devint

I'm seeing my body finally pulling fat out of my muffin top area yes! Gb is still fighting me but I'm getting used to the routine and pain. Does anyone else find if really ouchie to lay on your stomach yet? My whole abdomen from ribs to pelvis feels mushed and pulled when I roll over on my stomach. Not just isolated to gallbladder side. :/ Also realized shellfish/crab for me is a major no go. Sad to be missing out there.

Another thing I've noticed after my 05/30/14 sleeve is that my hormones are on crazy high estrogen mode; it's caused me breakouts and affected my cycle so that may be contributing as well. I have been told that it passes with time and to just do the best you can while you're body is taking you for a ride through all the big big changes. Congrats on your progress so far!

My trickiest arena in telling people about it was how to handle coworkers because I'm not outside friends with most but it's obvious that I took a week off work and I'm slimming down. I told my direct supervisor the whole truth but his wife is a Sleever so I knew he'd understand. I told my two level up boss I had to have "stomach surgery" and left it at that. With my friends and especially my church folks, I just tell them the truth and ask for prayer/support. I did get asked to lead a group of those who struggle with food addiction at my 12 step. I also got to be an ambassador yesterday to my dental hygienist who, I thought was just being nosy cause she's healthy weight, but she has a 19 year old 300 lb daughter who's considering it. Can't judge a book by the cover.

I should have said I would LIKE to see a lb a day but like you Laurie I'm about 1lb per two days. Also I'm starting to really notice how my body is changing and it's causing me to start thinking about how I look, fashion makeup jewelry all that jazz in a whole new intense light. Feels weird caring.

Also I was a lot more comfortable in a recliner versus the bed for the first week. Ok I promise that's it.

I would call her doctor and ask for their guidelines because every doctor recommends different things at different times. Most important thing is do NOT get dehydrated, which is tough cause a lot of people get "Water nausea" where water sets then off (me) so you have to find something that works and sip sip sip literally ALL THE TIME and don't let the pain get ahead of her, keep track of when her next pain dose is due and don't feel bad using it. Second most important is get moving and walking as much as possible at least once every 2 hours or else gas pains will take forever to get rid of. Do not try anything really physical, especially no lifting or anything that puts pressure on her stomach muscles. Just walking around as much as she can go until she tires. I was also restricted from doing laundry, dishes and taking out the trash because of the bending and lifting so don't even wait for her to have to ask you just keep an eye on it for the first month. Internal stitches take 6 weeks to scar over, minimum (according to my doc) That being said, here was my experience with diet. Clear liquids for 3 days after surgery: tons of broth, they sell mexican or thai infused boxed broth that was a lifesaver, sugar free popsicles so she has something to chew, crystal light. I was advised against set Jello, was told it could "clog" but was told unset jello used basically as koolaid was ok. Again every doc is different and every patient is different. Full liquids for two weeks: this was blended Soups and Protein shakes. Lots and lots of Protein Shakes. when it's blended it should still fall right off a spoon if you turn it sideways. even soups that don't "come" blended (like butternut squash or french onion) you can still throw it in the blender and buzz it up til it's smooth. No particles in the Soup. Puree from week 3 and 4: soft textured foods like canned meat and veggies, spun through the blender with just a bit of liquid (think broth, gravy or even just water) and voila it's baby food consistency. It clings to the spoon a bit when you tip it sideways. At puree, I started to get nasty heartburn and interpreted it as hunger. This is common on the forums here so realize it may be head hunger or heartburn. There are pills called PPI that can help. Good luck and stay connected here. I went through this once as a spouse in oct and then again as the patient 2 months ago. My husband has lost 120 lbs and its amazing the difference it makes in our marriage and everyday lives.

Yes I have also become overly obsessed with dropping a pound a day and get so disappointed when my scale lets me down. But my dr and my weight chart keep me thinking clearly, still more than I had lost on my own in over 5 years. For me with gb issues, I've been eating less cause I'm scared of pain and noticed today I was less than 500 cal. Having to fight to get food in now, feels so backwards but hopefully will do better tomorrow.

Pre op was a tough one for me because I had an unexpected delay when my insurance approval hit a snag and my surgeon went out on vaca the next week! That meant instead of 2 weeks my preop ended up being 30 days. I did "cheat" by sucking on one hersheys kiss about twice (i blame tom) but still fit that into my carb count which is what my doc stressed more than anything to shrink up my liver. I looked at it like this… 1. if I didn't have a preop I seriously would have gained another 20 lbs with food funerals I had already had quite a few but the emotions really ramp up as you get close to your date and 2. this will be the last "DIET" you ever have to adhere to. On the other side you just learn a new way to eat that is comfortable and healthy for you and you learn it slowly and with a strong physical boundary tool aka tiny tummy to help.

Hi I was sleeved may 30th and have lost about 35lbs and I am still not cleared for certain textured food, like anything hard, crunchy, crispy, crisp raw veggies, or generally scratchy (like pretzels) on the inside of your mouth. I am also not allowed any grains (my doc is specific on carbs and allowables to reach his goal of max 50 per day) or anything with lots of "membrane" tissue like eating actual orange/grapefruit slices, grape skins or raisins, fruit peels, popcorn or regular corn. My typical day looks like breakfast and first snack, one a Protein shake and one a greek yogurt. lunch I try to eat leftover meat from the night before but usually can only get in about 3 oz before i'm stuffed. Today I "treated" myself to a whole foods hot bar, $2.12 and delicious! I'm a cheap date now! I have not done great with the afternoon snack, most days just skip to dinner, where I'm eating only meat and like 1 tbsp of veggies. I am paranoid about losing hair because mine is fine to start so I'm trying to eat as much meat and cheese as possible. Problem is tiny tummy gets so full so fast on them. I have only been able to get in about 700-800 per day unless I start grazing on Peanut Butter, then it's all over. I use Bariactiv Vitamins, took them once on an empty stomach and threw them up but since then eat them mid breakfast and ok. Like the others, powdery and fruit flavored. I'm also on Iron, b12, and a ppi acid blocker

Hey hope everyone's weekend was good. I tried corn on the cob, and that didn't stay down very good but boy was it good and sweet. It's amazing how sensitive my taste buds are to natural sugars now. I've also realized that I have been doing a horrible job hydrating over the weekends. Work days I've got a routine but need to push my liquids on weekends/ on the run. Go to the doctor tomorrow for gallbladder follow up. Anyone have a fun Protein recipe or way to get in more exercise?

I went and had bloodwork and an abdominal ultrasound to check on my gallbladder but won't know results till over the weekend. Gas and pain are just slowly increasing. I still can't believe I wasn't aware of the risks of gallbladder issues, 1/3 wls patients have trouble with it. Anyone's dr put them on actigall or similar meds as preventative? I've stopped wanting to eat now and that's a problem cause I'm down below 500 cal a day and it's goofing me up energy focus and weight wise. Hope ya'll are doing a lot better than me lol!

For the newbies coming into the first stall, I also want to throw out there that I've heard and seen that cycles play a big impact and can easy stall you for a week. Ultimately your body knows what it's doing and it will come off if you keep to the plan. Babish glad to hear the "number" is on the move again!

Oh my gosh! I just found out that the nagging pain i've been having behind/underneath my right shoulder blade is not from me "sleeping funny" or just general pain from vsg; i am having gallstone symptoms! Luckily the pain is not severe (yet) just dull moderate aching, but it has been keeping me up at night for the last three nights. I am praying that my doc tomorrow can give me some meds to help cause I do NOT want another surgery. discouraged.

I use miralax, as I had it handy at the first onset, and my doc said it is one of the only ones you can take "chronically" meaning indefinitely if needed without having any negative effects on your bowel muscles. Beware any "laxative" and use "stool softeners" We feel your pain but with some treatment it usually resolves itself. And I'm just gonna throw it out there that I at least enjoy seeing the scale move down after that resolution. Probably not right that i see it as a mini victory, but it's the truth.

@@boccob81 I read somewhere on the forums that posture problems and weird muscle deficiencies that cause you to walk funny happen as the weight is rapidly lost. Basically your back and shoulder muscles are overcompensating for a stomach weight that's not there anymore, plus your abdominal muscles aren't fully healed from surgery yet. Best advice I found is to simple walk tall, sit straight up. If you're having trouble with your leg muscles though I'd be worried you're not getting enough Protein and your body is eating your muscles as fuel instead of fat. NSVs: I had to wrap string around my wedding rings today to tighten them up because they fell off my hands while washing in the bathroom. I also researched how to alter button up shirts so I don't have to buy all new for work just yet, just have a lot of sewing to do. I also went outside wearing a sleeveless shirt, to the grocery store, without an overwhelming sense of shame and self-consciousness. My upper arms still aren't nice to look at, but I just felt better about myself so I did it.

Hw 309 Sw 288 est Cw 250

It's Monday morning and didn't I forget to weigh in this morning? Holiday weekend throwing me off. And in more ways than one. I skipped logging food and steps Friday to Sunday this weekend and I also found myself pretty dehydrated this morning so I'm focusing on getting lots of Water in and I am experiencing a stronger "water nausea" feeling. I've found that keeping the water room temp helps with that, and flavor squirters. Over the weekend we went to North Carolina and I really pushed my capacity with pulled pork bbq binge, like half a cup of it every 3 hours i was there (hey at least it was soft and protein). It didn't stop me that, from what my dr said, our suture lines inside are still healing and creating scar tissue to cover the staples. I have to remember that it's not everything back to normal yet and to take it easy on my body a little longer. I'm starting to get really self conscious about my changing body, noticing the skin getting loose on upper thighs and arms, and the parts of my body I didn't want to go away (chest and bottom) are the first ones my body decides to pull from o.0 But it's all for the good of the whole health wise. hair loss is something I'm scared of too and read an article that recommended…. spraying apple cider vinegar on your hair and then letting it there for a half hour and then rinsing with cold water?? Don't know if anyone else has heard of this but apparently it's a mega conditioner and helps prevent hair loss under stress/hormone changes. It also said you can take a tsp diluted in a cup of water before meals and it will work similar to metformin to reduce insulin spikes after eating. I haven't decided if I'm going to try it yet but if anyone has experience or seen that validated I'm interested in hearing about it.

I have not been working out hardly at all in the "go to the gym" sense but I'm challenging myself to up my step count and have been logging both steps and food religiously for 17 days today My high was 11k but I was shocked and embarrassed to find that my "normal" routine only had me about 3500 steps per day! That's very couch potato! So I've been pushing myself to find new ways to step more (even doing 100 steps in the stall each time I go to the bathroom which, because of my Water intake, is a lot!) I have also tried to increase my workload around the house with things like laundry, dishes and vacuuming. Big problem is I still get lightheaded when I bend over and come back up from postural hypotension, so it can be challenging/annoying to lose my balance/focus. My dr said, keep it at light cardio type activities with no lifting over 20 lbs and no jiggling/pounding so even jogging is off limits till my next appointment in a few weeks. My favorite foods right now are chicken waldorf salad, greek yogurt (eat it everyday!), Peanut Butter and hummus. I read a great article yesterday on Bariatric Foodie for one ingredient add-ins to spice up Protein shakes and I am amazed that my love of Protein Shakes could be renewed but it is! I had one with unflavored protein, chocolate fudge sf pudding 1/2 a box, and 3 drops of coconut extract. It was seriously like drinking a mounds bar, so good. This morning I had vanilla protein with "TrueOrange" which is orange essence crystals, no sugar. CREAMSICLE oh man it was good. So SF pudding mixes, just a few drops of extract, or the "TrueOrange, TrueLemon, TrueLimes" make a world of difference and make me look forward to protein shakes again!! I take bariactiv Vitamins, 2 chewable Multivitamins, 2 chewable calcium+d, 1 Iron, and nasal b12 every monday. I also do the calcium chewables at night (when I remember) because the bariactiv calls for two doses per day but i just never get around to the second dose, but a caramel sweetie somehow gets me to take it Gents move on, but for ladies esp anyone pcos… I have really bad pcos, to the point the fertility dr said nothing i can do to help you just go lose weight and hope. Post op I was told that oral contraception wasn't reliable for bc and for regulating the hormones enough to maintain a regular cycle. So I'm also supplementing with 550 mg dong quai root, which is an herbal, but it has a blood thinner effect and also draws blood to the pelvic region which helps both with cycles and with constipation. It's also supposed to help calm tom and stop pain and cramps. I can feel a huge difference even though I haven't had tom since surgery I can feel it coming hopefully soon. I have also noticed that the pain in my ovaries has all but disappeared, no stabbing/pulling feelings. So I'm hoping its working some magic for me, because the pill itself tastes gross so it's a pain to have to take it everyday.

Hello everyone and welcome to week 5 of our sleeve journey! Thanks to @@lylabelle for admin'ing the group so far. Let's have our weigh in on Monday as usual and I will be glad to keep the new threads going for those of us who choose bariatricpal to keep in touch throughout our journey each Friday. Seriously, we need to think of a group name. I nominate "Quarter Cup Club" and "Sleeveless in Seattle" and "Walk Forest Walk" anything other than may 27-31st sleevers And personally, i'm going to hit 10k steps for the first time since surgery today. There was a fire alarm at my office so I thought, I'm gonna take a walk and came back an hour later haha! Reminder: please direct requests for Facebook group access to @@lylabelle and @@Sh3iz in private message, not on the thread. Thanks!

I am an active sleeper, rolling like a croc all night long. I spent the first 2 weeks in a recliner that my husband moved to exactly next to the bed from downstairs. Since I've gone to the bed, most nights I am mildly uncomfortable when I wake up with an achiness but for me by the time I tried at 2 weeks, the tugging/pulling feeling was gone. Also (I don't know how smart this was) but I wore compression type spanx to bed up to my bra line and that really "supported" me for the first little bit in the bed. That was only about three or four nights.

I get a sharp pain under my right ribs that seems random, then I burp usually a weird sounding groaning burp, and it feels like something settled. If i'm SMART I stop there instead of "oh the burp made more room" but I have gone the bad route and found myself miserable. It takes practice, patience and paying attention to figure out how your body is going to end up working on the hunger side. I'm glad for your progress so far!!

One thing surprised me because it didn't come up til afterwards. At my 1 month checkup my dr tells me not to do anything "Pounding" like jogging, running or vigorous bedroom stuff, and also NO ab work or anything that increases the "abdominal pressure" at all including Zumba and aerobics classes. He said the minimum it takes the suture line to heal internally is 6 weeks and that's minimum. Weight lifting limited to 20 lbs, so I'm not even doing lifting yet until he clears me to go higher/normal amounts. Starting out, I was walking from day one and now can do 3 miles at one clip (get a pedometer, you master what you measure) Once the incisions are scabbed up good, it's ok to swim in most cases. Some of my comrades went bike riding, but I was afraid of falling and hurting myself trying to catch myself. Good luck to you!

Mine was day 6 or so. I was advised to take Miralax because I was nervous of being poisoned! But it turns out the pain pills were the culprit, plus "low residue" diet aka no solids in no solids out. Ive read in other posts to keep your doc posted and if its less than day 10 don't worry too much.

I can understand your concerns because I share most of them. I got my VSG May 30th and already have skin sagging and flaking issues. From everything I've read, hair and skin effects are directly tied to how fast the weight is lost. But that's not the only factor, things like how big you were, how long you were big, Water intake, exercise regimen and plain genetics come into play too. Obviously the Nut will have the best advice for you, but I would say if you're meeting your Protein, water and exercise requirements and wanted to increase your healthy fats with Peanut Butter or avocado or even hummus with olive oil, you shouldn't be afraid to increase your daily caloric intake with these as long as your other needs are met to "slow" down the loss to something YOU are comfortable with. My doc (everyones different) said that as long as you're under 1300cal you're fine and going to keep losing. Hope you figure out what healthy means for you. Hair or skin issues are still better than living Big.

Wow congrats you look great! What a difference a year can make!