Good Afternoon,

I have decided to do the Gastric Sleeve, and since I do not have insurance that covers it, this will be a self pay decision. I have decided which Dr to go to, and even have the surgury date scheduled. Monday i will be 30 days out and will start my low cal diet leading up to 2 weeks for the liquid diet to surgury. I have two appointments next week. Pre Op Labs and an Informational and Mandatory meeting.. I am very much a planner and my head is starting to spin. Which Protein before and after, which vitamins ( Bariactiv- cannot afford.. 500 a month).. So i think this weekend i will take a breather.. Go to Olive Garden for one final I dunno what, because i am sure no matter how much i want to go have one final meal.. my mind will keep me from ordering the wrong stuff. LOL.. Sorry.. just a little vent, and looking for a whole lot of information and ideas. Anything appreciated!

Thanks in Advance!

Here's my top 13 tips!

1. Start altering your diet now. Cut out processed food, or at the very least processed sugar. Practice eating your protein first and then focus on non-starchy veggies. Also, start tracking your food. There are lots of apps that make logging very easy. I personally use MyFitnessPal, but there are others out there.
2. Find something that you like to drink that doesn't have calories. Try different caffeine free teas and water additives. I still can't drink plain water....so you want to have something on hand that you know you like.
3. Cut out caffeine. Most programs allow caffeine back in relatively quickly, but caffeine can hinder your body's ability to heal. You don't want to go through caffeine withdrawal along with the aches and pains of surgery.
4. Don't use protein shakes before you absolutely have to! I started supplementing some of my meals with shakes to "prepare myself" for the pre-op diet. Big mistake. You will get to the point where they are DISGUSTING, and you don't want to increase the timeline of that by drinking them before you need to.
5. Start incorporating exercising (even if it’s just walking) somewhere in your daily routine. It will make it easier if it’s already a habit.
6. Practice chewing your food at least 20-30 times before swallowing. Muscle has memory and it will be so much easier if you already have this habit. If you screw up and swallow too soon after surgery, you will pay the price.
7. Set timers and don't drink and eat at the same time.
8. I highly recommend having at least 1 visit with a therapist to establish with someone for after surgery. It’s not required, but everyone seems to have some emotional struggles afterwards. Whether its 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years you may struggle with the changes.
9. I personally wouldn't share with people, unless you know they will be 100% supportive. It is nerve wracking already and you need nothing but positivity. Plus it’s a lot of pressure from people who know you've had WLS, versus people who think you are on the weight loss track. People think that the weight is going to melt off after surgery, and sometimes it doesn't. You don't want the extra judgment. Don’t engage people with people who say “WLS is too dramatic” or “You could just diet and lose the weight” or “You aren’t big enough for surgery” or “It’s the easy way out”. SCREW THOSE PEOPLE, they don’t know. They will never know how triumphant our victory will be.
10. I would also remember that you need to make time for you! Make the time to shop healthy, meal prep, cook healthy, and plan ahead. And I’m talking to all the selfless mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives. We give so much to our families, but NOW is the time to focus on ourselves. We are doing it for them, after all. We are doing it to prolong our lives and improve the quality of our lives.
11. Come up with a reward system of sorts. You want to acknowledge your successes. For my 50lb mark, I went and got pedicures with my girlfriends. For my 75lb mark, I bought myself some new dresses. For my 100lb mark, I bought myself a really nice full length mirror.
12. Stalls happen and are completely natural. There are tons of threads in this community that you can search for suggestions or for advice.
13. Hunger happens. Some people don’t experience a decrease in hunger, but it is easily manageable with a small amount of the right foods.

Here's my top 13 tips!

1. Start altering your diet now. Cut out processed food, or at the very least processed sugar. Practice eating your Protein first and then focus on non-starchy veggies. Also, start tracking your food. There are lots of apps that make logging very easy. I personally use MyFitnessPal, but there are others out there.
2. Find something that you like to drink that doesn't have calories. Try different caffeine free teas and Water additives. I still can't drink plain water....so you want to have something on hand that you know you like.
3. Cut out caffeine. Most programs allow caffeine back in relatively quickly, but caffeine can hinder your body's ability to heal. You don't want to go through caffeine withdrawal along with the aches and pains of surgery.
4. Don't use Protein Shakes before you absolutely have to! I started supplementing some of my meals with shakes to "prepare myself" for the pre-op diet. Big mistake. You will get to the point where they are DISGUSTING, and you don't want to increase the timeline of that by drinking them before you need to.
5. Start incorporating exercising (even if it’s just walking) somewhere in your daily routine. It will make it easier if it’s already a habit.
6. Practice chewing your food at least 20-30 times before swallowing. Muscle has memory and it will be so much easier if you already have this habit. If you screw up and swallow too soon after surgery, you will pay the price.
7. Set timers and don't drink and eat at the same time.
8. I highly recommend having at least 1 visit with a therapist to establish with someone for after surgery. It’s not required, but everyone seems to have some emotional struggles afterwards. Whether its 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years you may struggle with the changes.
9. I personally wouldn't share with people, unless you know they will be 100% supportive. It is nerve wracking already and you need nothing but positivity. Plus it’s a lot of pressure from people who know you've had WLS, versus people who think you are on the weight loss track. People think that the weight is going to melt off after surgery, and sometimes it doesn't. You don't want the extra judgment. Don’t engage people with people who say “WLS is too dramatic” or “You could just diet and lose the weight” or “You aren’t big enough for surgery” or “It’s the easy way out”. SCREW THOSE PEOPLE, they don’t know. They will never know how triumphant our victory will be.
10. I would also remember that you need to make time for you! Make the time to shop healthy, meal prep, cook healthy, and plan ahead. And I’m talking to all the selfless mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives. We give so much to our families, but NOW is the time to focus on ourselves. We are doing it for them, after all. We are doing it to prolong our lives and improve the quality of our lives.
11. Come up with a reward system of sorts. You want to acknowledge your successes. For my 50lb mark, I went and got pedicures with my girlfriends. For my 75lb mark, I bought myself some new dresses. For my 100lb mark, I bought myself a really nice full length mirror.
12. Stalls happen and are completely natural. There are tons of threads in this community that you can search for suggestions or for advice.
13. Hunger happens. Some people don’t experience a decrease in hunger, but it is easily manageable with a small amount of the right foods.

Thank you so much. The time between this post and reading it I went and bought a small journal so i can keep any and all information in one place. I look forward to reading all the threads on this board.

Welcome to the forums, Jazzy! You can get a lot of great support and information here. It's a very friendly community. Enjoy your food funeral, but don't worry, it's not forever. I'm 7 months out and on vacation and eating what I want this week. I've had a small bit of pizza, fried shrimp, ice cream, wine, etc. I fly home today and I'll get back on the wagon, but I was able to enjoy goodies on the trip, albeit in much smaller quantities than before.

16 hours ago, Jazzy1125 said:

Good Afternoon,

I have decided to do the Gastric Sleeve, and since I do not have insurance that covers it, this will be a self pay decision. I have decided which Dr to go to, and even have the surgury date scheduled. Monday i will be 30 days out and will start my low cal diet leading up to 2 weeks for the liquid diet to surgury. I have two appointments next week. Pre Op Labs and an Informational and Mandatory meeting.. I am very much a planner and my head is starting to spin. Which Protein before and after, which Vitamins ( Bariactiv- cannot afford.. 500 a month).. So i think this weekend i will take a breather.. Go to Olive Garden for one final I dunno what, because i am sure no matter how much i want to go have one final meal.. my mind will keep me from ordering the wrong stuff. LOL.. Sorry.. just a little vent, and looking for a whole lot of information and ideas. Anything appreciated!

Thanks in Advance!

You can do better than the Olive Garden, LOL

As far as protein goes- try a few brands/kinds but do not overbuy, as your tastes may change post-surgery. I loved Premier cookies and cream shakes before surgery, but after, the taste made me gag! I still liked the other flavors- but that one just makes my stomach turn now.

So find a flavor you like- buy enough for a few days (3 or 4) post op and hope you still like the taste of it. ?

As far as Protein goes- try a few brands/kinds but do not overbuy, as your tastes may change post-surgery. I loved Premier Cookies and cream shakes before surgery, but after, the taste made me gag! I still liked the other flavors- but that one just makes my stomach turn now.

So find a flavor you like- buy enough for a few days (3 or 4) post op and hope you still like the taste of it. [emoji23]

Never a more true statement. I should've listened to posts that said don't over buy... now I have a ton left over. Slowly, very slowly it's going away....

Thank you all for this information! Some of your suggestions are really good and fixing some of my preplanning as obviously I am preplanning incorrectly LOLOL.. I appreciate any and all feedback as we are beginning this journey. I am super excited and ready to get everything going!

Jazzy my program put me on prenatal vitamins , oh I got a few strange looks when I picked a bottle of the shelf and after a brief side trip to chewables, which. I had to grind because I have dentures, I am back with my prenatals, they are small and easy for me to swallow. And they are not expensive and my bloods are fine on vitamin levels.

Jazzy my program put me on prenatal Vitamins , oh I got a few strange looks when I picked a bottle of the shelf and after a brief side trip to chewables, which. I had to grind because I have dentures, I am back with my prenatals, they are small and easy for me to swallow. And they are not expensive and my bloods are fine on Vitamin levels.

What about melts...i have dentures too so chewable will probably get stuck lol

Not bad , I have Barimelts from Bariatric Pal Store. Except for being a little grainy as they dissolve they are fine. I like that it's 1 prenatal versus most everybody else that are 2. And I got Spring Valley, one of Wal-Mart's house brands so very reasonable price. I got the blend with folate. Maybe $6-7 I forget now, but certainly below $10.

Not bad , I have BariMelts from Bariatric Pal Store. Except for being a little grainy as they dissolve they are fine. I like that it's 1 prenatal versus most everybody else that are 2. And I got Spring Valley, one of Wal-Mart's house brands so very reasonable price. I got the blend with folate. Maybe $6-7 I forget now, but certainly below $10.

Yea i am in the process of teying to find the right vitamins that cover the multitude of whats needed. The dr sent me the ones they recommend but dont require to use those..without ins they are lile 500 a no th. I have time to find what I need as my Surgury date is nov 8th and they said I wont need them till 4 weeks post op

Also Jazzy I recommend the liquid calcium citrate, it's brand name is Wellesse, tasted just like orange pushup sherbet you have as a little kid, well into my second bottle, it does cost about $10 but I think worth it. I also like the B12 melts I got from Bariatric Pal store, super reasonable price, delivery is very quick. I choose black cherry but they also come in mint.

Best to you on your journey and welcome to the site!!!

Best to you on your journey and welcome to the site!!!

Thank you

Also Jazzy I recommend the liquid calcium citrate, it's brand name is Wellesse, tasted just like orange pushup sherbet you have as a little kid, well into my second bottle, it does cost about $10 but I think worth it. I also like the B12 melts I got from Bariatric Pal store, super reasonable price, delivery is very quick. I choose black cherry but they also come in mint.

I am just now getting to the vitamin purchases so i am ready for when i need to take them