Babbs

You're not going to lose 10 pounds per month steadily. Maybe some months, but not every month. Keep your expectations realistic and you'll have a much more pleasant journey. Good job on the 30 pounds! That's phenomenal!

When you exercise too much and don't properly support the amount of calories you've burned (which frankly is impossible as early out as you are), your body goes into starvation mode and hangs on to the weight. You completely did the right thing by taking a breather and slowing down the exercise so your body could adjust. Believe it or not, it's not as simple as calories in/calories out anymore. Because our bodies are in a constant state of caloric deficit, we've got to get a little more creative in how we approach things to keep the weight loss going

It can be done. I've seen people lose all of their regain (some as high as 50 pounds). It's not as easy as the first time, and may take you much longer, but it can be done. I'm 2 years out, and I gained almost 6 earlier this year. It's taken me from May to now to literally lose 5 of the 6. I had to change up my exercise routine, and also did the 5:2 program, or intermittent fasting to decrease my cravings and increase my restriction. Maybe something you could look into?

He's probably talking about bougie size. A bougie is basically the guide they use to staple and overlap and staple the stomach once they close the remainder up. It doesn't have a lot to do with stomach size, but a smaller bougie could mean more restriction as it's a bit "tighter" than a larger one. Or possibly he took more than the typical 80-85% of your stomach? Which actually would alarm me, because usually the more they take, the higher risks of complications. I would totally ask him to clarify for you and ask why he did yours smaller?

I never went to a support group either. But just to clarify, you CAN be successful without support groups, but not overall support. Studies show the most successful people (and I mean success in not just losing the weight, but KEEPING it off) have had some sort of consistent support in the form of real life support groups, online support groups (my preference) or just supportive friends and/ or family who have had the surgery.

This is basically what your stomach looks like immediately after surgery: At 2 weeks out, you're still healing. Nerves have been cut and things stapled back together. Your "full" sensation may not be working properly because of everything being so wonky (scientific term). That's why it's very important to measure everything so you don't accidentally over eat if you are trying to rely on the full signal early out. That's how leaks can occur. Also, certain foods give better restriction than others. For instance, I can eat 6 ounces of fish at 2 years out, but can still only eat 3 or 4 ounces of chicken breast because it's denser protein. Is that a good enough answer for you, princess?

Isn't medical science amazing? When we have a blocked artery, we can have the artery opened up with a stent or balloon with heart surgery. When a woman laboring is having problems delivering, putting her and her baby's life in danger, she can have a c-cection. When we get cancer, we can have helpful but toxic drugs pumped through our bodies to fight it and hopefully put it in remission. When we've tried every diet under the sun and completely screwed our metabolisms up, or we have physical issues that make it almost impossible to lose or keep weight off, we can have bariatric surgery. No, medical intervention isn't always the way it's "meant" to be, but sometimes it's necessary.

I am weirdly turned on right now......

During my weight loss phase, I always stayed below 50 grams per day until I reached 75% of goal weight. Then I upped them to 75 grams per day in anticipation of maintenance. Now in maintenance, I usually get around 80-100 grams. When I need to lose a few pounds, I lower them back down to below 50. That always seems to do the trick. Oh, also....most of my carbohydrates come in the form of fruits, veggies and whole grains only. No "white" stuff.

You see it a lot in theses forums, too. That's why unfortunately vets have a tendency to disappear after a while. You'll see once you're on here long enough. It just can get....repetitive.

That dress is so cute! And you look amazing in it! I vote bottom middle too!

Lucky. I wish I hated food

@@Dub already knows I think he's a hottie My mommy had passed away 3 years earlier from heart failure after a massive heart attack due to high blood pressure. Right before I'd decided to have surgery, my blood pressure had gotten as high as 157/98 and I was put on meds. My bIood sugar was also high, and I was subsequently put on meds for that. I was lamenting about how I had gotten to that point to my hubby (who had the bypass 8 years earlier and has been VERY successful with it) and he suggested having surgery. From there I didn't look back. Now 90+ pounds lighter, off all meds, and have perfect blood pressure, labs, and resting heart rate. I can run 3 miles and climb 100 flights of stairs on the Stair Climber. At 49, I look and feel more like 39. I also know now if I stay the course and continue to eat healthy and move more, I at least have a fighting chance of living longer than either of my parents did.

Meat. Not taco shells. And yes, I've seen plans in Europe where people are on soft foods day 3. Can you imagine?

How about some nice refried beans, a little cheese and a little salsa? That would seem like a taco or burrito, and lots of good protein too.

I'd be willing to bet someone $100 right now that the OP in this thread has gained most if not all of their weight back.

Wow. Just.....wow.

I was sleeved on 8/22 also....2 years ago lol. What's going with your weight loss has nothing to do with whether you're exercising or not. Your body is in starvation mode and that is triggering a stall. It's totally and completely normal and usually happens 2-5 weeks out from surgery. No worries. Get your Protein and fluids and stay the course. The stall will pass and you'll be back to losing in no time!

I didn't even have a pre op diet so there ya go. You're going to be just fine.

Isn't this your answer? Hold yourself accountable again. Track your food. Stay away from sugar and processed carbs. Drink lots of Water. Move more. Just get back to basics for a couple of days and you'll see the scale moving downward again. You will also see cravings diminish. Like the Nike commercial says, just do it.

Oh, and one more point I want to make. It becomes so much less about the food and more about the actual experience of the Christmas Party, movie, dinner with friends, etc. Food is no longer the center of my universe, and I feel so free!

My husband had the RNY 8 years prior to my surgery, and he has basically been the poster child for the surgery. He's kept most of his weight off besides the normal 5-10% "bounce" people gain a few years out. He's still 110 pounds lighter. He's the one that suggested WLS to me when I was at my wits end about my weight and failing health because of it. His sister was also one of the first people to get the VSG when they first started doing them as a treatment for weight loss back in 2010. She has kept most of her weight off, also. You're only going to feel this way for a very temporary time early out. In the grand scheme of things, literally a blip on the radar of your life. I'm 2 years out, went to dinner last night with friends and had a glass of wine before dinner, ate my portion of halibut with veggies and asked for a doggie bag for the rest (about half) and felt completely normal. Nobody would even know I've had WLS. I just seem like a "light" eater now. It's just my husband and I, too, and we eat out all the time. As long as you're making smart choices, no worries! And early out you have leftovers for lunch AND dinner the next day!

Would you feel like a failure if you needed open heart surgery after a heart attack? Or if you had cancer, would you feel like a failure going through chemo? Taking meds for diabetes? Getting a cast for a broken leg? Treat this as what it is. Medical intervention for the disease of obesity. It has absolutely nothing to do with being 'weak willed' or a failure. The strongest people I know are the ones who can recognize they have a serious problem and tackle it head on. You know the definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. Those of us who decided we needed WLS suddenly became sane when it came to this issue.

Oh, and believe me, now that I'm in maintenence, there have been many times I've wanted to pick up smoking again due to the increased desire to eat or graze. It didn't help that my favorite bariatric doctor on You Tube, Dr Matthew Weiner, said that smokers are more successful at keeping thier weight off. He wasn't encouraging it of course, just stating studies But I've come this far, and not about to blow it now!

First off, I can't believe your surgeon said it would have "no impact on the surgery". Studies show that smoking can hinder healing after any surgery. Just Google it and you'll see many, many studies about it. Second, I was a smoker for 25 years and chose to quit 2 months before my surgery due to the healing factor and generally just wanting to be healthier. I found continuing to smoke after surgery was kind of counter productive to my health goals. But I also know how hard it is to quit, and if you're not ready, you're not ready. I used a vape to quit. Just tapered down the nicotine until I was at 0, then lost interest in the vape. Haven't smoked in over 2 years, and even after reaching below my goal weight and maintaining it now going on a year, I'm more proud of quitting smoking than even the weight loss. I feel so much better and can actually exercise without wheezing my lungs out, lol. My hubby had a gastric bypass 10 years ago and smoked. No issues (from the smoking at least).