Lissa

I do sugar-free mostly, but I don't follow the fat free philosophy. I do SF because it's what I'm used to doing, and because my son that lives with me has diabetes. I can actually taste when a drink has sugar in it. I usually do decaf and unsweetened tea for drinks, if I'm not drinking Water. And, I still haven't gotten my taste back for most sweets. chocolate is the exception, unfortunately. I don't do fat free because the substitutes for that usually make my tummy irritated. I religiously did low fat when my kids were small, and gained weight the whole time! Now, I just keep the portions small. I agree with you. How bad can one piece of full-fat bacon be for me? I'd rather eat that one piece than a pound of the turkey bacon!

ja, I just looked at my boxes of broth and they say that chicken and beef broth each has 3g of Protein per cup. Not a lot, but it's some protein when you're first post-op. It's a "decent" source, not a great one. But, some people can get it down a whole bunch better than Protein shakes right after surgery. I drank gallons of it when I was in the liquids stage. The warm broth went down much better than the protein shakes ever did.

Shae, I'm glad that you did more research. I had read the weight lifting board links about how collagen-based protein isn't readily available to the body. I actually have this question on my list for my surgeon next week.

Ladies, (Seraphina, CoffeeandMagazines, and lml), I know that all three of you are going to do well through surgery. For coffee, your doc has a point about the estate planning docs. You should have them in place, if only to take your mind off that particular worry. I'll admit I updated mine. It gave me peace of mind. I think it's more normal to freak out than to be calm at this point. You have each researched your doctor, your hospital and your situation to the point where you are basically comfortable with your decision. Having done that research, I think it's normal to second-guess yourself. Hopefully, you'll be able to resolve those questions before you go in for surgery. OR, you could be like me and still be thinking about those questions as you're being wheeled into the operating room. You'll still do fine. I can't wait to see all of you on the loser's bench!

blonde, I'm working on motivation, too. Right now, I'm using the thought of being off one of my meds and getting rid of the Bi-pap as motivation to work hard for my Christmas goal. I want to reach 280 early enough for my doctor to schedule me for a sleep study this year, since that means I won't have to pay the $250 deductible for it. I got extra motivation today to keep doing my walking. I got into a pair of pants that have not fit me in over 8 years!

I'm at 2.5 months out and my hardest change has been not drinking with meals and giving up diet soda. Good luck!

At 3 days post-op, Water is your main goal. Try to get some liquid Protein in, but most folks are still working on learning how to drink again. My doc told me to concentrate on water and get protein in as I could. It WILL get easier fairly quickly, so you won't starve. As the other poster said, try to mix protein into anything you can stand, but broth is a decent source...and it's where I got most of my protein while on liquids. Good luck with your journey!!

Congrats!! Welcome to the loser's bench! I'm scooting over to make room for you, no, not that far...you don't need as much room now.

Thomas, Thank you for that list! I use the treadmill and exercise bike at my apartment complex, but wondered what else I could be doing. Those are some great ideas and I will be printing your post!

Deenah, Step away from the angry pills. What you are going through is normal. I think everyone has some issues they must work through, both before and after surgery. It makes it tougher because we all think the surgery is going to magically transform us (and it does!), but it's not instant. We have to go through a bit of pain and adjustment before things start looking better. Just concentrate on recovering from surgery right now. Drink you Water, walk as much as you can, and try to get some Protein into your sleeve. Try not to think about what you "gave up", but concerntrate on what you're gaining: health, better body image, help to lose the weight. Those things are incredible! Once you are past the initial pain and back on your feet, you will feel better. The anger will pass. If you really need help after you're through the first bit of recovery, maybe you should make an appt with a therapist. But, I'm betting you will be fine in just a few days. Right now you are sleep deprived, hurting and maybe a bit mad at yourself because you didn't do this "alone". You will be doing it alone. The sleeve is a tool and, while it's incredibly helpful, it's still only a tool for the weight loss. Imagine yourself in a few months, thinner than now, able to move better (that will be weeks, not months, btw), with fewer health problems. Imagine seeing the looks you get from others when they realize that the skinny chick walking by is YOU! It will be worth it. Good luck on your journey!!

I lost 13 pounds pre-op, then started dropping weight like it was a game. I really noticed about a week and a half out when my undies fell off of me. Take pre-op pics and measurements. You will see the difference VERY quickly once you have the surgery. My AHA moment came when I took a pic of my face and compared it to my pre-op face pic. What a difference!

I'm actually cooking for T-day this year, so I am making it easy on myself. I'll be cooking a turkey breast, making deviled eggs, and stuffing. If anyone wants something different, or more, they'll need to bring it. I can have the turkey and eggs, and a little stuffing if I have room. Since it will be me, my son and husband, and a few very close friends, I sat down and figured out what I really wanted to eat from the traditional dinner. I've always done the huge feast and had tons of leftovers, but I don't want to deal with them for weeks. I offered to cook more, but noone else wants a ton of leftovers either. If I have leftover turkey, that's easy to deal with. The eggs and stuffing will undoubtedly be gone that day. I'm not making mashed taters, pies, or cakes. I don't need the temptation from them. If someone else brings them, they can take the uneaten food home with them. I'm just NOT that into food this year. Can you tell?

Egg Face's Ricotta Bake IS to die for! (Grammar police, ignore the preceding sentence, thanks!) That Ricotta bake is still on my menu. It's quick and easy to make and it tastes great. I'm avoiding most refined carbs, so it's a great substitute when I think I'd really like spaghetti or lasagna for dinner. And, it's HIGH Protein as well. Yummy. As for the tilapia, if anyone has a Save A Lot nearby, I found individually bagged 8 oz servings of Tilapia for 99 cents there. Well, that's about 2 meals for me, whicdh means I'm paying 50 cents for a meal! YAY

Yay! It sounds like you are doing great! Welcome to the loser's bench!!

Major NSV today! I bought a Kia Soul last year and have always felt that the seatbelt plug-in was way too close to my butt. I have pretty much been dealing with it because I felt that I was "too big", so I tolerated it. And dealt with it by making sure I sat as far left as I could. Tonight, driving home from about 50 miles away, I noticed that I kept shifting in my seat. Finally I realized that I have about 2 inches on either side of my boo-tay in the seat and I was shifting because I was sitting too far to the left. So, I moved around and got comfy and the seat belt plug was NOT digging into my tush! I can't wait to see how big the seat gets as I lose weight!!

I have a congenital birth defect, so I'm used to educating doctors about medical issues. My picture is in their textbooks from the research that has been done on my defect. You may not have better luck with another doctor as far as them knowing about VSG, but, you may want a doctor who listens to you better than this one does. Have you asked your surgeon for a referral to a new PCP? S/he may know someone who works better with sleeve patients than your current doc.

I agree with those above. Protein drinks/broth/liquids for the pre-op liquid diet and for a week after surgery, then I moved on to adding in scrambled eggs, pureed soups, and other mushy foods. Then I was able to slowly add in softer foods until I hit my 5 week mark. After that I can have almost anything I want. I eat ribs, chicken, tuna, shrimp, Protein Bars and cheese. I can't drink milk right now, but cheese is going down okay again. My one piece of advice is don't overbuy on the Protein shakes or mixes because so many people find that they can't handle the flavor after surgery.

Welcome, Firefly. There is a ton of info on this site for you to explore. Any question you can think of has probably been asked and answered here. Looking forward to seeing you on the loser's bench!

Favored one, I can't imagine how much you're going to ROCk that sleeve. But, I want you to know that I love seeing your picture every time I come across your posts. You have the most beautiful smile on your face. I don't know what was up the day that photo was taken, but I hope it happens a lot for you!! You'll be on the loser's bench really soon, and I can't wait to scoot over to make room for you!

Good luck! I'm excited for you!!

Welcome to the loser's bench, both you and your sister!! Good luck on your journey!!

Um, Diva? I share your story regularly with folks. You started where I started, pretty much, and I hope to end up where you're at now. You give me hope, etc., etc.

I think everyone knows "someone" for whom WLS didn't work, or cause deep emotional pain, or the "someone" had horrible complications. My friend's sister in law had RNY and has had horrible complications, but, here's the thing, she's not compliant with her diet, Water intake, or exercise...and she certainly hasn't spent any time on a therapist's couch to find out what drove her to get so heavy in the first place! I'm not saying that therapy is a requirement for WLS, because many people do fine without a therapist. But, some of us have issues that go way beyond our weight. Every person, fat or thin, is subject to a cheating spouse, a bad relationship, or bad decisions. Those things don't happen because we had or didn't have WLS. They happen because we are people and we are humans living in a big, bad world. :::shrug::: There is a huge mental aspect to having WLS. That's why most doctors require a psyche evaluation before you have WLS. It's to possibly steer those who need extra help to someone who can help them. Even if we aren't told we need therapy, it's a great idea to try to work through our issues before the surgery. And there's a lot of mental work to do even after the surgery. Anyway, my original point was that there are always going to be horror stories. Each of us has to figure out how we are going to deal with them. My response is usually "Thanks for telling me. I feel I made a good choice for me." I do have sympathy for those who have major problems after WLS, but it saved MY life. I can't say that I'd be alive right now if I hadn't started dumping the weight. Many WLS patients have similar stories to tell about how losing the weight helped them improve their medical conditions. Good luck on your journey!!

New Life, Good luck in the morning! You will have a rough couple of days, but it's not that bad...and the benefits are amazing! I know it's a little early, but welcome to the loser's bench!

M2G, I hear you on the Biotin. I just decided to be as proactive as I could be to try and stave off hair loss...and to give me an edge if it does start. I hope it helps. My hair is pretty thick, so other people probably won't realize I'm losing it either. My big worry is having a huge bald spot like a gal that came to our support group meeting. She had her hair dyed very dark brown and her pink scalp showed way too well. I'm also lightening mine again, as much to cover the gray as anything else.