SpaceDust

Well, you'll likely have at least some loose skin. The younger you are, and the shorter the time you've been very overweight, the more likely that the skin will eventually shrink back into shape. Things you can do to help: stay moisturized. Eat with good nutrition so your skin is well-fed. Get plenty of sleep. Get exercise, including some strength work. And be patient - it may take a year to 18 months to get the maximum shrinkage. As far as surgery, well, much like the VSG, you can also get plastic surgery done in many other countries, including Mexico, for far less than most places, and there are reputable plastic surgeons there, as well.

My date is currently the 24th, and I planned it that way so I could enjoy the 4th and my birthday on the 16th before I have to start the one week diet for real. Of course, the best laid plans... I may have to try and move to an earlier date - I may be changing jobs in mid to late July and if so I would want to get this done before starting. Hopefully I'll have an answer this week.

Are you maybe so hungry that you're gulping the shake or food down more quickly than usual? Is there any way you can fit in a small snack of some sort between breakfast and lunch? Something like a Baby Bel or string cheese that you could eat "on the run" might help. It could also be acid related, maybe. A PPI might help.

The difference in size from a 32 to a 38 is pretty minimal - we're talking a few millimeters. However, as Chimera says, some studies seem to indicate that there are fewer complications with a slightly larger sleeve, plus there's a bit more to work with should you develop a leak that needs repair. The difference in weight loss appears to be minimal to none.

It's always better to do a well-balanced exercise program. Plus, keep in mind that your panniculectomy is not going to do anything for your upper abdomen, really - it is a functional surgery that simply removes the excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen. You'd have to get a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) for it to include tightening abdominal muscles and skin up to the rib cage. Therefore, you'll want to get those muscles in shape so the upper abdomen doesn't look all soft and flabby.

My journey started at the beginning of last September . I had to do six months of supervised diet, and sort out some financial pieces, so July ends up being the earliest I can do this thing, but through no fault of my bariatric clinic. My insurance claim wasn't submitted until I had completed all their requirements.

First, give yourself a little time. Some people are good to go pretty quickly, but others take a few weeks to be ready to hit the ground running. I'd say that it's probably a good idea to take it pretty easy for at least one week. I've had a number of surgeries, and I'm generally functional in 5 days, and reasonably energetic in 7 days, but not fully back to my usual energy levels for 3-4 weeks. As far as Protein, it might help if you say what you've tried, and what is bugging you about the taste. Is it the sweetness, an aftertaste, or something else? What protein are you using? Have you tried thinning it down a little to see if having it a bit more dilute helps?

This DOES require a lifestyle change, and I'm really sorry that you seem to have thought it wouldn't. It's been hammered into me from my bariatric team and everything I've read. But don't get stressed about it. It's really not as bad as you're thinking. You need to be mindful of what you eat, and you need to be more active. But don't think of this as a diet - that word has negative connotations to many of us, and it's not really true. You don't have to be that regimented or restrictive. Eat like a healthy person. Be aware of what you're eating and how much. You can have treats. Just be smart about it - don't mindlessly graze on chips that you don't really care about, or have treats more than you have good food. Have that ice cream. Make it a really special scoop of premium stuff, but not a pint of it. Enjoy it thoroughly, and then move on. Maybe you ate fairly lightly that day, or maybe you just decide to go light on the carbs for the next meal or two. Or maybe you do it so seldom that you decide you can absorb the calories from that small treat. But YOU are in control, not some arbitrary list of what you can or can't eat. Just remember to pay attention, and keep things balanced, and you'll be fine.

Hey! Save some of that for me! I can practice being a mean, hateful, starving soon-to-be-skinny b%+@# if that's what it takes to get invited to the cool kids parties, honest!

I'm with ya! We'll be rocking our sleeves and those halls! As far as the diet goes, I was a little hungry the first two days, but then it seemed to settle in a bit. I just drank some iced tea or some Water with lime in the middle of the afternoon, between my second and third shakes, and it wasn't too bad. I only did 4 days, though. I was just thinking I might do another round starting on Monday, and I might even do the whole thing this time. Even if I only do 3 days, I'm getting used to it, and hopefully it will be less stressful during the "for real" week!

I've actually done several days where I did the Protein shake thing all day and then ate dinner, trading the waters. The only thing is I ate a regular dinner, so my calcount for the day was more like 1200. It would be nice if we can say hi! Maybe we can keep each other company walking around the halls

I was asking myself the same thing before!!!!! They are in the cuke family ... The thing to worry about is the sodium, and a slight possibility of the carbs being a concern if they're sweet pickles.

Congrats! I'm currently scheduled for the 24th as well, so we can have a virtual "birthday" together!

Are you supposed to be on liquids? If so, I highly recommend that you talk to your surgeon or your dietician. They may have some ideas for you, or could at least reassure you.

I'm so excited about this. My surgery is scheduled for July 24th, and after talking with my husband, I know he's totally on board to support me through this (yup, he's definitely a keeper! Good thing, since we've been together 14 years ). He's even planning some ways to help me stay on track and keep him involved, too. I wish I could do this sooner, though I know I can't. I just need to hang in there!

Check with your nutritionist or dietician about these. Most of the "protein shots" have collagen as the primary protein, which our bodies don't process effectively as protein. They do have whey protein in them, but they are usually not the primary source of protein. I've been told very specifically that they are not a replacement option for me, with the exception of one called "Yes, Whey" that is 100% whey protein isolate.

Regarding being at peace, I'd say yes and no. Most of the time I'm excited and eager for July 24 to get here. Overall I have a really positive outlook about the surgery. However, I do have some occasional moments of worry and doubt, where I wonder if I really tried hard enough, if I should postpone and give it one more try, yada, yada. I just remind myself that I've been there, done that, and one more try will likely mean another year before I finally fix this.

In the "for what it's worth" column, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with eating out if you can do so mindfully. When possible, know the menu at the place you eat so you can choose appropriately without feeling rushed and making mistakes. My husband and I have started sharing plates where it makes sense, and both being aware enough of portion size to automatically take half or more home with us. Use some of the tricks of the diet trade - order your salad with dressing on the side and dip your fork in before getting a forkful of salad, or ask for balsamic vinegar. When getting meat, fowl or fish, ask for broiled, no butter, hold sauces or ask for them on the side so you can control how much you use. You get the point. Can you control even better at home? Of course, but if your life is anything close to as hectic as mine can be, it's not always realistic to eat at home, or if you do eat at home it's something out of the freezer section at the grocery store. As far as my guilty pleasures - anything cheesy is always a temptation. I'm not a huge sweets person, but I do enjoy a little bit of chocolate and caramel now and again. Oh, and super-premium ice creams call my name sometimes. What will still appeal to me post-surgery, who knows? But I know myself well enough to know I'll do better if I allow myself to indulge in a bite or two of something decadent than completely deny myself.

Count me in!

There have been lots of posts that discuss why we chose VSG over other procedures, so you might want to do a little light reading of the site for additional info. However, my reasoning was pretty basic. I decided against the band because I didn't want a foreign object installed in me that had to be tended to constantly (filling and unfilling) and as the years have progressed, more and more people are having complications from their lapband and having it removed/having a revision surgery to another option like sleeve or bypass. I didn't choose bypass because of similar reasons to yours. After doing a lot of research, I could see that the sleeve appeared to be less intrusive to my digestive system (no re-routing of the system, thus malabsorption problems are not typical). While short term complications are slightly higher than the band, long term the fact seems to be that there are less complications. There are other reasons, but these are probably the most obvious ones.

Chinamama, my local Fred Meyer carries PB2 in the health foods section. I believe I heard that some QFCs have it, as well. I usually order mine direct from Bell Plantation, but right now they're in the process of switching over their production and packaging to in-house so they're out of the jarred versions.