biginjapan

I have similar and starting tomorrow. Protein shakes and no more than 24g of carbs, <6g sugar per serving and Clear liquids. Tough part will be next weekend (Super Bowl!)
Let me know how you do tomorrow

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Hi Walter,
I haven't had my surgery yet, so you can take this with a grain of salt if you wish.
The odds of you losing weight (and keeping it off) the so-called "natural" way is almost zero. A lot of people say you have a less than 5% chance of keeping the weight off non-surgically, but I've read other studies were the odds were worse than that - 0.015% for women, and for men it's closer to 0.001% (sorry, I can't find the study now, but I'll try to look for it). The human body, for whatever reason, will fight you tooth and nail to stay fat, if you are obese. The best book I've read so far about this is by Dr. Robert Lustig, called Fat Chance. If you prefer YouTube, my favourite videos about all things related to bariatric surgery are by Dr. Matthew Weiner. He explains things very well. You might also want to watch this HBO special, called The Weight of the Nation. If you want to see the effects of how bariatric surgery can help obese people, there's a great series out of the UK also on YouTube called Fat Doctor which focuses on real people struggling with obesity, and doesn't have the Jerry Springer-like feel of some of the U.S.-based shows.
You say you are worried about the surgery, but honestly, for most people, the odds of anything happening to you are about the same as having gall bladder surgery or an appendectomy. And those are pretty routine surgeries. But remember - if you stay the weight that you are, any surgery will be a risk, as it is for all people who struggle with obesity. You listed quite a number of conditions that you suffer from -- two questions to ask yourself is, 1) do you want to keep suffering from them and know that they will only get worse with time? and 2) what odds are better for you, in terms of being around for your family - staying morbidly obese, or having the surgery and be given a real chance to not only lose weight, but to keep it off? Sorry to be blunt, but there it is.
Is this a big decision? Of course it is. Could there be complications? Yes, but that's true of any surgery. However, I think most people who have had the surgery will say it was the best decision they ever made, and that they wish they had done it sooner. For whatever reason, sleeve or bypass (not lapband, which few surgeons do anymore do to low success rates and other problems) "resets" the body in many ways - within 24 hours to a few weeks to a few months after surgery, people may no longer be diabetic, get off high blood pressure or cholesterol meds, have no hunger to fight against (some forever, but most regain some sort of hunger pangs within a year and a half of surgery), and there can be major changes to your metabolism. Your taste buds will probably change, and you may find that certain foods that you used to like will no longer appeal to you after you've had surgery. Of course, there can be some negative side effects too, like food restrictions and gerd and dumping syndrome, needing gall bladder surgery, some depression (immediately after surgery, but I haven't come across any long-term stats about that), and sometimes addiction transfer (for example, changing your food addiction to something like alcohol addiction).

I would really recommend to write down a list of all your concerns and talk about them with your surgeon. Finding a therapist would probably also help. I don't know where you are (I'm assuming the U.S.) so if you have insurance I'm sure you'll have to jump through a few hoops in order to qualify for the surgery, but that can be a good thing, as it gives you time to deal with your fears/concerns before having the surgery.
Whenever I get worried about anything, my motto is: think of the solution, not the problem. I find it really helps to get my mind out of the self-defeating loop that will make the problem seem bigger than it is. In this case, I think educating yourself about the surgery, about anesthesia, etc. will help you feel better (or not) about having the surgery done. Good luck.

I'm 15 weeks post op this week! WOO HOO!! I've lost over 50 lbs so far. I had the VGS, Hiatal Hernia repair and Gallbladder removal. I was pretty weak post op and didn't really heal, get mobile, till 8 weeks.
Food: This is a general look and the stuff I eat. I tend to eat the same things for years on end. I know it's weird. lol! I make everything at home and I use low fat, sugar substitutes and high Protein whatevers I need to make the dishes. I put aside one day a week to do all my food prep. Usually Saturday or Sunday while I'm cleaning the house as well. I found that I have been far more successful when I make my own food and take the time to create really delicious flavorful dishes. Then when I'm hungry I'm excited to eat the food I made and I don't even think about going out and buy my meal.
Breakfast: have low carb english muffin with 4 pieces of Hormel Black Label pre-cooked bacon heated, one slice low fat american cheese. This is my high fat meal. I have tried so many other Breakfast things but this is the one that my new stomach digests the best and my tastebuds still like.
Protein: 18g
Fat: 16g
Cal: 296
Lunch: 4 oz Homemade Butter chicken (Indian dish, not much butter despite name, lol)
Protein: 20g
Fat: 10g
Cal: 214
Snack: 4 oz Homemade Butter Chicken
Protein: 20g
Fat: 10g
Cal: 214
Dinner: 4oz Homemade Chicken Teriyaki (I make my own teriyaki using splenda brown sugar, low sodium soy and real honey)
Protein: 26g
Fat: 4.5g
Cal: 130
Exercise: I walk 20-30 minutes vigorously twice a day, 10 and 2 generally, I purchased an under the desk eliptical (https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-desk-ellipticals?id=adw&gclid=CjwKEAiA2abEBRCdx7PqqunM1CYSJABf3qva7xq2EINdf9gHKU-V7MNl197f-b-wrCB5-1Vwvw181RoCGJLw_wcB The one I have is the blue one in the middle) and use it all day.
I also walk and run around all day at work and then go to all the hockey games here so I walk several blocks to and from the stadium 2-4 times a week.
And then I am generally MUCH more active. I jump, run, move quickly and love to feel my muscles work so easily and it feels so GOOD.
Size: I find that I am MORE excited about moving to a lower size than I am about a drop in weight.
Started out as a size 24, I'm currently a size 18 about to shift to a size 16. OMG do I love seeing my ass look cute and perky in these tight jeans!!! lol! I find myself staring at my ass sometimes, I had no idea it was adorable. hahah!! Conceded? Maybe but the joy I get at seeing I have something cute I like about my body has been a great and wonderful part of this experience. Also, it seems I have a bit of an hourglass figure!! I had no idea really.
It's amazing watching my body reveal itself to me. Seeing my bones and curves, my saggy places showing the frame underneath, the feel of my arms able to fold under my breasts and feel my ribs. To feel my pelvic bones pop out when I'm laying in bed. lol! John Mayer was RIGHT, my body is wonderland, but not quite the way he intended. hahah!
Psychologically: This is where I feel I'm doing the best. WOW did I struggle. This was not an easy process for me. I didn't decided to do this. It was forced on me by my own morbid obesity. I was dying last year. My gallbladder, my pancreas, my kidneys. All bad.
My gallbladder went bad, real bad, and they took months to figure it out. Once they did my doc just said to me "Look, do you want me to make this easy for you?" I said yes. She said "Just get the VGS and have your gallbladder out. You will feel 20 years younger and be off all these meds and I will rarely see you. You have the best insurance and will only pay $500 max out of pocket. Or you can just have your gallbladder out and die in the next 10 years." Well, it's hard to argue with that logic. In fact it was so hard to argue with it I had not choice but to just do it. Somewhat reluctantly. I was scared. This is a huge permanent choice but I realized then I'd used up all my time to do it "my way". I didn't have time left. I was dying. I was sick every day vomiting, in and out of the hospital. My mom and sister weren't happy with the choice, they were scared too. But we also knew I had to do something now if I wanted to change my future and have one.
So after the surgery I struggled with the emotional loss of my stomach, my old way of life, my old way of soothing myself, my old way of being me. I was fine at first and then at 4 weeks when I was still so weak and healing and miserable I started crying and didn't stop for a week. I was in mourning and I realized I had to experience it all, I couldn't suppress my feelings anymore because that was killing me too. So I cried and I felt sorry for myself and I moped. And then a week later I moved to my next food stage, I realized I wasn't trapped, that I had options and I needed to give it more time.
From that point on it's been wonderful. It's like I allowed myself to mourn and grieve and feel and then like a burned out forest meadow the fresh new sprout of green flowers start pushing up. Slowly that meadow, my emotional landscape, has bloomed. I am so happy now, I get so excited to go to work knowing I'm going to be taking two walk breaks and feeling so good walking. I love checking out my profile in the windows - something that I refused to do before.
I'm smiling and laughing more and I'm beginning to consider dating again. My life is opening up like a flower and I love it. And it's only been 15 weeks!! My life is so much more, so much bigger than before. It's weird, the bigger I was the smaller my world became. The smaller I am the bigger my world is becoming.

Most serving sizes are in grams or ounces, which are units of weight, so you should be weighing your food to get an accurate tally of your calories and macronutrients. 4 oz. only = 1/2 cup when you are weighing Water or liquids that are primarily water (like juice or milk). When you are talking about foods, you can never go by the measurement. Always go by the weight.

I think more people have those thoughts than don't!
But the thing is, the main point of the surgery isn't really losing weight. As someone who has lost 60+ pounds on 3 different occasions and 10 pounds countless times, I can tell you there are plenty of less drastic ways to lose weight.
The point of this surgery is maintaining weight loss. The chances of being able to do that without surgery are ridiculously low, but with surgery they are decent. The most recent and best study I saw for people with morbid obesity like myself showed that 1 in 677 can lose and maintain a healthy weight without surgery. My experience shows me I'm not that 1. Of course, YMMV...
VSG 1/20/17 HW: 325 SW:294 CW: 290

Hi I am scheduled for 21st Feb in Cork - Ireland am from Dublin
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I believe the thread is called January and February sleevers. I am getting my sleeve done on Feb. 9th. I start my pre-op diet on the 26th. I'm excited one minute and nervous the next. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using the BariatricPal App

(I hate this edit function! I keep deleting things I don't mean to delete).
I'm pretty sure any kind of carbonation will not be on your diet plan either pre- or post-op. The carbonation will not be a friend to your sleeve, and artificial sweeteners are just as bad for you as real sugar. That said, some people have mentioned that they have had a couple of sips of flat soda to deal with their cravings, and others have gone back to drinking soda ONLY when they were in maintenance phase.
I was addicted to Diet Coke/Coke Zero for almost 20 years when I decided to quit cold turkey (weaning myself off never worked). I'm now 3+ years "sober" from my soda addiction, and I have to say, I don't crave it one bit, although I have had other sodas (ginger ale or Sprite) maybe once or twice a year since then (but no addiction problems with them). And, unlike others who seem to have lost their sweet tooth after quitting, mine just got worse. I craved sweet things (especially chocolate) all the time. That never really went away. I have to admit that now that I'm on my pre-op diet, I don't crave anything sweet, although to be fair, there's plenty of sweetness from the Protein shakes themselves.
Remember too, that your tastes may change after surgery, so you may not want or like soda at all afterwards. I've made a promise to myself that I'm going to eat "clean" until my weight loss phase is mostly finished and then transition to maintenance. And I know there may be some foods I may not want to eat (or possibly handle eating them) ever again (but never say never). However, I have an addictive personality, so I really don't want to get back to eating or drinking trigger foods and drinks again. It's a slippery slope.

The last time I heard of bariatric surgery was back in the 90s when it was really dangerous (at least my perception of it).
I just woke up one day and started looking into it. Have no idea where the idea came from, though I started thinking about a family reunion coming up, and how embarrassed I always am to see that side of the family.
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I had thought about it for over a year but it was when my doctor told me I had to make a serious change and she suggested the sleeve. Within the last 8 months I had gained a ton of weight (on top of already being overweight) and as a result had to be in physical therapy for a degenerated disc in my lower spine. And that was related to how heavy I was. I knew I was obese but it was so easy to not address the issue since I work from home and live alone. Once numerous physicians told me I needed to check out a WLS seminar I knew it was time. I'm only 3 days post-op and I already feel so happy about this decision.
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No one moment was the one, but a series of events that happened over the course of a year must have impacted me somehow, because I woke up one morning, sat down at my computer, and started researching WLS, having never thought about it before. Never. I've mentioned a few of these moments before, but there are also some new ones:
Having an appendectomy. My experience in the hospital made me realize that I never wanted to be hospitalized in Japan ever. I also had herniated disc in my back which lead to some really bad sciatica. I hate the thought of being incapacitated, and the fact that I'm single means I would have no one to take care of me, both physically and financially. So I knew I wanted to get healthy, and that meant losing weight. I like to travel, but now I actively search for airlines that have the largest economy seats. In addition, I have been cancelling plans (when travelling) to do certain activities I could have done in the past when I was thinner. I'm also avoiding meeting people I have known online, and have missed 2 family reunions, because I don't want people to see how big I've become. Last year, a large American woman in my city passed away. All the "big" ladies in the area, including me, were contacted to see if we wanted any of her clothes (I ended up with over a suitcase full). She had a lot of nice stuff, very pricey, some with the tags still on (smaller sizes - I do the same thing too.) But that got me thinking about what happens when you die in another country, especially when you are not married to a citizen of that country. I started planning for that eventuality, even though I'm not that old, because it may be a reality, partly due to my weight, even though I don't have any co-morbidities. I think that, combined with the 2 other reasons mentioned above, are what (subconsciously) motivated me to start this process.

My goal weight was 165, which is actually 10 pounds "overweight" by the BMI charts. The lowest I got was 153, but that was definitely too thin for me. 165 is my happy space.
To the OP, here are some pics for you. My highest weight was 270, my weight in the "after" photos was around goal of 165. I am 5'6" tall.

I'm only 5'4" so 108 is my cutoff for underweight. At 116 I am above that and all muscle!!!

My take is it is important to start and get to a healthier weight to decide on a final goal.
I let my body decide because when I struggled to get the last 10 off , it came right back. Since it has been 10 years, I kinda get where my body wants to stay and what is comfortable for me
Yes I exercise, drink Water ( never with meals) and eat a lot of Protein.< /p>
I still occasionally get down those 10 lbs, but they then return in a couple of months. Repeat.
I just stay a size 10-12 and am so happy to never see 270+ again!
Good luck and let us know how you do

@@krissyvsg Most WLS patients experience hair loss between 3 and 6 months post-op. How much you lose and for how long is pretty unpredictable. There are *some* things you can do to help, but it's mostly out of your control. Make sure you get your Protein, Water, and Vitamins in from the start. That's what you CAN control. I have heard over VERY few cases where people's hair didn't eventually grow back. The VAST majority of people start to see regrowth immediately once the loss stops. For me I lost some hair between 3.5 and 5.5 months post-op. It was enough for me to notice, but no one else did. It started growing back immediately. I personally think the little "baby hairs" sticking up all over when it started regrowing were more noticeable than the thinning. I cut my hair shorter so it wasn't as obvious.

Feb 9th in Perth
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Another "niner" here - I'll be having my surgery south of the border. I can't believe it's only two weeks away.

I'm so jealous - none of this is available to me at all! I do have Protein powders that I've ordered from the U.S., and Vitamins of all kinds - chewable, Gummy, sublingual, etc - since I don't know what I'll be able to tolerate after the sleeve. However, being in Japan means I've got lots of tofu, soy, and miso products available to me, as well as other real sources of protein (like chicken and fish). My local supermarket has Oikos yogurt, but not the triple zero. Anyway, I'm sure I'll make do - even if I keep dreaming of a fridge that's filled like yours!

I'm not sure - I'm guessing it's the B12 and other B Vitamins that are making me feel better, as that seems to be a common result for people. I've never taken before, so I'm going to assume it's that.
Also, when I first started taking Biotin, I noticed a kind of tingling sensation over my scalp on a daily basis - that lasted at least six weeks (I don't feel it anymore). I can't tell if it really had an effect or not. I'm also using Biotin Shampoo and conditioners to help - they certainly give my hair more volume and thickness, but at the expense of softness.

My nutritionist has me on Probiotics (to help the stomach post-op), Calcium 3x a day, and B12 (but I take a B complex pill for the other benefits). I've also been taking a Multivitamin, Vitamin C, and extra Biotin as well, to help counter (maybe) the Hair loss. The last bit I've been taking since November, but the NUT recommendation has been since mid-January (probiotics were recommended to start as early as possible, but I only got my hands on some a couple weeks ago). My surgery is Feb. 9th. I have to say, that since I started taking the Vitamins, I feel so much better and more energetic.

I abstained from alcohol for a total of 9 months (my entire six month pre-op diet program and the first 3 months post-op). I had some drinks during a 3.5 week trip to SE Asia in late December (3 months post-op for me). I, of course, stayed away from anything with sugar. I mostly had a few whiskey and Water drinks and some red wine. On those days, I had mostly Protein shakes to minimize calories and carbs but to still meet my Protein goals.
It certainly isn't going to be a regular thing for me, but from time to time, it isn't going to hurt my progress. I lost 13 pounds on that trip, even with the drinks. (Just drinking Protein Shakes all day on days that I will have some alcohol sucks, but I definitely think that plays a role in making the whole thing work.)
You'll get a lot of different replies to this question quite likely. Many people think you should abstain until maintenance. My advice is to talk to your medical team, get their advice, and make a well-informed decision. That's what I did.
Good luck.

Wow - you have some really beautiful photos, and your story is an inspiration to all who are nervous about getting this done. We all only have one life to live - as many people have said throughout the years, it's not the things that you did do that you'll regret, it's the things you didn't do. I'm having my surgery done two weeks from tomorrow, and while I wished I had done it earlier, I'm going to live my life to the fullest from this point onwards.

I'm February 9th too. 5"3 224.

Wow - you have some really beautiful photos, and your story is an inspiration to all who are nervous about getting this done. We all only have one life to live - as many people have said throughout the years, it's not the things that you did do that you'll regret, it's the things you didn't do. I'm having my surgery done two weeks from tomorrow, and while I wished I had done it earlier, I'm going to live my life to the fullest from this point onwards.

You know I have heard many of these, but I also remember last Easter when I found a dear friend of mine dead on the floor . He was obese and had been very ill he was 52 years old. It was like looking at myself dead on the floor. That's when I knew that was not going to be me.
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