1- Lots and lots of question pre-op, going on march 25th, 2013... I know why I am fat. 1/3 is my stomach can stretch and I don't feel full, 1/3 is my body's economical ways, 1/3 is my emotional over eating.

The sleeve won't fix the emotional eating but it will make it impossible to do for at least 2 years, I plan to learn new coping mechanisms before my honey moon is over. At least with 2/3 of the problem at bay, I will have a fighting chance to finally win this time. Not that I have not before but the cost was so high (under eating and over training is hard to maintain).

2-I was not given a pre op diet, so I am on a last supper mode; trying not get that under control...

3-Preparing for my sleeve on march 25th and for sure I am looking into long term result. Two recent studies seem to indicate that:

A- Bigger bougie size (above 40 up tp 60) does not reduce weight loss at 3 years but it reduces leaks and GERD http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/23023201

b- Long term side effects reported after 5 years include GERD and regain http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20622654

In light of this I am wondering what the best middle ground might be. I am discussing this with my doctor but would like to hear more about real people with actual life experience. Has anyone here had a large bougie 40 and up ?

4- I am thinking of making a youtube series, though I am loathe to do it. I know how much I enjoyed doing it and I am thinking I should give back into the pool that fed me till the wee hours while I decided.

Chime in please

Danie

The sleeve won't fix the emotional eating but it will make it impossible to do for at least 2 years, I plan to learn new coping mechanisms before my honey moon is over. At least with 2/3 of the problem at bay, I will have a fighting chance to finally win this time. Not that I have not before but the cost was so high (under eating and over training is hard to maintain).

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!

I would like to comment and let you know that it will not be impossible to emotional eat for the first 2 years. Emotional eating is what most overweight people deal with. This is something you will have to work on but I wanted to let you know that it will most likely be a struggle from the start. You may not have much hunger but emotionally you will probably still want to eat. Your sleeve will help you by not letting you eat the same amount as you used to eat. After a couple of months, emotional eating can take over and you can eat the wrong foods and hinder your weight loss. I could eat chips, ice cream, candy and many other foods all day long. I can fit a lot of them in my sleeve and they don't stay in there very long, this is something you will quickly learn.

I have to make a choice every day about what I put in my mouth. As long as I stick to Protein first and make sure I get in my fruit and veggies and drink a lot of Water I am ok. I know that eating healthy makes me feel good and being thin makes me feel good and that's what keeps me on the right path. Is emotional eating still an issue? Yes, at times it is. But, with this wonderful tool, I have learned to deal with my emotions in other ways and usually I succeed in this. I am almost 2 years out so I can't comment on what will happen 3-6 years out. I can tell you that I have learned a lot and I plan to continue this because it is my new way of living and I love it!

In light of this I am wondering what the best middle ground might be. I am discussing this with my doctor but would like to hear more about real people with actual life experience. Has anyone here had a large bougie 40 and up ?

I have not so I cannot comment on this. I haven't heard of many people using a bougie that large but I am sure they are out there.

I do have some acid reflux issues since surgery. As long as I take my PPI I don't have any problems. I try going off of it every week or two for a day or two but the reflux is still there so I will continue to take it.

Best of luck to you

Thanks Sarsar, I hope others chime in about bougie size 40 seems small... thanks a lot for the information you brought.

First of all, congratulations! Lots of questions, and you definitely came to the right place.

1. Emotional eating - Like someone else said, getting sleeved isn't going to stop that. Yes, it will slow you down. But not for long. At seven months, I have found my slider foods and it isn't pretty. So I'm rededicating myself to eating Protein first, veggies and fruit next and little to no carbs.

2. I'm surprised your surgeon or NUT haven't given you anything. You're almost at the pre-op liquid diet stage. I would suggest immediately cutting out carbs. Stop drinking 30 minutes before, during and 30 minutes to an hour after eating. This was the toughest one for me but now it's second nature. Find a Protein Drink that you like. Depending on your BMI, your surgeon will have you on a liquid diet for 7-14 days before the surgery itself. So I would definitely suggest calling them to get details.

3. Bougie size - You're really not going to have any control over this. Most surgeons have a size they favor but may use a different size after they are able to see the structure of your stomach. My surgeon uses 32 bougie. I've had zero issues.

4. Go for it regarding YouTube. I meant to do it and regret that I didn't. I've watched several different ones. Some are helpful, others aren't, at least to me. Who knows, your insight and experience may be an inspiration to others out there.

Best of luck. Keep us posted.

Thanks for the inputs.

Funny thing is I don't have a pre-op diet at all. I just need to stop eating at midnight before the day of the procedure. SO I do get to eat a few last meals within reason )