RobertaMSN

Good job sticking to it - it's super important because it helps shrink the liver prior to surgery by forcing it to dump some excess fat stores. This helps the surgeon since especially an enlarged liver gets in the way of the stomach and is denser so not as easily moved to the side. Good luck with your surgery - it's the best thing I've ever done for my health.

My BMI was 34 when I had my gastric sleeve surgery December 2, 2019 - absolutely no complications and I'm thrilled with my progress. Did have a recent 4 week stall but they are to be expected; made some minor adjustments and now I'm back on track with slow, steady weight loss. My health has improved tremendously, and all my blood work is now in the normal range whereas before surgery I was pre-diabetic, labs indicated stage 1 kidney disease, and the beginning stages of fatty liver disease - no more! Good luck!

Yes! These two are especially true for me. I'm retired but when working it was so difficult (okay, impossible) for me to resist all the goodies coworker brought in, and once a month our manager bought a huge sheet cake to celebrate the birthdays that occurred that month. Amazon monthly scheduled auto-delivery of my protein shakes is fabulous - plus they are less expensive than what they charge at my local stores One more: I'm finally finishing some in-home painting projects I'd been putting off. Thanks for the uplifting post - love it!

Definitely walk daily if possible, but here's a link to Dr. Vuong's thoughts on doing more intensive exercise post-weight loss surgery. Hope it helps you make a decision on how to proceed.

Absolutely - only now at three months post-op has much of my normal level of energy returned - my calorie intake now averages 950-1150 per day and am still steadily losing weight. I'm able to work in my garden and take longer walks on the beach. My thoughts are it's a combination of very low calorie intake and recovering from surgery that causes the fatigue. Also make sure you're not anemic. Don't worry, it came back for me and I'd expect you'll be feeling capable of doing a normal level of activities in time. Good luck!

As an RN I can tell you the stresses, terrible working hours and conditions in nursing are why so many nurses are obese or morbidly obese. Top that with common sugar addiction - coworkers bringing in tons of sweets to share with all the nurses and staff to get through the 12+ hour shifts. Having gastric sleeve surgery (at 58) was the absolute best decision of my life and my health has improved tremendously. I wish I'd been able to do it years ago. Going into the nursing profession already at BMI 40 is a time bomb. Please take care of your weight and health now, whatever you decide. In addition, you'll be on your feet for most of those 12+ hours which wrecks havoc with the knee joints if we weigh too much. Knee surgery is no joke. I'm not trying to scare you, just letting you know the reality of the nursing profession. Whichever treatment option you decide on is up to you - just know I'm thrilled with my gastric sleeve It will take lifelong diligence with diet and weight monitoring to keep the weight from coming back but it's been a great tool helping me lose the weight and regaining my life and health. Good luck! One thing I almost forgot to mention: Be aware that post-surgery your calorie intake will be very low but will increase gradually once on solid foods. I had trouble remembering things when on 600-700 calories a day - my brain wasn't getting what it needed to be "up to speed." It's only now that I'm averaging 900-1100 per day that I seem to be back to normal. Prepare for a temporary challenge with studying and test-taking if it affects you the same way. Will you have a summer break? Maybe do it then. Nursing school is intense and challenging, needing all our brain power to succeed.

I've been having one cup of regular coffee a day within a couple weeks of gastric sleeve surgery with no problem. I add some liquid pre-mixed Pure Protein chocolate shake to it and like the taste.

Congrats! Isn't it wonderful to be out of "X - land"? I'm finally there - my XL pants have serious baggy bottom, ha, ha. Time to try a large - love shopping at the Goodwill. And good for you watching out for that stress-eating trigger - best of luck to your son. Due to the dramatic downturn in the market I've had to postpone much needed roof work on my home since I don't want to sell shares now. Luckily my contractor is fine with it - has other work but I imagine their business will be impacted by current events.

Hey! Had my sleeve surgery Dec. 2nd and as of today am past the 1/2-way point in my weight loss journey and am now below 200 lbs for the first time in about 15 years. Am thrilled with my sleeve, so grateful, and will be diligent for the rest of my life to stay healthy and avoid weight regain. Wishing everyone the best in their journey.

Another milestone reached this morning on my weekly weigh-in: I'm now under 200 lbs. for the first time in about 15 years! Thank you to all who've encouraged me here and for the valuable information and support we all give each other. We can do this!

Today I'm at my half-way point in my post-gastric sleeve weight loss journey! Having the surgery was the absolute best thing I've ever done for myself and my health. We can do this. Unfortunately I didn't take any before pics - was too disheartened by my then appearance but believe me I look a heck of a lot better now. And yep, I've had a couple short stalls along the way including the classic one at three-weeks that lasted a week, so for those hitting those to-be-expected occasional stalls - no worries, just keep plugging away. Good luck everyone!

Me, too - I have Amazon deliver my " Purely Inspired Organic Protein" shakes once a month via subscription - way cheaper than the local store prices. I like them - they are plant-based, 120 calories, low carb, and 20 grams of protein. Considering that I use one a day in my morning green smoothie (no fruit) it would get expensive if I had to pay more. I also get "Pure Protein" ones that have 30 grams of protein - like the chocolate flavor and use it in my morning coffee but the local store prices are good so I buy them there. I take the Barimelts vitamins also delivered by Amazon on a schedule. Good luck!

Ah yes, smaller feet! That was unexpected but so true. Depending on the type of shoe I'm down a 1/2 size to 1 1/2 sizes. At my highest weight I was wearing a 10 1/2 (women's) for pumps, but now I'm a size 9. For ankle boots I need a 9 1/2, though. Most of the time I'm in athletic shoes and dressed casually - it was funny the day I was going out dressed up a bit and my dress shoes wouldn't stay on! Had no idea they'd become way too big. Had to stuff some paper in the toes to make the event since there was no time to get new shoes. Part of this may be because I'm much healthier now and am no longer retaining water in my legs and feet. Most of my shoes got donated if they were in good shape. Luckily I was never an Imelda Marcos-type person with hundreds of shoes.

Great advice - spot on.

I had the same pain in that area for maybe three weeks post-op and it finally went away, if that helps.

Mine was done at BMI 34 (self-pay) and I wish I'd done it at BMI 30 before I became pre-diabetic with a fatty liver, lowered kidney function, and rising blood pressure - plus I was miserable with the extra weight. People were so mean to me, especially the college students in my previous town - hey, when I was their age I was thin, too! And I know I was passed over for promotion at work due to my weight - they tended to promote slim, fit-looking people. I was great at my job, have a master's in management, and have a good amount of leadership experience so it wasn't a failure in ability on my part. Now that I'm within 1 pound of my half-way weight loss point my health is drastically improved as well as my appearance. Prior to surgery it took me six months of hard work to lose only 11 pounds and my health didn't improve but now the weight is consistently coming off. I'm also completely off my sugar/carb addiction though I'll need to be diligent for the rest of my life. Realize that if you continue to gain, when and if you do have the surgery your skin won't bounce back as well as at your now lower BMI. It's such a highly personal decision to have the surgery but please know I'm thrilled with my results and feel the clock has been turned back by decades even though I still have weight to lose. The future looks so bright. Good luck!

Yes, it's carbs! I've now gone Keto and my weight loss has doubled per week. I'd only been taking in a small amount of carbs before changing but it's made a huge difference. My go-to YouTube doc for information on this is KenDBerryMD. Basically I stopped adding fruit to my morning green smoothie and never eat any at all (I take a Vit. C supplement and multi-vitamin), threw away condiments and salad dressings with sugar, and now add 1 tsp of coconut oil to my morning smoothie. Plus I love avocado. When I went through menopause (way before gastric sleeve surgery) I gained about 35 pounds over four months without eating more or differently - really kicked my b""" and was shocked how much weight I put on so quickly. It then took me six months to lose only 11 pounds prior to surgery. I can't do hormone replacement therapy due to having Hughes Syndrome. After surgery it's falling off me, thank goodness. Good luck, you can do this!

No, please don't take aspirin or at least not before checking with your surgeon!

Me, too, was super low-energy after surgery but now at almost three months post-op my energy is finally returning to normal. I'd been tired all the time and couldn't accomplish much during the day, plus had to sleep longer. Now I feel much more normal and eight hours sleep is plenty. It may be simply the body needing time to heal after surgery. Don't underestimate what the surgeon did - really changed things and imagine how hard the body needs to work to heal. I've been diligent about getting enough protein, taking my vitamins/mineral supplements, drinking enough water, and getting my electrolytes. Initially I wasn't getting enough sodium - my labs came back low probably because processed foods are now a thing of the past except for some Boca products and the like, so now I'm adding a couple pinches of salt to my Zero Gatorade and water. I'd also been slightly anemic prior to surgery probably due to reduced kidney function but now my kidney-related labs are much better, plus I've been taking iron supplements so I'm no longer anemic. Surely this has a lot to do with having more energy as well. The kidneys make erythropoietin, the hormone that triggers manufacture of red blood cells. Don't worry, your energy should return in time. Watch your labs and make adjustments to diet and/or supplements as necessary.

Same as some of the others: Didn't want to have the nutrient absorption problems from bypass or have my intestines messed with. I love having a smaller stomach - overeating plus being addicted to sugar and carbs was my problem. Prior to surgery I could eat A LOT at one sitting. Being on the liquid high protein diet both two weeks prior to gastric sleeve surgery then four weeks after cured my sugar/carb addiction, thank goodness. The other reason was cost - way less expensive due to being able to do it outpatient. I'm self-pay so that was a huge factor. And yes, stay away from NSAIDS post sleeve - aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. My surgeon says it's an instant ulcer to take any of them. And no pills (vitamin, etc.) larger than an M&M. BTW: The body makes all the carbs we need by converting it from protein and from fat stores - there's absolutely no need to eat any though vegetables are super good for us for the fiber and nutrients. Getting enough fiber when you can eat regular foods is vital. I stick with the low-carb veggies and take a vitamin C supplement rather than eat fruit. I don't miss it.

Me, too - was calm as can be until they put the mask on me and had a panic attack, couldn't breathe which is unlike me. The nurse anesthetist calmed me down by placing her hand on my forehead and spoke softly, telling me to relax and breathe gently. Then I was out for the count. Also had little pain post-op - like catwoman7 said about having done a lot of sit-ups. I never even opened the pain meds. Yes, use them if needed but be aware they cause constipation and holding onto the gas which is a big cause of post-op pain (a catch-22.). Walking and sipping water is so important to get rid of the gas and get things moving. I did have one episode of nausea a few hours after surgery, took one anti-nausea pill and never had it again. One thing I haven't seen mentioned on the forum is that I had a few episodes the first day and night of feeling extremely cold - had to jump in a hot shower several times to warm up. It was probably slight shock from the surgery and it was gone by day 2. Having this surgery was the best things I've ever done for my health - good luck!

Great responses so far - agree with all of them. 1. Only weigh yourself once a week - your weight will fluctuate daily and it will be discouraging when you see it temporarily go up. 2. You will have stalls - they are normal. At around 3-4 weeks is when your liver will return to its normal storing of glucose, plus when the liver dumped its stores pre-op it causes dehydration - temporarily looking like more fat loss than really occurred (the pre-op diet shrinks it to help the surgeon) so a stall here is usual. Search "stalls" or "three-week stall" for more posts on this. From what I've read here, stalls will happen occasionally throughout the weight loss process but often the inches will continue to come off. It's the bodies way of taking time to adjust. 3. You didn't mention which surgery you're having. If it's gastric sleeve then initially your sleeve will be swollen so when you start on solid foods it won't hold much at all. But once the swelling goes down it will hold a little more (ounces.) Everyone is different. But don't worry, you didn't stretch your sleeve! That takes "one extra bite at a time over about a year" according to surgeon Dr. Duc Vuong. 4. I started losing right away, and write down everything I eat in a food journal. Don't ever allow fattening, unhealthy foods in again and especially not high calorie drinks - you can override the surgery and regain the weight even eating smaller portions especially if eating every couple of hours. 5. If you haven't discovered him yet, on YouTube I highly recommend watching as many of Dr. Duc Vuong's videos as possible. His breakfast green smoothie is what I've been doing since surgery and plan to continue forever. 6. When your clothes start falling off you avoid spending on new clothes - visit the local Goodwill or thrift store. You'll turn them in for smaller ones the following month after month. It's fun! And costs little. I've found so many nice clothes in good condition available that frankly this will now be the first place I go to shop even when I reach my goal weight. 7. Take your vitamins and get enough protein (and don't forget some healthy fats.) It will help keep you healthy plus temporary hair loss at 3-6 months is frequently talked about here but getting enough protein and the proper vitamins may help either prevent it or make it less than otherwise. They say it grows back - I'm only at two months so haven't reached that point yet. 8. Immediately post-op know that pain meds cause constipation so will keep the gas in causing more pain. By all means if you're in pain and need to take them do so at your surgeon's direction! But be sure to drink enough water/liquids and walk as mentioned by others here. Good luck! Having weight loss surgery was the best thing I've ever done for myself especially for my health. And my knees are no longer aching as well. Whew! Who wants knee surgery?

Fantastic tip! This coming week I'm going on a day trip down the coast with a friend and we'll be eating out for lunch at a nice restaurant. If they offer that option I'm going to do that!

Something mentioned in some online videos watched prior to surgery still took me by surprise: Having so much less energy than before mainly due to the significantly lower calories taken in plus being off sugar (yes!.) Before I'd use sugar and food in general to fuel me through a busy day and of course it contributed greatly to my obesity and health problems. Six months ago I bought a fixer upper home and am finding projects that would have been done in a few days now take weeks. What I expect to accomplish each day is much less than ever before and I've had to get used to it. But I decided that my health is and will be my #1 priority for the rest of my life, and getting off the sugar and overeating train is a big part of that. So now when I plan my day it's: 1) Eat right, 2) Get some exercise - a walk or whatever, then 3) Maybe put a coat of chalk paint on a bookcase or work a bit on insulating my new shed. Sure before I'd have insulated the shed in one day, then put up the drywall in maybe two days, then painted the inside in one day - all fueled by mega calories and sugar. Now I'm on the the take-it-slow track and have needed to become accustomed to that. It helps that I retired early to focus on my health so don't have an employer pushing me to be super productive as was the case for much of my adult life.

Going into this surgery I knew there would be head work but am surprised at a change I've decided to make: shedding or discontinuing one-sided relationships with some family members. It's as if as I lose the weight and become healthier I'm looking much closer at what's really going on with all my relationships. As I feel better about myself I will no longer tolerate indifference and lack of caring from others, or continue what I was doing - trying to buy their love with gifts. I'm the maiden aunt who had been sending Christmas and birthday presents to family kids until they turned 18. In the past I've at least received photos of some of them in return and one niece was good about thanking me. But this past year - nothing except a different niece's wedding announcement via my brother - not even directly from her and no invitation just a bid for a gift, which I sent. My sister is the only family member who is in frequent contact and clearly cares about me - and the only one who knows about my surgery. No one else has ever inquired how I am doing, if I'm well, or showed any interest in my welfare. I'm sure they're good people - they just don't know me or love me. So rather than feeling sad that they don't care about me, I'm accepting it for what it is and shedding them from my life as well as the pounds. I'll simply stop sending gifts (and am changing my Will) - they probably won't even notice. It feels great! Is anyone else reevaluating relationships post surgery and deciding to shed those that either are one-sided or bad for you?