blizair09

A lot of people don't lose at all in the first week or so as the body is adjusting and trying to heal. And then, at week 3 or so, you'll encounter the "three week stall." That happens to almost everyone, too. If you follow your plan and meet your protein and water goals every day, the weight will start to come off. I had to accept early on that post-op weight loss was never going to be linear.

I lost 99 pounds (from 397 to 298) during my six month pre-op diet program. But as successful as I was, I knew that I still needed to lose another 120 pounds, and that the sleeve was the tool I needed to help me get to a healthy weight once and for all. I've always been a pro at losing weight, but I have been a bigger pro at gaining it all back, too. That was another factor that weighed very heavily in my decision to have the surgery. The sleeve is the tool I need to not only lose the weight, but to keep it off. I have been a carb addict all of my life, but by ridding myself of them, I have taken my life back. While I might miss some food or drink in a fleeting moment, for the most part, I don't. All of the benefits (e.g., wearing regular-sized clothes, not needing a seat belt extender on the plane, not seeing people's horrified look at how huge I was, be flirted with constantly when we go out, etc., etc., etc.) is SO MUCH MORE FUN AND IMPORTANT than any food or drink. Good luck!

It is. You get pumped full of air and fluid at the hospital. It takes time for all of that to exit your body. I recommend staying off of the scale for the first month. Your body is healing, and the weight loss isn't going to start immediately even if you are doing everything you are supposed to do. Good luck!

I would stay off of the scale for the entire first month. Your body is healing right now. You just need to focus on meeting your protein and water goals and following your plan. The weight loss will come in time. Good luck!

So being 100% devoted to your weight loss journey makes a person self-righteous?

It depends on how much weight you want to lose. Right now, at 6'0", 215 pounds, I am pretty reliably in size 34 pants and shorts across the board. My goal is to get to 180 pounds. When I get there, I would say I would be in a size 32. It also depends on how you carry your weight, and how you wear your pants.

I wasn't talking about stopping at McDonalds on the way home from the surgery. I was talking about stopping at McDonalds after going to the doctor/NP/nutritionist/psychologist/etc. during the six month (or however long it is) diet program. And yes, that happens all the time because people are "waiting" and not using the time as it should be used.

I don't doubt that money is involved with many of the insurance companies' policies and requirements. And the problem is that it is viewed as a "wait" rather than a time to prepare. I disagree that you can't prepare "until you're in that situation." You can re-define your relationship with food during that "wait;" you can develop better eating habits during that "wait;" you can work with a therapist to get a handle on your emotional issues with food during that "wait." Unfortunately, tons of people go from their doctor's appointments straight to McDonalds to have a 1500 calorie lunch. Nothing changes. And then they are a hot mess after surgery. I have seen it over and over again on here, and those are the people that will say that WLS "failed them." But I do agree with you that common sense won't just appear in some people regardless of how much work people try to do with them.

This forum skews heavily toward pre-op or recently-sleeved people. And it doesn't take long exploring posts to see that many, many, many of these people were in no way prepared for post-op life AT ALL. They post about eating fast food just weeks after surgery; they lament about why they, as a 230 pound middle-aged woman, don't lose 40 pounds their first month post-op; they talk about how they can't get their protein and water in. The list goes on and on. Frankly, I think it's criminal that doctors perform this procedure on some of these people because they are that uninformed apparently. I think @Greensleevie just pointed out a very real truth. There is a real reason a lot of insurance companies require the six month (or three month or whatever the duration might be) diet program. The problem is that most people do absolutely nothing with that time.

Congratulations. Keep up your amazing work!

Mine was 6. I was horrified.

I had a severe Vitamin D deficiency when I began my six month pre-op diet program. My surgeon's NP put me on a prescription Vitamin D supplement, and I took it twice a week for the entire six months. It didn't affect insurance at all.

I'd say neither. But if you must, I'd go with the grilled.

It depends on what it is, but I'd say about 4-4.5 oz max. (As an example, I can 3.5 oz of salmon with 1 oz of green beans, but I can only eat 2.5 oz of hamburger steak with 1 oz of green beans. I could probably eat more than 4.5 oz of cottage cheese, but I restrict myself to a 4 oz portion because of the carbs.)

I was sleeved on September 28, 2016. I've lost 182 pounds total (99 during my six month pre-op diet program and 83 additional since the surgery). I have 35 more pounds to go until I reach my goal. I am hoping to get there sometime this summer.

You are just beginning the healing process, so you'll probably experience those sensations for a little while. It will get better and better with each passing day and week. Good luck!

I do not understand this 3 meals a day philosophy that some teams cling to. There is no way in the world (even at nearly 6 months post-op) I could get 100 grams of protein in 3 meals. I eat 7 times per day, about 2 hours apart. And I've lost 182 pounds. Obviously, eating more often, at least for me, is not prohibitive to weight loss. In terms of what to eat, I would suggest focusing on lean protein and non-starchy vegetables. I would stay away from rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, bread, sugar, etc. Even at my stage, I still eat string cheese and cottage cheese daily. I would establish some macros that you want to serve as parameters for your daily eating, and then choose good foods (as mentioned above) accordingly. Good luck!

You are just experiencing the "three week stall" that everyone goes through. Your body just went through a traumatic surgery and is concentrating more on healing at the moment than anything else. Your job right now is to meet your protein and water goals, and to work through your food stages. This isn't the most fun time in the journey, but it is an important time. You will feel better and better as the days and weeks go by. When you are hungry, have a protein shake (or part of a protein shake). That always helped me. Good luck!

Nope. Not even once.

Congratulations!

I keep my protein levels above 100 grams per day, so this is helping me to not lose muscle. As I said in an earlier post, this was my personal decision that was made in conjunction with my team and my PCP. If you want to do weight training as you lose, that is a fine strategy; it is just not for me.

Cut your carbs down to 20 or less per day, and make those 20 carbs come mostly from green vegetables (and maybe some cottage cheese or something like that). Cut out sugar, potatoes, pasta, bread, etc. completely. Once you purge yourself of the carbs, it will get easier. But this is something you'll have to be persistent about. It isn't easy at all, but it is worth the effort.

I had that kind of diet before I started my six month pre-op diet program a year ago today. I began a low carb way of eating and I have adhered to that for an entire year now. At this point, it is a lifestyle, and that is how I am going to eat even after I enter maintenance. That being said, I made my post-life much easier by making these changes pre-op. I will always be thankful for having that six month requirement. The only way to be successful long term is to change your relationship with food. For you, that sounds like beating a carb addiction...

My recommendation is that you start looking at food as fuel, and do whatever you have to do to meet your protein goals. I'm not saying that you cannot stay within the parameters of your plan and healthy eating and enjoy what you eat in the long run, but right now, you just need to get the protein in. This journey is not easy.

Everyone's plan is different. I was on liquids for 3 weeks post-op.