Beni

Hi everyone who is having surgery in October 2014. We can start a new topic for those of us who have had surgery already. This is the spot were we will all end up, were we'll share our stories and recovery. It will be a new dawn for so many of us. Let's stay close as united we will conquer anything that comes our way! BEST WISHES GLADIATORS

Yes, you can. it took almost a year for me but it was the most wonderful thing. That C-PAP was so uncomfortable. However, it is not the case for everyone. Some patients do have to keep using it but your chances are very good. Also, in that year I had my pressure down graded twice. It got to the point that it was set at the lowest possible setting and it felt like I was sleeping in a wind tunnel. I remember telling my doctor, if we didn't watch out my brain was going to blow out the back of my head. It sounds like allergies are getting the best of you right now. I too suffer from allergies and I used a nasal spray about 10 minutes before placing my mask on. It helped clear out my nose. I also took Nyquil every night. Oh, I forgot to say, I no longer snore. Awesome!

For the first 6 weeks all I could eat was 1/8 to 1/4 cup at a time and I had to go very very slow. At 6 months I could eat normally but I have to make good choices and chew well or I start feeling nauseous. You get good at figuring out what works for you.

I had 500 thoughts. In fact, they would change from hour to hour. For an entire month I agonized. I can tell you now 'WHAT A WASTE OF TIME", if I could go back I would have done it years before. It was by far one of the best decisions of my life.

I was out of my mind worried. But it was so quick I am still amazed. Less then an hour. The first two days are easy because of the painkillers in the hospital. My surgery was 2:00 Pm so I ended up staying two days. Release papers are signed by by doctors early in the morning. I tried to visualize how good I would feel once the weight was gone and took comfort on the fact that at this stage it was out of my hands. My job was to be ready and nothing else.

This too shall pass! Keep up the good spirits.

Hi, Just checking in. Hope all ll is well with you all in this strange journey. I am doing great. I have settled on a 154 to 157 weight range. I am okay with it. A size 8 to 10 is perfectly fine. My relationship with food still has its ups and downs. I suspect it will remain the same forever. I have to eat slowly and make good choices. 80% of the time I do. I am just trying to inch up to 90%. Had a ice cream cone yesterday. A kid size, mind you, but I still got sick. I can handle one spoon full but even a kiddie cup is like 6 tablespoons. Do I learn? Apparently nope. Good luck on your move to CT @shadow427. Talk about stress! My heart goes out to you. @@PinkPolkadot619 No, you are not alone my friend @@browneyedgirl I agree the honeymoon is over. Strangely enough it lasted 18 months, exactly what the doctor said. Now we are on our own. Our choices are directly impacting our weight. We have reached the point were the surgery did its job but now we are in control. I have no doubt that if I spent my entire day eating snacking I would put weight back. I can easily gain 3 pounds if I don't watch out. Hope your home gets built quickly a camper sounds crowded.

Bread, is still the enemy, lol!

@@misstvb I think you may be right, it's boredom. I could have 10 Snacks in a day. My lowest weight was 152 but this morning I was 168. That's 6 pounds. Well, to be fair I had been at 154/155 for at least two months. Moving all day is key for me. But I somehow can't bring myself to move the way I used to. I'm tired of moving, lol. Don't I sound like I'm 4 years old! Winter was hard, especially this last month. I am hopeful the nice weather will bring a more energetic outlook. I also need to tone. My shoulders look like they are clothing hangers for my skin. Not the best look for sleeveless summer tops. I may have to wear sleeved shirts forever. I was looking through my closet this morning and surprise, surprise none of my summer stuff from last year (not the big stuff from before) fits. Everything is too big. Now that 18 months have passed and what is regarded as the "honeymoon period" for our surgery, we will have to work harder at both losing weight and maintenance. This period is very challenging for some, I was told. I am so worried I will put all the weight back. I can't have that happen, not after all we have been through. We can do this but we have to work at it. I so feel like a snack right now but I am going to make some tea instead.

We are all doing so well. I think we MUST always remember (even though its hard to ever be satisfied) where we were and were we are. a 100lbs lost is nothing to sneeze at. It takes true grit to do what we did. It still takes grit to keep going, right?

@@amylynns You look skinny my friend, good for you. I noticed your BMI is 23%. Well done! I'm around 25% which was my goal but I have been eating a bit more then I should lately. I am now at 155lbs. Can't wait to get out and about with good weather. I think winter has always been my biggest problem. I eat way more during the winter months.

Hi Galdiators, Good to hear from you layknee. Misstvb you look gorgeous. Nice work! Question: Is everyone feeling a lot hungrier lately? Just wondering, and if so how do you cope? I don't think its real hunger but more like boredom hunger. But having said all that, I certainly can eat a lot more then I used to and it scares me.

Hello, gladiators, It has been a while, sorry, life just got busy. But I think of you often and wonder how you are all doing. I am at 154lbs. Gained two pounds. I have read that it is pretty common for that to happen. To reach a low and then clim up to a more realistic weight. Of course any weight gain brings on the stress of thinking, I am going to gain it all back. It is very scary, I must say. I can eat a lot more then I should. At times I am astonished. I think the pouch opening streaches and the food keeps pushing out. Also, if you take a little break during your meal, 10 minutes later I find I can eat some more. I never felt the full feeling. I always went from hungry to sick. It's still hard for me to tell. The only thing that works is to have a plate with a reasonable helping and not have seconds. I can't do alcohol. I go from fine to roaring drunk to fast asleep in 5 minutes. I am exaggerating but it sure feels like it. My biggest problem is snacking. I can't seem to stop the munchies. Every hour I feel like I need to have a little something. Sometimes a little something is a lot of something. I had a restaurant size salad (big) for lunch then of course I could only eat about 1/3. I had leftovers, an hour later I had another 1/3 and finished it off another hour later. Wow! It's like I completely bypassed the physical limitations of my surgery. Not doing that again. However, if I do get a proper meal 3 times per day and a couple Snacks, I am fine. Why, why is it so hard to just do that? It's like I am ADD about eating. I can't focus on it. Other then that, everything is great. I feel great and my hair is coming back. I am at about 17 months past surgery and my new hair is like 2 inches long. I can see there is lot of hair that length throughout. It's coming in nice and strong. My energy level is great and I feel positively great.

Before surgery I did a number of diets including WWs. It works (with extraordinary effort) but the issue is keeping the weight off. It was impossible for me. After RNY, I realized it was because I had out of control hunger. Before my surgery, I was literally hungry all the time. Even after a thanksgiving meal I was hungry, it was just that I couldn't physically fit any more food. Once I had surgery that hunger was gone. Yes, I do feel some hunger now but it is not constant. Something changed. The science behind my surgery changed things. I am still the same human, so if it my food issues were psychological, wouldn't it follow that once I healed they would remain the same? I don't have awesome food intake days everyday but my weight fluctuates within a 3 pound margin. Pretty good!

I am boiling some eggs right now and preparing somethings to have ready to go. I think that will help my day. I NEED to plan my food intake ahead or I'll get in trouble. Yesterday was not a good day. Way too many tiny snacks.

I have noticed I am getting in trouble because I don't eat. What I mean is I fail to eat a proper meal.This is not only content but portion size and length of time consuming it. I will eat a few bites and feel satisfied and move on. A few bites will satisfy but they will not keep hunger away. Then an hour later I will feel hungry and have a couple more bites. In the end I will eat more per day just in little portions spaced out. Funny enough I came to this realization yesterday, I am not eating enough at each meal. I think it's because I eat too fast and that makes me full too quickly. Could I be on to something here? Any thoughts?

Hi Bronxi, So good to hear that you are okay. You have been through so much. So sorry, my friend. You look down right skinny. Imagine that, Skinny. Is that awesome! Sometimes I look at my bones pocking out and go, how the heck did I get skinny? Keep fighting, without our health we are toast.

I am on my third cup of tea today. No Snacks, Hurray for me. Breakfast: Protein oatmeal with added Protein powder Lunch: open faced roast beef sandwich. I did place lettuce and tomato on the slice of bread but I only ate two bites of the bread. It kind of acted as the holder, lol Snack: cheese stick I am a size 6 pants. No wonder my size 10 pants are falling off. Jeez, even though I have gained some weight this holiday season I am beginning to think that perhaps my face is too thin. Anybody noticed this happening to them. I want my weight gone from my tummy not face. Picky me, right?

I gained 3 pounds this holiday season. It was a complete shock when I stepped on the scale and read the number. I have been losing weight (14 months post RNY) for so on I didn't even think it was possible to reverse the trend. Hello, it so is. Time to access and redirect to better choices. Loved your Controllable, Feasible and Clear categories. Setting the stage for success is also so important. Thank you for putting into words exactly what I needed to hear. By Sunday night all the treats are going to be gone. I won't throw them out today because my poor kids would freak out. All the candy, Cookies and chocolates need to GO!

Congrats Amy on you first semester at College. Well done girlfriend. LisaCo, four pounds at this stage is awesome, how do you think you did it? Shadow, hugs to you too Pink, your struggles are my struggles too. We are all going through this at the same time. Conga line style! Wildgoose. I am so glad you shared, and I am particularly grateful you mentioned the person who gained all the weight back eating a loaf of bread a day. That visual is so strongly imprinted in my mind. Thank you. To everyone who posts, I may not always respond (I wish I could) but I do read every post and look forward to what everyone has to say. I am always happy to read about all your struggles and successes.

Happy New Year Everyone ​Thank you so much for sharing all your struggles during the holidays. It has been difficult. As I lay in bed last night at 9Pm (missed New year's) drenched in sweat and shaking from a regular sized slide of Tres Leches cake, I felt like a complete fool. Did not do a thing to make myself feel better instead opted to suffer through it. But I fell asleep within minutes, so not enough suffering as far as I'm concerned. Yet this morning my first thought was could I have bite of that delicious cake? I don't think I can have any sweets in the house for a while. I have a dinning room table full of sweets. Cookies, chocolates, etc. Yes, family and friends have put a dent on it but there is still a lot. I need it gone. After this cake is eaten I cannot make dessert for like 3 months. Top goals of 2016 (first week of 2016, really) 1. Go back to the gym 2. Stop eating like Mario Andretti (yes, Wildgoose) 3. Allow enough freaking time to eat a proper meal and not have Snacks rather then meals 4. Sugar gone. It's addicting and it's making me sluggish not to mention sick ​What I have done right so far: 1. Breakfast usually is good. I start my day right and plan my first meal. it's 11:00 AM an onwards that I need to work on. 2. Herbal tea has been my most wonderful discovery. I drink 3 to 4 cups everyday and it feels wonderful. Something about the warm drink is so yummy. I have a large mug each time with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a packet of Truvia. It feels like a desert to me and that tiny amount of sugar doesn't matter to me. Mid morning, mid afternoon and evening always happen. I treasure these and I credit my adequate Fluid intake to keeping this trend going. 3. I stay active (not this past week) moving and accomplishing physical tasks has been a drug I feel addicted to. Because I can do so much more, I stay active. I do more on purpose and constantly invent stuff to do just to move more. It works for me. I am driven and goal oriented and if all I have is vacuum, I will do it. I would be in trouble if I had a sedentary existence. That's how I got in trouble in the first place.

Oh no, my scale is up 3 lbs. Yes, the holidays have been hard. I keep stealing treats all day long. One or two bites at a time but I have eaten a box of chocolate pretty much by myself. I have to get this under control or I am going to lose this war. Three pounds is not the end of the world but the slippery slope is here. We all have seen fluctuations but we still have to watch. Nothing is forever without work. The new year will bring some much needed stability form the holiday craziness. I need to workout again and focus on overall health. We are going to need to "be good" but I fear the cold depressing months of January and February. I get depressed at this time of year and in the past always gained weight during these months. I am glad you are all going through the same struggle. Misery does like company, right? But all joking aside our struggle is within the norm and knowing that provides much needed support. Knowing you are all going through this is such a comfort to me. Did I mention lately, I love you all. Well, its true.

Weight wise I'm at 151 and don't seem to stop losing weight. I was happy with 160. I do try to eat more but I am so busy with all the holiday stuff, I noticed lately I eat even faster. We are talking 5 minutes. In desperation I have tried to eat while I drive because i am sitting there I figure it will naturally slow me down. But my car is going to get (is already) messy. Try eating yogurt and drive. Not easy. My new thing is nuts because I can chew them slowly while I drive. Now my floor looks like a squirrel has a storage facility between my seat and the center console. Some do fall, lol. Lots of peps that have not seen in a while comment on my amazing transformation. That does feel good. I still love my surgery but need to manage my eating a little better.

Hi everyone, Missed you all bunches! The alcohol thing: yes, I did have the experience of going from zero miles an hour to 200 miles an hour in what felt like 3 seconds flat. I had one margarita and fell so out of control that I passed out on the couch. I think the combination of the sugar and alcohol did me in. Now I am super cautious. I take a sip of wine here and there. I am so sorry Shadow, making mistakes is human, not learning is dumb. If you don't do it again you will be fine. It's nice that your boss is in on your surgery. Perhaps you can send him/her a copy of some article on WLS and alcohol. Explain that you had not had alcohol "experience" since you are one year out post surgery. But now you know and I think you will be fine, mortified but fine. Many a co-worker gets smashed at the X-mas party. At least you have an excuse and that will play in your favor. Live and learn. Sugar: yeah, still has a pull. The drug effect is such that I tend to work it in somehow. Little bites here and there. A piece at a time. I can't have much at once but I do sneak it in way too much. It has not affected my weight but I do worry if it will in the long run. Burping: Sometimes its really bad. Even my family is complaining. I think I tend to eat too fast and perhaps its a combination of nausea and the food doesn't agree with me. Somehow I cannot stop eating fast. What the heck, why, why do I eat so fast? I can't stop. You would think the biofeedback eat fast=burping would make me stop but NOPE. I just want to wolf down my food like I used to and now I can. So SAD

QUESTION: I seem to burp a lot. Sometimes I can burp for 15 minutes almost non stop. Does anyone have that? It doesn't happen all the time but when it does it's really worrisome. I have zero control over my belching and it is painful if I hold it.