VSGAnn2014

I haven't seen any major personality or behavioral shift in nearly 11 weeks now. I'm pretty plainspoken, but know how to present my views so that I don't initially offend people and allow them to actually consider my views, if those are different from their views. Protip: If you treat people like assholes, you may be an asshole, too.

@@FishingNurse ... you are so very pretty. Congratulations on your new life. You're so fortunate to have gained this tool at such a young age.

Suggestion -- which won't surprise to you -- every day, get dressed and leave the house. Every day. Doesn't matter where you go. Or for how long. But do it every day. You won't be able to build a life until you leave the house.

Yup ... that'll probably be the end of that relationship. Sounds like you're prepared and even looking forward to moving on. But that will mean changes for you too in your new relationships. Very best to you.

Here are a couple of possible responses: Thank you for noticing. I feel great. Thanks for the encouragement. I feel great. Thank you. It's been a long time since I've felt so well. My body and my doctor will let me know when I'm "done."

I don't know who first said this, but Einstein is currently getting the credit for saying: "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Yes, it took me a long time to make my own decision. But ultimately, the above sentiment is where I wound up. After a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, I finally realized I was NEVER going to solve my weight problem by any more yo-yo dieting. Good luck to you in making your own decision.

urdoinitrite, @Beni.

* Cut way back on coffee * Cut out all sodas * Chewed much more and waited longer between bites * Drank 64 ounces of Water daily * Started moving more * Reduced food to 1,200 - 1,400 calories (lost 11 pounds before the doc's pre-op diet) It was all super-worth it. So glad I started "living like a WLS patient" before I was one.

If you're not getting all your liquids in yet, put yourself on some sort of drinking schedule so it doesn't happen. Drink an ounce every five minutes, for instance. You have to really work at this. It won't happen "naturally." The hunger hormone ghrelin that your old stomach is no longer producing all regulates your perception of thirst. No ghrelin, no thirsty. So you have to drink anyway. If you can't sleep, take an Ambien or benadryl or something that will put help you zonk out. Your body needs the rest. And your body is still pretty freaked out by what it's been through and what it's going through. Your body will suffer if you don't start getting in all your Protein pretty quick (60 grams at least). Consider everything you're supposed to be eating and drinking right now medicine -- a prescription. You aren't expected to enjoy it or like it. You just have to DO it. And the good news ... it's all going to get easier and easier very soon.

Sorry, bit of a derail here, but ... the title of this thread makes me giggle: "Anyone dealing with emotional issues?" Yes. Everyone is dealing with emotional issues. Every day. All the time. It's part of life. Sorry. Carry on.

I'm almost 11 weeks post-op. Haven't thrown up a single time.

I'm almost 11 weeks post-op and have lost 26 pounds post-op (lost 19 pounds pre-op). Here's what I ate yesterday: Breakfast: 4 ounces skim milk 4 ounces coffee GNC Lean 25 vanilla shake lunch: chicken / bacon / cheese (about 2 ounces total) Spaghetti squash (about 1 ounce total) 1 tbsp sour cream dinner: Tilapia, shrimp (about 2-3 ounces total) Spaghetti squash again (1 oz.) 1 tbsp sour cream Snacks: Greek yogurt - vanilla (5.3 ounces) Vodka - 1 shotglass (FIRST TIME I'VE DONE THAT -- EATING OUT AT RESTAURANT) Daily nutritional info: 799 calories 72 grams Protein 77 grams carbs 27 grams fats 3 grams Fiber

So glad you started the blog back up and that you're sharing with honesty how you've changed your life. Life should remain interesting as long as it possibly can. When it's not ... it's time for something else.

As always, Queen ... I admire you. You have such wonderful courage to change your life in ways that are pleasing to you. And you also have honesty and integrity to be transparent about it. Respect!

Hilarious story, CGJ. LOL!

ROFLMAO!

Ultimately, this is WLS patients' last chance to resolve their lifelong overweight / health issues. If you can't wrap your mind around the fact that this is not just another diet (which we have all failed at before) but radical surgery that gives you one last chance to explore and reset the emotional and behavioral issues that kept you from being healthy, then you haven't understood the most important part about this surgery: The surgery will be on your stomach, not your brain (and, if you're so inclined, your spirit or soul) -- where all of the changes you need to be successful long-term must occur. While you're losing weight, you've got to learn to live very differently than you have lived up to now. Those food funerals ... hmmmm ... not a good sign. Your potential resources to change how you think / feel / problem-solve / plan / execute are: * nutritional education * psychological education * a positive attitude * healthy support from others * environmental controls * psychological therapy / counseling * spiritual counseling * relaxation techniques * learning how to live in this moment (not the past or the future) Very best to you.

The only way you will stop craving carbs is to stop eating carbs. That's not circular ... it's cause/effect. Eating carbs makes you crave carbs. You've got to go cold turkey. Detox yourself of sugar. Do that, and you'll likely lose 10 pounds pretty quick. And while doing that, also go back to the basic behaviors that helped you lose 120 pounds. You can fix this.

@@Summer Rain ... outstanding! You already have your life by the reins again. Respect!

It makes no difference to me whether he had WLS or didn't. However, I think his current eating regimen is ... weird. Aside from that, I didn't interpret this piece as an "WLS is the easy way out" message. Here's the only mention of WLS: "Sharpton has shed 60% of his much-mocked weight — and he did it without surgery, diet pills or a single Weight Watchers meeting."

P.S. Yes, post-op I did have trouble sleeping. But that's also settling out. BTW, I'm 10 weeks post-op.

I admire your enthusiasm and your fitness level -- tremendously! But you are putting yourself under some very familiar-sounding pressure. And setting a goal to lose 11 pounds in a week (or less) is ... uh ... unreal, at least it's unreal to me. Any day now, you're likely going to experience what most of us already experienced -- the dreaded three-week stall. The hard truth about your weight loss is this: YOU don't get to determine how much weight you lose in a week. But you DO get to determine how much weight you lose in a year. Your body will lose at the pace it wishes to lose. Re the Water -- yes, we are pretty much in a state of near-dehydration post-op, since we're not eating the kinds of foods (high-carb foods with high sodium content) that we ate pre-op that tend to help us retain water. So we constantly pee out what we are drinking. I will admit that earlier on I hesitated to drink much water during the night because I wanted to see a lower number the next morning on the scale. Thank goodness, I'm now getting more water in overnight and feeling better. All this stuff takes time to get used to. You are probably sick of hearing this, but the longer post-op I go the more I understand this advice: This is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Pace yourself. Very best wishes to you.

Does a binder help with lower back pain? (I've never used one. Frankly, don't even know what one looks like.)

TJS, I think that is very likely going to change for you. I'm 9 weeks post-op. Last week I had a long biz trip, with 2 restaurant client dinners and 2 group meals with 30 people at a retreat. Had some very good food -- tried some new foods post-op -- and enjoyed almost all of it. Also, no one noticed or commented on how much I was / wasn't eating. Pretty cool. EDIT: Apologies! Just realized this is the Guys' Room. Really sorry.

Don't overthink this guy. He said what he said. Who knows why he said it. As we all know, most ER guys do ER work so they won't ever have to have a follow-up visit, i.e., a patient relationship with anyone. Ever. (I have friends who are ER docs, and that's what they say. They don't want it. They're awful at it.) I'm happy to report that all my docs (and hubby's) are just great. And many of them are in their 40s. At our age, we can't afford any more old docs. We need all our docs not to retire before we die.