MrsSugarbabe

What I'm about to share with you, I do not recommend or condone. Everyone is different and everyone's doctors and WLS teams make different recommendations. I'm just sharing my personal experience since that is what you asked for. I also echo @@jessjames message Prior to surgery, my hubby and I would enjoy a glass of wine (3-5 oz.) with a steak dinner about every 6 weeks or so, so I was not a big drinker to start with (haven't been since my early 30s). After surgery, it was at least 6 months before I had my first glass of wine and I kept it to about 2-3 oz. I felt the effects of the alcohol in my system much faster than ever before; not a real buzz per se, but that warm feeling all over and especially in my joints. It's been that way ever since; and we still don't drink any more frequently than before my surgery. A couple weeks ago, we were in Pigeon Forge on vacation. We visited one of the new, legal moonshine retailers where I choose to sample some of the various flavors of moonshine. The samples were poured into a very small cup (what I know as a communion cup) so you don't get much "shine" in a sample. However, I did sample several different flavors and would estimate that I got almost the equivalent of 1.5 - 2 ounces of moonshine. Needless to say, I got quite a buzz going and felt the effects immediately. Since I knew what wine did to me, even in small amounts, I expected this type of effect, but not to the level it was. The effects did not last long since hubby and I were walking quite a bit and did eat lunch immediately afterwards. And if anyone is wondering, no I did not buy any moonshine to take home Also, since there is no nutritional value to any alcoholic beverage, I choose to limit my consumption of such because I would rather use those calories on something with substance. Regardless of my experience with alcohol, it is in your best interest to follow the recommendations of your WLS team.

Thanks for the suggestions, Pam @mngreeneyes. I'll have to check out some of those. I love spandex type garments for the bottoms, and usually just wear my regular bra since I typically do circuit training, strength/weight training, and elliptical. I do buy most of my workout wear at Walmart, but will sometimes pick up t-shirts at other stores if I see something I like. Like you said......Keep Moving!!!

I don't use an ap for that Just not an ap person........yet. I use the SparkPeople website to log my food and track my fitness. I tried the MFP website initially, but did not find it to be as user friendly as SP.

@@solea78 - I have osteoarthritis in both my knees also, and also have bone-on-bone in my left knee. After losing the initial 60 lbs., any knee pain I was having was alleviated. There are certain exercises that my knees don't tolerate, but have found I can do at least 30 mins. on the elliptical machine at the gym without any knee discomfort during or after exercising. There isn't any gym or Y close to home with a pool that would be convenient so doing Water exercises are not an option for me. I do walk on my lunch break most days during the week. I concur completely with @@Bufflehead recommendations; they are sensible and on target. I still have plenty of restriction with my sleeve, but have discovered which foods are slider foods for me and shouldn't be a regular part of my food plan. We have a great tool to use to help control the quantity of food we eat as long as we continue to do the work of planning, logging, and exercising regularly (preaching to myself here ). The best to us all on this journey!

Yes, you can get back on track Get you some unjury chocolate splendor Protein powder and make you a chocolate shake when you feel the need for some chocolate. If you'll check the Unjury website, they have recipes for all sorts of Snacks and dishes using their Protein Powder. It's best to do all that you can not to let old habits creep back into your lifestyle. Once they creep back in, it can be very hard to shake them. You CAN do this!!

I will probably always identify as a WLS "patient" if for no other reason than when I go to restaurants to eat. Although I feel more like a "normal" person when making food choices, exercising, etc., because my sleeve holds so little, when dining out I always ask about ordering from the kid's menu, and if that's not an option, hubby and I frequently split restaurant meals, or I'll order what I want and take the leftovers home for another 1-2 meals. I know there are plenty of "normal"/non-WLS folks out there who do that also, but that was not part of my pre-WLS habits so these days it's a regular reminder. I don't go into detail with the servers about why I would like to order from the kid's menu (assuming there's something on it I would enjoy), I just tell them I don't eat much. Most of the time they are quite accommodating.

I concur with what @@KristenLe and @@Bufflehead have stated. Because I already had a documented history of weight loss attempts with my primary care physician, I was not required to do a 6 month supervised diet. So, as they have said, every insurance carrier and WLS program is different.

I came off metformin pre-surgery and never restarted. A1c stays around 5.4-5.7 now. Controlled with diet and exercise. No trouble healing post-surgery. The only thing I do contend with every so often is hypoglycemia so I do still check my BS at various times, although not necessarily daily. Usually before going to the gym and after a strenuous workout. Also, I'll test if I'm feeling weird like I do when my sugar is getting on the low side. I am more vigilant than ever about keeping something with me (i.e. juice) should I experience low BS away from home or work

Not for one second have I regretted having sleeve surgery; despite having to be admitted to the hospital 6 days post-op for plural effusion due to infection. I spent 2 weeks as inpatient then moved to inpatient rehab for 6 days to rebuild my strength. There's always that very small percentage who MAY encounter challenges post-op so I wouldn't want anyone to let those concerns or my experience deter you from moving forward. My surgery went great!! I developed an abdominal infection that caused the plural effusion. Needless to say, I went through the liquids-pureed-mushies food phases as an inpatient so, by the time I went home I was able to begin transitioning to solid food, as tolerated, according to my surgeon's plan. No regrets whatsoever!!!

Check out this article. It has some tips that you might find helpful. I did. I plan to go back to the article and read more via the links included in the article. Every little bit of information helps. http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/articles.html/_/support/weight-loss-surgery-success-habits-r623

Excellent advice, @@FrankiesGirl!! And exactly what I needed to hear, too. Thank you!

Are you using the #unjury chicken Soup Protein powder? If so, I always put the powder in after I get the Water hot and have checked for the proper temperature because if it's hotter than 140 deg., the whey protein will clump. Clumping doesn't change the taste, but it does look funky and feels even funkier on the tongue. I haven't tried any other powders so I can't speak to what they would do when heated. I love #Unjury!

I regularly use unjury Protein Powders which were recommended to me by a friend. After reading most of the reviews of each of the products I was interested in, and learning about the difference between whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate, I decided to give Unjury try and have been using them since about 6 months prior to my surgery. Fortunately, my taste for the Unjury shakes did not change after surgery, but I know it does for some. In fact, my NUT recommended not to get too stocked up on any particular Protein powder before surgery just in case my tastes for such did change. I have been quite impressed with the flavor and quality of the vanilla, chocolate Splendor, and the chicken flavored mixes. Both taste great and mix up easily. I've been using the Chocolate Splendor mixed with milk for my Breakfast and the Chicken flavor mixed with some chicken bouillon for my lunch. You just have to watch the Water temperature when preparing the Chicken flavor otherwise the whey will clump. It doesn’t change the taste, just the texture which can be weird. Both are quite filling and satisfying. I have tried the strawberry Sorbet mixed with lemonade also, and liked the taste okay, but rarely use it; need to work on the amounts mixed together to fine tune the beverage to better suit my taste for Strawberry Lemonade. I've also tried the Unflavored powder mixed with milk when I ran out of the chocolate. The milk still tasted like milk, and it was okay, but I did not like it as well as I do the Chocolate Splendor or Vanilla mixed with milk. Most of my protein beverages are just shaken up; I do not use a blender or make them frozen for simplicity and time sake, and the fact that I use them more at work than at home. Some of my favorite flavor combinations are: Vanilla Protein Powder, SF Sunrise Orange drink (it’s like an orange Dreamsicle) ½ serving Vanilla PP, ½ serving Chocolate Splendor PP ,4 oz. brewed coffee, chilled, 4 oz. skim milk Chocolate Splendor PP, 8 oz. skim milk, 1 or 2 servings PB2 ½ serving Vanilla PP, ½ serving Chocolate Splendor, 8 oz. skim milk Chicken PP with less than a serving of chicken bouillon mixed with 8-10 oz. water at 140 degs. A great option when you’re tired of all the sweet stuff. If you are looking for a high quality, great tasting, satisfying protein powder that is better than anything you will find in the stores, then this is the product you want to purchase. You can't go wrong, especially since you can return the product if you aren't pleased with it.

Great graphic! Thanks for sharing! My plan is for 60-100 carbs/day and a min. of 100 grams of Protein.

Great unusual NSV!! I've been known to slip on a top or jacket without returning to the dressing room again. What's the harm as long as we don't walk out of the store with the item on LOL!!! I still look at a lot of 2XL tops even though I can comfortably wear XL and some Large depending on style. I still have to fit my hips and prefer a certain length to help cover my belly. I'm 60 years old and seriously doubt that I will ever have any plastic surgery done. Congratulations on your success!! Congratulations to all of us for the great progress we've made already!!

@@OKCPirate - Thank you for your service to our country!! My husband and I appreciate all that our military forces do to try and keep our country safe and to protect us from enemies, foreign and domestic. My husband is an Air Force veteran, Vietnam era. Thank you!

@@fatgirlsvelte - GREAT POST!!! I'm impressed!! You are an inspiration!! Thank you for sharing all of that information. It got me to thinking, now for some doing. Keep up the great work!!! I'll be watching for more information packed posts.

@@LipstickLady - You are so right on and I agree with what your post. Thank you!

@KristinLe - Thank you for your nephew's service!! My husband and I appreciate his and his family's sacrifice.

My new tummy still gurgles quite a bit when I eat sometimes. As soon as it starts I know I best not eat 2 more bites otherwise I'll end up feeling miserable. It's my alarm letting me know I've had enough to eat so I'd better stop.

Wow!!! Very interesting......and thought-provoking. Thanks for sharing!

@LJDavenport: I didn't have much of an appetite for a few months after surgery, but did have cravings - mostly for some salad and highly seasoned food of any variety. I made sure that my food choices fit the parameters of my plan and were high Protein, otherwise, I couldn't meet my daily protein goal. 1/2 to 3/4 cup is still about all I can eat at a meal so I make sure I enjoy what I'm eating. It's still hard to get in a lot of veggies and a little bit of fruit each day. I still supplement my protein intake with a daily Protein shake or two. @PRINCESS2218 - I've attached some information that my surgeon's office gave me when I began preparing for surgery. I hope it will help you with some ideas, and others who may not have received similar information from their surgeon's office. Best to all who are learning this new way of life -- feeding our new tummies GASTRIC SLEEVE INFORMATION - Generic.doc

I know most folks get plans from their surgeons and NUTS, but some don't. Maybe the attached document will help with ideas. This is what I received from my surgeon & NUT and I continue to refer to it as a reminder even though I'm about 18 months out from surgery. I hope this helps GASTRIC SLEEVE INFORMATION - Generic.doc

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I LOVE OUR BP VETS!!! PERIOD! I have learned so much from all of their input since I've been a part of BP.