A Little History...

I thought I would give a little history about myself as a way of introduction. I hope the have the sleeve done within the next three months.

Currently, I weigh 465 lbs which is down from 474 this past September. However, I had lost from 497 down to 379 using HCG two years ago. I went on a planned break and began gaining weight once I put carbs back into my diet. I’m not really a stress eater, but my wife was diagnosed with cancer (she is in remission) last year and I just quit worrying about my diet because I focused on her well-being. So, I gained a lot of weight.

In September, I met with the surgeon who knows about HCG and we talked about the process and he told me that HCG would not work for me because with the amount I have to lose I’ll never get my “set-weight” firmly established. So, I made the decision to go with the Sleeve based upon his recommendation. I have two more visits with my primary care doctor to fulfill the 6 month insurance requirement. The surgeon wants me to lose 27 lbs, which I am struggling with.

So, here I am. I need to lose another 20-25 lbs and hope to have surgery. I am reading and learning. It really is amazing that many of the things that I read here I read on the HCG forum. What it looks like is that I will have to eat the same way I would on HCG, but that the sleeve will be a better vehicle help me lose weight. Maintenance is pretty much the same.

What I have learned is that I will absolutely have to turn my unhealthy relationship with food into a healthy relationship. The problem is that I love food. I am somewhat afraid that this will be a terrible obstacle for me. I did not lose any weight during the holidays. But, I have pretty much taken the carbs out of my diet and will continue working on that. It looks like a lot of you have converted to a very low carb lifestyle to help maintain your losses. That is my plan as well.

I’m open to suggestions.

Jeff

I lost 22 lbs in the month before surgery by going to a 1000 calorie, lower carb, higher protein diet. There were only a couple of times I felt hungry, but otherwise it was pretty easy. I would definitely recommend tracking on an app like MFP as it helps you to stay accountable and is quite an eye opener when you see the nutritional information on foods that you may not think are too bad.

I also used the opportunity to practice weighing everything to control portion sizes, slow eating and not drinking with meals, which were great habits to get into for after surgery as it wasn't as hard of an adjustment as it would have been if I had taken the "food funeral" route and was having carb withdrawals after surgery.

Once I made up my mind, I was having the surgery (self pay), I was on a mission!...lol

So get yourself into the right mindset, clear the rubbish foods out of your house, eat everything off a side plate to control portion sizes and you can easily lose that 25lbs you want to! Good luck!

Suzy,

Thanks. I think just getting firm in my resolution toward the weight will help me pre-op.

Jeff

Okay, I do have a suggestion. Research a procedure called the Duodenal Switch, DS for short. It has the same stomach as the Sleeve, plus an intestinal bypass similar to, but more effective than, the RNY/gastric bypass. The DS causes dramatic, permanent changes in the way our bodies metabolize food. It causes permanent malabsorption of calories, which is why it has the very best long-term, maintained weight-loss stats (especially for patients with a BMI greater than 50.) It's also the best at resolving or preventing co-morbs like diabetes and high cholesterol.

It also allows a more liberal post-op eating plan. The average DSer eats 2500-3000 calories a day, with the majority of those calories coming from protein and FAT---because DSers only absorb about 20% of the fat they eat.

The downside of the DS is that there aren't a lot of DS surgeons out there---but TN is fortunate enough to have at least three, maybe four. What part of the state do you live in?

Thanks, that is a good idea. I do not think my surgeon does the DS. But, I'll check. I live in Maryville which is near Knoxville.

Dr. Boyce is somewhere near there, and he's a DS surgeon. Honestly, you owe it to yourself to at least consult with a DS surgeon before you go under the knife.

You can do it with starting to make the habitual and lifestyle changes to prepare for life after surgery. I lost 40 lbs pre-op by "trying" to follow many of the pre VSG plans. It was tough and I failed miserably but it was much easier post-op and my mind was already in a new mode and I was better prepared.

That is probably a wise approach.