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I am not struggling with eating out of boredom YET, but I understand exactly what you are going through as I have done this my entire life. Planned snacks are great, and the nuts or jerky can fit into that plan. The key is having the mindset that the snack is fueling your body instead of just doing it because you are bored. I smoked cigarettes for 10 years. When I quit 10 years ago, I realized that "triggers" as they call it, were real. I mentally and unconsciously had a cigarette whenever a trigger was present. That trigger might be getting in the truck to drive. It might be the end of a meal. The point is that if you are snacking when you are bored, you are continuing the bad habit that got you into trouble in the first place. I think this is a big problem for most of us. We have to use this time to change that if we are to continue being successful. I work at a computer all day. I got my job to purchase a Veridesk for me, so that I can stand up and work. It does help. It takes me out of my comfort zone of sitting, and the cravings dissipate. I also burn more calories standing than sitting. Mind you, I don't do this all day. Just periodically. Maybe you can take a break and walk around the office for a minute or two whenever you get that craving. You are doing really well, and I have no doubt that you will continue to be successful. Mindless snacking might just be the thing that hinders you from meeting or exceeding your goal weight as the weight loss will undoubtedly slow down in the coming weeks and months. Anyway, good luck and thanks for bringing this up. This is a topic that is a real problem for most of us.

Wow, you are doing awesome! I am in my 3rd week and have lost 10 lbs since surgery. I was 258 when I started my pre op diet, 249 on surgery day and now weigh 239. I was 272 at Christmas and managed to get down to 258 by October. Took a long time on my own even with going to the gym 3-4 times a week and also working out with my trainer.

Glad to hear you are better, where was the mucous plug & how does it develop? My surgery date is 12/10 and I'm trying to prepare myself to identify issues! lol

I was sleeve on june 4th is it normal for me to drink more then 3oz in lessw of 10 mins

Hello Everyone! I was sleeved this week Monday November 8th and today was my first full day home from the hospital. While in the hospital I had a few what have I done moments, especially during my upper GI the tech was trying to force me to drink 5 oz of Fluid with a staw next day after surgery. My first 3 sips made my stomach hurt really bad it's like I could feel my stomach fill with air each sip I took. It was awful, but once testing was done I had no leaks thank God and I made sure I told my surgeon what happened during my upper GI and he was not happy about it at all. Right after my upper GI the male nurse from hell told me to get up and walk even after I explained the amount pain I was in after my test and that I had already walked the floor twice that morning he just explained that they saw me walking but know one documented my time so I had to do it again and kindly told him to step off. In the end he forced me to to get out of the bed so I walked exactly five steps from my room turned arounded and walked backed and demanded my pain killer. The head nurse Cindy was really nice to me and after I explained to her that I had been moving and taking myself to the bathroom it was just the pain from my upper she understood and gave me my pain meds. I also informed her that nurse man from hell had not changed my sheets and I had been setting in chair all day long this was on Tuesday he did not change the bed untill Wednesday afternoon and I was discharged Weds. evening which was fine because I got up and change the bed myself. Other than nurse man from hell my hospital stay was find, I did everything I needed to do to go home. My first full day home has been crazy I have not been hungry so I put a chart together to track my full liquids I was only able to take in 25 grams of Protein today I did go outside and walk twice 10 mins each time it was really a nice fall day. I wanted this so badly and I do not want to mess anything up any long timers or newbies out there who have any pointers for me it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for allowing me to vent while providing my summary of the start of my new journey.

Hi there! I would really like some advice / feedback from a few who might have had the same experience. It's now 10 weeks since I had my band fitted & have lost 24 1bs so far). I had it filled 3 weeks ago because I stopped losing weight after 4 weeks. I was on liquids for first 2 weeks then mashed food for 2 weeks after which it felt as though I had no band really and could eat pretty normally, the band was not filled when it was fitted at the op. After the adjustment with a 7ml fill, I had 2 days on liquids and 3 days mashed food. Since starting to eat normal food again I often have pain when I eat the first few mouthfuls, like gas in my chest or that the food is stuck, although not always. It's worst in the morning, so I have a Protein shake for Breakfast which is fine. At lunch it could go either way, sometimes fine or painful, so that I either have to take a break and walk around a bit or have to throw up a tiny bit (not nice). If this happens I might be able to eat after a while or if it continues I give up and don't eat, which is one way to lose weight I guess! By dinner it's usually ok and I can eat a small portion with no problems, but not always. Basically some days are better than others and I don't really know why, sometimes even mashed food can hurt, but more solid food goes down just fine. If I can manage the first few mouthfuls ok then the whole meal is usually fine. I know all the basics like not drinking at the same time, eating slowly and chewing everything a lot but this does not seem to make any difference. Has anyone else had the same experience? It would be great to hear from you.

It's been a very long 7 1/2 months for me.... but I can confidently and proudly say that I finally feel as though the inside matches the outside! I'm about 5lbs to my goal, (although I'm only about 3 months out from my actual bypass procedure), and I went on a mini shopping spree today, and it felt SO good! From size 22 pants and 1x or 2x shirts, to size 8 or 10 pants, and a size M shirts. Everyone who is struggling in the first few days or weeks after surgery, just keep your mind on the end result. Everyone with complications, surround yourself with love and support and you'll make it through. You'll make it through, just keep pushing!

So I'm 2 months out and down 22. I had a 31 BMI to begin with so I am on the lower side. I tend to get between 800-1100 calories per day and have slowly been losing.... My question to you is: have you tried eating more calories to lose more weight and if so, was it successful? I truly feel like I'm not getting enough and maybe with more I will lose more but I also don't want to gain I also walk between 6-10 miles per day but that is it for exercise. Your thoughts are appreciated

I am in the same boat. I'm three weeks out tomorrow. I lost 15 pounds pre-op, another 10 in the first week and a half, and I've been gaining and losing the next 3 ever since. I haven't even moved on from strained liquids yet- not til tomorrow, so I know it's not over eating. I struggle with the Protein (mixed without ice or anything - too thick per Dr. - I can barely tolerated any I've tried). I'm about to think I'm going to be that 1% who never loses more than 20-25 lbs no matter what they do!

I am 18 days post-op and these are my orders: Day 1-2 (in hospital) clear fluids Days 3-9: full liquids Days 10-16: puréed foods Days 17-30 soft foods Day 31 solid foods. When I went for my post op appointment at day 16, my doctor said I can pretty much eat anything, starting off with softer foods, take very small bites at first. Especially smaller bites for meat, and chew, chew, chew, chew. He did say to stay away from hard to digest foods a little while longer, like asparagus, celery, and nuts. I am going slowly, one new food at a time.

Had my surgery on 10/17/12.... up until now was really wondering what the hell I was thinking. Well, really, I'm still thinking that. I'm just out of sorts. My Dr wants me to stay on Protein shakes, Water and yogurt for the first 21 days. That was making me feel so lethargic and yucky. Yesterday I ate three or four bites of egg and instantly felt better. Is it the different type of protein or is it just in my head? I'm still getting weak quicker than I expect. Still trying to find comfort zone. I started this process to be healthier for my granddaughter. To be able to be active and live longer with her. That is my prize, so each pound lost is more time with her, thus worth every minute of any discomfort I may have.

Congratulations on your date. How do I see your video? I've had my surgery 10/3/16, still in recovering mold. I've never searched out YouTube For WLS i think I will take a look. See you on the other side. Congratulations. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Looking for a woman in Bensalem are who has been through weight loss surgery to share experience with and perhaps something more. I am 51 years old and live with my 10 pound killer Chihuahua Barkley. Hate being single and having a partner would make things so much easier. You must love going to the beach though. My favorite place. Thank you John

My flight was from San Diego to LA, LA to Tokyo... doubt your flight time is longer than that. It's normal to worry, but I spoke to my surgeon about this concern and he told me to make sure I get up once/hr and spend 10 mins flexing/stretching while in my seat. Definitely get your doctor's opinion - this is major surgery afterall.

HI Everyone, I'm new here...was sleeved on 9/9/13....had horrible gas the first two days post op but by morning of day three i had no more gas...I never had any pain except during coughing so after gas was gone I needed no further pain med...my food allowance and progression is 1st week-clear liquids, 2nd week full liquids, 3rd week soft/puree, 4th week regular texture no bread, pasta, for 1st 4-6 months.... so Im on full liquids which includes greek yogurt, hot cereal, pudding, milk, protein shakes,etc,,,so far so good for me, I belch way more than I ever did, and I'm finally able to drink and get at least 32 ounces and get all my protein in. taking my supplements is another story, Im having a hard time getting the pills down.. they get stuck while trying to go down and it burns and causes nausea. today was the first day I had no burning and got the pills down while taking continuous sips....I've decided to weigh myself weekly. started pre-op surgery day 237 and upon leaving hospital I was 5lbs down, one week later 10 lbs down. I'll weigh myself again. on 9/23. im excited about my journey though i must admit , I cant wait to have some textured food....please discuss your experiences...Im excited to hear about others

Thank you so much Lissa and Sharon for the helpful replies. Now that I know that Prilosec (on top of the Famotidine) helps you, Sharon, and Tums helps you, Lissa, I am going to pick up some of both! I was hoping it would be fine to take somethiing on top of the Famotidine (which I take twice a day already as well), so knowing that taking Prilosec has helped you, Sharon, I am sure it won't kill me! Not that I tho't it would but.... Anyway, another question: Are the "foamies" where you feel acid rumbling / building up into your throat? I have read about people on this board experiencing "foamies" but haven't had it defined as of yet. If that IS what it is, I DEFINITELY have the foamies, especially if/when I take pills earlier in the day! I will start watching the clock more closely to time my gut feelings. I also get hungry sooner after exercising (which I am happy to say, I have been walking 30 minutes per day, at least 5 days per week since the middle of week three post-op and it kicked my weight loss into a higher gear). I am down 41 lbs in total. 10 pre-op and 31 post op since sleeved on 10/17. So exciting! I have been using the MyFitnessPal.com app on my phone daily and it is a great tool. I am shooting for 50 to 60 g of protein a day and trying to keep the carbs low-ish. You are on there, aren't you, Lissa? I love being able to keep track of everything there. I finally think I am OVER utilizing the pen and paper routine to track, but must admit, I do miss not being able to see a whole week or more at a glance. I had created an Excel spreadsheet of everything I ate and drank and tracked cals, protein and carbs plus fluid intake and exercise for the first 4 weeks. But using MyFitnessPal is just SO much easier and less time consuming that I know I'll be more likely to continue tracking for the long term with it, whereas with paper, I always quit eventually because of time constraints. Lissa, I looked at a bunch of protein bars at The Vitamin Shoppe but they all had 35 or more carbs per bar and that worries me a bit. I am trying NOT to be paranoid about carbs but I do want to do this right and I DON'T want to screw up my losing streak, IYKWIM! I get to come of of soft foods as of Tuesday and am glad to be moving on to the "permanent" stage of eating on this journey. I just have to figure out what to purchase and fix so I won't get burned out on all the soft foods I've been eating (mostly eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, ground up chili with beans, refried beans and the like). I am SO ready for a REAL bite of REAL chicken (not ground down in food processor til it looks like baby food!' Thanks for your help. Hope your Thanksgiving weekend is relaxing! Leah p.s. Sharon - love your new picture on the board. It's lovely!

I had my sleeve done December 13th 2012. My highest weight was in September of 2012 at 377, the morning of my surgery I was 349. This morning I weighed in at 168!!!!! I have lost 209 pounds…..I pinch myself everyday. There is no secret to my success, my sleeve has been my greatest tool. I would have never gotten to this point without it, I know that! However, the 3 other legs of the stool to help me achieve this have been: 1) Myfitnesspal.com 2) Fitbit 3) Exercise, Exercise, & more Exercise The sleeve did not fix the cavernous space between my ears. Even with the sleeve I would not have lost the weight if I was not ready to tackle the reasons I overate the way I did prior to surgery. I was finally mentally in the right place to take on this challenge, the sleeve was the extra edge I needed to stay on track. I can guarantee failure if you are not ready to combine mental toughness along with a life dedicated to exercise. I fear it everyday, fear that i will give up on my exercise routine and let a few pounds sneak back. I use that fear to force myself out of bed and on to that treadmill, or elliptical machine. Many days I workout twice a day. Many of us are in the same place for the same reason….lack of will power, poor genetics, and we can be just plain ole lazy. Those things DON'T go away….they just lay dormant and you have to fight to keep them where they belong: buried deep inside of you. I see my surgeon this coming week and I can't wait to see my lab work, I am really looking forward to see how much it has improved since prior to my surgery. I had high cholesterol, high fasting sugar levels etc…. In two weeks from today I will be in my hospital room recovering from my circumferential body lift. I am so anxious to let the healing begin and get back to my workout regimen. I have a 10 mile race under my belt, I finished in just over an hour and a half. Mind you, when I first started my workouts back in January I was barely able to walk at 3.5 mph for 30 mins. Now I run twice a day for 40 - 60 mins at a time and average 6.5 mph in preparation for my plastic surgery. In 2014 I have scheduled a half marathon and a full marathon, they are things I would have laughed at back when I was 377 pounds and because of this life altering procedure they are a real possibility. If you are reading this and thinking of surgery or just had it completed or have had it and things are going well, know that it is tough. The sleeve is a tool and that tool is only as effective as the owner of it. This is not popular…..you can cheat the sleeve. You can put weight back on….you can eat more and more over time. It is up to you to use it properly and rehab your mind, train yourself to be mentally strong in your fight against food addiction and abuse. I do not deprive myself of things…..I have had……pizza, ice cream, french fries, and diet soda. I just don't have a whole pizza, I have half a slice and a small salad. I have a spoonful of ice cream instead of 2 pints of ben and jerry's like i did prior to surgery. I steal a french fry or two from my son instead of a super sized order from mcdonalds with my two big macs and two cheeseburger with a large regular coke. You can do it! But, you have to be ready to do it. I wasn't ready for 13 years! I gained almost 200 pounds from 1999 to 2012 when i had my procedure. just about every monday during that time i started a "diet" and by thursday afternoon i was done. I had some success a few times losing close to 75 pounds at one time but it didn't last long. i wanted to take time to let anyone know who wanted to listen that this is not the end all be all to your success. you are the key to it working!! i wish you all nothing but good luck in your personal journey, it has been my greatest accomplishment in my life. there are so many things we are expected to do and do well: be a loving and caring spouse, be the best parent you can be, work hard to provide your family what they need. you don't have to be healthy, you WANT to be healthy but it is not a requirement so when i look back at what i have done, i truly feel its my greatest accomplishment!! good luck everyone!

I had my VSG on 1/20/2015. I told a few close friends I work with and of course my family prior. When I started my preop diet, people were quite nosey, so I was honest about my plans for surgery and really have had positive feedback. I returned to work after 4 weeks down 15.5 pounds (I lost 11 pounds in the 6 months working with the dietitian and 10 pounds on the preop diet), so I was at a total weight loss of 36.5 lbs. I really hadn't seen much of a difference personally in my appearance, but my scrubs were definitely looser. Everybody, made comments! It was crazy. I was very upfront about surgery and the response has been overwhelmingly supportive. The only somewhat negative experience I had was a doctor that I love dearly come up to me in excitement about losing weight and I told her about surgery, but she took a step back from me and stopped talking to me. She is overweight herself, but I was shocked at the look of disappointment she gave me. I'm now at the 8 week mark and I'm down 43.5! So not much of a change since I went back, but yesterday everybody again was commenting. Is the weight loss that different with WLS? I haven't changed much in 4 weeks, but I had multiple people use the phrase "skinny minny" yesterday! I'm a little overwhelmed by the attention. It's a very weird situation for me because I've always preferred to be a fly on the wall and now all of a sudden I'm front and center. Have any of you had this experience? Any advice? It's definitely not a bad thing and it is positive that people are so encouraging. I'm just not used to attention like that. It's a very new experience for me! ☺️

Miriam, we're all so different! I had my band placed 8/29 and lost just at 42 pounds pre and post op dieting. However, once I advanced to "real" food, I gained back some. Personally, I refuse to diet. For me, it just makes me obsessed with food. If I measure and count etc I CAN (and have, many times) lose weight, for a while. But I am SO concerned with food (what can I eat when can I eat it how MUCH can I eat...if I eat this apple will it ruin my calorie count for the day? what if I weighed this wrong? What if I eat too much now and am HUNGRY later") that I eventually just wore out. The beauty of the band, to me, is the restriction. I can make good choices, and it is easy not to snack (for me anyway) when I'm not hungry. My surgeon is a conservative fill doc and not until my last fill (Jan 30) did I FINALLY feel restriction. From then to 3/5 (date of my 5th fill) I lost 9 pounds...just by making "good choices". Now that I have more restriction, I'm sure I'll lose at least that if not more. 9-10 pounds a month is great, to my mind, because I have not suffered or "starved" or fretted one time. I've even had pizza once (it amazed me how little it took to fill me up) and a patty melt from Whataburger. Well, I had about 1/3 of the patty melt, and was done. I was shocked and pleased. I've also had a lot of fresh fruit and veggies etc... Anyway my point is, it's up to you. It is your tool. Singers have different styles, people who use hammers for a living have their own methods and tricks. You will use the band the way that works for you. If you like calorie counting and knowing exactly what you eat and when, then do that. Because until you get restriction, like me you MAY gain a little back, or not lose. Some diet until the restriction finally kicks in to help them. I chose not to obsess about it but to just live my life making the best choices. And my way works for me, and the other way works for others! So unless your doc is more aggressive with the fills, the first one probably won't do much (you may be one of the lucky ones who feels it right away, but they are in the minority) and if you want to lose until you get restriction, you may need to diet. Or just watch what you eat and trust the process. Your call! Good luck!

i too have avoided carbs....if i eat any i notice that my hunger is "bigger".....i had my third fill 10 days ago and i have had some sticks and am feeling restriction for the first time. up until now i have lost with portion control, carb limitation, and exercise.........this week, i didn't like the band very much as it has been very hard to get protein down without pain....i am learning to chew chew chew and take smaller bites and this has helped.....some things i have no problem with...but meat, yikes!

Ok I'm 47 years old and perimenopausal. I reached my goal weight. Yay! But the last 50 lbs. off I didn't lose a single inch of my waist. I would still like to lose about 10 or 15 more pounds, mostly from my waistline. But you can't target weight loss. I'm thinking the odd way I'm losing weight is due to my being perimenopausal. And think that maybe a low dose birth control might help. Or hormone replacement therapy. I would also like help with regulating my cycle as it's very short right now. Anybody have any insight or knowlge about this? Perimenopausal women on BC that are losing from their waistline? BC suggestions? Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks!

if you want the recipe here is the link. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2011/10/cauliflower-power.html

My surgery is scheduled for 2/29 less then a week away and I find myself an emotional wreck! I can't sleep my nerves are going crazy. I'm excited but still nervous. I've done enough research that I'm aware of side effects and mishaps but honestly that not bothering. For every horror story I read there are 10 awesome ones. This morning I actually had a wave of sadness hit me that I may not be able to eat certain foods again. From that emotion came anger that I allowed my happiness to be become so dependent on something life food! Over the years the weight has definitely make my self esteem close to zero. Even on days when I thought I looked good the pictures after the fact were a reality check of what I truly looked like. I turned 40 in Jan. My boys are now teenagers who only need me for rides lol. I spent much of my 20's and all of my 30s being a single mom. So I felt like this would begin a new chapter of my life where I could start taking care of me a little more. Anyway just felt like venting. I love this site because it allows me to do so. Just confused why I have been hit with this sadness. Anyone else go through this????

Hi, on a scale of 1 - 10 for coffee freak I was a 13 !!! I could not go without coffee, typically drinking 4 cups b/4 leaving house for work, then 2 pots of coffee @ work through the day... I LOVE COFFEE. I gave it up... I wanted this surgery so bad and I wanted it to work and to lose weight, I totally and faithfully followed everything my doc & nut said for the first 4 months...then summer came and I figured I have went this long without coffee why go back to drinking it now... my husband does have coffee on the weekend and OMG, it smells so incredibly awesome... I feel once winter comes I will have a cup of coffee, or maybe two.... but I will not go back to being a coffeeholic like I was! LOL... Set a short term goal...comitt yourself to following all your doc & nut recommendations to the letter....and you will see better results... Good Luck!!

@@jack35 there is an old, but true expression on this board (some people might be sick of hearing it ) "the one thing we have in common is that we're all different!!!" "they" say losing 10 lbs a month PO is average/good you've lost 67 lbs in 6 months - woo hoo!!!! OMG that IS something to be proud of you can look, but take no mind how much or little others are losing, in what time period etc. only think of yourself with positive vibes around you not sure about you, but when i was sad and depressesd in my "past" life i would eat, and eat, and eat some more chin pointed upward easier said than done sometimes keep eating and drinking as you've been told, i'm sure you are doing that things will continue to go upwards, or "down" whichever way you look at it good luck kathy