Tink22-sleeve

how many ounces are you getting, do you think? Is your urine concentrated? Any dizziness?
Try chewing on ice> Sonic has the BEST ice for chewing. trust me on this. Also, 44 ounces of ice equal 22 ounces of Fluid.
Get someone to go to sonic for you

1) this study says a lot
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/study-finds-55-percent-nurses-overweight-obese/story?id=15472375
Researchers at the University of Maryland's School of Nursing found that 55 percent of the 2,103 female nurses they surveyed were obese, citing job stress and the effect on sleep of long, irregular work hours as the cause.
The study, which measured obesity using estimates of body mass index, found that nursing schedules affected not only the health of the nurses but the quality of patient care.
"Health care professionals are often involved in providing advice or care to patients that relates to things that aren't totally under control in their own lives. It's not uniform for health care professionals to eat well or avoid tobacco," said Dr. David Katz, the director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center.
Keith-Thomas Ayoob, associate professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said nurses are just as susceptible to health problems as the rest of society.
"Before we were health professionals, we were real people. Just because we became health professionals doesn't mean we stopped being members of regular society with all the problems that go along with it. It illustrates that knowledge alone isn't always enough to produce behavioral changes," said Ayoob.
The same is true with smoking, Ayoob said.
"We all know smoking is bad. It doesn't matter if you're a doctor or a nurse or a plumber. You might postulate that your interest in health would be higher if you were a health professional, but a lot of doctors and nurses smoke," said Ayoob.
"Nurses need to understand the importance of taking care of themselves before patients or their families," Ayoob said.
To combat the high obesity rate among nurses, Kihye Han, the author of the study, proposed more education on good sleep habits, and better strategies for adapting work schedules. She also called for napping at work to curb sleep deprivation, reduce fatigue and increase energy.
The 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses found that more than 40 percent of nurses who left nursing said they did so because of irregular and long hours, indicating that better scheduling could help nurse retention.
Han also proposed increasing making healthy food more available, and allowing enough time to consume it.
For instance, Han recommends on-site farmer's markets to serve health care workers who work nonstandard hours, healthier vending machine choices or having food delivered to the work unit.
"There's an awful lot conspiring against weight control in nurses. The solutions are ... giving the nurses the knowledge and skills they need to manage their weight, and environmental reforms, like having opportunities for physical activity breaks in hospitals, and having nutritious food options readily available 24 hours a day," Katz said.
"Nurses, who dedicate themselves to helping others," said Katz, "deserve that support from us."
2) I think that, by nature and training, we nurses are more apt to do extensive research before having any procedure done. Maybe doing all this extra research is what leads us to this site and helps us to find each other.

Keep in mind that the "5:2 ladies" do not recommend this program to people early out... We want you to follow your Drs plan. This is a plan for those at the end of their journey, who can't get the last few pounds off, have had a regain or having trouble staying at goal... Talk to your Doc or Nut about it first! It is also not recommended for those with uncontrolled Diabetes...It is not a fast weight loss diet, it is a longevity protocol that can also help with weight loss.

I'm in too. Did a "fast day" yesterday. That went well. Had 900 calories today. Gonna take this one day at a time

I would like to speak to numbers 6, 7, and 8.
I think a wonderful resource is The Beck Diet Solution and workbook - by Judith Beck, Ph.D. - don't be misled by the title, it is really about addressing the myriad of cognitive and behavioral issues that come into play when one struggles with disordered eating - all the head stuff that we must work on in order to succeed over the long haul.
There are a set of response cards that come with the workbook - and you also make your own. These are the phrases that are on that set of cards - which I have found helpful in my own "brain re-training".
The Beck Solution
Response Cards
1. Do It Anyway - Even if I don't feel like using a diet skill, I have to do it anyway. If I only do what I
feel like doing, I wont be able to lose weight and keep it off.
2. Give Myself Credit - I deserve credit EVERY TIME I exercise. I deserve credit EVERY TIME
I practice a dieting skill. I deserve credit EVERY TIME I stick to my plan.
3. Eat Mindfully - I need to eat slowly and mindfully while sitting down - EVERY SINGLE TIME.
4. It's Okay To Disappoint People - I am entitled to do what I have to do to lose weight, as
long as I am nicely assertive.
5. Say No To Extra food - Get rid of extra food. It'll be wasted in the trash can or in my body. Either
way, it's wasted.
6. Put Dieting First - I have to plan my life around exercise and dieting activities, not vice versa. I
deserve to put myself first.
7. Exercise No Matter What - If I don't feel like exercising, remember: 5 minutes is better
than 0 minutes. Say NO CHOICE. The hardest part is getting started; then it gets easier.
8. Tolerate It! - Hunger and cravings are not emergencies. I can tolerate them. They are mild
compared to ____________________________. I am going to eat in ________ hours anyway.
9. Distraction Techniques - When I want to eat something I shouldn't, Do these things
instead:_____________________________________________________________.
10. If I am Hungry After a Meal - Don't worry! it may take 20 minutes to feel full.
11. No Excuses - Just because I want to eat, doesn't mean I should.
12. Resistance Habit - EVERY TIME I eat something I am not supposed to, I strengthen my giving-in
habit. EVERY TIME I don't give in, I strengthen my resistance habit.
13. Can't Have it Both Ways - I can be Loose with my eating OR I can be thinner - I cant be both.
14. It's Not Okay - It's NOT OKAY to eat this. I'm going to be very sorry if I do.
15. I'll Care Later - I may not care right now, but I will care A LOT when I get on the scale.
16. I'd Rather be Thinner - Being thinner is SO much more important to me than eating this
food.
17. NO CHOICE - NO CHOICE - NO CHOICE.
18. Get Back on Track - If I eat something I shouldn't have I haven't blown it. its not the end
of the world. its just a mistake. Get back on track this minute! Don't keep on eating! that makes no
sense. It is a million times better to stop now than to allow myself to eat more.
19. Celebrate! - I should Celebrate each half-pound loss!
20. Oh, Well - I don't like this, but I'm going to accept it and move on.
21. Advice to a Friend - If my best friend were discouraged, disappointed, or dismayed,
what would I tell him/her?
22. Be Realistic - I shouldn't expect to lose weight every single week.
23. I Don't Comfort Myself with Food - If I am upset, don't eat to seek comfort! it wont solve
the problem, and I'll just feel worse.
24. Enrich my Life Today - I need to work toward developing a rich and rewarding life - right
now.

8 Habits of Successful Losers

...details here from a giant study of successful weight loss and maintenance:

Breakfast

3. They Control Portions

4. They Make Healthy food Choices

5. They Keep Track

6. They Find Food-Free Ways to Deal With Stress

7. They Surround Themselves With Support

8. They Believe They Can Do



Anything you don't follow on this list?, have anything to add? If you research, there are other things on the list not posted here...

All true in my experience! ^^^

As others have said, one of the best things about 5:2 is the restriction I feel the day following a fast day. It also doesn't feel like a diet and I don't call it a diet, it is a way of life. This isn't a plan that will make the weight fall right off. You have to keep at it and stick to your plan on feast days for this to work.
I have lost 14 pounds since I started working the 5:2 plan. I can't remember when I started it, I think it was July or August. The first couple of weeks the fast days are hard, I felt hungry but after that it's like your body looks forward to fast days. Again, fast days are not really fasting but cutting calories.
Post if you have any questions and we will be glad to answer them for you if we can!

how many ounces are you getting, do you think? Is your urine concentrated? Any dizziness?
Try chewing on ice> Sonic has the BEST ice for chewing. trust me on this. Also, 44 ounces of ice equal 22 ounces of Fluid.
Get someone to go to sonic for you

Surgery is scheduled on 12/11, and all the information I've read has been helpful in preparing and planning.
Thank you!

It makes me uncomfortable, and let me tell you why...
When I started this journey there was a series of events that triggered a shift in the way I thought about gastric surgery. A few years ago I had a friend who died from complications of Gastric Bypass. It turned me off to it completely. I lived with that for years and as I was creeping up above 360 pounds and I felt like I had been on some sort of a diet for the last 15 years of my life. I thought about my weight constantly. I was in deep DEEP denial of reality. The reality was that I was OBESE. I was 6'2 and 365 (my highest) pounds. It was an ongoing frustration where I would take 2 steps forward and 3 steps backwards when it came to food.
I simply could not find balance. I was lost in a sea of 'do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that' when it came to healthy food choices. I was like a tennis ball just bouncing back and forth on a very large court. Paleo, low carb, low fat, 5:2, vegetarian, vegan, rice and chicken breast, Healthy Choice meals everyday, multiple gym memberships over the years, $200 trips to Whole Foods for a WEEK of groceries, juicing... I'm sure some of you can relate.
Then one day, a coworker came back from a leave of absence and she looked amazing. I walked by her and whispered in her ear that she looked incredible. That innocent gesture would be the starting point that would change my life forever. About 6 months to a year after that another coworker came back from an extended leave (I work in a department with a lot of people so someone leaving for a while is not terribly noticeable until they come back) and she looked AMAZING. She had lost quite a bit of weight. What I didn't know was that these girls we're very close friends and they had both gone to the same surgeon. I approached her in the break room and asked her how she lost her weight and she told me she doesn't tell a lot of people but she had the Gastric Sleeve done. I had never heard of it before. I had only heard of the gastric band and RNY. She told me that she had an amazing surgeon and that she was the happiest she had ever been before in her entire life. It was yet another domino falling in my decision to get the surgery. So I thought about it some more, went through the normal "I'm gonna try to lose this weight on my own one last time" kind of thing and I gave myself a time frame of 4 months to lose 40 pounds due to a flight I was scheduled to take and I was petrified I wouldn't fit in the seat and be able to buckle the seat belt.
About 2 weeks before the trip I had only managed to lose 10 pounds and I made my decision to seriously start researching and initiating the process of my gastric sleeve. I actually had my partners approval and support which was SO IMPORTANT to me so I booked the seminar and the two surgeons who perform the surgery's came in and explained all of my options to a small group of us. I felt like I was in a room full of lost souls. The underlying sadness in the room was palpable but so was hope for a better future. Once that was over I waited to schedule the first consult with the surgeon till after my trip. Well I am happy to report that I was able to fit on the flight and not weigh the plane down to the runway, thankfully. And on that trip I started telling those that we're close to me.
Well to make this long story short when I got back it took me 3 months to finish the requirements for my insurance to get the surgery. In that time I discovered this forum (quite possibly the BEST resource I had for knowledge) and started mentally preparing myself for surgery. I knew there was complications but I also knew that I would be okay. I knew I was young and healthy and if I was ever going to get the surgery than getting it now at 33 was my best chance for a complication-less surgery. So I went for it. I trusted my surgeon and I bypassed my fear and jumped in head first. I was ready for change. At that time I had no idea what form that change would take.
I was very transparent about my decision to get the surgery. I didn't mind telling folks, especially if I thought it would help them. Well, when I came back from my leave (30 days), I had lost about 45 pounds since anyone had seen me. A coworker, not unlike myself started taking notice. She is a friend, a wonderful woman who was just so interested in the whole process. I explained to her that I had little to no complications and that I felt great. She was fascinated just like I was. She had another friend who worked in a surgeons office that performed these surgeries so she decided to go with them instead of my surgeon. They seemed to streamline the process much differently that my surgeons office did. It's like they pushed her through SO FAST. What took me 4 months only took her 1 month and her surgery was scheduled. She was so happy and even though I had some reservations about her process compared to mine I kept them to myself because once you get into that head space you have blinders on. I couldn't blame her, I did the same thing. I was happy for her.
Then she had the surgery.
I kept in contact with her through her surgery and stay in the hospital. The complications started almost immediately. She failed the upper GI because of the swelling, fluids would sit in her esophagus for a minute before it drained into her stomach. She was in a lot of pain. Almost 4 weeks out she is still in a lot of pain and can barely eat, fluids still taking their time going into her stomach because of the swelling which should have gone down weeks ago. I referred her to this group to check out the 'Complications' section and talk to folks who are having the same (or similar) issues. She can barely eat, drink and I am sure very scared and feeling isolated because of her complications. Plus she had issues with the company who handles our leave and she was only able to be out for 3 weeks. This is crazy because she IS NOT healed yet and her surgeons office didn't extend it. This makes me so mad. She has to WORK, in an office, and be productive while she can barely drink anything and is suffering and out of pain meds. I think I am going to fill my final 2 liquid pain meds that I didn't take for my own surgery and give them to her.
I will NEVER recommend this surgery to anyone ever again. It's a shot in the dark if you will recover the way you're supposed to. I will tell people I had this surgery and show them my very obvious progress but the phrase "you should look into it" will never cross my lips again.
Because the truth of the matter is, you never know. And I refuse to my the catalyst for someone ruining their life when my intentions were the complete opposite. Sorry this was so long. Your thoughts?

Yea. Hit onederlad - and during the holidays. Who'd-a-thunk-it!?!
I gotta admit I am not the best patient. I didn't eat much crap before (no soda, not much processed food, etc.) but obviously I ate too much. I don't eat 'low fat' foods per se. I use butter. I put raw sugar and half and half in my coffee. I eat triple creme cheeses and pate (and a lot of sashimi). I eat delicious rich foods, just in very small portions. I guess it's probably why I am a "slow loser"? 48 pounds since surgery in July and many mini stalls along the way, but I would rather still delight in eating and lose more slowly. I don't freak out about it. I figure it's a long journey. If it stops working, I will re-evaluate. If I didn't lose another pound I would still be happy I got the surgery. I feel so much better.
I still take a bite too much with more frequency than I would like to admit and still have horrible acid problems (even after treating the h. pylori they found taking the biopsy of my discarded stomach). Both of these things make me throw up more than I should. Like I said, not the best patient- (refuse to give up my one cup of coffee).
What has changed? No longer have asthma (quit smoking in April when I was thinking about getting the surgery). The seatbelt is easy to put on, even if I am wearing a bulky coat. I can cut my toenails again. I can fit in a 'regular' bathroom stall at school, no problem. I can run across the street and climb the stairs with out fear of arriving to class red faced and sweaty. The indignities of being obese are so much more than people realize. And...I feel 'hot.' Amazing how crappy I felt when I hit #200 on the way up, many moons ago. Hitting it on the way down, I look at my body in amazement. I caught a glimpse of myself in the kitchen window the other day and marveled that I had my old face back - where were those nice cheekbones hiding?
Anyway, thanks for being out there. Thanks for being so helpful and informative when advise was sought. Thanks for being supportive. Thanks for your struggles and your hard work.

OK, I'm in....will start the 5:2 diet today......I need to lose 6#. I have broke my rule of not getting over 140 lbs......I am two years out and have been at goal for one year until the last couple of weeks. (My goal is 138) I weigh 144 as of today and as we all know, a couple of lbs here, a couple of lbs there and it starts to add up. I will NOT go back to that again.....with the holidays coming up, this will be a challenge. And I have to admit, it has been pretty easy up until now. I have not had to be that disciplined. But I hurt my back so I am not exercising and starting to nibble as I make meals.....my two problem areas.....
Glad to be back here; I always felt I was trying to inspire others with my weight loss, but the truth is, this forum really helped me stay on track.
I'll report in on my progress. Thanks for all the support!

Give it a try Queen many articles on the topic. I have lost inches and gained control. Keep in touch tell us how its going.

Go for it! It definitely helps build disciplined eating and cleaner habits!,, we all will add our " two cents" along the way!

I think I was able to pull myself around. Today drinking Water has been much easier for me.....I don't have the need to "sip" it as much. I no longer am drinking out of the small ounce cups the doctor gave me. Feeling much better, I wake up and take a heartburn med and gas ex and it has helped me consume my fluids and Protein much better. Curious as to what my weight it but not weighing myself until this drain comes out.

I was just fine alone at the hospital. the nurses were very attentive, and i slept most of the time. you should do what makes you most comfortable.
I really needed someone to stay with me for the first 2 nights home from the hospital. my sister stayed with me, helped me in and out of the chair, played gopher, and watched movies with me. I would recommend you have someone with you for when you get home.
Hope the pre op diet is going ok for you.

Thats probably because of all the fluids they give us in the hospital. i would suggest waiting a week and then weigh again. you wont be disappointed!
Glad you are feeling so well!

yeah, show him a bunch of our before and after pics. thats motivating. also try writing down all the reasons why you want to have this surgery and give it to him (like a love letter). sounds like he needs lots of reassurance.
let him get involved as much as possible- let him help you by taking pre op pics and measurements. maybe he needs to feel like a part of this all. let him help you by gathering supplies. does he go to appointments with you?
maybe even let him read this thread you started. We'll help talk him thru this.
Best to you both!

If your husband is taking time off its probably best to take the days you get home and no one's there to be with you. Plenty of help in hospital

I wish I would have known how good I would feel six weeks out. I would have done it long ago. All the trauma of the first few weeks is all worthwhile.

Gotta add my experience... I was in a stall for nearly two years; no matter what I ate, how I moved or any diet I could not shift a pound. Disheartened and fed up didn't come close to how I felt. I wasn't at goal and I really felt that my eight loss journey had ended.
The Georgia told us about the 5:2 and how it was working for her. I decided to try it, well, I hay tried everything else!
That was June... I have broken that stall and lost 10lb. Now, that might seem slow to some reading this, but for me it was amazing. I am now 3lb away from my surgeon's goal and when that day comes I will think about going for my personal goal, which will be an extra 14lb or so extra.
This, albeit slow, has worked for me... And even though I don't lose on a weekly basis, I am seeing results in measurements.
Sorry for the long post

AMAZEBALLS! Bloody wicked. Crikeys! That's all the slang I've got! Proud of you!!

yes Georgia, it is amazeballs and it's all down to you that I am chuffed to beans...! x

Hi I'm from Grants and am 11 months postoperative- would love to meet with any from the area, I am 30 lbs from goal and been on a stall. I joined this forum for motivation and encouragement.