Spirit Fire

From the beginning I have had very little difficulty getting my liquids in each day (65-80 oz) and I easily get my 80-100 grams of Protein in. However, I had the 3 week stall that lasted for a week. Then at 5 weeks I was up two pounds, down two pounds, up two pounds, down a pound, down a pound, down a pound, up a 1/2 pound. It continued this way for a couple weeks. Around week #8 I received some advice via this forum that I should shake up my diet a little. I stopped eating the exact same thing every day and I changed my calorie count from day-to-day: 700, 800, 750, 850, 650, 800, etc. I also up'd my walking from one 2-mile brisk walk a day to two 2-mile brisk walks each day. Over the last couple of weeks I have been losing consistently. I know that I will stall and plateau again -- but I am not afraid of it and won't feel like I have failed when it happens. I believe what all the experts have shared -- the stalls are a process that the body goes through and other changes, besides the number on a scale, are taking place.

I had my 3-month post-op appointment today and I am walking on sunshine!

I have lost 37 lbs since surgery which is 87 lbs total. I estimate about 60 more pounds to goal.

I have gone from a size 26 bathing suit to a size 18.

My blood pressure was 112/67.

I am logging about 12,000 - 13,500 steps on my Fitbit.

The extensive bloodwork I had done showed everything to be in perfect/normal ranges:

Cholesterol 174

Glucose 86

A1C 5.2

etc., etc., etc.

Tonight for dinner, I made Eggface's Ricotta Bakes and some turkey sausage patties which my husband enjoyed as much as I did.

I am so thrilled with my decision to be sleeved. After some initial frustration with stalls, Constipation, and not knowing what I didn't know, I am now feeling empowered. Within the last week or two I feel like I truly have a handle on knowing what/how much I can eat, drink and tolerate. At the same time, I still feel new enough into this that I enjoy learning all that YOU share on this forum. My doctor was very impressed with the knowledge I shared today and I attributed it all the VerticalSleeveTalk.com

I just want to say THANK YOU and I wish everyone out there the same feelings that I am having today.

I'm in Fullerton and was sleeved 3/21/12.

Thank you so much for posting this great reference sheet.

Mine was also 2 bites of refried Beans and they were absolute heaven. I posted a picture on my Facebook page as it was truly a significant moment for me.

Any updates? What did the doctor/ER say?

Sending you good healing energies!!

Thank you for sharing this wonderful NSV! Congratulations!

I started using FatSecret.com and I have the app on my phone. http://fatsecret.com/

I used this before hearing about MyFitnessPal and just didn't see a reason to switch. I like that it has restaurant foods and store brands in the database so most of what I input is easily logged in. It has kept me on track and I find it to be a valuable and beneficial tool.

Date of surgery? 3/21/2012

How much weight lost? 84 lbs total -- 50 pre-surgery and 34 post-surgery

How many calories intake per day? 600 - 800

How much Protein per day? 80 - 100

What supplements do you take?

Vitamin D-3 1000 iu/250%

calcium chews sugar-free (Kirkland)

hair, Skin, Nails (Wonderlife)

Centrum Silver chewable Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplement

Chewable Probiotic 150 mg

Omega 3, 6, 9 Gummy Vitamins 163 mg (65/33/65) ( Slice of Life)

Zinc, L-OptiZinc 20 mg (Wonderlife)

Super Antioxidant Formula (Wonderlife)

B-Complex (Vita fusion)

7-Keto Fit (Wonderlife)

Chewable Iron (Bariatric Advantage)

Are you exercising? I walk about 7,00-9,000 steps a day which I track using a Fitbit

No regrets! I was in the right "head-space" when my knowledge of this particular procedure was made known to me last October. I truly thought I was going to use the lap-band because I was not in favor of the bypass surgery due to the malabsorption issues. It was at the orientation with my surgeon's office that I learned about the Sleeve and I haven't regretted a single day since making this decision. I did a tremendous amount of research, attended classes, workshops and support groups -- all of which gave support to my decision.

How long post-op? Surgery was 3/21/12

Doctor used? Dr. Aileen Takahashi -- Association of South Bay Surgeons, Torrance, CA

Any complications? None.

There is a helpful Nutrition Calculator online for Subway that allows you to customize your order and determine the protein/carb/fat counts.

http://www.nutritionix.com/subway/nutrition-calculator

My NUT said never drink a RTD with less than 15 grams of Protein. I prefer the Pure Protein shakes that I order from Amazon.com or pick up at Trader Joe's. They are 160 calories, 35 grams of Protein, 2 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of sugar. However I only like the chocolate and the Cookies & cream flavors. I can't stomach (pun intended) the strawberry. http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Protein-Ready-Frosty-Chocolate/dp/B002XULCA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339181124&sr=8-1

I use this product along with the ever-popular Premier shakes from costco. I also like the Premier bars as the numbers are good and they are tasty.

• Did you follow a pre-op diet? Yes. I was on a 1300 calorie a day pre-op diet eating high Protein and low carb foods.
  
• If so, what/how long was it? I began my self-prescribed diet on October 18, 2011 until I had surgery on March 21, 2012. I did not have to do the pre-op liquid diet -- my doctor just told me to continue doing what I was doing since I had lost nearly 50 lbs. I know many people use My Fitness Pal, but I discovered FatSecret.com before learning about My Fitness Pal. I used FatSecret.com to log my foods either on my computer or on my phone. I contribute much of my success to daily log-ins of my food, liquids and exercise.
  
• On a scale of "no-pain at all" to "just shoot me", how would you rate your recovery process after surgery? I was on the "no/relatively low pain" end of the scale. On a scale of 1-10, mine at it's worst was a 3. I rarely used the pain meds in the one-night I was in the hospital and only used it a couple times over the next two days at home. Now, with this being said, around week three I developed a pain near my incision that the stomach was removed from. I think I overdid cleaning out my closet, however I have also learned that many develop this pain/stitch around week 2-3 as the organs are reestablishing themselves in the body. I had odd feelings when I laid on my side to sleep as it felt like my insides where shifting so I used my tummy-pillow during week one and then weeks three-four.
  

11 weeks post-op, 82 lbs off (50 pre-op/32 post-op). I feel wonderful, staying focused on proper eating and enjoy walking. Trying to figure out how to add additional exercise into my daily routine.

My husband made a Post-Surgery Kit for me. He took a fishing tackle box and filled many of the spaces with various items that he assumed I might need after surgery. He put it next to our bed so everything was within easy reach. He filled it with things like hand lotion, kleenex, cool-down wipes, nail file, band-aids, dental floss, q-tips, nasal spray, chapstick, Decaf green tea, pedialite, deodorant, hair clips and hair bands, etc. Some things I used -- chapstick and hand lotion, and some things I didn't -- sugar free throat lozenges, but it was incredibly reassuring to have these things "there" if I needed them. Now that I am 11 weeks post-op, I found another thing I needed -- large safety pins. My pajama pants are falling down but I don't want to buy new ones yet. I just said this in an off-hand way but that night after his motorcycle club meeting, he came home with a pack of safety pins. I have been so in awe of my hubby because he has truly shown his care-giving side and truly wants this experience to be the best for me. I told him if he is ever in need of care-giving, he is so screwed -- I'm just not as good at it as he is!

I have also noticed that since being sleeved I sneeze and have a runny nose much more than I did pre-sleeve. Don't know what the correlation could be, but it has been a noticable transfomation.

As for Soups, I buy high potein/low carb soups from BariatricChoice.com. Here is link to their website.

http://www.bariatricchoice.com/bariatric-diet-protein-soups-16.html

Feel better!

I have the same question -- What's Fred?

I "second" MedInNOLA's post. When we make changes, those around us are forced to change in one way or another and that can be very disconcerting for them. Your husband may feel that you are going to no longer find him attractive and want to get a new version. I found, with my husband, that simply discussing the changes and reassuring him has made the transitions smooth and enjoyable.

A number of years ago I went to a hypnotherapist to lose weight. One of the first questions he asked me was how my marriage was doing. He said women often want to "get to fighting weight" when they are preparing to leave their marriage. This SO wasn't the case for me but it did help me to realize that although it is my body and my decision, my husband is impacted with the choices I mak

Go to skinnytaste.com it has great recipe ideas for us sleevers! Kabobs are always great!

Thanks for the website link ... just a quick scan of the site and I found a number of recipes I want to try. THANK YOU!

Sending healing energies your way!

I miss coffee! My surgeon said I could drink Decaf tea, but can't have decaf coffee until 3 months post-op. He said there is a chemical/acid in coffee -- even decaf -- that could cause ulcerations in my new tummy. I have had a non-fat latte every day for 7 years! I love steaming the milk and the smell of the coffee pods as I put them in my Starbucks Barista machine! I have a countdown timer on my phone that will signal June 21, 2012 when I will try my first post-op non-fat (or 1%) decaf latte.

Here's a TMI story: I went for my 2-week post-op doctor appointment and asked the doc when I could have my latte again. He said 3 months. I told my husband with great enthusiasm, but he asked, "Great for your latte, but when can we have sex again?" I looked at him with a blank stare and he immediately said, "OK . . . got it! I now know your priorities!" He was joking and I knew the answer to his question -- but it has been a running joke with us ever since.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful NSV!

In October 2011 my surgeon told me to lose 20 lbs by January AND complete the multitude of tests (leg ultrasound, upper gi, blood work, psych eval, cardiology/stress test, gall bladder ultrasound, etc., etc., etc.). By January I had lost 35 lbs and completed all my lab tests and was told I was being moved to the head of the class. My insurance (BC/BS of California) approved my surgery and I could have been sleeved as early as February. However, I had work obligations and vacation plans in February so delayed the surgery to March. In October it seemed like such a long journey and and doubted if it was worth it. Here I am 10 weeks post-op and feeling great. I am grateful to have had a tip-to-tail physical because now I know I am a healthy 50 year old who is making tremendous changes toward improving my life.

Hi! It is important to do the research before you spend any time, money and/or energy on a career field. Please feel free to use any of the software programs on the following website -- I would suggest using Eureka, Choices Explorer and eVoc Bios to look up health care/health science pathways.

http://cypresscollege.edu/services/cpc/siteLicensed.aspx

I'm the Career Center Coordinator at Cypress College and a credentialed GCDF (Global Career Development Facilitator) and have seen so many students over the years pick a major or choose a career field based on all the wrong reasons. Check out your local community college to meet with a career counselor; take some valid and reliable career assessments to find out your interests, values, skills, work values, personality and work preferences; or take a career exploration class. As mentioned in a previous post, make sure you find a legitimate, accredited program to get the training. It is a great idea to do an "informational interview" which simply means talking to someone in the field you are interested in to find out the truth about the career. If you Google "informational interview" you can find out some great questions to ask, or I will gladly send you a pdf of questions we have our students use.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Deann

Thank you everyone. I appeciate your wisdom, knowledge,and experience.