Christinamo7

one of the reasons I chose the sleeve over other options was the ability to eat other things on occasion. (I do like PB and J on occasion - but haven't had anything like that at this time) it is surprising to me how many people think because they have these wee little incisions on the outside that they are fully healed inside. it takes time people - and I do not want to irritate that healing seam in my stomach and I do not want to waste calories on things like that while I am still trying to loose weight. but I have worked with and for doctors for a very long time, and perhaps seeing people with other kinds of complications makes me more aware of what a recovery period means? I just hate to see people set themselves up to not succeed like they ought to because they don't seem to understand.

I have to say, if my man told me he was going to leave if __________ I'd tell him not to let the door hit him on the way out. Hopefully he will come to terms with whatever it is he is afraid of. you have to decide what you really want. I have young adult kids I live with. they have all kinds of food I shouldn't eat - I've just learned to want health more than that junk. You can do it too, if it is really what you want.

I feel fairly confident to say last week was the worst week of my life. and I am pretty sure this coming week will come second. a week ago Saturday my daddy was killed in a tractor accident on the farm. it was sudden and horrifying. I have no idea how I even continued to breathe last week much less follow a program.Thankful for that restriction helping me, and that I kind of auto pilot and go to Protein first when it was available. I had determined to just eat whatever people brought to the house and not add to my mama's stress but needing special things. and to drink enough to not get dehydrated - she had enough on her. I walked a lot on the farm, and some on the beach nearby but didn't track anything or worry about any of that stuff. was not capable. don't really know if I am capable of giving that my mental attention now. but now I am back home, fixing my own foods and it is time to get back with the program and back on plan. Weigh in this morning showed just slight loss and that's good. I wonder how much extreme emotional stress will affect this journey. on the positive side my uncle (who I posted about as my inspiration) and I had a nice long visit the evening after the funeral. Daddy was his only brother. He had the sleeve done about 2+ years ago. He told me how proud he is of me and my progress and we shared our surgery stories. he has lost 130 #. His wife of 48 years, my Aunt Loretta died just 5 weeks ago. a lot of hugs and sweet words. And my Aunt Diane asked me a lot of questions about WLS as she and my cousin Don are considering it. They have both struggled with weight their whole lives. Everyone said how glad they are that I am not struggling with diabetes anymore and how I am starting to look like the girl they remember before I got heavy. I am not sure how I can try to put back a life together that has any sense of normality. one day at a time I guess. I know some of you have had major life stresses happen during your active weight loss phase - were you successful in getting back on task to focus on weight loss/health issues?

@@Alex Brecher the first week when I was home, and when I go back to visit Mama in a couple of weeks I will just eat whatever is presented to me, trying to make my best choices from that. Mom doesn't need to worry about a special diet for me right now. Thankfully at almost 5 months, going to Protein first is pretty automatic, plus I feel better that way. Comfort food hasn't been a problem so far. Trying to drink enough and get enough protein has been, although hard as it has been to go back to work it helps me fall into small meal/snacks habits and that I am doing better on those days. I am a stress cleaner - but I am also finding I get very fatigued. Grieving takes a tremendous toll and drains you. sleeping a good long time, but apparently not sleeping particularly well. I just have to give myself permission to back off the workouts a little bit for now and so I have given myself leave to not track my exercise until September, although I am still trying to walk some each day. having a hard time getting back to my yoga, even though I *know* it will help me. I am sad, and I just want to curl up when I am home. It's just something you have to go through I suppose. This site has been so helpful to me in terms of having peers who have also been through really rough Patches in their first year after surgery - they have helped me so much. I hope that by sharing here, someone else, at some point might also feel less alone when something happens to knock them down on their journey. @@krazy kat *hugs* backatcha.

for me, I had prepared freezer meals for the first two weeks. when I was on liquids and just starting foods I did not want to cook for my family - so they got to eat and I didn't go crazy cooking at that time. I could focus on my own nutritional needs. but once I was on soft foods and then regular foods it is not a problem. I cook everything they like and pick the good choices for me from the meal. which usually means I am having the Protein and some veg, while they are also having a starch along with. it works out fine. when I make them spag with meat sauce I have the meat sauce with cheese for example.

you and me both. I am so thankful that I had this surgery.

YIKES! I am glad though, that you were able to get this taken care of. come back and let us know what they say about your WLS.

*swoon*

so - I feel like my whole digestive system was not a perfectly healthy working stomach. I had diabetes. and I believe Obesity to be a life altering and threatening disease in and of it's self. So I guess that's how I dealt with that aspect. and once I was a ways out from surgery (almost 5 months) I could, if I chose, eat anything I wanted to now only in small portions. So, there's really nothing to regret from this perspective. I am pleased with my weight loss. I have kids and grandkids too - and I had the surgery to be around for them. in my opinion if you are doing this to look good, you may be happy, or you may be saggy. if you are doing it to be an active, involved parent and be there for other loved ones, then I think you'll be very pleased. the odds of something happening to you are greater by not loosing weight than from having surgery. for me personally, the only regret I would have had was not doing everything possible to fight for my health. I hope you find the answers you are looking for to have peace of mind.

I am a very conservative person - and happily married - but I have an unreasonable crush on Robert Reich. that's my guilty pleasure.

42 wings? impressive. I am continually amazed when I compare what I used to eat compared to what I can eat now. How long did you feel ill after this wee episode? I get plain unbreaded cheese curds, and love them - but I can no longer handle anything that has been fried, even if the breading is removed. which, all in all, is a good trade off for being healthier.

most of my kids are grown - but with raising 7 kids, assorted friends and my husband - the idea of not having things I shouldn't eat around is not realistic. additionally NONE of them are overweight. at all. never have been. if anything my three youngest lean towards being too thin. SO. I have to be able to have good choices for me amongst the other food available. often if I bake them Cookies I choose a kind of cookie that is not my favorite for one example. or starches with dinner that are not my favorite things. cuts down on the temptation for me. I simply don't like fish, and yet I often cook fish, especially salmon and then salmon patties for my family. it's just not a big deal.

I was cleared for raw veg and any regular food at 4 weeks.

46, HW 267 SW 238 now 197

you know, it's really fine to say you wish people would drop it - but I really don't think being horrified by someone's poor choice constitutes being a bully.

thank you to everyone for sharing your stories and for your condolences. this has been a difficult week going back to work and all. I remain heartbroken and just trying to do the things I need to do.

well. I do think it is easier with the surgery than without. but I don't think it's easy and I don't think it is cheating. I do however tell people if there WAS a way to cheat or an easy way I would push and fight my way to the front of the line. Obesity is deadly and I am not going to play nice with it. my motivation was to have normal blood sugar and weigh less than my husband. Successful already on both counts, so now I will continue to follow the eating program and see how low my body wants to go. I am one happy camper.

it does get easier post op. it was impossible before surgery. my family is very supportive but they do not eat like I do. I was obese, they are not. I had surgery, they did not. I have learned to live around their temptations. hang in there!

so - I left and rejected all the other bariatric support sites because you were not allowed to say someone was making a dangerous choice. this was the ONLY Bariatric support site I found where people are allowed to be real. I value that highly.

I would just go forward with your surgery and life and not give any un-needed explainations to people. Wishing you all the best with your surgery and recovery. I would want to know if one of my children were having surgery whether I agreed with them or not, so from a mom perspective I am glad you told her, but I know some people are just not safe to share things with - and that is not your fault. you are only responsible for you!

whoops! sorry!

I am not sure how many I take on a daily basis. I take a number of nutritional supplements since I was in my mid 30s. lets see. 2 salmon oil. 1 cod liver oil. 1 acetyl l carnitine with alpha lipoic acid. 1 turmeric. 1 cinnamon. 1 probiotic. 1 Calcium. 1 womens Multivitamin. 1 zinc and other things. 1 Vitamin C I'm probably forgetting something but not sure what. no deficiencies to this point. the calcium and multi were added post sleeve. in the spring and in the fall I take a course of milk thistle - I buy some things buy one get one at Kroger and some things at Whole Body. I've never broken down a monthly cost as these are 30-120 per bottle and many of them my husband takes and some of them my kidlets take - so it would be too much like Math to figure out for me the monthly cost. it's cheaper than a prescription for my ADD though, and cheaper than a dermatologist as many of these things make your skin look lovely. I used this book to set up my personal vitamin regimen https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Vitamins-Minerals-Supplements-ebook/dp/B007WWMXZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467941805&sr=8-1&keywords=a+quick+guide+to+vitamins as well as following Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Perricone's writings to educate myself and make my own decisions about what I wanted to take. probably more info than you were looking for, but there it is. ***edited because I forgot co Q 10.

@@OKCPirate you.are.fabulous. that is all.

I was more afraid of the obesity and what it was doing to my life than I was of the possible changes with surgery. then I knew I was ready.