gamergirl

You look sooo good! And at the risk of sounding too personal, your after pics gave me hope that if I lose the weight, there's a chance I won't end up as a flat-chested boy You look fabulous. Congratulations.

So took some pics today of myself and my husband so we can start to document the journey. If I wasn't a tough broad I'd be crying my eyes out. Oh. My. Gawd. I have lost 7 lbs on pre-op which I have NEVER before been able to do in a week. So I'm feeling pretty good about myself, right? Fix my hair and my makeup and I'm all like, wow, I'm looking better! Because in my head, I'm a skinny person I guess. But in fact, I'm not skinny of course. We take these pictures with clothes and then just with undies. Can I just say...I look soooo unattractive to myself! I look fat, and out of shape, and blobby. All of which I am, but seeing a picture of me made it a lot more real than looking at myself in the mirror, not sure why. I have a friend who used to say he needed to lose weight and when we told him he looked fine, he always joked, "You only say that because you haven't seen me naked". Today, I know exactly what he meant. I'm trying not to obsess about it and just remember that THIS is why I am getting the surgery. But really I cannot imagine EVERY posting pics of myself in undies for befores and afters. I hope I get there. Made me wonder if people see themselves accurately? I guess in my head I still remember how I used to be, not how I am. Do you think you see yourself accurately?

And it also looks like I've been that. Woman that wears too-tight bras without even knowing it. My husband took back pictures of me and I was like, I'm surprised my bras just haven't cut me in half all these years! Maybe if I'd taken more pics of myself it would have pushed me into surgery sooner!

Hmm that sounds like way too many carbs. I'm keeping mine around 50gms by doing lower carb shakes. Figured I'd use this time to rebalance to 70% Protein, 15% carbs, 15%fat since that's what we're supposed to do post-op as I understand it.

Yesterday was the fist day-day 6 of liquids--when I didn't need a nap in the afternoon. I was actually able to work all through the day yesterday and today. But I'm still going to bed early. My husband, in contrast, is still chipper and bouncy and if I didn't love him, I'd smack him!

Omg! That is an AMAZING transformation! You look fabulous. I'm so inspired. Thank you for sharing!

Just know that there's a whole sisterhood/brotherhood rooting for you here. I am a week into it and I have to take naps every day plus I am sleeping for about 10-12 hours a day! Normally I need about 6 hours of sleep so this is a LOT. My brain is not working at after 3 pm so I'm waking up earlier to get my work done. It's not easy. I'm not hungry but the tired, sleepy, fuzzy is being difficult for me. We're all prepping for a new life. We will make mistakes. We just have to get back on the plan as fast as we can.

I love the chicken broth from a unjury. A little finicky as to prep but so tasty and comforting. Worth trying for sure.

wow! You lost 105 lbs in 4 months? That's pretty darn amazing. Good work!

Wow I would be too. I sometimes skip an injection because I am a naughty girl, but at the end if two weeks, I sure start to feel some aches and pains.

Wow! very impressive! I mean your muscle tone is impressive even for someone who hadn't been sleeve. You look fit, strong, healthy and sexy. Great work!

Have a question on meds. I saw my Rheumy today and he asked me to take an Enbrel shot exactly 7 days before the surgery and then, to stop the shots and the methrotexate until the time that almost no one gets an infection after surgery. I don't really know what time that is, and plan to ask the surgeon, but was wondering if you guys were given specific timing for when to get back on it, or if you just got back on when you started hurting? I take 9 methotrexate and an Enbrel weekly.

If the Protein shakes are upsetting your tummy, I'd try lactose-free ones. I can't do anything that has lactose in it either. I'm on day five of liquid and I do think of chomping into something delish--but haven't so far. I'm doing it with my husband which makes it a lot easier but the hardest thing is wanting a nap and being tired all the time. Hang in there, and get back on that horsey!

So I'm past the day 4 hurdle everyone talks about. I had to take a two hour nap yesterday before I could function! My brain was fuzzy and I really couldn't string two thoughts together properly. Then I started thinking about all the changes i was making all at once. 1. No caffeine. Aaargh! 2. Carbs below 50 gms a day 3. Less than 1000 calories a day 4. Much more protein than I usually intake 5. Liquids only plus veg soup. Not easy. 6. No straws 7. No fat to speak of 8. No sugar 9. No fruit 10. Constantly having to hydrate (i drink a lot of water anyway but now having to focus on it). Yeah, it's okay to have a hard time with that! On the plus side I've lost 7 lbs over the last 12 days that I've been easing into this. It makes me feel confident that I will lose weight when I'm sleeved. it's all good.

I use a blender ball bottle. I have tried everything but what works well is exactly this routine. Heat Water to 140 degrees, i put in the Blender Bottle, I do NOT use spoon which causes clumps for me, and then I put the Protein powder in it and I shake. And it's totally yummy. http://www.amazon.com/Sundesa-BB28-SC08-BlenderBottle%C2%AE-Classic-28-ounce/dp/B001KADGMI/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1374591041&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=blender+ball+bottle

I'm 5'6 and started at 230 so BMI of 37. I've lost 7 lbs on less than a week of pre-op, but of course the issue is keeping the weight off. Every time I lose it, a year later, I regain it along with 15 of its friends so I keep getting fatter and fatter after each loss. It's hard to believe there may be something that will get me off the roller coaster. So excited!

My husband and I are getting sleeved August 2nd. We debated doing it together vs separately and what decided me was the pre and post op diet. Much better to have a friend to do it with, I thought. I do worry a little but about how we will take care of each other post op though. For those who got it together, was that a problem? How did you cope?

August 2nd with Dr Alvarez for me and my husband.

I agree with those who say give him time to adjust, and do what you can to educate. My PCP is very nurturing and supportive and takes fantastic care of us, but she too balked at us planning surgery for Mexico. I see her tomorrow to level set. She too is tiny and has no weight issues, but when we first approached her with the thought, she admitted freely that she is coming around to it as she sees how it is benefitting her patients. The nurse practitioner in the office has it and looks fabulous. But mainly the PCP is seeing people with comorbidities healing as the weight comes off, and she is starting to think that even with the small risks, it's better than the alternative. So time and education do help I think.

My husband and I are scheduled for August 2nd. Yay!

Just FYI, we tried diet cranberry something syrup from soda stream in our Protein shake--and ended up throwing it out and starting over. The Protein shake itself is so sweet that adding syrup made it sickly sweet. So I'd try with a smaller portion before you decide if you like it. I think natural spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. may be better?

I am struggling today as well. I need a NAP! I am so tired that i'm having trouble focusing and I really, really do want to go back to bed--and it's only 10:34 am. I''m on day 4 of this and it's veg Soup and Protein shake, and Protein Shake and veg soup and for some variety, some more protein shake. Like you, I refuse to mess it up, but by golly, August 2nd can NOT come fast enough.