Ree

Hi guys! My surgery date is on December 18th. I'm excited but really scared. I keep thinking "how is this going to be any different from past diets?" I know this isn't a diet, but a lifestyle change but in my past with diets I use to be extremely irritable and that was my downfall because I was irritable from not being able to eat foods that I liked or wanted. I'm trying hard to figure out how to make sure this time is different. I guess I took the first step by realizing and acknowledging it. Now I just have to figure out a coping mechanism that I can put into play when those hiccups surface.

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

You might find yourself enjoying it more in the days post op. We find chicken and meat cooked in the crockpot to be so much softer than stove cooked, that it sits better in the sleeve.

Awesome! thanks so much. I do have a crockpot but I have only used it a handful of times since getting for Christmas in 2010.

I called them and now I have an appointment for the pre-surgical screening next Tuesday. So should I also expect to start my liquid diet at this time too?

I guess you can say I'm weak and he knows this so he preying on my weakness, especially when some time has passed and i'm most vulnerable because of extreme irritability from not being allowed to eat foods that I do enjoy. I'm working on that, I am, but I still need him to *support* me, not break me down.

I guess you can say I'm weak and he knows this so he preying on my weakness, especially when some time has passed and i'm most vulnerable because of extreme irritability from not being allowed to eat foods that I do enjoy. I'm working on that, I am, but I still need him to *support* me, not break me down.

"I appreciate your concern. I am working closely with my doctor and dietitian and they have given me clear guidelines. These guidelines are not like any diet I have ever been on and may seem strange to you, but if I don't follow them I could end up really sick. So please trust that I am being Very careful and taking care of myself. "

Quoting 'Amazon13'
"I think you need to come clean and be honest with yourself about your eating habits. In your post you say you don't eat a lot and then answer a post and say that you do. People just don't get fat by eating little amounts of food twice a day.
You need to admit that you were eating two or three times a day, copious amounts of food.< /strong> You may need a nutritionist to help you understand what kinds/how much food you should be eating at a meal.
As has been said here many times before, the sleeve is just a tool it won't instantly make you lose weight. Make sure you seek counseling before you enter into such a life altering surgery; good luck."
I know your comment wasn't directed at me but I felt compelled to respond. In my case that is exactly what happened, I ate 2x a day, sometimes only 1x a day and I gained weight very fast. My meals were not big, in fact I never wanted to eat and a doctor even told me he could sow my mouth shut and I would still gain weight because that is what hypothyroidism does to people. Admittedly though they were not healthy food options either when I finally would eat. I honestly feel like if I had known what hypothyroidism was or if someone even clued me in and mentioned that I should get it checked I would have saved myself years of gaining tons of weight. It wasn't just my eating habits that were affected, it was my everyday life. I would wake up for the day and an hour after waking up I would fall back to sleep and sleep for hours. That's how bad my thyroid beat my ass. Right around the time I probably developed hypothyroidism I was living at home still with my mom, I had a bedroom in the attic. My mom never bothered me, she was too busy with my younger siblings. I went to bed on Wednesday night and when I woke up I went downstairs and it was dark out and all the lights were off and everyone was asleep, so I just thought I woke in the middle of the night, so I went to back to bed. When I finally saw my mom she asked me where I was all that time and I was confused. She said I was missing for over a day and then told me it was Friday afternoon. Apparently I slept through Thursday completely, waking up around 3am on Friday after going to bed around 10pm on Wednesday. I was always just so tired and never had any energy to do anything at all. Before I turned 18 years old I was very active, had loads of energy and loved being around people, I was also at a very healthy weight (115 to 118 pounds). All I gotta say is that hypothyroidism sucks!

Sleeved!!!! Feeling tired but that's about it!! Everything went good! Walked the halls twice, and now watching tv and eating ice chips! Thanks for the prayers!! I'm so glad I found this site and made new friends!!

I already had the ultrasound done but not the throat scope, does that hurt?
and how often do people end up needing their gallbladder removed after they already had the surgery? like is It common to have many problems with it after you get the surgery?

I can't speak for others but I feel like because my hypothyroidism was diagnosed as such and is now being treated, I can now get the surgery. Before being diagnosed and treated I was dragging through the day, I could barely keep my eyes open. I couldn't function and because of that I wasn't able to hold down a job.
Now that I am on medication for my thyroid condition I am actually able to function during the day, I can stay up without falling asleep and I finally know what hunger pangs are. Now I feel like I need the surgery to kind of in a way 'undue' the damage a thyroid condition caused me for several years. I hope that answers your question and with all that said, do you think WLS can help someone like me?
Also, my surgeon requires that any metabolic condition be under control before getting the surgery. Mine is.

Is there anything else I need to do? From what I understand you don't get to see the surgeon and schedule your surgery date until everything else is completed. I went through all their requirements as far as I know. Now I just need to meet with the doctor and I *think* that is when I am suppose to get the surgery date. At least I hope I get a surgery date and preferably one before December 31st.

That makes perfect sense to me. If the condition is controlled but the obesity does not correct itself, then absolutely I think the surgery is beneficial. Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Quoting 'Amazon13'
"I think you need to come clean and be honest with yourself about your eating habits. In your post you say you don't eat a lot and then answer a post and say that you do. People just don't get fat by eating little amounts of food twice a day.
You need to admit that you were eating two or three times a day, copious amounts of food.< /strong> You may need a nutritionist to help you understand what kinds/how much food you should be eating at a meal.
As has been said here many times before, the sleeve is just a tool it won't instantly make you lose weight. Make sure you seek counseling before you enter into such a life altering surgery; good luck."
I know your comment wasn't directed at me but I felt compelled to respond. In my case that is exactly what happened, I ate 2x a day, sometimes only 1x a day and I gained weight very fast. My meals were not big, in fact I never wanted to eat and a doctor even told me he could sow my mouth shut and I would still gain weight because that is what hypothyroidism does to people. Admittedly though they were not healthy food options either when I finally would eat. I honestly feel like if I had known what hypothyroidism was or if someone even clued me in and mentioned that I should get it checked I would have saved myself years of gaining tons of weight. It wasn't just my eating habits that were affected, it was my everyday life. I would wake up for the day and an hour after waking up I would fall back to sleep and sleep for hours. That's how bad my thyroid beat my ass. Right around the time I probably developed hypothyroidism I was living at home still with my mom, I had a bedroom in the attic. My mom never bothered me, she was too busy with my younger siblings. I went to bed on Wednesday night and when I woke up I went downstairs and it was dark out and all the lights were off and everyone was asleep, so I just thought I woke in the middle of the night, so I went to back to bed. When I finally saw my mom she asked me where I was all that time and I was confused. She said I was missing for over a day and then told me it was Friday afternoon. Apparently I slept through Thursday completely, waking up around 3am on Friday after going to bed around 10pm on Wednesday. I was always just so tired and never had any energy to do anything at all. Before I turned 18 years old I was very active, had loads of energy and loved being around people, I was also at a very healthy weight (115 to 118 pounds). All I gotta say is that hypothyroidism sucks!

Thanks, how thoughtful of you to share this tip.
I have mentioned elsewhere that my top weight was 330 and now I am at 240. A year ago I was at 210 but a new insulin regimen changed things.

I'm dealing, not 100% committed to the surgery but not yet approved, altho I expect to be this week.

I wanted to share a story. During one of my big weight loss periods, I bought a new pair of jeans in a new, smaller size. Then just a few days later, while standing in line to get tickets to enter an art museum, my pants fell down. Not al the way to the ankles, just down below my panties and I very quickly pulled them back up. The new size was only a few days old but I was losing so fast that the new pants fell down. Man, that was a good time.

I don't think anything (except maybe great sex) has ever felt as good as losing a lot of weight.

well, holding my newborn was a nice high, too.

But having brand new smaller pants fall down is right up there as fun for me.

I see the surgeon this coming week. I'm excited, but freaking out on the inside. Hopefully I can get an early surgery date.
Well the jeans I have now started to feel a little big on me (I did lose 15 pounds since deciding to get the surgery) so I went ahead and shopped online for a new pair of jeans, the same jeans just in a smaller size. I noticed that the website was offering a pretty sweet deal where if you spend $100 or more you get $50 off. Well my jeans cost $54 so I thought it would be pretty dumb of me not to order a 2nd pair that would be practically free. The 2nd pair I ordered I got in a size smaller as I am anticipating losing more weight once I start the liquid diet and then after I am sleeved.
I wanted to inform all you women out there who are currently losing weight and going through jeans fairly quickly of this deal. It's on the Catherine's website and they are called 'right fit jeans'. It's not just jeans that apply to this deal though, it's almost anything on their website where your total purchase is over $100, you get $50 off. You have to type in coupon code NOVEMBERCA
Good luck!! Oh and the offer expires on Sunday.

Is there anything else I need to do? From what I understand you don't get to see the surgeon and schedule your surgery date until everything else is completed. I went through all their requirements as far as I know. Now I just need to meet with the doctor and I *think* that is when I am suppose to get the surgery date. At least I hope I get a surgery date and preferably one before December 31st.

Don't beat yourself up over it, you are only human. Next time you get a craving for something that you really want to indulge in that you know you shouldn't, write it down in a journal and write about it, why you want that food? what does it remind you of? are you feeling stressed? did something happen to trigger that craving? etc.... By the time you get done writing about it, maybe, just maybe you will realize you don't need that food item as much as you previously thought. Hang in there, nobody ever said it was going to be easy!

Have you had your thyroid checked? I don't know how smoking factors in to eating habits but I do know that before I even knew what hypothyroidism was, I already had it and before I was diagnosed (years later) I was never hungry and only ate when I started to feel dizzy and like I was going to faint. Yet, although I never ate I was still gaining weight and fairly fast! I gained 150 pounds in a little less than 12 years! That's just plain insane, especially when I hardly ever ate. Little did I know my metabolism went to hell thanks to my sluggish thyroid. So if you haven't already gotten your thyroid checked that might be something to look into. Good luck and I hope your NUT can help you turn things around instead of threatening to penalize you with something that might be out of your control.

10 weeks post-op. Down 70lb.

You will be able to eat a little more, but not a full "meal" like you used to. You don't really want to do that...otherwise what was the purpose of having the surgery?

Whether you tell or don't tell will not change the fact that you work with pre-adolescent emotional level jerks. They are not worth stressing about. The folks I tell have to prove themselves mature enough to handle the truth first. One thing for sure, I am absolutely not ashamed and when I talk of my surgery I will not allow anyone to try to frame it as an act of cowardice or as the easy way out.

Yes Beef Jerky but I get the organic or all natural stuff because I'm super sensitive to preservatives and it causes me to have headaches and causes my asthma to act up. But the all natural beef jerky doesn't cause those problems for me and beef jerky is high in Protein.< /p>

Regardless if the nurse wrote down the wrong weight or not, being yelled at is completely unacceptable.