046544’s Posts
Hang in there! 2 1/2 weeks is cake! I started at 266 lbs. and I've had two stalls; the first at 199 that lasted for 5 weeks! The second one was at 184 and lasted for 4 weeks. I lost 6 pounds within a week after both stalls. I've ramped up my exercise, hoping it will help the next time my scale decides to take a vacation without telling me! Yes; they are frustrating, but you just have to keep doing what you know you are supposed to be doing and wait it out.
Everyone is different. I stalled for 4 weeks at six months and again for 4 weeks at 9 months (I'm 9 months out). I dropped 6 pounds in 5 days after this last stall! Don't sweat it. Just keep doing what you're supposed to be doing. I know it is frustrating, but you just have to be patient. I was convinced that my sleeve wasn't working, but now that I understand how my stalls work, I'm not going to let it get to me when the next one happens.
Yes, you made me chuckle! This particular guy likes them "anorexic hot." I can't tell you how many times I've heard him say that!
So a co-worker (a guy) said to me today, "you're getting too thin; you're not going to look very good if you keep losing weight."
ARE YOU KIDDING ME????
This is why I didn't tell anyone I had surgery. I've been criticized for being fat, criticized for how I've tried to lose weight in the past, and now I have to be criticized for being thin?? By the way I am NOT thin yet; I am still considered Obese, but inching closer to being "overweight."
I don't know; maybe it was some sort of complement, but it really pissed me off!
There's no place like Nebraska! Had my surgery at Methodist with Dr. Cronk on Dec. 14. Heard all the bariatric surgeons in Omaha are fantastic, though. 80 lbs. down! Best of luck to you!
I'm 6 months post op and was a diet Pepsi ADDICT prior to surgery. I've only tried it once since surgery, at about 4 months out. I poured it over ice and let it sit a bit before I tried drinking it. I will tell you it just plain HURT! Two sips and I was done. It's like the gas built up immediately and had nowhere to go. Worse than that, it did not taste like I remember! I don't plan on trying it ever again.
Thank you so much, Elina; you are so kind!
I guess I forgot to post my carbs, which have been typically under 50 lately, but I agree with what you said about them. I'm glad you mentioned the hot tea; I had noticed it helps with hunger, but I haven't been drinking it since the weather warmed up, and I guess I kind of forgot. Do you think it matters if it's caffeinated or de-caffeinated?
I had read Frisco's post, and will find yours addressing hunger. Thanks again for your input!
I am 6 months post op and feel I've made some mistakes, and have been trying to figure some things out for the past several weeks. I am 71 pounds down. I'm scared to death I got too complacent and am screwing this up.
Mistake #1: At my 3 month appointment, my surgeon told me to stop drinking protein shakes and get my nutrition from food. Well, that led to over-eating by trying to keep up with my protein requirement. Started having vomiting issues. He also said I could eat anything I wanted, but keep my protein up and limit sugar intake to occasionally.
Mistake #2: I stopped tracking what I was eating after my 3 month follow up. Still measured everything, but didn't track it. I have found that as I could tolerate different foods, I have navigated towards higher fat, higher calorie foods-but still measuring. When my weight loss came to a screeching halt, I starting tracking again and found that I had worked myself up to between 80-100 grams of protein per day, but my calories have also gone up to between 800-1400! I am now working on trying to get that number under control, but I AM STARVING!!! I have also been dreaming about food, and am constantly fighting off cravings.
Mistake #3: I had foot surgery at 4 months post op, and have had difficulty healing. Yep, that's right-I haven't been walking regularly in 2 months! It's getting much better now, and anticipate being able to get back to my routine by this weekend.
So, I'm about ready to start walking again, I'm getting at least 64 ounces of fluid a day (water), I've gone back to at least one protein shake a day, sometimes two. My calorie intake is now about 800-1000, and my protein intake is still about 80-100 grams. However, I AM STILL STARVING!!!
I've identified my issues and I'm working to get back on track, but I'd love to have your input.
What are you eating to keep your calories low? Are you ever hungry? Have I stretched out my sleeve? Can I get back on track and stop feeling like I'm starving all the time? Am I over-reacting?
Thank you in advance for your input and encouragement,
Suzan
6 months out. Had a craving for diet Pepsi about 6 weeks ago. That did not go well. I was a diet Pepsi addict before surgery, and it just sounded so refreshing 6 weeks ago! I took two drinks, and it felt like my stomach was going to explode! On top of that, it just didn't taste like I remember.
I can only do ground beef if it is in chili. I don't have any trouble with filet mignon, but can't tolerate a hamburger. Pasta and lettuce are the other things I can't tolerate. Makes me sad because I love salads.
My longest was 5 weeks, and the other day, I was suddenly 4 pounds down. Thank God! I'm 6 months out this Friday.
I had a stall that lasted about a week at approximately 2 months. I'm 6 months out this Friday, and just came off a 5 week stall! It was one of the most frustrating times of my life! However, two days ago, I got on the scale and was 4 pounds down! I guess what everyone says is true; you just have to be patient and keep on doing what you've been taught.
FAGE Plain Greek yogurt with Torani or DaVinci sugar free flavored syrup. My favorite is Banana-tastes like banana flavored Laffy Taffy. I don't eat it much now, though. I think I ate too much of it early on, and I've developed a gag reflex to that texture. I'd like to try it again with something crunchy in it.
I am 6 months out this week, and tried those Naturemade Mini's about a week ago. It felt like it was stuck in my esophagus all day long! They had started me on Flintstones Complete from day one, but I didn't want a vitamin with iron in it-don't need it and it makes me constipated. So, I switched to Centrum Silver Chewables without iron. They're a little tart, but I chew it up with my Tums, so that helps. I don't know what else to try at this point.
I had a robotic (DaVinci) hysterectomy in Oct. 2012. Doctor said I had to wait six weeks to have the sleeve, but it worked out to be 8 weeks because of scheduling.
I've had something similar going on with my left eye. It hurts when I move it, but doesn't seem to be affecting my vision. I went to the eye doctor on Tuesday and he says there is nothing wrong upon exam, but suspects eye allergies. I have my 6 month surgery follow up on June 10, so I will be sure to mention it to the doc and see what he says. I do not take B vitamins, but have already had my blood work done so we'll see where I'm at on the 10th.
After a super nsv at the department store the other day, I am now in Onederland! 199 this morning! Would have had an awesome day, but had ingrown toe nails removed today. I figured I better get the tootsies looking good, too! Weight loss has slowed to a crawl and I feared I would never get here. One more pound, and I will have lost 1/2 of my excess body weight. My surgeon's goal is 170, but my goal is 150. I would love to be there by Dec. 14, which will be one year post surgery. Finally feel good enough to ramp up the exercize, which I hope will speed the loss up a bit. Cheers to everyone!
So I'm at Younkers the other day trying to find a pair of black dress pants. I tried on everything they had and nothing fit right-baggy butt or too long. I told the sales lady I've been losing weight and asked if she new how big the sizes went up to in the Misses department. She said some go up to a Misses 16 and would probably fit me better than a women's size, and then she held out her hand and said, "give me that 1X top, honey; you don't belong in this department anymore." Then we both laughed. Guess what? She was right! It's the first time I'd paid attention to the misses department. Wow; they have a lot more clothes to choose from there! Not like the little plus size corner! Before now, the misses department is the part of the store you have to walk through to get to the parking lot. This is gonna be good! I'm taking Friday off to go shopping! I hope my credit card doesn't spontaneously combust!
In the last year or so before surgery, I had reflux pretty bad. But, since the surgery, I've had no problems-not ever.
I'm 5 months out and don't have any problem with straws. I have one of those big mugs with a straw that I take in my car.
As for soda, they said if you must, it has to be flat. I was a diet Pepsi addict! I've tried twice since surgery to drink one by pouring it over ice, but it just didn't taste how I remember, so I think I'm done with it. Besides, it is the one thing I can think of that has absolutely no nutritional value to it. I drank tea for a while, but it stained my teeth terribly, so my drink of choice is water or an occassional Crystal Lite.
In the early days, I ate canned Swanson's All While Meat Chicken. It was easy for me to digest. I'm 5 months out now, and I cube chicken breasts into really small cubes, then I put a 1/2 slice of finely chopped bacon on it and a big tablespoon of Ranch dressing and a sprinkle of extra sharp cheddar, or I add Buitoni alfredo sauce with a tablespoon of peas and some finely chopped fresh basil and some fresh garlic. Seems like I need some fat to make it easier to digest. I can eat just about any meat, in small pieces. What I still can't eat is lettuce and it depends on the day if I can tolerate eggs.
I read this post, and thought I had written it! You and I started about the same weight, and I had my surgery in December. I am having the same thoughts, hunger and doubts as you and what I decided is that I'm just going to have to go backwards and relearn what I've been taught, and start again. I think I'm still not convinced this is going to work for me. Like you, I had a dramatic weight loss at first, and then reality hit. It feels like every other time I've tried to lose weight on my own, but then I hit that wall and fall off of it. I know I have to be patient and follow the plan, but It is so very frustrating some days. I've only lost 2 pounds this past month. It will come off; it has to! It works for everyone else and I don't think that you or I are the exception! We can do this!
Asking for some input...
I'm just over 4 months out, and at my 3 month, the surgeon told me not to drink protein shakes anymore. He wants me to get my protein from food. So, I feel like I'm constantly stuffing my face and over-eating, and still not able to get in all the protein I should.
I've never had a vomiting problem until this last month. I think I've over-done it at least 5 times. I feel sick to my stomach, dry mouth, and instantly exhausted when it happens. My water intake is fine, but have developed an aversion to yogurt and anything with that texture. Doing fine with meats. I feel like I'm off track and need to go back to the beginning for re-inforcement. I called in and they told me to add Beneprotein to my food, but haven't found that yet. I think I'll have to order that online.
So, why is it wrong to be drinking protein shakes at 4 months out?
I'm 4 months out, as well, and have lost 58 lbs. It's really slow going now.
I don't understand why, but my doctor told me to stop drinking protein shakes and get my protein in from food, but it's nearly impossible! I find I'm eating too much and too fast, and have some vomiting issues because of it. I haven't tracked my food in the last month; just thought I needed a break for a while. I'm ready to start tracking again, though. I'm anxious to see if I've been keeping up! I don't think I've been losing any hair yet.
I just came off a 3 week stall; it was driving me nuts! Kept gaining and losing the same 2 pounds (11 weeks out now). About 10 days ago, I started making a few changes. I started drinking about 3 cups of decaffeinated tea (hot) per day, and I re-read my allowed foods list, and started experimenting with new foods I hadn't bothered with up until now. I've been able to cut my calories at least 200 a day from what I had been eating on a typical day and at the same time, up my protein. Last Saturday I weighed and was down 3 pounds from the day before! I weighed again today, and I'm down 6 pounds for the week.
Be patient and try to change things up a bit. It might help. Regardless, it will eventually pass.
Good luck!
I had my surgery about 8 weeks ago. The surgeon said it went great, but I had a lot of pain. From what I hear and read on this forum, I am in the minority. It appears most people do extremely well with very little pain. The surgeon thinks he got a nerve caught up in a stitch. I'm fine now, but struggled with getting around for about 3 weeks. We don't have a recliner, so I slept on the sofa with a wedge pillow under my knees for about 3 1/2 weeks. I also wore an abdominal brace. I could finally sleep on my side at about 4 weeks. Had just a little nausea from time to time. No problems with vomiting, though. The only thing that was really hard to deal with was the constipation. I stopped taking extra iron and stopped getting constipated.
My weight loss was about a pound a day for the first 3 weeks, then tapered off to about 3 pounds a week. Right now, I'm in a very frustrating stall (on the scale), but I know it will pass eventually. I went through a period from week 4 to 7 when I was starving all the time. Now, that seems to have subsided quite a bit. I'm supposed to be eating 3-4 ounces per meal now, but I can only get in about 2 1/2 at a time, so I've been eating a little more frequently. Finally this week, I've been getting over 64 ounces of water, plus any other fluids.
Food intake was like this: first 2 weeks were liquids only. Weeks 3-6 was a blenderized diet. Weeks 7-12 is a soft diet, where I am now.
Can't think of anything else to tell you. There were a handful of doubtful days, but I am sooo happy I did it!
Best of luck to you!
