PdxMan

If you refresh your webpage, the advertisement for it will come up. I see it all the time.

When I was a bartender, we called them slippery nipples. There are many varieties, but for the most part, Bailey's and a butterscotch liquour. Sambucca (SP?) and Bailey's, too. You layer them with a cherry and then put the cherry in for the ... uh ... nipple.

The funny thing is, stalls are a normal part of the course. In a way, you actually want a stall. It means your body is progressing. If my body were to continually lose without ever going into a stall, I would be worried. Why doesn't my body know to go into starvation mode? This is a survival technique that my body isn't able to do? What if I REALLY NEED to go into survival mode for some reason? Can my body not effectively protect itself? Before anyone gets even close to goal, your body is going to have to go through X number of stalls. Rejoice when you reach one because that means you are progressing normally and you have (X-1) stalls left! (Sorry for the Algebra) Can you help your body get out of a stall? Sure. Change up your calories ... maybe up your carbs ... increase exercise ... do weight lifting ... Do this on day 1? No ... come on, let your body do what it is needing to do. There is no such thing as a 1 day stall, IMO. I would say after 4 days with NO movement, you may be in a stall. Lord only knows why the scale didn't move this morning. To much sodium yesterday / Water retention TOM Getting sick? Eating 4,000 calories (no, wait ... we can't do that anymore) Seriously, though, if it doesn't move or go up, do you really think you gained fat? Did you really eat 3,500 more calories than you expended? We have to use our brains in this and ignore the heart. The only way we can fail is to believe this isn't going to work for us and prove it by grabbing a tub of ice cream, a bag of chips, cheeseburgers ... you know the drill.

So lets talk the basics first. A general guidline is 1 pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Eat 3,500 more calories than you expend, you gain a pound. Eat 3,500 calories less than you expend, you lose a pound. Of course everyone is different. Each of us has a certain number of calories we burn doing absolutely nothing but breathing. Walk around, you burn more calories. Run around, you burn even more, thereby the old rule of weight loss ... eat less, move more. So, when you are in WW using points, you are trying to eat fewer calories than you burn and tracking them with points is just another perspective on the whole deal. Post-surgery, I was able to only get about 400 calories in per day, thus I had a dramatic drop early on. A lot of people do not lose as rapidly early out but there are a lot of other factors going on: Water retention, TOM ... About 3 weeks post, your body discovers what's going on and freaks out a bit. This is the start of the first stall. Your body is discovering it is no longer getting the 4,000 calorie nacho binge or the 5 Mountain Dew per day supplements and takes a step back. Your body, as is called by some, has gone into starvation mode. It is hoarding. Now, we can't have a heart to heart with our body and explain it, so, instead, let's trick it. Throw it a proverbial bone, if you will. Up the calories, so it goes, "Ah, here is something" and knock itself out of hoarding and releasing the fat deposits. We have to do that occassionally to kick the body out of complacency. Exercise is another way to force your body to give up the ship, too. It will get to the point where your body is demanding energy that can only be met by tapping the fat stores. You have to be getting your Protein in, though, because you want your body to be tapping fat stores, not muscle, which it will do.

As a guy ... I wouldn't go near this post with a 10 foot pole ...

The amount of swelling is going to be different for everybody, so the restriction early out is going to be quite varied as well. I'd say you are totally normal.

What I was talking about has nothing to do with your marriage ... but life management. I know I will probably come across as negative, but that is not my intention. I want you to succeed. You had the surgery 1 year ago. You know the program. You know what you have to do. There are forces in your life that prevent you from doing what you know you need to do. That is what needs to be addressed. I can tell you what to cook, but if you don't have the motivation or support structure to do it ... Here are the rules that I live by to support my program: Don't drink half an hour before or after eating and don't drink while eating Eat Protein first, veggies next, then carbs Exercise Here is a good post, too. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/35857-top-3-tips-for-success/page__p__315196__hl__+pdxman%20+exercise__fromsearch__1#entry315196

All WLS surgeries are something to not be taken lightly, for sure. I chose VSG over GBP because: I did not want to have my intestines re-arranged Possible bowel obstructions due to #1 Didn't want dumping syndrome Wanted a fully functional pyloric valve Didn't want malabsorption issues Read too many stories of people gaining a lot of their weight back So far, the only negative thing has been that I can't eat huge portions anymore. Oh, no ... wait ... that's a good thing! I don't regret my decision one bit to get the VSG. I stick to the program as best I can (I'm not perfect) and it has been great for me.

I have been shopping at Goodwill since surgery. I have been going through sizes so quickly I hate to spend the money. I spent two weeks in size 38 jeans ... a month in 36s. Been in 34s but just went to Goodwill this past weekend and picked up 32s.

Oh, believe me, I needed it. I pre-surgery photos are ... well ... larger than life, let's say. I know you are looking for someone to talk to, and this board is a great support forum, but personalized input into your situation may be better suited if it came from a professional. I know when I was with Kaiser, there was no charge for mental health services. It may be worth checking out and nobody has to know about it.

No, I can't remember the name. I bought them at Vitamin Shoppe. They were just too sweet after. As far as the fruit, I think it goes back to the whole carb thing. Fruits are high in carbs which first gets converted to glycogen. It a very simplied for (as I understand it) glycogen is used by the body for energy and any excess is first stored in the liver, then in the body as fat.

I just looked it up online. It says for 6-8 oz, use one scoop. Now, as to how many shakes you can have in a day ...? I would ask your medical team first, but I would guess a max of 4. How many flavors did you buy? You are going to need some variety. Also know that while these may be tasty today, your taste buds change post surgery. I bought 3 huge bags of powder pre that I LOVED only to have them taste like $h!t post. Gave them away on Craigslist. $75 down the drain. Couldn't tolerate them. So, be careful of the quantity.

I'm not a year out, but 9 months and have met goal. It sounds to me like the help you need is not related to the sleeve or weight loss, but may rather be a symptom of something else larger in your life. I see you went through Kaiser, so I am guessing your insurance has some mental health benefits. It never hurts to tap that resource for some direction.

I would say you are fine mixing it with milk. Perhaps try skim milk. The point is to shrink your liver to prep for surgery. This will be accomplished by reducing your carb intake, not whether the liquids are clear or not. But do stick to the liquids.

I drink one every morning. If I am working out intense like, I will have another one immediately following. Premier Protein shakes from costco. They rock.

You're right. It did seem time consuming to me, as well, but I think that is because I never really thought about the food (and quantity) I was shoving into my mouth and how it impacted me. The sleeve definately does that. You know about every bite. This was a new behavior for me, but just know that it did get easier for me and now it is more natural. Of course, I still have my weaknesses ... cookies ... ice cream ... but I can enjoy them now without over-indulgence and guilt. Well, maybe a little guilt.

IMO opinion, try to get in as many calories as you can as long as you obey the basic tenents of post-sleeve life: (As I understand them per my medical team) Get 80 oz of Water minimum daily Don't drink 1/2 an hour before or after a meal and don't drink while eating anything Eat Proteins first, then veggies, then carbs Try to avoid breads, rice and sugary foods Exercise Out of the gate, I could only get about 400 calories per day. After I was able to get on mushy, then solid foods in the first couple months, I was getting a max of 800 calories. I increased my activity level by running which required more calories, so I was able to get up to about 1,600 calories, but I was eating constantly, so it seemed, albeit, small, snacking type meals. I have an injured knee now, so I would guess I am around the 1,300 calories/day right now. As far as what you put into MFP, just put in the foods and the quantity. It does the rest ... right?

Wow, 3 weeks out I was still on liquids/purees. I can't even imagine eating a bit of pizza or taking a bite of a sub sandwich. Man, that would have hurt. The stomach is still sooo swollen. I had my first bite of pizza 2 months out and it was awful. Tried again at 4 months and it was OK. Had about half a slice before I was STUFFED. When I went out to eat that early out, I always ordered Soups. French Onion is a good one, but when that wasn't available, I asked them to blend the Soup to puree, which they did. I would order, then as I "went to the bathroom", I would ask the waitress to have it blended explaining I "just have some stomach issues."

There is nothing wrong with bringing Bob out of retirement. Sound mind, sound body. The body needs a balance of everything. Bob will help. Every woman without should know Bob.

Have you searched the site about stalls? It is quite normal and common. Your body is going through a major adjustment. Just keep doing what you are doing. Don't get discouraged and don't weigh yourself very often. Once a week at a minimum. Best if every two weeks.

I was originally told once a week under the tongue. Then, after my first blood test at 3 month, it was a bit low, so I now take it twice a week. Have you been sleeved? How far out are you? Have you had blood work done? What does your Dr say?

I believe Dorrie has the right of it. I lost a lot of muscle mass through all of this. I think it is difficult not to lose some. Depending on exercise level and rate of loss, some may lost more than others. With that muscle loss, it will be difficult for your body to support itself the way it did.

Your stomach is very swollen right now. This is very normal. As the swelling goes down, things get better. How long will that take? Everyone is different, of course, so, just know it takes time and does get better. Just do what your medical team told you to do and you'll be through it before you know it.

I just wanted to emphasize the exercise pre-op. I got up to 45 minutes on the elliptical and had some pretty good endurance. I truly believe this aided in my recovery. The day of surgery I was in at 7:00, out by noon, took a nap for a couple hours and then took my wife out for dinner that night. I was sleeved in Vegas (Baby!) and I walked all over downtown that night and even played some blackjack! That was less than 12 hours after having 85% of my stomach removed! Next morning, we woke up, went to M&M, MGM, Wynn and more downtown walking. Back out to a nice dinner that night. Next day was more of the same. I felt great and was able to walk, walk, walk which will help dissolve the gas that gets trapped in your body. And, like was mentioned, it is a good warm-up for successful weight-loss post-surgery. The other think I would add to Lissa's list is to beware of the scale. Early on, it is meaningless. Seriously. Your body is going through such dramatic changes and retaining Water, releasing it, starvation mode, blah, blah, blah ... If you lost 10 pounds is that really 10 pounds of fat? What happens when 3 pounds come back? Did you really gain 10 pounds of fat? The scale just messes with your mind, and that is not a good thing. I try to weigh every couple weeks ... monthly earlier out. I always saw losses and that was encouraging. Those losses actually had meaning. You will see people on here weighing themselves multiple times a day and it just isn't good for us, IMO. Avoid it if you can.

I'm almost 9 months out and I still have to force myself to drink Water. Pre-surgery, I always drank a ton of water. At least 120 oz a day without thinking. Now, I get about 80, maybe 100 on days I exercise. Flavored drinks seem to go down easier, but I don't know why this is. Interesting, though. As far as taste, early out, you body is in ketosis (search the site for ketosis) which causes acetone release in your mouth. This throws the flavor of everything out of whack. But, as you are able to increase your carbs/calories and get out ketosis, flavor does return. I used and continue to use a straw. For some people, they tend to get more air in their bellies when using a straw. I remove the air in the straw and do not ingest that, so, for me, a straw works better.