SuperDave

Actually, people do blend tuna during the pureed food stage, for something that closely resembles a butt-fish-protein-shake! Just go ahead and enjoy that thought for a moment!

HAHAHA! Butt with chocolate! That truly made me laugh! The sad thing is, I felt exactly the same way during my pre-op diet. Now, 2 months post-op, when I'm hungry I just automatically grab a Protein shake. Eventually you just get used to it, or at least you figure out that you would rather have anything else than another 2 ounces of tuna! Thanks for the laugh!

The journey is always easier with someone else! That is true whether one or both of you has surgery. Although my wife did not need to lose weight, she has gone with me to all of my appointments and has changed to a much healthier diet to support me. She actually says she feels guilty eating around me. Whatever it takes, I guess!

It really depends on your plan. Even within the same insurance company, different plans have different coverage. If you have a yearly maximum out-of-pocket, you will probably end up paying all of that up front by having surgery close to the beginning of the year. My out of pocket was mostly covered by the time I had surgery because of all of the labs, appointments and testing I had paid for throughout the year. You will really have to go online and study your plan details or get someone on the phone and press them for what it will actually cost you on the day of surgery. Do not accept general information from them. Get specific costs for your plan. The hospital will most likely require payment up front, unless you have made other arrangements in advance, so don't let the actual cost be a surprise. Good luck!

Gas is going to be a fact of life for a while. It just comes with the major changes that were made to your stomach. I would suggest chewable Gas-X. I use it a lot and I love that stuff!

I had never heard of it, but now I am interested. I'm always looking for something to break up the monotony of Water and Crystal Light!

@@emp409 - My BMI was 59 when I decided I had to make a change. Most of what I have lost was before surgery. I finally decided to have the sleeve to help get me to my goal and not regain the weight. If you are interested you can read about it in this post I made a couple months ago: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/324809-my-story-so-far/

November 10th for me. Lost 36 pounds so far post-op. No complaints yet!

That seems really quick to me, but I know from reading on here that it does happen. As long as surgery goes smoothly and you have some support at home it should not be an issue. I personally would have stayed in the hospital for a week if they let me, but that is just because of my love of nurses!

@@emp409 There are a lot of different sub-forums in here. This one is for people to post by how much weight they have to lose: http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/419-weight-loss-specific-gastric-sleeve-surgery-support-groups/ There are also sub forums by age group, gender, how far along you are in your journey, location, religious affiliation, and many more! Clicking on the BariatricPal logo in the upper left corner of any page on the site will take you to the menu and you can scroll through all the options. Best of luck on your decision and your journey! There are lots of people here willing to help whenever you need it!

Welcome to the site! I had the same thoughts before surgery, but so far my fears have been for nothing. I am 2 months post op, and I eat about 3 ounces of food per meal. I still eat with friends and family. It takes me as long to eat my 3 ounces as it does for them to eat whatever they are having. It's just really not a big deal. They know why I am doing what I am doing and it does not become a topic of conversation. Do I occasionally think how great it would be to scarf down a giant sub or a big steak and potato? Of course! But the reality is that doing those things never truly made me happy. It is just my brain trying to stop me from breaking old habits. My "food victories" (eating something new or especially amazing) have been replaced with "health victories" (losing weight, dropping clothing sizes, running up stairs instead of waiting for an elevator, receiving compliments, a much improved sex life, a desire to get out and do something, etc etc etc.) In time your eating will return to a more normal state, though hopefully nothing like what got you to this point in the first place. You just have to decide what is more important to you, food or literally EVERYTHING ELSE in life! I won't say it was an easy choice for me, but I know now that I made the correct decision!

I find the variations interesting. I had no idea how much it differed from one doctor to the next until I found this website. My program is pretty conservative, but it works for me so I have no complaints. The doctors I really do not understand are the ones who seem to give no rules or guidance for post-op. That seems a bit irresponsible, in my ever so humble opinion!

Glad you found us! We can always use another voice, a different opinion and a new experience. The site is pretty easy to navigate, and there is a ton of useful information on here. You will be a pro in no time!

@@xraymomma - Congrats on losing 53 pounds! That is a wonderful start! Pretty much everyone experiences slow downs at various points in the process. As long as you are doing what you should be doing, it is not anything to be overly concerned about. Having said that, I second what @@BLERDgirl said. Avoid sugar, bread, Pasta and rice. Get your carbs from veggies, fruits, nuts and dairy. Don't be discouraged with the stalls. Put good things in and good results will follow. You have got this!

So basically your goal is to lose approximately 190 pounds in 2 years? I don't think that is unreasonable. You are basically looking at 2 pounds per week, or 8 per month. That is absolutely attainable. It may not always be easy, but if you stick with it and truly do what you need to do, i think it is very realistic. Just so it doesn't seem like I am blowing smoke, I am 13 pounds away from the 200 lost mark, so I know it can be done.

The first week was a bit rough for me, but really it was over and forgotten in no time. Just focus on doing what you have to do. No worries!

Congrats! It will all happen very quick from this point!

Awesome achievement! Keep up the great work!

I also did not puree anything. I basically stuck with scrambled eggs, canned tuna or chicken and Protein shakes. Just start with soft foods and chew chew chew!

OH NO! It will stick to your ribs! Well, that's what my mother always told me.

Definitely still have that taste in my mouth, especially when I wake up! It is disgusting! For what it's worth, my nutritionist said the same thing as yours. Protein first, then fill up with veggies or fruit. I really only eat veggies at dinner though, and then I have to force myself to do it. I'm just never hungry for them after the protein.

@@Elode - I am in the same situation. The surgeon wants my calories and carbs higher than what they are right now, but I'm just not hungry! I also drink 2 Protein shakes a day, usually 1 Premier and 1 that I make at home, and a Quest bar. Then an egg for Breakfast and 2 ounces of meat and 2 ounces of veggies for dinner. I try to eat a few nuts or a little cheese for a snack, but like I said, I'm not normally hungry. I have noticed that I lose more weight in the weeks when I really try to keep my calories on the high end. Of course that goes against everything I have ever been told so it is hard to wrap my brain around it!

I'll be 8 weeks post-op this coming Monday. I average 900 calories a day. My low calorie day over the last week was 700, my high was 1100, on New Years Eve. Total carbs are 30-35. Net carbs are 10-12. I'm at about 80 grams of Protein. About half of my calories and carbs every day come from Protein shakes and bars. I've lost 36 pounds since surgery. I think I covered it all!

The scale is the devil! A necessary evil at times, but I notice a lot more changes in myself that are completely non scale related. Keep up the great work!

Welcome to the site and congrats on making the choice to become healthier. Just remember that this is about you and what you need to do. It doesn't matter what other people think or say. It isn't always easy or fun, (the first few days of the liquid diet come to mind), but for me it has been completely worth the effort. Best of luck with the whole process!