DLCoggin

When the time comes, you might find some helpful ideas in this post I did about a year and a half ago - http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/268243-managing-hunger/ . You are going to be amazed at how the surgery will change every aspect of your relationship with food!!

I had exactly the same experience. Doesn't make much sense. Can't explain it. But that's what happens. Just a little bit and you're good to go. Amazing!

Welcome to the forum! You're in the right place. I know it sounds simplistic but - follow your plan. Regardless of what your weight is doing - just continue following your plan. Until you reach your goal. Allow your body to find its own way in its own time. It's going to do that anyway regardless of the level of your stress and frustration. Consider taking that energy and focusing it on trusting the process. Stay positive, stay patient, follow the protocol as closely to the letter as you possibly can, and maintain a food log (other than the surgery itself, logs are the most powerful tool that you can have in your arsenal). Do these things and, sooner or later, your loss will resume. The laws of science and the universe cannot be denied. You're gonna love the new you!

Congratulations on your decision and welcome to the forum! I think that you'll find that you're in the right place!

Congratulations on your success so far! Well done! It's really none of my business but for what it's worth - no one is content being obese. And those who are - care. We all know better than most that being obese doesn't define who you are.

I love success stories! Congratulations and welcome to the forum. We're so glad to have you join us. I think you'll find this is a very special place.

You make a great point. What is a stall? Is it not losing any weight for a day, a week, a month? It is such a relative term. For me I consider my self in a stall if I go more than two weeks without the scale moving but doing everything right. I'm curious what others define a stall as because I have seen people who didn't lose every day say they are in a stall but I don't agree. Frankly even my two week rule is arbitrary and probably not close to a scientific explanation. If there is a scientific definition of a stall I've never seen it. For that matter, I've never seen a scientific explanation of exactly why stalls occur. Both are actually quite interesting questions. We all certainly know that just about everyone gets them but the what and why - may not have been answered yet.

A few days is probably too early to "call" it a stall but perhaps that really isn't important. Follow your plan. Regardless of what your weight is doing. Rapid weight loss - follow your plan. Slow weight loss - follow your plan. Weight stubbornly refusing to move - follow your plan. Trust the process and allow your body to find its own way in its own time. There is not a bariatric team in the world that recommends stress and worry as a weight loss tool. Your journey will be so much easier and so much less stressful if you do everything you can to focus all of your attention on one thing - follow your plan. You're gonna love the new you!!

"Really good Zojirushu vacuum flask to keep my coffee piping hot for 10 hours because sometimes it takes me most of the day to finish a cup and I like it HOT" Now that's a great tip for us coffee lovers! Thank you!

food logs are ALL about control. And confidence. And accountability. And understanding the effects of what you eat will have on your weight. Whether you want to lose weight, maintain or gain weight (it does happen), logging works exactly the same way. I've been logging with My Fitness Pal for over two years. It's easy, it's fast, it doesn't cost you a dime and logs are the single most powerful post-op tool that you can have in your arsenal. If you're interested, post here or PM me and I'd be happy to share some logging tips! Welcome to the forum and a huge thumbs up for reaching out before you've gained any weight!! Help and support is at your fingertips and we're glad to have you join us!!

Welcome to the forum Chris and congratulations on your surgery! The first week or two following the surgery can be challenging but I think you'll be surprised at how quickly the pain resolves itself and when you see those pounds melting away - everything else will become nothing more than a distant memory! You're gonna love the new you!!

I've been logging in My Fitness Pal for just over two years. I firmly believe that, second only to the surgery itself, food logs are the single most powerful tool you can have post-op. Confidence, accountability, education, control - the benefits are almost limitless. Numerous clinical studies have shown that loggers lose more weight, lose weight faster and are more successful at maintaining their weight. On the flip side - logging can be tedious and takes time every day. There is no denying that it takes commitment. But the longer you log, the easier it becomes. Perhaps more importantly, the longer you log the more you learn about your relationship with food and the effects that your choices have on your weight. An amazingly powerful tool and it doesn't cost a dime.

Very well said! Congratulations!!

Congratulations to ALL of us!!

Bellagirl for future posts just click on "New Topic" from the home page of whatever forum you want to post to and type away. That will create your own topic/thread. Have a great day!

Welcome to a world of new friends that certainly understand how hard this is and how we all have struggled with the same thing. We're always glad to have new folks join us! You're gonna love the new you!!

Thank you. I'd really appreciate it. I tried to log in the beginning but lost interest. It's obviously more important than I thought Good for you sohappy! There is a learning curve with logging so I encourage to commit to it, right now, for a ninety day period. Make that 90 day commitment to log everything you eat and I think you'll be amazed at how logging will change your approach to managing your weight. Obvious first step is to download MFP (or any other app but I'm most familiar with MFP and like most, it's free). Once you have it, go to settings and complete your Profile and Fitness Goals. There are a number of other options but those two are the most important. You'll enter height, gender, age, your goal weight, starting weight, your weight loss goal (e.g. one pound a week), activity level, net daily calorie goal (optional) and exercise goal. From this data MFP will calculate a daily calorie goal. Note that the calculation is done with a "one size fits all" formula that cannot take into consideration that you've had bariatric surgery. It really doesn't matter since you can always configure the goal to anything that works for you later on. Note that once you get a little further along, customized settings (not available from the app) for just about everything can be made from the MFP website. And those changes made from the website will automatically be synchronized to your phone. Once you have your calorie goal you're ready to start logging. I believe that the most important thing to remember about your calorie goal is what I call the "Law of Average". Expecting to hit any calorie goal every single day for the rest of your life is unrealistic and unsustainable. More importantly, you don't need to. When (not if) you exceed your calorie goal for a day, all you have to do is reduce you calorie goal by 100-200 calories for the next day or two and you're right back on track with your average. Or let's say you have a challenging week and you gain a pound or two. Change your calorie goal for the following week (100-200 calories a day) and your weight will come right back down. You don't have to do that too many times before your confidence goes right through the roof. It works like a charm. I've done it many times. So let's say MFP gives you a calorie goal (average!) of 1400 calories a day and you've configured it to lose one pound a week. Log your food for a week and see what happens with your weight. If you lose a pound, great! If you lose less than a pound or none at all, simply adjust your calorie goal down - nice and easy, 100-200 calories. Then log your food for a week and see what happens. Before you know it, you'll identify "your" number. This is the most foolproof way I know of determining "your" number. Even doctors can only make an educated guess. There are simply too many variables for them to be more accurate. But with "your" log, you're identifying "your" number based on what "your" weight is doing. Just remember, "your" number is an average! That will get you started headed in the right direction. It's quick, it's easy and with the tap of a button, you can see exactly where you're at relative to your calorie goal at any point in your day/week. Little high after lunch? Just reduce your calories a little for dinner. Little low on Friday? Treat yourself a little on the weekend. In addition, you'll have information on a wide range of nutrients including Protein, fat, carbs, and a number of Vitamins. So looking forward to your progress and please don't hesitate to ask (here or PM me) if you have any questions! You're gonna love the new you!!

Dumping is less common with the sleeve than the bypass since the sleeve preserves a functioning pylorus valve. But as others have said, the only way to be sure is to give it a try. Everyone is so different that it can be difficult to predict individual reactions. Congratulations on your surgery!

I would second Misty's thoughts on dumping from cauliflower - unlikely. But gas and abdominal cramping are fairly common with both cauliflower and broccoli. Both sometimes result in vomiting. Dumping in general is also less common with the sleeve than it is with the bypass since the sleeve preserves a functioning pylorus valve. Sugar (most common), fat and carbs can all result in dumping. But everyone is so different that often the only way you know what you can or can't eat is trial and error. Person A always dumps on X, person B never dumps on X but dumps on Y, and person C never dumps on anything. And if that isn't bad enough, you may dump on a specific food now and three to six months down the road it may be fine. Sleeves and pouches are fickle - gotta love 'em!

Next to the surgery itself, food logs are (in my opinion) the single most powerful tool there is. I am not aware of any tool that will allow you to manage your weight with more precision, create more accountability (to yourself) and build your confidence more quickly than logging. With a little experimenting and fine-tuning, logs are quick, they're easy and they give you unmatched control. It's all about control, not denial. Welcome to the forum and please come back often!

All bariatric surgeries have their success stories. And all can be defeated. Some surgeries are recommended by surgeons over others based on your medical history and comorbidities. If that is not a factor in your case, you surgeon may leave the decision up to you. But if asked directly, most surgeons will make a recommendation for one surgery over another. And as others have suggested, nothing will build your confidence like your own research and you're in the perfect place to benefit from the experiences of so many great folks. Welcome to the forum! You're gonna love the new you!!

First of all, welcome to the forum. You are absolutely in the right place! One filled with folks who understand exactly where you're coming from and the almost miraculous, life changing journey you're embarking on. Congratulations! As others have suggested, doing your own research is one of the best things you can possibly do. Keep researching until you are confident and comfortable with your decision. Choose your sources carefully - there is a lot of mis-information out there. Harvard School of Public Health, the National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, Mayo Clinic, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the FDA and WebMD are all excellent sources. When you reach the point where you are confident that you know more about bariatric surgery than anyone ignorant enough and absurd enough to suggest that it is the easy way out, you're ready. And perhaps more importantly, armed with that confidence, those people and those opinions simply become irrelevant. It's really quite surprising how easy it becomes to simply smile and say thank you for your concern. You're gonna love the new you!!

Welcome to the forum! We are so glad to have you! If you haven't done so already, congratulate yourself every day for reacting quickly and reaching out for a little help. A 15 pound correction is a lot easier than a 50 pound correction. If you're not doing so already you may want to consider maintaining a food log. I've used My Fitness Pal for over two years and logging is an incredibly powerful tool. Logging will allow you to manage your weight more quickly and with more precision than any other tool I know of. There are a number of loggers on the forum. If you're interested, don't hesitate to ask for tips for getting the most out of your log. Again, welcome! You're in the right place!!

I second My Fitness Pal - I've been using it for over two years. But other folks on the forum are very happy with SparkPeople as well. food logs are an incredibly powerful tool. With a little experimentation and fine-tuning you will be amazed at how it allows you to manage your weight with remarkable precision. There are many of us using it so don't hesitate to ask for tips. You're gonna love the new you!!

Well said!