Bobby46

Even if I had that kind of time to exercise everyday, there is no way I could do it! I exercise 45 minutes to an hour at the gym and I am so done and so ready to take a shower and get on with my life. Within a week if I didn't have Jilian Michaels, Bob Harper or the "flavor of the day" trainer, screaming at me to keep going, I wouldn't. That is a ridiculous amount of exercise for the average, non-athletic, person to follow through with. I also guarantee those contestants on that show are not continuing with that kind of rigorous exercise plan once they are back home without the screaming trainers in their faces everyday. And....what kind of doctor would even suggest that over weight, out of shape, potentially, very unhealthy people get up and exercise 3 to 4 hours a day?! Was he even slightly serious? Good grief!

Snowkitten, I totally get it! I am also 8 mths out tomorrow. For the last few weeks I have not tracked what I've been eating and I've had my hand in the candy jar...literally! I exercise about 5 days a week and I keep telling myself that I'm doing great because of the exercise, but I'm closing my eyes to the carbs that I have been shoveling in my mouth and the lack of good protein!! I did great until a few weeks ago. About the 7 mth point I started feeling completely normal...like I haven't had surgery at all. That "I got this!" feeling. But, I don't. I know there's still restriction but I know I'm eating around it. I have my small meal but I push around the veggies and add a spoonful of Pasta. Or I just don't plan and eat what I can grab. Not tracking has made me feel like I've been eating mountains of food. It makes me feel out of control. My son is in a lot of sports and is in boy scouts. We hit the road running at about 5 most nights and don't get in until around 7:30. So we hit fast food. I don't think that is a bad thing for me. I usually get a small chili from wendys or a plain chicken sandwich and just eat the chicken. Or I get a small salad with low fat dressing. Always bottled Water or sugar free tea to drink 30 mins later. But....last week I crossed over to chicken nuggets! I ate 4 of them and gave the rest to my son. The point is....I'm slipping. I am losing control and I watch myself do it. I let myself do it. I confess....I had it so easy up until now. Mentally, physically and emotionally easy. Easy surgery. Easy control. Easy weightloss. Well....now the work begins for me. I am determined to fight it. Yes, I have moments when I feel like a failure. I do. But....If I don't pull myself up by the boot straps and get back on this horse RIGHT NOW. Then its only going to get harder for me. All holidays are over and no birthdays until August. No excuse to have junky food in my house. Its NOW. I am forgetting the past few weeks and moving on! I also agree with Jamielogical....don't worry about set weight goals. This is your body and no one else out there is like you. I am so glad my doctor has not set such high goals for me. His philosophy is still the ....you didn't put it on in a year, youre not going to take it off in a year....even with surgery. I'm hard enough on myself!

I am a single mother of a healthy weight, active, 13 year old boy. He has a sweet tooth and hollow legs! He is constantly hungry. I really don't preach to him about what he eats. Since he was a little guy I have taught him 1 healthy snack and then 1 not so healthy snack if he wants one later. If I see him with a snack cake I always ask if he has had something healthy yet....and he usually shows me his apple core. I raised him on chicken, salmon, roasted vegetables and whole grain Pasta or brown rice, no pop. There are always granola bars, snack cakes and chips....but he knows what he is allowed and I really don't think he thinks too much about it. He knows I had surgery to control my weight. We talked about the whys and the hows. The whole 9 yards. He knows he can ask me all about it whenever he chooses. But, he doesn't dwell on what I eat and I don't hound him about what he's eating. I think kids hear you when you speak even when you are convinced they didn't hear a word. I also think they follow you when they see you doing something....whatever it may be. They just see the things going on around them as completely normal. So if you just go about your day as healthy as possible they see that as how its suppose to be. Just like they know they have to brush their teeth and wash their faces everyday....its just normal.

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing. Good Luck to you!

Youre right....nope nope nope. I used to be approached by those people who wore buttons that said "lose weight now, ask me how" It always upset and angered me. This day and age it would be very difficult to find anyone with a weight issue who doesn't know about all the books, tv shows, dvd's, diet programs, diet pills and weight loss surgeries. Diet and nutrition are on tv almost as much as pizza and cheeseburger commercials. It took me a decade to decide to do the surgery. 10 yrs my friends. Everyone has to get to the point where they are ready to lose weight before it can happen.....with any of the choices listed above. Do I wish I did it 10 yrs ago.....OH MY GOD, YES YES YES! But...it would have really upset me if someone came up to me and started talking to me about it out of the blue. I just wasn't ready then. I was an overweight teen. My parents did what they knew how to in the early 80's.....signed me up for jazzercise and gave me dexatrim. They were never home...always working. Meals were quick and unhealthy. My brother and sister were thin and ate the same meals. I stopped at the 7 Eleven and got candy and slurppies after school everyday and grabbed chips and candy to hide under my bed. Sometimes parents just cant help. They just don't know how or theyre trying but the child is just sneaking around and eating junk. Obesity is not always easy to fix. There are a lot of emotional things that need to be conquered as well as providing healthy food choices and exercise. I have a niece who is very over weight. Shes 16. She is way heavier than I was at that age. Have you ever talked to a teenager? They can be horrible little beings! lol Especially if you are suggesting anything or voicing your opinion! Mean, hormonal, emotional monsters! My niece knows that I had surgery and she sees me all the time. We have never talked about it. She knows she can ask and I will talk to her. She has watched me take the weight off and put it back on. She knows she can come to me about anything and I will keep it secret. But...like me....she gets very upset if someone tries to discuss weight loss with her. She has PCOS and it makes it harder. So she is struggling. She will do something about it when she is ready. But.....I know what you mean. I would love to grab my niece and force a change. But that's just impossible.

TeacherMommy, Yes. I was sleeved on Aug 11. The last couple of months is when the huey hit the fan. I have to stay diligent and work a little harder now. I gained 2lbs recently. I know its not a lot to worry about and can be tackled in a reasonable amount of time. But its scary when you see that scale go up....and you know its because your hand slipped into that bag of chips or the cookie jar a couple times too many. You know you are stepping back instead of forward....it really sucks. I get it, completely. But....tomorrow is Monday. I have set my ninja on the counter and am ready to hit the smoothie in the morning. I took a good look at my cupboards and my refrigerator and decided to line up my Snacks and meals for the week. I got my journal and pen sitting on the desk. Plan is to stay focused and hit Planet Fitness right after work at least 3 days this week...if not more! Focus, focus, focus! PS. I also informed my son (its just him and me) that there will be no potato chips, peanuts or gummie bears in the house for a while! Cant hurt him to take a step back and regroup either!

You know what I really love?....How skinny people believe that weight gain and weight loss is just a simple thing....eat less and exercise more. Period. So easy, right? Why didn't we think of that? Gheez! I told my niece....an exercise aholic and nutritionist, 3 mths after. Her first comment...I wish you would have told me before because I would not have let you have the surgery and I would have made you go to the gym. Really? I am 23 yrs older than you and in that 23 yrs I lost and gained around 100lbs. I understand the calorie in/calorie out thing sweetpea. This whole weight loss/gain thing is way more difficult than the 2+2=4 formula so many skinny people think they have figured out. 1+3 still equals 4, so does 5-1 and 8-4......doesn't matter, it all still equals 4. Our decision on how to get this weight off shouldn't make a difference to anyone. Its no ones business. Oh....and just wait. Rude people will continue to be rude and get pretty stinking good at it. I just heard....you had surgery 7 mths ago and you're still fat? Are you doing what your doctor told you? You should be skinny by now! That was my mother!!!!

Hi. I can only tell you what my surgeon advised. You will probably get a lot of different answers to your questions. He said no carbonation because it causes gas and a full feeling. After surgery you will only be able to eat about 1/4 c. of food once you start eating again. If you have been sipping carbonated beverages then you wont have enough room for food. You need the food not the carbonated drinks....even zero calorie. Its a room thing. Caffeine is a person to person preference. I was given the ok about 3 weeks....maybe 4....cant quite remember. I was putting the single serving instant coffee in my Protein shakes at that point....yummy! by the way! He said some people have acid issues which stimulates feelings of hunger or causes heartburn or reflux. He advised to give it a try, if it doesn't bother me, have at it, if it does, stop it. My doctor never said no to sugar free Jello or popcicles....he actually encouraged it because of their Water content. But I remember reading some posts a while back where some doctors felt they kept you from drinking water because they fill you up.....yes, in the beginning a tiny little container of jello will be a mountain of food to you, you will only be able to eat 1/2 of it, crazy as that sounds. They believed that when you eat you should be eating protein, jello and popcicles just don't have protein. Personal advise....kick the carbonated drink habit. You will be so glad you did. You will need all the room in your stomach for good food. Drink coffee if you just have to have it and you can tolerate it....but wait a few weeks after surgery to make sure youre healed. Eat the jello and popcicles if you cant drink another drop of water and you are dying to feel like you are eating something. It may help keep you hydrated if you cant tolerate all the water. In the beginning it will be hard to keep sipping the water and you will just want something else. They wont hurt you. PS.....I think they want you to stop certain habits pre-op so you aren't fighting those battles too when the surgery is done.

My NUT told me that a lot of his patients that have kept the weight off long term did weight watchers about 2/3rds of the way to goal. He said he thought it was helpful because of the meetings, teaming up with friends and the weigh in's each week. The plan itself...the "meals" are still going to be too much for us. Our food choices will just be different than everyone else's because we need to eat really small meals and high Protein. I know the program too. Did it several times...very successful once, a long time ago. I just don't think I am to the point where I want to pay a weekly fee. I'm still paying for the surgery.....and will for another 2 yrs, more than likely. And I pay Planet Fitness each month too. A lot of my "me" money is already going out the door for this. But.....if I ever get to the point where I feel I'm getting off track, I will definitely revisit WW's. Also, I am at a weird point. Lots of stalls. Its discouraging. I am still well within the guidelines of the diet but I have noticed that I tend to eat a little more carbs than I did in the beginning. So....that's going to stop. I have gained 1lb since starting weight training last week (have only been doing cardio up till now) I'm hoping the weight training will help with this stall, lose, stall, lose cycle I've been in. Maybe after I put on a little muscle I can dip back into the carbs??

Ditto BeagleLover

Not a single episode for me and I'm 7mths out. No dumping at all. I had 1 episode where I ate Soup for lunch a month out from surgery and I felt horrible, I think it was the liquid in the soup that put me over the top fullness wise....but nothing came up and nothing came out. I have no issues at all with sugar or greasy food. I don't eat much of either but they don't hurt me at all.

Hello. I cant say anything about the Dr.'s you mentioned, I had surgery in Ohio. My surgeon had me on liquids for the first 4 weeks. He felt it was better safe than sorry since it takes 4 to 6 weeks to fully heal. Soft foods will taste like heaven to you when you get there so even if you are on soft foods on vacation you will be fine with it. I ate a lot of cottage cheese, greek yogurt, creamed Soups, tuna salad, pureed chili was my favorite and of course Protein shakes, but I thickened them with greek yogurt and fruit. At 4 weeks I was still really tired, no energy at all. But no pain at all since the day I got home. You may not have the energy to be very active on your vacation. Just a heads up. But you could also be just fine. Keep in mind that everyone has a different experience. hair loss....I was told your body stores protein. I understood that if you hit the high levels of protein for a while before surgery you actually store it and it helps get you through surgery. Protein is important for healing. They aren't completely sure if its protein issues or anesthesia issues that cause hair loss in patients. I would recommend B12 and Biotin before surgery and use a sulfer free shampoo and conditioner. It cant hurt. I did it for about 3 months before surgery and still do today. I lost a little hair about 5 mths out. I can notice....but its my head. My hair dresser noticed only because she was aware of how thick it was before surgery. She assures me that no one can see a difference unless they were looking for it. But no one else can tell....and I only ask friends who will be brutally honest! Loose skin....I'm 47 and short....its gonna be an issue for me. But I will deal with it when I have too. So far its not really bad and I'm down 74lbs. My opinion.....I would vacation first and then schedule surgery. ONLY because everyone has different experience. You could have it super easy....or you could have it super rough. You just never know.

I just would not have worried so much about everything.....the surgery, the pain, the "is this normal?" stuff, the smoothies, the Vitamins, the food....do I have enough?....do I have the right kinds of food?, the exercise. It all falls into place one day at a time. I found my way. I am doing it one day at a time and I am thrilled with it! You will find your way too, no doubt. Good luck to you!

I was able to take my thyroid pill the day after surgery. No problem. I was given other meds crushed and was told I can take them with a small amount of applesauce to help it go down. I was given a pill crusher/cutter in the hospital. It was about a week before I could take things without crushing. You can cut pills in half or quarters to make them small enough to get down with Water. No worries...you will be able to take all your usual meds in no time. Your doctor will work with you on how to do it the first few days.

Its been a while since I created mine. You should just be able to click on your name and it should give you the option to crate a ticker. It walks you through it. I know when I update mine I click on my name and then click My Tickers. Good Luck!

I was sleeved on aug 11. I hit a huge stall after the 1st of the year too. I lost very steadily until then. I go up and down a pound or 2 then drop 3....back up and down. My doctor told me it is my body adjusting. She said that I may have to fight a little harder or adjust my workouts, but I will still lose. Stalls are completely normal and I should just keep on doing what I'm doing. The fast dropping has pretty much ended. But I am still dropping. Its hard to stay motivated at times like this. I decided I am staying off the scales everyday.....it was driving me nuts. Now I weigh on Saturday mornings....that's it. I have only gone down 5lbs the last month but I dropped a size in clothes. I am going to focus on that for a while and try to forget that stinking scale!

Hi all. I was hungry right after surgery as well. I was told it was stomach acid. I never had acid issues before so I didn't take the Prilosec that was prescribed. When I complained about hunger 2 weeks after surgery my doctor advised to start taking it. It worked. 7 mths out now and I rarely get HUNGRY now .....but I do get hungry...... Hang in there, your body is still adjusting to everything. It gets way better!

I am almost 7 mths post op and I have found that winter is really sucky when it comes to this surgery! You are stuck inside and want nothing more than to sip coffee on the couch with a blanket and a book! I have found that November thru February are still just as hard to get thru as they were pre-surgery.....still have to get thru all the holidays and family birthdays.....it seems every other week junk food is still in the house! But....you can get back on track. No doubt! You have all the info you need and you know exactly what to eat ....you did it before. Get out your old notes and pamphlets from pre-surgery.....my program required me to take nutrition classes and I have a couple notebooks to refer to. Make an appointment with a nutritionist with bariatric experience?? I am pretty sure you aren't eating as much as you did before surgery so the restriction is still there. No more slider foods. Try the basics again.....protein first, then veggies.....no carbs, few fruits and lots of Water. Give it a week and see if it makes a difference. You will probably feel the control again and be headed in the right direction! Good Luck! You got this!!

Honestly. You just have to get rid of the things that you know you can not control yourself around. All of it. Period. Dot. The end. WLS does not control our addiction to food....it only controls how much of it we can eat at a time. So we have to decide what can and can not be in our homes and offices. Its hard as hell but you can do it! I have a very physically active 13 yr old son in the house with a healthy body weight and a healthy appetite to go with it. He eats constantly! I have a cupboard with a huge bowl of snack food for him to eat as he pleases. I only fill it with stuff that upsets my stomach or things that have never appealed to me. He has complained lately that I haven't been buying the chocolate covered granola bars he loves.....I told him he can have those at his dads or school, they will never occupy space in our house again! He is learning to live with the change....and he is surviving! And he is eating more fruit and vegetables also! Change is good for everyone!

Hello. I haven't gained any weight but every now and again I find myself taking bites of this and that that I know are not good choices. Those this and that bites were happening more and more often. So Monday I cleaned out the house again and wrote out a meal plan and am sticking to it. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and 3 birthdays since New Years had me nibbling all the time. It was just around. I don't want to slip back into old habits so I had to make a plan. It just has to be mind over matter. I had to decide if I wanted to keep nibbling until it was totally out of control or if I was going to put a stop to it right now. Now when I start that mindless walk to the kitchen there is nothing but good choices. And....I have a huge supply of those crystal light Water enhancers so I can get more water in and trick myself into having something sweet in my mouth. Best of luck to you. You did it before, you can do it again! No doubt!

I am a very private person as well. Especially about my weight. Being heavy is very obvious to the world, I don't have to verbally announce it. I am more than 6 mths out now and my weight is what everyone wants to talk about. I only told 4 people in the beginning. One was a close friend and she hasn't spoken to me since surgery. One was my Mom.....I should have just put it on Facebook because she immediately told everyone you possibly could even though I told her I would be extremely angry at her if she told any other family members. My close friends know that I don't want to talk about it....so we just go about our friendship as usual. On the other hand....my aquaintences and co-workers have no shame in flat out asking very personal questions about my size, my weight and everything you can think about to go right along with it. I hate it. I have been polite and skirted the subject but they just keep asking. I guess what I'm saying is that even though you are a very private person and don't want people to know, changes are coming your way that are going to be blatantly obvious to everyone. You might consider being very firm with people that you will not discuss your weight with anyone. I was a little too polite and kind to everyone in the beginning and now they feel they can still approach me. Stand your ground. Don't give an inch...they will try to take a mile! I hate being the center of attention....good or bad. This is going to be an issue for me for a while.

I'm 5' and 47 yrs old. My primary doc want me to get to 120 yrs ago when I did a guided diet with him and weight watchers. I actually hit 140 but couldn't maintain it. I bounced up to 165 and maintained it for 8yrs. 165 was right for me even though it was still considered obese on those medical charts. I have set a goal of 125 because of those goofy guidelines, but.....to be completely honest if I never see it I will be fine with that. If I see 140 and am able to maintain it, I will be thrilled. If I bounce up to 165 and stay there forever you will not be able to smack the smile off of my face! I have been over weight my entire life. At 47 I refuse to box myself into a number this time. I am healthier at 184 than some of my friends that are at their ideal weight. I just want to feel good and be healthy.

To be completely honest, coffee is my new best friend. I drank it before the surgery. Since surgery it is the only vice I held on to. Its a comfort to me. I feel myself, normal... with a hot cup of coffee in hand. My doctor advised that it may stimulate more cravings but as long as it doesn't upset my stomach then I can have it as often as I want. I have a cup or 2 in the morning and sometimes in the evenings. I really don't notice any difference in my cravings to where I can blame it on caffeine.

Biotine mouth spray. If you take nothing else with you at all, take this. You will have the driest mouth ever and ice chips and Water just don't cut it. As far as what to expect that no one told me about.....Nothing really. This forum had me well prepared. I had no pain and felt fantastic immediately after surgery. Your experience will be unique. All the best to you!

Mine has jumped too. It has to be from the high Protein diet we are on. But I'm not sure what to think about it just yet. I have a doc appointment in May and will ask then. Curious too.