lmmore

My stomach acted strange for months. It still gurgles every now and then.

Yes, check with you doctor. You should have regular bowelmovements, shortly after surgery. I think with me, was that I was stopped up for two day, and they went normal. Andthen some diarrhea, and then back to normal. best of luck. I use benefiber to keep me regular

Try tracking your calories, Protein, and carbs? Since your loss has slowed to nothing, try going back to basics. Try something like the 5 day pouch test to get you back on track. The 5 Day Pouch Test is a 5-day eating plan that can help if you feel like your stomach isn't processing things right. It's basically like your post-op diet but crammed into 5 days. The link to the site that explains it is Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test Basically it's 2 days of liquids (protein drinks, Soup, etc.), then a day of mushies (tuna salad, chicken salad, eggs, fish), then a day of firm protein (seafood, ground meat) then a day of solid protein (chicken, steak, pork, lamb.) The guidelines are pretty simple and laid out on the site. Changing things up by getting back to basics may give you results. I cobbled this together from Tiff and lotusflwr80 recommentdations. Best of luck, Les

Before surgery I craved bread. I don't anymore. I have maybe one piece a week. Or two pieces, if I have toast w/breakfast. I do not crave sweets, or baked goods the way I used to. The only odd thing that has changed with my eating, is that I cannot tolerate peanuts, or peanut butter anymore. And I used to love peanut butter. I consider it a very small price to pay.

I was prescribed Prilosec twice a day a the beginning. At three months my doctor said I should wean myself off of them. I did that, and now I only need to take it once or twice a week. This drug is really not recommended for long term daily use.

They make to big a deal about the straws. If you don't have a problem sucking in alot of air, then you should be fine. They got me paranoid over it, and finally I tested it, and I was fine. If you get air bubble problems, don't use, otherwise you should be fine. Best, L

At 6 months, I am at a point where I can eat pretty much anything. Which is something you have to look forward to. At the beginning, you are so limited in what you can eat..... by any gastric procedure. It is wonderful when you have all the choices again. I am finding now that I have a harder time eating at home, than eating out. When eating out I can order what I want with a variety of selections. I eat small amounts slowly. Then I switch plates with my partner/husband, and he finishes the rest. So no waste. I really enjoy variety, and at home, I am not going to cook all that stuff for a few bites of this, and few bites of that. At six months, I have to say I am beginning to hate chicken. I eat so much of it.

I'm with you. Cashews are most of my lunch. I fill up a small ramekins with them. I try to only do that once a day. But, sometimes it' twice a day. And, i have to admit that I have put the whole jar there and went threw half of it. I am sure they are what contributed to my stall. But, they are my go to snack. The best are the Walgreens Colossal. I go through 1 1/2 cans a week. Bad boy.

Hi all, I just had the six month follow-up, with Kaiser in So. San Francisco. I was a little non-plussed. There was lab work for everything imaginable under the sun, but they didn't really cover it very well, IMHO. This was a group meeting with the dietician, and an MD. There is supposedly a three month meeting, but many of us did not get the invite. Although I did have a 3 month followup with my surgeon Dr. Le. I was surprised that almost half the group had the bypass. I am so happy I did not take that route. I had a stall for almost two months, but I finally started losing again. 5 lbs, this last week. So for any of you who get stalls, don't worry, you will get through them. This was my second stall in six months. I am glad I did not worry and had faith in the process. It was this forum that helped me not to worry. Our bodies change alot after this procedure. Alot of us at six months out have been feeling fatigued. It's normal. Our bodies, like I said, have been going through alot. We were giving the warnings about snacking. Snackings fine if you make sure your not adding back those calories, and grazing. My snack is popcorn, and I was given hell for it being a waste. But, screw them. I have given up everything. I am going to eat my popcorn Snacks. They are low in calories and they count as my bad carbs for that day. I only have them a couple times a week. Anyway, the best luck to you all on your journey. Hugs, Les

It's just like with John Goodman. His claiming to lose 150 lbs. by diet and exercise. Yeah, let's see......isn't he about 60?

I wish you a good and healthy recovery. You;re luck they found the leak so quickly, befoe it did more damage. I know you may not feel so luck right now. As everyone has said, lower your expectations for now. Do what the doctors say, and keep yourself hydrated. You shouldn't be losing weight right now. When I left the hospital, I had gained 5 lbs. And I only had one surgery. You will retain water for about a week, and then the weight will shockingly fly off. You'll lose all this water, and then all the fat. It will get better. I promise. Just hang in there. Best wishes. Les

I feel very lucky. I still love food, but in small amounts of course. The hard part with me, is getting variety. I must have variety, which is hard to do with 4 to 6 oz. When going out, I have found that getting a multiple selection appetizer plate is great with a salad. Or, my other half and I work together on splitting different courses. We seldom order the same plates any more, so that I can get some variety in. Buffets work well for me. At home, it's harder. I have become extremely aware of carbs now....and I seldom eat them anymore (except for veggies). My one carb hang up is popcorn. I have always loved popcorn, and that hasn't changed. I still have one protein drink a day, to make sure I am getting enough. Because I have been going away for a few weekend trips, I haven't lost any weight for a month. Just wrestling with the same two lbs. I am not worried though. I know that all I have to do is lower my calorie intake, and go back to basics. I am doing that now, so I should break into Onderland very soon. You will hear from me when that happen, for sure. Best of luck to you all, on this incredible journey. Les

I had my VSG by Dr. Le as well. Not much personality, but he is very good. I would recommed him. As far as losing weight I have lost just as I have been expecting. I will next be breaking into Onederland, and that will be a little after 4 months. The good news is I got off blood pressure meds, the week of the operation, and a couple of months later I am off my sleep apnea. So this surgery helps in so many ways. I am whering shirts now, that I haven't worn since 1998. It's almost like the 2Ks never happened. I can now fit into restaurant booths, get off the car easily, etc, etc. This is the best thing I have done for myself in years. Good luck, success, and health to you all. Les

Benefiber works great for me.

Congrats on a wonderful surgical experience! Good for you. Keep following the directions and you will be thin in no time! Good for you! I have heard great things about Dr. Aceves, I have been trying to talk a friend of mine into going there, but she is afraid of going out of country. I think I will send her your post for encouragement.