Miss Mac

Gag........I was provided with them in the hospital......some kind of peach flavor that tasted more like motor oil..........blech!!!!!....could not get it down.

When I gradated high school in 1970, I was a very anorexic 108 pounds. Back then it was called "she eats like a bird". I would avoid eating with my family or would put food on the plate and scrape most of it into the trash. you look in my gallery pictures (click on Betty Boop and open up 'gallery'. You can see in my wedding picture one year later how skeletal my arms were. If you look at the older coupe sitting on the couch, that is my folks. In that picture Mother weighed 320 pounds (she was 5'2"). She died shortly after that picture was taken of an abdominal aortic aneurysm). Most of my family was large like that, and I say was because most of them are dead already or very ill from the consequences of obesity. I did not want to be like them. My first daughter was born prematurely in 1976 and I had only gained 15 pounds. My second daughter was born full term plus a week 1978 and I had gained 70 pounds which I never lost. Divorce, re-marriage, divorce, and menopause later my weight hovered around 185. When I had a botched knee replacement in 2007, I was sedentary for a long time and gained another 50 pounds. All the while, I just yo-yo'd around losing the same few pounds over and over. When I had a stroke in 2010, at the age of 59, I was scared sh**less into doing something about it. More diets failed, so on 12/23/2013 I got sleeved. I lost 65 pounds very quickly but have been on what feels like a terminal plateau. Well, I am not stopping at 172. I am not giving up yet.

Oh no!!!! I am so sorry to hear about your hubby. No wonder you had to dial back for a minute. Hopefully you can have some time a couple of times a week just to stay in touch. The fellowship of this community can help keep you going. I have a couple of questions. Do you have any support nearby from friends / family / church - anyone? Did you get both knees replaced at he same time????? OMG.......II had one done in 2007 and the other in 2011. I just can't imagine the bravery and mental strength it would take to get them both done together. My dear sleeve sister, I did miss you and wish for comfort to come your way. Here is a hug from Miss Mac in Chicago.

I had no complications with my sleeve surgery nearly a year ago 12/23/2013. I was only sick for a couple of days and then it was manageable. After the second day home, I did not even need pain relief although my incisions itched like crazy. I could have full liquids as soon as I got home, and went to purees at two weeks. At three weeks I could have soft foods, and at 4 1/2 weeks whole foods with caution. On the way home from that appointment we stopped at Wendy's and I ate 1/3 of a small chili and a couple of Tony's fries. I have had a few stalls, and have been on a long stall for over three months. In spite of avery noble effort, I keep gaining and losing the same three pounds every couple of weeks. When I have my one year appointment, I will ask what they want me to do to restart my metabolic furnace. 80 grams of Protein and 80 ounces of Water and an agressive weight training program and walking every day are having no effect now. My primary told me to eat more and to have a carb now and then. So, still optimistic and glad to be down 65 pounds. I can't imagine carrying 65 pounds of potatoes wrapped around my waist! And I do feel better in many other ways. My body and internal systems thank me for the outstanding nutrition they are getting. I may not be the most mobile person I know because of post-stroke physical challenges, but I betcha I am the healthiest person I know. All this past year I have not had so much as the sniffles. I hope your surgery goes well. Good luck!

Anytime I eat carbs with my dinner, I will gain three pounds overnight. Ironically, it takes me three weeks to get those pounds back off. Ugh! I went to the bariatric clinic at 5'4" at 235 pounds....BMI 40.1, and I had many co-morbidities. The bariatrician told me that no matter how much I lose on the three month supervised diet, they will record my beginning weight when the submit my packet to the insurance company. Here is a list of co-morbidities that insurance pencil pushers look for: Obesity Comorbidities To follow is a list of comorbidities (additional conditions or diseases) related to obesity which may help you in qualifying for weight loss surgery. It is from nih.gov Family history of heart disease Family history of stroke Family history of diabetes Family history of heart attacks Hyperinsulinemia Diabetes High blood pressure Coronary-artery disease Hypertension Migraines or headaches directly related to obesity or cranial hypertension Congestive heart failure Neoplasia Dyslipidemia Anemia Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis Degenerative arthritis Degenerative disc Degenerative joint disease Recommended joint replacement from specialist Accelerated degenerative joint disease Asthma Repeated pneumonia Repeated pleurisy Repeated bronchitis Lung restriction Gastroesophageal reflex (GERD) Excess facial & body hair (Hirsutism) Rashes Chronic skin infections Excess sweating Frequent yeast infections Urinary stress incontinence Menstrual irregularity Hormonal abnormalities Polycystic ovaries Infertility Carcinoma (breast, colon, uterine cancer) sleep apnea Pseudotumor cerebri Depression Psychological/sexual dysfunction Social discrimination Premature death in the immediate family

Hopefully after you have your surgery and a good recovery you can focus on finishing out the fight against nicotine. It does not make a whole lot of sense to go such drastic measures as bariatric surgery and then pick up the smoking habit again. You clearly want to be healthier; that is why you had the surgery. You may as well get heathier in any way you can. I have my vices, too. If my doctor insisted that I stop consuming so many articial sweeteners, I would have a very hard time of it. Anyhow, I do hope your surgey goes well.

Yeah, call your doctor because the stuff won't do you any good if you can take it.

I could feel the difference at first because of all the gurgling noises and small capacity. Now that I am almost at my one year, I do not notice it at all. I just have keep measuring my food so that I don't serve myself more than I should be able to eat. You will learn a lot of new coping skills as you progress.

It has always been a good idea to pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you. That also means that you should not minimize your symptoms. My primary doctor told me one time that I had a severe case of "Google-itis" and to always call if I was not sure about something. He also does like diagnosing over the phone. I called him one time complaining about back pain near my shoulder blade. He insisted that I come in the next day. Guess what? It was the shingles and I was putting Ben-Gay on it. So yeah, I agree with the others that you should give your doctor a "heads up" about it in the morning.

OMG! You look so healthy. Congratulations. Can you walk us through your experience with stalls? Inquiring minds want to know.

RJ, I am so glad you are feeling some better. Sometimes all it takes is a couple of good days in a row to keep us moving along. I wish you well for your upcoming repair job.

At almost a year out, I still get the hiccups, a belch, or a tupperware burp. The shoulder pain has more to do with residual CO2 in your abdominal cavity. That will dissipate soon.

I am three weeks away from my one year, and my suggestion would be to eat a couple of boiled eggs before you go or a couple of devilled eggs when you get there. Eat as much turkey as you can hold, and then an itty bit of the dressing and pie - just enough to say you did.

Glad to have you here. Ask anything you want, but be advised that opinions and tact may vary. I am sorry to hear about your folks. I know that there are a number of us on the forum who face that same dilemma about following in their parent's poor health footsteps. I wish you good luck and good health. Please keep hanging out with us and let us know how your journey goes.

Exactly. It was about four months in for me, when someone posted that those of us who are trying so hard to follow our teams' plan are just a bunch of goody two-shoes! The purpose of this forum is to support each other and get an education in the process. We all struggle with this process in some way and absolutely NEED each other to tell the truth. How else are we really going to know what to expect? On other occassions, I have welcomed newbies with the caveat that ask what you want, but be prepared that opinions and tact will vary.

To answer the question in the actual title: My bariatrician counted the figure from my original weigh-in and used that number when submitting my insurance packet four months later.

Congratulations that people are starting to notice. I am one of those who lose from the face down. Now that I am over halfway to goal, my figure is like a pencil stuck through a donut. That is in spite of the fact that my waist went from 53" to 43" real quick. That is when I started feeling like this sleeve is really working.

About 50 pounds. At 30 lbs, my primary noticed that I looked 'healthier'. I had to tell him that I was aleady post-op and was starting to lose. At 50 lbs, my pain specialist, who I see quarterly, did not recognize me. When he and his nurse did the "time out" before my procedure, they had to do a double take. The doctor thought they had the wrong patient on the table and took a couple of minutes to check my record! Hah! Loved it. At a family gathering at 8 months and 65 pounds down, NO ONE even said anything, not even about the itty bit of food on my plate.

I had surgery years ago for plantar fascitis. Get some comfortable shoes that have a slight rise on the heel. This takes the pressure off of your heel and displaces it to the rest of your foot. Good luck with your bariatric surgery.

I meant don't have to worry.

Good for you! Now you can get it over with and start healing. That is over a week less that you have to worry. Don't forget to take some chapstick.

I will be 63 on Dedember first and will be a year with my sleeve on December 23. Like you, I did gangbusters at the start and then the weight loss slowed dow. Eventually I got to 172, but I gone betwee, 172 and 174 for almost five months. I have tried eating less (600) calories and eating more (1000) calories. I have tried intermittant fasting and weight training twice a week. It just seems like my body has developed a new set point and I don't like it. I realize that there are several women on the forum who have set their goal in that range, but I am short and just cannot stop there. So, now I am a 172 pound woman who needs to lose another 40 pounds to be in a healthy weight range for my age. Am I discouraged? Sure. Am I giving up? Hail No! Hang in there with me girlfriend. Just stay determined.

Oh Yeah for the Beans......a little salsa and a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar.....heavenly. By the time I got my go-ahead for real food, I was so ready. We stopped at Wendy's two blocks from the clinic and I got a small chili with onions and cheese and ate about a fourth of it and a couple of Tony's fries. Best meal I had in four weeks.

You are bound to get mixed reviews. Just keep in mind that the nay-sayers probably won't throw away your car keys and block you from going out the door. You go do what you need to do to get healthier. Let us know how it goes.

Your surgery is already a done deal, so just take a deep breath and roll with it. You will be down that first thirty pounds in no time and feel much better. I applaude you for getting the surgery before your life gets out of hand. There are many of us oldsters on here who have tried every diet there is and yo-yo'd many times, only to gain a few more pounds each time. I am so glad that you did not wait until you had knee and hip replacements, or a stroke, or a heart attack. My mother died not much older than I am now, of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. She was 5'2' and weighed over 320 poundss. My oldest brother died of a heart attack at the age of 47. He was 6'2" but weighed over 420 pounds and left behind a widow and a daughter and three adopted children, all under the age of ten. His funeral was delayed a week because there was no casket available that was big enough to hold him. I was rapidly falling into their path. Thank goodness you got your surgery and have a great headstart in not only getting the weight off, but keeping it off. You weren't foolish - you were very brave to take control over your future now. You may not feel very well for the first six weeks or so, but once you get solid food in your system, you will feel much better. At ten months out, I eat what I want. It's just that what I want has changed. My body and internal systems thank me for the Protein and veggies, I am allowed one serving of fruit per day, and my eating plan has one piece of toast a day (I used to eat 6 with butter and jam, with a full breakfast!). A potato shows up once a week. Your life will be not be devoid of carbs. You will learn how to tweak in a few here and there. I wish you good luck and good health.