IslandGrrl

I've found that when I ask for a box and box up most of my food immediately after it is served, I don't get the questions. I've also had great success with just telling servers that the food is wonderful, and I wish I could finish it, but I'm full. Generally either strategy does the trick for me.

What I've found is that I can eat a little more now (at just over 4 months) than I could at 2 (maybe 1 to 1.5 oz), but that it does vary by what I eat, and even from day to day. For example, one day this week I was able to easily eat 2 oz of turkey at a meal, but on almost every other day, 1.5 oz was my max. I've also noticed that if I'm really hungry (like if I haven't eaten for quite a while), I tend to have a bit more room than if I stick to my usual eating schedule.

Congratulations! Your post made me smile.

I had a very similar exeperience during my first month or two. Slowly, my taste for some things has returned, but many things (sweets, most brands of protein drinks, certain types of meats) still turn me off. On the good side, I have found that my taste seems to be more sensitive, and I can appreciate well seasoned food much more than I did pre-surgery.

Great Work! You look wonderful!

Way to Go!

I do much less "formal" exercise than many folks, but I still get in a fair share of activity. For example, I know it sounds odd, but I love to rake leaves. I put on my headphones and can get a nice little workout in about 30 minutes (and a nice yard too!). Also, rather than just walk, I always have a purpose. For example, I will walk to Trader Joe's to get some groceries or to the pet store for supplies. Not only do I get in a walk, but I burn a few extra calories on the way home with the extra weight from my purchases. Just some ideas for later when you're healed up and cleared to "get moving."

Way to Go! Rock that sleeve!

Between work and family, I eat out quite a bit, and there are a few things that I do that make it easier. First, if possible, I look up the menu before I arrive and decide what I'll have. This makes things much less stressful for me than having to decide on the spur of the moment. If menus aren't available or if there isn't time, I usually stick to the soup or appetizer sections. (This has only failed me once when the "beef vegetable soup" turned out to be beef ramen with hamburger and frozen veggies...YUCK!). I’m lucky that spicy food isn’t a problem for me, and some of my favorite restaurant go-to dishes are chili, chicken tikka masala and the hot mustard that comes with Chinese food.

Lissa, I love reading your posts, and appreciate how you are always there for all of us. I'm sorry you've been in such a bad situation. You are a fantastic person and deserve much better than you've received. I wish you the best!

Except for age, we have some things in common. My high weight was also 275, and even though I'm 44, I had no medical issues related to my weight. ( I used to joke with my GP that I was the healthiest fat person I knew.) In fact, my family has a long history of large and healthy women, so I can't really say that I even had a family history to worry about. Although I was content and had a wonderful husband who always told me that he thought I was beautiful, one factor that weighed heavily (excuse the pun) in my decision was how the world perceived me and how that could be an obstacle to my success. I'm working on transitioning careers, and I clearly understood that weight bias could negatively impact my chances of a successful transition. It would not matter how high my grades were or how successful I had been in my previous career, potential employers would bring any and all of their preconceptions about obese people to the table when they interviewed me, and I did not want to deal with having to try and overcome that sort of discrimination. I guess what I’m saying is that while both mental and physical health are excellent, if not the best, reasons to decide on wls, there are many other reasons as well. I can tell you that even with my reasons very clear in my mind, I also experienced periods of doubt before my surgery. In the end, for me, it was the right choice. I wish you the best, no matter what decision you make.

Woo Hoo! Way to rock that sleeve!

WELCOME!

When my weight was increasing, one of the most depressing events was when I realized that I had to raise the tilt of the steering wheel because it was brushing against my ever expanding thighs. When I lost some weight pre-op, I lowered the tilt some, but thought there was at least one more adjustment. Well, on my way home from work yesterday, I noticed there was quite a bit of space between my legs and the wheel. When I got home, I went to adjust the wheel and ...thunk...thunk...it couldn't get any lower! I was happy and in shock! I know I have a long way to go still, but for me, this was one small reminder that things are getting better.

My doctor is very petite. I've been seeing her for years and she has seen my weight fluctuate up and down. She had never mentioned wls, so I had no idea how she would react. I had wanted to ask her numerous times but was always kept silent out of fear. Finally one day I went to see her and at the end of the appointment I told her I was thinking about wls and what did she think? To my pleasant surprise she was supportive and offered to get the necessary paperwork started for me to see the necessary specialists...and that is how I began this amazing journey.

For me, it was right after I got my approval. I guess knowing that the surgery had been approved made it "real" and caused me to go into food funeral mode. In my case, I gained 10 lbs and got a right good talking to by the surgeon. By my surgery date, I'd gotten those 10lbs. back off, but I can't help but think how much further along I'd be if I hadn't indulged. Also, now that I'm almost 4 months out and can eat pretty much anything, I feel a bit foolish about it because I haven't really had to say "goodbye" to anything I really like.

You are not alone. I was a little bummed when I hit the 50lbs lost mark, and not one person at work noticed. The funny thing was that the following week, my clothes started hanging off me, and I couldn't escape the comments. It would seem, at least where I work, that people don't notice until there is some sort of obvious visual clue (like having to pull your pants up every 2 steps). When I start to feel a little bummed, I try to remind myself that I'm the only one I have to impress, and I'm pretty happy with my progress thus far.

I usually "hit the ground running" most mornings. If it weren't for protein shakes, there's no way I'd get all of my protein in most days. I usually drink my shake from about 8am to 10am, and it always keeps me full until lunchtime. I've been doing this for several months now, and I'm pretty certain it hasn't hurt my sleeve because I still am still only eating about 2oz of solid food at a time.

Fantastic! Keep rockin' that sleeve!

Hang in there. The scale will move again. Stalls do happen, but if you just stay on track, they will end. For me, the first one was the worst because everything was still new. Once I'd broken it, I found that when it happens again I can reassure myself that it will end. You might want to try taking measurements. I've found that sometimes when the scale isn't moving, I'm losing inches instead. For me, knowing that at least I'm getting smaller makes the stall a bit easier to endure.

Wooo Hooo! I'm VERY happy for you!

Fantastic! Rock that sleeve!

My favorites are pistachios (I usually have 10 at about 4 calories each) and Kay's Naturals Crispy Parmesan Protein Chips. They are about 110 calories per oz. and have 10 grams of soy protein. The chips aren't the type of food to be making a meal out of, but I find that 1/2 oz. really satisfies my cravings for a crispy snack.

I had something similar happen to me. At about 2.5 weeks, I got really active, cleaning house, doing laundry, and getting ready for my planned return to work. Although I didn't lift, I did do a lot of pushing and pulling things around, and something happened. I would have only mild discomfort on the side in the morning, but as the day went along and I moved around more, it became worse. By evening, the "pulled muscle" type pain would be pretty intense. The doctor told me to take one more week off work, and also extended the time before I could lift weights by about 10 days. I took it really easy the last week off, and day by day it did get better. You've already done the right thing by calling your doctor. Just remember to be gentle with yourself, and take care!

Congratulations!