Miss Mac

Miss Tummy can't send me emails, so her way of communicating with me is through burps, belches, sneezes, hiccups, a noises that sound like a dinosaur fight. Usually it means I should slow down or that I am full enough and really should not eat that last bite. By the way, she is the boss of me.

Darn.......I meant Eastern shore of Lake Tahoe.....Eastern.

Ooh, Ooh, Ooh! I know the answer to this one! I was in Reno in August of 2009, for a week-long business seminar. In between required meeting sessions, three workmates and I found things to do. We took a tour that went from our hotel (Grand Sierra) up into the mountains, over the state line and around the western shore of Lake Tahoe. Tahoe has to be the most beautiful place on earth! We came back over into Nevada and drove past the ranch where the outdoor scenes of Bonanza were filmed. The ranchhouse is still there, but occupied privately now. We went on into Carson City and the out past the Bunny Ranch and through its parking lot. Then we headed back towards Reno by going up another mountain, past wild horses and abandoned mines. We stopped at the top of the mountain at Virginia City (also a Bonanza filming location) and had an hour or so to wander aimlessly through the saloons and shops. The we came back on into Reno. The bus made several stops so that we could get out and take pictures. I would post some, but my pictures got lost in a computer crash. On another day we took a trolley tour that went through town and made many stops so that tourists could get off and on at will. We drove through the grounds of the University of Nevada, too. Reno has many antique shops in vintage buildings. There is also a beautiful walking trail right in town, that crosses over the Truckee River from the shopping area to a lovely city park. If you are interested, there is Harrah's National Automobile Museum and the National Bowling Stadium where many tournaments are held. Most of the hotels, if not all, have casinos, theaters for live performances, and restaurants. At the Grand Sierra, they have ten restaurants. When our meal was not provided, we ate at the Grand Cafe and Johnny Rockets. The Grand Sierra in particular has an upscale shopping arcade and I would not be surprised if the others do, too. You are only limited by your imagination. I am sure you will enjoy your trip. Being Reno, you are not likely to get rained on!

I chose the sleeve because I did not want my plumbing re-routed and I did not want a port.

My MIss Tummy sounded like a dinosaur fight for months.

I had two victories this week. Yesterday I wore a pair of jeans that did not have an elastic waist. Today, I got out my fanny pack that I had not used for two weeks, and had to shorten the belt 2" to keep it from falling off my hips.

I was creeping back into the habit of night eating, and gained back seven pounds. Now, I make sure that I have deviled eggs and sugar free Jello in the fridge, so that if I totally cave in, I still have a quick harmless option to grab. Sugar free popsicles help, too, when my taste buds just want something to do. I also do better if I eat my carbs earlier in the day, and go no-carb with dinner. Last evening I had a grilled steak (saved half for breakfast), fresh green Beans and a slice of tomato.

I could not tolerate lettuce until about six months. You are at the point now that you are going to discover how much you new tummy is now the boss of you. And think - small banana - not one of those big giant ones.

Victoria's Secret? Girlllllllll, I am impressed. I went to a matronly foundation shop. You have inspired me to be bolder. Also, I am sorry to hear about your mom. It is so hard to stay strong with that kind of loss. More love and hugs from Miss Mac in Chicago.

Fats, creamy rich stuff, cheese, gravy, dairy, spices etc. will cause your gallbladder to restrict and discharge stones. My gallbladder ruptured and I nearly died (back in 1973 when they still cut you half in two). The doctor said they had to "go fish" because there were gallstones everywhere. Be real strict on yourself until you get home. Eat bland, "easy on the tummy stuff". Call your surgeon as soon as you get home. If the pain interferes with functioning you need to go to the E. R., no matter where yo are.

I can spell, but I cannot type. That statement on my card should read.......to restrict the quantity.

My surgeon gave me a business card from the bariatric center. It says: "This person has had surgery and is required by doctor's orders to the quantity and types of food consumed. Please allow her/him to order a smaller portion or make a selection from your childrens' menu." The day that I was released to attempt regular cooked foods (4 1/2 weeks), I stopped at Wendy's on the way home and bought some chili with cheese. It took me four days to eat it, but it was the first real food I had chewed since two weeks pre-op. Around two months post-op, my sister was in the hospital out of town. I stopped at a Baker's Square with my traveling friend, and I had chili again. I am 15 months out now, and have had Chinese stir-fry once, and pizza once, but scraped the goodies off the crust. I had one slice instead of the 1/2 pizza I would have eaten before my surgery. Most full-service restaurants and buffets will have meats and veggies. Just ignore the table bread and dessert.

This is quite a milestone for you. Congratulations! I hope you stay with the forum to help those following behind us. We need more bariatric veterans to hang around and pay it forward.

AvaFern, you and I must be related. I could have said exactly what you just said: salt and/or strength training. The aggravating part is, I gain gain it overnight, then it takes a week to lose it again. Then I have to get brutal about carbs to reset to weight I am happy with.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/338476-amusement-parks-and-your-new-tummy/#entry3815880 Summer must almost be here already, in spite of 40 degree rain in Chicago. I have attached a link to the same question someone asked just yesterday. I hope it helps.

My best food post-op is deviled eggs. I make a batch and then eat some every day. They are my "go-to" when I am tempted to snack. I like a warm boiled egg, but once they cool off, they lose their appeal, but a deviled egg - pretty good stuff for me. My worst food post-op has been cauliflower with cheese. Oh, Miss Tummy hated it and made me miserable for hours. My gentleman friend is the cook in this house - Mediterranean style ( he is a native of Malta). Today he said he will make me a pizza for me with a zuchinni crust. "How so ?", I asked him, he said he will take shredded zuchinni (which he has soaked in salt Water, drained, and patted dry) and mix it with an egg and 1/4 cup of flour. he will form that into his dough, pat it into the pan like a pizza crust, and then pre-bake it before adding sauce, seasonings, and my personal favorite toppings (sausage, mozzerella, mushrooms, green pepper, onions). I can't wait for dinner tonight. This sounds like it may be my new favorite food.

Pre-op you still have your entire stomach. I was advised to quit soda so that I could be broken of the habit . Plus, there is no nutritional value in soda pop. Post-op nutrition is going to be critical to your success. Do you put house paint in you gas tank? No, you use gasoline because that is the fuel your car needs to run efficiently. Your body is a machine designed to thrive on natural foods - those things you can dig, pick, and chase. Don't ask your taste buds what you need to live and thrive. Ask your heart and lungs and brain and bones and veins and muscles and nerves, etc. I am amazed at how much I struggled to get up to 64 ounces of Water. Now I am at 100! But pre-op, I could drink two two-liters of pop a day, all by myself. I could drink a quart with a full meal. Ridiculous. Think about all the soda and junk food you consume and what it costs you financially. Think of the manufacturers of soda and junk edibles, and the sporting events they sponsor and how filthy rich their CEO's are. Now - it can be your money or theirs. You could use that money for new clothes when the pounds start to drop off. I know it's hard, but pre-op is the best time time to make the effort to not eat anything made in a factory. Your new body will be sooooo happy if you do.

I was cleared at six weeks to see what exercise I could tolerate. But, I tell you what......Pilates really kicks my a**. I am exhausted when I am done, but it is a good exhausted. Because of orthopedic and balance issues, I have to modify sometimes. Maybe you could start easy and see how you feel the next day.

I have been doing the reverse. Two weeks ago, I was at the doctor's office and weighed seven pounds more than last time, in February. So, it was time to get serious again. I do strength training two days a week and eat more (including carbs), maybe 1300-1400 calories. The other five days, I have been staying very low carb (20-30 grams) and holding the calories around 800-900. Plus, I have increased my cardio on those five days. In the last two weeks, I have lost all seven pounds and am ready to get moving towards my goal again. It has helped to be diligent about weighing, measuring, and logging again. Protein 80+-, Water 100 oz+-.

Welcome to the forum. You will find friends and support here. Ask anything you want; just keep in mind that opinions and tact will vary. I wish you good luck and good health.

For sure ask your surgeon if it appropriate for you to endure the ride. In my younger days, my ex and our girls were roller coaster freaks and took several vacations to Cedar Point in Ohio. One trick we learned abou avoiding nausea on the coasters was to not ride on the spinny rides at all, and don't eat like a maniac. Your sleeve will only be able to hold about as much food as a small banana, so be diligent with the Snacks that day. If you do go, HAVE FUN

I do not know how it is that each day seems to go by so slowly when you are adjusting old habits and ignoring the temper tantrums that your body is throwing because it wants its junk edibles back. (Sorry, I can't call Twinkies and soda pop "food"). But collectively they go by so fast. At 15 months out, the agnony of that inconvenience is hard to remember. This human machine that I live in operates so much better with the proper fuel and diligent maintenance. Hang in there. All the pre-op stuff and the first couple of months post-op are a right of passage into a healthier place. Even on the pre-op diet (mine was 3 months) I began to feel better. My body was getting the best nutrition it had experience ever, plus I lost 26 pounds. I feel a vitality that I have never had before. I was 62 but felt 90 - a real bad 90. Now I feel like I was designed to feel and am much more alert (thanks to getting off of nine meds), limber, sexy, and happy. The journey has been sooooooo worth the sacrifice.

At one month, I was doing my Leslie Sansone's Walk Your Belly DVD in my living room.I have post-stroke balance issues and can't go outside running amuck by myself, but I could march, stomp, and speedwalk around the living room and up and down the stairs. Plus she works your arms, too, so that it is a full-body work-out by the time you are done. My doctor limited me to five pound handweights until six weeks. Stairs and walking were and still are my "go-to" exercises when I don't feel like doing anything else. I would think that doing the stairs several times a day would be a great way to keep your metabolism going. When my legs are cramping, it is usually due to low potasium. A banana and a good rub usually solve that problem in short time. Medically speaking, if this persists, ask your doctor about the possibility of a blood clot in your calf. That is not anything to fool around with. Right when I started regular cooked foods, Miss Tummy talked back a little. My biggest incision would hurt if I carried the laundry basket or changed the bedsheets or did too much housework. That problem resoved around the second month. Since then I have been able to exercise at will. Stretching caused me more problems than any other exercise, so maybe you could hold off on the stretch bands for a couple of weeks - then try again. That's just my opinion based on my own experience. Hopefully you will find the balance that works for you. That should be Walk Your Belly Off.

I sort of accidently have been carb cycling since I stepped up my exercise program a couple of weeks ago. Frankly, on strength training days (twice a week), I am much hungrier, and the next mornng I eat a few extra carbs, too. Instead of just having tuna salad for Breakfast, I have the tuna salad on a piece of toast and make a half sandwich. Then I might have a piece of fruit fo rmy snack along with my one ounce of cheese later. Then, for the rest of the day and the next two days, I have not been going over thirty carbs. In the last two weeks, the scale started moving again, and I have lost the seven pounds of regain that snuck back through enjoying too many carbs on a regular basis.

Connie, go to YouTube and watch one of those 20 minute videos on your surgical procedure actually being performed by a surgeon. It will give you a sober, visual reminder of what just happened to your stomach. Your tummy is rebelling because you are disrespecting that it has just been brutalized in the operating room. Second week post op, IF your surgeon is agressive with your eating schedule, you should be transitioning from purees to soft foods. We keep harping that your surgery is a tool. You can have a rake, but the rake is not going to gather up the leaves by itself. You still have to do the work. A big part of that work is putting old habits in their place - which is the trash. Many people n e v e r have a carbonated beverage again after bariatric surgery. What if a Twinkie calls you, or a big ol' chocolate cake? That new tummy needs Protein to heal correctly. Just as you would not (or should not) let a toddler determine the menu for the family, neither should you let those tortured tastebuds determine what you next meal will be. You are way too soon in the process to be venturing away from your bariatric plan. Our surgeons do hundreds of thousands of these surgeries every year, and know what works and what hinders proper healing. Some people suffer miserable post-op complications through no fault of their own, but I am concerned that you are begging for complications by disregarding the plan your team has given you. Dear bariatric sister, please, please, please, I beg you, to get in charge of your head hunger. It will trip you up so badly, and wreck your surgery. One thing you will find out about veterans on this forum is that we have been where you are at. It's tough to deny those tastebuds the junk they enjoyed in the past, but where did all that Diet Coke and junk food get us?????? Overweight and miserable. Right now that head hunger is talking real loud, but you need to be tough and overcome. One of the best ways to do that is to have the correct nutritious stuff available so that you can resist the beast more easily. Your new tummy has to find a new balance. I had loose bowels until I got on regular cooked foods.The worst time was at about two weeks when I tried to eat potato chips. Miss Tummy made me miserable for about four hours. My worst experience was eating cooked cauliflower with cheese, in the soft food stage. Miss Tummy got very hateful about that and punished me so horribly that I may never eat cauliflower again. When I got into the soft foods, I was eating mashed potatoes and bananas too much. I got constipation so bad that when it finaly moved along, it was like trying to pass a watermelon through a straw. Your bowels are not going to be perfect for a while. Just hang in there and be diligent about following your plan. I understand the tempatations you are facing. I wish you good luck and good health. Let us know how you do. Come ask any questions you want. We have been there.