MegInNOLA

I had/have trouble getting enough protein in, too, since I can't eat meat/chicken/some kinds of fish/egg yolks. I eat mostly vegetable protein and dairy, along with shellfish. Can you tolerate tofu or other soy products? What about thin-sliced lunch meats? I can eat a little ham lunch meat (although it's not a guarantee), and I can eat egg whites--I LOVE a hard-boiled egg and can eat the entire white (if you have a pet, they'll be happy to "assist" you with the yolk, which is good for their coats).

I love Quest and Think Thin bars... Quest has several new flavors that totally rock--my new fav is the coconut cashew. Think Thin peanut butter tastes just like a Reese's--yum! And neither are too sweet.

Have you tried making any of Eggface's "bites"? A couple of those in a baggie would be great--just google the world according to eggface and click recipes. Other alternatives: Chunk of cheese, hard-boiled egg, couple of slices of lunch meat spread with cream cheese and rolled up (I like to put veggies in there, too, like meat sushi, LOL), omelets (you can make ahead, store in fridge, and nuke on your way out the door), Peanut Butter with a cut-up apple for dunking, cucumbers with hummus to dip, etc. etc. etc. I'm not a fan of traditional breakfast food, obviously, but I do like things that can be grabbed from the fridge, thrown in the microwave for a minute or zapped in the blender, and out the door! You might also consider putting the materials for a smoothie into the jar of the blender and store in the fridge--in the morning, just add the ice or whatever frozen ingredients you're going to use, zap it, and go. My magic bullet has rims for the individual serving-size cups (that have handles), designed for easy transport. Edited to say I forgot some pretty obvious things--yogurt, cottage cheese, but those do require utensils. I guess a chunk of cheese or a few slices of lunch meat and maybe a whole-grain cracker or two (or cucumber slices, if you're low-carbing) would work better.

My niece had gastric bypass when she was 18. She was able to enjoy a healthy young adulthood, marriage, pregnancy, etc. without the excess weight. She was morbidly obese at well over 300 pounds at 5'6". Today she is a healthy 160. If you have not discussed your concerns with your physician, now would be a great time to do that. Let us know if you have questions that only other sleevers would be able to help with, and keep in touch!!

Same for me--I went through the entire process with my husband, sleeved a year ahead of me, and this online support group, no local support group. This board ROCKS.

Congratulations!! You are looking fab!! My husband was a brittle diabetic, on six different medications to try to control it (and it wasn't working)--went home from the sleeve surgery on no diabetes meds. His blood sugar almost immediately was 100% normal, and he has been off all meds for two years now. I consider it a miracle and I'm so grateful I get to keep him longer. That's partly why I eventually made the decision to have the sleeve--diabetes runs in my family, and I was certainly heading there in baby steps, but my sleeve saved me from that fate, too. Keep up the great work!!

WOW! I think you look amazing--and whatever loose skin you have sure doesn't show. Congratulations!!!!

Wow, sure hope you're feeling better soon. I had troubles with eating, etc. postop but it sounds like you're really going through the wringer. HUGS to you--keep us posted!!

YAY! Feels GREAT, doesn't it!? Congratulations!!

First, congratulations on your loss so far--and way to go with the exercise/training routine!! That's something I still haven't gotten in place yet, so I think you're doing GREAT! I got to a point about 9 or 10 months out where I plateaued for a LONG time, several months, in fact. I wasn't doing anything different--my body just sort of settled in place. I eventually got to goal and realized that I had additional weight to lose; I'm 6'2", and nobody "official" had given me a goal, so I was sort of flying by the seat of my pants there. Back to the point--this summer, I've been focusing more on eating tons of fresh vegetables and fruit and incorporating as much raw produce as I can into my diet--my sleeve is still really small and picky, so I don't eat a lot of junk anyway, but I've been making an effort to eat a much more veggie-heavy diet. In the last couple of weeks, I've dropped three pounds--and I'm 14 months out. So my suggestion is to keep doing what you're doing in the gym--GO, GIRL!! and maybe tweak your diet to take advantage of the summer crop of vegetables. Sometimes I think our bodies just need to chill for a while at a particular point, and then they start losing again. Don't give up hope--you're doing all the right things, but maybe shaking things up diet-wise will move you off that plateau. Check your salt intake, too. HUGS to you, and I can't wait to see your continued progress!

I definitely couldn't tolerate any of the protein drinks, either. I make my own with Greek yogurt, almond milk, and whatever else I feel like throwing in there. It's not as much protein per drink as the powders or ready-to-drinks, but I can handle them--they stayed down when nothing else would, and they smell pleasant. :-)

I take 1000 biotin every day, along with my super B. I "think" my hair has stopped falling out; it seems to be more closely tied to my thyroid medication and not the B vitamins, but I'm with Oregon Daisy--don't want to see what happens if I stop it. :-)

I absolutely get it! I couldn't do the protein shakes at all, either; my sleeve rejected each and every one, and I tried a bunch. I ended up making my own with "real food" alternatives--Greek yogurt, milk, white beans (yeah, in a smoothie--use the low-sodium, rinse well, and you'll never know you put a tablespoon or two in there, trust me), PB2 powder (like dried peanut butter--all the protein, none of the fat), etc. That's the only sort of thing my sleeve would tolerate. I still drink smoothies almost every day, sort of the same idea--Greek yogurt, spinach, couple of pecans, some fruit (when you are allowed), some flavoring. Hang in there. I never met my protein goals during post-op, still don't, and my blood work is stellar. Some people can easily get there, and others of us have to try other avenues. Fortunately, as your sleeve heals, you'll be able to incorporate more varied types of protein and you'll be able to find a regimen that will work for you. For me, this has meant a heavy vegetarian diet plus occasional shellfish (I can tolerate dairy and egg whites, too). You'll find your path; no stress! Listen to and trust your body.

No, you don't cook it after you roll it. There are rolls you can cook--most Thai restaurants will have some fresh spring rolls and some "fried," but the fried ones usually have cabbage, baby shrimp, maybe some ground pork, etc., and they're deep fried, which is NOT sleeve-friendly for me at least. The fresh ones are light and delicious, no cooking required--well, except the seafood, unless you're into sushi. I have actually had these with sushi-grade raw salmon, which was delicious!! But my fav is with the shrimp, which is boiled and chilled (like the shrimp for shrimp cocktail).

YES YES YES. You and I have had almost identical experiences, down to the throwing up schedule. I stopped Prilosec around month 5, so you may eventually want to see if you can ditch that. hair loss stops, too. YAY for you!! Thanks for posting.

Wow, just seeing this thread. GT, "friends" like that deserve a kick in the behind. So sorry you're having such a horrid time--I hope by now things have calmed down a bit and are back on track. Coops, sounds like stuff is going better! YAY! Dorrie, it's nice to see your pic--I was offline for a bit and I guess you posted that while I was off. Nice to "meet" you! And Lila, sounds like you're doing great--hang in there and keep up the good stuff! Things here are busy but what else is new. Took our second group on their cruise; all went well, everybody had a great time, and I somehow dropped another pound while at sea. No idea how. I think it's something to do with my "new" eating plan finally kicking in--focus on fresh veggies (especially greens), fresh fruit, and staying away from sugar, minimizing nuts (my weakness). So far, so good. I was trying to figure out what was different while on board and while here; I got more exercise on board, just running around, swimming, doing the tours, etc., and I guess that had a bigger impact than I thought.

I'm super excited for all you fellow teachers! I know from experience that your next year is going to be very different in lots of good ways. :-) I had my surgery in April 2011; by the time school started again in August, I was down 60 pounds and looked a LOT different--the kids flipped out (in a good way!). And you'll have time to get your strength back and get into your food routine, whatever that evolves into during your recovery. Best wishes, and I hope you all have amazing summers!!!

Hey Alice: Well, first off, I'm sorry you've hit these snags. It's a hassle, but it's workable. I couldn't tolerate any sort of Protein powder or Protein Drink, so I went with a "real food" approach. For you, with lactose and whey intolerance, that might be a good path, too--can you tolerate eggs? Egg white protein is readily available at our local Whole Foods. I ended up mixing smoothies that used yogurt (mine was Greek/dairy; you might could use soy with a soy-based Protein Powder or egg-white protein powder to up the protein factor), white Beans (low-sodium, rinsed thoroughly), almond milk, and some flavoring, usually chocolate in the beginning because I could tolerate that, zapped in the blender with a couple of ice cubes if I had forgotten to freeze the container of yogurt. :-) Let us know what works--I'd be interested, as I had such a rough time finding something that would work, and I try to provide ideas/suggestions/support to new sleevers who have the same issues. Glad you started the carafate--that should be really helpful.

I hear you. I have a system. Either I will nibble off of my husband's plate (he is a sleever, too, but can eat more than I can), or I will order something with this exact wording, "I would like the appetizer cup of Soup as my entree, please, and nothing to start." I also always "order" Water, even though I rarely drink it, because otherwise they worry about my not having something to drink. When we're planning to share a meal, my husband orders and says, "We're going to share the ____, so we'll need an extra plate." Nobody ever gives us a hassle about it; I think restaurant portions are so big these days that it's not uncommon for people to share.

Yes, some people will treat you differently when you're thin. I decided not to waste time or energy worrying about that--in fact, when it happens to me, I go out of my way to say "hello" to someone who is "invisible" like I used to be in society. Just a simple smile or quick "hello" or "how's it going?"--no big deal, but I know how it feels to not be taken seriously or not be really thought about at all--and yes, that was by my choice, exactly as cantwaittolose above said, but it is still hurtful. I think in the end that's about all we can really do that's a positive response--just try to treat everyone the way we would want to be treated, no matter what our size, like we are there, we matter, our opinions and thoughts and feelings matter, and we're all in it together. Doesn't require anything huge or earth-shaking, and we can maybe be the agents of the change we want to see.

Congratulations on your loss, and definitely thanks for checking in at 2 years. I think it's nice for everyone to hear from long-time sleevers, whether or not you've stayed at your goal weight, just to get a reality check about living the long-term sleeve life. :-) Glad to hear you're doing so well.

I had both "the slimes" and vomiting frequently during the first couple of months post op. Turns out I needed to be on an acid reducer AND that I needed to take the advancement of my diet more slowly than most folks. Once I started eating on MY terms, that is, taking it slower, staying on mushies/soft foods a bit longer, eating frequent small mini-meals, paying attention to my body's signals to stop (for me, burping and a runny nose!), and staying away from trouble foods (oily/overly sweet, bread/pasta/rice), I was GREAT! So my advice--it's not a race. It's an adjustment to a new way of eating. Some of us make that adjustment really easily. Others, like me, take time to get there, but we do get there. :-)

It's all an individual decision. Some people have friends and family who will be super-supportive (I did!), and we're the lucky ones. Others have friends and family who will not be supportive, and who needs the additional negativity in their lives? It's a personal comfort level issue, too--a lot of folks just don't want others to know their medical issues for various reasons. I told my family and a few close friends--I was sort of surprised (although I certainly shouldn't have been!!) when nobody said, "Oh, no, you don't need that surgery--you're not that overweight!" The fact that everyone seemed very positive and sort of relieved spoke volumes to me about my need for the procedure. I eventually also told a few of my college students, as I was going to be back to teaching before the end of the semester--they were also super supportive and kind of excited for me. But I can totally understand if one doesn't have a lot of supportive, positive people around, one might not be so inclined to share personal health news. That's another great reason this forum is so useful--we all "get it," and there's a lot of positive support to be found here.

Hey there! I couldn't tolerate any sort of Protein drink, either--I tried a bunch of different brands, sources of protein, recommendations from this site and others--nothing would stay down. So I had the idea to try "real food." I ended up making smoothies myself with Greek yogurt, milk, and pasteurized egg whites (like Egg Beaters) plus flavoring. They aren't as high protein per ounce as a "Protein Drink," but there is plenty of protein in there, the ingredients are available, and my sleeve could handle it. I never, ever met, nor do I meet now, the requirements for protein as recommended by my nutritionist, but my blood work is stellar and I'm feeling fabulous. (By the way, you can also slip in a couple of teaspoons of white Beans, low sodium, well rinsed, to add protein and fiber--I PROMISE you won't taste them at all!) As for Water, don't worry about "bigger" sips--keep a cup of iced beverage (whatever you're drinking) at your side always, and sip frequently. It's not the size of the sips but the number of sips--keeping something there, whether you're thirsty or not at the moment, will help you remember to sip. And hang in there. It really does get better.

Oh, Jamie, hugs to you. I don't think anyone is perfect... and everyone's motivation and progress is so individual. As you have discovered, the sleeve isn't the magic cure. I think I understand what you're saying--it seems like maybe if we had exhibited the same sort of discipline we use now before being sleeved, we wouldn't have had to be sleeved. I agree for myself--if I had eaten then the way I eat now, I wouldn't have had to have surgery. I was absolutely so furious with myself right after surgery for having gotten so far gone that I had to have part of my stomach cut out in order to lose weight. All I had to do was eat right and exercise, and I knew that with my head. But I didn't do it; it wasn't part of my life then. That's why I had the surgery--I knew I couldn't lose the weight permanently without a drastic change, and that drastic change wasn't going to happen over the long term without assistance. My sleeve imposes a set of limits that helps me achieve my goals, but I still have to work within those limits. I had the surgery because it would impose a level of discipline on me that I wasn't able to do by myself. My sleeve does not allow me to overeat or to eat certain foods (it will reject them)--and those foods include things that aren't very good for me or that I had trouble with in the past. I absolutely knew what to do to lose weight before being sleeved, and did lose it, frequently; I gained it all back once I stopped devoting excessive time and energy to it. As a teacher, my summers were usually spent on one diet or another, exercising, losing weight; when school started up again and my schedule got busy, that was the first thing to go, and it was back to convenience/fast foods, "no time to exercise," and the weight came back. Since the sleeve, it doesn't come back. I've been forced to eat in a way that I should have been eating all along, and I'm really grateful to have the sleeve's restriction. You're close to me--if you'd like to get together and meet up for coffee or just to talk, IM me. I work in New Orleans and would be happy to get together. I don't like that you sound like you're feeling alone with your struggles. You're definitely not alone. We all have issues, just different sorts.