Is there Any things you should of done before the sleeve .... any tips

hi guys! im new to this forum, so im trying to get my bearings...
i start my pre-op liquid phase diet as of tomorrow... pretty nervous, considering today i ate almost 1L of ice cream before 11am...
can any one relate to that? i feel disgusting.
i just want to fast forward 2 weeks and get my sleeve and start a new life...
any tips for pre and post off would be great - im sure once i start reading through all the forums ill learn more and more..

thanks everyone!

sezz wrote:

Mummawhale wrote:

Just wondering what people say to the suggestion that if you had your head in the right space you could lose the weight without the sleeve? It's like a vicious circle - sleeve is just a tool so you have to change habits / think differently about food but if you could do that you wouldn't need the sleeve?

that's a great question!
i know i am always going too have to watch what i eat - i would just prefer to be lighter and watch my weight than heavier and watch my weight. getting sleeved will allow me to get to a weight that i have never been able to achieve on my own with other diets. my problem is that i can lose weight but i can't seem too keep it off and then put it all back on again, plus some.

So true, I myself will have to watch what I eat, I love your saying I would prefer to be lighter and watch my weight than to be heavier" I have written this on my mirror.
It is all in my head, I am an emotional eater, but this support group has been so good for me,
I am getting my sleeve done, on the 20th June, I am starting my opti slim, on the 6th june,
I just want to be free from the Cycle, change my habits, I want to have quality life not quantity life, where I am in pain, and can not move.

Mummawhale wrote:

Just wondering what people say to the suggestion that if you had your head in the right space you could lose the weight without the sleeve? It's like a vicious circle - sleeve is just a tool so you have to change habits / think differently about food but if you could do that you wouldn't need the sleeve?

that's a great question!
i know i am always going too have to watch what i eat - i would just prefer to be lighter and watch my weight than heavier and watch my weight. getting sleeved will allow me to get to a weight that i have never been able to achieve on my own with other diets. my problem is that i can lose weight but i can't seem too keep it off and then put it all back on again, plus some.

This is a great thread. 

I"m only at the very start of my journey and have my first consult on May 2 from my referral. 

I'll refer back here closer to my surgery date.

x B

There are lots of helpful tips here, thanks everyone.  I am going to start my pre-op way early as my weight is going up at the rate of 1kg a week!  I have around 14 weeks to surgery so I thought I might start pre-op Opti on Monday, do it for as long as I can hack it, then move onto the Opti maintenance phase.  I just don't want to gain 14kg before my surgery that I then have to lose again in the honeymoon phase, where I could be shifting the fat I have now!  My surgeon recommended starting early and I was a bit concerned because I only have 20kg to lose to reach my surgeons goal, I didn't want to lose so much that he wouldn't operate on me.  He said that he would still operate on me even if I was very close to goal.  That made me feel heaps better, as I think that I was subconsciously sabotaging myself to ensure I get surgery.  It is because they go by your highest weight, mine was 123kg prior to lapband, and now I'm 102kg after a 10kg gain.  Can't wait until I get my new sleeve :)

Yes that's interesting isnt it Swayback - so much variation.

The diet plans are all different and confusing. I wasn't on Opti, just a diet for ketosis. I wasn't allowed carrot or tomato , no fruit except for strawberries and other berries. Oddly enough, even though I couldn't have milk I could have had cream (no milk sugar). I never did have the cream though because of its high calorie content.

Glenice! boring alright! I happen to love the taste of the shakes thou... its the dinners I cant stand! and the fact that i'm hungry like an hour and half after the shake.

My friend made a thick puree soup using onions, carrots, chicken stock and S&P. I do have turnips on my list thou so maybe I could use them instead?

I am also allowed two serves of fat per day, so 2 t peanut butter, mayonnaise, oil, and get this,
NUTELLA.. Bloomin Heck! who could stop at 2 t of Nutella lol, I think I better stay clear!

x

Okay Lovepyrex - that's interesting as carrots are on my list of 'can have' but I am aware they have high levels of sugar.   Just goes to show, there's no consistent approach amongst surgeons.  Its nice to know there's some variation out there and I shouldnt perhaps panic just yet lol.

Another thing - althought no mention was made of being able to eat eggs, strictly speaking - eggs are a high protein option and in an omelete with (or without a little) cream with some sweated onions, garlic and capsicum can be a welcome 'protein' meal instead of the optifast shake as cream, rather than milk, has no carbs and something that keeps you in hi protein mode such as this can stave off boredom and prevent you from doing damage on more inapproprate options.  That's my reasoning anyway, having had 1 such meal recently when I could not face another shake.

Hi there, the whole Opti/Ketosis thing is so confusing... Well confusing as in different opinions from surgeons and dieticians! I wasn't told anything about it, except that my liver was  fatty ( I had a scan) so its important to stick to my 2 weeks Opti plan.

Im allowed fruit also,strawberrys and green grapes ar'nt on the list, but nectarines and peaches are!


I also find it strange that on my approved vege list, i'm not allowed carrots! I am day 3 of Opti... Gahhhhhhhhh Boring

Gawd - that's certainly scary - I'd hate to wake up after all this and NOT be sleeved. 

Unfortunately for me,  neither my detitian or surgeon mentioned the 'ketosis' process to me related to the optifast diet. It was couched to me in terms of just a very low calorie diet with minimal or no carbs.  I had occasionally supplemented my diet at critically hungry times with on one occasion a few strawberries and on another a nectarine and another a peach.  Both of which have very few calories, however Had the 'ketosis' element of this diet been directly explained to me I could have reached for a small portion of lean protein to offset these growling hunger times.  The last week (this week) on optifast i Have strictly adhered to the no carbs doctrine, however now worry that will not be enough to have reduced fat around my liver sufficiently well.  I have lost weight, as you do on a low calorie diet, but whether it has also gone from around my liver is anyone's guess given one week of my 2 weeks time on optifast was not to ketosis.

So now I am worried and its 2 days before surgery!!!

I didn't have optifast so I was able to eat right up to my day of surgery. My surgeon had warned me not to have a big meal the night before as it might leave me with food still in my stomach (he had a patient who had had a big meal of pizza which had caused him problems that morning). 

Like you, I went out for lunch the day before - I had a steak burger and chips & a lemon lime and bitters (I had given soft drink up when  I booked in for my sleeve so it was my last hurrah). Steak burgers are one of my absolute faves - but it was disappointing as the local pub had changed chefs since the last time I was there -it wasn't that enjoyable - maybe that was to remind me that bad food isn't always satisfying :-). 

My surgeon had advised me to have grilled fish and steamed greens for dinner & I had a small bowl of porridge for breakfast on op day as my op wasn't until the afternoon. I'd check with your surgeon and see what he wants you to do. 

Other than that, nothing special.

Kylie

I had my "last supper" the night before I started the 2 week pre op optifast. I made green curry chicken & then a box of ferrero rocher later that night. It was an awesome!
I remember reading on here that someone hadn't stuck to their optifast diet, was opened up, their liver was enlarged, so the surgeon closed them up again without doing the operation. There is no way that was going to happen to me when I was paying for all of it without private cover. Every time I was tempted to break my opti diet, I remembered that & it helped me stick to it.  
It's just my opinion, but I wouldn't be having my last supper the night before the op. I'm no doctor, but my surgeon & dietician put me on the 2 week optifast pre op. :)

I was wondering if there was a page or thread for 'the last supper' lol. 

I am being sleeved this Saturday.  And I KNOW I'm going to have lunch out at my fave cafe with hubby on Friday , but that was all the 'splurge' I had planned.  I might indulge in some champers the night before, as we've had a bottle in the fridge for several weeks now that Ive been unable to touch, so I thought the night before might be the opportune time to have a glass and toast the rest of my life lol.  I cant eat anything after midnight and my hubbie joked that I'll probably be snacking up until 11.59, but I wont I'm going to be sensible.  Having said that he's very supportive and like me, wants the old me back.  I hope she's back by the end of the year.

I'm not far along the journey yet but I think it's main benefit is that it's almost impossible to overeat when you lose motivation to "be good". So when you do fall off the wagon it's because you've made bad food choices rather than overeating.

The idea is to contribute to your own health and weight loss by making good food choices.....that's the part you have to do yourself. The sleeve works by reducing your overall intake. It won't stop you from eating pizza but you can no longer eat a whole pizza, that's the tool part.

As for is it worth the risk...that's an individual decision based on your personal circumstances. If your not very overweight, function well, can exercise and aren't negatively impacted by your weight....then yes, it's probably not worth the risk. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, are still gaining weight, suffer joint pain, just feel bad about yourself....then it's probably worth the risk.

These are things that should be discussed with your GP (remember the surgeon is going to be biased, he wants your business).

PhatAs wrote:

Just wondering what people say to the suggestion that if you had your head in the right space you could lose the weight without the sleeve? It's like a vicious circle - sleeve is just a tool so you have to change habits / think differently about food but if you could do that you wouldn't need the sleeve?
I'm seeing surgeon this week and will be asking him too but wondered what people who've had the surgery already think about this.
My current thinking is that you still have to do all 'the right things' (we all know what they are) to lose weight (we've all done it before like a million times) but where usually you relapse after a while the sleeve is like a safety net giving you the best possible incentive NOT to overheat name PAIN AND DISCOMFORT. So you get to stay on the straight and narrow for longer meaning you have half a chance of getting to normal weight plus ongoing weight loss is a huge motivator too so it's like a snowball effect.
What do others reckon?

PhatAs
Just wondering what people say to the suggestion that if you had your head in the right space you could lose the weight without the sleeve? It's like a vicious circle - sleeve is just a tool so you have to change habits / think differently about food but if you could do that you wouldn't need the sleeve?
I'm seeing surgeon this week and will be asking him too but wondered what people who've had the surgery already think about this.
My current thinking is that you still have to do all 'the right things' (we all know what they are) to lose weight (we've all done it before like a million times) but where usually you relapse after a while the sleeve is like a safety net giving you the best possible incentive NOT to overheat name PAIN AND DISCOMFORT. So you get to stay on the straight and narrow for longer meaning you have half a chance of getting to normal weight plus ongoing weight loss is a huge motivator too so it's like a snowball effect. 
What do others reckon?
I totally agree.  That is my biggest question.  Everyone talks of the sleeve only being a tool, needing to have your head in the right space and eating healthy.  That's easy, I've done that many times before - but I've also eventually lost focus and failed many times before.  What is it about the sleeve that makes it worth the risk, the pain and the expense?  Is it easier to keep that focus?  I even asked the surgeon this at the information session.  His response was to only reiterate that it was a tool and that you needed to be committed.  I'm committed, I'm ready to take take it all on, but what's going to stop me from failing?  I've used many tools before and they have all been successful, but eventually the novelty wears off.  I'd love to hear from othe long term sleevers and how it is for them.  Do all sleevers lose weight and keep a good percentage of it off?  I'm thinking they must.  I'm a hugh eater and always have been so I am thinking if 80% of my stomach is taken away and I can't eat as much food, my calorie intake is permantly reduced I must lose weight and eventually plateau.  I eat both healthy food and unhealthy food constantly.  I've read a lot about sliders and well I eat them now too, so if post op I'm only eating sliders my caloric intake will still be reduced so the weight must still drop?  Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% committed to eating healthy after the op and I can't wait! it's just that this is the question that keeps going around in my head given my failure rate in the past.  It looks like a fairly common question but I haven't seen too many responses.  I love to hear fom others and their experiences with this.
Phantasy I'm not sure if you are still posting but what was your experience post surgery?  Has your question been answered through experience?

Here is something I didn't think about doing before seeing the doctor.

Checking the limits on the epos cards. Went to pay the booking fee of $2300 only to remember that I have a $1000 limit/day on my savings card. Had to put the other $1300 on my credit card. Otherwise I would have had to come back another day and possible lost that surgery date.

Hi Wollongong Suzy,
Come over to the June monthly section, I will add you to the list of June sleevers.
All the best with your journey

well I have to say that I am quite excited about my sleeve on 12th june. the shakes suck but so far have lost 12kg (doc wants another 8kg by 11th june).
at my heaviest 178kg, I was totally miserable and fooling myself on a daily basis.

I have been reading quite a few posts here in my lead up to seeing the doctor the first time and it has been invaluable! I admire each and every one of you.

Dunno if having a 'last supper' is such a great idea I've been having 'last suppers' for YEARS and its that all-or-nothing kind of thinking that's part of the problem!

Just wondering what people say to the suggestion that if you had your head in the right space you could lose the weight without the sleeve? It's like a vicious circle - sleeve is just a tool so you have to change habits / think differently about food but if you could do that you wouldn't need the sleeve?
I'm seeing surgeon this week and will be asking him too but wondered what people who've had the surgery already think about this.
My current thinking is that you still have to do all 'the right things' (we all know what they are) to lose weight (we've all done it before like a million times) but where usually you relapse after a while the sleeve is like a safety net giving you the best possible incentive NOT to overheat name PAIN AND DISCOMFORT. So you get to stay on the straight and narrow for longer meaning you have half a chance of getting to normal weight plus ongoing weight loss is a huge motivator too so it's like a snowball effect.
What do others reckon?

Welcome TNT,

The reason it is important to see a psychologist before surgery is that getting the sleeve IS a really big deal. It is not reversible, so you need to be 100% sure it is the right thing for you. It will change your relationship with food (and even water) forever. While no doubt that change will have good results in terms of weight loss, it can cause other issues in your head, especially if you are not ready for the change.. Things like depression and sleeve-buyers remorse to name a couple.

The other reason is that our mental attitude to food and nutrition needs to change to match the physical change. For example, if you are an emotional eater, or a junk food addict, those urges won't change just because you have the sleeve. The head problems that caused weight gain in the first place need to be sorted out to make your sleeve journey a success. The risk of not doing this is that you will sabotage the sleeve benefits - it is possible to cheat the sleeve.

Remember that the sleeve is a tool, not a fix-all magic cure, so give yourself the best shot you can at using it to full advantage.

Good luck on this amazing journey!

100%-er wrote:

Good thread lovelyslim.


Seeing a psychologist isn't part of the package with my surgeon, so I didn't see anyone pre op. I am now, however, booked in to see someone now I am 4 months out. I am starting to notice 'fat thoughts' and bad habits trying to rear their ugly heads....


Good luck.

Hi, would you please tell me why is it important to see a psychologist ?

PilbaraGal wrote:

Oh and man i wish i had visited the Hogs Breath for one last meal before i had my sleeve...

Hehhehehe I made sure I went to hoggies second night before my pre surgery opti then nachos the last night... Now I can't wait for my next meal of steak pepper sauce and a glass of milk!! Lol... Milk won't be to far off but steak is gonna be a while. And it will be a kids hoggies steak if that lol....

I found cooking for my tribe no drama at all...i would prepare my lovely vegetable soup at the same time as i was doing there, nibbling on carrots and celery sticks. I think the most part is psychological....Once you are in the right frame of mind, there is no stopping you....we entertained heaps in the week before my surgery and i didnt have any problems, cause really i knew what was coming for me.......You'll be right ShortChick...

Oh and man i wish i had visited the Hogs Breath for one last meal before i had my sleeve...