Scylla

@@Katnice - how are you doing? Did you talk to your doctor / go to the pharmacy?

@@Katnice - how are you doing? Did you talk to your doctor / go to the pharmacy?

Thank you McButterpants, This group gives me so much hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this site. The People are great.

@@mcherder - This early out I think I would stick to whey Protein powder for your Protein needs. I did not add Quest bars until I started eating a modified general diet.

I think sometimes we are too hard on ourselves! I am pretty strict with my food intake. Although over the 4th weekend in a moment of weakness I ate two Reese's flavored Oreos and about 1/4 cup of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I ate that small amount and was totally satisfied--but I was pretty disappointed in myself! HOWEVER, my husband pointed out that back in the bad old days pre-sleeve I would have eaten the ENTIRE pint of ice cream and probably had some Oreos, too! All we can do is dust ourselves off, learn from our mistakes and try to do better the next day.

You are doing a lot of things right! You are working with a trainer - a great thing! And you have stepped back on the scale so you know what is happening, you are not in denial. You are seeking help before your weight is really out of control, and that is key! You have only gained 8 pounds, you can deal with that!
I do have a few suggestions...
1. If you are not tracking what you are eating, this would be a good time to start. I use MyFitnessPal.com and I really believe that it will be the key to my long term success (RNY on 6/25/2013).
2. Go back to the basics. Are you drinking when you eat? Are you tracking your Protein? How much are you getting? You can get too much Protein - so if you are up close to 90 - 100 grams a day, scale it back a bit. Are you drinking enough Water? Boost this up.
3. Call your clinic and make an appointment now to see your NUT. They aren't there to just cheer us on when everything is going well. They are there for us when we stumble and really need to get back on track. They are your best experts, and they know you and your plan. Make use of them.
4. If you have access to a support group, begin attending. Studies show that patients that attend support group meetings do much better long term. The in person support can help you find your motivation and get back on track too.
You CAN do this!! You still have this awesome tool you just need to tweek how you are using it. Success takes hard work, dedication, and commitment. It is worth it in the end!! I just hit my goal - I lost 205 pounds to get there. If I can do it, so can you!!
Carol

I personally do not think you need to beat yourself up over a pretzle and a bite of cheesecake. Now with your "tool" you only ate one pretzle and a bite of cheesecake instead of a whole piece! Kind of a win! What made us fat was eating big portions not just a bite.

I think it is important to take emotion out of eating, including regret. This is not a diet this is your life and one bite is not going to derail all your hard work. I know it's hard when we have failed so many times at so many diets but what's different this time is you have an amazing tool helping you. You will be fine get back on the horse and let yourself be "human".

I'm down 11 points on my BMI woo hoo I'm also 2 points away from being in the 100's on the scale ... Just had to pat myself on the back !

Don't let the frustration get you down. It will get better. At 4 weeks, your body is still healing inside. You will soon hit your stride. After the quick weight loss just after the surgery, I think your body goes into shock for a little bit and just holds on to Water. It doesn't seem to make sense but the more Water you drink, the more your body will flush through. When you can get to a real sweaty workout, you will see a big jump down in weight. If you are eating the smaller number of calories,you ARE losing fat.
In the meantime pull something from the back of your closet that was too small at the start of your journey. I bet you will find some surprises!!
Keep up the good work.

Remember that exercise and logging your calories are a major part of this journey. If you can only walk, then walk but you can't expect to keep losing if you're not moving. I too had to limit my carbs for the first year post op. It was the hardest thing to do. Some months I did great and other months I didn't. But after time, I reached my goal. I had several stalls or plateaus along the way. It's part of the process. Keep following your doctor's orders and you will be successful. Good luck everyone.

If the many diets that you have tried over the years don't help you lose weight, weight loss surgery may turn out to be the only strategy that is able to get you to your goal weight. Still, weight loss surgery is just a tool, and your weight loss depends on your hard work over the years from when you first plan your surgery to when you are maintaining your goal weight. A healthy lifestyle includes eating right, exercising regularly, and silencing the doubtful voices in your head and of your family and friends.

Measuring each bite of food, and getting up before dawn to take a walk, and passing up your aunt’s homemade peach pie can get tiresome. Motivating yourself and setting good goals can help you consistently make the right decisions for your health. These are a few tips to help you.


Why Are You Losing Weight?
It’s easy to remember why you want to lose weight when you are having trouble finding small-enough clothes or your weight is above the limit for a theme park ride. It’s harder to remember why you want to lose weight when you and a group of friends are at the dinner table with a large chocolate cake. Making a list of the reasons why you want to lose weight and looking at the list often can keep the reasons fresh in your mind and strengthen your resolve to resist temptation.

These are some of the common reasons for getting weight loss surgery.
Live longer.
Be healthier – get off medications or manage your health conditions better.
Participate in more activities with friends and family.
Go shopping in regular stores with great clothes.
Fit comfortably into car seats, restaurant booths, and movie theater and airplane seats.
Feel better about yourself.

Make It Personal
Deepen your motivation even further and use it to help you stay on track if you think about some of the reasons why you are losing weight that have to do with people in your life. These might be some of your reasons.
You want to be an active parent who is able to play with your children.
You want to be alive and healthy when your children graduate from high school or give you grandchildren.
Obesity is making you miss out on important moments like family hikes.
You watched an overweight parent or aunt or uncle suffer from diabetes or heart disease at a young age, and know that you may be headed in the same direction.
Your siblings also suffer from obesity and its consequences, and you want to break the pattern.

Think About the Short, Medium, and Long Term
The weight loss journey is a long and difficult process, to say the least. You need to spend months or years preparing for weight loss surgery by getting the payment sorted out, choosing a surgeon, and following the pre-surgery diet. Then there is the actual surgery, followed by months of recovery that can include pain, nausea, and complications.

As you recover, you need to learn an entirely new way of eating and living, and may be hungry, cranky, and tired. Finally, there is the rest of your life, as you lose weight and stay on your new eating plan. Every day can be filled with challenges such as tempting but forbidden foods, the need to exercise, and how to deal with people who may not be supportive of your surgery.

Goals give you something specific to work towards. The long-term goals are the big ones. They may be the ones that you have in mind when you get weight loss surgery or that you tell other people. Some long-term goals might be losing 100 pounds, or jogging five miles without stopping.

Those long-term goals can take years to accomplish, and setting some short-term goals can keep you focused as you work toward the long-term goals. They can include losing 5 pounds this month or speed-walking for a mile. These are some other short-term goals that can keep you on track day-to-day.
Lowering your blood pressure or cholesterol or blood sugar levels enough so that your doctor tells you to lower your dose of medications.
Going for a month without going to a fast food restaurant.
Hitting your Protein and Water goals every day for a week.

Vary Your Goals
Victories can be few and far between if your goals are too narrow, and this mistake can leave you feeling unmotivated. Consider what happens if the only goals that you have are to lost certain amounts of weight. What happens if you do not hit a certain weight loss goal? Does that mean that your hard work has been pointless? Of course not, but you might feel that way if that was the only goal that you were working towards.

Learn to look for and recognize all kinds of progress by setting goals that go beyond your weight. When you achieve them, you have earned a non-scale victory (NSV). While a lower number on the scale is easy to see, NSVs are what make life worth living. They can include the following.
Getting in good enough shape to be able to walk briskly with your husband.
Making it through an entire dinner at your parents’ house without taking offense at any negative comments about your surgery.
Going out with your friends and enjoying their company without giving in to the food.

Celebrate!
We’re all a work in progress. With weight loss surgery comes years of working on improving your health. The only way to keep up the effort, and the only way to make the effort worthwhile, is to celebrate! Celebrate the small victories to be sure that you realize how valuable your efforts are. Buy yourself a new kitchen scale, get your nails done, go out for coffee with a friend, or plan a hiking trip. You are worth working for, and your victories are worth celebrating.

You can lose more weight and keep it off when you stay focused, but that can be challenged. Remind yourself of your motivations and celebrate all kinds of victories to keep yourself in the game.

I am a criminal defense attorney. I can tell you that if this guy hasn't had a load of DUI's at this point, then he is probably is not a drunk and fine on the job. He made a poor choice for sure, but I certainly hope it doesn't ruin his life or practice. Everyone makes mistakes, let him take responsibility for it and move on. I am sure he will have to answer to the licensing board and work it out with them. Best of luck, but I would not freak out about it.

Wow, that really sucks. Just be glad you didn't have surgery with him though since he could be under the influence when operating.

I'm going through the same thing. I was sleeved almost 6 weeks ago. Most people in my office think I just had gall bladder surgery (which I did). My boss and two co-workers whom I trust know that I also had the sleeve. People are starting to notice that I've lost a bunch of weight, so I'm just telling them I am exercising more, avoiding carbs and generally trying to eat less. You don't owe anyone an explanation. What you've been telling them is just fine!

Years of arthritis and obesity have done a real number on my knees. I get the cortisone shots in both knees three times a year, but this last time I stretched it to six months. Banded in March, I'm off NSAIDs for life now. Tylenol is a joke. But as I lose weight, it gets better. I've been walking on the treadmill 3.0 to 3.2 mph no incline without a problem. I bumped it to 3.5 for a few days this week and promptly lost my enthusiasm for exercise. LOL. I was trying to make my two miles go faster. One day I tried jogging at 4.0 and that lasted a minute. Too hard on my knees. Unlike TMF, I tried a regular bike a couple of weeks ago and my right knee screamed in pain with every up-bend, even without resistance. So I think knee pain is very individual. I do know one thing. If it hurts, stop doing it and try something different. Pain is not the same as being tired. Pain means stop.

Surgery date , I was 313...four weeks later I was 300 and I followed the post op diet to a "T". Um, I don't think you can be down about 14 lbs in 4 weeks when you are starting at such a low weight. Keep things in perspective and you'll be just fine. Slow and steady wins the race...

So can we say she cheated Mother Nature too with all the plastics she has on her face? What a hypocrite. Anything to turn a dollar, I guess.

My surgeon and my NUT both said no gummies because if you compare them they don't contain nearly the same amount of Vitamins that chewables do.

My surgeon and my NUT both said no gummies because if you compare them they don't contain nearly the same amount of Vitamins that chewables do.

Whey Protein isolate is the most absorbable Protein for bariatric patients. I initially started buying the Premier Protein shakes and loved them, but my NUT did not recommend them because they are not 100% whey protein. She told me that even though it says 30 grams of protein, you'd probably only absorb about 10 of that.

I was sleeved 2 weeks ago and I love the comments on this thread so far. Thanks for sharing everyone.
My 2 cents… Last year my husband had the vsg performed. While he was jumping through the insurance hoops and prep diet, I tried to tackle my own weight "one last time" the "normal" way. I became a vegan, and was for 8 months. I lost 60 lbs. I stopped when my life hit a couple speed bumps (always happens) and started to eat "healthy normal" bringing in back small portions of cheese and meat. 6 months later, I had gained it all back, all 60lbs and kept on going to add another 10. All that sacrifice, for nothing. That was it for me, I knew no matter what diet I tried, I would ALWAYS hit a speed bump that would knock me off track. Now, no emotion is going to change the fact that I have a tiny tummy inside that will not change size based on my emotional roller coaster.
Good luck to you as you evaluate the best, most permanent way to become healthy!

McButterpants says it very well, especially this: "The sleeve will only stop you from eating copious amounts of food in one sitting. It doesn't stop you from going back to the bag of chips 30 minutes later when you can fit more into your sleeve. The sleeve is simply one tool in your tool box.."
Here's my added 2 cents...
I was very fortunate in that I was not hungry at all for 2-3 months post op. I ate because I knew I should. When my hunger returned it wasn't as intense as before, and by then I had established my new eating habits which helped a LOT. Now I eat every 4 hours (8a, 12n, 4p and 8p), and I keep my carb intake as low as humanly possible. Both factors contribute to my never being hungry for very long at a time.

What keeps me on track when I could never stick to a diet before:
The feeling of satisfaction / fullness after each meal, plus the decreased hunger, is the main thing that makes it possible for me to stick to the plan. I do get head hunger sometimes, and when I can't ignore it I have a SF popsicle or some SF Crystal Light. If those don't work and I indulge in a cookie, I can now stop with one - which I could never do before. I've lost a significant amount of weight doing this, so I KNOW it works. I've been able to stick to the plan for 7 months now, which is way longer than diets I tried before surgery. I will be da**ed if I'm going to throw away the $12,500 I paid out of my pocket to have this done, not to mention all the work I've done (and the goodies I've resisted eating) to get to this point. Sometimes I just repeat to myself, as many times as necessary "I'm not going to eat that. Not gonna do it. There will be goodies available when I'm at my goal." And I walk away from the temptation. The support available on this site and on the Facebook group I belong to is PHENOMINAL. It helps SO much, especially at those times when family/friends would probably beat me to death if I mention one more thing about the trials and tribulations -- or the NSVs -- related to being sleeved. Hope that helps. Best wishes.

Hi, Sharon,
I've been reading your posts and couldn't resist going over to the fiercefatties site to read your "friend's" post and the resulting comments. And me being me, couldn't resist posting my own. It may get taken down, as it is waiting on "approval" by the moderator. Here's what I wrote:
Having read posts from the friend on other sites, this isn’t about fat hating or being fat phobic. It’s about her health and WLS resolving the health issues she has. Yes, she will lose weight. but, really, that’s just a side effect of regaining her health. And before everyone attacks me saying that there are other ways to get healthy and stay fat. No, there’s really not. Not when the health issues are being caused by being obese. Obesity kills.
It’s that simple. Maybe there are those that will dodge the bullet, but I doubt it. Obesity comes in second only to smoking for being the largest preventable cause of death. Heart disease, stroke, asthma, osteoarthritis, cancer, fatty liver (which can lead to liver cancer), sleep apnea,renal insufficiency (kidney failure) and the list goes on. Do you really wish this on your friend? If so, she’s better off with out your friendship. Friends don’t wish ill on friends. If you have really discarded her as a friend, why do you keep attacking her in blogs and postings. Me thinks thou protests too much.
Your now ex-friend seems to me to be protesting WAY too much. It really makes me wonder what her real issue is.

YIKES!! She sees you as a THREAT! You are going to change your life, she wants you to not change your life, because SHE doesn't want to change her life! Does that make sense?
Please STOP reading anything she is blogging/mailing, etc. It will just upset you.
Maybe some day, she will see that surgery is a LIFESAVER and want to get it herself. Hopefully, she will come to you and apologize and ask for your support. You sound like a very caring person, and I would imagine you would be there for her.
For now...KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!