VSGAnn2014

You can definitely drink 3 gallons of milk a week. No problem. And cereal -- by 1-2 years post-op, you can eat cereal, too. But you probably want to have some other options than just eat the same thing over and over.

I'm with Bufflehead. Those people aren't friends. They're toxic, immature, destructive a**holes.

For me, learning how to breathe and exhale slowly really helps my temporary stress levels. The mindfulness approach to stress reduction (looking at what's happening, what just happened, noticing my reactions, others' behavior, etc. -- without judgment, just observation) helps, too. I've found that a mess of emotions I can have are unproductive. In some instances, they're just reactions, like bad habits. And by that I don't mean to say that feelings are not important. But how I'm feeling at any moment doesn't have to determine how I will continue to feel or what I will do in response to those feelings. Finally, I'm not an AA or Twelve-Step person at all. But I certainly recognize that there are trigger situations we can control, like the AA's HALT signals (Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired). For me, I'd add Thirsty. There's so much online about mindfulness that you can google. Here's a simple place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness-based_stress_reduction

@VSG_Hopeful It's exactly those kinds of sharp observations you made about the contents of your bowl that will lead you to success. I think you're going to do great.

What a strange, strange comment and way of thinking. If he honestly thinks that, he should STOP doing any bariatric surgery. My interpretation is that he doesn't have confidence in his sleeving surgery skills.

Yup. Depending on the day I take the test, I'm an ENFP or an ENTP. And yes, @@CowgirlJane ... we DO flirt with everyone. But they often think we're just arguing with them. And just for fun, I married a complete opposite, an ISTJ. Boy, is he a classic ISTJ. I tell him, "We are so lucky to be together -- we have infinite opportunities for personal growth!" BTW, ENFPs are often referred to as those who "Envision New Fantastic Possibilities."

Too much sodium? Constipation? Time of the month? Are you eating some new food(s) lately? If so, any chance the food(s) contain something you're not aware of ... or tracking? It happens. Drink, drink, drink. And if you really want to kick the new #s, knock your carbs below 60 for a few days.

Personally, at only 4 weeks post-op I never would've (and didn't) eat any crackers. Didn't do that until about 7-8 months out. All crackers are just slider foods. Although some are worse than others, none of them fill you up and, without any Protein in the meal, are just highly processed carbohydrates that just make you crave more of them. One woman's opinion.

Yeah, I forget where I read this, but here's what you should do: "... say "eff it" and focus on all my supportive friends." Stop trying to "figure it out." You'll make yourself nuts. It's not YOUR problem. It's interesting, but it's not your problem. Really. Move on. And congrats on all your great progress thus far. I love your attitude of working on yourself. Keep working on you.

Does not sound at all normal. So sorry you're suffering. Don't suffer alone or in silence or in ignorance. Please seek your surgeon's help!

And to look at this from a different perspective than I wrote from above ... I've seen / known WLS patients who gained all their weight back because they couldn't give up sweet tea. Or wheat thins. Jeez. Louise.

Yeah, that quote about WLS and alcoholics always leaves out this little bit: 7% of WLS patients ALREADY had a problem with alcohol pre-op. Very good WLS research finds that only another 3% of WLS patients develop an "alcohol problem." (It makes me craaaazy to see "facts" like that CNN story quoted without any context for that fact.) Other transfer addictions can also develop -- shopping, sex, smoking, etc. But again, most people who suffer from transfer addictions also had addiction problems or tendencies pre-op. That's one thing your psych qualification can help you identify. The important thing is be aware of your own tendencies and your own behavior. Taking care of yourself is your #1 job. If you see problems developing, see your surgeon immediately. S/he will lead you to resources that can help you address and resolve those problems.

I have to be one of the bluntest people on this forum. But 20-year-olds actually are immature. And many of them are far more impulsive than they'll be 5-10 years hence. Hell, their brains aren't even finished cooking yet. Bless their hearts ... and I don't mean that in the Southern way. Likewise, it's sometimes hard being older and wiser with more experience and more insurance. Therefore, on a forum like this I can sometimes forgo cutting a young person's throat virtually. And yes, later in the thread, she did rethink the subject and clarify her position. For older people who whine repeatedly (not that we don't all have the occasional bad day) about pizza+beer, stalls, I simply realize they're probably not going to "make it." They probably don't have the proper nutritional education, counseling or therapy, intellectual or emotional intelligence, or other attributes that WLS requires for success. Don't be mean. Those of us who do get it and are successful long-term are lucky in many ways. I also remember that this journey is never over, and that a challenge I stepped over easily last month could trip me up next month. Finally, I'm feeling unusually charitable this Fourth of July as I think about the great fortune I had to be born in the United States and about all the opportunities freely available to me as a woman that I'd not have had if I'd been born in a number of other places and times.

Good Lord! That's amazing. You are utterly transformed into a different looking human being. I hope you're as happy as you look like you are. Because you look wonderful! Congratulations.

Perhaps he meant something else, like: "The sleeve will help you lose 40% of your excess weight quite easily. But to lose more than that and to maintain your weight loss long-term, you'll have to exercise the new tools and behaviors that are critical that all WLS patients should learn. None of the WLS procedures produce a patient who never again has to calculate their food and exercise choices. Surgery alone will NOT fix your weight problem. Those who succeed the most the best the longest are those who understand this and accept this. If you can't do this, I agree that WLS would not be a good choice for you. And if you do suffer from anxiety / depression / other emotional challenges, you would be very well served by receiving psychological support. Untreated, those challenges would make WLS pretty difficult, I imagine. Very best to you.

I know someone who had WLS a few months ago who's found the courage to move out on her own. In their situation, they had long-standing issues, including his verbal abuse, his substance abuse, and his insane jealousy. She begged him to go to therapy -- couples and individual. He refused. So she has gotten her own place. Thank God, she was able to move out without him going to the next level - of physical abuse. Whew!

Re "your NUT knows more about YOU than those of us on this forum do" ... ... in my experience, not necessarily. The first NUT I saw was 80 years old, at least, and had worked most of her career with diabetic patients. She kept telling me s**t like: "This is just like meal-planning for your husband." (I LOLed.) And "Here's how you can build a grocery shopping list." (I LOLed.) And here's the difference between vegetables and fruits." (I b***h-slapped her. Not really. But I did LOL again.) I quickly wound up with another NUT and with a physician's assistant who were both great. The advice they gave was to try to get up to 1,000 calories by 6 months post-op (I started at 235 pounds, was 216 on surgery day, and had a goal weight of 150). It all worked out fine for me. BTW, I'm 69 years old and a moderate exerciser - walking, strength training, and much more active than I was pre-op.

Month 1 I averaged about 500 calories. Months 2-4 I averaged about 800 calories. Months 5-6 I averaged about 1,000 calories. Months 7-8 I averaged about 1,200 calories. I hit goal about 8.3 months post-op and started trying (trying!) to eat 1,400 calories and am now trying (Trying!) to eat 1,750 calories. I'm now 5 pounds below goal. I think that's the sweet spot for me. For now.

For those of you whose surgeons are leaning heavily toward one WLS vs. others, ask them these simple questions: 1. How many lapband surgeries have you done? 2. How many sleeve surgeries have you done? 3. How many gastric bypasses have you done? You can also ask questions like these: 4. When did you perform your first X surgery? 5. Which of the surgeries seems to have more complications? 6. If you have a preference, why do you prefer that specific tool? 7. To which kinds of patients would you recommend they have X, Y, Z WLS procedures? And to which kinds of patients would you strongly argue against their having X, Y, Z WLS surgeries? In other words, don't just let the surgeon(s) you're interviewing blurt out some generic, general statement -- without you then asking some follow-up, probing questions until you really understand what they believe and why they believe it. It's your stomach. Become your own healthcare advocate and collaborator. It's how healthcare is delivered best these days.

@lovingmomof3 I don't know of any exercises that shrink your skin. And I used to be a bodybuilder. Our "shrinkles" will continue to shrink a bit for a year or two after we reach our goal and maintain there (says a plastic surgeon I talked to).

@@Alex Brecher Do you have a specific link or source for that statistic at ASMBS's Web site (or elsewhere)? Thanks.

Yeah, no. Not thinking that makes any sense. Did you see the post Alex made yesterday? http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/344560-interesting-us-bariatric-surgery-statistics/?p=3874902

I think if you're going to have WLS, you really have to be all-in to make it successful. Yes, there are WLS complications for a small minority of patients. Yes, WLS is expensive -- sometimes also expensive when you have insurance. Yes, WLS is permanent and changes a lot of things about what you can eat and drink, when you should do so, how much you can take in at a time, the supplements you must take, etc. But if all goes well (and it does for most patients), WLS can change your life so positively. Still ... if you're not ready, please don't do it. Your situation is different from mine. And if I'd been in your situation, I might well feel like you and "try another time like hell to change my lifestyle permanently." You've got a 5% chance to take off your excess weight and keep it off for a year. And if it doesn't work out for you, you can re-think WLS later. (This is NOT a snarky post.)

www.myfitnesspal.com

I'm sorry, but those kinds of meals disgust me. They disgusted me pre-op, and they do even more so now. No way could I have eaten that much at any point in my life. That anyone can eat like that is genuinely shocking to me. Just keepin' it real here.