I don't have my first "official" (for Aetna) surgeon's visit until June 19th and I'm going CRAZY waiting!

I considered WLS for 2 1/2 years before deciding to be sleeved and now it's ALL I can think of. How in the world am i going to make it until September/October at this rate?!

You are going to get there...one day at a time. Congrats to you for taking this step and I know exactly how you are feeling and what you are going through. I was upset I had to wait over a month for my first visit, I was very upset when I found out I had to do a six-month supervised appointments, I didn't want to go to WLS Is it Right for me Seminar, or the mandatory one group meeting, I had nutritionist meetings to attend near the end, upper GI, blood work, etc. After the six months, the waiting game waiting for insurance approval almost drove me insane lol. Finding out that my surgery would be June 4th had me almost hysterical when I was approved end of April I thought great....but I had to attend two more classes, then I had to get tested for something called H-pylori a week before I started pre-op shakes. I've been on pre-op shakes 7 days and I feel like next Monday is going to take FOREVER. But in retrospect, the time has flown by and I lost almost 70 pounds before the darn surgery.

I can give you some suggestions that have helped me and I'm sure others have suggestions. Not everything works for everyone, but this is what I did.

Sign up for http://myfitnesspal.com It's a way to keep track of your food, and it does all the work for you. No more figuring out how much calories are in a Arby's, Red Lobster, etc. You will be able to see how many carbs, how much Protein, sodium, potassium is in everything. It has a special section for keeping track of your Water. Have a cup of water click a button. Exercise, it keeps track of your exercise. You can spend time learning how it works and spend time looking up restaurants you frequent and figure out how to change things in advance to a high protein, lower carb.

I also started incorporating Breakfast into my life. I never ate breakfast or lunch, I just ate a ton at dinner and then woke up in the middle of the night hungry. I started out with Slim Fast High Protein Shakes and then moved over to Pure Protein 100% whey Protein Shakes Frosty chocolate. Everyone has different tastes.

I eliminated my favorite beverages from my life, Simply Lime, Simply Lemon, Simply Orange and Sierra Mist Natural and all pop. When I finished my six months and I got approved, I finally gave up the most important thing in my life, coffee. I switched to decaff and guess what, I can still go potty in the morning and I only felt crappy 2 days. I almost thought about not going through with program when they told me at the beginning I would have to give up coffee.

I had over a month wait for my first appointment and put a little thought process in advance. By my first appointment in November I had lost a little bit already and started keeping a food journal. Something that in 48 years I could not do, on any diet.

Myfitnesspal.com has an app for the phone. I went out for a beer with the family and I found the Cider and logged it in snack, went to Red Lobster and woah and behold the meals and foods were already in there.

It's good to be honest with yourself first, nobody has to see it but you, you can keep it private.

You are going to have days you overindulge during this six months, but you are ultimately accountable. When you go in for monthly meetings, and there's improvement and the scale moves, you will be so proud.

Also, if exercise is hard, stand in one place and walk a little bit and move your arms. Do it every day until you can do it 10 minutes, 20 minutes. I had a hard time walking up the stairs because of the lupus and my hips and knees. I am scheduled for surgery on June 4th and I can walk 1-1/2 miles and I can spend an entire hour doing the Gazelle. I felt like I was going to die after 5 minutes the first time I got on there.

The more fit and more committed I am pre-op I am hoping that my post-op will be easier to deal with. In about two weeks I will probably have regretted my decision to have the sleeve, as I am recuperating, but then again, I am also sure that a month or two out, I will be so glad I took this journey!

Best of luck to you, and I'm sure others may have good advice.

Most of us have had some kind of waiting game, some longer than others. Sometimes I think that's why they call us patients. Best advice, be patient....it'll happen. Good luck.

Thanks for such a great response, Mina!! I've actually used My Fitness Pal in the recent past and think it's great. (i was counting calories on my own for several months, then got frustrated and quit when I only lost a few pounds.)

Your post has some really fantastic advice/ideas and I really appreciate your taking the time to answer. I think if I'm *doing* something in preparation for life after surgery, I'll be able to better tolerate the waiting. Upping Protein and cutting out bad carbs, finding a protein powder/drink I like and starting to exercise are wonderful places to start!!!

Thank you so much for your response...I can't WAIT to hear how your surgery goes!!

One more thing...no coffee?!?!

No caffeine!!! Geaux, seriously no Caffeine, I about died when I heard that roflmao!

One thing with Myfitnesspal.com since you know how it works. If I followed their suggestion for Protein, Carbs, sodium and calories I would end up gaining weight!

Almost all doctors recommend the same thing with gastric sleeve and that's 80 grams of protein, 45-75 of carbohydrates and try to stay at 800-1200 calories a day (if you exercise and it tells you to add more calories and it says your aren't eating enough) ignore it.

I quit doing Desserts like yogurt etc. and I started incorporating Peanut Butter on a teaspoon. I always ate my meat first, chew like 20 times and then go for your vegetables second, then and only then eat your carbs. Also, you have to learn not to drink with your dinner.

I was a "choker" especially when I went out to eat. Something about eating in public, I always end up choking on my food and I am used to drinking Water with my meal. I learned that about an hour before dinner if I drank something hot like hot peppermint decaff tea I would be less hungry.

I learned once I took away my drink with dinner, I chewed slower and chewed more thoroughly. I learned to wait at least 1/2 hour after I eat to then drink my water. These are all suggestions that were given to me in my packet and I spent 6 months practicing them. Not all doctors are that thorough, but it's worked for me when other things haven't.

The reason for no caffeine is that it promotes stomach ulcers and more importantly, it causes dehydration. After surgery it's a struggle to get all your Fluid intake in and your liquid Protein in. Dehydration is a real problem. It's easier to quit caffeine before surgery than right after surgery because most people have withdrawals and headaches. I waited until I got approved to quit, so I had time to get used to it before I started on pre-op shake.

Surgery is a week from tomorrow. A bit tired of drinking protein shakes and I decided not to have a big Memorial Bash because truthfully it would be hard having a huge party while on protein shakes, but my parents are going to swing by tomorrow to do some wii bowling.

Good luck to you and can't wait to hear how your plan is going to go. All bariatric centers are different, mine seems to be one of the strictest compared to most. After surgery 2 weeks of Clear liquids, then 4-6 of full liquids then pureed, then soft, then regular. With pre-op diet, that's 10 weeks of no real solids.

O...M...G...NO CAFFEINE?!?! :o

I have 3 small children, I work full time and I have an hour+ commute one way to work. Suffice it to say that I drink A LOT of caffeine every, single day. A lot! It would probably given the average person a stroke...

That's going to be tough for me. You're right..,I'd better start the weening now!!

No caffeine? My doc just limited me to no more than two servings a day. I pretty much gave up on coffee as my sleeve didn't tolerate it too well but I'm still drinking about two cups of regular tea a day. With my commute and long days I need it!

Most doctors eliminate caffeine becaus it is a diuretic and can cause our water intake to be pointless. I used to drink 2 cans of Pepsi Max a day & thought I needed it. However, once I stopped drinking them, I actually felt a lot better & had more energy than I thought I would. I did have some headaches because of withdrawal, but that was only for a few days & then I felt better. My surgeon says no caffeine for life after surgery. There are others who say its okay "in moderation" after the initial 3-6 months or so. I know people who have had my surgeon who have switched to decaf coffee or who still have coffee despite his recommendations. I plan on following what he says. As you lose weight, you'll get more energy anyway & shouldn't have need for caffeine.

I agree with following your Dr.'s advice, but common sense says having caffeine which is a diuretic after surgery is probably not a good idea. I may end up drinking if I can tolerate down the road, but I'm thinking I've done it this long, why start back up.

Days seem to be d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g by!