enigmachik

My doctor has approved me to take NSAIDS as long as I don't take them on an empty stomach and as long as I only take them once in awhile.

My hair actually dried out a bit after the sleeve. I used to have super greasy hair and I like it much better now.

I didn't have any bruising, but I did have the dent in my tummy. It looked rather strange, and it was there for several months, but eventually everything evened out again.

I know that you want to lose the weight really quickly, but the truth is that success is not about how quickly you lose it. Success is about getting the weight off and then keeping it off. You said in the past you could drop 20-30 lbs in a month. My question is how many months in a row did you sustain losses like that? If you were losing that much you probably only lost that much for one or two months. Most of what you lost was probably water weight and muscle. And how long were you able to keep off the weight you lost? I'm guessing you gained it back or you wouldn't be looking at doing WLS in the first place. With the sleeve you may lose slower than what you did in the past, but if you follow doctor's orders you will be losing mostly fat and you will keep it off. Isn't keeping it off much more important than losing it quickly?

It is scary before surgery because of all the unknowns, but in no time you'll be so glad you did this!

Some people have like 20 lbs of skin, but not most people. Most people who lose weight and have the skin surgically removed only have between 4 to 9 lbs of skin removed.

I think it's okay to use them occasionally, but they are very high in sodium and full of preservatives so I wouldn't eat them very often if I were you.

Personally I like to add frozen kale or spinach to my smoothies. If you have a good blender, you won't taste the greens at all. It's a great way to get some extra veggies.

Adding crystal light or mio breaks the surface tension of the water and it makes it easier on your tummy. I don't exactly get why that is, but there is an actual scientific explanation for it.

Yes, I experienced that for the first couple of months. It gets better little by little as things heal and the swelling goes down. Once you start eating, you want to make sure to take really small bites, eat very slowly, chew extremely well and don't eat too much and that will help to lessen the effect. The best thing though is time. The more time goes by, the more normal you will feel.

Yep, I've been asked. The last time a guy asked me when I was due, I just made up a due date on the spot because I couldn't handle the awkwardness of the truth. I am a woman who has never had children and desperately wants one...and quickly running out of time to have one so this question is doubly painful for me.

I just want to add that a lot of the protein shots are called "new whey protein" or something similar that has "whey" in the name of it, but if you look at the ingredient list you will see that the main ingredient (other than water) is collagen protein and that way down in the list somewhere it will list whey protein. There is VERY little actual whey protein in those shots. They add a trivial amount just so that they can call it a whey protein shot when in reality it is a collagen protein shot with a hint of whey. Always check the ingredient list because the labels are often very deceptive.

I'm pretty sure it's only early on that they advise against wild game. It's a little tougher than farm raised meat. They say not to eat nuts and seeds early on because they can get caught in the staple line if you consume them before the scar tissue has formed. For the record I've eaten wild game, nuts, and seeds without issue.

I'd rather have loose skin and be healthy, than have gorgeous skin in a fat and unhealthy body. Also, the loose skin can be hidden under the right kinds of clothes, but the fat cannot. In addition, the only people who ever see the loose skin are me and my significant other. Everyone can see my fat.

Yes, very normal. I took a nap every day for a little over a month after surgery. You'll be feeling like your old self again soon!

My first period after surgery came very late. My second period didn't come until I'd missed almost three cycles! It took me over six months before things started normalizing. I think it's fairly common because your hormones are all over the place during weight loss.

For me, it mostly went away. It was very loud and obvious in the beginning, but over time it happened less frequently and less loudly. Now I only gurgle if I eat too quickly or drink too soon after having eaten.

Congrats! You look great!!!

Aww, that's so touching. Bless his heart. And good job mom!!

I was going up and down stairs within hours of my surgery. I had to go slowly and carefully, but it was not a problem.

It's true that most of us are very happy with our sleeves. It's also true that at one week post-op many of us were not quite so happy. The first few weeks after you get sleeved are tough. They are draining emotionally, physically, and psychologically, BUT it's temporary. Before long you will be through this stage and eating normally again. It's a new normal, but it will feel pretty darn normal, and it will be great. Hang in there. The recovery period can seem like it lasts forever at times, but I promise you that before long you'll look back and be amazed at how fast it all went by. And you'll be doing all this reminiscing in a new thinner, sexier bod! It's worth it. It's soo worth it!!

I work in Human Resources for Whole Foods Market and I can tell you that many of the stores also have the grinding options for almond butter and cashew butter. All of the fresh ground nut butters are amazing! If you choose the plain ones, the only ingredient is the nut itself (no added sugar/salt/oil) so it's also the healthiest option. Another hint, try drizzling a tiny amount over kale or other leafy greens. It gives it a wonderful nutty flavor and adds a little protein punch.

I had to do two weeks of clear liquid only and I did not cheat. I figured if I was really serious about making a change, I better start with the pre-op diet. Keep going, you're more than half way there, you CAN do this!

You may find that in a couple of weeks you are not able to eat quite as much as you can eat now. The reason is that at three weeks out, the nerves in your stomach that were severed during surgery are still pretty numb so you may not feel the restriction as readily as you will after those nerves repair themselves.

I believe that for many people the feeling of hunger does return, but the fullness should remain because our new tummy cannot get much bigger.