johnlatte

Part of the process of slowly reintroducing foods back into your stomach, is allowing your insides to heal. This has little to do with the change of lifestyle that is going to naturally come with this type of surgery. It won't be forever, and while it might be a little uncomfortable right now, in the long run, it is what is going to help you best with your recovery. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon. You have to readjust your thinking a little bit. I eat dinner every night with my kids, just because I don't have a full plate, doesn't make a difference. Giving in is giving up, and if that's what you want to do, then by all means. But if you committed to having the surgery, then I would tend to believe that you want more. That means committing to doing what it takes to get healed up and getting down the path. Yes, every Dr. does it differently, but every outcome is different as well. I went 6 weeks before I had solid food, I am glad that I went through it as it helped me start to reconcile my relationship with food and the bad eating habits that got to the point where my only hope was to have my stomach cut out. Right now your biggest concern should be getting in your Protein to help keep your muscle mass in place and to promote the healing process and to stay hydrated, because dehydration is about the worst thing you could have happen. Sorry that you are feeling lousy, but if you follow what your Dr and nutritionist has laid out for you, you WILL feel better. - Good Luck and hang in there.

I think it is easy to get frustrated with what gets posted here regularly. I stopped pouring over every post a long time ago after I was getting offline email about my responses.It is also why I put in my signature that I may tell you something that you don't want to hear. There just seems to be so many people that want the quick fix and cut every corner they can to get there. I also think the thing to keep in mind and it goes back to the discussion thread earlier about regrets is that some people don't have the proper expectation, support and drive to make this surgery a success. I mean if you had the proper support in place with a nutritionist and a Dr and even a PCP, how could you reasonably expect to come here and ask about bread right after surgery or eating take out, without getting some significant blow back? We all understand that this is a support forum, but it isn't a place to seek and obtain absolution. I don't mind being supportive and plenty of people here (including myself) need support, but I don't think we are here to sign off and salute when someone wants to cheat or someone ate something that truly goes against what is reasonably sane given our situations. For once I might have to actually agree with Amanda, as if you did cheat, fine own it, but don't come here looking for absolution and when you don't get it, call us all out for it.

Amy you might want to try a different PPI. I was on nexium for a about 2 months and it really did help. It was about $30 a month for that time period. My Dr. doesn't want his patients going past 3 months on a PPI so that might be something to talk to your Dr. about. I still get something like hunger. It's not really hunger, but I know when I need to eat. That's why I eat 5-6 small meals a day, which is difficult at times to manage, but it keeps that hunger feeling down.

You might want to watch this. It's a crossfit video on proper squat technique. The music is kinda dumb so I don't advocate watching it with the speakers turned up, but It might give you some tips on what a proper squat looks like. Shrugface is spot on. I did a lot of squats on a smith rack to get the proper technique down. Still not there, but I'll take what I can http://www.youtube.c...&v=IewlDXTfbjU#! Here's another

^^^^^^ this - hell my ex's cooking wouldn't even give me heartburn and she was plain awful at it.... BTW - Have a good trip Laura, and if you do have a s'more it is really okay!

Are you tracking what you are eating? Use something like MyFitnessPal or dailyplate or something and really track what you are consuming each day. Get something that you can use on your phone and be super strict about it. If you don't know how many kcals you are eating then chances are it is way more than you think. Slipping back into old habits, without realizing it, is very typical. Also what about water intake? Lack of adequate fluid is another reason for a stall.

Not sure where your pains are, but have you looked into water aerobics? That is a low impact type of thing that most Y's or fitness centers with a pool offer. If walking isn't too painful, just walk. If you go to the grocery, park as far away from the front do that you can. Push the cart a couple of laps around the store before you start on your list. If you have access to a mall nearby, most open their doors early for mall walkers. Just putting one foot in front of another and repeating is going to be better than not doing anything at all. Anything that you can do that will elevate your heart rate counts, resistance bands are another good way to get flexibility training and strength training without putting pressure on painful joints.

I think you have to figure out what exactly it is you want from all this. I decided that if I was going to have some Dr haul my big ol butt up on a table a cut out 85% of a perfectly good stomach, then I think I owed it to myself to push a little harder, wake up a bit earlier and do the things that I needed to do in order to reach my goal. Part of how we all got here is because we didn't commit to being healthy doing the things that we should have done all along. Our excuses were it was "too hard", "it hurts" and "it's boring". My 13 year old uses the last one every time she is in a situation she doesn't want to be in. Working out doesn't have to be expensive, you can find a ton of FREE workout videos on You Tube. A walk in the park is usually free as well. Honestly and I mean this is a very sincere and caring way....pull yourself together okay?. You can do this if it is something that you really want. Yes there are days where motivation wanes, but you can't let that stop you. If you think where you are now, is as good as it gets, okay that's all good then. But I think you probably want more than that. The surgery was a single first step to a long journey. How you go down that path and where you end up is going to be what defines your success I really hope that you dig a little deeper and go a little further. I know that your prize at the end of the path will be so much more enriched. -- Good luck!

No charts, everybody is going to be different depending on their weightloss goals, age, medical condition and physical activity. I'm not a year out, but am at 1100kcals a day theoretically. Realistically I'm good to get 800. My weightloss is slowed to almost a stop. I think that your nutritionist is just about right though.

Yeah, got the same problem. Never have gotten the slimes and can eat what ever, including chocolate. The kids got candy for Easter from their mom, but they have been good about keeping it out of sight when they are at my house. My little one gave me 2 m&ms because here daddy needed some Easter candy too...she's awesome and they were yummy....

Somehow I really doubt this.....

Good Article from Psychology Today…well worth the read...... Portrait of a food Addict - Is addiction to food making us overeat? Published on August 12, 2012 by Nicole Avena, Ph.D Look around. Waist lines are expanding at an alarming rate. In fact, with over 60 percent of the country overweight, most of us are overweight. It is the new norm (although that doesn’t mean it is the ideal). Scientists, physicians, fitness experts, cultural analysts, economists and others have identified a wide variety of factors as culprit(s). Surely, you have heard all kinds of explanations about why so many people are overweight: People are less active, junk food is cheap and easier to access, there is no time for exercise, people are more stressed. All are valid possibilities, and on some level, most likely contribute to the problem of obesity. But there’s one explanation that has been proposed that sometimes elicits a chuckle, or at least a smirk: some people are overweight because food can be addictive. And at first, the concept of “food addiction” does seem a bit strange. How can food be addictive if everyone needs it to live? Sure, we need food to live, without a doubt. But, we don’t need empty calories with little to no nutritional value, or excess quantities of high-sugar and high-fat foods that can jeopardize our health. The concept of food addiction is relatively new. There are limited ways to assess and diagnose it, and there is no official medical or psychological standard. Nonetheless, studies have revealed that there are behavioral and brain changes seen in response to eating food and drug addiction, and these changes are often markedly similar. As a result, scientists have used the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which is used to diagnose substance dependence (i.e., drug addiction), as a tool with which to study food addiction. According to the DSM-IV, the seven criteria for addiction are: 1. Tolerance as seen when an individual consumes a larger quantity of a substance to reach intoxication or a desired effect; or when a person experiences a markedly diminished effect when consuming the same amount of the substance 2. Withdrawal as demonstrated by a withdrawal syndrome or taking another substance to alleviate or avoid withdrawal symptoms 3. Consuming the substance in larger amounts or for a longer period than the person intended 4. A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to reduce or control substance use 5. An immense amount of time is spent on efforts to obtain, use, or recover from the effects of the substance 6. Because of use of the substance, participation in social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced 7. Substance use continues despite knowing that a persistent physical or psychological problem is likely to be caused or aggravated by using the substance An “addict” is someone who exhibits three or more of these criteria any time in the same 12-month time frame. Let’s take a look at some ways these criteria might be viewed with regard to food. These are just examples, but they highlight the overlaps that might exist between substance dependence and food abuse. 1. People normally experience feelings of pleasure when they eat. However, some people must eat larger amounts of food to experience this feeling. This increased intake of food required to feel satisfaction might be a manifestation of tolerance 2. Headaches, fatigue, and irritability can be experienced when too much time goes between meals, or when people deprive themselves of certain foods. Could this be a manifestation of withdrawal? 3. An individual may sit down with the intention of having a small, healthy meal, but end up eating much more than they intended, and eating foods that perhaps weren’t intended. 4. An individual may make repeated attempts to try dieting or losing weight, but fail. Also, one may try to cut back on eating certain foods that are bad for them, but find it difficult to stop eating them. 5. People spend a large portion of their day (and sometimes even their night) eating. 6. Excessive eating and being overweight impedes participation in recreational physical activities, and can lead some to be embarrassed or uncomfortable at work or with friends when it comes to their weight. 7. One may continue to overeat even though he or she knows it will impede various aspects of daily life and well-being, such as increasing risks for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Food addiction is a hotly debated topic in science and fitness. As we continue to search for explanations regarding why, despite all of the public health warnings of obesity, many adults and children continue to be overweight, it’s important to keep in mind that eating highly-palatable foods, or merely just the exposure to such foods, can have effects on our brains and behaviors. Many people overeat because food taste good, and it does something else for them beyond just supplying nutrients and calories. Nicole Avena, Ph.D. is a research neuroscientist and an expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction.

All I can say here.........nope, won't go there....

You're the best, I know you are going to knock it out of the park too!

Just cause you asked boo!

Not sure if you have a Costco nearby but you can get their preformed turkey burgers there. They are really good, and have 35gms of protein. I grilled one tonight on the grill and had about a 1/2 cup of fresh greens and a couple of strawberries. Really good, really filling I could only eat half but have the rest for lunch tomorrow. If you have a slow cooker, there are tons of good, healthy recipes out there. I make a couple of meals a week in the pot, eazypeazy.

Since Laura posted this yesterday, I’ve been thinking about a response. It has made me think a lot about addiction and food in terms that I hadn't bisected. I personally don’t feel that I had a food addiction. The main reason I say this is I was chemically dependent for about 15 years. I literally missed the entire decade of the 80’s. I don’t think that I am a food addict because I never have stolen to eat, I’ve never cheated to eat, and I’ve never committed class 1 felonies to eat. I never sat in a room alone, eating hoping that the next cheeseburger would kill me. In my state of dependency I went through all of that. I really don’t have an answer for my obesity other than so many bad choices. I took a look at some pictures when I was a kid; I was skinny then until about the 3rd grade. I don’t know what changed in my world, but from then on I lived my life as the fat kid. I dropped the weight between my Jr. and Sr. year of High School, but then discovered something different, something way more powerful than food. While my weight was pretty good, because I worked some pretty physical jobs, I chased other demons. My addictions had nothing at all to do with food. As the years went by that fat 3rd grader re-appeared and got bigger and bigger. A couple of failed attempts at rehab came in went before I finally was able to get the demons under control. That was 21 years ago, but there isn’t a day that doesn’t go by that I don’t think that I couldn’t go back to that life with a snap of finger. It is something that I live with every day, but am able to keep the demon in its box. When I got my daughters, I decided to again drop the weight. I did it the blunt force way, I ate less and exercised more. I dropped about 60 lbs. and took up running, I also got my diabetes diagnosis the very day I hit my goal weight. Unfortunately going to culinary school and trying to launch a business without any type of support net, brought the weight back. Tapping into my vast knowledge of pharmaceuticals, I discovered Ephedra, specifically a cocktail of Ephedra, Yohimbe and Caffeine, known as the ECY stack. Did I know that it was dangerous? Absolutely, but I also knew it wasn’t the worst thing that I had put in my body and I lived through that so why not this. I dropped 70 pound in about 4 months. It’s kind of ironic that people actually thought that I had surgery. The only person that guessed was my Tae Kwan Do instructor. He was an iron head and pretty much knew the drill. The stress of running a busy café (again without any significant help), working on a master’s degree and a couple of other personal issues along with being a parent and keeping up a house, just flat out took its tool. I didn’t binge it, didn’t sneak food, and didn’t sit at home with a bag of Oreos and a 2 liter. But I ate badly and ate a lot. Portions got out of control, choices sucked. I drank more booze and ate more crap and kept the cycle going. It was only when it started to take a toll on my health that I really started paying attention to what I was doing. That path led me to the sleeve and where I am today. Hopefully, I’m chasing the last of the demons…. I’m John and I AM an addict, but not necessarily a food addict…..

Lots of chicken, fish, turkey burgers from costco (if you have access). Egg whites, tuna, canned chicken. PB, fresh fruit, green veggies. Lots of good things out there. Greek yogurt is a staple. Still drink protein shakes as they are fast and can get the proteins going.

No judge...if it really is that bad, you might want to think about talking to someone that counsels on addiction type issues. Also, try keeping busy, hit the gym as often as you can, get the wine out of your house, and try to stay away from the situations that trigger you wanting to drink. Alcohol was a trigger for me, and since being sleeved have stayed away. I know how easy it would be slip into a tough situation. Hang in there, talk to someone, and get the wine out of the house. You'll be okay!

Hang in there boo, you KNOW you got it in you to be strong. I've seen how you help all us mutants; f$%@k them donuts, you're better than that. , So cinch up, get right, it will all be good, when you are looking so fine! Eyes on the prize girl, just one day at a time!!!

My nutritionist wants me eating 1/3 of a cup per meal. 5-6 meals a day, 1100 kcals, 40 grams carbs 80+gms of protein (basically a 2 to 1 ratio). Depending on the density of the food, I can eat more than a 1/3 of a cup, but try to stay in that range. I too don't really have an appetite and am getting slammed by my nutritionist and my Dr for it. So now I have alarms on my phone reminding when it is time to eat. Actually it has helped some, I probably am getting about 200 more kcals a day in because of it. I was averaging about 700 kcal and have gotten it to around 900. Hope that helps (sleeved 11/20/12)

I've been thinking about how to respond to Laura's thread. I have a long history related to addiction (not necessary the food type). When I can pull my thoughts together, I'll post something. MSFT was great in a lot of ways, but the grind was something fierce. I missed a ton of my kids growing up, cost me my first marriage and so on.

Spent 16 years at MSFT as a blue badge. Had more jobs than I could count. Burned out, went to culinary school, opened my own cafe.

Super Awesome!

AMEN!