MrsKarenC2008

@sbg224 Oh dear ... I would love to give you a big ol hug ! I know how frustrating this is ... and yes ... while we KNOW that after surgery we will not wake up thin and gorgeous .... one part of us wishes that was the case ! But alas ... it's not ... Your new sleeve is a TOOL ... not the answer .... You have to do exactly what you're doing to work with your TOOL and get the results you want and deserve ... A few pounds a week is a good steady pace and a healthy pace to loose weight ... anything faster and you could develop other health issues that I KNOW you don't want! Slow and steady wins the race my friend ! Keep going .... don't stop ... the finish line is right ahead !

Get rid of the things that don't fit .... I'm all for keeping one shirt and one pants that you wore during your heaviest .... just to compare when you're thin and sexy ! Why keep it ? I agree with @@dhrguru about the alcoholics not keeping a bottle ... You have to be Out with the Old ... In with the New !!! Make lotsa room in the closet for the new sexy clothes you'll spend countless hours wearing and feeling like a million bucks !

@kranky813 GOOD FOR YOU !!!!!! Way to stand up and be heard and be counted ... You shouldn't mourn that loss ... could be she wasn't truly a friend after all ... Congrats on hitting a WL goal ! I'm not far behind you!

Another question along these lines ... has anyone noticed less eye lashes ? I've been noticing that putting on my mascara ... that there isn't as much bulk in my eye lashes as there used to be ...

@kranky813 I have to say ... I had a friend like this .... HAD being key word here ... She was thin and pretty and bubbly personality ... the total package .... I was the fat friend ... the one who was sweet enough, but everyone looked past me to see her ... Then when good things like my surgery started happening to me ... the weight was coming off ... and people started noticing ME instead of her ... that is when she turned on me ... She didn't like having competition .... I am starting to NOT be the fat friend anymore ... and she cant handle it ... Sounds like your so-called friend is acting the same ... A fool.

that gas can be a real WITCH ! I had it for a week and NOTHING helped ... not heat, not ice , not standing, not sitting ... I walked until my feet hurt and that didn't help ... it's just something that has to work its way out on its own ... I swore I wanted to be shot .... ugh. Sorry to hear you're hurting ... but glad it's subsiding

I took it before surgery ... and I take it after ... I'm 12 weeks PO today ... I will agree with @@OKCPirate ... it doesn't last as long as it used to ... but my stomach isn't as big as it was ! I try to take it around 11pm .. at least then I can get my ZZZZ's in ...

Has anyone been on this prior to surgery ... the off because of surgery ... then after a period of time been allowed to start taking it again ? Cold months approaching and it's already getting to me ... I don't know HOW I'll make it through winter without it ! I emailed the doc office this morning to ask about it ... and was told that it's up to my pain management doctor ... I thought that was odd ... thought the surgeon would decide ...

@BigViffer I know everyone is different .. and I know I have an Iron stomach ... at least when it was bigger it was ! I've been very lucky to not have anything bother me yet ... but then again ... I'm scared of everything ... I'm such a chicken! Thank you for your post ... I like getting the different points of view ... so that I can compile the information and make an informed choice when I approach the doc ...

@@Miss Mac I use the cream every night ... unfortunately during the day ... because of the dry time ... I cannot use it while at work ... that is why the pill form worked better during work hours ... isn't it always something! just when you think you're winning one battle ... another comes along

@gabbisha you're probably just having a "day" ... CHIN UP BUTTERCUP! You LOST weight ... it didn't find you ! You didn't have a stall ... YOU LOST ! That is wonderful news :) Bask in that glory and keep moving forward ... the rewards are so worth it !

I think I'm like most ... before the pre-op diet began... I ate my way around town ! I had a list of all the things I wanted to eat before I couldn't anymore ... and I got to all of them ... some in duplicate ! I agree with @@AvaFern ... ENJOY IT ! Because you wont be able to eat those quantities ever again ... and some of the food you shouldn't eat ever again ... I know it's daunting ... BUT IT'S WORTH IT !!! We all can attest to that ! Best of luck !!!

I miss being included in a lunch or dinner outing ... even though I attend ... I still feel like im just sitting there for the conversation ... I'm so scared of what to order and "what if it doesn't sit well" ... that I don't enjoy myself ... but ... i'll get there someday ! I don't miss the pain of walking ... the pain of laying in bed ... the pain of riding in the car ... the pain the pain the pain that the extra weight caused me ... That can take a hike and NEVER come back ! I don't miss the stares, the pointing and the whispers behind my back ... I don't miss the closet eating I did because I didn't want my husband to REALLY know how much I was REALLY eating ... I do miss the comfort food provided me when I was depressed ... I am still working on finding a new comfort ...

This may sound nuts ... but when it's time to eat food food ... I taste my Protein shake in my mouth ... and I'd rather have that ... ( if that statement makes sense ) It's gotten to the point where I'd rather drink the shake than eat ... Is this normal ? Well... honestly ... what is normal anymore ! Anyone else going through this or something similar ?

@Stevehud I haven't been very willing to "step outside the box" ... so I haven't "tried" much of anything new ... sad for me ... because I know there is a lot of new things I'm missing out on ! I love your milkshake idea ! @Elode That is what I've been doing too! shake for Breakfast .... meat for lunch ... shake for afternoon pick me up ... meat for dinner ... SF fudgesicle for my treat at night ... the occasional handful of peanuts or low-fat cheese stick or yogurt or scrambled egg ... but that is all I've lived on since surgery ... and yes, I'm alive

@ I know that I've heard iceberg lettuce is basically nothing but Water so go for the spinach leaves instead .. I may do that ... maybe with a teeny tiny bit of FF balsamic vinaigrette ... see how that sits .. it's a start ! and yes ... I've been very careful with things with seeds ... the last thing I want / need is a problem in there ... I've been so good to my sleeve so far ... I'm glad I made this initial post ... I'm actually getting a little excited to try something new!

@@Alex Brecher I think it's great you post on here too ... Thank you for this site ... it's one of the best parts of my journey ... being able to ask the questions and KNOW that people "GET IT" and I'm not alone in this ... Thank you Mr. Brecher!

@ - Hey Sleevy! You said that it's great I find the shakes tolerable .. ME TOO ! I've ready so many on here that hate them ... and have tried several ... I only tried one ... and got it right on the first try ! I do eat meat for lunch and for dinner ... but it's just that ... meat. Doc said to start introducing fruits and veggies slowly ... but the rule book is bigger than the Atlanta phone book ... so I'm scared to death! I guess my mind is just going for the one thing that I know will satisfy me and gives me the Protein I need for the day ... I knew this journey would be mind over matter ... and it is !

@hockeyfan7 I KNOW just what you're talking about with the loss of voltaren ( I call it diclofenac ) ... I honestly cried a little when the doc said I couldn't take it anymore ... that medication is amazing on my arthritis pain ... The doc said my pain doc could give me a low dose of Mobic and Pepcid to protect my new stomach ... I take it in the mornings .. I haven't' noticed a huge difference with it or without it ... but I go back to her next month ... maybe i'll have to get shots again .. I'm bone on bone in both knees ... and I have lymphedema in both legs ... so knee surgeon said I had to lose weight before he would be able to do the replacements ... hence, the biggest reason for the WLS ... Hang in there - things will get better!

I did it for sure ... I made a list of things I wanted to taste / eat before surgery .. and I made it happen ... because I KNEW that once surgery was done ... I was also done eating those things ... Guess we just have to have one last hurrah!

A few replies mentioned the feeling in your throat that you're full ... I get what feels like a huge ball in my throat when I'm hungry .... it's very uncomfortable ... and when I'm full ... I get a red face and tingly on my skin and I get hot ... it's very strange ... like another replied .... they didn't get full before surgery ... there were times when I didn't either ... but 6 cupcakes and a half gallon of milk usually did it ! SOOOOO glad I'm not that girl anymore

Lord knows I've had my moments too ... my blueness comes from ( of course ) not turning to food for every emotion I have ... but also ... I had to come off my pain medication for surgery ... and I got back on a different kind after ... and the effects of that were making me spin in circles as far as mood goes ... I was on the other medication since 2006 ... so that is a long time ... and my body got used to it ... and it not only helped with my arthritis pain ... but it also worked on my moods ... so I definitely can understand how all of us feel ... it's like surgery strips us LITERALLY of all the bad things we had done to ourselves in the past ... not just the food ... but medication too ... so it's like being born again and learning how to live properly ... all from scratch ... I trust we all know it's a loooong process ... but we're worth it ... and we'll make it !

I had a co-worker ask me today if I received a permission slip from my doctor to allow restaurants to sell me the child's size meal ... I told her no ... I didn't know they did that ... she had bypass 2 years ago and she has one of those cards ... is this common practice ? did I miss the boat?