Melodica

I don't find the artificial sweeteners to be too bad, but regular sugar is just sickening. I had some ice cream and it tasted great, but made me sick at the same time, if that makes sense. It's like my brain thinks it tastes good, but my stomach is screaming that it's awful. I'll have a few sips of soda on occasion, but mostly I drink Water with various flavorings in it as I can't stand any kind of tea. Everything from the cherry Kool-Aid to strawberry Crush to some flavors of Crystal Light (though it's my least favorite out of all the brands). I will say that I'm getting extremely bored with all the fruit flavors. Sometimes I take sips of the soda simply because they don't taste fruity!

Speaking of size... About how much liquid can you guys drink at one time now? I've had some burning because I'm not always good at keeping hydrated and straight water is the quickest way to relieve it. I can 'guzzle' probably 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup if my stomach is completely empty, but it makes me feel oogy. I've never tolerated straight water well though.

I'm glad I'm not alone in the old behaviour, Bluesea! My schedule is really wonky because I'm working from home, so sometimes 'breakfast' is at 7am, sometimes it's at 2pm. Sometimes I forget to eat it and don't have anything until lunch - by which time I'm starving and usually eat too fast and either throw up or feel like throwing up. I also tend to make less smart choices when I wait too long because I just want some food. I have to confess, I've also kinda gone outside of what's recommended at times. I do drink soda on occasion (though only a sip or two at a time) and I eat things that I probably shouldn't. Like today I had a Club Royale from Jason's Deli. It was honey ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, swiss and cheddar cheeses and spicy mustard. This wouldn't have been too bad if I hadn't eaten the croissant as well. :-/ Granted, it took me three hours to eat the entire sandwich and I didn't eat the chips, but it's still a very stupid choice. It has 680 calories, 36g of fat, 40 net carbs and 48g of Protein. That has me at my limit on fat and carbs and puts me close to calories, yet I still need 50g of protein. And that's if I don't eat anything else for the rest of the evening. It was so frickin GOOD though!! I've found that my cravings for certain foods haven't gone away (most specifically Pasta, certain breads and Cookies - though even a bite of cookies, ice cream or anything sugar filled makes me nauseous) and I definitely haven't found that I'm not hungry. Apparently they didn't get all of the part of my stomach with that silly hunger hormone or something. It would make this much easier if I didn't get hungry!

1. Height - 5'8 1/2", starting weight - 375lbs 2. Weight day of surgery - 357lbs 3. Weight today - 311lbs. Lost a total of 63lbs since starting, lost about 3lbs this week 4. Final goal weight is 180lbs. Mini-goal weight is anything under 300lbs. 5. Biggest success - Getting in more fluids. I can drink a lot more at one time now. Not sure if that's good or bad! 6. Still having trouble finding foods to eat. Also, I still can't keep myself from drinking with meals.

Like you, I've got a lot of my 'skinny clothes' from 1998-2001 saved. At first I'd saved nearly everything. Finally a couple of years ago I culled it and donated everything but my very favorite (and still fashionable) shirts, jeans and slacks. Most of it is shirts size large to 1x and size 14-16 pants. I can't wait to be able to wear it!

That sounds so good. Wish I'd been at your house for dinner! For breakfast I've been eating 1 scrambled egg with green onion and a little cheese and one piece of bacon. Occasionally I'll eat one piece of low carb toast with it (no butter). One of my favorite dinners is this crock pot teriyaki chicken on top of some quinoa. Yummy and pretty high in protein. One of my fast food choices now is the chopped salads from Subway. I've tried a few different kinds (always with spinach and not lettuce) and they're all pretty good and the best part is that one salad lasts for 3-4 meals. I honestly didn't think I could have any bread, but then my NUT told me that I could have breads and such as long as they are high in fiber. In fact, on the snacks list that she sent the suggestions are 1/2 cup of quinoa, 1 slice of whole grain bread, a corn tortilla and a Flat Out (light) wrap. Let me tell you, that piece of toast was SO good.

Looking good! I love those jeans! Can't wait until I can buy some stuff from the more 'trendy' places. You made me think of something though... why oh WHY is all 'plus' size clothing awful? It's all capped/too short sleeves, horizontal stripes and flowery, ugly patterns and colors. It's like they take everything that's going to make a fat person look fatter and put it into the clothing. I LOVE 3/4 length sleeves and vertical stripes, but it's so rare that I can find clothing in my size with those things.

Well technically you are only 5 sizes away since sizing is only in even numbers! 22, 20, 18, 16, 14. You will get there! Very true, Bluesea. Looks like I was handicapping myself there. Back when I was slim (in my late teens, early 20s) I wore a size 12-14 and was 155lbs. I'd love to be that small again, but I'll take 180 and a size 16-18. I've also noticed the difference in sizes, too. As if the whole system wasn't confusing in the first place! I mean, wearing an 8-10 seems better than a 12-14, but it's an illusion.

Looking great, Mschwartz! I love seeing pics like this. It's a big motivator. I tried on some size 24 jeans on the other day that haven't fit me for a year or more and they fit! They were a bit snug in the waist, but a little loose in the booty (which was surprising) and legs. So I've gone from a size 30 down to a 24. Now just ten more to go down to my goal of size 14!

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one, Blondiecakes. I took the nutrition classes as well and like you said, it was a joke. The one that I saw didn't prepare me at all. She just showed me a plate and said I'd need to eat x much meat, x much veg and went on about Protein shakes. I've never been one for cooking and even before surgery I had trouble planning nutritious/balanced meals (thus one of the reasons I needed the surgery). Removing most of my stomach didn't change that. It would have been a lot more helpful if they had given us recipes or really good eating plans for AFTER the liquid and soft foods phase. I need to know how to eat for life - not for the first month or two. Everything I've seen just says don't eat bread/pasta/rice and eat a lot of protein. Not incredibly helpful. I went for a walk yesterday morning. Ended up going 3/4 of a mile in about 20 minutes and didn't feel tired at all. Before surgery, I couldn't have made it 10 feet without extreme lower back pain (due to my huge stomach) and without panting and not being able to catch my breath. So the surgery HAS helped there, but being so tired because I can't seem to eat right makes me not want to move at all, much less exercise the way I should, which I know is affecting my weight loss - or lack thereof. I've heard some say that if you aren't getting enough nutrients you'll gain weight, so that might be your issue, Blondie. I don't know how you do it though. It's just me and my husband. I can't imagine feeling like this and trying to take care of an energetic child. My hat is off to you!

On 4/16 I was at 357. Now I'm at 318. So that's 40 lbs in about a month and a half. I have a lot to lose though.

Positives.... probably the only positives are that I've lost enough weight so that my lower back doesn't hurt when I stand up and I can move around and walk upstairs without feeling like I've run a marathon. I still haven't lost enough to feel good about myself again and it's like no matter how hard I try now, the weight won't come off. I dropped 4lbs, then gained 3lbs of it right back and have been sitting there for more than a week. So frustrating.

Wow, I too wonder at times if I'm doing the right thing. I will be sleeved Monday . I also am self pay. I have had people say to me , why don't you get a personal trainer nutritionist and therapist instead. I've been there and done that. I lose, and regain ... But, I am willing to jump through all the hoops to get to a goal I have had for 20+ years! To be thin. To be healthy . For life! Do you have people around you that have had the surgery ? I do, and they all have no regrets. I'm sorry you are feeling this way. I really hope you get to a point where you no longer have the regret you are having now. Just try to focus on why you made your decision. I can understand your feelings I have yet to get my sleeve, but it's human to wonder if such a drastic step is worth it! Best of luck to you! How long have you been out? I have 3 relatives that have had it done. They're all about a year or so out. And love it! Hope you get to that happy place soon... I was sleeved on April 16, so not far from two months. I guess I just expected it to get better as time went on, not worse. I'm having more problems eating without feeling awful now than I did when I was a week out. I've wanted to be slim again since I lost nearly 100lbs between the ages of 16-18. However, I don't know that this was the right move for me. Unfortunately I have no one I can talk with about this. My husband and I recently moved from Alabama to Illinois, so I don't even have my friends here. That probably isn't helping with my depression. I know that this is the right answer for some people and I wish them much success. I'm just thinking more and more that it wasn't right for me and unfortunately it's not like I can change it.

I'm also beginning to regret surgery. I've lost weight, but I'm just as unhappy now as I was before surgery. Yeah, my body feels a little better in some ways, but it also feels worse in some. I miss being able to eat without feeling awful. I miss being able to guzzle something to drink when I'm thirsty rather than having to sip for fear of throwing it up. I miss being able to eat Pasta. I miss being able to go to the bathroom without it burning (I'm nearly always dehydrated because I can't seem to drink enough). I'm already sick to death of eating primarily Protein and even more sick of trying to find things that I can eat that I actually WANT to eat. I'm also sick of throwing up if I eat fast because I was so hungry because I skipped meals because of my previous sentence. I'm angry because I'm not losing weight, yet I've still got this restriction and all the above that comes with it. They really do NOT prepare anyone for all of this. It's one thing to talk about how you can't eat this or that, but it's another thing entirely to actually live it. Some people probably have no issues with the changes, but I have and it honestly makes me bitter when I see someone posting that they're so happy with their surgery and they lost all this weight and had no pain and it was just soooo easy for them. Well, goody for you, but not everyone has it so easy. It also annoys the crap out of me when I see someone posting that you shouldn't do this or that and they've never EVER cheated or done anything that their doctor told them not to. I've been avoiding these boards lately because of that kind of stuff. I found that it was making me feel much worse instead of better. Sorry for the rant. I'm just nearing the end of my rope here. If I could go back, I would spend the nearly 10k that I shelled out on surgery on a personal trainer, shrink and dietitian/nutritionist instead.

I was completely open about my surgery. I don't care what other people think. If they want to start something about it, I'll certainly finish it for them. In any case, all my co-workers and boss were very supportive and encouraging.

Thanks so much for the recipe, mysleeve! I'll definitely have to try those. They look really yummy!

I cheated ONCE on my week long pre-surgery diet. Five days before surgery, I had a can of white meat chicken with some Frank's hot sauce. Since it was straight Protein, I didn't feel too bad about it!

Things that I used to adore (Pasta and sweets especially) make me feel AWFUL. I actually gagged when I heard someone order a chocolate fudge sundae and I adored chocolate before surgery. That being said, I still look at things and wish I could have them. I guess my brain hasn't caught up with my stomach.

The only time I have a sweat/sick feeling is when I eat something high in carbs or anything with regular sugar. I tried a couple of sips of a milkshake and it made me feel awful. Carbs like bread and Pasta have done the same thing. Strange that I still crave them. I'm also having a lot of trouble meeting my Protein and Water goals. I'm never really thirsty anymore (and so bored with fruit flavorings for water) and I'm having trouble finding things to eat to get the protein I need. I've never been a big cook and I hate preparing meals, so it's difficult for me. I hope the meds help you feel better! I can't imagine having that feeling the whole time.

I'm about 6 weeks out and I had some soda at about a month out. I don't really buy the whole sleeve stretching thing. I burp and belch too much after drinking it to believe that the carbonation is stuck down there stretching it out. However, it doesn't hold the same appeal that it used to for me. I've had a 2 liter of Cherry Coke Zero in my fridge for two weeks and it's still got almost half the soda left in it. I have a few sips every now and then - that's it. Since I drink so little of it, I'm not becoming addicted to caffeine again either.

1. 5'8 1/2" - 375 2. 357 3. 319 - total of 56 lbs lost 4. 180 or anything under 200 5. Wearing a shirt that I haven't been able to wear in almost a year and my jeans are falling off me 6. Depressed, moody, bored with food choices (tired of meat)and still can't get the 96g of protein that my surgeon recommends in. 7. Exercise more, try to find something I want to eat, drink more

Quite frankly, I'm pretty miserable. Nothing sits well with me, but neither does an empty stomach. I'm also incredibly bored with what I can eat. I want something with some blasted carbs! But when I eat them (or anything sweet) I feel like crap. On the plus side, I've lost 5lbs this week. Still, after going through all this mess, I feel like I should be losing more. Just kinda negative and depressed lately.

Wow at that menu. I think I'm eating way more than that at a time. I'm going to try it next week and see if it helps me (as I've been having stomach pain when I do eat). Regarding raw veggies... I've had bell pepper, onion and celery (chopped small) and didn't have issues. The diet from my NUT progresses differently than some though. At 30 days out, I was told that I could start eating as I would for life. However, my weight loss isn't great so I think I'm going to go back to liquid or pureed and see if I can jump start it again. Thanks for that menu!

Include: 1) height / weight starting our wls programs, 5'8 1/2" - 375lbs 2) weight day of surgery, 357lbs 3) weight one week post op / pounds lost/gained: 327lbs. Actually gained 3lbs - had gained 5lbs, but I lost two somewhere (hope I don't find them again!) I've lost a total of 48lbs total, 30lbs of those after surgery. 4) goal weight, 180lbs - though I will take anything under 200lbs 5) your biggest success this week: Getting back on track and keeping up with what I'm eating. 6) your biggest struggle this week: Finding nutritious (high protein) meals that I actually want to eat.

I've actually had no issues with constipation. I go pretty regularly. A lot less than I did before surgery, but enough that I don't feel I'm backed up. (TMI alert) It's usually pretty watery though. I've had maybe two firm stools since surgery. I'm bummed though - all the bad eating I did made me gain 4lbs. It's just been such a trying time and I can't find any recipes that I really like. I've never been a huge meat eater and I'm not sure how to incorporate veggies that are low carb that have Protein. Anyone got any good recipes? Also, every time I swallow anything except low fat yogurt or sugar free pudding, I get a rumbly grumble in my tummy and I always have to belch afterward. I will say this too - sugar does NOT agree with me. I tried some of a milkshake and could only get down like two sips before I felt sick. I'm glad of it because it keeps me from messing up with sweets, but it's kinda sad too!