Catherine707

I have heard plenty of people that are happy with surgery from Mexico, but as a health care professional it scare the daylights out of me. I'm sure the doctors are well trained and qualified, but from what I see on this site, there is very little pre and post surgery care, and it kind of feels like you are just one of hundreds of patients in a week. I like a bit more personalized service, but I am also a bit of a control freak.....

I am 11 months post surgery and still have a Protein shake or fortified greek yogurt almost every day. I am not a huge fan of meat and I am allergic to soy, so I need the whey protein from the shakes to ensure I get my 60 grams each day.

Fear comes with the territory when dealing with weight loss surgery. Most everyone I know had fear both before and after having surgery. The key is to really analyze your personal situation. What is the weight doing to your body? Do you have realistic expectations for what the surgery can do for you? Are you willing to make the permanent lifestyle changes needed to be successful with weight loss surgery? Only you with the assistance of your doctor can answer those questions and make the decision that is right for you! I am happy I had the gastric sleeve surgery and the results are wonderful. I'm still losing weight, but have left over 100 pounds permanently in my past..... I couldn't have done that with diet and exercise alone.

Congrats on doing something so healthy like taking a long strenuous hike, that is a great thing to do for yourself. It sounds like you probably need some additional calories to fuel that level of exercise. I know that would I feel horrible if I hiked that hard on so few calories. The poor food choices and hunger are signs that your body is needing additional calories and / or nutrition. If you are really concerned, it might be worth discussing with your surgeon too.

Congrats! That is a big step towards a healthy life! Good luck on your journey!

I found that the volume of food varied widely with the type of food. "Slider" foods - crackers or other carbs slide right through my sleeve and I can eat more of them than a Protein dense food like tuna where I can only eat about 3 oz. Every time I start worrying about how much volume I am eating I refocus on protein first and increasing my Water and my sleeve fills up and feel full in a jiffy.

You posted on the gastric sleeve forum. You might repost on the lap band forum where more people will see your request. I hope you start feeling better very soon!

Hi Carlotta! Congratulations on your great success so far, AND for being so self aware about when and how you get derailed. I have found that traveling REALLY upsets my routine and I also usually end up with constipation issues too. What has worked for me is to be clear with my travel companions (work or family/friends) about what I need to do to be healthy. When I traveled at Christmas to see family and friends I discussed the menus to ensure there were things I could eat, and if there wasn't going to be much, I packed my own food to ensure I had enough Protein. I carried a Water bottle everywhere and reminded myself to drink every time I saw it. My family was happy to assist in keeping me on the right path. They know how hard I have worked to lose the weight. As for work related travel, we all need to learn how to take care of ourselves without "cramping" everyone else's style. If work people want to go out to a restaurant, no problem! You can drink water, and eat a salad or other small plate. Making the decision that your health is more important that a job is key to being successful long term with the weight loss. If people are shoving inappropriate food at you, develop a "pat" answer that works for you like "thank you but I can't eat that", and then keep saying it (the same phrase) every time they come back at you with "but a little won't hurt" or what ever excuse they use. The broken record seems weird when you first start to use it but honestly some people have to hear the same phrase 30 times before the believe and actually hear it! (Now that is self involved!) If you are tempted to eat the wrong choices or too much food (you didn't post much detail about your challenges) then eat before you go to a party or social occasion. Carry water or other low calorie drink with you to keep your hands busy and unavailable to grab at the food. If you like to "pick" and graze a bite here and there until it is out of control then don't be within reach of the food. Stand on the other side of the room. If you decide that you want to live your new healthy lifestyle, I know you can overcome these challenges. The sleeve is a tool that helps us put the breaks on the mindless eating, but old habits die hard, and I still struggle with head hunger, and stress eating almost a year post surgery. Only now I am dealing with little bits of the "bad" food instead of platefuls! I hope this is helpful, and I wish the best of luck in your Easter travels!

They might not excuse you, but you can definitely post-pone for 6 months!

Oh yes, but I was diagnosed a long time before I contemplated surgery. sleep apnea is a serious problem and could impact your ability to heal from the surgery. That is why your surgeon requires the study and treatment before surgery. I know it seems like a delay, but it is much better to deal with this before surgery. The good news is you won't need the machine for very long because when you lose weight you will no longer have sleep apnea!

How about some Egg Drop Soup without the vegetables? I think the floating egg would be okay in week 2, it is pretty loose. I think I also had Greek Yogurt that had no fruit pieces in it. I like the Okios Dannon Orangesicle, it tastes like a 50/50 bar.

I got totally freaked out by the people on this site and others that lost 100 pounds in 3 months! I kept thinking - "What am I doing wrong?" but when I stepped back and realized that I was losing 2 pounds per week (Same as you!) and I had never done that before and kept it off, I realized that my expectations were not realistic, and that 2 pounds per week is DAMN good! As Big Girl Panties points out, it is the long sustainable weight loss that really matters. It sounds to me like you are doing exactly what you should and reaping the rewards too. I would guess that you didn't have 5 months of 2 lbs / week weight loss with the HCG diet....

I think the sleeve helps, but until a person is ready to stop using food to sooth all emotional issues, it wouldn't solve all the binge eating problems. There are ways to circumvent the restriction of the sleeve, and for someone who isn't committed to the permanent changes to one's eating and lifestyle, it would be an expensive and risky surgery to undergo. If one were committed to making those changes, then the sleeve can be a huge help in dealing with food issues. I used to feel hunger 100% of the time, both real hunger pangs and the "head" hunger too. The sleeve removed the physical hunger and made it much easier for me to deal with the "head" hunger. I still am learning a new relationship with food, but feel much more in control now than I ever did before the sleeve surgery.

I waited to clear out my closet until my clothes were falling off of me. I think this is something that each person needs to decide for themselves. Would it be motivating to have fewer clothes in the closet? It took longer than I expected for those original sizes to become so big that I couldn't really wear them. Good luck on your surgery!

Olivia, I had Achilles reconstruction surgery on 10/18/13 and was non-weight bearing on my right leg for 8 weeks! It is really hard when you have a major orthopedic problem, and to go from being very active to completely sedentary, is a huge change. The best thing you can do is get involved with a new hobby - something that will keep your hands and your mind busy and away from the food. Photography is a good idea, or any kind of craft. You might also consider volunteering at a kids afterschool program. You could "coach" sports from the sidelines and still be involved in an activity you love. The key to this situation is to rededicate yourself to your weight loss goals and not let this new issue derail you! I know you can make it through this challenge and come out the other side a better Olivia! Good luck to you, I believe in you!

At one month I was wondering what the hell I had done to myself! It took until 6 weeks post op for me to feel clear headed and able to handle basic life tasks. 8 weeks before I went back to work. It got a lot better after the first month! I found it was a delicate balance between amount of Protein, Water and overall calories. When I ate only 650 calories per day I felt like crap the next day. I upped my calories to 850 - 1000 and felt SO much better. Obviously you need to talk with your doctor before changing anything from their instructions. Don't worry when you start seeing the pounds vanishing and you feel a bit better you will be happy you made this decision! Good luck!

When do you go back for a follow up with your surgeon? Make sure you show them your incisions so they can ensure they are healing okay. A "divot" is better than a keloid scar that bulges! I have a couple of those. Everyone's body responds to an incision differently, so it is hard to predict how good or bad your scar will be prior to surgery.

I wasn't in that much pain and only had one incidence of nausea. The most important thing is to get up and walk walk walk! It will help you get rid of the gas they pump into you and help clear out the anesthesia. Also when they let you start drinking Water, just take little sips. I had a tracking form that I used to track how many onces in each hour. Otherwise it was uneventful. You don't get much sleep because the nurses come in every 3 - 4 hours to take your vital signs.

I use the GNC Pro Performance Whey Protein to fortify Greek Yogurt. You can also eat the canned corned beef hash if you chew it really well. It has a ton of sodium, but is a different flavor profile for when you get really tired of your usual foods. I have found that the boredom with the food comes and goes, so just switch things up a bit and you can probably go back to the shakes in a day or two.

Most bariatric surgeons seem to forbid the use of Advil and other NSAID generation 1 drugs. My doctor allowed me to take Celebrex with Prilosec to control chronic pain The NSAID generation 2 drugs are easier on the stomach. The best thing is for you to discuss this with your surgeon.

I had a similar problem yesterday. I hadn't had any nausea since being in the hospital 9 months ago, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't know why, but I took an anti-nausea medication (Zofran) and it was better w/in 15 minutes. Maybe there is a stomach bug going around? I didn't eat or drink anything unusual either. I hope you are feeling better now!

Ugh that is a hard time, waiting for approval..... at least you have a date on the schedule. Most surgeons won't schedule a date until they receive insurance approval. Good luck and I hope you hear back soon!

My doctor said to have a Protein shake in one hand and Water in the other and alternate sips until you work up to the required amount. In reality I just had it with me constantly and every time I looked at the water bottle I took a sip. I also got the little 8 oz bottles and wrote a hash mark each time I refilled it. The smaller size seemed to be easier for me to handle and didn't feel like I was going to overwhelmed with water.

Have you attending a WLS seminar and had a consultation with a surgeon? Usually people have to attend nutrition classes, complete a psychiatric evaluation, have medical tests (blood work, ultrasound, sleep study) before insurance approves them for surgery. Your insurance should be able to tell you what requirements they have. Good luck on your weight loss journey!

It is a delicate balance finding the right levels of Protein, Water and calories after surgery and after you have gone into maintenance mode. I am 9 months post surgery and eat 1100 - 1200 calories per day, that was driving a 2 pound per week weight loss, but I have been stalled for the past month. I would experiment with different calorie levels to see where you feel best - you didn't mention what level you were eating when you were in maintenance mode. Focus on getting in the full 60 grams of protein and 64 oz of water and a consistent exercise level. If you really don't think you are making progress then maybe it is time to revisit the surgeon or nutritionist.