Hi everyone I'm Cali. I had the gastric sleeve 1 year and 2 mos. ago. Im 5'8 and began at 400 lbs & today I'm 262 lbs. It's happening slowly but I am still losing. For the amt. of weight I have to lose, bp surgery was a better fit, but I paid out of pocket and couldn't afford it, so I got the sleeve. I'm sure this has been done a million times, but I wanted to share some of the revelations from my ongoing journey, not to advise but to provide a bit of insight.
Things I wish someone had told me at the start:
1) The surgery isn't a cure, it's merely a tool to help reducing your food intake easier. You will never be able to eat like naturally thin people. Even with surgery, you will be watching what you eat for the rest of your life.
2) Stats suggest that between yr 1 & 2 post surgery, that you will have lost the majority of all you are going to lose. From that point it's more of of a struggle & gets more difficult. So now that you know there is somewhat of a time window, take advantage of the new tool & follow your Dr's advice with diet & exercise. There is no time for cheating.
3) Pick a workout activity that you can commit to for the rest of your life. (I chose walking). I use the Leslie Sansone walk video on Netflix. I do it right in my living room every day.
4) Take the antacid prescribed to you religiously. Not only does it reduce acid so you can heal, but unbearable hunger shortly after surgery is often attributed to acid. Check with your doctor and take it for as long as your doctor prescribes it, just do it religiously. It may take several weeks for it to begin working, so taking it only when you think you need it will not help you much. I almost cried i was so hungry. I thought I was a victim of a botched surgery. I found this out about the antacid from another patient.
5) Always log your food. To be successful, you must do this for the rest of your life. I use the "Lose it" app. There you can log and monitor your food, recipes, water, nutritional intake & your weight. This tool has been invaluable. I would be completely lost and probably 80 lbs. heavier if i didn't use it. It is a free tool, but I would pay for it if I had to. Be honest with yourself and record everything you eat, even if you have cheat treats.
6) Don't eat more than 4oz of anything at one time. If you feel inclined to cheat or eat more than that, it is best to do in small increments. It's important that you know, that if you continue to eat larger portions, your stomach will slowly stretch and you will soon need larger quantities of food to feel full or satiated just ask anyone who has put some of the weight back on. Just don't do it.
7) If I have one joy in life its coffee. i avoided coffee post surgery for about 3 to 4 months while I healed. But after 5-6 mos I began having 1 cup of black coffee every morning. Soda is to be avoided, but when I do occasionally cheat, I drink small mini- caffeine free diet soda slowly, over ice and allow it to dilute a bit. Point is don't make it harder for yourself than it already is. I / you will be restricting food intake forever, and because caffeine doesn't affect me in an adverse way, I have it in moderation. My doc says 1 teacup full every morning is fine. If your food regimen is devoid of any pleasure at all, we know what happens. So have what you reasonably can, and don't restrict the reasonably harmless pleasures you can have in your diet for the sake of "restriction".
8) Im not going to sugar coat it. Get your protein in or your hair will fall out. It happens in the months following surgery anyway. But your hairbrush and shower drain will tell you, & so will your eyelashes & brows if you aren't getting enough protein. Once you notice it & make the correction, it will still take several weeks if not months for it to stop falling out. If you don't mind seeing thin patches in your hair or seeing your scalp where before you couldn't it wont bother you as much.
Those are the biggies I wish someone had told me. That said to whoever bothers to read this, know that you are worth it. It's much like a lottery ticket.You have been given a 1 in a million chance to live and do the things you want but couldn't because of your weight. You can do this.
Things I wish someone had told me at the start:
1) The surgery isn't a cure, it's merely a tool to help reducing your food intake easier. You will never be able to eat like naturally thin people. Even with surgery, you will be watching what you eat for the rest of your life.
2) Stats suggest that between yr 1 & 2 post surgery, that you will have lost the majority of all you are going to lose. From that point it's more of of a struggle & gets more difficult. So now that you know there is somewhat of a time window, take advantage of the new tool & follow your Dr's advice with diet & exercise. There is no time for cheating.
3) Pick a workout activity that you can commit to for the rest of your life. (I chose walking). I use the Leslie Sansone walk video on Netflix. I do it right in my living room every day.
4) Take the antacid prescribed to you religiously. Not only does it reduce acid so you can heal, but unbearable hunger shortly after surgery is often attributed to acid. Check with your doctor and take it for as long as your doctor prescribes it, just do it religiously. It may take several weeks for it to begin working, so taking it only when you think you need it will not help you much. I almost cried i was so hungry. I thought I was a victim of a botched surgery. I found this out about the antacid from another patient.
5) Always log your food. To be successful, you must do this for the rest of your life. I use the "Lose it" app. There you can log and monitor your food, recipes, water, nutritional intake & your weight. This tool has been invaluable. I would be completely lost and probably 80 lbs. heavier if i didn't use it. It is a free tool, but I would pay for it if I had to. Be honest with yourself and record everything you eat, even if you have cheat treats.
6) Don't eat more than 4oz of anything at one time. If you feel inclined to cheat or eat more than that, it is best to do in small increments. It's important that you know, that if you continue to eat larger portions, your stomach will slowly stretch and you will soon need larger quantities of food to feel full or satiated just ask anyone who has put some of the weight back on. Just don't do it.
7) If I have one joy in life its coffee. i avoided coffee post surgery for about 3 to 4 months while I healed. But after 5-6 mos I began having 1 cup of black coffee every morning. Soda is to be avoided, but when I do occasionally cheat, I drink small mini- caffeine free diet soda slowly, over ice and allow it to dilute a bit. Point is don't make it harder for yourself than it already is. I / you will be restricting food intake forever, and because caffeine doesn't affect me in an adverse way, I have it in moderation. My doc says 1 teacup full every morning is fine. If your food regimen is devoid of any pleasure at all, we know what happens. So have what you reasonably can, and don't restrict the reasonably harmless pleasures you can have in your diet for the sake of "restriction".
8) Im not going to sugar coat it. Get your protein in or your hair will fall out. It happens in the months following surgery anyway. But your hairbrush and shower drain will tell you, & so will your eyelashes & brows if you aren't getting enough protein. Once you notice it & make the correction, it will still take several weeks if not months for it to stop falling out. If you don't mind seeing thin patches in your hair or seeing your scalp where before you couldn't it wont bother you as much.
Those are the biggies I wish someone had told me. That said to whoever bothers to read this, know that you are worth it. It's much like a lottery ticket.You have been given a 1 in a million chance to live and do the things you want but couldn't because of your weight. You can do this.
