ProjectMe

Would your husband be against your having surgery for any other ailment? Would he be against medical intervention for diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, etc.? Probably not. Because he sees these issues as medical diseases. The biggest question is: What is his perception of obesity? Obesity is a multifaceted disease. And while you may be asymptomatic right now...internally your body is suffering and medical problems are sure to arise. The better we understand that obesity is a disease ourselves, the better we are able to explain it to our spouses and significant others. If we haven't done the research or asked our Drs/nutritionist about this disease, we are doing ourselves and our loved ones a disservice. Now after you've explained the disease to him, and he still chooses to be unsupportive...that's on him and his insecurities and selfishness.

You've had major abdominal surgery. It's expected that there will be some pain. A major concern would be a sudden increase in pain or any of the other concerning symptoms your surgeon advised you of. And as always contact your surgeon for guidance. My recommendation and what really helped me was sleeping in a recliner or recliner type position until your body has had more time to heal. I pretty much slept in the recliner for the first week and a half to two weeks, then off/on as needed.

Nope...haven't had carbonation since 6 months prior to surgery.

It is what it is. I grew up in a culturally diverse area. My friends were Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Philipino, German, African American, Italian, Mexican, Guatemalan, Indian, and El Salvadorean. My 5'10, 170 pound frame was considered not cute/too big to my Asian friends, not cute/too skinny for my Polynesian friends, Thick or Just right for Arican American & Hispanic friends....and waay too big for my European friends. And after living in Europe I had a better understanding of European culture. Was I offended? Sometimes. And that was just body image. Don't get me started on my hair texture or skin color. But I accept and embrace diversity. Let me say that again, because I live by that personal statement. I accept and embrace diversity, Whether that be diversity of culture, thought, beliefs or opinion. I don't believe my life's calling is to cry "foul" each time someone expresses a belief different from my own. Especially on an Internet board. but obviously you not only posted in a thread that didn't apply to you, you also chose to cry "foul". So whatever, it is what it is.

I really can care less about other folks' ribs but just to play Devils advocate...so what if I really did feel like ribs showing on others isn't sexy? What if my definition of sexy just didn't include that particular physical characteristic? Doesn't everyone have their own definition of beauty? What about the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? What if my upbringing, experiences, exposures, or culture defined bones showing as not sexy? I just don't understand why you chose to refer to my observations about myself as being "judgemental"...isn't it all judgement in some way when we determine what is sexy or what is beautiful? I don't think hair I can braid on a man's back is sexy...there I said it... I guess I'm judgemental.

My PCM was unsupportive also, but I really didn't care. The worst part was how she didn't bother to tell me that the bariatric clinic was self referral. So I mentioned WLS surgery to my endocrinologist who was totally supportive and referred me to the clinic....uncecessary in the long run but I appreciated his help.

Definitely not too early. The same thing happened to me. What I did notice was that even though the scale wasn't budging, my body was shrinking. Clothes were getting really loose. So try not to worry, you're still losing

Actually I wasn't judging anyone, I was referring to myself. I don't recall stating it was not sexy for EVERYONES ribs to be showing. I specifically said, "Anything less than 170 and MY ribs begin to show...not sexy." In other words I don't believe it is sexy for ribs to show on me. And according to my family and friends...makes me look sickly. Don't see how that statement about ME is judging "Across the board". I also didn't get WLS to get skinny as @@Big_Mama mentioned. I did this to get healthy. So I completely understood and related to her statement and am not sure why you are taking offense to others opinions.

S'mores ! Love it! I can't recommend the chips though. They tasted so awful, I threw like 5 bags away. They were so bad that I didn't even try to give them to someone else.

Yep, read all the Judy Blume books in elementary school. And they are certainly not banned in my library. But those books, hardy boys, Nancy Drew, pretty much made up the YA genre back in the 70s. The YA genre has exploded in the past 10-15 years to include topics relevant to today's teens. Judy Blume, while controversial, certainly didn't discuss sexual & physical abuse, poverty, equality, love, all the "isms", suicide, Gays/bisexual ism/transgender, etc. YA authors are truly addressing issues that historically have been swept under the rug and not talked about. And while teens may not want to discuss these issues openly...they will read about them.

Today's weight: 197 ProjectMe

Have you tried Quest bars? Their awesome and come in a large variety of favors. My favs are s'mores, cookies & cream, & choc. Chip. There was a thread not to long ago that gave information for how to get free ones from the company as a trial. But you can buy them at Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Academy, and maybe your local grocery store.

Congratulations @@JamieLogical !!!

Just finished reading Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I loved it and can understand why it is a NY Times Bestseller. It is a young adult novel and is a romance story. This book took me back to high school. I am so happy that this genre exists for my children as it addresses issues and situations teens face. So instead of growing up on my dad's finished adult books like I did, my kids have fabulous quality literature during the times they need it most. Now onto reading another YA book! Btw, YA books (books written for 12-18year olds) make for a refreshing break from adult novels. The chapters are short (cuz teen attention spans are short) so you can easily finish the books within a couple of days

I agree with everything said by @@BeagleLover I am 9 weeks PostOp and am not hungry. I eat because I know I should to get my Protein and nutrients in. I was also sleeved, which I chose because military bases no longer perform the band because of complications, and I was concerned about the malabsorbtive issues of bypass. I also like to cook and try new things. My sleeve doesn't prevent me from this, it just prevents me from eating more than a few bites

All I have to say is...Holy Crap!

Hope you feel better! I always experienced cravings, especially for anything with a strong flavor or texture when I was sick. Maybe part of it was I couldn't taste anything, but also part of it was that I felt like I needed to treat myself since I wasn't feeling well.

No worries about the rudeness...we get it. But I do want to talk about what you stated above. I'm not sure you are aware how easy it is to cheat WLS. WLS is only a tool. It doesn't prevent you from eating around it. A guy in my support group gained all the weight back and then some because he grazed all day, ate whatever he wanted to (even if it hurt), and was even putting his favorite candy bars in the blender with his Protein shakes! Unfortunately a true story. While it's nice that your Dr. is so supportive of WLS...it is important to be realistic. This surgery is for you. Your Dr. wont have to deal with any complications that arise or the lifestyle changes that are required. This is your decision...not your Drs. or therapist or nutritionist.

@@FatboyNYC You stated: "Cheating my way into losing weight"? Only my husband and my kids know of my surgery. But not because I felt I was cheating by having WLS. I'm just a private person and don't feel everyone has a need to know my business. Is it cheating to get help to quit smoking? Is it cheating when my son gives himself a shot prior to eating because he's a type 1 diabetic. Is it cheating when my parents take their blood pressure meds? Was it cheating when I chose to have my thyroid removed instead of taking my chances by living with cancer? Obesity is a multifaceted disease, one that the medical community and insurance companies agree is a DISEASE. <Sigh> sorry for the rant. But until we change our own mindsets regarding obesity and WLS...how can we expect anyone else to?

@@Keyo I think everyone runs into that problem when they are entirely bored with what they are eating. As Cowgirl mentioned many of us are eating what you listed. To get past boredom, try googling Bariatric friendly recipes and Protein shake recipes. I began doing this PreOp and have continued PostOp. Btw, a great bariatric recipe blog is World According to Eggface. But, here's the thing. It will take you actually trying the recipes for your boredom to resolve. Regarding the mention of anorexia in the title and eating only when you have a headache or feel weak. That's some concerning stuff for.anyone to read. I'm sure you are already aware that this behavior is unhealthy. A healthy solution to not feeling hunger is to schedule your meals and Snacks. Since surgery, I have not felt hunger, so I setup alarms on my cellphone so that I don't forget. And here's the thing...it will take you actually trying the alarm thing in order for this hunger free issue to resolve. I hope you do not see this post as criticizing and/or judgemental. I, like the others who posted are trying to help. I think you are halfway there. You recognize the problems. I just hope you will give the above solutions a try.

I would recommend that you contact your surgeon. Not only will you feel better by hearing from your surgeon...its Just better to err on the side of caution.

No, having the sleeve has not been easier for me. I lost 60 pounds in the 6 months leading up to surgery. I pretty much embraced everything my Dr., nutritionist & psychologist told me. I adjusted to eating a less than 1200 calorie diet, exercised 5xs a week for an hour, followed all the various rules of a bariatric patient...and I think it was easier to do emotionally and physically than PostOp. PostOp I've lost 30 pounds. I have way more stalls PostOp. It takes a lot of effort to get 60-70g of Protein, and all my fluids in. There are days when I get full super quickly and days when eating 4ounces is easy. So yep, I'd say PreOp was way easier for me personally. Don't get me wrong...I don't regret my sleeve one bit. Just believe if one thinks PostOp will be easier than PreOp they could be in for a rude awakening if not mentally & emotionally prepared. Granted, I am only 9 weeks PostOp & my viewpoints may change after a year or two

Dried crunchy edamame is really good too.

I have to admit that the only times I feel like I'm eating just to be eating is after dinner. I could be just sitting there watching a tv show or reading when all of a sudden a snack sounds good. Technically I'm not really hungry...so I'm really not sure what the trigger is. Boredom? Sleepiness? I don't know, but it is something I need to be mindful of.