MzB

As a rule, ESPECIALLY in the honeymoon phase of WLS ( up to 18 months post surgery) you will still probably lose weight eating a few carbs. But as early out as you are, you should be eating protien and veggies, leaving little room for carbs (bread, crackers, etc). Protien is most important right now becuase you have such little real estate in your tummy, you gotta eat what counts. Those carbs from white stuff gives you no nutritional value right now.
Another thing about a WLS person eating carbs is that it can be a slippery slope. Sure, you can't eat very much right now, but the sleeve relaxes after a while, and a few crackers turn into a box (these are also considered slider foods because more can be eaten) I don't know about you, but I could easily polish off a box of Cookies once I get going. That's why I choose to stay away. They also make me crave more carbs and sugar, and the next thing you know, you're stalled or gaining. No thanks!
You will have plenty of time to introduce a few carbs the closer you get to goal and then maintenance. For now take advantage of this ever so important time when you're able to lose weight easily and minimize the carbs and get your protien and veggies first! After all, we all didn't get fat eating chicken and broccoli, did we?

So this morning I'm getting dressed and pull on my sports bra and undies. Something didn't quite look right in the mirror and I realized I had put my bra on backwards....and it fit fine! Thats how pitifully tiny my boobies are now. I literally laughed out loud and flipped it around the right way. But I don't think that's what they meant by "reversible".

Dallas! Dr. Nicholson did my sleeve on 5/18. Except for a sore left incision, this has been much easier than I expected. I am on a "regular" diet now. Now I just have to figure out this new way of eating. LOL.

I am 8 weeks out. My left incision was really painful as as well. My doc prescribed pain Patches that helped. Also I bought a binder. That was a big help because that took some of the strain off the cut abdomen muscles. I highly recommend getting one. At 3 weeks my left stitch popped out and I felt much better. Hope you feel better soon.

1. Trouble wiping - must loose weight!
2. Coworker had sleeve - very successful.
3. Research, research, research on physiological and psychological effect of sleeve on my children vs. overweight mom.
4. My body hurt.
5. I had lost over 200 pounds, total, and gained 250, total... I wanted a more permanent solution, and the research indicated the sleeve was it.

I had PF surgery about 10 years ago. I damaged it playing softball but I am willing to say my weight probably had something to do with it. I am happy to report that while the surgery and recovery were a pain (no walking on it for 6 weeks and then a boot cast for several months) was 100% back to normal within a year. I can now wear any shoe I want and exercise without any problem including running (although I do stay away from softball....). I do still wear my inserts in my running shoes.
Hopefully just losing the weight will solve your PF issues. Good Luck!

Dallas! Dr. Nicholson did my sleeve on 5/18. Except for a sore left incision, this has been much easier than I expected. I am on a "regular" diet now. Now I just have to figure out this new way of eating. LOL.

@@connor0331 I wish you the best of luck with your new beginning. At least you've caught yourself early, before putting any weight back on. That's a huge accomplishment, just in and of itself. You have a chance to turn things back around and not deal with the frustration of having to re-lose weight you've already lost. Stay strong though these first couple of weeks and I bet you can get back into positive habits again pretty naturally.

So, I just had my blood tests and MRSA swabs in advance of surgery next week (1st March) and decided that I would detail my journey here. Partly because I want to remember to come back on here when things get tough and I need a reminder of why I am doing this, and partly because I want to have a record of what I’m doing anyway, and I figure that having one that others can read, contribute to and, maybe, learn from (if I ever get to the point of having any lessons to teach) is as good a way as any.
So, my background…
I’m 29, living in London. I’ve always been overweight, ever since I was a kid, but my weight has fluctuated a lot. Generally, when I move to a new place, it falls, until I discover all the good places to eat, when it rises again. About five years ago I managed to get down to about 200lbs, but since then have crept steadily up and now I am about 290lbs.
I think as I get a bit older, I’m realising a bit more the impact my weight is having on me. Over the last couple of years – walking has become more of a chore, for the first time, tying a seatbelt on an airplane has become a problem, I feel less and less energy and more strain on my joints. And I simply don’t want that to get worse. I haven’t felt any motivation to lose weight since that last time in 2009, and I had to admit to myself that I never will be able to do this on my own.
So I have a choice.
Continue to put on weight. Face into my thirtieth birthday at nearly 300lbs, maybe my 35th at 400lbs – who knows. And continue to see my body become more and more unable to cope.
Or I stop. I take action, accept that I’m not going to be able to do it alone and take measures that will force me into a position of being healthier.
It’s also driven by the fact that I want to have kids. As I’m gay, the most likely way for that is to adopt, but I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be approved as an adopter at my current weight. And even if I was, I don’t think I could be a good dad as I just wouldn’t have the energy to be rolling around playing with a kid and giving them the attention they deserve.
I decided to self-fund for the operation. I have been diagnosed with sleep Apnoea (in December) through the NHS, and since that’s technically a comorbidity, my GP did say that I could be put on the NHS waiting list. But faced with a wait of two years or more, I decided it would be better to just get it done privately. So I met with my surgeon, Ameet Patel, before Christmas. I had hoped to have it done before Christmas, but I was due to start a new job on the 12th, and he said that if I had the operation on the 3rd or 4th January, he wouldn’t recommend me going to work on the 12th. So I decided to wait until Easter when I could take some time off work.
As it turned out, there were no available dates at Easter, and leaving it later brings me too close to a trip I have planned at the end of May. So I ended up plumping for 1st March.
I’ve had no pre-op diet to follow, so I’ve probably been a bit naughty in what I’ve been eating since I found out my date. I know I shouldn’t but I have been seeing these last weeks as an opportunity for one last hurrah with food.< /p>
Biggest Fears
I was sent my consent form in the post, and seeing the risks in black and white terrified me – especially where it just bluntly lists ‘Death’ as a risk. Even though I’ve talked them through with Dr Patel, and even though I know the risks are very low, they feel very real now.
I’ve started to think about things I need to do in case the worst happens, and again, I know it’s a very low risk, but my family live in a different country, so I’m making sure my partner has their number in case he needs to call them etc. The reality of that is kinda scary.
I’m also scared of complications – and not knowing whether pain is normal or a sign of something more serious.
But my biggest fear is that I just won’t be able to be happy when I can’t eat what I want to. I keep telling myself that being able to go shopping for clothes or go for a run or exercise without wanting to collapse will all make up for any feeling of deprivation – and that I won’t feel that deprived because I just won’t have the same appetite that I have now. But it is probably my biggest fear that I will spend the rest of my life regretting what I’ve done.
To combat that I just keep reminding myself that the price of having that total freedom to eat what I want is looking and feeling like I do now – I plan to keep a photo diary of my journey to remind myself that however much I regret not being able to eat what I want when I want, it will be nothing compared to the regret I would have if I had the opportunity to get healthy but turned it down.
My Hopes
This is the bit that keeps me going.
My main hope – what I desperately hope – is that the tales I’ve heard of your tastes changing are true. I would dearly love to wake up from the operation and be revolted by the foods I used to love and suddenly find love for the foods I used to hate. If only I could like vegetables and low fat foods more! My biggest hope is that my tastes will change, so that when I can’t pig out on chips it won’t matter to me because I don’t want to pig out on chips.
The same applies – big time – to Diet Coke. I’ve never been one for full fat soft drinks, I find them syrupy. But I love diet coke, and I am really dreading not being able to have it. If I could wake up and not desire it, that would be super. I’m not claiming these hopes are realistic.
More generally – like everyone – I hope this works. My thirtieth birthday is in October and I have a vision of how I will look and feel for it. I hope that vision becomes a reality.
I also hope that my relationship withstands the change. My partner has been incredibly supportive. I think one of the reasons I put on weight is that he loved me and found me attractive when we first met and I was overweight (but still, I was only about 200lbs) – I think my mind went ‘yay, you found someone who’s attracted to you even when you’re fat…eat away’. But my weight gain has made me feel less attractive and so has impacted on our relationship. As I say, he’s been really supportive and I just hope that the changes don’t result in any changes to how either of us feels about the other.
So, having rattled on for too long, let the journey begin…