BlackBerryJuice

I'm also doing mine on the 9th! No official pre-op diet for me so far - I do need to update the nurse that I probably gained a good 5 lbs since I scheduled my surgery, but hopefully it's not going to change anything. Right now I'm living in residences at this other university with a meal plan that's paid for by my program, so it's hard to go on a liquid or other equally stringent diet - not enough options and nowhere to store perishable food if I were to buy some. I'm at about 205-210 now - no scale here - hoping to get down to at least 145, but I could see myself making it as low as 135. Last time I weighed 145 was 9 years ago when I was severely bulimic and did 2-3 hours of cardio a day. Sometimes I'd just rewind my cardio tape several times in a row and keep going! Looking forward to being able to maintain a normal weight without killing myself.

I think you are going to be smaller than 14 by then, BUT it's easier if it's too big and you just need to take it in at the tailors than if it's too small and you end up really uncomfortable. So I say, be conservative and pick a 14.

That's correct if you do not already have low blood sugar. If you have gotten to a point where you are dizzy and lightheaded, your priority is to get your BGL up as soon as possible. THEN, once you are feeling better, you follow up your juice/coke/whatever serves that purpose with something more substantial.

Interesting, but a study of 18 subjects should be taken with an entire saltshaker of salt.

1) I know it's frustrating. But guess what, it took me a year to lose 40 lbs the old-fashioned way - up to 10 hours at the gym a week and a good 15 miles of walking per week on top of that, and constantly leaving the table hungry and denying myself everything (then it took me like 3 months to put it back on, but that's a whole other story, haha). So you are losing REALLY, REALLY fast. 2) Think about it in scientific terms. We've all heard that to lose a pound of fat, you need to burn 3500 calories. Unless you are really heavy AND really active, the odds of you burning that much per day are pretty low. So you shouldn't EXPECT to lose a pound a day on a consistent basis. Which leads me to my next point... 3) I think it's important to LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS first and foremost. If you go into the surgery thinking you'll be losing a pound a day for months on end, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Set more realistic goals and then be pleasantly surprised when you exceed them. Focus on the positives even if you don't feel like you're losing that quickly.... 4) I like what someone else said earlier - think about the fact that even if you may not be losing as fast as you'd like, you are losing this weight for GOOD. You are not going to experience the same thing I did during my torturous dieting where I had 3 drinks and one dessert one weekend and put on 5 lbs that I couldn't lose again no matter how hard I tried - I really don't think I was eating more than you VSGers 2 months out AND was hungry as hell! At least by the looks of it, most of you don't have a problem with vicious physical hunger on top of your head hunger. 5) Even if you are losing slowly....you will get to a lower weight than you would EVER get to by dieting. The lowest I've gone from 200+ was 165 lbs, and that's when I ate like 1000 calories a day and exercised for 2 hours daily. I had a BMI of about 29 at that weight, if I remember correctly. I literally couldn't imagine the amount of starving and working out I would have to do to hit my goal weight of 145 - JUST under the "overweight" BMI. But I see VSGers here reaching a weight of 130, 120, even less without feeling deprived and exhausted. The odds of you ever achieving a weight that low the old-fashioned way are essentially zero.

I think group exercise classes and competitive endeavours (e.g. 2.5Ks, 10Ks, sprint tris - whatever your fitness level) are the best way to make yourself stick to something. If you are just trudging to the gym to spend half an hour on the elliptical, it's hard to stay motivated. I think I'm gonna cancel my Gold's Gym membership as soon as I'm back in town since I want to get more seriously involved in dance this fall. My university offers quite a few dance classes. I actually took ballet with them in the spring. While I had the strength to do all the exercises, thanks to years of weightlifting, I did find my weight to be a hurdle at times, especially when it came to jumps. It was a bit demoralizing, plus it was tough on my feet and joints to jump around with just socks on when I weighed like 60 lbs more than everyone else, so I dropped out halfway through. But now I think I'll have a much easier time, after losing even just 15 lbs, so I'm planning on signing up for 3 dance classes a week (ballet, modern, and jazz) to keep me in shape. I know our classes are open to non-students, they just cost a tad more - so if there's a university by you, I would definitely suggest checking out their phys ed courses, especially dance. Once you have the mindset that you paid X dollars for Y classes, you are also less inclined to skip, since you feel like you need to get your money's worth.

Thanks! I'll drive myself there - I'll need to be at the airport before 5 am, and while I have a friend with a car who should be in town, we're not close enough for me to inflict myself on her at 4 in the morning on a Sunday. If I'm too out of it when I return, I'll just cab it back to my place (flying in really late, too) and then ask her for a ride to the airport at a more convenient time, so I can get my car.

Could it have been an acute episode of lactose intolerance? I know some people with lactose intolerance can handle some milk products (e.g. cheese) but others cause a really intense rejection (e.g. ice cream). Carry a spare pair of pants and underwear for a few days, just in case...

Whey Gourmet powders are the absolute best. Not cheap, but there's a reason why. The manufacturer is called PVL. If you don't have a specialty nutrition store in your area, Walmart tends to carry a few basic flavors. I've tried a few chocolate varieties, strawberry banana, and some sort of vanilla ice cream flavor and they were all amazing and really smooth (with 1% milk, anyway - never tried them with water).

I used to be seriously into bodybuilding (and plan to resume that as soon as I'm cleared for weight-lifting!) so I've tried a number of Protein powders. The ABSOLUTE best I've ever tried is Whey Gourmet. It's not cheap, but there's a reason why. They have a good variety of flavors, too. I've only ever had it with 1% or skim milk, so I don't know if it'd be a tad grittier with Water, but with milk it's really creamy and yummy. I can always find several basic flavors at Walmart, and I'm sure every nutrition store carries it. Here in Canada, it's quite expensive - $40 for 2 lbs - but I recall it being more like $25 for 2 lbs when I lived in the US. For a cheaper alternative, Dymatize Elite protein powders are good. You can find them on discount websites for like $30 for 5 lbs. I've only ever tried the chocolate and Chocolate Mint flavors, so I cannot vouch for other varieties. They are a tad more gritty, but still good. If you want to order online, bodybuilding.com has quick service and decent prices, and there's some store called something like allvitamins.com or something that's very cheap - just google the name of the protein powders and find a cheap seller online.

I've only told like 5 people, my boyfriend, my best friend (so she can help me the first few weeks, if need arises), and 3 more friends - 2 of them I thought might be interested in getting WLS as well, and one more is just a close friend who's had plastic surgery before, so I knew she wouldn't be shocked if she heard I was going to get WLS. I told my mom I'm seriously considering WLS, but decided not to tell her I actually did it until I come back from Mexico. No use stressing her out and then subsequently stressing myself out as the result of phone arguments that are bound to follow, haha. In other news, I sent my deposit to Dr. Aceves over 1.5 weeks ago (the Tuesday before last one). They still haven't received it! I hope it gets there ASAP, I really don't want to delay the surgery, as I want to be functional by the time school starts. Plus I've already booked my flight. Canada post said it'd take 10-14 days, so I really hope it gets there Monday or Tuesday!

I think the lightheaded or nauseous feeling you're experiencing in the morning is a consequence of low blood sugar. It's a lot easier for it to happen in the am before breakfast, as you had obviously been fasting all night, but it can also occur if you did a lot of exercising without eating much. I've experienced it a few times after early morning spin classes because I only had time for an apple or a yogurt on my way to the gym! I would try having some juice, gatorade, or tea with sugar as soon as you wake up - whatever you can stomach that has some sugar in it.

Sorry you have to deal with the BS when you were that close to getting your surgery. Hopefully the logistics work out soon.

Have you tried chewing gum?

Aug. 9, as well.

Well, I think it would be weird if he DIDN'T worry. My boyfriend went through a phase where he actually CRIED at the thought of me getting the surgery (he won't be here for the first 2.5 weeks, either) - thankfully, it's over for now, haha. I've avoided telling my parents so I didn't have to worry about my mother freaking out. I can't imagine someone NOT worrying at least a bit if they care about you at all. So I don't think you should look at the fact that your husband is worried as some sort of omen. Are you not confident about your surgeon's ability or something? Do you have access to any professional post-surgery psychological support? If not, try going to Overeaters Anonymous. I went there once, and there were some WLS people there. That was a few years ago, though, before the sleeve was really on anyone's radar - everyone had RNYs.

C'mon, guys, there's gotta be more now! August is only 10 days away!

I'm not even that afraid of the BIG stuff - i.e. what if something goes truly wrong - I have a leak, I have a reaction to anesthesia, I don't wake up after anesthesia, period. With these BIG things, I just comfort myself with the knowledge that the surgeon I've chosen has an impeccable record and years of experience, so the odds of anything bad happening because of what he does are almost zero. And if something happens that's not his fault - well, that's something you can't control. Something terrible can happen at any minute, regardless of whether or not we have the surgery. More often, I worry about the little things. The other day I went on a really long hike (about 3 hours). It was really hot, so I stopped more than once to take a couple of HUGE swigs of Water. Then I immediately realized that I won't be able to do this for a good 6 months after surgery. Does it mean I can't go on a challenging hike or run a 5K for half a year without worrying about getting dangerously dehydrated? I worry more about silly stuff like that, I don't know if it makes me weird. I feel like I already have enough to worry about in terms of dealing with emotional eating and head hunger when I'm physically unable to act on that urge (I'm afraid I'll turn into a valkyrie), I don't want to have to deal with MORE stuff that can change my life for worse.

My surgery is 10 days after yours and I can relate to your concerns, even though I've never had a band. I think all of us experience at least a few moments of doubt, fear, or worry prior to the surgery - and probably even more so in the first few weeks after. There's no way to predict how you're going to feel and what life is going to be like after. I think the most important piece of information for me came in the form of a few old threads where people said things like "I wish I hadn't done this, I feel miserable," and the like - and then the same people post 6 months later (and 60 pounds lighter) saying they are happy they went through the surgery. Someone made a poll a few weeks ago asking people if they would've gone through the surgery now that they know what it's like, and I don't think a single person said no. So I think in the end, if you go to an experienced doctor with a good record, you won't regret it, even though you might have a couple of "bad days" at the beginning.

Sorry, what's NSV? I keep seeing it everywhere.

From past dieting experiences, I know I get pretty affected mentally when I don't eat much - irritable, unable to concentrate, etc. For those of you who have the same problem, did you experience that in your first few weeks/months of recovery from WLS? I'm wondering if I'm going to be 100% mentally by the time I go back to school 3 weeks after my VSG.

No, you didn't answer my actual question (do people feel irritable etc), you just decided to pass some hight-and-mighty random judgment without knowing anything about my program, myself as a student, and how these types of issues are addressed at my school. Which is why I reminded you to mind your own business.

Call me silly, but I almost look forward to having this predicament. I enjoy cooking a really elaborate meal on occasion, but since I started school, I seldom have the time - and I don't think I will have the time for at least another 10 years until my career is established and my loans are paid off. I actually look forward to having that extra time that I used to spend on cooking. Try and fill that free time with a new hobby - whether it's something physical (learn to dance?) or mental (start reading classics on a regular basis?). Find something else you'll enjoy instead of food. Besides, think of all the money you save by eating less! Once I didn't really have the time and energy to cook anymore, I found myself going out every day for at least one meal. One of the reasons why I didn't have to think long about dipping into my line of credit to pay almost $10,000 for the surgery and related expenses is that I will definitely make up for that in the next 2 years by eating a lot less! I'm sure I spend at least $500 a month on food right now - wouldn't be surprised if it was more on occasion. I look forward to NOT being tempted by Indian buffets, burritos, etc, so I can spend that money on something healthy and cheap. If "bad" food doesn't taste better than "good" food anymore, you have no motivation to eat stuff that's not healthy. Look on the bright side! Use this predicament to your advantage.

I'll decide that for myself, thanks.

Thanks for the replies. I was just wondering if I should alert the students' affairs office when school starts in case a prof thinks I'm slacking or something.