CAL-GAL-IN-MO

"No excuses" - that was the mantra that got me to burning out.
"Relax" - that is the mantra that helped me the most.
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Seriously, this whole holiday eating thing gets overblown on about every dieting website on the web every year. The relatively few holiday meals weren't what got us fat. It was the food choices and the amount of food during the rest of the years that were the problem.
If you can stomach it, enjoy the food instead of making up some excuses why you need to deprive yourself of this or that particular food.

I'm having my surgery tomorrow, May 24, with Dr. Snow. Like stlsleeve, I live a LONG way from Festus/Crystal City, and I'm a self-pay (I'd have to gain about 40 lbs. for my employer to cover my surgery). But, I like Dr. Snow and I'm excited to get the ball rolling.
I am interested in an STL support group is one is up and running!

Can you have Protein Jello? You can order it from Amazon with quick delivery.

What the heck is "mindful eating" anyway? It might sound like some hippie thing, but it backed by real science. You'll be losing weight and feeling great again, all while enjoying food to the fullest. Check it out here!


Mindfulness basically just means paying attention to something - without judgment.
Mindful eating is paying attention to your food, and to your appetite cues - again, without judgment (that's the hard part!).
Dieting vs. Mindful Eating:
Diet =
Weight gain: 95% of people who diet will regain the weight they lost within 5 years. 2/3 of those people will regain more than they lost, ultimately resulting in overall weight gain. All about willpower and rigidity. Relies on external cues. Restrictive and depriving. Food & body are the enemy. Mindful Eating =
Weight loss: Studies show that mindful eating programs result in weight loss, fewer calories consumed, lower fat intake and increased self-confidence (Timmerman et al., 2012) All about trust and acceptance. Relies on internal appetite cues. Permissive and satisfying. Food & body are the ally. Which would you prefer? For me, I'd much rather give mindful eating a shot. Especially since dieting was what led up to most people having bariatric surgery in the first place.
Step-by-step how to eat mindfully:
Pick a calm and quiet place to sit down and eat. Check in with your hunger. Are you physically hungry? If not, wait until later when you are hungry. The food will be much more satisfying if you enter the experience hungry. Choose a food that will be satisfying. Give yourself permission to eat that food without judgment (toward the food or yourself) or guilt. Use all of your senses - look at the food, touch the food, smell the food, taste the food, feel it in your mouth, move it around and notice the way the texture and taste changes as you chew. Chew slowly and thoroughly. As you swallow, feel the food going down your esophagus and into your stomach. Notice how the food feels in your stomach. Ask yourself if you want more. If so, take another bite and repeat until you feel satisfied. At the end, take a moment to express gratitude for the experience, for the food, and for your body. Carry the awareness of mindful attention to other areas of your life - you'll be shocked at what a big difference this makes! Be patient with yourself. The practice of mindful eating is just that - a practice. Your mind and attention will wander, you will inevitably catch yourself judging yourself or the food. That's ok - it's normal. Just notice it, and return your attention to the experience.
Practice this as often as you are able. Of course, it's not possible to eat mindfully 100% of the time, so don't be rigid with it.
As you get more skilled at mindful eating, it will become more effortless and second nature.
See, I told you this wasn't just for hippies! Mindful eating is very doable for all of us. We just have to make the conscious decision to do it. Paying attention to our food and our bodies allows us to get infinite more pleasure out of life.
Give it a shot and let me know what you think. Share your experience in the comments below.
What was it like to pay close attention to the taste and texture of the food?
What was it like to refrain from judgment about yourself for eating the food?
What surprised you about mindful eating?

I'm making wrong food choices 2 mos post-op! I've lost over 30 lbs, but started "sneaking" food rather than just following my 60 gm Protein Shakes & 30 gm from food. I have cravings, which I thought were going to vanish. Anyone else dealing w this issue? Or how about giving me some advice that has helped you? I don't volunteer that I've had my surgery to many people, since I'm super private, but I've shared w people who know I had major medical issues & now don't have to take the Rx's since the diabetes, high blood pressure & high cholesterol are in my past post-op. Thank you all.

I'm in the middle of preparing for surgery, and no one but my husband and my doctor know. I've tried every diet out there, and nothing has worked. People who know me, love me, and work with me have seen my ups and downs through the years. I've done Weight Watchers at work, so my struggle to lose is not a secret. I am, however, reluctant to broadcast this based on my previous inability to to lose and maintain.

The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight.
Weight loss is achieved after surgery through meal volume control. You begin at 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal and gradually over the next year and a half increase the volume to 1 cup per meal. With this minuscule amount of food, it is next to impossible to meet your protein daily requirements by food alone, so therefore you need to rely on supplements such as Protein Shakes.
There are many different types of formulations on protein shakes. I would recommend that you keep experimenting until you find one that you can tolerate. You don't have to like it, just tolerate it. I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) powder blended with Water and a half a banana. That worked for me. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, you might try premixed Isopure.
Generally with Vitamins you have a wide selection. I had RNY gastric bypass whereas you had the sleeve. I have significantly more vitamins to take than you. My general guidelines were:
Vitamin chemistry is important for absorption. Calcium supplements should be calcium citrate. There are also different chemistries of B12. I use the sublingual B12 and was told to use methylcobalamin. You cannot use a time-release version of B12. If you are taking Iron supplements, it must be ferrous sulfate for the best absorption. gummy vitamins are not absorbed properly and should be avoided. It is important to put a 2 hour separation between the vitamins that contain iron and those that contain calcium.

You should not be depressed at all. Your weight loss is great. I will be 6 weeks tomorrow and I have lost about 22 myself. I started at 208 so we are very close with our stats. I have dropped a whole size down and my clothes are feeling lose again already.
I bet you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting loosely?

I'm betting after you have that first salad, you won't be craving them quite so much. Lettuce is not only nutritionally worthless, is will go right through you. Of course, if you are battling Constipation that could be a good thing. Kale, arugula, and cabbage make a far healthier salad that will stick with you a little longer, are far more nutritional dense, and high enough in Fiber to help keep you regular.

I'm in the middle of preparing for surgery, and no one but my husband and my doctor know. I've tried every diet out there, and nothing has worked. People who know me, love me, and work with me have seen my ups and downs through the years. I've done Weight Watchers at work, so my struggle to lose is not a secret. I am, however, reluctant to broadcast this based on my previous inability to to lose and maintain.

Preop: Premier Protein shakes. I still drink them, but my tastes changed after surgery and I don't like how they taste as much anymore.
Clear liquids: Isopure Protein Water, Prostat protein Syrup, Jello (hated jello preop)
Full liquids: cream of mushroom Soup blended. Tomato Soup (another food I never liked preop)
Puree/soft foods: cottage cheese, isopure unflavored Protein Powder (mix this into anything that doesn't have that many grams of protein), oikos triple zero yogurt, mashed potatoes and mased sweet potatoes with protein powder added, fat free refried Beans, still eat soup on the regular with protein powder mixed in.
Post op taste changes: Can't tolerate extremely sweet foods. I used to have a major sweet tooth but gagged when I tried some sugar-free chocolate syrup post-op. I also get queasy from plain water and need flavor enhancers. Pre-op I drank 2L of plain room temp water. Now, it has to be cold and I started using Trulemon water flavorers (don't like mio).

I think you should definitely not remove your daughter from your insurance. That is not supporting her at all. I think the best way you can help her is to encourage her to seek therapy for her food addictions or mental issues surrounding eating, and then be there for her on the tough days when she needs you!! She has made a decision to do something about her weight issues at an age where she can really change the rest of her life for the good.
Have you looked at the statistics of people who lose weight by diet and exercise? Most gain all of their weight back and then some. A common theme on this forum is that most people wish they would have had surgery many years before they did.
Your daughter is an adult now, and if she has gone through all of the pre-op classes and has qualified for surgery I think you need to support her completely. If you don't she will resent you, I know I would. The complication rates for sleeve surgery are really low. Have you gone with her to any appointments and spoken with the doctor? Maybe this would help ease some of your fears.

Hope your surgery went well and that you are resting! Dr. Snow is awesome for sure! The nurses at the surgery center are also very kind/supportive. I'm due for my first week check-up tomorrow. Minus the trek from stl I'm looking forward to it!!
Again-hope all went well today.

I am in between Quincy and Springfield. I am going to check and see what is in my area. I started out at Memorial with their program but on the advice of my insurance company I changed clinics. Long story on that one.
CAL-GAL-IN-MO good luck with your surgery tomorrow. I will be praying for you and you will be in my thoughts. Just remember you've got this and you will succeed.

Honestly, I would stay off of the scale for the entire first month. Nothing is going to be accurate because your body is desperately trying to heal. Just stick to your plan, walk, and meet your Protein and Water goals each day and eventually, the weight will come off.

hi. Everyone is different. During my purée stage I didn't try eggs until 3 months out. I enjoyed making chicken and Beans and puréed them with homemade chicken broth for about 2 weeks . I also made a lot of homemade chili with ground turkey and a few different beans to get my protein in.

Im just focusing on getting my system healed up and operating normally and then i will start thinking about pounds and losing.

I was sleeved on May 24 and have no regrets! After 45 years of struggling with my weight, I finally feel like I've been granted a wonderful gift! I am so anxious to be on the road to a new me!

I was sleeved on May 24 and have no regrets! After 45 years of struggling with my weight, I finally feel like I've been granted a wonderful gift! I am so anxious to be on the road to a new me!

So it's been one year since surgery. I am so thankful everyday for my sleeve. Before surgery I had to be on oxygen because I was so overweight I couldn't breathe properly and could hardly walk around a room without getting out of breath. Now I can walk 6 miles and up hills without stopping for a rest.
I'm down 200 since surgery and 263 overall. I started at a size 36/38 (probably stretching it out) and now I'm a 18/20 too and 22 bottom (though probably smaller because of my extra skin...that will be gone soon though).
I'm having a panniculectomy on June 5th. I'm nervous but also excited. Anyone who has had it...what are some things you think I'll need to help me out while recovering!
I had a really rough 6 months after surgery with a bunch of complications but even with all of that I would do this again in a heartbeat.
My stats are:
Highest: 540
Surgery: 480
Current: 277.2
Goal: 199
Height: 5'10

I am almost exactly half who I used to be.
     

I have never lost cup size. This time the weight loss has been very rapid. My cup size is the same and they are looking pretty good. However, my chest circumference has gone down. I am wearing jogging bras until things settle a bit. I do have that attractive uni boob look, but I am so happy about the weight loss, I could care less.

No complications yet and absolutely no regrets. Sleeved 5/22

Thank you for this post, and congrats on your success thus far!
I am having my sleeve surgery on Wednesday, May 24 and plan to take advantage of the Memorial Day long weekend to aid in my recuperation.

And I'm high as a frickin' kite lol. Thank goodness for Dilaudid
No nausea, none! I walk every three hours, breathe into a tool once an hour, breathing exercises in between. Pee pretty good, and then I feel like I was kicked by a ninja on my solar plexus.
Gotta love the gas they pump into ya!
But the staff have has been so so incredibly amazing. Everybody is so kind at the Desert Springs Medical Center. They look after me and think I'm pretty amazing due to my high spirits, though I ache like a mofo.
My head hurts from the drugs too.
I've managed all my chicken broth, lots of Water, half a Jell-O cup. Not bad.
I can't wait to go home tomorrow and sleep in my own bed. I can't wait to start losing more weight. So many "I can't waits."
This will be the hardest and easiest thing I've ever done on my life, funny how that works.
Update:
Feeling really strong now, was able to make my bed, do two laps around hospital floor, bathe myself with towelettes effortlessly.
I feel very energetic, wondering how normal that is, to feel so happy and active when I see others looking so glum and miserable. Poor things, I can understand it though.
Not tired at all, even when taking dilaudid. When the drug wears off, minimal pain. I was so concerned I worried he didn't give me the sleeve, but found out he indeed did lol
Signing off,
Mbird

I wish mine would have been at Des Peres as I'm ~5 mins away. My doctor (Dr. Jay Snow) is south of stl ~35/40 mins out.
--to have had nurses who are "sleevers" would have been great/encouraging also!!
I wish there was a support group that met closer to me. Driving 40 mins without traffic / arriving at 5/5:30 during the week doesn't work. [emoji20]