wascott

@@sugarbabe My surgery is on June 22nd. So far I feel fine on the pre-op diet. I've been on the Atkins diet for several weeks now. I did go through a 2-3 days of headaches when I first started that.

@@JamieLogical I know what you mean. I'm also worried that I'd get to the point where I'd feel like I had to eat. After a couple more days I'll do some short walks to keep my routine going.

@@sugarbabe You've got a good list going. I have several things to help get me through the post-op Clear liquids phase. Vitamin Water Zero, Coconut Water, Isopure Protein water, Crystal Light, Pedialyte popsicles. I also bought some popsicle molds. For clear liquid popsicles I use sugar free Jello and Crystal Light. I boil 1.5 cups of water. Dissolve the Jello in the hot water. Add 1.5 cups of prepared Crystal Light then freeze. Pretty tasty. I've tried freezing protein shakes. While tolerable they had an odd texture. I may try mixing in some Jello to try to improve that. I also like to vary the flavors of my protein shakes. I like to blend them with ice. (Tip: blend ice before adding protein to reduce bubbles) I use things like PB2, unsweetened cocoa powder, flavor extracts, decaf instant coffee powder, to change up the flavors. I also add in some Stevia to offset the dilution caused by the ice. Good luck!

@@JamieLogical I survived day 1. Just starting day 2. I'm giving my treadmill a rest until I do this a few days. I just keep thinking that this will get me closer to my final goal and is a short term challenge that I can do.

@@Memilie80 My surgery date is June 22nd with Dr Ariel Ortiz at the OCC.

Welcome! My surgery is come up soon too. I'm on the first day of the liquid diet.

Good luck with your surgery. I'll be there in two weeks!

@@HelloKitties Me too! Good luck!

You'll do great! Take comfortable clothes, GasX strips, lip balm, and a good book!

@@Licia'sjourney You can do this! It's not a "diet", it's a lifestyle. My surgery is coming up soon. I can't help but think of the song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show....."Don't dream it...be it." Here we go... it's our time to be it! It will be tough but we can and will do this!

@@ABB'sObesityFight My main goal while traveling is to keep hydrated. You can live a long time if you keep hydrated. My next priorities will be Protein and Vitamins. I plan to walk, sip, walk, sip, walk, sip,...and repeat. I may take some protein samples along with me but I don't think it quite counts as a clear liquid so may not attempt to consume it.

@@ABB'sObesityFight Yeah...I couldn't get a great set of flights home so it will be a long long day. I won't land until midnight and then I'll have a 45 minute drive home.

@@ABB'sObesityFight I still have 3 more days before starting the liquid pre-op diet. I plan on using EAS complete Protein and Premier Protein shakes. I did purchase some Vitaleph products including the Vitamins. Their products are very expensive. I also bought some Opurity bariatric vitamins. Their Protein powder was never in stock so I didn't try it. Most people recommend GasX strips and lip balm. I'm planning to bring as little as possible. I'll bring my phone but won't bring my tablet or computer. I'll bring a book instead. San Diego is a fun place but I don't plan on spending any time there on this trip. I've never been to Tijuana so can't comment on it. I expect that I'll spend all of my time at the hotel or hospital. I'll add you to my friends list. I'll try to let you know of anything that comes up. My cousin had surgery there last year and had nothing but great things to say about them.

I'll be there 10 days before you. Good luck!

Only 3 more days until I start my pre-op liquid diet. I can't believe how fast time has gone by since I got my surgery date booked.

I lost those pounds a long time ago.

@@Miss Mac Great tips! Did you mean 60g of protein?

Keep up the great work!

So far Premier Protein is my favorite. Sometimes I add flavorings to mix things up a bit. Things like PB2, Stevia, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, decaf instant coffee.

The OCC mentions the price range on this page: http://www.obesitycontrolcenter.com/surgery-options/gastric-sleeve.php The price can vary depending on your specific circumstancs. If this is your first bariatric surgery then you'd probably be at the lower end of that range.

Congratulations and good luck! I'll be doing the same thing in 3 weeks.

Looks fantastic! I prefer a bit of hot sauce like Cholula...which is nice since it's zero carbs.

@ Good question. I'm also wondering what a pouch test is.

Welcome! There's plenty of good information on this board.

Several weeks ago I got my treadmill out of storage and setup in the house. I hadn't used it in over 3 years since I moved. I was in pretty bad shape having gained a lot of weight in those 3 years. The first day I mamaged to walk for 30 minutes. I went really slow with zero incline. I did it again the next day. As I felt myself getting more comfortable with breathing and post walk recovery, I started increasing the time, distance, and incline. My goal is to average at least an hour a day, every day. As I've lost weight I've started adding weights to my walking workouts. I have hand weights, ankle weights, and recently purchased a 20 pound weight vest. Now I vary the workouts to keep things interesting. When the weather is good I'll walk outside. I tend to walk faster and farther outdoors and the time seems to go by twice as fast as when using a treadmill. Some day I hope to start backpacking again.