MegInNOLA

I'm a university teacher, and I had surgery over spring break. I had told my family back in December that I was considering the surgery, and they all said, "Great! We've been hoping that you would," which totally surprised me. They had questions, of course, but I had done extensive research at that point and had answers, plus my husband had been sleeved the year before. My close friends, too, I told before surgery; one of them came and sat with me at the hospital when my husband had a work emergency. As for work, I told a couple of fellow teachers who are close friends, but not my administration (no reason to). I did tell a small group of my upper-level students, because they are in classes with me several hours a day and I wanted to prepare them for my not being quite so physically active in the first few weeks post surgery; these are also the kids who serve as officers in the choir, and I take them for meals occasionally when we have council meetings. I had no negative comments at all. I also told the small community choir that I conduct, also because I needed them to understand if I was a little less physically engaged during rehearsals for the first few weeks. They were all 100% supportive, except for one sweet man who came up to me and said, "Well, personally, I like you just like you are," and I said, "I do, too! I just want to be healthier." We had a concert at the end of May (my surgery was mid-April), and he made it a point to say he could see the results and that I looked great. This group was very supportive overall--I asked them to help me remember to hydrate during rehearsals, and every time I stopped, someone would say, "Take a drink!" So I guess it really depends on what you feel comfortable with. So what feels right for you. I don't mind telling people--I have even, kind of on the fly, told my waitstaff in restaurants who are concerned because I'm not eating the entire item I've ordered; I simply say, "I had surgery and can't eat very much, but it's wonderful!" and they are cool. People who have seen me recently who don't know I have had surgery say, "Wow, you look great!" and I just say, "Thanks!" with a wide grin. Meg

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip! My husband and I are Cruise Planners, and we are planning a cruise in August and one in November (it's our favorite thing to do for vacation/treating ourselves). I am excited for both, even though I haven't lost all the weight I want to yet, because I know the activities and swimming and just having extra energy will be so much fun! I'm glad your trip went well and you were able to really enjoy being 70 pounds (wow!) lighter. Meg

Oh, the joys of excess saliva!! YES, I had that. It will eventually calm down until you try to eat too much, then look out. You're probably a lot smarter than me and won't do that, but let's just say that excess saliva was a big problem (it does, after all, take up volume in your stomach, and if you're already full, well--)... I'm glad you're home. You're going to feel better really soon, I promise. The first couple of weeks are the worst, and then things start getting better. Hang in there!!! Meg

My BMI was barely 40, but I was so stressed at the thought of possibly not having the surgery that when my doc checked my blood pressure, it was 140/80--while not radically high, it was high enough for her to state honestly that my blood pressure was creeping up (and my blood sugar was, too, thanks to my not-quite-careful diet the day before the test).... if your PCP is supportive, talk with him/her about your test results. Honestly, I didn't worry about watching my diet at all in the week or two just prior to my evaluation for surgery. Drink a LOT of Water, too, before you go to weigh (and no bathroom trips until after!). Good luck to you... Meg

Hi there! I have been on a couple of trips out of town in the 2 months since my surgery--I'm definitely still in the losing stage and still on a limited diet plan (no salad yet, for example). On one of these trips, I had my vehicle and access to a refrigerator; I stopped close to my destination and did a mini shopping trip, picking up a couple of things of yogurt and the small, snack-sized cottage cheese, along with a couple bottles of Water. I had packed some Protein bars, my favorite water flavor powders (I like the Ocean Spray Cran-Grape), and some crackers and individual foil packs of Peanut Butter. I have a little "lunch box" pack in my car because I routinely commute to work that has utensils and napkins, so that was available if needed. Just those 2 things of yogurt and 3 cottage cheeses were perfect for my 3-day trip--I was able to stay on plan with very minimal effort. If your hotel doesn't have a fridge, you can use the ice container--just remember to refill it when you return to your room, and your dairy products will stay nice and cold. It can be challenging to find sleeve-friendly food if you have to eat out with other people, but a few strategies I like are ordering Soup (always easy to simply say you're not feeling all that hungry), ordering shrimp cocktail as your entree (my personal favorite!)--again, if you feel you must, stating that you just aren't that hungry--or, if you're with people you really know well and like, offer to split an entree with a friend, since restaurant portions are always huge and since you're on the road, you don't really need/want leftovers. You're far enough along that you could also have salads--and grilled protein on salad has to be the best diet-friendly meal around!! I LONG for my salads, especially in the summer, and now, when creole tomatoes are ripe and yummy... sigh... eventually!!! Soup/salad combos are great, and nobody thinks twice about it. A lot of upscale hotels will provide you with a fruit plate or fruit/cheese plate on their room service menu. Since you'll likely not be able to eat it all, you've got food for a couple of meals--just slip a few Baggies into your purse or suitcase for storage, and you're good to go--again, use the ice bucket (and I'd put a note to the housekeeping staff not to empty it!-- to keep it cool, and you're set. Also, most hotels now have a gym or workout facility, so if you happen to overindulge, you can get in some time on the treadmill or in the pool to help burn it off. Your sleeve is going to help out, too, since you won't be able to really physically overindulge--I mean, you might enjoy a few tastes of some higher-calorie or higher-carb food than your usual, but you won't be able to go hog wild. If there's a cocktail event, order a virgin Mary and enjoy! Best wishes! I'm off for a week-long business trip to Florida next month, and since I'm flying, I'm going to have to plan ahead, but I think it will all be okay. A few staples that I can pack really do make it easier to stay on track.... we'll see. :-) Meg

My husband was sleeved in April 2010 and had fantastic results. When I finally decided to look into having the surgery, he was like a giddy kid, so excited and happy; I actually had to tell him to calm down and back off a bit while I did my own research and made my decision. But when I did decide to do it, he was 100% supportive. Our experiences were almost completely opposite--he had to fight to get the surgery, it took forever for him to be approved, and then once he had the surgery, his recovery was almost effortless. My approval came within 24 hours of my completed request, and I had a lot of problems in the first few weeks after surgery. But it is FANTASTIC to have another sleever who "gets" it. He doesn't mind if I eat off his plate--he says with the amount I eat, he would never even miss it, LOL. I went with him last fall to get a new wardrobe, and now he has been shopping with me this summer, since my clothes are all literally falling off, even though he hates shopping! I kid him that when he dropped all that weight, his "hotness factor" shot up (and it is true!); now he's telling me the same thing, even though I still have a long way to go. I feel blessed all the time to have my husband in my life. He married me when I was at my highest weight and loves me no matter what, and I feel so incredibly fortunate. Valentina, I am so sorry for your situation and am sending positive vibes your way that you will find the exact right place to be... and I will never take my husband's support for granted. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you. You're right, you can't cure mental illness, but you can find peace and happiness. Seems like you're already well under way to your weight loss goals! Meg

Woot!! You GO!! Sounds like you are off to a wonderful summer. Congratulations! Meg

I have also learned to start with 1.5 tablespoons of more dense food (I kind of visualize folding up the lunch meat, for instance); if I'm still hungry when I've finished that, I can always go back for more. If I get full before I finish it, there's only a little left for the dog or the trash.

Sip, sip, sip. I was nowhere near 40 oz the first few days after surgery. It really, really does get better, but in the meantime, keep your cup handy and just take tiny sips as you can. If you're sitting or reading or watching television, just keep your cup in your hand so that you can sip. You can do it!! Meg

LOL sounds like a fun day. You do look great in that dress!! Meg

I'm sorry to hear you're still having problems. I did, too. I wasn't on a PPI after surgery until around week 5--and I threw up regularly, once or twice a day, for the first few weeks postsurgery. It didn't matter before what I ate; a food might stay down one meal and then not work the next. Once I started Prilosec, the vomiting slowed and now has been gone for almost 2 weeks (YAY). You don't mention if you're taking Prilosec or Nexium or anything for acid. I take mine at night, and it has made a HUGE difference. As for cooking stuff that you only eat a small amount of, it's pretty simple to keep the "fixings" of various meals in the fridge and then combine as you feel like eating it. For instance, if you keep a small amount of lunch meat, some cream cheese, some yogurt, some cottage cheese, etc., you can pull out a bit of whatever you feel like when it's meal time. Our microwave is also a great help--we ALWAYS have leftovers. I take a can of Soup, eat around 1/4 c., and put the rest in the fridge for another meal. Hang in there--I have definitely been where you are, and you CAN feel better. If you're not on a PPI, call your doc and ask about it, and if you are, call and see if you need a different or stronger one. Best-- Meg

Wow! Congratulations to you!! That's a big milestone. You've earned every dorky move of that happy dance!!! Meg

Wow! Look how great you're looking!! Congratulations. Meg

I had a bullet blender--could zap small quantities, and that was helpful. I zapped up a lot of Soup, tuna and chicken salad (kind of made a mousse-sort of consistency).... soft-scrambled eggs work for a lot of people. Cream of wheat never tasted so good--and yogurt is great, too. Enjoy! Meg

Hey Whodat!!! I'm so pleased for you. Did you end up going with the surgeons in Mississippi? Glad you're doing okay, and you're smart not to rush anything. :-) Meg

Congratulations on your weight loss and your fantastic NSV!! Meg

I think you look cute and comfy and cool! Don't sweat your arms and legs, which look great to me. Yay for you!! Meg

I've been gently rebuked before for posting my thoughts about diet, but I think it's important to remember that every body responds differently, nutritionists have different plans, and what works beautifully for the majority isn't necessarily going to work for everyone. I know we're all on the same Quest, so I Celebrate whatever works for each individual person. For instance, I definitely have more carbs per day than most here, simply because I don't count them. My particular case might be a bit different from most, however, because I have to work to get over 500 calories a day--still, at 8 weeks out!--due to a very small, very picky sleeve. If I get fewer than 500, I don't seem to lose and my energy level and mental focus plummet. So I do drink 8 oz of Gatorade in the morning along with my Water, and I sometimes eat 3 saltines or baked chips at lunch with my Protein, and I eat a few almonds most days. I mean, I don't go crazy with the carbs, but I do eat them daily. I'm having steady weight loss, but again, I have a LOT to lose; maybe as my weight loss slows, I'll rethink the inclusion of carbs, but right now it's working. Today, for instance, I'm having a Protein Bar for Breakfast since I was craving it: 10 g protein, 115 calories, 12.5 g carbs/no sugars, 1 g Fiber (this is 1/2 of a Think Thin Brownie Crunch bar). For lunch, grilled fish (probably 2 ounces max) or some boiled shrimp with sauce. Midafternoon, iced coffee with milk and lite Hershey's syrup. For supper, 2 tablespoons of taco meat and 1 tablespoon of nacho cheese and a few tiny cubes of tomato and 3 Beanitos (baked chips made from pinto Beans and flax seeds, and completely delicious) to dip. Maybe a few almonds or some melon as an evening snack. And I'm full, happy, and losing weight. As I said, I know this is really different from what most people do, but it's working for me, and I feel good. Also, I don't mind if I lose more slowly than others, though I don't think I am. I really am not worried about the rate of weight loss, which is a HUGE and pleasant change from my behavior in the past. I want to be thinner, of course, but I also want to feel good, and if I can eat what seems to me to be a satisfying, healthful, acceptable diet, then I'm good. Cheers! Meg

Good for you--for the weight/inches loss as well as the great shopping karma! Over literally the last week, I have moved from a size 22 to a loose size 20--and I have lost ZERO pounds in the interim. I didn't exactly believe the "if you're not losing weight, you're losing inches" thing, but in my case, it's 100% true. Thanks for the reminder of Goodwill--I think of them often as I put together yet another bag of too-big clothing, but for some reason, I don't think about shopping there. DUH! Meg

Wow, you look fabulous! Congratulations on your success so far! Meg

I know my sense of depression and sadness and "I can't believe I have done this to myself" went away after I could begin keeping food down--I had problems with acid, evidently, but as soon as the problem got under control and I could eat even tiny amounts of "real food," the sense of gloom went away. It became kind of cool to get full on 2 boiled shrimp!! At this point, sometimes I wish I could eat a bit more because it tastes so good, but at the same time, I realize that's what got me into this situation in the first place; the difference is that now I'm physically unable to eat more, despite it tasting good, and I'm full and satisfied. Yay sleevie!! Meg

I agree, it's a fab feeling! Congratulations to you!!!!

Whoo-HOO! Good for you! I just woke up the dog laughing out loud at your line about your boobs entering the room before your stomach, because my husband and I were just talking about that this morning, too! Congrats on your progress thus far--you're doing GREAT! Meg

Congratulations on your loss! You're doing great! I don't think a 4-pounds-per-week average is all that slow, either, so good for you! Meg

Wow, the first few weeks after surgery, everything smelled so fantastic, and watching commercials on television was pure torture!! It was HARD, and I actually went through a phase where I felt really sorry for myself (that old "What the &%$ have I done?"). Once I could eat the mushies and then soft foods, and now getting into regular foods, the luster sort of wore off. It's like at first, your body is going, "Woah, we're losing a lot of weight. Doesn't that smell good? Eat something!" Then later, as you have lost some weight and have, through trial and error, learned how to eat again, your body kind of gets a lot less interested--my sense of smell, always really sharp, has intensified since surgery, but it no longer triggers the "eat" reflex. I enjoy the smell of food a LOT, but I don't feel like I have to eat it (which is good, because most of the time I don't think I'd be able to even if I wanted it!). Seems like once your body realizes it can't do what it wants, the entire process sort of calms down and disconnects--that feeling of being ravenous or craving something because you smelled it or saw it just isn't the same, at least it isn't for me. Mostly now I do what Lily does--I eat what sleevie wants and what will make him happy (and don't ask me why my sleeve is a "he," because I don't know). The first couple of weeks are really hard in lots of ways. You're doing great--just hang onto that sense of humor and you'll be fine! Meg