Babbs

I have the stretch marks on my tummy from having 2 giant babies years ago, so my bikini days have been pretty much over....but like someone else said, I'm not opposed to a little bit smaller tankini when the time comes! If it makes you feel good, ROCK IT!!

This made me cry....so beautiful!

You're doing just fine. 90% of people stall at 3 weeks (yes, gaining weight can be part of a stall. I do it all the time). You're body is still adjusting. It's in shock. Don't worry about the scale right now, and concentrate on healing, hydration and then Protein. Your little tummy is still very swollen from the surgery, so it will take time to get all your liquid and protein goals in, but be persistent!

About the second or third day home from surgery, my husband was fending for himself for dinners (for obvious reasons) and he made himself a bagel breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese and ham. He sat down to eat it, and as soon as I smelled it, I burst into tears. I was so head hungry I just couldn't take all the food being eaten around me. Needless to say, the first couple weeks are hard, and it's very normal to be emotional and yes...HUNGRY. The good news? It doesn't last forever and you will soon be eating solid foods and the hunger feeling will subside a great deal. Hang in there! This too shall pass

I got a red and white beach cruiser bicycle! I would have posted a pic, but I can't figure out how, lol. Now I just need the weather to get warmer to ride it! Can't wait! My grown daughter has been learning how to sew. She bought an old sewing machine at a second hand store to learn on. I wanted to see if she was going to stick with it, so when it looked like she was going to, we bought her a brand new fancy one! She was so excited!

Don't feel like you're alone. I'm 4 moths out and it has ALWAYS been an issue for me. I used the "Eat Slower" app at first, and it did work for a while, but now I'm back to eating fairly fast and it really isn't an issue for me. Good Luck!

Fascinating! Thanks for posting!

Fascinating! Thanks for posting!

@@chasingpolaris321 I have friends in Santa Cruz! My husband used to commercial fish for salmon in Santa Cruz, also. I miss it so much (the ocean) sometimes

Deep breaths, positive thoughts. See you on the other side!

I weigh once a week...every Monday morning at the exact same time As I'm going through weight loss, I take a picture every 10lbs lost. It's really amazing the difference 10lbs makes! Oh, and if I'm feeling particularly cute that day, I'll snap a pic

Sounds like you have a great doctor! Good job on your progress so far!

I did. I had NASTY rashes where and even underneath the tape was. I even thought I was going to scar in a couple places, but it does look like they've faded. Just keep taking your Benadryl and wait it out. I think it took a good couple weeks for mine to heal up.

West coast girl here! Born in San Jose, California, grew up in Portland, Oregon, married and had babies back in Cali and now reside in Boise, Idaho. Boise has been my favorite place to live

@@lljenkins When was the last time you lost 14lbs in 2 weeks? You're doing just fine! Like Ann said, worry about what you need to be doing (IE Water, protein) and stay off the damn scale if it's going to throw you into a tizzy about how much less you're losing than everyone else. Only weigh once a week or even once every 2 weeks if need be. You have more important things to worry about right now, like healing and getting your hydration. Keep doing what you're doing and the weight will come off at your body's own pace. Not someone else's pace....

@@April4 1) some foods that are bad for you are easier to eat e.g chocolate You are still healing. As you continue to heal and go through your stages, you will find many foods will be easier to eat, including the dense Protein that will help you lose weight and build muscle mass. chocolate doesn't do that. 2) I'm still hungry and I still crave all the food I did before Hunger is all relative. It could be head hunger, or it really could be true hunger. Many sleevers still feel it, and I am one of them. I am glad I still feel the cravings and the hunger after surgery. It has taught me the self discipline I needed to resolve the issues with food I've had my whole life. 3) you get bored or the same food choices very quickly You're only a little over 6 weeks out. Soon, you will be able to eat a wide variety of foods as you continue to heal. Boredom gone. 4) protein shakes, protein bars are disgusting They may be "disgusting", but you have to look at it almost as a prescription you have to take (like your vitamins). They are needed right now as your tummy heals and they are giving you the much needed protein you can't possibly get right now from just food. You won't be drinking protein shakes forever. 5) your breath stinks and you have a taste of metal/metallic in your mouth Hallelujah! This means you're going through ketosis, and you're burning fat! Isn't this the reason you had the surgery? There's a reason they invented breath mints.... 6) you don't lose the weight as quickly as you might think/hope... but you do lose Some of us lose faster than others. Don't compare. As long as you're still losing, the surgery is working! It didn't take a few weeks to put on all the weight, did it? Losing weight the right and healthy way takes time. 7) the novelty of only being able to eat soft tiny portions wears off and sometimes you wish you could join the rest of the family for a big old dirty Chinese When a few months go by, and you are sitting there many pounds down, feeling wonderful and in control of your own food choices, it's not going to matter what everyone else is eating. You may even feel disgusted at the sheer amounts of food others can eat, and be happy you don't eat like that anymore.

It's always amazing to me how much different a person looks after a significant weight loss. You look healthier and younger. Congrats! Here's to you hitting goal in 2015!

I used to be paranoid about going out to functions because I thought people would "notice" what I was (or wasn't) eating. Well guess what? NOBODY NOTICES OR EVEN CARES. Don't stress, just choose smarter, healthier choices and don't make it all about the food. Make it about the people you're with and having a good time

Same as what I eat now, but in much smaller quantities of course Dense protein: Eggs Tuna (Any fish, really) Shrimp (Any shellfish, really) Lean red meats (occasionally) Chicken Turkey SOME dairy (IE REAL cheese, REAL butter, but in limited quantities) ONLY get your carbs from veggies, and limit starchy veggies (asparagus, cauliflower, potatoes, etc...) stick to mostly green veggies and salads. Stay away from iceberg lettuce and try to do romaine and spinach for salads as much as possible. NO SUGAR (Or as little as you can possibly get away with) Snacks: Cheese, almonds, Jerky, low fat, low sugar greek yogurt Drink TONS of water! I GUARANTEE you will lose what you need to lose and then some if you religiously stick to this and track calories. Good Luck!!

Don't worry. I didn't even have a pre op diet, and I did fine. Only clear liquids the day before. I pigged out up until then, and here I am 4 months later and over 45 lbs thinner! Good luck to you tomorrow!

It's so common it even has a name! "The Dreaded Three Week Stall" Most everyone goes through it, and everyone gets through it! There is a sub forum called "Don't Sweat the Stall Stuff" you might want to check out. No fear! Keep doing what your doing and you'll get through it in a week or two...

I heard nothing but nightmares about Cigna, but it actually turned out to be great! I had my 3 months supervised diet, to where I really only lost 5lbs (quit smoking and then bunion surgery), my psych eval and nutrition visit. It took my office a whole 2 weeks to even submit it, and it took Cigna 2 or 3 days to approve after it was submitted! I had surgery 3 weeks after that because the surgeon just happened to have an opening! Long story short, it took the surgeons office longer to submit it to Cigna than Cigna to approve me. Good experience with them.

I'm almost 4 months out and have not experienced hair loss as of yet ( knock on wood!) I still have a 30 gram protein shake every morning for breakfast, so maybe that helped? It's hard to say. I just think it really is the luck of the draw I guess.

Are you pre op or post op? Yes, I've done the Phentermine route. Like everyone says, as soon as you stop taking it, you gain the weight right back. It doesn't change your eating habits or mentality toward food....it's a quick fix. A band aid. The million and one "diets" that are out there. I had this surgery to CHANGE all that! Yes, it's pretty much legal meth.

Oh, well that's a different story. I hope they will approve you!! Good luck!