Douceur72

- fish - tuna - eggs - sliced turkey - lowfat cheese - not fat free - lowfat cottage cheese - not fat free - celery with a little lowfat cream cheese - green Beans - whole wheat tortillas (check labels, some only have 2 - 4gm carbs) - Atkins shakes (I love mocha latte and strawberry) - 2gm I think - Some Soups are relatively low carb maybe ~10gm... I forget which brand, maybe Healthy Choice? I suggest avoiding fat free because manufacturers add a lot of sugar to make up for the taste. Low fat is still pretty tasty and as a general rule will have less carbs than fat free.

Congrats on your new sleeve. 25# down in a month is fantastic - keep up the good work. I agree, this is a great place to find information and support, I'm still pre-op but it helped me decide the sleeve was right for me, and gave great insight into what to expect. Welcome and good luck with your continuing weight loss!

It is a big decision. I can't relate to the $$ aspect because I have insurance...but have told myself if something happens and I am denied I will need to scrape together the extra needed for selfpay. I too have lost, gained, lost again as so many others here. Never in a million years would I have believed I'd seriously consider WLS...but last December, a few months before my 39th birthday the clouds parted and I realized this is it...I only get one life and I really don't want to be fat for the remainder of it, obsessing about food and how I look, missing out on things I used to love because of the extra weight. Good luck with your decision

Congratulations, you look incredible!! It sounds like you're eating perfectly with protein and veggies...great job and I hope I have as much success as you! And I agree with those who said you look years younger WOW

Awwww that sucks. Although when it's all said and done, I'd rather have a surgeon who is more cautious than not....if you were on the table and he found an enlarged liver, you may have ended up with mighty big scar! Very kind of you to share so we can learn from you. I haven't had surgery yet but your story will be ringing in my ears if I'm tempted to cheat on the pre-op! Hope April 4 comes quickly for you!

Talk to the person at your surgeon's office who submits the paperwork for insurance approval, they usually know all of the inuendos. Some require a certain amount of weight loss during the pre-op period. Mine does not require loss, only a BMI of 40 (I don't have co-morbidities) and I was under the impression that I had to maintain my weight (right at BMI 40) during the 6-month 'diet' to stay eligible. I clarified with the nurse who does all of the submissions at my last visit, she assured me the weight taken at the first visit is the only one submitted. Glad I clarified because now I can start losing preemptively. And I'm with the others....dump the prick.

That is by far the BEST NSV I have heard in my time on VST. Love it!!! You and Sprout are in my prayers. It sounds like you're off to a great start!

That is fantastic!! You'll be running miles in no time. A half marathon is one of my goals as well. Have fun!!!

Yowza you look amazing! Thanks for sharing, very reassuring for a pre-opper like me! I am starting at about the same BMI as you too... am hoping for a June surgery and to be about 100# down by next spring

Are you physically hungry or is it head hunger? Emotional/bored/ frustrated? Has something changed in your life? Just falling back into old habits? You have obviosly learned how to eat healthy, you lost 85 pounds! that is so cool. The challenge is getting the behavior truly ingrained. Many people use outside support like a counselor or OA to help find things to replace food, whether it be an emotional void or habit void. I haven't had surgery yet, but plan to see a psychologist every 3 months post-op, just to check in and make sure I'm still on track mentally.

Wow, you were thourougly checked out pre-op - that's a good thing! (I don't think my surgeon does anything but bloodwork). Did you know about the NASH before surgery? Sounds like you're doing well five days out! Good luck and wishes for a speedy recovery.

Quite a difference already! Way to go!!

AWESOME! keep up the good work!!

I love MyFitnessPal. Like Tiffy said, huge database with everything in it. Different variations of everything too, I remember from my low-carb days "McDonald's double cheeseburger, no bun, no ketchup." Also it remembers your most common foods for each meal...I could sign in, log a meal, and log out in 20-30 seconds. It has a pretty comprehensive exercise database too. I haven't tried any others but probably will before surgery just to see what else is out there.

Really cool! especially when the pulled the stomach out - bye-bye! Thanks for sharing

I’ve decided to start blogging to create a chronological record of my mental journey through WLS. It will be therapeutic for me not only as I write, but also months or years down the road if/when I find the need to revisit my current mindset in the height of the decision process. My story is similar to many on the Vertical Sleeve Talk forum. I first realized I was heavy in grade school. Of four kids in my family, I was the only heavy one. My siblings were, and still are, of average weight without any special effort. My parents did not treat me differently, or feed me differently. I was just always bigger. I evened out in junior high and high school as sports consumed my life. I gained in college, and remember being shocked and saddened the first time I weighed in at over 200#. I knew if I didn’t change I was destined to end up like my dad.. a magnificent man by all means, but who could never get a handle on his weight and died young of complications of diabetes. Through my twenties and thirties I managed to successfully lose significant amounts of weight (40, 70, 90 lbs) and keep it off for years, but inevitably…well, you know. Not sure exactly where I topped out, but I vaguely recall a doctor's scale that read around 305# six years ago. So why WLS? Why now? Last year, after losing 25# on weight watchers at work and gaining back 30, I began to have symptoms of diabetes. Thirst, vision changes, and some tingling and stabbing sensations in my toes. My dad lost one of his lower legs to diabetic neuropathy before he died so this really hit home with me. It was time for our insurance-required health fair, so I braced myself for the bad news that diabetes had found me. I was completely shocked that my blood work was fine – both fasting glucose and A1C were normal. I had dodged a bullet. I took the news as a blessing but also KNEW there was no more time to mess around with my weight. That now, at age 38, it was time to find a solution that would stick. I knew little about WLS. I had formed the opinion over the years that it was the easy way out, for people who were lazy. I only knew of the lap band and bypass, and neither sounded appealing. I had only heard the bypass nightmares of uncontrollable bowels and vitamin deficiencies, and the lap band freaked me out because of the implanted plastic. Toward the end of 2010 I felt desperate and that I had failed too many times to truly believe I could do it on my own. I made an appointment for the WLS seminar but was REALLY embarrassed to go. Walking in the door that December night was honestly one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I felt like I was giving up, that I was a failure. Upon checking in to the seminar, the nurse navigator took a look at my insurance card and said “Lucky you! Your insurance pays for the sleeve!” Sleeve? I had no idea what she was talking about. I took the folder of info and scurried to my seat in the back of the room. As the surgeon explained the procedures I became more confused. I had no idea the band was so much maintenance – yuck. No change on my opinion of bypass, that wasn’t for me. This sleeve procedure… I do like how it minimizes the hunger hormone and that the valve stays intact… but removing 85% of my stomach – no way! In the days following the seminar my head was swimming with info and I was so unclear on which surgery was best for me, that I all but concluded that none of them were. I went ahead with my first nutrition visit in December, just in case I decided to proceed. I spent one hour with the nutritionist and one hour with the surgery coordinator, and left feeling confident that WLS was indeed a good option for me. It was my first real conversation with anyone about it. It was the first time I had heard WLS called a 'tool' and I found that practical definition very empowering. I heard success stories as well as failures. I learned statistics on the benefits WLS can have on each body system, as well as statistics on diabetes, heart disease, and the other weight-related monsters that were lurking. I got frank answers to my questions, lots of written materials, resources, a video tape on the surgeries, book recommendations, and a plan to begin changing my eating habits. I giggle when I think back about how shocking it was to learn that day I would have to give up diet Coke. At that moment it was almost a deal breaker…now it seems so trivial. Around that time that I also found VST and OH. What a wealth of information! The discussion boards and articles I found there made me certain that the SLEEVE is my choice! Since I made the decision I have had absolutely no second thoughts. I am still going through the six month pre-op classes. The January class was an hour long talk by a post-RNY patient. He had lost something like 160 pounds and gave a recount of his experience, good and bad. Overall he had no regrets. The February class was completely worthless imo, it was the diabetic educator from the hospital talking about how to recognize hypoglycemia and how to remedy it. The next class is tomorrow. After that, only 2 more to go! Although my BMI is right on the line for approval, I try not to worry much about insurance denial. I am comfortable that the surgeon’s staff knows all of the insurance innuendos and will do a good job of getting me approved. My last class in May so I’m anticipating June for surgery. When I began all of this the six months seemed like an eternity…but it’s going so fast! I also had the psych eval a couple of weeks ago – a great experience. The psychologist sees tons of WLS patients and gave great insight. She made me feel even more confident in my decision. After listening to me talk about past weight loss experiences she assured me that I have the dedication, and that the sleeve will be a good tool to help me manage my eating habits long-term. She said among the obese there are emotional eaters, and those who simply have bad habits. But regardless of the cause, after WLS it’s imperative to have replacement habits to fill the emotional or habit void. Most of her patients who have maintained healthy weight 2-3 years out are much more likely to succeed long term as they have ingrained healthy behaviors. Interestingly she said many people forego support groups/therapy the first year because they are in the ‘honeymoon’ phase and in the excitement of losing weight tend to ignore the mental aspect. She recommended OA or 1:1 therapy every 3 months or so post-op for a while to encourage open dialogue about the habit changes necessary to be successful. I think it’s great idea. I’d love to see her again post-op and hope insurance will cover, if not I may look up the OA schedule. I look forward to a very different life once the weight begins to come off. More than anything I want to travel to exotic places and partake in all of the unique and challenging activities that go along with that. I want to climb a mountain, scuba dive, bike 50 miles in one sitting, and all of the things I loved in the past. I look forward to having more confidence as I’m finishing up grad school and will be interviewing for some amazing jobs. There is so much I will gain after WLS!!! - Fitting into Misses sizes (can’t wait to see what size I am at goal)! - The unparalleled high from running endorphins - No more ripped butt seams or button pop-offs - Saving money on fast food - Ability to cross my legs comfortably - Being able to stand from sitting without having to push up with my arms - No more avoiding the camera - Multi-positional sex with my young hottie bf - Not having to pull the car seatbelt out so far - Climbing the stairs to my office without wheezing for 10 minutes after - Not having bras dig into my side boobs by the end of the day - Boundless energy and a sharper mind Aside from all of the ‘feel good’ gains, I hope to never lose sight of the ultimate benefit of WLS: H E A L T H. This tool will help me keep diabetes away, as well as other potential chronic problems that go along with morbid obesity. My only current health problem is PCOS, and once I am below 200# my ob/gyn has agreed to take me off of the metformin that controls that – yippee! I’ve taken met every day since October of 1999. So, future Beth...this is why I decided to have WLS. I understand the sleeve is merely a tool, and that I can never forget it’s there, or abuse it. I know that there will be challenges in adapting my behavior and right now I have the attitude of BRING IT! I am so motivated, so excited by the possibility that I can live at a comfortable weight for the rest of my life.

When I had my insurance required psych visit I learned more about this from the psychologist. She talked about the importance of finding a way to replace overeating, whether you do it as a coping mechanism or as more of a habit. For me it's truly more of a habit...I eat the wrong things and too much, but mood or stress level have nothing to do with it. She said support groups such as OA are helpful post-op, or continuing with 1:1 sessions is an option for those who are not the group type (like me). She believes a key time for support is in the first year when weight is coming off quickly, as people are excited and in a honeymoon phase and not be thinking much about the mental aspect. She sees many WLS patients and said most failures are people who fall back into old habits or turn back to food for coping. In her experience, the first 2 years are the most crucial. If people maintain goal for 2 years they have a high chance of keeping it off forever as they've mastered the habits and/or coping skills to eat healthy.

you look amazing!! and congrats on coming off of your hypertension meds, that is truly a blessing. I know what you mean about having the shape you want...I feel and look best about 20# above my textbook goal. You make me excited to run again too. Thank for sharing!!

Sweet! friend me if you want sigh...I'm actually 286 now....was so afraid of losing pre-op that I went the other direction!!! (my insurance will only pay if my BMI is 40) hey we're not only close in ht/wt but geographically too - I'm from Omaha!

Rock it girl! Looking forward to hearing your progress!

Call your doctor now, better yet go to the ER. Chest pain is not something you want to sit and wonder about!

Sara, my surgeon recommends 60g of protein pre-op. There was no mention of counting carbs, but I think by virtue of the full liquid diet you won't get too many. You'll liver will be nice and petite Good luck

my surgeon requires 10 days of full liquids with goal of 60g protein per day. Lucky you, nutrition appt is only a week before surgery so you won't have to suffer long

eek I hope not. For me gas is a junk food problem, and I don't have gas when I limit carbs. Hopfully that will be true once I'm sleeved and protein-focused.

Is she able to tell you why she is afraid? You said she is afraid of losing you....meaning because you’ll become hot and instantly turn into a casanova? Or that you won’t enjoy the same things together anymore? And you said she is anti-surgery…does she have negative connotations of hospitals or doctors from a past experience? Or is it fear of the unknown? Maybe not ready for a change herself and thinking that if you have WLS she will be pressured to follow? I think it’s pretty common for our biggest supporters to freak a little. Keep reassuring her that it’s the best thing for you, and that you are doing it to be a better husband and father. If she’s a practical person maybe tell her how much money it will save over the years on food, meds, etc. Hopefully she will open up to the idea and learn how beneficial it will be for all of you. Best of Luck!