LivingFree!

Hi, just saw your post. I live in CA, but grew up close by in York PA and just wanted to say Hi! Good luck putting together your walkng group!

Hope you can try to get back on your post-op bari eating program soon. Is your program where you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks? Grazing all day gets more and more dangerous the further out you get, especially when the "healthy" grazing foods you're eating now become more and more like the preop simple carbs that were the enemy of so many of us! Grazing just won't fit in long-term with this new lifestyle! You haven't "expanded" your sleeve. It is fine. We just have to remember that the sleeve doesn't do the work. WE have to do the hard work to learn how to make our sleeve work. You have plenty of time after you are one year post-op to introduce those "old" foods back into your eating plan in moderation. Right now, to keep your weight loss steady and consistent, it is best to follow your bariatric plan with lean Protein and fresh veggies/fruit and stay away from processed foods. You'll lose the easiest in the first 6-8 months if you do.

It would not be normal if you WEREN'T having these "second thoughts." This is a huge life decision (up there with the biggest you'll ever make). I attend a lot of support groups and the statement that people make most often is that if they had to do it all over again, they would absolutely do it in a heartbeat! Yes, you see and read about a lot of struggles here that many of us go through in the first few weeks/months, but there is a wonderfully amazing, healthy life just around the corner! You will come to the best and right decision for you.

Congrats on your surgery! Sorry to hear you're feeling kinda exhausted, but it is totally normal. Some people bounce back quickly; others (like me) take 3 months before they feel like their old selves. Once your food intake increases, you should notice a big boost in your energy. Meanwhile, just try to be patient and not push yourself too hard. I know--easier said than done! I think we all get kind of caught up in all the excitement of our new weight loss adventures and tend to "forget" that our bodies DID just go through major surgery and they are giving us signals loud and clear to rest and relax while all that healing goes on in there. Take care and keep on healing well!

I applaud you for examining your "second thoughts" about having surgery. I think most of us have those thoughts at least some time along our decision process. This is a huge change in lifestyle and eating habits for the rest of your life. What it comes down to though, is that the sleeve does not do the work, WE are the ones who have to work the sleeve. The sleeve does not give us "willpower." (As our bariatric therapists always say in our support groups, the surgeons operate on our stomachs, not on our brains!) For me, the most challenging part has been learning to change my lifelong relationship with all the unhealthy, fattening food that I ate to comfort me whenever "life" happened. And all of those stressors of life definitely still happen (and more) AFTER surgery, just like before. The BEST part of this process has been the satisfaction that I have CHOSEN to now live my life making HEALTHY CHOICES about what I eat. Yes, the sleeve has helped me do that, but doing the "head work" has also been a big part of this process. I agree with Bufflehead. You're better off not buying too much of any kind of Protein at first because your taste buds sometimes are a little wacky at first. Same with eating out. You can control what you're eating a lot better when you are preparing your food at home, especially until you get back to eating normal foods (most programs not 'til 6 wks?). Congrats on your upcoming surgery on Thursday!

Congratulations on your surgery! Hope you can find some peace in what other posters here have said. Yes, it is VERY normal to feel like your emotions are going out of control right after surgery. Not everyone gets this (I sure did), but it is scary, especially if your emotions are usually pretty consistent. Just don't beat yourself up--the way you are feeling is not "your fault." If it continues this way for more than another week (or gets worse), please don't continue to suffer with this. Contact your surgeon or mental health professional on your bariatric team if you have one. Meanwhile, maybe just doing some simple relaxation techniques like an occasional 5 minutes of deep belly breathing throughout your day, or simple meditation might help settle down your mind & body. Feel better soon.

Premier did this exact same "formula change" thing a couple years ago and they are at it again. It is sooo frustrating. The last two cartons I bought at Sam's Club are so clumpy that it doesn't even come out of the carton as liquid, it's just clumps. So far, it's only been the chocolate. It's even worse than it was the last time. When I had contacted them back then, they said they were trying to make it more like a milkshake. Don't know why they can't just leave it alone. It seems to be the most popular protein among the WLS population. Hope everyone who is getting these bad batches contacts the company. Yes, their customer service treated me nice and sent me a free carton too back then. But not everyone has the time and the resources to being chasing around exchanging faulty product. Premier needs to get it right the first time and sell reliable product!

Check to make sure you're not letting those pesky simple carbs sneak back into your diet (the crackers, chips, breads, etc, etc, etc). Seems a lot of us at one time or another along the way encounter this and it is often a reason for weight gain. Good luck in getting a grip on what's going on. You are being proactive and that's the important thing.

Taube's more recent "Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It " was an "easier" read for me (not quite as technical; both, however, are excellent for those of us who struggle with carbs ). Congrats on your 50 lbs erikalexandra19! You asked for suggestions--this one's kinda crazy, but it really is working for me. It has helped me a lot to get control of out-of-control snacking. I got brutally honest with myself and made a list of the foods that I felt I was having a hard time controlling. I don't like the words "can't have" because that means deprivation, and deprivation means I want it more. Here goes: I really had to limit (more like ELIMINATE) what and how much I brought into the house. My downfall from the beginning has been dry Cereal (dark choc Cheerios, Kashi GoLean Crunch etc). I use it as finger food to satisfy that need for crunch. But I was eating right out of the box and when you do that, you certainly eat more than "one serving". So now, when a new box of cereal (or anything that is a trouble carb for you) comes into the house it really helps to put each serving in its own baggie, and then put all the baggies back into the box. That way when you reach for the box, you still get the satisfaction of holding the box, but when you reach inside, you're grabbing a contolled-portion baggie, not handfuls. So, at the beginning of each month I have my list with check-off boxes next to the following items that are MY DEMONS. This list with its check-off boxes is in my face all month (on my fridge) so I can see, for instance, how many more fast food meals I have left for the month. When all the checkboxes are checked off, no more until the new month rolls around. It's just really helped my brain know that I CAN still have this stuff, I just now have to DISCIPLINE myself THIS WAY so I CAN still have it. Box Cereal (2 checkboxes = 2 boxes per month) Fast Food (4 checkboxes = 4x per month)(only SAFE & planned fast food allowed) Frozen Dinners (4 checkboxes = 4x per month) (cannot be more and 30gm carb) Starbucks (2 checkboxes = 2x per month) Ice Cream Treat (2 checkboxes) (no ice cream in house--must be eaten out only) Skinny Pop (1 checkbox) Quest Protein Bars (4 checkboxes = 4x per month) Pure Protein Bars (4 checkboxes = 4x per month) Good luck with whatever you find that works for you to get back on track. You will find your way.

Thanks for sharing your happy thoughts. I can so relate to how I used to feel so fat and ugly in my clothes, and how I feel NOW (even pretty and feminine!). We WLSers are the only ones who can TRULY understand what that really feels like, huh?

Had my VSG at age 59. 'Tis truly a tough decision, and often just comes down to your own personal preference (that is if your surgeon recommends either, as mine did). I agree with what other posters here have said. The gastric bypass is considered the "gold standard" and has more years of statistics available. There exists only about five years of hard data on the sleeve (although the sleeve has been performed here in the US quite routinely for about the last 7 or so years, and I've heard even longer in the UK, but not sure about that stat). May I share what I have observed in the four support groups I have attended per month in the past three years. > More people seems to be opting for the sleeve, and the primary reason they cite is that it is a less invasive surgery (no drastic rerouting of the "plumbing" as with the gastric bypass). I made the decision for the sleeve for that reason. I was Type 2 diabetic, although not insulin dependent. Diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol all resolved within one month of surgery. >As far as day-to-day new habits following your surgery, the lifestyle and eating plan is the same for both the GB or sleeve. The potential for malabsorption of certain nutrients seems to be of more concern with GB than with sleeve. >Some people report more restriction (continuing to feel fuller longer) "down the road" with the GB than with the sleeve, but that often totally depends on the operation parameters (bougie size, etc). >I do know that (some? many?) GB patients often deal with dumping and/or vomiting, whereas it is less common with sleeve patients. For instance, I have never vomited or had a dumping episode since surgery. I have heard many, many patients share the good, bad, and ugly of both procedures. Of course you know that everyone's outcome is going to be different. And please also keep in mind--sometimes (not always) when you hear the terrible horror stories of one surgery or the other going so terribly wrong, what you're often NOT hearing is that the patient what not very good at taking care of themselves and committing to following the bariatric program as their new lifestyle. COMPLIANCE is mandatory with WLS, and some people just don't get that. Just keep asking those questions like you're doing, talk to as many WLS professionals as you can find, seek out WLS books (there are lots published in the last 5 years), attend post-op support groups at local hospitals in your area if you can (you may need a "Mother May I" from someone but it's worth it to be a squeeky wheel to get some first-hand info from WLS patients eye-to-eye!). Good luck with your decision. You'll come to the one that is right for you. . .

Hi unhappysleever, thanks for opening up about your complications following surgery. It sounds like your kidneys are ok NOW as long as you are vigilent about drinking the required fluids--is that right? So, all the REALLY bad things are in the PAST now and what you need to FIX are basically: 1) Not feeling nausea when you first wake up; 2) Getting better sleep 3) Feeling happy every day and enjoying life again This is not meant to be disrespectful to your surgeon, but the truth is that medical professionals are super busy people and sometimes they don't really HEAR us unless we really make a lot of NOISE about what is bothering us. Maybe you have to make your point more strongly that this nausea and lack of sleep and depression is NOT OK WITH YOU and you need your surgeon's help to fix it. You are much closer than you were to FEELING BETTER. Don't slide backward now! In one of your posts, you said that you've lost 66 pounds and you don't care if you don't lose any more. Does that mean that you have reached your weight loss goal already? So you are at maintenance at just 4 months from your surgery? If that is the case--congratulations!. But if that is NOT the case--you said something else. You said you think it's gonna take you 6 to 12 months to feel better. The first 6-9 months after surgery is the time when the weight comes off the "easiest." After that, it slows down. So RIGHT NOW is the time when you need to be following your Bariatric Eating program the closest without deviating from it. I don't need to say this--you KNOW it's true--filling up on bread before a meal definitely WAS NOT on MY program, nor is it on yours. This was not meant as a "guilt trip", just a reality check for you. I hope by now from all the people who have responded to your post, that you realize there are a lot of people on this forum who care about you and your long-term success. Like I've said, you have your sleeve. That cannot be changed now. You must comply with the lifestyle or you face more real life-threating complications in the future if you CHOOSE not to. The choice is yours. You CAN live a happy and complication-free life. If you do not know how to do that, please find the resources to make that happen. It IS in your power.

Congratulation on your sleeve! Take care and heal well!

Congratulation on your surgery! No worries. All normal. Weight gain immediately after surgery happens--lots of excess fluids are in your body.

My bari program recommends no alcohol for one year after surgery. Like other posters said, you get buzzed really fast, so just be careful.

Congratulations on reaching your first goal to ONEderland!!! Way to go! My surgery was April 26, 2011. I started at 252 and I remember soooo well the day I got back under 200. There's just something about your weight being in the one hundreds instead of the two hundreds that means A LOT! Best wishes and enjoy your many more happy goals to come. . .

Unhappysleever--the "promise" needs to be only to yourself--no one else. You don't have to "try your best". Just do it!!! Until you make up your mind to stop your negative self-talk and start telling yourself that you CAN and WILL do this, your are going to continue to feel bad. That probably sounds really mean and cruel to you. Of course it's great that we have these boards to "vent" our feelings and frustrations. But when you say that you are "just not interested" that is much more than just venting frustration. You've been talking about complications you've been continuing to have. You're 4 months out--are they medical complications that are being treated? Surgical complications are generally resolved by this time. Do you need to be more assertive with your medical team? Ask yourself--what are you waiting for that will make this not a "chore" as you call it. It is what it is. Please take some time to really think about how your negative thoughts and attitude are affecting your ability to live each day with joy. YOU wake up each day and consciously make that decision. Just remember--what we say to ourselves has EVERYTHING to do with how easy or how hard we make our WLS story.

Definitely agree with kittenheart's #1. I am 3 years out and I still have to respect the "no liquids 1/2 hr before or after eating" guideline. So if you consumed all 3 at same time, it could be a cause for the upset. Assuming Protein bar had less than 5gm of sugar; otherwise, maybe too much sugar could have contributed to nausea too on your empty morning stomach. And. . . stalls happen, no matter what. Just keep focusing on following your eating plan--more than on the number on the scale-- and it will move again. No need to worry.

So sorry to hear that you are feeling so discouraged about your decision to have the sleeve. It is not uncommon for some people to have some serious issues with depression after surgery. And it sounds like you need some help to find your way to your "new normal" that will be your new lifestyle for the rest of your life. You might even need to be prescribed an anti-depressant for awhile. Please consider talking to a professional so you can get yourself on a more positive outlook. Like it or not, you did make the CHOICE to have 80% of your stomach permanently removed, but whether or not you believe this right now, you DO have the courage and the strength to develop those new habits and the healthy lifestyle that will enable you to live that healthy and happy life. There is nothing to be ashamed of for feeling the depression that you do right now--depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, not a weakness of character. Yes, this IS HARD!!! Did someone tell you it was all going to be EASY PEEZY??? Nothing that is worthwhile in life comes without some sacrifice. I think many, many other members on Bariatric Pal will agree with me, especially those who are more than one year post surgery--every challenge, both big or small--was so worth it to achieve the new lives they are enjoying today. I am 3 years out and I cannot begin to tell you how much my life has changed. But it didn't just "happen." You have no time to waste--you have a lot of work to do in developing your new eating habits and healty lifestyle. But first you have to get your mind healthy and happy again. Please be good to yourself, and soon you'll be making the work of learning the bariatric lifestyle a fun adventure instead of the drudgery you're feeling about it now. Yes, I said FUN--it can be FUN!!! Chin up! No standing still! Move forward!

Just a few quick comments-- 1) Premier Protein ready-to-drink liquid (mentioned above) seems to be very popular among many WLSers. It also comes in a powder that you mix with Water or other liquid of your choice. Sam's Club also carries it. 2) nectar by Syntrax (whey protein isolate) powder. Go to syntrax.com for individual sample packets (about $15?). A lot of people seem to like the unjury because they make an unflavored Protein Powder. Go to unjury.com. 3) Most bari programs recommend your protein supplement, especially during your first 6 mo-1 year, come from whey protein and/or whey protein isolate (this is not a brand name--is it the KIND of protein). It is the best high-quality protein. If you're unsure which kind of protein your surgeon recommends, be sure to ask before you invest the big $$$$. 4) Our bodies cannot absorb more than about 30gm of protein at any one time. So be wary of the protein drinks/powders out there that are way more than that per serving because you will just be peeing out anything over 30 gm. A bit of friendly advice--eon't buy A LOT of anything for now. Many people experience BIG changes in taste after surgery. What tastes good now may be gross-tasting to you after surgery. But also, if you're trying something you never tasted before right after your surgery and you HATE IT, hang on, 'cuz you might grow to LOVE IT in a week or two! Very strange, but true. Good luck. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed with all the protein supplement choices. There's lots. You'll find what works for you. . .

Congrats on reaching your "regular food" stage. Sure, some people experience a temporary weight gain somewhere along the way like you described. Is 3 oz of Protein the amount that is recommended at this stage for you? 2 oz sounds more typical for 6 wks out, but every program is different. Your best bet is to just as carefully as you can, follow the quantities recommended by your program, especially in the first 6 months. Eating out frequently can be a slippery slope. Even when you ask for those "special requests," you really do not have the control over how your food is prepared and what the actual ingredients are that you are consuming. There is nothing that compares to preparing your food at home--you know exactly what you are eating. Yep, so many of us eat out due to our busy lives and just run out of time to eat at home. I know I had to really get creative with "brown bagging" more often (especially for Breakfast and lunch meals). It takes a lot of planning, but now I pick one day a week (usually Sunday) to do a mini-marthon cooking session and divide up "to go" food for the week (or at least for 4-5 days) so at least I'm eating healthier MOST of the time. Then, for example, on Wednesday, it feels so good that I have already made my food decision for the week--I just grab it and go! Keep up the good work. Just keep following your program and your scale will keep moving in the direction you want it to.

I can totally relate to being a college student! I had my surgery right after I began college for the first time at age 59 and achieved double degrees in Gerontology and Nutrition in 2013! We all have to examine how badly we really want to change our eating habits so that we can enjoy good health and the best quality of life for the rest of our lives. "Life" and its many stressors are always going to be getting in the way--we each have to find our new coping skills. Sure, it's a lot of work and a whole lot of planning. On days when I had a 7am class and knew I also had a 7pm class and wasn't going to be home at any time at all in between, it took a lot of planning to make all of my meals and Snacks for the day to carry with me, but it was important for me that I remain true to my bariatric program. That is a decision only YOU can make. There is always a way if you choose to find one. An old work colleague of mine very early on in my career who became a very respected mentor of mine once said, "People always MAKE TIME for the things they really want to do." I think of that so often when I find myself telling me it's hard, or I can't, or I don't want to do something. For the other posters asking which particular month you start getting more of an appetite back--it doesn't really matter whether it's right after surgery, or month 1, or 4, or 5, or 6, or ?, or never. There is no magic month. What matters is that at every step of your new eating lifestyle, from the day you leave the hospital, you are feeding your body the nutrition it needs. That means when you start eating regular food, it's lean Protein and fresh fruits & veggies, and not the packaged, processed stuff. It's all so overwhelming at the beginning (and for me, frankly, it continued to be for more than a year). The rewards far outweigh the challenges. Most of us have lived lifetimes of crazy unhealthy eating habits that don't just "go away" over night. It takes work and determination, but we have a great tool in the sleeve that we have never had before. We just really have to grasp that IT doesn't do the WORK--WE DO!!! Keep up the good work everyone!

I have never heard of diluting the protein, could you please explain that ?!?!

Congrats on your surgery! Hope you're feeling good and continue to heal fast . . . I think it's a bit confusing for the newly sleeved who are constanly reading about everyone who is much further along post-op always talking about carbs. Although I cannot speak directly for other bariatric programs than my own, I think most are similar. As you move through the various eating stages until you are back to eating "normal" foods with no restrictions, the programs are set up so that you do not need to be counting how many carbs your are consuming. You are eating mostly the good complex carbs, not the bad simple carbs. The carbs you need are automatically built in to the program. That is assuming, of course, that you are following the eating program they have given you and NOT eating ANY of the "bad" carbs that are not on the program. When you're reading about "carbs" on the boards, I think you'll find most of the time, it's from members who are much further out who have gone back to making some unhealthy choices and eating those processed starchy simple carbs that got us all in trouble in the first place (ya know--chips, crackers, breads, Cookies, candy, etc, etc.)! Take good care of yourself and remember to have fun on your new adventure. It can get overwhelming, but every little challenge ends up soooo worth it in the long run!

MichiganChic, your words of wisdom here say it all! newlifesils, there is not a question whether the sleeve is "working." The question always becomes: "Is the sleeved one working the sleeve???" I can still hear my surgeon's words to me at my 3 month follow-up appt. He said to work especially hard to stay on the program in the first six to nine months because that's when your weight will come off the "easiest." For me, that really proved true (as usual, of course, everyone is different). I lost the majority of my weight in the first 10 months. Especially be mindful of those starchy carbs that so easily can sneak back into your diet at this point (read: chips, crackers, Cookies, etc.). Not only do these do a serious number on stalling your weight loss, they also set you up for just wanting more and more of them. Stick to the lean Protein, fresh fruits & veggies--the stuff on your program. You'll be so glad you did! Whether you choose to use My Fitness Pal or any other app, the important thing is that you find a method that works for YOU and your lifestyle. For me, I have to play a head game with myself by starting my day pretending I have 1200 calories to "spend" (just like I'd have $1200 to spend each day--oh I wish!). By the way, I'm 3 years out. Then all day as I log my food, I deduct my calories and when they're gone, I'm done for the day.