Introversion

I've dealt with other peoples' jealousy by simply not dealing with it at all. Why waste time and energy addressing someone else's problem? Jealousy is the other person's issue, not mine. My friend's various family members have commented (never in my presence) that I'm "too skinny" and lost too much weight. I'm actually in a normal weight range per BMI charts and not "too skinny," but many people in the African-American community view plus-sized women and thick bodies as ideal. However, I look at the source: all of the people who insist I'm "too skinny" are badly overweight or obese. It's no coincidence that none of the naysayers have been normal-weight. Nonetheless, the best way to deal with jealousy is to live your life in a fulfilling way that sparks interest. In other words, live well and let the jealous people stew in their own pettiness.

I'd bum-rush to have the surgery in December before the new year starts. Medical insurance deductibles usually reset in January, so I'd rather have surgery before the reset to limit or eliminate my out-of-pocket portion.

Thanks for an insightful post... Most experts cite the late 1970s/early 1980s era as the start of the modern day obesity epidemic in the US. Prior to 1977, the vast majority of people were normal weight. What changed in the late 70s/early 80s? Health authorities urged us to adopt low-fat dietary practices. Before 1977, typical Americans ate more than 40 percent of calories from fat. Today people eat about 30 percent of calories from fat. Due to low-fat recommendations, healthy fats in peoples' diets were displaced with processed carbs and unhealthy fat (read: margarine, shortening, industrial vegetable oil). Society changed due to the shift away from agrarian living and, later, the shift away from industrialization. Not as many people work in labor-intensive jobs in farming, ranching, factory production lines, construction, etc. We now live in an information-based society where many people earn their incomes while seated behind a desk. More people than ever sit on their asses while entertaining themselves behind some type of device screen: smartphones, tablets, computers, TV, gaming...you name it. Entertainment involved purposeful movement and actually doing something in past generations. Yes, my observations are unscientific, but the cold hard statistics point to a rise in obesity, type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle diseases soon after the late 70s/early 80s. I think my anecdotal observations are at least somewhat valid.

My appetite didn't return until between the 8th and 9th month post-op. The major exception was that time of month. During ovulation I'd develop cravings for salty carbohydrate foods; however, cravings differ from appetite. They're 2 entirely different concepts.

This is a common phenomenon in the African-American community. Many of our peoples' perceptions regarding body image are whacked. In essence, the lower end of the plus sizes (12, 14 and 16) have become the new normal. Anything smaller is "too skinny." I'm 5'1 and about 120 pounds with a BMI of 22. I like how I look, yet many people in the black community feel I'm too "skinny" and need to become thicker. On the other hand, my white acquaintances comment that I look healthy and good. In general, obesity is more socially acceptable in the black community. What matters is your personal goals, your health, and where you want to be. Don't allow other people to define you. In all likelihood, the people making the comments need to look in the mirror and engage in some self-improvement. Good luck to you.

My advice is to seek the professional help of a counselor or therapist... Emotional eating and soothing oneself with food are behaviors that don't simply disappear after bariatric surgery. Once the stomach relaxes enough to accommodate more food, people with a history of emotional history often end up posting, "Oh my gosh! I need help losing this 50 pounds I regained!" Having bariatric surgery with the hope that your preexisting eating issues will magically disappear is unrealistic. Those who have bariatric surgery must put in tough work in order to succeed. For some, it means tackling serious psychological aspects of why they overeat (e.g., emotional overeating, binge eating disorder, food addiction, stress). I'd say 90+ percent of success after bariatric surgery is psychological. Basically, the head of a person who has undergone surgery must be in the right place to succeed. Bariatric patients who don't utilize more adaptive mechanisms to cope with emotions often regain weight due to using food for purposes other than intended.

Firstly, I'm 2.5 years out... At 4 weeks out I was doing absolutely nothing except leisurely walking. I didn't resume 'real' exercise until 3 months out when I started a walk/jog routine at an outdoor park trail. These days I run 20+ miles weekly, lift free weights 2 to 3 times a week, and supplement with other cardio such as the stairmill and stationary bicycling.

I lost 100 pounds over a 17+ month time frame with my sleeve. With the exception of the first 2 months post-op, all of my monthly losses were single-digit (1 to 7 pounds a month) in spite of dietary adherence and exercise.

I'm 35 miles west, in Fort Worth. I'm 2.5 years post-op.

The sleeve was performed by Dr. Adam B. Smith. The upper GI series was performed by Dr. Ferrara, a surgeon and partner at the same practice (Ultimate Bariatrics).

Cottage cheese Beef jerky Turkey pepperoni Turkey sausage sticks String cheese Peanuts Almonds Protein bars Pork skins Cold cuts/deli meat Hard boiled eggs

The best vitamin is dependent upon the type of surgery you've had. People with lap bands or sleeves can get away with less supplementation than those with bypasses or duodenal switch procedures. I was sleeved 2.5 years ago. I refuse to pay $40 for a 3 month supply of the overpriced bariatric vitamins, so I take an over-the-counter Centrum complete. My nutritional labs look good.

The team at my bariatric surgeon's practice never had me counting calories. The rationale behind this move is to escape the dieting mentality of tracking and measuring. I was sleeved 2.5 years ago and have been in maintenance 13 months.

Labs are often drawn a couple of days prior to surgery to ensure you're not anemic, hyperkalemic (high serum potassium), hypokalemic (low serum potassium), or pregnant. Your surgeon may not need bloodwork now; hence, you were cleared for surgery. It would be pointless to obtain bloodwork so early when more bloodwork will need to be drawn prior to surgery.

Are you wanting to know who sleeved me? Or who performed the upper GI series? Both procedures were done in Fort Worth, Texas.

My surgery (sleeve with hernia repair) had been scheduled approximately 2 weeks after the upper GI scope confirmed the presence of a hiatal hernia.

What you felt is very normal...you ate a high-protein meal. It was rigid animal-based protein, which is known for keeping sleevers full for hours. This is the very reason our surgeons and dietitians prescribe a protein-first way of eating. Rigid, hard protein keeps us full for hours and makes it difficult to graze on empty-calorie junk. The longer we're full off protein, the less likely we overeat, and the chances of regain diminish.

It was as if a switch had been flipped once I awakened from surgery: I was no longer interested in food. My appetite was profoundly diminished for months afterward. The extreme disinterest in food and lack of appetite made the post-op liquid diet easy for me. In fact, my appetite did not begin to return until sometime between the 8th and 9th post-op month.

Congratulations. You look great! By the way, you're not losing slowly. At 6 months out I'd lost 53 pounds, so you're losing more rapidly than me if you lost this amount in 4 months. 53 pounds in 4 months is 159 pounds in 1 year if you look at the long term. Anyhow, keep up the wondrous work.

Congratulations. Keep up the excellent work! By the way, you look fantastic and so very youthful to say you have adult children.

Since this forum regards those with 1+ years of experience as 'vets,' I am considered one since I am 2.5 years out. Nonetheless, I am leery about posting in this forum because many people are not truly seeking advice. Rather, they are fishing for validation of their poor decisions. Examples include: Snacking on nutritionally bereft junk before they hit goal (chips, cookies, popcorn) Rigid thought processes (e.g., dichotomous thinking, "always" or "never ever again") Getting "back on track" after a massive regain without addressing the root cause. You can lose a 50-lb regain, but you'll regain it all plus more once the next crisis hits since you never addressed your emotional overeating tendencies. Losing a regain without tackling the root cause is like taking pain pills to treat a brain tumor: both tactics help the symptoms and ignore the cause. So, to avoid being shouted down by those who only want feedback that fits neatly into their worldviews, I post in other forums.

No, you haven't lost restriction. Unless your stomach has stretched to the preoperative 40+ ounce capacity and you can easily accommodate 10 bacon/egg sandwiches at one sitting, your restriction is still there. People seem to be under the impression that the immediate post-op phase in which their tight, swollen sleeves allow them to become full off 3 to 5 bites of food lasts forever. Nope...the stomach continually relaxes and accommodates more food over the years. Per bariatric surgeon Dr. Matthew Weiner's videos, this is a normal phenomenon. By 3 to 5 years out you can expect to accommodate three-fourths to 1 entire plate of food (8 to 12 ounces). But just because you can eat this much doesn't mean you should. Good luck to you.

I was on clear liquids for the 1st post-op week before moving to full liquids the 2nd week. The only things I consumed during that first week were sugar-free Powerade, sugar-free Ocean Spray cranberry juice, water, and ready-to-drink protein shakes.

Calm down...you're not failing at this. Reasonable expectations are important. The overwhelming majority of my losses were single-digit (1 to 7 pounds monthly). It took me 17 months to lose 100 pounds. I only weighed myself once a month. The weight will come off. Counting fat grams is pedantic and unnecessary, IMHO. My bariatric program only required me to count protein and nothing else. Stalls and plateaus are common, but you won't know you're stalled unless you weigh yourself too frequently. Sleeved weight loss happens in an irregular pattern: we lose pounds, hold onto pounds at times, then stall and plateau before dropping more pounds. Again, realistic expectations are imperative. Good luck to you.