Bulabula

2 months post-op, down 40lbs from starting weight!
Sticking to Water and Protein goals Exercising ~5x a week, cardio and STRENGTH TRAINING! Past self,
THANK YOU for doing this for your future self. Thank you for taking the before pictures, even though it was painful. On the days when I can't see the physical change in myself (even if the scale is moving) looking back to these really show me how far I've come already.

Btw, before surgery I was guzzling a gallon a day. Ithink my body is noticing the huge difference.

It does feel like a bubble and a burp! I’m glad to hear it gets better. Im feeling the dehydration effects. I’ll double up on my sf popsicles ! I put some crystal light in my bottle Water and that’s helped me drink 8 ounces before 10 am.

I use the vital Proteins and my nutritionist said to count it towards my Protein. I’m 4 days out from DS and have mixed in my Soups, Jello, shakes, etc.

All that sounds delicious right now!

All that sounds delicious right now!

Definitely talk to your dr. I’m only 3 days out and my nausea is getting better. I hope this doesn’t last too long for you!

Day 2 of post op DS. Feeling very nauseous and tired. Throwing up old blood. Been walking around my hotel room and went to get my drain out today.
surgery went well. Recovery is rough! I can’t keep Water down so I’ve been eating ice chips in small amounts. I also haven’t had a bowel movement for a week!

Day 2 of post op DS. Feeling very nauseous and tired. Throwing up old blood. Been walking around my hotel room and went to get my drain out today.
surgery went well. Recovery is rough! I can’t keep Water down so I’ve been eating ice chips in small amounts. I also haven’t had a bowel movement for a week!

Heading to the surgical center! Feeling excited and nervous for what’s to come, but more grateful for my body. I’m so grateful for all it has done for me and birthing 3 children. Good luck to all us June 21, 2021 suregies!! 😚

Heading to the surgical center! Feeling excited and nervous for what’s to come, but more grateful for my body. I’m so grateful for all it has done for me and birthing 3 children. Good luck to all us June 21, 2021 suregies!! 😚

Heading to the surgical center! Feeling excited and nervous for what’s to come, but more grateful for my body. I’m so grateful for all it has done for me and birthing 3 children. Good luck to all us June 21, 2021 suregies!! 😚

Heading to the surgical center! Feeling excited and nervous for what’s to come, but more grateful for my body. I’m so grateful for all it has done for me and birthing 3 children. Good luck to all us June 21, 2021 suregies!! 😚

In the first pic, I’m the one on the right side of the photo. I was already a mother of 4 wonderful kids, but I was miserable & very unhappy with my weight. I was insecure and embarrassed at how far I had let myself go. So, I started doing 5k runs to help myself lose weight. Being active was never a problem. I was disciplined enough to get out on a track, do step aerobics, or walk/run some bleachers. However, it was my relationship with food that was the problem.

When I started my journey to get the sleeve, my surgeon said something that stayed with me: “The sleeve will guarantee weight loss in your first year out, but YOU have to utilize that time to CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE in order to maintain that weight loss.”

Folks...that is EXACTLY what I did. I changed my eating habits. The sleeve forced my hand with QUANTITY, but I learned about QUALITY nutrition for my body. I completely changed my dietary habits! I got rid of all my trigger foods (and believe me that most of them were/are sliders!) and filled my fridge & pantry with lean meats, veggies, fresh fruits, complex carbs. And as the weight came off, I started lifting weights (heavy weights) to totally recomp my figure. And as the years went by and my stomach stretched and the quantity of food I was able to consume increased, I learned to time my meals and seek out fulfilling recipes that were also satisfying. Foods like: Greek yogurt (with a scoop of protein), topped with fresh fruits; zucchini noodles with chicken & Alfredo sauce; eggs, egg whites topped with fresh veggies like mushrooms, onion, spinach, cheese, with an added side of turkey bacon; zucchini noodles with spaghetti sauce & turkey meat; turkey patties topped with gravy & mushrooms and a side of green beans; turkey chili topped with cheese and a small bag of Fritos; pancakes/waffles made from oats, banana, eggs, olive oil, cinnamon (I add Protein powder as an option, and a sugar free seasoning call Honey Butter & Cinnamon by Icon), and topped with whipped cream, fresh fruits, and sugar free syrups (like Walden Farms); I’ll cook with low calorie marinades (like G. Hughes) and seasonings that are low in sodium and/or sugar free (like Icon) to add flavor and diversity with out tons of calories. 

Folks! Life changing!!! I CHOOSE to eat well. I CHOOSE to exercise 5-6 days a week. I CHOOSE my lifestyle. I still eat foods that are not “health” conscious, but I’m in control now. I can eat them without over indulging or losing control. I even drink beer a few nights out of the month. My lifestyle choices have led me down a path in which I’m so much happier! I feel strong, confident, and in control! I’m in a better place mentally, and because of that, I’m a much better parent to my kids! Change is possible, folks. The sleeve is a tool, but you’re the one in control. 

Coming up on 2 years post op and life has never been better. The gastric sleeve opened up a world to me that i thought would never exist. Ive learned so much about health, nutrition and exercise, that i wouldnt have if i didnt take the first step with the sleeve. I have a healthy relationship with foods now. I try to keep myself to the 80/20 rule. But i probably am closer to 90/10. Make good choices 80% of the time, and enjoy some of my favorite things the other times. Its funny tho, a lot of my favorites have no become healthy choices. So that makes life easier. I started this journey first just focusing on losing the weight. So for the first year i ran a lot and set a goal to run a half marathon. i completed that last may and then began to switch my focus to putting on muscle. This was hard because it meant i had to up my calories which for anyone in our situation, is a scary thing. So i bought a WHOOP strap and really dialed in how many calories i was burning and spoke with my nutritionist about a plan to get where i wanted to go. (whoop strap is apparently the most accurate fitness tracker out right now and ive found that my apple watch says i burn 800 more calories then the whoop says. just a heads up. IT wasnt easy but ive been doing it and got on a great routine. My lowest weight was 208. i now hover between 225-230. i weigh every few weeks but dont get too obsessed with the scale anymore. i know that if i stay within my calories that im fine. Its been a process and i had to learn a lot. it wasnt all easy but 110% worth it. This surgery opened a whole new life for me. I am extremely greatful.

June 21st!
Current weight 250
05/20 Initial Consultation
05/28 labs
06/04 Pre-op appt with PA
06/07 begin 2 wk pre-op diet
06/14 COVID test and isolate
06/21 Surgery
(Selfpay $15k)
This came a lot faster than I thought!

Hi y’all! I’m Brittany. I’m a stay at home wife and mom of two littles. I suffer from hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, PCOS and a benign pituitary tumor, all of which affect my weight and overall quality of life.

I have wanted to have gastric surgery for upwards of 11 years, but the timing was never right. After several failed attempts at losing weight, I finally decided it was time to get serious about surgery. I joined a couple of bariatric pages on Facebook, and just sat back and watched for several months. I initially reached out to a surgeon here in San Antonio, but after learning that my insurance wouldn’t cover the surgery and realizing the cost of the procedure out of pocket, I became very discouraged. However, I had read many testimonials of people who went to Mexico to have their surgery performed. I kept hearing of one place in particular, Oasis of Hope in Tijuana. After doing loads of research, I decided to reach out to them. Within a couple of weeks, I had my surgery date for June 1st! I began my pre-op diet 30 days before surgery. The LSD was a total of 25 days, and the Clear Liquids phase was a total of 5. The liquid phase is NO JOKE. That ish is ROUGH. 😆

I’m now 17 days post-op and have lost a total of 31 pounds! It’s a struggle to get my Protein and liquids in, as I still haven’t learned the tricks to making sure what I’m eating doesn’t cause discomfort. I am quite fatigued, and am considering going to have IV therapy to get me over this hump. However, I’m still so happy with my decision, and I am so excited to see what the future holds!

Hi, I’m scheduled for this Monday! Eeekk! I can relate about feeling alone. I’m isolating due to COVID restrictions my dr requires. So now I feel more isolated. Plus my husband is planning all these trips he’s going on by himself now that I won’t be able to travel so soon. I’m using this time to destress because I’m feeling anxious and my husband doesn’t understand how big a surgery this is for me.

Congratulations! How are you doing today?

Yay! Yes a duodenal switch. How’s your pre-op diet going? I went shopping the other day and I was so tempted with all the Snacks. That’s my weakness. But then I remembered my blood test results and I kept walking.

I have the same surgery date! I’m doing the DS and insurance will not cover it so it’s $15,000 USD. I just paid for it yesterday. Ouch! Most ins covers it, but I don’t have traditional ins.
which surgery are you having?

I have the same surgery date! I’m doing the DS and insurance will not cover it so it’s $15,000 USD. I just paid for it yesterday. Ouch! Most ins covers it, but I don’t have traditional ins.
which surgery are you having?

I have the same surgery date! I’m doing the DS and insurance will not cover it so it’s $15,000 USD. I just paid for it yesterday. Ouch! Most ins covers it, but I don’t have traditional ins.
which surgery are you having?

Congratulations! My postop diet has me taking Vitamins a month after surgery. However I’m going to do the Vitamin Patch right after surgery. Are you feeling ok and drinking Soups and shakes?

Yay! Which ones are you trying? I like the Premier Protein and fair life shakes ice cold. Is your stomach not tolerating it?