joatsaint

I hear ya! I was super lucky in getting through the entire process in just 1 month. But it did seem like it took forever. Hang in there, it is truly worth every bit of effort! My one wish is that I could let everyone see what it's like on the other side of WLS and know what it feels like to be free of the control food had over me. You can do it! Whatever is in your way, you're stronger than it, you're tougher than it, and you're better than it. You're going to beat it. You can't have a physical transformation without a mental transformation… the same habits that drive success work for making all areas of your life better… time management, discipline, goal setting, social support, etc. It's never a bad time to start a physical transformation, to set goals, or to hang around positive people. Never, EVER give up on what is important to you.

Just keep in mind, that estrogen is stored in fat. As you lose the fat, estrogen is released and kinda jack with your emotions. :-) And I know from personal experience that when I'm eating too few carbs, that I'm low energy, more cranky and get agitated easier.

I was warned that my hormones would be out of balance for about a month post-op. And BOY! were they. I was mad at the world and wanted to fight everybody.... for no reason! You should be past the worst of it. My feelings of anger dropped off after the 2nd week and by the end of the month, I was back to my old normal grouchy self. :-P

I ate a variety - or should I say tried a variety of things? Frankensleeve was very picky and we came to a truce over my re-fried Beans and ground turkey meat concoction. I tried (I'm talkin 1 tablespoon!) Peanut Butter, boiled eggs, potted meat/chicken, ground chicken, and a few other things I'm sure I can't remember. Frankie was VERY PICKY! And he didn't like any of them. :-P

I eat the full fat re-fried beans, there's only 10 extra calories per serving vs the fat free version. But the taste is worth those extra calories! :-) I've been eating them since my Puree food stage. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/31168-my-favorite-mexican-food/

UPDATE: 1/2/2015 After creating this BBQ sauce many times, I must caution everyone to let this stuff sit and cool after cooking - for an hour or so. Let the flavors meld together. I've found that when I taste test this sauce before it's had a time to set, it has a weird flavor. It gets even better if left to set overnight - even if it's already mixed into my food. Hey guys, I've been using this sauce for at least 4 meals a day for the past 2 weeks. And it tastes great! I was searching for a replacement for my favorite Kraft BBQ sauce (since it has sugar in it ) and I ran across this one. It had rave reviews and it tastes really good. I'll need to tweak it a few times to get that sweet/tangy flavor I like so much, but for a good low-carb BBQ sauce, this one works well. The best part was, I already had most of the ingredients on hand (you probably do too). 2 Tablespoons is 12 calories vs. 60 calories for the equivalent Kraft BBQ sauce. Indispensable Almost No Carb Barbecue Sauce This isn't a substitute for the "real thing," it's an improvement. It's so good the rest of the family gobbles it up and I have to keep making more. 3/8 cup vinegar 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce. (1 15 oz can) Don't buy a tomato sauce that has spices or flavorings in it! 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tablespoon yellow hot dog mustard 3/4 tablespoon Franks Hot Sauce (the chicken wing sauce) 3/4 tablespoon salt (optional) 1 dash cayenne pepper. Go easy!!!! 3 teaspoons lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring 6 teaspoons Splenda or 18 drops of Liquid Splenda Optional Things I've Tried and Liked: Instead of 6 tsp Splenda, I tried 3 tsp Splenda, 3 tsp brown sugar - it really gave the sauce "body" and flavor. Toss in 2 or 3 tablespoons of garlic powder Toss in 2 or 3 tablespoons of onion powder Double up on Franks Hot Sauce - I don't find Franks very hot, and I like the flavor Use Apple Cider Vinegar instead of White Vinegar Add 1/3 can of tomato paste Add vinegar and all other ingredients except mustard to a sauce pan and slowly heat. Put mustard in a cup and slowly stir in a couple tablespoons of sauce until well blended. Then add mustard mixture back to sauce in pan. Bring to a boil, and lower heat. Let simmer for a 15 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate till cold then serve. Note: this sauce might taste a bit peculiar if you taste it when it is still hot. Don't worry! Something magical happens when it sits in the fridge. And it only gets better overnight!!! Carbohydrates per Serving (1 tablespoon): Less than 1 gram. Half an ounce is 1 gm carbs, 6 calories. Source: http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19060001.php

One of my favorite Mexican foods. I've been eating this stuff for about 4 weeks straight. I got all the ingredients at Walmart. It cost about $4 for 2 days worth of meals (4 - 6 meals in my case). It's very filling and sticks with me. 1 lb of chicken breast. 1 pkg of Taco Bell Taco seasoning. (I tried other name brand taco mixes and the store brands, Taco Bell tastes the best and is just as cheap. There is a Taco Bell chipolte version as well, but I liked the regular version the best. ) 1 can of gebhardt refried beans w/fat. (I tried the non-fat version and I like the fat version better. It only has 2grams of fat per serving.) Salsa or Picante or Taco sauce to taste 1 pkg of your favorite shredded cheese. I grill the chicken breast and run it through my food processor. Mix the taco seasoning with about 1/2 cup of water and mix it thoroughly. I mix it in my protein shake shaker. Toss the chicken into a pot or pan and add the taco seasoning. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Mix the chicken and beans in a bowl. Add some salsa if it's too thick for your taste. Spoon some of the mixture into a bowl and top with cheese and salsa.

Here's my favorite Mexican recipe. I started eating this when I was released to the Soft Foods Stage/Puree Stage. And just pureed it in my food processor. I lived on this concoction for months post-op. :-) http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/31168-my-favorite-mexican-food/ And here's my favorite low-carb BBQ sauce. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/33646-bbq-sauce-low-carb-my-new-favorite-sauce/

My doctor's guideline was 75% protein 25% low glycemic carbs (meaning vegetables and fruit). Following those guidelines has helped me lose 170lbs and keep it off. For my 1st year post-op, I was fanatical about following this rule. Once I hit my goal weight, I tended to be a bit looser about the rule. But if I see my weight creeping up, I go right back to the tried and true. Works everytime for me. :-)

I think that's a great idea. I would use it, but I don't tell people I've had WLS. The few times people have tried to push food on me, I just told them, "No, thank you. I can't maintain my weight loss if I eat food like that." I feel so lucky to have gotten a 2nd chance at life, that I don't worry about hurting people's feelings or explain why I won't eat certain foods. I just say, "No thank you." And leave it at that. I had one lady try 6 times to get me to eat a piece of cake. 5 times I politely refused the offer. On the 6th time, I couldn't take it any more and just had to walk away from her.

Congratulations on doing so well. I would call that an NSV! I often wonder if I would have done as well with my weight loss if I didn't live alone and had to live with tempting foods laying around? I don't have to exert much will power as it is, I don't buy stuff I know I will be tempted to eat, so it's never in the house.

Honestly, my first year post-op, I primarily ate refried beans with my meals. I would get the occasional bite of broccoli or cauliflower when we had catered events at work, but I just didn't have the space in my sleeve and Frankensleeve HATED anything with fiber in it. We came to a truce over refried beans. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/31168-my-favorite-mexican-food/

I too wish I had known about the gas pains. My doc said to expect, "some discomfort" He didn't say it was going to feel like the critter from Alien was trying to burst out of my chest! :-P I wish I would have known to bring my own CPAP Water to the hospital - they gave me sterilized water, talk about nasty! And I wish I would have brought my favorite pillow to the hospital. It would have made sleeping easier and helped on the ride home.

My doc submitted the papers before I did any tests. I have BCBS of Texas and they are very bariatric friendly. My approval was completed within the week.

It does get easier. For at least the 1st month post-op, it didn't matter what it was. I could only take in about a teaspoon full - Water, Jell-O, Soup.... anything and everything threw Frankensleeve into a tantrum. I felt like he was turning and twisting into knots. I realize your blood work indicates the chance of dehydration. This is only a temporary situation. If you aren't feeling the effects of dehydration, I would not push my limits on how much or fast I could drink. As long as I felt okay, I never worried about getting enough calories or water during my 1st month. Everything just hurt Frankensleeve too much. I did focus on staying hydrated. I kept a 32 ounce insulated mug filled with ice and Crystal Light within reach and sipped sipped sipped all day long. I don't think I ever finished the mug once during that 1st month. Over the following months, as Frankensleeve healed and the swelling reduced, I could drink more and more at one time. At about a year, I had learned I could take 3 or 4 big swallows of water with no consequences. I can now drink (chug!) 8 ounces of water at one time if I want, without having to worry how fast I drink. It all gets easier, but it does require some relearning about your limits. It's all worth it in the end. No one will do the work for you. You cannot depend on anyone else. Your success starts and ends with you. Personal responsibility is #1. You cannot have self-doubt. Do not let self-limiting beliefs hold you back. Create your plan. Get support. Set a deadline. Crush it.

Hey Alex, Finally got to submit my video. I hope it encourages those curious about their WLS options to look further into deciding if WLS is right for them. Here's the link to my video, you might want to pay special attention to the lower right hand corner of the background image. http://thistimeitcounts.com/#play-129

My 1st month post-op was my biggest weight loss month, about 22 lbs. After that, I started eating real food again, and even though it was tiny portions, my weight loss slowed a bit. I was losing 15 - 18 lbs a month - which was fine by me! I still remember my pre-op days when I wished I could lose even a 1/4 lb a week consistently! :-) After about 6 months, I settled into losing about 13 lbs a month. By the end of the year, I was approaching my goal weight and weight loss had slowed to about 9 lbs a month. I met my goal weight of 235, but really wanted to get down into the 220's. A few months later, I was still losing about 9lbs a month and hit my lowest of 203 lbs. 3 years later, I float between 209 and 215, depending on the day of the week and what I've eaten.

I lost weight steadily for 18 months, then it got harder. But I did lose 170lbs - no small feat! The Sleeve never stops working, I did. I got to a weight where I was comfortable and decided to stop losing weight. If I ever decide I'm not happy at my current weight, I know I have the tool to lose more weight. I believe that most people regain weight after WLS because they go back to old habits or weren't really prepared to change their relationship with food or had other emotional issues that needed to be addressed before and after WLS. I was at the lowest point in my life before I committed to WLS. I was sick of being me and I hated the control food had over me. I was ready to do whatever I had to do to get my life back. I told myself that this was my chance for a do over and there was not going to be another. I made an agreement with myself that I would do whatever was necessary to be successful with WLS. I had to be at the point where it was crunch time and be willing to go to any extent to change. I see many posts where they ask, "Can I still eat ____ after WLS?" Really? You still want to eat the things that made you overweight in the first place? Of course, you will be able to eat almost anything eventually, but it's up to you to make the right choices. If I went back to my old eating habits, even with the restriction Frankensleeve has, I'd gain some weight back. Processed foods and sugar have that effect on my body.

I can't say that my depression is completely gone. I'm 3 years post-op and 170lbs lighter - after being overweight for 40+ years. The difference post-op is that I now have the option of making my life better. WLS did not solve my depression or lack of interest in life, but it did give me the confidence to make changes and feel like I had a choice in how I lived - socializing, dating, and career. Pre-surgery, I felt trapped in a job I hated, didn't feel like there would ever be a special woman in my life, and was constantly in pain and lethargic. It took about 2 years post-op to turn my life around for the better. I've gotten a better job, met a wonderful woman, and consider myself an extroverted introvert now and feel a need to express myself. I would have never allowed myself to be on camera, much less have made videos of myself pre-op.

Congrats on doing so well!! :-)

The endoscopy was a breeze. I went in to the hospital, I put on the gown, they wheeled me into OR, the doctor said, "you may feel a bit of warmth in your hand (where they inserted the IV) when we give you the anesthesia, I blinked my eyes and it was over. That was it. If I hadn't been warned ahead of time to expect a bit of a scratchy throat, I would have never even known I had a scope down my throat. There's really nothing to it. I was worried and nervous about nothing.

"The food industry also has somehow convinced us that it takes too long to cook a meal from scratch." - I agree with that quote. I try to cook almost everything myself, that way, I know what's in it. And I try to live by this quote as well, "Only eat things that are considered the ingredients for other foods." :-) In other words, eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible or with minimal processing.

That was me too. I was mad at the world for no particular reason, then I'd switch to being depressed. It took a month or so for my emotions to return to normal.

The #1 thing I did to prepare for WLS was to mentally prepare myself to not regret anything I had to do or go through to have WLS. I made an agreement with myself that it didn't matter what I to do - driving to Dr. appointments and completing the tests (7 tests - each time, it was a 2 hour 1 way drive), taking time off from work, doing the liquid diet, experiencing any pain post-op, giving up any foods I loved. There was no going back once 80% of my stomach was removed, so I vowed not to regret it. HOWEVER! I did experience the, "What the HELL did I do to myself????" moment the 1st week after surgery. :-P But I refused to regret having the surgery.

I am assuming your "normal" food is processed or fast food? I can tell you why I gained 4lbs since this morning. I had lunch with my parents. Seriously! They eat high salt, high carb foods. I woke up weighing 211 this morning. Got back at 5pm and was up to 215lbs. It was all the salt and carbs I consumed. When I get back on my normal diet of lean Protein and vegetables - starting tomorrow morning - I will lose those excess Water pounds in a couple of days. Processed foods and high carb foods trigger my body to hold onto water and store calories as fat. I have to stick with protein and vegetables to maintain or lose weight. Even eating too much fruit will cause me to gain weight.