FatFreeMe

Caroline G. - good luck! I go to Miriam Hospital for support group

I'm done with diets. I swore off diets.. out of my life for good and I'm officially a member of dieters anonymous. My body has suffered enough abuse over the years. It's eat healthy w/excercise all the way or it just wasn't meant to be.
Lol.. Ok, sorry, carrying on ( I just hate the word diet)

i want to try and get everyone involved...please post your most awesome moment.
heres mine:
That awesome moment when my ex husband checked me out and said, "how did you lose all that weight?" and i said "diet and excersise"

I'm going to try and answer some of your questions. I'm four weeks out. I too had a Portion Control problem and would OFTEN snack at night after everyone else went to bed. My husband is an awesome cook and having seconds was completely normal for me. So what is it like now? I look forward to mealtime! Especially dinner. I physically cannot eat like I used to. There's just no room. Your body will tell you if your eating too fast or too much. For me personally, my back starts to ache bad and gets increasingly worse until I throw up. Because of this, I've learned rather quickly to stop eating when my back STARTS to hurt. There's always tomorrow!!! I love spicy food too. Right now I'm in the puréed stage but I'm looking forward to regular food. On a side note, I've lost 26 pounds in 3.2 weeks and I'm feeling great!

I use the small white ramikens from surlatable, for measureing, I packed in Beans till about half full, used a mozzarella cheese stick, 2 tablespoons salsa, put in microwave, could eat 1/2, so save other half for lunch or dinner next day, without messing more dishes. I swear the hobbits took over my house, there is small dishes and spoons everywhere LOL

Huge difference! Yay you!!

I will be honest, and I am sure I will be slammed for this, but I honestly don't buy into the whole "Carbonation will stretch your sleeve" theory. Maybe in the old days, but now, when they do the sleeve, they remove the stretchy part of your stomach. I just don't believe carbonation is going to stretch my stomach. Sorry. I enjoy diet coke and I enjoy the occasional beer. My stomach has not showed any signs of stretching, nor has it had an adverse reaction on my weight loss.
Sent from my iPad using VST

I didn't do this so I could never eat again Most people aren't allowed Pasta until their stomach is healed so that shouldn't be a concern. Some people tollerate it better than others. My family goes to spaghetti night every Wednesday at my friends local restaurant. I have meat sauce with Pasta (I can only eat about 1/3 cup pasta with some sauce...total 1/2 cup food) and I love it. I never go over my carb limits and I also plan it so I meet my Protein goals.
And I have it with a nice glass of red wine
This should be life with the sleeve. Kale pasta? BLEH (sorry but umm BLEH)
If I have something like spaghetti carbonara at home I do make it with whole wheat pasta which I enjoy. Still not much, but I enjoy it on occasion and I'm losing weight just fine.

I miss my size 18/20 pants they were so so stylish and the stretchy waist was sexy ....
Um yeah..... I miss nothing!

I don't miss anything!! Best thing I have ever done. I didn't have to give up a thing.

Cocktail(s)

OK tomorrows the day, gotta be at the hospital at 5:45am. Getting ready to end my obsession with food.< /p>

That was not your last enjoyable meal. You will eat food again and you will be able to eat enchiladas. Just not a whole one. You will enjoy your food MORE later. Now you are eating because you are either happy, sad, mad, or whatever you are. Then you will be eating to LIVE! You will relish the taste of each morsel.
This is your Renaissance. Your rebirth. Think of all the things you WILL be able to do without focusing on food. Think of all the time you will gain every day and all the years you will gain by being healthier. Daydream!
Don't doubt yourself. You, like me, have obviously not been able to lose weight the way others can. There is no other option. This is the best decision you can make for you and your family. Don't give up!

Everyone gets nervous. I cried like a baby until they took me back! But now I'm 10 days out and feeling great!!! It will be wonderful you will see! Sending prayers your way!

It is my wish for all of you that your journey is a sweet as mine has been so far!
This is day 5 and I think things are going along really well.
Last night was bad night and about midnight I had bout of buyer's remorse. Seems the gas pains I was sure I was going to miss, decided to make their debut. Had a crying breakdown for about a half hour before my husband was able to sooth my soul with quiet singing, slow rocking and lots of prayer. He could teach florence Nightingale a few things I will tell you!! Never has there been a more attentive, loving, funny, supportive nurse and cheerleader.
He follows me every step when I walk figure 8s around the furniture in each room - whether it is noon, or 2 a.m. Crushes every pill. Gives me every shot of Lovinox in my tummy. Times out every med and Vitamin. Counts every ounce of liquid and every gram of Protein. This has been an amazing process so far and I swear, I wouldn't trade one minute of any of it. He has built spreadsheets for this process so he can monitor everything I do in 15 minute increments for each 24-hour period - no, I am not kidding. It is awesome. He also did one to keep track of the meds. He has them all set up in a notebook. It makes it so much easier to keep track of the things we were told to do.
I have always known what an extraordinary person he is, but the light from his heart shines its brightest when he is needed most. It is impossible that I have, or will ever do, anything that makes me worthy of such love and devotion. The gift of him is a perfect testimony to God's unending, unmerited gift of GRACE in my life. There are no words to describe my gratitude.
Yesterday, I managed to get in 48 oz liquid, 27.5 G Protein, two Flintstones chewable Vitamins, one blood pressure med, one lovinox shot, one Pepsid and a decent nap. Walked 9 times, did that breathing spirometer thing 10 times (10 breaths each) and even fit in a shower. Only took one dose of the liquid pain killer all day.
By the time today is over, I will have gotten in about the same amount of Fluid and almost 70g of protein with all the above all over again. Will continue with Clear liquids through Monday and add strained cream Soups on Tuesday. Still have gas pains and am as sore as should be expected with such a major surgery but things are progressing well and I couldn't be happier. Have no idea how much weight I have lost and really do not care one little bit. I am way, way over the power of the scale and it doesn't call my name at all.
This isn't about the weight.
This is about my life.
Finally.

Hi, I'm Terry. I'm 5 feet tall with a starting weight of 260. Starting pre-op diet on Monday - will be sleeved on Feb. 11th.

Yay!!! Best feeling ever. You obviously drank the shrinking potion and its not going to stop! Just don't eat the growing cookies!

I am officially in ONE-DERLAND!!
Can't believe it. 3 1/2 months since starting 2 week preop.
I always thought I would be the one this didn't work for.
It better not stop now

I'm Feb 11th too - start pre-op on Monday. Heard this was gonna be the hard part of the process...

Windham, NH here. Being sleeved 3/14 @ Lahey Clinic in Burlington

im good down 70 ( weigh in tomorrow). can't wait for 75!. need to hit the gym...really badly

Hi, I'm from Rhode Island too! I had my surgery with Dr. Giovanni, who works with Dr. Pohl, on December 11th. It has been so great! She is so nice and did a really good job. Have you had your surgery yet?
I am hoping to be able to go to the support group tomorrow night at Kent Hospital if anyone from RI would like to come too!
Caroline

I was APPROVED!! It only took 4 business days with Cigna... My surgery date is Feb 11th

Little Red 30 - how are you doing?

I just got approved today - took less than a week. But I expected that with a 51 BMI. This year has been super difficult for me and my family. My husband got hit by a drunk driver in May and I got laid off from a job I had for 20 years in November. Hoping this surgery is the first hopeful thing to happen of many for 2013! Then job hunting with a vengeance!