clk

I'm 20 months and eat nowhere near a normal sized portion. I'd say based upon what I've read here I even have a little less capacity than other folks sleeved around the same time. I still have to make sure I log my food to ensure I get enough nutrition - the opposite of the issue I thought I'd be having in maintenance! I will say that my sleeve HAS stretched a tiny bit since one year out but it's not enough that I'm concerned about regaining weight. I can finally eat 3 oz of Protein in a sitting but it has to be just the right texture (soft enough to eat, I mean, or covered in a sauce/gravy) and it's the only thing I can eat for that meal. So when it comes to eating meat I still break out my scale to be sure of what I'm eating, but only because I HAVE to track carefully or I'll get nowhere near my protein goals. Everything else I can eyeball at this point. I can eat one egg scrambled with cheese and if I eat slowly enough I can also eat one turkey sausage link in the same meal. That's vs. one year out when I could only eat one egg scrambled with some cheese. If I limit my protein to about 1.5-2 oz in a sitting, I can eat about 1/2 cup of whatever else I want. But for some reason, I have a big capacity for salad now as long as I eat it first. So tonight for dinner I had about 1/2 cup of salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish, shredded cheese & dressing), 2 oz salmon and about 1/4 cup each creamed spinach and mashed potato. For me, that's a HUGE meal. I ate five hours ago and have no desire to eat anything else tonight. If I do Pasta or rice (or bread) I can't eat but a few bites, so a 2x3 square of lasagna has me feeling envious because there's no way I could eat that. If I eat half a grilled cheese sandwich I can have about 1/2 a cup of thin Soup (like tomato) on a good day. Some days, I only have room for a half sandwich. I can't eat a whole cheeseburger (unless I stretch it out over two or three meals, which I do when I really want one!) and I couldn't begin to eat more than one slice of pizza, no matter how thin the crust. Comparing it to a child's portion is pretty accurate, though there are times when my growing twins eat more than I do in a sitting. Junky foods are a different story. I can eat 2-3 cups of popcorn. I cat eat one cookie at a time, but I'll be darned if I can't go back and eat another one thirty minutes later, too. So the capacity for carbs/slider foods really does increase from the beginning. The good news is that the desire to eat those foods is pretty much gone. Unless it's that time of the month. Because yes, the absolute ONLY time I can eat all day long is the day before my period starts. I not only battle head hunger but I definitely seem to have an increased capacity, too. Of course the desire to use that capacity to eat a steak wouldn't be so bad...but it's definitely the chips, Cookies, pretzels and french fries (ugh, and cherry coke!) I'm after, so it's definitely not a good thing. I'm glad I'm not alone in that. ~Cheri

I went through a phase where MM was my favorite but now I can't stand it. It goes in cycles if you drink the shakes long enough! Nowadays I mix my unflavored, vanilla or chocolate powder with tea or coffee every morning - sometimes over ice and sometimes not. Sometimes I used flavored coffee or a spiced tea, and sometimes I jazz it up with a little flavored syrup, too. It's the easiest way by far to get my Protein in each day and I've been drinking at least one shake a day for 20 months. Anyway, if you get tired of paying for RTD or if you get ready to try powders again in the future it's an option! I use Integrated supplements (they have my favorite unflavored out of more than half a dozen I've tried) but I'm sure there's a brand out there you can tolerate. For now, enjoy that fact that you've found a shake you actually like! ~Cheri

Ditto! My lowest incision is right above my belly button and would have rubbed. It all depends on where your surgeon slices and dices, I guess! Best of luck whatever you decide. ~Cheri

No carbs is impossible, because even Protein shakes have them and unless you're mixing a very low carb shake with Water, you're consuming carbs. Talk to the nutritionist. The fact is, yes, low-carb is doable but you will need energy so the very least you should be consuming is around 50 grams per day. There are the weirdos like me that don't advocate going super low carb at all, too. You can search my posts to see my opinions on this - I make them known all the time. Whatever you choose to do, you aren't alone because there are a number of low carbers here and also a number of us that advocate a "moderation in everything" plan. I, personally, feel low energy, get irritable, feel deprived and am a beastly person if I don't eat enough carbohydrates. That's just me. We're all different, and what works for you will be something only you can figure out. I recommend tracking your daily intake religiously until you find out what you can eat and still lose. And yes, Dreamfields is an option, although I'd say that Pasta is still the hardest thing for me to eat, even at 20 months out. So be careful with it and only eat a bite or two before waiting to see what happens. For me it causes extreme discomfort after more than a bite or two. ~Cheri

In the beginning, it's important to eat according to the surgeon's plan to avoid issues healing. After that, it's smart to go on a slightly restricted diet until you learn to eat to your nutritional guidelines. Once your capacity increases, it's up to you on what you eat and how you do it. Keep in mind that just like prior to surgery, overindulging in any of those foods will cause a stall or an outright weight gain. I eat whatever I want, in moderation. I am not on a diet. I had the sleeve to control my portions and I refuse to live on Atkins forever. That said, eating a "normal" diet will cause you to shed the weight more slowly. So don't go in eating whatever you want once you heal and get angry that you're only losing a pound or two a week (if that). I started out immediately post op restricting my carbs very severely. After several months of slow loss, irritability, feeling denied and just plain old frustration, I opted to go a healthier route (for me) and to incorporate a more normal number of carbohydrates. My loss didn't slow noticeably, but then, I was a slower loser from day one and only averaged about six pounds off per month. So, do what you want. Again - if you sit down and consume all the ice cream you can eat (and boy, it will be a lot more than the amount of chicken breast you can eat) do not be surprised if you don't lose weight. Part of having the surgery is to learn how to eat properly and yes, sticking to a mostly healthy diet is important. I'd say I follow the "rules" (Protein first, veggies, then a tiny bit of carbs) about 90% of the time. But I eat cake or Cookies or bread if it's what I really want, in moderation. Good luck. ~Cheri

Yes, I'd also add that for some people (ME!) they cause insomnia if consumed daily and can also cause intestinal distress. I eat the real deal, just in moderation, and I'm much happier. Thanks for sharing! ~Cheri

Could be the shake but it could also be what you're mixing it with, too. I had the same issue in the beginning and it gradually worsened from nausea after a shake to nausea all day to intestinal distress and downright pain as I got further out from surgery. Turns out I developed lactose intolerance so not only were my shakes (which weren't lactose free) bothering me, but the milk I was using to make them was making me sick. Now I use a lactose free shake and I drink them with soymilk, coffee or tea instead of milk. I can't have yogurt or cottage cheese, either, but I am able to consume a small amount of cream cheese and a moderate amount of hard cheeses. Lactaid doesn't work for me, unfortunately, and neither do the lactase pills. So, I'd start by trying a different brand of shake first, or by simply cutting out the milk for a day and seeing what happens. It might be a dumb suggestion, but also be sure you're taking your morning Vitamins with food as that can cause an issue, too. Hope you figure it out soon! ~Cheri

Yes, first be proud of your accomplishments. You have come a long way in a short time. You're edging in on halfway to goal and yes, every pound you've lost is one gone forever. That said, I get it. We all do! I'm at goal, I'm quite small and there are still days (particularly when I'm emotional or moody) where I feel like a fat person. Why? Because we've gotten in the habit of being mean to ourselves, we're incredibly hard on ourselves and sometimes, we have unrealistic expectations. I lost 108 pounds and yes, I hate looking in the mirror and seeing all that skin. What? Did I honestly expect to shed all the weight and still love my abused body? I'm at goal. I'm small. It's amazing what our damaged self-esteem can make us feel - I'm in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and I'm considered plus size here. I can look in the mirror and know that I'm small - but still feel BIG in comparison to the local ladies! When people stare at me here, I always feel self-conscious all over again, even though I know in my head that they're staring at me because I'm obviously not Central Asian or Russian, and because I have visible tattoos! It's weird the way our brains work and it takes a long time to get over some of these things. Hang in there. I was right where you are now in November of 2010. I was a few months out from surgery and down about 50-60 pounds. Yes, I was thrilled to be the size I was but honestly, I was stalled out for nine weeks around that time and felt like I'd never get smaller. It was right around this time that I was just starting to have people notice the loss, too, and it wasn't all the time, either. The reality here is that it really does take a lot of loss to start seeing size changes when you're plus sized. For me, I didn't lose the first pant size until about 30 pounds off - and then another after 20 more pounds. It wasn't until I was in non-plus size clothes that I could lose a pant size after dropping only 10-15 pounds. Once you start seeing a real difference both in the mirror and on your clothing tags, I'm sure you will feel a little better. As for whether or not people are considering you that large person I wouldn't be so sure. I was horribly self conscious when I was larger and always felt that anyone laughing or smiling near me was laughing at me. I hated going out in public and I felt like the fattest girl in the room every time. I was always looking around for other girls my size so I'd know how I measured up to the other women. After I shed a lot of the weight, I realized that it was all me. Nobody else had the issues with my size that I had. It was actually kind of egotistical of me to think that everyone was looking at me, anyway! I can say that if you hang in there and keep on working at losing the weight you'll recover some of yourself. You'll start to feel a bit more confident each time you see your successes and you'll hopefully shed some of the self-esteem issues. It might help you to talk to someone like a counselor, too. Take care, ~Cheri

I got a long robe that zipped up the front. It didn't rub or bother me at all. I would definitely get something that opens in the front because it's easier when you're hooked up to an IV. I was in the hospital for a few days and definitely would have had trouble pulling a shirt or nightgown over my head. Everyone is different, but that's my 2 cents. ~Cheri

I wish I could have had this done at twenty, instead of thirty! If you've tried other options and they haven't worked, why wouldn't the sleeve be a great option? The most obvious change is in how you're going to eat, especially immediately post op. But on this journey the most important thing I've learned is how to eat like a normal, healthy person. I now eat what I want, but in moderation. I no longer binge, eat emotionally or restrict myself to compensate for out of control eating habits - things that were ingrained habits and that I wasn't even aware I was doing prior to surgery. I learned how to drop my food issues. My advice? I've been here a while and the reality is you are not going to lose weight every single time you get on the scale. You are going to have times where you don't lose, maybe for weeks at a time. The answer is not to freak out and start exercising frantically or cutting every single carb out of your diet. The answer is to take it easy and let your body lose in it's own time. It will happen. Do not expect to reach goal by a certain date. Rather, expect to reach goal, period. Know that sometimes the journey is shorter but more often, it's longer than we expect. This isn't a race and you don't get a special gold star for finishing faster. Relax and let it happen. With only 15% of your stomach, it's about impossible NOT to lose the majority of your excess weight. Finally, I do not advocate an all-or-nothing approach to anything, especially your diet post op. Research this now and talk to your surgeon about his/her requirements now, so you can get used to the idea. There is no denying that people that shave their carbs down to 50 or less a day lose weight the most quickly. They're also eating unhealthily, have trouble when they don't lose weight every day, and seem to struggle the most when they enter maintenance. Moderation in all things. Whatever you decide to do (and you'll have lots of company if you opt to go super low carb, so no worries there), do it responsibly and try to do the emotional work on what made you heavy in the first place while you're losing. Start tracking your intake now so you get in the habit of eating a well-balanced diet and being aware of what you're putting in your body. Accountability is key. Best of luck! ~Cheri

It was hard at first. If you're still on a restricted diet that makes it even harder. In the beginning when I could only eat a few bites of a meal and actually wanted (NEEDED) to eat more I was so incredibly frustrated by commercials and food television. Once you get into eating a more regular diet it should go away. Well, with the exception of that monthly cycle. I could eat paint chips off the wall during the day before my cycle starts if I got hungry enough! It's the only real head hunger I feel now. You're less than a month out. Trust me that this does fade and get easier. And I was a carb junkie prior to surgery, too. Those cravings take a long time to leave the body. You will get there. I'll be honest and suggest that you evaluate what you're eating. If you're severely restricting your carbs (40-50 per day) you might consider allowing yourself an increase to see how you do. If you don't see negative effects on the scale but do notice that you're not feeling denied, well, that's excellent progress. Jumping from pre-op diet to a no-fat, no-carb incredibly strict diet post-op isn't an easy transition mentally or physically. I'd reevaluate if you think this might be part of your issue. This is forever - you chose an irreversible surgery. So expecting yourself to live on a diet forever isn't going to make you a happy person, even if it does get you to goal. Branch out your options as much as possible! Spice things up and see how that helps. I sometimes hit a slump (at 19 months out!) where I get sick of eating Protein first and need to make a change in what I'm eating. Good luck, ~Cheri

We call them stalls here but three weeks is a plateau. In fact, three weeks is the START of plateau. And they're totally normal and break on their own, despite the fact that they drive us insane in the meantime. I stalled out for nine weeks twice. The only thing that made the scale move again was time. More time of doing the right things will keep the weight falling off. I did have periods where I totally fell off - once was early out and I got so sick of restricting my intake down to nothing and seeing slow progress that I totally went offline. I had to change my entire eating habits and realize that I was forcing myself onto a diet. I couldn't live that way so I had to make things more manageable. The good news is that with the sleeve, it's very easy to pick back up and get in the swing of things again. I always feel better, even if I only see tiny results on the scale, when I start my day with my Protein shake and log my food for the day. The easiest way to be sure you're on the right track and to correct any denial about what you're eating is to log everything you put into your mouth. So the first thing is to log religiously for three days. If you see a new trend that would prevent loss, fix it. Sometimes all we really need is to be held accountable for what our behavior. If you're already on the right track with your nutrition, well, the best thing to do is hunker down and wait it out. Sure, getting more active is always a good thing. But don't expect it to work an overnight miracle on the scale or you'll be disappointed. And my body was totally unpredictable about loss - I'd work at it and see nothing for weeks on end and then all of a sudden, with no real change in my life, I'd drop five pounds in three days. In fact, those stalls (plateaus) were a part of my regular loss pattern and it was totally normal for me to lose all of my weight for the month in two weeks but to actually gain three pounds during my cycle and stall out for a week afterward. So, log your food and keep on trying. Put the scale away if it seeing no results first thing in the morning ruins your day. Stay positive. The sleeve will work, it just takes a bit of time. And you'd have to go seriously offline to pack on real pounds post op so don't beat yourself up. ~Cheri

So long as you're eating within your own nutritional guidelines I don't see what the problem is here. We're all different and our surgeons are all different, too. And it does depend 100% on what you're eating. I can eat 2-3 cups of popcorn, but it slides right through. I can eat one egg scrambled with cheese and I'm stuffed. So if it's a cup total of something soft, that's not unheard of or abnormal and I don't think you're in real danger of stretching your sleeve out, either. Sit down to a portion of chicken or tuna and tell me how much you can eat. If you say a cup of that, I'll be amazed. And LoserMama, the weight will likely come off more slowly than if you restricted yourself to 500 calories a day, sure, but it's not like eating such a small amount is actually healthy for you in the long run, anyway. In fact, I'd say I'm actually envious of your capacity, because eating what you need to eat to be healthy person is going to be much easier for you. The same thing goes for all of us - if we eat the right things we're going to see a drop on the scale. And honestly, we're comparing ounces here when most of us consumed pounds of food at a time prior to surgery. If you're not feeling discomfort or pain and not having an issue or failing to lose weight, there isn't a problem. ~Cheri

Sorry, just saw this! I use birth control not to avoid pregnancy but because I have severe endometriosis. To put it bluntly, each monthly cycle was like giving unmedicated birth - back labor, cramps, vomiting and all. It was horrible! Actually birthing children was less painful than my monthly cycle. The Mirena immediately reduced the severity of my periods and after two months, stopped them almost entirely. And for whatever reason, once I had it removed the bad periods haven't come back, even though I used to experience them on Nuva Ring. The way I use birth control is to avoid periods - I go back to back on Nuva Rings to avoid a cycle. I still have short one it's just not debilitating like it would be otherwise. So in my case, Paraguard is a definite no-go. It's a great form of birth control but doesn't release the hormones that I need to help my particular issue. It is actually known to worsen periods, something I definitely don't need. If you're not having trouble losing weight with Mirena in now, you might wait until after surgery to have it removed. Now that I'm at goal I'd definitely put it back in but I did have a few other side effects and I'm not sure if they were the surgery or the Mirena, so I'll probably wait a bit before making a change again. Good luck in any case! ~Cheri

I don't understand the surgery, either. I've heard of gastric plication where they fold and suture the stomach instead of removing it, but I don't know of any procedure that combines the two. I'm a military spouse, too, and I completely understand not having a lot of options for surgery. I flew all the way from Germany to San Diego to use Dr. Aceves because doing it any other way wasn't a real option for me. I knew of no VSG surgeons in Germany that had enough experience to make me comfortable so it seemed my best best. I don't regret my choice one bit! I didn't work, per se, but I did stay at home with two year old twins after my surgery. I was tired and a bit run down for about a week after surgery but I was fine after that except for some occasional discomfort on my side. I didn't even need pain pills after I finished my flights and was back in Germany. So I'd say it's possible for you to do it but you might need to really take it easy when you're not working until you heal. I hope you have a safe surgery and a swift recovery. ~Cheri

Yes, please share more details. And no offense, but I'd say that rather than nearly dying from VSG surgery, it sounds more like you nearly died from horrible medical treatment. If they couldn't manage to send people to your room you could have died from any complication from any surgery. You should most definitely be warning people away from that hospital and surgeon! I hope that you're healing now and in better shape. ~Cheri

I had to have my Mirena removed post op because I couldn't lose weight with it in! I went back to the nuva ring because Paraguard was not an option for me. I use birth control for endometriosis not because I want to prevent pregnancy and the periods on Paraguard are supposed to be very heavy. Now that I'm at goal I'd put Mirena back in a heartbeat. I didn't gain on it, though. I just couldn't lose anything. It did make me irritable and I'm pretty sure it was related to some of my hair loss but that's a small price to pay for no monthly agony due to the endo. Meh. There are trade-offs in everything. There are a few threads on birth control in the powder Room board that might have info that will help you. A number of us experience issues post op with any form of birth control. I know that a number of ladies say they have hormonal issues after surgery for a while. I've heard theories about it being caused by hormones stored in fat cells but who knows? All I can say is I'd be very choosy with my birth control and I'd choose the absolute lowest possible amount of hormones I feel could get the job done. Good luck. Maybe leave it in and see how your loss goes post op before making a change? ~Cheri

Yes, Ouroborous has it right and gave a great answer (as usual). That said...I know it sounds crazy but I honestly believe that once you take the time limit out of the equation you won't stop losing until you stop really trying. Yes, some of us settle into a spot where our bodies are more resistant to losing and it takes more work and a stricter diet to lose those pounds. Man, that last twenty pounds took me SIX whole months! However, our stomach isn't going to really stretch beyond the one year mark unless we continually overeat and do the wrong things. So I don't see why continuing to lose beyond that first year would be an issue if the sleever was dedicated and stayed on the right track. It took me 17 months to get to goal and if I really wanted to push it I could lose another ten pounds or so. But my body seems happy here and I'm actually happy here so why do it? But it IS possible, and that's what I'm saying. So, yes, go in expecting that 60-70% EWL but know that if you want more, you can achieve it with more time and more effort. And sorry, but at 284 I wouldn't call you "bigger" either, unless you're exceptionally short. There are a number of folks that start right around your size and have fantastic results. I think you'll do just fine. Get rid of the expectation that you'll lose a certain amount each month and it will be a far easier journey (mentally). I lost on average just over 6 pounds per month. It took me a bit longer to get to goal but the reality is that it doesn't matter how long it takes. It matters that I'm here (to stay!) and that it was possible this time, when no other diet I'd tried in more than 15 years had worked. If you keep a healthy outlook and don't expect a miracle or set a time limit on yourself you'll be 100% successful. ~Cheri

Even if your sleeve is slightly bigger it shouldn't be a real hindrance to your loss. It should still be more than enough restriction to get you to goal, especially if you watch what you eat. There really isn't "slow" loss. I mean, I say I was a "slower" loser all the time, but I'm comparing myself to a minority that reached goal in nine months or so. We had surgery to change our lives, to lose the weight and keep it off for good. Reaching goal in less than a year isn't somehow more satisfying than doing it in, say, 17 months. That's how long it took me. You've lost 36% of the weight you wanted to lose and you've lost what, 16% of that in less than two months, right? Not too shabby! And when you say you can eat more are we talking dense Protein? Say you sit down to a meal of only chicken breast. How much can you eat? I'd measure it and figure it out if I were you. Because I'm willing to bet you have a little more restriction than you think. I can eat a nice 4-5 ounces of food in a meal if I choose to eat Soup, salad and veggies first. Eating protein first fills me up and I don't have room for anything else. So if you focus on eating that way you might see faster results, but I'm sure you'd lose the weight anyway. I love eating out now. I usually order an appetizer or salad to share with the table and share meals with my husband or friends. I'm a really cheap date now but I always feel satisfied. I get a huge variety of foods and never feel stuffed or bloated from overdoing it. You'll be just fine. Congrats on handling eating out well. It freaks a lot of people out, but so long as we're prepared for it to be different than it was before surgery I don't see why it would be an issue. ~Cheri

It sounds like you're on the right track, both nutritionally and mentally. I had to eat between 800-900 calories a day to lose and now in maintenance I'm between 1200-1400 a day. Only you are going to know how much you can eat and still lose, so log your food and pay attention. Even the doctor and nutritionist are going off of guidelines that don't consider what works for your particular body. Some folks need more and some need less. Until you heal completely, I wouldn't worry too much in any case. Just focus on pushing liquids, staying hydrated and getting as much Protein as possible. The rest will follow. I'm 19 months out and eating more than one egg scrambled with cheese in a sitting is tough. I do 2-3 ounces of protein if it's fish or chicken but if it's beef I manage even less. I don't have a lot of protein options where I live so I tend to make up the slack with protein coffee or tea in the morning. I like to see my protein levels at 90+ grams a day. Congrats on putting away the scale. It's hard to do. Once you get to the point where your realize that you won't see a loss every time, and that the scale is simply a tool to keep us accountable and NOT a measure of our success you'll be able to weigh daily without driving yourself nuts. Until then it just makes life a rollercoaster. You're doing great so far. Don't stress about the food. I didn't start really hitting my calorie/protein goals until 4-6 months out. ~Cheri

I had popcorn for the first time around 3 months, so unless your surgeon told you to avoid it (sounds like he didn't) you should be fine. The only foods that seemed to get "stuck" around that timeframe for me were things like spinach or celery. I had a hard time with lettuce until four months out, too. The issue I have with popcorn is the opposite of getting stuck, actually! It slides, so be careful to measure your portion beforehand. I can eat about 2-3 cups of popcorn now but after that I'm done anyway. I budget it into my meal plan for the day when I do have it, but it doesn't cause me any real problems. I'm surprised you do so well with bread, even thin and toasted breads. I'm 19 months out and a little goes a long way for me! I can eat half a sandwich now, on homemade bread sliced fairly thin. Great job so far - enjoy the new variety in your diet! ~Cheri

Great work! I know you posted recently about feeling alone about being about 90 down around one year. I was 92 down on my one year anniversary and still made goal - just a lot more slowly than I wanted! You've done a really great job and deserve to be proud. It sounds like we had similar weights although you're much taller than me so I bet you look even better at your weight than I do! It did take me 6 months to drop that final 20 pounds but if you hang in there it will happen. I honestly didn't have to try very hard to get there, either. And now that I'm at goal, I find that my body keeps adjusting despite the fact that my weight is the same, so it appears our journey isn't quite over just because we hit our goal weight on the scale. I think I'm going to wind up losing another pant size by summer! In any case, congrats again! You've done a wonderful job. ~Cheri

Congrats to you on losing the weight and an unhappy marriage! You've had amazing success so far. Keep it up! ~Cheri

Congrats! You've come a really long way and deserve to be proud. Great work! Enjoy your celebration! ~Cheri

You look great! It took me a bit longer than one year to shed those last twenty pounds, too, so don't get frustrated. Great work!! I just love all of the smiling "after" photos we get to see here. ~Cheri