Lissa

Heath, It does get better. Right now it seems like all you're doing is jumping through hoops, but the end result will be so worth it. I remember thinking I was on an endless merry go round of doctor's appointments, lab tests and general craziness, but now that I'm down 100 pounds and 8.5 months out, I don't even think about those tests. You will be saying the same soon!! Good luck!!

So, this mornng was 10 on the elliptical and 30 on the bike. Tonight, I plan to do 15 on the elliptical and 20 on the bike (at least). I'm working towards 45 minutes of cardio per day, especially since upping my cardio seems to be paying BIG benefits on weight loss!!

LOL Calicolea!! It's working!!

You're already doing it. Measuring your food is a good idea until you can do it by eye. Your full signal will come back, although it may take a while. Good luck!!

Great news!! Good luck on your pre-op diet!! If you look up Paola, she lost over 80 pounds pre-op and has been losing like a champ since being sleeved. Her posts may have some insight that will help you as you prepare!

Glad you posted a picture! It's nice to put faces with "names".

n2theswim, I'm so sorry I didn't see this sooner! First off, there is NO "only" in weight loss. 28 pounds in 3 months is fantastic!! How much would you have lost without surgery? I know that all you can see is how much you have left to lose, but you didn't gain it all in one pass and you won't lose it all in one pass. I've had several stalls on this journey, but I've managed to work my way past them. I've also discovered that during stalls I lose sizes rather than pounds. It's like the body takes a break from dropping pounds in order to shape shift. Take your measurements now, if you didn't do it pre-op, and then use them as a guideline to show you that you are still losing, even if the scale isn't moving. I've been shapeshifting for the last 3 months and lost 3 sizes, but barely dropped 10 pounds in that same time frame. Are you exercising? Exercise is key to keeping the weight loss steady and to helping insure that we don't end up with lots of loose skin when we're done losing. Exercise also produces endorphins that help keep us positive and help balance out the crazy hormones that seem to be released for men and women when the fat cells start shrinking. Please don't give up on yourself. This journey is SO worth it and YOU are worth every bit of effort you put into yourself!

LMAO Fluffy!!! I keep hearing about that endorphin high, but boy is it MAJOR when it hits you!! I drove myself last night, hard! I was sweating within seconds of getting on the elliptical and kept sweating all the way through my bike ride. I slept well last night, too!

A lot of us find that our hunger sensation is triggered when we eat junk carbs. I think it's because those carbs slide right through our system and leave us not feeling full. Sugar is one of those things that sets me off. If I eat something sweet, my body then thinks I should keep eating sweets and I crave them. If I can leave the sweets alone (or use protein bars as a substitute for them), then I don't even think about sweets for days at a time.

A 2 pound gain is nothing. You could be retaining fluid because of TOM or just because. Especially when you're being weighed with clothes on, it's tough to get an accurate weight. Maybe you have on heavier clothing or jewelry. I don't really worry about what the scale says at the doctor's office, except for my WLS surgeon because he has a fancy dancy scale that measures body fat, too. I like my pulmonologist's scale, though. His always weighs me a couple of pounds less than I really weigh! LOL

I've been seeing a therapist for my food-related issues since the start of this journey. We talk about other things, but she's really been a huge help with dealing with all of the emotions surrounding food and weight loss and, let's face it, vanity. I think it's the best thing I've ever done for myself and I suggest that most WLS patients could use a few sessions to help get our heads straight for this journey!

I was drinking decaf coffee almost immediately after surgery and I still drink decaf regularly. I haven't had "regular" coffee more than a very few times since surgery and I really don't miss it. I had a major diet coke addiction pre-op and the caffeine withdrawal was horrid, so I'd prefer not to repeat that process. Caffeine is a diuretic and we need all the hydration we can get, which is another reason to avoid the caffeine.

TY! I can't believe I finally got that endorphin high I keep hearing about!!

Anna, As soon as you can start doing some weights for your legs, do so. I started on the exercise bike for my legs and today I got complimented on the muscles in my legs. I'm deliberately working to strengthen my thigh muscles now and the work is paying off. The bike made a huge difference in those leg muscles for me, though. I've had a dislocated knee 3 times, so I'm pretty careful about what I do as far as leg exercises.

Yeah, baby!!! that's awesome and amazing and INCREDIBLE!! Enjoy it!!!

I still love GnR!!!

Just keep moving. My clots pre-op were from inactivity. Try to get in 30 minutes of movement per day, with at least two or three minutes of moving around per hour. I took a 3,000 mile driving trip in October after surgery in August. My doctor recommended that I get out of the car at least every hour and walk around. No clots.

So, over the last three months, it's seemed like I was just stuck. I've barely lost 10 pounds, although I did drop 3 sizes. In that time, I've added in more and more exercise, really watched what I was eating and been pushing more Water. I've really looked hard for the NSVs and tried not to worry that my body was done. But, I was really getting frustrated because the weight loss had slowed down so much. I was so close to the 100 pounds lost mark and starting to think I'd never get there. In my head, I knew that this was a weight where I spent nearly 10 years on the way UP the scale and that I shouldn't get excited that it was taking me a while to drop below that point, but boy was it maddening! I'm happy to report that in the last few days, that stall has broken! I've lost 5 pounds in the last few days and it seems like my body and sleeve are cooperating again to drop more pounds! I'm also suddenly seeing more definition in areas that have been of particular interest to me (waist, collarbones, arms and legs). I don't know if my mindset changed, but I know that I have increased my exercise levels to where I'm doing nearly an hour of cardio per day, in 2 30 minute sessions, and I've been fairly strict on my carbs. So, YAY, the stall is broken!!! I'll take the NSVs, but it feels good to see that scale number dropping again, too.

BTW, am I the only one hearing Guns and Roses every time I see this thread title?

Your sleeve may not be ready for pureed food. Drop back a level and try again tomorrow. Everyone heals at a different rate, but you will heal and be able to eat purees and solid foods soon!

BKMama, I have been very diligent about letting him know about anything unusual, so we're both pretty confident that I will continue to be diligent about that. I'm not off his patient list yet, so I'll still be seen at least every 3 months. He does a thorough assessment of me at every visit (wish my guy would be as thorough as my doctor, lol) and with my activity level, the doc is confident that I will not have another clot anyway. My last clot was caused by a combination of pneumonia and inactivity. With 2 cardio workouts a day, we both think that won't be an issue.

Good luck! I hope that helps you!

Do what you like about it. I would stand on the roof and shout it out if I could climb up there!

Yes, it's very normal to have these doubts. But, they will clear up very quickly once you're back on solid foods. Just take deep breaths and hold on. It will get better in a hurry!

Nope, Spatters. I stopped Coumadin on April 10 because it has to be out of my system a month for the blood test to assess my clot risk. The test shows that my risk is still high, but I refused the coumadin therapy because it can cause bleeding issues. Since I'm much more active now and I've lost almost 100 pounds, my doctor was fine with my refusal. He actually suggested that I might want to refuse the coumadin and for what reasons.