johnlatte

I don't have a lot but...

1. Completely off of Actos
   
2. Cut 500mg off of Metformin
   
3. Lost 3 pounds over the holidays (a first)
   
4. Started Couch to 5k with a goal to run with my girls.
   

These were some big goals for me, to get completely off the meds (still have several to go). . I truly am not too worried about how I look or how others look at me. Didn't bother me when I was big, doesn't really matter to me now. The big thing for me is the healthy part.

Check the type of shake your are drinking as well. If they are "sugar free" they can contain a lot of things like manitol or sorbitol. Neither of which do good things to the digestive track. Also drink lots of Water. The runs can cause big time dehydration, which in turn can tighten the pipes and then you have this endless loop of tight and loose going on down there.

Downloaded the app on my phone and started today. Day 1 was simple. Skin around my incisions was sore a bit from the running segments. Plan to stick with it and my 2013 goal is to run a 5k with my daughters, who are both competitive runners and run track. Used to run a lot before a broken foot and a ton of weight gain stopped me. Can't wait for the first race some time in future...wish me luck!

I'm not a big fan of the powders..I've tried them all and never found one I can hack. I could live on Premiers though. Wish that they made more than two flavors but I switch back and forth.

Drinking out of a water bottle is a lot like drinking out of a straw. There's a lot of air moving through. I had to give up straws and small neck Water bottles. Regular cups, Tervis cups with a bigger opening all seem to be fine. Can't gulp, got to sip. Sometimes I forget and take a big gulp of something and man does that smart

Okay...valid fears for sure. But let me throw something out. Are any of your fears worth how you feel right now? Meaning, you will have a lot to over come (some of these fears and some you haven't even thought about). But what's the end game? You'll be healthier, you'll look better, you will definitely FEEL better and you can go out and buy wicked swag. I'd bet all that and a bag of fat free Doritos that those things outweigh all the fears you can come up with. Will you crave..yep,..will the pre-op suck..depends, but probably...tortured..not so much, and every time you step on a scale or buy that swag, you won't even worry about that....The sleeve is a tool, you have to work it to make it work for you, but the benefits are life changing. Every journey starts with that first step, don't be afraid to take it!

I think that every Dr. and every NUT does something different. Never heard of the 5 minute or 30 minute rule. They basically want me to get the right number of nutrients and Protein in. I got popped by my Nut last visit for not eating enough. She wanted me to set my phone to ring every 2 hours and eat something. So I overall I don't think that there are hard and fast rules, nor is every rule wrong. Just different Drs. do what they think works for them. Your mileage may vary!

Super awesome!

dilaudid in the hospital in the IV bag (yummm). liquid Hydrocodone after the fact. Only hit is a couple of times to help sleep after I got home. Still have almost a full pint bottle.

Soda is the one and only thing that I really do miss. I was a big diet Dr. Pepper drinker. Really miss it, even more than beers..

this is a great list! I was only in the hospital one night and half a day, and when in with a pair of sweat pants and came out the same way. Didn't need a toothbrush or shampoos. I literally stayed up all night after I woke up from recovery and just cat napped around the hits off the dilaudid. I had these plastic pump up leggings, that kept me up anyway (the pump was loud). The nurses kept coming in and checking my vitals, and sugars and breathing and changing my IV bag etc. I watched sportscenter until about 6:00am then put on my sneaker, made a bio stop and started walking up and down the halls. Then I started on the 1oz Water, 1oz Protein, and when home at about 3:00pm.

The do's and don'ts are good although I never quit caffeine I've never had any nausea or have slimmed or spit up though. Dr. prescribed Carafate and nexium to keep the gases and the stomach acids down.

I was sleeved 11/20, and transitioned to solid food on 1/1. I've been eating chicken, ground beef, even steak, if it is really cut up small. I still drink the Protein Drinks and eat a fair amount of soft foods. Cottage cheese, humus and yogurt are my go tos. the only thing that I have had problems with are eggs. Still can't seem to get them down, no matter how they are cooked or what I put on them. No major loss.

I'm a professional chef by training. I took off 6 months to get this surgery out of the way and take care of some other things. I always used a spoon to taste, and still do for the most part. When I never ate a lot when cooking on the line, but boy did I eat once I got home. I am going back to work this year (got to find a job soon). But I will have a box of tasting spoons available to check out the dishes. I don't see the job being the problem, its the time I'm not at work, that I need to be aware of.

The recovery times are going to be different depending on your overall health and general physical condition. I'm just 6 weeks out, and I have pretty much be doing what ever I want for about 3 weeks. I was told not to lift more than 25 lbs for the first month, but it is really to let the surgery spots heal. I don't think that you will be down an entire month, but it is possible. You will miss some foods, we all do. But keep in mind that at some point you should be able to eat whatever you want, just not a lot of it. You may not want to eat what you were eating before, as the appetite and taste will change. Everyone has some foods that just won't go down like they did pre-surgery. Some of that goes away over time, some doesn't. Either way, making this change to improve your overall health is a very good thing!

The more weight you loose, and the better your physical condition, the better your recovery will be. I basically acted like I was sleeved a good month before surgery. My Dr. never made me do a liquid diet. I wasn't so worried about losing a lot of weight, BUT I did everything I could to improve my physical condition. Cut down the carbs detoxed as many impurities (white sugars, processed foods etc.) that I could, then hit the gym to get the overall conditioning done. I was sleeved on a Tuesday and was back in the gym on the following Monday and haven't looked back. Never have had any nausea or problems with the sleeve what so ever. Down 26lbs since the surgery on 11/20. The best thing you can do is start now, with a good plan and stick to it. You'll do much better post op if you do.

Think about installing MyFitnessPal or something else like it (there are many) and track your food and exercise. I think you probably have figured out the carb thing, but what these programs do is allow you to see what your are eating and where the breakdowns are. You have to be truthful and track faithfully, but I think it goes a long way in solving the stalls. I've said this a lot, the surgery in many ways is the easy part. The hard part is staying on track and focusing on the ultimate goal. While our input capacity has been decreased with the surgery, our ability to eat has not really changed. We have to change that part on our own, and that's what I consider really the rough part. You can do it! You know you can, just refocus, remember why you are doing this, the moment of clarity will come and you'll be back on track in no time (I swear )

Yep, My wife used to sit down and eat right in front of me while I was on pre-op. She would come into the living room with food and eat it. She told me time and time again, she wasn't the food police when I asked her not to buy a lot of Snacks etc. The really sad part is she has WLS about 7 years ago and has pretty much gained most of her weight back. I think she finally got the hint though and got on my side about this. She tries to give me advice, but her surgery and mine were so different, I haven't had one complication, and she's had many etc. What got me through it is exactly what you said. I don't want my kids to have to pay for my funeral if I stayed the way I was. I'm not letting anything or anyone get in my way. Its really easy for folks that aren't going through what we have gone through, to sit on the sidelines and judge and throw darts, but in the end we just have to stay tough and we will win. Hang in there, it will get better (you will be better).

Years ago, I used this book "Weight Training Workouts and diet plan that Work " I think that it is still on Amazon. It starts at square one, and works up. It has pictures that show you exactly what to do. The diet stuff won't apply that much since you are a sleever, but read some of it anyway to get a better perspective on how diet and exercise fit together. I still read mine from time to time. Its a good way to get started at the gym.

Keep in mind that WLS is a tool, not the magic bullet. Take the time that you are on liquids to really take stock in what you have been eating. Think about how you got to where you were that you needed to take the big step and have the surgery. Yes, you can absolutely eat what ever you want at some point, BUT most WLS patients will gain weight back. Most don't make the necessary changes in their lifestyle to keep the weight off. You've made a big step, but are only at the beginning of the journey. Honestly there isn't one thing that I could put in my mouth right now is worth what I will achieve once I hit my goal weight. I made a deal with myself, that if I hit goal, I would live a healthy lifestyle both physically and otherwise. Meaning I need to purge the things out of my life that got me here in the first place. I know how easy it is to eat a bite here or a bite there, but in the long run you are not helping yourself. Take this time to build a whole new you!

Sip here and there is okay most of the time. Don't use a straw as the air is a killer. I was a big drinker when eating too, but I've found that I am doing that a lot less. I've seen some Drs recommend 30 minutes before eating and 20 minutes after, but mine didn't think that was really necessary, so I sip along. One thing that helps it go down a little better is swishing it, before swallowing. Got that tip from my post op nurse and it seems to work.

You should be following what your Dr or nutritionist has recommended. 2 weeks out, I was coming off liquids and transitioning to purees. Solid foods are definitely a no-no.

Typically there is a stall after the first couple of weeks. You should be following what your Dr. or your Nutritionist is recommending for food intake. For me I was on liquids for 2 weeks, purees for 2 weeks and then mushies for 2 weeks. This gives your stomach time to heal and your body to properly adjust to the change in diet. Right now I am at 800 calories, and for the last 3 weeks I've lost exactly 3 pounds. That's not that unusual. My nut. thinks that I should eat around every 2 hours, and that is tough for me. I don't get hungry and just forget to eat.

You probably are in starvation mode, meaning your body is holding on to the fat for dear life. You won't lose as much weight that way. There are things you can do, up the Protein, Water and cardio. Lower the carbs. Carbs are easy to grab but act like a brick wall when it comes to lousing weight. Right now, I eat a lot of cottage cheese, humus, yogurt. Most meats work if they are chopped really fine. I drink the ready to drink Protein Shakes, not the powdered ones. I could live on Premiers.

You are losing a lot of Water weight, with is typical. I got at least 4 bags when in the hospital, so a lot of that is coming back out now.

You may also want to check with your NUT. I'm surprised they would want you to consume so many calories this soon after surgery. I'm at about 800 right now at 5 weeks out. I do need to eat every two hours though, which I struggle with. Did they give you something to take for the diarrhea? There's no real reason to have it, although I understand that some do post surgery. Typically it goes the other way and the pipes tighten up, if you get my meaning.

It will hurt like nobody's business. popcorn was on my Dr. list of things to really stay away from.

I was on 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks purees, 2 weeks mushies, I get real food on New Years day. Every Dr. does things differently. 5 weeks of liquids is alot, but not outside what a lot of Drs. do.