Creekimp13

Lookin good! Nice work:)

"This is not to judge but to let you know this is not a path to success" Cause...we didn't know that. LOL! Personally, I'd rather face my very serious struggles with food with a lot of honesty and support from other people going through the same crap.....than remain in denial about them. Lying to yourself is some toxic crap. Some folks over eat after sleeve and cause themselves big problems. Some folks under eat and trade one eating disorder for another...and cause themselves big problems. Both behaviors are self sabotaging. There's a lotta pathology to spread around. A therapist would have a hay day with most of us, I expect. LOL. We all screw up. We're all human that way. Finding balance is a struggle. Lemme tell ya....if I was capable of perfection and never screwed up? I sure as hell wouldn't have gotten morbidly obese, or needed surgery to try to lose weight. LOL. Not saying any of your advice is even wrong, AZLoser, it was just tone deaf and precisely what the OP asked people not to do. There's a little "people in glass houses" element there that I know you don't see....but far be it from me to judge you for your choices. To each, their own:) Best wishes on your journey.

Kinda sounds like a broken heart and the depression that goes with it. Maybe you should talk to the therapist about the relationship ending rather than about your diet? Seems clear to me you've suffered a huge emotional blow that has you too sad to care. Sad like that can be a pretty big problem. You know how to diet and lose weight. That's not the issue. You've got the skills, you've got the grit. The issue is that you got hurt....you're not over it..... and food is still your comfort habit I think it would benefit you to do a little talking about the relationship and find a way to get some closure and resolution. Also, work on strategies to comfort yourself when things go wrong that don't include food. I have a lot of luck with baths, old movies, good books, phoning my BFF, sex and my pets. (like hugging and walking my pets...not sex with pets...yeesh!) Just remember....there is no setback or heartbreak on Earth that is worth destroying your health over. We all hit self destructive patches....but it's important to get back up. And if we can't....it's important to ask other people to help us to get back up. Everyone needs a little help now and again. Try the therapist again....talk about the relationship that went south. I really think it might help.

Statistically, most sleevers will lose 60% of their excess weight by 18 months out from surgery. If you start at 335....and maybe you want to hit 160...that's 175 pounds of excess weight. 60% of 175 is 105 pounds. Most 335 pound people who try sleeve will be down 105 by the end of 18 months. Some people will do even better than this...and lose 70-80% of their excess weight. Some people will do a little worse.....and lose only 40-50% of their excess weight. To increase your odds of being in the group with better numbers...increase your exercise, hit your protein, fluid and calorie goals. Avoid overly processed refined foods and foods with a high glycemic index. Some good news.... people who lose weight at a steady slow pace lose as much over the 18 months as those who starve themselves for faster results in the beginning. You've already lost 48 pounds. To get to 105 (the average result)....you have only 57 pounds to lose in the next 14 months.....which amounts to about 4 pounds a month. Now...we all want to do better than the average...and we all want to get to that 70-80%. (and even push all the way to 100%) People who have these results generally exercise more, food journal more diligently, and do their follow up appointments. Best wishes on your journey...and hopes for extra success:)

If you're a potato chip lover...try the baked crispy pea snacks. They come in some really great flavors...wasabi, cracked pepper, light salt.....the calories are around 100, and you get 5g of protein per serving. Cost isn't bad, either. Also consider hummus and adding nuts and seeds to salads and smoothies.

Any of the above mentioned should work well depending on how your particular body likes them. Be a little careful with soy. Some is fine, but too much can be associated with unwanted side effects. Check out Quorn products in the grocery freezer...it's fungus protien that is sold as chicken and burger replacement sort of like soy. I prefer the flavor and texture of Quorn to other meat replacements. As with all dietary changes....if you're seeing a dietitian, these would be great topics of conversation. I was surprised how knowledgeable my dietitian was on this topic...and how helpful:)

Very common. Stay the course...it passes:)

NewGuy......there was no criticism at all. Your advice was great for Phosphate stones. They do respond to urine acidifiers...like your suggestion of Amish vinegar. Unfortunately, urine acidifiers are ineffective for the very common Calcium Oxalate stones...because they can continue to grow in even very acid urine. For the life of me, not really sure how you read that as criticism...but I apologize if you experienced it that way.

Had an interesting talk with my dietitian today. She is hell bent that we work up to 1000-1200 calories per day as soon as possible. I'm on week two...she doesn't expect me to get there until week five or so, but encourages me to try. I asked, Why not take advantage of the natural desire to eat fewer calories and....you know....lose a little more weight? And what she said kinda floored me. She said that prolonged low calorie diets will switch your metabolism to a starvation mode where body processes are slowed, energy is conserved and *gasp* YOU STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Worse, you can lower your metabolic set point to sluggish starvation levels. She goes...I know, I know...seems counterproductive, doesn't it? After a lifetime of being heavy, someone's telling you that you have to eat more to lose weight...but it's true! 60-80g of Protien, and 1000-1200 calories. Both are equally important if you want to lose weight and set yourself up for a healthy metabolism later. Balance your diet. Protein absolutely, but fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and Healthy low glycemic complex carbs, too. Balance is important for good metabolism for life. You can lose weight fast on all protein, but you can create a healthy metabolism that lasts a lifetime with balance. She also said that diets under 1000 calories are correlated with nutritional deficiency, bone loss, more hair loss, and muscle loss. Ouch. So yeah....eat Bubbalah...eat.... Seems absolutely unreal. On the plus side, I found a comfort food I absolutely love that's legal: Cocoa wheats thinned with chocolate Premier Protien. Slides down easy...and the energy lasts.

Wellbutrin/bupropion is kinda like legal speed. If anything, that particular one will help you lose weight, not gain. SSRIs are notorious for weight gain, but are sometimes necessary. Just talk frankly with your psych...see what he/she can come up with to help. Also, talk to your bariatric surgeon...they've had some experience with this as well.

Nope, no rash. But I did get kinda foggy, crabby as heck, and could have eaten my own foot off I was so hungry. LOL:)

I'm all about new recipes. Love it:) Thanks!

Look at statistics. Bariatric surgery is as safe as gall bladder surgery these days. Now look at statistics about cancer, heart disease, diabetes....and how many years being very obese can take off your life. Statistically...you should be MUCH more afraid of NOT having the surgery....than having it. Fearing anesthetic in 2018 is kinda silly. There are SO many precautions taken. In my career I've seen literally thousands of surgeries. Geriatric surgeries. Pediatric surgeries. Trauma surgeries. Some extremely sick and fragile cases. I have never seen an anesthetic death in 15 years. Not saying a freak occurrence isn't possible....but it's like worrying about being hit by lightning. Obesity related heart attacks and strokes on the other hand.... It'll be ok. Go visit a hospital and try to desensitize yourself a little. They're not such bad places:)

Best wishes for a safe effective procedure:) Congrats on the 6 pounds.

I ate a chocolate chip cookie the day after Christmas. In four little pieces. Over the course of two hours. But yep, I ate the whole damned cookie. Walk of shame. Chocolate chip cookies are most decidedly NOT on my diet. People are human and stubborn and stupid. We try to be better, but sometimes we're kinda....nuts....and do self sabotaging things that don't make any sense. The important thing to remember, is to get firmly back on track and move forward in a better direction. Also, finding other ways to treat ourselves is important. Gotta break those emotional bridges to food and reroute them to something else that feels good. I've had some luck "treating myself" to a hot deep bath with bath salts and candles....when what I really want is a brownie and vanilla bean ice cream. LOL. Also...as weird as this is....sometimes sex helps. Feel the need to eat something stupid....sometimes I go attack my husband. Sex is good exercise and a good distraction. Gotta put away the chocolate syrup....but it's still fun. LOL Another way I treat myself...is to phone my bestie, or play with my pets, or listen to music I love. If it's fast music, I might even have my own embarrassing private dance party. Hell, I might dance with the dog. She enjoys such shenanigans and is not judgemental. LOL:) I get what you're saying and I don't judge you. But I do worry a little about these indulgences a month out. Concerned you could hurt yourself...and that worries me. Please be careful. Also...I really think...for me anyway....that dealing with emotional attachment/addiction to food and finding alternatives to food rewards/gratification...is gonna be an important part of my recovery. Will an occasional screw up ruin everything? Probably not. But you're kinda flirting with a tiger in a cage who can undo all the work you've done if you're not really, really careful. Love the cycle class idea:) You can do better tomorrow. You will do better tomorrow. Best wishes and thanks for the honest post. I wish people were more honest about their struggles.

Yes, needing every dose of narcotics on schedule 3 days out is unusual. Sorry, but it is. And it's raising red flags with the staff for a reason. The nurses were likely not giving you pain meds immediately because they might have been doing you a favor trying to help wean you off. Particularly, if your surgeon does not send home any narcotic meds. By asking for more meds, and demanding they be given as soon as possible....you are extending your hospital stay. You won't be released until you can go without them for longer and longer periods of time. Also, all of those narcotics will completely stop your gut from functioning...creating other issues which will slow your healing. You're shooting yourself in the foot. Less is better. Want to go home? Try the Tylenol. Some discomfort after surgery is good. It reminds you not to do things that cause injury.

Increase activity in small realistic goals. A few more steps. A few more seconds standing. Just keep trying:)

I ate a lot of cottage cheese, oatmeal, coco wheats, apple sauce and mashed potatoes. yep, it's hard. Yep, mine was just like that...except in week one, I was expected to drink a lot of protein shakes and get my 60-80g of protein. Doesn't last that long. You'll be back to more foods before you know it. I know it's tough. Hang in there!

Depends on how long after surgery and exactly what the symptoms are. Some symptoms might require a medication (like a bad case of GERD)....some might require investigation. Not a bad idea to run this one by your doctor, so he can give a list of the types of things he'd want to know about, and remedies he prefers you to use.

Excellent!

Constipation after surgery is very common. it's often due to the pain killers slowing your digestion. Get off narcotics as soon as you can. Dehydration will make it worse, so keep sip, sip, sipping. Ask your surgeon's group about remedies. Mine had a post surgical sheet all about what to try first, and how long to wait, what to try in case of emergency, etc. all about constipation. There are several constipation threads here if you look for them:) Good luck!

We're doing three meals and three snacks per day to get to 1000. I think as capacity to eat improves, we'll lose the snacks. Yes, we're eating some potato and sweet potato. I'm putting almonds in my smoothies, and having chia seed pudding, avacado, etc. I'm not having any problem reaching 60-80g of protein, or 1000 calories. (or 64oz of fluid). I drink a couple of cups of decaf coffee per day, and douse it with caramel protein shake....it's actually not too bad:)

If you get pain, try smaller sips. You can take bigger sips eventually, but for a while, you've gotta do little teenie ones or it'll hurt a little.

You too, Candy:) Here's to a happy healthy 2018:)

Make sure to talk to your dietitian or doc about your choice. Not sure why, but whey protein is typically preferred pre-surgically, probably due to gas from beans. If you use plant protein, make sure you're mixing your legumes with rice to get a complete amino acid. (pea protein is great if you mix it with brown rice protein) Other proteins to consider: Hemp, Chia, and egg white protein powder are good choices, too.