Bhageerah

I gained weight at one point, my first surgeon was not happy but they understood because like you it was around the holidays, my dad was gone, had to put my dog down, etc. I gained a few pounds but they understood and the next month I took those pounds off. When I went to my second surgeon (first one got shut down by the health system to no fault of her own) the process was so fast that I did not gain anything the entire time. They started and finished in a few months. I would not push the process or the point and would get on track with your weight loss, I know this is going to sound absolutely crazy but at over a year out, I see how easy it is to loose track of what you are eating, and if you do not keep your eye on the prize the surgery will not matter. If you don't keep working out and watching what you eat, it is VERY possible to overeat by grazing and eating high calorie foods. Surgery is just a tool that you use, what you do with that tool is entirely up to you. Good luck and I wish you well, I know you have this and can do it!!😁

Yes, it does, started a new job and some of the women that I work with started giving me compliments, I honestly am not used to it and was uncomfortable. Its not something that I am used to prior to the weight loss.

Not sure what you are taking but I know that I was taking them twice a day. You may want to inquire about that, I can tell you that I am still on them over a year later and I would like to try and wean myself off of them in about another 6 months to a year. (we shall see.....) I know when I have not taken them and know exactly what the problem is....my Dr told me to try a probiotic and that works some, but I definitely need the acid reducer. Talk to your Dr and tell them what is going on, and they will help you.

I was the same way, my surgeon sent me home the same day, and I honestly would have to say that I prefer that method. I hear about people not being able to drink anything until the next day, or having issues getting up and going to the bathroom because the nurse has several rooms and she is assisting others and giving medications. And of course they do not want you to get out of bed because you are a fall risk. I was groggy for the first 12 hours post surgery but after that I was up and moving. Yes it hurt, but the pain went away day by day, and as the pain went away it actually felt good to get up and move around. By the way let me take a second to say CONGRATULATIONS!!! 😁

You can have it but as it has already been stated it is something that you should hold off on. I know that sugar was one of my worst things. Halo top is low cal and high protein but it also contains too much sugar for this phase of your journey. If it isn't on any of the paperwork that your Dr gave you then stay far far away. I know that I stayed away from sugar for quite some time and I think that the results I have had speak for themselves. I do eat cake and pie from time to time, even had halloween candy. But I can tell you that I am in control vs my sugar cravings being in control. Hold off as long as you can, the resetting that happens in your brain and metabolism are completely worth it. Prior to surgery I was not in control, and could not stay away from sugar, if I smelled or saw something I loved like doughnuts I couldn't walk away, now I can say its not worth it and keep walking!

Did it, and INSTANTLY regretted it! I made one of my favorite meals and had to have some, it was about 2 months post surgery and I had a chunk of roast beef that was way too big and not chewed enough.....that was serious regret! The pain that I experienced was enough that I learned and have not made that dumb mistake since! In addition to the pain of it going down I also had stomach pain for HOURS after that. The pain almost felt like something was trying to rip me apart from the inside! NOT WORTH IT!!!!

All I am going to say is that I love my boy and there are several times that I do feel bad about leaving him, but just know and trust that your pups will be ok. I do believe that the main thing is that you have someone that you trust to take care of your pups. I know that may be hard to do but once you find someone you trust and you get out of town and enjoy yourself then the fear will disappear. Have them send you pictures of how they are doing especially when they are having good time, that should also help to calm your nerves.

OK, first let me get the fact that I am not a woman out of the way......that being said there is absolutely no reason that I can see that you need to completely change up date night if that is what the two of you enjoy! Yes you may need to change out the pizza but there is no reason why you can not have something healthier! Not only that but why can't you have a healthier version of pizza? There are several low carb recipes that you will be able to find on youtube. My wife LOVES to eat out, that accompanied with my busy schedule and eating well over 8K calories per day at my job as well as some "life" stress made me gain weight like nobody's business. We still go out but not HALF as much and when we do, we now split a meal and opt for a healthier option. We still have date night and go out but have changed it, I don't order dessert anymore, nor do I drink sweet tea or soda,. I am a strong believer that in this journey that we are all on part of success is a matter of finding out why you did what you did, and modifying said behavior and exercising in order to keep the weight off. Please don't take this the wrong way........but it wasn't one or two date nights a week that put the weight on (I know it wasn't for my big behind!!😂). And I doubt that one or two date nights will be enough to make you put the weight back on. Please go enjoy the time with your husband, no matter what it is! Take a walk, go play bingo, lazer tag, or start working out together! I don't care just as long as the two of you are doing it together and enjoying each others company!! (Oh and its healthy......😋) From a guys POV sometimes its not about what we do with the woman its about just spending time together and being able to communicate.

SIX DAYS OUT!!??! I have to give you some serious credit, I am strong willed but at 6 days out I couldn't even take the smell of them cooking here at home! I actually had to leave the house when the cooking was being done and come home after they were done. The dog and I would go on a hour or so drive and they would spray the house with febreeze before I made it home. It only lasted for about a week or so but it was HARD at least until I made it to the puree stage. Matter of fact the family ate out most of that week and I stayed home alone and "enjoyed" my greek yogurt or protein shake. I know I could not have done Chick-fil-a that soon! I would have been nibbling on a fry or nugget, or sipping on some tea!

I own a scale, for awhile I did obsess over the number as well as the stalls. That being said if I had it to do over again would I change anything? Absolutely not, if me stepping on a scale every day or several times a day is the worst outcome then it has been a good day! There really wasn't any harm that came from my obsession and to be honest with you the scale also assisted me in keeping some of this weight off so far. I plan on weighing myself several times a week. I am keeping myself accountable and do not plan on getting back up to the weight that I was. The scale is a tool just like the surgery itself, when used properly it can be an asset, when used improperly it can be a hinderance to your progress. Please do not get down on yourself when you hit a stall, it WILL happen, as Dory would say "Just keep swimming" and keep going and working your plan, and you will find yourself loosing again!

At least you are appreciated!!😃 And I will say that you do not have to share, I only shared with a few people since it really isn't anyones business. But the good thing is that you have taken it on yourself to make a life changing decision! I applaud you for sticking with your plan and leaving the fruit alone! Just stick to the plan and you will find yourself dropping weight in no time!

I have managed to get rid of all of my pre surgery clothes, went on a trip to Alaska and managed to fit in the airplane seat! I have also managed to be able to fit my formerly big behind into any and all roller coasters at the local theme park!!! That alone was an amazing feeling since there were only a few rides that I was small enough to get on. I am currently halfway into working my way up to being able to jog a 5k in less than 25 minutes with my golden doodle and when that happens I will be doing cartwheels! By far one of the best decisions of my life to have this surgery!!

Ok, I know that this will be TMI but just remember you asked! 😂 As others have stated at 3 months out you should be cleared for just about anything. Keep in mind if you are drinking/eating only 600 calories a day your body is will be consuming more than than to run every day. Its the waste that ends up coming out of the other end, so if you are drinking most of that 600 calories then not much is going to come out the back end. I will say that I am usually eating about 16-1800 calories per day and I typically "go" once per day if that. I have actually started taking several things in order to keep things moving. I take several of those per day as well as several psyllium pills. Please refer to your surgeon for the psyllium, some say its ok and some say no, my surgeon said it was fine and I currently take 3-4 pills daily and they simply work. The only concern is making sure that you drink enough water as the fiber in the pills tends to absorb water which can be bad if you do not drink enough water when you take them. I am over a year out and even though I eat plenty of salad, fruit and veggies I still have issues. I also drink well over 100oz of water every day so I am getting plenty of hydration.

I know that this will upset quite a few folks on here, but yes you can drink it. Should you drink it? NO! I have to admit that I drink a Kickstart from time to time due to the sheer amount of hours that I work. I pick Kickstart due to the low amount of calories, and before I start drinking it I get rid of most of the carbonation. It is not something that I do often but I will drink it when needed. Outside of that I do not touch anything carbonated, and choose not to drink my calories, I refuse to gain my weight back and get caught going back to my "sweet tea, Pepsi, or Dr Pepper" habit. If it were not a necessity trust me I would not even drink them, but after being up for 20 hours and having to take the last call of the shift, and then go work my part time job for the next 12 hours its needed from time to time. And to be honest with you it really does not taste that appetizing once the carbonation is out of it! I know someone will ask why don't I just drink coffee and the answer is that I hate the taste. And by the time I put about 20-25 packets of sugar and about a third of a cup of creamer there are far more calories in my version of coffee than in a Kickstart.

I cheat and will continue to cheat, I know that sounds crazy to some but I know that this is a lifelong marathon and not a race. I also know that as long as I watch what I eat, balance things out and not get to crazy that I will be able to moderate any weight gain if any. I now exercise more than I have in a VERY long time and find myself taking the stairs, and simply moving more than I used to. I eat pizza, chips, crackers, and even desert from time to time. I also am sticking to drinking 2-3 protein shakes a day two of which are supplemented for meals. I know as long as I keep doing what I am doing (and weighing myself to keep track) I will be ok, I have support around me as well as several others that have had the surgery and we all keep each other on track. I have worked hard to be where I am at and I am not going to let anything out there put the weight back on me!

I am in public safety where keto is running rampant. There have been quite a few diet preachers that I have dealt with, even my best friend that was pretty unsupportive and was upset because intermittent fasting was working for him. He doesn't realize that we have different genetics. Most of his family is tall and skinny wile mine is short and overweight. I had tried most diets with short term success but he as well as those around me didn't understand that either. It was EXTREMELY aggravating and in the end I made my decision, didn't tell hardly anyone and know that I made the right choice for me. Everyone says that I look amazing and I feel amazing, you just have to know that you made the best choice for you and that it is your life not theirs!

Prayer on the way and congratulations! Make sure you have your lap bar down because you are in for one heck of a ride!!! I am almost a year out and still can not believe how well this thing has worked and how much more energy and stamina I have. I do believe you will come out on the other side thinking this was one of the best decisions of your life!

Only thing I can say are to try some diphenhydramine/hydrocortisone cream and call your Dr to see if it makes a difference. They would be the best source of information, and I do have one scar from the trocar about 1-2 inches below my sternum, the others are WAY lower than that one.

I know that there are others on here that will disagree with this statement, but I realize that this is a lifelong journey. It is not a sprint to the finish line and that I will have to change my relationship with food for the rest of my life. That being said surgery helped put ME in control of the food and not the other way around. I still eat crackers from time to time, I also eat sugar from time to time. But it isn't an everyday thing and not in the amounts that I used to consume. I do know that sugar is one of my downfalls so I do watch how much I consume. I also changed my part time job. In essence I was working 240 hrs a month at my main job, and then another 90-120 hours a month at my part time job. That amount of working led to me eating fast food 3-4 meals a day and packing on the pounds like crazy. I still work about 300-320 hours a month but I am prepared and have protein shakes in my book bag, in the refrigerator at both jobs as well as protein bars. Just like with keto meal prep is the key! If you plan ahead and keep something high protein around you then you have passed half the test. If you are doing Keto now then you are well on your way!!

Hello! I am sleeved as well, and I also believe I can answer, keep in mind that each person is different but I hope that all the answers that you get will help you make your decision and give you some much needed information! 1. I do believe that you will be able to get lower than that easily, especially if you stick to the program and add the appropriate amount, as well as the appropriate exercise depending on the phase you are on. Yes I am a male but the weight that I lost was absolutely insane and happened much faster than I thought it would. I have not been at my current weight in YEARS, almost so long that I feel like I came out of the womb at this weight! 2. I do feel as if last winter was the worst of my lifetime, I was sitting in the house in a knit cap, scarf, gloves and a jacket while the kids were walking around in pajamas.... recently took a cruise to Alaska and it was 50-60's and I felt fine. I usually am a polar bear and enjoy weather in the 30's and 40's. Normally I am able to go outside in just a light jacket, pants and sweater and I am very comfortable. Lets just say that I am curious to see if my cold tolerance has changed over the course of this year and since my weight loss has stabilized I will be able to tolerate it better. 3. I would say that depends on you, I can tell you that my relationship with food has changed, while I can say that working around food may be a trigger, it can also work in your favor if you let it. I do not work around food but I do work for a fire department and people are dropping off good snacks and food all the time. Prior to surgery I could not say no whatsoever (unless it looked unappetizing) now I am able to walk by and just look. 4. As long as you stick to protein you will be fine, you will find that protein is your best friend, and when you eat it, you will not be hungry whatsoever. Had to take a 10 hour trip up to PA to pick up my puppy, I was able to eat breakfast around 9 and make it home and only had a banana and a couple of protein shakes. I got home about 9pm and did not feel hungry the entire ride, before I would have stopped and McDonalds and Chick Fil A several times before I got home. 5. As long as you follow the plan you should be fine, I can tell you that there were days that I did not follow the plan because I was not hungry but I was not malnourished. There are still days at almost a year out that I do not really eat much, I have my normal handful of vitamins and several protein shakes and I am good. I am pretty healthy and definitely malnourished whatsoever! 6. As long as your Dr knows what meds you take you should be absolutely fine, not to mention that you taking off the excess weight will help your joints because they are not carrying all the weight that they are used to carrying. Ask me how I know....... Not sure of what surgery you are having but my Dr says that with the VSG NSAIDS are ok. Just as long as I follow the label so they are not an issue for me. 7. Have not had any depression at all, I will say that I was a little moody for a bit because there are times that you realize that you counted on food to cope with certain issues. You have to relearn how to cope and not use food, as well as saying goodbye to old lifelong habits. 8. I am not on Paleo and I do not make about half of my food, I love Chick Fil A and will always love it, I still eat it, but I watch what I eat! Grilled sandwich (only able to eat half) and a small superfood side salad are my typical meal there. Its about you finding the healthier choice and picking it most of the time. I am a cook and enjoy cooking so its pretty easy to fix a protein and low carb veg for me and add in a carbohydrate for the rest of the family. Its all about choices. When I am at the fire station there are times that I just eat a Healthy Choice meal for lunch and call it a day! 9. If you are as active as you say you are, then you should be fine! Hate to bring it up but I can tell you that I have been on several cruises (average weight gain during a 7 day cruise is anywhere between 5-10 pounds) I have been on several and actually lost weight! I watched what I ate and didn't get stupid, and took the stairs almost EVERYWHERE we went on the ship. If you are willing to workout 30-40 minutes several times a week you will be fine!!! Past month has been absolutely insane here and I have not been working out as I should have, but I have still managed to keep my weight the same. 10. I have not had dumping whatsoever (once again I had the VSG) only side affect that I have had is GERD, which I am currently trying to get under control. I have had anything and everything else on your list and more without one issue whatsoever! Only thing is that I notice that I do not tolerate spicy that well, not because it causes serious issues it just makes my stomach more acidic so I have to take some Tums or something. 11. I can tell you from my experience that guzzling will not be an option. Water does not compress, it will change shape but it does not compress. When you swallow a large amount of water and it is too much to easily go through the small pipes that you have it is going to HURT, I can tell you that you will be able to drink normally after awhile (not at first!!!!) but you have to take it easy. One year out I still have to watch how fast I drink! Hope this helps and good luck !!!

I will have to say that the liquids only phase was hard but well needed! I have NEVER been so happy just to get a spoonful of refried beans in my entire life!!! Enjoy your puree phase and congratulations!!!!

I am not sure of your history but I can tell you that I have lost, about 70 pounds with other diet methods but the weight has piled back on in about a year or two. I have done about 5-6 other methods and knew that I was sick and tired of the yo-yo dieting. This is going to be a choice that you have to make after about 8 years of doing this all on my own I knew that I needed help. VSG was my solution and so far it has worked and worked very well. I can tell you that even with the VSG you will plateau just as you will with all diet plans. As my Dr told me "the problem with a diet is the word diet, it needs to be a complete lifestyle change and not just a diet change" at first I was upset because he said that but the longer that I have lived the post VSG lifestyle the more I know that he is right. The farther out from the diet you go you will start going back to the way that you used to eat. I can assure you that this will even happen with the VSG but one of the major differences that I notice is that prior to the VSG my cravings were unrelenting and would hound me until I satisfied the craving, and I wouldn't stop until I had eaten FAR more than I should have. I am now in control, if I eat something that I shouldn't I am able to eat a handful and walk away. My advice? Try the diet for awhile, if you notice that you are able to keep it off then you are good and well, absolutely nothing has been lost! But if in fact you diet and notice the weight coming back on then talk to your surgeon and get your appointment scheduled!

I did not start near that weight, and if I was I would not have needed the VSG I am 5' 10" and was 338 at the start of my journey. Ok now that has been said and please don't think that I am being condescending because that is the farthest thing from my intention, I just wanted to let you know where I started! It is completely understandable that you are scared but trust me you will be fine in the end. You need to fasten your seatbelt my dear because this is going to be one heck of a ride! I am almost a year out and you can check my profile for the amount of weight that I have lost. I feel absolutely AMAZING and wish that I would have done this MUCH SOONER, if I did then there are several health issues that I would not have had to deal with! What I did to prepare myself is exactly what you are doing, searching boards, looking at Youtube videos and doing serious research online. Just know that there are things that you are going to have to give up like soda, but in the long run it will be more than worth the small and temporary discomfort that you will go through. Another way that I prepared myself was starting on a high protein and low carb diet. That will be essential to long term results, it will lead to long term results. Please do not sweat the procedure the worst time that I have had with it was the one week following surgery, after that it was smooth sailing! This is a process, and even though it is moving pretty fast you come out on the other side half the woman you are now and have a smile on your face that very few things will turn into a frown! Your confidence will increase, as your waistline decreases! Good luck and please report back with your progress!

Currently I work due to my schedule, but when I am able to get some time off I plan on taking the kids to a few amusement parks and actually riding EVERY ROLLERCOASTER for a change. Looking forward to taking the kids and going zip lining as well!!! I am currently enjoying just being able to move better and not get as tired as fast, I am just constantly amazed at how much this weight loss is changing the quality of my life! Take inspiration that once you drop your weight that your life will change SIGNIFICANTLY and for the better. The only real negative that I have to say is that I have lost so much weight so fast that this winter has been extremely hard to go through because I have not been able to get warm. But I will gladly walk around the house in a sweater, scarf, and knit cap vs all of the excess fat!!