VSGAnn2014

I chose the sleeve because: * I was put off by what I had read online and heard from my surgeon re lap band complications and unpleasantness. * I didn't want gastric bypass's lifelong effects of nutrient malabsorption, complex Vitamin supplements, and dumping syndrome. I was also put off by the re-routing aspect of bypass. * I had "only" 85 pounds to lose. * I liked the idea of the sleeve's assist with lifelong restriction. (I now understand that I must always eat Protein first, avoid sliders, not drink with meals, and not graze to enable that restriction). * I was terrifically excited by the sleeve's reduction of ghrelin. (I now understand that the no-ghrelin effect may not continue as strongly long-term as it was immediately post-op; we shall see.)

Enjoy it, but don't push hard on the volume. Your stomach is nowhere close to being healed at this point. And it does sound delicious.

I think you'll find your interest in food will change and wax and wane. Don't think that what you're experiencing one month out is how it will be the rest of your life--or even a month from now. For now, try to enjoy the changes in your life that are making it easier for you to lose weight. This is a "magical time" in your journey. There's much other joy to be had.

You are about to see the scale drop significantly. Some people stall for weeks, then lose 10 pounds the next week. Congrats on your great success there.

vanilla no-fat Greek yogurt with (or without) fresh raspberries. cheese toast (low-cal whole wheat toast with sharp cheddar cheese slightly melted on top) Small apple sliced with sharp cheese

Great thread! Thanks to OP for starting it.

My face keeps changing as I keep losing weight. Even my wrinkles become more and less and more and less pronounced. And my face shape / proportions shift subtly subtly as the weight loss continues. I guess this is like haircuts--it looks good / better / worse / better / bad / better between haircuts. I hope my ass and my face are both at good points when I stop losing weight. Oh, and plastic surgeons I've talked to say that for a full year after we stop losing weight, the face and the body will keep changing and adjusting to the weight loss. EDIT: And one other thing ... I've had some good facials and good facial skin care on this journey, and that has helped a lot, too. Do it!

That's very impressive. You've found a passion that works for you and that you're very good at. Congratulations.

YOU are making yourself crazy. Don't do that. Everybody here has had the surgery, and so far as I know we're all still alive. And doing pretty well.

Uh ... what was that bit you said about having had a heart attack after surgery. Did you mean you have had a heart attack since VSG surgery? If so, yeah ... that's not a normal WLS event.

This is one of the most hotly debated topics on this forum. Nope. Did not tell anyone except hubby and two very close, very close-mouthed friends who live out of state. I am soooo glad I didn't publicize my WLS. I had zero interest in become the WLS poster child or spokesperson or fielding questions, sincere or snarky, from everybody and their brother or enduring (or even just wondering) what everyone was saying about me behind my back. After a lifetime (I'm 69 years old) of yo-yo dieting, losing and gaining very publicly, the LAST thing I wanted was people who don't know squat about WLS regarding my very personal, private WLS journey as info-tainment. If you keep your WLS on the down-low, you can always tell people later. But know this: If you tell "just a few people," it's very likely one of those will blithely tell others. And that's the end of your secret.

Huh? I've heard nothing about Dr. Quinones here. And why would you get booted off this forum from expressing an opinion?

Boy, some of you guys are rockin' it! Respect!

@@Rogofulm ... you SO look younger. That picture of you in the red shirt is great. No worries.

I see a lot of people above (who haven't had surgery yet) assume that they can't eat food they like in the future or that they won't enjoy eating food in the future. Neither of those assumptions is true. I really do wonder where pre-op patients GET these ideas. I would caution everyone who's pre-op to consider this: If you want to eat food exactly like you're eating it now -- in volume, in proportion, etc. -- don't have the surgery. You can't lose weight and you can't maintain your weight loss if you don't eat less food and, most of the time, the proportions of food types that you're now eating. Sweets, high carbs are NOT something you can or should eat every meal every day, or even every week going forward. But you should decide now if and how much you want to change. It is your choice.

No. It's not passive-aggressive behavior. It's aggressive behavior. You asked him to bring home sugar-free popsicles. He didn't bring those home. Instead, he brought 24 cupcakes and a gallon of ice cream. There's nothing passive or subtle or mistaken about that. He just said, "F**K YOU!" You take care of yourself. He certainly won't .

That's brilliant! Effing brilliant!

I agree with this. New relationships are extremely distracting. If I were still single (I'm not) during my weight loss phase, I'd probably try to wait until I'd lost all the weight I wanted to lose before dating seriously. Of course, love waits for no man or woman. Still ... looking for a mate mid-WLS is inviting trouble of many kinds.

As much as I do NOT tell relatives and work colleagues and most friends about my WLS, I would certainly tell someone I was dating about my WLS. That's not the kind of relationship I think should include serious secrets. Of course, you won't vomit out every secret you have just after meeting someone. But from the point onward at which you think this could be an actual relationship, I think that's when you should open the kimono. Please believe me, from experience, you need to NOT be in a relationship with someone who has extreme negative reactions to the kinds of weight history and challenges that most of us have.

If my husband did that, I would take the cupcakes and ice cream and put them down the garbage disposal. That dude has a serious problem. Take care of yourself.

Excellent piece, Alex. Thank you.

Of course, it's OK. You're not attending an ice cream social. You're meeting with someone to decide if they're worthy for you to entrust them with your life. Not only do you want to find a surgeon who won't kill you, but someone who is so experienced and skilled at the surgery you will have that he is very unlikely to make any errors that will give you a bogus new stomach.

Yes, I enjoy spicy food. Have beef/bean spicy chili very often. Ditto spicy tacos, thai food, Mexican food. I'm 20-1/2 weeks post-op.

Amen.

Most people are doing the best they can right now. One day, they may (or may not) do better. That is all. Yearning after what they might have done or what they might do in the future is wallowing in regret and rejecting an authentic life. What IS is what's authentic. Accept the change you didn't expect. Incorporate that change into your life. And move on.