Berry78

Yes, absolutely! no one should take this comparison to mean never to work out. I honestly believe it shows that AT FIRST the surgery is doing most of the work. But I strongly suspect that if I were to remain a couch potato for the next 7 months, our end points would look VERY different. I have a gym membership, and at this point I'm only waiting for the kids to go back to school (1.5 weeks) and then I'll start using it. I want to be as strong and fit as anyone, but waiting to shed 80lbs hopefully will have helped me to be less injury-prone. So, sorry to anyone out there that is wishing to see how a couch potato ends up, you'll have to look elsewhere

You are 55% of the way to goal in 5 months. If you keep to the program (keep up your protein and limit calories), and exercise regularly, you should have no trouble making goal. I am also 5 months out and 54% of the way to a healthy bmi. I think we are both doing well!

Hey surgery buddy! Oh how fun! We get to compare our journeys! I am also 5 months out on Sunday. I am a couch potato, probably average 1000-2000 steps a day. I don't lift weights, except taking out the garbage twice a week. I also have had steady weight loss (have lost every week except for 2.. so mine has stalled a little more than yours). I have now lost 79lbs.. so 1.5 pounds less than you . My calories have been higher than yours since mine are consistently at or a smidge above the top of your range for about 3 months now. (1200-1300). Oh, and of course, you have a bypass and I have a sleeve. I also don't do shakes, 70g of protein from food a day and I eat carbs.. about 60g. I'm tickled by how eerily similar our stats are! I like what you are saying about fat not supporting things anymore... I can definitely see that... I have a history of luxating patellas, and a week ago it happened for the first time in years.

Revisions are notorious for not giving the same "bang" as the original surgery. It sounds like you are doing everything right, so use the tape measure every couple weeks and don't weigh as often, and just stay the course. As you get more energy, the gym will be your friend.

The chocolate before bed.. if it's one small piece, no biggie. But if it's a pound, then the bypass could help with that by making you feel sick (dumping). Still, not everyone dumps with the bypass, and food addiction is best dealt with in a counselor's office anyway.. So I vote sleeve.

Thanks bschmidt.. that's what I was getting at, possible sensitivity, but not sure I worded it well.

Sorry Goggy, I was asking the other poster. I actually remember your story. Still amazes me how you're being a real trooper through it all. And the TPN not letting you lose weight has got to be the icing on the cake!

High protein and low carb AND low fat is extraordinarily unsustainable (ever heard of rabbit starvation?). It's what the preop diet had to be to get that liver down. Postop, as long as we meet our protein goals and calorie goals, the rest is up to us and our plan. Keto, balanced low carb, vegan-ish.. all of them can work, so we have some freedom to pick and choose.

The point of the surgery is to reset our "weight set points" the body helps us drop weight until that new set point is reached. We help the process by keeping our calories low (now possible since we aren't horribly hungry). Then, when we reach our new weight, it will be much easier to maintain than if we had just dieted off the pounds without surgery. BUT, gains are still possible like they have always been. (I wasnt born 300lbs).

I think I know exactly what happened. Binge/purging for 15 years is a LONG time. Long enough for purging to become an automatic response to the feeling of fullness. 6 weeks isn't far out at all, so a couple ounces of firm salmon absolutely would have made you feel full. You felt full, and that ingrained habit just...happened.. you didn't have to think about it any more than I have to think about stopping my car at a red light. Now that you are aware this CAN happen, you will need to practice mindful eating to prevent it from continuing to happen.

See if you are allowed to take probiotics. When I have issues, I take large doses of probiotics, and it usually helps. You'll have to ask your doc how much you can take.

Gallbladder issues can happen, and although you are only a week postop, keep it as a possibilty in the back of your mind. And keep an eye on your temperature.

What she said. Our bodies do what they do, and no input from us can really change it. Now if you asked what can you do after the first 6 months.. then there IS something.. keep to the program with diet and exercise. You have some head work to do if you demand rapid weight loss as a prerequisite to you "staying the course". Surgery only does 20% of the work. 80% comes from you. After surgery, if you hope to keep off your losses, you have to watch what you eat forever. It is physically easier than preop, but you still have to do it.

That reaction doesn't sound normal. It actually sounds a bit like dumping. Try to go back to the beginning and only drink water or warm herbal tea. If those don't agree, try plain milk. Try each thing carefully, and if you find something that works, then just drink that to give your system a rest. Protein shakes and artificial sweeteners can be rough, so avoid them at first.

Yeah, the only things I haven't tolerated the taste of are protein shakes and cake and ice cream, and noodles. So.. no big loss. No dumping or vomiting, just taste preference. I think lots of people would starve without the shakes, but it just forced me to eat real food asap. My 11 year old son caught a trout today. Ate that sucker up! (Ok, half a small one, but still...) Liked it better than preop. Do you know rainbow trout are related to salmon, and those in the wild have pink flesh?

I'm concerned to hear you get dizzy with exercise. Have you mentioned this to your health care team? Dizziness can be a sign of blood pressure problems, blood sugar problems, dehydration, etc. One thing that happens to many of us is our electrolytes get out of whack. Potassium, sodium, magnesium, etc. Low sodium v8 is a fabulous source of potassium. Coconut water is good too (if you can't tolerate tomatoes). Here is an article talking about electrolytes: https://draxe.com/electrolyte-imbalance/

Thanks for the tip I picked up the scale for $20 from a kitchen supply outlet store. It is worth the couple extra bucks.. does grams too!

So my day: Breakfast: 4oz cottage cheese and 4oz fruit Lunch: 1 egg and 4oz pinto beans Snack: 1oz nuts or seeds Dinner: 4oz meat or fish and 4oz spinach 1 cup milk and 2 cups coconut water I spread things out since I can't eat more than 4oz at a time.

That chicken info sounds good. When you leave the skin off it cuts the fat down at least by half. Ok, so nutritional goals are tough, since everyone does things a bit differently. A lot of it ends up being oersonal opinion. Your protein goal is the same as mine. Carbs.. it depends on whether you want to be in ketosis. If you don't know what that means, google ketogenic diet. Personally I don't want to go keto, so I keep my carbs above 50 (usually 60-70). Anything over 100 isn't as good for weight loss. Fat.. mine is moderately high. I eat 2 servings of full fat dairy and a serving of nuts, and whatever fat that comes in the meat. A teaspoon of olive oil on spinach, and a bit of butter to cook my egg. Altogether I'm getting 1200-1300 calories a day.

[Hugs] Hopefully your swelling will go down soon. At least you are still in the hospital, so you are being taken care of.

I can't do protein bars myself, so hopefully someone else can make some suggestions. As for the salt in the chicken, you do need some salt in your diet, and unless you buy raw chicken that is specifically unsalted, all of it has salt added. We frequently have trouble getting enough electrolytes, sodium included, so it's something to pay attention to. Ideally you'll want to get 1500mg to 2000mg of sodium a day. Although I admit I dont know how to tell how much sodium is in the chicken... is it labeled?

So cute! I love my little dishes!

Sure! Love their chicken! Just don't eat the skin if you want to minimize fat.

I've been taking powdered vitamins since right before surgery. "Women's ultra mega active" from GNC. I've just finished them today, so got some pills to try from my chiropractor. (Douglas Laboratories Energy/sports formula).

Contact your doctor today, and they will probably send you to the ER for fluids and anti-nausea meds. If you can't get ahold of them, just go ahead and go to the ER.