KittyChick

I wish you the best as well!

I'm on this diet right now (have been for a week- surgery is 1/21). I thought it'd be easier than it is. However, I can only have broths / green vegetables / Jello / sf drinks etc. I'm hungry! The Protein shakes fill me up but I still find myself wanting something substantial to chew! I'm not sure of your work situation but one of the toughest things is smelling food coming from the break room and having coworkers eat around me. I don't have this issue at home but that's a different set of challenges- the food commercials being a major trigger. I have to make an active effort to avoid them! I have hard days and easy days. Just try to keep your eye on the prize!

Thanks and congratulations on your weight loss!!

I think the blood sugar concerns are valid for many people but I am neither diabetic nor pre-diabetic. My glucose has never been high- even at 285lbs. I've also never had high cholesterol, and my blood pressure is consistently 100/80 or 90/70- which is odd for someone my size but my Dr. attributes this to my vegetarian diet even with my sugar binges 5-6 times a week. I won't need an apple every day but I am most likely going to allow myself 2-3 per week at this point. They make me full and because I have ulcerative colitis, I need some of that Fiber to "keep me going". Pre-op is really low on fiber. I am going to go ahead & notify the nutritionist at my Dr.'s office that this is what I've decided to do. Oh and I've lost 8lbs since Sunday! I'm not worried about an apple derailing my progress.

A small apple is 55 cals and 15 carbs...

Berries would be great too at this point. Apples have always been my thing though and since they ARE healthy, I wondered if having one or two small ones a week would be horrible. Sorta makes me happy that it's not ice cream or pizza I'm craving though! This is going to be very hard. I have to just try my absolute best to get through it...

I'm on a bleak 2 week pre-op which only allows 3 Protein shakes, Jello, one serving of veggie Soup, and green vegetables. I'm a vegetarian and am used to eating a lot of fruit...this is day 2 and I'm already losing my mind. Anyone know why they don't let you do apples or berries? Is having an apple every few days going to be a real problem?

I'm on day one as well and so far so good! I hope the remainder of these two weeks is as smooth as this but I have a feeling it won't be! Luckily I live alone (my best friend and my boyfriend live down the street) and no one's here to eat in front of me! I think my strategy is going to be this: *Stay at work as long as possible- 10 hrs if I have to! Maybe being "productive" will keep my mind of food. The less time at home the better! *Once home, drink the last Protein shake, have some veggies and Jello then sleeping PILL! Cause the less time awake, the better. * Weekends- sleep diet as well. Wake up for protein shakes, go back to bed! Basically working and sleeping to avoid eating. This sounds crazy huh?

First of all, my heartfelt thanks to all of you. I'm touched. The first day of my diet is almost over, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how well things went. I haven't been hungry at all and surprisingly enough have had no desire to compulsively overeat. It's like all that Protein turns off a switch in your brain. I don't know what it is, but I like it! I had a scary experience after my workout today where I started getting lightheaded and trembly. My trainer suggested that I go home and eat something. I stopped at my surgeon's office on the way home and she told me that it was OK for me to eat veggies and to drink an extra protein shake. I'm supposed to drink the shake 30 minutes before my workouts. And in an amazing show of sympathy, my wonderful husband is going to be drinking protein shakes right along with me! We will do some modifications for him, like adding fruit and milk to the shakes, but he wants to lose weight and support me. What a great guy! So...the net 2 weeks may not be so awful after all! I'm on day one as well and so far so good! I hope the remainder of these two weeks is as smooth as this but I have a feeling it won't be! Luckily I live alone (my best friend and my boyfriend live down the street) and no one's here to eat in front of me! I think my strategy is going to be this: *Stay at work as long as possible- 10 hrs if I have to! Maybe being "productive" will keep my mind of food. The less time at home the better! *Once home, drink the last protein shake, have some veggies and Jello then sleeping PILL! Cause the less time awake, the better. * Weekends- sleep diet as well. Wake up for protein shakes, go back to bed! Basically working and sleeping to avoid eating. This sounds crazy huh?

I'm mixing with Lactose free milk right now and they're very good. chocolate is good and vanilla is a close second. BeeLee37- let me know about the strawberry ones once you mix with non-Water. I read somewhere on the board that it wasn't as good as the other flavors so I didn't order any.

I hope so! My brother and I will get there the night of the 20th and stay until the 24th. Would be cool to meet a fellow sleever in person!

So my powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Protein shake mixes came today and I'm starting pre-op diet Sunday. Unjury instructions state to add some type of milk (skim, soy) but my instructions from Dr. Ortiz don't say anything about allowing or disallowing milk. Because I'm doing this on a weekend, I can't contact them directly. I'm vegetarian so I'd be adding almond milk...is this allowed? You don't mix these things with Water do you?

I definitely appreciate the response. Thank you SlvrSax Trust me, I know that whatever I need will be "worth every penny", it's coming up with those pennies that would be the issue. But, I have to remind myself how rare complications are and have faith that I'll be fine.

This is great information. Thank you for the responses. I figured some kind of leak test should/would be covered at OCC. Didn't make sense that they'd try to charge extra for what's really an integral part of this procedure. My insurance does cover WLS w/o any life threatening caveats so I'll call them and see what they say about how they handle complications from medical tourism. I'm making a lot of financial sacrifices to do this so things are obviously very tight budget wise!

I just got my paperwork from Dr. Ortiz's office and it says if I end up needing either one of these, I have to pay an extra $500! What are the odds of me needing to do this? Did anyone else end up needing to have an endoscopy or barium swallow? Also, I could refuse the test right? I'd much rather come home & do it with my PCP and have my insurance cover it instead of paying $500 effing dollars!

Wow!! All of that on pre-op? How phenomenal! These are amazing tips. I really appreciate all the info! You are doing fabulously on the weight loss! Congrats! Can't wait to get on the losers bench with you!

I'm scheduled with Dr. Ortiz on January 21st! Any buddies for the same day?!

What kind of veggies did everyone eat? It says "leafy" but I'm assuming I could also have cucumbers and broccoli?

Yes I saw that they are sold at Costco. I have one right around the corner. That's a fair price too. It's either Premier or Unjruy...or maybe a little of both!

I've heard the Unjury products taste the best...how did you like them?

Oh...I looked at the pre-op package on their site and for $124.75 and it says 3x shakes included. I figured that meant 3 actual one serving shakes! How did you like the Premier?

Hi guys, So I'm getting sleeved with Dr. Ariel Ortiz on Jan 21st and will be starting the pre-op diet on Jan 5. All of the paperwork I've received from them pushes this Enspira product as the only option and it's EXPENSIVE! If I'm understanding this right, I have to have three shakes per day. Their pre-op package is $124 and it only comes with three shakes which means I'd have to order FIVE of them!!! $620! These people are out of their goddamn minds. Anyone here use cheaper shakes with the same protein requirements?

Krissyu84, Beach Lover, McButterpants- Now that's some support. Thank you ladies. It's comforting to know people are in this place. It feels so lonely sometimes! Let me tell you- I have loathed myself during this whole debacle. Loathed. I refused to take pictures. I hated to be looked at PERIOD. I made a concentrated effort not to look in mirrors- except for when I did my makeup. Looking at my reflection in the glass windows when I walked into work was one of the worst parts of my day, because I couldn't avoid the sight of myself. Well, the strangest thing has happened. I've reach a point in the last month or so where I don't bother to shy away from mirrors. I'm not ashamed or hiding and that self loathing is pretty much gone. It's hard to explain but when I see myself, I see the "temporary" me. I don't know if that makes sense but even though I'm still in this body, I've said goodbye to it. This period in my life is ending. It's no longer about the "right now". IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE!

Hey girlfriends, So of course, as my surgery date draws near, I've been thinking a lot about my upcoming "sleevization" and all my previous weight loss attempts. My last big weight loss was in 2010/2011. I worked HARD dieting and exercising (sometimes for 2 hours a night 3 days a week) and went from 270 to 187lbs. Size 22 to 14 (and some 12's). It was SUCH a struggle and such a victory. I've battled with weight my entire life and had REALLY made a lifestyle change. I became a beast in the gym and truly evolved from an exercise hater to an exercise lover. Right towards the end of my journey, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and got pretty sick. Couldn't really exercise anymore and thus, my healthy lifestyle went right out the winda! After a few months on prednisone (the devils choice pharmaceutical), I had gained a whopping 50lbs. Once I got there, I just said "FML" (f*** my life) and spiraled into a pity party complete with cakes, ice cream, donuts, Cookies, etc. Shortly after that, a bipolar II diagnosis came along. Perfect timing right? More meds, more weight gain and here I am at 279lbs. As I gained the weight back, I furiously put ALL of my cute little clothes into plastic bin exile because looking at them was even more excruciating than my disease. As I've now made the decision to try to end this lifelong nightmare by having VSG, I have new hope for myself and my life. So, last night I pulled those bins out of the closet in my spare bedroom. I smelled and touched them. I imagined myself back in those clothes. I remembered how cute and sexy I was. I began to really, really miss the girl who used to wear those clothes. I broke out into full on sobs holding those clothes in my hands. I cried for the loss of who I was. I cried because a bunch of things beyond my control started my descent back to this place. I cried because instead of getting back on track after getting off prednisone (which I will NEVER go on again), I gave up on my healthy lifestyle AND I gave up on myself. I cried because I MISSED working out IMMENSELY but felt too much shame in my fat body to go back to the gym. Lastly, I cried because I knew that soon, I'd be making my way back into those clothes. That vision moved me very deeply. It was much more of an emotional experience than I expected. I'll be back in those clothes again. It's the most empowering, assuring feeling I think I've ever felt. Have any of you had experiences like this or am I the only assclown sitting in the closet and crying while clutching clothes I can't even stuff a calf into?

Hey y'all! I'm anticipating a surgery date of 2/3/2014 in MX. Beyond excited. Not really sure what my goal weight should be though....