keldolbeth

I meant to update since it was a week ago that I went out with my college friends. lol I survived the entire night without any alcohol! And I suggested Red Lobster for dinner so I knew there would be plenty of decent options for me. As soon as we got to the bars one of our friends ordered a round of my favorite shot! We toasted, I pretended to sip it because I didn't have a chaser, then dumped it in the trash can behind me when no one was looking. Later I ordered a cranberry juice. The bartender asked if I was DD and gave it to me for free. My friend said "you finally got a drink, now we can toast to your weight loss!" Ha! The irony! At the next bar my friend got a pitcher of Long Island (yes, a pitcher) and gave me a glass. I filled it 1/3 full and pretended to sip. I had taken a little 8oz bottle of Water in my purse, just in case, and ended up going to the bathroom to swap it out. I'm very proud of my commitment and creativity! It's nice to be able to live my "normal" life while also prioritizing my journey! P.S. I also went to a Cincinnati Reds game this week (I'm a huge fan) and refrained also. I'm a social drinker and love having a beer at functions like that.

I've had this issue too... been wondering what's up. If I remember correctly, I think we may have had the same date. (6/25?) When I was in the hospital I had problems peeing and sat in the bathroom for an hour at times and couldn't produce anything but still felt the urge. The doctor wasn't too concerned. It's not as bad now but I'm only going 2-3 times a day now instead of my normal 4-5 and yes, it's much darker. I feel like I've been doing pretty well on my water intake also. Maybe not 64oz, but getting close to it. And I wasn't a water drinker before, maybe had 30-40oz a day and drank lots of soda. Water is about the only think I drink now and I usually don't even flavor it with anything anymore.

I'm sure you would like to have the surgery sooner rather than later but is there any way you can work to establish credit now? Obviously a loan or a large enough credit limit for surgery is probably not possible but what about applying for a low interest, low credit limit major credit card just to get your credit established. It will probably benefit you in the future. There is a website, I think it's creditcards.com, where you can find specific cards to meet your situation and needs. That way you are more likely to be approved. If all else fails with the surgery options, maybe you can start to build your credit and eventually be approved for the financing you need. But, again, I understand the impatience during this process, it's just a thought. Good luck!

Aww, well thank you! I appreciate it, I'm flattered. And, no, I don't mind cute. I accept all compliments!

I read the previous post. My NUT does not count sugar alcohols. So I do total carbs minus fiber minus sugar alcohols. It might not make a huge difference in the daily total since not a lot of things have SA but if you eat any SF items on a regular basis it is going to greatly impact your count. I don't know if you use My Fitness Pal but many SF and NSA items you can search for the food with just net carbs, if that is what you count. Ex: ole tortillas net carbs

I can't say I've felt the exact same way you do because I've always been a big girl, no ups and downs. However, I do agree with whoever said that part of it is because we are happier and more confident. The new friends isn't all related to being more accepted as a smaller person. I do fear the new attention I am and will be getting as I lose more weight. As of now I like it because I still look like me (aka I'm still fat). But once I become a more normal sized person I almost don't want the attention. I discussed it with my psychologist and explained that for my entire life most of the attention I got due to my body was negative. It's hard to get it out of my head that I'm getting positive attention for my body because any attention seems negative. This scares me because I'm already noticing that I don't know how to respond when people compliment me. However, a few friends (some close, some not) have included "you've always been beautiful/hot/pretty/etc" which I know is true so that flatters and doesn't bother me. I think it's a learning curve for most and an especially sensitive one since weight is such a personal and overly scrutinized issue.

At 4 weeks out I had a few curly fries from Arby's. French fries was one of my biggest pre-op addictions. It was a little tough to get them down, especially without drinking. They didn't cause any pain or problems. And, while they still tasted good (not great), I don't plan on doing it again for a long while.

I would call not only your OB/GYN but your bariatric surgeon ASAP! Mine strictly warned me about getting pregnant within 18-24 months of being sleeved. They wanted two forms of birth control. Both doctors need to know.

That sounds like exactly where my pain was. I also had a lot of pain around my knee cap and on the bottom of it. If you're having a hard time straightening your leg it sounds like it could be something with the meniscus. Does it feel like something is sticking or grabbing when you try to straighten it? Does it ever pop loudly? Not that I'm an expert but I've been there. Like someone else said, strengthening your hips and quads can do a lot of good for your knee, especially your patella and everything around it. Even after I was done with PT I focused on those areas at the gym. I'm sure you could find some exercises online using an exercise ball, basketball, resistance band, etc to help if you absolutely cannot go to the doctor.

I LOVE seeing everyone's before, during and after pics! I've been updating this as I go. I just did it the other day because I felt discouraged over very little weight loss recently but I can tell in the face picture that my body is changing. The difference between the second and third image is only about 7-8 lbs but obviously there are still other changes going on too. The last pic in both is from Friday, down almost 90 but plenty more to go.

Have you ever gotten an MRI or x-ray? I do take naproxen almost daily (doctor OK'd it) for a torn meniscus and chondromalacia. If that is not an option and it's to the point of inhibiting daily life and exercising, I would recommend seeing an orthopedist. When I first had my injury I did a lot of physical therapy and had a few cortisone shots. After a few days, my knee loosened up. The shots are a little unpleasant but they definitely helped.

I live alone too. I'm not the best cook, nor do I enjoy it all that much. I never liked to cook complete meals for just myself. When I lost weight pre-op I did pretty well cooking 3-4 nights a week. I did well with planning too. However, I'm 5 weeks post-op so I'm not on a regular diet yet and I'm a teacher so I pretty much have no structure in my days now. There has been no planning since surgery. lol I haven't done badly though. BUT, thinking about getting back into a routine and planning meals is not motivating at all when I consider that I will be eating 1/3 or less of what I normally ate. I'm trying to think of ways to improve and not end up with tons of leftovers or waste. I know there is a learning curve with this sleeve but I'm used to being a good student! he he

My doctor hasn't been as strict about NSAIDs as other doctors. I take naproxen when I work out because I have a torn meniscus. Sometimes, even if I don't work out but don't take any for a few days I start to get sore. He told I could resume the day I left the hospital. But, as always, follow what your doctor says. They are all different!

I had a plethora of NSVs this week that I totally didn't even realize! It's probably a good thing since the scale hasn't been moving much (almost 5 weeks out). I need any kind of victory I can get! 1. went off the (low) diving board at a public pool for the first time in years! I have a torn meniscus and was always afraid I wouldn't be able to get up the ladder. I also had fears of snapping the board in half! lol 2. I went out to dinner for the first time since being allowed real food and stayed on the plan. I actually went out twice, got chicken once and seafood once (all baked or grilled)... had maybe two bites of the accompanying mashed potatoes and rice (forgot to substitute my sides). 3. Went out bar-hopping with college friends and didn't drink a single drop of alcohol! These friends do not know about surgery and I want to keep it that way for the time being. I had to get very creative since there were many toasts to the newly engaged friend and to my weight loss (ha ha- the irony). An 8oz bottle of Water fit great in my purse for my trips to the bathroom! lol 4. I actually went to bars both nights this weekend and made it home without stopping for fast food. I used to be the queen of 4th meal- Taco Bell, Wendys, McDs. I was ssoooo tempted (this was the hardest NSV) on my way home because I was actually hungry. Instead, last night when I came home I had a few salami roll-ups and tonight had some milk. 5. I finally joined My Fitness Pal and started tracking my food. It's definitely not as difficult or time-consuming as I expected (the reason I put it off). 6. I went to see my psychologist for the first time since surgery. I was seeing her long before surgery and she was actually the biggest advocate of this for me and facilitated the discussion with my mom because I was too terrified. Anyway... she didn't recognize me! Legitimately, she wasn't just saying that. I was wondering why she didn't say hi to me when I saw her sitting outside the building! Whoo hoo! As always, thanks for all the support! Love this place!

I've seen the cauliflower recipe on Pinterest but haven't tried it yet. There was another one there for crustless pizza using some type of cream cheese concoction as the bottom layer (haven't tried that either). One I did find on there was a recipe for a calzone using low carb tortillas. (There's a few different brands. I think I have the Ole brand now because they were cheaper. Only 5 net carbs.) It surprisingly quelled my pizza craving! I just made a buffalo chicken one the other night too. Eggface has lots of recipes for tortilla pizzas but I've just done the calzone. I load it up with yummy toppings and I can eat less than half at a time. Yesterday it took me almost all day to eat the whole thing.

Consider yourself lucky! We had the same date. I started mine the next day. I had a fairly short (for me) period for about 4 days, I think. Then, a week later, I started AGAIN and was on heavily for 10 days and then had spotting for a few more. It sucked! And this is all while on birth control. (My PCP and surgeon ok'd it.) So we will see what happens this time around.

Hmm, no response yet? He messaged me earlier in the week (we live in the same city). At that point he had lost 45 pounds and sounded like he was doing well. He's back to work now. I guess that's all I'll report now and let him give you the details!

Thank you for addressing this! I'm only 5 weeks out so I haven't had a ton of different foods but I know I didn't have this surgery to diet the rest of my life. Yes, I want to change my way of eating but that is a lifestyle change. My NUT, who is a bander herself and lost 220 lbs, is very realistic about indulgences and treats. I like this way of thinking. It helped me be successful and lose 65 lbs BEFORE surgery! I didn't beat myself up over every wrong choice. I just made sure the next one was a right one. I may not have gotten this surgery if someone would have told me I could never have pizza, chinese food, french fries, beer, etc ever again. Granted, it's going to be few and far between and my tastes will hopefully change over time but I don't want to feel deprived if I hold out or guilty if I give in, because that just leads to being unhappy. I feel like so many people on this site condemn those who make a wrong decision in their diet. I don't like the holier-than-thou viewpoints and judgment that gets passed along. We are all battling and struggling and HUMAN! It makes me almost scared to post a question because I'm afraid of the negative opinions I'm going to get. I've been FAT for 28 years, I'm not going to change overnight. Harsh criticism isn't going to help that.

I have a torn meniscus and chrondromalacia in my right knee. Back in the fall I tried to find a knee brace online but I can't find the website anymore. I do remember looking at painreliever.com but it's not the one I ordered from. I never found one that worked and I just gave up. I'm not saying you should... I ordered two: one was too big, one was too small. I sent them back and never reordered. I use amazon for pretty much everything now so I'd recommend starting there. Just to careful about where it says you measure. Some say around the knee cap, others measure based on so many inches above or below the knee. I did it right and still had size issues. However, a few of the extra large ones I found online were also available from WalMart, usually just online though.

It depends more on your employer than your insurance. I have UHC and it was an absolute exclusion. I had to pay out of pocket.

I will be 5 weeks out Monday and I was hoping to go to a class next week. I was cleared for all forms of exercise at 4 weeks but, as always, every doctor is different. Pre-op I did Zumba regularly 3-4x times a week for a year... until I tore my meniscus last summer. I went so often I became good friends with my fave instructor! I've been working out on my own again but have been a little nervous to go back to a class. Yes, they do have aqua Zumba classes aka Water aerobics which I LOVED also. Great strength workout! You can find classes of any type on zumba.com. As far as a work out, it is awesome! You can do it at your own pace. Don't worry if you don't follow every single step, just keep moving. The more you go the better you will get. I was never the only big girl in class. It's great cardio and strength training. I've heard different stats but typically you can burn 500-700 calories per class (an hour). I didn't lose a ton of weight doing it because I was still eating like **** but I built up a lot of muscle. My body did change, my stress was lowered and I pulled myself out of depression without meds. I would whole-heartedly recommend trying a class! The music, the people, the instructor just make it so much fun! Ahhh, I can't wait to go back! lol Good luck!

Actually, it looks like we have a lot in common, JD7176... very similar stats- BMI, goals, height (I'm 5'9"), surgery dates (6/25 for me). Good luck! Let me know if you find any "best practices" for school days! lol

I'm a teacher too so I definitely understand! I always had them and some peanut butter and almonds in my drawer. This was pre-op doing low carb, I was told not to try nuts yet. I'm lucky to have a fridge very close by that only a few of us share so in there I always kept some string cheese and lunch meat. I don't want to have to think about planning for school just yet! Teachers start back August 17th for us.

Yep, I was told 6 weeks too... I'm at 4 1/2 now. It will be nice when I can try them because it will make going out to eat easier. I try to look at menus and plan before I go but you never know what restaurants throw in their dishes. I'm ready for a grilled chicken salad! Yum!

This is funny because I was about to post a thread about sex today too! I'm a month post-op and have had sex twice since surgery. (I only waited 10 days, doc said I could do it when I felt ready.) The "friend" I was with last night was kind of an experiment of sorts because I had not had sex with him in several months, back when I was at my highest weight. I wanted to "test it out" and see if I noticed a difference with 85 pounds gone. Little did I know he had lost a bunch of weight too. (He's not a big guy, just lost most of his beer gut. lol) So, of course, he lost inches in his waist and gained it you-know-where. I felt much smaller or shallower down there now. It has never hurt with him before and last night I let out a few yelps of pain. Afterwards I told him I was mad at him because he "punched my cervix." lol We had a good laugh! But that was the ONLY negative! Everything else was great! It was so nice to wrap my legs around his waist or hold my own legs up more easily! Oh, I love the TMI threads on this site!