vincereautmori

I'm sure this has been asked a thousand times before, and I missed it, so can you vets offer your help again? So, I'm about 4 months out, everything is going well, losing weight at a good rate, I have no dietary issues, I feel great, so what's the prolem? I've only been out to eat about 4X since surgery, 2X for lunch and 2X for dinner, lunch I do OK, I get a sandwich and handle about half the serving, dinner on the other hand........ I'm finding I kind of dine the way I did before, a glass of wine, a salad or Soup, and when the entree comes, I can only eat a few bites and I'm quickly uncomfortable and calling it a night. Very frustrating, my wife and I enjoyed our date nights out but now its almost more trouble than its worth. I really don't want to do the appetizer menu thing, mostly high fat and high carb. I know its a learning curve and I have to discover how to make it an enjoyable experience but does anyone have a suggestion?

They are supposed to keep up with labs, to be sure there are no nutrient absorpton issues, mine does them about every 6 months.

YOU know, that she's still in denial, YOU know that she is more likely to fail than to succeed. I guess your freindship between one another is really being tested, YOU are not going to keep people who don't support you in your life. Is your freindship important to her? As you move forward in your journey she will either let you go or try to keep up. The choice is hers, you have already decided where you want to go.

Their comment: "man, surgery to lose weight, that's pretty extreme" My reply: "yeah but dying early is more extreme"

All great suggestions, thanks everyone, in fact went out tonight but I pre-planned before we went and it worked out better. Ordered ala carte, I liked it better than buying and not eating a complete dinner.

Well, there's a lot of history in that family and there's nothing you can do about that. ELI, you take care of yourself, unfortunately these people are not part of your support system, they may not be bad people, but they are not going to help you achieve good health and you know its more than just losing weight. Who knows, you might one day inspire one of them by your success. Plato once said, "Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others."

In your original post you say, "I haven't done anything right", nonsense!, it sounds like you're hanging in there and you have a plan for getting out of your current situation. Great to know your husband supports you too! As for the inlaws, just keep fighting them off, easy way out? Not when you have someone there sabotaging your efforts, is there a reason they want you to fail? No matter, you can conquer their best efforts with a little encouragement from the peanut gallery here. This is about you and your health, you need to heal that hernia and get your body healthy. Keep up the GOOD work, this is going to be a better year for you.

Well, its good to hear you're fighting a good fight, I guess we were kind of worried. But be more assertive, this is your health, don't laugh it off and demand some respect for your decision, if they don't understand then make them understand. They won't love you any less for it.

So lets pull this apart and see if we can help. At one month out, how much are you eating at a time? Are you only able to tolerate about a half cup or so of food in a sitting? When you eat, do you hit a point when it becomes uncomfortable to eat more? I think most people here will tell you that at 4 weeks post op, we can't handle much food at one time, if you aren't feeling any restriction, you should talk to your surgeon. You say you can't get in enough water. Why not? Is it you cannot? If you cannot, you should talk to your surgeon. Water, enough water is vital, if you don't get enough water you can suffer from either dehydration or serious constipation and either or both can put you back into the hospital. You say you only get in 30- 35g protien. Once again, is it cannot? Talk to surgeon? I doubt its cannot because you also say you've indulged in chips and cake, if you can eat junk food, you can choose to eat Protein instead. The sleeve will help you with portion size, but you are responsible for the quality of the calories that you take in. As far as being in a house with a lot of food, who's buying it? Who brings it in? Just be sure you're not the enabler, if you were to stop buying the junk food, would there be a lot in the house? If its others and they don't support you, what can you do to succeed in this journey? You have obviously decided to make a change in your life, and you deserve support from your family. Will they support you? If not, where can you get support? Anyway, that's my two bits, maybe take a moment in this journey to think about why you went thru this and what your expectations are. Good luck!

One thing to remember, at this point you need to get your proteins in, that is going to keep you healthy, maintain muscle, keep your hair from falling out (as much), and keep you full longer. Trust me, if you're getting your full quota of protein and all of your liquids, you won't have room for junk foods. Don't give in to the very things that got you here in the first place.

A great year tfar! My greatest fears before surgery was that I was going to be giving up so much, I thought I would lose my love of food, I thought I would have to deprive myself at parties and family get togethers, I thought I might become someone different. I had surgery in August and since then things have gotten nothing but better, I'm off all meds but one, I kicked the CPAP to the curb, I feel great, I'm not in constant pain, and I enjoy foods almost as much as before. I've been obese most of my adult life and I didn't know what being "normal" felt like, clothes fit so much better, I can walk and climb, I can bend over and tie my shoes- woo hoo! Doesn't sound like a major milestone to a normal person, but to someone who hasn't seen their toes in quite a few years, it's something to cheer about. So, thanks for asking and to everyone who has been on this journey and to those who are ready to begin, here's to a new healthy and active life, best wishes for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I never had an issue with being cold, but since surgery and now heading into winter, I'm freezing! My hands are always cold but the trade off is worth it.

My surgical group calls for 2 week, 3 month, 6 month with bloodwork and finally a year with bloodwork. They said as long as there were no issues and weightloss is on target, see ya in 3 months. If I do develop issues or begin to struggle there are support group meetings I could go to. I hear you though, every month, especially when you're paying for it, that's a hardship and maybe not necessary. Best of luck. I meant to add, are there support groups nearby? Could be helpful if you need it.

I've had wine, since about three months out, about the same effect as before surgery, haven't tried beer or hard liquor yet. I would just caution to keep in mind, its empty calories and those drinks add up.

You probably handled it much better than I could have, I think I'd be asking, "why are you such a dumb (bleep)!" At least weight is something you can fix, ignorance not so much. Good Luck.

I could tell you the same story Paula, I'm 62 and overweight/obese most of my life, had the surgery in August and already feel 10 years younger. Don't worry, it may be less rocky than you think. Fortunately I've had no issues and my only regret is the same you'll hear again and again.............. why didn't I do this sooner? Good Luck

I was one of them, I would often say I don't eat that much, and I'd believe it too! It's part of the disease. Even on diets, I'd think, "I'm cutting back and losing weight", but before I knew it, the weight was coming back on and I'd think I was still watching my diet. What makes us so blind? Wish I knew, I wouldn't have needed surgery.

OK, so here's an idea of lunch before, a foot long tuna salad sub with extra mayo and all the fixins, bag of chips and large fruit punch. I recently figured out how many calories that is......over 2000 calories! Just for lunch! Since surgery, I can only eat a half wrap of a healthy tuna salad, and I can usually just barely get that down.

One more thing to remember is to eat or drink slowly, you're still healing and its going to take time. I got so tired of the Protein drinks that once I got on regular foods, it was definitely easier. Best of luck.

They should probably tell anyone who gets this surgery, to stay off the scale for the first month because it will make no sense. As long as you stay on program, and get to know your new sleeve, you can't help but to succeed. You'll be fine. Good luck.

I'm about 3 1/2 months out and I've only been out to eat a few times, mostly lunch and I just tried dinner. I'm finding it difficult, nothing on kids menu that appeals and at the places we like the appetizers are mostly hi carb hi fat that I'm trying to stay away from. For lunches a half a sandwich does the trick, dinner is going to take me a while. I got a fish dish, it was so so and after about a half a salad, glass of wine, I could only eat a few bites of fish, so I took most of the meal home. I kind of left feeling like its more effort than it was worth. Before surgery my wife and I had our once a week date night, neither of us had any problem finding places we liked. Now I look at online menus to get an idea of what I might have at a particular restaurant, but not much sounds appetizing and I have no desire to go. Also, I eat so much slower and I can't eat much, I just don't look forward to dinner out. Should I hope that changes? But not so sad, I am feeling better, and a lot healthier, I wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again. I just need to learn not to be food centric, and that's going to take a little time. I still enjoy being out with my wife and freinds, I do enjoy foods and I am motivated to finish this journey. Interestingly, about a couple of months after surgery we went out for lunch and I chose a chicken salad wrap, all I could eat was half and it was more than enough. Before surgery, I could get a foot long sub, a bag of chips, and a tall soda, and an hour later I'd be hungry. I've come a long way.

Without knowing a lot more detail, it's hard to know where to help you. Are there any support groups in your area? Check if Bariatric Pal has one nearby, how about a local hospital? You may find spending time with other WLS patients is a great way to debug your problem and get fresh ideas from people who know what you're going through. You have gotten this far, it's just another bump you need to get over, so don't give up.

Ah, 27 years old, youthful exuberance. Good for you, you're tackling a problem that could follow you through your whole life and affect the quality of your health. By this point you know this is a process, the physical modifications through surgery and the lifestyle changes in diet and exercise. This is your journey, your experiences will be unique to you, maybe you'll lose 100 lbs. in 6-8 months and maybe more or maybe less. Following your surgeon's and nutritionist's recommendations along with leading a more active life will determine your results. So like everyone has already suggested, let your journey unfold before you at your own rate. But I understand your interest in what has worked for others who have gone this route, but remember, what motivates you at 27 yrs. old is going to be different than what motivates me at 62 yrs. old. For me, I'm about 3 months out and very happy with my results. To be honest, I have not gotten into a good exercise habit, that's my struggle, I walk maybe 2-3 times a week. As far as diet, I tracked what I ate the first couple of months and carefully "listened" to my sleeve. Now I just work with it, I get in Proteins first then wait for the sleeve to say stop. I suggest that you get to know one another (you and the sleeve), you're going to be together for the rest of your life. Good luck, you can do it.

Hi old_rn, this is a little from a guys perspective, you said, "I still find myself drawn to the large lady sizes and I haven't gotten but 1 new top." I had to buy a new coat for this winter, so I bought something a couple of sizes smaller (I was into 3XL). So I tried on the new coat and zipped it up the arms and shoulders fit good but along the mid torso to the waist I thought it was a little tight, but my wife said, "that's how clothes are supposed to fit" After so many years just getting clothes that fit around our widest dimensions, we're not used to things fitting our form as they are designed to. Keep that in mind as you travel this journey, its a powerful motivator. You're doing great, keep it up and good luck.

That's what, about 4 weeks? At 3 lbs./week, I wouldn't call that slow.