Unsleeved: Day 1 of forever

[norabee915]

Hi everyone
My name is Nora. I like to call today "day 1 of forever" because today I decided I wanted to have weight loss surgery. March 2016 I decided it was time to lose weight and get healthy. It was a challenge, in fact, it has been the hardest, most emotionally trying experience of my life. Results were slow and inconsistent, I became discourage. I tried medicine and it didn't work. I went to the gym. I counted calories. I exhausted all options. So here I am, on day one of forever, ready to pursue this weight loss adventure.

It's going to be great, guys

[Sammih]

Hi Nora. Welcome! It's like so much weight is lifted off of your mind just by making the decision. Pardon the pun. At least that's how I feel. The physical pain still exists but I know that will be gone soon. Right now, I'm having what they call food funerals with food that I'll not be eating once I'm sleeved, at least not for a long time.

[norabee915]

Lol! I'm having a hard time understanding how the surgery will work. Will I only be able to eat 5 ounces max at a time for the rest of my life? Or will the surgery eventually revert back and I'll begin being able to eat more 5 years down the road?

[Luv49ers19]

Hi Nora. At first you won't be able to eat more than a few ounces. But at the end of the first year you should be able to eat a cup of food or so I have been told. I'm only 2.5 months out and sometimes I can eat half a cup. My advice is to change your eating habits now. It makes it easier for after surgery. We have all been where you are and congrats on making this decision! Remeber it is just a tool to help you lose weight and keep it off. Excited to follow you on your journey! If you have any questions just ask! Everyone is super helpful.

[Christie13]

Welcome Nora. I'm attaching a link for a great site with all the basics. It actually referred me here. Between this site and the other I learned all I needed to know. Good luck. https://www.obesitycoverage.com/gast...erence-manual/

[ghost_ryder]

Welcome Nora. The surgery is amazing in the short term for losing weight and improving your health. Long term it will be more on you and being able to find things that are enjoyable. Your stomach will stretch out a bit after a while but if you stick to the program you will be OK. Grow to enjoy some kind of exercise. It benefits you not nothing else will, long term. When you are stronger your body will recover from injuries and prevent future injuries better.

When I was going through the process (and still do today) listened to various PodCasts about WLS-Sleeve surgery. My favorite was Reeger Cortell's podcast - http://www.weightlosssurgerypodcast.com/

[bigdogluver]

I would suggest yoga, it helps the joints, makes you feel mentally and physically good, and helps with pain management. Do a gentle yoga class and see if you like it.

[Ann2]

Welcome. It's time for you to read your brains out.

The deal is the sleeve is great to help you lose and maintain your weight loss. But neither of those happens without some considerable effort on your part. It's about equal parts:

* Nutrition
* Exercise
* Psychological health -- understanding ALL the reasons why you got fat and stayed fat for so long (hey, I can use that word because I was fat most of my life, too) and devising new ways to deal with those reasons without overeating.
* Meeting your needs first, before all others' needs (see "psychological health" above)
* Learning what self-care really is and caring for yourself (see "psychological health" above)
* Learning how to deal with stress without using food to comfort / ease / sedate yourself (see "psychological health" above)

I hope I didn't forget to mention psychological health!

Seriously -- there's a lot to learn about this. Generally speaking, both pre- and post-op you will go through all kinds of eating phases, which your surgeon will explain to you. Right after surgery and for several months thereafter you can eat very, very little, due to your new sleeve being swollen and traumatized (hence the "honeymoon weight loss period). As your sleeve heals your capacity will gradually increase, but never to a pre-op point. Eventually, you'll be able to eat about half of moderate-sized restaurant servings at a single sitting. And no, nobody will notice.

If you have your surgery in the states you'll probably be attending some behavioral/nutritional classes pre-op that will clarify a lot for you. You can learn a lot more here and on other online message boards about WLS. And it's not unusual at all for people who've had WLS to also invest in their future health by undergoing therapy to ramp up their resources for long-term success (see "psychological health" above. )

Best wishes to you!