purple tulip

I am happy with how far I've come and obviously am glad I am here instead of obese. However, I am constantly struggling to feel proud of accomplishing large weight loss because in my head I should have never been that large to begin with. So the shame of it often continues to overshadow my joy. Like when someone compliments me...I have a hard time just accepting it graciously. Like, why should I be complimented on "looking like a weight I should have already been?" It causes me anxiety to the point that I need to keep setting larger fitness goals (races, half marathons), so that I can feel proud of myself on this journey in some way, not just because I lost weight that I never should have been there in the first place. It's such a head game.

The other night my husband was waiting in the car for me outside a store and as I walked up to the car I noticed a puzzled look on his face. When I opened the door I asked what was wrong and he said, "Oh My God. I didn't know that was you walking up to the car!"

Thanks! I do follow eggface, but not skinnytaste, so I will check her out. Yesterday, I already had one of my family member sabbotagers (who also had a WLS, who is not doing as well with it) telling me all of the foodie plans she has for Thanksgiving and she was attempting to get me on board....This of course right after I had told her I went down another pant size... Ugh. It's so much easier to fight the fight with other people on the same page.

SleeveStalker- I started running in races a couple of months ago, so Thanksgiving morning I am going to run in a Turkey Trot so hopefully that will help with any additional calories that particular day. We will also be traveling for that week, so I'm going to pack a cooler just for myself filled with good things (if I have to haul diaper bags, sippy cups and Nintendo Ds's and all the other stuff that comes with kiddos, it's the least I can do to be prepared for myself too Then I think I'll find a few healthy festive recipes to make, so I can indulge a bit and not feel deprived either. And luckily, I have a couple family members that are health nuts and I'm thinking I need to stick closer to them and try to somewhat avoid the trap of those family members who tend to be my old "eating buddies" and sabotagers.....So that's my Thanksgiving plan...Christmas is a whole different story because the family I will be with then is less health conscious and they are food pusher...so I'll have to regroup and be very prepared to hold my own for that one What are you doing to prepare? Any other ideas?

I only told my closest people. However, I eventually went ahead and told an extended family member, who I thought would benefit. Should have kept it to myself because that person has now broken my confidence and the whole extended fam knows. It's just not necessary for everyone to know personal/medical information. I'm a rather private person so I am quite disappointed.

68lbs in 7 months with some serious stalls mixed in there. I'm happy with the progress.

tntransplant06 and notsolittlemermaid-----I beleive you may be my new best friends on VST I'm going to the store right now and getting some to try it out! In all of my years of obsessing, working so hard, researching, brainstorming with other friends with the same issues, this is one thing I never thought of since I had none of the other symptoms. Thanks so much! I'll let you know how it goes

@Purple Tulip...yes, Prevacid is over the counter, even better yet, you can get it in generic. I just got mine at Walgreen's. It was on sale. $19.99 for 42 pills w/ a $6 cash register reward. I turned around and used that $6 reward to buy another 42 pills. I didn't feel heartburn or acid, at least, I interpreted my hunger pains to be hunger pains, but maybe it was really acid?? I don't know. I don't care--it works! I take one pill in the morning.

Is Prevacid over the counter or prescription? And do you take it everyday and is it healthy to use long term? I don't really feel heartburn, acid reflux type symptoms, just the hunger. Is that how you felt?m ...Well, periodically I guess I have felt reflux, since surgery...just not real regularly. Humm....

I wanted to add that I, too, started using Prevacid a few days ago and the hunger is gone. I had the never ceasing pain of hunger. I started taking the Prevacid and the constant hunger is gone. I now get hungry at what I deem to be appropriate times. Hungry when I wake up, take a pill, eat an hour later. Hunger is gone until lunch time. I eat a snack around 3 and then dinner at 5. A snack at night. NO HUNGER. I hope this medicine continues to work this way. It makes me wonder if all that time before surgery, for my WHOLE FAT LIFE, was it just acid?? Matters not, I guess, as long as it's working now.

Actually, Old Navy has a descent line of compression gear at really inexpensive prices. Just stocked up.

I'm training for a 1/2 marathon in February and I had to stop training for a couple months due to an ankle issue. Now I'm slowly getting back at it ( I hope I'm not starting from the beginning again).

My issue is that I must have lost a bunch of inches in my legs because now when I run, they painfully flop around with extra skin!!! I'm kinda scared because I really need to get moving again!!!

I got to thinking about the compression shorts. Anybody used them for running purposes? Or anybody have any ideas that may help me out?

I have thought about that and have played around with caloric intake, carb intake, Proteins, etc. and I do know that I don't loose when I eat to the point of satiety...(and I mean satiety, not that overfull feeling) I also know that I have to stay away from all refined carbs and sugs if I want to decrease my cravings. I'm almost 7 months out and I'd say since about 2 months out I've had to really work hard for every lb lost and I tend to loose slowly. I really should probably go see a dietitian too, but unfortunately our program's dietitian relocated and we've been w/out for a couple of months...I should probably check back into that. Thanks for the thought!

Please know I have not had surgery, but this popped out at me.

Since the calories in and calories out "thing" is not an exact science and our bodies are different, I wonder if your body is STILL not satisfied with the amount and/or the quality of food you are feeding it. Just a thought.

I completely understand what you are saying as I too have unfortunately not lost as much of the insatiable hunger as I was hoping for....It's definitely better than before, but not great. I think everyone is so uniquely different with varying body systems. I've worked really hard to differentiate between head hunger and true hunger. I can say that I am clearly physically still hungry most of the time when I eat within the caloric range that is recommended. I exercise very intensely and very regularly and adjust my caloric needs accordingly to the recommendations and follow all of the rules. I just don't think it works "as well" for some people. I don't know what else I could possibly do at this point. If you gain any new info or insight please share!

I have almost the exact same stats as you. I am about the same time frame out from surg and loose the exact same way.....I also am stalled and frustrated. Though I haven't considered filleting myself yet I have been trying to reflect on if there is anything else I could do differently. I was stalled for quite awhile and I sort of became discouraged to the point where I started to let myself slide a bit....almost that old self- sabotage behavior (though not nearly has bad) This of course has really made be me stall even longer and thrown me off track for the past month and a half. It is time to regroup and go more hardcore towards this goal. It's ok...We can do this. Just stay focused (try not to derail like I sort of did for a bit) and the weight will eventually come off.

I'm trying not to worry about it. It can't be over, right? I guess I'd be happy if that was all I got but I was sort of hoping to get to my high school weight with this. One thing I will say is that I am so much more interested in exercising than I was six months ago. Six months ago not only did I not see the point, I felt like I could barely walk across the street. I guess we gotta take our positives where we get them...

So happy for you. I have never been below my hubby and I was making my way toward his number when he randomly decided to loose at little too. He's that man that barely changes anything and can still eat junk and drop 30 lbs w/ no problem....So he did. He beat me back to onederland. I'm happy for him because I of course want him to be his healthiest too, but gosh darnit...I was so close...Oh, well in 2-3 month I'll hopefully pass him for good

Just wondering how everyone is doing? Is anyone feeling real physical hunger?...I am not nearly as satisfied with the small amounts of food anymore. I REALLY have to watch what I am eating and even then still feel hungry. I hate feeling hungry and I'm scared that I will completely stop loosing or worse gain back. I'm exercising a lot, but the scale is not moving much now.I think my body got use to a certain # of calories and now having to adjust down again is hard because again I'm hungry!

That is interesting because I have been on a prescribed Water pill for 4+ months because I had some crazy water retention after surgery..Like 20lbs worth. I just went back to the surgeon for follow up and told him I had been getting cramps in my calves and asked if I could be deficient in potassium and he said he highly doubted it....Hummmm?...He did run blood work to make sure everything looked good and I guess it was normal because I didn't get a call. He did tell me at that appt that he'd like me to start weaning of of it. Can you tell me your dosage or how long you took it?

With all of the conflicting information given I am wondering what you have all been told about really using the first 6 months after surgery to loose as much as possible? Of course, we all have surgery with a goal in mind, but is there a medical/physical reason one should push so hard during that 1st six months post op or is it more for mental adjustment? What are your thoughts?

I completely understand your struggle. I am the same length out from surgery and have found that even the smallest amount of the sweets/ carbs/junk all make me want and crave them so much more. It's a difficult pattern to get out of and harder than one might think. So I have to gear myself up to be prepared to fight those craving for a few days until it's out of my system and the craving then seem to decrease. Good Luck

Im about 4 months out. I was doing very good. Then I wasnt...I was only eating about once a day. Losing weight though. I was told I needed to eat more, and now I can't seem to stop! I eat a lot. And I do get full faster but not like I think I should be. And Im having such a hard time staying away from sweets!

I just needed to vent and maybe get some advice.

Thank you

I have had a very similar experience and I totally agree with you

I regretted the hell out of having mutilated my body several times since having surgery almost 12 weeks ago. It wasn't because of physical discomfort - most all surgeries bring some level of pain during the recovery period which eventually passes. My regret was not being able to eat all the yummy foods that I have always enjoyed which, in turn, brings me pleasure. The worst was immediately after surgery when I was on clears and then full liquids. I had to face the fact that although I had denied it, I was indeed a food addict, or at the very least, a sugar/carb addict.

I allowed myself a brief mourning period and then got over the sadness I felt over never again being able to enjoy the buffet at Golden Corral or my favorite Chinese place. After all, it's just food. How stupid is it that I would sacrifice my health and improved physical appearance over some stupid fried rice that would only bring momentary pleasure to my taste buds? Personally, being down 73lbs from my highest weight ever FAR outweighs my being able to eat at a buffet. It's. Just. Food.

I can still eat most of the foods I enjoyed before surgery, just not in the same quantities. Instead of 2 cups of fried rice I eat 1/2 cup. I can eat 2 crab wontons instead of 10. And I can eat 4 or 5 french fries instead of an entire super-sized order. Every now & then, my head wants more even though my stomach says I'm done. My inner 3 year old self wants to stomp and cry and do a 'take back' on the surgery so I can eat more. Fortunately, my sleeve keeps me in check until I regain my senses and put my big girl panties back on.

I have lunch with friends often, starting when I was just a week out and had to bring a bowl of broth with me to the restaurant. Yeah, I felt like an oddball then but now I just eat like a skinny person! I wouldn't give up my sleeve for all the tea in China 'cause I would have never been able to control my appetite enough to keep the weight off without it.

A few days into it I did have the fleeting thought of "What the hell did I do?!" With that being said, I got over it quickly as I healed and realized what living with the sleeve would really be like and I love it. I am not quite 4 months out and I have ZERO regret now. I can eat anything I want, but in small portions. I eat like a thin person, which requires healthy choices, but I do have the option of eating any of my old favs. I think if one has mental health issues that need to be addressed and have used food as a coping mechanism than they may find the post op life more difficult. However, as a bulk eater, not an emotional eater, I could not be happier with my decision. Best of luck to you because I know on that side of the fence it seems so scary, but once you get on this side I would be willing to bet my house that you'll be ecstatic with having the surgery

When something goes well for us, we tend to become evangelists about it. I am going to a "seminar" about VSG tomorrow, though... and I want to know if anyone here wishes they hadn't had the surgery.

Thanks.

Hi There. I don't know how I missed this forum, but I am a March sleever too and am down 50lbs. I'm a slower looser according to my surgeon, but I feel great with my progress. I'm exercising very regularly when life doesn't throw me curve balls. Still trying to figure out how to make exercise a priority when other big life events/crisis, etc distract from the weight-loss health goals and my "normal" routines. I think learning to live with this is a real process that will only come with time. I'm getting a lot of compliments lately, which I've never been good with accepting. So I'm trying to navigate my way through that and learn to be gracious and not cut a joke about it. It's almost like I don't want people to notice because I'm so self conscious about it. Does that make sense? So those area the things I'm currently working on in this journey, but I'm absolutely happy and confident I made the right decision to have this surgery!

Sorry, I'm only 2.5 months out and so I don't have a real answer yet. However, I will be really excited to get to that stage if it is real. I'm 40lbs down now and my Dr. says I'm one of his slowest loosing patients Oh, well....Give my skin a chance to bounce back a bit I guess He did say sort of the same thing your Dr. did though. So we shall see. Please let us know if you start seeing a change and an increase!

I am a slow loser, keeping around 2-3 pounds each week. My doc told me I will enter the "honeymoon" stage with my sleeve in the 3- 6 month post op time frame and that is when I should see the most weight loss. I am not seeing it yet and I am approaching the 5 month mark.

Has anyone else experience higher weight loss during this time frame or have any thoughts on this?

That's fantastic It always seems much less dramatic after the problem is resolved, doesn't it?! :Pha,ha..

It was definitely Water weight. My surgeon gave me the refill for my blood pressure prescription last month and he did not add the Water pill component that I was on prior. I went to my PCP and she said I definitely have to have the water pill or I will definitely retain water. So I have lost all of my water weight plus 3 pounds. Im back on the losing end.

That sounds just about right. At 3 weeks, I think I was getting from 300 to 600 cals/ day.

Ladies, Im 3 weeks out, what do yo u think i should be getting? Just started mushies, probably getting about 500 a day, too much? Finding it hard to get the heavy Protein in mushy form, drinking lots of think Soups.< /p>

I am 6 weeks post op and I can completely eat whatever I want and it all goes down fine. I still love the taste and smell of food. I do periodically have head hunger, but that is subsiding as time passes. It was fierce at first,so I'm glad that is going away! I absolutely need to make good food choices and follow the rules otherwise I could definitely see how this could fail. With that said, I absolutely do not have the insatiable appetite that I had pre-op, which is all I really need to be successful at this.

I'm 6 weeks out too and my Dr. just reinforced to me that I should be getting at least 1000cal/day to keep my metabolism going. I thought that sounded high. He said not to be too worried about cals, because if I was following the rules that I wouldn't be able to get in too many cals anyway. My prob was that I was holding onto tons of Water weight because I wasn't getting enough cals. Now that I'm getting around 900/day I am dropping quicker again.

Hi, fellow sleevers!! I just had a quick question! I'm 6 weeks post op and was wondering how many calories I should be taking in at this point? I'm getting anywhere from 800 to 1000 calories a day....is that good? Is it too much? I just didn't get much direction on calories....just that I should get a minimum of 60g of Protein a day from my dr's office. Thanks a bunch!!!