Heather Meyer

Hey All.. Well, I am still 5 months away from surgery ,but I am still doing my research and trying to learn everything I can. One thing on my mind though is? What is it like afterward? For me, I grew up my entire life since I was 5 years old, running around without a jacket on or sweatshirt. Ever since I was a kid, my body temperature has been out of whack. My temperature remains a degree higher then the average normal temperature in a body. I would literally sweat on my face, down my back, down my pants, everywhere...and even when I was younger I was skinny and I still sweat abnormally... Fast Forward: I am 26(or am I 27??) and I live in flip flops 365 days of the year. I NEVER wear shoes or socks. Why? Because for me, its crucial to wear flip flops, to maintain my body temperature at a balance. If i wear shoes or socks, I already start sweating and as it is, i break out into sweats constantly throughout the day, so bare feet or flip flops is how I roll (The beauty of course is that I only spend 5$ once a year on shoes) What I am curious about though, is this whole post op life. According to what I have been reading, the area in the stomach that produces Grehlin, not only regulates appetite but also body temperature. My body actually over-produces Grehlin and under produces Leptin..hence why I can eat and eat and eat and never get sick and barf and why I always feel hungry no matter what or how much I eat. So thats why they are saying my life will be more normalized once they remove the Grehlin producing site in my stomach through VSG...but what I really want to know is: Will i finally be able to be cold? or like normal people and feel the cold? Cause after years of sweating. I rather be cold then look hot and sweaty when going out in public..It would be nice to feel cold when its cold out and have to bundle up and wear sweaters like everyone else. Also, when you exercise post op, do you sweat the same? more? less?

hmmm..im going to have to check them out... 2 for 120 cals hey..oh boy..no wonder you dont want a 10 pound bag in front of you...just imagine how many calories is in that 10 pound bag..

What a HUGE !!! difference!! You have cheekbones and its not as round..I know it must be hard to tell..it always is when its yourself looking at yourself..but an outside can spot an immediate difference

Hey all.. So lucky me. I am self-pay and I get to have my surgery in October..yay me...only i wish that was said with a versus a .... it feels like forever till it will happen. I feel like Im never going to get there..what do you do to pass time? to make it go by faster? I am in 3 2nd year courses in university through the summer..but still..Any other ideas as to how to pass time? Will october ever come? Will i ever have this surgery??

Are they really that good? I have never tried anything "health related" that tastes good when its chocolate flavoured.

With Japanese food, its easy to stick to some broiled fish or some sashimi..along with some steamed veggies..i would stay away from broccoli as its gas causing. Even something like a miso soup might be good..

Seriously!!! You go girl!! I cant believe it! You give me hope. I am at 298 right now and I would love to be down to 185 in 5 months!!

You could be in the middle of whats called the 3 week stall. Most people find that in the third week out, the stop losing temporarily. Its your'e body's way of catching up to the 21 pound weight loss!! Don't worry. Most people find they lose inches during the time they don't see the number on the scale move. Have no fear. Just give it a bit of time. Usually the scale will start going down in a few days to a week.

Have you tried something like Gas X strips? Or Malox liquid? or Gaviscon?

Can you just pay for surgery in Mexico, using straight up cash???

In order for anyone to help you out, we would need to see a sample menu of what you eat on a daily basis. I am not sure if you are aware that you should not be snacking during the day ...It should be 3 squares a day plus 2 Snacks..that's it. You will NOT die, if you don't eat every 3-4 hours. Do you have a fear of being starved? Have you looked at all the issues surrounding your eating? Why haven't you been watching what you have been eating in terms of calorie counting or exercising? 90% of weight loss is diet. 10% is exercise. You eat to lose weight, you exercise to stay strong. In order to better understand stuff, it would be great if you could state how tall you are.. because calorie consumption in a body, and what you need in order to lose weight is relevant to height and weight and bone frame size. So if you can give us those details, we could help you figure it out and better answer your questions more

Guess I am a first for October. My surgery for VSG is scheduled for October 8th, 2013 ...I had to make my date in October, which seems like forever and a day off..so its going to be a loooooong wait.. I feel so impatient, I just want to do it now!!!

The beauty of the sleeve is the fact that your odds of stretching it are zero to none..maybe 1. That feeling of fullness will remain because you can not stretch smooth stomach muscle very much. Yes, you might be able to increase your capacity of food in a sitting depending on what kind of foods you eat ..sliders ect... but other then that.. That would not be something you have to worry about ..Day by day..one step at a time..

Yes , it is necessary to strike a balance. I would consider drinking an electrolyte drink to help you with the fainting issue, making sure your staying hydrated. If 300 calories is all your getting in, maybe you might want to consider increasing your caloric intake through the use of healthy fats, such as adding a little veg oil to your food or a few pieces of avocado or if you can tolerate Peanut Butter and you can stick it in a shake. You will get used to your stomach and you will know what you can and cant eat and how much..stick with what you know does work when you are out. And remember, you can enjoy what you eat, you don't have to be a prisoner to food. I understand you and how it feels to be anxious about being sick in public, I have experienced that many times in my life.

I think it is great and wonderful source of vitamins, just make sure you stick to lower sugar fruits in order to maintain your weight, or in the case of a bananna, half it before sticking it in.

64 oz is a general guideline that the doctors give everyone. It is not set in stone. You will not have epic problems if you fail to get that much in a day. Most people cant drink that much right after surgery. You will find in the next day or two you will be able to do it easily. Just try to relax, nothing will happen ..as long as you are drinking SOME water..it will be okay..but later on as the weeks progress, try and get more in because some have found that their weight loss stalls when they dont drink enough and the reason for that is simply due to the fact that water helps flush out the fat.. every time you think about drinking water..just visualize yourself peeing out your fat..thats whats happening!

It is just due to your stomach re-adjusting itself after the surgery.

How is this a failure? That is great! Keep up the good work! Keep going and working on it and give yourself some credit, you just had a major surgery!

There are great benefits to juicing, but in terms of weight loss, it is not an adequate supplement for a nutrient dense meal, especially when you are looking for restriction. There is nothing wrong with combining a juice along with some healthy veggies and a dense protein..a great way to get lots of liquid vitamins.

It sounds like it's time for you to pursue some counselling. You have gone through a huge transition and life is different now. It's important that you talk about your anxiety and your issues surrounding food. The sleeve is not meant to be a tool to get an eating disorder or a phobia to food, It's to help you in your weight loss journey. Your stomach is still your stomach, just smaller. It is true that you have to watch what you eat still but obsession over how much or too much is not healthy. I urge you to seek professional counselling. I wish you the best!

I don't think its possible to stretch your sleeve out like you have been able to in the past. The reason being: They cut out the wall of your stomach that is stretchable and leave in tact, whats now known as your sleeve, which is composed of smooth muscle. Have you ever tried to rip a muscle apart? Or what about steak? Have you ever tried to rip a steak in half? It's tough to do so. Point is: You have a low chance of stretching your stomach. What you do have a chance of, however, is gaining weight from eating all the wrong foods and getting away with slider foods that dont fill you up because they breakdown and digest too easily in the body without your stomach having to work at it to digest. Think about it this way : Is it easier to fill a glass with a cup of yogurt? Or a a slab of steak?

Anti-Nausiant medications are your FRIEND!

From what I have heard..Protein drinks and Yogurt are considered "slider" foods. They go down real easy and take little work digesting, hence why you can drink and eat tons of it and not "feel" full. The more nutrient dense and solid your food..the harder to digest..That's why you can only eat a few bites of fish. My suggestion would be to either increase your nutrient dense foods...aka.. vegetables or meat.. OR ...add some Benefibre to your shake..the fibre will make it harder to beak down in your stomach and you will feel more full.

Hey All... So I am getting sleeved in October, but while I am waiting, I have fallen in love with eating this particular food(see recipe below) and I want to know if it is something I will be able to eat again once sleeved(since I heard some things get stuck etc) HEATHER'S DELICIOUS MEXICAN RICE salad 2 Ripe tomatoes diced 1-12 0Z can of black Beans 1-4 OZ can of corn 1 medium red onion diced 1 tbsp of minced garlic 1 packet of taco seasoning 6 cups of cooked white rice lime juice to taste salt to taste Cilantro to taste Mix altogether and serve over White Corn Tortilla chips. Would I be able to eat this ever again after VSG? Cause it would be so sad ...if i couldnt..

I am in BC and I have not found them in stores.. I have had to order mine through Nashua Nutrition online. I got the fuzzy navel. Definitely tasted like O.J ..however..I didnt like it for long..Could still taste the Whey taste