Momonanomo

I find that it depends on what I eat. I could eat a ton of junk it seems (and junk food always makes me want MORE junk food). But if I eat Protein and good fats, I get full on a smaller quantity and don't get hungry as quickly. I don't have measurements for you, but I could eat half a dozen chips ahoy Cookies in a couple of minutes with no restriction. However, if I eat 3 ounces of steak I'm full. Funny -- I don't feel like crap after the steak, but the cookies make me feel pretty lethargic. So I try to stick to good amounts of good food, and only eat the crap every once in a while. Bottom line: good quality food gives me restriction, bad quality food, not so much.

I agree people may notice and not say anything. Thats what I had always assumed anyways. I got a lot of "did you get your haircut? It looks nice" when I had not gotten my hair cut...lol. But I swear, once I had lost like 80 lbs, many people were saying things, but still not as many as now. My surgery was May of 2013, and I lost I think around 80 or 90 lbs that first year, then I kinda stalled out, then since this summer I've lost more to a total of 135 lbs lost. Now people I see every single day talk about it. Seems funny to me that it has been the last 30 lbs that have made evryone take notice, more so than the first 100! Also an intersting thing is that now that I am feeling like this new body is 'me' and the novelty has worn off for me, and I feel secure about having this body for the long term, when people draw attention to my weight loss it makes me feel a bit weird. I look forward to the day when everyone just sees me for how I am and not for the changes I have made. Dont get me wrong, compliments are nice, and these people are being kind, and I have an appreciation for that. I just want my identity to be that of the fit and healthy person I am, not that of the girl who lost a ton of weight. I have made huge lifestyle changes and have cut ties to that past! Onward!

Comgrats to you, proudgrammy! And, thank you for your positive influence on these boards. You've always been a powerful, positive force, and I have appreciated you so much! Such an inspiration and such a sweetheart. You always have something nice to say, and I know you helped with my attitude ....so Im sure you have helped many others as well. Attitude is everything! You deserve the best, because you are awesome! I wish you continued success!

@@Elode is right on with what she wrote. I want to add that you need to be persistant; it is VERY important that you not get dehydrated right now. This is an especially risky time for dehydration. Just keep on sipping like it is your job. It will indeed get better!

My endocrinologist, who was actually the one to bring up WLS with me in the first place, said I will always be on thyroid medicine. Seems once you take it for awhile you HAVE to. Anyways, that being said, as my weight has gone down he has lowered my dose. It would have been nice to completely be free of medicine, but apparently it doesnt work like that with the thyroid

i remember fantasizing about cottage cheese when I was restricted to liquids only post op :| cottage cheese! Hang in there; this is all an interesting learning process. You will indeed eat solid food again. It took me a very long time to feel like I can eat "normally"...but it is a NEW normal. Which is exactly what I signed up for! Keep rockin it, and keep your sense of humor Onward!

It gets better with time. I had to embrace it as some seriois behavior modification! That too full feeling sucks big time, but it is what we signed up for and helps us learn to eat differently than we have been. Eat slowly, take small servings, tune into your cues. I found over time I got used to the new way of eating, and my anxiety of getting that feeling lessened when I learned how to avoid it, and now I feel in control. I just can't eat (or drink!) like I used to. <shrug > and ultimately, that's a very good thing!

I didn't have hair loss either, but when I chose surgery I resigned myself to the possibility. I think it is partly heredity but also making sure you take your vitamins, and eat quality protein, veggies, & plenty of good fats like avocado and cocnut and olive oil.

Yes, it happened to me -- funny, for me it was exactly 8 lbs too! And yes, the answer is to get back to basics And, since getting back to basics I have lost that 8 plus another 10, and now I know for sure it's in my power to get to goal. Good for you for saying +10lbs is NOT ok. You have the power to do this too!

lauren it sure doesn't sound like your friend is really being a friend. Please try to surround yourself with positive people. This website can offer you a TON of support, guidance, info, encouragement, and I recommend you find support here from folks like us who DO understand. In the real world, you'll have to just filter out those who don't understand and/or aren't sympathetic. I would have a serious talk with myself about what makes a friend a friend, and do I have room for negative people in my life? This 'friend' you refer to is just noise. Please dismiss him or her. You have embarked on a project that will change your life. Just keep your eye on the prize! YOU have the power to eat well and exercise. YOU have the power to make your life what you want it to be. Screw the critics and naysayers! Onward!!!!

sorry - me again! One more great article: http://www.examiner.com/article/experts-low-carb-ketogenic-and-paleo-diets-prevent-alzheimer-s-starve-cancer

Not only can you do it post surgery, I actually highly recommend it! The caveat is that you do need to really focus on Protein immediately post surgery because your body needs it to heal. If you research low carb / high fat diets, you will find the Ketogenic diet, which has been around for a long time used in medical treatments-- not specifically for weight loss. There's a lot of current research suggesting that not only can it help with weight loss/ maintenance, it also is promising as a cancer treatment, Alzheimer's deterrent, and to manage symptoms of ALS and MS . It was originally created to treat children with epilepsy who weren't responding to medications. So, it's a medically sound diet. I know, sounds too good to be true, right? I'm not making this up! Low carb/ moderate protein/ high fat is actually how you go into ketosis. I lost 106 lbs in the first 8 months or so after surgery, then I stalled until a month ago when I started tracking my net carbs. I have lost 10 lbs in the last month. I'm in the gym 6 days a week, strength training, and running. Because I know what you mean when you say you want to be healthy and strong! I am excited to say that I am truly becoming healthy and strong!!! We grew up being told that fat is the enemy and the food pyramid we were given said we should have 6 servings of grains a day.....and now we are beginning to see this is wrong, and carbs should be limited! Of course we are going to think "ewww!" when we hear "high fat" but this is referring to the good fats -- the nuts, the avocado, the olive oil. I started doing it to get myself to goal, but the more I research it the more I see the additional health benefits. Here's some suggested reading: http://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/ http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ and, my favorite: http://www.ruled.me/guide-keto-diet/ This plan is really working for me. Please discuss it all with your nutritionist (aka your NUT) and figure out what your best approach will be.

I lost 10 lbs during my 2 week pre-op / liver shrinking diet. And yes, everyone is different!

Just....feeling a bit blue in regards to my progress, and the stall I've been in. So I created a "before and after" and yes, it does make me feel better to see a side by side comparison! I've been stalled for a while. I've lost 110 lbs since May 2013 and want to lose roughly 25-30 lbs more. But AT LEAST I want to lose another 15 so I can be at a"healthy" weight. I feel so very much better now than I did before surgery! Went from size 24+ to size 10-12. Onward!

Sure sounds like your gall bladder is acting up. If it were me, I would definitely see a doctor before leaving the country. If it IS your gall bladder, they may be able to tell you how urgent of a situation it is. You don't want to get into an emergency surgery type situation while out of the country. And, if you do need to have it out, it's a fairly routine surgery. You just don't want to get into an emergency situation -- be proactive about it. All that being said -- congrats on your awesome success! Great job! Good luck, and let us know what you find out.

I can say that my experience was this -- and I am not a band to sleeve revision --- I never had acid reflux when I was obese, but after being sleeved I got it pretty bad for a while. It has leveled off now and it doesn't happen every day. I took prescription for it for a while but now I can manage it by taking an over the counter medicine as needed. However, it is widely reported that acid reflux can be a side effect of the sleeve. The results are really all over the map from what I've read here on the boards. Some have no problems whatsoever, some experience it less than they did pre surgery, some worse than pre surgery, some get it who never had it before (like me). It varies SO much from person to person. If I was in your situation, before just rolling the dice and taking the chance (because the sleeve is not reversible like the band is) I would really have a long conversation with the surgeon about whether the sleeve is the right choice for you. You need to have the opinion of your surgeon. good luck!

Outstanding! Your hard work is obviously paying off!

Woo HOO!! Today marks one year since surgery!! Wowser! I am down 106 lbs since the beginning of the 2 week pre-op diet, and 96 lbs since surgery itself. I am 100000% glad that I did it. No regrets whatsoever! I still would like to at least lose another 15 lbs to put me at a “healthy weight” for my height. I’d really looove to reach an ultimate goal weight of minus another 34 lbs…..but I dunno if I can, or if I could, would I be too thin. I have been stalled for a couple of months now, but I will admit I have not done anything yet to shake things up and stop the stall. I think there was this combination of factors – late December, I got a depo shot (to cover me between taking an old iud out and putting a new one in), and I really think that triggered some serious appetite increase with the hormones. But I will NOT blame it all on external forces; I take responsibility for my actions. At that point I was a good 7 or 8 months out from surgery, so my stomach had become completely healed. Being completely healed meant I was reaching for a wider variety of food. I’m not saying I was pigging out, just that I had begun more going to the crackers & bread whereas prior to that, I did not. And is is SO true that those types of carbs just increase the desire for more. Protein First is the only way to really work this sleeve tool. THEN, Life happened – as it has its way of doing. Not going to go into details, but it involved a family member, and it involved cancer. There such a short time between diagnosis and amputation, during which I ate whatever the hell I wanted. Granted, it was a noticeably different kind of pigging out than what I used to do back in the day. It wasn’t even really bingeing, but I certainly wasn’t even trying to eat mindfully. I did notice that not only did eating poorly not make me feel better, I physically felt like crap because of the sugar & carbs. You live you learn, you pay the price. So I gained 8 lbs. Surgery 6 days ago went well, and my loved one is doing well, and we think this will be it and the cancer is gone. This past weekend I woke up to what I had been doing with my eating, and I’ve been doing Boot Camp diet (Protein First, veggie juicing, protein shakes, no bread/rice/pasta/ carbs, lots n lots of water), and I am happy to report 4 lbs are gone already. And I am ready to make a run for those last 15 lbs…or more, if can. I’ve wondered what I would tell pre-surgery me if I had the chance to talk to her. Obviously I’d say – "do it!! It will be worth it!!" I’d also say "Good for you for doing this, it is scary, but you are brave. And it is what you want and need." …... I’ve never shared this with anyone: I have a very clear memory of the morning of surgery thinking “stomach, I hate you, you have caused me so much sorrow, and now I am going to have you mostly surgically removed. Thanks for nothing.” I liken it to the cancer that my loved one recently had amputated. The feeling was “get rid of it!” But my stomach surgery was voluntary, it was not emergency. I’m sad to say my feelings toward my stomach the morning of surgery, the stomach which I felt had betrayed me all my life by constantly torturing me with insatiable hunger, those were feelings of hate. Not the most positive thing in the world, eh? But it’s what I felt. I got over that, although I am still glad that the majority of that buggah is gone. I love my new tiny tummy. It suits me just fine. I just think it's kind of sad that I had to hate a part of my own body so much that I was willing to surgically remove the majority of it. I just need to remember to use this tool I have given myself, and to practice gratefulness, and to remember where I came from a year ago. So! Today being my 1 year surgiversary, is a little bittersweet. I am SO incredibly happy to have lost 100+ lbs. I am a bit sad that I went backwards recently. But I’ve just got to dust myself off and go forward again! And, because I am SUCH a Look-On-The-Bright-Side kind of gal, my contemplations have led me to believe that in a way, this little stall has actually been a good thing. I say this because I lost 100+ lbs with never really a stall. I had the week 3 thing we like to call a stall, but it was like for a single day – when you’ve lost so much every day after surgery and then you go a day or two without losing, you can get melodramatic. But my week after week trend has ALWAYS been down. I think I’ve been lucky. So my time finally came for a stall. Also, having lost so much in less than a year, I was getting a lot of unwanted attention. I’ve kept my surgery to myself outside of a couple of close family members and my boss & 1 office mate. Other people at work started going all ga-ga on me when I finally started buying new clothes and they realized how much smaller I’ve gotten. I have been quite uncomfortable with all the attention. So I think slowing down a bit for a while will allow these people time to get over the novelty and get me out of the hot seat as far as answering questions. Similarly, I think having this stall is a good way for my mind to (maybe? Hopefully?) catch up with my new body. Being body dysmorphic from losing a lot of weight quickly is very real, and a very weird thing to go through. I don’t even know how to describe it, except for that the general feeling is that I am still big. The specific feelings are like looking in a funhouse mirror or something at times. Or not being able to believe that I weighed 100 lbs more at one time. Pick up 100 lb weight. It’s heavy! Carrying that around 24/7 was hard. I am glad the weight is gone! So anyways, I am thinking that perhaps I need to be at this weight for a while to re-learn how I feel about my body. It’s been a few months, and I think the consensus between me, myself, and I is that I would like to lose at least another 15 lbs. So that is exactly what I’m going to do! Onward!

Here's a link to the Vanity Fair article http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2014/01/nuvaring-lethal-contraceptive-trial

I use mirena (iud); they last for 5 years. Around last December was the 5 year mark for my old one to come out, then you're supposed to wait like a month or so before putting a new one in (or at least that's what my dr wanted to do). So, in the meantime, i took one depo shot. Could have just been coincidence, or poor timing -- because that was when I hit the 7 month post - sleeve mark---- but my appetite increased tremendously. I've been stalled for a couple of months now. I'm sure it was a combination of factors that my appetite just happened to increase at that time, but I do believe, for me, the depo is somewhat to blame. It's apparently known to do that. My endocrinologist, when he heard my plans to have a depo shot, begged me to find an alternative, but I had my mind made up. Kinda wish I'd listened to him now. . . yeah he actually said "I beg you to consider something else" About the nuvaring --- there was an article in Vanity fair several months ago about a college girl who died from a blood clot associated with nuvaring, so that's why I didn't go that route. I'll see if I can find a link to the article. But to answer your question -- my preferred method is neither depo or nuvaring, it's mirena iud---very VERY low hormone. I now have my new one and am just waiting for the depo to get out of my system.....

I do find that I get hungry now adays, but the difference with having the sleeve (im almost a year out) is that if I eat my protein first, I get full after just a couple of ounces and stay full longer. I have to stay away from breads, rice, pasta, chips & sweets, because those things dont make me feel full & only make me want more. So IMO you sound like a good candidate for the sleeve, because the paleo (and paleo-esque) eating is the BEST way to allow the sleeve to work the way it is supposed to. The rule is: protein first. Good luck to you!

Gorgeous!

I add Protein powder to my juices -- have been doing it since I'd say about week 4 (I'd need to go back in my blog to see exactly when but week 4 sounds about right). I felt so much more balanced after I started juicing. My tiny tummy only seemed to have room for protein at meals, and I was missing my veggies. ANYways. I have tried adding unflavored, but then I found myself wanting to add splenda as well. So mostly now I like to use the Syntrax nectar protein powders (fussy navel and strawberry kiwi are my faves). Then I don't find myself wanting added sweetness. If you are already juicing and don't need the extra flavoring then by all means add unflavored -- the protein is great for you! Love to do kale with peaches, half a small avocado, a couple of almonds and half a serving of fuzzy navel Syntrax Nectar. My other staple is spinach with blueberries & raspberries, half a small avocado, a couple of almonds and half a serving of kiwi strawberry syntrax nectar. (If you're early out though make sure your NUT/ surgeon has cleared you to have seeds if you do the berries cuz sometimes they leave little seeds in the juice.)

I weaned myself slowly off coffee several weeks before surgery so that I wouldnt have caffein withdrawal headaches while recovering from surgery. Dr. Said I had to give it up for recovery because it irritates the lining of the stomach, and when your stomach has just been cut....well lets just say further irritating it is not the best idea 6 weeks after surgery I started drinking it again and had no problems. Every morning I have a cup of coffee with a vanilla premier shake (i like cold coffee). Then every afternoon I have a Chike coffee Protein shake. Those are SO frikkin good!

My favorite:http://beforeandafterfatlosspics.tumblr.com People add to it every day! Not all through WLS but some are. Regardless, it is so fun to see before and afters!