NewSetOfCurves

I did not read the other replies, so I apologize ahead of time if this is repetitive. They did not invent the light bulb in one try and you're not going to get this eating thing in your first, second, or however many tries it takes for you to get this right. For many of us, this is why we opted for the surgery: we needed a tool to help us get our eating into control. I too was a binge eater. I would do great all week or all day, and then I would bing on the weekends or at night. The sleeve surgery definitely help me get through the binging part. It cut it out, period. Couldn't bing even if I tried. In my past, before marriage and kids, I was an emotional eater. The above description of my binge eating is very accurate of how my life went. However, once I was a wife and a mother, I got over all those insecurities and issues; but, I liked to eat and so I did...a lot. Your pre-op diet is difficult. It is like an addict of cigarettes or alcohol going "cold turkey". Your body and mind crave what is comforting to you. I cheated on my pre-op diet. I cheated in my one-year post-op, but yet here I am at goal (reached it today!). I do not advocate, by any means, cheating. But, realistically, it happens. I had to teach myself to eat right. I had to "detox" my body from the bad carbs and foods. My first 10 months post-op, I was really good at planning my cheats. I am 15 months post-op now, and I no longer track because I make healthy choices 90-95% of the time. I still eat small quantities and I do eat "cheat" foods if I am at a party without healthier options or on my cheat day (Saturday). However, I will say that on my cheat day I do not binge. It is just a taste and I work out harder and longer on Sunday's. Getting to where I am was a process. It did NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT! We cannot dwell on our failures, we have to dwell on solutions: how are we going to fix the problem; what is the resolution; what can I do better the next time; what do I have to do to avoid this? My soloution to many of my problems was not to have those foods in the house! The bad foods, the finger foods, the snacking foods...ELIMINATE them! You need to wipe off the dirt from your knees, Honey. Get back up. We all fail. We CANNOT SUCCEED WITHOUT FAILURE. But to find success from failure, we try and try again until we get it right. It took Thomas Edison 10,000 tries to bring us light; it's going to take several tries to get the "eating right" correct as well (hopefully not 10,000 tries, though--LOL!). Don't be so hard on yourself! Just do what you have to do to get it right! Good luck to you!!!

Muscle, hydration and time all help with loose skin, but EVERYBODY is different. Genetic factors--as far as skin elasticity, as well as age, size, period of time being a certain size...all play into loose skin. I'm in my mid 30's and have had 4 kids. No matter how much muscle mass I've built and how much I've dropped in body fat %, I still need a tummy tuck. I'll get mine in December (hopefully, no later than the beginning of summer) because I have an apron that will not go away. Surgeon confirmed that it was all skin and that there was nothing else I could do but have it removed.

I was really weak initially post-op, it took me about four weeks to up the intensity. Don't plan on getting back into it immediately. It'll be something you ease back into until your body adjusts. But, everybody is different. Just read/listen your body.

Awe...what a bitter-sweet moment. Had a similar one with my daughter, except she said I wasn't comfy and soft anymore, that it hurt to lay on me and she missed that. She felt she'd lost a part of her mommy that had brought her so much comfort ????. But she also said she'd rather see me healthy and happy any day and that she'll just put a pillow in between us when we snuggle! Lol!

Wow, wow, W-O-O-W!!!! Awesome transformation!!!

Awe...my ego was just deflated! Lol!!! But, you ladies are right, I remember being a size 12 at my current weight when I was a teenage girl; however, I'm wearing a size 8 now ???? Oh well, I'd rather be where I am than where I was over a year ago!!!????

Welcome to onederland! It's a great place to be!!!

Lol! Love what "Comeflywithme" said!!! She is absolutely right, too! I think everybody's experience immediately post-op is different. My aunt and I were sleeved one month apart. She had high energy, I had low energy. During the immediate food stages post-op, she mourned the loss of food. I didn't. I do want to add that she got over her period of mourning, especially once the food stages advanced, but she struggled with it initially. However, as we both look back and reflect on whatever struggles we both endured immediately post-op, it was 1000 times over worth it! Those struggles were just minute moments in time compared to a lifetime (hopefully) of health and happiness. She went from weighing 340 pounds to weighing 165 pounds. I've gone from 250 to 145. We are confidant, more energetic and happier than we have ever been in a long time. Each one of your concerns are valid, but if you experience any of them they will only be temporary, because the long term benefits out weigh the small struggles you'll experience for just a short period of time. Good luck to you, whatever you decide!

600 calories is a pretty typical intake amount at your stage post-op (typical in the sense of what people post on this forum). I too was at the 500-600 calorie range at 6 weeks post-op, and getting Fluid in was still very difficult for me at that time. In fact, considering that I am 15 months out, I still struggle with getting all of my Water intake. I drink most of my Protein (i know most people resent the protein shakes and get rid of them as soon as they can, but I like them and I try to get 1 gram of protein per body weight...so the shakes are the only way I can meet that goal), and due to that I tend to struggle to get the right amount of water into my system. Calorie count depends on your stage and activity level. I started to exercise as much as I could and at an intensity as high as I could, as soon as possible. My goal was to get out of starvation mode (because your body will start to hold onto every calorie that it can if it is in starvation mode) and get my body to burn fat and build lean mass. That meant I needed a lot more calories. Now, that is hard to do when you have a tiny stomach. So, I started to consume high calorie foods in between meals (nuts/peanut butter were the easiest for me!). Most people (again, I'm referring to the posts I've read on this forum for the past 17 months) with moderate activity seem to strive for 1,100-1,200 calories per day, as soon as their tummy allows such intake. Protein shakes tend to count as meals in the beginning or immediately post-op. However, they eventually become snacks--that is what they are for me at this point in time. As far as fluid intake affecting your weight loss...I am not sure, but I do know calories can affect your weight loss. In the beginning the loss of calories aides in your weight loss, but--once your body adjusts to the lack of calories--your weight loss will slow and it will be time for you to" up" them. Hope this helps. Good luck to you!

I was one that never really supported plastics, but I too have decided to go under the knife to remove the apron of skin I have hanging from my belly. I have a little bit of skin under my biceps too, but I've been trying very hard to build the muscle necessary to fill up that extra skin. However, it's really hard to get in all the Protein necessary to build all that mass. I strive for a gram of protein per body weight, equating to about 147 grams. Good luck to you...hope you win that lottery!

Premier protein & muscle milk (both chocolate) are my favs!!!!

So much of what CGJ said resonates with me. Insulting ones body image, especially to children, is detrimental. While I was never called a particular name, I was teased. One memory my mind clings to was when I was in the 1st or 2nd grade. One girl that loved to taunt me, told the boy that I liked, "Kathy, the BIG FAT PIG likes you!" I was mortified. Devastated. Obviously, because I still remember it. I endured things like kids saying, "Boom-baba-boom" as I walked past. And I wasn't even that big. As a child I wore 14/16 from the husky sizes. As a teen I ranged from a 7 to a 14. I was always chubby and overweight, but never obese. But the taunting and acts of my loved ones taking my plate away and telling me that she (my mother) couldn't take me shopping at 5-7-9 (a store that sold only those sizes) because I ate too much, really affected my body image. It lead me to bulimia as a teenager. By the time I got to college and became obsessed with exercising and eating right, I would still continue with the vomiting. I would fall into my cravings, gorge myself, feel guilty, vomit, and then run for an hour. Even though I was a size 4 and confidant to wear shorts and little dresses, I'd still have episodes where I would find myself repulsive. I'd sit in front of a mirror in my underclothing and cry because I was so disgusting. My boyfriend (now husband) wasn't even allowed to touch my stomach, even though it was flat. All the taunting led to self loathing. It was weird. I was extremely confidant at times and completely insecure and hateful towards myself at other times. Mercurial, I know. I'm happy to report that all that self loathing is a thing of the past. I gained confidence as a mother. I'm blessed with a husband that loved me thin and obese. Never made me feel obese or commented that I needed to lose weight. We have four children, two of which whom seem to have inherited my appetite and are a little over weight. However, my husband and I never make them feel inferior, use "endearments" that insult their body image, or make comments about their weight. Since my surgery we have tried to teach them about healthy choices. We only have healthy options at home now and we try to make their journey here at home a healthy one.

I 100% AGREE with the above poster! Sweets are one of my trigger foods. For almost the entirety of my first year, I avoided them like the plague. I taught myself to eat right, clean, and in a way that FUELS my body. Now that I'm in a comfortable place in which I can TRUST myself, I'll eat them at a party or social gathering, but I try my best (depending on the selection) to eat my Protein or better choices first, then I'll have a just s taste or two. I'm usually too full for more. Although things like Cookies are sliders and don't fill me up, so I'll rarely have them. But, I'll also say this: their appeal to me has definitely changed. I don't crave them anymore. It's like I've weeded them out of my system. (Except one week before "Aunty Flow" comes in, I always have a day that I crave sweets, but I try to satisfy it with fresh fruits, or sugar free pudding, or something to the like!) So, like the above poster mentioned, don't even worry about that right now. Concentrate on retraining your brain with good habits. Good luck!

The sex of the baby solely depends on the male. More specifically, it depends on the little swimmer that makes it into the egg (that the father releases into the female) and if it is carrying the X or Y chromosome.

You need to start adding some good carbs into your diet. Good carbs give you the energy you need to make it through the day. I usually get my dose from oatmeal and fresh fruits in the morning. At 10 weeks out, fresh fruits like bananas, seedless grapes, watermelon, pears...or any soft fruit that you can chew well should work. I remember feeling the same way at that point post op. It'll get better once you vary your diet and get those complex carbs in.

I know agility training can be gruesome. But, as you said in your post, everyone starts somewhere. When I first started I could barley get 4 lounges at a time in, 2 up downs, or complete things like plié jacks and mountain climbers...I could barely even complete 1 modified push-up! However, despite despising those workouts, I kept trying and pushing myself 2-3 times a week. Now, they are a part of my weekly cardio sessions. I had already been lifting and doing cardio, like you, but let me share with you that it definitely transformed my physique even more. It took it to the next level. In June of this year I couldn't complete the above mentioned exercises, but today I can not only do them, but I can do them fast. And modified push-ups? Pssshhh. I do full, regular push-ups! You can do this! One day at a time, one session at a time, one exercise at a time. You'll get there, I promise, if you stick with it! Good luck!!!!

I agree with so many people on this thread that have already stated that you have to find an eating lifestyle that works for you. Everyone's goal is different. Personally, I've found a new addiction: exercising with cardio and weights. With that addition my goal has morphed from losing weight and becoming a normal and healthy weight, to being fit and lean with a higher muscle mass content. I don't count calories anymore, but I do keep track of my Protein since it's vital to muscle growth and recovery. I make sure I get in at least 64 oz of Water. I also make it a point to get down some quality carbs to ensure that I have the energy I need to make it through my workout sessions. However, no matter what, I truly believe that the sleeve (or whatever WLS one chooses) gives us QUANTITY control, but we have to choose QUALITY. I'm not saying don't ever enjoy a cookie, slice of cake, or any other "bad" food out there--because I do--but we have to make good QUALITY decisions 90% of the time. Our bodies, mind and overall health is so much better off for it. I've found that I no longer crave a lot of the "bad" stuff. In fact, when I allow myself the freedom of having a little bit, it often makes me feel sick or leads me to the other end of the spectrum, and it makes me feel hungrier. There's my two cents! Lol! Good luck to you! I hope you find what works for you on your journey!

I do CrossFit and weight training. I eat more carbs on those days (gasp!)...Lol! I eat good carbs, like oatmeal and sweet potato. I up my calories too, because if I don't I get dizzy and have blackouts. I also take supplements for pre and post workouts. I take NO-Xplode pre-workout, and Cell Mass post-workout. Along with the Cell Mass, I drink a Protein shake because--in the most simplistic version of explanation--your muscles absorb it better if consumed within the first 1/2 hour of your post-workout to aid in growth and recovery. I try to get in 1 gram of protein per pound of my body weight (which is really hard, but I try) to aid in muscle growth. My body has TRANSFORMED because of it!!! I suggest upping your calories. Nuts, Protein Bars and Protein shakes in between meals really helps in getting those extra calories. Hope this helps! Good luck

Quads are finally playing peek-a-boo!!!

This made me smile Congrats!

This is very common. Your stomach is swollen from the trauma of your recent surgery, making it that much more difficult to fill your new tummy. My doctor told me to do my best to stay hydrated and to sip, sip, sip all day long. Water is hard to get in because of it's density, but if you add in a sugar free flavor enhancer, it should be easier. Frozen sugar free Popsicles were my life line first week post op. It's all I could really get down. Once I moved onto full liquids, I'd eat Greek yogurt (was included in my full liquids) and add unflavored whey Protein powder to my sugar free Jello, both upping my protein in take. Don't beat yourself over protein yet. Try--by all means, but don't let it get you down. You'll get there. It gets better. It gets easier. Just take it one day at a time and before you know it, it'll be a walk in the park. Good luck!

You look GREAT Amanda!!! Congrats!!!!

Right on gmanbat!

I used Dr. Morris too! I'll pm you.

My advice is to look at exercise as a job. Average people have to work. They have no choice. Don't make exercise an option, make it a necessity that you can't live without. Do what works for you. My day is long. I teach at the high school level, I tutor after school and I coach a dance team after that. Then I go home to a house filled with 4 kids. My days are never ending and exhausting. But I get up at 4 in the morning and get my one hour in. It is what works for me because I'm too tired and still too busy after work to get it in, in the evening. On my days off I concentrate on lifting, because now that school is back in session, lifting doesn't fit into my afternoons. Point is...I make and find the time. Tired or not, it is a must and necessity to live a longer and healthier life style. Not to mention that I love what it has done for my physique. Hope you find an exercise and time that works for you!