IncredibleShrinkingMan

My first trip to a real restaurant was for my brother's rehearsal dinner at exactly one month out. Make that three nights in a row for rehearsal, welcome dinner, and reception. I had some flounder and I got through most of it. The next night there were only two choices...rigatoni or lamb chops, so obviously I went with rigatoni. That went fine, but I did not finish. At the reception, there was grilled chicken and filet mignon and delectable chocolate cake. Check, check, check. Felt fine, got home, and worked out for like four hours a day the next week.

-Weight regain, -unsupportive significant others/spouses/family, -back to work issues, -psychological evaluations, -separate category for questions about pre-op cheating (I have answered at least 50 threads on this issue), -how to handle problematic times of the year like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, summer Monday holidays, etc...), -how to handle typical food-laden events or places (office holiday party, family reunion, weddings, etc...), -theme parks and which rides are most problematic because of size or anything else -what to do with old clothes and shopping guides for new ones I'll think of more...

My role models include: 1) those in my profession (whether I've met them personally or not) who have undergone it and may be here today because of it 2) those friends and family who struggle but who have no intention/ability to get the surgery and therefore battle it old-school, as this determination is required regardless of whether you get it 3) individuals for whom surgery or any help whatsoever came too late and who now guide me from above (rest in peace R.M., M.G., A.M., M.H.) 4) those who are following me in this journey and have surgery upcoming, and have mentally progressed to a brand new life and new opportunities, reminding me that the scale is just the tip of the iceberg, and who remind me (occasionally through certain misconceptions) that neither the surgery nor the weight loss will fix the majority of life's problems...and that while it is about so much more than weight or looks, there are limits to what this miracle touches, and that beyond those limits we are still left to our own devices, and must not give up those fights any more than we gave up this one.

Unfortunately, they haven't at all. It's all about avoiding the consequences, short and long term, of certain foods. But the cravings and obsessions are still there (although thankfully they don't take up every minute of every day), and luckily the sleeve makes them very easy to quench.

Awesome. I was just asked to have my network picture updated because it isn't "current" (it was taken just before surgery). #NSV

Think of the restrictions as stemming from your new intelligence about and dedication to healthy eating rather than as something that is in place because you've had a surgery. For sleevers, I second all the posts above that point out that there really are very few things that don't work when enjoyed in an acceptable portion. Starches and other carbs are the biggest problems because these foods expand in the sleeve, cause bloating, and take up room that needs to be used for critical Protein and other nutrients. And, as always, they will stall weight loss because your body uses them instead of burning fats. "Restrictions," once you are where you are, is really about how far you want to go with your tool. Like any tool, you can opt not to use it for its purpose. Just eat what feels right and makes you feel right afterward, and keep track of what foods tend to increase your weight loss and which ones tend to slow it. It won't be the same for everybody.

OP, I had some cheating episodes during pre-op myself (pizza, Belgian fries, hoagies, sausage...just to name a few). I'd say if you accomplish your required weight loss, your liver should improve, as it is very hard to lose weight and not reduce fatty liver at the same time.

It seems like those of you who are saying you do fine are at least a year out (2014 surgery). I am three months out and I can't even imagine the thought of alcohol, so I'm not inclined to try. It could knock me out even at my highest weight and larger stomach. Given this thread, I am definitely waiting until the 1st anniversary (incidentally, the day after my birthday).

It's yesterday. It's done. It's over. Don't dwell on it, but rather, go eat clean so that your brain doesn't get an opportunity to readjust to the sugar expectations. The way this started for all of us is that our brains managed to become convinced that these foods were necessities, rather than flukes. That said, you are not what you eat, and your self-worth should not be tied up in how well you follow dietary rules. If you separate your diet from who you are, you'll have a much better chance of putting behind you psychologically. Learn from it, because, as you pointed out, Halloween is hardly the last opportunity of the year to fall through quicksand.

Just take them. Better safe than sorry. Plus, any problem that arises from not having them will be insidious and will be very hard to correct with future diligence. Besides, the sleeve is too new a procedure for anybody to have truly credible data.

Well, it was while I was recovering from my first colonoscopy that I found out I had a polyp, and knowing that weight can be a promoter to many kinds of cancer that I decided there was yet another really good reason to get this done. On the same day, my dad found out that he had some stomach malignancy as a result of a procedure that resectioned his stomach many decades ago. Because of this pedigree, I will now have both an upper GI and colonoscopy each year, and I'm only 31. In that sense, I imagine that the surgery will keep me apprised of things that would otherwise have eluded me.

Congratulations, and welcome to the other side! I hope you feel great and that your recovery is quick and painless!

I'd say it's pretty normal. However, it is much more frequent when I go a long time (6+ hours) without any food intake. In that situation, it is very comparable to pre-op hunger. They say don't snack between meals, but honestly, when I nibble all day, I don't think about food at all, and despite the grazing, my weight loss has been fine (80 lbs, 2 stalls through 12 weeks).

@@anna9/15 All of this is normal, but are you able to pinpoint exactly what is leading to any particular emotion? How has your progress been?

I imagine he was not too supportive of the big decision you made to get the surgery. There are no room for people like that in your life. You will need time to heal, and you cannot let it get in the way of your mission here, but a guy who would pick up and leave at a time like this wasn't worth one day of your time in the first place. One day you may come to thank him (somewhat sardonically) for your weight loss success.

I acknowledged my first stall after a 33-lb first month...286 pre-op, 266 surgery, 233 one month out, then for about a week and a half very little changed...the first time this happened I just stepped up the exercise. I'm sitting in a stall now at 204 and approaching the 3-month mark, and I can't really up the exercise further than I have (timewise or physically), so I'm planning a Halloween to Thanksgiving liquid protein cleanse. I'm getting stoked for it because I'll also be exercising outside (I see some mid-70s for the first week of November in Baltimore/DC/Northern VA). I'm hoping that takes care of it and sends me into Onederland.

Planning a Halloween to Thanksgiving liquid challenge...trying to respond to a stall at 204. Basics: only one non-liquid protein meal a day, fewer than 5% calories from carbs, fewer than 10% from fat.

If you're SO is not on board, having a buddy to support you will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to mitigate the negativity that will result from friction with your SO, or with anybody in your family. That said, having a buddy is useful for the sharing of experiences, but is not a panacea for underlying relationship problems associated with your surgery. If your question relates to whether or not you can go to your appointments alone, the answer is yes, except for surgery when you will have to identify somebody as your ride home from the hospital. Since this is inpatient, I don't think it is an absolute requirement that you even show up for your procedure with anybody, since you won't be going home prior to the anesthesia wearing off.

Weight regain of that magnitude obviously happens...just google it, and everybody I know who knows somebody that has had VSG or RNY also knows somebody that has gained back at least half the weight. So while I am interested in people who have insight as to how to deal with the "bounce," I, too, would like to hear from serious regainers, if they should be so comfortable and spirited as to share here.

You have it right...in fact, Week 1 began, right when you were wheeled out of the OR. So, for example, Week 5 begins on the day of the 4 week anniversary. That's a pretty rapid progression that you are describing, but if you have your surgeon's blessings, you have interpreted it correctly and should start trying real foods. Stick to the recommended portion sizes and if something doesn't feel right, shelf it for a week or two and then give it another shot. I tried eggs the first day of week 3 and couldn't handle them at all...but by the first day of week 5, I was eating them with gusto and had to cap myself to avoid overeating. Good luck!

You may be drinking a little bit too fast. Right out of recovery, we were only supposed to have 1 oz every 15 minutes, and I feel that most people progress too rapidly (by the time I was home I was able to finish an entire Poland Spring in a half an hour. I definitely got nauseated when I drank to my max capacity, so sipping more slowly may help. Also, if you are still on clear liquids, be sure you are keeping up with your protein...it helps healing and provides nutrients in you stomach that fight against the "empty nausea."

If you are still taking pain meds then those could be the problem. The morphine had me gagging my entire hospital stay. If you don't absolutely need a pain med, don't take one, especially not a narcotic. Is it water-induced or just general nausea? It may help to have some flavor if you are still no clear liquids.

Congratulations...I recently got there too (about two weeks ago I hit the 100 lbs mark off peak weight). Parties are definitely a different animal nowadays...so I guess really high-Protein hors d'oeuvres. Sadly, this is where many people's efforts all come tumbling down...a carb escapade to Celebrate a benchmark. The story of Mike Hebranko is the most harrowing of all...it's amazing the cascade that a single Nathan's hot dog can set off. So let's both be smart...I'm starting to plan my Onederland party as well.

Does anybody know any good tricks for distinguishing remaining fat and loose skin on your body? I am trying to figure out what's going on around my upper arms.

My evaluator said that it was actually very uncommon for a bariatric patient not to be on anything for depression (took a little offense at that and wondered how true it was), so he just glossed over the stuff I listed as actively taking.