Sharmeka

Newer studies show fat is good. I am a medical transcriber for several different hospitals in different areas. Plenty recommend high Protein, high fat, low carb. Do searches for low fat myths and/or cholesterol. They've also found that eating cholesterol doesn't cause high cholesterol.
To reduce the carbs in fried chicken, you could use almond flour and maybe crushed Pork rinds.

Yes, the hoops games is horrible. I’m like you can take my whole uterus out in a matter of a week. Scheduled and surgery. But me to lose weight I need everything under the sun.

Thanks. I hear ya, I know I will probably have quite a bit of loose skin in that area, but I know that Spanx will be my bff

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I'm actually new here - I came looking for information about some Vitamin supplements, but I'm glad I found this ! I had VSG ... the only long term side effects so far have been new onset GERD (just started within the last year and a half or so) and anemia (tried every kind of Iron supp. - eventually came to the conclusion i just need annual iron infusions). The anemia may not be related, but my hematologist does blame the sleeve for it. My only concern the older I get is whether I'm getting enough Calcium (and whether I'll end up with osteoporosis). I can't find a lot of studies on that. I would love if anyone had information on the % of people who have long term bone issues after VSG.
Life feels absolutely 'normal' .. though I'm not sure if that's just because it has become the new normal for me over the years. I can eat fairly normally (much smaller portions than most people of course), though there are still bad days. Every now and then, I'll feel sick or even throw up after just a bite or two of something that I can normally eat fine. It happens rarely enough that I don't feel like it hinders my daily life. There are certain foods that I absolutely don't handle (eggs, for instance ..unless cooked into something.. so sad about that one), but I know that and stay away. Biggest change since surgery has been my sugar intake - more than a couple tiny bites of something even now (ice cream, candy, jelly/jam, Cookies, etc) makes me feel absolutely awful.
I can still go out to eat - I just order a side/app or bring leftovers home. I don't completely stay away from carbonation like I've seen many people talk about .. but it hasn't prevented success and it doesn't make me feel bloated, gassy, etc. Calorie counting has long since gone out the window - how much and what you eat everyday to maintain becomes a habit - you'll know if what youre putting into your body is going to mean you have to exercise a little more or choose better at your next meal.
The last thing - never a day since my surgery have I regretted this decision. It was the catalyst we all hope it will be - the push needed to get off my butt and start living and being healthy. Once I started exercising, eating better, seeing the weight drop off - I started noticing a significant change in my mental and emotional health. Not only did I become physically healthier - my mind starting keeping pace. It is so true that when you start loving yourself, you can really start loving and appreciating everything else in life! (BTW - not that I didnt love myself prior to my weight loss--we should ALL love ourselves anyway .. we are beautiful regardless of our weight, but its a different feeling that blooms when you start feeling accomplished, confident, and proud of yourself).
Please dont hesitate to ask more questions! I hope this made sense -I kind of rushed through it before having to go to work.

Pretty new to the procedure and very new to the forum. Trying to learn as much as I can. Have been reading a lot of the posts since yesterday but never gave this topic much thought. My surgeon told me 70% was the norm for the sleeve so I just went off that knowing I hope to lose more than that anyway.
Thanks to all for the great feedback and thanks AK37 for bringing up the topic. Really great to see members like Lenibug giving feedback, 8 years post surgery and still here lending information. Makes me glad to have signed up here.

Starting where you are, with a low 40's BMI, 90-100% EWL is quite attainable, but as always, "it depends". Implicitly, your metabolism isn't too badly screwed up by obesity (yet) or you would be heavier - so that is in your favor. While the oft-quoted 60% is an average, that is an average over all patients with the VSG, with starting points from BMI 35 to 70 and above, and also includes early patients who were sleeved as the first step of a DS where total weight loss was not the goal (only partial loss to attain a healthier condition for the more extensive surgery.) There is a rule of thumb that some surgeons use in comparing procedures, that assigns average BMI losses to each procedure, with a lapband being "worth" about 10 points, a VSG 15-20, an RNY 15-25, and a DS 25-35 (or numbers to that effect - best of my recollection.) But this does put you right into the middle of the VSG "sweet spot", where it works quite well. Some/many can do better than these numbers, but it takes more work, and the numbers give a rough idea of the how much success can be attributed to a procedure, on average, and how much to individual effort and/or circumstances.
Another aspect to this is - how "average" do you want to be, or does your surgeon or program strive to be? As you can see above in some of the posts, many programs quote overall averages to their patients, with the implication that average is "good enough". Other programs will push their patients harder, striving for 100% EWL, and even if some fall short and "only" attain 90%, isn't that better than 60%? It is not unusual for programs to base their VSG protocols on their RNY practices and call that "good enough". The problem here is that the RNY gives the patient and added performance boost during their loss phase of some caloric malabsorption, which allows for a somewhat more permissive, higher calorie diet, so sleeve patients on the same diet tend not to do quite so well. Some practices tailor their protocols more closely to the sleeve's characteristics, and get better results.
There is also a psych aspect to this is well - some patients will be very pleased get to 65-70%, beating the goal, and will be encouraged by that success to maintain their discipline longer term and avoid substantial regain; others may be bummed out by "failing" to get more than 90%, throw in the towel and go back to old habits and subsequent regain. Still others will hear a doc say 60% and think "I'm not going through all of this for a measly 60%, I can, and will, do better than that and show them!" Where do you fit in to that spectrum?

I am 6 days post op and I had both. The pain was something I haven't experienced before. I know I was supposed to be walking but the pain was so exhausting. I couldn't get anything down. I am really just getting some Water down. I feel like everytime I swallow there is air that wants to come at the same time. I know I can't tolerate cold liquids and everything has to be warm

It took about 5 days for the gas pain to go away. Yes, it is very unpleasant but it is a rite of passage, so to speak. Walking is the single best way to get rid of the gas. I remember how relieving it was when I finally began to fart.

Awesome numbers! Congrats! I can't wait to be in any number that starts with a "1"!

Gas-X has adult strength chewables that might help. Sorry you're feeling so bad, hope you improve soon!

This is what i looked like. Fat, tired and disgusted. I felt like garbage. I was and taking 5 shots of insulin through the stomach daily and taking 13 pills. i had sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and high blood pressure along with being overweight. I have been on a mission ever since the surgery. See the last picture. thats what i look like now. After working and hitting the gym hard 7 days a week I'm down from 268 to 202 in just 3 months, and now I can finally say. "IM BACK" Today i am not on Any More Medication At All.

My VSG surgery will be done on April 30th, in MX. I've reached the point where I'm just ready to get it over with, and start my journey to better health.

We have the same date! Where are you from?
@AWhite it looks like we all 3 have the same date!

My surgery is April 11- start pre op on 3/28.

I received my date about two hours ago! Yay! April 11. I start my high Protein diet on the March 28.

This is going to be an on-going challenge for me. Eating was my primary go to medicine to quash anxiety, pain, depression, etc. I have been and will continue to undergo therapy. This will be a time of discovery, learning, and adapting. The only piece of advice I have is the one that I am swallowing: be open to new ideas of living that don't include food.

Hey everyone!!
First time on Bariatric Pal, so glad to be here, so I have decided to do have the sleeve, I'm almost done with my classes required by Kaiser and its likely I will have surgery the early summer months. My problem is changing emotional eating and staying mindful that when I'm bored, sad, happy, I don't always need to eat, so since these behaviors must be addressed prior to surgery I have been receiving therapy to help tackle the issue. Anyone have the same issue? If so any ideas?

Smoking affects your ability to heal as it is. I had a coworker who resumed smoking right after bypass and he had a ton of problems with bleeding and had to be readmitted for three weeks. The truth is that you need to quit. You are making such a wonderful decision for your health by having the surgery and you’ll have to stop smoking anyway. Why start back up?

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to see if there were anyone that is near for a buddy system or can direct me to good support groups, nutritionists or dieticians in the metro-area.

I’m shocked to see people here don’t know about this... it’s kind of common sense. Take your calcium citrate, not carbonate, make sure your levels are good and see the dentist 2x a year.

I do think that bariatric surgeons should make one of the prerequisites of surgery....having a clean dental bill of health at the time of surgery. Mine never asked me about my teeth, nor did he ever look in my mouth. I was kinda...shocked...by this.
I think this is important because tooth infections are dangerous. They can migrate to your heart valves and kidney and cause life threatening infections.
And while I don't think that bariatric surgery by itself will cause catastrophic dental issues, I do think that more care needs to be taken with dental upkeep in the years following bariatric surgery because our mouths are exposed to food more often and we don't always brush after our many tiny meals. Emphasis needs to be placed on the potential of tooth problems if you fail to take your Calcium and D. Emphasis should also be placed on increasing routine maintenance....brushing more often with more little meals.
Would be really cool if dentists offered a bariatric surgery consult to give advice about increased dental hygiene and the importance of resolving any existing issues before surgery and about taking calcium.
I just had a check up and my teeth are healthy, no issues. But I know a lot of folks neglect their teeth for one reason or another and it would be wise to provide some education at the bariatric surgeon's office.

I did

Had my sleeve done at Northside Hospital and they have a great support group.

Atlanta

For more information, call (404) 845-5457.

1st Saturday, each month, 10:00 a.m.
(lead by Ginger Rock)

2nd Thursday, each month, 5:45 p.m.
(lead by Debbie Spamer, Dr. Macik and Dr. Daly)

Different stages of this journey have different challenges. One of the hardest parts of the pre-surgical phase is adhering to the required diet when you still have the ability to eat a lot of food--and you may be feeling this is the "last chance." Opinions differ on whether to have "food funerals"; I did, because I knew I wouldn't be eating that stuff for a long time, if ever again (fettucine Alfredo, for example). But I had them before I started my pre-op diet, and I lost 25 pounds on that!
Take it one step at a time. You've done all the stuff you had to up until now and you can do the next steps, too. Everyone is different: I had almost no post-surgical pain, but I pretty much hated the first month of liquid and slushy stuff. Still, lost weight then. Still losing weight.
Best thing I learned on this site, I think: there will be stalls. They will drive you crazy. You can try different things to get past them, but whatever you do, as long as you follow your program, you will lose weight. And have the best chance of keeping it off you've ever had!
Good luck all.

Omg! I feel the same way... surgery is 4/23. I start my 4 week liquid diet on Friday... it's okay, we got this!

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I feel the same way my date is April 17. Such a stressful journey. But I keep reminding myself we CAN do this and will be okay in the end.