Domika03

As time goes by, I find myself clinging to a few favorite foods over & over again. Some have more protein than others, but still remain my "go-to" foods. Does anyone else feel the same way? Here are 2 of mine: Cabbage Pork Vegetable Soup - pork maple ground sausage, onions, cabbage, canned & drained navy beans, mixed veggies, low sodium vegetable & beef broth. Cook onions, add pork sausage. Drain, put back in pot. Add broth, veggies & navy beans. Cook for 30 minutes. Add cabbage & cook an additional 15-20 minutes. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor (in my opinion). The pork sausage & combination broths give this soup a very flavorful taste. I measure out 1 cup & freeze it for lunch or dinner. Stouffer's Spinach Souffle - I split the package into 2 servings & it's more than enough as I add some type of a protein to this (chicken or even turkey meatballs) Any others out there?

As most of us know, this weight loss journey takes us on quite the psychological roller coaster ride, starting from how we felt as overweight people (pre-surgery) and straight through to wherever we are now. I'm no exception. I made my original WLS decision back in 2012 because I was extremely depressed, and, quite frankly, felt disgusted (oh yes, disgusted), with the way I looked. My weight affected "every" aspect of my life (work, social, family & marriage). With that sad, I was approved by my insurance to have lap band surgery in August 2012. I lost about 90 pounds with the band before I ran into complications mid to end last year, wound up having my band completed un-filled, and was left with the fear (huge fear) of possibly gaining the weight back. So, I made the decision of having band to sleeve, not knowing if I would wind up being self-pay or insurance approved. Thankfully, some how, some way, my insurance covered my surgery even though I only weighed 156 pre-sleeve surgery (not considered obese but still somewhat over-weight). Fast forward to the present: I had my revision surgery Jan 2014 and have since lost about 18 pounds since. I weigh 138 pounds, am considered to be on maintenance, and am a size 8. Amazing, coming from a size 22+. Mind you, I love, love, LOVE clothes shopping now & wearing all these nice outfits. They feel great & fit soooo much better than they did before. So, what's my issue? Is there an issue? The last few days, I've actually been feeling 'fat." Yea, I said 'fat.' I understand I am not fat as defined in the dictionary "(of a person or animal) having a large amount of excess flesh." Nonetheless, I can't explain it. Don't get me wrong, I'd been feeling great about my recent weight loss & finally hitting (and passing) my weight loss goal weight. I can't put my finger on it, but I can't shake this feeling. Hopefully, this is just a temporary feeling. Heck, I'm sure it's temporary. I just don't understand where this is coming from all of a sudden. Anyone else feel this way?

As most of us know, this weight loss journey takes us on quite the psychological roller coaster ride, starting from how we felt as overweight people (pre-surgery) and straight through to wherever we are now. I'm no exception. I made my original WLS decision back in 2012 because I was extremely depressed, and, quite frankly, felt disgusted (oh yes, disgusted), with the way I looked. My weight affected "every" aspect of my life (work, social, family & marriage). With that said, I was approved by my insurance to have lap band surgery in August 2012. I lost about 90 pounds with the band before I ran into complications mid to end last year, wound up having my band completed un-filled, and was left with the fear (a huge fear, I might add) of possibly gaining the weight back. So, I made the decision of doing a revision to the sleeve, not knowing if I would wind up being self-pay or insurance approved. Thankfully, some how, some way, my insurance covered my surgery even though I only weighed 156 pre-sleeve surgery (not considered obese but still somewhat over-weight). Fast forward to the present: I had my revision surgery Jan 2014 and have since lost about 18 pounds since. I weigh 138 pounds, am considered to be on maintenance, and am a size 8. Amazing, coming from a size 22+. Mind you, I love, love, LOVE clothes shopping now & wearing all these nice outfits. They feel great & fit soooo much better than they did before. So, what's my issue? Is there an issue? The last few days, I've actually been feeling 'fat." Yea, I said 'fat.' I understand I am not fat as defined in the dictionary "(of a person or animal) having a large amount of excess flesh." Nonetheless, I can't explain it. Don't get me wrong, I'd been feeling great about my recent weight loss & finally hitting (and passing) my weight loss goal weight. I can't put my finger on it, but I can't shake this feeling. Hopefully, this is just a temporary feeling. Heck, I'm sure it's temporary. I just don't understand where this is coming from all of a sudden. Anyone else feel this way?

I would reach out to your Dr first thing tomorrow. While it's more than likely because you're not eating or drinking enough, you want to be safe & not sorry. I used to have issues, and periodically still due, with feeling dizzy & light-headed. Only passed out once, and it was a few days post-surgery. I've confirmed with my Dr's office that it was probably because I wasn't getting enough fluids. So, if you don't want to eat much as a result of your stomach flu, please do your best to get those liquids in. Very important that we drink over 50 oz a day., minimally. I was only drinking an average of 35 oz per day. It's still a struggle but I'm doing better AND when I get those fluids in, I don't get as light-headed. Go figure Take care of yourself!!

I think a lot of people try to do this before their surgery. But, what you should know is that you will still be able to eat all this food, just not nearly as much as you're going to have pre-surgery, LOL. Enjoy & good luck with everything! Congratulations on making a decision to improve your health & lifestyle!

I'm happy to say, that as far as I can tell, all my blood work levels show within the 'normal' range!!! I had some concerns, but am happy to say it all looks good. My 3 month follow-up is on April 7th.

Very awesome. Congratulations & safe travels!!!

Another great feeling is buckling up that seat belt. SOOOO much easier to do these days

My experience has been different, MUCH more positive. This will show you how everyone is different! I had the band 8/17/13, and although was quite successful in that I lost 90 pounds, I had issues / partially slipped band on & off for several months. My final straw was when I was on vacation & had to be admitted to the ER because I couldn't eat or drink anything. After a complete unfill at the end of December, I had the revision to sleeve done on Jan 16th. I had 1 overnight stay in the hospital. I got up & starting walking around within 2 hours after surgery, understanding that it was vital to recovery to walk around & help with gas. I was pretty medicated that 1st night & maybe 1 or 2 days thereafter. Thankfully, not much in the way of pain overall. I made sure to follow Dr's orders with food intake for the first 3 weeks. After that, I worked with my NUT on what to eat and how much to eat. I've lost an additional 17 pounds & am pretty much on maintenance now. Don't worry, while it is a journey, it's well worth taking. Wishing you the best to luck.

Two hours (give or take), band removal to sleeve revision. Thankfully, no complications!!

Don't be so hard on yourself. You're just starting out & it takes some people more time than others to get a work out routine in place. Be proud that you're taking steps to improve your health & lifestyle. Five minutes is better than 0 minutes. Keep working on it, 5 minutes one day, 6 another & just work your way up. The surgery is definitely a great tool & you have complete control on how successful you can be. Good luck

We had our 3rd support meeting tonight. It usually runs from 4:30pm - 6pm, but we had a bigger group & did a round table (a few minutes with each person), so we didn't get out until around 6;30pm. I enjoyed listening to everyone's story & hearing about their triumphs and struggles. During our 1st meeting back in January we decided everyone would bring at least one bariatric friendly recipe to each meeting, so 6 months down the road, they would gather all our recipes & create a little book for everyone. We put our names on each so we get credit, and they're going to have the NUT confirm nutritional the values. I happen to be the type of person that likes to cook & try new recipes as time permits, so I brought 7 or 8 recipes with me We talked about protein bars & which ones everyone liked. The winners were Quest protein bars, which also have a very high fiber content (17 grams in the White Rasberry Chocolate flavor I ate earlier) with 190 calories, and Pure Protein which averages around 200 calories but has a lower fiber content. Someone else chimed in about PB2, which I've heard of, but didn't know anything about it until tonight. I guess this is a powder peanut butter that you add a little water to.. I guess it turns into a slightly grainy peanut butter. Traditional peanut butter contains about 180 calories, while two tablespoons (approximately 12 grams) of PB2 powder, and contains just 53 calories. I hear it tastes OK, just not sure I want to try this. When it was my turn to speak, I talked about the fact that I've been getting really diz zy & light-headed almost on a daily basis. I thought it was an issue with my not meeting my protein requirements, which I thought was supposed to be 60-70 oz. The registered dietician asked me how much I was getting & I told her my average was probably 50ish. She said anything over 40-45 oz is perfectly acceptable. Remember, I'm on maintenance not in the beginning phase. Then she asked me about my fluid intake. I told her around 30 oz per day. It's something that I struggle with daily! B-I-N-G-O! More than likely, I'm getting dehydrated & am at high risk of having low potassium levels as well. I need to have at least 64 oz per day (actually we all do) and because I drink of 6-8 oz of chai tea (that has caffeine in it), I'm dehydrating myself more. She suggested I try 6 oz of V8 juice every day for a week. She thought that would help keep me more hydrated & boost my potassium & sodium levels. I thought V8 had a higher salt content, but she thinks my body needs it. She suggested I only do it for a week to get myself going then focus on getting those liquids in. Note to self: Gotta keep up with those required fluids to reduce potential issues with constipation AND more importantly, avoid the chance of getting hospitalized as a result of dehydration. So not worth it!

Here are a few common questions you'll want to ask: Ask about the surgeon’s experience in each of the major bariatric procedures – gastric banding, gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. Ask about complication rates, operating times & recovery. Ask what insurance carrier they work with & what the requirements are. This might not be addressed until you make your first consultation apt. How do they support you after the surgery is done? Support groups, follow up visits, nutritionist visits, etc... Many, if not most, of the seminars have patients that have already gone through these procedures. Talk to them & learn about their experiences. Be sure to ask them lots of questions that only a patient can truly answer (recovery time, pain, tests, support system...) Good luck!

Don't be so hard on yourself. You should feel proud of your accomplishment in losing 70 pounds in only 6 months. That's fantastic. Your message is a little hard to understand towards the end, but hang in there. Remember, life is 10% what happens to us & 90% how we react. Stay positive my friend!

Being nervous before any surgery is oh, so normal! But, ask yourself: are you really "living" life to the fullest now? Are you happy wherever you're at with your health & lifestyle now? What led you to make the decision to have the surgery to being with? Have things changed to make you question your decision? No one can tell you if it's the right decision since it's such a personal & life-changing event. Personally speaking, this was the BEST thing i ever did was get the band removed & replaced by the sleeve! I had it done all in 1 surgery. Recovery went well overall. I'm almost 8 weeks out & have no regrets. I do struggle with getting enough fluids & sometimes protein in, but it's all me & has nothing to do with the surgery itself. Great decision, good luck!

It's a very personal decision that only you can make. Personally, BEST thing i ever did was get the band removed & replaced by the sleeve! I had it done all in 1 surgery. Recovery went well overall. I'm almost 8 weeks out & have no regrets. I do struggle with getting enough fluids & sometimes Protein in, but it's all me & has nothing to do with the surgery itself. Great decision, good luck!

I think you'll be OK, but have you tried some of these items on their own before mixing them together? I would only suggest that you be careful how much you can eat since it'll all be mixed up.

Congratulations on making the decision to change your life & become healthier! I had a band revision to sleeve on Jan 16th this year. Personally, I feel this was a great decision that helped me stay focused & continue my weight loss journey! If you get a chance, check out my blog (Mission Slimpossible) starting in Jan of this year. I talk very candidly about what I've been through the last few months. I don't blog every day, but feel I post honestly & share what I can in hopes of helping others learn what this journey might be like. Feel free to reach out to me privately if you'd like once those questions come up. While I'm not a medical expert, I can speak from experience & share what I've learned & am learning every day. Best of luck!

Great before & after pictures. Good for you for staying focused & losing all this weight. I wish you continued success!!!

You've heard it here & I'll bet you've heard it from your Dr's office as well. Do NOT weigh yourself every day. Some days the scale goes up, other days it goes down. You are doing great. Mix things up a little bit. Try different foods for a week, but stay a focused as you are meeting all those requirements. I don't even know how you manage to drink all that Water & Protein. I have a tough time getting protein & even liquids in. I'm jealous. Remember, the weight didn't come all on in a week, and it's gonna take more than a week to come off. You can do this.

I had a revision, band to sleeve. My situation was similar to many stories, and yet somewhat different. I lost like 90 pds with the band but had a partial slip in Dec that eventually caused pain & the inability to eat & keep anything down. It was removed & replaced all in 1 surgery on Jan 16th of this year. I weighed 156 the day of surgery & now weigh 138 pds. I have no regrets. I fill up with 1 cup of food & do not feel hungry at all. Mind you, I can eat 1 cup of crappy food OR healthy food. YOU still have to make the right choices, which isn't always easy. YOU are in control. Good luck!

Wow, I weight 183 pounds & I'm a size 8, not even close to a 6. Awesome, great job!

I must have missed this, but glad to see you guys spoke up. No need for illegal, immoral, or flat out negative crap. Stay positiive folks!

Different Dr's have different post-surgery menu's to follow, so we can all be on different phases while in the same recovery week. While you seem to be able to eat many foods, I would be cautious on what you eat. You just had major stomach surgery & your tummy sill needs time to heal. It's still swollen & needs to be treated with some major TLC. If you're going to experiment, please be careful & stick to the softer foods for now. Don't over do it, because you could wind up hurting yourself. One day at a time. Best of luck!

Hi there, Oh, most of us were definitely nervous before surgery. I went in there with a very positive attitude & joked a lot with the nurses as a way to cope with my nerves. Ironically, staying positive helped me through this entire process. My surgery was on a Thursday, and I took off work the entire following week. I worked from home on what I would call Week 2, and I'm glad I did. I was very tired, not much energy. If you can take 2 weeks off, do it! Best of luck! I'm sure things will work out just fine!