Well my procedure date is Tuesday, really looking forward to it! I have done all the prep, on liquid diet now, have all the meds and protein drinks for after. Thanks to all who have been willing to share their experience. Your openness about the procedure, what is needed to be successful afterwards and lack of complications played a big part in my deciding to proceed. I am looking to lose about 90 pounds and get back to a weight I haven't seen since college. My wife is supportive and that's such a blessing, thank you god, she's more than I deserve!

My procedure will occur in Houston at Memorial Hermann Surgical Center, if anyone wants more info about Dr. Todd Wilson or the procedure/process, just let me know I would be glad to share and help others.

Special thanks to AlCzervik, JimL, Belle3 and AmyAlexis for your open sharing and frankness!!

Regards, Tex

Best of luck. I think you are going to do great. You’ve done the research and asked the right questions. I really think you’ve got this. I’ll be thinking of you on Tuesday. I’ll say an extra prayer!?

Thanks for the support and prayer hope4momof4, means a lot!

Will let you know who it goes and hoping all goes smoothly for you when the time comes.

Good luck tomorrow Tex! Please let us know as soon as you are able to post how you made out. I’m sure you will do great. Still saying a prayer for you. Just think after tomorrow you can finally start living in a much healthier and slimmer body. ????

Thanks to all for support and interest, I made it through my procedure today. Started in OR about 0730 and was out of the OR in about 2hours, took another 2 hours or so in recovery room to feel good enough to go home. Dr. said procedure went well, no issues/complications. Thanks to my wife for all her support, especially today! We arrived back home about 1 pm and I'm just sitting up and taking it easy.

I'm still a bit groggy, taking anti-nausea and pain meds now as I had a headache and some gas pains coming out of the recovery room. Gas pains are 2-3 out of 10 on the pain scale, headaches is getting better 1-2 out of 10 (which is great because I have had migraines in the past) and hope both of these go away soon! I plan to walk a bit this evening and progressively more tomorrow.

I'm drinking clear liquids now, small amounts spaced out every 5 minutes or so, for the next couple of days. Next step after that is to go on protein drink diet for first 2 weeks. I will keep sharing my experiences as I progress thru recovery and towards the new me! Really looking forward to this change!

Special thanks to home4momof4 for the prayer, it worked!

1 hour ago, Tex Slim 66 said:

Edited November 21, 20178 yr by hope4momof4

I’m so happy for you Tex! It sounds like you are doing fantastic. You even want to take a walk tonight? Wonderful! ????I hope you are still feeling well in the days to come. I’m also relieved that you were able to post today because I kept thinking about you all day. In the morning I was like hmm.....I bet Tex is being prepped right now. In the afternoon I was like.... I wonder if Tex is recovering now. Great news for sure! So glad everything went smoothly. This just renews my resolve to get this procedure done. I have to tell you that I need to stop reading posts from Australia. There are a decent number over there who don’t do so well and it has made me waver on going forward. You, however, brought back hope in this procedure for me. Keep us posted on your progress. Once again, congratulations ???

I’m so happy for you Tex! It sounds like you are doing fantastic. You even want to take a walk tonight? Wonderful! [emoji1319][emoji1319]I hope you are still feeling well in the days to come. I’m also relieved that you were able to post today because I kept thinking about you all day. In the morning I was like hmm.....I bet Tex is being prepped right now. In the afternoon I was like.... I wonder if Tex is recovering now. Great news for sure! So glad everything went smoothly. This just renews my resolve to get this procedure done. I have to tell you that I need to stop reading posts from Australia. There are a decent number over there who don’t do so well and it has made me waver on going forward. You, however, brought back hope in this procedure for me. Keep us posted on your progress. Once again, congratulations [emoji322][emoji323][emoji324]

We Aussies are known for our honesty and that is what we are giving. My reason for being so open is because many people want to know the reality of the procedure, so we all share the good and not so good aspects of recently undergoing esg. I obviously read all the Aussie posts and don't agree that there are a decent number who "don't do well". I have lost almost 30lbs in less than 3 months which I am happy with. Has it been easy - no. It takes a lot of discipline and is not a magic cure. There are frustrations, stalls and it is a big lifestyle change to get used to. My Dr's patients lose on average of 22-25% of their body weight within 6-18 months. He is publishing this data shortly.

1 hour ago, Melesg said:

We Aussies are known for our honesty and that is what we are giving. My reason for being so open is because many people want to know the reality of the procedure, so we all share the good and not so good aspects of recently undergoing esg. I obviously read all the Aussie posts and don't agree that there are a decent number who "don't do well". I have lost almost 30lbs in less than 3 months which I am happy with. Has it been easy - no. It takes a lot of discipline and is not a magic cure. There are frustrations, stalls and it is a big lifestyle change to get used to. My Dr's patients lose on average of 22-25% of their body weight within 6-18 months. He is publishing this data shortly.

I’m so sorry Mel if I offended you. That was not my intention at all!? In my never ending and I will admit overkill research on this procedure I’ve come across a few Facebook groups about this procedure from Australia. I realize that most of them did well and were very happy with their decision. Perhaps because I’m such a chicken I was looking for reasons not to do this and that is why I zeroed in on only the bad experiences. Yes, you Australians are definitely a very honest group and that is a priceless asset to the rest of us still in the undecided stage. It really gives you a clearer understanding of the everyday trials that come with this procedure. You guys don’t sugarcoat anything but that is also what makes your country’s particular reviews all the more important. You are right that the majority did do well. Perhaps I’m overdoing it a bit and need to lay off the internet for a while. Once again please accept my apologies if I in any way offended. You have been great throughout this process for me and I wouldn’t want to lose that.

Quick update on the morning after ESG procedure. Feeling much better, walking around and getting some energy back from a tiring day yesterday. I'm drinking 1 ounce of clear liquid every ±15minutes and that is going well. Definitely able to stay hydrated doing this. I think I might have been drinking liquids too fast yesterday afternoon and this may have lead to some of the minor gas pains. If I get a gas pain I simply get up and walk around and within a few minutes they are gone. Headache is also gone!

Drinking (sipping) slowly is a big deal to avoiding discomfort.

Day 1 is great start for me, I have clear liquids for today and tomorrow then shift to protein drinks.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, mine will be a clear liquid day, for which I am giving thanks!

Take care, Tex!

Edited November 22, 20178 yr by Tex Slim 66

I’m so sorry Mel if I offended you. That was not my intention at all![emoji17] In my never ending and I will admit overkill research on this procedure I’ve come across a few Facebook groups about this procedure from Australia. I realize that most of them did well and were very happy with their decision. Perhaps because I’m such a chicken I was looking for reasons not to do this and that is why I zeroed in on only the bad experiences. Yes, you Australians are definitely a very honest group and that is a priceless asset to the rest of us still in the undecided stage. It really gives you a clearer understanding of the everyday trials that come with this procedure. You guys don’t sugarcoat anything but that is also what makes your country’s particular reviews all the more important. You are right that the majority did do well. Perhaps I’m overdoing it a bit and need to lay off the internet for a while. Once again please accept my apologies if I in any way offended. You have been great throughout this process for me and I wouldn’t want to lose that.

Hi hope4momof4,

Its ok and I'm sorry to snap back. Absolutely no hard feelings [emoji173]️. I know exactly where you are, because I was there too. Researching everything I could and focusing on bits and pieces of what I find. It's such a huge decision and it's never the wrong approach to proactively go into something with all the info you can find.

The common themes I see with many people who have had an esg is an initial good weight loss and then slower progress after that. I certainly was frustrated when I stopped losing weight every single day but I realise all good things must come to an end. As nice as it would be to hit goal in record time, I think this stage is really valuable. I am learning how to eat all over again. Eating slow, choosing nutritious food, moving more and psychologically moving on from unhealthy eating. For me, I think being in ketosis initially allowed a big weight drop but when I added more calories and healthy carbs, my weightloss slowed. I would say if you stay in ketosis then the weight would continue to drop off quicker.

Definitely don't stay off the internet, and certainly not off this site. We would all miss you greatly. You are a wonderful encourager and I always look forward to hearing from you xo

26 minutes ago, Melesg said:

Hi hope4momof4,

Its ok and I'm sorry to snap back. Absolutely no hard feelings ️. I know exactly where you are, because I was there too. Researching everything I could and focusing on bits and pieces of what I find. It's such a huge decision and it's never the wrong approach to proactively go into something with all the info you can find.

The common themes I see with many people who have had an esg is an initial good weight loss and then slower progress after that. I certainly was frustrated when I stopped losing weight every single day but I realise all good things must come to an end. As nice as it would be to hit goal in record time, I think this stage is really valuable. I am learning how to eat all over again. Eating slow, choosing nutritious food, moving more and psychologically moving on from unhealthy eating. For me, I think being in ketosis initially allowed a big weight drop but when I added more calories and healthy carbs, my weightloss slowed. I would say if you stay in ketosis then the weight would continue to drop off quicker.

Definitely don't stay off the internet, and certainly not off this site. We would all miss you greatly. You are a wonderful encourager and I always look forward to hearing from you xo

Thanks Mel for accepting my apology. ? I’m researching the hell out this thing and the only conclusion I’ve reached is exactly what everyone who has had any weight loss procedure has said: it will only work if you use it as a tool and don’t fall back into old habits. Yes, it took me months to come right back to where I started. I have made my decision to try this way because it is the least invasive. Every procedure out there will have positive and negative outcomes but I am going to have to face my fears and do this. The time after my procedure will hopefully teach me how to eat healthy again and this time for good.

Back to you Mel, you say your weight loss has slowed but has it completely stopped? Are you still eating healthy and have you honestly stuck with a healthy eating plan or have you slipped up or cheated at times? It is strange because I was following a person who had the esg procedure and was posting her everyday routine and weight loss from day one. I could see where she went wrong on her journey and why she didn’t lose as much as she wanted to. Although she was very honest in her posts I couldn’t help wonder what was making her sabotage her initial success. I can totally see this happening to me which is why I must prepare mentally and get my mind in the right place first. I truly hope you are there already Mel. You’ve lost 30 pounds which is phenomenal. ??????Keep your mind in this and even if it comes off slowly you’ve already won. Great to hear from you again. Please continue to update. All my love.

Thanks Mel for accepting my apology. [emoji8] I’m researching the hell out this thing and the only conclusion I’ve reached is exactly what everyone who has had any weight loss procedure has said: it will only work if you use it as a tool and don’t fall back into old habits. Yes, it took me months to come right back to where I started. I have made my decision to try this way because it is the least invasive. Every procedure out there will have positive and negative outcomes but I am going to have to face my fears and do this. The time after my procedure will hopefully teach me how to eat healthy again and this time for good.
Back to you Mel, you say your weight loss has slowed but has it completely stopped? Are you still eating healthy and have you honestly stuck with a healthy eating plan or have you slipped up or cheated at times? It is strange because I was following a person who had the esg procedure and was posting her everyday routine and weight loss from day one. I could see where she went wrong on her journey and why she didn’t lose as much as she wanted to. Although she was very honest in her posts I couldn’t help wonder what was making her sabotage her initial success. I can totally see this happening to me which is why I must prepare mentally and get my mind in the right place first. I truly hope you are there already Mel. You’ve lost 30 pounds which is phenomenal. [emoji1319][emoji1319][emoji1319]Keep your mind in this and even if it comes off slowly you’ve already won. Great to hear from you again. Please continue to update. All my love.

The only time I have stopped losing was during a 3 week stall and it's when I started on "normal" food. I wasn't cheating but adding carbs in fruit and wraps/bread had an instant effect on my weight loss. The only mistake I have made really is over calculating nuts ( I was guessing what 20g was but when I used some scales it was actually 40g.).
Since I got through this stall, I have consistently lost weight every week. My weekly losses range from about. 3-.5 kg per week. I have to say though, my clothing sizes are going down faster than the numbers on the scales. I just purchased a size 12 top and 14 dress (which is a 10 and 12 US size) and previously was a size 18-20(16-18 us). People are really noticing the difference too.

I imagine you could loses much faster than me if you really restricted carbs and did intense exercise. I am going for behaviours that I can sustain long term. So I still go out the dinner but do lots of walking with some short runs and a couple of light strength training sessions per week. I eat the same meals as my family at home but just have a kids size serve and avoid to many carb rich foods.

You are so right, you get out what you put in. A girl at my work had a sleeve gastrectomy the same time as I had my esg and I have lost more weight than her at this point which surprises me. I'm sure heaps of lsg patients are way ahead of me but it's so individual. Xo

1 minute ago, Melesg said:

The only time I have stopped losing was during a 3 week stall and it's when I started on "normal" food. I wasn't cheating but adding carbs in fruit and wraps/bread had an instant effect on my weight loss. The only mistake I have made really is over calculating nuts ( I was guessing what 20g was but when I used some scales it was actually 40g.).
Since I got through this stall, I have consistently lost weight every week. My weekly losses range from about. 3-.5 kg per week. I have to say though, my clothing sizes are going down faster than the numbers on the scales. I just purchased a size 12 top and 14 dress (which is a 10 and 12 US size) and previously was a size 18-20(16-18 us). People are really noticing the difference too.

I imagine you could loses much faster than me if you really restricted carbs and did intense exercise. I am going for behaviours that I can sustain long term. So I still go out the dinner but do lots of walking with some short runs and a couple of light strength training sessions per week. I eat the same meals as my family at home but just have a kids size serve and avoid to many carb rich foods.

You are so right, you get out what you put in. A girl at my work had a sleeve gastrectomy the same time as I had my esg and I have lost more weight than her at this point which surprises me. I'm sure heaps of lsg patients are way ahead of me but it's so individual. Xo

That is great to hear Mel! My only concern was gaining instead of losing at some point. My dear even losing 1/2 a kg. (Which by the way here in the States is a pound and still very good) is way better than not losing at all or worse gaining!! I am hyped up now. Next step is my consultation which I will call Monday to set up. Thanks for all of your help and support. I’ll still need you though so keep posting. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ??

That is great to hear Mel! My only concern was gaining instead of losing at some point. My dear even losing 1/2 a kg. (Which by the way here in the States is a pound and still very good) is way better than not losing at all or worse gaining!! I am hyped up now. Next step is my consultation which I will call Monday to set up. Thanks for all of your help and support. I’ll still need you though so keep posting. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. [emoji307][emoji307]

My pleasure [emoji179]

Hi Tex Slim. I'm happy to hear you are doing well. Thank you for your updates, it helps me better understand what to expect. I have my first consultation this Tuesday. Happy Thanksgiving!