Diana_in_Philly

@hardwork&dedication - I'm 8 months out. I'm 55. I wish I had done this sooner. As for the kiddos - I was 37 when I had my first and 41 when I had my second - they are now 17 (graduating high school) and 14 (finishing 8th grade). By the time you are ready to fly to Paris, if you want a macaron, you can have one. Just adjust the rest of your calories that day. I've lost 72% of my excess weight and am 30 pounds from goal. I'm not sure I'm going to get to the goal I set because I'm putting on a lot of muscle with the exercise I'm doing. I've gone from squeezing into a size 22 to being comfortable in a size 10. Your family is concerned because surgery, any kind, is risky. Having kids is risky. There are 18.5 maternal deaths in every 100,000 live births. Is that going to keep you from having children? In terms of VSG vs. bypass - talk to your surgeon - s/he is the expert and can tell you what would be best for you given your physical condition. I had a sleeve and am very happy with it. Best of luck.

Funny, because I just renewed my passport - I was going to do it last year, but didn't get around to it. Glad I waited.

My team gave me the following instructions in my pre-op phase - 90 grams of protein daily and 1200 calories a day. 64 ounces of water minimum. Stop drinking diet sodas. Cut back caffeine. Journal all my food. I used (and still use) MyFitnessPal for my food logging. Exercise 30 minutes at least 3 times a week - even if it means just walking up and down your street. HW 271.5 (4/16) SW 246.9 (8/16) CW 185.2 (today) - I'm 8 months out and lost 72% of my excess body weight. If you start good habits now, it will be easier when you are post op.

I'd start by reporting your PCP to the state medical board. I don't believe that having surgery somewhere else is grounds for a doctor to terminate the doctor patient relationship. I'd start looking for a new doc right now. So sorry your doc is being an idiot. Best of luck with your surgery.

To me, I've come to learn that nothing tastes as good as size 10 pants feel. (I was squeezing into a 22 just a year ago.) And I'm still 30 pounds from goal!

Surgery is scary. That's ok. So are major life changes, which is what this is. I'm 8 months post-op. I've lost 72% of my excess body weight and have about 30 pounds to go to my goal - which will be 120 pounds from my high weight this time last year. I had no complications. I was in the hospital over night and home by 1 the next day. I was back at work (I'm a desk jockey) in 6 days. I was in the gym 4 days after surgery on a recumbent bike for an hour. You have to get your head in the right place because 99% of your success will be your attitude. I decided I wasn't going to be the fat mama at my daughter's high school graduation - and I'm not. I went from a size 22 pants (barely closing the button) to a size 10 today. Best decision I ever made. Follow your team's plan and you will be fine!

Sometimes, reparations cannot be made. My mother was never going to change or acknowledge that she was the cause of the pain. I was emotionally abused by my mother from my childhood through to her death in October 2016 - I was the fat, ugly, stupid kid who could never do anything right. (There was more, but that kind of sums it up.) She never showed me any love or pride in what I accomplished. (I'm a lawyer, fairly successful at it, mother of 2 wonderful kids, and do lots of other cool stuff.) The one that hurt the most was that while I was the one holding everything together when my father was dying from leukemia and then making the funeral arrangements because she was too "upset", she looked me dead in the face and told me not to come to my father's funeral because I was too fat and I would embarrass her. I never forgave her. I was the person responsible for her medical decisions at the end of life and I upheld her wishes. I made sure the funeral was just as she wanted it. And the day after we buried her, I went back to the cemetery alone and danced on her grave. I will never forgive her. However, with the help of a really good therapist, I was able to grieve the mother I did not have before I became a mother. Every day, I struggle to not be what she was and to be a better mother to my children. Am I still angry? Yes. Forgive and forget, never. Have I let it go, yes. I stopped taking the bait years ago. I wish you peace.

You don't indicate your age. I'm 55 and had the sleeve done 8 months ago. I discussed both with my doc - he recommended the sleeve. I had concerns with RNY about malabsorption and bone loss - particularly since I am going through menopause and already at risk for osteoporosis due to that. I also knew I needed to have bilateral knee replacement down the line and was concerned with calcium absorption/bone healing in the future. I was 271.5 at first visit, 246.9 day of surgery and am 185 now. I hope to get to about 150 by my surgiversary. Best of luck.

My pre-op diet was not a clear liquid diet. For 2 weeks prior to surgery, I was on 800-1000 calories a day with 80 grams protein minimum and 64 oz. water. I had two protein shakes (166 calories each), at least one Oikos Triple Zero yogurt and then a meal of a lean protein and a salad dressed with balsamic vinegar. I was NPO after midnight on surgery day. I had a limitation on fats as it was a liver shrinking diet. The yogurt is part of my daily routine now - 15 grams of protein and 120 calories - it is either breakfast or a mid day snack. I think (just my opinion) that some docs go for clear liquids for two weeks to both shrink the liver and prepare you for the first stage after surgery when you are liquids only for a week or two.

The Perdue ones aren't bad. I prefer buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding/cutting it up and making into different things -- putting it on salad, making chicken salad, adding to soup.

Fear is OK. You are making a major life change which will have wide reaching affects on your daily existence. However, thousands of people have done this before you and will do it after you. What those of us who have been on both sides of the bench can tell you is that you have to have your head in the right place. You have to be committed to doing this and FOLLOWING YOUR TEAM"S INSTRUCTIONS! As for in the hospital, you will have gas. If you walk, the gas will go away. Pretty simple. Make sure you bring a bathrobe so you don't flash the hallways as you do your laps. If you deviate from your post-op diet, you could wind up very ill and having to have another surgery. Your stomach will take 6-8 weeks to heal, which is why the post-op diet is so regimented. You need to give your body time to heal and for the swelling to go down. In terms of what to eat, your team will give you a detailed plan of what to eat. Follow it. For my team, after leaving the hospital I was on full liquids - yogurt, sugar free pudding and jello, strained soups (no solids), creamed soups, protein shakes and water. My goal was 60/64 -- 60 grams of protein and 64 ounces of water daily. It took about a week to get there. I was on that for two weeks and then moved to pureed foods -- think baby food consistency. I had two weeks of that and them moved to soft foods -- scrambled eggs, soft white fish, tuna salad, etc. Then at 6 weeks, regular diet, as tolerated. Your team's plan may be different. Do what your team says. I'm now 8 months out -- almost 90 pounds down -- and pretty much eat whatever I cook for my family. I've lost 72% of my excess body weight - I'd like to lose another 30 before I move into maintenance. Today, for breakfast, I had two eggs and a piece of whole wheat toast. I'm not too hungry, but I know I need to eat some lunch - so I'll have a yogurt. I average about 80-90 grams of protein daily on 1000 calories. I work out 4-5 times a week, including a total of 4 hours of fencing and another 2 days in the gym. It's OK to be afraid. But you need to get your head in the right place. I think all of us had a bout of nerves before surgery.

Roasting veggies is a great way to learn to eat them. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness. Layer some asparagus on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil (maybe a tablespoon or so), salt, pepper and a bit of garlic powder. Pop in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Amazing. Grilling is another good way to get flavor. Slice zucchini long ways (into long strips) brush with Italian Salad dressing and grill for a few minutes. Also, there are some great recipes for "zucchini fries" on pinterest - you toss them with a bit of parmesean cheese. Cauliflower rice - amazing - again - just watch a few videos on how to prepare so you don't turn it into mush, which is not pleasant. I like to turn it into "mashed potatoes" or stir fry it with fresh spinach and add a bit of cheese to make a gratin. Toss mushrooms, onions and green beans with olive oil, a bit of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic powder and roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 375. Those are just a few thoughts. Go on pinterest. Go scout recipes on the food network. Always try something more than once.

Are you taking a PPI like Protonix? When I was a few weeks out from surgery I had this feeling that seemed like hunger, but turns out it was acid in my new tummy. Once I started taking the Protonix, that "hungry" feeling disappeared. You may want to chat with your medical team.

I have a Withings. It connects to my phone via wifi or bluetooth (don't remember which) and syncs with My Fitness Pal. I've had it a year and love it. I'm not sure how accurate it is on body fat, though. But it's a great scale. https://www.withings.com/us/en/products/body

My hubby of 19 years has been amazing. I'm 8 months post VSG and I weigh right now what I did when we got married but my shape is better now - I was trying on some clothes last night from "back in the day" and they were big on me despite my being about the same weight. He has been my #1 cheerleader through all this. He's even lost about 40 pounds and has started exercising - which given his health history I'm so grateful for that because I want him around a long time. He loves the "new" me. I'm still getting used to what I look like and I still have about 40 pounds to go to be where I want to be.

Had surgery 8/23/16. My husband, two teen daughters and two friends knew. Didn't tell my mother. Didn't tell my sister. Buried my mom six weeks after surgery - saw the whole big Italian family. Everyone remarked about how good I looked. I said thank you and changed the topic. When someone asked what I was doing to lose weight, I said the following - all of which is true: I'm following a high protein diet I'm monitoring my portions and logging everything I eat I'm working with a personal trainer and working out multiple times a week. My mother was the most amazingly judgmental person in the world. Wasn't going to tell her because she would have just said - oh, that's just like you to take the easy way out because you fail at everything you try. I don't have to justify myself to anyone. (BTW - I've been practicing law for 25+ years, but I'm still the fat, ugly, stupid kid to her. )

Anesthesia has risks. The risk of anesthesia death is no different for sleeve than for any other surgery which takes a comparable length of time. So if an appendectomy takes 30 minutes and a sleeve takes 30 minutes, the risk (all other factors being equal) are the same. Anesthesia is scary -According to the Insurance Institute - you have a 1 in 20 lifetime chance of dying as a result of an injury if you were born in 2013. The incidence of anesthesia related death during surgery is about 1 in 10,000. Pays to be a bit more careful when crossing the street. Do discuss your concerns with your team.

They will be little lines after a year or so - barely noticeable. I have had multiple surgeries and the key to scars going away is time. It's not going to happen in months, but in years. Be patient. Besides, no one else is looking at them but you.

Keep drinking protein and broth and water. Really, It will be fine. Make sure you are getting your protein and fluids in. Your stomach needs to heal that's why you can't have solid or semi-solid food. Be patient. It may not be hunger, but may be reflux. Has your team put you on a PPI like Protonix? Ask your surgeon's office about using a reflux medication. In the first days, for me, reflux felt like hunger.

We use the Gold Standard Optimum Whey from Costco https://www.costco.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Gold-Standard-100%-Whey-Protein%2c-90-Servings.product.100138794.html- the price is right and the taste is good. Sometimes I use the pre-made Premiers - depends on what I'm doing. I use Costco multivitamin but I found that for about 3 months post-op it was too big to swallow for me so i went to a chewable. We have a chocolate flavor at home too that is a version of Muscle Milk. I do a shake for breakfast almost every day. Experiment. Good luck!

If you're big Italian family is like mine, they aren't looking at your plate. Everyone is talking and laughing and pointing meatballs at each other. Eat what works for you. Push the food around on your plate. Be the one to get up and help in the kitchen. Can I tell you that when I buried my mother six weeks after my surgery no one at the funeral knew I had the surgery other than my husband and two kids -- not my sister, not my cousins, not even my mother who was dead. And guess what, no one noticed what I was eating. You got this.

You can do this. My husband has been my biggest cheerleader on this journey. I'm about 8 months out and 84 pounds down from my high weight one year ago. I'm within 5 pounds of what I weighed when we got married 20 years ago. That being said, if you have your own head screwed on right and have made the commitment in your mind, you're half way there. The biggest issue is the fight in your head. Find exercise you enjoy doing and like to do - it makes all the difference. And for me - tracking my food keeps me honest. I never want to go back to that before person. Good Luck!

I had a sleeve on 8/23/16. I have already lost 69% of my excess weight and I'm almost 8 months out. I have lost 84 pounds at this point and still losing. I never had issues with reflux that I knew before surgery, but have chosen to stay on Protonix as when I stopped it about 3 months after surgery I did have some issues. However, the risks to the drug are minimal so I have decided to continue with it for a year and then re-evaluate. My doc said he'd do either - that it was essentially my choice - but has proclaimed me a 'rock star' - his words with my progress. However, I am extremely committed to this with a very specific goal - my oldest daughter graduates high school in June and I want her to be proud of the family photos and not ashamed because her mother looks like a beached manatee. My BMI has gone from 48 to 33, a size 22 (barely closing) pants to sagging size 12s and a few size 10s. This was the best decision I ever made. Unlike many on the boards - I'm not young. I'm 55 with bad knees but now I fence (as in en garde) 2x a week, do pilates and work out with a personal trainer and love all of it.

@snapy17 - Have you taken your measurements recently? Sometimes the body changes, but the scale doesn't move. And go eat some protein. You just sound like your hangry. Do not climb back down the carb hole.

"What will I do instead of eating?" Read a book. Go to the gym. Take a long walk. Lift weights. Ride a bike. Watch a movie. Go running. Play tennis. Play golf. Take up a new hobby. Cut the lawn. Volunteer with a community organization. Play with your kids/grandkids? Weed out all those clothes that won't fit anymore. Talk to a therapist to find out why you built your whole life around food. The holidays and vacations - don't change. I was sleeved on August 23. I buried my mother on October 4 - week long big Italian funeral built around food. I planned and ate what I could. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my family and I ate it - just much smaller portions. Vacations - we eat out - I watch what I eat and often take most of what I eat home with me. Christmas - we went to an amazing steakhouse (I had sung three church services in 24 hours - I wasn't cooking) and I had an amazing dinner. But today - there's so much more I can do that I don't think just about food. I was singing at church today from 8-1. Came home, had a bit of lunch and cleared the front flower beds - haven't done that by myself in more than 10 years. There's plenty to think about and do. This surgery works best when you get your head in the right place. Remember, no one is watching what you eat. If necessary, just push the food around on your plate. Good luck.