Inner Surfer Girl

I was given a Protein target. That, in conjunction with avoiding starches and added sugars, keeps my carbs fairly low naturally, especially when I was early in the program. I track my food in MyFitnessPal but don't really pay attention to the carb number. My driving numbers are my protein and Fluid targets. I avoid Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes and starchy vegetables like corn. In addition, I choose foods low in sugar and completely avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup (as explicitly directed by my surgeon). Pay attention to the carbs on specific foods by carefully reading labels. For instance when choosing a Greek yogurt I make sure the protein number has at least 2 digits and the sugar number has only 1.

Walking and moving around as well as a heating pad seemed to help the most for me.

Chapstick, Biotene, pillow, heating pad, and my mom!

Congratulations!

As far as I know, the sleeve won't stretch because the stretchy part of the stomach was cut away. I watched my barium swallow test immediately post-op and liquids were emptied from my stomach rapidly. Once the swelling goes down, I would think that fluids would travel even faster. This is a long way of saying I truly doubt that drinking Water would stretch your stomach. I would think that if you drank too much water it would just come back up before it stretched anything.

Yes. Not getting in enough Fluid can cause all kinds of issues, the least of which is inhibiting weight loss. Follow your program. Make sure you get in all of your Protein and fluids. Take your Vitamins and supplements as instructed and exercise moderately until you can eat enough to support more intense exercise. The best thing to do early out is to stay off of the scale and weigh infrequently. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments is the strategy I chose in the first several months post-op. You are healing from major surgery so the most important thing is to stay hydrated and get in all of your protein (but only as allowed by your program). Advancing your diet too rapidly can cause set-backs.

You are welcome. This is one of those things I wish I had learned pre-op. It might have saved me years of frustration and yo-yo dieting.

Another good one is Ear it Up! I can't remember the author off the top of my head but you can get it on Amazon. The author has a website, too.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process. Almost everyone experiences their first stall about three weeks post-op. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I am so glad you are seeing your bariatric team. Let them help you. With support and help it may be scary, but you can do this!

ProtiDiet liquid beverage concentrates, decaf tea, Herb tea, ProtiDiet hot chocolate, ProtiDiet tomato basil and creamy chicken soups, V8, water enhancers in water, sugar-free Popsicles.

None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all have slow downs and stalls as our bodies adapt and change. Make sure you are following your program. It sounds counterintuitive, but just arbitrarily cutting calories is not going to help and may hinder your weight loss. It may be a pain but without tracking my food (I use MyFitnessPal) I would have no idea whether or not I was meeting my daily Protein target. Stalls and slow downs are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process. Focus on following your program. Make sure you are getting in all of your protein and fluids every day. Take your Vitamins and supplements as instructed. Exercise reasonably. And, embrace the stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Also, when I asked whether it was can't or won't I meant in relation to eating more than 800 calories. It sounds like you really need an appointment with your NUT and a counselor or therapist to help you through this.

Are you getting in all of your Protein every day? I ask because if you haven't tracked your food before today how do you know of you are following your program?

Can't or won't. There is a big difference. Why can't you?

You will lose weight if you increase your calories. It sounds counterintuitive but keeping calories low will actually keep you from losing weight. Eating enough is critical for healing and weight loss. Add an extra protein-rich snack or two to your plan. Eating more real food rather than solely relying on Protein shakes will also help.

I think we need to worry about it now because we didn't worry about it before. The more I learn about the disease of obesity the more I am convinced that conventional dieting wisdom is what got me in the place for surgery. I think I was starved for nutrition, especially Protein, but basically lived on carbs (good and bad). Protein was almost incidental. Why do we need protein now? Because our bodies need protein and we don't store it. We store carbs and fat but if we don't get enough protein then our bodies can't do what it needs to do and will consume the protein in our body (muscle).

Just something to keep in mind: Many people assume that a higher starting BMI automatically means that bypass is the best choice. That is not necessarily so.

You have gotten some great advice. Sip, sip, sip, and sip some more. Staying hydrated and getting in all of your Protein should be your primary focus right now. Also, be sure to walk and move around. Follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your protein and fluids every day. Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Exercise when cleared. Walking is a great way to start. Also, as @@Babbs mentioned, none of us lose at a constant or predictable rate, but most of us experience our first stall about three weeks post-op. Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. Follow your program and weigh infrequently if the numbers on the scale mess with your head. And, Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

My advice? Make an appointment with your NUT today and go back to basics. Are you following your program? Are you tracking your food? Are you getting in all of your Protein and fluids every day? Are you taking all of your Vitamins and supplements as recommended? Are you exercising? Whether you are entering a maintenance phase or still want to lose more weight, talk to your NUT about healthy strategies for reaching your goal. And, Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Focus on what you CAN have and do and not what you can't. What is allowed on your program? Drink more Water. Drink hot tea. Drink an extra Protein shake if allowed. Eat leafy green veggies if allowed. Find something to do with your hands (knitting, crocheting, etc.) Take a walk. Take a nap. Call a friend. Write in your journal. Write a letter. You can do this!

Best of luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Seriously, if I were you I would be more nervous about blood clots (one of the biggest risks of any surgery) than any shots to prevent them. I didn't have shits (I took a blood thinner orally instead) but from what I hear from those who had the injections, it's a piece of cake. Do whatever you are asked to do post-io, even if you don't want to or think you can't. Everything you are asked to do is for your benefit and to keep you alive and healthy.

I wasn't interested in the bypass and my surgeon recommended the sleeve for me anyway. I couldn't be happier with my choice of surgeon and procedure. My recovery and progress have been better than I could have ever imagined.

As far as I am concerned, pantyhose are always a mistake.