Proud2BMe

Four years ago my best friend casually commented to me that I needed to lose weight and was too big to do it through diet and exercise. She suggested I get bariatric surgery. I was devastated and highly offended. I thought bariatric surgery was for losers who couldn't do it on their own. At my highest point I was at 388 lbs. Then I developed heart problems which I was scared would end up killing me. I was a chain smoker and transitioned to e-cigs after my grandmother died from COPD complications. In late 2014 it just dawned on me one day that my friend was right. I couldn't do it on my own. So I began to research bariatric surgery. I settled on gastric sleeve and began to look for places in my area. After exhausting my search as the expense was too great (I didn't have insurance) I decided on going to Tijuana. I joined Bariatric Pal and began researching everything with a passion. I also began saving up. About 8 months later I had enough money saved and finalized my plans. I was sleeved on May 12, 2015. Fast forward and I feel as if I've been reborn. I'm not the same person. This has completely changed my life. I've lost 176 lbs to date and should be at goal in maybe a couple of months.

Normally the pre-op diet is carb free and/or all liquid. So porridge would be out. Mostly broth, Protein shakes and sugar free drinks, Jello, and popsicles.

Congrats! Good job on meeting your goal within a year. My one year surgiversary is on May 12. Unfortunately, it looks like I won't meet my goal by then but I have lost a ton of weight that I am proud of.

I was at first but I'm almost a year out and can eat slice jalepenos without any problem. So just give it time.

FYI: The Jiff peanut powder is nasty. I don't put PB2 in anything. I just like to mix it and eat it with a spoon. The chocolate one tastes better than the original. Another trick you can do is mix some up and add one tablespoon of real Peanut Butter. The taste is superb and you only get half the calories from a 2 tablespoon portion.

So I watched "My 600 Lb Life" last night and it was a "where are they now?" episode, featuring a woman named Zaylyn. She had skin surgery even though she was nowhere near the weight she should be. I've noticed that I've seen this a lot and even my best friend had a tummy tuck without even losing weight prior. I'm just curious, why? I've spoken to one surgeon who told me flat out that he wouldn't work on me because at the time I was still 70 lbs overweight. He told me that I had to be within 10-15 lbs of my ideal weight or else risk needing more skin surgeries.

It could be Water weight. Try a laxative. I had to use laxatives for a few months post surgery. If you don't take laxatives and wait for nature to do it's course then I can tell you it will be extremely painful wen you do eventually go. Before I began taking laxatives I went 2 1/2 weeks without a BM and then had one and it felt like my entire digestive system cramped up something fierce. It was on the pot and vomiting at the same time. Very painful. You don't have to be on laxatives for ever. After a few months of taking them my BMs corrected themselves and became normal.

Carb cravings stop when you cut carbs from your diet. So as long as you include carbs in your diet, even in limited quantities, you will continue to crave them. Now, when you do cut carbs from your diet you will begin to crave different things, such as nuts and Peanut Butter, which can also sabotage your weight loss but wait to cross that bridge when necessary.

It just depends on how long you will be in the stall. For some it's just a day or two. Others will stall for longer. When you are able to eat regular food again there are tricks you can do to break a stall. One of the tricks I've discovered is to eat carbs for a couple of days and then switch back to no carbs. The shock to the body normally works. I was stuck at 214 lbs for several weeks with no movement and then I tried that and got down to 201 where I stalled for several more weeks and then I did it again and am now at 194. The only draw back is that each time you switch back to no carbs you go through a mini carb withdrawal, meaning possible headaches, fatigue, feelings of possibly fainting, moodiness, etc. But otherwise it works, or at least for me.

What's a funnel diet and how are you not full after eating? At this point you should still be liquids.

You can continue to eat soft foods and avoid stuff like steak. Just make sure to supplement with Protein shakes so you get all your protein.

I'm well aware of your opinion on this topic. I'm not interested in a flame war. We disagree. Just leave it at that.

I don't tell people because it's none of their business. I don't feel ashamed of myself. I don't tell people when I am on the rag. Not ashamed of that. I don't tell people when I acted like an ass and my husband acted like an ass and we fight. Nope. Not ashamed. I don't tell people when I have gas/vomit/have a zit on my ass/need to spit out a loogie. No shame in that game. Why the #$%^&* do people associate my right to privacy with SHAME??? JEEZUS. Calm down. I never made any such association.

I was good to go and didn't need any help. No real pain. They made me shower on my own at the hospital before I could check out. No catheter so was going the bathroom on my own from the start.

Just curious, and please don't be offended, by why was the balloon recommended to you when you are only 208 lbs to start? It's usually used a short term procedure for the very morbidly obese before regular bariatric surgery.

There's "not telling" and then there's actively lying. There is a very thin line between the two. It's very easy to cross that line. Personally, I have no problems with telling anyone. I don't feel ashamed of myself. To date the only negativity I've encountered post-surgery is from an obese women who thought I made the wrong choice and claimed what I did was not the healthy way. Otherwise, nobody I have told about surgery gave me any problems. Pre-surgery, yes. My family was against it but their objections came from a place of ignorance while I had already did my homework and was educated. I personally would like people to be honest with fellow obese people when asked. They are the ones who can benefit the most from such.

I guess I'm the only one who thinks Carls Jr. is gross? I can't stand their food.

Even better, they have ass implants now. Yes, for guys.

Personally, I don't think weight loss surgery causes depression. Instead, I think patients already suffered from depression and after surgery have had the way they cope with it (food) removed as a comfort source. Just my opinion though. Also, it's very common for people who have lost a great deal of weight to not be able to accurately perceive their new body. Part of it may be due to excess skin but a lot is the mental image we hold of ourselves in our head. I don't know if I would diagnose it as "body dysmorphia" because it usually is temporary and doesn't really lead to self harm. I can see both in myself. Some days I look in the mirror and am "wowed" by my success. Other times I look in the mirror and am disgusted by how much I have left to lose.

The only pain meds I was own were what was given at the hospital. Nothing after I was discharged. Didn't need anything. Quite painless.

You all have to check this Oprah bread spoof out. Hilarious! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrqytXawWZU

Every stall is different. Some just last days. Others weeks. However, you need to realize there may be times you go a month or longer before you start losing again. I've known a couple of sleevers who went three months on a stall before. There's a few tricks you can try to see if you can break the stall but you really need to increase your calories, Protein and Water intake.

(throwing hands in the air) I can't believe I'm in one-derland in less than one year since my surgery. Wow, this has been a truly life-changing journey. So proud of myself and so eager to reach my goal weight. To Celebrate I went to the bakery and bought a tub of birthday cake icing. Yum! (-j.k. lol)

The sleeve does not produce the malabsorption that the bypass does. As a result you can take normal Vitamins. I use Centrum chewables. Start out with those or similar ones and only if you labs come back abnormal should you then consider expensive bariatric vitamins. Just my opinion, of course.