Berry78

Running absolutely increases the metabolism and burns tons of calories. No question about that. You'll be a lean, mean, running machine!

Ok, in the above article, it's basically agreeing with you, @Mhy12784. But if you look at the part where he gained 20lbs of muscle, lost 50lbs of fat.. and his caloric needs remained essentially the same... What would have happened if he hadn't been working out, gaining the muscle? The loss of 50lbs of fat would have made his caloric needs go down by 100 calories a day. Then because he weighs less, his current muscles that are used to carrying the extra 50lbs shrink. I don't know how much they shrink.. but it's safe to say he now needs to eat... say...110 calories less per day. Not much, right? But if he doesn't pay attention and eats that every day.. 110x365= gaining almost 11 and a half pounds the very first year! As it was, he was able to maintain and even increase the amount of food he was able to consume as a lean, fit person, rather than a heavier out of shape one. Just for fun.. another article. https://www.google.com/amp/s/legionathletics.com/body-recomposition/amp/

Interesting article. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/16/health/la-he-fitness-muscle-myth-20110516

There is a direct relationship between lean body mass and basal metabolic rate. Men may have an easier time of it, but any improvements either gender can make will help. Lean runners also have high metabolisms, so there are also other ways to increase metabolism.

Thanks everyone... y'all are sure giving me the warm fuzzies!

I know everyone scoffs at calorie in vs. calorie out, but it's useful for illustrative purposes. Say we want to lose 2lbs a week. A pound of fat is 3500 calories, so a caloric deficit of 1000 calories a day should do it. (It's much more complex than this, but we have to start somewhere). How many calories were you eating (and maintaining your weight on) preop? Let's say it was 2500. Your body did change postop, but not in a way that would make it need fewer calories. If anything, it would need more calories after surgery to keep the same weight (faster metabolism). But, since we can't prove a faster metabolism, we'll just call it equal. So, your body still needs 2500 calories and the same amount of exercise as preop, postop. Consuming 1000 fewer calories.. means you'll lose 2lbs a week eating 1500 cals/day. What if you only ate 1800 preop? Then that's when people start seeing slower losses when they eat more than 800 calories. BUT, while the patient is trying to maximize losses, the 800 calorie diet keeps him/her from building muscle that will increase the metabolism. The muscles get smaller and more efficient, burning fewer calories. Then, when goal is reached, the patient finds they GAIN FAT on 1200 calories. Personally I was eating about 3000 calories preop. I am now losing an average of 3lbs a week eating 1300 calories. My math almost works: 1300+1500=2800. Where do I go from here? I start weight lifting to build/maintain my muscle mass. I want as much lean body mass as possible because that is what will allow me to eat more calories long term. I want to be sure NOT to drop any lower on my nutrition, because there won't be the nutrients required for building. The energy is present in my fat, but the actual building materials come from the diet. Think of a construction project.. building a skyscraper. You need diesel fuel/gasoline to run the machines, but you also need glass, wood, steel, carpet, etc. Our fat stores = diesel ... but we still have to eat all that other stuff. The potential problem with relying on vitamin pills and protein shakes is there are bound to be missing nutrients. Your skyscraper will never be finished if you're missing building components. Sure, the skyscraper can stand, and people can still go inside and work. But it just isn't complete without windows. If something more important is missing.. the foundation blocks.. you know something is wrong right away, and that is likely to get fixed. But what if it's a hidden supply that's important but not so visible. The reinforcing rebar? You think everything is just dandy, but the first big gale comes up (might take 15 years), and tips the whole dang thing over! Ok, I forgot what we were talking about, so I'll end this here and go take some fish oil.

This is AMAZING!!! I'm so happy for you! Can't wait for your 6 month external photos when you feel up to it My hubby also has lower spine pain (not as severe a problem as yours was though)... and he's lost 35lbs and has felt some improvement. I'll share these pictures with him and hope it motivates him to keep going (he was about 80- 90lbs overweight as well).

Once you are physically full, any residual hunger is likely head hunger. Start planning an absorbing after-meal activity that will take your mind off food. Maybe set up a puzzle, then when you finish eating you go look for that little blue piece with the squiggle edge instead of worrying about whether your food was boring

I forget how long I was supposed to wait for citrus. You might ask your team to make sure it isn't too early. (Some programs frown on fruit in general.. your best bet is to follow your team's recommendations.)

I love waffle fries. .... Well.. I dunno if I still love waffle fries, but I used to! Lol!

It is typical to undergo a "supervised diet" for 3 months to a year (6 months is the most common). This "supervised diet" should meet that requirement. Look for a program near you that accepts Tricare, and they will tell you what the process will be.

Ok, let's separate out the different time frames. 6 or more months preop: As referenced above, it's to keep calories in check and get some weight loss started. If you can control caloric consumption while eating fat, I don't see a problem with it. Liver shrink diet: Needs to be a low fat AND low carbohydrate to be sure that liver has shrunken sufficiently to make a safe procedure. Postop: Back to keeping calories in check. Ideal weight loss happens somewhere between 800-1200 calories for the year or two after surgery. The first couple months postop it's almost impossible to get "too many" calories. After that, you have to start watching.

I seriously doubt it. Don't know about LBLs, but a tummy tuck has you out of driving for 4-6 weeks. Might want to talk to your surgeon.

There is a support group called overeaters anonymous. Check out their website to see if it sounds interesting for you. https://oa.org Congrats on trying to get a handle on the behavior aspect. I do urge you to think big-picture with your dietary/weight goals. The average sleeve patient loses 65% of their excess weight. That would be you at 205lbs. So you actually did a bit better than average. The 10 pound "rebound" is also perfectly typical. Congrats on having a successful surgical outcome! Since your weight has been relatively steady for 9 months, you know that you are at or near your new set point. Your newly found desire to get back on the wagon is probably due to you being a few pounds above your set point, so you'll find dropping those first pounds almost effortless. Now, how does your 200lb set point affect you? Well, as much as you'll WANT to drop another 50lbs, your body won't want to, so you'll have a fight on your hands. If you want to fight, that's fine. No problem. But keep in mind that whatever you do to shed more weight, you'll need to keep it up long term. Otherwise it's just another diet like preop and back to the yoyo game. By all means.. do your pouch reset for 5 days.. but when you restart your normal diet, you need to have durability in mind.

Oh man! Laurna is so right! I totally forgot about those knots.. they were still there after a month, so I dug those suckers out of there. Blessed relief! Of course I can't recommend you do that (and you'd split yourself open if you did it soon... I'll reiterate.. I did it after a MONTH). But at least it should make you feel better about what you are experiencing.

Welcome to your new set point! It sounds like you're still 75lbs down from your surgery weight, so you are still golden. You CAN keep fighting, or you can work to just maintain. Pregnancies just DO this to everyone, and I hate to see you tear your hair out at that 25lbs, when it's (probably) really just an aesthetic problem for you. If you wanna fight.. that's fine. But the fight has to be permanent. The changes you make to lose the weight have to remain to maintain those losses. (No more unsustainable liquid or crash diets!) Not knowing what you are doing now (calories, protein, carbs, exercise).. don't know what to suggest.

Well, upon a quick google search, there apparently CAN be a risk. But, we have to evaluate what is causing the risk, and how we all can minimize it. Nutrition is probably the biggest factor. If your electrolytes are off, that can lead to problems with the heart rhythm. Obviously that would be dangerous. We all need to be aware of our sodium/potassium needs and consumption. Long term malnutrition takes protein away from the heart and other organs, weakening them. Excessive exercise can put too much strain on a heart that may not be accustomed to it (starting a new exercise program should be slow and steady.. not couch to 10 miles the first week). Etc etc. In other words, eat right, exercise carefully, keep in contact with your physician, and chances are excellent that you'll be fine.

These are the bean noodles my local store sells.

Ok, thanks for clarifying where you are coming from. That helps me formulate an answer for you! I also was (am?) all about pizza/pasta. At 3 months postop I had my first slice of pizza. The slices were very small, but one quickly turned into 2. Apparently pizza is going to be a problem for me. My thinking at this point is to limit its consumption. To tell myself I'll *never* have pizza again is unrealistic, so it's a matter of thinking.. how much/little can I consume that item without messing up my physical or mental program. 4 times a year seems like a reasonable amount (first day of each season).. it would be a heck of a lot better than 4 times a week! Pasta is easier. Bean noodles have a ton of protein and fiber and low carbs. Put a little pile into an 8oz bowl with the tomato-based sauce, and I'm golden. Totally on plan. Can have weekly if I want. (I prefer chili though..using actual beans instead of the noodles). As you can see, it's about substitutions and limitations. We HAVE to change our behavior around food, or the surgery won't have lasting benefits. As for gym time, you only need to lift weights once or twice a week to maintain muscle mass. Building muscle takes ... I dunno.. lifting 2-4 times a week I suppose. The 6 week healing period is going to take away a significant portion of your preop muscles. It's amazing how quickly muscle mass can be built AND lost. So even if you don't want to be a gym rat, you should plan on lifting weights twice a week once you are medically cleared and have the energy. "Lifting weights" can be as simple as doing pushups or yoga or the like. I prefer gym machines since I don't have to be creative.. just move from machine to machine.

My surgeon is also in Mexico. I relied heavily on reviews, and I felt comfortable during the intake process. I spoke on the phone directly with my surgeon when I had questions preop. Postop, I'm confident I have support if I were to need it, but haven't needed anything so far. My family doctor is handling my routine followup.

Imitation is the greatest compliment. Thank you very much! I hope it works for you!

SOOO FUNNY!!! LOL!!!! I'll check to make sure gender is on my profile. I think I'll take that as a compliment (I've always had some masculine characteristics (science/math brain and all that), guess it's coming through!). Hope you won't think less of me now

Talk to your surgeon/team before deciding how much risk you want to take getting that bug... Lots of people vomit postop, I don't think it is THAT easy to rupture.. but, if at all possible, see if you can hide someplace away from the family. Wear gloves and a mask. Hand sanitizer. Shoot, if you have someone else that can take care of the kids, go check into a cheap motel for a week or two. When I was pregnant (long before the surgery), we had a stomach flu in the house. My kid vomited like, 3 times, total. My hubby about the same. I freakin' was vomiting every 10 minutes for 12 hours straight. I'm sure it was because of the pregnancy, but you are also in a delicate condition. Please don't catch that bug!

Nah... I look like a purple snail.. I just borrowed a human for the pics.

I didn't say anything unusual.. just a couple breaths of "oxygen", and I was out. My surgeon had come to see me before I was put under, and was super sweet. The only thing I remember him saying (it was just a quick visit) was "you'll feel restriction". Lol. Don't know if he tells everyone that, or if I got an extra tight sleeve. My postop eating seems average.. so I suspect he just says that to everyone. It hadn't occurred to me that I WOULDN'T feel restriction! Made me start wondering a bit! First meal outside of the hospital, I could take like 6 sips of liquid over 45 minutes. Yup! I had restriction!