swizzly

Do you know how your iron levels are? Someone else on here had similar problems and was quite anemic all the sudden. You should definitely get some answers from your doctor! Good luck!

I'm sure I already posted in this thread cos the sleeve surgery and process has been a total breeze for me, LOVE it. But I thought I'd also mention I have two friends who've also been sleeved and they both had a quite easy time of it too. One had a hard time with certain foods, but no actual complications. The other one is having an easier time of it even than I did.

I haven't lost much in months either, so I hear you. That said, I started a couple of things that have made a surprising difference for me. First, I started eating this 'primal' way (marksdailyapple.com -- read the success stories!) so I cut out grains and legumes (and, um, SOME sugar...still working on that one . Then I also gave up wheat entirely in all forms, as I'm a bit gluten intolerant and so is my husband. He lost 5kg in a week from this and I lost 2kg. (wheatbellyblog.com) So maybe try something completely new? Might as well give something else a try before you opt for maintenance, eh? Good luck, Coops -- you're awesome and I always love hearing from you on here. <3 Happy New Year to you and your family!

Love it -- love the blog, love the photos! You've absolutely nailed the sleeve thing and it's inspiring.

A stone = 14 lb. ETA: I had a 'low' BMI and was a fairly slow loser. You still lose though!!

Great article and summary of the science, thanks!! I only want to add that I think a lot of the issues are not strictly idiopathic or genetic in nature, though. I believe (often subclinical) gluten and/or casein sensitivity; insulin overproduction/resistance brought about by highly processed nutritionally bankrupt foods based on corn, wheat, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and multiple non-food-based flavorings, colors, preservatives, etc.; and a car-based, non-active lifestyle are also major contributors -- which can then cause/exacerbate any/all of the other issues you outlined. I feel like there is a huge conspiracy by massive 'food' corporations to get people literally addicted to their crap products and they are causing massive and widespread obesity problems and getting away with it. And then people become patients in the system, where the healthcare/pharma industry can treat them for great profit. Drives me crazy! Anyhow, thanks again. I really enjoyed your article. Good luck with the sleeve transition!

That coat is fabulous!!

Hey coops -- I know it doesn't help, but you sure LOOK great! I understand what you mean about the credibility thing vis-a-vis not having met 'goal' -- I got a bit taken to task for that on the boards even though I DID meet my original goal, then reset a lower one after that, which I didn't meet (yet?). Meh, they can all piss off LOL. We are old hands at this and they can listen to what we have to say or not, no skin off my back. I'm very glad to hear your bloodwork came back all good. Sigh of relief there. I'm also having the perimenopause stuff and it SUCKS. Ugh. Was at a wedding this weekend where the best man looked like Robbie Williams and I totally kept thinking of you and smiling. (GT -- hope you're doing better?? Have you been to the doctor?)

I never started a formal exercise program (for personal reasons) till nine months post-op, and by then I'd lost most of my excess weight. Weight-loss is at least 80% diet, 20% exercise.

At nearly two years out, I have had the same amount of restriction for at least a year now. I haven't seen it change significantly for a long time -- and I had very little swelling at all post-op, so I could eat a lot (relatively speaking) from very early on. I don't doubt I will get a bit more wiggle room over time, but I am going to go out on a limb here and say there is NO WAY I will ever be able to eat in quantity again. At least not at one go. Maybe if I ate every hour or two I could fit in a bunch of calories, but as it is, I eat pretty well and not overly low-cal (relative to the average sleever anyhow, about 1500-2000 cals per day) and maintain just fine -- and don't feel the need to eat more or less than that for the time being. Touch wood!

I don't eat wheat cos gluten issues run in my family.

As you know, SoS, I eat very similarly to you! I did lose down to "goal", which I didn't know what to pick as a goal anyhow LOL. And even though I'm in a size 6-8, I still take crap sometimes for eating too much or not reaching goal, cos I didn't reach my stretch goal. Not sure I need to get there, I'm pretty small already. Plus I am fine to eat 2000 per day and not gain at all and feel healthy and eat a wide variety of food. I do eat full-fat everything, I just don't eat wheat or most other grains, so my carbs are usually pretty low just cos of that, not cos I'm paranoid of carbs per se. I do eat faux sweeteners, but only cos I genuinely prefer them. Congrats, you look just lovely!!! :-)

SO HAPPY to hear it!! Welcome home, Coops' girl...so glad you're back with your family now.

Oooh, I LOVE that picture -- you both look fantastic!! Made me smile. :wub:

Gall bladder?

I had no problem to eat 1000, but some sleeves are a bit larger than others. It doesn't make a difference over the longer run, but smaller sleeves do seem to drop weight faster initially. In the end, it all seems to even out. ETA: Actually, by four months post-op, I could eat 1200.

No, no, no -- you're fine!! I also never lost my appetite/hunger, not even for a couple of days LOL. It took me at least a year to get to my original goal, and I kept losing just fine throughout that year. Some of us just lose a bit slower. There is no hard-and-fast rule or data that says you only lose in the first six months. So just keep trusting your sleeve and don't freak out -- enjoy the ride!! It's a fun one, for reals. GO YOU!!

Yes, I also had strict restrictions on lifting or any kind of exercise for the first six weeks post-op, apart from walking. And I wasn't supposed to do any big weights or resistance for the first three months and then only after being cleared following a physical.

Not too nasty, I've seen worse. To the point, yes. But not entirely factual, thus my further posts in this thread.

Hi, thanks! I had a test done pre-op at my clinic, where you have to put this whole thing over your head (it's hooked to a computer and some monitor thingies) and lie utterly still (seriously, they tell you to try not to blink LOL) for 30 minutes, and it measures your basal metabolic rate, or the calories you burn just by being alive and breathing. Mine was 1887 pre-op, and they said that was pretty good for my age/gender/size. I would love to find out what it is now, but my doctor said it's probably 200-300 calories lower than that now.

Maybe you missed it, but I DID reach my original goal, and then I moved it lower for the hell of it. I'm about halfway to the newer one, but not too fussed about getting there. I'm already pretty small and lean -- I will have a full-body and dexa scan in a couple of months, but the doctor already believes my muscle mass is pretty good. I should add a couple of things -- I'm not a binger or emotional eater, so I don't have trigger foods or binge eating. I also don't eat wheat at all (or most grains for that matter), so I automatically get fewer carbs, apart from the chocolate I eat daily. And I don't use my car at all, I do walk to work, walk around town, etc., getting at least a few kms every day just in walking -- so it's possible that I just burn more calories due to that (but my resting metabolic rate pre-op was already nearly 1900, so I don't have a bad metabolism at all -- and I didn't have any intent to mess with that). Anyhow, I'm not speaking from a normative perspective, I'm just telling my experience. Very low-cal diets ARE a trigger for me, as is too much exercise, or getting obsessive about it -- those are the areas I've had to be careful with. I do eat very healthily and get a lot of Protein and veg in. I snack on nuts, olives and chocolate -- and some days I'm sure I'm higher than 2000 calories, not very often though. And a lot of days I'm probably below that. Tracking is another behavior I have to be careful about, so I mostly just do it in my head. If I wasn't still losing/maintaining overall, I'd be doing something different, but this is what works for me. My clinic does NOT use shakes, liquid phases or calorie/protein counting -- it's all about real food, nutritional eating and moderation, and thus that's the focus. Might not work for everyone, I don't know -- but it works for me. ETA: All my blood levels are awesome, my BP is low-normal now, and my Iron levels are spot on. These were amongst my top goals.

I travel all the time and had been using a nearly-10-year-old passport, so I obviously had to get it renewed. The two photos look nothing alike LOL. But I never got too much crap about the old passport, it still worked fine. I got more suspicion cos of my work ID, so that one I had redone earlier this year.

I don't eat "so much" -- I eat a normal amount for a woman of my size, age and activity level, and all of it is healthy food. Also, my "goal" was randomly selected, my surgeon doesn't set them, neither does the doctor or the Nut. So I picked a weight that I was when I was in my teens...quite some years ago. I'm a normal BMI and am very fit, in excellent shape. My original fake "goal" was 68 kg, so I did hit that one a few months ago, then I lowered it just for the hell of it. But there isn't a real goal, I just picked one cos everyone on the boards always asks for one. I continue to lose inches and get in better shape by my workouts. My only point was that there is more than one way to do this. I've been successful at this, whether you agree or not is irrelevant to that fact. ETA: I have no desire to be super far under my new, random lower goal. I don't need to be under goal. ??

Oops, double post

My experience doesn't sound much like yours at all. I never did 500 calories -- got up to 1000+ as soon as I could, and ate at least 1000 cals per day from like six weeks post-op. After a few months it was 1200-1500, and now it's 1500-2000. I've lost just fine, and worked out not at all the first nine months, then started going to the gym three times a week. But multiple-hour workouts are not really necessary IMO. I'm almost two years out now and still losing slowly here and there, not with some huge extra effort or anything. I think the honeymoon period is a 'thing' but after the honeymoon you're still married as it were.