JeanZ_RN

Recognizing the pattern is the first step - yay you! If counseling is an option, definitely go for it, preferably with someone who has experience with WLS patients. What has worked for me is to set specific times when I'm going to eat, and sticking to them. If I'm hungry between those times I get a project going so I'll be too focused to think about anything else. Exercise is an excellent distractor. Another tip is to get the trigger foods out of your environment - out of the house, out of your work area. It's easy for me to do, because I live alone. If you have family in the house you could get rid of the worst trigger foods and tell them they'll have to eat those things (if they must) away from the house.

We are here for you. Tell us more, as Linda said, so we can help.

Where does one go to have a bra fitting? The sales people I've encountered - when I can even find one - do not seem to know much about the merchandise so I doubt they'd know how to do a fitting. Also, since I'm also in the "long" category - how would they measure accurately? I mean, when I have a good bra it bunches them up higher on my chest, and I'm sure the measurement at that altitude would be different than when they're just hanging there.

You are NOT too old. I had my sleeve done 6 mos ago, at age 60. I haven't turned 61 yet, but as a previous poster said - that's just a number. I feel MUCH better now that I've lost 48 lbs (26 more to go). I would definitely do it again. Comorbidities: >> Type II diabetes: I was on insulin; now I'm off that and taking just one Metformin tablet per day instead. My blood sugars and HbA1c are much better now. >> Hypertension: I was on Diovan; now I'm off that. >> Osteoarthritis: I too have a knee that is probably going to need replacing some day. It hurts a LOT less now than it used to, despite me being more active now. The sleeve is a tool, not a cure. It does not make weight loss easy, but for me it made it possible to lose and keep it off. Best wishes!

I eat every 4 hours - 8a, 12n, 4p and 8p on work days, sometimes a bit later on weekends. I usually eat about 200 calories at a time. If I'm not hungry at the designated time I might delay the meal for an hour or so, and I might eat less than 200 calories, but I don't skip meals entirely. I'm told that eating actually revs up one's metabolism. Anyway, it's working for me...

The 3 oz figure is for solid food, and it sounds like you're not at that stage yet. Also, it means 3 oz of solid food taken at one sitting, which means over a 20-30 minute period. For liquids and pureed foods it is perfectly ok if you can hold more than 3 oz, especially if you sip, sip sip over a longer period. But you still should talk to your surgeon to clarify the situation in your own head.

Way to GO, LL! You are indeed an inspiration (but I think I'll skip the mud runs). Sleeve on!

Here's something I copied from ButterTheBean (a veteran sleever): If your weight loss has stalled, read THIS. I was stalled for 6 weeks - Feb 1st to mid March - and what broke it was the "change it up" plan. I had been eating very low carb, but I had gradually increased to having a Quest Protein bar for most of my meals, and I wasn't exercising because I hate it. So I relaxed on the carb restriction for a week or so, then went back to very low carb with max of 1 Protein Bar per day, and I increased the amount I was walking. That finally did it. Best wishes!

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 big glass of Water, a SF popsicle or some SF Crystal Light. I've lost a significant amount of weight doing this, so I KNOW it works. 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." 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. You may also want to review the rules, to get your head back in the game. I just posted my version of them in the Taking a Trip thread. Hope that helps. Best wishes.

t's been a long time since you had surgery, so maybe a review of the rules would help. Here's my version of them: Consume 60-80 gm Protein per day and 60-80 oz of Clear liquids per day. Every day. Do not drink anything for at least 30 minutes before a meal or snack. If you forget and do drink, re-set the timer and wait another 30 minutes before you eat. Eat dense protein first at every meal. Eat a very few bites of non-starchy veggie in addition if you have room. Decide how many meals and/or protein Snacks you're going to have per day, and stick to it. Do not eat between meals. Wait at least 30 minutes after every meal or snack before drinking anything. If your mouth gets really dry you could rinse after eating or brush your teeth. I avoid alcohol because I'm concerned it would decrease my ability to resist bad food choices. I follow a very low carb plan rather than counting calories, but that's a personal choice for each of us. Follow the numbered rules at least 90% of the time, and you will succeed. For the other 10%, do not beat yourself up - just get back on the wagon immediately and Sleeve On! Best wishes.

Wow, excellent thread! Thanks, Fiddleman! I haven't had any of those problems yet, but now I'll be on the lookout for them.

Congratulations! Great to see these pics. What's that about not flattering?? You look WONderful, and today's dress is TOO flattering.

I agree with CowgirlJane. You asked "Does your life really improve mentally as you are progressing?" Well, yes, mine did, but that part does not come automatically with the surgery - you have to WORK at it.

You might want to search on this site for hair loss - a lot has been written about it. To summarize what I've read on here: Hair loss usually begins at 3-4 mos post op (just like Star1221 said) and lasts until about 9 mos post op. Of course your mileage may vary :-) There is apparently no medication, supplement or topical treatment that can be relied on to stop the loss or even slow it appreciably, BUT one person who posts on here said she slowed the loss by increasing her Iron intake to 4x what she had been taking. Beware: If you try that, you may become [more] constipated and you may have very dark stools. The dark is not blood, just a side effect of the iron supplement. Biotin will supposedly enhance new hair growth. I've been taking an extended release tablet of it for a few months, but how would I know if it really helps? I don't know what my hair would look like without it, so ... ? But I keep taking it anyway. I'm debating getting a wig, but my loss is not that bad [yet] and I would think a wig would itch. I do use a spray-on color occasionally to darken my scalp in places, so I can say those do work. You just have to get one that's very close to your hair color, and use it carefully. Best wishes!

Keep in mind that ANYONE who takes any NSAID should ALWAYS take it with food. That will decrease the possibility of it bothering your stomach. The irritation NSAIDs can cause can be "silent" (without outward symptoms), so be aware that lack of stomach upset does not necessarily mean your stomach is not irritated. My surgeon said that starting about 4 months post op I can take NSAIDs for short periods, but I should never take them long term again like I did pre-op (for osteoarthritis pain in my knees, hips and shoulders).

From everything I've read on this site since I joined it last fall, it seems to me that those whose BMI is higher to start with lose weight faster than those of us who started at a lower BMI. One thing I did not realize when I chose my surgery date was that there is a "honeymoon period" of rapid loss right after the surgery, and the longer you can keep that going, the better. I was sleeved in mid November, and I chose a low carb eating plan as soon as I was off restrictions. I did lose quickly at first, and Thanksgiving didn't put a dent in that since I was still on soft foods only when that date arrived. But by Christmas I had been keeping my carbs as low as humanly possible for some weeks... and then all the goodies got to me and I ate carbs. After that my rate of loss slowed, and then in February I started a stall that lasted for 6 weeks. I'm losing again now, but more slowly than I would like. (Yah, I know, I didn't get fat over night...) If I had it to do over I would have the surgery early in January, and make it a point to keep the weight loss going without a break, to take advantage of that "honeymoon" period. Had I done that I might have achieved my goal weight already. Oh, well... I am NOT complaining, I promise. I love my sleeve!

I've been on Prilosec 20 mg every day for several years - since long before my sleeve surgery -- and I've continued it post op. I get it over the counter (OTC). My lab values have been fine, so I'm not worried about the possibility of decreased Vitamin absorption from the Prilosec.

I LOVE IT! ROFL! That is PRICELESS!

It may be that your body thinks you are starving, and is therefore holding onto every gram of fat. As odd as it sounds, if you INcrease your calorie intake for a day or two then decrease it again, that might do it. It's the "change it up" school of thought, and it helped me break a 6-week stall a few months ago. The other possibility is that you are losing inches even though the scale is not moving. Check it out... And if you didn't record your measurements just before surgery, do it now so that the next time the scale is slow to move you'll have another way to assess what's going on. As someone else on this site said, You can only control what goes in your mouth and the exercise you do. Your body controls the rest... Sleeve on!!

How long have you been so exhausted? Has it been this way ever since surgery? How long has it been since you were checked for anemia? Are you including any red meat in your diet?

I found these three via Google; I haven't tried any of them: Walden Farms Barbecue Sauce (picture wouldn't copy) Calorie Free Low carb sugar free Kraft Light, Original, 30 Calorie Barbecue Sauce (picture wouldn't copy) Serving Size 2.0 tbsp (33 g) Servings Per Container 14 Amount Per Serving Calories 20 Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value* Total Fat 0 g 0% Saturated Fat 0 g 0% Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Sodium 340 mg 14% Potassium -- -- Total Carbohydrate 5 g 2% Dietary Fiber 0 g 0% Sugars 3 g Protein 0 Guy's Award Winning Sugar Free BBQ Sauce No preservatives Sugar free Gluten free Trans fat free Low sodium

I'm 60 years old, have been divorced for many years, and after a few going-nowhere relationships I just quit trying to date. Being at my heaviest during that time was either the chicken or the egg - I don't know which. A couple of months ago I signed up for LoveAfterWLS.com, but as it happens there aren't any men in Texas signed up there. Yesterday I checked in at that site again, and there still aren't any. So, having heard of PlentyOfFish on this site, I signed up there. I found several interesting profiles within 75 miles of my home, and I messaged back and forth with 3 of the guys. I've already had a telephone conversation with the most interesting one, and we're going to meet later this week. Woot Woot! For CowgirlJane: My bet is that you intimidate men by being so very good looking. Seriously!

I've never heard of it either, and I also would like to know what led to the need for it.

You look WONderful! Congratulations! How tall are you? And how long did it take you, from surgery to your goal wt?