MegInNOLA

I burp and get a runny nose. :-) That's my new "I'm full" signal. Seriously. I know when my nose starts feeling drippy that I need to stop--and I'm over a year out!!! You'll discover your new signal as you go--and it probably won't be the same feeling that you had before surgery. Best wishes to you!!

I started with yogurt and SF pudding and nice warm chicken broth... oh, man, that was the best stuff ever. LOL

Tofu is your friend! I LOVE it. I got a thing of hot and sour Soup from a Chinese restaurant and strained out the solids (keeping the tofu); then I added more tofu to soak up the flavor of that yummy broth--Oh that was delicious after a couple of weeks of liquids!! You can also bake tofu in marinara sauce (along the lines of the famous Eggface ricotta cheese bake recipe) for an Italian fix. Man, now I need some tofu!!

As an educator, I imagine your professor's request might also have been motivated by her anti-harassment training--in other words, it might not have been something she did just because she thought you were touch shy. Especially at the collegiate level, we are trained to ask to be sure our students are comfortable with our touch; in classes that I teach (in music), I frequently offer physical corrections to young conductors, and I ask every time--it's habit. Your prof may have the same habit. :-)

I had the same problem due to childhood abuse. It was extremely difficult (impossible) for me to tolerate even casual touch, even when meant in a completely nonsexual way, and even from people I trusted the most. My nickname in my family was "touch-me-not." What changed for me was part of the same process that led to my sleeve. I decided, at the age of 45, that I was tired of halfway living--I felt like I was really missing out on relationships, intimacy (and I don't mean sex), true friendship, belonging to a community, having a sense of belonging to a larger group and feeling okay about it. Being known and accepted. I was married to a man I wanted to be able to fully "be with," instead of holding part of myself off; I'm a musician and really wanted to be able to connect comfortably with feelings instead of walling them off in case they hurt. I decided a counselor was a good idea, and for me, it was. I understand that you feel it isn't an option for you. The counselor I saw actually didn't focus too much on how I was "feeling." We talked through the past stuff, and just talking about it sort of released some of its power--I had never really talked about it much before with anyone, except on very rare occasions with a couple of family members and my husband. Mostly, the counselor helped me realize that I was flexible and competent enough so that even if something horrible happened--I risked myself, my feelings, my emotions, my energy, whatever, and it hurt, or it failed, or whatever, nothing permanently horrible was going to happen. Believe it or not, the realization that I was truly okay--that I was capable of being myself without my walls, without my "alter egos," without my "masks"--this was a HUGE deal. I have sort of undergone a personality change in the last year and a half, gradually becoming less and less touch shy, gradually becoming more and more open and able to just be myself--honestly myself, and I don't mean rude or assertive or whatever, because I'm not, but I'm not always struggling with trying to figure out what other people need/want me to be and then trying to be/do that. I feel like I'm honest now about who and what I am, and with that sense of self, the touch shyness has strongly diminished to the point where I am able to initiate and accept friendly contact without really thinking about it much--what a change!! This sense of self strength, for lack of a better term, is also the reason I finally had the sleeve. I wanted my outside to match my inside. I didn't need the fat suit for protection any more; in fact, I found it was a very isolating thing, and I wanted it gone. I think you have already started the process of eliminating the space between you and others by quite literally eliminating the wall of fat that kept you separate. Give yourself time--I know it feels really awkward in social settings, but don't push yourself. You'll know when you're comfortable enough to go there. I do think that going for a manicure (YES, men do that) or some other non-undressing touch experience would be a good way to begin to dissociate all touch from sexual overtones. I would never have been comfortable with a massage at first, but a manicure? Sure. Do you have pets? Physical contact doesn't have to be between you and another person to help you get comfortable with another being entering your bubble. If you don't have pets, consider volunteering at a shelter--those animals need gentle touches, and you need to gain experience and comfort with that in a non-judgmental environment. Anyway, this is long, but I wanted to share that you can overcome it. It was a process for me, and obviously you'll have things to work through on your own, as counseling is not an option, but I wish you the best--you've already started on the path!

CT, my husband is also a sleever, and he is able to eat a lot more than I can. He eats "regular-sized" meals, like normal-weight people would eat, and has from almost the beginning of his post-op time. I don't think you have to worry about it--sounds like you're doing just fine with your current plan. And congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Whoo! You look amazing! And I love the shoes, too...

Well, I killed this thread right off! LOL Everybody doing okay?

Last summer, I was in the process of rapid weight loss (sleeved April 2011)--I noticed then that I didn't get so sweaty all the time, and we live in the tropics of south Louisiana--probably just down the street from you, Whoozis! THIS summer, what a change--I'm cold all the time in air conditioning... and you know we southerners love our A/C!! I don't run the air in the car much any more, just put the windows down. I can move around, walk around, go shopping, do whatever without sweating. As someone above said, it would be worth the surgery for this benefit alone!! It's so lovely not to feel self-conscious about weight or sweat--I never realized how much those things affected my social interactions or willingness to be in groups of people. Plus, ladies, it's a blast shopping for shrugs and cardigans--so cute!! and NECESSARY, now (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!). I am mind-blown that I am actually wearing sweaters in MAY. Just flips me right out, but how great is that!?

Yes, yes, yes. If you'd asked me at around the 1-month mark, I would have had a different answer--this is not for sissies!! But absolutely yes.

Lissa, I'm so happy for you! What a great NSV!!!

Kiki, I was one of the "lucky" ones with a horribly sensitive sleeve and was sick every day for the first 7 weeks or so post op. The experience you describe is your body saying "slow down," and you were wise to go back to liquids for a day and let it feel better. Maybe back off to a slightly earlier food stage for a while and try this combo again in a few weeks. There's really no rush, right? You're eventually going to be back to a "new normal," where you will be able to tolerate a lot of different sorts of foods. I think you're doing great for 6 weeks out!

Well, hold the phone--I was on a cruise this week and they had boiled eggs available at breakfast, so I thought, what the heck, I'll try one. The yolk was a NO-GO, but the boiled egg white was fantastic--perfect, comfortable, and just the right amount for me to enjoy. So don't give up on eggs yet, y'all--maybe try it in a different form and maybe try just the egg white. That's the part with all the good Protein and none of the fat, so perhaps that's part of the issue. I enjoyed an egg white almost every day for a week with no ill effects at all.

I'm 13 months out. It's hard to label a "typical" day, so I'll just put what I had yesterday. I usually eat 5-6 mini-meals a day--Sleevie doesn't like it when I overeat, and he's really picky about what I put in there, so this works out. 1. Iced coffee with milk and chocolate syrup and a wholegrain Breakfast cookie. 2. 2 TB peanuts 3. 3 boiled shrimp with remoulade sauce and 2 onion rings and a few bites of lettuce. 4. cheese stick. 5. 1/2 c. frozen yogurt with slivered almonds on top. 6. 1 oz. lunch meat ham. 7. 1 onion ring (we reheated the leftovers from lunch). Today I've had: 1. Iced coffee with milk and chocolate syrup and a wholegrain cookie. 2. 2 TB peanuts. 3. 8 corn chips with cheese dip, refried Beans, and tomato salsa to dip at a Mexican restaurant. 4. Another iced coffee and more peanuts. I'm planning to eat grapefruit later and probably some lunch meat ham and maybe a slice of cheese. Most of these "mini-meals" are snack-sized. Honestly, I eat when I'm hungry and I don't much mind or realize if I "miss" a meal time. I've learned to keep my peanuts in the kitchen and not by my chair, or I'll just snack away, but that's really the only trick I have to watch out for. My husband is also a sleever, so we don't keep junk food here at home, which makes it pretty easy to avoid most of the time. We both love Tex-Mex and Mediterranean cuisine--those are our "go to" restaurants when we're out or feeling like having "cooked" food--when we're at home, we mostly graze from the fridge or eat things like salad, fruit, and cheese that don't require a lot of cooking, if any. Edited to add that I couldn't manage without my "Snacks," which are really important for my nutrition and energy. I think you have to find an eating plan that works for you, for your sleeve, and for your lifestyle requirements. :-) If you can manage without snacking, go for it! I couldn't and don't.

So sorry I've been out for a bit. My husband and I do travel-related stuff, and we took a group of students from my university on a post-graduation cruise. It was a blast--the kids were fantastic, very nice, very mature, and the trip was wonderful start to finish. BEST NEWS: Despite drinking more than I usually do (I probably had 2 fruity rum drinks a day plus a glass of wine with dinner) and eating dessert every evening (chocolate melting cake--yes, with ice cream), I got back on the scale this morning and celebrated that I am exactly the same weight as before we left. Yep. No gain. No loss, either, which I didn't really expect--I think everything balanced out, since we did a LOT of walking and running around, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, and I actually did use the ship's gym and walking track a couple of times. I had no trouble finding food that was appropriate for me and my still-picky sleeve. I discovered that I still could not tolerate prime rib or pork roast (had bites off my husband's plate to check), but sleevie LOVED most of the seafood options. Also really, really loved the wok-cooked vegetables available at every lunch--you select your own veggies and they add meat (I just did veggies) and sauce and cook quickly in a wok--fresh and delicious and very good for me! I ate fruit and hard-boiled egg whites for Breakfast, frozen yogurt or soft-serve ice cream as a snack, some peanuts, veggies for lunch with a couple of thin slices of cheese, and the dining room dinner (appetizer, usually Soup for me; entree, usually seafood or vegetarian; and dessert, always chocolate melting cake for me!). It was easy, delicious, and I felt GREAT during the trip--not stuffed or uncomfortable. I will say that the plate/bowl size was incredibly large, even by American standards--they held a ridiculous amount of food. And the serving utensils were designed to give out big glops of food--even things like sour cream were self-serve with these HUGE serving spoons. salad dressings were provided in squeeze bottles that had really wide-spout tops--designed for fast service, but the end result is that people poured on HUGE amounts of these things really easily. And I noticed that in fact, you could correlate the food choices to the body type of people eating them--thin people of every age ate fruit, veggies, and a modest amount of heavier Protein food; heavier people ate really big portions, fattier foods, and several different Desserts at a single meal (it's an all-you-can-eat buffet at every meal on board). It was really kind of eye-opening, having so recently been in the "other camp," as it were. My sleeve has made it possible for me to see/smell/be around food and NOT WANT IT. This would never have been the case before. I would definitely have overindulged, and if I didn't, I would have felt like I was missing out on something. We went to a "midnight Mexican buffet," and I had--NOTHING. Nothing looked good enough to eat just because it was there. It was kind of strange--I noticed into the second or third day that I wasn't even thinking about food--I was just enjoying the activities and the company. :-) Normal relationship with food, maybe?? is it possible?

Hey Looking Ahead--I was a tight 24/26/28 (depending on the item of clothing) and am now in a 10/12/14 (again depending on the clothing--LOL). You can check out my profile for before/after pics. That's me at my -100 pounds mark, so I'm down around 20 pounds more from that pic. It makes a BIG difference. Of course I got to replace my entire closet, which was SO MUCH FUN!

Hiya, Sammie. There's a northshore group of us who get together occasionally--and there are other sleevers in the metro area! I actually JUST met someone in person while shopping at Lakeside--we had communicated on this board and just happened to be in the same store and start a conversation. :-) Small world. Welcome to the board!

I agree with M2G--you DO look wonderful, and I love the toe polish!! Congratulations on your hard work!!!

Wow! You GO, girl!!! You look amazing. Congratulations!

Yeah, I never could find a Protein shake that I could tolerate--and believe me, I tried a BUNCH of different formulations/brands. Every single one of them came right back up. I remember being thrilled after making my own smoothie with soy milk and Peanut Butter and being able to keep some of that down. Definitely investigate different types of veggie/fruit smoothies--you can hide a lot of protein in a smoothie, even, like I say, beans--I wouldn't have thought it, but white Beans and a couple of cashew nuts blended into a smoothie will give a perfect, creamy, smooth texture that really mimics milk. AND don't forget there's a ton of new "milk" options that don't contain dairy, from soy to coconut to almond. You might can find an unflavored Protein powder that you can use--I tried a couple, but honestly, I was pretty tired of throwing up so once I found I could tolerate the peanut butter, other nuts, tofu, and beans, I pretty much just went with those. Hang in there!! It's all a process. You'll figure out what works for you and your body. Take your time--if something doesn't work the first time, try it again in a few months.

Wow, you have a very tolerant sleeve! When I was sleeved, I was on Clear liquids for 2 weeks post-op, then moved to full liquids, then to soft/mushy foods, then to regular foods. Did your surgeon not provide you with a post-op eating plan? You're certainly eating healthful foods, but like you, I'm a little concerned that perhaps you're eating solid food kind of early in the process. I know surgeons do vary on that, but... I'd be worried about harming your new sleeve if you eat things before you are fully healed. You really don't want to cause a leak or a problem with the surgical site. If your surgeon didn't give you a plan, call his office and ask. Seems like that's vital information you probably should have been provided.

I couldn't tolerate shakes of any sort, and I NEVER met any of the recommended Protein goals--sleeve hated (and still hates!) chicken, fish, meat (will let me eat around a tablespoon of hamburger meat now, taco-style, but that's it), and eggs most of the time. I turned to vegetable sources for a good bit of protein at first--Peanut Butter, which I ate from the spoon; Beans, which can be smushed up, turned into Soup, or made into any number of delicious, non-sweet dips--plus, you can use plain low-sodium white beans in a smoothie and never know it's there--just put them in with the fruit and fruit juice and whiz, and it works like the milk would to make it creamy--plus lactose-free! At any rate, I'm just fine, my blood numbers were/are just fine. You might also try the newer lactose-free dairy products--I just saw lactose-free yogurt yesterday, and I know there is lactose-free cottage cheese and milk available at my local national grocery. I eat mostly dairy and veggie sources of protein now, even at a year out, since my sleeve isn't particularly tolerant of a lot of animal proteins--don't know why, just the way it works.

Wow! You look amazing! Congratulations on your surgiversary!!

Well, phooey--Thursday's the one day I can't meet!! I have a faculty luncheon on the southshore. I'll have to try again next time--hopefully with the summer, I'll be able to join everyone!

I'm definitely up for another lunch. Semester is out, and I would love to get together and meet. Beth, I'd be happy to talk with you--PM if you like--and we can meet for coffee maybe?