I am new to the bariatricpal site and the forums on VGS. I start my two week before surgery low cal plan on May 27, 2019.

I'm asking to hear from those who have been through the surgery and are at least 6mos out from the surgery date. Name your top recommendation for me as I start this process and dramatic life change with VGS? Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

Edited May 25, 20197 yr by NatalieJoy

I had the lap band and now I'm waiting for my last appointment. The number one thing to remember is food is not everything. I lost over 100 pounds by making food only about nutrition. If the bad stuff is not in the house you won't eat it. If you feel like an indulgence break a small piece and suck it to death. Eat slowly I mean really slow. If you can't get up and walk around between bites. Only put in your mouth something worthy of the privilege of making you happy. Most of the stuff I used to eat is what I refer to throw-away food. Do not be hard on yourself, you will have slips. Now, something I had to happen is when I tripped I fell. I think it was because my new body had a different balance. My stomach growled forever it seemed. That did not mean I was hungry, it was just rebelling. If you think you are hungry, drink water and say if I really am hungry I'll eat in 30 minutes. Usually, I didn't eat. Good luck and keep us updated!

I am only 4 months out, but I would highly suggest giving up your addictions Pre-op so you don't have to fight them post-op. Sugar, soda, caffeine, processed foods, etc. It is hard enough getting through the surgery and immediate post op without having to deal with headaches and cravings. give yourself a jump start by getting rid of this stuff before hand,

A great idea, I'm also taste testing protein drinks. They're a lot of new ones will little sugar and a lot of proteins. Ensure makes one the protein max and Boost Max. Both have 30 g. protein with 1 g. sugar. Watch out for the Ensure max cafe mocha. Not only does it have the flavor but it also has a lot of caffine. I'm from the south so we live on ice tea so as a replacement I make my own decaf tea in a gallon and put a slice of lemon in it. I haven't had a soda or carbonated beverage since 2009 when I had my band on. Some of the high protein premade drinks taste better with ice in them it tends to thin them a bit. Initially I will get my protein from these drinks as many of the protein powders give me horrible stomach cramps. The vegan one is the only one I can add to stuff and I can't drink sugar substitutes as I get a migrane from them. I am now down to 900 - 1000 calories a day with 60 g. protein, much like I was on the band and no sugar. Getting ready for the big day. I've had 9 years practice with this way of eating so it an easy pattern for me.

I will be 7 months post op VSG next Friday... a lot of things have surprised me on this journey. I had the band - but had no support or advice - so it didn't really work. I learned how to eat very slowly and that some times of the day are easier to eat than others. I also learned to know where the toilets were in restaurants and got very used to vomiting.

Now I have the VSG, I'm learning new skills and have a much better understanding of nutrition, macros etc.

My take-aways would be:

1. Be thoughtful about your meal plan - try and make everything you put in your mouth as highly nutritious as possible, as close to being 'whole food' or organic. I'm currently eating about 800 cals a day - sometimes 650, sometimes 900.

2. Don't keep temptation in your kitchen cupboards or fridge. It's easier for me to just not buy anything that is off-plan. I'm so lucky that I live on my own. I'm a granny so I visit my family and because I still have a 'secretive eating disorder', I'm never tempted to binge when I'm at their homes.

3. I'm still struggling when I have a couple of days away. The change in my eating while I'm away has a long term effect on my weight loss - it can take about 6 days for a different choice to work it's way out of my body! That is REALLY frustrating because I'm only talking about keeping the same calorie-level and carb-level - just switching up my food choices.

Good luck on your journey - because I originally had the band, I think this journey is more challenging - but you can definitely get to where you want to be! This forum is amazing and so informative! xx

I had my surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) in mid-December, so I'm about six months out and have lost 78 pounds, with less than 15 to go to reach goal.

This surgery is a tool, not an easy way out. I agree with whomever said that you should give up the tough stuff pre-surgically. I did that, including coffee. It wasn't that hard.

I would then suggest implementing/using a tracking app. I use baritastic and it is awesome. If you don;t weigh, measure and track, it's very difficult for you to know what kind of progress you are making and why. Your nutritionist can help you set goals for the app. I literally live by it!

A few months down the road, you will then need to decide what kind of diet suits you going forward. For me, it's Keto, or some semblance thereof. You will learn to be very regimented, but also you will know, thru tracking, when you can allow yourself a treat. Good thing for me, my taste for sweets is almost entirely gone.

Drink your water, get your protein and realize there will be tough times and plateau's, but you will lose the weight and you'll be glad you did this!!

8 minutes ago, Myhorseisfattoo said:

A few months down the road, you will then need to decide what kind of diet suits you going forward. For me, it's Keto, or some semblance thereof. You will learn to be very regimented, but also you will know, thru tracking, when you can allow yourself a treat. Good thing for me, my taste for sweets is almost entirely gone.

I wish my taste for sweets was gone.

LOL! I wasn't a huge sweets eater before, but now really sweet stuff just doesn't happen for me. I made chocolate chip cookies for my dad last week, Took a bite of one and actually spit it out. It just wasn't ok.

My dr promised that if I got 100 grams of protein a day I would not lose my hair. From day 2 after surgery I strived for that. I wasn’t able to do it every day early on (first week) but at least got 80 a day. After that, I reach 100 everyday. I’m almost 6 months out and have not lost any hair! After my 3 month follow up appt, dr said I could go to 80 G protein daily. I’ve been so thankful to not lose my hair. It’s pretty fine to begin with.

I took the opportunity to completely kick the sugar habit. I haven't had dessert since my surgery on 9/26/17. I don't know if it's a forever thing, but because of the liquid diet and all that I was off sugar anyway. I chose not to put it back in my body. It's the best choice I have ever made.

I'm a year and a half out. I would tell you to definitely use a tracking app (MyFitnessPal was mine) and a food scale. You'd be amazed how little or how much 2.5-3 ounces can be, depending on the food! Start small with portions and don't try to push yourself. Seriously, a quarter cup is not a lot of food, but at the beginning it will be! (that doesn't last, don't worry). YOu will find that some foods fill you up much more than others. I can eat a lot of salad greens. THat makes sense due to water. But ground beef vs chicken or eggs - big difference. Eggs and chicken fill me up faster.

Get in your protein and take your vitamins. Vitamins are relatively easy and will make a huge difference in your health. Walk. YOu don't have to run marathons. Just walking will help.

Re sweets. Don't keep them in the house if you can. I find that if I'm really craving something, getting something out, preferably splitting it, helps me. But, if it's something that's likely to cause you to binge or crave carbs later - don't do it. That is a bit different for all of us. After 6 months I started incorporating small amounts of carbs back into my diet. I find it helps me in the poo department.

BIGGEST TIP! Use these sites for support and tips. However, this is YOUR journey. You, your situation and your physical and mental health history are different than everyone else. If someone tells you to go keto and it's just not something you can sustain - it's not for you. YOu have to find your own path. Don't compare yourself to others. Some lost faster than me, but they started out in a different place with a different body and issues. Find your way and don't give up!

I did keto for a bit, but my doc told me not to cut out any food group, or I might end up lacking important vitamins or minerals (supplements notwithstanding).

So I'm just sticking to the old - but admittedly boring - maxim of 'everything in moderation'. I don't have an addictive personality, so that's OK for me (but I can see that it wouldn't suit everyone).

Top advice is to follow your plan and make sure you are doing everything you are suppossed to. Make exercise an important part of your day / week and keep it up. For me it replaced eating for stress relief to some degree, which is great.

The biggest thing I would change is to take stool softeners and maybe see if you can do Miralax immediately following the surgery... the first poop a week after was memorable and also completely horrible.... I probably have PTSD from it.

For me this proceedure was life saving and has completely changed how I view, use and interact with food. I followed the plan EXACTLY to the letter and made losing the weight my #1 priority over everything else until it was gone

I will be 7 months out 6/10. I have lost 110 lbs and feel fantastic. I recommend that you don’t buy a lot of protein drinks in advance. Buy a few at a time. I taste tested ones pre-op then went out and bought several cases only to not be able to tolerate the taste post op. My taste buds have changed since surgery.

Buy a good digital food scale, I also use Fitness Pal to track my macros and my progress. Don’t eat or drink things ahead of when you should. Stick to the post op diet. My doctor said no carbonated drinks, no gum, no straws and I don’t cheat because I don’t ever want my sleeve to expand. It’s a tool that requires respect and to be used the way it was intended.

Eat slow and chew. If you feel like you are getting full don’t take that one extra bite.

I am so happy I had the sleeve, my energy level has increased 100 percent.

Even though I was told about taste changes, I didn't really believe it until it happened!

I have found that I now dislike things I used to like and visa versa. Very strange phenomena, but it happened...certain food textures bother me now too, but never did before.

On 5/24/2019 at 7:07 PM, NatalieJoy said:

Name your top recommendation

do your best to realize that this a very short period of what hopefully will be a very long life.

it is very easy to get so wrapped up in each day that you forget that 6 months from now you wont even remember each and every individual day and what you felt every moment.

Just try to remember to look at the forest and not the individual trees.

Always remember you are your worst enemy and worst critic most of the time.

get out of your head using any and all distractions don't dwell.

read, watch a movie, do crosswords, sudoku or put together puzzles. anything that gets you out of your own headspace for a while.