socalsleever

Hi all: I can sympathize with some of the frustrations with the weight loss. I have list 43 from Nov 1 and at at a size 12. I have about 40 more to go. I feel great and people say I look great so that is always nice to hear. I think if we look at it from the big picture, most of us are four months in. We have all lost weight which is a huge accomplishment. We all could be at our starting weights or possible even heavier if we hadn't had it done so that is the big upside. At this point I think are bodies are pretty used to eating smaller amounts and our metabolisms have slowed down. My goal this past week after being at 199 for nearly a month is to get the fires stoked again through exercise. We need to throw that metabolism off balance and moving is the only way to do it. We didn't get here overnight so let's all be patient with the process and keep up the awesome work . Love my November Sleever forum family and think of you all often.

Hi All: I have been busy keeping busy watching all the new posts and wishing everyone well from here in CA. I wanted to write a follow-up to life after the sleeve procedure almost three weeks out this Thursday. First of all I wake up every morning and tell myself this is a JOURNEY, not a RACE! With immediate success with weight loss during the pre-op phase and even rigth after surgery, you get this feeling like "Wow, At this rate, I should be down 100 pounds in no time." Reality check, you didn't gain the weight in two months so it isn't going to come off that fast. For those that are feeling a little let down because the weight loss is slower than you expected, please, please do not get discouraged. I know that I started at 240 On Oct 1st and don't know what I weighed on surgery day. As of today I am 214. While on the surface you might say that is fantastic, let me tell you the whole story behind this weigh loss. After surgery I am assuming I immediately lost weight. How could one not... you aren't eating or drinking anything. I think we are sort of like spounges that after preop and the one week post op, we are all rung out. There is literally nothing left in you. Then you start to feel better and you get rehydrated. Guess what, rehydration will start to actually make you gain weight. Now the former fat girl in me starts to panic at this point. I say to myself, "you just paid an ungodly amount for this surgery and you are gaining weight?!" Again,we revert back to what most of us know and are familar with and that is yo-yo dieting and the initial rush of weight loss followed by a serious let down of regaining the weight. Got a news flash for you.... you are not gaining weight and you are not reverting back to your old ways. It is almost impossible for you to gain weight back with 7/8 of you stomach being gone. Anyway.. back to my story. So I start to rehydrate and gravitate around the 216-217 mark on the scale. At week two I start back on soft foods (actually truth be knowns, I started back on a lot of things that were not on my doctors short list.) For me, I am really looking at this as a life long change and I am taking my time along the way to get to know the new me and the new stomach. Tast buds to change and things that I loved before don't work for me know. This is not to say I am eating like a crazy woman (again, you won't be able to because trust me, we you get beyond three ounces of anything you literally start feeling like you are having a heart attack with chest pains, cold sweat, dizziness. I think this is normal. For me the best advice is if this happens to you, stand up and criss cross your arms over you head. It passes but it shares the daylights out of you.) So back to my diet, The good things I have been eating are fish, greek yogurt, meatballs with a small amount of sauce, ground beef, chicken chewed really really well, eggs, oatmeal, Soups, potatoes, cheese. What I have experimented with (and when I say experiments I mean like one bite.. doughnut, ice cream, cookie and three tortilla chips with salsa. These were favorites from my past. While us sleevers don't experience dumping, at least for me the sweets don't sit well with me and have actually lost a lot of there appeal. My sampling of foods for me was a good exercise to see what works and what doesn't. I think I have a realsitic view of what I can eat and how much. I have really had to educate my immediate family on not being the food police with me. A simple explanation of "I know my body or at least an learning new things every day about it... I appreciate your love and support but I also need you to trust me. If I have a bite of something that does not look like "diet foos" please don't freak out and judge. I can only eat 3 oz at a time and I know that eating my proteins first is what works for me. I am human and my head is still going to send me triggers that I want something so let me try and learn along the way. I am no longer a fat person that is going to go through life on a yo-yo diet. The surgery I have done is permanent and restricts my intake so while there are food choices that I can make, I cannot undo the procedure or sabotage the journey to being health and happy as I did in the past. This weigh loss is going to happen." After a week of going up a couple of pounds and then holding at the same weight I am starting to lose again (not five pounds a day but a steady progress.) Kepp the faith for those of you who are entering week two or three, you probably will experience a stall. It is normal. You did not make a mistake in your decision nor are you the one rare exception in the bunch that got sleeved and won't lose the weight. Remember... it is a JOURNEY not a RACE. A year from now, we will all go back through the posts and say "Remember when I was complaining about the pre-op diet, freaked out about my surgery day, in pain the first day or so, nervous about starting food, mad at the weight stall, excited about the change in sizes and the comments that friends and family are making. We are all going to get there and in our own time. Sending my love and support to my fellow November sleevers. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! - Marshawn

Sending big hugs... you are going to do great! You are on your way to a better, happy and healthier you. You should cry... That is a huge accomplishment to put yourself first. Looking forward to updates from you after surgery. You have a big sleever family cheering you on!

The explanation by my doctor was that the pre-op diet assists in shrinking your liver and stomach (which helps them better navigate when they are in for the procedure). Whether or not that is true, it was enough for me to try to stick with it. Let's face it though... When you know you have two weeks left to eat like you have for your whole life, you are bound to stray. I know I did. We can't be so hard on ourselves. Do what you can to get yourself in the best possible place pre surgery.

Sarah you are going to do just great! I think it is fair to say that most if us unravel as we get closer to our surgery dates and then you have to little laugh at all of the unnecessary grief we put ourselves through once the surgery is actually over. All the feelings you are having are to be expected when you have kids and embark on travel let alone surgery. We are moms after all so don't over think it. Focus on how happy your girls are going to be when they have a mom who is happy and healthy. Positive thoughts and affirmations being sent to you. Keep me posted.

I am not a guy but having just had the surgery days ago this seems crazy! I was out patient. On hour after coming out of the OR I got up and went to the restroom on my own. Hope you get so insight from the guys so we can all be better educated.

I slept the whole day. I think our bodies need it to heal and work out all of the meds from surgery. Sounds like you are on track. Wait until you start seeing the pounds drop. I was 237 before preop diet, didn't remember to weigh on surgery day because I left the house too early and today weighed in at 217 so I am pretty happy. I think you are going to do great!

Hang in there! Day 2 like I said is not great. When do you head home? Get moving around to the extent you can to move the gas pains. Day 3 hopefully is better for you. Keep me posted on your progress

Surgery was Nov 1st and I have never felt better in my life! Day 2 was a little rough but I was up and running on day 3....literally. I worry that this whole recovery process has been so simple. I know for others that is not the case so I am sensitive to that. My words of wisdom for upcoming sleeves.... You know your body best so do what works for you. We all recover differently and have different tolerances. Drink fluids and try as hard as you can to get your proteins in as it does speed recovery. I think the majority of the protein shakes make you want to reck even if you were perfectly healthy let alone just having the majority of you stomach removed. I live off of the pre-made choc muscle milk light shakes sold at Costco. The mix is not the same! Again, we are all different so keep trying things until you find your fit. Good luck to all of the November sleeves. We are all going to be on our way to happy and healthier selves. Won't it be a relief not to look for another diet to try for our New Year's resolution!

I mis-spoke. Sorry I thought all of my stuff was made by bariatric advantage. Now that I am going through the cupboard, I am realizing that the doctor I am going through sells this under their name. The name of the program is the N.E.W. Program in Costa Mesa , Ca. They may have a site you can order the jello and soup through. Truly a life saver.

Hi all you protein jello seeking fans. Bariatric Advantage makes soups and jellos that are protein infused. Most servings are 15 grams of protein. They taste great and I am having no problem getting them down two days post op. Good luck on your journey.

Got sleeved yesterday so I guess I am the nov 1 sacrificial lamb. Lol. It wasn't that bad but am struggling to get fluids in. I expected to just start drinking shakes out of the gate but it is not that simple. Going to try the advice from another ousting that tea might be easier to get down than water.

One day post op and I have to say the surgery itself was not that bad. I was out patient so I came home within a couple of hours. The first thing I discovered is that the Tylenol with codeine would not stay down so I guess I am going this painkiller free. Liquids are not my friend either.