Summer Rain

I was craving egg nog and so I experimented and put cinnamon and nutmeg in a french vanilla Protein Shake. Good enough to satisfy me for now! LOL

French fries dipped in a Wendy's frosty!

Carbs are tricky but you need them. Another thing to be careful of is low blood sugar. It is not fun. Kind of feels like anxiety. There are basically 3 types of carbs. 1)Dairy, 2)Whole fruit and vegatables, and 3) grain and potatoes based.
Rather than worrying about a daily total, try to keep the carbohydrates from grain products (cereals, crackers, chips, potatoes, etc) between 30-60 grams daily.
As far as fruit 2-3 servings/day is recommended (30-45 grams carb)
Dairy- 2-3 servings/day (24-36 grams carb)
This gives you a grand total of 90-140 carbs per day. 60 grams total is not enough to allow good carbs, so I would definitely say to aim for more than that. Also remember that “fiber” is technically a “carbohydrate” but actually produces no calories so they can always be subtracted.
As for calories, I track mine using fitbit. My doc likes to see my calories between 1200 and 1500. I keep it closer to 1200. For the first few months I as closer to 1000 each day. My typical daily menu is 1 greek yogurt with 1/4 cup of oat meal mixed in, 2/3 cup of chili for lunch, 4oz of lean Protein and a small serving of vegatables for dinner. 2 pieces of fruit for day time Snacks. This takes me to around 900 calories which leave me a bit of room for a evening snack. Remember to get 64 onces of Water in. Water is real important in many respects.

I'm proud of you for taking risks. We deserve joy and fun. I'm sorry for the struggle and embarrassment at the end, but soon those incidents will be a thing of the past. Keep LIVING!

God love ya! But u know what, you were a Momma playing with her kiddos!!! That is awesome. That's what this is all about for me!!! Good luck on continued success. And congrats on your loss this far!!

@@waitin2bthin
Water is very very important
people need to drink as much as possible
mannnny people have trouble drinking Water at 2 weeks, and further out
consider yourself lucky that you can drink lots of water with no problem
(don't look a gift horse in the mouth )
no such thing as drinking too much water
the more the better
sleeve will not stretch
check with your NUT, but at this early stage of the game you should probably only be sipping slowly
when NUT says ok, you will be able to gulp
sounds like you had popsicles (msp )and Jello for Thanksgiving dinner
oh well there is always next year
i am trying to remember a silly joke i heard way back
something like..........
a camel held the worlds record for drinking gallons of water within a couple of minutes
shortly after he held the worlds record for doing "this" in a couple of minutes ................fill in the blank
since you didn't say otherwise, sounds like recovery is going well
down 32 lbs!!!
you are aces
keep up the good job
kathy
congrats

@@waitin2bthin
hey kiddo
you are eating soooo few calories
you have no choice but to loose weight
many people stall at about 3 weeks
maybe your calendar isn't reading the correct time
i have heard "them" saying loosing 10 lbs a month is average/good
the word ONLY should not be allowed in referencing your weight loss
you didn't ONLY loose 32 lbs
YOU LOST 32 LBS!!!!!
woo hoo woo hoo
party dance, party dance
drink all the Water you can
can't stress enough how important drinking is (no whiskey sours )
as time goes on, purees', mushhhh and finally realllll solid food
be sure to follow allll the rules - especiallllly Water, water, water
i promise you will be successful
pinky swear
did i mention to drink plenty of water???
good luck
kathy

Greetings, fellow humor lovers! I'm happy to say that I had my first post surgery doc appointment today and I was granted the golden key to "Stage 2 foods"! (insert dramatic music here) I put my foot in the proverbial pool by trying some oatmeal, mashed potatoes & Babybel Lite cheese wheels- not the best tasting cheese on the planet, but at 12 grams of Protein in 2 little 1-inch wagon wheels sounds good to me. I'm 8 pounds down and as a diabetic for a couple of years now, I'm off of ALL of my meds & my sugars have consistently hovered around 100 since the day I got home from the hospital.
Oddly enough, I seem to be a poster child (for a good reason this time) of a good recovery. 2 days on pain meds and that was enough for me. I've started walking an average of 2.5 miles a day since the third day home from the hospital & I'm down 8 pounds- not too shabby.
Halloween came and went with only a minor breakdown as the Almond Joys were calling me, but I didn't even lick that chocolate candle! I guess I'm so thrilled at remembering how to CHEW after over 3 weeks of just liquids I kind of forgot that chocolate used to be such a dear friend of mine. With any luck, I just may be able to have tidbits of Thanksgiving dinner this year- yay!
I'd love to talk with folks who are at the same stage of post-surgery bliss that I am, whether you're doing well or not. I'm a great listener & am able to find humor in just about anything- I was even able to laugh at the post surgery diarrhea fairy that visited for a couple of days last week. If any of you are looking for a lift, shoulder to cry on, or a "Jeez, does this happen to YOU" partner, hit me up

I know gastric sleeve who haven't had the success they hoped for but they also did not commit to a lifestyle change my brothers had surgery one lost 140 one lost 65. The one who lost less blamed the surgeon not his choice to eat pizza and fast food. 6 months out. Commitment that golden year is everything

You'll probably have a small window of a few months to get the new eating habits down pat. Learning to both want and enjoy eating healthy foods. Add in a few new snack ideas, like almonds and Jerky and you should be good for the long haul later on.
I'm not gonna blow smoke up your a$$.......it does get tough, so you have to as well. Hold on tightly to every pound lost and don't slide back into old habits. Your new eating habits will see you thru.

Ok, so it probably didn't. But I've had abnormal PAPs for the last 7 years. I get checked twice/year and it ranges from From atypical to high grade. I've had 4 LEEPS, 5 biopsies and a conization. I can't believe I even have a cervix left after all the bits and pieces that have been removed. Two years ago I finally said fuckit....unless it comes back high grade again or precancerous, I'm not having anymore procedures...obviously the aren't working. Well I just got my most resent PAP result and it was normal! My OB/Gyn emailed me herself she was so excited. I'm chalking it up to outstanding nutrition over the last 10 months since surgery. Very nice NSV!

In my life before I was fat I think I remember liking myself. I thought I was nice, well mannered, courteous, and a good friend. I feel like I have lost myself and I think that is why I am getting ready for major surgery to help me lose weight. I am not sure when it all started changing (or maybe I do and I just don't want to go there?). I have not had anything horrible happen to me I just don't feel good about being me. I have closed myself off from everyone . I have no friends and my family and I are not close. I don't know where I would be without my loving husband (and for the life of me I can't understand WHY he loves me still) and my children.
Outwardly, other than being much heavier, I don't think most people would be able to tell that I have changed. I don't always feel like a nice person anymore even though I don't let that show. I know I have trouble trusting anyone. Everyone seems to leave for one reason or another. I have forgotten how to have friends and how to be a friend. I want to have fun and enjoy the rest of my life.
I am just feeling down and sorry for myself today. Most days I don't examine myself or my feelings too closely. I miss living life and I am excited to have surgery and start changing my body. I just don't know how to change the inside. I have had counseling in the past but I feel like my problems are so insignificant and that I am wasting their time. Anyone have any suggestions or books that might be helpful?
Thanks everyone.
Summer

Just a follow up note. Got on the scale this morning and my weight is right where it's been. If I gained anything over Thanksgiving, it's already gone. So just goes to show....we can indulge without going overboard. Sorta like people without food issues...lol.

What an inspiration

It has been 4 months to the date since my surgery. While at the gym this morning I weighed myself - 95 lbs. lost since surgery! I feel so much better It would have been really great to hit the 100 lb. mark at 4 months but who's complaining. The support I get from family and friends, and especially here has been awesome. Here's to the next 4 months!!!

@@McButterpants
hey bud
always wonderful to see your cutie self
you are doing so well, terrific
down 72 lbs and counting
keep up the good work
you said a mouthful above (get it? gobble, gobble, gobble mouthful (LOL)
Mc - you said " full disclosure, I ran and walked."
love it
your conscious has gone "up"?
while your weight continues to go down
nice of you to tell other possible sleevers et al how great this surgery is
then reminding newbies et al why they did this WLS, and it WILL be worth it at the end
even if they are experiencing one of those damnnnn stalls
i always thought it sounded so weird when people expressed their thankfulness for people on this board
but its true
having this board around has been great, invaluable for me
its great to hear peoples experience, their words of wisdom for all
but no one of you get a swollen head
thats another thing (your head) that will get "bigger" and you'll have to work on "loosing" it
i am soooo very thankful for the help with my weight loss and maintenance by my sleeve
it has stood by me through thick and thin
work with it, and it will work for/with you
as far as a year, and time in general
people don't be discourage if the weight doesn't melt off as quickly as you would like
as many say.... you didn't go to bed one night thin - and wake up being heavy
its not gonna happen the other way either
"God Grant Me Patience, Just Hurry Up About It "
kathy

Thanks I needed this. Home today and now so happpy

Last year at this time I was about 2 weeks post-op. Some of my family didn't know I had weight loss surgery, so I pretended to be sick and stayed at home. I was cleared for a tiny bit of mashed potato and a little (well chewed) turkey. I remember thinking "What did I do to myself?" I felt sorry for myself.
The following 12 months was a whirlwind of emotion, hard work, giggles, tears, frustration, etc. If there was an emotion, I felt it.
Today, I ran a 5K to support our local food bank. A year ago, I would have never imagined I would run a 5K - OK, full disclosure, I ran and walked. A year ago I would have never imagined I would be addicted to hot yoga and I love to hike. I love being active.
So, for all you guys that are newly post-op or soon to be post-op - there is light at the end of the tunnel. You're going to struggle, you're going to feel high highs and low lows. But you will get thru this and you'll find out you're so much stronger than you thought you were. I finally realized I am so much more than a number on the scale.< /p>
Today I am thankful for this forum - it has helped me greatly over the past 15 months. I am thankful for the surgery that saved my life. I am thankful for my body that didn't give in even though I've abused it for decades.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, you guys! Take good care of yourselves.

37 years today I married my husband Roy. He has stood beside me through everything I have experienced in this world. The good days the bad. The good times and not so good times. The heavy times and the thin times. And just when I thought it could not get any worse. He stood beside me through the last 14 years of hell with my mental health as well as my physical health.
I want to thank him for the last two years mostly as I have tested his strength and love more then any woman should. But he was there almost every day accept 4 or 5 at my bed side encouraging me to move forward. 5.5 months he came and held my hand, rubbed my feet and combed my hair. He had a regular routine he did to help me get through it all. He kept the extreme Hair loss from me so that I would not know how bad it all was. He even read me Moby d**k. Which I had read before but did not tell him....lol The staff at the hospital said they had never seen a man like him. I am sure they are out there and if you are then the woman who has your love is fortunate to be sure.
He cried with me. Smiled with me and never let me think I would not make it. For this I am truly thankful. He made me fall in love with him all over again. As I continue to fight the many complications I can see the pride in his face when people say nice things to me. I have seen him break down in tears as he relives the last 2 years. And I have seen the worry he shows for the next upcoming procedure.
Last night he told me not to worry that this was a positive surgery. One that will make things better for me....I love him for thinking that and never giving up.
Thank you and much love your way!
Jane

I reached my goal weight back in August, yet I still find myself weighing in every day. I've been trying my best to resist the temptation, since I've become so accustomed to checking my progress!! Now I'm more in the mindset of trying my best NOT to lose anymore weight, and possibly gain muscle now, so maybe my obsession to is see myself gaining rather than losing?? What a very strange and different concept for me!!

I'm a slow looser, but a looser nevertheless! I am determined to loose this holiday weekend no matter what! Who's stronger? A 16 lb turkey or 201.6 lbs of me! I normally go to the gym 5 days a week, but have a dog show this weekend (friday, saturday, Sunday), so even more challenges without the exercise to back me up.



I compete in dog agility -- if you've never seen it, its the sport where the dog jumps over bars, weaves through polls, goes on a teeter, etc, and the handler (me!) runs along side. Sounds like a lot of exercise, but on competition days, it's a lot of standing around waiting your turn. I last competed in early Oct and felt so much faster and more energetic. I can't wait to see how I do this weekend. Even though I've "only" lost 50 lbs (38 since surgery), I am down 3 or 4 sizes! I dropped the poodles off at the groomer this morning, and they recognized the dogs, but couldn't recognize me until I got close up! I think the exercise is re-shaping me. Perhaps, as I have always heard but never really believed, muscle weighs more than fat.



Also, as I am typing this, I got a call from my father and a CTscan he had yesterday to check for bladder cancer came back negative!!! So I really do have a lot to be thankful for this season.



Can't wait to get to onederland in a few days! Happy Thanksgiving!



Ellen

I am only 11 days postop so I weigh myself every day because it is new and exciting to see those numbers going down! I only record it weekly though.

I am still preop but I drink Syntrax
nectar Sweets chocolate Truffle. You can get little packets to try for like $2 at Vitamin Shoppe. I can mix it with Water or skim milk.

Mindful eating - not eating while watching tv, reading, using the computer - is suppose to help us not overeat. If you measure everything that goes on your plate and eat slowly you really should have no problem IMO.
Summer

Years ago when I was in my early 40’s I wondered if it was possible to be considered grateful while still wanting / seeking more in my life. That presented such a conflict in my mind and heart. I felt that I was truly grateful but at the same time driven and desiring so much more.


Years ago when I was in my early 40’s I wondered if it was possible to be considered grateful while still wanting / seeking more in my life. That presented such a conflict in my mind and heart. I felt that I was truly grateful but at the same time driven and desiring so much more.
I pondered this each Thanksgiving for a number of years then, I just let it go. Just last week as I was browsing Pinterest, this thought popped up.

“Gratitude is what turns everything into enough”


This beautiful sentiment touched my heart, filled my spirit and answered my question from long ago. I heard and understood something different about gratitude. I suppose that I see many things differently now, now that I am in my mid-50’s. My priorities have changed my attitude has improved. I am happy, content and grateful beyond measure. Perhaps I have gained an understanding that only time can teach. Or perhaps it is simply about pausing long enough to count my blessings. So this season, I am grateful to be grateful!
Please take a moment to enjoy one of my favorite poems:

Drinking From My Saucer



I've never made a fortune
and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much,
I'm happy anyhow.



And as I go along life's way,
I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.



I don't have a lot of riches,
and sometimes the going's tough.
But I've got loved ones around me,
and that makes me rich enough.



I thank God for his blessings,
and the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'cause my cup has overflowed.



I remember times when things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,
and the sun peeped through again.



So God, help me not to gripe about
the tough rows that I've hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.



If God gives me strength and courage,
when the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings,
I'm already blessed enough.



And may I never be too busy,
to help others bear their loads.
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.



~ John Paul Moore ~


My wish for you this Thanksgiving is that you will find contentment in our current circumstances, whatever they maybe. May you find joy and happiness in the simple blessings life and may everything you have be enough.