Lucas

I am only 4 months out, but I would highly suggest giving up your addictions Pre-op so you don't have to fight them post-op. Sugar, soda, caffeine, processed foods, etc. It is hard enough getting through the surgery and immediate post op without having to deal with headaches and cravings. give yourself a jump start by getting rid of this stuff before hand,

Self reflection is a super important part of the journey so congrats for taking the time to think about the tough questions ahead of schedule.
Trust in your ability to puzzle it out or seek the help you need
We are here with/for you, cheering you on. Safe surgery tomorrow ❤

This is a life changing decision, yes your life will change drastically, your husband will still love you even though your weight will change he fell in love because of who you are, you will still be you,your family and friends will have different opinions some good some bad just try to stay away from the toxic ones unfortunately friends will change and some of them will try to put you down, in my case my father in law was opposed to the procedure but I told him the last the decision was already made and that I didn’t want his permission just his support flash toward 11 months I’ve lost 138 pounds I’m weighing 172 pounds and he tells me I can still lose some more weight I’m 5’11 I just don’t pay attention to him anymore.
you are not vain for wanting a better life style, I can run with my kids I don’t get tired I had a heart condition before surgery I don’t any more don’t have to take any kinds of pills for my heart, sex got so much better I don’t feel tired the whole day and even stopped snoring I can shop for regular clothes and I’m not ashame of taking pictures. For the first time in I don’t know how long I’m healthy if people want to think I’m vain that’s their problem I’m just happy I’m gonna be around to watch my kids grow up.

the road is a hard one but try to keep your eyes on the price this surgery is not a magic pill that will make you thin from night to day is a tool to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle you need to work your ass off go to the gym or do sports or martial arts, stick to your Dr orders don’t take anything for granted if you are unsure of something call your doc I’m sure he’ll answer any question you might have stay away from sodas or any carbonated drinks and from sugar don’t eat and drink at the same time and always take your vitamins and protein as long as you follow your Drs orders this won’t be a failure

congrats on giving your first step towards a healthier future
also keep posting I found that talking to people who went through the same things helped a lot

I have now officially lost over 200 lbs in 8 months. Quite the journey. My wife was so impressed with the results she decided to have the surgery in October and is now my workout buddy.

We walk 7-10 miles a day and lift weights five days a week.

I consider myself about 20-30 lbs away from goal at this point. I understand there is probably more weight to lose than that if I reallt wanted to but I don’t really ever want to be super skinny. I have two little daughters so I prefer the “big enough to kick your butt and small enough to catch you” look for for any future boyfriends. :)

I am 6 months post op and I was on pantoprazole until roughly 15 weeks out taking it twice a day from about week 10-15. Once I was completely off it the reflux was triggered with just about everything. I think its most due in part to the sleeve kind of being in shock of solid foods and is adjusting to in-taking it. I has gotten significantly better since that initial shock phase but it is still there at a more calm state depending on many factors. Such as what I have eaten, the position my upper body is in, and whether I chewed well. I find that moving after eating or simply taking a halftime during my meal helps a lot. Just sitting there after meal doesn't do my digestive process any good because lets face it, not many of use have perfect posture to promote the easiest path of travel for our food down the digestive track. Some remedies I use to reduce the reflux/hearburn are to eat my meal with a side of pickled ginger or ginger root tea 30/45 minutes after my meal. Laying down after a meal is a no go for me because I find to use gravity to my advantage for digestion. No medications and barely any antiacids required, I focus on vegetables and proteins cooked without oils that make it harder to digest. It's all a give and take to figure out what you can tolerate and make those good decisions because your sleeve will let you know if it is not comfortable with your food choice.

I am 6 months post op and I was on pantoprazole until roughly 15 weeks out taking it twice a day from about week 10-15. Once I was completely off it the reflux was triggered with just about everything. I think its most due in part to the sleeve kind of being in shock of solid foods and is adjusting to in-taking it. I has gotten significantly better since that initial shock phase but it is still there at a more calm state depending on many factors. Such as what I have eaten, the position my upper body is in, and whether I chewed well. I find that moving after eating or simply taking a halftime during my meal helps a lot. Just sitting there after meal doesn't do my digestive process any good because lets face it, not many of use have perfect posture to promote the easiest path of travel for our food down the digestive track. Some remedies I use to reduce the reflux/hearburn are to eat my meal with a side of pickled ginger or ginger root tea 30/45 minutes after my meal. Laying down after a meal is a no go for me because I find to use gravity to my advantage for digestion. No medications and barely any antiacids required, I focus on vegetables and proteins cooked without oils that make it harder to digest. It's all a give and take to figure out what you can tolerate and make those good decisions because your sleeve will let you know if it is not comfortable with your food choice.

First off, stalls are totally normal. You just lost 27 pounds--you're body needs time to adjust. It's normal for your weight loss to take a one week pause along the way (sometimes even longer). Also, don't cut back on your calories. Stick to your diet plan--even with the stall. Remember, this isn't a calorie counting diet. It's a healthy eating diet, provided you hit your protein goals and drink your water!!! You don't want to eat too little or you'll have issues with your metabolism. When you hit a stall it may sometimes help to eat more calories--in the form of health fats (avocado, extra-virgin olive oil, Ghee etc.) and good proteins. Stay away from carbs if you can--they are the devil's food!!!

I too experience it now where as pre-op it was not an issue. I am just under 6 months post op. The reflux is very dependent on what is on my plate but some remedies I found helpful are, eating my meal with a side of pickled ginger, drinking hot water with ginger root in it roughly 45 mins after a meal, and eating a couple bites of a banana at the end of a meal help calm things down as well.

Let me start this thread by first apologizing if it is too straight forward. I know we all need support including myself and we are all here for support, to get to know one another, and to be there to pick one another up when we fall.
Gastric Surgery is a life changing surgery! It will change the rest of your life for the rest of your life. It is a physical change to your inner workings of your body.. and ONLY your body. It does not change how we deal with food. It does not change how we choose to eat. A choice is a choice that solely rests on our shoulders. Our stomach was changed on the inside to restrict the amount of food we can consume at one time. That is it!! The rest is up to us.
Please do your research before having the surgery. I have seen so many posts on here where people think because the stomach was altered the weight is going to magically drop off over night. Magic is found at Disney Only :). The hard work,exercise, controlled eating, limiting carbs avoiding junk food. Making the right choices when it comes to fueling our bodies is solely our responsibility! Let me add here.. i am far from perfect! I have struggled time and time again, hence why i am a part of these boards!
Read the boards before surgery from newbies! And what they have experienced immediately following surgery. Every experience is different but you will know what you can expect, and if it does not happen to you.. Guess what? You are one of the Lucky ones!!! Count your blessings! Each and every one of them! Each day is a new day and a chance to put in a little extra effort to meet your end goals.
Speaking of Goals! Have some! NSV ones, Scale Ones, Measurement Ones... We all have something we look forward to on this journey. Make lemonade out of lemons! Have fun with your new tool. Take advantage of it and baby it at the same time.
Follow your doctors orders! We are not all doctors here! This is a major procedure. There are reasons the doctor puts us on the food plan that he does. It is not to punish us. It is to make sure we don't put a whole in the new stomach that is still stapled and healing.
Seek out a therapist if you are struggling with emotional eating. The folks on the boards can give tips, but you really need to get to the root of that, and that may require a doctor visit. Yes Accountability is a great factor to have on the boards, and it is great to vent, but if you are truly struggling with emotional eating, then you truly need to seek a provider in your area to help you get through it.
There is so much information, tips, and advice on the boards! Take advantage of it. Take time to read them! Be a part of the community and respond to others that may be having a down day.. It is expected! But please please before you take the plunge on this life changing surgery know what to expect. Know what might happen and be prepared for it along the way.
Rant over!
If you made it this far.. Thanks for reading. I just wish some folks would read up on something they are investing in and all the pros and complication possibilities so they know exactly how things may play out.
With all my love and a Merry Christmas to all..
Jazzy

Couple of things I’d note, 10 months out:
- don’t compare yourself to others, focus on your own goals.
- get familiar with the metric that the average VSG patient loses 60% of their excess body weight. Set expectations accordingly and train yourself to tell the difference between genuinely falling behind medically and just perceiving you’re losing slower than others (comparison)
- keep in mind that this board is full of self-selecting success stories. We are NOT an accurate reflection of the group at large; those who lose less or struggle are less likely to post here consistently.
- many people who go off-track get walloped by the habit/emotional side of things. Think about therapy before and after, and if you start noticing yourself sabotaging? SEE SOMEONE.
- the honeymoon phase is about a year long. Don’t waste it.
For me, this surgery’s been a fantastic experience. My best guess is that I was chasing a chemical high achieved when I overate; when I could no longer overeat, I couldn’t get the high anymore so all incentive to overeat dropped away. I think the experience is different for people who have habits like emotional eating or socialized/ritualized eating patterns. Then again, the experience is different for absolutely everyone, so all you can do is prep in a best-guess way and put forth your best effort.
Good luck.

25 year old male
SW on 7/23/18: 255lbs
Today: 170lbs

You have to cut connections to known bad habits before surgery. You'll thank yourself when you are months out and are far removed from those poor food choices. If sweets are a weakness, try having fruit (berries, grapes, oranges, etc) on hand so you can join in on snack time and get a little sweetness that are not refined sugar sweets. That stuff is addictive. Post surgery it will be very hard and you realize food does not go down the same for a while until your esophagus and sleeve adjust to whole foods and you have to be vigilant 24/7 receiving signals from your sleeve. It is going to take a lot of mental strength and inner voice reasoning but keep your eyes on the long term goal and align them with short term habit forming of new habits and being mentally conscience of your food decision making