Mentally Preparing for the Surgery and After!

rachelbinnyc

Hi everyone - I finally got my surgery date - it is less than a month away (Monday, November 25th), and I am so excited, scared, curious, eager, and generally freaking out!! I want to do this correctly so I can lose weight healthfully, and keep it off!

My question is: do you have a list of things to do each day: times to eat/what to eat/log, etc.? Also, as a single person, I'm somewhat unsure of what to expect medically - are there medications, needles, etc. afterwards?

Any info. is much appreciated!!

DJRonnieLINY

Not sure what your existing medical conditions might be but there are no medications specific to being sleeved. You might be prescribed a Tylenol/Codine liquid for mild pain and you should get gunny daily vitamins for the long haul.

I am 5 weeks post. The dietary restrictions for the first two weeks are very strict (full liquids) and you should follow the plan your Dr. gives you as closely as possible. I choose to begin the habit of scheduing 3 means at normal times, ealking after each meal and taking a protein shake about 1/2 way between meals. Food intake for that first week really is close to 2oz, you will feel full and should stop. Keep drinking!!

pawoodhull

One thing I've seen on here is that almost everyone has a slighly different set of guidlines. Different doctors, different rules. I had my sleeve July 2011, started at 386. I still have about 75 pounds to go to goal.

What and when to eat? I can tell you that for me, eating on a schedule helps keep me on track. I do best during my Monday-Friday work week. Weekends I can actually just forget to eat. So I try to plan my food for the day and log it here in the morning. This lets me know just how much I need to consume at dinner. I bring breakfast and lunch to work with me. Dinner is whatever my husband decides to cook (he works 3rd shift, so it works best this way for us). As to what to eat, I concentrate on protein and water while staying within a certain calorie level.

After the weight starts coming off, you should find you are actually taking fewer medications. The only things added to what I used to take were an increase in calcium and the addition of B12. But since I no longer have high blood pressure I was able to stop that medication and my duieretic.

Exercise is a must so start walking now, get in the habit. After surgery you will be told to drink a lot of water every day and walk a lot.

DJRonnie is right. Follow your doctor's plan. Some people were full liquids for a month, some for a few weeks, some days. Each doctor seems to do it differently. But you follow yours and you will be fine.

Good luck with everything! Like I said, I'm not done yet and this far out my weight loss is really slowed down and that's normal. I had so much to lose that I'm still working on it while others here are at goal and maintaining. Just like all the plans being different, each of us is progressing at different rates. So even with as slow as it is now, I still feel this is the best thing I have ever done for myself. This is great place for friends and support. Just remember your journey is unique to you, don't compare your progress to others.