Indymom

Tucked-in shirt with jeans and a cute belt . . . I tried to tuck a shirt in today and I'm just not quite there yet, too much of a pooch still. ) Little black dress!!! Sleeveless shirts in the summer (but this may still be tough, so far my batwings are lookin' pretty rough)

LindaS, I always watch for your posts to see how you're progressing! We were sleeved just a day apart and have very close starting weights and WL goals. I think we're about on the same track too with our weight loss.

Post-op I bought a bullet-type blender and an immersion blender. I honestly used the bullet-type blender exactly once (I use the immersion blender all the time, it kicks ass at emulsifying my salad dressing!!). My food stages, though, though, weren't as limited as many I've seen on here. I was allowed to have things like soft cheeses (cheese sticks) and refried Beans during my full-liquid phase; and during my purees phase I didn't have to necessarily "puree" things unless they weren't soft enough (my nutritionist said I didn't have to actually puree things like canned tuna and chicken as long as I chewed thoroughly - only denser meats would need to be pureed. I didn't ever consider baby food - YUCK! I hated feeding it to my daughter so I couldn't have even attempted to eat it myself. Also, to answer your question about why you have to watch your diet closely with such a small sleeve . . . there are many, many foods that your sleeve will not restrict. You could certainly sit down and eat a half-gallon of ice cream without giving it a second thought and it would just slide right through the ol' stomach. You have to be sure that you're getting enough Protein, because protein WILL be restricted in your stomach and you'll only be able to take in a limited quantity. While you'll experience rapid weight loss early on with your sleeve (since you're likely only going to be able to take in a few oz per meal for the first few months), once your capacity increases, you'll be eating more "normal" meals and it's very easy to make poor decisions (I can speak from experience). I use a food tracker to make sure I'm hitting appropriate calorie, carb, fat and protein targets daily. I'd love to eat bacon and eggs for Breakfast every day, but unfortunately while high in protein, that breakfast choice cranks my calorie and fat numbers up too high for me - so I choose to have canadian bacon and egg beater omelettes instead. Still very satisfying and filling from a protein standpoint, but MUCH less high in calories/fat.

I buy the carmelized onion chicken burgers from costco - they are pretty expensive but they are a yummy lunch and EASY. They are about 4 oz so I can usually eat 1/2 to 3/4 of one of them along with some veggies for lunch. Very good. I also try to buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco at least once a week - we have it for dinner one night then I use the leftovers for a lot of meals. Right now I'm loving a chicken greek salad - I put about 2-3 oz of the chicken on a small bed of greens with diced cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, a couple sliced black olives and this yummy greek salad dressing recipe I found online. I also love buffalo-wing flavors so I'll dice up a few oz of the chicken, and saute in a small saucepan with some Frank's red-hot buffalo wing sauce and a little shredded 2% cheese. The other night I made a turkey tetrazzini without the Pasta - I sauteed some sliced mushroom and onion in a saucepan, then I made a roux with a little flour/butter and added milk until it was a nice white sauce consistency. I stirred in a few oz of diced white meat turkey breast I had left over from Christmas dinner, and added a dollop of sour cream and salt/pepper. It was really good, even without the spaghetti noodles and buttered breadcrumbs on top.

Glad you enjoyed the cruise! I've cruised before, but am going on another one in mid-February . . . I'm really excited about it!! I just have to buckle down so I can get into the size 12 swimsuit I bought on clearance a few months ago.

That ring is GORGEOUS and such a romantic proposal! Congratulations to you! I have already told my husband that I can't wait to renew our vows at 10 years and I'll be in a slinky, sexy wedding dress instead of my frumpy 'fat' wedding dress.

I think of complications as issues due to the surgery itself (such as a leak, a stricture, an infection in an incision site, etc.). If that's what you're asking, then NO - I didn't have any complications at all. I recovered very easily from surgery with minimal pain and was back to work and my 'normal' routines quickly. My only major complaint early out was some difficulty with acid reflux, and a slight modification to my medications corrected that very quickly. Struggles? Maybe not major, but it was certainly a challenge adapting to a new way of life post-op. Very early out I struggled with figuring out when to take all my pills, how to get in all my Protein when it was difficult to drink fast, and how to get all my fluids in. I don't think any of those things are considered major struggles though, just the normal post-op course of challenges. I know many people have had it much more difficult as they've had issues with nausea, problems with dehydration and rehospitalization, etc. I consider myself very lucky to have had a fairly easy journey over the past 5 months.

Way to go! I was able to take the bra extender off my sports bra about a month ago and FINALLY broke down and bought new bras a week ago. I had gone from the first set of hooks to the very last one and they were still too loose and looked almost silly on me. I'm now in an XL or L shirt too, and I totally agree that it's such an awesome feeling to shop in the "regular" section of the stores. I bought a few new things at Kohls and I was amazed at the selection for non-plus size. HURRAY!

I think because the sleeve is a newer surgery for WL, a lot of surgeons are erring on the side of caution and are recommending the same Vitamin regiment that they would for RNY patients (who have malabsorption of many vitamins). My nutritionist's packet of information was the same packet they give to RNY patients (and therefore I know it had the same exact recommendations). When I met with my nutritionist one-on-one we discussed this and she actually allowed me to make some modifications. I am OK with the higher dosage of calcium, because I've always taken a daily calcium supplement (I don't drink milk) - but I still question the need for 2 daily multivitamins. I feel like I am eating a very balanced diet with an adequate amount of vegetables & fruits, so I may discuss at my next appt. Here's what I am taking: Colitis meds (I take this 4 times daily, so I always have two of these pills with the others below) BP med (morning) PPI (morning) 500 mg calcium citrate (morning) multivitamin (noon) probiotic (noon) multivitamin (afternoon/evening) OTC Zantac (bedtime) 500 mg calcium citrate (bedtime) I also take a sublingual B12 and a B1 pill once a week, on Mondays. At my last nutritionist appointment, I was told that they were changing their recommendation for the B12 and wanted me to either start taking it daily or get a monthly shot. I'm changing to the shot but the pharmacy currently has it backordered.

I've "stalled" for a while now, I was very sick from my colitis so I got off-track on my exercise . . . then the holidays came and I didn't make terrific food choices . . . . so I'm also kicking the new year off with getting back to basics. I'm not necessarily doing the full-blown "bootcamp" but I'm back to the gym, and back to tracking EVERYTHING I eat (even if I eat something that isn't great for me). I haven't gained, but I've stayed at the same weight for a month now. If you're only 3 months out your lab levels will probably still be OK. My surgeon told me that they don't even draw lab panels until after the first year (unless they suspect an issue or deficiency) because he said it honestly can take that long for a deficiency to appear. Just get back on track with your Vitamins - putting an alarm in your phone is a great idea! I have one of those weekly pill organizers that has 4 spaces for each day (and each day's organizer removes from the base) - I sit down on Sunday afternoons and fill the whole thing up for the week. Each day I take it with me to work and sit it on the front of my desk by my keyboard, so I am constantly glancing at it during the day. That way I always remember to take my pills. Good luck to you!!!

I literally planned out a daily schedule of when to take my pills, when I needed to drink my Protein and when I needed to eat - because I also had a ton of pills I had to take and couldn't take certain pills with others. As far as eating, I ate 2 oz per meal, 3 times a day - so I would have 1 oz of applesauce and 1 oz of cottage cheese, or 1 oz cheese stick and 1 oz of SF pudding (these were all foods that were allowed during my first phase). I had to space out my pills by about 5-10 minutes apart, and I take a lot (my colitis meds alone are 8 pills a day!). I also had to be sure to fit in my Protein shakes, and I usually had 2 a day - one first thing in the morning, and one in the evening. It can be hard in the first months! I felt like I was always putting something in my mouth between my pills, my Water, my protein and my food . . . . but it is much better now that I don't have to space my pills out so much and don't have to worry about protein shakes. Good luck to you!

I don't think I will ever NOT feel like I'm on a diet. My guess is that most skinny people (with the exception of those lucky few that are simply blessed with killer metabolisms and/or are workout junkies and can truly eat whatever they want without gaining) are constantly dieting (or are at least aware of what they are eating on a daily basis). If I don't enter everything into my food tracker that goes into my mouth, I will get completely off-track and fast. What are some examples of a meal you might cook for your family and what are you cooking for yourself? I try to make meals that are adaptable for my sleeve eating and my family . . . for example, I will still make spaghetti and meatballs. When I make this meal, I make sure I'm using a lean meatball recipe (or using italian turkey meatballs); I will eat more meatballs & sauce and only a very small portion of Pasta. I always try to have some salad or vegetable too. The only temptation I avoid when I have this meal for my family is the garlic bread, if I make it for them. Another favorite meal of ours is taco or fajita night. Instead of having tortillas or taco shells with mine, I just make a yummy salad with 2% shredded cheese, lots of the meat and then salsa/veggies. I might have just a few tortilla chips with it for a little crunch (or half a crunchy taco shell). Good luck!

If you're weighing yourself every day, you'll definitely see some fluctuation. I was guilty of getting on the scale every day (OK, multiple times a day!) but I only "officially" weighed in once a week. Keep in mind that daily fluctuation is very normal and can be due to Water weight, approaching that time of the month, etc. If you're 3 weeks out, you could also have hit a stall as a lot of people do around that time. Just be patient, keep on your plan, and the weight loss will eventually continue!

So weird but I was just thinking about this today, because AF came yesterday and it's been much lighter than it used to be. Is this something that typically happens due to the weight loss? What a nice surprise if so!!

I have zero regrets. Sure, the first few months are tough and it's definitely an adjustment to get used to the eating plan . . . but as the pounds drop, it makes it all worth it. I also did very well with my surgery and had a very quick and easy recovery, so don't be deterred by a few stories of complications, etc.

I don't know if I still have one of my big pairs of jeans but that's definitely a motivator - love that pic!

I think that Dial antibacterial soap works too, my instructions were to shower using Dial the night before and the morning of surgery.

I went back to work after 6 days but I really took at easy at work the first week back and worked short days. I was still pretty tired and sore, but working was manageable (I have a desk job). I made sure to walk some every day, even if it was just around the block - the walking really helped me get rid of the gas pains quickly.

Those of you who are still within the first month, your energy levels won't be too high yet - remember, your body is still recovering and healing. Just keep pushing the protein, try to get your calories at a decent level, and keep sipping the liquids! I promise you that it gets easier!!

I had (still have) a water bottle that measures 24 oz - I made sure to drink at least 2 a day to get at least my recommended 64 oz of fluids (including what I got from my protein drinks too). I didn't have to "time" myself or anything like that, I just made sure to keep it close and just constantly sipped. Luckily I never had much discomfort from drinking, so I was able to get it all down no problem.

It may also be excess stomach acid. Did your surgeon prescribe a PPI (Nexium, omeprazole, Prilosec, etc.)? My surgeon requires me to take a PPI for a year. Excess acid/reflux can mimic the feelings of hunger. The pressure when drinking is normal - just make sure to sip slowly. Enjoy passing that gas! You'll feel much better once it's all out of you. I can't comment on not having a BM yet because I had issues in that area (unrelated to my surgery) - but I think a lot of people have posted that they were constipated for at least a few days following surgery. Also, you may find that your BMs are quite loose in the early weeks - liquid in, liquid out.

At almost 5 months out, I'm shedding a bit more than usual but not losing it by handfuls like other people have said. I'm lucky to have a lot of hair so either way I haven't been very concerned about it - I have plenty to spare. Sorry for those of you who are having a rough time with hair loss, I'm sure it's frustrating.

My doc preferred that any pill larger than the size of an aspirin be in capsule form. Luckily my colitis meds are a capsule, and I chose a multivitamin that's a softgel (they were OK with that too). I didn't take meds in the hospital (so missed 3 days) but was OK to start taking everything on day 4, and I had no problems swallowing the pills. Early out I had to space each pill out by about 10 minutes (made it pretty time-consuming since I take a bunch!) but now I can take one right after another with no problem. I do have to make sure to take my meds before I eat, though - I made the mistake once of trying to take meds about 15 minutes after I ate (forgot my pills at lunchtime) and it was painful!!

I don't buy any special bariatric products. When I was still using protein powder, I used Nectar unflavored for a while and then switched to GNC brand. However, I now get all my protein from food and I buy regular vitamins/supplements.

Being able to buy pants that don't have elastic in the waistbands! WOOT!