scootergirl

Thank you for posting this! I am about three months out and have had "intense hunger cravings" and read your post and realized that my sinus infection (that I had for 5 weeks and went through 3 antibiotics for) might be the culprit behind it. I take a 24 hour allergy pill every day but was still having that drip happening, so now I am taking a nasal decongestant along with benadryl when I get home (can't sleep at my desk at work unfortunately) and have gotten the hunger under control.

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My nutritionist asked me, at my last check up, if I was "eating" my exercise calories" or "letting them ride". I keep track of my food and exercise with MyFitnessPal and can balance my calories eaten minus my exercise done at a final MFP of ~400/day. She was happy to hear that. She said some folks "re-eat" their exercise calories and give up one of the extra boosts that come with the sleeve....very low calorie intake and the opportunity to nearly neutralize them by exercising Consider letting your exercise just be deducted from your calorie intake for the day. The overall effect will very likely boost your weight loss. Good luck.

Wow! You are an dramatic example of how beautiful 205 pounds can look. Way to go, girl!

The same thing is happening to me. I am 55 and post menopausal. Post surgery and abut of weight loss I now get cold very easily. Oddly, I feel like the loss of fat has released female hormone and caused me to re-experience hot flashes. Too hot, too cold. What am I, Goldilocks?

Ouch. Laura-ven, what is going on here? I feel like I wandered into a verbal street brawl. You have always been a voice of sanity, insight, and smiles. Is everything OK?

It is hard for me to believe that your current photo is at 190 pounds. You look amazing. How tall are you? I should also try to get down to 160 but am not optimistic that I will make it. If I look as great as you when I hit 190 I may just stop there. Thanks for sharing your photos

Shoot. I have noticed a new and unpleasant odor in my bedroom in the morning. I was secretly blaming it on my husband. Now I am concerned it is from me! Does anyone else remember the funky smell lasting until ~3 months post surgery.

BTW, I have also noticed the stinky pee. I was blaming it on my Vitamins. I don't believe I am in ketosis. I remember what that was like from my previous efforts at following the Atkins Diet.

As 50th birthday present to myself I bought a scooter. It is so much fun to ride I feel like a kid again, hence "scootergirl" rather than "scooter middle aged lady". Thanks to my sleeve I have lost enough weight to carry my daughter on the scooter with me. We have a great time together as we ride. Thank you, sleeve.

I understand the stress of organizing ones life in preparation for surgery. Please be kind to yourself and try not to fret. Fretting sucks energy from you which is better used keeping you healthy and strong.

we just don't bounce back from this weight loss as we get older…

Amen to that! Boo hoo. Can I get in a time machine? Or at least can I get my skin into one?

Oh no! Are we going to turn this thread into a confessions about Halloween candy consumption? If so.....yes, I did eat some candy...2 small tootsie rolls, 3 tiny butterfingers. They were yummy. By the way, my knees hurt like crazy today. Others have claimed that eating sugar can make them feel really bad. I have to admit that there is no other reason for my knees to hurt today except my dietary indiscretion!

Your after photo is beautiful. I have trouble believing the before photo is the same gal. Your after photo looks so natural....like you have been that weight your whole life. Way to go!

Doh! Premature send.

The other day I updated my ticker and realized I now have less than 100 pounds to lose. I was so pleased. It was like my own version of a "one-derland" achievement. Strange that I can smile over the prospect of facing a nearly hundred pound weight loss. I "blame" it on all of you, my VST buddies. Your support and shared stories keep me psyched. Thank you!

Congrats on your revelation about your progress

Hmmm. I think the fullness in my face made me look older than my years but youthful because my skin was tight (from being puffed up with fat!). As I lose weight my skin is starting to deflate and hang especially in my face. I feel like I look younger because I can start to see the cheekbones, etc of my slimmer youth. If I really look younger to others I'd need to poll family and friends. So far no one has volunteered such a comment.

Wonderful news! Congrats. Please don't overdo it. You have just had real surgery. Be kind to yourself and you will heal up in no time. Welcome to the tiny tummy team!

If you need to get in more Protein but have trouble with your tender new tummy try my favorite quick and easy protein choice..... Campbell's beef consommé with an envelope of Knox unflavored Gelatin dissolved into it by heating gently in the microwave. It is delicious, goes down easily, and has a fair amount of protein. Plus it is NOT a protein shake!

Wow! You look great. My favorite part of your "after" photo is your ring. Your fingers have gotten so thin that your ring is loose and turned sideways! Way to go girl!

My surgery and recovery were great. Little pain and quickly felt like myself again. I scootered over to a friends house about one week after surgery. She would not believe that I had had the procedure done (cause I was moving around so well) until I showed her my incisions.

You will do great. Keep your thoughts positive.

If your illness is not too serious and your lungs are clear you may be fine. However, please be understanding if your doctor wants to wait for surgery until you are better. It is in the interest of your safety during anesthesia that he/she may ask you to wait. Also, your recovery will be faster and easier if you go into surgery at full strength. Good luck!

I have posted this elsewhere but want to share it with you just incase it applies to your troubles. If you have ever had allergies with post nasal drip, be sure to take your antihistamines. At ~1 1/2 months post surgery, I got ravenously "hungry". I could not get full and wanted to eat all day long. Turns out it was only that I had a tummy full of drip (sorry that is pretty gross) that my stomach was grinding on. As soon as I treated my allergies the "hunger" went away.

I suspect this is not your problem but it is such a simple solution if it might be. Why not try it?

I bought an e-copy just before I had my surgery. I am only sorry I did not get it sooner. I would have benefitted from some of the things in the book had I known them while I prepared for surgery. I am very happy to have the e-version. Just over three months out from surgery I find I still go back to it as a reference. It is a very thorough book. It is also a quick read. I highly recommend it (even if I don't get a penny from doing so!).

I confess that.....

1. I, too, weigh myself every day after not getting on a scale (by choice) for nearly 10 years. Ah, the joy of moving the marker towards the right from my weight the day before!

2. I miss Friday-after-work dinner and drinks with coworkers. I have joined them when they go out but it is hard to not share in the things they order when I still love them. Especially the awesome margaritas. Waaa.

3. I have not indulged in proper fitting clothes now that my old ones are falling off of me. Part of me doesn't trust that my new size is for keeps while part if me is looking forward to me shrinking even more.

4. A very unpleasant (but honest) side of me feels superior to others when I watch them eat poorly. Hey wasn't that me eating too much and making poor choices just three months ago?!? I never thought I would change my eating habits nor eating attitude this much. Thank you sleeve and VST pals!

5. I was painfully happy when my daughter confessed that she was no longer embarrassed to have me chaperone a school trip. Ouch.

I used my weight from the morning of surgery. It seemed like the weight that best represented the end of my pre-sleeve life. That it was also my highest weight factored in as well.

I am one of those who actually gained a few pounds during my six month supervised diet! Someone in another thread mentioned "food funerals" when you imagine you won't be able to eat something ever again after surgery. I wish we all realized this is not usually the case (after we have healed up from surgery) so there is no need to overwear or overindulge.