hazeleyeflgal

Age 63 here...VSG 7 months ago - lost 102 lbs. But now I'm stalling out too and I still have a lot to go. I've found that cutting back to just shakes for a day helps get me back on track. I have a surgeon who is very good at follow up. He has a nutritionist on staff and you meet with her every 3 mos. after surgery for a year. There is also a support group that meets once a month. The nutritionist also does classes, eg. She meets people at the grocery store and they go through talking about good choices for us. They also have groups to go walking and then eat at a restaurant together with a nurse (who runs the support groups and has had RNY) there to help people learn how to eat out. There is no fee for any of this other than your initial surgical fee. I got a huge folder full of information before surgery and every time I see the nutritionist I get more info. They also have recipes online at their website for patients post-surgery. So I think you need to check out the aftercare before your surgery. If it isn't there, then choose someone else. My surgeon also gives his cell phone number to all patients so right after surgery you can call him anytime. His wife is his nurse and you also get her cell phone number. I really do believe a lot of our success has to do with aftercare. If your surgical team isn't in this to really help you succeed and they just do the surgery and then set you free, your chances aren't as good. However, I'm sure some people have been successful this way. Edited to say: The most amazing thing is the clothing sizes...I've gone from a 3x to an XL now in the regular clothing dept. No more plus sizes!!!

Hello Feeling Hopeful - I was stalled too for a month, so I went back to having just 3 shakes a day and a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I did that for 3 days and the weight started falling off again. Try to just go back to basics and see what happens. I might also mention that during this "stall" I was still losing inches, so I hope you've been measuring too.

I'm still stalling here, but at my 6 month checkup the doctor was really pleased. If this doesn't break soon, he won't be happy next time!!! I always eat Protein first, very little fruit, no breads/pasta/potatoes, etc., a few veggies here and there. Not sure what the issue is. I'm drinking about 80 oz. of Water a day too. I can't do much exercise because of my knee. Maybe that's the problem, but not much I can do about it. I was born in St. Louis too...down in the city near Grand and Meramec. Then I lived out in south County on Telegraph Road before I moved to Florida.

Hi doneganregime1!! Can you believe it's 6 months already. I'm doing well, but I guess I was spoiled by that pound a day weight loss at first. I'm down to about 2 lbs. a week now, which I guess is better to lose more slowly. Where are you in Missouri? I'm from St. Louis originally.

I know!! Sleeved 1/13/14, so almost 5 months now. I've lost 83 lbs., but a lot more to go. Canovasu - I haven't lost much this past month either. But I have a bad knee and can't exercise much. I found that eating more started my weight loss again. I was only having a shake for breakfast, then 3-4 oz. protein at lunch and 3-4 oz. protein at dinner. I added another shake after dinner and that seemed to help.

Dim, I'm sorry also for your loss. We lost a family member this week too, so I have two memorial services to attend, one today and one next Saturday in two different cities where he lived. The one is a 4.5 hour drive each way and they are having it at 2 p.m. with a dessert reception afterward. Needless to say, I'm taking my Protein drink!

Oh that's so wonderful....I'm happy for you AND happy I'm too old to get pregnant.

Happy 3 month surgiversary to us all!!

HI Melody...it appears your computer got carried away with your post!!! I think if I were you I would talk to my dietician. At this point I'm only supposed to have about 700 calories a day, split among 3 meals with no snacks and no carbs. Other people are eating a lot of carbs and more calories. So this is an individual process. So you might want to tell your NUT what you are doing and see what she/he suggests. Doneganregime1 -- you go girl!!

I need a knee replacement, so the only exercise I can really do is in the pool. It's still a bit brisk out there for me here in Florida, even though the pool is heated. Since I can't go until evening, it starts cooling off. It should warm up soon. I'm not sleeping well at all and am exhausted all the time. Is anyone else having sleep issues?

I called my doc the second day of diahrrea and he told me to take Benefiber and a probiotic. It stopped by the end of the day. You might want to ask your surgeon about doing this too. I wouldn't take anything without your doctor's ok.

Hello Jane. My NUT said around 800 calories right now. I don't think I'm getting that much, but I aim for the 70-80 grams of protein. Some days I still have to have 2 protein shakes to get it all in, and I'm not eating anything but protein at my meals. I wonder how everyone else is faring!!!????

Happy 8 weeks to you too doneganregime1!! It sure seems like longer than that to me. dim59 Did you take your measurements before? I find that sometimes when the scale isn't moving the inches are. I've lost 8 inches on my hips, on my waist and 5 on my bust. I think sometimes our bodies need to take a break and change things up. My NUT said if you aren't eating enough your weight loss will slow down also. She recommended 800 cal. a day now. I'm still having to do 2 shakes a day to get in enough Protein. I don't see any other way with the lilttle bit we can eat. Maybe in time our stomachs will hold a bit more food and we can cut back on the shakes. I'm glad to hear you are all doing so well.

I've been eating regular foods for a couple of weeks also with no problem. I just take tiny bites and chew them about 30 times. I'm still only able to hold about 1/4 cup of food, which is fine. I get a hiccup when I'm full so I don't take another bite when that happens. I also have to do at least one Protein shake a day to get in all the protein. We are 7 weeks out now and I'm down 47 lbs. But I have a lot to lose, so the weight will come off slowly pretty soon. With a bad knee, I am not able to exercise much yet. I think once I have 100 lbs. off, I will be able to do that more easily. I'm glad to hear the rest of you are doing well also.

Jane, I'm glad you are feeling better...babysitting will sure keep you active. I know what you mean about those jeans. I tried on a pair from my closet today and I'm still too big for them, but soon, very, very soon!!! It sounds like everyone is doing well - congrats to all of us.

This is a tool for us to use to help us not be so hungry all the time. It was never meant to cure all of our emotional problems with food. For that we need some counseling. We will still have head hunger, even though we know we are full. We will still be tempted by the bad foods we used to consume in quantity. The success of our surgeries has more to do with our minds. We have to get them in a "good place" or we will slip right back into the old habits that got us where we were. Relationships with family and friends may change. As humans we are opposed to change. Whenever any dynamic of a family or friendship changes, so do those relationships. Some people can work through the changes and some can't. People who are overweight may not like the fact that you are getting smaller. It can be jealousy or a reminder of their own shortcomings. Spouses may look at a more attractive "you" and start to worry about losing you. They may all try to sabotage your efforts. We did not go into this for anyone else but ourselves. We cannot let anyone disuade us from our goals.

Sorry to hear you're feeling bad Jane...get well soon. I lost 3.5 lbs. this week.

Just google "seated exercises for seniors" and there will be a lot of Utube videos that come up. Some of them are 30 min. long and seem to work well for me. I have a bad knee that needs replacement, so walking much is out of the question. The pool is helpful for me, but it's still a tad cold, even here in Florida for that...maybe next month.

Hello again ladies. My doctor is pretty strict and I can only have 3 meals a day, no snacks, no carbs. What helps me at night is to eat two of the sugar free popsicles. It's something you can bite into and chew and counts as a liquid like it did during our "liquids only" days. I particularly like the tropical flavored ones. I went out to eat for the first time last night. I ordered beef with carrots. The beef was so tender and flavorful...it was the first thing I've had that I didn't have to cook myself. The carrots ended up being a few shreds like you would find in a salad, so that wasn't much. I was only able to eat 1/4 cup, so I took 3/4 of it home with me. But I do hate to spent a bunch of money on a meal and only barely touch it. I did ask to see the kids menu, but there was nothing on there but fried food and carbs. I think learning to eat out and not spend a ton will be an acquired tactic!!!

I had done a lot of research online and read a lot of books, so I felt I was prepared. But they didn't tell me I couldn't have even a sip of Water until the next day AFTER an upper GI to check for leaks in my sleeve. And the stuff they make you drink for that test tastes like old mop water!!! But it goes fast and then they gave me some apple juice and Jello. I'm one month out from gastric sleeve, 35 lbs. gone, lost 5 inches in my hips, and 4 inches in my waist and boobage area. So don't forget to take your measurements. Clothes are finally beginning to feel pretty loose. Another thing I recommend is to go through your closet and find all your smaller clothes and put them in size order, so the one day when your clothes are way too big you have access to what is the next lower size. And for anyone preparing for surgery, the very best thing you can do for yourself is to get up and walk down the hall after surgery. They pump you full of a gas, and some of that is still in your body and will cause a pain in your left shoulder or as mine was, in the back left side of my shoulder blade. Pain meds do not help this, but walking will help those gas bubbles pop as your increase your circulation. I made 4 trips that afternoon and evening down the hall and by the time I went to bed that night, the pain was gone. I will also say I had very little pain from my sleeve. I took pain meds while in the hospital, and then 2 the day I got home, the next day only 1 at bedtime, and that was all. Some of us get a trigger that tells us when we are full. For me the first thing was kind of losing interest in what I was eating and the next thing was a hiccup. When you get a hiccup, put the spoon down and don't take another bite...it means you are full. Another suggestion is to buy some baby spoons. They help you take smaller bites. I take only about 1/2 of a baby spoon with each bite. Good luck everyone.

Jane your crockpot pork sounds amazing!!! I've always had problems with pain in my foot. I have bone spurs in the heel and every step I took felt like walking with a huge nail digging into my foot...it was horrible. I was getting the cortisone shots every few months, but they only helped for a short time. Then I tried spenco sandals. I swear by these things. They are about $40-$50 a pair, but they completely took away the pain. I haven't had pain for several years now wearing these. I buy them online from Zappos, so you can return them for free if you don't like them. Luckily I live in a warm climate, so I can wear them yearround. They also make shoe inserts, but I've never tried those. It sounds like everyone is doing well. I'm happy to take this journey with you. I'm Kathy!!

Hello everyone. I think we all must have hit that same stall for a week. I had my 3 week post op doctor visit yesterday too. I've lost 28.5 lbs. My doctor recommended Benefiber and I've been putting it into my morning shake and it has solved my problems. I totally agree with taste changing. I didn't really like the Pure Protein ready made shakes before surgery and now I think they are the best. I'm not thrilled anymore with the fruit flavored powders I bought ahead of time. I've been using the unflavored powder (since I had to use it on clear liquid days), almond milk, some cocoa and some PB2 for my morning shake...adding in the benefiber. I started soft foods this week, and it's nice to eat something with texture. I made a pot of chili from a recipe given me by my NUT. Now I have tons of that in the freezer. It takes a LONG TIME to eat a whole pot of chili at 1/4 cup servings!!! So I've tried hamburger this week and am going to put some chicken thighs in a crock pot tomorrow morning to let them really cook down til they get soft. Girls, I too like the fat free refried beans with some lowfat cheese melted on top. I also had a scrambled egg on Sunday and I mixed in one of those Laughing Cow light cheese wedges (35 cal.) which made it a lot moister. And yes, you are all so right about this being a full time job, getting in your protein, drinking water, and not drinking 1/2 hour before or after eating, taking your vitamins 3 times a day.

My doctor is REALLY strict. I'm not allowed cream of wheat...too many carbs. And 1 cup of milk would be more than I could handle at one time. And I could never eat a whole package of tuna with cottage cheese and salsa also. That's way more than 2 oz. in the tuna alone. So the most protein I can get with food is maybe 6 grams in 1/4 cup. If it's a dense food like beans, I can hardly get in the 2 oz. before I'm full. My doc wants me to eat the 2 oz. and then that's the end of my meal until the next meal...3 meals a day, no snacks and no finishing what is left unless it's for the next meal. I have to finish my meal in 30 min. All I can have between meals is water, protein drinks and sugar free drinks and popsicles. So the only way to get in my protein is in the protein drinks twice a day. Once I can eat food that's not pureed, I'm sure I can get more with eating things like chicken and ground beef. My pouch is supposed to stretch to eating 1/2 cup at some point...not sure when. Then maybe at the end up to 3/4 cup. Compared to what I was eating, that's not much, so the protein has to be front and center. It seems like a lot of other doctors are much more lenient. Are people really eating more than 2 oz. at a time?

I started my chewable vitamins on Monday. I get them from the doctor and they include everything I need except I need to supplement with extra Vitamin D. I'll start on soft foods this Sunday. It will be nice not to have to blend everything. That gets old. I've got some unflavored protein powder and I mix that in with sugar free pudding or in yogurt, etc. It doesn't change the flavor that much and it's a way to get it in. You could mix it into soup also. The Pure Protein drinks are good too. I like the chocolate. You can get them from Sams or Costco and I think even some of the grocery stores and pharmacies sell them in smaller packs.

I can only eat 1/4 cup also. So you're in good company. It's pretty hard to add stuff together when you can only have that much, and it's hard to blend it too. I don't want to make a big batch of something and eat it for days. I'm not allowed potatoes or any high carb foods. My doctor is really strict. He doesn't want us eating carbs to set us up for craving them again once we get to "real" food. I'm still taking in two protein drinks a day for my protein. No way can we get in much protein with only 1/4 cup. Has anyone else tried eggs? I tried them my first day on pureed foods and they just didn't set right with me. I made them scrambled and then blended them with a little milk to make them moister.