Lissa

Whether it's an ok snack depends on how far post-op you are. Some here seem to eat it with no issues, while others (like me) don't do popcorn much or at all. I've had popcorn twice since surgery without issue. It's just not one of my favorite snacks. Of course, I'm only 5 months out, so I'm still working on getting in all my protein and veggies every day. I'd rather have cheese right now.

I've heard both ways, too. My surgeon told me that it's all but impossible to stretch it back to the size it was before surgery. However, he was careful to add that we CAN beat the sleeve, just like any other WLS. If we eat junk food and sliders, the sleeve will not keep us from doing that. It will just push it on through and we can and will gain weight. Since sweets were one of my problems before surgery, I have to keep an eye on that. I've posted before about avoiding crunchy cheetos. I just don't bring them home, so I'm not tempted to eat them. I can have pretzels or reglular chips here and not think about them, but the cheetos sit in the pantry screaming for me to eat them. So, they get to stay at the store.

You're doing great!! Sometimes it really does help just to write it all down, doesn't it? Good luck!! You are rocking that sleeve!!

good luck!! I'm sure you're so excited for it to finally be here!

I play word games on my phone a lot while I'm eating. Or, I post here. Take a bite, read a post or thread. Take a bite and chew well while writing down my own post. I still eat faster than my surgeon recommends, but I'm doing what I can. If I'm out with friends, I try to time my bites to take 1 bite to every 3 or 4 of theirs. Then I chew slowly and nod my head while listening to their conversation. Bonus, my friends feel that I'm more attentive to them because I'm listening better than I ever did!

Your surgeon didn't give you any guidelines? That stinks. Most of us here follow a modified diet right after surgery that starts us on Clear liquids for 1-2 weeks, then progresses to full liquids for 1-2 weeks, then to soft foods (mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, pureed or very soft meats) for 1-2 weeks before allowing us to move to a normal diet. Because of swelling, most people find they cannot eat more than a couple of ounces immediately post op, although our stomach capacity increases to around 1 cup as the stomach heals. You should definitely call your surgeon for guidelines. I'm not sure which surgery you had, a plication (IIRC) involves folding and stapling the stomach, correct? Most of us have had the majority of our stomach removed. I'm not sure what the differences in post-op diets would be, if any. Good luck!!

That's the way to do it!! I'm so happy for you!!

I agree with the above. It's worth the peace of mind to have it evaluated now rather than waiting.

Oh, Dorrie, LMAO here! Thank goodness my best friend has lost a significant amount of weight before and warned me about this one!! Yes, it's VERY common. I run into walls all the time. My theory is that I used to take up so much more space that it's taking my mind a while to adjust to being so much smaller now. I can literally trip walking across flat ground! I have a spring to my step now that makes me think I can just walk and do anything I want, then gravity and my own messed up balance will make me trip. I laugh at myself a lot because I think I look like a drunk some days.

My psyche evaluation doc said I was depressed, too. She also stated that I WOULD be an alcoholic after surgery. But, she also gave me clearance for it! LOL I actually see a therapist for food and other issues and she says that many obese people are depressed. She's not sure if the obesity causes depression or vice versa, but it's very common apparently. My personal opinion is that most people who seek out WLS would do well to spend time with a therapist. It's definitely enlightening to learn about the reasons behind overeating. I have a tendency to "eat" my problems, which is impossible now, of course. I wouldn't worry about being called back for a second visit. And, if you feel depressed, that IS something I think you should tell the evaluator. Heaven forbid that you have complications after surgery, but I think it requires mental strength to deal with them if they do happen.

I was also told that I could drive as soon as I was off the pain meds. As a matter of fact, I drove myself home the day after surgery. The hospital insisted that I be released to someone, so my nurse friend met me and took me to her house. All I wanted was to be home and in my own bed, so I drove home from there. I'm NOT recommending that to anyone else, but I had been off the pain meds for 24 hours by that point and I had no issues from driving about 30 minutes to get home.

Connie, Are your clothes getting bigger? Is your energy level improving? Are you more able to do things like workouts and walking? If those things are happening, you aren't truly stalled. I've been bouncing on the same few pounds for about a month, but I'm losing pants sizes and I see my body readjusting. Perhaps you should take your measurements and see if those numbers are changing. If you are meeting your daily Fluid and Protein goals and exercising, it's possible that your body is converting fat to muscle, which is AWESOME!!! Don't weigh every day, or even every week. Look for those NSVs and appreciate that your body is working hard with the good things you are giving it. In my opinion, 127 pounds in 9 months is PHENOMENAL!!! You have really rocked that sleeve!! Don't get depressed and don't give up. The best is yet to come!

I'm not the best person for relationship advice, but all I can suggest is to tell them what you need. If you don't speak up and say "I need to eat somewhere that has soup/soft foods available", then he has no real clue that it is important to you. As for hubby eating sweet crap in front of you, he may be thinking that it's not a big deal. If it really is a big deal, then tell him. Iliana, your boyfriend is used to you catering to him, probably. So, he's just acting like he normally does. He's not going to be as supportive as your mom, but he's also not going to smother you with attention in a few weeks and drive you nuts trying to tell you what you should be doing at that point. Mom might. Right after surgery it's really tough to express what you want and need in a loving manner and, usually, men aren't as aware of what we need as they could be. Most of us really do cater to our men so much that when the status quo changes, even temporarily, they are in a state of shock. That's the reason movies like "Mr. Mom" are so funny. While we'd like it if they could anticipate our needs and wishes, the only way to do that is for us to communicate because they are not mind readers. Maybe the guys aren't so much "insensitive" as "clueless". If you were dating women, they would probably do a better job of researching what you need, but that's not how most men work. If your guy is a WLS patient himself, he might get it better than the average guy, simply because he's been through it himself. I'm not bashing either side, just saying that sometimes we just have to open our mouths instead of just suffering in silence. It's not good to suffer in silence. It just breeds resentment and angst.

I'm down from a DD to a full C cup now, but the girls feel bigger in proportion because my stomach is shrinking.

I didn't "see" the weight I was losing until I started taking pictures. I used to have a shelf above my butt. Now I don't! I've also lost weight everywhere else, face, hands, legs, stomach, and (sadly) breasts. My wedding rings actually hurt to wear now because my fingers are shrinking and they are too big.

Noelle, Are you measuring? Are your clothes getting bigger? Are you drinking your Water every day? I'm 5 months out and my weight loss has slowed down a lot, but I'm losing pants sizes and watching my body shift, almost literally watching it happen. I've suddenly begun feeling things like my hip bones and seeing muscles in my arms and legs that weren't there before. I'm also watching my stomach shrink almost daily. I guess I'll take those things over seeing lower numbers on the scale. I've lost nearly 3 pants sizes in the last month, although the scale is seemingly stuck. I'm now on the last hook of my new bras and I have muscle definition that I don't recall seeing since high school. You're not done losing. This is probably a weight you maintained for a while on the way up, so your body is pretty comfortable there right now. Just keep following your plan (64 oz of water, 70g of protein) and working out. It will happen. And, yes, muscle does weigh more than fat. Muscle also helps keep/rev up your metabolism. You will lose more weight...and you'll have great tone when you lose it! Good luck!!

Sometimes it's the little things that give you the most satisfaction, isn't it!?! Who CARES if you took the "easy way" by having surgery? The results are the same...and so is the work once you get started. You are rocking your sleeve! Good for you!! BTW, I'm catty enough that I might have had to swing my booty a little extra for them!

Happy, I know your advice was meant for Kathy, but I'm stealing some of it. My hubby and I have been separated since June of last year. He's now going to AA and has 30+ days of sobriety, and counting. We're taking baby steps to improve our relationship, and I think your advice was as applicable to my situation as to Kathy's situation. Kathy, I think it's great that you are seeing a problem and working to find a solution now rather than waiting until it explodes. Maybe Happy is right that you should let your kids know what is going on with hubby. Perhaps they can help you involve your husband in more family activities like having the kids/grands over for dinner or an afternoon of visiting. Once he sees that you are still the same person, maybe that will give him more confidence that you aren't going to leave him just because you lost weight. I'm personally working on the positive reinforcement side right now with my hubby. Letting him know how much I love the guy he is when he's sober. We are dating again, trying to spend time together. Maybe a few dates IS what you guys need. David, my hubby, seems to feel more involved with what I'm doing to lose weight when we split a meal at a restaurant, or if he gets to help me do something that I just can't do completely by myself. Earlier this week I had to clean out a rental where the renters left 54 bags of garbage and a ton of personal stuff. Hubby came and helped with this huge project. It seems to have had a very positive effect on his attitude towards me...and I know it had a positive effect on my attitude towards him. I think anything that makes a couple work as a team helps build the relationship. Maybe you could point out to your hubby all the ways that you see him as supportive to you. I definitely don't suggest spending 10 hours cleaning a rental, but perhaps you could find another project for the two of you to do. I know, it seems like we spend all of our time catering to other people and then, when we do something for ourselves, they need more catering. I think your hubby is probably somewhat insecure in himself and seeing you getting stronger every day and looking better is intimidating to him. But, a 42 year marriage is proof that you both have the strength to get through this. Maybe he will decide to do something to improve his own self-image once it dawns on him that you are still the same person, just much healthier. I wish you luck!!

You are 10? days out from surgery? I think you may be still reacting to the anesthesia, although you sound perfectly lucid. Are you still taking your pain meds? They can cause nightmares and feelings of dissassociation. Have you talked to hubby about your feelings? It is somewhat normal to feel like you are doing something "wrong" because you're used to being the caregiver...and we women are notorious for not being able to handle being the needy person. He's probably feeling virtuous because he's "chipping in" by making his own dinner. Also, as our fat cells shrink, they dump stored hormones back into our blood streams, making some of us INSANE for a little while. Talk it over with hubby, or a therapist if you prefer that, but it sounds like you're either reacting to the anesthesia or meds you're on now, OR you're reacting to the hormone dumping going on. Of course, I'm not a doctor. You might want to call your doc and see if these reactions are normal with your medications. Good luck!!

The :ack2: is cute!

You know, we have some really good-looking guys here... especially that green dude!

Every day of the week and twice on Sunday!! My surgery saved my ever-lovin' life, so I'm always gonna say yes!!! YES!!

I ate lunch out with a pretty diverse group today, including two passing acquaintances. I ordered/shared an appetizer with my hubby and ate 1/4 of a bread stick, plus a tomato and olive from the salad. Not one person commented on my food intake. No one even commented when my friend reached out and took my dinner fork, then nonchalantly passed me a single bite of mashed potatoes. I LOVE mashed potatoes, but only have a bite when I'm out with someone who doesn't mind if I share a little. Had anyone asked, I would have told them I had WLS, but it was a non-issue, thank goodness. It IS a little intimidating to tell a table full of people you don't know well all about having your insides reduced so that your outside can reduce in turn!

I'm game to do the survey. I just sent them an email, from my spam email address. Anytime I sign up for something that I'm concerned about, I send that address.

You just had MAJOR surgery and your body is healing. As long as you are getting your liquids in, then you are probably just needing the sleep so that your body can heal. Are you normally a person who needs lots of rest to heal? If so, then just take it in stride. If not, and it continues to be this severe, then a call to your doc may be in order. Perhaps you aren't getting enough Vitamins right now to maintain your energy level. Personally, I had a major energy boost right after surgery and it has continued to get better since. Good luck!