RaginCajun

Wrong forum, this is VSG.

Such an inspiring story to all of us, at various stages of our post-op journey. Your 'rules of engagement' are spot on with what everyone says, but in such a great at-a-glance view. One question: Did Protein bars ever play a part in your meals, and if so, how did you use them? -RC-

Recently, during a support group meeting, our NUT gave advice on calories. After 2-3 months post op, as your sleeve heals and you transition to eating real food, the guidance was: < 12 months out ... less than 700 cals per day. 12-18 months out, increase to 800-1000 cals per day. 18+ months out, increase to 1100-1200 cals per day. PS I love and use the 'Lose it!' app on iPhone. -RC-

Many here say they feel hunger quickly after the surgery, but realize that its not physically possible. 85%+ of your stomach was removed. What you feel is likely an emotional response to food, which was likely a big part of your life pre-surgery. Its almost like you have lost a friend. The good news is that you couldn't hold much, even if you did eat 'regular food'. So, just focus on ... doing what your program tells you to do ... one day at a time, one meal at a time, one bite/sip at a time. You have made the big step by having the surgery. Remind yourself every day why you did it. This is just a moment in your life, and will be a 'blink of an eye' when you look back 3-6 months from now. PS I am only 2 months post-op, and have lost 60 lbs, and my BMI has lowered from 55 to 46. -RC-

Hi Tom - You are making a brave choice. Brave in that you are young with most of your life ahead of you. Speaking as someone who is 55+, I can only say that if this option was available 20 years ago, I would have not blinked an eye and had it done. One thing tho, just know that WLS is a 'tool in the toolbox' as they say. It requires continued diligence and passion to work with the tool. I mention this because food is still there. And the entire benefit of the sleeve can be un-done if you eat constantly, even if in small portions (referred to buy NUT's as 'grazing). The great news is that during the critical 12-18 months post-op, there is no physical hunger. Because the chemical that makes us hungry is produced by the stomach, and 85% of the stomach has been removed. Keep emotional hunger at bay (aka: Head Hunger) and you will achieve awesome results. But, longer term, its still a need to understand there is no 'getting back to normal'. That 'normal' is what got us to where we needed the WLS to begin with. So, we have to create a 'new normal'. Best of luck to you! -RC-

Hey There! Congratulations on making this important step in your life. Refer to your new journey as 'Life 2.0' Take control of yourself, but be honest about the situation. I only mention this because as you start to loose weight, you must be disciplined and never get to the point where you sit back and think you can get 'back to normal'. Your normal is what made you what you are today. WLS is a tool in the tool box. At 56 yrs of age, I am simply 'tired of being fat'. I am fat and once my target is reached, that means only an achievement, not that anything is over. But I know one thing: I will never be fat again! Best of luck! -RC-

My BMI was 55+ when I made decision to sleeve in early March. I fast tracked everything and had VSG on April 16. At 56 years of age, and requiring full replacement of both knees, it was only option to go forward. Now, at approx. 2 months post-op, I am sooooooo happy to have done this. I have lost 60+ lbs and BMI is now in mid-40s already. -RC-

Premier Protein ... mix 50/50 with Choco and vanilla. It tasks a bit like Choco milk. I didn't like either one by themselves, but when I did the 50/50, it was quite tolerable. costco is cheapest place to get Premier Protein. You can get an 18 bottle case for less than $25. Don't buy at Walmart or Target, more expensive there. -RC-

Try to get your Doctor to document that VSG is recommended as 'the medically necessary option' due to your body anatomy. I would be pretty relentless and keep pressing BCBS. Also, you may have BCBS, but is it an employer plan or an actual BCBS plan? If employer plan with BCBS as the plan administrator, take the recommendation above and ask your employer health care plan rep to help you appeal to get this covered. If BCBS shelf plan, unless you have some serious pre-existing condition for any family member, you can always change to a plan that does cover VSG, then go back to BCBS post-op if you like it better. You could even get just a policy for you that does cover Sleeve, and then drop post-op. -RC-

Welcome to the WLS universe, also known as 'Constipation Nation' -RC-

One key reason for this rule (among others) is that drinking during eating or immediately after does flush the food thru your system. You are eating so little 'real food' that its important to allow the small sleeve stomach to begin the process of digestion, which is also where you start to get the real nutrients from real food. Over time, that issue abates. But early on, its very important. -RC-

Thats pretty special! If you choose to do, make sure you post photos here on a weekly basis -RC-

Try eating boiled peanuts, which are legumes and contain a lot of Protein. They mush up well in the mouth. You can buy some at grocery, and just heat in microwave. Yum Yum! -RC-

AMEN!!!! -RC-

Every one of us has the potential to get from 'Ton-derland' to 'One-derland'. It only takes patience and relentless passion to follow the program. The good news is that we have a physical restriction that is the best tool in our toolbox. YOU CAN DO IT! -RC-

My NUT says absolutely! Soups do also. -RC-

The problem with bread is that it balls up in the tummy. If you do eat, make sure you toast it, at least until you are a year out. Per my NUT. -RC-

You look awesome! Your SO better be treating you right -RC-

You look great! -RC-

See, now you're getting a body suitable for those tiny ankles you have -RC-

I had same experience for first 3-4 weeks - I just didn't want to drink Water. It wasn't a restriction issue, just a problem with drinking water all day. Not for me at that time. Then, I started having constipation issues and them got gout in my right toe/foot. Knew I had to start pumping the fluids. Ironically, during week 5 it changed. I was able to bring myself to drink water on a routine basis. Used my new Apple Watch with timer set to every 15 mins. So, I just always had water with me at work desk during day and on side table during TV watching time. Timer goes off, drink, reset timer. Btw, don't forget that if you do Protein drinks, you can count that as Fluid intake. Ditto for Soups. Ditto for skim or low fat milk products. -RC-

A great approach to quick weight loss which is easy DIY ... do the basic Atkins approach which is High Protein / Low Carb / Low Sugar. Keep your carbs under 60 a day. Use Ketostix to check each day and make sure you stay in Ketosis. You can eat all of the following you like: meat/beef, seafood, pork, cheese, eggs, butter, etc. No starches. No sweets. The advantage of this approach is that Atkins is the basic WLS post-op diet, which is to say that you press to eat protein as priority, in the 12-18 months following surgery. Everything else comes after protein. AND, your NUT will tell you stay low carb and low sugar. -RC-

You ladies look awesome! There are some fellas out there who better raise their game to treat you right -RC-

Eating a high Protein / low carb / low sugar diet is essentially the Atkins diet. When your carb intake is reduced to about 50 or less per day, you body will go into a state of Ketosis. This is a VERY GOOD thing, because your body will burn fat for fuel and you will lose weight. Combined with caloric diet < 700 per day during first year, and your body should stay in a constant state of Ketosis. This results in a sense of feeling a constant level of high energy and also that you may not need as much sleep. The net result is that you will wake up after short periods of sleep and your body may be fully rested. As always, this is highly dependent on the person and how their body reacts to the diet and the low caloric intake each day. The proof point of this is when you eat a heavy meal with lots of starch and carbs, you want to do what: SLEEP!!! -RC-

You can probably tell that it REALLY DEPENDS! For me, I had no pain and no discomfort and was working (albeit at home) 3 days after surgery. Could easily move around, walk up stairs, drink liquids, and was eating soft foods at DAY 8 post op. You might ask your surgeon if he has any prediction for someone of your size and shape and body anatomy, as to how you might fair - recovery wise. However, I suspect that the answer will be 'it depends and we really cannot predict'. My Doc - a good one with lots of experience and does 300+ WLS a year - told me that his patient outcomes were about 50/50. 50% had no pain, no discomfort, no problems with drinking or eating post-op, and recovered quickly going back to work no more than one week post-op. The other 50% had any number of issues AT FIRST. But in all cases, over time, things stabilized. It may simply be a toss-up and its not possible to predict. Good luck, hoping you are in the lucky 50% bucket -RC-