Where are the 50s ???

[Doreykn 113]

The sleeve was the best thing I have done for myself... And my family is eating better too! So we all benefited from my decision.

[gettingthere 11]

Hi I am also from the UK and got the sleeve in December 2011. I am happy I did it. I lost 40 pounds but I have done that before and put it all back on. I look forward to seeing the weight drop knowing it won't come back this time, especially as I am now menauposal.

[Dyezee 1]

Wanted to post that in doing my research I contacted my cousin who is a nurse and also in her fifty's. I wanted to ask her advice about the procedure. Well to my surprise I found out did she is having her surgery on march ninth. What is the prize she and I are getting together this coming sunday to talk about it. I'm now scheduled to have the procedure on march 19th. Knowing that my cousin who is a nurse for over 25 years is having the procedure makes me feel that much more confident. When I meet with her this sunday I'm going to share this site with her. I am very grateful ladies and gentlemen for finding this site and being able to get on here, and post whatever concerns I may have had.

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[lsereno 2,525]

I'm 55. For me, I knew I couldn't keep the weight off without surgery. And I was simply unable to get under 200 lbs no matter what I did, which included a gym membership, personal trainer, Weight Watcher meetings and Weight Watchers online, hypnosis, and Alii diet pills.

I was scared of surgical and post-op complications. They do happen! But I am a measurer: I measured the risks I was taking my being overweight and the restrictions it was causing me and found that surgery looked less risky and less likely to cause permanent restrictions.

I am very happy with my choice. I can see that as time goes by it is going to be my choices that make me successful. At 9.5 months, I could easily eat enough to gain weight if I made the wrong choices. But I don't have the gnawing hunger i had pre-op. It is much easier to resist the treats and to eat a nutritious meal and feel satisfied.

Lynda

[Dyezee 1]

Thank you for your response. I am concerned about being able to consume Fluid. Are you able to drink a glass of Water? I'm worried about dehydration.

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[Dyezee 1]

Thank you for your response. I am concerned about being able to consume Fluid. Are you able to drink a glass of Water? I'm worried about dehydration.

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[Dyezee 1]

So how is the people can gain weight back if their stomach is still restricted? Is it possible to stretch the stomach back? One would think that if you ate too much you would throw up!

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[lsereno 2,525]

Hi Dyezee,

I can drink a full glass of Water in just a few minutes now. Right after surgery I was very vigilant to drink tiny sips all day. I used a liquid measuring cup like a pitcher and a one ounce medicine cup as my glass. I drank one ounce every 15 minutes while I was awake. At first, my sips were so tiny it took the whole 15 minutes to get the ounce down. But within a few days the swelling subsided a bit and things got easier.

I have always tracked my Protein, calories, and Fluid since the operation to ensure they are within the range I want them to be. It doesn't have to be difficult. I use a white board on my refrig and update it as I fix a meal or finish a cup of Water or other Fluid.

Lynda

[Dyezee 1]

I guess I am just baffled as to how after surgery you can consume enough food to gain weight back. Can the stomach stretch back enough to consume that many calories?

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[Dyezee 1]

I guess I am just baffled as to how after surgery you can consume enough food to gain weight back. Can the stomach stretch back enough to consume that many calories?

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[lsereno 2,525]

It may stretch some, but stretching is not what causes weight gain.

You can gain weight back by drinking your calories, choosing high calorie foods, eating slider foods that you can eat a lot of, and by eating throughout the day. Eating 500 extra calories per day will pack on a pound a week. So someone could eat a healthy diet, throw in a Starbucks Venti White Hot chocolate at 520 calories every morning and viola- at the end of the year we're talking 52 lbs. Same thing with Snacks. My problem is snacking at night. I have to keep a grip on it. I love Chex Snax mix. It has 130 calories for 1/2 cup and I can eat a couple of cups over the course of the evening while I'm watching TV. I prefer to not have it in the house.

I strongly recommend counseling for those who are struggling with overeating after surgery. Surgery does not cure head hunger. I would love to have those Snacks at night, but I know I can't if I want to maintain the healthy weight I have worked so hard to achieve.

Lynda

[lorip 88]

You can gain wieght back if you don't eat right. If I ate high calorie high sugar milk shakes all day I would not lose weight. Same with Cakes and Cookies. Eat protien first than veggies than healthy fruits. You will loss fast and keep it off.

[DebiC 181]

Happy Birthday to Me! Still in the 50's tho. At least for 3 more years. Hopefully I will be entering my 60's in much better shape than I did my 30's 40's or 50's!!

My parents took me to dinner-I told them it was a waste of their money! But we went anyways-ate half my salad (I can't seem to get past this life long habit of "eat your veggies first") one bite of steak and 1 bite of free birthday dessert. Well-I brought home enough steak for 2 more meals (it was only 6 oz to begin with) as long as I don't do the veggies first!

Not only can I not eat as much (which is good) but the whole going out just doesn't have as much appeal. Not only is it a waste of money-it just doesn't seem like it's worth the effort when you don't enjoy your meal. While it was a very nice restaurant, and the food was excellent (i'm sure) it just doesn't have the appeal it did for me 5 months ago. I'd have been equally happy with half a grilled chicken breast and some steamed broccoli.

Have you noticed that food just doesn't have quite the same appeal? Not that it tastes bad or anything like that. Just like it's not worth the effort?-especially if I have to cook it (there's usually just me for dinner) I'd almost rather just eat the same thing day in and day out.

It's like the whole eating experience isn't as fun-again probably a good thing!!

[crossedpaws 0]

Wow- this is a very active topic- whew- sometimes it seems that we "50s" are the ones that give up....I guess not, and I'm glad.

I have my surgery consult in April- am about 320 now and don't know how much I'll have to lose before surgery, but the things you ladies have been saying on this board are very inspiring as well as helpful with regard to the nervousness I feel.

I'm glad, though, that someone mentioned getting my affairs in order- they are so out of order now- because you never know.

I'll keep on checking this forum out and let you all know the dates once I get them.

Thanks, all, for being here for people like me.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I guess I am just baffled as to how after surgery you can consume enough food to gain weight back. Can the stomach stretch back enough to consume that many calories? Sent from my DROIDX using VST

58 here...

I went on a road trip to LA this weekend. I was there for 2 nights. I decided to have a "free" trip... not write any thing down... eat what ever I felt like at the moment...(read that extra carbs and fat) and enjoy! Thats what I did. Thai food, cherry pie a la mode for dinner one night... fries smothered with cheese and such... it was all really tasty. I could not finish anything... thanks to the sleeve, leaving pie and ice cream on the plate blew my mind! I did have a sweet tooth, and bought southbeach Protein snack bars to carry with me instead of hitting the doughnut shop one day, and had a protein tray from Starbucks on the way home.... when I got back, I figured my calorie intake for the last day and it was around 1800 cals. I had gained 4 pounds. I'm sure three of this is mostly from salt and carbs and will come off fairly fast... but still... if I ate this way every day... up would go the scales like magic. It was EASY. The mindless eating does it every time. Some foods are "sliders" they just slide on down, do not give much of a full feeling and are often full of salt, sugar, fat and carbs. I am glad I ate the pie for dinner... but really, that behavior is one of those things that has to be pushed WAY back to the rarely done category. If you graze, eating small amounts of food all day... especially slider type foods, this is a way to cheat the sleeve too... get more food in over time. Drinking during meals can help wash food through and make room for more quickly. There are plenty of ways to cheat the sleeve. At first it may seem impossible, but the sleeve does stretch (just to a point... never all the way back) but if you can eat twice or three times what you could eat early on, and eat the wrong things... it really adds up. The sleeve is a wonderful tool! It is our habits that will decide if the tool is being used the right way over time.