Dub

It'll go by quicker than you may think. The Atkins (blue top) shakes were on my plan, however I avoided them due them only having 15gr of protein. Pure Protein and Premier Protein were the two I had the most often. The Pure Protein Shakes are really thick and Fiber rich and kept me from feeling hungry. Good luck, man....it will pass and you'll be able to go after it easier after the surgery when hunger isn't much of a factor.

Go buy yourself a large Yeti stainless tumbler & lid. Fill it up with ice & Water. (It holds 30 oz and there will still be ice in the cup at room temperature after 30 hours. Amazing cups) Take it everywhere you go.....sip on on all day long. Refill as necessary. 3 days out from surgery and I was getting well over 100oz a day. I normally would frown on spending money on such stuff......but the performance of these cups is simply unbelievable. Drank ice water on the way to work. Left it in my cupholder of car. Worked a short day (6hrs). 90 degrees outside. I return to car and there is still ice water in the cup for the trip home. I had a local guy re-finish a pistol for me in two Cerakote colors. He'd told me ahead of time that he was working on an order of Yeti cups for a local store, too. I had him go ahead and do mine in the same colors as the pistol and I bought one on the way there for him to do for my wife. He texted this pic to me to let me know they were ready: On the way back home I made a pitstop for the best lemonade on Earth for her to break in her new cup with. They've got to be hand washed, but it's no biggie. These things are insane. Fill 'em up with ice and water....put 'em on your nightstand (no condensation....no water marks) and you'll still have ice water the next morning waiting on you. Everyone in my family has gone nuts over these things. They are available in 3 sizes now, I believe. I recommend the largest size (30oz).

Surgeon and I covered a lot of ground but the subject of goal weight never came up until I mentioned it. I went back to the weight I was a junior in high school. I played football and was on the wrestling team and lifted weights in the off season. Very active. Lean. I was in the best shape of my life. I took that weight and added 15 pounds to it and asked my surgeon if that was an attainable weight. He said that he felt I could achieve and maintain this weight. We shall see. I'm closer than I was, but still a long damn way to go.

I know one thing......I was mad as hell at the person who first told me I had to give up the BigMac's, fries, apple pies and pizza if I wanted to reach my weight loss goals. The gall they showed. How dare they question my desire to succeed just because I wasn't willing to make the needed changes. No pizza and Cookies right now???? They were being mean. I should be able to have at least 2-3 biscuits every morning, right ? No? WTH ??? I'm leaving. I'm not feeling the support....yada, yada, yada................. Thank God for the folks here that post true and accurate information and are willing to share the good, bad and ugly about wls and their path to it. I'm reminded of Jack Nicolson from "A Few Good Men"....."You want the truth? You can't HANDLE the truth !!!!!!". Some folks want a hug and a lie. They want validation that it'll all be easy and they can keep on doing the same old thing. Some folks really want to get real.....make a change. Some already have. Their input is what fuels my interest here. So.....where's the support ? It's evident in the candid responses. Simply going along and passing out blankets and cookies isn't support. It's enabling.........

It's hard.......damn hard....to be patient during those months. It seems like it'll take forever.....but once you are into the pre-op weight loss it seems to fly by. Every few pounds you lose will give your body a break and feeling better will encourage you to lose more. Before you know it those first few months have passed. You'll participate in the various classes and workshops than can be very valuable later on. This will help the time to pass, too. It's tough, sure.....because we are are simply worn out and ready to get "there" and feel & look our best. A lot of good things can happen for you along the way those 6 months and you can learn from them. You can, in great confidence, make a strong run at losing weight pre-op with the knowledge that you are ensuring a safer surgery and you'll continue with the great progress once you have your surgery. The months ahead will pass and you'll look back and laugh. Best wishes.

Couple trips to Walmart grocery store early in the morning before they get busy. I loaded up the freezers with easy to prepare sutra they like. I made sure the fridge was loaded with staples. They can microwave and heat stuff up in the oven with no problem. A couple huge bags of dog food so the puppies would be covered. It's gone well with minimal problems.

Outstanding information @@rickm I really appreciate your insight here. @@737captain you really drove home a point with the dog food observation. Just before my sleeve & umbilical hernia repair surgery, I went out and stocked up the house on stuff......frozen foods and staples for my family and two huge bags of dog food for our two dogs. I distinctly remember walking out of the veterinarian's office with those big bags thinking that I had been "wearing" the equivalent to 4 of them for too dang long. I understand your questions about "overshooting" your goal. I had the same questions. I think that RickM really laid it out nicely. I'm looking forward to the lean days ahead.......

Too early to tell, here. I can say that the same Protein powders & shakes that I liked prior.....are the same ones I like the exact same now. Same one's I don't care for are the ones I still don't care for. strawberry unjury is something I'll never grow to like.

I almost never make promises......but I'll promise you this: It gets easier post-op. You just have to grind it out and reach that point. You can do it. It's within your grasp. There are no food "goodbyes". Anything that you enjoyed before.....you can enjoy again once you are post-op from your sleeve. Some foods make take a while before they are safe to sample.....but you'll be able to have stuff. There is no reason now to try to sample all the stuff you like to say goodbye to it. I think that is one of the biggest pre-op follies that sleeve patients engage in. You'll still be able to have some of your birthday cake, or holiday meal favorites.......but in time. Short term goals are awesome right now. Set them for yourself and go after them hardcore. Reward yourself with non-food prizes. You are going to dominate and thrive on the new lean you. Small steps make these next few weeks tolerable. Small steps and rewards.

Take a look at the label on that Soup. https://www.campbells.com/campbell-soup/on-the-go/cheesy-potato-with-bacon-flavor-soup/ I'd submit that soup is not your best friend at all. Almost no Protein and a lot of non-Fiber carbs. It's not an easy battle but it begins by adhering to our plans.

This is what worked for me ^^^^^^^^^^

This is a duplicate post I made earlier......but I think I made it in the wrong section before. Had a cool NSV yesterday that foreshadows the tremendous NSV potential ahead....... So.....I'm a dude who gives not two thoughts to clothes. I pretty much wear cargos or khakis at work with one of our company monogramed shirts. I prefer the polo style. Days off work....same basic deal....just cargos with t-shirts or polo shirts. Suit and tie on church Sunday. This is how it's been for a long time. I've been out of work just under three weeks now, recovering from sleeve & umbilical hernia surgery. Most of this time I've been wearing a few pairs of Under Armour long pants, shorts and t-shirts. These have gone from snug & in need of a "pre-wear stretch" prior to surgery.....to now being baggy and saggy once coming out of the clothes drier. Funny stuff. I never wore clothes from the drier.....and I usually did the "shirt stretch deal" as I put them on. Now it's obvious. Old stuff doesn't fit anymore. My wife and I had some events we wanted to go to yesterday, Halloween day. I'd gone out earlier in the morning and had a haircut and also got my beard trimmed up (I'd shaved prior to the surgery, but since then it's grown back). Anyway, came home yesterday morning with a ball cap on and wearing my normal UA pants and t-shirt. After she got ready I went and got another shower (can't stand that feeling after a haircut) and got dressed. I wore a pair of cargos that I bought the week prior to the surgery....now 3 weeks old. They'd just come out of the drier. Buttoned up they kept falling down as I was trying to find a smaller shirt to wear. Finally found a never worn polo that is made from a no-stretch dry-tech type fabric. It was hiding in my closet among the few smaller clothes that are in there. Got the shirt on and belt cinched down to keep my freaking pants up. Looked in the mirror as I was brushing my teeth and thought, "Alright, dude.....you look human again". I walked downstairs to grab a glass of Water and ran into my wife. She looked at me and burst out into tears. I'm like, "WTH ????" and she's smiling while crying and gives me a huge hug. "Have you seen yourself ?", she asked. It was one of those spontaneous affirmations outa the clear blue that reminded me that I made the right decision in getting the surgery. Later on in the day she commented....."Have you noticed how you are now walking......no limping". I did notice. I've only needed Advil on 3 occasions since the surgery as opposed to needing it 3 times per day every day prior to wls. It's only been 2+ weeks since the surgery (down 31 pounds).....and 6 months since my weight loss efforts began (down 89 pounds).......and I already feel years younger. It's at the point that I can't even conceive of how much younger I"ll feel once I reach the 1 year post-op mark. 47 now.......will probably feel like 27 after the first year. Looking forward to wearing the same type of of button fly Levi's I wore in college. I've still got the old leather jacket that wore then, too. It's got some road rash from two motorcycle wrecks that I walked away from. It's going to feel great being that same guy once again......just a wiser & worn version. 47 heading toward 27. I'm down with that.

Peace and Blessings, indeed. You will find much/many of each in your future. It is assured. The pre-op liquid diet sucks. There is no way to make it seem like some wonderful deal. It sucks. It's no fun. Mickey D's used to be a near daily stop for me. I get ya loud and clear on that. Here's the deal, though.......I was told to lose 50 pounds prior to surgery. It was a mandate from my surgeon. It had nothing to do with helping my comorbities, allowing my herniated T12 disc to heal better, help my knee arthritis.....none of that. It had nothing to do with reasons that my primary care doctor wanted me to lose weight. It have everything to do with having a safer surgery. I lost those pre-op 50 pounds and my surgeon commented on it during his post-op visits. He said he could see the internal fat around my intestines had begun to melt. He said the surgery went great and my sleeve is "textbook". I've had zero complications since. It's all about your safety. Find a way to grind it out....dig deep.....give yourself some non-food rewards.....buy some cool items you've wanted......heck....start looking at fashion magazines and envision the smaller/leaner you rocking the clothes you've wanted. Know that no matter how bad the pre-op diet sucks........it gets so much easier the moment you recover from surgery. Hunger is usually gone after sleeve surgeries.....the same liquid diet is a breeze for me to adhere to now. Heck, I forget to get all my shakes in. The scale is a daily friend and shows a lower weight every single day (once you past that first week and lose the normal Fluid gain from the IV's and inflammation). Do it for your safety during the surgery. That is no joke. It's a real concern. Know that post-op, things are much easier to handle.

Had a cool NSV yesterday that foreshadows the tremendous NSV potential ahead....... So.....I'm a dude who gives not two thoughts to clothes. I pretty much wear cargos or khakis at work with one of our company monogramed shirts. I prefer the polo style. Days off work....same basic deal....just cargos with t-shirts or polo shirts. Suit and tie on church Sunday. This is how it's been for a long time. I've been out of work just under three weeks now, recovering from sleeve & umbilical hernia surgery. Most of this time I've been wearing a few pairs of Under Armour long pants, shorts and t-shirts. These have gone from snug & in need of a "pre-wear stretch" prior to surgery.....to now being baggy and saggy once coming out of the clothes drier. Funny stuff. I never wore clothes from the drier.....and I usually did the "shirt stretch deal" as I put them on. Now it's obvious. Old stuff doesn't fit anymore. My wife and I had some events we wanted to go to yesterday, Halloween day. I'd gone out earlier in the morning and had a haircut and also got my beard trimmed up (I'd shaved prior to the surgery, but since then it's grown back). Anyway, came home yesterday morning with a ball cap on and wearing my normal UA pants and t-shirt. After she got ready I went and got another shower (can't stand that feeling after a haircut) and got dressed. I wore a pair of cargos that I bought the week prior to the surgery....now 3 weeks old. They'd just come out of the drier. Buttoned up they kept falling down as I was trying to find a smaller shirt to wear. Finally found a never worn polo that is made from a no-stretch dry-tech type fabric. It was hiding in my closet among the few smaller clothes that are in there. Got the shirt on and belt cinched down to keep my freaking pants up. Looked in the mirror as I was brushing my teeth and thought, "Alright, dude.....you look human again". I walked downstairs to grab a glass of Water and ran into my wife. She looked at me and burst out into tears. I'm like, "WTH ????" and she's smiling while crying and gives me a huge hug. "Have you seen yourself ?", she asked. It was one of those spontaneous affirmations outa the clear blue that reminded me that I made the right decision in getting the surgery. Later on in the day she commented....."Have you noticed how you are now walking......no limping". I did notice. I've only needed Advil on 3 occasions since the surgery as opposed to needing it 3 times per day every day prior to wls. It's only been 2+ weeks since the surgery (down 31 pounds).....and 6 months since my weight loss efforts began (down 89 pounds).......and I already feel years younger. It's at the point that I can't even conceive of how much younger I"ll feel once I reach the 1 year post-op mark. 47 now.......will probably feel like 27 after the first year. Looking forward to wearing the same type of of button fly Levi's I wore in college. I've still got the old leather jacket that wore then, too. It's got some road rash from two motorcycle wrecks that I walked away from. It's going to feel great being that same guy once again......just a wiser & worn version. 47 heading toward 27. I'm down with that.

Thank you !!! I don't sugar coat stuff and simply throw out what's bouncing around in my head. I'd sure like to spare other folks form the pains and self-abuse that I put myself through. No matter how much we tend to overcomplicate the reasonings and history of our own obesity.......the solutions are fairly simple and straightforward. That's not to be confused with easy. Simple as in = straightforward & logical. I can't say that easy comes into play very often, although, for most of the sleevers it is possibly easier if hunger is no longer in play. Rice lover ? Yup....that described me really well prior to wls. Uncle Ben's, Zatarians and other store brands now make rice that is flavored and in small microwavable bags. You simply stand the bag up in the microwave and nuke it for a minute. It's hot and ready in less than 90 seconds. He can now make his own rice with ease. A staple in our house are frozen (pre-cooked) boneless chicken breasts. Easy to find in freezer section. Easy to microwave. Put a little BBQ sauce on it with some rice on the side......bamsucka !!!!! Tasty meal. Does he like salads? There are many salad kits in the grocery store that everything in them.....simply dump 'em out in the bowl and blend in all the toppings. My personal favorite prior to wls was Dole Sunflower Citrus kit. Outstanding flavor....even had bacon, sunflowers and a killer tasting dressing in it. One of these kits and a can of tuna is a big meal. You really need to read many of of Djmohr's comments and replies. Her posts are spot on. Not only do her posts drive home the truth........she comes to these levels of understanding while going through way more than just the weight loss surgery. She's been through more pain, surgery, recovery than I can comprehend, yet she remains positive and firmly committed. She is a real hero here and I respect the heck out of her. Please do yourself the favor of reading her posts. Smart, articulate and wise.

I asked my nutritionist about the Patches. I was told to simply keep taking the supplements they recommended. No problems....I take 'em.....chew 'em up and it's done. No big deal. I'm lucky to not have Vitamin issues.

If I understand what you are saying.....we can skip our Vitamins because we were sleeved vs bypassed ?????? Flawed logic, in my opinion. Our post-sleeve diet is mainly Proteins and doesn't have the capacity to allow all the fruits, vegetables and other eats that provide all the nutrients we need. It's not a matter of our piping not being altered.....it's a matter of us not taking in the nutrients to start with. Supplementation with vitamins is crucial.

Happens to me with my iPad on every single use. I'll type out a response and it'll crash and lose what I typed. Not a problem with my Mac or iPhone. It's the only time the I've ever had the problem.

Maybe my view is over-simplistic, but as long as we take in less calories than we burn then we'll lose weight. Do you track your incoming calories ?

Today was my 17th day post op. 29 pounds lost since surgery.

As long as you remain under s calorie deficit you will lose weight. Staying in ketosis is a way to seriously amplify the fat loss, too.

Welcome to the Loser's Bench !!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Skynrd. Had some blasting on my Marshall Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen yesterday while cooking for my family. I had my sleeve and umbilical hernia repair (3rd time) on Oct 13, 2015. Pain will become much improved really soon. You've got more to deal with than the average sleeve surgery. Stay on top of the pain by dosing on schedule. You may need to ask your surgeon for additional pain meds, too. Mine only gave me the standard sleeve amount. The hernia pain was on another level, however. You'll feel much, much better by day 5......... I promise. Best wishes.

Outstanding !!!!!!!!!

My C-PAP Some magazines My iPhone with full charge and a remote battery (good for three recharges) Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, huge bottle of hand sanitizer that I used constantly. Baggy gym shorts, loose t-shirt (2), underwear You are going to want a pillow for the ride home. Feels good to hold it against your abdomen. Also have your post op pain med perscription filled and ready for dosing when you leave.