lollyfidy1965

I've been smacked repeatedly for suggesting that someone perhaps should forgo the junk food and substitute it with something healthier. The responses are sometimes very angry. Not all, but some.
I can respect the "everything in moderation" folks, but I personally cannot succeed that way. I make my own Protein "milkshakes" and sugar free Protein ice cream and Cookies when I have to have a treat. More often it's Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of sliced almonds. I make my own nut butters because the commercial ones have added sugar. I do not eat Pasta or rice. I eat quinoa once in a great while. The only time I have bread is on a mountain hike because I will drop in my tracks without it. I have a tiny bit of potato once in a while, but more ofter I will substitute cauliflower or have a bit of sweet potato.
I'm just not the kind that can have one chip so I will sprinkle Parmesan cheese on wax paper and bake it for my crackers. I can eat a couple of those and be happy, but potato chips and onion dip will cause me to binge. I used to dip artichoke and broccoli into mayo or butter. Now I dip it into Greek yogurt mixed with onions or herbs or spices.
You are right Butterthebean. Having one bite of a doughnut does not make me happy. It makes me frustrated and sick from the sugar. Making a 5 minute microwave, lowfat, sugar free protein chocolate cake makes me happy. For that matter so does lowfat cottage cheese with a few sunflower seeds.
I'm still a total foodie, but I rather eat filet mignon and scallops rather than burgers and fries.

Butterthebean...your post should be required reading for all people using this site! I will say, without judgement implied, that I am daily amazed by some of the things posted here...how long did you wait to have macaroni and cheese, or a milkshake, or to drink alcohol, or to smoke pot, or whatever other unhealthy thing you can imagine....and I wonder (usually to myself)..."Have you learned nothing about why you ended up needing this surgery??" Most of us had (and, I dare to say, still have) no real concept and understanding of "moderation.". We didn't track every bite we put in our mouths prior to surgery, so how can we know what is "moderate" in comparison? Without honest tracking, we rarely have a realistic impression of what was consumed (there have been amazing studies done on the disparities between what we "think we ate" versus what we actually ate!). Like you, I have made the conscious choice to not eat things that are harmful to me...to continue to do so, after having gone through the pain of surgery, makes absolutely no sense to me. While I understand I can't do anything to directly help anyone else on their journey (and I often get "smacked" on here for trying), I do sincerely worry for those who give every indication of not having changed their relationship with food.
Best of luck, to each of us, as we continue on our journey to better health!
Laura

That's not happening for a long time. Most NUTs don't suggest veggies until 4 months out, and carbohydrates like bread, for most of us, are off the menu for life. At least for me that are with the potential exception, which I can't even think about right now. I am 9 days out...I'm on liquids just like you. Hang in there!
We did this to change our lives. It's a tool, which we have to use well. If we go back to eating like we did in the past, we are abusing our tool, and limiting our weight loss.
I don't want to preach, just to share some perspective. The most successful sleevers not only have reduced the amounts that they eat but also WHAT they each.

Define "normally".

I "stall" about every 7-10 days, and it typically lasts 5-7 days, then I start losing again, and will lose 5-7 pounds in the next week. I've run through this cycle several times now, and have come to accept it as "normal" (so it doesn't cause me stress when I get stuck for a few days). This week is a "losing" week, and I am losing...even though I'm grounded from going to the gym, because of a nasty hip injury. Best of luck!

Soooo.....if you don't need a doctor to tell you what to eat because you are a medical student and know as much or more than a doctor why would you seek feedback from a group of strangers on a forum?
Just need sympathy? Ok, ....sorry you are having trouble. Hope you find some way to cope with your stupid operation.

Ya, I'm sick of this stupid sleeve telling me what to do!
I wanna go back to ordering one large pizza for me and the other one for my family.
I wanna go back to buying my clothes at the Goodwill because I'm off the rack in retail stores.
I wanna go back to puffing like the little engine that could every time I climb the stairs to my bedroom.
I don't need no stinking operation ordering ME around!
I went to college!!!!

I saw some bird seed on the road and, despite my sleeve, I ate the whole pile. What a mistake! There were ball bearings in that seed and the coyote had a big magnet!! Luckily a truck ran over him before he could eat me.

It would depend entirely on where the lump was. If it was on the part of the stomach that would've been used to create the sleeve, the wall of the stomach (in that area) may no longer be strong enough to be integral to a sleeve. (A thin spot in the wall would (I would think) be more likely to rupture, or leak, post-op.)
If I were in your position, and determined to do whatever it took to get my weight off, I would go with the bypass procedure. When I went through the process of evaluating procedures, I was actually going to have a gastric bypass. After long discussion with my surgeon, however, he convinced me to go with the sleeve. The tipping point in my decision process was the decreased risk of malabsorption issues (commonly seen in bypass patients). In reality, though, if you take ALL the supplements prescribed by your doctor, and following the guidelines for diet after the bypass procedure, you should be fine in that regard.
I hope it was biopsied, and that it all turns out to be negative. Keep us posted on your decision!!
Laura

Butterthebean...your post should be required reading for all people using this site! I will say, without judgement implied, that I am daily amazed by some of the things posted here...how long did you wait to have macaroni and cheese, or a milkshake, or to drink alcohol, or to smoke pot, or whatever other unhealthy thing you can imagine....and I wonder (usually to myself)..."Have you learned nothing about why you ended up needing this surgery??" Most of us had (and, I dare to say, still have) no real concept and understanding of "moderation.". We didn't track every bite we put in our mouths prior to surgery, so how can we know what is "moderate" in comparison? Without honest tracking, we rarely have a realistic impression of what was consumed (there have been amazing studies done on the disparities between what we "think we ate" versus what we actually ate!). Like you, I have made the conscious choice to not eat things that are harmful to me...to continue to do so, after having gone through the pain of surgery, makes absolutely no sense to me. While I understand I can't do anything to directly help anyone else on their journey (and I often get "smacked" on here for trying), I do sincerely worry for those who give every indication of not having changed their relationship with food.
Best of luck, to each of us, as we continue on our journey to better health!
Laura

I'm not proud of this, and if the women on this forum hate me for it or are offended, I'm truly sorry. But this was one of my rock bottom moments and it made me realize that I had to do something, anything, about my weight because I didn't like the person I was becoming. And I initially ruled out weight loss surgery because I thought it was too extreme.
Here's my story: I was taking my seat on an airplane and I was sitting next to this woman--not obese but very dumpy--and when I sat down, she gave me a dirty look and made that "scooting over" movement, clearly showing me that she didn't want to sit next to a fat person.
I looked at her and said, "What? What's your problem?" And she replied, "Perhaps you should have bought an extra seat."
Without batting an eyelash, I said, "And you smell like blood. Who's more offended?" She gave me that shocked, pearl-clutching face and wouldn't even look at me for the rest of the flight.
And at the time I actually felt good about saying that to her. Then I went to the airplane restroom. I was washing my hands and realized how inappropriate I was to this woman. I looked at the person staring back at me in the mirror and whispered, "Gustavo Alexander Rena, this is NOT who you are."
That was the very moment I decided to make an appointment with the surgeon.

I was rarely ever around anyone as big as me. Now I've shrunk and I see some folks I've passed up, and I have to bite my tongue not to give them my surgeon's phone number. I don't hold any ill will toward obese people, but I just wanna say, "hey, this tool will help you too."

Butterthebean...your post should be required reading for all people using this site! I will say, without judgement implied, that I am daily amazed by some of the things posted here...how long did you wait to have macaroni and cheese, or a milkshake, or to drink alcohol, or to smoke pot, or whatever other unhealthy thing you can imagine....and I wonder (usually to myself)..."Have you learned nothing about why you ended up needing this surgery??" Most of us had (and, I dare to say, still have) no real concept and understanding of "moderation.". We didn't track every bite we put in our mouths prior to surgery, so how can we know what is "moderate" in comparison? Without honest tracking, we rarely have a realistic impression of what was consumed (there have been amazing studies done on the disparities between what we "think we ate" versus what we actually ate!). Like you, I have made the conscious choice to not eat things that are harmful to me...to continue to do so, after having gone through the pain of surgery, makes absolutely no sense to me. While I understand I can't do anything to directly help anyone else on their journey (and I often get "smacked" on here for trying), I do sincerely worry for those who give every indication of not having changed their relationship with food.
Best of luck, to each of us, as we continue on our journey to better health!
Laura

I guess other people see this public forum as a place to provide feedback and support, not just give people rainbows and puppy answers. If moderation was so easy, none of us would need surgery.

Gee, thanks LT for being the Queen of the thread. I'll just bow and back away.
She's 3 days post-op and has major food issues (see the post on mac and cheese).. We care. Disagree, that's fine, but don't try to shut down the conversation. I think she needs to speak with a nutritionist.

When I was in the hospital, recovering from surgery, I had a roommate who was in for the repair of a marginal ulcer...caused by her taking 2 Advil. My surgeon doesn't allow it...because of the increased risk for marginal ulcers...and, having seen her pain, I'll take his advice and skip NSAIDs altogether.

I personally wont touch them because even tiny children's sizes have upwards of 500 calories. I also don't do refined sugar. I can make a Protein shake that's tastes just as good. You can if you learn the tricks.
I only eat around 750 calories a day and I'm not going to forgo my food for a day just to have a milkshake. I need to be eating nutritious food and there is no room in MY sleeve for junk. That's the old fat me. I'm not going to trade it in on a chocolate shake.< /p>
It's not like I'm depriving myself here. There are 100 healthy treats I could indulge in instead.

Welcome!
I think pain is a purely individual thing. For me, I had some minor complications, immediately following my surgery, and ended up staying in the hospital for 6 days. After the third day I only needed my pain meds (I was still on a pump at that point) to help me sleep at night. The fifth night I didn't use anything, and didn't use any of the pain meds they gave me when I came home (not even Tylenol). But, I have a relatively high tolerance for pain (lifetime Migraines and chronic lower back pain).
When I was on full liquids (from the day I came home from the hospital) I enjoyed chocolate Muscle Milk Lite (its sugar free), Decaf hot tea, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken broth flavored Protein powder (especially when made with chicken broth instead of straight water), whipped cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, Gelatein 20 (a high-protein Gelatin...20 grams of Protein in a 4oz cup), and cream of Tomato Soup (made with skim milk).
I never actually "pureed" anything, when I got to that stage. I ate a lot of tuna salad, and fish, ground turkey, fat-free (but not whipped) cottage cheese, hummus, thinly sliced deli meats (turkey, chicken, and roast beef...all very lean and low-sodium)...anything "soft", "ground", or easily flaked. I was initially on this stage for a week, then developed breakthrough acid reflux. When I called my surgeon about it, he added a daily Prevacid solutab to my meds, and put me back on full liquids for an additional 3 weeks. (I still ate fish and tuna salad, and had no problems with that.)
Everyone who is anyone in my life knows I've had surgery. I've been very open about it, and don't bother myself with what anybody else thinks. On the whole, I've found people to be very supportive, and thrilled with my progress so far. I make jokes about my eating...when waitresses look at me funny, because I don't order anything to drink, or when I ask them nicely to please only put 2 oz of fish, and 2 TBSP of veggies, on my plate, and to please put the rest in a to-go box before bringing it to the table...and it takes all the discomfort out of the situation.
I felt an increase in energy within 2 weeks of surgery, although I still had days (for several more weeks) during which I had NO energy. I began walking on a treadmill 10 days after my surgery, and progressed to walking an hour (at 3.0 mph) twice a day, each time followed by an hour of Water aerobics. Yeah...call me crazy, but I am thoroughly LOVING losing this weight!!
My complications were related to increased inflammation in my sleeve, immediately following surgery. The morning after surgery, I was taken for a leak test, during which they found my stomach so inflamed the dye wasn't able to pass through...at all! I went back to my room, they put an NG tube back down my throat, and left it in another 4 days. I was NPO during that entire time...not even ice chips to suck on...in order to give my sleeve time to settle down, and the inflammation to resolve. The evening of the 5th day they removed the NG tube, and let me try sips of Water during the night. The following morning they allowed me to move to Clear Liquids, and I enjoyed some beef broth. (I tried Jello that day, but it didn't feel "good" going down...I still haven't had regular Jello. LOL) The day after shifting to Clear Liquids I was moved to "full liquids", and allowed to drink my first Protein shake (I love the chocolate Muscle Milk Lite!). When I had no problems with that, they decided to let me go home (YAY!). With the exception of the wicked bad acid reflux (which I never had prior to surgery), I have had no problems at all. I follow my surgeon's/nutritionist's directions, take tiny bites, chew them like crazy, and take 30-45 minutes to eat my meals....and I'm steadily losing weight.
If you, or your husband, have any additional questions, feel free to reach out...I'm happy to lend any help I can.
Laura

AAAAANNNNND..... I'm Screwed. Lol.

I've never been a user of aspartame (it gives me horrible migraines), but I'm definitely not eating as many carbs as before surgery. I've read information about carbs, chemicals, etc causing issues with memory, but I've also read that ghrelin (the hormone produce by your stomach, and which causes us to experience "hunger") has a positive impact on memory...and that some people find they have diminished memory, post-VSG. I'm hoping it'll be a wash for me, and that my memory won't change much, one way or the other.

Nice!
I went to a physical therapy appointment, this past Thursday, with someone I had sessions with back in March/April (2 months before my surgery, when I was at my highest weight). She said "You look like you've lost a little weight in your face." I smiled and said "Thanks! I've lost 90 pounds from all over...including my face!" LOL She was stunned, and couldn't get over the difference!

Nice!
I went to a physical therapy appointment, this past Thursday, with someone I had sessions with back in March/April (2 months before my surgery, when I was at my highest weight). She said "You look like you've lost a little weight in your face." I smiled and said "Thanks! I've lost 90 pounds from all over...including my face!" LOL She was stunned, and couldn't get over the difference!

Nice!
I went to a physical therapy appointment, this past Thursday, with someone I had sessions with back in March/April (2 months before my surgery, when I was at my highest weight). She said "You look like you've lost a little weight in your face." I smiled and said "Thanks! I've lost 90 pounds from all over...including my face!" LOL She was stunned, and couldn't get over the difference!

I hit onderland this morning and it feels soooooo good! I weighed 270 on the day of my surgery- 3/12- this morning: 199! I haven't been in the 100's for close to a decade. I'm not going to be walking at all today, I'll be floating!