Hi everyone who is having surgery in October 2014. We can start a new topic for those of us who have had surgery already.

This is the spot were we will all end up, were we'll share our stories and recovery. It will be a new dawn for so many of us. Let's stay close as united we will conquer anything that comes our way!

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Hi everyone... I'm sad. I just think I'm too tired. I just calculated... I'm really working 16 - 18 hours a day. Not eating the best. And, I've resorted to another bad habit before bed - a glass of wine to help me sleep.

@@Luna222

Are you feeling a little better? Has the nausea gotten better? I feel a bit better but I do get tummy aches now. I almost called my doctor this morning. I wonder if I need to go on Protonix again. After my cup of coffee this morning wow, my tummy hurt. I had some crackers and a sip of milk. It settled down. It was like a hunger pain X 100. I have been drinking coffee with lots of milk for several months. It's a latte, really. It never bothered me before. But I have noticed that same pain when I don't eat for a while. After 3 hours without food it is bothersome.

How is your dating life going? I feel like I never did get to respond to your post a while back. I ask in part because it has been a while since you were in the dating picture at this size. Any differences worth mentioning? Now that you are even more gorgeous and healthier, that is.

Thanks Beni! I am feel a little bit better with the nausea or just plain icky feeling, but not much. It's like I went backwards. I was fine with sugar a few months ago, unfortunately lol...and now it's like I eat a cookie and I feel so bleh. I actually just had another scope done today...the surgeon said everything looks great, my pouch is fine, no issues...he said maybe stress is causing it, or maybe just my body readjusting. who knows, I'm unique lol.

My dating life. Ugh. Lol. I'm kind of back with my bf, I guess I felt bad for him and decided to give him a chance to change some things. But...while I was dating...omg, that is so exhausting! I met this one guy, gorgeous eyes, Brooklyn accent, so sweet...a few dates in, he took a job in FL. Boo. Met another one, went to dinner and all he did was stare at my chest. I stood up and he stared at my butt. Turned out, he's into way more than the 50 shades stuff. I said nope lol. Then, I met this guy that is a personal trainer/nutritionist. How awesome and convenient right?? He's sooo yummy, reminds me of Magic Mike. But here's the doozy. He's trying to get me to pay for a fitness and nutrition plan. I went out with him a few times...we kissed and we cuddled...so I'm a little confused lol. Does he ACTUALLY like me, or am I his prey? I feel like as soon as I told him about my surgery, he pounced. And he hasn't stopped asking if I can come up with the money. I keep telling him no. But then he'll text me all sweet, "hey beautiful, been thinking about u" lol. OK so then the last one, I went on a date with, we went for a drink...we sat there for 4 hrs talking and laughing. He hugged me goodbye. Never heard from him again. We talked thru text and phone for 2 weeks before we met, so here I am feeling like crap again because I know it's got to be a physical thing. So now I'm feeling self conscious again :-\ MEN SUCK lol.

I wonder if your body is starting to develop a lactose intolerance because of the milk?

The nurse messed up the iv the first try...this burns so bad!

Hi everyone... I'm sad. I just think I'm too tired. I just calculated... I'm really working 16 - 18 hours a day. Not eating the best. And, I've resorted to another bad habit before bed - a glass of wine to help me sleep.

I've become addicted to a glass of wine at night too :-\

Hope you get to relax soon!

@Bronxmerci---You look great!!! And a size 8!! How wonderful!!!

I'm in about an 11/12, which for me, I haven't seen that size since before my 1st baby and she's 21 now. Crazy!!

I just ordered a new swimsuit and had to do some measuring to see which size to get. I'm cautiously ordering the 12, but it's so hard to believe I can wear that size, I'm scared to order it! I'm running out of time before our Hawaii trip and I need to find a swimsuit!

My issue with finding one in a store is that I really need a DDD cup, and I want a tankini top with a bit of a skirt for the bottom. My thighs are icky and I like to hide the worst part of them.

Lands End is the best bet, but SOOOO expensive. But worth it if they fit well! Now I have to decide between black and a dark pink. Hmmm...

I bought my swim top from fig leaves and it fits perfectly! Bra sized swim! I am hh and have a hard time finding things too. Best of luck!

@@Shadow427

16 to 18 hours may be a little too much. I do stuff like that to myself all the time. I get involved in a project and work myself to the point I can't sleep. The dogged on persistence I am naturally endowed with at times gets in the way. I also tend to take care of everyone first and me last. Usually the bottom of the list gets less then the needed attention. A few weeks back I was actually taking Nyquil to fall asleep. I needed to make adjustments. A friend told me how important it was to take care of me or everything will fall apart. She is right. If there's a way, carve a little "you time" to relax in order to fall asleep. A glass of wine is not a big deal, in my opinion. The overworking and devaluing our needs (sleep) is and I am the most guilty person in that area. In fact, I find it to be one of my greatest challenges. Somehow I find a need to do too much but I am trying so hard to have "me time" carved. To be honest with you, I think my weight issues were related to that. Because I was so tired, the only soothing thing was eating. It felt good and made me sleepy. No wonder at the end of the day I would have a big dinner and go to sleep. Now I have to replace food with something else. Right now It's working on projects I am so grateful I am physically able to do. Finding this new body with so much more energy is fantastic. However, I am overdoing it. Ex: nearly broke my leg doing something that I should have not been doing and sliced the top of my thumb badly. All because I was too exhausted to slow down. Not good. I must find balance.

Take care of yourself. We desperately need caring and we have to be the ones to do it. I still think your Cape Cod summer is awesome but if you can, take a little time for you.

@@Luna222

You have been busy in the dating game. I would be suspicious of the Fitness dude too. If you are dating someone you shouldn't be trying to sell them something, right? That's a huge red flag. Even if he is the most wonderful person, he is guilty of poor emotional intelligence. I am glad you and your BF are trying to make changes. Life is too short to be unhappy. However, I must agree finding a good guy is hard. Finding a good "anything" is such hard work. Even a good pair of shoes is hard to find.

I am glad your scope is fine. I am sure you probably just need to work towards balance in the foods you eat. Sometimes I have to be very careful. I am taking two weeks of Omeprozole (same as Protonix) and now I feel much better. I think my issue was stomach acid. I had some Protein oatmeal that was too large of a portion. It was the Quaker Oatmeal little packages but it did not agree with me. I am also trying to be more careful with food. I make sure I eat slowly again (surprise, surprise) and always eat something with my pills. I was getting a little lax with my regimen. Still eating all the right stuff but lunch was happening at 2:00 Pm and my pills were not taken at the right times. I get distracted.

I am also more sensitive to sugar then I used to be. I could eat a cookie and be fine. Now, not so much. Even a pear or a banana is too much sugar. I always have to eat it with some other food first and then only one bite. I had two spoons of a pudding like dessert for dinner and my heart was racing within 10 minutes. I was also feeling so hot, I had to turn on a fan and lay down. Blueberries are the perfect food because there is a little sugar but not too much. Even a sweet salad dressing is too risky. I think anything sweet that gets absorbed too quickly is bad. My NUT told me a long time ago you can train your palate to a degree of sweetness that's acceptable. Like finding your sweet threshold and using those things as you sweet treat. I also have in the back of my mind that 10 grams of sugar per serving are the max. In yogurt and other foods I check for that. My favorite dessert right now is Yoplait Greek 100 Cheesecake or Blueberry flavor. So yummy! I would seriously suffer if those went out of production, lol.

@Bronxmerci---You look great!!! And a size 8!! How wonderful!!!

I'm in about an 11/12, which for me, I haven't seen that size since before my 1st baby and she's 21 now. Crazy!!

I just ordered a new swimsuit and had to do some measuring to see which size to get. I'm cautiously ordering the 12, but it's so hard to believe I can wear that size, I'm scared to order it! I'm running out of time before our Hawaii trip and I need to find a swimsuit!

My issue with finding one in a store is that I really need a DDD cup, and I want a tankini top with a bit of a skirt for the bottom. My thighs are icky and I like to hide the worst part of them.

Lands End is the best bet, but SOOOO expensive. But worth it if they fit well! Now I have to decide between black and a dark pink. Hmmm...

I bought my swim top from fig leaves and it fits perfectly! Bra sized swim! I am hh and have a hard time finding things too. Best of luck!

The size 12 fit perfect! I LOVE it!! Holds "the girls" up great!! The bottom has a tummy control thing too, so holds in my shaky belly really well! :-)

Can't remember if I've told you all my new favorite Breakfast. I was getting really tired of eggs, although they keep me nice and full all morning.

So I'm switching it up to this: I bought frozen blueberries and frozen sliced strawberries. I put about 3/4 of a cup of them in a bowl in the frig at night. Then in the morning add about 1/2-3/4 cup of plain ( I know, nasty by itself) greek yogurt. I got the Chobani (?) Only 6g of sugar, no fat, (that's for a full serving, which I don't have, so less than 6g of sugar)

I'm never ready to eat right away, so I bring this bowl of half frozen fruit & yogurt to work. Then about 8:15-8:30 the fruit has de-frosted and it leaves a super yummy syrup in the yogurt. Stir it up well and you have naturally flavored greek yogurt! Then for a little crunch, I sprinkle on about 2TBS of dry steel cut oats! More protein! It is SO yummy!!! I can usually eat about 1/2-3/4 of it, so the rest I save for a little snack later on in the day if I need one.

I have a funny one. I decided to have a Margarita last Saturday night. I got roaring drunk with a single Margarita. I had to strip my clothes off as I was perspiring profusely and had to go to bed pronto. The sugar in the drink also may have caused it but I had not been this drunk since college. Good to know, I'll have to have a single sip from now on.

Funny!!! I've tried a few drinks here and there also. I cannot do the "sweet" drinks anymore! Whew! And yes, I got crazy drunk very quick, but it also didn't last long for me. My metabolism is so fast, it just went right through me, LOL!

Last weekend we took our 21yr old daughters and their guys out for dinner and drinks. Had a blast! The one guy had a chocolate stout beer. I tried a little and was delicious!! I always have liked beer, just not the cheap stuff, LOL. I like the local made stuff, or imported "fancy" beers. I drank the WHOLE big glass of this beer and didn't get nauseous at all! I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, LOL!!

My surgeon says no alcohol, like EVER....but I figure maybe once a month I can indulge in a little bit!

I lost 2 more pounds finally. I'd been the same since we got back from Hawaii, which was June 9th!

We bought ourselves 2 bikes and have been riding, LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! Easy on my joints and great exercise!!

We ended up buying the kids all new bikes too! So we've been going out on some family rides too. We don't get as much exercise when everyone goes though.....too many of us riding through residential areas just doesn't work. Haha. We don't have any good bike trails near us. We're planning on getting a bike rack so we can at least take a few of us at a time to some trails.

I suppose I'd better get some work done....dreary, rainy morning. Not feeling like working!

I have a funny one. I decided to have a Margarita last Saturday night. I got roaring drunk with a single Margarita. I had to strip my clothes off as I was perspiring profusely and had to go to bed pronto. The sugar in the drink also may have caused it but I had not been this drunk since college. Good to know, I'll have to have a single sip from now on.

Funny!!! I've tried a few drinks here and there also. I cannot do the "sweet" drinks anymore! Whew! And yes, I got crazy drunk very quick, but it also didn't last long for me. My metabolism is so fast, it just went right through me, LOL!

Last weekend we took our 21yr old daughters and their guys out for dinner and drinks. Had a blast! The one guy had a chocolate stout beer. I tried a little and was delicious!! I always have liked beer, just not the cheap stuff, LOL. I like the local made stuff, or imported "fancy" beers. I drank the WHOLE big glass of this beer and didn't get nauseous at all! I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, LOL!!

My surgeon says no alcohol, like EVER....but I figure maybe once a month I can indulge in a little bit!

I get so drunk so fast too, and it seems that it goes away just as fast lol..not good! The last time I tried to have something tho, it hurt my stomach so bad... I was dumping. It was just a half a shot of fireball. I've had it before, so I'm not sure what the issue was. Probably my body reminding me it's not supposed to have it lol. I stick to my wine now :-)

I'm at my 9 month post op....I have gained 7 lbs since I was here in June. What the heck! I'm so frustrated! I was at a stall, I got down to 195 and teetered between that and 198 for 3 months....then all of a sudden I'm gaining. I don't understand :-( the pa doesn't seem to know either...the EGD results were fine, biopsies were fine. I haven't changed my diet. I just don't know. Now I'm 204.8

@Luna222---Oh goodness, I can't imagine having a fireball shot! I attempted eating a fireball jawbreaker once and it burned my belly bad! I'm guessing your pouch didn't like that very well!

I'm at my 9 month post op....I have gained 7 lbs since I was here in June. What the heck! I'm so frustrated! I was at a stall, I got down to 195 and teetered between that and 198 for 3 months....then all of a sudden I'm gaining. I don't understand :-( the pa doesn't seem to know either...the EGD results were fine, biopsies were fine. I haven't changed my diet. I just don't know. Now I'm 204.8

Well, crap!! Are you near your period? Have you eaten some high sodium food recently?

Could it be the wine in the evenings I wonder? Wine is pretty high in sugar, right? Maybe your body is holding onto that at night? Like holding onto the sugar calories. Try not having any at night for a week and see if you see your weight drop.

So frustrating!! I got an email with a really good article yesterday, just a good reminder for us all when we might be slipping up a bit.

I'll see if I can find it, might be some suggestions on there that will help?

Hang in there Luna!!