joatsaint

If you listen to the media, you will never call yourself "thin". It's in the best interest of weight loss gurus, fitness trainers, clothing designers, and news providers to keep us on a constant Quest to be what they consider thin. And if you reach their standard of thin, they switch it up on us and now say things like, "size 0 is the new size 2" and pull out some photo shopped pics of an impossibly thin/perfect model. I just try to be happy being my version of "normal". And on the occasion I do let myself get caught up in the marketing hype of being what they consider "thin", I have to pull out my inner pimp and pimp slam myself back into reality! I remind myself that NORMAL people don't look like the models in the ads. And the models/actors have to resort to extreme measures (starving themselves, extreme workouts, drugs, and a team of nutritionists and trainers) to stay perfect and even then, they have to touch up their photos. Keep Pimpin' That Sleeve!

Even though it hurt like Hell! I'd do it all over again in a second. No doubt about it.

Thanks for the info.

I didn't try a drink till about 6 months post-op (mainly because I didn't want the empty calories), and it was tequila mixed with Crystal Light Lemonade. That's my preferred drink now. But I've drank beer and Mike's Hard lemonade several times. I'm real careful of the carbonation in both and usually pour them over ice to release some of the bubbles. And I drink them slowly. I do get drunk quicker than I did pre-surgery, but the buzz goes away quicker. I'm a pretty cheap drunk to begin with, 2 beers and I'm done for the night.

BladeFox, Thanks for taking the time to comment. I don't know how successful I would have been at losing the weight if I didn't live alone. I can completely control what foods are in the house and don't have any temptations laying around. And I'm too lazy to drive to the store for a snack once I'm home from work. So I'm forced to eat what's in the house. :-) The hardest part is leaving my mom's house. She ALWAYS wants to send pie and cake and rice and mashed potatoes home with me. I don't want to make her feel like I don't like and appreciate her cooking. So I bring it home and try to ration it out over a week, instead of eating all of it in a day. (Even though I really want to)

When I would get frustrated or worried about "how little" I was losing, I'd remind myself of the pre-surgery days. Pre-surgery I would have been ecstatic if I could lose weight at any speed. Back then, it would have been a wish come true if I was only losing 1/2 lb a month - just as long as the scale was going down on a consistent basis.

My pain was gone around the 7th or 8th day. I was merely uncomfortable. Hang in there, it will get better and you'll be happy with the results.

Did you try the spaghetti, fettuccine or angle hair style? I tried the fettuccine style noodles and the texture just gave me such a huzz I couldn't swallow them. They were too slick and chewy!!!!!

Different things cause different amounts of restriction. Regular water fills me quickly, Crystal Light doesn't seem filling. I can eat almost a pound of yellow squash, but I can eat 4 oz of hamburger and I feel stuffed. Everyone's different.

Thanks for the link, I'll check out your channel.

I remember how hard the pre-op diet was and I only had to do it for 1 week! It was so much harder dealing with the mental hunger - harder than anything I dealt with post-op. What gave me the ability to lose 10 lbs in 7 days was eating almost no carbs. I drank low-carb Protein shakes and when I just had to have some real food, I only ate pork loin or chicken breast. It's tough to get past those carb cravings, but after 2 or 3 days they go away. If you have to have something sweet, try sugar free Jell-O or sugar free Popsicles. Wishing you the good luck.

I occasionally drink - tequila, beer, Mike's Harder Lemonade. I don't drink very often, so it was about 6 months post-op before I had my 1st drink. Now that I'm 2 years post-op, I'm not worried about drinking. But for the 1st year, I was worried about the extra calories in alcohol. I just take into account the approximate calorie count in my drinks and cut back on my carbs to make up for it. I have notice that I get a buzz faster, but it doesn't seem to last as long.

Unfortunately it is still possible to have hair loss. Hair loss is a side effect of the trauma of surgery. I read that hair has 3 phases - growth, existing hair, and the hair that is about to fall out. After a major trauma, the body shifts all it's resources to repair and healing. The result is the new hair growth is slowed, and the cycle of hair replacement is out of whack. So there's no replacements for existing hair and the hair that was ready to fall out. But things get back in sync as healing gets near complete. My hair thinned considerably, but my hair has always been thick. And I really only notice my hair thinning because I didn't need to go to my barber for an extra month. So I was the only person that noticed my hair loss. I knew going in that I might lose my hair, but I figured it was a small price to pay in the long run.

I've been meaning to post photo evidence of how much I drink with a meal, but somehow always forgot to take a picture. So here it is: How much do you drink with meals? I'm 2 years post-sleeve and the amount I'm drinking with my meals has been the same since I started eating regular foods - 30 days post-op. The first few weeks after surgery were the hardest to adjust to. I wanted to take a big swallows of Water with my food (as I was accustomed to doing) but forced myself to take sips that were just enough to wet my tongue. Eventually I got into the habit and don't really have to pay attention to my sipping anymore. It's all automatic now. Last night I ate Mexican food and was served a glass of water that must have held 20ozs. It was a big glass. Theres a white opaque design on the glass and the water was filled to the top of that design. The photo was taken after the meal and hopefully you can see how far the water level is below the top of the white design (on the inside of the glass). I drank less than 2 oz with my meal over the course of an hour.

Pre surgery jitters? Truthfully, I convinced myself that nothing out of the ordinary was going to happen. Every time I started thinking about surgery and became nervous, I remembered Scarlett Ohara and her way of dealing with problems. She said, "I'll deal with that another day." And that's what I did, I pretended it was just another day. Right up till they wheeled me into the OR. I lay there and pretended that I was hanging out with my friends... just another day.

I would post mine, but truthfully, they've all faded to the point where they don't show up on my phone camera. The scars could easily be mistaken for big freckles at this point.

Welcome to the forum. It's been 2 years for me and I still remember how excited/nervous I felt when I finally committed to surgery. Feel free to ask any questions. We've all been through almost anything you will experience and are willing to share our "adventures".

Hang in there, at 2 months, I was still only eating Cream of Mushroom Soup - and only 3/4 can a day. I could eat other things, like Peanut Butter, but only a tablespoon every few hours. ANYTHING else would make my sleeve feel like a garbage disposal trying to grind up rocks. Just focus on staying hydrated. Crystal Light Lemonade was my drink of choice and sugar free popsicles. It will get better and you will look back on this and be glad you went through it. WLS gave me a 2nd chance on life and it will for you too. You just gotta hang in there and take it one day at a time.

UPDATE: 1/2/2015 After creating this BBQ sauce many times, I must caution everyone to let this stuff sit and cool after cooking - for an hour or so. Let the flavors meld together. I've found that when I taste test this sauce before it's had a time to set, it has a weird flavor. It gets even better if left to set overnight - even if it's already mixed into my food. Hey guys, I've been using this sauce for at least 4 meals a day for the past 2 weeks. And it tastes great! I was searching for a replacement for my favorite Kraft BBQ sauce (since it has sugar in it ) and I ran across this one. It had rave reviews and it tastes really good. I'll need to tweak it a few times to get that sweet/tangy flavor I like so much, but for a good low-carb BBQ sauce, this one works well. The best part was, I already had most of the ingredients on hand (you probably do too). 2 Tablespoons is 12 calories vs. 60 calories for the equivalent Kraft BBQ sauce. Indispensable Almost No Carb Barbecue Sauce This isn't a substitute for the "real thing," it's an improvement. It's so good the rest of the family gobbles it up and I have to keep making more. 3/8 cup vinegar 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce. (1 15 oz can) Don't buy a tomato sauce that has spices or flavorings in it! 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tablespoon yellow hot dog mustard 3/4 tablespoon Franks Hot Sauce (the chicken wing sauce) 3/4 tablespoon salt (optional) 1 dash cayenne pepper. Go easy!!!! 3 teaspoons lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring 6 teaspoons Splenda or 18 drops of Liquid Splenda Optional Things I've Tried and Liked: Instead of 6 tsp Splenda, I tried 3 tsp Splenda, 3 tsp brown sugar - it really gave the sauce "body" and flavor. Toss in 2 or 3 tablespoons of garlic powder Toss in 2 or 3 tablespoons of onion powder Double up on Franks Hot Sauce - I don't find Franks very hot, and I like the flavor Use Apple Cider Vinegar instead of White Vinegar Add 1/3 can of tomato paste Add vinegar and all other ingredients except mustard to a sauce pan and slowly heat. Put mustard in a cup and slowly stir in a couple tablespoons of sauce until well blended. Then add mustard mixture back to sauce in pan. Bring to a boil, and lower heat. Let simmer for a 15 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate till cold then serve. Note: this sauce might taste a bit peculiar if you taste it when it is still hot. Don't worry! Something magical happens when it sits in the fridge. And it only gets better overnight!!! Carbohydrates per Serving (1 tablespoon): Less than 1 gram. Half an ounce is 1 gm carbs, 6 calories. Source: http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19060001.php

Cream of Mushroom soup was my food of choice during the full liquids and puree stages.

This post is just goes to show that even Sleeve veterans aren't perfect. The key is to look at a setback as a delay, not a permanent failure, and get back on track. I was trying to stay low-carb till I lost about 20lbs, but I fell off the wagon this morning. Over the Thanksgiving week, I gained about 5 lbs and was up to 220 lbs in 5 days - probably from all the salt. So I went back to what's worked in the past, low-carb eating - lean protein (pork loin) and a few vegetables (squash, cauliflower). Low-carbing worked well, I lost the excess water plus a few pounds. In 6 days I've lost 9.6 lbs. But the stress from work has been pretty overwhelming these past few days. And when I came into work this morning, there was a fresh hot box of donuts waiting in the kitchen. I started to limit myself to 1, but then though about how good I was going to feel when I ate them. So I got 2... Go BIG or Go HOME! and enjoyed every bite!!!!! Will those 2 donuts affect my weight? Probably not, as long as I don't continue eating junk every day. Will it cause my weight loss to stall? I'll know soon enough, the scale will tell me tomorrow morning. P.S. I'll be back on pork loin and cauliflower for lunch today. Keep Pimpin' That Sleeve!!!! Randy UPDATE: 12/08/2014 Well, eating the donuts plus my "cheat" meal on Saturday night, I woke up on Sunday morning weighing 1.4lbs heavier. But I got back on my diet on Sunday and Monday (today). I lost the weight and weigh the same as I did last Friday (the day before I ate the donuts). I'm back down to 210.4 Now let's see if I can finally break 200lbs. 2nd UPDATE: 12/10/2014 Hit an all time new low today, 208.2 lbs. Still sticking to my diet. 3rd UPDATE: 12/13/2014 Still low-carbing (sorta) Hit another all time low this morning - 206 lbs. Haven't been that low since high school (38 years ago). My diet revolves around eating pork loin and Raisin Bran (I eat Raisin Bran cause they give it to us free at work) and coffee (loaded with creamer and Splenda). And I'm taking Puritans Pride "Green Source" whole food vitamins made from whole food concentrates. I swear these vitamins make me feel so much better than any other vitamin I've taken. I take the vitamins first thing in the morning. If I take them in the evening, I have so much energy I have a hard time sleeping. During the day, I usually eat about 2 cups of shredded pork loin and 2 snacks - Raisin Bran (dry - I eat it straight up like trail mix in a cup - I have a 12oz cup and fill it halfway). And 2 cups of shredded pork loin in the evening after work. (Although I did have some spaghetti I was rationing out over the week - I'd have 1 cup of pork loin and 2 cups of spaghetti). It's Saturday, the cheat meal day. Let's see if I gain weight overnight from eating pizza. 4th UPDATE: 12/14/2014 Sunday morning update. After pigging out on Mexican food and drinking 2 16oz Mike's Harder Lemonades Sat night, I'm up 1.4 lbs. I weighted in at 207.8 this morning vs. 206.4 yesterday. OMG!!!! I'm getting so FAT!!! (can you hear the panic in my typing or is that sarcasm? ) My old pre-surgery self only dreamed of being 207.8 lbs. BEFORE: AFTER: 5th Update: 12/17/2014 Wednesday and I'm at a new all time low - 205.6 lbs. I'd like to get to 199, just to see how it feels, but I may let myself cheat a little extra over Xmas and "balloon" back up to 210. Then go for 199 again, starting on the 26th. But who knows. I never expected to get below 200. And 2 years ago, my doc said I should realistically expect to hang around 225 - 235 in the long term. So hitting 205 and staying there would be fine with me. One side effect of eating low-carb, once I got the sugar out of my system, I no longer have the head hunger that literally drove me to overeating. And you would think that something as innocent as apples and bananas wouldn't trigger carb cravings, but they do trigger carb cravings in me. 6th Update: 12/19/2014 Friday and still holding at 204.4lbs, not going up, not going down. But the weather and sinuses haven't let me get out and walk off some extra calories. Still low-carbing, no carb cravings and eating well. Been at 204 - 205 lbs for at least 2 days in a row, so I can mark it as official, I weigh 205. - (I only count a new low in my weight if I have sustained it for at least 2 days!) :-) 7th Update: 12/28/2014 Well, after the Xmas splurge, I woke up weighing 211.4 lbs on Dec 27th. Nothing really unexpected after I ate all that salty ham and had plenty of pecan pie. So I'll see what happens when I go back to low-carbing on Monday and get all that salt out of my system. 8th Update: 12/30/2014 2nd day back on the low-carb diet. I'm was at 209.2 this morning and weighed in at 210.0 after work. So it just bolsters my feeling that all the salt from eating smoked ham was causing me to hold water weight and is now exiting my system. If you're interested, I'm back to eating pork loin w/my low-carb bbq sauce, and (2) 1/2 cup servings of dry Raisin Bran cereal during the day. I did eat a bag of Snapea Crisps (about 400 calories/100 grams of carbs) on Sunday, but it doesn't seem to have affected my weight loss. 9th Update: 02/01/2015 Still eating my regular old routine of pork and bbq sauce, Raisin Bran and cauliflower and brussell sprouts. My weigh is staying steady at 204 - 205 since the 2nd week of Jan 2015. Just have to watch how much of the Raisin Bran I let myself eat. My new job keeps me moving all day and I tend to want to eat more because of it.

To be straight up, I had to buy some caffeine pills and would take 1/4 of a pill to stave off the headaches. I never had any ill effects from taking caffeine.

I definitely notice how much people are eating. I guess is sorta like buying a car. Once you own the car, you start to notice how many other people are driving the same model. But I'm also sorta envious (at times) of those that I see with heaping piles of food and can maintain normal weight. There are occasions (really rare occasions) that I wish I could eat just a little more of a favorite food.

From all the threads I've read, most people say wait at least 1 year post-op. After 1 year, your skin has had time to shrink quite a bit and your most likely not having dramatic weight loss anymore.