joatsaint

Congrats on your success! I think the financial aspect of WLS is overlooked. I figure that the lowered food costs will pay for my surgery over the course of the next 3 to 4 years. :-)

Had no problems with sweet relish. Pureed chicken however......

I have a different view on VSG. I believe that I am a food addict and my body and mind is predisposed to crave certain foods. And not only that, my body is very efficient at storing calories against future needs. Currently, food addiction is not a recognized condition, but who knows, in a few more years, it might be. And eventually it could be treated like alcohol or any other addiction. But there is one thing I do know, food producers are working hard to make foods that make us want more of them. That only makes sense, produce products that people want. Unfortunately, those same products work too well on people like me. I can't explain my preoccupation with food for so many years any other way. I could eat a filling meal and then, two hours later, I'd be thinking about eating again. I'd get cravings for certain flavors and could get them out of my head until I ate them. I believed all the hype that if only I could just cut back on calories and exercise more, I could be thin like the beautiful people. Not being normal was a failing on my part. Six months post-op, and I think all that crap about "just cut back" "push the plate away" is just that - crap. When your mind is telling you that you're hungry every two hours, it's like a little kid tugging on your arm saying, "I want a candy bar, I want a candy bar!" And I couldn't get rid of him. And eventually it just wore me down, till I gave in. Whether the surgery removed the part of my stomach that was producing the "hunger" hormone or if the surgery was just the psychological kick in the pants I needed, I now have a completely different attitude towards food. I no longer have that "little kid" tugging on my arm and the only cravings I experience now are for bananas\strawberries\watermelon - good for you foods. And most of the time, I only want them because I happened to walk past them at the store. Those days of suddenly wanting a cherry pie or a double cheese burger with fries - for no apparent reason - are gone. Now don't get me wrong, I still fight head hunger and sometimes try to keep eating even after I am full. So I've still got things to work on. But I'm on the downhill side and I don't feel like I am in an impossible to overcome situation. I know I was in imminent danger - mentally as well as physically, just undiagnosed.

I've been through this same thing several times in the past 6 months. Last week, I hit my lowest of 272 after a 2 week plateau. This week, I'm 8 lbs heavier. The only thing I can attribute it to is eating fruit. I had some strawberries and some grapes during the week and suddenly my weight was going back up. It's just a temporary fluctuation. Your weight will start dropping again.

Haha that's funny! Great now I'm thinking about nude encounters. lol. :-O

Of course it's HUGE! :-) And it's not silly. If you hang out here long enough, it just SEEMS like VSG is like going on a two day vacation. "Bye honey, be back in a couple of hours." You leave the house, have a little procedure, come back home - TA DA! I wouldn't let myself believe it was happening. I was in denial right up to the time they wheeled me into the operating room. I just kept telling myself that I could get up and walk out if I wanted to. :-P It's a life altering (For the better!) surgery. And it's not to be taken lightly. Your whole outlook on food and life and exercise is going to change post-op. Just be realistic. Don't wake up from surgery and ask, "Am I thin yet?" :-P

I've had several 2 week stalls and here's what I've tried to break it. I up my protein, eat more vegetables and try to drop any foods that have simple sugars. I eat roasted/baked/grilled chicken breast, ground turkey meat or pork loin. I eat vegetables with complex carbs, like cauliflower, mushrooms, green peppers, eggplant and re-fried beans. I stay away from starches - potatoes/rice/pasta. As far as exercise, I started walking about the 4th week. I haven't done any serious weight lifting.

I too have problems accepting compliments. I've been overweight since grade school, so I've been a target my whole life. I spent much of my school day trying to go unnoticed. Part of the reason I work in technology is because I get along with computers better than people. So it's hard to get used to having people say nice things about my weight loss. I just say, "Thank you." and hope they go on their way. But it does get annoying when the same people compliment my weight loss every week - especially when I've been stuck at a certain weight for 2 weeks in a row. :-)

I think your feelings are pretty common post-op. I was pissed at the world for 2 weeks post-op. I've read that with the rapid weight loss, lots of estrogen is released from fat stores and causes emotional highs and lows for many people. I only got the lows. :-( P.S. You can't eat your husband! solid food is still weeks away. :-)

Just to reassure you, we all go through theses "dry" periods. I am at 6 months and have had 2 and 3 week periods where I'll not lose weight and sometimes gain a few pounds - with no change to my diet or how much I exercise. It freaked me out at first (not sure I'm "used" to it happening yet! But I'm getting better at living with it. :-)) It's just your body adjusting to your new way of life. It would be nice if the weight fell off in a steady downward pace, but it doesn't seem to work that way for me. Here is my favorite soft/puree recipe for taco chicken. Maybe it'll help liven up your diet. http://www.verticals...e-mexican-food/

Embrace your inner scale. I weigh multiple times a day, but the only one that counts is 1st thing after I wake up. The rest are for my own personal enjoyment! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/blog/2115/entry-5658-weighing-after-a-poop-you-are-not-alone/

I had lots of upper stomach pains my 1st week post-op. I went back to work on Day 10 and wore the elastic stomach support wrap the hospital gave me. I felt some pulling and stretching, but no real pains. I think the wrap had a lot to do with it.

I've only tried ISO Pure. I tried some of the powder right out of the tub and found no taste and it was powdery. I have mixed it in with food, Protein drinks and with Crystal Light lemonade - I never noticed a change in the food's taste, it was just a little thicker. I got some unflavored ISO Pure whey protein isolate off of Amazon. http://goo.gl/w6wHE

Way to go! **Does happy dance for you!** Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!

I really like the taste of Premier Protein chocolate drinks - get it at Sam's Club 12 for $18. http://goo.gl/kT5Ff June 26 - July 21 Sams is selling it for $4 off regular price, limit 1 case per membership. I got some unflavored ISO Pure whey protein isolate off of Amazon. I add it to things like re-fried Beans or pureed cauliflower or soup. I even added a scoop to my Crystal Light lemonade. http://goo.gl/w6wHE

At my third or fourth week post-op, I walked past a banana. And had a craving thrown on me! I had to have that banana. I had no idea I wanted one so bad till I walked past it!

Way to go! **Does happy dance for you!** Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!