Hiraeth

Meats, yogurt, and string cheese are my go-to foods.

I don't have an answer. But I swear, I was just about to post a topic about this. I need one badly. So I'm posting to follow your thread.

Alcohol affects me exactly the same way that it did before the surgery. I still cannot get tipsy no matter how much I drink. I was told that getting tipsy would be quicker since our stomachs are smaller. For me, that's not the case. I don't drink much anyway, so I don't really mind. My advice is to stay away from anything carbonated. This will cause your stomach to expand and it will probably hurt. Limit yourself and don't drink weekly.

First of all, take a deep breath! Secondly, congratulations on losing 100 pounds! Even if you did gain some of it back, just be thankful that you haven't gotten back to 300+. You have realized there is a problem, and you have done the right thing by coming here to discuss it. Proud of you! My best advice for you is to take a day to maybe purchase some protein shakes in bulk. Do you have a Costco or Sam's Club nearby? (Or really any warehouse that sells groceries in bulk.) On that free day that you have, try to write a grocery list for a week or two worth of healthy items. Sometimes, for dinner, all I eat is 2 Cheese Heads cheese sticks (90 calories each and with 6g of protein) with about 1 or 2 ounces of packaged pepperoni (16 slices are about 6-8g of protein). Some grocery stores also sell protein yogurts with 21g of protein in them. Either eat a yogurt, a protein bar, or a protein shake in the mornings, some meats and cheeses for lunch, and a small dinner (maybe some grilled or boiled chicken, or your favorite kind of meat). Protein keeps you full and helps with unhealthy cravings. Search for protein type foods. Buy cheese and yogurts, and try your best to graze those things instead of fast food. You can do this!

I think it depends. I didn't have my surgery in Mexico. But my sister stayed with me in the hospital overnight (only because she didn't want me to be alone; she's my twin sister and we are very close). It depends on what your mother would prefer to do. She doesn't have to stay with you, as long as she drives you. It would probably be best that she stays with you until you come out of your surgery, because the doctor likes to talk to family members about how things went, what aftercare needs to be done, what you need to drink, etc. If she wants to go back to the hotel, and doesn't mind letting you rest alone, then that would be fine. She is not required to stay with you, unless she prefers to.

My BMI was 46 and I was required to do a 1 week liquid diet. If your doctor doesn't think you need to be on one, then they probably know what's best. At this point, it is up to you on what to do. I think going on a liquid diet the day before surgery would be a good idea. The reason most doctors put people on a liquid diet, is because they're trying to shrink the liver in order to properly operate on the stomach.

In my opinion, the best nausea medicine I've ever taken, is Zofran (ondansetron).

I wasn't a snacker before this surgery. I'd eat a small Breakfast, a small lunch, and then a larger meal. After my meals, that was it. I did not snack at all between meals. With that, I was probably getting in about 1500 calories a day, which is ideal for someone who is dieting. After I had the surgery, I'm now taking in more Protein and eating maybe 400-800 calories a day. So basically, I'm "starving" myself, but in a healthy way, if that makes sense.

You'd be surprised to know that some people can no longer drink plain water after the WLS, because it makes them nauseated. My WLS nurse advisor told my group that if we feel sick while drinking water, then we need to find something else to drink (as long as it isn't carbonated). Your taste will change during this journey. I no longer like the taste of soda. I just wanted to try it to see what happened, and the taste is awful.

Really? Fascinating! Thanks for sharing your story. I definitely plan to talk to my doctor until I'm blue in the face! jess9395 - Thanks for the link! I'll check it out when I get home later! Babbs - That post was amazing. Why do I feel so inspired suddenly? Thank you so much for the reply. Also for the laugh at the koala comment. My metabolism went out for a pack of smokes when I hit puberty and I haven't seen it since. Hiraeth - Lol. Technically I'm 5'1 and three quarters. Those 3/4ths make me taller than my mother. Also, my husband is 6'4, so it makes me sound less ridiculous next to him! If that is what is essentially going on, that's a brilliant way to think about it. The idea of cutting out part of my stomach actually was making me feel uneasy. The idea of cutting out the inflamed bits definitely helps see things in a different perspective. I'm not as worried about the surgery. I've had back surgery and a few other minor things done. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I'm not looking forward to that bit, but that's the price to pay. Thank you everyone for your feedback! I'm excited to be here, you're all so helpful and welcoming! If you've had back surgery, I'm pretty sure this WLS will be a breeze! I've had nose surgery, breast reduction, gallbladder removal, and wisdom teeth removal. The breast reduction was probably the most annoying. WLS was extremely easy!

Also, as for the incision pain, I felt barely any at all. I even had a few staples in my incisions. I also had a drain tube coming out of one of the incisions. I kept forgetting it was there until I went to use the bathroom, because it kept getting in my way, lol!

Yes, I also noticed that we have very similar stats. We are both 5'1'' (I put 5'2'' because I'm rounding off, lol), we both have PCOS, and we both have a similar starting weight. I'll be honest, I jumped into this surgery with little to no fear. When I was younger, after all the trauma I experienced, I became so afraid of so many things and I felt trapped. After I was put on Lexapro, and most of the fear went away, I vowed to never limit myself on what I can do. So now, I'm one of the most brave people I know. I'm the type of person who will jump off of a bridge into Water (I actually did that when I was 18), I will eventually skydive, and I do pretty spontaneous things even today. My mom worries sometimes because I'm such a free spirit. I'm trying so hard to live my life to the fullest. So, I had this surgery with a ton of confidence. After the surgery, I was in a good amount of pain. I felt like I couldn't breathe completely because there was gas trapped in my chest. I was in no danger at all; what I was feeling was normal. After I fell back asleep (which was almost instantly) I woke up no longer feeling the pain in my chest. The worst part about the surgery is the trapped gas that you will probably feel in your upper back/neck/shoulder. I felt it in my shoulder, and it felt as if someone had hit me with a hammer as hard as they could. But, walking takes the pain away almost instantly. It's like, you can be laying down and in extreme pain in your shoulder... But once you stand up and walk, the pain disappears within seconds. It's crazy! To get some sleep, I requested Dilaudid; since the liquid Lortab was doing nothing for the gas pains. It really helped me sleep. So, if you feel too much pain while you're trying to rest, tell the nurse you want Dilaudid (I had to demand it because the nurse was iffy about giving it to me). She tried telling me that Dilaudid would do nothing for my pain. Little did she know, I've had 3 kidney stones, and Dilaudid was the only thing that took the edge off. She finally gave me the Dilaudid, and the pain almost instantly went from an 8 to a 5 on the pain scale. The gas pains were gone by the next day. But, on the second day, I felt like I had the flu because I ached all over. So I took a B12 and a pain killer and went straight to bed. When I woke up the next day, I felt no pain. It was amazing how quickly the aches went away. Ever since, I felt as if I was transitioning for the better, while feeling normal. It was such a nice experience. If I had to do this surgery again, I definitely would. Like theantichick said, your stomach is inflamed right now. When you overeat, your stomach stretches naturally. But, once you keep overeating, your stomach will stretch out more and more, until it stays that way for good. Once the stomach stretches out permanently, it does not go back to normal. This is why overweight people feel hunger pangs. Their stomachs are so stretched out, that the inflammation starts to react when the stomach is empty. That hunger pang you feel is actually irritation from your stomach walls. So really, instead of thinking that they're cutting out pieces of your organ, try to remember that they're actually cutting out the inflamed part of your stomach.

Hello and welcome to the forums! Let me start off by saying that you sound a lot like me. The only difference is, I haven't always been overweight (I became overweight in 11th grade after I started taking oral steroids for my allergies). I also have PCOS and losing weight is hard. I would diet all the time (only eating 1400 calories a day). I lost about 20 pounds, but then I stopped losing the weight. Ever since I got the sleeve, I have lost almost 50 pounds in just 3 months. I dropped 21 pounds in the first 2 weeks (I'm almost certain that was mostly Water weight). You were discussing your family members and their WLS experiences: The Lap Band, in my opinion, is not a good idea for most people. I've heard of it having so many complications. My surgeon is actually trying to get out of the Lap Band in his office because people always complain of having issues with it. The Bypass can be very dangerous for some people. My sister's 4th grade teach almost died because of the same issue with your mother. The Sleeve is actually known as one of the most popular weight loss surgery options; so I think you're making a great decision. Do you mind if I ask what you eat on a daily basis? Be 100% honest. There's no judgment here! I see that you are seeing an Endo. Has she checked your thyroid? I think giving this surgery a try is worth it. I already feel so much better now that I'm losing weight. I'm already able to fit into a size XL (sometimes a L) t-shirt with ease. I also have suffered a lot of trauma in my childhood. I was diagnosed with OCD (Pure O), PTSD, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. I was prescribed Lexapro at age 15, and now I feel 80% better. I did gain weight with the Lexapro, but since I got the surgery, it's very easy to manage the cravings. I have not noticed a change in my emotional state. I still feel very good.

To me, this is very normal. I had a really hard time eating even after 3 weeks post-op. Drinking things too fast was a challenge. Now at almost 3 months post-op, I am now able to gulp (even though I probably shouldn't be gulping). The reason you're having a hard time is because your new stomach is swollen. I think your body is trying to tell you it's not ready for pureed things. I know you're probably sick of broth and pure liquids, but it's probably all your body wants to handle right now. Calling your doctor will never hurt. But I truly believe your body is still just very swollen from the surgery. I was so swollen after my surgery and I thought I'd never be able to eat normally again. But here I am, eating normally. There are still times when my body tells me that I've eaten too much. I start feeling like there's food in the bottom of my esophagus. It's bothersome, but I'm glad it's there because it's letting me know that I need to eat less food at a time.

I went to the park on Saturday night, and I saw monkey bars and a rock climbing wall that I really wanted to climb. I'm 25 years old, but I couldn't help but feel my inner child want to play on the playground. The last time I was truly athletic was when I was 15. I weighed about 125 and was able to do just about anything a typical athlete could do. I climbed a big rock and felt somewhat limited because I was scared I would fall. I remember not feeling this worried about falling (I don't know if it's my balance that's off because I'm overweight or not). I also remember feeling like I could climb anything. But now, I feel like an old woman; like I'm going to lack the strength to hold myself up on monkey bars. I've already lost 45 pounds. I was able to be a bit more active than usual while at the park. As I lose weight, will I get my active nature back? Has anyone gotten a good amount of strength back?

This is exactly the response I wanted to hear! I'm so hopeful now! After I got so big (255 lbs) I felt like I had the most horrible balance and I felt as if I would really hurt myself if I fall. Falling used to not be an issue for me; I would just get right back up. But now, falling really hurts. I'm able to get back up easily, but it's scary to think about because it hurts so much more than it used to. I'm so sorry you're having a hard time. I'm proud of you for being under 200! Have you seen a therapist for your depression? This is exactly the response I wanted to hear! I'm so hopeful now! After I got so big (255 lbs) I felt like I had the most horrible balance and I felt as if I would really hurt myself if I fall. Falling used to not be an issue for me; I would just get right back up. But now, falling really hurts. I'm able to get back up easily, but it's scary to think about because it hurts so much more than it used to. I'm so sorry you're having a hard time. I'm proud of you for being under 200! Have you seen a therapist for your depression?

I see you have lost almost 100 pounds. How are you feeling? I miss playing softball. I played 2 summers ago and I was actually the best player because I was hitting the most and the furthest. But running the bases was very difficult and painful, lol!

Wow! Thank you all so much for all the positive feedback! That really gives me hope. I mean, I used to be able to ride a bike with no limits. But now, I'm so scared I'll fall. I even used to skateboard and ride down hills with no fear. Now, getting on a skateboard seems so scary because I'm scared of losing my balance. I guess I do need to learn my body again. I remember being able to run a whole mile without stopping. I've even started having dreams of being able to run for a long time. I really took a lot of things for granted when I was a teenager. Right now, I'm walking at least 2 miles a day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'm doing about 150 reps of 5 pounds on each arm. I never really had huge arms even at my max weight of 255, but my gosh, I actually have wings from loose skin. I guess my arms are meant to be sticks, lol! When I was at the park, I was able to swing my whole body over a pole (using only one arm) with ease. I couldn't believe how much easier doing that was after losing only 45 pounds!

Congrats! It is definitely worth it! My surgery was on August 4th and I've already lost 45 pounds. I doubt you will even care about food that soon after your surgery.

I guess it truly depends on the relationship you have with your boss. Is she usually nice to you? Or has she ever been snarky? In my opinion, it doesn't seem like she meant to hurt your feelings. Maybe she just wasn't thinking. Maybe she wanted to send you a treat for this great step. I could be totally wrong.

I'm coming back to this to say that it's only been 2 months and I've already lost 40 pounds. Starting weight was 255. My doctor thinks I'll be 180 by the beginning of December. I'll be happy to be around or under 200 by then. My goal is to be 120 by June. I'll just have to add more exercise to my routine.

This might be long, so brace yourselves, lol. >_< If you don't agree with LGBT discussions, then please turn away now. Thank you. So, I am bisexual. I've known this since I was 14; I'm 25 now. I started dating a woman about my age when I was 22. We were in a long-distance relationship (she lived in CA and I live in AL). Her parents were 100% supportive of her sexuality, but my mother is not, and she doesn't know either (I can't tell her because she is very conservative). Anyway, we dated for almost a year and I fell in love with her. She claimed to love me, too. She ended up moving to Idaho, then to South Dakota, because she couldn't find a job in CA or Idaho. She moved with her sister (who is extremely conservative and had no idea my ex is into women). Well, her sister found out and told her that I would never be allowed to come around her family. This hurt my ex so much, that she moved out of her sister's house and in with a friend. Well, she ended up moving in with another bisexual woman. She felt accepted there and I was happy. Well, the guilt of her being gay started to get to her more, which was triggered by her unaccepting sister. She found a job and started to have a crush on someone else; a man. I was shocked because I thought she was a lesbian. She assured me that the crush was nothing and that she only had it because we were so far apart and that she was lonely. I broke up with her because of the crush, and it made her cry a lot. We ended up getting back together a week later. Well, a few weeks after that, I asked if she still had a crush on this guy. She said yes, and I got upset again. A few days later, she broke up with me because I couldn't trust her anymore. She said she was too hurt because of my lack of trust. Several weeks later, we ended contact with each other and she ended up dating this guy a few months after I stopped speaking to her. They've been together for 2 years now. Well, it's been 2 years since I've spoken to her. She recently contacted me about a month ago telling me that she is sorry for everything that happened. She told me that she is getting married in November. I was fine with it at first, but as we have been talking almost daily now, my feelings for her are coming back quickly. Sometimes I wonder if she feels the same about me. The reason is because, she tells me all the time that she has a hard time having sex with her fiance because of PTSD from a past rape. Every time they try to make love, she gets upset and pushes him away. She even told me that she is only attracted to him emotionally, and that there is little to no sexual attraction for him. She told me that she is 95% homosexual. She has even gone as far as flirting with me and bringing up our past many times. She apologizes all the time and texts me constantly. Most of the time it feels like old times between us. I don't know what to make of this. She told me she feels too guilty to be with women because of her religion (we are both Christians). But, there are some days when she tells me that she loves him and that she wants to marry him. I know my ex VERY well, and I know she will grow bored. She has been flirting with me almost daily now, and she even sends me suggestive photos of women in lingerie. She never looks at men, EVER. She says, "My fiance is the only man I could ever be with." Meaning, she could never be with any other man because she doesn't like men sexually. If I'm not mistaken, don't you have to be sexually attracted to someone to make it work in a relationship? She has also admitted to me that she has been having doubts about getting married. She claims that it's because her fiance works night shift, and that they hardly see each other as much as they want to, but they still see each other every now and then. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to be at least 90% sure you want to get married if you love the person? Sometimes I wonder if I'm being used by her as a sexual fix, and that she doesn't have emotional feelings for me. Her guilt gets in the way a lot about her sexuality. So my main question is... Does it seem like she has unresolved feelings for me? Or am I being used?

What? I didn't break up a relationship. She's still with her fiance, lol. EDIT: Wait, I think I know what you mean. You mean she's trying to use me as a way out? I'm not so sure about that. I think she really wants it to work with him. I think she's trying to force herself to love him.

A part of me feels like she is trying to get me to talk her into leaving him. Do you get that vibe in what I've written?

Yes, she is. She actually knows this about herself. She always says, "I think I'm too screwed up to be in a relationship." I think she is also very insecure and afraid to be alone.