Newbie

Hello all you brave souls!

I have a seminar scheduled for next week to learn about this procedure, I am very nervous about it! I know I must do something, I'm 5'7" and 325, high blood pressure, pre diabetic and generally disgusted and sad with myself all the time. I have tried all the diets and have done good with some but as soon as I reach about 50 lbs. loss it stalls and I lose all confidence with the diet! I am ready to make a permanent change in my life and I think this is the best choice. I own my own business and am worried about the recovery time to get back to work? Also, the most important question - will I ever be able to enjoy the taste of a steak again? A burger, a burrito or an adult beverage? Please respond with all info, good or bad, I need to know what i am getting into!Thanks in advance

Steak? Absolutely. Small portions of dense protein are a part of daily post-op eating. Some folks take a while to be able to tolerate beef again and start with things like chicken and fish, but you'll definitely get there.

Burger or burrito? Maybe. It's important to keep our carbs low, so burger buns or tortillas/rice are generally out. You can absolutely do part of a burger wrapped in lettuce instead of in a bun, though, and have a dish of burrito "guts" like chicken, beans, cheese, and salsa.

Alcohol? Depends. Most people have a MUCH lower tolerance for booze after surgery and can get pretty hammered after a single drink or two. We also need to watch out for "transfer addiction" where you switch from too much food to too much alcohol. Drinks are also mostly empty calories and carbs, so not great for weight loss. But there are plenty of folks here who will have an occasional glass of wine-- once they've finished losing and are into maintenance.

Welcome to ObesityHelp!  We are glad that you have joined our OH community.  

As you check out OH, you'll see many features and tools that are created for our members as you embark on your WLS journey.  OH is a great place for support, research and tools to assist you with your journey.  Here are a few suggestions:

About Obesity
About Weight Loss Surgery
Medical Necessity
Post-op Planner
BMI Calculator
Health Tracker

We also have a great HELP SECTION with tutorials to assist you with navigating our site. If you need our assistance, you can reach us at [email protected]

You didn't mention what surgery type you are researching and or having.  May we suggest you post on the forum for your surgery type to reach out to those that are having the same surgery as you.

Duodenal Switch Forum (DS)

LAP-BAND Forum

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Forum (RNY)

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG)

We look forward to your updates

SparkleKitty always gives the best advice to the most important of your questions....type of foods after WLS. The seminar will provide you with this information too but always more comforting to ask on the forums. You wanted to know about returning to work in your own business. What type of surgery and is your business based from home? I own my own business and I work from home. I was able to keep up with my emails as soon as I came home from hospital. I didn't sit at my computer and work on orders and bookkeeping until a week home, after I passed the gas that hurt when I sat up and after my first BM. If you have to go offsite to perform your business, see how you feel week and half to two weeks after. No lifting I hope?

You sound a lot like me when I was younger.  I lost 50 pounds at least 3 times but put it all back on plus.  I had the sleeve surgery on Aug. 3 and my taste buds haven't changed at all.  It seems that the RNY surgery folks have that problem.  But I wouldn't buy too many protein shakes before surgery in case you don't like them afterwards.  It will take several weeks before you can eat steak or anything with major fat in it since your stomach won't be used to it.  I ate a White Castle slider yesterday and thought I was going to die!  Pain and it just sat there.  This was the only choice left for me since I knew I wouldn't diet on my own.  I have a high pain tolerance so I was at the computer 4 days after surgery.  Good luck!!