HealthyLifeStyle

I had to get myself away from artificial sweeteners too. Before the WLS I was addicted to diet coke. I weaned myself off of it a few months before the surgery. Now I wouldn't even try to take a sip of it. I was so afraid I would crave it, and I honestly don't.

Love this dress. You look great! I know what you mean about walking into a boutique. I used to love looking at the clothes but they never had plus sizes. Now I can buy anything I want. Such an awesome feeling!!

I love swimming and can't wait to go. It just started warming up here in NH so it won't be long. Before the WLS I was super embarrassed to wear a bathing suit in public. Now I bought 2 really cute suits and can't wait to wear them.

Yummy! I made this once so far and loved it. I don't eat pork so instead I put chicken in my sauce. It was so good.

I am 9 months out and still have a very hard time with carbs in general. They just sit in my belly like a rock. I eat whole wheat pita bread sometimes but only 1/4-1/2 pc. sometimes I can tolerate it and others not so much. I do not eat rice, potato's, or pasta. I tried to eat chickpea pasta and didn't really care for it, and it also felt like regular pasta in my belly so I just don't eat them anymore. I thought I would miss it but I really don't.

Very cute romper. You look great!

When did you have surgery? What type of surgery did you have?

I believe that your starting weight is what qualifies you, not the weight at the day of surgery.

I was on the fence choosing between the two also. My doctor was ready to do either. I chose the bypass because I was a diabetic. 2 months after surgery I was no longer. I also chose it because I knew so many people that got the sleeve and then regretted it and ended up getting the bypass anyway. I just wanted to get it over with.

I regret not doing it sooner. I was supposed to do it 10 years ago, but chickened out of it. I don't know if you would call it regret, but when I am at my family's house for a holiday, or dinner, etc. I look at them eating something and wish I could eat it too. Like this past Easter when everyone was eating my moms famous brownies and ice cream. I knew if I even took a bite, I would be sick so I kinda talk myself out of things like that, but at the same time still wish I could eat it.

Thank you for this information. Yes the protein bars do have it. I will stop eating those for a while to see if that is the cause.

Is anyone else bloated most of the time? I am 9 months out and am having a really hard time with being bloated. It doesn't matter what I eat or how little or a lot. I feel like I am having so many GI issues after this surgery.

A lot of people say its from too much sugar. The first one was def from too much sugar. After that I don't know what it was from.

I was severely constipated and that is why the doc told me to take it every day. Then I cut down to every other day. I called them yesterday and they still want me to take it every other day. I use the pre measured envelopes and mix it in my protein shake in the morning.

Taking your advice and will start to do a food log. I never thought of doing that. Thank You

Having a colonoscopy and endoscopy next month. Hopefully they don't find anything bad. What is a redundant colon? I do eat Protein bars and wonder if that is what is bothering me?

Thank you so much. This makes me feel a little bit better about doing this now.

I have dumped a few times. I haven't in a while. I finally stopped doing it after the last bout was awful and I mean awful. I felt like I was dying and was very close to going to the ER. You will learn the easy way hopefully and not the hard way like me.

Congrats! You look like you don't have much loose skin. Lucky you!

It will work for some and not others.

My mother was always a Yo-Yo dieter and still is at 74. Sometimes it was 25-30 lbs. and others 80-100 lbs. I was chubby as a kid and my mom was always trying to put me on a diet. I remember she made me make a chart in a notebook to track my calories when I was only 12 yrs. old. She would look it over every day to make sure I was doing it correctly. I was sneaking snacks at school, and after school I would go to the convenience store which was the bus stop for snacks like chips, cookies, and candy bars. Oh how I loved junk food. She couldn't understand why I wasn't losing weight, instead gaining. I had to weigh in once a week and write it in the notebook. If I didn't lose that week, she would ground me. For punishment she would make me exercise. Then she would take away food from my meals, making me eat fewer calories. My sister who was skinny would call me fatso, and other not so nice names, and my mom wouldn't do anything about it. My grandfather (mothers father) was relentless and always talked about my weight my entire life. He would always say that it "looked like I put on a few pounds". He did the same to my mom. He finally stopped doing it when I was in my 30's and confronted him about it. I told him that I didn't want to hear his comments about my weight and it was none of his business. He apologized and told me he didn't realize it bothered me so much and he was only joking. Yeah OK. I was also made fun of in school and high school and was not one of the popular girls because of my weight issues. I struggled very hard with this. I didn't have a boyfriend like the other girls because I was too fat. The kids would put "kick me" signs on my back and as I walked down the hallway between classes I would get kicked and if I fell down they would all laugh at me as I tried to pick up my books. It was traumatizing. When I would go home crying to my mom, she would tell me that I have to lose weight if I wanted to "fit in". I could go on and on about my not so nice childhood with weight issues. I will stop here because it is getting too emotional for me. I am 51 yrs. old and still have flashbacks of my younger days. It is very depressing. All I can say is that it sucks to grow up thinking that I was never good enough. It has followed me into my adult life. I am working on it along with other stuff. Even though I have lost weight. I still can hear the rude comments in my head. I don't think it will ever go away.

Buying/feeling comfortable in a swimsuit. I never wore one to the beach. I always wore shorts and a tank top. This year I bought 2 swimsuits so far and I can't wait to wear them.

Try a "demi" bra. It is like only a 1/2 cup instead of the full cup. It worked for me so maybe it will work for you too.

Like us women need so many excuses to buy new shoes/boots. LOL

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