makemyownluck

omelets are a good suggestion, you can put any cheese or veggies you like in them. you can change up the chicken by splitting a breast and stuffing it with ham, cheese and spinach, make stir fry with light sauce and don't eat rice with it. I also like boca burgers. and if you want sausage on the side of an omelet, I happen to love the Morningstar brand meatless sausage (and I'm not a vegetarian, these just have wayyy less fat and 10g Protein per patty and taste really good).
As far as free exercising: if weather permits, take a long walk! Take the family with, or the dog, or the ipod... whatever you like. Go to a local park with a trail if you have one, or just start by walking around your block. If you're not used to exercising, start by walking to the corner. Just increase your distance slightly every day. At home, you can do squats (as far down as you can go, it will get easier with practice). You can get weights for a couple bucks a piece at Walmart, get some 3lbs and start doing curls and lifting above your arms. Do any of these you can: crunches, leg lifts (lie on your side with legs straight and lift the top one as high as you can, do 3 reps of 10 then switch sides), push ups (start against the wall if you need to, or a table or chair), and jumping jacks.
With anything, start small and work your way up. You can also get excellent work out plans on youtube!
Good luck!

It doesn't sound nasty to me (but it wasn't directed at me). Many people don't like to hear the truth, and I think it's easy to be content by significant weight loss, regardless if you meet your goal, simply because it is already a major accomplishment to have lost so much. To me, that would be settling. Why would you have a major surgery to settle for less than you wanted? Should this person feel bad for not being at goal yet? No, but it would be wise not to ignore the reasons you haven't made it to goal - ignoring things is how I, personally, got to be so fat in the first place! I have over 200lbs to lose, so I find this post enlightening. I had already planned to take advantage of the first 6-12 mo, but this post really put a spotlight on how important it is to take advantage of the tool A S A P --- no "I had surgery a month ago, I can't work out!" excuses for me! (still pre-op for now)
So while I'm sure some people are quick to say this was bad or misguided advice, I appreciate it. Personally, I plan to only eat when I'm hungry and continue to use shakes post-op. (I started using them like a month ago to get myself used to them, and I actually LIKE them!) I don't want to have this surgery for nothing - or worse, be told I need to convert it to an RNY simply because I couldn't commit to giving this my all.
I'm in an extremely obese body. I need to take extreme measures to fix the problem!

I go to a seminar on Monday, I'm really hoping they have a scale there. I realize that I could BUY a high capacity scale, but I just don't want to! I'd really prefer not to have a scale in my house at all... too stressful! I hope I can also find out what other steps are needed and when I can schedule a surgery date!!
Best of luck to you on your surgery. Your pre-op diet doesn't sound too terrible! And if you're already a few days in, hopefully the worst of it is over and you'll be smooth sailing to surgery day!! I can't wait to hear from you post-op!

Hi Andrea! Sorry it took me sooooo long to see your post. Haven't been following the board very much. I am sorry that your doctor cannot weigh you. I don't understand why they do not have higher capacity scales... in fact it kind of infuriates me. I hope by now you were able to go somewhere so you know your starting point.
I am actually only 5'7" but my frame is large. When I used to be 230lbs I looked like someone who was 170ish. My body is shaped weird. Did you find out when your surgery is? Mine is 11 days away, woohoo! This pre-op diet sucks, but mine is less strict than most I have seen on here. Its not 100% liquid. I have Protein bars and shakes all day with a tiny meal for dinner. Its a pain but I am shedding 1lb a day with it... so it is WORTH IT!
Let me know how you are doing!
Amanda

I read this as an observation based on information publicly provided. It wasn't sweet, but it wasn't an attack. It is a dialogue based on a complex and touchy subject.

I can't stand enabling or fake hiney kissing. Tell it like it is. We are adults. Not everybody wins a medal, gets a prize, nor are they entitled to win praise every time they sneeze. This is a serious topic and doesn't really have a lot of wiggle room for whining. Questions, yes. Advice, sure. Exchanges of stories and open communication, absolutely.
My doctor first yanked a knot in my attention when he told me I could survive for four months on Water alone due to my fat stores. We weren't built to exist in a constant environment of "feast." Our bodies are great at storing energy for those time periods that food is scarce, not that we have to think about that any more.

I am not married like that... I can drink a mocha frap in 5 minutes. The whole thing. I did it once and won't do it again, but I can eat, throw down, and keep on going. You lost 90 pounds. You had wiggle room. But 2 years out and you never reached your goal. I am just saying...and you only had 10 more pounds to go. This may be nasty, but what if you didn't eat so much. You might be 10 pounds under goal. I am sure you are happy, but some people have 150 to 200 pounds to lose.

We all are fat right. That is why we had or are having the surgery. It has been impossible for us to lose it on our own. Sure if we could all take a year off from life and go on the biggest loser we would be able to, but who really has that luxury. So we get the surgery. Yay for us! I am so glad I got the freaking surgery.
So when you get to one year out and can eat like a semi-normal person you will not be able to lose it on your own - If you can't do it now, you won't be able to do it in a year from now. Eventually you will be able to consume enough calories and stop losing and it will be a struggle to lose the rest...IF YOU EVER DO.
So you have this window of opportunity. For me it was a good year, but for a lot of people it might only be six months and some of the lucky ones will have it forever. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR "FOOD" LIFE WILL BE LIKE IN SIX MONTHS, A YEAR OR FOREVER, but you do know you have the six months! That is six months to basically allow your body to survive off of all of your stored goodness, fatty cells. You basically could just drink Water and eat very little and be fine. So do that! I really ate 500 calories the first six months, and I didn't eat much on the weekends. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't like food because it made me feel all yucky.
My good fortune lasted me a year and two months, but I am done losing now.
I am really sad when I hear people say that they are struggling to get the weight off after a year. They still have 60 more to lose. That window is closed and the only way they will lose weight is through diet and working out and a lot of it. To get that weight off they might have to work out 3 hours a day and do all the impossible things that were a struggle to do in the first place which is why we had surgery.
Use the first six months wisely...make them count. If you are stalling then eat nothing. I am serious. Drink Water and cut your calories in 1/2. Work out for like 4 hours. You don't know how much time you will have. So for the first six months push yourself harder than you ever have. It is just six months and you have this excellent tool to help you.

My insurance comes from my job who made sure to put in huge letters that they rarely cover panniculectomy. They claim that there has got to be a major reason and it is usually denied. I have it my head that I will probably have to get a chest lift or something like that. I like the fact that you focus on the goal at hand and that you don't focus on the maybes/

Thank you, makemyownluck! No real secrets other than just working the sleeve. Even if I think I'm hungry, I remind myself it's my head not my stomach. That and the fact that sugar and starches don't sit well.
You're well on your way, I see. I had to do the six month monitored diet and psych eval. I think it was the best thing for me since it gave me time to research (this site has been awesome for that!) and really decide that this was the best option for me. Keep us posted on your progress! You're gonna love your sleeve.

Also becoming a mom.

I was JUST thinking the same thing today. I can't WAIT to buy a cute winter coat. Right now I have a bulky hoodie I bought from the men's big and tall section. I hate it, but it fits, it zips and it has a hood. Clothing choices stink when you're a big lady.

I was JUST thinking the same thing today. I can't WAIT to buy a cute winter coat. Right now I have a bulky hoodie I bought from the men's big and tall section. I hate it, but it fits, it zips and it has a hood. Clothing choices stink when you're a big lady.

I AGREE!! This would be a total splurge but next year this time if i- I'm sorry when I make my goal I am going to buy me a nice coat. I was thinking something furry!

Love that it takes a lot to eat it, like something substantial. Thx

We can do it, look how far we have come in 2 months. I just found a pair of shorts in my drawer, size 20, I was a 24, I can't f***in believe it, they fit, they zip, they r tight but I never got these shorts past my thighs before!!!!

8 months out.I used DR. Davidson here in Dallas, Texas.I really liked how he interacts with the patients.He actually eased my mind the day of the surgery when he asked me if he could say a prayer with me and my wife before the surgery.I see him November 30th for my 9 month one on one with him and can't wait because my goal weight is 200lbs and I'm now at 214lbs so I'm working my butt of to get that 14lbs off but is going to be tight because I've slowed so much.I started at 381lbs.I really like hearing everyone stories on here,i just wished i knew about this site when i was first out.

So long! (me, waving goodbye to my big ass!)

For the 2 weeks before my VSG I started going to a personal trainer. I'm not 1 week out since I had surgery, and I'm actually itching to get back in the gym. (I NEVER thought I would say that) After reading about the C25K app I downloaded it, and I have set up a good heavy metal/hard rock playlist set up. I'm really hoping that I can get started training with running, so by Thanksgiving I can do the local Turkey Trot 5K in my town. I know I won't be able to run the entire thing, but it will be a major change from my usual Thanksgiving (waking up late, eating, eating, and more eating, then bed).
I just have to keep telling myself: It doesn't matter how fast you run, you're still running laps around everyone on the couch.

I started out this year at 5'6" and 373 pounds. Got my sleeve June 5 and have dropped to 253.
3 weeks ago, I walk/ran the first 5k of my life at 49 min 20 seconds.
I started out walking to the corner and back a couple times a day, then around the block, then worked up to 2.5 miles at a time. After a few weeks at that distance walking, I walked the same rt walk 5 min. Run 30 seconds until I finished the rt.
I then set up a playlist on my iPod. It started out with 3 slow tempo songs then all fast beat songs until I had an hour long playlist. On 5k day, I played the playlist. During the slow songs, I walked. During the fast songs, I walked during the verses and ran during the choruses. Finished at 49:20 I was very pleased with that.
Good luck, you'll do great!

There are documented cases of the "sleeve" being performed as far back as as the 1970's. And many references to it being in existance as far back as the 1950's.
The "sleeve" as we know it was originally used as a weight loss procedure in very high BMI cases, when the patient was deemed to be too high risk for a full bypass(RNY). The surgeon would remove the pliable portion of the stomach rather than fashioning a "pouch" because this could be done without having suture lines at the esophagus & the intestine thus reducing the chance for complication. This was all performed with full intent of simply getting the patient down to an acceptable weight to go back in & complete the bypass procedure.
However it was not uncommon for the patients to experience significant weight loss & opt to not return & complete the procedure, hence having a sleeve procedure, though not called this at the time.
Since there is no formal documentation before the 1970's I don't lend much credence to that time period. Though I am lead to believe the earlier cases we're a result of stomach stapling gone wrong.

Gastrectomy (removing a portion of the stomach) has been around since the 1800s, actually. Not necessarily the sleeve gastrectomy, but removing part of the stomach to treat cancer and ulcers has been around a very long time.
I love a gal who's done her homework!

a sleeve CAN be converted to bypass, but it's not really "the first step" of a bypass. With a bypass, your stomach is still in your body, but it is separated into two parts, with you intestines connected to the smaller sac. You can recreate this with a sleeve, but a normal, first bariatric surgery RNY patient will not be missing most of their stomach like sleevers are. The "second step" of converting a sleeve to a bypass is by rerouting the small intestines.
The "bypass" part refers to bypassing the first section of your intestines, which is where your body absorbs fat, calories and most nutrients from the food your stomach has digested. Because of this, you only absorb a small amount of nutrients from the foods you eat. This, combined with the much smaller stomach pouch, is why RNY patients have a much harder time maintaining the right levels of Vitamins and minerals vs. sleeve patients. But it is also why they can tend to lose weight more quickly than a sleeve (tho some sites/surgeons swear the weight loss is comparable between RNY and sleeve).
This difference with resectioning the intestines is also why RNY patients come off their diabetes meds faster. They aren't able to absorb sugar as easily AND because of the small sac, if a large amount hits your intestines too quickly, it will make you sick (dumping). Same can happen with fatty foods.
In short, I don't want anything that can/will make me violently ill. Dumping sounds like a nightmare, and most RNY patients have it at least a few times before they figure out how to control it. But I am not diabetic (yet), so I'd rather try the sleeve, work hard with it, and then reconsider other options if I'm not successful. However, I truly feel I can be successful with the sleeve.
Hope this helps!

I had to learn the difference between sipping and slurping. For me slurping has that slurp noise and that is where too much air was getting in the sleeve. Once I figured that out I was fine!!

thanks for the responses! I'm sure it will work itself out when I have surgery, but this practicing is kinda driving me nuts!