FrankyG

I'm the opposite. I'm STARVING around my period and really don't think that much about food the rest of the time.

@@OKCPirate no problem. I get it. http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/electronic-cigarettes http://www.utsa.edu/today/2015/07/ecigarette.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3222398/Infographic-shows-effects-vaping-e-cigarette-just-harmful-real-deal.html You are still inhaling nicotine, one of the most addictive substances on earth. You are inhaling into your body a poison. Really. It used to be used as a pesticide. From the wiki: Tobacco was introduced to Europe in 1559, and by the late 17th century, it was used not only for smoking but also as an insecticide. After World War II, over 2,500 tons of nicotine insecticide were used worldwide, but by the 1980s the use of nicotine insecticide had declined below 200 tons. This was due to the availability of other insecticides that are cheaper and less harmful to mammals.[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine It absolutely will still affect your nervous system, vascular systems, and is believed to be a carcinogen or at the very least a tumor promoter. From the dailymail link: As for what users are inhaling, vaping may cause inflammation on the user's lungs. According to a study published in the journal PLOS this year, the inhalation of e-cigarette vapors damage the epithelial cells in the lungs, which leave them at risk for infection. The study's author, Qun Wu, told Yahoo Health earlier this year that e-cigarette liquids, whether they have nicotine or not, 'inhibit lungs' innate immunity', which helps it defend itself against infections. And while glycerin, one of the ingredients in e-cigarettes, is considered safe in foods, Mr Foulds argues that eating something is not the same as 'putting it into a vapor and inhaling it.' 'A Mars bar is safe to eat, but I wouldn’t want to inhale it,' he explained. 'If something is safe as a food, it’s not highly harmful, but we don’t know what happens when you inhale it.' You are also inhaling a few different types of glycerine and flavorings. None of these things should be in your lungs, and they all will have unknown effects on your body since vaping is still so new. Preliminary studies are right in saying that it's better than smoking (because the smoke/tar and other known carcinogens are pretty horrid in tobacco smoke), but I think it's pretty short-sighted to assume that vaping isn't harmful for long-term usage.

For Breakfast, I love scrambling a few eggs with a little shredded cheese and green onion and/or red/green peppers. I might also do a couple of Morningstar soy links with an egg. Yogurt (greek or other high protein/low sugar) is also good. Or a smoothie using skim milk, yogurt, throw in a few strawberries and handful of spinach and small banana and you've got something that is portable and tasty and high Protein (just watch the banana/fruit amounts). And when I'm really lazy, a half cup of cottage cheese with a handful of raspberries is good for me. (but I also eat several small meals a day, so about two hours later, I have a glass of Mootopia - a high protein, low lactose milk sold by a grocery chain in Texas).

One other thing to keep reminding yourself - you will be able to eat anything you ate before (just not very much and not for many months). So food funerals or bingeing on food pre-surgery isn't necessary. You'll be able to eat that ~whatever~ again. Thing is, it will be rare occasions, in much smaller amounts, and you may not even want to eat it again after surgery. And you will be FINE with this - it is really amazing how you can change after. Don't feel bad about cheating; just recommit to sticking as close to the diet as you can, and keep telling yourself this is just a tiny blip of time in the story that is your life. You'll get through this and hardly remember what it felt like so don't dwell too much on it right now.

I've posted something similar to what I'm about to write elsewhere on here, but I'll keep posting it when I see one of these posts come up: I loved smoking. I started when I was 15 and smoked through the next couple of decades without quitting for any real length of time. I enjoyed it, and I was pretty pissed at the idea of quitting for this surgery. I only smoked around 6-8 cigs a day, and technically was a light smoker... but after so many years, even light smokers experience issues with tiny capillaries dying off, cold fingers and toes and weird nerve issues, wheezing and coughing and are more prone to colds and flu and all the other horrible things that come with smoking ~any~ cigarettes. So I quit. Here is what I realized: I'm having this surgery to make my life better, to be healthy, to live longer and really enjoy the time I have left on this planet. Smoking is in direct opposition to all of those goals. Smoking - and I count vaping in there too since the early results on vaping are not looking good for long term health - is one of the few things that is guaranteed to do major harm to your body and kill you in the end if you use the product as intended. Think about that for a minute. There is no reason to smoke. It is bad for you, it hurts your lungs, your circulation and hampers healing. Smoking before or after having major surgery is beyond stupid (I'm saying this as part of my own self talk, not calling you specifically stupid). The ONLY reason any one smokes is because it is addictive. If you smoke or vape - you are an addict, same as an alcoholic or a drug user. Quitting is the only smart, rational option ESPECIALLY before having a serious, life altering surgery like a sleeve or bypass. I miss it almost every single day, and I just celebrated (yesterday!) my one year quit anniversary. I tell myself that I can always smoke again someday, just not right now... and hope that I can keep telling myself "maybe tomorrow" for the rest of my life. But I am damned proud I took my life back and no longer depend on those evil things, even if I still miss them. It's part of being an addict. I know what I am, and admit I'm probably always going to have that struggle, but I'll be damned if they'll ever control my life that way again. You are doing this to improve your life, so take that step further and really commit to giving your body the best possible chance, and quit smoking as well. You deserve to be the best you that you can be, and smoking should not be a part of that.

No, have not experienced it because I don't discuss with anyone but my husband and my mother. But yes, what you're experiencing is common. People are sometimes really, really stupid. Tell someone you're pregnant, you'll hear horrific labor stories, tell someone you're getting married, hear about how so-and-so and her new husband were out thousands of dollars when the event planner ran off with all their wedding money and the bride's uncle got so drunk at the reception that he threw up on the dance floor and started a fight... it's called human nature. I have no idea why people think it's a good idea to tell horror stories about something that you just announced you're doing. But for some reason, more often than not, this bullpucky is what spews out when sharing good news. So I'd honestly just shut them down - if they start telling you a horrible thing happened, or how their cousin's hairdresser's best friend had the same thing done and they now weigh 1,300 pounds and have to live in the bathtub... I'd give them a dead cold stare and say "Wow, that is a horrible thing to say. I have no idea why you would tell me that, other than to make me feel bad and question my choices. I guess we don't have anything to talk about." And then walk away. And also - if this is a friend, call them for being rude and unsupportive and drop them if they don't apologize for being stupid. You don't need negative Nellies in your life.

Just my 2¢ I have Hashimoto's - don't forget it is an autoimmune disorder and a bit more than just hypothyroidism. Really, really sucks. I have a low metabolism as well, and I went with a sleeve. I'm a slow loser, but I'm still losing eating around 1200-1400 calories a day. I keep my carbs around 80 grams a day, and I exercise about 5 times a week. I've lost over 80 lbs in almost 10 months. I'm very, very happy and also pretty sure I'll continue to lose (slowly) over the next year as well, as I'm really getting the hang of the diet/exercise thing as well. Oh! And the slow loss is just on the scale - I measure each month - hips, waist, chest, arms and thighs - and the months where I saw little to no movement on the scale, I saw fat melting away and muscle developing.

Swai, talapia, salmon, tuna, shrimp... fish was one Protein source that never gave me a single issue, so I eat it 2-3 times a week still! Lots of baked fish using spices and citrus, learned how to make homemade tartar sauce so I could control the fat and sugar content, make a mean pico to go as a topper or mixed into cold shrimp. Love it!

You are still with this guy because you think somehow that he is the best you can do and you don't feel strong enough to be alone. So maybe counseling? You need someone to help you build back your self worth and ability to see when a person is not good for you. And you need to call a moratorium on dating until you get a handle on who you are, what you want out of a relationship and what you are not willing to deal with to have one. In other words - find yourself, and you'll be better equipped to find the person that compliments and strengthens you, not one that will tear you down.

I'd buy the big bags of frozen fish (Swai, Talapia) and bake them with a lemon butter sauce, or a light mayo/spices blend (corriander, blackening seasoning, lemon juice, then a smear of light mayo across the top). Baked fish was super easy to fix, was VERY high in Protein and low in fat/carbs and is very mushy and was one of the first foods I could eat well right after surgery. Would do frozen shrimp too, just chopped it up well, or chewed really well. I loved doing it with a hot sauce/pico garnish. Also could make a modified shrimp scampi - butter/garlic and red pepper with a dash of salt and pepper. Refried Beans with a bit of light sour cream and shredded cheese. Heavenly. It was my go-to easy snack that is packed with protein.

First, I agree with everyone else - don't compare yourself to anyone else. You are losing weight at the pace your body wants to work at. Your friend eating crap and losing lots of weight? It's going to bite her in the ass eventually. Massive hair loss, saggy/sallow skin and no muscle tone.. and she will regain a significant amount of weight after a few years since she's not eating correctly NOW. This surgery is not a magic bullet; it is a tool to help kick start weight loss, but mainly it is to help YOU relearn how to eat healthy - the right foods and the right portion sizes. I am a slow loser (way slower than you apparently!). What I started doing early on is to take measurements - chest, waist, hips, arms, thighs, calves. I'd mark down what my weight was, the measurements, and take some pics (front/back/side/arms raised). Some months, I'd only have a 5 pound difference if that. But my measurements WENT DOWN. I'd lose an inch off my hips, half inch off my arms... because in the times where it seemed like I was not losing actual weight... I was losing fat and gaining muscle. I was not stalled out unless you count the numbers on the scale. But fat is bulkier than muscle, so it wasn't obvious until I started tracking and documenting that exchange. My NUT says to go no lower than 100 grams of carbs, but I do best on around 50-80. I don't sweat it if I go up over sometimes, but I try to stick to my goal of 80 most days. I also figure I'll be tracking my food for years and possibly for the rest of my life. I think that is a small price to pay to be healthy. Now, I am no longer sad if the scale doesn't budge for weeks, because I know as long as I'm keeping up with my protein/carb intake and moving my (slowly shrinking) butt several times a week, I am still doing well. And most of all, I'm retraining myself on how to be healthy for the rest of my life. Because THAT is the biggest thing all of us have to learn. And if it takes me a year of two to do lose all or even most of my excess weight, then I'll still consider it a success, because I am on a lifetime journey to change how I relate to food, how I move and how active I am - forever.

I didn't even know what a bougie size was until well after my surgery. When I asked at my next doc appointment, I was told he did a size 32 as that was his standard. I'm able to eat a respectable amount of food, no feelings of pain or discomfort except at the very beginning (like most everyone going through this surgery) and at almost 10 months out have lost 80 pounds and counting so far. This is one of those details that just isn't that important in my opinion. As long as the surgeon has been doing the surgery for a while with a good track record and minimal pain and recovery time... I wouldn't sweat the size of the bougie at all.

Because Protein is the body's building materials. It makes strong muscles, healthy skin, hair and nails. Without it, our body breaks down its own muscles and we get weaker and sicker looking. Protein for maintaining a healthy body and building muscle Healthy carbs for stamina and fuel Healthy fats (Omega-3, mono and polyunsaturated fats) lastly to improve blood cholesterol levels, decrease your risk of heart disease, decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes All the junk food and simple carbs should be gone from your diet and maybe a year or two from now a very occasional treat.

Try some warm chamomile tea, stop watching television or any type of screen (tablet or phone) at least 2 hours before bedtime. Take a warm shower of bath, then listen to some relaxing music and read a good book in bed. Maybe try to do some exercise in the early evening to wear yourself out physically (but light exercise like walking since you're still recovering).

About 3-5 nights in. I slept on my side with pillows and blankets piled up until then. Had pretty much no pain, but was worried about turning over and stretching my stitches!

Luna protein bars - the mint choc chip, salted caramel almond, several others I'm forgetting the exact names... yum!

I skimmed through the last page, but I have to say something to you, and I really, really need you to hear this and think long and hard about your future with this man you married. You do not have just an inlaw problem. You mainly have a husband problem, and that has allowed the inlaw problem to develop and the grow out of control. No man who loves his wife would let the rest of his family treat her the way he is allowing them to treat you. He would have slapped them down faster than fast and told them in no uncertain terms to treat you with courtesy and respect or he would cut them out of his life. There is no way this man is treating you the way you should be treated. He is a coward and spineless or just plain lazy and self centered... none of which are admirable traits to have, and mean that you will spend the rest of your married life feeling like you don't matter to this man since he can't stand up for you and give you the love and respect you deserve. I had husband/inlaw problems in my early days, and I had a spineless husband that allowed that crap to happen. I could stand up for myself until the cows came home but ultimately, without him finally locating his spine and tell off his mother and laying down the law about how things were going to be... well, I'd have left otherwise. You deserve to have a loving relationship where your husband protects and looks out for you, just like you should do the same for him. Ignoring the issues or saying it's not his problem is a horrible cowardly and lazy and HURTFUL thing to do. It is no wonder you're feeling lost and unsupported... because YOU ARE. How you can say you are in a loving relationship - sure, you say you love him but what does he do show he loves you just as much? It is all made up fantasy land stuff unless and until he stops letting his own family treat his wife like a doormat. A true marriage is not lopsided like yours appears to be - there is mutual respect and love and support. You seem like you give all and get nothing. Why is that? You deserve so much more than this. Keep talking with your counselor, but it might be time to really examine what you're getting from this relationship if he can't even support you and show you are loved and cared for.

Refocus and recommit to getting back on track. The surgery does not make the weight just disappear forever - it is a tool and you need to take advantage of it, especially during the early days (my doc says the best time for weight loss is within 18 months of surgery). You lost 35 pounds in the first 3 months - that is super and honestly way better than you could have done on your own. You should be thrilled with that! It is a great start, so don't get so discouraged. The part that seems to be your major issue is that you have had two surgeries now, but didn't really change your lifestyle for good. If you slid back up 70+ pounds due to some life stressors, then that indicates to me that you didn't have a good support structure in place, and had not worked with your nutritionist to change your eating habits overall. And the fact that you stopped an exercise routine for a good long while is also telling. Your health is technically like a three legged stool: One leg is the surgery, one leg is healthy eating and the last leg is exercise and activity levels. You basically chopped off two of the legs and expected to still be able to sit comfortably on the one little leg - surgery... but just like a one legged stool, you fell right over. Adding back in one more leg - exercise - is still going to be unstable and wobbly - you have to have all three working together to achieve the best results! Don't let the lack of progress discourage you - use it as a learning experience and get riled up and get back out there learning about how to cook decent meals and what kinds of foods work best for you. Find several different activities that are fun and don't seem like exercise so you want to get out there and do them. Commit to changing your life for the better and it will happen!

I didn't have that issue, but I have seen it before. There is a definite difference in the taste of plain Water for almost everyone after the surgery (which is why flavored sugar free drink mixes are so popular). I am pretty sure the taste change is temporary. I know at the beginning, I did have a weird aversion to drinking straight water and things that had ANY sugar in them tasted horribly sweet (which was a good thing for me). But it all evened out within the first month or so.

Ask your doctor, but I was taking it for a little while a few months out (stopped because of reflux for some reason it was causing it). I took a special Vitamin with Biotin in it for the first three months, and now I take biotin as a side supplement for hair, skin and nails.

I could try to eat an egg... but my sleeve apparently hated them and it wouldn't stay down. Wasn't able to eat them until about 2-3 months out, but that's just because I developed an aversion to them after the first couple of times trying and failing to eat them. One large egg is about 1.75 ounces. Add in a little cheese, and you're probably right at 2 ounces of food there. I wasn't able to eat that much until several months out (at least in one sitting), so I'd just say be careful about what you're eating this early on, and measure your food and try to keep it at that level since you seem to be able to tolerate that much food right now. And I wouldn't feel guilty. You ate some decent Protein and it stayed down. That is a win! (I love cheese and will not feel guilty for eating it, and if you're not eating tons of it, then you shouldn't either... it IS also decent protein as long as you're watching the fat and portion size!!)

Stop eating junk food. Why on earth would you do that? You had major surgery to try to help you get healthy - not just to lose weight and still eat total crap... time to get your head on straight, because this will hurt your health if you continue this path!! Losing weight because you are basically starving yourself is going to have serious consequences - you'll lose your hair, your skin and nails will look awful and you're going to be exhausted and have major Vitamin deficiency. You're losing muscle mass as well without enough Protein and other food building blocks. Proteins like fish, chicken, eggs, low fat dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese, skim milk). Then healthy veggies - avocado, Beans, green leafy stuff, broccoli/cauliflower, squash... there are TONS of things to eat that are good and good for you. Health fats if there is any room: cook with coconut oil, olive oil, try guacamole, hummus... light mayo can be added to some canned chicken or tuna (and I add in green onion and some spices) for an easy and protein packed meal. Try to eat something like a boiled or scrambled egg with a little shredded cheese on it for Breakfast. Drink a glass of milk or have a container of (low sugar - maybe try greek) yogurt an hour or so later. Fix a bunch of chicken breasts (using spices and citrus) so you don't have to think when it's time for a meal - have one of those with some veggies. Anything is better than what you're doing! What is your doctor/nutritionist saying about your horrible diet so far? Because they should be really, really concerned and trying to give you better menu plans to work with... otherwise start looking on here and online for decent sleeve menu/recipes ASAP.

I couldn't get anything down for like the first 3 days - even Water was a struggle I was so swollen. I ended up on sugar free popsicles to keep from getting dehydrated. The cold helped reduce the swelling and got the liquid I needed in. Concentrate on the water/liquids right now. Sip constantly. If you can manage some bullion, get that down too (LOVED chicken bullion for like the first 10 days after the swelling went down). Don't worry about Protein intakes for at least a week or so, unless you can start getting them in earlier. But don't push it. Throwing up or causing pain is NOT the goal here.

You get stretch marks because the skin is stressed out so much from weight gain (or growth spurts) that the elasticity of the skin can't accommodate - they are technically damaged areas of skin that won't ever go away without surgery. All those expensive lotions have in the fine print that they will "reduce the appearance of stretch marks" so don't waste your money. No cream or lotion can remove them, so just use some good moisturizing lotion that isn't too expensive to keep the skin hydrated as they fade out.