lucky8mb1

My pre-op diet was 2 weeks. It was a combination of two protein shakes and two healthy meals with lean proteins. I lost 16lbs.

Yes, I don't feel hunger nearly the way I used to. I could go most of the day at work and forget to eat if I didn't force myself to remember. I promise you, that NEVER happened before. I do still feel hunger pangs - mostly in the evenings, which was my "danger" time pre-sleeve. But it's not an every day thing and it passes very quickly.

I've had a very easy recovery and have been moving through the stages without incident, so I haven't had real regret yet. I'm already thinking about food differently, in the sense that I don't let it consume my life anymore. But I won't lie and say that after a month of not eating what I want (2 week pre-op diet,1 week fluids, 1 week puree, 2 days soft) sometimes I wish I could have my favorite takeout meal from our go-to Thai restaurant, or just one piece of chocolate or bite of baked good that our neighbors gave to us for the holidays. I think it's natural to want something even more when you can't have it, which is why so many new sleevers go through buyers remorse or some form of regret. I know in a few weeks I'll be free to eat most foods again, and I can have some of my favorite Thai takeout - just a quarter (or maybe even an eighth!) of what I used to eat. I think that's why most people who are several months out don't express regret like the newbies do. Nothing is forced off limits. I will say that if you don't battle your demons with food, even when you can eat anything again - you may still feel regret. You need to be ok with eating the right way and only partaking in the old "bad" foods rarely and in moderation. If you don't deal with the mental part, I don't think you can ever really cross over and accept your new eating life.

Here is the link to the boot camp: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/page__hl__%20boot%20%20camp I think it's mainly intended for sleevers who are far out from their surgery and have fallen off the wagon or hit a major stall/gain. Although I suppose some pre-op folks could try it, too. Us newbies aren't really able to do a lot of it quite yet.

I'm having the same problem. I was consistently losing until I was no longer eating just fluids. I lost only 2lbs between the 17th and 24th, and haven't lost any weight since. (I know, I shouldn't weigh myself daily, but it's my fix and I can't quit yet.) I keep telling myself I know it's all the changes and I will reset and start losing again. But it sucks to not watch the scale go down when you know you're at a calorie deficit for the day.

I was sleeved on the 10th in the US and did not have a catheter, thankfully.

I was sleeved the 10th and mine look like several day old cat scratches now. I still have glue covering most of them, but the last of it is slowly flaking off. If yours are weeping at this point, I would definitely call your doctor to be sure there isn't an infection or anything.

My insurance was the same way. I ended up self-paying. I've heard you can try and talk to your HR department and see about the feasibility of them moving to a plan that does include it. Some have luck with this, others do not. I chose not to go this route.

There are also studies that show the opposite. What's your point?

What and how much are you eating now? I'm in the middle of the puree stage and I have no idea if I'm under/overeating. Today I had a greek yogurt for Breakfast, an 8oz Protein shake with PB powder for lunch, and maybe 4oz of a refried bean/cheese/milk/cottage cheese concoction my husband whizzed together for me in the food processor. I just had a frozen greek yogurt pop for dessert. Are you in a similar place?

I can't speak for others but I can say that yes, sex is better for me when I'm thinner. However, I also could not imagine marrying someone before knowing if we were sexually compatible. Especially a virgin. I know that wasn't your question, but it's just my unsolicited 2 cents. So, if I were you, I would get busy now and hopefully enjoy how things improve as you shrink and he gets more practice. But, I'm not you - so do whatever makes you both happy.

I transition from liquid to puree and then to soft. Maybe you need to work up to soft a bit more? You could try doing puree so it's a bit more substantial than full liquids, but not quite yet as dense as soft foods.

I'm 5'4.5" and my doctor goal is 160lbs. I need to be 145 to be considered "normal". I'm going to focus on my doctor's goal because it does seem more attainable. Once I'm there, I will see if I can lose anymore. For what it's worth, I was in the 160s when I lost weight before having kids and I was a size 8. I think I looked pretty damn good. 160 may not be as big as you're envisioning. Just a consideration.

Thank you for the info! Good to know! Wish the doctor would have just rolled it into the cost. Oh well.....

I was self-pay for my surgery and just got a bill for surgical pathology dated for the day of my surgery. Of course it's Saturday so I may not be able to get a better explanation from the doctor for a couple of days. Just wondering if anyone else had some sort of pathology related to their surgery, and if so - why? Thanks!

I was thinking of posting the same thing. Unfortunately it seems the thing I notice the most now is bad breath. Ugh.

lol That's the typical fat person laugh. I'm being the typical fat person sarcastic.

Yikes. If the alternative to being a "pansy" is to be like this, I'm all set, thanks.

No, it has nothing to do with my weight. I'm private about my marriage, my job, my financial status, my children, etc - none of which are related to my weight. I've been this way at almost 300lbs and at 160lbs. Why is it that because I'm different than you, then there must be a reason and hopefully I can get past it so I can be more like you? You may think I get uncomfortable easily. You're entitled to that opinion, but I am happy where I am. I like keeping my private life private. Why is that a negative thing? I'm not saying it's wrong to shout it from the rooftops if you're so inclined. Why is it wrong to not want to share?

I hear a lot of chatter about "honesty" and "lying", etc. If someone asks me a personal health question, I am under no obligation to answer it. I'm not sure why it's even socially acceptable to pry into someone's personal medical situation. Weight loss is a medical situation - whether it be by surgery, medication, doctor supervised diet, or any other method. What if the person had cancer or some sort of serious medical condition they did not want to share, and that's why they've lost weight? Are they too obligated to go into their diagnosis and explain that's why they've lost weight, because "honesty is the best policy" and we don't want a "web of lies"? No. No. No. I wouldn't ask how someone's boobs got bigger and expect they tell me they had augmentation. I wouldn't ask someone why they look 10 years younger and obligate them to tell me they had a face lift. I put it in the same category as people who ask a newly pregnant woman if the baby was planned. Not an acceptable question, yet somehow is still asked regularly by many. We live in a society of over sharers. I'm horrified with the things people share on facebook and even face to face. It's created this expectation that all people are ok with leaving their personal life as an open book. There are still many of us that are private about our private lives. I don't appreciate the insinuation that because I don't want to share the intimate details of my internal organs that somehow I'm a liar or ashamed of my choice. Not the case at all. I just don't feel like other people need to know MY medical history. Comments on weight loss should start and end with...."You look great!" That is an acknowledgment of the loss and leaves the window open for the person to go into how they lost it - should they want to. Not every person is an open book and it is never appropriate to put a more private person on the spot. Better to be safe than sorry.

I slowly started moving more and more on my side over the span of a week. By one week out, I was back to side/stomach sleeping (with a pillow for support).

So far I've only pureed soup with chunks, and then the bean/cheese/milk concoction. I haven't gained courage to puree food that's not already pretty close to puree because I'm pretty sure it would gross me out.

I got stomach sick right after starting my pre-op diet. I even threw up, which I never ever do. It was seriously 19 years since I last did it. It lasted a few days and finally passed. Not sure what caused it.

My husband is the only one who knows, and I intend to keep it that way. It's no one else's business. I'm only 1.5 weeks post-op so there hasn't yet been drastic weight loss for people to notice. When it does happen that I'm asked about it, I intend to say I'm on strict diet and have recommitted to exercising regularly. Both of which are true statements. People have watched me gain and lose large amounts of weight for years. It won't be odd to see me lose considerable weight. The only difference is I'll finally make it to goal and this time it will stay off.

I graduate from pureed to soft foods on Monday/Tuesday (Merry Christmas to me!) and I want to get some ideas for what to pick up while shopping this weekend. What were your favorite meals and snacks during this stage of the game?