Sleevie WonderLand

I would have had a real food funeral. I only had about 2 oz of chocolate weight watchers ice cream the night before my surgery and wish now that I opted for a juicy steak instead. *still thinking with my greedy brain* I also was lost when it came to the mushy food stage. I suppose I wouldn't have known how to prepare for it anyway because I was so turned off by lots of foods anyway. It still would have helped me to research my options and different recipes that could have gotten me through (the world according to egg face blog/website is the bomb!). That mushy/soft stage was tough!

I can't wait to hear what your co-worker says a month after you've been sleeved and she sees those pounds melt off you. I bet she'll be asking you a lot of questions, and will probably be on the internet like the rest of us doing her own research before she ends up sleeved!

If you can tolerate them, I guess so, but I would check with my surgeon or nutritionist.

I had no doubts about getting sleeved. Of course on the day of surgery I was nervous as they wheeled me down that hallway to the operating room, but I knew all along that I was going to go through with it because it was the only way I could lose weight, become healthier, and keep the weight off. Don't get me wrong, the recovery stage wasn't easy; getting adjusted to this new way of eating and fighting to get protein in is a pain in the neck for the first month or so until you get used to it, but it's so worth it in the end. Good luck with your surgery. Best decision ever.

I usually order from the kids menu or have soup depending on the restaurant.

I'm biased - Love my sleeve! However, you should attend an information seminar at a local hospital or bariatric center that offers weight loss surgery. You can get all the information you need to help you decide what is best for you.

By the way, good luck with your surgery. It was rough for me at first, but it's still the best decision I've ever made for ME.

I only told my husband and my older children. I also told my mother because well, she's my mother and I knew she wouldn't betray me by telling people about it. I say keep it to yourself, but be prepared to answer questions like "how'd you lose the weight?" and "What's your secret to weight loss?". You're going to lose weight rapidly, so the drastic change always gets people's attention. I find myself getting a little uncomfortable when asked these questions, so I give my usual answer of "Oh, I been drinking protein shakes and I cut back on my portions in addition to going to the gym". So far it's kept people at bey, but I do feel a little guilty at times because I have friends who want to know what kind of shakes I'm on and want to follow my food plan to the tee. smh

It's good that you've been reading all the posts. You won't have a false sense of "this'll be a breeze" in the beginning when you first get sleeved. Everyone's experience is different, but at least you won't be blind-sided if things are a little rocky in the beginning. The good news is that once you're healed up and get into the swing of things with your sleeve, you'll be happier, healthier and on your way to your new you! I wish you all the best on your pursuit!

I dont do anything sugar free. That includes Stevia. I just purchased a bottle of agave nectar, will try it to sweeten my tea at the recommendation of a friend. I don't like the taste of sugar free products (I used to tolerate Coke Zero before being sleeved), and when I think about the toll it takes on our bodies (those chemicals can't be doing us any good) it repulses me even more. I try to keep an eye on my sugar intake, but i keep an even bigger eye open to make sure i'm not ingesting aspartame or sucralose, or whatever the rest of that stuff is.

*snorts, grunts, and giggles like Beavis and Butthead*

I have the biotin, will look into the Nioxin. Thanks for the info!

@Kuntry, as with everything, it all gets better with time. To have to have liquids for 3 weeks to enable you to have a lifetime of better health is definitely a small price to pay. Once you get over it, its not so bad, its the going through that drives you crazy! I just want to encourage you to hang in there. Even when you want to throw that shake or soup or whatever it is that's in front of you, just keep in mind that it's temporary and that the good food will be coming your way soon and that you'll be losing weight in the interim!

I'm sure I'm not the only sleever who's ever done this, but I'm going to come clean and fess up to what I did tonight.... So I had some chicken thighs in the refrigerator seasoned with rosemary, fresh minced garlic, onions, Badia complete seasoning, a dash of cayenne, a smidge of paprika, and a lil EVOO sittin in a ziploc bag since Monday night. I decided to bake it tonight with some biscuits and bacon wrapped asparagus for my family, while I would dine on some chicken broth made from one of the thighs. I ended up dropping some frozen okra in my broth to end it off and pureed it to enjoy for dinner. Delish! So I fed everyone, and then proceeded to the kitchen to tidy up. The dishes didnt take long because I use paper plates alot, especially since I dont have a dishwasher and there are 7 of us in my home. So I get to the stove and its' time to put the leftovers away. When I'm done, I notice there's some hunks of ckn stuck to the bottom of the pyrex dish...you know, along with all the other delicious bits that are left that you could use to turn in to gravy? Yeah, the good stuff! So I'm in a dilemma at that moment...the carnivore in me is DYING to devour those scant pieces of well seasoned, crispy bits of ckn, while the sleeved part of me is saying, Ha! you aint ready to eat that yet! (I'm still in the pureed stage)....angel on one shoulder, devil on the other coaxin me to put the ckn in my mouth....and I did! I chewed and savored and chewed and savored that delicious ckn scrap like it was filet mignon...then I got to the point where it was either spit, or swallow...and after weighin out the chances that I might really regret it, I spit that sucker out (besides, I had gotten all the good flavor from it anyway!). Craving satisfied. No harm done! So the greedy devil in me decided to scrape the rest of those goody bits in the pyrex dish and continue my chew/dont swallow/spit game. I feel kinda bad about it, but at the same time, I was really happy to taste the chicken and remember how much I enjoy eating real food. Anybody else able to relate? I KNOW someone else out there has played the chew/dont swallow/spit game!

Yes! The main policy outlines all the necessary requirements. Wishing you nothing but success during your WLS pursuit and this joyous holiday!

Im on Empire BCBS but under the EPO plan. I was not required to do the 6 month medically supervised diet, but i did have a barrage of tests and doctor's appointments to go through to qualify for the surgery. I'm happy to announce that I started my vsg pursuit at the end of June, and was sleeved on October 18th. Go to the Empire BCBS website and look for the information concerning bariatric surgery. It's all listed there in black and white, the requirements and qualifications you'll need to be approved. I don't know if there is much of a difference in the PPO and EPO plan other than price, but I can tell you that Empire BCBS was fast with their approval after my paperwork was submitted. I got my approval response from them in less than a week's time. Good luck!

I'm super non-compliant when it comes to taking meds. I know better, I just hate taking pills and stuff. This is my wake up call. I'm also losing my hair, so I know I gotta kick my self in the booty and get these Vitamins into my everyday routine. Thanks for the reminder. *deep sigh*

MoonSiren, it hasn't lead me to any eating disorders. It was just a quick way to soothe a craving during the early stages of being sleeved. Now that I can eat more foods and not just mushies or liquids anymore, I don't have those same urges. Thanks for your concern, but I don't think this thread is going to lead anyone down any eating disorder paths. Happy Holidays!

Woo Hoo! Congratulations. I FEEL your excitement just by reading your post.