Texas_Angel

If it's a closed group somebody has to bring the other sleevers in don't they?

I quit smoking on October 1st this year. I had smoked a pack or two a day for over 12 years straight. I was prescribed Welbutren to help me quit. At first, I thought I would just suddenly stop smoking, as I didn't want to. Thankfully, I realized that the medication does work, but only after I decided to put the cigarettes down. Didn't relapse a since time after that. Been smoke free for over 5 weeks.
Exercise in place of cravings, people that will help hold you accountable, & maybe join a stop smoking support group.
Good luck, you can do it!

Look up The Cycle of Abuse. I am a survivor of domestic violence and escaped from a psyco-sociopath in the middle of the night with the help of workmates and the angels from the local womens' shelter (who had been advising me to not leave when he was home.)
Verbal and emotional abuse never go away. They ALWAYS escalate into physical violence. So even if he hasn't hit you (yet) abuse is abuse is abuse. One thing I learned in counseling at the shelter is that we get so used to abuse, that we begin to abuse ourselves.....not taking care of ourselves, perpetuating his isolation by isolating ourselves from family and friends...he follows you to work, or insists on driving you and picking you up even though you can drive yourself.
The thing that makes me hurt for you the most is that humiliating you at home has become humiliating you in public. My mean old rotten 2nd ex husband, told me one time in a crowded Subway restaurant, "I am sick and tired of looking at your ugly face." When I cried, he said I embarrassed him in public.
Another example is that one time after I had lost 50 pounds, he told me, "Every time you lose weight, you get jowls." He insisted that he pick out my clothes, even shoes and socks, from the mens' department because they were cheaper. Any time he did buy me something, I would not use it, because in a few days he would take it back so that he could buy cigarettes. He told me I would be more fun if I drank more.
Nothing EVER was his fault. He said I always made him mad, when in reality he chose to be mad at everything. He thrived on conflict.
So, if he has never hit you, think about this.....has he thrown things at you or near you....an ashtray, a telephone, a camping lantern (cracked my ankle). Has he tried to prevent you from getting medical help or minimized your symptoms, feelings, or opinions????
One day one of his 27 cats got up on a high kitchen cabinet and I climbed up on a ladder to get her down. He started yelling at me and I asked him calmly to please not raise his voice at me. He said, "I wish I could beat the Goddam
s>>t out of you." This was coming from a man who kept five loaded guns in the house. One time he even shot at a car who passed him on the highway late at night (when he was driving me home from work).
Oh, it gets worse...the last straw....we were in the car and I was talking to his daughter on the cell phone. He did not like something in the conversation and smacked me hard in the harm with his elbow. I asked him to stop the car and let me get out. So he started driving more aggressively and would not let me out of the car. The bruise on my upper arm was a big as a 7 ounce steak,
Fast forward to the restraint hearing. The county paid for the divorce because it was domestic violence. The judge put him in his place and told him that if he did not shut up he would be charged with domestic battery, terroristic threats of a specific nature, kidnapping, and unlawful restraint.
There clearly is much more than I can share here, but I am saying all that to say this: If any of this sounds familiar, you need to decide how to leave. And I am guessing that if you tell him you want a divorce, he will be all sorry, and make you prove to him that you still love him. If nothing else, get some input from the angels at the women's shelter who deal with this all the time.
If I had fallen for that tactic and gone back, all the advantage would have been to him. He would have had his cook and laundry wench and second income, and I would have had my beautiful prison ten miles out in the country 1/2 mile down a gravel road, in-between the corn and Beans.
The situation as you described is not healthy for you in any way. NO ONE deserves to be abused. You have come a long way, so keep on going and don't look back.

This is almost verbatim what the husband of a friend recently did, and you know what happened next? He punched her in the eye, with all his force. You will stay in this relationship until you have hit your personal rock bottom, but this kind of behavior - it doesn't get better. Get out, and get out now.

Those are all great recipes. I found these tasty, too...
1) 1/2 blended banana in the chocolate shake
2) PB2 added to the vanilla shake
3) tangerine Mio added to vanilla tastes like a dreamsicle
As for the premier shakes, I always thought they were too thick I dilute them at least 1/2 1/2 with skim milk....and that adds another 8g Protein. I learned to tolerate them because they are definitely the most bang for your buck when it comes to Protein. The other thing I did both pre and post op was to add unflavored Protein Powder to broth. It was a nice change from all the sweet flavored shakes.

There are a lot of SF ways you can improve the taste of chocolate shakes.
1. Butterfinger: add PB2, caramel Syrup
2. chocolate mint: add creme de menthe syrup
3. Samoa cookie- add caramel syrup and coconut syrup
These are all really good.
I also have tried adding chocolate chip cookie dough syrup to chocolate shakes. It is good, but I had a hard time tasting the cookie dough.
I am sure there are some websites out there where there are 100s of crazy recipes for you to try with SF syrup and a chocolate shake.

Hi Theresa! Do you guys go to the support group?
So funny story. First time I went in there was a woman in the waiting room with me, we started talking and she said she was having a revision.
I told her I had started at Des Peres but I hated it and she said "well this is Des Peres." I just looked at her and thought "wait what???"
And then I said "no this is DePaul!" And she said "oh yeah. Well I have ADHD too." Lol

jashantee, all of those things are possibilities for you. Most them will take great effort but I sense that you are up to the challenge.
Before surgery, I was a sick, obese, tired old man. I am still old, older, but no longer sick, obese or tired. I just spent the day with a guy in his 30's shoveling gravel and moving bricks for 6 hours. He honestly acted and looked more tired than I did. I am 65.
I am more capable now in many areas than before. It is a life changer if you make it so.
Go get 'em!

I'm 36 yrs old and had lap-band surgery on 6/11/03 at 242 and now weigh 230 -- I am taste those 220's. I'm married with 2 girls and have been wanting to lose weight for the last 15 years - well I have lost and gained and lost and gained...you know the routine. I love the NEW ME and can't wait to get my first fill on 8/13 as I have not much restriction now.
GOOD LUCK to everyone that has been banded or thinking to be banded or about to be banded. I don't regret this for one moment
Barbara S
6/11/03
Dr Carter

Hi everyone.
this is my first time posting and very new to this support group. I have my surgery (RNY) scheduled for November 5th and set to start Optifast on October 15th. I'm so excited a little nervous too but I'm going through this little phase where I think, "last time for this, last time for that," thing. Like eating at my favourite restaurant for the last time, having a girls wine night etc.. I'm hoping I'm not the only one that has done or who is doing this? I think it's a pretty realistic thing to do considering the massive changes up ahead. Anyone with me here? Lol

I've been doing very well with my sleeve. It’s said on this site all the time but I'm say it as well...Getting the sleeve was the best decision I've made and I wouldn't change anything. I had a positive outlook on the entire situation from the beginning and I truly believe that helped.

I started out at 262lbs, I lost 15lbs from doing the pre op diet, and today I weight 156lbs so total I’ve lost 106lbs. I started in a size 22 now I’m in a size 8.

No, I did not work out, however I did change my eating habits, I completely gave up sugar and only do sugar substitute or sugar free. I do Protein first and I eat a lot of Protein Bars, I can’t stand the shakes they make me nauseous.

In the beginning this was all like a fantasy or a dream, but now I’m actually living it and it feels wonderful.

I had that today! I am trying to buy new scrubs before I go back to work. At the beginning of my year long journey before surgery I was in a 5x shirt and pants. Today I was able to go into
Walmart and buy a size 3x in shirt and pants! Was very excited!

No way to predict. I lost alot of weight, say 60-80# when i was in my 20s and had no loose skin - I wore a bikini and looked pretty okay. It was a different story being late 40s and losing over 150# this time, but even then the skin wasn't as bad as i have seen some pictures of.
I am guessing your worst problem area will be the belly, but after childbirth, mine did tighten up considerably and yours probably will too.
I have to tell you... I looked ALOT better with a bit of extra skin than I did morbidly obese...

I'm in my Early 30's and also wasn't morbidly obese my whole life. I had struggled with my weight yo-yoing through my teenage years, and was a steady slender person from about 18 through my early 20's until I became very depressed and put on at one point over 100 lbs in a 2 month period. Then, there my weight stayed and continued to go up until I had ballooned to my height at 265. I was morbidly obese for about 10 years before I had surgery, but still most of my adult life. I also was worried about loose skin. They say age, genetics, etc are what loose skin depends on. I do have loose skin, but not the gobs and gobs I would imagine I might have after having lost half of myself. Mostly only I can tell the loose skin I have. I am more self concious about it than people actually notice. I have loose upper arms and thighs, where my butt used to be I have some sad wrinkles and my ladys are deflated. I have some turkey neck and a wrinkly pooch which used to be my bloated belly. It sounds WAY worse than it actually is. I can tell you for a fact the best remedy is time. As time has gotten farther out (today is my 2 year surgiversary exactly), my skin has toned and gotten better without me doing anything. I am a firm beleiver in waiting for a period of time after you're at a stable weight to do plastics. Honestly you can't even tell I have loose skin in clothes, and my hubby doesn't mind me naked. I don't look like a super model, but it's certainly not embarrasingly gross. I have a few galleries up, you can see what I look like. I'd tell your hubby not to worry, he can always help you to slather your skin with coconut oil (that's what I use) and skin firming creams if he'd like Loose skin is way more of a scare than it is a realtiy. You'll be fine and look great!!

3 days post-op and feeling much better!
Still have pain and am taking my meds but this is way better than those first 36 or so hours were. There's still a big adjustment to be had and I am working on it slowly, but oh man, I'm so glad I'm out of the woods, pain-wise.
I still haven't weighed yet -- I want to wait a full week post surgery. For now I am focusing on getting my liquids in and resting so I can heal. And walking, too, but with a 2 year old, I don't have much choice other than to be up and about most of the day.
Jury's still out on whether or not this surgery was the right decision for me yet, but I feel much much better than I did when I originally posted. Whew!
If you have surgery soon or just had it and are in pain, take heart! The pain is not forever (even if you're wondering if maybe it might be).

Seashelles, on 06 Nov 2014 - 09:39, said:

I even started to get depressed about how after surgery I will not be able to eat.
one of my main problems is Portion Control.< /em>
I am just depressed over the fact that I spent most of the first week cheating and now I have to try to make up for it. I just dont really know how...
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Relax......you're doing a lot of worrying about yet unknowns......That is what fear is.
You're having trouble with the preop now because it's cold turkey and there are no changes yet to help you make or stick with those drastic pre-op diet changes.
Portion control is going to be handled by the sleeve. So that one is taken care of.
And about "not being able to eat". You're the only one putting that idea in your head.
After your sleeve heals, you will be able to eat pretty much whatever you want. Some tastes will change and you will develop new healthier eating habits.....but you will still be able to get all the satisfaction and enjoyment from the taste of the food as you do now. You needs will change with your lifestyle and you won't miss anything.
OK, that solves those concerns....now perk up and stop creating issues where there are none...... Good luck

@@Seashelles I feel for you. This is not an easy process by any means. I know all the fears you have because I had them too. I didn't cheat but please believe I wanted to! I just had to constantly remind myself what this was all about and why I had to do it. If your surgery turns out anything like mine you won't be hungry after surgery....I know that sounds unbelievable to you at this time but I Had my surgery Monday and I still have no hunger. I enjoy my clear drinks but I Have no desire to eat at all. It won't be as hard for you as it is right now. Your body is use to eating and nothing has changed that feeling yet. It is hard but just try to look past this misery and keep focused on your goals. Maybe right them down. I will tell you what I did. I took some pictures of myself in a bra And undies and everything I started going crazy wanting food I looked at those pictures, drank my shake and moved on! It might sound strange but it really worked! Good luck!

Quick update. ... in my room feeling super sleepy and tired. Surgery went well Tha k god!

Hello everyone! I am officially sleeved and leaving the hospital today in great spirits. I would just like to pass a tip along.....buy A plug in air freshener for your hospital room. My goodness I got so many complements on my wonderful smelling room From all the staff. It's funny. I even had One of my nurses come in my room and said she knew I was still here because my room smells heavenly. Everyone wanted to come in and sit with me lol!!! I have a private room so I didn't worry about offending a roommate. It's just a apple and cinnamon glade plug in. It does make the room feel more like "home" than a hospital room???? I just thought I would pass this along...as a comfort measure.

I would go for it. I have my second round of plastics scheduled the day before Thanksgiving, so I'll be too high to really be eating anything on the holiday. I will be 14.5 months out from surgery at that point and I don't care in the slightest bit that I won't really want to eat anything. My relationship with food is totally different than it was before surgery- I can have it or I can skip it and either way it's ok.
Good luck!

I quit smoking on October 1st this year. I had smoked a pack or two a day for over 12 years straight. I was prescribed Welbutren to help me quit. At first, I thought I would just suddenly stop smoking, as I didn't want to. Thankfully, I realized that the medication does work, but only after I decided to put the cigarettes down. Didn't relapse a since time after that. Been smoke free for over 5 weeks.
Exercise in place of cravings, people that will help hold you accountable, & maybe join a stop smoking support group.
Good luck, you can do it!

@@JennsinCA What I do is periodically go to our local Sonic and order 12 large cups of ice, with lids, in drink carriers. A lot of strange looks, and they often will say 'don't you want a bag of ice?" -- and I don't, because that's a hassle. So I take my 12 cups home and put in freezer. Every morning take out a couple and they melt to a nice soft consistency. Costs me about $4 every time I go, but I figure that's WAY less than I used to spend on fast food, so it still leaves me ahead money-wise -- and definitely calorie-wise! So yes, I'm that strange lady who pulls up and orders '12 large cups of ice please', lol

I am on day 3 of the liquid diet and yesterday was super hard. I really wanted to go eat at (won't say name so I don't tempt any1) and I kept telling myself its ok it is only day 2 if you are going to cheat then today's the perfect day. And if that convo in my head wasn't bad enough I was really missing snacking too you know that mindless putting food in your mouth type snacking. So I went to the gas station and I bought a 64oz cup of crushed ice and put it in sandwich baggies and got my munchies on. I have to say it felt great to be munching on something and curbed my cravings. Because of that ice I have made it successfully to day 3 and only 12 more days to go!

Was discharged yesterday! I've been at home relaxing, feels great to be home. I also get to add Protein Shakes and creamy Soup to my days now so I welcome those new flavors! Still working on walking and keeping my pain levels low

@@Recycled
Lol I was pretty loopy when I wrote 2 ounces???????????????? 2 milligrams