Lisalu

Nannie G, I'm between 5'2" and 5'3" so 124 is more on me. Funny story: I decided to bite the bullet and weigh myself yesterday. Got on scale in housemate's room (it's hers afterall) and I weighed 123.8 w clothes. Brought scale to bathroom, removed clothes and stepped on again 126.6. I wigged. Moved scale back to it's old position in the bathroom between the toilet and the sink and stepped on it again. 122.8. Ha! I was loosing and gaining weight by the moment depending on where the scale was. God knows what I actually weigh, but I probably haven't gained much if any. I need something to keep me on track but I'm not sure the scale is it. Had a couple ounces of boiled beef for breakfast. Bleh, but it is the most prudent way to start my day. Gave up sugar (again) at the beginning of June. Carbs in general, sweets in particular, are my downfall. Glad you al are here. Seems easier with all of you.

I'll be 2 years out at the end of this month and I am struggling. I just can eat so much more than I used to and that's so scary. I visited the doctor a month ago and weighed in at 124. I was wearing clothes and had eaten breakfast so maybe naked morning weight would've been 123. Still that's up 3 lbs since last year at this time. I know it's not that much but I'm afraid that I've gained more since. I've been too freaked out to get on the scale for a month. Basically anxious about this whole thing.

Hey Globetrotter, nice to hear from you. The Cornell plan looks like this: 3 meals and 1 high protein snack per day. Protein first, then veggies, then whole grains. Avoid concentrated sweets. Heres a link: http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf

Yikes, typos, sorry everyone. I can spell, capitalize and punctuate, but I cannot proofread!

Thanks Dee, for your response. i too gave up sugary stuff for lent even though I'm no longer a Catholic. Somehow the discipline of lent from youth is still with me; stuff I couldn't give up in January becomes easier to give up beginning Ash Wednesday. Lately I've been reducing the carbs too. This morning my weight was 120.8, Hurray! I can eat more than I used to be able to, so I think it's important for me to concentrate on Protein and vegetables and to limit carbs. I'm back eating artificial sweeteners and though I don't think they are actually healthy, they are far better than the alternative. Sugar is such a drug for me. The sugar alcohols have side effects which is a good thing for me. I cannot eat a 100gr bar of SF chocolate because of the stomach cramps it causes. This means that my portion sizes are reasonable and not gluttonous--in the end a very good thing indeed. I think the weight thing will always be a struggle for me, but at least I have a chance of winning this battle now instead of trying my hardest and losing miserably. I feel pretty good of my protein-first diet. My BF and housemate are both on no sugar diets so I don't have loads of temptattion. My boy still eats sugar with abandon, but I can dismiss that more easily. Sugar now seems like pixie sticks or cotton candy--stuff you eat in your youth but wouldn't really ingest during adulthood.

For the record, my thinking has been clear, maybe even clearer than before the surgery. I haven't had any concentration issues (or no more than usual, I'm kinda ADD, lol).

Hi All, My Surgery was 20 months ago. I am now about 12 lbs below my original goal of 135 (Ht: 62.5"). I began with my surgeon's plan but found it too restrictive. I then followed the Cornell plan down to goal weight and below. Then I kinda fell off the wagon. Last year I could eat anything and not gain, in fact for a few months, I was trying to put a couple lbs back on. Beginning in August, my weight began to creep back up. I gained about 5 lbs (from 120 to 125). Most of the gain came from 1) being able to eat more and 2) sweets. I've always had a sweet tooth, and sadly the surgery didn't end that. So on Ash Wednesday, I went back on the Cornell Plan which involves 3 high Protein meals, 1 high protein snack and no sweets. OK, I've been jonesing for the sugar but my weight is coming down. My question to my fellow maintainers is this: Do you follow a food plan and what does it look like? Do you snack, graze or just eat meals? Carbs? Sweets? How much protein? Thanks in Advance.

I read some research about the fundus growing back in some patients. I think a google search of "neofundus" or maybe "neo-fundus" might kick up the article. Right now they think it comes from surgeon error, that is leaving too much of the fundus intact,rather than from overeating. It is a specter that scares the bejesus outta me.

Hey Coops and Mini-me, I remember you from when I first came on this site in 2010. I too have gained a few pounds from my preferred weight on 120. My housemate got a scale and I'm hoovering at 123. 3 pounds, no biggie right? Well it kinda is for me cuz I'm afraid it'll go from 3 to 13 to 30 to... Plus it's there because my eating habits have been crap. Gotta recommit to protein first and to laying off the sweets. Goodness but they are still my weakness

Recent research (sorry no citation) suggests that ghrelin producing cells located all over our digestive tract may beef up production to re-establish our ghrelin level. The good news is that if we have had post-VSG memory loss mediated by ghrelin levels, we should get those faculties back. The bad news is increased ghrelin = increased hunger and potentially weight gain. Rats. As far as memory loss due to dimished ghrelin production is concerned, I think we should bear in mind that high blood sugar levels can lead to memory loss too. I was pre-diabetic before so my brain cells were already in the cross hairs, so to speak.

LilMissDiva---Yes, I feel like that all the time.Maintenance has been surprisingly easy thus far. I still adhere to some principles: 3 meals, 1 snack, only 0 calorie drinks in between (though I'll allow myself a latte or a beer). I try not to drink during meals but occasionally I will. It's weird to not need to lose weight.

I reached goal in 6 months (I didn't have that much to lose and lost before the surgery) so I did hit the dating game skinnier than I had been for 20 years. It ROCKED. I felt sexy in clothes. I felt sexy without clothes. The guy was a bit fluffy---which I like, but it was so weird to have him be self-conscious about his weight but have me NOT be. We've since broken up but I feel so much more date-able than I have in the past. I may be the same person inside but let me tell you, men treat me differently.

I started dating at 6 months post op. He already knew about the surgery so I didn't have to decide whether or not to tell him. I probably would have told anyway--I mean I eat like a bird now and clearly it's a bit odd. Dating was not a problem. I say if you like her, go for it.

Hey Blackberryjuice.I've been reading your posts for months and I'm sure you're really nice but 32DD? I hate you! I am now officially boobless! Add my boyfriend to the list of men who would want his woman heavier. Sheesh.

I'm 13 months out and have been at goal for 7 months. I find it both easy and hard. Easy because I seem to stay this weight in spite of not always exercising and eating pretty much what I like at meals. Of course I can't eat a lot of anything (well, compared to pre-surgery amounts) but I do eat plenty more than I could at the beginning. It's hard because I still have food issues. I eat too many sweets and not enough protein. Often I feel the urge to eat for emotional reasons. So I'm maintaining but I'm a bit nervous. I'd like to be taking better care of myself. I started going to OA and I feel pretty good about having the support. Definitely, I can see the emotional side of my food/weight stuff. Glad for this thread.

Ate a very carby meal. Felt sleepy. Took blood sugar immediately before meal, immediately after and 1 hour after. Before: 92 Immediately after: 179. 1 hour later: 169. Not diabetic but not optimal. Looks like I should try to curb the carbs a bit. In the morning BTW, my fasting level was 85 and my sugar after breakfast was 116. All very good. It's those heavily carby meals I need to watch.

I did a google search after I posted. (Duh, should have done it before but didn't think about it.) Apparently lots of people have postprandial somulence (fun huh? It means sleepiness after meals) after gastric bypass. They think it might have to do with a relatively fast rise in blood glucose due to the bypass. That shouldn't be the case for us though. Then I saw an article about some neurons in our brains that are very sensitive to changes in blood glucose. Different people have different sensitivities with some folks getting sleepy after a very small rise in blood glucose. Also, some people seem to get more sensitive to these changes in blood glucose as they age. So for what ever reason, I seem to be a lot more sensitive to this than I used to be. I think I'll do some blood glucose monitoring before and after meals and see if I can find some correlation. Looks like I might have to cut out some carbs yet

I'm a little more than 1 year out. My eating plan is 3 meals plus 1 snack a day with nothing in between. I'm below goal so I'm clearly doing something right regarding caloric intake. My problem is that I get sleepy after eating. I don't eat so much that I feel sick but I often want to take a nap. Does this mean that I'm eating too much? Does this happen to anyone else? If it does mean I'm eating too much, I'll probably have to go to 3 meals 2 snacks in order to keep my calories up. Wow, I never thought I'd ever say that!

Yeah, I'm 10-15 lbs below goal but still... I like eating too much to actively lose any more weight, but I don't feel too thin by any means. Of course I'd like to lose in the gut but retain or gain in the boobs and butt. OK, none of that is happening. I put on one of my mom's suits from the 1960's. It's a size 12 and it's just a little too big. A size 12! I'm 5' 2 1/2" and weigh about 121 lbs. I don't think someone can spend most of their life trying to lose weight and then just stop thinking like that. I don't need to lose more weight but it's hard to accept that. It has always seemed like a solution to a multitude of problems (ok, I know that's unrealistic but it is honest). Now I just have to live with the fact that tho I'm thin, I'm not young any longer or (ack) perfect.

Here's a pic of my belly. Only about 1/2 of the scars are VSG related. The others are from my gall bladder removal. I'm 48 years old.

Thanks Jackie. I can see it in the chin/neck area. It's kinda saggy there. My belly is a wee bit saggy but not bad. Really I lucked out in the skin department---no stretch marks with my babies and my skin bounced back from weight loss pretty well. Soon I will post inappropriate fotos of my belly and scars.

Hey Earl, I think it depends on several things. If the dysfunction is being caused by nerve damage, you may not regain function. If it is caused by other stuff, the weight loss should help. Diabetes and hypertension are not great for sexual function. Hopefully when those things are under control, everything will get better. I trust you've tried the viagra/cialis type stuff. They improve blood flow, so they work for lots of diabetics. Of course there are the more radical therapies like implantable pumps, but you may never have to go that route. Intercourse is great, but I also encourage you to get creative. There's lots of stuff that you can do besides intercourse that can be fun and satisfying for both of you.Best of luck to you and your wife.

Hi Everyone, My one year anniversary was 2 weeks ago on June 30. My top weight ever was 210 (with clothes and shoes). My weight this morning (in skivvies) was 120.4. My labs look great with the exception of D3 which is a bit low. All my premorbid conditions (hypertension, prediabetes, sleep apnea, psoriasis) have resolved. I feel great. OK, here are the before and after pics.

Globetrotter, great post and congratulations on the weight loss. I had my surgerversary 2 weeks ago and I share many of your thoughts. I can't believe l did this either. I'm happy as hell that I did but it still feels unbelievable. When I see people who haven't seen me for a while, they are always shocked. Usually they ask how I managed to lose almost 90 lbs. Usually I tell them. It feels so weird because now I'm a skinny chick saying I had weight loss surgery, which somehow doesn't compute in my head (though that is the goal of surgery of course). I too feel like a fat person passing most of the time. I go to OA and one member asked me if I had ever had a weight problem. I laughed. I guess she thought I was an anorexic or bulimic, rather than a former fat person. Best of luck. I think you can get those last 30 lbs off. You've come so far already.

I'm hoping we can get this thread up and running again. I've been going to OA for the past 6 months or so. The sleeve ended the physical part of my food problem but the emotional/spiritual difficulties are still there. I don't have other addictions---apparently food has always been my drug of choice, but since VSG things have been changing. First, I developed bulimia. It wasn't too bad by bulimia standards: I'd find myself purging (barfing specifically) about 1X a week, usually because I ate too much and was uncomfortable. The first 1 or 2X I did it, I thought, "No big deal. I just need to learn how much I can eat." The thing is that the problem didn't go away after a few times; it kept up on a pretty regular basis. The other thing is that after purging, I'd want to eat more. Now that's insane. Never really had bulimia before the surgery. I tried purging several times in college but it seemed so painful and not worth it, so I quit. It was a surprise to see it surface after the surgery. It was also a blessing because it was sooo dysfunctional that it promptly led me to OA. I can justify a lot but it's hard to rationalize throwing up. So here I am in OA and am really grateful to be there. Other addictions seem to be creeping up but they are relatively mild, so I'm just keeping an eye on them for now. I used to hate to drink alcohol but now I enjoy it. I don't think I have a problem with alcohol but I see that I could develop one over time. It's so weird because I used to drink about 3 -4 times per year. Now I have a beer or 2 about 1X a week. Quite a change. I'm also spending more. Now I was a real tightwad before so it isn't all bad for me to be spending more on everything but it is kind of alien to me. Before I was really controlled with money and alcohol and really crazy/reckless with food. Now I'm controlled with food and looser in the other two areas.