So Cal Kurt

Steak is a good protein source. In few weeks(if not already), you should be able to add it to your diet. Forget about all the trimmings and remember you will only eat between 2 and 5 oz at most. You can season it with anything without a problem. From the first week out, I put hot sauce on anything that needed a little flavor.The best thing (and sometimes the worse thing) about the sleeve is that after 6 months, you will be able to tolerate anything. You are mourning the loss of your old friend, FOOD! It shall come to pass and you learn to enjoy what you eat, not how much you eat. I too missed the fullness of a giant (6000+ calorie) meal. After almost 3 years, it is a distant memory and I don't miss it a bit.

You are perfectly normal in your feelings. I had the fat guy in my head and could see no difference at all even after losing 100lbs. Eventually your head will catch up. I hope you have lots of before photos because that is where you will truely see the dfference. As far as your weight loss, you are doing great. Keep in mind that our bodys are designed to survive a famine. your body will try to hold on to as much as it can from time to time, this causes a stall. You are really early out and probably struggling a little getting your protein in. For loss, you need to get at least 60g in every day and keep the fluids going. Limit your carbs and you will do fine. It is really fast at first then it slows down a little. The other key is to keep moving. Walk as much as you can until you are cleared for real exercise then start hitting the gym for some more intense cardio. Good luck, you are doing great!

Raw veggies were really hard for me until 7-9 months out. Even then I stayed away from them because there wasn't enough protein. In maintenance, I started eating them again. Give yourself a few more months, you will be able to tolerate pretty much anything without pain or difficulty.

This is my third post sleeve thanksgiving. You have nothing to fear or mourn. This holiday is about reflection and being thankful for all of good things in your life. For me, it is no longer a day of gluttony, it is a day of enjoying the company and being tankful for the best gift I have ever received. The gift of restored health. I will have a taste of the things I would have prevously gorged on. the difference is at the end of the day I won't be laying on the couch unable to move because my belly stuffed to the point of refusal.

It is all very normal. Pre-op was the hardest thing for me. From here on out, it is all a mental game. If you weren't nervous, something would be wrong. Good luck, a new life is awaiting.

I have been following this post and wanted to add something else. Perhaps it's my age (50) and the fact that I am a man, I really didn't see any negativity towards my WLS. Most people my age are fighting age/weight related conditions and I think we tend to look at this for a different reason. I don't agree that obesity in itself is a desiese, it is a condition brought on by underlying issues and contributing factors. Looking back in retrospect, if I could have wad this surgery at 30, I would have been able to avoid Diabetes, High blood pressure, high cholesterol and all of the other obesity related issues that I developed by the time I was 40. I think every one of us has addictive personalities and our over the top behavior is what leads us to morbid obesity. Even if I haven't extended my life by a single minute, I have increased my quality of life ten fold. THe life of a morbidly obese person can't be understood by someone that hasn't ben there. I was fortunate, I am hoping I was able to save myself from me. I am a year into maintenainance, been sitting at between 185 and 190 lbs for the last 13 months. I have learned to live my life again and removed the unhealthy relationship with food that I had cultivated for 48 years. If people don't understand your struggle, surround yourself with supportive people that will. No person is an island and you need plenty of support. Seek face to face support of others in your area that know what you are going through and can share their experiences with you. We learn form each other as we are giving to each other.

Don't let their negativity or lack of understanding dissuade you. VSG is by no way an easy way out but speaking for myself, it is the only way I have been able to maintain a substantial weight loss. This is a tool and nothing more. Once your friends see the changes, hopefully they come around. You might be wise to keep it to yourself and people you know are going to be supportive. You are doing this for you and no one else.

You should be having a better time shortly. I remember wondering when I went to my 2 week post op visit and they were saying that I would work up to 1500 calories I thought no way. Keep up on your fluids and keep up on your protein and keep up on your vitamins. If you fall a little short on protein don't sweat it. It does get easier, I promise.

I see people all of the time that I am compelled to say, "there is a better way to live your life". Out of respect, I don't. I do share with anyone that askes though. A few months back at my support group, a woman came up to me and said I was the reason she had VSG. I talked in front of the information session and answered their questions about my journey and what to expect. I have to admit, it felt so good to be a positive inspiration.

I never had any physical problems due to my sleeve. The mental end was another story. It took me a few months to adjust to a totally new lifestyle. There are some dificulties with bread and other doughy things early on as well as veggies with a consitancy of anything harder than mush. Those all wane by 6 or 8 months though. After that, you are only limited by quantity and the self imposed restrictions.

Did your Dr give you a stool softener such as ducolax? If not, you might want to ask him for a prescription.

Get as much walking in as you can pre surgery then start up again as soon as possible post surgery. Good luck!

ONce again, Different Drs have differnt opinions. I was a shift worker so caffeine was a neccesary evil. I asked if I caould have coffee and was told as long as it isn't a high calorie Starbucks type of drink I was fine and to use it in moderation. BTW, in the UK, they count coffee as water. I think I will go by the UK rules to get my fluids in!

I don't think I have ever had dumping although I have had some ill effects from deep fried food early out. Sugars usually trigger dumping in VSG and even at that it is very rare. Dumping can occor in anyone WLS or not. I have always used half and half in my coffee, one of the things I always allowed myself even when I was in the "losing" stages. At this point in time, you will be struggling to get in 600 calories a day so I wouldn't worry about it. Every nut and every Dr have their own opinions. I have come to find that most of them just cut and paste an RNY diet and don't even bother to look at the VSG diet as anything different. I was lucky, my team did and taylored my eating and drinking plan to the VSG and everything worked. Good luck and welcome to the losers bench!

I would stay away from powdered or non dairy, usually has more carbs.