Chelenka

It's normal not to go no. 2 for a few days or even a week, especially when you are still on just Clear Liquids. There's nothing in your system to make poo! However, I recommend taking a stool softener once you are in the full liquids stage and especially in the pureed and beyond stage. The lack of fibre caused me to have horrible constipation and pooing was very painful. I didn't use MOM, probably should have. If you search for constipation on this forum you will find poo-loads of advice for dealing with it. Things can get pretty backed up the first few months post-op. good luck! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Hi Cupcake and welcome! I've been hanging around here for a few months and you can read my stats in my signature. If you have a bariatric center of excellence in your area I recommend you use that facility should you decide to go forward with the surgery. I understand not telling everyone pre-surgery what you are contemplating. This is a big, life-changing choice and it is very personal. Do as much research as you can as it will help you decide what is best for you. I was originally going to get the lap-band in 2011 but I chickened out and now I am so glad I didn't do that and opted for the sleeve. I am not diabetic, but have a lot of arthritis and was tired of being in pain constantly. The weight loss has definitely helped. I feel much better, move with much more ease and am more active. I wish you the best of luck with your journey. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

It depends. I had GERD pre-surgery and for for the first for months post-op it got worse but then it got better. I do still have some GERD issues but it has calmed down quite a bit. I've had INS in the past but it was stress related. Have you tried using organic apple cider? I have been drinking a big glass of Water with a Tbsp of organic apple cider every morning and my reflux has almost disappeared. It has to be organic apple cider in order to help with digestive issues. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

I put off telling my elderly parents for fear that they would be very concerned and worried until I had my surgery date. I was also concerned that they would try to talk me out of it but they didn't. I also waited until I was close to the surgery to tell my brother as he is extremely critical, especially of over weight people. I suppose I could have decided not to tell him anything but it didn't feel right to keep it from him. I was very surprised by how accepting he was of my decision. You never know how people will respond. Other than that, I told a few of my very close friends but waited until about one-month post-op to "out" myself on Facebook. LOL???? Not that it's anyone's business. I received wonderful support though so all my angst was unnecessary. Some of my FB friends have asked me to post progress photos which I haven't done yet here, much less on FB. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Ok, replying toy own thread. LOL! Dropped 5 lbs this week! I will be going on more bike rides ASAP! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Dropped 5 lbs this week! 257.2 this morning! Totally surprised and feeling so grateful! Maybe my hour and a half bike ride yesterday broke the stall. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

AWESOME accomplishment! Congrats! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Laura you are GORGEOUS even sleep deprived! You are a highly intelligent and successful woman. So why do you talk so mean to yourself? 70 something lbs gone is AWESOME! I hope to get there soon myself. Even if I get to my goal of 100 lbs gone forever I will still be over weight. Kinda sucks when you lose a ginormous amount of weight and yet are still fat. I think I will always be fat in my mind regardless. The hardest part sometimes is just to be kind and loving to myself and turn off the negative, mean-spirited self-talk. It's a habit that helps nothing and no one. Hang in there woman, you are doing great! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Eating gets easier in a few months. You'll start to enjoy your food again eventually. It's normal to feel sad when you can't enjoy eating. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Awesome post! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I am five months post-op and it's already becoming easier to eat more and I'm struggling with all my old emotional eating behaviors. Reading your post is a reality check and wake-up call! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Thank you for sharing your story. You are a brave and very strong woman. I came across your post when I did a search on emotional eating. I need help to get this aspect of my behavior better under control. It seems sometimes like I just give up and give in easily to my old behaviors and food demons despite having gone thru this surgery. I am so afraid I will be one of the surgery failures who gains all their weight back. That fear alone makes me want to eat Cookies and milk all day! Oy! My life history has not been as difficult as yours and although I've had some tragic losses, overall most of my unhappiness in life can be directly connected to my weight problem and my use of food as a drug to get me thru all the difficult emotions. I applaud your strength to not give in to the siren song of comfort food. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

I think you are expressing yourself and your feelings very eloquently. I think too, that in time you will be able to express and indulge in your passion for cooking and food, as you say, in moderation! Cooking is an art form and food can be more than just sustenance. My advice is to take it slow. When I first started back on solids I really enjoyed trying each new bite, as though I had never eaten it before, even though I had, of course. I thought it must be what babies experience, the delight of a new taste! So try not to feel down about you decision to have WLS. Think of it as a new beginning and a new opportunity to rediscover and experience food in small amounts. Also you may find that your taste for certain types of food will change and evolve. I always enjoyed fish and seafood pre-op and salads too, but now I LOVE that stuff. Used to love rice but now it makes me feel crappy. I love and crave hummus now, liked it before too but not that much. Still love bacon and always will but now I just eat two pieces instead of six. You don't have to deprive yourself of all pleasure when choosing what you eat. But you do have to try to get your Protein and Water and supplement in the required amounts in order to maintain your well-being. Good luck and hang in there. You are doing great! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Hi Shelby: you are doing great and I can relate to so much you have written. Your family sounds so wonderful and such great parents! You are blessed, girl! I think genetics plays a big role in why one person is fat and another isn't. I'm the ONLY fat person in my entire family including cousins. But my dad is a big, think football player, type of man and his mother was always worrying about her weight. She wasn't fat though, just a tall, elegant, busty woman. So how come I got so fat?! Well, I wish I could say it is all because of my genes and I too have thyroid disease. But, alas, I have to be honest and admit that I am a HUGE emotional eater and I learned to use food for comfort and calming at an early age. Food has bern my closest friend and worst enemy. So my decision to get this surgery wasn't an easy one. It was very hard in the beginning emotionally, as I felt like I was on. Roller coaster of emotions, enjoying the weight loss bur grieving for my dear friend food! And, the weight loss has gone faster then I expected (last two weeks excepted) and that was freaking me out too! "Who the hell am I?" I wondered. All I can say is that the eating and food issue had gotten easier. I can eat pretty much what ever I choose but in smaller amounts. I do find high-sugar foods make me feel kind of yucky so Zi try to limit that and also, I am a sugar junkie so it can set me off into a binge of junk food. Then I feel miserable and guilty which is my old viscous cycle of behavior. I think you are a brave and beautiful lady. Hang in there, it does get easier with time. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

Not sure if this counts as a stall but my rate of weight loss has slowed, just over 3 lbs lost in the past 4 weeks. That being said I've found that I'm able to eat more than I could at first, kind of scared about that. Also the past two weeks I 've had a lot of high-sugar foods, especially over the 4th of July weekend. Once I start with that stuff it is a drug for me and I have to really make an effort to reign it in. I track my calories on the Lose It app and my calories have definitely crept up to 1300-1500 from 1100-1200. I see this trend in my eating as slipping back into my old habits which I MUST NOT allow myself to do. Although I don't get as hungry as I did pre-surgery I find that I do get hungry, both real and head-hunger. I knew I would reach a point post-surgery when I would hit a wall and have to start working harder to achieve my goal. I do think stalls are a normal part of any weight loss effort and the main thing is to not give up and quit trying. Our metabolism adjusts to the lower calorie intake so we have to shake things up in order to trick our metabolism back into the lose mode. I am going to try going back to the pre-op phase of protein shakes and green veggies only for a couple of days, a sort of fast, to see if that helps me reset my metabolism. Also, a lot of people seem to do well on the 2/5 diet, fasting on 500 calories for two days a week and eating normally the other five. Seems worth a try. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6

BEST THREAD EVER!!! LMAO! But seriously was it your stomach or your throat that hurt? Is your new man unusually well endowed? Lucky girl! It made my throat hurt a little the first time after surgery but not my newly-sleeved stomach. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

What steps back are you talking about? I don't see any backward motion in your post. you didn't GAIN 8 & 1/2 lbs! You are doing great! Try to get your Water intake up and the Protein. The weight will come off. A very wise WW meeting leader once said to me "you can control what you put in your mouth but you can't control what your body does with it!" Smile and try to feel pride in your accomplishment so far. You are doing great! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

Very similar immediately and for the first month or two post-op. The main difference is that with the sleeve you are less likely to experience "dumping syndrome" if you eat something with a lot of sugar and/or fat. That being said, everyone's experience is different. Also with the sleeve there are less problems with mal-absorption of nutrients since your small intestine isn't cut. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

Mt only regret is that I didn't do this soon. The beginning, pre-op diet and first month post-op aren't easy but you can do it. Make sure you have confidence in and trust your surgeon. Mine was part of a bariatric center of excellence and he answered all my questions and concerns very directly and honestly. My other piece of advice is to be sure you ate psychologically ready for the massive life-style change and also for the risk of a major surgery. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

You are gorgeous, before and now! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

I think you're emotional upheaval is normal particularly since your family is not supporting your decision. I have had tremendous support from my husband but I grieved for food for a long time and was so terrified that I would become terribly depressed if I could no longer use food to calm my emotions. Also, during the pre-op diet I was a basket case, partly because of the sugar detox but also because I'm very fearful of surgery in general and here I was volunteering to have most of my stomach removed. This is a big life shift both physically and emotionally. You can do this and you will be fine. I also have been dealing with a back problem for several years and losing weight has really helped me to move with so much more ease and I have much less pain. Try to calm yourself. Call a close friend who you can talk too, pray, meditate or just cry if you meed to. You are making a very good decision for yourself, your life and wellbeing. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

I started on full liquids one week post surgery. But I saw my Dr prior to that. Call them and ask if you can start on the Protein shakes again. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

I do get hungry sometimes but not as much as I did before I was sleeved. pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2

My instructions were to avoid alcohol for one year post-surgery because it can cause an ulcer. However, I started having an occasional glass of wine, about once a week, about 1&1/2 months out. I don't notice that I get drunk or sober any differently than pre/-surgery. But I was always a cheap date! LOL! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2