JerseyGirl68

Amy, I thank you for sharing. No one likes to struggle, but it is a part of life and watching someone own up to a struggle, and own what they want to do to get control is instrumental for all of our success. The good, the bad and the ugly.. We should see it all!

Hi Jennifer I think it is fantastic that you joined up in support of your husband. I think the biggest misconception may be that there are foods we can't eat after surgery. Granted there are MANY items we shouldn't eat, but unless for some reason he can't tolerate something, the option to have his favorites, in moderation, are there. Bread is hard for a lot of folks, its just too dense and heavy. There is no way to know exactly how he will be effected. I love my carbs too, and I know I need to stay away from them to really get the most out of my weight loss efforts. This has ALWAYS been the case, not just post op. Carbs are necessary for a balanced diet, but most have no real nutritional value. Since we take in so few calories, we really want to get the most bang for our buck, so I try to stay away. I just found some wraps (Fiber One honey wheat) that I will have for lunch on occasion. Your switching to whole wheat pastas etc, is a great step in aiding his changing habits. I had a conversation with my mother not too long ago, she has never had any weight issues and we were a large family of 10 kids, so she never really thought about the food we ate growing up and how it does shape our habits throughout out life, just that we had enough. We had lots of bread and Pasta, quick meals that fed a lot of people for less money. It was a way of life, and that's what it needed to be at the time. But looking back, my habits were formed early on, it was up to me to change them. I completely understand his not wanting his struggles to be ones your children have later on and his wanting it to change now. That being said, it has got to be hard for a whole family to make sweeping changes, but some are for the overall better good. I don't have children, but I do have my young nieces & nephews come over a lot. Yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit. all acceptable snack items that are all still good for me too. keeping an open dialog is most important, if there is an item that he feels having around will make it really hard for him then maybe talk with the kids and see if they can take one for the team & dad and do away with for a while. I also can understand needing there not to be junk food in the house, maybe each of the kids can pick their own healthier alternative while he is in the early stages. I have been keeping pre-portioned packs of nuts as a snack, it gives me a crunch and on my plan. Making the decisions as a family for the overall good should make it a little easier at least. He may not realize all the changes you have been making behind the scenes. There are a few really good websites that have very tasty family friendly recipes. www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com and www.emilybites.com The kids most likely won't even realize these are "healthier" options. If his inquiry about surgery opened more of a dialog about healthy eating habits for the family, there is no "fault" there. He might need to think about it in a different way, or at least know that you don't think of it that way. Every summer I go away with a big group of my family to the beach. This year I put it out there to my many nieces and nephews to bring their bikes as a way of getting from one house to another (and to get me moving on vacation) They JUMPED at it, they loved that I wanted to ride with them and every one brought a bike, the whole week we rode and they never thought it was more than a great way to spend time together. My point really has to do with perception. There is a sub-forum here The Man's room. He & youmay get unique point of view by checking it out. Again, I really applaud your efforts to understand what he is going through and your willingness to do what you can to make the process easier. Best of luck to you all!!

Hey there! and welcome. There is another thread going on now too that may be helpful. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/94337-if-you-still-struggle-afterwards-why-do-it/ In short, this is the best decision I have ever made. Good luck!!

Congrats on a successful surgery! I agree, every day gets a little better. I wound up sleeping in a recliner the first few nights to make it easier and a heating pad helped with the soreness a bit. Be well.

Woo Hoo!!!!

You rock, Jane! Congratulations!

I have BCBS NJ, It took just about a week to get my approval. Good luck!

So happy for you! Congratulations on your success!!

Hi Cara: I absolutely asked myself the same questions, and had the same concerns prior to surgery. I also have had a life long weight issue. I have successfully gained and lost and gained again the same hundred + pounds at different times. Going on a diet was never the problem. Not being able to sustain it was, for me at least. I did weight watchers, and was "successful" Until after a year, I was tired of being hungry all the time and the bad habits kicked back in. Which for me, was always a portion size thing. I had a big appetite and could pack it in. Throw in some bad food choices and emotional eating and POOF.. back on went the weight. I always wished it could be a little easier, for me the feeling of being full and satisfied was always a comfort. With the sleeve in place for about 9 months now, I get that feeling, and keep my portions in check. I was never one to graze all day, so for me that hasn't been an issue. Like most things, this is not a one size fits all solution. Depending on what our individual issues are - portion, grazing, bad food choices, binging etc; - we all have to alter some aspect of what got us this way. The emotional eating aspect did not change overnight. But what I keep in the house has. And yes, this has changed before too. All any of us can do is make the best decisions we can. The sleeve is a tool, not a cure. There have been struggles, no weight loss is easy. But sometimes we find the one thing that does help. We don't always know what that is initially, so we keep trying. For me, the decision to get sleeved was a last resort. I tried EVERYTHING short of surgery. pills, WW, nutri-system, fasts, cleanses... the whole lot. The only thing that took was Weight Watchers. It wasnt' the plan that failed, it was me. I needed the tool that would help me. The sleeve has been that for me. Ideally, I want to eat the things I enjoy (in moderation) Thanks to my built in restriction, moderation comes much easier these days. I believe there are many factors that go into long-term obesity. We have to tackle these things one at a time, and try to understand the why behind it, at least that is what works for me. Not being hungry, and getting full faster is a part of it, but I still have to make the decisions on what to put in my mouth. I don't know what will come in two years, but I'm committed now and plan on sticking to it. True, I always planned on sticking to it, this time truly feels different- I feel very much in control. I know I cannot sit in front of a big bowl of Pasta and chow down. I physically can't. This time around, having the benefit of a nutritionist is extremely helpful. It makes sense to me that because of the lower calories Im taking in, they need to count. So yeah, I get my Protein in first. I plan my meals, and I portion my food, but I'm enjoying the food I'm taking in and it is physically satisfying me. We cannot predict what struggles we will encounter. Like any other weight loss try, we have to do our best, form better habits and hope when push comes to shove we can stick to it. When we struggle, we are now in the midst of like minded people in the forum who walk the same path. We know how the others feel and having that support is also a huge benefit this time around. Best of luck to you!!

Best of luck to you today and for a smooth recovery!!

NICE!

Welcome! and congratulations on your decision to move forward!

unjury makes a Protein rich chicken broth that was like liquid gold for me after surgery. Kept my energy up and tasted good. They have it on their webiste. unjury.com Another option was Better than boullion (sp) low sodium chicken base. Also very good tasting and lower in sodium. No added protein though.

I'm a big fan of the sugar free/fat free pudding. Jello makes a double chocolate, that is fantastic. Sometimes, I'll splurge and put a spoonful of fat free cool whip on top.

I'm 9 months out and feel very normal. Granted, it is a new normal.. a better normal for me. Overall I think I focus more on it being a healthier lifestyle overall. I track my food still, I'm not as good at it as I used to be but I want to get back to doing it all the time. I dont' want to get lazy and not plan things out, it would be far too easy to slip into old habits for me. One huge downfall for me was not planning dinners and coming home and making something easy... which equated to Pasta or carb-laden foods. Now it's protein, protein, protein. The first few months you really are focused on how often you are eating, what you are eating, are you getting everything in. It is almost a full time job. But sooooooo worth it. Best of luck!

I had my gallbladder out the month before I was sleeved, Dec. 12 of last year. The recovery was very similar. I tried to get the bulk of my Christmas prep done before surgery so I didn't' have to worry about it. I live alone, and prepped my place so I wouldn't have to do any heavy lifting/reaching for a few weeks. All in all, almost identical to the gall bladder recovery. Good luck.

Awesome Amy, Taking control is always the biggest step. So happy you're feeling in control and doing what you need to for you.

Best of luck to those having surgery today! See you on the losers bench!!

Fantastic!! Congratulations, you are well on your way!!

Welcome back!

Awesome! I wish you well as you progress. I'm sure it will get better and better every day.

I know I shouldn't weigh myself every day either... but I do. You may have eaten something with higher salt than you have been... it could be a lot of things. Try not to worry too much. If you are doing what you are supposed to, it should all be ok and the scale will move again in the right direction.

Fantastic!

Fantastic article Amy. Thanks for sharing! I just took up cycling myself, in an effort to find an exercise I can enjoy. :-) So far so good! Thanks again!

I'm 5'8. I'm aiming for 175. It would exceed my surgeon's goal, Still be a little high by "normal" standards, but for now, it is attainable. I'll adjust when I get there. I have not been at that weight my entire adult life, so I would be thrilled.