Dee_1111

You all are so right. Thank you..I just feel an instant kinship with anyone who had this surgery. I want so much for everyone to succeed and when they have hippcups or a bump in the road of their journey, I take it personally, I want to instantly reach out and help. Gotta work on that. Its not easy, we all know that. If it were easy to lose weight and be healthy I wouldn't have had the surgery. My journey to this point has soooo not been easy. But because I wanted this soooo bad, I feel everyone else does to, and sure they do to. I have to remember we're all human, and mishaps are inevitable. Note to Self: Just work on YOU, and pray everyone else has a safe, happy and productive life. Think its time to call the psychologist, I've got to lighten up! not everyone succeeds, but I wish they could. thanx for listening to my rant, I'll try not to do it often

It is quite daunting and overwheling in the beginning. Its alot to ask from a morbidly obese person. Before surgery we ate at will. We had no eating or drinking rules, unless we made them ourselves, which caused YO-YO dieting. Yep, I had YO-Yo rules, and WLS has lifetime rules, which is what were really after anyway, arent we? to find self control and disapline? In time with the knowledge your gaining. You will find your nitch, what works for you. Pick a few,try them on, and pick what works for you. The guidlines aren't so strick, the further your journey takes you. So now we are learning a NEW way, and its unerving, and seems impossible. When Im at a resturant now, I see Im eating and drinking (water) like all the skinny people around me...lol..silly observance, but its true, makes me smile.

I am a recovering 'Sugar Addict"...Everytime I try to get out, Krispy Creme tries drags me back in by developing another delish pastry the size of my head. I work in a large office building, and there they are, every morning!!..I drag me and my coffee back to my office.. donut free. I gotta get a Kerig in my office. But so far, so good, Im not tempted, just incredulous at the size there getting!

If I eat one. which is very rare. most of them have to many ingredience I cant read and wayyyy to much sugar. But if I do, I get a Larabar. Its the lesser of all the evils. with a very minamal amount of sugar.

oops sorry..double posted

oh yeah I forgot, Baconville's right..Monday, Wednesday & Friday, like clock work I was at the gym, 2p-4p..non-negotiable

ohhhh you are NOT gonna like this..lol..for just 365 little days, (per order of my nutritionist) I did not consume, Bread, Pasta, Sugar, Rice or Any form of Diary. I went past my goal in 8 months. NO RED meat either. Man I thought that was harsh. But I wanted to get there the fast way possible. But I did eat all forms of fish, pork/ham, venison, turkey. duck, goose, chicken, crab meat, shrimp, just not 'cow'. And I'll be damned, well-la 8 months later 115 lbs. Oh and NO PROCESS/DEAD foods. I did my shakes, I did my fruit, vegs, & vitamins. Amazingly I still don't eat those foods til today, and don't miss them either. To strict, I know, just wanted to add to your post

Ok..I've calmed down a bit, but I'm just sayin', if I went into this surgery BEFORE I got a grip on my sugar addiction, it horrifies me to think where'd I be now..and maybe I saw myself in her, IF I didn't get help first.

A very distinguished gentleman asked my a very important question. Do I keep a food log. Now before I answer that , please let say a few things. I can not stress enough to the Pre-Op's and newly Post-Op's, how important it is to keep a food log!! it is your ACCOUNTABILITY scale. If you don't know how to count calories (I didn't and still don't) keep a log anyway. It will show you just how much or how little of what you are putting into your body each day. Some days will be better than others. Some days will make you see that you need to 'Start Over' and reevaluate what your doing. The Food Log is not to make you feel like a failure or a champion..its there to keep you accountable!! it really works. I do have a calorie count book and I have looked at it numerous times, so I do have an idea of what or how many Cals are in a particular food I eat everyday. Because I weigh 115 lbs, I am allotted a 1,300-1,800 calorie a day intake. Look yours up, the net is full of sites with this info. I know I'm sounding a bit 'High Horse-ish' but it's only because it is such and important part of this journey. Now I'll step down from that Horsey, I have vertigo..To answer the gentleman's question. Because I am 4 years out, I pretty much can see visually what's on my plate, and know that I have 4 oz of meat, 1/2 cup of berries, and 1 cup of vegs. I have been doing it for a long time now. So NO, I do not keep one anymore. But in my head I'm always aware of how many cals might be in a particular food, before I veer off into strange (food) territory. Its the nature of this surgery to be always conscience of the foods around you. Thank you for listening, and Im now firmly on the ground, and have put my High Horse away for the night..AND SCENE!!!

I really don't know much about the sleeve, I'm gastric bypass. But I gotta tell ya, 3 wks out of surgery, that meal would have killed me dead in my tracks. wow good for you..I wasn't even that hungry for weeks after my surgery. All my GBP friends are wishing they had the sleeve now..lolol

I am not going to give any advice here. I did no do it. I tried it, my body said CUT THAT OUT, IM DROWNING OVER HERE!! I'm probably the only one person who told my WLS instructors that, that part just aint gonna happen. I'll drink when I'm thirsty, and ended that discussion. Never been dehydrated. but I drink a lot of other things, coffee, tea's, crystal lite, all day long, just not by the gallons like they recommend. just saying. Lots of people panic on this subject. I truly believe that's to much water for one body to handle. 4 years later I'm still drinking when my body tells me to, I seem to be just fine. but that's me, do what you think is right for you.

I'm 4 years out gastric bypass...this is a RETRAIN YOUR BRAIN activity. It took me literally MONTHS to master this little tiny activity. Same prob in the beginning, we all do. I literally had to sit at my kitchen table in utter silence, and concentrate on CHEWING everything to a pulp..in my case, 15 chews, swallow and wait. Chew, swallow and wait. That's why it takes 30 min. to finish..tedious piece of work it is to. I use to get so frustrated, I had sh*t to do, places to be, calls to make, this activity was the hardest for me. But as in all things difficult, its worth mastering, now its not even a thinking thing, AND when I behave, I get off the table quicker. Hope that helped P.S. There is no quick trick and NO way around the tiny but major activity, master it grasshopper!!

Well this will bore you to death. I'm 4 years out of surgery and 3 yrs in maintenance. Maintenance for me means 'stability'. So to eliminate what your going threw. I eat the same thing every morning..Quaker (the flavored packets) oatmeal, with, all kinds of fruit I love, the fruit does change and flavor packets change, oh and I put ground flax and wheat germ in it to (keeps my pipe work flowing, if ya know what I mean), I figure it cant hurt. And coffee, lots of coffee. BORING! But I don't have to figure out what my am eating plan is anymore..again, BORING!

On my days off I'm not a morning person, so after my (pot of) coffee and breakfast, few chores around the house, I finally make it to my gym. It has always take me a few hours to wake up in the mornings, so AM workouts are out of the question. Im an afternoon workout gal. 2p -4p I'm a swearin' and sweatin' : And my body thanx me for not kickin' its a$$ at 6am..lol

Your getting stronger and braver..don't worry it will soon feel fantastic and empowering. Look forward my girl, look forward.

Thank you all, Jen that why knowledge is power. You will pay it forward when your times comes also. You are in the learning phase. Everything your going threw now, you will pass on to the next 'YOU'. So don't take yourself to seriously. I promise, when you look back, you will roll your eyes, at these disappointments that seem so big and daunting now. Although!!!! try not to keep processed (dead) food near you, its to tempting. You've heard all the experts say to clean out your cabinets and frig, and pre-make your food so that when you get a craving, all you've have is what you made, well I hate to prove them right, but there right, I tried it, got a craving, and nothing but good crap in my frig..I was disgruntled eating that fruit salad, but happy AFTER I finished it, because it could have eaten cheese cake if in were in the frig at the time. Just the other day, I'm in the my kitchen, just a bitchin' about how sick I am of chopping fricken vegetables, making my lunch EVERYDAY, making shakes. Saw my poor husband trying to sneak out the kitchen!!! Hell I wanted to sneak outta the kitchen with him. BELEIVE ME it gets tedious some days. I just wanna go to a drive thru and get a quick bite, anything that I didn't make myself... just so I don't have to stand in the kitch and chop...arrrrrhhhh...so see, even I still have those days!!...lolol

Bad typer..Ms Misty

Who doesn't love Misty!!!..,I think your on your way to being quite successful Ns Misty .ox

Thats what Im talking about I journaled my first year like a craze maniac..now when I read it I have to giggle at (my old) self. Man, I strict on my poor pouch. I think I gave it an apology.. thank goodness I lightened up. I think there were some months were I drown the poor thing trying to get my prescribe water in..now I just drink when Im thirsty. ..sheeez

I guess Im not understanding your question? You had your band removed? Forgive me I am a gastric bypass gal, so 'removing fill' isn't familiar to me? Im assuming you did have it remove if your considering the Sleeve, right? O

Im sooooo trying not to laugh!!!..lololol

WOOOO HOOOOO MISTY!!!!!!!! now your gettin' it!!!!!! I love when people have EPIPHANY'S...now take that attitude all the way to good health!!!!!!!! God I love this site!!!!!..yayyyyyyy Misty..you go girl!!

lol..its KARMA!!!..quit it..lololol..bad Kata

Hell....Im a crappy typer..lol..but you get the jist

Hello Cherry..My lowest weight was 113, I'm now 115. I don't see to fluctuate much because I am a stickler for what I put into my body. I take this surgery a bit to serious I think. Mostly because ALL processed food makes me sick and dumpy. Bread, Pasta, Rice, Sugar, Dairy, and potatoes give me a instant heavy doey feeling in my stomach. Horrible feeling, Its my pouch that decides what its going to eat, and I listen, basically. I don't push the boundries of my pouch. My feeling is this..My surgery was a God Send. A once in a life time chance for me to get it right this time. What an UNBELIEVABLE gift, don't you think? There is no way in hell I'm missing this train again! My health and family are to important to me, plus I'm sexy as hell now..lol. So to answer your question, my weight is stable because I eat 'mindfully and exercise regularly'. This body feels better than food tastes!! My weight does go up and down on its own, strange as that sounds. 5 lbs up sometimes, 5lbs down. I use to that now. My pouch stretches depending on what I put in it. Seems I can eat platters full of fruits and veg, and don't get sick, just very full. When I have 4 bites of mash potatoes or bread I feel like I'm going to explode. So I think if you eat lots of processes garbage/dead food and sweets, Ice creams, cakes, I think you get the FEELING like its stretching. I think you can train any thing to stretch if you abuse it enough. Very sad state of affairs if you can accomplish that. Why have this surgery if your going abuse all the hard work it takes to be healthy. I never understood that? Addiction I totally understand, I had a sugar one. But all addictions can be cured. Disease's on the other hand are a bit trickier. But I don't remember ever hearing mineless overeating & bad health was a disease? And your last (awesome) question. I am 54, and here's something I this is quite amusing. when I'm in 5 lbs up mode (120lbs) I have my period, its like my body knows, and jumps up 5 lbs, when a week or so later back to 115. When I'm stressed and over tired, or just now up to par, I go down to 110, weird, the body has its own way of coping with what's going on around it. So don't freak out if one morning you wake up and your 6 lbs heavier. Specially if you did nothing to cause it. Its one of the nature of this beast. I don't know if it happens to men. Hope I answer all your question to satisfaction, I have a tendency to babble..lol..thank you so much for the questions. I love questions. take care Cherry