VSGAnn2014

US Presidential Election Year Rant: I am so sick of having to listen to people who insist on spewing their political ideologies all over the damn place -- on Facebook, on line at cash registers, in doctors' waiting rooms, at work, on planes, at parties, at family reunions, etc. Yes, I know it's their First Amendment right. But it's more than annoying being forced to listen politely to people loudly proclaim that everyone who doesn't adore and endorse their beloved candidate is an idiot / stupid / unpatriotic / immoral / uneducated / [insert here your favorite pejorative].

In your shoes I'd do two things: 1. Throw away all the foods you're eating that you shouldn't be eating. And don't replace them. Make your home a safe place that supports your WLS journey and goals. 2. Find a good therapist to help you stop sabotaging yourself and your future good health. Pre-WLS, I did a truly piss-poor job of caring for myself. And self-care is the secret to everything we're trying to do here. It sounds like you need help to learn how to do that for yourself. Don't deny yourself this resource you need to cross the bridge between self-destruction and self-care. Good luck!

At two months out I felt GREAT! Have a wonderful time. Sounds like a great adventure.

You're welcome. I added things like high Fiber, high Protein crackers (really missed the crunch during the losing phases), more full-fat cheese, more whole grains (brown rice), more fats (full-fat salad dressings and butter), apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. I eat nuts and Peanut Butter RARELY -- since they're both semi-trigger foods for me. BTW, ice cream is a big-time trigger food. Can't keep that stuff in the house at all. The treats I've added are dark chocolate (hey! it's got antioxidants!) and a single serving of wine or single-malt scotch most days. BTW, your stomach's capacity will slowly increase a little so adding more food eventually won't be impossible. FYI -- at 21 months post-op I still drink a Protein shake for Breakfast most (not all) days.

I don't think I've ever seen a post here by a woman of legal age who reported that, when she told her mother she was considering or going to have WLS, her mother said: "Oh, honey! I'm so glad. I've been hoping you would consider it. I support you fully and with no reservations 100%!" I don't recall a single result like that. Usually it's just like reported in the OP and other earlier comments -- the mother delivers some version of: "You're crazy. You're stupid. You're wrong. You're not fat enough. You're too fat. You're going to die. You're going to have complications. You should go on a diet and exercise. How could you do this to me?!" Or worse. Most of you know your mother's not going to support you and is going to bust your balls. But against your better judgment you tell her anyway. And then she busts your balls.

I swear! Do NUTS go to stoopid skool? Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

Do not be embarrassed. But don't ignore your health either. Decide now how you ARE going to get healthier and live a healthy lifestyle. Very best wishes. Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

Cari, that's incorrect. Period. Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

I think you'll find there is nothing tailored whatsoever about NUTs' instructions or advices. Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

Duplicate post Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

I am in awe of all you healthy, good looking people! We have all shown such great courage and commitment to have had WLS and taken back the reins of our lives. Respect! Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

Half of the people in the world are below average. And some of them post here.

I love every single one of you people. I had no idea that the smartest, funniest people in the world were all morbidly obese and then had weight loss surgery. P.S. I admit I did have to google Candace Cameron Bure. P.P.S. @@Cervidae ... your clickbait rant made me fall in love with you, and I don't even swing that way.

Since WLS surgery? Nothing. Not even the (relatively mild) gall bladder attack or GB surgery / recovery 4 weeks post-WLS. But pre-op -- it was WAITING FOR THE DAMN SURGERY TO FINALLY FREAKIN' HAPPEN! My surgeon was so backed up with huge demand. So jumping through all the pre-op hoops took a long time. It made me so crazy that I finally put myself on a diet and lost 11 pounds prior to the liver-shrinking diet. Pre-op, I also practiced all the post-op eating behaviors -- eating slower, chewing lots more, not drinking with meals, drinking 64 ounces of Water daily, walking more (bought a Fitbit and got up and moved), took Vitamins, started tracking all my food on My Fitness Pal, etc. I was like a kid who wore a Batman cape everywhere because he thinks he's Batman. So when I hear about pre-op patients who are having a month of last suppers and whining about the liver-shrinking diet and worrying about losing their hair somewhere down the road and drama-llamaing about potential loose skin and not being able to close down the bars every weekend and other s**t like that, I just shake my head. Don't they know how wonderful this surgery is going to be for them and that it will be worth any inconveniences and lifestyle changes required of them? Again -- shaking my head. (I may have had too much coffee this morning.)

(Grinning) Just try to imagine how much more I know (at 70) than you young whippersnappers in your 40s. (Still grinning)

Regardless of which weight you think you're ready to stop at, you may be interested in learning what worked for me in transitioning to maintenance. (FYI, I'm 21+ months post-VSG and have maintained at or below goal for over a year; I currently weigh 135 pounds). * I designed a maintenance eating plan based on all the data I had about my weight loss, e.g., how much I'd lost, how long that took, how much I ate (I recorded all that in MFP), how many exercise calories I had burned, etc. BTW, I'm going to completely spit-wad this and say that if you're still losing a couple of pounds a month that your maintenance daily calorie budget will likely be north of 1500 calories/day. FYI, mine is 1700 - 1800 calories/day, depending on my activity levels. * After I hit my weight goal (150 pounds) I gradually, and I do mean gradually, raised my daily calories by 100 calories each week. I tried to add mostly healthy foods, not junk food or sweets. * Adding more food was harder than I'd expected. My sleeve protested a bit. My mind protested more. I realized I didn't have to force anything. But I also knew I didn't want to live on 1200 calories/day for the rest of my life if I could help it. * Eventually I also experimented with foods I'd previously avoided and with some treats (mostly sugary) foods. For me, that meant I was flirting with trigger foods. I realized that was actually a good thing, because I had to start to learn how to coexist with my trigger foods, which clearly aren't leaving Planet Earth. I learned that I can control some foods I was afraid of and that I couldn't control easily my intake of others. I made mistakes. I learned. I made more mistakes. I kept learning. I'm still learning. * And then there was this shocker -- over the next 8 months I kept slowly losing weight, dropping another 15 pounds down to 135 pounds, which is where I have stabilized for nearly 6 months now. :) I came to understand and accept that, for me, maintenance is about making food and drink choices that satisfy three lifetime goals: (1) Keep my weight normal and stable, (2) Feed my body the nutrients it needs to be healthy and (3) Enjoy and Celebrate life. Very best to you!

I read that 100% of all those who have bariatric surgery die. Based on my research, it's due to breathing oxygen before they died. Hold your breath, people!

My hubby knows. Otherwise, I didn't broadcast my WLS to other family or to friends. If you want support you'll find a lot of it here.

Not me. I actually put myself on a two-month diet prior to the surgeon's two-week liver-shrinking diet. Lost 11 pounds.

Here's a different perspective on reflux and the sleeve. I had acid reflux pre-op that was controlled by the H2 blocker med Ranitidine 150 mg. twice a day. The problem was I wasn't very compliant with my reflux med. So post-VSG my surgeon switched me for 4 months from Ranitidine to a PPI (Protonix) once a day. Said it would reduce my stomach acid even more while my new sleeve healed. Then I switched back to my Ranitidine 150 mg twice a day -- but I am now nearly 100% compliant with taking it daily and on time. Now, my reflux is no worse than it was pre-op. So unless I have red wine, tomato sauce, chocolate, and coffee for dinner and lie down immediately after eating, my reflux is well controlled by my little H2 blocker antacid. P.S. I'm 21+ months post-VSG.

I'm only 21+ months post-VSG, so understand I'm coming at this with that kind of WLS resume. Anyway, here's my take on your quarterly binge-drinking escapades. I will bet you aren't going to drink NEARLY as much as you used to drink at these events. You'll likely be more alcohol-sensitive, and I'm betting that your natural self-protective instincts will kick in and keep you from over-doing it, especially since you're not a regular drinker. However, and this is the good part, I don't think that drinking less would / could / should harsh your party buzz at all. More good news is you'll be with friends who won't be trying to harm you. Or I hope they won't. I think the important thing to ask yourself is -- could I still have a good time if I have 3 drinks over X hours instead of 12 drinks? Imma bet you could.

I bet your daughter is soooo happy with your mom's departure. Again, congratulations. That really took courage. And it turned out good for your mom, too.

Robert, you're still a pretty big guy with pretty big caloric demands. When you stop eating carbs, your body uses up all its glycogen stores in the liver, along with at least 8 pounds of Water in which the glycogen is stored. You've just lost the "easy 10 pounds" (well, in your case, probably the easy 20 pounds) that everybody enjoys when they crash diet. Nonetheless, it's weight that's gone for now. And it'll stay gone if you don't go back to eating the way you were before you did this diet. And no, losing this much weight won't hurt you. BTW, men, heavier people, younger people and those who have lots of muscle mass lose weight incredibly fast compared to women, lighterweights, older folks, and those without many muscles. Doesn't matter how fast or slow we lose -- we can all achieve our goals if we're willing to stay the course until we get there.