pumpkin07

I pretty much hate eggs now. I have a hard time digesting them. My husband LOVES them...so I get to still cook them. Scrambled is the worst for me. And I agree on broccoli....it is just hard to digest. When I cook it at home it is better.

Thanks for checking in. I am so happy you are reaching your goals...nice to hear guys have more energy after surgery

I think what starts as a spiritual/emotional problem -of overeating as a way to cope - becomes a physical battle as well as spiritual/emotional because now the stomach is stretched out, you have more hunger hormones surging, and more fatty weight slowing down your metabolism. Same as with many other, if not all, addictions - it starts for one reason and often continues bc the addiction then alters the "normal" state of the physical body. To me this surgery is meant to trim up the tummy so we can have the control needed to repair the physical damage done to our bodies so we can last longer/love longer and get things back to a more normal state. Seems like once a weight issue gets beyond a certain point it becomes more and more difficult to reign in - becomes a disease on a very destructive path. My intention is to live longer, healthier and to be able to care for my family better/longer. Also to help my children gain control of their eating at an earlier age. God gave me a brain to use, and I truly feel I found a logical solution to a physical problem. I think it is a healthy solution as opposed to fasts and pills or remaining overweight. Be gentle with yourself - your heart is good. God understands better than most. You are being assertive to protect your health.

I am so happy for you. I am wondering if the sleeve is more successful long term b/c it won't allow us to overeat and thus we must address these emotional obstacles. I heard a talk show this morning downing the gastric bypass b/c they were saying most people gain back a significant portion of their weight and/or develop other health problems and addictions. They had some long term data, and I was wondering what the long term data will be on us. I think since we can't physically overeat if we'll be so much better....I sure hope so!! I wanted to call in, but I could tell it was a rebroadcast....I was hoping someone would mention the sleeve, but they did not. You are doing great.

I have not had that reaction from family BUT I work with a lot of Christians and some of them NEVER comment on my weight loss unless they do not know I had surgery. If I then tell them I had surgery, many of them just don't say another word like I said I had an abortion or something. It is so weird. So I finally, in my hard headed and very open state, learned to just start saying I am not eating as much these days...

That is soooo great. I always thought I should be a postal worker so I got my walking in...although now they seem to drive more than walk. I mean, pay me to exercise and maybe I'll do it finally.

I hate lemonade now. Love tomato and coffee (not at the same time of course) more than ever before. Not a big soda fan now, ewwww, especially orange soda. I loved pecans before, but now hooked on sunflower seeds for life. Loved corn tortillas, not so much now. Chinese food...tastes good...doesn't like to go down for some strange reason NOT satisfying to me. ALWAYS loved Soups, but now not so much. AND I HATE Protein shakes hahahaha not that I ever liked them.

This made me laugh, because I was mad I never got to see/keep the part of the stomach that was cut off to make my sleeve. It was MINE!

Congrats. It is soooo exciting isn't it. What is more exciting is you'll never see that 2 again.

awwww sounds sweet to me.

I'm 1/2 Italian - and love carbs too. But I've done fine without them. Welcome on board. I believe you could always still get the bypass if the sleeve did not work out. But I doubt you would want to...the sleeve does it job just fine. Just get a great doctor that has done at least 100 sleeves.

Stacy I thought that was a GREAT point...rid ourselves of all toxic things.......

When I read this it described my childhood a lot too. Also on a diet at that age. I was the fat cute girl, very bubbly, but quite sensitive and troubled on the inside. No one knew I guess. I think you might benefit from the book boundaries. It was such a foreign concept to me when I first learned it, and I still struggle. I was the doormat at work and with 'friends' for a long time. The worst thing I hated is that I would be a real target for nice people that were not responsible and I would mostly volunteer to help them. It was like situations where most people would see it coming but I could not see it. And later I would be in this situation that became hard to get out of. A lot of time it was people that were not accountable and they would be looking to use someone's credit or money, for example. Just real dumb stuff like co-signing on something or letting them move in with me for a while or loaning money, or hiring them in my small business even though they were not what I needed at work. I would create this stressful situation for myself, and even I began to see the pattern and realize a lot of the problem was ME. I realized I needed to stay more in control of my generosity. I read this book called Boundaries, and I started trying to see these situations coming at me. I started standing up for myself little by little, even to the point I might overdo it!! Learning to be assertively protective of ones self takes time for some of us. But I began to draw lines around a lot of people and situations. I still struggle with boundaries and walk into traps. But I'm better now. And a lot of times I see situations coming at me. Sometimes we are in relationships where our needs are not getting met. I guess it is sort of this same problem, where you are doing the giving and they are doing the taking. There is a balance of power. By losing weight, this self absorbed friend feels you getting attention instead of her, or taking some attention away from her. Sounds like she is a taker, and you the giver. If you change, she might not be motivated to be friends anymore b/c she might not be able to change. This does not sound like a friend to me. A friend would be happy if their friend lost weight, even if they were a tad jealous. I would agree this does not sound like a healthy friendship, and you may find over time that you need some distance. Right now you need support, positive feedback, and encouragement. Try to focus on friendships that provide that support back to you. This friend obviously is not that person. And btw congrats on your weight loss...this surgery, if performed well, is truly a gift to ones self.

Everyone told me measure in a 2 oz. measuring cup and take it with you. That might help. I was thinking after surgery when I ate something THICK, dense, like a potato, it was too much for my lil sleeve. I remember I about choked to death on hummus which was pretty thick. Just a thought.

As far as I know these surgeries are good and successful. There are people out there that need to hear more about it so that they will see the upside. Go for it, unless you are private about it. There is nothing wrong with doing it, as long as you are spreading the message of doing it with caution and great doctors.

Thanks guys, I was not expecting those comments at all, just thought it was a good question and reflecting how much a few lbs changed quality of life for me and my family. And btw I'm 47 years old. I do have a 3yo - and a 12 yo and they are an inspiration to me.

Lets look at it this way. What used to be hard was having sex with my husband and feeling like a walrus. What used to be hard was sitting in the middle seat of a plane and feeling like a stuffed animal trying not to breathe as to invade the people next to me. What used to be hard was going for my annual ob visit and having the doctor look disgusted by my gluttony. What used to be hard was having my pediatrician fuss hard at me for over feeding my children. What used to be hard was having to buy only clothes that kind of fit as opposed to what I liked to wear. What used to be hard was having men look at me not bc I was pretty but bc they were so unattracted to me. What used to be hard was running into people from high school that knew me at half the weight. What used to be hard is having my kids and husband mimick my snores and sleep noises as my body struggled to get air. What used to be hard was having to wait to wake up in the morning to see how much energy I had that day, so I could see whether I'd have any mental/physical ability to be productive or not. What used to be hard was knowing my life expectancy was short and praying I could live as long as my kids might need me around. And what was hardest, for me, was having no self control to change things to make it better for me and my family. To escape the rut. Flash forward to last night my husband was making love to me while telling me he felt like he had a new girlfriend. Flash forward to every morning as I wake up I feeling my old friends...my solid high school hip bones that were long ago forgotten but now rediscovered. Flash forward to flyng on a plane in July and realizing the airlines had finally made more room in the seats, and my belt now had inches to spare. Flash forward to now I do not allow my sons to overindulge as much on sugar, sodas, flour and we work out as a family at home. Flash forward to a few months after surgery my 3yo became frantic in the darkness of night bc he felt he "lost his family"...he could not find our bed bc he couldn't hear me snoring anymore to direct him where to go. Flash forward to EVERY DAY I now have the energy I need to do what I need to do and my businesses are more successful as a result. Flash forward to realizing I can live plenty of years now bc my health risks are all but gone, and my husband won't have to search for a new wife/mother of our children because Mommy passed away from overeating. This surgery simply, because it is simple if done well, saved my life. I would not change a thing.

And think about complications. If you have a complication, you will likely be in your home town. What great doctor do you think will see you? If you have a complication, do you have good insurance here? If so, then I would suggest finding a great, not good, doctor here in the states. I have insurance that does not cover complications. I paid a doctor here, but then afterwards met people that had complications. I met several of them sitting in the doctor's office. But who will take you/treat you if they did not do their surgery? It is harder than you think to get a bariatric surgeon to take you after the fact. For liability reasons for one thing, for their stats, etc. For this reason alone, if it were me I would find the BEST bariatric surgeon near you, the very very best by checking him out in many of the ways you are checking out Dr. Alvarez. If you have the best bariatric surgeon near you, then you have less chance of a leak in the first place. But at least if you do have a complication you will be near your doctor, most likely, when you have it. You can get good treatment immediately by a good doctor close to your home. Imagine having a leak or complication and getting bad treatment just because you do not have access to the best bariatric surgeon in your area? This happened to a friend of ours here. I know everyone loves Dr. Aceves, and he is obviously great great great. But he is not near your home town. I was not in this site prior to surgery, at least not before I picked my doctor. If I was I might have felt very swayed towards Mexico. Otherwise honestly I wouldn't have known about it at all. But I'm not sure I would have made that decision understanding that if I have a complication HERE who will be willing to treat me? I would be at the mercy of doctors that I did not pay to do my surgery, doctors that are not liable to me in any way. And most of them for their own reasons, say no. Perhaps we should support oulr great doctors here in our country. It is a bit more expensive to do so, but in the end I feel you will be more connected in case you have an emergency. It is important if you do have a leak to be diagnosed quickly and to get the appropriate treatment immediately. You won't have time to find the best doctor near your home if you have a complication. You need to already have that connection. I am sure others will disagree, and in a best case scenario it works to go to a great doctor in Mexico. But complications can arise that can kill you without appropriate medical care. Support America.

It does seem odd, doesn't it. I can tell you I had surgery 2 days before you and I'm slowly still losing. Usually 5 lb a month, which is slow. But I'm not exercising much. I cheat some, pretty much eat like I always did except less and less spicey/less fried, etc. just like you. Recently I ate the greatest bowl of black Beans with ham and weiners in it, and onion and tomato and a touch of jalapeno. OMG it was so awesome. And after I ate it I realized I was full. And I realized I had eaten no bread with it or drank anything. So I took my little bowl and poured Water to the fill line of where the beans were and I measured the water. It was 6 oz, maybe slightly less. I was very full and shocked I could eat that much. If I could eat more than this, hmmm, I don't know if I'd be losing weight. Maybe you need to really see how many ounces you are getting down to know if you have a size issue. That would be a total shame I know. But still better to know. Other than that, maybe get a second opinion from a great doctor.

Thanks for the pep talk.. You did a great job, and I am so happy for you. I guess we all miss eating more at times, but I know I got the restriction knowing that I obviously needed it. It is amazing how we adapt to it. You are doing a great thing for yourself. Hoorah!

I am soooo happy for you. You are a normal weight. Wow. Normal. Such a cool word.

Wow, I too am so sorry. I think that you should still Celebrate the 100 lbs, and if this surgery didn't do the whole enchilada for you then if you don't mind a little more saggy skin then don't give up.y You have lost a TON of weight. So this surgery IS a success for you. Perhaps try your darndest to eat Protein first, measure carbs, limit sugar grams. Be your own best friend. And then leave at that until you are ready to think about another surgery with an excellent surgery. As you know, the sleeve may not be enough for every person. But there are more options for you out there. Don't be scared to come here. We just might not have all the answers.

BJean I am with you. I drink Kool Aid with sugar, very diluted. Also Iced Tea with agave or sometimes a little sugar. I am not losing weight really fast, but gosh, I guess fast enough. I also have an aversion to chemical sweeteners of any kind and frankly will rarely drink them/eat them. It makes no sense to me. I know sugar is unwanted calories, but I just really try hard to minimize it. I like a little flavor in my drink. But I will try to arrowhead Water. I don't really have any issues with drinks though. I have done this since the beginning with the kool aid. Usually it is 1 of those little packets each day.

I know, I know. I have good hair too. But some encouragement here. Mine starting shedding at 4 mos after surgery. And it shed, and shed. My hairdresser and I met at about 5.5 mos and she said it looked like I had lost 20% of hair. I have one baldish spot where a receding hairline would start on the left. But she said absolutely I have little hairs popping up all over my head and my baldish spot is covered in little hairs already. My hairdresser swears it will come back. I think now it has stopped falling out. She swears it is b/c of surgery in general. I am terrible with my Vitamins and don't do Biotin. And it is STILL coming back. Hang in there. I don't notice mine anymore.