AvaFern

The first few weeks blow. I thought I had ruined my life. I literally remember calling my best friend, one of 3 people who knew I had the surgery and sobbing with the exact words "omg I think I just ruined my life." I am 37 months-post op and I have been at goal for 19 months. I didn't ruin my life- I got a life that I can finally actually live, instead of spending it obsessing over my weight.
Not sure if this makes you feel better or not, but after awhile you really don't care that you don't want food. I had a handful of crackers and a wedge of laughing cow cheese for dinner and I didn't really feel like eating that. food isn't really something that I get excited about anymore, and given I now get very excited about size 2 dresses, I am ok with the trade-off.

I drink carbonated diet beverages daily. I drank them with a straw for years, but I am now three-years post-op and I just drink them the way I used to- can, bottle, glass, whatever. Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Pepsi, sugar free Red Bull, Diet Root Beer...I have no issues with carbonation. I lasted on the whole "no diet soda" rule for about 6 weeks and I've had it ever since.

I did. I had a 1 week pre-op clear liquid diet. I started Monday, did great until Thursday, then I ate some smart puffs and half of a lean cuisine that night, and then I didn't cheat again after that. Most people fell off the wagon a bit during pre-op and most doctors know this is going to happen. The trick is to not do that the day before surgery and to not take a headfirst dive off the wagon and eat your face off. You're put on the diet so that your liver shrinks enough that they can go under it to access your stomach. If it does not shrink, there is the potential that it may crack, which is a wildly more pia surgery, takes something like 6 hours longer, and is all kinds of miserable, on top of the misery you're already going to get to deal with after having your stomach cut out. A smidge of cheating is fine, but as it relates to your health, they do put you on the diet for a reason- it looks bad if your doctor kills you..

The first few weeks blow. I thought I had ruined my life. I literally remember calling my best friend, one of 3 people who knew I had the surgery and sobbing with the exact words "omg I think I just ruined my life." I am 37 months-post op and I have been at goal for 19 months. I didn't ruin my life- I got a life that I can finally actually live, instead of spending it obsessing over my weight.
Not sure if this makes you feel better or not, but after awhile you really don't care that you don't want food. I had a handful of crackers and a wedge of laughing cow cheese for dinner and I didn't really feel like eating that. food isn't really something that I get excited about anymore, and given I now get very excited about size 2 dresses, I am ok with the trade-off.

The first few weeks blow. I thought I had ruined my life. I literally remember calling my best friend, one of 3 people who knew I had the surgery and sobbing with the exact words "omg I think I just ruined my life." I am 37 months-post op and I have been at goal for 19 months. I didn't ruin my life- I got a life that I can finally actually live, instead of spending it obsessing over my weight.
Not sure if this makes you feel better or not, but after awhile you really don't care that you don't want food. I had a handful of crackers and a wedge of laughing cow cheese for dinner and I didn't really feel like eating that. food isn't really something that I get excited about anymore, and given I now get very excited about size 2 dresses, I am ok with the trade-off.

I tend to gain when I travel, even when I don't eat differently. A friend who travels extensively told me that when she travels (and she is the same size as me) she always has 1-3 pounds of Water weight for a few days afterward. She claimed it had to do with air travel, which I cannot scientifically figure out why that would be possible, so not sure about that, but we all have our explanations for why we gain weight at certain times.
Not saying your Protein idea is wrong, lol, but in the future if it doesn't work out like that again, maybe try not to be too concerned- I always lose the extra bit I gain from traveling in a few days. Also good for you for eating well while traveling- that is hard to do.

I tend to gain when I travel, even when I don't eat differently. A friend who travels extensively told me that when she travels (and she is the same size as me) she always has 1-3 pounds of Water weight for a few days afterward. She claimed it had to do with air travel, which I cannot scientifically figure out why that would be possible, so not sure about that, but we all have our explanations for why we gain weight at certain times.
Not saying your Protein idea is wrong, lol, but in the future if it doesn't work out like that again, maybe try not to be too concerned- I always lose the extra bit I gain from traveling in a few days. Also good for you for eating well while traveling- that is hard to do.

I want to get drunk too. Sadly my clients frown on me working while drunk, so not happening tonight.
Your surgery is on the 17th, so you have 14 days between now and surgery. Go get drunk. Your liver in 2 weeks is not going to be remotely impacted in a way that is relevant to your surgery based on having a few drinks now. I'm not suggesting you get blitzed level drunk, but even if you did, in two weeks it really won't matter. I didn't even have a liquid diet or any restrictions until 1 week before surgery, so two-weeks out, yes, medically you can get drunk and it's not going to matter as it relates to your sleeve.
Past that though, while having a few drinks once a week is not an alcoholic, it also isn't a plan that is going to get you to your weight loss goals. I like being drunk and yet I do it maybe 1-2 times a year, partly because I don't like feeling crappy and I don't have time for a hangover and partly because I like being thin and boozing makes me fat.
You can have a regular drinking habit, or you can have skinny jeans...if you aren't willing to try to have fun without drinking now, do you think that you will be willing to do that in the future when immediately after surgery it very much matters as it relates to your medical health, and later down the road, it is a major indicator for your potential for success with the surgery, weight loss, and weight maintenance?
So yes, you CAN get drunk, but whether you SHOULD or not, is entirely up to you and how you think you will handle this same issue in a month or two.

I drink carbonated diet beverages daily. I drank them with a straw for years, but I am now three-years post-op and I just drink them the way I used to- can, bottle, glass, whatever. Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Pepsi, sugar free Red Bull, Diet Root Beer...I have no issues with carbonation. I lasted on the whole "no diet soda" rule for about 6 weeks and I've had it ever since.

I drink carbonated diet beverages daily. I drank them with a straw for years, but I am now three-years post-op and I just drink them the way I used to- can, bottle, glass, whatever. Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Pepsi, sugar free Red Bull, Diet Root Beer...I have no issues with carbonation. I lasted on the whole "no diet soda" rule for about 6 weeks and I've had it ever since.

I started my 1-week pre-op diet at 237 and I went into surgery at 228 on Sep 9, 2013. By Christmas of that year I was 195- 200 pounds...so I lost 28-33ish pounds between surgery and Christmas (4 months). I then dropped again from January to May, at which point I was stuck at 177 for WEEKS. I added more exercise, improved my diet, and by September 2014, I was at 158 pounds. I averaged about 6.5 pounds a month for the first year, of which some of that time I barely lost anything. I then had my first plastics procedure, after which I couldn't workout, so I lost some muscle and I went into my second plastics procedure in November at 143ish. By the second Christmas post-sleeve I was 134, where I then stayed until April of the next year, which means it took me exactly 18 months to get to goal of 129, which was 108 pounds and works out to 6 pounds a month. It was NOT a speedy process.
I am now at 37 months post-op and I have been at goal (I fluctuate up and down about 3 pounds, so I hit 132.8 and I drop to 126 throughout the month) this entire time. Last Halloween I ate to much crap and I woke up November first at 137. It took almost 6 weeks to get back into my goal range again, so had I not been very cognizant of even a little weight gain, it would have taken forever to lose more than that. Since that time, November 2015, I have stayed within my 126-133 range, and I'm usually between 129-132. Once I get even a little over 132, that day I start making changes. I've been drinking a lot of coffee the last few weeks which involved milk and caramel and I noticed that my weight was getting very close to that 132.8. I cut out the coffee (and sugar and milk) and this morning I'm back at 130.
Although this is a long post, from the perspective of being over 3 months out, losing weight was not easy and it was not fast. It required waking up every single day and focusing on an end goal that didn't seem like it would happen. That doesn't change when you hit goal. I still weigh myself every morning and when my weight starts to creep up a pound or three, I login to MyFitnessPal and I am very careful for a few days until I get back into my goal range. If you want to be thin the rest of your life will be about being aware of what you eat and what you weigh, because if it's hard to lose now, it is an absolute B to lose weight a year or two out from surgery. Once you lose it, keep it off!
Slow and steady may not legitimately win the race, but it has worked well for me. Good luck!

Brief hotflashes were part of dumping for me. I had them for about the first 6 months when I had anything with too much sugar or anything that had oil, heavy carbs, or milk. It's not a random thing, but for me was linked exclusively with the response to having eaten something I shouldn't have. I am 37 months post-op, and I rarely have this happen anymore. The other day I ate something I shouldn't have, a sugary Cereal, and I spent about 20 minutes feeling really hot, sweaty, and with my heart beating fast. It goes away quickly and eventually you either adapt and no longer have the issue or you learn to not eat things that cause it.

I was a slow loser, especially near the end. It took me exactly 1 year and 7 months to hit goal, which was from 237 to 129, or 108 pounds. If I divided it out, this works out to 5.68 pounds a month. At a year out I was down from 237 to 153 which is 84 pounds and works out to 7 pounds a month. At 7 months, I was 67 pounds down, which works out to 9.5 pounds a month roughly. So...my loss did slow significantly over time. It took me from December 2014 to April 2015 to go from 134-129...the last 5 pounds were a beast. Since then I've dropped an extra 3 pounds and I seem to fluctuate between around 126-129.

You will CHECK me? For what? Ticks? Weapons? Maybe my ID? What does that even mean?
Drop a pic, girl! I'd love to see it. I seriously doubt ANYTHING you post will make me feel like "carp". (Wait. Isn't a carp one of those fishies with whiskers?)
And you are going to give me a dollar? Whuuuuutt!?!!. In check form? Is that what the check is all about?
I am so confuzzled!!

OHHHHHH!! WAIT!!! Are those Swedish fish things CARP??? I think I get it now!! Add a few zeros to my check for deciphering THAT.
And for the record... Clearly your definitions of "peace" and "blessing" are much different than mine.

Well I for one dont want to feel like carp. Heck, I cant even swim.
Sent from my SM-G930P using the BariatricPal App

I don't know of many of us that are medically qualified to answer that question. You really ought to check with your doctor on that one.
As far as people's sexual preferences if you don't have a good answer here then don't reply. I can see the concern in this question. My wife is a four-year degree Psychology major with an emphasis in abnormal sexuality. This is not considered abnormal anymore.

Ok, to give it to you straight, if you're snorting the coke and smoking the pot, it's your lungs and your circulatory system being impacted, not your stomach or your digestive system. The alcohol is the only one you have to worry about strictly as a result of the surgery. In terms of cardiac issues from the coke, that is a different kind of problem. Smoking pot is pretty much not going to hurt you, but skip the special brownies for awhile just to be on the safe side. Obviously avoid booze until your stomach is healed and after that understand your stomach is smaller and many of us have a reduced tolerance. Now, as a disclaimer, drugs and booze are bad for you.
Also, while I generally say "ask your doctor" definitely do not do that until after you've had surgery or he might be ethically obligated to turn you down for the procedure. After you've had surgery, you're pretty much clear to ask him whatever you want because HIPAA keeps your records confidential and honestly, I would strongly encourage running it by him at a point when you can no longer be rejected for the procedure. Also, obviously lie about that part during your psych consult.
Also, you don't find medical studies based on coke, pot, and other illegal substance abuse after WLS because no IRB is ever going to approve a study with human subjects that watches what happens when you give them illegal drugs after they've had major surgery. It would be a gross violation of pretty much every aspect of medical and research ethics. It's less because there is a huge issue with it and more because it's not something that can be legally or ethically researched.

@@PorkChopExpress
If you choose a reputable surgeon, you won't be deformed, especially like the lady in this story. I had three separate surgeries, and my last one I ended up getting an infection. I now have kind of an ugly scar on my lower back- it looks a little like I got shot in the upper butt with a large caliber rifle (or a small shotgun, lol). The scar line across my back is uneven as well, mostly due to the infection, but with clothing on, I look exponentially better than I ever could have looked before. My surgeon did a beautiful job and like most surgeons, will fix my messed up scar on my back whenever I'm ready. Right now I'm still a little over plastics...I had over a year of combined recovery for all of the procedures and the only time you can see my scar is when I'm not wearing clothing (and if someone sees me like that, they'd better not be thinking about a scar!). This doctor could have potentially avoided being sued if he had fixed what he had done for free, although, yikes, I'm not sure I'd want to go under the knife with that guy again.
Bottom line, these stories are the very few exclusions- most plastics surgeons are very good at their job and give you fantastic results. Even when something unavoidable happens, like did with my last procedure, it can usually be fixed. Skin removal made me whole life different and I am very grateful that I was in a position where I could afford to have it done.

I want to get drunk too. Sadly my clients frown on me working while drunk, so not happening tonight.
Your surgery is on the 17th, so you have 14 days between now and surgery. Go get drunk. Your liver in 2 weeks is not going to be remotely impacted in a way that is relevant to your surgery based on having a few drinks now. I'm not suggesting you get blitzed level drunk, but even if you did, in two weeks it really won't matter. I didn't even have a liquid diet or any restrictions until 1 week before surgery, so two-weeks out, yes, medically you can get drunk and it's not going to matter as it relates to your sleeve.
Past that though, while having a few drinks once a week is not an alcoholic, it also isn't a plan that is going to get you to your weight loss goals. I like being drunk and yet I do it maybe 1-2 times a year, partly because I don't like feeling crappy and I don't have time for a hangover and partly because I like being thin and boozing makes me fat.
You can have a regular drinking habit, or you can have skinny jeans...if you aren't willing to try to have fun without drinking now, do you think that you will be willing to do that in the future when immediately after surgery it very much matters as it relates to your medical health, and later down the road, it is a major indicator for your potential for success with the surgery, weight loss, and weight maintenance?
So yes, you CAN get drunk, but whether you SHOULD or not, is entirely up to you and how you think you will handle this same issue in a month or two.

I was 29 when I had the sleeve, I started at 237, I hit goal of 129 at almost exactly 18 months, I then dropped to 126 for a few months, and I am now 34 months post-op and I have maintained for the last 16 months between 129-133. At my lowest I had lost 111 pounds, as of this morning I was 132, so right now I am down 105 pounds.

I am not three years out- I just reached the 25 months mark. I hit goal and have maintained it within 2-3 pounds in either direction. Your post says that you worried about hitting goal and gaining 20-30 pounds. To be fair I would be VERY upset if I gained that now, but before surgery if someone told me I could weigh 150 for the rest of my life, I would have been pleased as punch. Most people seem to gain a little bit of weight back, but they are still within a health range and it does not seem to be anywhere near the obesity level- at least from what I have read.
That being said...every day for the rest of your life is a battle. The firs year is easy, the second year is a little harder, and after that you really need to rely on the good habits you established right after surgery. Every day I worry that I am going to get fat again and I take steps to make sure I don't. As long as you don't become complacent, you should be fine.

I was 29 when I had the sleeve, I started at 237, I hit goal of 129 at almost exactly 18 months, I then dropped to 126 for a few months, and I am now 34 months post-op and I have maintained for the last 16 months between 129-133. At my lowest I had lost 111 pounds, as of this morning I was 132, so right now I am down 105 pounds.

Ok, to give it to you straight, if you're snorting the coke and smoking the pot, it's your lungs and your circulatory system being impacted, not your stomach or your digestive system. The alcohol is the only one you have to worry about strictly as a result of the surgery. In terms of cardiac issues from the coke, that is a different kind of problem. Smoking pot is pretty much not going to hurt you, but skip the special brownies for awhile just to be on the safe side. Obviously avoid booze until your stomach is healed and after that understand your stomach is smaller and many of us have a reduced tolerance. Now, as a disclaimer, drugs and booze are bad for you.
Also, while I generally say "ask your doctor" definitely do not do that until after you've had surgery or he might be ethically obligated to turn you down for the procedure. After you've had surgery, you're pretty much clear to ask him whatever you want because HIPAA keeps your records confidential and honestly, I would strongly encourage running it by him at a point when you can no longer be rejected for the procedure. Also, obviously lie about that part during your psych consult.
Also, you don't find medical studies based on coke, pot, and other illegal substance abuse after WLS because no IRB is ever going to approve a study with human subjects that watches what happens when you give them illegal drugs after they've had major surgery. It would be a gross violation of pretty much every aspect of medical and research ethics. It's less because there is a huge issue with it and more because it's not something that can be legally or ethically researched.

I like chia seeds, although I really only eat them in cold oatmeal. The night before, I mix Greek yogurt, raw oats (the kind in the Quaker cardboard cylinder- nothing fancy), almond milk, pineapple bits with the juice from a can (canned fruit seems to work best for me, but any fruit is supposedly good), sometimes a little honey, but you don't really need it, and chia seeds. The chia seeds thicken it a little bit and gives it a texture I like. Then I let it sit in a mason jar overnight (I used the littlest jars- 4oz), and then in the morning I eat the cold oatmeal. It's yummy. If when you're further out and in maintenance phase you want a treat, the Pioneer Woman sprinkles a little sugar on the top and then uses a brulee torch to make it cold oatmeal brulee. It's not great for a diet, and I haven't done that yet, but when she made it last week on her show I thought...hmmm, that's a nice treat I should try sometime.

If you're concerned about your breath, for me the issue was from not being able to chew. Your mouth cleans itself a little bit with the mechanical process of chewing, so when you're stuck on a liquid diet you get a gross film on your toungue and I felt like my breath was gross.
Past that, you just had major surgery, so it's normal to feel disgusting. It gets better.