McButterpants

Hi there. I am like you - nothing makes me nauseous (except the bariatric vitamins), I have not had any side effects since surgery. Nothing bothers my sleeve and that scares me. I could handle a lot more soft/puree/mushy foods than I can dense Proteins. Like last night I ate a little under 1/2 a cup of Wendy's chili. I can't eat that much meat and cheese for lunch - I'm at about 2 - 2.5 ounces of that. Since I don't feel hunger most times, I eat to the clock. At almost 9 weeks out, I still drink 2-3 shakes per day and 3 meals. I'm focused on getting in my Water and Protein.

I'll tell you a story about my dad - my dad was vocal about his concern for the surgery. My husband, after he did his research was all for it and my mom, who has struggled with her weight her whole adult life was energetic. My dad, however, was skeptical. He teared up when I explained to him how the surgery worked and what life would be like post-op. He knows I have a love for food and I love cooking food for other people - it has always brought great joy to my life. Knowing this, he asked, "Are you going to be able to go without all those foods you love?" My response was, "Dad, I have had enough bread for a lifetime. It's time for me to stop." Since surgery, he sees how I'm happy with the changes in my body. He marvels at how little I eat, but am satisfied. He asks more questions than anyone about what it feels like and how certain foods feel in my stomach. He works out at the same gym I do and he watches my progress. It's really pretty cool to see him change his opinion. He now looks at the surgery as a "medical procedure" where before he had the opinion that it was the easy way out. Our dads are still trying to protect us and that's OK, that's their job.

As always, Arts137 is spot on! You can only control what you put in your mouth - your body is going to do what it wants. If you're following the plan as your doctor directed, that's what you're responsible for. Please don't let this derail you - there are so many things happening to your body since you started the pre-op. I didn't lose much until the final 4-5 days of my two week pre-op. It is what it is - don't stress.

Mr. McButterpants was with me every step of the way with the exception of the prep room and operating room. He was my best advocate - if I said I wanted something, he went asked the staff for it. He was there to listen to post-op instructions so he knew what to do when we left the hospital. He even went in to talk to the doctor with me for my pre-op and post-op appointments - not that I'm not capable of doing it myself, I figured having two people listen and ask questions was better than one.

Mine was done on outpatient basis - I was in admitting at 6:00 am and back at the condo by noon the same day (I've actually had dental work done where I was away from home longer!) I slept for 3 hours when we got there, then got up and walked every hour, including thru the night...just pacing thru the condo. My surgery was on a Thursday and I was in pretty good shape by Monday. I worked 1/2 days the following week - I telecommute, but was able to sit at my desk and work with no issues.

I considered weight loss surgery for years - just dipped my toe in, not really researching it in depth. This time was different. I told my husband I wanted to go to the initial seminar to learn about it. A couple of weeks later I went to an appointment with the doc and made my decision that day to have surgery. From that day, 08/21/13 to my surgery date, 11/14/13, I had many moments of thinking "What are you doing?" "Are you sure you want to do this?" "Have you tried hard enough on your own?" "Why are you doing this?" But I always came back to the fact I was losing myself in the extra weight I was carrying. I didn't like my life and I didn't like myself. My rational mind knew I needed to change and I wasn't going to do it on my own. I think it's normal to go thru this process with questions and concerns. This is a life changer. I had 2nd thoughts the day before surgery and the day of surgery in admitting. I almost walked out. I was scared. But at that moment I thought about all the reasons I wanted to do this - my family, my quality of life, my health, etc. This was the best decision I have made - I've had great days and I have had really crappy days since surgery. But, if I had to do it all over again, I absolutely would. Best of luck to you!

Hi there. Congrats on your success! You're doing great. I found myself getting hungry when I increased my exercise as well - I think it's normal. One thing you might want to try to make sure it's true hunger you're feeling is taking a Prilosec or something similar - it could be acid that is giving you that feeling.

I went thru withdrawal when I tried to go cold turkey - it was horrible. I was a 3-5 cup a day gal prior to that. I ended up weening myself off - cutting back to 3 cups of caffeinated for a few days, then 2 cups of caff and 1 decaf for a few days and so on until I was only on decaf and green tea. I was actually surprised at the level of withdrawal I went thru - headaches, sick to my stomach, irritable, etc. When I cut back slowly it was much better and the withdrawal symptoms were reduced considerably.

Are you tracking your Protein intake? It looks like you may not be getting adequate protein. Are you doing or have you been doing any shakes? Are you exercising? Walking is great - I started out with 20 minutes at a slow pace, then worked up from there. Also, do you have access to a nutritionist thru your doctor? It may help to visit with them. I'm sorry you're discouraged - I hope things get better.

Best of luck to you, Grace. You will find loads and loads of information here - you will also find great support. Welcome.

This is one of my all time favorite threads and I hope it stays alive for a long time!!!!!

Hi there. Yep, you sound like me. I have yet to find anything (other than my bariatric vitamins) that bother my stomach - I seem to have a sleeve of steel. And that's bothersome on some level for me - there are really no foods off limits. I had a hard time identifying what full feels like - it's so different that what I felt pre-op. At 4 weeks, I really didn't know what I was feeling and couldn't identify full. My doc said that was very normal and that I should stick with measuring until I figure it out. Measure your food and remember, you don't have to eat all you have on your plate. I make sure I eat very slowly - I downloaded an app called Eat Slower and set it to chime every minute...that's when you take a bite. I don't eat for longer than 20 minutes. I take small bites - I began eating with appetizer forks and spoons to force smaller bites. I remove distractions - I don't eat in front of the TV, computer or book. I focus on eating. Here are a couple of hints I might get when I'm getting full... My nose might run. I might do a hiccup and burp at the same time. I might feel a poking - not a pain, but a slight poke in my stomach. It feels like a tightening sort of. Once I feel anything of these things or I reach the 20 minute mark or I run out of my measured portion, I stop eating. I have also found that sometimes I just lose interest in eating - if I do, I stop.

Watch out, he may end up having a heart attack!!!!!!! Mr. McButterpants is just happy I bought new, smaller underwear!

It means he's hot to trot!!!!!

Yes, tube top with white jeans! CLASSIC!!!!! I still have the outfit I wore when I first met my husband - a sweatshirt a pair of Levi's. (I know, I'm smart dresser!) I can't wait till those fit!

You're going to rock those white jeans!!!! Good for you!

Good for you!!!!!! Good luck at your appointment tomorrow.

coffee can irritate your new tiny tummy and it's a diuretic, which can push you towards dehydration when you're trying to get your fluids in. I didn't want to but I had to quit caffeine 4 weeks before surgery - that's what my surgeon's requirement was. I hated it because I love my coffee. My local doc said no caffeine when I arrived back home. I was bummed, but complied. Immediately after surgery it wasn't a big deal because I didn't have any room for another beverage. At my 6 week check up I asked my local doc about coffee - she approved one cup per day and I had to pinkie promise to not go back to my 3-5 cup a cay habit. I now enjoy one caffeinated coffee per day with coconut milk creamer and one teaspoon of honey. I log it so I count all those calories and carbs.

Bummer! Use this extra time to prepare yourself... Start incorporating a shake a day - experiment with shakes, different flavors and textures. Eat slower (I downloaded an app called Eat Slower - I set mine at one minute intervals) Practice mindful eating techniques - don't eat in front of the TV or while reading Start looking at your portion sizes Start taking smaller bites - I used appetizer spoon and forks Start walking or keep walking if you already are These are things I started to do 4 weeks before surgery - all helped me post-op. It's a great time to start developing good habits that will help in your recovery and speed it up.

You wrote: So somebody tell me to get off my keester and get busy. I say: get off your keester and get busy!!!!! You know what you need to do....

A couple of questions... Are you logging or tracking your intake? If you are, how much Protein are you getting and where are you getting it from (shakes, food, etc). What are you eating and drinking? Are you exercising? Are you getting in your Water minimum? How much water are you drinking? Have you contacted your doctor?

unjury - it's made with a Protein isolate, which is suggested by my doc. I think it's absorbed better, but don't quote me on that. You can order it on line at www.unjury.com I like the chocolate Splendor, Vanilla and strawberry.

What would you do if a friend told you this story? What advise would you give that friend? I'm sorry you're going thru this - you need to think about what's best for you and the kids.

It's all about choices no matter what you're eating and where you're eating it. The surgery didn't take away our ability to chose which foods we eat - there are temptations all around us. When driving down the road have I thought, "Wow, I want McDonalds fries"? Sure, but I now that I shouldn't have them. Will I eat a fry ever agin? I'm guessing I will. I just can't eat an entire large order of fries as I did in the past, my sleeve won't allow me to. I'm scared to death that I now have no restrictions on my diet. Doc says to eat what I want - keeping with my parameters of 80 grams of Protein and about 50 grams of carbs. I'm scared that my sleeve has accepted all the foods I've thrown at it - I'm scared because it opens up all kinds of possibilities for eating. I have to CHOSE to eat the things I know are good for me and CHOSE to not eat the stuff that got me to 256 pounds.