Finding_Stacy

Also Cass, when is your surgery? I see that you're only 250 pounds. My gosh, girl. You'll be at goal probably six months after surgery.

Love this post. You make me laugh! Good luck everyone! What time is everyone's surgeries on Monday? Mine is 7:10. I'm wondering if there's anyone earlier than me?

That's so sweet . How are you feeling?

I know, I was thinking about reaching onderland yesterday. Crazy isn't it? Very surreal. When I had all my final appointments last Monday, everyone from the anesthesiologist's nurse to my doctor's nurse, to my dietician, to my lab tech all talked the same talk, 'When you're 155...". No one said if, they all said when, because losing the majority of this weight is going to happen. I'll be honest. Up until December 21, 2016, I was ok if I died. I didn't see there was any way to lose 150-200 pounds at my age (41). I didn't want to live like this being so limited and achy all the time and I was just tired. This surgery is truly a miracle for many of us.

This is one of my main goals as well. I hate wearing my CPAP. I'm hoping I'm one of the cases that can go off of it once I hit a healthy BMI, but I don't know. My surgery is on Monday morning, so I'll see you on the loser's bench very soon. Good luck on your recovery and I hope you can get off your machine even months before the year is over.

I can't believe it's finally here! I'm going to the hospital Friday night for the research study and they're walking me over at 5:30 am Monday morning for my pre-op, then Surgery at 7:10 am....woot, woot.

I'm in my final pre-op appointments today with anesthesiologist, surgeon, labs, and 3 hour pre-op class. I'm really looking forward to next Monday and getting this done. Woohoo, only 1 more week to go!

Good luck! I hope everything goes smoothly

Yay!! There are a lot of us 24th'ers! I was asked to be in a paid research study for four months to study how the gastric sleeve affects the metabolism afterwards. I can't even be nervous properly beforehand since I'm sleeping at the hospital so much. Hopefully this five year study will show just how much this surgery changes our bodies by just changing the stomach.

Me. Me. Me. I am! I didn't start my diet like I planned but will tomorrow. I'm joining a research study (if I qualify) so they'll keep me strict on my diet for the next two weeks and four months afterward. What I do for some $$$ 😂

Good luck, Hopekate! I can only imagine how nervous you must be, I'm getting more nervous as the 24th approaches. I'm still more excited than nervous, but nervous nonetheless. You'll do great, I can't wait to hear how it goes!

Good luck, Hopekate! I can only imagine how nervous you must be, I'm getting more nervous as the 24th approaches. I'm still more excited than nervous, but nervous nonetheless. You'll do great, I can't wait to hear how it goes!

Even though I do believe this is a lifetime commitment, your post is missing one important fact. People aren't gaining their weight back after the second month, more like around the second year. Insurance companies, like mine, who aren't requiring a wait time have only just started doing this in the last couple of years--and my insurance company is still in the minority since most don't do this yet. That means MOST people in your statistics who have gained their weight back by now DID have a wait time. I stick to my original post. This is up to the patient, not the pre-diet plan you were on before. I think it's a small many who jumped into surgery after a week's thought. Even though I have no required wait, it's still taking me 4 months from first appointment to surgery day, but this is something I've been reading about and thinking about for over ten years. Generalizations on people's behavior do more harm than good. This should be a site about building people up, not judging people's behavior.

I love the Kerrigold Irish butter, or land of lakes, but I usually get whatever is on sale. I don't believe country crock is butter, that's margarine. Margarine is man made and not natural. Stay far away from that stuff. Artery cloggers. No red potatoes for me either. As much as my taste buds love potatoes, my hips love them even more. When you eat carbs, you keep craving carbs and potatoes, unfortunately, is one of them. A delicious one, but a carb no doubt. I have a theory that all of us in this fat situation that we find ourselves in are 'all or nothings' kind of people. We know what balance is, we are just terrible at doing it. If I could only eat a half of a potato at dinner I wouldn't be in this mess I currently find myself in. If I end up cheating on my diet, I binge eat the rest of the day as if tomorrow doesn't exist. Stay strong, you'll figure it out!!

Yes, I do. My approval came within 5 hours of being submitted. I think I got it back on February 24th. When I had my first doctor's appt on December 21st, I brought with me every single results, lab work, ultrasound cd, they could want or need. I already had my sleep study, chest x-ray, mammogram, pap smear, labs, ultrasound of my liver/gallbladder, just everything you can think of, I had. I just wanted that appointment as soon as possible. But I still didn't get a date. In fact, I didn't hear from them for a month. I kept waiting for a letter saying what they still need and that letter was supposed to come a week after my appointment. But because of the holidays and the case manager's vacation afterwards, it took a month and several phone calls to get the ball rolling. I would've had this surgery in March, but last August we planned a family cruise for April 2nd. The doctor didn't want me flying until six weeks after the surgery due to blood clotting, so I got pushed to April. They recently lost a patient because she flew two weeks after surgery and wasn't taking her injections like she was supposed to. I guess she died on the plane, so now they're really strict on the 'no flying for six week' rule. I wonder how the Mexico vsg'ers do it? Don't they fly back home about a week afterwards?

Sounds like you need some fat. Remember, eating fat is not bad if it's from a natural source such as butter, cream, animal fats, etc. If you eat fat while consuming high carb, then that fat has something to stick to...the starch. When you keep your carbs low, the fat will go right through you. Your brain and body needs it for energy, to combat those cravings and keep you full. When I'm eating under 20 net carbs (carbohydrates minus the fiber equals net carbs), I aim to eat 100 grams of fat a day. So for breakfast I'll have an omelet with a couple of slices of bacon. Lunch can be tuna salad over greens or home made cheddar broccoli soup. Dinner can be chicken/beef/pork with green vegetables. Always use real butter over margarine and never eat sugar. If you've never ate like this before, it will be a mental struggle since all you've known until now is that fat is bad. Also, you'll go through sugar/carbs/crap detox for a several days. That means a lot of peeing, pooping, and irritability. Just like any detox. Once you ride that out, you'll find a natural high like never before. When I'm in ketosis, I find it hard to sleep because my energy level is so high. I also lose between 15-20 pounds a month. Remember to take your vitamins and make sure you drink at least 64 ounces of water! You can do this!

Good luck and I hope you'll have your surgery date soon!

Good luck Rosie!! I thought you were done, done, done since you already had your surgery date. Where my doctor has zero liquid diet on my plan, he was/is a stickler about having everything done before submitting to insurance. Once cleared and accepted, then finally he gave me my date. That's where I'm jealous. Some here had their date at their first appointment. Crossing my fingers you'll hear something soon

It's just different doctors do different things. I have a 59.9 bmi and I don't have any kind of liquid diet, just lower carb/high protein before and after. Congratulations on your date and good luck!!

Will do. A few vsg vlogs on Youtube have people buying and eating this : https://www.amazon.com/Protidiet-Creamy-Chicken-Soup-Pouches-Net/dp/B001FUEY56/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1490730663&sr=8-1&keywords=chicken+soup+with+proti I leave for vacation tomorrow night, but when I get back in a couple of weeks I'm going to order some. I also saw that some people will use regular chicken broth and add flavorless protein powder in it as well. Sounds disgusting, but whatever works to get that protein down in the beginning is what we want and will do, I guess.

Congratulations!! My surgery is also on the 24th as well as a few others here. It's almost time

I have very low vitamin D, iron, and another mineral. The biggest thing I was low on, and did delay my surgery, was my thyroid--probably because it was too far off. The scale goes to 5.5 and I was 10.5. So, he wanted me to have it in the 4 range which I now am. But being low in some vitamins and minerals shouldn't delay you.

Hey guys, what kind of broth did you buy/will buy for after the surgery? I'm not sure which one is the best choice.

Good luck tomorrow. Make sure to pack your Gas-X strips and walk, walk, walk. I hope it goes well and can't wait to hear all about it!

Low carb/high protein/high fat two weeks before the surgery, the same diet I'll be on after surgery. But I actually started a month ago on my own.