SparkleCat

I'm Sparlecat (forgot the K when I was creating my account!) I am prepping and trying to get in the habit of logging my food...I'm trying to minimize carbs, nog necessarily lose weight at this point. Hope to have surgery in April

Thanks so much for all the info. I can't say I'm still not worried...but at least I know others have been there and not had emotional scars afterward! I'm not sure why this freaks me out and IV's, gas pain, leak tests and ob/gyn visits don't....I equate it with dental work! I'm strange I suppose.

Bludtkr, thanks so much!!! Hope you are recovering well...would live to hear about your experience at the hospital as well as recovery...I know everyone's experience will be a little different, but it is nice to know someone who has used the same surgeon and had the same procedure

I have been smoke free since December 30 and am super proud of myself! My surgeon didn't require it, but it really was time for me to stop. I probably should give myself a break....but I have a horrible habit of completely overthinking everything!

I am getting all my ducks in a row for surgery in April....compared to many of y'all, I am pretty lucky...I don't have a whole lot of hoops to jump through. Basically I need: 1. 3 month supervised "diet" 2. 3 day liquid pre-op diet. 3. meet with a social worker and a nutritionist (already done...easy peasy) 4. PCP clearance I don't think I have to lose any weight on my 3 month "diet"...which is a good thing, because I am probably gaining! I have been trying to incorporate post op diet basics into my current diet (low carb, no caffeine, higher protein, no smoking) to get ready, but the second I leave my house I hit a minefield of food funerals...my thinking has been "You had better eat this now, who knows if you will ever get a chance again!" I feel like a bottomless pit that can never get filled...for example, this morning...I woke up and made a fried egg with turkey sausage and a little cheese, finished it in 10 seconds flat. As soon as I finish typing, I will probably grab a greek yogurt from the fridge. I saw a picture of a donut online and all I can think about is stopping by the donut place on the way to work to get one or three. I have been taking my lunch to work...which is good...but am snacking constantly throughout the day on snack mix, m&m's, candy from my neighbor's desk and if there happens to be a birthday...I am not saying no to the treats that are being passed around...basically all my good intentions are being blown to heck by my inability to say "No" to food. While I am grateful for less hoops...I do believe there is something to be said for a more strict diet to get you mentally and physically prepared. I am floundering and a little worried about how I am going to handle life after the sleeve. We all know we can diet...all of us have gone on strict, unrealistic diets and have been successful...in the short term. Hell, I spent 5 months on HCG...500 calories a day...no fat, no carbs and lost 50 lbs (all gained back as of today), but I am having a hard time transitioning to the diet required by the sleeve. Hoping everything will start coming into focus the closer I get to surgery....I hate feeling so out of control

I am definitely doing everything at once...quit smoking, quit caffeine, threw out all the crap food from my pantry. Quitting a 20 year smoking addiction has definitely NOT helped my quest to change/quit my food addiction. I truly hate calorie counting...I have spent my entire adolescent and adult life on diets and counting calories, but will do it in order to get in the right head space. WLS is my last stop...I just can't get on the diet hamster wheel again...which is why, I think, I am having such a hard time committing right now...I feel like I am on a diet rather than changing my perception of food. I think it will come in time, but right now it is feeling too familiar.

~Cottage cheese with pineapple or lemon curd. ~"Migas" - scrambled eggs with salsa, turkey sausage and a little cheese (Classic migas is also scrambled with corn tortilla chips...I am avoiding chips for now...but a couple may not hurt and really makes a big difference) ~Apples with Peanut Butter if you can handle it

Oh no, I am definitely there! I find myself saying "After surgery I wil...." whether it's getting a haircut, cleaning out my fridge, going on a date, buying clothes, meeting new people...almost every thought begins with "After surgery I will..." The only thing I am not prefacing is eating. The horrible mix of quitting smoking and knowing I will be getting sleeved in a couple of months has awakened the eating machine. I feel insatiable, bottomless and out of control....it's like the decision for wls has completely relaxed the tight control I have tried to maintain over my eating. I may actually have to buy larger clothes in the two months before surgery...it's nuts! I am glad to hear I am not the only person who is obsessing...but, while I think I have made the right decision to get wls, I really don't think putting my life "on pause" is mentally healthy, it's horrible for my social life as well as my waistline...I can only hope it is normal and temporary. Congratulations again on not smoking!! Check out quitnet.com , download a stop smoking app, take care of yourself and really Celebrate every success!

We are definitely on the same page! I quit a 25 year smoking addition a little over a month ago. It truly sucked the first week or two...it definitely gets easier, but I still get the urge to smoke a few times a day...just know the craving will go away whether you smoke or not....so I just choose "not". I have also become obsessive about getting sleeved...honestly it's almost like I have put my life on pause until I have the surgery and while I wait all I do is scour the interwebs for more more more information! It doesn't help that quitting smoking has turned me into an eating machine! I am ready to get this done!

I'm in NW Denver....semi local

Your after dress is so flippin' cute! The NSV I am most looking forward to is trying one, buying and wearing cute clothes! Great Job!

I got some smoked salmon that I plan on blending with low fat cottage cheese and a little dill and pepper.....like a salmon mousse with tons of protein! Will let y'all know how it turns our!

I just told my mother that I am planning on getting the Sleeve in April. She had a lot of question and basically went from thinking it way too drastic a step to understanding my reasons for taking having the surgery and supporting me in my decision. I live by myself in Denver (no spouse or sig. other) and my Mom lives in Texas. She wants to drive up to Denver for my surgery and recovery. While I absolutely love her for this...I am concerned that having my Mom try to wait on me is going to get annoying really quickly. I would hate for her to drive all that way only to possibly get her feelings hurt by her cranky post-op daughter. In the week after surgery did y'all need/ appreciate help from well meaning loved ones or was it an annoyance? What did that do that was super helpful? Basically, if she is coming, I would love to give her an idea of what I will need and appreciate and what will be intrusive?

Thank y'all! I am completely thankful that my mother loves me and worries about me (she said she couldn't imagine sitting at home 3 states away while I was in surgery)...and, truth be told, I would love someone to take care of things around my tiny house while I may feel like crap. I just don't want to worry about entertaining her or keeping her busy or being "nice" all the time. Also, my house is teeny tiny...one bedroom, small living room, small kitchen and bathroom...We will be stepping all over each other. I am blessed to have a mother and a father who love and support me...so I really should stop worrying and be thankful! (Oh No!! What if my Dad decides he has to come too???....I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

I think I am going to have exactly that date!! Yay Us!

Love seeing more Denver folk! And I am also looking forward to being one of the fit in the fittest state in the union! I am in Sunnyside, but would love to meet up with other sleevers in the area....especially during the summer, where outdoor activities are abundant! Good luck to y'all

I just read that my surgeon asks that his patients stop all birth control pills/ Estrogen/ Progesterone 2 weeks before surgery....would this include an IUD/ Mirena?? I just got that sucker in there and my body used to it! Heck...I haven't even had the opportunity to take it on a "test run"....please tell me I'm not going to have to remove it and go through the serious pain of having it reinserted! <I, of course, will talk to my surgeon about this at my next visit...but I thought y'all might have some insight or perhaps have had the same issue come up >

I quit smoking cigarettes in December and have no plans on going back to it! I live in Colorado and recreational is legal here. I have never really enjoyed getting high, but I actually thought about it when I quit smoking just to have that sensation of inhaling again...I decided against it. Mainly, I want my lungs to be healthy and to not pick up another addiction when I will be trying to beat to others (nicotine and food) If you are in Colorado or Washington, I would suggest edibles...no lung damage, no smoke entering the system. Or perhaps a vaporizer which may be less toxic to your lungs But I would also suggest really looking at your smoking and making certain you aren't switching one problem for another. I know I will be doing that with my drinking...When I learned that I wouldn't be able to drink after surgery I got a little panicked...which made me realize that I may need to look at why and how much I drink. I am not an alcoholic, but I do think I can use alcohol much like I use food...to numb and ignore yucky feelings. Surgery, for me, is a tool to not only lose weight and get my health back, but it is also an opportunity to figure some stuff out...really face how and why I got here in the first place, which means not replacing food with nicotine or booze or weed. Best of luck!

I did have some major regrets in the horrible days immediately post surgery, but I can honestly say that at age 46, (post surg) I felt like I had already lived/experienced the best part of life-and it was going to be just downhill from there !! ;( Now, I feel and believe there is so much more ahead! I have been blessed by NEW Life!! Don't let anyone tell you that VSG is taking the easy way ! Do your research and get support from those around you!! You WILL make the right decision!! I am 44 and also feel like I am on the downslope of my life...which I sincerely hope is inaccurate! I feel like I have wasted so much energy on my weight....It is on the forefront of my mind all. the. time...it is my excuse for being lonely, my excuse for not making enough money, my excuse to not participate, my excuse for everything....I am looking forward to the day when my weight, my eating habits, my body is not the main focus of my life. I love reading success stories...makes my decision to get sleeved so much easier!

Congrats!! I love reading success stories..and I especially loved yours! I am starting at approximately your start weight and we look around the same age and same body type. It really gives me hope and encouragement when I am wondering if wls is the right path for me Great Job...You were beautiful before and after...but the after photo exudes confidence as well as beauty!

Good Evening! I plan on having VSG in April and am already trying to adjust my diet so it won't be such a shock to my system...eating lower carb, more Protein, lower fat etc. I also have very high cholesterol so there are some "heart healthy" foods that may not be sleeve healthy There are a few foods that I am curious about...foods that I generally think of as healthy, but am not certain if they are sleeve friendly Avocado/ Guacamole - One of my favorites! Good Fat, Heart Healthy...I can eat it by the spoonful! Would the fat content of this diet staple (for me anyway!) make it a no no? I was looking forward to Guac and Avocado being a big part of my post-op diet Sweet Potatoes/ Yams - Another food I was looking forward to having during my soft food phase...also a substitute for white potatoes...but is it too much starch? Corn Tortillas - I know flour tortillas will be out...but what about corn? Enchilada? Street Taco? Quesadilla? Coconut Oil/ Olive Oil - Two comparatively healthy oils Agave nectar - I have always believed a teaspoon of cane sugar in coffee or tea is better for me and better tasting than the chemicals. really don't like the idea of using chemical sweeteners (Splenda, Equal etc.) and I think Stevia tastes really "off"....I do, however, really like Agave Nectar..wondering if it is an acceptable sweetener compromise. Spice - I am a Texas girl who lives in Green Chili country (Colorado). I love me some spice...Pork Green Chili, Texas red Chili, Jalepeno, Chipotle, Cajun Spice....I have always loved strong flavors...tangy, sweet, spicy, sour. I am worried my new tummy won't be able to handle it. I can deal with a month or so of bland food...but not the rest of my life! Thank y'all so much for the info and guidance! I am so ready to get started and am becoming and WLS information sponge!!

Good Evening! I plan on having VSG in April and am already trying to adjust my diet so it won't be such a shock to my system...eating lower carb, more Protein, lower fat etc. I also have very high cholesterol so there are some "heart healthy" foods that may not be sleeve healthy There are a few foods that I am curious about...foods that I generally think of as healthy, but am not certain if they are sleeve friendly Avocado/ Guacamole - One of my favorites! Good Fat, Heart Healthy...I can eat it by the spoonful! Would the fat content of this diet staple (for me anyway!) make it a no no? I was looking forward to Guac and Avocado being a big part of my post-op diet Sweet Potatoes/ Yams - Another food I was looking forward to having during my soft food phase...also a substitute for white potatoes...but is it too much starch? Corn Tortillas - I know flour tortillas will be out...but what about corn? Enchilada? Street Taco? Quesadilla? Coconut Oil/ Olive Oil - Two comparatively healthy oils Agave nectar - I have always believed a teaspoon of cane sugar in coffee or tea is better for me and better tasting than the chemicals. really don't like the idea of using chemical sweeteners (Splenda, Equal etc.) and I think Stevia tastes really "off"....I do, however, really like Agave Nectar..wondering if it is an acceptable sweetener compromise. Spice - I am a Texas girl who lives in Green Chili country (Colorado). I love me some spice...Pork Green Chili, Texas red Chili, Jalepeno, Chipotle, Cajun Spice....I have always loved strong flavors...tangy, sweet, spicy, sour. I am worried my new tummy won't be able to handle it. I can deal with a month or so of bland food...but not the rest of my life! Thank y'all so much for the info and guidance! I am so ready to get started and am becoming and WLS information sponge!!

Well that did it for me! The one thing I am really terrified of, possibly even more than the surgery itself, is losing most of my already thinning hair! I have started on Biotin and will now be continuing my avocado addiction!

Whew!! Thanks for clarifying Though I can see how sour cream could be an interesting and tasty addition!

Thanks Y'all! I should probably start learning to drink coffee and hot tea unsweetened....should also probably start weaning myself off coffee! I am confused about yes to avocado and no to Guacamole....I make Guacamole with tomato, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper and most that I have had is pretty similar....is it the acid in the tomato and lime juice that can be difficult?