Barry W

Listen to your body - don't overeat or overdrink, which can be very easy to do, despite how much you have probably been warned. If you are uncomfortable or nauseous, you have consumed too much too fast. You don't want to get to the in-pain or vomiting level. The Water and Protein guidelines are a target to aim for, but more important is not to overdo things Slow down and if that still isn't enough, it's okay to fall short of targets in the early weeks.

I was out two weeks. Was glad to have that flexibility as the second week was still pretty difficult for me.

I lost 28lb prior to surgery though this was over about 7 weeks. I substituted a Meal Replacement shake for breakfast and most lunches. Had an occasional edamame or black bean bean salad or green salad for lunch instead of a shake. Ate fish, skinless chicken or turkey for dinner with veggies. Had varying piece of fruit each day. Avoided carbs. Was eating anywhere from 800-1200 calories per day.

I was shaking my Protein shakes to mix them up real good, and having gas issues made me notice all the froth at the top of the bottle when I did that. I stopped shaking them, and saw reduced gas issues.

No, I don't think there is a set limit on how much you can lose. Just look at veteran people here at bariatricpal and you will see a wide range of weight loss. The bypass is certainly a valid choice, I think that more of those have been done than anything else, because that was the first procedure widely used. It produces the greatest weight loss because food no longer passes through the top portion of the small intestine - i.e. food cannot be absorbed through the duodenum any more. But the bypass carries more downsides - medications and Vitamins are also not absorbed in the duodenum; potential blockage at the graft between the stomach and small intestine; potential dumping... from what I understand, it's still used fairly often for those who really have a great deal to lose, but the sleeve is much more popular overall these days due to fewer downsides. I think what the psychologist is saying is inaccurate.

That is interesting to hear, and gives me more optimism for the future. Thanks for sharing! :-)

Yep, I lost 28lb in 2 months pre-surgery, and then quickly lost another 16lb post-surgery, but am 2.5 weeks out and have pretty much been stuck at 251lb for a week now. Eating under 1000cal daily. I am just going to hang in there and hope my body spontaneously breaks this stalemate before too long....

That was the first thing I wanted to suggest, is to try smaller portions. If you feel sick when you drink a Protein shake, just drink half of it. Consume slowly, if you feel full, stop. I have not actually vomited, but my stomach capacity is drastically reduced from before the operation. I find I get full about 3/4 of the way through an 11oz Protein Shake At first I tried to finish them, but I'd feel nauseous, so then I just stopped at 3/4 and I don't get nauseous or feel discomfort. I think we need to approach eating/drinking cautiously with a tiny and tender tummy.

I am with kat on this - can't hurt to check in with the surgical team to make them aware and to ensure it's nothing to worry about....

I assume you are only having one of the listed items for a snack each time? If so, that looks eating pretty light - I'd guess around 1000 calories daily. I am a good sized guy, and I ate 800-1100 calories a day on an extended pre-op diet and lost about 28lb, but that was over about 7 weeks. To shave a little more off, try to be ruthless about cutting carbs and sodium (the latter for avoiding confusion with Water weight), and emphasize veggies more. There's only so much you can do though, to some extent you need to take what your body gives you. Fasting won't be healthy. As surfergirl says, you can always call your nutritionist to see if they have any helpful feedback re changes you can make or added detail around how strict the weightloss requirement is.

That's a good idea, a nutritionist can help you to stay motivated, in addition to giving specific guidance. If your PCP refers you to one, you health insurance will likely help pay for the visits too.

The packet that I got says that things like walking, exercise bike, and climbing stairs are okay, but abdominal exercise and lifting heavy things should be avoided for 6 weeks. Plan to ask some more detailed questions at my 3 week followup appt.

This is a major surgery, so yes, there is a chance that you will die, for example from anesthesia or a pathological infection. However, those risks are relatively low to begin with, and get a lot lower if you have a strong surgical team. And as someone else pointed out, you can also die from a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, liver failure or cancer - and those risks are strongly elevated for the obese. So long as you have a good surgical team, I think you should try to think positively and stay the course.

Well, in my opinion, weight loss surgery is pretty drastic, and should really be the last resort. If you can get to a healthy place without the surgery, I think that is better. To me the person who really needs it, has seriously tried dieting/exercise alone and failed or relapsed numerous times, and is grossly overweight, facing health risks. For *that* person, I think it's definitely worth it. That's where I was prior to my surgery. Since you've lost a lot of weight and so far are still doing fine, I'd suggest you stay on the path that you are on and just try to be vigilant. Keep a food log/count calories, and keep mainly healthy dietary choices in the house. Sounds like you are doing well now to me :-).

Avoid carbs like the plague. Is it strictly liquids? No fruits or veggies?

Well, I imagine she is concerned and this is after all a serious thing - so I don't think her motives are bad, but.... Still, once she has given her opinion, she should let it go. I suggest just trying to politely but firmly tell her that you have done a lot of research and made up your mind, and you would appreciate it if she would either be supportive of your decision or find another subject to talk about.

That's a good thought too, Christina - I should check my blood pressure, maybe my medication regimen is too aggressive now that I have lost 40+ lb... Yep, I am on 3 blood pressure meds (also have a genetic predisposition so a problem even when I was young/thin)... but the 3 of them seem to be too much now, as I am on the boundary of low blood pressure. I emailed my doctor and he agreed that I can go off one of my blood pressure meds - nice! :-)

That's a good thought too, Christina - I should check my blood pressure, maybe my medication regimen is too aggressive now that I have lost 40+ lb...

hair and skin are largely Protein. So I would pay particular attention to getting your protein in if that is a concern,

I find that I have lightheadedness/dizziness when I stand up, especially, e.g. when I get out of bed, so you're not the only one. I actually haven't gotten concerned enough to really worry about it yet. I don't think it's so much the weight loss per se, as probably hypoglycemia - moderately low blood sugar. I am really not eating a lot yet - just finishing my second week post-op.

Swimming is great exercise, even deep wading using the Water to carry much of your weight. Try to cut out carbs as much as possible - not only does that cut some calories, more importantly, after a week or two it really helps to reduce cravings! As Kindle said, it is a lot easier to eat 1,000 calories less than to burn 1,000 calories with exercise, so in terms of weight loss, diet is the principle component anyways....

I have BCBS New England (HMO) and called the 800-number on the back of the card, they emailed me the eligibility criteria as a PDF file. That was pretty clear. The surgical group handled the final communications and I expressed profusely my need to ensure coverage before undergoing the procedure - they said they do that as a matter of routine.

I was hating life for the first 8 days. But things began to improve noticeably on the 9th day. On day 13 now, and getting in and out of bed no longer a challenge, and my walks are lengthening. It's the long run that matters, in my opinion.

I am not qualified to know what's within the range of normal or not, but this doesn't sounds good. I am with Christinamo7 - don't hesitate to contact your surgeon or your program nurse to bring forward concerns like this and ask if this is normal or if you need additional followup. You have to watch out for yourself.

A book or some magazines you like to help pass time. Comfortable clothes to wear home - particularly on the bottom.