Paola

Its an awesome prayer! Thank you.

My pre-op diet consists of 3 protein shakes (0 carb) and 1 meal for one week, and 4 protein shakes the secod week. I have been doing the 3 shakes 1 meal for a month because my surgery was postponed at the beginning of November. Anyways, I am to the point that I hate the protein shake, I have to give myself a pep talk to swallow the shake once, I haven't been drinking it more than once for a while now. Is anyone else struggling with this? Any suggestions about what I can do to drink it more than once? The protein I am taking is the "Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate- unflavored"

I am tired of mine too, I have started to plug my nose, swallow it fast, and chase it down with Water and a slice of cucumber, or whatever's handy. I think I'll be ok post-op cause im planning on dumping the protein in my Soups or whatever liquid I'm having. Pre-op I have to drink it with water and its terrible.

Hopefully we will both soon be on the loser's bench. My family tree is also full of diabetes, and other medical issues like hypertension and high blood pressure. I have been over 200 pounds since I was 12 years old! I used to yo-yo diet alot, but I'd always gain it back. I have faith that vsg is going to help me lose the weight and keep it off, and I am sure it will do the same for you!

If you have been struggling with your weight for 30 years it is not being greedy! And it doesn't mean you are taking the easy way out, or that you are giving up. The sleeve helps us eat less, but its up to us to eat whats right and to keep doing exercise. The way I see it, the sleeve is a helping hand, its giving us a little push in the right direction.

You are absolutely right, how ever thinks wls is the easy way out hasn't done their homework.

It does kind of sound like rehab. I think the pre-op diet is preparing us for whats to come; plus its leading us away from carbs, since during our losing period we mostly need to focus on our Protein intake and have the carbs in the back burner.

Here is a link that explains it really well: http://www.livestrong.com/article/546412-do-you-get-nauseated-on-low-carb-diet/

In my experience, the first 3 days of low carb diets are the hardest. I don't know if yours is low enough to get you into ketosis, but a side effect of ketosis is nausea.

are both your liquid diets low in carbs?

butterfly411- my pre op diet was supposed to be 2 weeks, with what I posted above being the first week and the last week was all protein shakes, but I decided to do it 3 weeks and by the time I finished the 3 weeks my surgery was postponed. Instead of eating regular food I decided to continue the pre-op diet.

Zedsmummy- I will try and see if I can find that brand here, I not in the US at the moment and the GNC supply where I am is limited. Thanks for the input.

twoboysandagirl- thank you, your prayers are welcome

I am overweight, and as long as I remember I have always been overweight. I remember that during all my summer vacations my dad would put me on a new diet, but they wouldn't work, I would sabotage myself. Last Christmas I went to my native country, Dominican Republic, to spend the holidays with my family there. When my dad saw me at the airport the first words out of his mouth were "nothing but surgery is going to help you lose weight", and he spent all the time I was there trying to convince me to have WLS, he said he would pay for it. I refused his offer, I was convinced I could lose all the weight on my own. On June I finally decided to get on with the diet I was supposed to start after Christmas, it was very upsetting to see that my scale would not weigh me. After a few weeks of dieting I finally realized that I needed help and that having WLS was not giving up, I realized that it was only my stubbornness and pride that was holding me back. That same day I called my dad, he said he still wanted to help me. On July 27 I got on a plane heading for Dominican Republic. Fast forward 4 months and I have lost 50 pounds, 20 more than what my doctor required for surgery; my dad has the money for the surgery, and the only thing holding back my surgery was my insurance card. I have been waiting for 2 months for this card, we've had so many problems with this insurance process. Today I finally got my card, and I was so happy. However, my happiness turned into frustrations an hour ago when my dad told me I could not have my blood work done tomorrow, that I had to wait until the end of the week. I know the end of the week is only a few days away but it just seems that every time I think this blood work is finally going to get done it is postponed. The longer I wait for this surgery the more anxious and frustrated I get, like my aunt would say, "my nerves are nervous!" I think that what really is bothering me is that my mom and sisters are not here with me, they are in Miami. We are very close, and I miss them. I know I should feel happy because it shouldn't be much longer, but I don't feel happy right now. I want this surgery to be over with so I can return home.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Thank you! I am having some trouble with waiting for the surgery and those are the words I needed to hear.

After waiting since August for my insurance it is finally here!!!! I was growing increasingly frustrated because I had gone down the 30 pounds the dr. required, and I had the money for the surgery, the only thing holding me back was the insurance. Hopefully tomorrow I will get my blood work done and I'll have a date for my surgery next week!!!!

I understand your concerns about all the socializing done around food. I am having my sleeve done in my native country, Dominican Republic, so for the past 4 months I have been staying with my grandmother and the woman loves to cook. Every Sunday there's a buffet style lunch here, all my aunts and cousins come and spend the day eating! At the beginning it was hard, but at the same time It allowed me to reaffirm the commitment I made to myself. There's always going to be food around, I just have to learn to eat what is right for me and my future sleeve. I now find it kind of funny all the concerned looks I get when my family sees what I'm going to eat, before it used to be concern at how much I ate. About the Protein, I have read that after surgery your taste buds change and you might not like the ones you liked pre-surgery.

I use Now Sports Whey Protein Isolate, I get it from amazon. I also mix it with sugar free juices, or in my tea. http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Protein-Isolate-10-Pound/dp/B000MAK59O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322436594&sr=8-1

I was given a pre op diet to do the 2 weeks before the surgery. My doctor said that usually overweight people have a bigger liver, and it tends to sit on your stomach. My pre-op diet is to help reduce the size of my liver, I am really overweight so I have been following the diet to the letter. I bought Now Sports Whey Protein Isolate, the unflavored kind. I bought it unflavored to use it in the sugar free juices, in broths, tea, etc. I thought that way I would have more variety and I wouldn't be stuck with a big tub of 1 flavor.

Lissa- Thanks for the blog tip, I have been checking it out and it looks great.

For a long time I resisted the idea of WLS, I wanted to drop all the weight I had gained over the years on my own. One day, not long ago I realized I was letting pride and stubbornness get in the way of my health. I never had any negative comments, everyone around me has watched me struggle with my weight all my life. That being said, if I had someone say something negative to me I'd tell them that WLS is a tool to help me lose weight, and keep the weight off. WLS starts with your stomach, thats the relative easier part, the hard part is knowing that this is a lifestyle change, and that you are up to the challenge. Like any tool, if its not used right it won't work. WLS doesn't automatically means you'll lose all your excess weight if you don't work hard to lose it, you will have to learn to eat whats right for you for the rest of your life. I used to think that if I had WLS I was giving up on myself, but know I know different, I know its up to me to make it work. WLS can only do so much, we have to do the rest!

Thanks, this list helps

Pinned somewhere in the website there were some guidelines for vsg, I think they were from Dr. Aceves. The topic had all kind of info about what to buy for the first days after surgery, and what to eat for the first month or so. I know I saw this somewhere but I can't find it! Anyone has a clue what I'm talking about and where is it? Thanks!

Did anyone have their surgery at the AG Center for Advanced Medicine?