LzL

I agree... losing the 5 lbs should not me the issue. The main reason for the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver to prepare you for the surgery. Hang in there. Sure hope it goes well for you.

I know exactly how frustrating these stalls are. Especially because this was my first stall so soon after surgery. 2 weeks post-op I stalled, BIG TIME. It lasted for 5 1/2 weeks before it finally broke. So far it's working and I hope I keep losing. It was suggested to me I was in starvation mode. What I did was changed up my pattern and added 100-200 calories to my diet by eating an extra snack. (I know, tough to do when your new stomach is so small). But essentially I was trying to fool my body into believing it was no longer starving. I also started doing 1 vegie/fruit blast each day. Since surgery, I haven't had the room to eat the vegies and fruits after eating the protien foods, so by doing a blast it seems to take care of a few things. I can now get my vegies/fruits in (plus the fiber) and I add a small handful of nuts to include the protein. It also counts as a liquid. And it's really easy on the digestion and helps things along, which is an extra plus. I started this 8 days ago. My stall broke 4 days ago and I've lost an additional 3 lbs since my stall. It works for me...

You have to remember that for the average sleever, you can expect to loose around 75% of the weigh you need to lose. For you, at 5'8" and with the weight you have already lost, you have passed that 75% right now. And according to the BMI charts... You are no longer obeses and you are only 3 points away from being consider overweight. A huge milestone for your 1 year anniversary. You should be very proud of yourself for getting this far.

68 lbs... Amazing. If you do the math... 68 lbs in 1 yr equals out to 5.66 lbs lost per month... which equals out to 1.41 lbs per week. The average weight loss when dieting is 1-2 lbs per week. And if you have sustained that for a whole year... you are way ahead of the curve. Awsome Job... CONGRATULATIONS!

I can sooooo relate with your weight stall issue. I've been going through the same thing myself. My WLS was in early July. I lost 25 lbs in the 3 months prior to surgery and only 5 lbs during the pre-op diet stage. 2 weeks after surgery I lost an additional 15 lbs. Then HALT! NADA! ZILCH! NOTHING! for 5 weeks... OH MY GOD! What happened... Why did I stop losing! I figured this was some kind of joke someone was playing on me or something. I also know that I'm consuming way fewer calories than the recommended daily allowance. So why was I not losing? What I came to the conclusion was that there was more going on that needed to be addresses. So like the detective I am, I did some research. I found that the reason for the stall is what they call "starvation mode". It's when your body is in diet mode for a long period of time and your body has adjusted to the new levels of nutrition you are consuming. It's like your body is hanging on to every ounce because it thinks you need to keep it. I also found that because I am consuming so much protein, I also am not getting in the fruits and vegies as much as I like to. So here's what I did: I started adding a vegie/fruit smoothie every day to my diet. These smoothies can be incorporated with nuts to give you extra protein as well. Because they are a smoothie, the whole vegies and fruits will go through your stomach very easy without upsetting because it is all liquid. It not only helped "move things along", but it gave me a lot more balance. I also increased my calories by 100-200 calories a day. (I know... not easy after your stomach has been shrunk to the size of your fist). But if you add an extra snack in... it helps. Instead of 3 meals/snacks... I increased to 4 meals/snacks... Less time in between meals, so my body does not recognize that I'm 'starving' for food. Another thing I've done is started logging my food and liquid intake on a calorie/nutrition website that calculates your nutrition values. I use My Fitness Pal. The calculator logs calories, protein, fats and carbs. That way you can tell each day if you are getting the recommended nutrition you need to stay healthy and still loose. If you get too few calories for too many days in a row, the calcualtor will let you know you can be in danger of 'starvation mode' which will possibly inhibit your weight loss. I've started losing again (3 lbs) so now I'm no longer trying to through my scale through the bathroom window. Sooo, if I go through a stall again, (and I know it will happen), I know that all I have to do is change up my diet and kick start it with fluctuating my daily calorie intake and change one or tow of my diet choices by either eating a bit more, or more often or drinking more fluids, or eating more vegies or something that will change the routine. Anyway... hope this helps.

I went through the same crying spells you are having now. Your hormones are wacked out of alignment and everyting is emotional. The pre-op diet phase probably didn't help much either because probably you went into surgery feeling like you could have eaten off your arm. I promise you... it will get better. When your new stomach heals enough to eat more solid foods, you'll feel much more like yourself. Just remember the reason you had the surgery. Stay positive, and if you can, we're here for you...

I used to think it was easier for me as a single person to eat quickly prepared foods. But since my surgery, I found that to be exactly the oposite. I rarely eat out at a fast food place anymore. I prepare meals and snacks with whole foods so much more often (at least 80% of the time). It's more of an awareness to keep sugar and fat out of my daily routine that keeps me eating 'clean' foods.

I want to wish you the very best with your upcoming surgery. Happy thoughts!

I can relate. I'm still having problems dealing with excercise. The femroal nerve pain I've been experiencing is preventing me from extending my LEFT leg while I'm walking, so I limp... badly. And the shooting pain with each step makes it so hard to walk for more than a few minutes at a time. I have to say, however, this pain is nothing compared to the multiple pains from the last 4 years in my spine, hips and RIGHT leg (which are improving since post-op 2 months ago). I'm hoping what I'm going through now is just a phase and won't last for too terribly long. I know movement is important, but excercise is still a big challenge for me. I'm really looking forward to get away from handicapped parking and walking in the grocery store on my own instead of riding in a stupid scooter cart. Maybe I should try a new bed... can't hurt. I've tried everything else.

This problem will also depend on how far you are out from your surgery. If it's in the early stages post-op, I would definitely be concerned. Best to call your doctor's office just in case.

My fears were overwhelming before my surgery, But then I thought about the regret of staying at my current weight (or even worse, continually gaining). If you are anything like me, the weight issues were much more than just some extra baggage. It was also affecting my overall health. Since my surgery, the weight loss has been a gift. It's only been 2 months and many of my medical issues are now reversing themselves (already). And it's only going to get better. Everyone has a different story. Mine is that I had to choose between being physically unable to live a normal life and eventually be wheelchair bound, or get my life back in control and do something about it. This was the best decision I could have made. Keeping good thoughts for you... good luck.

Cereal is one of my favorite quick foods that I now have to re-think when I fix a bowl. I used to have a full bowl, but after surgery, it took an act of God to get down even 1/4 the amount. I'm now 7 weeks out and can eat some of the lighter types of cereal like Rice Chex. I stick to whole grain cereal. I measure out 1/2 a cup and use skim milk. I try not to get into trying to eat it all, just eating until my tummy says "OK... that's enough". It's no longer how much I eat, but rather that I'm glad I can eat this stuff again. Try oatmeal or cream of wheat... a bit watered down at first. You'll gradually eat more solidly at the weeks/months go on. Hang in there.

Slim Fast Ultima has to different types. Read the ingredients. One of them has 9 OR 10gm of Protein, the other has 20gm. The second is low in low in sugar, 2gm, but it also has 9 gm of fat. For me, I tried the powder protein mixes, and unless you can mix them with other things that tastes good, like lots of fruits, yogurts, etc... the powders are horibble. BUT, you will find the powders also have low sugar AND low fat. Since you are in your pre-op phase, you need to go by what the doctor recommends. The purpose of the pre-op diet is to go for as low sugar and fat as you can. The purpose is to shrink your liver for the surgery. READ THE INGREDIENTS...

Pills are many times too large, even several weeks post-op. So if you don't have gummies or liquid, what I've done is mill them in my coffee grinder. I take a multiple, calicum and a B-complex. I also take prescription meds and I just grind them all and add it to a tablespoon SF applesauce. Goes down smooth and you don't have to worry about them not being absorbed into your system.

Great question.! I'm wondering the same thing. I'm 6 wks out and I've been on a stall for almost 3 weeks. Though my doctor doesn't seem to be worried, and says the same thing. That I'm not eating that much and can increase if I wanted. Never thought I'd hear someone say to eat more before. I wonder if I may be stretching my stomach or something. But since I write down all my meals, I can't see how that would happen because I eat comparably only 3-4 oz of food at each meal. It's not fun to watch the scale stand still let alone gain when you know you are eating next to nothing. If anyone has and answer, please let us know... thanks