Shrinkingmom

Become a mixologist.... I used unsweetened Koolaid, sugar free Torani syrup, cocoa, flavorings, sugar free jello powder, and instant coffee to make a lot of different flavors out of the vanilla or the chocolate. I cried the first day because I thought there was no way I was going to be able to do it. When I pulled out the sugar free jello and put it in there, it tasted like an orange dreamsicle and I loved it. You have to experiment with different flavors and you will find some fantastic ones. My surgeon would only let us use the bariatric advantage powder so I had to make do. Of course I can't even stand to smell one of those now though! LOL!

My surgeon goes by the job you do. I don't do any heavy lifting so he said I could return after 1 week but I took 2 and I'm glad. I was good after 1 but still tired and trying to learn how to eat and get a schedule going. It is like trying to learn to eat all over again. Most people I know have taken between 1 and 4 weeks.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BEST OF YOUR LIFE!!! I know everything will go great! You are in my thoughts and prayers!!

It's the small things isn't it??? What's funny is that noone else would understand but this group of people! CONGRATULATIONS ON NOT GETTING THOSE SHOES!!! LOL!

Part of the problem is probably the swelling in your new little stomach. Think about how a cut swells on your skin and mucous membranes swell more. This makes it difficult to swallow for some people. Continue to do everything you're doing and if you are very uncomfortable or worried, give your Doctor's office a call. Most likely it will get better in a few days but again, always ask your doctor if you are worried. Good luck with your journey because believe me, it gets a LOT better with time!

Happy Birthday! I know the feeling but have your cry, pull up your big girl panties, and realize this is a journey and we are not always going to be right on our desired time! You will get there!!! I like Susie in Lima's advice... realize this is the last birthday over 200! That made my day!! LOL! Don't waste time being sad because if you are like me you have wasted enough of your life not being able to live!! Be happy and enjoy the journey!

That's awesome!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

I do cardio- walking, jogging, and elyptical 2-3 times a week and strength training 2-3 times a week.

I have answered questions about that dreaded 2-3 week stall for new post ops but now I am 9 months out and have not moved an ounce in 4 weeks. I know this is a stall and I know I have not lost all my weight, and I know that I am not eating enough to maintain this weight but of course my head wants to know HOW LONG??? For those of you past this point who have dealt with stalls like this, how long did yours last? These head games are the roughest part!!!

Wow! Hathery this is awesome!!! You went from sounding pretty down and hopeless with no support yesterday to having a date scheduled today!!!! You are amazing!! It goes to show that when we women REAAAAAAALLLLLYY want something, there is no stopping us!!! I am really proud for you and I truly believe that your husband will wonder why it took him so long after you both see your health improve and your overall outlook on life just soar!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

I have no idea what the actual statistics are but a friend of mine works for a bariatric surgeon and he says it is startling at how many of the patients come in after surgery and tell them they are getting a divorce or that they have broken up with their partner after years of being together. I do think a strong relationship will withstand it but it is not to be dismissed because it does happen more than people realize. This is why my surgeon and NUT ask me about my relationship with my husband and his reaction before and after surgery. This surgery changes you and how you feel about yourself which can be dangerous to a lot of people who had no self-esteem before or who did not love themselves. I am no expert and this is just my opinion. I am thankful that my husband loved me before and he loves me now and he has been behind me all the way. It did take some education to get rid of the fear though!

I felt like your husband for years! My brother had bypass 10 years ago because he was going to die if he didn't. I fooled myself and kept saying that I could do it the "right way" and did..... over and over and over. I dieted myself right up to 321 pounds! A friend ask me to go to the "seminar" that my surgeon gives every month and I took my husband with me. He finally made me understand that willpower had nothing to do with it and there were a lot of different factors, including genetics. He said we would diet ourselves right up to 500 pounds if we continued doing what we were doing. (which was lose 100, gain 110, lose 50, gain 70, lose 25, gain 45.) It finally clicked with me and my husband. When we left there, he was truly excited and we both knew that this was not "the easy way out" but a new life for me! It was a Godsend!! It definately is not easy but with this tool, I feel like I finally have control over food instead of the other way around!! It gives me the ability to stop eating, even though sometimes I don't want to, I have to. It also has taken away the hunger. I still deal with the boredom, head hunger but even that is doable because I can't binge like I use to. There are soooooooo many pluses and I wish I had done this years ago! It has changed my life and my husband is so pleased and proud of how I feel and act. I have so much energy and now he tells me how worried he was before with my health. I am off all medications now, no B/P problems, no depression, no borderline diabetes!!!! There are lots of pluses. I would encourage you to find a seminar and involve your husband so he can be educated on this subject. This is not another diet and you can't treat it like one. I wish you the best of luck!!

I'm so glad you let us know what was going on! I have had you on my mind a lot. Pleurisy is causing the pain under your ribs. This is where the lining around your lung is irritated and rubbing together. It will improve as you get over the pneumonia most likely. I'm so glad you are on the mend!!!

Hi All! I am from Northeast Alabama and had my surgery in July of 2012 in Rome, Ga. I'm doing great and loving life! I've only lived in Alabama 5 years but I love it there too! Roll Tide!!!

Congratulations!!! I will be shouting it out too when I hit it!! Keep up the good work!!

I agree with Sleeve of Steel! As an RN this is something you definately want to get checked right away. You could be retaining fluid in your abdomen as well and that is why your waist size is increasing. 8 pounds in 2 weeks is definately a red flag. Keep us posted!

Premier Protein Shakes from Sams or Costco. Even my husband loves these. The chocolate is my favorite and if you add PB2 (peanut butter powder) to it, it is even better for variety. They have 30 G of protein and are in a container you can throw in your purse. They now have screw on lids so you can drink a little at a time. I think you can get them at Walmart too but they are a little more expensive there. Good luck!

My hysterectomy was MUCH worse. After my sleeve, I took pain med one time that night and never took anything else. I didn't need it. Yes, everyone is different and I know from reading on here that some people do need pain meds but for me, there was no comparison. You will do great!

My surgeon says absolutely NO NSAIDS and that is because you only have a very small surface of stomach left. If you do, by chance, get an ulcer, (and as a nurse I know that NSAIDS are a huge contributer to ulcers) there is no good tissue to work with if that ulcer progresses. It is a very dangerous and life threatening issue if it happens. It may not happen but why take the chance? My brother had Gastric Bypass 10 years ago, continued to take NSAIDS on occasion and has had 2 episodes of bleeding ulcer in the last 3 years. His surgeon, who is different than mine, is very concerned and has told him that one day it may start bleeding and can't be stopped, then his pouch will have to be removed. There are other options that you can explore. They don't usually cause a problem right away, it is down the road and when it shows up, it's trouble!

Houston17, I couldnt stand the sweetness either so I used plain koolaid powder, instant decaf coffee, or plain cocoa powder in them to cut that and it works great! sugar free Jello powder also works but is a little sweeter.

I still love to cook and have people over! I sit down and eat with them, just not as much as before. This also stops all the tasting while you cook because if you do you are full and cant eat. You adapt

Listen to your Nut. This is not a stall... it is a natural thing that happens because all of a sudden our bodies think they are starving so they go in to panic mode and hold on to everything. y dont increase your calories at this point because that will set you up for this to happen again when you go back down. A true stall happens after a few months. so try remember to be patient and stick with your program. This usually only lasts about two weeks and remember you have rest of your life. Make sure you measure so you have something besides the scale to look at.

I think the question is which are you more afraid of... losing your old friend (enemy since its killing you) food or having the quality of life, diseases, and early death you just wrote about? I am certainly not being flip about this, I am very serious! Sometimes the known, even when bad , is less scary than the unknown. I th ink most of us have fear but looking back I am so thankful I made this decision! It has definately changed my life and it was so worth it! You are the only one who can make this decision and whatever you choose I wish you the best!! Keep us posted!!

Perfect explanation!

GOOD FOR YOU! Not once did you say cant or dont understand or wish! You are owning it and that's the key. We cant expect to never fall down but the true test is how we pick ourselves back up and continue the journey... is it with whining and excuses or with ownership and action? This is a marathon not a sprint!