lsereno

Congrats Coops! Love the dress and that you resisted the late night snack. That's still so hard! Lynda

Yes, everyone heals differently and it doesn't reflect what your final restriction will be. Some people have less swelling or the swelling goes down faster and they can sip faster and eat a tiny bit more at first. You are going to do great! Lynda

Yes, everyone heals differently and it doesn't reflect what your final restriction will be. Some people have less swelling or the swelling goes down faster and they can sip faster and eat a tiny bit more at first. You are going to do great! Plus, you are more than a month out now, so drinking 3 oz. in less than 10 minutes sounds pretty normal. Lynda

I gained 16 lbs. from the IV fluids. I have only met one other person who gained more. I think they gained 17. At least you are protected from dehydration for a few days. Lynda

I've heard many say we should never eat over a cup of food at a time. And we need to know how many ounces of Protein we have eaten to know if we are on track for protein for the day, so I use a combination approach. Artymama, I believe you are just a few weeks out? So the most important thing now is to get enough protein. Measuring non-liquids by ounce or gram allows you to track exactly how much protein you are eating. Also measuring by weight gives the most accurate calorie count if you are tracking calories. Consider 1 cup of ice cream spooned into the cup vs. 1 cup of ice cream tightly packed. Or one cup of large chunks of chicken vs. one cup of finely diced chicken. For liquid foods, such as milk, a measuring cup should be as accurate as weight. Later, when you can eat more, you can measure other foods by volume to help maintain restriction. I'm two years out and I measure my protein by weight still and often measure other foods, such as vegetables and fruits by volume. For example, for lunch yesterday I had 2 oz. lean ground beef, 1/3 c. mixed veggies, and 1/3 c. brown rice. Lynda

Congrats and welcome to the Goalies' Bench! Hope you have been doing well lately. I haven't seen your posts in awhile. We have a new forum for vets and I post there mostly now. I do answer posts in other forums, but it's easier to find others who are further out from surgery in the Vets Forum. Lynda

I haven't met anyone who had NO baggy skin. How baggy your skin will be varies with: How much weight you have to lose and how long you were at that size How elastic your skin is How old you are I have seen everything from very little baggy skin to skin hanging in such large folds it causes problems with chaffing. Lynda

Yep. We've all been there at least once. When I had my bounce range set for 5 lbs I went to town on the junk food. Finally got back to goal and reset my bounce range to 2 lbs. Try writing a letter to yourself talking about your recent behavior and why you want to change. Sometimes when I do that I learn why I am doing that behaviour and it's easier to change. Lynda

I had slimies (foamie liquid) a few times when I first started solids before I quit trying to eat too much. Since then I have not vomited once in over two years. Lynda

You can eat more and a wider variety of foods, but plenty of people do continue to lose after the first year. I lost about 90 lbs post op and it took me 9 months. I could have lost it a little faster, but once I got to normal BMI about 6 months out it was the middle of the holiday season and I slacked off. Lynda

Six months and approval from my Dr. at my six month checkup. Lynda

I took a PPI for the first 6 months post-op and didn't notice any side effects when I stopped taking it. But everyone is different! Lynda

Maintenance mode. Weight: 134.9. I have had extra treats the last two days and my tummy feels it, so today is more healthy eating day. B: 1/2 c, soy milk, 3/4 c. cheerios, about an hour later 2 oz. lean ground beef S: 3 dried apricots L: 2 oz. lean ground beef, 1/3 c. brown rice/quinoa mix, 1/3 c. mixed green Beans, peppers, onions, eggplant, and butternut squash S: Decaf Soy Latte D: Not sure but lean Protein, 1/3 c. whole grain starch and 1/3 c. non starchy vegetable S: Under 200 calories. Maybe Fage 0 with splenda and blueberries

How much mayo? I stuck with no-fat or very low fat protein. Even in maintenance, I eat very low fat except for treats. I ate only a couple of bites of veggies with meals because I haf a hard time getting the protein in. But unless you are eating a lot of mayo and peas, it's probably just the dreaded three week stall. Lynda

Can't wait to see pics of the new little one! I know you will do great once baby gets here and your hormones settle back down. Lynda

Yeah, I gotta chime in on the title misdirect. And I'm scared to try any of the yummy Protein bars. I'm far enough out to get all my protein from my food. Lynda

Just found this sentence at the top of the forum when viewed from the website: This forum is dedicated to veteran Sleevers who are six or more months post-op, to discuss issues specific to those who are further along in their journey. You must have 100 posts in order to post here.

Thank you! The first weeks are the hardest. Just concentrate on getting your fluids and Protein in. I really relied on the Protein drinks early out. I do love the way I can eat now. I eat a small meal and I am full. I remember how pre-op, even if I ate healthy, I had to eat such a large quantity to feel full. Lynda

Stick to your guns. I generally ignore people who bug me because I don't want to prolong the drama. Lynda

First off, Swizzly at two years out if you're not a vet I don't know who is. If there are rules around who can post in the forum or what topics are OK, it should be a pinned post so we all know. I've seen so many ideas tossed around including: Six months out and 100 posts makes us a veteran Nine months out and 500 posts More than a year out. I think, bottom line, this forum is to discuss long term issues. For me, that includes getting to goal, regain, and maintaining. Long term strategies about what to eat in maintenance or for getting to/back to goal, exercise, and dealing with any health issues that occur long term (Vitamin deficiencies, bone loss, ulcers). Lynda And yes, at more than two years out and 15 months at goal, I do consider myself a Vet!

Yes! I had a hard time getting food down in the mornings. I often had a Protein shake for Breakfast or yogurt smoothie (greek yogurt, Water, splenda, splash of OJ and a couple of strawberries). I drank on a schedule because it was hard to get the water in. 6 a.m. Wake up: Before breakfast: 8 oz water (often as tea or decaf coffee) Breakfast around 8 a.m.: In smoothie: Protein Shake with 8 oz. water or water/soymilk mx By 10 am: 8 oz water By Noon: 8 oz. water By 3 pm: 8 oz. water By 5 pm: 8 oz water By 7 pm: 8 oz water By bedtime: Protein shake with 8 oz water or soymilk/water blend Leave glass of water on nightstand and sip when I wake up Lynda

I look deflated but I am! With more than 100 lbs. less of me, I do see baggy skin. Also, I'm closer to 60 than 50, so some of it is just age. Honestly, if I were in my 30s, I would consider plastic surgery, but at this point it is not worth it for me. I've looked at lots of pictures of people who have had plastics after WLS, and I am lucky that my skin has fared as well as it has. You will not see me in a bikini or short shorts or skirts and those cute little bras from Victoria's Secret don't look good on me, but I don't need to wear compression garments to wear a snug top and nothing hangs over in a fold anywhere. It has gotten better over the last year (I've been at goal for 15 months). Lynda Lynda

I got your spot ready! The nice thing about the goalies' bench is a lot of us fit in a small space because our butts are so small