Kathy812

I was able to return to caffeine 1 month after surgery. I had decaf with no issues the first month, all with doctors approval, of course. I've seen many post they were given coffee in the hospital the day after surgery.

Sorry you are having challenges, but remember this is the real world. Temptation will be around us at every turn. My husband does not need the surgery and eats all of the things you mentioned. I DO have to practice will power EVERY day. I move the cake over to get to my apple and try to overlook other tempting treats. Unfortunately, I cannot remove these items from our house. The 1st six months after surgery , the loss takes less effort. The difficult work, for a lot of us, start after the infamous honeymoon period. I am not at goal and I'm over a year out. I was told to increase my calories to 1200 calories at six months because I was working out four days a week. The loss started again. However, after Thanksgiving I've been at a stand still (TWO MONTHS)! So, I feel your pain.

I hope your success feels as good as you look! Great job and congrats!

@@jess9395, excuse my ignorance, I don't go to Starbucks often & when I do I always order the same thing (tall skinny half caf white chocolate mocha, no whip) definitely a rare treat. But my question is, what does it mean when you say "dry" & what is a "double tall"? Trying to increase my Starbucks vocabulary/knowledge, lol.

Super easy, they approved me quickly (under a week) . It was my surgeon who recommended 3 months of meeting w/a nutrionist before scheduling the surgery.

Thanks for sharing, you look fantastic! Pic's help to keep us motivated,

Definitely a question for your nutritionist or Doctor. But I was told to take bariatric Vitamins initially. I took Celebrate vitamins, I really liked it (strawberry pineapple flavor) and also Wellese liquid calcium. Fast foward a year post op. All my numbers were great except my b12 was really high. So my nutritionist and nurse practitioner switched me to children's flinstone (not the gummy kind) and I take b12 separately every other day. The celebrate had b12 in it, so to bring my numbers down I now take b12 separately. Flinstone is much cheaper and taste equally as good.

@@DaisyAmy, like Kristen, I never thought my feet were fat either. But I went from a size 8.5 when I wore a size 8-10 in clothes to a 9.5 wide as I started to gain weight. My largest dress size was a 20 & depending on the top, a 22. I can now wear a size 10 again & my feet are back to an 8.5 Interestingly, back in the day, when I weighed 165, I was in a size 14, not sure what's happening. My sister is slightly under 5"2. & she weighs the exact same & wears a 14?! I don't get it.

@@Stevehud, do you have the nutrition count on your recipe? I'd love to try it.

Oh yea, I went from a 9.5 to 8.5! Yippee!

I was just searching last night for recipes on protein cakes in a cup. I've never tried it, but my curiosity has peaked. I ordered protein powder last night (I never thought I would do that again). Anyway, I saw on pintrest where someone mixed 1TBS pb2 with 2 TBS plain Greek yogurt. She added that on top of the cake as her "frosting". Just another suggestion.

Self expressions suddenly skinny tank on Amazon, Faaaaaar better then spanks & 1/3rd of the price ($12.60) Bought it in two colors. Initially felt tight, but as the day went on, it felt better.

Valentina, my God, what a tragic story. My heart is actually aching for you right now & if I could hug you, I would. Every day that you wake up there is hope. If the surgeon you saw doesn't help, go to another one. I've read where people have not lost a lot of weight w/the sleeve and had to return for a revision. I don't know much about that procedure, but research and ask questions. Most of us aren't doctors, so we can only offer support. I commend you for taking the first steps towards a healthier you. It's time to fight for you, you truly deserve it. Please keep us posted.

Find out what type of follow up care they provide. I'm amazed how many people post after surgery they don't receive much aftercare. At my bariatric center I see a nutrionist, an exercise physiologist & a nurse practitioner at every visit. Anytime I have questions I can call. BP is great but it's good to have a more personalized care plan. Also find out if they offer support group meetings.

Well, I'm 15 months out and I have been struggling to lose even a pound the last two months, so I'm encouraged by some of these post. All newbies, please take the first year seriously. My doctor said you can definitely continue to lose weight after a year, it will just be much slower (he spoke the truth).

Woô hoo! Congrats! I hope you will look back on this as one of the best decisions of your life, I know I did. Wishing you a successful journey

Yes, you are definitely strong and you will survive… Seems like you're proving that every day. Wishing you continued success! Thanks for posting, it helps those of us who aren't as far along to stay motivated. I gotta add, the fact that you haven't given up in your effort to reach goal is impressive. You're my Shero. I'm not at goal either and I was starting to feel a little defeated, you have restored my hope! Thank you

I have hypothyroid (one of the many symptoms is a sloooow metabolism). I did what many here posted. I ate low calorie & worked out but nothing happened. The most I ever lost was 10#!!! To say I was frustrated is an understatement. In comes my hero, my cardiologist. He recommended looking into the sleeve. My bariatric team suggested a metabolism test (I didn't even know one existed) turns out if I eat under 1400 calories, I should lose weight. I had the sleeve over a year ago. I'm still not at my personal goal weight but currently wear a size 10. I'm super active & more social then I've been in a long time. I have no doubt I'll get to goal (a size 8) , it's just taking longer than most. Your bariatric team should do a thorough exam & help you decide the best option for you. Whatever WLS you choose, I wish you success.

@@amyg80 I eat Shirataki noodles all the time ( I believe they are similar if not the same as tofu noodles?) but I didn't start until I was about 6 months post op. When we have spaghetti or stir fry, they are my go to noodles.

@@Kindle,note to self to "prepare" next year before the holiday. I gained 3 lbs & I'm still struggling to get to goal, so the gain was difficult to handle (even though I enjoyed myself immensely). I decided going into this that I did not want this to be a lifetime of dieting. I wanted to enjoy food responsibly, nothing is off-limits. In the future, I have to remember that planning for it is key .

@@Stevehud, love that sentence, so true

Miss: although I've gotten used to it, every once in a while I miss eating and drinking at the same time ( depends on the meal). Don't miss: my poor mobility. On the rare occasion I went to the mall, I moved my car to each store I needed or got as close as possible. I also feared dropping something on the floor/ground because I couldn't bend down to get it, makes me want to cry just writing this. Even though I'm not at goal I LOVE MY SLEEVE!

Happy New you & surgiversary! Here's to reaching goal in 2016! Although it looks like you're there :-)

@@Chi2Htown, I live in the Chicago area as well. This forum was a Godsend while I was going through the process. I binge read for three months before surgery, I even went back and read post from years ago. Educate yourself. The sleeve is permanent so you want to make sure you have no regrets. This was the absolute best decision I made. I honestly never had one second regret, even immediately after surgery when it was hard because I knew it would get better. I'm 52 & wish I had done this 10 years ago. Wishing you the very best possible outcome.