7 Bites_Jen

Yep I love Spanks! You can tell the difference too (Look at the difference between our first and most recent episodes to get the gist, LOL!!!)

Sounds like you're right where you need to be!!

The fact that you're here asking for help speaks volumes. First, you're 18 which means you're an adult. If there is an MHMR clinic around or something similar, contact them ASAP - you don't need permission or your mother's blessing for it. Depression is so hard to deal with to begin with, and then going through it when you're going through the struggles of your surgery ... Yes, you need help as soon as possible! PLEASE keep us posted, sweetie. Sending hugs and prayers your way!

You know, I love this group ... Each of us has sat here and bared our souls for all to see, without judgement. This thread proves the true meaning of support. <3 <3 <3

That is wonderful! What a great feeling - the first time I put my size 14's (what I'm in now) I cried like a baby!! LOL

That is so interesting! I was a Stage 0 myself, but had a slightly elevated cholesterol count (not high cholesterol, just elevated), so if I had waited any longer, I would have probably had some issues. That being said - I'd spent the majority of my live as morbidly obese and never had any other problems, so I can see where they were coming from with this! Thanks for posting!

Madame your posts never fail to make me think and this one is certainly no exception. I know EXACTLY where my problem started - it stemmed from childhood traumas that I won't go into here. I have had to do a TON of soul-searching. Especially recently when I realized my addiction is still not as under control as I like to pretend it is. It is an ongoing process - it will take us years and years to undo the mental and emotional damage we've done to ourselves - if even that, since much of THAT damage was stirred from outside forces. Life happens, poop happens, and tragedy happens. How we respond to it depends on that mental and emotional damage sometimes. For me, I eat. Even now - even when I CAN'T (and shouldn't) I eat. What once started as a defense mechanism has spring-boarded into a way of life. The sleeve is a tool - not a problem-solver. I still have a lot of emotion to get past and eventually, I will. But until then, just keep swimming, just keep swimming ...

Amy check out our YouTube channel - we've got a TON of recipes that we've been working on for just that purpose! The very first episode is all about liquids: I will be more than happy to share any recipes with you! https://www.youtube.com/user/SevenBitesShow

Hi everyone! My name is Jennifer and I've been a member of Vertical Sleeve Talk for some time. I am wanting to let everyone know about a cooking show that my mom and I do on YouTube called 7 Bites. We've designed it specifically for people who have had weight loss surgery. Even though we are both sleevers, our goal is to try to create recipes and techniques that will go across the board for EVERYONE that has had WLS regardless of what it is. I would like to invite you to all check it out, if you're interested, and give us input! Like I said, we're doing this from a sleever's perspective and would love input from EVERYONE so we can make this beneficial for all! Thanks! https://www.youtube.com/user/SevenBitesShow

Thanks, love! I homeschool my kids so we've been trying to get back into routine, LOL. I've missed my forum time for sure!!

I'm from the sleever forum and I'm not sure about the changes myself. I am glad to see other surgeries on here though - I really like talking to EVERYONE about their experiences and it's nice to get another perspective. But there are a lot of things that are different and just weird ...

Go to "my profile" then "edit my profile" then the fourth tab down says "display name". Click on that and you will type in the new screen name you want and your password. Hope this helps! I JUST did it a few minutes ago :-)

I am EXACTLY the same way!! I like low-carb - I will eat about 1/4 C of oatmeal along with a scrambled egg or some sausage in the morning, then TRY to not have many carbs for the rest of the day (I am usually NOT successful with that...LOL). When I can stick with that then I start to lose again. It's when I have the carbs all day long that it stops. I know a lot of people that are like that though, so you are NOT alone!! Try only having a carb at one meal a day and see if that helps. But your right - balance is VITAL!

What's the link to your page?

Thank you for posting this!!

I love this topic. Most people I know are actually "naturally" thin. It varies a lot on what they eat. Some of them eat more healthy than others, but they all have one thing in common and that's HOW MUCH they eat. NONE of them eat until they're sick. Rather, they eat a few bites of whatever it is they wanted, then are satisfied and go about their business. There are a select few that eat a lot of fried foods and junk, and honestly how they're not 1,000 lbs with heart disease I'll never know, LOL ... When I say that I want to "eat normally" I personally mean that I want to eat a smaller portion of healthy foods like meats and veggies, and then occasionally have a junkie treat. I want a normal relationship with food - where food doesn't occupy my every thought. It's hard when you're doing a cooking show, but it's been better now than it's ever been in my life!

So ... How's everyone liking the format so far? I was a little shocked when I logged in! PS ... I've kinda missed y'all. And yes, my profile name's changed - I'm trying to talk my mom into getting on here so if she does she will be 7 Bites_Sue.

I still eat soups all the time. It's fine :-)

Way to go!!

Believe it or not, Denny's, LOL. They have grilled chicken and steamed veggies on their kids menu, and also offer a grand slam where you get to chose what you want - I will get an egg with some sausage or ham. Another good place is Chili's. They also have some pretty healthy options on the kids menu. Call ahead, though - there are a lot of restaurants that won't let you order off the kids' menu - even with your card.

For soft foods - Beans, soft veggies (green beans, zucchini, squash, well done broccoli/cauliflower), soups and stews (broccoli cheese, baked potato soup, etc - those work great!). Be careful though, because if something is too rich, it can cause dumping. I had a bad experience with that eating a lobster bisque about three months after my surgery.

I know EXACTLY how you feel!! I was so afraid of dying on the operating table. I was afraid of leaks. I was afraid that it wasn't going to work ... I was just afraid of everything for sure. But think of this: The risks involved in this surgery are minimal. There is a larger chance that you will die of a heart attack because of your weight than that you will die during or because of surgery. Go back to your original decision: WHY did you decide to have surgery in the first place? How many diets have you been on. Why do you think they didn't work? The choice to continue forward with surgery is your own - no one can tell you what to do. But I can say that despite all my fears, I did it anyway. And I am so glad I did. It was the best decision I ever made.

Oh no!! I am so sorry to hear this! Have you been on prescription meds for it?

Congratulations! My mom had a revision done in September of last year - and she has said it was the best decision she ever made. Good luck!

Thank you!! And, absolutely!: After surgery, we are able to eat about 7 bites of food before our sleeves get full. My nutritionist even broke it down for me: 4 bites Protein 2 bites veggies 1 bite starch Some can eat more, some less, it depends on how far out you are and how big a sleeve you have (there are different sizes!). But seven bites is a pretty fair average. :-) Thanks for asking!