SkinnyDown

I am on liquids only, too. In the evening, I do broth (chicken or beef) and a glass or two of V8 with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper. It feels like a meal to me. I save 2 shakes of my 5 for the end of the day. If I feel too hungry I can't sleep, so I fill up on that, and puts me right to sleep. I'm on sugar free Carnation Instant Essentials (chocolate), with 2% Lactaid milk, and extra whey Protein. I can also do Water drops, the calorie free kind, and decaf tea or coffee, SF popsicles and SF Jello. I am surviving. I just try to keep busy. It helps.

I started in September 2014. I also had to go through psych eval, testing, RN meetings, Surgical consult, a 6 month diet period and see a nutritionist once a month. I had an Endoscopy, and a month long wait for approval from insurance. 9 months or so. plus a 10 day liquid pre-op diet. I finally have surgery on May 20th. I am so excited!

@ I'm so glad to hear you are slowly getting better. Some improvement is better than none, of course. I think that was a great idea your Dr. had, to set an alarm every 5 minutes to remind you to take a sip of Water. I think I'll do that. Keep going! I'm assuming all the not being able to eat and diarrhea probably made you lose even more quickly. Not the best way to do it! I'm 3 days away from my surgery. I am excited. On this liquid diet, hanging in there, haven't cheated, even once. I didn't expect I would. I'm pretty good about following orders, and I understand the importance of trying to help the dr. out by shrinking my liver so he can work more easily. How's everyone else doing in the 20th club? Keep drinking your water and shakes and whatever else you are doing in preparation! Just a few more days! Woot!

You'll be fine, @@melisa6115 No one said it would be easy, but it's worth it. I mean we are all here, prepping for our surgeries. When you focus too much on it, that's when it will drive you nuts. Keeping busy is helpful! I've been cleaning and packing for the hospital, and doing little tasks I have put off for awhile. And watching a lot of Netflix. Don't be nervous, be determined! You can do this!

I find the wording very interesting in that statement. "Actually, only a small percentage of bariatric patients claim to have problems with alcohol after surgery." Claim, well...I know plenty of alcoholics who won't "claim" they have a problem with alcohol. The closest to me was my own mother, she'd never "claim" she was an alcoholic, but she died of advanced cirrhosis of the liver, due to her drinking. I fail to understand why we are given such wide and wildly different advice from a group of professionals who are all giving us basically the same surgeries. I wish they would get their stories straight. It makes me nervous. Why are things so different for so many of us?

I was advised not to drink again. I rarely drank anyway. But there were a few reasons... because it will affect us differently because of the size of our stomachs . i.e. you'll get drunker, much faster. I know the no carbonation thing, but the bigger reason my NUT and Surgeon both had for not drinking after surgery, is that the likelihood of changing out addictions is high. food can be exchanged for many other things....gambling, alcohol, drugs, smoking, spending, etc.

Hi @! Welcome to the 20th club! Or close to it, as some are here just a few days before or after. Hope things are going well for you. I'm counting down the days! The liquid diet is tolerable, I"m sure it will be easy after surgery, as my NUT tells me I'll be lucky to get 2 shakes in me in a day. I'm fine with that. I'm glad I love my shakes. I feel so badly for those who don't. Post here if you need some support, or a shoulder to cry on. Everyone here is so nice.

@gowalking....wow. I am so impressed at your transformation. It's completely inspirational to me. I know the majority of the reason I am doing this is for health, but I truly do want to feel for once, that I am being treated with the same respect afforded most "average/normal" sized people in this world. I need that feeling. I think of all of this as a big adventure. Not much is holding me back anymore. I even stopped smoking a year ago, so that no longer plays a part in my life, or stops me from travel or whatever I want to do. No longer will I have to ask for a seat belt extender, or see the disappointed face of the person next to me on a plane, because he/she knows I'm going to overflow into their personal space. I see a therapist twice a month, and for many months we've been working on why I eat, what my triggers are, and how I got this way. Mind you, I have been big since I was very young, and we've worked out what we think is the most likely cause. I believe I gained weight to protect myself from men. So now that I have that figured out and have done extensive work on that area, it's time to start thinking about what I am going to do when I do start getting attention from men. It's going to happen, it's not like it doesn't happen to me at this weight, it does. I imagine it will increase though, and that's going to be interesting to me, how I handle it. Thanks for the great reply! Very insightful. I personally would not treat you differently, but that's because I understand the shoes you were in. You were a beautiful woman and still are, from my perspective. But believe me I know, from being out there in this world....just how differently I am treated. Sometimes people can't even keep their mouths shut and say the most demeaning and cruel things to me. I even had a gf in college who was so livid at the fact that a guy she and I both liked, ended up getting together with me. Many years had gone by and it bothered her so much finally one day she looked at me and said...."Look at you, and look at me (her thin beautiful self), it's obvious who he should have chosen." I will never forget how hurt I was. I also will never forget the feeling I had that he did actually choose me over her, even though she was beautiful and thin, she was clearly ugly on the inside. I guess that guy chose the better of the two, me. I know this...all the discrimination, the looks, the disgust I see on people's faces.... That's about to change.

I just had some delicious sf popsicles lmao I am trying to make the best of out this. I'd be freakin' excited if my pre-op diet included food, My diet is all liquids. I mean a popsicle is a solid until it turns into a liquid, and sf Jello too....lol V8 fills me up, so does warm broth. and I get 5 shakes a day. 8 oz shakes. 1 cup of 2% milk each, and I use Lactaid milk. I also have to put extra whey Protein powder in it. I save my last 2 shakes for before bed, (I happen to love my SF Carnation Instant Essentials shakes {chocolate}). My belly is so full, I fall right to sleep. lmao That's how I do it. @@TLW the reason for the milk, I was told, is that we need the fatty acids. That's why my Surgeon insists on 2% milk. So if you aren't getting that extra fat, you probably feel more hungry. Plus it's essential to have those fatty acids on such a low calorie diet that we are doing. I'd call, and ask rather than potentially hurt yourself and not get enough nutrition. I know the restrictive calories has done a job on my head, can't think very clearly.

Thanks so much @@Babbs for the insight. I've lost 100 lbs on my own before a few times, and yes you're right, people do ask, and start treating me differently. Although that was still not enough weight to make me look or feel average sized. I believe this surgery is going to make that goal of reaching a "normal" weight, a real possibility. Wow. The changes that are coming. LIke I said, except for the first 5 years of my life, I have never known (average, normal, skinny, thin) nothing in those categories. I better brace myself. LOL

I understand what you mean. I think we will be different people in some ways. People will treat us differently. I'm looking forward to being treated like a regular human being. Honestly. Not like a sideshow circus freak, or like I have the plague. I'll look forward to NOT having mean people and young teenage boys yell horrible things about my fatness out of their windows, as they drive by. Or little kids remarking to their mom's about the fat lady. I've been made fun of my entire life. But even though I am looking forward to all that....I still have family members who don't want me to have this surgery. They are afraid of what it will do to me. How it will change me. I'm not really sure what that means to them, change how? But I do know that what people should be seeing is a happier person, a person in a lot less pain, which means a lot less cranky and moody. A person who will be more free and able to move around more. Do more. That's the person I see. One of the reasons I am in the predicament I am is because I know I was protecting myself from men. That's what I am terrified of most...what if, after all this...a man likes me? Yikes...I'm working on that in therapy. You see I have never been average or thin. Ever. Well, maybe the first couple years of my life, but I don't remember that time. I have had some relationships, but not many, and I am extremely shy around men. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when and if I get to it. lol Who do you see when you think of yourself in the future? And I guess we have to ask ourselves at some point, what does it matter what anyone else thinks of us, but ourselves? I think we will still at our cores, be us. But maybe better versions of us.

Yeah I talked to the RN, and I told her, I said if you expect me to talk after surgery you're going to have to allow me something ...ice chips, biotine, something. or I won't even be able to speak. I've had enough surgeries to know better. I swear the dry mouth is more horrible than the surgery or pain or anything else I have to endure. But the RN told me my surgeon doesn't usually allow anything until the next day. We'll just see about that. LOL I don't want to go against orders, but I have to be able to communicate with the staff, or we're going to have serious issues.

I'm on the 5 shake a day diet. I don't see what the big deal is, personally. I have said this in other posts, if you can't do this...how do you expect to be able to handle things post op? The surgery is a tool, yes, but that tool doesn't stay as confining as it will be at first. Meaning, eventually your stomach will enlarge, and dumping will be a thing of the past. I'm not trying to be cruel. But I guess I wonder why just a few days out from surgery people are cheating or thinking of cheating. I quite enjoy my shakes, and I get sf Jello, popsicles, decaf tea or coffee, broth. Try the warm stuff, it makes you feel more full. Plus don't forget Water water water, and water with flavor drops. Remember, this is just my opinion...some people aren't going to like my viewpoint or be angry about it, but take it as you like....it can be helpful or you can ignore it. What I find most upsetting is people in my life who know I am going through this, of course I am hungry, but talk about food in front of me. That I think is just plain cruel. I live alone though so maybe this is much easier than someone who has to be around food. At any rate, I wish you luck, I wish you strength, and to remember what you are doing and why. You can do this....it's just a few more days. I promise you'll be so proud of yourself for doing it without cheating. Also think of the fact that it is helping your surgeon to work on you more easily. That alone is motivation enough for me. Question friends who know what you are doing, and yet are wanting to give you food. Really....I'd question that. You can do this, just 3 more days !!!!

More buddies! I love it. The support is overwhelming. I feel pretty special to have so many people rooting for me, and I for all of you! Yes a lot of people keep asking me how I am, and that's fine. It's the people who know I am on this 10 day liquid pre-op diet who are continuously talking about food that I wonder about. I was talking online, to a friend and her fiance tonight, on voice, and she mentioned making and was eating pizza on mic, no less than 7 times in our conversation she brought it up, despite me reminding her that I was on a liquid diet, and please could she refrain, and she did it again and again , and even her Fiance even told her to stop it a few times. I believe she was deliberately trying to get to me. I had a Protein shake and a V8 and went about my business with a full belly and a smile. But does anyone else have anyone already that's seemingly trying to sabotage them?

I'm on a 10 day liquid pre-op diet. 5 shakes a day (8 oz) with 4 grams of extra protein in each shake. Unlimited broth, sf popsicles, sf jello, V8 juice, decaf coffee and tea with artificial sweetener only, no creamer. Day 3 and I'm doing well. I feel a bit fuzzy headed, I think it's the extremely low calories, and my blood sugars keep dipping lower each day. The Dr. took me off one of my diabetic meds already. I'm on another oral med and 2 types of Insulin, so who knows, by the end of the 10 days I might be off even more meds! I believe, for myself this is a good test. If I can't do this, I have no business having surgery (that is just my own opinion and belief about myself) I don't want food to be a major focus anymore. It's something to nourish my body, and that's all I feel it should be. I know there are bigger reasons for this diet (to shrink my liver, so they have more room to work, inside me). But I welcome this time, before my surgery, to make sure my head is in the right place. That will be crucial in my opinion, to make this successful. I wish everyone success, and strength. This isn't easy...but it's going to be worth it!

YAY! If you want to be my buddy I'll be yours! We could be a trio of buddies! How about it? I want to help encourage both of you, and get the same in return. Bounce ideas and thoughts off each other, and maybe have a shoulder to cry on when times get tough. I'm going to friend both of you, and hopefully this can work out for all of us! Ohhh I forgot to say, I'm on my 10 day liquid diet. It's going fine, try to keep busy. It helps. Keep drinking that water! I already can tell that warm things...tea and broth help fill me up more.

I had an endoscopy, they even took some biopsies. I don't remember a thing. I didn't even have a sore throat. I was able to sing the next day at open mic. No problems at all, and all came out fine with the biopsies. I'm lucky. I was a 30 year smoker, so I was sweating bullets, waiting for those test results to come back. Whew! Also no hiatal hernia, no H. Pylori. Good to go. It actually took longer for the set up, (iv, checking in, etc.) than it did for the procedure.

If anyone is interested, I would love to have a surgery buddy. I'd really like to have a friend waiting for me on the other side of this, with some support and encouragement. If anyone is interested, please, get in touch!

I am pre-surgery, but I frequently crave pickle juice. I am also on 2 Water pills a day, so I always figured my body was lacking salt/electrolytes. I was on potassium for years, but then my potassium levels were fine, and my cravings for pickle juice went away. It also helped because I was having terrible leg cramps, again, lack of potassium/electrolytes. Might be worth looking into.

Wishing you well on your path to a new life, James. You sound like your head is in the exact right place it has to be, to have this surgery. Imagine what your life could be centered around instead of food. It's limitless. Who knows, maybe you'll focus on fitness or travel or painting....the world is yours. I'm a week away from surgery, and so excited for what lies ahead.

You are in my thoughts. Don't give up now, you actually made it through surgery, and now you just need to heal. If you are in the hospital and in pain, please let someone know. There should be more they can do for your pain. Ice/heat...are also options to help. Keep positive. I know it's not easy, but relative to so many other things, this is a piece of cake. I always look for the positives. This is the beginning of new life for you. Keep us updated, and stay strong.

Thank you, OregonTeacher! That helped a lot. I appreciate it.

Good rule, the straw test, for pureed food. As far as pumpkin in a can goes. That's unsweetened. You couldn't just dump it in a pie crust and call it pumpkin pie You have to add egg and sugar and spices....that's how I know it's not sweet. Sweet Potatoes or yams would be good pureed. I think. I hope. My NUT just told me today buy baby food. Look at labels, it has to be pureed, not chunky, no pieces of anything in it. Even yogurt must be no fruit, only the blended kind. It's a lot to think about, but It's so nice to bounce ideas off each other here. I start my pre-op liquid diet today, I think I might want to stay off the food topic for awhile. LOL I have 10 days liquid before and 2 weeks after surgery, then pureed stage for 1-2 weeks, then soft diet for 2 weeks, and then....if I am up to it, real food. So this is going to be quite a journey. Ohhhh and the person who mentioned corned beef hash. I could eat a whole can, and did, often. Nothing else, but I could eat the whole can. Life is about to change in huge ways for me. Thanks for the input here, if I come across any good pureed ideas, I'll post them here.

I love Water, but maybe it's because I use a Pur water filter on my kitchen tap. Any way you can get water in you is better than nothing. SF popsicles, SF Jello, broth, herbal tea, and don't forget the no calorie water drops, that flavor your water. There are some great flavors out there. My favorite is walmart brand Raspberry Black Tea. It all counts as fluids. Don't discount those liquids. Of course I'm only speaking pre-op, I don't know how hard it will be after surgery for me. But right now, I love water and I get in over 100 ounces daily, but my belly is as big as Texas right now. LOL That won't be the case after surgery. I'm guessing I'll have to nearly be continuously sipping on water. lol Good luck with getting that water and Protein in! You can do it!!! I bet you'll feel better too, when you're getting in the right nutrition. There is just plain Protein Powder you can mix in anything, to boost your protein intake. Just a thought. Again I hope it gets better for you, Aspring.

This I am a bit worried about. I take over 20 pills a day, and minimum 4 injections of insulin. I take morning and night pills, and I generally drink a 16 oz. bottle of Water with each pill taking time. What am I going to do? With a little stomach, and I can't swallow pills to save my life, honestly I chew/break up, many of my pills, just some weird psychological thing about swallowing pills, and choking on them. Have had that issue my entire life. The RN today told me i'll have to talk to my Surgeon about it, I sure hope there are some liquid alternatives. Or I'm screwed. LOL