Lissa

If I'm reading your post right, no interest in drinking is not the same as unable to drink. Put yourself on a schedule to get your fluids in and keep drinking whether you eat or not. The 1.5 pound weight gain is probably because your body needed the IV fluids you were given. Don't let that stop you from drinking. Know that you must have water in your body in order to continue to lose weight and do so safely. One of the most important things I learned was that our body will eat muscle if we aren't providing it with the building blocks it needs (protein, water, vitamins) and it can cause major problems if the body decides that the heart muscle looks tasty. I've lost over 100 pounds and have some weakness in my heart despite being religious about the protein, water and vitamin routines. You must do what your body needs, even if you don't want to do it. Set yourself an alarm clock and drink an ounce of water every 15 minutes or so until you get to a point where you can do it without thinking about it. Do whatever it takes.

I don't know how far pre-op you are, but I suggest cutting down now on the soda. Reduce your consumption by one a day, replacing it with a bottle of Water or some other caffeine/sugar free drink. I found that decaf iced tea helped me a lot in dumping soda. I didn't drink a single soda for over 4 months post-op, but I finally decided that fighting the soda craving on top of all the other changes I was making was too much for me. Your mileage may vary on that. I am proud to say that I am STILL caffeine free and I don't miss that high at all.

I'm printing this post out and going to put it on my mirrors so that I see it every single day.

MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing. As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either. For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me! Good luck, whatever you decide.

My highest was 352. I'm just over a year out and I weigh 239 right now. Thrilled doesn't even begin to describe it!

I've put a little nutela on some of the nastier protein bars I bought pre-op and eaten them as a treat. Heat up the bar first and it's like having dessert. I don't know that nutella is good or bad, but it sure made those icky protein bars easier to eat, even with only a small teaspoon spread on them.

I don't know the exact science, but I have noticed that I feel full longer if I wait to drink...and I lose weight faster. Therefore, no drinking water with meals for me.

I agree, too. I still fight a lot of my emotional stuff, but now a cheat is a whole lot easier to deal with. Yesterday was a bad day and my "cheat" was a single serving size bag of cheetos AND ONE mini almond joy. Okay, neither one is "good" for me, but it's a whole lot less than I'd have cheated on before surgery. I also allowed myself to get overly hungry rather than eating regular meals as I should have done. Today, I'm back on track (and on My Fitness Pal) and I'll do right today. No regret for yesterday. IMO, that's the beauty of the sleeve vs the others. I have physical restriction that won't let me eat mass quantities of anything, so I've been forced to deal with the emotional stuff. Yeah, I ate something I shouldn't have yesterday, but I now have the self control to get back on track and keep working toward my goal. THAT is what the sleeve has helped me accomplish!

My doc wanted me to wait six weeks before I could lift any weights, even the tiny 2 pounders I started with.

I take sublingual B12 daily and I can see the change in energy immediately if I forget it. B12 helps with both my energy level and my mental clarity, although you probably wouldn't know it from my posts around here!

I'm a fan of the tuna kits myself. I do buy the ones with crackers, but I seldom eat the crackers. I also buy little bags of sardines because I love sardines. I invested ina box of plastic silverware so I can toss the utensil with the container. Mini babybel cheeses are a staple for me and I have a small cooler that sits in my car for bottle Water. Freeze the water and it's your ice for the other food if you need it. If you do have time to stop, most convenience stores now carry string cheese and boiled eggs in little packets, too. You could carry both in the cooler, though.

I don't use as many pillows as pre-op, for sure. Congrats and keep looking for those NSVs!!!

Princess, Check into medicaid/medicare in your state. See if they will help you get surgery. However, don't wait to lose weight to live and enjoy your life! You are young! Get out there and meet people! Life doesn't have to pass you by just because you're heavy!!!

Hooray!! Good luck on your journey!!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All those NSVs let you know that you made the right choice for you! Enjoy fitting in all those wonderful new places...including sex!

I'm so sorry that you didn't get your sleeve! I agree with everyone else, drop that 20 pounds any way you can safely do so and then get back in there. It will definitely be worth it!!!

Dana, Yes, you can lose a significant amount of weight without exercise. But, you should definitely work closely with your nut and doctor(s) to keep your Protein levels high. Rapid weight loss also means muscle loss without exercise and protein to help protect your muscle, especially your heart, which is a muscle. You may find that exercise becomes much easier once the weight starts coming off your body. I'm the poster child for no exercise pre-op. I could barely walk. Although my situation didn't involve a wheelchair, I was very close to it. I couldn't walk through walmart without needing to stop and rest every couple of aisles. I have/had bad knees and was probably a higher BMI than even the charts show because I had little or no muscle. I started out walking up and down the hallway, and progressed from there. I also started out doing 10 reps of 2 pound weights for my arms once a day. Now, I'm basically a gym rat. I don't think everyone can or should become a gym rat, but even a little exercise makes a huge difference for us. Someone here posted a link to a You Tube video that shows what the benefits of 30 minutes daily of regular mild exercise (walking, bike ride) can be for a sedentary person. It was amazing to hear what the health benefits can be for so little activity! Even better is that there are some new studies that say that breaking up that 30 minutes into 10 minute increments has as much, possibly more, benefit as doing it all in one chunk. So, if you could fit three 10 minute sessions of some activity into your day, you could get the benefits without a formal, rigorous program. You've got nothing to lose by fitting in some activities that work for you, except weight. TJMom, above, is the perfect example of working slowly towards a goal. She's not doing a formal program, but she's getting phenomenal results from doing what she can do with regard to exercise.

package-y? Meaning they looked too posed? Show them anyway... We're all counting on you guys for some eye candy!

You look terrific! I see your weight loss, even if you don't!!!! Congrats on losing 100 pounds!! :::: Hands over membership card ::::::

Patrick Curl on here had the sleeve at over 600 pounds I believe. He's doing a phenomenal job at losing weight and hasn't had any complications that I know about. Perhaps look him up and read some of his progress posts.

Pooh, I buy Premier Protein bars at Sam's Club. I usually eat them for Breakfast and I will break one into pieces to use when the urge to snack hits me. The bonus is that they have 30 grams of protein per bar... and I like that they have enough carbs to fuel a workout session! Skip the unhealthy Snacks and train yourself to use food you should be eating as a snack. Carrot sticks, beef Jerky, sliced lunch meat and mini babybel cheese (much cheaper at sam's too) are my staples.

I had the same procedure, plus had the filter removed after surgery. The only thing I'd add to Jerzy Girl's experience is that I had conscious sedation (Versed). I remember both procedures, but the Versed made it so I didn't give a darn what the doc was doing. My IVC filter was installed 5 days before surgery and removed 2 weeks after surgery. It's super important to get your water in after your sleeve if you're going to have your IVC filter removed. Being even a little dehydrated makes it difficult for the nurses to start your IV.

You can do wonders with walking, running, and straight calisthenics like we were taught in physical education classes as kids. Perhaps take a book of exercises with you? Add in some weight lifting with what you can find at camp. Light weights and high repetitions will start building muscle. Good luck!

As long as you're not doing goats or little kids, more power to you! Enjoy the NSV!!!