alwaysvegas

My surgeon cleared me for cardio after two weeks and weightlifting after four weeks, but I waited a couple a months to start the weights. I really didn't want to take any chances and let my body recover.

I don't even have a "before* pic because I deleted every picture that had me in it. I wouldn't even look at myself in the mirror. Darn I wish I had that "before" pic now!

I was sleeved July 28, 2014. I can eat about 4-4.5 oz of food at a time. I usually eat 2.5-3.0 oz of Protein and the rest as a low-starch veggie and sauce. I'm always very satisfied and eating slow really helps me appreciate the food. I eat 4-6 meals like that per day and my caloric intake is around 1,000 calories. As I've changed so much of my eating habits, I'm not really missing any junik foods because I'm simply choosing not to eat them. I was very scared like you about the head hunger. For some it's a problem, but I've found so far that my head hunger is minimal. I do to graze a bit more when I get stressed, but the small tummy helps me keep that in check. It's nothing like pre-op where I'd gobble a whole pizza or a bag of chicken wings. Keep in mind that if you eat calorie-dense foods that some call "sliders" (foods that dissolve very quickly like fries, Cookies, candies, milkshakes) you can somewhat easily put in alot of calories. Nothing will stop you from eating these things. That's a conscious choice you will still have to make. The sleeve will help you with your portions and your hunger hormone. The rest is on you. I am a fast eater, but working on it. I usually end up eating too fast and getting the "slimes" and making myself throw up maybe once a week. It's just a learning process and getting the slimes is nothing painful or alarming. Having said all that, it's the best decision I've ever made and I feel fantastic. I wish I could've been satisfied with 4 oz portions years ago, but I'm still delighted I have this tool now. Best of luck to you.

Congratulations on the weight loss! In retrospect, the pre-op diet was so important to my long-term success. In addition to the weight loss, it completely reset my taste buds and palate so that I needed much less fatty, sugary, or spicy foods once I was on the puree phase. I can still eat spicy foods very easily, but simply don't need as much spice as before. Best of luck on your journey!

It actually gets better during the pre-op! Your body will adjust and the cravings will likely go down alot. You're fighting years of unhealthy eating habits. As @@Elode said, your mileage may vary, but most of us found that it all gets better! The difference in cravings pre-op and post-op are like night and day. I remember walking out of the hospital and smelling BBQ cooking somewhere nearby and I thought, "That smells fantastic! But I'm not hungry." Such an ah-ha moment. Just keep your eye on the prize. These few weeks a teensy portion of your life, but you should also push yourself to stick with the pre-op as it will help you hugely on your success! Best of luck to you!

I was worried about the same thing because I was on the weight loss path before surgery. My surgeon's office said that my insurance (Aetna) goes by the weight/BMI that I first took at the surgeon's office. I lost 50 lbs before surgery and that was fully supported by my surgeon and nutritionist. No problems with my insurance. My insurance also required two years of weight history also, so that factors into the insurance approval, in addition to the co-morbidities. It's actually worse if you gain any weight before surgery as some insurance companies will deny you (even a 1lb gain), so trying to 'maintain' may or may not work. If in doubt, call your insurance. Best of luck to you!

@@Luann919 You have the right attitude and I applaud you! You are looking out for yourself and trying to do it right! So much of this journey will become habit and lifestyle if you keep on track. Warmest congratulations on your weight loss so far! You are doing great! The phases my surgeon/nutritionist have set are the best strategy to stay on track and to avoid complications. But they emphasize that everything is "as tolerated." I started adding solids (egg and tofu) back in about a week early because I was tolerating everything. I consulted my nutritionist and she said that it was perfectly fine. The ultimate goal is to learn how much solid food you can tolerate in your new tummy and to find a balance between your caloric intake and exercise. It's really the same goal that we all should've had before surgery, but we weren't able to do at least in part due to portion control. So now we have our new itty bitty tummies and no hunger hormone (yay!), but everything else is still on us. As long as your weight loss trajectory is downward, then you're doing it right. There are stalls/plateaus that we all go through, but the goal here of course is to find that food/exercise/healthy weight balance. Best of luck to you on your journey!

I was told to aim for 64 oz as @@BLERDgirl did. I also recommend talking to your doctor if you're having trouble keeping the fluids down. And don't be afraid that something is wrong or you're doing something wrong. That's what the doctors are there for! The fluids are actually more important than the Protein at this point because we have plenty of fat for our body to burn off (that is the point!) post-surgery, but liquids are essential. I was able to get 64oz of liquids plus the protein within the first week, but I was on purely Protein shakes which takes care of both at the same time. Best of luck to you and keep us posted!

You can drop an enormous amount of Water weight post-surgery. The hospital was pumping you full of liquids via IV plus (if I remember correctly) our bodies can retain alot of water due to surgery and then release it. So, yes, it's very possible. Congratulations on your successful surgery!

Don't forget all the great non-scale victories along the way to your goal! Even when I hit a plateau (some almost a month long) I don't get discouraged. I feel so much better than I did a year ago, I have so much more energy, and I'm down from a 46" waist to a loose 34"! And all the goalposts along the way were very encouraging. What's important to me is finding an eating 'n exercise lifestyle that I can manage. I still love food and enjoy eating and I want to find that sweet spot where I'm always satisfied but stay at a healthy weight. That spot will be different for most everyone in one way or another. Best of luck to you!

Warmest congratulations on a quick recovery! I had a similarly quick recovery and was simply delighted. Best of luck on your journey!

I have a desk job (no lifting) and took two weeks for recovery. The first week I took it very easy and I felt the need to nap. My energy wasn't low, except for the need for an afternoon nap. I had my surgery on a Monday and by Friday I was shopping for clothes at the mall (partially to my walking in). My energy did go down a bit on the second week. I was only taking in about 500 calories a day. Everything rebounded after that. However, I did take it easy overall. Even though the recovery can be very fast, it's still a major surgery and you should allow time for your body to recover. Be sure to follow your doctor's orders to the T. I was back in the gym by the third week doing cardio only and by the fifth week, my surgeon gave me clearance to lift weights again.

I have several nurses in my bariatric support group and they all took a month off.

I had a tube and it was a little bit uncomfortable like having a sore in my side when I twisted, but nothing major. The drain bag kinda creeped me out at first, but then I got over it after a few hours. It did hurt when my surgeon pulled it out, but it only took a few second, then it was over forever! Don't forget that the entire surgery and recovery is just a blip on the radar of your life. Once you're on the 'other side' of surgery, it's all behind you.

Everyone has already said it so well, but begin making life-changes now, so that your healthy lifestyle simply be a habit post-surgery. In the months leading up to my surgery, I lost almost 50 pounds and my lifestyle changes included the following: Stopped drinking soda. Stopped drinking caffeinated coffee. Began trying different Protein drinks/powders and experimenting with sugar free Torani syrups. Began tracking calories on MyFitnessPal. I originally started at 1700 calories/day + exercise calories and then dropped it 1200/day + exercise about a month before surgery. Quit smoking. 20-year addiction gone...and good riddance. Began walking 3 days a week. Began at the gym. I started by doing the ellpitcal 20-minutes a day for three days, then worked up to five days, then worked up to an hour. Later, I added in weights. Cut out most carbs. Began eating lower-fat proteins/cheeses. You won't believe how fast you can change your lifestyle around in a just a few months to the point where living healthy becomes a habit. Best of luck to you on your journey!

I have Premier Protein drinks (Vanilla and Chocolate) and also use Body Fortress powder (Chocolate, Vanilla, and Peanut Butter). I also use the sugar free Torani syrups to make some additional flavors.

I had lost about 50 lbs before co-workers started to notice and comment. Men tend to carry their fat around their organs (or so I understand) and so our weight loss doesn't always show immediately. However, with the clothes starting to get loose and my energy skyrocketing, I was still inspired to continue my journey. There are so many non-scale victories (NSVs) along the way, keep in mind that seeing the thinner you is but one great victory. Best of luck on your journey!

Protein drinks are the easiest way to ensure protein intake (with the liquid bonus). For liquids, it really is a matter of getting into the habit of drinking throughout the day. I actually love decaf iced coffee and I pour in a Premiere Protein Drink into my iced coffee throughout the day. Also, those portable liquid flavorings like Mio are great for Water. As for calories, finding calorie-dense foods is easy, but post-op your goal is weight loss. At the beginning you will just have to eat many small meals throughout the day. I'm several months out and eat 4-6 small (4 oz) meals throughout the day and get in 800-1000 calories. Keep in mind that with alot of excess weight, we have alot of fat energy that we're burning off, so the calories won't be terribly important (unless you're unable to eat at all of course). Post-op I was eating 3-4 meals of about 3 oz, plus several Protein Drinks. My caloric intake was about 600 calories and I was exercising. Although my energy was a bit low due to surgery, I felt great overall.

Plateaus/stalls are never fun. A very common stall is about three weeks post-op that so many people talk about. My post-op stall was almost a MONTH and I was definitely getting in over 64 oz of liquids, 60 grams, of Protein, and about 800 calories per day. Finally kicked back in. I just got out of my second stall a few weeks back. I just keep looking at my overall weight loss trajectory and if it's still headed down, then I'm cool with a stall. It happens. I've heard it stated several times that a stall over a month can indicate something else is going on, but that's just a ballpark timeframe, of course. We're all different. Glad to hear your weight loss started again. Don't get discouraged and it will continue despite the inevitable stalls!

Grazing has more to do with giving in to "head hunger" and eating when you're not physically hungry. So soon after surgery it can be difficult to meet the liquid/protein requirements, so many of us had to work on our Protein and liquids all day. Now that I'm back on solids, I still prefer to have four to six small (4oz) meals throughout the day rather than three. That's just what works for me and keeps me feeling pleasantly full all day. I found that solids keep me feeling full MUCH longer than liquids or purees. If I do feel the need to eat more than those meals, I have to stop and really think if I'm truly hungry (perhaps I exercised more than usual or missed a meal) or if it's just head hunger (because I'm stressed or need to take an antacid). Hope that helps!

I didn't feel any hunger for about 3 months. Now if I go more than 5-6 hours I'll feel a bit light-headed. I also am experiencing some head-hunger due to stress, but the overall true physical hunger is nothing like it was pre-op. I look forward to eating and I savor the food I eat and then I'm done. I'm eating 5-6 small meals (4 oz weighed out) throughout the day and I feel great! Many people have stated that their hunger comes back in full force after six months to a year, whereas others have stated it comes back, but to a much lesser degree. I'm afraid, like many things sleeve-related, your mileage may vary.

You'll quickly learn what foods require more/less chewing. If you think of your sleeve as a thin tube, imagine which foods would be more likely to get stuck if they weren't chewed down to smaller bits. Mileage will vary from person-to-person of course. I'm now on solids, but I've learned that softer foods like steamed broccoli I can swallow larger bits than, say, tofu which is more dense. I've also found that I can swallow larger chunks of chicken, but not turkey or tuna. I actually love having to eat more slowly. I'm savoring my food so much more than I ever did pre-op. Best of luck to you!

Having done extensive research beforehand, developing a healthy expectation of what the sleeve will and won't do and what the possible upsides and downsides are all conributed to my overall sense of well-being before and after surgery. I can't say anything pre- or post-op came as a surprise after reading so much of the great information provided by my surgeon, this site, and youtube videos that so many have posted.

Wow, like today!?! Talk about giving you short notice! Congratulations and let us know how it goes!

We support you HERE!!!!! *Hugs*