*Lexie*

My doctor said we shouldn't have caffeine because it can cause ulcers and our real estate down there is pretty limited now so we can't afford a bleeding ulcer. I didn't really drink caffeine anyway so I stay away from it for the most part but technically, there is nothing we can't have. There's a lot of things we "shouldn't" have so it's up to you. Personally, I like to have an occasional diet Pepsi (caffeine-free) despite all the warnings that my stomach will explode. It might be bubbly poison, but it is delicious bubbly poison.

I have a lot of those days. Some things I can modify or eat a tiny amount of and other things I just can't have. One of my favorite foods is breadsticks with cheese (would you like some carbs with those carbs?) and there is no modifying that, I can't have it. But this weekend we went out for pizza and I had a salad and half a pizza crust. Just enough to have a taste of it. I like the idea of doing liquid on those days. I might try that on those days where I just want to eat everything in sight.

Our metabolism has a wicked sense of humor. That's all I got... Hang in there.

My stall lasted 3 very long and frustrating weeks. I just finished my 3rd month and I haven't had any other stalls (yet).

I was told the size of my fingernail but I take slightly bigger bites than that. And I am still working on eating slowly. I have had several painful episodes of food getting stuck and I was too big of a dummy to figure it out for weeks. I thought it was the foods I was eating and couldn't understand how they sometimes were fine and other times made me sick. LOL Now I know and I'm using the eating slower app to help me out.

I chose not to tell anyone at the office for the same reason. I manage a department of 250 so I didn't want anyone at work knowing anything. And my weight loss has been a conservative 1-3lbs a week so it's not so dramatic that it's causing anyone to question anything. To look at it another way, statistics show that we are likely being judged, held back, paid less due to our weight so when you lose the weight, it should boost people's perception of you (even though you're the same capable person).

I just finished month 3 and lost around 9lbs. I'm hoping I can continue to lose 8-10lbs a month over the next few months.

What a great thread and so motivational since I just started a running program last week. I ran in the past and my profile picture is after finishing my fastest 5K. It motivates me to get back into shape. When I first started, I signed up for a 5K with a friend and I cursed myself for that decision every day as I ran and hated it. I remember the day before the run, I said once I got through it, I would never run again. Well, something happens when you cross that finish line. I can't describe it, maybe I was just thankful that I didn't have a heart attack. Whatever it was, I wanted more! The next year, I ran a half marathon. As my weight went back up, I wasn't able to run anymore and it was one of my motivations to have surgery. It's amazing that I went from hating it to loving it. I have always joked that running is only fun when you're good at it. It really sucks when you first start. But once you're able to run without feeling like dying, it's amazing. BTW, my bucket list item is to run my first full marathon next December in Honolulu.

If you are what you eat, I'd turn into a big beef jerky. It's a little expensive (cheaper at Walmart though) but it's my favorite high Protein snack. It's salty so it takes away my craving for things like chips, it takes a long time to eat and helps me get my fluids.

What an inspirational article to start my week off.

I want to get some, particularly the ones that hold in the butt and thighs but I'm worried that they'll leave a line mid thigh. Do they do that? I hate to spend the money and then not like them.

@@mcginn0425 Wow, 114lbs lost, that is amazing! Don't let one week diminish that accomplishment. Just reset and refocus and you'll hit that one year goal.

I feel like if someone wants to take the risk and put their body through surgery to lose even 20lbs, then so be it. It's their choice. I personally think that Megan Fox didn't need plastic surgery on her already beautiful face and that she looked better before, but again, not my face so it's not my choice. What I find to be equally judgmental is when people who have had surgery post that they're struggling and then others ask how they managed to pass the psych eval to even have surgery. None of us would need surgery if we weren't screwed up in the head about food to begin with. Makes me afraid to admit that I just ate 5 Hershey Kisses, I don't want anyone telling me I didn't deserve the surgery.

I had the Q-ball infusion after my sleeve surgery. It was fantastic and I remember thinking that it would have been great if i had that after my tummy tuck. I did have the "rebuilt abs" and they are still tight 4 years later without ever doing a sit up. But boy did that hurt...

I'm going to have to go against the popular opinion here. I've had a c-section (with only tylenol to manage pain), wls and gall bladder. Those surgeries were all pretty easy recovery. The tummy tuck was awful for me. I wouldn't do it again knowing what I know now (and my abs look pretty amazing). That being said, I have issues with pain medications. I get all the bad side effects, vomiting, constipation, and general misery. This was the only surgery I had to take the pain meds and they made things so much worse.

@@Stevehud That's a great point that I didn't think about. It doesn't seem to be related to what I eat but I have noticed that it happens more if I'm distracted while eating (Christmas dinner with family, at a restaurant and talking, etc). A few weeks ago I went on a business trip and was terrified of getting sick in front of people I work with so I ordered very safe foods and ate very slowly and didn't get sick once. I frequently eat my food in less than 20 minutes. I guess I better get that timer out and start using it. Thank you so much for the suggestion.

You take exactly what I take and I just got my 3 month labs and everything looked great. I don't take 2x the Multivitamin. My doctor said that's a requirement for bypass but we should be okay with one.

I used to love eating. I mean, I got myself to a point of needed surgery because I loved to eat too much. I'm 3 months post op and I get sick so frequently. I have read people posting about getting the slimes a few times. But I get them every other day or so and throw up multiple times. I've been careful to not eat too much but it seems to be related to what I eat. Except that sometimes I'm fine with a given food and other times it makes me sick. I had salmon one night for dinner and all was good so I took leftovers to work for lunch (measured out the 2oz) and I threw up 5 times after eating it. I'm getting to the point where I want to go back to safe things that don't make me sick. Things like Protein shakes and soft foods. My dietitian doesn't want us doing this but I'm starting to dread eating. Today I ate once (grilled shrimp from Benihana) and was sick for 2 hours. Has this happened to you? What do you suggest?

I had a little turkey and some macaroni and cheese. I ate very little and had to pass on dessert. Halfway home I had to stop at a truck stop where I lost my entire meal. Guess it was too rich for me.

I'm 3 months out and still having a tough time too. I had a tiny piece of turkey and a little mac and cheese for Christmas dinner and threw it all up and felt horrible. Sometimes I can eat something and the next time I try, it makes me sick.

I'm 3 months post op (as of today) and I am still figuring out my new sleeve. Some days I can tolerate certain foods and other days everything makes me sick. Hopefully over the next few months, I really start figuring things out. Best of luck to you, hang in there.

Merry Christmas! I had a little turkey and macaroni and cheese but it didn't stay in my stomach very long.

I've lost 31lbs in 12 weeks so I'm right there with you. Once I got past my 3 week stall, I have consistently lost 1-3 pounds a week so I've made peace with it. It really bothered me at first but it's not doing me any good to be constantly frustrated. My doctor said they expect me to lose 4-6 pounds a month and I'm exceeding that goal right now.

Nope, I don't like any of it. But I can tolerate Premier Protein. Low sugar, high carb and it's grab and go. Do you like beef Jerky? It's salty and good and I get to chew, chew, chew so it lasts a long time. 2oz is around 160 calories and 28g of protein.

My doctor approved fruit but just warned against any with seeds like strawberries which might irritate. Most mornings I have either a scrambled egg (or eggbeaters) with a scoop of sausage cooked into it and a small amount of cheddar cheese on top. It's a good Protein rich Breakfast. If I'm in a hurry, I have a hot chocolate with a scoop of GENEPRO Protein powder. I eat beef Jerky as a snack. I don't need to drink as many Protein shakes if I have some beef jerky. And it's delicious.