Soon2BMiniMommy

Won't they turn into tiny little furry animals in my stomach?

Disgusting subject but once I hit puberty Constipation and I became intimate friends. The docs never had an explanation, just that it appeared my colon was too efficient and soaked up too much Water and made me, um, stuck. I've tried a few things, most have no effect or make me cramp really badly, have to go unexpectedly urgently and I was always afraid of getting hooked on OTC meds and making things worse.
Someone, can't remember who but god bless you whoever you are, suggested chia seeds as a way to keep from getting hungry. I started taking them, 2 teaspoons in a SF chocolate pudding at lunch and 2 teaspoons in a yogurt after dinner. And things have been moving better than they have since I was a kid. I do get a bit more gassy but the movements are firm yet soft enough to not hurt and I am regular like clock work. I am still taking 1/2 cap of Mirilax a day till I finish it , it has never really worked well for me and I hope when I stop it the chia seeds will still do their stuff.
The chia seeds a hygroscopic, meaning they adsorb a lot of water and swell up a lot. They are a little harder to digest so they tend to pass all the way or most of the way through the gut and a lot come out in the stools. This is what the Mirilax is supposed to do too but never really has for me. It's cheaper than Mirilax and seems to work better for me.
Give it a try. Get 'em at any health food stores or many well stocked grocery stores.

I obsessively update my tickers, my profile, My Fitness Pal, and another tracking app on my phone. I'm strung out on tracking!

Please - take a few minutes every once in a while to update your stats. I see posts everyday from people celebrating their success tht have little or no information filled out in their profile.
When I see someone has a surgery date near mine, I look to see what their loss is - to make sure I am about the same as others. Or when I read a persons' comments I like to see how far along they are in their journey and how much they have lost. I think I would take comments from a successful 1 year VSG'er a bit more seriously than someone that has not had their surgery yet.
Also things like your height also helps to understand if a post is written by someone that has a body type like mine - or from someone that is coming from a different perspective.
It just takes a few minutes and helps all of us. It is nothing to be embarrassed about - not on this site. We are a very unique group and understand that you have for years hidden hard numbers about your weight. And for a lot of subjects, it doesn't matter. It does not matter what your starting weight was for a post about workout tunes. But for many posts it helps others understand you and helps us all as a group.
Is it just me? Or do others feel this way too?

Any food that is not 'dense' and is nutritionally void. For instance, I can eat a HUGE (well, in sleeve standards) bowl of potato chips, Cheetos, popcorn, even donuts, but only a very small amount of chicken breast. So slider foods have a VERY HIGH caloric value, which is worse because we can eat more than other foods, and they don't stay in your tummy very long, making you feel full and satisfied like 'real food'. Hence, the name slider....they go down way too easy, and go through the tummy way to easy.
And, they're a very large danger to WLS patients because mentally we sometime still want to 'eat' or at least eat in quantity, and we can do that with slider foods, so it appeases the food addict in us. Many doctors/articles say its the number one reason WLS surgeries fail...we can 'eat through' our weight loss surgeries by eating and drinking sliders and gain our weight back. They are very dangerous...I know because I was stuck on them for quite some time and have not lost any weight in 6 months (especially Doritos and potato chips). Ugh.
Don't ever start with them, stay as far away as you can, or you may be like me and figure out, "Hmmmm, I can still eat these like before, and look, I can eat MORE".

Any food that is not 'dense' and is nutritionally void. For instance, I can eat a HUGE (well, in sleeve standards) bowl of potato chips, Cheetos, popcorn, even donuts, but only a very small amount of chicken breast. So slider foods have a VERY HIGH caloric value, which is worse because we can eat more than other foods, and they don't stay in your tummy very long, making you feel full and satisfied like 'real food'. Hence, the name slider....they go down way too easy, and go through the tummy way to easy.
And, they're a very large danger to WLS patients because mentally we sometime still want to 'eat' or at least eat in quantity, and we can do that with slider foods, so it appeases the food addict in us. Many doctors/articles say its the number one reason WLS surgeries fail...we can 'eat through' our weight loss surgeries by eating and drinking sliders and gain our weight back. They are very dangerous...I know because I was stuck on them for quite some time and have not lost any weight in 6 months (especially Doritos and potato chips). Ugh.
Don't ever start with them, stay as far away as you can, or you may be like me and figure out, "Hmmmm, I can still eat these like before, and look, I can eat MORE".

I hate to break this to you, but zero calorie spray butter is NOT zero calories! What you are dealing with is the ugly truth of the federal government and lobbyists. In truth anything that has .5g or less per serving can be listed as zero calories. That is why the serving size is only 1-5 sprays. The sad reality is that the entire bottle contains 900+ calories and 90 grams of fat!

Friend, we all wish you the best on your continuing journey. I've found my experience to be just the opposite of yours, typically people are very supportive and have some wonderful ideas, you've seemed to run aground in a different situation. That's a pity, more for this site than for you.
Again, the best of luck friend, we all do wish you well.
EDIT: Please use the REPORT button on the bottom of each post to report anyone truly being an a$$, I know the admins will hop right on it and take care of the situation.
Also, please remember you just had major surgery, your body is injured and your diet has drastically changed, it's bound change you mentally at least a little and perhaps left you a tad touchy, perhaps you are overreacting a little? Please don't take some peoples fun and trying to bring a little levity into the day as being mean. If you can find the posts that you object to then use the report button and let the admins decide.

I am one month out, and I am now canceling this account. I joined this site to find support from people that have lived in similar situations as myself. I have found many helpful people in that reguard, but mostly there are a lot of judmental people that reply to posts in counterproductive ways, that are usually boadering on mean. If someone posts on here asking for help, you should certainly give them some answers, but if you start your reply with "Why would you go against your doctor's orders" then you are an idiot. That isn't helpful. They know they are doing something wrong, or they wouldn't have posted for help. Instead, why not actually tell them something that can help them, which will most likely be in their doctor's orders. See then you are talking from your experiance (which is what they are asking for) and not telling them they are a horrible person for not following the rules.
You people on here that post those negative things that someone tried to pass as "tough love" need to understand the consequences of your actions. When someone is making mistakes, and post on here, chances are they are at a minimum down in the dumps, at worse they could be in full on depression. You don't talk down, or lecture a person in that state. You want to build them up, and make them feel like they are a part of a community that cares about them. Instead you make mean and hurtful posts, because in my opinion it makes you feel some how supieror to be able to tell someone else how bad they suck at this. If you think you are somehow helping them, you are off your rocker. You don't get to call yourself a supportive person if you are knocking someone down for making mistakes. These people need help and compassion, not for you to place yourself above them and to pass judment upon them.
The funniest thing about this to me, is that every single person on here joined this site, because we have an issue. We overeat, and have never had enough disciplne to lose the weight on our own. We all needed the help of the Sleeve to lose weight, none of us have done it on our own. But some still think it is ok to talk down to people that aren't doing as well as them. Well I guess in a group of fat people that makes you the best fatty around. Congrats on being better than the rest of us. If you really are that great and special though, you don't need help, so quit coming here and ruining it for newbies.
For the newbies that read this, keep in mind that the answers you want will probably be posted, but they take a little longer toget to, because the mean people seem to be on here the most and like to insult you, so they can feel better about themselves. There are more good poeple than bad here, but it i sometimes difficult to read through all the negative comments to get to the ones that are actually helpful. If you can do that, then this site can help you. Or if you are like me and the negativity is just too much, then leave and find another support group. There are other sites out there that don't have this happen nearly as often.

I now wat you meen, their. I hate it wen peaple misspeel words.

This is the rant and rave section so please don't flame me ...
Of all the words we use in this forum that are specific to being sleeved or common terms in weight-loss discussions, "lose" is probably the most often used.
To Lose - To be deprived of, or cease to have or retain.
Loose - Not firmly or tightly fixed in place.
It just drives me bonkers to see people constantly misspelling lose, "I can't wait to loose 100 lbs!" AAAARGH!!!! wrong. Clothes are loose, nuts and bolts are loose, a dog can get loose from his leash, but you LOSE weight, you will LOSE inches. It is called The Biggest LOSER, not the Biggest LOOSER. hello.

Every time I see magic bullet refered to I giggle. Where I come from we keep magic bullets in the bedside dresser not the kitchen
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If you're headed up to the Portland area, let me know. Perhaps we can grab a cup of tea if you need an ear.
I will keep you and your family in my thoughts.

OMG! I was just mentioning to my DH that I used to look at myself and think I looked like a fuller Jessica Simpson. Except, that I see now that I acutally look like Homer Simpson (what with my abdomen being all round and now being a pear-shaped instead of hourglass).

I LIVED on this in my pureed stage.....loved it!! It is soooo good! Now, later on, I add italian sausage or ground beef for even more protein/substance....it's from www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com. WONDERFUL website for recipes!!

This stuff is kind of ambiguous sometimes - the terminology - because a lot of it is just stuff that people made up. As people tend to use it around here, a stall is apparently any period of time during which the scale doesn't show decreasing weight. I've seen people say that yesterday they were 200 and today they're 200, and they're stalled.
I would define a stall as 4-6 weeks or longer with no change in weight or fat, up to maybe 8 weeks or so.
I would define a plateau as months with no change in weight or fat.
Not losing any weight for a day or five is NORMAL. People just seem to misspell it is "stall" a lot, I guess.

i'm going to put $10 per pound i lose in cash in an envelope: shopping spree as i need new clothes.

I've shared on this forum alchoholism is something I went to rehab for over 10 years ago and with the help of a 12 step program, I have been able to keep it at bay. I basically lost all of my friends from that time. One of them shared with me, the last time I was with them, that nobody feels comfortable around me anymore. He said I was like a mirror that, when put in front of their face, they see where they are and their struggles. They don't really want to confront their issues so it is easier if I wasn't around. They hated seeing how good I looked sober and dealing with the horrors in their closet wasn't something they were prepared to do at that time.
I totally could appreciate this and that was basically the last time I made contact with any of them. I also had to let it go so I could grow. In a way, they were also a mirror showing me what I once was and I knew to be like them surely meant death for me, so, I had to move on.
I can easily see how this could also be true in our circumstances.

I'm sorry Rootman- what did you say?
I was too busy staring at your picture. :wub:

I'm a chef, too. Am cooking ALL the time.....Cook a big ole' pot of homemade Soup or a white bean chili, then puree it with some sour cream and cheese. That's what I did....made a couple of Soups, then pureed them and 'drank' it out of a cup. Even chicken noodle, black bean, hell, Campbell's Bean with Bacon was good pureed when you're desperate for some flavor
Also did that with regular chili....just pureed the hell out of it. This is the worst stage...your body and mind just want to EAT because you know you can't. It's a real mental game....and a life-changer. I had a harder time than I thought I would for the first few weeks....I just wanted to EAT so bad.
But, six weeks to a few months down the road, you'll look back and realize it wasn't hard...you just have to get over the mental hurdle that we can't turn to food anymore when we're bored, tired, etc.

I'm home this week and watched Dr. Oz . He had a guest, Dr. Joel Furhman, who says that anyone can lose massive amounts of weight by just eating 90% "nutrient rich foods" (dark green, and all other non-starchy vegetables, berries, nuts, onions (?), and mushrooms (?)). There were several women guests who had followed his regimen - one lost 210 lbs, another 95, and I can't recall what the last one lost but they all looked amazing. Thing is... I'm torn! I'm upset that I don't get to try yet another diet (gosh, it REALLY looks like it would work and it seems so healthy) but on the other hand I am ecstatic that I DON'T get to try yet another diet!! hehehe ok, I'm feeling a little woozy
Come to think of it, I HAVE tried this diet and I DIDN'T lose any weight let alone massive amounts of weight. Oh, yeah, ok I remember now - I had to have 85% of my stomach removed to force me to not eat too much and THAT is why I am going to lose massive amounts of weight
This reality check is now concluded.
*beep*

We had a morbidly obese 11-yo when I was on my pediatrics rotation. She actually had a heart attack at the hospital, and she had a million other obesity-related health problems. We discussed having bariatric surgery do a consult on her, but I don't know if they did (wasn't my decision). It was weird to hear everyone talk about how it's such a drastic measure, etc. SHE'S 11 YEARS OLD, 300 LBS, AND JUST HAD A HEART ATTACK, PEOPLE. If that doesn't require drastic measures, then I don't know what does!

I go up and down with my capacity as my time of the month nears, too. I swear that darn sleeve relaxes when I have PMS!!
Look - half a sandwich and a hard boiled egg is NOTHING compared to what you would have eaten a year ago. I'm going to say something you might not like but I really want to help you. I think you're scared that you don't have the self control to eat "normally" and that you want the sleeve to do it all for you. On one hand, you're in luck. That sleeve might expand enough to fit a whole sandwich (sans crust, of course) but it's not going to fit a whole pizza or a value meal from McDonald's again. It's unlikely you're going to expand much at all from this point onward.
Part of this process is learning to eat normally. We need to view food as vital, as nourishing and as energy instead of as a source of comfort or something to feel guilty about. Around 18 months out I noticed an increased capacity (FINALLY!) and did the same thing - I freaked a little bit. But what was I freaked about? I was finally able to eat TWO eggs scrambled with cheese instead of only one. Big whoop!
You are not losing control. You are in control. There will come a point when you need to eat more in order to maintain your energy and your goal weight. Slowly learning how to do it without scaring yourself, losing control or seeing a gain on the scale is an important part of the process. This is what nobody talks about when they talk about surgery! Dealing with the mental aspect of the surgery is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Your stomach didn't make you overweight - something in your head did. Figure it out. Limiting yourself too severely because you're afraid eating will cause a gain is an eating disorder just as surely as overeating in the past was a disorder.
If you aren't already, track your calories. Sometimes I get a lot of comfort from seeing numbers in the same ballpark each day and knowing that I'm eating the right amount of food even when I feel like I'm overdoing things.
Good luck,
~Cheri

Yay!! Me too!! For a long time now! I am going to add everyone - my handle at MFP is shadowdlady. See you guys there!!

Oh my gosh! How perfect! I LOVE your boards....I also have a little boy, so I am repinning from you like mad, lol!!