Inner Surfer Girl

My doctor never suggested a calorie limit either. 11g of Protein is great. I have an Excel spreadsheet that has almost 100 grocery store, frozen, and fast food items that are all high in protein (and I'm adding to it all the time). Forum rules don't allow me to post it but I'd be glad to email it to you if post your email address or PM it to me. I've sent it to dozens of folks here on the forum. One of the biggest (and best) surprises I've had following my RNY has been the number of delicious, high protein options there are out there!!

Amen to what McButterpants said!
Weigh no more than once per week. When you see a stall it will feel short lived. I didn't weigh after surgery until my 2 week post op appointment and I'm glad I didn't. Started me off in the right frame of mind, (to change my habits and the #'s will eventually follow)!
Personally, I ditched exactly NOTHING other than my obsession with food! I log food and exercise so I know what's coming in and burning off and I work the things I want to eat into my diet now. As long as I'm getting my Protein and macros, I have no guilt in having a treat when I want it. For me the guilt was tied to the obsession\craving so it works for me. I exercise enough to allow that wiggle room, (an extra 400-500 cal burn most days). Others find they need to eliminate trigger foods entirely. Neither method is wrong, you just need to figure out what control looks like for you.
Best of luck to you!

I had my surgery 10 months ago...If I could go back and give myself advise, here's what I would say:
* Be kind to yourself. This is marathon, not a sprint
* Do not be a slave to the scale - in fact, don't weigh the first 2-3 weeks after surgery, then only once every one to two weeks. (this is hard because newly sleeved folks love to see that pound a day loss, then panic when they stall)
* Be patient - you didn't gain the weight in 5 weeks, don't expect to lose it in 5 weeks
* Work on your emotional stuff before surgery - I spent a lot of time researching the procedure and planning for life post-op, I should have been working on the reason why I got to 256 pounds. Tackling your emotion stuff during recovery is hard.
I have found that I am more calm and in a zen place than I was on my surgery date. I had expectations of losing 106 pounds - I have lost about a pound in 8 or 9 weeks. That's somewhat discouraging, but I reflect back on my life a year ago and all of a sudden that number on the scale doesn't really have power over me. I'm at 73 pounds lost - I hope I get to 106 and I'm working towards that, but it no longer hangs on me like it used to.

I bought a bikini that looks very much like one I had at 15 and it is hanging on my wall. LOL! I know I will likely never wear it but it makes me smile ! Also I am having fun searching wedding dress sites for our 15 year vow renewal next year. And when my legs slim down, I'm getting boots dammit!

Soooo... Anyone else start buying cute smaller clothes well before you've even had the surgery? Lol! I don't even have a date yet but I'm already planning ahead.
I went to a 3-day music festival this week and went a little crazy buying the cute band t-shirts that I always want but they never have in my size. Well not too crazy, only 2 of them. But I bought them both in a large so that I can use them as rewards for losing weight! One of them seemed so perfect. The front says, "Far From Easy" and the back says, "Worth the Fight". I can't wait to fit into it and the other one. They'll definitely be featured in some "after" pictures.
Am I the only one crazy enough to pre-surgery shop??? If not, what did you buy?

This may not be stupid advice normally, but my coworker (who had lost over 100 lbs post op) and I were in an elevator at work the week I returned after my VSG surgery. I had already lost 42 lbs in the 7 weeks I was out and people assumed I had surgery, too. So this girl who knew my coworker had surgery looked at our cups and said, "Yall need to quit drinking your calories!" We both just laughed because we both had unsweetened tea! WTH?? Combined, we had lost over 150 lbs and you feel the need to try to tell us we are drinking our calories (when it was unsweet to begin with)? Unsolicited advice is the worst!!!

I am seriously loving the freedom that this surgery has given to me.
I was a big food addict prior to having the gastric sleeve. Like, to the point if I told myself I couldn't have what I wanted to eat, I would actually get mad at myself for telling myself no and then eat the food anyway. How crazy is that?
I loved Pasta, Desserts, pastries and cheesy, starchy casseroles and well, anything "comfort" food I was there. It was beyond me how anyone could say they were hungry and then just grab a banana or an apple to eat instead of a sandwich and chips, or Cookies for that matter. fruit and veggies by themselves? How boring!
The old me that thought this way is now gone. Yeah, I still love pizza. I haven't had a slice since before the surgery and, you know, I am so okay with that. This must be how (I hate to say this but I can't think of another word to describe) "skinny" people feel about food. They like to eat certain things and enjoy their food but it's not the end-all-be-all of their existence.
It's a sense of freedom that I have never before experienced - not to be tied up and limited by overwhelming cravings and desires for food.
And portions? I always wanted a large dose of whatever it was I was eating - no demure portions on my plate. Now, I am okay with just eating a little bit of this or that (of course, abiding by my current restrictions as I heal). I'm not upset that I can't have heaps of what I like to eat. It's become more about enjoying the world around me rather than seeing how much I can eat at one sitting.
And I think that is pretty cool.

The feeling is just amazing. 120 pounds down. 50 more to go. Sleeved Feb 6 2014

The Ethicon Online MARS Course is LIVE! I took part in the initial MARS course and found it quite fascinating. Anyone that has an interest in Obesity and Bariatrics should take this free online course.

Its been just over 6 months since I had my operation so thought I would give an update for people who are undecided and unsure if a sleeve is the way to go.
First off let me say the sleeve isn't a miracle cure, you have to be prepared to work with it and change the way you view food or it alone will not help you. BUT saying that I know if I had not have had my sleeve I would have gained more weight and would have ended up crippling myself or even worse. I am disabled so exercise for me is not really an option, not only do I have arthritis and fibro I also have a severely under-active thyroid and poly-cystic ovary disease. So it was never going to be a quick fix for me to loose the extra weight. My heaviest weight was 350lb.

I began my journey about 2 years before my operation date, I was working with a lifestyle advisor and despite everything she was telling me I should be doing I was still gaining more weight which was getting me further and further down. After 6 months I said look enough is enough if you cant help then cancel my appointments as this simply isn't working. She asked what I wanted and I said a referral to someone who could help. She referred me to the specialist weight management team which is where my journey really began.
I saw a psychiatrist who was lovely, we discussed everything about my eating habits, my life and what I wanted from a referral. My answer was simply to be healthier, loose weight and have people who could actually help me because I could not see light at the end of the tunnel, my weight had beaten me and I didn't mind admitting that. She told me she considered me a suitable candidate for the next step and warned I would go on a rollercoaster of emotions and I would need to be dedicated to working with them. I was prepared or so I thought for everything that would come next....................
For the next 3 months I had to attend fortnightly meetings with her, a dietician and different members from the weight loss team. With their help I lost 11kg which for me was amazing. It wasnt easy and involved making changes to portion size as that was one of my downfalls, I also had to cut the cola out which I believe was the biggest contributor to my weight and start eating 3 meals a day as previously I had been really bad for only eating one large meal a day.
I then met with the team every month for 6 months.

In december 2013 I met with the surgeon and the anesthetist, who told me they considered I was a candidate for surgery. I was still under the impression I would either be given the option of a band or a bypass I had never heard of the sleeve. He discussed it with me what the sleeve operation consisted off and gave me some literature to read and left it with me until the new year to make my decision although due to the complications involved with bands he had ruled that part out.
I went away joined as many groups as I could, read everything I could and decided the sleeve was the right option for me.

I had to go for different tests including being checked for a hiatus hernia. That was horrid, that camera down the throat almost put me off the full operation. Everything came back great and I was good to go. My operation was booked for the 3rd March.
I went to the hospital early that morning looking forward to beginning my new life. I woke from surgery in agony, I was doubled in pain and had not prepared myself for that. I had read some people suffered pain but most had no pain or very little so being in so much I was convinced something had went wrong. My surgeon was a bit worried and sent me for scans but everything looked fine except I had some lovely bruising coming out across my full stomach, which they didn't know why. It honestly felt like they had left something inside me I was that sore.
Nurses kept coming into the ward to see if I wanted something to eat and drink which annoyed me as they didn't have a dedicated ward, I was in a general surgery ward which the nurses didn't seem to know the ins and outs of gastric surgery. All I wanted was to sleep and a decent cuppa. Then I remembered the surgeon saying it would depend on how quick I was up and moving as to when I got home so I forced myself awake and got dressed and sat on the chair at the side of the bed. The surgeon was surprised to see me sitting when he came for rounds a couple of hours after. I told him I wanted to go home and was told it would be a day or two as I wasn't taking in enough fluids for his liking.
By the following day I was reaching my targets for fluids and played down hugely how much pain I was in, I wanted home and nothing was going to stop that from happening. He finally agreed I could go home as long as I returned if I didnt feel right or started running a temperature. The trip home was agony, I made my poor husband stop at a supermarket to buy a pillow so I could squeeze it against my stomach because every bump on the road felt like agony.
I slept a fair bit the following couple of days and despite drinking the thought of food was beyond me. Taking my medication was easier than I thought. My other side effect began to surface. If burping was an Olympic sport I would win gold. I also had really bad acid reflux. I phoned the surgeon who prescribed me omeprazol capsules.
A week on and the pain had subsided quite a bit and I was beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. I was going to bed and kicked the bottom of the bed breaking my nail, my husband was in the shower so I thought ok I will try to get this myself. I bent over and got a pain from the largest of the incisions. I never thought much off it and just thought I had pushed things too far. I straightened up and went to put the piece of nail into the bin, walking past the bottom of the bed I thought I had felt something wet but never really worried, it wasn't until I went to get into bed I felt the wet feeling again and looked down at my PJ's. I shouted for my husband to hurry and bring me tissue. He immediately got on the phone to NHS 24. They suggested I make the emergency trip to the nearest hospital which was 45 miles away. I had a wound infection and an abscess had formed behind the wound which luckily when it burst had came out the way. I was prescribed a high dose of antibiotics and had to have the wound cleaned and dressings applied despite the fact I had just had the old ones removed that morning after being told I didn't need the dressings any longer. I felt like crap, burping was annoying me, food tasted vile, I cried over my husband cooking bacon and just thought what the hell have i done to myself. I knew about head hunger having read all about it but never realised how bad it would actually be. By the time I finished my antibiotics a week later I was feeling better and less emotional. I had started eating soft foods which after 2 weeks of Soups was a welcome addition. I don't like milk or anything resembling milky drinks so Protein shakes for me were off the cards. I did try but just vomited with them so gave them up. I was tolerating multi Vitamins and Calcium tablets so hoped they would be enough. I was told I needed the Protein to heal so started adding minced beef, chicken and turkey to my diet along with fish.
By week four I was eating poached egg for Breakfast. Soup for lunch and was tolerating things like spaghetti bolognaise, mash potatoes with softer meats with no vomiting or pain. Burping was still an issue and getting me really annoyed. I couldn't tolerate pork at this stage and it was one of the only things other than chilli I couldn't eat.
By 8 weeks I could eat almost everything, spicy foods still didn't sit right and would make me feel sick although I wasn't being sick.
Now I can eat some spicy foods although they still make me feel a little sickly if I overdo things but with the exception of that and fried foods I can eat normally just much smaller portions. The burping is still a bit of an issue but it is not as bad as it once was. I still take omeprazol and know all about it if I don't take them as the reflux is bad and the burping gets worse. My hair started falling out at about month 4, I went from having really long thick hair to limp thin hair, it got so bad I went and got it cut, it went from being half way down my back to jaw length, I still am not sure if I like it but it has really helped it.
SO would I do it again despite everything.
The simple answer is YES most definitely. Had you asked me that in the early days I would have said NO but I have gone from being a size 32 to a size 20, I was 350lbs at my heaviest I am now 225lbs. Yes I have loose skin which is horrid but I am happier dealing with that than I was the excess weight. My body is never going to recover fully but I have helped it by loosing weight and I am not in quite so much daily pain. I had got to the stage where I didn't want to go out because I was so unhappy with my weight, now I know I still have more weight to drop but I know its going in the right direction and no longer care what others think.
I never told anyone about my surgery other than my husband and son who live at home. I never told anyone what caused me to gain weight and I didn't want to be judged by anyone for doing something about loosing weight and felt it was nothing to do with them. I still feel this was the correct decision for me.

So for anyone who has just been sleeved or about to begin their journey I wish you luck. Its not always plain sailing the emotions do go through a massive roller coaster ride but it is definitely worth it at least that has been my experience.

I had my band placed six months ago. Since then, I have lost somewhat over 90 pounds. I've changed the way I eat, and the way I look at life. I am so happy that the surgery was available to me. I don't know what I would've done if I had continued to live in the food. My life was miserable, and I was merely surviving.
Today, I look forward to getting outside to walk every day. I look forward to healthy food. I enjoy foods that I never would have looked twice at before. Hummus? Yes! Delicious! I never thought I would be able to turn away from fried food. But I find myself choosing healthy food over unhealthy food more and more each day.
I started the weight loss surgery process one year ago in September. One of the things that was heavy on my mind was what I had to give up. I remember being very sad on Thanksgiving thinking that I was not going to ever be able to indulge in greasy turkey skin again. Yes, I really was depressed about that. What I knew intellectually, but didn't feel in my heart yet, was that by the following Thanksgiving that would not matter. Yes, I knew it in my head. But I was still sad. I was starting a process that was going to leave behind all of my addictive behaviors.
I am not the perfect WLS patient. I still want to do things "my way". The difference is, many times now, I will simply follow directions. I still want to do it my way, but many times I am able to say, let's just try it their way.
I found myself in a food rut over the past month. I was consistently eating enough junky food that my weight-loss had stalled. My past patterns would have been to give up on myself. Slide back into disordered eating. Hide from everyone. Reach for the food over and over again.
Instead, I came here to these boards. I asked some questions. I got some advice. I tried something new. I ditched my scale for a week. I cleaned up my eating. I listened to my body. And maybe most importantly, I found help outside of these boards as well. I go to a few different support groups, not all for weight loss. I find that the phrase, "it's not what you're eating, it's what's eating you" applies to me. I am able to look inside, and uncover some of the reasons why I reach for food.
Knowing why doesn't solve my problems. But knowing why, acknowledging that, and allowing it to be the truth, helps me to deal with it. If I can identify it, I can change it. Eating my problems away never ate my problems away. It only very temporarily masked my problems from my awareness. When I would come back out of my food coma, my problems were still there, sometimes worse, and I had self blame and shame to add on top of that.
Today, my recovery from disordered eating is twofold. I am addressing the underlying reasons for why I reach for food. I am also addressing the physical reality of my disordered eating by allowing the lap band to help me remain in control of my portions.
I don't think I could do one without the other and still have success. I am grateful that I don't have to.
For any newcomers here, know that there is hope. I am living proof. I have my life back after decades of simply hanging on.

My surgeon told me that of the very few leaks he has had, all of them were within 1month post op from patients advancing food too quickly.
You have an entire suture line along the long side of the stomach. There is swelling and healing that you should be aware of. Solid foods are just too stressful for a recently operated organ.
I just wouldn't risk it. I was eating regular foods as tolerated as 5 weeks, so the progression wasn't so bad. I still test foods at 12 weeks so it's not like I'm eating regular meals but I'm enjoying small portions of all sorts of good foods!!

I did puree meat but doctored it up a lot. Yes, just tossing some meat into a food processor with Water or even broth is gross (IMO) but if you can be a little creative it is quite doable. I would puree meat with some flavorful sauce, then usually heat it up in the microwave in a little ramekin with some cheese to melt on top. It came out tasting like a casserole and I really enjoyed it. Some of my favorite combos:
--ground beef with BBQ Sauce and cheddar cheese
--shrimp with buffalo sauce and blue cheese
--chicken with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese
--turkey with peanut satay sauce and jack cheese
--salmon with lemon dill sauce and peccorino cheese
--pot roast with curry sauce and Swiss cheese
--chicken with hoisin sauce
--tuna with olive oil mayo and cheddar cheese
I also did a lot of refried Beans with hot salsa and pepper jack or cheddar, Shelly's ricotta bake:
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517
and Greek yogurt with Peanut Butter stirred in.
I had fun with the foods on pureed stage, plus I managed to get all my Protein and more in every day. Good luck to you!

It was so amazingly beautiful yesterday in NYC that people were going in and out of my apartment building all day. So I wasn't surprised to see a woman who lives in my building for the first time in at least several months. She was overwhelmed with my transformation...but I've actually sort of gotten used to that. But what was different was that she wasn't focused so much on my weight loss as the whole package..especially no more cane.
She told me I should write a book about my journey and that she would be the first to read it. I laughed and said something about not doing anything that was book worthy and she disagreed and said I didn't give up. That I faced my issues and did something about all of them and the results are outstanding. She then quietly said that I could have just as quickly given up same as her husband had. All I know is that he is dead, but I never knew any details. I still don't but I do have some insight now. I've had people say this to me before, that I could have just as easily gone the other way when I'd say that I had no choice but to do something drastic before I wound up in a wheelchair.
Funny how we dismiss our own achievements but can see them in others. There are so many people on this forum who I admire tremendously for turning their lives around yet I don't often see myself in that same way. I have to keep thinking about what my life was like a year ago...bed ridden and in so much pain that I was on oxycodone around the clock while waiting for my hip replacement surgery in early October. This year, I'll be in Myrtle Beach on the anniversary of my surgery with my kids and granddaughter. I'll be able to keep up with her just fine..walking along the beach and swimming in the pool, and whatever else she wants me to do with her. I owe this new life of mine to the lapband and for anyone who is as desperate as I was to change their lives, just know it can be done.

Hi,
My name is Chris, I am 50 years old and had VSG on January 20th, 2014, in LaCrosse, WI. at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital. My surgeon was Dr. Grover and my starting weight was 322# on December 7th 2012, my weight the day of surgery was 295#, as of today, September 14th, 2014, I am down to 217.6#.
My reason for surgery was that I was going to be turning 50 years old and was definately not in the best shape and needed to change my life so I could be around for my husband, children and someday grandchildren. The last 8 years truly have tested my faith and wonder for life. I have lost my parents, 2 siblings, but the worst was the loss of my oldest daughter, 2 days before Christmas 2007, she was only 23 years old. I truly have no idea how we got through it, but we did, although life is never the same, but we have to go on, as we have two other children that needed to be taken care of and loved. We also had 3 family losses on my husbands' side of the family, another one being only 22 years old, which in turn brought back all of the memories and loss of our daughter.
The losses I lived through, were part of the reason for my weight gain, it was easier to eat than to deal with the pain and suffering. There were also other reasons, but I have decided I cannot live the past and must let things go and learn to enjoy the present and future.
I truly wish I had had my surgery earlier in life, due to the fact that I feel so WONDERFUL,so full of energy, that I almost can't imagine how I got through life carrying so much weight around. I am down over 200# since 2012, and am hoping to lose another 50#, but if I don't, I am so thankful for where I am at now. In 2012, I wore a 4XL nursing assistant uniform, today I am in an XL. I can hardly believe it. My jeans were a 26/28, my shirts were a 4xl o a 5xl and today I fit into a 16 pants and an XL shirt. I have not worn those sizes in at least 30 years. It is hard to believe that I can go into a store and be able to fit into regular size clothes and not feel embarassed that I won't fit into anything they have or get the stares, like why are you in here? I feel so blessed that I am almost giddy. I have written down certain dates that have been important, such as the date I got into a size 18 pants, now a size 16, when I got into the different sizes of uniforms. I am now off my blood pressure medications, which makes me terribly happy. I remember the day I was able to fit into my jacuzzi tub without touching both sides of the tub and not being able to be comfortable when the jets were turned on.
I feel like I am in such a new world that I am just amazed by so many things, that most people take for granted. I truly struggle with eating some days, as the old habits want to come back into play, but I know that I NEVER want to weigh over 300# again and hopefully soon, I will be under 200#. I do sometimes think that is a dream, but I am trying very hard to make that dream come true.
For people who are having a hard time deciding whether to have this surgery or not, please do not wait any longer, you will be so much happier and feel so much better. It is not easy, but in life nothing is easy that you truly want. I could go on and on, but will close for now and hopefully will talk with some of you later.

There are those folks in this forum who can expess the need for counselling with your doctors and nutritionist much more eloquenty and clinically than I can, so I will move on to what my original thought was when I first read your post.
Perhaps you need to think of the next phases not as a pre-op liquid diet and a high Protein diet bereft of your former culinary favorites, but as war! You are literally in a fight for your life (and your quality of life) until you reach your expiration date. Those of us who are in our sixties can attest to the fact that excess weight which is inconvenient and embarrassing in our thirties turns into arthritis, joint replacements, high blood pressure, strokes, immobility, heart attack, etc etc and the list goes on.
You are at a point where you can make so much more of difference now, and have a much longer, healthier, happier life. You will be more able to travel, enjoy family and social activities and become more present and involved in the world around you. At some point, the excess weight that is inconvenient can turn you into a shut-in as I am now, due to a stroke brought on by high blood pressure brought on by excess weight brought on by lack of control over my stomach's desire to hijack my brain.
If I can encourage you to do anything, it would be to find a private moment alone with your thoughts and without distraction. You are grown and no doubt smart and capable in many ways. Take on the devil on your shoulder and you be the one in control of your health and your future by being in control of you dietary choices, against all odds.
How would you encourage someone else who is two weeks behind you in this journey? This is one time in your life where you MUST NOT get tired of being strong. You deserve to be healthy and happy and active, but good health will not come knocking on your door. You are going to have to chase it down and put your name on it.
Please don't think of the pre-op liquid phase as a burden to bear. It is a right of passage and will be over in a few days. After you have your surgery, you will learn by doing and become quite adept at making smart choices and weighing and measuring and tracking. You can look forward to becoming a champion at this, well able to encourage others with confidence.
I cannot believe that come Christmas, I will pass my first year since my sleeve surgery. There were rough spots to be sure, and times when I thought I am not losing fast enough, but the scale keeps going downward, and I will take that as a good thing. Keep your chin up and trust in yourself to do a great job at this. You can always come here for encouragement when you are having a dark day.

Hi all...
I'm 10 days away from VSG. I've waited over 4 years for this. I considered it for a long time before pursuing it. At 31 I decided I was tired of feeling like an old lady and worrying more and more about the impact on my health.
I have a strong family history, on both sides, of heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. Considering the weight I was at, my diet, and sedentary lifestyle I was really tempting fate. Luckily, I have had few complications to this point. I was always taller, and bigger than my peers in childhood, but not overweight. Kids can be cruel though, singling out those who are different. Boy, was I different! I was intelligent, imaginative, didn't like the things other kids liked, and started adolescence very early. In my tweens we moved to live with my granny and keep an eye on her...we left an area where I was able to bike to all my friends, and to a new rural location. food was always something I liked, but I was active, and my mom watched what I ate. My granny spoiled us with treats, and I became less active. I was teased all the time. If you get told bad things about yourself long enough you start to believe them. In my late teens I barely fit misses' sizes, and was starting to wear plus sizes. My weight took off from that point on. In my 20's I was in the high 200's. Before I started nursing school I started exercising and lost about 50 pounds. When I started school I had a new boyfriend. The relationship wasn't a good one. All that weight came right back, and then some. I passed the 300 mark. Near the midway point in my degree I met a new guy, who seemed great. We married when I was done school. In a matter of months I moved out of my parents' home, started a career and was married. The change was major. After a while it became obvious the relationship was a mistake. I struggled with stress. We fought. I was glad when it all fell apart after 3 and a hlaf years. The divorce was not pretty. I had turned 30 months earlier.
I decided I had to do something different, or I was going to die before my parents. I had looked after super-obese patients in my career and knew what was in store for me. I was afraid. I asked my doc for a referral (for the second time) to Dr. B. Amson for bariatric surgery. I was seeing someone new who just sort of came into my life, and was pretty amazing. He came with me to that first appointment, and has been through the process with me. I read the books, I went to a group, I contacted other patients, I was screened for OSA... Not surprisingly, I had severe OSA. I've snored like a buzzsaw since I was a small child. In my teens friends at sleepovers told me I stopped breathing at times. I've been on antidepressants since I was 23 to help with my irritability and moodiness. I've had chronic recurrent lower back pain/sciatica since halfway through nursing school. Last fall after years of erratic periods I was diagnosed with PCOS. I'm now being treated for that. At my heaviest I was a shade of 370, at 5'8".
At that time, two years ago, I left the job I had held for 4 years and hated. I moved away from the town and province I was born and raised in, leaving behind friends and family. My partner supported me and together we moved to Saskatchewan. I hadn't made enough progress for Dr. Amson to deem me ready for surgery. I wasn't sure if I should stay with Dr. Amson, or see someone here. I asked for a referral to the program in this province. I tried to get a recommendation from Amson to speed the process here. I heard nothing. This spring I contacted Amson's office ahead of a visit home to see my mother and father. I made an appointment to see him. It was an interesting visit, and a productive one. Suddenly I was scheduled for appointments with his nutritionist, an internist at the urgent medical assessment clinic, overnight oximetry to test my CPAP, and an upper GI. I was told it could happen this year. I hardly dared believe it. I had lost almost 10 pounds since I was last at his office...which I attribute to working in a fast-paced environment, andlimited access to the junk food and fast food I had been living on before. I started eating smarter after that visit, and exercising. I lost about 25 pounds. I'm now 2 and a half weeks in to my pre-op liquid diet, and am down another 15. My workouts are easier. I still miss "normal" food, but I'm ready. I want this.
I'm looking forward to having more energy, being able to do more...less aches and pains. I can't wait to fit in one airplane seat and see the world. I am excited to ride roller coasters again. I'm also really stoked about having more clothing choices with better prices!
I've been very open about it. Some people have tried to dissuade me from this surgery. I understand that they mean well. I take no offense. I'm doing this for me, to get a bit of a rolling start. I know it won't be easy, but I am ready to work.
Good luck to everyone waiting for their surgery!

I am planning to have the sleeve. I have completed all my tests and am waiting for approval from voc rehab to schedule my surgery date (my insurance doesn't cover). Over the past year I have gone from 100% against surgery to eager to start my new life! I am sure that with research and consultation with your medical team you will find what works best for you. It seems like this forum is a great place for encouragement and information.

Hey guys, just checking in and seeing how everybody is doing? I've been in school now for a week and a day! It's going pretty good. Kinda hard since it is a drinking school. But good. Ima join the dietetics association, and I'm majoring in nutrition btw! Thanks for all the tips! Sorry if something don't make sense I'm typing on my ipod! Lol

hmmm... I guess I am a creature of habit and eat a lot of the same things every day and do not get bored. Your menu looks pretty much like mine. But I do believe your taste will return, it takes time. You are very early out. Looks like you are getting plenty of protein...don't forget your Water. Your weight loss is great.
Does your plan allow some fruit yet? How about half an apple or banana with some Peanut Butter as a snack instead of a yogurt. i would peel the skin off the apple. I find I really enjoy these "treats" but only eat them sparingly because of the carb content.
tuna salad on cucumber slices? have you tried making your meat with some type of sauce or gravy? chicken marsla, lemon chicken, meatloaf, meatballs with either brown gravy or spaghetti sauce....so you are not eating plain meat? One of my favorite and easy ways to cook chicken is to cut up boneless breast into cubes, season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, brown it in a little oil and then add a can of cream of chicken soup(and the Water or milk as directed)and let simmer until done. I add dumplings for the rest of my family but the chicken is moist and tasty from the Soup.
Google some crock pot recipes...makes meat moist and juicy and the cooking liquid/gravy adds flavor.
You'll get there!

I am 2 years post op as of July 3rd. I started my journey at a weight of 527 lbs. I now weigh 213 lbs and am feeling blessed. Wishing everyone the same success.

So I have my story to tell. I started thinking about weight loss surgery in 2008. I finally did it February 25,2014. It was a ROUGH ride. If there is a 1% chance of something going wrong, I am the 1%!. So I kept throwing up and nothing would stay down. Not even fluids. Finally after 10 days they hospitalized me. They released me after fluids and sent me home. I went back to throwing up so 3 days later the doctor asked for further testing and an EGD. Apparently the bottom part of my stomach was too narrow and was not digesting. So he went in and widened it a little. The throwing up finally quit and I was able to burp. I am not totally miserable now. Don't get me wrong, it is not a breeze now, but it is way way better! I was at 291 when I started this process and as of two weeks ago I was 186.5. I can actually cross my legs. (Something I have not done in 15 years) I was a size 24 and pushing a 26. Now I am a size 16. I was in a 3x before and pushing a 4x and now I wear an XL! I have also went from a 42DD to a 36C. (I know personal, but measurements count to me) I cannot believe the changes in my life. Men pay attention to me now, I am more confident, I feel better, and I am working on energy. I am still having problems with dehydration and kidney function, but it is better than it was. All in all I am sooooooo glad I did this. I did not feel that way the first month, but now I do. I recommend that anybody that wants it to weight their options and make sure you know that is not an INSTANT fix, you still have to diet, and know the risks. I was well informed and still found surprises along the way. I still have troubles with fattening food. I still like doughnuts. I just have an easier time saying no now that I have been through what i have been through.

I actually did use the meth answer once. And when one person asked if I had cancer (actually 3 people have asked that) I told them, yes, testicular cancer. Love that deer in the headlight look!

Well, you could tell people:
1. You have cancer (hey, your hair's gonna fall out soon, so you're covered).
2. You're on a hunger strike 'til the Bieb goes home to Canada.
3. You are having weekly liposuction treatments.
4. You're found these new miracle diet pills!
5. You're trying out meth.
6. You're the last person in America to have discovered the Atkins Diet.
7. You've had bone implants in your legs and are now six inches taller.
8. You're really your thinner twin who until recently was living in Australia.
9. You had hypnosis to lose weight rapidly.
10. You recently gave birth to triplets.

I was sleeved 2.5 weeks ago and yesterday my sister and I split a delicious pulled pork soft shell taco with fresh black bean and corn mix and zesty avocado mango salsa. It was awesome. Of course I left the corn tortilla other and then had to moosh up my small portion quite a bit, but I ordered a side of red Beans, which made it easier. I could only eat about four bites before I was full, but now I have enough for about four or five more meals. I love tex mex and Cuban foods and I don't see any issues. You'll just find that you'll eat much, much smaller portions. And you'll just have to make decisions on what it is you want to fill up on...a corn tortilla or all the yummy stuff inside.