Hello, all! My surgery date is 7/22/14 in Grand Prairie, Texas, with Dr. David Kim. I was hoping to buddy up with someone with the same or close-to surgery date to share experiences with.

Hi, my surgery date is July 31 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. I would be happy to buddy up. I will be a week behind, but it will be nice to have support from others that are going through the same things, around the same time.

My date is July 24th. I'll be a buddy also.

I'm 7/24, I would like to be your buddy too!

Thanks for the responses! It will be nice having a group to encourage and be encouraged by. I'm very new to the forum and haven't quite figured everything out yet, but I'll get there.

A bit about me...I'm a 33 year-old female. I've been overweight pretty much my whole life. I've known for a long time that my weight has kept me from a lot of things--e.g., social interactions, career opportunities, etc. Mostly, it's the perception. I'm not a fat, lazy, unorganized person who only cares about food, but that's how people perceive me. It bothered me to the point that I started looking into having surgery last year, but I wanted so desperately to do it on my own. I'd done it before. Back when I was 24, I lost about 60 pounds. I wasn't extremely thin, but I was a lot healthier than I am now. But my mom always told me that my body would start to retaliate after I turned 30, and she was right. Losing weight on my own was nowhere as easy for me as it had been when I was younger. So...here I am. I am ready. Don't get me wrong; I'm nervous about my 3-week liquid diet that will begin on Monday, nervous about how well I will handle the pain (I am a big baby, I know!), and how well I will adjust to learning to eat the right way as opposed to the marathon eating sessions I've experienced in the past. I am ready for this; I just need some encouragement. My family is quite supportive and excited for me, but it would be nice to share these experiences with a few others who will know exactly what I'm talking about. I know that when I read posts from people who post from the hospital and consecutively the following weeks, those posts are the most informative because it gives me a good idea of what to expect.

Anyway, thank you again for joining me on this chosen path. It won't be easy, but it will be rewarding. I refuse to be a victim of my weight.

...

" I refuse to be a victim of my weight."

This is exactly how I feel. I will be 25 on July 10th. I have been overweight/obese since I was 12. I have struggled and never gotten below 220. I am tired of this battle. Time for me to use this tool that is available and make the most of it! I completely agree with you... I will not be a victim of my weight! I love that!

My surgery is scheduled for July 14th. We can be buddies. I will be getting sleeved in Durham, NC.

Hi, buddies! I began my 3 week pre-op liquid diet yesterday. It actually wasn't supposed to start until today, but my mind works better when I begin things on Mondays. Out of everything so far, I was dreading the pre-op diet because, as I've said before, the idea of a diet consisting primarily of sweet Protein drinks did not appeal to me at all. But because I'm also able to mix in some broth and a very select few other items, I know it's doable. I started with a chocolate Protein shake in the morning. Not the texture I prefer when I think of a shake, but it went down. I also managed to take in about 20 ounces of Water along with that. But I also was drinking coffee, which helps to curb my appetite. So, I found that I wasn't really hungry when lunch rolled around, but I went ahead and made a cup of tomato Soup. That's not particularly on this pre-op diet list, but I needed something a little more hearty in my tummy. In the afternoon, I had two additional Protein shakes and 40 ounces more of water. That seemed to hold me over...until I got home. For some reason, the minute I walked in the door at home, I couldn't get into the kitchen fast enough. I've always been an evening eater, especially lately. I think it has something to do with being alone behind closed doors and having access to whatever I want without outside judgment. (I know that doesn't make sense because I am judged by what I eat because people can see the weight. My home is my comfort, and food has been my very good companion.) HOWEVER, instead of going for something way off course, I opted for strained potato soup. Yep, I opened the can, added the non-fat skim milk, warmed it up, and then strained it to avoid eating any solids. Of course, the potato soup really isn't on the pre-op diet either, but it technically is a liquid (especially with the non-fat skim milk; it might as well have been water!). While I can't be completely proud of myself for having things other than broth, protein shakes, and water, I have to at least commend myself for making a better food decision when presented with unhealthier options, but I still am not happy about the weakness. Today is a new day, and I'm drinking my vanilla protein power in coffee as I write this. I also brought beefy onion soup (power) to work with me so I would not be tempted by something creamier.

To help make this diet more exciting, I'm going to try some of the shake flavors recommended by my surgeon's office. Here's one to share:

Cherry Pie

1 scoop vanilla Protein powder

8 ounces fat free milk or water

1/2 teaspoon cherry extract, cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

ice

Anyway, I hope the new month is finding all my buddies well and that your liquid diet (whenever it starts) starts smoother than mine has. In the meantime, here are some pre-op goals that I have:

• Continue to make better food choices
• Strive to lose approximately 10 pounds
• Start planning my post-op meals

What are some of your pre-op goals?

<p>Hi, buddies! I began my 3 week pre-op liquid diet yesterday. It actually wasn't supposed to start until today, but my mind works better when I begin things on Mondays. Out of everything so far, I was dreading the pre-op diet because, as I've said before, the idea of a diet consisting primarily of sweet Protein drinks did not appeal to me at all. But because I'm also able to mix in some broth and a very select few other items, I know it's doable. I started with a chocolate protein shake in the morning. Not the texture I prefer when I think of a shake, but it went down. I also managed to take in about 20 ounces of Water along with that. But I also was drinking coffee, which helps to curb my appetite. So, I found that I wasn't really hungry when lunch rolled around, but I went ahead and made a cup of tomato soup. That's not particularly on this pre-op diet list, but I needed something a little more hearty in my tummy. In the afternoon, I had two additional protein shakes and 40 ounces more of water. That seemed to hold me over...until I got home. For some reason, the minute I walked in the door at home, I couldn't get into the kitchen fast enough. I've always been an evening eater, especially lately. I think it has something to do with being alone&nbsp;behind closed doors and having access to whatever I want without outside judgment. (I know that doesn't make sense because I am judged by what I eat because people can see the weight. My home is my comfort, and food has been my very good companion.) HOWEVER, instead of going for something way off course, I opted for strained potato soup. Yep, I opened the can, added the non-fat skim milk, warmed it up, and then strained it to avoid eating any solids. Of course, the potato soup really isn't on the pre-op diet either, but it technically is a liquid (especially with the non-fat skim milk; it might as well have been water!). While I can't be completely proud of myself for having things other than broth, protein shakes, and water, I have to at least commend myself for making a better food decision when presented with unhealthier options, but I still am not happy about the weakness. Today is a new day, and I'm drinking my vanilla protein power in coffee as I write this. I also brought beefy onion soup (power) to work with me so I would not be tempted by something creamier.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>To help make this diet more exciting, I'm going to try some of the shake flavors recommended by my surgeon's office. Here's one to share:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Cherry Pie</p>

<p>1 scoop vanilla protein powder</p>

<p>8 ounces fat free milk or water</p>

<p>1/2 teaspoon cherry extract, cinnamon</p>

<p>1/2 teaspoon almond extract</p>

<p>ice</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anyway, I hope the new month is finding all my buddies well and that your liquid diet (whenever it starts) starts smoother than mine has. In the meantime, here are some pre-op goals that I have:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<ul><li>Continue to make better food choices</li>

<li>Strive to lose approximately 10 pounds</li>

<li>Start planning my post-op meals</li>

</ul><p>What are some of your pre-op goals?</p>

I so commend you for your honesty. My surgery is on July 14th my surgeon didn't give me a preop diet but I decided I would start a liquid diet today for Breakfast and lunch. I NEVER wake up hungry and this morning bc my mind knew I could not eat I felt as if I was starving. I had a protein shake with 2 powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury scoops and still felt hungry. Even now as I sit at my desk at work I have my water with Mio flavor added to it. All I am thinking about is food! I feel bad that this is so hard and never knew my relationship with food was as intense as it is...boy am I in for a rude awakening in the start of this journey....

I wish us all luck on our journey, AGAIN I KNOW WE CAN DO THIS!

@@tfowler I think you are doing great! My surgeon allows cream Soups on the pre-op diet, so I don't know if you should feel bad about tomato or potato soups.

I have been doing two shakes a day and a good healthy lunch or dinner for the past few months, just because I knew that sooner or later my pre-op diet would kick in and I didn't want it to sneak up on me. So far in the past two months just doing this I have lost 20lbs. I knew I could lose weight doing this, but the problem in the past has been when I stop doing the diet. Now, because of this surgery, I know that I will be successful at keeping the weight off.

I have been calling my mom everyday going, hey my surgery is coming up! I am so excited!! I'm like a kid waiting for christmas! We are almost there! YAY!

@@Boise Thanks for the support. I know how you feel--I'm missing crunchy and savory food right now. I guess I've known I had a problem with food for a while now, and when I say problem, I mean a BIG problem. I could eat when I'm not hungry just because something smells or sounds good. I could eat when I'm already full because the food tastes too good to let go. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach, and I hate letting food go to waste. However, this is a problem and routine I will break. It's head hunger. We're both experiencing it right now, and you're right--we can do this!

@@Dulce_jtrivera Congratulations on the weight loss so far! Thanks, too, for the support. I'm with you. I can lose the weight when I'm challenged, but I haven't been able to challenge myself enough lately. And it's always a diet with me. I'm trying very hard to understand what it means to make a lifestyle change. Honestly, I've never had the opportunity to learn about healthy eating habits. I didn't pay attention in health class back in junior high. Now is my opportunity to learn alongside others who are going through the same challenge as me so that we can break the cycle of losing weight on diets and start losing weight by making better choices.

So, today is day three of the liquid diet. Surprisingly, I haven't been hangry like I imagined I would be. Yesterday was better than the first, and today so far has been the best. The hardest thing, I think, is not being able to have the food that I want, but I'm never really hungry. When I start to feel a little hungry, I make a Protein shake and drink up. I found an awesome recipe for a chocolate Peanut Butter shake that incorporates the powdered PB2 peanut butter. It helps take away some of the sweetness of the shake and adds a bit of earthiness to it. I actually really like it. In between shakes, I'm drinking as much Water as I can. So, I'm feeling really relieved that things are going so well on the pre-op diet. Granted, it's only three days in, but all is well here.

My surgeon's office provides all patients with a book full of information about pre- and post-operative diets, food options, recipes, and care, so I've spent some time in the evenings trying to digest all that information. There's so much to learn! He even provides a calendar of how long each phase of the post-op liquid diet should last. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll be clear to eat normal food (without any restrictions) until the beginning of October. That's a bit of a bummer, but I'd rather take it slow than encounter any problems. Of course, I'm saying that now; I'll probably be saying something very different a few weeks from now!

I'm travelling this weekend for the holiday and will be spending it with my dad and younger sister. I plan to take my Protein Shake stuff and some select broths with me so that I'm not stuck without something when I need it or make my family feel like they have to accommodate. It will be interesting to see how it goes. The trip is about 4.5 hours by car, and I typically would stop and stock up on a few junk food items before heading out to keep me happy. Now, it looks like I'll be taking along water or non-fat milk and Protein powder and be pulling over when I need to fill my tummy. I think I'm going to miss my sunflower seeds the most.

What are your plans for the holiday?

You sound like you are doing great! I don't have to start my liquid diet until the 15th. I am planning to take my little ones to the lake to go swimming, probably cooking out. I found this recipe for ranch turkey burgers that I want to try. I don't really have big plans since my children are still very young. Funny thing is, I have already started planning for Christmas!!! I told my son, who is 2 1/2 that for christmas we are all going to get bicycles! He was so excited! He was jumping up and down going, Christmas tomorrow!! My girls will still be too small for tricycles, but I figure that my bike and my husband could have those baby carrier seats! I am so looking forward to being a active mama!!!

Awe, @@Dulce_jtrivera, I'm sure you'll have a good time at the lake. I haven't used turkey a whole lot with cooking, but my younger sister does. I think my mom got her started doing that. My mom would find some pretty healthy recipes and try out new things all the time. In fact, she probably would have been trying to find some good soup/puree recipes for post-surgery for me. She was always good like that.

Being active! Yes, that's a very awesome goal--and especially since you're doing it for your kids and family. I have nieces and nephews that probably would appreciate a more active aunt. They're constantly outside swimming or riding bikes or playing basketball. This past weekend, my older sister and I were sitting in the living room talking, and her four-year-old son attempted to crawl up onto my lap. He had trouble because, obviously, my stomach already occupies a good deal of my lap. I kinda laughed and said, "Sorry; no room for you" while patting my tummy. And my nephew said, "Because you're fat." My sister swatted him for it pretty good and then apologized to me. I told her that it was okay, that he was just telling the truth. I'm no longer offended by stuff like that. Instead, I'm validated in my decision to have surgery that will result in a huge change. Then, my nieces and nephews won't get in trouble anymore because of me! Instead, my nephew will be able to sit comfortably on my lap or I can go outside and play with all of them.

Enjoy the lake, and let me know how the ranch turkey burgers turn out!

@@tfowler I hope you had a great weekend! We really enjoyed the lake and the turkey burgers were a huge hit! I went low carb with mine and wrapped it in lettuce instead of a bun. I am finding eating healthy to be a lot easier than I thought it would be. I have my last doctors appointment today and then my scope is on the 17th. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by!

I understand completely about wanting to be healthy and not be the "fat" relative. I have a younger cousin who asked me why I had gotten fat. Like your sister, my aunt punished her even though I insisted that it was not her fault. I am the biggest member of my family. Obesity is not hereditary in my case, but endocrine problems are. I just happened to get the endocrine issue that causes weight gain and makes it extremely hard to lose weight. My family thinks that it is so easy to just eat right and exercise, but I have been there and done that, and in the end, diet and exercise don't work for me. I am so ready for this battle to be over and to start my new life! I know you are excited as well, only two more weeks!!! YAY!

I am scheduled with Dr Kim on July 22 as well. I was so bad this past week. Knowing I would be starting my preop diet sent me into a tail spin of " Better taste it while I can". Anyway, I am starting my diet today although I am not required to begin until next Tuesday. I feel like I need the extra week to practice and get myself ready for the lifestyle change.