IncredibleShrinkingMan

Were you actually told to fast? This sounds like a standard pre-op regimen...which means nourishment on a very limited calorie budget. I don't know how healthy it is to think of it as a fast...there is an inescapable psychological element to all of this and how you play it could determine your success. Just my two cents.

Can any guys 30 or under who post to this thread please tag me so I can see what you have to say? Thanks! I am noticing some hair line recession at six and a half weeks out.

I did better on pre-op when I drank Clear liquids only. Things of other textures just caused more hunger and cravings. Total withdrawal requires not teasing yourself. It doesn't work the same way as Nicorette or something. Besides, that's how post-op starts out...clear liquids for a week and sometimes more. Don't cheat. I had a few slips and my surgeon said my liver was on the cusp of blocking the surgery. The effect is real and it is well worth the pain.

If he doesn't cook, maybe this is your big chance to "teach a man to fish." Learning to fend for himself should be his end of this effort, and contributions are required from any spouse that is truly supportive. Having to constantly being around foods that aren't sleeve-appropriate will bring negative energy to you and ultimately sabotage your efforts. Don't let it happen. Eventually, however, I think he will be so proud of you that he will do anything he can to help you maintain it.

In addition to time of day, try to keep weigh-in conditions consistent. If your lifestyle moves around a lot for work, relationships, school, etc..., then a particular time won't mean much as a reference point. Rather, maybe choose a particular set of clothes for weighing in (including, of course, none), before you eat your first calorie of the day, and after a standard night of sleep, or even after a fairly standard workout. This is so that variable glycogen storage doesn't affect the day to day readings.

@@ripeone What exactly do you mean by nights not so good? Do you mean you eat stuff you shouldn't at night? Have you been stalled? Since you are doing well during the day, try to make the nights more like your days, i.e., eat protein instead of fat and sugar, and try not to eat too close to bed time. Emotional eating is a much harder thing to fix than what exactly you eat to deal with emotions. Good luck! You obviously know what to do since you are down 50 lbs.

Don't do it all during your designated pre-op. That is the time to shrink your liver and stamp in new habits and norms into your lifestyle. That said, as long as you don't make yourself ill or disqualify yourself from surgery by doing it, just do it. I had numerous last suppers and spent a good bit of money traveling to make it happen. All because I would rather have been glad I did than sorry I didn't. You can't hit everything, so choose a couple, and make sure you don't gain weight doing it. I am very content with how my last supper tour went, and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in regret over not taking my last chance. Of course it's not good for you, but since we're here, we have obviously done it before. Note that every diet and exercise weight loss attempt also probably started with a food funeral. It's natural, don't be ashamed, but when it's time to stop it's time to stop. Godspeed.

@@Jazziminna How are you doing with calorie intake in general? Are you drinking any non-Protein calories? And how is your exercise going? If you are doing all those things right, then 2 lbs is easily explained by an increased ability to get the necessary Water, and by the possible addition of some muscle if you are walking enough (muscle weighs more than fat). Don't overreact, give it time and make sure the overall direction keeps heading downward

A surgeon telling you not to have a last supper tour, food funerals, or whatever other fancy names we have for this phenomenon is like telling you not to breathe. It is natural, and you will do it, especially if you are given a longer pre-op. I had only two weeks of pre-op so it was fairly easy not to go nuts during just those two weeks (although I was ravenously hungry throughout them). You could not have asked me to do that for a period of months. I would start to get used to post-op eating rules, but I don't think that's inconsistent with not saying some good-byes. To hit this to another field, I can tell you that I am six and a half weeks post-op, and there is nothing I have tried, other than things with extremely high Fiber content, that I can't have a little share of. I haven't tried fast food, nor do I want to, but I have had at least a burger, a hot dog, and french fries at least once, in fist size portions with no bread. You and food are not over. Rather, you and food are just beginning. You will be trying things you never thought to try because of your love of the old faves. They will still be there, and your sleeve will tell you when it is time to put it in the fridge or give it to someone else. If you will truly miss the portion sizes as an essential part of the experience, I would say yes, this is the end of that, and you should enjoy that one last time. I am not quite up to any kind of bread or Pasta, but the way things are going those will come back, and I am counting on the restriction to tell me when to stop. I am still losing weight very rapidly, so until that stops, I will just let the sleeve do the talking, but it is imperative to listen, otherwise there is no point in the surgery.

@@gabbisha have you been walking or otherwise exercising? It is critical, and unless you are very ill I would find a way to get it in. Your body will quickly learn to adjust to lower calorie intake, but there's nothing it can do to save calories if you are forcing the expenditure. Also, you will need to make sure you get the necessary Protein in order to see continued weight loss. It is necessary for healing and also for your muscles to continue torching the fat stores. If you aren't getting the protein, the sleeve will be much slower to start accepting real food again. Starvation does not work, and your body will just hibernate. You are far enough out not to be taking the liquid Protein. It looks like you are about to hit soft foods, so a whole new variety becomes available to you. Find some fish or poultry that you like and chew it well and see if your sleeve tolerates it better. Be absolutely sure you are not drinking any non-protein calories at this point.

Mistakes I've made (none of them happen with any kind of frequency): -was so thirsty after spicy, dehydrating food that I gulped Water during the meal. I didn't lose any satiety and stopped eating right when I otherwise would have. No harm, no foul, although I've heard from at least one source that water and food in the sleeve together can cause damage -had some diet soda on an Amtrak train because I was very hot and needed something very cold and full of ice. It was a heavenly sensation, and I didn't notice any problems with bloating. I had about half of a can. -have skipped the Multivitamin on certain mornings because it is really nauseating to take without food. I literally feel like I'm about to hurl for the next 30 minutes after taking it, so I have definitely missed some mornings, especially when in a rush. -relying too much on the no-carb rule to eat anything else I want (starting 6 weeks out). The other day I hit up a Chipotle right outside my apartment (I know, sucks that it has to be right there, but so is a pizza place, and I would never even think of walking in there) and ordered a salad with no tortilla, rice, or Beans, but barbacoa, sour cream, cheese, salsa, and guacamole. I am still losing pretty rapidly, and playing in recreational sports leagues, so I didn't feel awful about it, but I assume there will be a point at which that stuff has to take a hike if the scale is to keep moving. Luckily, I could eat no more than half.

May I recommend that OP cancel this thread? This is a place people come for support, and it shouldn't result in a career being jeopardized. It is imperative that OP find a counselor or therapist with which to talk this over. And to answer your question, nobody is judging you, and please heed the advice to keep this away from a public forum, regardless of whether the information can be obtained through other methods.

Previous posters have pretty much covered it. While you can't make any assurances, the key moves are, roughly in order, 1) no crash diets, 2) no extreme weight loss regimens (other than the sleeve itself), 3) lots of water, 4) get in all of your protein, 5) resistance training, 6) aerobic training. The younger you are the more likely you are to have your skin adjust to your smaller body.

@@BLERDgirl nowadays when I read things I hear a thick Irish brogue speaking the words to me. It is impossible to overstate how wonderful he is.

I would say that if you are on purees, go with some greek yogurt (or otherwise nonfat yogurt) and throw some protein powder and fresh fruit (not the sugary stuff that comes pre-made with the yogurt) in as a healthy parfait. There are also some great recipes out there for making pancakes out of egg whites and crumbled protein bars. The resulting food shouldn't be a problem as to texture, although double check with your nutritionist.

Good luck. Bring a copy of any past weight loss attempt records (I brought the ones from the gym), especially if your BMI is borderline for qualification. Be sure you tell your PCP everything that both the surgeon and insurance want to hear so that he includes it in the letter. In order to get it done before the new year (I think January would be more realistic...I would find it hard to have the discipline to get done in the middle of holiday season anyway), be sure you stay on track with your info sessions, pre-op visits, and don't let the sleep study people yank you around...that is the part that stalls the longest, so you're best off saying anything that is reasonably true so that a question doesn't arise regarding your respiratory health.

I would go with what your gut tells you (no pun intended). Beans have been impossible at every attempt and I am resigned to the fact that they may never work again. I believe their fiber is very tough on the sleeve and induces nausea and stacking of other foods almost immediately. I don't know why peas would be considered worse.

I had it on my 31st birthday, and was about 130 lbs overweight on the first day of pre-op. I am beginning to see some loose, saggy skin in the abdominal area, but not really anywhere else, and this might be attributable to the drain site. I am 60 lbs down at 6 weeks out, so I'll update this thread once more happens.

Whatever happens please don't let this setback lead to other ones...i.e., letting go of the great progress you have made without surgery. I would say keep on this course, and either get an insurance that covers it or go to Mexico, and when you finally get it, the prospects of meeting your goals with it will be that much greater.

They will happen, and I just getting out of one right now. They are opportunities to reassess. I had been losing weight with just the natural restriction alone, and doing great with protein and minimal carbs. But I had not been exercising due to a wacky schedule. I recently stepped it back up, started jogging, and fall soccer started this week, and just like that the train is moving again. The next stall that happens after that will probably be a cue to change up the exercise routine or maybe even adjust the food a little bit (though this part will be a lot harder).

Note also that the maximum follow-up was 9 years. Chances are things go awry for traditional interventions much sooner than that, and I've read studies that say 90% of people put every pound back on within 3 years. These are grim statistics, and I would hope it would only cause more insurance to cover bariatric surgery, and above all, I hope that in time the "eat less and lose more" rhetoric becomes as backwards as racism and gender discrimination.

Only in Amurrica. I have never heard of that. For me, every day was some kind of horribly fattening monstrosity day. I was oblivious to days named after food. Once I'm a bit further out they may begin to have more meaning, but I can count on Mr. Sleeve to turn out the lights when its time even if I do choose to partake.

My candid advice? Keep them. I know that sounds like a deadweight loss and a lost opportunity to be charitable, but I honestly think that getting rid of them is a jinx. I never gave anything away, but when I lost weight without surgery a few years ago, I stored them away in a place I would really never go to for any reason (my gross attic). Alas, I needed most of them back within about a year and needed to wear them until surgery. My solution this time? Keep them around, and have them there to think of how much you never want to wear them again. Weight gain after surgery is real and happens for many people, but I think it is far more within our control than maintaining non-surgical weight loss.

Do you have an exercise program? In my first month I lost 33 lbs, but in the last two weeks just 5 lbs or so, and I have been fastidious about diet and quality Proteins with minimal carb sightings. Alas, I have had a few weddings, work trips, and family events in the last two weeks and I haven't done any more exercise than what it takes to get to and from work on subway/foot. I have receives taunts on Fitbit. In the weight loss stage, it is every bit as important as diet, and my rate of weight loss is tightly proportional to how well I stay on track with exercise. Eventually, there will be another twist, and that will be to hold onto muscle by doing resistance (though aerobic works fine for now, and technically I still don't have permission to lift).

Unless there are actual medical reasons for this decision (and comorbidities and amount of weight to lose aren't among them), the decision is entirely up to you, and you need to find a surgeon that will honor your request. There are many good reasons not to have the RNY and have the sleeve instead at whatever weight you are, but for every one of them, there is at least one good reason to go with it instead of the sleeve, and that also goes for people who don't have much to lose. You know your lifestyle better than any surgeon ever will, and in your next visit, even if the surgeon is courteous, you should probably put your foot down as the patient and say this is what you want, pre-empting any of this behavior.