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I just paid my deposit and am completing paperwork for December surgery. I plan on using Premier Protein. I have to say - the pre-op gives me a bit of anxiety!

I just paid my deposit and am completing paperwork for December surgery. I plan on using Premier Protein. I have to say - the pre-op gives me a bit of anxiety!

Arts had great advice and I believe he is 100% right - focus on yourself and everything else will follow.
I met my husband at work and had passing contact with him several times a week for over a year. He never once gave me a second look...until the day I dyed my blonde hair red. He saw me and immediately asked me out. Lol.
I could be irritated that he didn't notice me earlier, instead I choose to believe that things happen when they are supposed to.

Gamergirl, the shirt looks perfect!
CowgirlJane I can totally relate to the Seattle uniform!

Perfect!
You know what is intersting is I am digging out clothes that I wore late winter. Some of them I felt very self conscious about back in Feb when I hit goal - like they were too revealing or something. Now I put them on and wonder what I was thinking - I look great! HAHA Part of the dismorphia i had was always feeling like i needed to cover up, or i am too old to wear something or whatever. What came along with that is when I wore something form fitting, or a little shorter I felt a little foolish or something like "who is that old fat lady kidding" sort of thing.
I think posting here for wardrobe feedback is a great idea. So many of my girlfriends are overweight, married and just plain stodgy. They wear black brown and gray unisex kind of clothes (fleece and jeans, the Seattle uniform) and so I don't really trust their judgement either...LOL I want to look stylish, but not outlandish or ridiculous if you know what I mean.

I just paid my deposit tonight for OCC, I'm very excited! I hope to have surgery around mid December.

I just paid my deposit. Bring it on!

Hi Cara:
I absolutely asked myself the same questions, and had the same concerns prior to surgery. I also have had a life long weight issue. I have successfully gained and lost and gained again the same hundred + pounds at different times.
Going on a diet was never the problem. Not being able to sustain it was, for me at least.
I did weight watchers, and was "successful" Until after a year, I was tired of being hungry all the time and the bad habits kicked back in. Which for me, was always a portion size thing.
I had a big appetite and could pack it in. Throw in some bad food choices and emotional eating and POOF.. back on went the weight.
I always wished it could be a little easier, for me the feeling of being full and satisfied was always a comfort. With the sleeve in place for about 9 months now, I get that feeling, and keep my portions in check. I was never one to graze all day, so for me that hasn't been an issue.
Like most things, this is not a one size fits all solution. Depending on what our individual issues are - portion, grazing, bad food choices, binging etc; - we all have to alter some aspect of what got us this way. The emotional eating aspect did not change overnight. But what I keep in the house has. And yes, this has changed before too.
All any of us can do is make the best decisions we can. The sleeve is a tool, not a cure.
There have been struggles, no weight loss is easy. But sometimes we find the one thing that does help. We don't always know what that is initially, so we keep trying.
For me, the decision to get sleeved was a last resort. I tried EVERYTHING short of surgery. pills, WW, nutri-system, fasts, cleanses... the whole lot. The only thing that took was Weight Watchers. It wasnt' the plan that failed, it was me. I needed the tool that would help me. The sleeve has been that for me.
Ideally, I want to eat the things I enjoy (in moderation) Thanks to my built in restriction, moderation comes much easier these days. I believe there are many factors that go into long-term obesity. We have to tackle these things one at a time, and try to understand the why behind it, at least that is what works for me.
Not being hungry, and getting full faster is a part of it, but I still have to make the decisions on what to put in my mouth. I don't know what will come in two years, but I'm committed now and plan on sticking to it. True, I always planned on sticking to it, this time truly feels different- I feel very much in control. I know I cannot sit in front of a big bowl of Pasta and chow down. I physically can't. This time around, having the benefit of a nutritionist is extremely helpful. It makes sense to me that because of the lower calories Im taking in, they need to count. So yeah, I get my Protein in first. I plan my meals, and I portion my food, but I'm enjoying the food I'm taking in and it is physically satisfying me.
We cannot predict what struggles we will encounter. Like any other weight loss try, we have to do our best, form better habits and hope when push comes to shove we can stick to it. When we struggle, we are now in the midst of like minded people in the forum who walk the same path. We know how the others feel and having that support is also a huge benefit this time around.
Best of luck to you!!

http://www.mybodygallery.com/index.html#.UjZy6sasj0t
Website that allows you to enter your height, body type and weight so you have an idea of what you might look like at various weights.

To be clear, I'm following my surgeon's advice NOW, post-surgery. I basically had a breakdown of sorts and ordered pizza before surgery.
Also, (and maybe this is Justin the lawyer talking,) the surgeon's guidelines are there to protect them from liability as much as to help you get the best results. If I was advising a surgeon, I would tell them to error on the side of extreme caution when advising patients about anything. For example, my surgeon's "official" recommendation is that I wasn't allowed to drive for 2 weeks post-surgery, but the same surgeon told me in real life "off the record" that I could start driving again as soon as I quit taking narcotic pain meds.

Yes - I had my VSG with Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in February 2013. You are welcome to read my blog as I was looking for any and all info I could find before surgery www.hoosierfatty.wordpress.com hopefully this is helpful to you.
Had a good surgery and smooth recovery. The most difficult part of the whole process was BEFORE surgery. Crazy random thoughts, frequent inner-discussion about why I couldn't lose weight on my own, friends worried about my safety, etc. Bottom line is this: if you can get past the geography and keep yourself from a nervous breakdown, Dr. Ortiz and staff are very skilled at what they do. Good luck...

Congratulations! You are going to be fine. In fact, my surgeon told me "just relax and the wigt will just melt off". My surgery experience was interesting, I was alone in Mexico. I had some nausea post op, but never puked. I was able to get up and walk pretty easily, the next day I showered, and started sucking on ice chips. Now a month out, I'm down 27 lbs. wearing clothes from the part of my closet that haven't fit for 4 years. I have very little hunger, had fun with the liquids and full liquid phases. I had a little discomfort for a week or so, but since then no pain meds. My only issue today is that sometimes it feels like Water gets stuck going down. I'm drinking ok today, but it's a day to day thing. My DH has been sticking to me like glue. He feels horrible that my travel companion to Mexico backed out at the last minute and that I went alone, so I've got huge love and support on the home front.
I have freedom today from 45 years of having the food monkey on my back. I can follow directions around what I should and shouldn't eat like never before. For me, it's been incredibly freeing. I take it for what it is today and choose to live in gratitude for this amazing gift that I have been given.
I wish you all the best. If you have done your research, there will be no surprises. If you need any support, I'd be honored to help you anytime.

It has been awhile since I have posted here. So long, that I almost forgot that I was a member. September 15th will make 5 months since I had my surgery. A lot of things have changed for me. First off, the Protein shakes, had to stop. At first they were easy, and great. Except, I could only drink one kind and only one flavor of that kind. Everything else was making me sick. Of course, two of the same flavor, of the same kind, twice a day, every day, after a few months, also started to make me sick. It got to the point where I was getting sick, thinking about drinking the shakes. My meal also changed. After the healing seemed to complete, I noticed I started eating more often. At first this bothered me, because the idea of eating more often, seemed in my mind to defeat the purpose. Yet, I also noticed that I was eating a lot less.... just more frequently. I also noticed I was drinking a lot more fluids then I had ever done. I also, have not had a drink of soda, since my surgery, which I think probably also helped. I noticed that bread, will not be eaten again. That includes cake, Bagels, doughnuts, etc. I have tried almost all of these things, and while it does not make me sick, it hurts. I am not a fan of pain, so I do not try them again. I find that I do not miss any of them. I have noticed that I have a very huge craving for grapes. I now go through grapes, like I used to go through milk. I used to go through a lot of milk (something else I find, I do not miss.)
Well, after almost 5 months, and fearing that my eating was going to become a problem, I have lost 92 pounds. I am very close to the goal that my doctor set for me, and I believe I will pass that goal. Some other things that have changed. I am off all of my medications, except for my thyroid. Since I eat more times a day then I used to, I find foods that are high in Protein for Snacks, such as tuna. For the first 3 months, I could not eat tuna, but my dietitian told me to keep trying. She said that if I am going to cut out the Protein Shakes, I needed to find other sources, and tuna is a great source. So far, now at 5 months, I find I can eat tuna again. In fact, other then the breads, I have found that I can eat just about anything. My sweet weakness is M&Ms. I usually eat a bag of them a week. Which compared to how I used to eat them.....much much different. I also have a weakness for chocolate chip frappachino from Mcdonalds. I had someone tell me, I should not drink those, but I compare it to what I used to get at Mcdonalds. One meal at Mcdonalds for me used to be, a double quarter pounder, large fries, two mcdoubles, and a milkshake. Now a meal for me at Mcdonalds is the frappachino, and thats it. So I felt guilty at first, but not so much in contrast. That and instead of going like 3 times a week, I go like once a month.
I also found out, that I can run. I started running a mile every morning. It was only taking about 7 minutes once I got into it, that I thought that was not enough time. So now, I run for 30 minutes every morning. One day I will try to see how far I am going. I leave my house, and run for 15 minutes, and then turn around and run back. It is amazing, because I would not run before. I used to have a joke at work, that if someone made me chase them, they would get hurt if I caught them for making me run. Now, I have had to chase people, and smile the whole time I am doing it. In my local area, I am signed up for two 5ks.... coming up in October, and another run, called a Mud run in December. That one has an obstacle course, which I think I need some training for. Learned about something called a Zombie run, which I will be doing next year.
As far as more personal things, there was a rumor that I was told about.... size. I am talking about the little guy size....downstairs. Anyway, I was told that for every 30 pounds lost, I would gain an inch. I thought that was complete BS, yet, it was extremely pleasing to one day wake up in the morning, and notice that I could see.... everything. In a way that I had never experienced. Then to top it off, my wife, told me some stuff about things that could not be done before, that was being done now. I do not want to go into detail, but that rumor, seems to have a bit of truth behind it. Something I used to be ashamed of, I am now very proud of.
My kids have noticed a difference with me as well. I am doing all sorts of activities with them. Went to a Water park with them, and they where shocked that I went on the slides with them. Something I would not even think about doing before. I had an amazing time, and I am sure they will remember it for a long time. Something I do not think I would have been doing before I had the surgery.
I also got very luck with loose skin. As, so far, I do not have any, and have been told by the doctor, that I might not have any. He said to make sure, once I lose to the point I feel comfortable, I should start weight training. That building up muscle, would help fill in the skin, that was full of fat. Sounds like a plan to me. Anyway, that is my story so far. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask me.

VERY well written. If you are not a writer, you should be. I felt like I was there with you. You have given me a lot to think about. I do feel good about my choice of surgeon I really do, these Mexican surgeons are doing these procedures all the time so no one can doubt their depth of experience but the lack of follow up and being in a foreign country is what is concerning me most. food for thought. VERY glad you are home and safe. All the best and please keep us all updated, we're all in this with you now !!

I want to take a second and explain why I listed this in Success Stories, as opposed to other forums that depending on the individual it might seem more relevant. I put it here because it is not just relevant to veterans, or it is just about food, or coping, or 'finding myself'. It is an NSV; in addition to everything else I consider it a vital part of who I am now and wanted to share with my support community.
I have come to adopt a way of life now, or honestly I feel more often anymore that it has adopted me, it is something I have come to call my "True North". It is a paradigm shift, it is incredibly simple but seems so deceptively complex, but it is not complex at all. It is the small steps that along the way have helped me cope and become who I needed to be in order to succeed post VSG.
Everything I do I ask myself, gently, is this making me happy? Is this helping me heal? Sometimes it is physical as I experienced complications, or mental as I deal with losing my Mom (she died a week after my surgery). Maybe it is the dreaded combination of the two - the head hunger and thirst and heartburn for some noteworthy examples – just constant questions of “does this put me where I need to be”.
I just return to the Goal of Me, by asking am I healing by doing this? Is this lining up with my needs and goals and abilities? If I were a compass, by doing this, am I pointing to my True North?
At first I shouted it at myself and it was so harmful, looking back, I had this strong person, yet really frail and tired and I almost pushed too much. I was able to catch myself, with the extraordinary love of my Husband - I will never understand how he even stood me sometimes. I don’t question it too much however, and that is a part of the process. I just try to reciprocate and shine back to him what he offered to me. That comes back to the True North. I love to love my Husband. It is the ‘N’ on my compass, so I reciprocate all I can. food is that way now also. I love the foods that love me back. In the process I try to stay away from any treats or the thought process that would associate a poor choice of food from being a "treat". Each bite for me I try to make it an active choice, an aware process and I tell myself "I am not what I was, I am not what I will be tomorrow, and this gets me there, while celebrating this moment." Food is for me to guide now, not the other way around. I FEEL alive when I eat bright, colorful, foods full of life. I am the energy 10x returned for the energy expended to learn about, choose, and prepare and even grow my meals. Exercise is much the same, and of course there is the less fun moments like work, traffic and bills, bunny poop and mosquitoes and Mondays. I just make an effort to live each moment, and in that instance also gently keep my needle pointing ‘N’.
Be awesome to yourself and keep pointing ‘N’!
Namaste.

What doctors are you all referring to? Some of us have gone to various parts of Mexico and some of us are on our way. Not being rude,but please share info that can HELP us make wise choices. This seems more like a "slambook" instead of an informative thread pertaining self-pay in Mexico.
Let's discuss precautionary measures, specific places,symptoms, or detailed accounts of incidences. Just my thoughts! Pro-active over here...

I find the bathroom a little alarming. Sorry.

I find the bathroom a little alarming. Sorry.

I went through a phase of revulsion with the eaters around me. It was like I woke up and my family and friends had turned into disgusting, gorging pigs. I reasoned my way to peace, it was I who had changed. food had come down from it's throne for me, others still venerated it and I had to co-exist.
I can eat with anyone without gagging now no matter how much they put away. I am as happy as a clam with my few mouthfuls and out.

As of this morning, I am down 100lbs since my surgery 12/17/13.
Current weight 175 lbs.

Since the surgery is irreversible, I would want to be sure before I did it. Do you feel you can do this on your own and succeed? Have you done it before and kept the weight off for a long time? If so, it might make sense to try again.
For me, nothing was working. I was eating very little and was still unable to lose it. When I did, it was always through drastic means and it would all come back even higher than before. I went into this with zero doubts and was very sure that i was not going to be able to do it on my own.
Having said that, I read posts here all the time about people who vacillated until the moment of the surgery so I think it comes down to how decisive you are. I am very decisive. If I'm waffling, there's a good reason why, even if I can't pinpoint it, and I have learned to listen to my gut.
If you are not always decisive (read, opinionated like me, lol) then if may just be a matter of reading as much as you can, and being as sure as you can before you proceed.

The whole time I was losing, I never gave 2 thoughts to maintenance. I figured the body would find a happy weight and just stay there. Well, it kinda has. But my mind isn't coming along for the ride. Maintenance is hard for me because it's emotionally taxing. It's like there is this constant, permanent low grade stress that I can't shake. Losing weight was great. I was getting somewhere. Maintenance is like standing still.....and standing still is too close to backing up. Its disconcerting.
In my old life, if I worried about my weight, I'd have that same low grade stress all the time, always worried about my health. But back then I was able to shroud myself in denial for periods of time and forget about it. Of course, when I did that, I always gained weight. I think that's my fear now. If I relax....if I forget about what I need to do....I'll gain. And I will, I've already done it. The couple of times I've thrown caution to the wind, I gained back a few pounds very quickly. Those new habits aren't as ingrained as I'd like them to be. They still take a certain amount of effort and diligence. Perhaps they always will.
I often hear people say they didn't have this surgery to be on a diet for the rest of their lives. Well, what is a diet if not being diligent about what you eat? If that's a diet, then I'm on one and I'll have to stay on one forever. So be it. Better that than regain the weight.
It's hard yes, but worth it.
What's hard about it for you guys?

I started my journey on May 13, 2013 which was my first appointment with my surgeon and I was at my highest weight ever 244. Today as I did my weigh I was 195, and I am actually 1lb away from my 2nd milestone which is 50 lbs. I am sooooo excited, feeling good , and rocking my sleeve.

Hi everyone, this is my second post. I've been lurking here since February!
A little background: I am 43 years old, newly married, and mother to two teenagers. My insurance has an exclusion for WLS, so I am planning on having my surgery with Dr. Garcia in Tijuana. I feel very comfortable with my choice and feel I will be in good hands! I have not paid my deposit yet but will be doing so next month or the month after, as well as booking my airfare for my husband and I. I am planning surgery for mid-December.
Since I've been researching the sleeve, I've made some changes to prepare. I am a planner! I've been taking a multi since March. I had some bloodwork done in June, which showed that my A1c is a a little high (5.9). Everyone in my family (mother, sister, brother) is diabetic, I am trying to avoid it. Everything else except my Vitamin D came back normal. I am currently taking a mega dose to improve my Vitamin D. I also started meeting with a nutritionist about 5 weeks ago who specializes in working with WLS patients. I won't bore ya'll with the details, but I haven't lost anything. Not one ounce. This is where I struggle. I've read many accounts of people who have lost large amounts of weight several times, only to regain, thus making surgery a good option. This isn't my problem. I can't lose it to begin with. If I can't lose weight using "traditional' methods (and seriously, really doing what I'm told), will the sleeve really work for me? I am so worried that I will have surgery and it just won't work. I've been taking in 1200-1300 calories a day (sometimes I can't make 1200 - 1200 calories of clean eating is a lot of food!), lots of Water, exercise only in the last week, no bread, Cereal, Pasta, rice. Premier Protein in the a.m., very little processed carbs. I gave up dairy for a bit to see if that would help. I'm not losing inches, my clothes are not getting looser. My CW is 279. I was on synthroid for 2 years several years back, when I moved to Seattle and found a new doctor, he took me off because I was in the normal range. I was put on it years ago because I had a goiter and low energy. My nutritionist asked my doctor to put me back on it, he refuses.
Anyone that wants to chime in that as had similar experiece to mine pre-surgery, please do! I apologize for the length of my post Based on my history I'm trying to figure out what a realistic expectation is for me with surgery.
Thanks all!