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One thing the posts so far should indicate is that individual experiences differ--but you'll note that no-one is saying they had horrible pain or that they regret having the surgery. For me, the only pain I had was the first five minutes or so after I woke up. After that, the pain meds kicked in and there was none, literally. I got up and walked. Had no gas issues. Went home the next day. Took it easy; took the pain meds for a few days, and then realized I was being silly--didn't need them.

Much worse, in my opinion, was the first month or so before you can eat solid food. I got so sick of sweet-tasting shakes! So my advice is to try whatever you are allowed to try and drink what you like, as long as you are getting your Protein. I recommend protein Water (e.g., Protein2o or Atkins LIFT) as a good option, though you may have to buy it online. Still using that almost five months post-op.

Good luck!

I'm off one of my diabetes medications and my insulin dose is less than it was. Still on other things, for blood pressure and cholesterol, I'll take what I can get in terms of progress, though: my weight is still significantly high, so it's not that surprising I'm still diabetic. I'll just keep losing and see what happens.

I'd like to mention, though, that I was told very strongly that I couldn't take ibuprophen or any other NSAID pain reliever--only Tylenol. That seems to apply forever . . . so if you do have a need for a pain reliever, please check with your doctor about this.

If it's fear of the surgery, you can find the statistics on how relatively safe this surgery is (about like having your gall bladder out) or statistics on the health risks of obesity (or just list the stats on improvement of things like diabetes and blood pressure issues).

The problem, as many who haven't fought this fight don't know, is not in losing weight. We've all lost lots of weight! The problem is keeping it off--and while even those who have had surgery to help them do sometimes gain the weight back, those who have not had the surgery are almost certain to do so (it's something like 95 percent, seriously). I don't know the stats on what percentage who have had surgery regain, but I'll guarantee it's a lower percentage!

I've been reading a lot of posts on this site for a long time, and I haven't seen a single post, I don't think, from anyone doing this surgery out of vanity. Sure, we'd all like to look good, but we do this surgery for health issues and for--how to put it? To make life easier with issues such as sitting in airplane seats or going to amusement parks with their kids or walking or being respected at work or . . . well, there's a very long thread on the topic of why people decided to have the surgery.

You know your reasons and you're old enough to make the decision. I hope your mother comes around sooner rather than later or never, but either way . . . you have to do what's right for you.

Good luck!

eggs, yogurt, cheese. One of the happiest discoveries for me was high-protein Pasta made from lentils. Peanut Butter. Refried Beans. And I second the cottage cheese--I have a bowl of that with some fruit (pineapple or mandarin oranges, usually) almost every day. Quaker makes a high-protein oatmeal--it's only 10 grams a serving, but it's a nice change once or twice a week.

(Disclaimer: I also eat meat, but I don't think it would be possible for me to get all my Protein from that.)

My hair has thinned quite a bit. I'm not crazy about it, but everything I read says it will come back, so I'm hanging tough. I did color it about a month ago, for whatever that's worth.

I'm not going to kid around: the first month sucked pretty much the whole time. Even when I could barely get anything down, I hated being on liquids all the time and I especially hated how sweet so much stuff was (the shakes). But . . . two things: that month passes. And I lost a lot of weight during it. Weight loss has slowed and I can eat much better food now. I feel full pretty quickly but a few hours later . . . ready for more.

You can do this. Drink the shakes, vary that with broth or sugar-free popsicles or fudgesicles, and move to cottage cheese and yogurt and Soups when you can. Don't rush it: your stomach needs to heal.

It will all seem worth it eventually!

Sometimes I eat half of the food on my plate, put it down, and pick it back up after a half hour or so, when I'm not feeling quite so full. This is still the case almost five months post-op. I'm not talking about a crazy amount of food--but this doesn't seem like a crazy amount, either--particularly with those calorie counts.

Bottom line is, if it's working and you're getting the proper amount of Protein and other nutrients, go for it.

Sounds like you've done very well with plenty of extra trials to distract you. Do whatever works for you now and Celebrate when you can move and get into a better financial state (believe me, I know that side of things). And by celebrate, you know, I mean buy enough Protein Shakes to have one every day if you want to!

All the best.

I had some coffee, which I'm not supposed to have for another six months or so, with milk, because we're out of half and half. Then, after waiting the obligatory half hour, I had two little Jimmy Dean frittata things--they look like muffins but they're eggs, bacon, and spinach. Very easy in the microwave.

Yesterday it was one egg--I still can't eat two--and three small pieces of turkey sausage and an English muffin (another sin). I'm living in someone else's home and I'm surrounded by evil temptations--I'm moving next week and will be much, much better in a house without so much forbidden stuff around.

Sure, this may be a weak excuse. Or I'm weak. Whatever--I'm basically okay with my rate of loss and expect to lose as much again (my doctor's expectation) or more (my expectation). To some extent, I'm trying to find a way to eat that will work forever. So sometimes the carbs will sneak in. Mostly the drive to get in sufficient Protein doesn't leave much room for them.

Some of the choices we have during all-liquid phases aren't very good, to be honest. I had a couple of spoonfuls of Bone Broth and thought it was disgusting, even though I was wanting something savory instead of sweet. I'd suggest just trying the things you're allowed and sticking to whatever you can stand--put the other things aside until after your surgery, then try them again. But if you don't like it, don't eat it. As long as you're getting your Protein and Water, the rest doesn't matter. Have you tried sugar-free popsicles or fudgesicles? Jello? Protein water? (particularly helpful if you get sick of the shakes).

If you find that nothing tastes right or acceptable or bearable, talk to your medical team. But if it's a few items, ignore them and move on.

Good luck!

Unless your surgeon has given you a specific goal to meet, I wouldn't worry about it. The goal of the pre-op diet is mainly to shrink your liver to make the surgery easier. People tend to lose weight, but I didn't really--I had already lost some pre-surgically, but the mostly liquid diet didn't make much change for me. But you'll lose, and quickly, in the month or so after the surgery, and then the rate of loss will probably slow, and you'll have stalls, but you'll continue losing if you follow the plan you're given.

And, for what it's worth, you shouldn't ever pin your hopes on a change in a day or two--sometimes you'll have one, often you won't. As someone wise pointed out in one of these forums, when we were gaining all our weight, we still didn't put on a pound every day or two. It took time then and it'll take time coming off--the big advantages of the surgery is that you'll almost certainly lose quickly and, even better, you have a better chance of keeping it off and developing new, healthier habits (over time).

I had some issues with the medications making my stomach hurt when I took them without food, so now I take just about everything after Breakfast (except the Calcium and D3, which I take later in the day).

As far as etc.etc.etc.'s post, oh, boy, yeah. He exactly describes the new posts, with so many people asking the same questions over and over. I know it's a crazy thought, but maybe people should read around the forums a bit before the obligatory "I'm scared" or "I can't drink as much Water as I should" or "which Protein shake" or "I've stalled at three weeks, has this all been a waste of time" posts.

Just saying'.

Lots of people say it's easier after the first couple of days. My advice is to try everything you're allowed to have to see what works for you--protein drinks, sugar-free popsicles (and fudgesicles!), sugar-free Jello, broth, iced tea, hot tea, etc. Some things won't appeal much but some will.

Good luck!

It sounds like it might be normal, but check with your doctor! Remember that not only did you have surgery on your stomach--which will take time to heal--but you also had a tube down your throat, so that can be left quite sore for a while. Take it slow. But definitely check with your doctor--if it's something out of the ordinary, you'll want it fixed, and if it's normal, you'll feel better knowing that. Best of luck.

Be as calm as you can about the surgery itself. After the surgery, focus on walking as much as you can; on controlling your pain with the meds given but not using them if you don't need them; on drinking Water. Be aware that you'll need to focus on Protein, but not right away--and with both the water and the protein, you'll most likely need to ramp up to meeting the goals--it won't happen immediately. Don't beat yourself up about these things--just keep trying, as it will get easier as time goes by.

I haven't had breast reduction, but I've had various surgeries, including an open (not laparascopic) hysterectomy, and I'd compare the sleeve surgery to my gall bladder removal. That is to say, very little pain and rapid recovery. You'll have a lot of adjustment to the internal change--having the tiny stomach--but as long as you eat according to your doctor's and/or nutritionist's instructions, that should cause minimal difficulty as well. Your experience may vary, of course, but it sounds as though you don't have serious pain issues with surgeries, so I'd guess you'll find it fairly easy.

I don't have much advice, other than that I've heard taking Biotin may help. I don't know--I've been taking it since the surgery, but my hair has thinned drastically anyway. I've been told it will grow back, so I'm just trying to hang tough and wait for that--but I'm not thrilled to look in the mirror. I cut my hair, hoping that the shorter length might help, but it doesn't make much of a difference. I'm wondering if anyone has gotten a permanent at this stage and whether that helped at all?

It's fairly normal to lose a lot the first month and then have it slow, usually to single-digit numbers for each month. But think about it . . . if you lose just five pounds a month, that's 60 pounds in a year! Suppose you did that for two or three years? Another thing to consider is that you almost certainly didn't put on all of your excess weight in a few months.

I'm not trying to be Pollyanna here; it's simply that this isn't an instant fix--do you really want it to be?--but it will eventually make a huge change in your life if you stick with it and do what you are supposed to do.

I haven't broken my weight loss down by month, but I know I had a stall--one of two or three so far--for at least a month. Then I started losing again and it looked as though I lost ten pounds in a week! I'm pretty sure that's not exactly what happened . . . but the changes our bodies are going through aren't a straight-line process, so we'll experience periods of rapid loss, slow loss, stalls, and maybe even gains (watch like a hawk for those, of course).

Good luck! There are a lot of variables affecting how quickly we lose--I have bad knees and do almost no exercise at all, for example--but as long as we don't go off the rails completely, we WILL lose.

Let me second or third or whatever the recommendation for Protein water--I was buying Atkins LIFT until I moved and couldn't find it; I've just gotten a couple 12-packs of the Protein2O (pictured above) delivered from Amazon. I like that it counts as both Water and protein; I also use Premier Protein (chocolate only) to help. It's been a gradual process, though, to think about protein first and foremost and every day.

Because my surgery was relatively recent, I still feel quite a bit of restriction. I don't measure things exactly, but, for example, I know that for breakfast one egg is plenty, no matter how I'm fixing it. Yesterday I had a hard-boiled egg and some light mayo for egg salad.

I'm fairly sure my meat portions are no more than three or four ounces. Last night I had two tacos, with shells, meat, cheese, veggies, and sour cream. I was very full after eating them.

If you are getting sufficient Protein, you don't have to worry too much about how many vegetables you are eating, as long as they aren't covered in a high-calorie sauce or butter.

I'll admit that I'm staying with a friend and I'm surrounded by things I shouldn't eat--breads, Snacks, sweets . . . sometimes I'll have a little to quash the craving, but once I'm living on my own again (February, I hope), most of this stuff won't get into my apartment at all.

I'll admit for starters that I haven't been tracking my food lately, so I don't know for sure what calorie counts I've been hitting. On the other hand . . . losing still. Breakfast is usually either high-protein Cereal with fruit (blueberries, a banana) or an egg with some bacon or sausage. lunch is often either a Protein Shake or some cottage cheese with pineapple. dinner is Protein and veggies; because I'm staying with a friend, I'm very often given potatoes or rice or noodles of some kind. When I'm cooking, I try to avoid these things or I use high-protein noodles (made with lentils--surprisingly good). This may sound boring, but the dinner can be Soup or a stir-fry, for example. A good snack for me is an ounce or so of cashews.

I drink Water, often with some Crystal Light or other flavoring added, and coffee, in direct defiance of the rules I was given by my doctor. I could not give up coffee for long!

I hope this gives you some useful ideas. The cottage cheese, for example, is something I really like, not just for itself, but because it's so easy and has good protein. Sometimes I have yogurt instead.

Good luck!

With the possibly important caveat that I had a gastric sleeve procedure, I have had no issues at all with anything I've eaten, really. I do eat some carbs (usually accompanied by some guilt) but I very much enjoy fruit--sometimes a banana, yesterday a few blueberries, and often an apple (usually with peanut butter).

Every plan is different, so I'd suggest calling your doctor and/or nutritionist to discuss what you can do. I definitely have problems with pills--vitamins or medications--when I don't have food in my stomach first.

My pre-op plan was very different: Protein Shakes for Breakfast and lunch, lean dinner with Protein and veggies, one fruit per day. It was, in my opinion, much better than a liquid-only diet pre-op (although the last day was Clear Liquids only).

But, again, check with your nutritionist. You may be able to do something different than you are doing now. Good luck.

Hello! My highest weight was 380. I lost 25 pounds pre-surgery, and, as of today (four months post-op), I'm down a total of 71 pounds. I didn't find my size an issue at all for the surgery nor for the recovery time after it. I haven't yet had a big increase in energy, I'm sorry to say, but otherwise things are fine. I had almost no pain post-surgically--just the first few minutes when I woke up. After that, no pain.

The first few weeks after surgery basically suck, in my opinion. It's all about trying to get enough Protein and Water in and not really enjoying what you are ingesting. I wasn't happy at all until I could eat real food again, and even then I wasn't hungry most of the time. It's come back a bit, but I still eat very small portions (and still think a lot about protein, protein, protein). Some basic favorites really help--for me, cottage cheese and eggs (not together!).

Probably the most important thing doctors don't really mention much is the stalls. I've stalled several times, most recently for more than a month, and that can be very discouraging. On the other hand, when the last stall broke, it did so with a vengeance--according to the scale, I've lost about ten pounds in the past week. I don't think that's actually what happened--this is just when it decided to register on the scale. It was probably happening all along . . .

Just remember that this is a long-haul process. I'm thrilled beyond belief to have lost this much, but I sure would like to lose at least a hundred more. I have no idea how it's all going to work out . . . just going along for the ride now.

Take a deep breath. This is exciting despite the scary bits. And if you read a lot of posts, you'll find a lot of people who say it's the best decision they ever made. Yep, I'd go along with that. I would NEVER have lost this weight otherwise.

I can't remember the last time Christmas fit into some dreamy special day category. It will be whatever it will be . ..

But you have already reached the fabulous Onederland, so celebrate!!