Lissa

It's very different for me. Now it's like someone has hit the eject button. It's up, out and gone without all the dry heaving I would have pre-sleeve. I absolutely hated vomiting pre-sleeve. Now, it's a relief when it does happen... and I work hard to make sure that it's a rare occurrence.

My experience has been that I have tons more energy now than I ever had pre-op. That energy boost began immediately after surgery and has continued non-stop for 20+ months. I'm not sure what to attribute this to: weight loss, regularly taking vitamins, getting enough protein and water, or exercise. I started walking right after surgery and have amped up my workouts continuously ever since. The pre-op diet is the absolute hardest part of this journey, IMO, at least physically. You will get through it...but it may just be a case of you "have to" do it rather than enjoying this part of the ride. Good luck!

Rice and pasta are still no no's for me at 20 months out. Every time I try to eat either one, my tummy rebels and hurts for hours. If I try to drink water anytime soon (within 2 hours), then they swell up in the tummy and hurt more. I'll pass on both.

Best NSV to date: Walking into my son's house about a year after surgery and hearing him say "Holy F, Mom, where's the rest of you?!"

Give yourself a few days' break until you're healed up. It sounds like maybe you're pushing too hard. Alternate heat and ice for the tender muscle and elevate your feet for the swelling. I injured a rib a couple of weeks ago and still can't figure out how I did it, so I understand the mystery injury thing.

I manage that pavlovian urge by allowing myself a little bit of whatever my trigger food is/was. I am still addicted to Cheetos, so I allow myself one small, single serving bag once a month. I don't put it on my phone, but I know the date I'm allowed to have them without having to look at the calendar. This month, I allowed myself the Cheetos on the 13th because I was working on my taxes. Some months I go right past the date without thinking about them now. I'm so OCD that this works for me. It might not work for anyone else in the world.

Stop looking at yourself as less than gorgeous! Would you rather have the weight you've lost than the loose skin? Even if I don't have skin removal, and it isn't looking good for it, I'm still way happier with the loose skin than with the weight. Exercise has helped tremendously with my looks and firmness, so I plan to keep kicking that in the tush.

I switched to tea sweetened with equal, then to decaf tea. I do drink soda now, but WAY less than before surgery, maybe 2 cans a day. For me, it's tough to get soda in when I'm concentrating on water. I also drink a lot of decaf tea and coffee now and count both as part of my daily water quota.

Rebecca, I'm glad that you're getting back on track for you with your weight loss. As for your marriage, give yourself some time to deal with all the other emotional changes going on right now. Perhaps things will look brighter after you get to goal. Maybe not, too. You have time to make that decision, so long as he's not physically or emotionally abusing you. One "issue" at a time has been my motto so far and it's worked. I'm now in a good relationship and amazed at how different he treats me compared to my ex husband.

I've never heard of them, but I'll eat a spoonful of peanut butter if I'm craving sweets in the evening. Is that similar to what you're talking about?

I eat a lot of pickles/olives as snacks. I crave them, as a matter of fact. I've never thought of just drinking the juice, but I may have to try it!

I quit doing protein shakes LONG ago. I eat a premier protein bar most mornings as my breakfast. 30 g of protein down without too much muss and fuss.

I was given a bottle of hibicleanse and had to use it for the three nights before surgery, paying special attention to folds and only on the abdomen. I also took a shower with it the morning of surgery, but can't remember if that was a requirement. I'd call tonight and ask if anyone can tell you. I wish doctors would give us written instructions for this stuff!

Nope, this isn't where it ends. You came here for support and you're gonna get it! You know what you're doing wrong, so it's time for YOU to take back control of your food choices and kick your head hunger out of your head. Do you log on a site and track your food? If not, today you start journaling your food choices somewhere. Go back to basics, protein and water. DO NOT let yourself down. You had this surgery because you wanted something better and I'm betting that the weight you are now, while fantastic compared to where you were before, is NOT where you want to be. You know how to get there, so get on it. Water, protein, exercise. That's what's required and you know it. Don't let yourself give up. I'm not beating just you up here, either. I had to have this conversation with myself in the last month or so. I feel so much better than I did pre-op that I have been coasting. I'm now changing it up and going back to basics myself. I'm making myself get in my water and protein and I've started kicking it at the gym again. I've also added in martial arts classes with a 7th degree blackbelt and he's offered to help me kick myself into the shape/size/weight I want to be. It's important to me that I get to goal and "succeed" at this crazy chance I took. I think you probably feel the same way. Good luck to us both!

I had my gallbladder removed in February. Other than a slight intolerance for anything high fat and less ability to handle spicy foods (probably in my head), I've made few dietary changes. Granted, I've been lactose intolerant since my sleeve, that hasn't changed. Next to my VSG, having my gallbladder out was one of the best things I've done. I'm amazed at how many little aches and pains that I had accepted as "normal" are gone with the gallbladder. Good luck!

I just started martial arts classes, which is something I've always wanted to do. I didn't feel too out of place with the young kids (and the instructor is HOT HOT HOT)... and I kept up. I'd have never had the nerve before to even start.

At 300+ pounds, a bootcamp is probably too much for you. Try walking, elliptical, or treadmill for cardio (easier on the knees and back) and doing some light weights and stretching exercises to build up your muscle and endurance. If you hurt yourself doing the bootcamp, you won't be able to do any exercise until you heal. I started literally with walking up and down my hallway, along with 10 reps with 2 pound weights. Now, I do at least 30 minutes of cardio daily, plus weights 3 times a week... still low weights, high reps. I also just added in martial arts classes (tai kwan do), which incorporate lots of stretching and working with/against your own body weight. I'm down over 120+ pounds from my high weight and I can't imagine even attempting the martial arts at over 300+ pounds.

Yee Haw!!! Read my signature, I'm an NSV 'Ho!!! LOVE THEM!!! You go girl!!!

Go explore the gallery or the VSG success stories thread. Heck, go read my profile! I was convinced I was going to die, and I had the medical problems to make that a real threat. I gambled and won! You will, too! Imagine where you want to be in a year. How about this? In one year, imagine yourself 100 pounds lighter, wearing great skinny clothes, hair done, makeup on, heading out for a date with the guy/gal of your dreams. It's a real possibility... and it's my reality at 19 months out. All you have to do is get on that table, then follow the post-op diet for six weeks, add in a little exercise and you'll be 100 pounds lighter in no time. I would have given my right arm to lose 100 pounds pre-op. All I really had to give up was 1.5 hours on the operating table, with no memory of that time, 85% of my stomach, and about an hour 4-5 times a week to exercise. I think I won the lottery!!!

There's nothing inherently wrong with higher weight, lower reps, but my goal is to tone mostly. Having muscle and strength are great, but I'm working to get a longer, leaner look than most. My goal is higher than many women's because I'm tall and built fairly big to start with. In high school, while running track 5 days a week, plus walking 10+ miles a week to and from a distant bus stop, I still weighed 180-190. I'd like to have the look I had back then, but I would look dead if I got down to >160. My plastics and weight loss doctors agree with me. Low weights with high reps work better for me to accomplish my goal....although I'd dearly love to have Linda Hamilton's arms from Terminator 2.

I'm impressed by this video, both by the bravery it took for you two to do it and by the fact that you guys thought of doing it! What a great visual for us all!!! I have a friend who claims she weighs less than I do but wears at least two sizes larger in pants (and shirts, but she has HUGE tatas). I've always figured she was lying about the number, but this video may make me rethink that. Congrats on your loss so far! BTW, I'd have so done the butt grab too!

Despite knowing that my PF has pizza and bagel nights, plus having been a member there for over a year, I have NEVER managed to walk in there when they have pizza or bagels. I have gone in there when there are donuts sitting on the county and thought WTF, but I've never eaten any of them. I have issues with food that sits out in public places, even worse these days. I don't trust people not to touch everything there with their unwashed hands. I do love my PF, though, especially since they fired the body-builder football star guy that was the trainer ("Lift more weight, lower reps") and hired the trainer with the physical fitness degree who has helped me build and re-build my exercise routine several times.

Hey, M2G!!! I'm thrilled to see your big smile on here! I'm in and out here as well. The new lifestyle that comes with the weight loss has me running crazy, just like you. I haven't had any regain, but my loss has slowed down to almost a standstill due to various issues. Most of those are resolved, so, like you, it's onwards with the exercise goals. You'll have to check in more often!

My best friend is an ER nurse and works in a hospital where the main doctor is a bariatric surgeon, so she sees the complications that can happen. When I was researching WLS initially, I kept everything on the down low because I had similar feelings to the OP. Then I had some major health complications, including pneumonia and pulmonary embolisms that put me in the hospital three times in two months. My regular doctors told me that if I didn't lose at least 100 pounds in a hurry, I wouldn't live another year. I didn't like the WLS doctors I was researching and finally asked my RN friend about whether she though WLS was right for me, and she immediately recommend the doctor that she worked with, Dr Domkowski. I was sold from the first seminar I attended with him. For me, WLS was the right choice. I had all the same doubts and fears that it wouldn't work for me, or that WLS was somehow cheating. But, 19 months later, 120 pounds lighter, I DON'T CARE if WLS is cheating. I just care that I have a new, improved life and my health prognosis is once again normal. I still have more weight to lose, but I'm not in the red flag danger zone I was living in before. Thank God, Dr. Domkowski and whomever invented WLS! Your family needs to be supportive, or at least keep their mouths shut. Would they rather you wait until you're in the position I was in pre-sleeve? I applaud you for making a life-changing decision for yourself and for your ability to be resolute in the face of their disapproval. But, when it comes down to it, YOU are the person in charge of making decisions for your life. Their opinion is just that, their opinion. You are the person who has to live with the consequences and you are the one who gets to make the choices based on your own research. Oh, and as for having children, Tiffykins has two of the most adorable littles you'll ever see. Both were conceived and born after her sleeve...and she's been able to get back down to her goal weight fairly quickly, even after having two babies in quick succession. It is possible to have healthy children without sacrificing your own health after the sleeve. BTW, I apologize that I cannot seem to make paragraph breaks in my posts here lately.

When was your surgery? If you're more than six weeks out, it's unlikely to be a leak, especially since you're not vomiting. Do you tolerate milk and milk products now? I became lactose intolerant after my sleeve and I will still cramp badly if I drink milk or eat cottage cheese or ice cream. I can eat cheese fine, but others have reported that cheese bothers them as well. My sleeve will also sometimes complain if I eat something too hot, too cold, or too spicy. Are you drinking too close to when you eat? If I don't wait the full 30 minutes after eating, I cramp badly, especially if there was any bread in what I ate.