Amanda131

My biggest suggestions for having a clear "working" mind are take your Vitamins religiously and hammer the Protein. If you aren't taking a sublingual B Vitamin and Vitamin D, then I would suggest adding those (with your Doctor's blessing, of course). I was very lucky in that I never struggled with introducing foods and that meant I got my protein intake up really quickly. The amount of protein you consume and your level of mental dexterity are closely related in my opinion. Drinking plenty of fluids seemed important as well. Good Luck! Amanda

I remember thinking at four weeks out that I was finally on my "A" game"again. I work in education and do a lot of research and writing. I felt that at four weeks I was finally at full speed for those activites. I also attended a conference at 6 weeks and felt completely normal- I believe I could have done it at four weeks. Good Luck! Amanda

I love greek yogurt with a bit of honey. Yum-O! My three year old has always liked regular yogurt but she is in LOVE with greek yogurt. She'll rob me of more than half of mine if she sees me eating it! I actually HATED greek yogurt until my nutritionist shared the big secret: You have to stir the hell out of it to give it that super-creamy consistency. I also buy the Vanilla flavor Oikos and that gives just a slight hint of sweet. I will also mix in a tablespoon or so of flaxseed granola for an touch of Fiber. The crunch is nice. I haven't tried cottage cheese yet, I am still working up the courage. I'm with Wishes and generally find the texture off-putting but I like many things now that I didn't used to so I need to give it a second chance.

I went back to work 6 days post-op. I work in a busy highschool as an administrator and walk alot. I did take it a bit easier that week. I would say that I was pretty tired but okay. I think I would have been just fine at two weeks post-op and bored if I'd stayed home three weeks. However, I was just the sleeve without any revision. I'm not sure if that complicates recovery. Everyone is different though. Perhaps you can put in for three weeks and then surprise them with an early return if you feel well enough? Good Luck! Amanda

I voted for you... best of luck!

Welcome Neighbor! I actually live in Katy as well. I am 10 weeks out and other than a bad Day 5, I haven't had an ounce of regret! I look forward to following your journey. Amanda

Congratulations- your look FABULOUS!

Like most areas of this surgery, you'll get conflicting reports. I was told no carbonation ever. That being said, I will probably enjoy a beer again at some point in my life. However, soda is a different story for me. The bane of my dietary existence is/was Dr. Pepper. I freakin' love the stuff... nectar of the Gods and all that. When I drank diet soda it was merely a poor substitution for Dr. Pepper and it left me wanting the Dr. Pepper more- I was not one of those that thought diet Dr. Pepper tasted like the real deal. I knew when I had this surgery that Dr. Pepper was my Achille's heel. I can't welcome it back on my life. And, diet soda is like my gateway drug. I hope this perspective helps. Good Luck! Amanda

I had my first glass of wine this past weekend at 10 weeks out. I only had one glass of white wine. I drank it slow and did just fine. Fair warning: I have not struggled with anything I've ate or drank so far(besides bread- yuck!). So, I may not be the best person to go by. I was very thirsty the next day though. There have been a few threads about alcohol consumption in the past few months, you may want to search for those. Regardless of whether you get to have a drink, I hope you enjoy the heck out of the wedding! Amanda

I am one of the ones who seems to need more than the 600-800 most eat. When I tried to stay in that range my weight loss slowed to a crawl. I generally get somewhere between 700-1000 calories, occasionally I even go over that. I also try to vary my calorie intake most days to keep my body guessing, i.e. 2 days of 800 cals and then a day of 1000. I am staying under 50 carbs most days with a staunch no bread, Pasta or rice policy that seems to work for me. My extra calories come from Protein and healthy fats. I almost always get 80+ grams of protein a day. Thus far, I am averaging a 5 lb. loss a week so I am comfortable with my calorie intake. I should be exercising more and I think the weightloss will increase as I get more active. I am tall (almost 5'10") with a rather long torso, I am not sure if this is why I can eat more than others. My doctor and NUT gave very loose calorie guidelines and seemed to expect me to hit 1200. Not happening. I like this post. It's interesting to see where everyone is! Amanda

Hey Girlie- We're surgery sisters having been sleeved on the same day. So, I am literally right where you are. And, I can say that I honestly go through the same thing as you. I can blame mine on a mulitude of issues. Here's a quick run-down: 1. I killed my best friend when I was sleeved. Sounds nuts I know, but I turned to food for all of my emotional comfort. Sometimes, I feel sad that it had to come to this to get healthy. And, it's taking my awhile to make new "friends". 2. I'm surrounded my social eaters. Everywhere I turn my friends, family and co-workers mark life by what we're serving and who's bringing what dish. When you can't eat a lot and focus on Protein and no carbs this can get depressing. 3. I'm realizing that I blamed a lot of issues in my life on my weight and that simple isn't true. I can't blame my weight for things like my marriage hitting the skids anymore so I have to figure out how to fix it now. It's depressing to realize that I was lazy and blamed my weight and it's depressing sometimes to wade through the crap necessary to fix it all. 4. My mind is ahead of my body. I'm ready for the journey to be over and to begin living life in a normal BMI body. Even though I'm losing weight at warp speed it still doesn't seem fast enough some days. On those less rational days when I see that I haven't come as far as I want, it bums me out. I think the best thing we can do is take a deep breath and face our personal challenges head on so we can begin to sort them out and ensure a future without food and weight gain as a crutch. For me, that means journaling, talking with the BFF, an occasional therapist visit and venting on here. It's nice to know this group is here help. Best of luck to you! Amanda

Congratulations! What an awesome feeling- savor it!

Congrats! I can't imagine how awesome that must feel. You must be very proud!

A 100 cal pack of cheese, greek yogurt, a mug of hot tea, SF Jello or pudding, apple sauce. I am generally not a late-night snacker but those are a few I could think of off the top of my head. On the nights you don't want to snack, I suggest brushing your teeth before you veg and watch TV. I find it sends the message to my brain that I am done with food (plus it makes anything taste terrible). Good luck in your search! Amanda

PEDICURE! It's hard to be in a funk when you have gorgeous toes. I also like to work out especially with loud music. We have a punching bag in our garage and it is a GREAT friend on those funky days. I am also a reader and find that getting lost in a great book so I can forget my funk is a great plan. Great post idea!

Holy Smokes! You look fabulous and inspirational all at the same time! Seriously, I agree that you easily look 10-15 younger. Way to take full advantage of this opportunity to change your life!

Oh! Thank you so much for giving this feeling a name- as a former English teacher, it was driving me nuts that I couldn't succintly describe what I am feeling. I love that I now have a name for it! Dumb, I know, but it's the little things... And, I'm totally with you when it comes to riding this train to the end. I feel like I took the "Nuclear Option" when I chose surgery so I damn well better go all of the way!

Hey all- My thoughts on this topic are a bit of a jumble, so I'll do my best to make sense. I know that many find themselves losing a lot of weight but still seeing themselves as their heavy former selves when they look in the mirror. I think I have the opposite problem. For most of my life, I have had not seen the heavy person in the mirror. I have always known that I was overweight but I only rarely saw how far out of hand things had gotten. Fortunately, I was lucid long enough to see the real picture and have surgery. So, now that I am the other side of surgery and 50 pounds lighter I am obviously ecstatic. But, again, I often don't realize how far I still have to go. Which, seems like a really good thing, I know. However, when it's time to try on clothes and I'm not a pure 18 yet or I see a picture that depicts me as heavier than what I saw in my head the reality really depresses me. I am so proud of the 50 lbs. already lost but I find myself overwhelmed when I realize that's just a 1/3 of the way to goal. Any advice for staying positve/motivated and seeing yourself realistically would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks all- Amanda

Ah, dammit, now I have to go ahead and drop the 30 bucks on Mederma because your scars look AWESOME! Okay, so what's your regimen? How many times a day, etc? I'm seriously impressed.

Hey Becca- I'm only 10 weeks out but mine are starting to look decent. They've now moved from red to that purplish-pink color scars take. I think it has a lot to do with your skin tone, type, etc. I have been using skin therapy oil by Palmers that combines coco butter and shea butter. I use that on the lovely new stretch marks that keep popping up too. I would like to also know what creams, oils, etc. others are using that they find successful. Good idea for a post! Amanda

About six weeks post op a co-worker who is obsessed with weight loss asked how much I had lost so far. I responded with whatever the loss was at the time. Her response? "Well, look at you! You're getting closer to beautiful everday!" WTF? So, overweight makes you ugly? The look I gave her must have said what I was thinking because she quickly amended, "Not that you aren't already beautiful." Nice try, lady. The damage was done. Fortunately, I have a solid self-image but the enchange still left me shaking my head.

Congrats Julie! You've done amazing! I am 5'9" and weighed almost exactly the same as you on our respective sleeve dates. IF I can be as successful as you in eight months then I will be over the freakin' moon!

That is AWESOME! Congrats!

If you are new to dealing with endometriosis, let me suggest the use of a heating pad. Be leary of any tight clothing across the abdomen. Also, a small pillow to apply pressure against the abdomen can be very helpful when pain is severe. Hopefully, your doctor has prescribed some decent drugs. Are your dealing with a cyst now? Those lil' boogers can make some serious trouble. Just so you know, in my opinion, the surgery was a walk in the park compared to the endometriosis pain I've experienced.

Hi DivaDee- I've been dealing with endometriosis since I wasa teenager. I actually had to have a couple of cysts surgically removed. Since the birth of my daughter, the endometriosis had been relatively quiet. Regular use of birth control has been the only needed intervention. I am only 9 weeks post-op but I have noticed that the rapid weight loss has completely up-ended my cycle and made for a slightly more difficult TOM. I have only gone through two cycles thus far though and things may even out. Any complications have been minor and not worth worry over, at least for me. Good luck! Amanda