Inner Surfer Girl

I don't lie (at least willingly or easily), so believe me when I tell you that things will start to get better tomorrow or even sooner! IMHO, there is always time for a good cry.

That was one thing I was thinking: cheap clip art and/or old materials.

I vote for calling your doctor anytime you don't understand what is happening, have sharp pain, have a fever and/or just have a question. There is a reason they give us a 24-hour phone number to call post-op. BariatricPal is great, but we cannot replace your medical team when it comes to your care.

Is this an interactive class? If so, why not ask these questions in the class? I would be curious to see how they answer.

Can I borrow him? I need a good mouser (live on a farm), but don't really have room for a full time cat.

Is it a general nutrition class or a bariatric nutrition class? The reason I ask is that a general nutrition class will include starches. I just took a nutrition class through our county extension office and they follow the usda guidelines which includes/carbs and starches. I don't know about the dumping since I had sleeve and not bypass.

Talk to your NUT. Talk to a therapist or counselor. Find a good bariatric support group and/or 12-step recovery group like OA (OA.org). Read books about eating disorders and compulsive eating. Track, weigh, and measure your food. Eat mindfully. Journal. The point is that there isn't one tip or trick that will help you to not compulsively eat. It is a complex issue that many of us have spent years addressing. The first step is admitting that you have a problem. Now, use every resource available to you. Definitely make an appointment with your NUT to talk about what is required by your insurance company. Best of luck.

You are helpful, if only for the simple fact that you offered understanding rather than suggestions that are not options. Thank you! I am trying to just go with the flow until I am able to move. The monotony is soooo hard, though. I'm terrified that I'll actually stop working out, due to boredom. I'm sure I won't, because I know where complacency will lead. I certainly NEVER want to give in to complacency in my exercise or diet. I just need more variety and ways to feel challenged. That is why I'm looking for mind games that people play to make a workout feel challenging. My motivation really needs an upgrade. Do you have a fitness tracker? I got one for Christmas because I swim, but it tracks all my activity. One game you can play is to punch in the air. I do sets of eight adding eight every repetition. So I punch in the air: 8 times, then 16 times, 24 times, 32 times, 40 times, etc. I do that periodically throughout the day and it really adds up on my activity tracker. You could find out how far someplace is away from you and track your walking or biking distances on a map until you reach the equivalent distance. You could listen to books on tape while you peddle. You could go on a photo safari and take pictures when you take your walks. Do you do anything creative? Like: draw, knit, write, etc. If you incorporate a creative activity or hobby into your day you may not get so bored and unmotivated. I realize that you are isolated, but do check out what may be available through your county: library, county extension, churches, etc. There has got to be something besides bars.

Get small utensils (I got some appetizer spoons), or only use the very tip of a teaspoon or fork. Take a small bite. Put your utensil down between bites. Don't pick it up again until you have completely swallowed that bite. Chew slowly, and aim for 20-30 times. The benefit is that you get to actually taste the food. Notice the aroma, texture, flavor, etc. It does take practice, but it is worth it.

Welcome and best of luck with your pre-op diet and your surgery. It is great that you are willing to share your story with us. Admitting that I couldn't do this on my own and practicing rigorous honesty with myself and my medical team have been critical. Another thing I found helped, because this was my first surgery ever, was to commit to doing everything I was asked to do my my medical team, even if I thought I couldn't do it. Keep us posted on how you are doing and best of luck with your surgery.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Congratulations! You look great!

What is your protein target? Are you getting in all of your fluids? Based on what you have posted I would agree that you need more protein and calories. Also make sure you are drinking at least 64 oz of water (and even more since you are exercising a lot).

What is your protein target? It looks to me that you aren't eating enough (protein or calories) to support your base needs let alone intense exercise.

Since you watch tv, can you try some streaming exercise videos or music videos? Pre-op, I got an exercise pediatric and peddled it with my hands while watching tv. Are you able to go out at all? Do you have access to a pool? I joined our local hospital's wellness center and swim and attend classes. There is something available for just about any physical challenge and it is a very social place. Just getting out of isolation can help. Maybe you could join a book club (try your local library) or online. If you are housebound can you see if you can have more people visit. Maybe you could host a book club or other interest group.

I am curious about what you mean. Do you feel this way because it is unclear to you what you are supposed to do? Do you know what to do but choose not to do it? Are you doing what you are supposed to do but think that somehow there is a "right" way and a "wrong" way? I personally find what I am supposed to do to follow my program is simple (but not necessarily easy). What can you do to gain more confidence? Do you have a counselor or therapist you can talk to? Getting upset with yourself when you are doing your best can't be helpful. What can we do to help? I am follow everything to the T! I'm two months post op and down 63 Ibs from pre op and post op I go to the gym 6 days a week but like Saturday I went out to eat out and what I thought was a very small portion I ate. I guess wasn't because I got that feeling that I had over ate. Yesterday I ate a small amount of garlic bread and two fried calamari and felt horrible right after It went in my mouth. I didn't get sick from it but knowing I shouldn't of had it made me upset and then I thought great I'm stretching my sleeve an it ruined the rest of my day. One or two bad choice doesn't sound like "constant" to me. That said, just the idea of garlic bread and fried calamari sounds like it would make me sick. At least now you know why it isn't such a good choice. That wouldn't count as following my program to a T, but I don't know what your program instructions are. A big part of the post-op journey is relearning how to eat with our new stomachs (like an infant, toddler, etc.). That includes making mistakes every once in a while. Try not to be too hard on yourself, but it may be a good idea to slow down and think about your food choices before you put something in your mouth. If one poor food choice ruins your day, talking with a therapist would be a really good idea.

This sounds like a serious issue that you need to work with your bariatric team to solve.

Our bodies are complex systems, not simple machines. Until you are getting enough nutrition: protein, Water, Vitamins & minerals, and calories (fats & carbs), your body is not going to easily give up the extra weight.

For me, the energy came after surgery, after I started eating more nutritious foods, exercising, etc. Immediately after surgery while I was still healing my energy level was still low. Be patient. It will come.

I gave up chewing gum many, many years ago. That is one of those habits that I am so glad I don't have.

The deal breaker for me was whether or not I could give up my diet pop habit. I felt such a sense of accomplishment and of hope after I successfully weaned myself off of carbonation and caffeine. That is when I really started to believe I could do this!

How far out are you after surgery?

My energy level has been increasing, especially now that I am able to exercise more often and more intensely. I think a combination of healthy eating, exercise, sleeping well, and abstaining from caffeine for the most part since before surgery have had a big influence on my increase in energy. The weight loss hasn't hurt either!

So far, I have had the chance to educate some folks about my experience with WLS and to encourage a few folks to explore the possibility. I have also been able to share some of what I have learned with a couple of friends who aren't pursuing WLS but are trying to lose weight.

I used to love to ride my bike when I was in high school a very long time ago. Riding a bike is definitely something I am looking forward to. I would think a good bike shop could help you find the right bike for what you want to do and that would be comfortable and the right fit.