Writergirl

I'm also 5 weeks out and have been eating lots of soup. Split pea with ham, bean, vegetable, etc. I also loved the hummus! I like turkey slightly pureed with gravy and a T of mashed potatoes. I eat scrambled egg. Soft ham is nice, too. I couldn't eat regular foods at this point. I had an incident with chicken the other night that I didn't chew well enough and I've had to go back on liquid for two days because it hurt my stomach so much. I'm not allowed a full diet until 8 weeks out.

Ok, whine, whine, whine. I'm 5 weeks out and losing slowly. First of all, I'm really fat!! Shouldn't I be losing fast??? Ok, I know... However, I went on low carb before my surgery and between that, the liquid diet pre-surgery, and the 21 I've lost since surgery, I'm down 67 pounds. When, oh when, will I lose a pant size??? When I'm standing, my slacks look huge, but when I sit, I still fill them out pretty well. Every day I look at my closet and dream of the day when it will be empty because everything is too big. True confession: I had a small pile of clothes on my dresser and I thought if I just waited another week or so I could give them to good will rather than hang them up and put them away. But alas... they all still fit. (And yes, I did put them away.) Anyway, I don't expect any real solutions here. I know that eventually I'm bound to lose a size. Just wanted some sympathy from others who might undestand. I don't think anyone starting this surgery at 200 pounds could imagine losing 67 without losing a size. Anyone else have this problem??? PS: Note to Universe: I really want to lose lots of sizes, for the record. Don't take the title of this post literally.

OMG, you must be so frustrated! Sitting in the house waiting to lose weight is like looking out the window waiting for the grass to grow. On the other hand, you've lost like a pound a day! When have you ever done that??? My weight loss since the surgery has been weird... down a pound, up a half, stay the same, down another pound. I've definitely had a lot of days where the scale was up, but unlike when I did other diets, I don't let this bother me too much. Also, are you drinking the Protein drinks? I had such a hard time with them, but I've finally found one I can tolerate and my weight loss not only increased, but I stopped feeling weak all the time. I couldn't drink whey, and now I'm on soy protein.

Thank you, friends. I know that eventually this has got to give, but I've been a size 32 or 34 pants for so many years, and I just want to say goodbye to that size forever. I dream of being able to shop in regular stores that carry a women's dept, like Macy's, but I need to be a size 24 for that. Seems like about a year away.

OMG, that is so ME! I'm taking prescription meds for acid, plus additional Zantac, so I don't think it's acid. I'm hungry very two hours, like clockwork. I'm 5 weeks out. I'm obsessing that I'm eating too many calories and I'm going to blow this just like every other diet. I'm eating 1,000 calories a day, including protein drinks. But I do believe this is real hunger. I have gurgling, gnawing hunger. I eat, and it goes away. I'm still on mushies, and am eating mostly protein--egg for breakfast, a protein drink, something like soup, beans or mushed turkey for lunch, an afternoon protein drink, something like a T of peanut butter in the afternoon, then more mush for dinner, and at night before bed (so I don't lie there starving) more peanut butter. I'm also drinking lots of water. I DON'T WANT TO BE HUNGRY ANY MORE!!! I feel so cheated! I thought it would be gone forever, and here I am. I've lost only 21 pounds in 5 weeks, and I'm disappointed because I was hoping for at least 5 pounds a week in this stage. I was so glad to read your post and know I'm not alone, but I feel for you, too. I see my doc on Friday and I'm going to ask him about it then.

I had this surgery BECAUSE of my knees. I need to have both replaced and my doc flat out refused to do it until I lose weight. Sadly, now that I'm not taking NSAIDS I can hardly walk. Well, I could hardly walk before the surgery, too, but I was in less pain. I guess my doc will do it when I lose about another 60 pounds. I've been kind of bummed as I go through this recovery, knowing two more huge surgeries await me this year. But I can't wait to get my life back again. Have fun with your grandkids!

Prior to my surgery, I went on Atkins. This was my first time doing low carb, and to my utter amazement, I dropped 34 pounds in 2 1/2 months. I went on Atkins because I was terrified of having surgery at such a high, unhealthy weght. Once I lost that weight, I went into a tailspin, questioning whether or not I really needed to do the surgery. Finally, this is what I realized.... All the diets--starting at age 12--all the angst, all the starting over, all the self-talk, all the weight watcher's meetings, all the fasts, all the nutrisystem, all the exercise, all the pounds lost over the years--had gotten me to a weight of 367 pounds, destroyed joints, and diabetes. Nothing--NOT ONE THING--in my past existed as evidence that I could do it without surgery and succeed. So I went ahead with it. Will I always wonder if maybe I had finally found the thing that worked? Maybe. But I certainly won't lose any sleep over it. I've lost 36 pounds since I began liquids on Jan 10th. It would have taken me months to do that. I'm ready to get on with my life, not take years and years to lose this weight. Only you can know if dieting will work, but don't tell yourself lies about how this time will be different. Good luck to you, sweetie... I know how torturous this decision is.

About 5 weeks out, I am finding that the sleeve works pretty well for a grazer like me. I was always eating before--a bite here, a snack there, meals even when I wasn't hungry. Since being sleeved, I get hungry--physically hungry--about every 2 hours. I have an egg for breakfast, 2 hrs later a protein drink, 2 hrs later lunch, 2 hrs later a protein drink, late afternoon an ounce or so of some kind of protein, dinner around 7, and a tablespoon of peanut butter before bed to tide me over. The difference is that before, I'd thoughtlessly eat a 200 calorie snack, then shortly after eat a meal. Now, if I have that 200 calories, there won't be any meal for a long time. There's just no room! Also, I have no real desire for junk food of any kind. Even when I think I'd like something junky, I try a bite or two and it just does nothing for me. So my snacks are something like 1 tablespoon of ham, or a tablespoon of black beans. It really is different, and I think the sleeve will help you with these issues a lot. Oh, the other thing! It has instantly cured me of my habit of eating almost a second meal while cleaning up after dinner. No more eating the last few bites of something. There's no room!

The night before my surgery I was all alone in the house and without any warning at all I burst into tears and just howled for about 15 minutes. I mourned the death of my relationship with food just like I had just gotten news that someone had died. So I think it's pretty normal to be feeling sad, along with all the other feelings. I thought I'd be mooning around afterwards, too, but other than some moments of feeling sorry for myself, at one month out I can tell you it's not been too difficult. I ask myself with every food choice if I'm making a good or bad choice, and I'm now actually beginning to lose interest in foods that have little nutritional value. So I say just go with it, keep being honest with yourself, and know that this is a journey, not a straight shot to the finish line. Best of luck with your surgery! We'll be here for you afterwards!

I survived on Indocin before my surgery and I'm functionally disabled without it. I need to have both my knees replaced, and in the meantime, without NSAIDS I'm in constant pain. Swimming was the one thing I could do (when my knees were good enough to get me into/out of the pool), and I miss it! I'm so mad that my shoulder is giving me problems. I'm going to try ice today. Maybe that will help a bit. This feels like something that's going to take weeks to heal. Sigh...

I also swim and am dealing with shoulder pain. However, I think I sprained it, because I haven't been allowed back in the pool since my surgery. I'm so frustrated, because I'm ready to swim, but I decided to give my shoulder a little more time. No, I can't have anything but Tylenol. However, I've been keeping the heating pad on it, and tonight I went to the store for Aspercream. That at least has aspirin in it and maybe some will get in there and reduce the inflammation. I'm curious to know if anyone else has ideas.

I was sleeved on Jan 24th, and I've been very moody, too. How could we NOT be? We are going through a tremendous change, and unlike other major life events, such as a death in the family, we are going through it completely alone. My husband and family have been wonderfully supportive, as they sit there eating their huge meals. Not that I don't want them to eat, and not that they don't feel sorry that I have to be going through this, but there isn't another person in my life who knows what it feels like to watch a big sandwich commercial and know that you'll never eat a big sandwich again. I feel like I'm just sick and can't wait to get better so I can be normal again, but--oh yeah!--this is the new normal!!! I wouldn't say I'm depressed. It's just that it hits me really hard sometimes. All I can say is, "Thank God for this board." Without being able to share my experiences with those who know what it's like I don't think I'd be doing nearly so well right now. As for the smells, yes, I've been very sensitive to them, too. As my stomach has started to settle down and feel less sick, I'm noticing smells less. Hang in there!

I'm so glad the peanut butter worked for you and that you were able to sleep all night! And congrats on your 41 pounds!

I'm on mushies and went to Ruby Tuesday's the other night. I ordered the New Orleans seafood dish and asked them to go easy on the seasoning. I got the mashed cauliflower as a side dish. Naturally, I couldn't eat more than a few bites of the fish, but it was very moist and tender (I didn't eat the shrimp) and it went down really well. The cauliflower--my one bite of it--was also great. I ate leftovers for dinner the next day! We used to eat out 5 nights a week, and it felt just so nice to be out for the evening again.

I don't know if I would compare this surgery to my C-section. I actually had very little pain with this. The problems I've had-post op are diarrhea and weakness/exhaustion. If you take your protein and vitamins faithfully, you will feel much stronger than if you don't. As long as the bride is understanding about you maybe not being able to stand for long periods for photos, etc., you should be fine. Just don't push yourself too hard. It IS major surgery!

It's worth a try with the peanut butter. I have found PB to be really soothing. It goes down well and coats my stomach nicely. I hope you feel better!

I've also struggled with acid, even before the surgery. I'm on Prilosec, and it wasn't doing the trick. It felt like I had a cauldron of boiling acid in my stomach! I called my doctor, and he told me I could add two Zantac at night, in addition to taking the Prilosec in the morning. I've found it best to take the Prilosec with my first bottle of water in the morning, on an empty stomach, and if I'm having a bad day, I take the Zantac before my evening meal. If Prilosec makes you sick, take it with plenty of water, or even a teaspoon or two of peanut butter. He also told me I could take Malox. So in addition to the other stuff, if I really need it, a couple of times a day I'll have a very small amount of Malox. This regimen has helped me A LOT. The other thing that sounds crazy but has always helped me, is mint Mentos! Tonight I felt really sick after I ate dinner and I had two of them and almost immediately felt better. The mint really calms my stomach. I wish you luck! The acid is really hard to live with.

I read your story with tears in my eyes. It is so familiar... the lost sleep and fearful nights, worrying my daughter would find me dead, turning to food for comfort. First, let me say that you look so beautiful! You really do! You are just glowing with happiness in your tiara picture! Second, let me say that I cannot count the times that I've been in a positive, happy, successful place with a fitness regimen only to be taken down by my extremely rare and debilitating autoimmune disease. This is what I know from that: It's frustrating. It's sad. It's demoralizing. It's painful. And it's temporary. Whatever this is, whether it lasts for a week or 6 months, you WILL get past it, and when you do, you'll feel just as good when you get back out there again. Maybe your weight loss will slow a bit, but it is not dependent on your walking. I need to have both my knees replaced, and all I can do is swim. There are also chair aerobics and boxing DVDs. Feel a little sorry for yourself for a day or two. You deserve to. But know that you will get past this. In a matter of time, all will be well.

This just makes me so angry on behalf of you and all overweight people. I went to a doctor one time and said, "I'm having a lot of hand pain." He said, "Lose weight and that will get better." I looked at him with disbelief and replied rather sarcastically, "Excuse me, but I don't walk on my hands." Another time, I had fallen on the ice and could barely walk. I went to the doc and he said it was arthritis and I'd just have to live with it. Miraculously, my "arthritis" was completely healed in about 8 weeks with no medical help whatsoever! Unforunately, treatment like this caused me to stop going to doctors, and I have many permanent problems now that I may have been able to head off if I had been seen earlier. Don't give in to being dismissed and lectured! Insist on tests and proper diagnosis!

I'm 3 weeks post-op and have been on mushies for 11 days. My stomach is in constant turmoil. Almost everything I eat disagrees with me. Unfortunately, I've found that Ritz crackers feel really good, and mashed potatoes are the best thing ever. Today we went to the movies and I had a small amount of soft candy. I'm also eating peanut butter. Then tonight I combined the crackers and peanut butter and just for fun added a bit of grape jelly. Suddenly I thought, "WTF!!!!!" What am I doing??? This is just like every diet I've ever sabotaged!!! Granted, I'm eating very small amounts, but OMG!!! I did low carb for months before this surgery, and now I'm allowing myself carbs because that's all that feels good. So I'm asking you for an honest answer: Should I go a little easy on myself until I'm healed enough to add more veggies, fruit, and meat in my diet, or do I need to cut out all those carbs right now, even if it means I have very few food choices. (I can't eat any dairy whatsoever right now.) I'm very good at making excuses, so I can't make this decision myself. Please tell me what to do. Thanks.

I know SO WELL the call of food in a time of crisis. You did great today. Next time you go through something, remember how you got through it this time. It's all those successes that make us strong. And really, there's no point in destroying yourself over something like this. Hang in there!

Wow... you guys are the best. I can't tell you much your thoughtful, funny, and wise advice means to me. Every one of you has given me valuable insight. Last night after I wrote this I had a big meeting with myself. Viola, I think you hit it right on when you said I already knew the answer to my own question when I had my "WTF" moment. I cannot continue to feed my body empty calories and expect to be healthy. Formervbg, you are dead on about the honeymoon phase. I reminded myself that never again in my life will I have this particular period of time in which to lose weight at this rate. I CANNOT screw this up! I didn't do this to fail. I have played "beat the diet" over, and over, and over in my life, toying with the rules, eating a few sneaky bites here and there... and it took me to a place where I had to have surgery or die young. So, thank you for being my sounding board. You are all going to keep me honest. I need that. Today I have done much better. Just had and egg for breakfast, a MEASURED quarter of a cup of bean soup for lunch, and tonight it's chicken pot pie, without any crust. I also got out the guidelines from my nutritionist, and it's time to get serious here. Thanks again!

I think it must be so painful to make this decision without family support. One thing to consider is that the people in your life might be afraid of how things will change for THEM after you have the surgery. My husband has been my dining companion for over 30 years. We were eating out 5 times a week. During the decision process, I talked to him many times about how things would change for both of us, and I asked him to be part of my decision, knowing it would affect him a lot. Our discussions didn't just center around food, though. We talked about all the ways my life has been difficult, how our life expectancies are affected by unhealthy eating, all the things we want to do that we can't now because of my weight. By the time surgery came, we were both more excited about the possibility for positive change than we were upset over anticipation of the end of big buffet eating. So, maybe it would be helpful to engage your immediate family members in discussion about their fears and expectations, and maybe they'll start to come around. Good luck, and if you don't find support at home, you'll certainly find it here!

I'm about 2 1/2 weeks out and it's been a pretty rough time for me in terms of discomfort, feeling sick, etc. Now that I'm on soft foods, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to eat. Today I was out and I was starved (that's another thing--I'm hungry every two hours). I wanted to grab fast food but the things I would normally eat--salads, soups--are off limits. Instead I bought chicken tenders at Chick-Fil-A. I ate 3, one at a time, over about 3 hours, then I started to worry that I shouldn't be eating fried foods (aka "crap"). About the only thing I really want right now is mashed potatoes, and I know that's a nutritional zero. I eat scrambled eggs, soft meats, and the broth from vegetable soup. I'm looking for ideas. Any suggestions? Also, I'd really like to know how much people are getting down at this point. I feel like I can eat a lot more than I thought I'd be able to. Thanks!

That sounds great! I've been curious about the syrups, but I can't tolerate most things that are artificially sweetened. Do you know what's in those syrups to sweeten them?