LipstickLady

I call bullsh!t.

Question. How would she be behaving if her surgery was scheduled first and yours was a month or two later?

:faint:

Sounds like you have much bigger issues going on. I'd suggest couples' counseling and if she's not up for that, go solo. You deserve this chance at health and she should want it for you. A supportive partner would realize that a month doesn't make a big difference in the grand scheme of things and would want what is best for his or her significant other. You need to fix that, too. Best of luck to you.

No, we "doesn't".

Did you just say "Bless your heart" but in a different way? Well, I am from the south...

So, you didn't read the title of the post? But yes, you are correct. Your research is much more valuable than my actual experiences. Please, by all means, continue to counter my successes with your superior knowledge.

I'm a sleever who dumps and what you are describing is a bit different. For many, dumping is almost immediate sweats/chills/need to vomit and poo all at the same time. Dumping indicates that everything is coming out one way or another. I dump from rich ice cream, cream based Soups, rice, Pasta and potatoes. Other people dump from other things -- there is no one magic thing that causes it. I have pooping issues after meals and my best advice? Probiotics if/when approved by your doctor. They have really helped balance out everything that is going on in my gut. They don't stop dumping if I eat something my body immediately rejects, but they do help the poop factory that occurs hours after meal and/or the next day.

I completely and wholeheartedly appreciate reading and research. I did/do a lot of it myself. BUT! If there's one thing I've learned about diet and weight loss, rarely is any ONE'S experience textbook. Let's think about all the diets that were thought to be revolutionary and turned out to be pure bunk. Let's talk about the way the FDA keeps changing the food pyramid and recommended daily allowances. Let's talk about food manufacturing trends like making everything fat free but hiking up the sugar content and how that worked out. A lot of that reading/research/following the rules is what made me obese and a classic yo yo dieter in the first place. Please note in MY initial post in this thread, I ONLY spoke of my experience. I did not recommend ANYTHING to the OP. My journey is no one else's. Artificial sugar does not lead to sugar cravings FOR ME. I am NOT gaining weight because I drink Coke Zero daily. I absolutely agree that this change has to be mostly mental and going back to old ways can be extremely detrimental to most former fatties, but that said, just because one reads a "scientific study" about an ingredient/diet/form of exercise/etc. does not make it absolute textbook fact. I'm living proof of that. At least where the artificial sugar/carbonation thing stands...

from what I've been told the carbonation is more the potential problem then anything....Also if you so compare it to crystal light, it really depends bc there's crystal light pure made with truvia which is stevia a natural sweet plant not artificial sweetener Although the truvia is combined with a tiny bit if sugar alcohol which I learned also makes me sick but that's another topic One thing to consider though is that research has illustrated that sugar vs sugar free drinks both stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin bc tge body takes it all as sugar period... It just seems ur doing urself a disservice by drinking si called chemical filled drinks, sodas etc but if nothing else is good enough or works.. idk...it is ur body No, it won't. My sleeve isn't stretched. from what I've been told the carbonation is more the potential problem then anything....Also if you so compare it to crystal light, it really depends bc there's crystal light pure made with truvia which is stevia a natural sweet plant not artificial sweetener Although the truvia is combined with a tiny bit if sugar alcohol which I learned also makes me sick but that's another topic One thing to consider though is that research has illustrated that sugar vs sugar free drinks both stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin bc tge body takes it all as sugar period... It just seems ur doing urself a disservice by drinking si called chemical filled drinks, sodas etc but if nothing else is good enough or works.. idk...it is ur body You realize you're talking to a 3.5 year veteran of the surgery who has lost all of her excess weight AND kept it off? I think she's got this. yeh cause being a vet and keeping it off means you know everything and a newbie can have nothing helpful to add ...ok Here's MY issue. I answered the OP's question and very specifically gave MY experience, NOT general advice. You came in and told me I was wrong, was doing a "disservice" to myself, etc. Clearly I'm not from the numbers on the scale and I reiterated that. AGAIN, I only spoke to MY experience -- no one else's. I didn't speak to yours until you started questioning mine. No one said you were unwelcome, had no value, know nothing, etc. You said all that, that's YOUR baggage. Newbies are great! They have lots of great questions, information, ways of thinking... That said, to tell me I'm wrong when what I'm doing is clearly working for me is amusing at best. I'm an expert on no one but me and I say so in my signature. Not accepting YOU as an expert on me doesn't make me a monster, it makes me happily accountable for myself.

your support and encouragement are greatly appreciated... still doesn't mean I know nothing about diet soda, carbonation and so on...still doesn't mean I have nothing of value to add.. just bc you are able to drink sugar free soda wo effects doesn't make it good for you and going back looking for a weak post I wrote to pick on and use against be is beyond immature as well as appalling to me. Sure I can get upset and not like what someone says but not going to go look for things there struggling with to bring them down Wow I never said you know nothing, nor did I say you have no value. Don't put words in my mouth, please. I simply said you know nothing about MY experience or what's best for ME. And yes, it absolutely makes sense to look at someone's history to judge their base of knowledge. I didn't trust my first surgeon because he was morbidly obese. I wouldn't go to a tattoo artist with horrible ink. I won't let someone cut my hair who had a bad portfolio. And yes, I'd rather take dietary advice from someone who isn't at the initial stages and struggling. Again, that's just me.

@@Butterflywarrior You're right! Thank you for enlightening me! You're pre op and struggling with sticking to your diet (per your previous posts). You definitely have a lot to add to MY experience.

Drink what?

I am 3.5 years out and my restriction is still VERY tight. I can't eat more than 1/2 cup or so at a sitting (2 or 3 oz of protien and nothing else) so I still eat every 2-3 hours. I've always been a snacker, so eating "real meals" has never been important to me. It works for me. I make great choices 50% of the time, good choices 40% of the time and crappy choices 10% of the time. It levels out.

So...let me tell you how much your opinion means to me .... You're right. You don't know.

I'm three and a half years out, I've been maintaining for two and a half years and drink Coke Zero (from a straw!!) regularly. I can't drink it from a can or from bottle, but I do drink it poured over ice. It doesn't stretch (MY) sleeve. I don't feel gassy or bloated. It hasn't caused weight gain or cravings. There is really no difference between Coke Zero and Crystal Light besides carbonation, IMO. I waited until my doctor ok'd it. I was at least six or nine months out before I had any. For me, it wasn't a "rule".

Sounds like you are your own biggest enemy to me.

Three and a half years year out here. I rarely drink plain Water because it's still nasty to me. Sometimes it's great, most times, not at all. It usually comes right back up.

My opinion? Quit planning to fail. You are on a liquid' diet'. Apples and watermelon aren't liquid.

@ My opinion about your thread? Some people take themselves (and life) too freaking seriously. The thought behind your thread was fine, everyone's opinion in it was fine (except the name calling crap). It's all good.

Pastina and mashed potatoes? Huh. Where are you fitting in your protein' requirements?

You didn't "cheat", you made a choice. Your choice was pretty dangerous, too. You won't stretch your stomach, but you could rupture it, create a leak, or cause an infection if you continue to make bad choices like the one you described. No judgement, it's your body. I just hope you fully understand the trauma your body just went through before you continue to make potentially dangerous decisions. Fried, breaded chicken? Is that where you really want to go less than two weeks out from surgery?