LumpySpacePrincess

I am in therapy for binge eating disorder and bulimia. I know exactly what you're going through. I will say that professional help for me has made all the difference. Finding out you can't eat something you feel very attached to is a major lifestyle change and it would be beneficial for you to seek counselling. If you need help finding someone, please PM me. I have a lot of resources I can put you in touch with.

I had a Tanita and it was pretty accurate with the scale at my surgeon's office. That said, my therapist and I recently took a sledgehammer to my scale. lol I will only weigh in at doctor's appointments now. I need to trust myself to eat and do the right things and that my body will do its part when its ready. I actually feel pretty free about it.

Cravings and true hunger are very, very different. Cravings are psychological. When they pop up, its helpful to look at what's going on around you and in your own mind that could be causing you to look for something sweet as a security blanket. Real hunger feels very different post-op. It isn't the same physical sensation that we are used to. I found that what I used to think of as hunger was really just stomach acid from my former GERD. Usually now when I get that feeling its because I need some Water or I ate something that digested weird. I'm not saying that its impossible for you to feel hungry, but honestly its probably not the hunger you think it is. Sit with the hunger and analyze it for a little while. Most of the time when you find the root it will go away.

I don't feel embarrassed at all to tell people I'm down over 100 pounds, and I don't think I'll be ashamed of it when I have lost the whole 175 of extra weight. What people see isn't the scale number of what you used to weigh, what they see is achievement, a strong person, and usually someone who has done something they admire because they struggle, too. It might be helpful to look at it differently; instead of thinking "they noticed my body" its more accurate to think "they have noticed the hard work and effort I've put in."

Remember that your Protein shakes (or any non caffeinated liquid) count toward your daily hydration. Its very common to feel lightheaded in the first week or two as your body adjusts to the very low calorie consumption, but I think you'll be fine. Try drinking some chicken broth (not cream soup) a few times per day to keep your sodium balanced and you'll feel better.

I had really bad GERD for years before my surgery. I still had to take a PPI for about two months post-op while my stomach was healing, but now I only have heartburn when I go too many hours without food or Water. Its actually surprising when I get heartburn now, so yeah its pretty much completely gone.

I agree that for the first few months you should be tracking everything you eat. The added fiber might be making you bloated as well. I also found in the first few months that my losses were smaller when I exercised harder and more frequently, so I stopped working out and my losses went up to 3lbs per week. Not saying you should stop completely, but slow down for awhile. Your body is still healing and the exercises you're doing are probably putting too much stress on it and its conserving energy, aka fat.

Yes, Splenda and other artificial sweetners are totally OK! I'd recommend using the liquid kind, if you can, since it doesn't have maltodextrin in it. Look for a brand called EZ-Sweetz.

Most people lose an average of 2lbs per week, sometimes less. I lose about 3 per week, so I'd say you're doing well. But remember...your body will only do what it is capable of, factoring in how you are with your nutrition post-op. The "average" doesn't mean anything to you, really, because the average is calculating everyone else's losses...not yours! Your body will have ups and downs, but if you take care of it and feed it right, you will lose at the rate that is healthy for you!

Nah, no need to do that! I promise you'll have all your favorite foods again, just in much smaller portions! I'm 5 months out and the only "favorite" foods I haven't had again are Pasta, rice, and a fully loaded cheeseburger. I go to Red Lobster and have steamed crab legs on a regular basis (with butter!!), have modified versions of pizza which are just as good as regular, and generally find ways to have my treats and keep losing. Everyone says this is a lifestyle change so make sure the changes you are making fit your lifestyle. There is no one around, not even very thin people and people who have lots tons of weight, who don't have some version of their favorites one in awhile. Black and white thinking about "good and bad foods" will lead to a sense of deprivation, loss, and resentment which will ultimately lead to overeating on the things you love, instead of allowing yourself to have them in reasonable amounts. Good luck with your surgery! You'll do great!!

If you don't eat beforehand, you might experience extra acid churning around in your stomach. I only get heartburn when I don't eat anymore.

I wait 15-20 minutes after I consume anything that has calories before I drink Water. Your stomach still has to digest the Protein in the shake and if it doesn't get broken down properly in your stomach, your system can't absorb as much of it. Its really a personal preference, though. I tend to be hyper-vigilant.

I was told no heavy lifting for 6 weeks, but most activities you can resume when you are feeling up to it. If it doesn't hurt, its probably OK.

You can ask your own nutritionist about this, but mine told me that any liquid that did not contain caffeine can count toward your daily requirement. So broth, Protein shakes, etc do count! You are probably fine.

I'm 5 months out and my stomach still makes Chewbacca noises.

I bought two varieties: EAS Carb AdvantEDGE and Chocolite. The advantage of having the Chocolite post-op is it has a natural probiotic in it that will help keep you regular. They taste pretty good, though overall for taste and ease I usually buy the bottled EAS shakes at Target.

What does your pre-op diet look like? To be honest, though, this is just the beginning. You need to take this time on the pre-op diet to see if this is really something you can stick with for a long time, because your food choices are going to change dramatically and you won't always have the options you want or need and sometimes we just have to suck it up and not rely on our old comfort devices.

I would call your surgeon's office. I won't say its unusual, but you aren't very far along so its best to check with them first.

It wasn't so bad for me, but my nutritionist included things like sugar free pudding, fat free yogurts and cream Soups with chunks strained out in our full liquid plan. They advanced me after one week, but I was so terrified to eat anything I even put off eating yogurt for two whole weeks and ate mostly broth!

I will opt for reduced fat versions of some things I would normally add to a food, such as mayo or cheese, though I do buy regular butter and use it occasionally. Red meat I will buy with a moderate amount of fat, and I do leave the skin on my chicken and eat that. The one exception is sour cream. For some reason, the fat-free sour cream tastes better than reduced fat!

I didn't feel full until I started on solids. Believe me, when you start on chicken you will feel very full very quick! I'm 5 months out and I get stuffed on a single chicken wing! Also, your tummy is probably still a little numb from the surgery. Just stick to your prescribed food volume and you'll be fine!

I had this problem for so many years. They had me on Klonopin for a long time, which helped, but the withdrawal symptoms were hell. The best remedy for it, honestly, is to go to target and find Hyland's Leg Cramp Tablets. They contain the ingredient "quinine" which has been proven to reduce or eliminate muscle spasms. I also do some light stretching before bed and drink a Powerade Zero in the evening to help with potassium levels. Good luck!

When I was first sleeved, I was sure I was hungry. Turns out extra stomach acid mimics what we think of as hunger. You can double your prilosec dose if you need to and it will take care of that feeling.

Calorie cycling is how I keep my losses consistent and it keeps me from stalling out. I usually do 500, 600, 700, and 800 calorie days, then repeat. You can also go back to soft or liquid meals for all but one of your daily meals which would be solid. So 3 Protein shakes and one meal of dense protein. Should get things moving again!

Personally, I listen to my body when it comes to Water. If I'm thirsty, I drink. I don't always hit the MDR, in fact most days I don't. My personal minimum that I need to drink is about 32 ounces of water. I don't lose faster or slower when I drink more, but I do notice I'm more sluggish and bloated when I drink the recommended 64 ounces per day. I think water, like anything else, is an individual thing, not a set point that they can say all people need to go by.