lsereno

Tigerlily, I'm so sorry to hear you may need to have your gallbladder removed. I have been afraid that would happen to me too! But many people on this forum have had to have their gallbladders removed after VSG and they are all doing well. Even one of our VSG success story stars, Tiffykins, has had her gallbladder removed, so if you have to have the operation, know that you are in good company! I'm not sure what's up with your weight loss. Ask your nutritionist and your doctor for their opinion. If you are not keeping a food, Water, and exercise journal, start one. They will need that info to evaluate what's going on with your weight loss. Best wishes for a speedy recovery if you do need to have your gallbladder removed! Lynda

Forensikchic, I love your idea! Not that I would say it. For me, I find that being nasty back just makes me feel worse. Although I enjoy daydreaming about sharp ripostes, I prefer to get away from icky people ASAP instead of engaging them on their own level. I haven't had anyone say anything really awful to my face about the surgery. The way I deal with totally rude people is to give a pat answer and ignore them. As a previous poster suggested, "My doctor and I agree that his is the best option for me." is enough. If they say anything else, I would feel comfortable telling them "I don't want to discuss it" and getting away from them ASAP. Don't let one naysayer affect your decision. You know in your heart what is best for you. Lynda

Amber, Congrats on your upcoming surgery. I hope you find this site as helpful and supportive as I have during my journey. There is already a thread with a ton of before and after photos at: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/14148-before-and-after-photos/ It can take a while to learn where everything is posted here. I have spent so much time digging through the site I've found many hidden gems of information. It has given me something to do besides eat and worry pre-op and something to concentrate on besides "How long is my recovery going to take!!" post-op The Search box in the top right corner of every page can be helpful. Be sure to select "Forums" to get results from all sections. Lynda

Put your broth in a pretty bowl and use a spoon to eat it. Add some spices or a little lemon juice to your broth. Take your Jello out of the that little clear cup and put it in a pretty dessert dish. Focus on the family, not the food. Celebrate the occasion, not the food. Remind yourself that this is just a few weeks recovery in exchange for a healthy life. Journal your feelings about missing food. Remember you are not alone! There are a lot of us on this journey with you. How lucky we are to have each other and this tool that can give us a healthy, happy life! Lynda

I'm ashamed to admit that when I was young, I didn't understand how anyone could be overweight. That was before I struggled with that issue, along with giving up cigarettes. For people who have never struggled with an addiction, I think it's very difficult for them to understand the issue. I do think as people grow older they should be better at being empathetic. I was in my teens when I didn't understand why people couldn't just stop doing something - eating, drinking, smoking. At 250 and 5'6", I know I did not suffer as much as many people have with weight issues, but I suffered enough to understand how it feels to be ignored, marginalized, and objectified. I've seen it and heard it. For WLS, I haven't come across much shock and disdain in my day to day life, but I don't pay much attention to people either. I bring up my surgery matter of factly and keep going. I really don't pay attention to how the other person takes my news. So at a restaurant, I don't notice if others are watching me. After I tell the waiter "Yes, the food was good. I can't eat much because I had weight loss surgery" I go back to my meal. I don't wait for a response from them. For strangers, I try for the shortest interaction that gets the info I want to share across. Sometimes people ask me details, and I am comfortable sharing (what kind, did insurance pay, how do you feel now, etc). Also, maybe when I tell someone who was posed to say something crappy that "I was afraid I was going to die!" they just don't have a good comeback! No one has said "Why didn't you just quit eating." I haven't had anyone be rude yet, but if I do run across that, I will deal with them as I deal with other rude people: I don't spend time trying to make them nicer unless I feel like it. I minimize our contact and leave them with their miserable selves ASAP. I have had a few friends and acquaintances that I cared enough about to spend time talking in more detail about my operation and some of them were fearful for me. But after I explained the relative safety of the operation vs. staying overweight, everyone was on board. Or if they weren't, they didn't discuss it with me anymore :-) I think the naysayers didn't want another long, drawn-out, earnest description from me again! There may be people talking behind my back about it and saying all kinds of mean stuff, but it's not affecting me. I'm 50 lbs. lighter and I feel so much better already! I have noticed some people treating me differently since I'm thinner. It tells me something about the kind of person they are, whether they are aware of it or not. Lynda

I'm so proud of you! The pre-op diet is so hard! I chewed gum when baking during my pre-op diet. Congrats to you! See you on the Losers' Bench soon- Lynda

Congrats Raine! NSVs are the best! I'm gonna go check and see if I have a triangle of light or not right now :-) Lynda

Hi all, I lost 3.5 lbs. this week! I've lost 50 lbs. since surgery! And my number starts with a new low: 16!!!! Tomorrow is my 4 month surgiversary. My appetite is returning a bit. Not strong like before the operation, but I do feel hunger before meal times. I started a new exercise class on Monday, but missed out on training Wednesday and Thursday due to a cold. This week, I am trading my Monday and Wednesday sessions with the trainer for the new exercise class. I did pretty well last week so I think I'm ready. The class is 1 hour so I will be gaining 1 hour per week of exercise time. My new exercise schedule will be: Monday, 5:30 p.m.: 1 hr. Cardio-Sculpt Class; Tuesday, 7:00 a.m., 45 minute neighborhood walking group; Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., 1 hr. Body Pump Class; Thursday, 7:00 a.m., 45 minute neighborhood walking group; Friday, 8:00 a.m., 1/2 hr. strength training with personal trainer; Saturday, 8:30 a.m., 1 hr. walking class in park. Halloween Goal: SW-177.............CW-173.1...............Halloween Goal-159 Sept 2: 175 Sept. 9: 173.1 Sept 16: 169.6 Sept 23: Sept 30: Oct 7: Oct 14: Oct 21: Oct 28: Halloween:

If you can't eat the food in the provided meals, then bring something small and easy to pack for your meal. That's not making a big deal of it.. Just whip yours out and eat when every one else does. That kind of stuff happens all the time. If anyone asks, you can just say "I'm on a really restrictive diet". Focus on the conversation not your food and all but the rudest people will follow your lead. If you go with baby food, you can pour it in a bowl or cup and spoon it from that. It will be much less noticeable than spooning it from the jar. You can also just have a canned Protein drink. If you are staying at a hotel, call ahead and see if they have refrigerators. If they don't have in-room refrigerators, you can tell them that you have a medical condition that requires you to eat a specific diet and you have some foods that must be refrigerated. That way you could also enjoy yogurt, cottage cheese or other soft foods that aren't shelf stable. Make sure you are getting your Fluid and protein in. Lynda

I am in normal sized clothing. I am not the fattest person in the room. I am off my blood pressure and cholesterol meds. I am not hungry all the time. I can bend over more easily. I can sit comfortably in all chairs and booths. People react to me differently now that I'm thinner. I am not scared every day that my fat is going to kill me. I feel like I can control my weight, not that my weight is controlling me. Lynda

Lydia, Congrats! You look fabulous and you've really rocked your sleeve to get to a 22 BMI and 150 lb.s gone in a year! Thank you for sharing your story- you are an inspiration to me. I'm so glad to hear you are not having trouble maintaining your weight. It's one of my biggest fears that I will regain weight. It's so good to know that for some people, that's not an issue. Lynda

You probably know best how to deal with your Mom. Moms are people too with their own weight issues, issues around being Moms, and issues around being human. If your Mom doesn't shape up, plan on someone else for support and don't bring up the surgery subject with her. When she brings it up, stick to your talking points. Here's what I would tell my Mom: "What does your primary doctor say? Does he recommend this? Yes, he does. It has the highest success rate for permanent weight loss. More than 80 percent of people who have lost weight with a diet regain all of it, or more, after two years. I worry because any kind of surgery has side effects. I do not feel like celebrating something that is unnatural. God gave you a stomach just the way it is and not to be cut in half." Being overweight causes so many health issues that having the surgery will improve my health. If we stuck with natural, we would be naked in a jungle eating raw fruit and berries. I want you to be happy. I did not realize that you were unhappy. So, you are saying that if you were thinner, you would be happy. I will be happier because I will be healthier. I'm looking forward to being able to be more active, feeling better, and shopping in any store I want. I want to fit in an airplane seat and tie my shoes without huffing. "I have had more heartache than anyone can imagine. It seems like I always have to be dealing with something or another. " This is my health. You don't have to deal with it Mom, I do. I know you love me and want what is best for me, but, believe me, this is what's best for me.

I gained weight to qualify for surgery. I don't think of it as fraud. I've been gaining weight for years, so I just sped up the process a bit and ate what I really wanted to eat for a couple of months. The night before weigh in, I ate a carb-heavy meal (pasta) and drank a lot of Water. The day of weigh in I wore heavier clothes (thicker jeans, socks, and winter-weight sweater). Every insurance company is different though. Some require you to be at a over a specific BMI for a specific period of time. Does yours or do you have to be that weight one recorded time? Are you actually enrolled in the medically supervised diet program now or could just weigh in again to begin the process? I do agree that six months will fly by, but if you do lose weight in the six months, will they give you surgery at your new, lower BMI? Best wishes on navigating the insurance process. The surgery is well worth it! Lynda

Congrats! What an amazing story-thanks for sharing it with us. I know you will be at goal in no time! Lynda

I agree with Kelly: I think you can succeed by returning to the basics: Dense Protein first and get your fluids in. Write down what you eat and drink, including the grams of protein. You should be shooting for at least 65 grams of protein and 64 oz. of Fluid per day. Try to get your protein from food and you won't have much room for the bad stuff. If you are not exercising, start. Even just walking more every day. Write down your exercise too. And don't be mean to yourself! Everyone falls off the wagon once and a while. The winners are the ones who climb back on! You are working on it or you wouldn't have asked for help. So besides doing the stuff that will get you back on track, set a mini goal and a reward for yourself. Maybe something when your number starts with 16? Or when you've gone all day without any bad carbs? For me, rewards and goals can be small or big- I like them all! Lynda

I drink right up to the time I eat, but I do wait 30 minutes after before drinking anything. Lynda

Congrats!!!!! I'm so glad you made it to your goal. You look so healthy and happy in your picture! I have just 37 more lbs to go to join you. I'll probably wake up not just hubby but also the neighbors when I hit goal! Thanks for sharing your success with us! Lynda

Congrats! It took me 3 months to get to the 170s, but my starting weight was 222. And we have the same goal weight! 135, here we come! 17 is such a good starting number. It just seems so much smaller than 18. Lynda

I am very matter-of-fact and I prefer to just be honest. I told all my family and friends about my surgery, and I mention it to strangers as appropriate, like at a restaurant when the waiter says "Didn't you like your food"? At 54, I was worried if I didn't tell family and friends, they would be concerned for my health when I suddenly began dropping weight with no explanation. I want to give people the chance to be supportive and caring. If they chose instead to be judgmental, I can let that negative stay with them. I really don't run into that much. I want people to know the option is out there, whatever they decide to do about it. I want to lessen the stigma associated with WLS. I don't want people worrying about what is wrong with me or the food they are serving. I want to be free to concentrate on healing and adjusting to my new live with my sleeve. Lynda

Hi all, I lost a little under 2 lbs. this week.1.1 more lbs. to go and I've lost 50 lbs. since surgery! I'm going to start a new exercise class this Sunday. Halloween Goal: SW-177.............CW-173.1...............Halloween Goal-159 Sept 2: 175 Sept. 9: 173.1 Sept 16: Sept 23: Sept 30: Oct 7: Oct 14: Oct 21: Oct 28: Halloween:

Hi Shrinking: You've come to the right place for experts in WLS success. I'm a little less than 4 months out, so I'm not dealing with the same issues you have at 1 year out, but I can relay advice I've seen the senior sleevers offer: Are you eating Protein first? Protein is filling and stays with you longer. Are you eating a lot of carbs? Many successful people here recommend low carbs and find that when they do eat more carbs, they are more hungry. I've seen guidelines between 30 and 60 grams per day. Have you considered that your hunger may be acid indigestion? You could try a PPI (Proton pump inhibitor) such as Prilosec. Your doctor may write you a prescription or you can buy over the counter. Are you drinking enough Water? This is an old trick I learned in Weight Watchers, but it's a goody: Sometimes when we think we are hungry, we are just thirsty. Are you tracking water and food intake? It's always a good starting place so you can truly know how much protein, carbs, calories, and fluids you are going through per day. Welcome to VerticalSleeveTalk! I love this community and I hope you will find it as supportive and helpful as I have. Lynda

I am hoping that exercise is releasing enough endorphins to make up for what I am missing from food. I'm exercising 6 days a week, not because I enjoy it but because I think it helps my health. I originally went with 5 days per week so I could get off the anti-depressant I had to start taking during perio-menopause (for those who don't want to look up what that it, it's when you body starts changing, but you're still having your period :-). I am afraid mostly of alcohol (I've always enjoyed it in moderation) and cigarettes (I gave them up years ago and some days one still sounds good). I'm old enough that I think other risky behaviors are behind me. I've either tried it and outgrown it, or it just didn't do it for me. Lynda

I eat and drink on a schedule and I have since surgery. It doesn't have to be exact, but I know what I need to do to hit my Protein and Fluid targets and I stick to that. Here's a typical day for me at almost 4 months: Sometime between 6 and 10 a.m., I get in my breakfast protein (yogurt smoothie - 16 grams protein). I try to eat lunch by 2 p.m. and get another 10-14 grams protein. dinner by 7:30 p.m. latest- prefer to eat by 6:30. I try to fit in two protein snacks: in the morning usually a soy latte and in the afternoon a cheese stick or something similar with 8-10 grams protein. If I'm having a bad day getting food in for whatever reason (missed a meal or the snacks), I have a protein drink. I'm supposed to have them at night, but I've swtiched to having it late afternoon because sometimes at night I just can't get one down. For fluids, I try to hit 5 cups by mid-afternoon (2-3 p.m). That leaves me the rest of the day and evening to get in the last 3. If I don't schedule stuff, I don't hit my mark. My appetite has not returned full force and it would be too easy to just keep going without eating. And def. I wouldn't hit the Water target. I stil don't like drinking so much, but I do it for my health. For example, here's my day so far today: 7:00: 1 cup water during morning walk 8:30 Breakfast of yogurt smoothie 10:00 Soy Latte 2:00 Cheese Stick (got busy and that's all I had time to eat) 5:00 Cup of unjury chicken Protein Planned dinner: 2 oz. mongolian beef with a little veg I've drank 6.5 cups of water so far at 6 p.m., so I'll get my fluids in today with probably 1/2 cup with my evening Vitamins and 1 cup sleepy time tea before bed. I expect to not have to work it so hard as the months go by. What's a few months in the scheme of the rest of our lives? Lynda Lynda

Boy, you brought back memories! When I first heard of the sleeve, I thought it was a sleeve around the stomach too! Google Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and you'll get lots of good info. Basically, it's called a sleeve because during the operation about 80% of your stomach is removed and the remainder is stapled along the side where they cut. You wind up with a sleeve-shaped stomach. Looks kinda like a long shirt sleeve. Lynda

I'm 10 days shy of 4 months out. I get 700-800 calories per day, 60 grams of Protein, and I suck down 64 oz. of Fluid. I work out 30-45 minutes 6 days per week. Lynda