42, New Dad, and Gotta Get Healthy. Raleigh, NC

Hi there, and welcome to the community! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. 10lbs is a great start! Have you checked out the Sleeve Gastrectomy forum yet? Here's a great post to get you started. I hope you'll find it interesting. Please update us regularly so we can support you on your journey! Good luck :)

Top 10 Tips For Before and After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Hello, Loved everything about your post. I am so excited for you! You are really going to have a whole new life. My brother is having his in the fall and I will pass on posts for him to read. Congrats on your beautiful son.

so nice to hear a man's perspective, thanks for sharing. I'm in about the same place as you. I've been patiently waiting for my surgery date, however the insurance company takes 3 weeks to 45 days to approve, after they have done their due diligence. But it is nerve racking, I've had all my tests done, spent lots of $ on tests, and here I wait. Keep posted, it is nice to have some guys out there.

I didn't notice a change in my taste buds per se, but some things do leave an aftertaste in my mouth now after eating them. Mostly, super sugary things leave a distinct aftertaste. I think it's more a byproduct of not having anything sugary for months after my surgery (I rigidly stuck to my surgeon's post-op diet plan for the two months after surgery and continued with it on my own for several months; I still don't eat a lot of processed foods or anything too sweet). When I got my first sweet tea from McDonald's about 4-5 months after surgery, I was dismayed by how sweet it seemed and the aftertaste. I asked others to try the tea and see if it was off, but it tasted normal to them. My body had become accustomed to things being not as sweet. Now that I've had it a bit more, I once again don't notice an aftertaste or think it's too sweet. My body is back accustomed to it (which may not be good). Soda still tastes weird to me. I've had exactly 20 pounces of Pepsi in the 13 months since my surgery--about 10 ounces 6 months after surgery, and another 10 ounces the other day. It's no loss to me giving that up, as I was never a big soda drinker before anyway. But other foods that aren't essentially pure sugar taste the same to me as they always have. Again, I suspect the difference in taste is just because you're not used to it after abstaining for awhile pre/post surgery.

I totally binged on eating out at all my favorite places in the three months leading up to my surgery. I gained 16 pounds between approval and surgery, hahaha!!! My surgeon didn't care, as I was borderline BMI when I was approved, anyway, and the extra weight just tipped me slightly closer to having a more 'appropriate' BMI to justify weight loss surgery. I tried all sorts of protein shakes and powders. The Beneprotein that the surgeon/hospital sent me home with was disgusting. Gross. I could barely choke it down. I tried Matrix protein powders; they were alright. Isopure protein drinks I thought were gross. I discovered Premier Protein's ready-made shakes, and it was a match made in heaven. I prefer them above all other brands that I've tried. I stocked up supplies before surgery--things like broth and sugar-free jello and whatnot. My surgeons mandated a two week clear liquid diet after surgery followed by two weeks of full liquids (add milk and creamy soups). So I was a month of liquids only. It was actually two months after surgery before my surgeons allow you to resume a normal unrestricted diet. They say that gives your stomach the optimal time to heal and your pouch to not stretch too quickly and for you to break bad eating habits, hahaha. I guess they were right, my weight loss went exceedingly well. If you have any other questions feel free to message me directly, reply to my comment here, or comment on one of my own posts. Any way, I'll try and respond ASAP! Good luck!!

good luck with your surgery