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Great work! You'll hit goal in no time. Welcome! ~Cheri

Only you can really make this decision. I also never really had trouble losing a nice amount (20-30 pounds) but after that it was a real challenge to lose anything else and impossible to keep it off. And there was always some extra weight added on with the regain. Best of luck whatever you decide. I can tell you that in my experience, the sleeve was the tool I needed to take the weight off and keep it off easily. ~Cheri

Yes. I say this all the time. I am astounded at the number of people that really seem to believe that genetics and overeating are the only reasons they are fat. I say that because I was one of those people totally in denial about my food issues. People that approach the sleeve like a diet are the ones that have trouble later. I cannot say this enough times: THIS IS NOT A DIET. This is FOREVER. We cannot live on Atkins forever. We cannot tell ourselves that there is only one proper way to eat and be healthy. We cannot tell ourselves that this is *the* diet that will work and if we just deny ourselves for a few months we'll be thin and healthy for life. It simply does not work that way. This tool helps us take the time to learn about ourselves and why we're fat. It gives us a help getting past emotional eating or overeating addictions. It helps us lose the weight but if we do not work on our heads while we're losing, we get to goal as unhappy and still unhealthy people, albeit skinnier ones. This is not a magic button. You are not going to wake up the day after surgery loving exercise and hating ice cream. It takes WORK. Yes, the sleeve makes the journey a million times easier, but you still have to work at it. If you don't, you could be one of those people that hits goal and backslides into being overweight again. Because the sleeve will get you to goal, sure, but YOU have to keep yourself there. And if all you learned along the journey was to cut your carbs and not eat more than 500 calories a day you're going to be in a sad, sorry position to help yourself. Best of luck to everyone. There is one major theme to every regain post I've seen (and I've honestly only seen a few in the three years I've been here) and that is that people just stop being diligent and fall into denial about their habits. ~Cheri

Prevacid is crap in my opinion. A few people here and there like it but many of us have posted that it didn't help one bit. I was able to take Nexium immediately post op and switched to generic omeprazole (Prilosec) within a month or two post op. If you need immediate relief Tums smoothies (the ones that turn to powder almost immediately) will be fine, but they will only treat the symptoms until you're on a PPI. ~Cheri

I was type II and am now in remission. I took my last pill the day before surgery. I did need a few insulin shots immediately post op. Within days, my blood sugars were high normal. Within a few months, I was perfectly normal. I don't really test any longer, but when I stopped testing more than a year ago my levels stayed very constant around 80-95 all day long, even after meals. I cannot begin to express the change once the diabetes is gone. It affected so many things for me and now I am free to eat and live like a normal person. Good luck, ~Cheri

Complications are a risk of any surgery. They are rare and we seldom see them but they can and do happen sometimes. We have a number of regular posters here that did have complications and a rough start but are now recovered and happily sleeved. Many more of us never had any complications. It's easy to get scared prior to surgery. I think it's important to read a number of posts about peoples experiences - both the good and the bad, so you know both sides of the story. Too many people only read the positive and are blindsided by the difficulties we can encounter after surgery. Only you can make this choice and only you can decide if it's worth the risks. The odds of a complication, especially if you chose a respected and experienced surgeon, are very low. Best of luck. My sleeve changed my life and I'm thankful every day I had it done. ~Cheri

Great work! You should have no problems reaching goal. And it's true your skin will start to rebound a bit once you maintain at goal for a while. My skin is not resilient or flexible (stretch marks EVERYWHERE that started during puberty) and I've had twins, but after maintaining one weight at goal for six months everything is smaller and even the dreaded apron is able to be completely hidden with good shapewear. ~Cheri

I *LOVE* how people that have NEVER ONCE had healthcare outside the US love to talk about the higher standards as if they're actually knowledgeable about the differences. I have lived overseas for most of the last seven years and had excellent healthcare in Bishkek, Almaty, Garmisch, Kyiv and yes, Mexico. However, my mom's specialist in Dallas misdiagnosed an aortal aneurysm and the resulting neuropathy as a kidney stone and she's now wheelchair bound for life, on a Coumadin diet and her quality of life is absolute crap and she's forced to live with my sister. She has entirely lost her independence and can't even drive. This after she spent three months in ICU. There's a pretty little law in Texas that keeps her from a malpractice suit and she's slowly but surely paying of the six figure hospital bills that her insurance refused to cover. Does that mean all health care in the US or in Dallas is horrible and substandard? Of course not. I've been here for three years. Most of the complications I've seen for sleeves were surgeries performed in the US, not in Mexico. And furthermore, it's pretty crappy to jump on here and act is if it's someone's FAULT that there was a problem or complication when they trusted a surgeon, just because they trusted a non-American surgeon. If you don't know what you're talking about, you should probably just stay out of the conversation and keep your ignorant, narrow-minded comments to yourself. This is not directed at any one person in general, but rather to the large number of anti-anywhere-but-the-US comments here. Again, if you've never had healthcare outside the US you know nothing about it. And I've had great, less expensive, more personable healthcare all over the world. ~Cheri And to the OP - your situation stinks. I'm sorry for your bad experience. All you can do is share it with others in hopes it will help prompt them to do their research. Which is something we should ALL do regardless of what surgeon we ultimately choose. Hopefully you can revise to sleeve and have the results you were looking for.

I love Syntrax Nectars but everyone has different opinions. It takes WEEKS to get to the point where you can not only get in all your fluids, but Protein as well. Try not to stress too much in the meantime. I love the Syntrax Medical Unflavored - perhaps trying that in your own warm broth will work for you. You just have to keep trying to find the thing that works. If you try cold shakes and don't like them, try mixing the chocolate/vanilla/unflavored Nectars with warm tea or coffee (if you're cleared for coffee) and see if that goes down better. Nectars are my favorite and I still drink a shake daily, usually with warm coffee or tea in the morning, but sometimes with Water. Yes, the chocolate truffle is even good in water, in my opinion! Good luck. Congrats on your new sleeve and again, don't stress about protein just yet. Worry more about hydration. Shoot for those goals each day but don't beat yourself up if it takes a while to get there. ~Cheri

The idea is to find a way to eat like a normal person does. A balanced diet - nothing too high in any one thing. That said, in the very beginning, lower carb and higher Protein is easier, simply because you do not have room for most of the carbs we normally eat. This is not a diet. If it was, sticking to a crazy restrictive diet might make more sense because it wouldn't be long term. This is FOREVER. This is the rest of your life, and you have to be able to happily live with your choice. Every person is different, so what your body can handle won't be the same as everyone else's. I started out super low carb and was still a slower loser. I started adding in more and more carbs and surprise, surprise - I didn't gain weight. I did gain energy and my mood was improved, however. Everyone is different. Once you're totally healed, I think that 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbs is a nice balance. It works for me. I'm happy, I'm maintaining and I'm satisfied. I do not feel deprived or resent the fact that I had surgery. I'm happy, I'm NORMAL. And my carbs come from a variety of sources - a mix of "good carbs" and "junk carbs" because for me, moderation is key. I eat what I want, in moderation. I'm sure it's part of why I'm happily well adjusted. In the beginning, though, it's easier to focus on protein first. Don't seriously limit your carbs but don't fret about getting in a ton of them, either. It's hard to eat anything for the first few months. As for hair loss, I didn't really notice much of a difference either way. Most of us experience it to some extent, regardless of our diets. ~Cheri

Every doc is different - some require a long pre-op diet, some a short one, and some (like mine) no pre-op diet at all. There are various reasons given for the "why" of it all but it ultimately comes down to surgeon preference. If you already have a date, you should have been told about any diet requirements. It can't hurt to make a call or send an email to your surgeon's office to double check. The only thing I really think everyone should do prior to surgery is start tracking their food. It will really help you stay in the habit after surgery and will help you see what you're consuming now for comparison. Good luck to both of you on your upcoming surgeries! ~Cheri

I was told at least one year. It does happen sooner for some people, but the longer you wait, the better. It took me seventeen months to reach my goal, and by the time we started TTC I was maintaining quite well. Two big things happened in that time post-goal that I think are important when it comes to TTC. One, I finally got the point where I was eating enough calories in food alone to sustain a pregnancy. And two, my body was just healthier - good hair, good nails, no more hair loss, no more fatigue...I was totally adjusted and felt very good, not just thinner. I'd wait as long as possible, because it's VERY hard in the first nine months or so post sleeve to get enough nutrition for a lot of us. It took real dedication and planning on my part to eat enough. I still have to track occasionally to make sure I'm on track. Once we were ready I had no trouble getting pregnant, even with the lower success rates of a frozen embryo transfer. So unless you have reason to believe your fertility will be affected by waiting, my advice is to lose as much weight as possible, maintain that loss, and get yourself into a good place nutritionally before trying. Good luck with both! I love my sleeve and I know being smaller and healthier this time around is going to make my pregnancy better for both me and baby. ~Cheri

OP, what did you decide? As someone who has struggled through infertility (not related to age) I would say go for the baby first. The reality is, it might not be the "ideal" but fat women get pregnant and carry healthy babies to term all the time (just like skinny women have children with complications all the time...it's a gamble for all of us). I have a fat mom who gave birth to four healthy kids, and as a fat woman I easily got pregnant with my first and then had fertility treatments for my twins. Doctors love to scare us with stats. My morbid obesity was apparently a ticking time bomb in my 27 year old body. Whatever. Plenty of larger ladies have children and if the amount of weight you're planning to lose post surgery isn't a very large amount anyway, I am sure you can have a happy and healthy pregnancy and lose the weight once you're done. Mess with your fertility, though? That's trouble. You can always lose the weight later, but if your egg quality diminishes you're going to have a hell of a time having a baby and your odds DECREASE as time marches on, whereas your age doesn't affect your success with the sleeve. I have friends that waited for one reason or another and have invested so much time, suffering and money into infertility treatments that it's absolutely heartbreaking. Oh, and if you have one prior to surgery and want to try again a year or two post op? Do it! I've just completed my second round and am currently pregnant. Despite everything I'd hoped, this skinny pregnancy actually seems harder on me than the two fat ones! It's all luck of the draw, but I'm sick, I'm tired and I'm grumpy. I think age affects this SO much more than weight, so please, let us know what you decided and how things are going! ~Cheri

I was on a Nexium pill immediately post op that was similar in size to the Prilosec I took later on. The only issue I had was that prior to surgery I took pills by taking a big gulp of Water, taking the pill, and then following it with another big gulp of water. Obviously this isn't possible immediately post op! But small sips before and after will help it go down easily. You shouldn't have any issues. Best wishes for your surgery and a speedy recovery, ~Cheri

Doing great, keep it up! Eating gets easier as you move farther out. It took me a long while to eat anything of substance. ~Cheri

Agreed. I applaud your enthusiasm, though. Send some my way, will ya? Nice long walks are okay, but take it easy on that healing abdomen. ~Cheri

Excellent post, Carla! At two years out, though, I can say that I'm now in a healthy relationship with my food. It is possible to eat for pleasure, without overeating or overindulging. I can now walk that line without the temptation to tip over into the danger zone. For at least a year, food was merely sustenance. I hated eating. But as I healed, lost weight and most importantly, dealt with my emotional baggage and the bad habits that caused the fat in the first place, I found that it's okay to like food and enjoy eating without lusting after food. I had a very sinful relationship with food prior to surgery, for sure! Lust is exactly the right word for my old food relationship. A lust-hate relationship, quite the passionate thing! In any case, thank you for addressing the need for counseling. You are currently mourning the loss of your best coping mechanism, your constant friend and something you really enjoyed doing. Feeling a bit lost while you find a new way to cope is completely normal. You might enjoy reading Hungry by Allen Zadoff. He didn't have surgery, but he was an emotional overeater. I enjoyed the read, mostly because it took less than an hour of my time and pointed out some of my own behaviors that I was completely in denial about prior to surgery. You are doing a fantastic job. Not just on your loss but on the head work. When you reach goal, you will not feel that void any longer. You will be a happier and healthier person, physically and mentally. Thanks for a great post, I really enjoyed this one. ~Cheri

Thanks for the compliment. And try not to worry too much about protein. You're ahead of the game just trying to get it in. I was so stressed about this in the beginning and really drove myself nuts because I just couldn't hit my goals. It made me actually hate food and eating...which is completely bizarre for someone whose favorite thing to do was eat! You're making good progress so far, keep it up! It's so unfair that boys lose faster than girls! Yes, some omeprazole will make you feel better. If it doesn't kick in right away, a Tums smoothie - the ones that disintegrate into fine powder quickly - will take the edge off the acid until it does kick in. I had NO idea that reflux was what I was experiencing. As soon as the Nexium my doc gave me ran out, I stopped taking a PPI and I learned this lesson the hard way. I was miserable until I found something to control the problem, so this is always the first thing I suggest to people that exhibit similar symptoms. Good luck to all of you newbies! Congrats on your sleeves, and thanks for being active in the forums helping each other out. I didn't post very much in the beginning and wish I had been more active. ~Cheri

Got a good deli nearby? Liver sausage or chopped liver will have the tastes you're looking for, and have a smoother texture. I make my own and can eat it every day for weeks, until my husband complains that the house reeks of liver and onions. You're hungry for real food but eating anything more solid than a puree at this point is risking trouble. I'm not so much worried about shrimp you've already eaten, but that having one good experience can lead you to thinking that your sleeve is fine, and then you might risk eating something that could cause damage. Let it heal. The desire to eat when you're trapped on a limiting diet is really something, especially when you don't feel any real physical hunger. But you have to heal! You definitely don't want a leak, or even just the discomfort that comes from eating a food that doesn't agree with you. As for being bored of soups, yeah, I get that. If you're cleared for creamy soups, I think that okays yogurt, pudding, grits, refried beans, Cream of Wheat and very thin purees. Thin potatoes mashed with a bit of Boursin tastes like heaven after broth for a week! If you don't want to move on to those things or they were specifically forbidden, try spicing it up. Spicy soups like hot and sour or chicken broth with taco seasoning added really are more satisfying on a limited diet. Don't be scared of the hot sauce, provided it doesn't cause a reaction. I didn't really care for spicy foods pre op but they saved my sanity post op. And I completely echo that this is not the time to fret about the carbs in two bites of Cream of Wheat or potatoes. First of all, you NEED that energy because you're not eating. Second, carbs aren't the enemy, anyway. Third, exactly how many carbs are in two bites, anyway? Not enough to fret about, I promise. Good luck, ~Cheri

If you're not on a PPI, that's your culprit right there. You need Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix daily to control the production of acid. A stomach bubbling with acid feels exactly the same way as a growling, hungry stomach. You also still have grehlin in your system for a while post op, so you could still be feeling the hunger hormones. Everyone loses at a different pace. I thought I'd come home from Mexico and be down a bunch of weight already but I was up on the scale. I lost all of my first month's weight in the last ten days of the month. Relax. Let your body heal. Take a PPI. Sip liquids and stay hydrated. You'll know just how sleeved you are when you try to move onto soft foods! Congrats on your new sleeve, ~Cheri

Yes, you're alone in this and I'm jealous! I had about a three pound GAIN every month around my cycle, with a week on either side where I'd usually stay within half a pound on the scale. Closer to mid-cycle (ovulation), I'd drop all of my weight for the month in one week. Even in maintenance I see a gain around TOM. Be thankful. We never know how our hormones will affect us! ~Cheri

My guess based upon how far you're out from surgery is B12 or Iron deficiency. Get a panel run and I bet you'll find you need supplements. I had a similar problem (also fatigue and forgetfulness) and with B12 shots and a new iron supplement I feel like a whole new person. ~Cheri

Yes, it took me a while to figure it out, too. Now I portion out when I purchase things and if I open things like a can of tuna or a container of yogurt I make a note to myself that I'm going to eat that food item until it's gone, even if that means dinner is tomorrow's lunch, too. You'll get past this fairly quickly. Your ability to eat will increase to a more normal amount over the next few months and you'll find you waste less and less. If I'm not mindful when ordering when we eat out, I can still wind up with quite a bit of wasted food. It takes careful planning. ~Cheri

Oh, and that bloated, crampy and full feeling sounds suspiciously like my lactose intolerance felt. You might try mixing lactose free shakes with warm tea or Water for a day and see how you're feeling. Best of luck, ~Cheri

Liquids in = liquids out. Healing guts are noisy. It takes a long while for them to quiet down permanently. Are you on a PPI? You should be taking Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix to control the acid. This phase passes quickly. I hope you feel better soon. ~Cheri