alwaysvegas

My goals were primarily health-related: sleep apnea - Cured High blood pressure - Cured Pre-diabetes - Cured High Cholesterol - Cured My goal weight was under 200, but I set 160-170 with my nutritionist. Once my comorbidities were cured, everything else was just a bonus. I did have some medium shirts that were my "dream shirts" if I could fit in them. They're now loose on me. Best of luck on your journey!

Warmest congratulations! Welcome to the Losers' Bench (in advance)!

I began making lifestyle changes pre-surgery. Six months is a wonderful amount of time to start incorporating healthy changes: Begin eating lower calories. Begin eating lower carbs. Begin eating lower fats. Quit drinking sodas. Quit drinking alcohol. Quit drinking caffeine. Try different Protein shakes to see which ones you like. Watch LOTS of youtube videos from people who've had the surgery. Begin walking. Begin going to the gym. Learn how to cook healthier meals. There is SO much you can do in this time to prepare yourself for a successful post-op healthy lifestyle. The more changes you make pre-op, the easier your post-op transition will be.

I can't say anyone who talked like that to me would be my 'best' friend any longer. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires a lifetime of positive support. I would tell that friend that if they cannot be supportive, then you will seek support elsewhere.

Non-scale Victory (NSV)!!!! Never lose sight of the NSVs! NSVs are numerous and add so much motivation to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Keep the NSVs in mind when/if you hit a plateau. Congratulations and continued success to you!

I wouldn't order anything. I would just ask to share with my family off their plates. Having a couple bites of different things is quite nice. I don't know what your surgeon allows in your current phase however.

When I think I'm eating 'alot' (at this point that's more than 5 oz) there are two things that help me regain perspective: I have to consider that I'm eating 4-5 oz of low carb/low fat foods. Prior to surgery I was eating upwards of 4 cups (upwards of 20-25 oz) of food at a time and much more calorie-dense. Because I feel so full with small quantities (thank you sleevie!) I sometimes feel like I eat too much. I watch how much other people are eating around me. I don't do this to be mean or feel superior, but to compare what 'regular' meals were like. When I eat now, I use appetizer flatware and small plates/bowls, so my proportions seem larger than they are. When I take a look at how much people are eating, it helps me regain my perspective.

You mean the last appointment before surgery? That will vary from surgeon to surgeon. after my last supervised diet meeting with the nutritionist, I attended a group nutrition class that went over Vitamins, pre-op and post-op diets, and a psychological class on emotional wellness. I also had to get my PCP clearance. Your surgeon should give you a schedule of all that you need to get done pre-op. Best of luck!

You haven't said what phase you're in or what your surgeon's guidelines are for your phase. I'm assuming high Protein, lower carb, lower fat. If you're on solids, then any sort of baked chicken like chicken tenders (not breaded, not fried) would be great! Deviled eggs are also great! If you web search "low carb appetizers"...many will be perfect, depending on your surgeon/nutritionist's guidelines. I found this website. I'd look for lower carbs/lower fat or adjust accordingly: http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/special-diets/low-carb/appetizers/

When I was first diagnosed with sleep apnea, I had not weighed myself in years. I thought I'd weigh about 240. I weighed 285! I gained more after that. I don't even have a "before" pic (except my driver's license) because I deleted any/all pics of me when I thought I'd never lose the weight. We all have our breaking points and reasons for finally getting the surgery. Many great threads on here about that. Best of luck on your journey! There is a healthy life waiting for you!

44, but felt much older. Now I feel so much younger!

Quick summary: Find a goal that is attainable and maintainable. Long-winded version: I wore 46 waist pants at my highest weight. I bought very cheap pants as I lost weight. And I bought several pairs of 34s as my "dream" pants. I also bought several slim-fit medium shirts as my "dream" shirts. All are now somewhat baggy on me! I think part of setting a goal is not only what is attainable, but also maintainable. What's the point of reaching a 30 waist if I can't maintain it? I've really tried to come in for a "soft landing" toward my goal weight or a within 5 lbs or something, but something I could maintain for life with a reasonable diet and exercise. I'm still not sure if I've got the balance perfected as the weight is still slowly coming off. I've been working with my nutritionist and PCP along the way. I would suggest the same for everyone who has the benefit to do so. Best of luck to all!

This thread presents a great point. If you are pre-op and considering a surgeon, then the surgeon's office/nutritionist should provide you with detailed pre-op/post-op phased diet plans, including do/don't foods for each phase, timelines, etc. If the surgeon's office is not providing that information, then I highly suggest you: 1. Run away, 2. Consult with another surgeon. The sleeve is only part of the weight-loss process. A comprehensive dietary plan is essential to our healing and long-term success. You should become as familiar you as you can with the pre-op and post-op process, including dietary guidelines. The less surprised, the better. You have so many lifestyle changes to make, so it's best to be as prepared as possible. One recommendation I always like to give is to learn to cook your own food if possible so that you know what's going into your body. Even an average post-op mushies phase, which has limited ingredients, you can make thousands of recipes. Best of luck to everyone.

You can also try adding sugar free Torani or Davinci syrups to make many more flavors from existing Protein drinks. http://shop.torani.com/Sugar-Free-Syrups/c/Torani@SugarFreeSyrups Most syrups mix well with vanilla protein drinks and the syrups that would tend to taste good in coffee also taste good with chocolate shakes. As for Premier Protein. I like the chocolate best. The vanilla has more of a milky taste than vanilla, but mixes well with iced coffee (as does the chocolate).

It does get easier for most people, though the cravings will come and go. When I got a little disheartened, I looked in the mirror and said, "Yup, I have plenty of fat stores to live off of!" Just remember this is a small blip on the radar of your life and you'll be sleeved before you know it. All though not the same experience for everyone, I found that my hunger was almost nil for weeks post-op. Best of success on your pre-op!

I definitely started feeling the cold after losing about 50lbs. Now I'm cold AND sitting makes my rear sore easier without the extra padding. Huge problems, I know!

Even though the normal sized bath towel wraps around me, I still like using my beach towels from my heavier days because now they REALLY wrap around me!

Severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, but I waited until pre-diabetes as the turning point. Now, all cured. But you really need to read and watch as much information as possible, including people who regretted having the surgery and those who failed to keep the weight off despite being sleeved. Know all sides so that you have healthy expectations for what the sleeve will and won't do.

I did the same thing when I moved from liquids to mushies. I also felt like my sleeve wasn't small enough because the post-op liquids still went through rather quickly. I wasn't really hungry, but the 'full' feeling went away pretty fast after having a Protein shake. But once I got to mushies...whole new world! I also ended up with the slimes at least 2-3 times a week the first couple weeks. Now it happens every few weeks, but it's still an ongoing learning experience. Then once I was on solids...wowza...the need to chew is very real with the sleeve on solids; otherwise, I fill up with just a few bites. I do weigh my food because I know what my maximum is at this point (about 4.5 oz) and I still eat rather fast, so it helps to keep my portions in check. I also know which foods tend to fill me up faster, like turkey and tuna, so I do only about 4 oz total with those.

I was sleeved on a Monday, home my Wednesday afternoon, and clothes shopping on Friday...mainly to get my waking in! Wonderful recovery time!

The two foods that I love now that I didn't care for pre-op are tofu (baked with onion, garlic powder, soy sauce) and cottage cheese (usually with Herbes de Provence). I also love pudding now. I like to make it with Protein powder and sometimes even bit of cottage cheese to make "power pudding." I think my cravings are for these foods because I can eat them rather quickly (I'm still a bit of a fast eater) without overdoing it.

Any fears I felt before surgery were mitigated by all the success stories and first-hand accounts I heard in my bariatric support group. I was absolutely sure I was doing the right thing, but--like so many of other people--I wondered if I could just 'do it on my own"...again. I knew I could do it on my own, but I knew I'd also gain it back. And now with pre-diabetes cured, sleep apnea cured, high blood pressure cured, and high cholesterol cured...I wish I could've been sleeved 20 years ago. Best of luck in your surgery!

Breakfast: Eggs, cheddar, Herbes de Provence Lunch: egg drop soup with tofu Dinner: chicken and broccoli teriyaki stir fry

As @@BLERDgirl said, you may or may not be up to both the opera and party, but you must put your recovery before everything. I also had a fairly quick recovery, but did nap quite a bit and energy came and went. I did several hours of clothes shopping 5 days after my surgery. Just make sure you take it very easy when you're out and about. The recovery can be very fast, but it is a major surgery and you should allow yourself time to heal. Best of luck on your surgery and recovery!

I still eat using appetizer flatware and use appetizer plates and bowls. It really does make me feel like I'm eating more than I am...that and my itty bitty stomach helps too!