thinoneday

Hi, this part of surgery takes a lot of work. . . yes, i used to find it disqusting to how much food people really eat. and to think we all used to eat that much if not more. . . really gross if you ask me. . . what i do is use a baby bowl or a small dessert dish for my food. if your wanting a plate and not a bowl, use a tea cup saucer. then add 1 - 2 tsp of each food you want. it fills it up and looks like you have lots, you'll be lucky if you can finish it! good luck!

Yup, i'm out 2 years and get that like crazy if i eat/drink too much. . . very annoying

As you can see, we are a very supportive group! All of us have been there. we've been scared and felt alone too. . .don't worry, your going to be ok. . the only one troubling thing is your constent thought about food. Have you looked into getting a couselor or going to therapy for that? Food addiction is a tough one cause we all need food to live. . . but now the mind set has to be that we now eat to live and not live to eat. . . you mentioned your a bit of a control freak, well, control your hunger now. I do that too every day, I am a control freak big time and have to be perfect in most everything i do. . i had my surgery 2 years ago and now I am the one in control of what goes into my mouth and thoughts into my head, not my stomach and not my brain. . . it's really tough changing that part. But we are here for you, so know that you do have cyber friends here and we are here to help! Good luck!

Yup, I get that when I eat too much starches, especially pretezels. . . so I have to be really careful. Yesterday I was going through the liquor cabinet to see what i needed to go buy before next week. Well i came across some Irish Cream and guess what? It was only a little bit in the bottle so I figured i could just drink that and it would be one less bottle in there. . . it was only about 1/2 cup so i finished it and about 3 minutes later, there I went, sicker then a dog. . .sweating, palpations, nausea, etc. . sugar rush no doubt. . .don't think I will be adding any Irish Cream to the stock either! yuck!!!!

Hahahah, used to be i'd say "loose weight" well now its, get back into the gym at least 3 x per week. I totally have to do this cause I'm so out of shape. I did a stress test last week by treadmill and even though i completed 10 minutes of very strenous walking, I was huffing and puffing like an obese person again! Couldn't believe it! So it's off to the gym for me! How about you???

Yes, string cheese is much lower in calories and fat, especially if it states that. I use figo head string cheese 50% less fat. And it tastes good too!

What size bougie did your doctor use? I'm out 2 years and still can only fit about 1 cup of food, depending on what it is, without feeling like I ate a whole turkey dinner! And I still get the slimys. . . but like the previous posters said, you will probably get that "full" feeling once you start eating solid dense proteins. At this time, mashed potatoes and such are considered "slider" foods which just slide right on through and don't make you feel full at all. Good luck and keep us posted

2 pieces of string cheese every evening before bed. . . I brush my teeth after of course! Wouldn't want to kill my husband with cheese breath! lololol

Yup your darn lucky! But if the pain starts it's usually up in the shoulder blades. It's a really bad nagging pain, as well as in your lower tummy. Are you passing gas? Burping? If so that is wonderful, maybe you'll have missed that part of discomfort of the surgery! Lucky!!

First off, welcome to the forum. . . loose skin is/will always be an issue with folks who have a lot to lose (hope that sentence didn't offend anyone) . I have lost about 150+ lbs and have the flappy loose skin, but am not willing to have plastics. So i make due. . . but your still really young, your skin may co-operate and skrink, if not, and you can afford it, there is plastics. . . good luck and once again WELCOME!!!! PS: sometimes being called a "loser" is a good, if not, a great thing!

i was like you and brought very little. i also brought my own slippers because hospital slippers never fit my fat feet (hehehe). You won't have time to do much computering either but take it nonetheless, cause you may not feel too badly. Good luck! i'm excited for you!

I totally agree with you Italianlady! Some people on this forum just want to see caudling and babying. Sometimes the best form of support is firmness and right to the heart of things. I feel like you do, I've been coming on here for the past 2 1/2 years and those folks whom I started with where by far more conservative, now there are quite a few attackers. . . there i got that off my chest as well. I've been out now 2 years and I guess my opinions/views don't matter anymore either. . .

Lookingahead, why thank you hon for making me realize my shortcomings. My post is being supportive. If i caused any hurt feeling, other then lookingaheads, please accept my apologizies. Good day!

bless your heart! I can totally relate with you though! I am out now 2 years and when i hit 200 that was it, never made it to onederland, but whatever. . . at least i don't weigh 350 lbs! and i think that once we hit a certain place, our bodies do stop everything. The weight gain is only 5 lbs, could be water weight too, mine usually is. . . i don't exercise and that is now my news years resolution. . . i eat everything there is too (except lettuce, that hurts a lot) just be really careful with the goodies. Christmas time is a very very junk filled season. . . hopefully after the holidays you'll get back into the swing of things. . . we all get that blahhh feeling and just are tired. . you'll be ok, your human and just look how far you have come. . . you lost a whooping 124 lbs! that is a hugh accomplishment. . . you have a great tool to help you and you'll do fine. . . just rest for now, maybe that is all you really need. . .

Well if you weigh your pros and cons, your pros are definately overpowering your cons. . . you know you have a problem that needs to be fixed. . . i'd worry more if i didn't do the surgery. . . your only 24! you need to help yourself now and not when it's too late. we all worry and freak out before surgery. . . my goodness this was my 18th major surgery and heck I'm still here to talk about it 2 years later! and the good part. . . I'm down 150+ lbs. . . . no one can tell you what to do, that is your decision, but we can certainly tell you it won't be a wrong choice and as you can see, all of us who have had it are happy "little" (literally) campers. . . .good luck, i'm sure you will make the right decision for yourself!

I'm 2 years out and basically eat whatever (in tiny amounts of course) for example this morning I had a 3" BMT breakfast sandwich from Subway and coffee. . . for lunch 1 chicken wing and some cucumbers with ranch peppercorn dressing and for dinner I don't know yet. . . I drink about 100 - 110 oz of water every day. . . other then tight restriction and still sliming if i overdo it, I don't have any issues with eating!

Good for you for finishing your exams early! Bet lots of other folks wish they could do that and have more time to relax. Tuesday is coming up fast. . .good luck to you

These did nothing for me. . . the only thing they did was put on additional fluids into my body from the sodium, but you know that already. . . even Jenny Craig meals are not good. . . good old fashion, cook it yourself, and store it in small containers to heat up for later are your best choices. . . good luck!

Bless your hearts. . . i'm out 2 years now and let me tell this is a weird journey! A good journey, but a weird one. Please be really careful with that "I feel this new odd feeling of restriction, and just 15-20 minutes later it's like I ate nothing.". . . this can be where a lot of folks set themselves up for failure. . . they say "oh I'm hungry again" then eat something again. . . the plan with this surgery was restriction to help us NOT EAT SO MUCH. . . we can certainly trick our sleeve by eating 20-30 minutes later continuously, but would that help any? NO, , , we would stall, not lose at an effective rate, and get really frustrated really fast. After you eat your "bird meal" making sure it's dense proteins, that should really be it until the next meal. . . that is why the doctor says no snacking. . . no snacking is no snacking regardless if your hungry or not. . . by the way are you really hungry or just THINK your hungry. . . how to figure that one out, is after you've eatten your meal and oopps 20 minutes you think your starving, stop everything your doing, stand very quietly and basically "listen" to your tummy. . . is it growling? No, ok then it's just head hunger. . . yes, then you may just be thirsty go drink water or crystal light or something (I learned this from a buddist friend of mine who practices complete control). . .you don't always need more food. . . good luck, i hope this helps. . .

Yup, and I absolutely hate it when i'm eating something and someone says "are you allowed that?" or if someone sees me with my tiny dish of food, "Don't eat too much". . . errrrrrrrr i just want to slap them, but instead, I tell them "Well I've come this far without taking any advise from you" then I just laugh and walk off with my bowl. . . people can be soooooo ignorant. . . the other thing i totally hate is women trying to compete with me for whatever reason. . . get over it b00tch00s I already KNOW i'm better looking! hehehe

Ride Horses!

In the beginning my weight flew off, in the first 2 weeks 20lbs, then at my 7 week appt, i had lost 53lbs, then at 1 year i had lost 140 lbs and then it all came to a screeching halt. I stalled for 7 months! then it moved for another 10 lbs and now i'm where i think i'll be until something drastic happens like an illness or something to make me lose more weight. but i reached the doctors goal and i'm happy with that. . .

That is so neat! Isn't it great to be "smaller" then the "other" person for once? Good for you!!! Keep up the great work!

What I love is when I take my car for an oil change or something and the mechanic (who is, in my eyes, a skinny guy) has to adjust the seat backwards in order for him to fit! I love that! Always makes me smile! Now if I could only get him to put it back when he's through. . . . hehehehe

I drink with my meals as well. Hasn't killed me any. But of course, the choice is yours and like you say if you start noticing a stall or weight gain, well drop the drinking. Good luck