Patrick Curl

I like the Creamy chocolate Slimfast / Slim-rite(generic) - it's got carbs in though - but what I do is I mix in Optimum Nutrition -the best tasting Protein powder I've ever tasted, and it tastes awesome. I have the chocolate Coconut. I do this 3x a day. I get about 75 carbs a day, 15 fat, 800 calories, 95 protein.

For one - I don't want to not ever be able to eat the food I like again in my entire life. When I hit goal, I would like to enjoy my food - but just in much smaller portions. Also - I don't want dumping syndrome - doesn't sound like much fun. Also - Sleeve has less mortality rate, and the complications that do arise are generally less severe. Also - Sleeve gets rid of Ghrellin part of stomach the hormone that creates cravings. Also - Most importantly though - The sleeve doesn't have the mal-absorption that bypass has - think of being 60 - and needing heart medicine, or diabetes, or whatever else elderly folks take lol My grandma has a whole cabinet full of medicine - and Not being able to absorb the medicine may mean needing to take twice as much as a normal person would - which could also lead to error's in prescribed amounts which could lead to death - not to mention Prescriptions can be costly, and the Vitamin dosage alone for bypass is huge and costly and will be for the rest of your life. Sleeve does require a couple extra Vitamins, but not nearly as bad as Bypass patients. And Lastly: According to studies the Sleeve works just about at the same rate as Bypass, and with less complications - it's a good alternative. Those are just a few of my reasons.

Wow sounds like a rollercoaster ride.. Yeah.. i looked at the scale today and it was a bit.. unfriendly ... I've decided no scales till my last pre-op doctor's visit (June 20th). Instead I'm just gonna push it and workout, lift weights, etc.. keep to my 800 calorie diet.

Ok so today is day 3, and the diarrhea is finally gone. I just entered yesterday's meals into MyFitnessPal and it said - if everyday were like today you'd weigh: 617 pounds in 5 weeks! (starting: 660) Well if I add in some extra workouts and really push it, I think I can make it to 600 by my surgery - which would be totally cool! I'm so excited so far, I really need to get started exercising - that's my most dreaded thing though lol. Day two was a little rough, but today I do feel better, and more focused and less weak.

The easy way out isnt this surgery, it's much worse-, and something I'm sure a lot of people have contemplated, this is just one way out of the pain and misery of obesity. It's not the way for everybody, but for many of us it may be the only way. Normal people dont get it, nobody can understand what a day in our life is like.

I ordered one too - supposed to arrive tomorrow. -- I'm also a July Sleever - July 2nd - Dr Brown @ Kettering Bariatric in Dayton Ohio. I'm excited but mostly nervous lol . Can't wait till my birthday.. Want to get past the hard stuff and look back at the good progress I've made. Currently on a Protein shake fast till July 2nd. Hopefully I can make it... So far on day 2.

Thanks!

Yeah, I saw that but - frankly... I'm practically dead already.. I'm not afraid of dieing from surgery - i'm afraid of being bed-ridden and taking my own life out of despair... If I don't change by 35 I might just give up.. and I'm not quite ready to give up because I have always had hope that someday things will change and someday was always some long lengthy distance now it's like 5 weeks lol .. which is scary because I could fail at this too.. but if I succeed, well.. I'll be the happiest I've ever been in my life.. all my depression/anxiety/ etc is weight related. Everything negative in my life is because of my weight. -- I'd rather die from the surgery any day than go on living like this. At least I would die knowing I've exhausted all my options.

Nice! Congrats we'll be going through everything at about the same clip, keep me posted!

This is exactly how I felt like 3 or 4 days ago - I even posted about it -- http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/39749-nervous-and-worried-i-wont-be-able-to-commit/page__p__352984#entry352984 Then a lot of people made me realize 3 things: 1. - Everyone who has done this was scared. There are no exceptions. We are at a precipice, at my current life path - I'll be dead in 10 years either through co-morbidities, or self-inflicted from the pain. Yeah - I've thought of taking the easy way out - -I figure even if I die doing this - at least I'll be done with the pain one way or another and then I'm not so afraid. 2. That there is a lot of support in this group and people will reach out to help you through this- you are not alone - not at all. We are all here for you. 3. Post-surgery - it won't be as much psychological as you think - for one foods you used to love may now make you super sick- at least that's what I've heard, -- and you won't be able to eat more than a few ounces at a time anyhow so even if you did cheat - you'll still lose. Yes we all need to learn to improve our habits.. that's maybe our whole purpose in this life. Once you see the weight dropping off you'll also receive increased Serotinin which will increase your motivation to keep doing it, plus if you exercise along with it- which you definitely should - then you'll also get endorphines - Seratonin plus endorphins are two of the biggest best drugs out there- in fact Serotonin I believe is released when you eat sweets - so you'll get the same effect from your new lifestyle - by doing good things. Gist: Everyone's scared, There's lots of Support here, You won't be as hungry/craving of sweets as you think you will be.

I thought I was anxious before, just got off phone with the scheduling lady. I've got to get clearance from Cardiologist and Pulmonologist - which I don't think will be a problem, my Primary did and EKG and my cholesterol / triglycerides are all perfect. I do have some lung issues - but most of that is weight and sleep apnea related. I'm hoping there's no problem there as well. My date is July 2nd, and my final pre-op appointment is on the 20th of June! I'm going to be on all liquid diet till July 2nd to prepare myself for the surgery. By my Birthday I'm hoping to be under 500 - that's 150 pounds in 5 months. Wish me luck!

Thanks -I kinda just try to ignore their comments and move on. I blame the parents more then them though for not teaching good manners lol. I also think hey.. I'm getting surgery soon, I'm already losing weight on my liquid diet, and before long I wont' be the fattest person these kids have ever seen.. Just gotta be a little bit patient I guess.

Yeah, I hear you, I was unloading a lot of fluid too. I always get very diuretic on low carb diets. I will probably lose 20 this week in water alone, which will make my swollen joints feel better so I can do more when working out.

Thanks. My doctor does not have any pre op diets, but I want to be sure I can do the liquid diet after the surgery, plus being 650, every pound I lose before lessens chances of complications, and will make recovery easier.

Today was day 1, & my stomach is a little cranky. A little bit of the runs. Energy is low, and I feel a little shaky. I so wanted to cheat but I think I'm through the worst of it today. For Breakfast I had a Protein shake made with Water, it was kinda yucky. For lunch I mixed it with chocolate slim fast, which was much better. Had same for dinner. Cals: 740, carbs: 59, fat: 15, protein: 95.. Water: 70 oz. I really hope I can keep motivated till sleeve-day.

Thanks! I appreciate it!

Congrats you're very inspiring, I'm 660 right now - and going to do the same diet you're doing pre-op. Started it today - my surgery is in a month or so - no date yet, but should be soon.

I say go for it - never hurts to get a head start - plus I hear that the less you weigh when you get the surgery, the less you will lose when all is said and done.. ie someone 500 might get down to 225, while someone 450 might get down to 190, not sure how true that is though. But it is safer the more you lose - liklihood of complications goes down with size - which is my motivation for trying to lose 50 pounds in the next month or so.. (I weigh 660, I can sweat 50 pounds of water in a week- i have before on other diets.. so I know I can do it if I just put my mind to it).

oh, I forgot the biggest reason - so little kids stop staring at me and saying 'Mom, that guy is so Fat'... that really hurts, and ticks me off. On the one hand I know they're just kids but on the other I feel like their parent should apologize for not teaching them manners...

I can't wait for... - Solve some of our fertility issues. - Being able to ride a roller coaster. - Being able to simply shower without throwing my shoulder out trying to get clean. - Being able to ride a bike again. - Being able to join some type of competitive sport league to keep me physically fit -- I'd love to do competitive dodge ball, or Mixed Martial Arts.. - Being able to shop in a normal store (not since I was 10-11). - Being able to "suit up" as Barney Stinson (how i met your mother) would say, and look sleek and professional. - Being able to go to the theatre - My wife and I really want to see Wicked - but the seats aren't accomodating. Told her to go without me, but she refuses. It's coming to Dayton for a 1-2 week engagement this month. -- I won't make it to this one, but next big production that comes through - we will be there. - My weight presses up on some nerves in my arm - and I get numbness/tingling in my arm because of it .. I think it's Thoracic Outlet syndrome - yeah - to not have that anymore.. - To be able to walk/stand and talk with someone without excruciating back pain and constant thought of "will this conversation ever end? I need a freaking CHAIR now!" - Being able to travel again - I haven't even attempted to get on an airplane since I was 18. - and much much more...

Sounds awesome, I'm pulling for you! Good luck with your surgery. That sounds awesome - something I'm really doing.. I just started my protein powder diet.. figure it'll be kinda what my post-op diet will be like, and it's only a temporary thing.. in 3-4 months I'll be able to eat more savory foods, and the Biggest Loser cookbook has a lot of really yummy foods, plus spark people has a bunch of low-carb food recipes. Just need to get through these first few months pre/post op.. Sacrifice now, and next summer I'm getting a Season pass to Kings Island Amusement park - I will ride again! (Roller coasters that is) lol

Yeah, I'm pretty stoked, and I tease my wife who is 31, and has PCOS, just got diagnosed with Diabetes, and always seems to be the sick one... I'm like the one who should have all that stuff... but so far, I've been luck.. I'm afraid that all of that is sneaking up on me though - I won't be young/healthy forever.. I've been morbidly obese all my life, so maybe my body is just used to the extra weight - I wore size 52 pants in 6th grade - about 280 pounds back then. Thanks maybe we can be sleeve buddies, hoping to get mine in June as well! Good luck!

Hi, I'm pre-op, 660 pounds - getting the sleeve in June/July sometime -not sure yet. I think as far as concerns go - I chose the sleeve because for one - Bands are a waste of money they have a pretty high failure rate from what I've read online and I've done a lot of research for the past 4 years. I didn't choose this lightly. Secondly, I don't really want dumping syndrome, and as far as I know most cases Sleeve patients don't really get that. Thirdly - absorption - I don't want to have to take 3x the medicine a normal person takes when I get older. People 65+ take a lot of medicine to maintain their health - vitamins, Cholesterol Medicine, Heart Medicine, Diabetes, whatever comes up - not being able to absorb the meds is going to be an issue down the line that I really don't want to deal with. Fourthly - it may be somewhat new for weight loss - but it's been highly successful and just looking at this forum you can see all the great results, and not too many negative ones. I also did research before, and I can't tell you now, but I do know I read somewhere that the mortality rate for Sleeve is less than for Gastric Bypass. Lastly, I personally just think I can maintain a healthier lifestyle with Gastric Sleeve because I will get a lot more nutrients that I need, and stand a less likely chance of malnourishment. Thank to removal of Ghrelin part of stomach, I will also have less cravings - which the people on this forum have told me is true, most of them have said they don't want the trigger foods they once did. These are MY reasons, don't necessarily make them yours - but I think that if you see why I personally am choosing this surgery, you might think of something you didn't that might help you to make up your mind.