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Janette, no, sorry I'm not on it. I'll. Check it out though. And if it looks to be useful I will get it and friend you.

Neilsleeve, my doc and nutritionist both said that you need to void the water before hand because it fills you up and you will not get enough food in you to get proper nutritian. Drinking immediately after will then push the food out too soon. So, what you posted above is exactly what my medical people told me. I dont generally drink while eating unless, like you mentioned, the food is dry and needs a little liquid to help it go down, or if I am sipping a jack and diet coke. I think they dont want you downing a 20oz bottle of water while chowing on a hamburger. Sometimes in the medical profession they need to spell things out for people because, inevitably, people do dumb things. I dont think what you are doing, if kept in moderation, is hurting a thing.

Dooter, you are right about it not being the easy way out but after the multiple times of KILLING MYSELF in the gym to lose weight in the past, this has been the easiest process so far and it will be permanent with a little dicipline. I have lost a lot of weight in the past, just 6 years ago before my wedding in the Outer Banks, I lost about 70 lbs in 6 months by watching my diet and working out at least 6 days a week for about 1-2 hours each session. I did this 2-3 times over the past 10-12 years and this is much easier so I can justiify it as being the easy way...at least in my case. It is not a negative thing, just a better and more realistic approach for long term success. Plus, my schedule no longer allows for this kind of dedication to the gym, That said, I do understand what you are saying and why.

Oh, hit the 100 lbs lost mark as of this morning! Woohoo, about 30 lbs to goal! I forgot, to mention Janette, I have a stationary bike that I ride hard for about 30 min about 4-5 days a week. I ride a hill program at a higher resistance level so it gives me a mix of effort. Once spring gets here, I am getting a bike and will start mountain biking to tow path riding and will start participating in the Warrior Dash/Run For Ya Lives type of obstacle course runs that my friends do. That is, if my torn ACL will hold up to it.....

Janette, I eat a lot of greek yogurt, favorite is apple cinnamon Chobani yogurt, lots of string cheese for Snacks, a handful of goldfish cracker in the evening for my evening shack after getting my daily Protein. I think you get just over 100 calories in those and there are something like 50-60 in a serving. I dont eat that many because being a cracker, they fill me up. I will sometimes have chili for lunch, maybe 4 oz of grilled turkey breast, or chicken, or even a plain hamburger patty with mustard or A1. With the hamburger, I do need to avoid the healthier lean ground beef becasue it sits in my stomach like a rock and isnt comfortable. I do eat a very small portion of a sweet item sometimes (ice cream, cookie, muffin, etc...) but they are limited and I never eat the whole thing. I find the diet very easy becasue I am not a person who requires a lot of diversity in my meals, I could eat the same thing every meal and be content. My general daily diet is Yogurt for Breakfast, 2x string cheese for morning snack, yogurt or a high protein food from my work cafeteria for lunch, a Protein Bar later in the afternoon, then some type of meat or a yogurt for dinner (depending on if I had a yogurt for lunch), then something small later in the evening if I feel like it. Gets my protein, keeps me full, and keeps me losing weight. I feel great so it must not be too bad of a diet....oh, plus my required Vitamins....

I am now about 11-12 weeks out and I am down 98 lbs. So far so good, I keep having lots of mini stalls where I dont lose for about 4-5 days and then I lose 2-3 lbs over a 2 day period. Despite the slowing of weight loss, I am very happy with the results being 2 lbs from that triple digit loss and only a little over 30 lbs to go until goal. I am hoping to be at goal of 185 before X-mas which makes it right around the 5 month post-surgery mark. I think it is going to take a lot of dedication to exercise to get there because the diet is a habit now and is easy to sustain. We will see.... So far, besides my wife and daughter, this is the best thing I have ever done for myself!

I know I am not female but I felt good within 2 days of surgery, and like New_Hope, I was told by the entire staff not to lift more than a gallon of milk for a month. Then, the day I was being released from the hospital, my surgeon/doctor stopped in to see me and said that I was perfectly fine to pick up my 1 year old who weighed in at over 20 lbs. He said it may hurt but was not going to hurt me....if that made sense. And, the day we left the hospital, my wife and I went to the daycare to get my daughter and I picked her up then and had absolutely no issues since. I was not able (allowed) to drive for a week after but I was off pain meds after the first day of being home from the hospital. I dont think I even needed them but wanted to make sure the pain dindt creep up on me. But, again, everyone is different so my experience may be completely different from yours....

I should follow up my post with saying that I still get my Protein in, minimum of 65-75 grams per day, so after that is when I may fit in that special something that I just have a craving for but can't really eat much of. Getting in your protein will prevent you from wanting the junk food. Just dont substitute that pan of brownies in instead of that chicken breast! That is not what my point was and dont think neilsleeve was getting at that either. Point is eat right but dont be afraid to treat yourself in moderation if you can tolerate it. One of my favorite junk foods is ice cream but over the past 2 weeks, I discovered I can't tolerate it and was sick for a few hours the 2 times I tried it. Tried it once and felt bad, tried it again just to verify it was the ice cream and not something else...sure enough, same results even in moderation. I guess I will hang up the ice cream indulgence for now. Boooooooooooo!

Neilsleeve, nail on the head my friend, nail on the head! I feel the exact same way and am approacing the "diet" thing the exact same way. If I want it, I eat it...just WAY LESS! I am 2 months out, eat just about anything I want when I want it. If I am craving something, I will take a bite or two, it satisfies me, then stop eating it because I am not hungry for it anymore. Did I take in 20-30 extra calories, probably....is it going to hurt me, absolutely not, in fact, I will burn off 20 times that when I ride my bike or go play with my daughter, or go do something physical that I couldn't do previously. It is all about using your head, staying diciplined, and living your life, not deprivation. I am not going to spend my life being terrified of food!

Malisima69, I know what you are feeling as I felt the same, as many above have mentioned. But, if you are dedicated and you are diciplined as it sounds you are prepared to be, you will not fail the surgery. I, just like you had a few months to prepare and I took every word the doctor and nutritionist said to heart and listened to them! And, I am getting the results to prove it with 95 lbs lost and I am 2 months into my surgery. I lost 50 from March to July and then 45 since the end of July when I had surgery. I am 40 lbs from goal and feel great. Now, there were times I felt like I was failing because, as I have always done, I weigh myself daily, usually 2x a day (morning and night). I will go a week at a time with no weight loss and then 5 lbs drops off over 2 days. This is how I have been the entire time. Initially, I lost 10 lbs in the first week after surgery then went 2 weeks w/o losing a pount. I felt like I was going to be the failure you fear, but that broke and I started losing again. I lost 20 in the first month, and then 20 in the second month, and now another 5 in the past week. Like I said, nothing for about 4-5 days, then 5 lbs drops over 2 days. Then another stall for 4-5 days and then another 5 lbs off. It goes in spurts for me and can be a little frustrating at times. But, I am measuring it based on how my clothing is fitting me, how I look in the mirror, and how I feel. Even when the lbs are not coming off, my clothes continue to fit looser and looser so I know I am losing inches. It is a mystery to me as to where it is going if I am not losing weight other than to attribute it to muscle gain through extra physical activity (walking and biking)....but I dont care as long as I look and feel better. If I stay at 220 lbs and my waist gets smaller and my legs get smaller and I look and feel better, so be it! Trust that it will work and do your part to help it work and you will have great success with it. You can't fail if you do your part to make it work for you. I can attest to this as I went on vacation 2 weeks ago and knew for sure I would gain a little back as I was not careful as to what I ate or how often I ate. I did find that I just couldnt eat to excess and came home from the beach with a 2 lbs weight loss. AMAZING difference from past experiences with vacation. TRUST IT! TRUST IT! TRUST IT!!!!! DO YOUR PART AND IT WILL WORK!

Ok, I am 2 months and 2 days post-op and about 6 months out from my initial consultation with my doctor. I am down just over 90 lbs, 50 pre-op and now 40+ post op (in 2 months). I just looked back at pics from my sister-in-law's wedding and can't believe how big I was at the time. I was somewhere around 315-318 at the time in this wedding pic and am now down to the mid 220's with about 40-45 lbs to go to goal. I know others' pre and post-op pics were big inspirations to me so I want to share my transformation as potential motivation for others. But, the biggest inspiration is the little one and my wife in the last two pics. Don't mind the cheesy OBX gear we are wearing in the second pic, we were intentionally doing the "tourist" thing the day we left....lol

This little girl right here....

This sounds like a sciatic nerve. It is the large nerver bundle that runs through the pelvis and down the legs. What happens is, you irritate and get inflammation in the nerve bundle and it can cause numbness in your legs and feet. Perhaps you have a slight narrowing where the nerve bundle runs through the pelvic area and the exercies you are doing are causing the irritation? I only know this because I hurt my back about 4 -5 years ago and my left leg went numb. This is the message that the doc relayed to me.... Until I lost weight, I periodically had numbness in my toes on the side of my left foot. I was constantly irritating those nerves in my hip on the left side.

Thanks for all of the compliments everyone, it really has been a great journey. Yeah, I am down over 90 lbs but to be honest, it doesn’t feel like it. It wasn't until I posted these pics that I realized how much of a difference there really is. This was the first time I have put before and, I guess you can call it "After" pics together. I use the term "after" loosely because it just hit 2 months over the weekend. The funny thing about this journey is that I didn’t realize that all of my aches and pains were the result of carrying that extra weight around on a frame that had always been sub 200 lbs. Well, except for the left knee issues but that is a sports related ACL tear problem. But, even with the ACL tear, the weight loss has nearly stopped the knee pain as well, only when it is over used does it hurt. It is definitely nice to be on normal foods now! It is actually easier when I am at work because I pack the right foods in the morning and that is what I eat all day. Still eating about 5-6 times a day but the meals are so small, just enough to take the hunger away without feeling uncomfortable. Lots of Greek yogurt (Chobani Apple Cinnamon is amazing!), low fat or light string mozzarella cheese, EAS Protein drinks, and then usually a lean meat of some sort throughout the day and I am good!!!! I just returned from a weeklong vacation in the Outer Banks and traditionally, I gain 10 lbs from that week. There is so much food in the beach house that all you do is graze all day. Even if I tried, I couldn’t this year, it was awesome! I actually came back 1-2 lbs lighter and I was not too careful about what I ate (it was vacation!!!!). Now that I am back, I am back to being very disciplined once again, the sleeve makes it very easy to be disciplined! I am not exercising like crazy though; my schedule just doesn’t permit the time to go nuts in the gym. But, I am riding my stationary bike daily and I walk a lot at work since our building is 1/5 of a mile long. Now that winter is coming and the days are getting shorter, I will dust off my Bowflex machine and start hitting the weights a little more, at least that is the plan. I am also mountain bike shopping although that may wait until spring as I don’t want to have to sit and look at it for the next 6 months waiting on the weather to break. For those not sure, or on the fence, the sleeve is an amazing tool that when used correctly provides outstanding results. Less food, increased energy, and a renewed lease on life are the upsides. The first day or so following surgery weren’t what I would call "awesome" days, but barring complications, the recovery is quick. I highly recommend having it done robotically if you have that option!!! I had surgery on a Monday and could have easily returned to my desk job by Wednesday or Thursday, but instead, I had to wait until I was cleared at my 1 week appointment. The worst of this whole process....the drain tube. I would not say it hurt; it was just weird, especially them pulling it like a rip cord when it was time to remove it at my 1 week post-op appt. Ok, sorry for the rambling mess that this probably comes across as but I just wanted to share my experience to this point.

I had my surgery on the 23rd but not down much from surgery day, down 14 lbs. Im not upset by that since I'm down 70 lbs with pre-op starting last Feb. I didnt think I would be losing at a very high rate after surgery since I lost so much up front. But, I feel really good and have no pain anymore. Been back to work since day 7 after surgery and have been fortunate that getting my Protein and Water has not been an issue. Now, that doesn't mean I can get much more in but at least I'm able to take in what I need. I start pureed/blenderized food on Monday so that will be a nice change of pace! I will be on normal food by the time I go on vacation in Mid September. I will be three weeks on Monday and will be playing in a golf outing this Sunday. Already tried hitting with a full swing and have been completely pain free. Doc said to listen to my body for determining what I can do but dont over do it so thats my plan.

I am in the same place as you although I am only 2 weeks post op as of today. My 2 weeks on Optifast leading up to surgery, I lost approximately 18 lbs, then another 11 lbs in the first wek while on the liquid diet. Now that week 2 has come and gone, I have not lost a thing this past week. I know from my caloric intake and protein intake that I cant possibly go without losing weight but it may just be different than what others have experienced. I know how you feel and sometimes think the same way, but i just keep telling myself that it will come off.... Now, I am down 70 lbs since February so my weight loss may be slowed since I lost the initial weight before surgery that many may not have lost until after. Regardless, I feel that once I can start rigorious physical activity, I will lose and keep the weight off.

Hey everyone, I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I am new to the site as a registered member but have been on periodically over the past few months reading as much as I possibly could in order to get a real world education on the sleeve. I actually visited the surgeon for the first time on Jan 26th, got his preliminary approval to move forward and to decide which route I wanted to go. My wife is actualy a surgical RN and works in bariatric rooms so I was pretty sure which direction I wanted to go based on her recommendations, but still needed the consult with the doctor to help make the right choice. It looks like I will be scheduling the surgery for sometime in May and I am looking so forward to it. My story is that I was always pretty normal growing up as an athlete in HS and then in the military for 4 years, always in that 165-185 range (dipped as low as 155 when I was doing a stint in Saudi Arabia). In college following the military, I found the love of beer and then tore my ACL while playing softball. From that point on, I blew past the 200 mark and have only dropped under one time, about 12 years ago. I was actually almost there in 2006 when I got married but have since gained 100 lbs to top out at 317 when I went infor my consult. As of now, since seeing the second doctor for the nutrition consultation, I have dropped down to just above 300 just with diet habit changes. I actually look forward to the 2 weeks of the Optifast diet leading up to the surgery because I am already a fan of the liquid diets (I'm a slimfast lover already). Anyway, I really appreciate this forum and have been looking up a lot of the before/after pictures as motivators to keep moving forward with a positive outlook. I think I will initially will struggle with the slow and steady pace of eating and drinking because all of my life I have been an eat-chug-run type of person not wanting to take time to sit and eat a normal meal at a slower pace. As for the drinking part, I have a problem with having a drink in my hand, regardless of what it is, I want to drink it as fast as possible. It will definitely be a change that I need to work on now. I look forward to reading many more success stories while hoping to provide one of my own shortly. By the way, those of you who have posted before/after shots, you all look amazing! It is quite a sight to see your profile pics and compare them to your pre-surgery pics. Most of you I would never think in a milion years that the before pics are actually you!

I am not sure, my doctor seems to be a little more strict across the board on how we recover so..... Could just he that he is overly cautious but this is standard for my Bariatric Care Center.

Well, Monday, July 23rd is quickly approacing and I go on a clear liquid diet starting sunday. So far I have actually enjoyed the Optifast diet since I chose mostly the peanutbutter/chocolate and the chocolate bars. I think they taste pretty good, maybe I am weird!? To this point since I had my first consultation at the end of Jan, I am down 52 lbs and roughly 8 BMI points as of this morning. Only about 80 lbs left to goal! I hope that continues through after the sleeve. Only really one thing bugging me about this whole process is the fact that I can't lift over 15 lbs for the next month. That means I cant pick up my 1 year old....that will be harder than passing up any food out there! Anyway, I am looking forward to the big change next week, time to take it head on!

My doctor said 4 weeks because of the risk of infection at the incision sites. Showers only for 4 weeks, no "soaking" of any kind....

I am having my surgery on the 23rd and just started my 2 week pre-op Optifast diet on Sunday (8th). So far so good but yesterday was rough, I was truely hungry and the shakes were not cutting it....think I drowned myself in Water to compensate. Anyway, I thought I did a good job losing weight on my own over the past 4 months but have dropped 9.5 lbs since starting Optifast on Sunday. I really didn't think I would lose when on optifast because I had lost weight already, boy was I wrong! Good luck to all of you, gonna be a wild ride!

Well, I finally got my date, July 23rd. Although it is only 2 months out, it feels like it is so far away still. I just want it to get here so I can get started! I have had good luck with weight loss already just from changing my diet (down to 278 from 317 lbs) but they are still going to make me do the Optifast for 2 weeks prior, which I was hoping to avoid. Oh well, comes with the territory I guess. Not really looking forward to the Optifast diet even though I have really cut back on my eating!