SunnyCox

I use antiperspirant in a big triangle right at the skin folds on a daily basis. I also wear a pantiliner every day. I get one spot that flares up all the time, but it isn't a clogged sweat gland. It is skin break down from the friction. It feels like a large cyst or pimple. As soon as I feel it starting to get the least little bit tender, I use an antibiotic ointment and cover it with a bandage for a few days. This seems to keep it from getting worse. Once it is flared up, I have also covered them with antibiotic cream and a bandage to help it go down. I've never had to have one lanced. It seems that with all the rubbing, it couldn't heal. The bandage prevents friction, and it heals up in about a week for me.

I gained weight after surgery, and I have with the other two surgeries I had years ago. Some people hold water after anesthesia.

Mine was post op day 10, but I could start as early as day 7 if I was doing well on clear liquids and felt weak/lethargic. I started on day 7.

For my coffee, I use the ready to drink Muscle Milk Cookies 'N Cream. I have heard of plenty of people using the Protein powder instead. I am only 7 weeks out. I have been on solid foods since week 5. Not everyone does a long post op phase of liquids and mushy foods. For me - Week 1 - Clear Liquids Week 2 - full liquids Week 3/4 - mushy&soft food Week 5 - solids For the record, during my evening Snacks, my food of choice is edamame or watermelon, but on occasion, I have had ice cream or frozen yogurt with some fruit. I had half of a cupcake at a birthday celebration. I find that these foods seem incredibly sweet to me now, and I don't need more than a few bites before I feel satisfied. I purposely do not eat past the point of satisfaction. I do not want to feel stuffed. I did hit a stall at week 3-5, and I went back to mostly liquids for a few days. I am steadily moving down with another 8 lbs gone in the last 7 days. I feel that I may lose weight faster if I didn't have these treats or if I were on a liquid or mushy diet longer, but I am still losing. I am not miserable. I do not feel deprived. I'm satisfied, content, and I am still moving towards my weight loss goals. I am a firm believer that I shouldn't have to eliminate any one food from my diet. I want to have a normal, well rounded meal plan that involves moderation and healthy choices with occasional treats.

When I was on all liquids, I had a problem getting in more than 500 calories. I would drink roughly 3 shakes a day (20-30g Protein each) (160-180 cal each). The liquid stage for me only lasted two weeks, so it wasn't very long that I wasn't getting in enough calories. If I found that I was feeling a little lethargic, I would drink some fresh fruit juice - good for Fiber and calories. Now that I am eating more normally, I have no problem getting in all my calories. In fact, I often have to make sure that I don't go too high which keeps me tracking my intake during the week. I also supplement with shakes. I am not a big fan of eating first thing in the morning, so I found a way around this by pouring my ready made shake into my coffee (half shake / half coffee). I do this twice in the morning and get in 30g of protein and 160 calories. A second shake for brunch would be another 160cal and 30g of protein. I eat mid afternoon usually deli meat and cheese / fajita meat / or something similar. This usually runs me 150cal and 20g protein. For dinner, I eat taco salad, a hamburger patty, or something similar with cheese. 150 cals and 20g protein. (Sometimes I add sour cream, avacado, or greek yogurt - which adds about 60 calories) After dinner, I usually stay away from heavier, protein foods. I'm too close to going to bed to want to lay down with food in my stomach. I tend to have a cup of watermelon, edamame, steamed veggies, etc. I usually get another 150- 200 cals and sometimes some protein depending on if I eat Beans vs veggies or fruit. If I feel like I need more, I eat a handful of nuts. This makes anywhere from 750-1000 calories a day for me. It has been more than enough to lose weight without feeling run down. There are plenty of calorie dense, healthier foods (nuts, avacado, olive oil etc) that can fill your diet once you can eat solid foods.

There is a fit text that tells you if you are ready for P90X: http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/programs/p90x/p90xFitTest_Rev010809.pdf Power 90 is probably a better place to start if you haven't been exercising.

Mine was for one week. I lost 9lbs. I was on mushy foods and full liquids for the first four days. The last 3 days were clear liquids. My starting weight was 279. Being heavier, I expected to lose a little faster.

You have such a pretty face... (often because they can't mention the rest of me).

At least she offered what she could to help. She was trying, but she wasn't educated enough to really help you through your situation. Sometimes diabetics need insulin, and sometimes they only need to make dietary changes. Explain to her that you have already tried the dietary changes, but now you have to go to the next step to find relief for your obesity. And while she still may not understand, let her know that you have made your decision and need her support. You will gladly take her diet tips and recipes once you are able to eat regular food again.

I'm sure you're are not missing that extra chin! You look great!

You can bring protein drinks through security with you. Medically necessary food and drinks are aloud.

I've tried the sugar free slurpee at 7/11. It has an odd after taste, but it sure goes down nicely on a hot afternoon

I started with a new PCP when I came home from Mexico. He handles everything!

I've noticed that I've had a lot more acne over the years than I had as a teen. I never thought the Mirena would be the cause??

I got the Mirenda when I was 25, and I have had no pregnancies. When I was 30, I had my second one placed with no issues. When you have children, an IUD is easier to place because the cervix is slightly more open than when you don't have children. Find an OBGYN that is comfortable inserting one for you. I can honestly say that I have never been more happy with a form of birth control. I haven't had a full period since I had it placed. I usually have enough spotting to wear a pantyliner a few days a month. I have no cramps, no period symptoms. I have tried the Depo shot. I gained 15lbs with each one. It was the reason that I switched to the IUD. Some people do have abnormal bleeding with the Mirena, but if you talk to a lot of people on the forum, you can find that many of us had more than one period at abnormal times immediately after surgery. I've had 3 since I was sleeved on 6/28. I have had a Mirena IUDs over the last seven years, and I have never had a period that lasted longer than 2-3 days. Since surgery, I had one that lasted a week. It is the hormone flux that occurs after surgery. Consider giving the Mirena a little more time.

Everyone is different. I took one week off, but I didn't need it. I had surgery on Thurs. I could have gone back to work on Monday with no issues. I am either at my desk or see patients at the bedside. No heavy lifting involved. I took my time off to coincide with the July 4th holiday, so I got an extra day off. Maybe you should plan for the Friday before Labor Day? It gives you one extra day.

I wrote on another thread that being the friend to leave food behind is one of the greatest feelings. I used to feel the slightest pang of jealousy when I would see my thin cousins leave half their food on the plate when we went out. I always finished my entire plate (not to mention 2-3 rolls from the bread basket) and was often looking at the dessert menu. Now, a little part of me thinks my friends are secretly jealous when I eat my child size portion off my plate and leave the rest! Whether they are or not, I'll never know. It is my secret fantasy on my night's out! hahah The hardest part of eating great food for me is knowing when to stop. You can certainly over eat, and for me, it is just a bit more uncomfortable than over eating pre-sleeve. My head gets in the way, and I want just one more bite of something that I LOVE, and sometimes, I take it. Then, I realize that one little bite is going to make me uncomfortable, and I spit it out in my napkin. Before the sleeve, I could eat one more bite about 25 times once I was full. Another great thing is that I can recognize when I am full. There is a very distinctive feeling that wasn't always present pre-sleeve.

I didn't think it was for more, but 7 more years of being overweight changed my mind. I needed help, and I realized it wasn't the easy way out any more than taking insulin was the easy way out for someone with type II diabetes.

Awesome. I can't weight to weigh less than my SO. He is at 175. I started at 279. It is coming... I'm already down to 245!

This is what happens with the normal sized sleeve. No matter size you end up with, you are going to have issues in the first 1-2 months. You had major trauma to your stomach. It is swollen and needs to heal. I had surgery 6/28. I am not even two months out, and I can pretty much eat anything I want in small portion. I do make an effort to get more Protein and less carbs. I keep my calories low and my Fluid intake high. These were things that I knew I should do before surgery, but I couldn't stick to it. After surgery, it is so much easier. The sleeve makes me more accountable for my actions, and for that, I'm grateful. If I get off track one day, it is so much easier to get back on track the next day instead of blowing it all together. You'll still be able to have plenty of dinners with your husband and family, but you'll probably never be the person who cleans her plate, plus an appetizer, plus a dessert. You'll eat a few bites of the appetizer, a portion of your dinner, and a few bites of dessert. I can't tell you the last time my SO and I were able to share a dessert and be satisfied until now. We are saving a ton of money dining out, and we both walk away from the table fully satisfied. The day before my surgery, my SO asked the surgery why he had to reduce my stomach so drastically. He actually asked if they could remove half maybe three quarters. Dr. Kelly told him that they found that people were not as successful with larger sized stomachs that stretched out again. Now that I am a bit removed from surgery, my SO thinks the sleeve is a great choice for me. A lot of his fears about me being unable to eat properly have subsided. The hardest part is the first month when you are healing and adjusting. As far as mushy foods, it isn't as gross as you would think. I simply went to cream Soups, thinly sliced deli meats and cheeses, eggs, chicken salad, finely ground hamburger meat, really thick shakes, or added Protein powder to more normal foods. Every diet is different.

During full liquids, I wasn't drinking much water. Pretty much 3-4 protein shakes plus one bottle of water a day. I was shooting for 60g or protein a day. Now that I am on solids, my protein intake is higher.

Agreed. I always look for whey Protein, and very few of the shots have it.

Such a big change! The pictures really help me when I can't see it in the mirror. Congrats!

While I technically still fit in their clothes, I was able to shop at Pennys and find some thing I actually liked today. It is the first time that I found things outside of Lane Bryant in years! LB charges so much for their clothing. I bought two pairs of pants today for the cost of one LB pair (even with LB's $25 off a $75 purchase coupon)!

For the first week before I started drinking Protein drinks, I was drinking regular gatorade, fresh juices, bottle juice and sweet tea. I would Water down anything I thought was too sweet. I've always enjoyed juice, but I found that I needed to use a half bottle of juice and half water. I would sip it all day. This will help you from feeling weak until you get to Protein shakes. These things are no longer part of my diet. I was consuming less than 500 calories per day and dropped weight. I didn't like plain broth. I would order Soup and just take the broth off the top with my spoon. I would also drink the broth from Campbell's chicken noodle or just the mix from Ramen noodles. It helped to give the broth a little more flavor.