okayestmom

Had surgery on 12th Jan and weighed 262 that day... Today this happened!!! I'm so happy!! Excuse the feet...

This Android is absolutely asinine in posting, makes gibberish out of lucid thoughts and posts in the middle of a sentence without me hitting "Send"!😭😪

I was sleeved same day as you and not struggling either. My programme is just for 1 Protein Shake a day and the rest is soup/yoghurt/pudding/smoothie.
I can get the shake/smoothie/pudding Soup down grand but the yoghurts I have are a bit thicker so more challenging!
It’s interesting how things evolve, for the first 3 days it was very much a ‘need to eat now’ mentality but yesterday I actually started to want food

That's crazy! It's Fluid. Does she not consider milk or smoothie a fluid, either? I'd never make it even close if I didn't have shakes as fluid.

It will all be worth it. Don't give up!

I struggle with Water or "fluids" and at this point in my post op (2 weeks) my dietician said shakes don't count as Fluid, only back in the day when we couldn't fit both. Ugh. I have timers going off all the time for my sips and sips and sips of water. So hard when you were a former water chugged!

no there is just a huge range of reactions after surgery. some people take a lot longer to get over the surgery and have there new sleeves settle down for them.
people at the extremes tend to post more cause they need the reassurance that this to will pass.
Those that have no issues tend to lurk and watch a bit more and post less

As of this morning I'm literally 50% of my starting weight. From 470 in November 2016 to 235 lbs this morning and I'm still losing!
Woooo hooooo!!!

You look awesome so soon after surgery. Unfortunately my family has a strict no social media while medicated policy after some unfortunate pics my daughter sent out after her appendectomy while in college. [emoji23] I have to support the family!

We have the same date!

You look awesome so soon after surgery. Unfortunately my family has a strict no social media while medicated policy after some unfortunate pics my daughter sent out after her appendectomy while in college. [emoji23] I have to support the family!

Just like there is a difference between War and Peace and Cosmo there is a difference between tracking your food and counting calories. Tracking your food provides Info. You cant make good decisions without information.
1 hydrate (i should learn to cut and paste this ****)
2. Protein
3. no added sugar
4. no simple carbs
5. complex carbs from veggies
6. No snacking - if you need Snacks for your mental health you need help with your mental health period.
Do not use food to self medicate- that is what got all of us here in the first place
Track your food - lots of free apps that do this
weigh your servings - package labels allow 20% variability
No less than 12 hrs between last calorie in for the day and first calorie in the next day. You will be asleep the vast majority of this time it should not be difficult.
You asked so do with it what you want.

Especially because men tend to lose quicker and easier. All goes back to Mother Nature or whoever else you want to blame. The real answer is: females could be incubating,the next heneration, we are a little more important in the contnuation of the species. The male drops by, makes his little donation, then disappears to new,greener and more funner projects, like making war, blowing things up, setting things on fire, imprenating other females and whatever other mischief he can get into. Meanwhile we bake, nourish and grow the next generation until they are big enough to be born and the human race goes on.
Now at 72 it is foolish to maintain this store of body fat and weight so I'm trying to get in shape for a weightectomy, honestly think,of would be easier to take a cold chisel to me and pry it off, but I'm told that doesn't work too well. So I'm trying to convince my body it wants to lose this weight off, it's usually peeved enough over the,prospect it's not speaking to me.
Meanwhile I hear from others
Push yourself away from the table
Just exercise, lift weights. OMG I'm 72 with 2 shot knees, it's all I can do to lift ME
Drink this magic drink- Eat this magic Food- shoot I never was any good at magic
You are not committed, you don't WANT to lose weight!. Any more commitment I'll be in a rubber room cutting things out with a pair of blunt scissors.
And THAT is just the way life goes!😜🌷😝

You look awesome so soon after surgery. Unfortunately my family has a strict no social media while medicated policy after some unfortunate pics my daughter sent out after her appendectomy while in college. [emoji23] I have to support the family!

When the hunger hits, grab a Protein Shake in place of food and remind yourself it’s nourishment and nourishment is what you need to keep pushing on. Every time the urge hit me, I got creative and found a replacement for my craving. I made a spicy vegetable Soup with Protein broth and strained the broth so I could consume just the liquid. That was great for lunch and dinner when I wanted a hot meal. I hated Premier shakes, but I found that I could tolerate the Muscle Milk “knockout chocolate”- 32 G protein and Protien2o tropical coconut Water 15 G protein. Those are my liquid diet staples. Try a yogurt, Jello, popsicle, or sugar free pudding if the urge hits! I always made sure I packed a lunch bag full of things I could consume for my hours away at work. Unfortunately the 2 week prediet is just the beginning! Once you have surgery, water and variations of liquid will be all you can have for the next two weeks. I tried a creamy broccoli soup yesterday and that was so delicious! I can’t wait to have real substance no matter how small it may be.
Good Luck!!! Remember it’s a head game and your in control! Nourishment is key, not indulgence!

Minor Update to my Weight Loss Journey:
I met with my Hematologist today; this is the doctor who first recommended that I seek weight loss surgery. He gave me high praise for my continued success, because according to his records (& scale), I have lost 22lbs since our January appointment. I have actually lost 17lbs since January, but his assessment sounds much better
I explained to him what has changed, and what I still have left to achieve, and that was pretty much it. He wants to see me again in August, to hopefully pull me off of the blood thinner, Xeralto.

February 28 2018 Stress Test Day
Stats:
Weight: 319
BMI: 44.5
What can I say, stress tests suck! This was much better than my last test in terms of surviving it, but I believe that I good results have been recorded.
Now is a good time to get in the list of prerequisites that my insurance requires. This is a 6-month journey per the insurance. his so that I am given the chance to lose weight while under medical supervision. The following list will be updated with each event recorded:
Colonoscopy - Done!
Blood work - Done!
Stress Test - Done!
1st Visit with Primary Care Physician (six consecutive visits required within 180-days) - March 8
1st Visit with Dietician (three recommended, but only the first visit is required) - April 11
The process continues...

February 23, 2018 Initial Consultation Day
Stats:
Weight: 321lbs
BMI: 44.8
My doctor of choice is Dr Todd Foreman of the Alabama Surgical Associates. Dr Foreman has 15 years experience as a bariatric surgeon. 10-years ago he performed gastric bypass on my mother, and the lap band on my sister. After researching a number of the local surgeons, I selected Dr Foreman, and set my appointment.
The appoint seemed to take for ever, as this visit also doubled as lab day to get the blood work and H-Pylori test done. To prep for the big day I pulled together 28 questions to ask Dr Foreman. Upon his entry into the room, he answered most all of my questions in the first 20-minutes. He is a straight shooter, telling it like it is. I was afraid he was going to try and sell me the surgery, but instead he informed of the surgery, and talked at length about my options. After nearly an hour together, he confirmed a recommendation of the gastric sleeve being the best option for me.
Elizabeth was with me through the whole visit. She is my conscientious objector. At the end of the day, we downloaded our emotions and began our discussion. Much to her dismay, I have decided to proceed with surgery. She stated she will support me all the way, but asked that I please consider her reservations. I agreed, and weekend we had a number of heart to heart conversations, we discussed more in-depth about the journey that lies before us.

From August 2017 to January 2018 I gained 22 pounds. I was meeting with my hematologist, when he recommended that I seek weight loss surgery. For you see, like so many here on the forums, I have edema of the lower legs. I have been meeting with my Hematologist, because he has me on a dose of Xeralto to keep my blood thin. The thinning of the blood over the course of a year will help to inhibit the formation of new clots... but that darned edema of the legs has the doctor concerned for me. He said I need to lose the weight, so I can reduce the edema, so he can take me off the Xeralto. This is when he recommended the weight loss surgery.
Admittedly, I had been researching the surgery option, probably going back to 2012. But during this time, I was doing the research and making the inquiries, and I just could not get it in my head... I scared myself away. It is different now, this time a doctor recommended it to me as the best option for the situation at hand.
Another week or two goes by, and I decide that I am going to lose the weight on my own. First stop was a visit to my family doctor for a wellness visit, I was on top of the world. At this visit, I topped the scales at my highest weight of all time, 325 lbs! The world deflates below me, and in an instant I decided that I am going to seek surgery. I had concluded in an instant, there is no other way for me.

Question; can I document an entire six months as it happens? The only way I can tell the journey is as it happens.
How I got here; Hi! My name is Johnnie, and I am morbidly obese, and I am also a food addict. 27-years ago, I was a dope smokin, cigarette puffin. soon to be alcoholic. This is when god sent me one of his purist angels, we will call her Elizabeth. This angel accepted me for who I was, but loved me for who I am. When my destructive lifestyle began to corrupt her, she gave me an ultimatum; lose the pot, or lose me... I cannot have both. 27-years ago I quit the destructive habit of smoking dope. Elizabeth and I were also married.
Retaining the other two bad habits of smoking and drinking, I had also started to pack on the pounds. My married weight some 27-years ago fluctuated between 195 to 200 lbs. Over thsee years I tried the Atkins diet, which worked initially, but not before the steadily gaining back the weight. Fast forward to 2002, my weight blew up to 260 pounds. This was also the time my doctor started me on my first of many high blood pressure meds. At this time I also wanted to quit smoking, so my doctor prescribed Welbutrin, and within a month I became a non smoker. This about the time that my drinking got worse, and my weight started to soar again. A brief try at Atkins again proved futile, as my metabolism was not as young as it used to be.
At 300 +/- pounds in 2008, I quit drinking and started dieting again; this time it was the 1600 calorie diet with a daily dose of Phentermine. I managed a measly 50lb loss, before reversing direction. I tried Phentermine a couple more times, and even tossed in the 1200 calorie diet. Nevertheless, my weight was now getting out of hand. I have been plagued with plantar faciitus, sore knees, accompanied by a (un-)healthy dose of low self esteem, it became clear, I need help.
2017 arrived, and I decided to change occupations. In April I started a new career as a professional truck driver. I do not need to describe a truckers lifestyle, accept to say, 2017 was not my best year for decision making. July I came off the truck with a kidney stone. It took 2-attempts to get the stone out, but that little bugger came out. Three days after the last kidney stone procedure, was rushed to the emergency room and diagnosed with multiple pulmonary emboli (blood clots). It was deduced that I got deep vein thrombosis from the truck driver life style, producing the clots that nested in my lungs. Weight in July and August was 298.
I should note here, that through all of the years I also suffered from acid reflux, which I treated with baking soda and Water. But the acid reflux became severe about 5-years ago, before I managed to get a grip on it. I have been reflux free for the last 4-years. This was about the time I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and put on the CPAP machine.
If you skipped ahead in this story, just know that I suffer like so many here, with many of the issues surrounding those two nasty words; Morbid Obesity.
Elizabeth, has never left my side, she has been my rock, my angel, my best friend for life, even now more than ever! With my background story out of the way, I can begin my journey now...

My son should be back in two or so months. Having served during desert storm (husband deployed, I did not) and living near Fort Hood, I wish all this could end. I really didn’t want my son to join, but ultimately supported his decision by encouraging him to be an officer. Long family history of enlistment. He is the first officer. Super proud Mom.

You look awesome so soon after surgery. Unfortunately my family has a strict no social media while medicated policy after some unfortunate pics my daughter sent out after her appendectomy while in college. [emoji23] I have to support the family!

not too bad the only pain I feel is the co2 in the abdomen and chest, feel like I can't burp, but the initial walk around the recovery floor is alleviating that... honestly the worse part by far was the anticipation and fear. Thanks Dr. Mir Ali and the staff at Fountain Valley Regional... it's been a great experience this far
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Thank you for sharing. My surgery is May 14th so it's comforting to see your post especially after only a few hours. Glad you are feeling well. Keep us posted.

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Hi I had my gastric sleeve done 3 years ago. I'm not one for posting on these things but thought I would for you people who are going through the same thing I did, I'm 32 yrs old, have 3 kids. Ive always been big from as far back as I can remember, I always knew I was fat but had the confidence of a thin person!! I never really knew how big I was and no one told me! They probably assumed I knew I was fat!! Anyway after having my kids I just thought enough was enough and went to my doctor, she referred me to the hospital and luckily enough after a few appointments 7 months later I had a gastric sleeve, I was like a child waiting for Santa!! Wen I woke up I cried to my mum thinking I had made the wrong choice because of the pain I was in, few months later I felt fab!! 3 yrs later which is now and I feel great!!! Before my op I weighed 24 and a half stone, clothes size 26, I'm now very proud to say I now weigh 15 stone 5lb! And a comfortable 16 don't regret my choice one bit and if I can help anyone who's having doubts please listen to me it's life changing for the better, thanks for reading   

Oh, man! You look amazing! Congrats!