mr.sean

My “6 month” check in was scheduled for mid-March, but was canceled due to COVID-19. My weight loss had stalled at about 50% of my excess weight and I was feeling really down about it. I started Noom about 5 weeks ago and have slowly lost 10 more lbs. Too slowly. Now I’m ratcheting up my exercise with HIIT and body strength training on the Peloton app. Free for 90 days.

Checking in, about 20 weeks post-op! Weight loss has slowed to about 0.5 - 1 lb per week, and some of my binge-eating habits have returned, but in smaller quantities. So I don't think it's technically binge-eating. I'm talking eating shredded cheese out of the bad, eating peanut butter out of the jar, eating like 4 string cheese instead of 1. I'm sure that's making the calories add up and contributing to the slowing weight loss. It's not hard to overeat soft, high-fat foods like that. I still can't binge-eat anything high in carbs, thankfully. This happening because I'm feeling very hungry again, especially at night. It's very discouraging because I was told the surgery would dramatically reduce the ghrelin hormone production in my stomach. It seems to have come back with a vengeance. I eat when I'm hungry, and then I fill up quickly, but then I start feeling hungry again when my stomach empties. This is not what I thought was supposed to happen. I'm feeling very jealous of all the people who lost 75%+ of their excess weight in the first 6 months, because I'll be lucky to hit 50%.

I definitely could be more positive about it, like you are. I'm still getting used to how much I can eat, but I've finally started cooking in smaller quantities so I'm not throwing away a lot of leftovers. My issue is more: Why spend a lot of time and effort on making this meal when I'll probably be full after 6 bites?

It's meal ideas, and also the concept of cooking in general. I used to like cooking, but now I wonder what the point is. I'm also worried about eating too much, so I stick to "safe" foods.

Wow that sounds like me in the first 2-3 weeks, not 3 months. By 4-5 weeks I could eat a yogurt in a few minutes. I think it's a good thing though? You'll probably be in the top percentage of weight loss.

That's definitely normal. Usually one time doing it is enough of a motivation to not "binge" again for a while. You learned your lesson, and you know not to do it again because it hurts!

I no longer know what to eat, since I've found I can eat a little bit of almost anything. And guidance from my program has dropped off a lot. Every day, I've been eating some variation of: Sous Vide Egg Bites from Starbucks A Medium Iced Coffee with milk and splenda Salad with grilled chicken and Italian dressing (about half) 2-3 low-moisture part-skim mozzarella string cheese sticks 1-2 low-fat greek yogurts If I put away too many of the very-easy-to-digest yogurts and string cheese, I can easily hit 1000 calories, which worries me.

Programs seem to be realizing the VSG =/= the bypass in terms of restriction of foods. My program at MGH said: Week 1: Liquids Week 2-3: Soft/puree Week 4: Start adding in cooked vegetables Week 6: You should be fine with raw vegetables Week 8: You should be able to have a little bit of pretty much everything (except pasta), but we advise you still stay away from bread and rice for now.

No salad? Even 8-weeks post-op? Why is that? My nutritionist just said not to try it until 4 weeks at the earliest. Since about 6 weeks I've been fine with salad.

About a month ago, so 10 weeks post-op, I was sitting at my desk at work and had a sudden, sharp, severe pain on my right side underneath my rib cage. I had to put my head down and close my eyes and just breathe through it. It lasted about 20 minutes. I haven't had any issues since then, but I think that must've been a gallstone.

For the first time in years, I sat between 2 people on the subway and felt comfortable and that I wasn't encroaching on their space.

3 weeks after surgery, I went out to eat with a friend and got a cup of chicken noodle soup, and just ate the broth and some of the chicken. Starting at 6 weeks, I get a chicken caesar salad and eat about 1/4 to 1/2 of it.

Like everyone said, that's totally normal. Your appetite will decrease when you start eating more solids and you feel how it feels in your stomach, and how uncomfortable overeating by even one or two bites is.

I'm down 55lbs since surgery 3 months ago and definitely noticing sagging and softness. I'm wearing a new, VERY tight compression shirt today and my organs hurt and I think it's causing nerve damage. But I keep getting compliments, so 🤷‍♂️!

Wait, what? How did you have the surgery if you're only 30lbs overweight?