Oliver's Mom

I got my hair cut at gene Juarez today at the mall. First time spending that much on a haircut. I got the popular cut like Aaron Eerkhart (sp?) as president on "Olympus has fallen." It is for my WLS Center photoshoot tomorrow. Anyways, I am getting checked out left and right walking down the mall, even with my wife at my side. I don't know whether to enjoy this or not, but secretly liking it. Boosts my ego a little. Lol. Not used to it, but hey, not too bad. Don't know if it is all haircut or partly from all the strength training over last 2 months. Either way, it is all good...

We are all of us fat, super fat I might add. How did we get here? Because we became powerless over food and our addiction to it. I will say I followed my doctors orders.
But I am not surprised when I see someone come here looking for an "enabler". As an alcoholic will look for another drink or a drug addict will look for another fix even if it can mean the chance of death. A food addict will look for a way to get a meal.
Some do better than others. But I know all of us go into it wanting to do better. I will not judge I will listen, understand and try to guide.
If the person truly does not want what I have to offer, then at least I tried. I will then move on to the next person that does.
I know it can get frustrating, there are times when I just want to tell someone "ok you know best, go ahead and eat that pizza at one week out"
But really I have my own recovery to deal with and I can't help save someone who's not ready to save themselves.

Ok just a vent. I'm really bothered by endless posts of people going against doctor's orders and/or cheating the stages. Then they look for "support" in their decision. When you try to offer actual support and discourage the bad behavior/choice all of a sudden you become the "negative" one. VSG is a tool but not the miracle cure. We need to work with our tool to make it work for us. Ignoring surgeons and nutritionists orders will only lead to some sort of failure along the road. If we knew what was best we wouldn't have needed the surgery to begin with. Why undergo such a major surgery if you're not willing to undergo the life changes associated with it?

I think this is normal, and I doubt this is it for you, as long as you continue your program. You probably don't have much farther to go, so weight loss will slow down. I think your body can only lose so fast, and it needs time to adjust. Some people just lose slower than others, too. I'm about 4 1/2 months out, and I'm experiencing the same thing. I figure as long as we are following the rules of our plan, burning more than we are taking in, then we are doing all we can. I'm not very patient, but I just remind myself of that, and it gets me through the slow periods. I find I am losing about 2 pounds a week on average over the month, but it doesn't come off evenly. Others might suggest increasing Water, protien, lowering carbs, etc. but I personally don't believe it makes much of a difference as long as we follow the basic rules of Protein first, then vegetables, then starches. You know the drill. We are in this for the long haul! Hang in there

So, i thought this is a NSV that i should share with everyone.
Before surgery my insulin level was very high, it was 33.4 (normal insulin levels range from 4.8 and 27.8)
today, (almost six months post op)... my insulin level came out to be 7.8!!!!

I was so happy i cried... no meds needed and no more worrying about my health. I am as healthy as any normal person now.

Oh and my doctor wants to keep checking my insulin cause he is afraid that it might go below normal level (go figures) lmao.

Anyways, good luck everyone and thank you for reading my post.

You can do it Laura!
Take a deep breath. Keep calm and carry on. Winston Churchill said that I believe during WWII in the midst of insurmountable odds. You are a strong person.
Maybe you need "we are the champions" or the Rocky theme playing in your ears when you have those scary moments of regain. Seriously, there might be a thought, a visual or an audio that might help you in those burning times of desire to eat.
Regain is something I think a lot about because I too fell off my horse today (maybe it was from getting beat up on a different thread). I may look like my post op is all unicorns and rainbows ( did I just say that?), but controlling my eating when hunger strikes is really hard even though I am already eating Protein every 3 hours.
Your struggle with food is probably different from mine. Some people eat candy, some people eat bread. My habit is to eat 2-3 Protein Bars when 1 or none is better. It is scary when my body screams for another after one. My resolve is to eat max one a day. And if that does not work, get them the hell out of the house.
I already tried moving them to the garage, but that only lasted for a few days. 2 Protein Bars is about 400 calories and 40 carbs. Not the end of the world, but I hate the feeling of losing power over food no matter what it is. This issue got a lot stronger at month 7, especially when I started exercising quite a bit daily.
So what am I saying? We all struggle with hunger and those nagging desires post op. Wish they did not exist, but that is something we need to understand about ourselves and learn to cope with. I do not know the answers, but know they will be found as post op journey carries on.
Keep calm and carry on.

For most of us popcorn is a "slider" food...
That means you can eat a lot of it and not get full very fast.. So swelling in the stomach?? No.

So very very sad......and frightening. I don't think I could ever imagine why and how someone could do any act like this. My mind just doesn't work that way. An 8 year old boy, who just had run out to hug his dad who was running the marathon, than ran back to be with his mother & sister....he's now gone. How could that possible make sense?
My heart and prayers are with all of those affected by this crime. Those killed, hurt, the families of those folks, those who witnessed the devastation either by being there or seeing it on film, the first responders, those who ran toward the blast (even before knowing if there would be any others, and this was) the strangers helping strangers, the man, Carlos Arrendondo, who lost his Marine son in Irag in 2004,he was a spectator who rushed to the side of a young man who had lost both his legs tying tourniquets with a ripped tee shirt and wheeling him past the finish line to an ambulance - sending showers of Reiki healing, light and love.
I have to believe that we as good people of the world far outnumber those who do evil. I have to believe that. I have to.

So very very sad......and frightening. I don't think I could ever imagine why and how someone could do any act like this. My mind just doesn't work that way. An 8 year old boy, who just had run out to hug his dad who was running the marathon, than ran back to be with his mother & sister....he's now gone. How could that possible make sense?
My heart and prayers are with all of those affected by this crime. Those killed, hurt, the families of those folks, those who witnessed the devastation either by being there or seeing it on film, the first responders, those who ran toward the blast (even before knowing if there would be any others, and this was) the strangers helping strangers, the man, Carlos Arrendondo, who lost his Marine son in Irag in 2004,he was a spectator who rushed to the side of a young man who had lost both his legs tying tourniquets with a ripped tee shirt and wheeling him past the finish line to an ambulance - sending showers of Reiki healing, light and love.
I have to believe that we as good people of the world far outnumber those who do evil. I have to believe that. I have to.

183 pounds lost in 11 months. Yes you can. Just a matter of putting in the effort. Your mileage will vary depending on many factors...one of the biggest is dedication.

The heavier you start out, the quicker you lose. I started at 480. My insurance required a six month supervised weight loss program BEFORE surgery. I lost 110 pounds in the six months. My surgery was 7 weeks ago and I've lost 50 more pounds. I'm now at 320. I hope to be under 200 by the end of the year.

I have seen it done plenty of times. I know a fellow sleeve patient that has lost 265lbs, and I have seen many on here as well, so it is possible! But don't set yourself thinking you will lose it all in the first year. Yes, the first 6 months to year is the "honeymoon" phase where you lose the quickest, but it doesn't mean your sleeve expires after a year! It took me 18 months to reach goal, and the person above that I mentioned is almost 3 years post op and still losing slowly here and there. The important thing is to stick to the plan and make permanent changes to your lifestyle. It is very easy to get caught up in the "honeymoon" phase when you can eat almost anything and still lose. I am 2.5 years post-op, and I can tell you, it does not last. If you keep making bad choices, eating lots of slider foods and drinking calories, it can not only stall your weight loss, but you can start gaining. The sleeve is not a cure and it is not magic. It is an amazing tool that you need to work with to help you achieve your goals, but it is for a lifetime, not just the first year.
For me, I had around 80 lbs I wanted to lose. I lost the first 55lbs in the first 6 months, and it took me the next year to lose the next 25lbs. I made changes that I could live with for a lifetime and did not follow a specific diet. Maybe if I would have, I may have lost faster, but I knew it would have been something I could not maintain forever. I actually thought I was done losing about 5-10lbs from my original goal, and I was ok with that. Then, about 4 months later, I started losing again and actually dropped below my original goal. It is important to set a realistic goal for yourself. I see too many people get a specific number in their head that may not be the right number for them. Some achieve it, many don't. I set my goal just withing a normal BMI, but I never actually thought I would even reach it! As for stalls, I just learned to roll with it. If I wasn't gaining, I was happy! Stalls happen to everyone and it is a normal part of losing weight. The more stressed about it you get, the less the chance you will be able to break through it (not that I am perfect and have never freaked about anything, but I have and still am learning!)
Good luck on your journey!

Is it possible? Yes.
Keep in mind that initially weight loss is very rapid and pretty easy. As you get closer to a normal BMI it takes more effort. What would your BMI be if you lost 170lbs? My experience is that it's pretty easy to get to about 30-33 BMI. After that you have to be willing to really work at it, or be willing to accept much slower loss.
VSG is a tool, the more you properly use the tool, the more beneficial it is.
Plateaus(stalls) just happen, just as they happen, they end. The best way to deal with them is to continue doing what you know is best for you and wait them out. The good thing about plateaus is when they end you usually lose several lbs very quickly.

Oooohhhh, sweetie. It is all OK, such big changes taking place. Forgive yourself - it's all normal. I had a meltdown in Walmart shortly after I had my surgery - my husband was taking W A Y too long to just buy a darn mount for our new TV. It should not take 1 1/2 hours - and I lost it. I was tired, needed to have a shake and all emotional.
I am 4 1/2 months out now from surgery and it gets better - so much better. I am loving my life, my sleeve, exercising (never thought I would ever say that!!) I've settled into a new way of cooking and eating. I, by choice, don't eat Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread - so I just make a single serving of the carb item for him for dinner and he eats the Protein & veggies that I eat. Obviously he eats more of each but it's working.
Be kind to yourself, you have been through a lot and bravo to you!!! This will all be a humorous memory soon enough. Keep up the great work.

Oooohhhh, sweetie. It is all OK, such big changes taking place. Forgive yourself - it's all normal. I had a meltdown in Walmart shortly after I had my surgery - my husband was taking W A Y too long to just buy a darn mount for our new TV. It should not take 1 1/2 hours - and I lost it. I was tired, needed to have a shake and all emotional.
I am 4 1/2 months out now from surgery and it gets better - so much better. I am loving my life, my sleeve, exercising (never thought I would ever say that!!) I've settled into a new way of cooking and eating. I, by choice, don't eat Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread - so I just make a single serving of the carb item for him for dinner and he eats the Protein & veggies that I eat. Obviously he eats more of each but it's working.
Be kind to yourself, you have been through a lot and bravo to you!!! This will all be a humorous memory soon enough. Keep up the great work.

Oooohhhh, sweetie. It is all OK, such big changes taking place. Forgive yourself - it's all normal. I had a meltdown in Walmart shortly after I had my surgery - my husband was taking W A Y too long to just buy a darn mount for our new TV. It should not take 1 1/2 hours - and I lost it. I was tired, needed to have a shake and all emotional.
I am 4 1/2 months out now from surgery and it gets better - so much better. I am loving my life, my sleeve, exercising (never thought I would ever say that!!) I've settled into a new way of cooking and eating. I, by choice, don't eat Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread - so I just make a single serving of the carb item for him for dinner and he eats the Protein & veggies that I eat. Obviously he eats more of each but it's working.
Be kind to yourself, you have been through a lot and bravo to you!!! This will all be a humorous memory soon enough. Keep up the great work.

Oooohhhh, sweetie. It is all OK, such big changes taking place. Forgive yourself - it's all normal. I had a meltdown in Walmart shortly after I had my surgery - my husband was taking W A Y too long to just buy a darn mount for our new TV. It should not take 1 1/2 hours - and I lost it. I was tired, needed to have a shake and all emotional.
I am 4 1/2 months out now from surgery and it gets better - so much better. I am loving my life, my sleeve, exercising (never thought I would ever say that!!) I've settled into a new way of cooking and eating. I, by choice, don't eat Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread - so I just make a single serving of the carb item for him for dinner and he eats the Protein & veggies that I eat. Obviously he eats more of each but it's working.
Be kind to yourself, you have been through a lot and bravo to you!!! This will all be a humorous memory soon enough. Keep up the great work.

"Thanks for playing ball with us Mom. I can't ever remember you playing with us before." Those words were music to my ears after I decided to get out in the back yard with my two sons and husband for a game of wiffle ball. I hit the ball, ran the bases and caught my husband's fly ball. We all laughed and had a great time. Five months ago I would have been listening to that laughter from inside the house. By the way, the son that said those words is 13 years old! I am so glad I still have time to make some new and better memories with my kids. This surgery is the best decision for myself and my family that I have ever made. If you have not had it yet, you won't be sorry! It changes your life for the better.

Ditto.
The change in my relationship to food is almost all about quantity, not quality. I'm a little less than two years out and the only thing I don't consume now that I used to drown myself in is Diet Coke (I drank it 'just for the taste of it'). I have taken a few sips of my wife's Diet Coke over the months but I was told to abstain from carbonated beverages and I do my best to comply with my doctor's wishes.
My wife and I still go out for dinner together, all the time. We use the two-for-one coupons from the Entertainment book for buffets and, if we're ordering Entrees ala carte, we'll share a bowl of Soup or an appetizer and then one entree together. No one questions us or forces us to order more. Almost always, the restaurant manager or waitress will approach me and ask if anything is wrong with the meal when they see how little I've eaten and I'll either tell them that I had a big lunch or Breakfast (depending on which meal we're talking about). Sometimes, depending on the atmosphere and the people involved, I'll just tell them that I've had stomach surgery and can't eat as much as I used to but that the food is delicious (I don't go into details about what kind of stomach surgery I had or break out my before and after photos). They smile, thank me, and then walk away.
I am 8 pounds under goal going on almost a year now and I eat all the same kinds of foods I used to before the surgery, except in much smaller portions. Today I am totally satisified with just one 54g candy bar or two 15.5g "fun size" Milky Way nuggets. Both my doctor and nutritionist strongly encouraged me to practice moderation in all foods and for me this approach has worked beautifully. In order to maintain control over my snack foods, I literally budget them in advance into my planned schedule of calories for each day. I stick to the plan and strictly monitor how many calories are going in versus how many I am burning (I use myfitnesspal.com and the Biggest Loser body monitor armband for that).
Don't worry, you will still be able to eat socially and you won't be frustrated because you won't be walking away from the table hungry. If you're full after six bites, then you're full.

I've messed up plenty along my journey..only human comes to mind in these situations. I've had times where I am shaking my head at myself for the decisions I have made. The best thing to do is not beat yourself up about it. Except that you will make mistakes, but try to avoid the temptations. I always make sure to eat in three hour intervals, avoiding being hungry helps me stay away from temptations. Also making sure to have plenty of good food choices available. When I am shopping at the store I try to stay on the edges and avoid the middle. All of the produce, meats, cheeses and fresh product are always set up on the ends of the stores, and in the middle are all the things to avoid, such as Cookies, chips, and crackers. Always make sure to go shopping just after you finished eating...this helps you to buy better foods, and less as well. Try to reward meeting your food goals with non food rewards. Ie....if you make it your goal to not cheat on your eating plan for 3 days or maybe even a week treat yourself to something you enjoy that doesn't involve eating...movie, or getting a facial, or having a pedicure. It doesn't have to be huge, just something you enjoy. Then repeat. Also, allow yourself to "cheat" every once in a while. Never say that you CAN'T have anything, because this makes your mouth Water for them even more. If you have an obsessive thought about a food that can't be quenched, then have a little bit of it, then throw the rest away. Sorry this is so long, but you should know you're not alone...we all have times where we slip. You got this! Good luck!