Sissy Kay

Hey Jay! Come on -- you know that losing 40 pounds in such a short amount of time is SUPER AMAZING. People will notice the contours of your face becoming more slender, but as you have to look straight-on at your face, you'll basically still just see the round shape. HANG IN THERE and don't get discouraged! Many, many people out there would be so thankful to lose that much so very quickly!

Major congratulations, PhillyGirl! WAY TO GO! "ONE-derland" is a GREAT place to be!

I'm sure you'll be inundated soon with denials to what you read, RMC. I've been going to a support group for bariatric patients (even though my own surgery isn't for another 10 days) and we ocassionally have pot lucks, and it's really wonderful to see how everybody eats a small little portion of several different things, including chile, casseroles, pumpkin bread, etc. Whatever you read, it was WAY WRONG. Make a smiley face and be happy! The worst thing you might have to face is that a few people seem to develop an intolerance to dairy products, or something like that. (I'm hoping I do, because I just love cheese and ice cream too dang much!) I'm not your doctor or nutritionist, but I'd guess that you will probably start on creamy Soups pretty soon, including tomato -- yumm. And congratulations on your 24 pound loss!

I'm so sorry to hear about these awful problems, Karissa. You must be getting terribly malnourished. Have you spoken with your surgeon and doctor? Something is definitely wrong. What kind of tests have they run? Can you drink without being in pain? You need to demand answers from your doctor!!!

Excited, yes. But it feels more like I'm scared s***-less and wishing-upon-a-star, all at the same time!

Oh, those dreaded Carbs! They're evil, I tell you, pure old evil! And you have, unfortunately, fallen under their spell again! It's like me with sugar. Just one little taste, and all of a sudden, I'm their willing slave again! The only answer is you've got to break carbs' power over you! And the only way to do that is to STAY AWAY FROM THEM. It's just like being a junkie. You've got to stop COLD TURKEY (and it's very appropriate that it's Thanksgiving Day ). Realize that carbs are only giving you a minute or two of pleasure, then you're left alone feeling bad about it. Yell, scream at any carbs that try to get in your hand or in your mouth! Tell carbs -- "GET BEHIND ME, SATAN!" You sound like you've done great for 4 months -- you should be proud of yourself! But now you've let yourself forget the sleeve mantra: eat Protein first, without liquids and without gravy or other slider foods, so that it fills that stomach up! Doing that will make you start remembering what the sleeve is all about!

Hey Mendymayhem, I feel your pain! You sound like quite a go-getter and well-informed, but are you exercising? I've read other people's stories that say they increased their Protein and calories and that broke their stall. But probably, you just need to wait the stall out. Your body goes into starvation mode when it's getting so few calories, so it tries to hold onto that fat! I think that by increasing calories, you can sometimes convince your body that you're not really starving. Good luck!

Dear 3Lilrams, It sounds like you've done what many of us have done, which is to villafy (sp?) eating, except you've taken it farther than most of us are able to -- you've made it into an unpleasant and unrewarding experience that you derive no pleasure from. I have to agree with the other reviewers that I wish I had to push myself to eat just to stay healthy. Hearing your story, it's probably not at all fun and you may be getting obsessive about not eating. I'm still dealing with being obsessive about eating, which certainly isn't good for me, but it's probably not good to become obsessive about not eating. And like you mentioned, your husband doesn't enjoy being around you during meals because you're not enjoying the experience. Maybe it's like a dog that, everytime it tries to eat a piece of food off the floor, it gets smacked on the nose with a newspaper. After awhile, the dog no longer tries to eat anything off the floor because an unpleasant experience results. If everytime you eat, your stomach gets super unpleasant, then after awhile, you don't want to eat anymore. Have you spoken with your doctor about this unpleasantness when eating? I can't remember hearing from others on this site about that particular reaction by their sleeved stomach. Maybe somebody else will know more about this particular reaction . . . Good luck -- I wish I could help you more, except to suggest that you experiment with foods to learn what you can eat comfortably, and that's also healthy for you, and then try to enjoy it and feel good about yourself and what you've accomplished. Weight-wise, you're HOT!

Have you already been sleeved, Newbody? Please don't feel badly -- we ALL overindulge at times. With the sleeve, we just hope that we overindulge less and less, mainly because the sleeve won't let us! As one of the quotes that some of the people on this site use: "Mistakes are not fatal. Success is not permanent." (Or something along those lines.) The MOST IMPORTANT THING about mistakes is that we learn from them! What caused your overeating? Where you lonely, hungry, sad, angry? Can you try to recognize that feeling again and try to channel your feelings by doing something else you might enjoy? Would you be able to work with a Behavior Therapist, or just a good friend, and try to figure out why you're doing what you do? Getting yourself motivated and excited about taking care of your health and your mental well-being is what you need. You're a good person and you deserve to treat yourself right! Think about YOURSELF!

Hi Principal! Welcome to "Our VST Gang". I really think you'll enjoy this site and get a LOT of good information. But sorry to hear how your lapband went. That's great that you were able to deal with your insurance company; I'm not sure I would have had the guts to fight them if my insurance company had given me a hard time about it. I'm also having my vertical sleeve gastrechtomy week after next, the day before yours. I'm getting sleeved on December 3rd in Dallas. There were no experienced surgeons in my entire state of New Mexico, so Dallas seemed as good a place as any. I also have a hundred pounds to lose, but am one of the older sleevers-to-be: I'm 58. But I'm SO excited about finally taking charge of my weight! Good luck to us both! Sissy*Kay

Dear Anewman, I wish I knew what to tell you to make everything better for you. You have made tremendous improvements in your life (so very few peple can lose 165 pounds and keep it off!) but it's hard to keep all those plates spinning in the air, isn't it? I have suffered from depression for over 20 years and would have probably committed suicide if not for modern anti-depressants. If you're still struggling, I'd say that your doctor hasn't found the right medication for you yet. Demand to try a different med or to adjust the amount you're taking. (BTW -- What medication are you on?) You may need to go to a psychiatrist who really knows his/her pharmaceuticals, because a combination of different meds may be what you need. One thing that will really help your mood is exercise. Don't make a big deal of it and think you have to run 3 miles a day. Just start with going for a non-stressful walk. You'll feel SO much better about yourself. I'd say that my mental attitude is improved a good 25% if I'm getting in regular exercise. The throwing up you're doing everyday sounds awful. You've got to talk to a doctor about that soon -- you're probably damaging your stomach and esophogus lining. Losing weight is important, but that has to be combined with a healthy mental attitude. Find a doctor you respect and who is willing to take the time to look at your total health and well-being. You sound like a pretty intelligent guy and sometimes it's tougher on the smart ones. Smart people are too aware of everything going on; you can't just say "Awww" and flip your brain onto some other funner topic. I don't know if any of what I've written will be helpful to you, but please know that I understand and can relate to several of the challenges you're facing right now.

Leahandgracey -- You need to call your doctor about the fever ASAP, just in case it's related to your surgery. Are you on an antacid for the acid reflux? Tell your doctor or a member of his staff that you can only eat once a day -- that's just not right and you're going to get malnourished, or maybe you already are. On a positive note -- congratulations on losing 40 pounds already -- that's great! But you're having too many complications to continue in this way. Call your doctor's office!

Hi! I'm from Albuquerque, NM, and my surgery date is Dec. 3rd. The surgery will be in Dallas, TX.

Remember the value of holding a pillow against your tummy at times of movement and laughter.

Sounds wonderful! You ROCK! We love to hear great news like this.

You look marveous, Isereno! What a neat goal reward!

Hey Marquel! Sounds like somebody was talking to you who didn't know diddly-squat, to put it nicely. This person was not very informed -- you've heard the saying, that a person "only knows enough about a subject to make them dangerous"! I'd complain to the manager; I'm quite sure that some of that store's business comes from bariatric patients. And no, you will NOT be on Protein shakes the rest of your life. In fact, after about 3 weeks of surgery, most surgeons want you to get your protein through real food, not shakes.

Way to go, valdonstaGA! You are going to be one skinny & pretty lady in a few months. And by looking at your profile, I see that you had your surgery just 6 weeks ago -- fantastic! Keep up the good work!

I REALLY think you can be sure that you aren't pregnant. However, do check to see if there was "a star in the East" at the time. And yes -- losing that much weight can definitely mess with your TOM!

Oh, MAN! That's gotta hurt. I think your husband was probably trying to help out by doing cooking while you were still recovering. But he does seem rather "clueless", doesn't he? To make that wonderful food and then to forget to save you the broth? You should have maybe just stayed in the bedroom and let him deal with the 2-year old! Hopefully, as he grows up older, he'll be more aware of situations that aren't comfortable for other people. Just hang in there and get skinny!

I've heard that taking a vitamin powder, mixed in with a protein shake or other flavored liquid, is a great way to go and much easier on the stomach. Let us know what ends up working for you.

What a special moment, Chad. It kind of makes all the hassles (sp?) worth it, doesn't it? Thank you for sharing this great feeling with us. I can hardly wait!

Good morning Gina, Well, okay -- you're not the fastest looser, but you're STILL working on it. And you've lost 63 POUNDS that you haven't gained back -- that's marvelous! There are many of us who would be thrilled to know that two years out we will still maintain a 63 pound loss! And you only have 45 more pounds to lose -- that's not what I consider obese by any means -- you're getting so much closer to your goal! I'm also happy for your friends who are doing so well, but they'll have their down moments as well . . . we all will. You've heard the saying that "it ain't over till it's over" -- that's so true when it comes to weight loss! So, put on your big-girl panties and let's get going. Start with that 5-day pouch diet that so many people use when they need to get back into the program -- that will get you back to feeling like you can take on the world. Get rid of all junk food in your house (and tell anybody you live with that junk food will be shoved down the garbage disposal immediately!). Plan your meals out carefully for the week and go grocery shopping WHEN YOU'RE NOT HUNGRY. Cook for the whole week. Put up ready-to-eat salads and boiled eggs and yogurts. Make a big pot of chicken & vegetable Soup (especially since the weather is getting colder). And, unfortunately, you need to give up sugar. For me, just a little taste of sugar and I've got to have more - it's as addictive as a drug! You're already walking everyday, so that's great, but as research is showing, your body gets used to the same exercise, so you need to maybe join an exercise class where different muscles get used. Or change your walking regime into 20 seconds of running, 5 minutes of walking, repeat, repeat, repeat . . . In a week, increase that to 40 seconds of running, repeat, repeat, repeat . . . Gradually increase the time you run while decreasing the time you walk till you're running half the time and walking half the time. Interval training like this has been shown to provide great improvements, because your heart rate stays up for a few minutes after you push yourself -- it's almost as good as if you ran the whole time. You know yourself better than anybody, but for me, once I can get in some heart-pounding exercise on a regular basis, I start feeling better about myself and more confident. That's what you need right now, Gina. You're so close! Don't let how others are doing have any impact on how GINA is doing! You go, Girl!

What a wonderful comment, to know that normalcy (normalness?) waits for us on the other side of surgery! I'm so happy for you, Mjrevel!

Please keep in mind that I'm not a doctor, but it sure sounds like acid reflux or something similar. Try to prop up your upper boddy in bed with a "wedge" of pillows. Or try sleeping in a recliner. Something to "soak up" the acid does sound like a good idea. Are you taking an antacid? Most sleevers have to for the first few months after surgery because your tummy just doesn't realize that there's so little stomach now and there's so little food to soak that acid up. It wouldn't hurt to call your doctor's office and speak to a nurse. Good luck!