Smillzee

I agree with most people here. It really is about the carbs. They are the devil when it comes to weight loss. I lost about 40 pounds on WW from 300 to about 260 and didn't put it back on but could not get any more off. My fitnesspal.com is a great free program that really helps to track food intake. Check it out and it is free. I got sleeved on 12/29 and I think it is just the tool I need to really lose. But again, it is only a tool. You have to work at it for life. I'm hoping that you go with a high proteing low carb alternative to WW because it sounds like way too many points to really lose any weight. Good Luck. Smillzee

Congratulations! Good luck with your surgery....I'm very happy for you. Smillzee

Thanks to every one of you who read my story and replied. It really makes me feel great and supported. I'm now almost 3 weeks post op and down to 240. I'm happy to be losing weight but what they say in the Kaiser classes is so true. It is just a tool I could easily slip into the "slider food"...yogurt, cottage cheese, anything mushy and I really have to watch myself. I guess weight is just my life long struggle because, really, I seem to tolerate any kind of food post op and have to watch the carbs. Thanks people and good luck to all who are getting the sleeve. Smillzee

That's awful....but I bet it will resolve itself. I had the sleeve on 12/29 and have only tried to eat some tofu bread which has 12 grams of Protein per very small slice! It was delicious and I had no problems. In fact, so far, no probs with anything but am trying to avoid carbs as everyone suggests. It's hard. Good luck and just think of the weight that you will lost skipping the bread!

Kara I can totally relate to your struggle. I could not lose any weight pre-op no matter what I did. I would follow a strict low carb diet, exercise like crazy at the gym (for me anyway, I would do at least 30 minutes treadmill and 40 minutes swim at least 3 sometimes more times a week). It was so frustrating so don't lose heart. My insurance had a supposed 10% weight loss requirement and a 6 month class before getting anywhere near approval for surgery. I started the program last January at 256 pounds and the day I went into surgery on Dec 29, I weight 255.1 pounds. I didn't even lose a whole pound after a year of struggle. But they gave me the surgery anyway because I did not gain any weight. So at least, hopfefully, if you can maintain whatever you were when you started with your doctors, you should be able to get the surgery. They waived the 10% requirement for me and made me jump through about 2 extra hoops but I still got my surgery. Now, I'm 2 weeks post op and down 13 pounds. That is the most I've lost at one time in years. Hang in there. You are doing your best and that is all you can do. Smillzee

Hello friends, I am 2 weeks post-op with the sleeve and overall, think I'm doing fairly well in my recovery. I am on soft mushy food and a little bit of fish, ground beef, soups, cottage cheese, string cheese, Keebler crackers and things like that. My problem is that I get sort of a cotton mouth experience, especially after drinking a protein drink. It is very unpleasant. I always have a bottle of water by my side and take constant sips but it is not resolving the problem. Are there any sort of lozenges we can suck on or some kind of way to not have an awful taste in your mouth? Has anyone else had this experience? Any insight or suggestions is, of course, greatly appreciated. I'm not sure how to fix my ticker but I'm down a total of 14 pounds from 256 to 242. It's exciting to be losing some weight. Smillzee

Hi Tara,, Wow, I think you are totally ready for this. I got sleeved on Dec 29 and it has been the easiest surgery and recovery I've ever had from any medical procedure. I just started eating solid food again and it's great. So far, no problems so I hope it goes the same for you. I'm not sure if the Rou En Y is better or not but I suspect that the sleeve will be just fine for what you want. It really restricts food without rewiring your whole anatomy. I think it just depends on the person but I'm very happy with the sleeve. Although I'm only 2 weeks post op, I've lost 12 pounds. Good luck with everything. Your journey is finally coming to an end and the WLS will soon be in your rearview mirror and you will be losing weight without so much struggle. Best, Smillzee

I'm so sorry you are going through this. Hang in there.

Wow, fantastic. You are very inspiring. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Wow, fantastic. Congratulations. You are doing great and this is very inspiring to me who is only 10 days post op.

Good Luck!

You need to tell her soon so she can process the idea. I would emphasize the health aspects and the laprascopic aspects to reduce as much anxiety as possible. Tell her that you have thought long and hard about doing the surgery and that you have weighed all the pros and cons and that this will add years to your life. You can tell her about the health problems from obesity, blood pressure, diabetes, etc etc. Tell her the surgery will add years to your life. Also explain as fully as possilbe the procedure, tell her that it is safe and that laprascopic surgery doesn't involve cutting you open like other surgeries. Good Luck!

Sounds like excellent advice. I guess I just have to settle down and really understand my new body. When Monday comes, I'm sticking to the mushy stuff and the Doc says I can have real chewy type food after about a month. I get the slider aspect and I suspect that is what leads to weight gain, right? I mean milkshakes, pudding, etc...those calories can really add up fast. Thanks again for the calming words and the warning. S

Hi folks, This is Smillzee. I'm having a really tough time not obsessing about food. I had my surgery on Dec 29 and have been on total clear liquid diet since Dec 28. Here is the thing I"m worried about: I have been reading here how most people can't tolerate food after surgery. How it turns them off and how it is so difficult for some to even get down a glass of water. This has not been my experience at all and I"m worried I"m going to be a total failure. First, yesterday, I ate some mushed up split pea soup and I had about a third of a cup. It was so good I felt I could have eaten the whole can. Then, today, in total frustration, I ate (until they were mushy of course) 4 Ritz crackers. They were so damn good! Food does not turn me off at all. I have no problem drinking the 90 ounces of water a day, the protein shakes, whatever I can get my hands on. On Monday, when I'm technically able to have real food, I am going to limit myself to 600 calories but I'm so worried that I'm going to blow this by snacking or by just not feeling full like everyone else. This was my problem before the surgery and I'm not convinced it is gone. When I ate the 4 Ritz crackers, I felt fine and simply wanted 4 more. What the hell is wrong with me? How come I never feel full? What can I do to deal with the introduction of real food come Monday? I know that going back to work will help a lot with the idle time but still, I don't want to snack my self and never even lost the original weight that everyone else does. I have done extensive research on the surgery and realize that the part of my stomach that secrets hunger signals has been removed so maybe my feelings of hunger are all in my mind but that doesn't make them any less intense. Any advice or suggestions? S

Oh my gosh, Jen, that is a heartbreaking story. Shame on those insurance companies! I wish you the best of luck. You are making the right decision. Your health and the years you add on to your life by eliminating the obesity is well worth any amount, right? I am one week post op sleeve surgery so I can't rave yet about the success but I am down 9 pounds so am hopeful. Good Luck!