NurseGrace

So I am usually the first person to tell someone to sit down and get a grip on themselves when they are concerned about not losing enough weight when they are like.. 4 days post op. So I am slightly embarrassed that this is what is on my mind but here goes. I am about 300 pounds, slight less but thats the ballpark number. Today is day six of my 500 calorie liquid diet and I have only lost about 2 pounds, this is puzzling for me because I am done EVERYTHING I am supposed to be doing - its really not my nature to to blow something off, derail, and then go looking for people to hold my hand - does anyone have any thoughts about this though? I am not taking in any excess salt either. Considering that my BMI is so high I was expecting at least maybe 5 pounds at this point. I am not a slave to the numbers but what I am nervous about is my surgical team feeling like I did not take the pre-op diet seriously enough, when nothing could be further from the truth (and believe me - I have had ample opportunity to cheat) The nurse anesthetists called me today with my instructions for surgery on tuesday and asked me how it was going and I reported that I had only lost two and he didn't really have much to say about it - Is this pretty typical?

The BEST person to ask this question would be your surgeons office. I am allowed to have decaf coffee and tea post op but I don't know about you.

I need this tattooed on the back of my hand so I don't forget it. well said, well said.

It's not mean, its natural. No one likes to be the fattest one in the room and we ALL notice when we are.

Yeah, I dont think diets like that address long term over-eating tendencies. What would you have someone like me tell someone who asked me how I lost weight if I wasn't ready to disclose surgery? I don't even know how to handle it honestly.

Sometimes I feel like sites like these should be split down the middle: "sleeve nazis" and "free spirits" or something like that because honestly, my feeling is that if you are going to pay for and go through the process of approval and the TRAUMA of surgery you darn well better be prepared to follow orders EXACTLY for at LEAST 18 months. That being said, I know that not everyone feels that way so I try not to be real hard on people. I take this very seriously, in part because I was one who had a lapband and didn't do well in part because I thought "a little of this and a little of that" was ok, until a little turned into a little more, and a little more turned into a moderate serving, and a moderate serving turned into WHAT!?? BAM overeating all over again. EDIT: I submitted this comment before I realized people were offended by the term "nazi" I think its fair to say that some of us are more strict than others. Sorry ButterTheBean, I would probably include you in my strict group, but forgive me for being elitist for one moment, but I feel that being strict is better than the alternative so I do not mean it in a disparaging way, I was just late to the party.

I'm not attacking you, actually this statement is extremely enlightening. you have a different perspective then most of us then, because with VERY few exceptions all of us here have been fat, very fat, or super shocking how the hell do you even move fat. You're opinion makes more sense now, but keep in mind - most of us got into a SHOCKING state of health eating those types of foods and so there is not going to be a lot of support here on this site for something like that and its not because they are silly. With your experience something like obesity help might be more fitting because there is more variety there, not to say that you are not welcome because you certainly are but it would be wise to keep in mind that you are talking to a bunch of people who FOR THE MOST PART were 100-200 pounds heavier than you EVER were.

my stables are swanson and Kirkland broth from costco but I have used butterball broth too and its fine.

I was on the fence about which to get. I was set on RNY at first since I had a lapband go so bad for me but my doctor really encouraged me to consider that most sleeve patients so just as well as RNY patients with FAR less risk of long term effects. ALSO our restriction is more permanent That is not to say that sleeve patients cannot eat around a sleeve but stretching a pouch and stretching a sleeve are two very different beasts.

Yep. If fast food CANNOT be avoided that is my go to choice. Very reasonable meal. Just as good as anything I would make at home.

Oh give it a rest, you don't need to shoot down everyone who does not agree with you. We all live our lives on a continuum What is ok for you is not OK for some of us. I for one, cannot step FOOT into a mcdonalds because it sets of off on a distructive path. Feeding my craving sets me off. My thoughts are always going to be different from someone like you, maybe for the better, maybe not. More importantly, your name calling is not acceptable here. Save that for somewhere else. McDonalds playplace maybe.

Just ask yourself, did you really get your stomach cut out to still eat cheeseburgers? Obviously you can make a healthier version but since that is so basic/elementary I am assuming you mean regular fast food hamburgers. Thats choice everyone has to make for themselves. We all know how bad that type of thing is for us.

Wow you look great. You seem to be one of these lucky ones that is losing from their belly first! Huge difference there and in through your neck and shoulder area.

What type of preop diet were you supposed to be doing? But to add to what everyone else is saying, go ahead and start your clear liquid diet. broth, Water, decaf tea if you are allowed that, crystal light, SF Jello Now as far as whether they will do surgery on you or not, that sort of is up to them. In my office if you do not take the 10 diet seriously you will be turned away surgery day because the thinking is that if you cannot take a 10 day diet seriously you will not take your surgery guidelines seriously. I'm not a nazi and I am not going to tell you that you did something horrible or anything like that because I think you know you messed up but you can get back on track. Give this some serious thought though. Do you really want this?

You are 100% correct.

This is one thing I say you should probably lean on your doctors expertise on this matter. Sometimes they do really know whats best.

Hey. Nurse here, not that this is medical advice because it is NOT but I want to tell you... "Starvation mode" as we know it is a myth. I would sit here and explain it but someone else already did a fantastic job over at my fitness pal so I'm just going to link you there and a few other articles to read if you are interested. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/761810-the-starvation-mode-myth-again A shorter and more to the point read http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/is-starvation-mode-a-myth Weight Watchers even has something to say about the topic http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

Oh yeah, I know enough about surgery to know that I am not even going to step on the scale until my one week post op appointment after I leave this hospital because I KNOW it will not be good. People don't realize how much IV fluids they are receiving with those continuous drips and the trauma of surgery makes you hang onto it. Yesterday and today I have steadily dropped a pound a day so I am not as concerned about it as I was before. I'm just keeping my head down and working hard.

I didn't mean to say anything to make you defensive or put you on guard or anything, I'm just saying it's possible. Of course I don't know this person and I've never seen her and the facts are limited but I know people who have gone on Optifast for 3 and half months and lost 90 pounds... They didn't have surgery (and I think they will probably gain it back, but thats something I keep to myself because I don't want to be negative towards them) but yeah, I wasn't trying to go off and say you are wrong or anything, because your probably not, its a logical conclusion to come too, all I am saying is it that its POSSIBLE it wasn't too.

man that stinks. Well, then I would maybe echo what someone else said (I think that was on this thread anyway) about contacting the office manager and expressing your concerns about this having been almost over a year now that you have been trying to complete this process and that the timeliness is really leaving something to be desired. If you are super sweet they may pull some strings for you.

I can assure you that your tummy is not eating itself try some broth?

The only center of excellence hospital in how far of a distace? Center of Excellence hospitals are a dime a dozen where I live here in Kansas but I dont know about elsewhere. I hope I didn't offend you, I just felt that it was a point worth mentioning and I'm sure you understand since you work with the public llike that. Bariatric patients are notorious for being hell on wheels to deal with sometimes. lol

I'm on day six, and unlike a lot of people that sweet SF stuff just seems to make me hungrier. Nothing kills my munchies like a nice HOT mug of chicken broth.

this scares me a little bit. Even as big as I am my husband is extremely gifted in that department..... I feel like I'm going to get skewered later