Michele1024

Definitely good point. I know I miss just tearing into something but I did this because I know that I couldn't do it on my own. I needed outside help as a tool. Like I said everyone is different. I was out of the hospital the next day and the nurses were pleased and surprised at my bounce back. I did not need to ask for Morphine even though it was availalbe and some feel sick and can't even hold down their Water. Everyone is different. I had no problem holding things down. I welcome the fact that I don't feel hungry and it helps me pass things up. Believe me you start to realize how head hungry you are instead of really being hungry.

I don't regret it. I have had an uneventful recover so far. A memorable but very few cases of the dry heaves in the hospital and 2 at home. SO far I am 28 lbs down and my surgery was March 18th. I am still feeling worn but that will go away. Don't let what others say sway you. Overall people don't regret unless they had complications. Everyone's body is different.

Definitely good point. I know I miss just tearing into something but I did this because I know that I couldn't do it on my own. I needed outside help as a tool. Like I said everyone is different. I was out of the hospital the next day and the nurses were pleased and surprised at my bounce back. I did not need to ask for Morphine even though it was availalbe and some feel sick and can't even hold down their Water. Everyone is different. I had no problem holding things down. I welcome the fact that I don't feel hungry and it helps me pass things up. Believe me you start to realize how head hungry you are instead of really being hungry.

What is the secret to being a weight loss surgery success? The answer may surprise you!


HOW TO BE A WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY SUCCESS

When aspiring writers ask me, “How can I become a writer?” my answer is invariably, “Write.”

So, want to know how to be a successful WLS patient?

The answer is: “Be one.”

What does that mean? It means that I write every day. Other than finding or making the time to do it, it’s not hard, because I love to write. So to be a writer, I practice the art of writing every day. What I write varies, just as what you eat varies, depending on how much time I have and what I’m in the mood for. Within 15-30 minutes of getting up each morning, I write something. I write e-mails to my accountability partners, telling them about my eating, exercise, and perhaps some funny, or infuriating, or interesting stories about my daily life. I write down the thoughts I have about newsletter articles. I write lists of things to do and things to think about. At some point during each day, I write sentences or paragraphs or chapters of articles, essays, stories and books. I write journal entries that help me muddle through puzzling situations and relationships.

I also love being slim and healthy, so I practice the art of being slim and healthy every day. This too varies, but within 15-30 minutes of getting up each morning, I practice my healthy lifestyle. I update my food log and report my food plan and eating behavior to my accountability partners. I get dressed in workout gear and spend 45 minutes at an exercise class, 5 days a week. I write a weekly menu plan and I write my grocery list. Even when I’m doing something that isn’t directly related to weight and health, I’m practicing. I see a plate of home-baked Cookies on the break room table at work and think about whether I want to eat one or if I’ll regret doing that. In a short 15 minute break, I practice good eating skills as carefully as I can despite feeling hurried. When I get in my car to go home and notice I’m thinking wistfully of chicken McNuggets or Dulce de Leche ice cream, I take a deep breath and ask myself if I really need those things or just want them as a quick fix. I try to see myself driving home and preparing the healthy meal I’ve planned. I try to remember how good I felt when I did that the day before. I think about how happy my dogs will be if I get home on time (anybody who claims dogs can’t tell time has clearly never lived with a dog).

The key words in the two paragraphs above are “love” and “practice”.

If you’re thinking, “But I don’t love to diet!” maybe it’s time to adjust your thinking. Instead of thinking, “I hate dieting,” try this on for size: “I love being a WLS success.”

And it’s definitely time to discard the notion of being “on a diet”. A diet is something you do for a finite period (a week, a month, 3 months). It’s temporary, and when it ends, your eating goes back to the way it was before the diet, and lo and behold, the weight you lost comes back, and sometimes it brings all its friends. I know that for an absolute fact because it’s happened to me so many times since I was 14 or 15 years old.

Being a weight loss success means practicing healthy eating every day of your life, for the rest of your life. Some days may be healthier than others, and that’s OK. You’re just practicing, right? It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be regular and ongoing. I don’t think about weight loss and health and all that good stuff every waking minute, and not all my thoughts are virtuous. I spend quite a lot of time thinking things like, “Why doesn’t that pickup truck just pass me rather than riding on my tail?” or “If he spits toothpaste on the mirror one more time, he's gonna die a painful death.” But thoughts about weight and health do go through my mind a few times a day. I’ve heard WLS patients say they never want to have to think about that stuff ever again. I don’t think I could succeed that way, and those thoughts are not a burden for me. The real burdensome thoughts I bear are ones like, “I should have hugged Mom more often before she died.”

Oh, I know that “shoulda, coulda” thoughts are a waste of time and energy. That’s probably why they’re so hard to bear. But that’s a topic for another article.

So, do you want success? I want to hear you say it, loud and proud:

I WANT TO BE A WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS!
I WILL BE A WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS!
I AM A WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS!

And give yourself three cheers for your effort, even if you feel you haven’t yet achieved success. Sports teams get cheered at every game, whether they win it or not.


BE A CHEERLEADER

Speaking of cheering…

Sometimes your WLS journey seems endless, and you wish someone else would notice all the work you’re putting into it, and you wonder why no one else has noticed that hard work and praised you for the results. In Bandwagon I list some of the reasons other people don’t seem to notice your weight loss (#1 being that they’re preoccupied with their own issues), but you can set the stage for the cheerleaders you wish you had by becoming a cheerleader yourself. When you give out (deserved) compliments, smiles, and encouragement, all that good stuff will eventually come back to you. Other people are usually attracted to someone positive and optimistic. Of course, there are people who are attracted to the vulnerable loser I used to be, like several toxic ex-boyfriends I could name, but I’m no longer so desperate for attention that I’ll take abuse just so I won’t be alone.

Here’s an example of how cheerleading works. I have a young coworker who I’ll call Suzie. She is short and plump, with a sweet face and severe acne on her face, throat, chest, neck, and upper back. I often feel sorry for her when I look at her poor, inflamed skin, but pity isn’t going to do much for her, and I’d rather save my pity for the truly deserving people, like me. (Just kidding!) It’s hard for me to watch my young male associates flirting with the other girls and ignoring Suzie. But I don’t go up to Suzie and tell her those guys are idiots. I go up to her, gesture at her sweater and say, “Suzie, that color looks fabulous on you!” A smile lights up her face, and we go back to whatever we were doing before that exchange.

Two days later, Suzie finds me in front of a mirror, holding a sweater up to my middle-aged body, and she says, “Miss Jean, that would look great on you, but I think you need a smaller size.”

Get the idea? Try it - you might like it!


FAKING IT

I probably quote this saying too often, but it bears repeating now because it relates to the theme of this article. 12-step programs have a saying that never gets old and applies to anyone who’s trying to change or to live a better life:

FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT

At one point in my life, that saying struck me as disingenuous. I was hung up on being the “authentic” me and looked down on the idea of role-playing my way into a better place. But I was miserable being that “authentic” me, and faking it is one of the things that helped me learn how to be a happier me. Pretending to be a weight loss success is one of the things that made me a weight loss success, just as practicing scales is one of the things that makes a pianist into a virtuoso.

So, try it - you might like it!

Technically I guess we could google "how much fat is in a va jay jay" and then get a study done on yours before and measure the difference. I fear I may never stop laughing. I'm just waiting for someone to tell me I'm immature because it's a serious question. And it is. But.....

I posted this in pre op and they suggested I move it to post.....so here it goes :
I know this may be a little inappropriate and I hope I don't offend anyone but It was just a thought and im sure others have thought about this too. So here it goes!

I know the ...willy...looks bigger when men lose weight...obviously because they're losing weight. and i know our ta ta's might droop and sag. I know this from previous weight loss. But what about the ....."hoo ha"? I'll spare the graphicness of the post but you all know what i'm getting at!!! Does it change at all????

Well! Humph! I never!
How inappropriate. (kegeling...lalalala)

I had to see what all the fuss was about. Hot crap dip doesn't sound so good!

Per Kaiser: You should have 400-600 calories a day 1 - 3 months, 600-800 3-6 months, 800-1000 6-12 months and no more than 1200 at 1 year plus. You should also have 60-80 g of Protein thru 6 months, 80-100g 6-12 months and 100-120g from 12 months on. Note, the lower number is usually the best for women, the larger for men. Remember, protein first! Stay away from things that have higher calories because it usually means there is hidden sugar, like in the yogurt. Try eating Greek yogurt, it has double the protein than regular yogurt. Buy plain flavor and add your own fresh fruit, like natural applesauce and a pinch of cinnamon. Or your own vanilla or other extract. You can use artificial sweetener to make it sweeter. Reading labels essential to successful weight loss. I am 14 months out and have lost 104% of my excess weight! Even with bypass the estimated loss is 75%! So you can succeed with a sleeve if you want to! Hope that helps. = )

I went through all of those things.
It was miserable. What got me me through it was hope that things were going to get better.
And boy, did it ever!
I have a slim body like when I was in my 20's and I am as strong as I was then. I do not in any way feel deprived. I eat what I want to eat, (I just want to eat good). I buy clothes without trying them on. My wife looks at me like I'm a juicy steak.
Prepare for some good times. Sometimes you have to drive though the desert to get to the luxury resort.

And several of you have mentioned the work and support - I agree with that too.
I intentionally picked a surgical practice with a mandatory support follow up (nutrition and exercise). I knew that I would deny I needed it, but i would need it. I am quite sure that was what took me from losing maybe 70-80% of my excess to getting to goal.
I work out, i watch what I eat... hey wait, you mean I am behaving like most "naturally" think women my age do to maintain their weight? What - you mean it isn't just EASY for everybody else and I am the only one? Alot of it is you need to get over yourself and just do the work, do what needs doing - just like everybody else has to. The surgery just helped me, gave me a fighting chance, it is still up to me.

It's probably the lifestyle change. It is hard but I personally was fully prepared and ready. I haven't really had any issues.

Definitely good point. I know I miss just tearing into something but I did this because I know that I couldn't do it on my own. I needed outside help as a tool. Like I said everyone is different. I was out of the hospital the next day and the nurses were pleased and surprised at my bounce back. I did not need to ask for Morphine even though it was availalbe and some feel sick and can't even hold down their Water. Everyone is different. I had no problem holding things down. I welcome the fact that I don't feel hungry and it helps me pass things up. Believe me you start to realize how head hungry you are instead of really being hungry.

What to bring with you?
Well honestly don't bring much. You won't even bother because you will be just being in the moment feeling what you are feeling. I would bring PJ Pants and slip on slippers but I really didn't use those. Hospitals give you non slip socks and I just stuck with those. I didn't want to bother. I hated my IV so the idea of typing or texting didn't work for me. I left that for my mom and my boyfriend to do. They have toothpaste there. You will absolutely use that. The hospital gave me stuff to wash myself down but honestly I didn't want to do anything with that IV in. I waited until I got home. Other than chapstick that's about it. Don't go crazy bringing stuff. I did and it was a waste. Instead focus on what you need when you get home.
Protien - I love Premeir. Make sure you can even have that the first 2 weeks. Most people are on clears for 2 weeks.
Take care and good luck to you

What to bring with you?
Well honestly don't bring much. You won't even bother because you will be just being in the moment feeling what you are feeling. I would bring PJ Pants and slip on slippers but I really didn't use those. Hospitals give you non slip socks and I just stuck with those. I didn't want to bother. I hated my IV so the idea of typing or texting didn't work for me. I left that for my mom and my boyfriend to do. They have toothpaste there. You will absolutely use that. The hospital gave me stuff to wash myself down but honestly I didn't want to do anything with that IV in. I waited until I got home. Other than chapstick that's about it. Don't go crazy bringing stuff. I did and it was a waste. Instead focus on what you need when you get home.
Protien - I love Premeir. Make sure you can even have that the first 2 weeks. Most people are on clears for 2 weeks.
Take care and good luck to you

Just a thought, but maybe VSG has become the trend and people are leaping without doing enough looking? Or perhaps the food addiction part isn't truly being addressed preop? Maybe expecting a magical cure all?
I'm not saying this is the case, but it's "food for thought."

I don't regret it. I have had an uneventful recover so far. A memorable but very few cases of the dry heaves in the hospital and 2 at home. SO far I am 28 lbs down and my surgery was March 18th. I am still feeling worn but that will go away. Don't let what others say sway you. Overall people don't regret unless they had complications. Everyone's body is different.

Track everything in MyFitnessPal. I know ... it's a pain in the butt, but do it. Get into the habit now, it will pay dividends later.
When you exercise, are you working up a big sweat or just going through the motions? You gotta get your heart rate up for exercise to count, IMO.
Don't use the scale. Give yourself a one month break. It can only provide discouragement which can lead to cheating.
Get your liquids up.
Just keep doing the right thing and it will happen. This is one of the reasons why I think it does us no good to share that we are having the surgery. Other people just don't understand the process.

So my surgery is Monday and suddenly I am a bit hysterical. I am pretty sure they told me to not eat after midnight Sunday but in my head I am wondering if they really said noon Sunday? I asked my friend and she said Midnight. I am going with this because I am sure I am just a bit crazy. Can't imagine not drinking anything after Noon on Sunday until my surgery lol!! what a wierdo I am...

Omg good luck and i hope you have a speedy recovery

OH I hear you mine is tomorrow and I am a wreck.. Both of us will be ok. Believe me I am sitting here doubting but I know it is my fear talking. We will do fabulous... !

Did you not tell anyone? I am sure your friend may be supportive and blend some off for you. Veggie Soup is awesome. I have a support group meeting that I am unsure I will be able to make. I will be a week out and IF I feel good enough to go I would imagine I could ask the waitress to strain soup broth. Maybe I can ask her for apple juice and Water to water some down...
hmmm

You're fine, it IS midnight! Safe surgery and successful!

I am due to have my surgery March 18th and I will tell you what I have found out.... The weightloss is more important than the loose skin. I would imagine if you have been overweight most of your life your skin will not bounce back unless you are younger than maybe that is not the case so much. I assume it also depends on how much you have to lose. I know I will probably not be in a bikini Ever.... and my flappy skin will be flapping all over the place. I heard my insurance will cover the skin surgery. We will see... however but my back will be soo much better. Excercizing is important and it will help as will getting in your protien to try to hold onto some of your muscle mass.

Perhaps a salad with some chicken or other lean meat would be a good compromise? If I couldn't avoid eating pre-op, that's probably what I would have done. I don't know if these people are aware of your situation or not, so if they were, not eating wouldn't be a huge shock.