dsmith_rn

My surgeon told me that the "magic" 64 oz water is an arbitrary number, no one really knows how much water a body needs in a day. As long as i am urinating every 4 hours or so I'm fine. I never get 64 oz in a day, usually i get about half that. A year out my labs are great and i am healthy. All you can do us the best you can. Sip liquids when you can and don't stress over it, that's my advice.

I'm also a NICU nurse. I originally took 3 weeks off. I tried to return to work, but after 1 shift I ended up back in the hospital with dehydration. We cannot have even WATER anywhere near patient care areas, and you know a NICU nurse spends her entire shift in the patient care area! My doc gave me an additional 3 weeks disability so I was off for a total of 6 weeks. I still didn't have my energy back so it was hard, my body still adjusting to consuming only about 500 calories a day, but it got better. A year later, now that the weight is gone i have more energy than I've had in decades! No more BP meds, lipid panel normal, no more snoring/sleep apnea, my life is very different, but in a great way! Feel free to private message me if you have more questions or just want to chat.

I think 2 weeks is wishful thinking. I took 6 weeks and barely felt ready to go back. Don't underestimate the extremely low energy you will feel as having to survive on only 300-600 calories a day in the early weeks until your body adjusts. I didn't get my energy back until around 3 months post op. Congrats on your decision. You will have moments of "what the h*ll did I do to myself?" But in the end you will be so happy you did!

It's nice to have the support of family and friends, but we don't all have that luxury. It can be done without them. I had very little support but would do it again in a heartbeat. One year later I'm a much healthier person and haven't felt this good in decades. Hang in there, you got this!

@@lynneanne How did it go yesterday? Hope you are feeling well. Check in when you get the chance! Today is my one-year surgiversary! I'm celebrating with a tiny piece of sugar-free cake!

@@LeeRN How's it going? Your energy level will be low for awhile, just expect it. It may take up to a few months for your body to adjust to the low calorie intake. Hope your are healing rapidly, and feeling well!

I'm a nurse also. Have you had a consultation already? Your BMI is not far from "normal". I can't imagine any doctor in the U.S. doing such a drastic procedure on someone with that low of a BMI. I was considered on the low-end when i had mine done one year ago today, and mine was 40. A year later, its now 27.8 which is slightly overweight. I'd like to lose 20 more pounds but I'd never have done it at A BMI of only 30, trust me it's a drastic, permanent change to your body. I would do it again, but I am having problems with low iron/anemia even though I take an Iron supplement (with unpleasant side-effects). The sleeve, or any bariatric procedure, doesn't just make your stomach smaller, it also affects how your body digests and absorbs food. After the sleeve your body has reduced stomach acid and other changes that lead to reduced ability to absorb nutrients. It's something I deal with and I would do it again in a heartbeat as I was on meds for hypertension and hyperlipidemia and no longer deal with either one. But I NEVER had anemia before, my hemoglobin was always around 14. I have a follow up appointment with my surgeon in a couple of weeks to figure out how to deal with the anemia. Just a word of caution. I understand not wanting to wait until you are morbidly obese to take action, but you're nowhere near that at this point. Good luck, whatever you decide! We're with you either way!

Good luck! My surgery was April 25th last year and I've never felt better. I can't relate to the liquid diet as it wasn't required by my surgeon, pre op. But it was required for 2-3 weeks (I don't remember which) post op. It was hard at the time but Ican barely remember it now. Keep that in mind when things get tough, soon it will all be a distant memory and you will be thinner and healthier. See you on the losers bench!

We're still here! This Saturday is my 1-year surgiversary. No regrets whatsoever. Good luck and keep us posted. Message me if you like.

Don't stress over stalls, they are part of the process. It's your body's way of trying to set a new setpoint, according to my surgeon. I've had stalls that lasted SIX WEEKS! Point is, I stuck to my program and at 10 months out I'm just 10 lb away from goal. I haven't felt this good in years! Stalls happen, just recognize it's a normal part of the process and don't let it discourage you. You'll get there if you stick to your program! Congratulations on making a decision to better your life!

I'm nearly 10 months out now. Lost 75 lb. I'm 5'6", starting weight 240, now 165 (which is goal according to my surgeon but I'd like to lose 10 more). I feel awesome, sleep better, take the stairs without thinking about it, have more energy, and get lots of attention from men (ok that's the downside, but have to admit it feels good!). My meals are protein-focused but i don't count grams anymore. I drink around 40 oz per day and no issues, take my Vitamins, my labs look great. No blood pressure medicine the last 6 months. I didn't advance my diet nearly as quickly as the previous poster, but tolerate everything well in general. Fried foods give me nausea so i avoid them (not good for me anyway so no big deal). I avoid bread, biscuits, Cereal, tortillas, etc (except the low-carb tortillas--I will have ONE and make a Taco or mini pizza out of it, and I'm full). I don't drink alcohol because my fiance is in alcohol recovery, but it has a ton of calories so it's best avoided anyway. As a snack i will eat a handful of nuts and a cheese stick or a Greek yogurt (which contains extra Protein compared to regular yogurt and i think it has a better texture). Sometimes i will have 8 or 10 Blue Diamond Nut Thins with a little cheese dip to squash that craving for something crunchy. I love to go to Red Lobster and order the snow crab. So yummy and my tummy tolerates it very very well. For exercise i walk about 12 miles/week or more. This is a new way of eating for me, and it's for life. It's working for me, I'm used to it now and i like it. I'm very happy. Only regret is i didn't do this 10 years ago. Don't be afraid. Realize this is the first step in a journey that will bring you joy, health, and a longer life!

I was on a PPI. I had true stomach hunger, as did everyone else I've spoken to. You were fortunate not to have that experience. Folks should be mentally prepared to deal with hunger after surgery. I wasnt and it was kind of shocking. I lived through it, but like most everyone I've talked to, liquid diet was very hard after the first few days. I'm happy those days are behind me now, just a distant memory and now I'm very close to goal and feel awesome.

Don't go in thinking you won't be hungry. Almost everyone I know felt hunger after the first couple of days, and everyone suffered through the liquid stage. It does get better when you can start mushy foods, you stay full longer. I remember being shocked that i was hungry. I wasnt expecting it, but now you know to expect it. Your tummy will be giving you all sorts of strange signals at first, and it will take some time for you to learn what all those new sensations mean. You will learn them. Be patient with yourself and your new baby tummy. It's most definitely worth it!

If you can't see through it, then no it's not a clear liquid. Clear Liquids are broth, diluted juices, popsicles (sugar free), Water, tea, that kind of thing. The next week is full liquids when you can start adding your Protein powder, strained soups, SF pudding (no you don't need to thin it out). Yes, your brain will still play games with you. It will tell you you're hungry when you're not, it will lie to you about how you "deserve" to eat this or that. This is stomach surgery, not brain surgery. So you will have to deal with that, i recommend seeing a good therapist if you plan to keep the weight off!

I have also had to be in the closet, simply because there is so much misinformation floating around out there about bariatric surgery. One of the first people i told was my niece who i am very close to, and she and her husband went off about how dangerous it is, how it doesn't work because you gain all the weight back, how i would end up being sick the rest of my life, and i didn't need it. After that, I decided to tell only a few people because i didn't need the negativity! Only 2 of my 8 children know, the ones i knew would be supportive, my fiance and a few very close friends and my mom. People at work are gossipy and would accuse me of taking "the easy way out" so when they ask how i did it, i tell them i totally changed the way i eat, cut out the carbs, eat much smaller portions, and have a personal trainer at the gym, all of which is true. There IS no easy way out, so when they ask about my "secret" to losing weight, I tell them there isn't one. You have to do the work. Eat less and exercise, which i work hard to do, I just have a tool (my sleeve) that helps a little bit. But it's no magic pill, I still have to do the work. There IS no "easy way out." My niece saw me the other day, i hadn't seen her in about 4 months. She said "OMG I didn't recognize you at first, Skinny!" Sadly, I think every pound I lost found its way onto her. She is very obese now, I wanted to cry when i saw her. Bottom line is, this is a very major life change. Yes, you do need support to get through it, but not all of us have relatives and friends that will be supportive. In my opinion, is better to have NO support than people who are being negative. Who you tell about your surgery is a very personal decision.