Richard Foor

Congratulations.

It is very important to never try to compare your loses to anyone else because everyone is different. If you follow the program the way it is designed for you, you will lose weight at your bodies own pace. Good Luck.

Yeah don't get discouraged, it takes a little bit for the loss to start as your body adjusts to all the changes. But before you know it it will start coming off. I do agree with Brian you need to get more walking in, it's hard to get started at first because you feel weak and tired from the surgery but once you get moving and the gas starts coming out of your belly it will get easier to walk and you will find you start being able to do things you haven't been able to do in years. It is also very very very important to make sure you are getting enough liquids and proteins at this phase. The liquids, as well as keeping you from getting dehydrated, will help flush your system out making it easier to lose weight. And the protein will give you the energy you need to keep moving. Also if you don't get enough protein you will lose muscle mass which will decrease the bodies ability to burn fat. Good luck, and enjoy the journey.

I also use the flex. They are backordered from fitbit.com however sometimes you can find them in stock at best buy. Also if you go to vzw.com (Verizon wireless) and search under accessories you can find them there available.

I try to keep mine under 50 g but only eat about 900 calories a day.

I take and every month take a digital picture and then I photoshop them into a strip picture. Here is the newest one.

As long as it doesn't hurt and you can handle it, then it is fine to drink more then 3 oz in an hour. I am almost 6 months out and sometimes I will drink a whole 20 oz bottle in under an hour.

So if i'm reading correctly you are 7 days post op. If so feeling weak is perfectly normal for this point, I didn't have enough energy to do much till about day 14, right now you should just be concentrating on getting your protein and hydration, and give your body a chance to heal. Good Luck, it gets better.

Personally I didn't count calories while I was on liquids because it is more important at that stage to be getting enough protein and liquid then anything else till your stomach heals. Since starting on solids I have stayed at roughly 900 calories a day, keeping the priority on the proteins to keep energy levels up. I do let it flux sometimes by 100 calories either way because it is better to change it up once in a while to try to limit stalls. Good Luck.

I believe the straw concerns are only relevant for the first couple weeks post op, after that my surgeon didn't care at all if I was using a straw.

Stalls happen, but they will go away and usually after a stall you will have bigger loses for a while. Also, try keeping track of your measurements because a lot of times during a stall you are still shrinking which is great encouragement to get through the anxiety associated with the stall. The most important thing is to not let yourself get discouraged and give up and it will word out in the long run, remember this is a journey. Good Luck.

I used the 5000 iu dose from Nature's Bounty for the first 5 months, since then I reduced to the 1000 iu dose. Seems to be doing ok.

Everyone seems to progress at different rates till they can tolerate different foods. Also, when stating a new food you have to be careful that you are not to excited about it because then you may try to eat it to fast which will make you miserable. Good Luck.

As with most things I believe it will vary based on what you eat. When I eat dense proteins like steak or pork chop or something along that line it takes a little over 3 hours till I feel like I could eat again. When I eat more liquidy items it can be as little as 1 and a half hours till I could eat if I want to. Hope this is helpful, good luck.

Surgery date was Dec 10 2012. Highest weight was 379. Current weight 257.

I was one of the lucky ones that didn't have much trouble with liquids, I was doing 60 oz after the first week. I then upped it to the 90 oz at about 1 and a half months.

It is very difficult to stretch your sleeve and takes time to do so. Remember that when you are on liquid phase, liquids leak through the pyloric sphincter at the bottom of the stomach and therefore you will usually not have any restriction at this phase. Good Luck.

Everyone loses at different rates so it is hard to say what is normal.. I will tell you that I lost about 29 pounds my first month and now at 6 months out I am down 122. As for keeping from getting dehydrated and getting protein in that gets easier the further out you are, the most important thing is to find a way to keep track of it that works for you. Personally I use a 1 litter water bottle that I make sure I drink all of at least 3 times a day and that gets my hydration in. Protein gets easier as you add more food types back in. Good Luck.

It will get easier as time goes by, and eventually you will be able to eat anything you want but the good thing is you probably won't want the bad things anymore because you'll know you don't need them to be satisfied. There are lots of substitution recipes available that help you get the things like pizza and sandwiches without being as bad, so when you get to the solid food stage you can find the things that work for you. One suggestion I have for you is try to drink more warm to hot liquids as the warmth will help reduce the swelling inside making it easier to get in the amounts you need. Good Luck.

I have had no problem with bbq sauce or not exactly sure when I started eating it but it would have been pretty early. I just always make sure to track it as best I can.

Linda, I have stuck to under 900 calories a day, at least 60 grams protein and under 40 grams carbohydrates. I have also gone to the gym as much as possible a minimum of 4 times a week doing 30 minutes cardio and 30 strength each time. As I lose weight I find it easier to keep active. Also I am drinking at least 90 oz of water(flavor enhanced) a day. Other then that I just take a GNC multivitamin, calcium, iron, and biotin daily.

There is no way your surgeon will be able to tell what you did several days before surgery. All food digest much faster then that. If you search here you'll find a large number of people cheated on preop and still had their surgery, myself included. The fact that you feel guilty is the most important part because it means you are motivated to do the right thing. If you could just flip a switch and never cheat on a diet there would be no need for surgery. So just regroup and try not to cheat again. Good Luck.

Welcome pixie dust and good luck with your journey

Hebrew national makes a 97% fat free hot dog that is only 40 calories a dog. I also make mountain pies using the Joseph's brand flatbreads instead of bread that come out pretty good. I had posted these in the recipe with all the numbers worked out already. link.

This is another example of how different the surgeons are. When I was on full liquids for the 1st 2 weeks post op, protein shakes were not considered meals but were to be drank between meals so as to get the required protein in, also they helped with hydration to a small point. My surgeon didn't want me worrying about the numbers of calories or proteins for the first week but instead just make sure I got another fluid in and by drinking the protein shakes I would be ok until I got further on in the diet.