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It may not be easy.......but it's effective. I wound up dropping 17 lbs in 13 days. I Imagine how well things would go were I able to muster the discipline to stick with it for several months.

Water off a duck's back..... Onward & Downward !!!! You will feel great about earning the milestone gifts very soon.

Absolutely. You are going to do great. It truly is no big deal. Your surgery will go smoothly and you'll be kicking back, relaxing and healing in no time at all. I'm excited for you.

I can see where this would have freaked you out. If I'd not been warned ahead of time (on here) I would have been standing there scratching my head and reaching for my phone to call the surgeon and make some noise. Much respect for you traveling so soon after surgery. That couldn't have been much fun. I'm prepared for the 3-week stall. Ready indeed.

Thank you. I'm guessing that I'm truly burning fat, being in ketosis for the last two+ weeks and at a calorie deficit. I'm looking forward to the day the fluid works it's way out and the scale reads what is really occurring.

Does not sound like an ethical program. I wouldn't want a shady surgeon doing work inside my body.

I was advised to use a heating pad if it helped. I've basically been using a body pillow over my abdomen that provides heat and slight pressure. Really seems to help.

Congrats on losing the first 50. That is awesome !!!!! I, too, thought I wanted the bypass so that I would gain the best results. I told the surgeon that's what I wanted. He countered with some issues that made the decision to go with a sleeve much more logical. He said at my BMI and my height....it would be challenging to reroute things safely without tension. I also had a large umbilical hernia that he planned on repairing. He said that these type repairs fail with some frequency. Mine had significant amounts of bowel involved. Were it to fail post-op....it could put pressure on the rerouted piping and strain those sutures. This could be very dangerous. For safety reasons that were unique to me, he felt the sleeve was what I needed. He also knew of the bone-on-bone situation I have with my knees and the great relief that get from the use of drugs like Advil, Motrin, Aleve and etc. I also did not have diabetes. There were a couple other reasonings that went into the decision. All of this above is simply what was on the table for me. You may very well have different options and different circumstances that weigh into which is best for you. You'll hear all sorts of reasonings and it can be very confusing. I bought the "Big Book on Gastric Bypass" and the same book on the sleeve and was able to gain some great insight from them. I recommend the reading.

@@sweets27 you just described what it was like for me as well. Started off well and then reached a point one day where I thought I was going bonkers. Someone on here suggested I try unjury chicken Soup flavored Protein powder. Turns out that it was a great move getting some of that. The flavor was great. Having some soup to eat was a huge plus. I did put some Mrs Dash in it along with fresh ground pepper and felt like I was having a gourmet meal. No kidding. Retained my sanity.

The support gained here has been valuable beyond description. Seeing what folks have achieved with body changes is inspiring. There is so much that can be done if we stay on track. Product recommendations have been great. The laughs. There have been tons of humorous stuff posted at a time when being able to laugh was golden for me. We all have some grim stuff to endure and work through......the sense of humor must be maintained. There are some real characters here that make this a very fun place to hang out. There is a feeling of inclusion.......being part of a team.......facing a common struggle. Nobody is alone in their battles. Last but not least, being able to learn more about the surgeries, the feeling afterwards, the expectations of how the surgeries will go have been great to know ahead of time. It surely gets you ready for working your way through the steps leading up to surgery.

@@Tssiemer1 it's going to be awesome in all the future Halloweens. @@Elode nailed it. Think about how fun the costumes for next year's Halloween are going to be. Make the best of it this year, but keep in mind where you will be this time next year. Let it cheer you up. You are going to be able to do any type of costume you can think off......or more importantly, you'll be able to do costumes that you haven't even allowed yourself to see wearing. It's going to be amazing. Hang in there and know there's going to be all types of fun times ahead.

Please have faith. I know that's easy to say but hard to do. Don't give up. The weight is going to come off. Basic math says that it will. Burning more calories than you consume has to result in weight loss. This is one rule of nature than can't be avoided. The human body is a very adaptable system and it may be doing some super-overdrive work to go into self preservation mode during the beginning stages, but eventually it will become aligned with the new diet. It thinks you are being starved, therefore it takes countermeasures. Keep the Protein and healthy fats going in while keeping the calories low.....keep following your surgeon's plan. Try to raise your base metabolic rate through frequent exercise. Walking is great. Walking on a nice treadmill is even safer....the surface doesn't pound your joints like the pavement can plus the hand rails are always bonuses. It's going to swing in your favor at some point. I'm expecting to encounter some of the same challenges at some point throughout my weight loss attempts. I plan on staying in touch with my nutritionist and having her keep advising me. I was assured that the one-time fee I paid her is good for life. That may be the greatest bargain I've ever made in any type of dealings......the advice and guidance of a health care professional trained in the calorie war......to advise me for the rest of my life. Hang in there. You've come too far to give up now.......it's going to swing in your favor. Don't give up.

Well said, @SleevenChicha You are well on the way towards a successful outcome. You are addressing things head on and in a logical way.

It's a little early into the game for me to know for certain, but I suspect my feet will be saying thank you !!!!!!!! "You was killing us, Haus".

Yes. I sure did. Edema was really an issue this past year. Intersting. That could very well be what is going. Ouch. Very sorry to hear this. Have you tried the anti-nausea Patches that you wear behind your ear ? Are you having any fever ? Don't suffer needlessly. Give your surgeon's office a call first thing in the morning and push them on the issue. Very sorry you are experiencing this.

That has to feel GREAT !!!!!! Well done.

Eight months of awesomeness !!!!!!!!!

I hear ya loud and clear. It's like you are punishing yourself. That gym time becomes a vital part of your day.....even defines who you are to a small degree. I used to be a member to a 24hr gym that was nice. It made it easier for me to get my treadmill time in. You are doing great to identify the snack urges and satisfy them with safe substitutes. Do you see any way you can get an extra gym session or two worked into your schedule? How far away is your gym? I have been really lucky and joined one that is 2.1 miles from my driveway. Maybe you have a closer option, too.

Howdy folks. I hope all are doing well today. I've had a lot of activity leading up to today and now it slows down for a short while. I had my pre-op with my surgeon yesterday, pre-op with the hospital yesterday and my EGD this morning and it went really smoothly. Seems like it's been a whirlwind of activity.......checklist items completed.....one after another after another. NUT, Physche evals, appointments, workshops, education and etc. Now I'm done with all that and can relax. I started my 14 days of liquid diet this morning after the EGD. I can tell it's going to suck.....but, that's just part of it. The NUT guideline says I can have 5 Protein shakes per day (from the approved list of protein powders and ready-made shakes), however my surgeon is sticking to his guns.....he says only 3. I've lost 40 pounds since deciding to do the surgery......it wouldn't surprise me to lose 20 more during this next two weeks. The whole time I was seeing my first surgeon it was a foregone conclusion that I would have bypass (my choice). I chose this thinking it would offer the most benefit long term and I'd make biggest changes with it. He supported it. As things progressed...and my insurance really started to present delays and roadblocks.....I switched over to the other local option. It's another bariatric center.....a center of excellence and is much larger than that previous program I was in. More insurance delays after switching over the center of excellence finally made me made enough to tell them to piss off. I self funded the procedure and things began moving at a very fast pace. I'd completed 2 of my required 6 months diet when I made this decision. I'm able to have the surgery in the 4th month vs waiting what was actually going to most likely take several months more. My employer is dropping our current insurance provider and doing open enrollment now for our new provider.....things were being delayed to the point where I could see my late December surgery being pushed back well into next year.....new deductibles to meet with a new provider to work with........arggghhhhhh. At best they were going to pay only 50%. The decision to self fund actually was cheaper for me in the long run. Crazy, insane scenario but a testament to the games played by insurance companies. Anyway.....the new surgeon has been good. He's been upfront and consistent in his message from the first time I met with him. He's sees my very pronounced umbilical hernia and knows that is going to be a large repair to work around. Today he also found the hiatal hernia that he's repairing at the same time. He's concerned over my high bmi and doing the bypass at this point. He said it could be very tight having to pull it far up to reconnect it. He reserves the right to make a decision once inside to go with the sleeve after looking around and evaluating. He's done many of these and I trust his judgement. If it's not safe, then its just not safe. The options were for me to delay the surgery and keep dieting for a couple more months and burn off some of the internal fat to provide more room........or do the sleeve now. He maintains that he's seen equal effectiveness with each procedure in terms of weight loss in his 8 years of practice. He also is aware of my poor knees and back injury situation and prior surgeries as well as the fact that nsaids are a source of relief for me. I don't have reflux trouble. There were other reasons he went into as well that everything in his opinion was pointing me towards having a sleeve not bypass. So......after a long night staying up reading, studying, evaluating......I told him this morning that a sleeve was what I wanted to do. Ordered my Vitamins, Iron, B12, D, Protein powder and Calcium. I know what I'll be taking to the hospital. Have my script for post-op pain meds. Recliner and extra pillows for the bed are ready.... A couple more weeks.....

Not a dumb question. I had two IV sites....one in the hand and one in my forearm. They started me off with one and later after I was taken back to to the OR and feeling high as a kite my nurse said a better vien emerged and she went for it. It didn't matter a bit to me as I was in la-la land. They use a very small needle and inject a bit of pain killer in the area they are going to start the IV. You'll not even feel the IV going in. It truly was a non-event. I am someone who doesn't do well at all with needles....i can tell you some funny stories of how I've passed out before. So when I tell you it was a non-event.....know that it was. There is a secret to getting a good IV, I found out......make sure you are well hydrated up until the cutoff point the night before surgery. Don't drink tea, coffee, or other diuretics.....just stay flushed with Water.....tons of it. Plenty of water ensures there are nice veins for them to evaluate. It'll make the IV process a breeze. I've had a few surgeries over the years and learned another secret trick. When you go in for your pre-op paperwork, make sure you ask them for a Valium the morning of your surgery. Quite often they'll give you two.....one to take when you get up that morning and the other to take when you arrive at the hospital. It'll take the edge off and calm you down and feel peaceful about the whole deal. Hunger, you ask ? What is hunger ? No kidding, there has been zero hunger. I am having to make myself remember to take in a swallow of Protein shake every so often. It feels like I'm guilty of snacking all day long, actually. It took me from 5:30am this morning until 8:45pm to get three Protein shakes in. I'm on pace to get 100 ounces of water in, too. I feel like both of these will help with the leg soreness. Also when you are in pre-op, ask them for a patch to wear behind your ear for nausea. They put one on me just before surgery and I just removed it this afternoon. I've had zero nausea. None. Zip. Nada. I'm going to say this and I know it may not be consistent with other's experiences.....but it is being stated from the only experience I can speak on......MY OWN. Here it is.....my sleeve experience was about as mild of an event as when I had my vasectomy. I've simply followed the instructions and not done anything stupid and it's been textbook. Had he not and to fix the hernia then I'd really be shrugging this this off. Anke and both knees were painful. Not this. You are going to do great. You can go to Church this Sunday.......and then go back next Sunday and nobody will have any idea of what you've done. Remember, I have adverse reactions to needles and I'm not a fan of pain so when I tell you it was a breeze.......it was a breeze. Best wishes, you are gonna rock it with no problem.

That is so cool. You are punching through old boundaries to enjoy the benefits of your new body. Awesome !!!!!!!!

Thank you. That's awesome that you'll be having yours prior to the end of the year. The time between now and then will pass very quickly.

Honestly I get scared by what I see some trainers doing with obese clients. The high intensity jumping and lunging and other real aggressive stuff looks like a recipe for tendon damage. Last time I was in the gym there was a mid-50's lady whose BMI was probably in my range. Her trainer had her jumping up on a box and jumping down. She wasn't hardly breathing with any rhythm and looked as if she was going to pass out. She called a time out and walked over to the restroom area. I commented to the young trainer, "You aren't going to hurt her are you? Looks like an ankle breaker right there.". He replied back, "She needs to work". I don't think many of these so-called trainers have a clue how to approach the obese in a lasting program that is safe. What seems to happen far too often is they hurt their clients and turn them off to ever coming back.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that it gets real easy to follow after surgery. Zero hunger, zero cravings. Just hang in there and deal with it. The pre-op diet will make your surgery safer. coffee helped me during that phase....black with Splenda. It helped to squash the hunger and desire for other stuff. Lipton Diet Peach Tea was another trick that worked wonders. Crystal Light grape flavor was my real secret weapon. The stuff is awesome and it worked towards keeping me hydrated. I had a gallon of it along with tons of Water on my last day prior to surgery. Hang tough. Take control of the cravings and own it. You'll do great and the time will pass. Stay full of fluids.

Thank you, everyone. It's going great. I've had 50 oz Water and two Protein shakes thus far today. The unjury chocolate mixes a little thin compared to others and that is exactly what I want right now. Going to get up and mix another shake soon. Standing up is getting easier and easier the more I do it. The hernia pain is no longer a shooting-tugging pain when I stand. Everything is well. Overall body soreness was expected and has been less than anticipated. Abdominal swelling is decreasing, too. I was told to wait until Friday (tomorrow) to get in the shower. I'm really looking forward to this bigtime. I have zero regrets about anything related to the surgery.....only that I wished I done it sooner. Going to keep on keeping on through the weekend and go see the magician-surgeon on Monday. I just got off the phone with my sister and was able to solidify our travel plans for the upcoming Holidays. We even discussed some family beach visits for the Summer. My employer is generous on vacation allowed (been with them 20 years now) and I hope to use some for legitimate vacation time next year vs using it all for sickness-injury this year and last year. Life is getting ready to get fun at all new levels. I'm extremely grateful for everything and a huge fan of this site and the wonderful people that post here. You all have been a valuable resource throughout the last several months. We certainly have some unique interests and challenges to face, but we don't have to do so alone. That is powerful.