Nancy Rivers

The post-op diet that I have has for the soft/mushy stage: chicken, tuna, egg salad (made with low fat mayo or plain yogurt) lean ground meats or poultry soft/moist fish eggs 1% or fat-free cottage cheese low-fat cheese bean Soup (without meat) soft cooked veggies soft and/or peeled fruit There's also a note that veggies and fruit are only to be added if Protein goal is met of 60-80 g/day)

I just realized a few minutes ago that I actually had the post-op diet from the doctor already in the informational packet that I got from the initial meeting. Full Liquids on my diet will include everything from clear liquids and the following: any strained/blenderized soup (low-fat bean soups preferable over cream-based soups) 1% or fat free milk fat free pudding (made with 1% or skim milk) Protein supplements cooked cereal-blended oatmeal, cream of wheat (made with 1% or skim milk) fat free, sugar free yogurt 1% or fat free cottage cheese blended egg beaters (real eggs are on the soft/mushy stage) Too bad I don't have the pre-op diet list...

Hi. Congratulations on making the decision to have the surgery. Check out all of the boards on here - there is one specifically called "complications". I have also been watching some You Tube videos. Very illuminating. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. I hope my gas production goes down too.

Congrats! There is a post in one of other forums on how to do the ticker: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/13516-ticker-tutorial-for-vst-lbt-with-pictures/

Congratulations! Way to work the sleeve!

Your body needs food about every 4 hours or so to keep going. Most nutritionists/doctors suggest eating 3 "meals" and 2 or 3 Snacks throughout the day so that you are eating something about every 3 to 4 hours. This is necessary for your body to not go into starvation mode and start storing any calories that you may take in - no matter how healthy those calories may be. Keep in mind, restaurant portions are often more than double the "normal" portion that we should be eating. That's how a few of us have ended up being obese. (I know that's how it happened to me - I ate out all the time.) The key is moderation and not to over-indulge. Eating small amounts of food several times a day helps in that regard.

I haven't been sleeved yet, but what you are feeling is completely normal. Many people here have had nerves before the surgery and have had the second thoughts. I don't have a date yet, and I am nervous and am constantly second guessing myself. Just remember the reasons why you wanted to have this surgery. Chances are good that you have been trying to loose your extra weight many times in the past, so you know that just simply dieting won't work. The sleeve is a tool that you can use to help you loose the weight forever by assisting you in changing your "bad" habits into good and healthier habits. It's not a magic bullet, but I suspect you already know that. You have made a commitment to change your life and become healthier for a reason. Remember that reason. Keep repeating your reasons to yourself over and over again. It really does help with the nerves. I know it helps me. By the way, congratulations on making the decision and getting to this point. Good luck with the surgery.

A friend of mine who smoked went to his PCP and got a prescription to help him stop smoking - it really worked for him. I've known others who have used the OTC Patches and have had success. My parents quit cold turkey when the price went up too high for them about 20 years ago. Check with your state health department - they might have some stop smoking programs that can help you as well. From what research I have done, every surgeon will require you to stop smoking prior to surgery - so it's not just your surgeon. Sorry, I've never smoked, but I know there are options out there that will help. Good luck!

In general, the pre-op diet is to help shrink the liver and specifically the fat around the liver to make it easier for the surgeon to hold it out of the way while they work on our stomachs. The length of the pre-op diet does vary depending on your surgeon. Most that use it though seem to favor 2 week diets. What the pre-op diet exactly is also varies depending on your surgeon. Some it is a full liquid diet, some it's a low carb, low fat diet, some it's a combination of liquids (Protein shakes) and "real food" like lean cuisine. Your surgeon will let you know what you need to do for any pre-op diet they require.

I believe Jackie has it right. It's referring to how you think about food and the fact that you really do have to change your mindset about food and living in general. The sleeve is a tool that is to be utilized and can help us I believe in changing our mindset and how we think about food.

Thanks. I'll have to find out if any of those stores are in the area. I don't drink coffee, so I never would have thought about coffee places.

Wow, that's terrific! Way to go!

Congratulations on the loss and the new smaller you!

Congratulations! That's quite the achievement!

Hello and welcome to the site! The first step that I did was contact my insurance company to find out if they would cover it. Unfortunately they did not. However, I decided to go ahead anyway. The second step that I did was to Google search for doctors in the area that I wanted to have the surgery done. I then checked out everyone's website and any videos they might have had. I also checked to see what all the practice offered - if it was surgery only or if they also did non-surgical methods of weight loss. For me, that was important because I wanted to know that the surgeon I chose wasn't just doing surgeries. I felt personally, that if the doctor had non-surgical weight loss programs, then he/she would probably be more understanding of me and better able to help me and not just pushing doing a surgery because that's what would fill his pocketbook. At the same time, I also started researching the different types of surgeries since some of the doctors were using terms on their websites that I wasn't familiar with. I then called and made a reservation for his informational seminar. Based on that, I went ahead and scheduled an actual office appointment so that I could sit down and talk with him and his staff. At this point, I'm confident that I made the right choice for me. I hope that was helpful.

Welcome to the site and congratulations on making it through the first step. I don't have Kaiser, so I can't help with your question, but wanted to welcome you.

I hope you get feeling better and everything goes according to plan tomorrow.

I was wondering if any one was really "gassy" before the surgery and how did the surgery impact that? I have always been rather gassy (both ends). Now I understand that some people experience gas after the surgery, but I wonder if anyone had bad gas before the surgery and what happened afterwards.

Congratulations! I'm glad it's going so well for you. Thank you for sharing.

Good luck tomorrow!

So I made my first ever smoothie today. Used some unflavored Protein powder (and, no, I can't taste it), Fage 2% Greek yogurt (I know why it's a substitute for sour cream), blueberries, milk, ice. I think I needed to use more ice or milk or add some Water to it. Smoothie is good - but really thick - like normal yogurt. However, I really can taste the sourness of the Greek yogurt. I know others have sweetened it with SF syrups. However, before I buy big bottles of this stuff, I was wanting to try them to see if there are any flavors that I won't like. Does anyone know of where I can get samples of the SF syrups? Thanks.

You will do great. Congrats on your surgery tomorrow and good luck.

Welcome and congratulations on making the decision. You'll find a lot of information through these boards and a lot of support as well.

As I understand it, nothing will prevent the hair loss, but it will grow back. 50 pounds lost is a great thing! Keep in mind that you are still losing. It's only been 3 or 4 months - and you have lost 50 pounds in that time! There will be times that the weight will come off slower, and other times that it just flies off. Also, as you approach your ideal weight, the weight loss slows. I know it is hard to get exercise in, but could you walk at your lunch time? That would get some exercise in. Also, if you have a yard - try getting a push mower and mowing the grass that way instead of using a rider. Take the steps instead of an elevator if you can. Park the car a bit further from the door when shopping, so you have to walk further. All of these things are small changes that you can make and get more exercise in. Keep your chin up and focus on the positive (I know it's hard). You've lost 50 pounds forever in a short amount of time. That is reason to celebrate!