Newbiw Needs some advice from the Pros!

Hello eveyone. I am looking for some solid feedback as i stsrt the research journey. I am not in this for appearance byt i do have some real goals i would like to obtain. Can you tell me if im dreaming or is this obtainable?

My desired outcome:

1. To have more energy
2. Be able to hike up hill or walk stairs without feeling like im going to die.
3. Healthy heart
4. Less random aches jounts and back. I realize there are other things that cause pain but i am hoping that after shedding 150 lbs it may be less.

All feedback is welcome and will help me understand what i am up against.

Thank you

I got 1-4 after dropping 200lbs almost 7 years ago.

You will get out of this what you put into it.

The reality is that the VSG has an average of 50-60% EWL (so I read)

There are many more ways to fail than to succeed.

Props to you for doing the research !!!

frisco

Here's a really long answer to a short question. :)

Absolutely, all those outcomes are all possible.  If you stick to your doctor's plan, I'd say they are not only possible, but likely.

I've tried to come up with a good way to articulate this in an effective way, with not much success, but here's the main thing I wish I knew before surgery:  I wish I fully understood the concept of "VSG is only a tool".  Yeah, yeah, yeah, you hear that over and over and it sounds so simple and obvious, but what you need to know is that you will basically be on a low-carb, high protein diet for the rest of your life if you want to keep the weight off. It will be easier with the sleeve than without, but it's still a battle every day (for many/most? of us).  

The first year after surgery, it's pretty easy to lose a lot of weight for a number of reasons - strict diet ("can't" have x/y/z and we're good patients so we stick with it), the newness of the situation, the magically changing body, etc.  However, at some point, you will be physically able to eat just about any food, tracking food intake every day becomes old and boring, the novelty wears off, you get used to your new body, and the siren call of carbs becomes painfully strong. "Regular" food which is all around you is just loaded with carbs, so carbs are hard to avoid, and resisting *all the time* becomes ridiculously difficult.  For many of us, the root of the problem is carb addiction, and that can and will try to sneak back into your life, and will need to be beaten back with a stick on a regular basis.  Not easy.

Having said all that and been a total party-pooper :), let me say that I'm super glad that I had VSG - no regrets at all, and I'd do it all over again, only 10-20 years earlier.  My only issue is that for me, it was way too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it would "solve" the problem - it doesn't solve it, but it gives you the ability to deal with it.  As Frisco said, you get out of it what you put into it.

Go for it - you won't regret it! :)

First I will say grats to doing some research. I will be perfectly honest here, which is what I am assuming you want. I am not PC nor shy about giving it without any sugar coating, so keep that in mind as you read my reply. First I am just shy of 7 1/2 months post surgery. In the two weeks prior to my surgery I lost 30 pounds on the pre-op diet. I will be the first to say that is sucked so bad I was really questioning my resolve to do this. I ate more sugar free jello in those 12 days than I have in 12 years and if I never see jello again, I will die a happy man. The first 5 days of the pre-op was the most difficult of this entire journey for me. I am assuming that was the carb withdraw phase, after that it was easier. I was full of doubts right up until they rolled me into the OR. Even up to that point I was half tempted to hop off the gurney and run for the door.

That said, I obviously have had the surgery. Including the pre-op diet, I have lost 136 pounds. I wish I had done this years earlier. The playbook for success after the surgery, is get your protein, my doc wanted at least 90 grams a day, I was doing 150 grams a day. It amazed him how fast I healed after surgery and that is what he attributes it to. Next you want to keep your fluid levels up. If you don't you will hate life, dehydration sucks for anyone, but even more so with the sleeve. You don't have a stomach big enough to just down 20-30 ounces of fluid in short order after being sleeved. 

The secret to success after surgery is a mantra you will see often on here, it is "sip sip sip, walk walk walk". You don't need to jump into a gym although that helps, but you really shouldn't do the gym routine for 8 weeks or so, just walk walk walk. The point is to get your heart rate up and as such your metabolism rate higher. 

I had some bad knee pain that was caused by a car accident, long story short, I was rear ended on a freeway off ramp and my knee at the dashboard. It was surgically fixed as well as possible, but permanently disabled. Since the sleeve surgery, the pain is still there, but it is considerably less. So depending on the causes of your pain, it will help at least somewhat, if it solely because of weight, it should resolve itself as you lose weight depending on how much damage is there from the weight issue you have now. 

As another has said, this is a tool, not a magic procedure. You get out of it what you put in to it. I know others have had some pain following surgery, fortunately I didn't. The hospital staff was amazed and stated as such that I barely used any pain meds (I was on a self dosing pump). What I did use I mainly used to get some sleep. The hospital bed sucked and I am not a back sleeper at any rate. Other than that, it really wasn't a difficult journey and I realized soon after surgery that all the mental back and forth I had over getting the surgery was just that, it was the fear of not knowing what life was going to be after surgery. The mental thought that life after surgery was going to be only protein shakes and jello, etc. I go out to dinner from time to time depending on the occasion or if I am traveling. I find that a normal dinner will actually be 2-3 meals for me. You will find your sense of taste will change to some degree. Somethings I used to like just taste bland now and so on. Somethings I used to enjoy now go right through me. You will learn what you can have and what you should stay away from as you progress through your journey. 

I know I would have better results if I exercised more, I do walk alot, but I don't do the gym thing and it's purely a self conscious issue. First snide comment I would hear out of someone there would end up ending badly for both of us maybe, but most definitely for them. Now that the weather is better I know it will be better being I will be out any about more than I was in the winter and early spring. Long story short, again you get out of it what you put into it. Not just physically, but across the board. You will need to purge yourself of bad habits, it doesn't mean you won't be able to have a variety of food choices once you have healed and recovered, but you have to be smart about it. This last weekend my g/f and I were in Reno for the Chicago concert (awesome show btw), and we ate at the steak house and had room service over our 3 night stay. We brought home a full bag of left overs in a cooler bag. We even went to the dreaded buffet. While some advise against buffets, if you are smart, it's not a bad choice, you have a wide variety of choices on proteins, for example, we went for breakfast, and I had an omelet that they make right in front of you, and I had some bacon, I ate about half my omelet and couple pieces of bacon and was more that satisfied. Just because I have a sleeve doesn't mean that the rest of the people you are out with are limited too. Dinner buffets are fine too, on the occasion we have been there a couple months ago we went to the buffet and I loaded up some crab legs and had those, crab meat is very high in protein and low in calorie. Just don't drench them in butter and so on. 

Anyways, I didn't mean to write a novel here, I just wanted to share with you the fact that the journey you are looking to begin can and will change your life if like anything else, you put the effort into it.  Good luck.

Well written...good explanations....I am on the journey as of July 11 VSG and all of your advice is very very helpful!  Thanks for sharing.  Rich

Oh goodness, yes on all accounts. I lost 155+, and all of the things on your list occurred for me. And rapidly. Within 2 months my energy level was through the roof, and I was able to exercise vigoursly and (gasp) actually enjoy it. I took up backpacking, and carried a pack 12 miles on mixed elevation, and another 11 miles the following day on the return trip. Loved every minute of it. My knees and joints were killing me, and that improved tremendously. It didn't cure arthritis, so still some issues here and there- but drastic improvement. I used to have a resting heart rate up in the 90s, and any activity (even minimal) and it would jump to 120 in a blink of an eye. Even slow, easy exercise and it would go up to 160 and higher. That is better too. In all, dramtic health and quality of life improvements.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

You won't believe the difference in your physical quality of life by dropping a ****load of weight.  I lived on NSAIDS and Vicodin prior to surgery for the pain in my knees.  I had high blood pressure.  Climbing a flight of stairs felt equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest.  I have turned into the Energizer Bunny.

You are not dreaming.  Your life can change dramatically with substantial weight loss.

Totally do-able. My experience?

1... I can ride my bike for HOURS, as in 20 - 30 miles. Before surgery, I was lucky to do 1 mile without dying.

2... I work on the second floor of my office building. I would be sweaty halfway up, now I can take them two at a time.

3... My high blood pressure was barely controlled with medication. I was able to stop the meds about 4 months after the surgery.

4... No sore joints-- except for smashing my knee on a 20-mile cycling, but that's completely different ;)