McButterpants

Purple - wow look at the success you have had! That is awesome. You're one week behind me on your surgery date - I was 11/14. Seems like a long time ago and it was only a little over 3 weeks ago for me. I love the article that Butter posted - it's great information. Did you take your measurements? I took mine before surgery, but haven't checked them since. I should...I'm almost afraid though - like when I put on my jeans, I'm worried they aren't going to fit for some reason (I think because I wore them for so long and that was the feeling every time I put them on before surgery). Weird. At any rate - hang in there. You're doing great!!!!!

Congrats on hitting Onderland. You're averaging 3.7 pounds a week - I think that's fantastic! Keep up the good work. I think we get hung up on comparing ourselves to others - no good can come from that. You're body is going to lose this weight at it's own pace and often times it's not as fast as our brains would like it to. As long as you're following your plan, listening to your doctor and exercising - it will come off. Enjoy your success - that's 26 pounds gone forever. Never to be heard from again! Hang in there, sweetie. You got this.

2.6 miles on the treadmill today - I'm getting faster and I'm increasing the incline and I can see more calories burning. I had a total Pity Party Poopy day yesterday - poopy because I'm in this stall. This morning I woke up and remembered, "Nothing good comes out of being negative." I can feel a difference between yesterday and today - not only do I feel better physically, but I feel better mentally, much more positive. Month to date I'm at 14.5 miles to my 50 mile goal.

Cathy & Alisa, As I said in my original post, it's just the body needing to figure things out. You have to just stick to your plan and your body will catch up. I think that's what I have to do to get thru this. And knowing others have gone thru this and you see their success - that helps, too. But, you wouldn't have guessed I had that great knowledge yesterday as I had a big pity party for myself...I didn't go to the gym as planned, I didn't get my 80 grams of Protein in and I wasn't close on the Water. And you know what? I felt like crap. I was tired and lethargic. I had a bad attitude. So, today is a new day and I'm going to play by the rules. I need to in order to feel human again. I'm going to eat my three meals, I'm going to drink my 3 shakes (OMG, the shakes are getting old),I'm going to drink my water and I'm going to go to the gym for a nice long treadmill workout. I hope you guys have a great Sunday! Let me know how you're doing!

I'm sorry that happened to you. I wish I had the answer for you, but I don't. I wish I had words of wisdom to help you, but I don't. All I can give you is my support - I want things to be better for you; you deserve better than this. You are a fighter. My hope is that today is a better day than yesterday and that tomorrow will be even better.

((hugs))

I relinquished control of the scale to my husband a couple of weeks ago. I was weighing myself daily (in all honesty, sometimes more than once per day). This was shortly after surgery and I was losing a lot very quickly. Then one day I was "only" down .5 pounds and I panicked. Looking back, it's silly, but the emotion was very real. I thought about that stupid 1/2 pound all day. I blogged about it. I calculated my weight since surgery, my weight since the beginning, etc. I really wondered what was wrong with me. When my husband told me he was taking the scale, I freaked at first, then I realized how freeing it was. He brings the scale out once per week on Thursdays. I'm considering what Butter suggests above and waiting two weeks before I weigh again. At the end of the day what can I really do about it? I'm going to eat to the plan my doctor prescribes and I am going to exercise - those are the things I can control. I can't control the scale or my body's reaction to what's going on. My suggestion to you is, if you stress about the scale and every little up and down, don't weigh every day. Do what's right for you and your sanity!!!! Good luck - don't be scared. Just be as prepared as you can be! :-)

Yeah, it's frustrating, but it is what it is. I'm trying not to stress about it. I've read enough posts on this forum to know it's temporary and it's going to be no different for you or for me. We just have to hang in there. Best of luck to you - we're about a week apart. We're just at the beginning of this journey!!!!! :-) Take good care.

Wow - This is such a personal subject - be prepared to get answers that run the spectrum. Lots of people feel very passionately about what they are doing. I told 5 people...My husband, my son, my parents and best friend. That's it. Someday I may end up telling others, but not right now. I'm a very private person and I live in a small community. I've heard how people in my social circle (I wouldn't necessarily call them my friends, but people I have to deal with) talk about others behind their backs. I just didn't have the energy to deal with people who have nothing better to do than chew the fat about what is going on in my life. Do what's right for you and what you're comfortable with. Good luck!!!!

Take some Metamucil and you'll get there in no time!!!! LOL - just kidding. OMG - .8 pounds from goal. That is awesome. Congrats on your success - you will to your goal, soon.

Hi, Susan. We have very similar stories...I was sleeved on 11/14. I'm at the dreaded stall and it's messin' with my noggin! I'm trying to stay positive and just keep on keepin' on - I'm following my plan and exercising and trying to stay positive. Hang in there - we got this!!!!! Have a good weekend!

Congrats! Thanks for sharing your before and afters! Wishing you continued success!

2.5 miles today on the treadmill in the same amount of time it took me to walk 2 earlier this week. It also helped clear my head a little about my 3 week stall. It's amazing what putting on the head phones and listening to CeeLo Green's "Fu*& You" song will do!!!! I'm at 11.9 miles to my 50 mile goal.

Hey, Fluff. I hope your trip went well, I remember you posting about it! Yeah, weighing every day for me, just doesn't work. The scale and I have a love/hate relationship. Not weighing the past week we freeing for me, even though when I got on yesterday and didn't see the change I wanted. I need to take my measurements again - I think that will show a big difference. As I speak, my yoga pants are drooping a little (I won't be able to wear them to the gym because they'd fall off - not something no one wants to witness!!!). Thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate it.

Butter, so true!!!! My husband has been hiding the scale from me - I only get to weigh once per week (this was after an incident when I "only" lost .5 pounds right after surgery...yeah, another story for another day). I might take your advice on putting it away for a couple of weeks. As always, thanks for your insight.

I agree with Butter - he is always spot on. I just posted about my 3-week stall dilemma - I was sleeved the day after you, so I'm going thru it as well. While I haven't gained, I'm stalled and that's a tough pill to swallow. Are you tracking what you're eating - Protein, carbs and fat? I use my fitbit app and it really helped when I introduced puree foods into my diet. Though my plan allowed for oatmeal, 1/4 cup contains 13 carbs. Carbs aren't necessarily evil, but you need to look at them as a whole for the day. I also was eating fat-free refried Beans which are also on my plan, but carb-heavy. I was eating them because they were easy on my stomach. I have since put down the beans and have opted for turkey or chicken which my stomach can handle easily now. Making sure you're getting enough Water is important as Butter stated above. It's tough, I know, but you need to sip all day. I realized last night when I woke up and it felt like someone put glue in my mouth, that I'm not getting in enough. I have my bottle sitting right next to my computer as a constant reminder. And finally, walking or moving your body. See if you can take little walks thru the day on your non-school days. You'll find that you will be able to add a little each walk very easily. Moving your body is not only for exercise, but will help your body recover. You're still recovering from major surgery! Lastly, don't get down on yourself. Hang in there. This will pass - it sucks now, but it will pass. I think most of us worry that we're going to be the one person that this surgery won't work...But, if you put in the effort and do what you're supposed to do, your body will do what it's supposed to do. Your body is just trying to figure out what you did to it and why there isn't copious amounts of calories like there was a month ago. It will figure it out - sometimes not on the same timeframe that your brain wants it to. Be good to yourself and hang in there! Sending much love and support your way.

My month to date update...still walking because that's all I'm allowed to do! Ugh. 9.5 miles towards my 50 mile goal. I increased the incline more today.

"Hey, your a$$ is getting smaller!" in such a manner that it's not really a comment but more of a testament to how big your a$$ was pre-op!

Oh boy, if I had a dollar for every time I thought, "Oh my god, what am I doing to my body!" I'd be rich. I even went so far in one moment of weakness to sit down and write down the pro's and con's to the surgery. Of course, I knew them in my brain, but seeing them written down helped me. My dear mother is obese and has been her adult life - I can see down the path and I will be just like her if I didn't do something about it and I wasn't doing it on my own. My primary care doctor said in order for me to lose weight I would have to restrict and exercise to a point that isn't sustainable over a long period of time. So that was my answer - I wasn't going to do it on my own, I needed help. I was pretty sure I wanted the band, but realized there are too many issues with it - the sleeve was the way to go for me. You will know what to do - you will feel it in your heart. I know that this was the right decision for me. You will, too. Just listen to your inner voice - it's almost always right! I wish you good luck. You're less than two weeks away from your date!!!! It's exciting and scary, I know. Take good care.

Three weeks ago today I was sitting in the hospital admitting area thinking to myself, “You can walk out of here right now and you’ll only be out $500.” I was terrified – terrified of the surgery, terrified of the recovery from the surgery, terrified of the future, terrified of my life post-op; I could go on and on. I was outright scared. Today, three weeks later, I’m at peace. I haven’t second-guessed my decision to have this surgery (it wouldn’t do me any good anyway). I’m at peace with my new tiny tummy. I try to make sure to drink/sip slowly and take tiny bites that I chew, chew and chew some more. I consider myself fortunate – I haven’t had any complications, I haven’t had nausea, no incision pain, etc. I have had an uneventful recovery – I get tired easily, that’s about it. I’m still on a pureed diet for the next week, then at weeks 5 and 6, I move to soft foods. I am really looking forward to having a Carb Balance whole-wheat tortilla for some reason! I’ve been eating a lot of pureed chicken salad (whiz up some canned chicken and add a little mayo and mustard in the food processor), a lot of fat free refried Beans (top with melted cheddar and add some salsa and Greek yogurt), and last night I had some pureed Wendy’s chili (it’s not as bad as it sounds). Breakfast usually consists of a scrambled egg and a Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patty (I can eat about ½ of each). I’m eating about ¼ cup of food at a time and I have to drink three shakes. It’s exhausting sometimes, calculating what time I have to stop drinking Water in order to have a shake or meal. I’m eating/drinking between 600 and 800 calories per day. I am amazed at how little food I need to fill me up; sometimes I simply lose interest in eating, so I stop. I downloaded an app for my phone called Eat Slower. You tell it how often you want to take a bite and your phone will make a sound or vibrate when it’s time. I set mine at 1 minute. When it dings, you take a bite. Pavlov’s dog, anyone? I’m trying to walk at least two miles every day. Now that there is about 8 inches of snow on the ground, I have to move inside to the gym. I’m only allowed to walk on the treadmill, which is tedious, but I’m moving and that’s what counts. I’m looking forward to the release to the elliptical and maybe even some light weight lifting. One thing I am frustrated with is coffee – I’ve written before how much I love coffee, real coffee, not decaf. So, I have one cup of decaf coffee per day and it takes me about an hour to drink an 8-ounce cup. I really miss coffee with my breakfast – it was one of my vices pre-op and I really do miss it. Let me clarify - I miss drinking it like I used to drink it. Some other things I’m working on: · I am still trying to figure out the signals my body is sending. Is it true hunger I’m feeling? Am I full? · I am trying to figure out my meal/shake planning and how to get in 80 grams of Protein. · I found that stopping drinking 40 minutes before eating and 40 minutes after works better for me (rather than 30 minutes). · I am doing the December Fitness Challenge on VST – Walking 50 miles this month. · I am working on some ideas for meals that are sleeve friendly and family friendly. My husband and son aren’t particularly fussy; I would just like to keep things as “normal” as possible. It’s hard being on puree right now, but they are doing OK. · I am working on keeping my emotions in check, not being so volatile…yeah, we’ll see about that. Today was weigh in day...I'm down a total of 34 pounds total with 16 pounds since surgery. I'll take it!

Thanks, RJ. It means a lot! You know I have great admiration for you and your journey's ups and downs. I hit a stall last week - I'm "only" down 1.8 pounds from last Thursday. And while I knew this was going to happen and I've preached to others that it's all part of the process, it really stinks. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude and trying to not let it get to me, but man, it's hard. My husband said, "I'm glad you only lost 1.8 pounds last week, you were losing too fast." I hadn't even discussed with him the three week stall. When I explained it to him he was like, "See that's what I'm talking about. Your body needs to figure out what's going on." My rational brain says that's true and I agree...it just hit my a spirit a little bit. But, I'm brushing myself off...I'm heading over to the gym in about 30 minutes (letting the car warm up - it's -15 degrees here today). I'm going to turn the music on loud and get in a good walk on the treadmill. Thanks again for your posting - I really do enjoy your perspective on things!!!! I hope you are well.

I can't do caffeine at least until the end of December. And it's more than the caff vs. decaff...it's my enjoyment of coffee that I'm missing. Sitting down at Starbucks with a carmel macchiato and reading the paper or having a piping hot cup of joe with breakfast. Or grabbing a cup when I go into a meeting. At any rate, I will continue down my path with my decaf in an insulated cup sip, sip, sipping away.

It will - my rational brain knows this. There is no way we aren't losing, right? The whole calories in vs. calories out thing. I think sometimes we get hung up on comparing ourselves to what everyone else is doing and trying to figure out what's "normal". I don't think that's healthy. Our bodies are going to move at their own pace - our hearts don't beat at the same rate, our metabolisms are different, we're moving our bodies in a different ways, but we expect to have "normal" or the same results as someone else. For now, I am going to just try to get thru today doing what I'm supposed today...3 shakes, 3 "meals" (80 grams of protein) and go to the gym for a treadmill walk (there is 8 inches of snow on the ground now, so walking outside isn't in the cards for me). I have to keep reminding myself that this journey is a marathon, not a sprint!!!!!

First - congrats on your weight loss! Well done! It's weird how your tastes change after surgery - I can't stomach plain Water for some reason and that's all I drank before surgery. The berry flavored propel tastes like it has finger nail polish remover in it. Weird. As for coffee - the sugar free syrups don't taste right in it, so I've been having it with some Coconut Creamer and no sweetener. It actually tastes good, but it takes so long to drink. I use a Contigo insulated cup as a thermos. It's crazy that it takes an hour to drink a cup of coffee. I think it's like anything else - just keep trying to figure it out!

Yup - hit the dreaded 3 week stall. It sucks. Ugh.