Ylime

9 minutes ago, Iwanttoseemytoes said:

So thankful for this tool!! I’ve lost 210lbs!! My life is so different.

This is a great idea to check in!!

Holy crap - you're a whole different person!! You look amazing!!

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We're almost 4 years out! I've been thinking about you all lately as we approved our anniversary. Curious how everyone is doing. I'm tagging as many people as I can - hoping some peeps still get notifications!!

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I'm 3.5 years out. For such a long time I followed my Dr's rules and strived to stick with the 1,000 calories on a non-workout day and the 70g Protein goal. But even with that protein goal and Water I still find myself hungry and over the past year my calorie count has picked up. My Dr continues to advocate no more than 1 cup of food 3x a day with one snack of veggies. That just hasn't been sustainable for me.

My weight has remained fairly steady so there haven't been any real negative impacts, but I just get so stressed when I'm not meeting the intended goals.

So - where are you all at?

First of all, what you are feeling is perfectly normal and natural. You are making a decision that will change your life forever. That's the reality.

Before my surgery I had major doubts. I was worried I would be the one person in the world that the surgery didn't work for. I worried I would fall back into my normal eating habits, I wouldn't exercise, I wouldn't lose weight or I'd gain it all back. And to be honest, 2 years post-op, I still think that almost on a daily basis. But I wouldn't change it for the world.

The weeks following surgery it is crucial you follow the plan. It is not only to help your body heal but this is the boot camp to teach your body your new way of living and eating. Take it one day at a time.

My hunger (or fake hunger) between meals went away as long as I keep focusing on the healthy eating at my meals. Do some research on how you can get your Protein without cooking. I do Protein Shakes too and they help a lot. But think about keeping grilled chicken or turkey burgers on hand - that requires little effect to make and you only have to heat it up. Beans provide a lot of protein, and again you just heat them up. Unprocessed lunch meats also require no cooking.

Now real talk - Your husband needs to STFU. This is not his decision and he does not get to dictate what you do. This is your decision. Also, it is extremely detrimental to anyone to tell them just to eat better and exercise more. That doesn't work for everyone and anyone that says that callously does not understand the emotional toll it takes to do what you are supposed to and still not see results. I was overweight because my body fought me no matter I did, it wasn't due to lack of knowledge or motivation.

Do what you feel is right and don't let anyone talk you out of what you want to do.

I hit my goal weight in May - 20 months post op. 100% of my excess weight is gone and I've now maintained for 6 months. Still a daily struggle to ensure I stay on track to stay at goal. But very happy with where I am!

I am now 2+ years out from surgery and still maintaining my goal weight. VSG has changed my life in so many ways. But there are negative things or challenges I rarely see people talking about. I'm listing mine in hopes others won't feel alone, please add yours if you'd like. I'm thinking this might be a bit therapeutic as I don't talk about this in real life as no one really understands unless you've been through it.

Things that have become very real for me:

*Body Dysmorphia is real. I currently wear a dress/jean size 6 and tops in XS/S. I know those sizes are amazing and I never would have imagined that's where I would end up. BUT...when I look in the mirror I don't see that size. I still see my butt as huge, My sagging stomach doesn't help but I just can't shake the "fat" thoughts when I see myself.

I recently read that part of this is due to the fact that we tend to over exaggerated what we looked like when we were overweight, so losing that weight still doesn't give us an accurate depiction of who we really are. I try and keep this in mind but I don't know if this will ever go away.

*Addiction Transfer. It took me awhile to realize this but I most definitely transferred my addictive eating to compulsive shopping. I've spent way too much money since going through this process. It's a constant struggle.

*Confidence and Self Worth. This is a good thing for sure. But, I have been struggling in my marriage for a long time. And for years I felt trapped because of my fear for being alone forever - which was driven by the fact that I was overweight and told myself no one else would ever want me. I have a different view now. I've changed physically and emotionally. My spouse has always had different philosophies on life than I have. He has never eaten well, never exercised, and has never wanted to become healthier. I had hoped my success would give him some motivation to do better but it hasn't. That combined with other major issues we have had led to my decision to end my marriage. It's ultimately a positive thing for me as I'm in a toxic relationship but finally have the emotional strength and confidence to do this. It's sad, but it's reality.

On 11/17/2019 at 6:02 PM, Beachdaze said:

Did you exercise the first 6 month? I exercise regularly now but it seems ‘controversial’ to exercise the first 6 months due to, as o understand, the thought that exercise increases appetite. I actually love it as part of my life and think of it as more for health than weight loss.

Did you have significant food cravings after surgery? Or do you?

Any tips for the 2 week pre op liquid diet...this is stressing me out more than actually having someone cut on me 🙂

Thank you for your time!!

Yes, I exercised from the moment I got home from the hospital. Short and slow walks around the block and 3 months out I joined the gym and got back into heavy cardio and lifting weights. I don't see why exercise would be controversial. It's the key to health and keeping weight off. I stick to Protein Shakes after exercise so that keeps me from eating too much and keeps me full until the next meal.

I don't have significant cravings anymore. I have thoughts of food but they no longer control me. The craziest thing that happens now is how much I have to fight my brain. Like when I think of a cheeseburger I remember how I would get a big, juicy burger and dive into it. So I have a cheeseburger for dinner (now small, lean meat, light cheese), and I look at it and realize I can't eat like that anymore. Nor do I want to. The brain is tricky that way.

I was crazy worried about the liquid diet. But it truly wasn't that bad. It helped to stay busy at work and at home. And when the family ate meals, I didn't join them. I sat in the living room while they ate so I couldn't see the food and be tempted. Just stay focused on the end goal. And don't beat yourself up if you slip during the two period. It will all even out in the end.

On 11/17/2019 at 7:45 AM, CapyCapybara said:

How long p.o until you could have sushi?

Well, I hate sushi. lol But I have small amounts of rice around 6 months out and ate tuna and shrimp not longer after I could start having solid foods given their high amounts of Protein.

On 11/17/2019 at 7:32 AM, bandsmom74 said:

Did you lose cravings for specific foods or trigger foods? (For me it's sweets!)

My tolerance for sugar significantly went down. I didn't drink soda for a long long time but after surgery I tried a sip of my husband's coke and it was disgusting. lol There are still cravings but they no longer own me. Sweets used to consume my life and I couldn't switch my brain off from thinking about them. But it's different now. And I do believe it's because I rarely get hungry. The year of focusing on Protein definitely helped retrain my brain for what I want.

I still have Cookies and brownies, but I can control it better.

On 11/17/2019 at 12:37 AM, Serengirl said:

year out how many calories a day are you eating and what is the one thing you learned worked for you to break stalls and loose quickly?

Sorry for the delay - work took over!

When I'm tracking hard core I'm around 1,000 calories a day, still targeting around 70g or Protein. Now that I'm a year out weight no longer comes off quickly. I haven't hit my goal yet and average about a 4lb loss per month with both losses and gains. Stalls still happen and typically when I haven't been on top of my game. I refocus my eating, up the veggies and protein and switch up my exercise. But most of all, stay patient. Don't sabotage yourself because you're frustrated. The break will happen and there is nothing you can do to force it.

I remember being sore for a long time, but I was only out of work for 2 weeks so it wasn't horrible pain. As others have said you HAVE to drink Water. It will help with healing also. I loved having a hot water bottle on me at night after a long day. Not only helped with the pain but also forced me to relax and take it easy.

You are not alone. Stalls happen all the time for everyone, it's just your body saying it needs a break. I hit a stall around my 9 month mark. Super frustrating. I went back to hardcore tracking every food I ate, making it a goal to hit 80grams of Protein a day and filling the rest in with veggies and fruit. I limited sugar for one month and that helped refocus my cravings. Overall I just had to be patient and keep doing what I was doing. My stall lasted for two months which was crazy frustrating, but once it broke I was right back on track with regular losses. It will happen, just stay true to your plan.

Congrats on your date!! That's my wedding anniversary and my grandparent's wedding anniversary so I consider that a very lucky day!

What are your biggest questions? I'm 15 months out. Which surgery are you having?

Ok so I'm so jealous. I just got back from Jamaica on vacation and can't wait to go back. Everyone is so nice there!

That stinks that you can't get Powerade Zero, I live on that stuff. Are there any companies that ship grocery type items there? I know there are lots of different hydration alternatives so I'm wondering if there is something you could find that would comparable.

I'm now 15 months out from VSG and down 107 lbs. When I started I had so many questions, concerns, worries, and doubt. Now I absolutely love life and the new me.

I thought it might be helpful to come back here and offer the ability to answer questions people have. So ask me absolutely anything and I'll give you an answer. Just hoping to make the pre and post surgery journeys a bit less stressful for others.

This is my before and after pic - Caribbean style. St Lucia at 250lbs and Jamaica at 145lbs.

On 7/9/2019 at 2:40 PM, deena1516 said:

I had rny on May 23rd and I am still struggling with eating and drinking. Had to have iv fluids twice already because of dehydration. And the pain in my upper abdomen is unreal at times. Does anyone else have sharp pains in their upper abdomen? My surgeon isn’t concerned about it, but I am! It’s so hard to eat or drink anything without it causing pain.

Deena - Did you have surgery in 2019 or 2018. Asking as you will likely get a better response if you find a 2019 thread or post separately as most of us have moved on from this thread.

On 7/7/2019 at 12:14 PM, Kris77 said:

Almost a year out in a couple weeks! Can’t believe it! No regrets..best thing I ever did for MYSELF!!
Congrats on a year since surgery summer sleevers!!🥳

Kris - Come join us on the 1 year post op page.

Same - as soon as I could have regular food I tried a bit at a time to see if I would tolerate it. I did have to sip a bit on Water when eating real spicy food but certainly wasn't drinking full on during a meal.

15 hours ago, chattycat said:

Hello all! It will be 1 year for me on July 5 th! HW 257 SW 240 and I just hit 155lbs! I can’t even remember weighing that little 😂. I had my surgery at 60 so seniors take heart, it can be done! Congratulations to all!

You look awesome!!

12 minutes ago, Frustr8 said:

Hiya it's Frustr8, Pride of September 5th 2018, yeah still a SUMMER SWEET SUCCESS! Many trials, tribulations, bumps and bruises later, reporting in! He 365+ SurgiWeight 319 currently 198.9, yep just broke into Onderland. Highest dress size 28-30W, currently sliding from 20 into 18-teens, Yep leaving Plus sizes behind ----FOREVER AND EVER! Still have my stoma stricture, my jejuneal ulcerations, was on PICC line for 3 months, being fed TPN 12 hours a day, but last EGJ pretty favorable, I have only had 13 lifetime, I am 90% healed , maybe I will be off of pureed and Soups soon. But life is still pretty good for me, never going to regret RNY and for 73 I'm not doing all that Bad. Still finding little body defects but nothing unhandled-able. MY TESTS HAVE A " By The Way" to almost every one, but what the Hey, I'm still red-headed , alive and kicking. Don't rule me out, I'm still successful and will have my Final Victory!

You are doing great!

17 minutes ago, Lioness815 said:

You look Great! And I love the tank btw!! LOL

It is my absolute fave shirt which is why I took my before pic in it. I rarely get to wear because I don't think it's appropriate for the gym. lol

Ok here’s my progress. (Had to switch to my phone - no scandalous pics on my work computer) 😀

I started this journey at a size 20, now down to a tight 12. Body fat then was 48%, I’m now down to 36%. I am 5lbs away from the Overweight BMI category and no longer being obese!!

Photo 1: I can see my progress better from a side view. (My boobs will not die!!)

Photo 2: Face to face comparison. (My skin didn’t change colors, lighting was just better)

Photo 3: My arms are skinny!!!

I have always had insomnia and done several over the counter meds but as soon as my body builds up a tolerance they no longer work.

A few years ago my doctor prescribed Trazadone. It's a sedative so doesn't come with all the scary side effects that some true sleeping meds have, but it puts me to sleep within 15 minutes and I sleep all night long. It worked wonders before surgery and now post-op it works even better. Pair that with eating better and working out more gives me the sleep I need and the energy I need during the day.

On 6/20/2019 at 12:16 AM, Macy6 said:

My clinic says drink up until my first bite then wait 30 min after eating.

This is the same for me. My nutritionist told me that she had just learned that you can drink right before eating, it's the afterwards where you have to wait so that you aren't automatically flushing out the food you just ate. I wait 30 minutes after eating, but I do have a sip or two while eating if I get something spicy or need to wash out an after taste from my meal.