Berry78

Pretty sure the "eff it, I'm not gonna live with rules" is what most of us did prior to gaining the weight that landed us in the surgical suite. The world we lived in during our development as a species... it's not the world we live in today. Our biological programming has no idea what to do with all the readily-available foodstuffs that are concurrently devoid of nutrition. Food. Taste good. Eat. Need nutrients. Eat more. Need nutrients. Eat more. Need nutrients. Eat more. If the problem was with us, individually, it wouldn't affect 70% of Americans. It's a society-wide problem. So, what to do? We each have to figure out a system that works for us that will nourish our bodies while allowing us to maintain our desired weight. In other words, to become healthy amidst a sea of junk food. Bella, you feel eating doughnuts in line ..... (for real?) ..... is the answer. Hey, we each have our own row to hoe, and I wish you well on your journey. Sleeve or no sleeve, I could easily polish off a dozen doughnuts in fairly short order if I let myself go there. Sugar is basically toxic to me. At least when I used to eat it, my brain would take a nice little vacation...

Yeah.. that's how I would roll, except the kids have learned that if they refuse my dinner that they can go wake up their grandmother, drag her out of bed, and that she would make them something else. Sigh... I figure when they grow up they'll figure it out or not.. won't be my problem anymore. (Half of those food refusals are from the inlaws themselves...) No wonder I packed up and went to Mexico to get chopped on.. (lucky I chose Dr. Illan and was actually well taken care of and got a refreshing vacation out of it... but the unending frustration helped me make the decision)...

Looks yummy!

I'm trying to get this straight.. So you started at 412lbs, and now you are 102lbs? That is a ...phenomenal... loss! Not sure that I've heard of someone losing so much before! What did your diet/exercise plan look like?

I'm 7 months postop, and it's amazing how, when your life is no longer on the line, it becomes easy to let things slide. The thing that keeps me on track is a dry erase board in my kitchen. Imagine the old food pyramid: 6-11 grains, 3-5 vegetables, 2-4 fruits, Etc. Anyway, I created my own food pyramid, and when I eat something, I check it off. Here is my pyramid during the weightloss phase: Unlimited nonstarchy veggies 2-3 starchy veg, legumes, or fruit 3 dairy 2 meat, fish, or eggs 1 nuts or seeds Supplements (No grains or added sugar and aim for 70g protein) I do eat more carbs than most, but that is a personal choice based on my own metabolism, and what makes my plan sustainable for me. I do aim for lower-carb options within the food groups.

Dehydration and possibly a need to change your medication. Lots of us are on blood pressure or diabetes medicine before surgery and need to change the amounts very soon postop. If you are on these types of meds, usually you have the tools to check your levels yourself (blood pressure cuff or glucose meter). Watch for any other symptoms and keep in close contact with your doc during these early days.

Is this something you are noticing in yourself? The sleeve shouldn't cause that, and if you notice it, you should work with your doctor to figure out the cause. It could be as simple as nail polish staining, or as complex as a vitamin deficiency or other medical condition.

It's really important you follow your doctor's instructions. It's not a fun diet, but it is in place to help keep you safe. The 8 weeks postop your stomach is only held closed by a line of staples and maybe some stitches. Too much pressure could potentially cause a leak. That's why you are on a very liquidy diet for that long. It's letting your stomach heal. For those confused by the date, in some places the month and day are reversed. Her surgery was November 1st, not Jan. 11th.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but you need to be prepared for the possibility of not fitting in the plane seat. I didn't fit between two armrests that were lowered, so I sat on the aisle with the center armrest raised and no one in the middle seat. I flew Southwest because they seemed to have the most flexible of "passenger of size" policies. They also have open seating, so I paid more to board the flight early so I couldn't get stuck in a center seat. (I simply wouldn't have fit in a center seat). Then I inquired to make sure there would be extra seats available. If the plane were booked full, it wouldn't have worked, either. I had to be prepared to be flexible since I didn't want to buy 2 seats. It all worked perfectly in the end, and I only was a little embarrassed to tell someone they couldn't have the center seat because I didn't leave enough room. If it weren't for the surgery, I wouldn't have been brave enough to get on a plane. Somehow, just knowing that I would never again be put into that position was enough to get me through it. Now, almost 8 months later and down 100lbs, I feel certain that if I need to fly again, I can do so without a concern. Amazing! Oh, and I went to Mexico alone. It was a wonderful experience! I really needed a change of scenery..

Excellent! Gotto keep those fluids up. Also make sure you're having BMs every few days at least.

Applebees steak and bean soup Chik fil a grilled chicken patty 6oz cottage cheese 5oz sweet potato 4oz beets 1 cup 2% milk 750 cals. 70g prot.

It's water weight. Either you were dehydrated, so reached an artificial low, or you are now retaining fluid as part of the healing process. No worries, it's not fat weight You're doing great!

People can have significant bleeding during healthy pregnancies, so it's impossible to say. Fingers crossed that the issue has resolved itself.

I guess they wanna be better safe than sorry... Good luck!

I didn't have this, and am glad you are contacting your doc. At 4 months postop, your abs should be healed from the surgery, I would think... Fingers crossed everything is ok...

At 3 weeks out, I was mostly drinking a lot of milk and protein kefir, eating yogurt and cottage cheese, and I think I started on thinned refried beans and split pea soup. Everything had to be completely smooth and runny. Not sure what you mean by "disappointed".. but this early, it's all about getting your fluids and protein in a smooth, non-irritating texture.. no worries about enjoying your food.

I didn't, but if you need to, I'm sure they'll work with you. Is there a reason you need to reschedule? (Flying around the holidays can get expensive, I'm sure...)

Starting weight: 205lbs. Goal weight: 197lbs. I never seem to make my goals, so we'll try for a super modest one!

I hope you have a chiropractor. It's awful nice to be able to get an adjustment when such things happen. I once got rolled over on by a horse. Bent my neck sideways. Within an hour I was getting adjusted (had a neck vertebra out of alignment). Only had to go the once and was fixed up since we caught it so quickly. Can't imagine how bad that would have been if I couldn't have been seen...

I wonder how much of it is biologically programmed in.. When you look at someone that's the opposite gender, there is always at least a fleeting (subconscious) evaluation of whether that person would make a good mate. We can easily perceive whether the person appears healthy and vibrant. People that appear unhealthy are not good reproductive candidates (and might be contagious), so it's smart, from a biological standpoint, to keep your distance. When you see someone with horribly rotten teeth, a suppurating wound, are skeleton-thin, have halitosis, or have a misshapen... whatever.. it's an in-born instinct to kind of draw away from that person. Social niceties have to be learned and observed to overcome this programming, but that takes effort, and most people don't want to do the work. Why do obese people want to get surgery? To lose weight and... drumroll please... to become HEALTHY. We all know we either are sick or are at risk of becoming that way, and other people know it too. What's wonderful is that when we DO become healthier, other people can see that and respond in kind.

It shouldn't hurt. Sometimes the tape can stick to the skin a bit and pinch when coming off ("like pulling off a bandaid").. You're gonna do great!

I'm glad you started taking your vitamins, but they weren't the cause of the hair loss. The surgery causes it. Starts around 3 months postop and goes until 7-12 months postop. It's just a coincidence in your timing. But, hey, if it got you taking vitamins!

Since you are over a year postop, you'll want to mention this to your doc (if you haven't already).

11/08/17 Extra hungry day 1 cup 1% cottage cheese 7oz fresh apple 1 egg 1/2 can Amy's black bean soup 1oz sunflower seeds 1.5 cups coconut water 1 can sardines 1 plantain 2 cups 1% milk Vitamins Total: 86g protein and 1410cal. I usually don't have the starchy veg and fruit, but yesterday was an exception.

@Rainbow_Warrior I can't tell if your egg whites are cooked or raw. Raw egg whites can lead to biotin deficiency, and the protein isn't as well absorbed as that in cooked egg whites. If you want to eat raw, consume the entire egg.