Meisha

YOU’VE GOT THIS!!! I am so proud of you! Don’t forget to give yourself grace, my friend. You’re taking big steps to big changes. I know you can do this!

Ugh. Sorry for the double posting. This site and my tablet don’t like each other.
How’s everyone doing? How are our post-op folks doing? Thanks for the update ChunkCat. Praying your tummy decides to cooperate and stops acting like an angry toddler.

How are our folks doing the pre-op diet doing? My date isn’t until after Thanksgiving so I’m still in the “food funeral” stage. ?
How are y’all handling the nerves? Every time I start getting those butterflies, I remind myself of what I’m looking forward to (tying my shoes without getting out of breath, not having to push the table away to get into a booth at a restaurant, getting rid of that d*** CPAP!).

Thanks! These are great suggestions!

I’m scheduled the week after Thanksgiving. I do have questions if y’all have answers/suggestions.

I’m looking to get new water bottles - partly because all my bottles have wide mouth openings (allowing me to chug), partly because I have a mild compulsion to collect all the water bottles. ? Do y’all have a slow-release water bottle you suggest?

Belly bands - I’ve heard that the hospital won’t give me one before I go home, so I need to get my own. I’ve never owned/used one before. What should I be looking for?

What are you putting in your hospital bag? Since we’ll be driving to AL and then home again, I don’t want to have a bunch of junk I won’t really need. My dietitian (who also had this surgery), said I need to bring a notebook to log my water, but that’s about all I’ve been told to bring with me. I plan on bringing my iPad, phone, earbuds… and that’s as far as I’ve gotten.

Thank you for your help!

M

Hey y’all! My dietician told me about this site and I’m thrilled to have this great resource at my fingertips! I’m driving to Alabama in November for VSG (my insurance won’t pay for any of this - Alabama had very “reasonable” self-pay rates). I’m nervous about the long drive home 2 days after surgery. Any suggestions are appreciated!

@ChunkCatDANG GIRL! You look great! I'm so sorry you're struggling with POTS. That stinks, but it sounds like you've got a plan in place to help you manage until - 2025 (so ridiculous).
I can't believe it's been almost 6 months already! I sometimes forget that I had it done (until I try to eat fast - LOL!). I'm down 77 pounds since my highest - 69 since the surgery. I still struggle with not being able to see the change (because I see my self every day), but occasionally I'll see a picture of me or see a reflection at a certain angle that makes me go... wait... a... minute! :) I'm down 2 jeans sizes (probably actually down 3 sizes because let's be honest, those 24s were STRETCHED to capacity! LOL!). I could get my 20s on a few weeks ago but I couldn't breathe, so there's that.

I did go on a cruise week before last. That was interesting. I gave myself permission to eat whatever I wanted and I found that I'm now starting to naturally lean toward healthier/smarter choices. I only gained 2.2 pounds that week and it came off very quickly.

The big news is that I've scheduled my knee surgeries!!! Getting one done in June, the other in October! I'm nervous because of the unknowns (pain after the surgery, rehab, not being able to drive, etc), but I'm more excited because I'm ready to have my life back! New body, new knees... I'm going to be unstoppable!
Can't wait to hear how everyone else is doing!

Great job, @ChunkCat! So proud of you!

And here are my stats! I cannot believe I am 1/3 of the way towards my goal and that I've lost 76.5 inches from all over my body!! I definitely feel it!

I was trying to find this page on the forum yesterday to do a check in, but work got in the way. Thankful for my job, but also ready to retire. ?
It’s nice getting closer to “normal”. I still forget sometimes that I’ve had surgery and have to stop myself before ordering a Coke Zero or drinking out of a straw. Otherwise, 57 days out and I’m doing well! I feel great!
Can’t wait to hear how everyone else is doing!

I was trying to find this page on the forum yesterday to do a check in, but work got in the way. Thankful for my job, but also ready to retire. ?
It’s nice getting closer to “normal”. I still forget sometimes that I’ve had surgery and have to stop myself before ordering a Coke Zero or drinking out of a straw. Otherwise, 57 days out and I’m doing well! I feel great!
Can’t wait to hear how everyone else is doing!

My sugery was 11/29.. as of this morning I am 32lbs down.. I started back into the gym on Monday, 8 weeks post op. I have not really had a weight stall yet, I am noticing that my hair loss has picked up so I am getting it cut on Tuesday. I am off all my food restrictions so I am excited about trying out all kinds of food. Going clothes shopping this weekend to pick up a few things as my clothes are falling off me.. This has been a fun, stressful and frustrating journey but I am here for it...

My surgery was 11/30, so I am about 8 weeks post op. I’ve lost 31 pounds and hit a stall. But dietician assured me to just stick with the plan and the weight loss will restart. Protein and Water goals are all I can think about lol

I just hit 9 weeks from surgery this week, and the 60 lb lost mark since starting the Pre-Op diet (11 weeks total). I'm finally off all of my diabetes and blood pressure meds, and my non-exertion-related dizzy spells have subsided, so I'm feeling good there. Fewer random aches and pains in my legs and back!
However, after getting Covid over the holidays (5 weeks post op), I'm still feeling pretty tired and weak due to pre-existing issues with my lungs. I actually felt great the week before getting covid, and was getting around 5 miles of walking in per day and was getting more energy. After fighting it off for two weeks, I feel about as weak as I did about 5 days after surgery, even today. 1 mile of walking and I have to sit down for about a half hour. The only time I get dizzy is if I lift more than about 15-20 lbs.
I'm working with my doctor on it, and it sounds like I may be stuck with long Covid for several months, but should eventually shake it. However, had I not had the surgery, I think I would've been way sicker had I caught it at my heaviest weight. My doctor said I would've probably had to spend a significant time in the hospital had I not had the surgery.
No regrets at all! Just trying to focus on the baby steps and smaller incremental progress. Hope you all are doing well too!

How is everyone doing now?? I'll be officially 12 weeks out tomorrow! I'll post my stats then and update you guys. I can't believe we are all getting to the 3 month mark...

I'm in the same boat! I've been yo-yoing between the same 3 pounds for a week now. Juuuuuuust enough to not feel its necessary to call the dietician. Ugh. I've lost 33.4 since surgery, 41 total if you include the 8 pounds I lost before surgery. QUESTION: When people ask, do you tell them how much you've lost since surgery or how much you've lost overall? I don't want to give anyone a false impression that I've lost 41 pounds since surgery, but do they really care that I lost 8 pounds before surgery?
I need to add more movement to my daily routine. I'm averaging about 2000 steps per day thanks to my need-replacing knees and I tried a chair aerobic workout this week. Clearly it was NOT a beginner video. I was sucking wind at 2 minutes into it - and it was only 10 minutes long! I had to stop at 4 minutes in. It was disheartening, but I won't be deterred.
@ChunkCat & @NickelChip - Y'all are my people! Sarcasm is my love language.

This could be my personal life motto.

YES!! When I was on the pre-op diet and on all liquids I kept dreaming I'd walk by the counter and auto-eat a cookie, which is weird because I never have cookies in the house. I legit woke up in a panic attack and really had to think back and realize it was a dream, not a memory! LOL It was so vivid man... It happened twice! I thought I was going crazy...

Have you dreamed you've eaten something you know you shouldn't?
Last night I dreamed I was in a convenience store eating a Twix candy bar. I woke up in a panic. Not only because I was worried about the ramifications of eating all of that sugar, but also because I'm allergic to wheat. I seriously woke up ready to grab my epi-pen in preparation of anaphylactic shock. ?

Oh mylanta! I’m so sorry that you had such a rough time over the holidays! But I’m glad you’re back on track!

I finished week 4 and FINALLY at the chewing food stage!!! So far I’ve had sautéed shrimp, a half of a piece of turkey bacon, and some ground turkey! Hallelujah! I’m looking forward to having my energy back!

The cortisone shots I got in my knees have worn off, so I’m rejoicing with every pound lost that I’m inching closer to being out of pain. So far I’ve lost 30.4 since surgery. Woo-hoo!
My daughter had RNY surgery Wednesday. She’s pretty pitiful right now but it’ll be nice to be able to do this journey with her when she’s feeling better.
Here’s to a new year full of health and hope!! Blessings, my friends!

6 weeks 1 day post op and I’m finally on soft foods today. I had eggs. Which I haven’t been able to have for 15 months. I’m so going to look forward to this stage.
otherwise I am feeling really great. I can’t wait to try out some more foods I’ve been missing this past 15mths.
I am on holidays too. So been able to walk a lot.

Nov 27th here and so far doing good

@Betty1971 and being able to tie my shoes without having to hold my breath!

Yes, my surgeon said those count toward both my protein and fluid/water goal. He said not to count any coffee, sugar/soft drinks, or anything else that could be a diuretic and dehydrate you.

My nutritionist said to count them. I struggle to get 1tr in. So she has suggested to dilute my protein juices to count

You have just had major abdominal surgery, the body has to take a lot of resources to heal from that and some of the meds we are given can affect us for weeks after. Then you have to take into account that you lost a nice chunk of weight very rapidly, causing hormones to be released into your body that are not normally that high. This impacts mood a LOT for some people, myself included. Think of it like having PMS/PMDD from hell. Irritability is very common, higher emotionality as well, sometimes depression too. Major surgery can also trigger depression and in men depression most exhibits itself as anger. Talk to your wife and GP about this. If it continues to be an issue you might want to try a medication to even things out for while you are losing...
I hate when people say they feel bad for eating around me. Eat your damned food!! LOL I'm not a child, I can handle my feels about it. It is nice when people are willing to eat (at least partly) what I'm eating so I feel like a part of the gathering instead of the one in the corner with a kiddie meal, but even if no one wants to join me, I don't need pity. I need empathy and time spent with the ones I love that doesn't involve food! Or that involves food without people feeling bad for their own food. I'm not here to food shame anyone.
Are you tracking your meals in Baritastic?? If not, I highly recommend you do. It helps you keep track of your routine daily food and you can see what your macros look like and get an idea for when you have room to indulge a little and when you need to stay on the straight and narrow. Sleeve surgery is a purely restrictive procedure, which means it relies heavily on dietary restriction to help you lose the weight. You have to work with it to help it accomplish this. Make sure your first focus is WATER, then protein, at least 60 grams or whatever your dietician suggests, then some healthy carbs if you have room, and then if you still have room, a bite or two of a starch or something indulgent. You shouldn't have much room for straying right now. And you may need to talk to someone about the food struggle because the food you are eating right now IS "real food" and will need to become the foundation of your eating from here on out to be able to maintain the results you get from the sleeve's weight loss. I don't say this to guilt you at all, my indulgence is dark chocolate, always has been. But the DS requires me to adhere to a low carb diet, so I get a bite of chocolate in the evening after I've hit all my goals for the day! Hence the app tracking things. LOL
Be kind to yourself, you are going through some huge changes, we all are, and our bodies are under a lot of stress. What it needs most is kindness and nurturing right now, not shame and guilt. ❤️

My surgeon had a last minute cancellation so I had the gastric bypass on November 27th (my birthday). Day 2 was ROUGH but I’m home now and feeling pretty good.