macman

There are a lot of people on this forum that begin with walking and advance to doing cardio exercises when cleared to do so. From what I have read there is a good case for doing cardio to maximize weight loss and fat burning. You do have to increase calories somewhat as the intensity increases. My experience so far: I am 8 weeks out. I was not able to exercise the first 4 weeks due to surgical complications, but over the last month have gone from 10 minutes to 30-40 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week. During that time my calories went from 450-600( liquid) to 600-800(soft protein) to 800-1000 ( stage 5, any foods starting today). My weight loss has been steady with no stalls yet. I will be starting strength training in the next couple weeks and will watch how my body responds to the increased activity

Insurance required me to do a six month managed plan. I managed to lose 42 pounds in that time with diet and exercise. I had surgery on 12/23. HW. 362 SW. 320 CW. 272 I am now starting week 9 and have lost an additional 48 for a total of 90 lbs

I am taking Omeprezole, which is prescription Prilosec. I was told I would need to take it for at least 12 months

Hi Jdillon, welcome to the forum! My insurance required a six month managed plan. I began last June and had my sleeve surgery on 12/23. I did not have to prove or log my diet rather I had to show that I could loose weight over a longer timeframe. So the hospital mixed in monthly meetings with the NUT, exercise physiologist and the psych interview. I lost 42 pounds before surgery. There is no doubt that the six months dragged on at times. I was ready in month four! But I learned a lot about my issues with food, committing to a structured diet and understanding what it would take to be successful. I tried many Protein powers in an attempt to find what I liked and established a lot of routines that I use today. Some of the best advice I received from my surgeon was to improve my cardiovascular fitness before surgery. It turned out to be life saving for me and I would highly recommend some exercise while you are getting ready Good luck on your journey! there is lots of great advice on this forum

I do agree with upping the calorie count. I have been at 800 the last 4 weeks and I am now moving to 1000 and will increase exercise. I am not cuckoo about grazing. For me that would lead to increased temptation. I would rather have the structure of 3 meals and 2 snacks.

For me it is finally a casual Sunday Morning! This is a time that I truly enjoy with my wife and I am glad to be back to normal at 8 weeks out. My breakfast today is 2 scrambled eggs with 2 slices of turkey bacon, a newspaper and the TV on morning news shows.

Gettingsexyback I lost 42 pounds before surgery. I am now 8 weeks out from surgery, 12/23. The first 4 weeks I was on full liquids and at 450-600 calories. I was able to do some light cardio on a recumbent bike, but it was an effort. The last 4 weeks I have been on soft Proteins, 600-800 calories and have gradually intensified the cardio getting to 30 min a day for 5 days. I have managed to keep losing, 48 lbs since surgery. Next week I graduate to stage 5, adding fruits and vegetables and a calorie count of 800-1000 calories. After a short vacation I will begin some strength training and will watch calories closely. I feel like I may need to increase to 1200 calories at that point to make sure I can support the needs of muscle recovery. I think that you have to make the call regarding calories and what your body is telling you. I have focused on consistent weight loss, staying within the guidelines given to me. I am also committed to no white starches: potatoes, rice, bread, etc for at least my first six months. So I haven't come across any slider foods yet because all I have eaten is liquid and soft Protein.

So far no sliders. I have been boringly rigid to my diet guidelines!

HW. 362 SW. 320 CW. 272 3 pounds this week, 90 pounds total, 48 since surgery on 12/23.

I had some complications with surgery so I was not cleared for exercise until week 5. The last three weeks I have been working on cardio. Today I did 40 minutes. Besides the help with weight loss there are general health benefits as well. Strengthening and toning helps burn calories and if you ever are concerned about excess skin, start exercising now.

I had my first taste of lettuce today, 8 weeks out. I stuffed 3 Romaine leaves with lobster salad. YUM!

I am 8 weeks out from surgery and can not add fruits and vegetables util next week. The last 4 weeks I have been on soft proteins only. I have not had a vegetable since before surgery. I would pay close attention to what your NUT has to say about your diet progression. They have an established program for a reason; It has worked for their patients. Good Luck to you!

HI Michelle I am not an expert on exercise and calories, but I can share my experience. I am 8 weeks out also. The first 4 weeks I was on liquids and at 450-600 calories. I was able to do some light cardio on a recumbent bike, but it was an effort. The last 4 weeks I have been on soft Proteins, 600-800 calories and have intensified the cardio doing 30 min a day for 5 days. I have managed to keep losing, 48 lbs since surgery. Next week I graduate to stage 5, adding fruits and vegetables and a calorie count of 800-1000 calories. After a short vacation I will begin some strength training and will watch calories closely. I feel like I may need to increase to 1200 at that point. The point is that you have to make the call regarding calories and what your body needs. I would think you have to be careful with a low calorie intake and exercise. Adding calories is not a bad thing if you need them to replenish or provide energy. Finding the balance between exercise, calories, Protein and carb mix is key to continuing weight loss.

I found this website to be helpful: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html She is a bypass patient who writes a food blog. The recipe for ricotta bake was my first meal on soft proteins and it hit the spot. Also Gamergirl has a food blog: sleevers.wordpress.com that is very good. The cheese soufflé recipe was fantastic! I have had good success searing the internet for bariatric recipes. There are a lot of good recipe websites and blogs. Good Luck!

I am 8 weeks out and never had to do puréed protein. I am on " soft proteins". My NUT defined this as protein that I could chew well and mash up before swallowing. If I couldn't do that then a blender was recommended. Early in this stage I ate cottage cheese, refried beans with cheese, scrambled eggs, deviled eggs, soft boiled eggs, yogurt, chicken thighs, tilapia or any soft white fish. As I progressed I was able to eat scallops and more dense fish like salmon. I have progressed to ground beef, turkey chili, pulled pork, nuts etc. Next week I am moving to stage 5, the final step, adding vegetables and fruit, and I will try to eat a piece of beef tenderloin.

I am 8 weeks out from surgery. I dodged a very large bullet with a pulmonary embolism, which was a result of the sleeve surgery. Doctors are impressed with how quickly I have recovered from the setback. I lost 42 pounds before surgery, 45 since, for a total of 87. Blood Pressure is great! I am exercising, eating fine and making solid progress. I feel good!

This is a good thread. It will be interesting to compare oneself versus everyone else. I am 8 weeks out from surgery. I take Opurity Chewable Vitamins, by unjury (Bypass and Sleeve Optimized) in berry flavor For supplements I take Caltrate, Chewable Calcium & Vitamin D, 600mg twice a day with meals. I do a sublingual B-12, 500 mcg once a day and one Vitron-C, Iron supplement with Vitamin C, usually before I go to bed In addition, my surgeon has me on 20mg Omeprazole, prescription Prilosec, as an acid reducer. I also take Dr. Ohirrra's Probiotic. Because I am in stage 4, soft Proteins I take a daily dose of Miralax in my morning Protein shake and one colace during the day to keep me regular. It has worked very well. I will be advancing my diet next week to stage 5, no food restrictions, and I am interested in what people may be doing for a more natural stool softener or ways to increase Fiber instead of the pills I currently take.

I have been taking chewable Opurity Vitamins, by Unjury. They did the job and were pretty tasty. I don't need to take a chewable anymore and will be looking to change when I finish the bottle.

I was on Lysinoprol and Hydrochlorothiazide. With the medication I would get to 135/85. The surgeon stopped my medications upon discharge from the hospital. On all my follow ups BP is mid 120/80

My goal was to complete cardio exercise 5 times a week for the month. To date, I am on target. Did 5 days eac of the first two weeks and have 2 times this week so far

I take the Opurity Chewable Vitamin by UnJury, (Optimized for Sleeve patients). I also take an acid reducer and sublingual B12 on a daily basis. I was told by my surgeon and the NUT that I would have to take the Prilosec and B12 till the end of time. They will evaluate the need for vitamins after the first year.

No regrets at all. I am 8 weeks out and have lost 87 pounds from my highest weight. I feel better every day. I too wish I had done this earlier. The winter has cramped my outdoor activity somewhat but now I am able to exercise regularly indoors when I would not have given that a second thought. I do not think I would be able to lose substantial weight without the assistance of my sleeve.

There are lots of people in this forum who use MFP with Fitbit very successfully. I have been using both, in sync since September 2013. I also received the "Aria scale" as a gift and have that linked to my FitBit In the MFP App there is a section called Apps & Devices. Click it open and a list of programs and devices that sync with MFP appear. Follow the directions.You will need to start an online account at both sites. Also here is a link to FitBit help. Good luck! https://help.fitbit.com/customer/portal/articles/1179771

I actually use My Fitness Pal to track meals and food intake. I have found it to have a broader range of foods, etc. It does sync with FitBit devices very nicely. Easy to do.

Awesome job!