Chimera

I love this thread and re-read the whole thing everytime it is updated with another post. Let's see my own breakdown of this process and my losses so far - I keep this info on my profile page so I don't forget how far I have come on those blue days. Start weight of 318, 5'3" 48 female 4/13/11 - attended hospital seminar with my husband and family 6/20/11 - first month of medically supervised weight loss Managed to lose 30 lbs in about 11 months 5/8/12 - Husband has VSG 5/21/12 - my VSG - lost 14 lbs on pre-op/Atkins liver shrinking diet for a total of 44 pre-op lost. Surgery weight 274 8/12 - 3 months post op I was down 50 from surgery weight 11/12 - 6 months out I was down 70 from surgery day 2/13 - 9 months out I was down 86 from surgery. As of today I am at my ticker weight - I tend to keep that updated regularly. My husband is down 134 lbs. now from 318 (yes we had the same start weight) to 184 lbs. I have a rough goal to be 180 by the end of the semester - 160 by the start of fall semester, and 140 by the new year - which will put me at goal of a healthy BMI - so that is about 19 months after surgery - not including pre-op loss. About 5 lbs a month - and I will take it - sure I wish it moved faster but never before have I ever thought that anything I have done would "stick." We both are engaging in healthy exercise, get more movement through fun family activities (skiing, walking, aquarobics, etc), and make good choices now with what we consume. Our Dr.s and nutritionists think we are doing great. It feels so good to finally know how to eat and take care of myself properly I dont care if it takes me the rest of the time I am alive to get there - by jove I will get there eventually!

You can have yogurt at a week out? or am I reading that wrong? three weeks of straight up liquids here - even creamy soup seems problematic to our nutritionist. I would have been thrilled to be able to get that much liquid in that early - sounds like you are doing great! I would not worry unless you start drinking liquid frappacinos or milkshakes haha. When you start solid food you will come to know what restriction feels like and it is serious business You are full very, very fast.

That does seem like a lot for pre-op - you are doing great with your loss so far. Though my surgeon has us do Atkins induction, I think many folks have 2-3 shakes a day, with one lean Protein meal and some leafy greens - maybe a bar as a snack here and there. Some folks are just shakes - which seems so cruel! Our bodies can only absorb so much protein at a time - even excess protein will be stored - as a material we want to get rid of i.e. fat, if we do not burn it off. I would worry more about composition of meals rather than calories at this point (even Atkins pre-made stuff does not have enough protein and too many carbs for me - sounds like the shakes could be Premier - my favorite) - the object of a pre-op diet is to shrink your liver down do they can maneuver during surgery - best of luck!

Yay you two! I am lucky to get get to see these lovely folks at our support group meetings every month I am so happy that you have decided on the surgery - i know it has been a wonderful choice for my husband and myself (maybe someday I will drag him to a meeting - I think he is still traumatized after all those WW meetings lol.)

As few as possible and as much Protein as I can get. Ideally, I would be able to keep it to less than 40 a day - on busy teaching days I really enjoy having a vanilla latte with 1/2 the normal amount of vanilla - less sugar but I still count it as 39 carbs. So realistically I am more like 60-70g of carbs per day - mostly from dairy. I stay away from processed carbs, anything made with flour, rice, etc. My nutritionists tell me that ketones are one of the fuels that our bodies and brain love the most - I think if i ditched my latte habit i could get back into and stay in ketosis - I state I love 80g of protein, 40 or less carbs, 64-100 oz of calorie free liquid is my gold standard - focusing on lean chicken, turkey, fish, veggies, and fruit occasionally. I dont count fat grams, but they usually arent that high anyway. I still use Premier Protein shakes coming up on 9 months out - it is an easy way to get 30 g of protein in, and they do not taste as yuck as they did right after surgery.

It is pretty cool to have to try on everything now - before I just ordered the largest size available - usually 3-5x. The baggier the better - anything too close to the body was bad - now it is a whole diffferent ballgame

I had to have two blood transfusions during the hospital stay after my vsg (patients are normally released the next day - I had surgery on a Monday and came home on Friday). My hematocrit dropped to 18 (normal red blood ct for women is in 36-45% range) so they assumed there was internal bleeding. I had to wait it out a bit for it to climb until they released me. Initially there was talk of going back in to find out where the bleeding was happening - I am glad I did not have to go through that one. I did finally get to find out my blood type (type O negative - universal donor and a good band haha) which I had never known. I had 2 pints over 2 days. I cant imagine you would need to give blood unless maybe you have a rare blood type - this is the situation with my mom (B negative) - the blood bank calls her once a week I think lol.

I think most folks are on liquids for 3 weeks - then they are advanced to soft squishy foods. If you are on mushy food already - that is very fast progression.

Show some LOVE while being healthy? Here's how to make HEART EGGS: Fold a thick cardstock or cardboard piece down the middle. Place hardboiled egg on it's side, in the middle of the folded cardstock ... Take a long wooden type piece that would extend most of the way along the carboard (a thin, clean, wooden paintbrush handle, a chopstick, thin dowel, etc) and place over the top of the egg so there is slight pressure. Rubber band the ends of your stick to the top ends of the cardstock. Place in fridge and after about 3 or 4 hours remove. Cut egg in half. Serve as a cute side to someone you ♥

We had a great support group meeting today and the topic was "Understanding the Desire to Eat" presented by Katie Mckenna, a specialist in both nutrition and psychology - her visits are always incredibly enlightening. http://www.mckennaco...om/default.html Our nutritionist also shared a new resource that looks interesting that I will most likely check out - the paste is from the bariatric section of thier website. I am of the belief that one can never have too many resources to help us long the way on this journey. http://www.amihungry...c-Surgery.shtml Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery The Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery helps resolve the mindless habits and emotional eating issues that lead to problems after bariatric surgery. It includes TWO books (both paperback)*: Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Journal * Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle The award-winning book Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat is the foundation of this program; the Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Awareness Journal shows you how to apply this life-changing approach after you've had bariatric surgery. (This program is appropriate for people who have had or are considering gastric bypass, the band, or the sleeve.) Each of the eight workshops in the Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Awareness Journal helps you apply what you’ve read in Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat to your daily life and explore issues that are unique to people who have had bariatric surgery. Each of the eight workshops also has a special section called "Adjust" to guide you through the necessary skills to adjust to your "new normal." (See Dr. May's article below: It's STILL Not About the Food.) Download the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Journal table of contents and an excerpt from Workshop 8 listing the key concepts here. *Available only as a set because the Bariatric Surgery Workbook and Awareness Journal is a companion to Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle. It is not intended to be used alone. If you have already purchased Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat from us, you may email Orders@AmIHungry.com with your name so we can look it up (or you can email us a copy of your receipt). We are sorry for the inconvenience but it is very important that you use both books together! Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery (set of two books) $39.90 Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops for Bariatric Surgery - Webinar Participate in this workshop from the convenience and privacy of your own home! Facilitator: Jeff Butts (Read Jeff's personal story here) Dates: Wednesdays, March 6, 2013 - April 24, 2013 Time: 5:00 - 6:30 pm PST/6:00 - 7:30pm MST/7:00 - 8:30pm CST/8:00 - 9:30pm EST Investment: $199 Click Here to Register Email training@AmIHungry.com to receive advanced notification of future webinar dates. Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops for Bariatric Surgery - Facilitator Training Do you work with bariatric surgery patients? Now available: Facilitator Training to offer Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops for Bariatric Surgery in your bariatric center, office, or community! Please download the Facilitator Training information packet and contact us at 480 704-7811 or Training@AmIHungry.com to learn more. About the Author Michelle May, M.D. Michelle May, M.D. is a recovered yoyo dieter and the founder of the Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Workshops and Facilitator Training Program (www.AmIHungry.com). She is the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle that guides readers to eat fearlessly and mindfully. Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat received seven publishing awards including best book in the categories of health, best self-help, best nutrition, and mind-body-spirit and was named one of the Top 10 Diet Books in 2010 by Time.com (though Michelle insists that it is a how-not-to-diet book!). She is also the author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes. Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. served as a consultant on this project: Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. has specialized in bariatric surgery at bariatric surgery centers of excellence for over a decade, including Tufts Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and The Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery. She is currently a Bariatric Nutrition Specialist at The University of Maryland Medical Center, in Baltimore, Maryland. Margaret has co-authored 3 patient-centered books on bariatric surgery and nutrition, including her newly-revised Recipes for Life After Weight Loss Surgery and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery. She was one of the authors of the 2008 bariatric nutrition guidelines published by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Margaret speaks internationally on bariatric surgery and nutrition. Bariatric Surgery: It's STILL Not About the Food! Michelle May, M.D. writes about why mindful eating is so helpful for bariatric surgery patients: Bariatric Surgery is Only a Tool While bariatric surgery may be controversial, even bariatric surgeons agree that bariatric surgery is a tool, not a quick fix. This is a critical point because a tool can do nothing on its own; it requires skillful management by a knowledgeable user to work effectively. Therefore results following bariatric surgery depend on learning to use that tool optimally to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Adjusting to a New Normal When people ask my opinion about bariatric surgery, I have to admit that it's a tough question because many people who decide to try surgery believe that they've tried everything else. Most have never even heard of intuitive or mindful eating. Some believe or hope that having bariatric surgery will solve all of their problems—but nothing could be further from the truth. For example, if you’re an “emotional eater,” the situations and emotions that triggered eating in the past are unlikely to disappear simply because you’ve chosen to have bariatric surgery. As one patient said, “They didn’t operate on my brain!” Some discover that they “miss” their friend—food—leaving them with a feeling of loss. As one person told me, "I've cut out my coping skill!" Others believe that after surgery they won’t need to think about their eating anymore. In fact, it is just the opposite. You need to become very thoughtful about eating in order to use this tool optimally. If you’re not mindful about your eating, this “tool” can cause you to experience uncomfortable, even serious consequences—and you’ll be far less likely to get the results you hoped for. Bottom line: It breaks my heart to see people invest so much yet continue to struggle in their relationship with food. Bariatric Surgery and Mindful Eating Since 1999, tens of thousands of people have used the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program and/or read Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, to resolve their difficult eating issues. There are often people in our workshops who have had also bariatric surgery. They explain that surgery did not fix their real problem and/or that they need additional skills to cope with their "new normal." Mindfulness is beneficial because it teaches us to focus our attention and awareness on what is happening right now, which in turn, helps us disengage from habitual, unsatisfying, and unskillful habits and behaviors. Specifically, mindful eating skills help resolve the mindless habits and emotional eating issues that lead to problems after bariatric surgery: Eating too quickly Taking large bites Not chewing thoroughly Eating while distracted leading to overconsumption Not savoring food and therefore having difficulty feeling satisfied with small volumes of food Eating too much, leading to vomiting and/or distention of the pouch Grazing throughout the day Eating "slider" foods and high-calorie soft foods and liquids, often in response to emotional triggers Not consuming enough protein or nutrient-rich foods Feeling deprived or left-out in social situations Struggling to establish consistent physical activity Transfer addictions And many other issues... Further, most people who make the difficult decision to have bariatric surgery want to improve their health and energy so they can live the vibrant life they crave. Yet without the additional tool of mindful eating, bariatric surgery can feel like a permanent diet that continues to consume your life. One of the most meaningful changes that happens when you learn to eat mindfully (whether you've had surgery or not!) is that it allows you to think about eating when you need to and free up your energy and attention to focus on living in between. Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery For all these reasons we felt that it was time to create a mindful eating program especially for people who have had (or who are considering) bariatric surgery. We have a brand new Bariatric Surgery Workbook and Awareness Journal and will also begin offering additional workshop training for Am I Hungry? Facilitators who work with bariatric surgery patients. Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery (set of two books) $39.90 (For a sneak peek, download a pdf of the key concepts covered in this Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating program for Bariatric Surgery.) I am personally very excited about bringing the life-changing concepts of intuitive and mindful eating to the many people who, despite having surgery, still find themselves stuck in an eat-repent-repeat cycle. After all, even after bariatric surgery, it still isn't really about the food. Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly! Michelle May, M.D.

My surgeon only has us on Clear Liquids the day before surgery - he has patients do Atkins induction rather than weeks of liquid - which is rough (I know I've done 4 months of Optifast before - 400 cals a day and shakes only). The greatest motivator for me sticking to the liver shrinking, high Protein - very low carb diet is remembering my surgeon saying that if they went in and you had a big, fat, liver they would close you back up and cancel your surgery, or convert to an open surgery and open you up stem to stern....scary as heck to me lol. I guess my liver was teeny haha. Lost 14 lbs in the 2 weeks prior on my pre-op diet. Cutting carbs drastically hurts, but the less you consume the less you want - honestly. Drink oceans of Water - it will help with hunger and you need to be hydrated - the last thing I did the night before surgery at midnight was to chug my drink - I knew it would be a long time before I could do it, if ever, again (I can - its a mini-chug) - ditch the carbonated, and I ditched drip coffee - it adds to my acid problem and can make me both hungry and dehydrated. I now try and avoid anything with wheat - and avoid refined carbs as much as possible because if I don't I am head hungry all the time. Processed carbs affect the same areas in the brain that drugs like cocaine and heroin do - no wonder it is so hard to stop. Good luck - it's an amazing journey.

I drink this brand exclusively

I would be shrieking for joy if I was under 200 so early out Not to worry ladies - it will come off! numbers over time is where you start to see those numbers add up. I was feeling a bit down this past month because I felt I should be further along than I am, when I am close to being 130 lbs down - when I think of it that is a pretty kooky way to feel. Instead I am working hard to follow my nutritionists instructions, move more, and keep my chin up. This won't ever end for me - even at goal.

I am currently reading 703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life by Nancy Makin. It is a well written memoir about her struggle with obesity. I Googled her this morning and came across an excerpt from an old blog post of hers that resonated with me. This same struggle will be one I deal with for as long as I am alive, hopefully I can continue on this path with honesty and grace. http://www.amazon.co...-1&keywords=703 http://nancymakin.wordpress.com/ Your plan may be vastly different. Small steps make for big changes down the road. If you can’t do a lot, do what you can; excuses are just that… excuses for not moving forward. If you do this, you are sabotaging your future. If you act like a victim, you’ll always be a victim. If you want change, change the things you can, however insignificant they seem right now. Each positive act will bring results, just as surely as negative ones do…. they will change what you think, about you, your capabilities and about the world around you. Do it for yourself, because you are valuable. Exercise, ie: activity, is only one aspect of a human being’s life. We are a mixture of body, mind and spirit. Neglecting any one of the “whole” causes the disconnect that leaves us faltering, unsure and feeling incomplete. Give your love and time to someone else today in any way you can and watch the magic that’s released. You will begin to treat yourself as you treat others… Little gestures move mountains. Believe.

Indeed The scale numbers and measuring tape numbers are always in flux - of course they are all part of the mechanism of WL and feeling better. I think the sense of "I am finally going to be able to get a hold of this unsurmountable problem" is such a huge benefit. I have lost a lot - and i am not the fastest loser, but I know I will be able to get it all off now with the help of this fantastic tool.

Fantastic! That is a huuuuge milestone - that is the next big one for me too. Congratulations

I use all sorts of areas to measure progress - the WL and scale is but one - lets see: I tend to measure change Off meds Off CPAP Clothing size Clothing Style Shoe size even! Improved ability to move - mobility is night and day from what it was Arthritis pain is gone Strength is improved Our eating habits have gone from terrible to excellent - not perfect but a huuuuge improvement We save money on groceries, meds, insurance - you name it. Happiness I think the greatest measurement of personal progress is how much my husband (he's also vsg) and myself have improved our self esteem and feelings of self worth. We take good care of ourselves now - before I think we were both so beaten down by what we perceived as a lack of discipline, by how poorly society views and treats obese folks that taking good care had gotten to the point that it felt useless - I know I had gotten to the point I felt pretty worthless. My husband smiles all of the time now - it breaks my heart to know how happy he is. It is the best thing we have ever done this surgery. So yes, scale and measuring tape is always out front - but the metrics of success are varied and bountiful

I am always having a hard time getting all of my liquids in - it is very inspiring to know you can have such a great loss by upping the water and protein, well done!

What are you eating? What does a normal day look like? I have hunger that comes and goes - the binge eating is very much better because i simply cannot binge, but I get to points that I do fixate on certain things and that is a sign of head hunger. Thirst feels idnetical to hunger - so i usually drink first and it helps. Eating little bits every two hours also helps. The biggest one for me to stop cravings has been to eliminate processed carbs - anything with wheat/flour...by design those substances will light up the same receptors in the brain that opiates do - bread=crack pipe lol. The fewer carbs I eat, I no longer feel hunger. I am still deep in my losing phase and am not anywhere near approaching an elite athlete, I will address the carb issue when I am able to do more hardcore exercise. This is something from my blog that may help. A friend from my WL support group shared it. Eight Signs of Emotional Eating A lot of people ask, "How do I know if I am over eating for emotional reasons?" If any of the following statements sound like they could apply to you, then it's likely you are struggling with emotional eating. 1. My hunger comes on suddenly. Physical hunger comes on slowly. Hunger from emotional eating often comes on quickly and suddenly. 2. I crave specific foods-generally not carrot sticks or steamed broccoli. Cravings for specific foods usually unhealthy foods are signs of emotional eating. Often people like the rush they get from satisfying their cravings. The rush is fulfilling emotional hunger.　 3. My hunger feels urgent- I need a particular food right away and I am willing to walk out of my way, or get in your car late at night, or raid my kids Halloween candy to get it. Physical hunger, unless you haven’t eaten for a long time, is usually pretty patient. It will wait for food. Emotional hunger demands to be satisfied immediately. 4. My hunger is often paired with an upsetting emotion- if I backtrack a few hours or a few days I’ll usually find an upsetting event and feeling that triggered the urge. Hunger thats comnnected to an upsetting emotion or situation is definately emotional hunger. Physical hunger is not typically triggered by emotions. 5. My eating habits involve unconscious eating-all of a sudden I’m eating ice cream and I find the whole contianer is gone. 6. I don’t stop eating in response to being full- I keep wanting more of the taste of the food. Physical hunger doesn’t need to be stuffed in order to be satisfied. Emotional hunger on the other hand often demands more and more food to feel satisfied. 7. My hunger isn’t located in the belly- I crave the taste of a certain food in my mouth or I can’t stop thinking of a certan food. Feeling hungry in this way is usually a sign of emotional hunger or binging. Physical hunger is happy to get what it can, while emotional hunger usually focuses on specific tastes and textures. 8. After I satisfy my hunger, I am often filled with a sense of regret or guilt.Feeding your body what it needs is not something to feel guilty about. If you feel guilty after you eat, it’s likely because part of you knows you’re not eating just to satisfy physical hunger. When you’re eating for phyiscal reasons, you are usually mindful of what you’re doing. If you catch yourself eating, “just because”, then its likely you’re eating for emotional reasons.

A friend who also had vsg and lost it all in 9 months (100 lbs) said that she could not tolerate Vitamins for the first 4 months after surgery. I could not do the chewables at that point so i switched to liquid multi's, which are usually the culprit for making me nauseated any time. I would concentrate on getting your liquids in above all, then Protein. It could very well be the vitamins. My surgeon has us wait 50 minutes after eating to drink, try waiting a bit longer. I found it common for both my husband and I to get sick when we started foods again, just take it slow and do the best you can. Honestly there were some days that I was lucky to get 200 calories in. I think I lived on the proti Protein drinks that are gel you put in Water, sips of Protein shake, and protein chicken Soup....I became lactose intolerant and extrmemly sensitive to artificial sweeteners at one point so I would drink weak herbal tea and a bi of regular gatorade to perk back up when I thought I was becoming dehydrated. It gets much better tolerating food, meds, vitamins etc. as you heal and get further out.

I am reading the book Wheat belly right now and I am so alarmed by what is in the book that I doubt that I will be eating much of anything that contains wheat from here on out lol, Not that i eat it often anyway, maybe once a month.It took a few months to tolerate - I am a carb addict so I stay away from it. The wheat that is produced now is so genetically modified that it is thousands of chromosomal iterations away from the parent strains, even from just a few decades ago ( the bread I grew up on in the 70's) - and it has never been tested for safety in humans or animals. Makes sense - genetically modified strains of wheat started rolling out just when the population was starting to gain weight at an alarming rate - when we have always stayed within a normal, healthy range in terms of body composition for thousands of years.

They eat what the people in the house who have had most of their stomachs removed eat ala lean Protein, veggies, occasional fruits in seaon, nuts, cheese, dairy, etc. If they want something that involves processed carbs - they go out for it. The house is clean - it has to be...a loaf of bread might as well a heroin filled syringe lol. Hang in there - pre-op diet is rough. My surgeon had us do Atkins induction which shrinks the liver just fine. I would make everyone eat away from me - plug my nose and if anyone wants bad food have them eat it elsewhere. For me controlling the food in my environment is KEY.