TheDue

That you will NEVER be able to gorge yourself on your favourite morsels ever again and you need to be prepared for that.
It feels like grief - like you've lost a dear friend. Again, this is the mental aspect, but it is very tangible for me.
Ridiculous, of course - because you can eat your favourite morsels.. There's just a sadness that sometimes descends on me, when I realise I'm going to be maxed-out after 5-6 bites...
Oh, how I'd love to be able to eat a normal sized piece of home-made lasagne, mixed salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and a piece of garlic focaccia... all washed down with a glass of spicy pinot noir...
This, is what gets me most....

The biggest reaction I get when I eat out is over the fact that I order, specifically, no drink. This simple request causes a great deal of confusion and even occasional concern (i.e. "Oh my! did your waitress neglect to get your drink?! Can't I get you something? Not even Water? ").

don't worry you will restart your weight loss soon, i am also 6 weeks out and went through 2 weeks with zero loss but my measurements was changing specially the waist.

I know it's hard not to be sad, but most everyone stalls at some point along the way. And besides, your body is still healing and adjusting, it is normal and will pass. I stalled for about 3 weeks, didn't lose a pound, BUT I was losing inches. For my meals: I typically drink a Protein Shake with skim milk in the morning on my way to work. I have a mid-morning Protein Bar, lunch usually varies from turkey & cheese roll ups, to leftovers, to possibly dining out. No matter which one it is, you can bet it is Protein packed! I have a late afternoon snack (fruit, protein chips/bar, yogurt) and then most days I will have another protein shake after I get home. I have a 45 minute commute to and from work everyday, so it is usually after 6 pm when I get home. If I do eat instead of drinking my dinner, then it is usually something like turkey & cheese. I will from time to time have eggbeaters with cheese and lean turkey sausage crumbles as my mid-morning snack. It is only about 85 calories with 8gms of protein. My exercise is irregular at best!! I have a desk job, but do try to work in some walking throughout the day by taking the long way around to drop off stuff for others. Otherwise, weather permitting, I go walking around town. I live in a small, rural town. I've not measured the distance I walk, just the time I'm on the move, which is generally 30-50 minutes. I'll do that a few times a week. Other than that, I work out with my Wii Fit for about 30-50 minutes a couple of days a week.

Thanks for your reply's, I'll check with my doctor then, also found the below online...
Preventing Gallstones during Weight Loss
Maintaining a normal weight and avoiding rapid weight loss are the keys to reducing the risk of gallstones. Taking the medication ursodiol (also called ursodeoxycholic acid, or Actigall) during weight loss may reduce the risk for people who are very overweight and need to lose weight quickly. This medication is ordinarily used to dissolve existing gallstones. Orlistat (Xenical), a drug for treating obesity, may protect against gallstone formation during weight loss. The drug appears to reduce bile acids and other components involved in gallstone production.
Source: Gallstones and gallbladder disease | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/gallstones-and-gallbladder-disease#ixzz2dSwiIQy9
University of Maryland Medical Center
Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook

Thanks for your reply's, I'll check with my doctor then, also found the below online...
Preventing Gallstones during Weight Loss
Maintaining a normal weight and avoiding rapid weight loss are the keys to reducing the risk of gallstones. Taking the medication ursodiol (also called ursodeoxycholic acid, or Actigall) during weight loss may reduce the risk for people who are very overweight and need to lose weight quickly. This medication is ordinarily used to dissolve existing gallstones. Orlistat (Xenical), a drug for treating obesity, may protect against gallstone formation during weight loss. The drug appears to reduce bile acids and other components involved in gallstone production.
Source: Gallstones and gallbladder disease | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/gallstones-and-gallbladder-disease#ixzz2dSwiIQy9
University of Maryland Medical Center
Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook

I apologize for my messy room lol
5'1 40lbs down :-)

The Vitamins I take are flinstone Complete (2 times a day), B-12 (liquid or dissolving drops once a day), calcium citrate (2 times a day). So far so good with my levels.
Don't worry about too much Protein the first week. My Dr told me to concentrate on liquids and then as I got that down, add in Protein.< /p>

Ahmed, my surgeon also has no Protein or Vitamins the first week. The philosophy behind it is that the body has enough stored protein that it does not require additional protein for healing. He believes the first week should be focused on avoiding dehydration. The issue with vitamins that early on is that many people get nauseous and then it becomes difficult for the surgeon to determine if the nausea is a complication or from the vitamins.

My NUT suggested opurity multivitamins for me. They are designed specifically for sleeve and bypass patients. My guess is it has something to do with how they are absorbed but not sure. Anyway, you only need one a day, plus Calcium. They do run a little low on B12 so she suggested to take additional B12 a couple times a week. I got them yesterday and tried it. I am pre op, but trying things out to at least have an idea. These pills are large chewables but not gummies. They weren't horrible but they seemed very (ie: TOO) sweet. But I figure post op it will be hard to consume one as quickly, will probably have to break it up so then the sweetness won't be as overwhelming. OPurity is best for me because it does not have added Vitamin k. (I am on warfarin for life and need to restrict vitamin k) I think everyone's NUT and surgeon has different plans they follow. The overall basic is the same, but the rates and stages varies. My NUT said Protein, protein, protein along with staying hydrated. Just stay with what works for you. Things will even out. At least you seem to be doing pretty well with recovery!

I physically couldn't do Vitamins my first two weeks and my Protein intake was 0-10g max for about the same. Total normal. Focus on liquids, walking and resting. The protein will come. Heck! I am three months out and still only halfway there most days.

I was also told no Protein or Vitamins for a week. I'm actually calling the Nut today and double checking everything. Puree is 2 days away! lol

I use the chewable multi & Calcium from Unjury. I also use their shakes. Every program is different, but generally it seems to be liquids first with a close second being Protein.< /p>

My Protein intake was no where near the recommended the 1st week or 2. Dr said to concentrate on liquids so not to become dehydrated and that protein would increase gradually. I started a chewable multi Vitamin and a B-12 sublingual a couple of days after surgery. Good luck!

I could not stomach Protein Shakes or those chewable vitamins for the first 2 months! I had to eat very small portions of chicken and meat and take adult gummies Vitamins. I loss muscle weight along with a ton of fat and THAT IS OKAY! When you regain your strength back and eat more and more frequently, you will get your Protein in. But you have to do weight training! Drinking protein does not bring back bigger muscles. Your body is starving and attacking your muscles for fuel and easing off the fat. I have a lot of loose skin but it looks better now after I did weight training to bring definition back. Get some free weights from the house and start using your muscles. Trick your body by telling it that you are not starving somewhere and u have plenty of meat to live on so have the body feed off your fat! Thats what we are supposed to be doing! THIS IS OF COURSE AFTER YOU HAVE STRENGTH. DON'T SWEAT THE MUSCLE LOSS. IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN THRU A MAJOR SURGERY. Give yourself a month before you start weight training. You will see the results after a week! You will be in front of the mirror flexing in no time!! Good Luck!

Hello Everyone, i have joined VST for about 2 weeks and i must say it was a great help in my pre-op with all these encouraging stories.

i am Ahmed a 34 year old Egyptian living in Dubai, i have been suffering obesity for a long time cant even remember since when !. all i can remember is i have been trying to lose weight for years and years with no success, the even worse is that along those years with all the short term success of losing some KG's overall i was actually gaining more and more, last year when i hit 126KG it was a shock and i decided that i need to do something different this time, i have been discovering the surgery option for months and was always set that if i would ever do a weight loss surgery it would be a lab band, i visit multiple doctors and discussed the surgery but never got the courage or maybe you can say i was never convinced.
One month ago i made the decision that i will do it and fix this once an for all, i went to see Dr. Faruq Badiuddin who is a Gastrointestinal and Advanced Laparoscopic surgeon @ Mediclinic Dubai Mall. and he recommended the VSG the way he described it just made it the right option as a life time solution as appose to the band that is only short term. i was sold with the idea and 2 weeks ago i started my Pro-op diet wish lucky was not a liquid one ! it was only a low carb low fat diet.
also as part of the pre-op cehckup he discovered that i am suffering a Hiatal Hernia that he will be fixing also during the operation, so its a 2 in one
i am now 11 hours away from the operation, they told me that i will be suffering some degree of pain after the operation as they cant give me the strong painkillers due to the risk of throwing up. anyway time to get some sleep, wish me luck and i shall keep you all posted !.
Ahmed.

Posted June 16, 2010 - 6:48 PM
hi everyone! i have read so much in this forum and want to say thankyou to every single poster! ive learned so much and sincerely appreciate verticalsleevetalk.com. im a 47 year old male living in brooklyn, new york. i currently weigh 305 lbs and have been overweight all my life. ive been hovering around the 300-315 mark for about 10 years. before that i hoovered around 280-300 for the prior 10 years. my high weight was 323, which was in 2004. the most ive lost dieting and exercising was about 40lbs on a few occasions, but i always put it back on.
in 2004 i decided to have wls and was going to have gastric bypass done. after being approved by my insurance, i went to the hospital and was put in scrubs for the operation. then i was told by the nurse that the doctor had a family emergency and had to leave the hospital immediately. so my surgery was rescheduled for 4 weeks later. during these 4 weeks i ate plenty and went on a "goodbye to food" tour! this tour took me to all my favorite buffets and i ate like it was my last meal, even though i knew i shouldnt be doing that. then i again went to the hosptial and was put in scrubs and before my surgery the doctor said he couldnt operate because my sugar level was unexpectedly through the roof. i begged him to go through with it, but he said he couldnt and i needed to lose some weight and not do what i did by gaining weight and eating everything before surgery. so it was again cancelled. now i was determined to lose weight before i went back in 6 weeks for the eventual operation. in those 6 weeks i ate perfectly and lost 30 lbs. the day came and i went in a 3rd time to the hospital. again i was put in scrubs and this time all the tests, including my sugar were normal. but the doctor was surprised that i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks. he sat me down and said the operation was a serious one and if i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks, maybe i should give losing weight on my own another try. he convinced me to not have the operation. so i actually went on to lose a total of 89lbs in 7 months and got my weight down to 234 and felt great. i was actually running on a treadmill for a few miles non-stop and was in the best shape of my life. a year later i was again at 310lbs.
i never considered wls surgery again because i honestly in my heart didnt want the bypass portion done. and im thankful that even though i was in the operating room 3 different times, i never had the bypass done. later in life i researched the lapband as it became popular, but again i didnt want the band either due to all the complications of it. only a few months ago i discovered the option of the sleeve, and it seemed like exactly what ive been waiting for. a tool to limit my intake, with no bypass and nothing permanently inside of me that needed followup adjustments.
so im now in the process of going through everything i need to do before my dr. submits for approval to my insurance. the only thing left is the psych evaluation, which im in the process of completing and ill have it done shortly. then i meet with my dr. again on june 30th for the final time and he will submit everything to hopefully get approved.
so thats my story. its seems that bypass just wasnt for me. and ironically back in 2004 i was all for it. now today, i wouldnt do a bypass ever. im thankful it never got done and i believe it wasnt meant to be. especially being in the operatiing room in scrubs 3x!
i do have one fear/question that ill post in a separate thread in the post op forum as i believe that is where it should go. again, thank you to everyone who has ever posted in this forum. you do not know how much it helps, even the people like me who only read and never posted before. best of luck to everyone on their journey. UPDATE AUGUST 6 2013: back in 2010 after completing all the steps and requirements with dr. mcginty, I was denied by my insurance as the sleeve was considered experimental by them. they did offer me the gastric bypass or the lap band, but I refused both as I was only willing to have the sleeve done. so dr. mcginty said he believed that in a few years all insurance companies would be approving the sleeve as readily as they were approving the gastric bypass and lap band. and he was right! in jan 2013 I found out that my insurance now did cover the sleeve and I went back to dr. mcginty. I went through all the steps again and in march 2013 I finally got sleeved! today, august 5, 2013 I have been sleeved 4.5 months. in jan I weighed 291.5 lbs. today I weight 210 lbs. I lost 18 lbs before surgery and 63.5 lbs since surgery. this is the lightest ive been in 25 years and my goal is to reach 180. im finally on my way after waiting 9 years! so don't ever give up! the sleeve was meant to be for me...it just took me 9 years to get it done!