AZhiker

Marine!!! So nice to hear from you again--and you look amazing! Congratulations on your success!
I'm doing well. I gained 15 pounds from my low weight, which in retrospect was a little too scrawny. I've been able to maintain that level for more than six months and feel great. I'm still amazed at how much more I'm able to do than at this time two years ago. I'm also quite surprised at what a wide range of foods I'm able to eat--in very small quantities. Having surgery was truly one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Congratulations! Looking good! I had a breast reduction and panniculectomy (together) in early October. What a difference it was getting rid of the extra skin. If anyone is considering going down the road of additional surgery, I’d be happy to share my experience. Insurance covered both operations.

You are right in that bypass won't cure the addiction. It never promised that. It is a tool that limits intake and creates a bit of malabsorption, but does not cure the head part. That is the work you have to do and it will probably take a good amount of therapy. You are clearly getting the endorphin/serotonin/dopamine release from the sugar. Sugar stimulates the same pleasure centers in the brain as cocaine, which is why it is so addictive in its own right. The good news is that if you can avoid all sugar for 3 solid days, the cravings will actually decrease. But you can't let it creep back in, or the cravings come back as strong as ever. The bad news is that you are going to have to work on figuring out another way to relieve stress, boredom, anxiety, or whatever else might be triggering the need for this sugar hit, and to find better coping mechanisms for dealing with the triggers.
You are not alone. Many people deal with this and are able to overcome it. Congratulations on your weight loss thus far. The tool is working for you, but it can only do so much. Best of luck and I really do encourage you to get some therapy to gain some insight and tools to help you be successful for the long term.

You are right in that bypass won't cure the addiction. It never promised that. It is a tool that limits intake and creates a bit of malabsorption, but does not cure the head part. That is the work you have to do and it will probably take a good amount of therapy. You are clearly getting the endorphin/serotonin/dopamine release from the sugar. Sugar stimulates the same pleasure centers in the brain as cocaine, which is why it is so addictive in its own right. The good news is that if you can avoid all sugar for 3 solid days, the cravings will actually decrease. But you can't let it creep back in, or the cravings come back as strong as ever. The bad news is that you are going to have to work on figuring out another way to relieve stress, boredom, anxiety, or whatever else might be triggering the need for this sugar hit, and to find better coping mechanisms for dealing with the triggers.
You are not alone. Many people deal with this and are able to overcome it. Congratulations on your weight loss thus far. The tool is working for you, but it can only do so much. Best of luck and I really do encourage you to get some therapy to gain some insight and tools to help you be successful for the long term.

So Thanksgiving was the practice run to learn what to do and what not to do. Christmas is coming and we can all make changes that will improve our compliance with our plans. A slip up is never a failure unless one fails to learn from it.

Isn't is wonderful to get on the scale and see that it hasn't moved UP! I basically ate everything, but instead of 2 or 3 full plate loads, I had a salad plate with a little of everything....... but I couldn't finish it. Amazing, when I remember the volume I used to put away. I just LOVE my new life, my new body, and my new little pouch. I feel so NORMAL and that is such a strange feeling, but great!!!

Isn't is wonderful to get on the scale and see that it hasn't moved UP! I basically ate everything, but instead of 2 or 3 full plate loads, I had a salad plate with a little of everything....... but I couldn't finish it. Amazing, when I remember the volume I used to put away. I just LOVE my new life, my new body, and my new little pouch. I feel so NORMAL and that is such a strange feeling, but great!!!

The important things are you’ve recognised you have an addiction & that weight loss surgery doesn’t cure it.
Now you can begin to move forward, work at taking control of your addiction & truely take advantage of your surgery. Whether that be with the help of a therapist or a support group (or both) is up to you.
Wishing you the best of luck.
PS - Yep, I’m with AZHiker. Sugar, real & artificial, is crack but I’ll also say so is caffeine. Now I’ll be in trouble - lol.

OK, trying to be honest AND hold myself accountable... First Thanksgiving post WLS- I feel like a WLS Pilgrim!
So I started the weekend with a 52lb loss since surgery ... YAY! And then.... yeah... then... I gave myself "permission" to indulge - OOOOPS - That was a slippery slope. Now it's Saturday morning and thankfully (it works for me..), I'm a slave to the scale. Up 3.3 lbs in just two days of indulging. I kept telling myself that I wasn't eating and drinking too much (because lets be real.. we CAN'T eat much at one sitting - but we can damn sure graze..) so I ignored the obvious - I WAS EATING AND DRINKING TOO MUCH.
Some harsh realities morning:
1. I'm just NOT good at moderation (hence the reason I NEEDED this surgery).
2. I need to learn to give myself "permission" to succeed rather than to FAIL.
3. Holidays will always be food focused at my house (I'm the cook), but I need to find better options for me.
4. Once the meal is over, the food needs to be put away to avoid grazing (but damn was that ham and cheese slider yummy!)...
5. Alcohol - I've just got to say "NO" - Socializing with family on holidays all day around my house generally involves lots of wine and laughter - I need to find a better substitute than Gatorade Zero because somehow it just isn't the same (suggestions welcome!).

All in all - I wouldn't trade the time with family for anything. I enjoyed cooking, drinking, laughing, and eating BUT I need to find a way to do that AND keep on track during this journey. Beating myself up a little, but unlike previous WL attempts, I'm determined to make this a success and I'm back to basics now.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!

Soup is a liquid, so it goes right through you. You won't feel the restriction until you start eating solid food...
also, the "full feeling" is likely to be different post-op than it was pre-op, and it may take you awhile to figure out your new "full" cues. In the mean time, just eat whatever your plans says to eat (or less if you feel like you've had enough)...that's your safest bet.

I am officially at the lowest weight of my adult life as of this morning! I've got a bit to go to get to goal but I wanted to Celebrate this win!
🎉

Hate to break it to you, but stuff like this doesn’t work. If it did, we’d all be using it instead of getting WLS. It’s a “get thin quick” scam by people who want to profit from our desperation to lose weight.

I eat protein chips pretty regularly because they don't trigger cravings for me and they don't seem to slow my weight loss. Protein Bars, however, did slow my weight loss, even when I factored those calories into my total. I'm not sure why but since that was the case I stopped eating them and my weight loss picked up. Like you, I try to eat real food more often than not, but protein chips or shakes can help me stay on track when I'm on the go.
Edit to add: one thing I can't play around with is "healthy versions" of bread, cake or Cookies. For me, there's no such thing. All such products trigger cravings for me and I'll over-indulge in them. So those are pretty much excluded from my diet unless I'm allowing myself a rare treat.

I was 62 when I had surgery and it was the best decision I've ever made. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner and avoid the arthritis and joint deterioration. I ended up having a knee replacement and may need another one down the road. 5 decades of abuse and the joints just can't take it any more. Don't wait that long.
Please read "The Obesity Code" by Dr, Jason Fung. He explains it all so well, and relieves you of the guilt and lack of will power. There is no will power when biology is calling the shots.
BTW, one of the best predictors of successful weight loss surgery is having a first degree relative (parent, child, or sibling) who had a successful surgery.
I LOVE my reclaimed life. I can do anything I want - hiking, long distance biking, and even completed a triathlon within a year of my surgery! I have maintained my weight and am actually under my goal weight right now. I have been gluten free for years, but am now also following a whole food plant based diet. I've never felt better or stronger, and I eat an enormous amount of food, am never hungry, and basically eat whatever I want within the WFPB guidelines. I'm not saying you should do this, but surgery gave me the jump start. Once I reached goal, I felt free to explore other options without the cravings and over eating that would sabotage every other effort. WLS has given tremendous freedom over food. For the first time in my life, I feel like I control the food instead of the food controlling me.

Children of alcoholic parents often get stuck in a care giving role of responsibility for the parent. They end up being thrust into a parental like role, which is enabling and unhealthy. You are NOT responsible for your mom, for her decisions, for her lies to the doctor, for her weight loss or lack there of, or for her long term success or failure. You are only responsible for YOU. For heavens sake, go to your OWN follow up appointments and let her go to hers. You are each on your own journeys in this. She is not going to stop drinking or smoking because of this surgery, and she may well develop complications because of that. You are not responsible for that - SHE is. She has you wrapped around her little finger. You can love your mom and wish the best for her, but you cannot live her life for her. You have one big job right now and that is to take care of YOU! Get yourself out of the house and back to college. You are putting your own success at risk by trying so hard to ensure your mom's success - but that is HER journey, not yours.
I strongly suggest you get to some Alanon meetings and learn how to be supportive without enabling, and how to take care of yourself. Please do this, or get some kind of counselling. Alcoholism is not a benign disorder. It deeply affects all members of a family in profound and damaging ways, You are on a whole new path now - a path to a healthy, long, happy life. You will be making many dietary and lifestyle changes, and I can tell you are determined to do this well and be successful. I truly believe you will achieve your goals in this. Be warned that your mom is probably going to try to undermine you, as her own progress slows down because of her compromises. You need to be as far away as possible so you can disconnect yourself from her issues. Your own life is complicated enough, and a responsible young lady like you does not need to be looking out for Mom. She is a grown up and can look out for herself and make her own choices. Please use this time to get healthy in every way - including mentally and psychologically. Some counselling regarding the alcoholic influence will be very helpful. Very best wishes to you.

Once I started on soft foods, I could tolerate cottage cheese, yogurt and refried Beans that were thinned with broth, but my tummy did not tolerate eggs for several more months. It's different for everyone, so just experiment until you find what works for you. And your list of tolerated foods will change each week.

Eat a lot more veggies. Try to eat a big salad (watch out for the dressing) or a bowl of vegetable Soup before meals. This greatly reduces overall caloric intake. Studies also show that eating an apple before a meal reduces overall calories. I lost 15 pounds on the 2 week pre-op diet. It is not out of reason to think that you can lose 9 more pounds in 3 weeks.
Juicing will absolutely make you more hungry because you are getting all the calories and sugar from the food, but none of the Fiber. One rule of thumb is to never "drink your calories." It's just too easy to get way too much, and the juice is not very satisfying since it lacks fiber. Fiber fills you up, slows down your eating, and slows down the digestion of the food instead of just dumping it all in at once. Eat the WHOLE food - the whole apple and carrot, not just the juice. Think about the volume of juice you get from an apple, a carrot, a cucumber, and 1 cup of spinach. You could swallow that right down with no problem, I'm guessing. But how would you feel about eating the whole apple, whole carrot, whole cucumber, and the cup of raw spinach? Pretty full, right? That's the difference fiber makes. Do you know that fiber is what your gut biome thrives on, and that very very few people even get close to the 30 gms of daily fiber that is recommended? In short, CHEW your calories, don't drink them.

You can add a lot of Protein with legumes. Refried Beans were one of my favorites during the soft food stage. I have transitioned to Whole Food Plant Based eating during the past year, and even without any animal products in my diet, I still get at least 60 gm of protein a day from legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and plant based milks and yogurt. It really isn't that hard to do.

As we start this Thanksgiving Day in the USA, let's remember that it's not about the food. It's about family and relationships and giving thanks.
I'm thankful for the Sleeve WLS and what it's done for my health, mobility, self-esteem, and confidence.
I'm thankful for these forums to support and encourage one another through our WLS journeys.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Can also get them at costco - watch for them on sale and it's a pretty good deal.

This has been addressed in a lot of threads. If you do a search, you will find more info than you ever wanted to know. After losing more than a hundred pounds at age 62, yes I had (and still have loose skin.) however, by 6 months post op and even more by a year post op, a lot of it sort of tightened up. My arms are not as floppy. Neither are my thighs, neck, for belly. My boobs never came back - still rocks in socks. I went from a 44DD to 34 A, and they hang down to my elbows. Many people really get obsessed with it and it is all they can see. I was in that camp, too, but other people didn't seem to notice as much as I did, and sooooo many people said I looked great and actually looked younger. I do not begrudge any one for getting plastic surgery after WLS, but I do recommend that you wait a year, for a couple of reasons. First, your skin will tighten up a bit on its own. Second, you are going to feel differently about it. Plastics was all I could think about for a while, and then my brain caught up with my body and I started feeling better about my NEW body and all it could do, sags and all. It doesn't matter at all to me now. A good bra and well fitted clothing do wonders. I will never wear a bikini and at my age, I am not trying to attract attention from anyone, and I have truly learned to be comfortable with what I have. You are going to have sags and loose skin. There is no getting around that. But it is not something to be terrified of! Be terrified of dying from the complications of morbid obesity! Having a new body that can do literally anything you want, with a few sags is way better than smooth skin and being obese. It's all a matter of perspective, but give yourself time to figure that out.

I have been working on eating healthy for over 3 months now. It’s important to get yourself ready for after surgery. I stay around 1200-1500 cal a day 80-100g Protein and under 50 carbs I have lost 31 lbs so far!

Keep working on healthy eating habits and give up any addictions like caffeine, soda, sugar. It's so much better to do it before surgery than to go through withdrawal and post op at the same time. Working with the psychologist and nutritionist sounds like a wonderful idea. The more good work you do now is going to help you down the road.

most people do lose some hair, but it's usually just "shedding" that no one is going to notice except you. If it's noticeable, you can always get it cut shorter so it's less noticeable. I actually lost very little hair. Having it come out in clumps (similar to someone on chemotherapy) is pretty rare. I wouldn't have noticed my Hair loss by just looking at myself in the mirror - I could just tell by looking at the amount of hair in my comb after I combed it out after washing it - definitely more than usual for about four months or so.
if it's going to happen, it's going to happen, and there's not much you can do about it other than keep on top of your Protein and Vitamins to keep it from getting worse than it is. Keep in mind that it's temporary - it'll last a few months and then grow back. In the grand scheme of things, it's kind of a minor issue, although I know a lot of people worry about it (I did, too...)

It's called the "slimies" and happens when your stomach wants to get rid of that extra bite or something that did not go down well. It can happen a lot in the early months after surgery, as you learn not to take that extra bite, and to slow down your eating so you can start feeling satisfied before eating too much. It is horribly uncomfortable, for sure. It still happens to me once in a while, usually because I ate too much too fast. I don't vomit easily, so I spit and spit and spit until it passes, which can take up to an hour for me. Yuk! Anyway, lots of people experience this. Just try to be mindful when you eat. Chew every bite really well and put the fork down between bites. Enjoy the taste of every bite, and don't think you have to "finish every bean and pea on your plate."