TwoStepsBack

Christabel, I was wondering if any of your therapy involved CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) ? If not, it might benefit you to look into it. It did wonders for me in situations where I could IDENTIFY that I wasn't reacting in the right way, but wasn't sure how to change my behaviour. Mindfulness was a big part of my therapy, and whilst not exactly meditation, I find that taking a deep breath and focusing on things outside of the body helps to put things in perspective. ie) I used to wake up and get ready for work, all the while thinking about what might happen during the day, who might annoy me, how much work I had on etc... and before I knew it I was arriving at work already upset. CBT taught me to be aware of my body, focus on the feel of the sheets when I wake up, feel the sensation of the shower and the towel, the feel of the steering wheel, the colour of the sky. It sounds so cheesy, but so much of my time was spent looking inward I hardly ever noticed anything going on around me. This may not be relevant for you at all, but it might help someone :lol0: x

Thanks for the responses guys. Although I am not completely sure that I want to love sweet things again! Teehee. :lol0:

Hey Guys, Yesterday I decided that I would treat myself to a small piece of chocolate. I know that sugar is not recommended during the weight loss phase, but I just wanted to see how I would feel about it post surgery and I was confident it wouldn't become a habit. Honestly, it tasted wrong. It was WAY too sweet, artificial tasting, and left me with a sore throat and generally feeling like crap for a couple of hours. So now I've learnt my lesson. I can't believe after only two weeks my taste has changed so much. I have seen that quite a few people here have found that sweet things no longer float their boat. I was wondering why this happens? I'm certainly not complaining, but am just interested.

Hey Betty :001_smile: This is a big one for me too, and something I thought about long and hard before surgery. I also came out of a very difficult relationship (with an addict in my case) about 18 months before I started looking into this surgery. I had been going to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help with codependancy and negative thinking issues. My depression eventually lifted and all of a sudden I had nothing to worry about anymore! Then the trouble started... Rather than being able to enjoy having no worries, I found that all my weight issues which I hadn't had the time or energy to address re-surfaced and gave me big "HI! REMEMBER MEE???!" slap around the face...:scared0: After much soul searching I decided that the only way I was going to conquer this demon of mine was to remove it from the equation completely, and had my sleeve gastrectomy 12 days ago. I feel great, I no longer want to eat everything in sight, and no longer spend all day beating myself up about what I HAVE eaten. I honestly believe that having this surgery, and freeing up some of the emotional energy I was wasting on food will allow me more strength to deal with any other problems which may come my way. Sorry for the long post, I was in a reflective mood! I got to my point eventually! Hahaha. :svengo:

I also had this same concern. Having done plenty of research, speaking with my surgeon, and reading on these boards, I became comfortable that it wouldn't be an issue. I have a fair way to go to goal yet, only sleeved 12 days ago, but I was aneorexic as a teenager and initially my family were terrified I am going to go too far again. Knowing that this was a HEALTHY option for me and not just a super quick method of weight loss was just as important as anything else. Some people do go below their target, but I am sure that given time to adjust the amount which is eaten and the type of calories consumed, this can be rectified. I have already warned my family that I may go a little underweight until I get used to how much I should be eating to maintain my goal. A little bit of trial and error. I would also try to sway you away from the band, having read plenty of complications and seeing how many revisions there are here. I just don't believe it is a good option for anyone. Best of luck with whatever you decide. xx

Best of luck Vixen! Hope it goes smoothly. :001_smile: x

Woohooo! Glad all went well Ericka! Great to hear from you. *passes over a virtual ice chip* Keep walking! xxxx

Hi Bryn, I too started over on Lapbandtalk.com, but wanted to do plenty of research before coming to a decision. Once I started seriously considering the long term complications of the band I decided it wasn't for me and looked for an alternative. The bypass was never an option for me due to bowel issues, so that left the sleeve. It sounded terrifying at first, and I almost scrapped the idea. But after chatting to these guys on here for a month or so and doing tons of research, I decided to go ahead privately as I live in Guernsey and the local health department do not financially support WLS of any kind. I was sleeved 10 days ago in Southampton, and recovery is going well. I am SO happy I didn't go with the band. You're in the right place for support and helpful information, trust me. There's nothing these guys don't know! :thumbup1: Welcome! And good luck on your journey! xx

Hi! I am in the UK - Guernsey to be precise. I was sleeved 10 days ago in Southampton and had a great experience. These boards are definitely the place to be for advice and reassurance about anything at all. Apart from a few food/drink items not being available in the UK (how many times have I seen Gatorade mentioned? ) and names of medications varying, the advice crosses over just fine wherever in the world you are. Best of luck in your journey, and any questions please feel free to ask! xxx

Thanks everyone for the messages of support. Today is the first day I have actually felt really very good. I went to the Doc and had my stitches out, have been cleared to have a bath (oh how I miss my long soaks!), and have been walking approx 40 mins every day around the local park and back. I no longer feel the need to sleep most of the day, and definitely feel more normal. food wise I am preparing two tablespoons of food per meal and sometimes finishing it, sometimes not, but never wanting more than that. I'm down 10lb since surgery, so approx 1lb a day. I'm very happy with that considering my relatively low BMI. Clothes are starting to feel loose and I've had to throw a couple of vest tops away already because the straps kept falling down! :biggrin2: I visited my Gran yesterday where a large number of my family gather for a cup of tea and a chat on a Sunday afternoon. They all said that they can see a huge difference in me already, especially in my face. And they are all very happy to see me looking so well. It's my birthday in a couple of weeks, and I can't wait to get dolled up and hit the town. Even if I am only going to have a bowl of Soup and one glass of wine! :wink1: You were all right, it does get better, and quite quickly. Thanks for giving me a push in the right direction everyone! xxxx

Heya Glad to see that it's all normal. I went the opposite way and had a random second period two weeks through my cycle. But I had stopped taking my pill for a month as recommended by the anaesthetist because I knew that I couldn't take any mediction on op day and missing a day meant I'd be out of synch for a while. I guess it's going to be a little while til things settle down and get back to normal. Our bodies need time to adjust. Hormones everywhere etc. Hope it regulates itself for you soon :biggrin2: xx

Hey Staysea! Best of luck girlie! I hope it goes fantastically well. So many people I've gotten to know are up this week. You're all in my thoughts! xxxx

Hey Ericka! Woohooooo, you're nearly there! Best of luck, I hope it all goes smoothly. I'll be thinking of you. Looking forward to hearing from you on the other side! xxxxx

Woohoooo! *cheer*

Hi Melissa, I am 5ft 3 and weighed 210lb when I started my pre-op and had my surgery 10 days ago. So far I am doing pretty good. I'm down to 198 already and my clothes are definitely looser. I did a lot of research before opting for this surgery and I believe that it is the most sucessful for patients of our BMI. I obviously can't give you any long term feedback yet, but I'll be posting regularly. All the best with it! xx

Hey Pete, I'm not sure! I'm only 10 days out so can't laugh at all yet because it hurts! But I know that when Jared Leto gained 67 pounds to play Mark Chapman in Chapter 27, he said that it changed the way he laughed. So perhaps the same can happen as you lose weight? :thumbup: Edit: And look! You've lost 67lb! Haha what a coincidence! Must be something about that exact amount of weight gain/loss that makes you laugh different. :thumbdown:

That is awesome Chilo. You sound like you're in a really good place. I am so very happy for you.

Yeah, I think that as long as it is very soft it wouldn't be a problem. Don't worry! xxx

Hmm not a sweet taste, but acid in the back of my throat wakes me up at night. Maybe you have sweet acid?

Smells haven't made me nauseous as such, but I have found that my taste and smell senses are heightened. (Like something from True Blood!) Everything tastes different and I can smell things I'd never noticed before. Very strange. I hope you feel better soon! x

I've been whizzing up just about anything I think might be suitable. Not all have been successful mind! As long as there are no lumps and it is a yoghurty consistency it should be ok. So far I've done: Fish in white sauce with broccoli and mash potato - blended with a little extra stock to loosen Portion of bean and beef chilli - blended with some lite soft cheese so it wasn't too spicy Cottage pie and carrots - blended with gravy to loosen (it was what my Mum made for everyone else so I got to have some too) Yoghurt and banana - blended with a little apple juice to loosen Hope that gives you some ideas! xx

Ahh yeah I guess that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation! When I saw my GP yesterday she noted that my rib cage and sternum area is very tender to the touch. Although there is no bruising on the surface she thinks that some sort of chest injury is contributing to these chest pains I've been having. Who knows? They seem a little better today anyhow Walk round the park, here I come! xxx

Sounds to me like you're doing pretty well hun! My post-op diet sheet doesn't suggest a certain number of oz of protein but just says to have 6 portions of protein per day. I think that considering you are feeling no hunger at all, you're getting quite a lot in. I'd be proud! :001_wub: xxx

Implants may be something I'll consider in the future, along with a tummy tuck. But one step at a time. :thumbup1: I hope it goes well for you if you go ahead xx

Hooray! Congratulations :thumbup1: xx