sleeversue

Miss Mac, thanks for some more tips on getting my weight loss going again.

I feel for you. I had a two month plateau or stall. I finally lost a pound. Just stay on course, follow the program and get your exercise.

I use the Celebrate multi-vitamins, but get the chewable. I have pineapple-strawberry right now. I also use their calcium citrate chews. Chocolate are my favorite, but caramel and strawberry are also very good. They are a good quality and we had a rep. come to our support group one month and share samples.

I eat a lot of SF popsicles. I especially like the tropical ones. Power Crunch bars are my go to protein bars of choice. I like the peanut butter fudge the best and also Berry, and Chocolate Mint. I also like Philadelphia low fat cream cheese and chive spread on Multigrain Wheat thins. I've tried to stay away from breads, but the dietician wants me to get in some grains and fiber so this is my go to choice.

I get steroids injected in my back. It causes me to have a ravenous appetite for several weeks afterwards. When it hits I grab a SF popsicle and up my protein to the higher amount. It does slow my weight loss every time. But I need to get rid of the pain in my back and down my legs and around my knees so I can walk and exercise. Have some weight off as helped. I hope the next series will last longer.

Welcome to the group Queen of Crop! Excited for you Alfie! Your surgery date will be here before you know it. I think you will love the sleeve. I know I do. I am almost 6 months out from my surgery and I still am surprised when someone comes up to me who I haven't seen for awhile and tells me I look good. Its who I am now!! I've had a stall for several months and finally lost another pound this week. I guess my body is still adjusting to the change. I would like to lose at least another 12 lbs. and even could go down another 25. But boy has my life changed. I have so much more energy and I am enjoying my life so much. I've been going to the pool four times a week for an hour and even starting doing modified push ups on the side of the pool. Then I am trying to walk a mile day on my pedometer. Now that it is so cold here, I walk around in stores. Most of the big ones, if you walk around the perimeter two times, you are close to a mile, then I go up and down the aisles and do my shopping. We head to FL after Christmas and I can't wait. Hope everyone else is doing great!!! If you recently had surgery, be sure and let us know how you are doing. I am 53 lbs. down!! Woo Hoo!!

I am almost five months out and have a tremendous amount of energy that I haven't had for 27+ years. I have been going to the pool and doing water aerobics four times a week for an hour at a time, plus walking a mile a day. I feel terrific at 65 going on 66 next month!! The sleeve surgery was the best decision I ever made after marrying my husband and greatest supporter.

I wish I had known how serious constipation can be. Take Miralax every day!!!! I got constipated and ended up with a sciatic nerve problem from straining to go. I use it every day in my protein shake to avoid it from coming back.

MIRALAX every day!!!

Keep taking the Miralax. I had the same problem and it was very painful. I am almost 5 months out and still take Miralax every day in my protein shake. We are eating and drinking more protein and eating less veggies and fruits plus fiber.

My energy clicked in after 3 months. I have energy like I haven't had in 27+ years. I also deal with fibromyalgia and the weight loss has been the answer. It is a miracle! Your energy will come and be even better!!

I hit the four month stall and haven't lost much in 6 weeks. But I am staying on program, exercising, and no losing faith. I've talked to several nurses about it and they assured me this happens.

I use Unjury that is advertised on this site. I love the Strawberry sorbet and the chocolate splendor. I take ice, water, strawberry sorbet and a packet of Crystla Light Lemonade and put it all in my bullet. I love it!

I think I felt really good after 3 months. I'm sure everyone is different, but that is when I could eat all foods again and felt a lot of energy come into my life. More healthy than ever at almost 5 months out!!

lindalu, you are so close!!! I am so happy for you! It is normal to feel a little scared. I was too, but I kept looking forward to how much better life will be and how great I will feel and people tell me I look. It is all worth it! Keep telling yourself, I AM WORTH IT!!!! How is your liquid diet going? SF popsicles and fudgesicles kept me going before, after, and still now. I eat them everyday. Like the crunch! Just some tips for after the surgery: Walk, walk, walk, and sip, sip, sip. I found water, and my protein shakes got me through. I also ate a lot of yogurt. I also had a hernia repair and soothing foods helped with that, because I had some extra pain at the top of my stomach. Now four and half months out, I can eat most anything without any problems. One huge tip is: do not let yourself get constipated. I use Miralax every day. I ended up with a sciatic nerve problem because I got constipated. We eat more protein and less fruits and veggies so you can have this problem. We talk about it all the time at my support group meetings because it affects so many of us. So get yourself some and use it in your protein drinks every day. this won't affect you until you are a week out. You will be on mostly clear liquids for 5 days or so depending on your surgeon. Lindalu, keep us updated and I will be praying for you that your surgery goes smoothly, your recovery as pain free as possible and your new journey begins on Thursday! WOO HOO!!!

lindalue, I went on vacation at 5 weeks and did fine. You will too. You have a number of food choices by then and just plan ahead and take foods with you. So excited for you!!

I eat Dannon Light and Fit. Lots of great flavors in four packs and some individually in great flavors like Raspberry Chocolate. I'm disappointed in Devon Gardner. He should be better this year. He was doing great as a freshman. Now as a Junior or Senior he acts and throws like a freshman. Disappointing for sure.

19sweetness69 what is happening to our Wolverines this year? Another terrible game today!

*kate*, I use Miralax all the time to prevent constipation. I ended up with two bouts of scatia and never want to do that again! I am four months out and will keep using it. It is because we are not getting the amount of fiber we use to. 19sweetness69, the hardest part is behind you. You made it through the surgery and hospital stay and now week 1 is done. It gets easier every week. Keep up the good work on walking. You are smart to not overdo it. Just keep moving up slowly. The health benefits are tremendous!

Some states are different with Medicare approval for the sleeve. They changed the requirement in the MI., WI., IL area last June to allow the sleeve without waiting. I hit it just right. The by-pass was my only option before that. I didn't want to have anyone mess with my intestines. Once I heard I could have the sleeve, I went forward and was approved in 20 minutes. I was shocked. We were expecting at least a 6 month delay of weight loss checkins. I went to FL for the winter and came home and had my surgery. I was going to have to try to find a Dr. to check in with me every month and monitor if I lost any weight in FL. I feel blessed that everything went smoothly.

19sweetness69, be sure and drink the protein drinks. It is preventive for making sure you don't lose your hair later. You need your protein every day. The water weight from the IVs will come off in a couple of days and then you will start losing other pounds. So glad you are home and remember every day you will feel better and better. Just keep sipping those fluids. The more you drink, the faster the body will get rid of the extra fluids.

ladybug47, I think you will actually be much happier with the sleeve. With the by pass there are some foods you can't eat and you can have diarrhea frequently too. With the sleeve eventually, you can eat all foods again, just in small portions.

Yippee!!! Less than a week 19sweetness69, it will be here before you know it! Don't take much to the hospital. You don't need it. They even gave me toiletries though I had my own. You get the gowns of course, and special slipper socks to wear so you don't fall. I didn't need anything extra. Just your personal hygiene items that you prefer. I did take pants that were my biggest so I could get them on over my tummy which will be quite swollen when you go home. You will be filled with IV fluids and will go to the bathroom a lot when you get home. The pain is totally managed through the iv till you go home too and will have meds to control it after that. I did not have hardly any pain from my stomach at all. Just to let you know how great you will feel later. I went away with my hubby for a few days last week and for the first time for as long as I can remember, at least 27 years, I walked first day a half mile round trip to a light house on Lake MI, then the second day a one mile hike to one in Ludington, MI and finally a 1.4 mile hike the third day in Ludington State Park. My husband could not believe it. My energy kicked in at about 2 1/2 months after my surgery. I started back to the pool this week and can do an hour and I walk every day. It is SO amazing, I can not stop sharing how great I feel.

LindafromFlorida, so happy to hear about your weight loss and great news about the lessening of your pain. Mine has lessened too in my knees. Totally a miracle as you said. I even asked my daughter to go shopping with me this weekend. I have done very little shopping in the past 15+ years. I just buy online when I have to. I have to go to the store and try on some pants to see what size I need. Doing the happy dance!!

Good advice from your son 19sweetness69. I have done a lot of reading on the immune system because I have fibromyalgia and I didn't want to lose any of my small intestine for that reason. I know some have to have it because that it what insurance will pay for, but I was so happy last June when Medicare started covering the sleeve. Have a Labor weekend yourself. We have four grandkids spending the night. I never thought I would like it, but I always make spaghetti when they come over and I ate my sauce with spaghetti squash. It tasted really good.