AliveAgain

Like Nate, I experienced "head hunger" in the first month after surgery. That's where I wasn't truly hungry, but my emotions missed certain foods. It got better with each passing day. Now almost 7 months out, I rarely feel hungry like I used to. I used to get wicked cravings for carbs that would literally take over my thinking. Not anymore. But I do get the normal, "Hey, it's time to eat" around lunch or dinner. It's not a ravenous feeling. And while sometimes I definitely want a lot, I still can't eat past 4-5oz of food and I feel full quickly. The only way to overeat is to do slider foods or to munch for hours. So yes, I could eat 1-2 hours after dinner. But no, I don't want to.

I've been using the free photo sharing site, Flickr, to advertise my clothes on this site and Craigslist. I've had some hits, though I'm anxious to move more and get the space back in my guest closet! I'm planning to take them to some friends' yard sales this month, and a Goodwill-sponsored community sale. Hopefully that will get them moving! For those that have used eBay, do you do a reserve (pay a fee) or just take bids? I'm considering it for a ew high-end items I have. If you're looking for clothes from S/6-2X/22 take a look at mine!

LOTS OF CLOTHES FOR SALE -- VERY CHEAP! Mostly size 20-22 bottoms, 1X and 2X tops, swimsuits, dresses, skirts! Some brand new, some barely worn 2-3 times! I have uploaded pictures of everything I'm selling and/or giving away to Flickr. This is my first time using the service, so please PERSONAL MESSAGE ME if the link does not work for you. I've set "asking prices" but am willing to discount for anyone looking to buy A LOT of items, even throw in items (t-shirts, etc) for free! You can search by "sets" on the right-hand side by size, type, season, etc. (the size is the first number in the title) Not looking to make a profit, just trying to cover the expenses of having to buy "newer" clothes myself Will most likely use PayPal for payment, but open to conversation. Willing to email, Skype, or speak with anyone with questions or wanting to talk about what they like! Will also be posting these items on Craigslist if you live in the San Jose,CA/Bay Area and would like to meet up in person. All clothes kept in a smoke-free home. Really hoping this will hep some of my friends on here as they progress on their journey. It is truly an exciting place to be in need of needing new clothes for work, home, or play! Much better if you're not having to do it at full price. Best of luck that you find something you like! Cheers, Emily

My surgeon told me no NSAIDS for the first 6-8 weeks. He allows it after that but strongly encourages limited use, and NEVER on an empty stomach. I take simple ibuprofen (200-400mg) only as needed now, sometimes twice a week or a month longer. Never had any problems with it. But I think it's different on a case-by-case basis. I have no problems with acid, etc.

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 3 years ago at my heaviest (275) with horrible PMS symptoms every month. I've lost 100 pounds and I will say that my PMS symptoms have gotten better, though I'm not completely out of the woods. While my OB/GYN says I appear to no longer be PCOS, I am still dealing with one large ovarian cyst on the right that is taking it's time to go away. So, yes, it's getting better - but it's still not gone yet! There is hope!

So I cleaned out my closets this weekend and have about 60 pieces of clothing I can no longer wear. YEAH! But I'm so frustrated because I have a number of items that were worn like one or two times, they are in perfect condition. You know, nice linen pants from Talbots that cost like $100 new, and great Lane Bryant jeans that were a $50-70 value new. I was hoping to take them to a consignment store to try to make some money back, but they don't take any sizes above a 16/XL. One girl was so insulting when I asked if they take plus sized clothing and she said, "Yeah, we do. We go up to 14/16!" She sounded 21 years old and as though she's never had an extra pound on her body. Does anyone have any tips or anything that's worked for them? Do many people use eBay? I've never bought used clothes from there, so I'm not sure if I may put a lot of time to post these items and have it not move.

Everyone loses at different paces, so there is no clear answer for that. It also depends on how much you want to lose overall, if you're male or female, etc. At five months, you are now living with the healed, true-new-size stomach. No you have not stretched it, that takes a lot of repetitive overeating over many years (so I've been told). And even then the most it will stretch is 2-3X it's new smaller size. You're just finally in the cruising lane where you don't get restriction quite like before when you maybe had swelling. Not sure what you mean by dieting, but yes: You still need to get 60-90g Protein daily, as much from lean protein food sources as possible, keeping your carbs to a decent minimum, and keeping calories between 700-900 depending again on if you're closer or further away from goal. Keep with lean meats, green veggies, low-sugar fruits, and work in healthy fats/fiber like avocado, nuts, lean cheeses. If candy and sodas are a weakness, then continue to keep them at bay. A lot of these changes are lifelong if you want to keep the weight off. I still drink Protein Shakes daily, at least one but sometimes two if I'm on the run a lot. They say to start weening off them around month 6 IF you are able to get in protein w/food. I still don't have an appetite at all, and forget to eat regularly.

Sitz bath, sitz bath, sitz bath. You can buy them at the drugstore for like $15 and they work wonders. Warm-hot Water is best for blood circulation, NO ICE! I've fought hemorrhoids on and off since surgery. Adding Fiber is good, but I've found is can actually stop me up more sometimes. So I try not to get too much. Probiotics help me the most, a nice Super Bifido Plus with over 100Billion cells. Your doctor can prescribe suppositories that are more powerful than Prep-H. Using those can help, but it takes about two weeks to see relief. Drink plenty of water. In a pinch EmergenC packets with 500mg or more of Vitamin C every 6 or so hours will help loosen stool. But I would not recommend unless you are three or more months out. I got to a point where I wanted the doctor to laser it off, but my gyno did not recommend it. She advised that most of her patients feel worse and it just leaves a weakened area of skin and doesn't rule out them coming back.

You should crave them, they're in season right now! And they're great for you. Go easy, at 6 weeks you still need to focus on Protein first. But a couple slices of cucumbers are an excellent snack, full of Vitamins and Water. And tomatoes are just awesome. I think I eat tomatoes with almost every meal, sometimes just a raw slice with a little salt, pepper and fresh basil. YUM! I'm drinking a Protein shake right now made with 1.5 scoops of Syntrax nectar Lemonade and water, and I added 1/2 a juiced cucumber, 1 cup spinach, and 1/2 an apple. Green and mean!

I was the same, never bought Tylenol before surgery because it didn't do squat. But I found it did help (some, not a lot) when I needed it for aches/pains. Children's liquid, of course.

The first one is too high in carbs, especially for only 15g Protein. And it's main source is pea protein, which is not ideal. Peas are on the "somewhat" high in sugar for vegetables. Yes, there is a difference between a teaspoon of white table sugar and that in a serving of peas, but your doctor doesn't want you to have either in the first three months or so. It also has corn syrup on the label which is a big "NO!" (not just for protein). The second one is also high in carbs and fat, and is whey casenate when you want WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE. It is the most digestible form of whey protein and is ideal for post-WLS patients. Look into Syntrax nectar and unjury brands. There are different sources, but they will send out sample packs for free or a small charge. They have lots of flavors and can mix well with Water or any kind of milk, even broth (Unjury chicken Soup flavor).

Hi, I'm also very large breasted. It would be great to daydream just "not wearing a bra" when outside of the house, but I understand that when you're large -- that is just NOT an option. Mine, swing, sway and hang low like a pendulum. I'm embarrassed in front of technicians just getting MRIs and xrays. I found a non-underwire bra from Aviana and wore it home with some padding made from folded gauze pads pinned between the band and the incision. Granted, I couldn't walk or go far comfortably for it rubbing or moving, but just sitting in a car was OK. I mention Aviana because they fit larger breasted women well, unlike a lot of those Genie and Ahh bras that assume if you're large in the boob, you must be tall and have a larger band measurement. (I'm short and not that large around back so the straps were always too long and the band was gapingly huge). Then sometimes, once I got in the car, I'd unhook the back (take off pressure) and just let them "rest" in the bra -- asking my husband to hook them back when I had to get out of the car.

I can mix Syntrax Nectar's chocolate with 1/2 Water and 1/2 1% milk and and it's like chocolate milk. Very smooth, Fluid - not heavy. Same with their Cappuccino flavor, which I sometimes add 1/2 cup of decaf coffee to for a stronger flavor. unjury mixes really well, too.

This was a PITA for me as all my bras have underwire. I found that taking a big patch of gauze pad, like the size of an index card, folding it once or twice, and fixing it between the skin and the band of the bra helped. Most of the time. My incision had surgical glue, so it never really scabbed or got wet. It will eventually heal, I think it was a month before I no longer noticed the discomfort.

I'm 10 days away from my 6-month period taking Ursodiol (Actigall) for gallstone prevention. They told me to take it during rapid weight loss months; however, I continue a steady march of losing 10-11 pounds per month. Not sure if I should stop? Did anyone have symptoms after stopping it? I've put a call in to my doc and his nurse, but thought I'd ask here as well.

They got back to me and told me that to be safe I should continue taking it until the rate of my weight loss slows down by 30-50%. **SIGH** I was really looking forward to not having to take them any more. I hate pills!

Pre-op diets vary all over the place. Some docs (like mine) only had me do liquid for two days prior to surgery. Other than that, I was just told to eat high Protein, low carb/fat and lose 10-15 pounds. He encouraged drinking Protein shakes to get to know which ones I liked so it wouldn't be a shock after surgery. You'll be fine, don't beat yourself up too much. Thankfully they are good protein Snacks, just a little higher in fat than you may want. But if you had only a little, let it go. Get back on the diet and move forward!

At 3 mos I could eat about 1oz of sausage on occasion. My husband likes to cook them for Breakfast as a treat and I'd have a little. We're talking the big sausages (Bavarian, Jalapeno, etc) not the little breakfast links. I can't do hot dogs, couldn't before surgery without risking stomach riots. I think it was around month 4-5 I started using low-carb tortilla's for shrimp/avocado tacos and homemade chicken pizza. Could only eat about 1/3 at first, now it's rare I can finish one still. And again, only on occasion, once a week at most. I'm not a big dumpling/potsticker fan, so haven't done those yet. It was explained to me that when starches are toasted or cooked, it reduces the sugar content before you eat it. It's also easier to swallow and digest, which is good in the first two months. Just plain bread can expand in your tummy and make you feel full really fast, and carbs pass through your system faster than Protein.

Yes, and it's so easy to make! I love spaghetti squash, even just by itself with a little Parmesan and fresh parsley or basil. I would ask at restaurants how they prepare it since most chefs use butter, butter, butter to make things shiny and taste good. It keeps well, so even if you have a lot, it heats up quickly for a little addition to some leftover roasted chicken or filet and veggies. Yum!

Give it a week, you'll feel about 30% better. At the end of two weeks, you'll be another 30%. That last bit will take the next 2-4 weeks. What you're feeling is normal. Keep sipping fluids, walk when you can, sleep when you need it, and you'll get there. I agree with SunnyCox, protein shakes may feel like a struggle to get down right now, but they will give you more energy, help you heal faster, and get you over this hump sooner. Good luck!

In general, no, it's not on the approved list of soft foods. But some docs vary on this, so I would check with yours. Noodles are carbs and not on most post-op diets, as trying to keep under 30-40g daily for the first month. However, I had strained chicken noodle soup in my soft phase and I think a *few* noodle parts made it through and it didn't hurt it any way. I would say if you're getting more chicken than noodles, you're doing OK. Sometimes if you puree the soup with a hand immersion blender helps so you don't have to chew like crazy.

It's good to have a target, but it's more important to keep a journal to track what you're eating (calories, Protein, carbs, fats, etc). My doctor wanted me to stay at 600 until after six months. But the more I read on here, I realized it was good to mix it up and do 800-1000 some days and then back to 600 other days. I saw that Dr. Oz calls it "Calorie Confusion" and is a good metabolism boost. That being said, I think the body can get too comfortable if you're always keeping within the same 50-100 calories every day. Try to mix it up on days you're exercising more perhaps? But always shoot for the 60-90g protein (females), keeping carbs between 40-70g, and drinking plenty of fluids.

Children's liquid Tylenol works well, too, and was recommended by my doctor since narcotic pain meds cause constipation.

My family went out for soft serve while I was visiting, one of those places where you get the gigantic cup and fill it yourself. I figured a little wouldn't hurt, and I should say I was still trying to seem normal since they don't know about my surgery. (Bad idea, I know...but I'd rather not go there). Well, I got all of 1oz of yogurt and a few nut toppings. It tasted good, but I hated how I felt afterward. I didn't get any of the nausea, cramping, or diarrhea - but man did that sugar go straight into my system! I felt like a bumble bee in my skin for about 20-30 minutes, and it was not fun. It was like a bad, allergic reaction. I thought it might be a fluke, then later I had two licks off my husband's ice cream and had the same reaction. Two licks! Needless to say, that killed it for me. Now just the thought of feeling that way again is not worth it for me.

Wow, I'm kind of shocked a doctor would say that. I'm sure, possibly, if you sat down and ate an entire serving of just rice, then maybe...? I'm in my seventh month and I started allowing *very little* rice in my diet around month five. Now when I say *very little* I mean whatever little tiny pieces are still stuck to the seaweed as I scrape the rest off of a sushi roll (I can only eat 1-2 pieces after my sashimi). Or when we have curry dishes, I might use 1-2 spoonfuls of rice. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. And I should note that we only have these foods 2-3 times a month. So, no, rice isn't a staple in my diet at all, and I make the judgement call if I feel like it's been a while or if I would rather not bother. And I always chew, chew, chew! But it never expanded and made my stomach explode.