NtvTxn

I'm almost 3 yrs out, but when I was just sleeved, I was doing good to get 450 calories per day. I was worried, but they were not. Doctor asked if I felt good, had energy etc....and at 3 months, labs were great. I had and still have good restriction. I started getting ALL Protein in with food at 2.5 months. I reached MY goal in six months, doctor's goal for me just a few days shy of five months. There at the end of my losing, I averaged 700 - 800 calories per day. If I got 850, that was a LOT. I've been maintaining for a long time now and 1200 calories per day is what I need, give or take 50. Last week i decided to see if I still could lose, so I increased my protein from 60 - 65 to 75- 90. I lost two pounds!!! Yay, I can do it if I want to, it's good to know!!! I'd say INCREASE protein and liquids.....be aware of everything you put into your mouth.....log all food, I STILL do this, it's habit. I hope this helps, a little!

You look fabulous!!! Enjoy!

Anything pre- packaged, you can just about assume is a slider food. chips, Cookies, any donut...I consider bread a slider food. Cake, pies. In an eight oz bag of chips, there are over 1200 calories. If you take that bag and put them in a blender, the entire bag.....you'd be surprised how little is there, but the calories, they ARE there!! Slider foods are not just something soft that slides on down.....I mean, cottage cheese is soft, but packed with protein!!! I hope this helps!

Some days I really couldn't care less about eating, then there are some days I get the munchies. I'm sure it stress or boredom or any of those things that make us want to eat! Go figure. It has not affected maintenence....so far.

I am not quite three years out and last night I ate 3 oz (rump roast) of meat and a fourth cup of 1% cottage cheese. I can eat four oz if I eat nothing else. You many not have heard this before but try and eat 'under your sleeve'. Eat LESS than you CAN. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. I still weigh and measure my food when I'm at home, I KNOW what i can hold, and I try and eat a little less. Since I really don't get hungry and don't feel full until it's too late......it's pretty easy! I was told to do this early on. It's pretty good advice, or it has been for me.

You are so right, all are different. Dr. Davidson watches calories and protein. Carbs don't come into it unless a patient if not losing like he/she should. Thank goodness, prior to surgery I started reading all about carbs, I really needed a college course!!! In the six months I was losing, I ate between 350 (the first couple of weeks) and never ate more than 825 calories, and that was an effort! I never 'cheated' during that time, not one morsel of anything sweet.....not a french fry, nothing!! Now that I'm in maintenence, 1200 is what I need to not lose and not gain. I can go a little over, 1250, or a little under, 1150 and I'm fine. Last week I decided to see if I could still lose if I wanted to, so I kept my calories the same, but upped my protein to 75 - 90 grams a day. I can still do it, I lost two lbs!! It's such a fine line, it's fun to experiment and see what works.

Several tips that work for me and have made it easier to be successful. 1) Under eat your sleeve (just because you can, doesn't mean you should) Meaning, I am not experiencing 'real' hunger, and I stop BEFORE I have that uncomfortable full feeling. I could put a little more in there, but don't. Under eat it. 2) Log your food on line. Myfitnesspal or Fitday - both are good, I've used both over that past three years. I STILL log my food, you'd be surprised how quickly you can go over what you should and you'd be surprised the calories in some things!! 100 additional calories per day is 36,500 calories per year....and that equals about 10 lbs, which is why many of us have ended up getting surgery, 5 or 10 lbs a year over a course of 10 or fifteen years. 3) Three yrs out and I still weigh and/or measure my food. I know what my little tummy can hold, and the 'one bite too many' term is very real 4) I've weighed EVERY day since 2 months prior to surgery. Unless we are traveling, I weigh. I want to know where I'm at and what's happening, it's a game to me, it does not 'get me down' or 'depress' me if I'm up a lb or two, it keeps me informed and on top of things! It is much easier to nip 3 lbs in the bud than it is to weigh once a month and your 8 or 10 lbs heavier. Yikes! 5) Protein, protein, protein. I've lost 2 lbs this week just adjusting my diet a little. I wanted to see if I could. I've upped the protein from approx. 65 - 70 to getting in 85- 90 in the past 6 days. It's shocking....and I've done without NOTHING, including a 1.5 slices of mushroom pizza one night and a mini vanilla scone from Star Bucks. You'll do great - congratulations on all the good things that are happening in your life!!!! Good luck and remember, this is part of what works and continues to work for me....everyone is different!

Hold his feet to the fire sweetie!!!!! LoL

Believe it or not, removing the drain was nothing. It wasn't even uncomfortable. I was really worried about it, my palms were sweating!!! LOL

Hi Don!! I know exactly where Forney is, y'all have a new Star Bucks we stop at when we're headed to see our dads. One is in Longview the other in Athens! We were living out of state when I had surgery, but I came to Texas because I knew we'd be moving home at some point.....the good thing about all the support groups I've come across is this...EVERYBODY is welcome. You can be pre-op, post-op and you can be using one of their doctors or you can be a patient somewhere else! I found a support group near where we were living and started attending two months before I ever had surgery, just because! I loved going somewhere to meet others who'd had WLS, some were pre-op like I was, but there were folks there at all the different stages, all the way to 5 years out. I've continued to attend monthly meetings. Before we moved back home, I attended one twice a month up there....the day time one was one week and the following week they had an evening meeting. A few of us attended both, but mostly there were differnt people to talk to. To ask questions and pick their brains and listen to THEIR story and what works and doesn't work for them. It's priceless! Now that I am almost three years out, I am the one answering questions. At all the meetings there are only two or maybe three of us that are three or more years out. It's fun to help others that are just starting! I was attending the one where I had surgery, Forest Park on Central Expressway. We were living Irving, right there in Valley Ranch and we just made an evening of it once a month. We bought a house here in NE Plano last Nov and I did a search to see if I could find another meeting and maybe attend two a month. Well there are all sorts of meetings around here! I skipped the one at Forest Park last month because there are three that are all right here near me. One is a Saturday meeting started by a fellow sleever from Forest Park. He wanted to try and get an informal meeting on a Saturday for people who had trouble going during the week. It's actually THIS Saturday at a restaurant here in Plano. If you are interested, let me know and I'll give you the name, address etc. Everybody is welcome. Good luck......and feel free to ask questions....and think about attending, great people. NTV TXN

I have a prescription for Ambien, I take it mostly if my husband is out of town or if we are traveling. My dad told me about Melatonin, it is OTC, 5 mg is what I have but it comes in 3 mg as well - it's great. It does not "knock you out" like a sleeping pill, it just relaxes me, lets me read or whatever and clear my mind of all the clutter!! A time released version just came out recently and I like it as well or better. I did ask my doctor about it and she gave the ok....said we produce it naturally in our bodies and as we get older, we produce less. She said some like it and some, it does nothing for them. Just a suggestion...... Ambien does say in the paperwork that side effects include eating or cooking, driving, sex.....all sorts of things you may not remember doing. Driving would be a BIG deal.

Ok, now I see what you were saying!! About the caloric intake, the first few weeks I was getting on average, about 350 calories, that did increase, but during the entire six months I was in my losing stage, I only got between 550 and 800 calories. I was concerned but the doctor wasn't. My labs at 3 months were great and I was getting all my protein in. I felt good, better than I had in years!!

Ate there yesterday, I had a cup of chicken noodle soup. 80 calories and I could not eat ALL of it. What I hate is they give you that yummy piece of bread. French or Italian......I am at goal and seldom eat bread unless we are eating out. YES, I ate it. It didn't hurt me, I track it all.....but this was hard, I just guessed on the bread when logging. Does anyone know how many calories are in the bread they include with soup?????

I asked about a drain, stitches (staples, ones that disolve, glue) and I asked about the size bougie he would use. I know some people don't think this matters, 'they are all so close in size' - well, it mattered to ME, so I asked!!! He used a 32. I also asked about a catheter. (sp?) This group was very, very prepared and informative during the seminar and we got the nurses CELL phone number, she was 'on call' to answer questions or whatever.....not quite 24 hours a day. 7 AM - 10 PM. I called several times.

Someone asked the doctor's nurse the intimacy question at the seminar.....she was very funny, she said, and I quote "When you will enjoy it as much as HE does" LoL

and when you say 'normal' - it is our NEW normal. What we considered normal prior to surgery was in excess, right??!!!! I look at what I eat now, at almost 3 years out and am always wondering or asking my husband, "is this a lot of food?" Well, the answer is, YES, compared to 33 months ago, but 4 oz of fish....seriously??!!! There was a time when it seems I could eat my weight in fish!!! Ok, that is not quite right, but I could certainly put away 3 or 4 x's what I can eat now. With 4 oz of fish I can eat an eighth of a cup of a veggie and maybe a bite of cottage cheese. With pork, beef or chicken, if I want a little bit of cottage cheese and/or vegetables, 3 oz at the most. I still weigh and measure all of this so I can keep track AND because I know how much I want/need/can eat without feeling icky! My doctor told me, 'never' more than one cup of food. I cannot eat a cup of food now unless I drag a meal out for 45 minutes. If I finish, sit and visit and pick at whatever....and that is not a good habit at all.

God willing, not for a LONG time!!! Make one bite two, that will make it go further....and just savor every bite and KNOW that due to this, you are on your way to a new life and much smaller clothes!!!!

A friend of mine got banded years ago....and she wanted me to follow suit. No way would I ever have WLS, there was no reason medically, I was healthy as a horse. I did feel down after I HAD to go shopping when I HAD to have something new. I did always feel like the biggest girl in the room, I did hate to have my picture taken....but I was healthy, I had a husband who loved me big or small. No way, hell would freeze over first. Well three years passed and my friend had lost 60 lbs and she had not died. Ok, positive things, but still. At 2 o'clock one morning, I got up to go to the bathroom and my tummy was in my lap.....right then and there, I made the decision to do it. Yes, I think clearly and come up with great ideas in the middle of the night, some times I'm in the bathroom, sometimes I just wake up and something comes to me. The next day, I told my husband I'd made this decision. I was firm about it, not wishy washy. He was not on board with fixing something that was not broken. I had no health issues, I wanted to have fun shopping and feel good about myself while I was younger (49 yrs) and while I was still healthy. Vanity and preventive maintenence, priorities rule!! That was Dec 2009, my DH wanted me to do research. I did, I read every single thing I could come across. I found a support group and started attending, and so did he. This guy became my biggest cheerleader!! He attends all my group meetings, even asking questions and taking notes when need be. I found a doctor in Texas, our 'home'. We were at that time living out of state, but I knew I wanted someone in Dallas or Houston to take care of me. I knew we would be moving back at some point. I first thought I'd get a band, but the more I read and heard, even though my friend did ok and did not die......it wasn't the best choice for me. I chose the sleeve procedure after days upon days of talking to different doctor's offices, and after obsessively reading everything I could find. I attended the seminar in Dallas in April and in June 2010, six months after that fateful 2 AM decision, I did it. I never, ever, ever regretted it. Not one minute of buyer's remorse. I've loved every single second since I woke up in recovery!!!! It is a wild ride and the most fun I've ever had!!! Clothes started falling off me, people started to ask if I'd lost some weight, which can be uncomfortable some times. A saleswoman called me LITTLE. LoL I have bones and my mom was wrong all those years, I am NOT big boned!!! I love my collarbone!!! It's my favorite NSV to this day. I'd wake up and all of a sudden have hip bones and my shoulders feel so boney now days!!! I finally got use to going to the Missy dept instead of the Women's. That was hard and it is STILL difficult to get a size that fits. I tend to want a size larger. It takes a long time for your head to catch up with your body!!! I'd read on this forum somewhere that we should get a disposable camera prior to surgery. Have someone take a picture the day before or day or surgery, then once a month on the date of your surgery. I did that, and then after my 1 year anniversary.....I got it developed. Wow, those pictures laying side by side from the previous year, I saw my transformation. I highly recommend doing this!!! I reached my doctor's goal in just under five months. My goal, five lbs less, a month later. My total loss is anywhere from 81 - 84 lbs, depending on the day. I lost 23 of those lbs prior to surgery. I have been maintaining for over 2 years now. I had a hard time stopping the weight loss....is this possible???!! Yes it is! I added calories and gained back to where I was comfortable. Would I do it again....in a New York minute! Forced portion control, that is what I needed. I still make choices, but I don't feel deprived at all. I'm not hungry, my new hunger is an empty feeling, which makes making wise choices much easier. I weigh myself every single morning, first thing. I've done this from the beginning. I log my food on line and I weigh and/or measure my food when I'm at home. This is part of my life, it's like a game. I love it, it also keeps me aware of what's going on with my body. Even if it isn't the wisest choice, I am aware of everything that goes into my mouth. No more mindless eating. I need 1150 - 1275 calories per day to maintain. I do not exercise, not really, so I knew that I'd have to make life changes I could live with, that would allow me to accomplish what I wanted. I get anywhere from 60 - 95 grams of Protein per day, almost without fail. It's all been pretty easy for me. I think I eat pretty much like a naturally thin person. This is my new life, it's fun. I feel good. It is possible to lose all you want, still enjoy food and maintain, but this is not a magic bullet. You can't have 85% of your stomach removed then eat chips, ice cream, drink alcohol, milkshakes and eat food from a drive through, and expect to be successful. We still have to make good decisions. 'Nuff said!!

If I can do it, I am certain you can!! Never in my wildest dreams did I think this was possible. Hold on and enjoy, the ride is wild and fun!!

Thank you!

Hey y'all, when I sent you a message on how to RSVP to Kevin, I forgot to add Season 52's address!!! Sorry, it's early!! 7300 Lone Star Dr c100, Plano, TX 75024 If you need anything else, just ask!!!

Hey all you NE Dallas folks!! One of my fellow Forest Park sleevers has started an informal support group that is meeting for the 2nd time on Saturday, March 23rd at 12:30 PM. The meeting is taking place at Season's 52, located at 7300 Lone Star Dr (Shops at Legacy) It's a restaurant known for healthier food and not the huge portions we Texans are use to...and prior to surgery, let be honest, we expected those Texas sized plates! This group was a lot of fun last time, there is not a 'speaker' but we all ask and answer questions of each other. There was one pre-op patient, in fact he was on the liquid diet, and there were two ladies who were four and five years out. The food is great, I had chili with Beans, there were all sorts of things to choose from. This group is very convenient for those who find it hard to attend a support group during the week and is also great for those of us who live in Frisco, Allen, Richardson or NE Plano. What a fun way to support and meet others who know and understand what we are going through. Bring your 'cheerleader' if you want. My husband seldom misses attending a meeting with me. Everybody is invited, no matter where you're at in your journey....Even if you are just thinking about surgery and want to get answers, this is a good way to get some information you're curious about. Send me a message and I'll give you the email address to RSVP to Kevin so he'll know how many to expect. He does need to let Season's 52 know. It's fun....join us!

You can message me your name and if it will just be you or if someone will come with you. I'll need to let Kevin know this evening or tomorrow, I suspect.

I happened to have the info in another email, somebody else wanted to know about the Baylor Plano meetings. Here you go, a copy and paste from their page. Just an FYI - there is a clothes closet that is open from 6 - 6:20'ish, something like that. It is there, you can donate when your clothes get too big and you can take whatever you want as you go down in size. The actual meeting starts at 6:30. Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano 4700 Alliance Blvd. Plano, TX 75093 469.814.2000 Baylor Plano support group: We meet from 6 to 8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month in the conference rooms on the Garden Level of Baylor Plano’s main hospital. Prospective, current and former patients are welcome. Call 469.814.5677 for more information

Hello again!! GREAT, what is your name? I'll RSVP for you, just one or do you have a husband or friend who wants to attend as well? I'm Stacy, I'll be there with my husband, a tall guy. You saw my picture, shorter, spiky blonde hair. LoL Cannot wait to meet you. Have a great week, I'll wait to hear back from you!!!