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@@gowalking It is the posts and gracious shared experiences, such as those you have made, and so many others here on this forum, that keep our pre op hopes alive! Although I am still trapped in my prison body, I am buoyed daily by the amazing outcomes of those who have gone before. These words and testimonies, they strengthen my resolve, and fortify my patience. They allow me to poke fun at myself and release my inner fears through the outlets of laughter and hope. Hope above all else. Just as you would wish to somehow give us pre ops a way to better envision our glorious futures. We pre ops wish that we could better illustrate to you, that as a post op, here on bariatric pal - you already have. We virtually and vicariously walk in your shoes, share in your milestones, your NSV's, your incredible happiness, we feel with you, the realization of every heartfelt dream. We run with you, and bike with you, and hike, and dance, and live with a capital "L"! We fly - and it's only because you care for us, and nurture us, and keep us focused forever on the goal. So thank you for giving us this incredible gift. For allowing us to see the world the way you do, and always keeping us in line. I see my beautiful future, and it's all thanks to you. It's bright and shiny, and everything I've ever wanted. I promise you, gowalking, my eyes are gloriously open! In fact, I plan to never shut them again! And I hope that you see too, just how much we need and appreciate every single one of you!

Finally had my surgery on 5/25, back home and doing good so far. Had one nice chuckle while I was being poked and prodded during my 3 day hospital stay. Had my surgery at OSU (Go BUCKS!). Due to heart problems and a couple of the meds I was on, my stay was in the heart step down unit, instead of the bariatric wing. My surgeon came to see me each day, along with a cardiology team, and nutritionists. This is where it gave me a chuckle... After seeing a few different "straw topics" get posted in the past few weeks, I had asked my surgeon about it during my pre op. He said that he has no problem with his patients using a straw, and that excess air would not stretch out the sleeve. As I was taking my meds on Fri (using a straw to sip water), my surgeon and the cardiologist came in. A couple of minutes latter the nutritionist and bariatric counselor came in. She saw me sipping Water to take my meds and immediately told me I could not be using a straw. From there it was a rehash of every post I had read on here, between the 4 of them. FYI, my surgeon and cardiologist won out.

Thanks Babb's my point of reference for such will hit at holidays, since I'm still pre-surg but I'll take it to heart. And To Rayolite you're a shining star to those coming into Bariatric land. Keep on keeping on *Rosey Posey Sent from my S55 using the BariatricPal App

The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you lose but in saying that you may have reached your balance & are in maintenance. That is the calories you are consuming are equal to the calories you are burning. To lose more you either have to consume less or increase your activity. Whatever weight you end up at has to be sustainable. Many bariatric patients end up at a weight that is higher than what they may have initially wanted. But they’re at a weight they can maintain while still enjoying & living the healthy & happy life they want. It’s fine to eat several smaller meals across a day or graze on three meals as long as caloric intake is constant. It just has to work for you. I eat three meals and about 4 nutritious snacks every day because I can’t physically consume enough in three meals to maintain - my restriction kicks in & I can’t eat any more. My total caloric intake sits at about 1200 calories a day. Another path you could look at is Dr Matt Weiner’s videos & books about resetting your basal metabolic rate which could enable you to lose more if you are interested. The intent is to reset your metabolism to run faster so your body burns more calories just to function. I guess the big questions are do you want to have to take appetite suppressants for the rest of your life to maintain at a lower weight? Do you want to live your life consuming fewer calories &/or maintaining a higher activity level to stay at a lower weight? You may say yes to either of these questions & that’s fine. It’s your decision. Congrats on your weight loss & good luck whatever you decide.

In terms of fluids if you talk to your surgeon they should be able to arrange for you to get fluids as an out patient. Perhaps they can just schedule this ahead given your situation. I only needed to go one time and I was able to drink the full 64 ounces shortly after surgery but not everyone gets there that quickly (it depends on swelling I think). i was also told no gummies. I did the bariatric advantage chewable multivitamin just after surgery but switched to the capsules the next month or so. Everyone is different on this too but I was swallowing small pills on the hospital the day after surgery so I had no issues with the capsules.

I will offer an observation: I am startled by the bariatric surgeon who OK'ed alcohol at 5 weeks post-op. That's seems just weird to me. At that point the stomach is still healing and very much swollen. (Just notice how little you can eat at that point.) That would not have been my surgeon's Rx or that of most surgeons I've seen cited here. I also agree with the concept that your WLS honeymoon period (first 6-12 months post-op, depending on how your body responds to WLS) is when you should try to (1) maximize your weight loss (you will NEVER lose this fast again in your life) and (2) be building healthy go-to habits to follow the rest of your life. I also agree that late weight-loss phases and early maintenance phases are the better times to start testing the waters of sweets, starches and alcohol. That's my personal opinion based on my own experience and those of many other WLS patients I've come to know.

The Perfect Plate idea helps you make diet-friendly meals with a minimum of fuss. Just put the right amount of each food group on the plate, and you can be confident that you will be on your way to a balanced meal. The Perfect Plate was not designed specifically for bariatric surgery patients, but you can use it for losing weight. Just make modifications as needed! The Basic Perfect Plate The classic perfect plate is designed for a full solid foods diet., but you can use it for losing weight if you are eating solid foods, you can tolerate vegetables, and you are not having trouble hitting your protein goals. Here it is: Fill half your plate with vegetables or fruit. Divide the rest of your plate in half. Fill one section with lean protein, such as chicken, egg whites, tuna, cottage cheese, or tofu. Fill the rest of your plate (1/4) with a nutritious starch, such as whole-grain pasta or cereal, brown rice, sweet potato, corn, or oatmeal. Add the occasional healthy fat, such as olive oil for cooking, salad dressing, or a slice of avocado. Examples include chicken breast with broccoli and brown rice; hash with bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, sweet potato, and lean turkey sausage; yogurt parfait with toasted oats and berries; and a Greek whole-wheat pita half with sprouts, lettuce, and tomatoes, and falafel. WLS Modifications Now, that classic Perfect Plate may not work perfectly for you. You can still use the concept, but may need to modify it slightly to meet your dietary goals. Compared to someone who has not had WLS, you might notice these differences. You get full more quickly. You might need to skip the starch and/or take a smaller helping of vegetables. You need more protein. You can increase the protein and decrease the vegetables You cannot tolerate vegetables as well. You can take fewer vegetables, and/or cook them very well. Fruit does not fit. It might give you dumping syndrome or have more sugar than you want to have. You can focus on vegetables for that half of your plate. You are eating low-carb. You do not need to have a starch at every meal. You can skip it entirely at some meals, or replace it with an extra vegetable or protein. Pureed and Semi-Solid Foods Stages You will move through the pureed foods (“mushies”) and semi-solid foods stages before you get to the solid foods stage. While protein is your main focus soon after weight loss surgery, you can start to think about laying the foundation for a healthy, balanced diet. Protein comes first. Your first job is to eat 65 or more grams of protein per day. This may mean you do not have space for vegetables and starch. Extras do not fit. Your sleeve or pouch is small. You probably will not have space for non-essential foods, such as refined starches. Creamy, not crunchy. Cooked carrots, pureed green beans, and steamed zucchini are in; lettuce, broccoli, and apples are out. Perfect Plate Helpers Bariatric Dinnerware can make it even easier to make your Perfect Plate every time. Bariatric Dish Sets and Place Settings have stylish designs for your table, with easy-to-see markings for serving yourself. Bariware Portion8 sets are portable containers that you divide using movable rings so each section is as big or small as you need. The Perfect Plate can help you put together a nutritious meal without doing any measuring. Adapt it to your needs, and it can be another weapon in your weight loss arsenal.

Ms. Maui, let's be fair. That stat was true of the older lap bands wasn't it? And while you are at it, can you tell me what the reversal rates are for Gastric Bypass and Gastric Sleeves? Oh, wait they can't be reversed can they? And as long as you are interested in stats, would you care to let us know what the mortality rates are between the different types of bariatric surgery? Any bets which surgery has fewer patients die within 30 days of the surgery? Now, I don't have an axe to grind, and even if what you said was actually true of the lap band that I had installed, I would still have gone ahead with the surgery. I like choice in my life, and with the lap band I have a choice. With GB and sleeve, there is not going back, no further choice. Now, with that said, if my band fails and they can't put another band in. I will probably revise to a sleeve, if that fails (they do), I will opt for something else. But you see as a band patient, i have that choice. My friends wife who had GB and makes her self sick 4-5 times a week with dumping, doesn't have a choice anymore. http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/statmain.html

I went through the Kaiser Options program as well. As much as I am not a fan of Kaiser in general, for their bariatric pre-surgery stuff they are awesome. I hope you got to do the classes... I hope all goes well with you. Also, keep in mind that at every stage of this journey we all have something to learn from and to teach others so don't be a hesitant to post. Your voice is valuable now, too. Peace

We do it like @@JamieLogical described. I don't expect my husband to follow the same diet as me, nor do I think that would be fair if the tables were turned. There are literally thousands of bariatric friendly / low carb recipes available for free on the Internet and many many cookbooks as well. Do some research, you will be pleasantly surprised at the variety of tasty foods that will be available to you, even after surgery.

Hey folks, I'm pre-op, will be submitting for insurance approval in December. I've been struggling with my pre-op diet for a while and wanted to know how much you were able to change about your eating habits and such prior to surgery. I go back and forth between feeling really down on myself, wondering if I should postpone surgery since I "can't do it" and maybe that means I'm not ready, and then also feeling like all bariatric patients struggle with changing eating habits and if it was that easy we could just do it without surgery so I shouldn't be too hard on myself. What do you think? Were you still struggling with eating unhealthy foods before surgery or did you have a pretty good handle on things? I've been in weekly therapy for over four months trying to deal with issues around food and I thought I would have made much more progress between then and now. It's pretty discouraging and makes me worried that I won't be successful after surgery. My bariatric team and therapist are all super supportive and have told me they are behind me whether I go with surgery or not. I definitely still want to have surgery but I'm just constantly second guessing myself.

Also, this can happen anywhere...I'm not blaming Mexico....but it's a good warning for folks to remember that they really need to line up post surgical support at home. If you feel like something might be wrong, don't wait. Get treatment promptly. https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/bariatric-surgery-in-mexico-turns-deadly-for-phoenix-woman

When I Called the office earlier this week I specifically asked the RN about time off between the Sleeve and the Bariatric - she said 4 weeks no matter which surgery... So I'm not sure???? It's done Lapriscopically and I have a desk job...

Geezz, my Dr has me on a lot: Celebrate bariatric multi 2x a day Fiber 5g, 2x a day Protonix 1 a day Calcium 2x a day coq10 1 a day Then beginning 3rd month add fish oil.

I'm from central NJ, and had my surgery on 10/21 with Dr. Forrester from NJ bariatric center @ Overlook Hospital..

July 30 here too. I've lost about 28 lbs so far. I'm not able to eat very much at all. The surgeon said to,just make sure I take the bariatric vitamins and drink the protein. He also said to not worry about the 60g of protein rule. Shoot for 40. I don't eat the same things everyday because once I eat something that makes me feel,terrible, I cannot look at the food again. I can't eat meats but can get down saltines and slider carbs, no problem. I notice if I do eat some saltines out of desperation to get something solid in me, my sleeve feels soothed, not rumbling and acidic. I had a small,piece of fish tonight. About two ounces. This awful thick,saliva kept filling my mouth and i felt Like was going to choke. It was so stuck. Nose ran like crazy too. I ended up vomiting. Just horrible. The surgeon said I will not die from not eating very much and to take advantage of this time as this when ill lose the most weight.

Hmm ok My surgeon has done 22 sleeves and over 1000 lap bands. He has a 100% success rate so far with sleeves. Where it's considered the newer surgery, I actually found bariatric surgeons not having extensive experience. TRUST ME , I've been worried - but I'm far more concerned about my weight/health. He's had high success with the other bariatric surgeries. He's the head of the Surgical Weight Loss Specialist of Mass. Do your research and talk with some of his sleeve patients. Today was my pre op and he offered to connect me with some of his first patients. I almost considered going to mass for my skin removal surgery I heard the surgeons do it at a discount. Plus one of the top hospitals.

I had my pre-admission testing yesterday. When I told the nurse that was taking my history that I was taking phentermine her faced turned white and she put a big red flag comment about it on my record. She asked me if my surgeon knew about this and I said yes and it was actually another bariatric surgeon that prescribed the medication for me as part of the Optifast physcian supervised weight loss program. I had not taken it yesterday and decided based on her reaction to stop. I haven't felt any side effects and my EKG results had acutally improved to normal. So I think I'm cleared for surgery (July 31) unless somehow this comes back to bite me.

I've had several colonoscopies through the years--this is just the first after my RNY. I probably should call my bariatric surgeon's office to see if there is anything in the prep peculiar to bypass patients. Izucks, the prep sheet I have has the same directions as the one you posted.

I certainly agree with you that a number of people are posting that sound like they were not ready for surgery. Some of them may well have benefited from therapy, but given some of the issues that they are posting about, I think more of them needed to have done a medically supervised diet that included learning about better eating habits and practice them, as well as understand exactly what they will be expected to eat post-op - seriously, coming here to say they don't like anything at all that is on their full liquids phase or pureed foods phase - if you know what is on the diet in advance, shouldn't that set off red flags and shouldn't you be asking your bariatric team for alternatives? Some needed better information before they got to the surgery - in some cases we see the people who haven't been told anything about what to expect at each stage in terms of things like stalls, what they'll feel like, potential issues, what to look for in terms of possible leak issues and so on. Yup, it makes me crazy, too. Doesn't mean they necessarily need therapy. Maybe I do I'm glad that for you this is a useful way to deal with issues. Others do find it helpful, even essential, and I certainly respect the profession! However, I think that often it's like swatting a fly with a cannon. It may work, but it's overkill. I know what my issues with food are. In my case, it's really more about self-discipline and not really paying attention to eating in the way that I should. By working with my dietician, I have some strategies for dealing with the issues. The dietician was the appropriate resource for my issue. That isn't to say I wouldn't take the assistance of the psychotherapist that works with my bariatric surgeon's office. If I find that I have issues for which I need support, I'll go get it. But not all issues with food need to be resolved by therapy - some are more of a mechanical or functional issue, such as paying attention while you eat, slowing down, more effective portion control. Yes, I also have a particular fondness for cheesy and salty foods. However, what I'm finding is, again, that if I manage the mechanics of having them, I am gradually reducing their impact without feeling deprived doing it. Ultimately, I'll take whatever support does the trick most efficiently for me.

Yup, agree with you. Bariatric Advantage or Celebrate are two good companies to start out with for supplementation needs (Vitamins and minerals). I have no problem with that, but would suggest nectar or unjury as great Protein shakes for a newly sleeved individual. They are both solid brands and work well. In fact, my WLS center also recommends Bariactric Advantage for supplementation and Syntrax Nectar for protein shakes. That being said, I am 1 year post op so am a mature post op and somewhat new vet. I have been around the block a few times in my journey so far and have learned much and have much to share around shakes and supplementation and their impact on weight loss and fitness. I hope you do not read my post as anti-doctor or anti dietician. Quite the opposite in fact. In the first six months, it is critical to follow doctor orders to a "T" both dr and dietician know how to make their patients successful. Of course you are aware every doctor and dietician can potentially give different plans to their patients that may not be consistent with other patient doctor and dietician plans. After 6 months ( or when you feel is a good time), you can start to form your own strategies in terms of diet and fitness. The level of tweaking that you do is highly individual. The shake mentioned in this thread from GNC is just another tweak to the lifetime eating plan. Re-feed may not be an ideal shake for me, but I wanted to give it a try for reasons mentioned above in this thread. I also take cake batter muscle milk light and GNC Wheybolic or Isopure vanilla bean for recovery shake. I am so much a shake person at 3 a day. I eat small protein based meals for the other 4 meals. By small, I mean 3 oz lean protein and perhaps a veggie.

Next week can't get here fast enough! According to my ins., I qualify alone with just my BMI of 42%. I am really hoping that the process goes fairly fast. I'm thinking that with the following done all next week that it just may..labs, psyh eval, bariatric nurse clinician, and then bariatric doctor. All in a 4 hour chunk. The nurse at the info meeting said nearly everyone has to do a sleep study, was that booked out pretty far? Thanks for responding! I'm obviously excited but also trying to keep a realistic set of expectations about this whole thing!

so sorry about the nurse. That sucks. She was very unprofessional. I'm 12 days post op and I'm angry at a nurse from the hospital. I had an IV infiltration. (the IV fluids were dripping directly into my arm instead of my vein. the needle punctured the vein.) MY arm was horribly swollen and bruised and excrutiatingly sore. This gruff old nurse comes it and wants to take my blood pressure in my forearm. I told her it was swollen and sore, and she says, "Well, I can't very well put it around the other arm can I, the new IV is placed there." Well, crap, I'm in a bariatric hospital unit, why did they not have large pressure cuffs that would fit around my UPPER arm??? I was so put off. Then she grabs my arm and does it anyway. I almost screamed with pain. It was horrible.

My Bariatric Center's instructions never mentioned giving up coffee and I must admit that I never did! Egads, how traumatic!! :grouphug:

You are not old! And you are certainly not to old for this surgery...in my endeavor to get bariatric surgery I had to go through a 6 month process. An entire group of us started at the same time. About 60 people...at 37 I was one of the youngest in the bunch. Those who fell between 40-50 were the largest group by far. About 90% female. I have kept in touch with some of the gals and none have said it was a problem with there surgeons. I actually met someone in there 70's who did it. I'm sure there will be others posting after me that will encourage you and assure you that you are not to old! Best of luck to you!