InterceptorNYC

Hi All,

Happy Thanksgiving. This is my first since VSG on 11/11. Curious what everyone ate today?

Since I’m still on liquids, my Thanksgiving meal was a custom creamy Tomato Soup I made using Rao’s Tomato sauce, Ricotta cheese, Half &Half and Parmigiana cheese. Combined all through my Nutribullet and then cooked in a saucepan. Satisfying and filling. Topped of the rest of the day with some Protein Shakes and I was all good.

The most surprising part of this journey is that I neither felt deprived, nor craved the “traditional” Thanksgiving meal I had become accustomed to since I was a kid (49 now).

Very thankful for this site and all of you who helped me through the doubt and confusion in the weeks leading up to my surgery.

Definitely the best decision I have ever made!

I’m currently down 19lbs since my surgery and I feel great.

Looking forward to seeing your Thanksgiving meals too!

Hi there! Thank you for the kind note. Doing really well. Quite honestly it was much better than I had prepared myself for. Pain was minimal, had some gas pressure and some reflux, but extremely manageable. It’s been four days and I’m still working to keep my fluids up. Haven’t been able to continue using Slim Fast Advanced due to dumping from the sugar alcohols. Premiere Protein Shakes have been the answer for me. Also, I’ve become a big fan of Gatorade Zero for fluids. Right now I’m up to two to three12oz bottles of Gatorade Zero and one bottle of the Premiere (30g of Protein). Need to get that doubled over the weekend.

Hi All,

Happy Thanksgiving. This is my first since VSG on 11/11. Curious what everyone ate today?

Since I’m still on liquids, my Thanksgiving meal was a custom creamy Tomato Soup I made using Rao’s Tomato sauce, Ricotta cheese, Half &Half and Parmigiana cheese. Combined all through my Nutribullet and then cooked in a saucepan. Satisfying and filling. Topped of the rest of the day with some Protein Shakes and I was all good.

The most surprising part of this journey is that I neither felt deprived, nor craved the “traditional” Thanksgiving meal I had become accustomed to since I was a kid (49 now).

Very thankful for this site and all of you who helped me through the doubt and confusion in the weeks leading up to my surgery.

Definitely the best decision I have ever made!

I’m currently down 19lbs since my surgery and I feel great.

Looking forward to seeing your Thanksgiving meals too!

Thank you. I am certainly sticking to the plan. The last thing I want to do is short circuit the process and punish myself with dumping, pain and worse. So far, I’ve avoided it, so another few weeks is doable! Really appreciate the support!

Hi Ashley, I’m at two weeks and feel your pain. My doctor wants me on Full Liquids for another week before moving to Purée/Soft Foods. I think it’s less about whether it’s physically possible to eat the food than it is about trying to maximize weight loss during the initial six weeks. This time is really your best opportunity to allow your body to purge carbs and sodium, replace it with Protein and burn fat. We will all have plenty of time to try different foods, but french fries and milkshakes are probably not advisable until you have hit your stride and are at or close to your goal weight. It would be a shame to have gone through this life-changing decision only to have mediocre results or even worse, gaining the weight back. Try Premier Protein shakes. If you put them in the freezer, the vanilla and Caramel ones tase just as good as a milkshake. Hang in there and keep your eye on the prize! If you made the decision to have the surgery, you can get through these next few weeks without cheating!

Yes this place is a key to cruising thru the journey -
For example both Proteins below are on the smoker however both are brine in both and both are rubbed with healthy natural ingredients - Flax seed, Nuts, Herbs, Avocado Oil.
NO fat butter No carbs No sugar, NO sauce!
This will feed me for well over a month and is easy for me to do, In the past we would load these up with sugars and Salts and wipe them out on a Sunday - Now it is just one of the staples I prep for easy food eating

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to thank each and every one of you on these pages for being such a great source of support for me personally.

Having family, friends and doctors to talk with is great, but there really is no substitute for speaking with someone who actually went through with the surgery. There are many emotions that go into this process that are very difficult for the average person to understand.

I thought it might be fun to start a continuing thread that will allow people to find and connect with others in various stages of their VSG process.

Please reply with the following info about you and any pearls of wisdom you wish to share. Also indicate whether you are cool with someone sending you a message directly. I’ll share my info to start the process:

Date of VSG: 11/11/19

Location: NY

Sex: Male

Height: 5’7

High Weight: 311

Weight on Surgery Date: 281

Current Weight: 271 (1 week post-op)

Goal Weight: 185

Pearls of Wisdom:

(1) Stick to the pre-op diet and try to lose as much weight as you can before surgery. It reduces risks and complications of surgery and helps shrink your liver. I know too well that the temptation exists to have one “Last Fun Meal”, but if you can hold strong for two full weeks before going in, you won’t experience carb withdrawals and your body will become more accustomed to having a stomach that is not full of food.< br />
(2) Take a before photo and measurements to create a baseline of where you started right before surgery. It will be helpful to you in the weeks and months that follow.

(3) Order things you need at home waiting for you before you go in for surgery. This includes things like a variety of different Protein Shakes, chewable Multivitamins, non-carbonated/no-sugar drinks, broth, sugar free popsicles, comfy clothes, some nice fluffy blankets, a wedge to help you sleep on your back facing up, etc.

(4) Force yourself to walk after the surgery. The more laps you do at the hospital, the easier the healing process will be and the less pain and discomfort you will have. It also is an excellent way to prevent blood clots, which are a real risk if you stay in bed for several days. When you get home, gradually increase your steps and avoid lifting anything more than 5lbs.

(5) Sip liquids slowly. If need be, use a little one oz medicine cup. Also, try liquids at different temperatures. Sometimes super cold liquids create more discomfort.

(6) Heating pads of hot packs can offer some relief from gas and bloating if you experience it in the days following the surgery.

(7) Use pain meds only as needed. Although they work great, they also cause other things like Constipation, which can add to your pain and discomfort. If you are experiencing nausea, ask your doctor for Zofran or some other anti-nausea medicine. It’s real important that you manage the nausea so you can take in the proper amount of liquid and Protein after surgery.

(8) Listen carefully to every sign your body sends you. If you experience discomfort or nausea, stop and try to isolate the cause, so you don’t repeat it.

(9) Avoid stress after surgery at all costs! Don’t feel obligated to tell the whole world you had the surgery right away. In fact, limiting the people you tell, leaves you free to tell your story however you want it to be told. Focus more on the positive reinforcement you will receive when people begin to notice you losing weight. Sometimes telling people you had the surgery leads them to diminish the real efforts you are undertaking to lose weight. As with any weight loss procedure, the VSG only works if you make healthy lifestyle changes. There’s no reason why anyone should think that you had the surgery because you didn’t have the will power to diet and lose it via traditional means. Actually having the surgery IS a lifestyle commitment far more significant than siting on to a diet.

(10) Be proud of yourself and the decision you made to take control of your weight issues. Never be afraid to ask for help or advice if your not sure of something.

Looking forward to hearing other people’s stories!

Really great post. Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to thank each and every one of you on these pages for being such a great source of support for me personally.

Having family, friends and doctors to talk with is great, but there really is no substitute for speaking with someone who actually went through with the surgery. There are many emotions that go into this process that are very difficult for the average person to understand.

I thought it might be fun to start a continuing thread that will allow people to find and connect with others in various stages of their VSG process.

Please reply with the following info about you and any pearls of wisdom you wish to share. Also indicate whether you are cool with someone sending you a message directly. I’ll share my info to start the process:

Date of VSG: 11/11/19

Location: NY

Sex: Male

Height: 5’7

High Weight: 311

Weight on Surgery Date: 281

Current Weight: 271 (1 week post-op)

Goal Weight: 185

Pearls of Wisdom:

(1) Stick to the pre-op diet and try to lose as much weight as you can before surgery. It reduces risks and complications of surgery and helps shrink your liver. I know too well that the temptation exists to have one “Last Fun Meal”, but if you can hold strong for two full weeks before going in, you won’t experience carb withdrawals and your body will become more accustomed to having a stomach that is not full of food.< br />
(2) Take a before photo and measurements to create a baseline of where you started right before surgery. It will be helpful to you in the weeks and months that follow.

(3) Order things you need at home waiting for you before you go in for surgery. This includes things like a variety of different Protein Shakes, chewable Multivitamins, non-carbonated/no-sugar drinks, broth, sugar free popsicles, comfy clothes, some nice fluffy blankets, a wedge to help you sleep on your back facing up, etc.

(4) Force yourself to walk after the surgery. The more laps you do at the hospital, the easier the healing process will be and the less pain and discomfort you will have. It also is an excellent way to prevent blood clots, which are a real risk if you stay in bed for several days. When you get home, gradually increase your steps and avoid lifting anything more than 5lbs.

(5) Sip liquids slowly. If need be, use a little one oz medicine cup. Also, try liquids at different temperatures. Sometimes super cold liquids create more discomfort.

(6) Heating pads of hot packs can offer some relief from gas and bloating if you experience it in the days following the surgery.

(7) Use pain meds only as needed. Although they work great, they also cause other things like Constipation, which can add to your pain and discomfort. If you are experiencing nausea, ask your doctor for Zofran or some other anti-nausea medicine. It’s real important that you manage the nausea so you can take in the proper amount of liquid and Protein after surgery.

(8) Listen carefully to every sign your body sends you. If you experience discomfort or nausea, stop and try to isolate the cause, so you don’t repeat it.

(9) Avoid stress after surgery at all costs! Don’t feel obligated to tell the whole world you had the surgery right away. In fact, limiting the people you tell, leaves you free to tell your story however you want it to be told. Focus more on the positive reinforcement you will receive when people begin to notice you losing weight. Sometimes telling people you had the surgery leads them to diminish the real efforts you are undertaking to lose weight. As with any weight loss procedure, the VSG only works if you make healthy lifestyle changes. There’s no reason why anyone should think that you had the surgery because you didn’t have the will power to diet and lose it via traditional means. Actually having the surgery IS a lifestyle commitment far more significant than siting on to a diet.

(10) Be proud of yourself and the decision you made to take control of your weight issues. Never be afraid to ask for help or advice if your not sure of something.

Looking forward to hearing other people’s stories!

That’s good advice. I had my sleeve on 11/11 and experienced very little pain at the five incisions for the scopes and I also had a hiatal hernia repaired. The worst part for me was gas on the left side for the first 48 hrs. It eventually subsided after I started passing gas and going to the bathroom. The other incision points only ache mildly at this point, but overall it’s WAY Less than what I expected going into this. Best advice is stick with the liquids slowly throughout the day, avoid anything with sugar or even sugar alcohols, try to walk at least once or twice daily and above all, pat yourself on the back for having the strength and courage to get the sleeve done! You’ll do great.

Also consider Gatorade Zero to help meet your liquid totals. It’s worked great for me.

What type of Protein Shakes are you using? I had my sleeve done 11/11 and when I tried Slim Fast Advantage again, I had major discomfort and pain, likely because of the sugar alcohols. Give Premiere Protein a shot and stick to only sipping out of a one oz medicine cup at a time. Slow and steady is the best way. I assure you that it will improve greatly as the days pass. Good Luck and Hang in There!

That’s good advice. I had my sleeve on 11/11 and experienced very little pain at the five incisions for the scopes and I also had a hiatal hernia repaired. The worst part for me was gas on the left side for the first 48 hrs. It eventually subsided after I started passing gas and going to the bathroom. The other incision points only ache mildly at this point, but overall it’s WAY Less than what I expected going into this. Best advice is stick with the liquids slowly throughout the day, avoid anything with sugar or even sugar alcohols, try to walk at least once or twice daily and above all, pat yourself on the back for having the strength and courage to get the sleeve done! You’ll do great.

What type of Protein Shakes are you using? I had my sleeve done 11/11 and when I tried Slim Fast Advantage again, I had major discomfort and pain, likely because of the sugar alcohols. Give Premiere Protein a shot and stick to only sipping out of a one oz medicine cup at a time. Slow and steady is the best way. I assure you that it will improve greatly as the days pass. Good Luck and Hang in There!

Also consider Gatorade Zero to help meet your liquid totals. It’s worked great for me.

That’s good advice. I had my sleeve on 11/11 and experienced very little pain at the five incisions for the scopes and I also had a hiatal hernia repaired. The worst part for me was gas on the left side for the first 48 hrs. It eventually subsided after I started passing gas and going to the bathroom. The other incision points only ache mildly at this point, but overall it’s WAY Less than what I expected going into this. Best advice is stick with the liquids slowly throughout the day, avoid anything with sugar or even sugar alcohols, try to walk at least once or twice daily and above all, pat yourself on the back for having the strength and courage to get the sleeve done! You’ll do great.

Hi there! Thank you for the kind note. Doing really well. Quite honestly it was much better than I had prepared myself for. Pain was minimal, had some gas pressure and some reflux, but extremely manageable. It’s been four days and I’m still working to keep my fluids up. Haven’t been able to continue using Slim Fast Advanced due to dumping from the sugar alcohols. Premiere Protein Shakes have been the answer for me. Also, I’ve become a big fan of Gatorade Zero for fluids. Right now I’m up to two to three12oz bottles of Gatorade Zero and one bottle of the Premiere (30g of Protein). Need to get that doubled over the weekend.

Stick with it. The surgery will be that much easier because your liver will shrink. Just had mine on Monday and everything went better than expected. You’ll do great!

I'm one week out tomorrow. The week has gone fast! My surgery was quick and nothing unexpected so far. Over night 1 night. I'm following my surgeons instructions to the T. Getting my Water down everyday so far and building on my Protein. Stay focused on you....I can't believe surgery is behind me. Looking forward to new chapter in life. Best of luck tomorrow. Check in and let us know how you're doing!
Gloria

Thank you Gloria. Will do!

Best wishes for a smooth surgery and a speedy recovery.
Advice - don't compare yourself with others. You may lose faster, you may lose slower. But we all run our own race and it's a marathon.
If you don't have a lot of support at home, come on here. The community is very friendly and supportive.

Best wishes, while in the hospital blow in that blow thing to get lungs cleared. The first 2 weeks just sip on Protein Drinks. They will all taste horrible as you will immediately go into Ketosis and that makes everything taste bad. I just put a lot of ice in my Ensure plus and managed 3 a day. That will take all day. I also loved my Outshine pop cycles, no sugar added. I didn't add "full liquids" until the second week, that was cream of chicken Soup, but not much as I was still drinking 2 Ensure Max a day. Wasn't until week 3 on soft foods. I did a lot of tuna in pouches, some flavored. Add foods slowly. I also bought a set of stainless children utensils to eat with. They are small enough to make you eat slowly. I'm now 3 months out and I'm still eating with them and will probably continue to do so forever. Just be patient, recovery takes time and so does the weight loss. You will have a high periods and some lows, some great weight loss and some stalls. But you will be successful!

Thank you for the well-wishes and kind thoughts. We are a team unit here so I definitely have the support, but it is nice to have this Forum to lean on.

Scheduled for gastric sleeve first thing tomorrow morning at NYU. Must say, I’m a bit nervous about the recovery process and not being able to eat/enjoy certain foods, but the alternative is decreasing health and things breaking down over time. Ballooned up to 311 (5’7) and decided it was finally time to fix it. Pre-op has gone well and I’m down to 280. Did think for a second that perhaps I could just continue with the pre-op process and avoid the surgery, but I know it’s not realistic.

Hoping that everything will go well so I can be on my feet and back to work for some travel I have scheduled in December.

Made a point of not telling a lot of people. Mom is super supportive, but my wife still seems a bit on the fence.

Any advice on what I can truly expect would be great!

Thanks!

@Alex Brecher I think this is a great idea! What do you think?