IncredibleShrinkingMan

Only in Amurrica. I have never heard of that. For me, every day was some kind of horribly fattening monstrosity day. I was oblivious to days named after food. Once I'm a bit further out they may begin to have more meaning, but I can count on Mr. Sleeve to turn out the lights when its time even if I do choose to partake.

My candid advice? Keep them. I know that sounds like a deadweight loss and a lost opportunity to be charitable, but I honestly think that getting rid of them is a jinx. I never gave anything away, but when I lost weight without surgery a few years ago, I stored them away in a place I would really never go to for any reason (my gross attic). Alas, I needed most of them back within about a year and needed to wear them until surgery. My solution this time? Keep them around, and have them there to think of how much you never want to wear them again. Weight gain after surgery is real and happens for many people, but I think it is far more within our control than maintaining non-surgical weight loss.

Do you have an exercise program? In my first month I lost 33 lbs, but in the last two weeks just 5 lbs or so, and I have been fastidious about diet and quality Proteins with minimal carb sightings. Alas, I have had a few weddings, work trips, and family events in the last two weeks and I haven't done any more exercise than what it takes to get to and from work on subway/foot. I have receives taunts on Fitbit. In the weight loss stage, it is every bit as important as diet, and my rate of weight loss is tightly proportional to how well I stay on track with exercise. Eventually, there will be another twist, and that will be to hold onto muscle by doing resistance (though aerobic works fine for now, and technically I still don't have permission to lift).

Unless there are actual medical reasons for this decision (and comorbidities and amount of weight to lose aren't among them), the decision is entirely up to you, and you need to find a surgeon that will honor your request. There are many good reasons not to have the RNY and have the sleeve instead at whatever weight you are, but for every one of them, there is at least one good reason to go with it instead of the sleeve, and that also goes for people who don't have much to lose. You know your lifestyle better than any surgeon ever will, and in your next visit, even if the surgeon is courteous, you should probably put your foot down as the patient and say this is what you want, pre-empting any of this behavior.

Eat dense, soft proteins, even proteins that are akin to slider foods. You must do this to preserve your muscles and vital organ function. Are you still taking your multivitamin? Those play a huge role in how effectively your macronutrient intake serves you, and you should take them for life.

I don't think it's just for being able to order off the kids' menu. I think it is also a petition (totally at manager's discretion) for a discount in the case of a buffet or other unlimited situation (very bad idea in general, but sometimes you'll be in that spot). They agree to charge you less because you will not be eating anything close to what would make it worthwhile. As I write this, I ask myself..."what the f*** was I thinking spending even one meal of my life at the Olive Garden never ending Pasta bowl?" Oh yeah, my friends dragged me, but I'll never accede to this form of peer pressure again.

That's impressive, people. I was a total car wreck in my first 24 hours and nauseous beyond description. I could never have gone home the first day. Mine was also listed as inpatient, so that didn't come as a disappointment to me. It was a world of difference the next day.

-get through an entire soccer game without needing to sub out -go to business functions and being satisfied with the delicate little portions served instead of dreaming of hoagies later -getting all the way to work without bringing a beach towel to absorb sweat -maybe a 5K, 10K, etc..., and actually run it -going in the pool without a shirt

The good news is that you chewed it. My surgeon's opinion is that as long as you can chew it to puree consistency in your mouth, it's good to go. That said, anything with tiny little particles like strawberries should probably be avoided at this point. I've had similar foods with similar little particles and have not experienced a problem.

It looks like it is time to move on to full liquids, being more than a week out, but double-check your own surgeon's instructions. These tend to be much more satiety-promoting than clear liquids, although you will need to continue to get your water in, and will probably still need your protein shakes to get the required protein, at least until the next stage, which is purees.

I think what you have to remember is that aside from the discomfort, the space those items will expand to fill is absolutely essential for getting your protein intake. Just think...would you rather have empty calories that take up a lot of space and result in you wanting more and more food or quality calories that take up little space, promote satiety, and don't give you any discomfiture whatsoever? Just my two cents. Carbs are just not worth it. Maybe a very special dessert at a special event, because that might actually taste good, but bread, which is not really any better for you than a slice of cake, should be worked around at all times. Every food that contains it has a variant without it that tastes just as good.

That's on the slow side, but it's OK if your sleeve is telling you to sip carefully. The rule of thumb on the first day of water is 1 fl oz every 15 minutes, so a cup every 2 hours (250 mL). You'll probably start to approach this pace very quickly.

I don't think you need to say f-em, and I also don't think you need to worry about bonds being broken. I have had pretty much an even split of support and dissent, and as to the latter, I have simply offered no response. That is the safest thing to do, and I recognize it is not the most satisfying. Progress speaks way louder than words, and I think the proof will be in the pudding for that cohort very soon.

Have you been able to exercise? You may be seeing some water and glycogen build-up. When I get busy at work and don't make the gym or the trails I see the scale sit still for days at a time, but in those same days I have to tighten one belt hole. You are losing fat, and as soon as you do vigorous exercise, you should see the progress realized on the scale.

Are you eating creamed soups? If so, are you eating the strained variety and ones that are made with milk instead of heavy cream? Those can be significant calorie loads, especially if you eat more than the allotted serving size. Since you are doing limited exercise, both water and glycogen stores in your liver could be steadily building. However, there is only a certain capacity and you are probably almost there (glycogen is burned off before fat when you exercise). I believe you are actually losing fat even though the scale isn't going down, and once you figure out an exercise you can do, by the end of a full session or two you should see the "gains" of the last five days realized on the scale.

Weight gain is a trap, and surgery is often the only permanent way out. Set point theory is a really awful thing to think about, especially when it is suggested that set point in the human body can only go up. Asking a morbidly obese person to resist hunger and stay thin after being large is like telling somebody not to breathe. Your body is smarter than your brain, and it will find a way to return to obesity. The brightest, most determined dieter in the world could not truly defeat obesity for life with just diet and exercise. We may have made mistakes to get here, but we are not weak-willed because we couldn't escape without arresting our bodies' ability to defend obesity. For some people, surgery may not even do it. And even then it is not evidence of something wrong with our heads.

If you are still pre-op, get it addressed. You may not cure it, but the surgery will help you muffle it. Without getting help, you are risking the surgery being for naught.

I would take the time to get as physically healthy as possible, including possibly some more weight loss (though you're doing great already). That should clear up your mind to make a more confident decision about the RNY. If you feel you can do it without surgery, then certainly don't go for it. But if you have tried before and are ready to step up the game, don't second guess yourself. If you made the decision while thinking clearly, it is probably a good one, and don't let these passing conditions cast doubt on it.

Tennis and hiking. Why, you ask? Because they stuck with me even when I was over 300 lbs! Everything else I need to slowly become reattached to.

Getting addicted to seeing the scale move. And fitbit taunts and cheers.

Other than the world's worst GERD? The pain medicine administered through the IV. I have never been so nauseated in my life. At least before I could've surrendered and vomited. In the hospital I was just stuck with it.

Welcome to the other side! You did it! Each day will be better than the next now. Be sure to walk...it's the best feeling ever (until we get to run again).

No food? That will not and cannot be true. Perhaps you were put on liquids for two months, but liquids are food and you can nourish yourself, especially once on full liquids. I like to think of this as world-expanding, rather than world-constricting. I am six weeks out and developing good relationships with all kinds of different foods, rather than awful relationships with a select few (which I can't get down anymore anyway). The next few days are the toughest part, but by the end of the first week, everything should settle with you and you'll be on your way.

This is about a lot more than weight loss. This is about curing co-morbidities (or at least improving them), feeling better, and being able to concentrate on things in life other than food 24 hours a day. Honestly, I would do it again even if somebody told me I wasn't going to lose a single pound. I hated my relationship with food prior to surgery, and I always had crippling hunger no matter what I consumed. Those days are over. Incidentally, I have lost a bunch of weight, and just a month after surgery I am more than half way to goal, but I felt healthier and freer as soon as I woke up in the recovery room. I'm not saying that weight loss isn't the main purpose, but for some people, it will become a complete afterthought because of the non-quantifiables associated with getting healthier.

@@JamieLogical that sounds awesome. How far out would you say you were when you were first able to get 100g protein a day?