fancystephanie

If online bullying is tolerated here, I'm going to peace out.

If insulting people changed behavior, I would have been thin a long time ago. But yeah, we all make choices, and unhealthy foods are a part of life. Most days, I eat my 1000 calories and get all my Protein in, avoiding carbs and sugar. Last night, I went to a really special dinner. I knew I'd be eating unhealthy food, so I limited what I ate earlier in the day, so I could have wine and tiramisu without feeling guilty. Before the surgery, no way could I have done that. And to go around telling me I'm doomed to failure because I eat cake is stupid and untrue. Please get control of yourself, SteveHud.

Whoa, guys!!! You are being super rude! Not all of us have the same food issues. Some of us can have a few bites of cake, some of us can have a glass of wine, and some of cannot because we won't stop eating. Each of us has different trigger foods. Mine is fried food. I don't touch the stuff. One of my sorority sisters that had vertical sleeve can't eat popcorn. That's her trigger food. Geez people. This isn't Reddit. Have some manners. EDIT - I now realize it was one person posting multiple times. Oops. But still. Be kind.

So my period came back a few months ago. It had stopped when I gained too much weight... so yay... Problem is, I have horrible, awful, debilitating cramps. I always have, and I used to take 800 mg ibuprofen a day, back when I used to get periods. Tylenol is ineffective for me, and I can't take NSAID's, as we all know. I'm planning on asking my OBGYN if there's a low-dose pain med he can prescribe, but I don't go see him until June. Any ideas? Heat and chocolate work, but I can't eat chocolate all day!

My hair started falling out about 3.5 months in. I cut it in a pixie and bought three different wigs. The wigs itched for about a week, but now I'm really loving wearing them!

I started drinking about 3 months post surgery. Just some wine and vodka/cranberries. I took it easy, didn't drink much. Now I'll have wine about once a week, going out with friends. I'd rather drink wine than eat, personally. It hits me super quick and super hard, but I can't maintain a buzz for more than an hour after my last drink. My advice is to just eat less on days when you plan on drinking...like skinny girls do.

So, I'm down to a size 16W, and my pre-surgery bras are starting to not work. I was wearing a 40DDD (probably should have worn a 42DDD). I'm now a 38DD, but I'm so reluctant to buy Casique or Victoria's Secret bras, knowing I'll be out of them in a few months. Anyone have any good, inexpensive brands I should try? I checked out Maidenform, but the bands are just too flimsy. I need a solid, not stretchy band that can hold the girls up. Should I just buy some Casique bras off eBay?

That is SUCH a good idea! I'm not used to shopping at places like that, since they never had my size! I will check that out!

No worries!

That's a good idea... I'll sign up for their mailing list.

I worked at a high-end lingerie store in college, so I measured myself. 38DD.

I ate crackers about 3 weeks post surgery, because I was traveling, so I took those cracker and tuna kits with me. I needed to make sure I had food I could eat. I didn't have an issue, but I could only eat like, 2 crackers with tuna at one time. Be prepared for that!

It's totally fine! I did not have a lot of pain, but that's because I kept pressing the pain button, even in my sleep! The nurse said she'd never seen that happen before. When I went home, there was a LOT of pain for the first 5 days post surgery. I stayed with my parents, and I had to have my dad help me sit up and get out of bed. But by a week after, I was able to go home and be on my own. However, I still I wore out very easily. I did end up going back to work 15 days post surgery, but I took a few half days the first week. After a month, I was pretty much back to normal.

@@fancystephanie Could you give us an update and how the surgery went? I'm doing Kaiser Options on Sunset but I may be assigned to South Bay or West LA. I totally agree with the crazy idea that they are making us lose weight and then the reason we are there is because we never have been successful at losing weight. The surgery went swimmingly. There were no complications. I did the liquid diet for about two weeks post surgery, then transitioned into Soups and super soft foods. I started eating normal food about a month out, just in small portions. I probably ate normal food way sooner than suggested, but with working 60+ hours a week and studying for the GMAT, I did what I could. I'm still really bad about getting in my Water, but if I'm too dehydrated, I'll drink Gatorade. I know it's calories, but I can at least get it down. Anyway, I've lost 60 pounds since the surgery, so I'm pretty pleased. I lost 20 pounds the first two weeks, and the rest has been over the course of 19-20 weeks. So about 2 pounds a week, which I'm very pleased with. I still eat ice cream and chocolate occasionally, and I'm back to drinking coffee. But I have gone to using Splenda rather than sugar in my coffee/tea, which definitely helps with calories. I'm still not allowed to eat popcorn, slabs of beef (ground is OK), or citrus. I do miss the citrus! I have get nauseated when I eat avocados and egg yolks, and I only get heartburn when I eat cheese all by itself, like those Laughing Cow cheeses, or brie bites. Mixed with other stuff, it's fine. I don't exercise that much, mostly because I'm still working 60 hour weeks. I take two barre classes a week, and that's about all I can do. But I have noticed I can walk faster and easier, and I don't get winded as easily. That is amazing! Good luck with your surgery! I hope it all goes well!

If you only weigh yourself monthly, then you'll definitely see the long term results. From what I've heard, when you switch from liquids to solid foods, you will definitely see a slight gain, but I wouldn't worry about it. You're eating, what 600-800 calories a day, right? You HAVE to lose if you're only eating that little.

I'm one month post-op tomorrow, and one of the guys at work stopped me this morning and said, "Wow, you can really see a difference in how you look!" For me, the only differences I can spot are a smaller butt, a thinner face, and smaller boobs. But I only notice the first and last one because my bras and skirts are fitting differently!

As soon as it starts to go, I'm heading to a wigmaker and getting a top piece! They are awesome for hiding the hair loss!

I've used straws a few times, before remembering that I wasn't supposed to. I didn't feel any discomfort.

My doctor allowed soft foods 9 days after the surgery. I think it just depends on how quickly you heal, because the original NUT told me I couldn't have soft food until 2-3 weeks out. Just eat slowly, and watch for the pressure that tells you that you're full. I haven't thrown up, but I have eaten the "one bite too many," and it takes awhile for the pressure to go away.

My plan allows for 3 meals and. 2 snacks. The snack is supposed to be half a premiere protein shake; otherwise I won't get all the protein in!!

Are you actually hungry, or do you just want to eat? When you feel hungry try eating a popsicle or Jello. Your mouth might just need to play with something. I agree with putting away the scale. It's not about the numbers. It's about getting healthy. I don't even own a scale. I just get weighed at the doctors office.

Fruit has never really been an issue for me with weight gain, and my program doesn't say to avoid it. I've been throwing a few cherries, an inch of banana, or a couple of slices in with my protein smoothies, just for variety. I'd rather have that than sugar free syrups, but I'm more of a "natural foods" person.

I do this too. Every time I eat, I just want to fall asleep. I think this is why we're supposed to take time off work...otherwise we would fall asleep at our desks and get fired!

Yeah, I've already been doing the Protein shakes, so no need to drink more of them! We will drink them enough afterwards! And yes, I'm only spending one night in the hospital. I actually gained a little weight doing Options.. Last meal syndrome I think... The surgeon wasn't too worried. He said, "Why are we making people lose weight when they're getting the surgery because they can't lose weight?" I was like, "OMG YOU UNDERSTAND." I'm waiting until my last appointment a week before the surgery, with the nurse, to buy my Vitamins and Isopure. I think they sell them all at my Kaiser, so I will probably just buy them all there. Super excited though! This has been a lot easier than I thought it would be.

That's my date too!!! I'm at Kaiser South Bay. Are they having you do a diet beforehand? My surgeon told me no... just don't eat after Breakfast on Sunday.