GreenEyes604

Congratulations! I'm looking forward to the day that I hit 100# down. I've got less than 20 to go!

I totally agree with the other posters above. Do whatever you have to do in order to get in enough fluids to not become dehydrated. I struggled very badly with a few bouts of dehydration, and trust me its not fun.

It was a very easy decision for me. I just felt strongly that I did not want a foreign object permanently placed in my body.

Pre-op I really like most of the flavors. I never mixed them with Water though. I always mixed mine with milk. Post surgery I couldn't stand the taste of any Protein powders at all. Had to give them up.

I had several abdominal surgeries prior to my sleeve surgery. My surgeon said that it would probably take her a little longer than normal, but that she wouldn't know until she got inside. It did take her a little while longer, but she said it wasn't that big of a deal.

Crystal Light is a life saver for me. I have never tolerated plain Water, it has to have some type of flavor to it. Plain water always made me sick to my stomach. I have no explanation for it, but as good as plain water is for you, I just can't do it.

I absolutely loved Protein shakes pre-op. Once I had surgery, I couldn't stand the taste of protein shakes. I had to give them up completely.

I know what you mean @@Martene81 I have that round mound in the front of my belly, and I'm wondering will I ever lose it without a tummy tuck. I have lost 83 lbs. since I started my journey, and it seems to me that I am losing more of my butt than my tummy. I have gone from a size 18 down to a size 12 already, but that tummy bulge is still there.

I asked my surgeon if she thought that I should purchase a bracelet, and she told me that people who have been sleeved really don't need one. The only folks that really need them are bypass patients.

I purchased the variety case which has 2 bottles of each of the flavors. I tried a couple of them and they were just totally disgusting to me. However, my 24 year old daughter (who isn't on a weight loss problem) thought they were amazing and she drank all of them. I think Isopure is just one of those things that you have to try it for yourself to see if you like it. I definitely did not!

Keep your eyes on the prize and you'll be in onederland before you know it! Best wishes to all of you!

My insurance company required a 6 month supervised weight loss program pre-op, so on my first visit to my surgeon, she put me on a modified diet of replacing 1 meal a day with a Protein shake. I had to do that for 4 months, then beginning month 5, I had to go to 2 Protein Shake replacements per day. After 4 weeks of that, I had to go to all liquids for 2 weeks, and the last 2 weeks I was on Clear Liquids only. I've had many people tell me that my surgeon's requirements were extreme, but I'm happy I did things exactly like she instructed me to. I lost 30 lbs. pre-op, and I've lost another 53 lbs. post op.

It really is amazing how different each surgeon's program is. I was on Clear Liquids for 2 weeks post op. Then I started on regular liquids week 3. I wasn't allowed to resume taking Calcium after surgery until 4 weeks post-op.

I'm not a "spicy" fan at all, but I do love wasabi. I can also do Frank's Hot Sauce which a lot of people think isn't hot at all. I can handle both of them with no problem.

This never occurred to me until yesterday when I had the strangest thing happen to me... I work in a very small office that only has 6 people in it. I told none of my co-workers that I was having VSG because quite frankly it was none of their business. When it comes to work life and private life, I keep them as far apart as possible. I had taken Thursday office from work because I was feeling a little under the weather. When I returned to the office yesterday morning, I was approached by one of my co-workers. She asked me if I was ok. I told her I was fine. She then proceeded to tell me that she was becoming very concerned about me because I was losing so much weight, and she was wondering if I was seriously ill. That comment really caught me off guard. I thanked her for her concern, but assured her I was completely fine. Ever since yesterday this has really been weighing on my mind. My surgery was done on December 12, 2014 and I have lost a total of 81 lbs. I see posts all the time about people who are worried that they aren't going to lose any weight, but has anyone had an issue with losing TOO MUCH weight? The last thing that I want is to look too thin to the point of looking emaciated or anorexic. I am currently 39 lbs. away from what I thought was a good "goal weight", but if people are already thinking that I'm starting to look "sick", maybe I should reconsider what a "healthy" weight for me might be. Has anyone else had these feelings, or actually experienced losing too much?

OK, well I guess I'll set myself up as the VIP jokester…. Age: Old Sex: None in a very long time Location: Sitting at my desk at work Ok, now that the funnies are out of the way…. 55/F/Silver Spring, MD by way of Cincinnati, OH

I have abandoned the fear of the camera! Previously if I noticed someone took a picture of me, I would actually ask them to delete it. But now…. I take more "selfies" that I ever have in my life. My phone used to be filled with tons of photos of other people and other things. Now it is full of pictures of ME!!!

If you feel the need to be afraid of something, find something different. Be afraid of the things that could happen because you DIDN'T have WSL. Be afraid of developing diabetes and all the complications that come along with that. Be afraid of becoming home bound because its too difficult to walk down the street to the corner. Be afraid that you won't be able to play with your kids or grand kids because you just don't have the energy. Be afraid of all the co-morbidities that you currently don't have, but could develop without significant weight loss. Be afraid of not living a long healthy life! Now those are things to be afraid of!

When you're thinking about having weight loss surgery, you want to get as much information as possible about what to expect. Start by asking your doctor these questions. Am I a good candidate for weight loss surgery? Which type of weight loss surgery do you recommend for me? How will the surgery help me lose weight? What are the risks of this surgery? How could the surgery affect other health problems I have? How long will I be in the hospital, and off work recovering? What type of follow-up care will I need? How much food will I be able to eat afterward? Are there certain foods I won't be able to eat? Will I need Vitamins after my surgery, and if so, what types? When can I start exercising after surgery? How likely is it that I’ll regain weight after surgery? Will I need to have plastic surgery later to remove sagging skin? How many weight loss surgeries do you do each year? How are your patients doing now? How common is it for your patients to have complications? What side effects are most common? Will my health insurance cover the surgery? If not, what costs will I have to pay?

I truly believe that the BMI calculators should be recalibrated. A normal BMI for someone my height would truly make me look anorexic. I'm not sure who came up with these calculations, but geez!

Welcome to the start of your journey to the Loser's Bench! The very first thing that I would do is check with your insurance company to find out what, if any, pre-op requirements they have. Quite a few insurance company require some sort of weight history to prove that you have been obese for quite some time. If you haven't been to a doctor in over 10 years, that may be a challenge for you. All insurance companies don't require it, but knowing what they are going to ask for up front, will certainly save you a lot of headache and stress down the road. This was a very long approval process for some of us, and knowing what you need before you get started will certainly help. Best of luck to you on your journey!

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know that I can't please everyone and honestly I'm not interested in even trying. It just really caught me off guard when she said that I looked "sick". I'm fairly certain that when my body is ready to stop losing, it will stop. At 4 months post op I'm still very early in the game, and the change shocked even me sometimes...

I cannot tell any difference. If I didn't know any better because of the very small amounts of food that I consume, I wouldn't know if I had actually had surgery or not. My surgeon was actually shocked at my last visit because I have healed so well you can't even see any marks from scars.

Welcome to the Losers Bench! Now the real fun begins. One word of advise... take pictures, and pictures, and more pictures of yourself along this journey. Even if you never show them to anyone, you'll be so happy you did so you can see the changes for yourself. Congratulations!

I too called my insurance company after I knew that my surgeon's office had submitted the paperwork. The very next day my surgeon's office called me to let me know I was approved. It took my insurance company less than 48 hours to approve me.