BKLYNgal87

FYI - that statement does not make scientific sense. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The only studies I can think of that come anywhere similar to what you have said suggested that amongst elderly people high caffeine consumption (more than 16oz of coffee every day) can increase urine calcium loss. This can be counteracted by taking daily calcium supplements which are already recommended for older people, particularly women. You may not be aware that old age by itself increases risk of osteoperosis regardless of any other environmental factors. So if it's something you are that concerned about then moderation and taking a calcium supplement are all you really need. Disclaimer: I work in the basic science and clinical science research field for a living.

Oh yeah lol they do have that delicious caramel topping. Definitely sugar-loaded. I don't go to starbucks often anymore thankfully. Too much temptation!

Starbucks has sugar free syrups. Usually vanilla and caramel but sometimes hazelnut. I agree with gmanbat though. Caffeine doesn't harm you if you drink it in moderation. There are legitimate and important surgeons orders to follow and then there are superfluous "orders". It takes people a while to learn how to distinguish. But keep this in mind: surgeons do not practice medicine. They cut and sew for a living. Don't let the MD degree fool you into thinking they all know what is proper for your overall health and wellbeing. Many of them can be completely clueless.

Made me want to stop eating my mid-morning yogurt. Blech. But very useful!

Truly awesome and inspiring work!

NSAIDS are a no-no right after surgery because they can increase stomach bleeding risk and ulcers. As for further down the road, taking them in moderation is probably fine unless you have a peptic ulcer history. I have taken ibuprophen in lower doses than I used to with food and have tolerated it just fine.

That girl in your profile pic is still you. If you attained her before, you can get her back and then some. But remember at the end of the day, she's still inside you. You are capable of feeling as good now as you did then. And maybe a more positive attitude is the thing you haven't tried? Whenever you want to downplay your incredible accomplishments you should remember how far you've come. Look at old pictures of yourself. Where would you be now if you never had sleeve surgery? I am sure I will come to know how hard maintenance is, though I'm still a long way away. I know many people who struggle, including my mother who lost 50 lbs when she got into competitive ballroom dancing. She now loses and gains the same 10 lbs every year. It frustrates her sometimes but she still feels much better about herself now than she did because losing the excess weight and dancing her heart out gave her a confidence she never knew. When I get to the point where I don't jiggle an embarassing amount I promised myself I'd start taking hip hop dance lessons again because it's both great exercise and because mastering dance routines makes me proud of my body and what it is capable of. Another thing to try perhaps when your strains heal?

The number of people who have complications post surgery is small yes, but an even smaller number of those folks are those who have had complications and regret having the surgery. If you dig around through the complications forum you'll see even though people there have endured some serious difficulties, most of them at the end of the day would have done WLS again if given the chance at a do-over. You definitely have to weigh the risks you face going under the knife versus staying the way you are. For me this surgery was a no-brainer because I had tried and failed to lose the weight every other way and my future as fat looked bleak. Best wishes.

Unless you have a cholesterol problem, no reason to not eat the yolk unless you're tightly regimenting your calories. The yolk has the highest concentration of calories in the egg, after all. Enjoy!

Awesome, awesome work! You're truly inspiring!

If your bloodwork comes back a-ok then I fail to see the problem. Most people find that the closer you get to goal the slower the weight will come off. Your doctor should know better than to say you'll be at goal by x date because that's a dubious assumption. If it happens that would be great though! Keep up the great work!

That does seem low. Do you have physical limitations that prevent you from exercise? The only rationale for that I would think is if you aren't able to do the other half of the weight loss program, which is exercise. It would be hard to have the energy to work out on 400-600 calories. Talk to your nutritionist about these concerns.

Zen you are always encouraging me on MFP and it's my turn! Get back on the horse and don't dwell on the set backs! We all have them at some point. Just keep pushing forward toward goal and you'll get there as long as long as you keep going in the right direction and keep positive.

LipstickLady is right on the money. Just because it's on the net, doesn't mean it isn't BS. Plenty of people (not everyone) who post their photos on that site either lie, take misleading photos, or just plain look a little heavier because the camera adds on a few lbs. That being said, everyone carries weight differently. If I get down to my goal of 144 I know it will look different on me than my friend who is taller than me and weighs roughly the same. You get to stop being the fat girl when YOU decide to stop calling yourself that. Girl, even now you have a body so many people on here would envy and may I say killer legs. You worked hard for it and you will continue working hard until you've reached your goal and after in maintenance. But you've got to snap out of the mentality that you are somehow "less than" because you are not. You're a star. Get used to it.

At the very least it will probably give you some wicked heartburn. You're only a month and a half out and still healing.

If you do a forum search on the soda you'll find everyone has thoughts on that subject. It has been overdone, actually. There isn't concrete proof in hard data, only correlation, that carbonated beverages alone will stretch the sleeve. But that doesn't mean there won't be one day. Better to err on the side of caution and do as your surgical team tells you, at least on this issue.

What about exercise? Are you physically able to do cardio or strength training? Food isn't 100% of the battle after all.

You can also do soups and stir in unflavored (note - not tasteless) protein powder.

My general rule of thumb these days is this: just because you can do something (according to your surgeon) doesn't mean you should. Though more often than not I think surgeons go way over the top alarmist about food, caffeine, alcohol, etc. For me, at one month post op I was not eating much carbs - only cooked veggies and some fruit. I am more than 2 months out now and I can tolerate protein-infused oatmeal okay but rice, Pasta and bread feel like bombs going off in my stomach. I avoid as much as possible.

I know this may sound strange but I am jealous. I may not get as ravenously hungry as I used to pre-sleeve and may not be able to eat nearly as much, but I still crave and tolerate sweets the select times I've tried them. Self control will make or break me. Still, as you may have figured out, better to lay off the bad stuff for a while until you know you can enjoy in moderation. Your reaction to the ice cream may not be permanent but for now it's certainly good incentive to not eat it!

Bread and pasta feel like bombs exploding in my stomach. Sweet things go down no problem. I am actually jealous of people who say they get bouts of dumping syndrome after surgery. I have never vomited once since the sleeve, and there have been a few times when I probably ate too much. I put my best foot forward every day though. I keep going despite a "cheat" because I can't beat myself up about mistakes that already happened. I agree with Laura, though, it's best to avoid some things entirely as much as you can, especially in the beginning.

My nutritionist told me not to eat more than 700 calories until I was 3 months out. Every post-surgery plan is different. If you're allowed a little more and you can comfortably eat it then why not. I know it's hard to get enough protein in and there's only so many protein shakes you can take before going crazy. What I've started eating for breakfast each morning is weight control quaker oatmeal (has 8 grams of protein / 7 grams fiber... something like that) and half a scoop of unflavored protein powder. I knock out 215 calories and 20 grams of protein. But I balance it out by not eating much in the way of carbs later on in the day. Shrimp is a great lunch or dinner option for protein-loading!

My obesity and my toxic relationship with my paternal grandmother have gone hand in hand since before I can remember. She has always been one to project her insecurities and low self-esteem onto me (and before me, my dad) and it did me no favors growing up. She was always nitpicking, always dieting, always telling me to be on a diet, always cheating on her diet, always encouraging me to cheat on my diet. She would scold me for being fat with one hand and push a plate of fattening food at me with the other. It's a Jewish thing I guess. She is a lover of backhanded compliments (you have such a pretty face - but no one will notice it with that body). She has a sick way of twisting words and intentions to make it seem like all she does is love and care about me, and that's why she puts me down. Even if she cared about me, she never learned how to express it in the right way no matter how many times she was lectured or ignored by me. As she has gotten older, you'd think her senility would soften her demeanor but for the most part it hasn't. It only makes her repeat herself more.Her behavior crushed my self-esteem and I began to associate shame with food. I would snack in secret. I would hate that I was fat but then stuff my face because it was the only thing that made me feel better. I went into food addiction therapy for a while, and I learned a lot of great skills. My counselor (and my parents) supported my decisions, even when I estranged myself from my grandmother for nearly two years. But she's getting on in her years. I don't know how long she has left. I don't want to feel any guilt when she's gone that I was too petty and weak to grin and bear it but I also have come too far to start sabotaging myself again. She was happy for me when I had the surgery - it was a long time coming - in her words. She was pretty supportive for a while. But last night on the phone, after I told her from my highest weight I've lost nearly 45 lbs, she matter-of-factly informed me that I would never be thin. I would always be a "bigger" girl. No one in her family was ever thin and I would be no different. I'm too big boned. My brother and my cousin got the good genes and I got saddled with the bad ones. I will never look like them. I felt sick to my stomach. I felt like I was 10 again. My mom pointedly remarked later that no one in their family was ever thin because they all ate whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. I know that to be true. But I can't shake the hurt feelings I have. I have come a long way since I was a teenager. But my grandmother is who she is and our relationship will never change. How do you all deal with toxic family relationships? Part of me wants to shut her out again so that I can focus on my weight loss journey and succeed. The other part of me feels bad and frustrated that I'm not strong enough to withstand the lifelong obtuseness of a bitter old lady. I need to succeed at this. My life depends on it. But it would be nice to have a clear conscience too. It's also nice to vent sometimes.

Even abusive people can "love" those they hurt. Doesn't mean they deserve to be loved back for their actions. Doesn't mean the pain they cause should be tolerated. I'm not saying my grandmother is abusive but she's not a good person on the facade and even less so deep down. She certainly doesn't put me down about my weight issues because she loves me. I learned that a long time ago. She does it because she hates things in me that remind her of herself. If tough love was her way of caring about someone, why does she always rave about how perfect my cousin is and put her up on some silver pedastle even though she's a complete screw up who always gets fired from menial jobs and still lives at home? According to my grandmother, she's perfect because she's skinny and beautiful and nothing else counts in life apparently. Good to know that in reality beauty alone doesn't pay the bills. I am trying to do everything I can to be successful at weight loss this time around. It's a tough battle to wage alone and so I am grateful for the people in my life who are supportive and always have been. But I need to strictly limit interactions with people who are at best not supportive or at worst toxic, lest I stop moving forward. I like the letter suggestions I received here. I may just send postcards instead to keep it short and sweet.