Writergirl

I think if you don't tell the people you hang out with, they'll feel pretty betrayed and hurt when they do find out (and they eventually will). I told my family and close friends before surgery. Didn't want to tell a ton of people because I wasn't confident I'd actually go through with it, and I was also worried I'd fail, just like I failed at every other attempt. But now, it seems EVERYONE knows. I love when people know but they try not to let on that they know. I'm not hiding it. But when people ask how I'm doing, I Do lt them know the weight isn't "melting off" (the perception out there!) and that I've had to change every one of my bad habits, exercise, and make healthy choices to succeed. I've gotten nothing but respect and admiration from people. Not one single negative comment during the entire process! I hope you experience the same level of love, encouragement and support I did!

That was such a fantastic moment for me, too! Congatulations on your huge milestone!!!!! I can feel your happiness!

Go to Starbucks and order a quad espresso to go. Put 1/4 of the espresso, ice, regular chilled coffee (if desired), water, a shot of Torani chocolate syrup, and chocolate protein powder (I use GNC soy) in the bullet. Blend. This makes a fantastic homemade mocha frappachino with the Starbucks taste because it has their espresso in it! Refrigerate the rest for use the next few days. Also, to make it extra special, I'll sometimes add some Torani coconut syrup and top it with 2T of Reddi Whip whipped cream (only 15 calories extra!). The caffeine in this also gives me a nice little pick-me-up.

I agree that it depends on how far out you are. I think the 4 meatballs sounds like a lot, even for small ones. I remember I could eat 1 1/2 mini meatballs a couple of months out. Now I could maybe eat 3, at 5 months. But on the whole, I don't think you're eating that much. However... may I offer some unsolicited advice? Please don't be offended... this is just something to think about. I note that about 3/4 of your calories come from "sweets." I, too, have done Atkins products when I've been craving sweets. However, I think that at a certain point what you eat is going to be just as important as how much you eat. I personally have had to work on eliminating the regular sweets from my life. I cut out the Atkins breakfast products and "protein" bars because I worry that a year from now it will be a very easy slide from a sweet breakfast bar to a donut, from an Atkins bar to a candy bar. Snacks I've come to enjoy include hummus, peanut butter (in small amounts), fruit, and a little veggie dip with celery. Once a week I'll have an Atkins bar while watching a movie. I only mention this because I truly believe that, for me at least, changing the habits that got me into this place (and sweets for breakfast was a lifetime habit), is going to be essential to long-term success. Every day I work on changing my bad habits. Ok... I know this was a lot more than you asked for. (And I'm not perfect, by any means!) Just wanted to mention it in case you haven't thought in these terms!

That's great! At 5 months I TRY to stay at 800-900, but it's really easy for me to hit 1200 now. Unfortunately, I don't lose at 1200. Never have.

Thank you so much!

I'm constantly inspired by people on this board, and it means a lot to think that I might help someone else! Thanks for letting me know!

It just hit me today that I am no longer an emotional eater. Today, I learned that my sister and best friend in the world is going onto the heart transplant list--IF they consider her to be a good candidate for surviving it. She is beautiful--the picture of health and fitness--but chemo in her 20's destroyed her heart valves and she's been struggling with congestive heart failure. However, I realied this evening that for the first time in my life, I didn't even consider eating to ease my pain and worry. Amazing. What is different?? I got to my highest weight by eating every time I had an emotion, be it anger, sadness, or even excitement and happiness. I've worked on awareness of this for a few years now. When I would get upset about something, I would automatically walk to the pantry or fridge. But instead of just grabbing something, I would say, "If you eat this, you'll have two problems instead of one," and then I would force myself to just feel my feeling and walk away from the food. Last weekend my husband made me so mad, I got out my boxing exercise DVD at 1 a.m. and pictured his face every time I threw a punch! But tonight, I made the connection that even as mad as I was I didn't turn to food to feel better. I'm really thrilled about this. If I can stop eating for emotional reasons, I truly believe anyone can. It will take practice and a willingness to actually FEEL things rather than just drug yourself with food, but it can be done. Thanks for letting me share. Please pray for my sister. She's an amazing woman.

Congratulations on your amazing success!!

I gave a lot of thought as to what my "authentic" life is. Is it just eating? Or is it actually getting out there and living? I chose life. Also, I have Barrett's and my surgeon did NOT want to sleeve me. He wanted me to have a bypass. I finally got my gastro doc and surgeon to talk. My gastro really didn't want me to have the bypass. He said that the issue isn't reflux, it's ACID, and that I can control that with meds. He said he treats so many people with lifelong complications from the bypass, but none with complications from the sleeve. Since I was sleeved, I've had some acid, but no more than before. I'll know the "official" story when I go for a follow-up endoscopy with the gastro in August. I'd be interested in what your doctors recommend, if you wouldn't mind keeping me posted!

My hair is falling out at an incredible rate. I'm at 5 months, and I have faithfully taken protein and vitamins. It's looking really bad. I'm feelin pretty down about it. I really don't want to wear a wig in 97 degree weather.

Wow... I'm 4 1/2 months out and have lost 57 since the actual surgery (but 102, total). I set a goal of 10 pounds per month, and have met that except for this month. I hit the 100 pound mark and immediately stalled. But that's ok! Better than stalling at 99!! So I think you're doing REALLY well! To answer your question, I'm eating between 800 and 1300 calories a day. I hate that I can so easily consume 1300 calories, even when eating well. However, I found that when I ate about the same amount each day, I just stopped losing, even at 800. So now I do 800 about 3 days a week, around 1000 to 1100 3 days a week, and about 1300 one day (usually when we eat out and I'm getting more calorie-dense foods). I can eat half to one cup of food at a time now, depending on what it is. I'm now actively working on not eating until I'm full, because I don't want to ever eat more than this. It's hard. Really hard. I have bad joints and can't exercise much, but I try to swim every other day and I've just added a resistance band/stability ball routine on the other days. I wouldn't worry about where you are. Just ask yourself if you're doing your best, and if you are, then that's where you're supposed to be!

Hi, Steven! We are practically neighbors! I was sleeved by Dr. Halmi on 1/24/12. The whole experience there was fantastic! I know you're still going through a lot of changes now. It gets easier and more exciting as you go along. Sounds like you have a good attitude, and that's the most important factor in success!

I had no idea this could happen. I wonder if, with our limited capacity for stomach stretch, this could even happen more EASILY to us!! I just ate half a Weight Watchers 200 calorie breakfast, quit when I was full, and now all I can feel is my esophagus!!!

LOL! I, too, find myself contemplating crazy diets to speed things up. And then I know I don't need to. What a relief!

Be at peace. Do not agonize. I've read so many stories on here, I've come to the conclusion that there is no "normal." I think it's wonderful that you are down 38 pounds in a short time. You're averaging 8 pounds a month--about what I'm doing. You would have been THRILLED to lose 8 pounds a month consistently prior to surgery. I spent some time comparing myself to others in the beginning, then I compared what I was doing with what I HAD been doing (when my loss slowed). Now, I weigh myself every day and whatever the scale says, I accept as a normal part of the process. Every day I DO ask myself if I can do better than the day before. If the answer is yes, I try to improve. If the answer is no, then I know that my body is just going to do what it's doing to do. Over time, you will come to be in a great place. Your friend may slow just as you speed up. Any comparison you make will probably just leave you unhappy. So just go with the flow! You'll see those lost pounds add up!

OMG, the final indignity. I can only imagine how her poor family felt. What a legacy. This reminded me of the Gilbert Grape movie.

Well, thank God something is being done on the repair side of things at this point. Your journey is more complicated than most, but you will get there in time. There are a lot of things you can do in the meantime that will put you in a GREAT place when you are sleeved. I am working to change lifelong habits such as snacking, eating tll stuffed, making poor choices, avoiding the call of the drive-thru window. I was thinking today about how if I had only addressed these issues beforehand, I might not have even needed surgery! I know you probably don't want to hear this stuff right now. You do have my utmost sympathy. What a disappointment. Hang in there...

OMG, you poor thing!! The first month or so can be very rough. I know how hard it can be to get in liquids. My suggestion would be to worry less about food right now and more about liquids. Maybe try to get in two Protein drinks per day, plus Vitamins, and as much Water as you can tolerate. Give your stomach a rest. If you can't tolerate whey protein, try soy protein. GNC makes one that's pretty good, and believe me, I tried and couldn't handle about a dozen before I found that. A lot of people are severely lactose intolerant after the surgery (including me) and the whey protein can be a real problem. If you're dehydrated, it will effect EVERYTHING!! Weight loss, energy, digestion... it all is impacted by water. As for your eyes, all I can do is offer sympathy and hugs. Just take one day at at time. It's going to get a lot better in the next few weeks.

I had major trouble with Protein in the beginning. My nut told me to try different brands to see what would work, as long as it had 18 out of 20 amino acids. Finally figured out whey protein was making me really sick. I now drink GNC soy protein. I like the chocolate mixed with Water and will sometimes add torani coconut syrup. On weekends I'll throw it together with coffee, ice, and some whipped cream, blend it in the Bullet, and it's my version of mocha frappacino!! My advice is to not stress out about it too much during the first couple of weeks, but keep trying things till you hit on something that will work. Not sure there's a magic pill out there, but if you find one, let me know!!

I think it's normal to have cravings while on liquids because at this point your body is essentiall starving and your brain is trying everything to try to get you to eat. Thanks for the nice overview of cravings. I'm learning to deal with evening snacking, and make myself think of many of those things. Tonight, for example, I really wanted to snack after dinner. When I looked at MyFitnessPal, I realized I hadn't had enough Protein today. I had half a Protein Drink and my cravings were gone! There's an old weight loss saying that comes to mind often for me... "If you aren't hungry, food won't fix it." Hang in there!

Yes. Get yourself to a therapist who works with bariatric patients or addictions, or go to a support group. I'm not normally depressed, but I swore that after this surgery I would do whatever it takes to be ok. I've had about 4 visits with a therapist and 2 visits with a person who has worked out better for me (addiction specialist), who is just available as-needed. It's been a huge comfort to me to know someone is there if I need to just grieve or vent. This is a HUGE change in your life, and no one else can know what you're going through. Everyone in my life wanted me to just be cheerful and optimistic, and I wanted to punch them. I just wanted my feelings acknowledged! You are entitled to whatever you're feeling right now, but you may need to find someone who can help you through them. Good luck! It gets better!!!

I can imagine how frustrated you are. I fear the same thing happening to me. I do have a question... Are you still drinking protein drinks? I've noticed that I can eat a lot more lately, and I get hungry every 2 hours. However, if I have at least one protein drink a day, I want to eat a lot less and it really helps keep my calories down. I use GNC soy protein mixed with water and ice in the bullet. Sometimes I add in some coconut torani syrup. It's 130 calories. If you had one about an hour before lunch or dinner, you would be able to consume a lot less for that meal. Just a suggestion! I'm finding that it's a constant thing to figure out what needs to be tweaked, permanently adjusted, or eliminated. Don't give up!!!

I'm so happy for you! Those huge milestones are so sweet!

As soon as I progressed to a full diet I had a salad. That day!!! I went easy on things like cumber for awhile, but I LOVE salad! Because I chew it really well, the lettuce disolves to practically nothing, so I feel like I can eat a LOT. I'm 4 months out, and for the past month at least 2 nights a week I eat salad for dinner. I don't add meat, but I do put in a few nuts and some cheese to ramp up the protein.