SoCalLeslie

I am almost 2 years postop and am concerned I've stretched my pouch. I know I eat too much and have gained about 15 pounds. I need to lose more weight before I can have knee replacement surgery, yet I continue eating the wrong foods and too much. I am scheduled to see a therapist but am wondering if anyone has had a sleeve revision (sleeve to sleeve). I don't want to consider bypass. Thanks in advance for any insight.

@@Swamprat I recently purchased Best Fork Forward, by Steph Wagner. I haven't made anything from it yet, but the recipes look super easy and seem to use ingredients I already have on hand. I also like BariatricFoodie.com - a lot of great recipes on that site. I've made Taco Casserole and pizza Bake. Both have great flavor and are very hearty.

@@OutsideMatchInside I was so glad to see that you drink a shake in 5-10 minutes. I'm also about a year out and was concerned about the fact I could drink one in about 15 minutes, although I do try to sip on it to stretch it out a bit.

I am almost a year post-op and am struggling with some of the old habits I had pre-surgery, mainly eating when I'm not hungry. My doctor is willing to put me on an appetite suppressant such as Belviq, Contrave, or Qsymia. I'm not sure that's the answer. Has anyone else had to deal with this, and if so have you tried any of these medications? I have lost about 90 pounds but need to lose at least 50 more. Thanks for any advice you can share.

Thank you all for your insight. I will definitely check out the book. I really don't want to get started on another medication. Am down to one and hope to be off it soon too. I will also ask my primary doctor about therapy. I've dealt with weight issues most of my life, so I agree there must be something else going on. Thank you again!

I don't want to frighten anyone, but this is exactly what happened to me about two weeks after surgery. I noticed when I was out walking I had pain in the back of my leg, similar to a charley horse, that wouldn't go away. My two week follow-up was the next day; they ordered a stat ultrasound and it was indeed a clot. It eventually dissolved (6 months on Warfarin), but as AvaFern said if you're having any symptoms have them checked right away. I don't think it happens in that many cases; I was only 1 of 2 patients my doctor had ever had develop clots.

@@chasingchloee Are you taking Biotin? I started it a few months before surgery and now take 5000 mg a day (a BariMelt tablet). It's supposed to help prevent hair loss, but I'm sure it's no guarantee. I'm six weeks post-op and so far so good (knock on wood!). Hope this helps.

"But more important than as anything I realize that I am not afraid of food any longer." @@nomorechubbybutt63 What a great accomplishment! Kudos. I'm also finding that foods I enjoyed before surgery don't taste the same now. I've even given up coffee, at least for now (I'm six weeks post op). But I really don't miss it. Keep up the good work!

I guess I'm old school - I'm writing everything down. At one of my pre-education classes they gave us a nice small spiral bound notebook, and it's easy for me to just grab it after every meal. I've heard good things about MyFitnessPal though. Maybe I should check it out myself!

Hi everyone - this might be premature, as I haven't had my surgery yet and will be off work 3-4 weeks, but I'm looking for advice on what to tell people (especially at work) who might ask if I've had weight loss surgery. I know the weight comes off fast after surgery and I am sure people will be suspicious, even though I've lost about 30 pounds on my own and a few people noticed. I just don't feel it's anyone's business to know I've had surgery, especially among people who like to gossip. Any suggestions on how to respond? Or am I worrying for nothing? Would like to hear from some of you who had similar concerns. Thanks!

@@Elode Thanks much! I will definitely try this. Sounds really good.

@@Elode The ricotta cheese bake sounds good! Is the recipe online somewhere, or would you mind sharing it? Thanks.

@@glitterpockets I didn't count how many different lab tests were requested, but they took 11 vials and then 2 more a week before surgery. It doesn't take long, and hopefully you'll get a good tech! Hang in there.

@@keddykat75 Did you also buy the Fresh Starts containers at Babies R Us? I've never seen anything like that. I bought an insulated lunch bag at costco. Four of the small Rubbermaid containers fit perfectly inside. Thanks for sharing!

@@rainnie1976 I've never tried one of those bottles. Like @@Djmohr said, I'd probably forget and have to catch up which would be harder to do. I am still pre-op but I've set a timer on my phone to go off every 15 minutes so I'll remember to take a couple of small sips. I used a soft alarm so it won't bother anyone when I'm back to work. I'm hoping eventually this will become a habit, but for now I definitely need a reminder.

I was also told not to drink Gatorade, I'm assuming because of the high sugar content? Besides the other things mentioned here, my nutritionist suggested Propel, but I've never tried it. I've seen it at Walmart and it comes in a variety of flavors. I guess I'm weird because I don't mind drinking water. Hopefully that won't change after surgery!

Thank you all! I definitely wouldn't want to lie about it, just wanted to be prepared. Your comments have helped.

@@AWD12368 You are definitely not alone! I think it's normal to be nervous and have doubts (my opinion). During the time when I was still in the "am I doing the right thing?" phase I was focused mainly on what I'd be giving up - my favorite burrito, ice cream, pizza. food has been my best friend for most of my life. Now what I've started to focus on are the good things that will come into my life after surgery - being able to walk without knee pain, more self confidence, no more BP meds, more energy, etc. I want to actually write out a list and hang it up where I can see it everyday. My surgery is this Friday and I'm sure between now and then I'll still have a little of that feeling, but I know for me this is what I have to do. Hang in there, and good luck!

@@Soapandcandlequeen I think that's really nice of you! I don't need any, but I'm sure others would be interested!

@@choosehope I see so much of my situation in your post, so thank you for sharing. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one who is having these feelings. I started the process in February, going through the motions just fine. Then as my surgery date neared, I started having those feelings too - I must have asked myself if I'm doing the right thing 100 times. And similar to @@CowgirlJane I worried about failing again. What if I go through all this and nothing changes? At my last pre-op appt there were two people in the waiting room I recognized from one of my classes. I asked them if they were excited. Yes, they were. I thought to myself, I'm not feeling excited at all. What's wrong with me? Am I making the wrong decision? My surgery was scheduled for this past Monday. I got to the surgery center only to be told my surgery had been cancelled. My immediate thought: this is a sign. I'm not supposed to do this. Then the surgeon came out and talked to me. He reassured me I'm doing the right thing for my health. I don't know if that's what did it, but now I feel good about my decision and dare I say, even a little excited! (Surgery is happening this Friday.) I think it's normal to be nervous and have doubts. During the time when I was still in the "am I doing the right thing?" phase I was focused mainly on what I'd be giving up - my favorite burrito, ice cream, pizza. food has been my best friend for most of my life. Now what I've started to focus on are the good things that will come into my life after surgery - being able to walk without knee pain, more self confidence, no more BP meds, more energy, etc. I want to actually write out a list and hang it up where I can see it everyday. It does worry me too about what my eating routine will be like. But I've decided to take it one day at a time. I'm not going to let worrying about that bring me down. Is there a support group near you? If not, as you can see there are plenty of people on this board with great advice. I only joined yesterday and am already feeling so grateful for the support I've received. In the end, only you can decide what is the right decision for you. What helped me the most was talking with people who have already gone through this and also encouragement from my best friend (who is thin). She once told me, "Do nothing, and nothing will change." Amen. Good luck!

@@vickylyn1973 Great progress in such a short time! Congrats, and keep it up!

@@Lisa1171 You can ask your doctor about signs of dehydration. Both @@Inner Surfer Girl and @@laguerr13 give good advice. I haven't had my surgery yet (Friday!), but for the last couple of weeks I've been trying to get in the habit of drinking small sips every 15 minutes. I set a timer on my phone with a soft beep alarm - when it goes off, I just restart it. I imagine after a while it just becomes habit, but I do know how important it will be to get plenty of fluids in. Hope this helps, and good luck to you!

@@lucy0911 That is amazing! Congrats! I bet your kids are proud of you too.

I echo what others have said. We're all different and have different "tipping points" of where people will notice. I hadn't really thought of this before, but also agree with what others said about people not being sure if they should say anything for fear of offending you. For me, it usually takes about 50 pounds for anyone to notice. Something else to possibly consider: are you still wearing the same clothes? If your clothes are really loose, that might be why people aren't noticing too. Just a thought. Keep up the good work!

I went to an informational seminar in January and had my first meeting with the surgeon mid February. I am scheduled for surgery this Friday, July 17. I also saw the nutritionist and had the psych eval at the same appointment. What took the longest for me was waiting for the insurance company to verify everything. Originally I was told there was a six month waiting period, even though they didn't require any supervised medical weight loss or educational classes. I still took the classes though, offered through my medical group, and I'm glad I did. Even though it may not seem like it to you now, there are advantages to not having surgery right away (my opinion). My surgeon wanted me to try to lose at least 20 pounds before surgery to get rid of some of the fat around my liver, making it easier to get to my stomach. I've lost 32 and my BMI went down about 5 "points". Hoping that makes a difference come surgery day! Good luck everyone!