DLCoggin

Excellent!

I believe B-52 hit the nail on the head. But that's not really surprising since I did pretty much exactly the same thing. When my body reached the weight it wants to be at, I was eating just under 1300 calories a day. I increased my calorie intake by 100 calories a day. I did that for a week or two and monitored my weight. There was no weight increase so I then added another 100 calories and did the same thing. I found that 1600 calories a day was a good goal for me and I've used that number ever since. I walk five miles three times a week and on those days I usually increase my calorie intake to about 1800. As many of the forum members know, I'm a huge proponent of maintaining a food log. This was just another example of the power of logging. Logging allowed me to increase my calorie intake with considerable precision. The combination of accurately tracking my calorie intake and watching how my weight responded was and is the key for my weight maintenance. My weight leveled off at 155 just under 14 months after surgery. I'm currently 33 months post-op and my weight has not been below 151 or above 156 since I hit the 155 mark. My weight this morning was 152. I'm really not sure how important it is but I did not place any real emphasis on carbs or fat when I was determining my calorie goal for maintenance. I always monitor Protein closely but usually check carbs and fat numbers only once a week or so.

The only options there are - exactly what your team tells you. I know that sounds harsh. It is absolutely not my intent to be unkind. My comment has nothing to do with the foods they are recommending (or not recommending) you eat. I believe there is a much more important underlying principle. Your goal is physical change but your challenge is mental discipline. You are in training for the all important prime directive - lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes are the holy grail of weight loss.They take precedence over any other consideration. There's no question about it, it's tough in the beginning. But the key to lifestyle changes is repetition. Again and again and again. Before you know it, and without you ever really being consciously aware of it, those changes become second nature. What you "can or can't eat" becomes what you "choose" to eat, or not eat. Whether or not you exercise becomes when and how you exercise. Your weight loss journey will be much less stressful, and a lot more fun, if you commit to one idea - follow your plan. There is no upside to over complicating it with "what ifs" and "I wonder" and "maybe" - just follow your plan. Stay patient. Stay positive. Stay focused on following your plan as closely to the letter as you possibly can. Exercise to your ability. Maintain a food log. Regardless of what your weight is doing, your plan never changes. Trust the process. Trust your body. Allow it to find its own way in its own time. And before you know it, you're gonna love the new you!

I would not change a thing other than as others have said, having the surgery 20 years earlier.

Neither my surgeon or any of her team ever suggested a goal weight. And I never asked. I believe that goal weights and time goals (I want to be at X pounds by Y date) are counter productive at best and self-defeating at worst. I went into the surgery confident that my body would tell me when it was where it wanted to be. I had no preconceived ideas about what that weight could/should/would be. And no preconceived ideas about how long my weight loss could/should/would take. I lost 130 lbs in just under 14 months. Then it just leveled out. There was no change in my diet. No change in my exercise. It just stopped. My body was where it wanted to be. The weight loss journey is much less stressful, and much more fun, if you simply follow your plan and go where it takes you. Trust the process. Trust your body. Allow your body to find its own way in its own time. When your body is where it wants to be, you're gonna love the new you!

Contact your surgeon - that's what they're there for. Determining exactly what is happening is a job for the big kahuna.

My suggestions are gonna follow alot already listed. 1. Log all food. 2. Adequate Protein 3. Water.... body store fat if dehydrated. 4. Change up ur routine ....excersize never stops.....always change it up. Since DL told.me to log food..... I have lost 23lbs preop and have surgery Tues. Good luck and God bless. Misty, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your comment. There is no "one size fits all". But there is also no feeling in the world like someone saying they tried something you are passionate about and it helped them in their journey. It may seem like a small thing but for me, it's a big deal. Thank you for your kind words!

High cholesterol - gone. Type 2 diabetes - gone. sleep apnea - gone. High blood pressure - gone. Back and knee pain - gone. 130 lbs - gone. Starting BMI 35.0 - Current BMI 22.9. Starting waist 48" - Current waist 34". Weight leveled off at 155 lbs just under 14 months after surgery - Weight this morning almost two years and nine months after surgery - 151.4 lbs. Since reaching 155 lbs, my weight has not been over 156 or under 151. Gastric bypass is working well for me. My body is where it wants to be. And I'm lovin' the new me!

Ditto to on the carbs! I could have gone the rest of my life and never missed sweets. But carbs - that was a whole 'nother story. Surprisingly though, I eat very little carbs these days and with a few exceptions, I really don't seem to miss the carbs as much as I expected to. There are "those" days, but not too often. It is truly astounding how your priorities, and your perspective and your life changes following surgery. It's very difficult for anyone who hasn't experienced it to understand how amazing the changes really are.

B R A V O !!! Well said and congratulations on a great, great job!!

I'm a bypass guy so I have no experience to base any comments on regarding the sleeve. I do know a little something about my journey following my bypass. I lost 130 lbs in just over 14 months. Starting weight was 285 and my weight leveled off at 155 and a BMI of 22.9 (height 5' 9"). I'm now almost two years and nine months post-op. Since hitting 155, my weight has never been above 156 or below 151. This morning I was 151.4. "Excess weight" is usually defined by the medical community as any weight that results in a BMI of 25 or greater. So by that definition, I lost a little over 100% of my excess weight. To this day I always find that quite bizarre. There's absolutely nothing special about me. My approach to my weight loss journey was quite simple and unassuming. Stay positive. Stay patient. Stay focused on following the plan as closely to the letter as I possibly could. Exercise to my ability. And maintain a food log. Neither my surgeon nor any member of her team ever suggested a goal weight. And I never asked. My goal was to simply follow my plan until my body told me it was where it wanted to be. I never had any preconceived idea regarding how long my weight loss should/could/would take. I was confident that I would know when I arrived at my destination. And that's exactly what happened. I believe that the weight loss journey is much less stressful, and much more fun, if you just forget about time limits and goal weights. Trust the process. Trust your body. Allow it to find its own way in its own time. Your body will tell you when it's where it wants to be. And when your body is where it wants to be - you're gonna love the new you!

Words of wisdom from the Yoda of weight loss surgery!

On the way guys!

Just emailed!

On the way!

"Tried every diet / weight lose plan known to man .." For folks with a BMI of 30 or greater, clinical studies have repeatedly shown that diet and exercise have a failure rate of over 95%. Some doctors believe it is closer to 100%. It doesn't work. It never has. Doctors have known for a long time that it doesn't work. They simply had nothing else to offer. Now they do. "What if something goes wrong..." There are risks with any surgery and bariatric surgery is no exception. The risk factor for gastric bypass is often compared to that for having your gall bladder removed. If you have not done so already, do the research. You'll find that the odds are statistically overwhelmingly in favor of your having a successful, literally life changing experience. Courage is not about never being afraid. Courage is doing what you believe to be the right thing for you and your family, in spite of your fears. "and I'm doing this for purely selfish reasons ..." It is not uncommon for folks to feel this way. If the desire to live a healthy, happy, more fulfilling and longer life is "selfish", then you certainly have a lot of company. What would those you love and who love you say? "Am I taking a unnecessary risk????" Perhaps a more important question is are you taking an "unnecessary risk" doing nothing and living with obesity? Obesity is a progressive, life-threatening disease that is the number two cause of preventable death in the U.S. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment known to medical science for the treatment of obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. By a very wide margin. The decision to have surgery is an intensely personal one and one that only you can make. 99% of the folks on this forum fear surgery and the other 1% are in denial. Fear of surgery is a perfectly normal and healthy response. Fear of failing to take action to address the disease of obesity is, or should be, even more frightening. You're gonna love the new you!!

On the way guys!

I do not attend support groups but I never did beyond the two that were required prior to surgery. I am not in any way "anti support groups", I just never felt that I needed anything beyond what I get right here on BP. I think the constant reinforcement of staying on track is immensely important. But in my case, that reinforcement does not need to be "in person" and the forum offers a much broader spectrum of thoughts and ideas than is practical to achieve with in person meetings.

Just emailed!

Hypoglycemia can, in extreme cases, result in passing out but I've never heard of it being tied to protein intake. Please let us know what your surgeon says.

Hard to imagine anything in a protein shake or powder that would cause your bp to spike so high that you lose consciousness. What does your doctor say?

Just emailed!

On the way Ms. Misty! Have a great evening!

Perhaps a little adjustment in your perspective would help? When you reach your goal weight, your perspective changes from "weight loss" to "weight management". Sometimes folks struggle with that transition. But weight management works both ways - you need the tools and skills to lose a little when necessary and, you need the tools and skills to gain a little when necessary. The key is to do either one in a controlled manner. I've been using My Fitness Pal for over two and a half years and find it (or any similar app) the ideal tool for weight management. You need to gain 10-12 lbs. You don't need to do it overnight. So whatever your average calorie intake is that has allowed you to maintain your current weight for almost a year, increase that daily calorie goal by 100-200 calories a day. Like any calorie goal, some days you'll be higher, some days lower. That's perfectly normal and to be expected. What's important is that your AVERAGE calorie intake is 100-200 calories higher. So try your new calorie goal for a week or two and see what happens with your weight. If you gain half a pound to a pound, great. If you don't gain anything or even lose a little, increase your goal again. Nice and easy - 100 to 200 calories a day (AVERAGE). Try that for a week or two and again, use your weight as your guide for future adjustments. Before you know it, you'll be at your doctor's recommended weight. It's quick, it's easy and seeing your weight respond to minor adjustments in your calorie goal is a huge confidence builder. I've done it many times and it's very difficult to put into words how incredible the boost in your confidence really is. You know that you are in control. You know that you can, and you are, truly managing your weight. You know that it's realistic. You know that it's sustainable. And perhaps most importantly of all, you learn that minor changes in your weight, up or down, are absolutely nothing to fear. Congratulations on your amazing weight loss!! Now get going on making that relatively minor adjustment!!

Latido, learning to speak "pouch" following surgery takes some time. The key is being aware of the signals you're pouch is sending you and that is e x a c t l y what you are doing. Well done! This soon after surgery you're not sure what to make of the signals you're getting and that is absolutely normal - no one learns a new "language" in a few short days or even weeks. Just keep listening. Trust the process and trust your body. Before you know it, you'll be able to quickly interpret what your pouch is talking about. There will be times when it's quite adamant. Other times when it's more subtle. And still others when it seems to be babbling about nothing - lol. Some pouches (like mine) just seem to be more gabby than others. Congratulations on your surgery! You're gonna love the new you!!