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Okay, I went through this, too. Even lactose-free milk gave me problems, so be wary of it until you're sure you can tolerate it! For a while, the only dairy I could tolerate at all was hard cheese and only in very small amounts. I switched to soy milk and coconut milk and now that I'm overseas I make my own soymilk (nothing available at the stores here and I like the taste of mine better anyway). I was able to shop around with samples to find a lactose-free shake I could tolerate, too. It took a long time but was worth the trouble. You need to find a shake that works for you so please keep at it. I remember feeling horribly discouraged and frustrated but once I could branch out and eat more foods (instead of just eggs!) I felt a lot better. And the good news is that I've been able to slowly incorporate dairy back into my life. I still have problems with milk but I can eat small portions or yogurt, ice cream, soft cheeses, etc. now. I'm know other folks that developed lactose intolerance were able to reincorporate some dairy after one year, too. Chin up! It's very challenging in the beginning and yes, it definitely leads to a feeling of deprivation when you have to change your entire diet. But there are options out there for you and it is still possible to succeed. Good luck! ~Cheri

Mine resolved around 4-6 months out but prior to that I took a PPI (generic Prilosec) every day. Now I'm nearly 2 years out and only occasionally do I need an antacid. ~Cheri

Normal! I couldn't hit my Protein and liquid intake goals for several months. Everyone is different but I went through exactly the same experience as you. I hated to eat for months, actually. It was a chore, which was a huge turnaround! My favorite food was cottage cheese...but then I developed lactose intolerance and spent day after day eating scrambled eggs. Trust me, I feel your pain. I wouldn't drop the shakes. I'd try to find either a new way to prepare them or find a new shake that doesn't bore you. I'm nearly two years out and I still drink a shake each day! If I want to eat 90+ grams of protein but still get in plenty of carbs I need one. They are just about the only source of real protein in the beginning. You need protein! So my advice is to relax about eating enough protein in your actual food for a little while. Eat what you can but don't beat yourself up too much. Get back on shakes! One a day - mix it with coffee or tea or juice or whatever it takes to make it palatable for you. It does get a lot easier. Hang in there. Oh, and don't worry about ups and downs and slowdowns on the scale. We don't get to lose at a consistent (or even fast!) rate but we do lose. ~Cheri

I don't know that it really matters, so long as you take into account that alcohol metabolizes as sugar and is wasted calories. I think most surgeons say to avoid it because you're trying to lose weight and drinking too much alcohol can inhibit your loss. And yes, I do get drunk WAY faster than before. I mean, I don't even need to finish an entire drink! So be careful with that. And my tastes changed completely. I used to love beer and can't stand it now. ~Cheri

Best thing I used was generic Prilosec. I used two or three different things before I found one that did the trick. You need a PPI, not an antacid! You'll be in pain if you don't get the acid under control. ~Cheri

I went through the disgust with food, too. Basically, eating became a chore and one I completely hated. There were days when I would just skip two meals because the thought of eating repulsed me. But what you're dealing with are the head issues associated with your weight problem. Now that you know you're heading into surgery and being forced to control food (if only for a short time) it's no surprise that it's becoming more apparent. Immediately after surgery, sure, food can be totally repulsive. But do not go into this counting on that to be the mechanism that helps you overcome the initial problem. Because you will eventually be able to eat more. No, not your pre-surgery portions! However, your capacity at one year is markedly more than six months out. And a lot of us have a smaller increase in capacity sometime between 1.5 and 2 years out. I'll be two years out in July. Not only can I eat a lot more in a sitting but I can eat more frequently. I've said it before but it bears repeating: the sleeve will not let you eat half a pizza in a sitting but nothing is going to stop you from eating a cookie an hour for six hours straight. I can EASILY consume 1400-1700 calories a day if I nibble junk. I'm not lecturing to make you feel bad. I want you to know that you are not alone in this. We all have issues with food or we'd lose the weight the first time we walk into a Weight Watchers meeting. My suggestion is to take note of what is causing you to eat and of how you relate to food. Do you overeat because you like feeling stuffed? Is it because you're numbing emotions with food? Is it because you're afraid there won't be more food later? Figure it out. Work on it. Do the headwork or you'll be in trouble once you hit maintenance. Because the reality is that the sleeve WILL help you lose weight. But only you can keep the weight off and adopt the lifestyle changes you need to get to and remain at goal. Good luck! ~Cheri

A mix of both will be optimal - rotate what you do by day, or do a little of both each day. After surgery you'll find that if you aren't eating enough Protein and doing some strength training you'll lose muscle. Cardio (walking, running, etc.) is good for your heart and something you should do, but it my opinion (and you'll have others chime in with their opinions, too) it shouldn't be the focus of your exercise routine. It burns fat, yes. But so does a calorie deficit, which is what the sleeve is going to force you into. Combine the two without getting the nutritional needs met and you're going to lose muscle. So once you're sleeved I'd shift the focus primarily to a protein-heavy diet. I'm not saying low-carb it, I'm saying eat 80-90+ grams of protein a day after you're totally healed and can hit those goals. Then add in strength training to not only build your muscle but to be sure you aren't losing what you've got. Perhaps circuit training is what would make you happy? ~Cheri

No need to hunt! One of my favorite clothing sites is pinupgirlclothing.com. I'm sure you'll find this outfit on there! ~Cheri

I'm not single but I am a military spouse. At the time of my surgery my husband was gone for two to three weeks each month and working 14-16 hour days when he was home (which means he did ZERO of the caregiving). I was a stay at home mom and had two toddlers to chase all day, every day during the healing process. My twins were 2.5 years old when I had surgery. I had a few days where I was dragging and tired by six at night but it was fine. I got through it. The only issue would be if your child is still in a crib because you will not be comfortable leaning over like that. Lifting was hard but my two were old enough to understand I couldn't carry them for a while. You can do it. It might be tough but the end result is worth a few weeks where things are a little tougher than usual. I had to set a timer to remind me to feed my kids, though! Sounds silly but with no hunger and sipping on fluids all day I'd lose track of time and forget they needed lunch and dinner until just past the meal. My poor kiddos learned to remind me that they were hungry around mealtimes. ~Cheri

For me it was a little while - somewhere around six weeks, I think. I did move to my side after just a few weeks but with a body pillow supporting my stomach. I can't really explain how it feels after surgery but it's not comfortable to lie on your side and certainly not your stomach for a while. I learned how to sleep on my back, surprisingly. Now I'm mostly a back/side sleeper because of the brief period post op that I slept in a recliner. I was much more comfortable in the recliner than in the bed at first. ~Cheri

I'm 5'1" and some change and started at 242 pounds. I was in a snug 18/20 XXL prior to surgery. My first piece of advice won't be what you want to hear but you really shouldn't count on being a particular size or weight by a certain date. I assume you're trying to plan ahead and are worried about packing and planning your trip. I understand completely! Four months post op I moved from Germany to Kyrgyzstan but had an extended trip to the states in between. I lived out of suitcases for months and packing was a nightmare because I had no idea what would fit and for how long. All of that aside, you shouldn't have too much trouble. I felt great at about 3 months post op. I could eat, even though my portions were tiny. Bring Protein powder and a shaker cup with you! I dumped my big three pound tub into a baggie and taped the label from the container to the bag so that if I was inspected by TSA they wouldn't freak out. I'm so glad I did this because I needed my shakes and would have felt miserable for my entire trip if I hadn't been getting enough protein. Bring Protein Bars if you use them, because they help, too. With one shake a day you should be able to eat enough at that point to feel good and get enough nutrition. I also moved my trusty scale with me, too! I wanted to be able to track my progress without wondering if the scale was right or not. If your trip is longer than a few weeks you might want to do this, too. By three months out I had lost about 44 pounds. I didn't really change sizes until close to fifty pounds lost. Plus sizes have far more "give" to them than straight sizes - if I gain/lose five pounds now it completely changes the way my clothes fit. By four months out I was down into size 14...I kind of skimmed the 16s. I think I purged my wardrobe of 18/20s before the move and wore the 16s on my trip, even though they were still pretty snug at that point. Nobody here can really do more than tell you their own experience. Some people lose a ton of weight in the beginning and some lose much more slowly. How it will happen for you is completely up to your body and you won't have much control over the process. Good luck, ~Cheri

Yes, I was just physically drained. I felt exhausted by the end of the day and would look forward to bedtime only to realize it was only six at night! How quickly it fades for you depends on how easily you can get in your Protein shakes/liquids and how comfortable you are for sleeping. I had a few rough nights in my bed before realizing that I could get almost a full night of sleep in the recliner instead. Once I was sleeping at night and getting more protein in I felt better but in the beginning you are dealing with discomfort from surgery and a seriously decreased caloric intake which makes it hard to adjust. ~Cheri

It sounds like you're on the right track. You are not in denial about your eating habits prior to these life changes or about your addiction. That's a huge leap ahead of where most of us are when we're sleeved! It's all headwork. Your surgery is going to give you the opportunity to kick the addiction but if you don't do the headwork, well, it'll still be there two years post op and give you grief in maintenance. It's not what anyone wants to hear but it's absolutely true. I just finished a pretty good read about disordered eating called Beyond the Refrigerator: Navigating Life After Weight-Loss Surgery. While I didn't really learn many new things, I enjoyed the perspectives in the book. You might check it out from your local library. I also enjoyed Hungry: Lessons on the Journey from Fat to Thin, which focuses more on overeating and the way one man tackled the emotional side of the problem. The surgery makes it very easy to avoid foods in the beginning, especially if you lose your hunger like most of us do. But once you're a year out or close to two, like I am, it really becomes apparent if you're in a good place or not. My sleeve will stop me from eating half a pizza but it's not going to stop me from eating a cookie per hour or a tub of ice cream. So my advice is to keep on your current track and to also add in some counseling if you find you need the additional support once you're sleeved. The frustration and emotional upheaval once your coping mechanism is taken from you can be very difficult to overcome, and I speak from experience! Best of luck to you. I wish everyone that opted for this surgery prepared as well as you seem to be doing. Being overweight isn't a stomach problem that the surgery will solve - it's a head problem, and we need to face that head on if we want to beat it for good. ~Cheri

It's a trap we all fall into. Even the folks cheerleading here might feel the same exact way you do the first time they hit a prolonged stall. I had two nine week stalls during my journey and only lost about six pounds a month, on average. Slow loser, fast loser, so what?! It's hard to wrap your head around this right now because you're still so worried about failure. But the reality is that you are doing all of the right things. You WILL lose the weight. The problem is that you don't get to dictate how quickly it will happen! It took me 17 months to get to goal. During that time I learned so much about myself and my eating habits. I could complain all day about how long it took and how frustrating the journey was at times but the end result is exactly the same - I'm at goal and I have a normal BMI. It's hard to see the big picture now but it makes no difference how long it takes you to get there. What matters is that you keep with it until you do. I would not change a single thing in your diet or exercise regimen unless there is something you know needs to be changed. The reality is that lots of people limit their diet (in my opinion, excessively) and approach the sleeve like they would any other (failed) diet they've done in the past. THIS IS NOT A DIET. It is FOREVER. You need a reasonable way to eat and live or you're going to burn out and fall off track. If what you're doing is giving you results, albeit not as quickly as you'd like, then why would you change a single thing? Too many people come off of low-carbing and have a miserable time in maintenance (and some even during the loss phase) so I wouldn't restrict more than you're already doing, again, unless you know something we don't and do need to adjust. You are doing a fabulous job. We do not all lose at the same pace but if we do the right things, we all lose. You should be nicer to yourself, I think. You deserve respect and admiration for embracing a healthier lifestyle fresh out of the gate. ~Cheri

I self paid but had the funds to choose any doctor I wanted. I started with a list of three doctors, two stateside and one in Mexico. After doing months of research and reading testimonials and actually talking to all three offices via email and on the phone, I opted to go with Dr. Aceves in Mexico. I got "more bang for my buck" and a more experienced doctor. I got to spend several days in the hospital instead of being shuffled out after 23 hours. I had top notch care from an incredibly skilled and experienced surgeon. Frankly, I've seen more complications on these boards from the US doctors than the ones in Mexico in the three years I've been around! Sure, for some people it's price but the difference in price ISN'T that big when you go with Dr. Aceves. I paid $10K for my surgery and flights vs. the $14-17K I was quoted from the other two doctors. That wasn't enough of a difference for me to choose my surgeon solely based upon cost. But when it came down to post op care my doctor and his team won hands down. If I won a million dollars tomorrow I'd still take my mom and sister to Dr. Aceves over a different surgeon. And to answer your other question about insurance? NO WAY! Tricare still doesn't cover the sleeve and that means any doctor at a MTF doing this surgery might be experienced with bariatric surgery or laparoscopy but it's highly unlikely they're skilled with the sleeve. I know all doctors get their experience somewhere but for me this was a huge factor in my decision making process: number of sleeves vs. number of leaks. Dr. Aceves still has the best record on this front, too! ~Cheri

Both chicken and tortilla can be trouble foods for some folks. Tortillas are a no-go for me even now. I hate not knowing if just one more tiny bite is going to be the one that puts me in pain! I'd stick with Soup at this point, but that's because my surgeon had a strict post op diet. A really flavorful, rich soup like something you'd get at Red Lobster could work but you could find a good soup just about anywhere. Maybe a tiny nibble here and there of something soft from your husband's plate and a spoon of a soft dessert for good measure. Everything in moderation! Just take it easy and don't get frustrated if you find you can't eat more than a few bites. Enjoy yourself, and Happy Anniversary! ~Cheri

However many you need to eat, can actually eat and can still lose on! Around this point I was getting somewhere around 500 calories per day. Some people lose great on super low calories and some don't. I did my very best on around 900 calories per day and 70-80 grams of carbs. ~Cheri

I'm 5'1" and some change and at goal. I might have something to add here if anyone has questions. I had surgery at 242 pounds and a very snug 18/20 and am now maintaining between 133-137 pretty easily. Most of my clothes are size 6 or small. I had hoped for a smaller goal weight, actually, but it's just not going to happen. I'll need plastics eventually and that will easily take that last ten pounds off for me. It's not that I really feel I need to lose more weight, either, it's just that the BMI chart really sucks and my doctor still kinda nags about me being so close to the overweight line. Anyway, hello to everyone! It seems like the majority of the folks here were just recently sleeved or are awaiting surgery. ~Cheri Edited to add pictures. Everyone loves pictures, right?

Well, I got a bunch of tests done. I had to pay out of pocket to ship them to Almaty but it was laughably inexpensive (less than $30 for eight tests!) so no big deal. Everything came back perfectly normal and I'm not pregnant. The next step is ultrasound to see if there's another issue. The weight seems to be coming back off but I have weird jumps up and down on the scale now that I can't tie to my diet. And my cycle this month was a perfect 28 days again, so I'm not exactly sure what the heck is up. If we can't find anything via ultrasound there isn't much else to test or check so we'll chalk it up to a temporary thing unless the odd cycles come back again. Thanks for all the feedback and I hope you get some help, Sandy. I think close to ten different people advised me that Black Cohosh helped them through the night sweats and other joys of menopause so I'd try it if you're willing to work with an herbal remedy. ~Cheri

Yep, sounds like you worked on a little of the body issues but none of the head issues that led to your weight in the first place. You're not alone! Thank you for being brave enough to post about where you're really at, because it's a sign that you do want to change things. Your first stop is a counselor. Honestly. Do it. You need to and I think you realize that. It's okay to need help at different points in our lives, so take advantage of the fact that it's available and get help. Secondly, you're in luck. Because guess what? You STILL have a sleeve and it still works! Whatever your capacity is around one year is about where you're going to stay. You haven't stretched that sleeve out, you've just chosen to eat around it. There is no reason why you can't work on your head while also reworking your eating to get your body where you want it to be. Starving yourself to lose weight doesn't work. If it did none of us would have surgery, we'd just buckle down and stop eating! You know how this works - you know the drill! I don't have to tell you how to eat or what to avoid because you knew all of this before or you wouldn't have lost anything with your sleeve. So, call and make an appointment with a counselor. Then, look up the pouch test and get to it. Prove to yourself that your sleeve still works. Once you're done with the 5 day pouch test, get back to logging your food and putting the right things in your body. Start with that Protein and get back on shakes, too. It will help. You were clearly using food to cope - SO many of us do this without even realizing it! Now that you can't overeat you're transferring that to something else. Get some help. Only you can change yourself, nobody here can do it for you. Get up and reclaim your life so that you can feel proud of yourself again. ~Cheri

I did my surgery with Dr. Aceves and flew from Germany to do it. I paid by bank check more than two months before my surgery. There was no problem and my surgeon was just as awesome as I thought he'd be. You could go either way on this. I'm sure there won't be an issue with them allowing the charge, provided you called and told them you're going to be in Mexico (so they don't deny the charge thinking it's fraudulent). You could also call your surgeon and pay now just to have the peace of mind. ~Cheri

Yes, part of it was health - probably a good 40% because I had type 2 diabetes and wasn't able to keep up with my kids. But the rest was mostly vanity, with some for emotional/mental health in there. Maybe 40% vanity and 20% emotional/mental. I hated leaving the house and meeting new people prior to surgery because I hated the way I looked and assumed everyone around me did, too. I was so SICK of hearing "You have such a pretty face..." because that's probably one of the nastiest "compliments" I received on a regular basis. Surprisingly, now that I'm at goal I'm embarrassed by the attention and the way other people treat me. Pre-op I was sure my vain little self would preen at all the compliments but they make me incredibly uncomfortable. A lot of it is how I treat myself and how I act now, sure, but sometimes I feel like people treat me like I'm a totally different person. Anyway, kudos to those of you that are doing it purely for health. I can't lie - I wanted to shop in regular stores and be treated like a normal person more than I wanted to avoid heart disease. Call it a personal failing or a shallow personality or whatever. Regardless, I got my wish on all counts so I can't be unhappy about choosing the sleeve! ~Cheri

I used the thin breads to make sandwiches sometime around six months out - one whole round was still too much for me but about half of one sat pretty well. They had to be really soft, though. I am 21 months out from surgery and I am STILL careful with bread, rice, tortillas and Pasta because none of them sit very well. It's just too unreliable for me to enjoy eating these foods. I can go from happy to feeling pain and discomfort in just one bite. Everyone's body is different but yes, the idea to just sample small tastes here and there is probably best. I honestly didn't eat a single bite of anything that solid until close to two months out from surgery, though, so I'd take it really small, really slow and really pay attention to your body because you might not have a good experience! ~Cheri

My surgeon didn't really give me much of a guideline on them (that I recall) but I was totally unable to eat any type of lettuce or greens until somewhere around five or six months out, I think. It was a long time. Fibrous veggies also gave me grief (i.e., PAIN) and it took me a long time before I could eat them raw. If you try it earlier, do small and slow bites. Honestly, I ate some lettuce on a few bites of hard shell taco at three or four months out and felt horrible afterward. Lettuce is really, really hard for some reason. I tried all sorts of greens and nothing sat well for a while so it's completely up to your body's ability to handle it. ~Cheri

My advice is to stop worrying so much about Protein. Honestly, it took many of us MONTHS to consistently get both our liquids and our protein in. Right now you're on the fast track to burning yourself out completely. Cut yourself some slack and eat things that actually sound good to you that are reasonably healthy choices. Sometime around 8-9 months I realized that I needed more carbs but with only so much room in my sleeve I was forced to make up my protein intake elsewhere. You can add unflavored Protein powder to soups (it never really worked great for me but some people swear by it) and I always did two scoops of protein in my morning shake. This way I hit my totals for the day but had room for other foods that I needed. You can also try sludge - a bodybuilder friend of mine taught me this one. Mix one scoop of protein powder (I preferred chocolate) with 1 Tbs. Peanut Butter and just enough Water to make a sludge out of it. I chilled it really cold in the freezer and ate it up like ice cream. It's kinda weird but packs a protein/calorie punch and is easy to get down. Oh, and I second the vote on cottage cheese. If you like it, it's a great food. I was SO sad when my lactose intolerance made me cross it off my list. It's a soft food and is packed with protein. So, eat something you want to eat. Honestly, you're killing yourself here and it's not even necessary! It's very important to stick to your surgeon's guidelines so you heal properly but you're forcing yourself into a corner with your diet. Mental health is important for our overall well-being, too, you know! You need to be happy about what you're eating or you'll start to regret your decision. Good luck. I admire your determination but you don't need to be so fixated on reaching those goals so early out! ~Cheri