PamelaAM

So I finally broke my 2 1/2 week stall as of this morning. I had actually gained 3 lbs from my low from a few weeks ago and couldn't figure out what I was doing. I looked at my food log from yesterday and realized I only ate 451 calories - yikes! Normally I get in around 800. Maybe it's just about changing "something" up a bit to get the pounds dropping again. I remember years ago when I was dieting, one place said that if you had a stall to eat nothing but either cantaloupe, bananas, or oranges (just pick one and eat only that) for three days. Worked every time. So maybe there is something to changing things up just a bit. And I actually had a few bites of ice cream last night too!

You look fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing your journey - it is such an inspiration to all of us!

That's interesting because I have experienced that same tightness on the left side right under my boob usually when I am sleeping and go to turn over. I can't see anything there and can't feel anything weird. Wasn't sure what was causing it. Don't know enough about anatomy to know what exactly is there. Same location that you describe. Anyone else?

In week 5 now and everything just keeps getting better! Can't wait to hit the 6 week mark to start trying some other foods though. So glad that I did this :-)

You are doing amazing! I had my surgery on a Monday and was in the hospital until Thursday afternoon! Good job!

A huge congratualtions! And how exciting about the clothes! There should be a better system in place for clothes sharing! I've already got a big box gathering of things that no longer fit! And as opposed to past "diets" when I always saved my "big" clothes just in case, now I want to get rid of them forever!

Hey Kristy! I found Day #14 to be MY magic day! Your on the other side now and it only gets better from there! Congrats!

Congratulations on your successes! I agree that this has been the best thing I have ever done for myself! It's quite amazing how empowering it is when food no longer rules your life! Keep up the good job! I am 4 weeks out today and haven't been able to do too much walking yet (had a really tough recovery) but we went to see some friends to the LA Rock & Roll Marathon yesterday and had to walk probably a mile to get back to our car and I did ok, so I think I will start getting some walking in now :-) Keep posting your successes! It is such an inspiration to the rest of us and especially to those who haven't been sleeved yet!

For me, the full feeling is as if I had eaten my pre-surgery amount of food. We just got back from going out to lunch and I ate one mozzarella stick and couldn't eat another thing - I was so full. And I commented to my husband that it is so cool to get that full feeling after eating so little. It was no problem to sit and watch him eat an entire meal and dessert because I surely didn't want any of it. In fact sometimes it's hard to imagine that I could ever eat that amount. And tomorrow is 4 weeks for me :-)

OMG! This happened to me too and I thought I was just going crazy! My vision has gotten really blurry since my surgery on Sept 27th and I have to use my reading glasses to read just about everything now. Before I hardly used them unless I was sitting down to read something lengthy like a novel or a contract. I hadn't seen anyone else post about this so thought it was just me.

Received an update from my doctor regarding these restaurant cards. They said that the reason that they stopped using them was because they really don't want people ordering from the kids menu because of the poor nutrional values of most items on kids menus. They recommended that you either order an appetizer or just order and ask for a to go box right away. I think we all knew to do that. She did say, however, that it wouldn't hurt to carry the card just in case anyone gives you a hard time. The cards don't really ask for the surgeon's signature, just their name.

Don't feel bad. I had lost 21 lbs in the first 10 days after surgery and as soon as I went on the mushies stage, not only have I not lost but I have gained two lbs that just don't seem to want to come off. I know I am doing everything right so I'm not worried about it. I know I will start losing again soon. And I am way beyond the "time of month" deal so it's not that. Just keep doing what you are doing and it will come off. You can't continue to eat only 700-800 lbs and not lose eventually.

Just noticed that the site doesn't even list "sleeves" - must be old information. But the info on the cards is accurate so I guess it doesn't matter.

http://www.gastric-bypass-guru.com/restaurant-card-bariatric-surgery.html Someone senmt me this site. You can print out a card to use when ordering at restaurants. It doesn't say that it requires your surgeon's signature - just has a line for his name etc. I sent it to my surgeon because he has mentioned he didn't know where to get them.

Here is it again: www.alternavites.com

I can't do chewable Vitamins. The chalky consistency gags me. So I have resorted to gummies and those do not have the minerals that we need. I just ran across this product and have requested samples to try. I am so excited that there is another option for those of us who can't do the chewables.

I am just going through my 4th week since my surgery. I was one of the ones that had a really difficult recovery for the first two weeks. But even while I was going through the awful time that I experienced, I never (well, maybe once) did the "what have I done to myself" thing. I kept remembering how many times over the past 40 years that I have lost the same 50 lbs only to regain it and then some. Being overweight isn't enjoyable, and it isn't healthy. My husband was concerned as well and I'm sure when he saw me go through the hell I went through for the first two weeks, he really questioned my sanity in having this done. But when I turned the corner on Day 14 and he saw me become my old self again he was relieved and knew that I had mnade the right decision. I'm down 34 lbs from my all time high, which was on the first day that I weighed in for orientation for my classes. I remember thinking to myself "how did I ever end up weighing so much? How did I let this happen?" I knew that day, was the last time I ever saw that weight on the scale again. It is really strange eating such small portions - but strange because we're not used to it. Just like everyone says, you get that same full feeling just after only a small amount of food. It's fabulous!!! And for me it is especially good because I never felt full before. So I would wait until my husband would say he was full and I would then stop eating. So lo and behold, I ended up weighing almost as much as him! Do you research. Talk to people on this board. Everyone is a wealth of information and I don't know how I would have gotten this far without the support of this board!

When I was so nauseous and light headed that I could hardly walk, when I went to my surgeon he told me to get some sugar and carbs into my body for a few days and boy, what a difference! I'm not suggesting you do that without talking to your doc but some people's bodies can't do without some carbs/sugar. I know that was the case with me.

So I made it today for lunch! It was my first experience running cauliflower through the Cuisinart and I was amazed at all of the things that I am now thinking I can do with that "riced" cauliflower - who knew? LOL! The pizza was great! Made a double batch so I will have it for another 7-8 meals :-) Don't think my family would be fooled thinking it was real pizza but for me it was great! Thanks so much for the great idea! Saw someone post about making fried "rice" with this too - that will be my next attempt!

What did your doctor say about only taking one week off of work? I'm not sure that is really realistic. I think there have been people who have done it and I would assume that their jobs did not require a ton of activity. The recovery is so different for everyone and I know that I was on the worst side of it so please don't judge by my experience but I also would hate for you to be stressing out about getting back to work when you are trying to recover. Please talk to your surgeon about it. And by the way, I am SO glad that I went through it all! SOOOO worth it! Best of luck to you :-)

I am so sorry for the loss of your aunt. So many times, the lessons that we receive from the things that we experience are the basis for our future growth and truly do make us all the better. After experiencing so many close losses myself now, I no longer hold back what I want and need to tell people . . . mostly those three little words that none of us use enough *I love you*. My hardest lesson was learned when a good friend who was dying asked me to come down on a Wednesday and I didn't think I could take off work so told her I would come on Saturday. She died on Friday and I never was able to tell her all the things I wanted to say or be there to comfort her as she lay dying. I've held on to that lesson ever since and it helps to guide me through my life. You journey is nothing short of amazing and you continue to be such an inspiration to all of the rest of us! Keep up the amazing work! Oh, and please share how you got such incredible arms!

Wishing you good luck and a speedy recovery!

I just want to say to all of you that this is the most inspiring thread of posts that I have ever seen on this board! The fact that everyone feels comfortable to be to open and honest really touched my heart. We all have our demons that we face every day. I was just sleeved 3 weeks ago and while I am eating around 750-800 calories a day, I still find myself calculating when I can eat again - even right after I have eaten and am so so full. It's weird. I am hoping that when I go back to work next week I will have more to keep my attention and I won't be focusing my day on food.

So today starts Week #4 and I have to say that I feel pretty darn good. Yesterday I got this huge burst of energy and was cleaning everything in the house - couldn't sit still. Of course, by late afternoon I crashed but I was amazed at how much energy I had! It really DOES get better! So excited!