MandoGetsSleeved

Thanks for ressurecting this post! Great reminders for me just a couple of days from Thanksgiving. Reread the original post and based on what I wrote, I'm going to come up with a plan AHEAD of time. First thoughts: 1. I'm just NOT good at moderation (hence the reason I NEEDED this surgery). - Make a plate - This will be my "graze plate" and I'll only eat off of it throughout the day. I'll make sure there's protein on there and also some tasty low calorie options as well. PERIOD 2. I need to learn to give myself "permission" to succeed rather than to FAIL. - See number 1 3. Holidays will always be food focused at my house (I'm the cook), but I need to find better options for me. - See number 1 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!)... - Won't have to do that, because I'll have the graze plate. Fortunately, I still have quite a bit of restriction so it's not a matter of being hungry - Just "snacky". With regards to drinks, I'll allow myself a glass or two of wine, but ONLY after finishing 64oz of water. This will keep me full and stop me from overendulging in alcohol.

@Octalmist37 - I can COMPLETELY relate to the mind set part. I'm only a year out, but regain is a HUGE fear as I've progressed through this adventure. My thoughts - be brutally honest with yourself and do whatever motivates YOU to get back on track. For me, it's shame - I HAVE to weigh myself daily. Otherwise I tend to play mind games on myself (my clothes still fit, so I must be fine, right?) - Yeah, **** stretches! Another thing I tried (that really did NOT work) was to "allow" myself 5 lbs gain - Nope, too easy to let those 5 become 10. So, my advice for you is really to just suck it up, realized you screwed up, and get back to basics - One day at a time. If you screw up one day, just start over the next. Don't let it turn into a bender.

So... what happens when you stop checking out the forums every day and quit tracking? Well, for me it means weight gain. Hit my low of about 165 and then... well... then, essentially have been on a bender since then. It's been about a month. I know what I have to do, I just have to actually DO IT. I'm up 4lbs and can't seem to shake it. I'm NOT going over 170 again, but I have to find that happy medium between starving myself and gorging myself. My solution: start holding myself accountable. I'm starting over today. Tracking, posting, and weighing daily. For others out there in the same boat, don't give up or give in. Take it one day at a time and don't let setbacks get you down.

Going down the water slide on a cruise ship without getting stuck! (Yep, I did it about 10 times!!)

BCBS approved mine (same brand), but we had already met our max out of pocket for the year.

Careful with the exlax - It can cause problems long term. After about two weeks post surgery, I had to use what is referred to in our house as the "nuclear option" (enema). It was AWFUL - SERIOUSLY HORRENDOUS - Since then, I've had problems, but overall things have worked out with time and the ability to get in some raw vegetables (I know you aren't there yet). I started with just lettuce, tomato, and protein powder in my dressing. Every few days, that did the trick. I find that when I get my fluid intake in and walk more, I can stay pretty regular. With regards to Miralax, are you taking it every day? If not, you might want to try that first rather than waiting until it's bad.

Hi Liza, yes - I travel quite often for work and travelled a LOT starting a few weeks after surgery. For me, as soon as I could start eating "real" food, it was HARD to resist the temptation to order whatever looked good off a menu vs. what I should eat. For the first few months, I got most of my food to go and just went back to the room, ate what I could in 20-30 minutes and then threw away the rest of it. Why? Because I eat when I'm bored and if I left it in my fridge, I would hav gradually eaten all of it over the course of several hours. Now, honestly, it's even harder because I can eat what would be considered a "normal" portion to most skinny people (I still have lots of restriction). What I have to watch for at work when traveling is grazing. So often customer have foo or snacks out and again... if it's there, I'll eat it. I also tend to eat much more salt when I travel (restaurants, prepared food) and find that when I get back home, I'll sometimes be as much as 2-3 pounds up even when I was good. Drink water for a couple of days and I'll easily drop that and usually another pound. I also seem to retain a lot more water when I'm flying. So, you're not alone.... What's worked for me: 1. Throw away leftovers if you can't control yourself. 2. Buy the large bottles of water or bring a large water bottle with you - Make sure you're actually drinking it! 3. Grocery stores are great - I love Fresh Market or Whole Foods for their prepared food (salmon and green beans are my go to there). Publix also sells premade small salads that are the perfect size and have a good amount of protein. Over the course of a year, I'm pretty close to my goal weight and probably traveled at least 30 weeks of that. It takes some trial and error to see what works best for you.

I did VSG in Jacksonville - Who's your surgeon?

I agree with what everyone else has said. I'm just over a year out and about 10lbs from my initial goal. I think the "problem" with the sleeve is that most of us are able to eat anything/everything that we CHOOSE to eat after we recover from the surgery itself. You CAN outeat the sleeve. Trust me, I just did it on a cruise. However, I'm committed to MY plan and after a 3lb gain (I didn't bother to track or count calories on the cruise and fully expected a gain) I came home and went back to my new normal of eating. In 3 days, I've already lost that weight. Alternately, I could have come home and continued the things I was doing on the ship (eating like garbage and drinking my liver into a stupor). My guess (somewhat based on personal experience) is that many *certainly not all* people simply go back to back habits because they get complacent (been there, done that). It's really your choice in how you respond to the surgery - It's a tool and how YOU choose to use it is up to YOU.

Perfect timing! I’m not in Italy, but I am on a cruise ship! If meals onboard are an option, My husband and I have just been sharing everything and I’m able to eat anything/everything without issue (except maybe too much once or twice). Lots of protein options in the morning and at lunch. I have found dinner a bit more challenging because of the number of courses. Our solution has been to order room service so there’s no pressure, I can take my time, and not feel like the odd man out at a table.

Surgery has helped me immensely with hot flashes and night sweats.

Hi, I just experienced something very similar last week after eating a fatty meat (Brisket). Pretty much immediately after eating, I had stomach cramps and an immediate urge to go to the restroom. That went on for two days at which point I KNEW it wasn't dumping. Pain was pretty knarly and I ended up in the ER when my docs office didn't have an appointment. One CT later and I was diagnosed with colitis. UGH - 8 days of bathrooms and antibiotics, I'm MUCH better. I was able to get some additional bloodwork done and see my surgeon's PA - She said while it wasn't "normal" to have an episode of colitis, the fatty food may have well set it off and that I shouldn't be overly concerned at this point as long as the pain was gone now, I don't have any addtional espisodes, and to expect my digestive system to get back to normal over the next week or so. If you aren't feeling better soon, definitely do what you need to do to have additional testing done.

What Arabesque and HopScotch said - Each program and person will vary (sometimes GREATLY). If you're losing weight and your nutritionist is happy, then you;re doing great!

So the pain became a little more intense and my doctors office didn't call back so I decided to go to the ER. Good news... Bad News... Good News, I can probably eat Brisket again (hey, I'm trying to be positive here!). Bad news, it's Colitis - Apparently I have a severe infection (2 antibiotics for 7 days) and get to see a new kind of doc. Honestly, I was hoping for this to be a simple gallbladder kind of deal. On a positive note, I've got no doubt I'll lose the remaining 10lbs with this issue! :)

I swear I had a near death experience this afternoon with two small pieces of Brisket. Just whining, but oh damn, I won’t be having that again for awhile. What the heck? I’ve had it since sleeve, but WHEW, this time the new stomach said “oh hell no” and my entire digestive system began its revolt. It’s best I don’t go into details. just for those of you new to the tool. It’s great, works like a champ if you work the program. But whew, every once in a while you get a harsh reminder that sometimes foods you used to love will bite you back!

OK, so yesterday I was just whining about the pain in my stomach - Today, it STILL hurts. Stomach feels like a rock is in there. Nothing seems to be blocked, not getting any burning in my chest - Not throwing up. Just an intense pain in my middle abdomen. NEVER had this happen before. Of course I'm googling at 3am and still not coming up with anything. I'll give this another 24 hours, but geesh, might have to call the doc if I don't get some relief.

For those on the fence about surgery…it’s been a wild and crazy year, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. Thank you to everyone here for the motivation and tips. I still have 20-30 lbs to go but man am I proud of my progress. From a 22 to a 10!

Not sure where you got 900 per day for eternitiy - We're all different and will have different requirements. Yes, there are standards, but I would question ANY physician or nutritionist who made that sort of statement. Looking at your surgery date - Is this your first stall? If so, it could really be as simple as your body levelling out and you'll pick back up shortly.

@Paul.VDH No worries - OK, my 2 cents on "pouch reset" and "counting calories" - Let's look at it logically.... We all know you have to consume less calories than you burn - Otherwise = weight gain. At 10 months out, let's face it, you're bored with the "diet" and ready to venture into new foods. At least I know I was. For me, I simply had to come to a compromise with myself and knock on wood, so far it's working. You can do the pouch reset, and you WILL lose weight by going through the phases again - IF you're doing that to get back on track, then go for it. IF you're doing it to lose 5-10 lbs quickly and then go back to what you're doing today - It's a temp fix. No different than what many of us have done before on previous diets. Use the app to make yourself AWARE of what you're doing to self-sabotage and make realistic modifications from there. If you want something that's "forbidden" (cake, alcohol, fried food, etc.), have it - BUT, in a reasonable quantity - I was just talking to a friend last night who also did the surgery and we were talking about these things - Instead of eating something like it's the last time you will EVER have it again (food funeral?), have a bite or two and then put it up and replace it with something more reasonable if you're still hungry. Example - Last night my husband had country fried steak (one of my all time favorites - can you say comfort food!!) - Rather than have 3-4 ounces of it - I had two bites and was still hungry so I had a protein shake. A month or so ago, I would have eaten it until I was stuffed and then swear I wouldn't indulge again (and of course I would!). Drinking... well, again, I told myself that if I was going to fall off the wagon, I should make it worth it and over do it. I'm consciously working on enjoying a glass of wine (vs. a bottle) or a glass of bourbon (vs 1/2 a bottle!). At just over a year out, I pretty much eat and drink whatever I want. It's been an adjustment, but slowly but surely I'm getting where I want to be. Many days/weeks I don't track. When I find that I'm self-sabotaging (I get on the scale each and every day), I go back to tracking. Seeing it in black and white (both the scale and the tracking) helps me get back on track to maintain and/or lose. I may or may not ever get to my goal weight, but I'll be damned if I'm going back to where I started.

Complete opposite for me (1 year post).... I started symptoms on Sunday and dropped 5lbs since then. Just a question for you - Did you lose taste/smell? That has to be the STRANGEST thing I've ever felt! I've been drinking a ton of Gatorade Zero and I can tell there's a "sweet" sort of taste, but no actual flavor. The lack of a sniffer... Well, trying to make the best of it and sniffing strange stuff to see if/when it comes back. I couldn't even smell bleach!!

@Paul.VDH I'd also like to add - Please don't be ashamed on this forum - It's a journey - We all make mistakes, some of us get complacent, some of us get plain ole lazy (ME!), but we just have to keep on trying. Using the app is one way to hold yourself accountable without feeling the "shame" of sharing it with the world. I know if I stop tracking, I start snacking (It's easy to convince myself that everything is good...).

Hi Paul - Going to "sort of" agree with some of the other posters - 10 ounces would make a lot of us sleevers pretty miserable so I am definitely going to suggest a couple of apps for you - I use "Baritastic" and "Lose It" (both free). They are super convenient and allow you track your food. What I would suggest trying is to do NOTHING different for about a week or two. Weigh yourself and if no loss, try and reduce the caloric intake by 100 calories per day for another week. Since you'll be tracking, it may be as simple as cutting out an ounce from the 10oz per meal. 1200 calories per day doesn't sound like a lot for a man, but as you noted, we're all different and you may aborb calories differently and require less. Substituting "heavy" foods that stick in your stomach may also help with keeping you fuller for longer. I also try and make sure that whenever I'm feeling snacky, I drink water first.

1 year post op - ZERO regrets. Hair loss - From about month 3-4 until about 7-8 for me. At around 8-9 months it all started growing back and you would never know it was thinned out some. On the plus side, it dried a HECK of a lot faster than it does now.

Fan-freaking-tastic!! Great job and very motivating.

Interesting article - Thank you. I think for many people obesity CAN and DOES affect income. I have to ask "why" though in many cases. Is it because we were perceived as "fat and lazy" or is it because others do? Let's face it - When you're obese, you often DON'T have the energy or stamina to keep up with someone else who's fit. The other side of that, when you're obese in the workforce, you may try harder so that you're recognized for your work vs. your size. As someone who fell into both of the above categories. I have been successful at work over the years by proving that I could take on just about anything thrown at me. On the other hand, I know there are opportunities that I've missed because of my weight/size. For a period of time, I thought I would like to be on the demo team at work, but self-realized that wasn't a possibility because: 1 - I'm not sure I could physically keep up with other team members, and 2 - I would have looked like &#*% in the "uniform" (everyone matched on demo days). Honestly, I never even applied for the position. Alternately, I proved myself elsewhere and I have risen in the company to a senior management position. Perhaps it would have been sooner had I been thin? I really don't know. Now, as a normal sized person, I do see more opportunities at work, but I believe that's MY confidence rather than what some would perceive as discrimination. One thing I think that happens is that in life, many people are beat up for being overweight and lack self-esteem. They use weight as an excuse to be disappointed rather than just going for it. When I say "excuse", please don't take that as an insult. So many overweight people have food issues because of crappy lives and it's the one thing they CAN control. It's a vicious circle and in no way meant as criticism. I was lucky - I have an amazing and supportive family so my issue was simply that I love food - It wasn't a coping mechanism. I feel like that is the reason my income wasn't directly assoicated with my weight.