Swanton_Bomb

So I know straws are no-now because they can introduce air. I just had massive dental work and thought it would be easier to use one to protect my brand new filling from the cold. Worth the risk or not for a day or two?

Two Sleevers, lots of recipes appropriate for post WLS.

I had considered that, because I have experienced that before, but I was far more stressed in my pre-op appointments. So strange!

You look so pretty! Congrats on your hard work.

That's a crappy thing to do and I hope I don't feel that way after losing more weight. If you ate yourself up to a weight high enough to qualify for WLS you have no right to judge, even if you were able to get help. Obesity is an illness. Compulsive overeating is a an illness just like alcoholism. Surgery is a treatment, and we were lucky enough to be able to have it.

Depends on your doc. I had full liquids for two weeks, but was allowed lentil soup on day 3, yogurt after day 5, cottage cheese after 5 and hummus and peanut butter at 10, yet the stage was still called full liquids.

I think part of the reason I have kept this quiet is because with gastric sleeve, most people lose around 60% of their excess weight, not the dramatic loss that the general public may expect, and I didn't want to be the focus of "Hmmm, she had her stomach stapled and she is STILL FAT" sort of gossip, and I also don't want people wondering if I look like a melted snowman under my clothes because they saw some lady on some tabloid tv show who had 10 yards of skin removed after WLS. The surgery is misunderstood because it complex and effects vary from person to person, but someone who hasn't seriously looked into it doesn't understand.

I had a little improvement each day with major improvement by day 6. It sucks but it won't take long.

I get really confused about this. I understand that being in ketosis means you are burning fat for fuel, but isn't the bottom line calories in, calories out? I am in ketosis by default now because I am early out and just can't eat much of anything, so even with no real attempt to avoid carbs, I have very few grams of them. If someone ate 500 calories of carbs or 500 calories of protein and fat, wouldn't they lose with both?

How did you deal with the hair loss?

It's got to be gas, you have no poop in you 1 day post op after being on clears.

I manged to get to one month post op with no barfing. Last night I made a dumb decision. Doc said I could move to vitamin pills after 1 month, and I hate the nasty chewables. So pre-op my vitamins were in a two pill dose, giant horse pills. I took one one night and it was ok, so last night I figured I would take the whole dose. DUMB move. It felt stuck and caused awful pain. In desperation I tried to make myself vomit, but I couldn't...but the gagging moved it a bit and I did feel better. The heaving felt pretty similar, but I wasn't able to bring anything up.

I have PCOS too. I am very early out, just over a month, but I have been losing better than I expected (19 lbs. since November 8th, keep in mind I am very short, so that is huge, especially when added to the 20lb. lost pre-op). I was on spironolactone before surgery and was cleared to resume it, but I decided to discontinue it for 2 weeks on my own, and the acne returned, so I am back on it, but on a reduced dose. I use Aczone topical as well, and that is a freakin' miracle cream (ask for samples because it is very expensive). I have not had a period since October 15th, but they were previously irregular because of the spiro, plus I am older (44). I am scared of the hair loss because I am already thin, but it is too early to experience that just yet, so time will tell. I don't think anything helps the excess facial hair once it starts, but laser may be more effective now so I am going to go for it. The dreaded PCOS apple shape is probably not going to change for me.

Yep, also the liquid diet is easy, as are 6 months of weigh-ins and invasive tests, and gas pains, and scars, and vomiting, constipation, and eating 500 calories a day, no carbs, no sugar. What a dumb thing to say. It isn't easier, it is more effective.

My husband has been incredibly supportive but a little freaked out that I had taken some steps before telling him. My mom was 90% supportive, but she was scared for me to do it. I am not telling anyone else. My MIL and BIL are both very judgemental about weight, and I don't need negativity or embarrassment, so I'm keeping this to myself. I am a private person, and I don't think weight or health needs to be discussed with extended family. If I do lose a significant amount, as I am trying to, I would feel bad about being dishonest about my efforts with people who also have a weight problem though.

Thank you for the suggestion. I have always had disordered eating and in some ways (different ways) the surgery is making it worse. I still have obsessions and cravings, but fortunately I'm early out so I can control them due to restriction. What I now have in addition though, is other disordered eating patterns. Binging has been replaced by things like obsessive calorie counting, weighing, etc. Today I went over by 15 calories because of lunch and it freaked me out. I have never liked the idea of therapy but I think I need help.

Bad day. Woke up at 3 am and couldn't go back to sleep. Caffeine led to acid reflux, so I've got to wait longer on that. I had breakfast, but in my sleepy stupor, I forgot my lunch on the counter. Today I am at a conference, and they provided lunch. My breakfast didn't have enough protein and I was trying to pound the water today (I've been so bad with that), so my stomach was empty and I was pretty hungry when lunch rolled around. I took a sandwich and ate a small amount of the meat and cheese without the bread, and one very small mini ravioli from a pasta salad. I estimated the amount as best I could and tracked it. It tasted good and I really wanted more but thank Bob for restriction. Then, I saw the cookie tray and took one of those tiny mini brownies. I have no idea why. I have been so good before this. I wasn't hungry, I was FULL. I took a teensy nibble, about the size of my pinky nail, and tossed the rest. Yes, it was tiny, probably less than 20 calories. but it bothered me that I did it. I am only a month out, I should have more strength against sweets, it's not like those of you who have been doing this for months or years, it is too early to be so weak. What bothered me was that it tasted really, really GOOD. I have completely lost my taste for sugar-free sweet things, they are revolting to me, and I had hoped I would feel the same about the much more dangerous real sugar, but nope. It gave me that familiar pleasure that I haven't felt in a while and it was a little disturbing to have that flashback to that addictive sugar and it was a real wake-up call as to just how difficult this weight loss battle is going to be.

It certainly depends on your height, build and original weight, so you can't expect a 5'1 woman to lose the same on the same calories as a 6'4 man. Maybe you can get an estimate on your basal metabolic rate? There are websites that calculate that for you. 800 is probably far too little for you, but 3,000 is an awful lot, even for a tall man, unless you are seriously active. You can probably shave off some calories by eating low fat and sugar-free versions of foods, and by eating higher fiber foods so you feel full.

My apartment tends to be cold, so now after surgery when I undress, my teeth actually chatter. I went to the grocery store the other day and the dairy aisle was so cold my fingers felt numb. As annoying as it is now though, I kind of hope it is not a temporary side effect. I would love to have this lowered personal thermostat in the summer. It is easier to get warm than it is to get cool...you can always add more layers, but you can only take so any off!

Those are the stats, some people do better, some do worse. I was disappointed when I learned that, because that would still leave me pretty damned fat. I will work as hard as I can to do better, but I asked myself, "If this surgery can help you lose and keep off 'only' X number of pounds, would it be worth going under the knife?" After thinking about it, I said yes, it would. Of course I would prefer to be thinner, but being in the overweight category, while not ideal, is a hell of a lot better than being in the morbidly obese category, in regards to health, mobility and even looks.

I had to be extremely careful during the pre-op process to lose weight, but not TOO much weight, because I didn't have enough in regards to co-morbidities to have the surgery below a BMI of 40...the one time when not having diabetes or high blood pressure is a bad thing! So six months of doctor visits and multiple blood pressure readings, and none of them were ever the slightest bit high. In fact the readings immediately after surgery in the hospital were really low. Then at my 1 week post op visit, it was high. Today, at my 1 month post op visit, it was even higher. The PA said it would level off, and that it wasn't high enough to worry about, but this concerns me, and it is just weird. Weight loss usually brings pressure down, doesn't it?

I was afraid of that too, but I realized that these doctors wouldn't be bariatric surgeons if they didn't believe in the benefits of the surgery. Just be honest, you will be fine. The insurance companies are harder to deal with.

She might be disappointed, but not hurt. Just tell her sweets don't taste the same anymore, and maybe ask if she would please cook up one of your favorite savory, protein-based dishes. The way you speak about your wife is very sweet, I doubt you could hurt her feelings even if you tried.

Your dog is adorable! Just start slow and see how you feel. I was a little worried because my dog is bigger and tends to pull a bit, but it was fine. I was tired after a few blocks though. In a couple of days I was all good though.

Colace sucks. If you need relief, take Milk of Magnesia. It is vile tasting, but that stuff works.