Strangefruit

I do. Constantly. I am 5 months out and 61.3 lbs down... When I Iron clothes, they look too small for me...I am still surprised when I put clothes on and they fit... I don't FEEL significantly smaller, yet when I stand next to people I used to consider "normal", I look the same. Weird. But my bigggest fear is re-fatting. I exercise EVERYDAY because I am afraid not to. Some friends work out 3x or 5x a week...I am afraid to give myself a day off, because I am terrified I will re-fat. How do I get past this feeling? Or, maybe is this a good feeling to have because I won't take weight loss for granted? I don't know... I know that I have a really hard time buying new clothes and getting rid of too big clothes because of my fear of re-fatting. Everyone says to get rid of old baggy clothes because you will not need them... but everytime I have done that in the past, I have needed them..and didn't have them...because I re-fatted. *sigh*

I know it varies, we are all different sizes and getting in different amounts of exercise... I was just wondering if I might be eating too much... I am two weeks post op and average 650-700 calories daily... Does that seem like too much? About 500 of those calories are from Protein shakes...

I will admit - there are TIMES when I regret this surgery. I had the surgery in Oct 2012, and am down a smidge over 61 lbs...I look better, I feel better, BUT...there are times when I still miss/mourn my old relationship with food. I had a love/hate relationship with food for over 40 years! We would fight, break up, get back together again and I have to admit - there are times when I miss being able to go back to food again. I can't. Ever. If I eat ONE BITE too much, I get sick... there are some foods that are permanently off limits for me... I don't miss them all the time, but occaisionally, I do. My taste buds changed...there are some foods I just don't like anymore... Today? Today I would totally do it again... but I would be lying if I said that I NEVER regretted the surgery. It is hard...the behavior modification is very strict... the old me, if I "fell of the wagon" and had a dinner of margaritas and nachos, I had to deal with my guilt and disappointment in myself. Now, I will get PHYSICALLY sick. I guess that is what it took for me to remain compliant. But it is hard.

I am currently taking Opurity multivitamin for sleeves and bypass (bought online) but they are HUGE and taste gnarly... but, the dosage is only once per day... I was thinking of switching to Flintstones chewables, but they are 2x a day... I am wondering why gummie vitamins are not allowed... Gelatin must digest ok, because I am allowed jello... Anyone have any insight?

Never heard of it, but I am going to search for it...sounds great!

I have been wearing a regular pedometer daily since surgery, and I do 45 min daily on the treadmill... Are the extra things the Fitbit does worth $99? Apparently, it tracks sleep and does charts and stuff? If you have one, do you love it?

I used to be a big coffee drinker... Had to have my minimum in the morning to start my day... It doesn't make me sick, but I no longer care for the taste. I have taken to having a cup of English Breakfast Tea every morning... I was never a big fan of beef, but now the smell turns my stomach. And ALL of the protein shakes I had pre surgery are sickeningly sweet now... Weird.

Don't get me wrong - I was sleeved on Oct 22 and am overall pleased with my weight loss... But sometimes, I wonder... I was on liquid Protein for five weeks straight... anyone who is on Liquid Protein for five weeks straight would lose weight. I am now on a semi-Adkins like diet...No more than 30 grams of carbs and at least 60-75 grams of protein daily.. I average about 750-800 calories per day. Anyone who ate 800 calories a day would lose weight. I am on the treadmill EVERY morning for 45 min... again - anyone doing this would lose weight. I guess when I *do* have the issues - and I am extremely lucky - I have had very little complications - I just wonder if I could have done this same behavior modification without surgery and lost weight. Part of me says, without the surgery and my appetite being suppressed, I wouldn't have stuck with it. But another part of me wonders if I could have. If I could have done all of the above without permanently losing a big chunk of my anatomy and having to eat really really really slow or throw up or get indigestion... And, I feel like if I had done this without surgery, it would feel like more of an accomplishment. Don't get me wrong - this has still been really really hard... but I still feel like I had a leg up with the surgery. I don't know... am I the only one who feels like this sometimes?

#1 - Your wedding pic is beautiful! #2 - This is going to be YOUR journey. You cannot DO or NOT DO this for anyone but you. It *will* be hard... but you can do it! ~hug~

Welcome, Dee! I loved reading your post... I am post surgery - Oct 22, and it has been hard - ups and downs...but overall, I am glad I did it. I *did* have some co-morbidities - HBP, sleep apnea, and like you, have two kids that I want to live long enough to enjoy my life... I hope that if you decide to do this, it works for you. It *does* work... but it is also very hard. If I had it to do all over again - I wouldn't do it... BUT I am glad I did it. Does that make sense? Like, I could not repeat the whole surgery thing and recovery, but now that I am on the other side of it, I am glad with it. If you do this, prepare yourself for your relationship with food to change. By this I mean there are times when I actually MOURN my relationship with food. People say, "But you are losing weight!" Yes, but understand that your entire relationship with food will change...and if you are someone just a little like me - where food was a BIG part of your life, you will miss some things. But it is worth it to be healthy... but it is hard. I'm gonna stop - I don't want to scare you... it is a wonderful thing to do... but also, very hard.

Completely! Some days I almost "forget" I was sleeved and seem totally normal...Other days, EVERYTHING - even tried and true foods disagree with me. Those are the days I get depressed and moody. "I can't even eat an egg! I hate this stupid sleeve!"

Mine was ketosis...living on protein shakes for 5 weeks, my tongue was white and my breath was stinky. Once I got to real food, it went away.

I am very interested in what kind of f/b you get... I am 3 months out and down 54lbs.. my weight loss and caloric intake seems to be very similar to yours... and I do 45 min. daily on the treadmill... The only thing that helps is that I have had VERY LITTLE loose skin, so I am thinking/hoping/rationalizing that folks that lose slowly like us, give the skin time to snap back... I also use the Lose It app and track daily, faithfully... My loss seems to be about 1-2lbs per week... and considering I exercise daily and usually consume about 700 calories, I would think it faster as well...

I *thought* about saying I was having a hysterectomy (folks - esp. males - don't ask a lot of questions - but ended up just saying abdominal surgery and not telling more... I agree - it's not being secretive, it's privacy.

My favorite pre op snack was a piece of lite cabot cheese (50 cal), 6-7 almonds and 2-3 olives... How long before you were allowed to eat nuts? I am 3 weeks post op... Thanks.

I am at 3 months out and have not lost any hair... But it might be just around the corner! Who knows!?

I wear surgical gloves to mix ground meat for burgers or meatloaf...

Post script - Tawny - your comments were spot on for me... I think because I am seeing the scale move sooooo slowly, I do get discouraged. And, I did not take pre surgery measurements - I don't know HOW I missed doing that - so I am not sure of the inches... But today, I went into a crate from my basement of clothes I wore about 4 years ago... I remember myself weighing much less than NOW...yet most of them were clothes that I (surprise!) could wear now... a few pairs of pants I could get ON, but were snug... so, I should be in them in a couple of months... Don't get me wrong - I am grateful for the surgery... but I would not be honest if I didn't say that there are times that I miss/mourn my past relationship with food.

Thank you!

recipe??

I am 52 and was ALWAYS hot! Now, I am always bundled up under a throw or sweater... I guess some of the 48lbs of fat padding was keeping me warm!

I think, Cheri that you hit the nail on the head... what I am "regretting" is really mourning my relationship (albeit) unhealthy - with food. I am 52, and for over 40 yrs have had a love / hate relationship with food... I have "broken up" with food, loved food, gone back to food, and what I am feeling now is the inability to resume that broken relationship. I have to look at food differently now - food as nutrition, not food as comfort, as love, as entertainment, as so many things... With the sleeve, even when I eat healthy food, I have to stop before *I* am ready...not when my stomach is sated... it is a hard thing to unlearn. My relationship with food is what I am mourning... I used food to reward myself for so long, I resent that when I really *want* something, I can't have it - even when I *think* I deserve it. Last week, my son texted me to please stop by Krispy Kreme and bring home some hot donuts... I did and got a dozen... I did not even eat ONE as I was afraid the greasiness and sugar would cause dumping syndrome (which I have never had, but like a root canal I know I don't want it)... And, I guess it bummed me out...that I couldn't even have ONE. I needed to read the responses...you guys *are* right...I am off my blood pressure medicine, I am exercising daily and feel better, the scale is moving slowly, but I am wearing clothes I haven't worn in over 2 years... I guess I just needed to "say" it aloud - that sometimes I am sad that I cannot order pub fries and a margarita anymore for dinner...

Good comments, all... I agree - I have lost weight before, but could never KEEP it off... I needed to hear that from people who "get it". )