emtscott54

I'm down 19 pounds with 4 days left to go. At this point I think it is just the liquid diet that makes me lose weight and the surgery keeps it off.

July 7th here with Dr. Richard Ing at Bryn Mawr Hospital. In the second week of the liquid diet and losing a good bit of weight quickly. Don't sweat the pre-op diet. It def gets easier after a few days.

As of today I have made it through the first of two weeks. I have to drink 4 of these New Direction shakes a day. I am not allowed any other food. I can only have no or extremely low calorie fluids, so basically Water or crystal light. I will say that around day 4 or 5 things got easier. The scale is really moving so that is a great motivator. I had one friend who cheated on his pre-op diet and the surgeon just sewed him back up without doing the surgery. The smaller the liver and stomach are at the time of surgery, the better job the surgeon can do and the better long-term results you can expect. I get sleeved in a week and a day and the only thing I know is that it is going to be an adventure. --Scott

I can honestly say it has gotten much easier. I have dropped a good deal of weight. I have little energy but that is because my body is so low on carb and using the glycogen stored in my liver. I found this very hard the first few days and really wanted to cheat, but I have managed to stick to the program. I found a schedule for the shakes that works for me so that I stay ahead of the hunger. We can do this. When you think of all the stuff we had to do to live fat, this stuff is a piece of cake (that we can't eat anymore).

I am in the western suburbs. Having surgery 7/7 at Bryn Mawr

When I had mine I was terrified that the fact I've only been free of abusing drugs and alcohol would surely stop the process. It did not. The psychologist was wonderful and even spoke to my regular therapist. They want to help you. They aren't there to be roadblocks but to help insure success.

I'm 7/7 and really struggling. I'm a big tough guy who has been through just about any kind of pain there is, but drinking 4 of these shakes a day with no other calories is so hard. I know why my program does this diet and I know my surgeon is awesome but I wish I could have some protein that I could chew at one point in the day. Even just a single piece of beef jerky. I'd be fine with just shakes for the last 5 days. I know this is all for a reason. I am sticking to the program because if I were to cheat I would cancel the procedure. People keep saying it gets easier.....

The shakes are a big adjustment. I am finding myself thinking about eating my cat. I am only on day three and already tired of the artificial sweet taste. My surgeon has us do 4 shakes at 200 calories a pop. I am also allowed crystal light and boullion. The beef boullion at least gives me a savory flavor. I know I will get through this but, there is no dressing it up. This sucks. I am just looking forward to surgery and recovery.

Fat Kings The Naked Truth Iheartlacerny

Mine is 4 New Direction shakes. I can have low cal low sodium broth too but nothing else with calories. This will be tough, but I can handle it. I'm not loving the texture of the shakes but hey, loving food is what got me here. These shakes are enough fuel to get me through the day. I wish everyone the best with their surgeries! Scott

I'm the 7th too. Just started the liquid diet today.

I am so not looking forward to constipation after my surgery. From what I'm reading I'm afraid it is going to be like pooping a pine cone.

Mine starts Wednesday. If you are considering cheating on your pre-op diet, I would suggest postponing your surgery. The sleeve is just a tool and it requires a life-long commitment to changing eating habits if we want to lose weight and keep it off. Cheating on the liquid diet is also dangerous and some doctors won't do the surgery if they get in there and see that your liver hasn't shrunk from the pre-op diet. I wish you the best with this process and hope everything goes safely for you.

I need a robe. 300 pound dudes look silly in yoga pants.

I believe choking anyone that ignorant should be legal and encouraged.

July 7th here. I am going out for one last steak dinner tomorrow. The pre and post op liquid diets suck but the reality is our love of eating ( or addictive eating) is what got us here. I'm terrified because this tool will only work if I work with it. I am also terrified because food was the only addiction I had left after recovering from my others. I believe we will all be successful. I wish us all the best and speedy recoveries. Scott

Hey Sleevers, Today is the day my case gets submitted to Aetna. I have bariatric coverage on my policy and had a high enough BMI plus sleep apnea and pre-diabetes, so hopefully everything will go smoothly. I am going through the Bryn Mawr Hospital Bariatric Center with Dr. Richard Ing, who I have complete confidence in. I am naturally anxious so until I get the insurance approval and have the surgery date set, I will be nervous. I am not scared of the surgery but am aware that I can expect some depression and second guessing myself afterward. I am 41 and have lived through a lot of trauma in this life. I got clean and sober almost two years ago and am really looking at the sleeve as a tool that can help increase the quality of life now that I've come so far. I am grateful to you all for sharing your stories and being sources of inspiration. Scott

I got approved! Surgery is July 7th. I have my last pre-op appointment with my surgeon on Monday along with pre-admission testing. I could have had my surgery June 30th or July 1st but I didn't want my wife having to take care of me during her birthday week. To those of you waiting for approval, best of luck. Scott

A basic Google search can show you that too much protein in your blood can cause kidney damage. That when you consume more than can be digested your body tries to rid itself of it and it goes to the kidneys. Protein is ABSOLUTELY awesome for your health. Your body needs it, but once you reach a certain point of intake, it can have negative effects. Much like how our body needs water. If you don't drink enough water, you die. If you drink too much water, you die. At the end of the day, my NUT is who I listen too. Where others get there info or guidance is their deal. Love, peace, and a tiny bit of chicken grease.

Link? IIRC that's the amount your body can absorb per hour. This works just fine for my eating habits That said this is also why it's important to have bloodwork gone every few months. Any spike in your levels can be caught & dealt with before they reach dangers levels.

Your kidneys can be negatively effected by consuming too much protein in one shot. Protein is essential but when I did my research I believe 35g max was the number.

Thank you all for being the awesome, incredible, caring people that you are. I will call them Friday to see what they have figured out so far. For those of you who have been through this process already, thanks for sharing your experience and advice. For those of you just starting the process, give it a lot of thought and be willing to hear opinions that may not match your own. For those of you waiting with me, I hope we all get the news we are waiting for. Good luck! Scott

I hate to admit this given what my issues with food have done to me, but I am a certified personal trainer. I no longer work in the field but I think that it is a great investment in your long term health and fitness to have someone build an exercise plan around your goals. Most trainers will do a session or two to prescribe exercises for you so that you can workout on your own and they can change the workout as needed. My number one tip. Please never listen to anyone who tells you that exercise can burn fat off of on particular area. It doesn't work like that. No exercise is capable of reducing fat in one specific area. I had a client who swore that sit-ups burnt fat from around his stomach. He did sit-ups everyday. He actually made himself look fatter because he built up the wall of abdominal muscle and that pushed his fat pad out further.

Depending on your size it can easily take your body 1 hour or more per drink to metabolize alcohol to the point where your blood alcohol level is below the legal limit. As a former police officer, every person I arrested for DUI swore they were fine and ALL of them were over the limit on the breath test. Nothing can help you get alcohol out of your system but time. It doesn't matter if you eat something, drink coffee, or light your farts on fire. There are many old wive's tales out there about how to sober up. None of them work. Live and learn.

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