JerseyCityGal

My hunger pains aren't unbearable or anything, but yeah, they often start around my throat. It feels more like it's around my trachea if I had to pinpoint a spot, but it's definitely not anywhere near my stomach when it starts.

I'm 8 months out. I experience hunger and have all along. You learn to tell the difference between head hunger and real hunger, and yeah, I do still have real hunger. I keep a ziploc baggie of grape tomatoes in my purse and pop a couple in my mouth when hunger hits.

I weigh myself every single morning and log it in. It helps keep me on track. Too many people are afraid of their scale. They aren't afraid of looking at their speedometer to see how fast they are going or their gas gauge to see how much fuel they have left, but the thought of a scale gets them all upset. It's just a tool that tells you where you are at. It relays a factual piece of information. That's all. It doesn't shoot death rays.

Dr. Sebastian Eid, one of the other Dr's in Advanced Laparoscopic Associates with Dr. Trivedi did my surgery. He was beyond wonderful. I too had some initial issues with the office; incorrect info on approval procedure, my faxed paperwork was literally put to the side for a whole month because the new coordinator "didn't know who I was" (try looking in your computer or calling me at the number on my letterhead - big eye roll), I e-mailed the nutritionists about a dozen times asking for the post-surgical meal plan and still didn't have it days before surgery and was then told the nutritionists "didn't have e-mail any more" but no one could tell me why I was told I had to e-mail them for two months straight if they didn't have e-mail. Jasmin was my coordinator too. She's overworked. They have a killer caseload. Despite everything, I wouldn't even consider another surgical group. Bottom line .... Dr's Eid, Schmidt, Trivedi and Ewing are the best of the best.

This happens to be true. Your body expends energy/calories when it warms the ice water up to body temperature in order to digest it.

She went to the same Dr's I did. Advanced Laparoscopic. http://www.lap-associates.com/meet-the-team

Nope. PCOS and early menopause.

She got it from doing some quick math - figuring out the number of points from the foods you are eating and the sheer volume of food it would take from the choices you listed. I came to the same conclusion when I saw your posts. It's your body, your life, etc. but she wasn't the only person who went "Whoa!" when she saw what you listed and did some quick calculations. If it's working for you and your doctor is on board, good for you and all the best, but if that is really the volume and calories you are eating, it's quite a bit for this stage.

At my last bariatric surgeon visit, when I showed my surgeon my mid-section, he said I had a good 20 lbs of loose skin. I can take my mid-section, separate it in two sections and twist. I am wearing a size XL shirt to hide it all, along with my arms. When I bend forward, my arm skin and fat goes forward too. It's really bad. There is still fat attached to the skin, but seriously, after I pull my pants up ... I have to pull my skin up.

Who is her Dr?

Natrol makes a strawberry chewable/dissolving Biotin. I'm like a 5 year old when it comes to Vitamins and pills. I want fruit flavors and dinosaur shapes if at all possible, lol. I go out to eat all the time. It's not a problem. I have a stomach the size of toddler. Does that stop toddlers from going out to eat? Nooooooo. They are everywhere you look. Are they all worked up because they can't eat a mountain of food? Nooooooo. None of them are feeling deprived. They're happy. You will be too. I get 3 full meals from an entree, a little less if I share with my pets when I get home. No one gives a damn if you clean your plate or not. It's all about the fun, going to a nice place and having good food. You can make good food choices from any menu. I very rarely drank before surgery and I found my alcohol tolerance has lessened, but every once in a while I will order a drink before dinner and have a few sips because I want to. Four or five sips of wine or a Cosmo while waiting for the food doesn't affect the food volume for me. I don't make an issue over what or how much or what I am eating and no one really notices. Of course my weight loss is really noticeable, but I have been talking about things like "the gym" and "watching what I eat" in general so the comments I do get are encouraging and playful in nature.

Measure for now. It's basically impossible to stretch a sleeve on things like yogurt, pudding, applesauce, etc. unless you ate a quart of it. And you'd get sick before that happened anyway. You don't wan't to get in the HABIT of taking in more food than you need. When you get to solids, you will start to feel "full" and know when to stop. Post-surgery I was eating a lot of Amy's No-chicken Noodle Soup (strained, just the broth with lot's of added water) because I was hungry. I was afraid I was going to stretch my sleeve and my surgeon started laughing. He basically told me that as long as I ate slowly, the liquids would pass right through me. The same with pudding and all that. Go slow and stop. You can always have more.

I'm in between abstaining forever and moderation. Some things I have given up forever (like bagels), other things (like pizza) I will allow myself 1/2 a small slice every 4 to 6 weeks as a treat. During the holidays, I adjusted my food to allow two small gingerbread men a day, total 140 calories. The bag lasted me two weeks. I was living for those two little Cookies with a cup of tea as an evening snack, lol. I've never had a sweet tooth but I have looked forward to those cookies every Christmas since I was a kid and this Christmas was no different. What was different was that I didn't stuff my face with the entire bag while watching a movie, but instead rationed them out and sat down and really savored them every day.

I didn't regret surgery, not for a second. The only regrets I have had were letting my life and eating get out of control in the first place and not having the surgery sooner. I would have the surgery over and over again because of the way it has allowed me to regain control and get healthy again. You're having some short-term pain for some long-term gain. I have sympathy for you, but believe me, this is all going to be so worth it.

@@My Bariatric Life Thanks. I'm paying cash for everything to get the best possible deal. She did a great job on your face. I cringe every time I look in the mirror. I love the weight loss, but it looks like my face has melted, lol.

Laugh. It won't wreck your mascara. You can't change what has already happened. You're losing weight now, and that is what counts going forward. The more you lose, the better off you will be in the future. Sometimes we are the only ones who know we were telling the truth. It's a pretty universal thing, not just with overweight people and how much food they do or do not consume. I'm sure everyone could relate with a time when they were telling the truth and no one was buying it. It's frustrating. The important thing is that your condition is improving and will continue to do so.

@@My Bariatric Life How much did Dr. Winslow charge for the face work? I'm 54 and in NJ also, and my face is going, going .... gone at almost 100 lbs out. The fat has fallen to the bottom of my cheeks and it looks like Chip and Dale have an older sister, and I still have some more weight to lose. I'm most likely going to Mexico for my body work because of the cost factor but I really don't feel comfortable having my face done in Mexico. I'd much prefer local.

Restaurants can honor the card for a half portion or let you order off the kids menu as a COURTESY, but they aren't obligated to do so. There isn't any law that says bariatric patients get special consideration from eating establishments. They are free to set their own policies. It's not "age discrimination", lol. You aren't 12 or under, right? People go out to eat more when it's not going to cost a fortune to bring their kids along, hence the kids menu. Eating establishments are free to set up any specials they want in order to draw in more business or please their customer base. Ladies Night, senior specials, kids menu, two-for-one, etc. What they can't do is charge fat people double, etc because that's discrimination.

Chike is insanely good. They have one that tastes just like a creamsicle. I blend all of their flavors with ice to make it coolatta style and add Torani syrup to the vanilla flavor to make gingerbread, etc.

It's extremely hard, if not impossible, to have ANY elective surgery approved for a smoker on ANY insurance plan whatsoever because of the risks involved. Good luck with quitting. You will be so much healthier.

That's wonderful to hear.

Do you mind if I ask how expensive all this was? I'm going to need my arms, stomach, breasts and inner thighs done and my insurance doesn't cover any of it.

I had an epic stall before my 6th month check-up too. You look great and you are doing great. Keep it up!

Yes, along with Biotin, etc. Didn't help me one bit.

If it's just for 2 months before surgery, you shouldn't have a problem.