TammyA

That's great to know! Did you order them online? Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it!

I have spoken with my doctor. He said he recommends the nasal spray, but my insurance wouldn't cover it and it's over $500 a month. I couldn't afford it. He said he didn't know much about the patch and wanted me to take injections, but I don't like injections. For some reason he said the pills don't absorb well after the sleeve surgery and I just wondered if anyone else took the pills and had success.

I struggled with this when I decided to get sleeved. I told my mom, my brother, and my best friend when I was going to the consults and pre-op appts. I didn't tell my husband, my sister, or my other friends. For me it was about telling people I trusted to be supportive of what I wanted. My husband is a very negative person, and I knew for weeks before the surgery he would make comments and complaints that I didn't want to deal with. When the surgery was finally scheduled and approved by the insurance company I told him I had surgery scheduled (I only had a week to wait at that point) and explained my reasoning. I told him I wasn't sure it would be approved and I knew we couldn't pay for it out of pocket so I had chosen not to say anything until I was sure it was going to happen. He understood that and was mostly quiet about it, but at that point it was already decided. Once the surgery was done I waited until I saw my family and friends in person to tell them. I saw my sister a few days after the surgery and told her then. I explained there were other health issues that prompted me to have this done, and that it had gone well and I was excited about it. I felt more comfortable that way. I didn't want to hear people's negative comments before it was done...afterwards there wasn't too much they could say. I only told my two closest friends and my immediate family. One friend recently told me I looked like I was losing weight. I hadn't seen her in several months and I thanked her and said I've been really working at it. Watching what I eat and trying to excercise. She said, That's great! I left it at that. Ultimately, this isn't your husband's decision. You have to be comfortable with what you tell people and you have to be comfortable with the people you tell.

My doctor said the same thing. I signed up the the mail order nasal spray and it was over $600 a month. My insurance only covers brand name meds at 50% and there is no generic alternative. It was going to cost me over $300 a month out of pocket. My doctor said he isn't familiar with the patch, but agreed to let me try it for 6 months. He said if my labs come back fine I can continue with it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I can't afford the spray. I ordered a 6 month supply of the patch through this website and it was $100...I'll check out Amazon and the other websites too!

Today is my 7 week anniversary of my surgery. I had a sleeve done on August 1st. I went to the gym this morning and when I got back I was hungry...so I scrambled one egg with a slice of american cheese (.6ounce) and half of a tomato from my garden. I diced it up and threw it in there. When it was done cooking I weighed it and it was 4 ounces in total. I ate it and I didn't feel full. I'm satisfied and will eat again about 6:00 or so for dinner. My question is this. Am I eating too much food? Is 4 ounces at one time too much? Is one egg and a bit of cheese and tomato over doing it? As I read back over the info my nut gave me it says I should try 1-2 ounces of food per meal. At first that was fine, but now I feel like it's not enough. Am I sabotaging myself? I would love some input as to what others are eating and what an acceptable meal would be. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to respond.

On the last menu plan handout I got from the nutritionist it said I should eat 1-2 ounces of food at each meal. It wasn't enough for me and I was so hungry so I was eating more like 3-4 ounces. I met with her today and she said that menu was 5 weeks old and I should be bumping it up each week (the paper didn't say that so I didn't know). I'm glad I met with her. She said I should be at 3-5 ounces now so I was exactly where I needed to be!

Thanks for that suggestion! My nutritionist hasn't been very specific about counting calories or tracking foods. I met with her today and she showed me portion sizes. Now that I'm almost 2 months post-op she bumped up my portion sizes. She says I should be eating 3-5 ounces of protien at each meal and adding an ounce or two of veg and starch if I have room. She's all about measuring the ounces. I can't eat 2 eggs either...it's too much, but it seems like my 4 ounces is right where I needed to be! I told her I've been worried I was eating too much and of course she said I should have called her and she would have put my mind to ease. I feel better about it though!

Thank you! My nutritionist hasn't been very specific about counting protien or calories...she just talks in terms of ounces. I feel like there's a lot of guesswork involved for me. Of course, I should just have called the office Thank you for responding. It makes me feel like I'm not messing up as much as I thought!

That's so great! congratulations, and welcome to the new you!

Ok, that's what I was hoping. I know it can be a slippery slope. Thanks for your explanation! I don't want to do anything that will hurt my progress.

Ok, I follow what you're saying. But does that mean I shouldn't add tomatoes to my eggs? What if, in one year, I'm still eating the same 4 ounces of egg and tomato? Would that be ok, or is it something I should avoid altogether?

Give yourself time! I know it's hard. When I was on clear liquids for 2 weeks after surgery the pounds were just melting off, but it's slowed down considerably. I'm still losing faster than I would on a regular diet though. I started going to the gym (which I hate but I guess it's a necessary evil) and I started keeping a food journal. I found that each day I would weigh myself and if I didn't lose I'd be asking myself...What did I eat yesterday??? Now I quickly jot it down so I know and if I'm not losing aI can look back and see if there's someting...too many salty foods...or whatever. It helps me to not second guess myself. Hang in there. You're doing great and the scale will start to move

Hmmm...maybe he just wants you to relax a little and not put too much pressure on yourself??? My doctor told me not to look at the "ideal" weight charts because they are compiled by insurance companies and not realistic. He never talked numbers with me. He said my goal shouldn't be a number but just to be health and comfortable with my weight. Don't be discouraged! You should go into it with your own goals and just remember to be kind to youself. 135 lbs is a long way off and maybe you'll reassess your goals as you go. As you start really living this process you'll determine which number is your healthy/happy number...maybe it'll be 135 and maybe it won't. You won't know till you get there!

I don't think it's the pureed foods although I had the exact same eperience. It lasted for about 8 days for me. I didn't lose anything and poof!..It just started again. I think many people experience it and I think it's just your body catching up and going into "sarvation" mode. Don't stop eating! Just stay on the plan your doctor gave you and when your body is ready it'll start losing again. And try not to panic. I know...easier said than done I was freaking out when it happened to me. Everyone says it's the 3 week stall and it won't be the last one. Just part of the process we need to get used to.

LOL...me too! Today I learned never to eat congee!

So, I did a little reading and the article said that anything starchy like rice or corn can form a paste in you esophogus and it sort of slides down and blocks the opening to your stomach (because it is now so small). This can cause severe abdominal pain until it works it's way down into the stomach and eventually works it's way out. Rice is also digested into sugar which can cause dumping syndrome...Dumping syndrome causes weakness, cold sweats, nausea, and possibly vomiting and diarrhea. I've never eaten congee, but it's thicker than broth, right? It sounds like you should stay away from it for while. If the pain has passed I don' think you have anything to worry about. Eat light today and take care. I'm glad you're feeling better...I just stumbled upon your post, but was concerned for you. I'm only six weeks post-surgery, but the first time I could eat food I ate 2 scrambled eggs with cheese. I don't know what I was thinking, but it sat in my stomach like a brick for the entire day. I was so uncomfortable and scared. I've never felt like that before. Once it passed I was fine, but I'll never eat 2 eggs again. I'd rather eat one and not feel full. It's a learning curve...some lessons we learn the hard way...lol!

It's been 10 hours since your original post...I hope you're feeling better now. Please update us!

You're awesome for having a zipper in the first place...all of mine are pull ups right now! Good for you

omg...this is so interesting! I never thought about my feet getting smaller! I have a wide foot and I figured they would thin out, but actually go down sizes? Why does that happen? Thank you for posting this...lol! I'll hold off on getting anything new for a while.

I agree with this too! I can't afford to buy new clothes at every stage of weight loss. I just bought 4 pairs of pants from QVC in the that flowy kind of crystal knit fabric...I'm only 6 weeks out and they should be pretty forgiving while I'm losing. They are a size smaller than I would have purchased pre-surgery so that made me happy! I'm down 38 pounds and already seeing some progress in sizing!

My doctor is advising low carbs too! I'm six weeks out and still not allowed to eat any raw veggies or fruits. I really miss having a salad. I wonder if it's because it fills you up and doesn't have much nutritional value??? I have been able to eat cauliflower, green beans, peas, but everything needs to be cooked until it's soft or canned. The canned veggies are awful Just not what I'm used to, I guess. I had a small piece of eggplant parm and it was great! Everyone's doctor is so different and everyone seems to tolerate different things. My doctor has advised no beans or broccoli for 3 months after surgery because they cause gas which can be very uncomfortable. Other people have posted that they have no problems with those! I think the best thing is try a small amount and see how you feel after it. You may have a very different experience than another person. They always say to introduce one new thing at a time...and I would recommend just having a few bites. It's a learning game for all of us

It's interesting you posted this! I am six weeks out and I've been eating cauliflower wlith no problems. I haven't had beans or broccoli...my doctor told me to avoid them because of gas issues. I am not allowed to have any raw veggies until 3 months out so I still have time before I try lettuce. I love reading the posts on here to see how people's doctors and personal experiences differ!

I had that exact fear and I've read other posts saying the same thing. I'm guessing it's pretty common...

I found that in the beginning I didn't really get full. Most of the foods I was eating were soft and what they call slider foods. They slide right throught and don't stay in your stomach so you don't really get that full feeling. Now that I'm eating more solids I am getting full. If you eat something like chicken it stays in your stomach and I can eat between 1 and 2 ounces before I start getting that feeling. I'm only 6 weeks out so this is pretty new for me, but I didn't get it at first and I was concerned!

Your post is inspiring! I am 5 weeks out and still worried that everything I do is wrong. I loved your outlook and positivity. It's good to hear from someone who's been successful and is continuing to make it work!