MinaT

When I was thin before, I had a huge butt, tiny waist and top half was tiny. Yes, my butt could hold a beer bottle. I still have 60 to lose and I have lost my butt. My husband used to say my butt was like two fine Christmas Hams...and he is equating my butt to a sliver of bacon now. I may have lost all the fat in my butt, but I am sure with proper work-outs, lunges, steps etc. I will start working on muscle tone in my hiney and I will end up with that perfect C - made of muscle and not just a big fat butt.

Leaks are not that common, sometimes they happen, nothing you can do about it. All doctors are different and all have different protocols. I was on full liquids for 5 weeks. I was told this was to help prevent leaks. My surgeon wants to avoid leaks at all costs, I went to pureed food for a week, then soft food for a week and then it's regular food. First 6 weeks are the biggest chances for leaks*! Make sure while you are on pureed food, you puree the heck out of the food. Don't overeat. If you can only get in 1/4 cup of Soup that's it. I am 7 weeks out and I really don't get much more than 1/4 cup of food or two ounces at one sitting. At 5 weeks when I tried Tuna, I didn't puree it enough and it felt like it was getting stuck between my esophagus and my stomach. It hurt. When it did get down, I ended up with two pains, one inside my stomach and again it felt like I had food caught in my esophagus and stomach. This was only 2 teaspoons. All people are different though. I was on clears still at 8 days out. If purees is too hard for you, go back to liquids, I still do purees and soft food though I'm allowed to go on regular foods. It's still a bit too hard for me. Best of luck to you.

Though people will tell you 1 pound of muscle vs. 1 pound of fat still equals a pound gaining muscle mass will tend to make you stall a bit or even gain a little bit at first. Muscle is denser and occupies less space. The more muscle you build, the more fat you burn, which in turn speeds up your metabolism. Which will mean you will need to put in more calories to burn fuel efficiently. It may seem like you are getting bigger at first but as the fat burns away you will see a leaner you. Give it some time and you will see the more muscles you build the leaner you get. Sometimes the scale lies and it's not really about what it says, it's the entire package.

Men generally lose faster than woman, people with more body weight typically lose faster at the beginning also because they have more Water weight to lose. Most people do not lose 1 pound a day. There will be days you lose 2 pounds and you will stay the same a few days and lose a pound and 1/2 pound the next day. Everyone loses at a different weight. For example, someone had surgery the same day as me, we weighed the same, we are the same height, she is, I believe 10 pounds less than me now. I am working out 3 times a day, with weights. Though we are the same height, our body is proportioned much differently. I am gaining a lot of muscle weight, which makes losing weight slower at first. Eventually my muscles will speed up metabolism a bit. I also was in a stall and I wasn't getting enough calories in and upped those a little bit and I started losing again. Focus on not gaining weight between now and surgery and you are probably getting close to starting pre-op shake, my best advice is don't overeat the day before you start the pre-op diet, or it will make it tougher. Focus on getting through before surgery and after surgery will take care of itself. Best of luck to you.

I love bacon...like seriously love it. I know it has a lot of fat and a lot of calories but if I had to make a choice of all the cake, candy and ice cream and Cookies I want or a few pieces of bacon, I'd pick the bacon every single time Tomato Soup and BLT's were staples growing up in Chicago as a child. I am a big fan of lettuce wraps, though I am only 7 weeks out and am going to wait a little while longer on lettuce. I definitely miss salads a lot too. Yesterday I tried some crab sticks diced with celery & onion and low fat mayo with a slice of tomato on the side it went down very heavy. I am still not quite ready for solid food I guess. I was told no tomato soup because of acidity during the liquid phase and tomato soup with added shrimp was something I ate regularly pre-op and I was losing 10 pounds a month back then. I am thinking of having tomato soup (made with skim milk) and my added shrimp today for the first time. I think the carbs are a bit high, but as long as I stay below 30 carbs a day, I'll be fine. I've already done the gazelle 45 minutes and swam Water walked, jogged and lifted weights 1-1/2 hours so far today. I suppose I can add another walk to my day to allow the tomato soup in. Thanks for reminding me that down the road, bacon will be doable in small amounts.

Something like pepsid helps. A lot of people have the pains that reminds them of hunger pains, or being full but a lot of time it's acid or even healing pains. Strange but true your stomach has to heal from the inside and the outside and it does weird things and there's weird flips and flops and wave type feelings which is partly healing pains.

At 5 days out I was still in the hospital, for the first five weeks I drank out of a one ounce cup taking sips only. sip sip sip (pour more water/decaff tea) sip sip pour, etc. If you weren't given med cups try using a shot glass. You get in less air and will feel less icky than drinking out of a water bottle. Are you taking any bariatric vitamin or sublingual vitamin b? There is definitely a difference if I forget my Vitamin B. My diet was different than above, I was on clear liquids first week then full liquids 5 weeks then pureed, soft and regular. I still don't get a lot of food in me, so I am definitely losing slower than others. It sounds to me that you were retaining a whole lot of water at first from the surgery. Gardening, entails a lot of bending, etc. so I would try just watering, and walking at first. I took a nap for the first two weeks daily sitting in my recliner and didn't feel bad about it. Take it slow, concentrate on your liquids and protein and don't overdo it at first.

I had extreme swelling too but I was able to get liquids down, slowly, by only sipping through a 1 ounce med cup and I could get very little in at first. Do or did you have any sort of chronic inflammation issues or have you seen a rheumotologist in the past? I assumed my swelling is the fact that I get chronic inflammation throughout my body due to mixed tissue disease / Lupus. You could visibly see that my stomach (about 2 inches above my belly button) was extremely swollen 5 weeks after surgery. It does get better every day. Hopefully they do a blood test on you since they are actually starting you steroids to check for inflammation and check for positive ana's. In case you are worried about the steroids/weight gain don't. Steroids will not make you fat. They do increase the appetite which may help you get liquids down and they actually can give you extra energy, something I am sure you are lacking right now. Since you can't get liquids down you aren't going to overeat. If you aren't using a one ounce med cup try using that to take slow sips, and realize this is temporary. I am so sorry you are going through this and I'm sending you my thoughts and prayers.

As you know everyone heals different, suggestion besides Water, is if you have a binder, bring it with you. I started going in my pool to walk at 4 weeks, going in no problem, out the gravity and pull on the stomach was great. At 5 weeks I attempted a work-out video, did great until I had to get on the ground and get back up. I was 7 weeks yesterday and Saturday & Sunday we had trees cut and I was bending a lot hauling small limbs and picking up small branches and I felt like someone punched me in the stomach and my stomach actually looked a little distended so I put the binder on, and I'm doing fine now. Best of luck to you.

I am 7 weeks out today and I actually have clear stitches sticking out in each of my incisions. The nurse tried to snip them down (they are suppose to be dissolvable.) They are driving me insane because they stick through my undies and sometimes my shirt. I am not sure if it's just my body chemistry or what, but I had a heart monitor and it was removed in December and it took about 5 months for the one clear dissolvable stitch sticking out of it to disappear. Sigh..

I promise you it will change. I couldn't handle my Protein shake that I loved 7 months pre-operation. Water was rough on me, I hated the way everything tasted. What you are experiencing right now, I went through too and you are only 10 days out. Right now as long as you are getting your liquids in and as much protein as you can, that's all you have to worry about until your taste buds change back. I went to a place called Vitamin Shoppe and I bought Syntrax nectar (Fuzzy Navel), I blended that with Isopure Orange to get in extra Protein. On full liquids I pureed Heart Healthy Bean and Bacon Soup with a little bit of water, then I added the FULL can of water so it was nothing but liquid and I would have 1/4 cup for dinner. That's as much real food as I was able to get in me. As far as liquids, I cannot handle sugar-free products unless they are made with Truvia. I drank Bigelow Decaff Peppermint Tea with Truvia and that counts towards your liquids. I was on full liquids 5 weeks after surgery, then Pureed one week, soft the next and now I'm suppose to be on regular food and I'm still basically on Pureed and softs. Everyone is different. I had a drain for 9 days, I took a nap daily for 2 weeks, I coughed a lot, I only could drink out of a 1 ounce med cup, and I hated drinking out of a water bottle. Sometimes water still tastes weird, but I think it's part of the ketosis though. Each day is usually better than the day before, a lot of others have experienced this also and you are not alone. I'm 7 weeks out today and I'm doing great, I still am going slow with the foods and still working on soft, but I can handle my Protein Shake, I can drink out of a water bottle now and I feel great.

It costs more to make your own rotisserie chicken than to buy it already made. Jewels has them also. I usually it straight up the first day or two, and then I have been making chicken salad with it. I did a crock pot rotisserie with 3 chicken breasts and it wasn't as moist the next day as the rotisserie I got from Jewel. Great idea with the refried Beans and salsa.

For your husband and children, put on a smiley face, remember all the reasons you are doing this and keep your chin up. You worked really hard to get here, if you go into the surgery brave, you'll wake up from surgery brave and ready to face everything. Remember each day is better than the day before and in the end it's so worth it.

I did exactly what I was suppose to do. If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same thing. My list of what I did 6 month pre-op. I followed 800 - 900 calorie diet with 80 grams of Protein - 45-75 carbs I drank 64 ounces of Water I charted all my food, water and exercise on myfitnesspal.com I started walking in place because exercise was too hard, I eventually worked my way up to getting on my gazelle slowly 5 minutes first day - 10 - then I did two 10 minutes a day, all the way up to 1 hour twice a day I stopped drinking with my dinner and waited 1/2 hour after eating to drink my water I gave up coffee I gave up sodas I made sure I did my "last supper" before my pre-op shake started and didn't do it the day before. Those that do high carbs the day before they start pre-op shake seem to have the hardest time with the liquid diet. I found a good decaff tea that was soothing and relaxing to my belly. I swear it got me through the first few days in the hospital. Bigelow Decaff Peppermint Tea with Truvia. I decided to give 100% to the plan and the surgery and decided to try to stay positive. I decided that I will not give into the scale when the scale doesn't move and I would not self-sabotage myself if it didn't move fast enough. I got it ingrained in my head that after surgery I may end up weighing more right after surgery and I wouldn't freak out about it. Day of surgery 229 - 6 days after surgery 235. I didn't freak. I kept my sense of humor and my wits even when faced with the fact there were complications with my surgery. I promised myself that this journey would only affect my family in a positive way. I would not take out my lack of being able to eat out on them, and I would do what I could to make sure I didn't make them suffer. (No outburst during dinner that I couldn't eat what they were eating). This still bugs me when I see this to this day. Realize this surgery is permanent, there are no do-overs, no I want my stomach back. If you are going to have surgery to remove 85% of your stomach, know it's permanent and that this is not a diet fad, this is permanent, for the rest of your life. Realize that the sleeve is a tool. It's not human, it doesn't make decisions for you, it is not superhuman, it's a tool, the person who controls it is you. After you get sleeved, it's up to you to realize this is a lifestyle change. The issues that caused you to become overweight in the first place are still there. If you feel that food is your "best friend" your "comfort" then...it's time to get a dog, get a new best friend and realize if you want comfort better find a good blanket, a good friend, or better way of comforting yourself because food is there for nourishment. Parties are for interacting with people. For the first few months food will rule your life, is it time to eat, what am I eating. If you have a family and you have to cook, know that you will have to cook two times, once for them and once for you. If you can't handle watching them eat steak, burritos, and fun foods, don't eat at the same time until you can start eating the same types of foods. Let your family know their eating will eventually change. You will want to add more chicken, fish, turkey into the meal and something you will want to know is that everyone around you will most likely change too. People that don't even know that I had surgery are dieting now because they see me. My husband, son, father have lost weight, my other friends and family that didn't even know I had surgery just started high Protein, low carb diet. Good luck to you, not sure when your surgery is but I wish you the best. This is all my best advice. Things to bring to the hospital: Charmaine Butt Wipes Your favorite Decaff Tea Your favorite Artificial Sweetener Your favorite soft cuddly blanket Small Fan Sip sip sip, walk walk walk...

I honestly loved Orange, Lime or Lemon Seltzer Water. (weird, I know). Ginger ale for tummy aches and Orange juice for colds. I loved the carbonation but was never a big pop drinker. It wasn't about pop for me, but the carbonation. I get serious migraines and I found that the carbonation is what would make me burp really loud and would start relaxing some of the muscles in my neck, head and face, especially when taking Excedrin Migraine with the carbonated beverage. I quit all those things when I started the program in November except the Excedrin Migraine which I quit 2 weeks before surgery. I have had a few migraines since then and took tylenol, which didn't touch it. I get botox injections every 90 days for migraines and usually a 1 to 1-1/2 weeks before the injections and usually 1- 1-1/2 weeks after injections you get a lot of break-through migraines but then you are golden for 2 months. Injection time is creeping up on me in August, and I am prepared to go without the excedrin and seltzer water.

I am doing metamucil, a prescription stool softener (like colace) called Amitiza, I got the phyllips pills but those are too darn big and I have to crush them and that's icky because the edges get sharp. Milk of Magnesia (makes me want to throw up and made me sweat and shake) so I can only get down 1 tablespoon once in a while. Unfortunately, I have to use suppositories. I wait until later in the afternoon and use a suppository and I can go a little bit. I am hoping as I bring in more food, I'll become more regular. I think I'll look into the tea.

I struggled with this exact process. Once, in my life I was able to get it off and keep it off for five years. 1994-1998. In 1999 I started getting sick a lot and I gained about 40 pounds. I finally go to the doctors with a distended stomach, I couldn't have a bm without some sort of medication and I became tired, etc. I went in for a laparascopy came out with a bowel resection, a tumor and complete hysterectomy. I ended up hitting 200 pounds. Since 1999 I have gone from 200 - 330 to 201 to 300 to 250 to 300 to 330 to 275 to 250. I know I can hit 200 but getting under it seemed impossible. I lost about 30 quick on my own when I decided to call the surgeons because I started gaining it back. I was 299 when I started following the doctor recommended plan of 800-900 calories, 80 grams of Protein and 45-75 carbs and charting my food, but I hadn't seen the doctor yet. I lost 10 pounds a month during my pre-approval period. by May I was down 60 pounds. I waffled back and forth and decided to go ahead anyhow with the surgery. I lost only 10 pounds during the pre-op phase so the day before surgery I sat there saying to myself do I do this. I'm 229 pounds I did all this on my own and then I realized, I'm not under 200, I'll hit the 200 and somehow find a way to self-sabotage or I'll end up on steroids again or something else will happen. I'm 15 years older than when I lost it the one time I lost it and kept it 5 years. The issue was I was jogging up to 10 miles a day some days, lifting weight and doing aerobics daily. I worked out almost incessantly to maintain that weight until I got sick. I can't do that anymore. I went ahead with the surgery and I am finally under that dreaded 200 pounds. If you feel like you can continue living the lifestyle you do and continue following the doctor's plan...FOR LIFE..then of course, maybe the surgery is not necessarily for you. If you are young enough and determined enough, and you have the will power to change your life now and forever, then just stick with it another month or two and then make your decision. I had a six month pre-approval phase before it went to my insurance and that process took another month or so. You don't need to decide until a day before your surgery, is what I told myself. I also told myself that if I was willing to commit to having 85% of my stomach removed, I was going to give 100% to the pre-approval phase and that is what you are doing. You are actually doing what EVERYONE is suppose to be doing pre-approval. Be proud of the fact that you are doing this and working on your behavior modification now. Be proud that you are working on not drinking Water with your meals, and drinking 64 ounces a day and changing the issues you have with food prior to surgery. If you chose the sleeve, you are the one behind the sleeve, it's only a tool and you right now are learning how to work it without even having it. What you are doing right now is setting yourself up to be successful AFTER surgery, if that's the road you chose. If you do have the surgery, you can remind yourself that the sleeve is not what has made you successful, it's a tool that you successfully mastered. To me, it was the right decision, but only you can make this decision. This is your third stint, very much like me. I went once, my husband lost his job, the second time I went I got pneumonia and quit and the third time...I was ready to fully commit, like you and the third time is the charm. If you do decide to go with it, you have to go into it 100% committed to the process and one more thing, positivity is the only way to get through with it, everyone gets scared, but like me you have a family that can't really afford to see you scared. Be brave for them to help them through this process. The more you tell yourself you can do this the better off you will be. Going into the surgery with a smile on my face and being positive is something I noticed in the videotapes of those that have really been successful. Best of luck making your decision.

I am confused on this too. I have been doing ultra low carbs - 20 and I upped it a bit to 35-40 and I started losing again and I just dropped it again. All body types are different too. I am losing slower than others that had surgery the same day and I am also working out...a lot. I am also regaining my muscle, so I think that is one of the reasons I am losing slower. I know I will need to up my calories and carbs a little bit soon, but need to wait to up my Protein a little bit. At 7 weeks I am still at 400-475 calorie range - 55-65 protein range and 20-35 carbs range. I actually am taking in a lot less carbs now than when I was on full liquid because I quit the sugar-free puddings and Soups.

The weaves and extensions probably added to the hair loss, right now since I dye my hair blonde, with the sun and swimming I'm having breakage myself. If it starts looking bad in another month or so I'll go with a cutie pixie to go with my new cute body

I have color-treated hair, I also have lupus and I always suffer hair-loss in the summer from too much swimming, sun, but I always suffer some hair loss (not a lot) about 3 months after surgery. That's usually when the hair leaves the shaft, and grows out enough to where the daily stresses of shampoo, blow-drying etc. takes it toll. It's pretty normal for a little bit of hair loss. Surgery takes a toll on the body and nails, hair etc. usually can be affected. I'm 7 weeks out and started the Biotin in advance, I try to wash my hair and let it dry naturally and curl it only when I have to. If I start losing it I will go for bi-weekly hair cuts and worse comes to worse, in a few months I'll get a pixie and it will be fine

I try to stay under 40 grams of carbs right now I'm only 7 weeks out though. I basically get about 20 grams of carbs right now and I'm at about 60-65 grams of protein, I am definitely trying to up my protein, but I can only get about 2 ounces of food in me at a time still.

You look amazing and your story is inspiring. Congrats to you and may you continue on this road of happiness and healthiness!!

@msvickvee Treating yourself to a sugar-free fudge popsicle once in a while is not an issue, but feeling like it's owed to you because you are being denied other foods is not good for you. I love popcorn, and I still think perhaps I may have some...someday, but I am hoping moreso that I won't want to have it because I will have changed my eating. I am going to treat myself once in a while, right now I can't even think about it, because I haven't reached my goal. @shellbell, I know those that go to Mexico have to self-pay and that's rough and some people do a lot of research and work hard before they go, there are those in the US that get fast-tracked in too and don't have to do any psychological counseling as well as those that went through 6 month pre-op diets and didn't even follow any of the rules they were suppose to, they spent 6 months gaining weight. I think behavior therapy or behavior modification is too important though and that's what most people will not want to do. I didn't want to do it the first time around and I cried like a baby because I thought the lady was being mean to me and singling me out. The main point is whatever caused you to gain weight in the first place is still going to be there after the sleeve, and if you don't work through that first, or find some deep inner strength you never though you had before, you can slide back into old habits. Thank you all for your kind words, I am sad it took me until now to work on me, but I hope it brings me lots more years to enjoy in the future.

Were you given the Incentive Spirometer? Are you using it daily still? I used it for 4 weeks, so I wouldn't get pneumonia. Because of the weirdness with the stomach and a lot of people hunch a bit after surgery, your diaphragm isn't fully expanding. It's also allergy season and that could stuff you up a bit too. If you have the incentive spirometer use it and then when you are done, hold a pillow to your belly and try to cough. I was extremely congested 4 days out and coughed all night, though I used the spirometer alot and I had a lot of drainage down the back of my throat from my nose. During surgery they put tubes down your nose and throat and for about 12 days I had some blood in my nose and I coughed a little blood up. Best of luck to you.

What are you drinking out of? Are you drinking out of a Water bottle? Glass did they give you one ounce medication cups? Water bottles hurt me for the first 5 weeks out. I can drink out of them now with no problems. One ounce cups, med cups (30ml) took me 3 sips to finish. If you don't have them try using a shot glass, (measure it to see how many ounces). I was able to get down 1 ounce (sip sip sip) 2nd ounce (sip sip sip) 3 ounce (sip sip sip) and then I couldn't do another. That was my limit then I needed a break. Do some sort of testing to see where your threshold is. Some people had an easier time with room temperature water, some cold water. I found myself drinking a lot of decaff Peppermint tea with truvia the more of that I drank the easier water became. Best of luck to you.