lollyfidy1965

I've been struggling with a question I often hear from friends/acquaintances....not that the question bothers me, but because I'm not sure which answer to give. The conversation goes like this (at least inside my head...) "How much weight have you lost?" (the inside my head part...) "Well....if you compare now to your highest weight (which was in March '12), its X, but if you compare now with the day you first visited the surgeon (that's the number my surgeon uses), its Y, but if you compare now with the day of surgery, its Z." Its much too difficult to give that answer. LOL So....after several weeks of cogitating, I've decided that my answer is going to be relative to my highest weight....because, in reality, I HAVE lost that much weight...and I need to be able to brag about it (a little bit, at least)!! Right?? So....to answer the question....as of this morning, I have lost 99 pounds!! Never in my life did I think I would be able to say that!!! Yes, I still have 70-odd pounds to lose, but DANG!! I will NEVER wear those 99 again!! Happy Sunday! Laura

I would strongly recommend you call your surgeon, or make a trip to the ER. There are too many possible serious reasons for your pain, particularly just 6 days post-op, to risk it. I hope all is well!

Many people experience acid reflux as a "hunger" feeling. You may want to reach out to your surgeon and discuss that as a possibility. I came home from the hospital on liquid Zantac, but had to have a second medicine added (a Prevacid "solutab") a week after being advanced to soft/mushy foods, because of breakthrough acid reflux. (I also got bumped back to full liquids for an additional 3 weeks, because my surgeon felt the increased acid was an indication my baby sleeve just wasn't quite ready for more "solid" (even mushy) foods yet.) Best of luck!

Gustavo, I'm the sort of person who can manage something if I'm able to understand it. If I know that little voice inside my head...the one screaming for something bad...is the result of someone's intentional attempts to control my brain (in a very unhealthy way), I am able to not eat whatever it is that voice is screaming for. Its a function of awareness....like controlling what/how much you eat by beginning to honestly track everything you put in your mouth. (If that makes any sense.)

Aspartame gives me wicked migraines, too!! It truly is the chemical of the devil! LOL So...I've had the joy of needing to find things to drink without aspartame, as well. It does require a bit of research, but there are MANY products out there! Propel Zero flavor packets, 4C flavor packets (my choice...its cheaper), Vitamin Water Zero (although I can't stand the taste of it), Isopure Protein drinks are not sweetened with aspartame (again...I can't stand the taste of them, but many like them), Muscle Milk Lite is sweetened with spelnda (I love the chocolate flavor!), the unjury and Syntrax Protein powder products are all without aspartame, and don't forget broths...they all count as "liquid", as well as decaf tea, which you can sweeten however you like. Best of luck to you!! Laura

You might try elastic bands....they roll up into almost no space, weigh next to nothing, and you can get a variety of different amounts of resistance, in order to increase the "weight" over time. Walking is also great...and you can add wrist/ankle weights, to increase the amount of work you do. Best of luck! Laura

It depends entirely upon the philosophy of your surgeon. Mine recommends not drinking alcohol after surgery. Its empty calories, if nothing else. Fortunately, I don't drink, so I'm not missing anything.

I have had moments of mourning....mourning the loss of oral enjoyment I used to get when eating, mostly. When something tasted really good to me, I loved the prolonged exposure (of those flavors) on my taste buds. I wanted the experience to go on forever, I guess. After surgery, I went through a period (of a couple weeks) during which I would eat just a little too much....becoming very uncomfortable...because my mouth just wasn't done tasting (if that makes any sense). Thankfully, I've moved past that. Now, I'm able to eat my handful of little bites...enough for my stomach to feel satisfied (not "full"...I try to avoid that feeling)...and my mouth (and brain) feel satisfied, too. Maybe my brain just learned that continuing to indulge in the oral enjoyment will lead to 2 hours of pure discomfort, and has retrained itself...I don't know. Even when I was in the throes of mourning, however, I never regretted having had my surgery. I wish you the best in your journey. Laura

On a serious note....and in the hopes of, perhaps, helping one person... I know I've posted this before (multiple times, actually...so forgive me, if you've seen it already), but, I HIGHLY recommend reading the book "The End of Overeating". If you're wondering why you're craving high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt foods (and Nacho cheese Doritos is DEFINITELY one of those!), this book will explain it to you, in very simple terms. The food manufacturing companies (and my apologies to the person who works for Frito-Lay) intentionally manipulates foods, searching for the perfect combination of fat, sugar, and salt, in order to trigger a chemical response (in our brains) identical to that seen in drug addicts. Yes...IDENTICAL. Food, literally, becomes the "drug of choice"....and we get sucked into a cycle of dependence (explaining our need for weight loss surgery). The more I read, the angrier I became....and the easier it became for me, before and after my surgery, to say NO to unhealthy, over-processed foods that were, literally, killing me. Please....if you're struggling with craving unhealthy foods (or, really, anything processed, and high in sugar, fat, and/or salt), give this book a read. It has truly made my post-surgical journey MUCH easier....because I understand the process going on in my brain, when I hear that little voice screaming for things I really shouldn't be eating. Wishing us all great success! Laura

Thanks, Peacequeen!! I AM proud...and amazed...and so grateful for having had the opportunity to have my surgery done!! I know, from years of experience, I could NEVER have accomplished this kind of loss...EVER...any other way!!

I don't know this first-hand, but have read (in other posts on here) that the military doesn't allow a waiver for someone post-VSG to join. If you do a search (on here), you should be able to find the post I'm referring to...there was a link to some official DoD information there, I believe.

Well....thanks to multiple muscular injuries in my left hip/leg, I likely won't hit my Labor Day goal (to get to 250 lbs). I'm actually ok with that, though.... I mean... I've lost 47 pounds, and will be fewer than 5 pounds short of meeting my goal!! I have no reason to complain about a 47 pound loss, in roughly 10 weeks! LOL (And the goal set was, in truth, a "stretch" goal...I had no reason to expect I would actually go from 302.4 to 250 in just 10 weeks!! LOL) Moving on to the Halloween weight loss challenge....to get down to 235! Wishing everyone great success! Laura

Your surgeon needs to release you to go into water, whether its a river, pool, or bathtub. The risk of infection is too high to go in before being "officially" told its ok to do so....and your surgeon is the only one who can do that for you.

I hope you will read what I'm going to say, and understand that it comes from a place of love, caring, and concern (and based entirely on my impression of the comments you posted)... You have more going on, psychologically, than not losing weight "fast enough". My suggestion would be to reach out to your surgical program, and ask to speak with their therapist. If they don't have one on-staff (I'm making an assumption, based on my own experience, that they would), finding a therapist to help with your ingrained self-esteem issues might be helpful. You need to rediscover all the reasons for which you are worthy of being loved....especially by yourself. Self-love will give you the strength to face the rest of the world without feeling the need to concern yourself with the thoughts of others (even including your mother). So many of us have been taught to hate ourselves...because we were too "fat," or because of some other reason (most often imposed by those around us). The process of losing weight, and becoming healthier, ends up being about so much more than just "losing weight"!! In the end, the amount of weight you've already lost is wonderful...truly!! Don't allow those niggling voices get the better of you....don't allow them to derail the progress you've made! I wish you nothing but success, and peace of mind! Laura

Gotcha, Wheetsin. My response was purely informational...and not really even directed at you (but for anyone looking for a suitable "jello"-type food).

Glad to be a little helpful! I'd love to hear your thoughts/feelings, after you've read it!

Just as an FYI...gelatein 20 has whey protein isolate in it

FYI...dark urine, at any time of day, is an early indication of dehydration. You might want to drink a little more before bed. As for my "product" (LOL), like the OP, I can go every day, for several days in a row, and then skip a day or 2. Its definitely more "work" to go, since surgery, but there's nothing unusual about what finally does come out.

If you're looking for protein sources, you might google "gelatein 20"...its a high-protein Gelatin...88 calories, and 20 grams of protein in a 4 oz cup. If you email the company and ask, they will send you a sample of each of the two flavors to try, before committing to an entire case. I "like" the fruit punch flavor, and have one as an evening snack on days when I'm running short of protein.

If you've ever done Weight Watchers, there is trackable information available from them. The same with any other "purchased" diet programs (Jenny Craig, NutraSystem, etc). When I filled out my paperwork I listed multiple attempts at WW, NutraSystem, Atkins, working with a personal trainer, and Herbalife. There was never a question asked about providing documentation related to any previous diet attempts. Hopefully it won't be an issue for you!

You can try Vitamin Shoppe....they have LOTS of high-protein, sugar-free products, and can even provide a list of products that are appropriate specifically for WLS customers. (You'll have to ask a manager...and keep asking until you find someone who knows what you're talking about.) You can also google something like "bariatric surgery foods" (or something along those lines)...I'm sure you'll find lots of websites offering appropriate products.

I would do exactly as your surgeon recommends, and see how you fare after a few days back on liquids. A week after I started "soft/pureed" foods, I developed breakthrough acid reflux (I'd come home from the hospital on liquid Zantac for acid). (This back-track took place when I was 4 weeks post-op.) My surgeon added a Prevacid solutab daily, and moved me back to full liquids for another 3 weeks. The additional time on liquids gave my sleeve ample time to heal, and I've had no more issues with reflux. (I've not thrown up since surgery.) Best of luck to you! Laura

Jennifer...don't be sad about the woman you've become.....be THRILLED about the woman you WILL become!! Even if it takes 6 months to have the surgery...use that time to learn everything you can about eating more healthfully (I highly recommend the book "The End of Overeating"), and to deal with any emotional/psychological issues you may have related to food. I promise you, doing that prior to surgery will make life after surgery INFINITELY easier!! Best of luck to you! Laura

Ali....unlike many who "fail" after WLS, you have the grace to say "this is all my fault." Do you realize how much strength it takes to do that?? Particularly in such a public forum?? I'm not sure I would be able to do the same. (Oh, I would place all the blame squarely on myself, but I doubt I'd wave that flag publicly!) If you're strong enough to do that, surely you're strong enough to get yourself back on track...right? If you don't feel up to the task on your own (even with the support of the love of your life), reach out to the program that performed your surgery. I'm sure your surgeon and nutritionist would be thrilled to see you getting seriously back on the right path...and that they would be more than willing to help you rediscover the road to success! Do whatever you need to do in order to make it happen...its NEVER too late to get it right!! (It might be more challenging, but it will never be impossible!) I wish you great success, and peace of mind, as you continue on your amazing journey! Laura

You're very welcome! I recommend that book to everyone I can....it really has been a game-changer for me! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, after you've gotten into it a bit. Laura