joatsaint

During my 1st 6 months post-op, I was doing a lot of moderate intensity walking. In Texas, it hits 95 degrees w/ a heat index of 105 during August and Sept. And I kinda over did it and got to the point of heat exhaustion several times. I'd drink 16oz of Water before my walk and cover my neck and head with a water soaked towel, but it didn't help. I tried drinking during the walk, but it just made me sick at my stomach. After the 2nd time I overheated, I started paying attention to the warning signs that I needed to get in the shade and rest. During the rest of the year, I've never had an issue staying hydrated for my walks. I normally walk 3.25 miles at at pace of 3.5 - 3.9 miles/hr. And never drank before or during the walk. If I were just starting out with a new Sleeve, I'd be cautious, try some moderate exercise and see what my limits are. Dropping the lbs definitely reduced my need to drink during exercise. I used to drink 1 - 2 gallons of Crystal Light per day, pre-op. 40+ ounces with a meal. As I dropped the weight and kept increasing my pace at walking, my endurance went up and I didn't need as much Fluid to stay hydrated. This is going to be a learning process. Everyone is different. Take your time and watch for signs of overexertion. And keep plenty of fluids nearby. You may not be able to drink a whole lot in one gulp, but you can sip, sip, sip. P.S. Don't worry about any foods or drinks you can never have again. At 1 year out, I could eat and drink anything I wanted - just in smaller amounts. But for the 1st 6 months, almost everything cause Frankensleeve to get pissed!!! But he learned to adjust.

Thanks BLERDgirl, Just so you know, I wasn't slamming anyone that makes the "Haul" videos, I just wanted to understand why they are so popular. Just like I can't understand why watching videos of others playing video games is such a hit. But, now that you realize you have a problem, you have taken the 1st step to finding a cure.

The only food I could consistently eat during my 1st month post-op was Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. You might try a can and mix in a little unflavored ISOPURE protein powder. It worked for me when I couldn't eat anything else.

Finally got around to making a video to go with my favorite low-carb BBQ recipe. 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 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 and only adds 45 calories to the entire recipe. 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 20 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!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just want to know why so many people like watching videos of other people showing and talking about their latest food purchases?

I know someone out there must know the answer to this question about life, the universe, and everything! Why are "grocery hauls" so popular on Youtube????? Please... someone answer this. I just don't "get it". Why would anyone want to know what I'm buying at Costco/Walmart/Sams Club/Amazon?????? Why would you want a video tour of my refrigerator???? Or is knowing the answer to this question one of those, "if I told you, we'd have to kill you!" type answers?

Congratulations, thanks for sharing your pics. Your sharing is giving encouragement to a lot of people that are worried if WLS is right for them.

I've only used ISOPURE. I mix it in with anything, including coffee.

Oh man! I can still remember how pissed I was at the world, that 1st week post-op!!!! You are not alone. We all went through mood swings. Fortunately I live alone and my mood went back to normal by the end of the 2nd week. It will get better, day by day. Hang in there.

Immediately after surgery, I went from sleeping 9+ hours/night to 5 hrs/night. I believe the change came about because I wasn't eating late at night anymore. Since I wasn't eating at 9 or 10pm, my system wasn't digesting food while I was sleeping and could focus on rest and recovery. 2 years later, I still wake up after 6 or 7 hrs of sleep.

I went through it too. The 1st few weeks, just 1 tbls of ANY food would cause cramping and painful spasms. It was a good 6 months before Frankensleeve settled down and tolerated MOST foods, but still, things like chicken, pineapple, whole wheat bread and broccoli were tough on my sleeve. It was a year before I could comfortably eat any food I wanted. It does get better day by day. And it is completely worth all the hassle! Keep going! Everything ends at some point. Good times and bad. So persevere through the hard times. STAY STRONG. I believe in you. I know you can do it!

I don't think you are aiming too high. You can reach your goals. But you must plan and prepare for success. The 1st 6 months post-op is critical to success - getting into good eating habits and exercising. The weight will be dropping like magic during this time, but after 6 months, it will require more effort on your part. As you lose the weight, you body will adjust to the lower caloric intake, your metabolism may slow and you're not burning as many calories as when you were carrying those extra lbs. I experienced two major increases in the amounts of food and kinds of food I could eat per meal. During the 1st 6 months, I could only hold 1/2 cup of food per meal and almost everything I ate caused Frankensleeve fits. After 6 months, it went up to about 3/4 cup and I could tolerate more kinds of food. At 1 year, I could hold 1 to 1/2 cups of food and could eat anything I wanted. It hasn't changed since then. But it does require more effort and vigilance on my part to make the right food choices and limit the amounts I'm eating. I have trigger foods that make me want to eat and I tend to eat when I'm bored. The effort required is not big, but I just have to pay attention. The sleeve is a tool that never stops working. Hope this helps, Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!

Are you sure it was autocorrect... might just be a Freudian slip?

I'm 2 years out and have successfully kept off 170lbs. I'd lost 130 in 10 months and lost another 40 lbs 6 months later. I just posted my 2 year Surgerversary videos - hope they can help.

Everything about my VSG surgery was covered. I did have a deductible of $5000 overall, but every test, x-ray, exam, doctor visit, and blood work was at least partially covered by my insurance.

Yep, I cheated too. The pre-op diet was the hardest part of this whole "adventure" for me. But it was worth every minute. I didn't really believe that WLS was going to let me lose the weight. And I was just chasing another weight loss dream. If I had only known it would all be worth it in the end, it would have really helped me stick to the pre-op diet. So I'm tell YOU, stick with your pre-op diet, it will be sooooo worth it!! Here's a chance for you to get back on track. No matter how tough it's been, you must keep going. If you stumble, get back up. NEVER quit. Stay consistent, persist and persevere. Look long-term, not to just tomorrow. You can do it. Keep at it.

Whether you are ready or not, we can't make that call. But I can tell you, you are not alone in your thoughts. Your question comes up almost weekly on the forum. We all had our fears and doubts about having WLS. I can only reassure you, that 2 years out, I am still happy with my decision. And I work with 3 others that had Gastric Bypass, and they are happy with their results. Here's how I made the decision to have VSG: I asked myself 2 questions. 1) Do I want to be where I am right now, a year from now? 2) Without surgery, do I see my life getting worse or better? Hope these videos help.

When I've eaten one bite too many, I feel a painful stretching sensation. And I can feel a poking sensation at the base of my throat - where Frankensleeve joins the throat. He really doesn't appreciate being overfull!

My nemesis used to be the leftover part trays of deli sandwiches at my old job. Now my nemesis is the free Raisin Bran dispenser we have at work. But it's not really that hard to pass it by or at least really really limit how much I eat. An ounce or 2 is enough.

The Splenda I use is the kind that comes in the big bags. I use heaping tsp spoonfuls. But if I only had the packets, I'd count each packet as 1 tsp. It's really hard to go wrong either way. If it's not sweet enough, you can alway add more splenda after cooking. It's all the other ingredients that really need to be heated and cooled to bring out the flavor.

I feel the same way about goal weights as you. I need something to shoot for. I'm 5'11" and was told to realistically expect to lose 80% of my excess weight. The day of surgery, I was 352lbs. My doc said he expected me to hit 235. But I easily reached that goal. So I set another - to get to 225. I reached that, and then went for 215, then 205. I'm hanging around 205 most weeks and it's very easy to stay at this weight. Now I'm considering putting in the effort to go for 199. I have a big psychological barrier to believe I can break 200lbs, but I'm working on it. So that was my strategy. I figured out how much excess weight I was carrying, expected to lose 80% of that. And reevaluated my goal once I reached it. Hope this helps.

Good luck. You can do it!!! Here's to a new you. On the morning of my surgery, when I'd start feeling anxious, I'd take deep slow breaths and push the thoughts out of my head. I convinced myself that today was just like any other day and I was just hanging out with my friends. It worked for me, maybe it will help you as well.

Here's a couple of threads that might be of help: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/315463-did-bcbs-federal-approve-protein-shakes-from-insure-nutrition/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/245925-how-long-for-bcbs-federal-approval/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/327914-bcbs-federal/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/138057-anynoe-have-bcbs-federal/

Congratulations on getting off to a good start. Stay focused on taking those small important steps. Keep doing what is right for you. You can do it. It will all be worth it in the end. It was for me.

I am just the opposite. My gout stopped after VSG surgery. Do you think you can increase your liquid intake? I just finished watching a video where they recommend drinking enough Water to equal 1/2 your body weight daily. I know that sounds outrageous, but here's what they meant: If you weigh 200lbs, they recommend you drink 100 ounces of water (or liquids) per day. I know I don't drink 100 ounces per day, but I'm sure I get in more than 60 ozs per day and I don't suffer from gout. Even though at least 75% of my food is from beef/pork/chicken based Protein.