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  1. #1
    Gastric Sleeve Member
    I have not had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    11/07/2019
    Surgeon
    Dr. James Foote
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    Default How do I know if I’m ready?

    How do I get over the self doubt and know the sleeve is the right step? I’m fearful of failing. Terrified really. Am I ready and willing to give up my bad habits? Every meal I look at lately I think “Well, I wouldn’t be able to eat this”.

    Is this normal? Or am I not ready?



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  4. #2
    Gastric Sleeve Member Grammy2s&c's Avatar
    I have not had a gastric sleeve.
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    Yes, I'm very, very, worried about not being able to eat like I do now, but this is what has gotten me this fat. I have a choice, lose weight or die young. I'm choosing life and that is what my decision is based on wanting more time with my two precious grand children & family. Best of luck deciding.

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  6. #3
    Gastric Sleeve Member Truss's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Russ
    Surgery date
    03/28/2019
    Surgeon
    Dr. M. Cox
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
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    Western NC
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    I haven't got to the point of worrying.

    All I do is wait, on what ever I have to do next.

    This process has consumed me, I wake up thinking about it, spend a lot of my day considering if I will get a call today.

    I've checked in with the weight loss center, and even called the psychologist's office asking about my report.

    I was seen on 01-14-19 and was told 2-3 weeks before my report would be ready. But the doctor assured me "TWO WEEKS TOPS".

    I will say its given me time to pray about my decision, and consider the totality of what I'm wanting to do.

    When I read this thread, I thought "Wonder, if I'll start second guessing my decision, when I finally get to the date of surgery?"

    I have a hard time being patient, I know time will prevail, but this is the longest process I ever encountered.

    When I finally have my next consultation, education or meeting I'm going to stress the unknown timeline is the most horrendous thing about this surgery.

    This forum has been a blessing, at least I know I'm not the only one that has waited !!


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  8. #4
    Gastric Sleeve Member Grammy2s&c's Avatar
    I have not had a gastric sleeve.
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    Quote Originally Posted by Truss View Post
    I haven't got to the point of worrying.

    All I do is wait, on what ever I have to do next.

    This process has consumed me, I wake up thinking about it, spend a lot of my day considering if I will get a call today.

    I've checked in with the weight loss center, and even called the psychologist's office asking about my report.

    I was seen on 01-14-19 and was told 2-3 weeks before my report would be ready. But the doctor assured me "TWO WEEKS TOPS".

    I will say its given me time to pray about my decision, and consider the totality of what I'm wanting to do.

    When I read this thread, I thought "Wonder, if I'll start second guessing my decision, when I finally get to the date of surgery?"

    I have a hard time being patient, I know time will prevail, but this is the longest process I ever encountered.

    When I finally have my next consultation, education or meeting I'm going to stress the unknown timeline is the most horrendous thing about this surgery.

    This forum has been a blessing, at least I know I'm not the only one that has waited !!
    I can certainly empathize with your long wait. In all, from time of seminar to having my surgery, it will be 8 months. It has been the most agonizingly long time I have ever endured. Once I got the call I all the sudden felt this feeling of uncertainty. I am going through with it though, because I know I can't lose the weight I need without this tool. All I can say to help you is---that it will come and you will be elated. Best wishes!

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  10. #5
    Gastric Sleeve Member Sandra3's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Sandra
    Surgery date
    01/20/2016
    Surgeon
    Dr W
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    If your bariatric surgery is covered by your insurance, in all "Excellence centers" they will provide nutrition classes, make you go through supervised nutrition for a few months, have a psych eval etc.
    The process is long because the sleeve is a life long commitment, you will need to eat healthy, exercise,drink plenty of water, take your vitamins to make it work on the long run. The surgery by itself won't solve everything. You need to be in it 200%.

    That said, being worried or scared is normal, it is surgery, there is risks.
    So get involved, look for infos, make a list of questions for your surgeon and the nutritionist, try to understand the process the best way possible. Being pro active and fight for your health will give you the willpower to be successful.


    HW : 150 kgs
    09/02/2014 : 142 /1st apt
    01/20/2016 : 134 /surgery
    01/30/2016 : 130 /1st post-op
    02/27/2016 : 126 /2nd
    04/23/2016 : 118 /3rd
    07/16/2016 : 109 / 4th
    10/01/2016 : 103 /5th
    01/21/2017 : 98 /1 year post-op
    February 2017 : 100 lbs lost
    07/22/2017 : 96
    10/21/2017 : 93
    12/22/2017 : 91
    01/02/2018 : 96!! regain (medication)

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  13. #6
    Gastric Sleeve Member Pudsley's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    03/02/2018
    Surgeon
    Professor Bulbuller
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
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    03-05-2020 11:13 AM
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    Turkey
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    Quote Originally Posted by SpartyOn View Post
    How do I get over the self doubt and know the sleeve is the right step? I’m fearful of failing. Terrified really. Am I ready and willing to give up my bad habits? Every meal I look at lately I think “Well, I wouldn’t be able to eat this”.

    Is this normal? Or am I not ready?
    Well, I am going to answer this from my point of view which is I felt exactly the same way as you are describing and I did not have any of the nutitional classes or preparation that some people on here have had as it works differently from place to place.

    But I did ask my team had anyone ever failed and they said 2 out of thousands of people failed because one drank alcohol and was an alcoholic and the other one drank sugar syrup.

    Look, What I wish I had known.

    You have a restriction because you have a sleeve.
    It allows you to eat small portions of food.

    You lose your hunger physically for a period of time, in the begining for say 9 months in my case completley, I ate to live, not lived to eat!
    10 Months later I noticed I would feel hungry some days more than others.

    But your restriction really does work and limits what you can eat.

    Perhaps where my confusion was despite so much personal research and preparation was the understanding that in the beginning the first stage is liquids and puree and limitations for a period of time!
    Because you are healing from stomach surgery!!!

    As the healing progresses you can eat most things within reason.

    Putting protein first would be the most important thing you can do for yourself as it will give your body its nutrition and help you feel sated.

    Sure if you like junk food you might be able to eat it. but it might not fulfil your nutritional requirements or make you feel like it wants to come back up!

    So can you eat what you want in the future I am sure you CAN!

    I can't tell you what to eat but I can tell you that I am no Saint !

    And I do eat what I fancy but its, not Macdonalds or Chips or Grease or Cakes or Chocolate.

    Yes, I have had junk I did not like the taste when I tried it at my 4-month stage I have not wanted it since then either. I had no pull towards that.
    Yes, I eat an occasional small portion of chocolate but it doesn't taste great either and it doesn not fill me up and I don't want to go back to being fat.

    Yes I have an occasional drink of Alcohol but I resent the calories and I don't lose weight that week or gain but it annoys me so my choice is not on a frequent basis.

    I do have boiled sweets every day one or 2 as I go to bed as it settles my acid reflux which has been in my life since I was 15 I am now 54! So It helps with my acid as I choose a butter mint to soothe and I let it dissolve in my mouth Do you know what I love them and I want to eat more than 1 or 2 and sometimes I do and and it is not great so I hope that I will be able to not have them as they are my weakness. I am nearly a year post surgery.

    Really it is up to you!
    But your sleeve is a tool and it Really is AMAZING!
    If you think you are giving up the food you are wrong!

    I eat Indian food, Chinese, Italian, Turkish I eat fish, steak, chicken, pork, liver, duck, all vegetables, salad Rice, Potato, Bread, cheese, spices,eggs.

    But I cook it or my hubby and we add sauces made from scratch so I know what went in and I have a tiny portion of the protein tiny bit of sauce tiny bit of veg or salad.

    Do you know the relief of eating everything in small quantity I don't go without anything?

    I just dont eat Chips or bread or Pasta very often and if I do a desert spoon once in a blue moon because I have that last of all and it tastes bland and uninterseting in comparison to say Prawns with garlic and Ginger and spring onoins with red chilli sauce.
    I eat like a King!
    I just dont have the space for a big portion.

    I did not think I would be able to eat what I do as I was stuck in the idea I am giving up food but You are not!

    Good food just takes a little longer to prepare but Its simple really.

    Hope that gives you an idea of what its like on the other side!
    Then maybe you will see its a GIFT!



  14. #7
    sraebaer
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    Well, first of all, there is NEVER something you will never be able to eat again. Of course not at first when your tummy is healing, but later on you will be able to incorporate some of your favorite foods into your diet in moderation. You will concentrate on protein, veggies, and the good carbs if room. But that doesn't mean you won't have the occasional taco, piece of pizza, or whatever.

    It's crazy, but healthy eating becomes a habit and you begin to really enjoy it. If you had told me before surgery I never could have meat or fish again, I would have said "no problem." (That's why I was fat, I concentrated on carbs). Now I love what I eat, and when, say, we bike past this place with cinnamon rolls as big as your head, I laugh that I used to eat that crap.

    The cool thing about the sleeve is you WON'T be able to overeat early on, it will be physically impossible. That's what makes it amazing. You will get down a few bites and be full. The pounds will fall off. It is so much fun! As soon as you buy a new outfit, it's too big, sometimes before even removing the tags.

    Best of luck in your decision, but in my opinion eating healthy and losing weight is a zillion times more amazing than being sick, fat, and miserable. It's how I want to live the rest of my life. (What I was living before wasn't really a life....)

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  16. #8
    Gastric Sleeve Member New-Me's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    10/15/2018
    Surgeon
    Dr. Cooper
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Last Activity
    12-09-2019 11:02 AM
    Location
    New York
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    Completely normal to me. I felt the same way. 4 months since my surgery. I had those same feelings of "won't be able to eat that or do that anymore". You're already starting with what my NP calls "Food Mourning". You feel a little sad and sorry for yourself because of what you think you're giving up or your starting to mourn over not being able to eat like you used to. But, more than likely, eating like you used to is what got you where you are. That was certainly the case for me.

    It gets easier after surgery, because it's no longer "I won't be able to" and it is now "Physically, I can't eat that way anymore". Hence for me, that's where the "tool" aspect of the surgery has really worked. Mentally, I've been able to turn my back on the bad stuff a lot easier. You can always fall back into bad habits, but I know for me, I don't feel that voracious hunger anymore that used to make me get up off the couch and gobble down junk food. Plus, the process/wait leading up to surgery is a lot, the surgery is a lot (just because it is surgery), and for me, the last thing I wanted to do was throw all that down the train by going back to eating crap. Come too far, so to speak.

    I think if you're starting the process then you're sick and tired of something and ready for a change. It is a life change though and everyone is 100% when they say it's not a magic bullet. There's nothing really that I can't eat, I just can't each much of it, or I choose not to eat certain things, and certain things I don't really crave anymore. I've also been able to find some Keto desserts, Atkins treats, and things for the old sweet tooth and I've learned to substitute a lot of healthy things where I used to eat poorly.

    It's a big decision. Life changing. But, before my surgery, I used to hear everyone on here say "The only regret I have is I didn't do it sooner". I used to think "Yeah, yeah, yeah". Now that I'm 4 months out, I can tell you, the only regret I have is that I didn't get a surgery sooner. I probably wouldn't have been as miserable the last 10 years of my life. The folks on here do speak from experience.

    Good luck with the process. I am a firm believer that this surgery saves lives.



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  18. #9
    Gastric Sleeve Member KiwiGal's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Lisa
    Surgery date
    09/04/2017
    Surgeon
    Stephanie Ulmer
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
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    05-24-2021 09:49 PM
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    Pudsley and Sraebaer have really said all that I was going to say.
    Yes, I can eat almost anything (can't do fresh salmon for some reason). I choose to eat "healthy" foods 99% of the time but I do indulge in the odd ice cream or cookie or whatever - but it is only occasionally because a small amount satisfies me and I don't fancy it all that often. I even take my own food to football games now because the offerings at the stadium aren't great (mostly deep fried) and I would really rather have something that I have assembled at home. Before surgery I would have hoovered up the French fries and hot dogs but they really don't appeal anymore.

    Only you will know if/when you are ready.
    I was ready when I was fed up (great pun!) with being fat, having no energy, being unhappy and thinking about a much shortened life. Now life is great. I'm healthy, happy, have so much energy it's crazy and just wish I had had the finances to have the surgery years ago.

    Good luck with your decision.



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  20. #10
    Gastric Sleeve Member Stacey03's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Edie
    Surgery date
    11/07/2017
    Surgeon
    Dr Phil lockie
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Last Activity
    04-27-2019 09:56 AM
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    Australia
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    Default Re: How do I know if I’m ready?

    Hi, You will be able to eat anything you want eventually but only in small portions, or tiny portions at first. What kind of food do you usually eat? Do you eat fresh and made from scratch or more junk food?
    You will lose weight regardless at first anyway and then its worth keeping on the fresh and from scratch side... but treats here and there are fine. Best of luck to you :-)


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