KellyL

Oh heck yeah, I can totally relate. I was really worried about it before surgery too. I had made some small changes and lost some weight. I have been off reg AND diet sodas for almost a yr now. But I was still a fast food type person for the convenience, as well as the "gotta have it now" mentality. I didn't plan ahead and keep things on hand or prepare meals ahead of time. And that hunger I used to have, where I didn't wanna even take the time it required to cook before i shoved it in my mouth. But the sleeve has helped that, I don't get the omg I am starving, get in my belly NOW, feeling. I get a sort of empty feeling and kinda go by what time I ate last to confirm it is actually real hunger, not head hunger or acid. But I have to admit, I do mostly easy/convenient type foods at home. Cause to be honest, I don't know any other way of life,so I think as long as it's a good protein source and all, it's ok. I don't do the protein shakes as much, but I really like the taste and convenience of boiled eggs now. So I boil half a dozen or more at a time, to have on hand to eat, or to add to tuna/chicken salad, or make egg salad with. I've been babysitting this wk, and having to get up and leave WAY earlier than I am used to, so I have been taking my boiled eggs, cottage cheese, cans of tuna and chicken, my diet green teas, so I will have the ability to keep up with my protein. I use greek yogurt a lot not just cuz of convenience but it's high in protein and makes meat go down so much easier if I make it into dips. I add it to the tuna/chicken/egg salad. I use it in place of sour cream. I do string cheese and other cheeses a lot to add more protein to stuff. I will also take a whole bag of the frozen chicken breasts and put in the crock pot before bedtime, then the next day I divide it up into small portions and use some for chicken salad, some to dip in greek yogurt/w/ranch mix. I really like the hidden valley fiesta ranch mix. Or I will use other sauces and flavors like BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, white sauce (the kind that goes on bbq and smoked chicken) etc. to kinda change up each meal. You do have to watch the sauces for sugar and stuff, but some have fewer carbs than others. But I do eat a lot of chicken. lol. I like how the crock pot will make meat tender and fairly moist, I hate dry meat. But anyway!!! You are not alone!! And you have done a fabulous job losing 45 lbs pre-op, congrats!!! It seems to me, you are doing a good job of preparing yourself mentally for the sleeve and making positive changes. Give yourself some credit, and I am working on becoming more of a real cook, but until i master it, as long as I do protein first, I ain't gonna worry too much about it. The sleeve really does make it easier to stop and think and plan meals out, so you have that to look forward to!!

No judgement here because i have the same exact thoughts!!! I am not trying to be critical, it's just like even with Aretha Franklin and Drew Carey. 80-100 lbs, and they just suddenly after yrs and yrs of being big are successful at losing that kind of weight? I am sure by now, Aretha has lost even more, it's been a few months since I first saw her. I watched a talk show with Drew and he said he's going to just say "80" lost, because he lost more but has had a slight regain since his original loss. He talked about changing his eating, watching his carbs, eating things like greek yogurt.. I don't judge them either, and I guess after reading how many people on these forums keep their surgeries a secret, then a celebrity has just as much right to their privacy and they are stalked by the paparazzi so much and judged and critiqued publicly so much, so they probably want to keep their privacy even more than the average joe. And we've all seen how they do people like Carnie Wilson in the media. So it's no wonder!! But I am still very curious about the truth, because of my own journey. I know it's possible with their $ to hire personal trainers and nutritionists and chefs, but it does seem odd that it seems to be happening only in the last yr or so that we are seeing all these celebrity transformations. Regardless of the method, I am very very happy for them despite my suspicion lol. I always love seeing weight loss success. I love watching shows like Extreme Makeover, Weight loss edition, but I have mixed emotions with it. I am excited for the loss they have but I worry on their ability to keep up the exercise routines they have to keep. I do think some kind of exercise is helpful, beneficial, and sometimes vital to our health, regardless our weight. But 4-5 hrs a day?? When they get back to their own lives, no one is making them do this stuff, no one is buying and providing them with their groceries, etc. I worry about their well-being and emotional health and what failing after the show will do to their self esteem if they are unable to maintain. Sometimes I like the show cuz the guy seems to really care, but then sometimes I feel it's no more than a circus/freak show when he makes a big deal on the scales he has to use to weigh them at their starting weight. I know they get trips, exercise machines, cars, groceries bought for them, but can he at least not humiliate them on tv? Can't they do the weighing and just tell what the starting weight is without making them disrobe with all the rolls hanging out and stress they can't use a reg scale. I guess I know how i would feel in the same situation. But I guess they feel it makes good tv and that's why they do it. Anything for good ratings, right? I need to submit this post before i really get to ranting hahahaha

Nancy, congrats on being sleeved and having a fairly easy recovery!! I'm so happy for you!

Congrats on being sleeved!!! I am sorry to hear of your pain, I was so lucky not to have much. But it will hopefully get better everyday and you will have a speedy recovery!!

I'm so sorry, I know it's got to be so difficult for both of you. I hope she heals quickly and can settle into her new sleeved life. Please tell her hello for me and sending positive thoughts and prayers.

Sorry I missed the post too. I mostly focus on 70-80 or sometimes more on protein and by the time i get that in i really have no room for many carbs so it makes it easy to also do low carb as well. Some days i have a bit higher carbs if i do a protein bar cuz of the sugar alcohols, but i don't have one everyday so i don't worry about it. I want my eating to be more natural and not so much a "diet". I try to stay away from the dieting mentality, cuz if i make things completely off limits, i just crave it even more which could in the old days lead to binges. I do know about how many calories I end up with cuz i use myfitnesspal to keep up with my protein and it gives me the cal/carb count as well.

Wow, that is fantastic!!! So happy for you! :cheer2:

I traveled home from Mexico after being sleeved with NO PROBLEM 3 days after surgery, but I had one of the easiest fastest recoveries that I have read about on here. I had no problem walking around the airport, I used a rolling bag for luggage, and even took it as carry on, but my sis was with me and lifted it into the overhead compartment for me. I didn't do the wheelchair thing because all I had ever heard about in my research is how important walking was for eliminating gas and speedy recovery. Having said that, it is depending on what you have to do once you arrive in Florida, and on your own personal recovery. There are a lot of folks still in pain and with a lot of gas for a couple of wks, plus, as someone else mentioned you will be possibly/probably be on a liquid diet, so that may be problematic. With you also having a hernia repair, this may make your recovery a little slower and you may experience more pain than the person who just gets sleeved. You may want to ask your surgeon, he may have more post op guidelines and restrictions that we don't know about here. I could not lift anything, go swimming, etc. for 6 wks I think. Good luck, I hope everything goes smoothly for you!!

Sorry about not getting your sleeve, but getting the band out is the first step towards making that happen. Speedy healing to you!

Congrats on being sleeved!! I'm glad to hear your recovery is going well.

I've only ate the one time at Chick fila and then Outback for my anniversary. All the things I listed earlier are just "options" if anyone were to get stuck out and have to get something. Choosing alternatives to my previous unhealthy choices are a vital part of my journey. I honestly think it is unrealistic for me personally to say I will never have McD's or BK again. I have a teenager. lol. And I know fast food isn't healthy for her either, unless we make the better choices. And we certainly don't/won't go as often as we used to. Fast food definitely contributed to the problems with my health and weight that I have now, and I actually enjoy and prefer staying at home to prepare things so I have more control over what I am putting in my mouth. I love having control over food rather than the other way around, it's so liberating!!

Wow, you're doing fantastic!! The jeans reward sounds awesome, congrats!!! :cheer2:

How exciting, very happy for you!! Please update soon!

I loved your post, very inspiring!!! Thanks, I can totally relate to all that you said. And wow, you are absolutely beautiful, before AND after!!! What a beauty! Congrats on your success!!

Good luck everyone!!

Yayyyy for the stall being over!! You did really well with the inches lost though, congrats on both things!! I know exactly how you feel, the scale just started moving for me after a long stall. I hope it keeps going!!

I thought Dr Alvarez was one of the drs using the smaller size bougie as in 32fr, even in 2008. I wonder why he decided to make yours bigger? Was it due to medical reasons? I have seen a lot of revisions from one procedure to another, but not necessarily 2 revisions within that short of an amount of time. I am very sorry you have had difficulties with the sleeve and now the MGB. How did you do with the actual diet part of the surgery with eating protein first and not filling up on "sliders" or carbs? Do you feel it was the sleeve being big and not slipping back into bad habits or emotional eating that failed to help you reach goal? Have you had any therapy relating to your eating? How much weight did you lose and how much more do you want to lose? I wish you luck with everything, please update us on what you decided to do!!

you can do the string cheese, even on the go. I also like deli meat with cheese rolled up inside. You can even heat it in the microwave to warm it and melt the cheese. You can also spread cream cheese on it and roll it up. I don't know if you can have it, but a pickle inside the roll up is kinda tasty. I didn't like boiled eggs before surgery but now it's one of my fav things, so I boil up a bunch and have those on hand for a quick breakfast or snack. I can then also make egg, tuna, or chicken salad and add the boiled eggs to it if I want. I like to put frozen chicken breasts in a crockpot over night, then use different sauces, buffalo wing sauce, teriyaki, hidden valley ranch mixes in greek yogurt. The greek yogurt just takes the place of the sour cream and I can't tell a difference. It is high in protein too. I do a lot of chicken lol. You can also mix up some chicken salad with some of it. I also really like the Sams Choice Stuffed Chicken breasts at Walmart. I have had a half of one for breakfast before. I am not always in the mood for traditional breakfast items, so I switch it up a bit.

Congrats, that's fantastic!!! Yeah, I've been able to get more protein in also, and it definitely makes a difference. I am trying to increase my water now, I seem to struggle more with that than protein. Way to go on breaking your stall!!! :rockon:

Yayyyyy,, that's fabulous!! I know it's very exciting, congrats!!! :cheer2:

Yeah 2 bites of egg when you first go to soft food may be all you can eat, especially if you still have a good bit of swelling in your tummy. But in a wk or two, it should get to where you can eat a little more. And the weird, bubbling, hungry, gnawing feeling in your tummy is usually acid. A PPI is really helpful for this and makes all the difference in the world. I was using prilosec, but got some Equate Zantac 150 because it was cheaper, and not time release. Someone mentioned yesterday that their dr mentioned the delayed or time release doesn't stay in our tummies long enough to work, so I was glad the stuff I had just bought didn't mention delayed release on it. You can add the plain greek yogurt to add to soups refried beans or anything to up the protein, its really good. I use it in place of sour cream in everything. I also use the greek yogurt to add the hidden valley ranch mix to dip chicken and other meats in. The Hidden Valley fiesta ranch is good too. I also put the greek yogurt in tuna or chicken salad. I don't use the protein drinks/mixes very often to get my protein any more, never have been a big fan of them. I liked vanilla ok with peanut butter in it a couple times. My favorite thing right now are Sams Choice Stuffed Chicken breasts from Walmart, there are 3-4 flavors. I like the one with pepperjack, swiss,and bacon, and also the mushroom one. They are in the long freezers near the meat section. They only take 30 mins to bake, they are not dry like a lot of chicken, and they have anywhere from 34-37 grams of protein. 3-4 grams of carbs. I can't eat a whole one, so it makes 2 meals. Since finding these, i have met my protein goals daily and they are really good.

I agree, I know I talk a lot about PPI's, but I have read this on the boards before, that acid can cause this feeling. I hope I don't get it, I have a slight choking phobia! If you are already on a PPI, then do a search on OH cuz I know I've seen it discussed, and maybe there are other things people have tried and it helped.

Wow, I can see a major difference, congrats on your success!! It's funny because I am the opposite and it drives me crazy sometimes not to see the scales move. :rant4: But I have dropped several sizes in clothes. I think it has something to do with how we're built, how tall, etc. That's just a guess though lol. But you look terrific, so don't sweat it, you will drop sizes soon.