Lissa

Joni, Start doing light weights now (or as soon as you are cleared for them) and do high reps with low weight. Your arms (and mine) may never be svelte, but the weights will help tremendously. THAT I can tell you. If worse comes to worse, you can always self-tan them...as my friend says, "Tanned fat looks better than pasty white fat". That's why she uses self-tanner.

From reading others' posts about PCOS, I suspect I have/had it as well. Thank goodness I was sleeved when I was! IF not, I'd probably have the entire alphabet covered in co-morbidities! Hopefully yours will improve as you continue to lose weight!

You don't have a pouch; you have a sleeve. That sleeve is created by removing most of the stomach and what is left is mostly muscle, so it's pretty tough once it's healed. Try to eat less than what it takes to make you full, and it sounds like you are doing that. Be cautious, but don't obsess about it. You'll definitely know if you overeat...and you won't want to do it again! Good luck!!

Truthfully? Most of us don't have to worry about a leak after between 3-6 months, depending on how fast you heal. If you get one, it's a huge deal, but the percentage is very low... and, almost everyone I've seen who has had a leak says they would do the surgery again.

Yeah, it's normal at this stage. It WILL get better soon. You'll figure out what works for you as you move through the food stages. Once you have that figured out, this will be much easier! I think SF popsicles count as part of your water intake, but double-check what your surgeon recommended rather than take my word for it.

Are you pre-op? If so, have you been tested for diabetes? One of the newer theories I've seen is that those who are carb sensitive (I was one) are usually pre-diabetic..and I was as well. I lost weight on Atkins twice, so I'm familiar with the PITA that counting carbs can be. Once I was sleeved, I didn't count carbs, etc. but I didn't add a lot of them in either. Now that I've ramped up my workouts, I've realized that I have to have some of them. For me, refried Beans don't cause me to have highs and lows like simpler carbs, such as bread, do to me. I do try to keep my carbs lower and my veggies raw if I can stand the raw ones, but I don't count carbs like I did when I was on Atkins.

Thick, my highest weight ever was 352. I was 337 day of surgery and I now weigh 259... looking at the Century Club soon. In only 8 months, I've lost nearly 100 pounds and I feel like a brand new person. Is VST worth it? HECK YEAH! I was on the verge of dying from co-morbidities and now I'm running stairs, working out every single day, and LOVING my life. Yeah, surgery is so worth it. If you click on my name, you can view my gallery with pictures of me pre-op, and at least once a month since then. I'm feeling pretty good about life and my life expectancy right now. My story is NOT unusual here. There are lots of sleevers who have had similar experiences to mine.

Rodswife, I don't worry about carbs. Refried Beans were my first mushy food and I could only eat about 2-3 bites before I was full. There's some Protein in beans as well. As I've gotten further out from surgery, I've found that I need complex carbs in order to maintain my energy levels for working out. Protein has to be our first concern, but carbs are okay in moderation. Even if the OP orders refried beans and stewed chicken, at 5 weeks out, she'll probably eat 4 bites of the dish. My biggest worry with beans would be gas issues, truthfully!

WOOO HOOO!!! You're doing great!! keep on rocking that sleeve!

Try to concentrate on something else? How much water have you managed to drink today? What are you actually allowed to eat right now? If you're really craving the beanie weenies, maybe you can create something that has similar flavor but IS allowed. If you're allowed instant mashed, maybe put some of the juice from the pork and beans over a tablespoon of mashed and savor it. I actually dipped my fork in potted meat and then in my scrambled egg when I was on mushies!

Nerves are normal before any surgery. Just take deep breaths, try not to dwell on it and do what you can to handle any specific anxieties that you have. Before you know it, you'll be sleeved and wondering why you were so nervous!

Ask your doctor if he can give/get you one of those ball things to use pre-op. I cannot remember the name of it: respirometer, inspirometer? Whatever it's called, it will give you more feedback than a bunch of balloons.

Yeah, I'd pass on beans and hot dogs this early, too. Matter of fact, I'd pass on pork and beans forever. Not one of my favorite foods...and they are incredibly sweet to me!

I love refried beans. Are you allowed any chicken at all yet? If so, ask for some cooked chicken and refried beans. Not grilled chicken, most mexican places have chicken that's been almost stewed with tomato and peppers. That chicken is pretty soft.

Pretty, Are you taking an acid reducer? If not, ask for one. It helps with the hunger issues early post-op. You were sleeved on my brother's birthday.

Well, Moving Toward Normal, welcome home! VST has been my salvation and support through my journey. Hopefully it will be the same for you!

Capt Derel, I can testify that I have eaten more pickles in these 8 post op months than EVER before in my life! And I've had two babies!

I think I've used my card twice in 8 months. If I'm with someone who is open to sharing, I just share. If not, I order what I want, ask for a veggie instead of the high carb side (unless it's mashed taters, I'm a sucker for them) and take the rest home. I leave the taters after I have my bite or two of them.

I think mine took about 4 weeks to be completely healed over. It's the only incision I can still find.

Walk, sip, repeat. It WILL happen.

it didn't hurt at all. It felt like the stomach drop you get on a roller coaster. Took 2 seconds. Not a big deal at all.

Joni, I have biceps now! And triceps. They are getting better, but I still have a good ways to go. I posted a picture a few days ago of me in my workout clothes so that I'll have a reference for later, but I do see and feel definition and tone. The saggy skin is going to take some time, but I'm hopeful that it will reabsorb as I keep working my arms. The triceps pulldown/skull crushers aren't the only things I do for my arms, though.

Okay, apparently I've upped my sweaty workouts past the point that my current deodorant can handle it. I don't mind the sweat, but I do mind the smell. Any tips on deodorant? Or do I just get used to smelling like I did hard labor on a prison chain gang in the Florida sun???

Thanks, everyone! I bought some clinical strength deodorant and it's helping!

QC, I think that's called either a triceps pulldown or a skull crusher, but I do about a hundred of them a day! I use a 5 pound weight in each hand and just let it rip.