Stephanie Stroup McIntosh

So I am just over 5 weeks post-op. I am now permitted to eat most foods. I can have moist meats, cooked vegetables (w/o skin) and even Pasta. I have been able to tolerate everything that I have tried. Starting weight 295. Surgery Weight 263. Today's weight 235. I have lost 60 pounds in 7 months and 28 since surgery. I would like to be losing a little faster, but the time will come.
This week, I have been asked to go out to lunch twice, dinner once, and to the bar on another night. I will go to all 4 and just have to monitor what I eat/drink. i even went to 2 baseball games this week. Its funny how socializing often takes place around food. I am not finding it difficult at this point to order off a menu, unless I go somewhere that is mostly bread and pizza. Most places have Soup and grilled chicken. I have even gotten used to not drinking with my meals.
I feel great. My jeans that were no where close to fitting prior to surgery are now getting to be too big. I need to put a new notch on my belt to keep my pants up. My bra feels so much better. The seat belt fits and I have several inches of space between my stomach and the steering wheel. I even went to my first massage, and didn't feel self conscience at all. I sound better when I sing. Everyone I see tells me how thin I am getting. It definitely does something to my self-esteem. I never had a problem being overweight. I was fine with it and was a pretty happy person. I am happier since surgery.
I didn't take my measurements before surgery, but I sure wish that I had. I started taking them last week and will record them weekly from now on.
If you are having second thoughts or struggling, I just encourage you to stay positive and look towards all the greatness that will come from this surgery. It is work, but you can do it.

So I am just over 5 weeks post-op. I am now permitted to eat most foods. I can have moist meats, cooked vegetables (w/o skin) and even Pasta. I have been able to tolerate everything that I have tried. Starting weight 295. Surgery Weight 263. Today's weight 235. I have lost 60 pounds in 7 months and 28 since surgery. I would like to be losing a little faster, but the time will come.
This week, I have been asked to go out to lunch twice, dinner once, and to the bar on another night. I will go to all 4 and just have to monitor what I eat/drink. i even went to 2 baseball games this week. Its funny how socializing often takes place around food. I am not finding it difficult at this point to order off a menu, unless I go somewhere that is mostly bread and pizza. Most places have Soup and grilled chicken. I have even gotten used to not drinking with my meals.
I feel great. My jeans that were no where close to fitting prior to surgery are now getting to be too big. I need to put a new notch on my belt to keep my pants up. My bra feels so much better. The seat belt fits and I have several inches of space between my stomach and the steering wheel. I even went to my first massage, and didn't feel self conscience at all. I sound better when I sing. Everyone I see tells me how thin I am getting. It definitely does something to my self-esteem. I never had a problem being overweight. I was fine with it and was a pretty happy person. I am happier since surgery.
I didn't take my measurements before surgery, but I sure wish that I had. I started taking them last week and will record them weekly from now on.
If you are having second thoughts or struggling, I just encourage you to stay positive and look towards all the greatness that will come from this surgery. It is work, but you can do it.

So I am just over 5 weeks post-op. I am now permitted to eat most foods. I can have moist meats, cooked vegetables (w/o skin) and even Pasta. I have been able to tolerate everything that I have tried. Starting weight 295. Surgery Weight 263. Today's weight 235. I have lost 60 pounds in 7 months and 28 since surgery. I would like to be losing a little faster, but the time will come.
This week, I have been asked to go out to lunch twice, dinner once, and to the bar on another night. I will go to all 4 and just have to monitor what I eat/drink. i even went to 2 baseball games this week. Its funny how socializing often takes place around food. I am not finding it difficult at this point to order off a menu, unless I go somewhere that is mostly bread and pizza. Most places have Soup and grilled chicken. I have even gotten used to not drinking with my meals.
I feel great. My jeans that were no where close to fitting prior to surgery are now getting to be too big. I need to put a new notch on my belt to keep my pants up. My bra feels so much better. The seat belt fits and I have several inches of space between my stomach and the steering wheel. I even went to my first massage, and didn't feel self conscience at all. I sound better when I sing. Everyone I see tells me how thin I am getting. It definitely does something to my self-esteem. I never had a problem being overweight. I was fine with it and was a pretty happy person. I am happier since surgery.
I didn't take my measurements before surgery, but I sure wish that I had. I started taking them last week and will record them weekly from now on.
If you are having second thoughts or struggling, I just encourage you to stay positive and look towards all the greatness that will come from this surgery. It is work, but you can do it.

Have faith in the process. More people are aware of the process now and are better able to gauge what you will need to do before having surgery. Don't let it stress you out. Do give up on sugar now! good luck

I apologize. I couldn't find the challenge yesterday.
CW 237

I made sure my laundry was done, my sheets were clean, and my house was generally clean. I also made sure that I had Protein Drinks, sugar free jello/popsicles, tea, broth, and some juice.< /p>

Make sure you are eating slowly. You over eat most often when you eat quickly.

I started going to the gym at 2 weeks. I started with just walking and would stop when my stomach started to ache. I am 5 weeks post op now, and go to they gym 5 days per week. I run/walk 1-3 miles per day, lift weights, take spin class... I am cautious to avoid anything that could be dangerous to my stomach, but I just take it slow until I decide if I can do it or not.

As far as the gas, walking will help and they will give you any meds that you may need.
I used chapstick, personal products, cell phone and charger. I even brought an extension cord for my cell phone, which helped a lot. I also brought a back scratcher. It was sooooooo helpful.

It is common to have an Upper Endoscopy to check for issues with reflux. You will just get a script for a PPI, which you will probably get after surgery anyway.
My guess would be that you are eating more since you know you will soon have to give it up. You may want to find someone to talk to about your food issues.
You can do this, and its all normal.

It is common to have an Upper Endoscopy to check for issues with reflux. You will just get a script for a PPI, which you will probably get after surgery anyway.
My guess would be that you are eating more since you know you will soon have to give it up. You may want to find someone to talk to about your food issues.
You can do this, and its all normal.

It is common to have an Upper Endoscopy to check for issues with reflux. You will just get a script for a PPI, which you will probably get after surgery anyway.
My guess would be that you are eating more since you know you will soon have to give it up. You may want to find someone to talk to about your food issues.
You can do this, and its all normal.

You can do it. Take some deep breaths and try to relax. You are working yourself up. Your hunger, is probably all in your head. Drink some Water or change your activity. How much Protein is in your shake? I used Premier Protein. 160 calories, 30g Protein, and only 5 carbs. I could have 4 shakes per day which is still less than your 800 calories.
You could lose your job with or without the surgery. You already have excess skin. Its just holding fat now. If your boyfriend or other men can't deal with your saggy skin, they probably weren't good for you anyway. You probably have a better chance of being eaten by a bear in NY than in Mexico.
If you don't have the surgery, you will probably not lose the weight on your own. That's why you are going through this process. Yes, its scary and there are a lot of unknowns, but that is true with most things in life.
Ask yourself, why you decided to have the surgery in the first place. Chances are, that reason still exists. You are worth it.

It gets better. The first 3 days were the worst. Day 4 around noon, I suddenly just felt better. During the morning, I was sluggish and weak. I had a Protein shake for lunch and almost instantly felt better and felt good for the rest of my 12 day diet. The only hunger i had after that was in my head.
Make sure you have high quality shakes. I used Premier Protein. 160 calories, 30g Protein, 5 carbs and they taste good. I even mixed some Decaf instant coffee with it to make it fancy. Good luck. You can do it.

So I am having a rough few days.
I was sleeved 3/23 and lost 20 pounds in just over 2 weeks. I had lost 30 pounds prior to surgery. Since then, I have only lost another 5 pounds. I find this very discouraging. I know what I need to do and am doing it. I weigh my portions and log everything. I will be starting the soft foods stage on Monday and a looking forward to having some more options. I have logged every little bite that I have eaten on myfitnesspal. I work out at least 5 times per week. I even did a spin class last week. (I rocked it, by the way.) The weight is just not coming off. I know that stalls are normal, but it is just frustrating and I needed to vent.
In the past, whenever I was upset about my weight, I would eat more. I know that is totally detrimental and part of the reason I needed to have weight loss surgery, but its the truth. I obviously can't do that now, and have been pretty good with my diet. I average 600-700 calories, 75-90g Protein, and less than 30 carbs per day. I don't want to eat, because I know that would make me even more frustrated.
My husband is also overweight. I am going to guess he is right around the 500 pound mark. He sometimes wants to have the surgery. In fact, he is the reason I decided to have it. He signed up for an informational session and I planned to go with him for support. He ended up losing his job (and insurance) so he cancelled, but i still went and ended up getting surgery. Sometimes, he is supportive of me and my weight loss, but other times I think he is jealous. He also fears that I will get skinny and leave him. He does seem to "enjoy" the difference in my body already.
I am on a paid leave from work, so I am still bringing home my regular pay check. He is working 6 days a week, and his check isn't even half of mine. I think he expects me to do all of the housework since I am not working, but I still want/need him to pitch in and help. It makes me so frustrated. It also bothers me that I am the breadwinner (who doesn't get to eat bread) and still have to do most of the work at home. I get sinks full of dishes, but I am not using many dishes, because I am not really eating.
All of the frustration, makes me want to eat things that I know I shouldn't. It also makes me reflect on the past and how on bad days I would buy bad foods and eat them.
I know this is all very confusing and unorganized, but I think I just needed to get it out, so I could feel better. Also...when I am typing, I am not eating or wanting to eat.
For the most part, I have had a very positive outlook on everything, but yesterday and today have just been in the crapper. I am going to blame it on the hormones. Oh well, thanks for letting me get all that off my chest. Cheers to a better tomorrow.

You are doing everything right. Unfortunately there are a lot of Mr. Wrongs and only a few Mr. Rights. It may take some time, but its important that you find someone that is supportive of the decision you made and will be a positive part of your life. Don't settle for anything less.

I travel constantly with my job. I keep Protein bars, Protein powders, tuna foil packs, and Jerky with me at all times. In my carry on I have enough that I could live in an airport for three days without worry! The best advise I can give if you travel to repeat areas or sites is know where your local grocery store is and make sure hotel has refrigerator. The first 3 months on the road being selective of what I ordered and following the rules I didn't lose like I thought I should. When I started going to the grocery store and buying my own salads and Greek yogurts etc I really started seeing the pounds drop. No matter what waitress, cook, or restaurant you are at, oils, fats and calories will get on your plate even when you ask for no/low oil. I have one plant that I visit frequently and I keep a shoe box with jerk and tuna in the HR managers closet. At another site the hotel lets me keep a box there as well.
Be careful about eating tuna on the plane, it's a little stinky. I also hoard boiled eggs from the Breakfast nooks for Snacks etc. I keep ziplocks in my suitcase as well, just a few. I try to always eat before I get on the plane to avoid issues as most high protein items do have an odor, not an aroma!
I hope this helps! A good luck!

Read from the bottom up

My doctors diet...
12 days liquid diet preop. 4 shakes per day. No solid foods.
2 weeks clear and full liquids. broth, shakes, Strained Soups
3 weeks pureed foods. Yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, pureed moist meats
3 weeks soft foods. Boiled vegetables, moist soft meat, milk soaked Cereal
@8 weeks, I am able to include all foods as my body tolerates them.
Once you rid yourself of the need for caffeine, its not too hard to go without. Try to ween yourself down on the caffeine and creamer now, so it will be easier when you can't have them. If you need something in your coffee, use skim milk.
Tylenol is all you should take for pain. The others can cause ulcers. Your cramps and headaches may very well change with the weight loss. I haven't had any headaches since my surgery and I was still on pain meds with my period, so cramps weren't an issue.

I had BCBS when I started the process. They covered the sleeve and required 6 months. When I called the guy who answered the phone had no idea what was going on. Ask your surgeon for the billing code and maybe that will help you to get a better answer.

I have a similar story to you,PCOS and all. I had my consultation exactly 6 months prior to my surgery. At my 6th weigh in, my doctor submitted my info and I was approved by the end of the week. It was 3 weeks later when my surgeon had an opening. Make sure you have all required testing done at the beginning of the process. You have to have the chest xray and ekg within 6 months of the surgery, so you could wait a little while for those. Do the psych eval. as soon as possible. My surgeon's office said that that is the item most likely to cause someone a denial. Your surgeon's office should also have an idea what the insurance requirements are for surgery.

There are too many "what ifs" in life. But since you started...What if you don't have this surgery? What if you continue on your current weight gain track?
Its totally normal to feel anxious, nervous, scared, excited and whatever other feeling you may have. Just ask yourself why you are having this surgery and why you decided to do it now. Whenever I doubted my decision, I reminded myself why I was doing it.
You can do it. Hopefully, you have a support system at home but if not, we are all here for you. good luck

I am sorry to hear about your mother, but I am glad that you are using that to motivate yourself. Take it one day at a time and you will do great.

Its only hair. If you don't like it, you can always grow it back.
Do what will make you happy. You are worth it. I think a new hairstyle may give you some added confidence.

WTG Keep it up!