ontoanewlife

Obese people have sometimes used their size to hide from life' date=' to insulate them from the outside world. Losing weight can make you feel vulnerable at times.

Emotional issues you may have include:

Depression after weight loss surgery is common.

[*']For some women, estrogen (a hormone) is released while fat is burned to make energy. This release of estrogen may cause mood swings.

[*]People who eat as a way to manage their emotions.

Body image When your body goes through such a rapid and drastic change, you tend to lose a sense of yourself.

You can actually go through an identity crisis. You may not recognize yourself. You may feel like you are walking around in someone else’s body.

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Have to say that these quotes sum up most of what I'm feeling and struggling with. Being at home and not at work hasn't helped.

Thank you for taking the time to write about this.

My surgeon's office said depression is quite common after surgery. Don't be afraid to get help' date=' no reason for you to suffer in silence.[/quote']

Thank you

I've been having a hard time too. I have been on Paxil for 15yrs which has always kept my anxiety/ depression in check. I had surgery may 21st and a few days later my anxiety came back despite the Paxil. I've had a rough few days and got in to see my pcp yesterday morning. They increased my Paxil and prescribed me Ativan as well. I really hope things get better.

Thank you

I have struggled with depression and anxiety on and off for 20 years. I have been lucky to be able to manage it with Vitamins. Nordic Natural Ultimate Omega' date=' 2000 IU Vitamin D3, a multivatimin, and B12. This is what works for me. Feeling blue every now and then does still happen. Talking a walk helps, and sit outside in the sun as much as you can. Checking in with you doctor might be a good idea too.

Hugs to you, one day at a time.[/quote']

Thank you. Will try this.

I'm really struggling with depression since my surgery. Its kinda weird to describe but I feel sad, unmotivated and just can't get a grip on things...and believe me...this is so unlike me. Besides exercising, I've had some personal things to take care of while off work but I just cant seem to get it together enough to get any of these things done. I do have a lot going on in my life right now but that's not unusual. What in the world is going on? I can not take medications but can take natural supplements. Any suggestions, advice, encouragement or encouraging stories would be greatly appreciated.

Transplanted Southern Girl (raised in the south all my life, my daddy was from Kentucky).

Transplanted to Southern California...and although I miss home...I love it here...

I have a similiar issue. I know my NUT told us to stick to 3 meals per day but honestly that's impossible.

I'm usually not real hungry in the morning so I drink a Protein Shake and drink some Water. Around noon my hunger picks up and from then on I'm hungry every 2 hours or so. I have learned to not let myself get too hungry or I eat too fast and I end up sick and in pain.

Today for lunch I made a grilled cheese on Omega 3 whole grain bread. I was able to eat 2 small squares but that was my limit. 2 hours later for snack I ate the other 2 squares. It was nice to have a bit of crunch but it was very soft.

I was sleeved May 7 and next Tuesday I start a regular diet. Currently I stick with shakes and soft foods. I also use baby utensils to remind me to eat small bites. When I have used the regular size utensils I end up sick from eating too much to fast.

Its all a learning curve and I'm still learning for sure....

You look fabulous Gaye....

Congrats on the weight loss...

mine looks too small and ill

any one who see my face they ask me whats the matter ? are you ill?

it seems i lost half of my weight from my face

plus my face not shiny any more

dry and black circle around my eyes

help plz

Glad you posted this question.

Funny how sometimes we have things on our minds that we don't think to post about it until we see that someone else has.

I'm 19 days post op and have lost about 20 lbs. Seems it shows the greatest in my face...I've been blessed that I have always looked 10 years younger than my age...Now I feel like I'm looking older...

However, I have a friend who had the lapband last August and she lost 60 lbs...initially it effected the skin on her face but after some time it seemed like it all evened out. Now she looks fabulous! Hoping that's the case with me...

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here and I am almost finished with my 6m pre-op supervised nutrition program. Today I went to see my Dr. he told me he wanted me to research the sleeve. I had been set on the lapband now I'm not sure. Could you guys please give me some advice

I wanted permanent weight loss. The r-y to me had issues because of absorption. The lapband seemed to temporary and seemed it would be too easy to revert back.

The sleeve to me seemed to be the best option which was verified after a recent visit to my MD.

While waiting for my appt with MD, there were two women sitting on each side of me. They were discussing how they originally had lap bands and had lost weight but turned around and put the weight back on (80 lbs and 110 lbs). Now they were both seeing the MD to discuss having the sleeve done.

I'm glad I chose the sleeve because I don't want to go through that....

Ok I gotta vent. I apologize ahead of time.

Sunday my husband tells me he doesn't like how fast I lost weight or how I look. (In a nutshell) says he liked me far and not used to me now. Ok hurt my feelings but I can see a small point. I have lost 84lbs six months tomorrow. I had horrible complications after surgery and just now eating small amounts.

Them tonight at the gym he points out to me a chic he thinks is hot and wants to meet. ( we have a unique relationship ). Let me just say I weigh about 40lbs more than her and she truly was not attractive. I told him my thoughts and now he is mad at me. For real mad. Like not talking to me.

I nearly died with this surgery. All I ever wanted was to be thin and attractive. He always looks at hot Chics which I can handle. But to tell me he doesn't like me now. I dunno what to say or do. At one time I would've eaten a bag of chips. Now I am just pissed

Good thing I see the shrink Thursday. He will earn his money.

Thanks for letting me vent. Gonna go cry now.

Sent from my iPhone using VST

Girl...

Get rid of that zero and get you a hero!!

None of it is positive for your self-esteem nor will it enhance your long term goals.

Guys like him do not change without their own long term stint with a shrink.

As someone else said "never settle".

I couldn't agree more!

Congratulations!!!

I'm home from the hospital and doing okay. don't like the pain at all. I'm hoping that gets better each day. eating feels really weird. I'm trying to sip all day' date=' but I'm really feeling hungry, not sure if it's real hunger or just my strange stomach.[/quote']

The pain subsides a bit each day.

You'll feel much better around day 7. You'll be hungry but you'll find that you can only eat a few bites and will feel full. At night I would have watered down mashed potatoes. It always took the edge off the hunger. Other than that I had the usual shakes, Soups, etc.

Good luck...

You'll see...you'll feel better soon...

At my largest

I have always been heavy. When I was a kid playing little league football I had to play with kids 3 to 4 years older than myself to "make weight" This was the start of my struggle with my weight. When I got to Jr High I started power lifting and did that for a few years. I quit while in high school to get a job. It was at that point I started to pack on weight. I was used to consuming a large amount of calories for my physical activity and never scaled it back down after i quit. I quickly balloon up to 300lbs after graduating and getting a desk job.

Fast forward to November of 2011. I was diagnosed with diabetes. I weight 442lbs at the appointment. I still remember that day vividly. Its funny how you can remember the details of major events like that. I was in denial. I left the Doctors office and went to a philly cheese steak place and consumed a meal that consisted of 3500 calories. the entire time thinking to myself' date=' "thats bullshit, I don't have diabetes, my liver function can't be at 60 some odd percent.". It took me a day to process everything and come to terms with it. It was then that I decided to pursue the option of WLS. I made and appointment with a local surgeon.

I started the pre-surgery diet before I even meet with the nut. I did that with the help of the diabetic education system that the local hospital has. Leading up the the surgery the process was took 6 months because of insurance requirements. My surgery was August 17th. During my stay at the hospital all I can remember were the apologies for not having a bed long enough for my 6'3" frame. It was only about 2 days until I really wanted to get up and start doing stuff. I did not become very active due to the doctors warnings to take it easy. The only issues with the post surgery diet that I had were issues with food intolerances. No eggs or turkey, kind of saddening but lift goes on.

At my first check up on talked with the doctor about when I could start exercising. He gave me a date that I would be cleared to go. I called some of my buddies and we setup a time to go for a hike on the Appalachian trail. My first real exercise was an 8 mike hike on the trail. I was beat and went home and slept for like 12 hours. I didn't slow down there. We started hiking every Saturday. We have covered about 1/3 of the Trail in the state of PA, multiple times over. I set a goal to get down to 100lbs below what I started and I would buy a bike. When I hit that goal November of 2012 I went out and bought a nice mountain bike. When I started riding the bike I would park at a friends house about 4 miles, direct route to work, and ride in. I would get between 8 to 10 miles a day. This went on for about a week. As my friends put it I went a little crazy one saturday on my way home. My house is 14.6 miles from work I rode the entire way home after riding for a week. That was the start of my commuting via bike to and from work. I started out getting 30 miles a day. I kept going riding 4 to 5 times a week. When the weather started to get snowy and really cold that slowed down and I joined a gym.

I set another goal, Complete a 100 mile ride for charity with in a year of my surgery date. I registered for the JDRF Ride for a cure, sold my Mountain bike and picked up a road bike. Starting out I was only able to get up to a speed of about 8 to 12 mph through my rides. I started taking the long way to work getting an average of 28 to 32 miles one way. After weeks of working on my speed I have gotten up to a constant 15 to 17 mph peaking with sprints into the high 20's.

At 9 months post op I am at 214 lbs a loss of 228 lbs total 174 in the 9months post surgery. I am no longer on diabetes meds and riding 60+ miles on the days I ride. I still hike and trail run. I have taken up yoga strength training and will be giving cross fit a try. The surgery has given me the tools to be as active as I wanted to be. I am not healthier than I have ever been. I have started running group rides for friends that want to get out and cycle to loose weight. I, for the first time ever, was called a role model.

the morning before surgery and few weeks ago(will take a new pick I have dropped 15 or 20 lbs since that was taken)

I'm so inspired by your story...

Brought me to tears...

My goal is to be active, have good health along with the weight loss.

Congratulations on your accomplishments!!

I have heard that the supplement Sheng Fa helps prevent hairloss as well as promotes hair growth. I know several people who took it after wls and had no Hair loss.< /div>

What is Sheng Fa??

Hey everyone!! Wanted to update you all and tell you all that I have lost 102 lbs so far! I am 8 months post op' date=' and I feel GREAT! I am 23 years old and was obese, now I am not longer taking ANY medications anymore! , having heart disease and being obese was very scary. Now I don't have to worry about my health as much! For those who know me here know that I suffered from severe depression after surgery. I was hospitalized because I was ready to end it all... I guess I never realized how much food meant to me. I was a true food addict. Now I am on prozac and am happy as can be!! I plateaued for about 1 month at the 4 month mark, but now it just continues to come off... I am now 135 LBS!!!!! I never thought I'd see the day! The only issue I am having is eating, I forget to eat a lot, and sometimes I only eat once a day. I have no been following a diet, I eat whatever I want. I don't eat ice cream or candy, but I do eat pizza and chicken nuggets. BIG THANKS to all the people on here that supported me from day 1! I met a lot of great people on this website!

[/quote']

You go girl!!!!!

Inspirational!!!!

You look fabulous!!

Happy for you!!!

As a 'veteran' sleever.....I have to post SOMETHING!!! I consider myself a success story....at least I am so far' date=' I did not consider myself a slow loser, but I think most might think so. I've lost 83 pounds, but 23 of that was prior to surgery. The additional 60 took six months, so. On average, ten pounds per month. It did vary though, 7 one month, 13 another, but, on average, ten pounds. We have to look at the whole picture, Celebrate every pound, celebrate when you see your collar bone for the first time and when you realize there ARE hipbones, believe it or not. It is drastic surgery, it even sounds a little barbaric when you tell others that you've had about 85% of your stomach removed, cut out.....pulled through a little opening by your navel. Yikes!!! That said.....the weight WILL come off, melt away, disappear, but it is not going to be overnight and if you are cheating, it will be slower and everyone knows what I mean by 'cheating'. If you are taking a bite here and there of slider foods, a small glass of wine, an itty, bitty beer....well, that IS cheating. This is NOT a diet, it is a new way of life, but with that, comes sacrifices, at least until you reach your goal. Anybody who does not get that....well, I don't think there is a thing I can say to convince you. Tiff use to say, if you want something sugarcoated, then get a donut. I am not going to sugarcoat this. Are these sacrifices forever, you ask. No, but until you reach goal, during this honeymoon period, it is essential that you follow the plan, don't eat anything you shouldn't. Make lifestyle changes that become habit, a new way of life....weigh and measure your food, log what you eat, keep track. On the news this morning, diet was being discussed, just NORMAL dieters. The doctor being interviewed said that people who do NOT keep track of what they eat, who don't actually 'log it', they eat about 500 calories more than they THINK they are eating. A quarter of that is enough to totally undermine the "drastic" steps we've taken. This may sound harsh, but I'm telling you what I've done.... for three years I've weighed every morning, I'll do this forever; I continue to weigh or measure my food when I am at home. I still eat off a smaller plate most of the time. I still do NOT drink when I eat. I still try and 'eat under' my sleeve, it feels much better. My Protein is where it should be, ususally more than the minimum. Some will say, it works for me but.......but what??? Maybe that is so, but I am not doing anything extra ordinary. I am NOT an exercise guru, I am not doing WW like some are doing, or South Beach or any of the other 'fad' diets most of us tried. This is NOT a diet......this is my new way of life, habit, natural, just like breathing. I may be crazy, but I think most could be preaching the same thing three years out, just like I am.....following what I've said. To me, it's a no brainer, just common sense. I am never deprived, I feel like a normal person, way more disciplined that I use to be. Logging food four years ago, smaller plate, measuring food. Seriously???!!! I'd have just rolled my eyes. Forgive this long post, but I'm not real good at sugarcoating things OR donuts, both leave a nasty taste in my mouth. [/quote']

Appreciate everything you wrote...

Now that's reality...

Thanks for sharing...

We all know this is a "journey" but I also think we all secretly wish that we were miracle losers..

I think this sums it up nicely...

You look fabulous!!

Congratulations!!!

Any tips I can help provide. Drink Water and produce urine. Make sure you get the urine in the catcher that is in the toilet. I just got home late last night from my Tuesday sleeve. Get up and walk around as much as possible. Shower as soon as possible. Bring some chapstick and Biotin dry mouth gum' date=' music and something comforting from home. I didn't need slippers, nor did I pack them. I used the booties they gave me. Know your allergies and be firm with the nursing staff. For example, I am allergic to cicillians, and I can only take sulfates (antibiotics) the anastheiaologist gave me a cicillian anyways. I was in an alergic reaction as I was exiting the operation area. I pulled out of it. Later on that night my nurse tried to give me some again, I told her no i'm allergic, she said "well you already had some" and I said "yes and I had an allergic reaction".. The lady put it through my IV anyways, it didn't take 5 minutes for allergic reaction to kick in. These nurses assume that hives and itching are the only symptom of an allergic reaction. Also, use your pain meds. I didn't, but it would have helped significantly. When I did use them, it was better. Keep ice on your manipulation site, that will be the most painful location of the 5 incisions. Even once you are home, keep ice on it. Also, expect nausea and vomitting the first day or two. Doctor said people who get nausea and vomitting lose the most weight. I had my surgery Tuesday at 8am. I am already down 11 lbs and that is not including inches. It is already very obvious that i've had weight loss.[/quote']

I know what you mean about the allergies....I have many sensitivities and allergies to a variety of foods and medicines. My "allergic reaction" can range from turning bright red to feeling like I have a severe flu (achy, congested, etc) to hives and itching. Its always different.

Sorry to hear about what you went through during and after your surgery...

Premier vanilla shake

Water

1/2 jar of ham and ham gravy baby food (about a 1/2 oz)

1/4 jar of oatmeal/pears/cinnamon

Water

1 oz kipper Snacks (canned herring) mixed with veganaise

Premier chocolate shake

Water

2 ozs Ricotta bake (ricotta cheese mixed with Tomato basil sauce, topped with fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese

Water

Sometimes insurance companies will deny a request because the MD's practice does not have a "center of excellence" designation.

That happened to me. I then switched MD's and was approved.

On my way to the airport. I can't believe it's already here. Super excited and nervous at the same time!!! I'll keep everyone posted. Prayers are appreciated.

Good luck!!!

I had replied to this post early in the thread.

I was scheduled for May 7. I went in for the surgery' date=' but the surgeon cancelled the proceedure when he saw that my stomach was too red and inflamed. (I would rather have a cancelled proceedure than complications.)

So... I'm adjusting... This is definitely not what I was expecting.

I will have a re-check in 8 weeks.

Right now I'm not sure whether or not I will continue efforts to have the surgery. It took everything for me to show up for the surgery and to have it not happen was rough.

For now, at least, I will continue my weight loss journey without surgery.

Best wishes to all of you May sleevers!

[/quote']

That had to be difficult! My heart goes out to you...

I agree with the others....its worth it to keep going forward...you've come this far...

Good luck...

Post again when you see the MD and let us know how its going...

Mistysj: You stated in your response to her

"You absolutely can't put something in your mouth that is not on your plan, because when it is in there, all bets are off. You need to decide you will never tempt yourself like that, and that you will NEVER put your poor husband in the position where he is doing something for you that will harm you and could put you in the hospital. That poor man must be beside himself. You owe him a big apology.

Put your big girl pants on and learn from this. If you want something salty, have some broth."

Sorry to disagree with you but...

1. If all of us could "absolutely not put something in your mouth that's not on your plan" none of us would be here and wouldn't have needed surgery.

2. The statement "and that you will NEVER put your poor husband...." and the statement "you owe him a big apology" make me cringe. This is not being "supportive".

3. "Put your big girl panties on and learn from this"....what the heck is this? Support? Not in my world...

Your version of support is questionable at best. Look...remember what our mother's told us when we were kids..."if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all". I think you should consider that because to me...you're just mean.