NtvTxn

I think someone that rude deserves to be shocked. Something crude is the first thing that comes to mind. I think something like "Well, I have heard of salad sir, but everytime I eat it, I get the sh*ts. Does it ever affect you like that?" I am certain the look on his face would be well worth lowering yourself to that level.

Times are hard, some people are more creative than others - who cares??!!! Sounds like somebody is one upping somebody else - if it isn't on the up and up, then the good doc should put a notice out there....he should be notified if this is a no no (maybe by you) and this individual should be fired. Otherwise, this all sounds like sour grapes to me. Just sayin'

Hi Globetrotter, I came across this thread and wanted to ck in on you...see how things are going! How far from goal are you? What is your caloric intake, what's working? Until I reached goal, I averaged 675, but I have never been an exercise guru, I use a weighted ball and I have a band I use some...both focusing on my arms - just here at home. I've just made lifestyle changes I knew I could stick with....forever! Anyway, to maintain, I need 1200 calories, and I have to WORK to get that much in per day. I 'graze' off and on all day, but not on junk. I could easily keep losing, love, love the sleeve! I hope you've gotten the hang of what's working good for you!!!

I have a question for anyone that may know. Even if we are taking a medication that can inhibit weight loss such as beta blockers.....when we've had approx. 85% of our tummies removed, how can we stop losing weight? This is a serious question. I don't see how that is possible, it may come off a little slower, but slow and steady is not a bad thing. Weight gain with these drugs is approx. 4 lbs. They are prescribed for high blood pressure, usually when diuretics haven't been successful, or for migraines when other migraine medication hasn't worked, or in conjunction with other migraine meds. Maybe try something else, if possible.

I never dreamed I how "low I could go". Who knew??!!! I initially thought, 'if I can just get into a TEN'. We really don't have the confidence in ourselves that we should!!! Then I just started losing and even though it was a lb here and two or three lbs there, and it would usually take three or four days of going up and down before it would stay off.....it was consistant. I saw that this was really working!!! I got to a size fourteen lickity split, then a twelve. I raised the bar, my "goal" wasn't a weight, it was a size. If I could get to a size 8, an EIGHT....it was like a dream, but not in my wildest dreams had I thought I'd ever get that small, but by then, I knew I could!!! I got there, and kept going. Now.....I still pull these little bitty things out of the dryer, look at them and think "NO WAY" but sure 'nuff, I slip them right on!! It is soooo nice not to have to lay down EVER to zip up jeans!!! It is wonderful to KNOW I can walk into any store and buy clothes. Seriously....your whole world will change when you can enjoy buying something cute!! I some times just go to try stuff on.....all by myself. Amazed! Once your head catches up with what the doctor did to your tummy, you will like the way clothes fit you. It takes a while before you get use to buying clothes that do FIT!! I will still grab a 6 and 8, instead of a 4 and 6 to take into the dressing room. What a mind game!!! (I was born in San Antonio, Lackland AFB) I love to travel too.....I would all the time if I had all the time and money it took to do it!!!

Hi Shontel!! Congrats on reaching goal. Meeee too!!! Isn't it a wonderful feeling??!! I am almost fifteen lbs below goal and working at maintaining. It's a slippery slope. I could continue to lose if I wanted to. I NEED 1200 calories per day to maintain. To accomplish this, I need several Snacks per day. My snack of choice is normally a graham cracker with Natural Peanut Butter on it. I can only eat about a half cup of food at each meal, maybe slightly more, depending on what we're eating. How about you? How much can you eat? How are you maintaining? Are you finding it easy? Could you still lose if you wanted to? I was really worried about gaining but I'm finally relaxing a little and not being as obsessive! I still measure and/or weigh everything when I'm home, of course I just "eyeball" it when I'm out. I am still not really ever hungry, so it works best for me. If we eat out a lot over the weekend, I can gain 3 lbs, but everything goes back to normal on Monday and by Wed or Thursday it's gone, without any effort. I'd love to hear how you are doing.

Love, love AL!!! My husband's cousin and her husband just retired to Gulf Shores two years ago....soooo sad! LoL It is beautiful there, but we like all of AL and the people there, just like most of the south, are so nice! 30 lbs - yay, I remember when I was there, it feels great, just wait, you'll be looking back to "now" before you know it! I can't believe I'm coming up on a year! I went from wearing 18's and 20's to jeans that are 4's and 6's (depending on the brand). I'm serious, I wasn't this size when I was in 9th grade! I didn't expect to be this size when I had surgery. My shirts are a M, I was wearing a 1X, but a 2X was really more comfy because they didn't "touch" me!! You know what I mean??!!!! You have so much to look forward to, enjoy the journey!!!!

Kelly - the proof is in the pudding, so to speak! What you've done is great, it's a wise decision, I'm certain of it. I know you'll be successful!!! You're self confidence is going soar, you'll "feel" good and your energy level, even if you're like I was and thought it was good...........will be sooooo much better!!! I feel great, and let me tell you, NOTHING tastes as good as being thin feels!!! I use to hate going shopping - NOW, it is so fun. I love it. I told my sister-in-law, there is a difference between buying something because it fits, and buying something that fits!! It's weird getting clothes that that are fitted, show my shape. Heck, it took a while to get use to actually going from the women's dept. to the misses dept. Where are you? We are from Texas, misplaced Texans right now. Our house is for sale and we'll be moving to Dallas as soon as it sells. It will be nice to get back 'home'!!!!!!

Hi Kristina!! A few 'tips' off the top of my head! Protein first and yes, this is a 'new way of life', but what did and what I think is very, VERY important....until you reach goal, treat this as a diet, the most important diet you've ever been on!!!!!! I never, EVER "cheated". After I reached goal, then I started LEARNING to live like a naturally "THIN" person, which is not as easy as you'd think. It's such a mind game. I struggle to get in what I need (1200 calories) to keep from continued weight loss, but now I allow myself to eat normally. I am in control, not food. I am very aware of every single thing I put in my mouth. I am NOT an exercise guru......I've made life changes....I do not deprive myself, I picked a few, and I mean three french fries off my husbands plate at lunch today, but I don't eat junk. I order a hamburger, don't take one bite of the bun and depending on the size, I may only eat maybe half the burger, but I get my protein, eat three fries and I'm happy as a clam! I have chosen to not eat the bun, I could, and some do, but it is something I don't miss and just don't eat. I do eat bread occasionally, but very little. I also don't hit the gym! That is not how I lost the weight and that is not how I'm keeping it off. I use a weighted ball and a band, I work my arms, and do a little here at the house....but I know me, I know how easily I lose interest, I wanted to make changes I knew I could do forever. I could give up hamburger buns and chips....you get the picture!! This is what has worked for me.....it's been disgustingly easy, FOR ME! Good luck!!!!! We're here for ya!

I actually did NOT have to deal with anyone giving me a hard time. I told everyone in my immediate family plus a few other in my extended family...and in-laws. I told a handful of friends and I personally KNOW quite a few people from my hometown that have had WLS, I contacted four of them, even though we're not close friends, just to ask them questions. All of them had RNY, but still, I knew they'd have some insight. Anyway, nobody discouraged me. The sarcastic side of me would advise a sarcastic come back....something like "As fun as the gym is, and as successful as I've been with doing w3ight watchers in the past, I've decided that having 85% of my tummy removed is the easy way out" Being from the south, you can always add a "Bless your heart" at the beginnig; prefaced with a bless your heart, you can say just about anything and not insult the person!!

I thought I'd seen an interview or read an article where she'd said she'd had surgery but NOT RNY/bypass. I thought the same thing, sleeve or band and I rule the band out just because it usually takes longer to lose with it, or at least with the people I personally know it has taken longer. I just figured she'd have "our" surgery.

I've lost 50 lbs twice on WW and 50 lbs once on Medifast....and yes, of course gained it back, then some eventually. Once you get back to your 'normal' way of life, back it comes, it creeps back up on you in no time just like any other diet we've all been on. We won't even talk about any of the pills we've taken over the years. Scary!!!!!!!!!!! No more. I'm in control now, and love it!

Isn't Jennifer advertising for WW? I thought I'd seen her in commercials.

You're kidding, right? Do a goole search. How old are you, fifteen?????

I've never thought about it, but it's a good idea. The support group I attend, not the surgeon's office where I had surgery since I currently live in a different state, but I still want to attend support meetings...anyway, they have a FB page. I will not add them because it is a "bariatric" whatever......if I had a separate FB page, I could. Something to think about!!!!!!!!!!

I don't like my food cold either....we've always warmed our plates under hot Water or put them in the microwave before we put our food on them. That helps some....I do NOT eat as slowly as I did in the beginning. I finish first most of the time, but my food stays warm! Someone said to sprinkle with water to reheat, that does help.

I really don't think major surgery to have 85% of your stomach removed is "taking the easy way out" - do you, really? Most of us have tried years and years of the other ways, I personally think popping a pill is the 'easiest' way, it just doesn't work, not for long and it screws us up I think. I blame the pills partly for landing me in Dr. Wonderful's waiting room, but that's neither here nor there.....I don't think it's the easy way out, that's just my humble opinion.

Where I am originally from (a small town in Texas) there are many people, approx. 13 these are just people that I personally know, that have had RNY. All but ONE have regained some of their weight. Some never even got close to their goal weight. Some have gained a lot of the weight back, some just 20 or 25 lbs, which seems like quite a bit to me. There are three other people I know in the same town who've had WLS, two banded and one, the asst. DA, he is the ONLY one to get sleeve surgery. It's amazing, the sleeve is very popular in the larger cities in Texas, but it hasn't caught on in the smaller towns east and west of Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Eventually it will. I predict that in five or ten years.....RNY will NOT be the "gold standard" any longer. That is just my humble opinion. I do not regret my decision on the sleeve, not for one minute. I just don't see the bypass patients being successful long term....

Hi Callalillyand - I'll see if I can maybe answer your questions, or at least partially. First of all, when 85% of your stomach is removed, it's permanent, it isn't like going on a "diet". You aren't limiting a certain food group, making yourself do this or that for a period of time....get bored with it, go back to the same ol' same ol' and then put it all back on, maybe more. It's forced portion control. I have basically NO HUNGER.....I have had no hunger now for going on ten months. My 'new hunger' is an empty feeling, usually only at dinner time for some reason, and it isn't daily. It lets me know that I'm empty....but it IS something I can ignore if I choose to. Some people say they ARE hungry, I don't know if they really are or if it's all in their heads. I can only speak for me. At Dr. Davidson's seminar we were told......."this is NOT a diet, this is a new way of life" - it takes a while to realize that, but I am finally learning to live like a naturally thin person. Let me stress though, not until I reached goal did I even try to do that. Until I reached goal, I was obsessive about what I put in my mouth.......I treated this as a diet, the most strict one I'd EVER BEEN ON!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, nothing but carbonation is off limits, but I am particular about what I put into my mouth.....protein first, I know I must get the most bang for my buck. Nothing tastes as good as a size 6 feels. I've made life changes, I am not an exersise guru......not by any stretch of the imagination, so I know that I must be choosy about what I eat....I choose not to eat many things. Fried stuff seldom passes my lips, junk food....chips, white bread, bread is limited altogether. I can eat very little now days at one sitting and have to WORK at getting in enough calories each day to keep from losing more, but I am still careful about how I get them! I would suggest you research your doctor, make sure he has the "center of excellence" stamp of approval, that is the best advice I got I think. Good aftercare comes with that, and that means he will also have a support group. Attend!!!! It's fun and informative!!! This is the single best decision, aside from marrying my husband, that I've ever done for myself!!!!!!!! Good luck.......and this forum.......good for getting questions answered!!!

Like you said, stay the course until you reach goal. At the seminar they stressed, 'this is a way of life, not a diet'. At ten months out I'm finally learning to treat it as such. I've been at goal for five months....BUT, until I reached goal, it WAS a diet to me. I did NOT cheat, not one time. My daughter wanted me to try a new kind of Cereal she had, a Cheerio, she popped it in my mouth and the minute I realized it was sweetened, I spit it out!! Obsessive, maybe, but I reached goal in five months. I found it easier to follow the rules. I still would hold on to a lb or two, go up and down....almost every single time, but after a few days, (sometimes several days) they'd come off and stay off. I never did panic once I realized, this was my normal. I never had a minute of buyers remorse and nothing tastes as good as a size 6 feels!!!

Just an FYI - I found when I had a stall, and most do. I would actually go up and down with a lb or two before it would come off and stay off. I call that a stall. I did this all the time it seemed, at first I hated it, thought it was abnormal, but it was normal for ME. I heard at a support meeting that it was normal for others that were further out than I was, so I just accepted it and went on. I also figured out that if I'd up my Protein from the normal 60 - 65 to 70 - 80, which was easy when I'd add some steamed shrimp in the middle of the day.....and drink extra Water....(because I have NEVER gotten in all the water I SHOULD)....then I'd drop that lb or two really fast and move on!!! It seemed to work just about every time. I'm not an exercise guru, never have been, never will be. I did not reach goal because I was hitting the gym, I reached goal because Dr. Wonderful gave me a tool to work with and I've made life changes that I can live with. I know with exercise I'd have burned out in no time, so I do what I enjoy, which is just a little here at home with a weighted ball; I park as far out as possible in the parking lot;. I like to walk the mall to shop for clothes now. That's about it. I love fish, lean pork, chicken and beef....I get on average 70 grams of protein a day. I have to work at getting 1200 calories a day to maintain. When I was losing I averaged 675 calories a day. I know this is a way of life and I have finally wrapped my head around it and am working at living like a thin person NOW.....but until I reached goal I treated it as a diet, period. I was obsessive. Now I enjoy each and every thing I put into my mouth, but I am picky about what it is. I have found it disgustingly easy to lose over 90 lbs. and maintaining has been the difficult part....who knew stopping would be hard. I hope it is this easy for all of you that are getting ready to begin this journey. Meggiep - my new addiction, shopping!!

Tammie, 40 lbs at nine weeks is fantastic. First of all, everybody is different; second, most people count what they lost PRE-OP as total lbs lost. I know I do/did. I lost 23 lbs before I every went under the knife and counted it from the very beginning. After my 1 week check up, 2 week etc. Most folks do, which is fine, lbs lost is lbs lost. Right!!??

My PCP, when I told her I was doing this and was traveling home to Texas, her only advice was, "Make sure it is a center of excellence", so I did. Here is a link. I hope it helps. I know it's a big deal. http://www.wlslifestyles.com/cached/_downloads/2120/What%20Does%20it%20Take%20to%20Be%20a%20Bariatric%20Surgery%20Center%20of%20Excellence_main.pdf

It IS a forever thing. Something that really concerned me, but it is a non-issue. I'm like Tiff, if I DO take a drink with some 'real' food, it is uncomfortable, I've never thrown up, but it hurts. I really don't remember why I've even done, it but I have a few times. Anyway, the point is, I'm a Texas girl, we drink iced tea with lunch and dinner.....I'd have three glasses each meal. I thought it would be a huge problem and it is not! The only time I even take a sip is when it feels like something is 'stuck' in my throat. Normally it does not help, but I do try. We need to keep the 'protein' in there to keep us full for as long as possible, plus it just doesn't feel good!! The one time I can and do drink and nibble at the same time without problems is when we go to Star Bucks and have coffee and I split a piece of pumpkin bread with my husband. Nice and slow.....now initially it was not good either, but over time, it is fine. I think because it is soft and I take itty bitty bites! Just to let you know, I did NOT have the pumpkin bread or mix coffee with anything until AFTER I had reached goal. Now I use it on Fridays to add to the calories I struggle to get in to keep from losing MORE weight!

OMG - i hated the shakes....I quit drinking them and bit the bullet, no pun intended, and started drinking the Protein bullets from GNC. They're only 3.5 oz and I could hold my breath and drink a third or fouth at a time three or four times a day and be done with it!! LOL Anyway, when you do start eating regular food, beware of pasta!!! I have NEVER thrown up, but I came close with spaghetti and meatballs!!! I ate one meatball first, PROTEIN.....then just a little Pasta. I always measure (still do) or weigh my food, but of course when we are out, you have to "eyeball" it!!! This was about four months I guess, and 1 meatball I knew would be fine, and the penne pasta, well, I ate probably six pieces. Afterwards I nibbled on a couple bites of bread dipped in the olive oil. I was fine, what i ate was so little. The meatball was little. Anyway, when we got up to walk out, all of a sudden it hit me, it was like everything got bigger. By the time we got to the car, I knew I could not make the 20 minute drive home. My husband suggested we walk around, so we did just that. I needed to spit, I did that a couple of times, gross as it sounds, but it's better than throwing up!! We walked in the cool air for ten or fifteen minutes and I was fine, but I avoided pasta for a couple of months, and since then, I do NOT get meatballs, shrimp or chicken for me....and just a couple of bites of the pasta. At home I can measure and I keep the sauce and pasta separate. I take more meatsauce and very little pasta. (always whole wheat here at home, and when we do have rice, always brown) If I am going to have that stuff, it's going to be as healthy as possible. I've found that Ramano's macaroni Grill has whole wheat pasta - so far it's the only one that I know of. Just an FYI - if you have one around you!!! Good luck, you'll do GREAT!!!!!!!! Oh.....as for something good that I enjoyed early on and still eat now and then, sugar free Jell-O with sugar free Cool Whip. Loved it......and it was not something I'd eat before surgery!!!!