Scared as heck

This is the second time I start the process for the VSG and for me this journey has been a long thought out process.  I am nearing 30 at 370 standing at 5'11".  My 20 yr old weight was 210 so you can imagine how emotionally it weighs down on my self esteem.

I had a question about what to expect?  I was going to do the Lap Band but seeing how many great results come from the sleeve I opted for this one.  I have my psych eval on the 14th and my nutritionist on the 17th.  Those are the last 2 appointments before submitting the paperwork. 

How is the aftermath of the surgery?  Do you find it hard to go out with friends to dinner or how do you cope with it?  How do you deal with losing weight and buying clothes to catch up?

I hope no one finds my questions superficial, I've done ALOT of research and know the common questions but these are questions that pop up in my mind.  Not that the answer will change my decision, because truthfully, it won't!

 I go out to eat with freinds all the time.  They are used to me eating my small portions of protein now, and are just in awe of the weight loss resulting from it.  If you plan ahead there is almost always a plan friendly option on the menu.  Grilled chicken is a good go to food.  
Losing weight and buying clothes is the fun part.  But don't spend much on what you buy.  Shop clearances or second hand stores.  You will change sizes too often to invest much.  I just got into a size twelve seems like yesterday, and now I am wearing a 10.  Who knew?  Good luck in your journey.

I know for me I thought I would emotionally miss the act of eating large quantities of food.  I thought I would miss that and be angry that I could only eat so little.  I remember thinking about all the times we would go to Olive Garden and just pig out on soup and salad.  I could easily eat 3 bowls of soup, a big salad and have room for dessert.  I thought I would miss that but in all honestly, I don't.  I eat out frequently and I'm used to it now.  Sometimes I will share with someone but if not, I have plently of leftovers that I'll eat later.  Now I can't imagine stuffing my face the way I used to.

Clothes buying was a bit of a challenge.  I found a nice consignment shop and would frequent there. I took all my fat clothes and then would buy a couple items from my "proceeds."  I tried not to wear anything that was too big or baggy on me.  I like clothes that fit, even when I was going through the losing stage.

The first few months out are difficult.  You're recovering from major surgery, hormones are all out of whack, your eating routines are completely upset.  Once you get to the point that you can eat regular food - not liquids, not mushies, not purees - life gets much better.  You start getting into new eating routines and life starts feeling normal again.

Eating out isn't hard, but you might feel like the odd man out for awhile because you're not drinking with your meals and you're eating so very little in the early stages.  But I haven't hit a restaurant yet where I couldn't find something that was in my plan.  Sharing is a good thing.  Leftovers are a good thing.  And you'll finally figure out that the amount you eat worries YOU a lot more than it worries anyone else.  In fact, most folks don't even notice.

I'm over a year out now and feel like eating out is completely normal.  I know what and how much I can eat and I've graduated from the "clean your plate" club to the "leave it on the plate (or doggie-bag it)" club.  Most of the time, it's painless and I don't even think about it.  Sometimes, I still feel like I'd like to pile food on a plate and just eat.  But that feeling passes pretty quickly.

Well said. I agree wholeheartedly.

I eat out often (about 1-2 x a month) with friends. Honestly, there is no huge difference between myself and friends- some of my naturally thin friends tend to order appetizers for dinner, or order an entre with intentions of taking home leftovers, so I don't feel so out of place. Once in a blue moon a friend might notice that I still have a bit on my plate an hour into the meal. I usually comment that I had a large lunch or I'm not that hungry. Then we all move on. You will be the one more observant to your eating patterns than anyone else at the table. And I don't have problems ordering. Sometimes, if I know where we are headed I will look at the menu online or my yelp app. Saves time and hassle. Good luck!

How long were your recovery times after surgery?

In the hospital for one night.  I took 4 weeks off because I had the leave and I could.  I think the norm for my doc's practice is 3 weeks.  I could have gone back in 2 based on how I was feeling.  But I really wanted to get through the post-op liquid stage and eating somewhat normally before I went back to work.

You'll find folks on here who went back to work in a week.  A lot depends on how you feel post-op and what kind of work you do.

I am nearing 30 myself and started out at 382. But I am only 5'4". Eating out is not an issue because we really do not do that much (why waste the money)
Now I meet my friends at the gym and am making plently of new friends there as well.

Wishing you the best!

I'm a bit older than you - 56 - and my recovery was very smooth.  I had very little pain, and only took 1/2 dose of pain meds the first night due to gas.  I had the surgery on a Monday, and drove Friday.  I was back to work in 2 weeks.  I found initially, walking any distance was hard, as my stamina was low.  But, that issue passed quickly.  I started a dance class 3 weeks to the day after surgery and all went fine, except in my 13 yr. old's words "Mom, you do kind of suck".  LOL

As far as eating out, I can always find something.  Even when I was on the full liquids, I got tomato basil soup at Applebee's and just asked them to strain it to get the chunks out and hold the cheese and croutons.  Now I do order full meals, but eat 1/2 or less and take the rest home.  I do look for meals that are low carb, low fat, and high protein.  Unless you go to a place that only serves fried and/or high carb foods, you can usually eat anywhere.  It is kind of funny the looks I get from wait staff when I decline anything to drink.  I finally had to tell one person that I have a medical condition that keeps me from eating and drinking at the same time and she backed right off.  Good luck to you on your journey!!!

Congratulations on making the best decision of your life!  I'm just 5'2" and was 330 lbs when I started this journey, so I can really identify with you!  

Going out with the sleeve is no big deal - I can always find something that works for me (and I'm a very picky girl - can't tolerate seafood at all!)  Soups, steaks (my favorite), chicken all work for me.  Can share with my daughter - we often will split a steak.  

My life and health have completely improved since getting sleeved - I love my sleeve!

Good luck!