funkeechiggen

Who says you have to eat breakfast food for breakfast!? If there's something you've been craving (healthy choice, obviously) maybe try it for breakfast to get your appetite on track!
I'm still on full liquids post-op but I'll tell ya right now, the first day I'm on puree I'm definitely NOT having oatmeal for breakfast or a shake... Refried Beans and melted cheese is first up on my menu! LOL

OHHHH HOLY CRAP!!!!!!
NOT MORE THAN 15 MIN'S AFTER POSTING THIS THE INSURANCE COORDINATOR CALLED AND I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOO!

OHHHH HOLY CRAP!!!!!!
NOT MORE THAN 15 MIN'S AFTER POSTING THIS THE INSURANCE COORDINATOR CALLED AND I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOO!

OHHHH HOLY CRAP!!!!!!
NOT MORE THAN 15 MIN'S AFTER POSTING THIS THE INSURANCE COORDINATOR CALLED AND I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOO!

Just to add to your post, I think most of us got to the point of needing surgery because we CAN'T follow the rules!!!! At least that's been my experience.
To the OP: Most of us are food addicts - myself included. I think the "I can and should eat that because I want it and I deserve it" attitude is just setting yourself up for failure. Maybe not now, but down the road I think that's going to backfire on you.
Just my .02.

Just to add to your post, I think most of us got to the point of needing surgery because we CAN'T follow the rules!!!! At least that's been my experience.
To the OP: Most of us are food addicts - myself included. I think the "I can and should eat that because I want it and I deserve it" attitude is just setting yourself up for failure. Maybe not now, but down the road I think that's going to backfire on you.
Just my .02.

OHHHH HOLY CRAP!!!!!!
NOT MORE THAN 15 MIN'S AFTER POSTING THIS THE INSURANCE COORDINATOR CALLED AND I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOO!

Just to add to your post, I think most of us got to the point of needing surgery because we CAN'T follow the rules!!!! At least that's been my experience.
To the OP: Most of us are food addicts - myself included. I think the "I can and should eat that because I want it and I deserve it" attitude is just setting yourself up for failure. Maybe not now, but down the road I think that's going to backfire on you.
Just my .02.

Lately I've seen a TON of posts about lucky sleevers that drop 100 pounds in six months.
Congrats to them and to their loss. And I would never, ever begrudge anyone the right to crow about a fantastic success. It's part of why we're all here, to share the ups and downs of this surgery!
But frequently, these posts are followed by folks that feel frustrated because they aren't losing at the same pace. All too often, we forget that everyone loses at a different pace. It's easy to lose sight of the real goal (long term maintenance) in the face of the scale goals we set for ourselves. And it's also easy to forget that this isn't a race and that there's no special prize waiting at the end for reaching goal more quickly.
I would like to contribute my loss pattern so that people can see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Being successful is about reaching your personal goals, overcoming your personal food demons and maintaining your weight loss for life. It's not about hitting goal in nine months.
I encourage everyone else with a slow loss story to contribute their successes here as well. It's hard to research this surgery and find only the stories about extremes - people completely thrilled with surgery or people that regret every minute of life post op. The same goes for loss. When people search out stories on this, it's too easy to only find rapid loss or stall posts but nothing showing the more realistic and moderate journey many of us take. The sleeve is a permanent tool that does not have a special window of easy weight loss. There is no reason to feel discouraged when you haven't reached goal at one year out, or even two. There is nothing preventing you (short of your own body's natural stopping point) from achieving or re-achieving goal at any point post op.
I lost 60 pounds in the first five months after my surgery.
And I slowly lost 32 pounds over the next seven months.
It took me another five months to shed the final 15 pounds to my goal.
I lost 107 pounds over the course of 17 months. I stalled twice for nine weeks each time. I had months where I only lost one pound. I regularly experienced a gain of three pounds around my cycle, and often only lost weight in the last week to ten days of the month, after sitting at the same weight for nearly three weeks.
I am a success, and at 2.5 years out (and currently pregnant) I still have good, healthy eating habits and maintained my weight loss quite easily. Even 30 weeks pregnant, I am still wearing a size 6/small (in maternity clothes, of course) regardless of how I feel about my expanding body!
I learned what was important on this journey and am in better health today (not just physically, but mentally and emotionally), than I have ever experienced as an adult.
Good luck to those currently on their journey, and I encourage everyone to share their stories here so that newly sleeved folks can see that slow vs. fast loss doesn't really matter in the end.
~Cheri

Just to add to your post, I think most of us got to the point of needing surgery because we CAN'T follow the rules!!!! At least that's been my experience.
To the OP: Most of us are food addicts - myself included. I think the "I can and should eat that because I want it and I deserve it" attitude is just setting yourself up for failure. Maybe not now, but down the road I think that's going to backfire on you.
Just my .02.

My fav is pureed refried Beans (whiz them in blender til smooth), then add a teaspoon of cheese whiz and heat in microwave. I add a dab of light sour cream and a dash of Tabasco. (i have a sleeve of steel so far so spicy doesn't bother me, but YMMV)
I've also tried canned chicken, pureed, and added a bit of BBQ Sauce. Pop in the microwave to warm up. Add shredded cheese if you like.
Scrambled eggs are another fav (add a bit of Water to make them fluffy and soft). Try it scrambled with a Laughing Cow cheese wedge!
Oh, if you like pudding... Try adding unflavored Protein powder to sugar free pudding!
Have you tried greek yogurt? Get plain greek yogurt and mix in a few pumps of your favorite sugar-free syrup! Or, if you're cleared to have pureed fruits, mix that in with the greek yogurt and add splenda or truvia, etc. to sweeten.

OHHHH HOLY CRAP!!!!!!
NOT MORE THAN 15 MIN'S AFTER POSTING THIS THE INSURANCE COORDINATOR CALLED AND I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOO!

What is your idea of success? Does it actually matter if you loose all your excess over a Xnumber of months versus Ynumber of months?
I am trying to gently suggest that the all or nothing thinking (dammit if I can't be skinny NOW, why bother!?!!!!) might be an old thought pattern rearing it's ugly head?
Even so, I understand your frustration. Do you work with a NUT? They can be very helpful at examing the details and coming up with good specific suggestions. You will get a lot of general replies on here, but without reviewing your actual food and activity log, it is speculation.
A general recommendation is to shake things up when things aren't going well. An example might be replace the walking with more intense exercise. Or, try eating a few more carbs or calories (not alot, just a few). Just change something and that can shake up things and get the weight loss going again.

Just bought my first pair of boots in 20 years....never needed them when I was in Hawaii....and besides; I couldn't ever get any zipped up over my calves anyway!!! I tried lots of knee high ones on and they fit fine...even OVER my pants! Most fun I've ever had shoe shopping. Opted for these ankle high boots for now; but I may go get another pair now that I'm in Amsterdam.....SO MUCH FUN SHOPPING NOW.....I remember when shoe shopping was awful because I couldn't bend over to get the damn shoes on!!!

Almost the entire day went by before I realized that my surgery was one year ago today!! It's actually nice not to constantly be thinking about my weight and food all the time. I'm just enjoying my life sooooo much I don't have time to think about that stuff anymore!!! And I can honestly say, this has been the BEST year in my 43 years on the planet!!! it hasn't always been easy, but "The hard is what makes it great"!!!
I have fulfilled a 5 year dream to become a triathlete!! I did 3 triathlons this past summer and am planning on doing 5-6 next year. My goal now is to begin to do longer races and eventually do an Ironman (2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, ending with a marathon). It sounds crazy, I know.....but I just having a burning desire to see what my body can do!!
I still have about 40 pounds to lose and I imagine it's going to take me some time to lose it as I'm consistently losing about 2-4 pounds per month (which I'm totally ok with). I can pretty much eat anything at this point....but the amount depends on the food. meat and raw fruits and veggies still fill me up super fast with just a few bites. My relationship with food has completely changed....I now eat to live instead of living to eat!!!
I absolutely LOVE my sleeve and i 100% recommend this journey to those who are still on the fence about it. I've heard a lot of people say that they don't want to "take the easy way out"...in fact, I was one of those people for many years. I always thought I should be able to "do it on my own". Well, I didn't because I couldn't. I needed help. And this journey has been anything BUT easy!! It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the best thing I've ever done!!!!
So, here are some pics. The first one was taken 3 months before my surgery. There is also one of me with both of my legs in my BIG GIRL pants (which I used to fill out completely!!!).
      

I have Wii Fit Plus but haven't been on it in months... I got tired of hearing the animated board thingy say "oOOooooo that's OBESE!!!" every time I got on to check my weight! LOL!!
I'm going to get on tonight to see what she says after losing 30 lbs!

My paperwork was officially submitted to Aetna yesterday, so while I am twiddling my thumbs waiting to hear something (an approval, HOPE-HOPE-HOPE!), please share your Aetna experience!

How long did it take for you to get an answer once your paperwork was submitted?
Has anyone with a high BMI and co-morbidities been denied? If so, why?
Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro? <g>

My fav is pureed refried Beans (whiz them in blender til smooth), then add a teaspoon of cheese whiz and heat in microwave. I add a dab of light sour cream and a dash of Tabasco. (i have a sleeve of steel so far so spicy doesn't bother me, but YMMV)
I've also tried canned chicken, pureed, and added a bit of BBQ Sauce. Pop in the microwave to warm up. Add shredded cheese if you like.
Scrambled eggs are another fav (add a bit of Water to make them fluffy and soft). Try it scrambled with a Laughing Cow cheese wedge!
Oh, if you like pudding... Try adding unflavored Protein powder to sugar free pudding!
Have you tried greek yogurt? Get plain greek yogurt and mix in a few pumps of your favorite sugar-free syrup! Or, if you're cleared to have pureed fruits, mix that in with the greek yogurt and add splenda or truvia, etc. to sweeten.

Those are the reasons, but I've found none of them to be true personally.
I think it's one of those rules they throw out there because they are trying to idiot proof our recovery. They know somewhere, someone is going to suck too much air through a straw and perforate their sleeve. Once your sleeve is healed, no amount of straw drinking is going to do anything but make you belch.

You are rocking size 16's... and those knee-high boots as well!
Great job!!!

Awesome job!! What an inspiration!

Glad you went to have this checked out. Our bodies "tell" us when something is wrong. Your first post sounded so familiar that I had to give you my honest opinion.
I hope you have a speedy recovery. Take good care of yourself!!

I have not lost a single pound since Nov. 2nd - my 4 month surgery anniversary!! I refuse to let it get to me -
I started working out that week, and I know I am not gaining muscle - I am just in a stupid stall.
I am watching my carb intake, and as I head into holiday chow hell, I m plan on making good choices - turkey first, followed by sweet potatoes!!
Sweets are easy to avoid - but the rolls!!!!
ANyway - I am very pleased with how I look these days.
I am rocking my size 16's and anything I lose after this will really be a bonus....
Have a great Holiday!!!