LilMissDiva Irene

I can wear sizes XS or S in tops and anywhere from 0 - 6 in pants. @Meg - GREAT PROGRESS!! whooohooo!! @T - Look at you!! Love that smile, and I can see a difference already!! I'm glad you shared with us!! @SS - girlie you look smokin'!!! OMG I luvvv youre sweater

I'm made differently than you or others... that's why I wear the size I do at my weight.

I think we all agree it's probably not the best idea to take our information from everyday folk and use it for gospel on an internet forum. Suggestions yes, but to medicate us, probably not the best idea.

@circa: I'm very glad I could help!! Hang in there! Just imagine that cupcake as a big ball of fat sitting in your fridge... LOL @christinaw: Headaches are a huge side effect from getting off the sugar. It does pass, hang in there! It is also caused from getting off caffeine too, so if you're getting off both, you have a double whammy! Try to flush with plenty of Water. Also, I drank some Propel or Gatorade (regular) at times and that seemed to help with the edge. Of course please take your surgeons advice though!

I've only actually seen one person on this entire website who has come forward and admitted she has lost too much weight. This was a really long time ago, and she said her BMI was in the 17's if I recall correctly. She also admitted that perhaps she now has some type of eating issues. I can't remember what exactly they were but, it wasn't what you would commonly see anywhere. I am at goal and I do continue to lose about 3-5 Lbs per month. Then again, I'm not really trying very hard to stop losing. The only thing IMO I've really done was slow down my workouts from 2 plus hours per day to about 1 hour per day. I think based on my personality it will take me some time to get the hang of letting go of the weight loss mentality. I'll be ok though, I'm far from underweight.

LOL!! No worries, your experience was not uncommon. I took getting into my foods very slowly. I didn't want to push too much, I knew (especially since I was a revision patient) that my risks for leaks would increase if I tried to. In the beginning I really only tried eggs. I don't know why but they worked for me and the Protein made me feel so good. I didn't have any tuna until about 5-6 weeks out. I stuck with pureed chicken a lot too in the beginning. Good luck! You will figure it out. If you have to substitute only one meal a day to break into solids for a few days. Also, what your sleevie doesn't like today may work next week. Just have to keep going back and trying again.

I was all self pay, so I don't want to bore you with my personal story.. But I would like to wish you well on your new journey! Taking that first step is the hardest but you can't go anywhere without it. HUGS!! You will make your way, no doubt.

Great post PDX, as always! I'm never able to fully respond to any of the "what Protein shakes should I use?" posts... I only give them directions on where to get them. Everyone's taste buds are different, and some folks don't like them no matter how much they've tried, that's ok too! Not only that, but lets not forget that I myself hated all foods post op. Everything tasted weird and I pretty much had to force myself to drink/eat anything for the first few months. I certainly don't encourage anyone to take advice over an internet forum over their nutritionists advice! When in doubt, always FIRST speak to your health care providers, which are getting paid the big $$$ and huge education to provide. As long as you're doing your best and following the guidelines given to you by your medical staff, then you are doing fine. For the record, www.vitalady.com does sell individual samples of many different types of Protein Shakes, if anyone might want to check it out. It helped a lot in my many years as a bariatric patient. Best to all.

Good info, thanks! I'm going to go check them out. And yes, I remember the Love Pats... now why don't they make those anymore???

Hahaaaa!! Best thread I've seen in a long time. I do always feel bad when Root MAN has to explain he ain't no chick, but thanks anyway. *sigh* We do appreciate our guys on here, for sure.

You look lovely Julie Keep on smilin and rockin your sleevie!!

Oh girl, when I'm hungry - I can get a real nasty temper... LOL!!! I'm usually very easy going naturally but I can get a lil grouchy when I haven't eaten in awhile. I rarely feel physically hungry so it's hard to tell otherwise, and like Anew, I usually eat on a time schedule. When I'm full, I'll give a little burp (or big one how ever you see it...) and if I go a little too far I will get the hiccups. I have never thrown up my food tho. However food will sometimes come back up with my hiccups so I can tell then I've had too much. I really try to stop before I get to that point, but doesn't always happen.

This will probably be hardest moment for you right now. The first few days of any diet are the hardest. Keep in mind several things, first - you are doing this diet to shrink your liver in preparation for a safe surgery! Your surgeon will need to work his tools around your liver and the smaller and less slippery it is will be better and safer for you. I have even heard of some surgeons sewing the patient back up because the liver was too enlarged. Don't let this be you! Second, any weight you lose doing this diet is a bonus! It will just bring you that much closer to your ultimate weight goal. You will also lose a lot right after surgery too... so say you lose 10 Lbs right now. You have 100 Lbs to lose (just an example) - well now you only need to lose 90 from the moment of your surgery. Likely you will lose 15 off the bat... LOL So that would mean you only have 75 Lbs to goal... WOWW!!! Third, just taking the first step toward weight loss surgery is demonstrating that you are ready to take charge of your life. Stop the insanity! Don't let your addiction convince you that you are not ready, because you just talking to your Dr. tells me that you are and that you realize you have a problem and are ready to fix it. Hugs!! Keep posting here for support! That's what this is all about. We are all here for you, even just to hear you vent. That's ok too.

I choose action... not reaction.

In my opinion if anyone is eating food for any reason other than simple survival or more than they need, then they are addicted to food. I mean to the point that they are obese, not everyday individuals who will eat with others even when they aren't hungry but wouldn't at other times. Not sure if I'm making any sense, but I think most will agree. I was and still am a food addict. I will always be a food addict. Realizing I had a problem was my very first step to overcoming this problem. I was able to lose weight but never could keep it off. I used food to cope to all my internal problems and I always kept going back for it. Thus gaining 180 Lbs!! Oh yeah, I was a big girl. Now I have built in portion control. I won't be foolish enough to think it's over, because I will always have this with me. I will always have the ability to gain my weight back if I'm not careful.

Ohh I forgot to mention ( I know we were talking on FB ) anyhow, sorry if TMI but how have your BM's been? I remember having excruciating pain one time in the abdomen and honestly turned out to be I was constipated.

Yayyyy CONGRATS!!! Thats great

<p style="margin-left: 40px"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">LOL!! Thats a fun interesting NSV!!! Good things come in small packages?</span></strong></p>

I think a lot can be said for the final 20-30 Lbs. It wasn't until I lost it that I really felt satisfied by what I see in the mirror. My final few didn't hapen until my contouring either, so I have no idea if I would even be satisfied today had I not done the Plastics. I'm thinking I wouldn't. But that's just me.

Going on 16 months in a few weeks and my sleeve is still really small. I can do about 6 oz at a sitting. However certain things will help me "cheat" to fit more in. I won't say what they are but its probably the case for others who can eat more. If I'm doing solid Proteins and veggies and only taking 20 mins for a meal I can do about 6 oz and no more.

I'm so happy for you Kristy!!! Keep rockin your tool!!

That's how I see it