SeaLegs

I asked my nutritionist about juice, too, and she said no. The reason for all the artificial sweeteners is to provide that big weight loss boost at the beginning. I hate artificial sweeteners, some things are so sweet they just make me gag! (Stamping my foot). I prefer natural things, but I am telling myself to suck it up for a few months. I might try sugar free Tang, maybe it will remind me of drinking Tang as a child...

I am having band ('09) out to sleeve on Oct 7th. Besides tweaking the fills and never really getting it right, I started having gastritis this year. Overall Iost 30-40 pounds, twelve was the preop diets, at my very best, being obsessive, it was 50. I'm not where I want to be and started getting arthritis in my knees, too. I am hopeful that I will make out better this time. Band07, you are back to work already?!?!! They put me in for a month off, can go back earlier if I want. But I remember with the band, going back 2 weeks later was a little bit too soon, very tiring.

I'm sorry you're feeling dpressed, I know how it is. Could the sleeve (less stomach) be interfering with the absorption of your meds?

It sounds like you are a good healer, so maybe some of the internal swelling went down and you feel different. If this keeps up, check in with your support team. Please be careful...any of those seeds and gristly things that they put in sausage could get stuck in and irritate your suture line. Hang in there!

I'm told it has more caffeine than coffee by people who love it...mabe that's part of it. You could stir it until the fizz goes out, like some people do with ginger ale.

Wow! You are amazing! I hope the day will come for me, too, when I can weigh less than 200, bicycle and walk the dogs like you, and feel confident enough to go to a reunion. Maybe your body is saying, stop and look at me, I rock!

Best wishes!!! It's exciting, isn't it? Today I saw the nutritionist, then went to Walgreen's to buy Vitamins. The Pharmacist gave me this big grin and said "you are going to be so happy", and told me about her husband who lost 150 ibs and how well he is doing. Made my day!

New Haven, Connecticut, too.

It's good to hear your story. I was thinking to myself that a little weight training would help you move on down, then I realized that it would be very good advice for me, too!!! Thanks for that. (I had a band 4 years ago, hit the wall, and now getting sleeved on October 7th.)

It sort of makes sense...from watching the procedure on utube, they do dissect the stomach from the connective tissue with the blood vessels. It must be a weird experience!

October 7 for me, too!! Don't know about my preop diet yet, but I've been trying out protein concoctions, making a few things to freeze for later. I'm looking forward to it...not really that anxious since I went through this before with the band in 2009 and only remember a few highlights. I had a quilt ready to be quilted, so I could pick that up while recovering and have something to do with my hands besides eating!

Put an ice pack over the itchy areas, that will calm it down.

Cleaning instead of emotional eating! That's what I hope will happen to me! I have been following FLYLADY and improving all the time. Seriously, though, I totally agree with livelyterry. Life is too short. You don't want your kids fearful, or only remembering the arguing when they look back on their childhoods. My question is: is this a transition reaction to your surgery and a more positive self-image, or ongoing? Maybe counseling will help, either to heal or come to terms with not living together any more.

When I had my band placed, I did it over 2 weeks of vacation. I didn't tell anyone at first, but then when I was ready and more comfortable in my own skin, I was open about it. This time I have to ask for time off in advance, so when the schedule comes out, I'm sure there will be questions. Who is doing what on the schedule is a very hot topic! I am a nurse, so everyone tends to want to know everything, down to medical and other details, like who is my anesthesiologist, etc., with commentary. I tend to be a private person, not in the cliques, so this is hard for me, too. I might just say I've been having problems with my band for starters...

What a story! I am crossing my fingers for you, too!

I'm having my sleeve in 3 weeks and it really helps to know about "eating" post-op. Today I am making some bone broth (good for healing) to go in the freezer. I am lucky to live alone and not have to deal with the food needs of family members, just the animals. Do you feel comfortable moving around and doing things at this point?

Leg cramps are from too little calcium, magnesium or potassium, too little fluid, overuse of the muscle, some medications, some medical conditions. Hopefully the electolyte levels will be part of your bloodwork. I have tried so many remedies over the years: tonic water (for the quinine), calcium supplements, warm milk, heating pad, wearing socks, a homeopathic remedy, sleeping with a bar of soap near my legs, rubbing the cramps with soap, drinking extra fluids, medications, stretching, magnets. Right now I am using "magnesium oil", a spray from the health food store, which works fairly well. (A bath with Epsom salts would probably work as well.) I well know that getting up several times a night to "walk it off" is really distressing, Starting with your vitamins and bloodwork results sounds like a good idea, then you would have to see what works. Good luck!

Roo, would suspect that you are fighting the Carb Monster, and when you ate some cake, a cascade of carb cravings started with an insulin spike. I think some of us are more sensitive to it than others, and It is physiologic. It's not a weak mind, but very powerful body chemistry. It happened to me last night...I ate two gummy Flinstone vitamins (My surgeon recommended Flinstones, the gummy was my idea) and it was downhill from there! And I had been so good. I think the answer is protein, protein, protein, but last night a bowl of oatmeal (filling, low glycemic index) helped me to stop. I believe the surgery and the weight loss are very proactive ways to work with this. For now, we have learned from our experiences, haven't we? Hang in there!!!!!!

Congrats! I will be sleeved in October. I've been trying out different shakes and I hate the sweetness, too. I like to add unjury unflavored to milk with some vanilla. If you add Unjury to soups, don't heat above 140 degrees. I have read that some folks just drink the broth from a can of chicken soup. Good luck!

Oh, I can relate! How about: Not going to reunions because I am embarrassed about my weight. Having to ask for seatbelt extensions when I get on a plane.

What a crazy, wonderful idea!

Thanks for the info, I've been researching too, and this puts it quite succinctly!

Kitkat, I can't wait to see the day when I crave broccoli!!!! I've been ordering samples of Protein drinks and "practicing" for when I have a sleeve, right now with a vanilla Protein shake before bed. Bedtime after work is my hardest time, when I crave carbs and am tired. Endless, I ordered some unjury broths, but it seems like you are not supposed to heat them up above 130 degrees, they even give you a thermometer with the sample pack. Maybe that's why it smelled bad? It really helps to hear from you all!

I had the band in 2009 and hit the wall with weight loss, despite adjustments, exercising, eating as well as I could. I am also a nurse and having flare ups of arthritis in my knees. I had the band emptied when I got gastritis with reflux, and the endo showed some inflammation in my pouch of stomach above the band, which my doc thinks may be from medications. I have never liked the idea of having my guts rearranged and am concerned about malabsorption, especially when I become elderly. I became enthusiastic about the sleeve when my surgeon discussed the appetite stimulant ghrelin and how its peaks before mealtimes and at night are decreased and leveled off when that portion of the stomach is removed. I work evening shift and am a night eater, so that will be a real plus for me! (Ghrelin also is involved with mood, memory and learning, so I am trying to find out the effects of having the sleeve, if any, on those functions.) I am scheduled to be sleeved in October.

As a pre-sleever (October), I'm encouraged by these posts. My question: does food still taste as good as before the sleeve?