SleevePerry

I tell them that I eat 1000 calories a day and that I work off 500 of those calories, which is completely true. I'm busting my arse! I don't really feel the need to note the surgery, in that I feel that my weight loss is 30% surgery (if that) and 70% hard work (if not more).

I try to weigh and measure, but will occasionally record "guesstimates" in MyFitnessPal. I typically try to round up in these recordings, so that I'm under, not over, my daily calorie allotment. One good thing about MFP is that most item are broken down by cups, ounces, tablespoons, so you do not have to do any conversions on your own.

Have you tried both the ready-to-drink and the powdered protein? I have a friend who gets sick off of the ready-to-drinks, but she can easily tolerate the powders.

Shirley -- and I say this with love -- you're blowing it. If you don't like your current Protein sources, find new ones. Force yourself to drink more Water. You don't have to be perfect, but you do need to make more of an effort. You can do bettter, so do better. Please.

My doc had me on soft foods and 700 calories/day at 2 weeks. Your weight is going to fluctuate throughout this process. I wouldn't sweat it. You aren't going to gain legitimate weight with that low calorie intake. Try not to weigh yourself, take measurements instead. Good luck!

@@VSGAnn2014 Interesting. I don't seem to get intoxicated on one glass of wine. The danger in having two glasses (for me) is that I then want something to snack on. Because of this, I typically stick to just the one glass.

Every single doctor is different. My doctor said 6 weeks, my friend's doctor said 6 months, another doctor said a year, another said 3 months, another said 2 months. And, as every doctor is different, every patient is different, every patient's recovery is different. At 4.5 months post-op, I now have a glass of red wine about 4 nights a week. I had my first glass of wine at 6 weeks, and had one or two glasses a week for that next 6 weeks. At 6 weeks post-op, I'd had no recovery issues, had not gotten ill (or even nauseous) once, and my diet was completely advanced at that point. I include the calories from the wine in my daily food log and have had no ill effects from the alcohol. At 6 weeks, you may not be able tolerate alcohol. You may not be able to tolerate it at 6 months. There really is no right answer here; it all comes down to the individual.

I'm on Instagram as Sleeve_Perry.

I had to quit smoking three months before my surgery. The surgeon said that nicotine negatively impacts the healing process and, post-op, leads to stomach ulcers. So I had to be nicotine-free for several months, so no nicotine Patches, gums, vapes, etc. No forms of nicotine allowed. I'm now 8 months smoke free and am going strong. Best thing I ever did, with this surgery being the second best thing.

It has really varied, week by week. One pound here, two pounds there. I'm not actually sure how much it works out to per month, but I've lost a total of 58 pounds in 4 months.

You should try eating beans as your carbs. Potatoes have no nutritional value whatsoever. You're getting so few calories, you want every calorie to be chock full of nutrients. This will help in your weight loss and will have you feeling less weak.

Happy Friday! Today is my 4 Month Surgiversary. I have lost a total of 56 pounds, weighing in at 196, down from 252 pounds. I had no complications from surgery, and my recovery was ridiculously easy. I haven't gotten sick once, and have yet to eat something that my sleeve of steel doesn't tolerate. My doc had said that my sleeve was small, and was meant to hold 3 ounces. I can usually take in 4 or 5 ounces, which she says is fine and which I don't really understand, but I am trusting her on that). I run 2-3 miles, 4 times a week, try to follow a low-carb diet (not too strictly;I essentially just keep myself under 50g per day) of 1000 calories per day. I have a glass of red wine almost every night. I include this in my calorie count. If alcohol is considered a "cheat," then it is the only cheat I'm currently enjoying. I was required to quit a 30-year smoking habit several months before surgery and, to be honest, the pre and post op diets were an absolute cakewalk compared to giving up the cigarettes. But I'm nearly 8 months smoke free, and I'm thrilled to have gotten through the process unscathed. Although I've lost 56 pounds, I've been wearing the same pant size for the last 3 months; the waist on my size 18s still fit, but the legs, butt, hips are extremely saggy. I'm looking forward to getting into some more fitted size 16s, as I'm looking pretty sloppy at present. I feel great, and I look pretty darn great, too. I'm delighted I made the decision to have VSG. The results thus far have been wonderful!

@@Onelife You should create an Instagram account and search the hashtag #vsg and #wls. Start following people who post with those tags. You can basically follow them from pre-op to goal weight and beyond, seeing what they eat, what issues they have, their physical progress. I've found it very helpful. Good luck!

@@mykdzmom I started briskly walking on the treadmill at 4 weeks, usually on an incline of 4-5. After a few weeks of that, I ran 1/4 mile, then walked until my heart was no longer racing, then ran another 1/4. I just kept on doing that, increasing my running distance and making my walks shorter and shorter. I think Couch 2 5k is similar, in that it has you run for short periods, increasing that run time as the weeks go on. Good luck!

@@Onelife I would just advise you to follow your diet to the letter, to eat as slowly as possible (use a baby spoon or chopsticks), to drink your water and take all of your meds. Most importantly, be good to yourself. You are going to have cravings, you'll stall, you'll feel fatigue. Everything is but a temporary situation, so try to keep your chin up and look at the big picture.

I bought Chili from the deli section of my supermarket, added a bit of beef broth and put it in the blender. Was fantastic and had a good amount of protein and fiber, with the beef and the beans.

@@TheNewME71 I wouldn't advise selling them to a friend, then, or you're likely to not have that person as a friend anymore. Google ItWorks! and read some of the articles about it. The whole thing is a pyramid scheme and, as I've said, it's been tried and and proven to NOT WORK. It's a scam.

@@mystiq I'm on Instagram as Sleeve_Perry and I block any friend requests from It Works salespeople. Some of my other IG friends who have had surgery do not and, when they post progress pics of their weight loss, there's always some It Works jackhole leaving a comment to the effect of "Hey! You have SO MUCH loose skin around your thighs and tummy. Buy my amazing product to take care of that. You really need it." It's actually incredibly insulting. @@TheNewME71 It doesn't work. I'd advise GIVING them away or THROWING them in the garbage.

My doc put me on 2 Nexium a day right after surgery. I take them in the AM with my Vitamins, and haven't had any issues with reflux or stomach acids, as opposed to pre-op, where reflux was a constant issue.

It does not work. It makes you sweat, which gives you a less-puffy appearance, much in the way a sauna would.

My doc put me on 1000 calories a day after 2 months, so I don't think 1300 is necessarily too high. I'm guessing at my 6 month post-op, she'll increase my calories to about that as well.

I have this chicken Enchilada (Tortilla) Soup in the slow cooker now. Going to top it with cilantro, avocado and shredded cheese. Will forgo the tortilla chips, of course. http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-chicken-enchilada-soup-recipe/

If you are able to up your calories and/or protein intake, do so. And drink more water. And be patient. Mostly, be patient. It happens to all of us.

I started working out after 4 weeks. Started walking on the treadmill, then moved on to a walk/run. I currently run 2-3 miles every other day, typically burning about 550 calories. I'm 197 pounds and 5'6, so the number of calories burned goes down as I lose more and more weight. I use the Map My Run app, which plays my own phone's music and announces each mile after it's been completed, giving me the rate per mile. Love it.

I take that as being 3 weeks from surgery. My stall came at 4 weeks and was mercifully brief.