Creekimp13

You really don't. It's insanely addictive and made from a secret Czechoslovakian recipe. it's pure poison! (But, so damned good...) I will not be your pusher!

Mom's homemade poppy seed bread. Guh...so good. First time, I had a big ole slab and felt ghastly...at about 3 months out. She recently brought me some more *sigh* (she has memory issues)... and I had a tiny slice and had hubby take the rest to work. Took a couple tries, but at least I'm winning the war:) This last time...I did just fine...a very small piece is workable in my diet. But the first time, not gonna lie, I blew it in a big way! It's been a favorite since I was a kid...and when it's hot and fresh and homemade....man it's tough! Live and learn:)

Tea just shot out my nose. If you're craving sex...do what you feel up to. If you're not craving sex....don't bother. You are under no obligation:)

Doesn't matter at all if anyone is good in my book. What matters...is if they're good in their own book:) And hopefully, their team's book....since being on the same page with your team helps a lot. Lotta ways up this mountain! Wishing everyone a good journey.

LOL . So true! Ah, the books... and what it's "supposed to look like". Who knew there could be so many versions?

Hang in there and try to have patience. It gets better:) My surgeon said at our presurg conference that at least once a month someone bursts into tears the day after their surgery and regrets it. But at six months out....almost everyone will say they made the right choice...even the folks who were unhappy right after. Time helps:)

Woot! Best wishes!

I used to LOVE eggs. I used to say the world's perfect food was the Egg McMuffin. I'll still nibble on half of one every so often when I'm on the run....but the magic is gone. Eggs and ham hold no magic for me anymore. Used to love a good pork chop. Not feeling the love these days. On the other hand... I hated oatmeal and avacado before...and love both of these things now. I used to HATE salmon...and now I can't get enough of it. Still love a nice steak salad. Still love chicken breast done right with good seasoning and veggies. Even thinking about chicken broth by itself...kinda makes me gag these days. Same reaction to jello....ate way too much of these and just can't take them anymore. Used to love fried stuff...and sometimes I'll crave it....but a couple of nibbles and I'm done. Bleh. Used to love Turkey with stuffing and gravy. Stuffing is kinda gross to me now...will order carrots instead. Love carrots now, was luke warm on them before. This one's weird....salt. I used to really crave salt. Now, I'm super sensitive to it and am really offput by too much. (this is the problem with stuffing, I think, too salty) Weird stuff.. who knows?

Weight loss therapist. Time to bite the bullet and go.

No catheter here:) Got outta bed right after surgery and took a nice pee. Then, just kept walking:) All the differences between different surgery protocols are so weird

Congrats!

Eating lots of healthy low glycemic index carbs has done wonders for my sugar-lust. Beans, peas, whole grains, lentils, brown rice, soy, potatoes, squash....if I eat this stuff, I won't get the rebound hunger of simple carbs and I won't crave simple carbs like a maniac. Works awesome for me:)

Used to love eggs and ham. Hate them now. Used to love pork chops. bleh. Used to hate oatmeal and avacado...LOVE them now. Used to hate salmon...can't get enough. Keep trying new things. Tastes change. No clue why. Take advantage of when they land on a good-for-you square:)

I drank only decaf for the first couple of months after surgery. These days I drink a about 12 ounces of regular a day, and sometimes another 8 ounces of decaf. Otherwise I drink ginger lemon tea, Mio in water, constant comments on ice, cucumber or raspberries in water, and a little kombucha here and there.

Look at you shrink! Nice work!

Ultimately, I'd rather stop when I'm just slightly full and eat again two or three hours later. If the calories are reasonable for the day, I kinda prefer more frequent little meals. I hate feeling over full now. Too few calories and I run out of gas...so more little meals works best for me. I think everyone finds their own niche with this.

The big difference = keeping track of calories and staying accountable. Blind grazing where you're not keeping track can certainly get you in trouble. If I had to eat three meals a day I'd be starving half the time and I'd stretch my sleeve the other half. My sleeve generally holds 200-300 calories of healthy food. More than that, and I'm uncomfortably full. I don't mind eating 5-6 times a day to maintain good energy and not be hungry. But I do keep track of calories for sure.

https://www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/how-do-they-get-that-big/

Yep! The weight gain progression there is so familiar it's a stereotype. And boy howdy is it familiar!

This one didn't ring true for me, but it reminded me a lot of some posts I've seen on here and I thought maybe someone would find it useful. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19995829/weight-loss-surgery-story/

The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons says the following: As many as 50 percent of patients may regain a small amount of weight (approximately 5 percent) two years or more following their surgery. However, longitudinal studies find that most bariatric surgery patients maintain successful weight-loss long-term. ‘Successful’ weight-loss is arbitrarily defined as weight-loss equal to or greater than 50 percent of excess body weight. Often, successful results are determined by the patient, by their perceived improvement in quality of life. In such cases, the total retained weight-loss may be more, or less, than this arbitrary definition. Such massive and sustained weight reduction with surgery is in sharp contrast to the experience most patients have previously had with non-surgical therapies.

It gets better. Sorry you're having a rough time. Hang in there!

Health Improvements The best news is that you don’t have to get back to a “normal weight” to achieve incredible health benefits after bariatric surgery. The average bariatric surgery patient sees a dramatic reduction in the number of medications they need to take to control their obesity-related medical problems and a significant improvement in their quality of life even if their final body mass index is still in the “overweight” or “obese” range. In fact, I find in my own practice that if a patient tries to force their weight down to what would be considered “normal,” many times they don’t feel very good and often times don’t look very healthy (that Skeletor look!). I always encourage patients to focus on getting back to a “better” weight for them, not necessarily what society considers a “normal” weight. In summary, some bariatric surgery patients will achieve a “normal” weight but most will not. If you don’t reach a “normal” weight, well, that just makes you normal! Answer provided by: Lloyd Stegemann, MD, FASMBS, is a private practice bariatric surgeon in Corpus Christi, TX. He is the driving force behind the Texas Weight-loss Surgery Summit and the formation of the Texas Association of Bariatric Surgeons. Dr. Stegemann is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, OAC National Board of Directors, Co-chair of the Convention Program Agenda Subcommittee and is Chair of the OAC Sponsored Membership Program.

I don't think your problem is not understanding "the rules"...I think you've got some other issues that fuel your addiction to bad eating habits and you need to address them. See your dietitian. Keep a food journal. Get help finding problem areas with your eating. Get help defining good choices and the best limits for you. See your weight loss therapist. Get some help figuring out the reasons why your not making good choices and develop some strategies for improving. Everyone fails sometimes. But continuing to fail, and not addressing the problem...is a choice. You can make better choices and there are people who will help you. Love yourself and get busy. You can do this!

I eat so many fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains...my poops are spectacular. I poop, on average, once every day. If it goes two days....it's going to be a huge poo...like it should be issued a social security number kinda poo...and I lose a pound and a half. LOL. I take probiotics and get half my protein from plant sources and healthy carbs. I eat a lot of fiber and fermented foods (miso, pickles, kombucha)...so that might contribute to my happy poo. In the first couple weeks after surgery...I had one "shart"...small amount, but a mess! Yucko. So sorry for people who deal with this! I was shopping, ended up throwing away my underpants, using a million wet paper towels (so glad my bestie was there to laugh at me and slip more under the stall) and buying new undies while going commando for a hot minute. LOL. Since about a month out...have had nothing but big firm happy regular poo. Am extremely thankful for this.