minaleigh

*sorry this might be a bit gross*

I had this problem big time after surgery. I was carrying around the spit/barf bags that hospitals give you for 2-3 weeks. I made sure to bring some extras home. I would wake up from a dead sleep having to throw up because of all the spit that would run down my throat while I was sleeping. It was horrible.

I think it's pretty rude that your work told you not to come in because of something you can't help. Maybe every so often cover the top of where you spat in the trashcan with tissues?

I don't really have a solution. Mine just went away on its own. It did, however, seem to get better after I progressed a bit more through my food stages. How far out from surgery are you and what stage are you on? After I got past the liquid stage and through most of the pureed stage, my need to spit decreased dramatically.

Pretty much what they said. I had five incisions and the biggest one that's to the right and a bit above my belly button is where they took the stomach out. It's about an inch and a half long.The stomach is a stretchy material (hence why we could eat so much) so I assume it can squeeze through tight spaces. That's the incision that hurt the most because they had to stretch the skin a bit.

I wish I would have known about the emotional and mental struggles. I actually never ate that much before surgery. I couldn't/didn't eat a whole pizza by myself or drink tons of soda. Did I eat the wrong things? Absolutely. Going from that to heavily limiting my food (especially my beloved carbs, may you rest in peace) was and still is hard.

I also wish I knew more about head hunger. I had preconceptions that this surgery was the "miracle solution" that would take all of my hunger and desire for all things bad for me away. It may have worked for some, but it didn't big time in my case.

I wish someone told me about how much vomiting just plain sucks right after surgery. I mean, it wasn't a picnic before, but heaving when you've just been cut open and it feels like someone drove a steamroller over your abs? That's not so fun.

I remember a nurse asked me if I regretted the surgery when I had to be readmitted due to complications. At the time I said yes, I did regret it. Right now? I can honestly say I don't know. I've lost almost 40 pounds since surgery, but *I* don't see the physical proof of it yet. Get back to me when I'm the newest citizen of Onederland.

Could it also be that liquid may cause certain foods to expand IN THE STOMACH?

Yeah, that's probably another reason.

I just don't recommend drinking with meals. Granted, I was never one to dunk Cookies or even pour milk in my Cereal, as I don't like soggy food. So trying to break that sort of habit has been fairly easy for me.

If your surgeon says not to, it's best to listen.

Welcome to the site! 65 pounds in 3 months is amazing! That's over 20 pounds a month.

Good luck on continuing weight loss and hope to hear more from you!

I know one of the main reasons people give is because the Water will push the food down before you're able to get the nutrients from it. I just know from my experience, it hurts. The first time it was when I was at work. I had some deli meat and cheese and while I didn't necessarily drink with it, I didn't wait long enough and had to rush to the bathroom to throw up. The next time I did, I was at school and I slipped back into the old habit and drank immediately after I ate because my mind was elsewhere and not paying attention. It hurt and felt like a bowling ball had settled in my stomach.

Sounds amazing! I've been thinking how I could make some lasagna or Pasta dish. May have to try this next time I have people over!

Is 22 young enough, you whippersnapper?

I've definitely been slacking on keeping myfitnesspal up to date so this might help me stay on track! My name on there is minaleigh.

Congrats! That's amazing. Keep up the awesome job!

I had the same problem for a long time, and I had friends willing to go with me as well. I go to the gym at my school and I found a pretty good time to do it. I go before I have class, around 10am-12pm, and that's when all the older people go. Get to around 3-4pm and that's when all the athletes are around.

I'm not sure how big your town is or how many gyms it has, but it might be good to scope out some before you join one. Or, if you're still self-conscious, you could exercise at home until you feel more comfortable. It wouldn't cost much to get a few weights and bands.

I am 22 and it was my mom who got me interested in WLS. My mom had the gastric bypass about 32 years ago, but besides that, I didn't know anyone who had surgery or much about it really. Since it was several months ago that we started this whole process, I can honestly say I don't remember how it got brought up. We went to the first seminar and I was a bit skeptical. I didn't like the idea of someone poking around my insides, especially since I was such a young age. My mom was pushing me to get this surgery, and I didn't want to at the time. I tried to do it on my own and ended up failing. I finally woke up one morning and realized, "you know what? I hate that I'm putting myself through this." I ended up watching NUMEROUS testimonies and videos on youtube from people who have been through the surgery, mainly the lapband and sleeve. I called my mom and told her I wanted to go through with it. Let me just say, she was surprised!

I'm 8 weeks out now and glad I got the surgery. Being overweight since I was 9 has made me miss out on a lot of things. I wanted to end my college experience right. I hated being the "fat friend" of the group, being a wallflower, forcing myself into an anti-social lifestyle. I would look over my friends' pictures on Facebook and cry at all the fun times they were having. Now, I am 8 weeks out, 35 pounds lighter and definitely having more fun. :wink1:

Could it be that your daughter is scared? I was at first. How many times has she dieted over the years? Maybe she thinks this won't work for her if the other stuff didn't. Is she generally a shy person or outgoing? If she's shy, she might be hiding herself behind her weight. Did you guys ever argue about her weight or did she get defensive about it? Even now, discussing my weight problems with my mom reduces me to tears. I just couldn't believe how far I let myself go. It made me miss out on SO much and I'm frustrated with myself that I let it happen.

I know it's not your intention, but don't try to push it too much. Like others said, you can encourage her. Support is the best thing. Recommend things for her, let her do her own research, and let her come upon the decision on her own. She'll thank you in the long run. :smile1:

I actually lost 25 pounds the first two weeks because I had complications and was keeping NOTHING (not even water!) down. After they fixed me, I gained 6 of it back. My poor body... so traumatized! I'd have to guess I lost about 26 pounds the first month. 36 pounds in ONE month is amazing! That's more than a pound a day!

How fun.

My name is Amanda and I'm 22. I was born and raised in both northern and southern Illinois, except for one year where I lived in Missouri. I'm currently in college working on getting my BA in Graphic Design and Art History. I work in a movie theater (sadly with popcorn smell wafting around me at all times...) and it's a blast. I am single right now and hope that changes after I lose more weight and be happier and more confident in myself!

I love, love, love to read. I mainly like fiction, particularly fantasy and historical fiction, as I get enough non-fiction in my own life. Anything related to East Asian cultures is fascinating to me. My bedroom is decorated with Asian influenced items. I have also loved mythology since I took a class on it in high school, where it mainly focused on Greek/Roman. A few years ago, I started getting into Norse mythology, especially since my dad's whole family is Norwegian. I also love video games and cartoons/anime. I'm a total geek.

Guess that's all I have to say!

I hear ya on the roller coasters thing! One of the most embarrassing moments of my life involved me being left behind while my friends went to go on a ride.

I also want to ride a horse and wear cute clothes!

Thanks for the awesome support guys!

I sure hope to have an awesome shape when this is done. I've had people tell me I had a shape before but I would just reply, "yeah... and that shape is the blob."

Thanks for the advice, wishes. I just started going to the gym this week after just mainly walking the past few weeks. Hope to get my thunder thighs under control!

When I first met with my shrink (I've actually known him all my life but haven't talked to him since I was 9 and I'm 22 now), he seemed to not be on my side at first. Talked to him a few more times, and I realized he wasn't the bad guy, he was just trying to help me see things in a more realistic light.

I say give this guy some more time before you make a decision.

Oh, and sorry someone wanted to quiet you on your own thread.

Hello all! Well, I'm in my 8th week post-op and doing pretty good. Still working on trying to eat slower and enough. Anyways, people have been telling me stuff like, "you need to buy smaller pants, those are falling off!" Well, to be honest, I couldn't really see my weight loss the way they could. I'm 35 pounds down since surgery, and about 50 total (YAY!). Basically, I haven't weighed this since my junior year of high school. Let's just say that some people get the "freshman fifteen" weight put on in college... I got the freshman forty!

Well, I was wearing one of my favorite shirts and have owned it since 8th grade. I remembered I had a picture of myself wearing it from two years ago while on vacation with my friend. Let's just say NOW I could tell a difference. So I took a picture of me in it last night!

Before: August, two years ago. Probably near my highest weight, around 289. I'm pretty much mad at myself for ever thinking it was a good idea to go outside looking like that.

After: Last night. Weighed myself right after I took the picture and I was at 238.6. 50 pounds gone! You can't see it from this angle, but my horrible back rolls are almost pretty smooth! No more fat popping out around my bra!

My main issue now are my "saddlebag" thighs. I've always been pear-shaped, with a smaller top and huge butt and thighs. I know walking/running can help get rid of it, but what are some exercises that can specifically target that area?

I don't really have that many really close friends. I have a lot of friends and people I hang out with, just not many I truly confide in. I haven't had much problem with my friends, except one of them told her mom (who I don't really care for) about the surgery, and she said I was taking the easy way out.

The only thing I've experienced from my friend was when I told her my goal weight of 150-155, she said that'd be too small. When I told her that it was at the highest end of normal for someone my height, she still held on to the idea that I'd be "sickly skinny." To be honest, I think it's because she would weigh more than me if I got down to that weight and she's 4-5 inches shorter than me. Until I started losing weight, a guy friend we have never paid much attention to me because he was too busy fawning over her. Now that I've lost 50 pounds total, he's noticed me more and even started flirting, which is something I have no experience with. She likes the attention and being the "hot friend" between us two.

Dr. Ahuja is my surgeon as well. I may have even seen you in support group meetings and never would have known!

I was one of those that drank 2-3 glassfuls of Water during a meal. Basically a "bite, bite, drink, bite bite, drink" kind of person. After surgery, learning to not do that has been a challenge. When I'm eating with someone, and I see them casually drinking tons of liquid during the meal, I sometimes miss it. I'm a lot better now. I occasionally take a sip if something is really spicy or feels stuck. Now, I just watch the clock for 30 minutes after I'm done eating so I can finally take a drink!

For some reason, I didn't get a notice on any of these replies. I do have an update though and I did find out I am hypoglycemic. Apparently, my mom has known this whole time, and I didn't. Go figure. I've noticed that I feel better when I eat more than 35 grams of carbs, which makes sense because even wikipedia says, "Management of hypoglycemia involves immediately raising the blood sugar to normal... The blood glucose can be raised to normal within minutes by taking (or receiving) 10-20 grams of carbohydrate."

Pre-surgery, I had occasional dizzying spells, but never had much problem because to be honest, I was a carb baby. My favorite food has been bread even before I could walk. I know a lot of people on here push push push a low carb diet of less than 30 grams. I really don't think I can. My dizzying spells have been getting so bad lately, that now I do feel nauseous, while VERY disoriented making it seem like I'm going to fall over, and like someone is taking my head into their hands and squeezing.

I'm going to see my NUT, who I haven't seen since my one month checkup and I'm two months out, to see if she can recommend a more specific meal plan. The handout she gave me at the beginning was very vague, only stating how much Protein and Water to take in and not much else. I'll also see my surgeon just so I can ask questions and because it'll a free doctor's visit since my insurance's grace period after surgery ends soon.

Thanks for the reply guys!

I think I'm similar to you. I'm only 8 weeks out though. I'm 5'7", my highest weight was 289 and 273 on surgery day. I've lost 33 pounds so far.

I've been using fitness pal as well. Sadly, I didn't start using it until when I was about five weeks out, and that's when my stall started, so I can't tell what my magic number is. I feel better when I eat more than 30 carbs, and it really helps curb that awful ketosis I'm still having. I try to eat things that have more Protein than carbs in it, or at least about the same. Before, I had those thin sandwich Buns, the whole wheat kind. Those were basically the only true carbs I kept in the house. Luckily, I have an awesome roommate! When we go grocery shopping, I'll ask if he wants hotdog buns or something and he'll ask if I can have them. When I say no, he'll just say, "Nah, I can eat hotdogs without them." He now loves turkey bacon and turkey hotdogs, too. :wink1:

I need to experiment with carbs and see if I can find my magic number. I've tried low carb diets before, and they just don't work for me. I'm probably like you, and need like 40-45, not <30 that so many people on here tell us to do.

Hope to hear from people that have had a similar experience! Would love to see what sleeve veterans have to say.

Hey all. First off, let me say the past few days I haven't been the most faithful to sticking to the plan, food wise. Now that that is out of the way...

Well, I'm almost 8 weeks out and going through, or might be finally pulling out of, a two-three week stall. The first week I contribute to my lovely TOM, but the second week left me baffled. I exercised, got my Protein, drank my Water and the scale wouldn't budge! Well, my family celebrated Christmas on Sunday (yeah, three weeks late!) as well as my aunt's birthday. We had it at my mom's and they decided to order pizza instead of cooking. I took a piece and ate the cheese and a few bites of the bread. They also brought a birthday cake, so I had a small bite from my mom's piece. Go to the scale the next day and you know what happens? The scale moves down two pounds below my lowest so far after fluctuating between the same three pounds for what seems like forever!

I thought, "well okay... maybe it's just because I finally broke the stall." Well, Monday and Tuesday, I went back to my routine of Protein, Water, exercise, etc. Get back on the scale Tuesday... I gain the two pounds I had lost. Wednesday, I went up another pound and a half. My roommate decides to make the cheesy garlic breadsticks that have been in our freezer for forever and a day. Now, I have a hard time resisting carbs and always loved carbs more than anything else. My snack as a kid was a piece of bread with butter on it, folded in half like a sandwich. I have home movies of me as a toddler, walking around and eating just a plain piece of bread. I've been adamant to keeping as many carbs out of the house as possible because of this problem. Anyways, the breadsticks are small, so I eat one and then a half of one later, careful to chew thoroughly until it's almost pureed consistency. Get back on the scale today... and the weight I had regained and then some are gone again! Sheesh.

I don't know what my body wants sometimes! I try to keep the healthy habits up, and when I slip is when my body decides to lose the weight? This doesn't mean I'm going to revert back to my old ways, because to be honest, my body wouldn't be able to handle it. I just don't understand that I stall for over two weeks eating as much protein, drinking as much water as possible, and when I cheat, that's when the pounds come off? I hope it's just a coincidence because while I do want to lose the weight, I don't want my insides to be unhealthy because of what I put in my mouth, even if it does make me lose the weight.

Has anyone else have something similar to this happen to them?

P.S. I normally don't weigh myself this obsessively. I usually weigh every third day, but I wanted to see what was happening weight-wise based on what I was eating. Sort of like an experiment.