Foxbins

More than half way to goal! 44 lbs since 1/13/11. Stuck the last six days, hoping the scale starts down again soon. Hitting the gym tomorrow for some weightlifting.

I tipped him when he dropped me off at the airport for the trip home.

Right now, liquids in, liquids out! Once you are eating mostly solid proteins constipation starts for some people.

I just wanted to chime in here to say that if you are on a liquid diet there is no need for you to wait 30 minutes before and after meals before consuming your liquid meal. Just keep drinking liquids all the time.

Last night I was wanting some bread quite badly as I have not had any since before surgery in January. I found a recipe on The World According to Eggface that used Protein powder and multigrain pancake mix in small quantities. It sounded like it would taste good and certainly would have more protein than something I would buy in a store, so I made it. It cooks in the microwave so it was done in about five minutes. I cut a small slice (about half an ounce) and gave it a try. It tasted fine but felt awful in my stomach, like a big ball sitting in there. I measure my food and don't eat until I am full so I can honestly say that this is the first time I have felt what restriction is--a tightness and discomfort in my stomach. Stupidly, I tried to wash it down with a small sip of Water (so glad I didn't take a big swallow) and I swear I could feel it expand inside. All in all, a very uncomfortable half-hour until the feeling went away. I won't be doing that again. Too bad, it tasted pretty good. However, bread, waffles, cake, English muffins--well, all baked goods, really--were some of the foods that got me fat, so maybe it is a blessing that I can't eat them anymore.

Liquids generally go right through unless your stomach is very swollen. Don't worry about liquids at all; you will feel restriction when you start to eat real food.

The tablet was so small I could just swallow it starting at about 6 days post-op.

As I understand it, when you had a quart-sized stomach the acid could slosh around in there and have a lot of room to move around. After surgery, you have a small diameter and volume stomach but still acid production, so the acid has fewer places to go. One of the places to go is up--producing reflux. I think the permanence of reflux depends on the person--I read something that said if you didn't have reflux problems before surgery, probably you wouldn't have them after, but I am thinking "after" means six months to a year after surgery. I tried to go off my PPI after 90 days and woke up in the middle of the night with reflux. Back on it now and no problems at night. I'll give it another try in 3 more months.

I weigh when I get up in the morning each day. Ignoring the scale contributed to my obesity and so I am watching it this time. However, I don't obsess over the number--I know I am sticking to my plan so if there is not a loss every single day I know one is coming sometime soon.

From my reply to Apple-saucy's post: Breakfast: coffee & 4 oz scallops = 16 gm Protein, 2 carbs, 85 cal. Lunch: 4 oz chicken salad with grapes = 12 gm protein, 12 carbs, 170 cal. Snack: 1 slice turkey breast = 9 gms protein, 60 cal. Dinner: 4 oz chicken thigh = 31 gm protein, 232 calories liquid Calcium citrate = 10 carbs, 35 cal. H2O = 64 oz. Total 68 gms protein, 24 gms carbs, 582 cal. I am 16 weeks out on Thursday.

I was not nauseous at all--mostly what I felt was thirsty because all I had was an IV for fluids and my mouth was dry. Truthfully, I was pumped full of anti-nausea and pain meds I slept most of the first two days and by the time I was up and dressed on the third day I felt tired, but otherwise fine.

I bring wine, specialty cheese, candles, flowers, fancy soap, a windchime...

It's all Protein, all the time. I count actual carbs. Yesterday's menu: Breakfast: coffee & 4 oz scallops = 16 gm protein, 2 carbs, 85 cal. Lunch: 4 oz costco chicken salad = 12 gm protein, 12 carbs, 170 cal. Snack: 1 slice turkey breast = 9 gms protein, 60 cal. Dinner: 4 oz chicken thigh = 31 gm protein, 232 calories liquid Calcium citrate = 10 carbs, 35 cal. H2O = 64 oz. Total 68 gms protein, 24 gms carbs, 582 cal. Pretty much every day looks like that. I allow myself carbs in moderation a couple meals a week and usually have oatmeal or Lean Cuisine spaghetti with meat sauce. It's not difficult to do since my eye is on goal and then I will add in carbs to see what it will take to maintain.

Excellent post, and I suggest you keep the list around to re-read when temptation strikes. You sound like a great guy having surgery for the right reasons. Good luck!

Isn't it amazing? To think that I cannot eat a whole egg when I think of the two-egg scramble, 3 pancake, 2 sausage link breakfasts I used to put away easily! 10 days and 24 lbs--Yay you!!! congrats!

When you overeat, it only FEELS like the staples will rip open. For me at 4 months out, I still cannot eat bread, it feels like it swells up inside me and is very uncomfortable. You will either vomit it up or it will gradually go down. Egg salad and bread are not going to damage your sleeve. Chronic and persistent overeating, though, may make your stomach a little bigger than it would have been had you not overeaten. Although the stretchy part of the stomach was removed, the remaining portion is not rigid and unyielding and can stretch a bit if you push it.

My BMI was 35 and now it's 28. yes, I had to self-pay, but it has been worth it.

Hey, we were sleeved on the same day! I am charting my weight loss on graph paper in the bathroom and I swear it looks like a staircase...I'll lose a pound a day for four days and then nothing for a week...then another pound....another few days...a half-pound... Anyway, you get the idea. In the end it comes out to 8-9 lbs a month for me, but not evenly over the days. Are you similar? When I did start losing more slowly after mushies, I started keeping really close track of calories, Protein, and carbs. I mean if I put a Cheerio in my mouth I wrote it down, and I found that I stop losing when my carbs are above 40 for more than 3 days. Try keeping track and see, and by the way, Great Job on the 51 pounds!

I am 4 months out and can get in about 50 gms of Protein from food unless I eat 1) ALL DAY (like 8 mini-meals) OR 2) Scallops or shrimp only. I like seafood, but having it at every meal gets a bit old. I am still having between 1/2 and a whole protein shake each day to get it all in. That's okay, I'm losing fine and there is no room for junk, which is good because I have been having chocolate cake cravings the last two nights. I expect things will loosen up eventually but I am going to work this protein only regimen as long as I can.

I didn't have any problems after surgery--no nausea, no vomiting, no nothing. I was tired and took afternoon naps the first week or so and I could not drink 64 oz of Fluid in a day for about a month, but I managed about 40-48 and was fine. I drank my Protein shakes with no problems. liquids go right through me but I have really good restriction with solids. I think because this board is a place of support and experience lots of people post about problems they have. Not too many sign on to say, "Everything's fine" as it makes dull reading. I have had an uneventful recovery and for a lightweight, I am very pleased with my weight loss. I am 15 weeks out from surgery and I am more than halfway to goal.

I bought unflavored protein so vile I cannot think of passing it on to another human. So, with the vet's okay, it's going in the dog's food one scoop at a time.

Good job! Keep us posted on your progress!

Dr. Stephen Gullo's "Thin Tastes Better." He has some helpful strategies for understanding why and when you eat.

How deep-seated is your problem? Do you have an idea why you eat when you're not hungry and just need strategies to cope with the urges, or do you think the problem has many causes? I don't think you necessarily need a psychologist but if your problem goes back a long time you need someone with a lot of experience, no matter what their degree. Call some from the Yellow pages, ask your friends (no need to tell them why) and then ask the therapist how long they have been practicing. Ten years or more would be good.

Many mental health clinicians have a sliding scale of fees based upon your income for people who have to pay cash. Also, if you see someone with a Master's degree rather than a doctorate they may be a little less expensive. Have you tried calling your county mental health services office for a few referral names? Or there is a psychologist locator on www.apa.org.