DoOver

To those of you who are pre-surgery and just now meeting your surgeons and asking questions, could you please ask about the carbonation issue and report back to us? If you've read here for a while you know that many people say their surgeon says carbonation stretches the sleeve. You also know that a lot of us who are 6 months plus out think that's nonsense. Not all, just quite a few of us. Now that I'm on the other side, I think it's such nonsense that I might change surgeons if he told me that and seemed to believe it. On the other hand, I completely understand the "it's bad for you and can lead to other issues...eating too soon after drinking it, craving junk food". For me, it wasn't relevant. I knew that I would not drink it as much as possible but maybe try it somewhere down the road. I have and it didn't seem to do anything at all to me. In fact, it seemed to substitute for food in terms of satisfaction and I actually tend to eat less on Sunday (the day I have a diet caffeine free coke) because I sip it over an hour and then apply the same wait time for more food as if I'd eaten. And I'm not at all hungry doing this. (I'm one who still experiences hunger. So this issue is a real curiosity to me. I'm going to ask my surgeon on my next visit but I'm a ways out and it's going to be another 3 months before I see him. To be exact, I don't want to know your program's line on this. I know they all have a "company line" they share. But I'd love for people to ask 1-on-1 with their surgeon and report back what his specific answer was and if he/she is willing to explain why. I'm really curious about this one. And assuming they say the bubbles do stretch the sleeve, I would love to understand why they think that is when solid food that is larger in scope does not. Thanks! Now get out there and solve this mystery for me!

To some of these points, I'd really suggest honoring the no water with a meal. I got used to it and no longer give it thought. Unlke many of the things people believe stretch the sleeve, I actually think that might. Pushes food though faster too. When do you take your acid reflux meds? Can you take a dose an hour or so before bed? You could get an OTC acid reducer and take a low strenth one before bed if it helps while you are in these early day. Yes, in our program any uncafeine liquid was counted toward your todal fluid for the day. And yes, you are in the rough spell. It all gets better. Good luck.

Goal to lose 15 pounds in 1 week??

I had a bowl of tomato soup at Panera today. Doesn't concern me at all. But it was good.

I am physically restricted to where (6 months out), I have gotten to 1400 calories on a few days where I used 200 calorie Protein bars to hit the protein on days on the run. My average is about 1100-1150. And I am no where near my goal. My surgeon is fine with it. And I feel much, much better at 1100 a day than when I was 3 months out and eating 500-600 a day. I really could not have done that for the year I need to get to goal. And very glad I'm not in a program that requires it. My program actually does not give an caloric value. They are more interested in what you are eating that makes up those calories. You won't hear too much from them unless they suspect you are really eating junk.

If a miracle skin suck machine is developed so I can sleep in it at night and wake up taut and back in my 25 year old body, I'll look at the BMI chart. But as long as I am hauling around 10 pounds of excess skin I'll shoot for my own goal. Any brainiacs here? If so, get to work on that skin suck machine pronto.

Notice any change to the results? I'm 6 months out so I can take it, I'm just wondering if it will be as well absorbed and used by my body now. It wasn't a perfect solution before as my knees are shot, but it did seem to make a difference to the better. I took one today. I wish I would wise up and stop buying Vitamins and supplements in a dark NOT see through bottle. These are the size of horse pills. But thankfully, it's only a 1 month supply. Tomorrow I'll shift up to the 2 a day dose.

Regarding the all inclusive part, that might be an area where you have to make a change. But there are a lot of great non-all inclusive spots. My hubby and I are planning a spring trip back to Europe. He loves traveling there, I'm pretty much just along for the ride. I am already planning to take 2 Protein Snacks each day to get me 30 grams. Then I will have a Breakfast with an egg or cheese and just nibble off his lunch and dinner, a few bites. It will actually be cheaper than our previous trips. There are a few spots we are familiar with where we will have dinner and I'll take the left over back to the hotel for an evening snack. It's really very managable, but I can see where you would not want to pay for drinks and meals up front for a regular person's consumption. Also wouldn't hurt to check to see if any of them offer bariatric packages. So many people are having this surgery, you never know. Maybe they're offering an all inclusive mini. It would be a smart move for them to market something like that where you have 3 small meals + maybe 3 drinks per day.

I'm getting ready to start taking glucosmine. Does anyone here take it and, if so, how do you tolerate it? I read the directions and it said to take with meals and lots of Water. That's not going to happen. So wondering if others are taking it and how they take it. I took this before and found it really helped my knees so I want to get back on. Or at least try. I will say I'm getting a bit sick of all the pills I have to take. But I think it's work the try to add these 2 back onto the stack.

I've also been taking all of mine in pill form since day two. Minimum I'd check with an independent pharmasist and make sure it's safe for you to be crushing them. Some pills are not meant to be crushed. I've been reading here quite a while and you're the first person I can remember who said this was a 100% rule.

The one clip of her laying back on a couch, and just sort of flipping her leggs and crossing them floored me. She was very mobile, even for someone who was more like 350 pounds! I was sort of amazed when she went over and stood for about 4 or 5 minutes while Dr. Oz went over the danger chart with her. Didn't seem to be an issue for her to stand still. I guess I can see why and how she could sort of delude herself into thinking she has no real issues.

Wow. She had a baby at 500+ pounds? It's actually rather amazing what the human body can do.

I thought I'd just share for anyone new to the sleeve and needs info on how to keep themself in meds at a rate they can affort. Expecially for anyone who doesn't have prescription coverage on these meds, like me. I get my generic Prilosec at Target. The prescription is written for 2 20 mg. per day, The surgeon considered a standard dose to be 1 40 mg. but wrote it as 2 20's because that allows me to get it filled on their reduced cost plan. I've only had to fill it once and got 180 20 mg. tables for $30. As it turned out, I only need 1 pill a day so it's lasting me closer to 6 months than the expected 3 months. My insurance no longer covers this med since it went OTC. I've been very happy with the results of this generic. I am, at this point, only taking 1 every other day but there are days when different foods cause break through reflux. I'm pretty sure some of the other stores that have low cost plans have both acid reducers and PPI's as options. Just a thing to consider since so many of us need to use these meds at least for a window of time.

I'm not a medical person and have never worked in a hospital. I'd tell you to keep a very close eye on your blood pressure. I had to be taken off of my beta blocker 10 days after surgery. I hadn't lost that much weight (not in relation to my overall body weight) but my BP had dropped to dangerously low levels. And my primary told me the same thing. It's not so much that they cause you to not lose weight, but they can sap your energy level which keeps you less active which can lead to less weight loss. Talk to your primary and keep monitoriing your BP. If you have never had high blood pressure, I'd think that would put you in a speical bucket where the drug could drive it down even faster than someone like me who once had sky high BP. Minimum, check it when you are in a drug store or grocery where they have a machine just to be on the safe side.

I not only researched to death I waited an extra year for my insurance to cover the sleeve. I wish I hadn't had to wait but I'm very glad I did. Luckily I used some of that time to drop from close to 330 to somewhere near 300 for the surgery. I'm one of those rare "doesn't happen" people who experiences dumping. I've had a sweet thing 3 times in 6 months and they darned near killed me. shakes, sweats, just overall ready to vomit feeling for about 2 hours. I can't imagine how bad it would have been with r-n-y. Thankfully, I don't have much of an issue with sweets so I can work around it. But once that happened the first time on a relatively small amount of sugar, I absolutely knew I'd have been a major dumper with bypass and having dropped from busting out of a size 26W last October, to surgery in early April to a loose size 18W today...yes, I am very happy with my choice!

Would two inexpensive outfits hurt your budget? I think there's something about dressing to fit as your lose. Personally I don't like looking sloppy in big stuff. That was fat me. I don't think you have to buy a whole new wardrobe but I think having a couple of outfits that show off your slimmer self is a boost.

We were given 10 boxes. I hated all of them except grape. There was one that I swear tasted very close to vomit to me. How's that for an opinion! Funny tho, we were told to not rely on it or really count is toward our Protein after you moved from full liquid to mushies. It's a back up, but at least in our program proti-diet's value is questionable. Just their opinion. They think of it as better than Water, but not all that great as your source of protein.

I agree. But I think people can get lost in obesity. It snowballs on you. As you eat and get fat, the fat eats away at your freedom in life. I think she was too boxed in to face reality. It's why I really encourage people to face their truth. If they need surgical help, now that it's so commonly available, don't just keep struggling on your own. You can give in to this and let it take your life in more ways than death. Everyone strugges early on after surgery. It gets better fast and you'll forget all about the hard days. And this is a better life.

Actually, for me, bread is a great example of how I've changed. I still eat some bread. When I do eat it, I eat only food for Life bread and 1/2 slice as toast with my morning egg. It's a very good bread. 1/2 slice is 40 calories, Fiber and 2 grams of Protein. It's what I'm trying to do with all of my food. I am picking better, regardless of cost. With eating so little I can buy what's best for me. Last week I was craving something "sweet". I don't really care for sweet sweets so, to me, something like pumpkin pie is "sweet". So I went tothe store and bought a small pie. I cut 1/4 of it out, took the rest to my neighbor who has 3 kids. Over two evenings I ate only the pumpkin part, no dough. It was wonderful. And that was it. I really like living this way.

Did anyone else see this show? It was about a woman who's something like 700 pounds and wants to become the fattest woman in the world. I found it heartbreaking. I'm so glad that I took a different path. But as I watched Dr. Oz and his offers to help her, I also wondered if he shouldn't just leave her be. I hate to say this but with her health issues and massive weight, even getting to a weight of 300 pounds would require massive surgeries. And while she is in complete denial about her health issues, I can't see her being able to survive any surgical option at all even if they were able to get her mentally ready to accept a complete change in her life. Every now and then people will ask about being too old or too young to accept surgical help. I would just encourage people who are not in denial to get the help sooner than later. It's so sad to see lives wasted to obesity.

My program says 60 grams for women. I just had my 6 month blood work done and my protein levels are fine at this point. It would be early for a problem to show unless you were really having daily lows (according to them) but my level was almost the same as pre-surgery. And I went through the first 3 months lucky to be averaging 50 grams per day. Others might have suggestions as to the "risk" involved.

I wouldn't have been bothered by this. I am not all that sensitive but I began treating my weight as a health issue years ago and people just sort of fell in line. Once I took the emotional part out for me, people's "comments" were no longer things that bothered me or hurt me. It crossed my mind that maybe I was a good part of the problem back when it did bother me. But you see, I'm in my 50's. I might have heard this all a lot differently in my 20's. But as a 50 year old I think she was actually trying to let you know you look good. My advise, if interested, is to assume she was and let her off the hook.

I haven't given it much thought at all but my surgeon sure has. Every time I see him he reminds me that I have to be at 160 within the end of year 1. I just smile and tell him I will. I'm far more interested in size. I have always been muscular for a female. Even as a thin teen. What with my age, the muscle issue and skin, I'm not too sure about the 160 ( I'm about 5 - 7 ) but I'm looking forward to no longer wearing plus sizes. But my surgeon, a man, just smiles back at me when I say that. I think it's called "failure to communicate".

greak yogart - had the ooinkos type for lunch and it was strawbettry and dandy and 12 grams of protein. Yummy!

We were recommended Speicial K Protein also. I keep a box handy for if I know I will need breakfast after arriving at work. I can get a small skim milk from the machine so I keep a baggy of the cereal in my desk. It's not an every day thing but maybe once every other week. I really like having options like this as I get sick of the same thing over and over. It is one of the few things I use artificial sweetner on as I think it's rather flat without a bit of added taste.