Creekimp13

Woooohooo! Well done! Lookin good:)

I am inspired by all you folks:) I'm 45 and I felt like a senior citizen at the seminars...lol. I had a super easy time compared to a couple of gals in their 20's and 30's at the hospital. Walking is a HUGE advantage, I think. I'd been doing 15,000 steps a day for weeks on the day of my surgery, and it was a super easy recover for me. Could just be different physiology, but I really think the walking helped.

My doc said in a seminar that at least once a week he has someone in tears post surgically in the hospital, telling him they regret their choice. He also says that by the end of a month...almost no one has regrets. Give yourself some time. Sip, suck, stroll. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I love sugar....but here's the problem with sugar...it's absorbed into the blood really fast (sugar spike), and tells your pancreas to make insulin fast, too. So your pancreas goes...OMG! Look at this rush of sugar, I'd better make a TON of insulin (insulin spike)! But then, after the sugar is taken care of, there's insulin left over and blood sugar gets a little too low...which triggers your hormones to go...OMG, we're running out of food...we NEED more SUGAR! So you end up with a biological craving for sugar...that makes you eat more sugary things...or other simple carbs like white bread or fruit juice...and the whole process starts over again:) Round and round you go. I try to be mindful of picking low glycemic carbs...sugars that will enter the blood slower...whole gains, etc. For my really sugary stuff...fruit, milk, naughty regular sugar.....I am mindful of that boomerang effect. I eat small quantities and when I predictably get hungry again....I break the cycle with something low glycemic, or I just tough it out because knowledge is half the battle. I get along great with Splenda. I hate Stevia...just tastes God-awful to me. After sleeve I've noticed that if I try to eat too much refined sugar, I won't get true full-on dumping syndrome, but I'll feel a little nauseated and crappy...so maybe a touch of it. It's a good reminder and I'm happy to have it.

I did. My nutritionist said one cup of regular per day, but the rest should be decaf. Different rules for different groups, though.

Your fatigue might have more to do with not eating enough. Consider consuming a couple hundred extra sensible calories each day. Food for thought...literally. LOL:)

Presurgically, I was offered a little Xanax because I have a history of anxiety. I wasn't feeling too anxious, so I passed.....but I love how Xanax takes the edge off. Good stuff, and if you're really fearful, it will help a great deal:)

My period was a week late, but pretty normal. Missed my ibuprofen...but did ok with Tylenol. Be aware that the anticoagulant shots for blood clot prevention will sometimes make your period worse if you have it near your surgery.

The average amount of weight people lose with sleeve...is 60% of their excess body weight. Take these 6 months seriously...diet as seriously as you can and lose as much as you can....so that when you do get your sleeve, it will get you closer to your goal, and your metabolic reset will be closer to your goal. Best wishes on your upcoming surgery.

That's weird...but I totally believe you, because my nose will start running. Bizarre!

My Nutri-Bullet for smoothies, sauces, salad dressing, everything. Love it.

A1C went up a little each year until I was PreDiabetic. I didn't want diabetes. Have since put it into remission and have a normal A1C again. Also, really painful arthritis in my hips causing me to need to rest far too often when on outings with family. Too much pain, too much ibuprofen. Was just time:)

Pre-op diet was harder for me than the surgery and recovery. Take it a day at a time, folks. After surgery, there's still a couple of weeks before you're back on real food....but it's better somehow...cause you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Wish I could say something inspiring and perky here....but I remember it as just plain miserable. On the plus side....surgery was a lot easier than I expected. Wishing you all luck.

Lounge pants or pajama bottoms to put on under your hospital gown....it'll make walking in the halls much less breezy, and you're kinda stuck wearing your hospital gown because of your IV. Chap stick. Cannot stress enough how much you will appreciate having it. Don't bother with slippers...you'll be wearing the hospital's color coded socks. Bring a hoodie or long cardigan. Lot of people report being really cold. Also, you might not want to put a bra on...with layers you can get away with going without. If you're like me and wanted to escape the hospital ASAP....bring your makeup, hair dryer, cute but comfortable clothes, loose waist. You might not feel 100%....but if you look 100% when the doctor stops in to see you...your chances of going home sooner are better. (I escaped the next day after surgery and was so glad to be home!) Books, your phone, and an iron will to walk, sip and suck the lung clearing thingy.

I wouldn't use anything like that without checking with my doc. One thing my group has OKed that works well for a lot of people is Smooth Move tea. Not sure if you've tried it yet, but if your doc says it's ok, it's worth a try. I was surprised how well it works, and it's gentle. (just make sure to start off with one cup....don't drink it all day)

My favorite "first foods" were oatmeal and cream of wheat thinned with protien drink. Also had great luck with yogurt (greek whipped) and cottage cheese. Mashed potatoes were recommended by my nutritionist because they are very easy to digest and are often tolerated when other things are not. They are on our encouraged list.

I had salad at one month with no major ill effects. A little more gas than I'd like, so i'm gonna wait another two weeks before I try again. I can't wait to reintegrate them, either:)

If you have an affordable urgent care near you, I'd consider going sooner rather than waiting until Monday, particularly if you develop a fever. In the mean time, swish every hour with warm mild salt water, and rest.

My nutrtionist would say three meals, three snacks. 1000-1200 calories per day.

When I've overeaten, what has happened to me.... is that I get a sense of saliva kinda backing up in my esophagus because it has no where to go. Some people will burp up the saliva and call it "the slimeys". My stomach feels way too full and I need the food to move....so I get up and start walking. Whatever you do...DO NOT DRINK in this situation. it'll make things much worse and hurt like the dickens. Breathing deeply really helps because your diaphragm will put gentle pressure on your tummy and get the peristalsis moving. It's uncomfortable enough that if it happens to you once or twice...you'll watch yourself carefully to avoid it happening again. For me, it only lasted about twenty minutes, and I didn't vomit. Didn't even burp up saliva. Just felt kinda awful until things started to move again. Within 30 minutes I could drink freely again. Everyone has different experiences, and obviously things could change with severity. And there's also the chance you might have picked up a bug...they're going around.

Yes. I pick only low glycemic carbs...so I don't have sugar spikes that cause insulin spikes that cause rebound hunger. I'm a big believer in balancing my animal protein with plant protein, so I do complex carbs to achieve that...beans or peas plus brown rice usually. Great way to feel like you've had some comfort food while still getting your protein. I make a really delicious vegetable soup that I add wild rice and green pea protein powder to. Very filling, tastes delicious. Lots of phytonutrients from all the veggies, and you get complete amino acids (good protein) from the pea protein+wild rice. I also eat animal protein in moderation. Love a good steak salad...but still a couple weeks away. Tonight, I'm making chicken cordon blue. No breading. Just a smashed chicken breast with low fat swiss, low fat ham, and a little blue cheese. Protein extravaganza!

Pretty small amounts, too. They don't interfere with the total protein, and calories stay between 1000-1200. Had sourdough bread today in an open faced mozerella sandwich with basil and tomato...and sweet balsamic drizzle. OMG, so good! A small one ounce slice of Sourdough bread has 80 calories and a whopping 4g of protein! Here's my lunch today: 225 Calories 12 g protein My afternoon snack will be protein heavy...I try to get at least 10-15g protein (often more) into each snack and meal.

I do:) here's a sample day from my week five plan that includes carbs:)

Liquid diet immediately. We didn't start our vitamins until two weeks after surgery. Some people start earlier. Best answer: Call your nurse and get your new instructions:) And good luck! How exciting!

Tell me Fluff....how did your belly treat you 2-4 weeks post surgery? What types of things went down very easy and what types of things caused you problems? How did you feel? Oh wait...you haven't had surgery yet... Just sayin. PS...I do hope you get approval soon. You've worked really hard and deserve it.