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auntiemel

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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Everything posted by auntiemel

  1. I was like you a few years ago. At my heaviest I was 337 pounds. Every year I kept gaining. I tried south beach, weight watchers, Jenny Craig, dr phil's diet, the Apple shape diet, slim fast and other diets. I could never stick to them and when I lost a few pounds I would gain back double. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and parents have all struggled with obesity. My surgeon actually said that genetically, I was wired to hold onto fat. I have watched my maternal aunt gain and lose hundreds of pounds over the years. My mom lost 100 lbs on her own, but she now drinks a lot. In 2012, I went to a surgical clinic in Everett, went through all the nutrition visits and psychological testing, and was approved for surgery. Unfortunately, I woke up from surgery and was told he couldn't do the surgery because my liver was too big. I was so disappointed. I ended up gaining more weight over the next year and was at my highest of 337. In January of this year, I went to PSSC in Edmonds and met with Dr. Landerholm, I told him about my previous attempt and he told me not to give up hope. I went through 6 months of nutrition visits and another psychological test and had surgery on 9/22/14. The first time I had to do an1 week pre-op diet and this surgeon normally does two weeks, but I did 3 just to be sure my liver was shrunk. I woke up and was so glad that my surgery was done. My doc actually said he didn't know why the other doctor couldn't do the surgery, but at least it is done now. I have lost 27 pounds since 9/22 and love my sleeve. It honestly has stopped my overeating in its tracks. I can only eat small portions and they are very filling. A few bites of chicken and I feel stuffed. Before, I was like a bottomless pit and could eat thanksgiving dinner and be hungry an hour later. I feel like I'm now eating to live, not living to eat. I'm down to a weight I haven't been in 7 or 8 years. None of my pants fit and I can't wait until I can walk into any store and buy clothes. It will be a long road and I will more than likely have skin removed down the road, but it will be worth it to run and hopefully have kids, which is one of the reasons I had this surgery. I've been married for 13 years and haven't been able to have kids and the docs say it's weight causing anovulation. So hopefully in the next 2 years I will have a baby ???? I hope you choose the best option for yourself. Many choose between sleeve and bypass now. I'm not much of a sweets eater just a volume eater. Good luck
  2. My doc had me empty the capsules into pudding or applesauce the first month. After that, we can take meds like normal. If they are huge and you feel like you have trouble swallowing them, you can continue the above method or find tablets that you can break in half.
  3. I've had reflux since I was a teenager. Doctor found and repaired a hiatal hernia and now I haven't had any major reflux since. I started taking my acid reducer about a week after surgery per my doctor's orders to keep my tummy calm, normally I'd have been popping antacids and eating yogurt to calm the burn in my throat. Reflux could have gotten worse post op, but I took my chances not knowing I had a hernia. I would stay on acid reducers the rest of my life if I needed to. I've already taken them for 15 years, so I was used to it. I thought to myself, which is healthier a morbidly obese girl with reflux or a healthier bmi girl with reflux?
  4. auntiemel

    No Straw Ever!

    I was able to use a straw at 1 month post op. It really has to do with air getting in our tummies, but I get more air just drinking out of a glass, I never realized that until after surgery. I now try to drink without breathing in at the same time if that makes sense.
  5. My forever plan still has Protein supplements listed on it. There is no way I could eat all the protein I need. I can eat 2-3 bites of chicken and I'm done! Can't eat anything else. Snacks I try to eat yogurt or deli meat and cheese, but like @@Kindle I just can't eat enough. My nut and doctor told me to try Isopure since I can't drink the powders anymore. It seems to be helping since they are like Water. I got the black tea flavor and love it
  6. auntiemel

    Soft Food Expectations

    I was sleeved on 9/22/14 and can't eat an entire lean cuisine. I try to keep my portions at 1/3-1/2 a cup for most things. I can have larger portions of things like salad. Since your meal was meat loaf and mashed potatoes I'm sure that's why you could eat that much. The puréed soft foods seem to go right through. "Sliders" is what they call them. Once I started eating regular chicken and ground turkey I could eat so much less than broth or yogurt.
  7. I can't stand any of the powders anymore. My nut suggested isopure black tea and I have to say I love it! 40 grams in a bottle and I split it up during the day. So I mix half isopure with more iced tea and get my liquids and protein all in one.
  8. auntiemel

    Suggestions please!

    I can't stand broccoli, but love zucchini, so intent to incorporate a little in each meal. Try different veggies and find what you like. I use the ziploc steamer bags, and add seasonings like Mrs. Dash chipotle, or even just salt and pepper. I haven't tried the chipotle seasoning since surgery since spicy food is a bit too much for me right now, but as soon as my tummy lets me I'm so seasoning my food more!
  9. auntiemel

    Height, Weight, And Size Poll

    Highest Weight: 337 Starting weight: 323 (when i went to doc) Surgery Weight: 312 Current weight: 286 I am 5'4 and my weight is more abdominal and upper body. Thank goodness I'm losing weight there! My old shirts are fitting and some of them hang on me like dresses now. I have also had my pants fall off a few times now! I know I haven't lost as much as some, BUT, I was only on a special diet for 1 month. I noticed that many who lose weight even faster are still on liquids and puréed foods for way longer.
  10. The only noodles I have had were in liptons noodle soup and I ate a few spoons and put the rest in the fridge for later. I wonder if the noodles were small and cooked enough not to bother me, but breads and doughs are way too much to handle for me! I tried a tiny bit of pizza just to see and it was like a rock in my stomach. I have had a piece of toast that I split with my niece, but anything other than very crisp toast is too hard to eat.
  11. auntiemel

    Hard time

    Remember this feeling anytime you want to binge eat! I ate Peanut Butter and sugar free jelly one night and haven't had it since. It made me so sick! The nut said that the fat in the PB probably didn't agree with me. I will try it later on, but right now I focus on drinking fluids and Proteins. Any amount of chicken/turkey is very filling to me. I made the mistake of eating a tiny piece of biscuit with my eggs one morning and that stuck in my chest feeling took a long time to go away.
  12. I can't take them on an empty stomach. I have to eat applesauce or some sort of food with them. If I don't I get sick within 10 minutes
  13. auntiemel

    Tea

    I use stevia in my tea. I didn't realize some of my tea wasn't decaf and I drank it since the day I came home. I also got isopure lemon black tea that has 40 grams of caffeine and 40 grams of protein so I get my fix.
  14. auntiemel

    Mourning the girls

    I am wearing a shirt that used to be tight on me and I look down and my boobs and stomach are disappearing! Oh well! Someday after kids I'll get a mommy makeover rofl
  15. auntiemel

    Travel in early post op period

    I also wore compression sleeves on my legs and got out at gas stations and rest stops to walk and stretch my legs. Every so often I would stretch and pump my legs in the car as well! Traveling soon after surgery and being idle can increase DVT risks, so I made sure to keep my legs moving ????
  16. auntiemel

    Travel in early post op period

    My husband and I drove to Vegas from Washington state two weeks after my surgery. I was really tired, but I was able to drive as I wasn't taking any pain meds. I brought water, protein powder, baby food, applesauce, and pudding with me. So I could eat when needed and kept my water bottle full the entire time. Just remember to sleep when you are tired and keep your fluids and protein up. I still haven't met my protein goal and I'm almost 6 weeks out. It's hard!
  17. My nut said that some people will eat every few hours. Depending on the size of your stomach, you may have to eat 6 mini meals every 2-3 hours. That is what I'm having to do. A couple triscuits with cheese and shaved deli meat for one meal. A yogurt later on... I haven't met my Protein yet, so I'm now drinking half Isopure black tea with regular tea. It tastes delicious! I feel that eating and drinking is something I do all day. Not drinking with meals is the weirdest thing to me! It's hard to eat when you aren't hungry and nothing sounds good. Before I could figure out something to eat, now I look in the fridge and think...eh I don't want this or that
  18. auntiemel

    What’s Your Halloween Plan?

    My nutritionist told me to be real about food. She said if you are craving a piece of candy to eat one of the minis. I have taken a nibble of a few candies, but I worry too much about dumping syndrome. I'm not ever really hungry either so when I eat I try to eat Protein rich foods and have some fruit as a snack. Right now a few grapes are hitting that sweet spot ????
  19. Hahaha! There are some things i want to eat because they smell so good! Although I would never actually do it ????
  20. auntiemel

    Official: FitBit Thread

    I was interested in the body bug but I'm allergic to nickel and the back is nickel. So if I used it if end up with a rash that wouldn't go away until I stopped using it completely.
  21. I burped nonstop for weeks! Try some gas x or maalox liquid that's an antacid and anti gas. If you can put your butt up in the air or pump your legs in and out like we do with babies. Honestly I barely let out any of the air out of my backside...it was all burps. I drank a lot of tea and it seemed to help.
  22. auntiemel

    Tampons!

    Okay ladies, I hope I'm not the only one who had this NSV lol, but using a tampon used to be a struggle for me to get around my big stomach! (When I actually had a period) I'm down a total of about 50 lbs from my high weight, 26 since surgery, and it has made this and so many other things easier! I also did the dishes without having to lean over the sink with my back killing me! Woohoo
  23. auntiemel

    Tampons!

    Awesome! I can't wait for that lol
  24. I just bought a case of isopure black tea with lemon and it doesn't taste bad at all. I mix it half and half with regular tea and over ice. Even my sister and hubby couldn't tell it was a Protein drink. Hurray for isopure and not gagging over protein anymore!

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