Webchickadee

I understand completely, and I agree, servers make assumptions based on our looks. It's not right and not fair, but it is life! Look at it this way though..........since you're only 49 lbs from your goal weight, you're no longer the "fat girl". Seriously! You're bigger than average, but soon (in another few months), you will blend right in with your ideal weight/healthy/genetically blessed friends and family and you won't be getting this unwanted attention and as many mistakes on your orders. So hang in there, and don't stop socializing with your peer group because of this. This is temporary and those friendships are not. Keep in touch with them in the way they are most comfortable (meals/drinks), and stick to your guns with your orders and consumption. When you hit goal weight (won't be long now...!), you'll be the "skinny" one and ordering just an appy or side salad will fit right in with the wait staff's assumptions.

That's great! Glad you were able to get through the hard first few days. Carb detoxification is a b***h! Keep up the good work. Your surgery will be here in no time!

I had gall bladder surgery 13 years ago and Dr. Kelly did my VSG surgery on May 14, 2012. I did not reuse the same incisions (not even one of them), but it wasn't because he denied me. I didn't even think to ask! One of the incisions for the VSG is quite close to one of my GB incisions. Most of the rest are not that close. I could take some pictures if you want. Most of my incisions are on the left half of my abdomen, and my GB incisions were more on the right half or middle. Most of my GB incision sites are very faint now (due to the long time they have had to heal and fade away!). Keeping that fading in mind, you might not feel the need to "reuse" old incision sites, as they do tend to fade quite well (especially if you take Vitamin E and use Bio Oil on them). But of course, everyone has a personal preference. In terms of technical limitations, there may be a good reason to not use the same incision sites. This has more to do with the underlying abdominal wall muscles. Re-opening old healed wounds in the muscle wall (from your GB surgery) may take longer to heal and may produce more weakness in the abdominal wall at those points. But I don't know that for a fact, and of course, Dr. Kelly will be able to answer those questions with 10,000 % more knowledge on the subject than I can! Finally, also keep in mind that Dr. Kelly uses VERY small incisions (most of mine are an inch or smaller) and for me, he glued them shut, so I have no suture lines, just a nice clean straight incision that should fade well over time. Good luck, and let me know if you want pictures. I apologize in advance for the jelly belly! LOL

It's so interesting how different everyone's tolerance of different elements of this surgery are. I myself didn't find the "gastrique" that bad. Sure, it wasn't my favourite liquid. If i never have it again, it will be too soon. But it did not make me naseous or vomit. And I was so interested in seeing it "travel" through my esophageous, stomach and intestines that I watched it and was totally distracted by that, rather than the taste in my mouth. I am 5 weeks post-op and I have had the VERY good fortune of NEVER vomiting yet (hopefully I haven't jinxed myself now!). In any case, it's just another part of the journey that we have to go through. And at least with this one, you get instant feedback. Most of the time (hopefully it's close to 100% of the time for all patients) we find out everything is "hunky dory" and no leaks!

Please don't be discouraged by a pound or two gain, especially early on! Your weight can fluctuate by several pounds within the course of an average day, depending on your fluid balance/load, time of month (hormones!), constipation, etc. As you already know (it's easy to know in your head, but harder to "know" emotionally, I understand)....your body is learning to adjust to this radical new way of life. You have to give it time to adjust. And daily weigh-ins can be counter-productive to our motivation and emotional health. I KNOW it's hard not to step on the scale. You want positive feedback that you're doing it right, and you want to "nip things in the bud" if you doing something wrong. I get it. But if you feel you MUST weight yourself each day, then be ready to "roll with the punches" when it goes up or down more than you expected. We are all in this for the long-haul. Whether you're a fast loser or a slow loser, the end result will be the same. You will reach your goal and maintain that lovely new weight as long as you stick to the program. Protein first, then veg, then carb (if you have room). Lots and lots of liquids, and keep that body active! Fast losers get the positive reinforcement of seeing the weight loss faster, but slow losers often benefit from having less saggy skin, requiring less cosmetic revision later on. Whatever your path, it is YOUR unique path. Try to be "zen" about it and accept the pace you are on (stalls and speed-bumps included). We are all headed down the same path, towards the same goal. Some of us are at the beginning, some of us are at the end, many of us are in between, either sprinting, strolling, or taking a short "breather" along the way.

Woohoo! Happy Onederland! Way to go! Keep up the fantastic work, and celebrate this SV (scale victory!) with something...perhaps a nice new dress (that will work "with you" for a few sizes until you're too skinny to fit into it!

But you WILL be able to eat everything again after the surgery. Just not for a long long while! Ask any of the "veterans" here on the Forum. They eat whatever they want! But they make sure if it's not healthy and part of their long-term maintenance plan, that it's a VERY small amount of the "treat" and that it is only on rare occasions. That's one of the great things about this surgery. You don't actually have to GIVE UP anything! You just have to let your stomach heal, teach yourself your new food life plan, and then once in a while, give in to your craving or treat (in a small way). It's the only way to live with this radical change for the rest of your life and be really happy (and not feel deprived, the way we always did on our previous diets).

Pre-op diet weight: 318.8 Day of surgery: 307 One month post-op: 285.1 Total loss to date: 33.7 pounds (or 21.9 pounds post-op) May 14/12 June 14/12 Change Right Arm 19.00 18.75 -0.25 Left Arm 18.50 18.50 0.00 Right Leg 31.00 29.50 -1.50 Left Leg 31.50 28.50 -3.00 Bust 53.00 51.50 -1.50 Bra Line 45.00 44.50 -0.50 Waist 54.00 51.50 -2.50 Hips 63.00 60.00 -3.0 Total inches lost = 12.25 I am VERY happy with these numbers. I know it probably won't continue this fast, but I did join the YMCA yesterday (with my hubby!) and I'll be adding gym workouts to my daily walks. I love my Fitbit........so far it's been motivating both me and my husband to get moving!

First thing.......stop panicking! You are in control of this, you just need a little help getting back on track. I suggest you try LittleMissDiva's Bootcamp to get you back on track. It is like a "reboot" for your healthy habits and will give you some results you can see and feel right away, to increase the motivation and help you stick with the plan for life! It's like a lifeline created just for these types of situations. You are not alone in this experience. A quick search of the Forum will show you that LOTS of people have had this "speed bump" along the way and have overcome the challenge and got themselves back to basics and happy, and healthy (both in body and spirit!). Give it a try, and let us know how it goes!

Yes, at the beginning it can be frustrating if you feel like you're losing slowly. I was losing quite quickly and now I've hit some mini-plateaus (every few days it stalls for 2-4 days). I know it's reasonable for my body to be "adjusting". My head knows it, but my emotions are still all over the place when I get on that scale and it hasn't moved down, or worse still, has inched up a tad! Reading this post has certainly helped me put things in perspective and I'm sure to revisit it over the next several months to help keep me on track! Thanks for the "reality check"!

Yes, the guessing game is certainly a challenge and tiring! I try to plan what I'll be eating the day before, or at least the morning of. But often, "best laid plans" just don't work out! And my husband is pretty much cooking and eating for himself, so sometimes it's a bit lonely. We're not hungry on the same schedule, and when I do sit and eat with him, I have 2-3 bites and he has a whole plateful. I'm always done long before he is, and sitting there watching him eat is kind of weird. I'm a bit less than 5 weeks out, so yes, I know, still in healing and transition. Patience was never one of my strong suits! I'm doing my best though...and 34 lbs down (including preop loss of 11 lbs). So I'm hanging in there!

First thing I would ask is are you taking an acid reducer (or PPI - Protein pump inhibitor) such as Omeprazole? I find that when I don't eat for several hours and haven't taken my PPI, I feel "hungry" as well. REALLY hungry. But if I take some Tums or my PPI, the hunger goes away. So it's not really hunger for me....it's acid reflux! That being said, maybe you really are hungry! So in that case, I would recommend you visit a fantastic blog written by a women who had the RNY bypass surgery. It is: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.ca/. She has many many many amazing recipes, ideas, insights, etc. I'm sure you'll find some creative ideas to keep yourself from being bored, and keep the protein level high! Good luck!

I did the 2 week liquid diet as well and it was TORTURE!. Especially the first 3-4 days while I was getting the carbs out of my system. But the weight loss was great (11 lbs) and I was scared to fly all the way to Mexico and then have them tell me my liver wasn't good enough for surgery. That was enough to keep me on track...........

You look FANTASTIC! Great work sticking with the program to get such great results on your 1st Surgiversary!

Oh yes. So many reasons to be feeling that way! You're probably tired of "sip sip sipping", missing chewing, watching other people eat food you can only dream of eating, low energy, dealing with post-surgical hormone shift, sleeping might be disrupted, bad taste in your mouth, tired of having to force all the fluids down all the time...........shall I go on? It does get better, but at present, it won't seem fast enough! I'm a bit more than 4 weeks post-op and things are DEFINITELY improving. I'm in mushies, and just starting some softer solids. Energy levels is going up....scale is going down (very motivational!). Clothes are getting VERY loose. Just do your best to get through this early phase. Apologize in advance to family, loved ones and anyone else who knows you had surgery for your "mean" behaviour. They will understand your grouchiness, I'm sure. Hang in there, and in a few weeks, it will be behind you and everyone (including yourself!) will be relieve to have the pleasant you back again!

Sounds like you're falling into the trap that most of us do......comparing ourselves to others! I don't blame you, I catch myself doing it all the time too. The important thing to remember is that you are unique and you will lose the weight at your own pace. 6 lbs a week is AWESOME! And honestly it will probably slow down in the future, and you'll be back wishing it was dropping off this fast! Also, I too was 300+ lbs when I started, and I've been morbidly obese my entire adult life (and most of my teenage years too). So I have A LOT of stretched skin. Personally, though I would love to be down to my goal weight of 135 as soon as possible, I'm concerned that too rapid weight loss won't give my skin a decent chance of "springing back" very well. I'm probably going to have to have some surgery on my abdomen and arms (batwing city!), but the most I can do to help reduce that chance the better! That includes a slower weight loss, working out (especially with weights!), and drinking lots and lots of liquids to nourish my skin. You're doing very very well, and just keep up the good work. It's a long, tough journey, but one where we learns the habits and tools that we'll be maintaining for the rest of our lives! Well worth it, in my opinion!

Catracks makes a good point. He is a man, and probably taller than many of us ladies (how tall is he?). This may mean he has a longer and larger sleeve than the rest of us. Myself, I could barely get a medium sip in for the first 7 days without serious "cramping" pain. Even now, 4 weeks out, I've only just started having more success with mushies and starting regular foods that are quite soft and easy to digest. But keep in mind, I'm only 5'4" (on a "tall" day!). On the other hand, your concern is valid. If he's able to eat so much, so quickly now, it may mean he has a harder time losing the weight as his calorie intake will be "easier" and therefore a bit harder to control. It will mean more self-control on his part. Though again, as Catracks mentioned, this is all liquids right now. The "rubber meets the road" when he starts eating solids! I can only get 3 oz of any solid in right now and even that is a bit more than I am comfortable with afterwards. I could easily finish an 8 oz Soup though (as long as it was mostly liquid and not a cream soup). Just keep an eye on him and be gentle in suggestions that he could benefit from slowing down a bit, even if there is no discomfort. His stomach is still healing and will be for weeks yet. Going a bit more easy and slowly will help optimize his recovery, increase his early weight loss (which will motivate him!) and help ensure better long-term success. Just remember he's in a major adjustment phase right now and your "suggestions" should be worded and delivered with the most supportive tone you can manage. He may take it as criticism otherwise, even if you don't mean it that way! Good luck and let us know how he's doing!

Your stomach is still probably VERY swollen. It took me 7-8 days to get past the "wicked bad pain" whenever I drank anything. Especially if I took more than a tiny little sip. It felt like very bad cramps along with a stabbing pain! I am now 4 weeks post-op and drinking is not a problem (though I've gotten VERY tired of Protein shakes). I'm still dealing with eating (in the mushie stage....supposed to be onto regular food now, but my sleeve doesn't really like that yet). Give yourself time to heal. You'll be back to Powerade Zero and Protein shakes soon.

I was in a bad motorcycle accident in July 1999. Prior to that accident, I had never had a single symptom of gall bladder trouble. The accident was quite severe and left me with a ruptured spleen, broken wrist (surgically repaired with metal plates), three broken ribs that punctured my left lung and collapsed it, a separated shoulder and severe road rash on both knees and both arms/elbows. During the following 3 weeks, I started having serious pain episodes that the doctors kept blaming on gas pain. But I was in hospital and living off an iv! I was discharged to a rehab hospital and the following day experienced the worst pain of my life. Everything from the accident paled in comparison! On return to the trauma hospital, they gave me Fentanyl (usually given to women in labor), but it only works for 30 min and they would only give it to me every 90 min. For the 60 min it had worn off, I was screaming my head off, and the nurses kept telling me I was disturbing the other patients in the ER! I didn't care.....i was dying! They said it was an inflamed gall bladder, but after circling the drain on the ward for 3 days (which I don't remember), the head of trauma surgery told me they were going to take my gall bladder out. The 40 min surgery took 4 hours....my gall bladder had actually ruptured 3 days earlier (no wonder it felt like I was dying!), and now it was all floating around my other organs! Another 12 hours and I would have gone septic and probably died. The theory was that I might have had a small stone that impacted into the wall of my GB from the forced of the crash. Then it festered, caused gangrene and then ruptured the GB. I recovered quickly from the GB surgery (my first laparoscopic surgery) and other than having digestive difficulties after greasy or oily foods, I've had no after effects. But I will never forget the pain. Do not let your GB pain go untreated. A ruptured GB could kill you, and the agony will make you wish you were dead!

Thanks a lot! I seem to have hit the infamous "3rd week stall". Been the same weight for the past 4 days. Hopefully it won't last too long. Now is the time to battle demons of doubt, and "stay the course"!

It feels like a long time, but those 3 days will go by fast. And after the surgery you probably won't feel hungry for quite some time. I'm nearly 1 month post-op and only eat when I remember it's time, or if I'm getting too much acid (despite taking omeprazole). Good luck and let me know how it's going, and if you have any questions!

Simple carbs are the enemy, but complex carbs are "good" carbs that can be very beneficial, especially if you're working out so consistently! The following are some examples of complex carbs. Of course, you need to take into account where you are in terms of food stages and what you can tolerate. At 7 weeks out, some of the examples below may not work for you yet or may be too hard to digest (do some research before you try all of them!). Whole Grains - millet, oats, wheat germ, barley, wild rice, brown rice, buckwheat, oat bran, cornmeal and amaranth. Fruits - apricots, oranges, plums, pears, grapefruits and prunes. Vegetables - Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnip greens, eggplant, potatoes, yams, corn, carrots, onions, all types of lettuce, celery, cucumbers, cabbage, artichokes and asparagus Legumes - lentils, kidney Beans, black beans, peas, garbanzo beans, soy beans and pinto beans

LMFAO! Seriously. Love it! I don't know how we'll all end up "down there"....but we should revisit this post when we're all closer to goal weight and "compare notes"!

I'm at the same post-op time as you are Lisa's Hope and I'm finding that there is very little "mushie" I can eat that sits comfortably right now. I'm temporarily reverting back to full liquids to let things settle down and I'll try again next week. 2-3 ounces is definitely full (and sometimes MORE than full) for me on the "mushies". I'm sure we will both progress well beyond 2 oz in time. I guess I'm just a slower healer (that's okay, just getting really bored with soup!). On the bright side, the longer we stay on liquids and soft foods, the more weight we'll lose in the early stages! Looks like we're at about the same amount of weight loss too! Chin up my dear. We spent many years (for me it was almost my whole life time!) being overweight and/or obese. A few weeks/months now is merely a drop in the bucket on our path to permanent success!

Hey Rootman, I totally agree with your attitude of "all things in moderation". Having anything on the "never again" list will just make it all the more tempting and likely to cause damage when we succumb to our craving/desire. And of course, using caution to see how we tolerate is essential! Also, hearing that you very occasionally still have a "burger and fries" in small quantities just further underscores that we don't have to GIVE UP anything. Just use good sense, adhere to the proper nutritional guidelines 98% of the time, and once in a while, feel free to stray a bit outside the lines and have a small (very small) treat! This is the key to long term success and emotional well-being where our food intake is concerned. We can eat healthy and still indulge a bit occasionally! Just like "regular" people who don't struggle with their weight do...........