Cari Dickenson

I had the surgery because I coudl not lsoe the weight without it. I had pre diabeties and insulin resistance and my doc said it makes it hard to lose weight. So I set out to prove him wrong gym 4 days a week for nine months ate healthy stuff only... lost ohh about 30 ish pounds. I was so disappointed. The surgery is not the 100 % fix it all. But it helps. A LOT! ... You still have to be very careful about what you eat.... I weigh all my food before eating...I think about food a lot more now then I did before the surgery. I think its worth it all the way. It has made a huge difference in my life... and what I can now do as to what I couldn't do before I had it. I don't think 200 lbs is terribly overweight....But in the end what matters is how you feel and your health...I don't know for everyone but for me... I am allowed so many carbs not sure how many but I eat no carbs... at all. If you want this to work for you follow the diets.... it has worked for me better then I ever expected. at first it came off really slow and I thought ohh no its not gonna work for me etc...Then it just kind of took off. I did hear the less you need to lose the slower it comes off... but remember its a journey, nothing is instant... and having weight loss surgery is the same. you still have to work for it... but it makes it a bit easier when a small amount of food makes you feel full... and your not starving hungry... you do have to remember eat your 3 small meals... I notice when I moved I had skipped a few meals busy moving and rehabbing the place I bought... that my weight loss stopped. as soon as I got back on track of my 3 small meals and a snack ( usually a fruit one specific I have craved watermelon since my surgery... before surgery I didn't like watermelon) the weight started coming off again. I think it works regardless of how much you need to lose... The excess skin is not exactly wonderful but the healthy... feeling good more than make up for it. remember to research and think long and hard as it's forever. in my opinion it is worth it!. I would do it again.... if I had to... good luck with your journey.

You can still have your beans... No lard no oils I cook mine with 4 slices of bacon.... ( for the entire family...) I use green chili sauce to make green chili pork... I dont eat any tortillas or rice but there are still lots of good hispanic food dishes you can have... asada... careful with the veggies after as I was told not to eat to much of them as it will be hard for the sleeve to process them... but you can make posole... lots of good things.... it's not as bad as you think it is... at first its hard... But I can eat spicy foods and they don't bother me at all... everyone is a little different so when you get back on the regular diet.. you experiment with what foods your body can handle and which ones it can't... sadly no more tamales for me either and I adore them but let me tell you its worth it.... . you can do this!

I love seeing all the different ways, The changes make themselves known.And it feels amazing I love seeing all the good things..... I think about a couple of weeks ago... I noticed I have neck, collar bones... I haven't seen those since I had my first child ....

Do what fits you. I read that the sleeve can grow on it's own... Nothing to do with stretching because of soda etc.... if you follow all the other advice protein no carbs... and have a sip of soda or two hear and there I don't think it's gonna be the end of it for anyone..... I do think you outta be careful cos it doesn't work out well for some... I heard it can be painful and make you feel like you want to die for a couple hours...I don't think A bite of cake or a small treat as long as it is rare is going to ruin it either..... you just use caution.... and keep track of what is going in.... whatever you do decide to do... make sure you are sure and ready for the possible pain it could cause..... waiting 4 5 months out is likely the best idea.... give yourself time to heal.... and you might find you don't want it at all afterwards. I no longer crave sweets...I use to crave potatoes... now crave watermelon... go figure....

You can make your own fruit slushies... add no sugar but what is in the fruit itself... a bit of ice... and a bit of Water so its not to thick..... I find freezing the fruit then I only have to add a bit of water to it and no ice... but either way it gets the slushy need fulfilled without all the sugar in it... natural sugar and can likely add some Protein mix... in it ... ( Peanut Butter maybe?) I don't use banana's as the doc said no... but watermelon strawberries peaches.... you are only limited to the fruit you can get...

http://www.obesitycoverage.com/gastric-sleeve-reference-manual/ CAN IT BE STRETCHED?You can stretch your stomach after gastric sleeve surgery. The inside of your stomach is lined with rugae. These are folds of tissue that expand and contract in relation to the amount of food that enters your stomach. When they expand, your stomach sends a signal to your brain that you are full. When they contract, they push the food into your intestines for further processing. Once the stomach is empty, a hormone called ghrelin is released that triggers hunger again. These signals can get skewed when your stomach is constantly stretched from too much food. This article details how this happens and why it’s important to get back on track quickly after binging. Below are a few tips to reduce the risk of stretching your stomach. Drink Water an hour before and an hour after you eat. This gives your body time to digest the food and make room for fluids and vice versa. Don’t eat and drink at the same time. Don’t drink carbonated beverages. The carbonation can put unneeded pressure on your stomach. Eat small, healthy Snacks if you get hungry in-between meals. Plan your meals. Focus on small portions of nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense foods keep you full longer and give you the nutrients that you need. Remember, if you overeat once, you haven’t ruined your new stomach. Get back on track as quickly as possible.

I hope you can find a nutritionist that you can mesh with... I am meeting my first one here in Idaho and will let you know how it goes... ( I been here just a bit over two months now. because in all honesty that nut is gonna be the one you need to mesh with as he/she will be helping you plan what to eat how much etc. not the actual surgeon.So I am hoping crappy surgeon... ( no connect) you can find that nut that is the bomb and will give you what you need.**************************."You're popular when you have as many haters as you do fans." --- I'm pretty sure I'm well on my way with this thread." .. LOL I might well be to since I came off as rude. mean without intention.Yippee. Not really *chuckles* ahh well it's what it is ehh...

I'm actually not against anyone having soda... I just think to be careful with it... and I wasn't a smoker until my ex punched me in the face and hit my 12 yr old son until then I had done well.. not smoking and the smell of it made me sick for 4 months after.... I just want her to be careful.. I have no idea of carbonation can make it expand or not... maybe for some maybe not for others... But I am fairly certain it can grow... From the looks of it it's a natural thing... from what I could find on it.... now it could be that is why they changed the part of stomach they used for the "pouch" and that one doesn't grow.... stretch as well as the older area used...

http://www.obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeve-will-my-stomach-stretch It does grow larger as your body naturally changes do look it up call the surgeons.... its not as large as original... but it does naturally grow a bit larger from all the research going from the four ounce size to six to ten is fairly common.... it's been studied. It is out there to be found.

Beck90, That sucks! I wish you could have had at least the option of surgeons. My doc was a choice out of 3 that also took medicaid. OMG! I can't believe there are so few for you and little no to options.. Grr That makes me angry and sad for you. For you should be able to trust the one who is going to do this miracle and amazing thing for you! The first surgeon I met with I hated on first contact... I was lucky to find a lady her name was Dr Beck she was amazing. I moved 2 and a half months ago to another state which kind of sucks cos I lost that support that they gave etc. :/ But buying yourself and your kids a home while disabled is usually impossible to do.... so I moved to a state that made it possible... I see my first nut here next week.... They won't tell you this so I am going to at first it's pretty scary.... like a lot... it's emotional.... they let the therapy dog come in and I started balling like a baby ( a person who rarely cries) But that golden retriever Sadie her name was I could hold her and I burst into tears like an wuss.... its really mostly scary the first three days after that not so much....They let you drink just one ounce but after my docs PAC came in she told me I could sip a little more than that just to be cautious... ( I was so dry with all the pain meds and oxygen they give I was getting bloody noses. ( common for me when I get oxygen. So ask for the Water in your oxygen asap as it helps you not feel so dry. Personally I thought the hospital I had my surgery in sucked. It was nice knowing my docs Med tech had also had the surgery and she was a font of information for me... as well as being here I have learned a lot of things... I hope this helps.... ohh and bring your own jello's and such the ones at the hospital I was at... tasted like the fridge was icky... and I couldn't eat them... the first thing they brought me was onion broth... I was like... are you kidding me.... I figured you know chicken broth gentle etc....but those are my experiences... I haven't tried soda/pop I stopped drinking it because the three docs all said I couldn't have it and so 2/3 ish yrs before surgery I quit... and I tried it once after quitting ( before surgery and the bubbles about killed me) and that was before surgery... my 13 yr old son quit drinking it with me still can't because of the bubbles hurting his stomach the other two of my sons( 11 and 16) quit with me for the surgery for a yr and drink it again now and are fine with it... no issues with the bubbles...Just be careful... I was before surgery curled into that ball of pain after taking 3 sips of a soda and that was before surgery.... the thought of drinking it now... I can't fathom... eggs had me curled in a ball after surgery and until about a month or so ago I couldn't eat them. Before surgery I was a smoker... after the smell made me gag.... for about 3 months.... Then A traumatic thing happened and that's what I ran to I don't eat more due to smoking and the docs did not seemed all that concerned that I was smoking again.

Op I wasn't saying you can't do it. I saw somewhere you or I thought was you said... you were gonna try a month out. It might have been another person.... as I said all the different posts can be a bit confusing. I don't think you can't do it. I am just worried that I don't want you you to suffer or hurt. Yes I know your grown and can do whatever you so choose.... I am not denying that... I was concerned as I said... it was not meant in meanness to anyone. Sorry if I come across very blunt it's the way I speak in real life. I type exactly how I talk. some people can't deal with that as there is none of the pretty to make the words come out pretty. It's what it is. I have been this way for 40 yrs nothing is gonna change it now. being mean never entered into it when I said it. I feel bad that it was taken in such a way... It wasn't meant to be that way. So I apologize for the misunderstanding. I want everyone here to win succeed... and feel good about themselves... This surgery was likely the hardest thing I have ever done and the best gift to myself and my kids...

I have no idea where the return key is... or I don't see it. Sorry If I didn't do it right. I thought it was how we answered responded. Forgive for being newer here and not understanding the way it works. I will also address Lipstick. I didn't say my way was right nor wrong.... I am concerned that if she doesn't want to follow docs advice before she has even had surgery... she might want to think long and hard on what she is doing. It is hard to tell emotions by typed words... I don't want her to be curled in a ball for hours it is horrid and to be able to save someone that possible kind of pain.. matters to me... I was simply speaking my mind trying to open her up to more. Never meant in a rude or unkind way. Simply put I say what I think and why... I think it depends on the person reading it how they take it. It was never meant in meanness or in a way to cause harm... but to give a person something to think about...http://www.amylhwilliams.com/pouchrulesfordummies.html For ten years, I had patients eat until full with cottage cheese every three months, and report the amount of cottage cheese they were able to eat before feeling full. This gave me an idea of the size of their pouch at three month intervals. I found there was a regular growth in the amount of intake of every single pouch. The average date the pouch stopped growing was two years. After the second year, all pouches stopped growing. Most pouches ended at 6 oz., with some as large at 9-10 ozs. Pouches can and do change in size... according to the article... it was a study done...

Wow. I wasn't being mean Lipstick lady. Its a pretty serious operation.... and I want to see her succeed. not harm herself.... I have no real issues with the soda verses not.... aside from the fact its bad for you... and I don't like or drink crystal light either... I want everyone to win against this battle.... and if you are not going to listen to the docs... I mean they have ( many of them) being doing this studying this for many years... They know a lot more about this stuff than any of us do... and If your not going to be able to handle it and its hard,,, especially at first and pretty scary to... I don't want someone to go through all this and regret it.... for it is not for the faint of heart.... or the ones that can't or wont stick to the diet....the only way to succeed is to stick to the diet... follow the docs advice I would hate for her to be curled in a ball for several hours for a sip or two of soda... that would suck.... I just want her to make sure this is what she wants..... and to do what needs to be done to be healthy and happy..... now saying that I am not saying not to live.. I had a spoonful small one of each child's birthday cake... I have a few dark chocolate covered raisins and some sherbert now and again as we are changing lifetime habit... it seems like she doesn't want to make those needed changes and that worries me for if she doesn't her life is not gonna be very pleasant... and drinking soda a month out... your still on the liquid diet a month out.... it sounds like a painful plan to me and it worries me.... a month out sounds too soon.... and for those on about protein shakes after surgery I could not tolerate them barely tolerated them during my month long liquid diet before surgery after it was a no go and I would gag... so I had to find another way....I am truly trying to help with my experience.... I dont drink any protein shakes... I eat my protein... meats steak chicken beans cheese....I cannot imagine living on them as I saw another poster say ... YUCK!!... But truly was not being mean or harsh... Just want the Op to take a good hard long look and make sure this is something she wants and can do... it is not for everyone.... I am pretty blunt and straight with what I say... rarely do I try to pretty it up.... it needed to be said... and I think she needs to take a long hard look at it one more time to make sure its what she truly wants..... giving up soda for health.....its a small sacrifice.... and with WLS sacrifices have to be made....

How does zero calorie and zero sugar diet pop cause you to gain weight? I see Chrystal Light talked about here a lot and it has aspartame and a list of chemicals longer than diet pop. Why is that recommend over diet pop? Just because a doctor says so is not good enough for me. When I was a kid our family doctor told us we would all have heart attacks if we continued to eat eggs. Anti eggs was the fad back then and most doctors went with it. Now eggs are considered a super food. What happened? Why did doctors suddenly change? Diet pop has been out for 50 years and yet there are very few studies that actually study causation. The ones I have found show that people do not gain anymore weight by drinking diet pop. I personally have lost 70 pounds and counting drinking diet pop. None of the ingredients in diet pop has been proven to cause weight gain. Diet pop is just a carbonated version of Water and Chrystal Light.

I don't think we will die if we drink it...although the pain from bubbles i hear can make you wish you were dead... for some... and for others its not a biggie... everyone is so different...... I just want the original poster to think carefully of the options ... and to get what they want which is weight gone...

and now my doc was okay with coffee and I drink one cup in the morning... I use straws sometimes to... I love iced tea and when I first was out of surgery and about 4 months in I couldn't eat eggs they made me so very sick... Now I eat them every morning and am so glad for it Protein something I enjoy... and it doesn't make me sick anymore... the sleeve does strange things and makes you like and dislike things that were once a favorite... everyone is different you might even hate the sight or smell of soda/pop after its hard to say... The smell of frying foods still makes me feel sick to my stomach... so I would take a wait and see stance before making any hard fast decisions...I heard the carbonation is what hurts after surgery.... Its not the soda itself.. I use to adore soda.... so I am far from a soda hater etc..... as for the other things we put in your bodies.... yes many things are not good for us ..... and many things are... I still cannot tolerate most fruits or veggies.... and was told its normal and to give it two yrs then my body will be able to digest and handle them. yet they are good for you.... all in all everyone in the end is different.... I am so happy for you to be able to lose so much to the lady who lost 175 rock it!! How amazing. I am thinking lucky for you to be able to drink soda.... without bad side affects of a hurting tummy..... many of us still struggle with Water... something that i hear is very normal I never had that issue thankfully..... I have no idea but I know all three docs I spoke with said NO soda/pop..... three different docs I think its all a part of the diet.... and for many it causes severe pain... so you will figure out which one is for you.... in the end of it all.... I try to avoid real and fake sugars... i hear the fake ones can often mess up insulin production.... and or cause someone to crave sweets more.... One lady I know was told no watermelon.... I crave it and make smoothies with it once every few days.... so its just different for everyone in the end you find what works for you... but don't resist listen to what your body says.... and follow that best.... make sure you get protein... if you don't hair falls out :/ for me I have a doubly whammy with my hair... I also have no thyroid and dropping weight so fast has messed up my thyroid levels...so its blood tests and making sure I get that protein in every day..... and keeping on the blood work for the thyroid levels.... I hope it works out well for you regardless.... and remember right after surgery I was terrified.... but it passes...... I was given a medicine cup and told to drink one of these lil ounces of water every hour.... it was pretty harsh for sure... but it doesn't last and it fades and gets less scary just be prepared mentally and emotionally for a few hard weeks after surgery but in the end it is WORT IT!! YOU are worth it!

I fight still to get enough liquids in.... I may have to do that someday... but getting enough is still my battle.... as I am new still to the surgery. I drink as much as I can.... and the sloshy feeling sometimes is bleh.... I as of yet don't track because I know its not quite as much as I need to get in.... Still a work in progress for me to get the liquids in.... and enough of them.... I make my gator aide... I posted the recipe here somewhere or another....

https://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-diet-soda-bad-for-you/ This is what is out there... many more to see ifyou have the desire to look. I don't drink that crystal lgiht either. its gross.. To my taste.. as for the other askign abotu Water... we drink it because our bodies require it. not because of nutritional value. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20739512_3,00.html Diet Soda and The Metabolic Syndrome The metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors for disease that often occur together and raise your risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease. It is defined as having at least three of the following: Abdominal obesity (belly fat) High fasting glucose High triglycerides Low HDL cholesterol Elevated blood pressure Drinking “calorie free” beverages instead of sugary ones does not appear to be helpful against the metabolic syndrome. In a study published in the journal Circulation in 2008, which followed 9,514 people for 9 years, drinking artificially sweetened beverages was associated with a 34% greater risk of developing the metabolic syndrome (1). Another study found a 36% increased risk of metabolic syndrome and a drastically increased risk of diabetes in diet soda drinkers (2). Bottom Line: Observational studies show a correlation between diet soda and the metabolic syndrome, which can lead to serious diseases. There is an association between diet soda and depression In a study of 263,925 adults aged 51-70, individuals who drank soda were 30% more likely to be diagnosed with depression over a period of 10 years. The link was stronger for diet soda than regular soda (3). Diet soda is also associated with preterm delivery. In a study of 59,334 pregnant women in Denmark, 1 serving per day of diet drinks was associated with a 38% increased risk of preterm delivery. 4 servings per day increased the risk

Curious since you didn't post your weight loss.... In a little over 5 months I have lost 134 pounds. Now we both know thats nothing to sneeze at, As a matter of fact I was shocked how well it went for me... ( I quit drinking soda/pop) about 2 yrs before I had my surgery as I knew it was a no no to have after. Every doc I asked went to and I checked out 3 surgeons before I picked one to have my surgery.... said no carbonation... first it can be very painful... second its wasted calories... even diet....it has no value for your body....we are relearning how to eat for fuel not for fun.... I had to pass a psyche eval to get my surgery... they want to make sure you are going to be capable of following something very strict ....Honestly I want for everyone here to gain what I have.... health.... I value myself I work for what I have gained and what I have lost. I don't want to see anyone fail... I never thought to gain such a gift as this..... I want it for everyone who is overweight you know... my doctor is ok with it. I was only told not to have any for the first month. I drink diet soda and carbonated beverages whenever I want. Not a lot but it doesn't bother me at all

I know you don';t want to hear a different opinion.... But if you truly want the weight loss... then you will follow the surgeons advice. they say the pouch can't be stretched but it does grow... and will grow for most who have had the surgery to about 6 to ten ounces from what I researched. If you want to drink soda... and still be overweight and unhealthy than why have the surgery?! What a waste of the surgery... the struggles and all that others are trying to do here which is be healthy.... learn to eat for fuel and not for pleasure. that's not to say you can't have a bit of a treat here and there. But if you want the weight loss... want the health...Then you have to want to not do the things that will mess up those things for you....You can ask people to not respond because you just don't want to hear the truth... You can sit in denial But it's you and only you that will suffer from your choices... I researched this surgery for 2 yrs before I had it... all the pro's and cons... all the in's and outs of what and why's of it...i am curious as to why you think you know more then the docs and nutritionists... and the ones already gone through the surgery with great success. It sounds to me like you shouldn't have it if your not going to do what needs to be done to lose the weight... to take back control of your life... and to beat being overweight. In the end of it all it is up to YOU! if you want to lose and be healthy you follow the advice of the docs.... if you don't... why having the surgery at all... It is not a cure... it is a tool to help you reach your goals.... The surgery itself will not work if you don't do the things you need to do... I found some of this out on my own... Because I had the sleeve and am never hungry... I got around to buying a house and during the move was not eating 3 meals a day... not one pound came off.... got back on track... and I lose a pound every other day...as long as I do what the diet plan is ... eat Protein... and drink enough it works... and works very well... as you can see in a little over five motnhs... I have lsot the weight of another person.... you want this... and you need this or you wouldn't be here.... Than you need to give it your all not just the parts you want to do....

I think most of us have had slip ups here and there. I make sure I get a small treat every now and again... I buy dark chocolate covered raisins... to make sure I don't feel left out. Kids birthdays I take a small spoonful of cake... just enough to get a taste. and what I can tell you is... it stops the cravings. It matters and makes a difference. You are making life style changes but make ones you can live with... a small spoon of cake is not going to ruin all you have worked for. a single bite of potato salad is not going to mess it all up. Make sure you still have small things to keep you going... doing this is not easy... its down right hard but worth every effort made. You can do this. You can be healthy and happy. I love feeling better. I admit I am tired a lot more and with less energy and asked the doc why... he said well your body is always burning fat so it is working even when you are sleeping.... so its okay to be tired.... take a nap if you can I do.... sometimes I wish I had more energy... but I figure with me being so new to it... that time will come when I am no longer tired all the time... I eat little to no carbs Meat beans cheese and vitamins.... always protein... It is hard but it is WORTH IT! You CAN do this believe in you.... and weigh ALL food. nothing goes in me that is not weighed aside from liquids like water and gator aide.