Elisabethsew

I believe in the "all or none" foods and don't think it's a sign of failure to realize I just can't resist certain foods. I can pass cake, candy, cookies, chips, etc., all up but if you put hot bread and butter in front of me, I'm in heaven. LOL. I'm a food addict and always will be. My trigger is bread. I know it and I have to keep away from it so I don't have any of it in my house. This is what works for me. When I go out to eat, I am picky. If the bread/roll is not hot, I don't eat it. If it is, I take a small piece and nurse it. Since I'm with people, I have to share and that keeps me from eating MORE. When the food arrives, I ask if anyone wants more. If they say no (and they do 99% of the time), I ask the waiter to take it away so we have more room on the table (because I know I will grab more). I get my carbs in the form of fruit, veggies, and sometimes pasta. Thankfully, I'm not a pasta lover and prefer fish and poultry to other things.

Don't worry about the plateau. You're body is normalizing and, as long as you stick with the eating plan, the scale WILL move downward. I stayed the same for nearly 4 weeks and then the scale began moving regularly. It will be easier when you're on solids. Focus on that weight you already lost!

On the few occasions that I ate one bite too much, I did experience tachycardia (rapid heart rate) which was likely in response to the body trying to push the food down against a positive pressure. I'm slowly getting used to what a "new" normal portion is.

I have BCBS/PPO (NY) and they wanted a 6-9 month paper trail of documentation before they would "consider" paying to get the band out of me. They would not pay for VSG and I could no longer live with band so I went to mexico... no regrets.

I agree, Mac. I've lost well over a thousand pounds in my lifetime and keeping it off is the real challenge. The band was a total waste for me and failed to work but VSG is definitely what I needed.

I don't take any horse pill vitamins but I was never told not to take them post-op and did start back on my usual Vitamin routine about 2 weeks post-op... no problems.

It all depends on your surgeon. Mine says none and that's fine with me because I'm a Water, coffee, and crystal lite drinker.

Less is more. Don't pack a lot and remember to check your bag for the flight home since you can't lift heavy things post-op. Gas X did nothing for me. Get up and walk as much as you can and also try bending a little to get things moving. Slippers, a light robe, deodorant, etc. are all basics. They don't have face cloths at the hospital (they do in the resort) so bring some handiwipes. You can shower the first day post-op and they provide shampoo but not conditioner or a blow dryer. I react poorly to anesthesia and told the anesthesiologist what drug I needed for the sever nausea (droperidol) but forget to tell him I get rigors (uncontrolled shaking chills) so the recovery room was not fun. They did get a heater and gave me some meds to help. I don't remember going back to my room (I was the second case of the day) but I did get up and walk by 5 AM and showered at 6 AM. After that, I was fine.

Congratulations! Have a safe flight and post when you can to let us know how you're doing.

Congratulations on your date. Dr. Aceves makes 5 small incisions all above the belly button so no worries.

My experience was nothing like you describe but I was in Mexacali and not Monterrey. I traveled alone, walked around the resort alone, and went to the pharmacy alone. Everyone was pleasant and kind. I have no problems recommending people to use the surgeon I did (Dr. Aceves) but have no experience with other Mexican surgeons or locales.

You gain a pound from eating one piece of candy? Maybe you need a new scale? Only 7 pounds to go is great!

My surgeon told me the replacements were good for 25 years or more and I agree with you. The quality of my life is going to be so much better once I get new knees. now that cortisone injections no longer are effective and the pain is constant, it's definitely MY time to have the surgery.

I don't eat eggs, beef, lamb, or pork either. What about some lean deli turkey in a lettuce leaf? You can have low carb cheeses and bacon. I love fish and live on that. Don't worry, you will get through this and you're date is almost here.

Whole grain crackers don't offer much in the way of nutritional value and cheese is delicious but it's high in calories. Try sticking to 3 meals a day and try hard Proteins (beef, fish, chicken, pork). Also, are you logging all the food you eat (fitday.com or thedailyplate.com)? Sometimes it's a shock to see how many calories you're eating.

I responded on the other thread as well.

I guess we all have to learn that our eyes really are bigger than our bellies. I had a quiet 4th and have learned to just stop eating when I feel full. Taking that one more bite makes me too uncomfortable. When I'm with others who are eating, I find sipping crystal lite lemonaide satisfies me and keeps me away from all the food.

My band had 8.6 cc in it and I did a pre-op diet for a week before having a revision to the VSG as my BMI was > 40. The band was taken out at the same time the VSG was done.

Congratulations! You're on your way!

The ability to drink depends on the amount of swelling you have. Some people can drink with no problem. I had a lot of swelling and had some difficulty but was doing better by 6-7 days post-op. The best way to know if you're drinking enough is to look at the color of your unine... you want to see a light amber color. If it's dark, drink more. The first day or so you only take small sips but then gradually take more as long as you're able to. Since the suture line is healing, chugging or rapidly drinking is discouraged for a few weeks. Keep sipping water all day and you'll do fine.

Your new life is just a few hours away. I'll say a prayer for you and look forward to your next post. You're in great hands so no worry.

I hope that helps!

Obesity is such a complex disease and I doubt that miracle pill will be developed in my time. I second your "bummer".

Welcome! Congratulations on the successful weight loss. We love having experienced sleevers here.

Read the stories that others have posted and post whatever questions you have. Happy 4th and welcome!