AliveAgain

I use mine all the time for longer rides, but I waited until I was 4 months out just to be safe. I also use straws on occasion when drinking EmergenC, never had any problems. Sometimes helped to sip it into the mouth, swish it around before swallowing just to know if there is a lot of air.

Thanks for posting this, Catracks. I've been experiencing the same thing myself, wondering why the scale doesn't seem to be moving like it used to when I seem to be working out harder. I noticed I'm still drinking plenty of fluids (80oz or more each day) but didn't seem to be peeing as much as I once was. Perhaps my body is holding some Water weight for the extra endurance? I have to remind myself that my biggest reason for doing this was to lose weight to be healthier and to participate more in life, in fun things that I used to enjoy. So long as I'm able to do that, I feel confident the scale will move with time.

Yes, we can take laxatives as needed. My surgeon and gastroenterologist both recommend stool softeners if constipation reoccurs, like Colace or Philips. I find I get constipated 1-2 times a month now, so I first try one stool softener per day for 2-3 days to see if it works. Then if it gets to a point of discomfort, I'll use a single dose of Milk of Magnesia at night. It always works. Drinkable magnesium citrate can also help, or senna tea on occasion. Make sure to drink a lot of water with any of these!!

Congrats on the 58 pounds lost and KEPT OFF! Be proud of that loss! I know it's hard not to see the 40 still to go, but you will get there with patience, diligence and time. I am coming up on being 5 months out, and have noticed a slow down in my weight loss the last month or so. I now tend to bounce around with the same pound for 3-5 days before really losing it. But I'm happy so long as the scale just keeps going down, not up, and the clothes continue to get baggier. I would recommend going back to the food journal, and trying to scale back to 800 calories for a week or two. Make sure you're still getting 80-100g of Protein daily, 64oz or more of fluids, and try to keep the carbs between 40-60g. That should help kick start the losing again. My surgeon and nutritionist tell me 1200-1400 calories is what I will eat once I'm in maintenance -- once I hit goal and do not want to lose or gain any more. Every body is different, but on average we only burn 1400-1800 calories per day doing normal, routine things like showering, driving, working, etc. Of course, more active people burn more, men more than women, etc. And you have to expend 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat. The body converts carbs to energy very easily, more so than fat or protein. So if you're feeding your body enough carbs, it will default to using that for energy and slow down on using the things you want it to use -- fat. I'm still experimenting myself. I had to increase my carbs from less than 40g to about 60g per day because of the type of activity I'm doing. I found myself continually bonking about 1.5-2 hours into a bike ride, or on longer hikes. I'm not sure that's really slowing down my weight loss, since I'm expending more energy, too. But it's pretty normal for the loss to slow down at the 6 month point. It gets used to what is now your "norm" and you have to shake it up a little bit. Maybe take on something new like pilates or swimming? But definitely go back to the basics of what you were doing at months 2-3 to see if that helps.

(If you do a search from the main search page, enclosing the phrase in quotations like this: "unflavored unjury" -- there are many results!) As for your question, I keep all the unjury flavors in my cabinet. I break them out from time to time, and yes, to make them "go longer" I'll sometimes do half/half flavor/unflavored. It blends well like any other powder. I personally use Blender Bottles, few shakes and you're ready to go. They blend well in blenders, too, if you're into adding other things like fruit, ice, etc. My other trick is to make SF Jello like normal, only using a scoop of unflavored in the cold Water and waiting to mix once the hot water is below 130 degrees. Then you get a little extra Protein in your Jello!

Actually, bra fitting "experts" tell you that if you go down in band size, you have to go up in cup size. There is no real change in their size, it's all perspective of cuts. Same thing happened to me, I dropped from a 40I/J to now a 34G/H. It was tricky because it was like band, band, cup, band, cup, cup, band.

I've wondered this myself. My doctor never mentioned a drain, and until I joined this forum I did not realize it was an option for some. I can say I had a pretty easy hospital stay with no complications. Just one large incision and four small ones that I can barely see now, all closed shut with glue. Came home the day after surgery, able to take in a protein shake and water 6 hours after surgery. Did not have to go back to have anything removed at all, just regular follow up visits.

Hi Jamie, welcome to VST! I was confused much by the same thing when I was considering this surgery. I first heard about it months before I had my first consult, when I wasn't even looking for it. I had gone in for a consult for breast reduction, and that doctor pretty much refused to do surgery on me until I lost a lot of weight because I was too high of a risk for complications. I had a few doctors tell me over the years to consider the surgery, but I thought it was too drastic -- I can do it myself. Well, after multiple attempts to diet and exercise properly, I realized I didn't have everything I needed to make this a success. Too often life gets in the way: Work stresses me out, I don't get enough sleep for weeks on end killing my will power, my family creates drama and I eat to cover up my feelings. You name it, I had a lot of barriers ahead of me. Yes, I was eating a lot of the right stuff, most of the time. But usually still in too large of portion sizes. And I still had moments of binging on the wrong stuff (pasta, rice, bread) when my emotions got the best of me. After years of therapy to reduce my anxiety, I still wasn't getting the eating thing under control. And so long as I was 130 pounds overweight, every attempt to exercise just caused pain and injury. So I decided to have this surgery. And it's the best decision I've made in a long, long time. The surgery doesn't remove any weight at all (except for the excised stomach, which doesn't count!) It's not like liposuction where someone else is REMOVING the fat cells for you. It's merely giving me a smaller stomach so that I can't abuse it's volume any more. It's like having a coach with you at every meal, deciding your portions and telling you when you've had enough. It's this little reminder that now that you only have a small amount of space, you'd better fill it with healthy food that will give you energy, nutrients, and sustenance throughout the day. Believe me, I would not have made it more than a few weeks on a 600 calorie diet with less than 40g of carbs. I would have broken down 50 times since my surgery when life got my emotions worked up, when I felt like I wasn't losing enough, when PMS came-a-calling. This allowed me the "OOMPH" I needed to deal with my head issues, start and KEEP to a healthy eating schedule, and feel proud that I was keeping on the "straight and narrow." With that came the initial 30-40 pound loss that helped me start walking, biking, etc. without pain. And with the new diet, I found I had more power, less illness, and more willingness to be more active. I hope this helps you!

So this thread came to mind today for me... So I decided to just ask my husband, "Did I lose weight in my vagina?" He belted out laughing and nearly fell off his bike. Did I mention we were mountain biking at full speed? He said he'd have to put that one in the books of one of the things he loves about me. Oh, and he his answer was, "Yes, a little bit"

My weight yo-yo'd in my 20s and I gained about 30 extra pounds after a bad break up. I dropped that 30 plus an extra 15 one year, and everyone "accused" me of having a breast reduction -- since my weight goes straight to my boobs and then LEFT my boobs. It lasted a few weeks, then they finally shut up about it. I have not told anyone but my husband and doctors about my surgery, and at this time do NOT plan on telling anyone. The fact is the surgery is just a tool that helped me lose the weight, but the actual LOSING I've been doing on my own my being diligent about changing eating habits and exercising daily. So I don't feel like a liar when they ask how I've done it and I say "diet and exercise" because it's the truth. I know some people disagree and believe the only way to get rid of the stigma of surgery is to be proud of it and back it up. While I agree with this logic, I also believe that telling or not telling is a very personal matter. All of us came from different backgrounds and it's hard to say what applies to one should apply to all. Personally, I know I'd have those who support me and those who'd chose to judge me. I honestly would rather not know and do not feel prepared to have the relationships in my life shift for that reason. Maybe one day I'll change my mind, who knows? But for now, this is my choice.

My doctor did not put me on a pre-op diet, but advised I should try to lose 10-15 pounds before surgery and go low-carb and kick the sugars so my liver could shrink a little. I ate the foods I'm eating now, high-protein, etc. practice food journaling, and then went on a liquid diet 48 hours before surgery. What you had sounds fine to me for 10-days out, just get back on the horse and try again tomorrow. Shrinking the liver is very important, it can prevent them from being able to do the surgery at all. The stomach is kind of hidden behind/beside the liver, and they have to be ever so careful not to damage it.

Considering I've never been in a bar fight, and I've never been stabbed - that wouldn't mean very much to me. It felt more like doing 250 ab crunches meets some really bad menstrual cramping, just a little higher up in the abdomen. In fact, sometimes the menstrual cramps are worse than what I felt after surgery!

It's tricky because usually to keep the creamy taste of low fat cheese they have to use additives, which can make it higher in carbs and lower in protein than the regular kind. Sometimes the additive is wood-pulp based, which is why it won't melt very well. So it depends on your vices: Carbs or fat? Either in small doses and moderation is OK.

Yes, it does get easier and very soon! Your new stomach is still quite swollen from the surgery as it heals. So for the first few weeks or first month that you are introducing blended and soft foods, it's going to seem like an impossible task. I remember when eating small curd cottage cheese took me more than hour to eat (1-2oz), and I just ate the same thing with a sliced tomato as a snack in under 10 minutes. The healing can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks, for some even longer. As the swelling goes down, you'll notice you're able to eat more easily because the stomach is getting closer to the true capacity you're meant to have for the "new normal" of portion sizes. Take your time, introduce one new thing at a time, and don't get discouraged. If one food doesn't treat you well this week, wait another week or so and try it again. That happened with many foods for me that I'm able to eat regularly now. What worked for me was keeping foods to 1-2oz for soft solids and no more than 3oz for blended or soft mushy. Chew everything 20-30 times, even the mushy stuff. You have digestive enzymes in your saliva that help break down food and prepare it for the stomach. Take small bites, take long pauses when needed (after every 2-3 bites), try "saucing" your foods with Greek yogurt blends, some homemade marinara sauce, soups/broths so that it's not too dry going down. I preferred fresh, hot rotisserie chicken breast (remove the skin) because it is so juicy versus dried out oven roasted stuff. And it doesn't hurt to reheat or use a little chicken broth to keep it moist. Also, soft/medium tofu is great at this stage. Has the texture of custard in the middle, you can stir fry it or just pan heat it with some herbs and light olive oil.

At 8 weeks I was between 500-650 on any given day with my "goal" being 600. And no more than 40g of carbs per day. This is with exercise like a 3-3.5 mile walk, personal training, 10+ mile bike ride. At 4.5 months, my goal is now only 700 calories per day though I sometimes hit 800. These goals were given to me by my surgeon and NUT.

While weight loss is expected to slow down or plateau anywhere from 5-9 months are surgery, it's important to stick to the guidelines you followed right after surgery. Kill the junk (chips) and journal all your intake to see how you stack up in calories/protein/carbs/fat. Do you still measure your food with a scale or measuring cup? Are you still drinking plenty of fluids, 64-100oz per day? Preferably Water, nothing sugary. Do you occasionally throw in a Protein shake to keep feeling full? Stop drinking while you eat, as that can go one of two ways: You either flush the food out and don't feel as full as you should, and eat more; or it makes you feel too full and you don't eat enough. It depends on the person, where they are after surgery, etc. You talk about continuing to eat off the plate, expecting to not want more for a few hours. I'm only 4 months out but have found that even after eating 4oz of food in 30 minutes, I can still "graze" if there is food in front of me for another hour or so (i.e. when the plate is in front of you at the restaurant and the waiter hasn't taken it yet). This is why it's important to be cognizant of measuring and knowing how much you've had, planning your meals, and sticking to it. The sleeve is great because it will keep us from taking in extremely large portions in one sitting, and it helps curb the hunger hormone -- but we can still get in plenty of calories, more than we need, if we really let it happen. Best of luck, hope the scale moves again soon!

Bras are a four-letter word for me. I had a hard time finding bras that worked before surgery, and now it's even worse. At my heaviest, I was a 40I/J. The inches around my back were the first to go, while cup size is taking it's sweet time to catch up. So now I'm about a 34H, which most brands do not make. And I've ordered over $3500 worth over the internet and have only found ONE that barely works for my shape (the rest were returned). Those babies are not cheap at $60-80 a pop! I took some of my favorites to a tailor and paid $15 each to have her take in the band. It's not great, but it gets me by for now. The only problem is now the straps are kind of far over in my armpits, so there is some pain by the end of the day and I can't wear cute tank tops because it shows through. I need something to wear at night because sleeping with these things is a nightmare. They literally hang to my bellybutton and fall under my arms at night. I get a stretching and tearing feeling on my chest and wake up multiple times to "adjust them." If anyone else is "melon challenged" and has ideas, let me know. Genie bras and the such don't work for me because if the cup size works, then the band is huge on me (and vice versa).

Does he provide a post-op diet plan and guidance? If so, what kind of diet (low-carb, etc.) does he expect? What are his pre-op requirements (labs, tests, etc.)? What are HIS personal statistics for complications, hospital time, how many/how long has he performed this surgery? Does he repair hiatal hernias while he's in there (common in obese patients)? Also, if you use the search feature on the home pain and type in (with quotations) "questions for surgeon" you'll see answers other members have provided before. Good luck!

I had low potassium in my first weeks. My surgeon prescribed straight potassium for me. It comes in giant pill form, but I would score it in half then crush it with a mortar and pistil. Then you let it dissolve in 2oz of water for about 2 minutes and sip it down. It really helped me with the dizzies and fainting spells. Your body just went through major surgery, it will normalize with proper hydration, working the best you can with foods/protein, and rest. Hope you feel better soon.

I am coming up on my three month mark next week, and continue to have stalls every two weeks or so. Very frustrating. I have talked to my doctor, he's no help. I've talked to my nutritionist, she is at a point where she doesn't know what more to suggest. So I thought I'd come to the group to see if anyone has any suggestions. I keep a food journal. I get 70-100g of Protein every day, no I cannot correlate more/less loss with the lower or higher protein. I keep my carbs between 15-30g per day (doc wants below 40). And my fats are between 8-20g per day. My calories are always below 600, some days closer to 500. I drink two Protein shakes per day (Nectar/Unjury mixed with water), one in the mid morning and one in the afternoon. My food sources are (non-fat as applicable) Greek yogurt w/some blueberries or raspberries, cottage cheese w/ tbsp unsweetened applesauce, chicken meat cooked at home w/small shot of cooking spray and herbs/lemon, shrimp, scallops, sashimi fish, grilled pork chop, tofu -- all 2-2.5oz portions measured. Other food sources are broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, edamame, artichoke, mushrooms -- all cooked at home either steamed or oven baked. No butter, no sauces, some lightly sprinkled Parmesan at times (less than a teaspoon). All between 1-2oz measured. I like and am allowed cheese but keep all dairy to a minimum due to constipation issues. For an occasional snack, I will have 2-3 flax/soy "tortilla chips" from Trader Joe's that have 4g fiber/6g protein per serving (7 chips) and only 13 carbs. So with eating only 2-3, maybe 6-7 carbs? With 2 teaspoon of homemade salsa. Sometimes I'll sneak in a tablespoon of natural Peanut Butter (no palm/hydrogenated oils) with my doctor doesn't even allow. I add Benefiber dissolvable to my shakes and eat the Metamucil wafers my doctor suggested for more Fiber. I drink 64-80oz of fluids every day, mostly Water or tea. I walk 3 miles in one hour 4-5 days per week and workout for one hour with a personal trainer 2 days per week (muscle toning, strengthening). Also, a 6-8 mile bike ride 1-2 days per week, weather permitting. I sleep 7-8 hours per night, am unemployed right now so stress is relatively low (other than the stress of looking for work). I know my hormones are completely out of whack, they have been for years. They are the only culprit I can think of. I have Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome which puts estrogen and progesterone in imbalance, along with all the estrogen being released by the fat burning. I am not on birth control, cannot stand the side effects. I thought it was related to my TOM, but my stalls seems to happen a little to haphazardly. I will lose 0.8-0.4 pounds per day on the scale, then just no movement at all for 5-6 days. My trainer and chiropractor both say they feel a lot of muscle in development, but I don't think it's enough to be it? I take measurements every two weeks, but I don't seem to be "losing inches when I'm not losing pounds." I have to limit my exercise to what I do now because of my bad knees and breast size. I can't do those Boot Camp things because they do a lot of squats and other knee exercises my doctors tell me not to do. I'd love to swim, but am having a hard time getting a bathing suit that fits a size 16 on the bottom, and 36H bra size. I can go the custom route for $180, but haven't bit the bullet for that one until I have income coming in again. I know stalls happen, and I'm really OK with the pace I'm losing. But I worry that maybe I'm doing something that is holding me back from losing more. Any advice?

You are not alone. I felt exactly the same way for the first few weeks after surgery, with the first week being the most intense. Personally, I think it's our mental detachment from old habits along with the departure of "normal" meals being replaced by liquid ones. You know, the experiment of "for the next five minutes, don't think about the pink elephant in the room" and then all you can think about is a little pink elephant that was not in your thoughts before that moment. Just like that, with time and learning the new ways of eating it will pass. Mine did, thankfully. Once my body realized it was getting what it needed from the shakes, Vitamins, etc. and I felt great -- those thoughts stopped dominating my thinking. Your mind is relearning the difference between real, true hunger and head hunger. Hang in there, keep to your plan, look into the acid reducer (if you're not already on one), and have faith that it will pass.

I would advise against it, as I doubt they have anything that is a good mix of high protein, low carbs and low fat. Plus, some sleevers say sugary treats don't sit well with their new tummies. But if you're really interested, Google "Dairy Queen Nutrition" and you'll get this. Personally, I glanced at it and they're all a little too high in sugary carbs for my preference. That being said, I think too much deprivation is not good for the long run. Perhaps if you have a friend or loved one who's willing to share a treat, let you have a bite or two? That usually satiates me when I have a hankering for something sweet, not more than once every week or so.

Yes, whey protein isolate is some of the best you can use. Brands like Unjury, Syntrax/Nectar, Isopure (GNC), etc. are very popular by users on this site. It's easily absorbed with our new tummies and you can get 20-40g depending on the drink. I buy the powder forms mostly and blend in a Blender Bottle with water, ice, and dissoluble fiber. It is very hard to get the 64oz in for most in the first week, sometimes even into the second week. The key is to try your best everyday and you will get there. Remember SF Jello and popsicles count as some fluid, broths, milks, etc. I really enjoy decaf and herbal teas, too.

I'm 4 months out and if I really needed to, I can eat in under 30 minutes. Usually that happens in restaurants when the wait staff is staring at you to finish. It depends on the food really. Sashimi I can get down (2-3oz) no problem in 20 minutes, taking time to chew, etc. But give me fish or chicken with veggies, and I usually don't want to rush it so I'll take 30-45 minutes. For lunch and snacks, like 2oz of cottage cheese with some applesauce, usually 15 or less. Soups are also a little easier. But this only recently happened for me. The first 1-3 months it could take me up to an hour to eat meals, chewing, putting the fork down between bites, etc. Seriously, the first time you eat too fast and you get the slimey painful feeling in your chest, you learn.

I never had acid problems before surgery. In fact, most doctors thought I had TOO LITTLE acid production. But I wanted to be safe, so I took the daily Omeprazole after surgery. As soon as the doctor said it was "safe" to stop, I stopped. Never had any bad side effects coming off it until a few weeks later. I became less and less hungry, and I had a harder time eating and was eating too little. The suggestion was that I was making too much acid, which can make you feel more full. So I went back on it for a little while, and it did help me get back up to where I needed to be caloric-wise. Still, I don't like take more meds than I need, so I'm back off it again. Going to see how things go this time!!