mooncat

I was sometimes disappointed with my progress when I read of the faster weight loss of some who post here, but others brought me to understand that this is not a race and we are each on our own journey toward better HEALTH, which is not necessarily tied to a specific number. Can I breathe easier (asthma)? Yes! Can I now walk a mile without having to sit down? Yes! Am I eating healthier now? Yes! Do I feel better? Hell yes!

Great to have that favorite pair of jeans to motivate us! It can be a problem that we lose weight so fast we will miss being able to wear some of the clothes on the way down because they are the wrong season while we are that size. Yet, a problem we are happy to have! Good idea to catch a sale and get a couple of pairs of pants. It is easier to get by with tops that are a little big. Too funny about the underwear suspenders!!!

I hold all my weight in the belly - I think they call that an "apple" shape, which is the worst because the fat is on your organs. It also makes clothing sizes seem off. I am at 208 and still wearing size 20W jeans. I see here where others near my weight are able to wear 18s and 16s. I will be patient as we are all different and I am happy for everyone who shared here. It is so nice to have "sleeve sisters" to share this journey with!

Wigster, If my surgeon required a certain amount of weight lost before surgery, I never knew it. Ten percent seems tough. I was actually afraid my insurance was going to say I did not weigh enough to qualify (plus I had gained my weight quickly, so I did not have a 2 year history at a sufficient BMI), so I actually added weight during 2013. However, once approved I went on a liquid Protein diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery and lost 15lbs. Great idea to find a Protein Drink you like BEFORE surgery. If you like the thicker milkshake style, I use skim milk, ISO-100 chocolate powder (25g protein per scoop), 1/2 teaspoon special dark chocolate cocoa and 1/3 of a banana. If you like a flavored Water type of drink I found the Isopure ready-to-drink (40g protein) were tolerable, but they are expensive (over $4 each). They come in 10 or more flavors. My NUT requires only 100% whey protein, and both of these are. I also drink the Oh Yeah chocolate shake in a ready-to-drink bottle. Personally, I hated their other flavors. My husband tried them too and we poured them out. I tried nectar mixed with water, but did not care for it. What ones have you tried?

I love your screen name! Do you have a surgery date yet? Many people find that they are able to purchase larger clothes at a thrift shop which can help you get buy until surgery and give you some wardrobe refreshers while you are losing as no one wants to invest in clothes that will only fit for a short while.

I love the idea of donating my bigger clothes to a shelter! Thanks back2barb78!

I ended up with this many-sized closet because I put on over 100 pounds in about 3.5 years, which is SO unhealthy. I am a stress eater and my work brought bone-crushing levels of stress. Terrible combination. I knew when I met with my surgeon the first thing I had to do was change jobs, so I did in Feb 2013. First step toward success!

I have been blessed with a super easy recovery, but we all have our struggles and sacrifices. 1. 30/30 rule (my NUT requires no liquids 30 minutes before and after meal in addition to none while eating) 2. With the above rule and f3 meals a day, it is HARD to consume 2 Protein shakes and 64 ounces of water! 3. No caffeine - I did not consume a lot pre-surgery, but I needed one dose in the morning to get going. 4. I thought I would really miss bread, Pasta and rice, but so far I don't. Worth every bit of it and more!!!

Great! Welcome to the forums. You will find lots of support here. I noticed there is a forum for men so you may want to check that out also.

Welcome Wigster! I think most people have some degree of jitters, but different people handle it in different ways. It took me 3 months after attending a seminar to decide if I even wanted to make an appointment with the surgeon. I used that time to research my options and to decide what was right for me. I also took 9 months from the first visit to the surgery so that by the time of my surgery I was certain this was the best choice for me. Once my insurance approved me, I immediately scheduled the surgery. That was the first day of the rest of my life and I do not regret it at all.

I have noticed that I have days where I am hungrier and when I review the day in my mind, I often find that I either did not drink all the water or did not consume 55+ grams of Protein from shakes as recommended by my NUT. I am staying focused on those two things and it seems to help. I do agree that you likely need to increase your intake due to the amount of exercise you are doing and the calories you are burning. Also remember that exercise will build muscle which is heavier than fat, BUT muscle burns calories all day long so it is a good change. If you took "before" measurements, you are likely seeing wonderful changes. Keep the faith!

You go girl! That is fantastic and is a great reward for all your hard work!

High 243 Surgery 228 (December 3) Current 209 Bye-bye 34 pounds! And I feel great! My energy is finally back to it's full level so I can handle my stressful work, long commute and exercise.

Like so many things we talk about, I think everyone is different. My doc said 2 weeks off, yet I knew he gave my friend 4 weeks off for the same surgery two years ago. Both of us had a hernia repair with the sleeve. We both work in an office and do not have to lift anything. At the end of 2 weeks I worked for 2 days and called the doctor's office because I was so tired I could not function (very high stress job). I was still sleeping 10-11 hours per night and when I work I only get about 6 or 7 due to commute, length of work day, etc. Doc gave me 4 more days off and that worked out much better.

I am not a liar either. My doctor required 2 weeks of Optifast prior to surgery, in hospital Clear Liquids only and then finish the remainder of 2 weeks at home on full liquids before starting 6 weeks of mushy foods. I am 4.5 weeks post surgery so waiting 1.5 weeks to start solid food. I have not consumed a single bite of solid food in this process. It was not easy and I wanted to chew on something. but I tried to keep busy with things I enjoy doing. You can do it!

You may want to call ahead to see if they are even willing to puree for you. I would also check on their website for nutritional values. I LOVE their soup too, but I think it may be too high in fat.

I am 4 weeks and 4 days post surgery and I am also in the group that can eat more than the 1/4 cup of mushy food I should have per meal for certain items. From day one on the full liquids I was allowed yogurt (without any fruit in it) and I could eat the entire 6oz container. I could eat 4oz of cottage cheese or applesauce at a time as soon as progressed to mushy. However, meat definitely has a limit of about the 2 tablespoons they advised for the mushy phase. I have to admit I never puree anything, so it is chopped finely and has broth, gravy or salsa on it to help it go down and I chew each bite for a long time. Perhaps if I did puree it would go down easier. I had some issues in the first week or two with consuming all the Water on top of the two Protein shakes, but that is over. No issues with liquids at all. I have also been worried that my sleeve will not provide the restriction I need. Over the last 10 days I have experienced hunger most days. This is more of a problem when I am at work. I don't get as much sleep as I did before returning to work and I am still trying to figure out how to time my meals, shakes and water to avoid hunger.

Great topic! My doctor requires 2 weeks of Optifast which consists of 4 shakes, 1 Soup and 1 Protein bar daily. I was on this diet on Thanksgiving day! I stored all the shakes in the fridge in the basement and my husband was bringing them upstairs to the main refrigerator as needed. I somehow got confused and only drank 3 shakes per day! Surprisingly I was not really hungry. I was shocked when I opened the basement fridge the day before my surgery! Dr also requires 2 weeks of full liquids following surgery, so I was super happy to finally move to mushy foods. I wanted to chew on something and considered the seatbelt strap! I also got really tired of cold as the only hot thing I had was soup. However, time passes quickly and things continue to improve. I am very happy with my sleeve!

I am not familiar with your insurance, but typically that does mean that you will pay significantly more. If I were in your situation, I would try to research some doctors that are in network to see if you feel you would be happy with them. If so, why pay more than you have to. If you can't find anyone else that you feel comfortable with, it may be worth it to pay the out of pocket expense. As you will see on these forums, not everyone has a great experience. Putting yourself into the hands of a doctor you are comfortable with is a great start. Good luck!

I put on my weight in a very short time due to extreme stress, so I will be quite happy to wear some of the clothes hanging in my closet! I have full wardrobes in 6 sizes.

Thanks for the encouragement! I am in this for the long haul and I know I will be successful. I am really encouraged by the support in these forums!

I am a newbie to posting here - actually to posting anywhere, but here is my story. It took me almost a year to be certain this surgery was the path for me and to get through the preparation. I had my sleeve surgery on 12/3/13 and was completely confident that it was the right decision for me. I started to feel better as soon as I started on Optifast, which my surgeon requires for two weeks prior to surgery. I was disappointed that I only lost 15 pounds because I have seen on this forum where many people lost a lot more. My surgery went well, and my only issue was mild nausea, but I only spent one night in the hospital. My surgeon requires 2 weeks of full liquids following surgery which was a challenge, but I held on and stuck to the program. I did not lose any weight the first week, but they said that happens sometimes. I felt like I was sacrificing a lot but not making any progress and I wanted something HOT to eat and something to chew on! However, my weight started dropping the following week. Week 3 introduced mushy foods which are my life for 6 weeks. I was very happy to have something real to eat. The first thing I tried was scrambled egg, which felt like it got stuck. I have since learned that many people struggle with scrambled eggs even well after surgery. I had the same challenge when I tried chicken. I have found some workable mushy foods, but would love to hear some creative things that have worked well for others. I tried to return to work two weeks after the surgery, but I was still tired and found I only had about 4 good hours a day so I took a few more days off and returned to work on 12/26. I found that I could not cope without a little caffeine even though my doctor does not permit it. I found that the Isopure green tea Protein drink has caffeine so I have it every morning and that is enough to fuel me for the day. Was lack of caffeine a problem for anyone else? I am 4 weeks post surgery with 15lbs lost before surgery and 15 post surgery. I find that I am really hungry some days, but I only let myself have a yogurt or cottage cheese beyond what I am supposed to have. I know everyone is different, but I am disappointed I am not losing faster like so many of the people I read about here. Any suggestions? I have all my protein every day, but I don't always have all my Water. I exercise almost every day.

Welcome! Focus on trying to stay hydrated and follow the program your doctor gave you and you will be fine. Miy program was 2 weeks of full liquids after surgery. It was easy most days. The hardest thing for me was that it was cold outside so I got tired of all the cold drinks and yogurt. Soup was my best friend!

I slept on my side from the second night on, but I have a sleep number bed. I also was able to lay face down at the chiropractor after one week and had a massage after two weeks. None of this caused any pain at all.

You are so right! I am sure there were areas I was missing before!