lsereno

Goldy girl, so sorry he is not being supportive. It is not your fault you had complications. We all know it's a risk going in. I will be thinking of you Thursday and wishing you a speedy and uneventful recovery.
Lynda

So, almost 2.5 years at goal, it finally dawned on me that I need to move the seat up in the car. I've been stretching my leg to reach the pedal and hunching over to reach the steering wheel for more than 2.5 years. Yesterday, the lightbulb went off. With nearly 120 lbs. gone, I'm not so padded on the back side and I have to move the seat up to compensate. Doh! Much more comfortable driving now.
Lynda

The question is: Can you maintain the loss without the sleeve? For me, I couldn't lose weight period. I got under 200 using hypnosis, but even with weight watchers I struggled to get to 200 and my weight crept up again quickly. I had a raging hunger that I could not control. Over three years out and more than two years at goal and I have no regrets.
Lynda

Hi there,
It's such a thin line between losing, maintenance, and gaining. All vets (and at one year that's what you are) struggle at some point.
If you're not logging your food and weighing yourself daily, that's my number one trick for managing my weight post-op. After a couple of days of that, I can see where to cut back to lose or stop gaining.
Making myself cut back is hard. I help myself out by getting rid of foods that aren't in my plan, especially my favorite junk foods. Give them away or throw them away. Replace them low cal treats you can enjoy guilt free. For me, that includes fat free greek yogurt with splenda and fruit, no-cal drinks such as LIption's Diet Green Tea with Citrus, and raw veggies with dip made with greek yogurt. I also measure my food to get back on track. Both to make sure I'm getting enough Protein and to control carb creep (1 oz. of crackers creeps up to 2, then 3 ounces if I don't).
And I give myself no calorie treats for success, like a new lipstick, lotion, book, puzzle, or even a pay per view movie. It's just a little splurge, but it picks me up.
Also, I eat less if I track my fluids and make sure I'm getting 64 oz. per day.
At this point, to stave off hunger, it pretty much has to be Protein. Nothing else hits the spot the same way. Are you getting enough protein? I aim for 2-4 ounces per meal. Another thing that can masquerade as hunger is stomach acid. You might try taking prilosec and see if it makes a difference.
Bottom line, most everyone is working it to continue losing or to stay at goal after one year. Hang out here and commiserate with the rest of your people :-)
Lynda

Hi there,
It's such a thin line between losing, maintenance, and gaining. All vets (and at one year that's what you are) struggle at some point.
If you're not logging your food and weighing yourself daily, that's my number one trick for managing my weight post-op. After a couple of days of that, I can see where to cut back to lose or stop gaining.
Making myself cut back is hard. I help myself out by getting rid of foods that aren't in my plan, especially my favorite junk foods. Give them away or throw them away. Replace them low cal treats you can enjoy guilt free. For me, that includes fat free greek yogurt with splenda and fruit, no-cal drinks such as LIption's Diet Green Tea with Citrus, and raw veggies with dip made with greek yogurt. I also measure my food to get back on track. Both to make sure I'm getting enough Protein and to control carb creep (1 oz. of crackers creeps up to 2, then 3 ounces if I don't).
And I give myself no calorie treats for success, like a new lipstick, lotion, book, puzzle, or even a pay per view movie. It's just a little splurge, but it picks me up.
Also, I eat less if I track my fluids and make sure I'm getting 64 oz. per day.
At this point, to stave off hunger, it pretty much has to be Protein. Nothing else hits the spot the same way. Are you getting enough protein? I aim for 2-4 ounces per meal. Another thing that can masquerade as hunger is stomach acid. You might try taking prilosec and see if it makes a difference.
Bottom line, most everyone is working it to continue losing or to stay at goal after one year. Hang out here and commiserate with the rest of your people :-)
Lynda

Funny, but you know what they say about truth being stranger than fiction. Poop infusions are already done to treat "incur able" c diff infections with a very high success rate. I just finished reading Mary Roach's book, Gulp, which covers this and many other interesting factoids about our digestive system.
Lynda

Hi there,
It's such a thin line between losing, maintenance, and gaining. All vets (and at one year that's what you are) struggle at some point.
If you're not logging your food and weighing yourself daily, that's my number one trick for managing my weight post-op. After a couple of days of that, I can see where to cut back to lose or stop gaining.
Making myself cut back is hard. I help myself out by getting rid of foods that aren't in my plan, especially my favorite junk foods. Give them away or throw them away. Replace them low cal treats you can enjoy guilt free. For me, that includes fat free greek yogurt with splenda and fruit, no-cal drinks such as LIption's Diet Green Tea with Citrus, and raw veggies with dip made with greek yogurt. I also measure my food to get back on track. Both to make sure I'm getting enough Protein and to control carb creep (1 oz. of crackers creeps up to 2, then 3 ounces if I don't).
And I give myself no calorie treats for success, like a new lipstick, lotion, book, puzzle, or even a pay per view movie. It's just a little splurge, but it picks me up.
Also, I eat less if I track my fluids and make sure I'm getting 64 oz. per day.
At this point, to stave off hunger, it pretty much has to be Protein. Nothing else hits the spot the same way. Are you getting enough protein? I aim for 2-4 ounces per meal. Another thing that can masquerade as hunger is stomach acid. You might try taking prilosec and see if it makes a difference.
Bottom line, most everyone is working it to continue losing or to stay at goal after one year. Hang out here and commiserate with the rest of your people :-)
Lynda

Last week I went to my three year surgery follow up at Kaiser Fremont. It was a group appointment that took a couple of hours and included talks by our Bariatric Medical Doctor, Bariatric Psychologist, Bariatric Nutritionist, and Bariatric Surgeon. If you needed one on one appt, they scheduled those after. Kaiser does a great job with education. There were a lot of good handouts and good information shared. Some highlights: From the Surgeon: When people get a revision, weight loss is only around 10 lbs., which the surgeon credited to the liquid diet followed before and after surgery. He said they don’t know why there is not substantial weight loss with the revision surgery, but he theorized that whatever was reset during the first operation was a one time thing.
He also showed an image of stomach and how blood flow to the stomach is decreased with each operation. I hadn’t realized how many veins and arteries were connected to the part of our stomach that is removed. A lot!
The stomach can only stretch so much. It does not continue stretching once it gets to maximum capacity. People may think they are eating more at one time because the brain adapts.
Ulcer is leading cause of death in long term complications. Ulcers are caused by too much alcohol, smoking, and some drugs, including SSRIs, immunosuppressors and the usual suspects. Not spicy or acidic foods. From the medical doctor: Kaiser Vitamin recommendations have changed. For the latest, along with the latest Kaiser Bariatric Surgery Guidebook, see:
Iron in Ferrous Sulfate form can cause stomach upset, that’s why they recommend Ferrous Fulmanate or Ferrous Gluconate. Take with stool softener if needed.
Watch for birth control pill malabsorption.
For those that don’t like pills, she offered the following schedule: Morning: Wellese liquid Calcium or calcium citrate chews, multi with iron Evening: Wellese liquid calcium or calcium citrate chews, multi with iron Weekly: 5000 mg B12, 250 mg B1, Iron with Vitamin C Once per month: 50,000 iuVitamin D From the Psychologist: Tip for eating less: Do not put serving plates on table. People eat more then. Serve from kitchen so people don’t see extra food and have to get up to have a second helping.
Cross addiction is more common in year two than year one post op.
She had a whole list of books for us, but strongly recommended Mindess Eating by Brian Wansin.
She had a handout from AmiHungry.com for Mindful Eating After Bariatric Surgery. Download it here:
Water, etc. From the Nutritionist: Eat 20-25 grams of Protein per meal (70 grams per day). 3-5 planned meals per day, 1200-1500 calories per day, limit carbs to 30 per meal (15 carbs average in 1 starch, dairy or fruit).
Eat protein first, then up to ½ cup veggies, then carb such as whole grain, fruit or dairy.
Eat protein with any foods with higher sugar content. For example, have some cheese with grapes.

My sleeve is bigger. I can eat 4 oz. of a dense Protein and a very small potato at dinner. I definitely have sliders and can eat a lot of popcorn, crackers, or bread.
I think as time goes by you'll be able to eat more. I was able to eat more at 12 months, 18 months, 2 years, 2.5 years. But around 2. 5 years I maxed out. Capacity has not changed since then.
Lynda

Hi all,
Monday check in here. Weight is 145.2. Doing good on the fast day today. I'm hungry, but holding out for dinner. I had a light cheese stick with two slices of low fat ham at noon and 3/4 cup raw brocolli and tomatoes at 3 p.m. I've had 5 cups of fluids so far. 1 coffee, 1 Decaf, 1 Water and 2 sugar free hot apple cider mixes with sugar free caramel Syrup. For dinner, I'm having BBQ chicken,
I think I didn't lose last week because I overdid it on splurge days and had a little extra on Friday and Saturday too. I will be traveling this week. Next fast day will be Wednesday. I plan to clock in around 600 calories by eating a small dinner. Driving home Sunday, which will be my second fast day. Following week, I will not be fasting on Monday because that would be two days in a row and I'm going to a potluck luncheon that day.
Lynda

People who don't know about the WLS say "How do you stay so skinny?"
People who do know about the WLS say "You're so tiny!"
You squeeze behind seats, down crowded aisles and through barely opened doors.
You sit sideways in the chair that used to stick to you when you stood up.
You stay the same size so long, clothes actually wear out instead of you growing out of them.
You are comfortably full on a reasonable amount of food, even years after surgery.
Lynda

People who don't know about the WLS say "How do you stay so skinny?"
People who do know about the WLS say "You're so tiny!"
You squeeze behind seats, down crowded aisles and through barely opened doors.
You sit sideways in the chair that used to stick to you when you stood up.
You stay the same size so long, clothes actually wear out instead of you growing out of them.
You are comfortably full on a reasonable amount of food, even years after surgery.
Lynda

Hi all,
Just returned late Sunday from a trip to Palm Springs to visit family. I only did one fast day last week, but was careful most of the time and weight was 142.5 yesterday on my weigh in day. Very stressful week with lots of family drama.
I haven't fasted yet for this week and may skip. My mom and sis are here through Friday. I made a big pot of veggie Soup and bought a bag of mandarin oranges. I hope having those low cal treats around will help me at least stay the same weight this week.
Florinda: Great way to lose about 200 lbs of extra weight by kissing the boyfriend goodbye. He doesn't deserve you.
Sheryl: Congrats on three years!

The question is: Can you maintain the loss without the sleeve? For me, I couldn't lose weight period. I got under 200 using hypnosis, but even with weight watchers I struggled to get to 200 and my weight crept up again quickly. I had a raging hunger that I could not control. Over three years out and more than two years at goal and I have no regrets.
Lynda

Yes, I am 3.5 years out! Wahoo! I am struggling a bit after regaining some weight over the summer and slacking off over the recent holdiays. I'm 10 lbs. over goal. I'm still in the normal BMI range, but I'm trying 5:2 to get rid of the regain.
I'm also still wearing the same jeans, but with the extra pounds, they are snug!
Looking forward to getting back to goal. You can follow my progress on the 5:2 thread in the Vet's Forum. I'll be posting there every Monday with a weight check and report about the previous week.
I love life post-op. Still feeling great!
Lynda

Can you reframe eating better ad a present to yourself? For Christmas, I am giving myself the gift of losing x.
Get the crap out of the house. Stock up on healthy treats. Write a plan of what to eat the following day before you go to sleep. When you lay down to go to sleep, think over that plan and tell yourself you will choose to be healthy by eating on plan tomorrow.
You can't hate yourself thin. Listen to your self talk and tell yourself what you would tell your dearest friend if they were in the same boat.
Lynda

Hi all,
I'm hungry too. I put on eight lbs over the summer and it's not gone yet. I wanted to lose it before halloween, but just haven't buckled down and done what needs to be done. It concerns me because now my pants are tight and I have no wiggle room for Christmas holidays.
My husband thinks I look better, but I don't so I'm working towards getting back to goal. It's my Christmas present to myself. Was supposed to be my birthday present too. At least I've stopped gaining. Go away yummy lemon drop martini. Get out extra crackers between meals. Ugh.
l

No ideas. I did get more heartburn around 2.5 or 3 years and am back on Prilosec. But nothing as extreme as what you are experiencing. Interested to here what the doc says.
Lynda

Hi all,
I'm in! As you may know, I'm over goal a bit and looking to 5:2 to get me back to 135. So far, so good. I'm grateful to have this private place to vent a few things years out. I keep a nice calm profile in public posts because I never type anything I would be ashamed to let me grandmothers read, but here in private I may say a bit more.
Thank you for letting me join the group. Looking forward to participating in whatever we're discussing.
Lynda

Hi all,
I'm in! As you may know, I'm over goal a bit and looking to 5:2 to get me back to 135. So far, so good. I'm grateful to have this private place to vent a few things years out. I keep a nice calm profile in public posts because I never type anything I would be ashamed to let me grandmothers read, but here in private I may say a bit more.
Thank you for letting me join the group. Looking forward to participating in whatever we're discussing.
Lynda

Second fast day yesterday went well. I had a light cheese stick wrapped with two slices of low fat deli ham at 10:30 a.m. and 3/4 C. each mashed potatoes and hamburger gravy at 5:30 p.m. I felt a little hungry mid afternoon but I was so busy I forgot it was a fast day most of the time. I need to do a better job of getting in some veggies on fast days.
Today is splurge day. I'm hosting a cocktail party and cookie exchange tonight. I will eat some Snacks and some Cookies and have three cocktails. My other splurge day will be Sunday, when the kids come to watch football. I'll have snacks and two cocktails that day.
Friday and Saturday I will stick to a healthy plan with three meals and two healthy snacks.
Lynda

Second fast day yesterday went well. I had a light cheese stick wrapped with two slices of low fat deli ham at 10:30 a.m. and 3/4 C. each mashed potatoes and hamburger gravy at 5:30 p.m. I felt a little hungry mid afternoon but I was so busy I forgot it was a fast day most of the time. I need to do a better job of getting in some veggies on fast days.
Today is splurge day. I'm hosting a cocktail party and cookie exchange tonight. I will eat some Snacks and some Cookies and have three cocktails. My other splurge day will be Sunday, when the kids come to watch football. I'll have snacks and two cocktails that day.
Friday and Saturday I will stick to a healthy plan with three meals and two healthy snacks.
Lynda

HI Lisa,
I do like a homemade version of flavored coffees. I use Starbucks Via Decaf mix with hot soy milk and a splash of sugar free pumpkin Syrup.
Another seasonal flavor is I mix splenda, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and cinnamon in my non-fat plain greek yogurt.
Lynda

Hi Lisa,
I'm 3.5 years out. I've got a little off track over the summer and holidays and gained 10 lbs.
The key for me is healthy foods and limiting Snacks and treats. I have substitutes for high calorie favorites. For example:
PB2 mixed with Water and apple slices as dippers
Fat free, plain greek yogurt mixed with splenda and topped with frozen blueberries
sugar free hot cider mix with a splash of sugar free caramel Syrup
Hot Gingerbread Tea with Splenda
For Breakfast, I eat one small serving of whole grain, such as a 100% whole wheat muffin or 1/4 cup of oats cooked with 3/4 cup Water, and some Protein. Either greek yogurt or low fat turkey sausage.
For lunch, I often eat Soup. I am lazy and eat the canned Soups. I drain off some of the liquid and add extra veggies and meat.
For an afternoon snack, I have a little Protein such as a slice of ham rolled around a piece of string cheese.
For dinner, it's more whole grain, veggies, and protein.
After dinner snack is fruit or fruit and yogurt. Sometimes the PB2 and apples.
I'm thinking of you. If you're interested in trying the 5:2 plan, I'm checking in on that thread every Monday to report my weight and provide details of the previous week's eating.
Lynda

HI Lisa,
I do like a homemade version of flavored coffees. I use Starbucks Via Decaf mix with hot soy milk and a splash of sugar free pumpkin Syrup.
Another seasonal flavor is I mix splenda, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and cinnamon in my non-fat plain greek yogurt.
Lynda