SerendipityHappens

Dr Alvarez in Mexico has many testimonials on his youtube page. Many are from US medical professionals.. I remember one testimonial was from a US a cardiologist and several were from nurses. Yeah, yeah, he could have faked the testimonials, but he's a high profile doctor so he wouldn't get away with it.
I chose the right doctor for me based on many factors including cost. You DO have to be careful that you're not going to some chop shop. Make sure the doctor is reputable and make sure that the surgery will take place in a real hospital. If I was being treated for a rare disorder, yeah, I'd want to be in the USA, but for a fairly common, straightforward procedure, I'm VERY comfortable with seeing a doctor in Mexico who specializes in that procedure.

All that fake crap gives me bathroom problems. Plus I think fake sweeteners make me crave more sweet stuff. I have been enjoying fruit infused waters and fruit flavored herbal iced teas (non sweetened). My fav is berry Zinger (acai, blackberry and pomegranat)- I have a full pitcher in the fridge most of the time.

Bogey, Don't be nervous. I actually find this MUCH easier than eating in moderation! You just resign yourself to the fact that now is not the time for eating. The first three days are really hard, I won't lie. You might be cranky, kinda sick, have headaches, and of course you'll feel STARVING... but around day four you'll feel much better. Ketosis will kick in and your body will turn into a fat burning machine and your hunger will subside. Be prepared to be the stinky kid though. Seriously, fat burning by ketosis is a stinky, stinky business.

Experience. It doesn't have to be the doctor who's done the MOST sleeves but I wanted someone who has done at LEAST a few thousand bariatric surgeries.
no negative reviews
how many surgeries they perform per day.. No more than six.
I chose a team so I've got TWO doctors working together on EVERY procedure
modern hospital
hospital stay time/time in mexico total. I didn't want a place that kicks you out the next day!
coordinator/booking agency has to be fabulous
Cost
Ease to get to

What about low carb turkey meatballs with delicious marinara sauce and low fat mozzarella cheese? Got the italian flavor with cheezy-tomatoey goodness with a good amount of Protein without the carbs.
Also, you can make pizza on a low carb pita bread. You're not really "cooking" more just assembling and toasting in a toaster oven or under a broiler. I love these http://www.josephsbakery.com/SubPages/StaticPages/ProductDetails.aspx?ID=8483be23-39fb-492a-82c2-3d045680ff03 They just never filled me up since I have a great big stomach. I'm looking forward to being sleeved and trying these and having one "pizza" on a mini pita bread actually be filling.... rather than gorging on an entire medium pizza from Domino's.

Thank you so much!! I love my lil brats
I am on Protein shakes for Breakfast and lunch and high Protein dinner and Snacks (only if hungry) with tons of water!!
As of today I am down 9lbs and 5 days till surgery!!

I was being wheeled into the operating room for the most life changing surgery I have ever had - my VSG.
I've lost over 170 pounds form my highest weight - that I know of, the last "official" weigh in I was 375 pounds and I KNOW I weighed more for a while after that, I was spiraling out of control and eating like a cow. I dreaded the scale so much I refused to weigh in, till I arranged off my VSG and started my self imposed 2 week pre-op diet.
Would I do it again? YOU BET! It's not been easy, it's not been pleasant at times but it HAS been WORTH IT.
If you have not had WLS surgery and are thinking about it, as I always state it's YOUR decision, but PLEASE, PLEASE make SOME decision. Do something about this killer obesity, even if it's just diet and exercise, please do SOMETHING. You WILL be better for it.
So I am going to Celebrate - by NOT eating something

Thanks to everyone for you support. I will be doing Protein Shakes and chicken brooth until surgery. I wouldn't want to mess anything up so no phentermine for me.

I have to add that AFTER the surgery I told MORE people including my family and a few co-workers. After I lost enough for people to notice up till now in fact I tell EVERYONE in order to encourage them to do SOMETHING about their deadly obesity problem.

My philosophy on telling something like this is that if you feel you made the wrong choice by not telling then you can always tell someone later on when you're 100% sure that your ready, but you can never "untell" someone.

My philosophy on telling something like this is that if you feel you made the wrong choice by not telling then you can always tell someone later on when you're 100% sure that your ready, but you can never "untell" someone.

My philosophy on telling something like this is that if you feel you made the wrong choice by not telling then you can always tell someone later on when you're 100% sure that your ready, but you can never "untell" someone.

This recipe yields 20, 3 ounce meatballs. 11 grams of Protein, 6 grams of fat , 3 grams of carb and 108 calories per 3 ounce meatball.
I didn't know what Spicy crackers were, so I just used the nutritional value of 8 Ritz crackers.

This recipe yields 20, 3 ounce meatballs. 11 grams of Protein, 6 grams of fat , 3 grams of carb and 108 calories per 3 ounce meatball.
I didn't know what Spicy crackers were, so I just used the nutritional value of 8 Ritz crackers.

Well, in the end it's all about your safety. We all know that anesthesia is more risky for heavier patients. I think they do the intubation this way if they think they may have a problem with the airway due to some aspect of your anatomy. Here's some information: http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/private-operations/anaesthesia/awake-fibreoptic-intubation/
Also, if they give you verced for your nerves then you have nothing to worry about. You'll barely even know what's going on or care or remember it afterwards.

If I had a STABLE BMI of 38 and I wasn't afraid of going higher then No, I would not even consider this procedure. BUT my situation is much different than yours. When I was in the low 200s, my shape was very much a pear shape. I held most of my weight in my thighs and hips and very little in my abdomen. I had no comorbidities(and still don't even at 40 years old and 330 pounds) I had no joint pain at that weight. I could do everything I wanted to do.... I could even jog and I could hike for 20 miles in a single day! so no. I would not have had the surgery at a 38 BMI unless it was to prevent future weight gain...
NOW, If I was YOU, I would DEFINITELY have the surgery. If you have comorbidities, then your body is begging you to lose the weight. No two bodies are the same so it's really not fair to compare. I was in a way "blessed" genetically. Yeah, I do have some thyroid issues.. and I have a propensity to gain and hold on to weight and compounded with a healthy appetite and not always the best choices I wound up at 330 pounds... BUT I have low cholesterol, no signs of heart disease, normal liver profile, normal blood sugar.. etc. I am fortunate. Not everyone can be so lucky, so I say take advantage of this surgery in order to combat against your genetic predisposition!
Best wishes to you!

YES! This is REALLY happening! WOOT WOOT!! My boyfriend asked me the same question today that you asked yourself. I told him I wanted to lose 40 pounds before the surgery and he was like "well if you can lose 40 pounds, then why can't you lose the rest of it without surgery?" I explained to him that first of all 40 pounds is a lot different than losing 150 pounds and also even if it did lose it all, I'd need the sleeve to help me keep it off. For me the sleeve isn't so much a tool for losing weight as it is a tool to help me maintain my weight. Have a good flight and a quick and pain-free recovery.

I will never ever, ever, EVER grow tired of posts titled "onderland." YAY! I haven't lived in Onderland since Jr. High and for the first time in my life, I'm feeling that it might actually be attainable. Thanks for the inspiration!

shakes do have a lot of air in them when you first make them. Try letting it sit for a while so all the frothiness can settle down. I am enjoying Jay Robb Shakes. They are not the best tasting shakes out there... but they are sweetened with stevia and avoiding aspartame was important to me so I'll sacrifice a bit on flavor in order to get something better for me.

There seems to be a divide among nutritionists regarding fruits. Personally, I'm 100% convinced that eating fresh fruits did not make me fat. I'm pretty sure it was processed flours, added sugars, and excessive oils that made me FAT! Now sure, when you're trying to loose weight, I totally get that you have a limited number of calories and you need to focus on getting in Proteins and also vegetables because vegetables are more micronutrient dense than fruits. As long as your maintaining your weight and are able to still get in all of you required nutrients, I really don't see the problem.

I couldn't afford it either mini-me... then I decided to look into Mexico... $4,500 for a doctor who has done nearly 3,000 bariatric procedures, two nights in the hospital and three nights in the marriott. That's a good deal! Glad you are able to find something similar there.

There seems to be a divide among nutritionists regarding fruits. Personally, I'm 100% convinced that eating fresh fruits did not make me fat. I'm pretty sure it was processed flours, added sugars, and excessive oils that made me FAT! Now sure, when you're trying to loose weight, I totally get that you have a limited number of calories and you need to focus on getting in Proteins and also vegetables because vegetables are more micronutrient dense than fruits. As long as your maintaining your weight and are able to still get in all of you required nutrients, I really don't see the problem.

Make your own yogurt. it's less sour than store bought. Sweeten with a very small amount of stevia and flavor with high quality vanilla extract.
Homemade yogurt also thins easily in a blender to a drinkable consistency making it a fabulous base for your Protein powder.
oh yeah, and the ingredients are simple to remember : Milk, live cultures

Wow, happy surgiversary! I'm looking forward to being sleeved in March. I'm not looking forward to the actual surgery, but when I read testimonies like yours, it makes me believe that it will all be worth it. Thank you so much for sharing.

Spend a lot of time helping out in the kitchen. When it's eating time, say you've eaten too much already while working in the kitchen.
Also you can try a half-truth... Tell them that you're on a strict medically supervised diet that only lets you drink shakes and you REALLY need to stick with it for health reasons. When they argue with you that it's not healthy and try to get you to cheat... just tell them about how your doctor said it was urgent for you to lose weight due to your fatty liver and high blood pressure or whatever and that you take what he tells you seriously because you need to look after your health.... then get all weepy and say "you don't want me to DIE do you?"