Lissa

Debby, That's a great attitude to have. You will save yourself endless angst by keeping that attitude in mind through this journey!

I was 352 at my highest weight. Is that close enough? There is a forum here for people who have 200+ pounds to lose that might give you some insight. I spent some time reading there, even though I didn't need to lose quite that much. There are definitely some things to consider when we are at the higher end of the weight range and planning to be sleeved. Good luck!!

I sleep with a bi-pap AND I'm taking Coumadin, so I attributed my sensitive teeth and dry mouth to those two items. I purchased some biotin mouth gel to help keep my mouth moist at night, plus I brush with special toothpaste for sensitive teeth and gums. I also use bio-tin mouthwash. All of those seem to help with the sensitivity, but it might just be that the sensitivity calmed down once I was back on solid food. I'd never even thought of that connection before. Interesting!

Great NSV and I love your exercise plan, too!

Every journey begins with a single step! You've done an awesome thing for yourself and your family. Just imagine where you'll be in a few months. Every day will get easier and easier. Congrats and you guys are gorgeous!!

I had a DVT pre-op that threw two pulmonary emboli to my lungs. Thankfully, the emboli did not burst. I've been taking coumading since last June, with a one month break in October to see if I still had clot factor in my blood. I did. I'll stop the Coumadin/Warfarin in April again and have another blood test in May to (I hope) go off the coumadin for good. Being active helps to prevent clots and to help break them up AFTER your doctor approves you to resume activity. My doc tells me that 30 minutes of cardio activity per day is required to prevent reoccurrence, which works great with my exercise routine! Mine was dx via ultrasound and ran from mid calf up to mid thigh...the tech wouldn't even let me get off the table until they gave me a shot of lovenox and oral coumadin.

Stalls stink! Most of us experience one around 3 weeks and it can last a week or two. Just keep doing what you know you should do: 64 oz of Water, 70 g of Protein and the weight WILL come off. You will probably lose weight slower than others because you don't have as much to lose. Take your measurements. Those and how your clothes fit will show your loss faster than the scale will. Good luck!!

Rico, I'm LOL here at your presentation! I think we all had to try the foods we loved before once we were sleeved and back on solids. I can eat chicken nuggets sometimes, but they are a desperation option for me. I try to keep a Protein bar in my purse to avoid going to McDonalds. As for KFC chicken, something I loved before surgery, I now try to get a piece of grilled chicken or chicken strips rather than the original recipe I used to think was really good. Even the chicken strips have too much breading, but I remove most of the breading... and I don't often eat them because that's incredibly messy. I still love mcdonald's cheeseburgers, though...at least the taste. I toss the bun and eat just the patty, pickle and cheese if Im going to eat one. I think I've had two in 7 months. Truthfully, I'll go into a gas station and buy a small bag of nuts and a bottle Water before I go for fast food these days. I'm on the road a lot because of my job and my schedule is constantly changing, so it's sometimes hard to predict if I will need to pack a lunch. I carry Protein Bars, but try not to eat more than one a day because I want to get my protein from real food rather than from supplements. I still drink diet, caffeine free soda, but it's now 1 a day, after my water is in, unlike pre-op where I'm not sure I ever drank water. I prefer decaf iced tea to almost any other drink now. Isn't it amazing how fast our taste buds change, though?

If you are really having a problem with eating between meals, there are a couple of things you can do. If you're not taking an acid reducer, you need to talk to your doctor about one now. The next step is to log everything you eat in some kind of food tracker. I like My Fitness Pal, but there are several to choose from out there. Also, plan to eat smaller meals more frequently. I eat my three meals a day, plus two planned Snacks, always concentrating on Protein. Lastly, ADD MORE Water. Water helps encourage weight loss in our bodies and flushes toxins. It also fills up our sleeves and helps us to avoid eating when we are really thirsty. I really like the idea of the head hunger survival pack! That's great as well and, especially if you add in some small exercise tasks, it could be a great help on the road to exercise as well. How about adding in some things like "Walk around the building", "Do 15 biceps curls", "Do 5 lunges"? You could even add in treats related to eating. One of my favorite snacks is to have a mini babybel lite cheese or a sugar free pudding. Or, you could make sure that all of the tasks are non-food related if you like. For me, the best motivator is seeing the numbers: pounds lost, current weight, high weight and goal weight. I also am really enjoying the ability to move better and have more endurance for life tasks. I concentrate on those things when I want to do something I know I shouldnt, but I also enjoy being able to live like a normal person these days, so I leave myself some leeway on eating things that I really enjoy. I will have a piece of chocolate or a drink now and then. IF I really want something after a reasonable time, I'll let myself have a bite or two, then I'll move on. It's amazing to be able to leave the rest of some calorie laden treat on the plate rather than feeling like I must eat it all!

Looking Good!! Thank the sleeve for some more Eye Candy for us ladies!!

You're not done losing weight. Take your measurements and then re-take them every week or two. I bet that your body is shifting things around. Once it's finished, you WILL lose weight again.

I have a latex allergy and my doc put a regular band aid on my drain incision after he pulled the drain. The incision was completely healed by the time that rash cleared up! My doc said that it was more important to keep the drain incision covered than to worry about the possible rash from the band-aid. Not sure if I agree with him, but, at 7 months post-op, I'm just thrilled with how things are going. Hydrocortisone cream, benadryl and triple antibiotic ointment did NOTHiNG for my little rash. I just tried to keep it clean and dry.

Wow! Amazing progress!! I'm totally impressed by the amount of weight you've lost and by the muscle definition I see in your after pictures! I hope you'll stick around and give us some pointers in the Exercise and Fitness forum! Who was your doctor? I talked to a couple down that way before choosing my surgeon.

WOW! I see that your head is all over the place, and that's scary for you, I bet. Don't worry. It's normal to be a little freaked out at this point. All that other stuff, and you, like me, have a LOT of other stuff going through your head, is just spam from your brain. Mine had me convinced I'd die during surgery. @@ at myself. This is a huge step, but SO worth it. I'd do it all over again, just to get where Im at... and I'll be thrilled once I make it to goal, too. You will succeed because you actually recognize your issues and are working at them. Good luck!!!

Congrats on your loss so far!! This journey is SO huge and so life-changing!! I'm thrilled to see that big smile on your face and to know that the smile will only get bigger (while the rest of you gets smaller) !!!

Though you may not see the drop in pounds, believe me, others can see it. As for your pants not getting looser yet, patience is the key. I lost quick and steady for a good while before I finally dropped a pants size and that drop happened during a stall. The best way I can describe the process is that weight drops off, THEN the body stops, takes a big breath, and then reshapes us to fit what's still in there. I've been stalled for over a month (until yesterday), but I've dropped 3 pants sizes AND I am literally watching my body shape shift from day to day. Take your measurements and compare them when you hit a 'STALL'. You'll be amazed at how fast they change. Believe me, the changes WILL happen and others WILL be amazed at how great you look...and very soon!!!

Yippee!!!

Tender spots may last for awhile. I had one that came up about 4 months post-op. It scared the daylights out of me until I went to the doctor. He diagnosed fibroids by palpating the area...and I accepted that because I know I have them. It does get better.

That's a great NSV!! I am really liking clothes shopping these days, although I'm trying to hold out on big purchases until I hit goal or lower.

Unless you get creative, it's easy to fall into a rut on the Protein thing. I usually do a shake or a Protein Bar early in the day, then try to stay high protein as the day goes on. It really helps me to be able to add in some veggies if I use the shake or protein bar, but I do try to change that up so I'm not eating the exact same thing each day. I have done: stir fries with lots of meat and a little veggie, shrimp with cocktail sauce, rolled up lunch meat/cheese with pickles or olives or mushrooms, the meat from chinese food (beef from beef broccoli or chicken from sweet and sour), a hamburger patty dressed as if it were on a bun, skip the bun, and even cheese ravioli. I'm 7 months post-op almost, and I'm really working hard now to vary my diet and add in more veggies. I've just started the serious exercise portion of my journey, where I'm now worrying about miles and distance as much as just doing the workouts. Adding in the fruits and veggies is helping me keep my endurance up. It's important, too, because having the carbs helps to give me the oomph to finish a workout.

Everyone experiences fear just before surgery. You have undoubtedly done all you can to prepare, so now it's time to just relax and let God (or your higher power) handle things. Good luck!!

It is a struggle. Just keep working at it. It's more important to get your water in than your protein this early post-op. If the pain is severe or continues to a point where you cant get at least 32 oz in a day, call your doctor since dehydration is the absolute worst thing that you can allow to happen at this point.

Jess! Glad to see you posting!! So glad that you're doing well...and welcome to the loser's bench!!

I had TONS of left shoulder pain. Mine was because I was drinking too much too fast. Leaks usually cause stomach issues like vomiting up bile and, from what I have read, also cause pain in the stomach area. It doesn't sound like you have any of the symptoms of a leak for now. If you have symptoms later, then call your doctor immediately. Good luck!! I think we all worry about this, but it happens to very few people. If you're one of them, you will probably figure it out pretty quickly.

I was shocked to wake up in recovery because I truly believed I was going to die during surgery. My first word was "What?" LOL After a bit, I was wheeled to my hospital room and I insisted on walking from that bed to the hospital bed, then I complained the hospital bed was too soft and decided I'd rather sit in the chair. My stomach muscles and thigh muscles hurt. The stomach was like I'd done too many sit ups and my thighs hurt because I was trying to use them instead of my stomach when I got up to walk. Surgery was at 8am, and I was walking the floor by 2pm. I didn't use any pain meds after about 8pm that night, but I am categorically opposed to narcotics in any form. If your doctor prescribes liquid pain medicine, be absolutely sure you have the proper measuring device for it. Mine was dosed in metric and I didn't have a metric spoon, so I couldnt take the one dose of pain meds I wanted when I got home. My bottle of loritab is still unopened at 7 months out.