Stacy160

I've seen (read) several people well into their sixties who have been sleeved, are loving it, and feel like they've been given a second chance at life.... go for it!!

EAS does make a low-carb protein supplement as well, so you may be able to exchange those, as long as they're not expired or anything. Might be worth a try anyway!

OK, you all have inspired me. :scared0: One of my big goals was to be able to run a 5K in the fall. I've never run that far in my entire life. I didn't make it to the gym all weekend (NO excuse), but today I went down to the basement and hopped on the incredibly dusty old treadmill. The digital console hasn't worked in years so I have no idea how fast I was going, and of course there was no timer to be found, and naturally the batteries in my watch were dead LOL.... so I walked for 3-4 minutes and ran for a minute for about 35 minutes. Honestly was very surprised to be able to run that much, and I almost wish it wasn't so late so I could go down and do it again! Guess I'm gonna have to look more into the C25K program itself, huh?

My surgery was January 25th, and just over the last week or so, I'm starting to get that want for something sweet in the evening, after dinner. Sometimes my last B12 and chocolate calcium chew do the job--sometimes not. What I've done a couple of times is pour out about 1/3 cup of Special K blueberry flakes and eat them dry, like chips. It's just enough to satisfy that want, but little enough not to be real destructive (used to be I'd have a huge full bowl of cereal with milk almost every night).

OMG, that's AWESOME!! And very inspirational. I literally JUST got off the treadmill and still have sweat dripping onto my shoulders, and this was the first thing I read when I sat back down. Great timing--this was the first I've attempted to run in several years... so thanks for sharing that with us, and huge congratulations to you!! :thumbup1:

Different surgeons have different instructions for the days and weeks post-op. Mine had me on clears the day of, then full liquids for two weeks, purees for two weeks, soft solids for two weeks, then anything as tolerated. In the long-term, you'll be ABLE to eat anything you want (although a small percentage of people do become lactose-intolerant after surgery, which may or may not be permanent). While you're losing though, the general rule of thumb is Protein first always, for a total of 60-100 grams a day (depending on what your surgeon instructs), 600-800 calories a day, and less than 20-40 grams of carbohydrate (again, depending on the surgeon). Ultimately, using common sense of course, you'll be eating just like anyone else, except in much smaller portions.

Very pleasantly surprised today after feeling like I'd really slipped up last week! HW - 258 SW - 246.4 LW - 223.4 Today - 220.4 The first time I got on the scale this morning it said 219.8 and I thought "No way...." because I stepped on it yesterday to prepare myself for no good news today, and it said 222.something. So I got back on twice, and both times it said 220.4 so that's what I'm going with! :smile:

I was worried a couple of weeks out about the same thing, and was told the same thing. Must be your swelling is going down very well! Don't worry... as soon as you start adding real food back in, you will KNOW right away that the restriction is there, believe me!! :thumbup1:

I have not had a good week, sleeve-wise. (I count my sleeve weeks from Monday - Sunday since I weigh in Monday mornings.) The urge to graze and pick at things just because they looked good hit me for the first time this week. I haven't been completely horrible, but I've eaten in more of a maintenance-style than in a way that'll help me lose. I've had cheesy potatoes and a chicken soft taco from Taco Bell, a couple handfulls of popcorn, a couple bites from an apple crumb cake that a patient brought in on Thursday--OH, and Friday we had a baby shower for a girl at work, and I had about a 3" piece of turkey sub (with bun), about a 1" x 2" piece of cake, and a bread stick. Carb-o-rama! And, I have NOT been getting my water in, maybe only 32-48 oz. a day. Working on that. AND, I only made it to the gym Monday.... not Wednesday, not yesterday or today. So, I'm not looking to see stellar things on the scale tomorrow. I'll be happy if it moves in the right direction at all! That said, the pair of pants I have on right now is definitely looser and baggier than they were last week soooooo... we'll see I guess. Funny thing is, pro-op it wouldn't have been unusual for me to have four or five times as much of all those same foods, all in one day!!

You never know what'll be a problem food until you try it. I haven't had issues with either eggs or chicken. Well, one of the two times I got sick with eating was with eggs, BUT it wasn't the eggs themselves, it was because I was eating too fast without thinking about it. All you can do is try stuff and see what happens, really. :thumbdown:

LOVE jerky... I've started going to the Farmer's Market on Saturdays to buy a pound of turkey sticks (like mini beef sticks)... they're so tender and the flavor is wonderful. They're a perfect snack! Haven't tried beef jerky yet but only just because, not for any particular reason.

Go to the office and ask to speak to the surgeon, and wait there until you do. Tell him the entire story just as you did above; if they can't make it happen, go somewhere else, even if you do still wind up self-paying.

Not everyone does. My surgeon told me ahead of time that he typically doesn't unless he feels it's needed, and wouldn't you know it, I woke up with one. It was in for a week and not painful at all, just a little inconvenient.

It's hard to jazz up a protein shake without carbing it all up at the same time. That said, I loved to use chocolate mix, add frozen strawberries, cocoa powder, and some Splenda... THAT was delicious.

Hmmmm, I don't know, but this is the first I've ever read of someone having that. Were you catheterized?

I started on purees at two weeks out... refried Beans and ricotta cheese fall into the category. My energy was great for four weeks, but I think everything caught up to me a couple of weeks ago. I still have a lot of energy, but I seem to poop out faster and be more tired at the end of the day. I've heard that it can take several weeks for the physical effects of the surgery (anesthesia, bodily stress, etc.) to leave the body, so I'm resting when I can and going with the flow. You're normal! Have a fun party!

I'd just put "abdominal surgery" and I don't think you'll have to fill in the Where (don't quote me on that!).

It's kind of weird... lots of people who never had trouble with heartburn and/or reflux before surgery experience it afterward. On the other hand, lots of people like ME had tons of both before surgery, and not a bit of it afterwards. I mean not one single solitary moment of it. I (and many others) had a hiatal hernia discovered and repaired during surgery, and I'm sure that's got a lot to do with it. I do think that what stomach is left is producing more acid than it should because I'm having a big problem with feeling hunger. Chances are your surgeon will put you on an acid preventer after surgery, and even if he/she doesn't you can still put yourself on one if needed.

Initially, yes... the whole thing was swollen and especially under the main incision. It took a few weeks but eventually it all went down and I can definitely see and feel the fat loss there now, every bit as much as in the butt and legs.

Yep! That's all my surgeon required, although I put myself on hardcord Atkins for a few days before to get the sugar out of my system.

I'm hungry a LOT as well, often shortly after eating. I haven't had a single problem with heartburn or reflux since surgery, although had problems with both beforehand. I have been taking Prevacid for several weeks and although I do still get hungry very often, I get way MORE hungry if I forget to take it in the morning. I started back having a couple cups of coffee in the morning about the same time I started on the Prevacid... I know, terrible, but I has having SUCH a problem waking up and getting going in the morning. I'm thinking I'll get back off of that for a few days, keep taking the Prevacid, and see what happens. I've also wondered about the -- oh crap, total brain fart -- the generic Actigall, to prevent gallbladder problems. I'm not going low-fat and not losing super-fast, so if getting off the coffee doesn't make a dfiference, I'm going to try stopping that and see if it has anything to do with it. Having that hunger is like having a constant low-grade headache... just 'there' enough be really uncomfortable and really, really annoying.

The first number the surgeon threw my way was 180-something... fully thirty pounds higher than what would put me at a healthy BMI (which he then told me he'd rather see me at). I think since the percentage of weight lost to be considered "successful" is only like 60% of extra weight or something like that, that's the first number they look at. I wouldn't sweat that number too much, you'll know what's right for you when you get there. :001_smile:

Ohhhh yeah... I've had that feeling a couple of times in the last few days. Before, my go-to food when I want "something" has always been cereal, but that's a dangerous path for me, because I was having cereal every day, not only for breakfast, but after a full dinner as well. I'm afraid to allow myself to have any now, even if it's just a little bit and I haven't had any other carbs during the day. Like right now, I better just get outta this post and stop thinking about it or I'll be obsessing over Raisin Bran all day long!

Depends on the surgeon--you won't have any insurance hoops to jump through so that'll help you tremendously right off the bat. My surgeon didn't require a pre-op diet at all (only Clear liquids the day before surgery) but did say it's always a good idea to drop a few pounds beforehand. Other surgeons have a specific liquid diet they want you on before surgery, sometimes up to two weeks long. With that drastic a change, you'll lose weight regardless of whether you're exercising or not. As someone who works with total knee patients every day, I can tell you that you are too young for a replacement if you can avoid it, and losing the weight WILL absolutely help with the pain and help you put it off as long as you can. That said, if it gets to the point where it hurts so much that you just cannot function with it, a good surgeon will do it for you after exhausting all other options. The components get better and better every year, and now they're saying "20 years" on the new ones.... but that's just a guess as nobody's HAD the new ones for that long. People have had the old ones for better than that and the joints are still holding up just fine. Plus, you're young enough that they may be able to do a partial replacement, or a joint resurfacing, which would leave you open for a full replacement much further down the road. But ANYWAY lol... You should feel a huuuuuge difference when the weight starts coming off! :biggrin0:

You're doing great too!! I know, it's so hard to imagine or even really believe we'll really get there at this point in the game, isn't it? Like it's almost too much to hope for. We'll do it though, one day not too far down the road we'll all be at GOOOOOALLLL!!