M2G

Congrats Jackie! You are rocking that sleeve!!!! And yes, having youth on your side is a GOOD thing...enjoy it! I'm so happy for you!!

I hope you do get to chat with your surgeon, especially if it could be some type of nerve damage or stricture. I'm glad you are checking things off the list (labs, etc.) so that you can try to pinpoint what is going on. I had my gallbladder out about 12 years ago and never had any trouble once it was gone. Just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and hoping for the best possible outcome for your pain!

My dr. also didn't specify grams in my literature. He likes the 75% 25% theory (so every meal 75% of your meal is protein and 25% is complex carbs). Thank goodness for this forum, because I've seen the number 30 a lot. As in, 30g or less of carbs. I do track my food and most days my carbs are between 20-50, so I would say I'm loosely following the 30g a day deal.

Well, I do not frequenty OH except for the VSG forum, but after seeing this I did go over there to 'snoop' a bit. And of course in every forum there are going to be people who are rude, arrogant, but also the ones who are nice, helpful, etc. I did see a thread from someone saying "thanks for your help (or input, whatnot)" and the gal went on to say that she had done all her research and settled on the sleeve. And there must have been 6 responses from DS'ers saying "oh, good luck, hope it goes well, etc." and I didn't see anyone being nasty. So I guess the world takes all types to go round and I'm not doubting that there are people over there who will preach from the highest rock that their surgery is best and being nasty and cutthroat (cutting our vocal cords, really??) But I just wanted to say that I did see some of them being nice to someone who didn't choose the DS. I sometimes post over at OH, but I feel like VST is home. :grouphug:

I am never hungry, day or night!

No pre-op diet required here either (and I had a 6 months insurance-required wait time) so I had plenty of time to diet, but since it wasn't required then I didn't do anything pre-op. Just follow whatever your surgeon's plan is to a "T". Every surgeon is different and the plans pre and post-op vary wildly. So just go by what your surgeon requires and you should be fine!

I too, was hesitant to share with people that I was having elective WLS. I didn't want to hear the horror stories or hear the negative comments, etc. I was very careful with whom I chose to share info with. I really need positive encouragement, not negative. In all of my research I found a horrible website about death and dying from WLS, and there were pictures that gave me nightmares for a bit. But when I looked at the whole picture, the thought of continuing to live my life in a morbidly obese body, the choice was clear. I think we all experience fear about doing this to ourselves, but thank goodness for this forum and the people who had surgery and lived to tell us all about it. Good luck, the fear is a hard one to deal with, but you have to reframe your thinking and be positive...even if people around you don't share your optimisim and enthusiasm!

I think there is just "something" about the fact that this is an optional surgery. That we are willing to do this to ourselves, that gives us anxiety. For instance, if I had breast cancer and a dr. said "the best way to deal is to get rid of them surgically" I'm sure I would have some anxiety and fear (and lots of tears), but mostly I would be fearing what might happen if I didn't go through with the surgery. So in order for me to deal with some of that fear, in regards to the VSG, I had to think logically about what being morbidly obese might end up costing me in the long run. I have a wonderful family, a super husband, 2 girls that I adore, and I decided I could slip further and further into a life of obesity and any number of you-name-it diseases that seem to attack the obese population (diabetes/hypertension runs in my family), OR I could do this surgery now, committ to a healthier lifestyle now and enjoy being around my family for a long time to come. The choice to have surgery, by far was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make, but I wouldn't change any of it. And once I made my mind up, there was no going back. I was not crying as I was getting wheeled back to the OR, rather thinking, let's get this show on the road! One thing that was comforting to me was all the research I had done prior to surgery. I had a 6 month insurance-imposed wait time, which gave me lots of time to think and research and I'm so glad now that I had to wait 6 months. I think the feelings of fear and anxiety are normal, but try to picture yourself 10 years from now at your current (or all time high) weight and then picture yourself 10 years from now at a normal weight. I was definitely more afraid of living the next 10 years in a morbidly obese body.

Hey Susanne...It was the 2%, which probably is what made it taste oh so yummy! They had only 2% or I believe they call it "Total" (I could be wrong about that, but I think the Total is full fat version) I didn't see the 0% which makes me wonder if they were just OUT of it, or don't stock it. I'm sad because the sale was only through yesterday (my mom is the one who called and said it was on sale and I should try it.) It was so nice...it will be hard going back to the other "sharp" tasting brands. lol. Has anyone else noticed an uptick in sales of greek yogurt. I've "heard" of it before starting down this WLS journey, but it wasn't something I would have picked up and tried if I wasn't in the mode of getting more Protein. But ALL brands of greek yogurt at my particular grocery store are always low on quantity, etc. making me think that lots of people are out there buying it.

Thanks FlyGirl! I might have to try making my own. I ordered some online and they were SO brittle!!! But not wanting to waste them, I would eat them with tuna (using it like a cracker to put tuna on) but I'm guessing if you make them at home they might not be so hard.

I've been using Okios, Chobani, Dannon, and even tried the Kroger brand of greek yogurt, but today the Fage was on sale and OMG. I am in love with this stuff. It does have 8 grams of carbs, but 17g of protein. I can't eat it all in one sitting (it's a 7oz container) but I split it up and had it 2 times today. Here is what is SO nice about it. The flavor is sooooo mild. I've had to add splenda to my greek yogurt (or sometime SF Torani syrup) just to get over that BITE of sharp flavor. But the Fage is so mild, and creamy, I am in love. Too bad it doesn't go on sale very often. I bought every last container they had (which was exactly 6) at King Soopers today as they were on sale for $1 each. It's so good I might even break down and buy it when it's not on sale.

Congrats! You are doing wonderful!!!

Kris, that sounds like a great experience! Glad you are home, ready to rest and recover. Welcome to the loser's bench!!!

I've been wondering about getting fitted also, wasn't sure how they do it since the only time I was ever "fitted" for a bra was 4 days after giving birth and I was at a fancy maternity store looking for a nursing bra. I also took a little field trip into the misses sizes (versus the plus) because in about another 25lbs I will be SHOPPING in that section. It was like being in the promised land. There were fashionable clothing, cute patterns (ever notice how almost ALL the plus size patterns esp. at JCPenny & Kohls are patterns that even your Grandma wouldn't wear?), and I was simply overwhelmed at the SHEER VOLUME OF CHOICES of clothing. Truly. After being stuck in plus sizes for the last 18 years, it was dizzying to see how many choices there are for "regular" size women. I wrote a blog about this, but I wonder if I'm going to change my fashion sense after (or near) goal or if I will simply buy the same type of clothing, only smaller? I would like to think I might take more risks (colors and patterns) versus the usual, plain simple clothing I'm normally drawn to. I like my clothes and I have been told that I always look "put together" (i.e. I wear costume jewlery, makeup, do my hair nice, etc. on a normal daily basis) but I'm wondering if I will try experimenting with new and different things. I sort of hope so, because that is one of the fun upsides of losing weight is that we can be free to shop in new places and try new things. I'm looking forward to it!

Thanks Irene! I loved what you said and especially the underlined portion. WOO HOO! And you gals are right about the healthy balanced eating, rather than saying all carbs are 100% bad for you. I've found myself sort of on that wagon, because I do know that I'm carb sensitive. But getting rid of the good carbs isn't the answer either. The good whole grains, and complex carbs (like veggies) are good for balance. All things in moderation.

I bet that was quite a jolt and such a victory as well! Congratulations on your success, and thanks for sharing with us.

I feel like a slow loser, ONLY when I compare myself to someone else. When I just look at myself, I'm over the MOON happy at losing the weight!!! And never on any diet that I have ever been on before have I lost this amount of weight in such a short amount of time....NEVER! Sure we all wish we could wave the magic wand and have the weight disappear at a steady rate, day after day, but we all know it takes time and committment to shed the lbs. And there are stalls and roadblocks along the way, but I have committed to change this body, and my journey is just that. My journey. That being said, this journey has been enhanced and lifted up by being part of this community, so I will gladly share my experiences with others who have done the same for me. But I refuse to compare...lol.

Congratulations!!! You have made excellent progress!

My surgeon is HUGE on NO SHAKES AFTER 6 WEEKS. So essentially we are cut off from using shakes as a protein source. All the NUTs push that as well. Of course there are times when it is appropriate to have a shake instead of a meal, but they push hard for us to get all our protein from our food and not from shakes or drinks. This is just my surgeon's plan, someone else might have a different plan. Have you tried Jay Robb protein powder? It is sweetened with Stevia and for one scoop of powder you get 25g of protein and only 1g of carb.

Everyone at my surgeon's office, from the nurses, to the NUTs all tell us all the time Calcium Citrate, NOT carbonate is what ALL WLS patients want (maybe with the exception of the bandsters). It IS much harder to find calicum citrate in chewable form, so I order mine online. It doesn't bother me, I was told up front that I needed chewable calcium citrate.

I truly believe a positive mental attitude is almost as strong as medicine! I found myself having to reframe my thinking too when I would get frustrated with the 6 month insurance wait and hoop jumping, but the best part it is all worth it in the end!! Good luck, and welcome.

Darn gallbladder. I had mine removed about 12 years ago, so as my WLS dr. said "one less thing to worry about". It's funny now that I have fresh scars from the VSG I cannot even FIND my old scars from the gallbladder. I'm sure you wouldn't have picked having 2 surgeries back to back, but hopefully you can heal and move on. OH and congrats on -23 lbs woo hoo!

Saw it on OH and commented, but still looked again over here and it is SO CUTE. I'm so happy that new hair is growing in for you, it is so traumatic losing hair.

Ooooh, got it, thanks for posting. It takes 3 scoops to = 60 grams of Protein. That makes a little more sense.

No, I have never heard of it. I wonder how much Protein a body can absorb in one sitting...I've seen various responses to this question, but I don't have a clear idea of scientifically how much we can absorb in one meal. I mean based on one serving of that stuff having 60 grams of protein, then you could eat that and be done for the day right? lol, not that I think that is a good plan, but I am curious about how much of that 60 grams can be absorbed at once. Sounds interesting though...did you order it?