Inner Surfer Girl

If you want my advice, keep the appointments. That way, you will be closer to a surgery date if you decide to get the sleeve and/or armed with more accurate information if you are still not sure. You do not have to decide anything today. One of the reasons the process for getting approval for surgery has many steps is so you are able to make a very well-educated and well-thought-out decision. One of the problems of giving too much weight to the opinion of well meaning and well-intentioned friends and family, is that unless they have gone through the process themselves recently, they tend to be ill-informed. Even people who had surgery 5 years ago may not know what it is like today.

P.S., I haven't regretted it for a second.

Some people do seem to regret the surgery, but it's usually briefly while they are still recovering from surgery. Most everyone I know personally and on this forum (which is self-selecting) seems to be happy with their decision with one or two exceptions. I think the folks who have the biggest difficulty are those who: experience significant physical complications (whether related to surgery or not); those who have unrealistic expectations and think the surgery is going to magically make them slim, healthy, and happy without any effort on their part; those who struggle with significant issues (like addictions, mental illness, marital problems, etc.) who think that surgery will magically cure all their ills; And/or, those who are just generally unhappy with everything. There is a reason a psych eval is required for most of us. Issues like those listed above won't bar us from having surgery, but it is extremely helpful to identify areas where we may need extra help. I encourage you not to put too much weight on one person's experience when making your decision. Talk to lots of people (on here and in support groups) so you can make your decision based on a full range of experiences.

Um. No. What this thread should reinforce is that DVTs are serious. You need to follow your surgeon's instructions. Your surgeon's primary goal is getting you through this process safely (alive and healthy). Do what your surgeon says. If that means shots, then take the shots. If that means pills, then take the pills.

Wow! Congratulations!

Congratulations! I still order out Chinese food on occasion. When I do I request no rice, and double up on my Protein and it lasts several meals. (For instance chicken and broccoli with extra chicken).

Believe it or not, you will get to eat food again. You will get to eat food you live again. The food you love may not be what you used to love, but you won't miss it. Just focus on healing for now. Make sure you get in all of your Protein and fluids and follow your surgeon's instructions.

Please remove the word "only" from your vocabulary. You are doing fine. You just had major surgery and are healing. Also, comparing yourself to other people is not helpful. We all lose at different rates and at different times. Just a heads up. We all experience stalls throughout the process. Almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks post-surgery. Just follow your surgeon's plan. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids, take your Vitamins and supplements as directed, and exercise when cleared (walking is great post-surgery). Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Thanks for the update. I am so sorry you are still feeling discouraged. May I recommend that you not set a goal related to the numbers on the scale? Rather, set your goals based on what you can do/behavior. For instance, drink at least 64 oz of Water a day, with at least 20 oz by noon. Have you considered or found a: Good therapist or counselor? Bariatric Support Group? 12-Step recovery group like OA (www.oa.org)? Are you drinking at least 64 oz of fluid/water every day? What is your Protein goal? Are you reaching or exceeding that goal every day? How do you know? Are you recording your food and water intake? Are you exercising? Are you avoiding starches (like Pasta, potatoes, rice, and bread)? Are you taking all of your Vitamins and supplements as directed? Are you avoiding empty calories, highly processed food, high fructose corn syrup, and other junk? Do you eat clean, whole foods? Are you treating yourself with kindness? Are you doing something pleasurable for your body? Like, getting a massage, doing your nails, etc. Are you journaling? Are you reading a self-help book related to your goals? There is so much you can DO that is not a number on the scale, but will eventually pay off with movement on the scale. As other's on this site have pointed out, what you need to do is simple, just not necessarily easy. One last question, have you consulted with your surgeon and/or NUT lately? At 11 months post-op I would be between my 9 month and 1 year follow up appointments. My NUT is always reachable via phone and email and to make an appointment. Consulting your bariatric team would be a good idea of you are still unhappy with your progress. Please, don't give up! Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Congratulations and welcome to the loser's bench!

Can I submit this as my recipe and change it to Butternut Squash? I happen to have a Butternut Squash sitting on my counter right now! LOL

Please don't compare yourself to other people. If your surgeon is happy with your progress then you are doing well. We all lose at different rates. We all have different starting weights, ages, genders, medical conditions, metabolisms, physical capabilities, etc. No two people will lose the same. Just focus on following your program, getting in all of your Protein and fluids, taking your Vitamins and supplements as directed, and exercising.

Welcome! I don't know where you get the idea that we will eat 1000 calories a day for life. Yes, initially post-op calories can be very low, but that is as we heal from surgery and cannot physically consume much. I am over 6 months post-op and still losing and I eat more than 1000 calories a day most days. I eat at least 100 grams of Protein a day, eat healthy carbs and fats, drink at least 64 oz of Fluid, and take Vitamins and supplements. I would even make a bet that my nutrition is much better than it ever was pre-op. I anticipate that once I reach my goal and start maintaining, I will be able to increase my calories somewhat. As a sign in my surgeon's office says: it's about nutrition and not calories. Part of the pre-op preparation and clearance should include nutrition counseling. I recommend that you start making a list of questions to ask your nutritionist and your surgeon as you go through the process. Best of luck.

No. Do you have a therapist? I have noticed on this site that many folks do experience anxiety around WLS. Some for the first time and for others it is intensified. If you do experience anxiety, I highly recommend you talk with a counselor or therapist to help you cope with the stress and uncertainty of this process.

I swim and lately my arms and shoulders have been freezing, so I have been looking at long-sleeved rash guards. I just bought two. They are both real surf-wear (one is O'Neal and one is Dakine). The O'Neal is an XL and the Dakine is L. I am currently able to squeeze into the XL. I was thrilled, because I haven't been able to wear anything that wasn't plus-sized in years!

I don't know if there is anyone on this site who is, but I just wanted to welcome you. I hope you are able to find someone who is but in the meantime I wish you all the best with your journey. Let us know how we can help.

Can't you just search 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk in MyFitnessPal?

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the weight loss process. If you intend to lose a large amount of weight you are going to experience stalls. Just focus on following your plan. Get in all your Protein and fluids, take your Vitamins and supplements as directed, and exercise. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I like Quest chips. I get them online. If you order directly from Quest you can buy individual bags to sample. My new favorite post-swim snack is Mr. cheese O's. I get mine from Amazon but have heard they are available at some stores. There are several flavors and you can get a sampler from Amazon.

I put my plan into practice last night at our church's family dinner. I used a small plate. I got turkey, a tablespoon of stuffing, a tablespoon of green Beans, and a tablespoon of something special (it turned out to be fruit salad). When it came to desert I had a very small piece of pumpkin pie. I recorded everything in MyFitnessPal. We did have communion but I didn't record that (a tiny piece of bread and a thimbleful of grape juice). The company and fellowship was great.

P.S. Stalls are a normal, necessary, and natural part of the weight loss process. Most folks have their first stall at about three weeks post op. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Greek yogurt has Protein. You can add Protein powder to pudding. String cheese and deli turkey have protein. So does cottage cheese. You can also add protein powder to Soups and broths. At three weeks out I was eating a lot of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. I was also allowed tuna then. In addition, I continued to drink ProtiDiet liquid beverage concentrates, Protein shakes, and use the ProtiDiet tomato basil and creamy chickens that I was allowed during my liquid phases. With each phase I was able to add foods to what I was already allowed to have so it expanded my options. But, I still ate fairly simply. Just keep trying to do everything you can to get in all of your protein and fluids.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the weight loss process. None of us lose weight at a constant rate. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, then you will experience stalls. As other's have noted above, with 100 grams of Protein a day, 700 calories seems extremely low. You may not be getting enough fats and good carbs. What does your NUT advise? Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I am so sorry to hear you are struggling. Especially with nausea. Have you talked with your surgeon about the nausea? Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process. You may even find that while you are in a stall, you will see the most changes in your body measurements. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids, taking your Vitamins and supplements as directed, and get some exercise. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. Almost everyone stalls for the first time at about three weeks post-op. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall