SnohoGal98296

I am a huge Zombie fan - The Walking Dead, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead - you name it - I say this - BRING IT ON :-D

June 11th Down 85 lbs from highest weight - doing great, my only issue is heart burn, but is had gone from daily to occasional...

It is funny, I can only eat about 2 ounces of red meat before I am full, all other meats I average around 3 ounces and if in a sauce, then I can do almost 4 ounces. I am 6.5 months out

So I had some light back pain, mostly during the last 50 lbs I gained / few years before I decided to get this surgery. As the weight dropped off the pain went away, I was amazed at how easy it was to stand for longer periods of time, my feet didn't hurt, my legs didn't get as tired as fast - all was good. Then at around 5 months I started having back pain again - I really think it has to do with my center of gravity changing :-D. I am just now able to work a full day ( about 2 weeks later) without my back spazzing out. I hope it is because I have learned to tuck it in and walk better, LOL. Just a thought -

I think a personal log would be great, maybe with predefined cells, as we update our weight, it could calculate our BMI, and keep a history, maybe even run reports. For now I double enter, here and at My Fitness Pal, I use MFP to run these reports. You could even allow sharing of reports - when I was first visiting MBP I always looked for those posters who had their weight history in their posts, so I could see how they did, it was very encouraging.

For Protein shakes - I also highly recommend the Syntrax nectar Powdered Protein drinks - they have them in fruit flavors and lemonade, you can buy sample packs from Amazon or "MyBariatricPantry" For the bathroom question - During these first few weeks you will not poo as much as you used to - it is definitely due to the liquid diet, once you move to more dense foods it will be more normal, I am 6 months out and I still sometimes go every three days or so. And I am eating normal foods and tend to eat high Fiber. For the smoking - just don't, take this time as the time to not go back. think about the steps you are taking to take back your health - and how the man is taking all of your money all the while knowing they are slowly killing you.... About the weird cravings - I had weird cravings, even in my dreams. It is like your brain is screaming "Why aren't you eating??" and since the diet isn't changing your brain tries to trick you. It gets better, I promise it does, and when you are 6 months out and 80 lbs down like I am, you dance every time your clothes are too big and you just keep shrinking :-D For the incisions, the healing itches, it gets better too - try bio oil after the tape falls off - I can barely see most of my incisions now. For the sex - if you feel like it, go for it, maybe go slow until you know you aren't overdoing it, it is good exercise too!

You will not regret it - I am 5 months out, started at 302 and now down to 225 - feeling great and the weight just keeps coming off - a few head games early on (my brain screaming Why don't you eat more? and stuff like that) but when the lbs come off and they don't come back three days later - it just gets easier and easier. I just had an early THanksgiving becasue my Daughter is working and cannot travel to the Thursday party and I was totally fine with a few ounces of turkey and a few bites of the sides. It was easy becasue I was full and satisfied - that is what the sleeve does for me - takes away the constant hunger that always did in my best intentions, Got get 'em! You will love it!

HW: 302 SW: 289 CW: 230 Having the sleeve was the best thing I have ever done for myself, I wish I had come to this realization ten years ago, instead of dieting and gaining and dieting and gaining, over and over again, I would started in the low 200's, instead of the low 300's. I would have lost and gained one more time and back on track for my Dad's early death at 57, instead feeling like I am 10 years younger now. If you are thinking about and just aren't sure - let me tell you, if this had been another diet, I would have quit before now and would be higher than when I started. The restriction forces you to realize that you don't need that much food. I used to get sooo angry when a skinny friend would say that "I just don't need that much food" when staring at a skimpy meal. Today, as I can only eat few ounces at a time - I finally get it. 70+ lbs down and another 70 to go - this is the first time where I truly believe I have a chance to be a normal weight and maintain it.

Our favorite Mexican restaurant has a dish called Filete de Piscado - grilled tilapia, grilled asparagus and salad with steamed rice. I immediately put the rice in a to go box for my family. I can barely eat 1/3 of the fish and have a few bites of veggies and take the rest home for lunch the next day (and sometimes 2 days). Out favorite thai place - I have the cup of egg soup and one of the family style dishes we order usually has a meat and veggie mix so I just eat that and I am fine. Our favorite american place - I order one of the specialty salads with no dressing and only grilled Proteins, I eat the Protein first (well that is true for whatever I eat) and then at some of the veggies and take the rest home. No dressing means it can usually be eaten the next day for lunch. I have also ordered a speciality burger and throw away the bun and eat just the patty, cheese and the veggies I haven't been to an Italian place - the Pasta would be just too tempting. My Doctor's plan says no white bread, no white pasta and no potatoes - complex carbs are ok in small amounts. I am loosing around 10lbs a month so I am pretty motivated to stay away form those items. 5 months out and 70 lbs down doesn't suck!

Those first few weeks the weight just flies off and I agree it feels so good to see the scale on a continuous downward trend! I am in my fourth month (Oct 11th is month 5). I have lost 70lbs, my Doctor is very pleased that I continue to lose around 10 lbs a month. Only 30 to go to hit 100 lbs! But there are days where the scale doesn't move, I try not to check every day, today I haven't weighed myself since Friday, here is to a few lbs down when I weigh myself tomorrow :-D

I love Quest bars - they taste better than most of the other ones, I do cut them up, they hit the spot when I am "starving" ( i always laugh when I say that - I haven't been starving since surgery) - they help when it comes to a needing a snack or an emergency meal. They taste great and they keep things moving, all that fiber LOL

My hair loss started at about 2 months post-op, I am 4+ months out now and think that the hair loss is in a steady state, I am lucky that I have very thick hair - the huge wads of hair I pull from head every time I shampoo is quite alarming sometimes! But then I don't have any bald spots or thin areas (except for maybe a few spots right at my temples but that may be just panicking on my part). Recently, I warned my hairstylist not to freak out when she shampooed me and she told me "oh, this is nothing honey!, I have seen much worse!" So that made me feel better. I am looking forward to noticing a decline in the loss - but one thing has me nervous. The comment in the article about iron levels, I have a genetic disease called hemochromatosis or "iron overload" disease. It means that my body holds on to too much iron and it must be removed medically. So I have one goal from my Blood Doctor and another from my Weight Loss Surgeon when it comes to iron. If iron also impacts hair loss (and I have been diagnosed for several years before my sleeve and never noticed hair loss like this), I am worried that it might taked me longer to come out of the hair loss period. Here is to crossing my fingers, because I can't take iron supplements!! My blood doctor was thrilled when I told him about getting WLS - he said, that is perfect for you! It will impact your iron levels in a good way for you!

At 2 months post sleeve, on solid foods, I was eating around 500 calories, 60 gms of Protein, less than 100 grams of carbs, today at 4 months out I eat around 1,000, 80 gms of protein, and less than 100 gms of carbs. I am currently losing about 11 lbs a month. I started at 301 lbs, have lost nearly 70 lbs since surgery. Oh, I am 5'6". My Doc says I need atleast 800 calories to maintain a healthy functioning body and no brain fog.

At 4 months plus after the sleeve, I can eat anything I want, (well, things with too much sugar do make me feel bad, but I think that is because I stay away from sugar 98% of the time, so when I have a bite of dessert at a party - it makes me feel sick). I followed my Doctor's instructions for all of the progressive types of food, but at 4-6 weeks I was eating regular foods. I don't eat Pasta, white bread or white sugar), I have been steadily losing about 10 lbs a month and have lost 67 lbs as of this post. Now - I go out to eat with my family once a week, I order what I want (excluding high carb things) and yes I always end up with lots of leftovers, but that just makes for great work lunches! Sometimes I just eat something from my husbands plate - but that is rare because he is skinny and doesn't like to share;-D

I chose the sleeve over band for a few reasons - these are my personal opinions, worth what you paid for them, and not meant as a bash on the band, I am not a Doctor nor do I play one on TV: 1) The band is a mechanism, manmade, it can break. My cousin had the band and it helped to her lose 100 lbs, but then it broke. She revised to Gastric By Pass (RNY). 2) I also thought that having a port, that you can feel under your skin and needing to go for adjustments was too creepy for me. 3) It is adjustable - you can have the saline removed, this may be a positive to some, but to me that was a free ticket to quits-ville. 4) It is reversible, done with the new lifestyle? Have it removed - again free ticket to quits-ville. 5) Restrictions on what you can eat - with Sleeve once you are healed there are no dietary restrictions in terms of stringy vegetables or dry goods. Some people look at the sleeve and say it seems so extreme, it is not reversible, you will have 85% of your stomach removed, that is so scary! But those are the things that appealed to me. It is just me in there, just less of my stomach, I can't decide that I want my restriction decreased, I can't decide that I want to eat "normally" again, and beleive me I know I needed the finality of this surgery. I have lost 64 lbs as this post, I feel great, I can walk again, I can be active again, I am getting rid of most of my clothes as they are now too big for me, I can keep this up, my sleeve gives me the tools I need to be succesful. There you go - my thoughts - and 100% discount from the normal 2 cent price :-D

I personally have noticed that people, even friends and family, have been afraid to comment. For work folks, I figure they are nervous that they might be wrong or that they "shouldn't" notice. But for friends, some have even said, "maybe I shouldn't comment, but you are looking very thin! How much have you lost?". My Mom who helped me pay for the surgery even is a little shy - maybe she thinks that due to her financial involvement that I will feel pressured. So I always tell her, "Well I have lost XX lbs now" and she is always so happy to hear that it is going well. The only person who really just points it out is my favorite cousin who has had both the band and now gastric by pass - she is so supportive and helpful, and my inspiration! She started at 424, lost down too 300-ish, moved forward to Gastric ByPass (band broke) and now is in the low 200's

VSG ANN is spot on, airlines reconfigure their aircraft for the most revenue possible. I was the traveler that needed the seat belt extender and always worried about complaints, but only 1 month after surgery I no longer needed the extender, the armrests no longer dig into my sides, and I no longer see that "look" when people realize I will be their seatmate. It gets better is my point. Follow the rules of the surgery and you will get there faster than you think. I have flown twice since VSG and it gets better every time ;-D

Grabbing a pair of shorts the other day that didn't fit the day I brought them home. They were even a little big! Fitting in an airline seat and not needing a seat belt extender Realizing that I had run up and down the stairs at work that used to make me so breathless after a slow climb, It just keeps getting better each week - wish I had done this at 270 instead of waiting 2 more years and 30 more lbs...

I found that immediately after surgery what I thought was hunger was actually head hunger - I am 3 months out now and I really don't feel hunger. I do get an empty feeling when I go too long between meals, but never stomach growling actual hunger. (My tummy made/makes lots of noise - don't get me wrong - but that is digestion not empty tummy growls). Over the past few months I have battled head hunger (I want to eat that! or something!) but I stuck to the recovery plan, 3 days clear, 11 days full liquids, 14 days smooth/soft foods and on day 28 slowly started adding more dense regular foods. At three months I can eay anything, some crunchy things still kind of scare me but it is all in my head. I also experienced dreams where I was either eating something really bad for my healing tummy or I was surrounded by foods I was eating before surgery - but in some nightmarish scenario... that was my brain not understanding why I wasn't eating like I used to anymore... I likened it to detoxing in a drunk tank. My point is - the liquids stage is tough, once you get to the stages with more dense foods you will find that you can only take a few a bites and feel like you had a huge meal, eventually your brain will let go of the comfort / quantity food addiction and it will be easy to eat 2 ounces of Protein and 1 bite or 2 of veggies and be more than satiated... 55 lbs in 3 months doesn't lie.

Just a quick follow-up, this drink is meant to be enjoyed immediately. That doesn't mean that you should gulp it down (it often takes me two hours to drink an Protein shake made with 8 oz of liquid), but I can tell you that if you let it sit for 3 hours or more, and some days that is how long it takes me to drink my shakes (hence the insulated cups and ice mentioned above) as I am just now 3 months post-op, that the fiber gel in Citrucal becomes just that - Gel. I comically tried to take a sip the other day and the last two or three tablespoons had gelled. So definitely keep that in mind if you are having a swollen tummy day!