I want to keep this...I like what I wrote and stand by every word.

 

 

What have I changed...ok, lets make a list:   - quit smoking a month before surgery...cold turkey - started exercising regularly a year before surgery in preparation - went low carb also a year before when I was diagnosed with diabetes and made the decision to change my lifestyle and have surgery - after the actual surgery I changed how I eat and chew (slowly, chewing well) and what I eat - protein, vegetables, some low glycemic fruit - and how much I eat - 2-2.5 oz dense protein, three bites veggies, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, some hard cheeses, babybell, protein drinks, clean home made food not prepared in any complicated way - I was never much of an alcohol consumer so haven't had any yet post op - I still exercise - I am still eating low carb, high protein, moderate fat and clean clean clean - I log all my food on my fitness pal and I plan my meals ahead of time and try to stick to plan - I drink an average of 10-12 8 oz cups of water a day in addition to any protein drinks or tea or soup or broth - I am honest with myself about what I consume, even if it hurts my pride, I log it for all to see   What I don't eat: pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, pizza, cakes or any sweets, candy, pastry, croissants, baguette, jams, syrups, anything processed...the only thing out of a can that I do eat is tuna or sardines or salmon or beans   Why don't I eat any of that? Because I went in for major surgery and I want to get to goal, be healthy and happy and alive...this was the last resort and my last chance so there is no potato chip or pizza slice that has priority over that. And yeah I don't eat ketchup because it is full of sugar and crap.   - I take my vitamins and calcium citrate and I watch my labs - I weigh myself every morning  - I read OH and I LISTEN to the vets and take in everything they write like a sponge - I keep a very positive attitude and I keep myself informed fully   The sleeve does not MAKE you do anything. YOU make the daily choices and decisions.    The starvation mode assumption that you make is wrong. What does not make you go into any mythical starvation mode is your stocks of fat, which your body will burn for energy to compensate for your caloric deficit - not feeling full because you had 85% of your stomach removed and for the first year you can't eat a large volume. Make no mistake...as the vets will tell you, by one year you will be able to eat a lot more than early post op.    So...with that being said...no, if you eat the same crap just a lot (?) less of it, that might work for you for a year or so and then you will be right where you started, writing about regain and getting back (?) on track.   The sleeve didn't change me or anything FOR me. I changed myself and all of my food and exercise habits with the help of the sleeve, one of my tools in the battle against obesity and its co morbidities.    What do I miss about my life before? Not a thing.  

So...had an email convo with my surgeon and asked him what he thinks my goal weight should be. He said that the surgery will get me to 60 kgs (132 lbs) and that if I wanted to lose to lower than this, I would have to....quote.....diet and exercise. I will be absolutely thrilled with 130-132 but....watch this space coz I am going to lose the last 20 lbs too and get me to 110. You are all witnesses to this undertaking. I am not setting a time limit although I would love to do it by one year post op, i.e. by 9 October 2013. But that is not critical. The main thing is to get there. 

What have I learned during this very short ( two days plus travel time ) trip to Turin... If the food is there, presented to me, I will be much more tempted to try everything than if there is no inclusion of food in the meeting and I have to make my own choices. But, I am still reassured that the sleeve is there to catch me when I do try little bits of everything. Emphasis on little!  I did not bring the scale with me so the moment of truth will be tomorrow morning when I step on it and see the impact of the bite of this and a taste of that...

The other thing is logging the food. I really had a hard time with that and I think I didn't do a good job in quantities and the kinds of food. Plus I have no idea what many of the ingredients were. So the calories and carbs and all that really are nowhere near accurate these last days. 

Overall in the last days I did not really eat "right" but at the same time I don't think I ate "wrong" either, at least not to a degree where I would beat myself up. Most important lesson....the restriction works but only on dense proteins. Everything else is a free for all so best not to go there.

Someone posted today about the I love my sleeve adage and wanted to hear from those who don't love their sleeves all the time. this is what I posted after reading the OP's post as well as the responses that were already there...

....And I love my sleeve precisely for the same reasons that Slimpickins doesn't. It humbles me. I too am smart, super successful in everything in life, super educated, financially comfortable, happy with everything and able to control everything in my life, except weight. I already felt like a failure not having been able to control that pre op, so I was NOT going to feel that way after! So I love my sleeve for having given me a dose of respect, awe and humility. And yeah I am one of those stellar recovery people with no pain, no puking, no constipation or diarrhea, no issues and great restriction. Oh yeah, and no hunger or reflux or anything really. I don't have particularly fast weight loss and I was disappointed that I didn't wake up skinny in the recovery room and that I still have to eat right and exercise. But that disappointment lasted about a minute. Because the control freak in me said, great! This really IS just a tool and not a magic wand and I am still in control. It is really all in my hands now and how I work this tool. Its all choices and attitude. Just like anything else in life. So elbow grease and perseverence and use your tool with respect and success is the only possible outcome. That is what I said to myself and that is what I am living. What all of us live with our sleeves is our individual choice and our reactions based on our life experience. Life is what you make it. Same with the sleeve.

 

Mine was easy peasy lemon squeezy...surgery was supposed to be at 12:30 but was delayed to 4 pm. Traffic jam in the op theatre. So I had an extra three hours to stew in my fear. I saw the surgeon and the anesthesiologist and the anesthesiologist put me at ease right away. I really liked him a lot and felt safe. I also am convinced that my surgeon is one of the best out there and I consider myself lucky to have had access to him. So I went into the op room and lay down on the table and the anesthesiologist put the IV in in like one second....which is totally amazing because I have no veins. So that was easy. Then the nurse leans over me and asks me about my eyelash extensions and we talk about that and the next thing I know....I am awake in recovery asking if my eyelashes are still there!    The surgeon was there and he said I had a hiatal hernia that he repaired and that I would have pain swallowing. He said it all went well and my liver was not fatty at all and all the internal organs he could see looked good. There was no bleeding and the leak test was negative. So I was good to go. I gor a cup of water and started to sip and guess what, no pain swallowing at all. I had a morphine shot when I woke up and then I think one more during the evening and then I slept, woke, sipped, slept etc. No pain really to speak of.   The following morning I went to the bathroom and they transferred me to the recovery hotel for 24 hrs with a nurse. There I walked, sipped, peed, slept and again. No pain. Didn't need any more pain meds at all. My incisions tugged a bit but it was like a 3/10 so I didn't feel like taking pain meds for that. It was fine. No nausea and I could drink well. I had water, tea, chicken broth and more tea, water etc. Oh and lots of breathing in the spirometer!!!! That is really super important.   The next day the doc came, checked me out and said I could go home. The nurse left and I was waiting for my friend to pick me up so I had late check out. In the meantime I showered and got my stuff ready. Then there was a fire drill at the hotel and I walked down 15 flights of stairs....that was fun....I was tired a bit but it was not painful.   I had no headaches, no nausea, no discomfort really of any kind. I went home that afternoon and apart from the incisions pulling a bit especially when I coughed, it was really fine. I had a low grade fever for a couple of days but breathing into the spirometer helped clear that up. You must do that. It prevents lung issues.   So then I started on protein shakes on day three and Unjury chicken soup and that was fine too. I crushed my meds and that worked well. So I started walking more outside, going to the pharmacy and supermarket. Of course sipping and resting too. I had two days of cement like constipation which had to be helped along with glycerine suppositories. then everything moved smoothly thereafter and until now. regular daily normal BMs with no assistance at all. One week post op I saw the doc and everything was fine so I flew back from Montreal to Geneva the next day.    I went back to work a week after getting back and really haven't looked back...    As of three days post op my blood sugar has been normal. My blood pressure meds have been reduced. I crushed pills for three weeks in total and then had no trouble swallowing. My food progression went well, I am on a normal diet now solids and all. I have not had any intolerances and no discomfort at all. No foamies, no vomiting, no pain. I had very little gas after the surgery. Doc told me he sucks most of it out before stitching up.   I started on vitamins and calcium as well as the occasional D3 and every other day a sublingual B12 at about 10 days post op. Haven't had any trouble getting protein or liquids in. Went back to the gym at three weeks post op just the eliptical. Weights will wait another couple of weeks because of the hernia.    I also had IV fluids just the night after surgery and was not swollen at all. Or did I gain any weight post op. I pretty much started losing right away and so far have lost 24 lbs. Not a super fast loser but I also started with 208 lbs (only!) so am technically a lightweight so perhaps will continue to lose slower. But I will get to a healthy and normal weight. I have no doubt.   Oh, and I haven't had any hunger since surgery. I have eaten out a few times and that was fine. There are healthy and VSG friendly choices out there. I am taking Nexium once a day 40 mg for a total of six weeks post op to protect the stomach as it heals. I am taking ursodiol for six months to hopefully prevent gall bladder issues. No problems with either one.   As you can see, it could not have been an easier recovery. I could have foregone the fire drill and my work out that day but it makes for a cool memory in the end.    Best of luck to you!!!!!