Daisee68

Mine was face and butt / hips. I keep looking behind me wondering where that darn thing went! @@byebyefat - have you looked at Poshmark.com? You can actually search for clothes by brand (including Lane Bryant, Avenue, Torrid, etc.) and by size and then buy some at a huge discount since they are "used". I have a closet on there and have posted several pairs of pants and jeans with tags still on. (You can actually search for New With Tags.) That would be a cheaper way to go while changing sizes so quickly. Amazing that you dropped that many sizes in such a short time! I was in 26's (which were tight) pre-op and have just transitioned in to 20's (which were a little baggy yesterday but not enough to get in to 18's).

I was just going to say to get your thyroid check before I got to your last post. I had the same issues for many years and was ignored, so I am so glad the ER dr took the time to really look at this for you and see if she could figure something out!

So sorry you came home to that! I can't imagine how frustrating that would be! I am sorry I don't have any advice for you. Just wanted to send sympathy & HUGS!

@@lexiemustang - Mine too! I can't say I really always look forward to the leftovers but now I understand why and I am definitely adjusting to it (or at least I hope I am!)

I highly recommend seeing a therapist that specializes in eating disorders and/or bariatric patients. Therapy, for me, has been as much if not more if a tool for me in this journey. Remember if we could just make ourselves do this, we all would have done so and skipped the surgery. A therapist will help you see things in your behavior that you don't see yourself. Also, veggies are great but always remember proton first than veggies if you have room or as @@Djmohr has suggested per her NUT in other posts, 2 bites of Protein then 1 bite if veggies. I would also say you are working out too much for your body to efficiently burn correctly.

You can have brown rice in small amounts but believe it is at least 6 weeks. I haven't tried it yet. Too scared of it getting stuck (but I'm a chicken because of other things that haven't gone down well. I haven't tried any bread either)

Pork rinds are low carbs / high protein but also high fat. If you can limit yourself, you might try that. I worry that it's a bit early for you for some if these choices though. And tortillas aren't a no forever but they are for a little while.

Yep a fork is about it I think. I did the same about 1 month post op at a July 4 gathering.

WOW!! You look amazing!! Congrats on the great work!

​My therapist said something to me recently that was a bit of an ah ha moment for me and that I cannot get out of my head so I thought I would pass it along in case it was helpful to anyone else. I said to her that pre-op I hated leftovers, but that thankfully I have really gotten used to them since you kind of have to have leftovers when you are eating such small portions. To which she said "Well of course you hated leftovers. food was your entertainment and who would want to watch the same movie 2 nights in a row." I don't know why this one thing hit me like it did, but man, I have repeated that over and over so many times - every time I want to reach for something because I am bored, or want to snack while I am cooking, or want that piece of candy from the candy bowl at work or the donuts in the kitchen, etc. etc. Also, when I get towards the end of a meal and I have that urge to keep eating because it just tastes good, I hear her say that and remember that I can have it again next time! Hope it blesses someone else too!

​Ok, so I see lots of people say they can eat only 4 or 5 bites and be full. That seems crazy to me as I don't know how you could get your Protein in 4 or 5 bites - well at least the way I am eating. I use a timer to eat so here is my confusion though: I do feel some sort of "fullness" at a few bites in maybe 5 to 7 minutes in to eating) but if I wait about 2 minutes, then I feel like it goes down and I find I can eat again. I am not eating over 30 minutes and am still staying in the 1/2 cup portion range, so is it ok that I keep eating after those first few bites? I don't think I am really full after only 5 minutes. I think my stomach is just adjusting to the introduction of food. (This doesn't happen at every meal but does happen at least 1 meal a day.) Due to a stricture, I wasn't eating very much but now I can eat so much more, so I guess I am just a little worried that I am going to eat too much. I am still losing and I am still staying in the calorie range my NUT recommended (600-700 calories). I want to be sure that I am learning to stop at fullness during this honeymoon period so I am learning good habits for future and not just eating past full because the portion size and calories are reasonable. I ate WAY past full a couple of nights ago and I was miserable, so I am trying to slow down and listen to my stomach better. By the way, I am 4 months post-op tomorrow. Because of the stricture, I really am running a little more like 4 to 6 weeks behind the normal schedule. Appreciate any insight!

Definitely chili. I want to try making white chicken chili that others have talked about. Going to try that tomorrow. I also like Taco Soup. I usually use very lean ground beef but might try it with chicken or turkey. I haven't made it post-op yet but it should be fine if I leave out the corn. It's taco meat, pinto or ranch style Beans (might be too sweet), can of rotel tomatoes, can of corn (which I will leave out as my surgeon said it doesn't digest well and too starchy), chopped onion, can of chicken broth and a package of ranch dressing mix.

I just remembered on more thing that I really use a lot - doesn't necessarily have to do with portion control but really helps with reheating leftovers (which you will have tons of) and keep it moist. It is a sort of tupperware steamer. I use it to reheat all my meats. I got the suggestion from theworldaccordingtoeggface.com. The one I got is called Prep Solutions by Progressive Mini Microwavable Steamer and I got mine from Amazon.

Oh you poor thing! I promise it does get better!! It's perfectly normal to be emotional about it at this point. I remember end of week 2 crying at EVERYTHING and nothing. Just hang in there. Promise you will look back on this post someday and understand!​ Get some rest. Take your pain med on schedule for a couple of days. And if it is too bad, don't be afraid to go to the ER (as you have already done). It is major surgery so it could be something more than the "normal" pain. Next week will be better

​I found this for you if it helps - "For Vitamin B12 deficiency, 125-2,000 micrograms of cyanocobalamin has been taken by mouth daily for up to 2.5 years or longer. Five hundred micrograms of sublingual (under the tongue) vitamin B12 has been used daily for up to four weeks." From this link - http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-b12/dosing/hrb-20060243. Having said that I am quite surprised they didn't tell you how much because it is probably dependent on how low your B12 actually tested. I would probably call the surgeon's office and ask them and/or get a copy of the test and send it to your PCP and ask them. When will you have your surgery? I would think that depends too.

Best wishes! Mine was submitted on a Friday at noon and I got the approval by Monday morning, so fingers crossed you will have a response early next week!

@@mishi - I am so sorry you are dealing with this! I wish I had some good advice. I have been a little frustrated with a tiny bit of discomfort this week and not able to take Advil but I can't imagine going through what you are going through. Have you considered seeing a rheumatologist? I just wonder if you have some sort of auto-immune disorder going on. Plus they deal with so much pain issues that they may have some suggestion for med other than NSAID's and narcotics. Do you have insurance? Insurance will typically cover chiropractic care. My other suggestion would be a TENS machine. I got one fairly reasonably off of Amazon and it does help with some muscle pain. At the very least it gives some relief short term. I hope you can find some relief soon! HUGS! Don't give up!

@@Nessa0121 - I am not married nor do I have children so I don't have great advice. I just wanted to encourage you though and say that the first week is really hard - not just psychically but emotionally - and that was while I was recovering alone. (My mom stayed with me a couple of nights and then I was on my own which I think might have been easier than being around others with food.) You are not wrong for wanting some help. Hopefully you can help him understand at the very least that you did just have major surgery and are recovering and just like it were knee or shoulder or hysterectomy, you would need a little help. I am sure other moms / wives will chime in but I just wanted to say hang in there! HUGS!

I used disposable baby spoons in the beginning to make sure I was getting small bites. May need to go back to that. Got sick yesterday after lunch and I think mostly because I was taking too big of bites and not chewing well enough.

@@MichJohn77 - WOW! You showed great restraint by not backslapping her. That is one of the worst / funniest ones I have heard!

Congrats! Get some rest and sip, sip, sip and take your pain meds! No need to be a hero at this point. You can stop in a few days.

You are likely in the dreaded 3 week stall. Very common. Don't panic. Just keep sticking to the program and the pounds will add up eventually.

Well as you know I have a long way to go to get where you are, but I guarantee you those folks aren't just being nice about how great you look. That loss is amazing! The too skinny part, I don't think they are either. You just probably look so different to them. My therapist asks me everytime I go (just yesterday in fact) if I can see my body for what it is now. And I can honestly say that I do; however, what I constantly struggle with is imagining how I can be the size that I am still and that is 80 pounds less than I was. The thing is I never really realized how heavy I was. Kind of dumb I know but I think I now know had a total disconnect between my head and my body - both in realizing my size and realizing that what I was taking in to my body was making me that way. Anyway, I would say these feelings are all totally normal, but you might want to get out your big jeans and hold them next to your new jeans and just study them for a while and think about the difference. Also look at some pics (maybe even pics of your jeans side by side) and at your measurements. Maybe some of that will help the realization kick in. Re wondering what is too thin, I have thought about this a lot (and remember I am the same height as you). The BMI chart seems off to me (which I had discussed with my sister before I read the post about it earlier this week) and in fact, before I saw your post, I actually changed my goal weight to 175 instead of 170. I am not hung up on a number and technically 175 will still classify me as "overweight" by 1 pound, but I am hoping, like you that my body will figure out where it wants to be and I won't get too hung up about the number on the scale or the BMI chart (again, I realize that may change when I get where you are). The only thing I have to compare it to is that when I was a senior in high school, I lost about 50 pounds from 200 to 150 (though I didn't stay 150 for long). I managed to get into a size 8 for a couple of things but mostly a size 10. But what I remember about that time is that I was REALLY skinny. I mean I looked too skinny. And then I started college.... Of course, I am no longer 18 and sizes have changed in 30 years, so I don't know what my end game will look like. Right now, I am so thrilled to have gotten in to a size 20 jean and 14/16 tops. I can't imagine yet what it will be like to be smaller. I stare in the mirror sometimes and think "where the heck did my butt go?!" Seriously not what I was expecting to lose so much of so quickly but I will take it! ​ ​ Oh and by the way, I don't know why but hearing from a dr "good job" is such a boost to me too! Especially a surgeon who typically has their thoughts elsewhere and running busy. That is a HUGE NSV and I totally get it! Congrats on a great trip and I hope all the compliments will stick with you to boost you! PS - what did the dr say about your neck? Hope it is healing well!

I think mostly gone at 5 days. Have you tried Gas-X strips? They really do help some of the gas.

The first week is rough. The questioning "what have I done" is totally normal. You just have to get through the first few weeks and then it gets easier. Hang in there! You will look back at this in a couple of months and realize it was a great decision!