7 Bites_Jen

Most psych evaluations are actually a breeze to go through - mine was. We just talked about my expectations after the sleeve and what I was looking to get out of it. If you're not ready to change, then that's where the problem comes in, but it sounds like you ARE ready to make that change, so good for you!

Absolutely nothing wrong with that!! I think it's a great idea - in fact, why wait until after surgery! Go for it now!

I'm not sure that it's necessarily enabling, but more letting people know that we've been there - it happens to people. I usually try to tell them to just move on, because dwelling on something like that will only make it worse. Not everyone has those moments, but most of us do, so most of us can relate to someone new to the sleeve that is going through that kind of thing. I don't see it as enabling, but as supporting.

Something I've learned is that it IS possible to stop losing, and even gain, on the sleeve if you stop being mindful of what you eat. Yes, we can have a bit of this or a bit of that sometimes, but for me, sometimes often turns into a daily routine - which is why I needed the sleeve to begin with - and why I'm still not at goal at over a year out. That's why this is a TOOL - not a 100% going to fix everything. Because it's not. There is still a LOT of work that we have to do daily. That's why it's so important to try to change your mentality about food completely. You have to remember you are an addict (at least I am) - you wouldn't hand an alcoholic a beer, you wouldn't give a recovering meth addict a crack pipe ... KWIM?

I, personally, LOVE the British way of speaking. I'm a good ol' Texan' and sometimes it gets tiring hearing nothing but, "hey, y'all's fixin' to head over yonder?" And people use "seen" for "saw" and "was" for "were" all the time around here. I was an English major. This totally messes with my language and grammer OCD ...

Jerky? OFFENSIVE??? *gasp* BLISTERED BE THY TONGUE!!

Still loving this thread!! LOL

Oooohhhh ... there's a thought ... LOL!

Is a year out far enough to say that? Then: You are not going to fail because of one or two bad days... I had some bad days too. You are not going to fail. Get back on the horse and do your best! Seriously though, bad days happen. We learn from them and move on! And having things ONCE IN A WHILE is NOT going to sabotage you - it's good and healthy to indulge. That's not what got us here. Doing it all the time is what got us here. You want a cookie? Have one! But only one. If you can't stop at one, then don't have the cookie. I could say "it's that simple" - I COULD say that. But I'm not. Because it isn't. It isn't simple at all. I wish it were. And here's a dirty little secret for ya: I'm eating boxed mac and cheese with cut up hot dogs ... OH THE HORROR!!!!

Thank you!!

We're actually filming those this weekend! :-) PS - please tell me that's a Dr. Who reference! (David is my doctor ...)

Yes, I do - and I'm over a year out. There is some new research into this. Where they THOUGHT it wouldn't cause it, they are now finding it does cause dumping in most cases. I am fine with non-refined sweeteners like honey, coconut sugar, etc. But refined white sugar and corn syrup are what really get me.

Beef jerky, turkey jerky, chicken jerky, they even have bacon and pulled pork jerky now!! I LOVE IT. It is absolutely perfect for an on-the-go snack. I didn't start on it until I was about 2 months out, but once I did, I didn't stop!!

It does get easier, and you will get through it! Are you pre-op or post op? This might help, it's our first episode and we talk about the liquids phase:

Absolutely - just take it slow. Try taking smaller bites, if possible. That may help.

I'm an old hat at this forum (don't let the new profile fool you - this is my shameless promotions profile), and I know exactly what you're talking about. It does get tiresome to see the same posts over and over again, from different people. I do, some days, wish that people would use that cute little search function over there in the upper right hand corner ... That being said, we were all newbies once, and we all had the same questions, the same fears, the same oh-my-God-I-just-ate-an-oreo-am-I-gonna-die moments. Some of us react differently than others to those moments. We can chose to freak out or not. For those that freak out a little more exuberantly than others, they may require a little more hand-holding and reassurance, and that's okay. We can see the post, chuckle a little, and either click to reply or not ...

YES!!!!!

Stalls can happen at different times and for different lengths of time. I've had stalls last almost three months!! So, I guess in answer to your question - yes, there can be!

The best thing to do is to look at how much you're able to eat/drink before you feel full. My guess is that it's not even close to where it was before!! :-) You are truly blessed - and there are several people that have had similar experiences!

Oh yeah! Alcohol!! LOL I drink hard cider, wine, beer ... I get tipsy a lot quicker though, and I learned the hard way that it's a lot easier to overindulge ...

Oh goodness, so many secrets, so little time ... LOL I drink soda ... I eat carbs ... I ate real food three days early ... I eat sugar I know there are more, LOL, but I can't think of any!!

I actually usually just eat off my husband's plate, LOL. Or me and my mom (a fellow sleever) share a meal.

Just about any soup and/or stew can be pureed - just add some extra water or broth to it! I would stay away from chicken noodle, minestrone, or anything with pasta or rice added to it though. Some great ones that I loved were split pea with ham, bean with bacon, cream of shrimp, etc. I have a YouTube series, and our first episode (it came out today, actually!) is about just this kind of thing!

I couldn't tolerate it either until my fourth or fifth month out! Just stick with what you CAN eat and keep trying! Eventually, it'll stay down.

1/2 C is about right where you should be! You're doing great! :-)