christinems4280

*I want to preface this post with the following: I DO NOT judge anyone for the decisions they made about entering into this process. This is all my experience and my personal choices. What works for me and the reasons I made my choices clearly is different for everyone else. No offense is intended or implied.*
I'm a very open person by nature. It was never an option for me to keep the surgery a secret. I come from a belief that if you have to hide something or lie about something, it means you shouldn't be doing it. I didn't want to enter this process that way. I wanted to be proud of what I was doing for my health and well being. I wanted to be able to educate those who were misinformed (or uninformed) about the process.
My friends know. My entire family knows. My coworkers know. My bosses know. I've been met with overwhelming support and positivity. I have yet to encounter a negative response. I also feel by sharing my journey on social media, I'm forced to be held accountable.
Ultimately, you have to do what's right for you. Sharing my journey is what was right for me.

Band aid makes this little stick that looks like a tiny deodorant, and it's called friction block or blister guard. It works great to rub on your feet if you have new shoes or ones that rub and give you problems, and it would also work well for the excess skin areas that are rubbing and getting irritated. It is dry and just a bit waxy and makes the skin area slippery.

Has the OP ever even came back? We have the random trolls that come here, post a buncha garbage and never show back up to respond to people or defend their points.
When I first saw the title of this thread I thought it was actually about Mediterranean style eating, but instead it is about being vegetarian. Vegetarians don't offend me, I like Vegan food, and I understand the thought behind it. Growing up with a native american background I have a different attitude about eating animal flesh.
I have no issues with OPs point of view. Just the post and dash and the no supporting numbers whatsoever. There are plenty of vegans and vegetarians who post here without sounding like they are talking down to the plebs.

The most eye roll inducing/ridiculous/annoying thing about having an adult discussion and disagreement is someone standing in a corner, pointing fingers and screaming "STOP FIGHTING!!!", "STOP ARGUING!!!", "BE FRIENDLY!!".
Just because people are saying they don't care for the verbiage or stance that another is taking does not mean they are "bitch slapping", need to "take a deep breath" or "get off their hind legs".

How offensive.

I guess one has to be from the North East or into Politics to get this. Sorry.

For me, this isn't a matter of "stop liking what I don't like!"
This is a matter of someone going beyond "the vegetarian path worked for me." It directly trashes the medical profession, as well as advocates for a lifestyle that is exceptionally difficult to maintain, disregards the long-standing advice of doctors/nutritionists, perpetuates pseudo-science, and takes thinly-veiled potshots and side jabs at others. Advice that has the potential to be dangerous matters, and deserves appropriate criticism.
As for the sarcasm, when you are deliberately provocative and continue to refer to meat as "dead animal flesh," expect a bit of tongue-in-cheek response.

The smell of fresh cut grass is actually the chemical distress call of plants and their response to negative stimuli. In essence, you can smell their screams. Remember that next time you walk past a rumbling lawnmower.
In all seriousness though, I absolutely understand the moral/ethical motivations behind a plant-based diet, as well as the potential health benefits (for some. One of the biggest reasons people return to meat is not simply hassle, but DIMINISHED HEALTH). It's fine to say "this is my experience." But if you're gonna say doctors/nurses are just dumb western robots who don't understand the nutrition, well...the gloves are off.

For as much as people complain about "chemicals" and "toxins" in their food, they are awfully quick to buy into another set of meaningless dietary buzzwords like "natural" and "clean," trading one ideology for another. People are also so quick to dismiss doctors who underwent 11-14 years of education/training/residency, and dieticians/scientists who devote their lives to the art and practice of nutrition as "Western Medicine" ignorants and corporate fatcats. You are free to make your own choices, but "instinct" and "intuition" doesn't mean you somehow possess secret, ancient knowledge beyond the scope of the medical profession.
Doctors advocate Protein, which comes in the form of Protein shakes (not dead animal flesh, I couldn't start feasting on adorable, defenseless animals until two months out). High Protein can be done on non-meats, however they often require a higher quantity of consumption (which puts stress/stretch on sleeves), and the cost/inconvenience/familiarity/cultural preference often has people going with a grilled chicken breast over a complicated veggie casserole that often contains more starch/carbs than it does protein. A meat-heavy diet is not doctors failing to understand the basic tenets of veganism; it is a matter of function and convenience, because those are the most effective ways of maintaining a long-term plan. In a range of studies, 75%-84% of vegans/vegetarians return to eating meat, so doctors are reluctant or resistant to advocating it to patients who are already experiencing extreme stress and an upheaval of life.
Wanna go vegetarian? Wanna go full vegan? Find that you function well deviating from the typical post-OP plan? Awesome. More power to you. But don't come in here peddling ideological beliefs and anecdotes in food/medicine as legitimate science or die-hard fact. "Healthy" food companies are just as quick to capitalize on your fears (and typically spend big money to put out misleading news articles and pseudo-science articles to take your money).
Next time you go to Whole Foods, check out the box of the next Natural Organic Non-GMO* product. Pay strict attention to the asterisk. It is usually accompanied by a disclaimer that there is no benefit to consumption as measurable/detectable by scientific study.
As a nurse with a strong background in nutrition, it's great that patients are empowered and invested in their own health. But fact isn't something you "believe" in. It exists regardless of what you think or not. So please think twice before you advocate for belief versus well-supported science and trash an entire profession as people that just don't understand your high and mighty, esoteric plane of consciousness.
And with that, I'm going to go eat some more salami.

If you're going to not eat "dead animal flesh" then you have to be responsible for eating in a way that provides your body with sufficient Protein. And that means at least 60 grams of Protein to start -- and probably more later on. Lots of good plant foods have protein, but to eat complete Proteins you have to become a serious student of vegetarian nutrition. You can't just eat something that "still has the sunshine living in it" (I actually have no idea what that means).
As someone whose body does well with poultry, fish and a little meat, I've had zero health problems since WLS by eating those foods. In fact, as most people here will testify (counter to the OP theory that most WLS patients get sick from eating as their surgeons recommend they eat post-op) I am a heckuva lot healthier now than I was pre-op.
I do strive to eat 5 fruits and veggies each day and whole grains. Most days I also drink wine and have a little dark chocolate.
One thing that's definitely a switch is that since I hit maintenance (9 months ago) I now cook "from scratch" so much more than I used to. Hubby and I eat out and buy takeout so much less often than we used to.
Now, when food shopping, we seldom buy frozen or pre-packaged or deli food. We buy our veggies and fruits in the "fresh" department, get meat / poultry that's grass-fed and grown without hormones from a butcher's shop (not a big box store). We now make Pasta dishes with whole-wheat Pasta. We shop at farmers markets three seasons a year (but not very much in deep winter).
The food we eat now tastes so great! I am definitely not a WLS patient who doesn't like the taste of food anymore. I like it better, because the food we're eating now is better.
Oh -- and I drink a glass of skim milk daily and eat at least an ounce of full-fat cheese, sometimes two ounces. I don't eat a lot of nuts, although I made for dinner today some honey pecan pork cutlets. Mmmm-mmmm!
I cook with a lot more fat these days than I did pre-op -- was always a fat-avoider. Now I use a lot of olive oil AND butter.
When I eat breads or crackers they're always high-protein, high-Fiber ones. Most days I hit my minimum 21-25 grams of Fiber recommended for women.
And when I have treats, e.g., ice cream, Desserts -- I have the full-fat versions. I just don't eat nearly as much of everything that I used to eat.
So that's what I'm doing.

*I want to preface this post with the following: I DO NOT judge anyone for the decisions they made about entering into this process. This is all my experience and my personal choices. What works for me and the reasons I made my choices clearly is different for everyone else. No offense is intended or implied.*
I'm a very open person by nature. It was never an option for me to keep the surgery a secret. I come from a belief that if you have to hide something or lie about something, it means you shouldn't be doing it. I didn't want to enter this process that way. I wanted to be proud of what I was doing for my health and well being. I wanted to be able to educate those who were misinformed (or uninformed) about the process.
My friends know. My entire family knows. My coworkers know. My bosses know. I've been met with overwhelming support and positivity. I have yet to encounter a negative response. I also feel by sharing my journey on social media, I'm forced to be held accountable.
Ultimately, you have to do what's right for you. Sharing my journey is what was right for me.

And there it is, ladies and gentlemen. This is the reason people gain weight after repeating what Jamie did day after day when we get further out, NOT stretching the sleeve. I have a sneaky suspicion people get grazing all day and sleeve stretching confused. The further out we are, the more tolerant we are to most foods, get a bit hungrier, a bit more comfortable, and that coupled with crappy eating causing even more hunger leads to grazing with us thinking we are eating more because of a stretched sleeve. I guarantee most people, even years out, can still only eat at the most 2 cups of food in a sitting. 6-8 cups of food a day will not cause weight gain. As a matter of fact, it's still less than what a person who hasn't had surgery eats when they're on a diet!
So thank you Jamie, for being the guinea pig and proving that yes, even without a 'stretched sleeve', you can in fact eat a large amount of calories if we really want to.

Or perhaps it's how YOU choose to read it. (YOU being the general/plural variety.)
I've noticed many times that I can say something, Babbs can say the same exact thing, and a third person can as well. Two of the three will be bitches, hags and meanies and the third will be thanked. Funny stuff, right there...

@@bellabloom ...
Different strokes for different folks.
The ignore function was made for you. Really, just put @@Babbs on ignore. After all, that was exactly what she was suggesting that you do.
FTR, I also have several people here on ignore, who just irritate the snot out of me. Now, I never have to read their stuff, and I never feel compelled to respond in ways that would probably irritate the snot out of them, too.
Also FTR, how Babbs offers her observations and advice doesn't bother me one bit. I enjoy her style.
Different strokes for different folks.

I did completely change my mindset and all that went with it. I take full responsibility for the weight gain I never said there wasn't a reason I had regained.

I respect that you like to "call a spade, a spade".
Not everyone may agree with your frankness, but sometimes the truth is hard to swallow (sometimes too are the chicken nuggets my wife makes, but that is a different story).
We all need a little "tough love" (but in a positive, reinforcing way) from time to time. Lending a shoulder for someone to cry on, when they need one, is good; coddling doesn't teach someone to take responsibility for their own actions.
I'm all out of metaphors.

I'm just going to throw this out there and then I'm done with this thread....
To the OP, I'm sorry you're having to deal with sleeve issues. I can imagine how frustrating it would be trying to do this as if you still have a regular sized stomach, as I've tried a hundred times before my surgery. If it were me, I would move heaven and earth in pursuit of a revision. It sounds to me like it was surgeon error, not yours. I wish you well, and keep us posted!
To others in this thread, just because someone may call you out in your BS or disagree with you, doesn't mean they are a "troll" a "bully" " 9th grade girls" "hags" and so on. I find it funny the ones who complain how mean and nasty some people can be are the same ones who resort to name calling.
I thought we were all adults here, but obviously not. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the "ignore" option is a glorious thing. Don't like my posts? Instead of throwing a hissy fit every time I post about how mean and unsupportive I am, just put me on ignore so you don't have to see my posts anymore. I've done it, too! No tantrums, no name calling, no flouncing, just "ignore".
See how easy that is?
Have a great day everyone!

I love you Babbs. Some people just don't get it!

Haha! Some people crack me up.
So defensive and indignant.
"I know I'm eating like sh*t and grazing, but it's my SLEEVE!!"
Comedy gold.

I didn't know this was a fear of mine until I read this thread. Can't even imagine.
But my surgeon made it clear going in that the surgery is just a tool and that we all have to train ourselves to adapt to the good habits that we keep to during our early stages in order to keep the weight off forever.

I cannot believe what people are eating! pizza, wings, ice cream, cake? Of course we all will gain weight if those are the food choices we make. What happened to chicken breast, fish, and lean Protein first; vegetables second and then a little complex carbs?

Apparently proud2bme needs to wash her crabby pants and put on her happy pants. Next time just go by my post and don't stop. This is suppose to be a positive forum.

I think nearly everyone who is a "regular" on the forum post-op goes through a period where they get sick of seeing the same posts over and over again. Either you get over it, become more patient, and try to help the newbies or you get fed up and spend less time on the forums. I know I had my own stretch of angst over so many repetitive topics. But I just try to remember we all started somewhere and I had my share of stupid and repetitive posts back in my early days. So I try to suck up the frustration and be as helpful as possible. If it weren't for people being patient with me in the beginning, I never would have gotten to where I am now.

Everyone asks the same questions. If you're an expert on the topic, most questions will seem rote and pointless. Ultimately, it's still going to help to see things re-surfaced from time to time. I, myself, wouldn't even have thought of looking for threads about hair loss because I haven't talked much about it with my surgeon. It's good to know that nothing really fixes it and it does come back.

I wish people would stop acting like self rightous keepers of the internet forum and realize that people do have the right to ask questions. Regardless of how many times they've been asked. If you don't want to weigh in, then move along. The forum wasn't set up for only what you deem to be important discussion in this moment of time. So there's a search function. Well holy hell. That would mean that nobody should ever ask any question ever, anywhere. Because I'm sure all the questions you've ever asked have been answered somewhere on google. Right?!?! Only makes sense...

I hate Spanx with a white hot burning passion.
Buuuut. I am obsessed with Maidenform Flexees. I usually go with the high waisted boy short ones as they are the most comfortable for me, but they come in a variety of styles. They aren't crazy expensive at all. And they hold up really well after longterm use. I even put mine in the regular washer (on cold cycle - no dryers!) and they come out perfect. They come in nude and black, which is helpful.
I typically purchase mine at The Avenue or Macys, but there are plenty of online retailer options (Herroom, BareNecessities, Amazon).