hap314ness

That is the question.

Upon close examination of my eating habits, I find that I am more likely to snack and feel head hunger when I eat breakfast within an hour of waking vs. many many hours later. This was true for me pre-op, but my nut and docs were adamant that I include breakfast in my daily diet. I have eaten 1 scrambled egg white, 3oz of turkey sausage coins, and 3oz of caramalized onion/sauteed mushrooms every day since introducing "real" food again. I wake up at 6am and eat no later 7am, even if I'm not feeling hungry. On the very few days I don't have time to make myself breakfast I pack an extra yogurt, head out the door, and forget about food until about 10:30 or 11.

Has anyone else experienced this? Do you trust your gut (pun intended) or stick to the doc's orders? I am curious to know if there are long term cons to not eating breakfast within a certain time past waking up.

This thread gives me life. Everyone is doing so well!

Here's a photo on my wedding day, 3/14/15 (Pi Day if anyone nerds out like me) and a photo from exactly one year post op 11/13/2018. In both photos I am beautiful, and in both photos I am a work in progress.

Protein Shakes proved very difficult for me. My doctors didn't really know what to recommend because I did not tolerate the whey Protein shakes and the majority of veggie or soy based protein powders didn't meet their protein or caloric standards. I ended up blending plain greek yogurt into Soup broth. It was terrible.

It wasn't until about 7 months post op my friend bought me a container of Vega chocolate. LIFE CHANGER. It tastes great, blends well (I use half a banana, a full scoop of powder, a cup of almond milk, and a dash of cocoa powder) and fills me up. Really wish I had known about it during my liquids phase, I would've had a much easier go of things.

On 11/12/2018 at 8:39 PM, FlyAwayFree said:

Ok so I am officially on pureed foods as of today. I was burned out on creamed Soups for sure and the one lil cheat I had when I nibbled a cookie Saturday showed me that sugar tastes like crap now... so lesson learned.

So today I had....2oz of cottage cheese which was quite tasty and I wanted to eat more but nothing else was fitting in my new tummy. Then I had a scrambled egg with cheese on it, was right at 2oz there too and even yummier than the cottage cheese. And then I had spiced up tuna and mayo. The clouds parted and the angels sang! My tummy and mouth are happier than they have been in soooooo long.

Heh, who knew tuna with mayo was so good.

Tuna with mayo was the very first "real" food I had after the liquid/puree stage. I got one morsel into my mouth and started sobbing. My husband thought I was in pain but I just couldn't wrap my head around how magical it was to taste something flavorful that I could chew.

I can fit into my husband's shirts and blazers. Anytime I choose to wear them at work I end up looking like a gender bent 11th Doctor.

Thanks to @FluffyChix, @skinnylife, @proudgrammy, @VSGDavid, @summerset, @wanda247, and @GreenTealael for your input! I'm crying at work from your support, assessing my negative self-talk, and coming back to Earth. Therapy is coming, as is my year follow up, so I know I will have plenty of in-person guidance as well.

As far as maintaining a regimen, I will say that I have held fast to breakfasts and lunches that are measured and nutritionally sound. My weak spots as of 10-12 months tend to be

• snacking in-between meals at a new job where treats are brought in and stare at me
• too-large portions at dinner

I suppose I've gotten over the first hurdle of recognizing what I'm doing that will impede my weight loss. Now I must continue to jump the hurdles of being kinder to myself and maintaining motivation despite the stall.

A year ago today around this time I was in the hospital getting prepped for surgery. I was ready for my life to change. The following 9 months were spent meticulously following my plan, learning about my healing body, and being amazed at the progress I was making.

Months 10-12 have been different. My hunger is back in full force. I can eat more at a time than I thought, and head hunger has taken control. I'm not losing 1-2 lbs a day, or 1 lb a week, or even 1 lb every two weeks like I had been. My highest weight before surgery was 310, lowest after surgery was 211, and today I weighed in at 214. I am terrified, disappointed, and ready to take control again.

I have been active 5 days a week, but I have not counted calories at all. My fear is that if I start to count calories, I will fall into my old patters of guilt, depriving myself, guilt, treating myself, guilt, eating all day, guilt, guilt, guilt. But here I am, three pounds above my lowest post op weight, guilty. Where is the girl in the beginning of the journey who turned down carbs and sweets with absolutely no hesitation? Where is the girl who wanted to do exactly what the doctors suggested for fear of hurting myself, wasting thousands of dollars, and getting unhealthy again? After months of being so regimented I find myself face to face with the girl who got herself into the 310 pound mess she was in to begin with. Not only that, but when I start to get down on myself for losing control, I also get upset that I can't see just how far I've come. My thighs don't hurt when I walk. I don't have asthma attacks. My Migraines are non existent. I can sit comfortably in a car and a plane with a regular seat belt. I can walk, run, and exercise for extended periods of time. I feel great, I like the way I look. But...I'm still 40 lbs away from my goal weight and stuck.

Have any of you gotten to this point? Has anyone else gained back a few pounds or hit a stall for months and felt useless? What advice could you give me for moving forward and learning to love who I am while still striving to lose weight?

I had a very similar experience to yours. After a few weeks of hair coming out in clumps I got about three inches taken off and LOVED the results! Although the cut wasn't doing anything to prevent the Hair loss, my negative emotions surrounding my hair went away with a fresh new look.

For anyone going through this now, please know it is not a permanent issue. Everyone's hair loss will be different, but it will not last.

To me, this post is less about the diet coke and more about the deep seated fear and guilt associated with consuming certain foods and beverages, as described in your finishing sentiment "I kind of am still scared of food but I am trying to overcome that."

Where is this guilt rooted? Why do we have such damaging relationships with food? In my experience, both pre and post op, I've been plagued with thoughts of "why couldn't I just have one" or "I shouldn't have let myself eat that." There are so many layers to the issue that need to be peeled back and examined: prior trauma with weight issues, Dr.'s orders, cultural norms.

Consider reading this article that I found helpful and uplifting discussing how you can rebuild your relationship with food. It might help you feel less afraid the next time you decide to pick up a diet coke, or anything else you might want to enjoy.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8258/11-steps-to-rebuild-your-relationship-with-food.html

Congratulations on meeting your goal!

Everyone is different! I've read lots of people with no/minimal Hair loss and lots of people with lots! My hair loss began around the 4 month mark. I haven't noticed a difference in thickness yet, but I must say it is shocking to take a shower daily and see my leftover tumbleweed. On top of that I receive some public grooming from my husband because I am shedding on everything. From what I've read about the issue it will stop eventually.

It took me to the 15 week mark before BAM none of my clothes fit anymore! Had to swap the majority of them out, go diving for old smaller sizes, swap with friends and family...the first shopping trip post op was out of a dream. Imagine looking into a fitting room mirror and liking your reflection! You will be amazed, it will happen! Congratulations on the loss so far.

I struggled with insomnia very randomly during my first month post op. It was torture to be wide awake and not understand why, as sleep is extremely important to me. I spoke with my Dr. about it, who gave me no real advice other than I could use melatonin and see if it helped. It didn't really. Strangely enough the insomnia left as randomly and quickly as it appeared and I am very happy to be on a regular sleep schedule. My best advice is to not fight the restlessness. Get up, fiddle with a hobby, watch something mindless or relaxing, do some laundry, take a hot bath or shower. Just keep busy until you feel sleepy and try again. Best of luck and hope you get a restful night soon.

Hoping you find your comfy spot soon - nothing worse than going through all this and getting **** sleep. I slept on my side about 4 days post op because sleeping on my back was next to impossible. Only thing that got me through the immediate post op was sheer exhaustion. I found that, just like another user here said, I would fall asleep on my side and wake up sometimes on my stomach. Your pain level will be the best indicator of whether the position is right for you.

OK this might sound dramatic but does anyone else feel like they broke up with food?

I'm 7 weeks out currently. Weeks 1-2 were a non issue as I was so focused on the medical aspect of my procedure and could only have liquids anyway. Fine. Then came weeks 3-4 and I could have pureed food. Joy. Problem is I didn't like a majority of the approved foods in this stage so it was more like a repeat of weeks 1-2. All I wanted was to chew on some veggies. Crunch! Can you imagine a crunch in your mouth?! Anyway week 5 was fine as I could finally have soft food and my diet was basically any type of food you could make from ground turkey. Now here I am, cleared for all foods. My first time having raw vegetables again was orgasmic.

But recently, everything sort of stopped. I don't think about food. I don't crave food. In fact, part of me actually dreads eating. Now it seems like more of a chore than something I look forward to. I've tried making interesting recipes, eating out (keeping with nutrition guidelines). I even tried to eat pizza.

I didn't like the pizza.

Yes. You read that correctly. I DIDN'T LIKE THE PIZZA. In fact, any food I've remotely craved during my weeks of liquid and puree hell do not taste good, nor do I feel are worth the lack of nutritional value.

I am sure that someday I won't feel this way, but I am truly amazed by my attitude toward food. Never would I pin myself as someone who just would rather skip a meal because it's easier than deciding what 1/4 cup of food I want.

If you've experienced this, did it last? Do you view it as a positive? Do you miss loving food?

I just keep reminding myself that I didn't do this to chase numbers. I did it to stop wheezing after a 100 foot walk. To climb a flight of stairs without having anxiety. To stop having to size up my wedding ring. It's also really really fun to ignore the scale and feel so strong (and wow what's this willpower thing I never had when food was involved?) And THEN after weeks of not stepping on the scale and seeing a number that's lower than the one before...nothing better. Fighting the daily 1 lb down, 3 lbs up, 1/2 down...it's a mental nightmare. You can do it!

Surgery was done on Monday and I was discharged yesterday. I can't believe after all that anticipation I'm finally on the other side! I am feeling GREAT and learning what movements my wounds can/can't tolerate. So far only the narcotics in the hospital made me nauseous and I am so grateful I'm not experiencing nausea at home.

Sent from my MotoG3 using BariatricPal mobile app

My surgeon/NUT were very clear that baby food does not provide adequate nutrition and to stick to pureed meat, cottage cheese, oatmeal, Protein Shakes, etc. I would direct this question to your own NUT or your primary care provider and make sure it is safe. Many of them are very high in sugar, as previously stated.

So glad this was brought up because my wheels were starting to turn about the very same thing. I'm shocked about the "less is more" but pleased. Now I don't have to fret so much about what to bring.

Wishing you the best! Seems as though the days just can't go fast enough (even though time has flown by since the start of the journey).

I just read a topic in a - sort of - unrelated post where @James Marusek recommended Bio Oil and his motion was seconded. You can find that thread here:

Congrats! Best of luck as you continue to lose and eventually maintain.

So many of us are convinced people are looking/judging/disgusted by us, from the largest we've ever been to even the smallest. My wish for you is that you can get out from under the "fat girl on the inside" mentality. You are you no matter what size. You're @ReddGypsy on the inside! Those insecurities are just carried with you no matter what you weight, so there are really two battles here.

The first battle is with yourself. Try to remember that it doesn't matter what you think a guy wants you to look like. That insecurity is coming from you! You are beautiful now and you were beautiful before, regardless of validation from someone else. You have to convince yourself of that and keep on with positive reinforcement. Instead of picking an outfit and wondering if he'll like it, ask yourself if you like it!

The second battle is learning to weed out the guys you are deciding to meet with. I suggest agreeing to meet a guy in person if he's already taken the time to have nice, vanilla, get to know you conversation within the website. You might be able to pick out very quickly guys who only want to meet you to hook up based on the amount of time they are willing to continue an online conversation or the type of conversation they are trying to have (overtly sexual, flirtacious). I had to be very, very, very picky when I dated online. All but one of my dates were OK I just knew we weren't compatible. One date was especially nice but he wasn't really my type. I kept seeing him, though, and 6 years later I'm still happily married and he is quite honestly the best man I've ever known.

You deserve a wonderful love and someday you will find it.

Big congrats to everyone who had 11/1 surgeries and are on the mend! Good luck to everyone on your pre-op diets, I know every surgeon is different so some of you really feel deprived and I hope it flies by.

I'm booked for 11/13! 11 days away now. Actually enjoying the regimented pre-op diet, it's keeping me organized and accountable. I'm having this weird anxiety that somehow something is going to go awry and they'll tell me "nevermind! you can't have surgery!" So many emotions.

Can't wait for more updates as the days pass and more of you have your procedures!

I can't even imagine what I'll be like after my surgery. Hoping I can maintain as regimented a routine as I started now. Sounds like it's going to be tougher than I thought!

@FluffyChixYes that is what I will be trying! I realized after the fact that the one I drank is made with milk. I also discovered that whey Protein is a by-product of dairy, and even though it may not be triggering my lactose intolerance since the lactose is mostly non existent, my body may have an aversion to the other milk Proteins which totally makes sense. It could also be some artificial sweetener like you said, I'm known to get headaches from certain "no calorie" drinks. I'm going to try both a whey and a soy unflavored to see how I do.

Does the Isopure need to be mixed with your broths under a certain temperature? I know the Unjury has to be under something like 130/140 degrees.