McButterpants

I'm 9 months out and can eat just about anything - I CHOSE not to eat a lot of things, though. Not much bothers my stomach except for my bariatric Vitamins and raw fruits and veggies. I ate some cherries one day and was in severe pain for about an hour. And in all honesty, the foods I loved before surgery - Pasta, bread, carbs - do not appeal to me much now. I can have a couple of bites of pizza crust, but that's it. If I order a sandwich from Subway, I take a bite or two of if, then just eat the insides. I have found many foods that make me feel good when I eat them - I stick with those. I don't eat the things that make me feel bad or sick. I once read that thin people will go thru a quick thought process before they eat - "How am I going to feel after I eat this?" I do that now, too!

Congrats on your decision to have the surgery and at such a young age. I wasted way too many years being unhappy and miserable. Sure there are going to be some sacrifices, but you're going to get so much more out of life. When you're 21, you'll be able to enjoy an adult beverage...Just not a lot of adult beverages. Best of luck to you - I admire you for taking matters into your own hands at such an early age!

Go into the pre-op diet with the right frame of mind - it's going to suck the first couple of days, but then it gets better. You're going to get cranky, frustrated, etc. Just ride it out. I drank a lot of decaf green tea during the pre-op diet - it helped with the hunger. I started incorporating shakes prior to my 2 week pre-op diet. I experimented with different textures, sugar free syrups, sugar free puddings, and temps. This allowed me some variety while I was in the 2 week pre-op diet which was needed. For post op - my biggest piece of advice is to not give all your power to the scale. One of my biggest frustrations during the first few months was weighing...often...sometimes more than once per day. It's not healthy mentally. It caused a lot of anxiety. The scale will frustrate you and it really isn't a true representation of how you're doing. I would suggest you take your measurements and take pictures of yourself. I often refer back to my "decision day" photo - it's amazing to watch yourself shrink! Best of luck to you! This is an amazing journey you're about to start.

I telecommute full time - I had surgery on Thursday and worked 1/2 days the following week, working a full day that Tuesday. I was tired. It was nice to be able to stop working and take a nap or a short walk that week after surgery. If I had to go to my office and work a full day, I would have taken 2 weeks off. Remember this is major surgery and you need to be good to yourself. You're going to get tired easily and you will need to rest. Best of luck and take good care of yourself!

Please be patient...you didn't gain your weight over night, you're not going to lose it overnight. Also, please don't compare your weight loss to others' - it's not healthy. You're body is going to lose at it's own pace, just as it gained at it's own pace. Here are some things I learned in the last 9 months and some helpful hints... If you graph your weight loss, it won't be a straight line down...it will look like a stair step, meaning, you're going to plateau periodically, then lose some more. Stepping on the scale daily (or more than once a day) is bad for your soul. My husband hid the scale from me and brought it out once a week. I was happier when I did that. If you continue to follow your plan (the plan your doctor/surgeon/NUT gave you), you will lose weight. Keep working towards your Protein goals, exercise plan (again, YOUR doctor's plan). When your body "stalls", it's because it needs to. There will be periods of time where you won't lose, then all of a sudden you'll drop 3 pounds over night. Embrace your successes - maybe it's the fact that you can walk up the stairs without getting winded or you can move the car seat up or your clothes are starting to fit different. Celebrate those subtle changes. Take pictures of yourself to help you document this amazing journey you are on. I refer back to my "decision day" photo all the time. It's my "before" picture - it's the day I stood on the scale in the doctor's office and cried when I saw the number - it was one of the most unhappy days of my life, but it was the day I decided to change things. Take your measurements - you will find that you are getting smaller, but the scale isn't necessarily moving. Your body is changing and trying to figure out what's going on, but you are getting smaller. It's amazing.

I take Bariatric Advantage and they are a little hard on my stomach when I take them on an empty stomach. I take mine with a meal or shake and I feel fine after.

@@jessdawn37, I had my surgery on 11/14/13. I'm down 73 pounds - I went into this wanting to lose 106, but I didn't give myself a deadline. I can tell you the scale doesn't have the same hold over me now as it did. I don't get hung up on the numbers like I used to. I am following the plan and exercising - that's what I can control. I can't control when my body decides to release the weight. (I've lost one pound in 8 weeks - sometimes that gets me down, but I try to keep those negative thoughts out of my head.) Another thing I try not to do anymore...compare my weight loss to anyone else's. It's hard - it's human nature. I've always said, if you compare yourself to someone else, one person is going to leave that conversation unhappy. It's not worth it. You got to your high weight or breaking point a different way than I did and we're going to lose at a different pace than each other. I wish you the best of luck! This is truly an amazing journey!

I just got back from a week long trip for work last week. I didn't do well with my Water - in retrospect, I just didn't make it a priority. I should have had a bottle at the ready all the time, but didn't. What did I do well? I exercised at the hotel gym every day except for one - I woke up early and got it out of the way first thing, so I didn't have an excuse after a long day at work or dinner with friends. I stayed in the same place all week, so I stocked up on high Protein Snacks to keep in my room - beef Jerky, P3 packs, yogurt, etc. I brought my Magic Bullet so I could make my shakes w/ frozen berries. I always had Protein Bars with me. I also had jerky and almonds at the ready for the mid-afternoon snack. I also had a built in excuse when we went to lunch on what I ate (like the lunch when I ordered a Philly Cheesesteak w/out the bun - I told my lunch date I was cutting carbs, so no bread...he shrugged and continued to eat his pizza). I covered my plate with my napkin when I was done so it wasn't obvious how little I ate.

Even though I was self-pay, I did waffle back and forth during my decision making process and even after I decided to have the surgery. I kept asking myself, "Have I tried hard enough?" "Can I lose this on my own?" "Should I give it one more try?" I think it's perfectly normal to go back and forth. I almost backed out the night before surgery and in admitting on surgery day. While in admitting I said to myself, "You can walk out of here right now and only be out $500." I was so scared. I looked over at my husband and I knew this was the right thing for me. He didn't say anything to me, he didn't even look at me. I just knew I had to do this and I couldn't let fear get in the way. That was 9 months ago. I can tell you, short of marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision of my life. This changed my life. When I think back to what my life was like a year ago, it's like I'm looking at a different person. I don't recognize the old me or the behaviors that made me that way! I'm an active mom and wife and I'm happy - so much happier and energetic than a year ago. Only you will know when you're ready - be prepared, gather all your information, talk to you family or friends. This isn't easy - it's harder than I ever thought it would be. But, it's so worth it! Best of luck to you!

HI there. Congrats to you! You're doing great. Hold on to your hat - you're in for a wild ride. Fair warning - you may run the full spectrum on emotions in the next few weeks. Just ride it out - embrace this change you made in your life! Check in here often - there is a ton of support here for you! Best of luck.

I will add...take your measurements and take selfies. Those will be a better gauges than the scale.

I'm 9 months out - I'll share my perspective with you...I complained about stalls to my doctor. She said if you chart your weight loss, it will look more like a stair step rather than a linear downward line. That's exactly what mine looks like. Early on, I would stall for 10-14 days, then drop 3 pounds overnight. Then steadily drop for a couple of weeks, then stall again. I haven't lost anything for the past 8 weeks - yes, 8 weeks. That's a long time, but, I just keep planning and following the plan. I know the scale will move again. The scale doesn't rule my life any longer...many wise people on this forum cautioned me to not weigh every day. My husband hid the scale and brought it out once per week. It helps. I have realized now, that this process, this journey is about so much more than that number on the scale.

I am 5'3" and my high weight was 256. I've been over weight since my 20's and am 44 now. My skin is holding up better than I thought it would, but I do have excess (bat wings, inner thigh skin and tummy sagging). I embrace it. It's my payment for allowing my life to get out of control. It's my badge of honor - I worked hard to get this saggy skin! Hours at the gym and hundreds of miles in the past 9 months (about 700 to be precise). I am doing what I can to tone and do some weight training. Started yoga and am seeing the benefits. Things are tightening up. I will always have the saggy skin and that's OK - I would much rather have some saggy skin than the life I had a year ago. I'm happier and healthier now than I have been in 20 years.

I had to be caffeine free 2 weeks prior to surgery - I tried to go cold turkey about 4 weeks prior to surgery...that was not a great experiment. I had to ween myself off for about one week and go to just decaf coffee before my 2 week pre-op diet began. I continued with decaf after surgery and at my 6 week post-op visit asked the doc about coffee...she made me pinkie promise to not go back to my old ways of 5-6 cups of real coffee per day, she approved 1-2 cups of the real stuff. I do have 2-4 cups of the real stuff per day, but had to find coffee that isn't acidic on my stomach...I have tried different blends and have found a couple that tastes great and feels good on my tummy.

@@Summer Rain - I felt like you about a year ago. I was in a bad place. I basically became a shut in. I was disconnected from my family and my life. I was going thru the motions...just doing the minimum to get by. I lost contact with friends. I avoided the grocery store right by my house so I could avoid the change of seeing someone. Fast forward to now...I just started hot yoga, I go to the gym, I talk to total strangers, I've reconnected with friends, and I am enjoying my life. I am much more engaged with my family - the other day my son said, "You don't get angry like you used to. I'm glad you had the surgery." I am learning to become content - something I haven't been in years. This has become so much more than the number on the scale - I want to lose more, but my life does not revolve around my scale any longer. I hike, I bike, I walk, I exercise and I love it. I got my life back. This is not only a life changer...in my case, it was a life saver! You're starting down a path that will be so rewarding - you will be frustrated, you'll be angry, you'll get down on yourself. But just wait, in a few short months, you'll start blossoming into that person you are supposed to be. Trust me - it's all worth. Best of luck to you! Keep your chin up.

@lisaabrumfield...Most docs do a great job at pain management. Honestly, I took 2 pain pills in the week after surgery and those were mainly so I could sleep at night, not because I was in pain. Was there discomfort? Sure, but pacing and walking helped greatly with that. My doc used an anti-nausea patch behind my ear. It stayed on for 3-4 days after surgery. I have did not have any complications - I haven't vomited since before surgery. You're going to do great!

Hi there! Great job - putting verbs in your sentences! You're doing great - keep your momentum. Don't let guilt get in your way - the few hours you're going to spend away from your daughter while you're at the gym will give you big pay off in a couple of short months. The Jump Start programs at the Y are awesome - they have a lot of different programs, machines, etc. You won't get bored. Give some of their classes a try - don't let your insecurities get in the way. I recently reconnected with a lifelong friend of mine and she took me to a 5:30 am hot yoga class. I was so worried I woke up at 4:00 am worrying about the class and how I was going to be perceived, not just by my friend, but by others in the class. I went that morning and OMG - what a treat. It was hard. I sweated a lot. It was hot and uncomfortable. I had to take more breaks than anyone else in the class. But you know what? I went again two days later and I'm planning on going again tomorrow. I don't know if I'm going to continue on with it past next week (the hot part of hot yoga may not be for me - I may end up doing yoga), but I'm going to give it a try. Again, congrats on your commitment - we'll be here along the way! Keep up the great work!

3 months...that was OK'd by my doctor. You should always follow what your doc says. I've read some docs want you to wait 6 months or a year to start consuming alcohol. I wasn't a big drinker before surgery, but I did enjoy a drink every once in a while. My drink of choice now is a vodka cranberry with a twist of lime. I can only have one at a time because I can feel the effects right away. I'm a cheap date now!

I walked since the day after surgery - it made me feel better. I hit the gym at 6 week as OK'd by my doctor. By week 12, I was cleared for all exercise. Honestly now, at almost 9 months, I feel bad when I don't exercise. It has become such a big part of my life - I made a goal for August to move my body every day...whether it's yoga, walking, biking, Pilates, etc. Just move. Set goals and follow thru - soon, it will become a part of your new life. Excuses are part of your old life!

I just ran into an instance this week...I telecommute full time and had to go to the home office this week. I ate out most lunches and dinners with people that didn't know I had surgery. I'm very private - 6 people know I've done this. So, here are my examples... I ordered a cheesesteak sandwich at a pizza & Pasta place - there weren't many choices that were sleeve friendly, this was the choice I made. I ordered it without the bun and my coworker looked at me a little odd. I said, "I'm cutting carbs." He shrugged and continued to eat his pizza and we talked about work. I didn't feel the need to elaborate. At dinner one night we had lobster - where they deliver the whole lobster to you and you have to work for your food! LOL My friend said, "With all this weight you've lost are you going to eat a salad?" I replied, "No, I'm going to order the lobster and enjoy every bite of it!" When I was finished I said, "That was rich! I love it!" And we started talking about something else. After lunch one day, we asked for to-go cups for our beverages. The waitress asked, "You didn't drink your tea. Do you want me to get you something else? Was it OK?" I said, "It was great, I just don't drink a lot with my meal." I also find it's good to cover your plate with a napkin - this hides the fact that you ate very little. I have found that if you are engaged in conversation, enjoying your time with friends, people really don't pay attention to your plate. Go out and enjoy yourself. Savor the great food! Have a wonderful time!

Surgery date 11/14/13 (almost 9 months out) High weight 256 on 08/20/14 - decision day to have surgery Surgery weight 238 Current weight 183 Do not compare your weight loss with others...it will lead to disappointment and unhappiness. Your path is unique as was your path to your decision to have weight loss surgery. I went into this wanting to lose 106 pounds - I don't know if I'll get there, I hope I do. But I can tell you, 70+ pounds down from high weight feels amazing! Best of luck to you!

I loved plain water before surgery - drank it all the time. I would have no issues drinking it now if it didn't feel like liquid sandpaper in my mouth. I drink other waters, though - not calorie laden drinks. Propel Zero, Vitamin Water Zero, Splash, etc - all waters and all zero calorie drinks.

Here's my take...what you're doing is not sustainable for the long term. Only you can decide if you can do it without surgery. Even though I lost a lot of weight prior to surgery and on the 2 week pre-op diet, I knew it wasn't sustainable and if I didn't have the surgery, I would go back to my old ways as I had in the past and gain that weight back.