Webchickadee

I'm so glad I found your post Lisa ! I have been "plateaued" for about 1 month now and it is totally my own fault. I was in a great downward trend since late January (after coming home for a 2 week all-inclusive vacation in Mexico, where I ate/drank whatever I wanted!). I lost 18 lbs from late January to mid-March. Crossed into the wonderful "onederland" (haven't been there in 25 years!). Then whamo, plateau. I started getting more comfortable with eating more. Hunger seems to hit me all the time now (I'm 11 months post-op) and I feed that new hunger! Too many carbs (up to 100 g per day sometimes!) and too many calories (1200 average, but some days it's 1600!). I do exercise (3 mile walk every day at lunch, 15K training rides on my new road bike, etc.), but it's just not enough to counteract all the eating! I track every morsel sin (doesn't seem to deter me enough!), so I know what I'm doing wrong. And reading your post and everyone's responses is helping get my brain back on track. I have 55 lbs to lose to get to my goal, and I don't want to be this close to the 200's for the rest of my life. So back to basics. Lots more Water (I've always struggled, but now I REALLY have to put my nose to the grind stone!). A LOT less carbs, and cut the calories to 1000 or less daily. Sounds so easy............I hope water helps kill the hunger pangs! I may have to look at increasing my PPI as well, as it's possible the hunger is actually increased stomach acid. Thanks for the kick in the pants everyone. I hope to be posting again in a few weeks with a positive report of re-established good habits, and continued progress to my goal weight!

And finally we've reached the point of sanity! Thanks everyone for playing (LOL). I think we all agree that respect is important and reading posts with an open-mind helps us remember to stay respectful. Before you let those fingers fly, stop and read what the person wrote, and read what you've written in response (BEFORE you hit the POST button). You just might find that things are not as clear as you thought. Looking forward to reading you all in the next topic(s)........

You are doing great! Keep up the fantastic work. As to stalls, they happen. A lot. I'm in the middle of a 3 week one right now, and I've got my 1 year surgiversary coming up in May, so I have goals I want to reach by then. I feel your pain. But the weight will come off if we stick to the program. And it will stay off FOREVER. We just need discipline, and the joy of embracing our new healthy lifestyle. So that's what I'm doing!

Type "Week 3 stall" into the search box in the top right hand corner of this website. And not, the stall doesn't doesn't have to be EXACTLY at week 3.......

LOL. This made me laugh my butt off (unfortunately I almost put someone's eye out with my loose skin while doing so...). I'm 10 months post-op too, and down about 130 lbs, with another 50+ to go. The loose skin is really starting to ramp up now, and I knew it would. I have spent my entire life (since at least age 12) morbidly obese. That poor skin has been stretched WAY beyond the ability to bounce back! I KNOW I will need surgery on my bat wings (arms), legs, upper and lower abdomen and breasts. Of course I will have to PAY for all of that, and I can't afford it right now. But a little bit at a time, and the meanwhile, I cover it up as best as possible. Fortunately my husband is VERY supportive and tells me it doesn't matter to him (he's overweight too, is losing also (without VSG) and will have his OWN loose skin to contend with!).

You can do this Ashlie Marie! I only WISH I had taken control of my weight at age 20. I am now 43 and I have spent the last 25 years (and then some) morbidly obese. I missed out on a lot of living due to my weight. I'm only just now returning to the active lifestyle I slowly gave up and the confidence I lost. I feel like a teenager again and I'm thrilled that you have turned your attention to getting your health in good order so young. Keep reading, learning and asking questions. You'll do great!

Restaurant food does not have to be taboo! You have to educate yourself though. I always try to find out the menu BEFORE we go to a restaurant. A big part of being successful with the VSG is planning your food for the day or the week AHEAD of time. That way you are in control and less temptation can jump in and derail your carefully laid plans. Have the good food at hand to cook with, know the nutritional information about the choices when you eat out , read the labels at the grocery store when you're shopping. It's about arming yourself with information and setting yourself up for success! I do my best to research restaurant menus online before we go (if you have a smartphone, sometimes you can do this right at the restaurant....they dont' always have nutritional info in the restaurant, but often it is available online!). If I've looked at the menu before we get there, I can choose my meal before they even hand me the menu. No tempting pictures to look at, no drooling over items I shouldn't eat, and I can log everything in my daily log (I use MyFitnessPal to track everything I eat, every day). And I always ask for a take-out container to be brought out immediately with my meal, and pack about 80% of the meal as soon as I get it. That way I won't overeat (and feel sick), I don't get asked "is there anything wrong with your meal?) because I have a clean plate when they come around, and I have great left-overs for a couple of meals!

Deltadawn817, I'm very sorry your experience at VerticalSleeveTalk has not been the enriching and positive one you initially hoped it would be. I must admit I have found the opposite to be true for myself. I am a self-pay patient that had access to very little first-hand information due to the scarcity of this surgery or surgeons who do this type of procedure in my area (Toronto, Canada). I had little choice but to seek out information and answers online. I visited several forums that discuss VSG-related topics, some of which you are no doubt familiar with. Of all of those forums, VST is the one I have found to consistently have the most complete community with active members willing to share their experiences (both positive and negative) and to tell the truth without sugar-coating the facts. It is the only forum I read and the only one I contribute to. When I read posts that interest me, I always take the time to respond thoroughly, thoughtfully and in a supportive yet factual manner. Please feel free to review "my content" and you will see that I put a lot of time and effort into making a difference with my posts. There are MANY members here who do the same (PdxMan is a great example, and I can think of many more as well..). But we don't KNOW how people will interpret what we write, or whether they are ready to hear hard truths (sometimes tough love is needed! I've benefited from it many many times here!). We do it out of a sense of community and support. No one gets paid to help others here, so being critical of those who freely and generously offer their support is less than generous on your behalf. And encouraging another member to essentially abandon this community because YOUR experience was less than ideal for you is also unfair. They may benefit in ways you have not.........steering them away from the opportunity to discover that is tantamount to robbing them of that opportunity due to your "sour grapes". If you truly feel this community has nothing to offer, I suggest you become a completely passive member and temper your desire to post anything. If I had read your quoted post when I first joined VST, I may have never gone on to be a happy member of this community.

Okay, seriously. I just read this entire thread in one sitting (LOL). And I am now nauseous as hell. Pre-op I loved them all.........now I eat a bit of chocolate (1-2 squares) now and again. And unbuttered popcorn (with various flavour shakers) every couple of weeks (a small bag, usually half-eaten)......and the rest would KILL me! I eat a single serving (13 pieces) of sweet potato wheat thins with lunch most days for crunch and flavour. There are probably lots of "sliders" in my repetoire, but I am giving a wide berth to the obviously sugar-laden trigger foods. Since I log everything in MFP, it's very painful to see how much of my daily alotment those foods lop off in 1 easy go! Or how many minutes of hard-sweating exercise it takes to work them off....

I think (hope) you will quickly learn the difference between "good food" (restaurant food - tastes good now) and REAL good food (which fuels your body and gives you energy and a sense of satisfaction, health and vitality). I am 10+ months post-op and still occasionally give in to cravings of my former life such as chicken wings, potato chips, or something fried. But it is always just a bite or two at the most (I steal from people's plates!). Then shortly thereafter I feel the after-effects (stomach upset, digestive tract disruption, lethargy, Water retention, etc.). Those feelings are always enough to dissuade me from going down that route again for a long time! With such a small stomach, your priority MUST be to properly fuel your body. Protein first, then veg, and lastly carb if there's room (probably not!). You will get into that rhythm early on and most likely will have months to make it a "habit for life" (depending on how much weight you have to lose). The more you have to lose, the longer it will take and the better your new habits will stick. As to hunger, yes, it will return but I find for me it is very rarely cravings. It is actual hunger, letting me know that my body needs nutrients. I have been exercising more in the last few months (I just started training for a 1/2 marathon walk to take place on my 44th birthday in October!), so it's no surprise that I am needing more fuel. If you use a Basal Metabolic Rate calculator (such as http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/), you can see how many calories you are burning now (at your current weight), vs how many calories you will burn at your projected ideal weight (do 2 calculations and subtract). These are calories AT REST, any exercise (more than sitting in a chair all day) will be in addition to this. This tells you your calorie deficit compared to how much you can eat once you hit your goal. As you can see, the deficit shrinks the smaller you get (therefore your weight loss slows down, or you must exercise more to maintain the deficit). Chances are good though that you will still have a larger BMR than what you are currently eating, and possibly what you will end up eating! Our stomachs are very small, so once you get to goal, you may have to supplement your calorie intake to keep it above your BMR for your goal weight, or you will continue to lose weight. Example: Current weight: 250 lbs (male, 6' tall, 35 yrs old) - BMR = 2300 calories Goal weight : 180 lbs ((male, 6' tall, 35 yrs old) - BMR = 1864 calories Deficit= 436 calories (daily) Expected weight loss = 0.88 lb/week (if you're eating 1864 calories per day) BUT, you are probably going to eat 800-1000 calories per day (I eat approx. 1000 calories/day now at 10+ months post-op) Deficit = 2300 calories - 800 calories = 1500 calories (daily) Expected weight loss = 3.0 lb/week (if you're eating 800 calories per day) *Note the deficit grows smaller as you lose weight, so the expected weight loss will get smaller too! The real challenge is to make sure the calories you are eating are healthy, good clean fuel for the body and not junk. After months of eating smaller calories such as 500-600 immeidately post-op, moving up to 1000+ calories 6-12 months post-op, you will increase your intake naturally. It will VERY likely be significantly less than what you eat pre-op, and possibly still less than your BMR at your goal weight. As you increase, it will feel like you are eating A LOT, but believe me, it is still far less than what you ate to get to the point where you needed surgery. Especially if you focus on healthy high protein, high quality food.

Did you know that a banana is basically a big sugar stick? I am 10 months post-op and still only eat 1/4 to a 1/2 banana once in a while (less than once per week). Though it has potassium, which is good for you, I just can't justify the sugars. A medium banana has 30 g of sugar (essentially all the calories come from the sugar - about 120 calories!). That's about 1/2 of my day's worth of carbs (and I exercise alot!). Until I was 6 months post-op, I was limiting my carbs to less than 40 g per day. One banana would have been 75% of my carbs for the day!

Try LittleMissDiva's Boot Camp: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/

And similarly, I just posted THIS:

Please read the post PdxMan made and take it to heart. I am now 10 months post-op and my post-op weight-loss has been through multiple stalls, some increases (even in the last 2 weeks) and has been COMPLETELY non-linear. You must "stay the course" and remember that your body needs to adapt to the multiple changes happening. Within the first few months post-op you are actively healing from a major surgery, so anything goes. After about 6 months you are adapting to major lifestyle modifications regarding your food intake type and of course quanitities (and probably have incorporated significant exercise into your lifestyle as well). Your physiology and metabolism needs time to adjust. Your overall trend will be down and if you can find a way to measure body fat, it is a much more accurate picture of what is happening. I recently purchased a body fat analyzer which will help me know better what is going on with my weight loss (I want my muscle % to stay or increase!). It's not a sprint..........though it's hard not to be excited for this major change and want it NOW! It's a marathon and we'll get there as long as we keep putting one foot in front of the other, stay informed and actively aware of what we're putting into our bodies, how we're burning off calories and what we need to do to achieve our weight loss and fitness goals. You can do this! Take body measurements, and if you MUST weigh yourself daily (I get it....), then remember to take the ups and downs with grace and stay on your eating and exercise plan, regardless of what the stupid scale says (good or bad!).

Sending you positive healing thoughts. Safe trip home and a fast return to normal cardiac health and a slimmer, healthier you!

Yes, I know EXACTLY how this feels. I have avoided even trying certain activities I've wanted VERY much to do for years, out of fear of "being turned away" for being too big/heavy, etc. I wanted to zipline, horseback ride, go to the amusement park, bungee jump, rock climb, go on a Segway tour.......and lots more. I didn't do any of them because of weight restrictions and my impression that I would be WAY over the top allowed level and/or laughed at. Now that I'm down so much weight (about 70% to my GW of 135 lbs), I can do all of these things. But my husband is still quite big (6'2" and 275 lbs) and is still not able to participate in many of these activities. We went to Mexico in January and they had a Segway tour on the resort. We had done Segway in France on our honeymoon and we LOVED it. But the operator in Mexico was hesitant to let him ride, as he was near the top end of the weight restriction, especially when the Segway was in the sand, etc. I'm sure it made him feel terrible to be "borderline". I did everything I could to downplay the risks and told him if he couldn't do it, there was no way I would do it either (on principle!). I'm sure that just made him feel worse, as it meant he was holding me back. In the end, we both ended up going, having a great time and had no problems. But it was stressful, awkward for him and a bit heartbreaking.

Wow. I am reading both your posts with great admiration and envy! I'm about 70% to my goal weight (SW 319 CW 190 GW 135) and haven't started running yet. C25K is on the phone and calling my name, but the weather here is still not conducive to running (I don't want to slip, fall and injury myself!). So I'm walking at a fast pace (16 min/mile, which at 5'4" is fast for my short little legs!) I have NEVER run. Even as a youth, when I played field hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball and was an avid cyclist, I never ran. My positions were back catcher, goalie, setter etc. But I have always WANTED to run. So this year I'm going to do it. And next year I'm doing the Tough Mudder. The idea of running 500 yards exhausts me right now (LOL). Thanks for the inspiration guys. I know you were where I am right now, some time long ago (heh heh). And you've obviously not only overcome the initial challenge, but grown to love running. I'm looking forward to feeling that way. For now, I've registered for the Toronto Marathon (to be held on my 44th birthday this year, on Oct. 20), doing the 1/2 marathon walk. Between training for that, getting back on the bike to do some 50k and 75k charity rides, playing slo-pitch softball for the first time in 25 yrs and getting to goal weight, I've got a busy summer ahead of me. I'll be following your running posts. Please continue to bask in the glow of my admiration.

Fantastic work! As with anything, no one starts at the 5 mile walk! I do a 3 mile walk every day at lunch, but I'm 10 months post-op and I started with a 1/2 mile walk that kicked my ass! Momoanomo has some great advice about "mixing it up" during the session too. There is definitely truth in going hard core for short bursts......it makes your heart rate jump up and sweat (really feels good to get the sweat going!) and then going back to your pre-burst speeds feels "leisurely"! I've just bought a road bike after 20 years of not riding a bicycle. Weather is too cold to ride yet (- 4 degree Celsius), but I can't wait! That will certainly get my cardio going, and work on building leg muscles like crazy too! Just keep going and build on your success. In time you'll be rocking those long sessions and crazy workouts like a veteran!

No worries! We're all here to learn, and if we can share information that helps clarify, that's part of the community effort to get everyone as informed and educated as possible! I don't think anyone was trying to be sarcastic or make you feel bad for using the wrong terminology. We were trying to understand your question and answer it as accurately as possible! The important thing is that you are feeling less anxious and more confident (it's scary in the first few weeks post-op!). Feel free to post questions here. There is a great community of supportive, educated people here that are happy to help. And if you get a few responses that seem less than helpful or maybe even "snarky", just take it in stride. Communication by email and posting can be fraught with misinterpretation and unintended hurt feelings. I'm pretty sure most of the time, people are posting/responding with good intentions.

Actually there is alot of research that is more than 30 years old! A gastrectomy (full or parital stomach removal) is NOT new. Patients with stomach tumors or cancer have been having gastrectomy surgery for decades! The particular technique of the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) is a new surgical approach, but the results are essentially the same as any other gastrectomy. Do some research on the outcomes of regular gastrecomy patients and I think you will find the results are very positive and calming to your nerves. They live a LONG time and if the underlying reason for their surgery (ie. cancer) is resolved, they are healthy after surgery! As to the staples still holding, the staples will LONG be overgrown with new healthy stomach tissue. You really only need the staples in the beginning until your body produces sufficient cells to overgrow the cut area and form a complete closure all on its own. The surgeon most likely also "oversewed" your staples, to increase the surface contact of the cells (encouraging growth and connection) and reduce the chance of a leak. If you think about it this way..........anyone who has had stitches for a deep cut usually either gets absorbable stitches that the body breaks down within 90 days (or less) or the stitches are removed after a few weeks. That is because the body repairs itself where the cut was. Usually all that is left is a scar, but there is no opening or weakness. In fact, scar tissue is usually more tough and thick than the original tissue. Having a scar reopen is very rare indeed. So don't worry about the staples, or thinning of the stomach wall (it's also in a constant state of renewal, just like every cell in our bodies (except neurons)). But if you're still in doubt, some reading about gastrectomy patients in general should help put your mind at ease....

Just to clarify, I think the reason WifeyMaterial worded her question this way is because VSG patients don't have a "pouch". That is terminology that is used for Gastric Bypass patients, primarily. A pouch is when a smaller portion of stomach is formed from the existing stomach and the existing stomach is left in the body. A "pouch" or smaller pocket-sized stomach is created, but no stomach organ is surgically removed from the body. VSG patients actually have approx. 80% (+/- 5%) of their stomach surgically removed. There is no "pouch". The stomach is reshaped into a long narrow shape (like a banana) and then stapled and resewn. While you CAN damage your stomach (especially in the early post-op days), it would take considerable force and generally speaking, that force would usually come from INSIDE the stomach, by overeating which strains the staples and/or sutures. A leak is life-threatening and any symptoms such unexplained consistent fever greater than 100.5 degrees farenheight, pain: left upper torso shoulder/back, left ribcage, tachycardia (fast heart rate) also increased abdominal pain, shortness of breath, sweating, chills, general malaise could be indications of leak. Make sure you are investigated immediately if you have any of these symptoms (especially if you have more than 1 concurrently). In terms of lifting objects, bending, etc. It is important that you give your abdominal wall time to heal and not strain your abdominal muscles. Even though you most likely had a laparoscopic procedure (you don't specify), you still had incisions (as many as 8 or 9!) through the muscle layers of your abdominal wall that are now trying to heal. There are absorbable sutures in there keeping things together, but excess bending, straining and lifting will tax those sutures and they could burst, causing problems. So take it easy! Don't lift anything (your surgeon will have given you guidelines for weight and how long you have to be careful). Coughing should be fine (especially if stabilized by a pillow), unless you have very serious prolonged coughing. Most precautions you've been given are more aimed at preventing pain and increasing the speed of your healing time. If you follow your instructions, there is VERY little chance you can damage your new stomach or abdominal wall! Just keep moving (walk as much as you can) and sipping (in small sips, but throughout the day). You'll feel a bit better every day and in a couple of weeks you'll be in great shape!

Welcome! Lots of encouragement and info here! There are pre-op researchers, newbies (like you!), pros (post-op for many months) and veterans (post-op for years!) on this site! A great community! Looking forward to reading your posts and having you join us!

I have never had a c-section, but I did have a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder surgery). The VSG was easier to recover from, but they are similar. I was up walking around the same day, and showered by myself the next morning. Then 1 day later was shopping and visited the beach. After 2 weeks my abdomen was nearly back to normal and my only surgical symptoms were fatigue and diarrhea (from antibiotics and liquid diet both pre and post-op). I did not experience any nausea and I have never (in 10 months post-op) vomited once. I've come close a couple of times (yucky slimies) from eating 1-2 bites too much. You learn quickly what amount you can handle (I weigh everything when I have access to a scale). The main battle is with head hunger and thinking you can eat more than your stomach will allow. The leak test wasn't fun, but it was over in seconds. I think I stressed about it way more than I needed to. You can ask to have some Water to rinse out your mouth right after (rinse and spit) and perhaps even some mouthwash. You'll be fine. It's important that they make sure you have no leaks!

Hydration is key throughout your post-op (and probably for the rest of your life!). The more you drink now, the better you will feel and faster you will heal. It's hard to get alot in so early due to the swelling your poor stomach is experiencing now. Stick to small sips and do it throughout the day. The cup/glass should pretty much be in your hand at all times! That being said, don't do anything contrary to your surgeon's instructions without letting him/her know what you're experiencing or getting their okay. They are the experts and will know better if it's safe for you to advance through their post-op plan at a rate other than what they originally gave you. Amazon13 makes a good point. If your discomfort is due to stomach "movement", gurgling, noises, cramping, etc. that is a normal response to the surgery. Your stomach was just cut open, most of it sliced out and the remaining bit stapled and sewn shut. It is "pissed off", inflamed and raw! Just about anything you put in there will irritate it now (even liquids and plain water) and you're still producing stomach acid, so that isn't making it feel better either! Ask you doctor if you should try taking 2 Prilosec tabs (1 tab 2x per day). That may help (don't do that unless you get their okay first). Perhaps one tab isn't working long enough for you. You will feel better, I promise..........but it's going to take time and patience. Something that's hard to hear when you're only a few days post-op (I know!). In a few months you won't even remember these difficult first weeks. Follow your post-op plan, call your surgeon with questions or concerns, and keep posting here for feedback and encouragement. We're all with you!

I shop at Value Village every few weeks as I move between sizes. I have probably donated 20 bags of clothes in the past 10 months and bought 15 bags! Overall, a net drop (got rid of years of "fat" sizes I'd been saving). It's crazy how much room I have in my closet now! I can actually see each shirt, pair of pants, etc.! And I'm ready to wear most of them now! I buy some that are a bit small (some deals just can't be passed up!), knowing they will fit in a couple of weeks. Other "favourites" get to be too loose or tent-like fairly quickly, and off they go to the donation pile! I am much better dressed now, and spending 10% of what I used to! I could only shop in 1 store (Penningtons) as I was too big for the other "plus" size stores we have here in Canada (Additionelle, Laura Plus, etc.). I HATED having only 1 store to choose from.......if they didn't have something I like, and in my size (4-5 x or 26-28), I was stuck wearing the 2-3 shirts and pants I had. Terrible! Now I have about 10 dress shirts, 6-7 pairs of really nice dress pants, some jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, etc. All from nice top quality brand names, and they all fit! I'm about a size 16 now, in most things. I depends on the style and brand. And I usually pay about $6-7 per item.........and often they are brand new with tags on still! I LOVE shopping now.