Butterthebean

I wasn't required to have a "puréed" food stage, just soft foods. I went from full liquids to scrambled eggs and finely ground chili. No problems.

If you are having a gallbladder attack, or if you have stones, you'd be better off knowing it now...before surgery. You wouldn't want to have a full blown attack a day or 2 after surgery. Some people have the gall bladder removed during the sleeve surgery. If you have stones, that could be an option for you, but only if you find out now.

The best exercise in the world is one you enjoy.

You are awesome. The weight gain could be a combination of muscle gain and inflammation from using all those muscles that you have not been using for so long. Did you get yourself any kind of walking stick/hiking pole/cane? Not only will it help with balance but it will transfer the impact and strain of walking to your upper body muscles so your lower body muscles (and joints) will not get so fatigued. I noticed that even Walmart is selling the hiking poles now. They are right next to the tents in the sporting goods section. I am a firm believer in them. I don't hike without them. Keep up the great work. You are definitely my inspiration. I don't tell my wife much about what I read here on this forum but I have kept her up to date on this thread. It's a great story.

After you enter your food into my fitness pal, hit the "home" bottom at the bottom, then hit "daily" at the top. It will give you a break down of all your nutritional info for the day. Also, when you are looking at your food diary, touch any food you entered and it will show you the same break down of that food. This assuming you're looking at the mobile app. You can do the same online but the approach is slightly different.

What Drewmon said is definitely true. I'm sure there are tons of contributing factors. One that pops to mind for me is the Protein. I think there is a definite correlation between being successful at VSG and getting in your protein. Now here is where it gets anecdotal, most guys I know have had some experience with Protein shakes in the past. Any guy who lifts weights usually tries them. If you drink them a while, you learn how to tolerate them. Believe me, very few people like them right off. The ones I drink now tasted like chocolate flavored radiator Fluid when I first drank them. Now they taste like chocolate milk...yum yum. Also, how many overweight guys are meat lovers? Probably all of them. That sure helps when you're suddenly on a high protein, low carb diet. I don't think it's the same for all the women here. Again, pure speculation on my part so nobody flame me for being a gender biased meat eater. I think no matter what gender you are, being in the best physical shape possible going into surgery helps.

Shane Ferriss posts on here all the time. He is an OTR driver. In fact that used to be his username. I used to do local work 10 years ago. Do you have a fridge in your sleeper? If so, your main thing is going to be carrying the foods/protein drinks and so forth that you need with you. Do not plan on stoping at any truck stops or fast food places for meals for a while. Once you are on full foods you can always buy a grilled chicken sandwich and throw away the bread, but you will need to plan on buying all your groceries on the road and keeping them with you. I know some drivers already do this and some just eat every meal at the truck stops/fast food places. You'll need to stock up on Protein shakes before you hit the road unless you can find a GNC, Vitamin Shop or some other place on the road that sells them. You could use a small portable blender in your truck to mix them up but I think a shaker bottle with mixing ball is much simpler. They even sell them at Walgreens and Walmart now. You'll also need to carry plenty of Water with you and always have a bottle handy. Also, what are you gonna do about exercise? I know Shane was looking to carry a folding bicycle in his truck so he could go for rides. I've seen drivers doing all kinds of crazy workouts at rest stops. Whatever it is, you'll need to make a plan for it and stick to it. It will be challenging but it can certainly be done. You have the advantage of being able to eat and drink whenever you want/need to.

My fitness pal will track calories as well as protein.

Stalls are normal during this time frame. Also, if you weren't active before but have now started exercising, you may be adding some muscle as you burn off the fat. The muscle weighs more than fat, therefore the scale will not move as much. Don't worry, it will start moving again very soon. Keep exercising, get your Protein and Water. Watch the starches. You can only put on so much muscle on your limited calories. After that, the scale will start dropping again. Besides, you're losing over 6 pounds a week, that's pretty phenomenal.

You won't have to worry about your metabolism if you make exercise a regular and permanent part of your life. Your eating capacity will eventually increase slightly a year or 2 out, but never to the point it is now. The idea is to work hard to reach goal before you get to that point, so once there, you will have no trouble maintaining. But in getting there, you have to learn a way of life that is healthy. You cannot plan on going back to your old ways (as some do) once you reach goal. For me that means always monitoring my food intake and my weight, but it's different for everybody. And as far as a "last chance" is concerned. The sleeve is not the last chance. You can get a bypass after the sleeve if I'm not mistaken. That's what the sleeve was first developed for, as step 1 of a 2 step process for severely overweight people. But but but....don't let it come to that. Work your sleeve and it will work for you. People who expect the sleeve to do all the work are the ones who end up dissappointed.

It dehydrates your body.

I woke up from surgery wearing one of those stomach binder things. Doc told me to wear it for 4 days. It was basically like a big stretchy stomach holder in thing.

Yes...and thanks.

NannieG...are you a Frasier fan? Best show ever. Anyway... 10 days preop 401 surgery 385 today 301

William, looking at your pictures, you and I could damn near be twins. I was almost the exact same size as you. I had my surgery a little over 3 months ago, and the weight is flying off. Best advice I could give....follow your Doctor and NUT's plans to the letter, give up starches, learn to love Protein shakes and exercise. I can't tell you how much better I feel now, just 3 months out. Light on my feet, nimble, tons of energy. I'm starting to see my reflection in the mirror, and it takes me a second to recognize myself. I wish you and everyone else the same success. Good luck to you. This surgery is just one step, but it will start you down a better path.

I look at it this way. There was a 1% chance that my surgery could go wrong. But there was a 100% chance that my obesity was going to cause me to die young. Hard to beat those odds.

He is talking about picking up and dropping off movies at the Redbox in front of McDonald's. Not eating there. Come on people....

Good for you for being proactive about this and not waiting till the last minute. You are going to do great. I like Met-Rx.

I think alot of people have second thoughts before surgery, but almost everyone is glad they had the surgery after.

I had the same problem. A half cup of skim milk and tiny spoonful of Peanut Butter filled me up and satisfied those cravings. Also, I think for me, it's better if I just go to bed when I'm feeling like that. I was a big time late night snacker. Staying up late just made me want to eat. Your body may be trying to tell you something, "eat or go to bed". You may feel very good, but your body is still healing, and trying to do it on limited calories.

I don't know why everybody thinks the "dreaded Protein Shakes " are so bad. I had been drinking them for years before the surgery. I liked them then and I sill do. It's important to find one you like before surgery. I love my Met-Rx. It's the only chocolate I get, and I'm a chocoholic, so it satisfies my cravings. Maybe I'm just lucky. But I will say I never found one I liked right off the bat. It always took drinking a few to acquire the taste for it. Also helped to not have any sweets during that same time period, so there was nothing else competing with it for tastes. I know some peoples tastes change after surgery. For me, I gagged at the thought of any more Soup after surgery. But still loved my shakes. I hope you find one you love. It will make your road so much easier.

That pre-op diet is the absolute hardest part. There is no getting around it. Just keep your eyes on the prize. Very soon you are going to feel so much better. In the meantime you need to find something to do to take your mind off of how you feel. If you just sit around and watch the clock, time will drag on and you will feel worse. I know it's hard but force yourself to do something. Anything you enjoy or maybe some tasks you've been putting off that need doing. After surgery you won't be able to do much so now is the time. I promise you things are about to change in your life for the better.

Nice going. You look just like Vin Diesel.

Capt. Derel, you've done so well. You're an inspiration to the rest of us big guys.

Completely depends on what they are...but it's possible your surgeon will want you to go off all meds for at least a few days. I would definitely ask your surgeon about this.