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I went back to liquids for a couple of weeks after purees made me sick. I use sodium docusate (Colace) daily to avoid constipation, and step it up to half a cap of miralax for a week if I notice it's starting to happen anyway. Make sure you're getting enough Fluid.

I *AM* doing it through diet and exercise. The surgery keeps me from rebounding. I've always been amazing at losing weight - pitiful at keeping it off. Case in point; I'd lost almost 100 lbs as of Valentines day. I was feeling pretty smoking. All of a sudden, my left arm didn't work and I was falling a lot. Fast forward to two and a half months later - I wasn't able to work out, I hit the Skittles and Potato chips instead of the chicken and green Beans. I've gained four pounds. Before surgery, in that same time frame, I'd have gained at least 20 - possibly 40. Much easier to get back on track (aka Diet and Exercise) and lose 4 plus the other 80 than have to relose 40 and still go the other 80. I recognize that my experience isn't the same as everyone's - but it's also not unique. The sleeve is *NOT* an easy way to lose weight, and it is *NOT* the easy way out. It is an awesome tool, though, if you're dedicated to using diet and exercise to get your health back.

@@Moremarilynthenbarbie Your diet person might have been talking promotion wise / people taking you seriously. I know in healthcare I'm received completely differently after weight loss than I was before - and I'm not any smarter or more competent than I was then. @@tiffanymarie6997 Your friend might be frightened - because you are gorgeous. Just saying. I would have to follow @@BLERDgirl and let your friend know that she is coming across as incredibly rude - a true friend wouldn't let her continue to put her foot in her mouth like that; what if it caused others to think less of her?

Pain meds - and pain - and inactivity - can absolutely stall weight loss. Constipated? It's a side effect, and I know it can add a pound or two for me. Something that I've noticed, too, is the smaller I get the slower I go. Of course, having had some health challenges the last couple of months - my diet has been much more skittles and potato chips, much less lean and green.... I consider the surgery a success right now because I've only gained four pounds in the last month. Prior to surgery, it would have been closer to 25. What do you mean you thyroid is 'ok'. What is your TSH and FT4, if you don't mind sharing? What's your cholesterol and your A1C?

In my experience, some of them just enjoyed knowing they weren't the biggest in the group and were concerned with the change in group dynamics when *I* wasn't the biggest in the group anymore. Do your research, keep yourself safe, and focus on the goal.

Only thing I can think on this is perhaps if you have hiatal hernia and have that repaired with the sleeve - but honestly, I'd probably get the bypass.

Same thing swimbikerun said - you need the different components, both from before and now. But HDL also goes up with weight bearing exercise - i.e. climbing stairs, lifting weights.

I haven't financed my plastics, but when I'm done losing - assuming my surgery is paid off - I would.

Mentally took about 6 weeks to full academic stamina - physically was both faster and slower; I could keep up with things after about 2 weeks.. but didn't feel completely myself for about 2 months. I still have days when I'm mentally slower than I was - and surgery was 3 and a half months ago. I can consistently do the mental work I have to at work, but sometimes struggle with attention for a term paper or stamina for a lecture.

Regardless of the cause of the beginning of a heart problem - weight never makes it easier, so maybe you've eased the complications... no, I don't think shooting yourself in the foot is necessarily strange. I think we all do it.

If it hurts, I don't eat it... but I would say that 7 out of 10 things don't hurt. The other 3 are some kind of bread. Sounds like your friend has some type of stricture. I would take that to a GI guy and have it scoped, because there are ways to fix that!

Unjury chicken soup

I'm with blerd girl... awesome explanation. Depending on how far away the hospital is, you could also walk the 7 year old around and let him see where you'll be resting so the nurses can keep an eye on you before you come back home. I was pretty graphic with my 8 and 11 year olds.. they knew how much tummy was coming out and we had great fun counting the staples on my leak check video. They also watched the surgery video with me. I was clear with them that this was a pre-emptive strike so that I could play with them on the slide again. The only bad part was when, 12/22, my Christmas tree wasn't up, my 8 year old said, "Mommy - did they take your Christmas spirit out while you were in Mexico?" hehe. Had to go buy a tree.

I like the water bottles with the sport tops... I find it helps if I can just squeeze it in.

My doctor didn't set a weight goal for me. Yay for Mexico! My goal is to: 1. Run a 5k 2. Chase my kid through the slide at McDonalds 3. Feel sexy Whatever number that happens at is where I'll be happy with maintaining.

For people planning to get pregnant after the sleeve who haven't been pregnant before - I don't think I could handle pregnancy at this point. My pregnancies consisted of morning noon and night sickness for the first 5 months... I think the nausea would have been unbearable were I not able to keep crackers on hand... and at least at this point post sleeve any bread like thing except a tortilla chip causes severe GI distress. Things I've read says it takes 6 months for your stomach to heal inside... I wouldn't want to repeat the early months of pregnancy for at least a few months after that, and I wouldn't want to deal with the heart burn of the final 3 months for awhile either. Good luck - you women are braver than I!

I'm scared of soda! Are you telling me it's not likely to splurt out of my mouth like I've dropped a mentos in the bottle? I also graze and I'm actually sick of chocolate because that's the flavor of my Protein drink.

@@Nikkidoodlebug I paid for my surgery out of pocket and if you watched me eat tonight, you'd have seen shredded chicken nachos, heavy on the lettuce. NOW.. realistically, I ate like 3 tortilla chips covered with chicken, cheese, and lettuce. And I ate that because I only get a few bites of food - I am not going to choke down gross crap. And if I want chicken nachos, I will eat the chicken nacho - or two or 3 of them. Three days ago, I had a piece of my kid's fudge. About a week ago, I had 4 and a half of my husband's French fries. At least twice a week, dinner for me used to be a big mac, a large fry, a large diet coke, and a hot fudge sundae - extra hot fudge. Now I've decided that a big mac doesn't deserve the space in Sleevie, diet coke takes up too much room.. so I just have 3 French fries and two bites of hot fudge sundae. There are some foods that I don't like any more... but there's not that many. I do my choices the way I do because if I ignore the cravings, they don't go away - they get bigger until I have a lot of trouble controlling the quality and quantity and speed of what I'm eating - and then I hurt and get very sick. The rest of the time, I'm drinking Protein shakes and eating my lean protein and my low carb veggies.. and I'm a walking fool. I'm working my sleeve, and I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

I feel so accomplished - I read through everything! Even the responses. So far as being supportive - You sound pretty supportive to me. You're a therapist? I'm in mental health too... and I don't know if you've gotten yet that self care has to come first.... Heck, some days I'm not sure if I have gotten that yet. Dealing with other people's junk all day can push us to the point where we think pretty abnormal is 'normal'. What you describe ain't normal. I was sleeved about 6 weeks ago. My husband was not objecting to it really, but not the most supportive partner either. My husband is now planning a sleeve. Let's just say our personalities are different. He asked me to line things up for him, I've started him on Vitamins to correct a few deficiencies that showed up in his blood work and increased Protein, decreased carbohydrate in prep for his meeting with his surgeon, which he had me schedule. My husband is my fifth child sometimes - but when it comes to medical things, he prefers it that way and I tolerate it. I'm going to share a few different categories of things - you can use the title to see if you want to read the whole list: Things I've learned about weight loss surgery. 1. Most people who have it are usually successful on a diet but have trouble maintaining. 2. One of the things they screen for in terms of the psychology work up is making sure you're selfish enough to take time to ensure you have/get/do what you need... for people who ALWAYS put others first, the self care required after surgery is unbearable and they tend to have more complications. 3. It has turned me into a scale, food, appearance obsessed narcissist. I actively try to suppress this because I don't want to upset the people around me.. but it is a fact. I obsess what I put in my mouth, my kids mouths, what my husband puts in his mouth.. just not out loud. I'm hoping this is temporary; as I have less to worry about what I eat, I worry less about what they eat. Things I've learned about people. 1. There is a difference in a caregiver and a caretaker... I was once categorized as a care taker, and I think perhaps you are on my side of the line we can call our team, "I have the answers... why won't you just listen?!" 2. And the answer to that question... Because they don't really want my answers... they want to come up with their own. Weight watchers, the gym, a trainer... whatever works for you - he isn't listening because he didn't ask you how to lose weight, what you say is he told you he was ready to do something about his weight. 3. They think I am a know it all who doesn't hear them. Until they come up with the same answers, and then they're like - well, I should have just listened to you. Age... maturity... wisdom... ADD medication? Has helped me temper the impulse to blurt the answer, whether someone asks me or not. Things I've learned about marriage. 1. A selfish person does not get any less selfish. 2. The work load just gets heavier, it doesn't get distributed more equally. What you're describing is a 90/10 split. Maybe you can carry your part now... but what about when that part gets more involved? 3. Men do not change. Boring stays boring, lazy stays lazy, spendthrift stays spendthrift. In reading your post - and many responses - it reads like you're paying him to stay with you. In my experience, he will get more expensive and you will get less value for your money. When you need him, he will not be there. Things I've learned about sleeves and marriage: Back to me and my husband. At first he was adamantly against surgery. Then he was ok whatever with surgery for me but remained adamantly against it for himself. Then that darling man kept complaining about his weight. And I said, "If you want the sleeve I'll be happy to support you in that." For you, however - you said that makes an automatic negative reaction. How is that any different than when he said, "I want to do something about my weight" and you said, "Do weight watchers like me." or "Go to the gym with me." He's hearing "I'm not happy with my weight" and saying "Get a sleeve like me." I finally told my husband, and meant it, "Baby - I love you. 200 lbs, 400 lbs, great hair or bald, sickness or health.. Yes, I think you need to lose weight. For blood pressure, for pain control, for inflammatory control - I think you need to do something about it. I will walk with you. I will cook whatever meal plan it is you want to follow..but if you're not going to watch your intake, I'm not going to listen to your weight shit. " For the record - I only tell him what I've lost if he asks... just like everyone else, and I don't bitch about what I have to eat or don't get to eat. His surgery consultation is a week from Tuesday. And I swear I will not eat solid food in front of him while he's on liquids and mushies. So if you've made it to the end of my post - I second and third, you yourself need a therapist. It's amazing how much you know in your brain but don't apply in your life until one of your colleagues gently (or sometimes not so gently) points out to you that you really ought to not lay at other people's feet if you're going to get upset when they walk all over you.... or that if you feel like people aren't listening, maybe you should stop giving away your words. I also personally and professionally think you need to have him move back into his own place and pay his own bills. He's not saving up for a future with you. After he moves out, I'd consider couples counseling - if he suggests it. A successful marriage requires work; if he isn't putting work forward before the marriage - it's probably less painful to just let the relationship die a quick death than 10 years from now when you're giving him half your house, paying off joint bills he ran up, and he's got your kids every other weekend and holiday and half the summer... and he's poor mouthing because he's 2 grand behind in child support.

If you get the fruity flavored shakes, you might try making them into Jello... Drinking fluids has never been a problem for me. hair loss can be deficiency of Protein, essential fatty acids, b complex, and I'm sure 85 gajillion other things.. but I think it would behoove you to get a full blood work up from your PCP or surgeon. If your body is deficient in necessary nutrients, it's going to hold on to every last thing it gets.. even if that just ends up being calories. And if you're dehydrated, it can slow down your metabolism something like 20 - 30 %. So I wouldn't say you're doomed, but I would say it is probably best to go for a turn around in the way you're doing things. How long does it take for what you eat to Water out the other end?

Unjury has chicken soup powder that is great stats and savory

Congratulations. My husband made the same remark. Less than 2 months later... He wants a sleeve.

I cried because I was stressed nervous hungry and grieving the lifestyle I was giving up. Not sure if it is the same for everyone.

Forgive me, but you have a reaction to the food... Just not pain or gi distress. Identify your trigger foods or problem foods and keep working your sleeve. Maybe a non weight goal.. Mine is to play on the slides with my kids. I don't fit right now, nor can my knees handle the crawl. You have noted the problem early.. 15 lbs is totally doable. What do you want to do about it? Why do you want to do it? Why don't you want to do it? Which one wins?

You have lost 25 percent of your excess weight in a month. How is your sodium intake? Have you looked at your bowel pattern for relation?