traceyinflorida

Awesome! That must have been a great feeling!

I would look in several places for information...on this forum read throught the posts under lap band to sleeve revisions. Read Sleeve success stories. Also search for post about would you do it again on this forum to get the pros and cons of sleeve. Then go to the Lap Band forum and read the success stories, but also search for posts for the struggles people are having. I would look at success rates, weight loss totals, long term weight loss maintenance and complications. Finally I would ask your surgeon. My two cents. I was planning on getting the lap band. Several reasons I chose sleeve instead: 1. better overall percentage of weight loss with sleeve vs band 2. faster weight loss with sleeve vs band 3. no maintenence (fills, unfills etc.) on sleeve 4. no foreign device in my body that could errode, slip or cause other complications. I am 11 years older than you and had starting weight of 272 at 5'9". I had no health issues other than mild sleep apnea and being overweight. I am glad I made the choice I did.

You need to jump start your brain and your body into getting this right. When I did my pre-op diet, I anticipated this type of thing might happen to me. I wrote down in my journal, "if you find yourself at a crossroads where you are not losing anymore, or starting to gain weight again, remember that the PRE-OP DIET WORKS! DO IT!" My pre-op diet was two weeks long. Week one was two meals of protein shake and one meal of lowfat protein with a veggie. Got to choose one of each, lowfat yogurt OR lowfat cottage cheese, 1/3 cup fruit, SF jello or pudding. Week two was all three meals protein shake plus one of each of others. It was hard, pre-sleeve, especially the first four days...but I just kept reminding myself it was only two weeks. I lost 15 lbs and cleared all carbs and sugar from my body, so no more cravings. So, if I were in your postition, I would jumpstart things by going back to the basic pre-op diet. You can do anything for two weeks!! Once you have cleared the carbs and sugar from your system, commit to eating the way you were told starting out. Eat protein first, then veggies, then other carbs if there is room. Do not drink 30 minutes before or after your meals. Slow down your eating, chew well and listen to your body. If you are not exercising, then consider adding more exercise, but I would start with the simple things first and work your way up into the right mind set. YOU CAN DO THIS!!

I was cleared for full liquid on first day home from hosptial (day 3).

If your doctor gave you the OK, then have a great time! I traveled on a two week driving tour with my son to go to football camps and see colleges just two weeks post surgery. I was fine! You will be just over a month out. You should be fine too. Just remember that you will have to plan really well for meals. Drink lots of water. Bring a shaker and some protein powder measured out in your bag. If all else fails, pick up a milk or water at the nearest vendor and shake up your meal. You can also bring some string cheese in your bag for a quick protein snack if you need it. Disney has gotten really good with having healthy choices, so you should be able to find things to eat that fit into your plan.

I echo what franfaith said. All I could think about was FOOD when I was still on liquids. Once you start eating softs and solids, it will go away. Are you to pureed stage yet? I found just getting new tastes into my mouth helped a lot. If you are not, then try a new soup, something savory like vegatable soup, cream of tomato or clam chowder (strained). Hang in there...it will pass. Just DON'T give in and eat pizza or steak yet! It's too early, but I am sure you know this!

When was your surgery? How long has the stall been? My stalls last a long time (three weeks) and then I lose. I am currently in one now and thinking of adding an extra protein shake. I also am not great with exercise and need to get better about that. I know that will help.

Depending on your doctor, the first two weeks is liquid only. Protein shakes, broth, yogurt, sf pudding, sf jello. Second two weeks is mushies or pureed...cottage chese, apple sauce, chicken, tuna or shrimp salad put in a food processor to become mushy. Next couple weeks is soft foods like fish. After that regular food, but you will find you cannot eat more than about 1/2 cup and in my case I could not eat more than 2 oz of dense protein. Now I can eat about 3 oz. If I were in your shoes with family in the early stages, I would just say that I am not feeling that well and my stomach has been bothering me to explain why I am not eating anything. At the next gathering, if asked, I would just say I am watching what I eat. If they ask if you are on a special diet, I would say no, not really. I am just trying to cut back on carbs and sugar. Keep yourself busy with doing dishes, clearing the table and chatting with someone to take the focus off what you are eating, or not eating.

You have lost 15 pounds in three weeks. That is an average of five pounds a week! Awesome! If you were on weight watchers you would be doing a happy dance! There is typically a stall at around the three week mark. Mine lasted a few weeks with the scale bouncing up and down a pound or two daily. If you haven't already, start measuring yourself and whenever you hit a stall, measure yourself. Chances are likely you are losing inches. Also, look at your protein intake. I know at three weeks I was not getting enough. Try to increase it a bit if you can. It can help break the stall. Be patient. If you are eating the calories per day you mentioned and getting exercise, your body has no choice but to lose! I know it's frustraing, but it happens. I have experienced two stalls in my 11 weeks post op. Both have lasted three weeks, BUT the important thing is that the scale is going down over time and not going back up! I didn't let the second one bother me, but I did take the time to evaluate what I was eating to see if I needed to do any tweaking.

Hi Cat D, Going out to dinner with friends can be just as fun as before. Initially, you will want to stay away from drinking at all. Give yourself time to heal. If you are going out with them during the early food stages or liquid phase order Soup and ask for it to come out with everyone's meal. Once you are on real food again, you could either share off someone's plate or order an appetizer (again ask for it to come with everyone's meal) If you decide to drink alcohol (I had my first one after 11 weeks) plan to nurse it all night. Alcohol is much more rapidly absorbed by your new sleeve...you will be a very cheap date! I have found going out to dinner with friends just as enjoyable as before. It will become much more about time with your friends than it is about food. I am also very carefull to eat tiny bites, chew really well and take a lot of time between. This is a habit you should start to form anyway, but when I am out to eat I am especially mindful because I do not want to get overly full and make myself sick. I think my only new addiction is this Forum, LOL. I wish I could say I replaced eating with exercise, but I don't think I will ever be addicted to that.

Don't worry, you get pain meds in the hospital. I was able to stop mine by the following morning, but everyone is different and they will take care of your needs. You will also be sent home with pain medication in case you still need it.

While I was on my pre-op diet I kept seeing commercials for fudge covered oreos. They looked so delicious to me, and I kept thinking, "great, they come out with that right before I have surgery and can't eat any!" I stayed clear of the grocery store, determined not to buy those damn cookies. When I finally reached the real food stage post-op, I decided I had to try them. I bought a bag, I ate one, I threw the bag away. I was shocked to find that I didn't really like them all that much. They were too sweet....WHAT?! But the old me would have eaten the rest of the bag anyway. The post sleeve me was fine with just one and will never buy them again. I like the post-sleeve me much better! I will have an occassional treat, or extra carbs like a piece of the home made pizza I made for my family the other night, but I trust myself that it will be a small portion and that I will be right back on track with eating healthy immediately. I love the new control over food that the sleeve has given me. I feel like I can eat like a normal, healthy person again rather than like the dysfunctional eater that I had become. It's liberating!

If it's lower back pain, equal on both sides, it could be you are not getting enough fluids. It's an early sign of dehydration. I notice that I get it whenever I forget to drink enough. I start drinking again and it goes away.

Good luck to all of you who posted you are going in Monday or this week! You will be fine! Just take a deep breath and remember that when you wake up you will be on a journey to a whole new, happy, healthy you! Welcome to the Losers Bench!!

No one likes to throw up, before or post sleeve- but I will try to ease your fears of it happening. It has happened to me twice and while it is not fun, you do feel better afterward. I found sucking on a sugar free pepperment has settled my stomach. I am quickly learning to slow down and chew thoroughly like lollyfidy1965 suggested because I never want to feel that way again. I hope you feel better soon!

For those of you who are like me and had large bins of expensive protein powders that suddenly tasted horrible to you...I was able to stick with mine (out of sheer will power) and after a while my taste buds learned to like them again. I couldn't bear the thought of letting all that protein powder go to waste. I was going to make a change after I was finished, but then very helpful hubby had already ordered more! I found thinning mine out with more liquid helped.

I went to Open House at my kids' high school tonight. The last several years I went, I had to squeeze myself into the desks with the attached chairs. It was always so uncomfortable and embarrasing. It really made me feel bad for the teenagers who are overweight and would have to sit in those all day long. Tonight, without thinking about it (since it only happens once a year) I comfortably slid into one of those desks! It did not dawn on me right away, but suddenly I realized that I fit!! Not only did I fit, but I had plenty of room to turn, or slouch or cross my legs! Woo hoo!

I hope those thoughts are normal, because I thought them ALL THE TIME pre-surgery. Post surgery I have not regrets. I look back at the things I was worried about and I realize that after only 11 weeks any changes to my past lifestyle are so worth it and I really do not miss my old ways. I do miss a beer in a frosty mug once in a while, but not enough to trade it for already undoing over ten years of weight gain! I still enjoy gatherings with friends and family even if they are centered around food. I have my small portion and enjoy the company. Like OTRSleever said, my view of food has shifted to one of noursishment and is no longer a great source of pleasure or comfort. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy flavors and an occasional treat, but food no longer rules me. It is amazingly liberating.

I too had very little pain post surgery. But once in a while I get some discomfort (nothing debilitating) in my abdomen that feels like pulling, sometimes a little bit of a sharp pain. I have read that this is normal, even for pain to come back or start up as the muscle is healing. That being said, be careful with picking up your 2 year old. My doctor said no lifting more than 10 pounds for the first month. I realize that is much easier to say when referring to picking up a case of water. A two year old does not care about your doctor's orders!

I don't think she intended to be snotty at all...just trying to soften your comments that may have been interpreted as rude and sarcastic. Intention and tone do not always translate well in text. Perhaps you didn't mean it the way it came across, but you don't need to escalate negativity in your response. We are here to support each other not fight with one another.

Around day 7 was my breaking point. I could no longer cook for my family or sit with them while they ate. I knew I would feel differently after surgery, which is why I felt like the whole pre-op diet was just a sick joke designed just to torture me. Hang in there, and tell hubby to eat his burger in the car next time! You're in the home stretch! You CAN DO THIS!!

I have noticed is that most of the time I really do not have cravings anymore. This is strange to me because I always craved sweets pre surgery. However, while it is not as intense as before surgery, I start to crave more carbs right before I get my period. I need to pay attention to this, because this is a danger time for me when I find myself slipping into old habits.

Hi SkinnyMinnie2Be. It's totally doable, even if you ate one cottage cheese every day. My liquid diet was two weeks. It started wtih replacing two meals a day with a protein shake and one meal of lowfat protein and a veggie. Pick one of each lowfat cottage cheese (4 oz) OR 6 oz lowfat, low sugar yogurt; One serving SF Jello, 1/3 cup of fruit. Week 2 was replace all 3 meals with protein shake and one serving of each of previous. I lost 15 lbs in two weeks. Oh, and yes there was one cheat in there of once slice of pizza (on the first day of all liquid). It was a weak moment and I felt terrible, like I had ruined everything, but I picked myself up and moved on. I did not cheat after that. YOU CAN DO THIS!! Just remember it is a finite period of time and worth it for optimal health heading into surgery.

Because they are no longer diving out of the view of the camera!!

I love that you did all the same pose...you are the incredibe shrinking person! What a difference two months makes! You look great. Keep up the good work!