JeffN

That will happen with a high protein diet. MiraLax works great also make sure you are drinking at least 64 oz of water a day. I try to drink 120 oz. I went from having two bowel movements a day to 3 a week after the surgery because the decreased amount of food I was intaking.

I can not tell you what possibly could go wrong after the surgery but I can tell you what my Dr. told me before the surgery. I was looking at them amputating my toes, because of diabetes. He said the good news is by the time they got to my knees I would probably be blind by then, so I would not see that my legs are gone anyways. Now after the surgery, my glucose never gets above 140 and my fasting glucose is in the mid-80's. I no longer have pain in my feet and I can wear shoes again. The surgery saved my life and what a life it has become. Instead of sitting in front of the TV I actually enjoy going out in the yard and working.

I was told by my Dr. that after 6 weeks I could start lifting weights, that does not mean I have started yet :). I really have not done any walking except right after my surgery. I need to get back out there and get moving again. I have been spending the time working in the garage and on my boat but that is about it. I think it is time for me to get moving again.

I had IBS to the point that I could not go anywhere for fear of having an accident. After surgery, I have had zero issues. In fact, I have not had a bowel movement for over 3 days but I am eating better foods with better nutrients and my body is loving it.

The pressure one feels is from the muscles, not the stomach. You can sleep on your stomach if you are comfortable. The only concern is pulling the sutures from the wounds themselves, not the staple line. But like all things consult your surgeon first.

Green poop is normal, Even though you went on a liquid diet before surgery you did not fully clean your intestine. Also, don't be alarmed if it turns black. That is the blood from the surgery and if you are taking Iron pills that will also turn it black.

I am a cook, and as I was doing food prep, I popped a Zucchini piece in my mouth and ate it a few days after surgery. I was freaking out for about a week. It happens just check your Temperature to make sure it does not go above 100 f. To make sure you did not cause a leak.

I make pizza dough with it. I like really thin and crispy dough so almond and coconut dough works great. I precook the dough at about 90% done before putting toppings in it

We forget the secret is the calories not the quality of food you eat. I was told that I have to stay in the 900 - 1000 calorie range. Now I could eat that with one piece of junk food or eat 3 meals throughout the day. On Thanksgiving I choose the pie along with some other crap but I stayed just over 1000 calories. Now today will be a 500 calories day of salad and such. I use software to track my caloric intake so if I have an off day I just adjust. Also, I rarely eat more than 300 calories at one time. My VGS keeps that part of my new lifestyle in check.

I wish I would have done the surgery sooner!

How interested would the forum members be in a daily podcast to talk about the issues on this forum and to also share tips, tricks, exercises, and recipes? I would do it live and have a call in phone number so you can share. It will be fully produced from a radio station studio to weed out the knuckleheads. Would you be willing to participate and if you are a medical or nutritional expert can you also participate?

LIke you I have a high pressure and have zero issues. Actually, my DR. would not do the surgery unless I brought my CPAP with me. I think the benefits outweigh the risks, which are very small.

It’s all one in the same. Acid from your stomach is traveling up your esophagus. What are you taking for it? I kept a bottle of anti acid liquid next to my nightstand. I also raised the head of my bed by placing a 2 x6 under the bed supports. I had a severe hyanial hernia but that was fixed with my sleeve and have had zero issues since

I hit a stall five weeks after surgery. What worked for me was to change my diet around. I still stayed under 1000 calories but added a very small price of bread or egg noodles. They key is to stay under 1000 calories per day. I also did a day of nothing but pure protein shakes. I also increased my exercise. Stalls are very normal.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you, hopefully, you get the approval before the end of the year. I can tell you that even if the insurance does not cover you find a way to beg, borrow, or well you don't want that on your record but you get the idea. Like your future degree, it will impact your life for the good. I found I have more energy my short-term memory is back and that I have so much energy, did I mention the energy part. Here is a saying for your future profession, that might put it into perspective. My lawyer once told me that I can pay him now or pay him later and usually later is much more expensive. I waited until my late 40's to have surgery and I can tell you my weight has taken so much from me and my family, I should have paid the piper 20 years ago because the cost of waiting this long has been astronomical. Good Luck

When you are ready, I am sure you will do fine. Complications from surgery are infrequent if you follow your DR's advice. I can only speak for me; I am kicking myself for not doing the surgery sooner. I think of all the activities I have missed out on with my daughters because I was too fat. I also think of all the embarrassment they had because their father was the most overweight guy in the stadium. I am sure I hurt them as much as I was hurting myself. People say they don't notice but wait until you have the surgery and start to live a healthy life. You will have people that you never thought cared come up to you and tell you how great you look. That should go to show you that people do take notice they just don't say anything. I allowed my weight to rob me of so much, you are still very young don't let it take any more from you. Diabetes is no joke; it is a horrible way to go. My Dr told me they were going to start at my toes and start cutting but the good news is by the time they got to my knees I should be blind so I will not see the effects. All my girls are away at school and are coming home for the Holidays; they have no idea that I had the surgery, I did it for myself first but also for them. Good Luck, hope you change your mind. FYI my blood sugar never gets above 140 after eating and stays around 85.

Thank you for sharing, I think most of us believe that if I could only lose the weight my life would be better just to find like most addicts that the weight was a symptom of a more significant issue. I saw that during my weight loss I would run through a gambit of emotions. I have done some reading and found that our body not only stores sugars in fat but also stores hormones in the fat. I am glad that you are losing your weight because like my DR told me that now that I am going to live longer maybe that will give me time to sort out the other things in my life. We are not perfect, but life is to be lived, sometimes it is good, but different times it can be difficult but the key to embrace what it throws at you and to remember that we are here for a short time and not to get hung up on the small stuff.

First thing first follow your DR.'s food plan. Just because someone else is on another program does not mean you can be as well. People forget that each DR has their suture strategy and techniques some heal faster than others but can also have different side effects. SO FOLLOW YOUR DR's PLAN not someone in some forum. Second great job on the weight loss. Each person will lose more or less than the next. You did not wake up one day and was overweight. It took time, and like Gas Prices which always goes up overnight but comes down over months, your weight will do the same. At the stage you are in your concern should be staying hydrated. I try to drink over 120oz of water but if you can get in 64 that is great. You will find that once you move into soft foods things will change for you. Once you move into soft foods that is when you should start watching and monitoring your daily calorie intake. I eat about 1000 - 900 calories per day regardless of what exercise I do for the day. You need to count every calorie that goes into your mouth. I use a product called "Lose it" on my iPhone it has a vast database of most foods, and you can use the barcode feature to add foods as well. Studies have shown people that count their calories do better at losing weight because most people who say they eat 1200 calories per day consume over 1000 more than they thought. Hang in there your body will fight you; let's face it junk food tastes excellent that why we ate it, to begin with, but after awhile of eating healthy I promise you that bag of chips and pizza will taste like metal.

Hang in there, it is normal to feel the way you do, I did and I am what you would call a big bear. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid 15 years ago and nothing worked for me except my sleave. Follow your Dr.'s advice and you will be fine. FYI eight weeks out and I am no longer on any medication, none, nada and zip! I feel great and my energy is through the roof. The key is to follow your Dr's advice and use this site for your support. No one can tell you how this plan will work for you they can only share with you what works for them. Good luck and keep coming back.

I think we focus way to much on our outwardly appearance. For me it was a self fulfilling curse. I am trying to focus on my inner well-being and that seems to work.

I found the surgery took a lot out of me as well. Even if I felt good afterwards I had very little energy. I think my body was trying to recover. I was able to work in the yard over the weekend and each day seems to be getting better.

I can only speak for myself but as the newness wears off I know I will probably fall back into my same routine as well. That is why I try to mix up the routine as much as possible like any addiction complacency is a killer.

I have been experimenting with my new way of eating, and I can tell you if I don't have close to 100g of protein per day my weight loss drops off drastically. I am still losing weight because I am under 1000 calories per day but it has slowed.

I am almost four weeks post surgery, and all my incisions have closed except for my drain tube. My Dr. said it was healing from the inside out, but after two months she said that if it was not closed, she could cut the edges and then stitch it back together. Does anyone else have this issue and how long did it take to heal fully? I cant start my weight training until this improves because of the location and the fact that it will put to much stress in that area nor can I get into the pool to low impact cardio.

Jello is a great food to help get over head hunger as well. Make sure you get the sugar free version.