t1018ross

Such a great post! I did lots of research before my surgery and even sat on it for 2 years before even discussing it with my primary care physician. I knew what to expect physically. However, I was totally unprepared for the emotional aspect of it. I was so depressed and regretted my decision for 2 months after surgery while I went through a "breakup" with food. Things got much easier and I'm very happy with my decision now but I have struggled during the holidays with making good choices. You have to make a conscious effort every day to choose to be healthy because it's sooo easy to slip back into bad habits!

I had this exact situation happen to me just last night. A friend said you look so good followed with I hope you're not planning on losing more. I just smiled and said no even though I plan on losing another 18 or so. Nobody's damn business is my opinion!

I'm a nursing student and during my OR rotation I actually saw the gastric sleeve surgery done. It's a very gentle surgery as far as surgeries go. I was a little apprehensive too just because I know all the complications that can happen but it also helps you prevent them. You know to get out of bed as soon as you can and walk, use your incentive spirometer, etc. And it's really not a hard surgery to get over physically. The challenge is all mental! You'll be fine. Trust your surgeon and tell yourself what you would tell your patients.

String cheese, beef jerky, almonds, apple slices with peanut butter, carrots and hummus. I just found a frozen edamame with sea salt that you steam in the microwave. SO GOOD. It's Pictsweet brand. I put a little extra sea salt on it. Also, cucumber slices with ranch or hummus.

I didn't eat solids until week 7 and to be honest, my sleeve wasn't ready for them until then. And yes, it did suck. I got so tired of pureed and soft foods. I know lots of programs are very different. I would talk to your surgeon and your NUT about your feelings. Sometimes surgeons will promote you to the next step early but definitely follow his/her instructions. It's for your own safety and health. Good luck and I promise it will pass and you won't think twice about it again!

I have had red and white wine and vodka, My only advice is to start small and do it in a safe place. You will feel the effects a lot sooner than you used to. Other than that, enjoy!

Just want you to know I totally get it. I'm a slave to my scale even though I know I shouldn't be and there are days where I don't lose and I'm in a bad mood all day. Your feelings are normal. Sometimes, no matter how much we logically understand the process, our emotions get the best of us.

I totally understand where you're coming from. I got really depressed after my surgery in May. I was basically "breaking up" with food. I understood how things would be before I had my surgery but I didn't fully realize it until I actually had the surgery. You don't really realize how much of life revolves around food. I was MAD that I couldn't eat what I wanted even though I knew the benefits of the surgery and all that. It also didn't help that everything I put in my sleeve hurt and I felt like I'd never eat normally again. As you heal, it will get better and you will be able to have your favorite foods again - just in moderation and with mindfulness. Everyone is different, but for me 8 weeks out was the turning point. I started to feel normal again and now at 4 months out I'm so happy I did it. These moments of depression and sadness are normal. Just keep your eye on the prize and realize you will be able to enjoy food again!

You look amazing! Congrats!

I was only able to eat about 2 oz of solid food at 2 months out. I'm almost 4 months out now and can eat around 4 oz give or take depending on what it is. Definitely bring up your concerns at your dr. appt. but it sounds like you're right where you should be.

I think you're absolutely right. You can do tons of research and have realistic expectations but you won't know how the surgery will work for you until you go through it. No one can predict how your body will react. I think the best you can do is educate yourself and have good discussions with a surgeon you trust.

I think the people who truly research their options, have open, honest discussions with their doctor, are honest with themselves about making permanent lifestyle changes, and have realistic expectations and goals are the most successful, regardless of which surgery you choose. I chose VSG because I didn't want the problems of malabsorption and I didn't want to deal with dumping syndrome. This is not because I wanted to go back to eating whatever I wanted. I had my gall bladder removed several years ago and experienced dumping with almost everything I ate for about a year afterwards. It was horrible. I also didn't like the idea of switching my anatomy around. I like that with VSG the digestive process is still the same. I also educated myself on the procedure and have realistic expectations of the outcome. And, if I'm being honest, I do like being able to "cheat" on special occasions without worrying about dumping. My restriction keeps me from going overboard and I'm able to resume my regular diet after without going into a downward spiral of bad choices.

You look amazing! Congratulations, you should be proud of yourself, what an accomplishment!

Google gastric sleeve bariatric recipes. There are lots of blogs and sites that have excellent recipes and all the nutritional info too. I hate tracking food but it definitely keeps me accountable. And good on you for catching yourself before you slipped into bad habits! Good luck!

These are really good! I don't eat them much but they're my go-to when I want something crunchy to dip in hummus. The problem with cheezits and other crackers/chips are the fact that they are slider foods. I can eat way too many and not feel restriction at all so I don't have them in the house.

Agree with what everyone else posted. Did your doc prescribe something for nausea? Mine gave me sublingual (dissolves under the tongue) Zofran that worked wonders. The healing time is the worst, it does get better. I turned a major corner around 8 weeks but I also didn't have all the procedures you did. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!

Have you thought about using "no sugar added" food items? Still a little sugar but nowhere near the amount as in regular foods. My problem was the taste of the artificial sweeteners in the sugar free items. Couldn't tolerate it at all. I ate a lot of Outshine no sugar added popsicles during the first weeks. Glad you reached out to your team!

I had very mild sleep apnea (didn't even need a CPAP) so it wasn't an issue for me. Just wanted to tell you good luck with your pre-op journey! This site is a great place for information and support.

I was on vacation last week and was surrounded by junk food. Peanut M and M's (my fav), choc chip cookies, snack mix, chips, etc. All of it just laying on the counter. It's hard to break those habits of grabbing food when you pass by even though you're not hungry. I confess, I gave in at times too. And even when I was full I wanted to eat it. The mental part is SO hard. You're not always going to be able to avoid it. We can't shut ourselves in our homes and stick to our safe routines all the time. I like the idea of carrying water or something to sip on when faced with this situation. Keeps your hands busy. Also, if you know you're going to an event that will have snacks sitting around, eat before you go so at least you'll have that discomfort reminder if you try to snack! And give yourself a break every now and then. A handful of snack mix or a cookie isn't going to derail your progress as long as you get right back on track.

Yes! And remember, this is just as much of a mental effort as a physical one. In fact, I would say the mental part affects your success more than the physical part. I used food as a reward system, a coping mechanism, and it was a huge part of my social and family life. I didn't realize just how much I depended on food for various things until I no longer was able to do it. It's HARD but so worth it.

I totally understand your reservations. And I agree, there isn't enough discussion on the negative side of WLS. I had the sleeve surgery May 7, 2018 and for the first 6 weeks or so I regretted it. I didn't have any complications. My problem was it hurt so bad to eat anything or drink fluids for much longer than I anticipated. I got depressed and felt like I had made a horrible mistake. I couldn't tolerate the protein shakes or anything with artificial sweeteners. I wasn't able to get enough fluids in and the chewable vitamins made me nauseous. It was rough for a while. Plus, I also had this totally unreasonable anger that I couldn't eat what I wanted to anymore. I was grieving my "breakup" with food and it was hard. At 8 weeks post-op, I finally turned a corner. I could finally eat solid food and my stomach didn't cramp at every bite. I was able to swallow whole vitamins instead of having to use chewables. And I finally got some energy back and felt like exercising. All of this made a HUGE difference. I'm so happy I chose to have the surgery. I've lost almost 50 pounds and feel so much better. My advice is to understand that the healing process is hard even if you don't have any complications but to remember that it won't feel like that forever. This site helped me tremendously. Good luck to you and I hope you realize all your goals!

I started eating nuts at 8 weeks with no problem. I know they can be a slider food for some but they definitely aren't for me. Just be careful how many you eat the first time to see how your sleeve handles it. They fill me up very quickly.

I'm in nursing school and on my OR rotation before my surgery, I got to watch 2 sleeve surgeries. The staple tool is fascinating. It's amazing that it can cut and staple both sides at the same time. After the surgery, the surgeon opened up the stomach for the students to look at. Really cool seeing all the rugae inside.