VSGAnn2014

LOL!

Then you know how people feel who have: Diabetes AIDS Hep-C Tuberculosis STDs Cancer Alzheimer's Nobody has it easy. Not even the skinny ones.

@@M. Julia ... I asked my shrink that about a year ago and posted about it. Here's a copy of that post: My shrink works with a number of bariatric patients and has seen many people go through this process. Toward the end of yesterday's session, I asked: "What issues do you see patients struggling with who regain weight? And by that I don't mean that they're eating too much. I'm really asking what's going on inside them that leads them to regain?" After thinking a moment, he said: "What I mostly see is that they're struggling to find new reasons and new motivations to focus on their weight and fitness. "After they hit their goal weights, many of the rewards they got while losing weight go away. They're no longer motivated by seeing the scale move down. After a while, their family and friends get used to what they look like and stop commenting on their weight loss or weight. Even people who were their strongest supporters during the weight loss phase no longer offer supportive comments. And when this positive reinforcement disappears, that has a negative effect on the patients. "So then they must find new goals and new motivations to maintain their weight and to be fit. And for some folks that's not easy." So that's one shrink's brief observations about the cause of WLS patients' weight regain. However, I'm sure that's not the end of our conversation.

@@gowalking ... Seriously, everybody tag everybody you can think of. There are so many who have faded away lately.

Best advice I got was somewhat related to the OP's post: "Don't waste your first six honeymoon months. You'll never lose weight that fast again," said @@LipstickLady to me in a private post shortly after I had VSG surgery. I had already fully intended to be the most compliant WLS patient ever. But that advice really got my attention.

@Rogfulm @@gowalking @@Inner Surfer Girl @@B-52 @@KindaFamiliar @@MichiganChic @@Oregondaisy @@NikkiDoc @@erp

What I recall about the "old vets forum" was that all members could see threads and posts in that forum, but only those who qualified as vets (per the then-rules -- although I don't recall exactly what those rules were) could post there. When I was pre-op and newly post-op I lurked my ass off there. It was so helpful. And trust me, even as a newbie I tired early on of the "How soon can I drink alcohol?" threads. Some topics I would love to get into with other veterans (but not with newbies who simply haven't "been there" yet, although they'll get there) are: * Advanced nutrition * Regain and re-loss * Recovering from exercise injuries * Dealing in healthy ways with life's ongoing stresses and changes * Late-stage complications * Dealing with WLS fatigue * Finding new life goals after conquering obesity * Dealing with transfer addictions * supplements three, four, five years down the road * Transitioning from food tracking to mindful eating * New career options for healthy, slim people * Long-term relationship changes after conquering obesity * Long-term challenges for WLS patients * Joint replacement surgery for long-time WLS patients * Discovering and living your Big Dreams when weight is no longer an issue * Dealing with death And that's after just a few minutes of thought.

Some first-impression thoughts: What about a couple of qualification criteria? 1. To me the most important qualification criterion for veteran status and forum participation should be the length of time since their surgery date. For me, 18 months seems about right. FTR, I can't imagine that anyone other than a complete loon would lie about their surgery date just to troll a veterans forum. 2. I don't think it's critical or even relevant that the person has been a member of this board for a long period of time -- measured either by time on the board or number of posts made on the board. Yes, they should have been around long enough to understand the community and to give members a sense of the veteran's ability to contribute. But those "longevity" bars should be set fairly low. I'm purely spit-wadding here, but am thinking at least 1 month and at least 50 posts. Finally, the value of such a forum would be that veterans who know their way around WLS could seek and receive input from other veterans who also know their way around WLS. I don't mean for this to sound "elitist," but some of the least helpful threads here are those in which a veteran who's struggling with regain or physical changes (maybe even late-stage complications) or life stresses have asked for input -- and people who aren't even 6 months post-op or, worse, haven't yet had WLS, chime in with irrelevant comments, advice, or distracting newbie questions. Finally, for anyone reading this thread who wonders why there's a need for such a veterans-only forum, here's why: Veterans don't hang around any message board to answer the same newbie questions over and over. Newer members 6-12 months out can handle those kinds of questions. But just like newbies, veterans need support for THEIR issues. If they don't get that support here, they leave. If that happens, no one will be available to address the questions of those who are approaching maintenance -- which, IMHO, is even more challenging than the weight loss phases. My two cents' worth.

If by "whole foods" you mean just regular food -- animal and plant Protein, veggies, fruits, whole grains, dairy products, baked goods -- then yes, that's what I eat. The only thing I ate today that was a "bariatric product" (although it's not purely bariatric) was a GNC Lean shake 25 (25 grams of protein and 170 calories). All the other foods I ate today were: All-bran Cereal Skim milk coffee Raw sugar Whole wheat bread Deli ham slices Light mayo Sliced tomatoes Baby carrots Cheddar cheese Almond biscotti Barbequed ribs Grilled zucchini Brown rice pilaf Seed crackers Dark chocolate Red wine Green tea I'm nearly two years post-op (sleeve). Today's Macronutrients: Total calories - 1801 Protein grams - 105 Carb grams - 165 Fat grams - 72 Fiber grams - 30

Tiffany, I'm going to offer an observation / thought with a little sense of humor attached to it, which I hope you will smile at a little: We don't get any extra credit for surviving with the least possible resources. We deserve to have all the resources in life we can possibly throw at our challenges -- effective therapy, effective antidepressants, and even real-live hugs. You deserve to thrive, not just survive. Please gift yourself with everything you can find to create the life you would like to have. This sounds trite, I know, but our lives aren't dress rehearsals for anything. They're the show! (more hugs)

I did some basic internet research -- found the two Centers of Excellence bariatric practices in my area. Then I went to an intro lecture by the head surgeon at one of the practices. He was phenomenal -- a great educator, answered EVERY question asked by audience members (no matter how dumb), was the right age (in his mid-40s, which is something I pay attention to, i.e., old enough to have a lot of experience, young enough to know the latest stuff). He'd done thousands of WLS surgeries. So then I talked to the folks who ran his practice -- office manager, insurance coordinator, head nurse, nurse practitioner, receptionist, scheduler -- and they were all lovely and competent. So that's who I went with. BTW, NO WAY would I schedule WLS with a surgeon I couldn't even meet with before deciding to go with. NO WAY.

@@Djmohr -- FYI, my carbs are always over 150 at this point. Don't worry about it. I'm a lot shorter than you, 5'5", and holding steady at 135 pounds while also eating 1700 cals/day. I usually hit 100 grams of Protein a day. EDIT: Most days I eat very close to 1,700 cals. But some days it's 2,000 and some days it's 1,200. And yes, my appetite varies. But the steady principle is: Eat very healthy -- as healthy as I can. I never thought I'd get this slim. My clothing sizes range from 2 - 8, but mostly 4s and 6s. I over-invested a little in size 8s.

@@Tiffany2015 ... sending you a great big hug! You've had some serious things to grieve about. You also sound like you have tremendous courage. As a 70-year-old I've never been in your shoes. But I can offer one small bit of encouragement -- menopause symptoms vary considerably person to person. It wasn't that big a physical deal for me, and hot flashes were a very small and brief part of it. Your response to it won't necessarily be what you're imagining it might be. Again, for what it's worth ... HUGS!

Pre-op, I was so freakin' READY for WLS (I was sleeved 22 months ago), so my post-op experience was pretty much: "Thank God, finally!" My surgery was perfect. Recovery was easy and fast. I was able to sip-sip-sip my Water (protip: you sip, then sip again, then sip again ). I walked a lot to get rid of surgical gas. I never threw up (22 months later I still haven't). By Day Five I was getting in my required 60 grams of Protein (shakes). In other words, my recovery was typical. BTW, when I added pureed and soft foods I had NO difficulty drinking with meals, since I'd been practicing that for two months prior to surgery. Likewise, I had no problem taking small bites and chewing, even over-chewing, my small portions. Post-op I did experience the new reality that my sleeve was much smaller than it had once been, so I really did have to make changes in my lifestyle. Pre-op, it seems a little theoretical; post-op, it is REAL. I sincerely urge pre-ops not to imagine this is going to be more difficult than it actually will be. My personal opinion is that the more difficult you imagine it will be, the more difficult it will be. As you anticipate your life post-op, focus on the idea that you CAN make many changes post-op in your lifestyle, even ones you think might be difficult. If you resent the changes you are dreading, you risk winding up where you always were. My two cents' worth.

He was a hard-headed man he was brutally handsome And she was terminally pretty She held him up and he held her for ransom In the heart of the cold, cold city He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude They said he was ruthless said he was crude They had one thing in common: they were good in bed She'd say, "Faster, faster. "The lights are turning red." Life in the fast lane Surely make you lose your mind Life in the fast lane Eager for action and hot for the game The coming attraction, the drop of a name They knew all the right people; They took all the right pills They threw outrageous parties; They paid heavenly bills There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face She pretended not to notice she was caught up in the race Out every evenin' until it was light He was too tired to make it; she was too tired to fight about it. Life in the fast lane surely make you lose your mind Life in the fast lane Life in the fast lane everything all the time Life in the fast lane Blowin' and burnin' blinded by thirst They didn't see the stop sign; Took a turn for the worst She said, "Listen, baby. You can hear the engine ring. "We've been up and down this highway; haven't seen a god-damn thing." He said, "Call the doctor. I think I'm gonna crash." "The doctor say he's coming but you gotta pay in cash." They were rushing down that freeway; Messed around and got lost They didn't care they were just dyin' to get off. And it was life in the fast lane Surely make you lose your mind Life in the fast lane Life in the fast lane everything all the time Life in the fast lane

My Fitness Pal

Roger, good to hear your voice. A number of us around here are now or soon will be heading into our third year post-op. My second surgiversary will be on August 18. I'm still holding steady at 135 pounds, but I'm aware that the coming year could be a booger! A long time ago I named year three The Year of Boring Real Life. Here's to all of us!

What @@Bufflehead said! That's what I did. BTW, @MrsKaren2008 ... I see you're 5'6". What is your current weight?

I'm a sleever like you. My post-op program was similar to yours, although 60 grams was the early minimum of Protein set for me, and I hit that on Day Five. I also was drinking chocolatey Protein drinks very early on. Other early sources of protein were unjury chicken Protein powder in chicken broth. pureed and soft and pureed food phases went pretty fast and started around Week Three. My doc even let me have a little coffee starting at Day 10.

Hubby and I are also avid cruisers. Looking back, I could have done very comfortably at 6 months post-op the kind of cruise we do. But before then I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed it as much. FYI, the lines we enjoy don't offer buffets, so we always order off of menus. Nonetheless, others have reported here that they have cruised happily much sooner out than 6 months.

As I understand it (purely from reading research studies, not from personal experience), reactive hypoglycemia is a post-WLS condition more likely to occur in RnY patients than sleeved patients, although it's not unheard of among sleevers. Sorry you guys are having to deal with this. Best to you.

Yoga benefits are so dependent on your teacher and her/his selection and length of poses and focus on breathing. "Yoga" is such a huge subject -- sort of like "gym."

When I just cold turkey sugar it takes 3 days to stop missing it. Have you tried that?

"Closed" means that posts in the group can be seen only by members. However, all your friends can see that you are a member of the group. Here's a great summary of the differences between public, closed and secret FB groups: https://www.facebook.com/help/220336891328465

At 5'5" and 135 pounds, my BMI is within the normal range. HOWEVER ... there are so many reasons why healthy people's BMI would be outside the "normal BMI" range. I just love the photographs taken in the last few years of Olympic athletes who're obviously very healthy people. Here's one of some women athletes, along with their heights and weights: