Eureka-C

That was a beautiful post. I feel like I am losing so slowly at only 7 weeks out. I can't wait to look back in 9 months and see all the little things get better.

For the short version, here are some of my reasons.

1) no equipment lasts forever. I remember my mom needing knee replacement surgery in her early 30's and the doctors refused to do it because they only last about 20 years (at that time). No matter how long they are suppossed to last, it isn't long enough. I don't want it breaking down inside of me.

2) VSG gets rid of the stomach, and reduces the ghrelin. Less hormone = less hunger.

3) The sphincter is a natural muscle that closes and opens to let food in and out, it stretches and shrinks as our body needs. The gap that the lap band makes is one size. If it is too big, food slips through and you don't stay full. If it is too full, food gets stuck and even liquids make you sick. Its hard for many to find the "sweet spot".

4) when I am done with surgery, I want to be done.. no fills.

5) I can eat normal food, just smaller amounts. I am a volume eater. This is very important.

6) No malabsorption. - Except the intrinsic factor produced by the stomach that helps you absorb Vitamin B12.

7) I want a permanant solution.

8) There is little to no stretch in the stomach.

Anyway, that is the short of it. I like my banana stomach.

I don't remember exactly how much poundage I gained, but I measured myself before surgery, and every week after. 1 week after surgery and my waist was still 2 1/2 inches larger than before surgery. I didn't get to my pre-surgery waist measurement until 3 weeks after surgery.

I know for a lot of people that the weight fluctuations can drive them crazy to the point of putting away the scale. I on the other hand like to know what my body is doing so I don't beat myself up on it. I sometimes weigh myself several times a day, just to see how much I fluctuate. I noticed a pattern. BTW, my weight varies 2-5 pounds throughout a single day. If I get up early, I weigh more. I weigh the least about 8 AM. Around mid afternoon, I gain some, again around late evening I gain some. As long as I keep losing, and the scale keeps going down each month, I will be happy.

Okay so I had surgery 12/8/10 5 weeks and 2 days ago and I still can not eat bread. People I love bread. The minute I swallow it, it then comes back up. HELP!

i can only eat bread if it is toasted, then only small amounts. I can also eat it with meat, like a foldover if I chew it well so it mixes with the meat. I have to take the crust off. If I get too much bread, it turns into a little Gummy ball and sticks, making me feel aweful for hours. I also cant eat tortillas unless it is a teeny amount mixed with something else for the same reason. BTW, I am 7 weeks out.

Sassy I would definitely call your surgeon's office and tell them what's going on. They should be able to advise. Best to you for a speedy recovery!

They make an anti-nausea suppository. If you are really suffering, or worried about dehydration. It is worth it. You might want to ask your surgeon's office when you call. Don't wait until you are dehydrated.

"my nutritionist said it is the number 1 reason for re-weight gain after weight-loss surgery."

I would love to see some research to back this up.

I dont know a huge amount about low carb, but i was under the impression that you lose weight quickly doing low carb as your body goes into ketosis, where there are no glycogen stores for it to use so it burns fat instead. in order to get into ketosis in the first place you have to completely deplete your glycogen stores, for me to do that i have to eat less than 20g of Protein a day for a week or so, only when ive been in ketosis for a few weeks can i up to 50g and still lose....

I think she meant 20g carbs.

I noticed that too. I think that all the chewing and tiny swallows resulted in me swallowing a lot of air.

Do you track your food? It might help to see a typical days foood for you along with the protein/fat/cab numbers. Also, how is your Fluid intake? There are sooooo many variables. Some of this info might get an answer from one of those with a sleeve for a long time.

BTW... You have done awesome so far. I hope I am where you are at 5 months!

The sleeve is definitely the tool for me, as I was a volume eater. Still, I would track what you eat for a couple of weeks, logging everything on one of the free sites, and see what you are really eating. Also look at a cup of food - measure, and see how little that really is. That is all I can eat at most in one meal, usually less than that. Is your volume that low? How does it feel between meals? Do you graze a little here and there all day long? Grazing all day keeps the sleeve from working. I believe the sleeve was right for me, but it is not right for everyone. Do your research and be sure.

I am not a big eater. I do not eat many sweets (ie Cookies, cake, junk food). I just need reassurance that I can still be a loser with a sleeve. I don't even eat half the volume my hubby eats. He weighs about 50 or 60 lbs more than me.

Does losing weight make you more active and help with the loss? I was told my new tummy will only hold about 4 ounces. It seems like I would have to eat day and night to NOT lose weight with that small of a tummy.

Think about this! You ate one slice of thin crust pizza. Hooray. I would have been ecstatic to limit myself to this prior to surgery (happy and starving). This is what thin people do. They eat normal amounts of good food on occasion. This is why I personally had the surgery - to eat normal and feel normal afterward.

Do you track your calories? Did you go over your allotted amount? Even if you did, I bet it wasn't much. Prior to surgery I could put away 3000-4000 calories on a "lost" day where I made a mistake. Now my mistakes are usually no more than 100 calories. I don't think I could eat 1500 calories if I tried, much less 3000. The sleeve works just like it is suppossed to.

I decided that when I did this, no more dieting! Yes, I will work the sleeve. I will eat Proteins first. I will keep my Protein intake high and my carbs low. I will choose veggies for my starches, BUT I refuse to be a slave to food guilt anymore.

Be gentle with yourself. You deserve it.

I think you are doing great. I looked at your food journal, and it fits your docs plans to a tee. I know how frustrating it is to work so hard and not lose or even gain with no sense. Look at my weight chart on fat secret. It goes up and down wildly. Even after surgery, I stall and sputter my weight loss like an old run down car, BUT it is down. I am at my lowest weight in 12 years. Your body may not work like others before or after the surgery. stick it out, follow the plan, and your own ideals. The surgery will work. My heart ges out to you.

I added stage one baby food meat, garlic powder and pepper to broth. My doc & nut said as long as it was thin enough to pass through a straw it was ok for liquids.< /p>

Let us know what they do and how it works out. Sorry that you have had such an awful experience, made even worse by not being listened to.

I started taking benefiber 3 times a day with my Protein Shakes at 2weeks. At 6 weeks now I take it once a day, but if I go three days w/o a bm, I take it 2-3times a day again.

I added benefiber three times a day to my Protein Shakes

I was put on 2 Protein supplements, a meat and veggie dinner, and 2 high protein Snacks, I only had to do pure liquid for three days. I had a beautiful liver for surgery. I was on the diet for almost 5 months.

My 12 yr old stops eating when she's full, my 10 yr old eats till she's stuffed. I don't want to put pressure on her because what my psychologist who helped through my "eating disorder", or disordered eating as she called it said is that there is a lot of research that shows that when from a young age we are told when to stop eating those "cues" that normally tell us when we are full or when we are hungry are lost, or aren't given a chance to develop properly, which I believe is true, as I said earlier from the age of 9 I was put on a diet,I was told what to eat when to stop, how much I could eat, and I know that my fullness cue didn't exist , I would eat till I physically couldn't anymore, the sleeve helped me so much with that because now I pay attention to when I'm full, still amazed how I completed changed my relationship with food

I agree with you about some of that. Telling a kid stop eating, or just that "look" or little comments definitely make it worse. My grandmother used to make me dread eating at her house because she laid the guild on so heavy. What we do talk about at my house is the mistakes that my hubby and I have made. We talk out loud about stopping because that is a good amount, enjoying a few bites or say something like "I think I will stop for now and see if my brain catches up." its not about doing right and wrong, just about paying attention to our bodies. I want to be a good role model, but I also know that I might have to talk out what I am doing for my kids to get it. My problem is I eat bad when I am not around my kids. They make pretty good decisions most of the time, but I can see it will be a struggle for my daughter just as it was for my hubby and I.

Eureka- My youngest son is like yours. He will have two bites of cake and annouce he is done. For the other 3 of us you are done with cake when there is no more. I believe so much of how/what/how much we eat is genetic.

I always look at him in amazement when this happens. Daily. If he didn't look so much like us, I would wonder if he was switched at birth. The crazy thing is he was a really chubby baby and toddler, then around 3 he just shot up and got skinny.

I was just thinking. The doc put me on a starter diet of two meals replaced with Protein Drinks, one high Protein and veggie meal, and 1-2 small protein Snacks from Jun until almost surgery. I did a three day liquid diet before surgery. The great thing is that in Jun, my palpitated liver felt enlarged and soft (fattty) by the time of the surgery I had a beautiful liver. I have photos to prove it. Also, you get to eat. That all liquid stuff pre surgery is a killer.

I have tried to reply to several posts, but keep geting the "you must have 5 posts..."

So here is one.

Wow, that must be something new. I replied to lots and lots before I finally had a question I wanted to put out there. I found so many of my answers already there.

great question. no anwer here though. I would be interested to know.

So am I understanding you that your doc basically said 1)fluids, 2)vitamins 3)calories 4)protein?

It sounds like your body rebelled and went into geurilla mode attacking you for what it feels you did to it.

I know there are dairy free Protein drinks. I remember seeing them at GNC and the Vitamine Shoppe. I wonder if one of them could help you up your Protein and calories without dairy (I assume the whey is out). I think there are some egg based ones. When your body gets back into balance, you can look at all the weight loss and Celebrate, meanwhile, hang on and do whatever you need to take care of yourself.

So I am trying my hardest to do things right! I am taking most of the Vitamins, eating more protien, trying to leave carbs and starches alone! I feel better I am getting between 450-600 calories in a day which I still dont feel comfortable with but it is a big improvement from 300 calories a day! I know I have only been doing this for under 2 weeks but the last 3 weeks I gained 3 lbs. I know this week I maintained and didn't gain anything or lose anything which is good ( I guess)! The Dietitian thinks I am platooning because I have been consistently losing weight for 6 months (before and after surgery)! Is that possible this soon out to have a Plato? I get confused cause all I heard for 6 months before surgery was cut your calories, eat less and exercise more and now they are telling me to eat more and no exercise! I feel so confused at this point cause I am no where near my goal weight! any advise???

I really feel your pain in this post. I am sorry that noone has responded. I am only six weeks out and I do 800-1100 calories a day. I stalled once around 3 weeks for 10 days, lost only 1 1/2 pounds a week for two weeks and this week I have lost 4 pounds. What the heck? I know that there is more that is affecting weight loss/gain than just calories... medicine (my allergy pill makes me retain water), hormones (aunt flo), Constipation, carb/protein ratio, ketosis, starvation mode, and sometimes just the way the wind blows. Maybe if you could give more info, a sample of what you eat, Vitamins, fluids meds... I dunno. There has to be some good advice out there. I know coops and globetrotter both struggle with slow/uneven weight loss, maybe they have some tips. Don't give up.