sunshinetinks

You got this!

Also I eat Splenda instead of sugar. I did this prior to surgery anyway.

HW 330
SW 292
CW 193.4
GW below 200

Read the book "Why we get fat and what to do about it." By Gary Taubes

Fat is good, and the low fat craze was based on bad information. Fat does not make you fat. Carbs( sugar) make you fat.

I’m following a Keto style diet which is pretty much what is advised for bariatric dieters. I concentrate on Protein, then fat and avoid carbs. I follow the plan that I’ve attached below. I have this on my fridge to remind me.

I actually started this thread because I cannot stand the taste of low fat dairy ( except for some yogurts). My advice to you if you can handle the low fat versions of cheese, mayo, sour cream, and the like, is to go with them while you're trying to lose your weight. I, myself, just can't stand them. I am also on full liquids. Good heavens. Five more weeks of this?!?! Someone has GOT to be kidding me. A little low fat cheese is starting to look like Nirvana at this point.🤣

I feel your pain! Day 2 of Pre Op diet and Day 2 Quit smoking! Im sooo hungry its ridiculous! Hang in there, you've got this!

At this time next week I should be recovering in my room Post Op. This is so hard to believe that its finally here! One minute Im happy the next Im scared to death. Its going to be a long week.
51 year old woman
VSG DATE: 10/28/17
5' 5"
HW: 259
CW: 249
SW: ---
GOAL: 135

I didn't stop the journey, but I definitely had doubts. I had my first appointment with the surgeon in April and I was expecting quick turnarounds with insurance. After a month of not hearing if I was approved, stress at work, and just old habits, I went back to eating ice cream every night.
I'm glad I stuck with it, though. I got back on track before surgery and lost 20 pounds before surgery at the end of June.
There are so many times I think if I hadn't had this surgery, I'd eat that donut, or pizza, or cake, or Oreo....list goes on. I feel so much better now although I know I still have to work on this for the rest of my life.
I am trying to work on myself now, as I know this will be long term. If I would've waited until my mind was right before surgery, I'd be getting fatter and more unhealthy. I'd never have had the surgery.
Good luck

Our brain will tell us anything to convince us and rationalize that "we're ok" and don't need help. At 325lbs (my all time highest when I could barely even wipe my a*s), or even my regain weight of 287lbs it was almost a no-brainer decision for me. Dayum! You need WLS PDQ!!!
Well, from May to now, I've gone from 287lbs down to 233.4lbs this morning. Suddenly the Fat Whisperer that lives in my head goes, "Pssst. Hey, psssst. Buddy, Wanna buy a watch?" Ok, so maybe not the watch part, but the little whispering b***h just keeps softly hammering me with how good I'm doing/looking, how successful the weight loss has been...and dammit if it doesn't pull me up short, every time. Cuz, you know, it's almost immediately followed by thoughts of what I could eat here and here and here if I didn't have the surgery--or that a glass of wine or a beer would taste great in xyz situation.
I know without a doubt, that that Fat Fuc*er would lure me into the quicksand without batting an eye. My brain wants me to stay fat and quiet, so I will keep jonesing for "the good stuff" and keep feeding it to my brain--looking for that dopamine/seratonin/heroin hit. I've absolutely no doubt in hell that at some point I would again see 287lbs or possibly even 325lbs +10-15% for added insult.
So rational me realizes that I MUST tell my Fat Whisperer to take a steamin' cup of STFU and get right with the Lord, cuz our come to Jesus meeting is going to happen. It's going to happen. And I will have a different focus--on health rather than staying in my junkie hell hole of a wrecked out body. It took me a while to get here. The path was never straight. It wasn't quick either--we're talking about years in the journey. But for me, I HAD to be at this point before I could make a rational decision to have the surgery.
Maybe you need to think about getting counseling to help you work through the stages?
(hugs-hope you can work through things quicker than I have!)

@FluffyChix no, I’m no choir and you’re not preaching. I appreciate reading about folks’ experiences and sharing mine with you all. While our journeys are similar, how we walk thru them is crisp and unique. Thank you and LETS GET THIS SEXY GIRL! We got heads to turn this summer. Some people ask me how much weight I want to lose. I Tell them how early on I threw my scale out the window because it lies to me and has no place in my walk. My goal is to be able to dress inappropriately and look dam good doing it. BAM!

From what I understand this is true and it is theorized that reducing the stomach removes some of the offending hormones.

Also, plastic surgery after WLS (like a tummy tuck) can help by actually removing excess fat cells, not just shrinking them.

On April 14, 2016 I lost my job of 14 years and I was devastated. I was already overweight and on top of that I have lymphedema. My anxiety level reached a new level. I was taking 14 medications and had 3 heart attacks within 4 years. I was only in my early 40's. Since then God has blessed me to get permanent disability payments, and Medicaid; which paid for me to have the duodenal switch surgery. I had my surgery on March 28, 2017. I started out at 467 and currently I weigh 313! I'm no longer on any medications, except Vitamins and lasix. The swelling in my legs and ankles are nearly gone. I feel and look so different. It took 6 months for me to finally see and realize how well I looked.
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At one point today I almost forgot that I was on diet!

7days! Feeling better today

Great point! Its weird, I don't wake up hungry. Today is Day 3 of my liquid diet and Day 3 of no cigarettes. Today is better than the first two days! My one big issue is shaking. So I have had 1 Tbsp. of shredded roast chicken breast. That stops the shaking. I cant do that on Days 8, 9 & 10 though. This is VERY hard, I could never have imagined the level of difficulty.

I'm not turning back now. I went through too much the past 9 days to quit. LOL

I had a revelation about this liquid diet. Clearly, I was addicted to the wrong foods which is why I went through the horrible withdrawals and all the other side effects. I feel bad for drug addicts because their withdrawals last much longer and I don't know of a surgery that will help keep them from going back to their addiction. We are blessed to have this opportunity.

The best news...my insurance will pay 100% of the surgery since I met my deductible. That's like going shopping and getting everything 90% off (10% goes to my new grocery list).

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Hi my name is Corrissa . I hope I can make this short . I’ll do my best ! April 2014 I weighed 232 and I had quit smoking . I gained 64 pounds . My back was the first thing I noticed that hurt . I really was in bad shape . Other issues started to happen and all I could do is cry . So I looked into gastric bypass. N found a program at Alina . I started there and weighed in at 296 . Never in my life did I think I’d weigh almost 300 pounds . So I was driving over 2 hours away for my appointments dietitian and mental health therapy etc . So I get all the way to the end of the program everyone but the THERAPIST approved me to move on to surgery . I was devastated!! I yelled at that lady so bad lol I know I shouldn’t have but when ur in so much pain u will do just about anything . I mean 41 years old using a cane . So I put my tail between my legs so to speak licked my wounds n started again . So I called mayo in Mankato Minnesota. Thank God I did . I weighed in at 280 something when I started there . So I had a dr appointment for a physical and my dr said u should have a mammogram ur coming up on 42 .. YIKES !! What in the world I thought to myself ?? So I made an appointment and canceled lol I had a bad attitude about it . Did that twice . So the 3rd time I went in . Glad I did because they found a tumor . Caught early but they sent me in for s biopsy on September 22nd 2016 My first dietitian appointment with the mayo program was on the 23rd next day . So while I’m in that appointment I got a phone call I knew I had to answer . It was the results of my biopsy which came back that I had breast cancer . Now not that things weren’t already tough this just added more to the plate . I BURSTED into tears and the dietitian was there and just hugged me . I left her office sobbing n just sat on a bench in the waiting area in the Clinic . A nice nurse sat with me until I was calm enough to drive . OMG what in the heck was I just told ?? Me ?? Cancer ?? I’m gonna die I thought !! A few weeks from that passed by and I had a lumpectomy. My tumor was sent in for testing and came back with a low score meaning it was only stage 1 . I was relieved but still scared . I had decided that not only was I gonna fight this cancer I was gonna fight this weight loss as well . So I went through 28 radiation treatments and went through the bariatric program as well , February 9th 2017 I finished my last cancer treatment! Wahooo cancer free I was so happy ! And I am still cancer free ! So I finally get through the weight loss program had lost some weight on the way . My insurance finally approved it and I had surgery August 9th of this year . Day of surgery I was 261 I’m now 219 . It’s been a heck of a year ! I just want to encourage men and women and inspire them . Because no matter what we go through there’s no such thing is giving up . I wanted to a few times but I got my butt up and kept moving . My dietitian always tells me how brave and amazing I am and it feels great ! So I’ll share some pics . The first ones will be the bigger me and then some new pics as well . God bless you all ! Thanks for reading ! 

Just wanted to share my progress picture. I've never been too fond of taking shirtless photos, because I've never been in shape.
Abs are beginning to form and I'm excited for it!
HW: 389 lbs
SW: 355 lbs (4/10/2017)
CW: 278 lbs

Shirts went from a 4XL to an XL.
Jeans went from a 54 to a 44.
Body fat went from 38% to 20.5%.

I don’t own a scale so I haven’t weighed myself since before the vsg. Visiting my mother and decided to give hers a whirl. 20 whole pounds. Gone. I cried a little. That’s amazing. I remember working out and eating like a bird for months and only being able to shift my weight 7lbs. This is such a breakthrough. I don’t see if much in my tummy area, I feel the same. But my ankles wrists and fingers are definitely slimmer, and my little chubby chins are practically gone. So I’m counting it as a win. YAY!