The New Kel

Hi Bary! I have not read any of the responses yet, but thought I'd chime in. Sorry if what I say has already been said. I am one year post op and I, too had wondered if I would be able to enjoy certain things much later on. I am 100 percent healed now so I think I can answer this as someone who has tried a bit of everything (within reason!) post op. I was never, and still am not someone big on carbonated drinks. However, I have attended to sip off of my husbands on rare occasions, and also I recently order a beer. It took me an hour to drink half. The reason is that the carbonation fill the small pouch super fast. It's rather uncomfortable. I'm not really into beer but it was a rare occasion and I was just having a bit of an experiment. Carbonation is not recommended post surgery, and I can say that it does not feel very good. Also, the calories and carbs in beer are not the healthiest things. It's honestly best to avoid carbonation. From what hear from many previous soda and carbonation regulars, the cravings dissipate post surgery. You just get used to not having it. As far as the "big ol' 4oz steak" (I had to laugh because only those of us familiar with the limits post surgery really get the 4oz limit...and its true!), I have eaten steak but it needs to be very tender. So the good news is this: Yes, steak is Ok but you will be enjoying quality over quantity. These days when I have steak I have about 3 oz of really tender cuts. You have to kind of experiment with the cuts that go down well of you. Let me interject that you won't even be able to think about steak until you're cleared for solids. One year post surgery I am pretty well tuned to what feels good or bad in my tummy. I can eat chicken everyday, and I love it, even more than pre surgery. I can also eat fish which I love. Ground beef & ground turkey does not sit well with me for whatever reason, even today. Man, I used to LOVE a good burger. I still imagine the taste and satisfaction of burgers, but I simply cannot tolerate ground beef, more than a bit or two. You will discover what works and doesn't work, everyone seems to be different. Aim for making the healthiest choices (easy to tolerate soft dense protein), and then know that one you hit your goal, you can bring back some of the good carbs, and life seems normal, albeit much healthier! Best of luck in your journey!

I'm just short of a year out and remembering very well about how the pre-op diet felt. It was hard! The headaches (and super crankiness!) were from a withdrawal of all the crap I had been used to "medicating" myself with. (Carbs, sugar, caffeine). The happy news is that 1) it gets a tad easier after a week and 2) you can think of it as your body "cleaning house". Getting rid of the bad stuff and prepping you for a lifetime of health. Hang in there, you'll be at your surgery date before you know it! PS: edited to add: I also had DREAMS about food! I clearly recall a dream where I was hiding with a huge burger in hand, trying to hide it from my hubby. lol!!

About a week till your big day! Are you on the special pre-op diet now?

Girl...You are A-Maz-Ing!!! Always an inspiration to me.

@Karleena Hi there and welcome! I wanted to chime in because we have a lot in common! I had my surgery Oct 3rd last year, almost one year to the day of your upcoming date. Also, I am a graphic designer. Although I am near El Paso, Texas, I have a friend who went to Buffalo Art Conservation and Restoration college. And last, my husband and I are caring for my mother in law who has dementia and is also terminal. I hope you find lots of friends and support here. I have! Out in the "real world" I know people can be negative and judgmental. I have not told some of my own family because of that type of likely judgment. I am very private and selective about who knows my story. Best of luck to you as you move into your new life!!!

I forgot to address the calorie part. I would not restrict your calories. Weight loss can in fact slow to a halt if you go into that starvation mode. Eat what feel right, calorie wise. Sometime a little boost of extra (healthy) calories boosts the weight loss. At 9 weeks post op I was eating between 650-900 calories a day, soft, dense protein.

@macaleigh Well, I am no doctor nor am I a nutritionist so please make sure and get advice from them, professionally. However, I can tell you some things from my own personal experience and what I learned over the past year. First of all, from your stats, you have lost 20 lbs in 9 weeks. That IS significant, and completely par for the course. You are moving right along and 20 lbs in less than 2 months is a big loss! As far as your sister goes, without being disrespectful of others choices, I have to say that eating the crap food she is eating raises a lot of questions. Those choices are unhealthy no matter what you weigh. WLS should be a tool for not only weight loss but fitness and general health. Please do yourself a favor and do not look at her choices as a victory. Stick to your plan, a healthier lifestyle, for good. Everyone has their own journey, and I encourage your follow your high protein, healthy foods plan. The weight will continue to drop. In the long run, I can almost guarantee that you will look and feel better than anyone who maintains their diet regularly on junk foods. Best of luck to you and fear not...YOU are on the right path!

My suggestion is to sip warm, clear broth in between protein shakes. Do this after surgery as well when on just liquids. It satisfies the salt cravings, and offsets the horribly over sweet nausea of the damn shakes. My pre-op was 2 full weeks of only shakes and clear liquids. Talk about a LONG two weeks! Good luck!!!

@Kennalb I was hungry from day one for literally 4 weeks post op. I was in tears wondering why the hell I was hungry. Like you, I worried that my surgery didn't work right. Then I began reading here and discovered many of us go through an adjustment period of hunger. Right at about 4 weeks post op the combination of healing along with the addition of some soft allowed foods changed everything. No longer hungry after that. I was not hungry hardly at all from months 4-10. (I do get off and on hunger now 10 months post op but its healthy hunger). I agree with others who have already responded- it could very well be emotional (habit) hunger- I had that big time, and it fades, trust me. Also possibly acids, which can mimic hunger. Hang in there and know it is temporary.

https://media.giphy.com/media/26BRv0ThflsHCqDrG/giphy.gif Congratulations! What an excellent update and NSV! I had heart and pulmonary issues pre-WLS also. Not anymore. Healthy is the BEST. Congrats again!

For myself and many others the first 8-12 months post surgery is primarily dense protein, especially in the first 6-8 months. I ate, and did well, with dense protein meals like tuna, rotisserie chicken, cheese, and other dense proteins. I really had NO room for vegetables, except for a bite or two, literally. At about 6-8 months I found I could tolerate vegetables along with the protein. I love to eat chicken Cesar salad, or other lean meats with a small serving of veggies. It really did take almost 8 months to be comfortable doing this. Think of it as going into the woods with only a tiny backpack. You have to "pack" the best tools and fuel for survival, and in the WLS sense those tools are protein first, then healthy veggies and healthy carbs later, in moderation, as tolerated. Good luck to you!!!

DashOfPixieDust8 just triggered off a memory for me, so I thought I'd start a new thread. When did your weight problems really start? Were you a toddler? In your youth? A teen? Maybe later in adulthood? I was so terribly shy and self conscious as a pre-teen. Suddenly I am remembering those days. As my body was developing, I was so embarrassed that I would wear jackets to school to hide my chest. Everything about becoming a young woman horrified and terrified me. I was thin, but I was so shy and awkward that I hated and was embarrassed by any attention. I have one memory in particular that stands out. I was riding the bus home from school, age 14. A boy I had a crush on started talking to me, and he was laughing along with his friends. I assumed that he was laughing AT me, and that I was the butt of their joke. I turned away to look out the window and my shyness made them react negatively, and they started actually teasing me. In hindsight, the boy was being friendly and trying to get me to join in on their fun. This kind of thought process of mine lasted probably a decade. Within that decade my mind and body decided to begin to "protect" me, and I proceeded to comfort myself by eating compulsively and way too much. I knew food would not judge me so it became the friend I chose. As I started to gain weight, the attention to me went away, and I pretty much became invisible. I think this is what I wanted without even realizing it at the time. As the years went by, being overweight became not only normal but increased constantly. I went from overweight in my 20s to morbidly obese in my 40s. But something in my mind clicked the past couple of years. I became so tired of hiding. I realized after so many years that this costume of fat was killing me physically and mentally. I was determined to find a way to shed the weight, and that is when I chose surgery. With that much weight, diets failed me miserably. Being at a "normal" weight now, I feel freed. Not only from the weight, but from my fears. I suppose having a family and a wonderful husband has allowed me to grow up and know that there is nothing to hide from. I love that I feel happy and confidant in the world now. I haven't felt like this since I was 10 years old. Feeling liker a kid again. Sorry for such a long story. Would love to hear yours!

@Just_Jim Hello! I am a native Californian, born and raised in Auburn, just east of Sacramento. Then I moved to central ca. for school and work! I do miss it there! Congratulations on your decision and taking the steps. I just wanted to chime in on your SO's feelings about this. Ultimately, you have to do what is best for you. Your SO might think she is looking out for you but she hasn't been in your shoes. I hope that she becomes supportive of you. Surgery is not something we do on a whim, it id carefully thought out and quote literally our last resort. She might not understand that, but I hope she comes around to getting it. My husband was and is very supportive. He loves that now I can join him in his activities like running, hiking and going to the gym. In the very worst case scenario, your SO never gets over it. But you will be happy and healthy. And it is your life you have to consider, and a life you want to share with your kids! Best of luck to you!!!

I'm so glad you shared your story. You've been a great inspiration even though you prefer to be called a warning! I have seen your progress and you just wow me. Your early history is heartbreaking and its so awesome to see you come through it all and finally be healthy and happy. And so beautiful!!

I'm glad you brought up the family issues and their weight. It was always puzzling to me because my mom is and always has been "average" size (5'5 and about 150-160 lbs). My dad is super active and super healthy- always fit, from the time I can remember and still is at age 78. My extended family is always really fit. So, I was the outlier, as is my brother. The two if us were the only ones in our whole extended family to struggle with obesity. My brother had a heart attack at age 45. I finally had my surgery at age 47. I now look and feel like the rest of my family which I am so thankful for. I worry about my brother. I often wonder why my brother and I both got really fat and no-one else did. We didn't have bad eating lifestyles as kids, but I do think we both started to over eat and binge to deal with feelings as teens and young adults.

@Introversion wow, thank you so much for sharing your journey. I can appreciate your ups and downs as far as weight loss with dieting and regain. You are one true testament as to why WLS works and is necessary for many of us. We now have the tool to keep it off for good. Congratulations on finding the key to your success!

Thanks for chiming in! I always love hearing from you! Your story is truly compelling. Time to celebrate. You are soooo close to your ultimate goal!

@facebro29 @PB42 Hi you two!! So cool to be in contact with surgery date comrades!! As far as losing those last few, you're undoubtably getting there!! Before you know it. One thing I did to lose the last 15 was alter my diet a little. I added a serving of healthy complex carbs to one meal a day, and reduced super high fats (mayo, red meat, cashews). I also started cardio 3x a week. These slight alterations let the last 15lbs fall off. Good luck to you and I can't wait to hear your next updates!!

Standing ovation for my surgery day twin!!

@Dashofpixiedust8 I'm just seeing your post now, and wanted to say that you totally rock. You have done an amazing job, and have inspired many of us here! I can relate to the mental game. My weight started packing on around age 13 and I now realize a mental aspect of it was that it was a protective shell against attention to my body. But that's another story for a new thread. Congratulations to you and your new and lifelong ability to grab your sabotaging brain by the throat and recognize it, look it in the face and drop it to the ground. You look truly amazing and beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing!

It's great to hear all of your updates!! I was sleeved Oct 3, 2016. High weight 239, surgery day 219, Goal= 139. Current= 136! Feeling really good. Still hard to believe how good I feel in the mornings, and how much more I can do day to day. My next goal is to firm up. Trying to go to the gym and weight train, especially my arms and abs. Here's a cool thing- I can actually SEE the lines in my abs where there is definition. I haven't seen this since I was 12 or 13. I love it! Tomorrow I am driving my daughter up for her 3rd year in college, and then I am traveling west to see my parents and visit some home state friends. I am actually really excited, and confidant. I had been hiding myself way in shame for soooo many years, embarrassed about the way I looked. So I guess the best thing about my 103 lb weight loss is my new health and the way I feel, and how that translates in a new confidant lifestyle.

Thank You! I will go check it out!

Hello fellow Texans! I'm from El Paso. I had my VSG October 2016, and have recently hit my goal. Good luck to all and best wishes for a happier, healthier new life!

100 lbs gone!! Now it's time to maintain.... a whole new challenge. But I'm up for it. Side note: I stayed at 147 lbs for 8 freaking weeks. Scale would not budge. Went to nutritionist and tweaked my daily meals just a bit and BAM, the last 8 lbs flew off!! The pics: first one is self explanatory! second one is me today third one is me BEFORE last one is me hiking last weekend.