PdxMan

Like Rootman posted, coconut is the other fibrous food my NUT mentioned to avoid.

Anderson, check this thread out. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28313-can-we-get-back-to-support-and-stop-attacking-each-other-please/page__fromsearch__1 I think there are some good posts in there.

I quote other's post to put my reply in the proper context. Sometimes, I am replying to the original poster's topic, other times, I may be replying to a response to that original post, which I will then perhaps quote that response for clarity. I think it is important though, if you are not quoting the entire post, to be sure not to exclude anything remotely important. When in doubt, over-quote. I can't say I have really seen users use a quote to make their own post seem more important, though. It just helps to clarify what their response refers to.

Back off Anderson, this is her thread. She is the original poster. What are you bitter and jealous about? Don't post here. You have already hijacked this thread enough.

Just because something I post might hit home hard for you doesn't mean it is any less true or may help someone out. Are you going to argue the point that there is a population out there that think all they have to do is get a WLS surgery and sit back and all their weight loss issues are solved? Do you really believe 5 years from now it is going to be totally easy to maintain whatever weight you are at? I know a lot of people DON'T like my posts. I also know a lot of people DO like my posts. They are honest and straightforward. I don't pull any punches. I also don't talk out of my @$$ about things I don't know about or don't have enough experience in. If you think I am off base, please, by all means, let me know. But let's not hijack this thread. Either create a new thread in the Rants section for a public discussion or send me a message for a private one.

They are probably sitting in your stomach. My NUT says it can build up over time.

Yup, exactly what I'm talkin' about! I try to set myself up for success as best I can because Lord knows it's easy for me to fail. Either you don't think we should add our opinions or you should have an opinion on every topic ... I'm not sure. But why be cryptic? No need to hide behind private messages. Say what is on your mind, Anderson.

I just want to echo what Rootman said. My NUT told me the same thing. If I want celery, I have to remove all the strands. If you don't believe us, do a Google search on Celery and Bezoar. Remember, your stomach is the mechanical part of digestion, the intestines do the absorption. Your stomach does not have the mechanical abilities it once had.

... or maybe, he knows what he's talking about. I'm guessing he had his surgery awhile ago. He may also be treating many other pre/post WLS patients and have some objective insight to the whole process. We are all pretty green here and very quick to jump up and yell, "VSG IS THE GREATEST THING EVER!!" I said the the same thing about my first wife, and, well ... that honeymoon is over and I am wiser for it. I agree with you Rosey, one meeting can't be enough to determine this guy's worth. As for everyone else who thinks WLS is the silver bullet to solve all of their weight issues and they don't have to do anything else, well ... this honeymoon will also end one day. Do you have the tools in place to ensure your success? I'm not implying I do, but I do know that by itself, WLS does not work. It is a tool that I need to learn how to use. Sorry, don't mean to be contrarion, but I think he might have something there.

Yes, I had the same exactly. It wasn't terrible pain, just very uncomfortable. It takes a couple weeks, but it will pass. If you think about it, they *pulled* your stomach down so the portion sticking up over your diaphragm is back in the cavity and then repaired the gaping hole left by sewing the diaphragm close to your esophogus. There is going to be some adjustment to how things go down now. It's ALL different down there.

Yup, I didn't even know I had one. The surgeon fixed it when he was in there. I always had terrible reflux pre-surgery and have not had one bout of it post. I hiatal hernia is when the stomach has pushed up through the diaphram. The surgeon will pull it down and sew the opening tighter. I consider it a bonus free-b. I'm sure there's lots of good info out there on The Google.

search the site for ketosis. Lots of posts about it and how it makes your taste buds funky.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. It sounds to me like eating the chicken with the cottage cheese, everything is just slidding through. I can sit down and eat 8 oz of chili, no problem. Has meat, Beans, veggies ... and liquid ... ahh ... open, little pyloric valve ... OPEN. Now, if I have a piece of chicken or fish, I can have about 2-3 oz. Nowhere near the same amount of food and then I am STUFFED. Difference? No liquid. If you are looking to feel restriction, you can't have liquids with your meal. But you are only a month out. When you get to eating solid-solid food, stay away from liquids with your meal, whether that be a glass of Water, or liquids in the meal itself, and you will feel the restriction.

Check your local library for Wii game rental. Ours has them all. You can check them out for free, and if you like them, go buy them.

I asked before my surgery. Mine used a size 34 and he told me post that he was able to do a nice, tight staple line. Even if they use a size xx, it doesn't necessarily mean they were able to sew it tight up against it. It is merely a guide.

Hmmm ... if she was looking to lost fat, I would tell her to get a VSG!! LOL I thought she was asking about toning. Congrats on your toning Rootman. I, too, have been hitting it hard. Haven't been able to do the swimming, though. I like swimming, but I am enjoying running an awful lot.

Not quite true. There is no such thing as spot reducing. You can certainly spot tone. Your article supports this, too. And think about it. If you do nothing but arm curls, your arms are going to be far better toned than your legs. Of course, you have to reduce to get to that point where you can see the toning, which is not possible to do in spots.

You just have to know your limits, which you will. In my situation, I had just had another procedure and was on pain meds, so those kinda masked the restriction feeling. I went back to my old habit of taking too large of bites and not chewing enough. The good news is, it only took once to snap me back to reality. It is definately something I don't want to experience again.

Walking is for sure the best way to start. Keep pushing your distance and pace and then you can advance from there. For those unable to start by walking, there are the stretchy bands at Target, Walmart ... wherever and you can do band exercises from your couch. Google band exercises for routines.

All you need it one session with a trainer to learn how to do the exercises correctly. Should set you back only about $25-$30 for a 1 hour session. Surely you are saving more than that on food each month ... right? And, you want to be productive with your time at the gym, too, right? You'd hate to be going for a month and then learn you could have been twice as productive if you had just been doing _____. For me, everything has shrunk, well, almost everything (see The Man's Room). Arms, calves, rear, feet, hands ... everything. Toning will always look better than not. If you absolutely don't want a trainer, I'm sure there are some videos out on YouTube related to calf toning.

Always check with your CPA if there is any doubt about taxes whether it be about medical expenses or whatever. My sister was audited and trust me, that is not the enema you want. BTW, I believe it is based on your ADJUSTED GROSS income, but again, don't take my word for it ...

Slimes usually happen if you eat something too quick or too much of something. Your body reacts by oversalivating or making your mouth "slimey" with so much foamy saliva it basically pours out your mouth. It is not vomitting, just extreme salivating. Happened to me when I ate a peach too quickly about 6 weeks out. Purged ... I thought just meant what it means, so I will let someone else define that if there is another context VSG related.

I had the same problem and talked to my NUT. She said my carb intake was too low for me and suggested I add more cooked veggies in my diet, even if it meant sacrificing protein intake. I did and about a week later ... YOWSERS! It worked. My energy was back. Give it a try, but know it does take a bit for your glycogen stores to refill and be available. Talk to your NUT and see what they say.

3,500 calories = 1 pound. Injest 3,500 more calories than you burn, you gain a pound. Burn 3,500 calories more than you injest, you lose a pound. Now, the real trick is to not lose muscle mass. From my research, in a nutshell and severly paraphrased, this is how it works: Your liver burns glycogen for energy. As you eat, nutrients are stored there first. If there is an excess, it gets stored in your body as fat. If your liver requires more glycogen and it has no stores, it retrieves fat from the body for which it then converts to glycogen and then is burned. But this takes time, something like half an hour or so. It is in this period that you run the risk of muscle being consummed. So, there is a fine balance of carb and Protein intake. Burning 800 calories in a single session may not be the most beneficial thing for you as your body will canabalize itself, even though it has fat reserves. Shorter workouts with breaks inbetween are suggested and ALWAYS follow a workout with protein, whether that be a shake (quick absorption) or lean meats. Talk to your NUT about this. If you are at a health club, talk to a trainer who KNOWS about nutrition and working out. Don't take my word for it as I am not an expert, but I have been researching this for my own program. I have lost a lot of muscle in the past 6 months and believe I have been able to reverse that. I workout pretty much everyday and monitor what I eat (carb/protein balance) closely. I carb up a couple days before I do my weekend long run to ensure my glycogen stores are full. Research this some more and find what truly is best for you. Lika, the best way to describe Zumba is to show you. Go to YouTube and enter Zumba in the search terms.

Also, explain that you are not having your stomach removed, just reduced. Once fully recovered, you will still be able to eat and carry on life as you did pre-VSG, just with more controlled portions. The surgery is merely a tool to help us live a healthier lifestyle. Stomach, still there and functional. Pyloric valve, still there and functional. No re-routing of intestines or anything. It is all there just as it was before.