MinaT

I agree with PdX. In the end the decision is yours. I still have to buy food for my family that I cannot eat. They eat it, heck I even have to cook it, but I have changed the way I buy food now. Many of us are busy and though what you say may be true, at this very second in your life, that it's cheaper, faster & easier to buy McDonald's than it is to buy chicken and fresh vegetables and grill. Make homemade soups, chili's. Take the cost of this surgery, health care, doctor's visits that you will inevitably have to deal with like some of us that are older and you will see which is actually, faster, cheaper & easier. After the surgery it will still be cheaper, faster & easier to buy McDonalds, once you are in your 40's like me and have spent easily 100,000 going to Cardiologist, Rheumatologist, Neurologist, Internists, as I sit and think of all the hours I spend in waiting rooms, all the money on prescriptions, surgeries I may end up needing in the future, like hips, knees, neck, I realize, what is really important. Your boyfriend got used to doing this for you, because he thought it made you happy. That or you have to realize you are allowing him to help you sabotage your efforts. Good luck and I hope today is an easier day.

Sending thoughts and prayers to all May 30 sleevers.

Sending you prayers, it's not normal, hopefully they can figure it out and get you back on the road to healing and feeling better.

The easiest to use is most definitely myfitnesspal.com. It's free and works. I've tried fitday.com but it has a lot of bells and whistles but it not as easy as myfitnesspal.com which charts your food and it has some neat features. If you cook yourself you can input your ingredients and do a recipe, so you know your own values of your homemade Soups, chili's and chop suey's like I do. I've used it for six months. Always check thoroughly the listings because some people will put "egg salad" but if you don't know what ingredients they are using, then you can't go by it, but it's easy to do it yourself by the ingredients you use. Most restaurants have their foods listed, like Red Lobster, Potbelly, Wendy's etc. so it's super easy. If you eat the same foods every day it's easy to pick and chose your foods you ate previously. With Myfitnesspal you can get the app for your phone too. It's easy to chart your Water etc. You can also chart your cardio and strength training too. If you need more help with information on exercise calorie expenditures, I use http://www.nutribase.com/exercala.htm at times if I can't find it. Remember never to follow myfitnesspal.com recommended daily suggestion for Calories, Carbs, Proteins, Fat because if you do, there's good chance you will gain weight. Make sure you get your 80 grams of Protein, stay about 800 calories and about 45 grams of carbs or whatever your doctor recommends. ps I'm on the shake pre-op phase and I still chart that and my water every day to keep up with it.

I'm 5'3" - I know people that are 5'3" and get away with weighing 105 pounds, and I look better at about 130-135 any less I look gaunt because I am built solid and muscular. Then again I thought for a while if I could only be 200 again, I would be so happy.

Oh I love that you have the right attitude and we're here every step of the way !!!!

PEvette, I'm so darn happy and proud of you. It's got to be hard to do the liquid diet with all the temptation, bless your heart seriously!!!!! We're here for you and I know you can do it. Sending big hugs your way!

Day 9 of pre-op shakes. 3 Protein shakes a day. I am tired and going to bed earlier, but I have stepped up my exercise. I'm doing 2 hours of Gazelle and walking 1-1/2 miles a day. Something that has picked me up a bit is a cup of decaff peppermint tea. Day 3 & 4 were the hardest for me, but I kept busy. I think one of the worst things you can do before surgery is to become sedentary. You know how when you exercise every single day and then you quit for a few days it gets hard to start back up? Well, when you have surgery you will be required to just walk the halls. You need to keep up the stamina, while you can, to make that go a little better. As you hit day 5, you may hit ketosis and the breath thing becomes an issue. I rinse my mouth out with non-alcohol based mouth wash (Biotene) and brush my teeth & floss a lot. I would never eat right after flossing, so it's also a good tool to use. Eager, I had a headache that lasted about 2 days, I promise you it will get better. Up your Water and make sure you are getting 64 ounces at the minimum. The busier you are the easier it is. Hopefully you will get to bed and fall asleep quicker because you kept busy and are tired out then. I'm a bit sleepy today but I'm going to have my shake, do a little more gazelle and then go for a walk and hop into bed and sleep and get up and do it again tomorrow. Good Luck, again I promise it does get easier!

Drink a lot of Water, Propel 0 calorie 0 carb also was helpful. Brush your teeth and use a non-alcohol base mouthwash, Biotene works best for me. I also floss a lot, nobody eats right after they floss. When Ketosis hits the breath can get pretty nasty and dry mouth is the worst. * added - Decaff Peppermint or whatever flavor you like tea with a little Truvia or spenda is good to stop the craving and growling. I'm on 3 Protein shakes a day only on day 9 of 14. Day 3 & 4 were the hardest. Keep busy, walk and don't think about it.

So Allyssa Christie and A Christie are the same? I'm tired I think I'm a tad sleepy today lol.

I'm not afraid to admit, I am vain and reading about the zits plus the hair loss has me freaking. I called off school in high school because of a zit before. I've been blessed with an extremely clear complexion and oh boy, this is a complication that I really hope passes me up.

Congrats and good for you both. Can't wait to hear more stories from you.

I suffer severe migraines and usually use caffeine and excederine migraine. I had to quit both, I quit the coffee by drinking decaff coffee and decaff tea and using an ice pack. After two days I was fine. Good luck.

Well congrats on the 66. Obviously you know exactly what you need to do to change things, grab a few more bottles of water, and change the nuggets to a chicken breast and perhaps a slice of cheese for lunch and get in a shake or some protein for breakfast. Incorporate some exercise and stay away from the junk. Like you said it's a tool that you are in control of, and before it gets out of hand and the numbers start creeping up, you can make a choice of working at it. What is it you want at 7 months, or 8 months or a year down the road. What non-scale victories are you looking forward to? Perhaps start posting some positives that you are looking forward to, set small goals. Best of luck and best wishes to you and hopefully this blog will motivate you to get back on track.

Great information there Pdx!!!!

Pure Protein 100% Whey you can get from target. GNC has a different brand. Try to make sure your shake has low carbs under 9 and at least 25 grams of protein per shake. Replace at least one meal a day now, drink a cup of hot decaff tea about 1/2 hour before dinner, eat meat first, vegie second, carbs third, chew everything slowly and try not to drink with meal. Start exercising now.

The Protein shakes are all different, I started in November replacing Breakfast every day with Pure Protein 100% whey Protein Frosty chocolate, which is about $28.00 for a huge tub of it. My son and I both used it daily. You can also try some of the ones at GNC which are a little higher. I never ate breakfast before. I just posted some tips and tricks earlier on a thread called Pre-preop and here's a link. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/40110-pre-preop-diet/page__p__356831#entry356831 It has helped me tremendously and I'm sure there are other great tips.

Best of luck to you.

You should start a pre-pre-op diet. Other's may say don't worry about it, I say they are wrong. I did it for six months and the change was slow but it was worth it. I lost 60 pounds during the six month pre-op. If you follow the standard pre-op diet of 80 grams of Protein and 45 - 75 carbs and chart your food on myfitnesspal.com you could easily lose 20 pounds or more before surgery. Find a 100% whey Protein shake you like - I use Pure Protein 100% Whey Protein Shake in Frosty chocolate and I eat that for Breakfast. For lunch I would have cheese, cottage cheese or something like that, a yogurt even. About 1/2 hour before you eat dinner, drink a hot flavored decaff tea. I like Peppermint myself. Learn to not drink Water with your meals. For dinner I would eat my meat first, vegetables second then I would eat my starch, like rice or potato or something. Switch to skim now. Get rid of pops, drink 64 ounces of a water a day now. Learn to chew your food slowly and thoroughly. If you learn that now, it won't be so hard as when drinking a sip of water is hard. Before your pre-op shake phase if you have one, switch to decaff. It blows, I know, but why go through caffeine withdrawal during the preop shake phase, that time is going to suck. If you don't exercise. Walking in place while watching a show you enjoy. I literally walked through all all seasons of Lost, One Tree Hill, Vampire Diaries lol. I then started doing Gazelle. I could do the gazelle only 5 minutes at a time (at first I was too bit to fit on my machine) now I do an hour twice a day. I have attempted to go through this surgery twice before. Once I quit because my husband lost his insurance, and then the second time I got pneumonia and I was upset about the six month pre-surgery thing. Why make the weight loss so much more extreme AFTER surgery. Why not set yourself up now for the best possible outcome. Start overcoming bad behaviors now. The surgery is not a cure all. People that don't follow a good pre-op routine seem to have a more difficult time. I have spent countless hours pouring through this site and others reading stories. Those that have a lot of complications, I went back and saw posts prior to surgery. A positive attitude goes a long way, starting behavior modifications goes a long way to a positive outcome. If you expect the surgery to make your life wonderful, it won't, only you can do it by starting to get rid of the behaviors that brought you here today. There are also unexpected complications after surgery that no matter how vigilant you are you may have to face. Knowing this in advance is good, but realizing it and having a positive attitude and losing some weight before hand lessens the chances of problems, but if you are going to have a problem having it with less weight on you has to be a lot better for you. The eating like a horse is a normal reaction, let it go, you did what a lot of people here have done, but you have time to correct it now. Let it go, and start again, make today the start of a new you. Surgery is next week for me and I'm scared. I am sick I have Lupus, I have a small brain tumor, I could have gone through this surgery and slept and ate my way through the six month program like others have, but I decided I wanted to show I got it in me to succeed. I was afraid of feeling that I wasn't strong enough if I only counted on this surgery. I had to prove that I have it in me to succeed. I have more excuses than most to just wait for the surgery, I'm 48 I have had a heart monitor, I take a lot of medicine that makes me tired and makes me feel crappy. I even gave up a sleeping pill realizing it made me a night eater. Last September I sat on my couch and could hardly breath and realized I was What's Eating Gilbert Grape. My son had to help me tie my shoes, my husband helped me up the stairs. I saw the look in people's eyes when they saw me. I went from oxygen during sleep to needing it during the day after walking up the stairs. I was over 300 pounds then and I started trying on my own. By October I had the courage to call up again and schedule an appointment for the third time. I laid in bed at night thinking tonight is the night I die in my sleep, like my cousin did. My great grandmother died at 49. I'll be 49 this year. I may very well have a lot of complications, but I have decreased a lot of them just by working out some kinks before surgery. Change the way you feel about yourself now. You will beat yourself even more after surgery when you can't eat anything and if you gain anymore now, it will only be more you have to lose later. You look like a beautiful girl, logically it makes sense to start now. Go into this 100% give it your all, you are worth it. Surgery is only a tool, you can figure out how to use the tool you will be given by practicing now. Imagine how close you will be to your weight loss goal if you work on it now. Good Luck to you and I am looking forward to seeing your success story.

Congrats keep up the good work! Calicolea - I noticed you were June 4th like me. I added you to Support 2012 - June 2012 http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/198-june-2012-sleevers/ list we have going called the June Sleever's Compilation thread located at http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/39508-june-sleevers-compilation-good-luck-well-wishes/

Haha, I use myfitnesspal.com and still even use it for these stupid shakes. We had to do a six month food tracking and were expected to have 80 grams a Protein and 45-75 of carbs then the 14 days of 3 shakes a day, they laughed when my report for the food, exercise and Water diary was handed to them how detailed I was with exercises etc. I'm feeling guilty because I know I won't be able to keep up with June Sleevers while I'm in the hospital, I'm bringing a kindle not a laptop. I hate laptops but maybe my husband will help me out lol. I just got off the phone with the head nurse of the bariatric clinic, she's allowing me to bring a box of variety pack and a box of chocolate in to exchange for strawberry. Thank goodness, I'm so sick of chocolate I can barely stand it. I drank a Chocolate Protein shake Pure Protein 100% whey Frosty Shake every day for six months and loved them, the New Direction is getting to me lol. I asked her about the binder and yes, I will be given a binder, some people like them, some don't I am glad I will be given one. She said that her and the nutritionist will be visiting me after I wake up in my room and she'll come down and walk with me, so I'm happy about that. If anyone uses healthy4life, Anna is awesome!!

1. Explain that using the pre-approval time to change your habits, Use the time to learn to chew chew chew your food, learn how to not drink Water with your meal. 2. Advice them to start charting their foods in advance on something like myfitnesspal.com or fitday so they can actually get an understanding of how much they actually take in. 80 grams of Protein and lowering the carbs now will make it easier later. 3. Tell them to try walking 10k steps a day and the faster they work on improving bad behaviors in advance the better it will be. 4. For those that eat only dinner and then snack all night, tell them to try finding a high Protein shake to start kick starting their metabolism in the morning. 5. Explain the reasoning behind no caffeine. I was told no caffeine no real reasoning why at first. Finally it was explained better about the dehydration and that if they can start weaning off in advance a little at a time it's better. Better to do it before the pre-op shake phase or after surgery. Why have withdrawals during those times. 6. Don't binge the day before the pre-op shake because it will make so much harder. Do your last chance meal a few days before the shake, and a sensible meal the night before shakes otherwise the first day of shakes is unbearable. 7. If you have to have a drain explain that. I freaked about this when I learned about it after I got my date. 8. Realistically that drinking is not easy the first week out and you won't be able to chug a bottle down and gulp after surgery. 9. Realistically this is only a tool and if you don't modify your behavior before and after, it will not be successful. 10. The week after surgery you may likely GAIN weight because of inflammation, water retention after surgery etc. it will go away. 11. It's up to them to make it successful, this isn't a cure-all. 12. Walking is vital, start working on some of form of exercise, now and after surgery walk. 13. However long your program is whether it's 1 month - 6 months, use the time wisely and it starts THEN not after surgery. 14. Realistically the challenges you find, regarding acid reflux, slowly incorporating food one at a time, and that the things you craved before surgery may not be tolerated after surgery. I haven't had surgery yet, but these are things I learned along the way that seems to have helped me and these are things I wish I would have known.

Allyssa are you having your surgery on June 1st? There is someone named AChristie having it the same day in Juarez and I think I'm confusing you both. Dayo, welcome I added you to the June compilation list MsYoYo, welcome I added you to the June compilation list Crystalaine, welcome I added you to the June compilation list You can see who shares your surgery date with you and wish other June sleevers the best of luck. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/39508-june-sleevers-compilation-good-luck-well-wishes/ Greg, thank you so much for your input. Way to go and Happy almost ONE YEAR SURGIVERSARY!!! Congrats on your loss and I'm sure that last 20 will be off in no time!! Love hearing stories of success!!

Van, glad your mom is coming to stay with you, best wishes and prayers for your Mother's surgery.

Good luck to you Pat Marincel. Karen, I feel the same way. I found pictures of my Great Grandmother who passed away at 49. Kind of shocking, because it's a reflection of who I was 7 months ago, when I started this process. I will be 49 this year. Sunday Night hopefully we'll sleep well and we'll do great on Monday.