Tex Slim 66

Sheila, no problem, glad to help. I was in the same place last year and this forum was really helpful for me to hear the experience that ESGers had with their procedure and following weight loss. Same problem for me last 6 years after I turned 45, just couldn't keep from gaining weight no matter what diet/exercise I did.
I get the sweet tooth thing, it sounds strange now I'm sure, but I just don't have those feelings in my stomach or head to desire to eat the really killer sweets/deserts. A lot of talk about the reduction in stomach size and change in hormone production related to hunger, I'm not an expert as to why I feel this way. I'm totally different now, pre ESG, chocolates, ice cream, way to rich cakes, bread pudding, bring it on!! Now not at all. This lack of "hunger/desire" for food has made it so much easier to cut my intake of calories and not be Portion Control challenged.
Keep asking questions we're glad to help, you will make a huge difference in your quality of life with the ESG procedure.

hope4momof4, thanks great to hear from you. no meds since about 2 days following the procedure. I take Gummy Multi Vitamins and a separate gummy Calcium supplement each day.
On the sleeping thing, I did the first two nights on the couch, almost upright. My Dr. explained that if we lay down fully horizontally to sleep there's a greater chance of Fluid progressing back up from the stomach towards the esophagus. His recommendation was to be more vertical (doesn't have to be fully upright) as a way to reduce the chance of reflux or getting that feeling of reflux, etc. Particularly in the first couple of days following the procedure when the sutures are still new this is a big deal. Good luck with the countdown!!
Tex

hope4momof4, good question, I had very similar meds to Creekimp13. Main drugs were for anti-nausea, I did use Emend, also had a patch behind my ear for anti-nausea the day of the procedure and Zofran for 2 days post procedure all together they worked awesome. I did not have any nauseous symptoms.
Tex

Sheila, hi I had the ESG procedure November of last year, just before Thanksgiving. I'm early 50's and yo-yo dieted for the last 15 years, gradually gaining 10-20 pounds per year since my mid 40's. I chose ESG because I wanted a permanent change (not the balloons) and felt more comfortable with the endoscope procedure (no incisions) than a vertical gastric sleeve. ESG procedure went very smoothly, I was not in pain, did not get nausea and was up and about within a day or two following procedure. After the long weekend I went back to work on Monday and there were no complications.
I'm looking to lose about 80 pounds. As of late January I'm down 34 pounds and since the ESG it has totally changed my appetite and desire for food. I eat much less, don't have cravings and have eliminated most sugar from my diet (no processed foods, sweets, alcohol, etc.). Check some of my earlier posts for more details on diet, etc.
Let me know if you have more questions, on this forum we're always glad to help and share our experiences!
Tex

Amy Alexis, thanks for the great advice on pre-op prep and not over buying. Awesome progress! So cool you are getting close to your goal !! Very exciting!
I also agree better to ty some different shakes ahead of time. My fav was Premier Protein, 2nd best was muscle milk IMO.
Hope4momof4, thanks for kind words, glad you are feeling more positive now. Re: pre procedure I liked Premier Protein chocolate shakes (Sam's club) did those for 3 days and then the last 2 days before procedure was clear liquid diet. For clear liquids I liked chicken broth (bouillon) and not a big Water fan so drank Crystal Light flavored iced tea (Red Raspberry is my fav). This only last a couple of days after procedure as well and then moved to yogurt, chicken Soup and back to Protein Shakes. I was up and about as well within a day or so, clear liquids phase is so short you will be surprised. Also definitely feel I have more energy now in addition to not being hungry, a great combination. Good luck!
Tex

Hi Hope-
I'm excited for you!
Here's what I would suggest - if I had to do it over again, I would not over-buy liquids. For instance, that Hint Water sounded so good and a great option for me since I am not a great water drinker. But I didn't love it , and we still have dozens of bottles just sitting in the basement .
Take some time now to taste test the Protein Drinks. I bought a few different brands and didn't really like anything besides the Atkins.
The first two days I was on Clear Liquids. I had chicken broth/beef broth, water, SF Jello, Vitamin Water Zero (my favorite- this has replaced diet coke for me) and unsweetened ice tea.
Then when full liquids were added on day 3, I added plain greek yogurt and creamy Soups from Imagine - butternut squash and broccoli was good for me.
Again, don't buy too much because once more foods are added, you may or may not want those creamy soups.
And it's not like this procedure puts you in bed for days so you have to stock up. You will be up and about pretty quickly.
Here's a quick update on me- it's been two months, two weeks since the procedure and I"m down 24lbs.
I'm about 10lbs away from my goal. Feeling great.
I have felt some hunger a few times recently, but honestly I think it was tied more to stress than real hunger. Most of the time I am great. I am still at about 1000 cal/day give or take, and my nutritionist would like to see me at 1200 but I am on a roll, so if I don't feel like adding extra calories at the end of the day, and am not hungry, I just don't do it. I am eating more like 6-7 oz of food at a meal, rather than the 4oz in the first months. Nutritionist says that's ok and expected. I look forward to talking to the doc when I see her for my latest followup.
AmyA

Wow Tex I am now feeling more excited than ever to get this done. It is really starting to feel real now. It sounds like for you the procedure put that darn hunger hormone, gherlin, at bay. That is fabulous. For some who have had this procedure and posted their experience it seems that the actual physical restriction was the result but you got in my opinion a better result in the decrease in hunger hormonally.
Actually, I would like both please if that’s possible! In any case I guess it boils down to so many factors that I’ll just have to do this and find out what result I’ll get.
I’d love it if any of you all could list for me important things to remember to do preop in case my doc doesn’t cover them. Also, could you please give me an idea of what you drank the day of and one week after the procedure? What did you like and what did you absolutely hate? I’ll probably ask about your diet after one week but I want to do this one step at a time. So I will start with only the first week.
Thanks to all again. Any good pointers would be much appreciated.

hope4momof4, pre-ESG I also had the expectation of "restriction" limiting my eating. It may seem hard to understand however right now the "restriction" is showing itself in a different manner than I expected. Pre ESG I felt like the restriction would be a physical sensation, but as of now I just don't "want" to eat large portions or frequently. Mentally I'm also much more selective (no processed foods, absolute minimum sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine etc.) about what I eat. These choices are driven by the lack of my "cravings" for food and learning from my bad choices what "works" with my new stomach and what foods I need to avoid.
I lost 2lbs/week over Christmas and New year's vacation and while we were traveling one night I decided to "splurge" on sautéed mushrooms, one of my favorite dishes. I did not have a good reaction the next morning, upset stomach and many visits to the toilet, so no more sautéed mushrooms for me.
I'm still experimenting what works, for example, for a Friday night "splurge" tonight I had 2 onion rings tonight with dinner (grilled salmon). In the past if I started eating good onion rings (and these were delicious) there's no way I would have eaten less than 6-8 of them. I loved the flavor this evening but just had no desire to eat more than 2 of them. I'm hopeful all will go well tonight and I don't have to ban small quantities of Onion rings in the future!
The rest of the day I had 2 yogurts (80 cal each) and 2 Premier Protein shakes (180 cal each), so 520 calories for the rest of the day.
The procedure is going to help you a lot and your willingness to be open and committed to changing your life is what will ultimately make you successful!
Keep going and sharing, we can all make this change for the positive!

Hello my ESG family. First of all I would like to sincerely thank Tex, Mel, and Amy for the sweetest condolences on my mother’s death. Your words, prayers, and thoughts truly meant the world to me.
It has been two weeks now since my mom passed and I’m trying to cope with this devastating loss. So as you may have guessed— healthy eating was not a priority. However, I’ve managed to keep my weight under reasonable control considering the circumstances. It is something that I must know put as a priority in my life. My mother was very ill and unfortunately her weight ,bad eating habits, and lack of exercise contributed to the worsening of her condition as the years went by. I don’t want to go through what she did. Her quality of life in the last few years was horrible. She had no energy to go out and enjoy life. She needed constant help and care. I do miss her tremendously but I know that she in now in a better place. She didn’t want to live the way that she did. Her last hospitalization was painful to watch. She was basically kept alive by the machines attached to her. If she had survived that last hospital stay I am positive she would have needed a 24 hour nurse or something to get by. I know she didn’t want to live that way.
I’m still grieving her loss but it has in a strange way made me more determined to get my weight issue taken care of. I am going forward with my scheduled esg on February 6. I think now more than ever I have to take care of my health. I’m sure my mother would have wanted it that way.

Hi Hope4Momof4..
I have been thinking about you and glad to see you post today.
It's always so hard to say anything that seems to make a difference when someone loses someone they love.
The loss of your mom could have taken you down a dark path, but it looks like you've guided yourself to a good place, and found some strong, positive energy towards your goal - one that was, a short time ago, causing you a bit of hesitation.
Sending a lot of good thoughts and wishes your way. We're with you all the way!
AmyA

Thanks Amy. I’m going to need you guys now more than ever!!💝💝

Such a wonderful perspective from a very sad time. So positive to hear you are celebrating your mum by committing to your own health. I hope you are continuing to feel our love and support ❤️
How is the pre procedure food plan going? I'm guessing that you are getting close to lots of shakes and nor too much else?
Mel x

Hey Mel, to be honest my eating habits have been horrible. I could use the excuse of my mother’s death but that would be irresponsible. I know I need to buckle down and get started with a sensible meal plan and then transition to shakes. My doctor told me that I only needed to be on shakes for about a week before and liquids only 2 days before my procedure. I did schedule another consult with him for February 1st to make sure I’m clear on his instructions and am following the preop plan.
Thanks for the support and encouragement. I’m doing my best to channel that emotion (grief) into something positive. I’m trying to get prepared and focus on myself. My mother was my biggest cheerleader. I guess she’ll be cheering me on from heaven now.

Hey hope4momof4, you will get there. I had a "bad eating" trend too several weeks before my procedure (go real excuse or reason for this) and added 10+lbs. before finally got it under control. I had the same diet before procedure (2 days liquids). ESG and days after went smoothly and now I'm down 30 lbs in 2 months! Keep the faith and believe in yourself, there is a healthier happier you just waiting to be uncovered. Keep posting, we'll be with you all the way!
Tex

Mel, great post, I am also working on staying in ketosis. It's not easy, but I still have a long way to go (>50 pounds) for my goal and need the help of Ketosis. It was a good holidays for me health wise, no sweets, no drinks, only once or twice ate a bit too much food, but generally stuck to my eating patterns. Continuing to lose 2+ pounds/week.
I'm back for 6 week check in with Dr on Tuesday and am down a total of 26 lbs since my ESG procedure. Walking more and more and will start to introduce the gym work again after doctor's appointment. Hope all can have a healthy 2018!

Hope4momof4, so sorry to hear about the loss of your mom, I hope her passing was peaceful. Great advice for the rest of us with mom's still here. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, I hope you can find solace in the time and experiences you had together and her impact on the life's around you. Take care!

It's been very quiet here - I will break the ice by saying that I gained over over the Christmas week but have lost that plus another .5kg. I have been following a Keto diet since Jan 1st to get into ketosis ASAP to start getting some weight off again. I am now in ketosis thankfully and while it's Water weight that has been lost, knowing I am running on fat now is a great feeling. I loved the ketosis zone during pre and post esg - I think it has made the biggest difference in my weight loss. It's to thank for the quick weight loss at the start.
I will add a piece of fruit a day down the track but will try stay on very low carb for as long as possible. The dietician has worded me up in the past regarding how fibre cancels out carbs and has a more moderate approach to carbs. I am looking forward to checking in with her again next week.

Ok - now it's time for your accountability update. Remember, we are all friends here and will offer nothing but support if you have gained over the past few weeks.
Mel

Thank you all for your posts. I haven't been online for a while and have gotten a little discouraged after my surgery. This all helps me to get into a better place after the holidays so I can get back on track. I had ESG on Nov. 15 and my weight loss seems to have stopped. I have been getting hungry and have been eating larger portions. I can eat anything at this point, although in smaller quantities. Some of you posted about coffee, but I find that I am not interested in it anymore, although I was a big coffee drinker. Maybe part of that has to do with the fact that eating and drinking need to be done somewhat separately after the procedure. The nutritionist explained that the satiety parts of the stomach are at the top and if you drink a lot before or during a meal, it causes your food to push through and empty faster making you feel a bit hungrier. For me, coffee always accompanied Breakfast, so I don't feel like drinking it 30 minutes after I have eaten.
Another topic that I saw here related to preparing for the surgery. I have to admit, I was nervous. I ate crazy stuff all through October, but 2 weeks before my surgery, I tried to pull myself together and started watching what I ate again. As others have said, that head hunger is a real thing, so those weeks were difficult. The doctor's office said that the most important part was to stick to the clear liquid diet in the 48 hours before the surgery, so I was sure to do that.
I had absolutely no pain or nausea post-op. I was eating very soft foods about 2-3 weeks out and have been able to eat a nice variety of food. Nothing has really caused me any issue. The only thing that I haven't been good about is taking my PPI (Nexium or equivalent). I am not a fan of these medications and I have been in denial about needing them. When I miss a dose, I don't have a burning acid reflux, but my stomach feels achy. I have found that taking the nexium helps. I have been eating out of small dishes to help keep the quantities down and I make sure to really chew my food. Chunky food doesn't feel great, although it isn't painful, just uncomfortable.
As for positives, my weight has only fluctuated within 1 pound over the holidays, so I wouldn't consider that a gain or a loss. I am going to list this as a positive. All three of my sons have been working out like crazy (90min/day, every day) have each gained 7-9 pounds since they arrived around mid December. I am the only one in the house who has maintained. I had foot surgery 2 days ago, so I am looking forward to getting active again. Maybe this will spur on my weight loss again.
Also, I fit into my size 12's, which opened up a lot of choices for outfits for holiday parties. I am sure with all the yoyo dieting, many of you can relate to having a wardrobe in many different sizes. I was thrilled to be able to wear some of my older clothes.
TBH, I have moments when I question whether this was worth the expense or if I should have done the more invasive surgery. I thought that the weight would come off faster. The nutritionist assures me that the weight loss will continue and stay off. I am just trying to remain hopeful that this is true. Like many of you, I have failed at losing weight so many times that it is hard to think that this will work. For now, I am trying to stay positive and get back on track after my foot surgery.
Thank you for all the support here. It is good to have a place to write these things and put all of this into perspective. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.

Your going to love the otherside!!
When I think about my motivation to have the esg it really was all about health. Being healthy so that I could really LIVE this incredible life I have with my family. I have probably lost site of that during the first few months post esg as I really was judging my progress by weightloss alone. But I'm changing that thinking now as it really isn't the measure that's most important.
I told my kids that when we go on vacation in march that we are going to a waterpark and I am going on all the rides too. They thought it was the best thing ever and keep talking about who is going to come on each slide with me. My son said he has never seen me swim, or wear shorts in summertime lol 😂. That's about the change!! It's about time I jump into photos with my kiddos and be fit and active in their lives. And it's awesome to have the energy to know I mean it this time 😊

Hi everyone- Thought I would check in.
Not much happening on my end. My holiday went fine - did not really have any issues. We went to my mother's, and I was involved in the menu planning. So turkey and roasted veggies was dinner. Plus brought some shakes for the day.
My biggest challenge is getting my ass in gear to work out. I am getting on the treadmill but not really pushing myself. tomorrow I will be returning to my bi-weekly boxing training, so I will have someone pushing me, which is good. Altho I am dreading it. It's been months since I've been there.
The weight loss has slowed down to a crawl so now it's important to move. I'm down 21lbs and not unhappy about it, but hard to see the scale not move like it used to.
That's about it from snowy NJ.
AmyA

Bubbles, so sorry to hear of your friend's tragedy, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend in these difficult times. Something none of us as a parent should ever experience. I hope you find spiritual comfort and a way to continue the positive progress in your life. Sometimes (often) we take for granted how finite our lives are and that there may not be a tomorrow. This makes the steps you are taking all the more important. Take care, survive the busy holidays and find your routine to continue to move in such a positive direction. Tex

Melesg and hope4momof4, wow, I have never been so touched as reading your most recent posts about motivations other than weight or clothes size to get our lives in a much healthier state. Very deep and so important to many of us, maybe we're a bit hesitant to be so clear. You were both so eloquent and strong in how you want to experience life to the fullest with your children, it really meant a lot to me.
There's something about us as parents wanting to show our children how they can grow up to be people we admire and respect. We have to model in our behavior and I believe for many of us who struggle (and feel like we're losing the battle with our weight) that this same issue is present. So cool that you both are so open to help us all share in this motivation and realize it applies to many of us, even if we haven't openly acknowledged it.
Thanks for this blessing during the holidays! It makes me even more determined to be successful this time in changing my life to a much healthier and active one and becoming the parent I have aspired to be for a long time.
PS. I stopped coffee three days before my ESG (Nov 21) and haven't had any since. After the first week I was over the headaches and really haven't missed it!

Bubbles, so sorry to hear of your friend's tragedy, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend in these difficult times. Something none of us as a parent should ever experience. I hope you find spiritual comfort and a way to continue the positive progress in your life. Sometimes (often) we take for granted how finite our lives are and that there may not be a tomorrow. This makes the steps you are taking all the more important. Take care, survive the busy holidays and find your routine to continue to move in such a positive direction. Tex

Zaa, agree with Creekimp13, Johns Hopkins is a world class medical facility so I would have no concerns about the hospital performing this procedure. It's an endoscope, relatively minimally invasive, so there's no incision to heal or be concerned with. What is more important IMHO is the doctor who will be performing this procedure on you.
Do you know who this would be? Are you familiar with their experience with ESG or Vertical Sleeve Gastronomy? Typical questions are how many procedures they have done? What is the rate and type of complications that their patients have experienced?
Feel free to ask questions we would be glad to help. Thx Tex

Bubbles, so sorry to hear of your friend's tragedy, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend in these difficult times. Something none of us as a parent should ever experience. I hope you find spiritual comfort and a way to continue the positive progress in your life. Sometimes (often) we take for granted how finite our lives are and that there may not be a tomorrow. This makes the steps you are taking all the more important. Take care, survive the busy holidays and find your routine to continue to move in such a positive direction. Tex