MegInNOLA

Yeah, I'm not so interested in the paleo diet any more--it really is too meat-centric to be something I physically COULD do, even were I of a mind to do so, which I am not. :-) So looks like I'm back to being a "nutritarian," which is a term I just love--eating for maximum nutrition, no matter the source. Flexible enough to go with the seasonal changes in produce, and able to get protein from various sources (preferably vegetarian but with occasional dairy)... sort of like what I'm doing now but substituting vegetable proteins when I can. Obviously volume is an issue; it's harder to get a lot of vegetable protein in when you can't physically eat a large volume of food, but there are strategies for that, too (blenders are wonderful things--I can hide a lot of stuff in a smoothe!).

ACK! I updated my ticker to reflect my new goal weight.... I just think I can hit 175 comfortably and sanely (it may take me a few more months, because I'm dropping a pound every couple of weeks), and it just seems smarter to officially commit to that goal. Y'all are the first place to see my "new and improved" goal.... I don't guess it's that big a deal, really. Why do I feel so flipped out?? LOL

FYE, THANKS! I LOVE that website! I've been doing quite a bit of online research in the last couple of weeks to find guidelines, nutrition charts, etc. for a vegetable-based diet, and I hadn't seen this one before. It's really useful and has tons of info on other sites/products/books that might be worth a read. I was talking with my husband about the pros and cons of dairy--I think we're going to switch to just organic cheese without rennet and to exclusively non-dairy milks (we already use the coconut and almond milk much more than the lonely quart of dairy milk)--yogurt is going to be interesting. I tried some soy yogurt a few years ago and didn't care for it, but I'm up for giving it another try. The other option, should I be unable to find anything appropriate, is to use organic raw milk (we have a lot of local farms around here) and try my hand at making my own yogurt. I don't know--we'll see. I'm a little reluctant to jump into that, but maybe next summer I'll experiment a bit. We don't eat eggs, either, just because we don't think about it, I guess. I can eat egg whites but I don't really... if I get a Protein craving these days, I typically go for a decidedly NON-organic Quest Protein Bar (gosh, I love those), and I get a great dose of Fiber along with my protein and it tastes like a decadent treat. So you can see my diet is pretty far from "clean" at this point. It is a lot healthier than it was, that's for sure, but I still feel like there's so much further to go, and I'd like to see how great we could feel by fueling our engines the right way. And I'm laughing "greens and Beans... sounds like no comfort"--that's exactly what I make for comfort food!! Sauteed spinach and a big pot of peas!! No kidding! How far is it from a pre-sleeve comfort meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, and sweet tea.... good grief. I so do NOT miss those days. :-)

Yikes, GT, hang in there. Sounds like a lot of room for positive things to come in--I'm sending best thoughts and wishes to you!!

If you don't want to "go there" but you also don't want to drink, just order cranberry juice with a slice of lime and plenty of ice. SIP it throughout the night--no big deal. Let it melt down; it will have a few carbs, but it won't be horrible, and it's a lot less acidic than orange juice. Alternatively, and I like this, order a bloody mary MIX--no vodka, just the mix with some lime. These will LOOK like everybody else's drink but won't be bad for you. Edited to say I should probably read ALL the posts before I answer. :-) But ordering your own cranberry and lime or tomato juice and lime will solve the problem--especially if YOU go to the bar and order it, who's going to know what's in there or not in there?

Wow, congratulations! Sounds like you're really making it all work! Way to go!!

I've been hypothyroid all my adult life. It's not a difficult thing to fix--meds typically work pretty well and are not that expensive. I'm on daily Synthroid. It's important to monitor your thyroid because it affects metabolism (and may play a role in how we got overweight in the first place!). Post surgery, the dose required to keep me in the normal range has decreased, but I do still need to take it.

I'm a coffee addict. They gave me coffee in the hospital after my leak test, and I've had it every single day since. I do tend to have issues with excess acid (go figure), but it's worth it--I drink probably 2 large iced coffee drinks a day. One drink will last me several hours. You just have to be careful with the acid and to stay hydrated (extra Water, please!). Since I drink milk in my coffee, it's one way I get a little Protein in, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :-) But you definitely need to do what your doctor says. Mine didn't have a problem with it (maybe he was really listening when I told him I was a coffeeholic!), but he also didn't prescribe Prilosec for me--I found out about that from folks on this forum. The coffee thing is something I know I should probably kick for my health, but wow.... I just don't want to. How horrible is that?!?

drinks or coffee might be hard on your sleeve if you're nervous. Remember you can order tea at most places that have coffee; it might be a little easier on your tummy acid-wise. You might not get nervous; I seem to remember being kind of flipped when I went to meet my now-husband for the first time. :-) If it was dinner, I probably wouldn't just come right out with the fact of my surgery early, but it's hard to know what this old married chick would do. LOL I know when I've been on business dinners with new friends/colleagues, I haven't really felt like "going there," so I fall back on my usual restaurant routine-- 1. Order Water so the waitperson will not worry about you not having a drink. 2. Order a side salad as an appetizer and Soup or appetizer for your main course. I always say something like this: I'd like to start with a side salad, please, dressing on the side, and for my main course, I'd like the appetizer shrimp cocktail (or cup of soup), please. Then I smile and hand them my menu. Nobody bats an eye. 3. When the salad comes, push it around, nibble, enjoy it but don't eat until you're full. Nobody will care--I promise, if they notice, it's not going to be a big deal if you still seem like you're enjoying yourself and are relaxed. I did have a colleague once ask me why I wasn't eating very much, and I said that I didn't like to eat big meals when I was working (which is true, although sort of evasive). He teased me about "being good," and I just laughed and went on. No big deal. I have also said, which is also true, that big meals make me sleepy, and I like to stay sharp when I'm working. People understand that completely. Ironically, the smaller I've gotten, the less people seem to notice that I'm not eating much--wait staff are all very unconcerned that I'm sharing my husband's meal--they just bring an extra plate and no big deal. I think it's pretty common these days, with restaurant portions being so huge. I also like the tricks of putting down my fork/spoon often, talking, enjoying the table conversation, really having time to listen to my dinner companions. You might get the reputation of being the nicest date in town--a cheap date (you don't drink alcohol and don't eat much!) who really pays attention to her companion!! Best wishes!!

Um, I'd be drinking a LOT of water before my next weigh-in, if I were you.... just sayin'....

I actually decided to not count calories and to focus on being sure I was eating for nutrition--partly because in the past I have obsessed over every calorie I put in my mouth and I didn't want to do that, and partly because this isn't a temporary thing, it's a lifestyle change, and I wanted to learn how to eat for health and longevity instead of just to lose weight, if that makes sense. Everyone's diet and requirements are different--if you're determined to hit your goal, you can definitely get more "mileage" from your sleeve if you fill it with nutritious foods instead of processed foods. Think lean Protein, followed by veggies, followed by fruit. There's not really any room in there for stuff that's going to keep you from your goal. I eat dairy and veggie protein plus a LOT of veggies every day--as I say, I hate to count calories, so I just don't, but I also don't eat junk, period. I had most of my stomach cut out and I'm just not going to eat in a way that will negate that huge change. Plus, and here's the real deal, I feel FABULOUS when I eat right! Go figure! Best wishes to you--you know what to do, and it's good that you come here for support and encouragement in doing it!

I honestly think it's not a bad thing for us to have to think about that question--whether or not it comes from anyone "outside," WE should be thinking about that. I know I struggled about it for a couple of years--why couldn't I just do it "the hard way," "the old-fashioned way," "the disciplined way," oh, and here's my favorite, "the natural way." And this was MY inner voice, MY brain, MY question, not coming from anyone else. Why couldn't I do it? Then I realized I did do it--time and again, over and over. I could lose weight, no problem. And I did--you probably did, too! We just can't keep it off long-term. And we're not alone. My husband showed me a scientific article (that I can't find now, of course, when I want it!) that said that only 5% of people with more than 100 pounds to lose were going to be able to lose it all with diet and exercise AND that fewer than 1% would manage to keep it off long term. Those odds are horrible. I wanted/needed to do something that I knew would work for me. In my case, nobody said anything negative about my decision to have the surgery, but I'm from a heavy family where several folks have already had bypass, plus my husband had the sleeve a year ahead of me. I think everyone was sort of relieved, honestly, because I had gotten so big--they wanted me to be healthier. But I think every sleever is going to come across the question of "Why don't you just ___ (fill in the blank here with something that is a subtle slam about your self-discipline, poor eating habits, laziness, whatever) instead of having surgery," and we need to know for ourselves that we are making the right decision. Thinking it through will either bring more questions or it will solidify your decision. I knew I wasn't lazy or crazy--and I knew I wanted to be healthy. The sleeve was the means to an end, a great tool. I still had to obtain it and learn how to use it.

I didn't weigh in front of my husband EVER. Then I made the decision to have the surgery--he was already a sleever and was thrilled that I decided to do it, too. I still didn't weigh in front of him. I was getting onto the table to be rolled into surgery when HE suggested that maybe I should weigh so I would know my "before" weight. I hopped on right then---306 the morning of surgery. That's the first and only time pre-surgery that I weighed in front of him. Now, it's a morning ritual to update each other on our weight--it's a fun, flirty thing we do. I tease him that I'm trying to stay 25 pounds under him (we're super close in height with me at 6'2-1/2" and him at 6'3"--he says it's the other way around). But the point is, I don't mind now and it's become a point of celebration (among many).

Oh bless your heart. The EXACT SAME THING happened with us. My husband was brittle diabetic, had the surgery in 2010, and boom, lost the weight and is off all meds. Me, 100% healthy except for being fat (well, creeping numbers in blood pressure and sugar, but basically healthy). I felt like I should have the strength and the willpower to lose the weight "the natural way." I put it on, why couldn't I take it off? I could! I kept taking off the same 35 pounds over and over and over, only to regain it over and over and over. The sleeve helped me lose all the excess weight (still losing now at 15 months out, slowly, sure, but it's still coming off) and I know I have that tool for the long term. HUGS to you. You're not a personal failure if you need a tool to help you succeed with weight loss. The entire deck is stacked against us. Think about it this way--what advice would you give a loved one who was struggling as you have struggled? Wouldn't you want them to use whatever tool would help them get healthy and live longer? Be as kind and as open to your own life.... you are most definitely strong and capable. Using a tool doesn't mean you aren't. It's actually a smart thing to do.

Oh, you're in the mind game I was in for a while. Yes, if you continue to eat and exercise the way you're doing right now, you probably DON'T need surgery. There, I said it. Now the question is, will you? Part of the reason so much medical history is required prior to surgery is that it forces us to look at our relationship with food, weight loss, and all the trials/failures we've had with various programs. I saw in my own history a pattern of a few months of eating right, exercising, and (no surprise) losing weight, corresponding roughly with the summers when I, as a teacher, was off work. And every single time I did it, EVERY SINGLE TIME, I gained it right back, plus a little more. I read that there is only a 5% chance that someone with more than 100 pounds to lose will be able to lose it with diet and exercise and keep it off long-term. That was it for me. I realized I needed a tool to help me both lose and KEEP OFF the weight. Let's face it--we all know how to lose weight. Every single person here has probably lost more than their body weight over the course of time. It's the keeping it off that's the trick. And that's where having the sleeve and regaining control over our dietary habits is such a big deal.

I agree 100% with everything you said. Congratulations on your new life, and thanks for writing this post--I'm sure it's going to be really helpful for a lot of people!

Yep, loose skin on abdomen here, inner thighs, a bit of batwing, but you know what? I'll take it in a NEW YORK SECOND compared to what I had before. :-)

Hey there--you'll find a lot of different responses to each of these on here. 1. Red meat--tried it several times. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Figured I don't really care for it, so I don't eat it. It's easiest to tolerate for me as loose hamburger (like taco meat). Roast beef, brisket, steak, fajita--LOVE them, but they do not work well with my sleeve. 2. Coffee--they gave it to me in the hospital after my leak test, so I've basically had it from the beginning and have it every single day. I am not pleasant without it. :-) It does contribute to a bit of excess acid when I'm stressed. 3. Nuts--I ate peanut butter from a spoon during the "full liquids" phase, and have eaten them every day since in one form or another--I definitely watch portion sizes, but almonds, pecans, peanuts, oh yeah. Very important source of nutrition for me. 4. Corn--I don't like it, so I don't eat it except in chip format. I do eat corn chips as part of a meal every so often, either dunked in refried beans or with some cheese. I don't eat them as a snack--they are always part of a meal, so I don't mindlessly eat them. I don't think I could eat too many any more with my sleeve, but some folks definitely can tolerate a lot of chips. 5. I also eat popcorn, but again, never mindlessly and always with a planned, small portion--I don't 'get my own,' I enjoy a few kernels from my husband's bag at the movie. When I was first eating solids, I took a tiny snack bag of almonds in my pocket to the movie and enjoyed the crunch of those through the show instead. My first popcorn was after 6 months and it was 3 or 4 kernels max (I was scared to try it, frankly, in case it didn't work--I didn't want to miss the movie because I was throwing up!).

1. Subconscious protective mechanism against intimacy (childhood sexual abuse). 2. Underactive thyroid--slowest metabolism on the planet. :-) 3. Diet of a teenage boy, for no apparent reason--just eating whatever I felt like whenever I felt like it. 4. Sedentary lifestyle. Two years ago, finally decided to do something about all of the above. Went to a counselor, who helped me with the residual issues stemming from childhood. Once that was in place, I realized I really wanted my outside to match my inside; that's when I started to seriously consider the surgery. And here we are!!

Thanks, ladies! Nice to have a little crew here that "gets" it! GT, I'm also thinking about the Paleo thing. My husband and I have transitioned into a pretty veggie-heavy diet (I even introduced him to kale chips the other day, and he ATE them and LIKED them), mostly just for fun and experimentation. My sleeve is still really tight--I can't eat a lot of food at one time, even now, like really only between 1/2 and 2/3 c. unless it's Soup, so I've been trying my best to make the food count nutrition-wise. Anyway, we were looking at some TED videos on youtube (those free educational ones) and found this one by Dr. Terry Wahls (you can google her name)--she's amazing, a physician who was diagnosed with MS and has basically helped herself manage it through the paleo diet. It's incredible. Anyway, we don't have any sort of illness, happily (knocking wood now!), but we would like to stave off anything that we can, and we're looking at paleo. I can't eat much meat, which is really my stopping block. I know dairy isn't the best thing out there, but I count on that Protein source a lot--don't know if I could get enough volume in with an entirely vegan diet. Feed Your Eye, are you still vegan? And are there others who eat a more or less paleo or a vegan diet (NOT the same thing, not remotely, just asking about two different programs here!) who could provide me your insights/advice/pros and cons? Edited to add that I've been vegan for years at a time before, and I prefer vegetarianism; I can tolerate shellfish and dairy.... the thought of "giving up" food isn't an issue, and in fact it's not about that for me, it's about getting optimum nutrition that will work with my sleeve. :-) Thanks in advance for advice/tips/discussion!

Not trying to derail the thread, but J Fabulous, I LOVE YOUR DOG!!

Congratulations! What a fantastic accomplishment!!

Isn't it interesting how these PPIs help us out? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I have found the culprit--now that I'm aware that a flock of symptoms might be tied to the same thing, I'm much more aware of them. I'm actually really glad about finding it, even though it looks like treatment might take a while before I get any true relief (the tissues all have to heal up, which means keeping the acid off them long enough--it only takes one or two exposures to acid to mess up the laryngeal tissue, evidently, and I don't even like to think about the tissue in the back of my nasal passages/ear tubes). The hardest part has been trying to sleep in an upright position--my hips/butt get pressure aches, or I get a crick in my neck. I'll figure it out, though!

Yeah, it works. Stats speak volumes--just look around this site and you'll see how many of us have dropped a BUNCH of weight. More importantly for me, I've dropped it and it's going to stay off--this tool doesn't go away. Even today, and I'm 15 months out, I can't eat big ol' meals, and I literally cannot eat fried foods or many baked goods or pasta--Sleevie has my back.

I like, and my sleeve tolerates, all dairy sources of protein, plus veggie sources--beans, peas, lentils, nuts, tofu, avocado. I also really love shellfish--shrimp, crawfish, lobster (ha! had some on a cruise, not at home, that's for sure).