BKLYNgal87

Hahaha This made me laugh out loud at my desk. Newsflash to your friend - WLS is *supposed* to make you healthier looking, not sicklier, so clearly you're doing something right!

Tuna was my go-to when I was on mushy solids. Shrimp, especially grilled, is kinda tough and sinewy. Best to save it for later on. But tuna and ranch dressing sounds good. Hmm... now I'm hungry. Gee thanks, PDX

Congratulations!! My doc says I can take a new sleep test after losing about 15-20 more lbs. I may be running the victory lap like you then!

Do you have physical limitations that prevent you from exercise? If not, why aren't you exercising? Have you tried curtailing the calories back from almost 1100? I am almost 7 months out and I eat usually less than that. IMO, Weight Watchers is at best, a terrible diet for obese people, and at worst, a diet designed specifically to keep people "on the plan" and not to lose the weight they need to. Why? They are a for-profit company - that's why! I personally would only reserve it for maintenance but wouldn't follow the daily carb allowance. It allows you too many carbs, truly. The effective tool for rapid weight loss is ketosis, and you'll never achieve that on WW. Expect a loss in the wallet, but not much on the scale. If it worked so well for all of us then why did we end up getting surgery? If I were you I wouldn't give up on your nutritionist's plan yet. Go back to your surgery center and explain your issues.

Incision sites are on your skin, so not sure how popcorn kernels could get stuck in them unless you rubbed them in or something? I think you mean the stomach seam. I would wait on the popcorn at least a month or so post-op. Once you're healed up and able to eat things like nuts, which are also harder to digest, you should be able to handle popcorn. For me popcorn is a slider food. I could eat a whole lot of it without realizing it. Snacking is a slippery slope post-op. Gotta be careful and mindful of it so you can continue the weight loss and don't sabotage yourself in maintenance. Edit: I don't know who told you popcorn is the leading cause of appendicitis, but you can be sure they are not a knowledgeable medical professional as that's totally untrue. Very unlikely and uncommon that an errant kernel would cause a blockage. Most of the time it's an infection or a stool issue.

You're thinking of ketosis, which is kind of what a WLS patient should strive for, because ketosis causes rapid weight loss. Are you diabetic? Acidosis generally means you may have an increased acidity in your blood. It could indicate a metabolic issue, as Indigo said, or it could just be a lab error. Gotta get that re-tested and if/when confirmed you'll probably sent for more specific testing. Hopefully it's nothing or something that can be cleared up easily. Keep us posted!

http://www.5daypouchtest.com

I have caffeine every day. IMO there is no legitimate medical reason to stop drinking caffeine so long as you don't overdo it. Good for you for only having a bite of the sweets. I can't do that. One bite is never just a bite for me. Better for me to steer clear entirely, which should be easier now that the holidays are over. My splurge is definitely nuts as well, or fancy cheese.

I didn't lose anything for nearly 3 weeks over the holidays. I'd say mostly that was my fault. I had relatives staying with me and we went out to eat a lot and I didn't go to the gym like I should. There was also too much temptation around my office snack-wise. Even if you were following the diet to a T, stalls are totally normal. The body needs to just rest sometimes. Changing up the menu and exercise routine will help you push past it. I am a fan of the 5 day pouch test, that seems to temporarily eliminate my snacking cravings and increase restriction. Don't be dismayed - everyone goes through this at some point. Keep pushing forward and you'll see the scale move again!

Yes my experience is it does get easier. When you can't fit it in the right place it causes discomfort and can fall out. I didn't like using them much but now that I'm 82 lbs lighter they are my first choice. I also realized during my last period that I don't need to buy the long pads anymore! Woo hoo!

Yeah I am a bonafide sugar addict. The sleeve did not change that one bit. I cannot do moderation, especially because nowadays I am trying hard to cope with a lot of stress in my life. Truth: I have been eating things the last 2 weeks I shouldn't have eaten. Only lost like 1.5 lbs in the last 2 weeks because of it. I notice I only do this at work, where much of my stress and anguish originates. When I'm in the grocery store, I don't buy sweets and when I'm home I don't snack. My problem is my office and the availability of candy and sweets. Since I can't up and quit my job I have to do all I can to resist the temptation of momentary sweet salvation. So I am doing my best to abstain completely. Because once I have one bite, it never ends up being just one bite. Not everyone needs to do that, but for me for now, it's the best choice. We all indulge sometimes, no one is perfect, but we have to get back on the horse, so to speak, take responsibility, and move forward. Make tomorrow better.

Wow!! You look GREAT! Keep up the excellent work, and you will get to goal. But in the meantime, you look really fabulous.

My friend, I am going through the exact same thing [boredom/complacency], except I have not been so good about the food choices for the last week or so. I gained a lb and a half that I managed to take off again, but this time of year it is very hard to walk away from the table. It's a struggle each day. I'm not giving up though. I'm 35 lbs to goal and I've gotta accept it's gonna take a while to pass is home stretch .

Beware of dubious statistics and the studies that produce them. Hint: most statistics that come out of the "social science" category are suspect. The utter trash I see in published in psychology and social science journals is pervasive. Only good for lining bird cages. Edit: I wholly support couples seeking therapy when they need it, for whatever reason they need it. But bariatric surgery is not different from any other big life change that can contribute to divorce.

As of today I am a vet so I will comment: AMAZING!!! Just freakin' amazing. You're the best Laura. What an achievement!

A surgeon? Dr. Arif Ahmad at Mather Hospital is one of the best. I originally consulted with him for my VSG. Only reason I switched is because I live in the city and trekking back to the island for follow ups wasn't going to be feasible.

I agree! This site is bad for concentrating, especially at work I had more trouble concentrating before the surgery because I had sleep apnea. This has improved tremendously after losing nearly 80 lbs. But I still find myself fighting to get work done during the day sometimes. The internet offers so many other distractions! To cope I've started developing little systems to keep me on track. Before I leave work for the night, I write out a list of the most critical things I need to do the next morning. I keep a schedule of my day at work broken up by theme - I am a coordinator, I do a zillion different things at work (emergencies come up often that derail the schedule, but at least most of the time I can stay on track). Lists definitely seem to help me. Almost daily exercise helps me clear my head as well. As for the reading predicament, are you reading John LeCarre or James Joyce (lol jk)? When's the next time you're due for labs? It's a possibility that nutrient deficiency could be a factor. But if they come back normal then there are some things you can do to re-focus. I used to do daily meditation in college. It was a tremendous help if you make it a habit.

You look just amazing. Like a whole new person! Congrats on your success! What an inspiration

I love it! Can't wait until mine totally disappears

The amount of money governments waste on silly research would boggle the mind.

I was back to drinking coffee at 1 week post op. Had no issues. I use skim milk and usually no sweetener whatsoever.

For me it depends entirely on what I am eating. With dense protein my signal is usually a gurgling noise or I just get the overwhelming feeling that if I take one more bite I will hurl (never have thrown up though). Anything other than dense protein, I generally don't feel any fullness at all. So I time my meals for 20 minutes and no more, and measure out everything so I know I'm not eating too much.

I'm guessing if this is a concern of yours that you must have no background in medicine in general or oncology in particular. I'm not trying to be rude, but it sounds like you aren't getting your information from informative or reliable sources, and this misinformation is making you a nervous wreck. JerseyGirl has given you some great advice as she always does. No need to repeat. But I'll address the bolded concern of yours to the best of my ability. Cancer is extremely complicated. Cancer is not one "disease". It is hundreds of thousands of them, millions of them in fact. Millions upon millions of errors. It does not have one sole cause ever. Truthfully there are no longitudinal studies of cancer prevalence in post-VSG patients because the procedure hasn't been around long enough. But gastric bypass has been around quite a while, and several studies have been done that seem to assert cancer risk (certain cancers) is reduced in those who undergo bariatric surgery. Why? Because being obese is already a serious risk factor for various cancers, particular in women. On the flip side, there was a study in Sweden that concluded gastric bypass patients were at a slightly increased risk of colorectal cancer, but the mechanisms are far from clear - was nutrient malabsorption over a long period of time involved? Or changes in the cellular composition of the organ tissue? The problem is - no single answer is ever the answer with cancer. You can have risk factors but that doesn't mean you'll get cancer, or a particular cancer. The best thing people can do is try to live a healthy, balanced life. Eat right, exercise, leave the rest up to fate. Seems your obesity is contributing to several ailments already. No doubt your health is impacting your well-being. Get as much valid information as you can to assess the risks of surgery vs. the benefits. It is no minor change - it is lifelong. And to be successful in maintaining weight loss long term, you have to be vigilant in your diet. But you have to look to the future and imagine what your life will be like if you stay the same. That's what I did, and it didn't look pretty. So I made the decision to have the surgery and haven't for a second looked back.

I have banned myself from Starbucks for my own good. I am partial to skinny lattes with sugar free syrup or Pike's roast with lowfat milk, which are good options. The problem with Starbucks is all the fat and sugar-laden goodies they peddle. I find it very hard to resist if I walk in there. So I don't walk in there. But if you think you can exercise more self control, why not?

I don't think Lyndsey's goal in posting her sister's story was to scare anyone out of going under the knife, per se, but it's a warning and a reminder that there are inherent risks in surgical procedures (btw this is nowhere close to exclusive to bariatric surgery). Those risks are compounded by many factors - some related to the quality of care received, some related to underlying conditions in the patient, some are less defined. Mortality isn't common at all, that's true, but when one says something like "this story is sad but it's so rare, it's so unusual" part of me feels that it's trivializing the experiences of the families who did lose loved ones. It wasn't "rare" enough for them to not experience it. All of us took (or are considering taking) a risk. There are a lot of unknowns out there too, even for those who heal well and don't experience complications. Think about this: there are no longitudinal studies on VSG patients - the procedure hasn't been around long enough. It may be the right choice for a lot of people to make here and now who can't lose the weight any other way, but that doesn't mean anyone should brush off the risks, the stats, or the unknowns. Every patient should be well informed, but we should all also listen to that little voice in the back of our heads. If something doesn't seem right or you don't feel ready, don't go through with it. This is one of the hardest decisions many of us will ever make. No one should do themselves the disservice of deciding without seriously considering all possibilities.