MinaT

I started dieting during my pre-approval stage doing 80 grams of a protein and low carb and I walked, did the gazelle and did some light weight lifting and I lost 70 and since the surgery on June 4th I lost 20. I am going to be 49 years old so I am worried about the excess skin, but so far so good. I have yo-yo'd 200-300 for about 12 years. I once went from 330 - 128 but I exercised hard core, jogging 10 miles, lifting weights, The Firm, step-aerobics etc, but I was 33 at the time. I eventually gained all the weight back after getting sick 5 years later. I'm hoping that I can tone up and be fit at 49 but I have Lupus now and other issues and I know that I will not be able to work out like I did before. So far so good though - 90 pounds, but I have about 80 something more to go. Good luck to you. By the way, there is a section called June 2012 located here with posts from those all sleeved in June 2012 located here if you would like to check it out: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/198-june-2012-sleevers/ We also have a list of people that were sleeved in June called Updated New June Sleeve Compilation and you can see it located here f you would like to check it out: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/42535-updated-new-june-sleeve-compilation/

added you to the Updated June Compilation cajugirlbecky. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/42535-updated-new-june-sleeve-compilation/ I hope all the June 29th sleevers are doing well and good luck and best wishes to the last of our June Sleevers. Tomorrow we welcome all to the Losers Bench! June 30, 2012 lil lee -- Dr. Aceves in Mexicali Mrslittle -- Dr. Alvarez

Added you to the Updated June compilation Janelle

You look absolutely wonderful. Congrats to you. I agree our eyes and minds take a while to catch up to where we are and where we were and sometimes makes us doubt ourselves because we are so busy thinking about where we want to be. Be proud in your accomplishment, you look great and I agree, I love that dress!

I was on Clear liquids only until 9 days out. Now I am on full liquids until I'm 5 weeks out then I will go to purees. At 3 weeks out I tried a bite of a poached egg and I suffered...I spent 2 hours praying not to barf. I wasn't suppose to, but I couldn't get a shake in and I was struggling with the shakes. The stomach pains you are feeling are not necessarily hunger pains. I can't tell the difference between being hungry, being full, having gas, having bloating, and....HEALING pains. They all feel alike. So every time your stomach growls, flips, twists, you have a wave, if you think you are hungry, then you are going to be hungry, but the truth is, you could actually be having acid reflux, it could be healing (like a throbbing cut as it heals), it could be hunger (if you haven't had enough liquids) or after you eat, it could be you are full. Try changing your perception of the stomach pains and work on getting your 64 ounces of Fluid in. Your stomach is still healing and I can't even imagine trying to get food in the first 3 weeks in.

If you are having trouble with the Water, is it because it's hard drinking out of a water bottle? I had surgery June 4th and I pull in so much air trying to sip out of a bottle. Sad but true, I still use my med cups and I am putting my water into a glass cup now to try to get used to sipping from a normal adult cup. At 3 -1/2 weeks out people are starting to come over more and I don't want to be drinking out of the 1 ounce cups, though I really truly hate drinking out of a water bottle. I also hate hate Protein shakes now. I used to love Pure Protein 100% whey Frost chocolate from Target. I had it daily for Breakfast and sometimes lunch for 6 months pre-approval and that was gagging me. I'm starting to somewhat tolerate it. I spent today looking around for something I haven't tried yet and I was blowing money left and right trying what other people liked. Eventually it will not be so darn bad. If you get that in with 1 cup of skim milk you will get 33 grams of protein in for breakfast, so I am continuing with it, though I'm having a hard time. I went back to Isopure (which I also don't like) but my health is too important. I bought the Green Tea with Lemon and I add Lemon Mio into it and I try to get at least 8 ounces in the afternoon. The rest of the day I try supplementing with other Proteins. I finally have hit about 68 grams of protein a day. My doctor and nutritionist believe in 5 full weeks of full liquid so the inside of the stomach and outside of the stomach can heal. Not all doctors do. I am doing it because I can visibly see that my stomach is still swollen (actually it's funny cause it's almost lobsided). I'm so sorry you are struggling, I am too, but you need to take care of yourself. I know you don't want to end up back in the hospital dehydrated or end up passing out. Don't force food in, but try a different approach to the shakes. I used to blend mine with ice in the Magic bullet. It whips so much air in there that I stopped using Ice and after I blend it - I throw it in the freezer just so the bubbles settle out. I tried shaker cups but again all this big bubbles, and bubbles & air = hurting esophagus and top of my tummy. I started incorporating healthy request bean and bacon Soup and mashing the Beans and straining that and it has some extra protein. I can get in about 7 teaspoons in and maybe 2 teaspoons of mashed up 1% cottage cheese. I am not suppose to be on cottage cheese yet, but because of my issues with with the shakes, they wanted me to try it to see how i do. Best of luck to you and I hope you find something that works for you soon.

You are only 8 days out. I'm not allowed this and I'm 3-1/2 weeks out, so I would ask your doctor or your nutritionist. On My fitness Pal 1/2 Sweet Potato (90 grams) is 81 calories 19 carbs 2 protein and 33 sodium This is without whipping the Sweet Potato with anything like skim milk, ff sour cream, or spray butter. I have attempted instant mashed potatoes made with skim and ff butter and was able to get in 2 teaspoons before I got full. PS - against the advise of my doctor...i know better now. Watermelon - 1 cup balled is 46 calories 12 carbs 1 protein and 2 sodium The watermelon sounds delicious, but it's 12 carbs and though it adds 1 protein (on everything I have found so far) it's just not worth the calories and carbs to sit and eat a cup of it. I went in for a three week check up and was hoping to get moved to Purees. She made me look at my tummy and said, look how swollen your stomach is. It's swollen on the inside too. Why would you want to try to push food that is not liquid in there at this time. Let it heal and it will hurt you a lot less. Some doctors allow pureed foods and soft and regular a lot quicker than my doctor. Everyone should follow their doctor's advise. After 8 days I wasn't even handling 25 grams of protein in liquid form, though I could get down 64 ounces of water and decaff peppermint tea. Some may say it's no problem, I can only advise you as to what my doctor, nurse and nutritionist tells me. All doctor's and tummy's are different.

You are definitely a success and I see how much you reach out to help others and that makes you even a bigger success. Unfortunately, self-perception is always hard. I remember being 128 and feeling like I was 300 and I remember being 330 and going out and internally feeling like I was 128. Genetics have a lot to do with weight, I agree, but also self-perception. There is a study that shows that women that were molested or raped at a young age have a tendency to weigh more as women, because they try to hide behind their weight. Depression, can lead to obesity too. There is so many things to deal with besides losing the weight. The weight is just a part of the problem. Learning to love ourselves despite the scale is hard. Being a "normal" weight does not fix what got us there in the first place. I've struggled since high school with my weight. I have genetics against me, being molested and raped against me, a terrible self image against me. I lost weight and kept it off for 5 years, then I got sick had a complete hysterectomy with a bowel resection and I had gotten sepsis due to adhesions and then the depression came. I gained it all back and have struggled from 200-300 back and forth since 1999. When I was 128 my personality was very closed off, my trust in people low. I was not the fat carefree girl that trusted anymore. I was the jaded, bitter 128 pound girl that was still just as unhappy as when I was fat. I luckily dealt with my issues, my genes are my genes, but with help and therapy I got over my other baggage and I can now go into this feeling like I have not failed and that I am NOW a success. I'm only 3 weeks out and I have succeeded far beyond my wildest dreams because if I stopped losing weight now, I know that I spent the last 7 months working so hard and that I did it for me and I am now a happy person, secure in myself .

It's not really going to affect it but add more carbohydrates. The issue is you are trying to avoid carbohydrates to help shrink your liver. It happened, now time to move on and forget about it. Try some crystal light when you need sweetness or a sugar free frozen popsicle with less carbs. Good luck. Day 3 & 4 are the hardest days, stay busy, stay positive, and realize you are so worth the fight to get through this.

Your nut defines a stall as no weight loss in a week? I think that's a bit harsh. I've dieted pre-surgery 6 months pretty seriously at 800 calories 80 grams of Protein and 45 carbs. I had a hysterectomy so I don't get the hormonal issues others get, I watched my sodium everything. I had days I gained 2 or 3 pounds. Then a few days later lost 6. I don't consider the gain important or a stall. If I know I'm doing what I am suppose to be doing, there are days that you have Water weight gain, or something is not flowing exactly right. There are days your body decides to hold onto everything too. Sometimes upping my calories or adding more carbs will help me eliminate the extra weight. I have a few days that go by without losing an ounce per my my scale, then I will lose a pound. I am sure I will have days that I go up 1/2 pound because of lack of bm or water retention. I would consider a stall 3 or more weeks, then before I call it a stall I will go through my fitness pal and check to make sure I am doing what I'm suppose to be doing, then I would measure myself to see if there is anything going on there.

Audrey, I don't miss the seatbelt extenders at all! It's great I still have plenty of room the side of the car doesn't hurt my hip, the seat belt doesn't dig into my left hip anymore. It's wonderful!

Spend this time telling yourself you are worth doing this. Write down the reasons why you are doing this. Realize you are probably getting better nutrition RIGHT NOW, with this pre-op diet than you got in the last several months. You are not starving to death, you are not going to be malnourished, you are doing the best thing for your heart, body, mind and soul. Use this time wisely. Learn to sip your Water, clean out your closets. Start looking for smaller clothes and getting your clothes that may already be too large into bins. Go get your Gas-X, your after surgery Vitamins (ie Optisource or whatever). Start walking more. Remember liquid in and liquid out, and be careful if you get gas, to get to the bathroom, because after a few days, you may think you need to fart and there's water in there. The words never trust a fart take on new meaning. Stay busy. Think of the next month or two as just a small obstacle to having a whole new, better life. Remember the sleeve is only a tool. Don't go into the surgery thinking the sleeve does all the work. It's UP TO YOU, to work the sleeve. Now is the time to dig deep and be proud of what you are doing. If you can make it through this next two weeks, it will make it easier to get through the following month, which then opens up the rest of your life to a new and healthier you. Believe you are worth this next two weeks and you will do it. Day 3 & 4 are always the hardest. After that it's all downhill. If anything stay positive, smile, and the happier and more motivated you go into this surgery, the happier and more motivated you will come out of surgery. I believe in myself so I didn't cheat, I went into this with full knowledge that I was going to put 100% into it. Believe in yourself.

LOVE YOUR POST!!!!!! Keep up this attitude, keep this up until the day you have surgery. Go into surgery with a smile on your face and a happy song in your heart, and hold onto all this. I am looking forward to seeing my son get married and have children. I remember sitting on the couch last summer and I couldn't get out of it. Having a small brain tumor and lupus has been very hard on me, but the weight was pressing on my chest and lungs. I was having a hard time getting up the stairs. When I laid in bed at night, there was so much pressure on my lungs. My cousin died in her sleep due to obesity, and my great grandmother died at 49. I will be 49 this year. I haven't been to an amusement park in years. Going to the movies sucked because the seats were too tight. Sitting in chairs, I was afraid i would break them. I was fainting when I laughed due to the weight pressing on the vegas nerve. I had to wear a heart monitor for a year. As I was sitting down stairs I replayed Sally Struthers as Jabba the Hut and I realized I was what was eating Gilbert Grape. My mind became a tragic comedy of epic proportions. Every thought was a fat joke in my head and I realized, the brain tumor and lupus isn't going to kill me, my weight was. Now, I don't have those dark, cold lonely thoughts. My chest don't hurt when I lie in bed. I was so terrified I would die in my sleep and my husband would not notice and leave and my son would wake up and find me. I used to take Ambien and stay up until 3 or 4:00 am and wake up so early just to make sure I was still here. I go to bed at 10:00 am and I fall asleep (without ambien) in minutes!!! I'm not afraid to sleep anymore. I can't wait to go to Six Flags for Fright Fest. I haven't been there in well over 10 or 12 years. I love seeing my father look at me with love, not with fear for my life. I look forward to going to the grocer store on a Saturday. Every time I go I would run into people I know and leave my cart and leave the store, ashamed of what I looked like. I love being me and I'm only 3 weeks out.

tinfoil, how about just hug yourself. The sleeve is merely a tool, it did not do this, you did! There are those that have a sleeve that find ways to bug the system, and don't lose. Be proud of your accomplishments. I don't think of the sleeve as the hero in the story, I think of myself as the hero. It's a wonderful feeling to be happy, and have those nsv's!! Good for you.

It will be worth the effort. A lot of the issue is head hunger, but trust me, when you see other's eating, if you ate it the pain would be so not worth it. Give your sleeve time to heal. My doctor believes in 5 weeks of full liquids before putting food in. At 3-1/2 weeks out my tummy is still swollen, it's visibly swollen and I lost a lot of weight, but my tummy looks like a watermelon still. I hate shakes, they make me gag, but I do my best with them. Drink as much Fluid as you can. If you can find something called Isopure (not sure if they have in India) it's a clear Protein drink in Green Tea flavor, grape, orange, try those, to help you get down more protein. I avoid social occasions too. There's nothing wrong with doing that right now while we are on liquid phase, no reason to subject yourself to feeling tortured. I eat with my family now, and I grumble while they eat their steak and potato, and I'm having a few teaspoons of cream of nothingness, but in the end - it's worth it. When your tummy is all healed, you will feel better at all social functions, you will be able to eat a little bit, but you will be able to socialize more with a prouder feeling and you won't feel so inhibited. I never ate at social functions because I was embarrassed to be the fat girl eating. All social occasions, I felt embarrassed to eat in front of others. It's a month or so out of your life which will give you back the rest of your life. Get some sublingual Vitamin B12 and make sure you take all your chewable Vitamins in. Also, remember this, inside the fat in your body there are hormones, as your body burns fat, these hormones are released through your body, it will cause mood swings, you will cry or get upset easier, and it's just hormones, realize it and move on. If you ate the food you wanted right now, you would be in so much physical pain and even worse pyschological pain than you would believe. Believe you are worth this struggle right now, and you can do it! I promise!

First day I had surgery I was AWESOME!!! The second day was the worst day of all. I believe it was the only day I said What did I do. Did you have the leak test and have to do the gastrique? I was not allowed anything by mouth on the first day, the second day I was given a shot of zofran and I was sent down to get the upper gi with the gatrique. That made me ill. My face, neck and chest turned bright enflamed red. After that I was nauseated beyond belief. Tell the nurse, there are about 3 or 4 different anti-nausea drugs she can give you and a few you can be given very close to each other. She shot one in my arm, which was deep in a muscle (I didn't let her give me that one again). But she kept up with the other 2 intravenously throughout the day and the night. My saving grace (I said it here a million times) but if you have someone that can run out to the store for you, have them pick you up some Bigelow Peppermint Decaff Tea or you can do Celestial Seasonings and your favorite artificial sweetener. I only like Truvia, but everyone has a favorite. (it's better than the generic hospital crap). Ask the nurse for a styrofoam cup with hot Water. They usually serve you hot water in a coffee cup at meals with plain decaff tea and generic artificial sweetener. It's gross cause the warm water is lukewarm and still smells like coffee usually. If it was not for the Bigelow Peppermint Decaff tea and truvia, I would not have survived that second day. I sat up mostly in my chair with a throw blanket from home. Water wanted to come up. The peppermint decaff tea soothed my belly and it tasted good warm and as it cooled. Get a cool cloth and put in on your neck and one on your forehead. I feel so much for you, because the 2nd day was my worst day of all. It gets better every single day, I promise you. Also remember the anti-nausea medication will dry your mouth out even more, that's what it does, don't hesitate to use the sticks to keep your mouth wet. Use your little med cups to get down as much liquid as you can slowly. Once you can successfully keep down a little liquid, you will feel better. Rest more than anything. Walk once you start feeling better.

I am 3-1/2 weeks out and I'm still swollen on the outside and inside. I still drink Water out of a med cup still , and I can do 3 med cups of sipping in a row and the 4th...is just too much and it's just water. I can get in a few teaspoons of Soup and I start feeling full. By full I mean - the gas pains I have, the hunger pains I feel the twisting or wavy stomach weird pain which could also be a healing pain, is the same pain I feel when I'm full. Each pain is not a defined pain. It's a stomach pain, which has several meanings. If I'm eating and I feel a grasping in my stomach followed by a burp, I'm full, if I haven't had anything to eat in a few hours, it's hunger, and if I'm sitting there and I feel it I think oh wow, it's a healing pain, or a gas pain. For those that had the sleeve they know what I'm talking about, if you are newly sleeved, if you think every time your stomach grumbles, moves, waves, or flips, sorta like a twists, it's hunger, then you are going to suffer a lot more head hunger. Realize a lot of the time, it's healing up, like a sore, that is healing, a cut that throbs as it's healing, or you are having gas, it makes dealing with it a little better.

I am allergic to codeine, hydrocodone and all it's derivatives. When they took me off the morphine I went directly to Tylenol. For some reason Adult strength liquid tylenol has been pulled from most shelves over the last few years and it had to be ordered. I tried child strength liquid tylenol it made me gag, I tried tylenol suppositories, really..not worth it, so the doctor allowed me tylenol pills split in 1/2. I take two (whole split pills) twice a day. It most likely is the lorotab giving you a headache. While tylenol never really touched my pain ever, I use it and I tell myself it works great. Luckily, power of persuasion works well with me and I believe what I say lol. Good luck and feel well soon.

Congrats to you both, keep your positive thoughts.

I alternated between resting and walking. The most important thing is are you getting your Water in? Are you taking the Vitamins recommended? I take Optisource from Walgreens. I am suppose to take 4 of these a day. I also take sublingual Vitamin b. It would perhaps help you more if you spread your shakes throughout the day. Instead of two big ones, try 4 smaller ones. Walking will help I had mental fog for over 2 weeks. Of course you are going to get tired out, you had major surgery, I'm 3 weeks out and I still get tired. I just got up to 400 calories, I was at 300- 350 for the first 3 weeks and I did feel I was getting a little more tired, I was also getting less than 40 grams of a Protein a day. Try not to concentrate so much on the bad, and focus on every day is better than the day before. I was on 14 day pre-op shake (3 a day only) then I was sleeved on June 4th. I'm still on full liquids until I see nutritionist again on July 9th. That a full 7 weeks of liquids. I can do it, it's doable and if I continue to tell myself it's doable, it will be. Make sure you get your vitamins in, get your water in and as much protein as you can do. If shakes are becoming intolerable, try getting in a little Isopure with added MIO to make it taste better. Icy Orange goes well with the Orange MIO and the Green Tea with lemon goes well with the Lemon flavor. My taste buds changed and I hate shakes now, it sorta gags me, but I'm getting them down. Positive thoughts and best wishes.

I have a taste for turkey meatballs myself and I never had them before, but I saw something on eggface that sounded delicious.

First tip, quit soda now, quit caffeine now. Imagine having to quit while doing the pre-op shake diet? That will suck. Second tip. If you are going to have your "last dinner", don't do it the DAY BEFORE you start your shake. It will make you even hungrier if you do carb overload the day before you start the shake diet. Do it a few days before. A few days before, drink a slim fast or whatever "100% whey Protein shake" you decide to do after surgery for Breakfast. Lower your carbs as much as you can in advance. The day before you start your shake diet, do a sensible dinner with protein, and do low carbs. The people that do carb overload the day before they start the pre-op shake seem to have the hardest part sticking to the pre-op shake diet. Tell yourself you can do it and believe it before you start. Mental state, state of mind, and the will to make your sleeve work will make this much easier. If you think that it's going to suck so bad, it will. If you think, I'm doing this because I'm worth it and it may not be easy, but I'm strong enough to get through this, then you will. Keep busy, walk, drink Water and go ahead and exercise. Clean your closets, clean your drawers, find all your biggest clothes and decide if they should be packed yet. Start looking around to see if you have smaller sizes, because it's going to happen. Find as many nightgowns as you can and make sure they are freshly laundered (especially if you are going to have a drain). Make sure you have your Clear liquids, make sure you buy your Gas-X, do your hair, straighten out your bills for the time in the hospital, make a check list of the reasons WHY you are having this surgery and read it every time you think you can't do the 2 week pre-op shake. I did the 2 week pre-op shake and didn't cheat and I'm over 3 weeks out and still am on liquids. I have a 5 week liquid before I move to purees, unless you are going through my surgeon, your doctor may not be as strict. Be careful at first because liquid in liquid out, and I have only had this issue once.....once...NEVER TRUST A fart. I was in bed, I was fine, I exercised, I was doing great and I got a little gas bubble and I decided to get up luckily I got out of bed just in time....those pj bottoms were too big anyhow and ended up trashed, and I ended up with a shower again...right before bed. It only takes once. Day 3 & 4 are usually the hardest. You don't become lethargic, you aren't going to "starve to death", realize you are probably getting better nutrition than you did over the last 6 months You can do it, keep up the mantra. Walk, drink water, and realize the sleeve is only a tool and it's up to you to work the tool, you can do it.

Good Luck to the June 29, 2012 sleevers! See you on the other side! EileenFrances -- Dr. Subhash Kini Robin33 -- Costa Rica tonibugg -- Dr. Rod Juarez SunnyCox - Dr. Kelly in Mexico TinaP - Dr Rodriguez

They first told me I needed to quit all my Vitamins and some medicines 2 weeks before the surgery. They finally said one week before is fine, because some of them I still needed. I still can't go back on glucosamine Chondritan or Flaxseed Oil but i started back on some of them.

I would love a salad. I lost a lot of weight pre-surgery and I'm losing after surgery. I lost so many inches it's unreal, however, my stomach is still a football/mini watermelon. You can see my stomach is still swollen. I eat 8 teaspoons of liquid Soup and I'm full. I also had adhesions, a hernia repair, but as I get smaller, my stomach is getting smaller on it's sides - my lower abdomen is really small but above my belly button is jetted out. I think we all heal differently and I also had some major complications and after 1-1/2 hour surgery mine got extended another 5 more hours due to complications. However, everyone that goes through my surgeon's group is on liquids 5 weeks so the inside and outside can heal. Everyone needs to just listen to what their surgeon says. I would LOVE a salad, though a pickle would do, and I'm really wanting Tuna and I thought I'd be Tuna by 4th of July at least, but I got next year and the year after now