traceyinflorida

As for the protein shakes, I hated them post op too. This was a shake I previously loved! I tried a couple new things and didn't really like them any better. However, I had such a BIG container of my original protein that I decided to just suck it up and drink it every day. Now I actually like it again. I think now that I am at the stage where I can eat real food again (and like Tonja said, it is a chore sometimes!) my taste buds are no longer rejecting the protein shake. Hang in there. It all gets better with time.

Stalls are normal at this stage. I bet if you were to take your measurements, you would see that your body is still shrinking, it's just not reflected on the scale. Still it is so frustrating when it happens! Stick with the plan and the scale will move again! From what I have read on the forum, this will not be the only time this happens. Just be patient and know that you are moving in the right direction!

Congratulations! I can't wait to get there! 15 more pounds!

In my experience, I have only thrown up twice. In both cases, it was when I tried something new, ate too much and ate too fast. In both cases, I had plenty of warning before it happened. The key for work is to plan ahead with your food. Bring only those things that you have tolerated well while in the privacy of your home. Don't go out to lunch and try something new. If you are still concerned, the hospital had some really cool disposable bags for that purpose. Maybe see if you can get a few to keep in your desk or purse.

It sounds like you have the right plan to get things back on track. It's always good to get back to basics when it feels like things have veered too far off course. Hopefully with this great tool we have, getting back to basics will be easier done than without it. I think there is nothing wrong with a tiny piece of chocolate as long as you can stop there and not end up eating half the bag! Good luck!

Congratulations and good luck to you! (and all of the folks commenting that their surgeries are tomorrow also!) I wish you an easy surgery and a speedy recovery!! Welcome, in advance, to the losers bench!!

You look great! Thanks for sharing!

I hate when that happens! I have found that to be the hardest habit to break. It seems like we are always on the run. I usually do protein shakes in the morning now because I can drink it while I am getting ready and in the car if I didn't have a chance to finish.

You have a week and head colds usually do not last that long. Get lots of rest, drink lots of water. I also use zicam to cut down the duration of a cold. It has worked for me.

Colace- tiny pill, easy to swallow and it works

I know every doctor's recommendations are different. Some will say, never again. But I just got cleared for coffee at my 8 week check up. He said many people don't tolerate it well, but I was welcome to try. I don't drink even a whole mug full, but just having it back a little bit in the mornings makes me very happy!

Wonderful to have such a great support group! Good luck with everything and congratulations! Wonderful things await you on your path to a healthier you!

I feel guilty sometimes, but I am learning to get over it. When they come back to the table and I haven't eaten most of my meal, I pre-empt them to say everything was delicious, I am just not very hungry, may I please have a to-go box? If I only order an appetizer or just share with my husband (since I still eat such a tiny amount at 8 weeks) I add a few dollars to the tip. I think that is the former waitress in me...

I willnot miss standing in my closet wondering what to wear because I have a closet full of clothes in various sizes that are all too small. I will not miss having to watch my kids go on rides at the amusement park that I am too big to fit on. I will not miss walking into a room and thinking to myself I am the fatest person here. I will not miss shopping the Plus size department in stores where there is limited selection and it is more expensive!

It gets better!! My first couple weeks I was miserable for the same reason. Sometimes I questioned what I had done to myself thinking life would never be the same and that eating and drinking had become a full time job. You are still healing and your stomach is swollen inside leaving you very little room for more than just a trickle of water or broth at a time. Don't worry so much about your protein at this point (you will be able to gradually increase that over time) but focus on your fluids. Broth, protein shakes and other liquids count as fluids, so remember to count that in your 64 oz. I found warm broth went down much easier than water for a while (although I had to keep reheating it because it took me so long to drink) I hated my protein shakes for the first couple of weeks, but that has gotten better. I could only drink about 4 oz (which I had to build up to) and that would take 30-40 minutes. It still takes me 30 mins to drink a protein shake, but now I can do the whole thing. I am eight weeks out. Drinking water becomes MUCH easier as time goes on. Hang in there. You are at a challenging stage, but each week gets easier!

I am convinced that the insurance companies make theses things as difficult as possible so that you will give up and go away and not try to get expensive proceedures covered. It just makes me all the more determined and persistent. I wish everyone who is dealing with this issue lots of luck and patience. I know it is dissapointing to find out that you have to wait another six months when you are finally READY. It happened to me too. Trust me when I tell you it goes by pretty quickly, so try not to be discouraged.

Funny, the opposite happened to me. I have always had allergies, but for the past year I have been mostly allergy free. I had surgery and my allergies have been terrible! I think I like your way better! LOL That is a great bonus! I hope it lasts for you!

Ditto to what SouthernDonna said! I read all over this forum that a three to four week stall is normal. Still it is frustrating! My scale started moving again this week and this morning I had a five pound overnight drop. When I mentioned to my surgeon during my visit (7 weeks post op) that I had hit a stall for a while, he looked perplexed. He pointed out to me that I had lost nearly 20 lbs in the 6 weeks since I saw him last, which amounted to an average weight loss of 3 lbs per week. He said that was great. When he put it in those terms, it did seem much more reasonable. I think we are so excited with the rapid beginning weight loss that we expect that it will just keep going, so a slow inching of the scale is disappointing. Stick with the plan and you WILL NOT FAIL! If you talk to sleevers who have been at this for 6 months or more, you will see that they have had amazing weight loss, but have all experienced a stall, or several stalls along the way.

1. I no longer feel the need (nor can I ) to devour everything in sight! 2. My bathroom no longer looks like a laundromat with wet clothes hanging everywhere to dry so that I do not shrink them in the dryer. Now everything goes in the dryer!

I have read and been told by my NUT and surgeon that carbonation can stretch sleeve. I have also read on this forum that some NUTs and surgeons say it is okay after 6 months. I have also read that having flat diet soda is okay now according to some NUTs and surgeons, but others will say NO SODA is okay EVER again. There must be some happy medium. I would ask your surgeon before drinking any more. Just my opinion.

I went through similar journey of starting out planning on lap band a couple of years ago, changing my mind, trying diet and exercise again for a year (unsuccessfully) not wanting to do bypass (for same reasons you stated) then deciding on sleeve. I do not have all of your health concerns other than a very lumpy bumpy thyroid with very little function, but so far it does not have to be removed. I did have several scares with chest pain (one that scared me enough to go to the emergency room) that turned out to be nothing, but it was enough to remind me that I want to live to see my children graduate college, get married, have grandchildren, travel etc....but if I kept on my current course, I was surely decreasing my chances of making it that far. Then my friend, who had the RNY operation four years ago, ran the NY Marathon. She looked great, she felt great and now she had accomplished something as incredible as that! Where was I, I was at my highest weight ever, 272 lbs feeling fat, tired, uncomfortable, embarrassed and miserable. I decided enough was enough and I got started on the journey to have the sleeve. It took 8 months of meetings with NUT, getting all the required work done etc, required by my insurance company. I had many moments of second thoughts, especially when I had to go for tests and things I would have otherwise never done in a million years. When my surgery was finally set, I almost cancelled about 100 times, I was so scared. BUT I went through with it on June 4th and I can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did! There were a few times in the hospital and during my first week home that I questioned what in the heck did I do to myself, but now I am getting used to the plan and I am down over 40 pounds since surgery and have never felt better! My point in telling you all of this is that it is human nature to cling to our old way of life because we are scared and it is what we know. It is really scary and hard to face the unknown of how things will be after surgery (and for me I had NEVER had surgery of any kind, so I was also really scared of the unknown of what that would be like). The tests and all the visits are a pain, but need to be soldiered through with your eye on the end goal...YOUR HEALTH! In the end, this surgery has helped so many people improve their health and their lives in unbelievable ways. I just read a post of someone who after 9 months is down 90 lbs and off of her 12 meds! With all of your health issues, imagine what life would be like for you if losing weight nullified or at least alleviated most of them! It is normal to be scared and uncertain, but in the end, don't let that get in the way of taking control of your life and your health. YOU ARE WORTH IT! Good luck to you. My prayers are with you that you can find peace and calm going through this process and that you have a safe and successful surgery.

Congratulations! You are on your way to a new you! Best of luck!

90 lbs down and off your meds! That is so awesome! I love to read stories like this because it is so inspiring to see where this journey can take us...especially when the road is a bit bumpy! Keep up the good work!

My pureed or mushy stage was at 14 days but I pushed that up by a couple of days because I was so tired of liquids, including creamed soups. The cream of wheat and soggy oatmeal were both considered full liquids on my plan, so those are okay now.

I am 7 weeks out and am cleared for all exercise, including Zumba. I have heard it is a great work out and so much fun. I usually do not hear those two things in the same sentence so I am going to give it a try next week!!