Domika03

Hey everyone, I had gastric sleeve surgery back in 2014. I did pretty well over the years coming from almost 240 all the way down to 140 but now about 165. I'm definitely a stress eater. This year has been a struggle & I'm not even talking about COVID. No point in sharing my reasons because they don't help. I'd like to get back on track but I don't even remember how to start. I'd like to ask what you guys are eating on a daily basis; a sample menu perhaps? I'd be so grateful if anyone could give me pointers on how to get back on the right path! Many thanks, Fran

This question goes out to anyone in the north Denver area. I had facilitated a weight loss support group a few years ago & did it for about 2 years before I had to stop. It was non-medically supervised so basically just a bunch of people looking to help & support one another in their weight loss journey. We shared everything from A to Z; talked about what surgeries we had, what worked, what didn't work, the emotional roller coaster associated with weight loss surgery, recipe suggestions, etc... You name it, we talked about it. The one rule was that everything we discussed was kept confidential. I opened it up to anyone wanting to have surgery OR that had surgery. The goal was simply to support one another. Again, I am not in the medical field nor am I an authority in the subject. What I am is an extrovert that enjoys meeting new people & helping provide support. Would you be interested in a weight loss surgery support meeting in the Westminster / Broomfield area?

5/31/19 Oh, the journey I've traveled. It's been years since I last posted but I was such an avid contributor that I thought I'd "check in" again. My weight gain started after a very depressing first marriage & continued on through single parenthood. By the time I met my current husband (of almost 20 yrs now), I guess I was comfortable with myself & my terrible eating habits. I'm not sure I can pinpoint the moment I decided to have the gastric sleeve, but like many, I got to the point where I was so damn depressed that I didn't even want to go out. I didn't want to be seen or noticed. I was incredibly embarrassed with myself. Fast forward, I had my surgery around 2014. Became a weight loss facilitator hosting support meetings for newbies & post surgery. Started a demanding job that took me away from continuing the meetings only to wind up getting laid off 1 1/2 yrs later. Found a temp job but was very unhappy with the commute so I left. Here's where you need to pay attention. I wound up unemployed for almost 7 months. I became quite depressed and, guess what gained 25 pounds back. UGH, how could this happen, right? Easy. I feel back into old habits. I didn't watch what I was eating & I certainly didn't pay attention to portion control. Granted, I didn't eat a lot in the sense of how much I ate, but it was enough. Don't think for a minute that weight loss surgery is a quick fix. It's truly a tool & you are responsible for making it work for you. We all gain weight for many different reasons but I feel it almost always is a result of a psychological journey we're going through. Fortunately, once I was employed & allowed myself to become accountable to myself again, I started Weight Watchers. Yea, you would think I knew what I had to do to lose the weight again but I needed the support & something I could 'share' with others. Here I am, 4 months later & I lost the weight. Pheww... I'm 5'2 and my average weight is around 142 pounds. I may start those support meetings up again in the North Denver area. MIght be a great resource for many as it was when I first did it .

I was SO good about watching my weight & proud of my weight loss. I looked & felt great. I averaged around 140 pds, which was good for me. I mean, come one, I went from a size 22+ to an 8. WHOA, me, at 8?! Then, life happened, and it happened hard. I lost my job& was unemployed for 5 months. I gained about 20 pds from simply sitting around looking for jobs all damn day. I accepted the job, because I needed one & it paid OK. However, my commute is an hour+ each way every day. Therefore, when I get home, I'm just not motivated to do anything. My son also had a major incident in his life that left us helping him financially & dealing with major stress. Oh, it's his stress, but affects me directly as his mom. Fast forward to present day... I now weigh around 168 pounds! Yea, that's what I said. WTF people! How did this happen? Yea, yea, I know HOW it happened, but I'm so disappointed in myself. How could I let this happen after being so successful & feeling so good. I'm now in a size 14, and I now hate my reflection yet again. Self image & confidence go hand in hand with your weight. At least, it does for me! Do over~ As the saying goes, every day is an opportunity to start over. As such, I have most recently started to watch what I'm eating by once again monitoring my food intake via myfitnesspal.com. It helps, I guess. I mean, I'm not eating as much crap as before & trying to watch what I eat. I've also started working out, and by 'working out' I mean going on my newly purchased recumbent bike 15 minutes each day. Better than nothing. I've even gone as far as putting a few post-it notes on my bathroom mirror to keep me focused & in hopes of staying positive. The sweet thing is that my 15 1/2 yr old daughter added a few positive, thoughtful notes to the collection as well. :-) Starting over sucks! My goal is to get back to 150. I think I can be happy at that weight as it seems realistic. Yesterday morning I was 165.8 then today 167.4. I'm not 100% sure what I did to gain a few pounds again, but it makes this journey quite frustrating - UGH!!!! Give me strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks SO much for your kind words. Sounds like the type of thing I would have said to someone when I was doing so well. I really appreciate that!

LET'S GET BACK ON TRACK Hi everyone,I'm trying to get our group "back on track" again. Let's reflect on on our journey: why we started the process, what surprises we may have encountered along the way, and how we can maintain a healthy lifestyle! Please join us: Date: Wednesday, April 5th Time: 6 - 8pm Location: Broomfield Public Library, pin Show Map 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, Colorado 80020 As a reminder, our meetings are open to anyone considering surgery, scheduled for surgery OR is post surgery. Our focus is to stay motivated, give back to others, and support one another as best as possible! Hope to see you there!!

Everyone is most welcome. I also have a closed group called Mission Slimpossible on FB. I made it closed for privacy purposes, so no one can see anything about the group. Hope to see you there!

North Denver Bariatric Pal Support Meeting Hi everyone,I'm trying to get our group "back on track" again. Let's reflect on on our journey: why we started the process, what surprises we may have encountered along the way, and how we can maintain a healthy lifestyle! Please join us: Date: Wednesday, April 5th Time: 6 - 8pm Location: Broomfield Public Library, pin Show Map 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, Colorado 80020 As a reminder, our meetings are open to anyone considering surgery, scheduled for surgery OR is post surgery. Our focus is to stay motivated, give back to others, and support one another as best as possible! Hope to see you there!!

Like I said above: Weight gain, yea, it's real! I'm 3 yrs out (next week) - band to sleeve revision. I had done a pretty good job staying focused & losing weight. My start weight was around 245 pounds & my average weight was around 138 to 140 pds. My lowest was 135, but that didn't last long. I'm about 5'2. I know, a giant. So, my struggle started slowly but surely, a few months ago. So, most sleevers can't really eat a lot, which is good, because our tool is working. HOWEVER, it's up to you to eat the right foods. Well, I'm married to a BIG snacker! Hubby eat crap all the time. We're talking things like chips, crackers, chocolate, etc... I used to be able to ignore his snacking, but due to work related stress (hey, that's my excuse), I started to munch. Then, it happened. I was laid-off mid November. Yup, right before the holidays. Guess what happens when you're searching for a job, while sitting on your butt, day in / day out, for hours & hours..... You eat anything because you're frustrated / stressed / bored.... you name it. I know these are only "excuses" but I genuinely feel over-whelmed. We've been able to sustain ourselves, and should be able to hold on for another month or so, but after that.... shits going down. I only got 5 weeks severance as I was only there for 1 1/2 yrs. Thankfully, I had around 150 hours PTO that I never used. But, I did have to cash out some 401K funds to sustain us a little longer. The stress, yea, it's real!!! OK, what's the point of my post? IDK, I guess I'm looking for support. For anyone that's several years out, how do you keep your focus going, and avoid the stress eating? Yea, I know, being fat is NOT an option... but I am. I feel it. I'm almost 150 pounds. How did I let this happen? How on Earth do I get my mojo back? I was doing so well... Now what?

Hi there, Where northwest are you guys located in Colorado? I started a support group & ran it for 1 1/2 hrs in the Broomfield area. Had to stop it beacuse of work hours. Sadly, I am now unemployed & looking to re-start it again while I can. Let me know if you're looking in our area. Best of luck! Fran

ROTFLMAO - now that was funny !! Thanks for the laugh!

I like the idea about taking over the cooking. But, if for some reason you can't, then "pre-plan" your own meals. Decide what you can eat & plan for it. Prepare it & toss it in the fridge until you need it. I'm not sure how successful your partner was with her surgery, but perhaps she's feeling as though you may do better or look better? As hard as this journey is, we all need support. Talk to her about it & see how she reacts. Let her know this is how you feel & remind her why you're doing this for yourself.

Waiting is the hardest part. I remember those negative feelings all too well prior to having my surgery. Stay focused on why you decided to do this in the first place. You want to be healthier & feel good about yourself. I promise it'll give you more confidence & the reward is worth the wait. Hang in there. You got this, really!! Second time I'm actually saying this tonight ~ "No one said it was going to be easy. They just said it would be worth it!"

chicken or beef broths. My husband made chicken & beef soups (with the meat in them) before surgery & froze them. He strained some of the liquid from each so I'd have a flavorful meal. This way, the rest of the family can eat with the Protein & I could get the liquids down. For what it's worth, I'm almost 3 yrs out post sleeve & my lactose intolerance has actually gotten worse. It's a daily struggle because I love yogurt & cheese!

YES, I used to & still do get light headed from time to time. I believe it's because we're not getting enough Protein (energy) in our systems. Great job on the liquids - impressive :-)

Looks like you have the right attitude. Don't listen to anyone that tries to make themselves out to be better than what they really are. The truth is ... "No one said it would be easy. They just said it would be worth it! :-)

Hi eveyyone, I'm post sleeve (almost 3 years out). I'd love to hear from post sleevers & find out what everyone is eating these days. There seems to be a lot of focus on pre surgery & immediately thereafter as you feel that's when you need the most support. I beg to differ. At this point, most of us know what we're supposed to do, what we're supposed to be eating, how much, etc... BUT, we don't talk much about how those lousy bad habits creep back in during the most stressful times of our lives, and how we can handle it. I was laid off 6 weeks ago. Yup, right before the holidays. By now I understand that stress is my trigger for making bad choices. Isn't it for most of us? :-( Nonetheless, I've made many. I now find myself with an additional 10 pds & I can feel it & see it. I still remember after I had lost all the weight, how I "swore" I would never let myself go up more than 2 or 3 pds. Humm, what happened? Let's focus on the positive & talk about going back to basics. What is everyone eating to maintain their weight loss? What's a day in your life look like? Do you have a favorite recipe? Do you have restrictions on what you can eat? I find that I am now much more lactose intolerant, so my original "go-to" foods like greek yogurt is now not such a good idea Come on, share your favorite foods / recipes.. And gooo.........

@@jenn1 This is awesome, thank you. You are quite the inspiration

Hi everyone, I was originally banded back in Nov of 2012 only to wind up with an emergency removal & sleeve revision in Jan of 2013. I did great - lost about 105 - 110 pounds. But, as a result of a job loss, laid off 6 weeks ago, my bad habits came back. I "never" thought I would go back to munching on crappy food & over loading on carbs. The holidays are not the best time to be job hunting. The stress that comes with it is over whelming. It's hard being unemployed, spending HOURS & HOURS on my laptop applying for jobs that could be a match. I've gained about 10 pounds, and while it may not sound like a lot, that's how it starts. I "refuse" to go back to where I was (245 pds). I now weigh around 148 pds. I'm here to let everyone know that yes, you can gain weight after being sleeved. While you may not physically be able to eat as much, you can eat a little more than when you were first sleeved, and gain weight by eating all the wrong stuff. My point? It's time to refocus on why I lost the weight in the first place, and how being thinner made me feel. Time to go back to basics - 'do over.' Every day is a new opportunity to re-build my strength, and focus on what needs to be done to lose those horrible additional 10 pds that seem to be sitting on my stomach, and surely my butt :-). With this said, I'm trying to back track & remember what I did when I first started. I've become more lactose intolerant than what I originally was when I first started this journey, so I need to be careful what I eat. After giving so much support when I first started this journey, I am now looking for help & support. Trying to come up with healthy menus again. Goal is to eliminate those shitty carbs that made me do this in the first place. Appreciate any help you guys can offer! Depressed, but definitely trying to push through with positivity!! Thanks for listening!

Sadly, I deal with this often & I'm post sleeve almost 3 years. Try Smooth Move tea (found in most super markets). Just boil the Water like you would for any tea & drink up. Typically, it works over night. No cramps or tummy aches. Good luck!

Everything will turn out fine. Sending positive thoughts your way!

Hi everyone, I was originally banded back in Nov of 2012 only to wind up with an emergency removal & sleeve revision in Jan of 2013. I did great - lost about 105 - 110 pounds. But, as a result of a job loss, laid off 6 weeks ago, my bad habits came back. I "never" thought I would go back to munching on crappy food & over loading on carbs. The holidays are not the best time to be job hunting. The stress that comes with it is over whelming. It's hard being unemployed, spending HOURS & HOURS on my laptop applying for jobs that could be a match. I've gained about 10 pounds, and while it may not sound like a lot, that's how it starts. I "refuse" to go back to where I was (245 pds). I now weigh around 148 pds. I'm here to let everyone know that yes, you can gain weight after being sleeved. While you may not physically be able to eat as much, you can eat a little more than when you were first sleeved, and gain weight by eating all the wrong stuff. My point? It's time to refocus on why I lost the weight in the first place, and how being thinner made me feel. Time to go back to basics - 'do over.' Every day is a new opportunity to re-build my strength, and focus on what needs to be done to lose those horrible additional 10 pds that seem to be sitting on my stomach, and surely my butt :-). With this said, I'm trying to back track & remember what I did when I first started. I've become more lactose intolerant than what I originally was when I first started this journey, so I need to be careful what I eat. After giving so much support when I first started this journey, I am now looking for help & support. Trying to come up with healthy menus again. Goal is to eliminate those shitty carbs that made me do this in the first place. Appreciate any help you guys can offer! Depressed, but definitely trying to push through with positivity!! Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone, Our BP Support Group meeting is on May 14th at Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, Colorado 80020 If you're interested, feel also feel to friend me on FB, Fran Catalan Porter, and I'll invite you our MissionSlimpossible FB page. This is a closed support group so no one on your friends lists an see what you post or what anyone else posts. We respect each other's privacy & support one another here. I create meeting invites as reminders to everyone for ur BP meetings, and anything goes at this meeting. Again, our goal is to always support one another!

To those in Northern CO: We have an amazing peer to peer support group supported by BariatricPal.com. I host it once a month at the Broomfied Library. Anyone who is pre op, post op or simply thinking of having surgery is invited. We have a great group of people that share their ups, downs, recipes, advice, anything goes... Our next meeting is on May 14th at Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, Colorado 80020 If you're interested, feel also feel to friend me on FB, Fran Catalan Porter, and I'll invite you our MissionSlimpossible FB page. This is a closed support group so no one on your friends lists an see what you post or what anyone else posts. We respect each other's privacy & support one another here. I create meeting invites as reminders to everyone for ur BP meetings, and anything goes at this meeting. Again, our goal is to always support one another .