Lissa

I think I'm going to end up in that 36long size too! LOL I was a solid 44D before and I've resorted to some good sports bras for now rather than buying "good" bras at each size as I go down. I have been working my arm, shoulder and back muscles to try to keep the support the girls need and hopefully end up with firmer muscles there. Kimmmmm said something about feeling weak in the knees. My nurse friend (who lost about 80 pounds a few years back through diet and exercise) says that the week kneed feeling is because we are losing weight so quickly that it takes our brain a while to adjust our center of balance. I have bruised my shoulders because I will misjudge the area I need to go around a corner and run into the wall. I definitely won't be wearing heels for awhile!

I like either ribs and veggie or chicken and broccoli. For the ribs and veg, I eat at Sonny's and have their sweet and smoky ribs, yummy! I can eat 2 or 3 small ribs and about half the veggie. Chicken is my preferred protein otherwise, especially if it's a rotisserie lemon pepper chicken! I can buy one on Monday and still be pulling meat off it on Friday. I just bought some single serve broc w/cheese and I'll heat up 1/4 of the single serve cup wiht my chicken. Yummy meal.

I like almonds as well. Sam's sells a huge bag of them for about $9. Amazon also has some cheese chips that are crunchy. I'm not sure what the brand is, but they are in a yellow bag. Search for cheese chips on the site and you'll find them. I also like baked cheetos sometimes for the crunchy stuff. Ritz also makes a mini cracker which is pretty good with Peanut Butter on it. I can only eat a couple of them, but they satisfy the need for crunch for me. I also eat pickles sometimes for the same reason.

The ONLY requirements I've been told to follow are to get 70g of Protein per day and 64 oz of Water. My doc and nut did not give me a calorie, carbohydrate, or any other goal to reach. Protein and Water. That's it. You're doing an awesome job anyway and will be so far ahead of the game when you get sleeved!!!

Cris, I'm at 22/12 and it took that high a setting to get me to REM. My doc tells me that he'll take me off the bi-pap when I hit 280, which will be 20% of my body weight lost. Good luck to you!!

I swear you are all talking a foreign language. So, how do I order a decaf coffee with vanilla flavoring, no dairy and added protein? I can drink a large McD decaf in about an hour, so I'd want a large. The extra protein sounds great!!

Caffeine might stretch the pouch of GB patients, but I've never heard that before. Now, I have heard/read that carbonation can stretch our sleeves, but I don't know if that's true either. Either way, my surgeon says yes to caffeine if we want it and no to carbonation. I've also heard that artificial sweeteners can increase the hungry feelings because they are so sweet. I haven't had that problem either, but it might be something to keep in mind. I drink decaf coffee and tea regularly and even decaf diet coke sometimes. I also like the carbonated flavored waters that Walmart sells, but I try not to drink huge amounts of it daily. Carbonated drinks definitely give me the burps. I haven't noticed increased hunger from any of the above items.

As soon as possible. Smoking can also affect how well one goes through surgery and your lung capacity for oxygen afterwards. Surgery makes us more prone to pneumonia in the early post-op stages. Smoking increases that risk.

Two pieces of good news about sleep apnea: 1. It's a major co-morbidity, so it should help get insurance approval for you. 2. Many people have a total reversal of sleep apnea at 20% of their body weight lost, so you won't have to use the machine for long. I have/had major sleep apnea. I had 1,000 (one thousand) events per hour when diagnosed. I am using a bi-pap and started two weeks before surgery. If you do have to use a machine, make sure to take it in pre-surgery (like a week before) and have it cleared by the engineering dept at the hospital for you to use after surgery. Otherwise, they'll make you use your mask hooked up to their oxygen machine which acts like a c-pap (continuous pressure) rather than a bi-pap (alternating lower pressure when you exhale and can be set so it starts out at a low pressure until you're asleep and then builds up to higher pressure over 1/2 an hour or so). If you run into problems when you start using the bi-pap, which is what I hope they'll give you, let me know and I'll be happy to help you find ways to adjust to the machine. A good friend helped me get past my clausterphobia with the mask and I'm always willing to pass the info along! Good luck on your journey!!

I have to admit that I sometimes think that people are too skinny to be having surgery. But, I'd never say that to anyone. I met a gal who weighed around 180 but needed to "lose 30 pounds" and she was talking about having VSG. I was surprised because it just seemed like an extreme solution to a fairly small problem. I know, pot and kettle. Anyway, I had to remind myself not to say anything to her and let her work it out with her doctor. But, I was really thinking that she only weighs 10 pounds over my goal weight!!! Oh, and as for clothes, I am the biggest gal I know, so no one is offering me clothes. I have one girlfriend who is close to my size and I keep offering her clothes with the caveat that she does NOT have to take them if they are too big for her. So far, she has taken all I've offered her, but before long I don't think any of mine will fit her. She's having thyroid issues and can't afford surgery so she's gaining a bit. I know she's trying really hard not to, though. She's getting married in March (and I'm officiating, YAY) so she wants to be able to wear the wedding dress she already chose. Anyway, the others are right. Those who matter will say nice things to you for the most part. Those who don't say nice things need to not matter, IMO. I'd probably let it slide for the first comment or two, but I guarantee you I'd have a comeback after that...and it would probably be something along the lines of: :::haughty look:::: "Did you REALLY intend to say what you just said?" Or, as Miss Manners would do, give the person a shocked look and say "That's not any of your business!" Good luck with the co-workers. Stories like that make me glad I am self-employed. There may be days I hate my co-workers, but I have to live with me, myself, and I, so I have to find a way to get along with all 3 of us!

::::::::::Sliding over:::::::::::::::: Here ya go!! Glad to hear that things went well!!

I haven't noticed that tea or coffee affect my appetite. What I have noticed is that when I drink caffeine laden beverages I have darker urine and I read somewhere that caffeine affects Water absorption. My surgeon's booklet does say that we can have caffeine after a few weeks, but we still need to get in our water. If I drink decaf tea and coffee, I count it as part of my water for the day. If I drink caffeinated (sp?) drinks, I don't count them as water. Is that as clear as mud? HTH

You've lost 22 pounds since surgery! That's great!! I was sleeved August 30 and have lost 62 pounds. Actually, I lost 13 pounds pre-op and I've lost 49 pounds since surgery, which is 3 months and 1 week, or an average of 4 pounds a week. I have 170-180 pounds to lose total, so I understand wanting to see it drop off quickly. But, I'm thrilled with what I have lost and trying to be patient for the rest of it. At least I KNOW I can get to goal if I keep doing what I'm supposed to do. Good luck! You're doing great!!

I use the Premier Nutrition Bars that are sold at Sam's Club. They aren't "great", but they are tolerable. I keep one in my purse at all times. Our Sam's only carries the mixed box which has Double chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Yogurt Crunch. I prefer the last one. I wish I knew of a meal replacement that wasn't sweet. Maybe someone will invent something...and, yes, I know about Unjury's chicken broth. :::Sneer::: I don't like it, unfortunately.

I bought the Dummies Book: Cooking for Bariatric Surgery Patients and a book called Hungry Girl 300 calorie recipes. I have a Nook, but bought the paper copies of these books. The Hungry Girl book isn't specifically for WLS patients, but she has lots of quick, cook in a mug, foods that we can use. She also leans toward vegetarian cooking, which some people may like. She does use eggs and cheese, but also uses TVP and tofu for some of her recipes. (I'm NOT a vegetarian, just noting it for others.) Good luck and let us know if you find other/better recipe books. There are also tons of recipes on the 'net. Have you checked out Egg Face's blog yet?

Well, BCole, congrats on starting a new chapter in your life very soon. It's natural to be nervous about surgery and about such a big lifestyle change. Whatever questions you have, they are answered here, just hit the search box and someone has asked that question before. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask. Many people here will chime in with info for you. Good luck on your journey!!

Oh, yes, I definitely believe things happen for a reason! Bless you for being able to help this family! I'm sorry that your surgery was postponed, but happy you were able to do something so nice for someone else. You have an awesome attitude and, hopefully, your approval will be just around the corner!!

New Life, I think it would be abnormal if you didn't have doubts. Spend lots of time doing your research and reading on this site. I was skeptical as well, but I've read tons and tons of posts from people who have lost 100 pounds or more. Look in VSG success Stories and read the posts from people who have reached goal. There are tons of those posts, too. Just for fairness' sake, read the Post-op thread and read about people who have complications (not a lot, yay), and about the discomfort many experience immediately post-op. That will give you an excellent idea of what to expect when it's your turn. As for me, I've been sleeved just over 3 months and I'm thrilled, both with my results (62 pounds so far) and with my post-op experience. I didn't have lots of post-op complications. I had very little pain and my energy level is through the roof! Good luck with your journey!!

Thanks, everyone. I'm a little over 3months and I'm staying hydrated and getting my protein. I may have to add some fiber, probably in some kind of mix. I had cheese and half a banana as a snack and I'll see how I'm doing in the morning. :\

One night here.

You aren't a failure!! You have a lower BMI than many of us, so you will probably lose slower than many others. Don't feel like a failure. When is the last time you lost 30 pounds in 3 months? How about never??? You're doing great! You'll be at goal while I'm still slogging away at my weight loss.

Thanks, GraceMarie!! I'll try that and see if things get better!

Nope, no odd smell! I can't even come up with a polite way to describe the difference between last time and this time. I may have to get graphic with the nurse, but I hate to leave that on the board for posterity. Yikes!!

Congrats! I'm so happy to see you on the loser's bench...and 21 pounds is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My right hip has resumed hurting at night when I sleep. I can sleep on my left side, but is this just a normal side effect of losing the fat covering the joint? TMI, but I now have a raging round of diarrhea. Still doing 70g of protein and 64oz of water a day. I've read here and there that some foods might cause it, so I've been avoiding plain eggs and eating a little more cheese to compensate. I had the same thing last week, but I think that was a tummy bug that's been going around, combined with antibiotics for a UTI. This time it's "different" from the last time. I'm trying not to be TOO gross here. If it's not calmed down by tomorrow afternoon, I'll make an appt with the doc, but just looking for some real world advice.