FrankyG

Fat stores hormones. As you lose weight, those hormones get flushed back into your system and result in crazy mood shifts and can affect your cycles as well. food cravings have always been a part of getting your period and are definitely triggered by hormones, so expect to deal with that sort of thing as long as you have cycles - it's the same as head hunger really, so great practice. But this hormone dump is also one of the reasons they tell you to be very careful with birth control during all of this - because the hormones can increase your fertility and you can get pregnant accidentally even if you had issues in the past. If you have lost a significant amount of weight, that means your body's hormone production has changed as well. It might be much more normal than ever before (if you had issues) or it could take a year or two to stabilize and cause changes from how you used to be. Do get in to see your OB/GYN if you are having any issues that are concerning.

I hope you'll post back if you like them. I wanted to find some add ins for my egg because usually I just put a bunch of sharp cheddar or pepper jack (and some green onion) and cheese is high in both calories and fat. While still tasty, I'd like to have other options.

So I eat these ALL THE TIME NOW. Like I will never eat plain eggs again. Four ingredients (not counting salt or pepper to taste): 1 egg 1 pat butter 1/2 tablespoon of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (smooth blended sauce) 1/2-1 full tablespoon of plain greek yogurt (I have the zero fat version, but the full fat would be fine too if you want the extra fat) Heat small frying pan with butter until bubbly (I ususally do a medium high heat for this phase to get the pan hot and melt the butter before adding egg). While pan is heating, crack egg into bowl, add ingredients and then scramble up until the mixture is combined well. Turn heat down to medium low heat (lower is better to achieve a creamy/custardy texture to the egg), add egg to pan and stir constantly until egg is almost done. Remove from heat while still looking a bit "wet" as the egg continues to cook for a few seconds due to residual heat, and this prevents the egg from getting hard and overcooked. Plate, add salt and pepper to taste. I use chipotle chilies in adobo sauce but the kind where they've blended it all up so it's a sauce with no chunks (you can buy the cans with the peppers still whole and just blend them yourself but this way is less to clean up). Adding dairy (greek yogurt) is a chef secret to get creamy fluffy eggs - any dairy will help, but especially sour cream or greek yogurt and the yogurt adds more protein! Cooking the egg on low heat, constant stirring and removing the egg from heat right before it is considered "done" results in a better egg too. This results in a very creamy textured scrambled egg that has a lovely smoky slightly spicy flavor and works beautifully with sausage, bacon or ham. If you're unfamiliar with how chipotles taste, you might want to add less to start with (but if you like spicy without a hard burn, this is good stuff - add more if you want more spicy).

Measure your food and don't rely on feelings of fullness. You actually should not be eating to the point of feeling full from now on; you should eat until you're no longer hungry which means stopping before you feel full. But it may be months until you can figure out what hunger and fullness even feel like, which is why you should definitely not be relying on those feelings for some time!

I think the goal your doctor gave you was him/her being really lazy and not looking and listening to you. They just took the low end of the normal BMI from your height and that was it. Mine did similar - he told me I should weigh 140 for my height; I laughed at him. I told him I was normal sized in high school and didn't weigh in that low (wore a size 10-12). My goal weight is on the high side but I am already looking pretty decent and don't really want to go down to wear a size 6 or anything - I just want to be able to feel good and not shop in the plus sized sections any more and so far, that goal has been achieved, so the rest is just gravy. 22 BMI is LOW. I think your revised goal weight is much better and you'll look amazing and feel wonderful if you can get even in that neighborhood. And you've done a mindblowingly awesome job so far!

Had a really late night, so just fixed Breakfast for lunch: Chipotle eggs (egg scrambled with a half tablespoon of greek yogurt for body and extra Protein and half tablespoon of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce...yuuuuuum), and two small slices of uncured hickory smoked bacon (also yum).

Double post oops!

I really love what your therapist said. We all have to come to terms with our dependence and addictions and it is going to be an uphill fight all the way I'm sure (I'm right there with you). It is wonderful that you've done so well and are still fighting.

I've said this several times on this forum so apologies to those that have to read it again. My doctor told me that anyone eating absolute crap will lose weight in the first year or so. They can't eat as much, so just through the restriction alone, they'll lose weight. Even eating fast food, pizza, fried, cake Cookies... the weight will drop. The problem is, their bodies and metabolism will eventually adjust to the amount of food they eat, and the fact that most of the stuff they are eating is nutrient deficient and loaded with sodium, fat, carbs and sugar means that they are starving their bodies of Vitamins, Protein. And once the body adjusts, the weight will start creeping back on. And they will blame the sleeve for "failing" when it is really because they were expecting to do none of the work themselves and didn't make any changes or effort to get healthy. What works for me is to think of WLS (weight loss surgery) as one leg of a three legged stool: 1. WLS provides portion control/hunger reduction. WLS helps with reducing portions pretty much instantly and for the rest of your life, and removing (temporarily) the gnawing hunger and overwhelming cravings. 2. Relearn how to eat. With reduced portions and the ability to make better food choices due to the overwhelming hunger/cravings being controlled, you finally are able to start relearning HOW AND WHAT TO EAT. You can make smarter and healthier food choices and retrain your brain and body to eat high protein, lower carb and moderate fat - meaning healthy Proteins, veggies and complex carbs become your new way of eating. It's not a diet; it's a lifestyle change and throwing out everything you used to do and addressing your relationship with food. You can also use this time to figure out better ways to deal with issues you used to medicate with food - using it as comfort, reward, whatever. You must deal with all that baggage during the honeymoon phase so it doesn't sabotage you later down the road. 3. Ramp up activity levels. Once you've gotten the hang of eating healthy and reduced portions, exercise is the third leg to master. You feel better and start getting your energy back once you're on solids. The weight you've lost over the first few months means your body is feeling less pain and are able to move easier, so you can start finding ways to get more active. Again, this is not "forcing yourself to exercise." This is about finding ways to enjoy yourself while also being active - go for a walk with a friend, take up a sport, swim, ride a bike, play catch with the kids... find things you enjoy doing that also involve you getting up and moving and you'll never dread getting your exercise in because it is FUN. While WLS is an absolutely amazing tool, it isn't a cure all. You can't expect to balance on one leg and not fall over eventually. Without all three legs, you'll fail. Simple as that.

Yup. It can also progress into what is called "dumping" which is where the vomiting part comes in. Foamies is the really thick foam/saliva part, but it can sit so heavy on your stomach and having it in your mouth and all... it can turn into a gagging thing pretty easy and you'll want to get it out just because it feels kind of gross. Dumping is where your body overreacts to the sugar/fat of what you just ate and makes you hot, shaky and sick feeling, which is normally just vomiting but can cause diarrhea too. Which is why eating things high sugar or fat in the early months is pretty much taking on the risk of getting foamies and/or dumping besides derailing your progress. Not worth it (trust me on this). But it will help keep you honest if you do experience either of them after that. Gotta look for that silver lining, right?

I track both, but I count net carbs. I have to work hard to keep my fiber numbers up with mostly protein as my main dish.

I did have foamies and threw up once in the early days. It was when I tried to eat something bad. I tried regular ice cream about a month out, and the sugar/fat content made me really sick - I was having shaking, sweats and felt awful until I did throw up, but it passed rather quickly. And I never ate it again. I have no idea if my experience with vomiting is normal after bariatric surgery, but it didn't hurt, and it felt very different to me from what it was like before surgery; there was no heaving or strain involved - food just came right back up.

There are probably a couple hundred posts saying the same thing as you on this forum. You are hitting the first of many stalls. Weight loss is not steady. You have lost a great amount in "only" 3 weeks.Honestly, when was the last time you heard anyone lose 16 pounds in three weeks that hadn't had surgery? And even those posting greater/faster losses, they will also hit stalls eventually. Some folks lose fast, some slow, some lots in the beginning... Read this: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/351046-embrace-the-stall/

During the weight loss phase, do try wearing a supportive bra as much as possible. I even have a couple of sleep bras because I don't want the weight of my breasts pulling at the skin when I toss and turn. I have no idea if it really has helped, but it appears so; I have some very slight wrinkly skin when I lean over a certain way, but otherwise, the breasticle area has held up well (but I haven't lost hardly anything in the actual cup sizing, just the band size).

You're hitting your first stall - totally normal and will happen many more times over the next months/year. I'm still shocked at how no doctor tells folks about this. Read this: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/351046-embrace-the-stall/

I think the general consensus is about 6 weeks out from surgery if you're going to develop any. But that would also be if you weren't walking and staying active. So make sure you're walking around the house through the day and once you get back to work, walk around at least a few minutes every hour or so. As long as you're getting up and moving throughout the day, you are at a significantly smaller risk of getting them.

I eased into real foods by eating yogurt (carbmaster line from kroger), drinking high Protein milk (Fairlife or Mootopia) and baked fish. Oh and cheese and refried Beans. I tried eating scrambled egg and threw it up until about 4 months out. I'd suggest you just eat ONE teaspoon of something that sounds and tastes good (while still being on your list of okay foods of course), wait about 10 minutes, then try another spoonful. Only do this for one meal a day until you can work up to a few ounces for that meal. Then start adding spoonfuls to other meals. Your stomach hasn't had to deal with solid food for a while now, so you need to baby it. Take it ridiculously slow.

There are tons of threads about this... Fat stores hormones. As you lose weight, all those hormones are flushed back into your system. SO you will feel crazy, weepy, angry, happy - sometimes in rapid progression - for months after surgery. Just remind yourself that it likely is hormones if you are feeling super down or angry and take some time/step back before doing anything crazy. And warn close family members that you might be like this for a while.

Does your partner mind the skin? Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App Nope. It's not that bad. Even if it was, he didn't mind me being fat, so why would he mind me being less fat with a bit of sag? We're all going to end up getting older and lose skin tone and get wrinkles and change appearance, so getting used to the idea that what you see right now ain't what you're going to look like 5 years, 10 years, 20 years down the road is probably a good thing to start getting comfortable with. Losing the weight was the best. I feel better and I can do more things and will (hopefully) live a much longer life with the guy that I love and who also loves me. THAT is what is important in my book. I get that appearance is important, but the husband thinks I am beautiful and loves that I'm more engaged in life, more active and involved in lots of fun things, and taking more interest in clothes and my hair and stuff I'd stopped putting much effort into. I have gorgeous foundation garments now (lots of fancy stuff but just plain pretty things because I can buy shapers and they smooth and hold things in perfectly). And I have nice clothes that look damned good on me and I can shop in regular stores if I want and if the price for all of that is a bit of saggy stuff when I'm buck naked? Yeah, I'm okay with it. But then again, I might be less saggy than many I've seen, so I guess take what I'm saying with a large grain of salt. And you say you can't afford any plastics in the event you have extreme saggy skin (not sure how much weight you have to lose and that would make a difference), but there are some instances where insurance will cover things like a tummy tuck if the pannus (apron of belly skin) is causing rashes (definitely discuss with your doctor since they probably will need to document stuff like that to make the case with insurance), and worst case, you cut out spending on non-essentials and get a second job or something to save like crazy so you can afford plastics a few years down the road. You can make it happen if it is truly important to you!

Your age really isn't as big an issue as other factors. It's how much weight you lose and how long you've been fat and to a lesser extent how good your genetics are (whether family members have "good skin"). If you have been very large for a long time (more than a few years anyway) it's going to mean your skin has been stretched out for such a long time that it might not bounce back as well. Obviously if you are younger, you do have a small advantage moreso than if you waited into your 40s or 50s. But the thing to remember is that loose skin is completely cosmetic and weight the advantages for your health and enjoyment of being a normal weight vs being fat. Frankly, cosmetically, a little loose skin is nothing to me compared to my health. I will deal with the skin if it becomes an issue, but I look waaaaaaaaay better now than when I was fat even with a bit of saggy skin.

Long term, do you still have the benefit of getting full faster / with less food. I believe you do, except of course the workarounds like chips etc which people can eat a large amount of.Yes that is my understanding. I'm over a year out, and still very aware of a restriction and make sure to measure my portions so I don't feel overly full (because that still feels very uncomfortable). Now that your stomach is kind of back to a bigger size, do you feel it is all on you to eat well and exercise, or do you think the sleeve is helping you long term.My stomach will never be "back to a bigger size" but it is slightly larger than it was right after the surgery. I can eat about 5 ounces of food and my doc said that was about the right size and I might be able to get up to maybe 6-7 ounces max over the years. The average stomach holds around 6 cups (a cup is 8 ounces so do the math). It has ALWAYS been all on me to eat healthy and exercise. The sleeve is only a tool to give me time help me deal with my food addictions and weight so I could take back control over my diet and lose enough weight to get more active. That's the whole point! I have no illusions about the fact that it is not the cure - my lifestyle change is possible through the sleeve, but it is 100% on me to work my ass off (literally) to change everything about how I eat and relate to food and exercise. And the hard to know question - if you felt exactly like you feel now (weight loss accomplished, control over eating, good routine in place), and your sleeve magically got replaced with your old stomach, would you be OK - i.e. is it basically all you these days this late in the game, or is the sleeve still helping? And would you swap back since your under control now so you don't have the odd things to worry about, e.g. Vitamins, drinking Water too fast, money back from surgery (if applicable)I'm not at goal, but getting close but still, no, I would not be okay and I would not go back to having my old sized stomach even if I could get all the money back, and I was self pay. I made a huge commitment and had much thought and effort and went through major surgery to improve my life. If I was put back to how I was before, but at the current weight, I'd not have the same motivation to keep improving and moving forward. I need the fact that I invested the time and energy and money into this to keep me honest. I also need the reminder that the sleeve's restriction gives me to help to not fall off the wagon.

I started walking every time I was stressed out or having anxiety. I've walked TONS in the last 6 months. Exercise is great for relieving stress so I was told, and it turns out in my case, it was true thank goodness. I also crank up a song (or three) that is super upbeat and dance and sing along to it when I'm feeling really down. I do this when I'm alone or at least where I can go do it in a room where no one will walk in on me since I'm sure I look like a crazy person, but it really does help. So sorry about your husband's layoff. I hope he finds something much better soon! (and a big congrats to you for not slipping off the wagon when hard times happened. Be proud of yourself - you rock!!)

I usually shop at HerRoom.com as they have great selection and a decent return policy. Highly recommended as they also have a great measurement tool and a universal sizing scale to help you figure out what size to order no matter the brand (since the stupid brands can't seem to be uniform across the sizes for some reason). If you need good quality bras, check them out. I have scored some great bras on Target in the last year tho. Just got a Paramour teeshirt bra (smooth cup) clearanced for $22 in the larger cup size (I'm wearing a 36G currently). It fits great, very comfortable and supportive after hours of wear. Even if it doesn't last for years, it was worth it. (the Paramour line seems to be good looking but lower cost, supportive large sized).

Check the ingredients, but many types of pork rinds are pretty much just the rind that was fried in its own fat with a bit of salt/spices. They have reasonable fat, zero carbs, high Protein and serious crunch - I eat mostly paleo, so this fits in that category for me. I'd not eat them every day, but when I'm craving salty and crunchy, (that time of the month mostly) they work well.

That's a pretty awful snack. It's got practically no Protein and is mostly carbs and it gets you started back on the carb train towards crackers and other bad stuff you should not be eating and should be avoided. I eat cheese sticks, slices of deli meat with pickle slices, carbmaster yogurt (available at Kroger), cottage cheese, pork rinds, or small amounts of mixed nuts like walnuts and almonds with a couple of low cal cheese wedges (think laughing cow).