lollyfidy1965

Stalls are a part of our reality, but they do not mean that you're failing. I go through cycles...I'll lose 6-7 pounds over the span of 5 or 6 days, then sit still for 7-10 days, then starting dropping quickly again. Unfortunately, I'm currently in one of my "sitting still" periods. LOL It can be extremely frustrating, and makes it difficult to focus on the amazing progress I've made so far. In the end, all I can do is keep doing what I've been doing....keep eating healthfully, keep exercising daily, and keep my eye on the prize! After all, what can I do about it?? I mean...its not like I can put the missing 80% of my stomach back in...right?? LOL

I would recommend a baked or broiled fish. Shrimp, crab, and lobster can be a little too chewy (almost rubbery sometimes), and may not be the best idea at just 6 weeks post-op. While clam chowder might sound and taste wonderfully, its going to be very high in fat and calories...again, probably not the best idea at just 6 weeks post-op. I hope you find something tasty! Laura

Something that may be even more important is beginning to do the psychological and emotional work related to this process. You need to start changing your behaviors (related to food and eating), and gain a full understanding of the psychological/emotional issues you have (again, related to food and eating). If you do this work before surgery, making your new, healthy habits your routine, you will struggle much less after surgery. I wish you the best! Laura

Very cool!!

I'd rather take the sublingual pill daily than have to go see my dr once a month, pay the co-pay, pay for parking, and get a shot. Ultimately, its a matter of personal preference. I don't mind taking the sublingual every morning....its not a big deal.

While I have suffered pretty significantly from acid reflux, since my surgery (June 19th), I have NEVER experienced pain or upset in my stomach. I would suggest you reach out to your surgeon, just to make sure there isn't anything serious going on. Best of luck to you! Laura

I hiccup when I hit "full"....if I eat just one or two bites more I will be extremely uncomfortable, for up to 2 hours. I've learned to pay attention to that hiccup! LOL

I also take a sublingual B12 once daily. My 3-month B12 level was perfectly normal.

Very surgeon-dependent. My surgeon strongly recommends all medications be liquid, chewable, crushable, etc for at least the first year....and always, preferably. Anything "gummy" is supposed to be avoided altogether. (If you don't understand why, put a gummy bear in a glass of water, and watch what happens to it!)

From the mouths of babes.... Laura

Check with your surgeon before taking NSAIDs....they are off-limits according to my surgeon.

Breakfast: 8oz chocolate Muscle Milk Lite AM snack: 1/2 an Atkins bar (Mudslide usually) Lunch: 1/3 cup tuna salad and 1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese Afternoon snack: something with at least 15 grams Protein, and no more than 5 grams carbs Dinner: 2 oz lean meat and 1/4 cup non-starchy veggie PM snack: Gelatein 20 (high-protein jello) I have other options that I alternate, but that's pretty typical for a day.

Actigall is available as a capsule, and can be opened and dumped/mixed in unsweetened applesauce. I do this twice a day. The medicine doesn't affect the taste of the applesauce at all.

I keep my protein at 75-90 grams/day, and my carbs below 30 grams/day.

I can eat 4 green beans before feeling bloated... ;-P

I've only seen it through their website.

I plan dinners two weeks at a time, and build my grocery list starting with that. My breakfasts, lunches, and Snacks are all planned out (in my "Diet Minder" journal) the night before...so I know, every day, exactly what I need to eat. This has made it very easy to ensure I'm meeting my Protein goals every day, and that my carb intake remains below 30 grams/day. If I decide to change something, during the day, I can do it in an intelligent manner...because I know what I need, in order to make my numbers for the rest of the day. Tracking food consumed...whatever method you choose to use...is critical (IMHO). Best of luck!

Kristine, Good for you, for taking the bull by the horns! You've made a huge decision, and should feel so empowered!! Do as much mental work as possible, before your surgery, to make life post-op as easy as possible. Understand your relationship with food....the reasons you eat, when you eat, what you eat....and develop strategies to change it for the better? I highly recommend the book "The End of Overeating"....it truly helped me get a grip on my food issues....mostly because it pissed me off! LOL I wish you strength and great success, as you embark on your new journey! Laura

Like you, I have been exceptionally lucky in my recovery. I had a couple minor hiccups, but nothing to complain about. What bothers me about your post is that every surgeon (or so it seems) has their own approach and philosophy regarding self-care and "diet" after surgery. (I put diet in quotation marks because I no longer consider myself to be "on a diet"....I am simply eating for the rest of my life.). In my opinion, and you're welcome to take it or leave it, we should each be following the advice of our own surgeons/nutritionists....that is, after all, what we pay them for, right? I knew going in that my surgeon's philosophy was relatively conservative. He strongly recommends no smoking, no drinking, and low carb after surgery. Not because he wants me to feel deprived (which I don't), but because those things aren't healthy for me. My food choices, prior to surgery, are the reason I ended up needing surgery....why would I continue to put the same crap....even in "small portions"....into my body after surgery? It's like they say....the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, expecting a different outcome! So, rather than saying "You can eat anything you want, and drink anything you want!", I would suggest "Ask your surgeon/nutritionist if you can have x, y, or z, but listen to what your surgeon/nutritionist tells you in response.". If you don't (listen to your own surgeon), you're taking your success into your own hands. Personally, I'm sick of insanity, and am trying something completely different. The results are in my tickers. I wish you great success!

Go YOU!!

To lose a pound of weight you have to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. You can calculate the number of calories you would need to stay at your current weight (there are calculators online....just google it). From that number, you can work backwards to determine how many calories you can consume, and how many calories you would need to burn (through exercise) to hit a deficit on any given day. At 3 months post-op, I consume 650 calories/day, on average. I typically burn between 500 and 800 calories/day at the gym, 6 days/week. To maintain my current weight I would need to consume roughly 2,000/day. Doing the math on these numbers (using the low end of my daily workout number) I should be losing approximately 3.7 pounds per week. In reality, I'm losing between 4 and 5 pounds/week, on average. Even with the sleeve, the physics of losing weight don't change. We have to decrease the number of calories we consume, and increase the number of calories we burn. The sleeve simply makes it possible to function on a significantly smaller number of calories. In your case (and as much as you may not want to hear this....sorry...), 1,200 calories/day may simply be too many, given your level of exercise. My suggestion would be to increase the amount of activity you're doing...walk 30 minutes every day, sign up for a water aerobics class (my favorite)...whatever you enjoy doing, and see if it makes a difference for you. I wish you all the best....and great success! Laura

So, I'm almost 12 weeks post-op, and I'm noticing that my hair color is changing. I've been about 80% grey for several years (yeah...I'm not old enough to be that grey....tell me something I DON'T already know..LOL), and my grey hair is now turning light brown!! WTF??? LOL I know many people have commented that the hair that regrown, after hair-loss, has been different colors, different textures, curly instead of straight, etc....but, this isn't regrowth! This is long hair....that's been in my head a long while! Has anyone else noticed this?? Laura

Thanks so much!!!

I was incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful friend, who had lost a bunch of weight prior to beginning my own crazy journey. A couple weeks ago she offered all her 1X/20/22-size clothes to me, so I was able to completely overhaul my closet with clothes that fit properly! I was able to take everything but her pants....she's about 5'3" tall, and I'm just under 6'!! LOL (Talk about high-water pants!!)

Well....I had a planned trip to Israel in April. I had purchased a number of new blouses, specifically for this trip, prior to my deciding to look seriously into WLS. The week after I returned from Israel I had my first visit with the surgeon. 6 weeks later I was in surgery. 3 months after that and I have a completely new wardrobe hanging in my closet! LOL Those new blouses were packed up 2 months ago! I never thought my weight loss (and change in sizes) would be so fast!!! Now I'm wearing baggy 20s (pants)...holding out until I can fit into 16's before I buy new again!