JessLess

Is there anything you really like that you avoided while dieting? For me, it was mashed potatoes. I hadn’t had them in years, but I enjoyed working 2 oz. into my puréed phase. Now they’re gone again. LOL

I just have it set on my iPhone screen when it’s off and someone tries to turn it on, I don’t think “No Blind NG, No NSAIDS,” warrants a bracelet in my case.

I read and watched a lot. You know yourself. If you are watching something that upsets you, take a break. Since my surgery over a year ago, I have logged in here almost daily to get support and stay on track. It’s been very helpful.

In my friend’s case, he had lost 100 lbs, but still weighed 400 and was regaining. I think he needs to figure out why he won’t stop binging on fattening food, but I support him and his choices. Regaining 15 lbs. sounds like something you can work on without surgery if you feel like you can and want to.

I’m sure my male friend who is not here would not mind me posting this. He started at 500 lbs. got sleeved, and got down to 400. He still ate a lot of really fattening food. He stalled. He and a doctor decided he should get a revision to bypass so he might be able to lose more. I’m afraid he will hurt himself with food, but I’ll support him in whatever he does. His revision was about a month ago.

I eat a Healthy Choice Power Bowl (low carbs) most days because I'm lazy.

@AZhiker, fair question. In my case, I like it and I also don't feel like I need to do EVERYTHING perfectly, just most things. However, I don't want an ulcer and will be reading more.

Is that true for the sleeve as well? Any studies I can read? Thanks in advance.

I had one drink at a holiday party about two months out and felt pretty badly. Now, over a year out, I have about a drink every 2-3 weeks (usually whiskey on the rocks). One is enough to give me a buzz. It doesn't help with weight loss, especially if there are also snacks around. I'm such a light drinker my surgeon didn't really think it was a big deal.

My HR recommendation is to get the letter so you can't get fired for it. Are you not allowed to carry a bottle of water around? I'm a year out from the sleeve and can still get pretty dehydrated after 64 oz. a day. I drink a lot of lightly fruit-flavored Hint water, and Wegmans house brand flavored water. It's expensive and bad for the environment, but I can get them down a lot easier than plain water. 4 bottles of Hint Water = 64 oz. Good luck!

Sorry, I don't know, in part, because I don't go to the support group there. I much prefer to get my support here. I'm sure they would tell anyone who called how many they had done, etc.

The program at Newton Wellesley offers it.

Dr. Sheila Partidge did my sleeve at Newton Wellesley. Their program has a great reputation, she's the top surgeon there, and I have been so happy with the results. She's also just very nice. I have a law degree so they tend to give me the best doctors. 617-243-3724 PM me if you want more info.

I wouldn't, and they're not allowed on my plan. But we're all adults and can do whatever we want.

@McFlufferson, at least on my plan, it was about the same for the sleeve too.

In your first week, as @catwoman7 posted, I would concentrate on water, protein drinks or shakes, bone broth, thin yogurt, etc. I did not have a calorie count, I focused on first hydration, and second, protein.

I think if you take the trip six months after the surgery if all goes as normal, which it probably will, you will have an awesome time RELIEVED of the stress of being hungry so often as I used to be pre-sleeve. You won't be able to eat as much, but you should be able to eat smaller amounts of a lot of things you want. I wanted to know: Will the surgeon I meet with be doing my surgery How many as she done As about good and poor outcomes she has seen and why she thinks that happened If you can talk to any of her former patients If the cost is an issue, I would also want to meet with someone at the hospital and the practice to get all the costs. My hospital stay cost the most, then the surgery, then the anesthesia. (My insurance paid.)

@notmyname, you've lost so much! I hope you feel awesome about it. Although my rate of loss has really slowed, I'm stlll losing about 4 lbs. a month. I hope your team can come up with a good plan for you. I am still losing at 1,000-1,200 calories a day with moderate exercise.

Well, first, forgive yourself. It's unlikely that you messed anything up. But PLEASE call someone, like your dietician or a therapist, and come up with a plan to help you avoid doing it again. If you KEEP going off plan you may really mess things up for yourself. Not trying to be a jerk at all. I hope you get help and succeed!

I had the surgery less than two months after I applied for coverage with Harvard Pilgrim. My BMI was 40.

I had bulging discs and degenerative disc disease before I got the sleeve. Part of why I got it was to help relieve my back pain. So in my case, the two things aren't related and losing 80 lbs. has helped my back. Good luck with your back!

Good job!

It says after surgery. But any chart that doesn't take age, gender, and other factors into account is going to be inherently flawed.

For a lot of people, thirst feels like hunger. Have you tried all the permutations of liquids like hot soup and frozen popsicles?

This is from 8/22/18, my first surgical consult, to 10/16/19, a year after gastric sleeve surgery. Neck: 14" to 12" Waist: 50" to 40.5" Hips: 56.5" to 44" Lost over 80 lbs. and I feel great!