Inner Surfer Girl

I am in the camp who loves tea: green or otherwise. My absolute favorite is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice (it comes in regular and decaf). It is naturally sweet and comforting, especially when it is cold out. I like to brew some mint along with my green tea. Last night I had a cup of Harney & Sons Valentine blend (chocolate and rose). It wan't decaf but I am allowed one cup of non-decaf tea a day. I have a good green tea and rose blend from our local tea shop (Elmwood Inn, they ship all over and blend some lovely tea). The last time I was there I picked up some blueberry decaf which is delish. I just picked up bags of peppermint, spearmint, and sassafras from one of our local Amish stores. Did I mention I love tea and Herb infusions!

It sound delicious. For those of us who don't cook, my NUT also suggested organic bone broth is a better alternative to the more common stock found at grocery stores because it has more Protein.

One of the keys to success of this process is to find ways to cope with stress without resorting to food. As a stress eater, I have spent a lifetime dealing with this issue. It's a learning process. Ultimately, it comes down to making choices and setting boundaries for me. Some tools and resources that you may need to consider using: a good therapist or counselor; a support group like a bariatric support group and/or a twelve-step recovery group like OA (OA.org); regular exercise; a spiritual practice; etc. I am sure others can give you some ideas. A few good books I recommend regularly (some related to WLS specifically and some not): The One Life Solution by Dr. Henry Cloud (about integrating work and life, setting boundaries, etc.). I can't recommend it highly enough to someone in your situation. Eat it Up! (written by a therapist who works with WLS patients). The Language of Letting Go (by Melodie Beattie). When Food is Love (by Geneen Roth). In addition to regular exercise, I have found that finding a creative outlet is very important to me. Whether it's as simple as coloring in a coloring book, taking a painting class, writing, or practicing my photography. Creativity is a great outlet for stress for me. You may need to experiment to find what you need. As another poster mentioned, you will need to learn to take it a day at a time a live in the moment. Best of luck with your journey and keep us posted on how you are doing.

I didn't have one. Ask if they use one or not. From what I can tell most don't. They will have you up and walking pretty quickly so you really won't need one.

My multivitamin is just a regular generic one (similar to centrum).

A cold sore is caused by a virus. Once you get one it tends to reoccur. You can get a cold sore ointment at a drugstore. Definitely talk to your doctor if you are concerned.

Congratulations to the winner! And congratulations to all of us LOSERS. Good try.

You've only failed if you completely give up. You are still here seeking help so as far as I am concerned you haven't failed. So, you haven't seen as much progress as you would like. You obviously know why. Why not make an appointment with your NUT and talk about your goals and how you want to proceed? Why not find out when the next support group meeting is and attend? Why not go back to basics? Track your food. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and Water. Pitch the junk into the trash (and don't get it back out). Take your Vitamins. Find something easy to get you moving. Take a walk. Sign up for a dance class. Join the Y. You know what to do. And, if you need even more help, consider finding a counselor or therapist. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Congratulations on making such a big decision and welcome to this site. It is a great source of inspiration, information, and support. I was sleeved April 20, 2015 and couldn't be happier with my experience, my recovery, and my results so far. Learn as much as you can and ask lots of questions. One thing that really helped me was to gradually wean myself off of carbonation and caffeine pre-op. That way I didn't have to deal with caffeine withdrawal after surgery. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

I don't know why not. Once you are cleared for all foods then any grilled meat should be ok. I had grilled salmon during my soft phase and it was delicious. @@Dub, can give you lots of insight into grilling!

Why not make an appointment with your NUT to talk about your goals?

Are you getting in all of your Protein and fluids? Are you avoiding starches? Are you taking your Vitamins? If you aren't getting enough protein or vitamins your body is going to want to eat to get those nutrients. If you are eating starches, then you will crave starches. Are you tracking your food? Do you plan out protein-rich meals and Snacks throughout the day? If you have a plan, then you will be prepared to eat something healthy instead of mindlessly eating whatever comes to hand.

I was on clear liquids the day before surgery and nothing by mouth after midnight. Please get clarification from your team.

Congratulations on making the decision to put your health first. You are worth it.

@@CowgirlJane. Thanks for the recap. Either a troll, someone really gullible and immature, or someone who needs much more professional help than we can provide.

When I went for my first follow-up post-op visit and nutrition class there were seven of us in the class who had our sleeves either the same day or the day after. Those of us who were following the program exactly as written were feeling great. The four people who "cheated" a little and ate off plan were miserable and having a tougher time. I know it's anecdotal but it made an impression on me. There is a reason we have a very strict post-op plan. It was developed based on research and the experiences of people who have gone through the process before us. It is for our benefit. If you remember that it might make it a bit easier to stay the course and follow your plan.

Congratulations on your success and thank you so much for sharing with us about your journey. I appreciate it. I am so sorry you work in an environment with so many unsupportive and toxic people but am glad your fiancée and friends are there for you. You mention your bariatric support group and friends as being your support network which is awesome. Do you also have a therapist? I know it takes time for our view of our body image to catch up with reality, but a therapist may be able to help you reconcile that view as well as help you with strategies for dealing with negative people and the stress eating urge. Best of luck with your upcoming wedding and marriage. I am sure you will be a beautiful bride!

Absolutely.

You have a few options: You can worry about it. You can decide to accept that whatever the scale says tomorrow is just a number. Or, you can just not weigh tomorrow. Until you have been at this a while you may not yet be used to seeing the scale move downward after a stall so I can understand your fear. I know for me, in the past when I was dieting, there was always a time when the scale eventually started moving in the wrong direction so that may be what you are bracing yourself for. Believe it or not, even if in the short term the numbers on the scale fluctuate a little or stalls for a while, you will see the numbers drop as long as you do your part and follow your plan. One of these days you may actually start looking forward to your weekly weigh in.

I agree. This sounds like something you should call your surgeon about.

Congratulations!

I am so glad to hear you are better. Thank you for the update. It will only get better from here.

I just read the responses and didn't see the original post but I gather that you had the sleeve surgery because your mother wanted you to but never intended to go through with it and now don't know what to do? Is that the gist? Whether or not you wanted it you now have had the surgery. What choice do you have but to accept it and move forward? You need to take control of your health and your recovery. Did you receive any nutritional counseling? Do you know what your Protein target is? Did you receive a detailed post-op food plan? Do you have a Vitamin schedule? I recommend you learn as much as you can, make an appointment with your NUT, and find a good therapist. A few books you may want to read: Alex's Big Book of Gastric Sleeve, Eat it Up! (a book written by a therapist who works with WLS patients), and The Emotional a First Aid Kit (I think that is the title. I haven't read it but have heard really good things about it.) I also recommend you consider reading Melodie Beattie's book entitled The Language of Letting Go. It may help you come to peace with your situation. We can help you, but it is important you use all of the professional resources available to you.

The member with the 4 millionth post is (drum roll)..... I have no idea! I need to wait until tomorrow morning for one of our techies to reveal their identity As long as it's not a spammer I will be happy for whoever wins.

When did you last talk to them about it. 5 weeks seems like a long time.