CowgirlJane

I love travel, but I didn't love spending the night on the floor of the Houston airport in April when returning from costa Rica! Of course, alot better then covered wagon days. or having to hoof it!

Well, thigh is still swollen and it hurts to walk again. the setback happened from sitting too much, so I am on bedrest. A little frustrated. ..

So a woman who has more than 7, 5 oz servings of wine in a given week is an alcoholic? As someone who lives in "wine country" I guess there are alot of them here. I have known alcoholics - their consumption impacted their lives in a negative way. I am not defending drinking, as it really is just empty calories, just saying that I am not sure comparing it to a yes/no condition like pregnancy is quite accurate. I don't consider someone that has dessert every day as part of an overall decent diet is a food addict either - again empty calories so I don't think we should do it, but it isn't a clinical addiction. This. It's kind of like being pregnant. No such thing as being just a little pregnant. You either are or you aren't.

I just got the face fat transfer, I thought I was okay before, but that fullness in the upper cheeks really helps. I am 51.

I have always had vertical ridges to some degree. I got lax on vitamins for awhile, and once I buckled down on them again my nails look great - strong, grow fast etc.

For health reaaons, 1 drink a day is considered max for healthy for women. It's pretty easy to go over that if you often have a glass of wine with dinner (i think a serving is 5 oz). I don't think I'd call a woman who has 8 drinks a week an alcoholic, but have more than is healthy. I think the reason is your body handles alcohol differently post sleeve. I have gone through times when I was having more than my 7, but like now I haven't had ANY in around a month for health reasons (recovering from surgery) I have a girlfriend who is not a wls patient, going through a difficult divorce and she definitely drinks 2x the amount that is recommended for women. Not sure I'd call her an alcoholic, but it's more than is healthy. Anyway, empty calories, doesn't help you build lean mass, lots of reasons to limit jt.

I would second the well stocked kitchen which also means what is not in there! scale to monitor my weight weekly A cute wardrobe and my own vanity.... ha, I don't want to look like a stuffed sausage and I don't want to buy bigger clothes. (I am 4 years post op)

Vanity sjzing. At one well known store, I fit I to their size 2 pants...yeah right...I am more a 6/8

I have never slimed. In 4 years I vomited a couple of times. ..all for the same reason...wolfing food. Hasn't happened in ages.

Irene revised due to uncontrolled reflux. I can't recall her screen name, it has diva and Irene in it - she is a great resource.

Been there done that, got the tshirt....only I was never that successful with the band and started having issues around year 2-3 timeframe. Revised to sleeve 4 years ago, lost 150# been maintaining that for last 3 years.

Wait..gnat, right? Who makes up how to spell this stuff anyway?

In spider season it's quite the experience to be in the lead, blast through a huge web right across the face and wonder...just wonder where the spider that made that web landed. I'd eat a knat any day over that lovely event!

Dr Sauceda told me to eat more. Had this big dinner last night and I haven't even made it through a protein drink today. Pals are coming to spend weekend with me, I am sure that will lift my spirits.

Florida will be warm, not hot and don't be surprised if the sunshine is interrupted by cloud burst of dumping rain, then sunny again! Don't be nervous, it will be fun!

I guess it is stating the obvious but a smaller stomach does not change your brain and habits. That part is up to the person. I sure wish everyone could get the right education up front so they knew what they were getting into. Some people really have bad cravings at first. I spent so much time in anguish preparing for the sleeve, that my mindset is I would be happy if I never ate again vs being miserable morbidly obese. Of course, 4 years out, I do eat food, actually really good food, but I was so desperate to shed the weight - I rarely had the food cravings especially early on. Alot of it really is the mind not adapting to the new reality. I was raised a farm girl where a hearty appetite and a robust frame were considered good and a sign of health (my parents were children of the depression and had an aversion to hunger). It took me awhile to believe how little food I actually need to stay healthy - but it's true. And when you are able to change your thinking about it, it becomes so much easier. Hang in there and seek help - this is your health on the line

I don't know if the sleeve physically stretches permanently or not. What I do K ow is if I "eat small" and follow the sleever rules the feeling of restriction remains. I am 4 years post sleeve. I have a skinny minny friend, we went on vacation together where we routinely overate. For both of us, when we got back home and returned to "eating small" and Protein first, that feeling of a smaller stomach returned - for both of us. Neither of us have been scoped, but I am increasingly convinced that the key to long term success after ANY WLS is to continue to follow the program/rules that worked for you. I am having a difficult recovery from a different surgery right now and having trouble eating enough. Like half a Premier Protein and I feel stuffed. There is something else to this equation I do not understand, but I am going to keep doing what I do and hope it keeps working.

I am so discouraged. My thigh is swollen and hard again. 100 percent bedrest and I am taking something to help me sleep as I am just unhappy and tired today. Keep up the great work Cathy!!!

I don't know what is best for you, but I can share my experience. After a lifetime of losing only to regain even more, weighing very 300 I decided I must have an eating disorder. I went to an eating disorders clinic for evaluation and they said no, but rather disordered eating. I didn't click with their therapist so went to another who specialized in obesity. So, I tell her my life story, what I had done to work through those issues and she was convinced I was hiding deep dark secrets, which I was not. She kept asking me what I felt..what triggered me to eat and simply could not fathom that I was always hungry! The day she gave me a book called "Ed" the name a woman gave to her eating disorder (and I could not relate to her story at all) I called shenanigans in the whole deal and finally pursued the sleeve. I lost 150# in 14 months and have sought counseling since that time which has been helpful. The thing is obesity is a disease process and you eventually reach a point where all that fat triggers hunger hormones - a metabolic imbalance. I was hungry 24/7 and no talk therapy ever touched that.

I think the best way is to commit to measuring and tracking everything you consume. Include the time of day then you really know where you need to correct course. I find that 4 mini meals per day is about right for me - not grazing but not eating big meals all at once either.

Examples might be Greek yogurt Sandwich meat Egg beater omelets with veggies Low cal/low carb turkey or chicken sausages

It is normal for weight loss to slow as you get closer to goal. I was able to amp up losses by going low csrb. I would replace the Cereal, milk and crackers with more Protein and veggies.

So, you can get great results working out 3x a week. Don't beat yourself up over that. I had a business dinner last night, and I swear I ate more in those 2 hours than I have the last 2-3 days. I am not sure why, but it was like I actually felt weak, and as I had appetizers I started to feel better. Skipped the wine, but otherwise fully indulged. I think I needed it. I have not been intentionally under eating, just no appetite. So I had a very long day yesterday at work and I feel a huge setback. I couldn't sleel even though I was exhausted. Working from home today, started at 5 since I was awake anyway, and gonna knock off by 11 and try to sleep. I ache everywhere. Not my incisions or breast, just exhaustion ache.

Denise, why do you think your sleeve has stretched?

I am extroverted and out going but only have a very few close friends. I value those relationships deeply. One of my closest, M, is about 10 years older, a fellow horse and animal lover, never married and fairly low income as background. For nearly 2 years I let her ride my extra horse because she couldn't afford her own due to some financial setbacks. I never asked her to pay for gas and of course I was the one that did all the cleaning out of the trailer etc since I hauled to a riding place sort of between where we live. My logic was, she can't afford it and I had to haul anyway. She bought a miniature horse that is trained to drive but M didn't know anything about that so I did many sessions working with them since she can't afford a trainer. Then, I had some health problems and had to send my horses to board somewhere for awhile while I healed as I couldn't do the chores. 4 months. It was expensive to send 2 to a big full care barn so I asked if she could take care of the gentle older horse of mine she always rode (she has lots of land and a barn setup) and I would send the more difficult to handle young one to a barn. She refused so I wound up sending both of them to another friends place and the older horse developed terrible feet problems due to the mud on his place, which took a year to heal. I couldn't afford to send them both to the expensive barn. So, my feelings were hurt, especially since I was going to pay for all feed, shoeing etc I just couldn't do farm work due to advanced tennis elbow. I decided I needed to let it go, and just accept that "it is what it is". Her reason was she has 2 goats and was worried that my well behaved, submissive gelding would kick her goats. So that was all a year ago. I since sold the younger horse, for a variety of reasons. It was out of my mind until recently. A few weeks ago, M bought/rescued a unknown horse from a feedlot. While rescue is awesome, it really got under my skin that she would take a chance on an unknown horse that she hadn't even met in person, does not know it'd level of training or goat readiness, but wasn't willing to help me. I generally don't hold grudges, but this has gotten to me and I can't help but notice that it changes my feelings and level of trust toward her. I don't have so many close friends that I want to let any go, but I feel myself being fakey in my excitement for her. Of course once she gets this horse going, she'll want me to go on easy training rides, so my sweet old gelding will keep her safe (inexperienced horses get confidence from the older calm steady ones). I want to let it go, why can't I?