blizair09

If you are going to try it, I'd make sure someone comes with the first few times while you get your bearings with it.

My parents certainly aren't perfect, but after reading so many posts on here, I am so thankful that they are them. My Mom, Dad, and brother, along with my partner, have been my rock throughout this entire journey. To those with unsupportive families, I'm sorry. Do what you know is right for you and move forward with improving your health and your life. Ultimately we are responsible for our own health and happiness!

Best wishes for a good day tomorrow!!

Walk, walk, walk!! :-)

I would agree not to buy a bunch of stuff beforehand because you just don't know how you'll respond to different things after the surgery; however, broth has been a staple for me from the first day home. (I don't have to drink it now, but I cook down my green Beans in 2 cups of bone broth and I eat 1 oz of green beans three times per day.) I am buying it constantly, so if it were me, I would stock up on this one thing.

Welcome!!

I had a follow-up appointment with my NP one week post-op. I remember feeling pretty good that day. My parents had been with my partner and me since the day before the surgery and they headed home that afternoon. The next day, I began my walking routines (outside of walking up and down the hallway in my building) and started going to the spa every day. I was still a little sore, VERY TIRED all of the time, and already pretty much over liquids, but I knew that had another 5 weeks off from work to devote to my recovery so I embraced it!

I was sleeved September 28. The stall started right at the beginning of week 3 and lasted about 2 weeks. I did lose about 2 pounds or so during that time, so some might not think it was truly a stall. I has been about a week-and-a-half since then, and I have lost 8 pounds since then. It will fluctuate. I hate it, but I have made peace with it.

Welcome, Dale!!

That stall hit me like a ton of bricks right at the beginning of Week 3 as scheduled. And it sucked. Big time! I was doing everything that I was supposed to do (eating, drinking, walking, you name it), but the scale wouldn't move. But, it eventually started moving again (for me, transitioning to some soft foods from 21 endless days of liquids helped to get my calories up a bit and break the stall), and it will for you, too. Right now, I am in a bit of a free fall. The scale has gone down over a pound each of the last 4 days or so. I'm relishing every moment of it, because I know the next stall is lurking out there, ready to pounce at any time. Hang in there!

Does Pepto Bismol have carbs? :-) I definitely have my choice, and have already voted in fact, but I have never in my 41 years been more ready for something to be over than I am this entire spectacle!!

This is a great question. I had my one-month follow-up appointment yesterday, and I shared my current eating plan with the NP. I am eating 8 times a day (about 2-3 oz each time) with drinking period and no drinking periods mixed in (meaning the times to eat are about an hour and a half apart). It works beautifully, and she loved it, but it is an ALL DAY AFFAIR, and we agreed that it would be next to impossible to maintain all of that when I go back to work and the real world in a couple of weeks. I work from home when I am not traveling, but I travel at 60%-70%. Given the holidays coming up and the fact that I am still sitting on almost 5 weeks of vacation days after I go back after short-term disability, I'll probably be able to maintain what I do through the end of the year, but when Delta and Hilton come calling in January, I'll have to see how to restructure it. (And I think a lot of cottage cheese and string cheese will likely be involved in that restructuring!)

My best advice is get started now! I followed a low carb/high protein/high healthy fat diet for six months pre-op (insurance required). I lost 99 pounds, re-established my relationship with food, and prepared myself as best as could be expected for the surgery and the life after. Everything about the surgery and the 35 days since has been easier because of all the hard work I did on the front end. Best wishes!

I started rebounding on the 3rd day post-op and it has gotten better every day since. Pour yourself 100% into following your plan and getting your Protein and Water in every day. Before you know it, the weight will come off, you will adjust to your new reality, and life will go on in new and exciting ways! Good luck!

You have to think about what is more important, foods you love or getting healthy. And then you have to put foods you love away for a while. Once you get to your goal, then you can make some decisions about what you can bring back and at what frequency. But no one said this journey was easy. Trust me, there is a lot of sacrifice that has to be made, but as the weight comes off, it is worth it. No pizza, fast food, beer, or chicken wing is more desirable to me than the 124 pounds I have lost since March 21! Good luck!!

I don't struggle with drug or alcohol addiction, but I wanted to reach out and tell you how brave you are for telling your story and looking for support. I can't imagine dealing with these food issues we all face on top of maintaining sobriety. It is a lot to handle, for sure. In the food realm, the "one day at a time" approach has served me well in this journey. I used that strategy to get me started in March, and although I am firmly rooted in what I am doing now, I try to embrace that mindset when the scale is pissing me off or I have to face any of the occasional obstacles that present themselves. The fact that I have now lost 124 pounds is comforting no matter what happens in a day. As you lose more weight, that will comfort you, too. I encourage you to find something non-food related that is fun and makes you happy and get out there and do it. I go to the spa every day, and that has helped me as I move into the final stages of my recovery before I go back to work in a couple of weeks. Also, lean on your husband. I lean on my partner every day, as he leans on me. That's one of the most important parts of relationships. I wish you all the best!

Great post! I agree with you 100%.

Here is what I did yesterday: 9:30am: Scrambled eggs (7.5 g of protein) 9:35am: Dry Period 10:05am: Drink Period (50 oz water) 11:06pm: Dry Period 11:42am: String cheese (7 g of protein) 11:50am: Dry Period 12:30pm: Drink Period (16 oz water) 12:46pm: Dry Period 1:15pm: Salmon/Green Beans (13 g of protein) 1:20pm: Dry Period 1:50pm Drink Period (16 oz water) 2:11pm: Dry Period 2:45pm: Cottage Cheese (13 g of protein) 2:53pm: Dry Period 4:15pm: Salmon/Green Beans (13 g of protein) 4:25pm: Dry Period 4:55pm: Drink Period (8 oz Decaf Iced Tea) 5:15pm: Dry Period 5:52pm: Scrambled Eggs (7.5 g of protein) 5:57pm: Dry Period 6:27pm: Drink Period (8 oz Decaf Iced Tea) 6:45pm: Dry Period 7:15pm: Salmon/Green Beans (13.5 g of protein) 7:25pm: Dry Period 7:55pm: Drink Period (8 oz Decaf Iced Tea) 8:15pm: Dry Period 8:45pm: Cottage Cheese (13 g of protein) 910 calories/18.5 carbs/86.0 grams of Protein

I put a greeting card flat over the top of the cup to remind me not to drink out of it during that time.

Every time one of these posts comes up, I think the exact same thing. I wonder what percentage of those who say that WLS didn't work for them 1-2 years out were "cheaters" pre-op, post-op, and beyond?

Congratulations!! I so get what you are saying. We took my new profile picture before we went out on Saturday evening. I felt like I looked like "myself" for the first time in a long, long time. Keep up your great work!!

@@Dashofpixiedust8 I weigh every morning, and I record my weight every Monday (a habit I started during my six-month pre-op diet). I am also data driven, and it would drive me more crazy to not know where I was than it does when my body acts all weird. I won't lie, the "three week stall" about broke me, but I finally broke free of that, and the past week or so, I have been in a bit of a free fall again. I know that won't last forever, and that the ebbs and flows will go on, but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts for now. I agree with @@theantichick, if it doesn't stress you out, weigh all you want!

I agree with you about the BMI thing. I set 180 as my goal for being a 41 year old 6 foot tall male. Part of me (actually a lot of me) thinks that's really too much, but I set that as an initial goal and we'll see. I came up with the 180 with my surgeon's staff because that is what I have to weigh to get my BMI to fall in the highest end of normal (grimacing as I did it). I think I would be happy at 190 or 195. I am a little over half way through my weight loss right now, so as I get closer to 200, I can make a decision about how far down below 200 I want to go. I just want to be healthy and to look good for my body shape and frame at my age. I got down to 178 (the lowest I ever weighed as an adult) after my parents and I did phen-fen back in 1996-97. As much as I relished being "skinny" back then, even at 21, people thought I took it way too far. BMI says that is where I should be, but that means what it means...

That's awesome! Congratulations!!