Denise73

[@member=denise73] Thanks! I needed some reassurance lol!

Hello everyone,
I read so many stories about the 2 week pre-op liquid diet and I was so scared and nervous and didn't think I'd make it. I kept thinking, how in the hell these NUTs and surgeons expect us to eat basically nothing for 2 whole weeks.
To the members who've yet to experience this well talked about "2 week liquid Protein diet", let me tell you my experience and hopefully it will ease your mind and give you hope. So I started my Protein diet on Monday 6/16 here it is Friday and I'm fine. I must say, it's not as bad as you all think it's going to be. I don't know if it's the types of protein I'm taking but I really really haven't been hungry. Not even head hunger. Mind you I have a 14 year old son I have to either cook or heat up food for every day.
I'm allowed 4-8oz Protein shakes a day, sugar free Jello & pudding, 1 -8oz of low carb yogurt, 1-8oz of skim milk, sugar free popsicles and unlimited amounts of non-sugary, non-carbonated, non-caffeinated beverages and broth.
I've been having 2-3 shakes and one serving of yogurt at night as dinner and twice I've had a cup of broth and twice I've had a cup of sf Jello. I haven't had any headaches/migraines or anything. I have not cheated at all, not a bite, a crumb or a lick of anything. Based on the stories I've read, I've come to the conclusion that it must be the type of Protein Shakes that are satisfying me and not allowing me to feel hungry. Actually, I have to force myself to have the third shake sometimes.
Just like everyone else, the anticipation and the unknown had me failing at the protein diet before I even began. I have to tell you though, the two times I felt weak was when I over did it at the gym and yesterday when I went too long (about 9 hours) without a shake. Other than those two times I was/am good. I just bought my son some McDonalds and I didn't even take a french fry. I used to always have at least two of his fries. I'm working at home today and you couldn't tell me I wasn't going to be home all day and not eat something I wasn't supposed to. Nope not at all. I had one Protein Shake and two sf popsicles.
So I'm saying all this to say, please don't stress over this 2 week protein diet. It may or may not be as bad as you think. I wanted to post this because I wish I read something like this before I started because I might not have stressed it as much as I did. Good luck to those of you who will be on the diet soon. I am so sorry this is so long but I needed to post my experience in its entirety.
Denise73

Congrats...and welcome...
I found room temperature and/or hot beverages went down easier in the beginning...and I know this is the exact opposite, but I lot of people used sugar free popsicles to help with their fluids....

I put on 10 lbs before surgery-and then had to loose 18 lbs before they would perform the surgery
My Dr counted the weight I had on the day I first saw him, the weight I had to loose was initially 8 lbs but because it takes a while to do all the testing and getting approval I gained 10 more lbs.
In April I had to start dieting I had 5 weeks to loose the weight by my pre op check in-or surgery would be cancelled.
I did manage to loose it thank goodness

Take it from another Jersey Girl ... I had a period like that pre-op, and if I could borrow a time machine and go back and slap myself silly, I would do it.
I was under so much stress that I gained back all the weight I lost during the six months of dieting. About a month before surgery I got a grip on myself again, but the damage was done.
I was sleeved on Monday, You have no idea how much I regret blowing the jump start I had on the 1st year weight loss. I can't go back and fix it, I can only go forward. I had three days to reflect on that in the hospital after I was sleeved (I had some issues), and the one thing that kept running through my mind was "Why did I do that to myself?". Don't do it to yourself.
There isn't going to be a food Rapture where all the really delicious foods disappear and leave only the terrible tasting ones behind. You will see those foods again, but in very tiny amounts and when they fit into your new lifestyle.

@@BrwnsugabayB
Lmbo. That's right, keep that positive attitude. I love it. Good luck not he liquid diet. It really isn't that bad. I've been on liquids for four days now. You'll do fine.

@@2aBetterMe
Welcome and good luck. Sorry to hear you're having a rough go at the Protein liquid diet. It will be over soon enough and we'll all be on the "other side".

Having all my pre op work done today. So far so good.

Hi all, just 11 days to go! Saturday we will be in the single digits. How is everyone doing on their pre-op?
I'm down 17 lbs and am in the middle of week 1 liquids!

Hi everyone! I start my liquid diet tomorrow. I had my final meals today and then took my starting point photos, measurements and weight...and let me just say I am disgusted! Ran out of tape measure doing my gut and butt and the scale is the largest number I've seen! Good news is its all downhill from here :-\ LET'S DO THIS!

Pain = none at all
So little pain I went grocery shopping them remembered I had just got out of hospital and should not be carrying potatoes home - Had to call my son to come get me to make sure I didnt damage myself (and I had breast reduction at same time and still no pain)
My only suggestion would be to put things in kitchen etc lower down - You don't wanna stretch up alot - Hafta be careful of your incisions (unlike I was as I am bad lol)
You are supposed to keep your scars out of the sun for a year, as the sun can make the scar change colour or something. I would make sure I had an overshirt etc - And have clothes that don't go over your head to put them on for a while, just ones that do up in front.... Luckily I trained my daughter to do my Bra up at the time lol, my compression garment could be done up in front and back (combined garment for breast reduction and arm surgery)
Using bathroom = All ok, lol
before = (Hope these pics show)

Just after =

and later =

I was left with a red line for a long time - Now (4yrs later) it is just a white flat line, wider than I would have liked but - I am still very happy :-)
Looked everywhere for later pics - They have gone AWOL - These two are in May 2012 (Two years after) So are even flatter now - Just haven't takes pics in aaaaaaages...
One thing I did remember lookng back at these pics that I did not know then is - Keep your micropore tape on these scars for 10-12 weeks - your Doc may tell you not to - But - After having 5 Ops now I know that the ones where I kept the micropore tape on the scar for 10-12 weeks - Those scars are finer and flatter - I believe the tape supports the skin until it is healed all the way through and the scar does not stretch. I wish I had know this trick in the first few ops...


*EDIT*
OK - We just took some pics though only on my phone as cameras battery not charged....
These pics are taken 4 years and 2mths post Brachioplasty... Which was done at end of April 2010...

And the best ones = It shows you that you will always see the scar but it is pale... And put in a place where you would hafta be putting your arms in a certain position to actually see it..... I can only see it in certain lights, and to be honest when I compare the heartbreak I had when a photo was taken of myself and two friends and my arm was all hanging and twice the size of my friends - This is just amazing and I am happy :-)


I do hope that my utter babble and rubbish helps in some way...

Oh my, I had the same experience this weekend. I went to Pathmark because they was suppose to sell the Premiere shakes but didn't have any. I couldn't find suger free popiscles nor could I find low carb yogurt. I am frustrated as well as everyone has said the yogurt and popsicles helped. My liquid diet starts today. It's going to be a looooong two weeks for me.

Can someone tell me they found some purée food that is actually tasty? I can eat a scrambled egg just fine but really outside that the thought of most food puréed makes me just want to drink Water and call it a day. Everything is nasty but I feel like my stomach has to readjust to food. I am just now 3 weeks post op and my plan won't allow food outside a blender for two more weeks. Thank God I'm not really hungry but I miss EATING and chewing food and this baby food style stuff makes me want to gag. Help

I get physical hunger. But nothing like before. It's more of a signal that I should eat. After a half bite of food it's gone. I'm three weeks put

July 1st sleever too and I ordered bunches of Protein Powder samples from the various websites recommended on this site. I've been easing into the Meal Replacement by having 2+ shakes and then a good meal and really enjoy the Premiere Protein Shakes from costco. I prefer chocolate to the vanilla right now. Excited to start trying my samples too!

i am not crazy about the Premier, i thought it was chalky for my liking.
i AM crazy about Muscle Milk 100 RTD shakes. good stuff. i add some extra milk for more Protein.
ditto on the yogurt, light is the best and no ADDED sugar. i'm doing the Yoplait Greek 100 variety, 13-15 Proteins per serving. whoop!

That just goes to show you how individual we all are, and how important it is to stay close with the plan given to us. I get my best results when I sacrifice the carbs down to less than 20g. That's not much, but it is how I just kicked a plateau for 7 weeks, and lost four pounds this past week.
I need to change my body from a sugar burner to a fat burner. Just frankly speaking, I get much better results with very low carb. Breakfast this morning was one scrambled egg with 1/2 ounce of shredded cheddar, and one slice of bacon. Pre-op, that would have been two eggs, an ounce of cheese, three pieces of bacon and four pieces of toast with a cup of tes & sugar and a small glass of orange juice...... and I was hungry before lunch. Carbs make you hungry for more carbs, plain and simple.
chocolate, oh man I love chocolate, but I did not give it up. I gave up the sugary sweet milk chocolate candy bars for 85% dark chocolate. Usually I will eat it for a snack with a few nuts to break up the strong flavor. Soda pop was a big contributer to my bloated 53 inch belly. On a 5'4" woman, that means I was almost as big around as I was tall. I have lost over 10" of belly at this point.
Pre-op I was really concerned about up giving up so much, but you know what? I am almost six months out, and my body thanks me for putting my brain in its place! Miss Tummy is in charge of this joint now, and I lose every argument.
What I miss is the flavor of those foods. The smell of bread makes me ill - it smells like a brewery. I never met a potato I didn't like, but now a potato or noodles or rice have unpleasant consequences like gas and bloating and weight stalls.
So, for lunch I will be having a Tomato stuffed with tuna salad.....no bread. dinner will be 1/2 a burger (no bread) with 1/2 slice of cheese and some green Beans. If I get hungry before bedtime, I will have some sugar free hot chocolate. So, ketosis looks good on me, but causes a lot of grief for others. I just have to face the fact that I am extremely insulin resistant. Before surgery, I could not even lose weight on a 1,000 calorie of the American food Pyramid. Low carb is my future....Miss Tummy insists.

My doc has always recommended less than 70. Most days I try for much less than that. It's really not as hard as you think if you cut out the obvious ones.

Don't be so hard yourself. I didn't lose a single pound during the 6 months nut classes. I was sleeved April 29 & I didn't even do the pre op liquid diet. But I gotta tell you after surgery I didn't have one single craving. I was so worried about giving up Dr pepper. It was my absolute favorite. But nope zero cravings for anything & my taste buds are so different.

I really identify with being tired of fighting the battle and that it's more manageable-- good to hear!

1. Yes! I feel full, like I ate a house, after just a few bites (depending on what I eat, of course). The further out I am, the more bites I can eat before I feel full, but full feels the same. STUFFED, ATE TOO MUCH is uncomfortable. I try to avoid that feeling.
2. Handicapped... not at all. I mean, this is a Your Mileage May Vary thing.. some of us become lactose intolerant. Some of us can't digest bread or breading or anything wheat based. Some of us have a hard time with dry meats, like chicken breast. One of my friends can no longer eat any form of potato, sweet or otherwise. Strange, since she had zero issues before now and she is over 2 yrs out. Then there are people like me who have zero issues, sleeve wise. I watch my carbs and sugar because I am pre-diabetic, just like before surgery. I have no food or drink issues. I drink coffee and soda, some sweets on occasion, though my taste for them has completely changed! I have loved discovering the nuances of my sleeve. It's like a whole new being with a personality all it's own, so much so that I named mine. Her name is Jelly and Jelly is the boss of me! ;D
3. I can drink a glass of water... it takes some time. I have never been much of a Water drinker. In the beginning you want to sip because your sleeve is swollen and you don't know your capacity. Too much and you'll be very uncomfortable. As time passes, our capacity grows. You probably won't be able to chug down a bottle/glass of water any time soon. But a glass of water should be no problem, months out. Though, I normally have to wait 30 mins to an hour to drink anything after eating.
4. Awhile back, I was thinking about my surgery and what type of mind I had to be in to think that this would be the answer for me. I concluded that I was absolutely positively NUTS. I went to Mexico and had a surgeon stab me five times and amputate an organ. And you know what? I'd do it again 100 times. Quality of life? BETTER THAN NORMAL. Life isn't perfect-- weight loss doesn't solve all of our problems, of course-- but I LOVE seeing the changes my body has made. I love wearing sizes I have NEVER worn before... I went from kid sizes to plus sizes in the blink of an eye. I did my 2nd 5K yesterday and it was no big thing. I have fitness goals and I STILL LOVE FOOD... I just get to be really choosy about what I eat now.
Life is fantastic post surgery. Look forward to the New You, your New Normal... it's BETTER THAN NORMAL.

I am two weeks before a surgery and scared to death about my quality of life after a surgery. Sleevers with some experience, please share your experience: All my questions are about the steady-state phase, not the first few weeks:
1) when you eat and get full, is it the same feelling as today, just without the big food quantities? Or is it a different feeling?
2) are you handicapped for life? Like the need to avoid certain foods and certain drinks.
3) can u ever drink a whole cup of Water, or will you need to sip slowly for life (sounds lile a torture).
4) just tell me about ur day to day life. I dont know if u had the same feeling, but I sometimes think to myself that I might be crazy to be cutting an organ that functions 100% right.
Would love to get your input.

Got sleeved yesterday at 730am, had to have a hernia repair( I didn't know I had a hernia). Gas pain bad last night, ice and gas drops made me nauseous. Walk, walk,walk... Take the pain meds and anti nausea meds. Good luck

Hey everybody! I am scheduled for June 24th. I am on a two-week all liquid diet. I have to have a shake every four hours while awake 6:30, 10:30, 2:30, 6:30, 10:30. I am using designer whey because I am allergic to artificial sweetners and it uses stevia. I am also using crystal light, chicken broth, Water, Vitamin water zero and some zero. I drink two shakes and have some broth in between. I drink water all day and unsweetened tea. It hasn't been that bad, i was a little hungry yesterday but it got better. My issue is that I am a teacher and I now go to the bathroom every hour!!!
However, small price to pay! I am looking forward to the surgery. Is anyone else dealing with a sweetener allergy? What are you doing about it?

I'm not gonna lie, I'm only 3 months out and it already takes work!! It takes good choices and self control still but, man, it is so much easier with my sleeve! If you're willing to be co-laborer with your sleeve then you'll do fine.