cacilluf

Ok, so I go to my surgeon's support group and last night someone said something that struck me emotionally. A lady was talking about how she wants the sleeve and her husband, who was with her, was against it. After she was done talking another lady, who also didn't have the sleeve yet, said ".... but you're not that big". Seriously???? We're at a sleeve support group and you bring that out??? Yes, the lady who said that was larger than the one with the unsupportive husband, and I think that maybe this lady was just trying to make the other feel better (compliment??), but I got so emotional and had to call the lady out on what she said. I was told alot by friends and family that they didn't think I was big enough. I'm sure they thought of it as a compliment but really it hurt because I could never talk to them about the sleeve beyond their accusation of my size. I was 290 before I got sleeved and had tried and tried and tried and wanted to be able to diet and exercise SO BAD but I couldn't do it mentally. I came to the conclusion to do it for ME because I KNEW I needed a tool to help me, and asking for help is NOT a sign of weakness. Its a very personal decision that everyone makes to have it, and to hear someone say "you're not that big" now not only hurts but pisses me off. So I guess what I'm saying is for people who may not be 350+ or who wear it well, don't listen to the ignorance when people try to tell you you don't need the surgery when you know in your heart that it is the right decision for you.

Ok, so I go to my surgeon's support group and last night someone said something that struck me emotionally. A lady was talking about how she wants the sleeve and her husband, who was with her, was against it. After she was done talking another lady, who also didn't have the sleeve yet, said ".... but you're not that big". Seriously???? We're at a sleeve support group and you bring that out??? Yes, the lady who said that was larger than the one with the unsupportive husband, and I think that maybe this lady was just trying to make the other feel better (compliment??), but I got so emotional and had to call the lady out on what she said. I was told alot by friends and family that they didn't think I was big enough. I'm sure they thought of it as a compliment but really it hurt because I could never talk to them about the sleeve beyond their accusation of my size. I was 290 before I got sleeved and had tried and tried and tried and wanted to be able to diet and exercise SO BAD but I couldn't do it mentally. I came to the conclusion to do it for ME because I KNEW I needed a tool to help me, and asking for help is NOT a sign of weakness. Its a very personal decision that everyone makes to have it, and to hear someone say "you're not that big" now not only hurts but pisses me off. So I guess what I'm saying is for people who may not be 350+ or who wear it well, don't listen to the ignorance when people try to tell you you don't need the surgery when you know in your heart that it is the right decision for you.

Hi all, I am almost at 6 months being sleeved. the past month or so has been hard. I've been feeling hungry/having cravings. I'm so upset that my surgery didn't get rid of the hunger/cravings like it has in other people, but i've been thinking about it and maybe I need to be eating more? Up until now i'm pretty much just eating protein, shakes and lean meats. No veggies, no carbs. I know this is not how I'm going to live my life, so maybe I should be incorporating more veggies and whole grains. Also, I'm thinking that maybe I need to up my calories so that I don't get to the point where i'm hungry and crave and eat too much. Right now my dr says to get 800 cal a day, but my friend who also had the same surgery at the same time w/ a different doctor and he told her that she should be eating around 1,250 cals..... I'm just really down and depressed because the old fear is coming back that this won't work, just like any other "diet" i've been on....... This was my last resort, I don't have any options besides this. So if I can't get control of my hunger now...... *sigh* i'm scared whats going to happen a few years from now.....

Desertmom, THANK YOU for your kind and empathatic reply!!! it feels good to know that there are other people likeme :-) sometimes we need someone to say its ok. I am gonna start thinking about healthy, flavorful meals and not just how little calories can i force myself to stick too. Foxbin, thanks for responding but that was already stuff i knew. I feel like alot of times on this forum website people like to give the Dr responses instead of being real. Have you honestly not given into or had struggles with hunger or cravings?

I had the same problem after surgery. I had to go to the er with a migraine caused by dehydration, and after that i drank alot of light gaterade until i was able to get enough water in. That helped for me :-) hope it helps you!

i was sleeved 4 months ago and I've been having terrible cravings when Im on my period. I never really had a problem with it before surgery, but the last 3 months when its that time Im hormonal and constantly craving chocolate, and when Im not only period Im fine. I've talked to my surgeon who said he's never heard anyone say that and my nutrionist said its normal, but it drives me crazy constantly craving chocolate and salty chips! i try to stay away but it is near impossible :-( after no answers from my drs i decided to take it into my own hands and try an adipex.... OMG it was like my head went from constant screaming cravings to quiet!!!!!!!!!! has anyone else used adipex after surgery? and do any other ladies feel my pms misery?!?

No its not otc I had a script filled a while ago before surgery and never finished it. Im gonna ask to get it refilled and just take it when Im on my period i think. Im hoping that as i get to my goal my body will adjust and i won't need it, as it got worse as i loss weight

I can DEF tell that after my surgery my hormones are all out of wack! I never had much of a problem with pms but now i'm moody, cranky, i feel like i have no energy and worst of all i'm craving everything! It's like i'm never satisfied with food! I'm going crazy because at only 2.5 months out I don't want to start giving into cravings but I can't stop thinking about food (most notably chocolate, carbs and ice cream). I WISH food was making me nauseous!!!!!!!! All I can hope for is that this will go away after my period is done....

ever since my surgery 6 weeks ago i am just drained for energy. I go to work and then collapse on my couch. Im trying to get in all my protein and liquids but damn its hard! and Im getting around 50-60 grams of protein and 600-700 cals a day. problem is that to really make the most of my sleeve i really need to hit the gym hard but i don't feel like i have the energy and Im afraid if i push myself I'll pass out or something... Has anyone encountered this? i want to try the 5 hour energy not just for the gym but whenever i feel like Im getting exhausted. Has anyone had any adverse affects from it? or has anyone found another solution?

I feel the same way! Extremely hormonal! I've had to tell my husband not to be offended if I burst out yelling at him... It's like I know I'm being irrational but can't help it! He just chuckles when I apologize after. I thought I was the only one who was affected by smell! Up until 2 weeks after my surgery smells bothered me. My husbands co-workers knew he was taking care of me (he took a week off of work) and thought it would be nice to send him a pizza b/c I wasn't cooking, and at the smell of it I ran to the bathroom and got so sick! Thank god my period hasn't been thrown off, in fact it's probably more regular than ever. Crazy things weight loss and this surgery does to our bodies! I wonder if men have crazy things happen to them.....

I can relate TOTALLY! I actually lost 25 on my 2 week pre-op diet so I figured, hey it will come off quickly!!! and actually I've only lost 10 in the past month. We need to stop being obsessed with how fast its coming off and more in tune to how we are feeling! I feel so much better not having all that yucky fast food-fried-oily food in my system. And another thing that helps is the saying that you didn't gain the weight overnight, so don't be depressed if it doesn't come off overnight. I think I botched the saying but you get the idea. Being patient doesn't mean being passive..... there's no reason not to exercise! It makes you feel good and that will translate into losing weight!!!!

I was just in the ER yesterday too for dehydration, although I didn't know it at the time. I had been getting headaches every day this week and yesterday I had the biggest migraine EVER. I was so desperate for relief that I went to the ER and they found that I was dehydrated causing the migraine and headaches and also a bladder infection. I'm making sure I get my fluids in now!!! And I hope you feel better!!!! I haven't had a cold yet but I'm sure when I do I'll be a whiny baby too

I agree with what alot of people are saying. 1) guys, or even just people who don't understand the surgery, just don't get it. When I had mine I laid down ground rules (no eating in front of me for a while and while I'm recovering he needs to do the house chores and take care of me) and was totally honest and POINT BLANK about what I needed/wanted. If I don't tell him, he wouldn't know, and its not right to be upset with him if he's actually just clueless. 2) if this is all understood by him and he refuses to accept it and help you then it IS his fault and he IS truly being insensitive. But also nobody has said this yet (unless I skimmed over it) but when I was losing I was soooooooooooooooooooo hormonal. I've heard alot of people say they got hormonal when they lose weight because the fat kind of suspends excess hormones and when the fat breaks down the hormones are released. I'd get mad at my husband only to realize later it was over nothing. Hormones are crazy. So whenever I thought he was being rude or insensitive I made it a point to really ask myself if he was actually being a jerk or if it was my hormones twisting a situation.

Since I've had my surgery ~4 weeks ago, I've been feeling almost.... resentful. I love him, I do, and he is super supportive of me and is always there for me when I need him. He is the love of my life and I want to spend the rest of my long (healthy!) life with him. The problem is that I feel like now I'm conquering my obesity and am at the brink of living the life I've always wanted to have (going camping, canoeing, going to summer festivals or theme parks), and my husband who is even more obese than I am (he is about 55 BMI) is not concerned with his health so he hasn't changed. I've begged, we've had long conversations, I've forced him to eat better (with me), but he's not invested. He eats out at least 2 times a day, 3 if I can't make us dinner. I think alot of it is he doesn't know how to eat well. I assume alot of you are like me, I was obese but damn I knew how to diet. I understood carbs, sodium, processed foods, veggies, good and bad fats, super foods, whatever. I knew what was healthy but could never stick to a diet. My husband, on the other hand, thinks he's making a good choice if he orders fries because "it's a vegetable". I've told him I would support him if he had the sleeve but he can't comprehend that it will change his appetite and he always says that he doesn't believe he will eat less and it will end up stretching out/breaking the sleeve. Plus, I'm afraid even if he did get the sleeve he'd fill it with burgers or foods high in fat, defeating the potential of a sleeve. And don't even get me started on his dieting, he just flat out refuses to diet. But back to what I was saying, I'm starting to worry because there are times when I see him eat or see bags from fast food places and I get so DISGUSTED. Its a horrible feeling to feel disgusted towards the one who loves and cares about you, which makes me feel guilty. SO I guess my question is two-fold: 1- How can I convince or encourage my husband to adopt a better lifestyle so that we BOTH can be happy and healthy together? 2- Has anyone else had feelings of resent and disgust towards loved ones who are eating large amounts of unhealthy foods?

I LOVE your suggestion of cooking together and encouraging him to do things with me. I do feel like I've babied him- I do EVERYTHING. But I think he would do things like going on walks together, even if its just to go grocery shopping to get **surprise, surprise!** healthy, easy to make, food!

out of all the responses I think this one hit home the hardest. It's easier for me to justify "nagging" when I KNOW it is for his best interest. He has sleep apnea, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and a family history of diabeties and thats just health, I KNOW he has self esteem and confidence issues too. BUT I understand that as much as I push it won't help him...... It is my issue about how it makes me feel but I can't say I won't stop fighting for him, I'm not giving up. I guess it's a fine line?? I think that what alot of people are saying about communication is the only thing I can do, while also respecting his decisions.

OMG! I know! Walmart veggies are gross, at least any that I've had. Even the bagged salad is wilty and slimy. Gross!

its amazing how alike i felt too! I had mine on 1/17/11 and for days afterward i was crying and so depressed that i might have made the wrong decision. it wasn't until about a week and a half out that i started to feel a bit better. i have to be on liquids for 4 weeks too and i'm barely getting one 8 oz shake a day. i know that it's more dangerous to become dehydrated ( i think i've heard it takes a month to die from starvation but only 3 days without Water... i don't know how true that is though so don't quote me!) so i've been trying to drink gatorade and water more than anything. and about the heartburn, i found that not drinking 1 hour before bed and taking prevacid 2 x a day helps. and for some reason, if i have some yogurt an hour before bed i don't wake up with heartburn! It's a miracle!! lol also, until i started feeling better (about 1.5 weeks out) i took my nausea and pain meds on schedule, i didn't wait till i felt bad to take them. this helped alot to prevent the time difference when meds start to work. and walk!!!!!!! it's so important!!!!! I hope you start feeling better!!!!!!!!!!

Hi all! So yesterday was my first official day for my pre-op diet consisting of 3 protein shakes, 1 small yogurt, 2 cups lettuce w/ very light clear dressing, and 2 1/2 cups of SF jello.... Needless to say yesterday didn't turn out so well. I ended up caving in and having a pita wrap with coleslaw for dinner along with some chocolate..... The pre-op diet is hard! I don't know how to go from eating like I used to, to eating almost nothing without the aid of a sleeve! It's getting me depressed because I realize how dependant I am on food to feed the hunger I seem to always have..... and I have to do this for 2 weeks before my surgery on Jan 17th. Today was better but I'm constantly thinking about food and I'm so afraid I'm going to fail before I even get started..... Anyone have any tricks how to deal with the pre-op diet? Or has anyone else felt the same? It would be nice to know that I'm not the only one who is struggling so much.....

I talked to my doctor and she said that my headaches, shakes and dizzyness might be from low blood sugar so she told me to drink some apple juice if I felt any of that. Its really getting better and easier now though (although not easy enough!!!)

Yeah, i feel it is getting a *bit* easier as it goes on, but its still the hardest thing I've had to do. i wish you luck and i'm so jealous your surgery is a week before mine!!!

OMG i thought i was the only one with headaches! I decided to try to wean myself off of coffee too (even though its allowed in my pre-op diet) so its either just withdrawls from caffiene or sugar that is causing headaches. also today (day 3 of diet) i started shaking and feeling dizzy which is scary. I emailed my dr to see if i should add something to my plan or stick it out. but its really cool our surgery dates are close together!!!

thanks guys! its good to know that i'm not alone. its tough and its not like i can talk about it to my non wls friends.... good ideas!