clk

I eat plenty of red meat and have no issues with it at all. In the beginning it was tough to eat, though. It's denser than, say, chicken or fish, so you can't eat as much and the likelihood of overdoing it is higher. I never gave caffeine up, though I did cut down my consumption. Not due to intolerance, but just lack of space! If I can only eat/drink so much in a day, six cups of coffee aren't going to work. I also eat nuts and popcorn. But those are two foods I would definitely wait to eat. You need to heal completely before the risk of damage to the sleeve goes down. And be careful with popcorn, it slides more than any other food I can eat. I used to consider it a trigger food, but nowadays it's a once in a while treat and I'm okay with that. I hate corn and can't comment on it either way. It's a waste of a food in my book! A food that's not on your list that I really don't tolerate well: lettuce, especially iceberg. I can have it in small quantities but it causes sleeve discomfort and intestinal distress these days. No loss, I eat plenty of salads. I just don't base them around lettuce anymore. ~Cheri

Man, I've heard so many triplet jokes in the past two weeks I swear I'm already mentally prepared for three! So, my betas are pretty inconclusive. Reason being, I have no basis of comparison as this is my first frozen cycle. My beta at 12dp3dt (or 15dpo) was 306 and at 14dp3dt (or 17dpo) it was 1095. So the doubling time is around 26 hours, and they expect 48-72 hours for doubling. Many FET cycles result in lower betas (I expected a number between 50-170 for my first beta), but there are those "oddballs" that get normal fresh cycle numbers even on a frozen cycle. Since this is my first and only frozen, I have no idea if I'm an oddball or not. But I will say that my clinic was concerned enough that it might be more than one that they insisted I do an ultrasound between 5 and 6 weeks instead of between 7 and 8 weeks like usual. So, I've scheduled one for Monday the 30th. We'll see what we find! My gut still says more than one but it really could be one super healthy baby in there. And yes, I'm on the very fringe of the triplet possibility, too, based upon other women's stats I've found. So there is absolutely no telling until ultrasound. I swear I'll update as soon as we know. ~Cheri Oh, and I wanted to add, I guess as a method of accountability, that I'm currently weighing between 134-142, a much bigger range than usual. I blame the hormones and I'll be on them for another four weeks. My size sixes all fit comfortably everywhere except my very middle. I'm actually insanely bloated and look like I have a pregnant belly already, even though it's not possible that my uterus is that large yet. I mean, one baby would be the size of a sesame seed, and even three sesame seeds don't expand a belly like this! It's purely hormones and my body preparing, but I thought I'd put it out there so everyone knows where I'm at. Maybe I'll start a pregnancy journal thread or something for the women that are TTC or thinking about it, so they know what I'm experiencing. Anyway, that is all. I will definitely post the u/s picture and a picture of my rapidly expanding waistline on Monday. ~CK

Agree heartily with Lissa's suggestions. Also, I want to chime in that you must keep in mind that if you lose a significant amount prior to surgery, don't expect a huge drop in your first month. The norm is to lose a big chunk if you didn't do a pre-op diet, and a more moderate amount of weight if you did one. Good luck, and my advice is not to beat yourself up too much if you don't achieve your goal of 30-40 pounds, because anything you lose over 10 pounds is a bonus victory. But learning to track your food and eat in moderation now will be very useful to you post sleeve. ~Cheri

Miralax (or the generic). Mix with any liquid and you'll have relief. ~Cheri

Agreed. If you plan your day and get plenty of rest the night before this shouldn't be an issue at all. Many people don't even take a full three weeks to recover! ~Cheri

I'm so sorry you experienced a leak. I hope that you continue to improve and are feeling better soon. You are not the first person to experience this, and I suggest you check out the complications board to see if you can find other people that have successfully overcome this type of setback. I've seen a number of people struggle with complications in the beginning only to go on to recover and be happily sleeved. Best wishes to you and your family. ~Cheri

Congrats! ~Cheri

Nothing wrong with enjoying fruit instead of cake or ice cream to celebrate! These days the fresh fruit tastes better to me, anyway. Congrats on a great start! I'm always in awe of folks that start to enjoy exercise post surgery. It just didn't happen for me. In any case, you're looking great and doing fabulous. Keep it up! ~Cheri

Everyone is different. I'm two years out, maintaining beautifully and easily (even while in early pregnancy) and I embrace the idea that moderation is key. I cannot live on a diet forever. I cannot tell myself entire groups of food are off limits for life. I cannot say that a particular type of food is the magical reason I was fat. It would be a lie. People talking about trigger foods and uncontrollable eating if they dare to eat a carb or calorie out of line? That sounds like perhaps they didn't work on the emotional aspect of their obesity and on their disordered eating. They cut calories and carbs and got to goal...and now they're trapped in a lifestyle that has no give in any direction. That may work for some people, for a lot a of people it's just asking to fall off the diet wagon, and hard. Dieting helped make me fat. The endless cycle of binges and purges involved in watching every single calorie and frantically exercising to take off the extra calories in a handful of Doritos. The failing of willpower when I realized that I simply could not stand the idea that I was banned from carbs for life. The feeling like a miserable failure (and the resulting comfort eating) whenever I'd take a misstep. Knowing I can eat what I want means a lot to me. It means that I don't feel deprived, ever. It does not mean that I sit around eating cheesy poofs and drinking soda all day long. It means I eat like a normal person. I eat to plan about 95% of the time and give myself some flex in that other 5%, and I'm happier for it. I think that in the beginning, people should stick as closely to a high Protein, low carb diet as possible. By low carb, I mean actually eating enough carbs to have energy and not lose your mind. Around fifty grams or so a day. It's hard to eat carbs in the early months, anyway. As your capacity for food increases, so should your intake of everything, in equal amounts. I eat 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat, roughly. That's what works for me. I simply upped the calories once I hit goal to maintain. I'm not regaining weight and I'm not having trouble maintaining. It's very individual, though. Track to your body's needs. Some people do not lose weight eating as many carbs as I do, and some people need more than me. Track your food, add in what you need to feel good and reach your goals and cut back if it slows your loss. It's actually very easy to do. For every person that can point and say "moderation" made that person regain, I can point to another story where someone simply dieted their way to goal and regained. This sleeve is a TOOL. Not just a tool for weight loss. A tool that can help you overcome lifelong habits and disordered eating. Use it for it's maximum potential. The reason people regain weight isn't because they ate popcorn or bread. It's because they didn't ask themselves WHY they were eating it and figure out how to stop doing it if they weren't hungry. Use the sleeve to learn control, and be healthier all around, not just thinner. ~Cheri

Runny nose and hiccups, here. If I overdo it, a sense of fullness in my chest. If I really overdo it, I get lightheaded and dizzy and will shortly have to toss that last bite or two up. Certain foods like tortilla, pasta, bread and rice can take me from okay to serious discomfort in just one extra bite, so be careful to listen to your body. ~Cheri

He'll adjust. My husband likes big women - big all around, not just a big behind. I did this surgery for myself and my health. As I've lost weight his idea of attractiveness has gotten smaller with me. I'm still his beautiful wife and he's still happy. At various times on the journey we had to sit down and talk to each other so that he'd feel like his opinions were being heard and I think that's important. Because none of us would want our s/o to do something that made them less attractive to us, right? That said, losing weight is better for our health. My husband has expressed some sadness over my smaller size but he's also much more attracted to how outgoing I am, how much more confident I am and yes, a lot of the clothes I now wear because I'm not busy trying to hide my figure. And as added reassurance, what used to be a pancake butt about a year ago is now a nicely shaped behind, even if it is smaller than he'd like. Strength training (lunges and squats with weights) can help. He may like your behind. But he loves YOU and YOU will still be there after surgery. ~Cheri

Any time we eat when we aren't hungry, there's something else triggering it. Any time we "feel" hungry because we're doing a specific activity where we usually eat, there's another tie that we need to examine. There is nothing wrong with not seeing what the causes are prior to surgery. But it should be every sleever's goal to be healthier, not just thinner - and that includes mental health and dealing with any emotional or habitual ties to food. It's easier to see your behaviors once you're sleeved, I promise. And if you don't simply deny them and if you try to understand them and overcome them, you'll find yourself in a great place to maintain once you're at goal. I know you're right! And if anyone actually reads what I post (no telling, I kinda ramble on a bit!) they know that I don't even think "real" ice cream, in moderation, is a problem. I eat whatever the heck I want, with the exception of things my lactose intolerance won't allow. But Eggface is freakin' awesome, and her blog will help newly sleeved people or folks still trying to lose not feel so restricted. I still make those bites! You are absolutely right. I should have qualified my statement and I usually do. I was a fat girl from a long line of fat women, so genetics has some role. But I was also a girl that learned how to binge, emotionally eat and how to hide my feelings in my food from my family. I do think that genetics plays a role, but I also think that here on VST the vast majority of people are also experiencing disordered eating that needs to be worked on for long term health and success. ~Cheri

If it's controlling the acid, it's working for you. If you develop any of the signs that it's not doing the best job controlling acid, just switch to another brand. It does work for some folks, and apparently you're one of them! ~Cheri

I self-paid in Mexico. There really was no "routine" follow up, other than labs. I had some done shortly after surgery at a MTF and some done with Tricare Prime Remote and all were covered with problem. I had no complications so I can't share that experience. Tricare covers us, period. I was worried when I got pregnant with twins via self-funded IVF that we'd have a problem if there were complications but they cover us with no gaps and no issues. I'd say 90% of my time as a spouse has been spent on either Tricare Overseas or Tricare Prime Remote and I've never had a problem with coverage. ~Cheri

Great work! You'll hit goal in no time. Welcome! ~Cheri

Only you can really make this decision. I also never really had trouble losing a nice amount (20-30 pounds) but after that it was a real challenge to lose anything else and impossible to keep it off. And there was always some extra weight added on with the regain. Best of luck whatever you decide. I can tell you that in my experience, the sleeve was the tool I needed to take the weight off and keep it off easily. ~Cheri

How are things going? We'd love an update! I'm five weeks tomorrow and hungry all the time, feeling bloated as heck but I've only gained 1.25 pounds so I'm not worried (I'm on hormone shots so gaining less than ten pounds is success). Wishing you the best! I hope this pregnancy is smooth and uneventful for you guys. ~Cheri

This is a great thing! Here's hoping you continue to see more regularity as you near your goal. I'll be honest, taking one month to chart with a BBT and OPKs (basal body thermometer and ovulation predictor kits) might give you the reassurance that things are still working as expected and that conception won't be a huge issue once you're at goal. Best of luck. You're making swift progress with your sleeve so far and doing a great job. ~Cheri

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope that you get some rest and this ends soon. How long before your doctor will clear you to start another round of Clomid? Oh, and Aleve always helps me more with pain than Tylenol. If it's okay for you to take it, I'd try that with a small cup of milk and see if it helps more. You poor thing - you shouldn't have to be in pain physically AND emotionally right now. ~Cheri

Yes. I say this all the time. I am astounded at the number of people that really seem to believe that genetics and overeating are the only reasons they are fat. I say that because I was one of those people totally in denial about my food issues. People that approach the sleeve like a diet are the ones that have trouble later. I cannot say this enough times: THIS IS NOT A DIET. This is FOREVER. We cannot live on Atkins forever. We cannot tell ourselves that there is only one proper way to eat and be healthy. We cannot tell ourselves that this is *the* diet that will work and if we just deny ourselves for a few months we'll be thin and healthy for life. It simply does not work that way. This tool helps us take the time to learn about ourselves and why we're fat. It gives us a help getting past emotional eating or overeating addictions. It helps us lose the weight but if we do not work on our heads while we're losing, we get to goal as unhappy and still unhealthy people, albeit skinnier ones. This is not a magic button. You are not going to wake up the day after surgery loving exercise and hating ice cream. It takes WORK. Yes, the sleeve makes the journey a million times easier, but you still have to work at it. If you don't, you could be one of those people that hits goal and backslides into being overweight again. Because the sleeve will get you to goal, sure, but YOU have to keep yourself there. And if all you learned along the journey was to cut your carbs and not eat more than 500 calories a day you're going to be in a sad, sorry position to help yourself. Best of luck to everyone. There is one major theme to every regain post I've seen (and I've honestly only seen a few in the three years I've been here) and that is that people just stop being diligent and fall into denial about their habits. ~Cheri

Prevacid is crap in my opinion. A few people here and there like it but many of us have posted that it didn't help one bit. I was able to take Nexium immediately post op and switched to generic omeprazole (Prilosec) within a month or two post op. If you need immediate relief Tums smoothies (the ones that turn to powder almost immediately) will be fine, but they will only treat the symptoms until you're on a PPI. ~Cheri

This is fairly normal, especially when you're on the very restrictive diet post op so you can heal. A lot of what you're saying sounds like mourning food or head hunger and not actual hunger. It's hard not to even "chew" food and you're not even on real foods right now! If you're feeling physical hunger signs like a growling stomach get on a PPI immediately and it will help. Remember that it also takes some time for ghrelin to leave our systems. You'll get through this. You need to follow your diet to prevent complications at this stage. And one very important thing that the sleeve doesn't ever do for us is teach willpower. Success with this tool relies on your ability to question why you're feeling as if you need to eat and what you're choosing to put in your mouth. Best of luck. It does get much easier as soon as you're on purees. ~Cheri

I was type II and am now in remission. I took my last pill the day before surgery. I did need a few insulin shots immediately post op. Within days, my blood sugars were high normal. Within a few months, I was perfectly normal. I don't really test any longer, but when I stopped testing more than a year ago my levels stayed very constant around 80-95 all day long, even after meals. I cannot begin to express the change once the diabetes is gone. It affected so many things for me and now I am free to eat and live like a normal person. Good luck, ~Cheri

Complications are a risk of any surgery. They are rare and we seldom see them but they can and do happen sometimes. We have a number of regular posters here that did have complications and a rough start but are now recovered and happily sleeved. Many more of us never had any complications. It's easy to get scared prior to surgery. I think it's important to read a number of posts about peoples experiences - both the good and the bad, so you know both sides of the story. Too many people only read the positive and are blindsided by the difficulties we can encounter after surgery. Only you can make this choice and only you can decide if it's worth the risks. The odds of a complication, especially if you chose a respected and experienced surgeon, are very low. Best of luck. My sleeve changed my life and I'm thankful every day I had it done. ~Cheri

Great work! You should have no problems reaching goal. And it's true your skin will start to rebound a bit once you maintain at goal for a while. My skin is not resilient or flexible (stretch marks EVERYWHERE that started during puberty) and I've had twins, but after maintaining one weight at goal for six months everything is smaller and even the dreaded apron is able to be completely hidden with good shapewear. ~Cheri