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My co-workers were supportive both pre- and post-op, which was really a nice bonus. People were also genuinely interested in hearing about the surgery and lifestyle changes. I was expecting at least one person to put me in the position where they wanted me to justify the surgery, which I would not have done. But no one did. Now that I'm post-op, I'm getting many compliments and affirmations from my co-workers. It's just wonderful! People are interested to see what and how much I'm eating. A few people are even trying to adopt my eating habits to help with portion control. Our positive life-changes are contagious I guess.

Congratulations! Your surgery will be here before you know it! Do take advantage of the nutritionist information as the eating guidelines are very important both pre- and post-op as they will help you reach your goal more effectively.

I was a grazer pre-surgery and I still am somewhat, although in MUCH smaller quantities. Also, because I'm going to the gym 4-5 a week, my nutritionist said to add 2 extra meals in there to make up for the calorie-deficit. I only calculated my calories a couple days a few weeks back and I was eating 600-800 calories, which doesn't include the exercise. So my net calories was falling somewhere between 0-300 calories per day on exercise days, which was a bit low. So I've added a few more Protein meals in there and some Snacks like cottage cheese or even a Protein Drink. I love eating every few hours because (so far) I always feel satisfied. I am still eating too fast at times and am learning through negative reinforcement (sliming, blech!) that fast-eating ain't gonna happen anymore. I'm still working on it, but I loooove my sleeve!

When I started my journey earlier this year, I wanted to know as much as about the procedure even before I had my first consultation. At first I focused on the more positive youtube videos, posts here, and other information sources. How much weight people lost, how much better they felt, the positive impact on their lives. However, with the complete inundation of U.S. advertising these days with pharmaceuticals, I really didn't want to have the "pop-a-pill" mentality that the pharmaceutical industry throws at us now: If you have any problem, just pop-a-pill...it will be all better. No. I didn't want to look at the surgery as a quick-fix like getting a haircut. This is major surgery. So I made a point to learn about the negative experiences: complications, weight gain, recovery pain, regrets, etc. I also wanted to know where the surgery failed to help people and why. I felt that if I went into the surgery with rose-tinted glasses, I may have been blindsided if I experienced any of the negatives. I also felt that if I wasn't understanding the surgery as a tool, I would've been relying on the surgery to do the work. Once I became well-versed in the surgery, I knew as much as I could going in. Aside from actually performing the surgery, of course. Though I did watch the youtube vids of the actual procedure. I was just too into it I guess.

I started back at the gym in January, months before my surgery. My advice: Start out very slow and easy. Just do 15-20 minutes of cardio or weights. Just get in the HABIT of going 2 or 3 days a week. Then move up to 4 or 5 days after a month or so. No, you don't have to be sore every day after you go. This will only make you look forward to working out even less than before. Start off EASY. Don't go for "all or nothing." You don't have to increase the weights by x amount every week or increase your cardio every week. Give yourself time. You'll naturally start doing more weights and cardio as you become more fit. Also, if you don't have the energy to do a full workout, then either don't or drop the weights/cardio resistance. Change it up. Do different weights and cardio. On the elliptical you can change resistance, crossramp, go forwards or backwards, and you can target many things such as heart rate. No matter what exercise you do, some expert on some website will say that you're doing it wrong. Ignore them. Get a heart rate monitor. These calculate your calories much more accurately than the machines and are GREAT motivators. Most cardio machines will read your heart rate directly from your monitor. Nobody is looking at you and laughing. Most people are either looking at themselves or concentrating on their workout. I've never seen one person make a point of stopping their exercise to point at the fat person and laugh. Burning even 100 calories adds up over time. Couple that with increased muscle mass and your weight loss will be smokin'.

Hope your surgery went well! Update us when you can!

A few small changes eventually add up to a completely new lifestyle. Don't knock yourself for what you perceive as failures. Let your successes motivate you! Peace be with you!

So glad it went well for you! And it sounds like you have the perfect mindset for the surgery! I find that many people seem to undervalue the importance of the nutritionist and psychologist on their sleeve journey. They are incredible resources to help us with many factors that will help us in our success.

My surgeon cleared me for weight training two weeks after surgery. However, I'm listening to my body and taking it easy. My energy still isn't what it was pre-op.

If you check the Cigna insurance requirement and verify that you have indeed met all the criteria, then you'll not have that to worry about. I was very worried to due to weight history, but everything got approved, the surgery was on time, and I survived! It will be here before you know it! Just start making lifestyle changes now if you can. It will make the transition to post-surgery that much easier! Best of luck!

You're doing so well! Warmest congratulations! I think you're very committed to this life change and your health and that's why you're being so mindful of what you're eating. Your sleeve will naturally expand over the next 6 mos to a year (varies by person obviously), but that doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. When you eat, just make sure you're stopping before you feel too full. You want to be comfortably full. I'm still a few weeks out from surgery and finding that "full" vs "too full" point is getting easier to discern. If you're still concerned and your surgeon's office is available for questions, please give them an idea of how much you're able to eat in one sitting and ask them if that sounds normal. Because our tummies may vary quite a bit, it may be hard to say, but I'm sure they have some normal ranges in mind.

My nutritionist said to focus on getting in at least 64oz of liquid + 60g of Protein and to avoid 'grazing' on foods. As long as I'm following those guidelines and still losing weight, there's no cause for concern. I told her that I was concerned that I was only taking in about 600-700 calories a day but burning over 600 at the gym. She said on days when I go the gym, to allow some extra calories (e.g., 5 small meals instead of 3), but to make sure the added food doesn't cause me to stall. She did say if I ever did begin feeling dizzy or consistently without energy to contact them immediately. When I reach my goal weight we will adjust my caloric intake and exercise to levels that allow me to maintain weight rather than continue to lose it.

Look at it this way. You can be satisfied with 1/2 slice of pizza in one sitting rather than half the pizza or the whole pizza. You can still come back and eat the other half later. And enjoying food in smaller portions actually makes the food MUCH more enjoyable for me. Some people are actually turned off by food they used to love. I wouldn't worry about that. If you don't like it, you don't like it. There are a bajillion varieties of foods left. As you become healthier, you will naturally gravitate towards healthier foods. Your "head hunger" will likely still be there and that's something we all have to deal with. Don't think of the post-surgery life as "giving up" food. You're still making a choice about what you eat. No one can force you to eat or not eat something post-surgery. Your doctor and nutritionist have probably given you guidelines however. Some guidelines are very restrictive in the beginning for the safety of your stomach as it heals. You have the choice to follow them or not. I chose to follow them to avoid potential complications. Yes, if you continue to eat that pizza every day, even in smaller portions across the day, you could still gain back a significant amount of weight. But that's the same battle we all fight. The surgery allows you stop eating after a smaller amount and ask yourself, "Am I still physically hungry?" From there on out, it's still your choice.

Many people have to fill out a rather lengthy questionnaire. I did not have to fill one out, I just spoke with the therapist at the bariatric center for about an hour. They want to establish that you have rational expectations for the surgery and that you understand what the surgery will and will not impact your life. Some of the indicators they're looking for: What are the main reasons you're doing this surgery? Are you doing this surgery for yourself or someone else (like a spouse)? Do you understand that the surgery is just a tool and that you will have to change your lifestyle for long-term success? Do you have a support system? What do you plan to do for exercise? What will you do with your free time in which you used to eat? Do you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse? Have you ever been diagnosed as anorexic or bulemic? History of physical or sexual abuse? What are your eating triggers and how do you plan to deal with them? These were some of the discussion points and they were all excellent points. Don't try to guess "right" or "wrong" answers, just be honest. The therapist is there to help you succeed, not hinder your success.

Thanks so much and congratulations to you as well! I'm excited to get as close to my goal weight as you are!

Thank you all very much and continued success to you all as well!

I'm so excited to share a few victories! I lost a pretty good amount of weight before the surgery (about 60 lbs). My surgery was on July 28, and now I'm down about 90lbs total since January of this year. First of all, I just got back my bloodwork from my primary care physician. As of January this year I was bordering on pre-diabetes, had high blood pressure, triglycerides were horrible, and good cholesterol was in the dumps. On top of that I had been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and have been on a CPAP for about 5 years. As of this week, ALL my values are now within normal ranges. Cholesterols are great, triglycerides normal, nowhere near pre-diabetes levels. I can't believe how great I feel both inside and out. Also, while I was in the hospital, I slept without my CPAP and my oxygen saturation was almost at 100%, which means it's likely my sleep apnea is either gone or much less significant than it was. I'm going in for a sleep study before the end of the year to confirm, but this is just such heartwarming news and a big affirmation that I did the right thing. There are so many great non-scale victories along the way in this journey. And I'm going to embrace each one! Peace to everyone!

I'm about 60% of the way to my goal and even if I didn't make the goal, my life has improved SO much with even this much weight loss. I just got back my bloodwork from my PCP and my cholesterol, sugars, and blood pressure are all now within normal range. Getting to 100% of my excess weight loss would be great, but there are SO many non-scale victories along the way. Not to mention the years you're adding to your life! Peace be with you!

I told friends, family, and close co-workers and everyone has been really supportive and giving me oodles of compliments on my weight loss. I was expecting at least a few people would try to get me to defend having the surgery, but nope. Being open about it is not for everyone, but I rather live my life as an open book to friends, family, and co-workers I'm close with.

My nutritionist said to try and stay under 10 sugar carbs per serving and preferably non-fat. I actually like Wal Mart's Great Value brand non-fat/unflavored greek yogurt. It's 9 sugar carbs per cup and I never eat that much in a sitting. It's also a great sour cream substitute.

1200-1500 mg spread out over the day. And not to take calcium at the same time as iron as they apparently negatively affect each other's absorption.

I told everyone I worked with and many were curious. All were supportive. Several co-workers even visited me in the hospital. I gladly answered all kinds of questions from co-workers about my experience and journey so far. The only thing I said I wouldn't do is justify the surgery to anyone. And I'm delighted that no one has tried to put me in that position.

I switched to decaf quite some time before the pre-op diet, but my nutritionist and surgeon weren't overly-concerned about caffeine pre-op. They were more concerned about fat and sugar. As other of said, try tapering off to like half-caf and then 1/4-caf.

I was obsessively focused on my sleeve pre-sleeve. Now that I'm two weeks out from surgery and moving back to more solid foods, I feel like I can start moving on now knowing that I made the absolute best choice for me. And I'm LOVING IT! Now I need to start obsessing on new clothes and vacation.

A little over two weeks since surgery! Incisions are almost completely healed, zero pain, no nausea, haven't vomited yet, and back at the gym last week (cardio only)! I couldn't have asked for a better recovery. Surgeon gave me the go-ahead to start weightlifting again and I'm moving on to purees/mushies. I actually started purees earlier this week, first by adding egg white to broth, then added tofu, then used less broth to make it more mushy. All of it went down just fine! I'm so delighted. However, without much liquid, I can really feel my little tummy filling up fast. I love the feeling and so glad I got this surgery! I did my first round of chicken breast pureed with some soup and that went down well also. Delicious! Oh how I missed you real chicken! It takes me about 20-25 minutes to eat 3oz of pureed chicken with sauce. Amazing! And I'm enjoying every delicious bite! I went to the store after my appointment and got some low fat cottage cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella. Also got a few Indian sauces, a Thai sauce, and some ground turkey. I'm not yet sure how much I'll actually be able to eat in a week, so I have no idea how much to buy! My nutritionist said to go ahead and eat a couple extra small snacks on gym days because I've been taking in about 600-800 calories and burning 500-600 on elliptical cardio. She said to make sure I never feel weak or dizzy. Haven't so far, but I do tire more easily than before surgery. I donated a bunch of 'larger sized' clothes to Goodwill and bought a round of new shirts in two sizes (one for now and one for down the road). It feels so nice to have some new clothes and a newer body for them. Hope everyone else is doing well!