laguerr13

Remember that one of the changes after surgery is to do more physical activity, like taking stairs and parking further away, I don't know your situation or if you commute, but if you have your vehicle it may be in your best interest to leave some of these items behind, that way you don't have so much to carry and it will make you walk a little more, maybe invest in a small ice cooler so you can keep your water for your shakes(those shakes are nasty as is so why make it worse using hot or room temp water) lastly maybe you can create a space or you must have friends at work who help you

Initially when I took this on I was very well informed since it took me two years to come to the decision, but a few months ago I asked myself a question and it is coming back to haunt me : how would I treat people who meet me and like me, will I be standoffish or rude? Whenever I met someone I always judged them by their words, demeanor, and actions, never by their looks because I knew what that felt like, but how will il know that the people I meet afterward are genuine, they won't know my past, the way I looked, or who I really am, ironically I work in psych and when my Dr. Signed off on me we never bothered to cover this, one of my therapist friends said whenever I need her she will be there for me, I guess I'm just wondering if I undergo this transformation will I feel sad for the old me every time I am approached by a stranger wanting my friendship? This is really bothering me guys, being fat made me humble and I will never let that go!

That is awesome to hear and very encouraging, before our daughter was born 7 yrs ago I was down 60 lbs to 340lbs then two years ago I was shocked, I weighed in at 400lbs, so last two years hovered around 380lbs, then when I started this journey was weighed two weeks ago at 362.2, now following my pre op diet and 11 days away, I think I will be down to between 348-354lbs, which will help me greatly with surgery and recovery, especially walking, thank you for your post, these forums really keep me upbeat

I had to buy my own cause of the price they charged at my Dr.'s office, I think they are pretty right on since they told me I didn't have to take anything else, they are called "Fusion" they are chewable mixed berry, and because of the discount I saved a whole lot, my Dr.'s office vitamins were $24.99 for 30, and you need to take 2 per day so approx $50.00 per month, fusion with the discount was about $26.99 and I got 120 count, so twice the amount for about half the price?

This was my pre op meal tonite, so I hope this taste bud thingy doesn't affect me later : grilled shrimp al Diablo w/ like, and fresh cut green green beans w/ salt pepper and garlic. Thank god I love spicy then!

Each insurance works differently for a lot of us here, I have a buddy on here that has UHC, as do I, but mine made me see the dietician only twice, hers made her go for 6months, get information from your insurance, also more importantly research, because on a lot of these insurances they have parts of your procedure they don't cover, I would save depending on where you live try to save up a small nest egg, so that you don't get stalled in the middle of the process, the only other thing I would recommend is that if your surgeon requires you to do special proteins, foods and vitamins, pre and post op, then don't go for the pretty packaging they will offer you, instead take the time to research online, example: 30 day supply of bariatric vitamins at the office were 26.99, but since you need to take 2 per day that would have been 54.00 for one month, I bought a very (exact) similar one online, 120 count for 24.99 so it gives me twice as much for half the price, good luck on your journey, you will learn through trial and error and don't get discouraged, I learned the wrong habits and it was very easy, so I know that doing the right thing is hard............

I guess from all I've read on these forums is that it really depends on your surgeon and what diet they like to follow, I am June 10th, and pretty much 2 protein shakes my choice of breakfast, lunch or dinner, and one high protein low carb meal for 14 days prior, then liquids including protein for about two weeks post, then two weeks soft, then last two reintegrating regular foods, I think from everything I have learned is the most important things to remember is, lots protein (also read elsewhere that high protein leads to faster recovery time) and go lean, hydrate hydrate hydrate, always keeps me thinking "Adkin's diet when I see all the recipes and foods I'm allowed ????

Lol @ wannabe thin soon ???? I'm watching you !

I stole a few bites of my wife and kids leftover pizza and burger Friday, literally like 4 bites between the two, and I paid for it Saturday, thank god for that little reminder

I had initially wanted to use my time so my dr. Said maybe 8 weeks, but because they also found a hernia I looking at the full 8, I also work in a hospital ( psych) but we have lots of direct Pt. contact, sometimes physical, one of my RNs had the sleeves and because her schedule was 2-16s and an 8hr, she took one month, when I talk to her she says now she feels like she could have been back a little sooner, but that the biggest drawback is the time allotment for our diet, sometimes it doesn't work no matter what.......

Ok, first are you hurt? We need to seal off the area and get prints, you should get an attorney, I think your looking at first degree pancake slaughter...... Lol l, we are human and we will always make mistakes put it behind and move forward, you have nothing to be ashamed of, and btw it will happen again????????????

UK Cathy hits the mark, what you may see as an edge for some people ironically can be a curse, I have the opposite problem, I have been overweight since I was 5, I could lose weight at will but gained it back very quickly, example : 7yrs ago when I found out my wife was pregnant with my daughter I lost 60lbs in 3 months, but after we had her I gained it right back, my top weight which I reached 1 1/2 years ago was 400lbs, I managed to get back down to 380, I knew it was coming down too quickly so I took on my journey, after talking to my dietician and educating myself for two years I am scheduled on 6/10, I have lost a total of 23lbs on my own and with my pre diet probably another 20lbs or so, last week I was at 362.2, and next week I expect to be at 343-346lbs, but I doing it right this time and it still comes off fast, wish I was like that you say? Well wait, here's the awesome part, I get sick easily, I get headaches at times, I suffer from fatigue and lethargy, and my body hurts, oh and by the way anytime I do wanna indulge the reward not to us that no one likes "DIARRHEA" sorry just thought you should hear what it really is like sometimes, I wish I could slow it down, I wish it was a steady easy slow process, because those are the one's that have the edge, they keep it off, good luck and count your blessings, I call this my rebirth

Your posts believe it or not are calming and inspiring me, my date is 6/10, I have no reservations about surgery and pre op is going great, but hearing how the "rebirth" starts is really informative and I'm learning things from your post, good luck and keep doing this, you inspire

That is a tough question you posed for me, my significant other is everything of an opposite to me, South African, blue eyed, blonde hottie, she is very fit and active, so she has been with me through my journey, I did this primarily for me, I wanted more time and activities with my family, in fact my wife is a lot more cautious and stressed about this than I am, as I said in the previous post, if they are your friends you have no reason to hire anything, I would think more so with a potential future significant other, it's easy to be accepted because of image, but even sweeter to have acceptance because of perception! Don't ever be ashamed of what you did, and I can't agree that it was your fault but I respect that you do, the medical system is set up as such here, informed consent is very important, if your friend turns on a light switch and it sparks but he doesn't say anything to you then you go to turn on the light and shock yourself who was at fault? Go forward !

It wasn't entirely your fault you were pushed into it, informed consent and education are the basis for this and any procedure, also they didn't give you a period of adjustment, I takes prep to even get ready for surgery, depending on who the surgeon is it can be anywhere between 10days and as high as 18, mine is 14 days, I am a foodie also but after doing my research realized it is possible to treat yourself once in awhile, although it is very important that your psyche is healthy, lots of people make a common mistake in treating themselves, they reason that it can be done more frequently, then before they know it they are back to square one, instead you must have an iron clad rule that if you decide to "cheat" then you set aside one day a month, then you still can't overindulge or you will pay for it, if you are willing to take the time to the the work, there are websites that offer great recipes and substitutions, even pizza, also I hope they covered the fact that vitamins and protein are very important, so if you go to the pizza place with your friends then you choose an alternative, but once in awhile have slice, but watch what topping and how much, I know for myself that after my surgery and recovery if I want a piece of chocolate cake then I will take a bite out of my wife's and be content with that, and not frequently either, good luck on your journey, and remember no matter what culture, a friend is someone who understands why you do what you do and doesn't question it if it has been explained once, Namaste my friend

I am going back to the gym, I know it won't get all my skin the way it should be, but I really love bodybuilding and I know from experience that it will help tighten the skin, I also understand that it depends on age, so at 51 I will have more loose skin later than say a 23yo, I'm ok with it because for me it's about quality of life and health , cosmetics are in the lower side of my list

Everyone on here has somewhat of a different regimen I guess depending on surgeon, mine is 14 days pre-op, I started last week, 2 protein shakes and one small meal, I chose breakfast, lunch protein because of my work schedule, and small dinner which has been great since my wife is an awesome cook, I choose not to snack on things and prefer shaved ice with MIO over the top, i am on a tight budget so I had to do my work and shop around , I saved over $150.00 on my protein and vitamins, make sure you give yourself variety and allow for as much water as possible, I got different flavors for my water and I'm not even missing soda pops, the only drawback I had was several moments of lethargy and slight dizzy feeling having to fast for my pre op labs, biggest thing is don't jump into what your surgeon's dietician sells you especially if you notice that they sell most of these things there, there are several websites that offer the same thing for a fraction of the cost, the pretty wrapping is for advertising but the important thing is what is inside!

Yes, I work in psych and when I started this journey I didn't understand why having a letter from my psychiatrist was so important, but very quickly I realized that my mind was having a harder time with it than my body, I have since changed my mindset and for me I am treating this as a rebirth, literally, willing to learn the right food to eat, time, amount, and most importantly meals are only a small fraction of the day and there are more things to be done than just eating, I know in a normal condition for most families this is a very important time, like people who look forward to Sunday family dinners , but this is self preservation for me, one other thing and I need to be careful of the wording cause I promised someone on here I would not be negative, you have almost absolutely nothing to worry about if you really are committed to everything required of you, I researched it for 2 years before undertaking the process and realized that a large percentage of the horror stories were posted by people who had not done what they were supposed to and tried to use the surgery as an easy quick fix, so good luck you will be ok and lots of these guys on here are great and look out for you, I scheduled on the 10th and excited as heck!

I started to " practice" the pre surgery diet about two months ago, and started the 14 day, I am scheduled for sleeve in the 10th, I lost 22 lbs since March, and I don't know what I am down to since the pre diet, lots of cakes, donuts, carry out food at work last two weeks (I work in a hospital) and I was able to avoid any temptation, then last night after everyone headed to bed I was getting my water and there was some left over burger and pizza from my family's dinner so I took a few bites, well I paid for it, u didn't feel that great for awhile after, and had to use the bathroom first thing this morning, so I will not cheat again.......

I actually started earlier to practice, and I think it really helped, not strict, just kinda weening into it!

Fortunately since my wife is an awesome cook my first "official" pre-op meal was fantastic, although I had been weening myself the last few months it wasn't to this extent, so I had my shake for breakfast and lunch , and for dinner my wire made a small portion of chicken breast using two drops of olive oil( waiting on grill) with salt, pepper, paprika, and a slice of lime, also baked two stuffed vegetable mushrooms with jalapeño peppers on top, there only two carbs in it, and I am pleasantly full, I guess all the water really helped, I also had a back up plan since she forgot the sugar free stuff, we had purchased a professional Hawaiian shaved ice machine last year to save on another comes, so I thought I would shave some ice and add some Mio to chew on......well guess that will be a weekend treat. I can do this!

Today after two years of researching and doing my homework, then several setbacks including no one ever bothered to tell me that even though my insurance would cover most of it, there were certain things that are completely out of pocket, I got my EGD last Monday And my final dietician visit Friday, because yesterday was a holiday I got a call after office hours to tell me my surgery is set for June 10th, I thought that at that point I would begin to worry but it was mostly worry over approval of my FMLA and leave monies, etc. tomorrow I start my diet, my wife who is a great supporter of Amy effort I make to prolong my Heath is taking this pretty hard, I did not expect that, she accepted me as I was 8yrs ago and her love has no limits, but she is worried about the surgery, and confused as to why I am not, I have been ready for this for a long time and I'm not going into it blindly, my expectations are humble, they are to not have so much pain, and to prolong my time with my family, my only indulgence is that when I lose enough I want a kayak, looking at a new chapter in my life and a second chance, here we go.......

Wannabethinsoon and all you other guys have no idea how uplifting your posts are to me, I went from, who do I turn to? To , hey another post! Lol, but seriously u guys are a tight group here and I am so happy I found u all, I will make it a point to keep inspiring even years from now, and the Kayak thingy had been on my mind for atleast 30 + years so it only seems fitting.........

After several financial setbacks and two years of researching gastric surgery I am a few days away from being scheduled, wish some had told me that a lot of insurances don't cover all the pre surgery procedures, I would say put some money aside early on to have the continuity, also make sure that before you even start that you are cool with knowing that you have to throw every single bad diet habit you were taught, and realize that there are too many things going on in life to even care about mealtime, also be willing to do some research, I have already saved a couple of hundred on my powders and vitamins just by going on the Internet and pricing similar products, remover that you don't need those pretty packaged items that your bariatric center will offer you, and the most important thing to remember is that all the horror stories you will hear are from people who used the surgery to get skinny quick and were never willing to make the COMMITMENT !