MegInNOLA

Congratulations! You look fabulous!

Yep, I'm another one--I had horrible problems with acid for the first 6 weeks or so, then I started Prilosec on the advice of folks on this forum. Now, 13 weeks out, the Prilosec has sort of stopped working--I have just started taking it twice a day, but the entire day today I have had the feeling of burning, churning, growling, acid in the back of my throat. NOT pleasant. It's not relieved by drinking or eating (although I have been eating less the last couple of days, don't know why). I'm planning to get some of the Gaviscon for temporary relief until I can see if the Prilosec twice a day is going to do it; if not, I will start Nexium in the morning and Prilosec at night. Y'all please keep posting your ideas and thoughts about this. I definitely appreciate hearing what works and what doesn't work, and it gives me a lot of hope that I can get this under control. It's not making me gain weight, but it's really uncomfortable, and I hate having to think about it all day!

Mark, these recipes that you're posting look good, but they are not necessarily appropriate for WLS patients, particularly not for early-stage sleevers, like the OP of this topic. I don't know if you've had weight loss surgery, but I rather suspect that if you had, you would not be able to tolerate this particular recipe a few days after surgery (and I don't think I could tolerate that much wheat even at 3+ months postop).

Isn't that a great feeling? And you're in for a whole lot more of those nice experiences in your journey. :-) Congratulations!!

I had no issues with reflux before surgery, and very few issues with acid in general. Post surgery, I still have no reflux symptoms, but I did have horrible acid for a few weeks (!--I'm a slow learner, evidently) until I read this forum and found out I should be on a PPI. Since starting Prilosec religiously, my acid symptoms are much better--without the Prilosec or when it wears off, it literally feels like a gnawing hunger, only it doesn't really go away if I eat a couple of bites or food. I hate it--it actually hurts. My Prilosec does tend to wear off faster now than it did at the beginning, so I'm considering switching to some form of twice-a-day medication just to keep the symptoms down. Part of this is probably my fault for still indulging my coffee and Gatorade joneses.... but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, and those beverages keep me sane and hydrated, so.....

Hey y'all: Well, I was out of town last week with no access to a scale. You know how that can be. But I got right on it this morning and was pleased to find that I have dropped 58 pounds in the 3 months since surgery (I didn't have a pre-surgery diet), exactly halfway to my goal! Yay! I've dropped from a pant size of 26/28 to a loose 20 (and some 18's) and a shirt size of 3x-4x to plain old XL. And this is only the beginning. I still have a small, very picky sleeve, but I'm learning to live with it, and it's definitely helping me drop the weight. Hope all other 4/18 sleevers are doing well and have fun success stories to post. Cheers! Meg

Hey Gayle: It took me over 2 months to see any size change! I think plus-size clothing just has different lines--it's sort of designed to hide the body, so it's hard to tell when things aren't really fitting any more until a particular point. And that point is different for everybody and every body. I've only lost 60 pounds, but in the last month or so, I've moved from a size 26/28 and tight 3X's to 18/20's and regular XL's. Very cool. Don't worry... it's going to happen. You're on your way!

This topic has been a fascinating read. Thanks to everyone who posted. My DH is a sleever, a year ahead of me. When he made he decision to have the surgery, I supported him outwardly, but inwardly I worried that he would get thin and not find me attractive any more. It never occurred to me that I would find HIM more attractive after the surgery, which I do--even though I fell in love and married him at around 300 pounds (he's just a really great guy!). The "hotness factor" really racheted up as his health issues, including severe diabetes, disappeared with the excess weight. He made it clear to me that he loved me, not despite my size, but as I was, although he wanted me to be healthy and was worried that I would develop health issues soon. So when I made the decision to be sleeved, he was super supportive, not because he didn't like how I looked, but because he wanted us both to be around for a long time together. I was worried that I would lose parts of my figure that he enjoys, but I always had a very curvy figure even as a thin 20-year-old, and I suspect the girls will likely be around for a while, even if smaller. Upshot is that we are both enjoying having "new and improved" spouses, our relationship is stronger than ever, and we say every day how fortunate we feel to have found each other and a tool that will hopefully let us have many more years together. I grew up with a father who weighed more than 500 pounds at his heaviest, and I was horribly ashamed to be seen with him in public. He ate like I've never seen, mindlessly, continuously, and would become violently angry when anyone (usually my mom) made a gentle suggestion that perhaps he might be more careful with what he ate. He actually eventually had weight loss surgery, but he tried every way possible to "eat around" the band. Looking back, I realize that he never really made the commitment to improving his health and tried every trick to circumvent it. He died at age 56 of a heart attack--NOT the end I want for myself. So part of my decision-making process was based on the toll my father's weight took on him, on the family, and especially on my mom. I didn't want to be the fat wife of my healthy husband. More than that, I wanted to be alive and healthy in order to be able to spend as much time as possible with him. I had to get my head around the fact that I wanted to be here long-term, and then I could make plans for how to assist that. I'm sending positive vibes to those of you dealing with difficult situations and hope that things work out.

Hey Jeffrey: You know what it is, I had/have a lot more to lose than you. I bet if we did a percentage comparison, we'd be right there together. I'm thrilled to report that this morning I'm down -60 pounds from the morning of surgery!! Still have a LONG way to go, but for some reason, my weight loss has really picked up in the last couple of weeks. (Now I've jinxed it! LOL) I don't feel like I'm doing anything different, so maybe it's just my body getting used to the program (finally!). Cheers, and let's keep it up!! Meg

Oh, I'm in. My birthday is August 28, and I think being 75 pounds down would be a great birthday present. SW-------CW-----Labor Day GOAL-----Pounds to goal 306-------247-----------231------------------------16 Good luck, everyone!! Meg (Edited to put in the little lines between numbers so they would show up right!)

Thanks, y'all!

Congratulations to you! You're off to an awesome start!

Hi Neil, This Texas native LOVES Beans in chili, no matter what the die-hards say. Tough to 'em. Beans sort of "make" the chili for me. They're great nutritionally and serve as a thickener, too, so I say enjoy and tune out the nay-sayers. This chili looks delicious. I wonder if you have any thoughts about small-quantity cooking of stuff like this--I know I could make it and freeze it, but honestly, I eat around 1/4 cup (if I'm lucky!) of food at a time, and it would take me forever to get through an entire batch of chili. 1 can of Soup pretty much means 5 or 6 meals for me, and I get tired of it by the time I've had 3 or 4. I can purchase meat by the ounce (or by the 1/4 or 1/2 pound), so do you think this recipe would "cut down" okay?

Yeah, 1/4 cup is my world, too, Meggie!! My husband is 1 year out and can eat "regular, normal" portions of food--like a thin person who hasn't had surgery would eat. I'm so jealous! There is no way I can forget I had surgery--if I do, Sleevie reminds me in a most unpleasant way!! LOL I totally agree that it's important to get a handle on the mind-eating connection before surgery--if for no other reason than not doing oneself any damage post surgery!

I had some excellent luck with pants/jeans from Coldwater Creek. They have various fits, and I found that the classic fit long was a good one--I hate bootcut jeans, as they make me look "blocky" somehow. I'm 6'2", so tall for a woman, and have a relatively small waist in comparison to my hips (who knew--hourglass discovered after dropping 40 pounds or so and getting more pronounced). I like the "classic" fit, and I have some "natural" fit pants from there, too, that fit cleanly. I hate, hate, hate baggy clothes now. It's so funny, before surgery I wouldn't wear anything remotely form-fitting; if it was clingy, I wouldn't wear it. Now, I really like clothes that fit my body. I'm only halfway through the weight-loss process with a bunch to go, but even now, I feel so much more confident and that I can maybe wear "regular" clothes and have them look good--it's such a kick!! I'm going to check out the "not your daughter's jeans," since I've heard great reviews on them from others, too... hope they have tall sizes. Old Navy also has tons of sizes in various "fits," so that might be a good place to shop. Their prices are very reasonable, too. Meg

I decided that with the "shrinking of the girls," I should go to a bra fitter and get some professional advice. I knew it would be expensive, but my food budget has shrunk to a tiny percentage of what it was before, and the girls definitely needed a lift. The bra I wore in there was one I wore on a regular basis, and I knew it wasn't the best fit, but I couldn't figure out why. It gaped at the bottom front and shifted around and didn't offer much support. The fitter measured me and to my surprise I was 8 inches smaller than the band size of the bra I wore into the store. The issue was the cup size. I ended up fitting perfectly into a bra with a 40-inch band and cup size that was several cups larger than my previous bra!! The bras fit perfectly, too--the edges lay flat against my skin, the straps didn't dig in, the band didn't cut. I tell you, it was the best thing I had ever done as far as making my body and my clothes look better. The girls got substantially smaller in the first 2 months of my weight loss... my fitter said it was pretty common for the breasts to shrink early in the weight loss process and then stay sort of the same size until the rest of the body caught up, then they might or might not get smaller. So I was happy to purchase 2 nice-fitting bras for now (I actually bought them 1 inch smaller than I am and use an extender, which I can remove as my body gets smaller, thereby prolonging the time I can wear these), and I know that I can go back and get re-fitted when I need to. It makes a world of difference!!

WOW! Congratulations! I know you've been working and working and feeling frustrated, so I'm so pleased for you that the stupid scale moved!!! Way to go!! Meg

What a terrific SV! Congratulations to you--I'm working to get to the halfway point--4 more pounds to go! You have done a great job so far!!

Wow! Congratulations to you!!

Congratulations, Linda! Sounds like you are making fabulous progress towards your goals--and way to reward yourself! I bet you're in for a surprise when you try on clothes tomorrow. :-) Keep rockin' that sleeve!!

You look terrific! Congratulations on your loss!

I usually have a Protein bar in the morning, because Sleevie HATES mornings, for some reason, and those are tolerated well. I have to be super careful with what I put in there first, no matter what time of day it is. I do try to start with at least 8 oz of Water, too, as I have also found that to be helpful in getting Sleevie to accept the first food offerings. If I wake up particularly nauseous (not often, happily), I sometimes eat 1 saltine right away, then start the water 30 minutes later, and then have my Protein Bar or whatever I feel I can tolerate. I'm not a fan of dairy in the morning, either, but turkey lunch meat with some cream cheese rolled up in the middle is pretty easy on the stomach, I think--just not the smoked kind (bad experiences!). It's the edges of the day where I have to be most careful, I think because in the morning, everything is sort of small and picky, and in the evening, my Prilosec from the previous evening has worn off. Today I started taking a famotidine with lunch to get me through that acidic period at supper, so we'll see how that works. I will also say that if you're drinking coffee or tea or juice in the morning, be sure that's not contributing to your picky tummy. I love my coffee but I have to wait until after I've eaten something, or it shreds me. Cheers! Meg

Quality over quantity.

Hey there! I was exactly in your shoes--in fact, let me see if I can chart this out. I'm just guesstimating, mind you, because I really don't keep track of calories or carbs or anything on a daily basis, but I know my husband and I were concerned at the beginning that I wasn't getting enough calories because my energy level was really low. I found that the more "regular" food I ate, the better my energy level, and I am still losing. Weeks 1 and 2 didn't make it to 350 calories per day. Weeks 3-4 around 350 calories. Weeks 5-6 between 350-500 calories. Weeks 7-8 right around 500 calories. Week 8 and on, bouncing between 600-900 per day, depending on how my sleeve is feeling. I went back to yesterday's food and counted up; I ate 875 calories yesterday, and I don't think I could have eaten more if I had wanted to and still kept to relatively healthy foods. Yesterday's food intake: Milk, Protein bar, 1/4 c. Soup, 1/2 c. air-popped popcorn (first since surgery), cheese, turkey, Gatorade, oatmeal cookie. I knew I would be eating the cookie, so I didn't eat any crackers yesterday--that kind of thinking is easy for me and seems to make sense in my "menu-free" world. I would probably have eaten more in the beginning if I could, but I have a small, picky sleeve (someone called their sleeve a "tyrant," and I have one of those, too) and had problems with acid, so I was really not enjoying eating at first. It has gotten MUCH better with Prilosec and I feel almost normal in my eating pattern now, just tiny amounts.

Mine is the very unimaginative "Sleevie." And for some reason, it's a "he," and I don't know why.