Dub

I took 3 full weeks off. The biggest reason was to heal the umbilical hernia that was also repaired during my VSG surgery. I'm glad I did, too, as early in that third week, I was very weak and discovered my blood pressure was running crazy low.....low for the first time in my adult life. lol. A medication reduction and I was instantly fine and have been since. Had I just had the sleeve alone.....two full weeks may have been just fine had I not had the blood pressure issue to deal with, too.

@@erinkath you are certainly not alone in your dislike of the pre-op diet. I think that Kinda was spot on in his reply, too. I used pre-mixed shakes on work days.....just easier to handle and mixed my own using powder and Water on my days off. I had 3-4 a day. I did use unjury chicken Soup flavor powder some, too. When mixed with warm-hot water it was a nice savory change over the other shakes. Water....water....water. It was my friend. I did not go caffeine free on my plan....surgeon was okay with that. I was not allowed salad, milk or anything like that. I'm glad....as I'd have been chomping on stuff and surely add in items that I shouldn't have. One thought keep resonating around in my skull during the pre-op liquid diet......one main thought. It was a tremendous fear. It was the visions of watching the surgical videos from our seminars. Seeing the part of the surgery where the liver is lifted out of the way was scary. Both times I went through this seminar (two different bariatric programs prior to my surgery....as I switched surgeons....switched bariatric centers)....both times....the surgeons stopped the presentation with this image on the screen......they drove home the point about easily damaged the liver can be from raising it up and holding it there throughout the process. They emphasized how critical it is that we remain vigilant during our pre-op liquid diet in order to shrink the liver as much as possible. They each recounted having patients that they had to abort the surgery up getting to this point due to their assessment of the patient's liver at this time. I did not want to be that guy.....the one who wakes up in recovery to find that his surgery was aborted. Now....the above scenario was a worst case scenario that the surgeons portrayed.......but it hit me like a hammer. It was a singular reason to adhere to the liquid diet. It was enough. My pre-op liquid diet was 14 days. I lost 10 pounds during that time. This followed losing 45 pounds in the four months prior after starting my bariatric program. That is a big change in rate of loss and was a very pleasant byproduct of adhering to the diet. It had me rolling into my surgery with confidence and momentum. Please.....consider this your way to take action.....to own your safety.....to do your part to ensure a safe surgery. You will find the same liquid diet is a piece of cake to adhere to after surgery. So easy, in fact, that I stayed with it for 4 weeks vs the normal 2-3. I had no desire to do the puree phase as I was completely satisfied with the liquid and the rate of loss. I didn't then......nor do I now....have any type of hunger. None. If I get the urge...it is in my head and not real. I wish you the best and know for certain that you can do this.

My insurance sucks royally in regard to WLS. They only cover the surgery at 50%. Funny fact......if I'd used my insurance, I would have had to also pay $28,000 out of pocket myself. By self-funding 100% of the cost of my surgery.....I only had to pay $20,000 out of pocket. Ridiculous game, but one I'd play again and again in order to have my sleeve and begin regaining not only my health but my life back.

My regrets mirror those voiced by others in here already.........the list is short: I regret not doing it sooner. I regret having crappy insurance and having to self-fund the entire procedure. That is it. Short list.

Thanks, Jane. Howdy, Mike !!! Welcome to a really wonderful resource and a top notch group of folks. There is so much support to be found here that it will give you confidence in knowing that you are not alone......not at all. Great folks on this site. Welcome to a great new life.

I had my surgery around 9:30am. I was released the next afternoon at 4:30pm. Very smooth and easy recovery. Since I also had an umbilical hernia repair I allowed 3 full weeks before returning to work.

Yup. I've had this happen more than once recently.

I was given the approval to have diet sodas yesterday in my 6 month appointment so long as I was getting in all my Water. I've been so long without the diet sodas and feel much better for it......I don't think I'll return to them. Water is great to me....have zero problems drinking it and can't understand how folks "can't drink it". I know it's a real concern for them....just one that I can't grasp. There are numerous flavoring options that are easily available.

I asked some of these questions yesterday during my 6 month follow-up with my surgeon. He assured me that everything should continue on for me as it has thus far so long as I did my part.....ate mainly Proteins with some vegetables and used crisp & crunchy vegetables as my only Snacks. He said the lack of hunger would continue and that by one year out my meal size should be one cup of food per meal. This is doubling the meal size I currently eat. I'm looking forward to the continued loss and lean living at fighting weight. I've sort done the "pouch test diet" in the past by simply going back to just Protein shakes for a few days here and there. It does improve restriction after each time of doing this.

You are off to an excellent start.

The first couple weeks all I wanted was the basic pre-made low carb Protein shakes.....especially those that had a thinner composition. I stayed on them for the first 4 weeks and then followed my surgeon's advice and graduated to solid meats. The puree stage for me seemed full of danger......foods that didn't support my weight loss goals yet fit an easy texture profile for me to "get down"......no thanks.

Dem legs....... Dayum ! You are doing great !!!

After getting on solid foods I was instructed to keep meals to 1/4 cup in size. All Protein. At the 4 month mark until now at 6 months, I was told to keep my meals to 1/2 cup in size. All protein. I've got my 6 month appointment coming later this morning where I'll learn what to go to next. I am guessing that Ill be staying with the 1/2 cup size. He's told me in the past that by the one year mark I'll be moving up to a full cup in size. Mainly protein along with vegetables.

Yes. I did. 3-4 Pure Protein (nice and thick....filling) or Premier Protein (thin) ready mix shakes were what I used mainly. Spaced them out throughout the day......lots and lots of Water, coffee and Diet Dews were enjoyed during that time, too. I figured there was no reason to deny myself my beloved Diet Mountain Dews leading up to surgery....my surgeon didn't care, either. Those were the last of my Diet Mountain Dews. It's been six months and I don't miss them at all.....nor do I miss the 170 pounds that have melted away since then, either. Post op I stuck with the thin Premier Protein due to it being thin and easy to get down.

Okay.....now I"m hooked on yet another Netflix find, Booze Traveler. Damn, what a cool gig that is. Sign me up for the New Orleans version....just not the voodoo aspects he engages in....I've already lived his Japan episode many moons ago.

Glad you are feeling better. I can only imagine what the restaurant workers have said about me over the years. They could tell stories about the damage they'd seen me engage in.....one burger at a time....

I'm still waiting for him to whup somebody's arse like he did in Roadhouse...... Sam Elliot's voice, and those legs Dub? not fair, not fair. I need the voice lessons........I'm rolling with a high pitched squeaky voice. I need to get some bass in it.......

6 months out last week. I had the same concerns.......but I just lace these jewels up and hit the gym and do some work. Nothing phenomal occurring but it at least I'm sparing some muscle during the losing. Was scared before that I'd have to cover it all up with tattoos or some such ploy. No fears now. Gonna keep getting lean and some minor muscle will emerge.

Maybe I'm just an unsympathetic arsehole.......seeing as I'm still rolling along with ample arse. I'll weight in later once I'm done losing. I be all about some metro-wear then. Until then I'll continue to LMMFAO.

Pretty sure I broke the world's record when I found out about the Soprano's and Game of Thrones......... Be right back.......working on my Sam Elliot voice........... Killer show, right ? Witty as hell interplay between the characters.

@@Dub - Hey, let the guys know that I think we found another judge to take @@bayougirlmrsc's place Thank you, brother, for awaring me of such critical developments. I'd not count Bayourgirl out just yet, though. Perhaps we should consider this more of a panel of judges.....

For me.....food is still important in the sense that it is something that is enjoyed by my family and certainly enjoy cooking & grilling for them. Meals are one of the precious few times that we are all in the same room together. I still enjoy certain flavors....but I don't care to eat most of what I make. Mostly, I've replaced food enjoyment with.....well....with life enjoyment. Being active....outgoing.....having fun while actually LIVING and enjoying the spring like I haven't in a long, long time. The gym is fun, but not an addiction. Traveling some....vacationing.....also powerfully fun. Getting interested in some old hobbies.....hunting and shooting. Revisiting things I've always enjoyed is nice.

So maybe that's why I haven't had anyone approach me and talk with me, I always have my headphones in. I can't stand to workout without music. As far as the creepers at the gym, I have dealt with one before. It makes it worse that I workout at night after I get off work, but I went and bought pepper spray. He was just being weird by walking too close behind me when I was using the cable weights, and then just staring at me while I was doing my seated rows. I was like why can't you just stare using the mirror like everyone else?!?! Or from farther away? lol Dipshyts don't possess the basic communication skills or courage to simply say hello and open up a conversation.....instead he creeps around. Some of the absolute weirdest folks I've encountered were at the two Gold's Gym I used to go to. My current gym seems to have a much smaller population of freaky types. Everyone just seems to be motivated to the nth degree and doing their thing. Total agreement about the music being a must-have as we get our work done. I'm an ironic sort, too....my iTunes is loaded with some vastly differing types of tunes. At home and in the car I'm a country-southern rock-classic rock kind of guy. In the gym.....it's metal and rap. Strange mix of iTunes. It's what I need to get me through the day, though. Love good music.

Things are really changing. Physical changes lead confidence growth. The attention is going to escalate. You have to have a plan for how to deal with it. One thing you can do in the meantime is to keep your earbuds in place and do your thing. They work like magic in that capacity. In all seriousness; that is not only rude, but it's f_cking creepy as hell. I'd have got up in his face to find out what his issue is. Good looking man/woman doesn't excuse it either. When I say I check someone out, it's a simple up and down look and then back to what I was doing. I don't go to the gym to make friends or pick up chicks. Of course, my wife would have my head if I tried to pick up women... LOL yes, rude, and creepy-but only because I knew he was watching. No ruder or creepier than the one who gets on the machine next to you every time you move and watch forever through the mirror or pretend they aren't watching. And he wasn't close enough to have me that worried to begin with. But yes, had he leaned against the wall right next to me or even approached me after his stalking session, I may have felt differently. There are some creepsters among the denizens of the gym. It can sometimes be a superficial place with superficial aspirations towards hitting girls up. Some are just there to work on themselves and get free from life's stresses for an hour or two. It should become easier in time to distinguish who is who.

Good for you, man.....good for you. The suns shines on every dogs arse at some point. That is excellent rate of loss.