rvan09

@@Elode so you and i have had chats about your Plastics.... and i know you are going to come through this like a champ. I know i have mentioned this before, but if you have a recliner... sleep there or up on the couch. The bed was difficult for me. My TT was so tight that lying down was the worse. Remember the C-Sections... how sitting up was the best.... Same thing doll.
You are going to look so freaking amazing...(you already do). I am super excited for you. Remember the giant kotex (placed them on top of incision for comfort), and keep that compression garment on (i felt better when my stomach was compressed).
http://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/album/23717-post-tummy-tuck/
My before and at one year
and at 4 years post op

Sorry, couldn't get photo to load before.  

I was miserable during the liquid stage, and it has gotten much better once I was able to introduce solid foods. With every new food I'm able to add, my "depression" gets better and better.
I promise it gets better. I'm almost a month out from surgery, and while the misery is fresh in my mind, it gets better every day!

I was miserable during the liquid stage, and it has gotten much better once I was able to introduce solid foods. With every new food I'm able to add, my "depression" gets better and better.
I promise it gets better. I'm almost a month out from surgery, and while the misery is fresh in my mind, it gets better every day!

So this is my latest update, I know I haven't done one in a long time. The picture of me overweight sadly is not even me at my highest (301lbs) , the other one is last night. Sorry classic mirror picture but that's all I can do when I'm by myself and my aunts want updates.

My GI is the one who actually recommended/ demanded I get the surgery, and basically decided which surgery I should get! (I have Crohn's.) I would try and see if you can find another doctor; this one doesn't seem to continue his education!

Just my two cents on the liquids. I'm 4 mo post op and straight Water makes me sick. It feels almost scratchy going gown my sleeve. Instead I drink Powerade zero like it's going out of style. I buy 14 bottles per week and make sure to drink two bottles a day. Boom. 64 oz and then anything else I drink is gravy. I get them on sale at Tom Thumb or winco for 49 or 69 cents each. Just my trick.

I am almost 3 months post surgery and a vegetarian. Breakfast is a Protein drink or Protein smoothie then a greek yougurt for snack. lunch is string cheese, 1 oz almonds and some fake meat (tempeh or seitan usually). Snack is 1/4 apple with nut butter and dinner is tofu or refried Beans or eggs with veggies. Lots of Water and some G2 = 800-1000 calories and at least 80 grams of protein. Once or twice a week I have a protein bar instead of lunch when busy at work. If other vegetarians have ideas for easy protein, please share.

I found a great instagram account where a lady (I think?) is posting what she eats every day along with nutrition labels. Maybe that'll give you some ideas?
https://instagram.com/sleevedin2015/

I'm on week five post surgery.
Breakfast has been a Qwest Protein bar because I can't stand the thought of another shake right now. They have 20 grams of Protein, 7 to 10 grams of NET carbs and are low sugar. Sometimes I make scrambled eggs. Sometimes I have slices of deli meat and cheese spread with light chive and onion cream cheese and rolled up and cut into pinwheel bites.
lunch is between 3 to 5 oz of protein - I alternate between steak, chicken, pork loin, lobster, shrimp or crab or salmon or some other fish. If I have room after eating the protein I eat a small salad or sliced zucchini that's been dipped in egg and Parmesan cheese and baked. I also sometimes eat green Beans.
dinner is a repeat of lunch with a different protein.
In the evening I usually have either a sugar free Popsicle or a sugar free Fudgesicle.

Protein Shake for Breakfast
1/2 small grilled chicken breast and a cheese stick for lunch
Protein Bar for snack
grilled chicken or salmon for dinner with peppers and onions or grilled veggies

I'm 19 days post op and my days look kind of like this...
Protein drink first thing
a couple hours later - an egg of some sort all mashed up
lunch - 1/4c cottage cheese or chicken salad chopped up super super fine or 1/4c refried Beans with a little cheese
snack - 1 laughing cow creamy swiss cheese wedge
maybe another serving of 1/4c cottage cheese or chicken salad chopped up super super fine or 1/4c refried Beans with a little cheese if i get hungry
One more Protein Drink in evening
I can't eat more than 1/4c of food at a time so i'm still pretty low with my calories. Usually 600-700 per day.

Well since my last Dr. appt. I was told to increase my Protein. So now it consists of one Protein Drink in the morning/some kind of meat at work (depends on what crap they make)/ Cottage cheese and peaches for snack/ Soup of the day at work for dinner. When I get home it is another Protein shake and a yogurt. I am still having a hard time eating meat, I honestly would become a Vegetarian if I wanted to put that much effort into it. But that is why I am at two shakes a day. That pretty much sums up my typical meal plan for a day.

it is undeniable. when you see a single man in their late 30's and 40's you have to understand the reason they haven't found someone else is because they are assholes masquerading as men. their problems are so deep-rooted they can't be fixed by even the greatest compassion. Now i don't mean this of all men, just close to it. There are a few that were able to overcome their past problems, but not that many. Id like to give you wonderful ladies the five warning signs of an asshole male. here they are in no particular order.
1. He thinks a bar is an appropriate romantic date destination.
2. He has children from different women and doesn't pay child support to any of them.
3. He has other women's names ( not his mothers) tattooed on his body and shows them to you.
4. He doesn't own a tie or a suit, and thinks a tuxedo was the t-shirt he wore to the prom.
5. He tells you how to improve yourself or your life.
if you witness these things, run, do not walk, just get away. It's just not worth it.

Your SIL gave you a gift. The gift of knowing who she really is and that you should limit your contact with her and never trust her with anything ever again. Right now it feels awful, but push the embarrassment aside and tell yourself that her behavior is a reflection of her, not you. It may also help to discuss this issue with your brother if you have a good relationship. Then he will understand why you have to pull back from her.

I never watched that tv show called the View. (this was a few years ago) I happen to be at a friends house one day and the view was on TV. My friend kept talking about how one of the women on the show was too small and has lost too much weight. I'm looking and I cant pick out who they are talking about. I finally ask and they are like "Star Jones" and they point to the screen pointing out Star Jones to me.
Like I said, I never watched the view, and didn't know who Star Jones was. When my friend point her out to me Im like "whats wrong with her, she looks normal to me" My friends were all like "she looks sick, she has a big head" etc. Im like I don't see it. I later find out she had WLS and I saw her older pictures.
but to me, how she looked was how she looked and I didn't see anything wrong. I think people sometimes have an old image of you in their mind and when they do look and see the new you, it makes them think something isn't right. its their problem, not yours. People that has never seen the before you probably wouldn't think anything at all.

You look like a normal, healthy weight to me.
I've told this story before, and I'll tell it again. I'm not there yet, but my husband who had RNY almost 9 years ago was complaining to his surgeon about this very same subject. He went from 300lbs down to about 170lbs. He was getting all the "You look like you have AIDS, Cancer, etc.." and the "You're too skinny! Put on some weight!" comments.
His surgeon shrugged his shoulders and said "There are so many overweight and obese people these days, nobody even knows what a normal, healthy weight looks like anymore".
Made sense to me.

This has been beyond hard. My mom stayed with us for 2 weeks after the surgery, and I could have used another week. I got sick (pre-school crud) last week, and I haven't had a chance to get better because my husband can't take anymore time off of work. My kiddos are 6 months and almost 4 years old.
Basically, if you feel a little off, make time to go to the doctor. Ask for help. I'm sure that you are used to taking care of everything, but you have to let people help you so you can heal.

Response: "And people would think you're a lot smarter if you would keep your opinions to yourself" Be on the alert for back-handed compliments like that. Bariatric surgery will expose the dynamics of your relationships as people are threatened or rejoicing over your progress. That is not a bad thing. It is good to know who is really in your corner.

Oh, this is the type of person you need to put in their place real quick.
"Thank you for your concern, but you only know about my situation because you were listening in on my personal calls - I did not intentionally to share this with you. I am not interested in discussing this with you, as it is a personal matter that does not involve you."
If it persists, speak with your and/or her supervisor.
I feel for you...I'd be so pissed!

As a suggestion for your stomach concerns, have you tried deodorant? I used to get an irritating heat rash under my breasts and I started using the Degree Clinical Strength roll on version (not the gel that clicks up) and it totally eliminated the problem. Even though thanks to plastic surgery my thighs don't touch anymore, I still put it on my upper inner thighs during the summer because it prevents sweatiness.

Reading this article made me pretty genuinely angry. Surgery is absolutely not the easy way out, and my first hundred pounds are only partially the surgery. The other part of it is the vastly different diet I had before surgery (I lost more than 50 lbs pre-op), and then the vastly different diet post-op as I changed my eating habits (20+ lbs gone at last weigh in).
I'm appalled at this article. You're right, it's definitely things we don't want to hear. That said, I didn't have this surgery to cut carbohydrates (especially the right kinds) out of my life forever. There will be times that I know others, and myself down the road will be having types of carbs that they enjoy, at sensible portion sizes, and this article just feels so very.. toxic.

I haven't vomited one time post surgery either. The only pain I had was right side pain when I woke up where I'm sure they cut and removed the partial stomach. Nothing that some good pain meds didn't take care of
I would also advise against saying things like "Pre op diet is ideal, but not mandatory"....if your doctor recommends a pre op diet, there's a reason. I just don't want you to discourage anybody to not follow their own doctors orders. Slippery slope.
I always find the Mexico surgical experiences so interesting. Not only does it seem that most get top notch care, I think you guys that go are troopers for basically having to turn around and either fly or drive home after major surgery. I wouldn't want to do it!
Good luck to you! Keep us posted on your weight loss!