stomlin75

You hit a stall and it's totally normal. Just keep moving forward and the weight loss will kick back in. I stall every time I do not get enough water. So, drink up.

Plus, you will have likely lost a bit by then and will be feeling lighter, maybe even down a size. I dropped 20 in the first 2 weeks. I've seen others who did the same. (hit a stall right after but that's another story)

I agree with Sarah P. I felt perfectly fine at that point and you won't likely have a hard time turning away food/booze. If anyone takes notice of that while you are there, you can say that you are getting over a stomach flu. I would go if I were in your position looking back to my own recovery.

Interesting about coconut being a natural laxative. Something to pass along to the many constipation posts!

Drink more water - a lot more water. Also, add a 30 min. walk everyday to whatever you're doing now. Weigh yourself today, implement those two things for 2 weeks and evaluate the weight difference then. If that doesn't work, try something else.

One thing I noticed when I kick up my exercise is that I am much hungrier and have to be very careful about what I eat and make sure I get plenty of water. If you haven't upped your water, then make sure you do or your body won't be able to flush everything out. Good for you on getting in all of the exercise. I started a pretty vigorous routine recently as well and it feels awesome.

If it is working, then why change it? However, our bodies do flourish with variety, especially with veggies and fruits. These are foods that provide our body with protective nutrients we need. Also, maybe venture out with some shrimp, scallops, beans, eggs? Getting your protein from food is ideal (vs. protein shakes/bars) once you can eat anything. I assume you are past the restrictive phase. I make my own "protein shake" with baby spinach, plain nonfat greek yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen cherries, 1/4 cup guava juice and sugar free torani syrup. Simply divine - a bit more carbs yes but full of many good things for the body and the protein!

Amazon is the cheapest I could find it. Good luck with the natural food route!!! We pretty much eat that way. I highly recommend a book called, "Eat to Live". We don't perfectly follow it but strive to.

The research no longer supports that a leak test reduces your risk of having a leak. This is why so many surgeons are no longer performing this test. There are other surgeons who do perform the test despite the evidence that it does not correlate to better outcomes. Malpractice is a huge motivator! At Dartmouth, we have one surgeon who chooses not to perform the leak test and two others who do perform the leak test. So, this varies and each surgeon and/or practice may buy into a different approach.

So, tonight I got sick for the second time since having this surgery. The first time was after trying some beef and that didn't go very well. I haven't touched it since. Tonight, I tried a Kashi frozen meal (black bean enchilada with kashi grain) and this caused the same result as the beef. I don't eat pasta, rice, bread, etc... I am wondering if this was from the kashi grain? I never felt sick to my stomach exactly, just more like it wasn't going to stay down and after coughing, it just came up. I've never had dumping before with anything. Is that what this is? Anyone else throw up from something like this?

No doubt that not being fat feels better, which is why I had this surgery. I want to be healthy and do things I couldn't do before. I can't explain any more than what I said above about it feeling slightly insulting that some people wouldn't give me the time of day for a conversation while fat but skinny, it's all of a sudden fine. Same person intellectually and emotionally within, just different body. I think we all just want to be accepted no matter what for who we are. I suggest keeping this dialogue in the back of your mind a year from now and reflect to see if you've had these feelings too. I don't know if it's different for men vs. women.

It's a double edged sword. It's to be noticed and recognized for the weight loss efforts on the one hand but on the other hand, I am still the same person I was before. I remember after having lost 100 pounds in my 20's, getting a ton of attention and feeling so angry about it because of how sad it felt that nobody would give me the time of day before when i was fat. It's really pathetic that society puts so much emphasis on looking perfectly to the point that people feel more comfortable talking to skinnier people, that it's easier to get a job or promoted when you are thinner, etc..... We are the same person inside whether we are fat or skinny and our worth should be the same but society places to much value on our external selves.

I eat fiber one in the morning, every morning. It looks like dog food but the stuff works. I also eat salad everyday. You need insoluble fiber to move the poo. Soluble fiber, which is what is in most of the fiber supplements will bulk up the poo making it easier to move through as well but the function is not as "efficient" as the insoluble fiber. I had a very bad constipation issue and was taking tons of fiber supplements, colace, and milk of magnesia. I finally had enough of it all and decided to get the fiber in my foods making a very concerted effort. I've been going everday for the last week since I changed my diet to incorporate the fiber one cereal and veggies. (spinach smoothies with mango and greek yogurt are helpful and healthy)

Give it a try!!! http://www.crossfithouston.com/

I can definitely eat 5 oz fish and find myself doing the same kind of thing with eating and then feeling so full it's uncomfortable. I recently met with a health coach who specializes in bariatric surgery and she said that at this point in the game (Im 8 weeks out too), you really need to listen to your body. So much easier said than done. I am struggling with this too. I steer clear of carbs like pasta, crackers, toast, bread, rice, etc.. and I don't eat any sugar but my portions are definitely bigger than they were even 1 week ago.

The research is mixed on this. I wrote a white paper on this very issue a few years ago. I was addressing a hospital that banned all sugar sweetened beverages from being sold on its campus. I wanted to see if there was a link in the research between artifically sweetened beverages and obesity. There is emerging evidence on this but the physical link is not very strong. I found several studies on animals and only a few of them seemed to indicate that there was a metabolic effect and it was not replicated by peers, which means it's somewhat questionable. However, the mental link between consuming artifical sweeteners and weight gain in observational studies is more compelling. (essentially meaning, that those who drink diet sodas are more likey to engage in food craving behaviors) If you want to send me a private message with an email address, I would be happy to send it to you. It has a lot of good literature referenced in it that you could look at. As an aside, I consume splenda. I count my carbs, Protein, fat and calories everyday.

Glad you are doing ok. Congrats!

I think I had those same thoughts. Unfortunately, every body is different in how it responds to the surgery. I lost over 20 pounds in the first few weeks, then everything slowed down. In the last month (only month 2 after surgery), I have only lost 8 pounds. It's terribly frustrating and most people do hit this stall. So, I caution being too overly optimistic in case you happen to one of us that experiences this. However, I have heard that by 6 months, most people even out.

I eat shrimp, chicken, PB2, cottage cheese, edamame (tons of protein), kashi go lean, string cheese, soy milk (lattes), turkey, hummus, and greek yogurt. I haven't had a protein shake since 2 weeks out and I am never looking back. So done with that stuff.

Hello, I am in desperate need of some snowpants that will fit me but not wanting to spend a fortune on them since I am not really going to be able to wear them beyond this season (maybe not even for the entire season). I am fitting into size 20 pants (Gap) and 22 (Lane Bryant). If anyone out there has an extra pair they want to get rid of, let's talk (make a deal)! Steph

You're almost there. It won't be long before you look back at the pre-op time as a blur. It's hard while you're in it but just take it one day at a time and before long, your day will be here and your new life begins!

Huh, this is interesting. So, how many calories does he think you should be getting? I am 6 weeks out and can eat a max of 1000 calories in a day and that would be the result of eating full fat dairy and snacking between meals. I noticed that when I got this in check, my stall ended and I began losing again. A few days ago, I ate some vegan key lime pie (tofu based but with sugar in it - I don't dump) throughout the day (old habits die hard) and my weight loss stalled again. I really am curious what the ideal is at this point. I do worry about starvation mode. Can you elaborate more on what your doc said about this?

I walk at lunch (hilly) and sometimes also hit the gym after work as well but usually just do one or the other. I like working out after work because I tend to eat a healthier dinner which tends to be the one time of day I am most likely to not stay on plan. After the workout, I don't want to ruin what i just did. At the gym, I do a variety of things: bike, elliptical, lifting, yoga class, Zumba (so much fun) and swimming. I like mixing it up and try not to get too caught up in following a particular plan that I ma not follow through on. When I approach exercise that way, I tend to have more fun and am more likely to go back.

First, I just want to make clear that I believe that anyone with any symptoms that they are experiencing that is causing concern should call their doctor. That being said and out of the way.... I do clinical health research for a living (at a reputable university) and work with several gastroenterologists. The reason they do not recommend this surgery on those with GERD pre-op (at least here) is because the literature (peer reviewed research) is very clear that there is a strong positive correlation between Sleeve Gastrectomy and post-op GERD. Try "Association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy." (Crater et. Al.) Another article by Himpens, "Long Term Results After Laporascopic Sleeve Gastrectomy" finds that 1 in every 4 patients (77.5% at 3 years and 53.3% at 6+ years, P<.0001) who have this surgery develop GERD. However, the sleeve performed in combination with a hiatoplasty (Jossart, G., 2011) may cure reflux in some patients but it also states that if GERD is later developed, then the surgery can be converted to a Bypass. So, there is the data folks. If you haven't had the surgery yet, I think it's a good idea to talk about this with your doctor. I am a firm believer in patient-doc shared decision making with all the current medical literature out there in the open. Ultimately, it's your decision in coordination with your doctor. For those who have their own experiences or opinions, that's great for you but just because my great old aunt who smoked until she was 95 didn't get lung cancer, doesn't mean that smoking doesn't cause lung cancer. When there is research to indicate that there is an alternative that might be better for someone, why not consider having the discussion at least? So, that's it from me. I wish all of you the best and hope that the OP gets better soon! Good luck!