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.

When I met with my dietitian at my 8 week post op visit and she told me that I would need to eat 1600-1800 calories a day eventually. I wondered how i was going to ever get that much in. Well here it is 10+ months post op and I am probably getting 1500 or so a day in. I am thinking I am at where I should be in weight loss, BMI is still 27 but I am starting to look a bit on the thin side. That being said, I hit goal 6 weeks ago and have lost another 7 lbs since. I am eating 4-6 times a day, 3 meals plus 1-3 good snacks a day. Still following the protein rules and hitting the gym 3-4 times a week. All of my lab work is perfect and I have no health issues at all. Do I worry about my final weight or just go with it?

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.

If you are on full liquids, I would say cream is fine. You can also cream your coffee with some mixed up vanilla protein. Clear liquids is another story.

Have you noticed, toss the bun is pretty much universal from everyone that has posted? If you want to have a bun, ask for it extra toasted (crispy) and still chuck most of it. Protein, protein, protein! I rode my motorcycle the Sturgis rally in 2010, 8 weeks after I was sleeved. I was miserable because I was so unprepared.I satyed 2 nights and came home (1300 miles each way). Good luck on your trip, you are going to do great!

I only use shakes as a supplement and only a few times a week if that. Are you tracking what you are eating(and drinking) and counting for all of the carbohydrates, total calories as well as the protein? You might be surprised by what you find.

Take a cooler and I would opt for hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, ready to drink shakes, cheese, greek yogurt, meats and some crackers. You are too fresh out for things like protein bars. ALso try Fast food burgers(no bun), KFC grilled chicken and mashed potatoes, Grilled chicken and refreid beans from any mexican place. Wendy's chili or their grilled chicken wrap (ditch the tortilla) There are lots of choices. You should be able to find something almost anywhere. Also McDonalds will sell you scrambled eggs ala carte. That with a half of an english muffin (extra toasted) is a really good breakfast. Fruits and veggies probably still give you some problems so I would stay away from those. Also have some Gas-X (or the store brand equivalent) on hand for in the car when your stomach gets gurgley.

You are totally normal in your feelings, I asked myselft that same thing many times. In the next few months you are going to embark on a whole new lifestlye. There is going to be a lot of adjustment and you will continue to question if you did the right thing. The mental game is so much harder than the physical. Right now, you are a few days post op. The swelling will go down, you will be able to get your fluids and protein in and you will be feeling physically better inside of 2 weeks. Once you get into the groove, you will establish a new healthy norm. Your body will change, your relationship with food will change as well as the way you conduct yourself in a social atmosphere. The only thing that stands in the way of sucess is how you adapt to your sleeve. Each of us has been given the opportunity to control our appetites and acheive that which we have been chasing for so long. Hang in there. The results are so worth the effort! Good luck and stay strong!

the stories are as varied as the instruction and opinion of every surgeon. They all have their own opinion, which is right and which is wrong? For me it was all about the weight loss as it pertained to my health. We each have out own path to follow. Myself, I have always loved beer. I haven't had any because I don't do carbonation at all (even at 20 months out) I had a sample of what I thought was flavored water at costco, turned out to be cabonated. I thought I was going to explode after one sip. Everyone is different. Trust in your Dr's instructions unless you have a valid reason not to. In the end, we need to live with our own choices. Choose wisely!

I am sure it has to do with body mass. I was probably down 70 lbs from 300 when I took my first drink. I doubt the alcohol is metabolized any differently. Perhaps in RNY patients there is some kind of difference do to absorbtion but I doubt there is any difference in sleevers. I am sitting at 185 now, 40% less body mass than when I started. My triglycerides were 63 (normal is less than 150) when I had them taken 3 weeks ago. That is the biggest indicator of alcolol induced liver problems.

Remember, alcohol is empty calories. I have drinks a few times a month (serious karaoke junkie) and have since I was a few months out. You need to remember that you will get hit hard and fast now. I drink bourbon on the rocks, have no problems but know when enough is enough. I am usually good for 2 or 3 at best in a 4 hour span (my local dive pours very heavy).

Adding to what Meg said, any kind of baked fish is reall easy on the sleeve. I would stay away from salad right now, that is usually a 6 month thing. Raw veggies are hard for the first 6 months. Mashed potatoes and baked chicken were my go to in those situations. Stay away from soft bread if you can, it will hurt! Don't be afraid to ask for something not on the menu, they can only say no. Even if it is scrambled eggs and cottage cheese. Appetizers as a meal usually work too. Just let them know that is what you are doing so they bring it out with everyone elses main course. I eat out a lot, my wife and I are both sleeved, work crazy schedules and we have no problem finding good things to eat.If youy don't want to share to others about your surgery, don't. Just tell them you are on a special diet. Personally, I tell anyone that asks. I am proud to tell my story of taking my life back.