Creekimp13

You know, I think some people do. My stomach has had few objections, and it sure has made life easier. Most everything in those pics I could have eaten at one month....with the exception of the egg and the toast. I used to love eggs...they were a huge part of my diet. They just hit me wrong now. I still eat them on occasion, but after half an egg I'm like...bleh. Not sure what that's about, but it's kinda sad. I eat whole grain toast now, but it took 3 months or so until it was comfortable. And corn on the cob is still my longed for Nemesis. LOL I'm a big supporter of semi vegan diets...so this food looks great to me. Others will scream OMG, the carbs!!!! They can lump it. There are a lot of ways up the mountain. My nutritionist loves my diet. (I eat Mayo Clinic Diet...which resembles Mediterranean or Japanese diet) To each their own. Glad you found something you can live with that you love:) In the end...that's a big piece of the puzzle, I think. Really loving your forever diet.

When you start eating actual food...you will feel restriction. You are normal.

I had this favorite pair of cargo capri pants....have worn them the last five summers cause they have perfect pockets....ya know, a place for my cell phone, a place to stuff a waterbottle, a zippered spot for a credit card and cash....just a really cool pair of summer pants! I took a shoelace and threaded it through the belt loops and cinched them together. The effect was ghastly...the fabric all bunched up and weird.....but that part was under my shirt, and it kept them from falling off my butt...so I figured...meh, why not? I mean, they started to resemble roomy bloomers cinched at the waist with a hunk of clothesline...lol...but those POCKETS! Why in the hell don't clothing designers give women decent pockets? What sick jerk thought up the idea of sewed shut vanity pockets? Just a couple weeks ago I finally thought about saying goodbye to my size 22 wonder pants.....cause I found something super similar at Kohls...and the 16s fit perfect:) (My bestie said the 14s were a better fit, but I like cargos loose) Was kinda hard to throw them away. I mean...after five years of wear and misshaped stressed belt loops...it's not like Goodwill wants them. They were too faithful to put in the trash. They served me SO well! In the end I chickened out and stuck them in my bottom drawer. I'm telling myself they'll be what I reach for the next time I want to paint or do rough yard work or get greasy. I doubt I will....they're crazy loose. Without tying the waist up, they literally fall off me. But I love them. I always felt sexy in them...even at 270. I have a few shirts like that, too.....weird emotional connections to my old life. Stuff I just can't quite let go yet. For the most part, I've been good about sending stuff consigment or goodwill. But a few things just need to hang out a year or so more before I get rid of them for good. No idea why. I just still need that identity bridge.

I never thought I'd meet goal....and I'm literally one or two really big poops...from being at goal. LOL. A little over seven months after surgery. Honestly? I thought I would have the average sleeve experience....and lose about 60% of my excess weight...and end up around 210. I'm a realist. Ending up with average results....sounded great. The really hopeful part of me wished for onederland....I didn't really dream past getting just under 200. That seemed too amazing to be true. To reach 170 in under eight months? it's surreal and bizarre to me. I'm shocked daily. Once in a while we beat the odds. Who knew?

It's well documented.

Test results should be very fast. Easy to do in-house with a test kit. Should not delay your surgery.

So sorry about your dad. Been there, done that, and it's just hard. How do I deal with emotional triggers like that? Sometimes I just plain screw up. And get up the next day and try again. Sometimes I try to redirect....to a comfort food that is a better choice. My current favorite comfort foods are Yasso frozen greek yogurt bars and watermelon. Sometimes I just say to hell with it...and let myself have them. At least it's better than really awful stuff. Sometimes I do really really well....and stay away from food entirely and get into a bubble bath with a good book, or call my best friend, or go for a walk with my hubby or daughter...or even my dog. Have some compassion for yourself. Losing a parent is a lot. If you screw up, just don't throw in the towel. Get back on track. Screw up again, if you have to....but don't stop trying to get back on track.

The liquid diet sucked. Was worst than the surgery in my opinion. Wishing you all tenacity and strength....one day at a time, folks. You'll make it. One hour at a time if you have to. You'll get there. Surgery is the hump...and it's down hill from there. You'll still have a couple weeks of ghastly...but at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel after surgery. Good luck!

This is very weird. Your case is extremely unusual. Do you, by any chance, have an autoimmune disorder? Do you take any other medications that might be causing the ulcers? Do you smoke, drink or use other substances? Do you take "natural supplements" of any kind? One of the biggest challenges in medicine...is the fact that human bodies can be unpredictable. Even though we know a LOT about what to expect, what signs to look for, the potential causes for issues.....individuals with idiosyncratic physiological reactions can be really troublesome. Some people will scar more, throw a lot of adhesions, some people will be crazy sensitive to a particular medication or food. I'm guessing you're one of zebras in a field of horses that drive doctors crazy. Sometimes I think people think of their bodies like they think of their cars....if there's a problem, you take it to the mechanic and the mechanic should be able to read the manual and fix it correctly on the first try. To fail to do this is a sign of a bad mechanic. But it's not that simple. Human bodies have all sorts of weird surprises they like to manifest. And while most of the time we can figure out the issues and get help....once in a while, it's just going to take a few tries. It sucks, but it's the truth. I really do hope you get to the bottom of your problems soon and that they find a good solution for you. Best wishes.

I'm still trying to figure out how my doctor's office managed it, but the day of my final nutrition appointment...about three hours after I'd left the office....they called me with my surgery date and time.....which was about three weeks away. It could be that they're so used to working with my insurance company, they figured it was a shoo-in? But yeah...I got my date that same day....and about a week later in the mail, I got my approval letter. The patient navigators and insurance people at my group submitted everything...I had nothing to do with the process. I just did what I was told, went to the appointments I was told to go to...and they did the rest. I feel for folks who have to do a lot of the leg work themselves and suffer through hold-ups. Wishing you a speedy expedition.

Happy Birthday Tealeal:)

Your story illustrates why listening to your doctor's advice about pregnancy is not "optional". You are facing some serious dangerous challenges that could have extremely serious consequences. You need professional intervention. Talk to your doctor immediately and get some professional referrals. Your best odds....are to start listening to medical advice and following it to the letter.

The "Fat Prom" is my horrible name for this event my surgical group puts on every year. It's a black tie formal event where they do a catered dinner....have a slide show of before and after photos...give awards, and have all the patients walk a cat walk to show off their progress dressed to the nines. Music and dancing. It's goofy....but I think it'll be fun:) Someone asked me to post photos from it, so I'll return to honor that request:)

We see them all the time. Hell, maybe we'll write one someday... OMG, I've regained! What do I do??????? You know what I like to do? I like to go back in that person's post history and read about their diet habits in the beginning when they were losing....get a feel for what kind of dieter they were. And I almost always find that the re-gainers....were super strict, super disciplined, never-touch-a-carb, low calorie extremists. And it kills me...because the advice to these folks is always the same.....get back on your super strict diet! up your protein! don't touch a carb! And I'm sitting here shaking my head. Why do people return to what doesn't work? Over and over and over. Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Don't mean to just pick on our Ketovangelists....there are plenty of Passive Pollys out there who ate junk constantly, never kept track....and wonder why their weight went back up after the honeymoon. My point is.....if a particular strategy ends in failure.....why in the world would you return to it? Why encourage someone to return to what didn't work longterm? if the goal is longterm maintenance....why send them back to another stop-gap measure that fails them in the long run? Ketovangelists....try something different if extremely low cal and carbs doesn't work long term for you! If you eventually lose your mind and fall off the wagon, maybe the wagon you're on doesn't fit. Try something more moderate so you can stay in control long term. Passive Pollys....try something different! If a total lack of structure is resulting in your surgery being useless.....add some freaking framework to your diet. Work on healthy limits without going completely overboard. Be accountable. More and more, I believe an addiction to EXTREMISM is what keeps people fat. So many of these folks are either "I must be in COMPLETE CONTROL"...or "I am helpless against my eating"....there's never any middle ground. Stop with the extremism. Knock that shite off. It's hurting you.

Experiences vary! I was STARVING after surgery. Could eat my own leg off kinda starving...it was awful. Hunger didn't let up until I was eating 1000 calories per day....at around 3 weeks post op. After I hit 1200 per day, no more hunger:) Ghrelin be damned, some folks still get very hungry when they're eating starvation levels of calories. I know this sucks. I hope each of you is lucky and don't draw the hungry card.

Bread was downright painful to try to eat the first couple of months. Got easier as time went on, and I do eat it now....but typically only whole grain and pumpernickel.

Mine was nasty....a big portion of my stomach was sliding up and living in my chest cavity! Not great for breathing! Prolly popped it open in one of my many horse riding accidents when I went flying off and hit the ground with a resounding thud. Or, it might just be genetic. No way of knowing, really. Maybe I strained to poop too hard? (sadly this actually can be a cause of hiatal hernia) My money's on horse crashes. Fixed now and am very glad it is:)

The pre-surg diet sucks. Was much worse than the surgery for me. Post surg diet sucks, too...but at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel!

Watching a bariatric surgery being done on Youtube gave me serious respect for the liver shrinking diet. The surgeon is working SO CLOSE to your spleen when he/she does a bariatric surgery. Spleens are terrifying. They bleed if you breath on them wrong...and they bleed dangerously. Giving my doc plenty of space to work around an organ that resembles a hemorrhage hand grenade with a loose pin....is extremely purdent in my mind. Reducing a fatty liver is also good for anesthetic metabolism and general recovery. Also...doing the liquid diet gives you a psychological clue what you're in for. If anyone is gonna find not eating intolerable and have cold feet...better they reach this conclusion before surgery...than after surgery.

Ah, but I'd lost weight for six months before surgery! 36 pounds....on old fashioned diet and exercise. I was 234 on the day of surgery. So, since December 5th, I've lost 62 pounds. An average of about 9 pounds a month....which I'm pretty damned proud of. Lately, it's slowed down a lot. About a pound a week on average. Which at this stage in the game is is just fine. Gonna go eat me some slider oat meal and think about what's for dinner:) LOL!

Doing great, Matt....still working on the last couple pounds...got my damned period. LOL. Aren't you glad you asked? But yeah, I'm wrapping it up at the end of July for sure:) And I'm pretty sure I'll crush those last couple of pesky pounds before I go. Will come back to post photos from the "fat prom" this fall, but beyond that, it's time this lunatic left the asylum. Sometimes recovery means leaving the hospital so to speak:) I work well with exit dates. LOL.

Eliminate refined sugar from your diet. Stop eating processed foods. Control your diabetes with the help of your doctor. Test your blood sugar often. Take meds as prescribed on the correct schedule. Choose low glycemic carbs that metabolize slower and don't set you up for rebound hunger. Eat more non-starchy veggies. Watch sugar content in condiments. Eat beans.

Well, your food IS sad! Because you kinda starve yourself sillykitty...cause you want to have plastic surgery by the end of the year. I love you, Kitty...but I'd die trying to eat your diet. I'd lose my mind one night and eat french fries out of a dumpster while hissing "My Precious!" I don't know whether to think you have the most impressive will power I've ever seen....or a screw loose....but I support your efforts and root for your success. And wow have you been losing! Well done, girl! I'm more of a...screw it, slow and steady loss is just fine kinda person. My ability to control my eating depends so much on not being hungry and eating good stuff that supports stellar energy and stable blood sugar. I have learned SO MUCH this year about how to cook right, and find stuff I genuinely love that is good for me. Love love love the Mayo Clinic Diet. FINALLY a diet I can stick with and really enjoy:) The sleeve helps...a LOT....but finding that diet and discovering how it changes my cravings has been a huge part of the puzzle for me, too. Everyone is so different. If I get hungry....I screw up. I don't wanna screw up...so I work hard to never let myself get hungry. For me ....hungry = an eating accident begging to happen. My emergency food that I have learned to run to in crisis.... Watermelon. After a cup of watermelon, sanity returns rapidly. 46 calories is cheap price to pay to regain food sense and make good choices.

OH yeah....almost forgot....I eat this almost every day: Veggie soup with a few beans...food of the Gods. Yum! never get sick of it, and switch it up every time. Sometimes the broth is chickeny, sometimes beefy, sometimes I go coconut milk and curry, sometimes I throw a glob of peanut butter in there with ginger and garlic and lemon grass.....and the veggies and beans are mix and match as well. Made by the bucket once a week...my family lives on this stuff.