Surgery planned for the first week of October. The only concern is I have no teeth and I read you have to chew your food real well. Right now I find i swallow a lot of food whole. Puree food can be a challenge with taste. I work with a team each week that go to resturants while we are out in the field. Thank goodness several girls are also going to be sleeved so we can share. Perhaps they will have some ideas. I am so thankful for this forum and plan to be here often God bless to all.
Thank you so much LMD, I needed to hear all that, I am glad that God has made you a voice and inspiration for all of us, thank you again. I only struggle with one thing I don't know or have any one that could mentor me, I just moved back in the state of Minnesota, but I am going to trust God to send the right people into my life, as he has already has allowed me to be connected to this form.
I think the biggest one for me is
DO roll with the punches!! I have a goal daily for how much liquid ( over 75 oz), how much Protein ( over 70) how much carbs ( under 50). But if I go over 50 carbs, I'm not so worried because there are many days I'm below. I stall for long periods of time. But so what?!?! I KNOW it'll move again soon. Maybe I didn't make it to the gym- that's okay I'll go extra hard/long the next day. As long as I follow up and do as planned, I'm all good!!! I found that once I stopped worrying about the small stuff, I enjoyed myself that much more!!!
I asked the same question? Where in the heck did the blood go?! No one could tell me. Yes, the nurses dropped the ball. I believe everyone was caught off guard. They said they haven't had a major complication in 12yrs and I guess they assumed since I was young and healthy it would be a piece of cake. My surgery was at Crestwood. Huntsville, AL
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
I have seen the thread on what I should bring to the hospital, but I mean what do I need for afterwards? I have a 24 oz cool cup that I already take everywhere with me, but it does have a straw (it is sippable w/o a straw on the other side of the lid) how long did you adhere to the no straw rule? What do I need to have at home to be comfortable after the surgery? I am on liquids for 10 days post op. What did you keep in your house to eat? What were your favorite meals? I want to get my grocery list together now. What type of exercise did you do when you came home. Any plans/dvds, elliptical? recumbent bike? treadmill? what was too much? what wasnt enough? Do you recommend chewable vitamins (I hate all medicine that is not in pill form) if so what kind did you have that didnt make you puke? I have a really hard time with pain meds in that they pretty much all make me very nauseous and this is something I am very worried about as I know first hand vomiting after surgery is no fun. Do you know where I can get samples of Protein Shakes that have all the nutrients we need right after surgery? I saw samples on here once but I also heard you need to be careful they have enough Vitamins and Proteins in the beginning so I want to make sure I am following those guidelines. What was your most comfortable outfit? Could you wear sweatpants? Should I just plan on maxi dresses because of the incisions? When did you go back to work? This is the biggest one for me. I am self employed and just cant see not working for a month I do no heavy lifting, Im a lawyer so at most I walk to court, and sit down, I will get up briefly for my cases, and walk back to the office. I have appearances within 3 days of my surgery, but I will just be walking, sitting, and standing for a max of 30 minutes per day including the walk to and from. After the appearances I can go home if I need to and work from the bed (if at all) or I can sit in my office and do paperwork/make calls, think that will be a problem? What didnt I ask that you think I need to know?
Janice Morgan got a reaction from LilMissDiva Irene in Bariatric Surgery Do's And Don'ts