McButterpants

Last night I made Shepherd's Pie for the family - it was sleeve friendly, so I could eat it except for the peas and corn. I loaded up my bowl with about a cup of food like I would have pre-surgery (old habits - this is the first meal didn't measure or weigh and the first time eating the same thing the family ate). I realized what I did and I looked at my husband with a horrified look on my face. I said, "I'll probably only eat about 1/4 of this, why did I put so much in my bowl?" He didn't have the answer, but he watched me eat...about a 1/4 of a cup of food and stop. My sleeve wouldn't let me eat what my brain put in the bowl. It is an amazing tool!!!!!!

mcbutterpants, how are you doing? i havent weighed myself since we spoke im going to wait for my checkup on the 19th, but i have been feeling pretty good since ive kept the scale off my mind. i worked out for the first time last night. i did some kickboxing power workout, but just modified whatever i felt was too much twisting etc since i havent been cleared for excercise yet. and for once i worked out and im not sore today! i once worked out by doing squats and couldnt even sit on the toilet for 2 weeks lmao! Hey, Hope. I'm doing well - I've been walking A LOT! That's all I'm cleared for right now. I feel good and I'm not getting as tired as I was. Tomorrow is weigh in day - I may skip it until next week. We'll see. I can really see a difference in my clothes this week. I'm wearing a top right now that was tight two weeks ago - today it's comfortable. I'm working hard to get my 80-90 grams of Protein in - the sipping and drinking and eating is a full time job right now, but I'm starting to get my stride. How's things by you?

Wow - what a transformation. I love your cute Saints shirt!!!! You look great. Congrats!

I don't think it's super weird if it's working for you. I'm a data collector by nature (my profession, too) - thus the need for the data on my weight. LOL! I think you'll be surprised! Let us know how is goes!!!!

After many years, my husband and I adopted the "no TV in the bedroom" rule. I go to sleep and wake up much earlier than he does. (We live in the Mountain time zone - he deals with China and I work on East Coast time...ahhh global commerce) Prior to surgery, I could sleep thru him flopping into bed and generally making a racket. Since surgery, I haven't been sleeping well (sleeved 11/14) so it's even worse. Not only do I wake up when he comes to bed, I wake up every time he rolls over, every time I roll over and every time the dog walks in the room. It's chaotic!!!!!! I don't think there's anything wrong with sitting down with your boyfriend and trying to come up with a compromise. It's not exactly fair of you to make him stop his behavior altogether, but is it fair to you that your dealing with his? Cohabitation with another human being is all about compromise. Maybe he can watch TV in another room until he's ready to go to sleep? The mask and ear plugs will probably help some. Give and take!

You are so awesome!!!!!! I'm doing much better since my original post. I haven't stressed so much about "The Stall". It really bothered me for a day or so. I've taken a different attitude - it is what it is. It also helps that I can feel a difference in my clothes. I put on a top today that was tight around my tummy last week - today, it's not tight. Also, I've exercised every day - that's a good stress reliever for me. Thanks for your input and perspective! It's much appreciated.

Such an inspiration! Congrats on your success and I can't wait to see pics.

My family has been so supportive pre-op and post-op. But there are times that I feel...I don't know the word I'm looking for. Disjointed. Not complete. We're not in sync as a family since I returned home from surgery. I feel disconnected - not only from meal times, but the family in general. This is all new and I'm trying to figure it out. That hasn't been easy along with the recovery from surgery. I can't eat what they are eating most of the time. When I put my husband in charge of their meal, he picks up a pizza. I'm pissed at that because, "Jesus, can't you put forth more effort than that?" But then I don't want to be Debbie Downer, because let's be honest, don't we all want pizza? My son was playing with the dog the other night and she jumped up on my stomach and it hurt because my incisions are still tender - yeah, fun time is over because mom's in pain! Tonight we're back to having game night to try to get back to some kind of normalcy. As mentioned above...BALANCE.

3 miles today (my longest treadmill workout post-op). My total for the month is 20 miles to a 50 mile goal. No nekkid planking for me...the world was spared another day.

Great post, Laura. Thanks. I'm newly sleeved - 4 weeks on Thursday and I find the eating, drinking, stopping drinking because you're going to have a shake in 30 minutes, drinking some more, oops, gotta have a meal now, but when did I drink last exhausting, truly exhausting. I know it will get easier, but a post like yours reminds me that this is a forever journey, not just a year or two or three. It also reminds me that reducing the size of my stomach is only one aspect of this - we need to work on our brains, too. Thanks for your perspective.

Nurse B, You bring up some very valid points - it does suck that we got to the point where we couldn't control our weight on our own. But like you said, the surgery is only one aspect of this - I've read many times on this forum...the doc operated on our stomachs, not our brains! While I'm happy I got the sleeve and I'd do it all over again. Is it all sunshine and lollipops? Not even close. There have been times when the family is eating some gooey, yummy, fatty, concoction that I wanted some and I felt bad that I don't get to eat that any more. There have been fleeting moments where I've thought, "Why did I do this? It was so drastic!" But that doesn't trump the overall feeling I have about this journey I'm on. I wish I could drink coffee - real strong caffeinated coffee with cream and sugar - like I used to rather than trying to figure out how to keep it hot for an hour until I can finish it. I wish I could have sat down to Thanksgiving dinner with my family rather than staying home to have finely diced turkey and one tablespoon of mashed potato. I wish I was able to drink Water like I did before surgery rather than sip, sip, sip throughout the day. There are a lot of "I wish" statements. But here's what I'm grateful for: My blood pressure is already lower. I'm off my diabetes medication. I can walk without having pain in my feet - I haven't had that in over 20 years. I look younger - someone the other day said I look 5 years younger already. It's easier for me to move and get thru the day - I don't feel like I'm trudging thru mud with every step. I can walk on the treadmill for 50 plus minutes without feeling exhausted. In summary - for me, it's a story of trade-offs. I'm willing to give up some of the things I used to temporarily enjoy to feel good, be in better health and be an active participant in my own life.

Best of luck to you!

I love your attitude!!!! I told my husband tonight I'm not sure I'm getting smaller...he said, "Oh yeah, you are!"

Walking is the best exercise you can do. I was doing about what you're doing - just don't overdo it. It's easy to do and hard to recover - remember, you just had major surgery. If you're handling that kind of walk OK, do it.

Congrats! You're doing great!

Best of luck! The family will be fine - concentrate on your recovery. Let us know how things go! You got this!!!

I will be 4 weeks this Thursday, so while I'm very early in my journey, would I do it all over again? Hell yes! I already feel better. I've already lost 35 pounds - more than I would have without the sleeve. I'm off all meds except for one for my Thyroid - I'll be on that the rest of my life. I was self-pay and I'd pay all over again to have it done. I have had moments of frustration and self-pity, but I wouldn't change a thing. I bet in a month, you'll be saying the same thing. I wish you the best of luck!

Bed Bath and Beyond has a good selection as well. They also always have a flyer with a 20% coupon or you can go to their website and sign up and they'll send you one. I think it works on line as well.

Alisa - I agree with ArtsI don't think you're getting enough in for 3 weeks out. At 3 weeks, my doc wants 80 grams of Protein and 64 ounces of Water. At 3 weeks I was getting between 500-700 calories. I think you're probably getting less than that. Were you given any guidelines by your doctor? Are you tracking your intake (calories and protein are important to track). You can use myfitnesspal or one of the many other ones?

I'm 222 and I'm still in my size 20's - down 30 pounds and I haven't had to buy new jeans yet! My recovery was very uneventful. I took 4 pain pills during my recovery. I was able to walk immediately. My doctor does his surgery on outpatient basis, so I was home by noon the day of my surgery. The only complication I've had is some constipation. I have gotten frustrated trying to get my 80 grams of Protein in along with all the Water. I think we can only do the best we can do and keep trying. I'm going to take my measurements this week. I am only weighing once per week - that's for sanity. I may skip this week's weigh in. We'll see. How is your recovery going? This is a crazy ride, isn't it?????

What was your surgery date?

I have tried them and I think they actually trigger hunger for me. (I think Splenda does the same thing.)

What great success! Congrats and thanks for sharing your story!

I'm in a stall right now - it sucks, I know. Don't panic. It's your body's way of protecting itself because it didn't know what you did to it. Butterthebean has a great link to information on stalls on his signature - I'll paste it below. Just continue to follow your plan, exercise and listen to what your doctor has to say. This will pass and you'll be on your way! Just be kind to your body - it's been thru a lot. Please read this. This is what's going on. There's nothing you need to do except stick with the program and keep faith that this is part of the process. " Weight Loss Stall or Plateau A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf. Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below. The Inevitable Stall By Diana C. A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days. What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements. Too Many Carbs? Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section on Carbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating. Fit Day Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group. The Daily Plate Calorie King For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide. Eating Enough? If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small Snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily Protein requirements. Try eating some protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein. Drinking Enough? An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 Fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment. Exercising? Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out. The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode."

Wow - great story. Congrats on your success!