McButterpants

I have been thinking this, too. If I remember right, our surgery dates are close (I was 11/14/13). I can definitely eat more than a month ago. But here's what I experimented with lately - if I use my Eat Slower app and set it to 45 seconds between bites, not only do I chew more and slow down, I eat less. Eating in a more calm mental state, allows me to more easily identify when I'm full. Another thing I keep thinking of when I eat - I only want to eat enough to rid myself of the hunger, not eat until I'm full. There's a difference. I have to remind myself to pay attention. Eating slower and chewing more helps. I think in the past few weeks, I allowed myself to get off track. Nothing bothers my sleeve, so I can just about anything.

Keep us updated on how things go tomorrow!

3 months after surgery - got buzzed on one drink. Had one the following day, same result. Cheap date!!!!! Sip slowly.

I'll tell you how I felt the day before surgery - S C A R E D. I almost backed out the day before surgery and the day of surgery. I think it's perfectly normal. Oh and I was mad the night before - like angry. Angry at myself for letting my weight get out of control. It was weird - that emotion came from no where! I can laugh about it now, but it scared me when I was going thru it. (My surgeon gave me a pass for dinner the night before surgery - No restrictions, go out and have a great time. What the heck - after a two week liquid diet? So the hubs and I had an awesome dinner together and celebrated - it will go down as one of my favorite meals and it had nothing to do with the food.) Here's what I did - I kept thinking about the reasons I wanted the surgery in the first place. I thought about my husband and son and how I wanted things to be different at home. I wanted to be an active participant in my own life. I wanted my husband to have a true partner in life, not someone he had to take care of. I wanted my son to have a fun mom that was full of life, not someone that watched everything from the sidelines. I also spent a lot of time on this forum - it's helpful to read what others are going thru. So, best of luck to you tomorrow - you'll do great. It will be over before you know it. Walk as much as you can - I paced around the condo until I felt like I could walk outside. Walking will help you recover quicker and will help dispel that gas they pump into you during surgery. You got this!!!!!

This is your decision and yours alone. You have the support of your husband, who I assume knows the risks. I find a lot of people with apprehensions about weight loss surgery simply don't know enough about it. It scares them. When I told my parents, I could see the fear in their eyes. My dad asked a hundred questions - "are you sure you've tried hard enough?" "are you going to be able to give up the foods you love?" "What is the surgery?" "What exactly are they going to do to you?" He was scared for me and I understood that. He was not on board. Now that he sees a healthier and happier version of me, he gets it and he now calls the VSG "a necessary medical procedure"! That always makes me laugh. He is so supportive - he asks me questions about what I'm eating, how much I'm eating and how things feel in my stomach. He sees me at the gym and sees that I'm getting in better shape and getting stronger. I needed to allow him to go thru the process of acceptance. You'll know what the best decision is for you and your family - your husband and child. Best of luck to you!

On the day I reached the 50 pound mark, I had two people say something about my weight loss. No one (other than the people that knew I had surgery) commented prior to that.

Sounds like an awesome trip! I flew last month - I have been so scared in the past few years that each time I flew I was going to have to use an extender. I was getting closer and close with each flight I took. There were times I probably looked like I was steer wrestling to get it buckled! I was amazed that 50 pounds lighter, I still had that fear and anxiety when I stepped on the plane. It's probably more habit than anything. It was awesome to sit in the seat and not worry about touching the person next to me. I was able to sit, cross my legs (!), buckle my seatbelt and be comfortable. I hope you enjoy your trip - it sounds awesome. And enjoy your new skinny clothes.!

I agree with JerseyGirl - it may be acid. There are times that I feel hunger when it's not normal for me - it will go away if I take an acid reducer. I didn't know this in the beginning and I confused this feeling with hunger, as well.

When I got into a real "bind"...Pun intended! LOL I used Colace.

Great story, Reverie!!!!! And even greater NSV's! You deserve it.

I was a 22 when I had surgery - I was in denial about this as I was wearing 20's. I had my surgery in mid-November and was able to purchase 18's right after Christmas. They were a bit tight - to the point I told my husband that he shouldn't dry them. Now, two months later, they are falling off me and need to buy new ones again. It's weird, though, I still feel like the Fat Girl. It's true what they say - this is a journey to fix your brain, too!!!!!!

You can set an alarm, then keep hitting the snooze or... You can download a free app called Eat Slower - You have the option to set a chime between 0 and 3 minutes. this is also a great app for when you're introducing foods.

Lynda is spot on. In the beginning, like right after surgery, I set my phone to chime every five minutes to remind me to sip. I couldn't take in much then so 5 minutes was good. As I found I could drink more I made different goals similar to what Lynda lays out above - a schedule and make sure you stick to it.

I love that last statement...so true. I'm not as smart as I thought I was!!!! :-)

I agree with the above...I'd make a call. Burning sensations are not normal.

Interesting question - my doc said based on the average loss that I would settle in at about 180 pounds. This was based on losing a percentage of my excess weight. I didn't want to hear 180 pounds - I wanted to hear 150 pounds. I left there saying, "I'm not going to be average. My level of effort won't be average." Here's what I didn't know - my body looks different as I lose weight as compared to previous weight loss. I believe it's because I'm reducing my body fat %. An example - I can fit into clothes at my current higher weight than I could at a lower weight. So, even though I set my goal number at 150 pounds, it's less important to me 3.5 months after surgery than it was when I first started.

That sounds about right - I think I was doing something similar to that.

I didn't realize it was associated w/ that patch! Interesting. Thanks for the info.

I agree - see if you can get into your NUT sooner. You should address this with a professional as soon as you can.

I was allowed 2 shakes and one lean and green meal - my doc wanted that meal to be dinner. My dinner was 5-6 ounces of lean meat and 1/2 cup of veggies. I remember someone here saying they asked their doc if they can split their meal into two and their doc approved. My doc wouldn't approve it. Sometimes my dinner was at 5:00 pm. It takes a few days for your body to get used to the new way you're eating, so be patient. I drank a lot of green tea (sweetened w/ Splenda) to help keep the hunger at bay. Best of luck to you!

Hi guys. Yep that happened to me, too. (I'm 3.5 months out now.) It didn't last long - I think it was gone in the first week. I returned to normal vision - no issues. Best of luck to you!

In the beginning I measured - a lot of the food on my approved list was in cups or tablespoons...1/4 cup of pureed meat, 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, etc. As I progressed, I started to weigh because it's easier to weigh a piece of chicken, cheese, beef, etc.

Thank you so much for posting! You have had such great success and I really appreciate you sharing your struggles. Getting back to basics sounds like a great idea - logging, making sure you get in your Protein and Water. Networking with the folks on here will help as well. I wish you good things!

I wouldn't stock up on a lot of Protein shakes or mixes - your taste may change after surgery and you may not like the one you purchase. I have a smaller food processor and loved it during puree stage. I purchased a Magic Bullet and I LOVE it - I use it every day still. I wasn't convinced I needed it because I have a nice Kitchenaid blender - the clean up is a lot easier with the Magic Bullet, it's just more convenient for me. I'd also suggest a Blender Bottle - I bought two. They were great for immediately after surgery because you don't need a blender - you're just mixing your liquid w/ shake mix in the beginning. They are also great to have in the car - if you get in a pinch and need a shake, it's at the ready.

I think a lot of "nay saying" is lack of education. My dad was especially vocal about not wanting me to have the surgery. He cried and asked "Are you sure you can give up the foods you love?" "Are you sure it's come to this?" I let him ask his questions and express his concerns. It wasn't easy because I just wanted support, not to get grilled with questions. But when I look back, he was trying to help me and he was trying to understand why someone would do this to themselves. He now calls weight loss surgery "a necessary medical procedure". That makes me laugh - he is so supportive now. He asks questions now about my meals, how certain foods feel in my stomach, and can see when something doesn't sit well. I hope your daughter comes around. She doesn't have the capacity or life experiences to know what you live thru every day - she's young. Be patient with her - I bet she does change her mind, it may take a while.