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I would suggest that right now you look into getting some sort of therapy whether its one on one or a group setting, but any help you can get to help you get through the emotional connection and addictions to food. Trust me on this, if I didn't have the mental help in my life, my depression post surgery would have probably done me in. Food addiction is just as bad as drug and alcoholic addition. And learning how to cope with that is absolute key to being successful post surgery. In other words, you won't be able to eat yourself to mental state of happiness. Before I was even approved for surgery I had to have a mental evaluation done to make sure I could mentally handle the changes post surgery. And even though I did good on the evaluation and they initially felt like I didn't need it, after the surgery I needed it and boy oh boy did I need it badly. I too was a huge bread/starch lover before the surgery. And granted I wasn't the best when it came to eating vegetables, your taste buds will indeed change. Things that you may love now, you might not like anymore post surgery. I can think of a least three or four former favorite fast foods that I can't do anymore just on the sheer fact that they taste disgusting to me now. But what you may not notice is that you may develop a like or craving for new foods, even food that you hate now, you may learn to love and appreciate post surgery. For me that was mashed potatoes. I couldn't stand mashed potatoes before I had the surgery. And now I can tolerate them for the most part. Hell even some days I look forward to eating them. Would I would suggest for you is this. If your surgeon has a meal plan for you, to start incorporating as many of those changes into your life now, before your surgery. That way its not a 100% shock to your system once surgery happens. Start cutting out the bad foods now, which unfortunately for now is the starchy, bread, sugary filled foods. Also kinda switch your diet around to a more Atkins-is Protein first sort of diet. That will be a huge key change for you post surgery is to focus on getting in as many grams of protein per meal to meet your daily goal, especially early on after surgery. As for what I do now, I can eat bread, but I treat it more as a cheat meal/treat than a part of my daily diet. I try to restrict myself to no more than twice a week, usually in the middle of the week and on the weekends. Pasta, I don't eat hardly ever, and fried foods are even more scarce. Also on days where I know I'm gonna eat "bad" I try to prepare for it and the extra calories they will add into my diet by working out more to burn more calories.

I haven't tried drinking yet, but I have taken zzzquil a couple of times to help me sleep since surgery. That has about 10% alcohol, and I can definitely feel a burning sensation as it goes down into my stomach.

Your stomach is smaller, and as soon as you drink any liquid it starts seeping into your small intestines. The smaller stomach and one that is empty most of the time, makes it faster for alcohol to hit your stomach. The burning is from your insides will being raw and swollen from surgery. Even once your throat doesn't hurt anymore after surgery, it is still a little battered. I took communion at Church a month out, not thinking about the wine and it burned so bad it almost brought tears to my eyes, and communion wine is watered down. I can't imagine drinking straight liquor.

Well, went out for a bit on Saturday and did a little bit of bar hopping, live music, etc. Started pretty light at a winery, and the first sip of wine burned down my throat and into my stomach like a shot of whiskey. Didn't think I would be down for a full night of "fire belly" but I guess it was only the first few sips. Was able to have my wine and a few Crown & Cokes. This is by NO MEANS a scientific or medical assumption, just how I felt, but it seemed that the alcohol was metabolizing in my system much faster than it used to, thus, giving me a buzz much quicker....but....it seemed to be more short lived than normal, if that makes any sense. Felt great that night and even better the next morning. No hangover, upset stomach, etc. Much better than I thought it was going to be, to be honest.

Lol, yeah I think we should include those. Maybe beer/alcohol, sex, food, sport, video games, TV lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Oh yes.... i did forget beer/alcohol... should we perhaps add tv and video games? Lol

Lol, you forgot beer or alcohol lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Kindle - sad to see you go. I'm one of the newbs still trying to get through the insurance dance and get my surgery date. I can't express how much you and so many other vets have helped me from my first post here... LipstickLady, VSGAnn, OKCPirate, Dub, and a whole bunch more I can't think of their handles off the top of my head. I had some misconceptions about what life after sleeve would look like, and y'all cleared it up for me and helped me decide to commit. I've started copying pearls of wisdom from all of you into my notebook and I know it will help me make the best of this opportunity to change my life. So I want to thank all of you so very much for sharing here. I've been on the internet since before it was the internet, and this kind of ebb and flow is fairly normal. That's why even though I'm not a vet I'm 100% in support of a vets only space. I haven't even had the surgery yet, and I'm sick and tired of the multitudes of "why can't I eat a steak in week 2" and "when can I drink alcohol" and "can I smoke weed" posts. I don't even read past the intro for most of them anymore. Not worth the indigestion, frankly. I won't be able to join the vets board for a long while, but I really hope all of you vets get it set up and that it's a good place to give y'all the support and camaraderie you need, and that you guys are still poking around when I rack up the experience to get the golden key.

I'm not sure if it's dumping but I found that I have a very similar reaction to sugar alcohols. Intense abdominal pain, sometimes with diarrhea.

Are you following a nutrition plan and exercising? I've lost 60lbs now (from my heaviest) but only 45 lbs since surgery 2/23. I'm at fault for not following plan. I'm ok with it though because I'm still losing. I know it would be faster if I was not drinking alcohol and was eating more Protein. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yep. If I want to keep losing. Don't get me wrong. My eating got sloppy around the one year mark. I was eating greasy fried food and carbs and buckets of movie crapcorn. And drinking wine. And I started to gain again. So I got serious, cleaned up the food, planned and tracked my portions, dumped the alcohol and carbs, and lost what I gained and got back on track. With smaller portions, my band once again felt tighter. So now I have to chew well and eat small bites or I'll get stuck. But don't kid yourself. Eating around the band is very possible and the bigger your meals get the more used to it you get. The good news is that the reverse is also true. I am very grateful for my band and that I learned this lesson early without too much wasted time or without stretching out my insides and causing a slip. The better I adhere to the rules the easier it gets. The more exceptions I make, the harder it is to get back on track. Good luck! JustWatchMe

What's wrong with that? Everyone knows that a lapband is a strip of bacon. Raw bacon. The alcohol preserves it. They want to hear only what they want to hear. When they don't, they edit "affirm my decision..." to "a firm decision..." and proceed with smugness. They're all on their own.

Hubby thinks my 23 pound loss is pretty wimpy. What am I doing wrong. I know I need to exercise and I'm trying to drink Water. I have been in a stall. Trying my best not to snack but it happens. I haven't touched soda or alcohol. Help!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

This is going to be long so if you don’t care about the story part, skip to the bottom for the numbers. I never thought I would be here, post-op from WLS surgery, especially a surgery that removed most of my stomach but here I am, and I am thrilled to be here. I grew up in a healthy, athletic family, really athletic, at the Professional level. We had healthy food and some not so healthy comfort food, but always real food in the house. I was always athletic, but slightly overweight growing up. Then in college, I started to yo-yo. My weight would change between 20 and 40 pounds. Then I had a baby, BOOM. I gained 70 pounds with the pregnancy and never lost it. I started working with Tech Startups in the dot com era and we had all the perks. Free food, free alcohol, all day every day. I moved up the ladder and with all the five star hotels came high calorie free meals. Extensive business travel meant eating out 5-6 days a week 3 times a day. On the days at home the eating out continued because I was so exhausted from the work week. I was healthy with low to normal blood pressure and not diabetic most of this time. I was a healthy fat person for a long time until I wasn’t. I was active. I exercised, I could walk circles around even my thin friends in a mall. Then 10 years ago, diabetes. It was easily managed with pills and diet, so it didn’t create drastic changes. I never took it very seriously because I was never really extreme in my high sugars. Then about 4 years ago it seemed like things took a turn, I could never lose more than 20 or 30 pounds. My ability to exercise and be active seemed to diminish. Carrying all that weight was finally catching up to me and my body was breaking down and suffering. Then last year, high blood pressure came. After taking high blood pressure meds for 2 weeks that made me sleepy and made it almost impossible to run my business. I decided to have WLS. I had researched and looked at WLS for years. I read WLS forums and talked to people, but always talked myself out of it. I finally decided that even if I died on the table that was better than dying slowly. So I knew I was ready. I went through the process very quickly. Almost not trusting myself to drag it out and I felt a real necessity to get the weight off quickly. I went from my first visit with the surgeon to surgery in 8 weeks. BCBSIL was wonderful and the whole process was fast and easy for insurance approval. Another deciding factor that WLS would work for me, was because the post-op diet was something I was already familiar with. Low carbing? Sign me up. I had been an avid low carber off and on with varying levels of success for years. I realize now that the reason I was never successful was I gave up in stalls, but with the sleeve there is no giving up during a stall. I have always enjoyed low carbing because for me it makes my mind sharper, it is like doing coke or Adderall (no, I have never done either but I have been told the experience in great detail multiple times from multiple people). I have never viewed it as a punishment but a perk. My issue prior to surgery has always been portion control. I skipped meals, focused on work and then would be ravenously hungry, and consume a whole days plus worth of calories all at once, or maybe in 2 meals. Even low carbing and eating healthy I would eat huge amounts. A 12 to 16 ounce ribeye is 900-1300 calories. I was lucky to have an uneventful, rapid and easy recovery. I had very little pain, went back to work as soon as I came home (I work for myself), and stopped taking the pain meds within 36 hours of surgery. I met my Protein goals after the 2nd day. I eat all of the foods I enjoy, just in small quantities. I was lucky in the sense I never ate or liked a lot of the things that people have issues with giving up post-op. So I don’t have issues with avoiding them. I gave up sugar years ago to try and control my diabetes. I gave up alcohol for the same reason. I was already years out from either of these things when I had surgery so I didn’t have to give them up post-op. Okay that is by backstory and how I got to the point surgery and why I felt it would work for me. This is where I am now. Numbers The weight I have on here is the weight when I first went to the Dr. It is not my actual highest weight. HW 377 SW 358 CW 231 Total weight lost 146, 134 since first surgeon visit, and 127 since surgery. Inches lost Measurements in Inches Bust (fullest part of bust): 20 Pecs (just above the bust line): 15 Ribs (top of rib cage just below the bust) : 21 Waist: 25.5 Abdomen: 22 Hips: 17 Right Upper Thigh: 8.5 Right Lower Thigh: 9.5 Left Upper Thigh: 8 Left Lower Thigh: 10.5 Right Calf: 2 Left Calf: 2.25 Right Upper Arm: 6 Left Upper Arm: 5.5 Total 172.75 I wore a tight size US Womens size 28 plus and a comfortable size US Womens size 30 plus. Now I wear a Misses 14/16 I am almost to a 12. I have boundless energy to match my personality. I am so active in my everyday life in big and small ways. I don’t hurt all over anymore at the end of the day like I did before. I thought that was natural, because I had been so heavy for so long, I didn’t think there was a different way to feel, I thought that was norm. Now I know the difference. I feel like I have taken 20 years off my age. So that is my story, if you read it all, thanks. I hope it can help someone. Obviously I am still not done. I need to lose at least another 50 pounds and once I get there I am going to evaluate and see if I want to lose another 20 or 30. I never thought that would be an option, to get my weight that low, but I think now it is a possibility.

I'm in absolute shock! I have not had surgery yet, waiting on insurance approval. Why would you want to sabotage yourself? I'm fortunate to have and be part of an awesome support group and when some of them told me there are web sites and blogs on how to cheat I was floored. Now I'm reading posts asking if bacon or alcohol are bad choices within days of surgery? Seriously?!

@@Red_lips_and_confidence, You must be feeling pretty good and recovering pretty well post-op if you’re thinking ahead to when you can eat candy! I’m sure you have already thought about the calories and would only eat them in amounts that will fit into your diet. Others have already brought up the possibility of dumping syndrome. Everyone reacts differently to different foods, so you may or may not have a problem. If you do, you may at least be able to make it less severe by eating the candy – pure sugar – with something that slows digestion, like Protein and fiber. You could try with nuts, which have protein, fiber, and healthy fats that can slow digestion and maybe prevent dumping syndrome. You can also try sugar free candies, but they have sugar alcohols and can also give your stomach trouble.

It's Time- I occasionally drink alcohol nowadays I will have a cape cod (cranberry & vodka). I miss beer but steer clear from it and anything with club soda or soda. I prefer red wines but due to calories I'll stick to the dry whites that have less sugar. I've tried a skinny margarita made with honey... it was still very sweet. Not sure how much that helped shave off calories. If I find anything good I'll share!

Good suggestion. I remember a thread in which vets complained about newbies being "so overly sensitive". Some vets seem to be quite sensitive and easily offended, too, as I have noticed during the last weeks. Sensitive? Nope. Gun shy? Tired of getting called names or accused of being bullies? Yes. Fed up with people coddling others in ways that could be seriously detrimental to their health and their weight loss? Absolutely. Of course, I am only speaking for me. And I'll add it's not only the Vets who are sick of the people crying "bully" or only wanting to be coddled - I'm pre-op and it's pissing me off. I'm not sensitive - I'm annoyed! It's more than just a weight loss/success concern that we have when someone goes so far off plan - it's a health concern - you can cause significant and life threatening complications! Would you coddle an alcoholic who had a drink 5 days post-op a liver transplant because they were "thirsty"???!!!! I am pre-op and have already cut back on my time on this forum. If the vets don't feel comfortable speaking up - why the hell would I even bother to stick around at all.

TxJP - But of course [emoji8], we have to support each other Do any of you drink alcohol and if so what and how often? From time to time I have indulged in a glass of wine and my tummy handles it well but I haven't had a glass this weekend and dropped 5 pounds [emoji15] I guess it's true what they say about empty calories

Wow - I've been reading a lot of these stories and some reasons are familiar, but even the ones that aren't really resonate with me. For most of life - from my teens to my early 30s, my weight went back and forth over the years and I usually ranged from a size 10 to 14/16. Not obese, but always overweight. But I was an active overweight person, and I felt much healthier than many of my skinny friends who did not exercise and ate junk all the time. I did hit a healthy BMI when I was 24 from all the dancing I was doing, but knee problems forced me to quit and the weight slowly crept up. I did manage to stay under 200 pounds until about 8 years ago the weight started to pile on and nothing I did would last long. WW, Southbeach diet, etc worked for a while, then I would stall and the weight would come back + more. I was depressed and the weight gain just made the depression worse. I remember my personal trainer talking to me about what I needed to do if I was serious about losing weight and I walked out on her - I was angry that she thought I wasn't doing my best, but at the same time I didn't want her to see me break down in tears. I never went back. Like many people here, I had a lot of "well, I'll never let myself get to _____ weight," but it has happened time and again. The first WGD (weight gain defeat) was hitting 200 lbs. Around the same time, realising that I had stop fighting myself in the regular stores - the size 18s were barely fitting, and department stores like Sears had nothing I wanted to wear - and walking into a dedicated plus-size store for the first time. Walking from the parking lot into the store was really embarrassing, but once I was inside I was surrounded by clothes that fit and very positive people around me. Then I hit 220. Then 250. Now I'm fluctuating but hitting a high of 275. Over the past 10 years I have gained, with consistency, 10-15 pounds a year and nothing I do seems to stop it. My overall activity and eating patterns haven't changed (except when I try a new diet or exercise). I don't drink alcohol or any carbonated beverages anymore, no junk food other than chocolate (!), and I still get over 10,000 steps a day. I had a couple of minor health problems last year that really reduced my ability to move and exercise, which is why I've gained so much in the last year (at least 20lbs). At the time I realised that I have no one to help me. I'm single and live alone. Most of my family and close friends are 1000's of miles away. I thought about "what if I die here" (in case of a worse case scenario - some recent events that happened to other people made me more aware) - because being an expat means you can't rely on what you know from home - and realised that it would be much cheaper for my family to cremate me, rather than to have my body flown home (airlines charge by the kilo). But even then, there was no "straw" that broke the camel's back. I woke up one morning, decided to (randomly) research weight loss surgery in Japan, came across a post from this site, and I haven't looked back since. Maybe my brain, my subconscious, whatever, was quietly making a list of problems that I just couldn't ignore, so that when I woke up that morning about 6 weeks ago, it knew that I needed to start making some real changes in my life and that this would be the best way to do it. Now that I've decided to do it, this surgery, this new life plan, has become my new obsession. It's the most positive thing that has happened to me in a while, and I really hope it works out! None of these is the straw, but they've all contributed: Living in a country where absolutely no clothes fit me (I don't even know where obese Japanese women get their clothes - I have a feeling quite a few make them) As a result of the above, spending a ton of money on online shopping and shipping, knowing that it's not worth returning if it doesn't fit, and having to make do with what comes Also because of the above, spending a lot of time looking for stores with plus-size sections when I do travel abroad because I need clothes - bottoms fall apart in the heat and humidity here, and tops seem to shrink with time Worrying about fitting into plane and train seats when I travel Having to bring extra clothes when I travel in case things (especially pants) get ruined by the dreaded chub rub Having to deal with extra heavy or larger suitcases because of my bigger clothes Having 90% of my shoes not fit anymore because of the weight gain and edema (especially in the summer) The looks I get from people all the time. It's not disgust, more like amazement - how can somebody be that big? She must eat 24/7! The fact that people feel they can comment on my weight at any time - from my little nephew asking me why I was so fat, to a Buddhist monk in Burma commenting on my need to exercise more and eat less (!). I'll never see the monk again but I hope the next time I see my nephew he won't even remember asking me that question. My brother laughing at me when we Skyped over Christmas. He hadn't seen me for a few years and he had no problems making me feel humiliated when I was already so depressed. His "just eat one meal a day like I do" didn't help either Friends "forgetting" about me - I get a lot of excuses when I ask people to do things, but they never get back to me about getting together when a time is convenient for them Still single. I've accepted that part of my life but I also want a chance of happiness with someone. That will never happen while I'm in the obese part of the BMI. The only time men seem interested me is when I weigh less than 150 pounds, and it's been a long a time since I was that low. Realising that, over the past 6 years, I have missed 2 family reunions and have avoided visiting friends from a thinner time in my life because I don't want to see the look of shock on their faces when they see the current me. Every time I see that look (like "what the he!! happened!") it's just so depressing Also realising that I keep postponing trips and activities I want to do because I know my weight will either prevent me from doing all that I want, or will really get in the way Looking at photos of myself with my students or other people and realising I am more than double their width Hitting 275. That's a big blow and I definitely do not, cannot, will not hit 300.

I eat Quest and power crunch bars several times a week and have since I was about six months out. It's worked well for me, it isn't a trigger or a slider (often I can only eat half even now at 2.5 years post op) and I don't obsess. Everyone is different and I have always had trouble fitting in all my Protein so I still have one supplement (shake or bar) almost daily. Whether you can count "net carbs" and subtract sugar alcohols and Fiber does depend on your plan/nutritionist/dietician/reason. I count net carbs because the others don't impact blood sugar causing the rise/fall/cravings cycle for me personally. That is what my dietician's plan counts as net carbs. I also have eaten fruit regularly in moderation since about a year out. I have learned how much I can have before it sets off the blood sugar rise/fall/cravings. With berries and watermelon it's a good amount. stone fruit a moderate amount, apples/oranges/bananas I have to be careful with.

1) Regret - what if I regret my decision? Unless you are unlucky and have a complication, I seriously doubt it. I thought I would regret it and miss out on a wonderful life with food but, my life is so much richer, and I still love and enjoy food. 2) Age - is 54 too old to do this? 54 isn't old, you probably have another 20-30 years of life, don't want to spend it fat and uncomfortable in bad health. 3) Post-op diet - along with the pre-op 800 cal. a day diet (wow!), I'm worried about the weeks of liquid diet. I have to work, how will I do it if I'm starving? (my job can be intense and I have to be on the ball all the time). The diet is tough I won't even lie. Not sure about doing a physical job, it will be hard, but you can live off 800 calories for a little while it won't kill you. 4) I have chronic migraines and see a Neurologist. Will the weight loss alleviate/lessen migraines, or make them worse? Not sure, but low carbing is usually good for brain issues. I would see someone about getting botox injections for the migraines, research it. 5) Will I ever actually enjoy food again? Or be able to? We have a favourite restaurant - would hate if I can never again enjoy that sort of outing Yes. Maybe more than you do now. I still eat at my favorite places but I just order differently. I also find I can enjoy a lot of expensive and trendy resturants with small portions because they satisfy me in a way they didn't before. I can enjoy the flavors of food more, because my concern isn't on being full at the end just enjoying the food. 6) No caffeine, no alcohol! OMG - that's harsh! I love wine and would miss that. But think it's 6 months off of it? Caffeine. Due to migraines I'm not supposed to have it at all, but I now just have a tea in the morning so guess I could do that. I do love my tea and wine though :-) I drink coffee every day. I don't drink really but I didn't drink before surgery either. I can drink if I want to, I just don't want. I take a sip and I am not interested but there are plenty of people here that after hitting maintenance have a glass of wine with dinner each night. Most of the big changes are short term, 6 months until you heal. Then once you are healed and the bulk of your weight is off, you can play with what works with you.

Hello everyone. I'm looking forward to hearing what you all have to say about sleeve surgery. From those that are considering it and those that have experienced it. I've spoken to a facilitator over the phone and email and hope to meet her mom who lives near me as she has had the surgery as well and is a facilitator too. She's also close in age to me (I'm 54) and I thought that meeting her face-to-face may help me make a decision. I'm in Canada and the hospital is in Mexico - it has a Canadian connection (I think owned by a Canadian woman) and meets very high standards. Although it's in Mexico I don't feel worried about the level of care, or the abilities of the doctors and staff. I've asked a lot of questions of the facilitator - to the point where I think I've asked more questions, or taken more of her time than she wishes to give. That did turn me off a little - it was only two phone calls and a couple of emails. I guess they have their limit as per how much they get paid? As the hospital is in Mexico I don't get to meet the surgeon to discuss things and that's a worry for me. I'm relying on facilitators with no medical background, just the fact they've been through it and have had some training. My biggest worry: REGRET. This is a permanent procedure. I read something where somebody commented - "why would anybody want to remove a perfectly healthy, functioning body part?!" I get this - it's what makes this whole thing a bit on the bizarre side to me. And what if I just cannot STAND the changes? What if I feel nothing but sorrow and regret and horror at what I've done to myself? There's no going back - this thought haunts me in the time that I've been considering this as an option to weight loss. I don't see myself as somebody that is super obsessed with food. Not once have I ever gotten up in the middle of the night to eat something - not one time. I don't overeat. I choose the wrong foods a lot of the time and I love chocolate. My servings at dinner are likely too big, but I've never just eaten non-stop. Don't eat a bag of Cookies, nothing like that. I noted that I was putting on weight at 9 years old. I distinctly remember the moment I was aware of this. I've battled weight gain for much of my life. The thinnest I've ever been was when I was eating around 1200 calories a day, and working out (literally!) 2-3 hours PER DAY. Yup. I was super fit and looked good. This of course, was before I had 3 children. I'm a Weight Watchers "joiner" as my friend and I refer to ourselves. Never a WW grad, always a joiner. I did Weight Loss Clinic in my early 20's and lost weight. Up and down, up and down. Always weighing more with each subsequent weight gain. I'm sure what I've said here is pretty close to what each of you have experienced. How do I deal with this fear of regret? I can't seem to move past it. I hear what my facilitator says - she doesn't know anybody that has regretted it. She says she has many, many relatives and friends that have done this surgery and they all feel happy about their decision. But I'm also speaking to somebody who WORKS for the hospital and from my point of view, is trying to bring clients in for the money (cost is $13,600 just for me, no companion). A bit cost prohibitive for us, and I haven't mentioned a thing to my husband - he won't have a clue how I feel as he's never had a weight issue in his life - but he'll sure feel reluctant about the money spent! We all have our stories about our rock bottom. In fact, I have many rock bottom stories - each one, at the time, I'm thinking it's the worst thing that's happened to me. The most embarrassing, the most demeaning, the most sad I've felt. I don't see these rock bottom occurrences stopping because I'm not losing any weight. I've dieted my way all the way up to this weight (I'm guessing my weight is around 250 lbs.) and in the last few years I've given up on dieting. I'll just end up losing it once again and then gaining it all back +more, so why try? Why keep doing that? My biggest worries are: 1) Regret - what if I regret my decision? 2) Age - is 54 too old to do this? 3) Post-op diet - along with the pre-op 800 cal. a day diet (wow!), I'm worried about the weeks of liquid diet. I have to work, how will I do it if I'm starving? (my job can be intense and I have to be on the ball all the time). 4) I have chronic migraines and see a Neurologist. Will the weight loss alleviate/lessen migraines, or make them worse? 5) Will I ever actually enjoy food again? Or be able to? We have a favourite restaurant - would hate if I can never again enjoy that sort of outing 6) No caffeine, no alcohol! OMG - that's harsh! I love wine and would miss that. But think it's 6 months off of it? Caffeine. Due to migraines I'm not supposed to have it at all, but I now just have a tea in the morning so guess I could do that. I do love my tea and wine though :-) I so appreciate any comments, good or bad, that you can offer me. I do want to be truly happy in my own skin. I can't picture myself on the plane, in Mexico (never been there), and in the hospital going through with this. It just doesn't seem like a reality. And I really am fearful of the entire thing. My income is very important to my family and I still have a young child (almost 11) to care for. What if I don't recover? What if I can't work and cause my family to suffer due to me wanting to look good (okay, and hopefully ward off diabetes and other weight-related issues). Ugh… I'm a mess! LOL Tracy

Hello everyone. I'm looking forward to hearing what you all have to say about sleeve surgery. From those that are considering it and those that have experienced it. I've spoken to a facilitator over the phone and email and hope to meet her mom who lives near me as she has had the surgery as well and is a facilitator too. She's also close in age to me (I'm 54) and I thought that meeting her face-to-face may help me make a decision. I'm in Canada and the hospital is in Mexico - it has a Canadian connection (I think owned by a Canadian woman) and meets very high standards. Although it's in Mexico I don't feel worried about the level of care, or the abilities of the doctors and staff. I've asked a lot of questions of the facilitator - to the point where I think I've asked more questions, or taken more of her time than she wishes to give. That did turn me off a little - it was only two phone calls and a couple of emails. I guess they have their limit as per how much they get paid? As the hospital is in Mexico I don't get to meet the surgeon to discuss things and that's a worry for me. I'm relying on facilitators with no medical background, just the fact they've been through it and have had some training. My biggest worry: REGRET. This is a permanent procedure. I read something where somebody commented - "why would anybody want to remove a perfectly healthy, functioning body part?!" I get this - it's what makes this whole thing a bit on the bizarre side to me. And what if I just cannot STAND the changes? What if I feel nothing but sorrow and regret and horror at what I've done to myself? There's no going back - this thought haunts me in the time that I've been considering this as an option to weight loss. I don't see myself as somebody that is super obsessed with food. Not once have I ever gotten up in the middle of the night to eat something - not one time. I don't overeat. I choose the wrong foods a lot of the time and I love chocolate. My servings at dinner are likely too big, but I've never just eaten non-stop. Don't eat a bag of Cookies, nothing like that. I noted that I was putting on weight at 9 years old. I distinctly remember the moment I was aware of this. I've battled weight gain for much of my life. The thinnest I've ever been was when I was eating around 1200 calories a day, and working out (literally!) 2-3 hours PER DAY. Yup. I was super fit and looked good. This of course, was before I had 3 children. I'm a Weight Watchers "joiner" as my friend and I refer to ourselves. Never a WW grad, always a joiner. I did Weight Loss Clinic in my early 20's and lost weight. Up and down, up and down. Always weighing more with each subsequent weight gain. I'm sure what I've said here is pretty close to what each of you have experienced. How do I deal with this fear of regret? I can't seem to move past it. I hear what my facilitator says - she doesn't know anybody that has regretted it. She says she has many, many relatives and friends that have done this surgery and they all feel happy about their decision. But I'm also speaking to somebody who WORKS for the hospital and from my point of view, is trying to bring clients in for the money (cost is $13,600 just for me, no companion). A bit cost prohibitive for us, and I haven't mentioned a thing to my husband - he won't have a clue how I feel as he's never had a weight issue in his life - but he'll sure feel reluctant about the money spent! We all have our stories about our rock bottom. In fact, I have many rock bottom stories - each one, at the time, I'm thinking it's the worst thing that's happened to me. The most embarrassing, the most demeaning, the most sad I've felt. I don't see these rock bottom occurrences stopping because I'm not losing any weight. I've dieted my way all the way up to this weight (I'm guessing my weight is around 250 lbs.) and in the last few years I've given up on dieting. I'll just end up losing it once again and then gaining it all back +more, so why try? Why keep doing that? My biggest worries are: 1) Regret - what if I regret my decision? 2) Age - is 54 too old to do this? 3) Post-op diet - along with the pre-op 800 cal. a day diet (wow!), I'm worried about the weeks of liquid diet. I have to work, how will I do it if I'm starving? (my job can be intense and I have to be on the ball all the time). 4) I have chronic migraines and see a Neurologist. Will the weight loss alleviate/lessen migraines, or make them worse? 5) Will I ever actually enjoy food again? Or be able to? We have a favourite restaurant - would hate if I can never again enjoy that sort of outing 6) No caffeine, no alcohol! OMG - that's harsh! I love wine and would miss that. But think it's 6 months off of it? Caffeine. Due to migraines I'm not supposed to have it at all, but I now just have a tea in the morning so guess I could do that. I do love my tea and wine though :-) I so appreciate any comments, good or bad, that you can offer me. I do want to be truly happy in my own skin. I can't picture myself on the plane, in Mexico (never been there), and in the hospital going through with this. It just doesn't seem like a reality. And I really am fearful of the entire thing. My income is very important to my family and I still have a young child (almost 11) to care for. What if I don't recover? What if I can't work and cause my family to suffer due to me wanting to look good (okay, and hopefully ward off diabetes and other weight-related issues). Ugh… I'm a mess! LOL Tracy

It speaks well of your prospects that, despite no requirement, you chose to lose weight. Your mind is in a good place: You're serious. It goes without saying, which shan't stop me, that cutting out alcohol and the rest is smart. What raises a question is your saying that you're logging everything, but no word about what you are logging apart from the shakes. Sad to say, it is easy for counterproductive edibles to be going down your gullet. Consider an appt with the practice's RD to review a week or two of food logs. S/he can make suggestions for improvement. It's impressive that you chose to work on this. It probably makes you an exception. Although my bariatric practice had a loosey-goosey requirement (my insurance plan had none), my own surgeon told me that she didn't care whether I lost weight before surgery. A fool, I thought, "Oh, good, I'll start after." Three weeks, prior, however, it occurred to me that, if I were serious, I'd start immediately. I dropped 11 lbs which the surgeon noted aloud in the OR. This is not to say that, like you, I'm impressive, but that it told me I was ready for the long haul. You'll be fine. I am training myself now how to eat as though I have had WLS already. I start w. protein first on my plate, 2-4oz depending on the healthful value of it, then veggies. Carbs even fruit are a snack or combined w. a protein like snack. I do think my main issue is that I still am learning to have small meals through out the day. I end to lightly graze during the day but really still eat most of my calories in the evening. From what my Dr said this is most likely how I became obese in the first place and how many people become obese. I do not binge I just have dinner and then a snack before bed instead of just eating dinner and breaking up the meals through out the day. Most of my exercise is during the day also. I sit on a balance ball for 20 mins several times a day instead of my regular desk chair. I am serious. I have serious dreams for the future and it will be super hard to accomplish those with a 100 extra lbs. on me. I do not like having my time wasted. I refuse to waste the time of the individuals that are helping me through this process. I have also wasted enough of my families lives not sharing with them the hidden me. I appreciate all the positive energy that people put out on this site. I hope that others gain as much insight as I am.