Dawn E Dorsey

So I am coming up to 5 months post op now and have had my first post op blood done with excellent news. The numbers are whatever we use in Australia so they may not make a lot of sense to those of you in USA unfortunately.
So hba1c ( I am a diabetic) has gone from 8.5% to 7.0% and I have stopped all insulin and oral medications. Just on diet alone now.
Total Cholesterol down from 8.5 mmol to 4.0 (4.0 is considered normal here)
Ratios for the cholesterol measures are all in the excellent range
Liver enzymes down from 156 to 126 (normal is 115 maximum) ... so I still have a little way to go there but I am happy considering how many blood pressure tablets I was taking and that I am still on a few.
I am ecstatic about these results. I feel fantastic and am beginning to enjoy life again. Yes I still have some weight to go to goal, but that is less important to me now that my health is so much better.

Yup! My stomach is fine on them as long as I have some thing in my stomach. A bit of Protein or a bite of something.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Also a former smoker (10 yrs ago) and I chew all the time, my doc says it's fine (sugar free).
Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Your husband is scared of change and scared for you. However, in this case change is good. Not being able to eat like we used to is good. Having to prepare healthier meals at home is good...my kids don't need to be exposed to disordered eating. They need to have healthy behaviors modeled. You're not doing this to yourself. You're doing it for yourself.
My entire family is better off because I had surgery. They are all healthier and happier.
Sent from my SM-G925V using the BariatricPal App

You can definitely still go out to eat. I went out with friends last night with no problem! You'd be surprised at how willing most restaurants are to accomodate changes to dishes as well - especially the independent restaurants. We went to a mediterranean restaurant and I ordered one of the specials - fish with a fennel ragout but asked them to leave off the rice that it came with, they offered to substitute some sauteed zucchini instead of the rice without me even asking for a substitute. I ate half the dish and brought the rest with me to work today. My friends ate like they normally would. It was no big deal and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening.
I get that your husband is concerned that your (yours and his) whole life will change. But guess what? It is going to change for the better - when you are feeling healthier and happy you want to do more things and you enjoy even the simplest of things so much more. Go ahead with your surgery and your husband will likely come around when he sees how much happier and healthier you are and that you two can still enjoy life - probably even more than you have been!

The only issue I have ran into is my husband enjoys eating fast food (and stays skinny as can be ). It is much harder to find something I can enjoy on a fast food menu vs a regular restaurant. So that has been an adjustment for him but in all reality it's healthier for him too to eat real food at real restaurants! A huge bonus though is we almost always share something so eating out has become much cheaper!! Good luck on your journey, it's so worth it!!!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The way I look at it is you have a couple choices. Have the surgery, embrace the changes and more likely than not live a happier, healthier life, changes and all. He will come around. I've seen it a million times.
Don't have the surgery, probably live with regret and resent your husband because he'll be happy nothing has changed, but you will still be unhappy, unhealthy and obese.
It takes a little time to find your new normal post op. But in the grand scheme of things, that's a blip on the radar. Soon you'll be living life again, but in a different way. You'll be thinner, healthier and happier when you go to dinner, party's, the movies, out with friends, etc. You'll feel empowered to make good lifestyle choices. Your husband will see how much happier you are and will wonder why he even questioned you having the surgery in the first place.
You're 50 years old. Time to do something for you and not worry about anyone else thinks.

Your are such an inspiration ! Thanks for sharing . You look amazing and I can't wait to my sweet shot

Yesterday I was able to eat enough Protein and only had 1 Protein shake. The Protein shakes are meant to help you get Protein if you aren't able to consume the protein you need with actual food. Am I wrong to only have one? I'd prefer to not have shakes at all and just get protein from the foods on my list of what I can eat.
Here's what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast
1.5 oz natural Peanut Butter - 9 grams protein
1 4oz sugar free applesauce (my pills mixed in with it)
lunch
2 hard boiled eggs with a tablespoon of mayo - 12 grams protein
1 4oz serving sugar free pudding
snack
2oz pureed chicken - 15 grams protein
2 tablespoons mashed potato - 1 gram protein
dinner
4 oz pureed turkey - 18 grams protein
4oz Protein Shake - 34 grams protein
TOTAL PROTEIN = 89 GRAMS

I work out with a trainer 3 days a week, I do a ab class 2 days a week and I also do a bootcamp class 4 days a week.

Wow! Great work! What is your exercise of choice?
Dawnedorsey

I weigh naked. Just for grins I weighed myself last night before going to bed. I was 246. This morning I was 242 again.
A word of caution, don't fry bacon naked...

Just watch the person who you know. Their weight will return because "their sleeve didn't work". They are making crappy choices while you're doing it right and have learned how to eat. Congrats to you you and sucks to be them!

My surgery will be happening on the 23rd as in the day before Thanksgiving so no turkey for me...lol. I was a bit nervous but then I took some time and read threw my bariatric journal, I realized just how far I have came and how last May I had thought it was going to be impossible to get where I a standing now. Last May I thought that it was going to take forever, now it seems that the time went by fast from there to here has been a whirlwind.
I'm excited and I'm ready, I feel like I have been training for this surgery and that I'm in the best shape I have been in in at least five years. I'm confident that I will be successful and that I am in fantastic hands with my medical team.
I'm Ready!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Practice what you will need to do after your surgery. Don't drink 1/2 hour before you eat and 1/2 hour after you eat. Maybe start weighing out your food to get a feel of what you will do after don't buy too many Protein Drinks ahead because our taste seems to change afterward. You might want to get a book called WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY FOR DUMMIES. It has recipes for before, during and after your WLS. Good Luck on your journey. I look forward to following your posts.

Get a myfitnesspal account and a kitchen scale (if you don't already have them). Practice religiously logging everything you eat, good, bad, or ugly.
Walk every day.
If you are primarily responsible for shopping and/or food prep, start transitioning your family to a healthier way of eating for all of you.
Good luck!

Hi Dawn! I just joined too. My surgery will be either the 3rd or 4th week in January. I'm 50 years old. My surgeon recommended the Gastric Sleeve. Im focusing on drinking 1 Protein shake a day. I'm drinking Premier Protein. 30g of Protein per shake. I'm also working thru coping skills for emotional eating, compulsive eating. I got to this weight using food for comfort. That habit will not be changed by the surgery. I've learned that not dealing with the mental aspect is what causes some to gain weight back in the 18th to 24 month post op period. I'm drinking Water out of sports bottle caps to get used to sipping rather than gulping Water. I follow a YouTube channel called Voluptuously Skinny. This woman lives in Tulsa too. She video journaled her entire journey. She is hilarious and transparent. I also attend monthly support groups where we get to meet with post surgery patients and get their tips and ask questions. I hope we get more to respond to this thread. I'm like you. I want to be prepared.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The sleeve forces a LOT of this. Don't stress about it, just make one small change a week and commit to sticking with it. Then add to that.
What *I* did was I started ramping down my eating as soon as I booked my surgery. I started cutting out flour, sugar, wheat, starch. I cut my portions and stopped eating just because the food was there. I stopped eating around 8PM each night. I increased my Water intake. I dedicated one day a week to liquids, just to get a feel for it. Then I upped it to two days a week, then three.
You can list out the habits you have that you want to change and then list how you'll actively change them. The mind game is the hardest part of weight loss surgery. As much as you KNOW you should not and cannot eat something, that doesn't stop your brain from wanting it. Practice avoiding things you know you're not going to be able to eat post op.
This might be controversial but I don't believe in will power. Will Power is some kinda magical skill that people think comes automatically installed with the sleeve. THERE IS NO MAGIC. It's all YOU. And for me, deciding to say no is like working a muscle. That NO muscle gets stronger every time you use it.
But again... post op, the sleeve does a lot of this for you. You will not have capacity to eat much of anything, let alone anything junky. Anything sweet you might ingest will probably make you sick. Just hang in there until your surgery date and then........ everything changes.