Canis28

Guys, I am so happy to say that I have a positive update and one that might help other women in the 45 to 55 age category who are going to do VSG or in the process of having had it and experiencing difficulty getting weight to move.
I am very hard on myself. While I was not being perfect on my journey, I have a tendency to always feel that if something is not going right, it is all my fault. I was a food addict for so many years and did everything wrong that I almost felt like when my weight plateaued and then stopped and then I started to gain weight that it was just because I let myself down.
To cut a very long story short. I had a gynecological emergency about a month ago and ended up having to go through a bunch of tests. It was discovered that I was producing next to zero progesterone and my estrogen was also extremely low. It was causing me SO MANY problems which I will not get into so that I will not digress from the main point. As a result I was put on hormones and almost immediately I started to loose weight again! I have lost 10 lbs since I started taking hormones 3 weeks ago. The reason why is that hormones have a major role to play in weight loss and weight gain. The reason why I was gaining and not loosing was not because I was being so terrible in my disciplines but because the lack of estrogen and progesterone, the total imbalance was actually causing me to GAIN weight.
So I am working with my doctor now to see how HRT may be able to not only help my perimenopause/going into menopause issues but also to help bring better balance to help the weight loss process kick in further. I feel like an entirely different woman - I cant even articulate it the difference in overall feeling but certainly the fact that I have lost the weight I had gained and now back to making the scale go down instead of up.
You can read my previous thread to get a better context of where this post is coming from. If you are having similar struggles and are female in the age range of 45 to 55 it might be well worth your time to have your hormone levels tested and see if hormone therapy can help you get balanced again and improve your weight loss.
I am just one lbs away from being in another weight bracket and after not loosing for 4 months I feel like a million bucks
There are many articles and information on Google that you can look up and research regarding hormonal imbalance and the role it might be playing in extremely difficulty in weight loss, especially in women of a certain age. I am just putting this out there for your consideration in case you are a woman like me that may be struggling in this area and not even know it. Talk to your gyno and get your hormones tested. I will soon post an updated photo when I hit that next weight bracket

Hello fellow sleevers. I have been on this site very little in the past couple of years but have logged in today to respond to a question. Since I'm here, I feel obligated to tell you all the things I've learned after 5 years.
1. The people that told me my approach to living life with the sleeve was all wrong and that I would fail, gain weight in a few years, stretch my sleeve, and regret my actions are mostly gone now. I have seen a couple of them around but the most are long gone. Do not pay much attention to the know-it-alls. They know no more than anyone else and are just as likely to fail.
2. Obviously you want to follow your Dr's instructions but don't get too hung up on strict rules and diets. If you make reasonable decisions and balance your good and bad food choices, your sleeve will do most of the work for you. I have eaten anything I wanted since day one. I try to pay attention to Protein etc., but I do not deny myself anything. You have the sleeve for a reason. Let it do it's job. Don't force it to hold more than it can and do not deny yourself the things that make you happy. Balance - just do it.
3. WLS is much more than losing weight. It is getting to the bottom of the issues that cause us to compensate with food in the first place. Pay more attention to your mental well being than the numbers on the scale. Your long term success depends on it.
4. Know that even after you reach your goal weight you will still be the same person with the same insecurities. Being thin changes nothing. If you did it for health reasons then hopefully those will no longer be an issue, but the person you are and how you feel inside doesn't change from losing weight. That has to change on the inside. No way around it.
5. Know that once you have made the necessary changes inside and out there will be some people that don't relate to you the same or just plain don't like you anymore. Also know that what they think is completely irrelevant . Physical and mental changes for the better intimidate those with small minds. Don't give them a second thought.
Thanks for reading.

I still look in the mirror (down 170 lbs) and think who the hell is that skinny b***h?
I panic over food. I don't crave anything anymore, though. I still wonder if I'll break a chair if I sit in it. It a very bizarre feeling to be thin after all this time.

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my energy levels are up
i don't fall asleep every time i sit down (sleep apnea issue)
i can do things now i haven't in years
i don't look at every situation with an eye towards will i fit - literally
clothes are cheaper
all good things
what negatives do i find - for me i will always miss bread but it is my gateway food back to where i was so its gone from my life

Nuts... My arch nemesis, they'll bump your calories up so quick you'll be wondering why you're gaining...

When I started on an anti-anxiety/antidepressant several years ago, it caused my appetite to go WAY up. Same as you, eating or thinking about eating nonstop. I tried to go on another med, but nothing else worked, so I’m stuck with the same old one. I had the LapBand and lost weight with it,but I was still always hungry. Then the band stopped working, so I had it removed and in June had the sleeve done. My biggest fear is that my appetite will come back full force. The first few weeks were great. I had no appetite. But lately I’ve started to feel hunger again. Luckily eating very little satisfies me.
I hope it stays the same. If it doesn’t, I will seriously consider discontinuing my meds. There will have to be another option for me,and I will never let myself get to my top weight again.
As for you, I wish I could say something that would help. Sounds like maybe your sleeve is stretched? Maybe you should try resetting...you know, do liquids for a week to detox from the carbs and bad stuff. Also, I firmly believe that people like you and I have to stick up for ourselves and not let pharmaceuticals ruin our lives even while they’re helping us at the same time. There are too many options out there between different drugs and psychological therapies. Why don’t you see what alternatives are out there for you?

When I started on an anti-anxiety/antidepressant several years ago, it caused my appetite to go WAY up. Same as you, eating or thinking about eating nonstop. I tried to go on another med, but nothing else worked, so I’m stuck with the same old one. I had the LapBand and lost weight with it,but I was still always hungry. Then the band stopped working, so I had it removed and in June had the sleeve done. My biggest fear is that my appetite will come back full force. The first few weeks were great. I had no appetite. But lately I’ve started to feel hunger again. Luckily eating very little satisfies me.
I hope it stays the same. If it doesn’t, I will seriously consider discontinuing my meds. There will have to be another option for me,and I will never let myself get to my top weight again.
As for you, I wish I could say something that would help. Sounds like maybe your sleeve is stretched? Maybe you should try resetting...you know, do liquids for a week to detox from the carbs and bad stuff. Also, I firmly believe that people like you and I have to stick up for ourselves and not let pharmaceuticals ruin our lives even while they’re helping us at the same time. There are too many options out there between different drugs and psychological therapies. Why don’t you see what alternatives are out there for you?

I just dealt with this with my surgical PA appt; she had WLS 4 years ago so she fully understands the stages and pitfalls and emotions. I said "I never feel full, never feel satisfied, am always hungry and have cravings. Was it a false expectation to think surgery would eliminate cravings? The anxiety from seeking a sense of satisfaction has led me to prematurely eat foods in the next stage. Also, (33 days out) I have had 2 weight stalls, which I expected, but then I gained a pound! I am depressed and feel I am careening toward yet another, AGAIN, dieting Epic Fail, even knowing it is illogical due to the surgery factor. Her replys: 1. Forgeddaboutit - don't look toward food for any sense of satisfaction, ever. Seek other kinds of satisfaction in your life. 2. For most people, cravings disappear after 5-6 weeks. 3. No! You are not failing. Your body needs time to catch up, and it balks like a toddler. 4. Everything you are going through and feeling is all normal. This is HARD WORK and it is more mental than physical.
Her words were reassuring, eased much of the anxiety, and the next day I included her in my will (!),I then lost a pound and another pound today. But a discussion with my brother has me confused, so I turn to the rest of you for input. What is your definition of satiety? Do you find any enjoyment from a good meal, either now or before? Do you feel satisfied after a tasty meal where you are not overly full. Do you EXPECT to feel satisfied from a flavorful, healthy meal? Do you now eat only for fuel - eat to live? Isn't it possible to enjoy what you eat any more - to eat for Balance, Moderation, and Variety? Maybe it's just semantics and different interpretations of the words. Why have all these bari-cookbooks if not to enjoy meals? Why not just eat the same things forever and use Protein Drinks? What are YOUR expectations once you can have regular food again - meats, fruits with skins, celery, etc?

I threw up a lot after my WLS. It was three days of vomiting bile. I threw up the entire ride home from the hospital. I do not respond well to anathesia. I was terrified but it was OK. No burst staple line.
You will totally lose weight! It’s impossible not to! I was so scared of my surgery and if I had known then what I know now, I think I would have been more excited! I have had my own issues and complications but WLS is an amazing tool! This is an amazing opportunity! Make the most of it!

Down 150 pounds. Why didn’t I do this surgery 10 Years ago!?!?!?

I had a small amount (maybe 1/2 ounce) of Jameson in connection with a toast at a friend's birthday party when I was exactly 3 weeks post op. I just knew I would have a seizure and pass out but nothing happened.

So I purchased some of these today from a store called total nutrition. You can also order them online but only in cases. I ate one for dinner and it was really good! It's the perfect size. The crust is chicken breast with Parmesan cheese!

That’s a little worrying. I wouldn’t give them more than 2 chances to return the call.

Trivedi did my sister’s sleeve. You don’t like him?

Vadim Gritsus. He’s in Pequonnock and Paramus. I live in NY but used him for my (failed) gastric sleeve when I lived in NJ and I really like him.

Vadim Gritsus. He’s in Pequonnock and Paramus.

My doctor’s office in NJ usually doesn’t return my calls the same day. I’ve just learned that’s how they role. I would call again tomorrow.

I’m with you. The sight or thought of it literally turns my stomach. I’m on Carnation Instant Breakfast No Sugar Added and lots of Greek yogurt. Starting solids tomorrow so Protein Bars will be in my future.

Amen to that! There many many physician- fish in the waters of New Jersey. Don't settle for bottom feeders or being treated like pond scum. You deserve the best, and than does not include being ignored.

You know I didn’t even think of the fact that the dog will try to drink from the toilet but won’t try my Protein Shake. What does she know that I don’t lol.

Also she may not be trying to,go back to the size she was when she was a puppy. ROF due to my sparkling wit!😁

I couldn't do Protein Water or shakes. I try not to even think about protein water or I'll start to gag. I bought 3 cases pre-op of the protein water and returned them. The case I opened is going to a food pantry because there is nothing that can make me choke it down.
I do the protein bars with no problem. I even found one that has 30g of protein per bar.

Thank you?

Yes, I’m supposed to be off caffeine, and actually, I am. I quit coffee a few days after my surgery just because it didn’t taste good to me anymore. I hadn’t noticed the caffeine content in Isopure. To be honest, I couldn’t finish the bottle. It’s like my body physically rejects whey Protein. Not literally, but it does turn my stomach to even look at a bottle of the stuff. I bought the blue raspberry too and have only had a little bit of it. Not bad, but I know if I drink more of it it will turn my stomach. The blue rasp has 40 grams of caffeine.

So, I went to Vitamin Shoppe last night and came across Isopure Protein Drink. It’s clear like Water and comes in several flavors. The green tea actually tastes like iced tea. It isn’t too sweet and for me doesn’t have that Protein taste. 40g protein in a 20oz bottle and no carbs.