stomlin75

Looking good!!

I eat an egg almost every morning. Kashi Go Lean is also good. Ezekial toast (found in the freezer section) with almond butter. Sometimes, I eat a piece of chicken in the morning and that sticks with me. Every Sunday I make a huge batch of chicken thighs and drumsticks in the oven in a casserole dish. I then bag them up for the week.

You are not being silly. I say hit the gym when he gets back from the gym, no questions or comments about it. As for the surgery, I sounds like there has to be some negotiation considering the circumstances but in the meantime, use the extra time to work on head hunger - that's the hardest part. Just being able to recognize it and talk it out will give you a big advantage. I'm sorry you are feeling so frustrated. I can certainly understand why you would feel that way. Wishing you all the best.

I was exactly in the same boat before my surgery. I am a grad student at Dartmouth and was finishing up my fall term just days before the surgery. My pre-op diet was 2 weeks before the surgery so it definitely cut into my final project, presentation and exam. I was pleasantly surprised how much energy I had after the first day or so. I thought I was going to feel fatigued but I really wasn't. The key is getting in plenty of Water. I also chewed gum like crazy while in class and on exam day. It just kept me going. One thing I would ask your doc is whether you can wait on the laxatives until day 2. I never had to take laxatives or do anything having to do with a bowel prep, so I was lucky in that regard. Good luck to you!!!

I agree with what everyone said but I will say that avoiding refined carbs is probably a good idea because it will stave off cravings for later. I stuck with splenda for sweetener, avoiding any sugar. I later tried sugar in some things (yogurt for example) and this set me back a little until I took it back out of my diet again. I also ate some instant mashed potatoes on the puree phase and wouldn't do that again if i could do back. Focusing on getting whole grains is really ideal. Good luck and welcome back to some normal food again!!

You did well. Just think about the food you ate before the sleeve. Your carbs at 50 is still well below the threshold to stay in ketosis, which is what gets that fat burning happening - or so I am told. None of us are perfect. I ate some bacon and red pepper in my egg this morning, whatev.

Congrats!!!

I love that you posted this. Such honesty and grace was displayed here. Be proud of yourself for not letting this get you down but acknowledging it as a learning opportunity. The fact that you had this conversation in your head and you can look back on it is well beyond what many people are capable of. I was in therapy for 1 1/2 years before having surgery to learn how to manage these "conversations" so that I could come back from mistakes instead of giving up and also learn how to overcome difficult situations. I've had a few setbacks myself during this bootcamp period where I had to talk myself out of driving by a cupcake store (just like you) but then ironically, came home and shoved a homemade cookie in my mouth (thank you awesome kids) but then realized what I was doing, had a mental dialogue and spit it out and drink some water. I moved on, like you and today was a new day with a scrambled egg and some soy milk calling my name. Bravo Rosehips!! You got this!! Update for me today: 1 egg 1 1/2 cups soy milk 1.5 string cheese stick turkey burger with slice of cheddar 1 cup green beans 5 shrimp

Today's update: 1 egg 5 shrimp 1.5 cups soy milk 5 small mozzarella balls 2 cups baby spinach 1/2 cup tuna 3 meatballs calories-720 fat-42.4 carbs 35.8

So glad you raised the issue of beans. I ate some last night and noticed the huge jump in carbs as a result. They are also not listed in the boot camp and I didn't even think about it! Thanks for noticing. I also feel like it's super helpful to have this groyup going on right now as it helps me get through the day and stay on task...not eat sugars/refined carbs. I have every intention of eating carbs in the form of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (just not Pasta, bread, rice, etc...) It's easy to swing too far, falling back on old habits and I needed something to help me get back to the basics again....something to remind me of the power of the sleeve if I take full advantage of it. So far, I am down 3 pounds in just a few days and it feels awesome. Keep going you guys, we can do it!!

My update today Soy milk 1.5 cups egg 1 cheese 1 oz chicken drumstick 1/3 cup almonds chicken breast 2 oz black Beans 1/3 cup 991 calories 76.1 Protein 56 carbs

Your doc will use a bougie to determine the size of what you will have left for a stomach. The question to ask is what size bougie your doc will use. Most fall somewhere in the middle with a medium size but some go smaller and some bigger for whatever reason, usually specific to the patient. I've heard others post on here that they thought their doc used a big bougie and they think this caused them to have slower weight loss. Consider this though....slower weight loss means more control over the excess skin you may or may not have. I can certainly relate to wanting it gone like yesterday but my body loses in phases and I have to work my sleeve. When people tell you it's a tool, they are right on.

I started early in the day and just kept on drinking throughout. I have a 600 ml water bottle and need to drink 6 to get close to a gallon. I made sure I had 3 done this morning before noon. This afternoon, I chugged down a few more throughout the day and then over the course of the evening got the last one in. I've been peeing like crazy. If you try to do this all at once to get it all in, there is no way. Our tummies can't do that. Just do what you can. Putting the effort in is the key.

Ok here here is my update for the day: Breakfast - skinless chicken drumstick (yeah, I know, weird) Soy Milk 1.5 cups Chicken breast 3 oz. 1 oz mozzarella 1/4 cup almonds 1 egg 1/2 cup spinach 1 oz swiss Daily Calorie Composition: 11% from carbs, 52% from fat and 37% from Protein. Calories 732 Fat 42.3 g Fiber 4.6 g Carbs 20.5 g Sodium 636.7 mg Protein 67.4 g Water 3,600 ml

My food plan for tomorrow: breakfast - 1 egg with 1 oz cheese lunch - chicken leg (no skin) and baby spinach dinner - shrimp and green beans with ginger

I complained a lot on here during ,u first stall. I was so annoyed. Everyone told me different things to do and that it was normal and would end. It does eventually break and the pounds will drop again. However, I found for me that water was key as well as making sure I was not constipated....the two go hand in hand. Get your water in, every last drop, not matter what it takes.

Nooooooooo! Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Everyone is welcome to join. I don't drink Protein shakes but if you do and are concerned, probably should watch it. I think the point is to get back to low carb and jump start things again. I am guessing that a gallon of Water will keep you so full that calories won't be too much of an issue from Protein Shakes. I weighed in this morning at 239.4, hoping to get down 5 pounds. Good luck everyone..Don't forget to check in tomorrow.

Yep, I'm stalled out too but I know it's because I let carbs slowly creep back in. Let's buddy up and do this. 5 days - seafood, chicken, turkey, eggs, green veggies, dairy (no sugar) and 1 gallon of water each day. Wed. - Sun.

I was never able to drink Protein shakes. They made me gag and sick to my stomach too. I ended up making my own. 1 cup of milk 1% 3 Tbsp milk powder to that you can add.... PB2 (powdered peanut butter) torani flavored syrup Also, you can eat plain nonfat greek yogurt which is full of protein, add some sugar free torani syrup for flavor or a splenda You can't eat an egg yet and should not try at this point....in my opinion. Of course, talk to your doc's office.

I am 1 week post op and have some mild but noticable pain in the upper left side of my abdomen under the bottom part of my ribs. It is much, much worse when I lie down or sit down. It pretty much goes away when I stand up. I also noticed last night that when I tried to sleep on my right side, I felt enough pain (on the right that time) that I had to turn over to get it to stop. I don't have a fever and my heart beat is normal so I don't think it's a leak or anything. I did not notice this pain before at all so this is new. Does this sound normal?

Sounds like we are both dealing with the same kind of issue. I sometimes make choices I wish I hadn't - old habits die hard. One thing I have learned is not to beat yourself up about it though but rather to learn from it and move on. My weight loss is slow and I have just accepted it that way. I am just trying to find peace with "right now", each moment being a new moment to appreciate because right now, I am not what I was a few months ago. There are a ton of ways to kick things up into gear and they work. It seems to me that you pick one thing and try it out. Little steps to form small changes will lead to bigger changes. Try not to overload and take it all on at once. It makes the issue so big and impossible - at least from my point of view anyway. My goal this week is to drink a lot of Water. Until I have that mastered, I am not moving on to my next goal - plan all my meals at least 1 day ahead so I can stick to it. While I know that this is what will help me be much more successful, the water is more essential for my health. Maybe make a list, prioritize and than implement slowly. You got this. It's a tool and we need to use it to our advantage. Stay in touch!! Steph

Melissa, I did not have the band but I can tell you I felt the same exact way about turning to surgery. I also have a 2 year old and 4 year old and the idea of surgery really scared me. I justified the risks of surgery by the benefits of a longer and healthier life to be with my children. However, after reading through a number of posts on this forum from people who experienced leaks, (iggychic who is a great resource) I am not sure I would make the same decision again and risk losing my life. The sleeve does one thing for you - makes you feel full fast which limits your intake. I am glad I had it done and didn't have any complications. I am also glad I was networked so well professionally with the surgeons at Dartmouth where I had it done so I could get the "skinny" (no pun intended) on knowing who to perform my surgery. I do clinical health research so it made the process of info gathering easier. I suggest you might talk to a therapist about this? I honestly feel like some of the best decisions I have ever made were with the help of a therapist who could help me lay out all of my concerns in a logical way and make an informed decision without any other influence. While not all therapists are unbiased, it's the only option I can think of to help you sort it out. Wishing you all the best in whatever you decide to do and just know that it's perfectly understandable to feel angry. I think we all have felt that way to some degree.

Oh man, I am so glad I am not the only one out there battling this. I have given in to eating a valentines cookie and some blueberry muffin today after swearing off baked goods since last Nov. I feel like I am on a slippery slope right now and about to go down quick. My weight loss has stalled off and on since I had this surgery, even when I was eating quite perfectly. I worked out like crazy a few weeks ago and there was no movement so I kind of got upset about it and have been letting go a bit. I really know this is falling back into old behaviors and thinking though. Ugh. Time to snap out of it.

You will eat normally again. I can eat anything at this point (surg. Dec. 7) and the main focus now is listening to my body to know when I have had enough. Your focus will change a lot. Just make sure you keep drinking water, even if it is room temp.