aSleeveStory

Fairlife's site has a store finder. Some aren't hip to it yet, or carry it in limited number of stores, but it's spreading. Target has it. Smith's, Fred Meyer.

I am 37 years old, in fairly good health despite being overweight. Even at 484 lbs, I barely had high blood pressure and I didn't cross over into diabetes territory. 165 lbs down, and feeling better by the week... in all things, except my memory. I feel as though I am a bit more forgetful. And while it's hard to pin that to the surgery, necessarily... I just thought I'd ask the group... does anyone else feel as though they are more forgetful or have some other kind of memory issues post-surgery? Mine was ten months ago (today) and I find myself forgetting little things like I had an appointment today, or this store is a LEFT (but I turned right), or what did I have for dinner last night. It's not always, nor really often... but I do catch myself forgetting little things here and there and I've never felt this way before. I'm eating very well, lots of Protein and veggies. I'm my Vitamin game about 85% of the time (sometimes I forget, or it's not a good time). I don't get it. Anyone else?

I LOVE this milk. It's a great booster towards your daily protein. Love that it's less sugar, too.

Thanks for all the great responses... but everyone seems to think I'm taking the supplement to avoid eating. I eat just fine... I just wanted the additional greenery as an insurance policy towards better health. With the smaller stomach, we're all at risk for malnutrition in some way shape or form, and taking a simple green Vitamin can't hurt along those lines. Does anyone have an opinion on the question I actually asked of Caplets vs. Capsules?

Hey guys, I am 10 months post op today... There is a green whole foods (not the store) Vitamin I like to take, because the concept of getting additional greens into my diet as easily as taking a pill resonates with me. I've been buying the caplets, essentially greens pressed into pill form. Daily suggested dose is 5x, but they're large so I normally take two at once. Sometimes I remember a third of fourth. However, I wonder if I'm digesting them well (or much). I don't notice any discernible change in my health, feeling, etc. whether I'm taking them or not. Wondering if capsules would be better? Loose greens powder vs. the compression? I know I digest capsules well, as my B-Complex is a capsule and an hour later my pee is yellow as the sun. Any thoughts?

Just dropping another coin in the hat... I too felt like this. My go-to shakes during pre-op, even thinned with almond milk were unbearable to me. I switched to something else I did like and then a few more weeks later I hated that, too. Seems so irrational, especially while you're going through it. Just know it WILL get better. Overall, your tastes will change some after all this. I'm tolerating certain fish much better post-op than I ever did my whole life. It's odd, but true. Hang in there!!

Glad to hear so many are trying it. I've been having one before bed (the individual size) to top off my Protein. 19 grams definitely helps. I haven't tried chocolate for fear of the extra sugar, but my kids like it.

There's a new milk in town, and it's packin' more Protein, less sugar, and NO lactose. It's called Fairlife, and so far I've enjoyed it. I don't, nor did I ever, drink a lot of milk, but I like the creamy flavor of this and the additional protein and less sugar makes it do-able from a Bariatrics standpoint (in my personal opinion). Oddly, I'd normally only drink whole milk, but this has a creamier texture to it and the 2% suits me fine. The additional protein is not added-in. Apparently the revolutionary part is in their filtration process. Interesting. Wondering if anyone else has seen it, tried it, etc? What do you think? Some more info, if you're curious: http://fairlife.com/our-products/reduced-fat/

Just checking in. Few more pounds down since last posts. 7-8 day stalls are the norm for me now, but my waist has shrunk more, so something is still happening. I do t sweat the scale, I know I'll get there eventually. Preparing for a major move has me somewhat stressed, but I'm unwavering in my food intake -- full steam ahead. Side note: my hair has been thining, slowly, since my late 20s... I did notice an acceleration around 3-4 weeks post surgery, but I took extra Biotin a few times a week, and just today I caught myself in the mirror and realized I had thicker hair. Can't say it's worked wonders, but whatever I lost from surgery is likely coming back already. I plan to keep up with the biotin until at least one year post-op. It's been a loose regiment. I just make sure I take it at least twice a week, sometimes 3.

Thanks for the well wishes... best thing you can do absent cold-turky on the carbs is trying just cutting out one thing. Find one small thing, 50-60 calories a day or something carb and just cut that. That one thing... and then move on from there when you're confident you've licked it. I best you can do it!

Hey folks... a 10/10/2014 sleever here... thought I'd drop by with an update. My work and home life have been intensely busy lately, so I apologize for not popping back in sooner. Few things... first... my starting weight was 484 and as of this morning I am at 334 --- so exactly 150 lbs lost today! Yes! My next stated goal is 325, so I'm 9 lbs from that... yes!! My last goal was 383 and was reached some time back. April 10th was my six month surgiversary, so I'm thrilled with where I am right now. More than 50% towards goal weight in just over six months... perfect! I've been trying to walk more. I cannot do vigorous exercise due to an umbilical hernia, but I can walk... and I have been doing more of it than I had in the last many years combined. Trying to slowly increase the daily walk amount, but it's also turning warmer weather here... so I don't know how long i can keep that up. I've been on several work and/or family trips in the past six weeks. I've encountered a phenomenon I now call "travel bloat." I tend to eat about the same... I bring some of the same nut and meat Snacks along with me on trips, and I still eat mostly Proteins and vegetables at restaurants. I am drinking a (fairly) decent amount of Water each day... but I've noticed on the last two trips (one was five days, the other eleven days) that I gained 2-3 lbs during each trip... but as SOON as I get home, I kick into a loss mode again, and within 2-3 days anything gained is gone, and then I lose a few more to make up for it... so it's kind of like a stall, but with a small uptick to go with it. The longer trip was to Orlando for Disney, Universal, and Legoland... so I walked, and walked, and walked more than normal by ANY stretch of the imagination... yet somehow still gained those 2-3 "travel bloat" pounds. Not sure what I can do on the next trip to try to avoid it, but I'm looking for ideas. I've been working at improving my daily Vitamin game, and if nothing else I *feel* so much better when I've been at it for several days in a row, so I've been working on that. I drink a pretty insane amount of coffee, it's obviously not having ANY negative impact on my weight loss at all. My coffee of choice is a Starbucks Latte (which is just espresso and milk) and I do not add anything to it. At home I brew black coffee and add some half-n-half, but I've learned to drink it with NO sugar added. I weaned myself before the surgery... used to be 1.25 to 1.5 tablespoons of sugar PER cup... down to just the "tip" of a tablespoon the week before surgery... down to the ZERO sugar I'm at now. While I've never been a soda guy, I did (before my journey) enjoy an occasional coke or pepsi with a meal. So I've been buying these tiny 8oz cans of diet coke or diet pepsi and drinking those, no more than 3-4 times a week. The bubbles don't mess up my sleeve at all, and the fake sweet is a nice little treat. Mostly, I eat meat and nuts and veggies these days. It's kind of a drab diet, but I really don't mind it and I feel AMAZING most days. When I'm in super-weight-loss mode I am kind of lethargic, and the next day when I step on the scale I can tell why... the other day I dropped 2.2 lbs from the day before. My doc says this is fairly normal, and may continue to around month 9 or 10. Go to snacks for me are Jack Links Teriyaki beef Jerky (which uses less sugar than the peppered one, oddly enough) and Justin's Nut Butter packets (I like the Honey Nut one). Wishing you all great health and a safe journey. Keep doing you!

Congrats on your incredible loss! I'll be watching this thread with great interest as I wonder how all that works, and know that I too will eventually need some these. You've already taught me something... I didn't realize these could all be done in ONE day. I always figured each was its own surgical day and separate recovery periods. Interesting, but slightly frightening to learn they can do it all in one swoop. Best of luck. Anxious to hear more.

Not just Cheesecake Factory... but any restaurant now... I order something that includes a Protein I know I can eat. An example... one of my favorite things to eat from Cheesecake Factory prior to the surgery was their "Louisiana chicken Pasta" which has a yummy spicy sauce, over noodles, and breaded chicken cut-up. Now, when I go, I order the SAME thing, but I ask them for cut-up chicken breast pieces that are NOT breaded. I pick out all of the chicken from the Pasta, which is still covered in the sauce, and I get the exact same flavor I always did... but without any added carbs. And since I'm sleeved... it doesn't take much to fill me up... so I don't feel like I've missed out on ANYTHING. Another thing I do at places like this is that I'll order some steamed veggies, or something like Green Beans or Asparagus, and eat several bites of this BEFORE digging into whatever else I've ordered. Starts to fill the sleeve up, so I can't possibly have enough of whatever-it-is to do any damage. There's lots of tricks and ways to still eat out, enjoy yourself, and as long as you've got some will power and a desire to stay on track with your bariatric program, you can pull it off. Perhaps the only downside... is that I do have to waste some food now. While I can hear my grandfather in my ear with the "starving Africans" dialogue, I was reminded by a dear friend (and comedian) once that those same starving Africans are NOT going to be outside the restaurant to receive my leftovers... so... argument over.

Screw 'em ... some people don't get it -- and you're exactly right... they're projecting.

Few ways to read this... but first... since you've got psychology training, allow yourself a moment to realize you may be over-analyzing things. I've got a dear friend who is an LCSW and he tells me that he winds up over thinking EVERYTHING now. Secondly, who knows how much of that review is true. It may be exaggerated or twisted to make the story more warm and fuzzy. With your background, you also know people sometimes tell a story they way they had wished it to go, or embellish some to make it fit their desires. But lastly, even if its a 100% accurate accounting, I think the surgeon most likely just wanted the patient to realize there's a higher power out there and that he's not 100% in control of the operation. 99.9% maybe... but things can and do go wrong, and perhaps that was his casual way of putting it, in what sounds like a passing conversation. In my personal (and humbled opinion) it's likely better to have a surgeon who has faith in something vs. one who believes in nothing. We sometimes put too much Faith and responsibility in the hands of others. I of course want the most skilled, best-trained, and highly successful surgeon to do whatever it is that needs to be done... but I also want the guy to be a person. I think that's all he was exhibiting. And finally (does finally come after "lastly" haha) ... kudos to you, though, for doing your research. Keep reading up on the guy. If one review hit you in a funny way, go find more... see if there are some that make you feel better or worse. At the end of the day, this is a crucial decision, and you're doing the right thing by vetting him.

My niece is a girl scout and selling the Cookies... I bought a box in support, ate ONE cookie, and gave the rest to a friend. Was great to sneak a taste, and honestly that was all I needed. If you've got the will power to keep from tearing into the whole box, a single cookie once in awhile is a great treat. My Nut and support folks all advocate a small cheat when you hit a stall to switch things up and help your body back into loss mode... so the occasional thing like this not only doesn't make me feel guilty, I feel like it helps some. Just don't overdo it. (Or over justify it.)

You're doing fantastic... and congrats on both making the decision to better your life, and for the awesome weight loss so far. I was fortunate enough, somehow, to not have blood pressure problems, diabetes problems, etc. before my surgery... in fact one of my reasons for doing it was to NOT cross those lines, because Lord knows it was only a matter of time... but one of my favorite things on here is to read when someone gets to ditch those meds. That's an exciting step. Keep up the great work!

No way! It's never too early to get excited... I'm just about at halfway too and super excited! Congrats on the great loss so far... keep going! You look awesome.

In the first few weeks, I couldn't tolerate eggs (of any variety), cottage cheese, or my favorite pre-op Protein shake. Now, at about 4.5 months out... I have't really found anything I can't handle. I have tried to make sure I chew things up very well. Perhaps the only real discomfort I get is when I catch myself eating too fast. The pain quickly reminds me to slow down, though, and I do.

It's never too late to re-assess where you stand with everything. Are you drinking more sugar? Less Water? Little things can all add up when piled together. All in all though, stalls are different for everyone else. Sometimes I'm told the last 20-30 lbs are the hardest to lose... exercise more... push through it... don't let the stall win. Eventually, you'll restart the loss... even if its a trickle. Don't get discouraged!

So true... compare to learn, but don't compare to compare. If that makes any sense...?

In the beginning I was in the "can barely eat anything" crowd. That changed slowly over time, but then a few weeks ago I noticed I felt like I was eating considerably more than before. Now, I can't eat as much again. I asked a guy who is about 20 months post-op and had lots a TREMENDOUS amount of weight what he thought about it... he said there are some weeks he feels he can eat more than others. In balance, it's not a big deal if you're eating healthy foods, and not abusing it. I think its just another one of those things where we all experience a slightly different version of it, some more than others, etc. But unless you've been stuffing your sleeve silly, I don't think you have anything to worry about with stretching. You're 32 lbs down! Keep going...

It's weird things like this that scare me about some surgeons. This is total nonsense, unless there is something else about you medically that would require such a thing -- but then again that would have most likely been a condition prior to your VSG surgery, not something caused BY the VSG surgery. I had a flight just 3 weeks post-op, and have taken many more since then. I travel for work a LOT and not once has anyone, let alone any of my doctors, ever mentioned that my diet would need to change on the day of a flight. I'd definitely get a second opinion on that -- and/or at the very least ask your doc to explain why on Earth he said this in the first place.

Doing pretty darn great yourself! I see we're both about "half way"

Hang in there! You're gonna be okay!