kcage

Ok guys and gals quick question......... I just want to point out I do not remember what my NUT said my calorie intake should be and have been going about my post op diet with the mindset nothing I ate before is ok (lol) and really taking the stages into consideration. So I set a goal for myself and would like to know if it is realistic. I use myfitnesspal and based on my preop weight and weight loss goals they set my calorie intake to 1200. I lowered it myself to 1000 but I am so pleased and feel successful if I reach over 600 and ecstatic if I can get to 800 without a candy bar lol. So that is #1 is that a good sound caloric intake to be at? Under 1000 over 600 that is 400 calories to play with! #2. I have lost 25.2 lbs since surgery 4/9/12 ( I am 4 weeks 3 days post op) and I am pleased with that however, I am only 14 lbs away from onderland and I would like to shed those final 14 by memorial day 5/28. Is that realistic? I have began to incorporate exercise and that jumpstarted everything after I hit a week long stall and menstrual bloating and swelling.....bleh:( but on May 28th that would put me at 7 weeks post op and if I succeed at losing those 14 lbs will be a total loss of 40 lbs. At 8 weeks post op I plan on begining weight training as I am concentrating on cardio now to train my lungs and build endurance and not pull, tear or rip anything! So what do you guys think? I want to create a list of mini goals for myself but I want to be real with myself and now that I have this tool and have begun to see and feel a difference I am excited about doing things that seemed like a distant memory! So please leave a message

I am kcage1.. I love it because even my 0.8 lbs lost was motivational! Will be adding some of the others at the top as well. I love having friends on there who are sleeved as well! Good luck everyone

Ok guys....... will be three weeks post-op on Monday and while I have lost 22.5 lbs the last couple of days have been horrible. My family went out to eat for the first time since surgery and I must say I do well with "real food" because I just cannot eat as much, however, I ate something high in sugar although fat free and I was able to tolerate it a little too well for my liking. Due to my recent testing of different foods, all next week I will be placing myself back on full liquids starting tonight. I am not getting enough protein so I will do a shake for breakfast and that one shake will be half of my protein for the day....idk I guess no I know I am still getting used to being sleeved and I am by no means addicted to food where I am in danger of sabotaging or allowing my surgery to be in vain, I just feel as though food was ruling my life before surgery and it still is just in a different way! I tried the breakfast shakes from Carnation and the milk is tearing me up, so will try Soy and I am just kinda bored with food right now! If I don't eat I am weak, irritable, moody and if I do eat I am uncomfortable, feel defeated after four bites and bored.......this is really just a vent but I have stalled due to my poor eating habits.....Please tell me what you guys did at this stage to get out of this funk! I really don't want to see another sugar free popsicle! I am going to try my hand at making my own smoothies next week so we will see how that goes! ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH I do not regret the surgery I just didn't prepare for the emotional rollercoaster that was to come. I find myself even frustrated that I have no clothes that fit, everything is baggy 3 month post op where are you. I feel I will never make it, maybe going back to work is a good thing..lol Going to try gym this week too so I am excited. Ok done with vent! Thanks for listening you guys are the best!

Campbell's also makes a southwestern corn soup it is part of their veggie line idk but strain the corn out and I swear it taste like chicken tortilla soup, it has just enough kick to ease the spicy craving but not enough spice to irritate your sleeve! it is AWESOME even my picky three yr old thought it was good!

Hello Everyone, So just a quick improtu chat...... Sleeved 4/9 S/W 239 C/W 221 Ok let's talk fluids......getting more today than probably ever. I have had the hardest time figuring out what is a full liquid what is a clear liquid and so I went to Jason's Deli and got the small cup of cheddar broccoli Soup on day 5. Was it good nope it was delicious, but that is what made me think it was probably not only too early but also not good for me so I had a total of about 8 teaspoons over 2 days. I went back to walmart got more sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello cups and crystal light packets for my Water and I must say today has been a good day. I did not finish the jello cup, but have been enjoying it and will try it for my nightly snack at around 8:45 pm. For dinner going to try some soup not cream based no cheese just some soup that is mainly broth....boo Reflux......let's just say will be asking doc to call in nexium in the morn. I have tried tums but i have what I have been reading is the vsg version of heartburn constantly whether I eat, drink or do neither. So if you get that chest pain in between your breast bone and it has been confirmed as a gerd condition PLEASE let me know! Incisions.....ok call me cooky but I still have my band aids on! I am scared that if I remove them I am removing my security blannket that ensures all is well. So if you have safely removed all tape and band aids please let me know it is ok. Some get loose in the shower and I act is though they are a wounded soilder I am protecting on the battle field. Starting to feel silly. Activity....drove about 10 miles on day 5 and today day 7 resumed the normal activities of dropping the kids off to daycare and going to the store so business as usual. I can clean the house but too much bending over too far makes my incisions hurt and I still take it easy with my turning. Numbers.....18 pounds gone as of today day 7 aka week 1. Yayyy there is a noticeable difference in appearance and clothes so not complaining but worried that it might be because I was slightly in starvation mode....anywho happy for that tremendous lost and any loss this week will be welcomed, however I realisticly know that not only is it not safe it is not 100% feasible to expect those types of #'s so I would be the overjoyed with 5#'s ecstatic with 9#'s which would be half of what I lost this week! Things I probably should not have done........there are quite a few so I will number them 1. Ate a piece of the individually little snack pieces of low fat cheese ( it was at least 6g of protein) 2. Had a smoothie from burger king (it is supposed to be low in sugar maybe sugar free but it tasted too good) 3. Jason's Deli Cheddar broccoli soup ( nuff said) 4. sucked 3 little cheetos until they were mush ( I really just wanted to test my taste buds ) 5. tried activia yogurt ( it had the fruit pieces that are tiny so while i know i can have the activia and I need it I give this 1 a ?) 6. Tried refried Beans ( not sure about this one either) Ok so I think that is it! I would love to hear from everybody lets share our progress, short comings and achievements all in fun. Oh yeah my ticker is wrong so will create a new one with accurate progress lol

@b-happy thank you for that great laugh. Are you seeing results bc that's all that matters as for doc they see loads of patients a day I promise you are not the worst. Plz let me know how the appt goes @arj1016 I am soooo soooo sorry to hear that! I got cottonmouth just thinking about that lol @joycelyn I will be boiling me an egg as soon as I get to the store to get a dozen!(Tomorrow) I haven't experienced any time of food incompatibilites either. and to be honest I cooked my family pork chops tonight nibbled just a itsy bitsy piece of the bone and was in heaven lol how are your numbers looking though bc that is whats important and please tell me how th appt goes tomorrow I cant wait to see what the docs report is @jdhenin congrats on your loss.....and I am so glad you are feeling good. Bc at the rate you are going you will be looking even better shortly! Lets stay in touch

I too struggled with this. I prayed about it but as you said I didn't really wait for an answer I just kept expecting God to step in at anytime should this not be for me. Being a minister in my church, I know I have an even greater responsibility and I never wanted my decision to affect the members of the congregation that are suffering with their weight. One day I was on this site and still feeling kinda unsure and I found a post someone had posted about how God answers our prayers regarding the things that concern us, our weight concerns us. The post went on to say how this surgery is a tool that God created to assist his children in an area where we have been weak. I had been looking for a sign that would say don't do it, and never expected a word that would tell me it's okay to do it. I told no one but my Pastor ( husband's blessing as well of course) that I was having surgery and I didn't even go into details, but I knew I needed the prayers of my Pastor to cover me while I was going through this process. I prayed and ensured that I was in right standings with the Lord prior to surgery and I accepted that if it was my time it was just my time, however, I knew that the devil would continue to try and feed doubt and unbelief up until the last moment. I am one week post-op and the only complications I had were caused by a nurse who was just trying to help me! I will say this, God tells us to cast all our cares on Him! I found out about the sleeve and had surgery in less than two months. I am 17lbs closer to not being overweight and experiencing health issues brought on by my poor habits. Is there another option, of course there is always another option thus free will. You are doing the right thing both sprirtually and naturally. Do your research and do your prayer search and should you decide surgery is right for you, yes you may still be nervous about the surgery you will have a peace about your decision! Remember the blessings of the Lord make it rich and addedth no sorrow! Best wishes and keep us posted.

I took my purse, a change of clothes, charger and gas x strips. If my husband would not have plugged in my phone the charger would have stayed in the bag and I stayed in the hospital gown until I was discharged. I never once looked at t.v. I slept and walked and used the bathroom and that was all. So don't try and take too much I promise you won't need it. Good luck!

Gas had me wishing I had never done the surgery. My large incision I feel pulling and I cannot stand up completly straight, but my gas died by like day 3 I do suffer from reflux so I keep my dissovable tums close. Take your time don't rush anything. I am trying to make a concious effort to intake more liquids, but it's hard. We can get through this together!

If the friends you are talking to have not had any type of surgery they will probably not understand. I didn't even know what a sleeve was until one of my friends told me she had done it......I only asked for the info to research it, but immediately knew it was for me. If you have ever taken diet pills or crash dieted those side affects could be detrimental as well. At least with this you are under the care of a medical professional. I was sleeved on 4/9 and I read every post every article and I thought I was overly informed, I was wrong! I don't regret doing it at all, and I am glad the surgery is over and I am four days into my new life. If you have done research then you know the complications, you have to remember that is the worst that could happen! Don't go into this looking for the worst, you have to trust your surgeon and staff and yourself that you will be committed to doing what you have to do to alleviate risks. Good luck and if you decide this procedure is for you, this is an awesome support group.

So glad that you posted this. I was also sleeved on Monday and am experiencing the same thing. In my mind I am hungry or my body knows I should be eating, I hope some of the experienced sleevers can help us out.

Ok guys I am headed to hospital, please keep me in your prayers! If anyone else is getting sleeved today lets join together and not look back. I am a little nervous, the unknown is now the present reality and while i feel you guys have prepared me, I know it wont be until I wake up that the actual finality will set in. Ready to take back control of my health, my youthfulness, my identity outside being overweight. Soooooooooo with that said I will see you all on the takeback bench.

April 9.......aka this morning........biting nails.......ready to have surgery over already! Good luck everyone

I am a veteran but I don't have 30% disability. My procedure is being covered by BCBS but I am going to see if they will pay anything towards my out of pocket expenses ie. deductible and copay will post back as soon as I find out either today or tomorrow. Good Luck

you know what Liberated I haven't even asked him!!!!!!!! I guess I better do that when I go in to see him on the 5th. And just when I thought I was well informed.......my sleeve has already thrown me a curveball lol

My surgeons office called me yesterday afternoon and gave me a date as the date I originially wanted I wont be able to get. So I will be sleeved April 9th. I am just worried now about driving. We have small children and so my husband will have to do all the dropping of and picking up from school while I am in hospital. How soon were some of you able to drive after surgery? Luckily no pre-op diet but I believe I am going to put myself on one just to wrap my obese brain around the upcominf changes so I will try for 7 days out????? And the nervous wait.......begins

Let me start by saying that is such a compliment!!!!! And congratulations on not only meeting but exceeding goal and making weight loss your .....! But I have a question did you have trouble with loose skin? If so how did you get it to go down? I am hoping meeting/exceeding my protein and p90x will keep me from needing to have any loose skin surgically removed. One surgery is enough! Again congrats and keep up the good work.

I am sure those are both standard. But neither one is anything worth stressing. I just did my upper gi last wednesday and my psych on Friday and I am completely done with all my preop, so I havr been stressing about getting everyrhing together for surgery. But we have each other and we wi all get through this together.

Ok ladies....so I am not 40 or over but I am petrified about this happening. My husband is supporting my decision to do the vsg, but I know he will be disappointed for me to undergo this procedure only to say a yr out that I now need to have a surgery to remove skin.....Yeah right! Because of the fact that I sincerely want a lifetime change I would love to be able to say yes the surgery helped me lose the weight, but my determination, excercise and will power are keeping it off and now i look smoking! Any suggestions to what I can start immediately that may help reduce the amount of loose skin I may have? Any and all ideas welcomed and requested.

OMG......so glad I found this site. As I am pre-op I haven't the slightest clue on what to do...lol but as I am pre-op I always wondered when I lost weight would I lose that extra cushion down there???? So glad to know I will, but now scared to! I was with my husband when I was smaller and there were times that I was pretty tossed around after a good hoo-rah lol but I have never been as small as I will be after my vsg.........you have just invoked a new fear, but one I can't wait to conquer. I love you guys I have a new set of girlfriends that don't judge! How COOL.

My husband was not very supportive at first either, but I just presented him with the facts. Fact I work a full time job and have 4 small children he is back in school at night gym.....yeah right! Fact thos will ease if not end health problems. Fact I am not asking for your agreement with my decision just your respect and you understanding this is what it is going to take to get me to the place I need to be health wise. I also told my husband I understand he reasoning for reservations, and I let him know that the fact that he didnt jump for joy at the thought of him having his skinnh wife back reassured me I married the right man. The same way you are worried and anxious so is he! Keep your head up and know you do have support we are all here for you. He will be there on surgery day.

I would first like to say I am not sure how I found this forum but I am soooo glad I did. My wls journey began about less than a month ago. I have been obese for about 8 years and was overweight for about 3 yrs prior making mg total time struggling with weight 11 yrs. I am only 28 have 4 young children and have developed a laundry list of health issues I have been in denial about for the last 2-3 yrs. I noticed a friend at work began looking slimmer and then about 3 weeks later looked absolutely stunning. Probably because of my amazement and then me worrying that she might have been stressing, she told me she had the sleeve. The what??? I had never heard of it. I looked it up she told me about the surgery and I knew this could change my life. I called the same surgeon, we have the same insurance so I knew it was covered. I had my first appt with fhe surgeon on 3/8/12 and did all my labs, chest xrays and ekg in that same day. My appointment with the nutritonist, nutrition class and barrium swallow are scheduled for tbis wednesday and thursday and I will be scheduling my psych eval in the morn. I anticipate and would like a surgery date of April 5, but I was just blowing smoke I thought this was a long process and that fhe earliest I would see surgery would be May and I wojld have postponed bc of my family vacation in May. I am by no means complaining as I read post where ppl started this journey last yr. I am just trying to wrap my head around the fact this is really happening and I just dedcided to have this done like 2 weeks ago. My husband is supportive although he chooses the old fashioned method, and my sister in law has considered wls for over a yr and they are tired of hearing me go on and on about my new found info so I am zo thankful for you guys. But I am at a cross roads and dont know what to expect once I complete these last few appointments. If my surgeons office offers an earlier.date shojld I take it? Or stick with my original plan and give myself a little more time to truly grasp what is happening? Only my closest co-workers know I am phrsuing this and out of the 4 of them only 1 has been extremely judgemental and even mean about it, but I understand his reasoning why so I overlook that venom! Ahhhhhhh idk. Excited and nervous, worried about church members questioning me. But before i started this I told the Lord, if this is a way he is allowing me to get healthy I would encounter no problems and I have asked him to direct my path. I am comfortable and confident in my decision i just dont want ppl hounding me like the plauge about how I am losing the weight. Thanks for listening.......