I'm going to get my VSG soon...I'd love to get some "Top 3" lists from all you success stories here on most critical secrets to success. Perhaps they could be something beyond eat less and exercise more! hehe

Of course if you have more than 3, go for it!

My top 3 that has worked for me:

1. I bought those jello-shot plastic containers w/ lids ( I got mine at Smart & Final)- they have different oz sizes. Once I got to the mushy food stage it was great to portion out my cottage cheese, yogurt and whatever else mushy I ate. I was able to buy the larger size of cottage cheese and yogurt and save money. Plus, it was ready to grab to eat when I wanted it or when I was going somewhere.

2. Buy yourself a small ice chest. You will be needing to bring your own food and treats with you for a while-I still do- so it's nice to have one that fits in your car. Mine fits between the two front seats. And it's great for the kids too. Hooray for non soggy string cheese!

3. I love my cup. My non-sweat, stays cold longer, with a top that closes, cup. It's pretty much a giant sippy cup- but I love it. It goes with me everywhere. I use it everyday. Make sure if you get one- that it fits in your cup holder in your car! And always have something to drink with you at all times! ( I got mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond)

Those are my top three!

Good Luck- we are here for you!

I've already purchased my little storage cups! Now I need to get that lunch box to tote them around in, and a cold drink sippie cup!

1. Start exercising now. It doesn't have to be training for a marathon, but start walking and lifting small weights as soon as you can. You're building the habit into your daily routine, not training for that marathon.

2. Sip, sip, sip. Drinking Water is key, IMO, to losing the weight. Water hydrates your body and skin, fills up your tummy, and washes out the toxins and fat.

3. Get your Protein into your body every single day.

4. Forget dieting. This isn't a diet. It's a way of life. Get in the protein and your veggies, THEN worry about carbs.

5. There are NO good or bad foods. It's either protein or it's not. If I could find a chocolate that had protein in it, I'd do it. Oh, wait, I do... Protein Bars.

6. Eat on a schedule. This is important because we aren't hungry for the first few months. Forgetting to eat is worse, FOR ME, than over eating.

7. Avoid Cheetos!

Thanks for starting this off Lissa with a great list! My only concern with it is...after a while, doesn't the low carb, high protein eating get freakin BORING! I know you listed 'no cheetoes' but I've had a lifetime love affair with all things grain-based. I really can't imagine enjoying a diet devoid of breads/grains.

Thanks for starting this off Lissa with a great list! My only concern with it is...after a while' date=' doesn't the low carb, high Protein eating get freakin BORING! I know you listed 'no cheetoes' but I've had a lifetime love affair with all things grain-based. I really can't imagine enjoying a diet devoid of breads/grains. [/quote']

I was the same way and I didn't believe it at first but your stomach really does change. I am a recovering bread addict meaning I could polish off the entire bread basket before the meal. Now my stomach gets really mad if I eat anything breadlike. I quit cold turkey. Maybe that will happen to you. And after the surgery in the absence of hunger, I found I'm no longer preoccupied with food so I don't even have time to miss bread.

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Lisa. I love your list.

** Oh-one other thing- (and I don't know if anyone else has this problem) is with a high Protein diet= constipation! Those benifiber singles are great for the go.

**Also Gas X strips!

You know- I thought the same thing with a high protein diet, BORING. But it's really not. It has made me become really creative in the kitchen. Surfing the internet has helped me so much! There is one I read all the time. She has TONS of ideas and recipes.

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

I am 15 months post-op and here are my tips from a longer-term perspective--

1. Do not eat until you are full--eat less than you think you can hold. It will spare you some painful experiences, perhaps of vomiting or maybe just being terribly uncomfortable.

2. Measure your food. I don't care if you put it in a measuring cup or weigh it. At about six months post-op, decide on a serving size for the Proteins you eat most and stick to it. For example, I eat 3 jumbo shrimp, 2.5 oz of steak, 3 oz. of chicken or fish. Just because you CAN eat more doesn't mean you have to.

3. Take your Vitamins and supplements. It is hard to get all the nutrients we need from food since we eat so little and you do not want to become deficient. At least a multi every day and a B-12 as needed to keep your levels up. Get regular lab work to check.

4. Protein first, green veg next, then dairy, fruit, and rarely carbs and sugars. I don't deny myself anything but everyday is not Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter either. Let treats be special if you can.

5. Once you have achieved your goal weight, weigh yourself every day. Do not ignore the scale the way we all used to. It's lots easier to take off two pounds in a couple of days than twenty.

6. Exercise to be strong and fit. I didn't want to lose weight and be frail. Find something you love to do and do it. Lift arm weights while you watch TV, or do lunges. Every bit helps.

Barry, I'm not bored yet. I go through phases, but I have a varied diet. It just doesn't include much bread. I used to make 10 loaves of bread a week and loved nothing better than a piece of freshly baked bread warm from teh oven, dripping in butter. Now, as Natural Rhapsody said, my sleeve gets too full too fast when I eat bread, so it's off my list.

Get out a tape measurer and a pad and pencil... measure yourself in about 8 places NOW. I made a little picture to remind myself where I measured... You will find it handy when the scale is stuck in one place. Measure once a month.

Save your biggest fat pants. You will need to take a picture and post it for us of you standing in one leg later on!

I surely hope it's like that for me NaturalR...it would feel like a real miracle to be freed from my compulsion towards grains.

1. Figure out what your bad eating habits are -- where do you eat and what do you eat? I realized that I tended to graze. I would eat popcorn and veggies. I like convenience foods. I just want to grab something I can snack on. Now, post-sleeve, it is hard to find healthy convenience foods. I don't eat raw veggies anymore since I had braces put on my teeth about two months after I was sleeved. It is hard biting into them. This was a HUGE part of my diet before, so I have to be creative replacing it. I now snack on Babybel cheeses and cheese sticks. I've also tried some of the Protein Snacks.

2. Stock up good food choices in places that you go frequently that are not your home. I keep Protein drinks and little packets of protein drinks and Soups at my work. I keep Protein shakes in the fridge in my in-law's garage. I also have Protein Bars stored in my car and my desk at work. The other day, we were out and about, and I needed to eat. We stopped at my in-laws' house for a few minutes, and I grabbed one of my cold shakes out of their fridge.

3. Get your family involved with your exercise. I have three teenage daughters, and they helped me start exercising by playing those dance games with me. When I started doing Zumba, they went with me. My youngest daughter is doing Zumba almost daily, and we motivate each other to get it done. My husband and I are walking more. And when there are options about what we might do, we are choosing the more active options (usually) like playing softball in the yard instead of watching a movie in the house.

I don't take all of this so seriously except for 3 things:

• Do not overeat...learn to eat less.
  

• For the first six months do not eat 1200 calories..eat 600 to 800 (so many people disagree, but this is your time to really lose) as i am in month 10 and it is really slow now because YES you can eat more and YES you are more hungry. USE THAT TIME TO KILL IT ON THE SCALE.
  

• My regret - not working out beforehand. I really messed that one up. I hope to start one day soon.
  

I don't take all of this so seriously except for 3 things:

[*]Do not overeat...learn to eat less.

[*]For the first six months do not eat 1200 calories..eat 600 to 800 (so many people disagree' date=' but this is your time to really lose) as i am in month 10 and it is really slow now because YES you can eat more and YES you are more hungry. USE THAT TIME TO KILL IT ON THE scale.

[*']My regret - not working out beforehand. I really messed that one up. I hope to start one day soon.

How soon After surgery do you recommend working out

How soon After surgery do you recommend working out

My doc said 6 weeks. You can and should walk right away though. Just don't strain your tummy... like lifting anyting heavy (over 10 pounds)

My doc said 6 weeks. You can and should walk right away though. Just don't strain your tummy... like lifting anyting heavy (over 10 pounds)

Thanks

Start learning to pay attention to your body. Eating by schedule is really good at first, but over time, need to learn the queues that tell you "enough"

Forget about trying to be "full" eat until you are satiated or no longer hungry. It is possible to stretch this new tummy out and we want to try to minimize that.

Follow the basic rules - Water, Protein and increase activity; Whenever you aren't getting the results you want, go back to those basics and make sure you haven't started drifting away from them.