CraftyChristie

I'm so proud of you! I know it's hard but you are making the right choice for yourself and it's going to be so much easier to meet your own needs now. Wish I could help you move stuff!! Of course I'm only 3 weeks out too lol. I'm seriously just so glad that you are making this move and going to be on your own. Good things are ahead and you will be that super happy person again. *hugs*

Sorry, Sassy not Sissy lol

Sissy, my friend had the same prob, weights never did anything for her triceps. She has been doing this boot camp class the past few months and they make her do 100 push ups each time (3x per week) and her triceps are now rock hard! Not saying you have to do 100 but maybe instead of the weights try push ups. Hope this helps!

Thanks for sharing this ~ it's really motivational! I am going to start strength training after my 3 week post op appointment (assuming he gives me the go ahead to do so) and definitely going to have a focus on my arms. Thanks for including the photos it really is amazing.

For me it happens more with drinking than it does with eating... but I burped a lot before surgery so hubby is barely noticing

5 miles a day is so impressive! I wish I could do that but my back pain prevents it (which I'm hoping will improve some with weight loss). I am walking about 50 mins a day right now but not sure the distance. My legs feel like they could go forever but my back gets all cramped up and needs rest at a certain point. I am so glad you are able to do this for yourself. Amazing progress and thanks for sharing your story! Now post pics!!!

I would say the opposite - the sleeve helps but what YOU do with it it at least 75% of the result. I think you should be damn proud and not sell yourself short of your huge accomplishment. Congratulations!

Can you tell me what the hernia feels like? I am wondering if I have one. As much detail as you can share would be really helpful. Thanks for sharing your 6 month update, I will definitely go check out your youtube videos.

Hey guys, I have posted some new blog entries about my hunger, and about what I've been eating lately at 2 1/2 weeks post op. Thought I'd share in case you are interested. Feeding the Hunger Things I've Been Eating

OK kids. I have been trying to keep a very positive attitude about this but I am 2 1/2 weeks post op and still experiencing hunger all day every day. I had intense hunger pains the first few days after surgery, and they got better, but I experience mild to moderate hunger ALL day EVERY day - still. My surgeon just keeps saying it's different for everyone, it should go away, etc... but I don't know if I'm convinced. I tried some slightly more solid food yesterday as an experiment - had some cheese (the kind that is a small little block to eat) and I still didn't stop feeling hungry. When I eat my 1 ounce of soft food every two hours, I feel less hungry for a tiny bit but after an hour I'm really hungry again and have to wait an hour to eat. I am in despair because this feels like DIETING!!!! Restricting yourself to less than you want and dealing with the hunger. THIS IS NOT HEAD HUNGER. I have successfully watched hubby and best friend eat burgers, pizza, etc and I did totally fine. Yes I longed for it a bit (that's the head huger) but I put myself in the right mindset, enjoyed the smells, etc. THIS IS ALSO NOT ACID. I have had acid plenty before surgery and I know what it feels like. This is pure physical hunger and I know what it feels like, I am definitely in tune with that. So.... please... if ANYONE ELSE has experienced this please tell me what you did about it, if it went away with time, if it went away when you got to solid food, etc.' Hubby had his surgery yesterday (and is doing very well) and woke up with no hunger, and still isn't feeling any so far (I was having hunger pains the whole time in the hospital!)... so now I am feeling really really super unlucky and gypped. I am usually a very very positive person but this is really getting me down :001_tt2:

Hehe ok... well the tuna I made yesterday was not from the book, just threw some stuff together, and I mentioned the 'recipe' for it somewhere earlier in this thread. But the book does look really great, and is designed to either eat the foods whole, or chopped up or even pureed. It was written by a patient of my surgeon and I bought it in his office but I did find it here on this website: Ginger's Gourmet - Eat to Live, Stop Living to Eat

Oatmeal does most of it's expanding when you make it so you are probably safe there. I am eating way more solid stuff now thanks to that lady the other day and it makes a huge difference. I would suggest making it as thick as possible, not runny, so it won't go straight through you... and also I would suggest adding in unflavored protein powder so you can get some protein content in there! Be careful and try a little bit at first and see how it goes but I think it is a great idea.

Yes, when I go out today I'm going to buy Prilosec and try it for 2 weeks and see how I feel. I think that is a good idea no matter what. So - that second batch of tuna last night kept me full the whole rest of the night. I should have eaten one more time but I didn't... but yay!! I feel so good knowing this is helping.

Maddie... what happened? Did you have your surgery?

OK so the first 2 ounces didn't keep me full the entire 2 hours, but it was definitely a huge improvement! The second batch I still ate 2 ounces, but took my 1oz liquid vitamin in addition, and I am full... it's been about an hour and a half now and still full. But I felt maybe slightly more full than I would have wanted so I am thinking 2 1/2 ounces might be the magic spot. Will try that at my next meal. Thank you all for following along with me.

thanks laura.... I like your ticker!

Hi all! Well as some of you know, yesterday was my hubby Ian's surgery day. He still hasn't joined this site so I will just pop on here and talk about it for him hehe. He did so great. When they brought him up to his room after surgery he was already awake and alert... he didn't even doze off or rest until HOURS later. Unlike me who was totally out of it the first few hours LOL. He also didn't feel much pain... that is until the anesthesia wore off. :-/ He has a higher pain tolerance than I do but he still is pretty uncomfortable and sore right now. But he is in great spirits!! He has had zero hunger (unlike me who is still hungry all the time) so I am very very happy for him that it was apparently very successful. He gets to come home from the hospital today and I know he is looking forward to that. They just said they want him to walk more so they can make sure his oxygen levels stay good, and they want to make sure he can get all his fluids in. I snapped this pic before he went into surgery... he looks so happy and excited!

I have the left side pain too. At a week out I thought it was gone but then I moved wrong in the bed when I was trying to move my cat out of my way lol and I felt as though I "pulled" it again so it's been hurting again. Getting a bit better each day though. I think it is from them cutting through the muscle.

~ crossing my legs ~ wearing hubby's jacket and having it be huge on me ~ traveling comfortably (plane/train/bus seats, europe where everything is small) ~ hiking, biking, etc enjoying the outdoors here in Colorado ~ amusement parks/water parks being enjoyable again ~ summer dresses / wearing dresses without thighs rubbing together ~ cute shoes (right now my feet are too wide for anything but sneakers) ~ having the door held open for me ~ using clothes to define my own style, instead of wearing the best of the crappy stuff I can find, wearing whatever fits ~ regular sized bath or beach towels, wrapping around my body! ~ not dreading being weighed every time I go to the doctor ~ not feeling like I take up too much space in public places like elevators ~ sitting in chairs at people's homes without worrying about breaking them ~ hearing "you're so pretty" instead of "you have such a pretty face."

That was a really smart question to ask! I don't know if I would have thought to ask that. Thanks for the info.

If it helps, my surgeon specifically mentioned Wendy's chili as an excellent dining out option. He said chili in general is an excellent food to eat packed with protein and fiber, and very filling to a sleever.

Well the regimine for me was supposed to be 1 oz of fluid every 15 mins. Are you doing that? I think I had trouble the first couple days meeting my quota but by day 3 or 4 it was all good. Keep trying! :001_tongue: It gets easier.

I had these types of pains from drinking also and they gradually got better. I'm at 2 1/2 wks now and they stopped but I don't know exactly when. I think it's from all the air pumped into our abdomen for surgery. The more you walk, the faster you will get rid of all the air. I also used Gas-X strips. I think at about a week they stopped for me but I was walking a LOT to get rid of the gas.

Thanks guys! He is doing well! He's been home for about 5 hours now, took a good nap for almost 2 hours, is getting in his fluids and walking around as much as he can. He's cranky, definitely not feeling the best but I know he will feel so much better each day like I did. I'll keep working on him about joining the forums :sad0: You guys are great thanks for caring!