Creekimp13

My mom was terrified of the surgery. She's a master in the art of worrying and guilt. LOL. So, heading into it...I made a point not to bring it up too much or expect her support because I know her anxiety is tough for her. After surgery, she became incredibly encouraged about it and has cheered me on. Sometimes, with people who love us....fear and anxiety can play into their ability to support an elective surgery. Just sayin. In a perfect world....all of our people would have our back....but people feel how they feel. Ultimately, it's our responsibility to make the best choices we can for ourselves...with or without their blessing.

Woot!

We have a lot of them on this board. I've been one of them. People who might NOT be as bitchy...if they weren't eating starvation level calories and dealing with losing a coping mechanism they've depended on for most of their lives. There's science behind it. Low blood sugar and dieting in general can create irritability, anxiety, depression, etc. Hangry isn't a myth. I'm mentioning it because it's something to remember while interacting with others here. Most of the folks here are terrific. Genuinely nice folks who want to help each other out and share their experiences. But a lot of us are right in the middle of some really stressful changes...victories, disappointments, impatience, feeling stuck and discouraged, feeling smugly accomplished, feeling a little lost, dealing with new challenges in relationships, dealing with other emotional crap that feeds into our eating issues.....there's a WHOLE LOTTA shite going on with folks here under the radar. And a lot of it is stressful. Add in the fact that obesity is strongly correlated to mental health issues anyway...and it can get kinda....interesting...around here. Just wanted to remind people to keep this in mind. We're all human. Stress sucks. This is HARD. Compassion is important.

It can detect pneumonia, lung tumors and lesions, enlarged heart. The last thing you want to do...is anesthetize a person with an active lung infection or an undiagnosed pulmonary issue. Breathing is important.

"Head Hunger" is when you've already eaten a nice substantial healthy meal...and a Burger King commercial comes on and you want french fries. That's "head hunger" REAL HUNGER is experienced by people eating starvation levels of calories...like we do...for weeks...before and after surgery. It is often especially experienced by people who are healing and using hundreds more calories each day trying to repair their body. When we start calling any hunger..."head hunger".....we're behaving pathologically toward food. It's eating disorder speak. I was fecking STARVING a few days after surgery, too. Could have eaten my leg off. I didn't get relief until I started eating about a thousand calories a day. Hunger sucks. It's real. It gets better:)

I think one of the reasons my program has lower protein requirements than you'll often see....is that my program serves a LOT of international clients, many of whom are vegetarian or semi-vegetarian culturally. High protein diets DO promote faster weight loss. This is undeniable. But I'm building my forever diet...and I'm trying to get my body used to a diet it can be on forever...so I don't have a big metabolic shift later. (or the weight gain that can occur with big dietary changes) For me, a high protein low carb diet is not a great choice for a forever diet. If I were 400 pounds...I would consider a very restrictive high protein diet for a short period of time for rapid weight loss. At 190...I want something sustainable and permanent. I want a forever diet that I can live with...well...forever. LOL:)

I lived in Japan for a year. People in Japan have the second longest longevity in the world, right after Monaco (Mediterranean). Both the Japanese diet and Mediterranean diet are high in complex carbs and much lower in protein than the American diet. They eat carbs and veggies...and live to be an average of 85 and 89, respectively. I follow a semi-vegetarian lowfat diet because I feel better, my cholesterol is perfect on it, and I want to be healthy and active like a old Japanese lady:) Japan has one of the lowest cancer rates among developed nations, too. And one of the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease.

No, our protein goal is the same. 60g per day, during loss phase. We encouraged to go up to 80g if we choose to, but it's not necessary. I end up in the 70's typically. We can stick with 6 little 200 calorie meals per day...or transition to three 400 calorie meals. I like to do little meals and snacks for breakfast and lunch, and a bigger meal for dinner. All ok with my program. Just have to keep the calories at or under 1200. Exercise is written on a prescription pad and is talked about with as much urgency as diet in my program.

Funny how different they all are, isn't it?

And of course, this all depends on which diet you follow and your nutritionist's ideas. I eat a ton of whole grains and fruit. Eating a pear for a snack would work perfect on my plan. My plan requires 60g of protein a day. I drink a 30g protein premier protein over the course of the day in my coffee....so all I have to really "worry" about is getting 30 more grams in during the day. There are 5 grams of protein in a piece of whole wheat toast:)

Vitamin levels out of whack can screw up energy for sure. Have them checked, do your follow ups. I feel like a rug if I'm not getting at least 1000 calories a day. Another thing to consider is depression. Lot of folks go through some big emotional upheaval in the months after their surgery. So much change, grieving the loss of a coping mechanism...it might figure in more than you realize.

My surgeon was extremely explicit about you needing to bring it...or you wouldn't have surgery. (if you have one...I didn't) But I remember them mentioning it in the seminars over and over.

Sleeve folks typically don't dump. The closest i've come...is eating WAY too much sugar around the holidays...and getting a little nauseated. Had to have a big glass of water, and felt better in 15 minutes. Bypass people dump. It looks incredibly painful. They sweat and look like they feel horrible. Sometimes I sorta wish I had a worse reaction to sugar. I love it...and it's a really bad choice. Easy old habit to fall into. But yeah...no dumping with sleeves for the most part.

Had my sleeve about five months ago:) I had a super fast recovery. I credit this to doing a ton of walking, getting lots of exercise pre-surgically, and taking minimal pain meds in the hospital. (my opinion...if you need them, fine...but they slow you up and you might be surprised how well you feel) I had no nausea with surgery, and have never vomited since surgery. I started feeling "back to normal" at around three weeks post surgery. My group stresses getting exercise and returning to normal levels of calories as soon as possible. At around 3 weeks out, I was eating about 1000 calories a day and felt like myself again. Great energy. I still eat 1000-1200 calories, and will continue to do so until maintenance.....so probably for another year. I feel terrific on 1200 calories a day. I have enough energy to exercise and keep up with my responsibilities. Eating is different. It's weird to eat small amounts frequently (I do 6 little 200 calorie "meals" a day, generally)....but I feel really full and like I can eat most of the things I like. I don't feel deprived. I've made a lot of changes and substitutions to create my "forever diet"...but it's food that I genuinely like and am not lying to myself about liking (big problem in previous diets) Hunger is better now, too. Cravings are better. Food urgency is better. I feel like I have a much healthier relationship with food, and I know I have a much healthier relationship with exercise. Life is good. I'm off all of my meds (with the exception of thyroid and vitamins)....my blood sugar is no long pre-diabetic...it's normal. My labs are terrific. So yeah...it's been an incredibly positive experience:)

3 week stall is super common. Google it.

I would have told myself... The risks you are taking with your health....by choosing to remain fat.....are MUCH GREATER than the risks involved in a scheduled surgery that you've done pre-screening for. Don't be scared of a low mortality surgery. Be scared of high mortality cancer, diabetes and heart disease as a fat person. I love my sleeve. No regrets. Zero.

I drink one caramel premier protein in my coffee everyday. I figure 30 bonus grams of protein doesn't hurt:)

Ultimately, I think it's like an alcoholic with drinking buddies. You need to find other ways to spend time together that don't involve eating....or the relationship will get toxic. Or you have to 100% cool with each other's eating habits....which is also harder than it seems. Weirdly...my mom and I really struggle with this one. So many of our visits revolved around getting a meal out together, or cooking together. It's been sort of awkward to find different ways to enjoy time together. We're getting there....this week be bought and planted flowers. We've been playing cards and drinking tea, instead of soda, chips and dip. But yeah....a HUGE part of my relationship with my mom has a ton of eating activities attached that are really tough for me cause she doesn't struggle with her weight like I do. Mom activies of the past: Let's go get a donut. Let's make cookies. Let's make bread. Let's go grocery shopping and get fast food. Let's go to a new restaurant. Let's got get ice cream. Can you detect a pattern? LOLOLOL When I was a kid, every Friday was "Celebration junk food night". We'd get KFC (or pizza, or burgers), tabloid magazines, rent videos, and buy ice cream or candy to have with the movie. And scratchable lotto tickets. Two liters of cola. LOL. It was a celebration of God-awful choices....and You know what's messed up? I remember it really fondly. And if there's a day I'm gonna cheat....you can bet it will be on Friday. I remember about two months post-surgery...we went to a movie with my mom and she ducked out and came back with sodas and candy and popcorn! I'm like...Mom...I can't have this stuff......and the look on her face was so sad. It's like I'm taking away her enjoyment by not sharing her habits. I am rejecting her traditions!!!! Ultimately...she was totally on board with me not eating the snacks and she was sort of horrified she got them for me..... but I think she genuinely forgot, and it just felt disappointing to her not to "give me a treat" or revisit that tradition that reminds of of happy memories. My mother expresses love in fat, salt and sugar. LOL. Seriously. So yeah...it's been hard. Relationship changes are tough. Changing your activities so you're not always eating together....can be disarmingly tough.

My bestie inspired me by losing 40 pounds last year. We met the first day of first grade....so this girl has been in my life over 40 years:) 40 pounds to her....was huge. She's always been a skinny mini, and actually suffered from anorexia for a while when we were in highschool:( I don't think she ever weighed more than 100 pounds until after graduation. In contrast...in highschool I was about 160....but I always felt like I was happier with my body than she was. As an adult, she liked to weigh around 135...which is an awesome weight on her. She's built tiny, and it's a healthy appropriate weight for her frame. But in the past few years, we've both gained weight. Her weight got up to about 175 and she was mortified....which was kinda tough for me, cause I was about 270 at the time. She got on a diet and got addicted to her fitbit...and we started walking every week together. My glucose numbers were inching up...I was prediabetic, so I started talking about sleeve surgery. She was incredibly supportive. She got me a Fitbit for my birthday last year and gave it to me a month early so I could have it for the start of my six month presurgical diet. it really helped:) She has been incredibly supportive. Yesterday, I went to her house wearing a new outfit, and she was like....OMG, if you don't lose another pound...you look amazing and healthy. I'm so proud of you. She also had a kick-arse exercise plan for working on back fat and bra bulges....which she taught me in her kitchen. She's like....do 15 of these, then get 1000 steps....then do 15 more....do it three times...within 6 weeks you will get rid of the bra bulges, swear to God! (I'd been complaining about them...she always has awesome ideas) She's at her goal weight now...and if I get to my goal weight...we'll still be 35 pounds apart, but we're built really different. We have a really good dynamic, and I always feel unconditionally accepted by her and supported. I know that weight shifts can cause issues sometimes in relationships.....one person can feel like the other is getting their life together and the other feels left behind....it can be stressful. When you're having success, reach out to your friend who isn't. They might be suffering some self doubt and hurt, and might feel very alone with it. Don't let weight shame ruin a good friendship. Talk about it. Love each other. Help each other.

^This:)

Depends a little on the person in charge of scheduling. Some are very customer service oriented and will do everything they can to make anxious patients happy ASAP.... On the other hand....being too demanding can read as off-putting entitlement....and you might be shuffled to the bottom of the deck if they've asked you to be patient and you're actively being a pain in the arse. Legitimately, these things do take time to coordinate....having the client complaining doesn't really do anything to free an OR, it doesn't do anything to move insurance paperwork. it doesn't magically create openings in the doctor's surgery schedule....sometimes all it does is make you seem like a diva. So be careful and be polite. And be patient.

One thing to remember about kids.....kids are in the process of forming ideas and preferences about food. Kids will also eat when they get hungry...even if the only things they can find are fuits, veggies, lean meats and dairy... and whole grains.. There is no reason your kids have to eat much differently than you. Teaching them good eating habits is so important to breaking the cycle of obesity in families. Your kids might be fit right now...but they have half of your genetics. There's gonna be a day in the future...when they'll thank you for changing their diet young and helping them build healthy preferences. You don't have to keep junk in the house for your kids. It's not cruel to feed them healthy foods. Junk food is not love. (My mom was huge into feeding us the junk food we loved...to show affection and "give us a childhood"....please don't do this...it's not necessary, and it can set them up for problems down the road.) Also....kids get plenty of special occasions where treats are part of a celebration....they're not cheated by not having them in their everyday diets. There are dozens of diets you can use. Weight Watchers is a terrific balanced diet and a good place to start if you're new to nutrition and need a lot of tips, advice, and help. Obviously, follow your doctors/dietitian's diet if they give you one. Wishing you the very best on your weight loss journey:)

I'm closing in on five months out. I eat 1000-1200 calories a day. Typically, in six little meals that are about 1/2 cup or so in volume. If I eat a slider food (yogurt, oatmeal, cottage cheese) my volume might be a little more, but I go slow. You might consider switching your white rice out for brown rice. It's more nutritious and will cause less of an insulin spike...and less rebound hunger. Did you have sleeve or RNY?

You need to drink more. You could be getting dangerously dehydrated. You do NOT want to end up in the emergency room. Your water bottle is your friend.