joatsaint

I too fell off the pre-op diet wagon, fortunately I was able to limit myself to eating only lean Protein. Work to get back on track, it is soooo worth it!! To me, the pre-op diet was harder than the surgery and recovery. But 1 week post-op, I could tell that mentally, things had changed. I no longer obsessed over certain flavors and I have the "need" to eat every 2 hours.

I started at 370+ and my doc said realistically I could expect to get down to 235. And I was more than happy at that weight ( got there in about 9 months). Then it became a little more difficult to lose weight(as my new sleeve relaxed and I could hold more, and I wasn't burning as many calories between not carrying around an extra hundred pounds and metabolism adjusting to the new lower caloric intake). Then I decided I wanted to be at 224 (my high school weight) and I got there through diet and exercise, And I am very happy at that weight. Now I want to get to 200, which is where I want to stop - I think. But if I was stuck at 220, I'd be a happy camper for the rest of my life. So, I do believe the rate of weight loss can be slowed or stopped. It's just easier in the beginning, between the swelling of my new stomach and dramatic decrease in calories. Then there's the phase where you're not carrying as much weight, not burning as many calories and stomach capacity is increasing. Then the final phase where you're completely healed and your metabolism has fully adapted to this new eating lifestyle.

Congrats on a great NSV!!!!

18 months post-op for me. And I can eat 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of food per meal (8 - 12 oz.) And I have to tell you I love every minute of it - even when I gorge myself on my favorite - my mom's chuck roast and potatoes! The 1st 6 months, I was really limited to about 1/2 cup per meal, but as the healing progressed and the swelling in my new sleeve went down, I could hold more. I go to a buffet restaurant almost every weekend with my best friend. I watch as the people(thin and overweight) file by with heaping plates of food an deserts and I sit there and nibble on my salad plate covered with 4 oz of steak and a couple of tablespoons of other things and love my Sleeve (Frankensleeve). I quickly grew to love my small stomach and how little I could eat. It still amazes me how pre-op I was able to eat upwards of 2 lbs of food for lunch and 3 to 4 lbs of food between 5pm and 10pm nightly.

I have a sedentary desk job and I am not required to bend or squat or pick up anything heavy. Having said that, I was ready to go back to work on day 11. I would have been in no shape to do a lot of moving around or walking or lifting. But there are a some threads I've read where the people felt great after surgery and were back at work in 3 days. I guess it all depends on how well you can recuperate.

With me, it all depended on how far I was post-surgery. Up till around 9 months post-op, I was so calorie restricted that I had to get as much nutrition per bite as I could get. And I couldn't hold more than about 1/2 cup of food per meal, so I was very limited on the "goodies" :-P. I would allow myself a tablespoon of peanut butter per day. But if it were a cookie or cake or anything with empty calories, I'd only eat 1 or 2 bites after I'd eaten my normal meals.

I drink the occasional beer or Mike's Hard Lemonade. I pour them over ice to get rid of some of the bubbles. I have to be real careful drinking right out of the can. Drink too fast and I'll feel the pain of a stretched Sleeve or a poking sensation at the bottom of my throat. I can drink hard liquor with no problems. My favorite is Tequila mixed with Crystal Light Lemonade. I've never been a real big drinker so I don't know if I get a buzz any quicker - I've always been a 2 drink limit kinda guy.

My 1st week, I was sipping Crystal Light and eating sugar free popsicles. I'd eat a bite of popsicle and be done eating for 4 or 5 hours. I just tried to sip as much Fluid as I could, but I didn't track the amount. I'd fill up my 30 oz cup and it's last about 2 days.

My 1st appointment was all about the paperwork. I felt like I was writing a novel - from all the forms I had to fill out. Everything from my health history and lifestyle to consent allowing my doc to use my picture as promotional materials (I slipped that page into my pocket - no one ever asked me about it. :-) ) Then it was an interview with the doc and he explained everything I needed to accomplish before surgery - insurance approval, blood tests, xrays, stomach scoping, psych evaluation. It took about 2 hours to get through everything. I was weighed and they took my blood pressure.

My best guess is that we don't have as much stomach acid as before. As you introduce "difficult" foods into your diet, your stomach has to adapt and figure out how to process them.

Glad you are doing so well. Just remember, every day it will get a little easier. I was feeling like warmed over death for about 8 days, but was fine by day 10. Keep walking and drinking.

I know what you mean. Not only did I notice all the food commercials, as a guy I keep noticing all the "male enhancement" commercials as well - not that I'm on a pre-op diet for that!!!!! :-P

I wasn't specifically told not to eat popcorn for a certain length of time, but I waited a couple of months post-op before eating it again. Now I have it on a regular basis. Once my doctor cleared me for full foods(1 month post-op), I had no restrictions on what I could eat. *** But I have to add, if I were still on a sub 1000 calorie/day diet, I would not be eating popcorn - too many empty calories. And I found the best 4 Cent Microwave Popcorn Popper!!! All you need is 2 - 2 cent brown lunch bags. - 3 tablespoons of popcorn - 1 rubber band Put one bag inside the other to make a double wall (I found out the hard way how powerful Orville's popcorn is!) Pour in the popcorn Fold over about 1 inch of the top and secure with rubber band Pop in microwave for 2 minutes

I only cook for myself. I usually cook a big pot of whatever - that will last 5 or 6 days - and just eat on it all week. I only eat out 1 meal per week, on Saturday night. I haven't had fast-food for over 18 months, just no desire for it anymore.

My doctor's office called me back once I was approved. My insurace is very WLS friendly and was approved within 5 days. A friend at work has the same insurance and her doctor's office took their time and put off and delayed for weeks waiting to put in the paperwork. I advised her to call the doctor directly and let him know that she was about to switch doctors because his staff was so slow to do their job. And what do you know? She got a call back the same day telling her the paperwork was submitted...... This doctor was about to get a $15,0000 payday. I expect service!!!!!!!!!!!

I can only speak for myself, but I needed the size of my stomach reduced in order to stick with the reduced portion sizes. Pre-op, I could eat smaller meals for a long time (months) but eventually I'd start going back to my old ways. And it just seemed like it was a lot of physical and mental effort for such a low payoff. The main benefit I got from the removal of part of my stomach is the reduced cravings. Since surgery, I no longer "need" to eat any particular food or flavor. Pre-surgery, it was like an addiction, I'd get a craving for a food or flavor and could not get past it. I'd just have to eat it until I had enough.

During my puree phase I stuck to Cream of Mushroom soup and refried beans mixed with pureed turkey hamburger. I tried to keep it simple. When I'm only eating a 1/4 cup of food per meal, I didn't want to go to a lot of trouble cooking.

I bought a box at Sam's Club - white chocolate, chunky Peanut Butter, and brownie crunch. All I can say is that they were edible. I did not like them and ate them only when I didn't have anything else in the house to eat. My favorite Protein bar is the Pure Protein brand. I haven't found a flavor that I didn't like.

I would go with your doctor's recommendation. My doc did both the Sleeve and Gastric Bypass, but stopped doing the GB because he was having such good results with the Sleeve. He was originally doing the Sleeve as stage 1 of a 2 stage surgery for the super obese - to get them down to a weight where it was safe to complete the Gastric Bypass. They were losing so much weight with the Sleeve, most of his patients never needed the GB.

I think it really depends on your insurance requirements if it's one or two. I only needed one, I had sleep apnea.

I was so nausiated that the only thing I could tolerate was Crystal Light and GRAPE! sugar free popsicles. I had some clear chicken broth in the house, but never drank it. So it was towards the end of the 2nd week before I started eating anything.

I had the Sleeve because they only remove part of the stomach. And I don't have to worry about taking Vitamin supplements for the rest of my life. And I'm happy with the results. And 3 ladies I work with that had the Gastric Bypass, and they are all happy with their results as well. I think they lost weight more easily than I did, but they have to watch out for vitamin deficiencies and dumping syndrome and there are some things they just can't eat anymore. Both procedures are very successful as long as you stick to your doctor's orders. Neither one will work if you go into this thinking you won't have to work at it and you won't have to change your lifestyle. I looked at it as my 1 chance for a do over - so I better not F it up!

Hang in there, it will get better day by day. My 1st 7 days were awful. I was nauseated and had the gas pains in my shoulder. Eating more than a 1/2 teaspoon full of anything was a problem. I swear I was only eating a bite or 2 of a sugar free popsicle per day that 1st week. But it was all worth it!

I too was worried the "magic" would wear off once I switched from liquids to puree. And then again when I switched to full foods. And then again at 6 months when I noticed I could suddenly eat more per meal. It was all worry for nothing. As long as I follow my dietary guidelines and keep within a certain range of calories, the weight keeps coming off. It will for you too. It's not the liquids or the solids, it's all about the calories and eating healthy food. Stay away from empty carbs like candy and cake.

I was nervous/excited/scared for a few days pre-op, but then I started pretending that it was just another day of the week and I didn't have surgery coming up. It worked for me! Right up till the wheeled me into the O.R. I woke up and asked, "Am I skinny yet?"