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SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevers! Summer’s over and we’re into the beautiful days of early autumn. No matter where you live, we hope you’re getting a chance to get out and enjoy the weather! Any activity you do counts toward your weight loss, health and pleasure, so make an effort to get outside and get moving. Don’t forget to take your SleevePlicationTalk.com app with you so you can read the newsletter and keep up with the boards! Here’s what you’ll find in October’s newsletter. Member Spotlight: We’re still recruiting! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! Having a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Weight Loss Surgery: Not the Easy Way Out! Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Enjoy the newsletter and please feel free to let us know what you think! Thanks for your support. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Member Spotlight: Still Recruiting! If you want to be in the spotlight or you want to nominate someone else, let us know in the Spotlight Forum or send Alex a private message. We’re always looking for outstanding members to highlight! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! We like to challenge you to try something new or unusual in each newsletter. The Sleever Challenge is a non-competitive way to push yourself a little further and experience something new while gaining confidence. Why do we ask you to post what you did? It helps motivate others and give them ideas for their challenges! This week’s challenge is pretty simple. Before the next newsletter, we’re just asking you to help someone. It can be any kind of help, from helping an elderly neighbor take the newspaper in to volunteering to give a motivational talk at your local weight loss surgery support group meeting to making dinner for your spouse even when it’s not your turn. This challenge does more than make someone else’s life easier. It makes you value yourself more when you see how powerful you can be just by being kind to others. Don’t forget to let us know how you helped someone! What did you do? How did it make you feel? Let us know how it goes in the Sleever Challenge forum! You can always check out any of the previous Newsletter Challenges and give us updates on those. You can always see the old challenges in the archived newsletters. You’ll see challenges on food, fitness and more! It’s never too late to try something new and exciting! Make It a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Okay, we know that the autumn is a busy time of year. If you’re a parent, your children are back in school and their activities are in full swing. You may be juggling work with your chauffeuring, catering and cleaning business – aka, taking care of your family! Most of us are pretty busy even if we’re not parents. It’s easy to use not having enough time as an excuse for getting off track with your weight loss. You might eat foods that you know you shouldn’t because you feel you just can’t squeeze in the time to prepare a healthy snack. We’ve all done it. You rush out the door in the morning and are busy all day. Some of these happen along the way. You are starving by lunchtime and grab a few truffles that make you nauseous. you dumping syndrome. You go by the vending machine for a soft drink that’ll make you feel sick within minutes. You realize at the end of the day that you haven’t stopped to drink for hours, and you have a headache and your stomach hurts. You know you should be eating lean Protein, but the closest thing you can find is pepperoni from the company’s pepperoni pizza – so to be polite, you eat the entire slice and it causes an obstruction. You start to depend on Protein shakes because those are the closest thing to a healthy meal that you can find at the company cafeteria. You don’t have to let a hectic schedule get in the way of your health! What can you do about it? Here are a few tips to make the most out of every day Prepare some of your meals and Snacks at the beginning of the week. Wash your fruits and vegetables so they’re easy to prepare when you need them. Cook some your Proteins - chicken breast, fish, seafood, lean beef and/or veggie burgers – and freeze them in single-serving baggies or containers. Cook up bigger batches, put them in single-serving containers and freeze them so you can defrost them when you’re ready to eat them. This is a great option for healthy side dishes, such as whole wheat Pasta, carrots or Beans. (You don’t have to make too much, since your single portions post-surgery are pretty small). Place snacks in single-serving bags if you buy a multi-serving package Plan your Breakfast the night before so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Take the time to make a grocery list. It’ll save you time in the end. Using a list will keep you from forgetting foods and needing to go back to the store during the week. You’ll be faster in the store because you won’t get distracted. Sticking to a list will keep you from buying foods you shouldn’t. Buy ingredients for breakfast Buy snack foods Make sure you drink enough. Stash Water bottles in your car and at work and keep them filled. It’ll encourage you to drink throughout the day and you won’t have to take the time to run to the kitchen each time you need to drink. Stick a pitcher of water in the fridge so you see it several times a day. Keep healthy snacks at work so you never find yourself starving with nothing healthy to eat. Beef Jerky and canned tuna, chicken, beans, vegetables keep for months. Frozen foods to consider keeping around include grilled chicken and fish, veggie burgers and vegetables. Yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and deli meats are high-protein snacks to keep in the fridge for a week or more. The more you plan, the better off you’ll be. You’ll save time and be more likely to eat well. And remember – you’re worth it! We suggest picking one or two strategies and working on them until you master them, then moving on to a new tip. Let us know how helpful the tips are! That’s a lot to chew on for this newsletter, so we’re going to end it here. There’s no end to the news, tips and conversations over at SleevePlicationTalk.com, so come on over via your computer, smartphone or Kindle! You can always check out the old newsletters, too, in the Newsletter Forum. Thanks for coming along in this newsletter and for being part of our fantastic community! We couldn’t do it without you. Have a great month and take care of yourself and each other, Alex. ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

Can’t believe tomorrow is surgery day! I’m feeling excited and a little nervous. But I’m ready. HW: 321 CW: 276 GW: 180 Sleeve scheduled: 5/10/18

I’m doing well. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how great this recovery has been. I had an appendectomy last year and it was more painful than this sleeve recovery. @ReneKiser yes I’m on full liquid right now. I have my follow-up appt on the 18th and I have to eat an egg before my appt to see if I’m ready to transition to soft foods. I don’t have a drain for my incisions. HW: 321 SW: 271 GW: 180 Sleeved: 5/10/18

Same here. HW: 311 CW: 257 SW: We’ll see on May 10! First goal weight: 191 lbs Second goal weight: 159 lbs Goal weight: 142 lbs 5’6” 34 yo female in NC

Pagie I feel your pain. I'm less than 10 pounds from being 100 pounds down and I've been bouncing on the 4-5 pounds I need for weeks. I've upped my exercise, added carbs, decreased carbs, done everything I can to break into the next decade and it's just not happening. However, I just fit into another size down, so I know that I'm reshaping myself. I'm trying to concentrate on that last size I lost and not worry about the scale. I'm also adding in more exercise. For real, I can handle the number I see on the scale now if I am fit and fine. So, I'm letting go of the scale until next week and going to go walk to the gym, do my workout and not worry about the numbers. I also had a friend make a huge deal over how great my butt looks (he's a butt man), so that gives me incentive to keep on working out.

I am lucky to have a Protein shake for Snacks and 2ozs lean meat and veggies. I am also using crystal light and Water. I may have lost 6 lbs, but so hard to tell on my scales. Think I need a new scale..digital so I can read it accurately! Can't believe it's 10 days!! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Well, i'm now a member of the Hair Loss Club. I started noticing a lot of hair in my brush, on my clothes, etc..just a couple weeks ago. It was even wrapping around the hair brush handle. Last night I cleaned out the brush, brushed my hair, and it was full of hair again! Eeekkk! My hair is kind of long, very thick. Not sure if I should color or not (it's due), not sure if i should wait a while or just get it chopped now to spare the mess somewhat. My surg was 10/25/12. Sw 300/cw 245. Age 50

Triplets!! My surgery is 9/19 too, and today is day one of the pre-op diet. I can have liquids including yogurt, Jello, cream Soups and pudding. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Aleathia, great job on the -4 lbs!!!!!!! I am taking a Tylenol PM every night to knock me out early -- by 9 p.m., 10 p.m. the latest, so I am not hungry/irritated watching hubby snack watching TV after the kids are in bed. It's not great for our couple-time, but I figure for two weeks it's a small price to pay. It helps keep me under so I can rest. Trying to guzzle a ton of Water in the morning and afternoon so I only have my last 2 shakes from 4 p.m. until bedtime so I don't have to use the bathroom a ton. I am using my CPAP religiously for optimal sleep and doing good with the diet, but I walked yesterday and was STARVING. The shakes and water weren't cutting it, so I ate a HUGE summer squash steamed with salt and pepper -- double the 1 cup serving required, but I figured it's better than anything else I'd shove in my piehole in the past! I only lost .5 today though, so not sure if I knocked myself out of ketosis with too many veggie carbs:-(

All the folks here who are in their 30s and 40s think wer'e still 19 or at least try to act it, so you fit in just fine. The Navy? God Bless You. Sincere Thanks to you for your wish to serve this country in the armed forces. I hope you can go! Good for you. Age 18 is official adult, right? You should have no problem, particularly with your BMI being over 40. You will be able to find a Doctor. There is one gal on here who recently had a baby, do a search on "pregnant" and the like, you will find her, and she would love to talk with you and reassure you that having children on the band is possible. I think her name is Brandi? Anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but she did solicit anyone interested to contact her about her pregnancy. There is another thread in here somewhere titled "Any regrets?" (do a search) and one after another, people said their only regret was that they didn't do it sooner, or that it wasn't available when they were your age... If your doctor is in agreement, you have done your research and are fully prepared for the lifestyle changes, the risks, the everything, I say go for it, but not until you know all you can find out about life after the Band. Read, read read, here and other places too. Welcome!

Hi Stephen2 Thank you so much! My only struggle was that, my doctor had me do the pre shrunk liver diet 10 days pre op. When the time came post op and, really needed to drinks strictly liquids, I was already burnt out and didn't really care for the sight of broths or the protein drinks. I pushed through for the remaining days and, now I'm in the puréed phase. Honestly, the only puréed things I've have is: I let oatmeal overboil, to get extremely the, put vanilla protein shake in it. I did the same with cereal(let it sit). Mostly I've just been trying to get my protein in through liquids. I'm still trying to understand what that "full feeling" is. Is it the pressure I feel? If so, I usually don't take anymore than two bites just in case bc I'm unsure. My first 2 wk follow up isn't until week after next so, I plan on asking. Stay strong Stephen! We're all in this together. It can only get better! Thanks for the advice

I'm so excited and just have to share the news that insurance has approved surgery! I have been going through all of the motions since January and am so excited! A little about me: I'm 46, mother of two kids (10 & 7), and I teach 6th grade. I had medullary thryoid cancer and my thyroid was removed in 2008. Even though my thyroid hormone levels are within range, weight has been a problem ever since the removal of my thyroid. Have I mentioned that I am SO EXCITED?!?

I've got 5 kids (ages 11, 10, 8, 6, and 4). I told them a few days before surgery because I didn't want them to worry OR to blab it to everyone. I explained the surgery itself and that I was doing it to be healthier. The 4 year old didn't really "get" that, so I also said it was make me run faster I also told them that health information is private and it's my news to share. Other than a preschool prayer request for "Mama's operation on her tummy" I think they've kept fairly quiet about it. lol The kids have been awesome supporters! They cheered me on when I graduated from full fluids to purees to soft foods and to regular textures and comment on my now too loose clothes. The other day my 8 year old said, "Mama, even your FACE is getting skinny!"

we have prime remote...husband is deployed and we dont live within 50n miles of a MTF. im excited and nervous; I have been heavy (post partum 11 yrs ago and never lost the baby weight, then 7 years ago just packed on more) for me for so long and have tried to lose it for over 10 years....so depressing....

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My surgery is Monday 12/8. My husband arranged to work from home for all of next week, should that be sufficient? When the 15th comes around, I'll have to be able to get my 10 year old & 6 yr old ready for school. They walk to & from, so I won't have to drive any where. I'm just wondering if I need to arrange for someone to come stay with me the second week home.

Hi Everybody~ I was banded 28 December 2010. Have been thinking about it a few years, since my mother had it done at age 65, 4 years ago. I'm excited to finally have it done and ready to start losing. I'm 5'9" and my highest weight, a few months ago, was 338. I was 319 day of surgery. I have no idea what I've lost so far because my scale changes up to 15 lbs just depending where it is on my floor!! I did a 2 week pre-op liquid diet and the first few days after banding was all liquid, but then I tried some soft foods, chewed well, and they went down fine, so then I tried more. So far, everything has went down well, and I was starting to wonder if the band was really there! Then yesterday, I tried eating some chicken, forgot what I was doing, and ate fast, not chewing well, and by the second bite I had a rude awakening...it got stuck and felt very uncomfortable. It went away after about 10 minutes, and I was able to continue eating a little more, very carefully, chewing a million times. In the literature I was given, it has 4 phases of diet to go through, but the discharge nurse said progress in the diet as I am able, so I did. Have any of you went to solids that quickly and is all ok? I don't want to jeapordize any thing, but it seems fine. I return on January13 for my first fill, so I'm sure it will be different then..... And another question, how do you guys get those stats and measuring sticks at the bottom of your posts? Happy New Year everybody!

I avoid added sugars, not all sugars. I just try to keep the sugar content low. I especially avoid high fructose corn syrup. For instance, when looking at a Greek yogurt I aim for a Protein content greater than 10 grams and sugar content of less than 10 grams.

Yay Im sorry got this late my appt is at 10:30 check in 12:30 surgery how about you?

I just turned 57. I had surgery Feb 19. Since Jan 2014 I have lost over 50 pounds. My blood pressure is normal. I do not snore and gird is gone. Also arthritis pain is gone thanks to surgery. While I hope to lose more weight I am so happy. I seem to lose slower than others I feel healthier than I have from several decades I just recently started walking and exercising. I would recommend surgery if you have your doctor's blessings. Good luck and keep us posted.

I am 61. So far I've lost 32 pounds since surgery on 2/19. (52 since I started my diet almost a year ago). I feel it is going really slow compared to some people. I try to eat what I'm supposed to (okay, I ate 3 French fries when I went out to dinner with my hubby a few weeks ago) but that's the extent of my cheating. I walk a lot, and will start back at the health club again next week. It gets very discouraging...especially when I see people dropping as much weight in a few weeks as I've done in over 3 months. I know everybody loses weight differently but darn, I wish the pounds would fall off of me. I know I am losing sizes because I've had to go through my closet a few times already. I guess it will take as long as it takes. At least the weight is going the right way.

Not sure if my diet would be considered typical, but here goes (from a non vet): Breakfast: matrix Protein shake with chia seeds and Water Pre exercise snack: 2 energy squares Post exercise snack: Amplified Wheybolic 60 shake with water Lunch: 3-4 ounces of chicken patty, 1-2 ounces of green veggie or red pepper Snack: nu go slim Protein Bar Dinner: 3-4 ounces of protein (chicken or beef), 1-2 ounces of green veggie Snack: matrix shake with water I try and eat Paleo as much as possible with supplementation to achieve higher daily protein amounts. If I exercise in the afternoon, I switch my morning Snacks with afternoon snack. Morning exercise is running and afternoon exercise is cross fit on alternating days. I try and run between 5 k and 10 k as fast as I can, ramping up the incline for more intensity and for burning of more calories (800-1000). I do not know the calories I burn in cross fit, but it is difficult, intense and about an hour long. On weekend, I usually eat out for one lunch and dinner, but still pay close attention to diet to support fitness. I found it helpful to eat as low carb as possible up to month 5 and eat high protein. I could not eat raw veggies so well so did green drinks. This kept insulin levels normalized and prevented much hunger. As my exercise ramped up at month 5, I began to eat more good carbs. I have found it a little difficult to control hunger if I eat too many grams of sugar in the protein bar. I am currently switching from a protein bar with 2 grams refined sugar to a Paleo protein bar with raw honey and more carbs. So far so good, but time will tell how this changes my hunger. I hope it reduces as I will not be eating those 2 grams of refined sugar any longer. I tracked like a fiend for first 3 months and then stopped. I keep it simple, repetitive so no need to track once it became second nature to live the daily life of post op without much random food planning. I really do not like tracking if it requires more than 10-15 minutes in the morning so made a decision to eat in a way that does not require tracking. Eating the same thing every day is not as bad as it seems. I do not need a lot of variety of I finds food that fits the form and taste I require. Hope this helps!

I met with my surgeon today and I have another appointment for Janurary. I have 10 lbs to lose, 5 before they send out a surgery approval and the rest until I get scheduled a surgery date. With all of that looks Like I will be here for some time. Hopefully I can get the ball rolling on this 10lb weightloss. I just had my band unfilled so I can start to eat more dense foods and lose weight. wish me luck!

Its ok. It will be worth it. It was the best decision I made. I am 10 days post op and have lost 15 lbs so far. I feel great. I am very conscious about what I put in my body now. I feel I look better. I am getting compliments!

I was also banded on May 13. The first day wasn't so bad but the second day was terrible. Each day since has been getting better as far as the pain and weakness. I also am not able to get in all the fluids. Everything I take in, comes right back out. Anyone else with this problem? I am running to the bathroom like 10 times a day.:thumbup: Tomorrow I start full liquids. Anyone else? I am looking forward to some cream of wheat. Hopefully things will improve when I start taking something in with some substance. Take care and best wishes!