MINI-Me

Thank you so much for posting this ... it does my heart good. I have this incredibly stupid fear of waking up one morning & all my fat is back. Dumb, I know - hopefully time will help my head believe what my body is now.

I am so sorry to hear this. I don't remember your original post (sorry), but your symptoms seem so common to what many of us experienced post-op due to gas and bloating. So glad that you were able to get checked out & a treatment started. Best wishes for a fast and full recovery!!!!

Congratulations on starting your journey! I would definitely suggest reading through older posts - especially in the Pre- and Post- logs. Jot down any questions you have and then start a thread. You will find this group to be very kind and helpful. Welcome!

I will say that surgeons and nuts are very different on how they tell you to measure your food. Some will say that your stomach is based on volume & tell you to eyeball what would fit in a 1/4c, 1/2c or 1c. Others are just the opposite and go on weight & using a digital scale. I was so honestly confused that I did a little of both. I measured out 3 ounces of meat & then once cut, I would see what would fit in a 1/2 cup. After a time, I can sorta tell by looking at food how much I will be able to eat. (Unless you get me on movie theatre popcorn I can eat HEAPS of that stuff! I know one day it's going to get even with me, but so far - knock on wood - it hasn't had a negative impact). My best advice? Pick one measuring method and stick with that. If you can eat 4 teaspoons right now, learn to tell how much that is on your plate & serve it up. When you feel like the swelling has gone down & you can eat more, add another teaspoon. Please don't get too worried about this. We all did at the beginning, but it really does become easier. PROMISE!

Love it!

Pulled this from Answers.com: 1 Fluid ounce = 6 teaspoons of fluid. Note that this is for liquid ounces, not dry ounces. A liquid ounce is a measure of volume, and a dry ounce is a measure of weight. A teaspoon is a measure of volume. You cannot go from teaspoons to dry ounces without knowing the density of the thing you are measuring. Dry ounces are a measure of weight. Teaspoons are a measure of volume. A teaspoon of lead weighs a lot more than a teaspoon of Water. Most liquids that we are going to measure using a teaspoon are going to be close enough to the ratio shown above to be OK, but don't confuse the two. As for volume after surgery ... just do your best. BUT ALWAYS stop when you are full. Don't get in the habit of overeating or eating just because it is on your plate. Good luck ... it gets easier as each day/week passes.

Isn't it great??? I totally get the "I can't fit into these" mentality. I have it all the time. What a wonderful problem to have!

What an awesome story!!!! You should be proud of yourself. I can totally understand the anxiety ... you are changing you. Not the you inside, but your confidence, your appearance, and your self-esteem. Now, give that anxiety a second of reflection & move onto the celebration train. AWESOME!!!

That is great Patti ... enjoy the warmth (and every now and then take it off & stare at the tag! )

Congrats. Very cool that you are doing it with someone. One of my good friends and I did ours together as well - made it nice to have someone to talk to that "really got it"! Best of luck to both of you!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good for you!

The ~3 week stall/gain has hit. I'm so sorry that you are going through this - it is very frustrating. There are two good things about this (1) We've all been there and feel your pain and (2) This too shall pass. Keep your chin up!

I forgot to update on my Nutrition visit last week. No real "ah ha" moments, but it was good to hear that she believed I had a good plan & was incorporating "normal" items in my food like wine, fruit, and veggies. Basically, my plan is: Aim for 60 grams of Protein (at my current weight, I do not need the 75-100 that I was aiming for on weightloss) Keep drinking 64+ ounces of liquid daily Eat protein first! (She said to think of it like a sink stopper - don't have to put as much protein in, but put it in first to "stop up the sink" so the food stays in longer) Incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my daily foods Target between 1500-2000 calories a day depending on activity level. (Doesn't want me to be too diligent in tracking every bite unless I have a gain.) A few things to change: Stop thinking of foods as good vs bad. Instead think of them as “good for me” or “tastes good, but not very nutritious”. Enjoy chocolate (and really all foods) to it's fullest. If I indulge, keep it on my tongue longer. Apparently the sides of the tongue have better receptors for chocolate and fats and will help with my saiety when I am craving chocolate (read: REESE CUPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Wanted me to think about not weighing daily, but agreed that it was a good accountability measurement for me. I will allow myself to bounce up to 129, but anything more than that, it's back to basics for a few days. Not drinking with meals - this has been one that I have been bad about since day 1. In fact, I've been very uncompliant. Haven't totally given up drinking/eating, but only allowing myself sips in the past week. Limiting sodas - I've been drinking Pepsi Max since April 25th. I admit, I've been using it for a filler for food (I use it for a snack when head hunger hits & it seems to help, does not cause me to crave sweets) and just because I love the taste. Fortunately, it does not seem to have affected my restriction. HOWEVER - do not use my experience for a go-ahead for you. I've been lucky. She knew I wasn't going to totally give it up, so we agreed on limiting it. This is a work in progress! That is kind of it in a nutshell. I really enjoyed our visit & couldn't believe I had been there & talking with her for almost 2 hours! Since I've been a professional dieter my whole life, I know how to eat properly & she said my knowledge showed that. She thought I had good instincts on what my body needed. We agreed that I really didn't need a lot of formal counseling. If I feel I need it, I will go back in 3 months for a "check-in"; otherwise it may be 6 months or never.

Did you check the box or just MFP? That seems a little high to me. I have found some values to be wrong on MFP & always go with the box instead of what members have submitted when it doesn't look right. If in doubt, I always look for entries where information has been confirmed by other members.

Glad to hear that you are ok ... Thanks for posting. I think we sometimes get a it "flippant" about All WLS and forget that it is MAJOR surgery and there is a risk of complications. Keep us posted on your progress.

Too bad you couldn't say "Haven't you ever heard of manners? Try using them!" Obesity is the last prejudice that doesn't seem to require "PC" by the general public. You know?

After the first few days, I was like that too ... kinda made me wonder if they really had removed enough stomach?!?!?!?!? LOL Glad to hear that it is going so well for you!

This is awesome news DIVA! I'm so proud of you!!!!!!!!!

Kindra - Just keep following your plan. Stalls are the pits and I felt just like you when they happened. But, you will get through it. And, if your surgeon and nut are "disappointed" tell them that you have been following plan, you are hungry between meals and work with them to see what's going on. You paid them to help you with this journey - work with them. Keep your chin up! 20 pounds in 4 weeks is terrific!!!!!

A W E S O M E !!!

Mine was almost a year ago ... just wanted to say good luck! Nerves are normal ... just think of all the positives that are coming. The first month is a little hard due to dietary restrictions and such. But, we are here to help you through it.

Truly inspirational ... thank you for sharing.

My husband took a new picture. These are the pants I was wearing in my "Before" shot. I am so glad I did this surgery. I love wearing 4's and 6's instead of 18W. But, it seems those sizes are as hard to find as the "big girl" clothes. Why is that???