JerseyGirl68

I'm so sorry you are struggling. How far out are you?

There is a thread on here called "Not all Proteins are equal" http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/49499-always-check-the-ingredients-all-proteins-are-not-equal/page__hl__%2Bnot+%2Ball+%2Bproteins+%2Bare+%2Bequal, it gets into types of whey protein, ones that are a good source of protein and ones that are not. Your NUT even said for the first few days ok, but not a good source of nutrition. Mine didnt' want me taking them at all, which was fine, I didn't like the taste at all. I've attached the nutritional information for the shots . Good luck!

Good luck for her surgery and for safe and speedy recovery!

Hi Meg! Congratulations on your loss so far! When I was in weight watchers the leader explained it like this... Even if you count the alcohol into your calories for the day ( which they did not advocate), your body will burn the ethanol first, then any thing left from the carbs/sugar in the alcohol will be converted to fat. So while alcohol is is your system, you're not losing weight. I love a glass of wine now and then, but have sworn off until I get my weight down. I want to be burning fat as much as possible. But, honestly if I chose to have a drink or two, then I'll have to prepare myself for the scale not moving. Up your Water intake, see if that gets you moving again. Make the best choices for you, but be prepared for the reaction your body has. Good luck!

AMAZING! Beautiful inside and out! You are an inspiration! So glad you posted these.

It's almost like we know a secret weight loss tool that we're dying to share. I have had the same thoughts and I don't think it was judging as much as feeling empathy for a struggle that we're now conquering. Nothing has worked as well for me as the sleeve. I love sharing it with others I know that are struggling. BUT, only if they ask.

Good luck with the results! Have you submitted to your insurance yet? My coordinator told me that they used the first weigh in from my initial Nutritionist consult as my "official" pre surgery weight. That was what the insurance would use to determine my eligibility. Good luck!

Hi and Good luck tomorrow! Make sure to let the nurses and anesthesiologist know you are having anxiety. They might be able to help you out. Good luck again for a smooth surgery and easy recovery!

Hi, Congratulations on your surgery and success so far! The point that always sticks with me is that the surgery is only a tool. We need to commit to the changes laid out by our doctors for ultimate success. When you first started thinking about surgery I'm sure it was a scary notion and might have seemed drastic. When we made the choice to have surgery we committed to a healthy lifestyle. We need our Vitamins, we need the Protein and Water. You may be setting yourself up for some serious health issues if you don't decide to focus and stay on your plan. The great news, you can start again. Re-commit to making this work and doing your best. You have already had great success, don't stop now. You can do this!! Good luck.

Hi! and congratulations on your surgery! I had a ton of gurgling the first week or two. And passed a lot of gas. Bowel movements did not get "normal" for about two weeks. You have no solids in your system, and are flushing out all the anesthesia and meds still. By all means give a call to the doctors office to ease your mind, but it sounds pretty normal to me. I've read from several folks here that certain PPIs worked better for them than others. Best of luck to you!!

I answered that one a bunch too... I'm sure a lot of us have gotten the weight off at one time or another only to have it creep back up. I'm about 3 and a half months out and still don't feel hungry (thankfully). And I'm ok if traditional hunger comes back at some point. The restriction, however is forever. Yes, we may be able to take in more the further out from surgery we get, but there is no way you'll consume in one sitting what you did before. In the meantime, my habits have changed so much. The good choices are becoming second nature, I don't feel I'm starving myself or depriving myself at all. I am completely satisfied at the end of a 4oz. meal. I feel that when I lose the weight I want to, it will be easier to maintain the loss because of surgery. I don't want to be on a diet forever, I want to live a healthy lifestyle, the sleeve will help with that. My problem mainly was portion. I had a big appetite, I could go all day without eating only to have a bowl full of pasta in one sitting. Not proud of it, but I had to get real honest about what my issues were. This surgery gave me the single biggest tool I could have hoped for. I eat every 4 hours or so, and track everything. I'm accountable to me, but it helps following up with the nutritionist and having her check out my logs. Best of luck to you!!!

Good luck Darcy! Have a safe trip and successful surgery!!

Congratulations!!!

Fantastic!! You look great!

Congratulations on your surgery! You are still healing, so take it slow. Liquids gave me a very different feeling than more solid foods. For the first week, I took sips from a 1oz. cup every 15 minutes. Focus on getting in your Water initially. Did your doctor prescribe a PPI for you? Often acid mimics hunger pains As your diet progresses you'll learn when you're feeling food, you might find that measuring all your meals to 3-4oz. helpful. When I cook for the week, I portion things out in 4oz. containers for later use, I find it really helpful. And most times I cannot finish the 4 oz. When you get to purees and soft foods, you'll want to go slow, chew really well and take breaks in between bites. I try not to eat until I'm "full" Full now is a little uncomfortable. Denser foods fill you quicker, so go accordingly. You will get the hang of it, and when all else fails, call your NUT. Good luck!!!

Laura-ven Keeping in real! I know who I'm going to go to when I need an a** kickin!

Congratulations, you are doing great. As hard as it is, try not to gauge your loss to others. There can be many factors as to why one person loses faster than another. 20 pounds in a month is no small fete. Stay on your plan and it will come off. I had the same feelings at about the one month mark, I reached out on this forum and was happy to have several vets reaffirm what I knew to be true. I was doing what I needed to. they reminded me not to stress over what I considered a slow loss. Stalls will happen, unfortunately Do your best to ride them out and not let them get you down. Enjoy your success!!

You were smart to log in and post. You are going though a lot of physical and emotional changes in a short period of time. Take it one day at a time (sorry for sounding too cliche) things will get better as you heal. In the meantime, look for support and encouragement when you need it, we are all in the same boat. Good luck!

FANTASTIC!!! So glad you are doing so well!.

Same here, I was 8 pounds heavier when I got home from the hospital. Came off in a few days. Good luck!!

All is going well. I'm down 52# since surgery on December 12, 2012, and feeling great!

So happy for you Amanda!

What a journey indeed! Thank you so much for sharing your story. You are an inspiration! I wish you nothing but continued success and a happy, healthy life!

I'm so sorry. I know exactly how it feels to wake up and find out you have not been sleeved. I was to be sleeved on Nov. 6 and also have my gallbladder taken out. I woke to tubes down my throat, hooked up to heart monitors and the news that they could not finish my surgery. My heart rate spiked half way through surgery and they decided since they did not know the cause they should stop. I was so disappointed, but i understood. Thankfully it was nothing serious and I could be sleeved a month later. I decided to stay on my pre-op diet to get in the best shape possible for surgery. What motivated me was knowing there was an end point. A date to work toward and knowing that the "diet" was not going to last forever. I took the time to fully embrace the changes I was going to make and start on an exercise program. It is not fun to go through surgery twice, and I won't lie, it was a tough not to fall into bad emotional eating habits in the meantime. But I stayed committed. You can too! Please reach out if you need motivation or encouragement or just need to vent. You can do this!

Hot damn! You look fantastic! Congratulations!