Hello buddies

Hi fellow Mayers. I hope this post finds everyone happy and doing their *******l is well here in Texas. Life has been busy for me trying to balance work (I forgot how tiring teaching Kinder can be, although these little kiddos amaze me everyday), family, exercise, chores, etc. It's crazy as I'm sure you all can relate. Somehow I manage to get all my water in but there are some days I forget my second dose of Calcium(I know, shame on me). Hunger is still not an issue with me. Although once I start eating and really enjoy it, I have to make myself eat. I get my protein in since I can eat more of it, usually 5 oz. is about the serving of meats I can handle. I used to LOVE pizza before wls but it doesn't settle well with my pouch. I can't eat bread unless it's toasted very well. I tried a Lays potato chip after eating some chicken salad and let's say I won't be trying any more chips. So no breads/carbs really for me. However, I have NO problem with sugar at all! I hoped I'd be one of those who dump but nope. I've treated myself to one small bite of cheesecake, a few bites of a homemade cookie and a nibble of my son's bday cake. The good thing...those little nibbles actually satisfied me. I didn't feel like I needed my own serving!! (Granted, I didn't try all those things in one day...lol). When I do get a sweet craving I eat some fruit or make a fruit smoothie and I'm in heaven. So I am making better choices for the first time in well, forever it seems! The surgery is working!!!! This is a great tool. Anyone experiment with sugar yet? Can you handle bread? Oh, I will take a moment to say how much I hate my hair falling out!!!! My wonderful brother (who does my hair) told me I could borrow one of his wigs if needed (by day he colors hair and by evening he colors the night with his drag queen self, lol, I love this guy!)Okay, just had to vent about about the hair loss for a minute. BUT I love everything else this surgery has done to me, so that's all the complaining I'll do. Thanks for listening and let me know what's up with you. Ana 221-155-125 (only 30 pounds away)

G'morning, Ana! Sounds like you're doing great! I admire you for teaching the little rugrats - not a job I think I could do well. Of course, in my line of work (HR), sometimes I FEEL like a Kindergarten teacher... I haven't really experimented with bread too much - I think in total, I've eaten a half a piece of rye toast (in about 3 sittings), and a few bites of cornbread. I took a tiny bite of a roll once and it sat in my pouch for hours. I don't do a lot of pasta, but I love the low-carb tortilla wraps - I do lots of quesidillas, Subway wraps, etc. but I try to tear off as much of the tortilla as possible. Sugar, for me, is no-man's land. My one miscalculated attempt of an oz of baked beans made me sicker than a dog, and I've found that tiny amounts of sugar combined with milk sugars also do me in. My pouch revolts, I get the sweats, my heart pounds and all I can do is sleep it off. I'm okay with that, though. Luckily, sugar alcohols, in small amounts, are okay with Ernesto (my pouch). I've had a tiny sliver of SF Apple Pie, and on occasion, treat myself to a Murray's SF Cookie (The fudge grahams are awesome! ) I'm losing hair too. I cut it short, and what I've got is very strong and healthy, thanks to biotin, but it's still coming out. I've already got new growth coming in, so I try not to spaz about it too much. If it gets bad, I may be asking your brother for a wig, too! Anyway, glad to hear you're doing so well! Becky 287/207/Haven't decided yet (150-170)

Hey, Ana! I do fair with eating. I think the hardest meal is dinner during the week. I have a protein shake at 2:30 in the afternoon then I'm usually pretty ambivalent about dinner when I get home from work. I eat because I know I need to. Just could care less. I avoid sugar and breads (rice, pasta, etc). My body and carbs just don't seem to get along - I gain weight when I eat carbs - even small amounts. We were at a festival today and seeing those big pretzels. I just had to have a piece of one. I had about a 2" piece and that was it. I think Rich had about double that size and the rest about 3/4 or more of it went into the trash. LOL. I have had a couple of bouts of mild dumping. Once was a couple of months ago from some high protein, low carb, high fiber cereal. My whole belly felt sore. My surgeon thinks it was dumping. Had the same type of reaction a month ago from Outback salmon with the remoulade sauce. Contacted them about it but no sugar in the sauce or on the fish. Fats don't seem to bother me so I have no clue what upset things. But it was that meal cuz stupid me tried to eat the leftovers the next day and same thing. Doh! My hair has been falling out for more than a month. It was cut short to begin with. I lost hair in 1988 after losing weight on Weigh****chers so I know how it goes...been there, done that. Cannot see any regrown yet but I know it will come. I think the hair isn't coming out as fast then there isn't as much to come out now is there? LOL. Think I have some gallbladder issues. I've been taking Urso since surgery (1 500 mg tablet daily) but still have problems. It doesn't happen after every meal but after some - I get pain (probably a 1-2 on a scale of 1 to 10) under the bottom of my rib cage on my right side. Spoke to my MD about it. Will speak to my surgeon about when I have my 4 month post-op visit on Wednesday. That's the scoop from here! Take care, Kathy 276/244/192.5/160-170 (22.5-32.5 lbs to goal!)

Sorry about the gallbladder issues your having. I had mine removed in '97, when I lost 70 pounds with Jenny Craig. The pain was terrible!!!! I was so glad when they took out that sucker. My friend takes Urso for chronic billiary cirrhosis(sp.??) of the liver. It's not really helping her though. Thanks for the update.

Hey Anna, I love informative posts like this! I am soooooo nosy. You had me cracking up about your bro Happy to hear how fabulous you are doing...my baby started kindergarten last week...wow! Anyway, Overall I think that I am doing pretty well. Still not exercising (I really really gotta start trying to get that in) And sugar is my friend...I can do anything. Like you, no real hunger...but know when I need to eat. My problem is these damn vending machines here at work, I can't stay away from them! I don't really waste the time or energy on bread...occasionaly I'll do a well toasted english muffin, but thats about it. The hair problem is serious...more and more everyday...

Hey Everyone, congrats on doing so well! I'm very blessed to not be experiencing any significant hair loss. I have always worn my hair cut very short and I take biotin, so maybe that has helped. I have not had any bread since surgery - my surgeon does not allow any breads, muffins, rice, pasta, etc for the first six months. After six months, we are allowed whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, etc. I am hoping that by the time I am six months out, I won't care about bread anymore. Right now, I don't really miss it. I am allowed wheat crackers and occasionally, I will have a few triscuits with tuna ro melba toast with cheese. I also confess that I do like to have a few saltines with cheese or chicken broth. I have not experimented with sugar at all because I know it would make me very sick. I know this because the natural sugars in fresh fruit still makes me dump, so I am assuming that my reaction to refined sugar would be far worse. I can tolerate small amounts of sugar alcohol and I have had very small amounts of sugar free candies such as one s/f jolly rancher or one s/f werthers caramel at a time. I struggle to keep head hunger in check. It seems like I constantly want something to munch. When I get the munchies, I'll have some water or pop in one s/f hard candy. I also feel actual hunger - usually in the afternoon between lunch and dinner. My surgoen frowns upon eating between meals, but sometimes, I will have a carb-control yogurt when I get hungry in the afternoon. I honestly don't think that a 60 calorie cup of yogurt with hamper my weight loss efforts. Exercise is going extremely well, thank God. I work out six days per week doing cardio and some form of weight training. I can feel the muscles in my arms and shoulders becoming more toned. I have really bad bat wings, though. I feel like I'm about to take flight! I am also focussing more on ab work these days. Gotta start whittling away this belly fat! I bought some new sneakers over the weekend - a size nine down from a size 11! I also bought some new track pants from Sam's Club - a size XL down from a XXXL! The XL's fit me snugly around the hips, so I will be in them for a while. I don't think I could fit into XL slacks yet, but it is nice to be able to wear XL sweats - which tend to be cut a tad bigger. That's about all I have to report. Hugs, Tracy

Hi Ana- It's so nice to read how others are doing. I saw your new pictures and you look great! I'm doing well, I weighed in on Friday and I'm down 82 pounds! Only 50 more to go!! I walk daily and try to go to Curves, I've been having problems with my shoulder, so I've been sticking to walking, but I'm going back to Curves today to give it another try. I am able to eat a little bread, although I avoid it. Sugar doesn't seem to bother me, either, which is not a good thing! I'm avoiding it like you, and will only have a bite on special occasion. So far no dumping for me, I feel so healthy! It seems as the weeks go by adjusting to this new life gets easier and easier. I'm doing the Walk From Obesity on Saturday, and I'm very proud. In my former life I would have never signed up for something like this!!