ocean_ophelia

Thanks, everyone. I needed to hear that. Water and protein for sure. I'm going to do Miss Diva's Bootcamp also; I've done it before and it helped. Vacations are SOOO hard.

All right, I'm 6 months post-op and 75 pounds lighter, which is 5 pounds below my goal weight. I'm in a size 4/XS, and I feel fabulous. I work out every day. But the last week has been BAD. I've been BAD. I'm back to my old habits, granted on a much smaller scale. It started with vacation, which was always a huge trigger for me, a passport to eat whatever I wanted and however much I wanted. The same thing happened this time, except I simply can't binge like I used to, but I can still do a lot of damage snacking and drinkning high-calorie concoctions (coffee drinks, alcohol). The thing is: I KNOW better. I do. I am informed. I GET that what I'm doing is sabotage. My hunger isn't like it used to be either, but the head hunger is rearing itself. I've gained 3 pounds, which is mostly Water weight, I'm sure, but I need to nip this in the bud NOW. Any words of advice would be much appreciated. I really just need to hear someone tell me to knock it off. I seriously will not forgive myself if I spent so much money and weeks of recovery and not have long-term success. I just can't do this again.

Yes, exactly. Not revealing a personal medical decision is NOT lying. It's PRIVATE information.

That's about the point I was trying to make. Some cancer is preventable, and one can argue obesity is preventable too, although just like some people have a predesposition toward cancer, some have a predesposition toward being obese.

I disagree. Should you have to tell everyone if you have cancer? Or MS? Or depression? These are private medical issues. It's called HIPPA, and it's our right NOT to reveal anything medical, any surgeries we've had, any treatments we've undergone. If you want to tell, fine, but some people are more comfortable dealing with cancer in private. It's not anybody's business what I had done. And I AM eating healthfully and exercising. I'll have to for the rest of my life.

Well, I can vouch that it is possible. I've kept it secret for nearly 6 months now. Only my hubby knows. I didn't even tell my mom (because she has a big mouth). No one at work knows. None of my friends do. And I've lost 80 pounds and gotten down to a BMI 19, size 4/6. So, yes, it's possible, but you have to commit to it. Don't tell even one person. Don't drop hints. Don't beat around the bush. It depends on what kind of person you are. I am very private and don't talk a lot about my life, so it's not shocking for me not to share. When people noticed my weight loss, I just said, thanks, I'm eating healthfully and exercising, which is 100 percent true! Anyway, don't make an issue out of it. Most people notice you and your business far less than you think. You're just not that important - and I don't mean you specifically; I mean, any of us. I mean, really, people have better things to do than monitor what you eat.

I agree. Try Diva's boot camp. I do it every two or three weeks even when I don't stall. It's a great way to get back to the basics. The sleeve is just a tool; YOU still have to do the hard work, and part of that is not eating the junk or eating it only in small, limited quantities. You won't maintain or lose if you keep eating carbs and sugars. Focus on the lean proteins and log your food to make yourself accountable.

That sounds completely within normal range to me. Five pounds in a few days is awesome.

From everything I read, the sleeve is superior the the lapband in every way.

Hilarious about the drinks. The red one looks fabulous, as do you!!!

Worst: nausea from anasthesia, unexplained nausea in subsequent weeks, not being able to binge (hey, food was the live of my life!), sometimes feeling like I'm missing out as others are eating a meal, the too-full sick feeling I get from eating just a little bit too much Best: the quick weight loss, esp at the beginning; not being able to binge (yup, it goes in both categories); shopping in my closet; feeling like I control food instead of vice versa.

I had a few friends who had horrid experiences with the band. My insurance excludes all WLS, and I was a 30 BMI anyway, so no insurance would approve it. I saw Dr. Kelly in Mexico; it cost $5700. He was excellent, and I recommend him. I didn't care for Mi Doctor Hospital I stayed at, but it was ok.

I doubt it's sodium. I am eating a tiny fraction of what I used to eat pre-op, and most of it is low in sodium. Even when I was eating a LOT of salty foods I never had edema - why all of a sudden now? I haven't travelled recently either.

Last night I noticed that both of my ankles were quite swollen; this morning they were more swollen still, to the point that when I press on them the indentation remains (pitting edema). I've only ever had this when I was in the third trimester pregnant with of my children, never at any other time. I am about to start my period, but I've never had this as a PMS symptom before - a feeling of being bloated, yes, but not pitting edema. My nausea has finally waned, and I'm feeling great, and now this. Ugh. I'm drinking quite a bit of Water (around 50 oz, not counting herbal tea and soups). What could it be? Anyone experience this? Perhaps it's not even sleeve related, but it seems a big conicidence.

I'm getting frustrated too. The past two weeks I've lost only 2 pounds a week. I used to lose more than that on standard-issue diets like LA Weight Loss and Weight Watchers. I really expected a faster weight loss seeing's how I cut out most of my stomach.