Dub

food simply exists to keep you moving forward. Moving forward is the key !!!!

It does suck.....but it's for your safety. In the grand scheme of things.....you'll look back on these two weeks and laugh. You are about to get so far past your old self that it's not even funny !!!!!

6 shakes ? And vegetables ? Your plan is very generous.

Seems like it was at my one month checkup. I asked and was allowed a couple cups each day. Beware of Starbucks at this point, though. Much of their offerings are calorie dense and even their basic coffee (no calories) is brewed fairly strong and can be too much on a healing sleeve. Now, though......a trip to Starbuck's for a venti dark roast with cream & Splenda is a real treat that indulge in often.

Not sure about the mercury aspects. I should look into this. Same with cholesterol from eggs and such. Keep in mind that once you have your sleeve you're not really eating high volumes of protein.....just high percentage of your intake is protein. In other words.......consider a normal meal from your former life. Imagine it. Think about what the plate looked like when it was loaded down at your normal meals. Got an image in mind ? Good. Now, remove the side items from the plate. Zero in on the entree. Got it? Good. Now zero in on that Entrees and then shrink it down to 1/4 cup in size.....or 1/2 cup or whatever size meal your phase has you eating at meals. Now....you'll see that you may actually be eating LESS protein than you were before....and none of the other stuff. No side dishes....no salads.....no Desserts. You'll only have room for some of the protein rich entree. With this in mind, you can still cook the same meals for your family....but you select from just part of it for your own needs. Supplement the gaps with bariatric Multivitamins, Calcium, Iron and B-12. Stay hydrated. Get lean. It's simple......as long as you let it be simple. Stay away from foods that don't fit your new goals.....and even their substitutes. Stick with the basics and work through the various phases.

I had mix feelings about this. For now, I've chosen to still but the same stuff in the grocery store. Our pantry is filled with Doritos, Pop Tarts and other stuff that I don't eat. I felt that my new way of living shouldn't translate over to punishment for the rest of the household. Even when I fire up the grill I still make much of the same old classics they love, yet I avoid. After all....I'll be faced with those same temptations outside the house, why not be able to flex & develop my self-control muscles in the safety of the house? I can certainly understand the opposite way of handling this, though. The only time I've ever successfully lost weight was when I followed strict Atkins. I ate over 2500 calories a day on that diet and lost almost 150 lbs in a year. But I lacked the will power to STAY on it. I'm seeing surgery as being the tool I need to not start eating crap again. I'm certainly not going to sabotage myself after going to such extremes. But yes, I lack the will power myself to never eat crap again unless I have another tool in place. For me, I have been easily able to stick to a low carb lifestyle post op, because I am not hungry and I can eat small portions. My issues with Atkins/Paleo/Keto etc has always been I was still hungry and over eating, even eating the right things. The sleeve makes it easy to stick to the lifestyle. I already had the will power but I was still over eating, and then I would stall and just quit. I can't quit with the sleeve. There is no WLS that will give you will power. You can eat around the sleeve, the RNY, lapband, all of them. DS is probably the only one you can't eat around because it is so extreme. Mentally you have to be in a place for WLS to work for you, or it won't. I think it is good you are asking a lot of the questions you are asking but you don't really seem ready for WLS. It seems like something you are agreeing to because your healthy is failing, but you don't really seem to be at the end of your rope with your weight yet. JMO Agreed. The lack of hunger once post-op has been a much appreciated aspect. Sounds good. Remember....we were answering your original question. You've taken it to a new level of resolve, which is all very good. The other tool that I've found to be highly effective with losing fat: EXERCISE In fact, I'd rank the post-op tools in the following order of importance: 1) Lack of hunger 2) Exercise 3) Restriction The way exercise helps me is on several levels. One is in terms of understanding what a calorie feels like. Punch in your stats on any treadmill or elliptical and hop on and do some work for an hour. Get off and see that you burned enough calories for 2 candy bars and you'll never again won't a candy bar. You'll equate that sweat effort with willpower and you'll understand how bad junk food is. Another way is in how you'll feel after sustained exercise. You'll feel better all day....and even better the next. Add some weight training into the deal and you will really start to feel GOOD. The effect it has on your body will soon become visible. Tone and structure. Improved posture. An easier stride. Clothes fit better. All the sudden you'll SEE it. Others will see it, too. It becomes another way that your willpower to resist junk food is strengthened. You'll be a whole new person before you know it. It can occur overnight, literally. For me.....it happened when I was sitting up in my easy chair one night. I couldn't make it to bed. I couldn't do much else but sit in that chair. I'd been sitting there for six weeks. Six weeks of going to PT sessions and taking meds to get past a back injury. One night I couldn't sleep.....just like the night before.....the meds and the pain had me wide awake. I decided that night to make a change. To find a way to get my legs beneath me and to change. By the time the sun came up the next morning I had a gameplan. I knew that wls would be part of it. I lost a nice chunk of weight in the next couple months and then had my VSG. It's been game-on ever since. It all came back to that one night.....everything that's occurred since was set in motion on that night. I'll never forget how bad I hurt then....unable to move or even breath deeply without crazy pain. Never again will I let fat be a contributor to that type of situation. I want this stuff burned off and turned into fuel. I have a hopeful eye to the future of how I'll adjust my diet once my body has burned the onboard fat for fuel. It'll be an interesting place to be.....another phase to live in. Looking forward to that.

Yup. Same here. The 500's. Chewy Bites. I like the caramel version while I wait on my coffee maker to brew that first pot of the day. The orange version is great for my other two doses during the day. Dang things are like candy.....only better.

You are a kind and considerate soul, Sharon. And you are right.....we sometimes need reminders such as this that we are in a good place.

You know what, you're right. I think I'm concerned that even eating better choices and in small amounts isn't going to be enough. I've been fat my entire life (weighed 100 lbs in first grade), it's hard to imagine that anything will ever change that. I shared those concerns, too. There are likely many, many old habits to break away from and a few basic good habits to adopt that will protect and shield you from the bad habits ever returning.

Yes. We read. If you are going to fully commit to WLS then your original question is a moot point. Think about it for a few seconds......let the term "fully commit" sink in. You've answered you own question.

I'm going to say this again... I am fully committing to WLS. I am planning 100% to change what I'm eating (in fact already have) and will not sabotage the surgery. Sorry if I sound snippy but I feel like people aren't actually reading my words. Yes. We read. If you are going to fully commit to WLS then your original question is a moot point. Think about it for a few seconds......let the term "fully commit" sink in. You've answered you own question.

Lawd have mercy.......... It's my brother from another mother. Great looking eats, man.

Most anyone, in my opinion, can eat past VSG surgery. You've gotta adopt a new gameplan if you want to succeed. Proteins first. Supplementation of nutrients and forget about all the junk food once and for all. If you can't commit to this.....then don't waste your time and money on the surgery. Harsh ? Meh.....nope. Just cutting to the chase and telling you the truth.

Exactly why I skipped the puree stage. I simply stayed on Protein shakes only for 4 weeks. YMMV, but that is my advice.

You are quite welcome and I hope you don't let the new way of living throw you off. It's actually very, very simple. So much more so than other conventional diets for non-wls folks. Keep on the simple path and all will be well. You may get slightly bored at times with the diet....but please remember it is just a phase.....gut check time.....stick with it and advance to the next phase that will lead to more variety.......and so on. Here's a culinary pro-tip for you in case you are unaware, like I was: There are a plethora of flavored tuna, salmon and chicken packaged in foil packets. These packets make a decent serving size for those early days. Flavors are wide ranging and very tasty. The Proteins are very moist and go down easy. No preparation required. My desk drawer at work stays loaded with them. Just beware that the Tai Chili flavors can be hawt. Keep it simple. Don't go muck things up by adding in foods that aren't directly relevant with the specific phase you find yourself in. You've got this and have the ability to kick arse and take names.

Thank you. And you are very welcome. Please don't let things like this stress you during your walk towards surgery date. It's a great process and one that can be filled with self-discovery. Things can really be quite simple once we get out of our own way. You are gonna do great. Remember to keep taking deep breaths and stay relaxed. Nothing to worry about except cleaning out your closet and getting ready to have a justification to shop, shop, shop for new clothes. Fun stuff. You are going to see so much new energy and enthusiasm. Life is good, but sleeved life is better.

Aw...hail no to the shots !!!!!! Straight alkeehawl on a surgically altered stomach that's still barely healed ????? I'd give it while yet.

It's better in every aspect. Being all I can be and all that........... It's simply not often enough and I find myself behaving more like a bull in a china shop.

I'm trying to wrap my head around just eating protein as being healthier than protein and veggies. Do you just take Vitamins for what you are missing in veggies? All my life I have been told to eat more veggies to be healthy and that vitamins are a poor replacement. Is this outdated science? You'll hear things from your bariatric surgeon that seem to conflict conventional dietary advice over and over again. On the surface it may seem to bit a bit wonky. There is one underlying premise that you must embrace for your nutritional needs to be met after having VSG surgery...at least in the first year. That rule is SUPPLEMENTATION IS KEY !!!!!! You have limited room in your new stomach. Get your protein in. Supplement with bariatric Multivitamins, Iron, Calcium citrate, B-12 and Fiber drinks like Metamucil. Be mindful of the timing of this supplementation as calcium needs to be taken at distant time intervals from vitamins and iron. Your surgeon & hopefully your NUT should coach you up here. As you gain the capacity to move from the initial 1/4 cup up to the full cup meals....you will be able to add in wholesome foods that contain the nutrients that may allow you to cut back on the supplementation....YMMV. Remember....the goal is to lose weight and spare muscle structure in those initial months. The diet you embrace during the first year is geared toward maximum fat loss. The diet you embrace later will be more in line with what you'll do for the rest of your life. Now.......these are just my own opinions........based on the numerous conversations I've had with my surgeon and my own experiences. It works for me and is relevant to my own goals. It's all about finding your stride and blazing you own trial. Just understand that this wls path comes in stages & phases and our gameplan needs to be in accord with each step of this. Change is the only constant during this first year. Trust & Believe.

First repair was done with mesh. Second was with deep stitches. This last repair, done during my VSG, was done with deep stitches. My Achilles heel, it would appear, is my beer gut, lol.

Scivmtion now makes a version of Xtend that has a pre-workout mixed in........trying to find some....grrrrr. Has serious potential for being a good product. Post where you find their pre workout. Not sure how many flavors you've tried. Grape Xtend is good, green apple is even better. Watermelon is just okay. I agree completely on the green apple goodness. It really is nice. One of the things I love about the flavors of Xtend is that you can Water them down and yet they still taste great. I use a shaker bottle with ice & water and sip during workout. Damn tasty. Rinse add ice, water and Protein powder after for the ride home. Good stuff.

My son, then 15, and I have a "no bs" relationship. I almost lost him a couple years back and adopted a different tack after that experience. I am 100% straightforward and honest with any question he has on any subject. Nothing off limits. No parental filters. The truth and nothing but the truth. The good, the bad and the ugly. I sat him down and told him about my first bariatric appointment in June 2015. He wanted the rundown of the procedure and then asked if it was risky. I told him that any surgery had inherent risks but this surgery was much more safe than living the way I was currently living. He accepted it and said he was all in and supported me. Here is a pic taken the afternoon I came home from my first bariatric appointment: Here is a pic taken not quite a year later.....standing in almost the same spot in our driveway....just facing the other direction..lol Just sit down with each of them.......and tell them. Tell you love them and want to be around for them for a long, long time. You've got this !!!!!!!

Dub, You were the first person on here to let me know some surgeons operate on it. I'm hoping to hear mine does. I really don't want to keep going for so many surgeries. Do you think it made recovery harder ? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I'd already had umbilical hernias repaired on two prior surgeries...10 & 5 years prior to my VSG. Both were open type out-patient surgeries that hurt like hell to recover from. Outa work for 5-6 weeks for both. Then there was my VSG surgery with a simultaneous umbilical repair done with same tools he used for the the VSG. I was out of work for 3 weeks. Had it just been sleeve surgery, then I'd have only been out a week. I knew at the time of my VSG & hernia surgery.....that the hernia repair should be considered temporary. Losing the weight over the next 18 months would have my ab muscles tighten and be in a better state for a more permanent repair. It wasn't bad at all, though. The recovery this time was a cakewalk compared to last time. Two things that I would advise you having at home and making even easier work of it: 1) a recliner to sleep and recover in. Much easier than trying to lay flat in a bed. 2) raised toilet seat insert. They simply fit over the bowl and raise the height of the toilet seat a few inches. So much easier to sit and stand from an elevated height. I used the liquid pain meds for just a couple days and then was good.

Kinda......I fell ya, mayne. Piss on a stall. Hate those damn things. I got powerfully pissed off with one two weeks ago and went back to the basics and busted through it. Low carb Protein powder mixed with ice & Water.....and daily gym visits. This kept my carbs und 20 grams each day and my protein elevated to the 120 grams per day level. The only solid foods I had were ham omelettes, some tuna and grilled chicken. I had a couple days where I went bonkers for something to crunch on. Bell peppers, celery and a daily apple helped keep my crunch beast satisfied.

No such recipes, my friend. However......spent 5 weeks in Japan and while there I went native. Thank the Lord above that the weekends were mine....all mine....and I could hop aboard trains and get back to Tokyo & Kyoto for some menus that were more in line with what I was accustomed to in the states. Hard Rock Cafe spared my sanity on those weekend getaways. The weekdays were spent further out in the "country" areas where I was working. The stuff I ate was.....well....by our standards here.....vastly different.....but everything was perfectly prepared and tasty. Funny story is that one of my co-workers was dead set on sticking with KFC, Wendy's and McDonalds while we were there on one of the trips. He contracted a bad stomach virus while there. I'd chose to go all in with their food....their culture.....had a blast and came home no worse for the wear. And as far as the skewering comment goes........I've been working a long string of consecutive workdays with a few more to go. Trust & Believe that I'm ready to do some skewering. It's becoming an undeniable need that must be met. I can't wait until my next day off when I can skewer my back out !!!!!!!!!!!! Kampai !!!!!!!!!!!!