LisaPunkinHead

My answer to that, after looking said person up and down.... "no, I think I already am...."

My answer to that, after looking said person up and down.... "no, I think I already am...."

So excited -- I can't remember how long it's been since I got on the scale and the first number was a 1. Except that one time 5 years ago when it was off balance, but I knew it was a mistake.
And today I did a 30 minute run! First one since I blew my knee out a year ago (on a run...)! I will be ready for that 10-K in 3 months!!!

So excited -- I can't remember how long it's been since I got on the scale and the first number was a 1. Except that one time 5 years ago when it was off balance, but I knew it was a mistake.
And today I did a 30 minute run! First one since I blew my knee out a year ago (on a run...)! I will be ready for that 10-K in 3 months!!!

1. Push that button in the little gadget they give you. You can push it -- I don't remember how often -- but that's where the pain meds come from! Don't be a hero!
2. Have a pillow in the car for your ride home. You can hug it and the road won't feel as bumpy. I had a 90 minute drive home and wish I had thought to do that. I have driven that road 100s of times, but didn't realize how bumpy it was until I was post-op!!!
3. Your post-surgery course is your course -- some of us vomit, some don't. I had none. Some get up and walk around. I didn't want to. But it's a personal process, so don't compare yourself to others. Same with your weight loss. Do what your bariatric team tells you to do and you will succeed.
Good luck!!

congratulations! the best feeling in the world

So excited -- I can't remember how long it's been since I got on the scale and the first number was a 1. Except that one time 5 years ago when it was off balance, but I knew it was a mistake.
And today I did a 30 minute run! First one since I blew my knee out a year ago (on a run...)! I will be ready for that 10-K in 3 months!!!

It is not uncommon to have a brief stall about 3 weeks post-op. But do make sure you get Protein and fluids. That is something you will want to do life-long, so make sure you get it now! I still have a Protein shake every day to get to that point, because I can't eat enough solid food to get over 60 grams (and preferably up to 80 grams). My trainer wants me to have even more Water than recommended --80 to 90 ounces he says. So keep sipping, getting that Protein in, and getting in some walks, and you will see it come off!

It is not uncommon to have a brief stall about 3 weeks post-op. But do make sure you get Protein and fluids. That is something you will want to do life-long, so make sure you get it now! I still have a Protein shake every day to get to that point, because I can't eat enough solid food to get over 60 grams (and preferably up to 80 grams). My trainer wants me to have even more Water than recommended --80 to 90 ounces he says. So keep sipping, getting that Protein in, and getting in some walks, and you will see it come off!

Thank you for all the feedback! I ended up stopping at the seafood counter and the guy was more than happy to weigh out a small portion- I said 2 ounces and it came to 1.8. I also got the cutest smallest red potato I could find...but ultimately ended up with just the salmon with some fresh dill. I did enjoy, very slowly, and the last bite went to the dog.
I hope this pic shows up- for your amusement- I was definitely amused. https://twitter.com/mglvernon/status/601751824517869568

I don't worry about small portions when buying. I just bring it home and section it out and freeze or I cook a bunch and freeze/refrigerate the left overs for later. I know that technically gets rid of the freshness past the first meal, but for me the convenience is worth it.

I use the squirt flavors in my Water -- I like that I can use less than a whole "packet" so it's not so sweet. I keep 3 or 4 in my desk at work and another 3 or 4 at home.

I have no sympathy for those who think "I paid for this surgery because I wanted to eat normally." Then they proceed to "eat normally," don't lose weight, and get pissed because surely their surgeons made their stomachs too big.
Some people are so stupid that they think they don't have to eat fewer calories than their body burns to lose weight.
Problem is, you can't fix stupid.

I don't find anything appalling in the article. Seems right on to me. Just my humble opinion.

Someone shared this article from bariatriceating.com that I wanted to share here:
Don’t eat bread! That latte has 35g sugar! No macaroni salad. NO tortillas. No rice.
It won’t last without change
There is no delicate way to say this. We have always set ourselves apart from other bariatric groups in that we don’t look the other way while post ops continue to eat the bad carbs. We try and bring them back to the bariatric reality. We coax you to knock off the Pasta, rice, tortillas or bread and often people get mad or try and justify it. For years we’ve watched people blow through this surgery and they all have the same story. Everyone thinks they are ‘Different’, that they can handle the bad carbs and the sugar (they don’t get sick!) and ‘because they have lost 100 pounds in 7 months they must be doing something right’.
The first hundred pounds is the surgery
Hate to keep making the same point, but your surgery did it, not you. Remember that you are not driving the car for the first year. Eating the same foods that grew you to 300 pounds, but in smaller amounts is not a good long term plan as eventually you will be able to eat larger portions. Ask yourself why eating the same bad carbs would be a good plan. No doctor has advised you to eat the same way post op as you did pre op. Post ops pick this up somewhere, latch on to it and defend it, often to the bitter end of a total regain.
No one fights for broccoli carbs!
It’s not that the bagel will kill you, it’s that these carbs make you hungry. They rapidly turn to glucose and burn… poof, gone, #Lookingformore. They don’t give you any nutrients. They don’t create a feeling of satiety or lasting fullness. The empty carbs work against what you are trying to achieve. If you were arguing for eating salad or green bean carbs, more power to you… but people are trying to hang on to foods without value. If this big argument was for VEGETABLES… well it wouldn’t be a debate as vegetables didn’t make us fat, it was those ‘other’ carbs. Did you ever meet an obese vegetarian and wonder ‘HUH?’… how’d they get obese if they are vegetarian? Same deal… its not the vegetables, its the other stuff… the carbs… the potatoes, bread, macaroni, rice, tortillas and sugar!
Square peg… round hole
Stop looking for slightly better substitutes for bad choices and find new healthier foods to love instead. We keep trying to force that square peg into that round hole. Stop EATING crackers and chips… don’t find ones that you can justify because they have fewer carbs. Enough with the terrible fishy Shirataki tofu noodles. Learn to live without bread and Pasta so it will not call your name. We aren’t changing the behavior or trend if we continue eating them, just slightly shifting it. Before long you’ve got your hand back in the Doritos bag & fork in the Mac and cheese.
Look It’s Protein Cheesecake!
Don’t add Protein to muffins and convince yourself they’re good for you. Stop with the Starbucks Creme Brûlée Lattes because ‘they’re your one indulgence'; they have 500 calories and thin people don’t even drink them. Stay the heck out of Wendy’s. I read an article the other day touting all the ‘good choices’ in fast food restaurants. How about stay out of them. That’s the best choice of all! Why go to the place where you know there is danger. Before you know it, oops… there are fries in your bag!
You know people gain back weight, right?
In our first month of new Facebook Support group I have cried for new members who have gained back all their weight. I am not immune either after fourteen years, three bariatric books and knowing better. When life hit the fan, I comforted my bruises in the way I knew best and it has taken me ten months to lose fifty pounds of it. People are having revisions, a lovely sounding word for a second serious body damaging operation. What will change? Unless there is major change along with that new surgery, won’t it have the same result?
Step away from the bagel!
Own that there was and maybe still is something wrong with your food picker! Use surgery as an opportunity to change, not cheat. I used be bothered by the ‘word on the street’ that we were the carb or food police, but am now proud of it. If you want to promote the virtues of Everything in Moderation while eating half a Subway, there are plenty of groups that will help you do it. If you want to eat right and learn new behaviors to make the feeling of slipping on those skinny jeans last… we have a support group that’s a healthier fit.
Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out
It’s a personal food cop that is always with us, that helps us push away from the table. We make it hard when we don’t live by the bariatric rules we’ve been given. There is nothing harder then gaining weight back after surgery. There is nothing better than losing it a second time. Control is empowering.
If you need to pick up and start losing again… If you need to work off a regain… it’s not too late and your pouch works just fine if you choose the right foods. Clean those lethal carbs from your life and go back to Bariatric Eating – protein first and lots of fresh salad and vegetables. We’ve got the support for you to make that change!

It is strange. Even though I have managed to have a decent level of self confidence over the years, my weight has always been something that I have not liked about myself.
But then when I start to lose it, I get embarassed by the attention. The mind is a crazy thing.

Being so excited about having the surgery, I think I've told everyone. I wasn't aware that ignorant people would provide negative feedback and so far, so good.

I always pack my insulated lunch bag with stuff no matter what. Having the right things is so important. I usually pack a Protein Shake, Water, yogurt, string cheese, tuna in a pouch etc. staying totally away from fast food. It is too dangerous and you have really no way of knowing the nutrient values. Good luck

I got into the habit of packing an insulated bag with p3 Protein pack, mini babybel, maybe a Protein Bar and a nice cold drink.
I don't always eat everything but it stays cold all day with the freezer pack in there so anything I don't use I just keep for the next day.
Grocery stores are another great option for lunches on the go.

None. They are too high in sodium for me. Why not get an insulated bento instead? I used one when I did community base social services. I used to even make a miso Soup that all I had to do was buy some hot Water to add to it.
Other than Dunkin Donuts coffee, fast food are a very rare occurrence for me even in small portions.

My take on the sleeve is the same as Rog's. The surgery makes it possible (finally) for us to behave consistently in ways that help us lose weight and maintain our weight loss.
That is all.
And boy, is that a lot!

For those of you who have had recent surgeries, remember that you might not lose any weight at all in weeks 3-6 after surgery. That is normal and expected, but if you keep following the rules, the inches will still be coming off. After that, the weight will start coming off again too.
For those of you regretting your choice of the sleeve, my doctor says that statistically, bypass patients lose the quickest, then sleeve, then lapband. BUT..... After 18 months or so, they all end up at around the same percentage of excess weight lost. So the difference is not as big as you might think.
What it boils down to is what we put in our mouths. It sounds like some of you didn't get much advice and nutritional counseling prior to surgery. In my opinion, that's criminal! So here's a site I've found that provides a lot of valuable information about the entire process. It covers all stages of the program, including advice on what to eat, what not to eat, what Vitamins to take, and what exercise you should try to do. There are a ton of web sites providing this type of advice, but this site seems pretty comprehensive. Good luck!!!
http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/

No matter how you feel after surgery, it WILL get better EVERYDAY. I kept wondering if it would always hurt to swallow, be in pain, etc. It will pass before you know it.

I lost a LOT of belly / abdomen fat during the last 20 pounds before goal.
Just sayin'.

Ballpark food: hot dogs, sausages - even without the bun. Started packing my own food when I go to Giants games.