ANXIOUS and desperate for advice ... I'm pre-op with concerns

I went on a Mediterranean cruise about 10 months out.  Cruises are "food fests" only if you want them to be - there will be plenty of healthy options to choose from.  But choosing is up to you.  I did find that my limited capacity helped a lot, and I also brought some healthy snacks (nuts, jerky, protein powder) since I had to eat about every 3-3.5 hours.  I had a little wine here and there, but only before meals, because of the rule about eating/drinking at the same time - which I HAD to follow because drinking with food made me very uncomfortable, and still does.

I did start losing hair at about 4 mos. out, but as others have said, it wasn't noticeable to anyone but me.  Most of it came back, but I was on my way to hair loss due to aging (I think, anyway - I was 60 when I had my surgery).  Since then, I've gotten a very short, almost boy-cut, which helps the thin hair not matter so much.  Back in my fat days I had to wear my hear as full as I could to avoid looking like a pinhead, but nowadays, I have to say the boy-cut is pretty cute!

My advice - GO and enjoy!

Wow Kathy you've been maintaining for awhile, that's great!!! I appreciate your reply, I'm happy I posted today love the support!!

Go! Enjoy! You don't have to postpone your surgery. Even if you have complications, you'll be fully recovered by 4 months post-op and ready to do almost anything. Buy your vacation clothes about a month before you leave. You'll lose weight fairly quickly during that post-op time, and the sizes that fit you now will probably be way too big for you. 

Check with your surgeon re the alcohol question. Considering that fast weight loss puts your gall bladder and liver under a lot of strain, it may not be a good idea to stress them even more with alcohol.

Your sleeve will prevent you from turning your cruise into a "food fest." There will be lots of food available, to be sure, but you'll have learned by then to choose and eat your protein first, and maybe add a bit of cooked non-starchy vegetable if you have room. If you eat that way, the other nutrient-empty but still tempting goodies will not tempt you. You'll discover that nothing tastes as good as FIT feels.

Good luck with your surgery, and have a great time in Bermuda. I hear it's beautiful!

psychoticparrot

Thank you for the advice! I'm not a big drinker but do love a ****tail while on vacation.  I'll most likely abstain, I'm more concerned about food options.  Thanks for the advice !

You will always find a reason/event to postpone, just get it done. Especially before your out of pocket maximum resets on  Jan 1st. I have taken about 4 cruises, there is more to a cruise than just hitting the buffets. Actually I was entertaining the idea of a cruise this spring being I haven't been on one in years.  If you have some hair loss, who cares, it's not like you are going to see the other 3000 people on the ship again anyways, those who know you aren't going to care. 

True, its easy to postpone... I was also concerned about the insurance deductible for the new year!  Thanks

I went on a Caribbean cruise 2 months post op.... It's easy to make good eating decisions when you are never hungry! Things will appeal to you the way they do before surgery. If I wanted something bad, I had one bite! Believe me it's enough to get it out of your system. 

I took the stairs everywhere on the cruise to burn calories, and I kept telling my hubby that I know I must've gained weight on the cruise because I was enjoying myself....

i came home and Lost 2 lbs on vacation!!!! No depriving myself, eat protein first, and walking a lot! 

You will be great at 4 months out!!! Have fun!!!

Oh thank you, that's good to hear! 

Exactly, being on a cruise, there is so much walking on the trip and that's not even counting the shore excursions. She will be definitely pulling a cardio marathon which is of course a good thing.

Go on the Cruise. By then you will be so excited to enjoy it at a lower weight. You probably won't be perfect, but you will manage. Main thing is stay active, protein first, drink plenty of fluids and you will do fine. Even if you eat some carbs, make sure you get in your protein first.

Even though some people lose hair, I have never seen anyone close to bald at any of my support meetings. I personally never lost hair, and as a matter of fact mine was better than before surgery. I guess all the protein...

There will always be something in the way of this being the 'right' time. I had 3 weddings in my first 6 weeks. One was 10 days after surgery and one was 17, and the last at about 6 weeks. The second one was a family one - so like a family reunion all week... also my brother's 60th birthday party, and I had an annual BBQ in my backyard  for 100 people 3 weeks after surgery.

DO it! Enjoy....