BarrySue

This is pretty much my life

Haha, I'm in the same boat. I was a double D, now I'm down to a C. I'm 31, and these puppies are looking about 84. They look great in a bra, but I have no idea how to even go about attempting to date anyone. How do I put in a dating profile "appears in good condition, but when you check under the hood..." My cleavage is false advertising!

Oh no! Kidney stones are the worst! I had kidney sand a couple months back and that alone was enough to drive me nuts, I can't imagine how awful it must've been for you. It's a good reminder for me to stay hydrated and drink as much as possible, yikes! Get well soon, hoping for your speedy recovery!

A sleeve is like a new baby. Every one has a unique temperament. Some are smooth and easy. Some are fussy. Some are colicky. Some barf waaaaaaay more than is necessary. But eventually you learn their likes, dislikes, and what they can handle. They're adaptable too, they grow and change.

They are demons from hell as far as I'm concerned. Peanut Butter is my vice, and those little savages keep peddling it like crack dealers on an after-school special. ...Okay, I know they're innocent and they simply want to make the world a better place, but still.

Edited to remove double post.

2.5 months from undergoing serious surgery, 2.5 months from a complete change in the way your body processes food, 2.5 months from a drastic reduction in caloric intake, 2.5 months into a complete metabolic shift, 2.5 months worth of stress and hormones, 2.5 months in a body that is constantly changing. You're FINE. Don't worry if you don't feel like it yet. Frankly, I'm more surprised at the folks that go "it's been two weeks, can I start banging people yet?" Bless their hearts, but I didn't want anyone to come near me for six months.

Haha, YES! I do costuming as well (have for many years, now getting into Victoria Era and the occasional southern belle outfits). Nerd power!

So loose! And that's WITH you wearing pants underneath, too!

BMI was almost 61. I had a hard time bouncing back from the surgery and experienced terrible pain at my incision site for about a month. It took two months before I could sleep on my side/stomach, and I needed a lot of assistance going from sitting to a standing position for about two weeks. In fact, twice during the first week I tried to go from sitting to standing on my own and ended up on the floor needing to call EMS to get me back up (I couldn't bend my midsection at all without excruciating pain). I think some of the issue was that I carry all my weight in my midsection, especially my belly (which contributes to additional pulling at the incision site), but my experience is pretty unique and not really representative of most people. Honestly, don't worry about the surgical pain or complications. They are rare, and even when they occur, worth it (speaking as someone who had a lot of issues my first two months). The complications get smaller and smaller in your memory as the weight goes away.

Wrong, my links say the exact opposite. You are reading the same information, but coming to a false conclusion. 20g-30g protein is used for muscle synthesis at a time. AFTER THAT, protein is used for other essential functions and still has important uses (like making hemoglobin, metabolic hormones, etc). Anything over 10-20g is not suddenly fat; you are underestimating the tremendous energy expenditure used to convert protein into various other substances, and how much protein the body utilizes in functions BEYOND muscle synthesis. Given the size restriction of our stomachs, moderate exercise level, and low carb lifestyle, eating 80-100g of protein per day (in three meals rather than five) will not result in accumulating protein as stored fat. If a person eats 3,500 daily calories of dense, saturated-fat filled red meat without exercise, then yes, they could absolutely gain weight (and clog their veins, good lord). But that is an extreme scenario that doesn't apply to WLS patients. There is a reason why bodybuilders trying to keep 5% bodyfat are on 200-300g of protein per day. Our bodies don't store it as glycogen/fat as easy as glucose, and it just kind of shows you have a limited understanding of just how much caloric expenditure goes into the various metabolic/structural processes of protein utilization. High amounts of protein in fewer sittings simply work better. It's not a matter of opinion. It's a matter of science: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26817506 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16469983 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8700446 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3577439/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16779921 I'm not trying to be a jerk. I completely understand that you have much knowledge and experience with the weight loss process, and I know you are trying to genuinely be helpful and pass along information. But it's very important to me as a nurse to continue to ensure people have accurate information and understand some of the complexities behind nutrition rather than falling prey to myth/misunderstanding. *******Edit: here is a very simple, easy to understand short response to why your protein will not turn to fat, because those peer-reviewed articles I linked are dry, boring, and difficult to understand : http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/excess-protein-and-fat-storage-qa.html

I can cross my legs. I haven't done that since I was 17 years old.

My go to stuff has been have been: Think-thin high Protein bars (peanut butter has 20g protein/240 cal, caramel has 10g protein/150 cal) Six-Star Protein elite series Peanut Butter chocolate bar (20g protein/190 calories, 98 CENTS PER BAR, most delicious Protein Bar I've ever eaten) Lifechoice peanut butter protein bar (18g protein/170 calories) Premiere protein powercrunch peanut butter crisps (10g protein/160 calories, they satisfy the carb/chip cravings) All of these are 7g sugar or less (one was 7g, the rest are between 1-4g), low carb, are free from the disgusting whey protein aftertaste, and have a lot of flavors, all of which can be found at wal-mart (check 3 different sections: diabetic/medical, adult nutrition, and bodybuilding/protein). I'm just an incredibly fussy eater, so peanut butter flavoring is the best way for me to get stuff down. I do have a few other nutrition/protein bars I also take, but the ones above are the ones I actually enjoy eating.

Okay, coming in here to again dispute the claim that people can’t absorb more than 20g of Protein per sitting. That is NOT TRUE and it has been debunked countless times. It is one of the many myths perpetuated by some fitness/bodybuilding groups. Your body utilizes nearly ALL macronutrients (unless you have a medical condition or specific health problem). Your body will typically only utilize 20-30g of protein for muscle synthesis, but protein has many other vital functions and there is no such thing as “wasting” it. It will all be absorbed gradually throughout your digestive tract. Our bodies would be terribly inefficient if we couldn’t process such an important substance throughout human history, where 95% of humanity lived in a state of feast/famine. Vitamins and other micronutrients can be filtered out in urine once a specific level is reached, but NOT protein. Fewer high-protein meals have been confirmed as more effective in study after study (rather than many more 20g or less protein meals). I know everyone has their own experiences and their own unique path to success, but please be careful repeating false information. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-protein-can-the-body-absorb/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/487366-how-many-grams-of-protein-can-body-absorb-in-one-sitting/ http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/how-much-protein-can-the-body-absorb-in-one-meal http://www.renegadeworkouts.com/the-body-can-only-absorb-20-grams-of-protein-per-meal-where-do-i-even-begin/ (tons of links to credible studies in this one)

I had that without the hiatal hernia. It was like that for about 2 weeks, spasm/burning when swallowing quite often.

Thanks for your response. While I was in the hospital they did so many tests, cat scans, ultrasounds(to check for galstones) I had another endoscopy. And a hida scan(to check for galbladder functioning correctly). Everything came back fine so I never got a diagnosis. Although I don't know what caused it, I don't feel so alone now. Thanks. I never got a quote either! All the tests/procedures were inconclusive, and they just chalked it up to one or the other, no official diagnosis.

I'm a nurse as well. I took five weeks off, but had tough issues for a couple weeks afterward. I work in pediatrics, and getting up and down off the floor or trying to pick up my 25 lb patient killed me.

Your body is really, really smart. Oh, it went along with your plans in the beginning, dropping off weight and depleting fat cells. It cooperated with your new diet and allowed you to carry on at the gym, sweating out pound after pound. But your body is not a bank account where you make precise withdrawals and deposits of calories. It is not a checkbook or a cost-benefit analysis. You can't put in exercise tokens and expect specific results (or any results, your body has a way of eating your bills and spare change). Your body has adapted to doubling its Fluid volume during pregnancy to sustain a baby/blood loss. It can adapt to eating a diet of no meat in the remote mountains of asia, or a diet of all-meat if you're an eskimo living on seal meat/whale blubber. It can adapt to long periods of affluence and lots of greasy foods, packing on the pounds to sustain you in lean times, and it can slow down your metabolism when the nutritional pickings are slim. You are a miracle of evolutionary adaptation. Your body is an achievement of nature (or God, or intelligent design, whatever your existential preference). So just take a breath. Stick to your nutritional plan. Weight loss doesn't happen in a straight line, it has lots of dips and valleys, plateaus and gains and tons of frustration. There is no secret or magic trick. Exercise, Protein, Water, enough calories so you don't screw up your metabolism in the long term. Talk to your doc about your current caloric intake/level of exercise and see if you need to bump it up. Your body is smart. It will do what it wants. Just keep doing what you're supposed to, and you'll convince it to follow along.

Every plan is individualized depending on the specific guidelines set by your doctor and your insurance company. Unfortunately, experiences will vary and there is not one uniform method.

That was a textbook example of what happened to me. I was fine for 8-10 weeks, and then became unable to eat anything, felt nauseous/ill even smelling food, couldn't get down more than a bite before gagging. even Vitamins made me vomit. I was told it was likely a stricture or a gallbladder flare-up/gallstone, but I never needed to have the dilation done because the symptoms subsided after 3-4 days of hospitalization, Fluid, rests, and no solids (I think the stress/anxiety related to nausea/vomiting made it worse). Then, I gradually incorporated Peanut Butter crackers and very, very soft food (turkey so soft/stringy it fell apart, Soups, etc). Mostly, I lived on PB crackers for a month. My tolerance increased and the nausea vanished, although even at 7.5 months out, I seem to eat less than my sleeve buddies (I struggle to get 800-900 calories per day). I've seen this happen with multiple people at 8-12 weeks. Doing fine, then suddenly nausea/vomiting and food intolerance. That fits the timeline for a late stricture (they tend to occur either right after surgery or 2-3 months out), but people seem to get over it regardless. Definitely keep in touch with your doctor, OP, but don't stress too much about it.

Isn't there a limit to how much money one can take out of the US? I imagine the ATM/cash withdrawal fees across the border might be cost- prohibitive (I've only ever traveled in Europe though, not Mexico, so I can't say).

See, I wish I could do this, but since my surgery, tortilla/flatbread makes me nauseous. I can't eat it. It just disgusts me now. I actually had better luck just indulging in a slice on NY pizza a couple times and then deciding I could do without it.

I was obsessed was quite some time. For months, I would go to the grocery store and spend an hour there just touching/handling my old favorite foods. Sometimes I'd put them in my cart and empty them before I hit the register. Other times I would buy them and not be able to eat them. Occasionally I'd try to eat the, only to be disappointed because nothing tasted good anymore, and even if it tasted good, I couldn't get that feeling of satisfied fullness. After about five months, I settled down and the obsessive/anxious tendencies went away. You're not a robot. You're not going to deprogram. But as time goes on, it gets easier. Just hang in there.

I did WW. Atkins. South Beach. juice fast. And I failed at every one. My issue was wanting to eat until I was full, only full was waaaaay more than any regular person ate (Binge eating disorder). No cutting back, no moderation, none of that junk worked. I even cheated on my 21 day pre-op diet. And you know what? I still did fine. Everyone says "make lifestyle chances," but I couldn't DO that until I was given tools. And the ONLY tool that ever worked for me was the sleeve. And I'm doing just fine.

I had terrible reflux before surgery, but zero, zip, NADA post-op. I never even had to fill my prescription for anything because I never experienced reflux ever again.