JerseyGirl68

Good for you! You're off to a great start. Those 6 months will fly by. You turned to a great forum with lots of very helpful people. Best of luck!

Congratulations!!

My hair started falling out a about month 3 and lasted about 6 months. I have pretty long, thick, curly, color treated hair. I took Biotin before surgery and continued until about a year out. It fell out mostly from the top, but was not noticeable to anyone but me and my hair dresser. Regrowth started right away and was more annoying for me, since the new hair was short and stuck straight up on the top of my head. That is getting much better. No real complaints from me, I was lucky. Overall I feel my hair is healthier, but I am taking vitamins religiously. the years leading up to surgery I was not.

You go girl!! I'm so impressed with your perseverance in spite of all your complications. We should all stay as motivated. Thanks for sharing.

I purchased an infrared thermometer off amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity%C2%AE-Non-Contact-Infrared-Thermometer-Temperature/dp/B00837ZGRY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1390506240&sr=8-4&keywords=infrared+thermometer) for about 12 bucks at the time, it let me know how hot the liquid was. Once I figured out how long to microwave it, it was easier. Anything over 140 degrees will make it clumpy.

The stage between purrees and solids can be frustrating. On my soft food stage, for Protein, I was having mashed up meatballs, tuna, egg salad, scrambled eggs, poached or soft boiled eggs, greek yogurt. Since these foods sat heavier initially I had small bites equaling a few spoonfuls, I tried to focus on protein instead of foods like potatoes and cream of wheat. Some fruits/veggies gave me more gas initially so I waited a little while for them and only in small portions. unjury chicken Soup was a staple early on and I keep some handy now too. High protein, warm and savory. How many grams of protein are your shakes? I liked to get in the most I could so 2 shakes would exceed my protein for the day. To make my protein drinks more interesting I add PB2 powder or some sugar free syrup (peppermint being a fav) Keeps it interesting for me.

Hi Jenny, Welcome! You sound like you have a great mind set and support system in place and that is priceless. I think some people's concern comes off as unsupportive and it is really just based on a lack of knowledge. Your grandparents love you and don't want anything to happen to you, which is understandable. Best of luck throughout your pre-op. I also took the time before surgery to prepare myself and I feel I went in knowing what I needed to and being as prepared as I could. I found the boards to be of the utmost help. So many wonderful people here. Nice to have you!!

Hey Cheryl: The very best part of this forum for me is that we are among a unique group of people who know exactly how you feel about our struggles with weight. So no need to feel embarrassed here. We get it. I initially felt that surgery was drastic, but compared to other things I've tried over the years - over the counter pills, juice cleanses, starving myself, etc. I think this was the smartest/safest thing I've done for myself. There are risks that need to be considered carefully but I could not be happier or more confident in my decision to have surgery. Best of luck!!

Hi Jeni, Congratulations on a great loss so far. Keep in mind you have lost 100lbs. Your body simply may need to adapt and get used to it before you lose some more. That being said... do you track your food/water? I find this to be a great help especially when I have weeks where I don't lose. I can go back and see if I was carb heavy or took in less Protein. Ask yourself if you are doing all you can.. Are you getting in all your protein and Water? Are you exercising ? I You may just need to mix it up a bit. Add some calories or take some away. When I was taking in 800 cal I wasn't losing.. I try to hit 1000 a day and that works better for me. Cardio alone isn't always effective, try adding some weights to your work outs if you're not already. Call your NUT if you have one. Show them what you are doing and see what they recommend. You are doing great so far, don't lose hope.

You should be asking yourself these questions. I think you know the answers. You probably can lose the weight you need to if you stay on the diet you are on now. but how long will it last? I can only speak to my experience and that was the question I asked myself. I was a professional dieter. I did lose a considerable amount of weight on my own and gained it back... several times. I had a big appetite and my portions were out of control. That is what I needed the help with. And for me, the sleeve was the answer. I'm not tired or bored with this "diet" and for me, that has been a key element and the one that I believe will make the difference this time around. I'm physically satisfied with less now. The sleeve cannot stop you from eating junk, so here is where staying focused on diet is huge. It will only limit how much you can eat, and help with hunger (for some, some still feel hunger). You can certainly try again on your own, ultimately you need to be at peace with your decision. Good luck going forward!

Are you getting in all your Water? The gain is most likely due to being backup up. You don't want it to go on too long, you might want to give your doctor a call. He may tell you to take something stronger than Colace. Good luck!

Hi Sarah and welcome! Calories are determined by what you eat, and what i mean by that is if you ate a serving of fat free/sugar free pudding it would be around 60 calories, eat the same amount of haggen daaz and it would be about 350 (estimating). The amount you can eat is and will always be restricted. Over time you'll be able to eat a little more than in the beginning but it should not be substantially more - if we constantly push the limits of our new stomachs it can stretch a bit over time, but how much I would imagine is specific to each person. I measure/portion out my food still, less waste and I don't overfill my sleeve. Eat too much once and you never want to do it again. The maximum I can get in, at 13 months out, is about 7- 8oz. and that is really pushing it and depends on what I'm eating. The more dense items you eat, the less you'll be able to consume. I can get in about 7oz of Soup no problem, but typically 3-4oz of chicken or beef is all I can take. We count calories so we do watch what we eat, Protein first, then veggies, then starch. It is a balance, and everyone finds their "sweet spot" for what works for them. The built in restriction will limit how much you can eat at one time, it's up to you to work out the best meals to stay on program to maximize your loss at first, then maintain. Slider foods, foods low in nutritional value, but easier to eat (chips, ice cream, pretzels, etc.) go down pretty easy and don't really fill you. Consuming protein first, will fill you longer and provide the nutrients you need for energy. I don't know if there are a lot of stats for 10 years out but there are a bunch of vets on the forum that are 3+ years out and of great help. I know the golden rule is to follow the mentality of calories in versus calories out and you'll lose. I can tell you, I always burn more calories than I take in and I have weeks where I don't' lose. Our bodies adapt. For me, carbs have and I guess always will make me crave more. Getting used to head hunger vs. real hunger (which I still dont' ever feel) was a struggle for me initially, keeping the carbs at bay helps. Best of luck to you for a smooth surgery and recovery.

The last thing I had to complete was the endoscopy. Right around the same time, I had my psych eval. You are right, everyone's requirements are different, my doctor was able to use some labs/tests that I had don within a few months. Good luck .

It's frustrating. I have slowed down a lot too. But I keep asking myself if I'm doing all I can or need to do and if I'm being honest, the answer is no. I'm not exercising as much as I should. I'm blaming it on the cold weather, but old habits die hard. I was cycling until the weather got too cold, but there are other things I can do. I'm also not tracking as well as I was, I really believe this is a huge factor for me. I'm not a big snacker, but not monitoring as closely, I have no real way to tell what combination of foods slow me down. Carbs never were and never will be my friend. If I expect my sleeve to do its job, then I need to do mine. We can do it! GOAL OR BUST!!!

Have you tried unjury chicken Soup? I really enjoyed having something warm and savory instead of the sweet shakes at times. Good protein count and tastes good too.

Bad pain isn't the "norm", but everyone is different. Since you did have a revision and additional scar tissue a call to your doctor would be reasonable. Though it is probably just as you think, muscle pain related to surgery, it is better to be safe than sorry. Best of luck to you!

I did. My nut suggested them because they also contained minerals. I took two at a time.

Congratulations on your surgery! 40lbs in a about 6 six weeks is a great start! Your body is catching up. Stay the course and follow what your doctors have laid out and the weight will start dropping again. It could be slow and steady, and that can be frustrating. But it didn't' go on overnight so we have to be patient. The first 9 months or so I averaged about 10 lbs a month, some weeks nothing then a nice drop, we all lose differently. Good luck and continued success!!

Congrats on your surgery! I did the same as McButterpants. I switched to Vitamin Water Zero and had no issues drinking. Walking is the best course of action for moving the gas. Warm liquids also went down easier for me initially. Herbal teas were a God send. Peppermint was and still is a favorite. Good luck!

I had different experiences with different shake mixes. I didn't' like a lot of them for different reasons. Pure Protein Chocolate turned out to be a favorite. If the one that was recommended doesn't' appeal to you, talk to your doctor, see if a comparable product that you enjoy more is ok.

My surgeon's office followed what my insurance dictated. At first they required the 6 month supervised diet. About 2 months in, that requirement was dropped and I could move forward. Good luck!

Congrats on a successful surgery!! Walking for sure right now is your best option. At about 4 weeks, I was ok'd to use the elliptical, without the arms. At 6 weeks I was cleared for all. Only light weights initially after the 6 weeks. Even the short walks are beneficial and will let you heal. It will get easier every day. Do you have a pedometer? I wear my FitBit religiously, it will synch with a smartphone and/or a computer and track your movement every day. A great motivator for me. Best of luck!!

Congratulations on your surgery, I'm glad you're doing so well. At only a few days out you are still swollen and healing, you won't feel much of anything. My doctor wanted me drinking about an ounce every 15 minutes while on full liquids. You don't want to over do it, and it is great that everything is sitting well with you. On your plan have you started shakes yet? Getting in your liquids is so important and it is really great that you are doing so well. I still dont' feel traditional hunger and I'm so happy about it (I'm 13 months out). Enjoy it while it lasts!! For some, the hunger does come back. You should start feeling more full when you start on more dense foods... purees and soft foods. Make sure to measure it all out and don't be surprised if you can only handle a spoonful or two. It's normal. Take it slow and regardless of what you feel you can handle, remember you are still healing. Give your body time to adjust. Best of luck!! I hope it all continues to go so smoothly!

Hey there, You'll get a wide variety of responses about "cheating" on your pre-op. I chose not to. I wanted to do everything I was instructed to get in the best shape I could before surgery. You have to trust what your doctors instruct you do to. It is in your best interests. Remember, just because some have no issues when not following their pre-op, doesnt' mean you wont'. Do you really want to be on the bad side of that statistic? If you feel you need more to eat/drink on your pre-op, call your NUT, ask them what you should do. Why risk it? You and your health are worth far more than a single meal or snack. Good luck!

I'm so sorry, that has got to be really hard to hear from him. Maybe he just doesn't really get it. People who have never walked in our shoes cannot fully understand all the struggles and how hard this decision can be. Get your thoughts together, write them all down if you need. Outline for him how hard being overweight has been. All of it, the emotional, physical... everything. He may really not understand how this fully effects every part of your life, and what you are hoping for after surgery. Then maybe introduce him to this site and let him read other's stories. He may be open to a different perspective. I hope so for your sake, but the reality is YOU know the truth. This is not a quick fix and certainly not the easy way out. Anyone that says it, is misinformed. Educate him the best you can, and hope that gets through. Best of luck, and remember if all else fails, you have all of us for support.