Berry78

Sorry, still not a guy, although @painter88thought I was..so that counts, right? I just had a thought, and so had to share. Fluffy, your post is on-point. You say "guys only" in the title, so I actually SAW it! From now on, guys should do the same when posting in their own forum (there should be directions for them to do so). At least that way we ladies have NO EXCUSES to be butting in where we don't belong...

I was having this conversation just yesterday. We are so used to hearing, "Weight loss happens through diet and exercise", that we think the two are BOTH required.. glued together in our heads. But it's not true. Exercise can help. But people that can't exercise can still lose weight through diet alone. Your doctor mentioned watching your diet (red meat and iced coffees).. not exercise. So your medical condition that prevents you from going to the gym is not preventing you from losing weight. A wholesome diet is about getting small quantities of real food. You need to be aware of the nutrition that is found in the various food groups, in order to make informed choices as to what to eat. Sample meal plan: (Assuming you have not had bariatric surgery) Breakfast: 1 cup 4% cottage cheese and 1 whole piece of fruit (banana, apple, cup of grapes, etc.) Lunch: 2 eggs and a cup of pinto beans with 2 tablespoons salsa Snack: 1oz nuts or seeds and a whole piece of fruit Dinner: a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, 1/2 medium sweet potato, and 1 cup green beans. This has 2 servings dairy, 2 fruits, 5 vegetables, 3 protein, and the nuts provide healthy fats. No grains or added sugars (both of which aren't really needed until you are done losing weight). Feel free to add salt and pepper, cinnamon and spices. Don't add fat (each meal already has fat in it). All beverages should have no calories. Once you start eating this way, you'll find the weight should start coming off, and this meal plan is very flexible. Replace the chicken thigh with 4oz of any meat or fish. Replace the green beans with any non-starchy vegetable. Replace the pinto beans with any other type of bean... etc. If the weight DOESN'T start coming off, then I need more info about you as an individual to formulate a better plan.

Katie Bear... at a month out it would be good to start transitioning away from so many protein shakes. It doesn't have to be immediately.. a good way to use them is eat 3 meals and a snack, and use the shakes to fill in any deficit. If you want to change your sleep schedule, the best way to do that is by using an alarm clock. Wake up an hour earlier each day. 10 hours before wake up, turn off the screens.. computers, tv, phones, and minimize your house lights. Soothing music and a warm bath (when permitted for your incisions) can help set the tone for sleep. Reading something boring can help too.

Sorry about that. Ok, so food in general doesn't stay in your new stomach as long as it used to. Liquidy food leaves very quickly. A normal stomach holds food for several hours after a meal. Our sleeves and pouches empty in a matter of minutes for liquids, and POSSIBLY an hour or two for solid meat. So because you ate soup over the course of 40 minutes, the first spoonful that you ate had left your stomach long before you ate your last spoonful. Keeping meals to 20 minutes will minimize this issue. Personally I used this to my advantage because it allowed me to reach my goals in those early days. Constant sipping on my protein sources allowed me to consume quarts over the course of the day.

Your diet is way better than mine was. 3 cups of skim milk mixed with 3 scoops of protein powder. For the day. For 4 weeks. Yeah. It sucked. 6 months postop and I've lost 90lbs. Couldn't be happier. Preop misery is a distant memory...

3 meals and 1 snack. 60+ grams protein 1200 calories No sugar or white flour Don't drink empty calories Eat real food.

You aren't a failure, and neither is your sleeve. You were in a hole, the sleeve got you out of the hole, but now there are some steps to climb to get where you want to be. It's ok! You can do this! Take your time figuring out each step as it comes. It's easy to name a #, but how to make that number happen can be confusing. There is a reason there are so many diet books out there...

The soup is a slider. 40 minutes is long enough for the first part to leave. Keep meals to 20 minutes.

Aww, thanks! I do plan on sticking to the program... forever.... but I don't think just sticking to the program gets you where you want to be, necessarily. I'll keep my goal modest.. if I reach it, then I'll move it down... I haven't picked up running like someone I know...

Surgery helps. A lot. BUT, we all have to put the work in... preop, postop.. all the time, forever. Those that don't learn this lesson early and well.. those are the ones that lose weight, then proceed to gain it all back. Your journey doesn't begin on the operating table. It begins the day you decide to do something about the weight. Your journey doesn't end with "goal weight" either. It lasts as long as you do. Liquid diets are very effective, but they suck. I'll post a diet for you if you like. Just ask!

Oh man! Let's hope they figure it out soon, and get you to feeling better!

That's great! I lost 30 the first 2 months.

Very typical. I like fleet enemas for instant relief. (Schedule 30 minutes in the bathroom).

Once the scale stops for 2 months (and inches also stop coming off), then you know you have reached the end of the surgical- induced weight loss. If you want to lose more, it's back to old fashioned diet and exercise. Diet is still more important than exercise. Losses will be as hard to come by as they were before you had surgery. It takes commitment to the program. Figure out how many calories you now consume, cut out a couple hundred, and things should start moving again. Real food is better than fake food. Cut out sugar and white flour.

I'm 6 months out. These rule breaks I've done all along. 1. No protein shakes. Get protein through foods and drink. 2. Use straws carefully 3. Consume caffeine. 4. Eat more than 4 times a day. 5. Usually don't get over 64oz fluids 6. Drink up to the meal, but not during or after. 7. I eat more than the recommended carbs each day (fruit, beans, and potatoes). 8. I eat cake and ice cream at birthday parties.. as much as I want (in a single sitting.. not all day).

The simplest answer is to always cook things well, and when at a place that you can't control it, order vegetarian. Good luck!

It's called the "3 week stall". Almost everyone sees the scale stop moving for about a week or two around 2-4 weeks postop. There is no way to prevent it.. just part of the program.

You need to go to your doctor. I'm thinking vitamin deficiency, but you need to be checked out. Some deficiencies can cause permanent problems, so time is of the essence. Diabetes can also cause symptoms like that too.

I actually modified my goal upwards. I found a research article (don't have a link, unfortunately), but it basically showed the range of weight loss to be 28% - 48% of starting total body weight. The middle of the range (38%) is where most people end up. So for me, I started at 305lbs. 305 x .62= 189.1. So that is my new goal. There was also a curve, and my loss at 6 months was squarely on average. Edited to add: But, the plot thickens because for me to reach 189 means I'll have lost 79% of my excess body weight, which is WELL above average! So I guess time will tell! Maybe excess body weight is supposed to be calculated from a different point then 24.9 bmi (which I've been using). I'll go see...

25lbs during the first month is in the top 10% of weight loss amounts for sleevers (which means 90% of people lose LESS than that during the first month postop!) Personally I lost an average amount.. 17lbs.. and I started at 305.. just a bit less than you. You're doing great!

Think of it like a big bruise. A small bruise is usually gone within a week. You can expect this to take much, much longer. Not knowing how big it is, I'm not going to hazard a guess.. but weeks or months isn't out of the question. I once had surgery on some varicose veins and it took a full year for the body to get rid of the bruising. But, the discomfort you feel shouldn't last very long. A couple weeks, maybe. If the pain changes or gets worse, be sure to let your team know, in case the hematoma is getting larger or having a problem.

Yep! It seems about 20% of patients get diarrhea, and the other 80% get constipation. Almost no one seems to get happy, normal BMs postop! I recommend taking probiotics (you can open the capsules and sprinkle the contents into whatever you are consuming). We frequently get antibiotics during the procedure, and they mess with our gut bugs. If it gets bad, let your surgeon know because dehydration is a concern. Sometimes diarrhea can continue until you are on purees or soft foods, if it's due to the liquid nature of your diet. Sometimes it can be a result of food intolerances. Dairy and artificial sweeteners are common culprits. Congrats on your surgery, and hope things clear up for you!

Thanks! I'll give it a shot!

I'm not sure why your surgeon chose 130 as your goal. At 145 you would be into a "normal BMI", and the top part of that range is where we usually calculate from. So, if we were to use 145, then losing 55 pounds is 60% of your excess weight, which is still within the "average range".. which is 60% to 73%. It, hopefully, is nice to know that you ARE within an average range.. but don't forget, the surgery might only do the 60-73%, but if you don't like what you see in the mirror, it's all up to you! (It's just too bad the set point thing is so powerful, otherwise it wouldn't be a trouble at all!). Losing 55lbs is truly amazing, and that's part of what I want you to sit and think about.. how wonderful it is that you've come so far! The glass is half full/empty thing can really affect our PERCEPTIONS of our journeys... and that's just as important as any numbers on a scale.