Bowties

OMG! We have the same sleeve date! 09/18/18. I had irritability and some hard emotions both from surgery and after but it was minor. I am already a cryer when it comes to movies etc. But the surgery amplified it for a few weeks.
Most likely with the hormones rampaging through our body as fat is being used up, hormones are released.
It hasn't been too bad though, and the irritability didn't last.

OMG! We have the same sleeve date! 09/18/18. I had irritability and some hard emotions both from surgery and after but it was minor. I am already a cryer when it comes to movies etc. But the surgery amplified it for a few weeks.
Most likely with the hormones rampaging through our body as fat is being used up, hormones are released.
It hasn't been too bad though, and the irritability didn't last.

My first time on this app. Had my surgery 9/18/18. Three weeks in. Just started puréed foods today. So far egg whites are ok. Just overall feeling ok, but REALLY emotional. Did this happen to anyone else? Since food was such a emotional floodgate for me, without food as a crutch the emotions are like right up there!

That's awesome. I actually am 3 weeks. I thought I was 1 month and got my dates wrong. 1 month is next week.
Thank you, this will help me judge where to be. I only walk and not too fast yet. But I'm looking into doing more. Feeling better doesn't always mean we should do more... Really appreciate it.

I was sleeved June 13th, so my four month mark is coming up fast! I've lost 49.8 lbs. since surgery and 81 lbs. total since I began the pre-surgery diet at the end of March. The one thing that has been difficult for me is constantly worrying about my "slow or slower" rate of loss. I believed the hype from some other people prior to surgery that I would easily drop 100 lbs. in the first three months after my sleeve and quickly learned that was not the case for most people. So it is a daily mental struggle to stay positive and remind myself that this was never a quick fix and those people were wrong. I focus on my wins and making sure I get my 60 grams of Protein a day. I feel so much better than I did in March and that's what matters. I tend to be a worrier in general, so I am afraid one sip from a straw is going to stretch my sleeve and other ridiculous crap that I really hope hasn't happened. I have a hard time getting my 64 oz. of fluids in each day and that has been my only real problem/issue since my procedure. I love that my pants size has dropped from a 26/28 to an 18/20! It's definitely time for me to get serious about exercising because I have a long way to go to reach my goal of 165 lbs!

This right here is exactly what you need to remember.

That's awesome. I actually am 3 weeks. I thought I was 1 month and got my dates wrong. 1 month is next week.
Thank you, this will help me judge where to be. I only walk and not too fast yet. But I'm looking into doing more. Feeling better doesn't always mean we should do more... Really appreciate it.

That's awesome. I actually am 3 weeks. I thought I was 1 month and got my dates wrong. 1 month is next week.
Thank you, this will help me judge where to be. I only walk and not too fast yet. But I'm looking into doing more. Feeling better doesn't always mean we should do more... Really appreciate it.

1. With the sleeve you have to always be vigilant for the signs of GERD and act fast, 12 days, months or years down the road.
2. I drink at least 30oz before eating anything in the AM. Is a mixture of Water, tea and coffee. Hydration goals are underrated.
3. Kept it a secret. I had very good reasons and still do but people want to know how I did it and I will tell strangers the truth if I think it will help them but say diet modifications to plain old nosey people. I feel deceptive, although technically it's the truth.
4. DRINK WATER. You skin will bounce back quicker. Detruction of brown adipose will happen faster. You will have more energy. Water (pure) is essential.
Congratulations and safe journey!

Hi gang. I'm one month post op and thought I'd update on how I'm doing and maybe post a few questions for the hive mind.
So, my surgery was September 11. My height is 5'9". My high weight was on day 1 of my pre-op diet. (270), BMI 40. I just food funeraled my brains out. I was 255 on day of surgery. And today I am 229.9. Total lost is 40.1. Current BMI 33.8
I am still on a liquid diet. My surgeon is extremely conservative with diet advancement. So I have 2 Protein Shakes a day, cream Soups with the solids strained out, and Water or crystal light. I will remain on this diet until the beginning of November. I take a leisurely 1- 1.5 mile walk about 4-5 times a week.
I will be returning to work on Friday. I work 7p-7a as an RN in and ICU, so I am a bit nervous to return. Next week, I will return to the gym once I see if all restriction is lifted and plan to work out 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes to 1 hour combining cardio and weight training.
My energy level has gotten gradually better as time goes on. It was brutal the first 2 weeks, hard the third, and this week has been quite a bit better in terms of ability to get things done.
I have not had any Constipation yet. Nor have I had any other major complications. I take omeprazole, Vitamins, and asthma medication. I only had nausea in the hospital and once at home on the 2nd day back. I sip ALL. DAY. LONG. I do burp quite a bit, but not with any discomfort. More of an annoyance that I hope will eventually settle down.
The liquid diet only has been the hardest part. When all is said and done, I will have done 9 weeks of no solid food whatsoever, and it has been a real challenge. I have three children at home and I am still preparing meals for my family because my husband has had a huge work project going on and works late a lot and he is also in grad school. I do the majority of the food shopping, preparing and cleaning up and so I am constantly faced with solid food and a desire to taste something, anything! other than a Protein Shake or those disgusting soups. I actually gag at the thought of those soups.
I try to remember that each day that passes is one day closer to resuming eating solid foods again and that I am incredibly lucky to have lost so much weight so rapidly when I started out at a BMI of 40. I'm sure it's in large part due to my conservative diet.
I did have one stall in week 3. It lasted 6 days. I dropped one pound and then stayed there another 3 days. That was a downer. Even though I knew it was normal and to be expected and I'd had good weight loss, it is very hard to be so strict and stringent and be consuming only 450 calories a day and stay the same weight for 9 days. It just seems unfair and takes a lot of mental and emotional willpower to just soldier on. Stalls are not cool. Even if they are part of this whole journey. I could do without them, thank you very much.
So, here are some questions I have for all you wiser, more seasoned sleevers....
1) GERD is a fear of mine. I have not had any symptoms of GERD so far. Anyone out there have no GERD symptoms immediately post-op but then develop them down the road? Just want to know if i am in the clear or still need to be on the lookout?
2) Once you advanced your diet and introduced solids, what are your go to rules -- like I always drink at least blank ounces of water between meals. Or I never go more than blank hours without eating. Or whatever. What are your go to habits that work best for you?
3) What are things you wish you wouldn't have done, if anything?
4) What advice would you give to someone at this point of the sleeve journey?
Thanks in advance!

When I was 1 month out I was cleared to cycle on flat roads (no hills). It was amazing to change it up from walking.

12 hours until my sleeve surgery. Just trying to breathe and not freak out.
Any direct tips or just love would be wonderful.
We'll be better, healthier, together. Good luck everyone. <3

12 hours until my sleeve surgery. Just trying to breathe and not freak out.
Any direct tips or just love would be wonderful.
We'll be better, healthier, together. Good luck everyone. <3

Mega love and all the very best 🤗

I had my Pre-Op appointment on Wednesday, I was a bit disappointed that the doctor didn't ask me to do a liquid diet, just no solids the day before and nothing after midnight.
I might just do a liquid diet a few days in preparation. Let me know how yours goes.

Just joined today. Glad to see so many people in September and working so hard.
I'm scheduled for September 18th, a bit nervous, a few doubts, but been feeling better as I read everyone's posts.
Good luck everyone!!

Hi Melly! Mines on September 18th.
Hope everything goes well for you <3

This are the top tips I recommend to people getting started....
Here's my top 13 tips!
Start altering your diet now. Cut out processed food, or at the very least processed sugar. Practice eating your Protein first and then focus on non-starchy veggies. Also, start tracking your food. There are lots of apps that make logging very easy. I personally use MyFitnessPal, but there are others out there. Find something that you like to drink that doesn't have calories. Try different caffeine free teas and Water additives. I still can't drink plain water....so you want to have something on hand that you know you like. Cut out caffeine. Most programs allow caffeine back in relatively quickly, but caffeine can hinder your body's ability to heal. You don't want to go through caffeine withdrawal along with the aches and pains of surgery. Don't use Protein Shakes before you absolutely have to! I made the mistake of supplementing some of my meals with shakes to "prepare myself" for the pre-op diet. Big mistake. You will get to the point where they are DISGUSTING, and you don't want to increase the timeline of that by drinking them before you need to. Start incorporating exercising (even if it’s just walking) somewhere in your daily routine. It will make it easier if it’s already a habit. Practice chewing your food at least 20-30 times before swallowing. Muscle has memory and it will be so much easier if you already have this habit. If you screw up and swallow too soon after surgery, you will pay the price. Set timers and don't drink and eat at the same time. I highly recommend having at least 1 visit with a therapist to establish with someone for after surgery. It’s not required, but everyone seems to have some emotional struggles afterwards. Whether its 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years you may struggle with the changes. I personally wouldn't share with people, unless you know they will be 100% supportive. It is nerve wracking already and you need nothing but positivity. Plus it’s a lot of pressure from people who know you've had WLS, versus people who think you are on the weight loss track. People think that the weight is going to melt off after surgery, and sometimes it doesn't. You don't want the extra judgment. Don’t engage people with people who say “WLS is too dramatic” or “You could just diet and lose the weight” or “You aren’t big enough for surgery” or “It’s the easy way out”. SCREW THOSE PEOPLE, they don’t know. They will never know how triumphant our victory will be. I would also remember that you need to make time for you! Make the time to shop healthy, meal prep, cook healthy, and plan ahead. And I’m talking to all the selfless mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives. We give so much to our families, but NOW is the time to focus on ourselves. We are doing it for them, after all. We are doing it to prolong our lives and improve the quality of our lives. Come up with a reward system of sorts. You want to acknowledge your successes. For my 50lb mark, I went and got pedicures with my girlfriends. For my 75lb mark, I bought myself some new dresses. For my 100lb mark, I bought myself a really nice full length mirror. Stalls happen and are completely natural. There are tons of threads in this community that you can search for suggestions or for advice. Hunger happens. Some people don’t experience a decrease in hunger, but it is easily manageable with a small amount of the right foods.