Chelenka

GG: thanks for sharing your before and now pics, you look amazing and beautiful! Going by your rate of weight loss I too am a slow loser. It didn't feel that way to me though because pre-sleeve I would maybe lose 1 lb in a week on your typical diet and then regain it plus more! I am struck by the posts in this thread who write about feeling ashamed of their weight in the beginning. I guess it's because I have been obese and/or morbidly obese my whole life. I never before experienced life as a "normal" size person, and even now 100lbs lighter I'm still not a "normal" BMI. So I had no "before I gained all that weight or how did I let myself go so far" comparison. I didn't have WLS because of feeling ashamed of my body, although I did feel ashamed. I had it because I was in pain all the time and I hoped to have a better quality of life (which I do). But I was made to feel ashamed of my body and my desire to overeat for so long that I look back now and think how that shaming not only didn't in any way help me to lose weight, it fueled the fire of my overeating, and it still can wreak havoc on my life. Most of us chose to have WLS because of our health and well-being, not because we were ashamed of our bodies. The improvement in our physical appearance is really the icing on the cake (sorry for the food ref. LOL). Holding onto shame only holds us back from fully living and enjoying our lives now! So what if one was once morbidly obese? It took courage to change our lives and it will take a lot of determination to stay the course. Obesity is a disease of the body but also of the mind and for me the healing of my psychological weight and food-related issues is going to take much longer and be much more difficult. The surgery was the easy part!

Mitz! Love your new profile pic! You look awesome! I am always so surprised and happy now when I go up a flight of stairs and it's so easy, or just sit in s chair I wouldn't have fit in before! Life is good! Just gotta stay the course and keep it going!

You have to try several different brands of protein shakes to find one you like. The pre-made ones are generally awful IMO. I went on vitaminshoppe.com and read all the reviews of the protein shakes that fit the parameters given to me by my NUT. I found several that I really like. That being said, the 2-week pre-op liquid diet is very hard for just about everyone. But it's temporary.

Hi Jackarea: i was 53 last year when I had my surgery. I didn't really have much energy either for the first few months post-op. However, if you are concerned call your Dr. Your body is still healing which takes a lot of energy and most of that energy is being taken from your fat stores since you can't eat very much. Try to keep walking and sleep as much as you can, that helps too.

Life gets easier down the road. The first 2-3 months were hard for me. No energy and I missed eating. I still miss eating! The emotional/psychological journey is really the hardest part IMO. Your feelings are normal and am glad you are courageous enough to express them openly. It is important to remind ourselves why we chose this path. It's a hard choice, a drastic choice and not the easy way out. We all have to be forever mindful of our food choices and amounts or we risk undoing all the hard work. In that sense we're no different from anyone else on a weight loss program. The surgery is NOT freedom from dieting but it is a fabulous tool to keep one from overeating. Eventually you can eat whatever you desire but much smaller amounts. That being said, it is still possible to eat more than your body needs and thus gain weight. That's where exercise come into play. It helps your body burn at a higher rate. At 14 months post-op I eat more now and feel hungry often. It's knowing the difference between true physical hunger vs. emotional hunger that is the challenge. I still track my food but not as religiously unless the scale starts to creep up. Do I regret anything? Hell no! You will start to enjoy life more very soon. Be kind to yourself in other ways and comfort yourself in other ways. The physical healing is the easy part.

No words big enough to express my joy for you! Be proud MAMA!

If it was frozen yogurt then it has TONS of sugar, even the "no sugar added" has at least 23 grams of sugar in a 4oz serving! Stay away from that sh*t or you will get the sh*ts as you discovered!

You look fabulous! How are you feeling?

One more thought, my surgeon told me that eating too much sugar would slow my weight loss. Try eliminating anything with more than 5 grams of sugar per serving. I mean processed sugar, not fruit. This can be surprisingly hard to do because it's in almost everything we buy. Too much salt can also be an issue. The bars and trail mix are the most likely culprits in that regard. Don't give up, you are worth the effort!

Hey FibroDiva! I haven't seen you on here for a while. Try doing some weight training to build up your glutes. It will take tie but your butt will feel/look better. For your hair try adding more your omega 3 fats in your diet with avocado or eggs, organic beef or chicken, nut butters. I am convinced that this helps my hair and skin. Sending you a cyber hug! (())

Everyone one loses at different rates but looked at your eating plan my first reaction is that it's too high in carbs and not enough protein. It could be your are just in a stall too. That happens from time to time. How are cloths fitting and have your measurements changed? When the scale isn't moving you have to look for those NSVs!

RJ my dear lady, you nearly died and you've been thru a lot and are still dealing with complications and yet you maintain a positive attitude and express great kindness, wisdom and love to others here on the forum. So it seems to me that you see more clearly what is truly important. So, what were we talking about?

Weight shaming is the American way! RJ you have a unique perspective here and in real life that is extremely important. Please know that you are loved and admired and deserve to be so regardless of your pre-surgery weight or you current weight or any other aspect of your physical state of being. You've gone thru too much to let someone else's issues affect your self esteem. We were all overweight if not morbidly obese pre-surgery. So who gives a rat's butt hole (sorry Revs) what weight somebody started at or how much/fast they lost the weight. Health and happiness is the goal! I know for myself that letting go of the shaming and self-loathing is part of my learning process. (Didn't use the "journey" word, Revs!). I suspect the same is true for many others. So, as you say, lets rejoice and celebrate our courage and accomplishments and start saying "I love you" in the mirror and all that good stuff!

Yes. I am 14 months post-op and I'm always cold. I guess it's cuz I'm not wearing a blanket of fat anymore. LOL!

Try sipping some watered down gatorade to help restore your electrolytes. Did the protein shakes give you diarrhea before surgery? It may be you have developed a whey allergy or lactose intolerance. That happens to some people, post-op. You may have to try different brands or soy-based shakes. The chest pain means you still have a lot of internal swelling so go very slowly with everything you are taking in. The chest pain will lessen with your healing process but it is your sleeve's way of saying "enough".

Would ABSOLUTELY do it again! Best decision I ever made (after marrying my husband)! LOL! It is normal to be scared. This is a HUGE life-changing choice. There are risks. Any surgery is a risk. But for many the risks of staying morbidly obese are worse. I had some minor post-op issues, constipation and worse reflux, which is still an issue for me. If I wasn't a professional singer the reflux would probably not be that much of an issue but it affects my voice. I knew that it might be an issue but still chose to go forward and would, as I said, absolutely do it again. I still struggle with emotional/stress eating and my appetite returned around month 8 or 9 post-op. I was recently smacked in the face, metaphorically speaking, by my emotional eating and I think for long-term success one must come to terms with whatever triggers you to overeat. The surgery is a great tool but it doesn't cure the disease.

Are you getting enough water? Dehydration can make you feel dizzy and nauseous. But do call your Dr.!

I started out wanting the band but chickened out, just wasn't ready. Two years went by and I decided to revisit WLS and went to a meeting at the Hosp near me. I was initially thinking bypass but the more I learned about the Sleeve the more I felt it was a better choice for me. I have a history of A-fib and the dumping syndrome can cause palpitations. Thus I didn't want to go there. I'm a big sugar junkie so I knew that aspect would be a struggle either way. That being said some of us sleevers still experience dumping syndrome if we eat too much sugar or high-fat food. For me it's a fine line with sugar which if I cross it I feel like crap and then I have to go crap! TMI, sorry! LOL! Anyway, I did have mild sleep apnea but none of the other health issues you mention but my starting weight was 325. I've lost 100 and I'm 6'1&3/4" tall so I am close to my goal weight. Many people reach normal weight ranges with the sleeve but my surgeon told my that I could expect to lose about 60-70% of my excess weight from the surgery alone. I have surpassed that and plan to keep going. All this being said, you have to decide what is right for you. Both options are good IMO. Good luck to you!

Ask for crushed ice. Also the pain meds made me nauseous. You are still very swollen from the surgery. Normal to be miserable for a day or two post-op.

@@hopeful2 be slim when was your surgery? What was you pre-op weight and what is your goal weight. How tall are you? How old are you? Do you have other medical issues that may affect your weight loss? Are you exercising? Are you following the food plan given to you from your surgeon and Nut? There are many variables that can affect your weight loss. Remember, slow and steady wins the race! There are separate threads devoted to slow losers. You may find more help there. Hang in there and don't compare yourself to others. Your body is unique. Everyone loses at their own rate.

I get all sorts of gurgles, groans and "down-the-drain" noises!

I think stressing over it just makes my body hold onto the weight. As soon as I let go of the anxiety it seems to allow a bit of weight to come off. Not always easy to do. Also, Lauraven had at one point posted a BMI chart adjusted for age. I can't find it and she's removed herself from this forum apparently :-(. Anyway, I do agree that when one was previously morbidly obese and with so many obese people around it's hard to have an accurate, internal, picture of yourself. I'm always surprised by how flat my butt is now, used to be a shelf-butt. You could've served tea on my butt! LOL! Nonetheless, all I see are my saddlebags and the fat on my thighs. While everything is much smaller I'm not "thin" or even a "normal" weight for my height. I would have to lose another 30lbs to get to a normal BMI. I don't really want to be that thin. I want a little reserve on me, as long as I can stay below a certain weight and fit in all the new clothes I've bought I'm happy with it. I know I'm going to always have to be vigilant about what I eat though. That's the hard part. It has been a life-long issue and struggle for me and thus I get tired of the endless food planning and tracking. But if that's what it takes then that's what it takes. A small price to pay really. Life is soooo much better 100lbs lighter!

I have a sugar addiction too. I seem to have a fine line over which I try not to cross when it comes to sugar. I had some gelato on Easter Sunday, no problem, but yesterday I ate one mini heath bar and felt like crap for about an hour. Wondering if I will ever learn to say no to candy. I know I won't feel good after eating it but I still want it. Ugh!

You may be having reflux which can mimic hunger pangs. Are you on meds for reflux? If not call your Dr and ask about it and tell them what is going on. Everyone's program is different but I think lunch meat isn't a good idea. Try drinking a protein shake and see if that helps with the hunger. 800 cals is fine.

I assume you meant 7/1/13 as your surgery date. I can't say for sure but your gall bladder surgery is probably affecting your weight loss. Also when I got to about 8 months post-op my rate of weight loss started to slow down. It may be you need to change things up a bit. Are you able to exercise? That has helped me. Stress can really slow your weight loss too. Recovering from surgery is a type of stress so try to be patient and don't panic. Things will start moving again.