Lindy61

Y'all, I went ahead and started another group since that one isn't currently accepting new members. Search for 2016 November Sleevers and you should find it!

The first surgeon I considered told me a story about a man who ate bar-b-q soon after surgery. He ended up with a leak.
The surgeon I decided to use has a support group run but a nurse that works with him. She has been working with bariatric surgeons for 3 years, during that time she has only seen 1 leak, and it was also someone who ate solid food before they were supposed to.
A leak can kill you. Many people are hospitalized for weeks after a leak, more surgery, etc.
I am pre-op but I can tell you those stories scared me to death!!

Nov. 7th here
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I start preop diet tomorrow and I wanted to answer that question with, "Why yes you can if you want to take a chance with dying". So I understand how the vets feel but boy do I NEED them to stick around. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I start preop diet tomorrow and I wanted to answer that question with, "Why yes you can if you want to take a chance with dying". So I understand how the vets feel but boy do I NEED them to stick around. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I don't mind the redundant questions as much as I mind the questions of those who are simply looking for validation for bad behavior. While I wish people would use the search bar more, I'd be really happy if people used their heads more.
And then when they get mad because someone tells them something they don't want to hear? It's amazing. That's all I can call it. Amazing.

I think I exhausted Google of all its information on these surgeries before I even got to my pre-op diet. LOL Now my questions are more about others' experiences.

I don't blame you, I am pre-op and I am already tired of some of the questions. But I hope that despite all of the repetitive questions, that you decide to stick around. I hope that once I finally have my surgery that there will still be knowledgeable vets such as yourself to help guide me, and to smack some sense into me if I end up posting one of those same repetitive threads. I appreciate people who refuse to sugar coat things. I don't want to be coddled, I want truthful information and insight from those people who have been through it themselves already.

Heck...i am only 2 months post op and I am tired of the same questions! It's the same thing week after week.

True, but I feel bad at times that LSL gets bashed alot by saying what at least I'm thinking. And most of the time she isnt a quarter as bad as I would be. Lol
When I started this process I wanted to know everything that I could to prepare and decide if this was for me. I could never imagine doing this life altering surgery without research.
When I started I didnt even know what questions to have, thats why I stalked this forum. Started reading threads in the gastric forum from 2 years ago and just mentally compiling.
I guess that is also why I get a bug up my butt when I see the same threads.
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Dont talk about cake, you'll have people thinking its a soft food and they should have it
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It seems that at least 50% of the posts on BariatriPal are bemoaning a stall. Daily, and sometimes hourly, I am reading about how someone ONLY lost x number of pounds and now the scale hasn't moved in ___ [fill in the blank] days/months, etc. Oh no, they write, I am a failure/unique/my surgery didn't work/life is not fair, ... Why am I in a stall?
I know I am exaggerating but I think you get the idea.
Guess what? STALLS are a NORMAL part of the PROCESS of losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you will stall. Not just once, but over and over. And, guess what? A stall is where your body actually does the hard work of becoming smaller. It takes a lot of work and energy to dismantle a structure that has been holding up, in some cases, hundreds of pounds.
For those who think they have to DO something to somehow "break a stall" (in my opinion, you do not break a stall, you just ride them out), here is my response:
What can you do to "break" a stall?
1) STAY OFF THE SCALE
Relax and stay off the scale if it bothers you so much. Weigh no more than once a week, or even less often. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments early in the process is a good strategy if your mood and self-worth are dictated by the numbers on the scale.
2) PICK UP A TAPE MEASURE
In addition to using the numbers on the scale to measure your progress, take your measurements. Inches lost are also a great way to see physical progress when the scale isn't moving. Most people see the biggest physical changes in their body when the scale seems stuck.
3) TRACK YOUR Protein AND Water AND MEET OR EXCEED YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER GOAL EVERY DAY
As long as you are getting in all your protein and water and following your NUT and surgeon's instructions, you are doing what you are supposed to do.
If you aren't getting in all your protein and water, then increasing your protein and water is something you can do (and should be doing anyway whether or not you are in a stall).
4) EXERCISE
If you aren't exercising, then you can exercise (and should be whether or not you are in a stall). You can start slowly by walking or even moving more around the house. Exercising will help you feel better, tone your skin and build fat-burning muscle.
5) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR NUT
If you are unsure or unclear about what you are supposed to be, or should not be eating, then make an appointment with your NUT (which you should be doing whether or not you are in a stall).
6) REASSESS AND REEVALUATE
About the only good result I see that comes from complaining about a stall is when you take an honest look at what you are doing and realign with the program recommended by your NUT and surgeon. Have you started eating more outside of your plan? Are you restricting calories? Are you eating enough carbs and protein for your exercise? Are you taking your Vitamins? Are you eating often enough? Are you eating slowly with protein first? Sometimes, all you need to DO is go back to basics.
7) JOURNAL
One of the biggest things I have noticed from the various posts is how anxious and out-of-control some people feel when they notice a stall. Journaling can help you gain some perspective and deal with some of the emotional turmoil.
-- Write about how you are feeling about the stall and your weight loss, and surgery in general.
-- Write about why you had the surgery in the first place.
-- Write about what life was like before surgery.
-- Write about what you hope and dream about accomplishing in the future.
-- Write about your fears.
-- Write about your NSVs.
-- Make a gratitude list.
-- Make a bucket list.
-- Write a letter to your old self; write a letter to your new self.
Just write.
8) SEEK HELP
Stalls are when too many people seem to revert to old, counterproductive dieting behaviors (restricting calories, over exercising, bingeing, etc.). If this is you, then another thing you can DO is to talk to a counselor or therapist or consider joining a bariatric support group or a twelve-step group like Overeater's Anonymous.
The discomfort of being in a stall can also drive people to develop new, unhealthy coping habits or even transfer addictions. This is where you want to marshall all the resources you have available to you and use them.
The last, and most important thing you can DO is:
9) EMBRACE THE STALL
Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process.
Our bodies are complex systems and not simple machines.
Stalls go hand-in-hand with weight loss.
If you had Weight Loss Surgery, then you probably want to lose a significant amount of weight. So, get ready to embrace the many stalls you will experience as your body is transformed. It will be worth it.

I swear by Syntrax nectar. I don't know how I'd survive without them.
I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday.
HW 427 SW 358
sleeved 10/12/16

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I can't wait to not feel so ashamed of myself. I can't wait for the low self esteem to ease up.
I can't wait to be proud of myself for a job well done.
I can't wait for people to look at me differently.
I can't wait to be an inspiration to others.
I can't wait for my very active friends to ask and include me for hikes and mountain biking etc again. I haven't been asked for a long time.
I can't wait to wake up happy and looking forward to the day.
I can't wait for good sleeps where I don't worry about everything.
I can't wait to test my strength and push myself - exercise wise.
Of course I can't wait for small clothes and everything else everyone else has said too.
But most of all....
I can't wait to be me again.

Oh my gosh! I just finished showering and getting ready for work. One of the top three things I can't wait for is to be able to get ready to go somewhere and not be all sweaty before I even get out the door!

I can't wait to be in a photo and like what I see. I can't wait to wear clothes that don't have to cover every square inch of my fat and make me miserable in this Vegas heat. I can't wait to put my size 6 back on. I can't wait for everything!

Pure grit and determination, and focusing on the fact that it had a time limit. I kept reminding myself that I made this decision because I knew I needed to make some major changes, long-lasting changes, and so I started feeling like the pre-op diet was a test of my will and dedication to the process. I started taking pride in not cheating, after a while...no matter how much my stomach rumbled and ached. And sure enough, after surgery, it wasn't a concern anymore. I couldn't even imagine putting anything in there for several days!
One thing that I did do that helped mentally though was, the week prior to the pre-op diet, I went ahead and had whatever meals I would miss. I must have had buffalo wings 4-5 times. And after a while, I think it made something click in my mind and realize that I was being dominated by food. Why did I feel the need to do that week or splurging...wasn't it an acknowledgement that it was food that was at the wheel, and not me? So it ended up being a helpful part of my "letting go" process, which then had to continue for the first 10 days or so after surgery. But I'm in a much better place now, and am embracing change.

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Doing well, surgery went well, my doc keeps you for two days, nothing by mouth today, fluids and Protein shakes tomorrow, up and the halls
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the stress test is for cardiac clearance. If you aren't able to do the treadmill stress test, there is an alternative - you lay on a table and they inject a drug (through the same injection site as the dye) that will put mild stress on your heart/vascular system as the treadmill would. Due to mobility issues I had when I started my journey, I couldn't do the treadmill so I had the alternate. It is an odd feeling to feel like you just ran up a flight of stairs even though you didn't move.