Sandra Nuelken

I've got knee issues et al. So I'm happy if I can get 5000 steps in, and that is at a dog walking, smelling the flowers pace. Come summer I'll be kayaking and swimming.

Wonderful and congrats!! You look so beautiful and happy.

Colaise works

Congrats on all the working out. You need to be taking your measurements more than the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat. That is why heavy people float, as I did, and muscular people sink. You seem like you're building muscles so I'd take time and find something other than the scale to tell you how you're doing. Keep up the great work. I do know that there are built in stalls at 3 weeks and 4 months. Hang in there it sounds like you're doing all the right thing.

Some of that pain may be the gas they used to expand your stomach. If you get up and walk around it will go away. The only discomfort you have is with the incision, no pain on the inside as it doesn't have pain. I walked around a lot to break up the gas and left the next day, no pain meds used at all. I took a Tylenol PM when I got home. The gas can cause a lot of pain and pain meds won't help. You need to move and walk.

You have to remember that you didn't gain it all in a few months you won't lose it all either. The first 4 months are the "honeymoon" period and you will experience your easiest weight loss then. People who start at a higher weight seem to lose it quicker. You will get there. I still struggle to get 500 calories now. Most of mine are trying to get my protein in daily. I also record everything I eat. Good luck on your journey. It will happen.

I drink Ensure max, 30 g. of protein and had 2 a day at 3 weeks out. I put it on ice and sip it all day. You have to get in protein it is imperative. I read on this site about a woman that didn't and she ended up in the hospital. I didn't like the drink but saw it as medicine. It would sometimes take over an hour to get it down. Then I did cream of chicken soup for my mid-day meal. I love sweet tea so I replaced it with caffeine-free tea with a twist of lemon. I also tricked my mind with chewable vitamins and called them my treats. I am concerned that you are not getting protein, they have vegetarian protein powder a plant-based protein that you could mix in warm soup. You need to ask your doctor or dietician for some help.

Quit social drinking, I had to quit for a year to quit smoking many years ago. Alcohol makes anything seem possible including snacking. Just quit and go back to tracking food, 60 g protein, and lots of water. I put fresh lemon in mine. You know what you're doing wrong, you need to return to what you know is right.

Stop eating when you are no longer hungry, and not full. If you are eating slowly enough you will reach a point where you aren't hungry, stop. You don't need to be eating 3 oz of protein. I got most of my protein from drinks at 4 weeks and only had cottage cheese for my "food". I was very cautious when adding food. Good luck. I get hiccups if I eat too much.

Good luck to both of you on your surgery. I'm 5 months out and I count myself so very lucky. I have my life back and don't regret a single thing. Just remember to keep walking, to get the gas out. I never had any discomfort. My diet was clear liquids one week and full liquids week two and three. It was that third week I thought I'd kill for a burger, but that passed. You are about to embark on a wonderful journey. Keep in touch this group will answer all of your questions and are here to support.

This has been the hardest month so far. I had holidays, birthdays, parties and all the temptations of life. My friends know about my surgery and they are all very encouraging, but this one was hard. I knew about the 4-month stall and I knew the temptations of life were coming. I just had a hard month. I threw a 70th birthday party for my husband and I was careful what I ate, but still gained. I had a raspberry cheesecake here for what seemed forever! The drinking, cookies, good food and parties. I'm am so happy to say goodbye to it all. I'm now walking a bit, my knee still hurts at time but it is getting better. Camping at the beach next week and walking the beach daily. A period to clear my mind, put distance between me and my scale and appreciate the new me. To those starting the journey, it is so well worth it. I told my friends that I had a condition that prevents me from eating what I see. I gain weight, so I had to choose between unlimited food and life, I chose life. I once heard it was only the first bite we really enjoy, so if it is something I really want, I allow the first bite, chew slowly and savor it. That has become enough for me. It is better than total denial. Thanks for allowing me to vent monthly. Good luck with your journey, each of ours is different, with the same goal. Good Health to all this next year! I had no idea a year ago that I'd be here today. My journey started last February with a Hail Mary and now I'm so blessed.

I shred all of my meat and I have a set of children's stainless flatware I got from Amazon that I eat with all bites are naturally smaller. I also put olive oil on all of my food then sprinkle Italian seasonings on it. This not only makes the meat moist but also raises my good cholesterol. I use cold-pressed olive oil only and make sure I get a tablespoonful a day on my food. Costco's rotisserie chicken works for me. I pack the meat in 4 oz bags then put them in the freezer. All I have to do is microwave for dinner.

Not a fetish, stitches can hurt when removed staples do not hurt. I had visions of a staple remover that one uses on paper and was scared when I had to go in. I was thrilled when there was no pain.

Naples is beautiful, my parents had a condo there for years. I'll be at Edisto in South Carolina. Nothing to do there but walk the beach, which I love in the winter. No crowds then. I'm staying clear of all of the food so far, I did take a taste of cheesecake, I worked so hard on it. The wine surprised me, I waited 4 months for my first drink and it was my favorite wine. My neighbor bought me a $70 bottle for New Years, I hope I'll be able to drink some. I don't want to hurt his feelings. I'll get through this, I just didn't realize how much eating happens between Thanksgiving and New Years. Just wow, everything is about food.

All of my laparoscopic surgery used staples. I've had 4 and staples were always used.

Well is anyone else having a struggle with the 4-month stall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Holidays, and I have my husband's 70th birthday party with raspberry cheesecake? I will be lucky to hit a 5-pound loss this month as I lost that before the stall and holidays started to happen. Just venting, I am grateful for all that I have lost, the labs were done this month and were good overall. I will be happy when this month of eating is done. Neighborhood party tomorrow so I will get my protein in before I go and take my own water. I thought drinking during the holidays might be hard, but the wine tastes bad now. I will get through this and next month I'll be camping and walking the beach. My peaceful place. Merry Christmas to all, and happy holidays to you too.

I've always had staples, the band in, the band out, and sleeve surgery. They come out lickety-split easier than stitches. Not an issue.

I'm so happy you're home and hopefully, the journey from here on will be smooth!

There is a Bariatric Center of Excellence in Columbia SC. That is what you should be looking for. I had mine done 4 months ago and have had absolutely no problems.

I had mine done 6 weeks before I turned 73. I'm 4 months out and thanked the doctor for giving me my life back. I am so happy with my weight loss and have no regrets.

I didn't start for about a month when I was on soft foods. I just got back from my 4-month visit and blood tests and everything was fine. Waiting won't hurt.

You'll do great if you follow your doctor's orders. After 6 weeks when I was able to add food, I took it very slowly. I had a lot of tuna and chicken breast as I knew it was safe. I didn't venture out to other food until almost 3 months out. Always focus on your proteins. After surgery walk around a lot to get the gas out of your stomach. That is the only discomfort I experienced. At 3 weeks you get hungry, sometime during the first weeks you think you made a mistake, just hang in there. Just realize that this is a journey and not a sprint Just hang in there. Have a great journey.

I went from the band to the sleeve. I had the band out almost a year before the sleeve. I took no pain meds for the sleeve surgery. The pain pills were opiates and I refuse to take any under any circumstances. So the first night I took a Tylenol pm. Then I took nothing. The Band had more pain as you have the port so close and that hurts until it heals. I took a Tylenol 3 one night for it. The pain you have is again from gas and moving is the answer to make it go away. Pain meds won't make it go away just moving. I thought the sleeve was easy. The diet was a bit tedious too. One week of clear liquids, 2 weeks of full liquids, 3 weeks of softs. Then I introduced foods very gradually and actually didn't eat without concern for about 3 months. You have the feeling of a good fill and I didn't want to get sick. If you've been through the band in and the band out, this is not a big deal.

Good luck to you and enjoy! I remember that is what I had for my birthday "dinner".

I can understand if you can't eat you don't cook. I didn't either for about 3 months. Now I only cook when I feel like it, I told my husband he needed to step up and feed himself. He's retired too. I figure I'll have lots of 4 oz. turkey packets in the freezer. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving.