JackieOMonroe

This reminds me of my weight loss on Optifast and HMR. When I did those VLC diets, my weight loss looked approximately like this: Week 1: - 10 lbs Week 2: - 2 lbs Week 3: - 1 lbs Week 4: - 5 lbs Week 5: - 2 lbs Week 6: - 2 lbs Week 7: - 0 lbs Week 8: - 4 lbs Week 9: - 1 lbs See what I'm getting at? My weight loss was all over the place even though I was doing everything right. I would change NOTHING. I ate only what I was supposed to eat, counted every calorie burned at the gym, kept a weekly food and exercise diary, etc. It made no sense to me! I felt like my body was betraying me! The bottom line was that my body was going to do what it felt like doing. All that I could do was help it out in every way I could. I would lose the weight, but I couldn't force it to happen on my schedule. Weight loss is not an exact science. Since we all know that weight loss is based mainly on calories in-calories out and can be approximated, I think that we all try to break this down into a mathematic formula that will tell us exactly where we should be, right down to the exact day we should be there. As you've discovered by now, weekly weight loss is predicted about as accurately as a meteorologist predicts the weather. Try to see each ounce lost as another sunny day. You may have cloudy days where zero pounds are lost and you may even have rainy days where you've gained a little. Just remember, keep your sights set on those sunny days. SUMMER. IS. COMING.

Even if you don't get a surgery date tomorrow, you should still be so happy about what you've accomplished. You stopped smoking, you quit drinking soda, and you're losing weight. Good luck to you!

I'm already being treated for depression. I've been on medication since January and I've been on leave from work since then as well because my depression was too severe to allow me to function. I've finally gotten a grasp on my illness and I do not relish the thought of WLS causing me to get to that place again. I hope that through continued counseling and medication a relapse will be prevented. Maybe I should look into some food addicts meetings...

I can't be sure, but I would imagine that it refers to the fact that you will still have head hunger, you will still want to turn to food for the same reasons you used to turn to food (emotional eating, etc.), you will still feel compelled to make unhealthy choices, you may still order or make more food than you need, your attitudes about food are not being altered by surgery on your stomach. The surgery is just one step in a long road of change. You'll see many people on the boards talk about bariatric surgery being a tool. They're correct. That's all it is. It will not solve your weight problems alone. You still have lots of work to do. Changing your brain is imperative.

huzzah!!

June 14th, 2011 with Dr. Ortiz at OCC.

congrats!

My surgeon said that my drain (once I've been sleeved) will likely be removed on the 5th day.

I get sleeved on June 14th and I turn 31 the day after that. What a way to spend a birthday!

I've done Optifast and HMR. HMR is delicious, Optifast is horrible. To make the shakes more palatable, my husband and I bought an arsenal of Torani syrups. My favorite was vanilla shake with vanilla syrup, his was chocolate shake with vanilla syrup. My best friend did it too and her favorite combo was orange shake with Crystal Light for flavoring (that was my second favorite). You may have a different taste experience than the three of us. We all completely hated the taste of the shakes alone. The formulation that we had was Optifast 70 which only has chocolate, vanilla, and orange flavors. Since you have strawberry and not orange, it sounds like you might have Optifast 800 which I hear is a lot tastier than Optifast 70.

I haven't been sleeved yet, but I'm going to Dr. Ortiz at OCC in TJ. I went and toured the clinic and got to meet Dr. Ortiz and the staff and I really enjoyed everyone. Two of the nurses on his staff have been sleeved and I got to speak with them. One was sleeved quite a while ago and the other was only sleeved 2 weeks ago!

I drink Lipton Diet Green Tea Citrus and it doesn't give me the munchies, but then I don't think Crystal Light ever did either.

Thanks everyone! I guess I'd better step it up. It's harder than I expected it to be!

So I just got my surgery date and I'm set to be sleeved on June 14th (the day before my birthday!). I was told to use a volumetric incentive spirometer ten times a day, every day during these two weeks leading up to my surgery. Does this mean that I do a certain number of "reps" 10 times a day? Or do I just suck on it 10 times a day? If I only suck on it 10 times a day, do I do it all at once or spread it out over the day? Sorry if this seems lie a dumb question!

I know how you feel. I just got my surgery date today. I'll be sleeved the day after you and the day before my birthday! I'm so nervous and I have so many misgivings about it. I'm trying to remain confident that all will be well.