EricaVSGJourney

My mom is of course my biggest cheerleader. But even though she always says "wow" whenever she sees me, she also says "I'm just worried your face is going to get too skinny and you're going to look old". Ugh! I'll never please the woman!!

That's hilarious! Never seen a full-length mirror in front of the patient chair at a gyno office, but I'm sure it exists out there somewhere :-P

Way to go on the gym time!! After losing 85lbs, let me tell you that working out (in my opinion) is very important to keeping your body responsive (muscles and skin) to the weight you're losing. I've been swimming 3x per week with an adult swim team (nationally referred to as "Masters Swimming") and off/on at the gym. I don't have much saggy skin and I really think it's because of the workouts. To me, the number on the scale is important but it isn't the only measurement. Working out with help your overall physique, but it will really help your mental health as well. You may need to explore multiple types of exercise before you find the right one, and that's ok! No one said you have to marry your spin class (as an example) Good luck!! As for the husband... Who says he has to jump on you??! Jump on him first but seriously, it's a longer mental road than it is physical.. Be kind to yourself when possible :-)

I don't honestly remember how it was in the beginning for me. (I'm a little over 8 months post-op), but I'll say that I don't make a deliberate effort to eat/chew any differently. That said, there are certain foods that you just "know" you have to break down more before you swallow. Chunks of meat for example... You try and swallow something that's too big, and it isn't going to feel good going down. I haven't had an issue with throwing up (only did it once in 8 months), BUT I have certainly been super uncomfortable. Mostly you learn what your sleeve needs to be a happy sleeve. Things like cheese or crackers or anything small that can't really get "stuck" I don't have to chew differently. It's the bigger chunky stuff (chicken, leafy greens) that I will chew a bit more. Don't worry- it's not a nuisance. Just like anything else, your body learns pretty quickly

Not sure how this will turn out via iPhone, but... High weight (late Mar-2012) = 228.3 lbs Date of surgery weight = 215.6 lbs Weight as of 01/07/13 = 139.6 lbs Lost since high = 88.7 lbs Lost since surgery = 76.0 lbs

(1) I confess I don't understand the concept of myself as 'not' being that "fat girl with the cute face". Can I really be seen as anything else?! (2) I confess that I am slightly obsessed with the "next size down". When I was an 18 I always tried to squeeze into 16s. Now that I'm a 6/8, why am I disappointed that the next size down doesn't fit??! (3) I confess that sometimes I'm really lonely, and that losing 85 lbs hasn't taken that feeling away (4) I confess that I have no idea how to handle/date the opposite sex now. It's a different ball game and no one sent me the instructions! (5) I confess that I wish sometimes that the world was "clothing optional" so I could show off the new bod. Kidding!!!! But I do enjoy going out just for the game of being looked at. I remember the day 8-9 months ago when I would dread just going to the grocery store because I didn't want to be seen

I went through a Haagen Daz coffee ice cream phase about a month ago. No negative effects physically (body digested it fine and didn't gain weight). I didn't try to limit myself ... Just had it when I wanted it. Here's the thing though - I didn't substitute it for something I "kinda" wanted. Meaning - I had exactly the product I wanted .. Ate until I was satisfied (probably 1/2 cup per portion), and was done. I don't want to encourage behavior that will enable someone to "slide"... Just listen to your body I'd say. Oh.. I'm a little over 8 months post-op and less than 10 lbs from goal. (my YouTube channel is the same as my user name here)

I'm almost 3 months post-op, and I seem to be able to eat just about anything. That said, I don't have a ton of variety yet (very little fruits or veges). The one item I had a horrible time with was a hot dog on the 4th of July. Wowzers did that make me feel yucky! I had this acidic gurgle in the upper part of my stomach, and I got a bit clamy... had to actually lie down the rest of the evening. Aside from that... I've eaten nuts without any problem, different meats, all kinds of dairy (I seem to do great with non-fat and low-fat dairy products), grilled chicken, even a slice of bacon (yeah yeah, I know!), etc... Good luck! Everything I've heard, the sleeve is an amazing tool - I know I'm very pleased with mine. Best of luck!!

Hi there, I'm a patient of Dr Cirangle's... my BMI was under 40 and although I had co-morbidities "on paper" (had a sleep test done > 10 years ago, but it was mild sleep apnea... no blood glucose issues although diabetes runs in my family... etc), they still were willing to help. Of course, they submitted to insurance thinking the claim for sleep apnea would be sufficient; when in fact my insurance wanted to documented evidence of the test ... can't say I blame insurance. Well, I gained the weight to get my BMI to 40. Sounds a bit twisted, no? Well, it was SO worth it. I think my BMI was 39, so I was really close, but it was a real bummer to purposefully gain weight, not knowing if it would be enough for insurance to approve me. They did and now I'm down nearly 40 lbs since surgery 10 weeks ago and just over 50 lbs since my highest recorded weight. My advice.... if you really want the surgery, keep pursuing it! Also - Dr Cirangle is phenomenal, and so is his staff. I wouldn't hesitate to have my surgery with him again!!

Sorry - I didn't mean to make you feel bad or worry! I went through the same thing! Was feeling fine eating, so I moved onto tuna in the soft phase, thinking I was eating Protein and getting in fish, and since it was soft in texture I was okay. I felt completely fine eating it, but when I told my doctor... whoa! He then explained to me the whole "wringing" action of the stomach, and told me that tuna is actually pretty hard for the stomach to break down. I kind of panicked, thinking I may have done damage... he said to not worry - if I did damage, I would have known... he just cautioned me against continuing and urged me to follow his guidance more closely. Hopefully that eases your mind a bit. It can't hurt to talk it over with your doc; mine is known for being very very conservative with his advice, so yours may have other info to give. Good luck!!!

I've been at my current job for less than a year, and I've only told 3 people, and it wasn't really because I felt like sharing, it just made my life easier. There are a group of ladies I occasionally go to lunch with - I don't know any of them very well, but one day when I was just 2 weeks post-op, we went out. I told them that I had to bring my lunch... well, when my "lunch" only consisted of 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, one lady started really questioning me. I could feel her pushing me, trying to understand what was going on. I knew it was going to be impossible to continue socializing with her if this was going to be the trend of my life in the future... so I broke down and told the 2 that I was out to lunch with. I'm very sure that they've told others - who and how many, I can't say. But it was a relief. Now I don't have to dance around the subject - if they want to judge me, who cares. No matter what the life situation, I can't control what people think of me, nor does it have any relevance in my life. The 3rd person I told was a client. I was traveling to the client site about 6 weeks post-op. We went to lunch every day, and my eating habits were raising eyebrows ... there are only so many bowls of Soup one can eat for a woman my size that doesn't raise suspicion. My client actually thought I didn't like where she was taking me to lunch, and was worried I wasn't feeling okay, etc... Again, it just made my life easier to explain to her why I was eating so little and of such non-consequential foods. She was incredibly understanding (at least outwardly), and it made the remaining 2 days of my trip a LOT easier, because all of a sudden she was concerned that we pick out a place where I could eat. For me, living openly and honestly is just more comfortable. I don't have to remember what I've told people - I can just be me.

Important thing to note about the "soft" food stage: Soft doesn't (only) refer to the texture of the food, but rather your stomach's ability to "softly" break it down. It's critical to not eat things that take work to digest because your staple line is still healing. So essentially you want to allow your stomach to just "sit there" and not be forced to break food down. When the stomach digests, it does a contracting "wringing" motion, which you can imagine puts stress on the staple line. So... easy does it and follow your doctor's guidelines to the letter, if for no other reason but to protect yourself from post-op complications such as leakage. In terms of getting hungry - I had the same issue about 10-14 days post-op (I'm about 10 weeks post-op now). I found that there were certain foods that really satiate me and others that seem to pass through rather quickly. For me, the Protein shakes and cottage cheese are incredibly satisfying. The advice already posted is good -- focus on protein and Water first... don't allow anything else into your diet until you've met your protein and water requirement. In terms of calorie count -- yours seems high. I just had my second post-op visit with my doc; I provided a summary of what I was eating - I was averaging about 850 calories a day at 8 weeks post-op and he said it was way too high. He wanted me closer to 650 calories, even on the days I work out heavily. Over the last week I've found 650 to be WAY too low when I burn 700+ calories in a workout, but it's all a trial/error process really. Good luck! Try not to worry too much... you're doing the right thing by reaching out for advice here. Also try reaching out to your doc - he or she should be more than willing to help you out. -Erica

Thank you both! Very relieved I didn't hurt myself. I was told to "ease" into solids after week 4. Yes, Protein first for sure. I haven't had salad until today (6 weeks out two days from now)... I took it easy, but it was HEAVEN to eat salad. I was already at my protein requirement by the time I had the salad, so I tested the waters. Not sure I want to push it too much, but boy was it nice to have greens! -Erica

I had a salad that had some corn. I didn't even think about it until now... somehow I remember that corn is a no-no because it cannot be digested. (?) Am I making this up, or is there cause to worry that I did something bad?? The quantity was small (probably 1/8 cup), but I'm worried. Thank you in advance!

I was sleeved 4/26/12 and found I started getting hungry about 7-10 days post-op. I went to a bariatric support group meeting recently and told them about my experience and was told this is "head hunger". First, I think each person is different, and it's way too easy to pass judgment on what someone else is experiencing unless you are IN their body. For me, my hunger is the same "valid" or "real" hunger I experienced pre-op. Stomach feels empty, body starts feeling weak or "empty" and needing food. This feeling has been easily satiated, but it IS real. My concept of "head hunger" is .... it's lunchtime and I start thinking about eating... or I see something on TV and say "man I wish I could have that".... or I smell something good and I start salivating. Anyway.... I say listen to your body and be as honest as you can. If you doubt what you're feeling, maybe journaling could help put things into perspective. Good luck!!

It's completely unreal that people feel justified giving out advice, whether they are fat/skinny/somewhere-in-between. This individual clearly has not common sense, tact or empathy. I had a somewhat similar experience: Pre-op I went to a small Vitamin shop near my house to buy liquid multis and liquid Calcium citrate. I told the salesperson on the floor that I was having bariatric surgery so I needed a very high quality liquid multi. She immediately proceeded to tell me "well first, you should make sure that the procedure is reversible". I told her it isn't, and then she started telling me I should really make sure I want to do it, because having the surgery will make me look older than my age in 10 years. (HUH?!) I told her that it's possible people with malabsorption procedures may have that issue, but I'm very comfortable/confident with my decision. I came away from the store absolutely livid. I don't have an insecurity about the surgery, but what if I did?! She isn't my doctor, my friend or even a close acquaintance! In the end.... insensitive people just aren't worth my time. Odds are their karma will find them someday... hopefully they learn!!

You're not alone!.. I was sleeved on 04/26/12, and have lost about 22 lbs since then. (Amazing!) But the last 7 days have been one big stall. Part of that is "that time of the month", but it's very difficult to know I'm doing what I'm supposed to, and still not seeing the scale move. (Internally there's this message "How can I consume 500-600 calories a day and NOT lose?") But.... the body has to do its thing. It's super frustrating, yes. But we just have to keep at it. Follow instructions, and the weight will come off. I'm with you!! Good luck!!

I was sleeved on 04/26/12, so I'm just 4 weeks out. I too struggle to get all the fluids in; best advice there is - start your day early and immediately start it with some sort of Fluid (Water, tea, decaf coffee, Protein shake). For protein - I've had no problems whatsoever. In fact, now that my daily goal is 85-100 grams, I find sometimes I have to watch not going too high. Crazy, huh? My routine in the first week: 49 grams: Two times a day: 4 fl oz fat-free milk + 1 scoop 20 gm Protein powder (I use GNC AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 in chocolate --> tasty and blends very easily) 30 grams: Two times a day: 1 packet 15gm protein powder Soup + 8 fl oz hot water 79 grams Total Here's my routine now (soft phase): 49 grams: Two times a day: 4 fl oz fat-free milk + 1 scoop 20 gm protein powder 15 grams: 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese (I add 1 packet Stevia and a couple dashes of cinnamon) 30 grams: 2 packets protein powder soup + 16 fl oz hot water 94 grams total for the day I mix things up by trading for some of the following options: 14-16 grams: 1/3 cup egg white + 1 oz reduced fat cheese 6 grams: reduced fat string cheese 2 grams: reduced fat babybel-type cheese As you can tell, I'm VERY dairy-heavy... but it's easy to come by during the "soft" phase. Good luck!!