2bslimkim

Everytime I try to explain to someone that i'm on a restricted calorie intake or that i'm not able to eat that much, they immediately ask me if i'm on the "500 cal HGC diet"... Honestly, there have been times when I just give up and say "yep, that's it, 500 cals per day" Maybe that might work......

I didn't start worrying about Protein till week 2. I was then able to drink 2 "Premium Brand" (costco or Sams club) Protein drinks per day. Each had 30 grams of protein = 60 grams per day.... I would take me between 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to get each one down. As far as Soup, I was only able to eat about 1 or 2 once's per sitting and I had to reheat it several time because it would get so cold. First week home.... sounds like you may be trying to get to much down. Concentrate on liquid Protein shakes that are simple/lite and take your time sipping them. You will feel better in the long run.

I had only lost 15 at the 4 week mark and now my avg. per week is 2-3 lbs... Thats perfect according to my Dr. If a lbs is aprrox 3500 cal then we have to remove/loss/burn off 10,500 per week to lose 3 lbs. 20 lbs is wonderful.... Also (some people stretch the truth a tad so don't get over welmed by over achievers). When was the last time you lost 20 lbs in 4 weeks. The surgery doen't remove fat it just helps up keep our caloried in check so we don't over eat. Your body still has to burn the fat... and we all do it at a different pace.

The other ladies who eat at the office with me made so much fun of me the first month... I wouldn't even get an once down before I was reheating my food. Often reheating 3-5 times before I was done. It does get better and very quick. My Dr's diatician showed me (a small tupperwear type container) what 4 onces is (the amount i'm not to exceed when eating meals) and it is small. So now, when my food gets cold, I stop eating. That is usually about the same time my stomach starts to tell me (i'm done). You will be surprised how much different your eating habits will be in a few more weeks.

I had my surgery on Monday, Feb. 28 and was back to work the following Monday with no issue. I think a lot depends on your beginning weight. I only started out at 215 so within one week post of I was down to 202... Not a problem for me and I had plenty of Protein with my shakes so I didn't feel weak or need naps after day 5. It's a personal choice... Have you ever had surgery before? If so, how did that go. I found this to be very similar to my Gall Bladder and Apendix surgeries as far as recover.

I agree we should...

I'm 5'5" (48 yrs old) and my OB had my metabolic rate also tested when I suddenly went from 125 to 205 at age 35 after second child was born. I had developed hypothyroidism and after the same testing you did was told my resting metabolic rate was 980... and i'm fairly active. My Dr. said I may have to maintain on as little as 850-980 per day after my weight loss is complete. Calorie intake is different for everyone.

Since we are both from the same city I thought i'd share my experience with Joe T's and the Bakery. I've been to Joe's twice and once shared Fajita's with my hubby and the second time I got a Beef Fajita nacho (couldn't even hardly eat a bite, gave almost all the meat away and scraped the cheese and Beans off). I had a couple chips (broken up) with salsa, but to be honest my hunger went away around the 5th week. Like you it was very active the 3 & 4 week. But it seems once I could eat real food again, it went away. I even went to Grace on my Birthday and had a glass of wine and 1/2 a crab cake (still lost). I went to the Bakery with my family Sunday and order the Huevos con Papa's which came with flour tortillias and refried beens... I could hardly eat any of it. I've totally lost my taste for greasy mexican food. I didn't even want the flour tortillia which I use to fill (at least 2) with Huevos a la Mexicana and cheese then dip in the beans. You may find your taste buds have changed once you start trying to eat Mexican food. After Protein for so long I couldn't wait for a salad and now crave them. My weight lose has slowed down but it is steady and my Dr. says that is perfect since i'm down to 187 now. He reminded me that it is impossible for me to lose as fast as someone who is closer to 250-300 and that i should be happy with 2 to 3 lbs per week (my average now is 4) but it is slowing down. I ate with my mom on Sat. at Charleston over on Hulen and ordered a Salad with chicken and loved it... You will be OK... just manage your day. If you eat to much Mexican food (which I dought you can) lighten up later or earlier in the day. If i can do it I know you can do it... Keep up the great work!

Wow... where do i begin. I was sleeved on 2/28 (2 weeks before you) and my Birthday was last Tuesday (3-29).... Had many of the same issues as you. I talked to my Dr. about having a glass of wine on my b-day and he said as long as I burn it off exercising before or after. I'm getting off track. Anyway, we decided to check into a hotel downtown (got a babysitter for our son for the night). Went to our favorite restaurant, visited a bar we are part owner of, and ended up at a friends wine bar. 1.) we visited the bar and I had an ice tea while my husband had cold beers. 2.) Went to a really nice downtown restaurant where I had a 1/2 glass of rose at the restaurant and 1/2 a crab cake. We ate at the bar (this was a very upscale place but by eating at the bar i didn't feel like I needed to order off the main menu.) The bar fare is much smaller. My husband still had his steak and salad ( and half my crab cake). 3.) We visited our friends wine bar where I had full glass of wine (by now it's almost midnight and we've been walking downtown, lots of walking) Back to hotel.... checked out the next morning, went home and swam all afternoon in the pool. Weighed the next morning and lost 2 lbs. I'm not saying this is good or bad but i did manage to juggle it all and drop a few lbs. I had been stalling all week so I guess all the walking and swimming made up for the wine. Good luck and happy Birthday! Fellow Aries Oh yeah! you will find that each week that passes you will be able to tolerate more and more... big difference between week 4, 5, & 6.

I was sleeved on Feb 28 (just a week or so before you) and i've only lost a total of 25 lbs which includes a pre-op one week diet. Here is what has happened to me..... I feel your pain Pre-op week lost 7 lbs 1 week post op 6 lbs 2 week post op 3 lbs 3 week post op 0 lbs (also had my period) 4 week post op 6 lbs 5 week post op 2 lbs beginnin week 6 started today and my period has come again, very early so i've had 2 periods in one month . (NOT NICE MOTHER NATURE) I'm also in Texas (Fort Worth) I swim on the weekends so I had hours of swimming yesterday and Sat. but other than that i'm not a walker/runner. I like riding my bike but it has been too darn windy.... like crazy windy

Talking about Reverse discrimination....did you ever in your wildest dreams think that would happen. That dude has some serious issues.....

Slowly does it... i'm 5 weeks out and I can say i've never pureed anything (the thought turns my stomach). I do eat mushy foods and like a new born baby i introduce them into my new baby tummy one at a time and very slowly. my first soft food was cottage cheese. that was very easy for me. My second was Tuna salad. I use fat free mayo and a little Sweet relish (very little) just for flavor. I mush with my fork till it is very soft and mushy (not pureed). Yogurt is another good food to start with. Think of feeding a baby... first they have a liquid diet, then you slowly introduces foods one at a time to make sure the baby doesn't have a reaction to it. Same thing goes for you.... Don't think of it as trying to have a 2 or 3 item meal just yet. I also introduced (this week) scrambled hamburger meat (very lean and all grease removed) with a little Pasta sauce sauce on it. I also enjoy a scrambled egg with a little goat cheese added to it for texture and added Protein and flavor. Also... considere skipping on the potatoes until you have eaten your protein. Try mashed potatoes after you have had a small meat ball that has been mushed up with your fork very well with a little tomato sauce. Chew very slowly.... all foods. My Dr. allows also, thinly sliced deli meat. about 3 slices of 96% fat free is a great snack. I don't puree it. I just take very small bite... and chew chew chew. I sometimes spread a little hummus on it for extra flavor and protein. I hope this helps you a little. Tonight i went out with friends to a BBQ rest. and I had a small amount of Beans mashed and the butcher cut me some white meat turkey into very small bites with some sauce on the side. This was very good and even thou i was only able to eat a few bites of the turkey i felt like i was eating with my friends and it took me as long to eat a few once's of food as them to eat a whole BBQ platter. Anyway... Good luck. Just slow down and think New baby tummy. PS. I was in my 4th week before I started mushy food.

Is there an airport near your home? My thought is to save the money on the extra Hotel fees and fly to and from Dallas. Catch a cab to and from the the Hospital. I know many people go to Mexico and travel home by air several days after surgery. I just don't think you should drive 6 hr until you are on pure liquid diet and you are able to achieve the 60 grams of Protein needed. You will not be able to eat the first week except Clear liquids and you will be very light headed from surgery and from a very low calorie, low protein diet. I felt like crap until I was able to start Protein shakes and that was day 5. You will not fell like driving. First of all, you will need to nap up until about 5or 6 days out. I started driving my son to and from school at 8 days out. I would have never considered an 6 hour drive solo. You will be required to stop every hour to walk to avoid blood clotting. Have you check the Greyhound schedule or even Amtrak. I ride Amtrak to and from Fort Worth to Austin TX on a regular bases. You can even get a sleeper cabin. If you could just get yourself close enough to your home town that someone could pick you up and drive you the remainder of the way. Let us know what you decide. I

I had my Gall Bladder removed may 2010. My pain felt like I had an ulcer in my stomach. I didn't have back pain, radiating pain, or fever. Standing was more comfortable than sitting. My pain would come and go (and did for about 6 mo's). I was out-of-town on a business trip when it went chronic. I was by myself in a hotel when I finally had to call an ambulance. At that time, I thought I was having a heart attack. I was short of breath, dehydrated, pain in my stomach that felt like an ulcer gone really bad. The EMT people also thought i was having a heart attack and quickly hooked me up to an EKG and an IV. Once I got to the hosp. the Dr. asked one question. "Ever had your Gall Bladder Removed" After a sonogram and blood work all coming back confirming by naughty Gall Bladder needed to come out I was scheduled for surgery the next morning. Now lets talk appendix... also had mine removed. It is on the right side and the pain will be almost exactly (if you could draw an imaginary line from your right hip bone to your belly button) in the middle of that line. If this is the first time you have experienced this pain.... it may come and go and you might forget about it for a while. Be sure and let your Dr. known that you have had this experience. Take Care.

I'm new to the game but when I was diagnosed with Hypothyroid and started gaining weight for no reason at all, my OB office tested my metabolic rate. My bodies daily with regular activity only burns 980 cals per day. I saw my Dr. friday and asked him why my weight loss was slower than others... 1) you have less to lose. 2) you have a slower metabolic rate than some. And he said I may never be able to eat more than 800-1000 calories per day even on maintenance. At 4 weeks post op i'm probably only eating about 400-600 calories per day. I'm averaging 4.5 lbs lost per week. I did have a 3rd week stall but included that in the overall calculation. Basically we are all different and you will have to see what works for you. Good Luck!

I'm 4 weeks post op today. While I can't add to what all has been said, and I didn't really personally go thru the food mourning issue I do mourn Wine. Due to some scheduling complications I had my 2 week post op appt this past Friday (3 weeks 4 days) and I mentioned to my Dr. my Birthday is tomorrow and that I would really like to have a glass of wine. here is what my Dr. said. As long as you work off the calories before hand (I swim laps) he didn't feel it would be an issue "ON OCCASION". well that was Friday and what I didn't know was my family had decided to Celebrate my b-day on Sat. since Tuesday is a work and school day. Well, long story short. I had my little glass of wine. I swam like a mad man and I lost 2 lbs over the course of the weekend. What I'm trying to say is.... all things in moderation. learn what your body can tolerate and how hard you need to work to correct a boo boo... Now the upside of my story... well more upside. Before I went for my swim, I started trying on bathing suits to see what one would look the best. I had bought several on sale at the end of the season and they were too small for me when we went on our cruise at christmas, anyway.... they were all too big (all of them). I had to find a smaller suit from several years back. Now that was worth all the ravioli in the world. I think the biggest problem i have eating out... my food gets cold before i can finish it. So i sit and watch everyone else in amazement of how much junk they can put back and HOW FAST..... hard to believe that use to be me Best of wishes... you will find you own rythym. Every ones is differnt. Your wine may be cake or chocolate. Portions control, substitution, and exercise will be key factors in how well we do.

If you stick to a high Protein diet you should be good. Protein burns fat not muscle. I had my surgery Feb. 28 and started swimming my laps today with no problems. I'm probably older than you (48) but I always had an athletic build since I was young. I was always thin and athletic till I turned 40 and I developed hypothyroidism and watched my weight climb from 125 to 215. One thing you may want to be aware of.... as my dr. explained to me on Friday when I visited him. A 200 lb person is not going to lose weight as fast as a 300 or 400 lb person. I was concerned with why i hadn't dropped the average 20 lbs in 2 weeks post op i always read about. And he said to stop worrying. He explained a 300 person will lose 40 in the same time frame a 200 person loses 20... etc etc etc. I have consistant weight loss of about 1/2 lb per day. I did have the 3rd week stall but i've lost 4 lbs this week so far (monday is my 4 week post op) I also have the (2x c-section) hangover but it is getting smaller. Anyway.... i'm rambling. Keep up your protein and you should keep your muscle.

Day 5 was the worst for me. I was feeling better but had no strength because like you I was not getting enough protein. Well Day six I had had enough and drank my first 30 gram Protein Drink. It took 2 hrs but I immediately started feeling better. I drank 2 that day, one in the morning and one in the evening and what a difference. I sipped very slowly.... and I mean very slowly to make sure i was able to handle it. I had my surgery on a Monday Feb. 28 and Saturday was the day I started drinking protein. Best of luck!

this only helps if you don't already take the pill but when i'm scheduled to have my period during vacations I tell my OB and she will write a prescript for one month dose of birth control pills. I start taking the week before and it prolongs my period. I usually actually skip it. I only take the pill till I know i've passed the time frame I need. I've done this twice and both times it worked perfect.

You know... i've been thinking about this and one thing I've noticed is we all hit this about the time we start to add full liquids or for some soft foods. I wonder if the added sodium in these foods add water retention back to our bodies that we might have lost during the clear liquid and light liquid phases. Hummmm...... Maybe that is why the increased liquids helps....

OK.... I just completed my 3rd week post op and I only lost one lb this week. What's up with this. I'm still on liquids and no more than 400-500 cals. at best each day. Tons of Water... way more than 60 oz per day and I do get my 60 grams of Protein via Protein drinks. Here is my weight loss: Pre-Op 7 lbs Post Op Week 1, 6.5 lbs Post Op Week 2, 3 lbs Post Op Week 3, 1 lbs Has any one else had low numbers like this.... I'm still glad I had the surgery but I've read of avg. weight loss for first month post op being in the 20's and i'm going to do good to make the teens. I concerned that my body is getting use to the low cal intake and is OK with it. I have a very low metabolic rate and hypothyroid. I mean can you imagine other than surgery week... (water & broth) i've only lost 4 lbs in two weeks on liquids. that just seems crazy to me. Advise please....

I too look forward to a glass of wine every now and then. I enjoy wine, vineyards, wine tastings etc. But I'm mature enough to know that wine and I will have to start a new relationship. NOW FOR THE TOUGH LOVE PART. What disappoints me most is you trying to say that because you belong to a "boys-club" you must drink like one.... GROW UP! and FAST. I'm a national Media Buyer and partner in one of the Southwests oldest Advertising Agency... Now if thats not a "Boys-Club" than I don't know what is....... Most all my Media vendors are men... Most of my accounts are Industrial, Farm & Ranch, Big Rid Trucking, & Steel. If you ever want to be taking seriously in business (AS A WOMAN) you will monitor you drinking and you can start TODAY. It is not needed to be hammered to do business, I even played golf with the big boys in the late 80's so please don't tell me about the Boys Club. You are just making excusses and I think you know it. Testing the Waters at 2 weeks... PLEASE. Now for the LOVE part. You need support... and not the kind that wants to hang and drink with you. We are all here to support you and it may get tough every now and then. Trust me, many of us are old enough to know what you are..... and who you can be. Take care and put the drinks down till you've reached your goal... Water and lime is fine!

Mine where still on 14 days later on the larger insicions. I did some reading and found out it was OK to peel them off so I did (what was left)

Day 21 post op and i've not had any problems YET???? but I did find a gummy Fiber chewable at Target that i've been taking from the beginning. I don't know if they are any good for me but i've not had any problems going since i've been taking them. I take two per day along with my other gummy Vitamins. Glad you are all better