Jen35

I'm 6 1/2 years out and I've maintained pretty well. My goal weight was 150 and I'm about 10 pounds over that right now. I recently gained about 5 pounds due to stress from my sister dying (cancer). I've been turning to food for comfort and I need to get my butt back in gear. I don't really exercise much (I'm changing that), and I've always eaten what I want but in moderation. I just started weight watchers - I want to get down to 145 because I feel that is a better weight for me. I'm really not concerned too much by the scale, but I don't like the way I feel and how my clothes fit right now. So I'm focusing on moving more and eating healthier.

Sorry @@Cape Crooner, I didn't read the whole thread. I feel your pain - now that you've told them one thing I would probably stick to the same story rather than admit to lying to them as well. That was one of my fears down the road going that route. Sorry you're in this situation. I'm not judging you at all - or saying you're ashamed of the surgery. Just giving my experience and why I made the choice I made. I felt ashamed of the surgery when I was going through the approval process - more of an overall feeling that I failed at losing the weight myself and what would others think of me. So telling the truth up front was cathartic for me in that regard. But many people choose not to tell and that's okay too - it's your body and your medical history. It's really none of anyone else's business unless you want it to be.

I think I started off as #2 and that worked for me for a long time. I never was able to eat in moderation before WLS. All of a sudden I knew what that was and it was amazing!! I could take just a bite of cheesecake and be satisfied. As I get further out from surgery, I realize that I can eat more and my portions are bigger. So I'm trying to be more like #3 - make healthier choices with occasional treats. Dieting doesn't work for me - which is why I never could lose before WLS. My brain immediately rebels against the "I cannot have that" rule. And through my therapist I realized I was categorizing food as good or bad. So I would beat myself up mentally each time I "failed" by eating something "bad" and then thow in the towel because I was bad too. There are no bad foods - yes, some foods have no nutritional value or are unhealthy. But eaten once in a while, won't really hurt me. I still want to enjoy food so having that treat makes me feel like I'm not depriving myself. And knowing that I'm allowed to have it, means that I'm not going to feel guilty and feel like a faliure if I decide to eat it. That is a vicious cycle that got me to the weight I was before.

sorry - didn't mean to post that 2 times:(

That's a good plan:) I know I made myself crazy with the scale in the beginning. Right now you want to focus on recovering from surgery and your nutrition/hydration. If you do that, the weight loss will happen. At 3 years out, I weigh a few times per week. That may be too much for some, but I use to just ignore my weight and the scale. So if I'm not weighing often, it's a slippery slope for me. Once I got to my goal weight, I gave myself a 5-7 pound "buffer" that I wouldn't worry too much, but I don't allow myself to get beyond that. That way I'm catching any weight gain before it because overwhelming to me. That's a good plan:) I know I made myself crazy with the scale in the beginning. Right now you want to focus on recovering from surgery and your nutrition/hydration. If you do that, the weight loss will happen. At 3 years out, I weigh a few times per week. That may be too much for some, but I use to just ignore my weight and the scale. So if I'm not weighing often, it's a slippery slope for me. Once I got to my goal weight, I gave myself a 5-7 pound "buffer" that I wouldn't worry too much, but I don't allow myself to get beyond that. That way I'm catching any weight gain before it because overwhelming to me.

That's a good plan:) I know I made myself crazy with the scale in the beginning. Right now you want to focus on recovering from surgery and your nutrition/hydration. If you do that, the weight loss will happen. At 3 years out, I weigh a few times per week. That may be too much for some, but I use to just ignore my weight and the scale. So if I'm not weighing often, it's a slippery slope for me. Once I got to my goal weight, I gave myself a 5-7 pound "buffer" that I wouldn't worry too much, but I don't allow myself to get beyond that. That way I'm catching any weight gain before it because overwhelming to me.

That's a good plan:) I know I made myself crazy with the scale in the beginning. Right now you want to focus on recovering from surgery and your nutrition/hydration. If you do that, the weight loss will happen. At 3 years out, I weigh a few times per week. That may be too much for some, but I use to just ignore my weight and the scale. So if I'm not weighing often, it's a slippery slope for me. Once I got to my goal weight, I gave myself a 5-7 pound "buffer" that I wouldn't worry too much, but I don't allow myself to get beyond that. That way I'm catching any weight gain before it because overwhelming to me.

I am 3 years out so I don't know if my experience will help you. I had really bad heartburn before my sleeve surgery and apparently I had a hiatal hernia that was causing most of the issue. My surgeon fixed it while doing the sleeve and I had about 3-4 glorious months of no heartburn. Then it started coming back (surgeon said it was 50/50 of the hernia happening again). The only thing that helped me was Protonix. But I didn't want to be on that long term due to the osteoporosis side effects. I now take Zantac as needed up to 2x per day. It works to prevent (if I know I'm going to eat something that usually gives me trouble) or get rid of it within 15 minutes of taking it. Sometimes I have to switch up the meds because my body gets used to them. Maybe that could help you.

I haven't been on here for a LONG time. I'm 3 years out from surgery and I got down to my goal of 150 (actually 145) but now I'm fluctuating between 156 and 160. I know that isn't a lot of gain but, for me, it's a slippery slope. 10 pounds can quickly become 20 then 50 and that leads to "screw it - I give up". I started off in therapy about 6 months prior to surgery and continued on for a year after. I only stopped because my therapist move out of the country (and I hate having to find someone new that I click with - she was amazing). BUT i'm realizing that I need to go back to therapy and probably the nutritionist as well. I can really eat anything I want now and I do (that's the problem!) So I need to go back to basics, make sure I'm focusing on Protein and veggies/fruit and stop putting the junk in my mouth. For me, therapy was the key to getting and staying (close to) goal for so long. I absolutely know that I would have gain back most if not all of the weight if I hadn't worked on WHY I was eating (using food as a drug to numb my feelings). I can feel myself slipping back into old behaviors and mindset. The old me would have just ignored these warning signs, deny there is anything wrong while continuing to overdose on my "drug" of choice. At lease I've become more aware - I can truly see the issues I have now and I know that food won't fix them.

I will be at my 3 year mark next month. When I decided on surgery, I was certain that I wouldn't tell anyone except those closest to me. But, like you, as I started rapidly losing weight, it's hard to lie to family and friends. So I became very open about my surgery. Yes, I got some judgmental people but I feel that is their problem not mine. And if they are a close friend and judging me - maybe they're not such a great friend. I didn't announce it to the world - only those who I felt comfortable telling. But only by talking about WLS are we going to remove the stigma attached to it. If we act like it's a dirty little secret then we are just reinforcing the view that this is something to be ashamed of. Some of the people at work know - mainly because I felt comfortable with them knowing (and I have a co-worker who had the sleeve a year prior to mine). The main issue I had was that a couple people I told then felt it was okay to constantly ask me about my weight. "What are you down to now?" as if it is okay to just ask someone what they weigh. And with them, it became the only topic of conversation. HELLO I am more than my weight - I have other things to talk about. At first it was nice to get the attention and for people to notice my weight loss, but at some point when everyone says "wow you look great!" you start to wonder "did I really look that bad before?" Now that I'm 3 years out, it's a lot easier. This is my new norm and I don't really have to tell anyone unless I want to. I sometimes share my experience with others just because I would have loved to have someone do that for me.

I'm going on 2 years out and I am always freezing! I am always bundled up from Fall to Spring. At least in the summer I'm not drenched in sweat like I used to be, lol. Now I get in my hot car in the summer and I'm like, "Ahhhh" for a few seconds:) I need to move to some place warm, but my husband would roast!

I'll be 2 years out in May and I'm finding that I'm having a bit of trouble maintaining because I'm not watching what I'm eating (too much junk) and I'm not exercising. I'm still at my goal weight of 150, but I had been down to 145. And I'm afraid I'll keep inching up if I'm not careful. These are the things that are working for me: I found some really tasty deli meat at (maple honey glazed turkey) that is yummy. That is a really easy lunch option. I just roll up some meat with cheese. Pair that with some fruit/veggies and I'm happy. I keep healthy, quick Snacks on hand so I don't get too hungry and reach for other things. Mixed nuts, Protein bars, individual cottage cheese, string cheese or baby bell, individual guacamole (100 calorie packs) to go with pretzels. Wild caught Alaskian salmon at Sam's (already marinaded in individual packs) are really good with lots of great protein. I defrost quickly in a bowl of cool Water and cook for 15 minutes (or cook from frozen - takes about 15 more minutes). Tuna pouches - I eat the flavored ones with just crackers. or mix with some mayo. I love watching TV, so I try to go to the gym in the evening when a show is on that I want to watch. 30 minutes goes fast for me when I'm engrossed in a show I like. I also bought a country line dance exercise DVD that I plan to do with my kids. When watching TV, at commercial breaks, do planks, push ups, sit ups, wall sits, jumping jacks. Hope this was helpful:)

I love this thread - thanks for starting it! I definitely think the emotional/mental aspect of the weight loss process is not addressed enough. I haven't read these books but I had some pretty intense therapy with an amazing counselor. I definitely had disordered eating but I also had a huge appetite (I believe that there is/was some hunger "switch" that just doesn't turn off for some of us). I refer to the sleeve as my "rehab" from food. It gave me a breather from the hunger to work on the mental issues I had/have with food. I had a crappy childhood - abuse, mom died of cancer when I was little, my dad was emotionally incapable of being a father. I grew up with no love/comfort that a child needs and was never really able to grieve from all of this trama. Therapy and EMDR helped me process the feelings that I never allowed myself to feel. Food was the drug that I used to numb everything, give me comfort, etc.. For me, I had to deal with all of this and understand why I behave this way in order to learn how to change those destructive behaviors. I really HATED myself and that was reflected in how I treated myself. After dealing with my past, therapy then became about finding healthy ways to cope with my feelings and self comfort without food. I have a much better relationship with food now and I am much more self aware (even as I have been slipping into some old behaviors lately because my counselor moved 4 months ago and I haven't found a new one). But in the past I would just ignore those warning signs - now I'm less afraid to do that self-assessment of where I am and the path that I'm heading down. Alarm bells are going off in my head telling me that I'm not dealing with my stress in a healthy way - I'm leaning on food for comfort, etc. And so.... I"m going to start looking for a new therapist tomorrow:)

I understand about food addiction! Have you thought about seeing a therapist? I ask because that really helped me. My first homework assignment was to determine what food does for me. I realized that it comforted me and kept me from feeling my feelings (especially the unpleasant ones). I worked with her for over a year to learn how to feel my feelings and find healthier ways to comfort myself. I would still be seeing her if she hadn't moved. I'm dragging my feet to find someone else, but I need to. Something that I really enjoyed on purees: cottage cheese, layered with speghetti sauce and then shredded cheese. Heat it up and it's like lasagna. Yummy! Check out www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com - she has a lot of post op ideas (that one is hers). Hang in there:)

Hi there. I haven't been on here in a long time but I was browsing and you're post just called to me. I remember being in your shoes feeling terrible during the healing process. What got me through was taking it one day at a time. I know that sounds silly, but I just focused on TODAY, what will get me through today, because each day I will heal more and feel better. I ended up having my gallbladder removed 3 weeks after my sleeve surgery. That SUCKED! and I had to revert back to liquids for a while. Now I'm 16 months post op 5 pounds below my goal and that is all in the past. This will be your past before you know it:) My advice - instead of going off your dietary guidelines, try different Protein shakes. Or try blending some banana or Peanut Butter into a shake (use the blender). Sometimes a change in consistency helps. Have a variety of popcicles or anything else you can have (Jello, pudding, etc.) so you don't get bored. Journal your feelings. That helped me a lot (I was seeing a therapist and this was my "homework"). You will be frustrated and, if you're like me, "eating your feelings" isn't an option anymore:) Write them down, do yoga, walk, find what works for you. Try to be in the moment - it's okay to feel your feelings and it's perfectly normal to be frustrated, sad or whatever you feel. But try to be kind to yourself - you aren't alone in this journey and you are worth the effort to take the best possible care of yourself!!!

Congrats!!! You look amazing and so happy. I'm 14 months post-op and 94 pounds down. If feels so good to be in control of my weight and able to live my life again:) Keep up the good work!

So I'm a year out from sleeve surgery with no complications other than my gallbladder removed 3 weeks after sleeve. About a month ago, I noticed pain under my right rib cage intermittently, but usually after I ate. Not terrible and not all the time. It's started to become worse and more frequent. About a week or so ago, I went out with friends and had a drink - not even a whole drink. I got this really weird reaction, pain and cramping from the middle of my back up my spine into my shoulder blades. It's hard to describe but it was very uncomfortable and odd. That night I had the abdominal pain all night and into the morning but it was also radiating to my back. It was Saturday, so I went to the ER. They did a CT scan, blood work and both were fine. The only thing they found was a urinary tract infection. I don't think that was the cause of the pain. I've taken the antibiotic and I still have the pain issues pretty frequently. I have an appointment with my MD, I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar and what was the cause? As a side note, I've also noticed that my alcohol tolerance has gone way down over the last couple months. Like one drink hits me the way 3 drinks might have affected me 2 months ago. Weird, so I've stopped drinking at all till I know what's going on.

As long as I take the IBS meds 3x per day, I don't have the diarrhea and general cramping pain. But I'm still having the sharp pain in my upper abdomen intermittently. The severity varies as well, but it seems to be somewhat better (not sending me to the ER, anyway). I see my doctor again on Tuesday and I guess we will see what other tests he wants to run. I'm thinking it may be something like Crohn's. I have fibromyalgia and at one point I was seeing a Rhuematologist because they thought I had Rhuematoid Arthritis. I had one blood test that had a high RH factor but then no other tests confirmed that I had RA. But the doctor said that auto-immune diseases can start off slowly and then progress, and it's hard to diagnose until more symptoms apprear. She felt that my body was doing something auto-immune related that my progress eventually. And auto-immune diseases run in my family.

I set my goal at 150 thinking I would never get there (I started pre-op in May 2013 at 244). But now, a year out, I'm at 150. I'm happy at this weight but it is at the top of my healthy weight range for my height (5'5). I was 130 in high school (a LONG time ago) so I know I still look healthy at that weight - I wouldn't want to go lower than that. I'm in a size 10, sometimes 8 depending. So it surprises me when people tell me to stop losing. I was on a work trip where many of my co-workers hadn't seen me in 9 months. One person kept telling me not to lose anymore and that she is worried about me. Seriously? It's not like I'm anorexic and I've been at this weight for several months now. I'm not super skinny. There were several other people there that are smaller than me and no one comments on their weight. But that is their normal, my normal has been almost 100 pounds heavier, so people are used to seeing me that way. It amazes me that because I've had WLS, people feel free to comment on my weight. They ask what I weigh now (hello?? how much do YOU weigh). And I have a good friend who is heavier than me (and pregnant) who is so down on her weight. I can't go shopping with her right now because I was trying on a swim suit and commented about not liking the way it fit and she went OFF on me. That I should be happy that I'm so thin, and look at all her cellulite. But I can bet you she wouldn't have said that to one of her friends who has always been thin. I'm giving her a break because of the preggers hormones, but it hurt my feelings. Just because I've lost weight doesn't mean my body is perfect or I love the way everything fits me. I still have some body issues. Sometimes it's just really hard to relate to people after WLS, usually because of their perceptions or expections. It can really suck!

@@crysclev has the carafate helped with your symptoms? Or have you found out what is wrong? Since my last post I went to the ER again (different one cuz I didn't like the way the last handled things). They did another CT only this time I drank this stuff so they could see my digestive tract better. Everything was fine, bloodwork fine. I started taking IBS meds which have helped with the generalized pain and diarrhea, but I still get the sharp, stabbing paint intermittently. I would say my issues are about 50% better. I will need to go back to the doctor to see what other tests I need.

@@crysclev - I hope they figure out what is wrong. keep me posted. I don't have my gallbladder anymore so that isn't my issue (that would be easier). I saw my surgeon for my one year follow up and he said he can do an endoscopy but he would rather wait to see if the increased dose of Omeprazole (for acid) and the carafate help first. He reviewed my CT I had done at the ER and said that I have a small hiatal hernia (which sucks because he fixed it when I had my sleeve - so now it's back). But the pain has only gotten worse in the last few days and the carafate hasn't helped like it was supposed to. In fact, it hurts my stomach just to take it with Water. 2 days ago, immediately after eating I was having stabbing pains in my upper left side of my abdomen. The pain is also now in my upper right abdomen sometimes. I really don't know if I can handle this pain! I'm afraid to eat because the pain is worse then, but I have pain to some degree all the time now. My regular MD said that I definitely have IBS but didn't think that the pain is related to that. He didn't prescribe meds for the IBS yet, but can if I need it. I just don't really know what to do at this point. My surgeon wants to see me in 6 weeks, and I have a follow up with my reg MD in 3 weeks. I don't think I can take this pain for that long. I really want to know what is wrong with me.

I'm having that same issue. I have been able to drink fine (maybe 3 drinks over the course of an evening) and just get tipsy, never truly drunk. At 11 months post-op, one drink feels like three. I don't know why my tolerance has lowered all of a sudden. Really weird.

My experience is similar. My surgeon recommended waiting 6-8 weeks post-op. I had my first drink at about 2 months. Don't like fizzy drinks (beer, soda) or sweet mixers. I usually sip a long island tea or sometimes I will ask for Water and a shot of liquor and add a packet of crystal light. While alcohol affected me a little more post op, it wasn't as much as I expected. And it was probably more because I had abstained for a while. You do need to be careful of the transfer addiction. I have an addictive personality and alcoholism runs in my family so that is always in the back of my mind. You also have to be careful because too much can be hard on our stomachs and there is the risk of ulcers.

That is why I've stopped telling strangers about my surgery (unless I feel it will help them personally). I told everyone at first and I am proud of my surgery and my accomplishment. But it's really none of their business how I lost my weight and I don't feel like justifying it to them. We do as much work to lose weight as anyone else does - if not more because we have to recover from major surgery. Don't let the jerks get you down - you rock:)

I suffer from fybromyagia and I get severe haeadaches, too. My fybro has improved after the surgery (I'm 13 months out) but the headaches are still there. I was told no NSAIDs, too, but nothing else helps. Tramadol does nothing. My reg. MD gave me a standing script for Loretab but that doesn't really help for my headaches and I can't work while taking a narcotic. So I'm back to ibuprofen, which the surgeon said I can take as a last resort when I really need it. I haven't been taking it as much as before, but probably more than I should. Now I have abdominal pain and they are wondering if it is an ulcer, but it could be something else. That is the real concern with NSAIDS - ulcers.