Bufflehead

I'm a stickler for most things. I have a kitchen scale, and I weigh things going into recipes by the gram and enter each ingredient separately. I also do this for things like apples -- I cut the apple into slices, weigh the slices I am going to eat in grams, and record that way. Most of the standard type food entries in MFP have a "100 grams" serving size available, so it's super easy -- if I am eating 76 grams of apple slices, that's .76 of of a 100 gram serving. Liquid ingredients I so measure by the liquid ounce. If I use a couple of tablespoons of something and it turns out the serving size available in MFP is a third of a cup, I use online tools to convert that to an appropriate percentage. The only exceptions I make are for items sold as a single serving that I will eat all in one go (a cheese stick, for example), or that I will split in two and eat in two different meals. Like, if I have a four ounce can of tuna and I'm going to have two ounces for lunch today and two tomorrow, I don't weigh them out. I eyeball it and enter two ounces for each day. Yep, it is kind of OCD but it works for me and I won't change it any time soon. Once you get used to doing it, it's like second nature. And if you repeat ingredients, you'll be able to enter them almost automatically.

I only ever spaced pills out if they needed to be for the drugs or vitamins to work effectively. For example, I spaced out my iron supplements and omeprazole by at least 3 hours because PPI's can reduce the absorption of iron. Things like that.

It's perfectly normal. Do a search on the forums for "three week stall." You are right on track. If you are following your program and not making your protein shakes with peanut butter and ice cream or doing other crazy things with your diet, the weight loss will start again, Just keep doing what you should and maybe stay off the scale for a couple of weeks. Checking in your dietician to make sure you understand the basics and aren't unintentionally veering wildly off course is fine and should help you feel better about what you are doing, but don't be depressed. What you are going through is normal and I promise it will not last forever. Truly, if the scale is stressing you out and making you sad, put it away! The only thing you can control is how well you are following your program. Focus on that and not on stalls or your rate of weight loss. Unfortunately our bodies are in control of that and there isn't much we can do about it, as long as we are following our programs strictly and mindfully. Good luck!

*raises hand* I can't say I was overweight since birth since I was actually underweight at birth. But by the time I was 2 years old, I won the "Biggest Tummy" award at the local toddler Independence Day pool pageant. And between that time and age 48, I was NEVER a normal weight. I was obese, morbidly obese, or on rare occasions overweight. Mostly morbidly obese, particularly after puberty. Anyway, I have lost 180+ lbs (82 kg) since my surgery. I have about 20 lbs to go to reach my goal, but I have no doubt I will get there and I consider myself a success already. The sleeve is the tool I needed for success that I never had before. And of course I tried to lose weight -- like most people, I didn't want to be morbidly obese -- but I never had success before this. IMO you need to be committed to following a strict program along with your surgery. That may sound daunting, because most of us failed at strict programs before surgery, right? But if you are committed, the sleeve will help you stay on track. But you need to bring that commitment. A couple of things I want to encourage you on: First, give up the fatalistic thinking of "my family is obese therefore I am doomed" and "my body has a set weight, I'll never beat it." That kind of defeatist thinking is particularly unhelpful and it's really self-sabotaging. Don't fall into that trap. Second, it's unrealistic to think that after sleeve surgery, you'll never be hungry again. If you are lucky, you won't have hunger for many months after surgery, but for the vast majority of people it does come back. It's really important to learn to deal with hunger in ways other than stuffing your mouth. Now, at two years out from surgery, if I ate every time I got hungry I would undo the work I have done and re-gain the weight I have lost, let alone ever get to my goal. So I am working with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to acknowledge hunger but move past it and get on with my day until my next meal. So, yes, I believe you can be successful -- but be ready for commitment, hard work, and having a conscious plan of attack for any challenges -- the sleeve by itself will not give you success, but it can help you reach it. Good luck!

I was taking whole pills with no problem within a couple hours of surgery. Unless they are giant pills like calcium or vitamins, I doubt you'll have any trouble at all. I've never been fond of giant pills and surgery didn't exactly help, so I've stuck with chewable vitamins and Citracal Petites for calcium.

You should check with your surgeon for his or her lifting restrictions. They all vary a bit but it's important to follow YOUR doctor's orders.

I was on full liquids then. And I had no idea how much I had lost as I stayed off the scale entirely until 4 weeks out.

What are you mixing the shakes with? If dairy milk, try mixing them with something else like almond milk or soy milk. A lot of people develop temporary lactose intolerance after surgery, and dairy gives them the runs. I might also try an all-natural protein powder such as Jay Robb or About Time. Artificial flavors and sweeteners can be hard on the digestive system. I add a couple of teaspoons of sugar-free fiber powder to my protein shake for extra fiber.

I don't think there is a way to make your stomach physically smaller, but you can make more of your restriction than you might be. If you focus on three meals a day with mostly lean protein and a small amount of green vegetables, that's a great start. Restrict your snacks to just a few and plan them in advance: jerky, hard-boiled eggs, a piece of fruit, a small carton of all-natural Greek yogurt, or a small handful of nuts. No liquid calories other than protein shakes. Say no to grains and starchy veggies completely. You'll have to white-knuckle it for the first three days or so, but it gets easier. Lean meats and green veggies engage your restriction in a way that soft, carby foods do not. And keeping your diet high in protein and low in carbs will dial back the cravings for sweets or high-carb snacks that may be sabotaging you now. Good luck!

beef/turkey jerky and flavored tuna or salmon packets are my go-to, high protein foods that basically take no preparation. One thing I would encourage you to consider is letting go of the idea that you need to be constantly kept "full." You don't need to be full -- you just need to not starve to death before your next meal. I am working on accepting hunger and just telling myself that "it's not fun to be hungry, but it's not an emergency. I can eat again in two hours." I've found that this kind of self-talk allows me to stop thinking about food and how I "need" it (I don't) and focus on other things until my next planned snack or meal rolls around.

I have no experience, but I know a fair number of post-WLS people have used Dr. Sauceda in Mexico and he has an online price list: http://www.medicaltourism.com.mx/mtpl.html Good luck!

Whether carbonation will stretch your sleeve is a matter of debate. However, it will stretch your waistline!

I got an immersion blender because shakes in my regular blender were way too foamy and I absolutely could not tolerate them. If you want to stick with your vitamix, though, you can try making sure the pitcher is absolutely full (so no air gets frothed in). You can also take an overly-foamy shake and let it rest in the fridge for 5-6 hours to get rid of the foam.

My surgical team has a strict post-op eating plan that includes NO grains of any sort, zero, nada, zilch until you reach goal. I wandered off plan before I should have, and learned that for me (1) grains fuel hunger and carb cravings, thus slowing (or reversing) weight loss and (2) any sort of bread made with yeast just doesn't work for me anymore. Two bites and I feel, weird, over-stuffed, almost in pain. Not even worth it. Not everyone has that reaction though. But for me, bread made with yeast is a no-go for the rest of my life and I am okay with that. I am back on track, having removed grains and starchy veggies from my diet. Not having trouble staying on track and my weight loss is coming along nicely again. I would personally advise staying away from bread, it doesn't have much to offer in terms of nutrition but way too much too offer in terms of messing with blood sugar, head hunger, cravings, etc. Just my two cents!

Stay away from noodles and rice, the carbs will make you more hungry, not less hungry. Try refried beans, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Eggface's ricotta bake, protein shakes -- things like that.

My surgical team recommends Milk of Magnesia + Senokot for constipation. I have rarely needed it, but when I have Milk of Magnesia works like a charm for me. Non-drug things that may help you along: prunes, black coffee, all bran cereal, exercise.

I think it's impossible to say whether anyone's weight loss is fast, slow, or normal. We are all such different individuals, with different factors that govern our rate of weight loss. I have really tried to focus, not on how fast or how much I am losing, but on how compliant I am with my team's program. If I am complying to the best of my ability, then I can't worry too much about rate of weight loss. It is what it is, and I can't control it beyond doing what my doctors and dietician say. So I worry about: weighing or measuring my portions keeping my meals within 3 - 5 ounces don't eat until full - eat until satisfied or the pre-measured portion is done, whichever comes first tracking everything I eat on myfitnesspal focusing first on lean protein and green veggies avoiding all grains, starchy veggies, and sweet foods no liquid calories other than protein shakes It's good to be aware of how much you are losing, but you can't let the rate or amounts get you stressed out or feeling defeated -- or overly confident, either! As long as you are being compliant and making good choices, the weight will come off. Good luck to you!

You can do it! I've lost about 180 lbs and have approximately 30 lbs to go. I am still losing without much trouble (after a bit of a detour through some months of eating horribly -- but now I am back on track and doing well. I will get to my goal this fall or possibly even late summer.

My team says fluids are more important, but get as many protein shakes down as you can, since they help on both fronts.

@@MeAndTinyTina your lunch sounds like my standard lunch! Mine is: 3 oz grilled chicken breast (sometimes flavored, I like the chili lime and rosemary balsamic, but often plain) + 1.5 oz frozen haricots verts, artichoke hearts, or grilled asparagus spears + 1 T. light champagne vinaigrette or sesame soy ginger dressing I just chop up the veggies, throw them in the microwave for 30 seconds on level 3 to defrost, then put everything in a small tupperware containter and shake it up. Makes a great and healthy lunch! Oh and I adore their frozen brussels sprouts! I roast them in the oven to go with my dinner, or have them for a weekend lunch. They just started carrying (in my area anyway) frozen grilled cauliflower, which is also really good.

Are you weighing or measuring your portions and tracking your food? How many calories, carbs, and grams of protein are you getting each day? Are you meeting your goals for fluids? Do you find yourself snacking or grazing? Are you getting enough sleep?

I am also lazy in the kitchen. I rely a lot on pre-cooked chicken, beef, pork, etc. from Trader Joe's. It comes already with sauce and all you have to do it heat up your small portion. Korean bbq pork shoulder and pulled bbq chicken are a couple of my favorites. It stays good in the fridge for a long time. They have similar frozen options, like frozen lamb koftas and frozen Italian turkey meatballs (I heat those up with a little garlic marinara sauce). I've got some of TJ's frozen jumbo scallops defrosting in the fridge right now for supper later. I'll season them with garlic pepper and basil, then sear them for about 3 minutes in butter. That takes about a grand total of five minutes from start to finish and I find them absolutely delicious. I also use their frozen veggies a lot, since I live alone and I can't get through fresh veggies before they go bad

I am two years out from surgery and this is the best decision I have made in my life. So good that the "all really worth it" question doesn't even make sense to me. All what? I don't feel like I've given up anything I miss other than drinking a large glass of champagne (more than a couple sips of carbonation makes me queasy) and bread (bread made with yeast leaves me over-full and kind of painful after just a few bites -- which is a good thing, since bread was a major binge food for me before surgery). I do remain vigilant about what I eat and how I exercise, but that's what most normal people should do anyway. If you told me I had to have this surgery over again every six months for the rest of my life in order to have the life I have now -- a life of normalcy, fulfillment, ease, comfort in my body -- I wouldn't think twice. No surgery is fun, but my recovery was unremarkable. The way I live and eat now is fine and normal for me. No regrets ever, not even on waking up from surgery.

Big myfitnesspal fan here.

I tried to picture success and I kept working toward it even though I didn't completely believe it was possible. For me the reality that my life was completely changed didn't happen until I shopped for the first time in the "normal"/misses section of a department store instead of in the plus/women's section. And I tried on clothes and they fit. And a sales person came over to help me wtihout acting like I must have gotten lost on my way to the supersize clothing. I almost had a breakdown in the store that day because the reality of it hit me so hard!