gustavo52974

Before certain people jump on here and start with the "you have to change the way you look at food" speeches, I should make it clear that my post about the Pasta was my experience with pasta and that it should in no way be taken as an endorsement, recommendation, advocacy, affirmation, approval, or countersignature of similar behavior. My relationship with food was apparently a lot different than some others on here. I was a "volume eater" becuase of other medical problems I had been having that were making me extraordinarily hungry all the time. But I know now, through counseling, that I really wasn't trying to fill a void in my life with food. I thought that might be the case, but it's not. I've only been obese for the last couple years when my other medical problems started. They were eventually corrected, but the weight stayed on. No, I wasn't always "thin" before my weight gain, but I had never put on that much weight. So the "void" wasn't my problem after all. However, if you think the "void" problem might be part of why you are overweight, then I'd rethink why you might be craving pasta.

My weight loss is way beyond noticeable now (50 pounds in 6 weeks) And, ironically, most of the people in my office who have commented on my weight loss (in a good way) are the straight guys! Everyone knows I'm gay, so imagine my surprise. The women just gnash their teeth and look at me somewhat suspiciously. The other gay guys in the office are mostly of the "poisonous hissing queens" species, so I knew I'd get nothing from them except bitchy gossip behind my back. Go figure!

I tried 8 pieces of Dreamfield's low-carb (low glycemic) penne pasta. That was all I could eat in one sitting. And it felt decadent to even be eating that! But I was cleared for "soft-cooked" pasta and I thought I'd go for it. Felt a little guilty afterwards because we're supposed to be changing our eating habits for the better and all that. But I agree with the above comments that if you do eat pasta, limit it as much as you can.

Yes, I've noticed that when I sit on a hard surface I can feel the bones in my butt (must be my pelvis). Normally I have extra padding down there, but I suppose I don't anymore.

Yes, the "one year" thing is arbitrary and meaningless if they're talking about strictly a 365-day period of time. My surgeon laughed when I asked him about this.

Define "normally".

Wait....You put a bookcase together? Wow. You sound like quite a formidable woman.

I'd be concerned if you weren't at least a little nervous or scared. I consider myself a very brave person, almost to a fault. But I had my internal freak-out moments, especially when being wheeled into surgery. This is normal for those of us who are carbon-based life forms.

Kimberly82: my post-op diet is the same as yours. My surgeon and NUT urged that this was the proper way for your stomach to heal. I have been able to follow it so far, though it's been tough.

Fear is normal. It means you're not a reptile.

Yay! I'll do it then! I rather enjoy writing and I don't get a chance to do it much in my job. I'm 38 and I still say things like, "Yay!" That's gotta be worth a page in someone's book!

Thank you! I should also mention here though that I was also surprised I even wanted a bite of the cake in the first place. Since surgery, I've become very intolerant to sugar and the taste of anything truly sweet (I don't know if this is normal, but it's been my experience). As a result, I've more or less broken my "addiction" to things like chocolate, pastries, etc. And though I'm way past my liquid phase, the other day I had an Ensure Plus Protein shake for lunch that was leftover in the fridge because I had no time to go and get something. The 22 grams of sugar in that thing turned me inside out. I can't imagine what a piece of chocolate cake would do to me.

You know, it's funny that as I'm reading this thread, I'm watching a commercial for Outback Steakhouse. They're shoving huge plates of shiny food at the camera and I'm thinking two things: 1. Is food supposed to shine like that? I've never seen food that looks shiny, except for Chinese food and that's because they dump tons of MSG on it. That can't be good. and 2. I absolutely cannot believe now that I was ever able to eat that much food! Not only would I eat everything on that plate, but I probably would have finished whatever anyone else at my table couldn't eat as well. I was a "volume eater" and I truly mourned the fact that I couldn't eat as much as I used to. But as time went on, I began to realize that I was vaguely disgusted by the amount of food others can eat. I'll sit across someone eating and look at their food and be stunned that they could possibly finish what they're eating. Case in point: Our beloved receptionist at work had a birthday and we all threw her a party. Of course there was a huge cake--Valrhona chocolate, which is one of my favorites (yes, I know my chocolate!). I didn't have any, but I thought to myself, "Wow, I'd love to have a bite of that." A bite? What?! Now, I was surprised by this because somehow my mind can only imagine taking just "a bite" of something. Before surgery, my default would have been, "Wow, I'd love to have a couple large slices of that." Flabbergasting to me is that a pre-surgery convicted "volume eater" like myself could ever default to being happy with just a bite of something. But yes, now just a bite of something can make me fully satisfied. This is what VSG can do for you! A few bites of my meal and I have that wonderful feeling of fullness that I call "the food high" which I used to only obtain by eating everyone else under the table. My point is that your mind will adjust. You will eventually look at 8 pieces of low-carb penne Pasta with a little marinara sauce and think, "Now I get to pig out!"

Wow, thank you! I have a snarky sense of humor in real life, which no one ever seems to appreciate. I'm happy to hear that it translates better to the written word! :ph34r: Maybe I should start a blog about all this?

I'm no doctor, but I read somewhere that white horizontal lines on your nails could mean that your kidneys can't filter Protein out of your urine. This would mean that your body is losing protein faster than you can consume it, which could lead to kidney failure. However, it could also mean you banged your finger against something hard.

I just don't want to be a B cup anymore.

You're not lost anymore! You found us! Welcome home! We'll be here for you whenever you need us.

Seriously? I inspire you? Wow! That's the best compliment I've gotten in a LONG time! Now I really HAVE to put up a more recent profile pic of myself. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of seeing myself in that pic looking pregnant in that awful red shirt, pretending Morgan Freeman is my homosexual life partner. I'm going to Coney Island tomorrow with some friends, looking forward to riding the roller coaster without worrying about derailing it. Maybe I'll take some pics of myself to update my profile.

Aww, thank you! One of the things I want to do before I die, from my "bucket list" as it were, is to throw my drink in someone's face. And your response reminded me of that. Maybe I'll tell more people now so when they give me one of the idiotic responses, I can do that. Then I can die. Seriously.

First, I respect that you told just about everyone. That's bravery I just don't have at the moment. Second, what did your "friend" do when you slapped her face?

The first person I told (besides my surgeon) was my HR rep. I wish I didn't have to, and she didn't say anything at the time except to explain how medical leave works. She was very helpful in that respect, making sure I was able to take the two weeks off. But fast forward 5 weeks later, after dropping 40 pounds, I saw her in the elevator. She said nothing about my weight loss, which was quite visible (as others at work had told me). Fishing for a compliment, I said something like, "I'm finally fitting back into my old clothes!" and patted my stomach. She gave me a vague smile and said nothing, but her unmistakably judgmental expression was clear: "I don't really approve." I don't know why, but that really bothered me. I know she's just a low-level HR rep, and she's normally very friendly, but I died a little from that stupid elevator episode. I wish I didn't have to tell her. That confirmed my suspicion that I was right not to tell too many people. But that's my life. People love to judge me for some reason. So everyone has to weigh that decision for themselves based on the people in their lives.

I'm so excited for you! I was there, man. I'd look at the subway entrance steps up to the sidewalk as if they were Kilimanjaro and I'd want to weep. New York is a walking city and I'd get home from work and want to just collapse into a puddle of sweat on the floor. I went into the trendy men's clothing store Zara and my mouth started to Water thinking about one day being able to fit into their clothes (which are designed for anorexic European men). Starting my 6th week out. In a frustrating stall, but at least I'm starting to fit into my "thin" clothes. Your life won't be on hold for long. Good luck with your surgery. And we appreciate YOU! Gustavo

I can't wait to be so thin that I can go as Kate Moss or Calista Flockheart!

That happened at my high school graduation actually. My mother left her sweater in the car and the hall where the graduation took place was chilly. So she tried to leave to get it and they told her no re-entry. So she said, "What if I were diabetic and I had to get my insulin from my car?" The guard at the door asked, "Are you diabetic?" and my mother replied, "Do you want to take that chance?" He let her go and come back in.