VSGAnn2014

The digital scale I use appears to produce results that are reliable. I weigh twice or even three times in quick succession every morning upon arising. And each day the weights shown are the same. Of course, I don't weigh the same thing after Breakfast as before breakfast. And of course, there is sometimes a pound or so difference between different scales (we have two scales here, so I've compared the two). But within a period of several minutes, I weigh the same using the same scales. BTW, I'm still using the same scales I started using nearly two years ago. P.S. Here's a sweet little study done at Rutgers about the reliability and validity of body weights measured by 61 bathroom scales -- both dial and digital types. Bottom line -- digital scales used on hard surfaces are likely to be both reliable and valid. Interestingly, "operator error" does come into play. http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-13-1194

AA? Jeez.

Just amazing. Huge congrats to you.

LOL! For those relatively new to this site, every thread here about alcohol turns into a pissing contest. And this thread is well on its way to the same destination. Carry on ....

I think you guys are making all the right decisions and taking the right actions. Sounds great! Very best to you both.

I will offer an observation: I am startled by the bariatric surgeon who OK'ed alcohol at 5 weeks post-op. That's seems just weird to me. At that point the stomach is still healing and very much swollen. (Just notice how little you can eat at that point.) That would not have been my surgeon's Rx or that of most surgeons I've seen cited here. I also agree with the concept that your WLS honeymoon period (first 6-12 months post-op, depending on how your body responds to WLS) is when you should try to (1) maximize your weight loss (you will NEVER lose this fast again in your life) and (2) be building healthy go-to habits to follow the rest of your life. I also agree that late weight-loss phases and early maintenance phases are the better times to start testing the waters of sweets, starches and alcohol. That's my personal opinion based on my own experience and those of many other WLS patients I've come to know.

Just sayin' that I was sleeved at age 68 and am now 70 years old. I have lost 100 pounds and have been maintaining for many months now at 135 pounds. So you will understand if I say that I don't think age alone has much to do with losing weight, reaching goal, maintaining, etc. I do think there are individual differences with people re their metabolism. And there are certainly individual differences among patients in how much they eat -- and in how much they think they're eating vs. how much they're really eating. IMHO, if you're not tracking, you probably don't really know how much (and how much protein) you're really eating. One last word -- it took me 9 months to lose the last 15 pounds. So don't give up the fight. Reaching goal could still happen. Good luck to you.

I could never have made my Protein target without protein shakes. I was one who couldn't handle Isopure -- but that's neither here nor there (we just like what we like and don't like what we don't like). Frankly, I think your NUT is being a rigid hard-ass. All that's important is that you get your protein in (or most of it) and get your liquids in (or most of them) -- however you can do it. Soon enough you'll graduate to a different stage. Soon enough you can drink more and faster than you are now. Soon enough you won't be slowed down by an extremely swollen new sleeve (it'll be healing soon) and a swollen esophagus (from surgery). Honestly, I do think you are (and were) doing just fine.

I think you're doing fine.

My Fitness Pal has a Water counter.

Jason, I am SO glad you're doing this experiment. I've been entertaining the idea of a similar science experiment myself -- on my whole face. But I'm going to wait and see the results of yours first. I may then duplicate in peer-reviewed fashion your own experiment and publish my results here. P.S. And dude! Your weight loss! I honestly had no freakin' idea what a hugely successful WLS patient you'd been. I just thought you were a smarty-mouth.

I'm 20.5 months post-op. I've lost 100 pounds and have been maintaining at 135 pounds for many months now. I'm with all the other VSG patients here who've lost all their excess weight and are maintaining well now (most of us for the first time) by eating healthily and mindfully and exercising / moving more than we used to do. NO WAY would I be as successful now at maintaining my weight loss without my sleeve. My restriction is still strong. My hunger is still less than it once was. I feel for the first time in my life like I am in control of my appetite and eating impulses. Having said that, I've also worked my ass off to build new eating habits. I've learned tons about nutrition and apply that daily. I still use My Fitness Pal to plan my meals and track my eating. I use a walking app on my cell phone to track my steps. My life and my focus on health is very different now than it's ever been. That said, I think you should not undergo WLS if you are uncertain about the decision. If you want to continue your weight loss through diet / exercise and see how that works for you, then I say go for it, and I wish you the very best results! The odds are you won't be one of the 2-5% who will maintain most of your weight loss without WLS. But you could be. If or when you are ready for WLS, you will know it.

To your original question -- "When panic and anxiety hits, is food always going to be the first think I think of for comfort?" Based on my experience, no, it won't -- with a caveat. No, it won't -- but only if you train yourself to respond differently to stress. Habits are powerful things. And the only way to break them is to consistently, repeatedly, over a long period of time NOT respond to stimuli in the ways you used to and, instead, to develop new responses that are much healthier and more satisfying for you. It takes practice. The good news is that is all it takes -- practice. Good luck to you, your husband and your family. It sounds like he will be a great catch for some new company. This could be the start of something wonderful for you all.

Yeah ... I think you're just feeling a little post-op depression. Time to leave the house. And probably time to go back to work. BTW -- you do know the #2 rule of life, don't you? Seriously, it's in a best-selling book: "No one is thinking about you. They're all thinking about themselves--just like you." http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H1U2HO/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

@@jenn1 ... That's so brilliant! Grinning.

I'm tripling down on @@Babbs 's and @@JamieLogical 's comments. I was sleeved 20.5 months ago. I've lost 100 pounds altogether (pre and post) and have been maintaining for months now at 135 pounds. I averaged 10 pounds lost for the first four months post-op. Then it slowed down. The last 15 pounds took 9 months to lose. Who the hell cares how long it took! Not me. What I care about is the part bolded above about "maintaining for months now at 135 pounds." Isn't that what you really care about? Use this time to learn more about nutrition and eat not just to lose weight but to become healthier and learn how you can nourish yourself and care well for yourself for the rest of your life. Because getting and staying healthy is what will truly satisfy your appetite, your body, and your soul. Very best wishes to you.

Because she wants you to know she's *certified* and you aren't. Oh -- she's also a *certified personal trainer.*

ISG -- that is wonderful. Congratulations to you!

Guys ... I think we always have a choice. And I know (because I'm old) that our thoughts and emotions affect each other and that both affect our behaviors. If we *think* a 5 pound weight gain is the limit we will tolerate, then we will *feel* differently about a 5 pound weight gain. And we will *behave* in accordance with those thoughts and feelings. I'm only 20.5 months post-op. I can't guarantee how I'll behave when I'm 4-5-10 years out. But for now, my intention is to remain at or below goal (150 pounds). I'm now at 135 pounds.

Bless her heart. She's the quintessential "dietitian" -- ex-sorority rush chairman, ex-cheerleader. And has always, always, always been skinny. Absolutely zero experience with overweight or obesity. And condescending as hell. "You're fat. Get used to it." In my experience, they are all like this.

The plastic surgeon who lectured to my surgeon's bariatric patients told us (and told me privately when I ran into him in the hospital hallway when my husband was in for a non-bariatric surgery) that he won't touch anyone until they have lost all their weight and then maintained their weight for a full year. He says that bodies change a lot during that time and that if he performed surgery before that time he'd be working with a body that wasn't yet stabilized.

My hair loss also started the fourth month post-op. And it was pretty much over by nine months post-op. It wasn't that bad.

That's what diet coke does to me post-op. Makes the acidity in my stomach sky-rocket!

Good thing to remember. thx

I'd advise you to ignore those who'd like to *improve* your pre-op diet because they think it's not sufficient sustenance for a person. Here's the actual deal re the pre-op diet: The only purpose of the pre-op diet is to have a pre-op WLS patient take in fewer calories than they need to sustain their weight so they will consume the glycogen stored in the liver and shrink the liver's size. The reason your surgeon wants you to shrink your liver is so the odds of complications during surgery are lessened -- since a smaller liver is less likely to be injured (nicked or torn) when your surgeon is manipulating around it. I have read of instances where the surgeon went in, looked at the liver, then went back out without performing the surgery because the liver was still too large / swollen with glycogen. Yes, it's not an easy diet. But it is what it is. Also, the first three days are the toughest times for most folks. Thereafter, if you really do cold-turkey sugar-laden foods (including that tomato soup) you'll have an easier time of it. But even if you don't One thing that helped me during the pre-op diet is that, in addition to the Protein shakes, I drank chicken bouillon with spicy Thai seasoning, and that savory liquid balanced out the sweeter shakes. Hang in there.