TeeJay84

I feel for you. But, in my opinion, it's not worth it. Surgery is an extreme measure. Most of us took this step not to simply lose weight but to improve our health. We accepted the risks associated with the surgery because they weren't as bad as what we were facing. With your GERD, even well-controlled, you're risking a major change to the quality of your life. I don't know any GOOD surgeon who would do a sleeve on someone who has GERD already knowing how bad it can get post-surgery. I hope that you came here for all opinions, not just validation. Please understand that those of us who are saying it's not worth it are not trying to discourage you or have forgotten our struggles when we were at a lower BMI. We just want you to be well informed and think about the long-term. Good luck with whatever you decide! We're here to support.

I'm so sorry you're going through a rough time. But focus on what you're doing right. Not falling back into emotional eating is a huge win! You're doing great. Leave room for the human moments and be kinder to yourself, especially right now.

I don't mind telling people. I used to be very open, but now I'm more selective. Mostly because people just don't understand. The thing is, we DO have to eat right and exercise, and a large part of our success or failure rests on us doing the right things -- the same things anyone trying to lose weight would do. When you tell people you've had surgery, they immediately assume you're not doing the work. It's annoying. So it depends on whether or not I'm in the mood to educate people.

Yesterday marked 8 months post-op for me. I can't believe how quickly time is flying! My post-op weight loss is pretty tame (55 pounds). I attribute it to being a slow loser, but also to falling off the wagon when some serious illnesses struck my family and I relied on my old pal food to get me through. I've been slowly getting back on track and my weight loss is really picking up again. Counting when I started my journey a little over a year ago, I'm down 92 pounds. It's pretty insane. I'm definitely getting "lazy" now that I'm super comfortable with my weight, I can do so many more things and I feel great. But I have about 35 more pounds to lose and would love to be at goal by my surgiversary. So I'm gonna make these next 4 months count!

Closet shopping has been a big help to me. I had lots of clothes in smaller sizes I had forgotten about as well. I have a storage room full of more from my smaller days so I’ll be good for awhile. But if I buy anything new, it’s from Walmart! The hardest part has been bras for me. I’ve lost a lot of boob and have no idea what my size is anymore. I’m still large enough where my bras are expensive though. 😭

Surprisingly, I haven’t missed a day. I made it part of my routine pre-op so I wouldn’t have problems post-op. I’m coming up on 3 months post-op so we’ll see if I can keep this up long term. 😄

My go-to Lunches*.

Turkey pepperoni and cheese cubes are my go-to snacks. I pack a serving size of each in little containers for the week and grab them when I’m ready to go. So quick, easy and cheap! Deli meat, tuna packets and the P3 protein packs are also staples.

I was eating 1 egg omelets with cheese, though I was never able to finish the whole thing.

Thanks! I’ll check it out.

I've read a few people say this helped with hair loss prevention but they don't mention how much they take. Any advice? Does it interact with any other vitamins or minerals? I take my multi in the beginning of the day with my vitamin d. Can I take it then? Have you had any experience with side effects?

I used to have a really involved hair care routine for my naturally curly hair that I’ve spent the last 2 years growing out to the longest it’s ever been. I don’t bother right now. I’m waiting to see how much of it I have left after the potential hair loss phase. 😅

@Chrisb428 I don't care for the fruity flavors, but I tried those with water. Any flavor that would be sold as Ready-To-Drink style, like chocolate, vanilla or cookies n cream, I use milk for. My favorites are Double Stuffed Cookie and Chocolate Truffle. I use Chocolate Truffle more now because the stats are better: 23g of protein, 0 fat, 0 carbs, 100 calories a scoop. I mix it with 8oz of FairLife skim milk every morning and start my day with 36g of protein.

WOW! This was eye-opening! I consider myself a slow loser, but I seem to be right on track with the 200-250 group.

My consultation with my surgeon was in December 2017. Surgery was in June. I know everyone wants the process to go quickly but I’m so thankful it took longer. I really got to prepare and deal with my issues with food. Made the pre-op diet and liquid post-op diet a breeze.