XtinaDoesIt

HA HA!
Yeah, I cant wait for this to be my problem. lol. I do hate when people comment on my weight but for me it's usually my mom saying I've gained weight or to say I look smaller when I know its not true. I can't wait for it to be true! I'm losing now but I don't look much smaller than I did before.

I will say that I do not believe you are "too sensitive." Feel how you feel! Women (including me) often dismiss our feelings with phrases like that. Instead, I find it helpful to examine why I feel that way.

Hi Marie,
I actually just posted about this! I am only 8 weeks out and I had an edible on vacation. It was kind of nuts for me. I felt it intensely. I didn't really like it and I had a small piece. But for reference, I don't really take edibles often. I ate a lot and slept a lot on them. I feel like if I took them often it would definitely slow my progress.

Hi all!
So I just came back from vacation where I ate solids, drank alcohol and had edibles! Good times! But don't worry, I am back to my dull healthy life
I did read some post about drinking after the sleeve and was super cautious about it. However, for me, I was able to handle my alcohol just fine. For reference, Im a whiskey girl and I drank it straight to avoid soda and sugar. I also had some vodka spiked mimosa's.
Now, I'm not much of a smoker and prefer alcohol to marijuana but every once in a while I'll have an edible. This time, I had half a Gummy worm and experienced a full high! After laughing uncontrollably for 2 hours I knocked out for 4 hours! Then I woke up an ate a full meal! No restrictions! The following day I had a small bite of the remaining half of the gummy and felt the SAME high as the night before. I ate 6 chicken wings and a chicken tender! Thats a whole lot of food for me right now.
Personally, edibles are not my favorite distraction but this was definitely a different experience post surgery. I am SOO happy I didn't eat the whole gummy. BE WARNED!

Just a heads up for those of you who, like me, have lost a large amount of weight. I'm now less than half my previous weight and sometimes I run into downstream effects I wasn't prepared for.
Recently I had to take a medication that I haven't needed for some time (certainly not since I've been this small). My doctor and I were not thinking about my weight loss and how that would affect the appropriate dose for this med. Because I am so much smaller, the dose I regularly took before was way too much and I had crazy side-effects and toxicity. At first my doctor was stumped as to what is going on (even though she has seen me and is aware of my weight loss). It was my cousin, who is also a doctor (a hospitalist), who figured it out. As soon as I desceribed my symptoms, she said "That's an overdose, you're taking too much." and she reminded me that my weight affects the necessary dose.
When I went back to my doctor, she agreed that was it and reduced my dose to match my weight. And the problems went away. So don't forget that weight-based dosages will need to be adjusted as you get smaller! Even doctors may not remember to make the necessary adjustments.

When there is a change, and it appears that you are doing it intentionally, people are going to compliment you! Just like if you get a new haircut, everyone will say "I love your hair" but it doesn't mean that they thought your old hair was ugly!
The only time I don't like a compliment is when it's followed by "how much have your lost?" b/c I don't want to tell them! LOL!! I don't want people doing the math and figuring how much I used to weight! I'm usually vague, play dun, or outright lie! LOL!!
Best of luck to you!!!

WOW! You seem like you've got this! All I did prior was cut back on alcohol. I think if you can manage those changes you'll be better off than I was and I'm doing alright!
The only thing I can think of is to try out recipe's and new Snacks that are post surgery friendly so that you already have an idea of what you like. Also trying to reduce your sugar intake (drink less juice, soda etc.). I actually found that I love crystal lite...

I've been really light headed too. I never thought to check my blood pressure. I just assumed it was from the lower calorie intake. I'm going to keep better track of it now. I'm on meds for blood pressure and tachycardia and the last time I went to the doctor my BP was low too. How long do you think my pressure should be low for before I mention it to my doctor? And is there some kind of correlation between the meds and weight?

Honestly, this is already the hardest diet I've ever been on. From pre-op until now... I've learned so much and tried a bunch of new "healthier" foods I would have never tried before. My previous diets were all about eliminating foods but because this is for the long haul, I have a different mindset now. People who haven't been through it, can't really understand. I have a bunch of smaller friends who have gotten liposuction, lifts and enhancements but I KNOW they would still judge me if I told them. Its funny that they think their surgeries are minor or not as bad because they technically didn't need it. But they look down on bariatric surgery because they think its a "cheat." They think people should just eat right and work out... 🙄 meanwhile they eat horribly. Its just the way some people are. I decided not to say anything to anyone.

I wouldn't do the pouch test again. Most nutritionists hate it because it's too much of a restriction, which for many people will just end up setting them up for a binge. Just start logging your food again and see how many calories you're averaging a day (may have to do this for a couple of weeks to get an average). Then once you know your average, start cutting back - slowly - by about 100 calories each time (maybe once every two weeks) until you start losing. Gradually getting down to 1200 a day (or whatever you need to for losing) should be easier than dropping 500 - or 600 - or whatever - calories overnight.

Thanks for sharing this! In my head I figured the first 3 months were an indicator of how the rest of the process is going to go. Minus my preop weight loss, I've lost 18 lbs so far, a month and a half in... BUT it does look like I might have broke my second stall (YAY), down again this morning.

Thanks for sharing this! In my head I figured the first 3 months were an indicator of how the rest of the process is going to go. Minus my preop weight loss, I've lost 18 lbs so far, a month and a half in... BUT it does look like I might have broke my second stall (YAY), down again this morning.

I didn't even know cake batter flavoring was a thing!

So unfortunately I did check my weight and I only lost 1lb since my post op appointment last week and I am extremely annoyed. Like in another week I’ll be 4 weeks out and I only lost 14 lbs after surgery so far. I am trying my best with Protein and Water goals and I am following the plan, not to mention I move a lot and my bms are normal so I’m not understanding what the issue is. Trying to not get discouraged I know this is normal but still it’s a little disheartening but I know it will get better.

Congrats @Jnfinney! It took about a week and half for it to subside for me. It got better once my gas got better. I'm a stomach sleeper and that part was the worst for me. I still get uncomfortable sometimes sleeping on my tummy.
@newyorklady20 sounds like you will be fine! It might actually be nice to have a reason to leave the house. I definitely slacked on my walking after surgery because I didn't have to leave the house.

Hey, what some people call addictive or obsessive behaviors, others call persistent behaviors... I say if it's not causing anyone harm and makes you feel better, persist!

@PuraVida37 I am still pretty sore, but it’s just the bigger incision that hurts. This is the one I assume they pulled my excess stomach out of. I’ve stopped taking dilaudid for pain and am just on Tylenol. I hate the way it feels like my incision is “stretching” or could pop open if I move the wrong way. I’ve attached a pic for reference. I’ve been sleeping the days away waiting for the incision pain to subside. I’ve also noticed that a lot of things don’t taste the same to me. I no longer enjoy popsicles, Jello, and Protein Shakes. I’ve been living off of Water, pedialyte, and skim milk. I’m just praying for this stage to pass quickly.

ahhhhh...just goes to show how different cultures are. Drinking during business hours (including lunchtime) would be unheard of when I was still working, let alone within the confines of the office walls.
I may need to consider relocating to Europe so I can live amongst "my people" 😎

Thanks, I often wonder about that...though if I had an addiction, its probably already been transferred. To drinking, smoking, cooking, shopping, exercising, screen time, spreadsheet making, vacation planning, pouring over the forums of BariatricPal. All activities one person or other have commented I do too much of. *shrugs*
P.S. oh, and forgot to include: counting calories and weighing myself every morning.

There are a few controversial topics that get some strong (and not-so-strong) opinions/responses on this forum. Alcohol consumption is one of them.
With that said, I am a maintainer and a regular drinker.
Aside: I have mixed feelings about saying this even as I type this, as I don't want to inadvertently influence someone to drink if they are of the type who may spiral. I often drop hints about my drinking habits in more light-hearted threads (i.e., the food thread or the clothes thread), but in threads specifically asking about alcohol by those in the early stages, I have pause. But, we are all adults here and can make our own choices, so here goes:
Prior to WLS, I didn't drink regularly, but if/when I did, I drank ALOT. Think sloppy drunk. It was always at parties or nights out, and never at home (if we hosted parties, I'd drink, but not get drunk cuz I mean, I had hosting responsibilities after all, LOL).
During weight loss phase, I must have drank maybe 5-6 times the entire time. And it was very little, less than 1/4 of a single serving, if that. The first time I drank after surgery was 3 weeks post op. I had 2 sips of red wine at a party, and it was weird...I remember feeling the liquid in my stomach and the warmth of it travel through my intestines and I got surprisingly tipsy for so little that I drank. The second time I had a drink was 3-4 sips of a soju-sake concoction around 1-2 months post op and I had the most horrible dumping experience soon after. Like laying on the bathroom floor horrible. It was the sugar in it. The handful of times I drank after that (during weight loss phase) I stuck to gin/vodka sodas & dry red wine. I was definitely affected with just a few sips, and the effects wore off pretty quickly.
Now, lets talk maintenance. Freed from having to stay under a self-imposed calorie limit, I drank more. I drank more often than I did pre-op, but less overall, even including my occasional pre-op benders. I no longer only got to sloppy level when I drank, but to just a good buzz. And again, only when I was out and about. I'd say I had maybe 1-3 drinks a week. I still got buzzed relatively quickly (less than one full drink), and the effects did not last long (less than an hour). There were maybe 4-5 times I got pretty trashed during this time (i'm guessing on like 5-6 drinks), all while on some vacation or other, and once at a wedding.
Then came lockdown in March last year. I was about 1.5 years out when Covid reared its ugly head, and just under a year into maintenance. My drinking increased exponentially over a couple months. These days, I drink at least one drink a day (usually two, occasionally much more, on those nights we have an extended dinner seating time, or when it was patio season last summer).
Now according to the literature I have read, based on volume alone, I am an alcoholic. Go figure. Am I concerned? Honestly nowadays, not really. I did contemplate it in the beginning, especially cuz Mr would keep bringing up how my drinking has increased (in a joking way mostly...but he should talk, he drinks every day too. Almost always has...his drinking also increased with Covid. Granted, he has more mass than I do and has the metabolism of a hummingbird).
It's been almost a year of this daily drinking now, and while I believe I could benefit from cutting down, I don't see it as an issue at the moment in terms of any decrease in quality of life or my own safety or the safety of those around me (but I suppose this is what anyone who drinks would say). We'll see.
Back in the summer we agreed that each person in the house can call a "dry day" at any point and everyone must abide to no drinking that day. Though to date, no one has called it. That probably speaks to the mentality we got going on here, lol. I did a couple "dry weeks" on my own accord months ago, just to prove to Mr. & myself I didn't have a problem...these weeks went by uneventfully, but I'm not sure if it really proved anything.
Very long story short, while I'm not advocating nor discouraging drinking either way to anyone, as with anything else in life, the hope is that you can be self-aware enough to know what YOUR acceptable limits are and try to stay within them.
Sorry this was so long.
Good Luck ❤️
P.S. In case you were wondering, I have pretty much maintained my weight (115 lbs +/- 5lbs) this entire time. Last year I reached my acceptable upper limit (120 lbs for more than 3-4 days in a row) twice and then switched gears to get back to 115. First time took me 3-4 weeks, second time took me 3-4 months (granted, I didn't try very hard). Today I am actually 6 lbs under my "normal", BUT I'm in transition at the moment as I've had zero exercise for about a month due to injury and i'm trying to offset that with a reduction in calories...and yeah, I haven't found the right level yet...so this is temporary, as far as I'm concerned. BUT I'm still drinking, lol, am just having less dessert 😜
P.P.S. I also smoke. But that's a whole other topic...

I am post-op day 2. This is definitely harder than I was expecting. My abdomen hurts quite a bit, especially when sitting up. I’m hoping this subsided by the end of the week...

I teach in New York too (I'm guessing by your name). What age group do you teach? If it's high school, you should be OK. Middle school is a beast so you might need extra time...

My wife and I are officially in Onederland and I have lost 108 lbs so far during the last year (20 before surgery and 88 during preop until today). I have never posted a picture of myself here so here are a few pictures of when I was near my peak weight and a picture from last month. After the last picture my wife and other family made me go get clothes that actually fit. The shorts I wore to surgery were over 10" too large when I bought the new ones. I had to buy a couple of pair to get the correct sizing and the same with shirts. Since I wasn't able to try things on, I had to return some that were too large. When I have a chance, I will try to post a picture of my wife and her progress as well as she is not currently on this forum. In total, my wife and I have lost 188 lbs since our peak. She only has 20 lbs more before she has over 100 lbs lost as well and is well on her way towards her goal weight.
October 2018

March 2019

November 11, 2020 - Surgery Day

February 27th, 2021
 

Thanks!!!! You are right! I think I'm going to use these examples the next time it comes up. This is sound reasoning. He def can't argue with this!

I would be upset too. Maybe not about the money (but idk how you split your finances and that food is expensive). I would just be upset that it’s not like you can just run to the jiffy mart and get more Snacks, he can!! If he wants to start eating that way I agree with others that ordering together is a good idea but it sounds like he is just hungry and will eat whatever is around rather than go get something else. Maybe try buying him way more of his snacks than you think he can eat but if he just seems to prefer yours then you need to talk to him. Maybe you can put away a few in a special spot that he is not allowed to eat. Some people are like kids with stuff like that. They don’t do it on purpose they just need to be taught what is acceptable and fair.

It's not selfish or greedy at all. It's no different from a diabetic buying special foods to replace things they can't eat often. Wouldn't you think it inconsiderate if someone ate all the diabetic food knowing that person did not have the option to eat regular treats? Or let's say you live with a vegetarian - who would eat up all the vegetarian food, knowing that person is not comfortable eating meat? Well, your medical condition is just as valid as diabetes, or a severe allergy or being vegan or any other kind of need for special food. 🤷🏽‍♀️