IndieGirl

So my surgeon has me on the Opti-Fast diet for the next 2 weeks. I thought I was going to hate it but I'm doing pretty well, but it's also only been 3 days so we'll see how long it is before I go nuts lol. The only thing I don't like about this diet is your lack of choices. The shakes only come in 3 flavors, the soups only come in 2 flavors and the bars are completely intolerable texture wise. I had to swap out all of my bars for more shakes. I tried the PB, Chocolate and Berry.. All to me, are absolutely disgusting! The tomato and chicken cream soup are actually really really good and you're allowed to season those as long as it's sugar free seasoning. I will say too, I'm having an issue getting all 8 servings in a day. So far I haven't been able to get past 6 servings. Anybody else have this issue? Also, for anybody else on Opti-Fast, did your surgeon allow you to have clear broth in addition to your Opti-Fast products? I also have lost 7 lbs so far which is amazing for only 3 days!

I still feel hunger just not the way I did before surgery.. it's never extreme but it does occur. I was hoping I'd n ever feel that feeling again but really, most people seem to feel some sorta of physical hunger after surgery. A lot of the time too, it's head hunger. We got fat for a reason and that feeling of wanting to eat all the time doesn't leave us. Also, are you taking an antacids? Stomach acid can mimic the signs of hunger especially if you have an abundance of stomach acid.

My hair is shedding like crazy too! I still have enough hair on my head to make about 3 wigs, though. lol. I really don't mind shedding cause my hair is super thick but I hope I don't end up with bald patches like some people do. If you feel your loss is slow maybe you should get together with your NUT and have them look at your daily menu's to see if you're going wrong somewhere. 46 lbs is still a lot of weight to have lost in 3 months, be proud of that. This journey is not easy and staying on the wagon is extremely difficult. I was in a stall for about 2 weeks and I went back to basics for a week and it broke my stall. Maybe you should try that and see how your body reacts. Maybe you're taking in too much sugar or eating food that are not high in fiber. There is something that a lot of ppl do also that keeps the metabolism going and keeps your body from getting used tot he same routine and it's called "Carb Cycling". A lot of people are finding them are losing faster when doing that. Good luck and hang in there!

I'm at the point now where I can eat 4-5 oz pretty comfortably. I can eat an entire can of tuna without an issue which is great considering it's 20 grams of protein. I usually do a shake for breakfast as my stomach seems really tight in the AM. I'll eat one scrambled egg and feel like I swallowed a boat. I also haven't found anything that I can't enjoy in very small bites either, except for bread. I made a mistake and had a bite of a burger and the bread did not sit well at all. My fault, though. My surgeon told me no bread until 6 months and I didn't listen, so my fault totally! I'm still losing at a rate of 1-3 lbs per week. I've also upped my cardio this week to see if that will speed things up. If not, I'm still okay with being a "slow loser". I'd just like be at least down 120 lbs by next September for my wedding. Fingers crossed! I'm down almost 55 lbs and was sleeved July 22nd. I do get frustrated at times when I see ppl that were sleeved around my date losing quicker, but it's alright. They say losing slower is healthier in the long run anyway so I try to stay positive about it.

Oh, wow. I've never heard of this surgery being done in out-patient, without a two night hospital stay. Cool. Good luck tomorrow. It's well worth it.

I thought he was talking about poop. Oh my. I guess I really have no business in here anyway. LOL

When you google images you're definitely going to find the worst case scenarios. Mine isn't half as bad as some! But even if you have a small patch of it, it's terribly itchy, swollen and painful and plain ugly. Definitely unpleasant. I use Coconut oil in a lot of my cooking too. I love it.

I'm big into natural myself but sometimes there is no natural cure for Perioral Dermatitis besides strong prescription gels combined with oral Doxycycline. I had it under control for almost a year until now. I am convinced it's hormonal from this weight loss. My skin is also SUPER oily lately and my pores are so clogged and that's never been an issue for me. :/ I started using Unrefined/Organic Coconut Oil when I first was diagnosed as a moisturizer and I do feel it kept the PD at bay for a long time. I also only use that on my body after I shower. No more lotions. I love that stuff.

Good for you!! Luckily I don't have to buy clothes either because I was a size a 18 just about 2 years ago so luckily I'm okay in the clothing dept. And yes, it feels like gaining a new wardrobe. There's so many cute things in there that I forgot about and I'm glad to be back into lol. I've heard Mederma scar cream works pretty well But first I have an appt with my dermatologist next week so I'm going to see if there's anything he recommends. I'll be happy to pass on the info! I know what you mean about the water retention. I personally believe I'm having issues with that too. My stomach always feels super bloated when I wake up and also I think the rapid loss has messed with my hormones big time. I've had my period 3 times since surgery! I have an IUD so I'm not used to this as I hardly ever get a period. Also my skin has gone absolutely haywire and I have an outbreak of PD and that's been gone for about a year now. Oh well, these things are minor in the grand scheme of things.

I was sleeved 3/22 and I'm down 27 lbs post-op with a total loss of 45 lbs. I'm sorta at another stall as well, scale wise but my clothes are also literally starting to fall off so I don't let the numbers distract me. I also measure myself once a month. I'm not due for another week or so to do it but 4 wks after surgery I was down over 10 inches overall. I have also went from a size 24 to a size 18. I went into Lane Bryant a few days ago to try on a military jacket and was convinced that the size 20 would fit. Was so happy to see how huge it was on me. My scars are healing well. One of them was slightly infected but that's because it's the incision that sits directly under my bra line but it's all healed up now. They are still a purple color, though. Going to look into some scar cream.

Went to Layne Bryant to try on this adorable military jacket they have out with their fall line.. Well I tried on a 22, way too big so figure I'd definitely be a 20. Try on the 20.. TOO BIG! Tried on the 18, fit perfectly! Down from a size 24 to an 18 in 5 weeks. Not too shabby!!

As a matter of fact, I remember asking my doc what his average patient loses in a year and he wouldn't even go there with me! He said it's not about them, it's about ME and my body and how well I follow plan. That was the best advice he could've given me.

Any doctor that concentrates on "how FAST you'll lose weight!" probably isn't in this profession for the right reasons, and more like the money. That may sound harsh but I would hope any reputable Doc that is truly concerned about their patients will make sure their patients know that this is not a contest and not everybody is going to lose at a quick pace, no matter what they do. Everybody's body is different and will ensure that their NUT staff are giving the same advice to their patients. Since your doc seems to be putting you on a completely carb free diet, I can see where he can say majority of his patients lose quickly. If you don't eat carbs, yes A LOT of people will lose extremely fast but not everybody. It seems on here, though, most of us are being put on well rounded diets with protein as a priority then quality, good carbs (yes they DO exist and are not the devil lol) following given they've met their protein requirement with each meal. Maybe this specific diet plan he has you on just doesn't respond well with your body and maybe they need to reevaluate your plan. If they refuse to, and you continue to not lose weight, there could be an underlying issue, if not I'd find a different set of NUT's and possibly a different doc.

Ugh, hide your scale or have someone in your home (if you don't live alone) take it from you, hide it and only allow you to use it once a month!! LOL. Seriously, though. Getting obsessed with numbers could be affecting your mood. I had to back off the scale myself and now I only weigh in once a week and I'm not feeling like I'm constantly obsessing over numbers. I think my mood has improved since surgery but I have developed really bad insomnia which I heard is common. I'm 5 weeks out. It really really sucks. I'm tired all day then at night I have all the energy in the world. I'm taking my vitamins too so that's not the issue.

Numbers on the scale mean nothing. Maybe take your measurements instead. You look great, and you can totally see a difference. Good job!

I think you're being a bit too judgy, IMO. Besides me and another girl who said that we gave into a weakness and tried gelato, got sick and learned our lesson, I don't see where anybody is talking about living off of Doritos and pizza and dropping weight like crazy. I re-read and most of us are making okay choices and losing weight. Not all of us are on a carb free diet either. Yes protein does come first but some of us can have a limited amount of carbs if we can fit them in. My NUT may be annoyed that I started experimenting with solids earlier than suggested but she would not be pissed off if she found out I indulged in 3 pita chips and hummus (which is a HEALTHY choice) after fulfilling my protein requirements for the day. Carbs are NOT a horrible thing and maybe that is your problem and why you aren't losing weight. I'm not a NUT but I've done enough research to know that when your body get's used to a certain kind of diet sometimes you need to switch it up to reset your system. I stalled at 3 weeks and the week that I started to switch up my diet a bit early and try more solids and healthy carbs, I started dropping like nuts. I'd talk to your NUT instead of being so bitter towards people that are having more success than you at this stage. Also, not everybody loses the same. Some people are SLOW losers. Your doc and NUT should've told you this, mine sure did. They made sure that we knew that some of us may be slow losers and that it is OKAY as long as you stick to plan and work out. This isn't a pissing contest, it's a support board. Perhaps counseling would help you get through this tough time because it sure sounds like you may need some. And by the way, fat is NOT the devil. You need certain amounts of fat in your diet to lose weight and keep healthy.

I havent told my NUT yet but I'm sure they'd react the same if they knew I started experimenting with solids at week 3 lol. I personally think I'm doing fine and I feel I can handle solids. I make good food choices and never go overboard and the weight is now falling off quickly. I haven't tried bread and that's probably the only thing I'm scared since I reacted so poorly to a very very little amount of brown rice. I think I'll wait for the 6 month mark for that.

I'm not really supposed to start solids for another week but I started experimenting after week 3 with small things but now I'm 5 wks out and am able to eat quite a variety of things but can't do sweets which is a blessing because sweets are my downfall. They make me physically ill now so I don't bother. I've tried a few pita chips w/ hummus and they were fine, soups, eggs, corned beef hash, I tried a very small amount of pasta with meat sauce and that was fine, beef doesn't sit too well, chicken is easy. It's a learning experience and I'm liking how full I feel. Before I could eat a ridiculous amount and never really feel satisfied. This sleeve was definitely the best decision I've made. I'm also down 42 lbs which I'm super happy about.

OMG same thing happened to me with gelato! I ate maybe 1/4 of a cup and was SOOOO sick to my stomach. I puked big time, my heart was racing out of my chest, I was dizzy. They don't lie about dumping, it is a scary thing! It was a blessing in disguise though cause I haven't touch gelato since. lol.

It sounds like what you're eating is fine. I lived on cream soups for the first few weeks and also Chobani. I'm 4 wks out and already down 40lbs so I think you're good. As far as sleep goes, I've had the WORST insomnia over the past 2 weeks. It's getting so bad and I was wondering if this was common too but didn't bother putting up a post. I did some research and apparently this is a common problem but there is no direct link to why. I have an appt. with my surgeon next week and I'm hoping he can maybe prescribe me something to try to get my body on track cause it's not happening on it's own. I've tried the over the counter sleep aids and even they are not helping. I know a lot of doc's are against sleeping pills nowadays due to idiots that abuse the drug but damn, hopefully my surgeon is understanding cause I need some serious help here lol.

Ummmm.. Call your doc ASAP if you're in excruciating pain. No offense but nobody is going to be able to give you proper advice besides your Doc. Or worst comes to worst, I'd go to the ER if it's really that bad.

I bought the Premier Shakes from Sams Club that everybody raves about. They are pretty average tasting and 30 grams of protein. Fairly inexpensive too compared to other shakes with higher amounts of protein. Muscle milk isn't bad but I'd watch the sugar on those. Last I checked it was fairly high in sugar and carbs.

I still cannot wrap my head around the burping. I went out to eat with a friend for the first time and ordered soup. I was so afraid I'd up end burping loudly. Sometimes this occurs without me having to even try to burp. It's totally gross!

I can handle anywhere from 2-5oz.. Depending on what it is. If it's a solid protein like meat, I can't really handle anymore than about 2-2.5 oz. If it's more liquid or pureed I can handle more. I'm a little over 4 wks out.

Unless you're in some severe pain, I wouldn't worry about the dark urine. I was freaked out at first as well but found out it's because of all the vitamins I'm taking. I notice on days that I forget to take my vitamins, my urine is normal color. As for the BM.. you're putting very little in, therefore you're going to get very little back, so to speak. lol. It's natural.