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Hey there!
I have been doing a ton of research since starting my journey 2 years ago. I have read man books and have found 3 that ha e really helped me.
1) The big book of Gastric sleeve
2) WLS for Dummies
3) The Emotional First Aid kit: a practical guide to life after bariatric Surgery
I recommend all of these, especially number 3! They all give different aspects to all stages of this process!
What has helped you?
Sheena :-)

Congrats! ????????????????

Surgery is set for December 18th, which also happens to be my birthday!!!! Beyond excited!

Just got word yesterday that I am approved and scheduled for Dec. 8th!

Just got word yesterday that I am approved and scheduled for Dec. 8th!

Just got word yesterday that I am approved and scheduled for Dec. 8th!

I'll be leaving for the hospital in about an hour! After spending all last week with high anxiety about the surgery I feel strangely calm right now. All you sleevers that have already been sleeved...move over on that losers bench and make some room for me!!!!!

Most of my friends and family know about my WLS. That's mostly due to my mother who has no filter these days. I was upset at first but because I have been successful, I'm not that concerned anymore. I do understand though, that if I struggled more in trying to lose the weight, I might be concerned about those who judge.
Even mom was ignorant in terms of how the band works. My cousin's girlfriend got the band about a year after me and my mother said she wasn't as successful as me because she needed to have the band tightened. I explained to her that this is the way it's supposed to be and it's me...with no fills...that is the anomaly.
I felt I needed to be honest with my friends when they asked how I was losing the weight. No one has been negative and that means the world to me. It shows what good friends I really have.
Coworkers....those I am close with are aware. The casual coworkers have not been told but I suspect the women have figured it out. The men I don't think have a clue.
There are valid points on both sides here and I agree with many of the pros and cons. So I guess it still comes down to what each of us feels comfortable with. I do believe however, that most people think that WLS is the easy way out and we all know how wrong they are in that assumption. Advocacy would indeed go a long way in changing that incorrect assumption.

Bikrchk, I'm with you. The fact everyone knows about my surgery is a big factor in holding myself accountable. Now that I'm in maintenance I know I won't fail because I want to be a good example.
And thank you everyone else for your posts. You make very good points. I used to work for a big corporation, so I know about office politics and dealing with "suits". That BS is a big reason why I went back to school for a complete career change in my 30's. And it's a real shame that so many people have friends and family that are unsupportive.
I guess it just upsets me that WLS is still such a taboo subject in today's society. Losing weight and being healthy are an aspiration for Americans but the fact that there is a "right" way (excersise, eating healthy) and a "wrong" way (WLS) is just crazy.
The choice to tell or not tell is just that and everyone has to do what is best for them. I just think that the only way to help break down the stigma of surgery is for people to hear about our successes rather than repeat the stories about a "friend of a friend that died". And people's reactions may surprise you...hearing the truth could help someone else struggling with their weight. Really, if we can't be supporters of WLS, who will be?

I originally told everyone even remotely close to me stopping short of a full scale coming out on Facebook and got zero negative feedback. I got genuine concern and questions, which are a GOOD thing! It means the people in your life care about you! Did some of them try to talk me out of it? Yes, they did. Their concern forced me to educate myself and them about my procedure and the reasons I'd chosen to do this. It made me a smarter, stronger person and helped me educate some others about the struggle obesity is along the way. Today, I am an open book. I tell BECAUSE I don't want to fail. BECAUSE I want as many accountability partners out there as possible, and BECAUSE I've become an example and a mentor to others and I'm sure as hell not going to let them down!

I agree! I understand that some people would rather avoid the negativity, but it generally does a disservice to those who suffer from obesity to project a false image of someone who's successfully lost a significant amount of weight without surgery. It just perpetuates the myth that with just a little more will power anyone can lose that weight.

Many people over this last year have asked me what I did to prepare for my weight loss surgery. There were many things that I did and not one was more important than another. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your preparation heading into surgery and especially the liquid diet the week or two prior will be the hardest and most important thing you do as a part of your journey. You will work hard to prepare your mind, your body, and to some degree your spirit to go though the surgery. Once you do have the surgery the hardest part is over. If you can survive the months before taking the plunge then everything you do after will be a piece of cake in comparison.
I am here to tell you that anyone who says having a weight loss surgery is taking the easy way out is someone who will never understand what it truly takes to go through this process. To some degree I feel sorry for those who don't get it. They will never understand the joy and excitement that comes with going through this transformation. To be honest, even though my wife loves me and has been an amazing support through this whole process, she will never full know or understand what it is like to make this decision and prepare for the surgery like I do.
This is part one, in a series of three posts, detailing my preparation for surgery. The first aspect of this preparation I will cover is how I prepared my body. This was pretty simple for me really. I was in bad shape and was huffing after just sitting up from a chair; as my transformation video in an earlier post has shown. I was miserable! I would practically crawl through my front door after just my first night back to work. I work as a pharmacy technician at a hospital and walk 8 to 12 miles a night. I was living off of Tylenol and Bengay. Honestly I smelled like I was probably 90 years old. Looking back I find myself completely disgusted that I ever let things get that bad.
Since I could not really do much working out because of the toll work was taking on my body, what could I do? The answer came from my brother. He is a nurse and knows a ton about medicine. I honestly think he should have became a doctor, but he didn't want the added responsibility. Before I had fully decided on having the bypass surgery and long before anyone knew I was even contemplating that option my brother came to me, as serious as I had ever seen him. Those that know my brother know he's a bit of a joker and very lighthearted. His demeanor kind of scared me, but in this conversation would be the answer that would help me prepare my body for surgery.
He explained to me that he wanted to see me healthy, that he wanted me to be able to be the cool uncle when he had kids, and how he wanted his brother back. He was scared that I wouldn't be around much longer and didn't want to see me die. Looking back I really think he was right. Then he did something that floored me and provided and amazing answer to how I would physically prepare for the journey I was about to take. He explained to me that he wanted me healthy so badly he would pay for my gym membership if I promised to go three times a week and swim. On a side note; He religiously checked up on my progress with the gym manager to make sure I was going and even went so far as to meet me at the gym and swim with me. I swam on a team in junior high and he explained to me the benefits of working out in the Water.
Water has the ability to take all of the pressure off of your knees and other joints. It can keep you cool if you are prone to overheating and provides an amazing about of resistance if you find ways to take advantage of it. He set up a plan and told me just to come three times a week to swim and do what I could. So that is what I did. I did not want to let me brother down and I would hope he would agree it was the best investment he ever made.
So that is what I did; I swam. I swam freestyle, I swam breast stroke, I saw backstroke, and when I was feeling particularly squirrely, I swam butterfly. Butterfly was my specialty when I was on swim team but man it is a butt kicker. I started out with 10 laps, which was a lot better than I had thought. I found I could move more freely and with less pain in the water. From there I just simply added one or two laps each time I went. Before I knew it, I was approaching my surgery date and I was swimming close to an hour non-stop!
Why should I work out prior to surgery?

There is a very simple answer. To prepare your body. You need to prepare your body for what you are about to put it through. This is major surgery and not something to take lightly. You also want to work out to build up your cardiovascular and pulmonary endurance. Strengthening the heart will make you strong for surgery because your body will be stressed, because of this your blood pressure will spike for a short time after surgery and it is a lot to put on yourself. Strengthening your lungs will help keep you from a common post surgical complication which is pneumonia. My goal in preparing my body was simply to be able to survive the surgery, keep my complications down, and my hospital stay short as should be your goal as well. I want to tell you right now that preparing my body worked out well. I had no major complications and I left the hospital three days later, which was the minimum hospital stay my doctor required for his full bypass patients.
What if I can't swim?
The key here is to simply get moving. If you can walk, then walk. If you have access to a pool, then you can water walk or water jog. If you love biking and can do that, then do that. You just need to move. Your goals with this are simple. First, you want to make sure you are panting a little from being out of breath when you are done. This will show you that your lungs have been pushed a little and if that is true then your heart will have been pushed also. Second, each time you work out, just add a little to it. If your taking laps on a track, add a lap or a half a lap each time. If you are walking your neighborhood then walk for another 30 seconds or a minute. If you do this early, as soon as you begin contemplating surgery the further along and better prepared you will be, come surgery day.
As always, if you have any questions, or if there is anything unclear, please post your questions and comments below and I will work to answer them all as soon as I can. Also check out my blog again soon for part 2 of the series about dealing with the psychological aspects of preparing for the amazing journey you are taking.

I am saving this here for later and I hope to add things to it. as I roll into my 6th week and begin my full diet I need more options. I need to keep foods interesting. I am already burned out on greek yogurt....
here is a list of 31 healthy and portable high Protein Snacks.
http://greatist.com/health/high-protein-snacks-portable

Im so excited!! Just found out today that my surgery got approved after ten long days of waiting!! WOOHOO!!!!

Welcome, and congratulations on making the decision to better your health by choosing this surgery!. I think you are really wise to get things in order, not just because you're having surgery, but because these things need to be done. Anything can happen at any time, surgery or not. Now you have it out of the way and can concentrate on getting healthier. I think it is normal to feel the way you are feeling, but once these tasks are out of the way you can feel confident that you are prepared for anything! Best wishes on your upcoming surgery and recovery!

Welcome, and congratulations on making the decision to better your health by choosing this surgery!. I think you are really wise to get things in order, not just because you're having surgery, but because these things need to be done. Anything can happen at any time, surgery or not. Now you have it out of the way and can concentrate on getting healthier. I think it is normal to feel the way you are feeling, but once these tasks are out of the way you can feel confident that you are prepared for anything! Best wishes on your upcoming surgery and recovery!

Welcome, and congratulations on making the decision to better your health by choosing this surgery!. I think you are really wise to get things in order, not just because you're having surgery, but because these things need to be done. Anything can happen at any time, surgery or not. Now you have it out of the way and can concentrate on getting healthier. I think it is normal to feel the way you are feeling, but once these tasks are out of the way you can feel confident that you are prepared for anything! Best wishes on your upcoming surgery and recovery!

I think about all the crazy tactics I've used to loose weight in the past!!! I've survived on the Joe Cross juicing fad for 60 days, no solid food whatsoever! To anyone juicing, I think its good for certain things (and still juice vegetables only on occasion) but sustained weight loss is not one of them. Lost 40 pounds and gained back 80. I'm thinking I'll be well-equipped to get through whatever pre-op diet they assign. And how many people have done nutri-, opti, -slim, -fast etc etc??? and gained it all back??? I actually obese people have a lot of willpower.
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Hi all,
I mentioned the benefits of mindful eating in another thread and VSGAnn suggested I start a thread. I'm far from an expert on this, and honestly don't practice it as it should be, but I think the exploration of it has really helped me, so wanted to go ahead and start this - and invite others who may practice it chime in with their input and experience. I did a workshop about mindful eating in the months before my surgery. So sharing what I learned.
So mindful eating is really just about slowing down and paying much closer attention to the whole process of eating than we normally do. We all know the problems of mindless eating - how easy it is to finish a whole pint of ice cream, large bag of chips, etc. while watching TV. But even when eating at the table in a more traditional way so much of our eating is still pretty mindless. And we let external cues, rather than our own bodies, determine what we eat and how much.
Some of the basic tenets of mindful eating (again, not an expert so may be leaving things out - all are welcome to add/correct what I'm including!):
Before eating, check in with yourself and really think about what is your body wants to eat; sometimes we're just on autopilot and reach for the usual things, but when we listen we realize that we actually are craving something different Don't judge yourself for what you're craving; trust your body to tell you what it needs This one was REALLY hard for me, and I have not perfected it, but I do think it's really important; most of us have spent years dieting or "cheating" on diets and it's all just disconnected us from listening to what we actually need This one is also hard to align with the guidelines post surgery - like focusing on Protein, but to a somewhat limited extent it can still be done Before eating a meal, pause and think about the meal you're about to eat - where did all the ingredients come from? Who prepared it? And so onFor me, this helps me feel so thankful for the abundance of foods available to me; I often marvel at the range of spices and flavors in each of my meals that come from all over the world, or the fresh ingredients that made their way from country farms to my NYC apartment; and I am more aware of the animals that gave their lives for my sake than I used to be (still a carnivore, but more conscious about not wasting meat) Eat one bite at a time, putting your fork down between bites and think about the whole sensation - how the food feels in your mouth, the flavors that hit different parts of your tongue, how the flavors change as you start to chewIn the workshop I did we did a few guided meditations with food, for example eating just one raisin at a time and contemplating each stage of eating - holding the raisin in our mouths, chewing (for a while) and then finally swallowing; then doing the same with a 2nd raisin and noticing how the experience is slightly different with the 2nd bite vs the first; I highly recommend this! It was amazing how delicious one raisin could taste when you pay attention (and I'm not someone who thought I liked raisins). Also interesting how much less intense each bite is vs the first; after the first bite we tend to go into autopilot mode and just shovel it in without thought After each bite check in with yourself and consider how your hunger, satiety and fullness has changed Satiety is probably the hardest of these; I tend to think of it as - if someone took this food away right now how would that feel? If I would feel that I needed to get something else to eat than I'm not satisfied; if that feels like it wouldn't be so bad, and that what I've eaten will keep me going for 2-3 hours than most likely I'm just about satisfied In terms of fullness, paying attention helps you recognize the early signs of fullness; especially for us WLS people it's important not to eat to point of too full. There are always signals before that; we just have to get used to recognizing them There are mindful meditations that you can do - for just 10 minutes a day; this isn't about eating, but just about learning how to listen to your body signals - there's an app called mindfullness with a good 10-15 minute meditation (I think it's 2-3 dollars) Full disclosure: I did these during the workshop I was in, but have not continued; but I think it's helpful for someone who wants to embrace this process to do the work of strengthening your mindfulness muscles Mindfullness is not easy! We're programmed to rush. It's almost ridiculous how frustrating it can be to hold a raisin in your mouth for a minute without chewing it, but again - a great thing to do for yourself to build this skill - it really feels like taking care of yourself in a deeper way, and we all deserve to give ourselves that attention and care I did this workshop in the months before my surgery and I really think it's helped me since surgery. As I mentioned above I don't practice perfectly, but having worked to be more conscious in my eating for a while, now that awareness is more innate. I am much better about checking in with myself about what i'm craving. If I start eating something that's not satisfying I stop and get something different (when possible). If I want a little more than I planned to eat I get more. If I'm satisfied before I clean my plate I stop. I track what i eat, and focus on Protein and veggies, but I don't stop myself from eating more some days when I am just hungrier - or force myself to eat more on days when I'm not too hungry. And if I crave something sweet - I eat something sweet.
Overall I think this has helped me feel satisfied with the smaller meals we eat post surgery. Even though they're small I still think about each meal and make sure that it's yummy and satisfying. I've seen people post about how eating is so much less pleasurable since surgery and I don't relate. I enjoy food as much or more, but I think the mindfullness has helped with that a lot.
Hope this is helpful to some! Look forward to hearing if anyone else has tried this approach. Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll do my best to answer.
-Susan/Suse

I had a food funeral before I went on my pre-op diet. I never felt that it was a mistake although believe it or not you will be able to eat everything after your surgery only in smaller amounts. So for me it turned out to be a worry that I did not need to worry about.
There are things that have changed like I find different foods more to my taste then say Pasta. I eat differently because that is what my body wants now. I love fish, okay I am in love with fish. Can't get enough. Before surgery. Rarely ate anything but Salmon. Now the sea is my Oyster! You may find this happening to you.
Try not to gain to much because you will have to lose that after along with the rest. Also the lighter you are the less complications possibly.
Now is a good time to learn to train yourself and get off of some of the sugar or fatty foods and try to eat healthier. Remember this is a life changer. No time like the present to start the journey.

Hey all- Dooter here. I haven't been on here in a while, but this thought has been plaguing me, and I need to get it out. -Let me preface this discussion by saying I am GLAD I had the sleeve surgery, and I would not change it for the world. I had NO complications and I lost 102 pounds in eight months, and for that I am grateful. I needed to do that quickly for my own sanity and health. HOWEVER- that said-
DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT think for one teeny tiny minute that having surgery and dumping a bunch of weight is going to fix your head and the behavior that got you here. Not gonna happen. During the "honeymoon" period where you can sneeze off five pounds at a time and you're never hungry after your teaspoon of food, you can't imagine EVER returning to old feelings and desires. I am here to tell you that it sneaks back in a little at a time. A taste here, a taste there... "oh look. I've gained a pound. well, that was salty food, I'll just drink more Water tomorrow." HORSE HOCKEY!!!! That's where it starts. Your old head trips creep in. Hiding food. Eating junk now, figuring you'll just shape up "next week" or "tomorrow." Tomorrow never happens and you've gained 30 pounds back. Yes. With your itty bitty stomach, you have gained 30 pounds back. It can happen. Or worse, you gain it all back. That can happen too.
The reason I am writing this and being to harsh about it is that you are a person who is considering, or who has gone through a MAJOR life changing surgery. SO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!! Be vigilant. come out of that honeymoon with your armor on! You WILL stop losing at one point and your body will begin to fight you as mine has. The diet my surgeon gave me no longer works at this point in the game, as my metabolism is stuck in cold molasses and it has taken a personal trainer/dietitian to get it moving again, and it is majorly hard work and painful and distasteful at times, but I have another 100 lbs to lose AFTER the 30 lb regain is gone.
​Have somebody close to you hold you accountable for exercising and eating right. Splatter it all over Facebook if you have to (I did) so you'll have MANY people holding you accountable! Do what you have to do to reach your goal. Don't settle for less and don't eat crap. And don't think that surgery is the final solution. It's a tool that will get you halfway there. The rest is up to YOU and no one else. Thank you. That is all.

YAY! I had my surgery yesterday. It occurred at Des Peres Hospital in Des Peres, ( St. Louis) MO. I know everyone will have different experiences based on where they have the surgery, but here's what I experienced:
10 AM REGISTRATION: Registered (even though I pre-registered the day before on the phone) and made a payment on my portion after insurance 10:45 PRE-SURGERY PREP: The nurse took my vitals, reviewed my medical history, took urine, and had me change into a gown. 11:30 HOLDING: I laid in a bed in an area called "pre-surgery". It was kinda awkward because there were 7 other people in the room waiting for various surgeries. Some were staring at each other. You could here all of their machines beeping. Some were moaning. I asked for magazines to avoid getting nervous. The anesthesiologist came and asked me a bunch of questions and explained the process to me. Then Dr. Minkin showed up and answered any final questions I had. 1:30 SURGERY: I was wheeled into the OR. I was given some medicine via IV and was out cold within seconds. 3:00 RECOVERY: This was the worst experience ever. I woke up and though I was having a heart attack. (I must state that I was not aware that they put gas in your stomach to make room for the surgery.) The gas was all up in my chest and I truly thought I was dying. My throat was so dry that I was begging for someone to help me. They finally gave me some wet gauze to suck on.: 4:30 ARRIVAL IN ROOM: I arrived in my room ( all rooms at Des Peres are private). My nurses got me all set up, took my vitals, and gave me pain meds, nausea meds, and pepcid. They also hooked my legs up in some cuffs that would help with circulation and prevent blood clots. NIGHT TIME: It's impossible to sleep. Nurses and techs are in your room all night checking on you. MORNING: I went for my swallow test where they give you shots of dye and take X-rays to make sure there are no leaks. 11:00 food: My lunch arrived. It consisted of a bombpop, broth, crystal light lemonade, Jello, and an Optifast shake. I took it very slow and ate the lunch over 2 hours. I took very small sips. 1:30 ROUNDS: Dr. Minkin made his rounds and told me everything went great with surgery. He answered any more questions I had and gave me verbal post-op instructions. He then released me. 3:00 DISCHARGE: The nurse came by with my discharge paperwork and instructions. TIPS:
Walk as much as you can. That's the only way to get rid of the gas. It's almost impossible to fart (odd, I know) so I mainly burped a lot. The gas is no joke! Don't forget to take something to wear under your gown the next day (sweats/undies) to make you more comfortable while cruising the halls. I gained a couple of pounds while in the hospital. I think it was from all the fluids being pumped into me. Overall, I had a GREAT EXPERIENCE! I am so proud of myself for taking this step to improve my health and life. I am also so proud of all of you for making this choice too!

RJ
I am so sorry that this happened to you. I know that after years of getting judged for being overweight, the last thing you need after all your hard work and success is a judgmental attitude from a plastic surgeon. Also, this is the perfect place to vent your feelings. I just want you to know that regardless of that jerks behavior you are such a positive inspiration to everyone on this forum. Your great advice and positive attitude is awesome and appreciated. So, if you need to vent your sorrow and frustrations you are more than entitled.
I am a little over three months post op myself and while I have lurked daily on this forum I have never joined or commented on anything. I joined tonight because I wanted to tell you that the night before my surgery I was so nervous and thinking about canceling it. However, it was in reading your story and journey that gave me the courage and faith to go through with it. So I thank you for that!! I am sending hugs and good wishes your way. Embrace your fabulousness and know that you are an inspiration to so many!!

I have always enjoyed reading your posts and I am so sad for you that you had such a jerk plastic surgeon! I just had plastics last month and I met with my surgeon in June and he never once made me feel like I was gross or anything at all negative. He has very much let me dictate what I was concerned about and offered solutions based on my issues- I cannot imagine him ever acting like your surgeon did! Also, while I am fortunate in that I was able to pay for the entire procedure out of pocket (insurance would not have paid for any of mine), my doctor has actually suggested less expensive procedures than I originally wanted. He even completed a few things during surgery that he didn't bill me for. I still have one more procedure left in November, and while he could have sold me on a few more things, there was never once any pressure or even suggestion that I should have more done than I had asked about.
Your surgeon is an unprofessional ass and an office that has a culture that revolves around money is not an office that is likely doing very well financially. I'm pretty sure my doctor does very well financially, but it's because he is SO super nice and laid back and the entire office makes you feel like you matter. You should never have to work with a PS that does not make you feel happy and excited about the procedure, let alone one that makes you feel downright awful!
If you live anywhere in the Southeast part of the country, send me a message and I will send you my doctor's info. He's rated as one of the best in the country and people travel from all over for his reconstruction work with cancer patients. He did a beautiful job with my surgeries, but most also importantly, he doesn't make me feel like I am a wrinkly, ugly, extra skin, stretched out tube sock that I sort of was before surgery. My doctor is awesome and you should not even consider settling until you find a PS that makes you feel like the wonderful person you are.

RJ,
You have to remember what those guys are looking at about 80-90 % of the time. "Hi, I am a middle age suburban Mom that has breasts that aren't quite as high as they were the day I turned 18" or " Hi, I'd like to paralyze my face so no one knows I am 32." Unfortunately, they typically aim for cosmetic surgery as opposed to plastics to actually repair damage. In addition, they are human and while you are not gross or grotesque as a person, we can all be objective in looking at the changes and damage we have caused to our bodies with obesity. As much as you may have felt judged by him, perhaps you are missing the mark since it was likely the first time you met him.; some people look pissed when they are in deep thought, some look happy when they are about to kill a bunny...perhaps you misread his expression. If you didn't and he is a giant douche, there are plenty of other doctors out there that would love to help you. Unfortunately, its just like the weight loss, A LOT OF WORK to find the right one. I am sorry about your other situations and for saying this if you aren't religious and it bothers you, but when things really hit the fan, I think about Christ, about the walk he took with the cross he was crucified on, the shame - hurt - and betrayal / hopelessness he must have felt being on display and abandoned by his father, then I think about my issues and they don't seem as large. Beyond that, your spirit is beautiful, no matter what it is packaged in. I have read your posts on here and they are helpful, lovely, and honest - may your body soon reflect what you need it to, but you have the hardest part of life worked out already. Being a fantastic person, that no plastic surgery can morph someone in to.
Best wishes