WillowsKnot

I have not made it to any of these yet but woukd like to. Where is the meeting held? Hard to believe that I am 1 year 4 months post surgery at this point. Thanks and look forward to attending.

I eat salad about 3 to 4 times a week now. I started to be ok with it at 6 months out. I eat a variety of greens in my salad and include carrots. No celery. Can't handle that...too stringy. Cucumbers are good in it though. I also add either tuna, chicken, egg or I also make ground turkey with taco seasoning and eat the salad as a taco salad. Ground beef and me don't get along!!! When I do my turkey taco salad, I also add some thin sliced avacado to it, some cheese and a bit of salsa. Good luck.

Looks and sounds yummy. I still can't do beans so well yet, but I sure hope that changes soon. This looks like a wondeful cold winter day sort of soup. Thanks for sharing!!!

I hope to be able to do that at the end of the loss journey as well. Did your insurance pay for the surgery? I already know that mine will not, do I know it will be a while before I can get that surgery done. Congratulations. I am so happy for you. Enjoy the new you!!!

Hey October Sleevers!!! I am an April sleever myself and just was checking in on some of the various groups to see how you all are doing. I can tell you that the pain will get better, so hang in there. As far as the headaches go, pain medication can actually give you headaches. If you really don't need the pain meds, try some liquid Tylenol instead and see if the head pain eases up. Of course, follow your doctor’s orders first. Anything I put here are only suggestions for what worked for me. I could not get down water for the longest time. I mean, plain water. I still can only drink so much of it. My go to for fluids are sugar free popsicles (I should buy stock!!!), low calorie Gatorade. It only has 30 calories in 12 oz. and you need some calories and you surly need the fluids. I had better luck with it than almost any other drink product. It also put my electrolytes back in balance, a real plus as my heart would race some times. Had it checked out, no heart issues, just low fluids and the electrolytes being off. Start slow on the foods, don't rush anything. Head hunger is normal. I still go through periods where I know I am not hungry, but I "feel" hungry. Other days, I could forget to eat at all. I just now have my calorie intake back up to 700 to 800 calories a day. Once I got on solid foods, I was at 550 to 650 for the longest time. As far as protein drinks, the only one that I can stand even to this day is Premier Protein - Chocolate. 30g of protein in 11 oz. of fluid (I buy it at Sams Club). I wish you all the best of luck and to those that are yet to be sleeved, my thoughts are with you. Hang in there everyone!!! Talking to others who are sleeved during the same month is a real plus. Enjoy the journey.

I have not had a good month so far in October. I have been 250 to 252, up and down, up and down this whole month. I am trying to fret as it seems like a lot of us are experiencing a stall at this time, so maybe this is just more the norm and this point in our journey. I continue to eat healthy, make good decisions and I have increased my exercise (walking 2.5 to 3 miles at lunch) now that the weather has cooled off. I had a nightmare last night that I had huge bald Patches at the back of my head and was going to spend the weekend shopping for a wig!!! Woke up, felt the back of my head and while my hair is still getting quite thin, it was at least, not bald...yet!! I did not used to be able to feel the hairbrush bristles on my scalp, now I have to be careful that I don't "rake" my scalp and hurt myself my hair has gotten so thin. I know this too shall pass as I can already see the new hairs growing in in places that it is extremely thin. I am able to eat salad now as long as I chew really well. I top the greens with tuna or egg or chicken that I have baked. It is really good. It was such a day of celebration when I tried salad and it sat ok in my tummy. I LOVE salad, so this was a major food item for me to get back to. Has anyone else tried salad? If so, how did it go and what Protein do you eat with yours? We all are doing a great job and we just need to hang in there through the stall. I am glad that we still continue to post our updates here because like a few others, I was glad to see I was not the only one in a stall at the moment. Hang in there everyone and I will do the same.

Glad I found this conversation. I am also losing hair by the handfuls. I was sleeved on 4/12/12. I also had long thick hair...now long ever thinning hair. It is nice to hear from some of you that have now had it stop. All my blood work is good, so I know I am getting enough nutrients. I think it must be the shock to my system. I am hoping that is all it is and it will stop soon. I have to take my suit jackets off at work and shake the hair off a few times a day. Yuck. It seems like my hair is EVERY WHERE!!!! LOL Thank you everyone. You made me feel much better just reading your contributions to this topic!

Hey all... like the rest of you, I have not been aroun a lot. Been busy...happy to say!! Weather finally broke (the heat), so I have been out doing a lot of yard and garden work. I have to admit, it hardly seems like work. It is a lot of fun to bend over and not feel sick or to get too tired after only 30 mins outside. I was sleeved on 4/12 and like many of you this month has been a month of stalls. This morning I am finally down 3.5 pounds. Yippie!!! I was beginning to think that I was not going to lose a thing this whole month. I do have to keep in mind what my daughter said to me this morning... "well mom, you have not gained any all month either and that is also a victory"...she is right. I need to keep that in mind! The only down side to things right now is the hair loss. I mean, I am still losing hair by the handfuls!!! My 3 month check-up showed that I was getting plenty of protein and all my other counts were good except an elevated copper level. I will have that rechecked at my 6 month visit and if it is still elevated, they will investigate further. Many of the issues with elevated copper have to do with liver issues and all my liver enzimes are really good. Wish I would stop losing my hair though. I can hardly comb it without losing a handful every time. It is all over my bathroom...yuck. I am taking biotin, but so far, that has not seemed to help. If anyone has a "magic bullet" on the hair loss front, I am all ears. Glad to see that we are all still hanging in there...stalls and all Take care all. Karen

Morning everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We finally go some rain!!! I am hoping we get more, but I was so glad to see rain of any kind this weekend. What a blessing. Another blessing is I have met my Sept. 1 goal early. I am 258 as of this morning. WooHoo!!! I love my sleeve! Here is to all of us having a wonderful week.

April 16 here. I am so happy with my loss so far. I am down 69 pounds since my surgery date. Down 100 pounds since my pre-op plan. I could not be happier. I am a week ahead of the goal I set for myself as of today. Love my sleeve. I went down to the basement to retrieve my old work suits, etc. They all fit now and look so fantastic. Plus, it saves me having to buy new clothes right now. Congrats to all of us. We are rocking!!!

No problem Joni...you are so not alone!!!! I know this is going to be a life long struggle. Some addicts can walk away and never touch their addiction again, but for food addiction, there is no such thing. We must eat to live. So, our issues are very different than many other addictions. It is hard, but like you and the others, I am glad I have this new tool. I know I would not make it without it, that is for sure. Hang in there.

I would take a Gas-X to see if it is the air in your system that is making you feel so bad at this point. I too have to take something to keep my system moving. If I don't, it is bad news all the way around. I was told never to go more than 2 days without a BM, so if you have gone a long time inbetween, that may be why you are in so much pain now. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Vitafusion, I also get them at Sam's. I have no issues with them.

You did win the lottery. The weight loss lottery. You should be so proud of yourself. That is awesome. My goal is to get to 135. Don't know that I will be a size 4 at that weight, but I know I will be thinner than I have been in 30 years. What a major victory for you. I am so very happy for you and what an inspiration. Happy shopping!!!!

I hope to see you all next month. I am doing ok. I sure hope we get this rain they keep talking about. I am not getting as much exercise as I would like. Seems like I am spending all my "free time" battling Mother Nature for my trees, plants and most important my foundation. This summer drought sure has been stressful. The hair loss has started like crazy That was sad to see last night. I have been taking Biotin and eating enough Protein. My PC doc told me that it is stress on the body. I know this and knew it was going to happen, but still it was sad. On a bright note, yesterday I went through 5 pairs of pants trying to get ready for work and ended up putting all of them on my "discard pile". I ended up with a skirt since it had an elastic waist. Has anyone else added nuts back into their diet? I just added them this week. Not a lot, just a few every day. I still never eat more than 3 oz. at a time. That really fills me up. I have noticed that my hunger is returning (I was sleeved 4/16/12), so I try to make sure that the protein I eat is quite dense for my 2.5 to 3 oz. to help stay satisfied longer. That is all on my front. Keep up the good work. For those newly sleeved, hang in there. You will do fine. Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend.

I also have some hunger that has returned. I still can't eat more than 3 oz. at a time or I get sick, so that is a good thing. Bad thing is that I feel hungry more often. I am eating very dense Protein to help slow down my digestion and that seems to help. I have added nuts into my diet as a protein snack and I am keeping up on my Protein Drink. I find that when I don't get in enough protein, regardless of calorie count, I don't lose. I seem to be losing a slow, but steady 10 to 12 pounds a month. I am ok with this. No, I have not been exercising as much as I could or should and I know I would lose faster. I have had a lot of things to do around my house with this drought, so I have been tending to lots of these issues. Won't matter how much exercise I get if my house crumbles around me from lack of watering, etc. to try and keep my foundation from getting any worse On another front - let the hair loss begin!!! After I showered and washed my hair last night, I was picking through it with a large tooth hair pic so as to be gentle on it (I have long hair) and gobs of hair came out!!! I knew it was only a matter of time. I know it was to be expected, but still. It was a sad night. I took a picture of the lose hair. I know that one day, I will look back on last night and smile because I will have reached my goal and the hair will grow back. On yet another note, when getting ready for work yesterday I went through 5 pairs of pants and had to discard them all and opt for yet another skirt (got to love elastic waists!!!) so that I would have something to wear. Today I am wearing a dress...which I will probably be able to wear for the next two weeks after hanging on to it for 5 years, and then it too will join the discard pile LOL I am so glad that we are all progressing. Yes, all of us at our own rates, but that is ok. I am so happy with how far I have come to date. Yup, a long way yet to go, but I'll get there, just like the turtle did in the race... slow and steady. Happy Friday to all and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Musharooni...that is wonderful that you got to go to back to school night. I did that on Tuesday. My daughter is a Freshman this year. Yikes!!! That sure happened fast. I am just dropping in to check in and let you all know that I am doing well. I will be helping my mom in the garden tomorrow as well as volunteering at our avian vets office. She also does avian rescue so we go and clean cages, feed, water and give some attention to the birds. I also have never check to see if I am in ketosis. I do know that my labs came back good except for my iron saturation level and I also have a high copper level that my PCP is talking to Endocrinology about. I also have hair that is kinky in places (only certain strands, not my whole head) and that is also a sign of too much copper in your system. I hope to find out what is going on with that. I know Wilson's Disease is indicated by too much copper, but I don't have any of the other symptoms, so I really don't think it is that. Rheumatoid Arthritis can also be a cause of high copper levels. Now this one I am concerned about as my father passed away from complications of RA. Once I know what is going on, I'll post and let you all know. I feel fine, so it is a real mystery. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

It got to me and sorry for the late reply. I won't be able to make it this time. I am helping my mom do some gardening on Saturday and on Saturday morning my daughter and I volunteer at our avian vet's office. She also does avian rescue and we go and clean cages, feed and give fresh water as well as attention to the rescue birds and those being boarded at her facility. I promised my daughter we would go this Saturday. I hope you all have a wonderful time and I will try to make the next one. I could not believe how refreshing these cool evenings have been. What a treat!! Take care all and have a great weekend.

My hair loss has just picked up speed as of last ***ht!!! I washed my hair and when I was combing it after it air dried a bit, I had two handfuls come out I have long hair, so when a handful comes out for me, it is really noticeable. I ordered some Biotin, so will see if that helps. On a different note, I was researching the whole Protein thing because I never have gotten a good answer as to just how much protein I really need. I mean, really, nothing is a one size fits all for any of this stuff and I had a feeling that just like we decrease calories as we lose weight, that should include protein. Well, I finally found a formula that calculates the amount of protein one should get based on your current weight. You take your weight x .37 if you are doing it in pounds. This will tell you how many grams of protein you should be getting every day and yes, it changes as your weight does. So according this this, I should be eating 99.16 grams of protein. I have not even been close to this!! If you are doing it in kilograms, you would multiply your weight by .8. I did find another calculation that was even higher, but that seemed excessive. Heck, getting in 99 is a lot as it is. With my small stomach, I don't think I can do much more than this. This formula is the RDA recommendation. I was glad to finally find this formula so I could calculate this for myself. I am going to increase my protein even more. Guess I will be adding another shake to my day. I'll keep you all posted to see if it has an effect on my weight loss and my hair loss. Take care all.

Ok, so my goal was to get to 269 by August 5. Well, today I am 268.5. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. My next goal it to make it to 259 by September 5. Ultimately, I would love to make it to 255 by September 2nd. My birthday. I also realized today that I only have 17 more pounds to lose to make it to the half-way point. That will leave me 116.5 more pounds to go. Daunting to some, I know, but to me, very doable considering where I have come from and how far I have come. Let's make August a super month for all and my congrats to all of you no matter the number of pounds. Every ounce counts!!! Cheers everyone!

Sleeved 4/16 and down 54 pounds since my surgery date. I was 327 and now I am 273. Hopeing to make 269 by August 1st. Sooooo happy I did this.

Well, I am almost to my next goal of 269. This morning I was 273.5, so I am getting there. I go on August 2nd for my second post-op visit. I hope I can make my next goal by then. Sad part is, their scale always weights me more than my home scale and I have a really good home scale. When I use the one that we have at work (the old kind with the weights on it), I am within one pound of my home weight, but that dang huge digital scale my doc has can be more than 5 pounds difference Oh well. I am sticking with my home scale as this is what I have been using for the past 5 years and that is what I count as my highest weight, etc. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and were cooler than we are here in Missouri!

I would love to meet up with some of you, but I would just have to see what the schedule is like. With kids in school, sports, other groups I belong to, me going to the gym and working full-time, my "free time" is not so available. BUT, if I knew the schedule, then I could drop by if I had open time. Just let me know what you all work out and I will try to attend.

Everyone is doing so well. I think we should all be proud of how far we have come. I am down an even 50 since my last pre-op weigh in on April 9 (sleeved 4/16). Since my highest weight, I am down 91. I could not be happier. Ok, so here is a kind of "uh, what the heck" question for you all. We all know we are not supposed to drink when we eat. Something that was really hard for me to change because I think I always drank more than I actually ate at any one meal!!! But, I will say the one time I took a small sip because my throat was so dry, it hurt, so I get why we should not. However, (oh, come on, you knew there was going to be a "however" ): Why is it that I can eat Progresso Light Chicken Noodle and Veg. soup and not have that same pain. I mean come on, essentially I am eating and drinking at the same time. There is a lot of fluid in that soup. I am past the pureed stage, and although I chew, chew, chew, it is not ground up like a blender would do. So...essentially, I am eating and drinking at the same time. It sits really well in my sleeve. Soup is still a go to food for me. Fills me up, low on calories, sits well, it is a win, win. I just got to thinking about this "issue" of food and drink together when I was eating my lunch today. Any theories? Here is hoping you all have wonderful Monday's. Jimmy... nice to see you checking in. Hope everything is going smoothly for you at this point. Take care all.

Another hotter than heck day here in Missouri, but I have a lot to Celebrate. I have entered the 270's. I am so excited. I still can only eat very small amounts or I feel yucky. My free fluids have increased to a being able to get down a full 20 oz. bottle of low calorie Gatorade. Plain Water still does not sit very well in my sleeve. I used to LOVE water, but now, not so much. Several times I have gone back to eating Soups and really soft foods. I can handle some new things that I could not before like I ate some really chopped up coleslaw salad. Man, did that taste good. I could not eat much, about 3 tablespoons in all and it took me a good 1/2 hour, but it was so nice to crunch into any type of salad. I was thrilled. As long as I stick to really well chewed, not dry foods, I seem to do ok. I have to admit though, I am a bit scared to advance my food much beyond what I know already works. I just don't want to feel sick. Congrats to all of our losses. Keep cool everyone.