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I'm a military spouse and when I had my surgery my husband was gone two weeks of every month and worked 14-16 hour days the other two weeks. I had almost no help around the house and I had two and a half year old twins whose supertwin power was the power of destruction. I'm not joking - they were incredibly talented at destroying things, picking locks and wrecking havoc in two minute increments. The baby might make things tricky, because no way could I have bent over a crib to pick up a child. However, I had no lifting restrictions placed on me so I wouldn't have worried about this. Yes, I was pretty tired for about a week or so post op and wore out easily for the first month as I adjusted to the much lower caloric intake. But I do not think it's totally impossible to do this by yourself. I'd try to get a friend or family member to help for the first week post op, two if they can swing it or if you can get two people to help for one week back to back. Other than that, you should be absolutely fine. And honestly? Having my surgery was so worth it that I would have done it even if I knew I'd have a terrible, horrible, unbelievably difficult time post op. Why? Because whats two or three weeks of hardship vs. a lifetime of being obese and unhappy about it? Do it. The rest will work itself out. ~Cheri

There were a million reasons and almost every person here understands them all. Why not reclaim your life now, instead of waiting? I know that nearly every person here regrets the SAME thing after surgery - they regret that they didn't do it sooner. Yes, other people treat me differently now but I think that at least half of that is because I treat myself differently. I am honestly a totally different person than I allowed myself to be prior to losing the weight. I completely envy the women that manage to be large and happy and have beautiful, vibrant personalities before surgery. Because I, for one, was NEVER nice to myself, NEVER felt beautiful and ALWAYS tried to be quiet and inconspicuous around other people in compensation for my size. I didn't truly blossom into who I am today until I felt better about myself and that started with the weight loss. So, regardless of your reasons, DO IT. Book your appointment and do this for yourself. I promise that you'll be amazed at the person you find underneath the extra weight. ~Cheri

I agree that you can try to do it in stages. Soda is delicious but it's also absolutely horrible for you. I drink it in moderation nowadays but gave it up for a while preop and couldn't tolerate it for a while post op. Switch to something else that works for you. I never really cared for Water but now it's the only thing that quenches my thirst. I use those MIO drops and just two or three of them in a 16 oz. glass is enough for me. I hope you find a solution, and congrats to you for trying to break this habit prior to surgery. ~Cheri

Once you're totally healed and eating fairly normal (I'd guess somewhere between 9-15 months) your sleeve is as big as it's going to get. It would take actual EFFORT on the part of the sleever to stretch the sleeve out - not just, "I'm going to eat a cookie or a piece of pie today" but "I'm going to overeat to the point of sickness and pain every single day until I have a larger capacity." Even then, there's only so much stretch to the sleeve so you're not ever going to eat half a pizza again. I am nearly two years out and my capacity is finally to a very comfortable point. I can eat one scrambled egg and one piece of turkey sausage or one slice of thin crust pizza or a half cup of Soup and half a grilled cheese sandwich. I still cannot eat much at one sitting and I still find myself needing to track my food. Not so much because I fear I've eaten more than the 1,200-1,400 calories per day I aim for, but rather because I'm often short by several hundred calories. Even eating a cookie when I want or indulging in a piece of chocolate each day doesn't push my calories over my personal limits. So yes, the sleeve is JUST as effective more than one year out. I can only imagine that how I feel today (at 21 months out) is how I'm going to feel in two, or even three years. There really isn't a honeymoon phase with this surgery, though weight does drop off more quickly in the beginning. There is absolutely no reason that I couldn't work hard and lose another ten pounds over the next two or three months if I chose to do so - my sleeve still works just fine and the math of calories in vs. calories burned is the same regardless of how long ago I opted for surgery. Weight just comes off much more slowly the closer you are to your ideal body weight. Hope this helps. ~Cheri

You've done a great job and deserve to be proud of not only losing the weight but maintaining the loss! I, personally, find maintenance very easy but I know that for a lot of people it's challenging. Congrats to you! Your hard work has obviously paid off. ~Cheri

Just wait until mushies when you're totally frustrated that you can't eat more than three bites of scrambled egg! It's completely normal and will pass. And it's good that you're already cognizant of the fact that not feeling full is not the same thing as feeling hungry - it's going to help you in the long run as you aim to stay on track once you have an appetite again. Congrats on your new sleeve! ~Cheri

I was on antidepressants several years ago and yes, changes in appetite are fairly normal. I also flip flopped and went from being an insomniac to having trouble waking up. They switched me from one drug to another and the side effects changed. I was able to eat and able to wake up but had no sex drive. Sometimes you can't win for losing! In any case, give the drug a few months to see how it's working in the long run. If it causes a long term issue talk to your doc about a different option. I had the easiest time when I was on Lexapro and it definitely helped me through a very bad patch (with regular counseling sessions, too). ~Cheri

Thanks for posting this. I just had labs done for a separate issue and came back low on all the same things. They're starting me on the B12 shots, too. I was worried but hear they'll help me with my forgetfulness and the fact that I always feel tired. Here's hoping! ~Cheri

I'm nearly two years out and I actually gain a few pounds every month the week before my cycle. I always gasp in shock the morning I hit the scale and see the gain. Then I think about what time of month it is and shrug it off. It always drops right back off once I'm done. ~Cheri

Yep, no regrets. I wish I could take every one of my overweight friends and family members to have the surgery, too!

I read. Therapy is great and all...but honestly, I avoid it. I don't need a medical file or a mental health flag keeping me from jobs in certain locations! I read a great book about emotional overeating called "Hungry: Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin" by Allen Zadoff. It's short and simple but it really made me think. Honestly, it's the first thing I read that made me realize I was an overeater and that I used food as an emotional refuge. I wouldn't say he's anti-surgery, he just found a way to control his eating habits without it - but he does touch on the other aspects of our journey. You could also check out books by Geneen Roth but she kind of annoys me, though her books have helped a lot of people. I enjoyed "Promiscuous Eating" by Andrew Siegel, but it might not be exactly what you want because it does read in some places like a diet book. I did find his writing on the reasons behind overeating really interesting. Most important is that you're finally realizing that you've used food as a coping mechanism. Sometimes being aware of something is enough for us to start to change. You are most definitely NOT alone. Every single person on this board has food issues of one sort or another, or we wouldn't be overweight in the first place. Very, very few people can honestly blame genetics or health for 100% of their weight problem. Recognizing this is the first step - now you can make a plan to attack the issue. I always start with knowledge and think my way through. I'll always have that urge to do the things I used to do (binge, overeat, whatever) but knowing why I'm feeling the way I do has helped me overcome the majority of those problems. Whatever you decide, I hope you find something that works well for you. ~Cheri

I could just be the healing process but here are a few things you can consider: 1) I couldn't tolerate plain Water. Some days it still bothers me and I'm nearly 2 years out! 2) Make sure you're not dehydrated. 3) Is it your Protein shake? How about dairy? I became lactose intolerant post op and it started with nausea after a shake and finally became all day nausea and intestinal distress after a few months. Once I figured out it was the dairy the issue was resolved (no dairy...now that I'm farther out I can tolerate small amounts again). 4) Have you had a marked increase in your consumption of artificial sweeteners? If you switched to low carb everything post op, you might be getting too many of these and they sometimes cause funny side effects like nausea, trouble sleeping, intestinal distress, etc. 5) Believe it or not, sometimes acid reflux isn't just a burning/heartburn feeling - nausea isn't uncommon. So make sure your PPI is up to the task of controlling your acid. I started out on Nexium but it wasn't doing the trick after about a month so I switched until I was finally happy on Prilosec. 6) Finally, I can't begin to say why but warm liquids always treated me better early on. Even after healing when spasms from the cold drinks weren't a concern. Nowadays I still prefer very cold or hot beverages over something room temperature, and it seems to settle better that way, too. I hope you figure it out! ~Cheri

I am so thankful I'm not the only one with this issue! Isn't this a royal pain? I seriously never realized how much that extra bit of fat added to the comfort level. I have no real suggestions for you as I'm dealing with the same thing. I just try to vary things up a bit so my bruises are never in the same place two days in a row. And I'm completely embarrassed to admit this, but I've also noticed I seem to have, well, LESS room, if that makes any sense. Things that used to be a-okay are no longer quite so comfortable. I had no idea that every part of my body would change with the weight loss, honestly! If anyone finds a solution I'd love to hear about it. ~Cheri

Yup, in the early days when you can't get much in splurge on the higher calorie, higher carb Protein shakes and mix them with milk or soy milk to up the calories even more. I recommend the Syntha-6 shakes for this - they're incredibly tasty but too high cal (and low protein) for me to drink daily. Also add two scoops (or 1.5) to about 12 oz. liquid to boost those calories and protein counts even more. ~Cheri

I'm 20 months and eat nowhere near a normal sized portion. I'd say based upon what I've read here I even have a little less capacity than other folks sleeved around the same time. I still have to make sure I log my food to ensure I get enough nutrition - the opposite of the issue I thought I'd be having in maintenance! I will say that my sleeve HAS stretched a tiny bit since one year out but it's not enough that I'm concerned about regaining weight. I can finally eat 3 oz of Protein in a sitting but it has to be just the right texture (soft enough to eat, I mean, or covered in a sauce/gravy) and it's the only thing I can eat for that meal. So when it comes to eating meat I still break out my scale to be sure of what I'm eating, but only because I HAVE to track carefully or I'll get nowhere near my protein goals. Everything else I can eyeball at this point. I can eat one egg scrambled with cheese and if I eat slowly enough I can also eat one turkey sausage link in the same meal. That's vs. one year out when I could only eat one egg scrambled with some cheese. If I limit my protein to about 1.5-2 oz in a sitting, I can eat about 1/2 cup of whatever else I want. But for some reason, I have a big capacity for salad now as long as I eat it first. So tonight for dinner I had about 1/2 cup of salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish, shredded cheese & dressing), 2 oz salmon and about 1/4 cup each creamed spinach and mashed potato. For me, that's a HUGE meal. I ate five hours ago and have no desire to eat anything else tonight. If I do Pasta or rice (or bread) I can't eat but a few bites, so a 2x3 square of lasagna has me feeling envious because there's no way I could eat that. If I eat half a grilled cheese sandwich I can have about 1/2 a cup of thin Soup (like tomato) on a good day. Some days, I only have room for a half sandwich. I can't eat a whole cheeseburger (unless I stretch it out over two or three meals, which I do when I really want one!) and I couldn't begin to eat more than one slice of pizza, no matter how thin the crust. Comparing it to a child's portion is pretty accurate, though there are times when my growing twins eat more than I do in a sitting. Junky foods are a different story. I can eat 2-3 cups of popcorn. I cat eat one cookie at a time, but I'll be darned if I can't go back and eat another one thirty minutes later, too. So the capacity for carbs/slider foods really does increase from the beginning. The good news is that the desire to eat those foods is pretty much gone. Unless it's that time of the month. Because yes, the absolute ONLY time I can eat all day long is the day before my period starts. I not only battle head hunger but I definitely seem to have an increased capacity, too. Of course the desire to use that capacity to eat a steak wouldn't be so bad...but it's definitely the chips, Cookies, pretzels and french fries (ugh, and cherry coke!) I'm after, so it's definitely not a good thing. I'm glad I'm not alone in that. ~Cheri

I went through a phase where MM was my favorite but now I can't stand it. It goes in cycles if you drink the shakes long enough! Nowadays I mix my unflavored, vanilla or chocolate powder with tea or coffee every morning - sometimes over ice and sometimes not. Sometimes I used flavored coffee or a spiced tea, and sometimes I jazz it up with a little flavored syrup, too. It's the easiest way by far to get my Protein in each day and I've been drinking at least one shake a day for 20 months. Anyway, if you get tired of paying for RTD or if you get ready to try powders again in the future it's an option! I use Integrated supplements (they have my favorite unflavored out of more than half a dozen I've tried) but I'm sure there's a brand out there you can tolerate. For now, enjoy that fact that you've found a shake you actually like! ~Cheri

Ditto! My lowest incision is right above my belly button and would have rubbed. It all depends on where your surgeon slices and dices, I guess! Best of luck whatever you decide. ~Cheri

No carbs is impossible, because even Protein shakes have them and unless you're mixing a very low carb shake with Water, you're consuming carbs. Talk to the nutritionist. The fact is, yes, low-carb is doable but you will need energy so the very least you should be consuming is around 50 grams per day. There are the weirdos like me that don't advocate going super low carb at all, too. You can search my posts to see my opinions on this - I make them known all the time. Whatever you choose to do, you aren't alone because there are a number of low carbers here and also a number of us that advocate a "moderation in everything" plan. I, personally, feel low energy, get irritable, feel deprived and am a beastly person if I don't eat enough carbohydrates. That's just me. We're all different, and what works for you will be something only you can figure out. I recommend tracking your daily intake religiously until you find out what you can eat and still lose. And yes, Dreamfields is an option, although I'd say that Pasta is still the hardest thing for me to eat, even at 20 months out. So be careful with it and only eat a bite or two before waiting to see what happens. For me it causes extreme discomfort after more than a bite or two. ~Cheri

In the beginning, it's important to eat according to the surgeon's plan to avoid issues healing. After that, it's smart to go on a slightly restricted diet until you learn to eat to your nutritional guidelines. Once your capacity increases, it's up to you on what you eat and how you do it. Keep in mind that just like prior to surgery, overindulging in any of those foods will cause a stall or an outright weight gain. I eat whatever I want, in moderation. I am not on a diet. I had the sleeve to control my portions and I refuse to live on Atkins forever. That said, eating a "normal" diet will cause you to shed the weight more slowly. So don't go in eating whatever you want once you heal and get angry that you're only losing a pound or two a week (if that). I started out immediately post op restricting my carbs very severely. After several months of slow loss, irritability, feeling denied and just plain old frustration, I opted to go a healthier route (for me) and to incorporate a more normal number of carbohydrates. My loss didn't slow noticeably, but then, I was a slower loser from day one and only averaged about six pounds off per month. So, do what you want. Again - if you sit down and consume all the ice cream you can eat (and boy, it will be a lot more than the amount of chicken breast you can eat) do not be surprised if you don't lose weight. Part of having the surgery is to learn how to eat properly and yes, sticking to a mostly healthy diet is important. I'd say I follow the "rules" (Protein first, veggies, then a tiny bit of carbs) about 90% of the time. But I eat cake or Cookies or bread if it's what I really want, in moderation. Good luck. ~Cheri

Yes, I'd also add that for some people (ME!) they cause insomnia if consumed daily and can also cause intestinal distress. I eat the real deal, just in moderation, and I'm much happier. Thanks for sharing! ~Cheri

Could be the shake but it could also be what you're mixing it with, too. I had the same issue in the beginning and it gradually worsened from nausea after a shake to nausea all day to intestinal distress and downright pain as I got further out from surgery. Turns out I developed lactose intolerance so not only were my shakes (which weren't lactose free) bothering me, but the milk I was using to make them was making me sick. Now I use a lactose free shake and I drink them with soymilk, coffee or tea instead of milk. I can't have yogurt or cottage cheese, either, but I am able to consume a small amount of cream cheese and a moderate amount of hard cheeses. Lactaid doesn't work for me, unfortunately, and neither do the lactase pills. So, I'd start by trying a different brand of shake first, or by simply cutting out the milk for a day and seeing what happens. It might be a dumb suggestion, but also be sure you're taking your morning Vitamins with food as that can cause an issue, too. Hope you figure it out soon! ~Cheri

Yes, first be proud of your accomplishments. You have come a long way in a short time. You're edging in on halfway to goal and yes, every pound you've lost is one gone forever. That said, I get it. We all do! I'm at goal, I'm quite small and there are still days (particularly when I'm emotional or moody) where I feel like a fat person. Why? Because we've gotten in the habit of being mean to ourselves, we're incredibly hard on ourselves and sometimes, we have unrealistic expectations. I lost 108 pounds and yes, I hate looking in the mirror and seeing all that skin. What? Did I honestly expect to shed all the weight and still love my abused body? I'm at goal. I'm small. It's amazing what our damaged self-esteem can make us feel - I'm in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and I'm considered plus size here. I can look in the mirror and know that I'm small - but still feel BIG in comparison to the local ladies! When people stare at me here, I always feel self-conscious all over again, even though I know in my head that they're staring at me because I'm obviously not Central Asian or Russian, and because I have visible tattoos! It's weird the way our brains work and it takes a long time to get over some of these things. Hang in there. I was right where you are now in November of 2010. I was a few months out from surgery and down about 50-60 pounds. Yes, I was thrilled to be the size I was but honestly, I was stalled out for nine weeks around that time and felt like I'd never get smaller. It was right around this time that I was just starting to have people notice the loss, too, and it wasn't all the time, either. The reality here is that it really does take a lot of loss to start seeing size changes when you're plus sized. For me, I didn't lose the first pant size until about 30 pounds off - and then another after 20 more pounds. It wasn't until I was in non-plus size clothes that I could lose a pant size after dropping only 10-15 pounds. Once you start seeing a real difference both in the mirror and on your clothing tags, I'm sure you will feel a little better. As for whether or not people are considering you that large person I wouldn't be so sure. I was horribly self conscious when I was larger and always felt that anyone laughing or smiling near me was laughing at me. I hated going out in public and I felt like the fattest girl in the room every time. I was always looking around for other girls my size so I'd know how I measured up to the other women. After I shed a lot of the weight, I realized that it was all me. Nobody else had the issues with my size that I had. It was actually kind of egotistical of me to think that everyone was looking at me, anyway! I can say that if you hang in there and keep on working at losing the weight you'll recover some of yourself. You'll start to feel a bit more confident each time you see your successes and you'll hopefully shed some of the self-esteem issues. It might help you to talk to someone like a counselor, too. Take care, ~Cheri

I got a long robe that zipped up the front. It didn't rub or bother me at all. I would definitely get something that opens in the front because it's easier when you're hooked up to an IV. I was in the hospital for a few days and definitely would have had trouble pulling a shirt or nightgown over my head. Everyone is different, but that's my 2 cents. ~Cheri

I wish I could have had this done at twenty, instead of thirty! If you've tried other options and they haven't worked, why wouldn't the sleeve be a great option? The most obvious change is in how you're going to eat, especially immediately post op. But on this journey the most important thing I've learned is how to eat like a normal, healthy person. I now eat what I want, but in moderation. I no longer binge, eat emotionally or restrict myself to compensate for out of control eating habits - things that were ingrained habits and that I wasn't even aware I was doing prior to surgery. I learned how to drop my food issues. My advice? I've been here a while and the reality is you are not going to lose weight every single time you get on the scale. You are going to have times where you don't lose, maybe for weeks at a time. The answer is not to freak out and start exercising frantically or cutting every single carb out of your diet. The answer is to take it easy and let your body lose in it's own time. It will happen. Do not expect to reach goal by a certain date. Rather, expect to reach goal, period. Know that sometimes the journey is shorter but more often, it's longer than we expect. This isn't a race and you don't get a special gold star for finishing faster. Relax and let it happen. With only 15% of your stomach, it's about impossible NOT to lose the majority of your excess weight. Finally, I do not advocate an all-or-nothing approach to anything, especially your diet post op. Research this now and talk to your surgeon about his/her requirements now, so you can get used to the idea. There is no denying that people that shave their carbs down to 50 or less a day lose weight the most quickly. They're also eating unhealthily, have trouble when they don't lose weight every day, and seem to struggle the most when they enter maintenance. Moderation in all things. Whatever you decide to do (and you'll have lots of company if you opt to go super low carb, so no worries there), do it responsibly and try to do the emotional work on what made you heavy in the first place while you're losing. Start tracking your intake now so you get in the habit of eating a well-balanced diet and being aware of what you're putting in your body. Accountability is key. Best of luck! ~Cheri

It was hard at first. If you're still on a restricted diet that makes it even harder. In the beginning when I could only eat a few bites of a meal and actually wanted (NEEDED) to eat more I was so incredibly frustrated by commercials and food television. Once you get into eating a more regular diet it should go away. Well, with the exception of that monthly cycle. I could eat paint chips off the wall during the day before my cycle starts if I got hungry enough! It's the only real head hunger I feel now. You're less than a month out. Trust me that this does fade and get easier. And I was a carb junkie prior to surgery, too. Those cravings take a long time to leave the body. You will get there. I'll be honest and suggest that you evaluate what you're eating. If you're severely restricting your carbs (40-50 per day) you might consider allowing yourself an increase to see how you do. If you don't see negative effects on the scale but do notice that you're not feeling denied, well, that's excellent progress. Jumping from pre-op diet to a no-fat, no-carb incredibly strict diet post-op isn't an easy transition mentally or physically. I'd reevaluate if you think this might be part of your issue. This is forever - you chose an irreversible surgery. So expecting yourself to live on a diet forever isn't going to make you a happy person, even if it does get you to goal. Branch out your options as much as possible! Spice things up and see how that helps. I sometimes hit a slump (at 19 months out!) where I get sick of eating Protein first and need to make a change in what I'm eating. Good luck, ~Cheri