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Never for a second. Not even once.

I kind of use the feedback comments as a gauge that it's "time to move on", too. The other day I ran into a friend who said "it's about time you finally got some pants that fit!" But you're right, I almost try to hold on to the old for as long as possible because I know I gotta do the whole thing over again next month. And this is in no way a bad thing!

Jess9395, "the one thing we all have in common is we are all different." First of all, let me say that this is one of the best things I've read on here....it should be gospel at the top of the BP website! As for the Metamucil, it has soluble and insoluble fiber where benefiber just has soluble fiber. It will add a funny texture and maybe even settle out a little bit, where the benefiber doesn't do that. The other supplement. I alternate with is Sunsweet SupraFiber that I found at Walmart. Instead of psyllium husks and wheat dextrin, it gets it's fiber (both soluble and insoluble) from prunes, apple, acacia, blueberry, pomegranate and acai.

If you are going to weigh everyday and obsess over it, then be prepared to deal with the consequences. And by that I mean the unnecessary stress and drama you are putting yourself through. Unless you ate at least 7000 calories above and beyond your body 's requirement in one day then that 2 pounds is not fat. I gained 11 pounds in one day after receiving IV fluids for dehydration. And no, I didn't freak out about it. I was incredibly grateful to know I had all that Fluid back in me. The reality is you will lose or stay the same or even gain during this journey. Spend some time reading through these forums. Educate yourself as to what is normal (And this includes gaining) so you can quit stressing. But If you are going to obsess over numbers I strongly suggest you spend some time in the "Don't Sweat the Stall Stuff" subforum so you at least have company. Personally, I'd recommend staying off the scale instead.

For jeans and shorts, when the old ones get baggy, I get a few of the next size at the thrift store or on eBay. As soon as I am firmly in the new size I get rid of all the old size. Give them to friends, take them to the thrift store or, if they are in excellent condition, sell them on EBay. I'm still losing and shrinking, so I haven't spent the money to get anything new. As for tops, I got rid of the ones that really hang and are ridiculously huge. Most of what I've got left are still big, but wearable. Again, I'm not buying anything new until my weight stabilizes. I've gotten rid of no less than three large trash bags full of clothes. I have SO MUCH ROOM in my closet and dresser drawers now! And last time I packed for a trip I could bring more outfits because my clothes are all so tiny

My homemade smoothies are 24-32 oz and always Protein based...25-45g depending on my base flavor. My chocolate and vanilla bases will have 35-45g because I use milk to mix my Syntrax Matrix or Muscle Milk protein powder and the milk adds a lot of protein (real dairy milk is best) I also dilute the RTD Premier chocolate, vanilla and strawberry with 12oz. milk for a smoothie base. I used to use skim milk, but upped to 1% or 2% since passing goal. I use Water to mix my Syntrax nectar and Garden of Life Raw Fit powders for my lighter, fruity smoothie bases. These only have 25-30g protein. I then add my Fiber supplement (Sunsweet Suprafiber or Metamucil + benefiber). From there, anything goes.....Torani SF syrups, berries, bananas, PB2, coffee, fruit juices..... (I did discover that pineapple does not go well with the milk based smoothies ). I have no idea what the calorie or carb count is because I've never kept track of anything except fluids and protein. At 7 months out I still have a protein smoothie everyday. It's easy and yummy and I know I'm getting 1/3 to 2/3 of my daily protein and fluids in a single drink.

You're welcome. And the key phrase is that "it works for me". There are lots of posts here from folks that don't indulge in anything off program. They may have trigger foods that would cause them to crave more once they have a single bite. That's good that they recognize and respect that. Fortunately that doesn't happen with me. Same goes with counting and measuring everything to keep accountable. I chose not to track anything, just make smart choices (90% of the time) I'm definitely not saying my way is the only way, or even the best way, it's just what works for me. Everyone has to find what works for them to be successful long term.

Alex created a whole subforum for you....you should post this there http://www.bariatric...tall-stuff-new/ Or use the search function, type in "stall" and you will find your concerns have been addressed dozens of times and there are plenty of suggestions already posted.

This surgery and it's effects will stay with you for the rest of your life. Don't "settle" for something you may not be happy with just because it's faster. They are different surgeries with different outcomes, long term complications and management issues. Research very well before committing to anything.

Move your post here... http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1102-dont-sweat-the-stall-stuff-new/ Or use the search function, type in "stall" and you will find your question has already been answered dozens of times.

It doesn't have anything to do with your rate of weight loss...unless you end up eating more because you are hungry. A lot of people are told no soups because it is essentially drinking with your meal. But I eat soup all the time. Not so much now in the summer, but I sure did last winter and I will again when it cools off. I just know this particular meal won't keep me full for as long as say, steak or chicken and veggies. Drinking while eating is the least if your worries with fruit smoothies and ice cream...they are both loaded with carbs. I make my own Protein ice cream and sometimes add a few berries or peaches or 1/2 a banana to my protein smoothie. It really doesn't have to be as complicated as what the nutritionists make it out to be. Just get in all your Water and Vitamins, eat protein first, then veggies, fruits and whole grains. Don't overeat (no one says you have to eat until you're full) and stay away from carbs and junk food.

Fortunately I haven't suffered too much from cravings. I've been in my favorite ice cream place with friends and haven't had a single scoop. I drive by my favorite restaurants and go home to eat some healthy food I have there. But I've also been to parties and picnics where there is yummy "no no food". I guess in these situations it isn't so much of a craving as an "impulse buy". In either case, I eat a couple bites and then I'm over it....strawberry shortcake, Mexican crazy corn, potato salad, blackened chicken Alfredo, potato chips, Doritos with taco dip, tiramisu, cheesecake, birthday cake..... And I do this all without guilt. I chose to have a normal happy life after surgery, not to be on a restrictive diet the rest of my life.

Thanks for the info! Since I'm not drinking beer anymore a friend suggested I smoke pot to make up for my lost alcohol buzz. Well, I've smoked in the past and KNOW it just makes me want to eat and then go to sleep. I didn't think the munchies and sleeve would go together very well so I did not take her advice. Thanks for the affirmation that I made the right decision! LOL.

The reason to not drink with your meals is not because it will stretch your stomach or make you more full. It is the exact opposite. Liquid will flush food out of your sleeve quicker than food alone. This means your sleeve will be empty and you will get hungry sooner and end up eating more. You won't damage anything (as long as you aren't over eating/over drinking) but you will be hungry more and may end up snacking or grazing. This was one of the hardest things for me to do, but after awhile it became habit. Now I don't drink until I can't feel the food in my tummy anymore.....usually at least an hour.

Why did you bother to have surgery if you are just going to keep eating crap? Not only are you putting your life in danger by eating this way so soon after surgery, but you WILL FAIL to lose weight if you don't make the right food choices. Right now you are turning this surgery into a big waste of time and money.

They all do

My work partner was complaining the other day about how teeny and flabby her boobs had gotten. She was never more than a plump B cup anyways. She pulled up her bra to show me and yes, they are little nubbins that really require no bra. She showed me how they sagged when she bent over. I was like, REALLY?!! I will show you something to cheer you up". So I whipped mine out, bent over and let them dangle. (Was DD now B cups) She was like, "WOW!" And she felt better immediately. Glad the girls can still bring joy to someone's life. (And there's no such thing as TMI in a small town )

Pretty much.... But if I had complications, OCC doctors would have consulted with my PCP and he would have referred me to the appropriate specialist. For me, the nearest bariatric surgeon is 4 hours away, so my PCP and local ER would be dealing with anything critical anyways, even if I had stayed in the states for surgery.

The doctors at Obesity Control Center where I had my surgery have always been available after surgery to answer questions via phone and email. As for postop bloodwork, I just asked my PCP to write orders for the lab. My OB/Gyn also volunteered to do it for me. I developed a non-surgery related C. diff infection 2 months post op (although the surgery complicated things because I couldn't drink enough to keep up with the diarrhea) and my PCP and a gastroenterologist dealt with that.

I was getting 60 g most days by about 5 days out. The best way I found was to mix my shakes with skim milk. For example, 11 oz premier protein mixed with 11 oz milk = 41g protein. Then a scoop of Syntrax nectar or Garden of Life Raw Fit in 16oz water added another 23 - 28g. Or a scoop of Unjury unflavored in broth added 21g. A lot of days it was easier to get 60g protein than it was to get 64oz water.

They are OK to drink, but really not much protein. Syntrax nectar has a whole line of flavors with a water/juice consistency instead of a thick shake. 23g protein per scoop. I add my own fiber supplement to my protein drinks.

There are plenty of variations on different surgeon's postop plans, and technically everyone's size and gender should play a role in the exact amount, but the most common goal seems to be 60 grams.

I've always suffered from motion sickness...boats are the worst, but anything will do it. I was the kid no one wanted to sit with on the school bus because you never knew when I might hurl. Motion sickness isn't about our stomachs (or sleeves ). It's basically caused when your inner ear and your eyes disagree with what motion is perceived. That's why you don't get sick when you drive (your eyes and vestibular function both sense that you are moving), but you do get sick reading in the back seat where your body says you are moving, but your eyes say you are sitting still. IMAX movies are the opposite...Your eyes say you're moving but your body is standing still. Boy, they are almost worse than anything for me. I would assume you will still get motion sick, but there's no reason to think it should get worse in the long term. Short term however, we may be closer to our "nausea trigger" because of our sleeve's sensitivities, so your symptoms may get temporarily worse. (Like spinning in a chair when you're hung over or have the flu as compared to not) There are, of course, other reasons for postop dizziness and nausea, so my "theory" only applies to symptoms caused by motion sickness.

First of all, don't sweat about the 8 pounds. Unless you ate 28,000 calories above and beyond your body's requirement in 4 days, those 8 pounds are not fat. I don't think I could have eaten that much even before surgery! Maybe your slight change in diet over the weekend contained more sodium? Heck, just sitting in a car for 2 days will cause you to retain fluids. My ankles swell like crazy when I'm sitting down a lot. As for my stalls, at 6 weeks I gained 3 pounds out of the blue and then stayed there for a month. I didn't worry too much about it because I was too busy dealing with severe Clostridial diarrhea and the meds they had me on made me nauseous. I was praying to the " bodily function gods" that I would be happy to never lose another pound if the diarrhea and nausea would just go away. As soon as I switched antibiotics I was able to drink and eat more and the stall ended. I had another 2 week stall at 5 1/2 months out, but again, I didn't worry about it and. I didn't do anything different. It just ended on it's own. Just hang in there. Keep following the protein first/no refined carbs rule, drink at least 64oz water and take your vitamins. If what you are doing isn't working, it's time to try something else. Maybe try upping your calories in the form of real food protein rather than reverting back to liquids. Eat different things than you have been. Give your body something else to process. Shake things up with variety. More veggies? More fiber? More fruit? Sorry about your accident. Hope you feel better soon.

I lost my younger brother July 3, 2012. We were very close and only 13 months apart. He literally collapsed in the hallway walking to the bathroom in front of his girlfriend. Despite autopsy and toxicology testing, no COD was found. Healthy organs, no aneurysms or clots, blood alcohol .03, no street drugs and normal, therapeutic levels of his Rx drugs for ADHD. I was beyond devastated and functioned on a " bare minimum" mode for over a year. Other than making it to work, I didn't leave the the house. I tried to numb myself by eating and drinking. I went to bed in an alcohol haze every night. And the clincher is I didn't WANT to feel better. I'm sure you all are no stranger to these feelings. Not sure what happened, but after about 18 months something just switched in my head and I decided I didn't want to be in pain anymore. This surgery, among other things was my way of taking back control of myself. I still miss him every single day and it's hard to comprehend that we will never again talk and laugh and be able to share our lives and childhood memories. But he was always kind of a "troubled soul" so I can only hope he's found peace now. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you with lost loved ones, especially for those of you that are having to watch it happen.