hope4momof4

That is awesome. 30 pounds is so inspirational especially to those of us who haven’t done the procedure yet. Great job. When did your doctor clear you for exercise? Do you find water intake your only challenge or are there others? (Hopefully not) keep us posted please!

Thank you all. Tex that is extremely reassuring! I am very excited to hear that to be successful I don’t need to be stellar preop. I’ll keep trying though. I think when I get closer to the procedure day it will really start to feel real and that nervousness/ anxiety may be a driving force to clean up my eating habits. You sound like you are doing fantastic. 20 pounds is a big accomplishment. (Can’t wait till I’m posting the same) Your daily meal plan sounds challenging for me now but post esg I hope I will be able to follow a similar meal plan. I know that I would not be able to follow your meal plan now, certainly not for any extended amount of time. I am hoping this procedure will give me that drive and will power. It sounds like you have those things. Keep up the good work!! You have all given me hope that this procedure will work. I look forward to your weekly posts. I’m preparing!🤞🏻🤞🏻

Ok it’s update Monday. I’m going to continue to post here regardless of whether or not anyone else is reading it, lol 😂. I need to do this and am grateful for anyone who joins in. My biggest accomplishment this week: (not really weight related but nonetheless): Realizing that my husband still thinks I’m attractive even though I’ve gained 15-20 pounds in the past few months. I’ve been so self conscious and only worn baggy loose fitting clothes to cover up my weight gain but he really doesn’t seem to be bothered by my extra weight. This is very good for my self image but is not going to stop me from moving forward with the esg. It is because of his nonjudgmental attitude that I want to be the healthiest I can be for him and for myself. On a side note— someone else in this forum mentioned that their husband has always been fit and lean and that bothered her, I think it was Mel?, in any case my husband is exactly the same. He’s been the same size for the past twenty years without ever “dieting”. It annoys the sh.. out of me but it’s true. However, he recently quit smoking and I’m so proud of him but he has put on like 10-15 pounds because of this. I could care less about those pounds. I’m so happy he’s quit. 🎉🎉🎊🎊 My biggest challenge: Realizing that I am getting closer to my procedure date and I haven’t changed my eating habits at all. ☹️ I have to start making an effort towards this. When do you guys think is the best time preop to really clean up your act? I have seven weeks left to go.

Thanks Mel for that very detailed response. Once again the common theme for all of us considering any weight loss procedure has been that blasted “head hunger”. I’m happy to hear that the esg has helped with this. I know of course that it will take time but as long as this procedure can make it easier to stop the cycle I feel confident about going forward. 1200 calories a day sounds fair enough. We have all probably tried diets that were extreme and reduced our calorie intake to 500 a day! No wonder we have failed in the past. Your meal plan sounds sensible and with the added exercise you’re putting in now, I can’t see how you can fail. This is the formula for success. Thanks Mel for sharing!💝💝

Hey Mel, it’s great to hear from you. I was going to post a “Hey Mel, let us know how you’re doing” post but I’m thankful that you filled us in on how you’re doing before I had the chance to ask. Being more than 3 months out losing any amount of weight is great for sure!! Your meals sound very healthy and balanced. I’m sure that now with your added exercise program more weight will come off. Speaking of which, congratulations on the gym membership! A very wise choice and in all honesty the only thing I’ve purchased up to this point for weight loss that was money well spent. I do have some questions about your meals for the day and your life now 3 months post esg— I hope I’m not being too annoying or intrusive. 1- Do you feel hungry at all eating what you’ve listed? 2- Are you eating those particular foods on the advice of your doctor/nutritionist? 3- How many calories is that per day? 4- Do you still crave any bad foods you used to crave pre esg? 5- If emotional eating was an issue for you pre esg (a major issue for me) has this procedure helped you with this or at least control it more? 6- Do you feel you can maintain this healthy eating in the long term? Can you see yourself eating like this in future years not just weeks or months? 7- How has your life changed now that your honeymoon phase is over? Thanks Mel for any guidance you can provide me. Wishing you love, health, and happiness!!

I’d like to take you up on that offer Bubbles. I’ve been nagging my girlfriend to be my gym buddy and I’ve given up after she made countless excuses. This would be perfect but I have one question (please don’t laugh at my ignorance), how does a Fitbit work? It enables us to be friends and communicate even if we are states away? 😬😬

Still something to be proud of my dear. You are doing great!!!

Thank you AmyA! It’s very helpful to see what those who have had esg are eating post op. It is especially helpful to see what people who have lost 18 pounds in two weeks are eating!!😜😜 Wishing you continued success!!

Love your perspective on this. Great outlook. Congratulations on losing 18 pounds. 🎊🎊🎊 You are doing beautifully. Would you mind sharing your meals for a typical day? Are you doing any exercise yet?

I totally agree with Bubbles. This forum has been a great inspiration for us all who are pre esg or whatever procedure. I also agree with Bubbles about how reading all your posts puts me in higher spirits. That is interesting how Tex after having esg is now able to take a step back and think about his food choices and not just automatically put things in his mouth. Yes, Bubbles I do exactly the same thing as you, it is really an automatic action that we never stop to think why? My kids are eating so I eat. My kids are snacking so I snack. Great that this procedure gives you the power to break that habit. Tex I’m sure you will get over your stall. Many have reported a stall after only two weeks. But all who have stalled have pushed through to lose weight again. You will get through this as well I’m sure. Make sure to get enough protein (all who have reported a stall got through it, it seems after increasing their protein) and I’m not sure if you mentioned if you started exercising again. I hope others who have experienced stalls can chime in here and give you better advice than me. The main thing is that you’ll get over this small bump in your journey.

Great advice AmyAlexis!! This is exactly what this forum is for. Thank you for chiming in! Your support is so appreciated!!

🤣🤣Supportive? Ok I do try my best but intelligent? I’m not sure about that one. I haven’t even had the procedure yet my dear but I will tell you that when I do, God willing 🤞🏻, I’ll be more than happy to continue posting. I think it’s so much more important post op because think of how much people like us needed those who have gone through it to help us out. It’s also therapeutic. I find just posting my failures helps me understand why it happens. In addition this forum is so supportive and helpful. I love getting genuine solutions from people who have struggled just like us. In addition there is no shame and embarrassment in our posts here. We may know a bit about our lives and families but we don’t see each other everyday so that allows us to open up unhindered. It also keeps us honest. I’m glad we are all here for each other!💝💝

Most definitely Bubbles. We can do this together regardless of what procedure you choose. Support for me would be critical as I’m a very private person and no one will know about this besides my husband, not even my 4 boys! I’ll need you more than you know. I’m sure you’ve read how invaluable the support has been from the other members— in particular Melesg, Tex Slim, and AmyAlexis. I wouldn’t have ventured forward without them.

I’m sorry to hear that Bubbles. 😔 This is exactly why I am afraid to come off phentermine. You decide what is best for you. You have some time to make this decision so don’t rush and make sure you are absolutely ready to move forward. This is no harm in postponing even more if necessary. If you want more real life accounts of both ESG and LSG you should join the Facebook groups for each. There are two Facebook groups for ESG that I am a member of, one is a USA group and the other is out of Australia. Both have hundreds of members who will give you honest accounts of their experience. As Melesg has mentioned ,the Australian one is sometimes brutally honest about their successes or lack of. This is what you need. You need truth and honesty and not a fantasy idea of the success rate. But the stories there are touching and there are several who are successful on both groups. There is also a group called low BMI sleevers who are people who have had the gastric sleeve done with a BMI of less than 35. This may interest you as they post several times a day. Try both types of groups out and gain whatever knowledge you can to make an informed decision. One common theme throughout every and any weight loss surgery or procedure is that it will only work if you do your part. Even those who’ve had a gastric bypass considered the gold standard can eat out their surgery. There are no guarantees. However, you can choose the best procedure that will give you the best chances of success. As always best of luck on your decision. Keep posting my dear.

Well guys it’s Monday and I want to continue to post my progress, challenges, and setbacks for the sake of accountability. Progress: This week I had my ESG consultation on 12/7 and was scheduled for the procedure on 2/7. I don’t need any blood tests or clearances so I’m all ready to go physically but mentally I’ll have to work on it. Challenges: understanding that I have to change my habits and quickly because the procedure will fail if I revert back to old habits. Setbacks: I have noticed that since I began this journey and decided I would get this procedure I have done what I always did before starting a radical or extreme diet. That is, eating what I want and making unhealthy choices because I’m thinking that I will start losing weight and I might as well enjoy overeating while I can. This is the reason why I’m obese right now. I’m sure many of you can relate. I’ve done this all throughout these years of yo yo dieting. I’d constantly say to myself that I’m starting a very restrictive diet tomorrow so I’m going to eat whatever I want to know to sort of get that out of my system. The next day I would start the extreme diet and last for a short time (sometimes not even one day 😣😣) because it was obviously not sustainable and I’d cheat and start that ridiculous cycle again. In the meantime I would pack on pounds throughout the process making my goal harder and harder to reach. I have to stop this! With my esg procedure coming up I’m finding myself doing worse and I am making a promise to correct this now before I set myself up for failure again. Wish me luck. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Hello out there to the endosleevers or future endosleevers. I’ve finally taken my first step to getting this procedure done. I am scheduled for a consult on Dec. 7 with the only NJ doctor who performs this procedure, Dr. Sadek. I’ve read reviews about him and most have given him a good review. His office has told me he has done over 200 endosleeves. (However, the girls who scheduled me did not sound like they were 100% sure) I actually messaged a woman who had the esg done with him and she was very pleased with the procedure but lukewarm about him as a surgeon. Nevertheless, he is the closest surgeon to me and even he is one hour and a half drive. It’s finally starting to feel real to me. I hope I remember to ask all the important questions I’ve told you all to ask during your own consultations, lol. I’m nervous but ready I think. My procedure probably won’t be for another two months which will give me enough time to prepare. Please remind me of the important questions to ask. Thanks all. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Thanks Bubbles. I’m nervous and excited at the same time. I’m trying to use the time I have from now until my procedure to change my habits. In a few weeks I will take the bold step that you’ve taken and wean myself off of phentermine. That will be the hardest part of this journey. That blasted medication has been my crutch to lean on and I need to get rid of it completely. Thanks for the support and let us know which procedure you decide on.

I absolutely agree with Melesg. It is very smart that you are looking into all of your options. Choose the one that you feel will give you the optimal results you desire. In the end I have learned that any procedure or surgery is just a tool and it is how much work you are willing to do that will make it more or less successful. The difference I think is the strength or magnitude of the tool. The laparoscopic sleeve has proven to yield more weight loss than the endoscopic one but it does mean more down time, an overnight stay, etc. Only you my dear can decide which is best for you and absolutely look into all the possibilities out there. Of course we’ll be here for you whichever you choose. We’ll support and encourage any decision you make. Please let us know.

Hey Bubbles that sounds like a great plan. I will do the same and wean myself off of phentermine but when I am closer to my procedure date. 😬😬 You have the right plan and attitude. Just stick to it and I’m sure you will be successful, pre and post op.

Thanks again Tex. My surgeon has the same mentality about the meds. He wants me to continue to take them a week after. He does not want me to feel discomfort and sees no need for it so he requires a nausea patch also. As for the procedure being a blessing, I’m praying that it will be a blessing just as much as your support has been. 💝 You’re the best Tex!!

Awesome Tex. You are doing just fabulous. 14 pounds gone and one pants size! Your weight loss will continue and maybe even accelerate when you add exercise but make sure to clear this with your doc first. At only 2 weeks out don’t take any chances! Great to hear from you. Please continue to post.

Thanks Tex. It’s good to hear that other surgeons had the same idea with the sutures. You are right about only damaging them if you vomit too much right after the procedure. This is why my surgeon prescribes the nausea meds before hand and has us taking them from a day before. I felt a lot more confident in my decision after today’s consultation. The main theme of course was that this is only a tool and you have to do your part to ensure success. I’m getting anxious hearing about others’ success.

Thank you for asking Melesg. You and everyone on this forum have been amazingly supportive. Well here is how my consultation today went—- I got there about 15 minutes before my appointment time and filled out some forms, very few because most I had filled out online which were more specific and asked about my medical conditions and medications etc. I was called back shortly after to consult with Dr. Sadek. I had a list prepared of questions to ask and here they are with his responses: 1- How many esg procedures have you performed? (I added that I knew it was a very new procedure so I wanted to know his experience) He told me about 40 and that he and Dr. Sharaiha were the only doctors in the northeast that do this. 2- Has any of your patients needed a revision and why? His answer was extremely interesting to me. He told me that only one patient needed a revision and the reason was that he, Dr. Sadek, needed to change his technique. He told me that initially he would suture the fundus of the stomach (I think that is what he called it) in a straight stitch but he found that doing that allowed for a greater possibility for the stomach to stretch because the sutures were not holding well this way. He now sews it up on a diagnol to ensure the best hold of the stomach. He believes this is the reason that some may need revisions to this procedure or why some sutures come undone. He also said scar tissue is good to form around the suture because it holds it well in place and increases the strength. 🤷‍♀️ 3- What happens to the actual stitches or sutures in your stomach? Do they dissolve or stay? He said the sutures are permanent and are not meant to dissolve or be removed. They are supposed to hold your stomach indefinitely. 4- So why then is it possible to gain back some weight? The sutures hold the lower part of the stomach so the upper part can stretch over time if one eats the wrong foods. 5- Any long term data further than 2 years? He said even though it has been performed in other countries for longer than 2 years ago, there is not a big enough group study to give us accurate info for more than 2 years. 6- is this procedure reversible? He explained that the sutures should stay in place but if the procedure does not yield enough weight loss or there is regain you can then go in laparoscopicly and cut the sutures and remove them and then proceed to a laparoscopic gastric sleeve. You can also after years if needed convert it to a laparoscopic gastric plication which is the same as the esg but done with incisions. I was told that the procedure would probably take one hour- one hour and a half to perform and he believes that if he starts at around 7:30 that by 10:30-11 I would be going home. He told me I didn’t need any clearances or blood work because I had no comorbidities. The only medicine I am taking is phentermine which he agreed because I was taking it for so long is no longer effective at all. He gave me a pamphlet with my preop diet of liquid only for one week prior or at the very least 3-4 days prior. Nothing after midnight the night before and nothing the day of. Post op diet is clear liquid for 3-4 days then liquid for two weeks. Then another two weeks of purée. Then one month post op is smaller portions but I will be into see him one week post op to go over that in more detail. He believes I should lose between 25-40% of my excess weight which he estimated should be 30-40 pounds. (I can only hope🙏) Finally, I booked a procedure date for FEBRUARY 6, 2018 I’m on my way guys!!😬😬

Hey TexSlim. How are you doing? Please update us on your week. Have you continued to lose? You did say that you felt your clothes getting looser. Have you had your follow up with your physician yet? Are you experiencing any hunger? Hope you are still doing well.

Great job, AmyAlexis. Nice to hear from you! I thought we lost you! Please post for us your progress for inspiration and your challenges for support. As you have seen, Melesg is a great help to all of us in this forum. She and several others who have had the procedure are always eager to help others!!