FrankyG

You should check out some of your local thrift stores (goodwill/salvation army/others) as I've found some amazing deals on beautiful clothes there. Try looking in areas where the neighborhoods are ritzy and you could even find some fancy label stuff.

It is supposed to tell you how much your stomach can hold. You can get a container of cottage cheese (usually they're clearly marked with how many ounce it contains) mark the level of the full container, and then start eating at a good pace until you are full and stop. Then you take a measuring cup filled with Water, and start pouring the water into the cottage cheese to measure how many ounces you were able to eat. I did a form of the test, but I preferred to do it in a less messy/wasteful way: I measured out 1 full cup (8 ounces) of cottage cheese into a measuring cup, and ate from there. Once full, I tamped down what was left lightly to see how much I'd eaten. My results were my stomach could hold 6 ounces. I discussed this test with my doctor, however, and he said it's complete BS. He said that cottage cheese is too liquid to really fill up a pouch without immediately flowing out, so while you could conceivably eat fast enough to feel full, at least some of it had likely already left the pouch since you started eating and would give you a false sense of how much the pouch could actually hold. He said he would be surprised if I could hold much more than 3-4 ounces of solid food. Liquid foods like cottage cheese or yogurt are not a good measure. The only true test is to use dense Protein - meat. He suggested cooked chicken breasts (not canned chicken either - too moist). Anything with a high moisture content will slide through the sleeve faster than you think. Weigh a few cooked chicken breasts, then eat until full. Measure what is left. That would be a much more accurate measure.

I will eat things like pork rinds and very rarely some crackers in small amounts now. But my favorite thing to eat for crunch currently is red pepper strips. My go-to lunch is chicken salad (made with canned chicken, green onions, light mayo, celery, red grapes and a touch of curry powder - it is AMAZING) and I used to eat that with crackers... but sweet red pepper strips are so good with this, it's all I want to eat now. Very satisfying crunch too! Husband even switched from crackers to the red pepper strips after trying. Carrots are also a great snack when I'm craving crunchy.

Yes it is completely normal. Search for three week stall and you'll get lots of hits.

I have always loved liver - beef or chicken versions. I've converted the husband too, as I soak beef liver overnight in milk to remove the bitter taste, and I add a bit of hot pepper and garlic to my chicken liver recipe - they are awesome!

I've lost right below 100 pounds and still can't see it most of the time. I think it's because I see myself every day and I still see the really fat girl when I look in the mirror. I'm hoping that perception changes soon. But if you mean how long to notice my clothes were fitting differently, about 2 months and at least 30-40 pounds. I didn't wear much that was super tight anyway, and I lose weight proportionally (all over shrank; not just one area) so it wasn't obvious to me until I realized that a favorite pair of jeans were looser at the waist, and then started trying on a size smaller and they fit easily.

She doesn't sound like much of a friend. She is a taker and doesn't give anything back to you in return. When she knew you needed help after surgery, she refused even though it would not have caused her any real hardship. I don't buy the worry about the goats and horse interaction; she was familiar with the horse and if you have a good idea of its personality, you know how it would act/react around other animals. She just didn't want to put herself out or inconvenience herself. The fact that she bought an untried horse rescue speaks to her own self-centered thinking. She wanted it, so she bought it. She wasn't worrying about the goats then. You sound like a really cool person, and one that deserves to have friends that appreciate them and want to help out because they care about you. Not ones that just use you for what they can get out of you. (and if it was me in the same situation - I'd have offered to come take care of the horses in their own stable/home for free because I would be so grateful for the chance to even ride around in a paddock, let alone you hauling them out to ride on trails and letting friend ride any time for free! I miss having horses so much...)

Some foods are just not going to sit right in the early days, and there doesn't seem to be any real way to tell until you eat them. It might be the dense Protein of the meatball that caused it, or it might be the greens or it might have been eating too fast just hit your sleeve funny. Or even a combo of all three of those things was just too much for your sleeve to handle right then. I had that issue with eggs of all things. Couldn't eat them without throwing up until I was something like 4-5 months out. No real explanation I could come up with either. Good thing is, it is all temporary. There is nothing I can't eat now, and I'm sure you'll eventually be able to eat anything once you're far enough out (just not nearly as much of course).

I burp. Once that starts, I know it is time to stop eating. If I tried to eat more, I'd regret it (early days, I'd throw up, now I'd just feel gross and really uncomfortable).

It gets better. You're still in the sore/hurting/swollen, difficult part. The bread/pasta thing is head hunger. You're craving comfort foods because that's what you did before when you were upset/feeling bad/whatever. But you should also tell yourself that having bread/pasta isn't going to fix things... they are part of the problems that got you to this point in the first place. Think of this time like you're detoxing from a really bad drug addiction; a drug user is going to wildly crave the drug they're trying to kick and it's going to seem like the most wonderful amazing thing and why oh why can't they just have a little bit... But it will get better. And maybe eventually, you could have a little bread or small serving of Pasta. But stop glorifying them and telling yourself you have made a mistake and miss these things and pine away with the wanting of them. They are not good for you, and they aren't going to help you. Stay strong, remember that this time is going to be just a tiny blip on your journey and you're going to be happy and healthy soon. Good luck!!

I am absolutely not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I think you might be right about the drugs they have you one for pain interfering with the amount you feel like eating. narcotics/opioids are going to suppress your appetite and lower the hunger signals, and I'd not be surprised if you got full faster on less food as well since it's likely screwing up your full feelings too. So sorry you're in more pain and having a longer recovery. My mom had total knee replacement many years ago, and I remember it taking quite some time for her to be up and around and doing okay.

The day of the surgery, just after the nurse had placed the IV in my hand, I had a mini panic attack and wanted to rip the IV out and run from the hospital. I wanted to go HOME. Took about 10 minutes to talk myself off the ledge. We have all been there in one way or another. It is scary, and the long term ramifications are hard to take in at this point. But it is also worth it. You will be able to eventually do all those things again. You may not want to tho, or if you do it will probably be much less often and you'll be happy about it too. It is not the end of things you love. It is the end of things that have controlled you, made you unhealthy and held you back. It is the beginning of taking back your life, your happiness and being able to do whatever you want because you feel good and have the energy and health to do so. Good luck, and recognize that the fears are normal, but shouldn't keep you from going forward.

I get it, some folks just miss the point or are too quick to take offense when none is intended. Totally shouldn't let it get to you tho. Their opinion isn't important in the least if you don't want it to be. Hope you have a lovely day tomorrow!

I am so sorry you're going through this. I'm married, and love my husband, but we're experiencing some issues that are unrelated to the weight loss (lots of baggage) that we're working through. I am lucky in that he is open to listening and working on the problems and we're not fighting; just trying to talk things out, and I'm explaining what I'm feeling and what I need from him. We'll seek out a counselor if we feel like we aren't making progress. Have you tried counseling? If you are to the point where you're unable to communicate and anger and frustration are the only real interactions between you two, it might be good to have an impartial person to help you both figure out what is going on and work on the problems together. If your husband won't go with you, then go alone. Should help you to decide if the relationship is worth saving, or what the next steps are if it isn't.

I threw up and had a bad reaction every time I tried to eat eggs in the early days (after being cleared to eat them of course!) It took until I was about 4 months out before I could eat them and keep them down and now they are perfectly fine. Only other time I got the laying on the floor sick as a dog feeling was eating full sugar ice cream at about 2 months out. Still won't eat that stuff again (I might eat the no sugar diabetic type now, but that episode was horrible and turned me off ice cream pretty fast!) Some things your stomach will just take a dislike to for now. But it seems like it is just temporary. Give it a month and try the food again and if that is too soon, give it another month and see. You'll probably get back to tolerating them again at some point.

I donate blood (platelets/plasma) regularly. I don't see any significant weight loss during these times. But I've heard it will burn around 600 calories within a 3 day period after donating while you body replaces the donation. I do eat one of the small chip bags (or cookies) after because they won't let you leave without eating, so I kind of figure that offsets the calories I might burn. It certainly can't hurt and you would be helping out someone in need. But don't forget, stalls are not always non-productive. You could be losing fat and gaining muscle during this time, and your body may just be taking a breather before losing 5 pounds in a week or two.

Stock is typically simmered for a moderate amount of time (3 to 4 hours). Bone broth is typically made with bones (and can include veggies as well) and can contain a small amount of meat adhering to the bones. As with stock, bones are typically roasted first to improve the flavor of the bone broth. The bone broth thing was to differentiate between cooking it the typical short time (3-4 hours), and over 24 hours to break down the cartilage, marrow and tendons. That's all that good stuff that the less cooked broth/stock doesn't contain (or if it does, not in very high quantities). There is a difference. I know it's trendy now and likely called "bone broth" when it was just plain ol' broth/stock once upon a time, but there is a definite distinction between regular old stock/broth and bone broth.

Congrats!

I'd forget to eat a meal most days. Wasn't hungry, so lunch usually was remembered about the time I'd start thinking of what to cook for dinner. Since you lost the part of the stomach that produced the most of the hunger hormone ghrelin, you won't feel hunger hardly at all for a little while, and while it may come back eventually it might not be as strong (it is to be hoped anyway). So far, that's what I've experienced.

I just had the sleeve, but my experience was I did have things get stuck and threw up a bit in the first couple of months (while figuring out what I could and couldn't eat - took me a while with eggs for some reason) but that was likely due to the swelling and still healing more than anything. By the 3rd month, no problems at all. Haven't thrown up at all in well over 8 months and everything is tolerated just fine.

You'll do great! It is normal to be scared since it is life-changing surgery, but don't let this freak you out. It is an exciting time and you'll be amazed once you're healed how well you feel and how much things change for the better. Rant time: It really pisses me off when some jerkface says this is taking the easy way... It is not easy; it is still going to be very hard work after - and for the rest of your life. But instead of the constant yo-yo dieting or working really hard and seeing little results... you'll work hard and see real, measurable results. I know even in the early days, I expected to stop losing weight no matter what because that is what ALWAYS happened to me no matter what I did. I was beaten down and defeated so many times in the past that I had given up on myself and my health until I decided to try this one last thing. It was a lifesaver for me. Something to tell your family since they're obviously ignorant about this part (and I was too until learning about it) some people overproduce the hormone ghrelin, which is manufactured in your stomach. It is the hunger hormone that causes many people to have issues with portion control, overeating and binge eating. Removing a large portion of the stomach reduces the amount of ghrelin that is produced... meaning you don't get crazy hungry any more, and you feel satisfied with smaller portions - you get a NORMAL hunger response in other words. How is it being "lazy" to correct a medically screwed up condition? How is it bad to take care of something that your body got wrong? This surgery allows you time to relearn healthy eating habits, feel full eating small portions, and feel good enough to get out there and enjoy a real exercise routine. As long as you follow your doc's instructions and work hard at healthy eating/moving, you'll be a success and it should stick with you the rest of your life. I'd lost weight plenty of times in the past, but I was miserable, tired and felt bad the entire time and had to work so hard and deprive myself of everything and still had that gnawing hunger constantly... which led to me regaining eventually as soon as I let my guard down. Most all of us have been there - working super hard and getting the weight off only to regain as soon as we grow a little weak. I've lost more weight than ever, have learned to make tasty but healthy foods and now am ENJOYING exercise!! I never thought I'd be that person. I am so grateful and happy I did this, and I just know you will be too once you're healed and on your way. If the people in your life can't say something nice and be supportive, then it's time to put some distance between you and them - tell them you're going to stop speaking about this stuff with them (and refuse to listen to them if they want to nag you or say awful things - warn them that you'll hang up the phone or leave the area if that start that crap and then follow through) and find support from places like here, your friends or local support groups. You need to concentrate on you and your health and well being, and haters and negative nellies have no place in your life going forward. I'd tell your dad/brother that they are pretty rude, mean and hurtful and that you're going to just leave or stop seeing them if they can't be nice and supportive of you. Even if they are saying mean/unsupportive things to you because they are scared for you (and this is a possibility - they may be thinking this is too extreme and are afraid you're making a mistake just because they are ignorant and don't understand). But I still say if they loved you, they'd be your cheering section, take the time to read up or ask questions about this surgery instead of automatically saying it's wrong, and be there for you in improving your health instead of tearing you down or making you feel bad. Good luck and I hope you don't let them get you down - you have an amazing opportunity right around the corner and it can and will change your life so much for the better if you go for it!!

I think most of us have experienced feeling cold more since surgery. I constantly use an electric blanket as soon as it gets a bit cooler every since I had the surgery. I'm cold all over but I'm pretty sure I've read others discussing having cold hands or feet too. It's because of the change in hormones (fat stores hormones in great quantities), losing fat (which insulates us) and changes in overall circulation. Definitely wear socks if that helps, but you might also make sure you're getting up and walking or otherwise moving pretty often to make sure you're getting the blood circulating well during the day. Couldn't hurt!

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch I'm pretty sure I don't have any pronation issues; perfect wear patterns on my shoes and no heel/foot/back pain at all. It's pretty much my left hip down through my ankle on the outside of my leg, and I've had sciatica for years, so I'm pretty sure it's being irritated by the exercise. The bursitis seems to have worked itself out (took more rest time and started doing special stretching before/after walks). And thanks so much for being happy for me - I'm thrilled with how happy this is making me and really excited to get out there now. @@Chrystee I do yoga every week in a class, then do it at least once on my own as well (or with the husband). I am also adding some basic bodyweight circuits twice a week (just a 25 minute routine for now that is NOT super hard) so I am working on stamina, flexibility and muscle building. I have ordered new shoes (bright blue ones - so pretty!) and they should be arriving any time now. I have another pair picked out as a reward for when I am up to 6 months of exercise. I've never bought cute running shoes before. Usually the reward part was food, but this is much better. The boobs are now restrained better as I'm double bra-ing it (read about doing that on some of the bra sites discussing exercising while giant boobed) until I can find some good quality sports bras and I'm holding off on the jogging until then. My current (winter) schedule is: walking 3 miles 5X/week; yoga class 1x/week, self-guided yoga routine 1x/week bodyweight routine 2x week And I have one total rest day where I don't do anything at all. And I have the option of upping to 2 total rest days depending on how I shuffle my walk/exercise routines around. And at this point, I am having to restrain myself from exercising more. I keep telling myself that building muscle and losing fat happens AFTER the exercise and only if I do a proper rest. And that I don't want to burn myself out either. Seriously never thought I'd be so happy and enthusiastic about this! One of the other side effects I've noticed over the past month is that I am not depressed all the time any more. I have ALWAYS been a depressed person and used to be on meds and see a counselor for depression. I still get sad and angry about stuff, but I have noticed a remarkable lifting of the cloud that I've lived in for most of my life... and I'm pretty sure it's due to my getting up and out there and moving my body more. So thankful I had the surgery - it really did give me a whole new life.

My dear Amy, Don't give up as of yet! It is not over till its over! Try Premier Protein chocolate, it tastes like choc milk and Muscle Milk Cookies and cream. They both are really good, but if they are too heavy for you try diluting them with some milk it mellows the taste. Another good unflavored powder is powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Medical protein Unflavored, it mixes well with everything and is tasteless. You can mix it with anything, juice, Soup, regular lowfat choc milk, any food really. Also when you mix it if its too heavy you can always put half a scoop instead of a full scoop. Best of luck to you! I absolutely hated unjury, and their unflavored powder had a horrible taste to it - made me throw up and even smelling it still will cause gagging. So it's not universally liked.

I do all the time. The main objection is to be aware of how much air you're sipping in with your liquids. You just have to not sip down to the bottom where you're trying to get the last little bit as that also causes you to suck in a whole lot of air with it.