Search the Community

I was told forever by my husband I could do it on my own. And I have...several times. I'd lost 50lbs, gain back 70. Lose 50 lbs, gain back 80...see my point? This is just a helper. I still work at you and you will too, but this helps you work at it. I didn't tell my family. I told my mom & hubby. No one else. I had sleeve done 1/28/15 and have finally reached my 100lb wt loss goal. I feel amazing. My depression, from being so big, is gone. At this stage, there are foods I just can't tolerate and I'm fine with that. There are a majority that I can...and I get full fast, but that's what helps. Bowel control issues - I had IBS, so I was having horrible cramps and diarrhea 5 out of 7 days before surgery. Now....I've had maybe 3 episodes the entire summer. Vomiting - I've had maybe 2 episodes...but they were my fault. Eating too fast and too much. You'll know when to stop. Weakness? Right after surgery you will be weak, but that goes away relatively quickly. hair loss - not everyone has it...I did and still do to an extent, although everyone says they don't notice. It goes away. depression from not eating? At first I did have some..but that quickly goes away. You realize when you start losing the wt that it's all worth it and this is what you worked so hard for. Are there times now that I wished I could just sit and eat a steak with a salad and have a mixed drink and enjoy it? Yes....but I also like this me so much more that the trade off is worth it. alcohol- I've been scared to have any. I did have about 8 oz of a margarita drink this weekend. It does not take much at all to kick in...one of the reasons I just don't drink. I know others have mentioned they have and done fine. I'm just not a big drinker. Loose skin? Yes...but most can be covered and not noticed. My biggest is my arms...I look like a flappy chicken. The rest is all covered. Social life? Hasnt' affected mine at all. visible scars? Only if you show them your abdomen. I don't wear bikini's (you're all welcome) so I'm good. prevent you from being a mommy? SHouldn't effect that one bit Time off work? I had mine done on a Wed morning, was home Thurs and back to work the following Monday. It was tough, I was tired, but very doable....I am in a nonstrenuous job. Hope this helps. Honestly, it's the best decision I've ever made. I had my doubts and fears beforehand, but I'm so glad I did it.

Hey guys, I'm getting closer to this reality, and after a negative conversation with a family member I'm considering backing out on surgery. His concern is that I should be able to loose weight on my own. I have years of dieting, exercising, nutrition counseling, personal trainers, and diet pills to prove otherwise. I am 30 years old with a BMI of 36 and I have no children, but would like to one day. Here is a list of my fear/concern: - bowel control problems - vomiting - weakness - hair loss - depression because you cannot eat - can you drink alcohol (if you do) - problems with loose skin - visible scars - will it interfere with social life? - will it prevent me from being a mom one day - when can I return to work? (Not a strenuous job) Thank you in advance for any advice! This is such a big decision and I want it to be the right one!

I don't know you, so I am not implying anything about YOU, but this is what I found for ME. It could also be true for you. I do not lose I am not honest with myself. I need to eat around 900 calories daily to lose weight I have to average those calories over days and weeks A few extra calories over a weekend (in the form of alcohol or anything) will absolutely kick my average calorie consumption up over the 900. I can't graze. It's very hard to track calories when you stick a bite of this or that in your mouth. I gain when I do that, even if I try to track it all. It's all easier said than done, but so worth it!

I also was sleeved on August 7 in Michigan. I was back to the gym walking the track the Tuesday after surgery. I took a week off work to recuperate. I should be on puréed or soft foods but I'm pretty much eating regular consistency foods at this point. I had some chicken fingers on Friday with the breading removed and I tolerated it well. I had the lap band previously and it was removed in December. Having had experienced restriction before with the lap band I'm taking it easy with the foods I'm willing to try since being sleeved. This has been a very easy/good experience for me. The only issue is that now I can't tolerate sugar-free foods with sugar alcohols. They never gave me problems before getting the sleeve but now I can't even take the Celebrate chewable Vitamins because of the sugar alcohols. Good luck on your journey! -C

I went to TJ and Sam's last week. At TJ's they had brownies with cherrys in it. I hate cherrys so that was easy to pass up. I will miss the wine samples but there is always mass for a touch of wine. At Sam's. I had the inside of a sushi sample. Then purchased some sushi. I take the inside out and put it in turkey slices and roll it up. They had meatball samples and I had 1/2 a meatball and no sauce. It is pretty easy to pass up a lot of things. I think about how long it takes on the elliptical to burn the calories off, so that makes passing things up easily. I live alone so there are no bad foods in my house, even the "cheat" type foods are clean. We are surrounded by temptation all the time, just watching TV for example. You have to find a tool that helps you cope. Like I said for me, I think about how long it takes me to burn that many calories. Trader Joe's has so many awesome healthy options though, you shouldn't feel a lot of temptation. When they get Cookies and other stuff (I think their cookies and baked goods suck), you can get the sugar free chocolate coated almonds. They have sugar alcohol, so should really limit how many you have or you are going to pay for it. I was eating them long before surgery, although I hadn't had any since surgery. The one thing I did with them, was as soon as I got home, I measured out the portions into snack baggies so I always had the right portion amount. Post-op, I would probably have 1/2 a portion or less. They have riced cauliflower frozen that you can use for making all kinds of low carb dishes. Almond meal, almond milk, cheap ghee. Good luck

I was concerned how I would be able to handle my first vacation after being sleeved. Just got back yesterday and I have to say it was a success. We do enjoy eating out on vacation and we still did eat out a lot, but I was very careful with my choices. I ate chicken but when I got bored with that, I had spare ribs (could only eat two); smoked turkey; steak; and grilled shrimp - all in very small portions. I ordered the smallest portions I could (sometimes ordering off the appetizer menu). I listened to my stomach and stopped as soon as I felt that restriction. I did walk at least four miles everyday on the beach. We were also with my sister and her husband and she had a harder time with what I was eating. She kept saying she felt bad for me because I couldn't eat much, but I kept telling her don't feel bad for me because I don't feel bad and I do feel good about myself. The truth is I did miss eating all the usual vacation type foods a bit - ice cream, alcohol, chocolate, Italian food etc. but I am down 40 pounds and as they say - nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. But I only missed the foods for the moment, once that passed, I felt good about my choices. It also felt good that I was able to wear clothes on my vacation that I hadn't fit into in years. I still felt self-conscious in a bathing suit, but that is my insecurity. I hope that once I am down to my goal weight (40 pounds to go) I will be able to occasionally enjoy some treats. For now I feel good, I am thrilled with my progress and am looking forward to many more vacations with my newer slimmer body! Thanks for all your support!

I basically followed the rules, the first was the not drinking for 15 minutes before to 45 minutes after meals? To help with this I use the bariatric timer app on my phone. It really helps. The second is to eat for 25 full minutes, small marble sized bites spaced 1 minute apart and thoroughly chew. The longer food stays in your stomach the longer you stay full and third is to not take in any calories from liquids, which I follow pretty closely; even alcoholic drinks, I minimize calories wherever possible. Every day is not perfect, I slip up frequently? But I start every day with the intent to flow through and for the most part I stick wit it. My final suggestion is to track your intake, every bite, not that it's necessary, but it builds a consciousness about what you are eating, I use "my fitness pal"

i will be going to the cayman islands i will be in a bathing suit and on the beach most days. our unit is equipped with a full kitchen. im sure we will be eating dinner out most nights.im hoping i will be fine a really do not want to put surgery off. I was gonna say, if it is an all inclusive resort that provieds delicious foods and drinks whenever you want, I would postpone surgery. OR, if you were going someplace famous for their foods, delay surgery. Since the place comes with a kitchen and you have to prepare your own meals, keep your surgery date. Be very careful of the sun. You will be more sensitive to the sun and will have to hydrate yourself twice as the dr will recommend. NO ALCOHOL!!!!!! Hope you have a fantastic time!!!!

Are you going to have mental health issues? "I know someone who became unwell" Are you going to become and alcoholic? I know a person started drinking cause the craved sugar!

The carbs on the label are primarily from erythritol, a sugar alcohol. Erythritol provides just about 0.2 calories per gram of carbohydrate When a food contains fewer than 5 calories per serving, the manufacturer is allowed to “round down” to 0 on the Nutrition Facts label

P.P.S. My bariatric PA also said she sees a lot of people during maintenance who start to drink a lot more of their daily calories -- specifically in the form of alcohol. She didn't reference this as a "transfer addiction" issue, but as an "empty calories" issue.

Tssiemer I didn't have staples so I can't relate to that. But my physical recovery was a breeze compared to the mental recovery. Still a struggle almost a year out! Don't be worried about messing the process up and be denied. You will be more upset with yourself not trying if you gave up. Constipation can sometimes be an issue for me but only when I take ibuprofen. I was approved and instructed to take it while on my cycle because mine got worse with loosing the weight. So I take them very limited but when i do take them... Constipation strikes. But its usually fairly easy to take something and get it moving again. And as far as the easy way out.... You tell whomever to go to hell who says that! Sorry to be blunt but seriously.... This is not easy! I work so hard daily at this. Harder than I ever have!! I don't tolerate anyone telling me that because I know the dedication and time I put into this. I contemplate everything I eat, get up at 4:45am to work out before work, count my water all day long, gave up alcohol. Its not easy but still the best decision I ever made! I can't ease all your fears but I'm always here to try and talk and be honest about the process.

Great idea @@maggie409! During breaks I am going to walk up and down the stairs from the 4th floor where I work. Usually I just stay planted in my chair and browse the web or even sneak out for coffee. The alcohol I know must end. It's not good for my mental health in addition to the empty calories. Last, I am going to take your advice and eat stage 2 for a week. I have Isopure in my desk, I just loathe that taste but I think being thinner and reaching my goals are more important to me than an icky tasting drink. Thanks for taking the time to respond! I will keep this thread posted on my progress. Hugs!

Sure. But don't drink more than 10 drinks the first time. The second time you go out, no more than half a bottle. The third time, limit yourself to a liter of alcohol. Or 6 bottles of wine. You should be fine.

First, I would say don't beat yourself up. You really do have it in you to do this.... We all do! Second, stop drinking alcohol on the weekends. Especially 4-5 drinks. That is a lot of empty calories and heavy guilt. I completely understand the stressful job. I started carrying a cooler with me that has P3 Protein Snacks, Greek yogurt, Water and Protein shakes. If I get stuck or have forgotten to eat I have something healthy to fall back on. No matter the job, everyone is allowed breaks and meals. Is there a gym nearby you can join? Can you walk some steps or walk around the parking lot? Definitely log your food. I am absolutely overwhelmed with learning to eat a balanced diet, but like I said above, we can do this! We have it in us. The only other suggestion I can make is start over with a week of Clear liquids. Life is all about do-overs. I read somewhere once that we can't let failure define us, let getting back up and starting again and again and again and not giving up define us.

I am so disappointed in myself. I have gone from 290 date of surgery, March 16 2015 down to 235 as of today. The scale has not moved in 3-4 weeks. I eat about 1,000 - 1,200 calories a day. I'm not consistent with Protein or Water. I am failing myself. My stressful job keeps me occupied about 9am - 7pm. I don't exercise much, but am active on the weekends. I drink alcohol on the weekends, maybe 4-5 drinks a night, vodka and sugar free cranberry juice. I had my appendix out in late June and was out of commission for a couple weeks. My doctor already thinks I'm a failure, he said I'm not doing as good as other women have he has sleeved. I dread seeing him, it's always a lecture, statistics shoved down my throat and I end up feeling like a failure for getting sleeved and still being obese. Anyway, I would like some suggestions. I am starting to log my intake into MyFitnessPal and be mindful of what I am consuming. I've set a limit if 1,000 calories. Any motivating tips or encouragement would be appreciated. Anybody with similar stories who turned their ship around out there? Any advice, feedback or even tough love will be invited. I really want to hit my goal of 160 lbs, but doctor doesn't think I will based on statistics of my current weight loss and what I'm "trending". Hugs!

Hi there. I'm a newbie to this site/forum. Used ObesityHealth for all my pre/post op journey. I hadn't heard of this site though so giving it a go. You can never have to much support! My story, very briefly is that come Nov 2nd I'll be 4years post op from having a VSG. I just turned 31 on the 22nd of August, was 27 when I had the surgery though wanted it forever. I was always the fat kid even in high school when I suffered thru Ana/Mia/EDNOS. Had crazy co morbitities before surgery. High BP (took meds), type 2 diabetes (took needs and SS insulin), high cholesterol and my triglycerides were SO high my Dr couldn't get a read on the blood work-we tried numerous times. Needless to say everything became normal and after 6months post op I was able to drop all meds and insulin. I don't even test my blood sugar anymore. I was 6'4" and at my highest weight 435 lbs. I was 410 by surgery. My goal for myself was between 200&180lbs though I went and still go more by inches and measurements and how I feel more so than the scale. I quickly dropped to my lowest post-surgery weight of 220lbs within about 14months. However, I cross addicted and returned to old patterns of EXCESSIVE excersise to fill the other voids in my life I didn't want to face. It was to the point where if I had to work at 9am I'd be getting up at 2:30/3am to workout before work. And I always worked out at home. I'd start with a 15min Oxycise session (an aerobic breathing program that focuses on isometric/isotonic and stretch positions) then I'd move to weightlifting for an hour then a 30-40min session of Hip Hop Abs followed by 2hrs of Tae Bo and I'd finish it all off with an hour of Power Vinyasa Yoga. I did this daily for months on end and often without rest days. Eventually life happened and I started to realize how crazy I was being and tried to adjust. At this point I was happy with my body-in retrospect I was happy with myself but at the time I still saw the fat guy in the mirror who's Dr wanted me down to 170, I would have made peace with 200 at that point bc I was almost art my personal goal. Still, as fit as I was by scientific standards I was still obese, had a Dr pushing more loss and friends/daily worried I was "too skinny" and through all this I never took a breath to actually ask myself what I thought, where I wanted to be and where I'd be comfortable. Yeah, stupid. Then, started going out with friends, experiencing restaurant foods and things I'd never touched since surgery...including alcohol. Started dating and now living with my partner but in my comfort, indulgences and dealing with a back injury that limits my workouts now-prob for the best-I managed to gain back about 90lbs over the next 2 years or so which brings us to present day. I'm back looking for support from others who may have regained and are in the same boat and hopefully finding a friend(s) to lose the regain with. Also hoping to continue to help other post op newbies from making the same mistakes I made. Its quite easy if you're not careful. Anywho, that's my Story and why I'm here. Hope to chat with some of you and see you around the boards. Anyone else in this room in the regain boat?

Hi there. I'm a newbie to this site/forum. Used ObesityHealth for all my pre/post op journey. I hadn't heard of this site though so giving it a go. You can never have to much support! My story, very briefly is that come Nov 2nd I'll be 4years post op from having a VSG. I just turned 31 on the 22nd of August, was 27 when I had the surgery though wanted it forever. I was always the fat kid even in high school when I suffered thru Ana/Mia/EDNOS. Had crazy co morbitities before surgery. High BP (took meds), type 2 diabetes (took needs and SS insulin), high cholesterol and my triglycerides were SO high my Dr couldn't get a read on the blood work-we tried numerous times. I was 6'4" and at my highest weight 435 lbs. I was 410 by surgery. My goal for myself was between 200&180lbs though I went and still go more by inches and measurements and how I feel more so than the scale. I quickly dropped to my lowest post-surgery weight of 220lbs within about 14months. However, I cross addicted and returned to old patterns of EXCESSIVE excersise to fill the other voids in my life I didn't want to face. It was to the point where if I had to work at 9am I'd be getting up at 2:30/3am to workout before work. And I always worked out at home. I'd start with a 15min Oxycise session (an aerobic breathing program that focuses on isometric/isotonic and stretch positions) then I'd move to weightlifting for an hour then a 30-40min session of Hip Hop Abs followed by 2hrs of Tae Bo and I'd finish it all off with an hour of Power Vinyasa Yoga. I did this daily for months on end and often without rest days. Eventually life happened and I started to realize how crazy I was being and tried to adjust. At this point I was happy with my body-in retrospect I was happy with myself but at the time I still saw the fat guy in the mirror who's Dr wanted me down to 170, I would have made peace with 200 at that point bc I was almost art my personal goal. Still, as fit as I was by scientific standards I was still obese, had a Dr pushing more loss and friends/daily worried I was "too skinny" and through all this I never took a breath to actually ask myself what I thought, where I wanted to be and where I'd be comfortable. Yeah, stupid. Then, started going out with friends, experiencing restaurant foods and things I'd never touched since surgery...including alcohol. Started dating and now living with my partner but in my comfort, indulgences and dealing with a back injury that limits my workouts now-prob for the best-I managed to gain back about 90lbs over the next 2 years or so which brings us to present day. I'm back looking for support from others who may have regained and are in the same boat and hopefully finding a friend(s) to lose the regain with. Also hoping to continue to help other post op newbies from making the same mistakes I made. Its quite easy if you're not careful. Anywho, that's my Story and why I'm here. Hope to chat with some of you and see you around the boards. Anyone else in this room in the regain boat?

Best of luck Denise - I hope things are going well and you are on the mend already! I dont mind sharing what meds I take - not at all. I currently take Wellbutrin SR - the Sr stands for slow release I believe, I am supposed to take one in the am and another later in the day but oneseems just fine. I was prescribed this medicine when I wanted to stop smoking (which I did on November 1, 2010 after 28 years of a pack and a half a day habit.) My doc prescribed Wellbutrin because I have anxiety issues - mentioning that the other popular smoking cessation drug Chantix, could send folks with anxiety into a tail spin ( meaning it can really ramp you up). I asked my GP how it works and she said with a chuckle that they really aren't sure why it works so well to help quit smoking. It is not an SSRI, I have a long and diverse history with those as well. The nice thing about the Wellbutrin is that it does not have the heinous side effect of killing the libido or making it so that one cannot reach climax - which I hear is common. My docs at the WL surgery office have kept me on the Wellbutrin, as it also has a positive effect for folks trying to lose and maintain their weight, I don't notice a huge difference in how I feel with it - I do know that I seem to be on a much more even keel than in the past. I'll take it. I also take a lot of anti-histamines for allergy and dermatological issues - I worked with accelerated solvents and oxidizing chemicals for decades and I am hyper sensitive to my environment. My skin, eyes, and mucous membranes are super easy to irritate - so it is a continual battle to keep inflammation at bay. Interestingly enough - anti-histamines are also considered useful in the treatment of generalized anxiety symptoms - which I have along with PTSD/acute anxiety (i.e. panic disorder) in a nutshell, a brutally abusive childhood spent with a raging alcoholic stepdad and a horrifying car crash in my early 20's that put me out of commission for a year are big elements of where this all came from - 'hi, nothing, nowhere is a safe place to be.' and welcome to using food as a substance to soothe and disappear. I take Klonopin when life is just too edgy, and when I know I will be in the passenger seat of the car for a long trip. I used to take this one daily just to get through the day in the late 90's when I finally found my way to the therapists couch. The potent cocktail of drugs I used to take daily were Zoloft, Trazadone at bedtime, and Ativan and then Klonopin(Clonazepam) on a daily basis. I was in rough shape back then, confronting issues for the first time. I went to therapy 3 times a week and then was in an eating disorder group as well - which was challenging as most of the other members were anorectics and bulimics, which while very similar to bingers/compulsive overeaters (meaning that one can turn into the other pretty easily they say.) those folks can be very hard on those they few as inferior. So now I just use Wellbutrin and the clonazepam as needed, and a lot of anti-histamines - hubby and I take the Safeway brand sleepy medicine - which is just Benadryl but a whole lot cheaper - if you look at the price on Zeequil, its the same stuff and they just charge an arm and a leg. Diphenhydramine is the anti-histamine. I have heard good things about L-methyfolate and ​Sam-e. I recently went off of melatonin because once its built up to a therapeutic level in my system I get serious nosebleeds - which seems to have happened to a lot of folks. Sheryl I have also taken the 5HTTP, seemed like good stuff but I was using my other regular meds so I am not sure if it makes a lot of difference. What is interesting - when I was in bad shape all that medication make me feel normal, My normal from waking until sleep was like being on fire without meds - I wanted to die - just dart out into traffic and have the pain just stop. Now - one Clonopin knocks me on my ass - I really feel it - whereas before I was in such a state that it just made the day tolerable enough to get through - so I could do the work needed in therapy to get a little better. I know that I am permanently imprinted by the bad things that happened in my life, that I will always be afraid of things - but it is better than it used to be. I have considered trying that flashing light therapy to help with the PTSD - I have heard good things about it.

I'm almost 7 weeks out. My dr said I can have alcohol. Went out Saturday to a club and ordered Malibu rum and cranberry. Drank it over 2 hours with water. I was fine. I'm down 33 lbs and 30 more to go. Every dr is different. I am 52. Was told over and over didn't need calcium and had bloodwork done and my calcium was too high! Gave up soda a long time ago. Sometimes miss carbonation. Coffee ok too but I don't drink it.

@dawn678. I am a nurse and actually worked for 5 years on a voluntary unit for patients who wanted to stop drugs and alcohol. I have never been judgemental with any of them. We are all human and we make choices that are good and not so good. I was inspired by many of them because they took the biggest step by admitting they had a problem. I loved working there, but my unit moved to a different hospital and I have been a nurse case manager ever since. I am by no means an expert and I am not providing medical advice, but I can tell you what I learned from my patients. Alcohol dependency is a very serious disease. Withdrawal symptoms can occur from stopping. After drinking for a period of time, a body can become dependent from the alcohol and adapts and it gets to the point where you drink just to function to avoid the withdrawal. Physical manifestations, irritability, confusion, fall risks, neuropathy, tremors, sweating, electrolyte imbalances, and abnormal cardiac rhythms. I took care of patients who were 1 bottle of wine a day to gallons of hard liquor per day. The patients who drank the heaviest would have the worst withdrawal and needed to be medically monitored with a heart monitor. Most of these patients would be treated with medication for the withdrawal for 3 days usually a benzodiazepine like Librium, or Arivan, and then started on Naltrexone, and then go to an inpatient therapy program for 21 to 30 days, or on going outpatient therapy. Inpatient is better, but outpatient can be successful if you have a good support system in place. AA is also a place to go for help. It depends on your insurance and also depends on what is available in your area. I have seen many patients be successful with treatment. It does work! If you don't have insurance, there are places that will take sliding scale, but keep in mind if you do go to any treatment facility, there will be people there that are not there for the right reasons. Don't allow anyone to distract or prevent you from getting better. The hardest part is making the call and just getting started. I truly wish you the best! You can do it!!!

@@Narda G congratulations on your surgery! I waited quite a while before having alcohol as I was worried about addiction transference. And I talked to my surgeon, who has no prohibitions for alcohol but recommends martinis over wine for the caloric intake. As for carbonation, I can't tolerate carbonation and it is not recommended for Lapband patients. Talk to your doctor and see what she/he has to say on both scores. And good luck to you -- you're doing beautifully.

Please don't judge, but I am looking for help. I drank a lot of alcohol before surgery and unfortunately have been drinking alcohol since about a month out and now I am almost a year out and at a stahl. I understand why and I would like to quit completely!!! It's very hard and want to know if anyone else is having this problem? What did you do to quit ? Thank you for not judging.

Just an update: I am so close to "One-derland" (weighing in the 100's) that I can taste it! Wah - I'm so excited! I was banded 8 months ago, and I am down 58 pounds. I currently weigh 201 lbs. I have not been in the 100's for 15 years... I was 160 when I became pregnant with our baby girl... and then I ballooned up to 259 lbs in the 15 years that followed. Now I'm down these 58 pounds I have changed my lifestyle and my relationship with food significantly. I am alcohol-free, (that habit was packing on thousands of calories a week!) plus I no longer eat rice, Pasta, bread or chips. I am on the treadmill 3-4 times a week and my FitBit tracks my steps. I have learned not to be too attached (yes, I still do some serious comparing from time to time) to the results of others and realize that my progress is mine and mine alone. unique to me. Patience, patience patience... and trusting in my process. This is why I am in love with my band - it is my constant companion and serves to remind me of what a healthier ME feels (and looks!) like.

I read through a few of your previous posts. You ate fried chicken the day before surgery and you've already tried alcohol when you aren't even a month post-op. Now you think starving yourself is the way to lose the most amount of weight so you can make your boyfriend happy? You need to go see a psychiatrist. Like now. Please. You are making so many stupid decisions that can hurt your body permanently or even kill you. I think you don't realize how serious this surgery is...