Tiffykins

Bullshit on a petty rant, I'd be livid as hell, and you're a better woman than me if you don't say something to him. He lied to your daughter, he totally backstabbed you, and your daughter deserves to know the truth.
I hope you feel better hun. Stomach bugs suck regardless if we have surgery or not. I wasn't a puker before surgery, and would avoid it at all costs. The nausea is a killer, and it just makes for a miserable existence.
Hang in there, hun. If I have to, I'll come there and get my mad ninja skills all up on his ass ! ! ! He deserves a swift kick to the ass for his snide, asinine and downright mean comments and lies! ! !

You've reached the point where all of the your sleeve can accommodate a lot more food than what it could a couple of months ago. You really can't stretch out your stomach unless the fundus (stretchy part) of the stomach was left behind, and that falls on surgical technique. I can eat a lot of slider/mushy foods, and then eat again an hour later. It's making the choice to not eat those foods, or not eat again that makes the sleeve work.
Go back to the basics, Protein first, dense foods that will stay with you longer, and avoid carbs to get the scale moving again.

Bret Michaels was putting on a show down here this past weekend. He stopped by our base and did a meet & greet with military members and families. It was very nostalgic as the Poison album "Flesh and Blood" was the first cassette I ever bought. My parents were very strict, and didn't allow that type of music. Least to say, when they found it, I got a major lecture on "devil music". Here's some pictures. He put on a great show, I loved every minute of it. John didn't want to go since he golfed all day. One of my girlfriends and I set out and had a blast.

Absolute proof that life after VSG is not boring, restrained, or limited. I have over 50 pics on my Facebook, but didn't want to picture whore up too much LOL.

Me and Bret :smile:


By the tour bus:

Umm that would be what we like to call a Rum Bucket or Bucket of Voodoo juice.
It was hot and sticky, humid. Plus, the place was packed. :huh0:


I was this "close" ha ha ha


Have I told y'all lately that life post-VSG truly ROCKS ? ! ? ! ?:party4:

I'm with Jane. I've lost 7, count 'em 7 friends because I'm "skinny" now. But, I have not changed my personality since losing weight.

I was a big b*tch when I was fat. It was a defense mechanism, and I kept everyone at arm's length. It what kept me safe. The friend's I've lost have been people that would not face their own problems with food. They were mad at me for "shunning the size acceptance" world of BBWs. I wasn't shunning anyone, I was being shun because I wasn't wearing a size 22W anymore. They apparently feel like since I chose surgery, I chose being skinny instead of staying fat and happy. I chose surgery because staying fat was going to end up killing me.

Mean people suck. Selfish people do not like it when you stop giving them the attention they think they deserve. Many people are threatened by weight loss, even more so they are threatened by change. I was always the "hot and funny fat chick". I was a the "head cheerleader" of our little clique of BBW girls, all the boys wanted to date me, all the women wanted me to go out with them to attract men into our group because they lacked the confidence to dance on the table. I never tolerated shitty behavior from anyone just because I was fat. That definitely hasn't changed with my pant size.

The only thing I can tell you is that change is not bad. Some people will embrace the new you, physical and mental/emotional you, others will be scared of the changes, and place the blame on you instead of realizing that the problem lies within themselves.

I heard this a lot, got negative comments from my family (mom and brothers), and I just told them, funny thing is you never said anything when I was packing on the pounds. I did lose super quickly, and people that were genuinely concerned addressed it privately and in a non-threatening manner. Those that were just being douchebags were mean, and uncaring about how their words affected me. I never let it change how I chose to lose nor did I ever let their words really get to me. I'm pretty blunt and outspoken so when craptastic comments came spewing from their mouth, I was always quick-witted towards them and shut them up fairly fast.

I'm probably one of the most vain people you will encounter. Seriously, I am supposed to wear glasses, and can't do contacts. I'm so vain that I'd rather be blind than wear glasses that I "feel" make me look old. Even as a fat chick, I was vain. I loved, loved, my hair, and when I started losing it, I was umm pissed to say the least. I had 2 knee surgeries, a c-section, and lapband and never lost an extra strand.

I had gorgeous hair pre-op. But, I will say the first time you slide on a tiny size of true skinny jeans, and your a$$ looks awesome in them, the Hair loss thing is a distant memory :confused1:

Our program restricts raw fruits and veggies for 3 months, and I avoided carbs (no more than 30gr per day) during my losing stage. But, I do eat everything you listed on a pretty much daily to every other day basis. There isn't anything I can't eat. I don't tank up on a bunch of breads, but I can easily eat 1 soft taco from Taco Bell minus the top part of the tortilla.

if I may plug what is in my opinion a far superior (and cheaper, and healthier...) Pasta swap: zucchini Pasta
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/health/22recipehealth.html
I made this a while back, sprinkled just a bit of salt and pepper on it, saute in a bit of olive oil (I use a bit less than what the recipe said) and I put some feta cheese and diced tomatoes on it. Better than regular pasta actually!! I love the nutty, sweet taste of zucchini and it really has a pasta-like consistency. I bought shiritaki noodles on the recommendation of hungrygirl a while back (I think she is a sponsor/getting paid to plug them so I would take her ravings about it with a grain of salt) and I was unimpressed. We can put a man on the moon but we can't make fake noodles that are halfway decent? There are other veggie imitations that are healthier and tastier IMO.

Oh, that's why there are so many fat Chinese people, they use TONS of MSG.
Sorry, but I think this is bull. There is no REAL scientific evidence that MSG causes Migraines or anything like that. Glutamates are natural ingredients in food, they are naturally in mushrooms, meats and anything considered "umami". They enhance flavor and yeah, if something tastes good, it makes you want to eat more. Maybe we should all eat things that taste like crap - that would probably be a safe way to stop people from overeating - but don't blame obesity on MSG because there is no scientific evidence of that. You post a link to rense.com - the article says "AUTHOR UNKNOWN" - yeah, that is a great, trustworthy source of information. Please go and check out http://www.rense.com and see for yourself if this is a web site that you want to rely on for information. Other things featured on this site are UFOs, ghosts, "Indoor air: America's Silent Killer" - What a joke! Rarely ever have I seen a LESS legit site than that!
Your list of "Additives that always contain MSG" is a joke, because those things don't CONTAIN MSG, but contain Glutamates or Glutamic Acid. It's not like anyone puts MSG in yeast extract or "Plant Protein Extract".
See also:
Yes. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of Protein. It is found in virtually all food and, in abundance, in food that is high in protein, including meat, poultry, cheeses, and fish.
Hydrolyzed Proteins, used by the food industry to enhance flavor, are simply Proteins that have been chemically broken apart into amino acids. The chemical breakdown of proteins may result in the formation of free glutamate that joins with free sodium to form MSG. In this case, the presence of MSG does not need to be disclosed on labeling. Labeling is required when MSG is added as a direct ingredient.
(from a legitimate USDA source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/help/faqs_flavorings/index.asp#5)
Because human studies failed to confirm an involvement of MSG in "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" or other idiosyncratic intolerance, the JECFA allocated an "acceptable daily intake (ADI) not specified" to glutamic acid and its salts. No additional risk to infants was indicated.
(School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 5XH, Surrey, UK: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10736380)
MSG per se is fine. It is a salt though and as such has the same indications as salt - don't eat too much of it - but not because it is MSG but because it is SALT.

I think TexasT said it best. In your case I think you need to resolve your issues with food before you have the surgery. if you don't, you will still lose weight initially with the surgery but you will eventually sabotage yourself. I've seen a lot of stories about WLS "failure" but its not the surgery that fails, its the person. If you aren't mentally prepared to change your lifestyle, in my opinion, you shouldn't have the surgery.
I have been on a self imposed "pre-op" diet since August and I'm not getting sleeved until Feb 2011. But I'm doing it so that I'm mentally prepared. I went out to eat this weekend for my son's bday and instead of ordering the entree I ordered a cup of Soup and an appetizer. It wasn't the HEALTHIEST app they had, but the portion was small (ok and I snuck in a few bites of his dessert...lol) and it helped me to realize that even after I'm sleeved I can do the same thing and not feel funny about it.
If you need to lose the weight like you say you do, then do the "pre-work" you need to do to get yourself ready for the surgery. If that means talking to a psychologist or a nutritionist or attending OA then do it. This is a life changing decision and you have to be ready to make it.
If you do your research, the actual risk involved with the surgery is very minimal and comparable to any minor surgery. So that is really the least of your worries. The bigger thing to consider is if your mind is ready to accept what your body is going to be doing.
Good luck to you.
We are all here for you.

As for making the decision, that really has to be on you.
As for your "friend" that is threatening to stop talking to you (that's such juvenile behavior at best), ask them "if I had a malignant tumor, would you quit talking to me for having it removed?" In my mind, having a large portion of my stomach removed, simply removed part of an organ that was allowing me to overeat, and led to my obesity. As for the easy way out, have your friend contact me, and I'll be more than happy to share with them the stone-cold facts on how it's NOT easy to have any WLS.
With friends like that, you don't need enemies. Honestly, if they can't be supportive, and positive then don't let them tell you how your going to live your life. It's your body, your future health, and if that friend wants you around for years to come without having to pop medications, or live with co-morbidities that will inevitably put you in an early grave, then they need to be supportive or they need to be out of your life.

I struggled with the same issues before I went for my band. I even did the "weigh down workshop" for 2 years in attempts to lose weight, and asked God to free from the food demons. People reading this probably thinks this is insane, but gluttony is a sin, and I punished myself long enough. I prayed, I meditated, I followed the plan, I lost, then life would happen, and I would start in again with old habits.

I prayed for guidance, I prayed for peace. I went through a literal hell on Earth experience with both surgeries, but God brought me through all of that, I truly believe it's made me a better woman because of it.

I don't believe God let me suffer because of my choice to have weight loss surgery. I don't believe that I landed on life support for 5 days, that my husband wasn't allowed to come home, or anything else that transpired during my revision and recovery because I couldn't lose weight on my own.

Do I feel guilty now? No, and because of that, I thank Jesus for pulling me through, for bringing my husband home safely, and for sending angels to watch over and protect me and my son through a very difficult, and draining recovery. I cherish each day given to me because last year I almost lost everything.

Nope, my husband said the same things, and never said anything of the sorts when I was fat. You wanna know what stopped his little shitty comments? ME saying " hey before you came along, I had zero issue dating, having boyfriends, and I CHOSE YOU to marry, I make the choice to stay married to you, fat or thin, you are stuck with me, so get over the fact that the only reason I'd leave you is if I was skinny, I'd leave you fat so just stop being so insecure, and buck up."
It happens, they hate change more than anything, and if you're husband is anything like mine, he is a fixer, and he felt helpless like he couldn't "help" me NOT be fat. I was like the grace of God couldn't help me get skinny, what makes you think you can fix my fatness? He really just wanted to fix everything, and make it better but didn't know how to convey his concerns.

Nope, my husband said the same things, and never said anything of the sorts when I was fat. You wanna know what stopped his little shitty comments? ME saying " hey before you came along, I had zero issue dating, having boyfriends, and I CHOSE YOU to marry, I make the choice to stay married to you, fat or thin, you are stuck with me, so get over the fact that the only reason I'd leave you is if I was skinny, I'd leave you fat so just stop being so insecure, and buck up."
It happens, they hate change more than anything, and if you're husband is anything like mine, he is a fixer, and he felt helpless like he couldn't "help" me NOT be fat. I was like the grace of God couldn't help me get skinny, what makes you think you can fix my fatness? He really just wanted to fix everything, and make it better but didn't know how to convey his concerns.

I was actually the opposite. During my recovery, the 2.5 weeks of nothing by mouth was pure hell. I didn't really miss eating, but I missed the experience of food. I threw myself into food Network and the Travel channel.

M v. F, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Iron chef America, and all the others is what I watched day in and day out. I also started scouring websites for recipes, and learned how to tweak them to be more sleeve friendly.

I'm weird, I know, but I found comfort in watching all those shows. It was a reminder that I would be able to eat at some point LOL.

Leg lifts with a weighted ball. Lay on your side, hold weighted ball in between your knees, and lift your knees off the ground, hold for a few seconds then slower lower your knees, but do not allow them to touch the floor. You can do the same thing with the ball in between your ankles and that really helps the outer thighs. I started with a 4lb bag of flour since I didn't have a weighted ball.
I also did leg swings while standing up, using a chair to balance, extend leg out, tighten your thigh muscles through the movement, keeping your foot flat, do not point toes, and hold your leg out for 10 seconds then swing it back to center.

I don't know what you activity level is or will be when you choose to get on program. I lost on average 20lbs a month by eating 600-800 calories a day, no more than 30gr of carbs, and at least 60gr of Protein.< /p>

Typically, it's an insecurity within him, and not an issue with the wife unless she starts acting on that attention from other men. At least that has been my experience, I got attention when I was fat so my husband didn't really have any major issues with me getting more attention. He was a little jealous when he first came home from his deployment, but that's pretty typical reintergration behavior for military members that are gone for long periods of time.
My marriage was solid pre-op, and it's more solid today. We discussed our concerns long before I had my band, and he was deployed during my revision. We shared our concerns, and we also really thought about all the pros and cons. He was always proud of me, but now when the guys at work say "man, your wife is looking super hot", he simply smiles and says " thanks, she's worked hard to achieve her goal".
We did go through a little bout of him being the food police when I continued to lose below goal, but I just had to explain it to very simply and very matter of fact. Any concerns he has had, we've discussed. Communication is KEY.

Sooooooooooooooo, it's been awhile since I've posted. We're still trying to conceive, I'm still living a kickass life, and really everything is going fabulous. My business has taken off, I'm making money, earning free jewelry, enjoying a very active social calendar, and truly just living every day to the fullest ! ! !
Thought I'd share a pic, the quality sucks, thank you iPhone camera without a flash ! ! !
We went to Halloween party last night, I dressed up for the first time in the last decade. I had a blast, John stayed sober to be DD, and I rocked out all night long.
Beer pong is not a game for sissies ! ! !
"Why, yes that is a sheer skirt with leggings and fishnets in hooker boots ha ha ha! ! !" That was asked last night because no one had ever seen me dressed like that, least to say, we had a fabulous night ! ! !

Ohhhhh and just for shits and giggles, here are some published research articles that show scientifically how the ghrelin plasma level is reduced in VSG vs. the Band and vs. RNY. Both procedures that leave the fundus intact.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18376181?ordinalpos=12&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
http://www.bernhard-ludvik.at/download/pub/2005_ref61.pdf
Best wishes on whichever surgery you choose.

I slung leg just as much when I was fat. The big difference now is that I don't get winded, my body is more flexible, and positions are more easily achieved.

Sex is more than the physical which obviously you don't understand. Intimacy plays a large role in an active sex drive. Self-esteem comes into play as well. We, as women, are a bit sensitive to our fat rolls getting in the way during sex.

It must suck to be so close-minded about why our sex drive improves once we lose weight. It's more than getting your peepee wet with most women, and obviously you haven't experienced that to date.

I'm right at 16 months out.


1) How fast are you able to eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat a full meal, meat, veggie, starch, a little bread in 20-30 minutes. I've figured out if I stretch my meal out over any longer period of time, I can fit more in. I've noticed this especially to be true in social settings, like lunch with my girlfriends, you know those "lunches" that turn into 2 hour gab fests. I can technically eat my meal, then wait 20ish minutes, drink a little something then let the grazing commence. Yeppers, I admit it, I don't follow the rules as closely anymore.
2) How much can you eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat double the amounts I could at 2-3 months out when it comes to solid foods. I was stuck at 1-2 ounces of meat at 2-3 months out. I can now eat 3-5 ounces of meat depending on the texture, how the meat is cooked, and how much food lube I use when eating. I developed a really bad habit of using Condiments with my band. I haven't been able to kick that habit completely, but I do not "NEED" condiments for meat to go down, I just flippin' love A1 thick and hearty sauce LOL.
3) Just for reference, please tell me what size sleeve you have. 32Fr, and I lost additional tissue at the top of the stomach because of the band.
4) How dense of food are you able to eat? (ie, steak, chicken breast, etc) Chicken breast, sirloin steak are the dense foods that I can eat only about 3oz, but give me ribs, filet mignon or sea scallops, crab meat, I can get in 4-5oz easily. Scallops are my new love affair because I can fit 3-4 scallops in my sleeve if I eat nothing else.
5) Are you able to handle bread of any kind? Yeppers, and I eat bread, tortillas, bagel thins, crackers, pretzels, chips, big fluffy yeast rolls at steak houses work really well, I can eat about 1/2 of those big rolls, 1 crescent rolls with jelly, biscuits don't work that well, pizza crust (thin and crispy), olive garden breadsticks are "okay" a little too dense for my liking,
6) Is there anything at all that still gives you trouble to eat this far out? Stupid scrambled eggs, and pork chops both sit heavy in my sleeve. I'm not a fan of either of them so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
7) How is your energy level now? It truly does vary. If I eat carbs, I feel kind of blah, but bounce back quickly. If I Protein load, then I feel like a 4 year old on a 12 pack of Mountain Dew LOL.
8) How do your scars look now this far out (for those who were Lap)? I have a lot of scars(16 between the band, revision, leak repair, gallbladder surgery all in a matter of 16 months, plus the 2 different occasions of having multiple drains placed during my recovery), and I'm pastey white so my scars are still visible, but they are just pretty little pink polka dots now.
9) What is the one thing you enjoy most now since surgery? (Can be anything, not necessarily food related) Just living a normal life, food is literally an afterthought, I love going, going, going. I love shopping for new clothes, I enjoy getting attention for how I look now instead of how huge I was.
10) What is the one thing you regret most being this far out? (Again, anything goes)

I literally have zero regrets. I'm asked privately quite often how I do not have buyer's remorse, or why I never really got depressed during my recovery. At the end of the day, every single struggle or hurdle I endured taught me something, I grew stronger, and simply saw every day as a new challenge. Some days brought huge victories, and some days brought huge challenges, but at 16 months, there is NO doubt in my mind, heart or spirit that I made the "right" decision. I reflect a lot over last summer's events, and wonder how the heck I made it, I don't know what my driving force was really other than a pure faith that if God had brought me to it, He'd bring me through it. I struggled for a solid 3.5 months post-op, it was not easy, but it was totally worth it. I can honestly say that I would do it all over again, complications and all, to be living the life I live today.


Hope that helps chickee! ! !

The post-op diet can seem like a con, but it'll be the same with any WLS.
The sipping thing can be tedious, but as the months pass, and your stomach heals, sipping is not required. I drink like a "normal" person and have been doing so for months.
I honestly can't think of one con. Dining out is now an experience, and not an adventure in how much I can eat, get stuffed, and waddle out feeling like a Water buffalo. I enjoy eating out 1000 times more now than I did pre-op. It's amazing how much fun/fellowship can occur when I'm not shoveling food into my mouth.
Gas pain is temporary.
The hair loss thing was a little worrisome, but it grows back. I'll trade a little bit thinner hair to not have back fat.
All the "little" things are simply a means to an end.