Lissa

Brandymarie! I'm sorry I didn't see this until today! Congrats on reaching the 300's!

I'm not sure if it's the same, but I had IBS symptoms pre-op for years. I haven't had those issues post op and I'm 9.5 months out. Maybe it's all the Protein, maybe it's the fact that I'm not eating anywhere near as much, I'm not sure. Hopefully you'll have some time during your recovery period to figure this out...and it will be good news. Good luck!!

CandiKiss, What an uplifting post! Congrats and good luck!!

My take on the therapy aspect is this: We all have some issue with food or we wouldn't be obese. If we dont do the head work to handle the food issue(s), then we are in danger of not using this tool to it's fullest potential. I have seen a therapist for my food issues and I think it's probably the best thing I could have done for myself. The psychologist who did my psyche evaluation promised me that I would become an alcoholic after surgery because of the amount of addictive behavior/personalities in my family. I chose to become addicted to exercise instead. It is VERY common for WLS patients to develop crossover addictions to other substances/behaviors, so it's helpful to be aware of that and to have a therapist that one can talk to about that before it becomes a huge issue. I truly believe that WLS patients should be required to have at least a few sessions with a therapist post op in order to deal with the food issues that come up. Every time I read a post from someone who is freaking out and thinking "What have I done?", I'm reminded again that most of us need at least some guidance on this journey.

look up the 3 week stall. Almost every one of us goes through it. Trust me, you're not done losing weight!

Did you come home with a breathing apparatus, possibly a toy with several tubes you are supposed to breathe into in order to lift up some balls? If so, you should be using that at least a couple of times an hour.Whether you did or not, call the doctor and get checked out. Trouble breathing can be life threatening, or it can be nothing.

Wish, Thank you!! I just ordered a box of them!

MK, Like Dooter said, start slow and low and add a little time each time. I love the elliptical now and I sure didn't think I'd be saying that when I started on it! Yes, you should change up what you're doing for cardio, maybe switch between the elliptical and the bike or between using a machine and walking/jogging. It uses different muscles,, which is great for helping you tone as well.

Decaf is fine. I drink it all the time.

Yes, you'll discover what they are FOR YOU after surgery. I liked cheetos before surgery, but I adore them now. I really have to watch them. On the other hand, I'm not as attracted to regular sweets as I was before surgery, so I guess it's a trade-off.

Tex, Sliders are foods that you can eat and feel no restriction at all. Cheetos are that way for me. I can eat a whole bag if I let myself. Sweets are often slider foods as well.

That's true, Sleeve Dreamer! Maybe some folks are on the fast train, but it doesn't mean that fast is better than slow.

3 months out, you should be able to eat some tomato, either sliced or as a sauce. I ate tomato sauce during my mushy stage in Egg Face's Lasagna bites. Of course, one can of tomato sauce (6 oz) lasts me 3 or 4 servings now. So, you won't be doing volume on them anytime soon.

Tex, It's a no no after surgery, but I do drink some diet decaf soda. I have a case that I opened around the end of May. I keep it out of the fridge, but sometimes yes, I do drink one over ice. It's NOT a trigger or slider food for me now. If it caused me to want other sweets, etc. then I wouldn't have it. I did wait until I was 4 months out before I had one, though.

Yay!! Congrats on getting to goal! You'll have to tell us what it feels like to maintain instead of being actively involved in losing weight!

Wish, If you can find some SF of those ones that are "to freeze", please let me know! I loved those things before surgery and want some SO bad for this summer, but I'm not willing to do the sugared version of them!

Oh, yeah, I'm seeing a difference in the way people treat me. Big time! I just accept it for what it is, because most of them don't even realize they're doing it, IMO. I have enough other things to worry about without getting angry at them for being exactly what society has programmed them to be.

If you must chew, SF popsicles (chew, then let them dissolve in your mouth) and crushed ice will give you the sensation of chewing.

As long as you're still on liquids or mushies, if you can chew it DON'T do it. Once you're back up to soft solids, you might try watermelon. I'd wait on pickles until you're back to regular solids. You could sip the juice maybe, but it's pretty acidic. I think I'd wait awhile.

Suggestions for getting in Water early post-op: Change the temperature. If you're drinking hot, drink cold. If you're struggling with col, switch to hot. Try chewing on crushed ice (Sonic ice is great for this). Try drinking from a spoon or a 1 oz. shot glass and just letting the water trickle down your throat rather than actively swallowing. Drink crystal light, decaf tea, decaf coffee, add mio drops or kellog's special k Protein water. Anything that gets that liquid in you and works is great. NOT drinking will put you in the hospital. I was told I needed a bare minimum of 32 oz of water a day. Anything below that was grounds to call the doctor's office. Sip, sip, sip.

I just have to say Amen to what both CaliKat and WebChickadee posted! I eat whatever I want, just smaller portions. Eating all those "never have again" foods before surgery is normal, and it's called a food funeral. What we don't realize pre-op is that NOTHING is off limits after surgery. We just can't eat as much as before. I had lunch today with work colleagues who had never met me before in person. Neither of them noticed that I ate a significantly smaller amount than they did..and I ordered exactly the same thing they did. No problem at all.

I love it!! I have a good friend who lost about 100 pounds 10 years ago. At the time I was disgusted by the fact that she was totally obsessed with every bite of food that went in her mouth. I swore I'd NEVER do that, even if it meant I stayed fat. We were talking today and she pointed out to me that I am obsessed with every bite of food that goes in MY mouth now. I guess karma does kick our butts.

I just laced my shoes looser because I put some serious pads in my shoes ($20 at Sports Authority) due to shin splints when walking. I do have some numbness on the elliptical, but thought it was because I was keeping my feet in one spot. I just started adding in 2 minutes backwards for every 10 minutes forward on there, and haven't had the problem again. I'll pay attention tomorrow morning and see if I still go numb. I just get on the elliptical and do it now. Oh, and every time I do the backwards rotation, I up the resistance one level when I start forward again. I have no clue what I'm doing or if it's the "right" way. I'm just doing what works for me on it.

I think I've spotted something with the rate of weight loss for all of us. Some of us lose slowly to begin with, while others drop weight like crazy. But, at about 9-10 months out, we're all in a similar place. Several posters here posted at the beginning of their journey that they lose slowly, while I felt like the weight rocketed off of me until I hit about 6 months. Earlier this week, Pookeyism posted pictures and her weight loss is about 90 pounds, SandyD has lost 100 pounds, I've lost 100 pounds, and so have several other posters who were sleeved around the same time I was. I haven't done charts and graphs (not my style) but it seems like we have all lost about the same amount of weight in the same amount of time. I realize that posters who have continued to post may be more dedicated than those who don't post often, but I think that we all lose about the same amount of weight if we follow our plan. What varies is how quickly the weight comes off in the beginning, but we all get to the same results as we get further post-op. For me, it really reinforces that we need to continue to work our plans, even if it seems like we're losing very slowly. I'll keep watching it to see if the trend continues.

Whatever it is, welcome to Twoterville!!