Lissa

I don't eat lettuce at all. I'll eat all of the other stuff like eggs, cheese, broccoli, tomato and cucumber, but lettuce has no nutritional value, IMO. If I'm getting a salad as part of my meal, I'll ask the server for no lettuce and dressing on the side... then I use the dressing as a dip for the raw veggies. I've had some spring mix, but I just didn't really like it.

I worked nights for years and found that staying hydrated helped tremendously with my energy levels. Your body has a natural rhythm that is geared towards working during the daylight hours. Try rescheduling your food intake to fit down times in your work pattern and see if that helps with your energy level as well. Good luck!!

You will get there soon, although it seems like forever away right this minute. Don't push forward too hard. Your sleeve is still healing and right now it's much more vulnerable to a leak than it will be after you get to six months post-op. Take it easy and add some spices to your mushies to help with the flavor. Good luck!!

If you're truly having a problem getting in the liquids, some folks have had success with using a spoon and letting the liquid trickle down their throats. The tiny cups are a fantastic help as well. The fizzies and pain after drinking let me know early post-op that I was drinking too quickly. I adapted to it and they stopped. Thank goodness! I can now drink a larger amount again, but I still sometimes have to put water back into the cup because I've been drinking too fast and it won't go down easily. Not a big thing, IMO.

Guys and gals, I had every nasty co-morbidity you can think of (DVT, Pulmonary Emboli, Sleep Apnea, borderline Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc) and I came through surgery fine! No leaks, no complications, just higher energy and I'm staring at 100 pounds lost at almost 8 months post-op. What would YOU give for 100 pounds lost in 8 months? How about a couple of weeks of liquid diet, a couple of hours in surgery and a reduced capacity to overfill your stomach? I think it's a fair trade-off, don't you?

Take pictures of yourself and compare them. I first noticed weight loss in my ankles and my neck/face, but only because I saw pictures of me. I take pictures at least once a month, or whenever I feel inspired to take a few... and that inspiration happens more and more now that I'm starting to like my shape!!

Yay for you!! I'll happy dance right along with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CiCi, I had the same stall issue, but I was dropping sizes and inches while I was stalled. Since I still have a long way to go to goal, I was very frustrated, too. I have increased my exercise and really tried to stick to my plan of Water and Protein and I have dropped nearly 5 pounds in the last few days. I was stalled at a weight where I stayed for about 10 years, so I'm thrilled to be below that weight! Hopefully I'm now going to lose steadily again, but the stall is where I developed more muscle tone and less sagging skin. Just keep drinking your water, getting your protein in and the stall will break! Good luck!!

Good luck! Hopefully it won't be a blockage, but just some minor issue! Please keep us updated!!

It seems like everyone knows someone who died from WLS. And, no matter what the actual cause of death is, it's always blamed on WLS! I have heard horror stories time and again, but I've only met one person offline who actually even had/has complications from WLS. My late friend's sister in law came up to me at the funeral and told me all about her own problems with her WLS. I happen to know that this gal is totally non-compliant with her diet and exercise requirements, so I just nodded my head and thanked her for the information. You do YOU and you'll continue to rock your sleeve! It sounds like you are doing terrific!

My kids are much older than yours, but one's a worrier and the other is more c'est la vie about things. The worrier lived with me when I had my surgery, so I was pretty up front about everything. I told him my research and the expected complication rates and let him know what the post-op requirements were. He was okay because he could DO something for me. The other, I just said "Hey, I'm having WLS surgery on such and such day. My will and other legal documents are with my friend, so and so, and she's promised to help out if there are any problems. I'll call you after surgery to let you know I'm okay." He just said Fine and that was that. When I visited with my laid-back son in October, he was amazed at my weight loss then and he asked more questions about the whole process. I think his girlfriend may be considering WLS, so that's probably the motivation behind it. My point is that you have to tailor your discussion to the age and maturity level of the child. At 12 or 13, I'd have wanted to know all about what was going on if my mom had surgery. My 8 and 4 year old siblings (at that time) could have cared less as long as someone made sure they were comfortable in their own little worlds. I'm not dissing them, just stating facts. I think some preparation is in order, though, just in case there are complications. I do love the "Skinny Shots" comment above, though!

MammaMia, your post made me cry! I could have written that post pre-surgery, although not half so articulately. I need to keep in mind that I'm not just losing pounds; I'm also losing many of my old insecurities. I went out last night with friends and had a blast! I saw someone I haven't seen in about 10 years and he was VERY complimentary about how I look. Before, I'd have been all flustered, but last night, I just said Thank You and enjoyed the adulation. The sleeve does give us our lives back. The head work, we have to do ourselves, but it sounds like you're well on your way!!

Capt Derel, Tell them to go pound sand!! I'm thrilled that you're so close to meeting that first goal! Isn't the sleeve an amazing tool!? Coops, you do look fine in your new picture. You inspire me to keep on trucking, even when the scale seems to be moving achingly slow. You're also the person who taught me about NSV's and paying attention to measurements more than the scale. Dorrie, I'm now losing again, at a slow but steady pace, but the inches have just melted away over the last couple of months. I'm amazed at how good I look and feel...and I'm looking forward to more of both!

All of the above posters are right! Nixi, I'm thrilled that you "got" it! This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. We're going to eat and drink things that aren't "diet friendly" on occasion, because this is REAL LIFE. The key is to not do that constantly. Normal people indulge in sweets sometimes; they drink alcohol in moderation. We ARE normal people...we're just bigger and working our ways down to a normal size. Enjoy a little treat here and there...and 1/4 of an apple fritter is a little treat. Just remember that you had that treat and try to eat less treats for a few days. You're doing great!!

Goodwill! It's a great place for tops anyway. Until now, I've been buying jeans and pants retail, but now I'm finding pants in "my" size at GW, so I'll be saving some money until I get to goal!

Everyone goes through this same thought process. Our heads play games with us. First we're super excited because we're getting it done, then we're scared to death that something bad will happen. Then, we think "I'll feel/look so much better once I lose some weight", immediately followed by "But, I can do this on my own". The truth is that we can't do it on our own, or we would have done it (and kept if off) years ago. If you are 100 pounds overweight, Dr. Oz says that it's just like having cancer. You'd operate for cancer, wouldn't you? 8 months out, I still think that VSG is the best gift I've ever given myself. I'm worth it and I'm thrilled that I shut that little nagging voice up into a corner and had surgery despite it's best efforts to stop me. Good luck with your decision.

Great job!

Congrats!! It's the little goals met that keep us working toward the big goals!

I took myself out to lunch today and ordered a bunless cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. I actually ate about half the cheeseburger, the slices of tomato, some pickle slices, and 3 of the fries. The cook came out and I ended up telling him that the food was delicious, but I just couldn't eat any more. I was so full, but that cheeseburger was SO good. The point of that is that you can have ANY food you want after surgery. You just won't be able to eat as much. I'm pleasantly full and not in carb overload from my meal. I'm just now finishing my unsweet iced tea and it tastes divine as well. 93 pounds lost feels really good today, especially knowing that I can eat anything I want. Oh, and for my appetizer and dessert, I had 7 flights of stairs on either side of my meal. Being able to walk up and down those stairs without pain is a MAJOR incentive for me!

Malyss, Is that a new picture? Love it!

I laughed out loud at this! Isn't it amazing how much our mindset changes! I've been upping the resistance on the exercise bike because it was becoming too easy. Now my thighs and butt hurt again...a lot, but I'm still ready and anxious to get back on that dang bike every day! ME! The original queen of don't sweat...I'm actually looking forward to exercise. And, furthermore, I'm ticked at myself if I'm not sweating within 10 minutes. I MUST be getting that endorphin high, because I can't think of any other reason I'd be wanting to get back in there and kill myself every day!!!

Lisa, great job! Glad to hear from you!!

Jewels, some surgeons use a drain through the left side incision to help pull fluid out after surgery. Not all surgeons use this, so don't be worried if you're pre-op. If you're post op and don't know what it is, count yourself lucky to have avoided it!

Lady, Medical people are the worst patients, IMO. Call your doctor. To me, it sounds like you are dehydrated and that makes it difficult to think rationally. You may be dehydrated enough that you need an iv, but try to get some fluids in you. Warm broth went down easier for me than anything else early post-op. I've read that others even resorted to taking a spoonful of liquid at a time and letting it trickle down their throat. Whatever you need to do, you must get some fluids in before you end up having problems. As for regretting the surgery, it's done, so you've got to find a way to wrap your mind around it. Concentrate on the positives, which is tough to do when you're feeling poorly. But, you're already losing weight and you will see the differences very quickly, including resolution of the co-morbidities. (((hugs))) It will get better.