lucill35

Well I didn't make my Labor Day goal (by 6lbs) and I have no one to blame but myself. I do consider it a success though that since surgery, I have lost 90+ lbs which is more than I have ever dreamed of losing. I feel like I have the eating stuff down but now need to work on the head stuff which I fear will be a lifelong struggle. I am going to consider where I want to be by Halloween and work on a plan for getting there. I love these challenges and feel like they work in keeping me accountable!! Thanks to Irene for spearheading these and I hope that once you make your goal (although you look FAB now) you will still be a part of the forum as you are an inspiration to many!!

When you donate clothes that are too big instead of too small

After an unprecedented almost 5 lb loss last week, I only manage to squeak out a loss of 1 lb this week. 4.6 lbs to goal, it looks like it's going to be a race to the finish!!

I don't know how I missed this earlier in the week as well as your post boobie surgery post!! You ROCK and again are an inspiration!!!

I told the anethesiologist before the surgery that I was a difficult stick, came close to passing out the one other time I had an IV, blood work is a struggle etc. He told me they give me a pill to relax me before taking me back to surgery and I wouldn't even know when they were sticking me. Well it must have been a struggle because I was bruised in several spots besides where the actual IV was but I have no recollection of any of it. Dr. Aceves was my doctor.

I've been all jacked up since having surgery. I haven't had a period in years due to depo-provera. 2 weeks after surgery my period is back...WTH??? I had it for a week, not for 2 weeks and then had it again for a week, then had a month off. After that month off, I have it for almost 3 months. Not much of a period, no cramps, just an annoyance but nonetheless, 3 months!! It finally stopped about 3 weeks ago, thank god! I haven't been to the doctor because I moved and can't get in as a new patient until October at the doctor I want to go to. I'm 44 so i'm sure some is perimenopausal related, some weight loss related, some depo related but it can stop at any time and I won't complain!!

I wasn't sure I was going to make this goal. I have let some bad habits sneak back in and felt like the scale was moving rather slowly since July 4th. I got a tattoo last week on my wrist, the japanese symbol for believe. To help me remember when I reach for something I don't need, that I can do this! This was a great week with 4.8 lb loss!!! I'm so close to onederland I can smell it!!! I believe in my sleeve and I believe in myself!!!

Slowly I turn....step by step....

I feel that weigh alot of the time myself. I don't get sick from eating but nothing sounds good. I think it is my head catching up with my stomach. After surgery I am not able to eat the way I used to in order to soothe myself. Sometimes I wonder what's the point of eating when I can only eat a few bites of something or if i eat something not on plan (ie; chips, candy) the guilt doesn't make it worth it so why bother? I think it is about finding a way to identify and positively replace what I used to get out of eating with something good. If anyone has any good ideas, please share!

Ohh my cpap!!! We have a love/hate relationship!!! I love that I am able to get a full night sleep after 2 years at least of not sleeping through the night. The biggest con for me is that it is a pain to haul along when I travel.....but I will say that the pro of sleeping through the night far outweighs the con! i've lost 85 lbs and think the pressure needs to be adjusted but i don't want to go back for another sleep study. i have been thinking about trying to sleep without it but haven't yet because again, even for one night the pro of sleeping through the night outweighs going without!! I did see a post on here that you can google instructions for adjusting the pressure yourself and i may see about doing that.

I can't answer your first question but regarding those nexium mups, I too thought they were horrible. Dr. Aceves said that I could dissolve them in liquid and take them that way. I couldn't wait until they were gone until i could start a regular pill!!! I feel your pain!!!

Surgery date 1/29/11...Loss to date 84 lbs!!!! I still have a ways to go but I FREAKIN' FEEL GREAT!!!!

It looks like I am going to be fighting this one right to the end...I WILL do this!!!

Today is my 6 month surgiversary, sleeved 1/29/11. As I thought about your question I remember how scared I was to have the surgery. After the surgery I had a very uneventful recovery. Minimally pain after surgery at the hospital and my biggest problem was that I felt like I was going to throw up right after the surgery but that was minimal and I was given nausea (sp??) medication for that. The most difficult part for me in the past 6 months has been reconciling what I can eat with what I want to eat and finding different ways to comfort myself during times of stress than eating. The head hunger to me is far worse than any surgical problems. Good luck to you!

Today I realized that I have lost more than half of what I had to lose but I better step it up if I want to reach my goal for this challenge. I'm either going to need to increase my exercise or decrease my calories.

pizza was one of my favorite foods pre-surgery. Since surgery I am not able to eat regular pizza because of the bulk of the crust. I found a recipe on lowcarbfriends.com and love it. Search in the recipe room for chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza i use the crust recipe to make a regular pizza as well. i also add a 1/4 cup of carbquick to make the crust a little sturdier as recommended in the recipe reviews. CRUST: 4 ounces cream cheese 2 eggs 1/3 cup cream 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend TOPPINGS: 1/2 cup Carb Options Alfredo Sauce 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped small 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 tomato, chopped (about 4 oz) 3-4 green onions, sliced 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend How To Prepare: Beat together cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add cream, parmesan cheese, and spices. Blend well. Add 2 c. shredded cheese and blend until combined. Pour mixture into a 10x15 jelly roll pan/baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Spread alfredo sauce over cooked crust. Top with 1 c. shredded cheese. Top evenly with chicken, bacon, tomatoes and onions. Top with remaining 1 c. shredded cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes or so until cheese it melted. Let rest for about 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. The crust isn\'t very sturdy, so it will need to be eaten with a fork. You can cut out the tomatoes and onions to save a little less than a half a carb per piece, but I think they add a lot more flavor. *I dice the raw chicken really small and cook it up in a skillet - super fast! I also use the pre-cooked bacon Number of Servings: 15 slices Carbs per serving - include all nutritional information if known: Per slice: 2.3g carbs, 200 calories, 15g fat, 15g Protein

I was having this same conversation with myself today after eating, stale honey roasted nuts because they were there and cocoa cola cake for the same reason. I am coming up on my 6 month surgiversary on 7/29 and have lost 82 lbs so I justify days like this to myself by saying "well i chose the sleeve because i don't think it's normal to think that i'm never going to eat cake or a chip again." hello, it's not normal to eat stale nuts just because they are there. i really need to look at why i am eating these things and what need it is meeting because ultimately i am only hurting myself and my progress. If anyone has the magic answer, I would LOVE to hear it :blink: !!

80 lbs in less than 6 months (surgeversary 1/29/11)!!!! Who would have thought??? Over halfway to my goal!!! I can't believe it!!!

Ok, I think I need to at least try it. I opened the door to carbs (mainly crackers) and now they are barging in and slowing me down. I just ordered a blackberry and am going to dowload the livestrong food tracking app so I will have no excuses....crossing my fingers.....

Not sure where you are in Indiana but there is a doctor in the Detroit area, Dr. Mark Pleatman who does sleeve surgeries for around $11,000 i believe. I am sure there are others on the board who know more about him but his name came up when I was doing my research.

I had my surgery done in Mexicali with Dr. Aceves at the end of January. They advised bringing my c-pap machine with me and i used it in the hospital even while coming out of recovery. I have used the machine nightly since the surgery and am wondering if I still need it but afraid to try sleeping without it. My power was out one night and I didn't sleep for beans that night but don't know if it was due to no c-pap or being hot, no power etc. I think my pressure needs to be adjusted as I am fairly gassy in the morning and think I may be getting too much air. But to answer your question, I was not restricted and was encouraged to use the c-pap from the beginning.

I'm back on track

I donated 20 pairs of pants today because they were TOO BIG!!!! That's never happened before

I missed your post the other day but saw it as I was going to post today. This has been a rough week and has made me realize the food demons are alive and kicking and I am really going to have to fight them. Yesterday was probably the worst eating day I have had since having surgery. I was going to skip posting today but realized that's what the old me would have done, the old "if it's not written down, it didn't happen or it's not true." The new me is going to own this gain, document it and move forward. I need to look at what caused the demons to come out of hiding and what I am going to do to fight them. Yesterday, I had a bad day of eating while at a training and once I got home, even though I felt like crap, I continued eating. No purpose, not hungry and even felt somewhat sick. I will do some soul searching and move on. My word for the upcoming week will be refocus.

I just wanted to say thank you! You are and have been such an inspiration to me as I travel on this journey. I don't know if you remember but you answered emails from me when I was just starting this journey and considering surgery with Dr. Aceves. You tell it like it is and I appreciate that. In your latest post you sound like you have found such peace with yourself and are ready to really live life without worrying about "will I gain or not lose like I should if I have a piece of bread?" One of the reasons I chose this surgery was because I don't think it's normal that I will never have a bagel, cake or ice cream again. Two bagels, cake in the plural or a 1/2 gallon of ice cream, probably not, but in moderation, definately. Thank you for starting the challenges so far this year! They have been a real motivator to me but most of all thank you for all the support you provide on this board!!