Webchickadee

Feel free to complain. We ALL get it, believe me! But you're right.......it will get better. You just have to suck it up and get through the next 3 days. Day 4 will be a calk-walk compared to today. Take it an hour at a time and drink lots of Water when you want to eat. It will fill you up (even just temporarily) and you'll be so busy going to the bathroom you won't have time to think about food (yeah, right as if.....).

Yes, absolutely I prefer to avoid "drinking my calories" as well. Good advice! For those who still want/need milk of some kind in their lives however, at least it's good to know there are a variety of options that provide varied benefits at different "price" points (calorie/protein/carb cost).

Hey, we're all human. It takes time to learn new good habits! That being said, you need to be careful so close to surgery to make sure you don't injury your tender, healing new tiny stomach! Try not to cheat with items that could injury you! (the Popeye's stuff from today is probably not going to do any significant damage....but be careful!). Now, the more important thing is this: Set yourself up for success, and not stress - If you know you're unable to resist tempting foods, don't put yourself in situations where you are testing your will power! Stay away from the restaurant / food court / others eating things you can't or shouldn't eat! - Pack Snacks that are on your post-op diet and have them with you AT ALL TIMES. Then when you're hungry or need to eat, you can do it right then and there, anywhere you are, with anyone. No temptation to "eat off their plate" or order something yourself that is "off-diet" No need to kick yourself for this little "stray". Just be better prepared and you'll be fine.

This might help you think about it differently.........

This might help you think about it from a difference perspective....

duplicate post. sorry!

Wow! You look completely amazing! You must be thrilled with your new life and it shows in your pictures. The bright colors the beautiful jewelry the amazing attitude change you obviously are loving your new life and you deserve it. Keep up the great work and thanks for inspiring us.

Count me in! I love being a tester and early adopter!

I know it's uninspiring to hear for the nth time....."don't compare yourself to others" and "you are unique". But it really is true. There are COUNTLESS factors that will affect how you lose, how fast you lose it, where you lose it from, if you will stall, etc. Some are genetic, some are environmental, some are based on what you eat, what you do (exercise, etc.), your stress levels, pre-op activity levels, etc. (and on and on). The next thing to keep in mind is: IT IS NOT A RACE. Yes, you're excited. You have FINALLY taken this giant step towards good health, and you want results NOW! But you didn't gain the weight overnight, you need time for your body to let go of it. You have had major surgery and are in active healing right now. Your stomach was cut open, 85% taken out, the rest stapled up. It is VERY inflamed and the rest of your body and metabolism is in shock. Not only did you have a general anesthetic (which is wholly unnatural and throws the body "out of whack" for some time), but you are now suddenly eating a small % of what you ate pre-op (and probably what you ate for most of your life). You body is saying "WTF is going on here?" and trying to adapt. All the while, it is still keeping you alive, in motion and able to deal with daily life. That's alot of work for one poor body to be handling right now! So give it time. I KNOW it's hard when you're excited, motivated and so full of hope for a slim healthy future. It will come, I promise! Just stay on track, do as your doctor directs, start exercising when you can (even just walking is FANTASTIC). Track what you eat/drink. Make sure you're hitting your Fluid and Protein requirements. If you want to track changes, keep measurements of main body parts (neck, arms, bust, chest, waist, hips, thighs). You will see changes in size in your clothes as well, even when the scale says there is no weight loss. The scale can be evil and plays mind games with you. Don't let it. It may not sound logical now, but the extra time it takes for you to lose the weight could actually be a good thing... Firstly, fast weight loss is hard to maintain for multiple reasons. But the biggest obstacle by far is not having time to get your brain retrained. It takes time to learn a new lifestyle and attitude towards eating, exercise and health. After surgery, you will experience "head hunger" for months. You will really believe you are hungry and/or craving things that your body physiologically doesn't want or need. But your brain sure makes you feel like it does! You will learn to modify you thinking so those cravings don't rule your life (sometimes a support group or counseling is helpful to achieve this). The VSG is only a tool to limit the amount of food you can eat at one time, but it is up to YOU to make good healthy good choices to nourish and fuel your body. It is up to YOU to eat when you need food, not when you want it (snacking is SO hard to change!). It is up to YOU to avoid high carb, low-nutrition addictive foods (rampant in our culture in North America and throughout the world). You will learn the value of an increased activity level in your life. Be it structured (visiting the gym for classes or weight training); team sports; walking more/driving less; finding new challenges (hiking, biking, obstacle course races, watersports, winter sports); running.......whatever you are interested in! The more you do, the better you body will feel, the healthier you will be, the more "leeway" you will have to eat more (still making good choices most of the time). I'm not saying don't weigh yourself. Definitely, you should keep track of your progress. Set goals. But stalls happen (to EVERYONE) and the body will go by its own timeline. Just stay "on track" and you will drop the weight, feel great and get to goal. Then comes the hard part.........staying at goal.

Khy, would you buy a new car without seeing what it looks like beforehand? Just because the manufacturer has a good reputation (even the "best in the business"?). Your plastic surgery is expensive, VERY personal and a modification to your body. You should NEVER settle for what you can get. You need to know EXACTLY what he's planning, what you should expect as your outcome, and whether it is worth your time, your money, your risk (all surgery has risk), and your emotional investment. Please get more info before you go under the knife!

Okay, you asked for info, so I'm going to give you some with "no holds barred". Let's start with some facts: Beer - 12 oz - 5-6% alcohol - 150 calories Beer, light - 12 oz - 4-5% alcohol - 105 calories Wine - 4 oz - 12% alcohol - 77 calories Wine cooler - 10 oz - 5-6.5% alcohol - 125 calories Spirits - 1 oz - 40-80% alcohol - 64-84 calories Liquiers - 1 oz - 16-26% alcohol - 103-123 calories You're not using mixers, so you think calories are not a problem. WRONG! Just ONE drink per day will use up approx. 10% of your target calorie intake in the first few months of your post-op life. That is without any redeeming nutrional qualities such as Protein, Vitamins, minerals, etc. In fact, alcohol causes very significant dehydration during the metabolization process (that's a large part of why people get such horrible hangovers). The liver metabolizes fat (important during weight loss), however alcohol intake takes "priority" in the liver and fat metabolism will take a "back seat" while it works through your alcohol. Alcohol consumption causes increased loss of Calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. It interferes with Vitamin absorption (B1, B6, B12 and folate), as well as interfering with the processing of Vitamin A and D. Post-op you are already facing a significant challenge in maintaining proper nutrtion, preventing muscle loss due to protein canabalization (the body prefers to break down muscle for energy before it breaks down fat) and dehydration due to smaller quantities of food/fluid intake. The body also needs much more Water to process fat and alcohol than you normally need when not in weight-loss mode. SO WHAT, you say? A couple of drinks a day won't hurt me (I assume you mean at least that many if you "like to drink a lot"). Aside from the obvious health risks excessive alcohol brings into your life without this surgery, you MUST realize that drinking AFTER this surgery will negate most of the positive effects of this very drastic decision you've made to remove 85% of your stomach! Now as to problems....... You wil get drunk VERY fast compared to pre-op. That could lead to safety issues (driving, operting machinery, hell even walking could be dangerous!). And when you drink, you lose your inhibitions, and sometimes self-control. But for the first few months of post-op life, you MUST be super-careful what you eat/drink so you don't damage your stomach and possibly cause a life-threatening leak! It's hard to be in good control and make smart decisions when you are impaired. And you WILL be impaired, even if you're not ready to admit that to yourself or anyone else. The brain does not operate at optimal performance levels with toxins "on board" and that is literally what alcohol is, and that is why we get drunk. I'm not saying NEVER drink. But you should wait until you're stable and fully recovered from surgery (that can take up to 6 months), on a good stable eating plan (also at least 6 months) and when you do start drinking again, make it in a controlled and safe environment (at home?). Okay. So now you know and you can make informed decisions. It's up to you.

Yes! I was basically stalled for most of March, April and the beginning of May. Normally I would lose about 8-10 lbs per month. I lost less than 8 lbs in about 10-11 weeks during this "stall'. I think my body is trying to adjust to a new level of weight (roughly around the weight I was steady at in high school, 25+ yrs ago), so it's "stuck' for a while here. Also, I have definitely been eating more food (though most of the time, I am getting good levels of Protein in, and staying reasonable with the carbs (considering my workout levels) at <100 g per day). Despite not losing much weight, I have gone down in my measurements and clothing sizes during this "stall". So I'm not worried. I've just readjusted my timeline. I thought I would get to goal by October 2013 (17 months post-op), but now I think it's more realistic that I will only reach my goal at 21 months post-op. So what...who cares? I am already smaller now than I have ever been in my adult lift, and slowly but surely, I'm getting smaller each week. I know that mathematically, the "stall" cannot last forever. Calories in - calories out = loss if I exercise enough, even if I eat more than planned.

I am 1 yr+ post-op and nicely settled into the "new me" lifestyle. You will feel better in the coming weeks. Don't forget, you had MAJOR surgery. It takes time to heal and recover! After that, for the next several months, you're learning how to eat, digest, etc. just like when you were a baby. But you don't remember that time so you can't recall how challenging it was back then! As mentioned, soon it will be a distant memory and you will find your "new normal" and be enjoying your slim, healthy, happy new self. Just be patient. The time will pass quickly after the first weeks of struggle. I promise!

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/78443-the-pre-op-diet-is-not-a-punishment-its-an-opportunity/

I posted about this a few weeks ago. The post was well received and I've referenced it a few times since for people having a hard time with the pre-op diet... Original post: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/78443-the-pre-op-diet-is-not-a-punishment-its-an-opportunity/

Very sorry for your loss! Perhaps it is due to hormonal changes. Certainly your body must be trying to readjust following some "hormone whiplash" now.... Stick with your eating plan and exercise. Patience will pay off, I'm sure!

You SHOULD think about it.......and here's something I posted a few weeks ago that might help your attitude about the "dreaded" pre-op diet..... http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/78443-the-pre-op-diet-is-not-a-punishment-its-an-opportunity/ (original link)

Great explanation CowgirlJane! In addition, having inconsistent airflow places a significant strain on the heart (our most important muscle) as it must work extra hard to feed the body oxygenated blood (which is now decreased due to poor breathing). And the heart itself isn't getting the oxygen it needs to do the extra work. A double whammy. Many post-op complications in patients with compromised breathing are secondary cardiac impact in nature (more so than from the anesthetic directly). The CPAP machine helps your breathing; saves your heart muscle and is usually a life-saving device if used consistently and appropriately. It does however take some getting used to. The mask can be uncomfortable in the beginning. The feeling of constant airflow and pressure in your head/neck is new and requires acclimatization and the sound of the machine at night will take some getting used to (for both yourself and your partner). That being said, it is much easier to get used to than the disruption of snoring (which many sleep apnea patients have).

No, you will not necessarily have it forever. There are many reason for sleep apnea. One of the most frequent causes (though not always) is obesity, and specifically excess fat in the area of the airway and surrounding tissues that collapse under the negative pressure in your throat during inhalation. During sleep you have less control over the musculature in your body (and specifically your airway) and all your muscles are more relaxed. Breathing in can cause the tissues to "collapse" a bit further than they normally do when you're awake, and that blocks your breathing. The CPAP machines (CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) provide an "air splint" to keep a certain amount of pressure in your airway at all times, which helps keep it from collapsing and blocking airflow. In MANY cases, as patients lose weight, their Sleep Apnea is resolved.

Firstly, you must remember that it can take up to 6 months for your stomach to full heal from the surgery. Which means you are probably experiencing extensive swelling in the stomach, not just for the first few weeks, but for up to 6 months. The "sudden" extra capacity could very well be as a result of decreased internal swelling and not any form of stretching. Secondly, you cannot truly "know" you real capacity until you have established a baseline "normal". Which you can't do while you are healing, and is difficult to do while you are changing "variables". Variables include: - adding new foods/textures to your diet - increasing/decreasing your activity or exercise level(s) - Hormonal changes (esp. during menstruation in women) and many more.... Don't get discouraged! It's like being disappointed in what a puzzle will look like, when you've only just seen a few pieces laid out. There is alot more ahead of you that will show you the "full picture". As to how much you will eat at 1 year, who knows? But as you say, the element of "your choice" and "your decisions" will make ALL the difference. Making informed, healthy choices that FUEL your body (rather than your appetite and cravings) will help you reach your goal and maintain your losses. I chose to use my first 6 months as a "training ground" to learn and establish my life-long eating habits going forward. That way I knew that future temptations, celebrations, cravings and "life" could be taken in stride without panic. And when all else fails and I eat more than I should, I get A LOT more active and work it off. Have faith. The tool of the VSG is only one part of your weight-loss and healthy living strategy. The best tool of all is your brain (no surgery required, but extensive modifications mandatory)!

Not to mention the well documented "Week 3 stall" (use the search box in the top right hand corner of this forum). And your shifting hormones not only during your time of the month (TOM), but also during rapid weight loss. Patience! And as others have said, don't weigh yourself every day. If you must (because you can't help yourself), then take the results "in stride". Daily fluctuations are normal. A stall is normal. Water weight increase is normal. Your overall trend (if you stay "on plan") will be down. Guaranteed.

Congratulations! That is AMAZING news! I completed my RT training in 1997 (wow, I'm old!), but developed an anaphylactic reaction to latex shortly thereafter. This was before the increased awareness of latex sensitivity, and essentially meant I would not be able to work in critical care or trauma situations without repeated daily exposure to latex. So I left the field. The knowledge has helped me countless times since. And I've even flirted with getting back in the field (on my "own time") by studying and perhaps volunteering at a hospital (if they would take me). I'd have to write my boards again too (too long out of the field), and get provincially licensed again. Almost like starting new! Still, it's intriguing and I know that I would be able to handle "code" calls like no body's business now (being 140 lbs lighter). Being on my feet for 12 hrs wouldn't be a problem either. With all the technological, pharmacological and medical knowledge advances in the past 16 years though, it would be A LOT of studying. Well done!

Okay, I read this entire topic in one sitting (that's a lot of scrolling on a smartphone). I REALLY wanted to jump in and comment, but as some of you have said near the end, I "let it go". I do however STRONGLY agree that "corrections" to errata must be made for those members of this forum who may be less aware/educated/informed. Certainly the definition of BMI, overweight, obese and morbidly obese are standardized and clearly available throughout the medical world. They coincidentally are also available "on the web" from a number of well-respected resources (.edu, .gov, etc. as well as many other web extensions that are NOT U.S.-based). In this particular situation, it appears that one person has STRONG convictions that their information is correct, regardless of the mounting evidence to the contrary. As a result, they feel attacked and are "defending" themselves with comments that the majority of the readers in this post have responded to negatively. I have been in that person's position before. I know how hard it is to "admit" to being mistaken, especially when you TRULY believe you are correct. However, when shown evidence from multiple sources, by multiple people that I am INDEED incorrect, I have capitulated in the past (and even apologized if I was "out of line"). Not everyone can get to that place and instead, they dig their heels in. The best advice I ever got about a disagreement was "keep in on topic" and if you're arguing with someone who brings in outside issues, don't let them lead you down that road. Otherwise the situation escalates, the comments (often inflammatory) distract you from the original topic, and the original issue is never resolved. And everyone ends up hurt, angry and stuck.