emily_0192010

It could definitely be acid hunger! I still get this from time to time at 9 months out. I don't take a PPI on a regular basis so once in awhile this pops up as a reminder to me to take one.

Yes and Yes!! With grilled you chicken you may need some sort of sauce with it in case it is a bit overcooked (it would be dry and might be uncomfortable in your sleeve). I love greek yogurt. My FAVORITE is the Fage 2%. They also make a 0% which has no fat and is lower in calories (but isn't as creamy IMO). If you are watching your carbs then get the plain (i substitute this for sour cream in recipes). Then flavor it yourself with sugar free syrups or crytal light packets. My favorite is to add espresso powder and half a packet of splenda. The variety is limitless really. Yogurt sits very, very well for me. So this is my go to on "tight sleeve" days as well.

Welcome to the loser's bench!!! Enjoy your treadmill, the trick is to make it fun in some way (listen to music, watch tv, read a book if you can, do little challenges, etc). Take some time to browse through all the forums here, there are years of questions and answers out there. Let us know if you have any specific questions

I wish... I need about 9000 to get back in school :/ I totally understand!

33 lbs is 1/3 of 100!!! That is huge I loved losing my first 33! Congrats!

I never set official goals, but I did not look at the long-term either. I suppose my next goal was also the next pound. I celebrated every pound down and I still do! It is most definitely the small victories and our NSV's that make this journey not only possible but enjoyable as well.

Not lose?? That would be wonderful... I gain... like 10 lbs. It goes away after, but still... it sucks!! Anyways, yes, it is completely normal. It also sometimes affects my weight the week before as well.

YES!!!! None of my shoes fit now lol... I have three pairs that i can wear... sneakers, simple black sandals, one pair of flip flops. I really need new ones, but I needed some essential clothes more... things you can't buy used!

I would suggest doing your best to schedule your surgery towards the end of the week, that way you have a couple extra rest days at home before a new school week. You may not be able to drive for awhile depending on how long you need your pain meds for. You won't be bed ridden, but you won't really be able to do much for the first week or so. I think you'll be okay as long as you speak to your older children ahead of time and ask for their help and understanding. Good luck!

Yeah... it sucks. But you know what it is so move past it. I gain about 10 lbs once a month It sucks but at least I know it goes away!

The very first week I got in... very, very, very little. I was struggling with my water and protein shakes were way too thick. I tried the isopure, but I nicknamed it isopuke. Everyone can handle the protein shakes differently. You might be fine, you might struggle. Please focus on your liquids first. The last thing you want is to be dehydrated. Protein is very important, but not as important as the liquids.

Thanks for the input everyone!

Hey everyone Recently I've come across some very interesting and varying information about cardio vs weight training to weight loss and I was curious to know what you opinions are! Now, I haven't spent as much time as I'd like figuring out what is medically accurate... and even what I have read seems to contradict itself... that's why i'm asking for opinions! I've heard that - cardio is the best for weight loss because it gets your heart going and makes you sweat - cardio is only for what it stands for :cardiovascular. It only benefits your heart and won't affect your weight loss - cardio is not effective for weight loss because the amount of time you spend versus the amount of calories burned it not enough -weight training is best for weight loss because for every pound of muscle your body puts on you burn x amount more calories doing nothing (it raises your base metabolism level) Recently I started working through the C25K program. I am currently on week 3. My problem is that the "jogging" parts puts my heart rate just out of my target heart rate zone. The thing is, ANY amount of jogging will do this. Just walking will put me there. So do I stop the program and switch to just walking and then focus on weight training... or do I continue working through the program (which i'm starting to enjoy... its just so gratifying to actually be able to do it!) and slowly start to incorporate the weight. Either way I'm going to do some of both, I guess I'm trying to figure out what will work best for me. And before people suggest it, at my next visit with either one of my docs (the surgeon or my PCP) i'll be asking about the whole Target Heart Rate and what is healthiest for me. So, what are your opinions on the cardio vs weight training? And, when you do cardio, do you make sure you stick within your target heart range? Thanks! (sorry for the length... its been on my mind for awhile).

That's why we have our sleeves. Yes, you made a bad decision. But think of what you would've done pre-sleeve and stop beating yourself up. This bad feeling will help you remember in the future. On another note, I am really sorry to hear about your friend. "Death is not kind to the living"... it is something I have learned to be very true. I also firmly believe that bad days allow us to truly appreciate the good ones... get through this day and then be glad for the next. 65lbs is amazing! You are doing great! Don't let today bring you down. Thank your sleevie for keeping you in check today and move on with a smile (((((((((hugs))))))))

5 oz rule? I haven't heard this before. I'm curious where it is coming up. And like pookey... if I was to eat 5 oz the only rule would be that it would come back up!!!

Dumping is very individual. A portion of us never experience dumping, while others do. I think a part of it has to do with food choices but part of it just can't be controlled. It is definitely much less common with the sleeve. From what I understand about dumping, it could happen even to a "normal" person. Of course it is very, very, very rare. During the seminars that i've attended they say that it doesn't happen with the sleeve. And I suppose they say that since the way food enters the stomach and the way food exits it doesn't change, so technically dumping shouldn't happen. From talking to people you figure out that it does. I know that was kinda convoluted and didn't give you a straight answer, but I came to the conclusion that there isn't one. It will either happen, or it won't. You mentioned you might make an appointment for a consult, have you attended any seminars? They are normally free and they are a great place to ask questions.

I know my surgeon's office accepts self-pay. Do you have insurance and are choosing not to use it or they won't approve the surgery? If you do then I don't see why they have a problem. Insurance would cover anything catastrophic right? So that would be a safety net the surgeon too. I dunno. It doesn't make sense why they won't. I'm in Florida though, and that is pretty far from NYC. Have you tried Jersey or PA. My surgeon used to have a practice in the virginia/dc area. I believe the practice is still there under his father, maybe they will accept self-pay patients.

I had that side effect for the first few days home too... to the point where my mom called the surgeon to ask. She was worried about dehydration as well. He said to take some anti-diarrhea medicine. He said it was normal and happened and to be extra careful with my Water. It cleared up quickly and never came back. When was the last time you talked to your surgeon? If it wasn't recently you might want to call and talk to them. Just tell them what you told us and ask them for the best way to approach it. That will probably set your mind at ease the best.

I've heard that the best cardio "is the one you do". It sounds like you have a GREAT handle on your exercise!! I think that as long as you are getting your heart rate up and changing it up every so often there is nothing else you should do. Maybe add in some classes for some variety. Great job!

Congrats on being pregnant!! At this point in time I would focus on the baby. You ARE going to gain weight, but it is the right type of weight! Also, you shouldn't panic because your sleeve will still be there AFTER your pregnancy! You'll be able to re-focus on weight loss. And if you breastfeed? BONUS calories incinerator right there! Relax and enjoy your pregnancy. Make the right choices for your baby and stay calm knowing your sleeve is going to take care of you after! And look for tiffykins... seriously.

I found that a firm pillow helped. I actually used an oversized stuff frog pillow... it was soft enough to be comfortable and it gave a little, but it stayed nice and firm. I would put it in my lap and kinda lean forward a little bit and it would help support me. I wore spanx from the beginning and still do! It definitely helped me in the beginning. However, make sure you wear one that is supportive but NOT constrictive while you are healing. I say I wore spanx, I wore the cheap knock off from target. For 20 bucks it works well enough! At first I purposely bought it a size bigger than I technically would. It kept everything in and from jiggling, but I didn't have to struggle like crazy to get in and out of it and it didn't put extra pressure on my incisions. Good luck going back to work!

I hope you feel better soon!! I think your discomfort could be from the medicine not working well. Your surgeon might be able to give you something stronger that won't bother you so much. As for the fever, if it is higher please call and let your surgeon know. I'm not too sure what you mean by heaviness... are you still on liquids? I'm wondering if you are drinking too much at a time. I have said a couple times when I eat something too fast or it just sits down wrong that it feels like a "rock" in my stomach. Keep up updated please!

Hmm... i'm assuming you will have a cooler? You could bring cheese sticks, deli meat "roll ups" (you put meat, cheese, mustard/mayo/etc, lettuce if you want... and roll them up instead of putting them in bread), Peanut Butter (if you are not watching your carbs). You could also do greek yogurt. This might be tough, but if its wrapped properly and in a cooler I don't see a problem. You could even put it in the freezer the night before and eat it in the afternoon after it defrosts. I add Protein powder into plain yogurt. Then I add some sort of flavoring IF i need it (espresso powder, splenda, flavored syrups, crystal light packets, etc). This is a great way to get lots of protein! If you are up for a little pre-cooking you could make meatballs. My favorite recipe= ground turkey, plain greek yogurt (you do NOT taste this, but it works to keep it very moist and keeps it from falling apart) and the seasonings of your choice (my favorite is garlic, italian seasoning, salt, and curry). These would probably taste just fine on the cool side and if you weigh them as you make them then you'll know exactly how many protein each meatball is. Makes it very easy to count while you are at the beach. This should also sit well in a new sleeve. Again with the pre-cooking you could make egg "muffins" (i could find the recipe for you if youd like or you could google one to work with your specific tastes... actually there are probably a ton here under the recipe section). They travel very well but i'm not sure how well they would taste cool. Have fun!!

I'm so happy for you!!! You look amazing! Great job on just about being to goal!

Hello Sorry to hear you are having problems with your liquids! If you can't get your Protein down, focus on your Water. With only 11 oz you will become dehydrated. For me, "small sips" were so small I could barely tell I had anything in my mouth. What I was taught was "an ounce every ten minutes"... because that's 6 an hour, times 10 hours a day= your min. To do this the straw was just about attached to my mouth! It took me a good couple weeks before getting my water in wasnt a struggle. Also, are you drinking everything cold? Cold is generally bad for sleevers. Cold KILLED my sleevie. Do warm liquids, broth, bouillon, decaf coffee (IF you are allowed), tea (again, IF you are allowed).... warm tends to go down MUCH easier. Some people use a candle warmer to keep their drink warm since it takes us so long to drink them. Good luck!