LisaPunkinHead

How about this? Pulling up the car seat so much that my 185lb husband has to push it back just to get in!!! Or, having to re-lace up all my lace-up shoes because my FAT FEET are no longer FAT!!! Or being able to slide between the cars in the garage WITHOUT getting a dirty a** in the process!!! Minor things, yes, but it is AWESOME that I can now do those things!
GREAT POST!

Welcome to the three-week stall!

Eventually you will be able to get in your Protein and liquid goals. No, sleeves don't stretch, but the swelling will go down so you can consume more.
You say you've never eaten when you're not hungry? Serious question for you (not judgey, genuinely curious). How did you get to 300+ pounds eating only when you're hungry? I'm fascinated by this "listen to your body" theory. I listened to my body and ended up needing WLS...
My body isn't too bright.

Welcome to the three-week stall!

Welcome to the three-week stall!

The only thing I would have changed is I would have gotten it done 10/20 years sooner. There is no food I ate previously that I miss now. I know how my skin reacts am I use scare cream regularly. If I had know it would be this easy I would have done it earlier.

First and foremost, I have never had a single second of regret. Despite the stricture, the constant nauseated feeling I had for the first few weeks (meds fixed that), my inability to drink plain Water (still! almost 2 years out!), and the constant diarrhea (still! almost 2 years out!).

That's all the bad stuff, all completely tolerable as it replaced the constant guilt for cheating on whatever diet I was on at the moment. The gassy, bloated feeling I had from whatever "bad" foods I had gorged on that day. The dread I felt about stepping on the scale.
My size 8 wardrobe has replaced my size 20. Brightly colored clothes have replaced most of the black in my closet. Heels are comfortable now. I may have poop Soup, but I no longer have to wait for the handicapped stall because a regular stall is too small. I was able to do any exercise I wanted before, but now I can exercise without sweating profusely the moment I start, I can breath comfortably, I don't have to stop to "get a rock out of my shoe". I no longer wear capri pants when it's cold outside because they are the only pants I could find that fit. I don't care if my hair and makeup is perfect and I can go out in workout clothes because I no longer feel as if I look like the fat lady who just didn't give a ****.
I can eat in public without being self conscious. I don't feel the constant stares (all in my imagination, I'm sure) when I walk through a mall full of teens. I am no longer the fat mom. Hell, I am no longer the fattest person in the room, hoping someone fatter will show up. (Ha! It's been so long, I've forgotten about that until this very second.) I thought I would miss food. I don't. I don't miss the fat lady stores, I don't miss buying wide shoes, I don't miss the looks when I get on an airplane, bus, train or theater -- you know, that look that says, " PLEASE don't sit next to me!!".

No, no regrets. The little blips on the radar are were all worth it. I am most surprised about how much I was fooling myself when I thought I looked and felt great. Let me tell you, it's was nothing like I look and feel now.

Honestly? I was surprised how hard I still have to work to get the weight off. Yeah, at first it comes off pretty easily and steadily, but after a certain amount of time it really is all on you to use the tool you were given to its full advantage. The other thing that surprised me was realizing the complicated relationship I had with food, and the head games that can play on you sometimes.
Regrets? During some hard times,(stalls, slow losing, head hunger) yeah, I can say I had a few. But I am a realist with a little pessimist sprinkled in, so that's my nature. But I can also honestly tell you this has made me a better person all the way around. Yes I've lost weight and can see the goal line on the horizon, but I'm also more disciplined about exercise, and I can honestly say food isn't such a huge deal to me anymore, and that's very freeing. I'm pushing 48, and feel like I did in my 30's. I look and feel amazing. All of that is thanks to the Sleeve. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Good luck with your upcoming surgery and keep us posted!

Please call your doctor. In thinking you could have contacted cdiff or something viral in the hospital.....

sugar free Torani Syrup makes it more palatable. I add about 1/2 teaspoon.

My surgeon advised not to do it in the hospital room! I guess because of cameras. That never deterred me before :-)

My surgeon said as soon as you are comfortable!

I see that some are taking Calcium carbonate (like in the Caltrate chews). My NUT insists that for bariatric patients, calcium citrate is a must as calcium carbonate won't be absorbed by our little tummies. I take the Bariatric Advantage 500 mg Chewy Bites. I alternate between chocolate and caramel -- just keep them all in a big bag and grab one. Next order I will try other flavors.

The needs of someone who is super morbidly obese and losing weight post WLS is outside the league of the people at Curves. Speak to your nutritionalist. I would not assume you need to eat more, but I really don't know.
I changed things up when my weight loss stalled. I increased exercise intensity, and reduced duration. I eliminated Protein bars and other sources of carbs. My weight loss returned to the 10+ pounds per month.

@@une nouvelle vie - I have a conservative Doctor who wouldn't allow that. I asked to go home after day 1 and was told everyone stays for 2 days. I would have LOVED to have gone home and slept in my own bed that same day.
@LisaPunkinHead - I tore my meniscus skiing years ago. I had to have a surgical repair and got arthritus as a result. Running is never going to be in the cards for me.

One of the reasons I pursued surgery was to get my weight down low enough to begin running again. I started running in 2010, really got into it in 2011 when I did my first half marathon, did my second half in May of 2012. Didn't change my diet, and weight-wise hovered around 225. It was June of last year when my weight got to be too much for my knees and I had a meniscus tear. Waiting for the surgery and then the post-op process, I didn't get any exercise for almost 6 months and my weight just ballooned.
I love running outdoors (only use treadmills if I am training for a race and it's pouring outside), I love lap swimming, and I am enjoying weight lifting. I exercise about 5 days a week, sometimes 6. It was hard for me immediately post-op when I couldn't do much more than walk around the block, but now that I can start running (starting from the beginning using the Couch to 5K program), I'm much happier!

You are the type of person who might benefit from doing short 10 minute workouts in the morning and evening.
Otherwise you simply won't be able to workout. Youtube has loads of them and some cable On Demand features do as well. You could also buy videos on Amazon and the like.

I was told NO Metamucil ever -- it thickens up and can make a mess in your sleeve. I use Milk of Magnesia (I add a tiny bit of S/F Torani Syrup to make it palatable) occasionally and take docusate every day (PCP recommended that). I also use Benefiber in my coffee or other drinks -- you don't even know it's there.

I was told NO Metamucil ever -- it thickens up and can make a mess in your sleeve. I use Milk of Magnesia (I add a tiny bit of S/F Torani Syrup to make it palatable) occasionally and take docusate every day (PCP recommended that). I also use Benefiber in my coffee or other drinks -- you don't even know it's there.

My surgeon said as soon as you are comfortable!

At 3 weeks, I was still eating Cream of Mushroom Soup. Frankensleeve was still too tender for spicy or difficult to digest foods. And boudin qualifies as both!
If you are going to try boudin, use my tried and true Frankensleeve taste test.
Eat a bite, about 1/2 teaspoon size. Wait 5 minutes
Eat a 2nd bite, about 1/2 teaspoon size. Wait 5 minutes.
If after that time, Frankensleeve had not had a bad reaction, it was safe for me to eat.
Keep on making those small steps in the right direction. Add good habits to your day, and you'll save time, lose inches, and dramatically boost your energy.
Stay Strong and Keep Pushing On.

I like Premier Protein too -- and I tend to add a scoop of Protein powder to the shake itself (also Premier Protein) for extra Protein, because I tend to have trouble getting enough. I liked the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken Soup right after surgery for a week or so because I didn't want sweet stuff.

My surgeon said no high-intensity exercise for four weeks. I walked for exercise for 4 weeks and 4 days and then got out my Couch to 5K program and started it and then started lifting weights yesterday (5+ weeks out).

oh, don't rule out other physical reasons. I am an advocate of low/moderate carb, but if you go crazy low you will forget how to tie your shoes. Seriously, the brain needs some carbs to function well.
There is a reason that bariatric centers of excellence do follow up blood work. If you are low on key nutrients it can make you mentally off. I am not sure what happens when people go out of country and don't have follow up. My blood work has always been great post op and my brain fog/weird feeling did pass.

Thank you all for your replies. I am going to call my nutritionist and doc tomorrow to ask her. But I think you all are right, a majority of it is head hunger :/ Wouldn't actually eat anything like that without talking to them but was curious as to how others recovered. Will stick to my Protein shakes until then (le sigh).