elfnow

<3 thank you!! I'm not done yet!! I still have +/-140 lbs to go... And I know this is the "honeymoon" phase... I am trying to get the VERY MOST out of this part!

I have actually bought a scale (instead of just waiting til I go to the gym a couple times a week) but as I predicted, I weigh myself when I'm bored. Like 28496272 times a day (ok maybe like 5) ... But it sure beats EATING when I'm bored.

I've been taking these pics every week or two and I pulled them up on my phone to take a look, and I was just amazed. So I had to share. Even tho I'm still 300+ pounds of flub rolls...

I'm 1/3 of the way to the goal I have in my head (170 lbs, 205 lbs lost).... Whether I get there remains to be seen of course. Thank you guys for your encouragement.

305!!

Hahaha!!! That is awesome!!!!!

5 weeks out and you are eating all these things with the sleeve and tolerating them. Oh my goodness. you are taking some chances girl. Right now you should still be on mushy food about to start solids. Not all those solids but ones that your stomach can easily tolerate. If it is okay with your team or surgeon then I guess It is fine...But if it is not you are taking chances with your new sleeve which if course is complications. Please be more careful. Trust me you don't want complications.

I was on "solids" after 4 weeks... 1-2 was liquid, 3-4 was soft/mushy... 5-6 started the more solid / textured food... 7+ is "try a vegetable if you feel like it"

Ok, I'm gonna post an honest and, IMHO, awesome pic of me. I took pics 1/28, a day into my pre-surg diet....

Surgery was 2/10.

I've taken several pics in the meantime... And I took some yesterday.

Anyway, I'm sharing because I have lost 1/3 of my excess weight. I am still really big... But I've changed a lot.

I'm not 6 mo out but I've tolerated everything fine.... Except for broccoli. Idk why but Broccoli is just NOT gonna work. Maybe it's the firm texture, maybe it needs to be mushier... I don't know... But broccoli is out.

I have not been tested post op yet but have never been one to take Vitamins or supplements. I struggle with how many we are asked to take as I don't know why sleevers would need more than daily recommendations for anyone? I track food and Vitamins on MFP. Thoughts (p art of me thinks they just want to sell me bariatric vitamins)

Vitamin supplements are not as bioavailable as getting the vitamins through food.... You're not eating much food lately.... And I haven't been told to take any special vitamins per se, just "one a day" from the drugstore.... So I don't think you NEED to take special Bariatric vitamins.

I am with you soooooooo much on hating to take them tho. My surgeon asked me if I'm getting my vitamins every day and I'm like "I um... I average taking them about 4.5 out of seven days. I am trying." He gave me a look and said to take them every day....

I couldn't take prenatals when pregnant (they made me nauseated), I couldn't stomach them when breastfeeding ('til now, and Baby is almost 1.5 yrs)..... I TRY. But they're gross and my stomach turns, especially with Iron supplements (which I KNOW I need)..... YUCK!! So I get a week where I take them every day and then I forget a day and then I take them three days then forget another day..... And overall I'd say 4.5/7 is my average for the last 2 months. I got a bunch of pill keepers and sorted out daily doses of vitamins for a month and I carry those little carriers around with me, and I try to remember to take them with my morning meds...

Whenever I hiccup more than twice, I tend to curse... The day of / day after surgery I was cursing louder than usual! Now I get a hiccup or two and my partner is all "OMG honey are you ok?!?" LOL I must have trained him, haha! They don't hurt now but they are deeply annoying if I get more than 2. There was a day where I was all *hic* "kill me" *hic* "kill me"

Be prepared for your surgery to have a three- or six-month requirement of doctor-supervised diet/exercise also... So you may be delayed in your surgery plans. As for all the requirements, it depends on your surgeons office and how they schedule. the first appointment might be 20 minutes and then they schedule the NUT visit / lab work / everything..... Or they might do it first.... The best thing is to call them and just ask, "how long should I plan to be in the office that day?"

Best wishes on your journey!!!

Oh that would make sense!!! Yes that does happen with me sometimes...

Are you hungry? A lot of us experienced real hunger after a few days or a week, and we found we could drink LOTS of fluids etc...

I assure you that doesn't translate to food. When you start to tolerate more solid foods, you'll understand. You won't be as hungry, and you'll have that "full" feeling. And like ALL of us, you'll have days where you are One More Bite because it was SO tasty and then you physically feel like crap. You'll eat something you shouldn't have and feel guilt. And you will STILL be succeeding.

The two weeks pre-op is confusing and scary. I myself told my partner, almost in tears, how worried I was that I was so hungry for these foods and not feeling full from liquids. (DUH liquids don't make you feel full!). And then I ate two slices of lunchmeat one day (literally nothing else. Just two thin slices of boars head roast beef) and was like "oh god that was too much..."

Even on days that I feel like I "over-ate", I still am not eating even a THIRD of what I used to! I still have leftovers. I still push my plate away at restaurants with 4/5 of the food still on it, and I haven't even touched the separate sides! And I still am not eating dessert.... When "Before" I could have eaten that whole plate of food, both sides, and my own dessert, and maybe felt satisfied.

You will get there. It takes experience to see what we mean, and your stomach is too raw for that part just yet... But in a week or two you'll see that this is a good and incredibly effective tool if you listen to your body.

Puking blood?

What is PB in this context?

OMG yes it is the IVs!!! And it might take 10 days but it will come off, I promise!!! When I went in 1.5 years ago to have my daughter, they pushed so much IV Fluid that I weighed MORE when I went home than when I got there, after delivering an 8-lb baby and such!! I couldn't even wear my shoes to the car, my feet were so swollen (4 days earlier I'd walked in wearing shoes!) it was ridiculous! And 10 days later, it was like a switch flipped and I spent like 2 days just peeing it all out and suddenly not only did my shoes fit but I could tie them, Etc. Hang in there!! You will get through this!

Clocking in at 311. New cheapy scale and I got to weigh in unclothed, so it's probably off a little but I'll take it!!!

I'd advise going in for lab work. Not immodium until you know what's really wrong...

What I DO have is a lot of pain in my right leg and foot stemming from a car accident back in June. I broke my leg and the joints in my foot took a big shock when I hit the other car...

Losing even the first 20 pounds helped tremendously!! And it also helped all the OTHER creaky achy stuff so now the problem with my foot/ankle is my CHIEF complaint and not way down on the list. I still have a stray bone fragment in my leg and the muscle isn't 100% at the right distal fibula.... But I can bind my foot (by tying my shoes properly and not being sloppy about my shoes) and it helps a LOT.

When we first moved into this apartment I couldn't walk around without shoes because the floors are SO HARD (it's an ADA apartment so no carpet padding etcetera) .... Now I can walk barefoot about 70% of the time at home and I'm fine.

oh and yes I am from alabama

Who did your surgery? Was it anyone in Birmingham?

Madame, yes!!

And at this point I don't want ANY more food, ever. LOL!

Bamared, I need to know... Are you in AL? Who did your surgery? My friend is about to have a surgery for ulcers that will basically end up being a sleeve procedure, she'll be having it in Birmingham... I want to be sure to get her to someone else if it's the same guy.

I have had a stomach spasm - it was a couple days ago, and it was f*cking awful. I can't imagine having such a thing again and again.

You have a federal right to your medical records!!! Go and get them in person if you have to!

If you don't want to share the doc info here that's totally ok, you can message me directly. Meanwhile, hang in there. You can get through this.

IT TASTED SO GOOD!! chicken with a home-made cheese sauce, veggies, the right seasonings...

I ate a reasonable amount. I felt a little pleh, like maybe I'd had one more bite than I should have.

Two hours later, I open the fridge and see the leftovers. "HEY," I must have thought, "that tastes so good I'm sure if I just ate it really fast that would be a good idea."

So I stood there and scarfed down maybe 2+ more ounces of cheese-covered chicken. I don't recall chewing very well.

GUESS WHAT. IT WASNT A GOOD IDEA.

So then the puking. And the gagging. And a little bit of bleeding for no clear reason. GOOD F*ING JOB, EMILY.

To anyone who takes an antidepressant, I urge you: ALWAYS TAKE IT EVERY DAY. If I forget, I get scary hungry and things like THAT happen. :/

--E

I have sleep apnea. I adore my CPAP. I miss using it. I stopped after surgery 7 weeks ago, to see how it goes.... But for the last 2 weeks I want to be back on it. I need to get some new parts and just haven't done it yet.

I got my CPAP in 2011. I am a mouth-breather so I need a full face mask. I feel like the mask has trained me to think "whew I can sleep now". I snore incredibly loudly when I'm not using it.... Probably damaging my kid's hearing (I cosleep with my toddler)....

Yes the very first night is hard, and the humidity was up so high on it I felt like I was swimming... But I SLEEP SO WELL and I don't nap as often.

Proper sleep helps your brain function optimally.

Your brain uses about 30% of your daily calories.

Better brain power means better caloric burn.

I second the time-of-month possibility!! Around when I ovulate I lose Water and then I gain water like crazy and it looks like weight gain... Then after my period it looks like I'm having just SUPER weight loss!! Progesterone makes me puff up....

Apparently my photo is upside-down sorry!!! LOL

This is what I got when I ordered dinner tonight!! I wanted the 6-oz filet and I got ALL THE EXTRA TOO.

I brought home half the filet, most of the sweet potato, and the shrimp.

My daughter ate maybe 1/8 of the potato, two pieces of zucchini, and part of the rice...

I ate 3 oz filet, one piece of zucchini, a bite of potato, and a bite of rice. I was done. Didn't even touch the shrimp!