BJean

You and Leigha have at least learned to eat good food. Maybe the band is really the best answer for you. It was not for me. If you have lots of determination and will power and conviction, I have no doubt that you can make it work for you. I sure didn't have those things and they are absolutely necessary with the band - that and exercise. My best wishes to you for amazing success. (Anybody besides me looked forward to pregnancy so they could gain weight with abandon?)

I don't even know the name of it or the channel it was on. I didn't know that it had more than one episode. I want to get the courage to watch it, but I may not be ready so soon after the surgery. But do you mind telling me the name of it and I can do a search and Tivo it? Btw, I re-read my post and it sounds downright big headed about some of the stuff. But I'm not. I'm fighting to keep my head above water all the time. I was just trying to get real with myself and admit all the good things I have in my life that I obviously do not think I deserve.

It has taken me a really long time to get a handle on it. I have been on more super-restrictive diets than I can enumerate. I've even fasted with no food, only liquids. I've had the band (2006) and now have revised that to the sleeve. I haven't had it long, but with all of this has come the hard realization that I have some kind of eating disorder. Duh. Brilliant, right? I was thin growing up and loved every minute of having a cute figure. I was a cheerleader and a majorette (yeah I'm dating myself) and was a top-notch bowler, raquetball player and bicyclist. We loved hiking, camping and all things active and outdoorsy. But I still ate myself into a very unhealthy state of obesity. Can you spell self-hate? What other excuse can there be. I was always very active socially, even the president of an important women's fund raising group. Beautiful children, very successful husband and beautiful homes and cars and clothes. Except the clothes just kept getting bigger and bigger and I became more and more sedentary. Why? I've had counseling with more than one therapist. Nobody has been able to help me discover why I insisted on overeating myself into an unhealthy, very unattractive body. Nobody seemed to believe me when I said that ice cream actually makes me feel better - in fact, it physically makes me feel GOOD. I think I finally have an answer that makes sense to me. I was watching a TV show that included the red-headed woman, Ruby. I only watched one small segment. Then I had to turn it off! I found myself sobbing uncontrollably when one woman was pounding a ottoman, screaming and yelling out her rage. Her father had called her mother names while she was there, a young girl, absorbing the pain. She could have been me. For the first time ever, I felt that "hole" in my body that everyone has always told me that I'm trying to fill with food. I never got it. I was like Ruby, ostensibly very happy with a great sense of humor and I just couldn't remember and damned sure didn't want to. Something lurked at the back of my mind about a cousin and a sister who I knew did things to me that I didn't like. But my sister wound up being my best friend and the boy cousin, long gone. How could they have possibly been a threat to me as an adult? Why the hell did I need to think about anything unpleasant? I always answered that with - I didn't need to think of anything in my past. It was my past... not today, not tomorrow! It was long gone and I didn't need anything having to do with those memories. I don't know how I would have felt if I had watched the entire show and had actually seen Ruby go through the process that I'm sure must have happened at some point on that show. I know that it would have been painful. And probably inciteful. But I have the sleeve and am just recovering from the surgery last week becuase now, I've even had that "hole" cut out. A few years ago I began taking antidepressants which really helped me get a handle on doing something about my weight. Without them I would have undoubtedly ballooned to over 300 lbs and had diabetes and more bad health indicators than you could shake a stick at. The meds helped me overcome the depression and anger that I've been supressing all these years at least enough to get surgical intervention for my condition. My condition: anger, depression, self-loathing and zero self-esteem including zero feelings of self-worth in spite of the fact that I am a really good artist and excel at so many things that other women wish for. I don't know how this is ultimately all going to play out. I have no illusions that this is the final word on the subject of my compulsion to eat and get high from really great foods (as well as really junky ones). But I do believe that I am trying very, very hard to survive, to get over the pain of my past and live today well and look forward to a much, much brighter future. Stay tuned.

Hey I just realized that I didn't answer your question. No, I do not think that he repaired the hernia. From what he told my husband after surgery, it was in a spot at the back of the part of my stomach that he was saving. So I think I'm stuck with it. But he said that he did not think that it would give me any trouble. But of course I wonder... My doc also said that we can have suger as well. I think that's rather a mixed blessing for me, but I really wouldn't have wanted to deal with the unpleasantness that gastric bypass patients have when they eat certain foods! Have you tried "truvia"? I've had Stevia and didn't think it was that great so I bought truvia but haven't tried it yet. One of my friends seems to think it has an aftertaste.

Well I have a confession.... I'm glad!! He's real, real conservative and we butted heads from time to time. So if you're real conservative, we shouldn't talk politics. LOL I've always been one of those people who doesn't tan easily (or at all) and I burn bad and then do the disgusting peel. So my heart goes out to you. At least during the peel state, if you burned that bad, you'll probably be getting some good drugs and it won't be too unpleasant. Hydration has always been the key to feeling better after a sunburn. Man, I'm thinking of you. I had my sleeve revision 6 days ago. It is rougher than I thought it would be, but it is doable and each day you see an improvement of some sort. I have been surprised at how much this site helped me during the first days. If you have a question, there's somebody who has been there and glad to share their experience. I thought I'd feel too bad to be on the computer. But it's a godsend and please know that we really are all wondering about you and wishing you well. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Brilliant!!! That's a really great idea. I'm going to have my dh go to PF Chang when I can handle it and bring some of that home. My daughter has promised to make her special zuchinni vegetable soup (pureed, of course) when I can have that - which is this coming Wednesday. Truly something to look forward to. Thanks for the tip!

I am pleased as punch! I can't believe I've gone so long with a naked signature line. You sound chipper today, goodlife. I'm feeling a little rough, but certainly bearable. I think the multi-vitamin (chewable) was a bit much this early in the game.

goodlife, where do you get your "brownie mix"?

Whoo hoo. I was making it harder than it really was. I'm a genius. Er, well, maybe not.

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but whatever I have to ask... are you by any chance the same jack (super-mod) as the one at LBT? We go waaay back is why I'm asking. I just tried to post my first ticker after over 4 years. Letsee if it worked. If it didn't, stick a fork in me.

Is there an problem with using skim milk to mix your protein powder for a shake - only 6 days post op?

That artificial taste? No, it doesn't. Honestly the thing it reminds me of is a nice Nestle's Quick drink - a little thicker though. I like the chocolate. I have used the vanilla before and mixed it (upon their recommendation) with a little sf/ff pudding mix and it makes a really delicious concoction. But I like the idea of not having to use the pudding mix and I like the way the chocolate tastes. brownie mix?? yum!!

NtvTxn, your 14 lb. weight loss prior to surgery is a great start!

Yes, my dietician is on staff full time with my doctor. Although he recently made a change because (I think) his former dietician was not very good encouraging his patients. She was way too critical instead of encouraging. Simply her personality type, I think. But I digress... The dietician gave me the diet in a 3 ring binder and at the top she wrote my particular caloric, liquid and Vitamin requirements. It says that I should have 1200-1400 calories a day. Of course I am certainly not taking in that much yet and I'd be surprised if I'm getting 600 to 800 at this point. I have started to keep track today. I think it is an important learning tool. I don't know what you weigh but 1200-1400 calories will suffice for an obese person to lose weight at a rate of 1 to 2 lbs. a week and to stay healthy. She stressed that the weight will come off, but if it comes off too quickly we definitely compromise our health, i.e., hair loss, loss of muscle mass, dehydration, loss of skin elasticity, etc. My surgeon (not just bariatic, by the way) is obviously motivated like Dr. Aceves for us to lose a lot of weight so that we become another one of their success stories, but our GP has a vested interest in having a healthy patient as a primary goal. But my surgeon is doing a great job treating us as more than just obese patients. He has a nutritionist/dietician and an exercise physiologist on staff who works with us to build muscle mass and make sure that we are on an exercise routine specific to our individual needs. Of course that starts once we recover from the surgical procedure itself. I respect your choice to stick to a low calorie diet but (and I'm no expert) I hope you will keep your overall health in mind and do what is best for your long-term wellness on this journey to becomming thin.

I get it through my doctor but I could order it online if I wanted to. It's called "Peak Nutrition" and it is bio-engineered whey protein powder. When I got the band, I asked the dietician then if I could use some of the commerically available things (like Isopure, Muscle Milk, etc.) and she said no. She said this stuff is the best thing on the market for what we need and it honestly tastes better than any of the stuff at the super market or GNC. Of course taste is a matter of individual taste, right? I can hardly stand diet cranberry juice. But the cran-grape, with no sugar added is really good. I'm sipping on some now. I actually had 3 oz of applesauce this morning. It gave me shooting pains but I got it down over the course of about 25 minutes. I tried drinking some green tea but it REALLY caused some pain with only 2 or 3 sips. It sounds to me like you're doing great, goodlife!

Wow our plans are very different! How many grams of Protein does your 6 oz shake have. One scoop of my stuff has 24 grams of protein so they really want me to have 3 of them a day too. I'm just having a hard time getting it down. I can have some yogurt already too. I have found some all natural cran-grape juice that has no sugar that is really refreshing. I don't care for apple juice or many other juices at all. I'm such a wuss. One very positive thing about you getting a much lighter diet than I'm getting is that you'll undoubtedly lose much faster than I am. Sigh.

What torture!! Man, I feel your pain. But not from having been exposed to actual food. I just can hardly stand all the food commercials on TV. Thank goodness for Tivo! It is easier than I thought it would be to stick to the diet (my surgery was 2 days after yours) and I think that's because it doesn't take much of anything to get a strong burning sensation in the middle of my chest and then discomfort on into my stomach. I'm not even eating as much as prescribed because it's just too painful. My instructions say that if I have cream of chicken Soup, it has to be strained - absolutely no bits of chicken allowed. I can't imagine what it would feel like to put anything solid in there. You are a real trooper and the best thing is how well this is going to pay off on your journey to being slim, trim and beautiful. Hang in there, you're doing fine! We're all very proud of you and it is inspiring to hear what you've had to deal with and were able to handle it. Yay you!

Well the soup is diluted with Water so it isn't exactly gourmet, but it's a far cry from broth. I know I'm lucky. I don't get the egg until day 8. Tomorrow is day 5 for me. What's your diet schedule like? Interestingly the dietician before surgery wrote down that I need 1200 to 1400 calories a day. I am sure not getting anything close to that. I think I'll start keeping track of what I'm taking in so I will have a better idea what it takes to keep losing weight. I thought everybody else was saying that they were only getting 300 to 800 calories a day post-op. Could that be right?

It sure doesn't seem like a week and a half since you were scheduled for your surgery! Hope everything went well and you're doing fine! I'm finding that I am able to handle drinks and soup, etc., in the morning far easier than drinking things at night. Go figure!

Hey Cajun, great advice! Thanks. I had totally forgotten about the dehydration. I keep "Smart Water" with me all the time and I'm sure getting tired of sipping. But that's what I read most consistently with people who've already gone through this. It is intersting how different our doctors work this thing. By day 8 I'm supposed to be able to have a scrambled egg. I have visions of a poached egg. Funny, eh? I'd be pretty depressed if my doc also made me stay on Clear Liquids that long. I have had strained cream of chicken Soup earlier today and tonight I get strained cream of mushroom. It's amazing how good something like that tastes. I'm allowed a cup but I'm lucky to get a fourth of a cup down. But it seems very soothing to my innerds. (silly word) Today I am actually beginning to feel a little better. Not so sore and I can envision how this is going to play out. It hasn't been a week yet and I couldn't stand it and weighed today. I'm down 10 lbs. Oops. That might be too much too fast and indicate that what you've said is true - dehydration. Don't want that. Gonna fixate more on the liquids whether I like them or not. Thank you so much for taking the time to post. I sure wish I had a friend going through this right beside me. But with this website, I feel like I do have some friends and it really helps!! Hi goodlife!!

I just realized I was supposed to have 3 Protein shakes today and I haven't been able to get one down. It's all about the protein. I sure don't want to lose my hair, but it's hard to get the stuff down. I think I'll just keep it by my chair and try to take little teaspoonsful off and on. Good luck with the tea. I've never been a tea drinker either. It is one drink though that I can do with a tiny bit of sweetner and it tastes fine. I'm just awful about artificial sweetners. I'd usually rather just not have anything than eat something with sweetners and fake flavorings. Hope this doesn't keep me from losing like I should. And btw, my doctor's instructions do say that something a little warm in the morning is soothing. Good luck!

I wish I did have an answer! I have wondered the same thing. I asked the dietician if I could use skim milk to mix with my whey protein powder and she said no because of the sugars in milk. Well, aren't there some sugars in the whey protein powder? It seems to me that it would up the amount of protein you'd be ingesting if you used skim milk. And they stress protein as being vital. So I don't understand. Anybody have a response to this and the sf/ff broth & juices?

Well color me the lucky one, eh? I found that the Progressive organic chicken broth was way, way better than the stuff they had at the hospital. It isn't nearly as strong. I tried the organic beef broth (it was on my doctor's diet for yesterday) and it caused a painful burning sensation at the top of my stomach. Had to use some Mylanta (at doc's suggestion) to get it tamed. So your doctor is probably very conservative and I think that's a very good thing. Hang in there. I hate clear liquids too because so many of them have those gross artificial sweeteners and flavorings that suck bad. bjean

The shooting pains have ceased. It was undoubtedly just too soon after surgery to do icy liquids. I had a popcicle last night, very very slowly and it went down just fine. My daugher made me some chamomile tea - no caffiene - and it was soothing and nice. So thanks for all the tips. You sound great and I look forward to being at your stage of recovery in the journey to wellness and being slim, trim, and fabulous! (You sure look cute in your photo!)