AvaFern

I'm not sure if this is bad advice or not, so if you're not a fan of what I say, please disregard. After the first few months, I realized I wasn't dieting anymore and it was wonderful because I could have a taste of everything and not be able to physically eat enough of it to gain weight. For example, some days I will do the traditional version of the diet, and other days I will have half a bevita bar for Breakfast, and then get a pick 2 from Panera. I'll eat 1/3 of a cup of mac and cheese for lunch and then have half a cup of chili for dinner, and not only am I satisfied and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything, but it hasn't hurt my weight loss at all. I feel like in the begining it's important to follow the exact requirements, but when you're a few months out it is ok to eat things that actually taste good in much smaller portions. The goal was for us to get to be normal again, and eating veggies and baked chicken for every meal the rest of our life is not really living. So my advice would be to not think about it as dieting and when you want to eat a piece of cake, have a piece....just eat slowly and you'll probably realize you can only have a few bites and you're over it. Then the craving has been satisfied, you're not obsessing over things you can't eat, and you haven't hurt your diet at all.

My doctor cleared me for diet Pepsi about 6 weeks after surgery. I've been drinking it ever since and everything has been fine. I'm 7 months out. He did have me stop drinking it before surgery and of course right after, and the awesome thing was that the huge headache you get when you withdraw from caffeine was completely taken care of by all the drugs I had during the surgery, so it was the easiest quitting of diet Pepsi ever!

I started walking 2-3 miles a day about 5 days after surgery. It's really better to start doing that as soon as you're done with surgery, but I was lazy the first few days, and fairly miserable, and walking helped. I wish I had started sooner. I was back to running 3 miles within 5 weeks- as soon as I could jog without feeling like I was pulling on my stitches- and I was back in MMA class within 5 weeks. It's now been 6 months and I usually run about 3 miles a day, I bike about 10-15 miles a week (which isn't much but it makes me feel happy) and I do an MMA and jiu jitsu class 3-5 nights a week. Good luck!

Running does get easier! I started running in high school because I had to for sports, but as an adult I kept running because it gave me an hour a day where no one could bother me. I fluctuated for years and when I was largest, running was a nightmare. My feet hurt, my knees hurt, everything hurt! I'm still pretty big, but now I can run at a decent pace for 3-5 miles without feeling like I'm going to die (unless I intentionally pick up the pace and push harder). Running is a love/ hate kind of thing. You don't really look forward to going for the daily run, but there isn't much that makes me feel better than a nice hard run, and when it's done- you burned a few hundred calories in the process! Something important though that someone else mentioned- get fitted for the right shoes. I have one flat foot (weird right?) and running became so much more enjoyable when I finally bought a good pair of shoes a few years ago that are designed for flat feet. Good luck!

Immediately after surgery I thought I had ruined my life. It took a few weeks to feel mostly normal again and then a few months to get to a point where I almost never get sick when I eat something (I now know the limits and it's a habit). I am a little 6 months post-op and I have lost 60 pounds. I still have about 50 to go, but it's not this insurmountable challenge anymore. I can eat what I want to, in smaller portions, and I rarely get hungry. I still think back to right after my surgery and about how sure I had made the worst decision ever and how now I am completely fine. In short, no, I don't regret my surgery at all now, but wow, I was regretting it right afterward! Good luck in surgery and remember that a few weeks and months from now you will feel SO much better than you do at the moment!

I was a burping queen for about 4-5 months after surgery. I've only recently noticed that I can eat again without burping for a half hour afterwards.

I was cleared to go back to running at three weeks, although it was probably about a month until I could jog without feeling like I was pulling on my stitches. I went back to MMA class, which involves a lot of twisting and cardio at 5 weeks and I never had any issues. My doctor said that as long as I didn't feel pain, then I could work as hard as I wanted after 5-6 weeks. Good luck!

I ate salad within 6 weeks and I never had an issue. The only problems I noticed would be if I included dressing or cheese. As long as my salad only had lettuce, other veggies, and a Protein, I was good for the most part. I now have a salad almost everyday and I'm at 5.5 months post-op.

I started walking as soon as I could after surgery and then within 3 weeks I was back to running (ok more like limping, but it was a little faster than my walk). I went back to my boxing gym 5 weeks after surgery and within 2 months I was fully back to working out at least 1-2 hours a day. The burst of energy never came for me either- I just had to drag my butt up and do it. I'm now a little over 5 months post-op and I totally have more energy, but it's still generally a bit of a battle to get myself out the door for a run everyday. Good luck!

I was comfortable in about a week as long as I didn't accidentally twist in my sleep. You'll have no problem being a stomach sleeper again in the near future!

I'm almost exactly 5 months out and I can drink Water normally again. The first few months were the worst and with as much as I like to run I was worried about never being able to drink without that annoying pain in my chest. I still don't drink an entire bottle like I used to, but having a few good gulps is fine. The first few weeks after surgery I could feel ever bit of water as it worked its way down my esophagus and it hurt! Now my only concern is that my stomach feels immediately full and water kind of starts to bubble up back into my throat if I drink too much. Also, I think you learn to adapt to not taking huge chugs anymore. From someone who was very upset that I couldn't drink normally, it's nothing I even notice anymore. Good luck to you!

You and I have almost the same surgery date- I was 9/9/13. You have done way better than me- good job! In my experience your soreness is normal. This time two years ago I was 140ish and running everyday, and there were days where I was sore even though I was conditioned to the exercise. Now though, after having gained quite a bit of weight and working on losing it, I am definitely sore after a good run and it hasn't been 13 years for me. My current exercise routine is roughly: 2 hours of MMA x 4 weekly 1 hour of boxing x 2 weekly 3 miles running x 3-4 weekly I also don't do much on the weekends so this gives me a nice recovery time for the weekdays. Good luck on your 5k!

I drove myself home from surgery. You just need to make sure you're off any pain medication for 12-24 hours (the good stuff, not like Tylenol) and you shouldn't have a problem driving. I brought a pillow with me and I didn't end up using it. I was working from my hospital bed the second day after surgery, working from home the entire week I took off, and then back at work a week afterward. It was fairly miserable, but if you don't have the luxury of taking off for extended periods of time, you can physically work in a non-physically demanding job (like at a computer) fairly quickly after surgery.

I am almost exactly 3 months post op and this still happens to me although generally it's if I eat something I shouldn't have. I do think that I have a bit of a dumping problem although I've learned what I can and can't eat and it seems to minimize the problem. For me, I get hot, sweaty, a little nauseous and my heart beats fast for almost exactly 20 minutes...after that point I get cooler, my heart rate goes back to normal, and I feel fine. Try to be careful with how fast you're drinking and what you're drinking and hopefully you can avoid this.

I'm almost exactly 2 months post-op and the last 3 weeks have been going great. The first 5 weeks were a little rough food-wise, but I feel as if I've adjusted to my new normal now. My only thing is...will I always be burpy? Everytime I eat anything I am the Belching Queen. I live alone so at home I'm not exactly quiet, but in public no one can tell after dinner that I'm burping on the inside, but it is generally a very unpleasant feeling after I eat. How long does this last? Also, what happened to the old website? I haven't been online for a few weeks and verticalsleevetalk.com is apparently no more? Thanks everyone!

Oh no! I'm doomed to burp forever! I also hiccup, which is even worse, lol. And yes..I'm not really a fan of the new site either. Thanks everyone for your answers!

How rude! The few times I have ever thought someone may be losing weight for reasons that were not desired, the absolute last thing I would do would be to ask them if they were sick. That is so unacceptable and really makes me wonder if some people were raised in a cave.

I bought it...it covers everything you would want to know. Honestly I had researched a lot before I bought it so it was all mostly redundant, but I was glad that I had read it. If anything it helped me be mentally ready for surgery because I felt like I was as prepared as possible knowledge-wise.

I'm about 6.5 weeks post-op and at 33 pounds down. I'm also excited to be back into the one's very soon.

I was self-pay. My final cost was $18,500. I was at Baptist in Jacksonville, FL. I am shocked at what they bill insurance agencies as opposed to what they bill a self-pay patient since essentially both patients are getting the exact same treatment.

I had this problem at about a month post-op and I just said I wasn't overly hungry. Most people may notice that you're not eating much, but won't be rude enough to comment on it. I like the soup idea someone else had, although be careful- I thought I was good with soup until I accidentally got one with way more fat than I thought was supposed to be in that kind of soup. I felt miserable almost immediately.

Holy cow!! I have insurance, but I used self-pay instead (because I was afraid my insurance would drop me if they find out I'm fat). I had to pay 18K for the full surgery, appointments, lab work, etc. in the #1 ranked hospital in the city where I live. I am amazed the difference in what insurance companies get billed as opposed to what it apparently actually costs for a procedure.

I was sleeved on 9/9 so I'm about 5.5 weeks out. I'm also good with yogurt but solid food still does not feel great to eat. I haven't been getting enough protein either, which is something I need to work on. I have found that I can eat a bit more of chicken (as opposed to a bite or two) when it is super moist as opposed to grilled. Also...beans have a reasonable amount of protein and those do not give me the same stomach-choking feeling as most meat does.

Nice job! You and I had surgery the same week! (I was 9/9). I also have been taking progress pictures, although I feel like I notice my weight loss more in everyday activities than I do in pictures. Like...my steering wheel does not pinch my fat anymore and my feet don't get swollen after I run! Good luck in the rest of your journey!

I had my surgery about 5 weeks ago...I told my 3 best friends and no one else. I had vacation from work for a week and I felt it was no one's business what I did during that time. I've been to a few dinners since then and I can't eat a lot, so I've just said that I've had a bit of a stomach bug and I'm being careful. I also had antibiotics for a tooth infection, so I used that as a reason why my stomach may not be cooperative. If anyone ever sees my scars I plan to say I had gallbladder surgery. In reality, those scars and our scars are on opposite sides of the stomach, but 99% of people won't know that. Also, my scars are starting to fade, so I tend to doubt I will ever have to explain it. I haven't had the need to lie yet because it's no one's business why I was out of work for a week. Your health is your business, so what you do or do not decide to do, is up to you.