ShelterDog64

SW can mean starting weight or weight at surgery, CW is current weight, GW is goal weight

So, I'm 6 months out and I think the word 'regret' maybe gets used more than it should in the early post-op period. I felt like CRAP for a solid week, and then pretty weird for at least 6 weeks. I would have preferred to NOT feel that way, but it wasn't regret per se, it was more of a fatigue from the endless food planning, Protein counting, mild nausea, etc. It's HARD in the beginning and I don't think any of us can imagine what that 'hard' is like until it happens to us. It SUCKS, quite frankly, and around 4-6 weeks it becomes crystal clear just how much our life is going to change regarding eating and food and it's a bit of a shock when your brain really gets it. Your additional lactose intolerance must be making this all even harder and I'm so sorry you're dealing with it in addition to all of the rest, but you'll work it out and one day, it won't be so hard any more. Where are you in your food advancement? Are you on soft foods yet? If so, there are things you can eat that aren't dairy that will up your calories and protein and will help you feel better. One reason you're not feeling especially good is that you're still at a very low calorie count. Are you getting all your protein grams in? Are you able to drink 64 oz of Water daily? The protein + water are the bare minimum necessary for you to heal and feel human. Let us know what you're eating daily and we might be able to make some suggestions for things that will help you out. You can do this, even if it sucks right now

@@BubblesOhSoSleeved I'd have a plan in place that involves having to remove all piercings. You absolutely cannot have anything in your tongue when you're going to be intubated...the possibility of it dislodging and being aspirated is very real and serious, regardless of the material. Plenty of patients remove their tongue piercings and put them back into place immediately after surgery with no issues.

@@Bufflehead Thank you for continuing to inspire me and show me how this thing is done long-term. I really appreciate your honesty and ability to look at yourself critically. You rock

You should get to satiated on very little food, that's kind of the point of the restriction It does ease up over time, now I can eat as much as 4 oz of dense Protein at times, much less at others. The best advice I can give you, from my 6 months of experience, is to slooooooooooow down, chew veryvery well and don't drink with your dense foods.

This is pretty fast diet advancement, too, so if you're having trouble now it may be because your stomach just isn't ready for meat yet. I did fine for the first 4 weeks I ate meat (started around 4 weeks, couldn't stand eggs then!), then my issues started. Don't take it out of your diet forever, just rotate it out and back in later on.

@@xoxococojay I've had problems off and on with all meats since my surgery in June. Pork has been the most difficult for me, by far What helps me the most is to make sure I eat the meat in a gravy or Soup or something very moist. Dry meat is horrible and makes me foam and slime. Yuck!

I had to have an unplanned major shoulder reconstruction in September after my VSG in June...it was a terrible time to have my activity restricted, so I feel for you. I wasn't allowed to walk for exercise for 4 weeks, couldn't run until this last week. I still can't do ANY upper body work, and I feel like I'm losing more muscle than I should. I've lost weight very well, just don't think I've maintained my muscle mass as well as I could have with full activity. I hope it all works out well for you...we're going on a cruise in March and I'm actually looking forward to wearing a swimsuit Yay for WLS!

I use GENEPRO because it works for me. I can't smell it or taste it and my labs have been fabulous so far. I only need my subset of 1 to be successful, so in my study, it's 100% effective

I'm an OR nurse, and you will come into the OR wearing a gown open to the back with nothing on under it. We're always very careful to avoid exposing any more of a patient's body than needs to be exposed. For abdominal surgeries, your gown is pulled up onto your chest, or a sheet/blanket is placed on you and then the gown removed under that and the sheet folded up, and the sheets/warming blankets over your lower body are folded down to around your hips, then your skin is prepped and draped. At that time, you're completely covered except for where the incisions are made in your abdomen. In MY operating rooms, no one lays exposed on the table for no reason. Patient dignity is always on my mind. I've prepped, circulated and/or scrubbed on more cases than I can count and I honestly don't remember any details or really anything about a patient's body other than what was the focus of the surgery. For bariatric patients, I know they're generally heavy, generally have the procedure done laparoscopically and that it almost always goes quickly and with no problems. Oh, I would remember @ 's note to the surgical team Those patients are the best!

Easy there...I didn't say I don't care about people and that I don't give a ****, that I just want to take and not give. Some of you are AWFULLY good at the whole straw man thing. I just don't get offended whether or not someone else has WLS. It doesn't affect me, therefore it doesn't offend me. I not offended by what kind of car you drive, whether or not you have breast enhancement surgery or whether you eat meat or not, either. They don't affect me, thus don't offend me.

@@Christina.Rose It doesn't offend me. I don't care who else has WLS...I needed it for me, and if thousands of people with 50 lbs to lose want to have major surgery, let them go for it. Who cares?

@@jellybean12 You mention that you never follow the rules 100% because you like to have a little control...this surgery should be GREAT for you, then, because you truly control whether it works for you or not! Just like you found out with the Cookies, you can eat what you want...or you can take control and eat the Protein that you need instead of the cookies your head tells you to eat. This surgery has given me back control of my life and my weight, in a way I didn't have previously. I literally COULD NOT stop eating before. Now I can, and it's the most satisfying thing I've ever experienced in the realm of weight loss. Congratulations on figuring out the cookies vs protein thing...some WLS patients never really do, I'm afraid

@@BigNorm4Life They won't cuss you out, of course, but I do hope they question the logic of doing something to see if it hurts you. Mostly because in this case, 'hurts' could be something that requires readmission to the hospital, not a literal pain in your stomach. Give your stomach time to heal! @@theantichick wrote a great post about what the INSIDE of your body goes through with this surgery, and it's NOT 3 or 4 tiny incisions. Good luck to you and stick to your post-op eating instructions

@@erp Ann Taylor quit using names for their jeans and now call them either 'curvy' or 'modern'. I liked it when they used the same names as their pants.

Don't give him the power to hurt you any more...sabotaging yourself with food only hurts you. Looking and feeling better will allow you to move on and find a new love...give THAT to yourself

For your shape in Lucky denim, I think you could try the Lolita Skinny. It's definitely a sexy, curvy fit and a very forgiving jean. The Sweet and Straight/Boot has a leaner cut, IMO...more of a flat stomach/lean thigh fit. I feel GREAT in them but it's a fussier jean to wear. Since you have to order them, try Zappos. Free 2-day shipping, free returns. I <3 them! They carry some Hudson and Paige denim as well. Good luck and have fun with the smaller sizes!

@@mylighthouse Yay! Glad to hear the scale is moving again for you

@@AGreenEyedWolf Definitely ask those questions about meds! My practice uses a PharmD appointment as part of the pre-op pathway, so he went through all my meds with me, wrote a plan for which ones I needed to stop for surgery, which were ok and which would work post-op and made the necessary changes in my medical notes/record. It was extremely helpful!

Tag her like this: @@LipstickLady

I'm with @Djmohr....Lucky jeans are fantastic! I like the Lolita skinny and the Sweet and Straight/Sweet Boot styles the best. Their skinny jean, ime, isn't skin tight...it's just close to my leg, perfect for wearing with flats, booties and tucking into knee boots and wellies. It's really the perfect jean for me. They also have a legging jean that's VERY snug when/if you want that style. I also like Vince Camuto, they're soft and yummy feeling with lots of stretch. As I've lost weight and have more skin to contain than fat, though, I find myself reaching for the Luckys more often...the VCs are almost too stretchy plus I'm really a size smaller than the pair I have. I used to religiously wear Chicos jeans...not the Platinum denim, but the other style (can't remember the name). Very high stretch, with a stitched panel incorporated into the front/pocket area that holds you in a bit. They also come in 2 lengths, which is nice. I'm not a huge fan of Not Your Daughter's Jeans, except for their crops for summer. I think they're WAY overpriced and stretch out too much, but I have friends who love them! Once I get to goal in about 30 lbs, I'm going to treat myself to a couple of pairs of pricey selvage or Japanese denim jeans. I've always loved Hudson and Paige denim, but they didn't make a size big enough for my formerly fat ass

@@Who'sThere Sex was the very last thing on my mind post-op, for sure. Between the diarrhea, the burping, the gas and gas pains...I felt sexier after giving birth than after WLS I join you in throwing the BS flag!

Where did @@jenn1 say that moderation is a crazy idea? You keep setting up strawmen and fighting with them while blaming it on 'others'. Jenn1 CLEARLY said if what you're doing is working for you and you're happy with it, then good on you. You're being rude and snarky for absolutely no reason..."have you ever heard about yo-yo dieting? Have you ever heard about smaller portion sizes?". What is the point of all this, except to fight? Tilting at windmills, me thinks.

Yes, I sure found that out this morning. Not "one more morsel". I don't think I have room or even the appetite for adding another meal or snack, so I will accept the fact that I will stall and that I might not lost much weight until I get further down the road. It's really pretty important to get yourself to at least 600 calories/day, even if it's tedious. Are you adding Protein to your liquids or drinking shakes still? A 30 gram scoop of Protein powder added to a soft food like refried Beans will get you approximately 25g protein and another 110 calories, as well as the protein and calories already in the beans. Using powder to supplement was the only way I could get everything I needed for months, and I still have it every morning in my coffee, even though I'm getting most of my requirements met through foods. Just something to consider...you won't lose weight reliably with the number of calories you're eating.