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You're doing great, quit comparing! A lot of us lost much more slowly than that - I think I was down 50-60 pounds by four months out. Friendly advice, even though it's hard for all of us: don't expect your loss to be fast, or consistent, or easy all the time. You'll save yourself headaches and stress. Just keep doing the right things and it will eventually all fall off. As you get closer to your ideal weight your body loses much more slowly, so be prepared. You can combat disappointment with a positive attitude and the knowledge that you will lose weight even if it doesn't happen at the pace you might want. Keep it up, you're doing great! ~Cheri

I think a big fear a lot of people experience but won't admit outright is that fear of being forced to discover ourselves. We love blaming our fat on our childhoods, on genetics, on old injuries, on pregnancy, on whatever convenient excuse we have. Oh sure, all of those things can be somewhat to blame or in very few cases, completely to blame. But honestly, so much of being a fat person is hiding behind that weight, even when we desperately want out from behind it. Being faced with the inability to hide behind food - the inability to overeat ourselves out of sadness or depression or anger and the inability to snack mindlessly when we're bored - well, that can be scary if you're the type of person that's spent your life in denial about yourself and your habits. It's scary. Food is a coping mechanism for a lot of people. Giving up what is essentially a security blanket is frightening for a lot of people. Denial is a huge part of the problems we have with food. With the exception of unforeseeable complications there is nothing more difficult about life after surgery than life as a person who is so overweight that it impacts your overall health and quality of life. I am sorry, but the need to take a PPI or limit my portions or to need to get off my rear and actually move around a bit more - these things PALE in comparison to life prior to surgery. My life is far easier now than it was when I was embarrassed to be out in public or when I had to take medications for diabetes before I was even thirty! What is ten thousand dollars to me when it's bought me back my life? I'd pay it twice over to be where I am now because it would still be worth every penny. Anyone that could talk themselves out of this surgery simply isn't ready for the changes they know they'll have to make. And I feel sorry for that person, honestly, because once they do make the choice the only regret they'll have is that they didn't do it sooner. Thanks for your post and for your blog - your insight and information will surely help other people make this journey for themselves a successful one. ~Cheri

If you must have warm Water a trick we used with our twins (when they were babies) was to heat water and pour very warm (not boiling hot) water into water bottles or a thermos and pack it into a small cooler bag. The insulation works to keep heat in as well as cold but in the case of my thermos it would keep water hot all day long even without additional help. If you take a large thermos with you (I have one that holds a whole pot of coffee!) and fill it with hot water each morning before you leave the hotel and carry bouillon cubes or

All of us do. I even had them as I was losing, because I felt like I might never reach goal or that I'd be the first absolute failure at this surgery. It's normal. You will lose weight. Put aside any expectations on being a certain size or losing a certain number of pounds by a certain date and you'll find that it's easy. You're going to struggle for a short while on the post op diet because it's challenging but what you're doing now by following your surgeon's plan is going to set you up for success later. Once you're sleeved it really takes a lot of weight loss to see the difference. Our heads and eyes still see us as big people. Heck, even now I sometimes don't realize what I actually look like until I see a photo. Honestly, it would be nearly impossible for you not to lose weight. Take heart that it's a rough journey for most of us and involves a lot of learning about what made us this way, how to eat properly, how to be nice to ourselves and forgive ourselves for being human...it's worth it, though. Congrats on making this choice for yourself. I know you'll succeed with this surgery if you do the right things and stick with it even when you have those bad days. ~Cheri

It's not so hard to avoid them, even in Protein shakes. There are a lot of products out there sweetened with stevia or other natural sweeteners so you shouldn't have any more trouble than usual finding food. I'm far more sensitive to them post op, too. I do the real deal for all things (full fat, full sugar, full flavor) - and as long as we keep it in moderation we're okay. ~Cheri

Give it a try. It's a safer alternative than coming off of other drugs that you need, right? I was on metformin for diabetes and it's an easy medication to take with minimal side effects. Watch your sugar intake on the drug, though, because for me, anything with too much sugar caused digestive problems. ~Cheri

And how much did you really eat? My oft stated opinion on these boards is that the sleeve is not a diet. Yes, learn to eat healthier and to choose better options. Track your caloric intake and stay within the limits you set for yourself. But your day wasn't really that bad. And having the mentality that you're "cheating" by eating normal foods is going to lead to days where you throw it all in the crapper and eat like crazy because you'll feel like you've already blown the day by eating one thing off plan. The most important part of the sleeve journey is learning to eat like a normal person. What I mean is that people with no food issues and who haven't battled their weight do not freak out over eating spaghetti or a small piece of cake. They eat what they want, in moderation. They don't feel guilty about it and they don't hide it. They eat right 90% of the time and allow themselves 10% flex to eat what sounds good at the time. We can't live on poached chicken and carrot sticks forever! The sleeve IS forever, it is NOT a diet. So start by forgiving yourself for your diet the other day. Pick up the pieces, fix your guidelines and work within them. And don't shave your carbs down to nil, either! It's far easier to fall off the wagon when we feel deprived. You're doing fine! You'll be a success with this. It's a learning process for every one of us. ~Cheri

No joke. More like three nibbles! There's a nutritional guideline for a reason. It's hard to get through this phase but it will pass and you'll be on here griping about how you can't get enough calories in each day because you can only fit a bite or two. Check out the complications threads. What people suffer through when there is a leak is NO JOKE. Causing that intentionally by eating around your diet plan is foolish. People can die from undiagnosed leaks. Hang in there and find something else to focus on besides food. ~Cheri

Yum! I've used a recipe for years that uses vodka and club soda (the club soda makes them SO light and fluffy) but I like how simple this recipe is for in a pinch. And yes, matzoh goes down much more easily than a floury or sticky dumpling. Great idea - wish I'd thought of this while I was healing and had a limited diet! ~Cheri

Salads were HARD for me. I had a ton of trouble with fibrous veggies and lettuce was impossible until something closer to five or six months out. Everyone is different, though! I say start very small with veggies and also with Pasta, rice and tortillas...those are still my trouble foods, even at 21 months out. As for the post op diet, I had Dr. Aceves and spent weeks on liquids after surgery. I wasn't hungry at all but boy, I was MEAN and grouchy and tired all the time. At the end I just wanted to chew something despite having no appetite. It stinks but it's just a tiny bit of time before you'll be here complaining that you can't get enough calories because you can only fit in two or three bites of food at a time! Hang in there. Post op diets do vary but you trusted your doc to slice you open, so you should trust his judgement on what you should be eating afterward. ~Cheri

Carbs vary by person, though! It's very personal and your best bet is to find a guideline and as you continue to progress add more in until you hit that point where you realize it causes a slowdown or a stall. Surprisingly, contrary to what I believed prior to surgery, the more carbs I added into my diet the better I felt and it had ZERO effect on my loss. I lost at the same slow rate the entire time. I suggest NOT shaving carbs down to the bare minimum unless you find it's necessary for your body. I say this because in maintenance, you NEED carbs again. Slowly introducing them throughout the losing phase is easier than learning it all on the fly while also trying to maintain! I started out with low, low carbs but by the end could comfortably eat about 60-70 grams per day and still see the same losses on the scale. In maintenance I'm eating 120+ grams a day and easily maintaining. Low carbing makes many of us irritable and tired. I think it also adds to that feeling of deprivation that causes two issues: one, sneak snacking and two, the expectation that since we're denying ourselves, we'll see results on the scale every single day. Just my two cents, but I recommend starting in the 40-50 range and upping it slowly until you find what works best for YOU. ~Cheri

I've seen many posts on this and I think the general consensus is that the difference in bougie size is so small that it doesn't really add up to a noticeable difference to the patient. ~Cheri

Syntrax nectar Naturals are pretty good if you like fruity. Natural 100% Gold Standard and Natural Isopure are pretty popular, too. There are very limited flavor options out of the can and most of them are unflavored but you can do a lot to jazz up a shake with real fruit, cocoa powder, or Peanut Butter so that shouldn't be an issue. My favorite powder is unflavored and I choose it over other options all the time. There is a growing group of bodybuilders that are all natural and refuse to use artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners so you will have options, just not as many as you might like. ~Cheri

It's food and hormones and the stress of the surgery. You'll be more yourself soon. Hang in there. I had some hormone issues after surgery and was kind of a crazy person off and on as I adjusted. It's not unusual, so be prepared. Warn your husband and thank him for putting up with your crazy. ~Cheri

I'm sorry that it's your father being unsupportive. It's hard when our families aren't behind us. But the reality is that you aren't doing this for anyone but yourself so you don't need anyone's approval, even though it feels nice to have it. Do what you need to do and be thankful for the people that are on your side right now. Your dad might come around later as he sees you succeed, and maybe not. I'm proud of you for finding a way to fund this yourself and do it yourself. You're doing the greatest thing you can to change your life and if people that you love don't see it that way you have to just let it go and keep on trying to better yourself. Though I would say that you might consider venting about post surgery difficulties to someone that won't relay them to your dad - just because I'm the type that would hate to hear a single "I told you so." Good luck! ~Cheri

What you're talking about isn't physical hunger, so the surgery isn't going to fix this for you. Now, actual physical hunger almost always decreases after surgery. For me it went away almost entirely and didn't start to come back at all until after a year out. And it's not even remotely like it used to be. Before surgery I could eat a giant plate of Pasta and breadsticks and be so full I'd feel sick. Yet an hour later I'd have my head in the fridge looking for more food with my stomach growling. It not only took a lot of food for me to feel full, the hunger came back quickly. This is totally gone now that I've been sleeved. The sleeve will help you finally overcome the mindless eating or the eating until bursting IF you do the headwork after surgery. Immediately post op you shouldn't feel very hungry at all and food is often totally unappetizing. As you heal and can't eat more than a few bites that ability to just eat until you can't move will go away. You can use this opportunity to work on figuring out why you eat and when you eat, so that you're aware and can prevent yourself from indulging. Head hunger was easy for me to ignore in the beginning (with the exception of PMS) but as you move out from surgery and incorporate more "normal" foods and eat more calories you really need to be in a good place mentally to succeed. It would be EASY for me to graze on junk all day long and my sleeve would not stop me from that. It will stop me from eating half a pizza in a sitting but not from nibbling chips, Cookies or candies all day long. I was in denial about my food issues until after surgery. I still battle head hunger and you probably will, too. We have built a habit of indulging when we feel stressed or bored and it's hard to break that. However, with work you can overcome this and yes, I would say the sleeve can make it easier, especially in the beginning. Sometimes just taking a second to think before you eat every bite can help. If I walk to the fridge and open the door, I always take a second to ask myself why I'm there and what I plan on eating. It helps a lot. As does tracking your calories BEFORE you eat your food instead of after. Having a meal plan for the day can help keep you from straying into the foods you want to avoid or at least eat only occasionally. Well, now that I've rambled on I hope you're not sleeping! I just think that if you look at this as a head issue and not a stomach one you'll have a better chance of overcoming it after your surgery. And I think that it's something every single one of us has to deal with in order to be healthy, not just physically but mentally, too. ~Cheri

Strain it and use it! It's far more flavorful and will keep you from getting bored. And don't forget that you can use spices during your clears phase to make boring old broth taste better. I never cared much for hot and spicy foods but immediately post op they made me feel much more satisfied. ~Cheri

Maybe your liquid is too cold or hot? Or maybe your proportion of liquid needs to be upped. Or maybe you just need to keep searching for your perfect protein! I use a blender ball shaker and have only had this issue with one of the samples I tried, so you shouldn't be having it every time! I mix my protein with hot coffee in the mornings - I drop two cubes into the blender cup, brew the coffee over it and stir a few times to cool the coffee - I want my coffee hot, not nuclear hot. Then I add my protein and shake, stopping halfway through to pop the top so it won't explode on me. It's never gritty and it only ever foamy if I shake too much. You could probably do your soup the same way. ~Cheri

And on the IUD - it's hard to say how your body will react to any type of birth control after surgery. Browse for threads on this one - I know I created one on Mirena and several of us were discussing it on a different thread. Some of us are perfectly happy with what we use prior to surgery but post op, have an issue. Or in my case, I had my Mirena put in post op and LOVED it...except I couldn't lose weight while it was in. Now that I'm at goal it will be my preferred form of bc, but be aware that you might have to fiddle with what you're using more post op. ~Cheri

Lissa gave great tips (as usual!) but I wanted to reassure you that you can make the trip, too. I flew from Frankfurt, Germany to San Diego to have my surgery with Dr. Aceves. I only received one additional dose of Lovenox before traveling. Have the attendant bring you a large bottle of Water the first time they come around and sip, sip, sip. I had to ask them to bring me room temperature water because the cold caused spasms at first and they were happy to help. Also, walk, move, shuffle your feet, move around as much as possible. And DO NOT cross your legs on the flight home, either. You'll be fine! ~Cheri

Not being on a good PPI, or being on one that isn't doing the job for you can also cause you to feel hungry when you aren't actually hungry. And is this really hunger? I'm not poking at you, I'm asking you very seriously. Is this just a matter of you feeling like you could eat more or like you wanting to eat more? Separating the two will help you in the long run. Finally, your foods are still fairly soft. You might find that your desire to eat more or your ability to eat more than a few bites goes away once you're onto things like chicken/tuna salad or scrambled whole eggs. Good luck - you're doing the right things and I hope you can find a solution that makes you feel happier about how/what you're eating. ~Cher

Nothing is a forbidden food once you're healed. That can be good and bad, depending on your particular food issues. Yes, there's a rough patch once you're sleeved where you're on liquids and desperately want to chew food, even though you're not really hungry. But really, in just a few short months the way you look at food will change a lot. Some of those foods might still be a temptation after surgery and some might be no problem for you. I was a french fry addict prior to surgery but I can take 'em or leave 'em now. I never cared all that much for popcorn prior to surgery and it's my favorite snack now. Our tastes change. For me a big part of moving past the head issues that I had with food was realizing that I can eat whatever I want. I eat like a normal person. Some foods don't agree with me as much (tortillas, pasta) but I can still choose to eat them in very small portions. That has really helped me out mentally - knowing that I can eat what I want and that I'm not giving up a normal life just to lose weight. It's easier to walk away from a food when you know it's you making the choice because you want to, not because of a diet or a doctor's order. So for now, just hang in there. Pre-op diets seem to be difficult. Many of us do a food funeral before surgery, but try to keep it under control and don't build a habit you'll just have to break once you're sleeved. And definitely follow your doctor's orders as best you can. You'll get through this. Once you're sleeved you'll start to slowly change the way you look at and think about food. You'll have to! With such a limited capacity you're forced to consider what and when to eat so that you can not just lose weight but continue to be healthy. ~Cheri

I just wanted to say thanks for posting as a warning for everyone. I hope your mom heals quickly and can avoid the second surgery, unless she needs it for quality of life! Nobody wants to live on soft foods forever. Your list is so extensive I couldn't add anything if I tried. Well, except tofu, but I'm a weirdo that loves the stuff whereas most people hate it. It's good so many ways but my favorite post op was to get it at a good Chinese restaurant with a really hot sauce. Oh, and the Chinese egg custard - nice and savory, not sweet - was great when I was healing but again, it's not for everyone! Again, thanks for posting and wishes for a speedy recovery to your mother, ~Cheri

Yes, good luck! For me the time between starting to consider surgery to actually being sleeved flew by very quickly, even though it was several months. Before you know it you'll be asking advice on what to eat during the mushy stage! ~CHeri

We all have moments like this when we're on a diet, don't we? It's incredibly frustrating. You're allowed to feel sorry for yourself, though. I used to get so frustrated with my family even before surgery because I was diabetic and half the places they wanted to eat didn't really have a good option for my strict diet. The reality is that you'll probably go through a good patch of feeling this way, off and on. Now, once you're sleeved it's different. You might still want that food because it smells good (or you're on liquids and want to chew something!) but a lot of us find that things simply don't taste the same to us and those old favorites aren't appealing anymore. It's hard and you have every right to feel angry and frustrated and sorry for yourself. But you're making a change that's going to impact the rest of your life for the better. It's worth the suffering now. And those foods aren't gone forever, either. You could choose to eat almost anything after you're healed, in moderation. You'll probably find that your tastes and your ability to eat certain foods has changed but you'll have the option. Sometimes, the hardest part is just being told you can't do something - once you choose not to do it on your own you feel differently about the whole thing. Good luck! Less than three weeks before you're rocking that sleeve...and a diet of clears! ~Cheri