JamieLogical

I started literally the day I was allowed solid foods. For me that was 40 days post-op. I only had one and it took me a full hour to eat, but so worth saving myself a protein shake at that point. I was SOOOOO done with protein shakes. Of course, I still needed to keep supplementing with shakes in those early days, since I still couldn't eat very much. But I did fully transition from shakes to bars as quickly as I was physically able.

I eat their Protein bars. They are the best thing ever!

Two weeks might not have been long enough for your body to come out of starvation mode. Your metabolism is incredibly low right now if you are maintaining on 750 a day. Of course you will immediately gain weight when you increase your calories, because your metabolism isn't going to speed up instantaneously. It takes to for it to catch on to the idea of "hey, I'm not starving anymore".

Eat more food, jeez! Why are you limiting yourself to 750 calories a day at 13 months out? That's insanity! Your body is in starvation mode and clinging to every single calorie for dear life. Literally! I bet you $100 that if you bump that up to 1200 or 1300 calories a day, the scale will start going down again. Just make sure it's high protein/low carb foods.

Collagen is a poor form of protein that is not absorbed well by the body. Also there is some belief that it is not beneficial to consume more than 30 grams of protein at any one time. It can be taxing on the kidneys and not fully absorbed.

If you stopped losing at 3 weeks post-op, you are still experiencing the "Dreaded Week 3 Stall", which can last a few days to a few weeks. It doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong. It is just your body taking some time to heal and adapt.

I was instructed not to run until 2 months post-op and I'm a runner. Was running right up until the week before my surgery. So if you aren't a runner or accustomed to running, you definitely shouldn't be pushing it so soon post-op.

That seems crazy high for TJ, why so much? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I was about to say the same thing! Who in the world is the surgeon in TJ charging $17k?!?!?!

You haven't missed your opportunity. You still have your sleeve inside you. It is ready to do its part if you put in the work to wield it as the tool it's intended to be. Go back to basics. Put protein first. Make sure you are getting 80-100 grams a day. Make sure you are drinking 64 oz. of water per day minimum. Don't eat slider foods. Don't graze. Don't eat and drink at the same time. And try to get more active.

My goal weight was still in the overweight range. For me, it's about feeling healthy and looking good, not numbers on some scale or chart. I just now dipped down into the "healthy" BMI range as I am going through a divorce and under a lot of stress and dropped about 8 pounds in two weeks without trying. I'm going to work to put the weight back on once I get through this stressful period, because I am not happy being this skinny. I hate that I can count my ribs through my skin now! And I have veins popping up all over my wrists and forearms now... it's gross.

Just wanted to post a quick update in case anyone is still worried about me. After weighing in at 154.6 on Saturday, I have weighed in at exactly 155 the past three mornings. So things seem to have stabilized.

So glad you are posting new pics as you progress. I think it's important for everyone to see how serious the bruising and swelling is. I think you are ultimately going to end up with great results!

I finished my half marathon this morning! Not only did I survive, but I finished over a minute faster than I'd trained for. My goal was to finish in under three hours. My training pace would have me finishing in about 2:45, but I finished in 2:43:44, which is especially impressive when you factor in that it took me about three minutes just to get up to the start line once the horn blew, because it was so crammed with people and I didn't even have room to start running until I was a good 25 yards past the start line. So here's all the proof you've been waiting for: Right before the start... it was only 35 degrees out, so I wore the jacket until the last possible second, then handed it off to my husband. "Running" down the chute to the finish line. I was barely moving at this point.... Almost there.... I made it!!! Happy, despite being near death. Showing off my metal and the flowers my sister-in-law brought me. At lunch with my husband and some friends after I survived the race. Wearing my race shirt and showing off my metal again. Here's a link to a little video of the start and finish: http://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/image/89502-half-marathon-video/

It's where your intestines poke through one of the holes in your muscle created by the incisions from the surgery.

If you are willing to travel outside the country, BariatricPal is affiliated with a few surgeons in Mexico and they offer special package pricing to BariatricPal members. I think they are roughly in the $4500 range? If you contact one of the coordinators on the Self-Pay and Mexico forums, I am sure they could give you details.

As others have said, you won't qualify for healthcare through the exchange, because your husband has employer provided coverage. That means you would have to purchase from an insurance company directly, which would cost a LOT of money. Your best option is to try to get some financing to pay for the surgery yourself. I had mine in Mexico and just borrowed against my retirement account for the money. There are also some services that provide medical financing. You could look into home equity loans or personal loans as well.

This site has some good recipes for purees: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html Don't do mashed potatoes! There's no Protein in those! If you aren't drinking shakes, then you need to make ESPECIALLY sure you are eating high protein food!

I sincerely doubt it's a leak, since none of the symptoms you are describing are anything at all like a leak. But that doesn't mean it might not be a real issue, so you should still call your surgeon. Could maybe be an incisional hernia, which would not be much fun and would need to be repaired right away.

I did that and I am so glad I did. Were the before photos horrible to look at? For sure! Does it make me feel all the more amazing seeing them side-by-side with the after photos? Absolutely! In the end, you will be so glad you did it. I have mine in my gallery if you want to see how drastic the difference is!

He's trying to hold it together. He definitely won't be vicious or vindictive. He is lost and in pain and I can't be the one to conform him, so that's hard. We're also in a situation where we have to keep living together until our house sells, which isn't ideal. Working on getting it ready to list now. Hoping to list it right after the Holiday weekend. Hope it sells quick. We aren't looking to get top dollar, just get it sold quickly.

I never considered plication, but I did have my sleeve at OCC. It went great!

I just want to thank everyone for posting all of their stories and advice in this thread. I'm I the process of getting divorced and having never been single in the age of social media, I am pretty terrified of this aspect of my new life! I've learned a lot from this thread.

@@nomilktoday Thanks! I'm training for a full marathon in September now!

There is often internal swelling and inflamation that makes getting fluids in a challenge. It basically increases the restriction of your sleeve to the point where even liquid can't pass through easily. It is one temporary. After a couple of weeks, the swelling goes down and you get back to where liquid goes straight through the sleeve as quickly as you drink it, assuming you aren't mixing it with food. Not every experiences the same level of swelling. Some people can handle fluids immediately post-op.