Hi Everybody!, New from MI.

[Bronco0605 135]

Hi, I am Leslie Ann. I am considering the gastric sleeve. I am going through collecting my clearances now. I have had the exercise class , nutrition , blood work, physical, mammogram. Still have to do chest x-ray and get cleared by neurology, hematology and nutirtion.

I am really struggling with being hungry and wanting my fast food and coke. I especially am having a hard time at night when I used to really eat a lot. It is good to know that I am not the only one going through all of this.

I have a son who is 8 and husband with anorexia so family is good but complicated. Right now there is pound cake on the counter and I trying so hard not to go grab it. Time for some greek yogurt and fruit!

[cindymg 629]

I don't eat seafood -- even the smell turns my stomach. So if there is some tempting food, I start thinking of it like seafood and I don't want it anymore. Can you do something like that? Can you think of some disgusting food whenever you see pound cake and see if that turns you off?

You aren't on pre-op liquid diet yet, right? If you can eliminate sugar and caffeine now, it will make the pre-op diet that much easier. I've heard from other sleevers that the first 3 days of the pre-op diet are hellish with the sugar and caffeine withdrawal. I eliminated sugar and caffeine from my diet years ago, so the first 3 days of pre- op were okay for me. I had a slight headache from other carb withdrawal, but that's about it.

By the way, I am no angel and don't want to sound preachy. How does someone who doesn't eat sugar end up needing a gastric sleeve? By substituting lots of other food in very large quantities for the eliminated foods. Ate my way up to 258 lbs, with out of control diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. Since my sleeve 2 months ago, my life is completely changed! Diabetes and HBP gone! No more chest pains. Exercising every day. Eating good foods in tiny quantities. NEVER hungry anymore. Don't miss that old life at all.

Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

[DeniseM 238]

The amazing thing about the sleeve, at least for me, is that I am never hungry! I was really worried about being hungry and feeling like I was going to be on a diet for the rest of my life, but the reality is that I struggle to eat the required amount of calories some days. The other day I was craving a taco from Taco Bell, so I got one, I ate two bites which filled me up, and threw the rest away. I was able to satisfy my craving with only two bites! Amazing! That was the only fast food I have eaten since surgery, but that was a good moment for me when I realized that my food previous food addiction no longer ruled my life. Before surgery, I would have eaten three taco's. I had several sessions with my therapist before surgery to identify my food issues and that really helped me. My number one addiction before surgery was Starbucks, and I even had made a plan with my hubby to stop at Starbucks on the way home from the hospital after my surgery, but after surgery Starbucks was the last thing I wanted. All the things I thought I would miss, I really don't. I used to eat chocolate every single day, but now after surgery, I have not wanted it once. I found that most of the junk I craved before I do not crave now, and now the things I am craving are meat and fruit, which I feel is my body telling me what it needs to meet it's nutritional needs, and not my food addicted brain demanding sugar and carbs.