Newbie Surgery Scheduled for Mid September

 Hello!  I'm Cat and I am scheduled for VSG in mid September with Dr. Chebli. 

I am currently working on reducing my carbs (must get to 30gr) this is difficult  and I have discovered that despite my small appetite. I am ingesting 100's of grams of carbs daily and this coupled with metabolic issues is the reason behind my weight.

I can also say that I have discovered that I am a carb addict. I don't have just one sweet tooth but a mouth full of them! 

I am starting my carb reduction lifestyle change by eating/drinking cleanly. I've purchased a sample pack of Vega One protein shakes and meal bars (the bars are not carb reduction friendly but yummy). 

I decided on this vegan protein after trying and detesting many whey and soy proteins which both irritate my IBS. This product claims to be lower GI processed which seems critical for VSG. I am not planning on a vegan lifestyle (just yet) but do realize if I am going to be successful that HUGE lifestyle changes are n order. I have always LOVED food and cooking, fresh veggies and fruits don't bother me at all. I just settled into a high carb processed food lifestyle. 

I do have some questions and would love any and all feedback: 

1. What did you do pre-surgery if anything to get accustomed to eating differently?

2. Fear of pain is my biggest issue. How bad is it? Be real I can take it....  

3. Exercise; I am immobile due to a combination of weight and injury from an auto accident.
    Anyone else dealing with/dealt with this and how? (I'm looking for a trainer.)

Thanks -

Cat

Hello and welcome to this journey! Let me know how you like the vegan protein powder. I would like to reduce the amount of animal proteins in my diet, eventually.

I didn't really do anything pre-surgery to get ready for eating differently but I already ate pretty on-plan prior to surgery, its just that my portion sizes were HUGE and I did eat out/delivery far too much. I had a 2 week strict liquid diet prior to surgery, and being super successful with that not only helped motivate me, but it made it that much more real that it was something I could do and be good at!

As far as pain, I had a pretty great recovery. I woke up right after surgery was over, to them moving me off the operating table to the bed. I remember just going "Ow! Ow! Ow!" and then they must have gave me something because I passed out for 3 hours. The only pain I had was when bending - so getting in and out of bed was not fun. I was hooked up to a morphine drip that I could self-administer every 10 minutes and I definitely did that! I had to get up and walk once every 2 hours and without those drugs I couldn't bear it. That pain only lasted about 3 days post-op. Every day was truly better than the next and I felt OK bending my tummy and getting completely off pain meds by day 3. I was told the pain is from where they sew the muscle wall tightly after surgery to prevent hernias.

Other than that, I had no pain whatsoever - no gas pains, or anything like that. It was totally bearable and I felt absolutely ready to go back to work a week post-op (and I commute in via public transportation every day). 

Thank you! I love your positivity!

Monday's breakfast is Vanilla Chai Shake - I will let you know what I think!

Hi Cat,

I get the whole accident thing i did driver ed for 13 years and had 5 car accidents in that time my last accident I was driving in winter and I rolled my jeep causing me to break my feet and ribs I was laid up for a very long time and have gained about 80 lbs during that time.  That was back in 2008 I started I was 279 then i sought a doctors opinion and was recommended for the sleeve for me the most difficult thing was knowing how to eat right.  I now am having problems with my knee too bad feet bad knee =no walking = more weight however I have been trying to eat small amounts every 3 hrs and I'm on my pre op diet and inside a few days I've dropped 10 Lbs I'm having vgs August 12Th with a hiatal hernia repair I don't like pain either but am willing to endure it for my health you might ask your doctor what is a good plan for you.  Would be my advise at least until you can have the surgery done.  I now weigh 244 and have done 23 of it just making better choies in food and eating fresh.  The rest was a purchased two week diet plan my doctor sold me from his store.  I've hear people say surgery is the easy way and I know that it is not after surgery your whole diet will be way different but you still are going to have to make right choices it is only a tool you have to work it to be sucessful.  Once you heal you will be able to eat whatever you choose that is where the battle begins. I wish you the best of luck and i hope this helped.

E - Thank you!

I couldn't have my foot repaired, I was 9 month in a wheelchair. It looks normal on the outside but it's like walking on broken shells. 

Eating right is the most difficult but it is how life will be if we are going to have any success right? I have been looking at different bariatric food websites and I see what for me is to many substitutes for bad eating before surgery. 

My goal is to eat clean and fresh. No more processed foods. I've bought freezer containers and am developing recipes and plans now so later I don't have to deal with it. 

Hi Cat,

Welcome to the board. Hope my input won't be off putting, but I want to point out a possible bump in the road for you. I checked out the Vega One products. As far as plant based protein supplements go, it looks pretty good. There are two things that worry me a little though. The first is that the carb level per shake ranges from 8 to 13 grams per serving. You mentioned the Vanilla Chai and that is 10 grams carbs per serving. Post surgery you'll need to drink 3 of those per day to get the bare minimum of protein in each day. Three shakes will put you at your carb limit for the day. I want you to be aware of that, just in case that will limit too severely your food options moving forward.

You also mentioned that you might consider a vegan lifestyle. If you do, please make sure you get guidance on how to create full, complete amino acid profiles. Most legumes DO NOT contain complete proteins. You will need an experienced guide to help you navigate that path, especially with a reduced capacity for food. Consider, too, that a plant based protein diet will be higher in carbohydrates and may not jive with your 30 gram limit per day during weight loss. Again, just something to consider.

As for pain, mine was absolutely minimal. I had no internal pain, just pain at the incision sites. My abdominal muscles hurt for a week or two, like I'd done a million and one sit ups. Other than that, no pain at all. I had great meds in the hospital over night and that was pretty much all I needed.

I have had a couple VSG friends who lost all their weight without exercise and only added exercise once they lost all their weight. It can be done. I waited about 8 weeks post VSG to start exercising moderately and then became an exercise junkie for about 18 months. Not so much anymore, but I'm still active and work out regularly.

Congratulations on taking this major step toward improving your life.

Kairk, 

Thank you for the input, I certainly appreciate it. I am working along with a nutritionist/dietician who is on board with the Vega product.

I don't know that I would become a vegan, more of reduced meat eater heavy on veggies. 

I am starting to walk though it's short it is 100% more than I was.