MegInNOLA

I know--I'd have to amputate a limb or two to get down to where some of these petite girls get! LOL

Wow!!! Great NSV!!

I can't believe I'm in a 10/12--it's just still unbelievable to me. I was wearing 14/16 in high school. :-) My skin isn't horrid, but you're so much younger than me that yours should be great! I have some loose skin on my belly (ick) and my upper thighs aren't pretty, but overall I can't complain. I'm a conductor (music, not trains or electricity, LOL) so I get a lot of upper body exercise--my arms were seriously muscled before surgery but not bulky--they aren't as jiggly as they should by all rights be, but I do have a bit of a batwing. Honestly, I look fine in clothes--and the only other person who sees me naked loves what he sees, so I'm not worried about it. :-) Yours will be so much better than mine, period, because you have youth, and because you're going to EXERCISE, which I didn't/don't do.... it really will help keep things tightened up, and I should have done it from the get-go.

Girlfriend!!! Don't panic!! Let me give you some stats: 6'2" highest weight 337, weight morning of surgery 306 Goal weight from dietician 212 Personal goal weight 190 "Secret" goal weight 175 Current weight 177 Starting size 3X/4X, 26/28 Current size L shirts (the girls....'nuff said) and M pants, 12/14 tops and 10/12 pants Shoe size 12W to 11N (not making that up) I'm so excited to see your message and will be looking forward to seeing your progress!! Whoo-HOO tall girls!!

Hey there! I'm with you on the "I don't eat too much, I eat the wrong kinds of foods." I was a total junk food junkie, and it cost me a lot of time--time I didn't do what I really wanted to do, see the people I wanted to see, go to the places I wanted to go, etc. etc. because I was embarrassed to be so fat. I want to share with you that for me and for my husband (also a sleever), the sleeve has been a turning point in our eating habits, AND WE DO NOT FEEL DEPRIVED!! My husband was sleeved in 2010; he said then that he wanted something that would serve as a "hand slapper" to tell him it was time to stop eating, since he WAS a volume eater--of the wrong types of foods, double whammy. He was shocked to discover that post-sleeve, his body would pretty much dictate that he avoid junky foods, and he began to PREFER healthier foods like salad and yogurt! My 2-portions-of-spaghetti-with-meatsauce-and-garlic-bread-eating husband PREFERS salads!!! In my case, I had the diet of a teenage boy--I ate junk food almost all the time, washed down with soda. It was ridiculous. I never had a problem with emotional eating or eating too much volume-wise, just made consistently bad food choices. I was hooked on sugar. The sleeve solved that for me by limiting what I could eat until my body got those toxins cleaned out. I always loved vegetables and healthy food; I just never chose it before because I was "super hungry" or whatever--I don't know the reason. Post-sleeve, I find I am eating extremely healthy food in "normal" quantities, never feel deprived or like "oh, I really wish I could have _____," because I'm satisfied from a food point of view. You will probably miss food at the beginning--you'll miss the sense of comfort and routine that a particular food is associated with. But TRUST me, once that weight starts dropping off, and it will soon after surgery, your body changes, your body chemistry changes, and your brain begins to adapt to "the new you." It's WONDERFUL. Getting off all meds caused by poor diet--WONDERFUL. Knowing you're going to live longer because you are healthier--WONDERFUL. Feel free to PM--lots of helpful folks on this board, lots of support. It's entirely up to you, and I wish you the best no matter what you decide to do.

Flax seeds definitely work for some folks--including me. Chia seeds, yes. Good old pinto or baked beans on a--excuse the pun--regular basis also work. :-) Plenty of fluids, please, or it won't be a very pleasant experience!! Good luck to you.

I imagine your doc meant you would continue to the complete DS (duodenal switch)--the VSG was originally just part 1 of a 2-part surgical procedure, but they noticed that patients would lose a lot of weight even before the 2nd surgery was completed; thus our modern-day VSG. The complete DS is sometimes indicated for patients with a more substantial amount of weight to lose. I think you're doing exactly what you need to do to ensure a safe 2nd part of your procedure; your surgeon will determine down the road if it's still necessary. If it isn't, GREAT! If it is, you will have lost a substantial amount of weight and placed yourself in a lower-risk category for the second half of the DS procedure. Win-win.

I have at least two iced mocha drinks a day (coffee with chocolate syrup). I use the Lite Hershey's when I make them at home; it's not sugar-free, but it's a lot lower in calories. When I get one at my favorite coffee shop, they just use the regular Hershey's. Obviously if I cut out that sugar, I would save those calories, but there it is. It's just part of my daily food totals, I guess. If you're low-carbing, it won't work for you. Also be sure that you're getting PLENTY of Water, as coffee can be dehydrating because of its diuretic properties, and if you're drinking coffee, you're not drinking water. One last caveat; if you start experiencing more stomach acid, you may need to cut back or keep away from coffee, which can be highly acidic. It does give me a bit of extra acid, but for this caffeine fiend, it's an acceptable trade-off. Just be aware. Cheers! (Saluting you with my very own iced mocha right this minute) Edited to add: These coffee drinks are NOT low-cal; mine are 150 calories each. If you use sugar-free or reduced-sugar syrup and are diligent about using skim milk, that calorie count drops substantially. If you're going to indulge, be smart about it and be sure to count them in your total. For some of us, it's worth it; other very smart people have ditched their caffeine addiction and don't have to worry about it any more. :-)

Hi there! There are quite a few terms that are used for a vegetable-based diet--some of these diets include limited animal products, some do not. Vegetarian: Someone whose diet is plant-food-centric. Most people who use this term mean that they don't eat meat but do consume dairy and/or eggs. NOT a very specific term and easily misunderstood. :-) Vegan: Someone whose diet includes NO animal products. No meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, honey, Gelatin, Worchestershire sauce, nothing with animal products. Lactovegetarian: Plant-based diet that also includes dairy. Ovovegetarian: Plant-based diet that also includes eggs. Lacto-ovovegetarian: Plant-based diet that also includes dairy and eggs. Then there's a group under the umbrella term "flexitarian": This is a vegetable-centric diet with occasional inclusions of fish, poultry, meat, dairy, eggs as Protein sources, but limited amounts. The focus here is on eating for health and nutrition, using animal products as sparingly as possible and limiting consumption of high-fat, low-nutritional-value foods. Flexitarians take advantage of seasonal produce and local animal Proteins (locavores--trying to eat food grown/caught in the vicinity) for freshness and optimum nutrition. There are a bunch of sub-types here, pescetarian (eats fish occasionally), pollotarian (eats chicken occasionally), etc. etc. If someone on this board says they're a vegetarian without further amplification, I would assume they mean no red meat, no poultry, and no fish, but that's just an assumption. If you need/want to know exactly what they mean, you have to ask. :-) I personally am a flexitarian, mainly lactovegetarian with occasional seafood.

Oh, bless you--small constant sips for fluid. Keep a beverage with you all the time and sip like a fiend. I never managed to get in all the protein I was supposed to, but folks do--have you looked at the pureed food suggestions on this forum? People make mashed-up chicken and egg salad and all kinds of protein-rich foods. I know I ate a lot of yogurt and a lot of smushed-up cottage cheese during mushies, plus refried beans with melted cheese--that seemed SO decadent at the time, after a couple of weeks of liquids! Hang in there--it gets a lot easier once your options expand. :-)

Aw, congratulations!! It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it! And congrats for holding it together during your daughter's college drop-off--as a college prof, I know how stressful that is for parents!! You're doing GREAT. :-)

I hated the shakes too. You can make your own. Greek yogurt, milk, some powdered milk for extra protein (or if you're brave, a dollop of Egg Beaters--it's pasteurized), flavoring, ice, zap in the blender. Not as much protein as a prepared protein shake, but real food, and you can flavor it to your own liking.

Most of us get to what we affectionately term "a new normal." Your body will undergo some pretty serious changes in the first few weeks, but let's face it, we've just lost 85% of our stomachs and are dropping weight like fiends. There's going to be some fallout from that (horrid breath, hot/cold sweats, nausea, whatever). Believe me when I say it's pretty much forgotten after those first few weeks. Good hydration and expansion of the diet slowly over time solves some of these. Yes, we get "back to normal." I eat normal food, still have great volume restriction from my sleeve, and am kind of amazed to be in maintenance and maybe still slowly getting to my "final" goal of 175--my dietician's goal for me was 212, my first personal goal was 190, and now I'm aiming for 175, but I'm 100% happy where I am. My husband and I are both sleevers, and we definitely have what I would term a "normal" eating style--it's not a "TYPICAL American diet," because that's what got us into trouble the first time, but it's normal, healthy food in normal, healthy portions. We choose to eat more healthful food now because it makes us feel great, and it doesn't feel like "a diet" or like we're depriving ourselves of anything. It's kind of a celebration, in a way. And "feeling normal"? NO! I feel BETTER than normal. Energy, mood, sense of optimism, all GREAT. Good luck to you!

I lost the first 100 pounds in 7-1/2 months. It's definitely not about the speed of the loss, since that really varies by individual. If you have more than 100 to lose, your loss will be faster (typically, but not always!) than someone with right at 100 pounds to lose. Make the most of the first few months, stick to your dietician's plan, stay hydrated, and incorporate EXERCISE from the beginning (which I did not do and should have!) to both speed your weight loss, help retain muscle mass, and help keep your skin tight. Best wishes!!

1. You order an appetizer portion of anything AND still need a "go" container. 2. You sometimes forget to eat because you're just not hungry any more. 3. You can handicap protein bars based on calorie count, carbs, and grams of protein. 4. You know it's time to stop eating when your nose starts running, you sneeze, or some other really strange signal.

Be happy for a restrictive sleeve. I definitely had/have one, and while it is a pesky thing when I want to enjoy more food, it definitely keeps me on the straight and narrow! :-)

You look beautiful! Congratulations on all your successes!

Also if you're not on an acid-reducing medication try something like Prilosec. I threw up a lot right after surgery (for 7 weeks, gross!). Once I started Prilosec, I was able to keep more food down. I also agree with the suggestions above to maybe back off on advancing your diet just for a bit. We all heal at different rates. You'll find as time goes on that you're able to tolerate foods more... I promise that. I tried scrambled eggs as my first "soft food," and they did NOT stay down, not that time nor the next two or three times I tried them. I basically gave up on eggs. Then at around the 7-month mark I had half a deviled egg that actually did stay down--I have since eaten egg whites on numerous occasions that work just fine. So don't feel like you'll never be able to eat again; you just have to take it slow and let time do its thing to heal your body. Hang in there!

Everybody's different. My husband, also a sleever, eats spicy food frequently. I have a tender palate and can't tolerate a lot of heat. There are lots of people on here who love spicy food!

I had serious buyer's remorse and regretted having the surgery for quite a while--I had a lot of excess acid and spent the first 7 weeks post-op throwing up, which was NOT conducive to appreciating the weight loss that was going on! But once I got a handle on that (thank you, VST folks, for the Prilosec recommendation!), it has been just fine. YES you will be making a series of adjustments as you go. YES you will develop a different (healthier) relationship with food. YES you will experience some ups and downs in weight loss (ugh--stalls!). But, and here's the kicker that makes it all worthwhile--YES you will lose the weight, and YES you will have a permanent tool to help you keep it off. !!!!! NO regrets long-term at all. And the results? Oh, YES, thank you.

MJS, also don't forget you can "make your own" Protein shakes without any commercial protein powders--use Greek yogurt, some kind of milk, add extra milk powder or PB2 (freeze-dried Peanut Butter powder, packed with protein), even Egg Beaters, flavorings, and some ice, and you're good to go. It's lower in protein per ounce than a packaged protein powder mix, but you can make it with stuff you already have on hand, and it might be a little more tolerable for you. I could never tolerate the protein powders (my sleeve rejected them all rather vehemently), so I had to use homemade smoothies from the beginning. I love the sugar-free Torani syrups, but you can also use a bit of sugar-free pudding powder, Crystal Light or Mio, or tons of other flavoring options for your smoothies, too. As your diet progresses, you can add fruit (fresh or frozen) and nuts (pecans, cashews, almonds--raw nuts in your smoothie will make it creamier if you have a good blender, and kind of chunky and nutty if you have a cheap blender-win/win) and even add veggies (spinach, a little kale, a few rinsed white beans) to up the protein/nutrition factor without changing the taste. Plus making your own is cheaper. :-) Hang in there--as your diet expands, you'll be able to enjoy a lot more stuff. You're at the hardest part now.

YES it's possible. I'm a de facto vegetarian who flirts with veganism. I was a vegan for two years a lifetime ago (obviously it's possible to be vegan and still seriously overweight!) and post-sleeve have returned to vegetarianism with a vengeance. I will say it's a lot easier if you include dairy or eggs, but it's not impossible to do if you don't. You already know about vegetarian Protein powders, but don't forget about "real food" options--Peanut Butter powder (PB2), sneaking rinsed and drained Beans into everything including smoothies, avocado, etc. You're going to want your Protein Powder at the beginning especially, when your volume is so restricted. I include dairy on most but not all days, but I'm 16 months out. A vegetarian diet is typically higher volume than a diet that includes animal protein, so be prepared to sneak those veggies in--Soups, green smoothies, alternate milk smoothies (I make a wicked good spinach/kale/white bean/peach/blueberry/almond milk concoction!)--whatever you can do to get a lot of nutrition in a small or easily-assimilated volume. Agree with the poster above regarding searching the forum. There's a bunch of us veggie-heads on here, and you're more than welcome to PM or post questions, etc. I actually won't be able to help with the protein powder thing, since I haven't ever used it (couldn't tolerate any of them immediately post-op and just switched to "real food" protein sources from the get-go, including dairy), but I am happy to help if needed on other topics. Welcome to the board!

I've experienced the opposite effect. My resting heart rate is now in the 50s, and my blood pressure is super low--my cardiologist actually told me to INCREASE the amount of salt I eat--he couldn't even find that button on his electronic medical record to check, since he hadn't had to check that very much! So I would definitely check a little further into your issue. I think as we lose weight, our hearts shouldn't have to be working as hard. Are you on any kind of medication or are you a caffeine addict? :-) A low-grade infection could also be the culprit, as can hormonal issues like hyperthyroid.

I hear ya! I found an old driver's license.... NOT something I want to see again for numerous reasons. :-)

Congratulations!!! You look wonderful.