Daisee68

@@brandnewme2015 - No judging! Congrats! And I am not near your size but I do feel like a lot of the places I go have 0's, 2's and 4's in the store. I also do a TON of online shopping - or will again once I know the brands I like in the right sizes. Have you tried LOFT? With coupons, it isn't soo bad and they had smaller sizes. Or Macy's and Dillard's have great sales / coupons. I also really like JC Penney's. Wish I could help more!! Oh, one more suggestion.... go on Poshmark.com and search for clothing in size 0 and see what brands have styles you like then you can go to those stores and try on. Then maybe even order from Poshmark (which is basically online consignment). You can get some great deals on there, but if you aren't sure how certain brands fit, it can be a little tough. (You can always ask the seller questions about measurements though.) Good luck!

@@OutsideMatchInside - have you tried Old Navy for jeans? I know I thought that was a silly idea but I tried them and really like them! I got the Curvy Cut in straight leg jeans size 10 and they were only $18 after some coupons. Totally worth it! Also for reselling, check out Poshmark.com. I have sold and bought a LOT on there. You can search by brand and size of you know a specific brand that fits. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

@@cinand38 - I don't mean to question you. But are you sure you don't have that backwards. I have always seen (and thousands of posts) that drs all recommend Protein. First and then veggies. @@Djmohr s clinic said 2 bites of protein to 1 bite of veg. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

I went in my first consultation asking for sleeve but had terrible reflux that day and mentioned it to the Dr. She said sleeve can make reflux much worse and strongly recommended bypass. Plus I had a lot to lose and was Type 2 diabetic. It took me a few weeks to get my head around the idea but 14 months post-op, and at goal weight, I am extremely glad I went with bypass. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Ditto. Still can't do eggs very well at 14 months post-op. Put them away for a while and try again in a week or so. Meanwhile, I received advice that once I had vomited, I should stay on liquids for the next 24 to 48 hours to let my stomach calm down. It gets quite irritated with vomiting. Hang in there! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Ugh. I am SO sorry you are having this trouble. I had a stricture and had it dilated twice and felt instantly better. I hate that hasn't worked for you! I hope they are watching you very closely. I worry that you cannot intake any Protein or Vitamins. Keep us posted!! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Ginger tea did wonders for me. Ginger is calming for nausea and you get fluids ???? Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

I am posting this in the Emotional section because well, this "learning how to dress" thing is very emotional and anxiety causing for me! I got laid off 7 months post-op and though I had a new job, it was work from home. Now I am starting a new job next week, and not only do I need an entirely new wardrobe (because let's face it - the yoga pants and pjs I have been wearing the last 7 months aren't work appropriate ). Obviously, my work clothes from 7 months ago do not fit. And I have been good about buying new clothes all along (well good or bad - depending on how you look at it - my point being I refused to go around in clothes hanging off of me). And to add to my anxiety, I am returning to a job where I worked for 14 years (before my last job which was 7 1/2 years). Have lots of friends which is good, but I left there for a reason, so it feels a bit like moving back in with my parents. But I digress... Anyway - clothes shopping. Yesterday I went in to stores that I have always wanted to shop in - LOFT and White House Black Market. Mostly I just felt out of place. Like someone is surely going to tell me that they don't have anything there to fit me. And though I can suddenly fit in size 10's (much smaller than I thought I would be), the sizes in the store all seemed to be 2's and 4's and 0's. Talk about stress inducing! Dresses and skirts are working fine and will be mostly what I live in, but I need some tall pants (I'm 5'10"). I know that LOFT and Limited (and a few other places) carry these online but they all have all these different cuts with no descriptions - Julie, Marisa, Curvy, Ellie, Modern, etc. AHHHHH!!! I have to figure out which cut fits me first and then order the tall ones online. Seriously should not be this hard. AND it should be fun! I went in to J Crew yesterday and 1 lap around the store and walked out. Then I saw a Lucky Brand Jeans but made it to the door and then just turned around. So basically, in addition to finding clothes that fit, I am trying to figure out which store has the "style" that I like and/or want to portray. I have shopped from Lane Bryant and Avenue for so long that I knew what sizes fit and what styles I liked. This is a WHOLE new adventure. I don't mean to be complaining. Trust me. It is exciting to pull out a size you never thought would fit and then even better have to go back and get a smaller size, but I never in my wildest dreams thought it would cause me such anxiety! (PS - yes I am seeing a therapist. THANK GOODNESS!! Had a long talk about the new job yesterday. Very glad I have her to walk through this with me.) Not really looking for response or advice. Just needed to get that out there to others who might understand....

I think Jay Robb Egg White Protein is the one I have heard people here recommend. I use Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate which is 99% lactose free. Might be worth trying that one.

I'm sorry I don't have an answer for you. I cannot carry a tune in a bucket. I hope someone can respond! I just wanted to say welcome!

@@Djmohr may be able to weigh in on this Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

So sorry you are having such trouble! I had a stricture and had 2 dilations to a 15 and haven't had any major issues since. I do know that if I eat too much, too fast or too big of bites, I still (14 months post-op) have pain. I had a GI dr perform my 2nd dilation. Any chance you can see a GI dr to see if they can figure anything out? I know @@LipstickLady lives with a stricture. Maybe she will have some suggestions for you?

Depends. Apparently with sleeve, it can get much worse - thus the reason I had bypass (as recommended by my surgeon); however, there are a lot of sleevers who do not have the issue. At 14 months post-op, I do still struggle with it some.

I had trouble with ground meats for a while. It may just be too early. Try something softer like fish, cheese, refried Beans, etc. Remember that if it doesn't work this week, it may well be ok next week. Good Luck! Hang in there!

Not sure any gummy Vitamins post-op or at least early on. Many drs don't like those so be sure to check with your Dr. I use BariMelts and have since surgery 14 months ago and have always had excellent labs. Take them with food. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Is it like a boil? I used to get them in that area all the time when I was obese but have them much less now (can't remember the last). A warm washcloth on it can help draw it out and ease the pain. They are uncomfortable but I am not sure they are related to loose skin since I only had them when obese. Did GP give you a topical cream or just an antibiotic to take by mouth? I never had mine treated by a Dr and they always went away. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Balloon was only recently FDA approved in US. Seek out a good dr in US to do this procedure - it is too new - at least here. Has been done in Europe for a while. I think it is inexpensive enough procedure that it wouldn't be cost effective to travel anywhere outside the US to do it.

Call your surgeon's office and ask them to call in a prescription for Zofran ODT - ODT dissolves under your tongue so it works better. I had to use Zofran for a LONG time post-op but nausea eventually went away.

Nope. Not being weird at all. I had the same fears. You will eventually be able to get some veggies in. Just hang in there.

Thanks @@Cervidae! I really want to try them! I love the chocolate but would be nice to have a little change occasionally.

@@Cervidae - How does the Caramel one taste? It sounds intriguing to me...

Probably late to the game in this but if you don't have ready access to a scale, I can tell you that the Hormel brand turkey pepperoni says that 17 slices is 1 serving and approx 1 ounce (just over perhaps). Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Welcome to the boards and to the other side!! Hope we can help you through your journey! I had started my journey on February 1 (ish) of 2015 at 323 pounds. Gastric bypass surgery on June 4, 2015 at 296. I am 5'10". I reached my goal of 173 on June 8, 2016 (just over 1 year from surgery date) and then have been maintaining between 168 and 172 since that date. Maintenance is an interesting process to be sure! Not quite a vet yet but happy to encourage and share any info I can! Enjoy the ride! It is a wild one!!

First, I applaud you for going through the exercise. I never did and wish I had. Second, and I don't know if this will be helpful or not, but I still eat at some of those places - just making better (and smaller choices). For example, did you know that BWW has naked grilled chicken tenders? Are they as good as the others? Maybe not, but they honestly are quite good. At Chick-Fil-A, I eat the grilled nuggets (and honestly have had the regular ones once at goal which aren't awfully terrible nutrient-wise if you have room for it in your budget). They also have a small cup of fruit (once you can have fruit) and greek yogurt parfait. Certainly, these are not an everyday occurrence for me, but I do eat out quite often and have even during my weight loss phase. This last week, I started a new job, and it was VERY stressful emotionally, and in addition to eating lunch out everyday (where I didn't necessarily have a choice in where to go), I also found myself binging at night when I got home. UGH! I tracked it. I am changing it as of Friday and will talk to my therapist about it on Tuesday. I do not want to go back where I was and I am sad that I let my emotional eating rear it's ugly head. All that to say, kudos to you for working through the emotional part now, and know that it will be a life-long work. We (well I anyway) will always be in recovery from food addiction. That is a very sobering thought but it is what it is. I don't dwell on food as much as I used to but I do think about it - more in the fashion of "what CAN I eat" versus "what do I WANT to eat" and sometimes, that alone can be exhausting, but at almost 14 months post-op, it is becoming more normal. But man it is so scary how slippery that slope is. I could VERY easily just "not care" and grab whatever I want. In fact, I was so close to a fast-food stop last night and luckily, I made it home and made a better choice (though not great because I need to go to the grocery store!) Tracking is definitely something I will do forever (or for as long as I can type) because otherwise I don't remember or really reconcile the nutrients if I don't see them in writing. One other thing that has helped me is finding new recipes. I cook now (well I like to call it assemble not so much cooking but still). That is not something I did in the past. And just this morning, as I am trying to decide what to buy at the store, I am trying to figure out what I can make to take for lunches (to avoid eating out so much and to pre-portion it) and what I can make today that will be readily accessible for dinner during the week (so that I don't just pick at stuff and binge when it doesn't satisfy). Pinterest has been a huge help with recipes though I tend to stick to the same meals over and over. Wow, clearly I digressed again - I really want to say Best of Luck to you! You are doing great! Keep up the great "emotional" work. That is the toughest part and will get you through in the end!

I am about 14 months post-op and still struggle with this a little. At 7 months post-op, my boss came in town and invited us out for drinks. I ordered Water. Got an odd look but he didn't say anything. I was frustrated that night because I "couldn't have fun". Sigh.... Now I can (and do on a very rare occasion) have alcohol but I am at goal and trying to figure out maintenance, so I am trying to consider it carefully and ALWAYS count the calories. One thing I find difficult is that once I lose my inhibitions a little, then I feel like "WTH?! I can eat!" and that is dangerous, so I think that reason alone steers me clear of alcohol for the most part. Now having said that, I just started a new job this week and got invited out for happy hour and I sadly declined. I want to go because I want to get to know my new co-workers better but I knew I wasn't strong enough that day to not go and drink too much. (Then I ended up binging on chocolate when I got home. Stupid stupid choice.) I hope that next time I can go and be responsible. I clearly have addiction issues - both with food and alcohol. So all of that didn't really answer your question. Early on, I had a spicy virgin bloody mary and I really enjoyed that. It does have calories but I figured I was at least getting some nutrients from the vegetable juice (I could be lying to myself though). When I went on vacation, I drank Crystal Light flavored water mixed with vodka. The raspberry lemonade and the peach tea were both really good that way, so if you can order a vodka water (not soda) and then add a pack of Crystal Light, that might work for you. I have also done well sipping VERY slowly on a glass of wine (but it is the 2nd glass that I have to avoid and am not good at doing.) Don't feel guilty if you want to have an alcoholic drink - as long as it is ok with your doctor and as long as you can do it only occasionally. (Transfer addiction is a very REAL issue in the WLS world.)Otherwise, honestly, the best thing to do is stick with just plain water with a lime or lemon.