BlessedBeyondMeasure2012

Grilled shrimp on the barbie just don't eat the bread it comes on. I think it is on the appetizer menu and I think you get like 6 shrimp. I'm not sure where you are in your eating but grilled salmon may also be a good choice

First of all, if that is you in your profile picture you don't look awful, you are beautiful! Second, 32 pounds in 6 weeks is GREAT! That's an average of more than 5 pounds per week! When have you ever previously been able to say you consistently lost 5 pounds per week for 6 weeks straight? (I've never been able to say that!) I'm 4 weeks post op and have only lost 18 pounds since surgery so I think you are doing amazing! Keep your chin up!

I plateaued at a week and a half out on full liquids. It just broke this weekend, 2.5 weeks later. My stall held on through the two weeks of soft foods and didn't begin to budge until I went moved on to baked/grilled fish and chicken/tuna/egg salad. I had been getting in less than 70 carbs a day, at least 80 gm of protein a day, and all my fluids but nothing would break it. Since starting with the fish I have been getting in less than 20 gm of carbs a day and 100+ gm of protein a day. I think I was still getting what what considered low carbs but apparently I have to do uber low carbs for my body to get what I'm supposed to be doing. You may not be doing anything wrong. Your body has to catch up. I lost a little over 40 pounds the month before I got sleeved (including my preop diet) and then 17 pounds in the first week and a half after being sleeved. I was doing everything right as far as I know it just took some time. Measure yourself if you haven't. Even in my stall I dropped a pant size. I've read that when you aren't losing pounds you are losing inches and that seemed to be true for me. That first stall (and I'm sure all subsequent ones) is super frustrating but keep your head up, it will break! Good luck chickadee!

That is GREAT!! Congratulations on that 100 pound mark, under 300 will be here before you know it!

At my two week post op appointment I was actually instructed not to sip any more. I was told to drink in large quantities and stop when I fell full. I can guzzle a bottle of water in about 4 good drinks. I have found that if I drink it out of a bottle it seems like I get more air in but if I'll drink out of a cup/glass I do better for some reason. I guess less air.

First picture is from Feb 9, second is from April 15. I still can't see changes when I look in the mirror but when I compare these pictures I can see it! Changes are happening, slowly and surely...

That is so totally me! I have said time and time again that had I ever had a stall that long on a previous diet I would have gone to McDonalds or Taco Bell! My stall started at a week and a half out and lasted almost 3 weeks. I'm glad the scale has started moving again but most of all I am so thankful for this tool!

I was told no sugar. I've tried to make sure that anything mint-wise that I use is sugar free. I wouldn't want to start using something sugar based because eating sugar tends to make you crave more sugar. Get some crystal light or mio drops for your water and see if that helps. I also could have diet juice and Fuze (the slenderize kind) or Powerade Zero, Vitamin water, Gatorade G2. Try some of those, sometimes something other than plain water helps to get it down. Good luck

I had to have one this past summer when traveling. I needed one on 3 of 4 flights for our total trip and one was provided very discreetly each time, some more discreetly than others, but nonetheless discreetly. No one made an issue of it and all the flight attendents were very nice about it.

I had surgery on 3/25. I had my first moment of being sad over food this weekend since surgery. I got to eat crawfish for the first time since surgery and they were so good and I was sad that I couldn't eat more. I did this to myself, I had to get over it. The thing about doubt after VSG is that it is pointless. This surgery is permanent so doubt doesn't do anything but get you down. The "what ifs", what if I never get out of the 200's? What if I can't do this? Well guess what, you will and you can! I know that it is tough right now but you can do it. The weight will come off and you will be successful IF you do what you are supposed to. Don't get me wrong, you will have stalls and they will make you feel like you are failing, but you aren't! You don't fail until you quit trying!! I just got to start on baked fish, tuna/chicken/egg salad as of Friday and I'll tell you, I was beginning to wonder when I would feel some restriction. I could eat and still feel hungry. I thought the point of this was to not eat as much, to not feel hungry, to feel full after only a few bites!?! That wasn't me, at least not before this weekend. Now that I have started eating things that are a little more dense protein I am feeling restriction. I had been eating 4-4.5 oz of scrambled eggs at a time and still felt like I could eat more. I had about 2-3 oz of tuna salad yesterday and had to stop. I had a 3 oz piece of baked salmon last night and felt full. And I stayed full, for hours! When I tried to drink water after waiting an hour, it still felt like my tummy was full. This will get better. Keep your chins up and keep working your sleeve. It gets easier when you get to eat a little more. I can't say that I had any feelings of regret but there have been times that I wasn't so sure of the decision I made. Like I said earilier, the decision is made and this is permanent. There is no point in getting down or doubting. Keep a positive attitude and keep confident! This is unlike any diet we've ever done before and the results are going to be different too! WE CAN DO THIS!

Hey y'all! I had surgery 3/25 HW: 342 SW: 297 CW: 279 Clothes are getting loser and I've even had to drop a size in a few things. Feeling great! Finally broke a 2.5 week stall which feels AMAZING!

Im just 4 weeks out but docusate sodium (Colace I think) works well. It is only a stool softener and not a stimulant. You want to stay away from stimulants to avoid dependance on them.

March 25. 4 weeks as of tomorrow

This sounds so good! I love some chinese food! Did you make it with the rice or without? I just put the recipe in MFP and it looks like the nutrition is based on the recipe without the rice. I think it would be yummy without it but then I guess that kind of doesn't make it fried rice anymore does it? LOL

How much of this is one serving?

I haven't had any trouble getting my protein in. I couldn't have protein really until two weeks ago today and since then, on most days I get in 100+ grams. I do 3 Protein shakes a day with at least 20 gms of protein in each of them plus I have been eating refried Beans with cottage cheese and low fat cheese for lunch and scrambled egg whites scrambled with cottage cheese and low fat cheese for supper. One egg white has 4 gm protein (a whole egg has six, I trade the yolk with all its fat and cholesterol for other egg whites and just chunk the yolks) and I usually can do 3 or close to 3 egg whites plus the protein from the cheese and cottage cheese. Refried beans don't have as much protein but with the cheese and cottage cheese it helps. I also eat Snacks like cheese sticks or boiled eggs (usually just the whites). I have hit a stall on the scales but I had been getting in more carbs (50-70 gms a day) and as of two days ago I have cut back to less than 30 a day which is actually harder for me than getting the protein in. I'm gonna break this stall! As of today I can add baked fish, tuna, tuna/chicken/egg salad. I had canned salmon for lunch and am going to have some grilled salmon for supper. I also had some egg salad for a snack, 1 boiled egg white and one reduced fat cheese stick. (so for the day I'll have had 120 gm protein, 28 gm carbs, 4 gm fiber) You just have to get creative. I've even figured out how to put vanilla Protein powder in my morning coffee which I am loving.

Not much?? What ever! That is lots much! There is a big difference already! Keep up the good work! You are looking great!

Thanks y'all!

... getting on the stupid scales everyday. I get up each morning and it's the same routine. Go pee and get on the scales right before getting in the shower. For the past two weeks now I've been looking at the same 3 pounds go up and down, up and down. It puts me in such a bad mood to start the day and I'm not doing it any more. I was three weeks out this past Monday and I've lost 17 pounds since surgery. I know that is still a great loss in three weeks, never before have I been able to do that, BUT that loss was in a week and a half and now NOTHING for two weeks! It is just so frustrating. I have read the article about why stalls happen when you first start losing and it totally makes sense to me. I was even encouraged by it, but now I'm just irritated. I know I'm doing it to myself because I'm the one who keeps getting on the scale every day. I had surgery on 3/25 which was a Monday. For now I'm going to weigh only on Mondays and we will see how that goes. I'm praying that this stall will break soon. I know it will eventually...

Do you see the man sitting next to me in my profile picture? That catch is my husband, and in case you couldn't tell, he is HOT! I'm in the same boat with you and Laura, I could have said the same thing (again, minus the hot cheerleader). I was at a point that I didn't love me and I didn't know how he could love me either with the way I looked. I would even take my frustrations out on him because I wasn't happy, just like you. BUT he loves me for me, all of me. Every ounce of me no matter how many ounces are there and your husband does too. I know mine could find someone way better looking than me, maybe yours too but what makes me feel better is that he chooses to be with me. He doesn't care what my shell is but everything on the inside is what he cares about and obviously so does your husband. My husband is one of my biggest fans, supporters and encouragers. I bet yours is too. Keep your chin up, find something to smile about (like your hot husband!) and know that this is only temporary. This too shall pass

Same to you!! Thanks It's nice to know that I'm not alone, I know that everyone has stalls like this. I sure do hate it for everyone though, it sucks to have to go through it. God is apparently teaching me patience which I have never had much of.

One other thing, I felt like I had more weight that I wanted to lose than what I felt like I would be able to with the lap band. You are going to get pretty one sided opinions on the VSG website (as you should, we are the sleeve!) but you should also check the band websites and ask them too. Then make the best decision with the info you get. Good luck!

Laura-ven took the words right out of my mouth. When I started researching WLS I was locked in on the lap band but the more research I did the more I started questioning my choice. I talked with my doc and watched some videos that he had prepared about the lap band, sleeve, and bypass. He does all three surgeries but I decided that the sleeve was the best for me. The lap band is also really high maintenance and with the hours I work I don't have time to make a follow up appointment every six weeks for adjustments/fills. Also my insurance covers one WLS per lifetime, after the research I did and finding all the people that had revisions from band to sleeve, I decided to go with the one lots of people end up with and just bypass the band all together. Good luck with your decision. I am only three weeks out, I'm in a stall right now and have been for two week so I'm a little bummed BUT I still feel like this is one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself. I have not had any problems and would do it again tomorrow if I needed to.

Welcome to the Loser's Bench!!!