Smye

You'll be surprised how filled up you can get on protein shakes at first. The other recommendation I've got is to try the Nectar Whey Isolates from Syntrax. They're a bit pricey, but a WONDERFUL change up from all of the creamy-chalkiness of standard protein shakes. I liked the fuzzy navel for a while, but it got old and now I'm thoroughly enjoying the lemon iced tea. Haven't tried most of them yet, but have a friend with enough of the apple, and a few others that I'll get to sample soon.

Vanilla premier protein with a sleeve of decaf via from starbucks. AMAZING! Also, the Unjury chicken broth is not half bad.

And, oh yeah, *hugs*

@@ilikecake2much, let me first say you are one strong cookie to come join the boards and ask for support! Congratulations on that and keep up the good work! As you note, bariatric surgery is scary as hell at first, many of us swore long ago that we would never even consider such a thing - there's so much stigma, misinformation, fear, and outdated accurate info out there that we're bombarded with everyday; not to mention the messaging we get everywhere to just "cowboy/girl up and buckle down and lose the weight already." Too bad our bodies don't work like that. I won't presume to give you advice in terms of 'do it' or 'don't to it.' That's no one's place but yours and, possibly, your doctor's and spouses. I will, however, offer this bit of advice. Find a counsellor and/or therapist. Not because there's something 'wrong' with you or your brain, not because you have any sort of neurological or psychological condition, but because even being told 'you're a prime candidate for WLS' is world-rocking. I spent 25 years convinced I was 'fat but fit,' I live on a farm, raise 85% of my own food and walked/jogged 4-8 miles/day. Then my doc gave me the same message yours gave you. The next several months, whether you have surgery or not, are going to be very challenging emotionally and having someone trained who can help you process and coach you through figuring out your own process and decisions is invaluable in staying sane and - from the sounds of things - ensuring your relationship stays as healthy as possible. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to doubt your partner's support, but I know a LMHC can help you to navigate those frightening waters. And for the little it's worth - I consider myself a very open, educated, and secure individual - but only 4 people in my life know I had WLS. The others only know about the hiatal hernia repair I had at the same time and everyone assumes I've just started living healthier to drop all this weight - I often feel I betrayed my own body and the 'fat-culture' in that, but for my family, there was no way WLS would be acceptable. Whatever you choose to do, keep us posted and good luck! Lastly - I'm in academia and have access to a large amount of research that most folks have to pay $50-$175/article to get ahold of. Let me know if you need anything or have any research you want to do that i can help you with.

I didn't get my nausea under control in the first few days until my 4th anti-nausea medication and until I stopped the pain meds. That combination finally did the trick. Best wishes for your daughter, nausea is the worst of human sensations.

@@LipstickLady, HA! I will say that the last time I felt that constipated (3 days ago), I totally felt like a baby was coming through, but then was shocked to find I'd delivered something more akin to a baby mouse than a baby human. @@20150522MC, always glad to help!

@@Luvin_Life125, thanks! It's the weirdest thing I tell ya. I've always had elevated estrogen levels (thanks mom!), but this is a whole new level. @@gowalking, thank you for the anecdote - I'm always fascinated by the biochemical interactions our bodies have with hormones. I was trained as a biochemist before becoming a teacher, so I know all of the explanation behind all of this, but having it actually happen to me is something else entirely @@Luvin_Life125, thanks! It's the weirdest thing I tell ya. I've always had elevated estrogen levels (thanks mom!), but this is a whole new level. @@gowalking, thank you for the anecdote - I'm always fascinated by the biochemical interactions our bodies have with hormones. I was trained as a biochemist before becoming a teacher, so I know all of the explanation behind all of this, but having it actually happen to me is something else entirely

@@amponder, I'll admit, were I actually pregnant, I think I'd be more concerned And yes, the Dr. was able to explain that it's because our fat cells are producers and warehouses for massive amounts of various estrogens. Since I've dropped 70 lb in 63 days, I've effectively dumped 70 lb worth of estrogen storage directly into my bloodstream. It's pretty normal, and I knew to expect it to some extent, but WHOA, it hit me a lot harder than expected.

@@VSGmary & @@bubbles2015, HA! I'm glad my story could provide some entertainment in addition to just sharing my experience. @@Elode, thank you! Has anyone else had a similar experience?

The math is an approximation, it depends on a large number of factors, and the apparent growth (that is, the amountthat newly sticks out of your rolls as weight is lost) by no means follows a linear curve. If that was the case, you could gain to 600lb, then lose to 200 and magically have something like 14 inches which is lunacy. That said, I'm down 70 lb from 415 and have gained about 1.75"

I will say there's one gentleman at my local CasualMaleXL (the western branch of DXL) who will simply not leave me alone. I have recently told him outright that "I think you and I simply have too divergent of ideas about what looks good on me for us to work together." I did recently find though that one of the female employees who never approaches me, when I ask he for help is phenomenal!

Weirdly enough it started really getting noticed at about 2 weeks post-op, but then again, having so much to lose I lost a lot right away

I'm over a month out and still have it quite a bit. It's gotten better though - I'm told that as we learn better and better how to avoid swallowing minute bits of air, we'll feel better and better. Eventually they say it stops.

CONGRATS! Just be careful hanging out on the interwebs - you're more affected by those surgery drugs than you may realize - I sent complete nonsense to my boss at work when I tried to let her know all went well