Ree

Lately I have been getting very light headed when I go to stand up. Especially when I get out of the tub. I cant even get dressed, I end up having to get to my room to lay down on the bed for a few minutes. I feel like if I don't get to the couch or to the bed in time I'll just black out. What is the cause of this? It this common/normal after surgery? I'm almost 7 weeks out from having surgery and have been feeling great otherwise.

Thanks everyone! I see the NUT tomorrow and I'll bring it up then. I'm not on high blood pressure medications but I am on medication for hypothyroidism, heartburn and asthma.

I know it's not a good idea to eat bread ever, but if I wanted to have some every now and then, how soon after being sleeved can I eat stuff like breads, Pasta and rice? When we are out and looking to stop somewhere to get something to eat I like subway and now that I'm sleeved I would opt for 1/2 of a 6 inch turkey sub with extra turkey. At home I love to make chicken quesadillas w/ mushrooms, low fat cheese and turkey bacon. I use 6 inch tortilla wraps and (now that I'm sleeved) I would probably only eat half of that. Other food staples in this house are chicken w/ rice, for me at some point I would like to be able to have my chicken with about 2 tbsp. of brown rice. So how soon can I start adding these foods back into my diet?

Posting this early since I don't weigh in on Friday's. Today's weight: 234

I'm just going to lay it all out there because I really don't know what to do with it. I seriously feel like a prisoner in my own home and it's not just because of my weight. To start with I live in a rural area where there isn't really any place to walk to, secondly I do not have a drivers license because I am very short (5 ft tall) and very over weight so I have a difficult time reaching the gas and brake pedals and my stomach ends up pressed against the steering wheel so I have this horrible fear of causing an accident. We only have one car to begin with and can not afford a second car and my husband constantly works so I am stuck home every day with my 3 year old. It gets boring very quickly around here and I find myself in the same place every single day, on the couch with my laptop on my lap. The only time I am able to get out of the house is when my husband takes me to the grocery store to buy groceries. I look forward to that day of the week. When I ask him if we can go take a walk in the mall or something he's always too tired to do it because he works so much. I have no friends or family who live nearby, they all live over 2 hours away and I have horrible social anxiety so making friends is very difficult for me. So I literally feel stuck and I don't know what to do about it? My goal for this year is to try and lose enough weight so I feel comfortable enough behind a steering wheel and I am going to try and get my husband to teach me how to drive. I also hope that if I can lose weight I'll feel more comfortable talking to people face to face and maybe make some friends. I would love to be able to get my drivers license so I don't have to depend on my husband all the time. I want to be able to bring my daughter out and get her involved in activities where she can interact with other children her age. But in the meantime here I am, in the middle of winter (so I can't go outside if I want to breathe (asthma) ) stuck in this house all the time. I am literally busting at the seams to break out of here. What do I do with this? Sitting here all the time makes me so depressed.

One month ago I was sleeved. Before the surgery I took my measurements and weighed myself. My HW: 275, the night before surgery I weighed 262 and today I weigh 238. So 24 pounds lost since surgery and 37 pounds lost in total. And this is mind blowing and I had to go back several times to check but I lost a total of 30.5 inches off my body! I still can't believe it!! 2 inches off each thigh, 2 inches off each arm, 3 inches off my bust, 3 inches off my chest (above bust line), 1.5 inches in total off of calves, 7 inches off my waist, 3.5 inches off my hips, 3.5 inches off my stomach (right above hips) and 1 inch off my neck. That's crazy!! but I'm happy about it!

They give you a blood thinner shot in the hospital several times while you are there and they put compression booties on your feet. The shot doesn't hurt btw, it's such a small needle. I opted to have it in my stomach and I didn't feel it at all. Then again they had me on so much pain medication that that might be why I didn't feel any pain from the shot.

Thank you! I just realized that my daughter is 36 inches and in inches I lost about the size of her, minus 6 inches.

I think I was 241 last week. This week: 238

After the first month how much is average for someone to lose each week? I'm in my 4th week and lost 3 pounds this week but prior weeks the loss was so much more, except for last week I think I only lost a pound (the stall at 3 weeks perhaps?). Just trying to figure out what is an average weekly loss from this point forward? Btw, do you write down your weekly losses or do you only keep track of your total monthly losses?

Today (technically yesterday) my net calories for the day were only 215. I am struggling right now and I am only getting in about half of the Protein I am suppose to be getting in. Drinking Water actually makes me feel light headed if I am standing and/or walking and I am no longer able to drink my Protein shakes. I just can't do it, just thinking about it is making me sick to my stomach. I don't know what else to do, I feel weak (obviously) and my mind wants to jump up and move but my body speaks another language. My meal plan looked like this today: Breakfast: 2 oz of broccoli & cheese Soup w/ a small amount of Protein powder added in. Lunch: Organic lunch meat (turkey) 1oz w/ .5 oz of fat free cream cheese (fat free cream cheese has more protein) Dinner: 1 oz organic soy tempeh snack: MetRx chocolate roasted peanut Protein Bar 1/3 of the bar Totally protein 30 grams, total calories 265 - 50 from walking = 215. And tomorrow I have no idea what to eat, as nothing that I'm allowed to eat sounds appetizing at all! It feels like I am pregnant all over again, where nothing to eat sounds good.

Before surgery I was taking 1 omeprazole a day and back then I was eating really spicy and greasy foods. Now I don't eat that way but I find myself needing to take TWO omeprazole a day. So weird! but I guess it has to do with our tiny stomachs. I was hoping I would be able to wean myself off of that medication at some point but I'm finding the opposite to be true.

I am almost a month out from surgery. I had my last menstrual cycle on December 6th, prior to that November 7th. My cycle comes about every 30 days and the only time I have ever went without having a period was when I was pregnant with my daughter (I'm not pregnant!) and when I was breast feeding her (haven't breast fed her in almost 2 years now). My period is a week late and I'm wondering if this is normal after being sleeved? Has anyone else experienced an absent period due to getting the VSG and when does your period normally return?

My surgeons manual for life after gastric sleeve surgery says that each meal should take at least 30 mins to eat but I found another surgeons manual (peachtreebariatrics) and it says it should take no longer than 15 to 20 mins to finish a meal and if you are taking longer than that then you are taking too long in between bites and that the goal is not to finish your meal but to learn what full means and feels like. Which is correct? Are we suppose to take at least 30 mins to finish our meal or should we be finishing it within about 20 minutes? It takes me over an hour to finish eating 2 ounce of salmon.

My surgeons instructions specifically say to take at least 30 minutes or longer to eat your meal. Actually they had me practice this behavior prior to the surgery. So with the salmon (or anything else I eat) it takes me a good hour, sometimes longer to eat because for 1 I thought I was suppose to take a long time to eat my meal and 2 I felt it was important to try and get in all the Protein I could so if it took 1.5hrs to eat 2 ounces of salmon (which it does) then that's how long I have to wait till I can fit it all in. Then I read that another surgeons office suggests putting your fork down after 20 minutes. This is a big difference from what I've been told. At least 30 minutes to me means a minimum of 30 minutes and that if I take longer to eat then even better (according to my surgeons office). My surgeon emphasizes that it's important to slow down when your eating and take at least 30 minutes to eat, that this gives your brain time to get the signals that you are eating and that you are full.

Will I always have to chew my food well, even after a year or more out from surgery? When I say 'chew my food well' I mean to a very mushy consistency? I have a huge texture issue and right now it's making it very difficult to eat. Sometimes I feel like just not eating at all because its better than feeling like I'm going to gag from chewing my food to mush. So I am trying to see the brighter side that farther out I won't always need to chew my food to mush (if there is a brighter side to that?).

I'm SO sympathetic to what you're going through. I had my surgery on 12/17, and still am exhausted. My poor husband asked me today "when will I get my wife back?" I threw up from drinking too much water in one sitting twice in the past few days, and it was heartbreaking having my 8 year old daughter (I have three kids) hovering over me, rubbing my back, and asking if I was going to be ok. I just keep telling them (and myself!) it will get better and once I'm better, I'll be better than ever. PM me if you feel like talking more. When my daughter (she is 3 years old) sees that I'm not doing well or feeling weak she comes up to me and tells "you're gonna get better, okay mommy?, you're gonna get better" and during the first week when I was in a lot of pain and had a hard time getting up from a laying or sitting position, she would come up to me and put her hand out and say "ok mommy, calm down now ok" which "calm down" to her means "take it easy or be careful" then she would proceed to offer to help me up by putting out her hand and saying "let me help you, take my hand". She is such a sweet heart, I love her so much!

I am going to be away from home for a few days, staying in a hotel. What can I pack that is easy to eat on the go and requires little to no refrigeration? I am still drinking Protein shakes and I'm allowed soft foods like cottage cheese, soft fish, certain Beans etc.... I will be 3 - 4 weeks post op. Also, I will be with many family members. None of which know I was sleeved and I have no intentions on telling them, ever.

Those are all great idea's, thank you!! Bronco0605, most of my meals will be with family. The problem I am facing really is my husbands family always orders pizza and wings when we come to visit. Is there possibly something from the pizza place that I can suggest in place of pizza and wings (just for myself)? mozz sticks, take the cheese out and give the fried part to my husband? When we visit my side of the family I already suggested we order fish fry's this way I can take off the breading and eat the haddock fish inside. If I didn't suggest fish fry's they would have ordered pizza and wings as well. It's an Italian thing.

I'd like to join as well but I weigh in on Sundays and Wednesdays. My current weight is : 244 Valentines day goal: 220 I just hope that goal is not unreachable.

My period is due any day now and I've noticed that I am having a much harder time getting food in these past couple of days. I have that bloated feeling that I always get around this time of the month and it's just making it really hard to eat. Does anyone else ever experience this?

So minimum 3 months? I guess what I'm trying to ask is when can I eat bread type foods and it won't physically hurt me (the sleeve)? If I want to eat a turkey wrap with a low carb wrap do I have to wait a full 3 months or can I try it in a month from now?

A protein shake that I recently tried and really liked has a lot of good stuff in it. I was wondering if I could use this as a multivitamin during the first & second stage after surgery? Here are the supplement facts: Serving Size: 3 Scoops Servings Per Container: 14 Amount per Serving Calories Total 134 from Fat 11 Amount per Serving % Daily Value+Total Fat 1 g 2 Sodium 140 mg 6 Total Carbohydrate 17 g 6 Dietary fiber 6 g 24 Sugars 6 g Protein 15 g 30 % Daily Value Vitamin A 100% Beta Carotene 5000 IU 100 Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid 60 mg 100 Vitamin D Ergocalciferol 400 IU 100 Vitamin E D-Alpha Tocopherol Succinate 30 IU 100 Thiamin (B1) Thiamine Mononitrate 1.5 mg 100 Riboflavin (B2) 1.7 mg 100 Niacin (B3) 20 mg 100 Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine HCL 2 mg 100 Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin 400 mcg 100 Vitamin B12 Cyanocobalamin 12 mcg 200 Biotin D-Biotin 300 mcg 100 Pantothenic acid Calcium Pantothenate 10 mg 100 Calcium Calcium Carbonate 30 mg 3 Iodine Potassium Iodide 45 mcg 30 Magnesium Magnesium Oxide 120 mg 30 Zinc Zinc Oxide 4.5 mg 30 Selenium Sodium Selenite 21 mcg 30 Manganese Manganese Sulfate .600 mg 30 Chromium Chromium Chelate 36 mcg 30 Molybdenum Amino Acid Chelate 22.5 mcg 30 Nickel Nickel Amino Acid Chelate 5 mcg Silicon Silicon Dioxide 2 mg Vanadium Vanadium Sulfate 10 mcg Boron Boron Amino Acid Chelate 50 mcg Brown Rice Solids 20000 mg*Vegan Protein Blend 18677 mg*Pea Protein Isolate Rice Protein Isolate Organic Hemp Spirulina Chlorella Barley Grass Juice Organic Inulin from Agave 5682 mg*Greens Blend 500 mg*DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid from Algal Oil) Life's DHA 1000 mg*Proteolytic Enzyme 84 mg*Protease (4.5) 29000 HUT*Bromelain 540000 FCCPU*Protease (3.0) 27 SAPU*Peptidase 2000 HUT*Protease (6.0) 4000 HUT*Dairy Free Probiotic Blend 19 mg*Lactobacillus Plantarum Bifidobacterium Bifidum (Providing 8 Billion Active Cells

I have not been able to go to the bathroom on my own yet and it's frustrating!! I am 2 weeks out and I still have to depend on milk of magnesia to get things moving. I have taken it 3 times since I've been home, so 1-2x a week. Right now I feel like I have to go but I am totally constipated and the milk of magnesia tastes HORRIBLE!!!

For those of you who are much farther out from having had your surgery, what are you using that works well to hold in all the loose skin around the stomach? I can pretty much tell that I will need something to help with a lot of loose skin around my stomach but I'm not sure what would work well to hold everything in. Any suggestions?