SmilingBeauty

My surgery is scheduled for April 28th and I don't return to work until June 1st.

I beleive people go to Mexico who either have insurance that does not cover WLS and people who do not have insurance. Self pay for surgery is cheaper in Mexico versus US.

I was sleeved on 1/20/15. To date I have lost some 48 lbs in the 11 weeks since my operation. I hope this will inspire some of you that this operation is not something that will handicap you but will actually free you to a much more enjoyable side of life.
One of the things my wife and I enjoy is cruising. Pre sleeve it was all about the food and the beer. Life has changed now as my 2XL body is just now adjusting to a “lumpy” but comfortable “L” size. My eating habits have become healthier and less the big part of my day. The thing is…. I couldn’t in all fairness to my wife stop vacationing (my wife is not overweight). Veterans of 23 prior cruises over the past 16 years, I had to see if it was possible, and as soon as possible. We booked a cruise on NCL Sun out of Tampa to coincide with my transition into stage 5 (solid foods). I learned a lot this week. And I like what I learned. BTW it was the best cruise ever. No alcohol, small portions…. I had my doubts. But I stuck to the plan. It was easy and doable. Here is what I learned, how I coped, what I did, how I ate and how I did weight wise.
1. I decided on day one that everything I ate would be quality….no bread or Pasta. I ate steak, shrimp, chicken or pork for lunch or dinner, no sandwiches , no sweets… I want to emphasize that there are and to my surprise always were good options on every buffet…..especially for sleevers!
2. Breakfast everyday was eggs, cottage cheese (yes the had it) and if I had room a little yogurt. After which we sent for coffee from room service to enjoy later on the balcony.
3. My day started on deck six everyday with my wife ….which has an open air walking track (on most boats ) for 8 to 10,000 steps….about an hour of leisurely walking. By day 3 I was actually jogging small stretches of the track.
4. Dinner every night was a small bite of an appetizer or a few bites of salad and about half the portion of meat. No dessert, instead I would treat myself to a single espresso after my wife finished her dessert
5. I drank ice Water, skim milk and occasionally made myself an ice coffee in my waterbottle everyday.
6. I drank no….yes zero alcohol!!! It did not bother me a bit. My wife did drink and I got all the exercise going to the bar for her….lol
7. At night we took in as much of the activities and shows as possible.
8. Late night occasionally we would get a small bite at the late night buffet. Most nights.
9. I challenged myself to do a shore tour ( I never liked doing things because of my weight ) We did cave tubing in Belize and snorkeling in Roatan Honduras. Which is “not” like me.
10. I think the toughest thing on the cruise is the looks the waiters give you when you don’t finish your meal….I got a lot of…. “you no like? I bring you something else?” I gave a simple “I’m fine…it was delicious!” which works everytime.
11. I think my smartest idea was though to bring a nice water bottle… it was very handy.
12. I bought a new T-shirt in every port in my new size “L” That was a great feeling.
So what was the end result? I was never hungry, slept great, ate some tasty things, met a goal of at least 10k steps every day and still lost 3.2 lbs. It was the first cruise that I actually fit in the clothes that I came on the boat in. I hope this blog encourages you to get out there……but you have to follow the plan and be strong enough to stick to it. It wasn’t hard at all.
LOVING MY SLEEVED LIFE
John M

Congratulations! Getting approved is great, getting a surgery date is even better! I'm scheduled for April 28th.

Eventually you will be able to get in your Protein and liquid goals. No, sleeves don't stretch, but the swelling will go down so you can consume more.
You say you've never eaten when you're not hungry? Serious question for you (not judgey, genuinely curious). How did you get to 300+ pounds eating only when you're hungry? I'm fascinated by this "listen to your body" theory. I listened to my body and ended up needing WLS...
My body isn't too bright.

First and foremost, I have never had a single second of regret. Despite the stricture, the constant nauseated feeling I had for the first few weeks (meds fixed that), my inability to drink plain Water (still! almost 2 years out!), and the constant diarrhea (still! almost 2 years out!).

That's all the bad stuff, all completely tolerable as it replaced the constant guilt for cheating on whatever diet I was on at the moment. The gassy, bloated feeling I had from whatever "bad" foods I had gorged on that day. The dread I felt about stepping on the scale.
My size 8 wardrobe has replaced my size 20. Brightly colored clothes have replaced most of the black in my closet. Heels are comfortable now. I may have poop Soup, but I no longer have to wait for the handicapped stall because a regular stall is too small. I was able to do any exercise I wanted before, but now I can exercise without sweating profusely the moment I start, I can breath comfortably, I don't have to stop to "get a rock out of my shoe". I no longer wear capri pants when it's cold outside because they are the only pants I could find that fit. I don't care if my hair and makeup is perfect and I can go out in workout clothes because I no longer feel as if I look like the fat lady who just didn't give a ****.
I can eat in public without being self conscious. I don't feel the constant stares (all in my imagination, I'm sure) when I walk through a mall full of teens. I am no longer the fat mom. Hell, I am no longer the fattest person in the room, hoping someone fatter will show up. (Ha! It's been so long, I've forgotten about that until this very second.) I thought I would miss food. I don't. I don't miss the fat lady stores, I don't miss buying wide shoes, I don't miss the looks when I get on an airplane, bus, train or theater -- you know, that look that says, " PLEASE don't sit next to me!!".

No, no regrets. The little blips on the radar are were all worth it. I am most surprised about how much I was fooling myself when I thought I looked and felt great. Let me tell you, it's was nothing like I look and feel now.

It's going to be fine congrats your almost there!

Congrats! Hope you feel better!

Congrats on your journey. You are going to be great and there is no reason to be nervous. The only real pain I felt was the gas but that was gone the next day. I just remember being so tired and drugged up. I was very nauseous because of the meds they had me on so they put me on toredol and I was so much better. The next day I was walking fine and moving around and ready to go home.

Hi All!
I know this may sound silly to many but even after all the research and the assurances...having surgery is scary! I've never had any sort of major procedure or surgery except having my wisdom teeth removed at 17. I know this procedure is considered relatively "low risk" but death is still a variable.
I'm having this surgery, there's definitely no backing out for me but it's still scaring the sh*t out of me!

I am in the same boat except I don't have a date yet - I started my journey on Nov 4th...

So I have been following this board since about October when I decided to have WLS. I view this board every day. For months I have felt prepared (from my own research and here), but now I'm starting to feel nervous. Maybe becuase I can no longer say my surgery is next month, I am scheduled for surgery on April 28th. I am going to try not to go full blown PYSCHO before my surgery! LOL

...and my hackles rise.
Seriously.
That back button. Sometimes I can't hit it fast enough.

Talk about beating a dead horse (no offense to horse lovers...I love them too),

This is really something. That's all I got. But, at least I do have some drama to come home to since they took my soaps off the air. Carry on.

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

That's my date too!!

Warmest congratulations!

Yay! Congrats!

Congrats

I got my date yesterday, April 28th! I will be joining the Facebook group. Thanks

Get ready for a new life! Congrats!!

Yay! That is my date too!

Just received my surgery date.... April 28th! It's real now.

Just received my surgery date.... April 28th! It's real now.