ziggypbang

Awesome job! Can you believe that there are medical professionals out there that refuse to embrace this opportunity for their patients? Just eat less and move more, they say. It's like a lifeguard standing 20 feet from a drowning person and telling them to just swim harder!

Syntrax Nectar is my savior! Especially post op, when it was all I could drink. I haven't gone a day without Syntrax in six months. Really love grapefruit, lemon tea and fuzzy navel!

Hi Fellow Hoosier Sleevers! If anyone is considering Community North for a sleeve, I'd like to give giant props to Dr. Ditslear and the whole team! I started at Community south,which is a much longer and harder pre-op program, and I was getting very discouraged so I switched to north. So glad I did!

Love the tropical flavors of SG Popsicles! I couldn't stomach the flavor of chocolate or coffee right after surgery, which made most of the shakes I had on hand useless. I absolutely loved the sample pack of Syntrax Nectar shakes during this period. Eating or drinking anything is so hard, and repeating the same flavors over and over is harder, so the sampler was a lifesaver. I bought two of them. syntrax's number is 866-333-7403 to order a dozen packets for about 14 dollars. If you buy the packets individually it would cost $24 at least. I also enjoyed Better Than Boullion for making cups of warm broth. The beef flavor, especially. I even liked adding unflavored protein powder to it, which lent a bit of a sour cream flavor. I agree with others that you don't want to buy much. Your tastes will change too quickly.

Jealousy us an ugly green monster! There are people out there who only feel good about themselves, or at least less insecure, when they try to bring down those around them. This is why most of us hated junior high!

Honey, You are not responsible for your husband's health or his poor choices. You cannot fix him. You do need to get out of that house, even if it's for 3-4 hours at a time. Find an outlet mall. Go to Starbuck's. Visit a friend. See back-to-back matinees at the dollar theater (ok, maybe they're $2 now). Go anywhere. As long as he has a telephone and can dial 911, you're fine. He has to make the decision to change. Sitting around is total CRAP for recovery. I am shocked that he passed his psych eval - someone REALLY dropped the ball on that one. And yes, his surgical team has to be informed that he is ignoring their orders. You are the LAST person he is going to listen to. He know you won't get on a bus and take off, and he's going to continue to treat you in a way you just don't deserve. Blessings!

I do enjoy their dark chocolate as well, and their low-fat feta cheese is delicious.

I spend too much time on this site! I also am in love with clothes shopping now so much more than before. The clothes actually look good now, instead of tent- like! I also am committed to Planet Fitness at least twice a week. I'm staying in a hotel this weekend for a conference and I'm psyched about getting to work out every day in the gym! That's weird but awesome!

Anna, don't panic! When was your surgery date for the sleeve? I did start feeling I could eat anything by about four months. Are you having meals that are half dense protein and half veggies? These really stick around in our little tummies best and keep us full. About and hour after meals you can start sipping liquids. I try to get 16 ounces in, then wait about 15 minutes before my next meal. Its hard for me to do more than 4 meals this way- just not enough hours in the day! I still do 3 protein shakes a day of various types, which I actually enjoy but I might be in the minority! I'm really into the Syntrax Nectar Fuzzy Navel (great for summer!) And I make 2 giant caramel cappuccinos to start and end my days. Honestly, I find lack of variety helps me. I don't have to make a new plan each day, except on weekends sometimes. Have you thought about keeping a food diary? I was ready to polish off a whole bag of pork jerky yesterday when I realized I was too ashamed to write down 270 calories of jerky in my journal! I made my husband the beneficiary of my leftovers! Don't hesitate to call your nutritionist either if you are struggling! They LOVE to feel needed, and sometimes can be very helpful.

Denise, I'm so sorry my thoughts on updating your surgery date didn't help! I've been playing around trying to figure out an alternative method without success. Perhaps another more technologically savvy member might assist? And maybe that same kind soul might also let me know how to edit previous posts!? Yes, I've been living with evidence of my typos and bizarre auto-corrects for six months now...

Clothes from the regular-size ladies' store, baby! Yes! Loving it! Lane Bryant, eat your heart out! We're not heading back your way!

Hey hon, Many of us have fallen, even post-op. The brave figure out what brought them down, and turn it around! Go back to basics. Figure out what your body needs and eat that first. Protein, protein, protein first - make it be dense if possible so your stomach KNOWS you ate! Fill the other half of your plate with veggies. I don't do carbs personally, because they are a slippery slope for me. I binge when I allow myself that first chip, that first bite of warm pita bread...so I don't eat them. I am keeping track of all my foods now, but I didn't at first, not for months. It turns out it is what I needed. Even today, I was eating some Jerky and I wanted to finish off the bag, but I wasn't about to write down 270 calories worth of jerky in a single day in my journal! So I gave the rest to my husband. If you want to splurge a little, just plan for it. I ate two beef ribs on Memorial Day and they were glorious! The rest of my meal, however, was just raw veggies. This is the plan I've created for me. Yours may be totally different. One bit of pizza or a little Nutella when I'm pms-ing isn't going to sabatoge anything. But when things go off the deep end, take a deep breath and start over with the basics. Good luck!

Hey Fellow Addict! You're in great company, and you're not in the kitchen! Boo-ya! To add your surgery info, click the your username in the upper right corner, then click "My Surgery" and you can add as much info about it as you would like to share. Best wishes!

Ha! I will probably make my husband eat two and then lick his lips! People will hide their children's eyes from looking at the porno taking place in our booth. Those crispy golden edges....aargghh! You're right, the biscuits must be pharmaceutically enhanced to be that crazy good!

Hi Menelly, I wish I could answer your specific question about the PE, but I'll leave that to other medical professionals here. I'm just an optometrist, so I like to joke that I'm a doctor from the bridge of the nose up the the eyebrows! As far as the comorbidities (obesity related health issues) are concerned, a lot of us underwent sleep studies to look for signs of apnea, which is very common condition in obesity that often goes undiagnosed. Sleep apnea is extremely damaging to the heart, and a common sign in snoring. Waking up tired is usually a symptom. The diagnosis of sleep apnea pushed my insurance into approving me. I never did start with the c-pap machine, however. I figured I would give the weight loss time to clear up the apnea, and I believe it has. You are in no way crazy to be considering WLS for a BMI of 40. You have your head on straight, for sure! If you are ready to change the way you eat, the way you exercise, the way you dress, the way you feel, and the way some people feel about you (bad & good, believe it or not!), I am 110% enthusiastic about having that weight GONE. Heck, I can't believe I've lost nearly two full bags of mulch! Those things are a BEAST to haul around in a wheelbarrow for 30 seconds, and I was hauling that weight around on my precious, God-given body 24/7!

Red Lobster was my "Last Supper" before my pre-op diet started! I can't wait to go back and see what the food tastes like for real when I'm not shoving Cheddar Bay biscuits down my gullet with both fists!

Shellief, I hear you loud and clear, and I heard those same words from great friends. But don't let the words of others steer you away from the truths you know in your own head. We want to believe people when they are being kind to us. There are a lot of well-meaning people out there, but they don't realize that they might be causing you to think twice about making a radical commmitment to your health that will dramatically improve your life quality (and possibly quantity!). LipstickLady post a great topic recently in Rant & Raves called "I thought I was (fill in the blank), but I was just fat." Check it out. It's stunning how we deceive ourselves to make the pain of obesity more tolerable. But wouldn't it be better to have a healthy mind AND body, rather than just a soothed mind? How about wearing nothing but a sexy lingerie to bed instead of that wacky cpap mask? Or just wearing NOTHING? Best wishes!

Cocoa roasted almonds! I can count out 24 of them for 160 calories, and eat them on the way home from work, after I have finished my afternoon protein shake. I avoid salty nuts because they make me thirsty, which doesn't work with my tiny tummy!

I thought I was a pleasantly plump, jolly woman. Turns out I was just a fat pushover terrified of being called a fat "b%$ch.". Well, you can call me b%$ch now, baby, cause this girl's almost skinny!

Wow, sounds delicious! But yes, I agree, I've always made then with bread or crackers, plus cornmeal or more breadcrumbs to coat the outside. Crab itself would be great, tho. I really love how gently many fishes and seafood land in my tummy.

I was hungry too when I was on soft foods and purees. They just don't stick around in the stomach very long, so you have to reach for your Protein shakes or other liquids in between meals. This is actually a good thing, otherwise, you might get dehydrated. However, once you start on better protein sources like chicken, and add non-pureed veggies, the feeling of fullness lasts significantly longer. Beans are also great for keeping me feeling full. A meal like a naked burrito bowl from Qdoba (grilled chicken, black beans, tomato & green salsa, grilled veggies & cilantro) is a fantastic way to feel full all afternoon, and have lots of leftovers for dinner and even the next day. Obviously you don't have all these options early in the process, but trust me, when you get here it will make dining fun again! The growling thing has stuck around with me, however, and it's very loud and random. Not even associated with hunger most of the time.

Yes, and my hair was already thin. I have been very careful about getting 80 grams of Protein per day, extra Iron daily, and I'm taking my Multivitamins plus extra Biotin, but I started losing hair like crazy at month 3. I only wash my hair twice a week, and avoid brushing my hair while blow-drying, and keep the dryer on low. I do use the Toppix fibers, like others do, and I cut my long hair short to hid the thinning. No one has noticed but me. Who know I had a giant freckle on top of my scalp? Still, all my pants are size 10 now and getting a little baggy, so the hair loss is a small price to pay.

Oh honey, you will learn to love food again! You may even learn to love it more than before, because you won't have to deal with the constant guilt of overeating, and will feel true satisfaction and satiety! Don't worry - it will come! You are going through a unique period that many of us went through, with the nausea constantly present. You tastes are going to change and the foods you crave may change for many months to come, but yes, things get better from here! Blessings!

Bravo! The Wife going full liquids for 10 days?! You, madam, are indeed part of the solution! Amazing!

I wish everyone here had a spouse or partner who was as supportive as you. Thanks for taking the time to educate yourself! My husband has been awesome too, and I'm so blessed by it!