Daisee68

You look amazing! Great job! I'm sorry you have gotten these comments. Just ignore all those people. Laugh it off. It isn't worth giving it the brain space (or heart space) to even think about. I think people just don't know what to say. I saw someone recently who I hadn't seen in over a year (a boss from out of town who then subsequently laid me off a few weeks later) and at over 100 pounds down, I expected him to say something but NOPE. Not a word. Perhaps he thought it rude. Mostly it was like a strange elephant in the room (especially since I met him for drinks but only would order Water and not alcohol). I am not sure what I would have wanted him to say. Perhaps a "Wow you look great!" would suffice. What I also notice is that the younger men find it acceptable to say something but older men have likely been taught it is rude to say something about a women's weight. I have an interview tomorrow at a place I worked for 14 years (and then left 8 years ago). I have seen a couple of people in that space of time and even a couple of them since surgery, but not most. It will be interesting to hear what they say. I am bracing myself to just smile and say "Thanks!". One of the people had sleeve surgery a few months before my RNY. I have seen her a couple of times and unfortunately other than the first 30 pounds right off the bat, she has given up and gone back to her old lifestyle. I know seeing me will make her uncomfortable and I hate that but I can't change it. I can just be encouraging if she asks (and only if she asks how I am doing so well) and tell her what everyone here says - get back to the basics. Keep up the great work! Enjoy the new body and new health!

On this day exactly one year ago, I had my first consultation with my surgeon. (I picked the only surgeon I ever consulted with. I had done a ton of research online before.) I was terrified and almost backed out. I weighed in at 322.6 pounds. This morning I weighed 204.8 pounds. I just got an email from my NUT (after meeting with her yesterday) saying that I have lost 64% of my excess body weight (not sure exactly how that is calculated) and telling me I am officially NOT obese. My diabetes is in remission. I have actually taken a boxing class (which almost killed me but I did it.) I have actually been referred to as "skinny" by a few people (though they are a bit biased as I am far from skinny). Oh and I am unemployed after a layoff. (Not at all WLS related but certainly a shock and hanging on to the hope that it is a blessing in disguise.) I can honestly say that on this day last year, I could NEVER have imagined this is where I would be on this day. I can't wait to see what next year will bring...

LOL @@Inner Surfer Girl! I was thinking the exact same thing! Great job @@cslove!! Keep up the great work!

First 3 days are the worst. Just be prepared for that. But it does get easier. If your doctor does allow broth, look for something other than plain chicken. I used Swansons Mexican Tortilla Soup broth and man that saved me! It tasted wonderful! They have a Thai Ginger one too I think. Broth helps. sugar free Popsicles help. Lots of Water or tea or whatever else you are allowed and just keep your eye on the prize. YOU GOT THIS!!

Glad all went well! Keep sipping and walking!

Definitely can be acid reflux. Try Zantac if you don't have a PPI prescribed.

Ugh. So sorry. The nausea was the worst part of this journey (well actually the constipation was the worst but then the nausea). I was nauseas for a good 6 months (partly because I had a stricture which they found at 3 months though - not sure why the nausea after that). Good news is mine has virtually disappeared. Stay hydrated. Tiny sips of Water. And hopefully tomorrow will be better!

Congrats!

Mine wasn't scheduled until they had approval from insurance.

My outer thigh roll is still there - albeit smaller. Inner thigh is gross loose skin. So - yes to both your questions! Sure hope it keeps going down. If not, I will definitely have thigh lift some day....

@ - Great perspective! Sounds like you have the right mindset. I wish you all the best with your journey! Keep reading this message board! It is one of the top tools I have!

Mine did too. Turned out I had a structure so watch it closely a d stay hydrated. If you start vomiting a lot or aren't able to hold down, call them.

Agreed. Try to get a little more balance in your diet. Carbs won't kill you. They just need to be good carbs. And when is the last time you lost 3 pant sizes in 8 weeks? Just sayin'. Don't be so hard on yourself.

I don't belong in this thread but I have to say something. I have a friend whobwent this HH route with Dr Nick. She has failed miserably because she didn't really put in the work (NUT, therapy, ongoing also, etc). I went to lunch with her maybe 8 weeks post-op and she ate pizza (albeit just toppings) and drank sweet tea. She lost about 30 pounds the first few months and that's it. She is still drinking sweet tea. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do the work. This is a very serious surgery and an amazing opportunity but remember the sleeve is just a tool. YOU have to do the work. I worry that this "easy" route that Dr Nick offers (as do others) somehow makes this seem not as serious. Especially those that are out of town. Find a NUT you can continue to meet with, a therapist locally and a Dr to monitor your post-op labs. This is VERY important. OK climbing down off my soap box. Please don't take my advice as accusatory or against Dr Nick. (He is an excellent surgeon.). But the surgeon's part in this is actually very small. The real work is up to you. My advice is only because I want the best for anyone who is committing to such serious surgery. Best of luck to you all!

I struggled with morning nausea for 6 months. First I would recommend getting an anti-nausea med like Zofran. Secondly, I would request a different acid me such as a PPI to be taken at night. Zantac may not be strong enough.

I had a high BMI and lost (am losing) at a rate of 10 pounds or less per month. 10 pounds per month is not slow; however, I suspect "not bring super strict" is adding to the situation. Also realize that you have lost 40 pounds DURING the holidays. Have you ever been able to lose any weight during the holidays? Be proud of yourself. Rejoice in your loss and don't derail yourself by "not being super strict". This is a new lifestyle not a temporary diet.

How about dairy? You can try Greek yogurt and if mix Protein powder with it, you can up the protein. I also eat a lot of cheese. How about eggs? If you can stomach those (some can't), maybe try scrambled or hard boiled? For jerky, try the Krave brand. it is very tender and easier to tolerate.

Ok, I watched the Chad part. While Dr. Now did not refer to it this way, what Chad had was a stricture. (Trust me. I saw the pics on tv and it is identical to the procedure and pics I had from mine.) Dr. Now called it "swelling". What my dr told me (my bariatric surgeon and the GI dr that did my second balloon dilation) is that it is an overgrowth of scar tissue. (So technically swelling? I don't know.) Not sure which med Dr. Now was talking about but yes @@Babbs I did think he was quite rude about it. I know that when I asked my surgeon if I did something to cause the stricture, she said no. 2% of people get it. She just asked if I had taken NSAIDs (nope - well twice) and if I was taking my PPI/reflux med (yep). What I wondered is if the med Dr. Now was talking about was a PPI? I hope that I do not have to be on it forever. When I asked at my 6 months followup, she said I could start cutting back to once per day instead of twice per day but she didn't say anything further than that. I am still taking it and I am still taking my cholesterol med (which I had hoped to be off by now). I will ask at my 9 month follow-up. So other than that, I actually thought that Chad story was very inspirational! I enjoyed this one so much more than any of the others I have seen. So proud of him for sticking to it and for keeping at it until he got a job! I sure hope he is a true success story long term!

Hmmm... I don't know. Many surgeons and NUTs are different. Most (as you will find on here) recommend higher Protein and lower carb and because protein is so important for healing and to maintain muscle mass, it is important to get your protein in first and then if you have room veggies and then other carbs. I couldn't have handled taco shells early on, but I can now. BUT chips are a slippery slope for me (as I was reminded last weekend), so it is just something I have to watch. If you do not like chicken, fish or pork, you need to find another way to get your protein in, so be sure you are focusing on that. What is your protein goal as advised by your NUT? If it helps, mine is in the 80-100g per day range. I am female and 5'10". My carb target is to come from more complex carbs (not simple carbs like chips and non-starchy veggies like corn) and I am just supposed to be carbs less than or equal to my protein grams.

As a former diabetic, I would caution you against using chocolate to resolve it. We were told in diabetes education not to use chocolate as it takes too long to process and has too much other stuff. So, a glucose tablet is good or a peppermint candy or a very very small amount of juice, etc. Now I don't know if reactive hypoglycemia has different needs than hypoglycemia caused by diabetes but it seems to me that the same rules for increasing your sugar may apply though likely in smaller amounts so as not to lead to dumping.

Patience grasshopper. It will come but it takes time to show up. Take your measurements (all over) and rejoice in those changes.

Agree with @@Inner Surfer Girl and caution with the taco shell.

7 months and then only had half a glass of wine. Nothing since. Please be careful. You don't need the calories, you will likely get drunk faster, could cause dumping syndrome and know that there is a startling statistic of how many people become alcoholics after WLS. Some drs ask that you wait at least an entire year.

Yes what @@cindyw41 said. Limit yourself to eating no more than 30 minutes. (I did 20 minutes in the beginning but as I could eat more, I went to 30.) Sometimes (even still at 7 1/2 months post-op), I feel some fullness after only a few bites but it is nowhere near enough for me to get enough nutrition and if I wait about 5 minutes, that feeling goes away and then I can continue - just not more than 30 minutes! I could not eat a whole yogurt or pudding in the beginning. I would portion out half of the yogurt and add 1/2 a scoop of vanilla Protein powder (or 1/2 scoop of chocolate Protein Powder to the chocolate pudding). It makes it kind of runny, but it got more protein in and tasted pretty good.

How about a taco Soup? I brown lean ground beef in a pan and add taco seasoning. Then dump the meat in a CrockPot with a can of corn, can of Rotel Tomatoes, can of pinto Beans, can of chicken broth and a package of dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning mix. Alternatively, I have used shredded rotisserie chicken and just added the taco seasoning to the soup. And another suggestion is Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip. (I don't remember all the ingredients but I can find it if you want it.) it is shredded rotisserie chicken, greek yogurt, low fat cream cheese, Franks Red Hot, lite Mozzarella cheese and package of dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix. You can serve it as a casserole or a dip. With a dip, you can take cut up veggies and some tortilla chips or crackers. My last suggestion would be just a big pot of Pinto Beans (or your other favorite). Take cut up onions and jalapenos to add. (Can you tell I am from Texas? ) Good luck!