McButterpants

Wow - great success!!!!! Congratulations.

Hi there! My recovery was fairly uneventful...I work a desk job, so very different from yours! I admire anyone that can teach pre-school. You are a saint. I had surgery on a Thursday. I went back to work 1/2 days the following Monday, but I telecommuted, so I worked from home. I tired easily, even just sitting at my desk that first week. Week 2 I was back full time, again telecommuting, but still felt the need for rests during the day. I was able to walk immediately after surgery and by week 2 was walking a mile each day, but again, I got tired very easily. I wasn't in pain and had no issues with my incisions - I just got tired. Best of luck to you! Your date is fast-approaching. What an exciting time!

Thanks, guys! This has been a good week for me - probably the best one since surgery... The mom of one of my son's friends whispered to me the day after my original post, "You look so good! How much weight have you lost." She was floored when I told her. I thanked her for saying something. She is a skinny as a rail and has been since high school. She said, "I never know if I should say something." I told her, "I am totally fine with you saying something. It means a lot. I've worked hard for this and having someone notice is important."

Best of luck tomorrow! You'll do great. Update when you're able.

I would track/log everything for a few days to see if there's room for improvement. Make sure you're getting your Protein in and Water. You might want to try upping a each a little once you get your baseline. Also, how about exercising? You you doing anything?

I stalled for 10 days between weeks 3 and 4. Even though I knew stalls happen, it's a tough pill to swallow for sure. Just keep following your plan - get your Water in and you're Protein. Walk, walk, and walk some more - it's good for your body and your mind. Also, I suggest ditching the scale for a while - certainly don't weigh every day. My husband saw what weighing every day was doing to me (and I blogged about it). It's bad for your mind. He brings out the scale once per week. That really saved me. Just keep your chin up - you're doing fine. Be kind to yourself.

While I define myself as a slow loser, I'm trying REALLY hard to not compare myself to others - it is so hard not to, it's human nature... My path to 256 pounds is mine alone - as is everyone else's path. We all got here via different methods, but we are here nonetheless. Similarly, in our weight loss, we are all doing it different and our sleeves are individuals as well. I interact with people that were sleeved before me that can't eat as much as me and there are sleevers that were sleeved after me that can eat much more. Some exercise, some don't. Some eat foods that are higher in fat or bad carbs than others. I thought about it yesterday and I realized I'm at a lower weight than I have been in about 13 years. That's a lot of years! I'm wearing clothes today from 13 years ago and they fit better today than they did back then. My body has changed - I've always had a big a$$, now it's more proportionate. I think it's because I'm getting rid of fat, where before I was probably losing lean muscle mass by reducing calories and not working out.

I'm a slow loser...it's my penalty for yo-yo dieting for 25 years and ruining my metabolism. So, I work hard and follow my plan. I work out like a fiend a the gym and claw and scrape for every ounce of weight I have lost. You're going at it with the right attitude - the only thing you can control is what you put in our mouth and your level of effort. You're body is going to lose weight at it's pace. Best of luck to you

Green tea saved me - copious amounts of green tea during the pre-op diet.

It is very hard - I left the cooking up to my husband once we returned from having surgery. It was pizza, fried chicken from the deli, chili, etc. All those things I loved before surgery. My rational brain told me that he was trying to get by the same as I was, but it sucked. It will get easier - once your brain realizes that all your old favorites aren't your new favorites, it will get easier. Once you start introducing food, it will get easier. Please just be patient - not only with your family, but with yourself. It will get better. Stick to your plan - that's important - it will allow you to heal and move to the next stage on time. Take good care.

I love your analogy - this is a war! A battle I have struggled with for so many years! NO MERCY!!!!!!!!!!

McSmootherPants - love it!!!!!!

I am a carboholic - most of my food funerals were carby foods. I used to love sitting down to a fresh, crusty baguette and butter or a big bowl of Pasta with a great sauce. I loved sweets - chocolate was like a drug to me. pizza was a go-to meal for our family - 1-2 times per week. Since surgery, I'm indifferent to bread - some days I will have 1/2 of a piece of rye bread with my Breakfast, but don't finish it. I tried a bite of raspberry croissant the other day and gave the rest to my son because I didn't enjoy it (those words would have never been uttered pre-surgery!!!). I tried pizza the other night and while it tasted good, it made me feel bad. I enjoy making my own pizza with a carb balance tortilla shell and pizza toppings now. Those food funerals I had before surgery hold a different meaning now that I'm 10 weeks post-op. While going thru the food funerals I was really thinking about the perceived deprivation I was going to go thru post-op. Now I look at them thru a different eye - I realize that the carbs had a control over me, the more bad carbs I ate, the more I needed them and more of them. I've detoxed in a way - ridding my dependence on those bad carbs makes me feel better physically, makes my mind sharper and frees up all those calories for good fuel for my body.

My doc wasn't as concerned about calories as she was Protein. She wanted at least 80 grams and love to see closer to 100 (that hasn't happened) Once I started on foods - weeks 2-3, I was at about 400-500 calories and not getting in my protein. At about week 6 I was able to get up to 600 consistantly. At week 8 I started getting between 800-900 calories and that's where I'm at now at week 10. I'm getting my minimums in every day. On rare occasions, usually the day after a long cardio workout, I can get to 1000. I know someone that gets 1000-1200 calories every day and has since very early post-op days and she's lost more weight than me. We're all different.

Welcome and congrats on your decision. You'll find some really great folks with really great tips and ideas. Good luck!!!!

Hang in there, it will get better. In the beginning, I went by the clock - if I waited until I was hungry, I would have never eaten anything. I came up with a schedule for my shakes while on liquids and stuck to it. I struggled to get the mins in at first, too. Just do as much as you can. In order to get more fluids, I switched to Vitamin Water Zero and Propel Zero - I couldn't stomach plain water, and those helped me drink more and I started feeling better with more water in me. I had some buyer's remorse and thoughts of "Oh my God, what did I do to myself," Once I started feeling better those thoughts went away. I agree with above - walking, specifically outside, helped me. I wasn't breaking any land speed records, but being outside in the fresh air with some sun on my face did wonders for my attitude.

Congrats!!!!

My doc also said Folate in addition to the Biotin and to make sure you get the minimum protein.

I'm 1-2 times per week without "assistance" I was taking Colace every day, but the doc wants a more natural approach. So I'm taking a good quality pro-biotic and Metamucil every day. Also increasing my low-glycemic veggies and fruits has helped move things a long. I think every other day will be where I end up. You really want to avoid becoming impacted - that's bad news!

Congrats! Great news. Keep up the good work!!!!!!

I had a couple of bites of Cold Stone ice cream last night. The first one tasted so good - after that I was like, "Whatever." I'm a moderation person on some foods - carbs are a gateway drug for me. I will never eat bread or Pasta like I did before.

Congrats! Best of luck you.

Wow - great news for you! Congrats.

At a month out, I relied on scrambled eggs and fat free refried Beans topped with some cheese - they set well on my stomach. I also had to do 3 shakes a day in order to get the daily requirement of Protein - I ended up buying some Health Wise hot chocolate (www.mybariatricpantry.com) That saved me - it has less protein, but when I could not bear another shake, it was a Godsend! I'm 10 weeks (today) now and the shakes don't bother me like they did a month ago. They are just a part of my day - I have two per day now. I just change up the flavors and textures.