LindaS

I have never been good about drinking enough Water, so I do have to measure my water or I won't get it in. This is something I still struggle with, and I know my weight loss is better when I get my water in regularly. I am a year out, and I had a big stall from March to September. In August, I bought a food scale and a bunch of tiny dishes. I went back to measuring portions of food, and it has been successful in helping me lose. I realized I was underestimating how much I was eating, so for me, the food scale is necessary in order to keep me losing.

There isn't anything you can't have after you've completely healed, but you don't want to go back to old habits. There are things you shouldn't have regularly. I don't want to celebrate with food. That isn't normal. I want to celebrate with family and friends. Food shouldn't be the center of celebrations. But it doesn't mean food can't be a part of celebrations. There is a blog, The World According to Eggface, and she has great protein-rich recipes including protein-rich cake and protein-rich ice cream. Her blog is here: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ I am more than a year out, and my eating no longer looks strange at gatherings/social events. I'm able to eat real foods, and I just pick out Protein rich foods and eat small portions. For the most part, people don't even notice that I am eating less than they are eating. I also modify my meals. If my family is having spaghetti, I might grab two or three noodles and then just eat the sauce. If they are eating tacos, I eat the stuff inside the tacos but not the shell and skip the sour cream.

I love the killing them with kindness method of changing someone's thinking. When I was young, I worked at a gas station. People would come in yelling at me that I need to turn on their pump, and I would always put a huge smile on my face and walk out with them to the pump and show them the giant button that says "push here to start" and push it for them. Killed them every time. Plus, you used the words fallacy and ignorance in this post, which just makes my writer/English teacher's heart squee a little. I love the way you handled this, and it is just a great example of what to do. I have my own mil experiences. When I first had surgery, she would make a big deal of how she'd never have that surgery. She even stole things off my plate when we were eating out saying I wouldn't eat it. Now, she is scheduled to have the sleeve surgery this month. Her tune has changed.

I had surgery over a year ago, and I celebrated by 18th wedding anniversary last month. Our relationship has always been strong, and my husband loved me at all of my sizes. Still, I would say that our relationship has improved because I feel better about myself. I am more likely to try new things and feel more confident.

When I first looked into it, I asked my husband to go with me to an informational seminar. Neither of us went to that one. Almost two years later, I was heavier and more frustrated. I again asked my husband to attend the seminar with me. The day of the seminar, he had to work late and was unable to go. He was a bit frustrated about that because he knew I was serious this time. I took my daughter instead. When we got home, I was able to talk to my husband about it. He didn't think I needed to do it, but he supported my choice. He did go to a pre-op support group meeting with me, and he was able to hear from people who had all of the different types of surgeries. My husband knew my weight was a barrier for me because I had talked to him quite a bit about it. I actually wrote about it for my thesis when I got my master's degree in 2007, so my husband knew my concerns and worries even though he didn't see me as fat. My husband was really worried about the surgery. He was worried something would happen to me. When I came out of recovery, I didn't look very good. I had told him the first day would be the worst day, but it still didn't prepare him. My blood pressure kept dropping and my heart rate was real low (in the 20s at one point) when I first got back to my room. I was out of it, and he didn't realize it was normal. I improved quickly, but he was worn out emotionally. By the time I was coming out of the surgery drugs, he was ready for a nap! LOL.

The drain didn't really hurt coming out, but it was incredible weird feeling. When they started tugging, I could feel it throughout my insides, and it was a like a snake was moving fast through my belly. Very weird sensation. It doesn't last long. As for surgery, I didn't feel too much pain. I had some pain related to the gas, but burping and walking helped get rid of that. I quit taking pain meds less than 24 hours after my surgery. I even went on a boat ride the weekend after my surgery. The Water was a little choppier than it should have been, but I was fine.

They put something on the finger of my right hand that had a little red light on it. Every time my hand moved in front of my face during the night, I'd wake up. I tend to move a lot at night, so I woke up a lot but somehow I slept long enough for the study.

I have a crooked nose, so does this mean people should start telling me to get surgery? Why does obesity give people the green light to make comments and assumptions? The news show did ask the guy to respond to her editorial, and he still showed his ignorance. This is what I wrote on my facebook: WKBT's Jennifer Livingston addresses a bully who chastised her for not being a better role model for the community. In his unsolicited criticism Kenneth Krause noted, "Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make." The man later released a statement suggesting Livingston "transform herself" over the next year. The man has no idea of her history or health, and yet he thinks it is OK to criticize her. Obesity isn't a choice; it can't always be fixed in a year. And just because someone is obese doesn't mean they aren't doing something about it even before you so rudely pointed out their obesity.

I had a drain, but I was still able to wear my yoga-style pants. I really liked that because I didn't have to worry about showing off my butt when walking the halls. I did keep the hospital gown on top until it was time to go home.

You need to consult your surgeon. I was told by my NUT that it is never normal to vomit. Be sure to note any changes in your diet as well as when you felt the change. Was it as soon as you tried to eat? Later? How fast did you eat?

Popcorn is one of my favorite Snacks (pre and post op). I don't have problems eating it, but it is a slider. I have relegated it to a "family" food. I won't make popcorn for just me anymore. I make it and share. If I don't share, I will end up eating too much, which isn't good for me. I will say that I had stalled from May to September. In September, I started losing again, and I have made it a point not to snack so much on carbs. It seems to be working, which is a reason not to have popcorn.

You can do this. You've done it, and you know what to do. It isn't too late, and you can still get back to the habits you need to have. Get back on MyFitnessPal and track, eat Protein first, etc. What does your therapist say? Are you being treated for your food issues at all? Do you have a therapist who has experience in working with food issues? I'm so sorry to hear about your parents. (Hugs!)

If you eat Protein first, it really helps limit your hunger and keeps you on track. 52 pounds in 5 months is great, but you need to get your snacking under control now. Linda

I eat mostly Protein, and I still drink Protein shakes. I like chicken (lots of chicken), cheese, Greek yogurt, Jerky and venison. I also eat the Protein Bars. I don't eat a lot of veggies or fruit because I don't usually have room for them. I'm a year out though, so I can eat pretty much anything. I don't though. I am still avoiding breads and most carbs.

For me, today, I was happy to worship the scale. From May to September, I lost 5 pounds total. It was a long long stall, and I stayed on track and kept on keeping on despite what the scale said. Since Sept. 10, I have lost another 5 pounds, and I am loving the scale again. I have felt great since I had my surgery in August 2011, but I love stepping on that scale and seeing the numbers go down, down, down.

Yesterday, I was whining about how my scale was saying I weighed 180.0, but it refused to go below that amount. One of my friends suggested I cut off a pinky finger. He asked when do we ever use both pinkies at the same time anyway? And today, my scale gave in and let me know that I weigh 179.4. Even better -- I still have all my body parts and didn't even get a drastic haircut to make it happen. I am loving that my scale is moving down again!

The malnutrition with the Roux-en-Y is what made me not want to have it. I didn't like the idea of having difficulty absorbing certain nutrients. I also have arthritis in my ankle and sometimes have to take an NSAID. At my one year check up last week, I brought up two concerns I had and both weren't a problem because I had the sleeve and not the Roux-en-Y. I had more flexibility with the sleeve. My two concerns were that I was taking NSAIDs for my ankle and that I don't take my Calcium Vitamins. Despite not taking calcium vitamins, my blood work showed my calcium was in the normal range because I don't have malnutrition issues with my sleeve. I also liked the idea that the only thing the sleeve does is make my stomach smaller. I didn't have my body parts rearranged.

I still feel restriction, but I think my portions are usually normal enough looking that I don't feel weird anymore when eating in front of people. I still stop in the middle of eating to give me time to figure out if I should eat more or not. This has saved me so many times from becoming too uncomfortable.

I'm a year out, and I had been stalling for months. I couldn't figure out why. After a lot of effort and no results, I decided to do something different. I read some articles that said the calorie count reported on a food label can be off by as much as 20 percent. That shocked me, but it got me thinking that maybe my calorie count was wrong. And I think I was right in that. To be more accurate, I bought a food scale in August (I wanted it for my birthday),and I bought a lot of tiny bowls. I even bought a tiny casserole type bowl that can go in the oven and has a lid. All of this helped me get a better handle on my portions and calories. The biggest thing that shocked me? I thought my full fat cheese snack was 1 ounce and turns out I was eating 3 ounces. scales can help..

When I was first sleeved people would ask what I was doing, and I didn't hesitate to mention that I had weight-loss surgery. As time went on, however, I realized I wasn't losing weight just because I had WLS. It felt wrong to say I was losing weight because of WLS because I was also eating right and exercising so much more. Now, when someone asks, I tend to say, "Zumba," which isn't the best answer because it leaves many people clueless. I haven't hid that I had surgery. I even blog about it, but I don't give it as my number one thing I am doing to lose weight anymore. It's been over a year, and it feels like the weight is coming off now because of what I am doing not because of my surgery. If I wasn't eating right and exercising, I wouldn't be losing regardless of my surgery.

When I first had surgery, I had my husband take photos of me every two weeks from the front, side and back. I only wore panties and a bra for the pictures, so I could really see the progress. If you haven't taken photos yet, start doing this. These aren't photos I'd share with anyone, but I needed them. I also took measurements. I measured at 13 different points on my body and kept track. I did this every two weeks too, and I was amazed at the inches I lost. These two things will frequently show a loss when the scale doesn't.

Are you on anything for acid reflux? I was on a prescription for the first six weeks after my surgery, but I don't normally have acid reflux, so I no longer take it. If you don't have a prescription for acid reflux, you should ask your doctor to give you one. It can help.

You have to get your Water in too. I'm so glad Ms. April Dawn that you were able to see 179 yesterday. I saw 179.4 on my scale today! I had been in the 180s for months, and I am sure I'm not completely done with them, but I am seeing 179, and the stall is over. It will happen, SmileCharmer. Keep on going.

I can't imagine looking at anyone and laughing at them based on how they look. How horrible! You are right though -- you are on the path to improving, and he can't do anything for a bad personality.

What are you eating? You need to get your protein in first and make sure you get your water in. This will help you fight hunger. I've found I only screw up when I don't eat protein first.