alwaysvegas

Warmest congratulations! I think they should have 'nicer' terms when losing weight and get rid of "obese" and "overweight" and make the terms more warm and fuzzy...like "extra stuffin" then "some cushion" then "almost paradise"..

On my pre-op/post-op diets, I was allowed broth-only, although I could add spices, but had to strain to remove solids. If you're now post-op and on mushies, then blendarized means you're supposed to puree your soups to soften/lessen solids. Sugars/fats should be kept to a minimum however.

Getting adequate liquid intake post-surgery can be difficult for some for a few weeks. Because caffeine is a diuretic, you increase the risk for dehydration, which can land you in the emergency room. I quit smoking and caffeine (in addition to other lifestyle changes) over several months before surgery and will never regret it. I'm able to take in over 100oz of liquids a day now, so I will sometimes have caffeinated coffee, but I usually order it decaf. My entire craving levels for the 'bad stuff' has gone waaaaay down since surgery. I don't even miss soda. Honestly, instead of telling myself that I can't have a particular food or drink, I prefer to tell myself that I'm choosing not to have them. The power is in the choosing. Best of luck!

My nutritionist was/is very strict on sugars (limit to 5 or less per serving). You'll definitely want to talk to your nutritionist/surgeon as fruit juice is very high in sugar.

I'm looking forward to curing my sleep apnea. Wait! My sleep apnea *is* cured. I just found out this week. Now I need to look forward to clothes that will fit me for more than a month or two! This surgery was such a wonderful choice and you too have so many wonderful benefits to look forward to. Some benefits you know about, some will just dawn on you. Best of luck!

Warmest congratulations on the way to your new life! So many hoops to jump through, but it's so worth it.

You're going to be SO happy with this choice! The recovery time is generally very fast and just a blip on the radar of life. Best of luck with your surgery and new life!

Thanks all!

You are doing fantastic so far! Anything you can do to embrace the post-surgery lifestyle is fantastic. Reducing your calories AND solid food intake will really make you appreciate smaller quantities of solid foods. I wish I could express how important that is. I knew the pre-op diet was important, but did not truly appreciate it until post-op. You are REALLY embracing this life change! I hope you have continued success! Keep us updated!

I've found that cooking my own food is always better than canned or frozen. So many great soups to be made with high-protein foods like lentils, black beans, lean turkey, lean chicken, etc. Start with low-sodium broth (beef, chicken, miso, etc.) and it's hard to go wrong from there with any high-protein ingredient. Most soups start the same way, but change simply with spices and herbs. Learn to use great spices/herbs like garlic, thyme, cilantro, parsley, pepper. Buy fresh or dried. Don't rely on prepackaged soup...make what YOU like. If you need inspiration, I love low carb recipes. Check out the Low Carb Friends website, but sub lower-fat proteins. Cooking your own foods is SO easy and rewarding.

So, I was sleeved on July 28 and had great weight loss success even before surgery (about 55 lbs lost yay!) and great loss during the pre- and post-op liquid phases (about 25lbs yay!). I'd read SOOOO much about the post-op stall, but just kept on losin'...finally hit that stall about 3 weeks after surgery and that bad-boy stall stayed with me for almost a month. (Boo!) Honestly, I wasn't too distressed. Thank you BariatricPal forums for all the information about STALLS. It stank to stop losing, but I stopped looking at the scale (this is KEY folks) for over almost two weeks and I'm now down about 5lbs. I tried to keep in mind how GREAT that I felt and all my nice new SMALLER clothes that looked pretty darn smashing on me. All the COMPLIMENTS at work. I didn't really change a thing in my diet or exercise...exercised the same, ate the same, drank the same. A stall just is what it is. I've felt so much better overall since I've dropped 90 lbs that I'm delighted already. I even think my sleep apnea is gone. I have a visit with my sleep doctor next week to confirm, so fingers crossed! So, if you're in a stall...just keep on keeping on with 'the plan'...the stall WILL pass and your weight loss WILL continue. Keep looking back at what you have achieved and consider how much your life has changed already. Embrace your SUCCESS. I'm getting pretty close to ONEderland and even closer to 100lbs lost. Woohoo! Hope everyone is also doing well and at peace with themselves. MUAH!

Congratzies on your sleeve! Also so glad you're feeling dandy. What are you eating? Keep in mind that less-than-solid foods (like Protein shakes, oatmeal, cottage cheese, etc.) tend to move through quite quickly. I was a little disturbed at first because my post-op liquid diet (including the dreaded Jello) seemed to move through quite quickly. Even purees moved through more than I was expecting. However, some solids made a big difference and I actually overate and slimed a few times. Hello! Rude awakening...but it was great negative reinforcement. If you said you can get 2oz of fluids at a time...then what is stopping you from drinking more? Do you feel uncomfortable at that point?

Congratulations on your choice to sleeve! You've done great research and I wish you great success! So much about this surgery is a personal choice. Like you, I was prepared to pay for it myself. After countless hours of research, I knew this surgery was right for me. I'm only a few months out from surgery, but I can't tell you how glad I am that I made this choice. Wait...yes, I *can* tell you...I LOVE MY SLEEVE! My only regret is that I didn't have this option 20 years ago! Peace be with you.

Congratulations on your great success! Check out the following article: http://www.builtlean.com/2012/05/22/weight-loss-plateau/ Also, there are quite a few topics on this forum covering stalls. Understanding that stalls are normal and the weight loss slows as you get closer to your goal weight, check your daily calories, exercise, and carbs. You might be eating more than you thought or perhaps exercising less than before. The magic timeline that I've read several time is that a typical stall lasts for UP to six weeks. If you haven't started losing again after six weeks, then look more closely at your food quality intake and exercise. I just got out of my first stall since surgery almost two months ago. The stall was just under a month. I had started eating a bit more (still under 1000 cals a day), but exercise was about the same. I just started losing again this week.

Your nutritionist should be sympathetic to everyone s/he is consulting. The amount of new information is overwhelming for all of us. It sounds to me like the nutritionist does not know how to present information that's easy to absorb or at least reference. My nutritionist provided a presentation AND pages of Vitamins that she approved and where we could buy them and combine them. Even then, I made a mistake, but she was very understanding. I would put in a complaint about the nutritionist directly to the surgeon and remind them that you are paying THEM to provide YOU a service.

I was clothes shopping at the mall four days after surgery. Everyone is different, however. Don't lose sight that this is a MAJOR surgery and you should allow appropriate time for recovery if needed. I recommend that you check with your surgeon.

Having been through 2 weeks pre-op and 2 weeks post-op on all-liquids, I must add that there were so many benefits...here's a few: Lost 25 lbs It completely reset my taste buds so that even simple foods like cottage cheese and plain chicken tasted wonderful post-op. This has been a HUGE plus for me. I don't need super sugar-laden, fat-laden, or spice-laden foods to satisfy me. I realized I need MUCH less calories than I'd taken in previously...and I didn't die. So much head hunger. Especially AFTER surgery you will likely be able to differentiate between head hunger and physical hunger. The all-liquid diet was a snap post-surgery. The tired feeling was very temporary and my energy actually went up. It motivated me that I could lose weight even before surgery and got me excited that after surgery will be even better. And it is!

First check out the obesity statistics: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html You are FAAAAAAR from the only person in the U.S. One-third of the country apparently can't do it either, so please don't beat yourself up. As @@BitterSweet* said, that diagnosis very well could have saved your life. You're on the right track! I was on a CPAP for seven years. When the machine broke I couldn't sleep for two days because of choking. Now post-sleeve, I'm actually seeing my sleep doctor next week to determine if I even need the CPAP anymore. You can do it too. You're beating yourself up for how you got "this point" but aren't realizing there is a way DOWN. The sleeve is working for tens of thousands of people. You're not alone. Peace be with you.

I took two weeks off. However, I had the surgery on a Monday and by Friday I was shopping at a mall. Great recovery time! My energy levels were still somewhat low. I napped quite a bit, so I'm glad I took off the full two weeks.

Depends on your insurance. Some insurance companies will deny you if you gain weight and some doctors require a certain percentage of weight loss. You'll have to read your insurance requirements.

My nutritionist advised against baby food as they don't provide adequate nutrition, especially protein, for adults.

My nutritionist said gulping can lead to swallowing additional air that can lead to discomfort in the tummy or simply drinking more than the new stomach can handle size-wise. I haven't really experienced any problems and I still gulp somewhat. I also drink using a straw on occasion without problem. For drinking, it really is what you can tolerate. I was able to drink over 64 oz with four days after surgery. I have read that men's sleeves tend to be a bit larger, so that could certainly have something to do with it. Best of luck!

Congratulations on the great weight loss so far! I cheated a bit on my pre-op (had some tofu or egg whites in broth) and I started on mushies a couple days early post-op. It really is based on what you can tolerate, so just take it slow if you can. I was really missing solids after a month of liquids (despite the bit of tofu and egg whites) so purees are like heaven. Just don't lose sight that the sleeve is a tool and you can overdo the food and stall your weight loss, so don't beat yourself up, but try and continue with the plan. You'll be back on regular foods in no time! The recovery time is a blip on the radar of our lives. Not to mention that the pre-op and post-op diets are some of the best weight loss you're going to have! Best of luck and peace be with you.

When you say "hear back from them" I'm not sure if you mean your insurance company or Insure Nutrition. If you're talking about Insure Nutrition, I signed up for Insure Nutrition about three weeks before my surgery and I received my first order (paid by my insurance) just before surgery. I received four 18-count boxes of Premier Protein drinks, two bottles of liquid Vitamins approved by my nutritionist, and a jar of scar cream. My surgeon approved the prescription for 6 refills and I just received my second shipment.

My surgeon required a catheter and I hated it. I found it somewhat uncomfortable and I was completely able to get up and use the bathroom even the day of surgery. I had mine in for 2.5 days. I found it very hard to urinate for 1-2 days after it was taken out. It burned like hell. I could walk around fine with the catheter in. The catheter was completely unnecessary in my non-medically-educated opinion. Avoid it if you can.