JConforti

Yes. You should hold off as long as you can or pick up an inexpensive pair. I've replaced everything I wear (except my socks) 4 times. My shoe size was 9 wide and now I wear a reg. 9.5 Others will tell you that you size will change too. Good luck and congratulations.

I don't buy into this whole "pouch reset" business. It's not a piece of hardware that needs to be reset. Just resume the routine that worked for you in the beginning. Make a plan - work the plan. Sure, if you want to drop 10 lbs quickly and more importantly flush/cleanse your body then do a 7-10 liquid/protein diet but there is no "reset button". You have a tool and that tool is only as good as the craftsman wielding it. Just my .02

It may be obvious, but have you spoken to your weight loss team? I know gallbladder removal is common with or after WLS but I do not know how that would effect hunger or losses. Your team would be able to answer your questions most effectively. And, only your team knows your full history. Good luck! Great job on your progress so far!

Honestly, the best way for you to get started is aqua-fit. exercising in the water takes all the weight off of your joints and is a great way to start. Hope this helps.

I'd advise you to resign yourself to the fact that is here to stay.. a while. I'm 6 months out and every morning the first thing I do is make my bathroom sound like a ship harbor with several literal 5-second horn "toots" Ha. And to think I thought it was funny at first...not so much now.

Personally, I told only my wife and immediate family before I had WLS. Then, after I returned to work and the weight loss became obvious I tell everyone. I kept it quiet before because I did not want to hear anyone's opinions or misinformed "stories" After it was done and results were obvious, I didn't care.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so here's 4000 words; Not much else to say. I'm doing well and continuing my journey.

First, I'm following my program. My new normal is nothing special. I wake about 3:30 am (just because I do, not because I want to) and I'm out the door for a 2.5-mile walk or 45 min on spin bike. Shower, go to work. Breakfast at about 8 is a pure protein bar, packed lunch of whatever was for dinner the night before, another 1.5-mile walk. Get home about 4 pm cook dinner for my wife and I and then another 2.5-mile walk. I'm spent by 9 pm and off to bed I go to start over the next morning.

I wanted to post this to remind people that it is as or maybe more important to measure. Every time I get frustrated that the scale hasn't moved I refer to this simple spreadsheet I keep. The number on the scale tell only part of the story. This tells the other.

I would let them ask and then reply "Why.... don't you mind your own business"

Thank you. July 24th 2017. How are you doing?

I had my VSG 7/24/17 and I’m down 75 lbs. and counting. Most of it has been a great and life-changing experience. I’ve had no complications (so far), no pain, no nausea or vomiting, and I can tolerate nearly everything. My taste for things has not changed, although my cravings have. I do crave healthy whole foods over junk for sure. I only have two things that I’m struggling with; 1. Much of the time I don’t even want to eat. Of course, I follow my program to the letter and I eat but after I do I just feel like uhg…why do I bother. Other times, when the food is really tasty, I get frustrated that I’m full after 4 or 5 bites. But I deal with it realizing that eventually, it will get easier. 2. Clothing: I struggle with this because I’m working my ass off to be successful at getting healthy and fit. I refuse to be the person who will wear their big clothing until goal. That’s just ridiculous for me. I look like a slob in a **** or pants that are 3 sizes too big. I just can't-do it. Goodwill has been my favorite place to buy shirts and I usually find nice stuff but pants are near impossible to find because I’m 5’8” and everything is too long for me. What really sucks is that I must have 8-10 sports coats and blazers that look like robes on me now. The struggle is real people 😊 What do others think and what would relevant advise would you give? JC

Riced Cauliflower Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Sorry, no one has told you this but congratulations. You got your sleeve two days after me. How are you feeling? Are you on your soft diet yet? Best of luck to you!

Everything @James Marusek said. Also, make sure you have your clears and protein ready for you at home. None of us can stress enough the importance of walking. It gets that gas moving out and will really speed your recovery. You will need to get used to taking small sips. You will feel the liquid enter your new pouch and that can be weird. No painful, but odd. If you take too large of a sip, your body will remind you very quickly to slow down. You are going to do fine. I know everyone is different, but I swear to God that I felt better after 2 days after surgery then I did the week before. I'm 3 weeks out now and I feel 15 years younger already and have more energy than I can remember. I packed all this stuff I thought I would need to the hospital with me and all I really needed was my phone charger with a long (6') cord, a pair of shorts, a pair of slip on shoes and clothes to leave in. Oh and a tooth brush. Good luck to you and welcome to your new and improved life. JC

You can season and bake/saute/broil/steam without drying it out. Do not overcook. Cook by temperature and allow for rest time. Try replacing chicken breast with thigh if you like dark meat. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

8/7/2017 – 2 weeks’ post op I still feel great and am up to walking 3–4 miles per day. I may have over did it yesterday because today I don’t feel as good and I have a low-grade fever. It may be BackToWork-Itis because I returned to work today. I was going stir crazy sitting around at home and need to exercise my mind. Ok, there is no delicate way to say this so I’m just going to say it. Puree food sucks! I was looking forward to it after so long on liquids, but this is just gross. I can try all I want to make it taste better, but the texture is just horrible. The good news is that I move to softs soon. I have my two-week follow-up tomorrow morning and I’m praying that my Dr. clears me early. If not, then Thursday is the day. I think that will be a milestone. I miss eating. I’m perfectly fine with the small portions because I’m satisfied after, I just want to eat a piece of fish or shrimp. I want to chew something. Last Tuesday I went to group and the subject of holding on to old clothes came up. The recommendation was to keep one outfit as a reminder and get rid of the rest. That made sense to me because we do not want that old pair of pants hanging around seemingly giving permission to be that size or to gain... you get the point. I took that advice and was so surprised that I only kept some old stuff that hadn’t fit in a while. I’m down like a size and a half already. So off I went to the local Good Will with two contractor bag of clothing that is way too large for me now. That was a really good feeling. While I was there I picked up a few very nice shirts for under $4 each. What a bargain! This will be my go-to store until my weight stabilizes. One of the best things that has happened so far is the NSV I had yesterday. I sat in a chair, leaned down and tied my shoes and could breathe at the same time. That was awesome! I’m still amazed at the amount of energy that I have. I haven’t felt this good in 10 years. I’ll drop a few lines soon… UNT JC

If you actually look, indeed it does. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Congratulations. 7/24 was mine.

December 2016 was when I received the wake-up call that began my journey. I was diagnosed with diabetes. I started to research WLS and I did a lot of it. April 4 2017 - Was my first appointment with the weight management center at Reading Healthcare Network and they took me through each step and explained everything. They are awesome and I will be forever grateful to the entire team. July 24, 2017 - Surgery day I arrived at 10:30 and was taken back for surgery at 2:30. My VSG took 2.5 hours. Of course, I was very nervous and a bit scared as I was wheeled into the OR and was moved to the table but the team was so good with me. One of the anesthesia nurses held my hand and told me they would take good care of me and that she, herself, had WLS and also had my surgeon and that it was the best decision she had made for herself. This had a significant calming effect on me. I took it as a sign that Jesus was saying through her that he had my back. A few moments after that I felt myself going under and actually told them “Here I go, Bye” So far, the worst part of this experience was waking up in recovery. Feeling so out of it, the dry mouth, and a headache. That all cleared up after about an hour. Next, I was taken up to my room and met the team what would take care of me from there. I was very surprised at how good I felt. I had no nausea and not a lot of pain. I was up and lapping the floor within 4 hours. I have not been bothered with gas pains. I felt some pressure under the breast and across the chest. And a little in my shoulder at the base of my neck but this was minor and went away after an hour or so. I was released the next day at about 4:30. 7/26/2017 – 2 days Post op I feel pretty damn good considering my guts were just rearranged. I’m working on getting my fluids in and I don’t think I’ll have a problem with it. Taking small sips is an adjustment for me, but my pouch reminds me each time I take a sip too large. I can feel it entering my stomach. It’s not painful really, but it’s a weird feeling and I don’t like it. I will try to keep updating here to share with others and for some self-reflection in the future.

@Debmelb I'm hoping to go home today afternoon. Yes it would be great to keep in touch.

I've been silently following the group for a few months and today I can report that I have a surgery date of July 24th. Today I am very excited. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Holy cow. This is happening on Monday. Just 4 days away. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app