alwaysvegas

I'm about 8 days from surgery and one approach I recommend as a DO:
DO take small steps to changing your lifestyle weeks or months before surgery.
I began my journey in Jan 2014 and every few weeks I changed something in my lifestyle to improve my health:
Began walking Stopped drinking diet sodas Minimized eating carbs Changed from high fat to lower fat Proteins Quit smoking Began going to the gym Cut my net calories to 1700 per day Later cut my net calories to 1300 per day Stopped caffeine Quit alcohol I introduced these changes slowly over a 6 month period. It's important (and my bariatric psychologist agreed) to not attempt all these changes at once. It's too much change too fast. But introduce them slowly.
I gave myself treats along the way. For example, I calculated how much I saved from quitting smoking and bought some home decor and other goodies.
Now that I've started the pre-op shakes 'n liquids diet, it's not nearly as difficult as it would have been had I not made these changes. I'm not saying it's easy-peasy, but it's not the end of the world.
I'm going into surgery almost 65 lbs lighter than when I started my journey in January and can't wait to be sleeved so I can lose another 75+.

Always nice if you have someone to share with. Otherwise, ask for a "to go" container right away. There will be leftovers.

I'm about 8 days from surgery and one approach I recommend as a DO:
DO take small steps to changing your lifestyle weeks or months before surgery.
I began my journey in Jan 2014 and every few weeks I changed something in my lifestyle to improve my health:
Began walking Stopped drinking diet sodas Minimized eating carbs Changed from high fat to lower fat Proteins Quit smoking Began going to the gym Cut my net calories to 1700 per day Later cut my net calories to 1300 per day Stopped caffeine Quit alcohol I introduced these changes slowly over a 6 month period. It's important (and my bariatric psychologist agreed) to not attempt all these changes at once. It's too much change too fast. But introduce them slowly.
I gave myself treats along the way. For example, I calculated how much I saved from quitting smoking and bought some home decor and other goodies.
Now that I've started the pre-op shakes 'n liquids diet, it's not nearly as difficult as it would have been had I not made these changes. I'm not saying it's easy-peasy, but it's not the end of the world.
I'm going into surgery almost 65 lbs lighter than when I started my journey in January and can't wait to be sleeved so I can lose another 75+.

Maybe we need a new ticker for this.

I posted a thread showing my weight loss over a year. Stalls are very common.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/335141-one-year-of-weight-loss-graphed/

I started spicy foods during purees and have had zero problems. Bring it on!!!!

I had many stalls, but thankfully all stalls end, the longest being about a month. @@JamieLogical is asking all the good questions...if your caloric intake is too low with extensive exercise, then it may actually stall weight loss.
The benchmark I've read is "one month" meaning if your stall is over a month, then you need to seriously look at calories, carbs, and exercise and see if any of those is outta wack.
Don't get discouraged. Always see how far you come and congratulate yourself for that! It isn't all about that magical goal, but a life-long commitment to better health!

I had many stalls, but thankfully all stalls end, the longest being about a month. @@JamieLogical is asking all the good questions...if your caloric intake is too low with extensive exercise, then it may actually stall weight loss.
The benchmark I've read is "one month" meaning if your stall is over a month, then you need to seriously look at calories, carbs, and exercise and see if any of those is outta wack.
Don't get discouraged. Always see how far you come and congratulate yourself for that! It isn't all about that magical goal, but a life-long commitment to better health!

I still enjoy food, but not with the same urgency I did pre-op. I eat about every two hours and enjoy eating, but I can easily forget to eat if I'm really busy.

I still enjoy food, but not with the same urgency I did pre-op. I eat about every two hours and enjoy eating, but I can easily forget to eat if I'm really busy.

Congratulations!!! Very exciting journey!
If you're not familiar with these items already, ask about:
surgeon's complication rate...leaks, etc. pre-op requirements..length, diet type, etc. hospital length stay. Recovery time for returning to work, cardio, weightlifting, etc. post-op phased diets Start making lifestyle changes now...decreasing caffeine, adding exercise, lower calories, quit carbonated beverages, etc. The more you lifestyle changes you make pre-op, the easier the transition is post-op! Best of luck to you!

Congratulations! I loved the pre-op diet in retrospect. In addition to shrinking the liver, it's a fantastic start to your pre-op life!
The first few days can be rough, but I kept telling myself, "Fat is stored energy. I will not starve!" And it got easier and easier. And I lost 25 lbs between pre-op and post-op diets. Fantastic!
It was so strange from eating 3-4 cups of food in a sitting to just having Protein shakes, broth, or popsicles. But once out of surgery, I didn't miss the food at all. It was like night and day.
Once I was on purees...everything tasted wonderful. I quickly learned to love the small portions.
You're gonna love your sleeve!

Being satisfied on 4-5 oz of food post-op has been much more rewarding than being stuffed on 4 cups of food pre-op. I can't explain why it is, but it is.
Best of luck!

Congratulations!!! Very exciting journey!
If you're not familiar with these items already, ask about:
surgeon's complication rate...leaks, etc. pre-op requirements..length, diet type, etc. hospital length stay. Recovery time for returning to work, cardio, weightlifting, etc. post-op phased diets Start making lifestyle changes now...decreasing caffeine, adding exercise, lower calories, quit carbonated beverages, etc. The more you lifestyle changes you make pre-op, the easier the transition is post-op! Best of luck to you!

A selection of quotes I've actually said that are indeed strange:
"No, they did not remove my entire stomach. Just most of it."
"No, I didn't have the bypass. I had the less complicated weight loss surgery." As if I could perform it myself or something.
"No, I'm not starving. I feel great!"
"I disagree. I eat more than a squirrel."
"Yes, I used to be quite large." Takes out driver's license to prove it. Why would someone lie about being fat?
food arrives at the table. "Can I get a to-go box, please?"
"Yes, I really am full. I know I'm taking most of it to go."
"No, I didn't just eat before coming to the restaurant."
"Yes, bowel movements still work the same way."
"Yes, I miss my manboobs."
OK, the last one I never said.

I posted a thread showing my weight loss over a year. Stalls are very common.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/335141-one-year-of-weight-loss-graphed/

A selection of quotes I've actually said that are indeed strange:
"No, they did not remove my entire stomach. Just most of it."
"No, I didn't have the bypass. I had the less complicated weight loss surgery." As if I could perform it myself or something.
"No, I'm not starving. I feel great!"
"I disagree. I eat more than a squirrel."
"Yes, I used to be quite large." Takes out driver's license to prove it. Why would someone lie about being fat?
food arrives at the table. "Can I get a to-go box, please?"
"Yes, I really am full. I know I'm taking most of it to go."
"No, I didn't just eat before coming to the restaurant."
"Yes, bowel movements still work the same way."
"Yes, I miss my manboobs."
OK, the last one I never said.

A selection of quotes I've actually said that are indeed strange:
"No, they did not remove my entire stomach. Just most of it."
"No, I didn't have the bypass. I had the less complicated weight loss surgery." As if I could perform it myself or something.
"No, I'm not starving. I feel great!"
"I disagree. I eat more than a squirrel."
"Yes, I used to be quite large." Takes out driver's license to prove it. Why would someone lie about being fat?
food arrives at the table. "Can I get a to-go box, please?"
"Yes, I really am full. I know I'm taking most of it to go."
"No, I didn't just eat before coming to the restaurant."
"Yes, bowel movements still work the same way."
"Yes, I miss my manboobs."
OK, the last one I never said.

A selection of quotes I've actually said that are indeed strange:
"No, they did not remove my entire stomach. Just most of it."
"No, I didn't have the bypass. I had the less complicated weight loss surgery." As if I could perform it myself or something.
"No, I'm not starving. I feel great!"
"I disagree. I eat more than a squirrel."
"Yes, I used to be quite large." Takes out driver's license to prove it. Why would someone lie about being fat?
food arrives at the table. "Can I get a to-go box, please?"
"Yes, I really am full. I know I'm taking most of it to go."
"No, I didn't just eat before coming to the restaurant."
"Yes, bowel movements still work the same way."
"Yes, I miss my manboobs."
OK, the last one I never said.

Definitely buy one at a time and try them out. They have a VERY strong bite to them. I actually liked all flavors considering how much Protein they provided and liquid.< /p>
But do not go an buy a case before you're tried them out.
Good luck!

@@AvaFern Thank you for your thoughtful response. I've given so much feedback on here, but in the few topics I've posted...almost no feedback.
I don't know why that is...because I'm a guy? I guess only women talk to each other on here. So good luck to you all and thanks for not helping me out. Learn to use a f**king search engine.
I dunno...anyway. Tired of giving responses again and again to the same questions on here and the few I ask go unnoticed.
Take care all. Thanks for almost nothing.
Withdrawing all my stats. I'll keep it off without this site.
Whoever is in charge here...DELETE MY f**king PROFILE, K?

Thank you for the post and link to the scientific study. I'd heard 30g Protein thrown around quite a bit, but never did read the actual scientific study!

I came to my number based of other guy friends and seeing their height weight. I have really broad shoulders and if I was at what the BMI scale says I would look anorexic. I figure I will just to to a weight I am comfortable with and work from there. When I mentioned 215 to 225 to my Dr he didn't argue and said it was probably a good weight based off my frame.
I guess time will tell

I've watched hundreds of videos and read thousands of posts. What I've seen as the two biggest regrets, seem to stem from folks who didn't understand the purpose of the surgery. I came up with these with zero scientific method and a huge use of generalizing about people.
"I don't know what to eat. I think more about food more now than before surgery." These folks didn't learn what foods fit in with their post-op life and basically try to find it all in prepackaged food, Protein bars, Protein shakes, or a baked Protein with zero spices. The more comfortable you are in the kitchen, the more you know what you're putting in your body and the more variety you can create. Do you have to learn how to cook? Nope...but I can whip up 4-5 different chicken dinners in the time it takes you to find one decent chicken fast food dinner of the same nutritional quality as what I'm cooking. "I'm still hungry all the time!" This the quote from people who somehow overlooked that the sleeve is a tool and would not solve head hunger. Hundreds of us have spoken about head hunger and how important it is to try and start working on it pre-op. These are the same people who say, "If I could diet pre-op, I wouldn't need the surgery." As many wise people have said, "They aren't operating between your ears."

I've watched hundreds of videos and read thousands of posts. What I've seen as the two biggest regrets, seem to stem from folks who didn't understand the purpose of the surgery. I came up with these with zero scientific method and a huge use of generalizing about people.
"I don't know what to eat. I think more about food more now than before surgery." These folks didn't learn what foods fit in with their post-op life and basically try to find it all in prepackaged food, Protein bars, Protein shakes, or a baked Protein with zero spices. The more comfortable you are in the kitchen, the more you know what you're putting in your body and the more variety you can create. Do you have to learn how to cook? Nope...but I can whip up 4-5 different chicken dinners in the time it takes you to find one decent chicken fast food dinner of the same nutritional quality as what I'm cooking. "I'm still hungry all the time!" This the quote from people who somehow overlooked that the sleeve is a tool and would not solve head hunger. Hundreds of us have spoken about head hunger and how important it is to try and start working on it pre-op. These are the same people who say, "If I could diet pre-op, I wouldn't need the surgery." As many wise people have said, "They aren't operating between your ears."