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I eat a healthy, balanced diet of Protein, Fiber, veggies, fruit and whole grains. I limit white carbs (rice, Pasta, bread, alcohol, sugar) and might have them 3-4 times/month. I keep a rough tally of protein and Water in my head so I know I'm getting at least 80g/64oz. Other than that I don't measure or track my food, so no idea what my calories or carbs are. Basically everything in moderation and probably 90% healthy 10% crap. 11 months out, 100 pounds down, 12 pounds under goal. And no, I don't consider this dieting at all.

I have PCP works done, insurance quotes, all online sessions done. Dec 10 is psych eval and first appt with NP at Bariatric clinic! I see list off all I have to do but lord how long will this be if they only schedule two pieces at a time! I am extreme inpatient with the unknown. I asked if I could schedule more on that day and she told me not until I pass these.UGGG So I haveresearched. MFP logged, fitbit razed. Now broke myself of straws. 1200 calories or less for months. Limiting caffeine. stocking cabinets. No alcohol. Just going crazy inpatient. Am I doing too much too soon? Anything different? Going for RNY. It does no work to tellmyselfto be patient, or anyone else lol that makes it worse, I have to make strides forward or go nutso! Rural IL and 70 miles one way from cliinic so really out there from urban support systems ect

I usually ignore this type of post, but I feel compelled to respond. This isn't for the OP, since they already have a plan. It's for new people reading this. Drinking alcohol at that stage isn't just "wrong", its a bad idea in general. There's no way to know if its safe and no evidence to suggest it is, and its totally unnecessary, so there is really no justification for it. At the very least, it's high in calories. It is counterproductive to what we are trying to accomplish. At 10 days post OP, I suggest extra caution with a new incision and a long, long staple line that could leak.

I just had my surgery 10 days ago and already had a few shots of Patron two different times (no preaching please I know its wrong) but what I wanted to put out there was I heard everyone(including research I read) say they get a buzz much quicker now but both times I was on an empty stomach (neither time bothered my stomach) and I could NOT get a buzz period 1st time I did 5 total shots over a 1.5 hr period..NOTHING and the second time same thing only 8 shots over two hours..NOTHING I was always a beer drinkier before not any more but 3 shots of patron would always give me a huge buzz now straight alcohol on a empty stomach has no effect on me. Again I dont need anyone to tell me how bad I am being please just let me know if any one else has experienced this tolerance to alcohol after the sleeve? Thank you, Jr

My surgeon didn't require for any weight lost before surgery, he set the date of surgery around 2 months after the first appointment. During those two months I did the hell lot of the research on life after gastric sleeve (of course this site is one of my useful resources) and I decided to try if I could live with it. So I followed the low carb diet, drank a lot of water, no alcohols, no soda, no sweets (except with my coffee in the morning), ate a pound of vegetable per day and I lost 13 lbs! during those two months post-op. That's how I knew I was ready to commit myself to the life after gastric sleeve.

Haha! Well the good news is the psychologist thinks I am not nuts & that I seem to have my head on straight & that I am ready for my surgery. It was interesting! I filled out forms for almost an hour, asking some of the same questions but in a different way. Many had to do with alcohol & drugs, which I am lucky in that I have never had a problem with those two things. After the paperwork I spent about an hour with the psychologist & then out the door I went! It was a very nice day here & I rolled down my windows & sang a little country music on the way home, & I don't normally do country music! Now I have one more visit with the nutritionist Sarah next week on the 23rd & then I should meet the requirements for my insurance!

He's right! My nutritionist said the same thing today. Protein Protein Protein. We don't really eat veggies for weight loss. We eat then for the vitamins and fiber. She also said that most of the protein shakes are fortified with the same vitamins. I started the pre op diet Monday on my own to see if I could do it and I'm down 8lbs from my last weigh in last month. I know I probably gained some last week because I went on vacation for the week and all we did was eat and drink alcohol! Hubby's right!!

I started seeing a therapist nearly a year post-op. My issue at that time was not learning how to manage my behavior but body image issues. I did not recognize myself when I looked in the mirror. I had lost around 100 lbs. but I did not see a thinner person...I saw an old woman looking back at me. My hair was falling out, my skin was wrinkled, and I looked like my grandmother. I've gotten past the 'critical' issues of learning I need to give up some of my feelings of needing to be in control and I'm starting to get more comfortable with the much smaller sized person I've become but I'm now working with the therapist to tackle some of the deep issues surrounding my need to turn to food when I have emotional reactions to situations. Whether you see a therapist, or go with a support group...or do both if you need to, the point is that you should do whatever you need to make yourself better be it weight loss surgery and/or followup support in whatever way you require it. I agree with others in that those of us who are battling our weight have issues that manifest in overeating behaviors. Some abuse alcohol, others abuse drugs. We abuse food. I understand that I need to go deep to change my behaviors and need the help of a professional. Others do not or they need different type(s) of support. Good luck with whatever you choose...even if your choice is to do nothing beyond surgery.

Even though my surgiversary is December 20, I consider today my 1 year mark since it was December 4 that I started my preop diet. Hey, 16 days of liquids and leafy greens and 22 pounds lost deserve to be counted! I really don't know where to begin to describe how wonderful this past year has been, but here are some highlights... My surgical experience at Obesity Control Center in TJ was better than I could have hoped for. It was more of a fun mini-vacation with my sister than anything. Recovery was nearly painless and I have had no reflux, food intolerances or hair loss. My sincere thanks goes out to everyone there who took such good care of me. I discovered what a wonderful, supportive community I live and work in. I was very ashamed and angry about letting myself get so fat. But despite the initial embarrassment, I chose to be honest about my surgery and talk about it openly. Turns out that was great therapy. I am now proud of my decision rather than feel it's something I need to hide. Literally hundreds of people know I had WLS....friends, family, clients, fellow beauty shop patrons.... and no one has made me feel bad about it. Nobody treats me any differently and turns out people like and respect me whether I'm fat or thin. Everyone is just happy for me that I feel better, both physically and mentally. I see from a lot of posts that not everyone has such accepting, non-judgemental people in their lives so I am incredibly grateful that I do. The first first 3-4 months postop were certainly not without struggles.... Feeling bloated and full all the time that first month, Trying to get in all my Protein and Water despite having no appetite, learning how to chew and eat slow, almost 2 months of diarrhea from a C. diff infection from antibiotics for a tooth infection 6 weeks after VSG, being on medications that made me nauseous, getting IV fluids 3 times for dehydration because I couldn't drink enough water with my tiny sleeve, and needing a fecal transplant to finally cure the C. diff. It was at least 4 months before I felt normal, but I never once regretted surgery and would do it all again. Although I wouldn't particularly care to relive the two excruciatingly painful gall bladder attacks I've had....by far the WORST part of this journey. First NSV....my rings fit! (they have since become too big and I've had to resize them down...even my high school ring) I learned from these forums that stalls are normal, so I never worried about them. In fact, I never even bothered to buy a scale. NSV's are much more satisfying and mean more than numbers on a scale. Went from size 22 relaxed/curvy fit jeans to 6 or 7 slims. XXL tops to mediums. Size 44DD to a very saggy 36B (but I still consider this a good thing). I can shop in regular stores and even online because I know the clothes will fit and look good! I can wear tall boots because they fit over my calves. I can swing up into my saddle without having to find a log or rock to climb on. Even had to buy a new saddle to fit my new skinny butt. And I have no doubt that my horse is at least as thrilled with my weight loss as I am. I am saving hundreds of dollars every month on groceries....good thing since I've had to buy a whole new wardrobe. I can easily cross my legs, kneel, squat and sit "Indian style". I can bound (yes, bound!) up several flights of steps without even breathing hard. My blood pressure is normal and my PCP is thrilled with my bloodwork. I had my first normal PAP and negative HPV test in 7 years....eating healthy has allowed my immune system to finally clear the virus and abnormal cells from my system. My feet and ankles and knees haven't hurt in at least 10 months. I'm on my feet all day and went from daily NSAIDS and occasional tramadol to zero of both. Blew past my surgeon's goal weight at 6 months, passed my personal goal around 7 months and have settled in the middle of a normal BMI range....100 pounds lost forever! More than I ever dreamed possible. I have maintained within a 5 pound bounce range over the last 3 months with very little effort. Getting enough protein and water, taking my Vitamins, eating a well balanced diet of protein, veggies, fruit and whole grains and limiting white carbs seems to work for me. No counting calories, tracking or measuring. The sleeve does its job of portion control and I do my job of making good choices. I live and eat like a normal person and enjoy everything in moderation. And somewhere along the way I've learned how to deal with life's stresses without turning to food and alcohol. I never thought I could feel this good about myself. I am truly blessed and I sincerely wish everyone as much success, confidence and happiness as I have found. (Sorry this was so long, but I just have so much to be grateful for) Before/after pictures taken Dec 4, 2013 and 2014. Competitive Trail Ride Event pictures taken September 2013 and 2014.

Hi everyone! Just checking in. I have almost two weeks out from surgery (Nov 24) and amazingly I've been doing pretty good. My struggle is finding things that have enough protein throughout the day. I go to the doctor for a follow up today so maybe the nutritionist can help me. Yesterday I got close, but then I started feeling nauseous so I stopped eating. I do think that the nausea is relates to gas in the pouch as well. Once I got some really good burps out, Ifelt wonderful again. Just a tip that I learned from working in the recovery room at the hospital. keep a couple of alcohol swabs by the bed. When you get nauseous, place one right on the tip of your nose. Something about being able to smell the alcohol helps ease the nausea. I worked for me last night. I hope someone else here finds it helpful. I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well along this journey!

I started thinking tonight about a lot of things and I was wondering if it was regret. I started feeling bad because I can't eat two large pizzas anymore in one sitting. I can't fit into my size 38 pants any longer. I can't wear a 2 Xl t shirt any longer. I can't eat a whole double cheese burger. I can't drink soda. I don't know if I can drink alcohol as I've been afraid to try. I then realized that all the things that I think I gave up I really needed to give up but I couldn't do it without the help of surgery. I wanted to change what my future looked like. If we go off of our family history, I was at major risk for Diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers, dementia, seizures etc. I watched my father die of brain cancer, diabetes, dementia etc. My older brother is having seizures and he is huge. I want to tell him I'll pay for his surgery if he'll do it but haven't approached it yet. I am sure his response will be that he is healthy etc and he doesn't need to lose any weight. He's shorter than me (I'm 6 7') and he weighs 380#. My father was bi-polar and unfortunately I followed that path. He would never see a doctor or get help. I sucked it up and wasn't afraid to see a doctor or take medication for it. After Surgery, I've noticed I'm not depressed and I don't have mood swings any longer. I take no anti-depressants or bi-polar meds any longer. So I realized that once I looked at the over all picture, I think I made the right decision and I think it was for the best. I'm only 7 weeks post op now, and of course things can change. I might have mood swings again, but hopefully they stay away. Research that I've found suggest that a lot of bi-polar symptoms are related to the food we eat and all the chemicals in the food. I didn't do this to simply look good. I did it for the health reasons. I can admit, I wanted to be thinner again, but it wasn't the only reason why for the surgery. I didn't want to have ED at the age of 32. I didn't want to be embarrassed every summer when we go on a family vacation and I'm afraid to take my shirt off due to my size. I'm looking forward to Cancun again in 2015. I would do it all again if I had to. No regrets. If your feeling regret, look at the whole picture. Think about why you did it. Think about what you are gaining in terms of good health. Think about your spouse/bf/gf/better half etc. I also found out that the acid pill I needed was available over the counter. I feel so stupid for not finding this out sooner. Amazing what one little pill can do.

I eat a Greek light yogurt about 9am around 11 eat 1oz of peanut butter at 1-2 eat a fiber one bar 5-6 eat dinner like baked chicken with steamed veggies 8-9 usually some sort of fruit like apple banana or natural pop corn. Honestly I drink 2 bottles of water if that a day with flavor packs.no alcohol or carbonated beverages at all once a month I may have a glass of unsweetened tea.

So what are you eating? My surgeon gave me basic rules and never mentioned calories. In 11 months since surgery I haven't had a single postop visit with a nut or my surgeon. I don't count calories or track or measure my food. I pretty much just follow the basic guidelines....minimum 60g Protein (I get more like 80-100g), minimum 64oz Water and all my Vitamins. Everything else is based on healthy food choices. I eat veggies, fruit and whole grains and avoid "white carbs" (rice, Pasta, bread, alcohol, sugar) but still have them a few times/month. A lot of people do better when they track and count everything, it's just not something I've done postop (besides keeping rough track of protein and water in my head) I just do better keeping things simple and not feeling restricted by rules and restrictions. You really just need to find what works for you. If what you're doing isn't working, try more calories/less calories/more protein/less carbs....etc. if you need to count and track, then count and track. You don't necessarily need a nut to tell you what to eat. You know what's healthy and what's not and there's tons of good food ideas on these forums.

I second the food tracking. I've read that tracking your food is one of the best ways to stay on course because you can clearly see if you start getting off course. Although it sounds like you don't really have a course, which sucks. I am not a doctor or medical professional in any way, but I can tell you what my plan is and maybe you can adjust it to suit your needs. I'm 3 months post-op, have lost 62 pounds, and am eating between 800 and 1,000 calories a day. I aim for 80 to 100 grams of Protein and no more than 40 to 60 grams of carbs. I try to avoid sugar and simple carbs like white rice, white bread, potatoes, etc. I don't really track fat, but I do stick with low fat in things like cheese because the low fat seems to have more protein. I typically have a premier Protein shake for Breakfast around 7, a snack like a boiled egg or 1/2 cup of cottage cheese around 10, lunch like chicken salad or lunch meat and cheese around 1, a light greek yogurt around 4, dinner like baked fish and steamed veggies around 7, then a small snack before bed that I usually choose based on whether I need more calories or protein or what by that point in the day. I do not drink carbonated beverages or alcohol, and I try to avoid what I call empty eating, like sugar free pudding, which may not be bad for you but also don't really offer you anything. After meeting with a personal trainer to plan a workout routine, here's what I do. 3 to 4 days a week, I spend 30 minutes on the treadmill or bike and 30 minutes doing the gym's circuit training. Then 2 or 3 days a week, I do some relatively light weight training. I hope this helps. If you want, feel free to private message me and I'll do my best to give you whatever answers I may have.

It's not as hard as it sounds. When I had to give myself Lovenox injections, both last year (following ankle surgery), and after my gastric sleeve surgery, it was no big deal at all. The injections (with my pharmacy anyway) were prefilled syringes. All I had to do was use an alcohol wipe (those little square packages) where I was going to stick myself with the needle. I would pinch (not hard) a bit of the fatty tissue to the right and left of my navel (you want to alternate sides each day) and stick, then press the plunger on top of the syringe. They are very small needles and not painful at all. The medicine tends to burn a little going in, and you shouldn't rub the area after the injection. A nurse showed me how to do these injections after my ankle surgery last year, and a nurse can show you how it's done or your facility may have a video tape presentation of the procedure. It is very simple and very painless.

I am on day 8 now of my preop liquid diet. It was challenging over the holiday having to attend 4 different thanksgiving dinners but I allowed myself one serving of lean meat per day and that helped. Now I am back to 6 smalls meals a day all liquid. I am allowed to have Protein shakes, cream Soups made with milk instead of Water, greek yogurt, sugar free pudding with Protein powder added, sf Popsicle, chicken broth, sf Jello, and anything to drink that has no caffeine, alcohol or carbonation. My daily meal plan usually looks something like 7:00 AM Protein shake, 10:00 AM protein shake, 1:00 PM Soup, 4:00 PM Protein Shake, 7:00 Shake or Soup, 9:30 PM Greek Yogurt. I also add in jello and sf Popsicle along with my water if I get hungry. So far I am down about 1 pound a day.

Yep, it's a travesty. I have to wait another 7 months before VSG:( My doc has to have surgery, at this point it is unclear if he will even be able to operate at all, although I am not sure what it is that happened to him exactly either. The thing is, I finally came to a decision about a doc. I've looked for several months and found "the one." It took me awhile to get to this mental place to be surgery ready, but I finally am, and now I have to wait 7 months. I know, I know, things could be worse but I am just a bit bummed as the post says. I am not looking forward to carry around 80 pounds of excess weight for another 7 months. Ba hum bug. So, I am trying to see how I can be positive and productive about this. I thought that maybe I could use this time to lose some weight since I have been worried about how losing weight with VSG potentially quickly might result in excess skin. But another part of me like "well, heck, if I could'a did that, I would'a done did that." I have a real issue with food especially since changing vices (alcohol to food). Food been my crutch, feeling out of control with it and having little confidence that I can lose any weight at all. Trying not to gain, that's more of a reasonable goal it seems, but feel pretty powerless. Negative Nancy in here. Any words of wisdom out there?

@@woo woo The key to remember is that everyone on this board is addicted to food. Just because everyone needs to eat to live doesn't mean that food addiction is any different from alcoholism or drug addictions. It's the same thing. Ultimately, it's her decision to make.

I see no reason why she can't work around food after surgery. It's not the same thing as alcohol at all, seeing as how we need to eat to live.

@@MrsMurky721 You probably won't like what I have to say here but I think you should hear it. You need to find another job. You, like everyone here, is addicted to food. An alcoholic shouldn't be working at a bar and a food addict shouldn't be working in a restaurant. Just my opinion, take it or leave it as you seem fit.

Bariatric patients do not turn into alcoholics, just from having the surgery. However, some replace their food addiction with alcohol so it COULD happen but it doesn't mean that it will for sure.

I heard bariatric patients turn into alcoholics....is this true? How do you feel about drinking booze?

Well I've been looking at this surgery for several years. I wasn't always overweight. In fact, I was an athlete in high school and college. I also spent several years in the military. I started gaining weight in 1998. I would diet and exercise. Take the weight off for awhile and then gain it back, plus more. My Mother died from Diabetes in 2005, and she always warned me to watch my weight. I didn't listen. I got up to 400 lbs in 2008 and I was so depressed, disturbed, angry, and ashamed. I tried Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Herbalife, South Beach Diet. Nothing worked. My blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1C were raising to dangerous levels and I had no way to stop it. So in 2010 I began going to seminars searching for a surgeon. It was hard for me to accept going this route. I felt like I was a " loser" because I couldn't discipline myself and control my appetite. It was hard to ask for help. But! I was an alcoholic and I went to detox and rehabilitation in 1993. I haven't had a drink or drug in 21 years. I believe that food can be a dangerous addiction and I needed help. So after having my insurance denied in 2012, I switched insurances in 2013. I had a surgical consult on April 22, 2014 and my weight was 466 lbs. My highest weight was 477 lbs in January 2013. I did the tests and followed my nutritional plan because my goal was to be under 400lbs by my surgery date. I had my surgery on November 4th, and on November 3rd I weighed 399 lbs. My last weigh in was last Wednesday and I was 378 lbs. I feel great!! I am so glad that I made this decision to change my lifestyle. I apologize for the length of this, but thank you for asking me because this was therapeutic for me to recall :-) :-). What's your story? Jeffrey (New Jeffrey).

I've started today with getting rid of the sugar creamers and am trying stevia and sugar free creamers (even though I know they aren't good for me health wise) and I finally ate Breakfast for the first time in months. I didn't have a shake but an organic egg, spinach, and 35 calorie sliced cheese. I'm going to try and detox from the sugar. I also made "fruit water" with apples, grapefruit, and tangerines. I would love some strawberries but didn't have any at the store so I will try that next time. The grapefruit is supposed to be good to help detox the liver. I do not have any more fudgesicles at all. That will be the test for me tonight. During the day is easy. I had to MAKE myself eat breakfast. I didn't like it and couldn't finish it but almost all of it. Now for lunch? I just really hate eating during the day. I did have blood work awhile back and my PCP said my metabolism was nill. I am walking now like I said in my first post. Not sure everyone read it all. I am disabled with back issues... won't go into all of that because most people don't believe it anyway but after working 33 years, the Dr's suggested disability and I have been receiving my benefits I paid in over that time for a year now. So walking is great. Although today we have sleet so I will do a walking tape. Jane, I can't thank you enough! You are so nice to help me out. All of your suggestions are great. I will keep you posted on how I'm doing. I did download an app from my surgery center called "My Newself" which is like my fitness pal. Started logging today. God bless you and thanks again for all the encouragement.... Oh.. I don't drink at all. So none of my calories are from alcohol.

In my case, my goal weight chose me. I am 5'5" and started at 238 pounds. My doctor's goal weight was 160. My personal goal weight was 150. This is what I Weighed in my 20's when I was active and fit. Despite increasing calories and carbs and fat as I reached my doctors goal, I kept losing even past my personal goal. I've bounced around between 137 and 141 for the last 3 months so I assume I'm done. I did try and stop at 150, but apparently this is where my body wants to be. As for maintenance, I'm not doing anything special. I drink a protein/fiber smoothie with 30-40g Protein everyday. I drink at least 64oz of Water and take my Vitamins. Other than that I don't count calories, track or measure. I pretty much just eat healthy balanced meals and Snacks including protein, fruit, veggies and whole grains. I eat when I'm hungry which is every 3 hours or so. I graze like crazy on the weekends, and have alcohol, deserts and white carbs (bread, Pasta, rice, sugar) several times/month. I'm definitely thinner than I had hoped for and have truly lost my curves, but I am perfectly happy to be where I am at this point. I figure I'm in a good place in case I do gain some back as I get farther out.