pintsizedmallrat

So I can be around longer for my children and be around for my future grandchildren. I also wanted to be healthy and not short of breath all the time. I was 349lbs in March 2021 and started my gastric sleeve journey May 14 (342lbs) and I’m 271 and about to have surgery Nov 15. I’m so excited!!

I did it to get my life back. I didn't want to waste any more years of what's left of my life as a self-loathing shut-in, which is what I'd allowed myself to become.
And it's already working. My self esteem is slowly returning, my energy is back, my happiness is growing. I can see the sunrise on the horizon for the first time in 17 years.

I have, and I'm trying. They set a manageable goal for me to try to make it to 500 a day so it didn't feel like climbing a mountain, and I've made it a few times, but I've had some issues with acid reflux/air bubbles and sometimes I can't eat a single bite. At least I finally found some Protein Shakes that don't gross me out.

Once your heart rate has slowed a little and you've calmed down, drink water very slowly. It will make you feel worlds better. I had the same thing happen to me a couple weeks after my surgery and it scared me half to death. The good news is that now that you know what that feels like, it will be easier not to panic.
I hope you feel better!

I chose to do the surgery because I was tired of being held back, energy-wise, by carrying two of me around everywhere.
I'm an aspiring filmmaker and photographer. I've been at this for 3 years, and my weight was holding me back because I would go into a shoot knowing that I had a finite amount of energy to work with and I better make it count. I had to tap out early from a once-in-a-lifetime shoot over the summer because after I had dragged all my gear up the stairs I was too tired and sore to keep going for much longer. I fainted while taking a friend's wedding photos over the summer because I overheated.
Additionally, my content is on YouTube and I was constantly worried that someone would discover my "dirty secret"--that the "Betty Badass" urban explorer they were watching was morbidly obese. I'd go out of my way to edit around portions of my footage where you could see my reflection in shop windows, etc, because I didn't want to be made fun of. My fear of my own camera kept me from connecting with my audience.
I decided to appear on camera for the first time two weeks after my surgery--I told myself it was time to be fearless and if someone had something to say, they can watch me shrink over the next year and eat their words. I managed to accumulate about 3-4 months of content before my surgery that I'll be putting together while I'm recovering, and I can't wait to hit the road again. I can't wait to be able to actually ride my motorcycle. I can't wait to not get winded going up stairs.
If I can survive this process, I can survive anything. There have been moments since the surgery I've felt like I was walking barefoot through hell, but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know how indestructible I am now.

I sipped Water and it made it worse. I resorted to sticking my fingers down my throat and everything immediately came out and I felt instantly better. The cramping stopped immediately thank goodness.
I’m thirsty but scared to drink water

Walk, walk, walk! Take deep breaths. Try to sip some very cold Water. And of course, if the pain does not subside, call your surgeon pronto! Or go to ER!

I had surgery a week before you and I'm still struggling to pass 200 calories a day. I'm not hungry. I have to force myself to eat. I'm happy with the weight I'm losing, I'm taking a Multivitamin, Iron, and Calcium every day, but I feel sooooo weak all the time.

I had three sushi rolls and an avocado and crab salad for dinner, with a Hendricks Gin and Tonic for dessert.

It is so hard to give advice when every surgeon has a different plan! 1200 calories a day so soon out from surgery seems high. I think they want you getting your Protein to mitigate side effects (hair falling out, no energy, not looking "good"). My surgeon's office had me on pureeds til I was 9 weeks out, and emphasized just doing shakes if meals were too much. Last week, I had my 2 month appointment and was told I should be getting 80g of protein through Protein Shakes alone, (and the protein HAS to be Bariatric Advantage or Unjury - yuck, no Isopure which I can actually tolerate), and 120g of total protein daily. Well, I frickin hate the protein shakes, and I was doing really good getting in 80g from real food, (and the office was quite pleased with the weight I've lost so far). My nutritionist said 500 to 700 calories a day was good, not to focus on macros, just to focus on getting my protein. Because those shakes are so high in calories and carbs, if I drink protein shakes, my calories are closer to 900 per day and my carbs are close to 100g (which seems very high). So I'm just going back to what I was doing.

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The "easy way out"?
Bulls(p)it. Total bulls(p)it.
It is not the easy way out. It is a TOOL that you are being given to teach yourself how to interact with food from now on. It doesn't last forever. A lot of people think "oh well you got your stomach stapled so of course you're gonna lose weight" without knowing that you can absolutely stretch that pouch out.
Don't. Listen. To. Her. Mothers aren't always right. Do this for YOU, because you have an entire life to live. And when the weight is coming off you left and right and you're starting to ease back into the world, you'll have the best feeling in the world and it'll motivate you to keep going.

Sometimes you have to do things other people don't agree with. It's hard, and you can try to educate her by having her read asmbs.org (lots of good resources). It's definitely not easy. I've been struggling and I haven't even had any complications! It's not guaranteed that you will keep your weight off with surgery, but you have no chance if you don't have surgery. (I lost 100 lbs 7 years ago but in 5 years gained almost all of it back; I knew I needed surgery to get a re-set on my metabolism.
But no matter how much research you show her, she may not be willing to support you, and you may have to decide to do it anyway. I am super close to my mom, so whenever I have to do something she disagrees with, it breaks my heart. But I would have done this even if my parents didn't agree. Fortunately, they were very supportive.
Good luck to you!

My goal is to get down a little turkey, and maybe have a little spoonful of the inside of a piece of pumpkin pie. Luckily my whole family knows I had surgery so they're going to be pretty understanding of my inability to eat much and will just be happy I'm there.

I'm running into this and I only had my surgery 3h away in an adjacent state.

Per my own surgeon's guidelines it is as long as it's cut very small, and is very moist, but review your own personal instructions from your own clinic as they can vary. I'm lucky that my mom has NAILED how to keep a bird from being super dry, but if your turkey is dry I recommend mixing gravy into it or maybe mixing into your mashed potatoes.
As far as things to avoid, I'd stay away from whole cranberry sauce, anything with nuts in it, anything with undercooked fibrous vegetables (which could include things like green bean casserole or stuffing depending on the "chef"), overly dry meats, salads, raw veggies, raw fruits, and alcohol.

I haven’t dealt with this yet but I think I would probably politely tell them that I appreciate their concern for me but am working with a doctor and nutritionist so there is no need for them to worry about my health. If they continue to push after that id probably say something along the lines of I think I will get my medical advice from the experts.

I'm pre-op still and can only speak from personal experience, but I think this is very common. There is a lot of shame and stigma attached to WLS, all of which is completely unnecessary. The idea that it is a last resort and that patients have "failed" at all other attempts prior to WLS, makes it seem like it is somehow a copout. But that really is not the truth. It is a tool, just like diets and pills and fasts and everything else and there is NO shame in putting another tool in your toolbelt to help you be healthy and well. (I'm of course not comparing WLS to these other methods, just explaining that they are all "tools" and should not carry inherent shame.) All that being said, you did what you needed to do for your won health and well being. Its completely ok and completely normal to question it, especially so early on. But give yourself lots of grace and be patient. It WILL get better and you ARE worth it.

Oh, I bet they're similar to the words I wanted to say. (I only used the f-bomb once, and as a proud son of New Jersey, that counts as INCREDIBLE restraint, we toss that particular four-letter word around like it's a comma.)
I went to see a different doctor for a workup today, a cardiologist, and he congratulated me on the weight loss and said it shows in my heart health. So NYAAAAAAH to the now-fired NUT.

I have a lot of words I'd use to describe this woman, but as a new member here who hasn't quite figured out where the line is yet...I don't think any of them are appropriate to type out.
Good for you for setting a boundary. It's completely out of line and unacceptable for her to speak to anyone like that.

I'm about 3 weeks post-surgery and every time I see someone eating something I won't be able to have for a few months, it makes me crave it...and it's not the items you'd think. Every time I see someone eating a salad on TV I keep thinking how good and fresh it looks meanwhile I'm over here with my 1/2 cup of plain Chobani like....

I'm about 3 weeks post-surgery and every time I see someone eating something I won't be able to have for a few months, it makes me crave it...and it's not the items you'd think. Every time I see someone eating a salad on TV I keep thinking how good and fresh it looks meanwhile I'm over here with my 1/2 cup of plain Chobani like....

Tek has the right of it- I would never think to criticize a drug addict who checks into rehab, or a person who gets help paying off significant debt, so why is it that obesity is the situation where suddenly there is a certain amount of suffering and moral penance required?

I think you also may be experiencing a certain amount of body dysmorphia. A year ago I was 140 lbs heavier than I am today, and I keep having moments where I feel out of place in myself or confused at seeing my clothes/myself in a mirror. It’s ok to still feel a bit disjointed- stuff has changed fast, and your brain is still catching up to the new you!

I had this happen on my first day moving from liquids to purees--I ate about 2/3 of a scrambled egg and it hit my stomach like a rock. I felt full for hours afterward and couldn't eat anything, and then ended up fainting in my bathroom. I nearly gave my fiance a heart attack and I got to take a fun ride in an ambulance. 😐