planetheather

Hey, I'm a pancreatitis and PICC line survivor too! (Pre-WLS events). Don't you just love those morphine pumps? I echo the resistance band or low weights for rebuilding muscle, but in order to do that, you have to have a surplus of Protein intake. For rebuilding stamina, I recommend a treadmill at low speed and no incline. That's what I used to regain my strength post-hospitalization.

I see it in your face and hips. But I'll be honest, I still don't see it in myself sometimes. Today, I'm at work in size 16 jeans (that are looser in the legs than a week ago) but when i sit in a chair, I look at my thighs and they seem the exact same as when I was a 26. Go with the size clothes and how much more comfortable you are. Notice that you can sit in chairs differently and pop off the bed now. And you look awesome, btw!

So glad you posted! Yes, I people watch now. But in a different way. I'm 3 months out and really excited to have gone from a 26 (pre, pre-op diet) to a 16 today (headed to 14) but I'm dying to know what size I'll wear when I get to my goal. My goal says 150, but really it's to be in the normal BMI range (and to weigh less than my husband). I haven't been that low in so long, I don't remember what that looks like or if I'll be a 10 or a 6. I find myself eying the ladies with a great (but reasonably attainable) physique. I want to rush up and ask what size jeans they wear so that I can aim for that!

I've never heard "no wheat" except from adherents to the "Paleolithic diet", which I'm not sold on. My surgeon and NUT told me no white stuff (no brainer) and no soft carbs (breads). I can have whole grains and whole grain hard breads (like crackers) but at 3 months out, I really can't fit any in yet after my Protein. If I have any capacity and I've had enough protein, I try for cooked vegetables (like a nice vegetable curry) but don't manage more than a tablespoon of that. I don't see anything wrong with a high protein, low fat meatball or burger. I haven't been home long enough to cook, but I have a great recipe for a meatball that uses an egg and some cooked quinoa for binder. I'm a newbie though, so hopefully some of the vets will be online soon and can give you more feedback. And congratulations on being 24 pounds down! That's fantastic! Are you saying your surgeon expected you to be 50 pounds down?

This is my pile of clothes that I abandoned in Beijing after 6 weeks on on the road (10 weeks post op). It was such a great feeling to come home to an empty closet!

Congratulations! You have every right to be proud of yourself. I'm 3 months post op and if I could talk to my 3-month pre-op self, I would say the same things you just posted. I would also tell my pre-op self to never go anywhere without a bottle of water in my bag and a packet of Designer Whey Protein 2Go powder (my emergency snack option of choice). Find what works for you and get used to having that always (like a spare pair of reading glasses after your 40th birthday). :-)

Best (maybe): "Oh my gosh, you look so FRAIL!" --coworker seeing me for first time in a year. So, I Skyped my husband that night and asked if I was looking sickly. He said, no but that my weight loss was most noticeable in my face. Umm. Thanks. I'd lost 65 pounds at that point and gone from a 26 to an 18 in jeans. How ginormous was my head before?

Thank you so much for this post! I didn't know the term NSV and had to Google it. Congratulations! I know all about sitting in a chair and fitting (hello, economy airline seats). My hotel robe fit for the first time last month and I left a shirt or a pair of pants in every hotel in the last 8 weeks. Since I've been overseas I would "optimistically" pack the next size down on each trip so that I didn't have to worry about my pants falling off at work. I didn't think about my gym clothes though. Good thing those suckers have a draw string!

I'm so glad you posted. I had the same problem and I was trying same brand and same store pants. Here's what I did wrong--remember in most jeans, size 20 is really 20W. But 18 comes in both W and non-W. I'm currently in a size 16 (no W!) but I went from 20 to 18W to 16W to 18 to 16. I'm 5'7". I haven't got the math down, but it seems to me that I need a new size every 20 to 15 pounds. I use that for motivation!

I'll echo Bronco0605 and add that I was sleeved about a month before you and I've seen a pattern of stalls. I have been meticulous about getting my Protein and Water every day since surgery. I've been less meticulous but "good" about maintaining my exercise regime, but even on weeks where I'm at the gym every morning and eating almost the same food every day, I'll go 5 days with no weight loss and then all of a sudden lose a pound a day for 2 days. Then back to a plateau. What has helped keep me motivated during those spells? I put my weight on the calendar every day and I concentrate on what the month looks like instead of each day or week. Even if I've only lost a little each month, I look at those numbers as "in the past". And look at how much you've lost already! Keep going!

@Maccurdyerica You are most welcome. After all the help this site has given me, I am happy to have had the chance to help someone else. I will add that in addition to strictly following the "sleeve" eating plan, I was lucky enough that I worked from home. This is probably TMI, but I spent the winter working in a sports bra and pair of shorts. About every hour, I would be freezing again and would run down to my exercise bike and do a few minutes to warm up. At first I could only do 5 minutes and I worked my way up to 10 minutes every hour. I'm sure that helped keep my metabolism up. Good luck!

Amazing. You look like a 10 year-younger sister of your old self! I'm 3-months post op and your post is inspiring; I can only imagine what it would have been to see these pre-op! Congratulations!

Wow! Mine was an hour including the ridiculous T/F test (I see dead people). Mine was very pleasant and it was almost like a chat over coffee. I distinctly felt like it was a rubber stamp procedure. My approval went in the same day...

Nice! I gave up all caffeine the month before my surgery (coffee was really upsetting my stomach and my only other vice was diet coke). At 3 months post op, I've just added hot tea (black) to my day at work. It makes a nice addition to the Water I sip all day and since I only have a Protein shake (from 11 to 3pm ha!), it cuts down on the overly sweet feeling I have. I haven't tried chai, but I can highly recommend some nice mild Kenyan black tea.

I will say that I did this about 6 years ago (without knowing that it was a "sleeve diet"). I told myself that I was doing Nutrition 101 and I started exercising daily. I used small plates, very small serving sizes, chewed everything until it was liquid and concentrated on a very low fat, a moderate carb and enough Protein. There were days, especially at first, when I went to bed early because I was done eating but I was really hungry. I did very well and went from 270 to 200 in 6 months. The problem was that it wasn't sustainable (for me) and within 4 years I was back to 270+. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying that for me, I know the sleeve is the tool I needed in order to make it a permanent change. Whatever you end up doing, I wish you the best of luck!

I read on a different topic page about how MFP and other calorie trackers don't take into account the (generally) lower metabolism of WLS people. I know my NUT told me that a year out, most women she sees need 800-1100 calories to maintain. MFP tells me that I'll weigh next to nothing if I keep that up. I wondered if anyone knew of an app that either takes into account our lower metabolism or can be manually tweaked? I was mulling this over at the gym this morning and it made me wonder further about the accuracy of the "calories burned" on my treadmill and step glider. For my weight, the hour I spend on those two machines, I am told burns 350 calories. I'm curious if anyone knows if WLS changes anything about how many calories we're burning while exercising also? In other words, am I really only burning 275 (for example)? Thanks for any responses. Heather

At 3 months out, today I hit a marker that meant more than Onderland! I'm officially overweight and no longer obese! I was "morbidly obese" when I started (according to some calculators). Just wanted to share because it felt so awesome. Even better is that the scale in my hotel is across the compound and in the gym. So I have to weigh with clothes on (no shoes) and after my morning Protein shake. Thanks to all of you for your posts and replies. I love this site.

Thanks! Well, I can't say I have a specific regimen. In the 13 weeks since surgery, I've been on the road for 8 weeks, on 3 continents, in 5 countries and in 11 different hotels. So I'm sort of at the mercy of what's available. New Zealand was the biggest challenge. Apparently Kiwis like their fitness regime to be outdoors. The problem with that is I'm a Texas Tendertush and their definition of spring is our December. Basically I do 60 minutes of cardio almost every day and try to do an upper arm weight regime 2-3 times a week. The last two weeks I've been doing 20 minutes on the step glider, free weights (if it's a weight day), and then 40 minutes on the treadmill. The machines say I'm burning 350 calories but with my calorie intake at about 650, either my metabolism is down to nothing or the machines are lying.

I told my mom because she was my ride home from the hospital. I asked her not to tell other family members except my dad. I don't think of my family as "haters" but they are definitely judgy and many are the "skinny all my life; fat people are lazy and gluttonous" types. Actually, the overweight ones are worse in that they know all the answers, they just haven't gotten around to applying them. My husband made me tell the kids and that was the right thing to do. I'm not telling any friends except 3 close ones. They have all been very supportive. I'm happy that I haven't told other friends, family or any coworkers. I just don't want to be judged or questioned about my choice. But I will share this one great conversation I had with my close friend (size 4 her whole life) about my concerns that some people would judge me that I'd taken "the easy way" out of my weight problem. Her response? "B*tch, please! You just told me that you've given up coffee, alcohol, smoking, and croissants! That sure doesn't sound like the easy way to me!" I love that chick.

@Globetrotter, and oh, my goodness you look fantastic! I'm 4 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier, I don't look nearly that good! I'm going to have to see about adding Insanity to my schedule!

I didn't mean to discourage anyone. I was just curious if anyone knew if our metabolism changes (if they exist) also effect our calorie burn count. If it makes you feel better, I'm taking most of what that particular NUT says with a side of self-research or second opinion. She's the one who told me I was wasting my time drinking a double Protein shake over a 4-hour period because "your body can only absorb so much protein at a time". It turns out that is wildly outdated thinking based on an extrapolation that doesn't hold true.

My surgery date was Sept. 17 HW 275 SW 250 CW 192 (83 down, 42 or 52 to go!) I can't say how life-changing and wonderful this surgery has been. I too don't think I'm getting enough variety. But I travel internationally for work and in the 13 weeks since my surgery, I've been on the road 8 of those weeks in India, NZ, China, and Kenya). So just making sure I'm eating "right" and getting my Protein has been enough of a challenge. I never eat raw fruits and vegetables in Asia or Africa, so I'm looking forward to trying some out when I get home for Christmas. Ha! All I want for Christmas is some salad and a hot shower!