bewell

I started my pre-op diet early and also went out to eat a few times. I practiced eating how I would eat post-op. VERY small portions and no carbs, low fat. It can be done! And it was hard but worth the effort. I got a good look at what life will be after WLS and grateful that WLS helps so much with the hunger and amounts. FYI- My doc said the primary purpose of the pre-op diet it to shrink your liver so the surgery is easier. They have to move your liver away from your stomach. Suggest you consider your up-coming surgery and make it easy for your surgeon to get to your stomach.

I also had trouble with Vitamins (even liquid and melts) and DID vomit them up. My Doc said not to worry about taking vitamins for the 1st 4-6 weeks if I was having trouble with them. He also said I would NOT get Vitamin deficient in this time frame. Focus on healing first most and fluids. Avoid vomiting no matter what.

It works but keep in mind that you have to work hard at it too. I KNOW there is no way I could have lost weight without WLS. But ongoing it is 40% WLS and 60% up to me to keep it working.

THE DREADED STALL at 8 weeks post-op. Had to come sometime. Had my 2 month checkup and the nurse said to get off the scales so often. She said I'm losing even if the scales don't show it and try weighing once a month. Yikes! Also noted that I am slow to heal and not to fuss about it. Everyone is different. My tiny-tummy takes a few hours to wake up each AM. I on liquids for the 1st 4 hours of the day. I'm still on soft food the rest of the day otherwise I'm pretty uncomfortable (not painful tho) and can still vomit introducing new foods. So I'm sticking to a small range of foods I know I can eat. Increasing exercise as I can. The fantastic news is I can finally drink a glass of water pretty much the same as pre-surgery. I sure missed that! And things are tasting close to normal. The scary part is I think I'm starting to get tempted to eat carbs which to this point didn't interest me. What a steep learning curve this sleeve is! I had no idea. (I'm a lap band to sleeve revision and this learning to eat is much harder. But the lap band hurt SO MUCH MORE. Nurse also told me that after the initial healing process there is a LOT LESS complications with sleeve, gastric bypass and other. Lap band has many more complications after healing cuz of foreign object which can erode, slip, break and just plain hurt. So happy to have that thing out of me. Best to all of you January sleevers, we can DO THIS!

2/2015RN I had a terrible taste in my mouth for weeks. And as I said earlier, everything tasted weird. Only now 7 weeks postop can I drink regular Water. All I could drink for weeks was organic clear apple juice. Some people don't have pain but I did. The oxy-codine liquid worked great for me and I used all of it.

I got shakes several times a day the first 3-4 weeks postop. It was usually when I didn't drink enough fluids or not enough to eat. It went away but I still get it a little if I wait to long between eating and again, not enough fluids. I drink and eat right away and it goes away. I always drink a small Protein drink before going to bed and 1st thing when waking up.

You look amazing!!! Love it. If you can only name one thing, what was that one thing that contributed the most to your success (aside from WLS)? What was your biggest mistake that took you back a step or two?

wvanglahn Eli Alexander WOW to both of you. An inspiration. Keep it up. It is harder than any non-obese person could ever imagine.

Yeah, that's right. A too sweet Protein drink is terrible. I had diarrhea for 5 weeks, not constipation. It all resolved now, but my little toilet trout are so wee compared to what they used to me.

Kindle You offer a lot of good council. I didn't know that we can absorb only 20gms of protein at at time. THANKS! As for vegetables-at 4 weeks i could do really soft cauliflower. Then I tried broccoli which tasted SO AMAZING, I had a second bite(s), maybe 2 small florets and it all came back up immediately. I think if I'd kept to just a few florets to begin with I would have been fine. At 6 weeks I can eat 1/4 cup over steamed broccoli and it is so good. I also eat my protein earlier just because eating a mushed vegetable is such a treat! (Can't believe I'm writing that.) I can't wait for some raw vegetables but I'm told I am a long way out from doing that, a month or more before I'll try it. FYI-I use one of those microwave ceramic cookers. It's small and is perfect for just a few steamed vegetables and chicken is very moist in it.

I got the garmin vivosmart with heart monitor. I bought the garmin because I swim a lot and it can go in the pool and get wet in the rain. I have used it just 2 weeks. It was great for reminding me to MOVE. If I sit too long it buzzes me to move, so I get up and walk for 5 minutes. It does all the same as fitbit I think. They both link with My fitness pal. However, I may return it (got 30 days Amazon). The reviews said all activity monitors may not track accurately the amount of exercise. That is my experience. One day I know I got more steps in than it showed, the next I was pretty inactive and it showed a lot more than I did. I can adjust it each day but I"m really not into another device (add it to my phone) controlling my life and time. I also had a hard time getting the heart monitor to work. I'm not sure it was worth the money.

Yes, at first I was nauseated just thinking about eating. I also vomited very few days from eating 3 tablespoons of food intend of 2. It's getting better now. The nurse told me that I can eat something that irritates my stomach and cause it to swell a bit creating less room for food. A couple of times I've had to go back on all liquids to quiet things down. She also told me it's pretty hard and pretty unlikely to be get malnutrition. I have also found that one day I feel hungry and then the next few I'm not. Best wishes to you!

You non-vomiters are so lucky! I had a lap band for 10 years and NEVER vomited. I vomit every few days with my sleeve. Even brushing my TEETH early on. (saw another here did that too, weird) Most of the times I vomit it is because I eat too fast or too big of bite. I had a hard time adjusting to such a small amount of food. How can 3-4 level teaspoons be too much? Well, it is. Not-so-lucky with the vomiting.

It is a huge decision, and much more significant surgery than the lap-band. It is wise of you to consider all your options and look and the pros and cons. I am 64 and had the revision BUT I am 130 pounds overweight so it was a much easier decision of me. Also my band and port hurt al the time, an constant irritation. (That's gone!) I can tell you I didn't have much reflux before but I do now. It is getting better but I wonder if it will ever go away completely. I'm still only 6 weeks post-op. Too soon to tell about any of this. Best wishes to you in making your decision.

REGARDING WLS: What didn't you see coming OR what did they forget to tell you?!!@##%^ For me it was: Water and many foods would taste terrible Brushing my teeth made me vomit ​Extremely sensitive to smell, I would get nauseous at the grocery store from the smells My cat would eat more than me and I'd still survive

I heard that drinking water before going to bed helps flush out the toxins and for us old geezers reduces AM heart attacks. I've been drinking a 10 oz of water before bed. I figure it will help flush out the fat too. I do have to get up to pee once or twice and then take another sip of water but I do feel good in the AM.

Besides the usual lists they had out.....I bought way too many kinds and too much of the Protein drinks. I tried them pre-surgery and liked them. BUT then post-op everything tasted different and things I liked before didn't taste so good post-op. Also, I bought way too much food. Like 10 boxes of sugar free Jello. If you only eat a few spoonfuls a day, that can last a long time. I still buy way too much food. My suggesting, get enough of the Clear liquids items and a few Soups and a limited supply of Protein Drinks cuz they may just not taste the same after surgery. At least that was my experience.

Kindle and VSGAnn2014 Thank you! Very good to know I will be able eat more calories and still lose weight. I think I'm just trying to pschyc myself into accepting how I eat has to change now, forever. That way I can accept that the big successive daily binge days are over. And I really won't "starve" if I only eat 1,000 calories. Thanks again!

E-girl...I expect I'll be more active at my goal weight and can eat more but how do you keep the weight off eating more? Just seems in the past if I go over 1,200 calories on a regular basis, I gain weight. An an average how many calories can you eat and maintain your goal weight! BTW: congrats on you long term success! Way to go!!!

I was a self-pay and had to borrow from my 401k but so far it was worth every penny! When I get to my goal it will be about $150 a pound! Welcome to the board, it is a great place to get support. With your spirit and determination, you'll be fine!

This may gross you out and ALERT.....it may be very bad advice but I did chew a few things just to chew it and then I spit it out and rinsed my mouth out. I was going nuts and I had to CHEW something. It helped and I only had to do it a few times.

Had a revision Jan 13. Lap band surgery 2006. My Doc said the Fluid has to be out, Took 3 hrs for all, 1.5 for removal of lap band. Lots of scar tissue surrounding it. 1.5 for sleeve Even tho recovery took a while from the surgery. I felt so much better with the lap band removed. It always hurt both the band and the port Good luck!

jinxxy5, you look amazing and so fit. Appreciate the clean eating comment, that's really something!

veronica, There is a lap-band technique I used (as did many lap-banders) when that full, food stuck feeling is there. Breath deep using your stomach muscles, pushing the air out using your stomach muscles and walk around. For some reason it helps. I've been using it with the sleeve and it seems to help. Maybe just keeps my mind off the horrible feeling.

Syntrax fuzzy navel. The only thing I can eat for the first few hours every AM. It tastes great!