VSGAnn2014

I'd never seen your video before. It's really impressive!

Guys, google "5 day pouch test". You'll find what you need.

@@Mom26 ... don't know if you've heard about this, but *research* shows (yeah, really) that if you arrange your features into a smile (regardless of whether you feel anything like smiling at all) that in a minute or so you will actually *feel* better, happier. The signals between the muscles of our face and our brain run both ways and inform each other. Seriously ...

Fantastic! Congratulations to you all. Life happens, although the timing of your "life" really sucked! I'm going through some "life" right now, too. We all have / are / will. But we truly must learn to care for ourselves no matter what is happening to those we love. Easy to say, harder to do. But we still must do it. Again, congratulations to you. I'm glad that eating is getting easier for you and that you're finding your groove.

Congrats on your wonderful success thus far, @@BigViffer . And I always endorse beefcake pix.

Yeah, your over-achieving tendency is a good thing. Actually, it's a great thing. Now that that's out of the way, the psychologist is f**king WRONG about losing 27% of your weight via a sleeve! I, too, am an over-achiever. I've lost 100 pounds with the sleeve. I now weigh 135 pounds. So that means I lost 100% of my excess weight and 43% of my total starting weight. BTW, I'm twice as old as you (70 years old now), so I expect your weight loss rate compared to mine will be faster. You go, girl! Once again, although she was right about the likelihood (no greater than 2%) of losing and maintaining a large weight loss without WLS, she's totally f**king WRONG in her predictions of how much weight loss you should expect! Sight unseen, I don't care for her either. Just grit your teeth and get through her "education." As is often said around here, take what you want, leave the rest. Exercise your emotional intelligence, as well as your intellectual intelligence.

I loved the tastes of food pre-op and still love food! I just eat less of it.

My surgeon / his team have never said, "No alcohol after WLS." Their program, however, includes information about the possibility of WLS patients developing cross addictions post-op. I see a tendency on WLS boards for participants to interpret "possibilities" as "probabilities" or, worse, "100% likelihoods." This applies to discussions about cross-addictions, post-op divorces, post-op complications, and weight loss success/failure predictions. My take on the "alcohol post-op" debate is that we should be observant / mindful about how alcohol affects us. We all recognize that alcohol may (or may not) have negative effects on our health post-op, including: alcoholism, liver damage, ulcers, GERD, lowering of inhibitions against eating, etc. If you wish to avoid any possibility of any kind of damage from alcohol use, then you can decide not to drink. For myself, I've chosen instead the mindful / observant route. Since Month 6 I've been drinking wine. I drink no more than one 5-6 ounce glass of wine per day and no more than 7 glasses a week, which keeps me in the "social drinker" category -- in which there are no perceived risks. I really enjoy wine, especially with food, but also don't want to wash down my meals with liquids. So I stretch out my wine over a couple of hours before, during and after dinner. Honestly, most nights I don't even finish the glass. And now at 18 months post-op, I'm happily and easily maintaining my 100-pound weight loss at 135 pounds. That's just one woman's story. Things could change for me, e.g., GERD could get worse, I'd start gaining weight, I could start drinking more, in which case I would have to re-evaluate the upside/downside of my alcohol intake. I just see this as one small aspect of living in Wearing Big Person Panties World.

@@Jeanette1246 ... there you go! That's how this works ... one day at a time, doing what you're supposed to do today. Over and over. That's literally all you have to do to reach your goals.

I don't think mine is as "healthy" as yours, but I like it: Basic recipe: * canned chicken breast in Water * 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish * 2 tablespoons light mayo or light Miracle Whip Additions (in any combination, if desired): * chopped celery * chopped pecans * chopped apple * chopped onion * hard-boiled eggs

All good comments above! Also, your throat is still raw / sore / swollen from the tube they stuck down your throat during surgery. That will ease up completely in a few more weeks. P.S. I'm seeing a therapist (started several months pre-op -- I'm nearly 18 months post-op now). I can't overstate how helpful he has been thus far on this WLS trip. Please consider finding a therapist who has had success working with bariatric patients.

I don't get some of the logic you're using here: For one thing, drinking Protein shakes don't make your hair fall out. (Did I understand correctly that you think that?) For another thing, almost everyone loses hair post-op. And then it grows back in. Yeah, it's a pain, but you're not unusual because you're now starting to lose some hair. Next thing -- you HAVE to eat at least 60 grams of protein -- whether in food or in Protein drinks. Really. I mean it. This will help you from losing more hair than you "normally" would lose. And it will help your hair start re-growing back in faster. Finally -- taking your Omeprazole (acid-reducer) will (as you might expect) greatly reduce stomach acid and will (probably) reduce your stomach discomfort, nausea, etc. Makes sense, eh? Finally, finding the right protein shake can be quite the scavenger hunt. The one that works best for me are GNC Lean 25 shakes. I like the swiss chocolate flavor. If you haven't tried that, check 'em out. I could give you lots more advice, but this is enough for now. P.S. Buck up!

Thanks for letting us know what's going on. Hope you feel better SOON! Question: Did you continue to take NSAIDs post-op? (Pre-op I took 2 Aleve daily for so many years I can't even remember how long it was. But I stopped about 4 months pre-op and haven't taken any since VSG surgery 18 months ago.)

Here's a fascinating, persuasive article on how to build new habits by starting with small steps. It's an excellent take on this tough issue! http://www.fastcompany.com/3056613/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/how-i-became-a-morning-person-read-more-books-and-learned-?utm_content=buffer3c1e0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

GREAT bookmark. Great 45 life lessons that bring you back to earth.

I also did the baby steps thing pre-op re eating habits (eating slower, chewing more, drinking Water, cutting down on caffeine, etc.) and it was so effective. Still do those things right today. Also used the baby steps approach re ramping up my walking. Literally, "baby steps" will turn you into a daily walker! And I'm now taking morning French lessons with duolingo. Who knew that would be possible.

Read this: http://obesityreporter.com/bariatric-weight-loss-surgery-statistics-updated-2015/

I weigh daily and record my weekly and monthly weights, too. I don't worry at all about daily weight fluctuations. I don't worry much about weekly fluctuation (most I've ever gained in a week is 2.0 pounds). Thus far (nearly 18 months post-op) I've always weighed less every month than the month before -- although I think this month will truly the end for me, as it should be at 135 pounds. But if I started to gain from this bottom weight, I wouldn't just keep gaining. From this bottom point I think a 2-pound gain would be a signal for me to dial it down the following week. Key to all this FOR ME is that I have to weigh daily and record my weekly and monthly weights. Constant vigilance will be as critical for maintenance as for weight loss. I suffer from obesity. I have it under control now. If I stop paying attention and caring for myself it could get away from me again. Not gonna do that!

I cannot believe how young some of you folks are! LOL!

I think you mean "stricture." (I didn't have one ... just trying to be helpful.)

I think age 40 is the cougar threshold.

I'm on maintenance and didn't use these while I was losing weight. But anyway .... The best crackers I've found -- meaning, relatively high Protein and high Fiber -- are: * Doktor Cracker's Three Seed Crackers * Wasa Multigrain flatbread / crackers You can find these in almost any grocery store, even Walmart. I use these instead of bread and always eat them with something that's high protein. Had 2 Wasa multigrain crackers today with chicken salad for lunch.

@@Dub , that jacket is a great find. And you really are not far from wearing it comfortably. Also, @@lauraellen80 ... your WWII military outfit rocks! While losing weight post-op I shopped out of my closet down to size 12. After that, I shopped in high-end consignment shops, since I hadn't weighed my current weight since 1980. I admit that the clothes I wore in the late 1970s / early 1980 wouldn't be appropriate today, since they didn't cover nearly as much as my current wardrobe does. Think "American Hustle."

Your doc probably won't do anything. Last year my surgical team asked me how helpful the NUTs on their team had been to me, and I said: "Not much. They offer only elementary nutritional advice, which everyone who's ever dieted before knows already. Plus, they don't show much actual interest in bariatric patients." (the NUTs also advise diabetic patients). Then I was told, "That's what other WLS patients say. We need to find some new NUTs, but it's hard -- there aren't a lot of good ones out there." As a result, I have come to regard most NUTs as the bimbos of the bariatric industry. (My apologies to the good NUTs and their WLS patients who are on this board. And I have heard of a few of them out there.)

Please don't take this personally ... but you gotta admit that ^^^ is actually funny.