutes later when you can fit more into your sleeve. The sleeve is simply one tool in your tool box.
Thirdly, the sleeve doesn't drive you to the gym or make you put on your tennis shoes to go for a walk. That's you. You are responsible for that.
As far as being able to lose 2-3 pounds a week - you're right. I could lose 2-3 pounds per week up to about 20-30 pounds. Then the weight loss would stop and I'd fall off the wagon. What you're doing on the pre-op diet and immediately after surgery isn't sustainable for the long-term. My husband said it best right before surgery...."This is going to force your hand." It has. My weight loss at 7 months out is moving at a snail's pace...I log 80-100 miles in a month at the gym and I focus on getting my Protein in. I get discouraged because I'm not losing at the same rate I was 5 months ago, but I'm still fighting the good fight - and you know what? It's easier to fight knowing I have this tool in my tool box.

ok I am still pre-op and on my 2 wk liquids so i am just sitting and dreaming about food that i can't have. (of course, i'm having a Protein shake and not really hungry, just my brain working).
I am very ready for this, it has been 3 years in the planning. However, one of my very favorite things is a simple Mcdonald's cheeseburger and small fry.
I know what it's made of, i know all the media coverage of lipids, liver enzymes, etc...BUT, i still like it every now and then.
Considering that my taste buds may change and i may never want it again, i'm also wondering who still indulges in McD's post-op? if i WANT to, will i eventually be able to account for it and enjoy this every few months?

I would eat at McDonalds before surgery - not a lot (I'd prefer a good cheeseburger from a great bar here in town).
Now - I really don't want one. In fact, I was in a McDonalds this afternoon and the greasy smell made me a little sick to my stomach. I didn't order anything and to be quite honest, I didn't want anything.
I have found that those foods that I used to crave, want, binge on, just don't appeal to me anymore. I used to love bread - good crusty artisan bread. I rarely eat bread now and I don't miss it. The other night at Olive Garden I had 1/2 a breadstick....pre-surgery, I would eat 3-4 breadsticks plus all that Pasta. I used to love pizza - I know will eat the toppings and a couple of bites of the crust.
I think once I de-toxed my body, I realized all that I didn't want all that processed food anymore. I'm not saying I never eat carbs or bad stuff. I've been known to sneak a fry from my son's plate or a Dorito here and there, but for the most part, I don't want that stuff.
I know you're worried about what your diet will be like post-op....I did too. I mourned food. I had my food funerals. In reality, I didn't need to. Food just doesn't have it's clutches in me any more - I'm finally free.

you will find that most of the people here 'watched what i ate and exercised' so many times in our lives we lost count.
when i had joined weight watchers for the 29th time i finally got a clue that it wasn't working for me...
there is no secret to surgery, it is simply a TOOL to aid us. this tool DOES eliminate a majority of the grelin producing section of the stomach (it is also still produced in the brain) AND limits capacity.
My surgeon told me that right now my stomach at capacity is probably around 76-90 oz. full, it's the size of a football. post-op, my new filled tummy will be around 6 oz., the size of a smallish banana. obviously if it can only hold that small amount, i have less calories to both burn and utilize.
i am simply trying to put myself on a level playing field so that i have a chance to be in control.

I'm enjoying the last of my food funerals and getting ready to shop tomorrow for all of my pre-op foods! shakes, oatmeal, applesauce, broth, SF popsicles, SF pudding, yogurt, SF Jello, and raw veg. yum!
Anyone else getting ready to launch the final leg before surgery on Monday? I would love some buddies to converse with when i have a craving meltdown!!!!

i agree with the above. i went through the initial appts about 15 months ago and then completely flaked. it took me until this last january to finally realize that i too, had really tried it all.
i felt like i had made an honest effort to do it on my own with no success at all- in fact in all my efforts i got more and more frustrated and GAINED 22 lbs.
keep coming here and search ALL SORTS of topics. read as much online research as you can. I went to all the major medical center websites that i could think of (johns hopkins,mayo, cleveland, ucla, etc) and read their bariatric center sites.i also spent hours upon hours on this site. i did also seek out youtube for personal testimonies from patients.
Lastly, i would recommend going to youtube and watching a reality series called Fat Doctor. it's from the UK and was extremely helpful for me. gave the real ins and outs of bariatric surgery, prep, post-op, etc.
i found ALL of these things helpful. many of us teter back and forth. that is normal. good luck!

thanks everyone, and good luck to you all too!
i'm also worried about fatty liver, since i am already formally diagnosed with a fatty liver i'm afraid it will be in the way too! i will be taking this pre-op diet very seriously.

i cannot believe how HUGE my stomach has gotten over the past couple years.
i have avoided pictures for the longest time but i wanted something to document all of my loss and a final pic that my kids will hardly remember someday...
WOW. now i can understand why i have been asked when i'm due. i have PCOS and carry it all in my belly and i seriously look about 54 weeks pregnant. HUGE.
well, at least that part is over!

well, i'm a nurse in a private practice and i can't tell you HOW MANY patients have asked me "when are you due?"...over the past three years....your question is way better!

I do anesthesia for a living and just tell your anesthesia provider that you have just been tested and that you have been diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. Are you getting a cpap machine? If at all possible you should get one prior to surgery and bring it with you to the hospital to use while you are there. If they have determined that your sleep apnea is severe enough to use a cpap machine please use it!
Especially when you are on pain medications. Pain medications can increase your sleep apnea and I've actually read stories about people dying post operatively because of their untreated sleep apnea and pain medications. When I've got sleep apnea patients I make sure to tell them that they must wear their cpap postoperatively. I was lucky enough to not have to have a cpap machine so I don't know what one feels like but please wear one if they say you need it.

Might do whilst the incisions are raw. I went for one of those pull-on, moulded, total elastic thingamebobs.
I have a fair rack, so I needed some support - else I'dve been cleaning my shoes. It was a godsend.
Post healing, normal underwires have been fine. However and if I've eaten until I'm 'full' - the underwire at the sternum can be a bit of an excess pressure and I'm often found whipping it off after dinner in my house!
If I'm out, i eat less - cause I don't want to free the boobies in a public place!
It would scare people, for sure!

Hi
I'm June 23. I start pre op diet June 16

My wife also is starting her new life on the 23rd... She is nervous and excited.. Going to make a special dinner for her tonight..Hope I can be a great support system for her...

Ask your friends if they are aware of:
--the rate of complications and death from weight loss surgery (not sure if you are having bypass or sleeve - your profile says bypass but you are posting in the sleeve forums. Either way, the risk is very small).
vs.
--the rate of complications and death from remaining supermorbidly obese (hint - a lot higher than the risks of surgery)
vs.
--statistically, the number of super morbidly obese people who are able to lose a significant amount of weight "on their own" without surgery and maintain that weight loss (about 5% or less)
vs.
--statistically, the number of super morbidly obese people who are able to lose a significant amount and maintain that weight loss WITH surgery (depends on the surgery but it's more like 70%)
Unless they are coming at this problem from a thoroughly researched point of view they really shouldn't be trying to give you medical advice. Tell them you appreciate their concern but this is a decision you've made for your health in consultation with your doctors and you aren't discussing it with them further.
Weight loss surgery is an extremely effective tool - the best known for fighting a deadly disease. If you had been diagnosed with cancer, would you decline surgery to remove the tumor in favor of hoping it would go away, because surgery has risks?

I think I probably changed my mind or waffled a hundred times...right up to the day of surgery (in admitting I had thoughts of walking out thinking, "I could walk out of here and only be out $500." I think it's totally normal...this is a big decision and a life changer.
My suggestion is to research, research and research some more. Come to this forum when you have questions - You'll get the perspective of people that are actually going thru or have gone thru the same thing. My parents, specifically my dad, was skeptical at first. He didn't try to talk me out of it, but he was concerned about the fact that the VSG is irreversible. He now calls it "a necessary surgical procedure". (That makes me laugh)
Only you will know if you're ready - only you have to live in your body day in and day out. It's easy for someone to say "do it on your own". My response: Uh, yeah, I've been trying that for years and it isn't working.

My new love is syntax nectar. I'm currently using the fuzzy navel. I add a fruit punch or lemon tea of Walmart brand crystal light.

i would go and take something with you that is allowed during your pre-op.
personally i love the nectar mixes. they mix with Water and look like a crystal light. you can actually add some crystal light also to make them taste even better than they are.
on ice in a nice glass it is like having a light cocktail! this could also be your chance to share with your friends about your upcoming surgery if you are inclined to.
i would go, take something with, and use this platform to have some last minute fun before your big day!

i plan on cutting mine very short as soon as the loss starts.i have curly hair that is fine but lots of it.
i have talked with my stylist who says 'call as soon as you need me'.
i HOPE that i'll be looking so smokin' hot that nobody will notice my hair!
and yes, from all those i know who had surgery in the past two years (about 6 close friends) it DOES grow back.

Am I the only person who found this phenomena totally exciting? The complete bind that food had on me before has been broken and I finally feel free from the addiction that got me to the point of needing WLS in the first place.
Love my sleeve.

i was in the same boat and had initially explored the sleeve. my initial appt with my surgeon didn't really discuss any of the options, just mostly ALL of the testing involved...
then my family doctor gave me a formal lesson in sleeve/reflux. i already have GERD and take a PPI drug twice a day. so i set my decision to bypass.
saw my surgeon last week for the final follow up and he actually says that he believes the sleeve is better for me because with my GI history, i don't want a blind stomach sitting there sealed shut that can't ever be scoped (I have EGD twice a year due to Barrett's disease).
everybody is very different and the opinion that counts most is your surgeon. have a candid discussion and get his/her true feelings about which fits you the best. also, some insurances will only pay for certain surgeries if you have certain diagnoses...

Protein shakes?
powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury unflavored powder, Unjury Protein cheese sauce mix, Unjury chicken Soup and strawberry shake powder, Syntrax Matrix vanilla, Muscle Milk, Garden of a Life Raw Protein original and vanilla, Premier Protein chocolate and vanilla, Syntrax nectar various flavors, and PB2
Vitamins?
Garden of life Raw Vitamin Code for Women
Calcium
B12 sublingual
Foods?
Drinkable yogurt (Siggi's and kefir were the lowest carbs)
Broths... chicken, beef, Swansons Tortilla Soup broth base, Swansons Chineese hot and sour soup broth base
Cream soups....chicken, mushroom, celery, asparagus, shrimp, lobster bisque, potato leek, Tomato, etc.
I diluted and strained the cream Soups and added Unjury unflavored powder to soups and broth. The Unjury protein cheese powder was especially yummy mixed in chicken broth and tortilla soup base.
Liquids?
Mio and Dasani Water flavor drops, crystal light packets, K2O packets, organic juice, pedialyte, Vitamin Water, Lifewater, Decaf herbal tea
Medications?
My surgeon sent me home with Omeprazole 40mg, antibiotics, GI motility meds, and sublingual pain meds (never needed them)
Other misc?
GasX strips, Maaloxx, Blender Bottle for mixing shakes and soups
This got me through the first 18 days while I was on clear and full liquids.

it is good that she is concerned about you. as others have said, we nurses (and CNAs) tend to be very careful about our own health decisions.
be proud that you raised a daughter who is only looking out for your best interest. maybe take her to lunch and discuss it with her or take her to an appt with your surgeon and allow her to ask questions! knowledge is always the best power and will likely ease her concerns.
good luck!

With two diabetics in the house being sleeved, it has to be mind over matter and not tempt my husband with anything with sugar in the house. He has lost 90 lbs and I am finally sleeping soundly at night knowing his blood sugar won't plummet. I have to admit bread was my downfall though. I buy no more, and I do miss it.