JamieLogical

Congrats! I had to take a bit of a break from my C25k training because I was on vacation all last week and this week I've been sick with a head cold. Finally got well enough to try Week 6 Day 1 last night and I am very happy to report that I did it! I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to after not having run in almost 2 weeks and still dealing with the tail end of this cold, but I did! It's a big relief to know that I was able to pick up where I left off and I am hoping to sign up for a race for the mid to end of May.

Well, technically that first one is a scale-related victory, but congrats anyway! And I so hear you about chairs with arms. For a long time I would look at a chair with arms and worry that I wouldn't fit. Now I never have to worry!

I'm sorry. My insurance also requires a documented BMI over 40 for 5 years. My problem was not my lack of medical records, it was the fact that in 2010/2011, I lost 90 pounds "on my own" and my BMI was well below 40 for a long time as I slowly regained the weight. I didn't peak back over a 40 BMI until this past summer, so I would have had to wait almost 5 full years to be eligible for WLS again. I felt like they were punishing me for at least *trying* to lose the weight on my own. I ended up going the self-pay in Mexico route. So glad I did! Now I will have 4-5 less years of obesity taxing my body!

I slacked off with exercise quite a bit post-op. I was instructed not to do any core strength training or intense cardio until two months out, but I really didn't start up again until more like 4 months out. I now am doing the Couch to 5k program every other day. On my non-running days, I alternate between biking and resting. On all of my cardio days I do strength training, rotating between upper body, core, and lower body, depending on the day. I just use free weights an do a series of about 6 exercises, two sets of 12-15 reps. I increase my weights for each exercise every week or two. Upper Body Bent Over Rows Hammer Curls Tricep Kickbacks Dumbbell Flys Lateral Raises Wall Push-ups Core Crunches Reverse Crunches Bicycle Crunches Side Bends w/ Dumbbells Back Extensions Pendulum Plank (hold as long as possible) Lower Body Single Leg Squats on pillow w/ chair Lying Single Leg Raises Lying Abduction Lying Adduction Bridges I do about 5 minutes of stretching after each workout.

That's a PPI and yes, I was given a two month supply post-op. If you can't stomach the one you were given, you can buy them over the counter in any drug store or grocery store. Nexium and Prilosec are the brand names, but there are cheaper generics available.

@@shirleyjohn001 There's a difference between mental and physical "satisfaction" when it comes to food. In all honesty, food does not satisfy me the way it used to. I don't derive pleasure out of eating one or two slices of pizza the way I did out of eating an entire pizza. Early on, it was frustrating and depressing that I couldn't achieve that contentedly full feeling I once had. But I have adapted to it now and mentally don't crave that sensation the way I did before. My point is, it will be a change and you may go through a mourning period, but you adjust to your new normal and all of the other improvements in your health and lifestyle MORE than make up for it.

I'd recommend going back on the Prilosec. My surgeon prescribed it for the first 2 months post-op to ALL of his patients. As other posters have mentioned, then pureed stage can be deceiving when it comes to how much you feel you can "eat". I the pureed stage, you are really still "drinking" for the most part and liquid can pass through very easily. One of the reasons we're told not to eat and drink at the same time post-op is because it gives food an apple-sauce consistency that can pass through very fast. Well guess what. In the pureed stage, everything has that consistency! You will definitely feel the restriction when you move onto soft foods and solids. I promise. And the grumbling tummy and hunger could definitely be acid, so go back on that Prilosec for a little while until you are safely eating solids and then see how you feel.

I think everyone goes through a period like what you are experiencing. At some point, the weight of the permanence of the surgery sets in. You realize that your relationship with food can never be the same. And when you are used to turning to food for comfort and that's the one thing you CAN'T do anymore, it makes it all the harder. It was tough tough for me probably into my 4th or 5th month to fully wrap my head around it. In those early days of solid foods, I even tried to eat my old comfort foods and was disappointed and frustrated because I couldn't eat enough of them to feel satisfied. I couldn't achieve that old feeling of comfort just eating one or two slices of pizza the way I did when I could eat an entire pizza. Eventually my body and brain both caught onto the fact that food just couldn't be my source of comfort anymore and I really don't crave those old foods anymore. Though, I assure you that you CAN eat pizza and wings again eventually. You just may not enjoy them the way you remember, which is a little sad, but really worth it in the long run when you think about the happy and healthy and full life you have ahead of you.

I was allowed solids at 40 days post-op.

Most people who have acid issues only see them get worse post-sleeve, not better. I had weight-related acid reflux and heartburn before my surgery that caused me to just take Zantac or Gaviscon as needed. In the past, it had always gone away once my weight got below a certain point. Post-op, I am well below that "certain weight" and my acid is still a constant issue, causing me to have to take 20mg omeprazole twice per day to keep it in check. I have accepted that I will likely need to be on a PPI forever at this point.

It'll be a challenge to get all of your protein in if you can't eat meat, though there are some successful vegetarian sleevers on here that might have some good advice for you. Have you talked to your surgeon? Do you have any trouble with eggs or dairy?

*Backs out of thread slowly* Hahahaha! The truth is out. Now everyone will fear me!

As others have said, I'm not really a "vet" yet as I am only 7 months out and a ways from goal, but I have been on these forums a while now and I have received and read a lot of advice, experiences, research, etc. I am more than happy to share my knowledge AND opinion with anyone who asks! I try to mostly do it in a constructive and supportive way, but even I get caught in a foul mood every once in a while. There have been a number of times when I've thought to myself "if I see one more post complaining about SLOW loss when they've ONLY lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks, I'm going to throw my monitor across the room!" Or "if I see one more post about someone stalling two or three weeks out and having a complete meltdown about it, I am going to delete my account!"

Don't go crazy stocking up on stuff for your post-op diet. Things you like the taste of now, you might not like so much post-op. I still have a cupboard full of protein powders that I bought pre-op and then couldn't stand post-op. You are better off getting a SMALL amount of things to try and then buying more once you know what you like and can handle.

Congrats on getting your date! To answer some of your questions: Just recently I got to do something I wasn't able to do exactly one year ago. I got to ride on all the rides at an amusement park on vacation with my family! At the same park last year, I suffered humiliation after humiliation when I tried sitting in the sample seats they had out in front of the rides to see if I would fit. This year, no problem! I also told very few people about my surgery. All of my family knows, but only two of my friends/coworkers do. Luckily(?) I have lost and regained a lot of weight in the past, so most of them think this time is no different and haven't bothered to comment on my weight loss at all. By the time they realize I'm not regaining this time around, it will be too late for them to comment.

How far out from surgery are you? I had this problem a lot in my early weeks post-op, but it was fine after the first month or so unless I was drinking room temperature water. For some reason it was less of an issue if I was drinking really ice cold water or hot beverages.

I found this article, which might be of some help: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141106082038.htm

I've heard similar accounts from others who have had hernia repair at the same time, so I think your pain was much more a result of that and not the VSG procedure.

You could work on eating more slowly as well. Chew your food very thoroughly and set your fork down between bites.

Sip. Sip. Sip. All day long. I aimed for 1 oz. of fluid every 15 minutes, so 4 oz. per hour. For protein, the truth is I just never got anywhere near goal while in the liquids phase. I tried to get in 3 shakes a day. My favorite ready-to-drink shakes were EAS AdvantEDGE Carb Control (Rich Dark Chocolate), which I bought at Target and Walmart. Some groceries stores carry them too. They taste a lot like Slim Fast if you've ever had that, but with way more protein and way less carbs.

If you are losing steadily and you are working out, why are you concerned about your calorie intake? Reducing your calories when you are already losing can result in your metabolism slowing down, especially if you are exercising. You need to make sure you are taking in enough calories to sustain your level of activity. If you really feel you need to reduce calories, cut back on fats. The foods you mention are high in fat and fat has 9 calories per gram, versus only 4 calories per gram of Protein. So if you stick to leaner Proteins, you will get more "bang for your buck" so to speak.

You really shouldn't be eating bread. It is high in carbs and doesn't provide any nutrition. You should focus on Protein first, vegetables if you have any room after your protein, and avoid starches and breads altogether. Eating foods that are high in carbs can make you hungrier and increase cravings. I don't avoid carbs completely, but I do always try to put protein first. If my protein comes with a few carbs (breading on chicken or sauce on meat), I don't worry about it. As long as I'm getting my protein in. A PPI is a "proton-pump inhibitor". The most common one in the US seems to me omeprazole, which is sold under the brand name Prilosec here. It helps prevent your stomach from over-producing acid. They are sold over-the-counter here, so they don't require a prescription from a doctor. Not sure where you live, so you may have to talk to your doctor about a prescription.

Pain for VSG is pretty minimal. You may have a bit of soreness in your abs and some pain around your incisions, but it is nothing compared to the pain of other injuries and surgeries I've had. I did have internal discomfort (not pain) when swallowing even the tiniest sip in the early days, due to swelling in my stomach and esophagus and some actual pain when overeating the first few times until I learned not to do that. Honestly though, as far as surgeries go, unless you have complications, this is pretty painless.

I've been thinking the same thing! I'll likely be moving to Ohio within the next year and when I do, no one there will know I was ever fat!

My surgery weight was 236 and my surgeon's goal for me was 165. So only 71 pounds. So far, I am down 55 pounds in seven months.