Lyngolean

Insta Adventurer is right! If there is one thing I have learned through this site is that there is quite a bit of variation from one practice to another about all sorts of details regarding WLS. I like her advice of "Do what they tell you and you should be fine."

I was up out of bed to urinate a few hours after surgery. I took 650mg Tylenol for pain every 4 hours and also had a prescription for hycosamine, an anti-cramping med. About 3 days post op I stopped needing to take them super regularly- didn't wake from pain as the meds wore off, etc. My first bowel movement after surgery was 2 days post op. Walking after surgery was the best thing. Not long distances, but frequently. Good luck on Wednesday and keep us posted!

I did not have to bowel prep. I just couldn’t eat after midnight the night before. Some medical person (I think the pre admission testing nurse?) explained to me how long it takes food to get from point A to point B in your body and basically, anything I ate should have been well beyond the parts they were operating on.

Basically do what they tell you and should be fine. 👍🏻

Wow! I would love to hear more from you about your experience! Congratulations!

Hello everyone!
I am chugging along, feeling great 86 pounds lighter 4.5 months post op from my fantastic new tool, my VSG. This is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I was well prepared, I feel, and have been fortunate to have no complications as of yet. I exercise an hour a day aiming for 6 days per week since I learned research shows that long term weight maintenance after weight loss requires 250-300 minutes of exercise per week. I am still eating about 1/4-1/3 cup of Protein per meal, along with about the same serving size of veg or fruit. For milk and protein supplement, I'm drinking Fairlife milk. My pants are down 8 sizes, tops are down 4 sizes. My wedding ring is in danger of being lost it is so loose, so I am going to buy an inexpensive gold band until my weight stabilizes, then will have my ring resized.
I was normal size until my first pregnancy at age 27 when I felt nauseous unless I had something in my stomach. I successfully took off my pregnancy weight but quickly regained it. Thus began 24 years of ups and down with my weight. I tried (and succeeded short term) with Weight Watchers, Overeaters Anonymous, and my own fitness improvement plans many times over the past 20+ years. I added it up once, and I have taken off and regained more than 500 pounds prior to surgery. I always regained my weight plus some. After 8 years of consistent, concerted, professionally assisted (psychologist, nutritionist) traditional weight loss effort (not counting WW or OA), I began to explore WLS. I interviewed friends who had done it, and I couldn't be happier. I have about 40 pounds yet I want to take off. Here's to all of us, gettin it done and getting healthier! Don't judge- no make up or freshly done hair today. Just running some errands...

Hello everyone!
I am chugging along, feeling great 86 pounds lighter 4.5 months post op from my fantastic new tool, my VSG. This is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I was well prepared, I feel, and have been fortunate to have no complications as of yet. I exercise an hour a day aiming for 6 days per week since I learned research shows that long term weight maintenance after weight loss requires 250-300 minutes of exercise per week. I am still eating about 1/4-1/3 cup of Protein per meal, along with about the same serving size of veg or fruit. For milk and protein supplement, I'm drinking Fairlife milk. My pants are down 8 sizes, tops are down 4 sizes. My wedding ring is in danger of being lost it is so loose, so I am going to buy an inexpensive gold band until my weight stabilizes, then will have my ring resized.
I was normal size until my first pregnancy at age 27 when I felt nauseous unless I had something in my stomach. I successfully took off my pregnancy weight but quickly regained it. Thus began 24 years of ups and down with my weight. I tried (and succeeded short term) with Weight Watchers, Overeaters Anonymous, and my own fitness improvement plans many times over the past 20+ years. I added it up once, and I have taken off and regained more than 500 pounds prior to surgery. I always regained my weight plus some. After 8 years of consistent, concerted, professionally assisted (psychologist, nutritionist) traditional weight loss effort (not counting WW or OA), I began to explore WLS. I interviewed friends who had done it, and I couldn't be happier. I have about 40 pounds yet I want to take off. Here's to all of us, gettin it done and getting healthier! Don't judge- no make up or freshly done hair today. Just running some errands...

I honestly don't see how a person could NOT lose weight after having the sleeve. I guess if you don't follow directions and eat the wrong foods and eat all the time, you won't lose. If you are ready to feel great and be on a far healthier path, I can't recommend the sleeve enough. It's a great tool!
Good luck to you!

sugar free popsicles count as fluids too. Maybe less Soup and more thin liquids that won't fill you up so much? Did you like to drink Water before surgery? I added skim milk to Protein Shakes due to not liking the syrupy sweetness of the shakes. Maybe drink your broth more slowly? I assume you carry your beverage of choice with you everywhere you go. I can't afford to not be sipping throughout the entire day or I won't get my fluids in. Good luck!

Increasing awareness of how I feel physically when I eat some of my formerly favorite foods has helped reduce my liking of them. I second the recommendation of Overeaters Anonymous. food addiction is real and powerful.

And on September 5th your Good Wishes will help me over that hump into post-surgeryland.
To answer your original query, they usually ask why you want this surgery? They want to make sure you don't want to look like a movie star, but more deeper reasons. How hard have you tried losing weight in the past? Very few people can reduce and keep weight without surgery. Do you understand portions of your anatomy won't be the same? Some people fear surgery because they look on it as mutilation of their body. Can you understand, do you feel you can follow a different meal plan the rest of your life? This is not something you do over a weekend and then go on living a careless food life.
Are you frightened of dying,either on the table or in daily life. Nobody will do surgery on someone already unstable emotionally.
What are your plans for the future? Nobody will perform surgery for someone who wants only to be a centerfold in Penthouse. Besides unless the photographer positions you just right you will have 5- 7 teensy abdominal scars, nobody wants to airbrush those out or use a special lens.
With some kinds of surgery you are on a lot of Vitamins, with every one you are on some
Can you afford up to $150 a month for vitamins? You will be eating a much less copious amount of food, maybe you'll have extra money there? Most times your vitamins will be less than that amount.
Most important: Be positive -Be committed - Be Friendly But,most,
Be yourself, Be Yourself, the world wants and needs You. That's why you are here, there's a spot only you can fill. Check back with us often- we support your decisions- we have or will be going through all these things and we would treasure the time we spend with YOU! Frustr8 and the Bariatric Pal Crew

sugar free popsicles count as fluids too. Maybe less Soup and more thin liquids that won't fill you up so much? Did you like to drink Water before surgery? I added skim milk to Protein Shakes due to not liking the syrupy sweetness of the shakes. Maybe drink your broth more slowly? I assume you carry your beverage of choice with you everywhere you go. I can't afford to not be sipping throughout the entire day or I won't get my fluids in. Good luck!

And someday we will join you in post- surgery-land where the tree leaves are green and contain no carbs, the river flows with low-fat dressing, salads brim over with Vitamins and meats and other Proteins are easy to swallow and do your body good. And as soon as a condo becomes available, I'm. moving there! Maybe there will be room on the cul de sac for You and You and You! Come join me there!

Have you had any luck with a therapist? Maybe join OA? I don't know if either of those things would help, just spit balling some ideas.

You have both,halves of your fears under control, this is good. But please remember yours will,be a Jultrim healing, may not spectacular, may not be showy, may even be as large as the next person, but it will be Yours. Croos the T, dot the I, follow the basic rules, get plenty of fluids and the world can watch the contrail from your personal jet self and EVERY THING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT! This part,i can promise. Go in with peace and calmness, and believe we have you cushioned in a blanket of 💘 love.Bariatric Pals take care of their own!

Well Shells how did the doctor appointment,go today? Been wondering and thought I'd go ahead and ask.

Very interesting! I had just read the New York Times study of participants from The Biggest Loser tonight also, and the role of the hormone, leptin. Fascinating stuff, for sure! https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?rref=collection%2Fseriescollection%2Fthe-science-of-fat&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=collection

My process was much longer. I had my first consult in December 2017 and had surgery April 12, 2018. It's a lot to wrap one's head around. Good luck!

Plenty of us who eat that way aren’t retainers either though. It’s not a road that’s doomed to fail.

I think as we study and learn more we will be able to tell by your genes who will do well on what diet. But we are still in the dark ages.

There isn’t any one size fits all. I did the high carb low fat diets in the 90’s and those always ended in me falling off the wagon and regaining. I was quite strict on the low carb train till I got to goal. I’m still pretty low carb but I don’t stress about them a bit here and there.

I’m five year out and it works just great for me.

I know your plan is working for you (so far). Can’t we just all realize that there is no one size fits all answer? I know you’re certain your plan will be the answer for you. And time will tell, but since I think a big part of this is mental, I think it will.

But you make it sound like being a “carb nazi” means you’re doomed to fail.

I didn’t.  It’s not a stop gap measure for me.  It’s a lifestyle change and it works just fine. 

We see them all the time. Hell, maybe we'll write one someday...
OMG, I've regained! What do I do???????
You know what I like to do?
I like to go back in that person's post history and read about their diet habits in the beginning when they were losing....get a feel for what kind of dieter they were.
And I almost always find that the re-gainers....were super strict, super disciplined, never-touch-a-carb, low calorie extremists.
And it kills me...because the advice to these folks is always the same.....get back on your super strict diet! up your protein! don't touch a carb!
And I'm sitting here shaking my head.
Why do people return to what doesn't work? Over and over and over. Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
Don't mean to just pick on our Ketovangelists....there are plenty of Passive Pollys out there who ate junk constantly, never kept track....and wonder why their weight went back up after the honeymoon.
My point is.....if a particular strategy ends in failure.....why in the world would you return to it? Why encourage someone to return to what didn't work longterm?
if the goal is longterm maintenance....why send them back to another stop-gap measure that fails them in the long run?
Ketovangelists....try something different if extremely low cal and carbs doesn't work long term for you! If you eventually lose your mind and fall off the wagon, maybe the wagon you're on doesn't fit. Try something more moderate so you can stay in control long term.
Passive Pollys....try something different! If a total lack of structure is resulting in your surgery being useless.....add some freaking framework to your diet. Work on healthy limits without going completely overboard. Be accountable.
More and more, I believe an addiction to EXTREMISM is what keeps people fat. So many of these folks are either "I must be in COMPLETE CONTROL"...or "I am helpless against my eating"....there's never any middle ground.
Stop with the extremism.
Knock that shite off.
It's hurting you.

Sorry for the delayed reply. Cardiologist recommended heart cath. Had that done through the arm (radial) instead of leg yesterday afternoon. No blockages!! He said all is good!! My blood pressure did drop again during the cath procedure to 51/26 and I felt like I was gonna pass out but he said that was due to something he injected in artery. Gave me something to combAt that and all was normal again.
My arm is a little sore today and I’ve got to keep this pressure bandage on until 6:00 tonight.
Headed Back to my Bariatric surgeon today for follow up.

And how did you do, my friend @rebchief, at your Cardiology appointment? Yes I along with many other BARI-friends want to know. You are one of US now and. like a worried,sister or Aunt I am concerned for you! Please update us, okay?

I would love to hear a doctor's take on this. I did a little research and learned leptin is produced in the fat cells. It sounds like we want to increase leptin sensitivity and/or increase leptin productiin. Ghrelin is produced in the stomach. Surgery patients' ghrelin is dramatically reduced and returns to some extent as we get further out from surgery although never to the same extent. My surgeon made the point that research is showing that surgery allows the body to create a new set point. I can't help but think he's thinking of these hormones that work so hard to keep the body at the weight it is accustomed to.

Very interesting! I had just read the New York Times study of participants from The Biggest Loser tonight also, and the role of the hormone, leptin. Fascinating stuff, for sure! https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?rref=collection%2Fseriescollection%2Fthe-science-of-fat&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=collection

My process was much longer. I had my first consult in December 2017 and had surgery April 12, 2018. It's a lot to wrap one's head around. Good luck!

I liked Premiere Protein Shakes the best also. I added about 1/3 skim milk because they were so syrupy sweet. costco prices were more affordable than Target. I think it's important to know what shakes you can stand to drink ahead of time. My pre-op diet was 10 days of sugar free Jello, broth, shakes, sugar free popsicles, and other Clear Liquids. I figured I can do just about anything for 10 days. Then after surgery for 2 weeks, it was more Protein shakes, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, runny Cream of Wheat, Greek yogurt, and Cream of Tomato Soup. It's kind of comical how quickly you fill up after surgery. 2 tablespoons of Soup and I'd be full. I didn't like Cream of Wheat prior to surgery, but I became so bored with what few options I had, I expanded. Good luck!